5 Things to Do in Nottingham This Weekend

There’s all sorts going off down by that river, so broaden your horizons, tek a wander out of the city centre, and hit up The Embankment for a pint and a spot of murder. Brought to you by Paul Richards, Death of a Soul Man is the murder mystery event to end ‘em all. On arrival, you’ll be treated to a free drink to warm you up nicely, before settling into a hot buffet, cos it’s just not a party without a spread, is it duck? As you feast, a cast full of the usual suspects will bring Cluedo to life in a fully scripted murder mystery to boss them all. You’ll be able to order drinks directly to your table as you pop your Poirot on to solve the case, although you might wanna slow down on the whiskies cos you’ll need to keep your wits about you. Audience participation is expected….
Friday 6 October, £25 including food and arrival drink, The Embankment, event link

Best known for her many novels on the trials and tribulations of being a woman, Kathy Lette has decided to step out from behind the desk and take centre stage to share intimate details of her life in a hilarious way. She’s made sure to stop off in Notts to bring us her ‘psychological strip tease’ which will take the audience on a journey from puberty blues to menopause blues. This show will include plenty of juicy details on love, lust, men, child-birth, toy boys… all the things a woman can experience in her life - so men, attend at your own risk. Kathy will also be getting real on her experience of raising a child on the autistic spectrum - from the school bullies to watching him become a star on daytime TV.  Grab your mates and settle in for a night full of giggles.
Friday 6 October, 7.30pm, £12-£16, Djanogly Theatre, event link

Here’s one for those of you who have a way with words, and don’t mind a little friendly competition. Get dahn to the Nottingham Writers’ Studio, whack out your notepad or laptop and get comfortable. Each writer will be given the choice of three prompts, and then you’ll have yoursen three hours to produce a masterpiece using one or more of these creative prompts. It can be fiction or a narrative non-fiction - as long as it’s brilliant, it don’t matter. As for prizes, expect the usual. We’re talking chocolate, wine, a cheeky commemorative ribbon or just the right to brag to any bogger who will listen. All this excitement will then be followed by a Cards Against Humanity tournament social event. The folk at the Writers’ Studio have been kind enough to offer this event for free, but you can always pop ‘em a few quid to help cover the cost of refreshments.
Saturday 7 October, 3pm-9pm, free, Nottingham Writers’ Studio, event link

To celebrate a year of throwing some pretty fierce parties at The Alley Cafe, Subtone Society are planning a vinyl only special with a twist. Their residents will be taking over the decks for the night, but they ain’t the ones deciding what’s gonna be playing… you lot are. Each DJ will come along armed with just three options from their beloved collection. These could be three different genres or eras, who bleddy knows. But whichever one receives the most votes is the one that will come booming through them speakers.  Over half a dozen DJ’s playing classics, anthems and underground bangers from lodsa genres, plus all the usual smoke, lasers and strobes that are guaranteed to give you a good night. Banging.
Saturday 7 October, 9pm, free, The Alley Cafe, event link

We bleddy love the Hockley Hustle. And each year, as it grows, so does our fondness for it. For one day and one day only, the venues of Hockley are filled with non-stop music, poetry and performances, and the cobbles are laden with parades, silent discos and sax-offs. It’s bleddy brilliant. This year, the puppet masters are launching the very first Young Hustlers branch of the festival, so Nottingham’s youth can get down alongside their adults. Nottingham Contemporary sees family rave specialists Big Fish Little Fish taking over The Space, and the NVA is inundated with activities for the kids, including a songwriting workshop with recent BBC Proms performer, Rob Green. Make sure you check out our LeftLion stage over at Broadway, and catch headliners, The Invisible Orchestra, for a very special performance in Screen 2. Plus, you can mosey on down to Market Square for exclusive performances in the Spiegeltent. And don’t forget, all this is in the name of charity. Book tickets. Now.
Sunday 8 October, all day, £15, Hockley, event link