Exhibitions

This week sees the opening of MOONSTRIPS: Eduardo Paolozzi and the printed collage 1965-72 (From  Tues 17th Feb to Sun 7th June, Fitzwilliam Museum). As the name suggests the exhibition focuses on Paolozzi’s art using words cut from popular magazines and scientific journals, which played a formative role in the development of British art in the 1950s and 60s. Expect originiality and bright colours.

There’s a much shorter run for The Humanitarian Centre’s ‘Enlightening’ installation (until Sun 15th Feb, Parker’s Piece). Also part of E-Luminate Festival of Light, this exhibition will endeavour to bring to life some extraordinary stories about how light, or lack thereof, affects millions of people’s lives in developing countries through the medium of art and video. Register online for free to attend.

Drama

Start off your week of drama with something different in the form of F Words (Sun 15th Feb, 8pm, ADC Bar), ‘a fierce and funny fistful of new monologues’, which will confront a host of feminist issues. Continuing on, there’s ADC main show ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Tues 17th-Sat 21st Feb, 7.45pm, ADC). Following singer Annabella through the glamorous but seedy world of a 1928 Florida Speakeasy, this show promises both an enjoyable romp and some broken taboos.

Both Corpus Playroom shows this week are completely new to Cambridge and are set in that most wonderful of places, the pub, and should therefore both be highlights. The Weir (Tues 17th-Sat 21st Feb, 7pm, Corpus Playroom) joins the locals of a remote Irish  village for some ghost stories, belly laughs and character drama. The Next Round (Tues 17th-Sat 21st Feb, 9pm, Corpus Playroom) is a new comic play featuring ‘trivia, sketches and music’ all set around the idea of a pub quiz.

Comedy

Following on with this weeks pub-vibes, get an unusual fill of comedy with the 25th Birthday Pub Quiz (Sat 14th Feb, 8pm, The Junction). Part of a series of events celebrating the quarter of a century that one of Cambridge’s best venues has been open, the event will be hosted by Tom Roden of the hilarious New Art Club. Questions that will range from trivia to hypothetical, philosophical to personal, Cambridge to Cambridge Junction. Bring your pens.

One-off sketch show Austrey and James (Mon 16th Feb, 9:30pm, Corpus Playroom) promises some surreal and sophisticated sketches designed by ‘two finalist Englings whose time has come’, the time for what exactly? Only one way to find out… The team that brought you the wonderful Battlesmash last term return with a (very slight) variation on the their previous efforts in Bafflesmash presents: Back in the Cellar. Expect a great night from some Cambridge Comedy regulars who’ve been plastered with praise by the student media. And you know you can trust us.

Music

A surprisingly big week for music in Cambridge; folksy, harmonious and really hot, the sisters from The Staves are sure to provide a breath of fresh air with tracks from their second album If I Was (Tues 17th Feb, 7pm, The Junction), but if folk isn’t your thing then get ready for Arrested Development. These trailblazers in hip-hop have been going since 1991 and now they’re coming to Cambridge as part of their first UK tour in decades (Thurs, 19th Feb, 7pm, The Junction). For a cheaper but equally exciting ticket, The Fountain has you well covered. For Funk, Soul, Disco, and classic Hip Hop try the very tiring-sounding Mr Margaret Scratcher’s Funk Workout (Fri, 13th Feb, 10pm-3am, The Fountain Inn). If House, Electro, Garage, and Bass are more your thing then take your Valentine to The Movement (Sat, 14th Feb, 10pm-3am, The Fountain Inn). If you’d rather watch dancing than do it yourself, then head to Coppelia (Thurs 19th - Sat 21st Feb, 7.30pm, Mumford Theatre). This Cambridge University Ballet Club show features characters named Franz, Swanilda and Dr Coppelius, which is reason enough to go, isn’t it? Equally tantalising in name is The Dark Concert (Sun, 15th Feb, 5.30 pm, Great St Mary’s Church), part of the Cambridge E-Luminate Festival closing ceremony, this is a chance to listen to acoustic music in near-total darkness (just one candle will be used for the performer), allowing you to reconsider your relationship with sound and light. 

Film

The biggest release this week, but almost certainly not the best, is the long-awaited Fifty Shades of Grey (released Saturday 13th Feb). You surely already know what it’s about so we’ll leave it at that. For a less S&M-y Valentines day trip to the cinema, take advantage of a one-off screening of Casablanca (14th Feb, pm, Cambridge Arts Picturehouse), a fantastic opportunity to see a classic on the big screen. Also out this week is Cake (released Fri 20th Feb) the no-doubt cheery story of a chronic pain sufferer, starring Jennifer Aniston and Anna Kendrick. Of course, if none of this is to your liking there’s still time to catch up on recent releases Selma, Inherent Vice and Into The Woods before they go off-screen!

Talks

There are plenty of opportunities to be enlightened this week with some great speakers at a range of venues. This week’s Union debate, This House Would Bring Back Grammar Schools (Thurs, 19th Feb, 7.30pm, The Cambridge Union) will be of great interest to anyone who’s followed recent controversy over selective and private education. The Proposition includes the Chairman of the National Grammar School Association and two grammar school headmasters. They’ll be opposed by leading figures in the Campaign for State Education, Teach First and the writer of School Wars: the Battle for Britain’s education. Another politically heated debate will be The Political Debate: Arts, Culture and Quality of Life (Thurs, 19th Feb, 6.30pm, The Junction). With the Cambridge parliamentary Candidates from Labour, the Lib-dems, Conservatives and Greens all confirmed speakers, this debate will focus on a question close to many students’ hearts: How can our politicians commit to arts and culture in a tough economic climate? The event is free but ticketed so visit The Junction’s website to find out more.