Your guide to What's On this weekend

Don’t make any plans for the weekend until you’ve checked out our guide to what’s on in and around Exeter.

THEATRE

April De Angelis
Friday & Saturday,  7.30pm, Cygnet Theatre, Exeter
The theatres have just re-opened after seventeen years of suppression under the puritans, encouraging a great upsurge in dramatic writing.  Of vital importance to the development of drama was the entrance of the first English actresses upon the English stage.  April De Angelis has taken five famous figures – Nell Gwynn, Elizabeth Farley, Rebecca Marshall, Doll Common and Mary Betterton – and given us a fascinating look at the precarious lot of actresses at that time.  A moving and often comic account of the true lives of Restoration actresses, with some earthy language! Tickets £10, £8 conc, £6 child.  www.cygnettheatre.co.uk

The Simon & Garfunkel Story
Friday, 7.30pm, Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Featuring West End leading man Dean Elliott and a full cast of talented actor-musicians, The Simon and Garfunkel Story takes you back through the ‘Groovy’ times of the 1960s. It tells the story of both Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel from their humble beginnings as Rock n Roll duo ‘Tom and Jerry’, right through their massive success, dramatic break-up and finishing with a stunning recreation of the 1981 Central Park reformation concert. £16, £15 conc. www.barnfieldtheatre.org.uk

From Devon With Love: No Filter & Femme Fatigue
Saturday, Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
No Filter is a challenging and intimate look at how our culture and society can shape the way women view and project sexuality. Putting musical comedy at the forefront, Squiffy Cabaret take you on a journey of playful sketches and outrageously funny songs, drawing from heartwarming, personal experiences in a slick, sexy and sophisticated cabaret setting. Exploring the boundaries and connection between performance and truth, ‘No Filter’ is moving, relevant, and outspoken. Femme Fatigue is a quirky piece of work in progress which bases itself  the pressures we place on women today to conform to an ideal of femaleness and the downright ridiculous nature of many of the expectations that gender norms set up. www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk

A Little Man's Holiday
Sunday, 2pm, Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
‘A Little Man’s Holiday’ takes the audience on a magical journey from the Little Man’s dull city dwellings to the high seas on a swashbuckling adventure for all the family. With PaddleBoat’s distinctive audience interaction, audience will be fully immersed as Little Man battles jellyfish, pirates and sharks on his voyage across freezing waters. Suitable for over fives. http://www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk/

Only a Fool
Sunday, 7pm, Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
Only A Fool... is a show based on Gogol's The Government Inspector. The actors explored ideas around what makes us do foolish things and the sometimes the very thin line that can divide comedy and tragedy in human nature. The show is fun, fast paced and uses episodic action and multi rolling to explore the use of the clown and character work within storytelling. www.bikeshedtheatre.co.uk

MUSIC

The Three Degrees (pictured)
Friday, 8pm, Exeter Corn Exchange
The legendary Three Degrees in concert. The group are well known for their soulful voices, beautiful gowns and fabulous stage shows. Tickets £25.50. www.exeter.gov.uk/cornexchange

Live Music - Friday
Various venues, Exeter
Prospect Inn,  Exeter Quay: Eventine, 9pm, free.
The Old Firehouse, New North Road: Electric Spank, free before 10.30pm, £1 after.
Mama Stone’s, Mary Arches Street: New Heroes, 11pm, free.
John Gandys, Gandy Street: Carnaby Street, 9pm, free.
The Sorry Head, Blackboy Road: Hot Dub Reggae, Dub & indie band, 9pm, free.

Dante String Quartet
Saturday, 3pm, Manor Pavilion, Sidmouth
The winners of the Royal Philharmonic Society award for chamber music in 2007 and quartet in residence at King's College, Cambridge, perform quartets by Haydn (The Bird)Bartok and Debussy. Ticket Prices £15/£5 full time students. www.manorpavilion.com

Live Music - Saturday
Various venues, Exeter
Pospect Inn, Exeter Quay:  Reckless, 9pm, free.
The King’s Arms, Cowick Street: Kiss This! 9.30pm, free.
The Bishop Blaize, Commercial Road: Booster, 9.15pm, free.
The Old Firehouse, New North Road: Dumber than the Average Bear, free before 10.30pm, £1 after.
The Sorry Head, Blackboy Road: The Embezzlers, 9pm, free.
Heat of Oak, Pinhoe: Audius Maximus, 9pm, free.

