Squire Performing Arts Centre: Nottingham’s Best Kept Secret

I bet you hadn't heard of Squire Performing Arts Centre 12 months ago. They are Nottingham's best kept secret, but not so much anymore! After Covid had such a huge effect on business' such as theatres, they've come back bigger and better than ever.

You may know them as host to some poular events like Spontaneous Potter, poet John Hegley and Nottingham Chamber Music Festival among many more. They now have some great upcoming events this Autumn including folk band Leveret, cop turned Comedian Alfie Moore, Impromptu Shakespeare, and they welcome back the talented local lad Scott Bennett, who will be bringing some funny friends.

They are walking distance from Nottingham City Centre, close to the tram stop and have plenty of free onsite parking. The theatre is accessible on both levels, and they have allocated wheelchair spaces for every performance. They serve local beers, gins and ice creams and all staff are super friendly, too!

Make sure to check out their full events list and visit soon if you haven’t already! You can also stay up to date with their events by signing up to their newsletter.

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Alfie Moore Cop Unleashed | 15^th October

Join BBC Radio 4’s cop-turned-comedian Alfie Moore for his latest stand-up tour show. Fair Cop Unleashed is based on a dramatic real-life incident from Alfie’s police casebook. Relive with him the thrilling ups and downs of the night a mysterious clown came to town and more than one life ended up in the balance. It was no laughing matter – but this show certainly is! Enjoy Alfie’s unique brand of humour hilariously woven together with his personal insights into his life on the front-line of the police force.

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Leo Houlding | 16^th October

Leo Houlding is one of the world’s best climbers; big walls, Everest, triple peaks in as many days, you name it, Leo’s probably climbed it! With a brief overview of his life, Leo’s brand new show will follow on from his previous tour (The Spectre Expedition, 2019) bringing audiences up to date with his audacious expeditions, primarily focusing on his more recent ascent Mount Roraima, the high, rain forest-engulfed South American plateau which inspired Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World!

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Impromptu Shakespeare | 11th November

Sad that Shakespeare hasn’t written anything new for over 400 years?

Well, hold onto your doublets, ruffs and trunk hose. The Bard is back! With story and verse improvised in the moment, enjoy a riotous new Shakespeare play every time – performed by Impromptu Shakespeare’s whip smart cast. Packed with priceless wit, lyrical smarts, romance, and a dash of double-crossing, this leading ensemble do the Bard proud with a brand new one-act hit every time, inspired by audience suggestions. Impromptu Shakespeare have been a smash hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, Bristol Shakespeare Festival, and appeared on BBC Shakespeare Live.

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Leveret | 24^th March 2023

Leveret is a unique collaboration between three of England’s finest folk musicians.  Andy Cutting (button accordion), Sam Sweeney (fiddle) and Rob Harbron (concertina) are each regarded as exceptional performers and masters of their instruments.  Together their performances combine consummate musicianship, compelling delivery and captivating spontaneity.  Leveret’s music is not arranged in the conventional sense and the trio rely on mutual trust and musical interaction to create new settings of their repertoire in the moment, with no two performances alike. Their playing is relaxed and natural, drawing audiences in and inviting them to share in music making that is truly spontaneous and yet deeply timeless.

Fiddler Sam Sweeney was the 2015 BBC Folk Awards Musician of the Year and the inaugural Artistic Director of the National Youth Folk Ensemble.  He is known for his work in Bellowhead and The Full English, and his solo albums The Unfinished Violin and Unearth Repeat.  Melodeon genius Andy Cutting, a four-time BBC Folk Awards Best Musician, is a compelling solo performer and works with Blowzabella, Topette, June Tabor, and Roger Daltry.  Concertina wizard Rob Harbron leads the English Acoustic Collective Summer School, released his own solo album Meanders in 2019, and is known for his work with The Full English (Best Group and Best Album BBC Folk Awards 2014), Emily Portman and Emma Reid.

Leveret’s music is firmly rooted in the English tradition but sounds fresh and new.  With their first four albums and over a long string of sell-out gigs, the trio have built a strong reputation as superb musicians, fine tunesmiths and captivating performers.  Their recent release Variations Live showcases their trademark groove, energy and intuitive playing in a set recorded live during the last few gigs they did before lockdown in 2020 – truly great music from a band at the top of their game.

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This blog was supplied by Zianne Codner, Marketing Assistant at Squire PAC and edited by Katherine Taylor, Marketing Executive at Visit Nottinghamshire.