You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll have a nosey behind usually-closed doors. . . Get your diary out: it's going to be a busy month

BOSH

Stradling the worlds of acting and stand-up with aplomb – and bossing motherhood to boot - Kerry Godliman is sickeningly talented. But we’ll let her off, owing to her charmingly straight-talking, quick-wit (and the fact we fell a little bit in love with her as Lisa in Ricky Gervais’s touching comedy drama After Life).

A regular on TV comedy shows, from Taskmaster to Mock The Week, Kerry is returning to her comedy roots, in new touring show BOSH, heading to Cambridge Junction, September 10.

Expect a hilarious stream of consciousness spanning a needy cat, a constantly disappointing campervan, ever-raging feelings of mum guilt, plus bewilderment at the phasing-out of thimbles and doilies. Kerry needs to offload – and we’re here for it!

More at junction.co.uk

The Ballad of Maria Marten

Step back in time to the summer of 1827 and in a red barn in Polstead, Suffolk, Maria Marten is awaiting her lover. A year later, her body is discovered concealed in a grain sack, beneath the flooring. Known as the notorious Red Barn Murder, this infamous moment in history is retold in the critically acclaimed The Ballad of Maria Marten, at Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, this autumn.

Turning history into ‘her-story’, the compelling production retells the harrowing true crime, exploring a complex tale of love, loss, prejudice, and patriarchal power.

A feminist adaptation by Beth Flintoff, it focuses on Maria’s life rather than her death, with a stirling all-women cast, bringing a message of hope and the power of female camaraderie.

Beth, who was inspired by her work with survivors of psychological abuse, says: “Eleven women died at the hands of their partners during the first three weeks of lockdown. It’s never been more important for us to consider and celebrate the lives of those that society does not manage to protect. This is an old story, about the infamous murder of a woman, but now the story is told from her point of view. I wanted to focus on who Maria was: who she loved, what she laughed about, and what she does when she's having fun.”

See The Ballad of Maria Marten at Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, September 16-18. Find out more at theatreroyal.org

Artsfest

Indulge your creative side with a visit to Artsfest – a four-day extravaganza of live music, comedy, workshops, and talks in Cambridge. Taking place September 15-18 at St Paul’s Church on Hills Road, the bi-annual festival kicks off with an evening of side-splitting comedy courtesy of queen of edgy stand-up, Juliet Myers; retired Suffolk farmer turned witty raconteur Peter Holloway and the actual vicar of Wye, Rev Ravi Holy (there’ll be laughter in the aisles!).

The ensuing days promise a marvellous medley of music with energetic and passionate folk from the iconic Martyn Joseph, plus vibrant and powerful jazz with saxophone legend Tony Kofi and jazz multi-instrumentalist Tim Boniface. There’ll be fascinating talks and a series of creative workshops, tackling all manner of topics, from screen printing and painting to electric music and creative writing.

The festival will close with a participatory Scratch performance of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Sounds fun!

Find out more at stpaulsartsfest.org/

Open Cambridge

Thought you knew everything there was to know about our world-famous city? Put your knowledge to the test at Open Cambridge, one of the region’s much-loved heritage festivals.

This year’s focus is on ‘the past and present’, with 65 events highlighting the city’s culinary history and culture under the Heritage Open Day’s 2021 theme ‘edible England’.

Join a series of free walks, talks, tours and online events 10-19 September.

Take a behind the scenes tour of Cambridge University Farm, home to a herd of pedigree Holstein Friesian cows and a flock of North Country Mule ewes, plus an anaerobic digester producing electricity from dairy cow slurry (maybe pack a nose clip if strong smells offend!).

Find out about the ‘exciting’ food introduced to Cambridge by the Americans during the Second World War (tinned hams, gelo, candy and ice cream made without the need for a freezer; neat). And head to Scott Polar Research Institute to discover what provisions you’d need to pack for an icy crossing to Antarctica.

Open Cambridge is run by the University of Cambridge Public Engagement team and supported by Cambridge BID.

See the full roster of events at opencambridge.cam.ac.uk

aka fine art

Gallery1

Cambridge online gallery aka fine art is holding a charity exhibition at Kettle’s Yard, October 1-2, to raise funds for mental health charity Arts and Minds. Cambridge artist Charlotte Cornish will be discussing her captivating work and career on the Friday evening, when fizz and nibbles will be served to guests. On both the Friday and the Saturday, there’s a chance to take time to marvel at the work of other artists including sculptors Jeff Lowe and Laurence Edwards, and the multi-talented Penfold.

aka fine art - the brainchild of art conservation expert Ali Porter and Wildwood Gallery owner Kevin Youngman - specialises in exciting 20th and 21st century art, with a focus on the abstract.

aka fine art is set to open a physical gallery in Cambridge next spring. The Kettle’s Yard exhibition is being sponsored by Cambridge based Rapid Solutions International.

aka fine art's exhibition at Kettle's Yard takes place Friday, October 1, 6-9pm, with a drinks reception (confirm attendance via the website) and Saturday, October 2, 10am-4pm (turn up and enjoy). Find full details at akafineart.co.uk