Cambridge News | www.cambridge-news.co.uk | April 25, 2013 | 27Cambridge News | www.cambridge-news.co.uk | April 25, 2013 | 27

Round-up

� An Antarctic explorer who couldn’thelp but keep on surviving (hereturned from three of Scott andShackleton’s most dangerousexpeditions), Tom Crean was morethan a bit of a character. Performedby Aidan Dooley and put on by thePlay on Words Theatre Company, thisis a one-man show that looks intothe struggles and stories of Crean,an unsung Irish hero. It’s alreadywon a Fringe First at Edinburgh andBest Solo performance at the NewYork International Festival, catch it atMumford Theatre on Monday, April 29from 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12.50 from08451962320.

� Murray is a farmer, except he’s not verygood at it. His dad was pretty amazing atit, winning the Golden Fleece award (forbest sheep’s fleece, as you’d imagine),for years and years in a row, but nowMurray wants to claim it – and he wantsit bad. Expect a quirky, funny show thatrevolves around family, farming andthe trials of looking after sheep in NewZealand. Catch The Golden Fleece –Cam Dram’s woolly baby – at The ADCfrom Wednesday, May 1, until Saturday,May 4. Tickets cost £5/£6 from (01223)300085.

Dance

Comedy

BALLET Black is becomingrather a regular fixturein the Cambridge Arts

Theatre calendar. Gearingup for its seventh visit to thecity, the ballet company forblack and Asian dancers hasbeen touring with new balletssince 2001 and is often called“magical”. “We weren’t calledthat 12 years ago,” says BalletBlack founder, Cassa Pancho.“It’s been a really gradualslow-burn to that level, Ithink people say that aboutus because we are small andwe don’t have a great deal offunding, but we produce newwork every year which doesn’thappen that often in ballet.So I’m always surprised whensomeone says something likethat. But I think it’s difficultwhen you’ve started somethingto step outside and see it theway other people see it.”

Every year the companycommissions choreographersto create new pieces toperform, and is currentlytouring with four new ballets.

“The show is two halves,”Cassa explains. “The firsthalf is three abstract ballets,well, not necessarily abstractbut three shorter ballets to

all kinds of music. Oneis a specially-composedscore by Cambridge localFabio D’andrea, and anotheris set to some Hilary Hahnsort of electronic Hawaiianbarbershop quartet.”

The second half is a narrativestory ballet about World WarTwo : “Instead of making a bigcommentary about the war,it’s more about the humanaspect. So there’s a scene abouta wife visiting her husband inhospital and him not reallyremembering her because ofhis injuries, and there’s a light-hearted moment in a 40s dancehall to Glen Miller music, so it’ssort of little glimpses into whatlife might have been like at thattime.”

What impact does shethink Ballet Black has had onthe wider ballet landscape?“I can only tell you what wehope we’ve done, and that isto inspire young kids of blackand Asian descent to knowthat ballet is open to them,”says Cassa. “I hope that we’vemade it possibly normal tosee a black ballerina, ratherthan going ‘Oh my god, she’sblack’. You go and it wouldn’t besurprising.”

*

“MY look is called ‘man kickedout of medieval village forced tolive alone in the woods and sneakin at night to steal food,’” TonyLaw recently tweeted. His hairalone proves him right. Scruffy,dangerously on end and with anample beard-moustache combogrowing over his jaw like moss,the bushy browed Canadiancomedian lives in Islington, andclaims to be descended fromVikings. Oh, he’s definitely acharacter.If you haven’t caught him onNevermind The Buzzcocks,Russell Howard’s Good Newsor Have I Got News For You, heis tipped for comedy greatness.Mr Tony Law (as he likes to be

called) nabbed a nomination forthe Edinburgh Comedy AwardBest Show last year and has twoChortle Awards to brag about too.Naturally eccentric, his shows areillogical, loud and chock-a-blockwith ridiculous off the wall storiesabout him inhabiting the lives,and telling the stories of, a rangeof madcap characters (possiblyincluding a Mayan priest).If you’re looking for a night ofladdish banter, this might not befor you – go see Frankie Boyleinstead, but if you want gloriousconfusion and a comediandressed like a lost, swashbucklingextra from an Indiana Jones film(there will probably be britches),see if you can keep up.

Tony Law

BalletBlack

n Ballet Black, Cambridge Arts Theatre,Sunday, April 28-Sunday, April 29, at7.45pm. Tickets £12.50-£22.50 from(01223) 503333 / cambridgeartstheatre.purchase-tickets-online.co.uk Tickets £10from (01223) 511 511 www.junction.co.uk

n Tony Law,CambridgeJunction, Friday,April 26, at 8pm.Tickets £10 from(01223) 511511 /www.junction.co.uk

� If you love The Lion, The Witch andThe Wardrobe and can’t get enoughof all things Narnia based, HeffersBookshop in Cambridge is hostingan evening dedicated to the life andwork of C. S. Lewis, marking the 50thanniversary of his death. TheologianAlister McGrath will be discussing hislatest book, C. S. Lewis: A Life, whichincludes snippets from Lewis’ careerand covers how the Narniaseries began. Popalong to thebookshop onTrinity Streeton Tuesday,April 30 at6.30pm.Tickets cost£6 from01223 463220.Remember tobook!

keep up to date with the latest local entertainment news: follow @CamWhatsOn