The List

Historic Lavenham Big Top Theatre

What's On @ Historic Lavenham Big Top Theatre

Shakatak

Shakatak

28 Jul 2025 - 16 Oct 2025

After a number of successful top-twenty singles in the UK, the band went on to score unprecedented international success with the release of the classic ‘Nightbirds” recording and the title track has now become a standard in the popular music repertoire. This success was repeated with the top-ten hit “Down on the Street and the award-winning video established the band’s personnel of Jill Saward(lead vocs), Bill Sharpe(keys),Keith Winter(gtr), George Anderson(bass) and Roger Odell(drums). With the magic Al Jarreau/Shakatak combination,the group went on to record the track ‘Day by Day’ to further international acclaim. Along with this successful recording career, Shakatak had firmly established themselves as a vibrant live act, combining astute musicianship with a sense of fun that communicated strongly with world-wide audiences. Their performance in Japan’s Budoken Hall won them a Silver Award at the Tokyo International Song Festival-other awards include the “Best Instrumental Album’ for 6 consecutive years-and other live concerts of note have been the East meets the West Border Concert at the time of German re-unificationin 1989 and the open air concert in Cape Town for the Millennium Celebrations 2000 where they played in front of 250,000 people.Shakatak have enjoyed a level of success and career longevity rarely paralleled in contemporary music – but then Shakatak is a particularly unusual group. Because of the nature of their music, their fan base is one that is far reaching while always retaining an ‘underground element’. This paradox sees the band, who are known primarily as serious jazz/funk musicians, enjoying both high ‘cult’ status and instant recognition as a household name.
Fisherman's Friends

Fisherman's Friends

17 Aug 2025 - 12 Apr 2026

Bound together by lifelong friendship and shared experience for more than 25 years, the Fisherman’s Friends have met on the Platt (harbour) in their native Port Isaac to raise money for charity, singing the traditional songs of the sea handed down to them by their forefathers. In 2010 they signed a major record deal and their album Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends went gold as they became the first traditional folk act to land a UK top ten album. Since then they’ve been the subject of an ITV documentary, released the hit albums One and All and Proper Job and played to hundreds of thousands of fans at home and abroad. The Fisherman’s Friends have been widely credited with starting the revival of interest in shanty-style choral singing but a cornerstone of their success has been their constantly evolving and expanding repertoire.
Clearwater Creedence Revival

Clearwater Creedence Revival

8 May 2025 - 9 May 2026

Selling out at venues all over the world, Clearwater Creedence Revival feature road-hardened players who, collectively have performed with – Stax legend Steve Cropper, Big Country, Denny Laine (Wings, Moody Blues), Eric Haydocks Hollies, Animals And Friends, Alan Silson (Smokie), Wayne Fontana’s Mindbenders and more. Together, they are the best celebration of the music of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Fogerty you’re ever likely to see – and a band selling out all over the world, as audiences in Germany, Israel,Russia, Holland, Scandinavia, UK and more will attest! A tribute band like no other.
Voodoo Room: A Night of Hendrix, Clapton & Cream
Be part an incredible homage, to Three Legends in Music (Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton & Cream) in this explosive new production. Packed with an incredible high energy & performed by some of the UK's finest musicians. This powerhouse performance will transport you back in time to the original concerts, delivering the true spirit of these legendary superstars. This is the true fans production, a collection of outstanding musicians who have not only performed the songs, they have lived the life! No wigs, no pantomime, just great music played by great musicians. Their individual credits include: Steve Winwood, Massive Attack, Ben E. King, Fish, Thunder, Jo Harman, Thea Gilmore, Lulu etc etc.
The Carpenters Experience

The Carpenters Experience

17 May 2025 - 13 Nov 2025

When we were young we'd listen to the radio, waiting for our favourite songs. Now they're back again, like a long-lost friend, all the song we loved so well The UK's leading Carpenters show, featuring the amazing voice of Maggie Nestor and eight top-class musicians, captures the sights and sounds of the amazing talents of Richard and Karen Carpenter. Karen's silky contralto is combined with Richard's delightful piano and seamless harmonies in this big production that brings Close to You, We've only Just Begun, Top of the World, Rainy Days and Mondays, Solitaire, Goodbye to Love, Please Mr Postman, For All We Know, Only Yesterday and dozens more classic songs to the stage. The Carpenters Experience is coming to town for an evening of non-stop hits - it's yesterday once more
The Manfreds

The Manfreds

8 May 2025 - 29 Nov 2025

The '60s group Manfred Mann is now considered, more than ever, one of the finest and most respected bands from that era. Their numerous hits were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz - a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance. As a result, their records have a timeless quality and, some 55 years on, The Manfreds, with original front man, Paul Jones, will be performing many of their hits, including ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’, one of the most popular and instantly recognisable songs of the ‘60’s,and still the biggest audience pleaser at their concerts, along with a mix of Jazz and Blues covers and tracks from their individual solo albums. Paul Jones, with his unique harmonica sound, will be joined by Mike Hugg on keyboards, Tom McGuinness on guitar, Rob Townsend on drums, Marcus Cliffe on bass, and Simon Currie on saxophone/ flute.
Scott Bennett

Scott Bennett

23 May 2025 - 30 May 2026

Recently described by the Evening Standard as "Live Comedy's best kept secret" Scott Bennett has been blazing a trail through the stand-up circuit for the best part of a decade. He's written for many high profile acts such as Chris Ramsey and Jason Manford, and recently recorded his debut on BBC Two's Live at the Apollo. In massive demand as a comedy writer and with regular appearances on BBC Radio 4's The News Quiz and The Now Show, Scott is an act on the verge of breaking through into the big time.
Dr Feelgood

Dr Feelgood

1 Jun 2025 - 27 Feb 2026

Formed on Canvey Island in Essex in the early 1970s Dr. Feelgood remains one of the most popular and exciting live rhythm and blues acts in the world. The raw and uncompromising style of their performance resulted in the album Stupidity that immediately went to the number one position in the U.K. charts. Dr. Feelgood have also enjoyed global success with a string of hit singles including Roxette, Back in the Night, Milk and Alcohol, Down at the Doctors, She Does it Right, Going Back Home and See You Later Alligator - which gave the group their first gold record. The last album to feature Lee Brilleaux - Down at the Doctors, was recorded live at the Dr. Feelgood Music Bar on Canvey Island, (now the site of the Oysterfleet Hotel) just two months before he died. The current line up features the rhythm section Kevin Morris on drums and Phil Mitchell on bass (both 38years), the return of legendary Gordon Russell on guitar, and Robert Kane (formerly of the Animals) who joined in 1999. Julien Temple’s film Oil City Confidential released on 2nd February 2010 tells the story of the bands formative years featuring the Wilko Johnson era. May 2011 saw the digitally re – mastered re release of Chessmasters originally released in 2000 on EMI Records … the band’s tribute to the Chess label, home to many of the finest blues artists of the 20th century and the first Dr Feelgood album to feature Robert on vocals. April 2021 saw the release of Greatest Hits on Grand Records. The band continues to tour extensively throughout the World.
The Shires

The Shires

9 May 2025 - 16 Aug 2025

UK country superstars The Shires first entered the history books in 2015, when their debut album, Brave, became the first ever British country album to enter the UK Top Ten. Their second album, My Universe, also broke new ground by becoming the fastest-selling British country album of all time and reached the top three in the UK chart. After an incredible two years, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, hailing from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, have fast become a firm favourite in the UK country music scene. Now they’re making their mark in Nashville too. With two gold certified albums under their belt within 12 months of each other and nine playlisted tracks across BBC Music, The Shires are back and they’re raring to go.

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