Four things to do in Hastings and St Leonards

Genre-defying tunes from young star Reuben James

Reuben James and his band perform at White Rock Theatre, Hastings, on Thursday, February 27 (7.30pm).

The concert is part of Hastings International Piano Festival, with support from Hastings’ rising star Marie White.

Spokesman Fraser Ward said: “Reuben started playing piano at the age of three. He was raised in his hometown of Birmingham on an eclectic mix of jazz, gospel, hip hop and classical music and this variety of genres is reflected in the range of artists he’s worked with. Artists like Ruby Turner, Disclosure, Little Mix, saxophonist Soweto Kinch, Callum Scott and Sam Smith. After years of working in the studio with other people, James has discovered his own sound and released a debut EP Adore in 2019. His ambition is to simply bring a new flavour of jazz to the UK scene. Hastings will be graced by his unique, genre-defying style and this show is a chance to see the collaborator take the spotlight.”

Tickets £17.50-£27.50 on 01424 462288.

Ayşen Ulucan explores the many colours of the violin

Ayşen Ulucan returns to Christ Church, St Leonards, for a night of early classical and modern music this Saturday, February 22 (7pm).

Hastings Philharmonic’s first chamber music concert of the season features the violinist performing a solo recital that explores all the different colours, techniques and timbres that the violin has to offer in three very contrasting pieces: Bach’s memorable C major Sonata, Béla Bartók’s Sonata for Solo Violin and contemporary Turkish composer Özkan Manav’s Horon.

The Bach piece is a work that Ayşen has wanted to play for a long time. She said: “It’s a challenge for every violinist and that’s the beauty of it.”

Tickets £12.50-£15.50 on 01424 451111.

Travel writer John talks about his Silk Road journey

Travel writer and photographer John Pilkington talks about The Old Silk Road To Afghanistan at Stables Theatre, Hastings, on Monday, February 24 (7.30pm, £8.50-£13.50).

A spokesperson said: “In 2011 John followed a spectacular branch of the Silk Road, starting in the Caucasus and crossing the Caspian Sea to Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand. Then, reeling from the beauty of those legendary cities, he turned south-east to explore the High Pamirs of Afghanistan – a region well-known to Marco Polo – before making a dramatic finale at the source of the Oxus in the heart of Asia.”

Visit stablestheatre.co.uk to find out more.

Indian flute maestro performs at Kino-Teatr

An evening of Indian classical music comes to Kino-Teatr, St Leonards, on Saturday, February 29 (7.30pm), featuring bansuri (flute) maestro Deepak Ram and celebrated tabla player Sanjay Jhalla.

Deepak is a versatile artist who is known for his evocative performances in traditional North Indian (Hindustani) classical music and his innovative compositions. Born in South Africa in 1960, he began his formal training in bansuri and tabla when he was 15. Two years later he moved to Mumbai to further his studies and in 1981, he became a disciple of celebrated flautist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Tickets are £15 from www.kino-teatr.co.uk.

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