Coming up at The Memorial Theatre this year

THE Memorial Theatre has a diverse range of entertainment coming up this year.

Here is the line-up for the next few weeks.

Gareth Gates in The Best of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Saturday 28th January 23 at 7.30pm. Tickets £32.50 A spectacular high-pitched celebration of timeless music from one of the biggest-selling groups of all time, featuring all your favourite songs including Sherry, My Eyes Adored You, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like a Man, and many more. Gareth Gates joins cast members from the smash hit Tony Award-winning musical ‘Jersey Boys’ and other hit West End shows, supported by an exceptional live band.

The Manfreds with Paul Jones. 60 Years of Hits, Jazz & Blues. Friday 24th February at 7.30pm. Tickets £25 The Manfreds will be returning to The Memorial Theatre as part of their 60th Anniversary celebrations. They are considered one of the finest and most respected bands from the 1960s era and their numerous hits were not just ‘pop’ songs! Many were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz – a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance. As a result, their records have a timeless quality and, 60 years on, The Manfreds, with original front man, Paul Jones, will be performing many of their hits, including ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’, one of the most popular and instantly recognisable songs of the ‘60s, and still the biggest audience pleaser at their concerts, along with a mix of Jazz and Blues covers and tracks from their individual solo albums.

T.Rextasy – The Greatest Hits Tour. Saturday 4th March at 7.30pm. Tickets £25 Marc Bolan and T.Rex, were one of the most flamboyant, charismatic acts of the original glam-rock era. With Bolan’s special ingredient of Rock-a-Boogie songs, the band had a string of huge hits throughout the 1970s. T.Rextasy have performed around the world for over 20 years and the band is now accepted as the world’s only official live tribute band dedicated to T.Rex. They are the only band endorsed and approved by Marc Bolan’s family, estate, original ex-members of T.Rex, and Bolan’s catalogue management. The band has been described by many as ‘beyond the boundaries of tribute’. Royal Marine Band. Saturday 11th March at 7.30pm. Tickets £20

The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines presents an evening of military music and other popular music. RM Band Lympstone is one of five Royal Marines bands based around the United Kingdom. It can trace its direct historical lineage to 1767. The band’s principal role is to provide musical support of the highest professional standard to the Naval Service. They perform in a wide variety of musical combinations, including parade band, wind band, symphony orchestra, big band, dance band, jazz band, corps of drums and a number of small chamber groups.

‘My Dear Old Things’ An evening with Henry Blofeld. Friday 17th March at 7.30pm. Tickets £25

Being confined to the pavilion for the past couple of seasons has given Henry time to reconnect with his Norfolk roots and reflect on a truly extraordinary life. This reflection inspired the online film, At Home With Henry, and this new theatre show. In My Dear Old Things, Blowers recalls his days as a young England hopeful, how an Eton bus knocked him off his stride – and his bike – recoiling from a career in the city to work as a cricket journalist before finding his way into the TMS box. There are hilarious tales of Johnners, Arlott and other larger-than-life characters in the box and on tour with England. Henry also has plenty of hysterical stories from his post-retirement appearances on Would I Lie to You? and The Real Marigold Hotel. Backed by film and rare personal pictures on our big screen, My Dear Old Things is an absolute treat for the cricket connoisseur and a wonderfully engaging evening for all.