The Divertimento String Quartet
Sunday, 4pm, St Margaret’s Church, Fore Street, Topsham
An afternoon of music with the Divertimento String Quartet in Topsham. The String Quartet is Mary Eade, Lindsay Braga, Andrew Gillett, and Vicky Evansl Tickets are £12 (under 18s free) available at the door or in advance from The Topsham Bookshop (01392 877895).

Jim Causley & Lukas Drinkwater
Sunday, 8pm, Exeter Phoenix
Jim and Lukas will be showcasing new material they are writing together, offering a 21st century perspective on traditional song. Five times BBC Radio 2 Folk Award nominee Causley is renowned for his warm stage presence and his rich singing voice. With Lukas, the singer/accordionist performs a wide variety of material, both traditional and contemporary as well as his popular homemade settings of Charles Causley poems, as showcased on his album Cypress Well. Tickets £10 (£8) seated. www.exeterphoenix.org.uk

Live Music – Sunday
Various venues
The Old Firehouse, New North Road, Exeter: ExTunes student bands, 9pm, free.
The Famous Old Barrel, Exmouth: Elijah Wolf, 8.30pm, free.
The Bank, Exmouth: Wired, 3pm, free.
First & Last Inn, Exmouth: Kiss This! 6pm, free.
Sidbury Village Inn, Sidbury: The Risk, 8.30pm, free.

EVENTS

1st Pinhoe Guides coffee morning
Saturday, 10am, Pinhoe Hall Church, Main Road, Pinhoe, Exeter
The 1st Pinhoe Guides are holding a coffee morning and book sale to raise funds towards their trip to Switzerland later this year. The event runs between 10am and noon and there will also be cakes on sale and a raffle.

Visit a 14th Century Dartmoor Longhouse
Saturday, 10.30am, Dartmoor
A longhouse is a medieval farmhouse in which both people and cattle were accommodated under a single roof. Higher Uppacott is a grade one listed building of rare and national importance. It is one of the few remaining examples of this historic building type. Take this opportunity to enjoy a glimpse of medieval life on Dartmoor. Event suitable for children aged eight and over. Charge: Adults £5.00 children 14 & under free. Bookings: 01822 890414.

RSPB nature walk
Saturday, 2pm Topsham
The staff from the RSPB Shop at Darts Farm, Topsham are offering family friendly walks that showcase the beautiful surrounding farmland and wetlands - a great chance to get out and see some wildlife. See a range of farmland birds, as well as dazzling kingfishers, reed buntings and birds of prey such as buzzards and sparrowhawks. The views across to Goosemoor reserve are stunning and our resident expert will be alongside to answer questions and point things out. Binoculars can be hired from The RSPB Shop - the route provides some great lookout spots along the way. The hour-long walks start at 2 pm  every Saturday.

EXHIBITIONS

The Faces of Conflict
RAMM, Queen Street, Exeter
A new exhibition exploring how facial injuries suffered by soldiers during the First World War have influenced artists and surgeons will open this weekend.  The ‘Faces of Conflict’ exhibition is a collaboration between the University of Exeter and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter, and brings together historical objects such as surgical instruments and masks and works by artists such as Otto Dix, Wyndham Lewis, René Apallec and Paddy Hartley. This exhibitions is free and is running until 4 April.

Oliver Raymond-Barker
CCANW, Innovation Centre, Rennes Drive, University of Exeter
Three distinctive yet intertwining projects from Oliver Raymond-Barker, including an original look at Natural Alchemy - a project produced as Creative Affiliate at The University of Exeter’s Environment & Sustainability Institute during 2013-14. The exhibition runs until 16 April.  www.ccanw.co.uk/oliver

Photography project exhibition
Glorious Art House, Fore Street, Exeter
Meridian RAW’s first exhibition to celebrate completing the first year of one its projects.
Meridian RAW is a not-for-profit social enterprise that uses photography as an empowerment tool for marginalised communities and socially excluded individuals. The exhibition runs until Friday 30th January and is part of the Our Lives, Our Community, Our Voice community project which uses photography as a means of engagement, empowerment and training for residents of Exeter and has been taking place at St Sidwell’s Community Centre. All the images that will be on display have been taken by the participants. Further details: http://www.meridianraw.com/