Jazz through the Ages

Big Band, Dixieland, Swing and Smooth, spanning more than forty years of Jazz courtesy of Pete Corrigan’s Band of Hope and special guests.

Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch, RM11 1QT, Sunday, June 17, 7pm. Details: 01708 443333 queens-theatre.co.uk

The True Story of Jimi Hendrix by his brother Leon Hendrix

Leon Hendrix is the younger brother of Jimi Hendrix. Throughout Jimi’s career, Leon was Jimi’s companion and for the first time in the UK, he is to embark upon a theatre tour which will combine Leon performing as part of The Jimi Hendrix Experience, with him recalling his first-hand experiences when sharing in the recording, touring and private life of a true rock legend. Not only will Leon talk openly about his life with Jimi, but in addition the audience will be given the chance to pose questions directly to Leon in a Q&A session.

Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow, CM20 1LS, Saturday, June 16, 7.30pm. Details: 01279 431945 playhouseharlow.com

Miller Plays the Musicals

As well as a feast of Glenn Miller, the Astor Big Band and Singers bring you big band hits from the likes of Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and the Ted Heath Band. Also, there are tunes from West End musicals such as Les Miserable, West Side Story, Chess, Oliver and more.

Kenneth More Theatre, Oakfield Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 1BT, Sunday, June 17, 7.30pm. Details: kmtheatre.co.uk

W3Detour

W3Detour are a tight outfit with a wealth of music experience and bring back the essence of the Beat Group Era from the 60s with original material.

The Coppermill Pub, 205 Coppermill Lane, Walthamstow, E17 7HF, Saturday, June 16, 8.30pm. Details: 020 8520 3709 coppermillpub.co.uk

Once a Year on Blackpool Sands

Set in Blackpool 1953 not long after the Coronation, this true story is packed with gritty Northern comedy coupled with a heart-breaking emotional punch. Yorkshire miners and secret lovers Eddy and Tommy head to Blackpool with most of their town for the annual Pit Close Wakes holiday. However, Eddy had almost missed the bus and turned up with no suitcase and covered in cuts and bruises. The lads have checked into the Withering Heights on Sea guest house run by the alarmingly odd Gladys, her rebellious daughter Maureen and the infamous Red Ethel, ex-communist stripper showgirl. Upstairs, the only other guest, Mr Elbridge, is trying to muster the courage to unleash any of his three female alter egos and walk the fabled transvestite walk from North to South Pier as a woman. As events both heart-breaking and hysterically funny unfold, six lives will be changed forever.

Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow, CM20 1LS, Friday, June 15, and Saturday, June 16, 8pm. Details: 01279 431945 playhouseharlow.com

Mamzer/Bastard

The world premiere of a new work by exciting young composer Na’ama Zisser, in a soundworld that thrillingly unites contemporary idioms with the music of Orthodox Hasidic Judaism. It is the night before Yoel’s wedding, an arranged marriage within his Orthodox Hasidic community. He is wracked with doubt. A chance encounter with a stranger reveals truths about Yoel that change everything.

Hackney Empire, 291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ, Thursday, June 14, to Sunday, June 17, various times. Details: 02089 852424 hackneyempire.co.uk

Weaving New Worlds

Tapestries have always told stories. In this exhibition 16 women artists from the UK, USA, Norway, Canada, New Zealand and Japan weave the stories of our time: the possibilities, the hopes and lost chances. Using the traditional hand woven tapestry techniques that connect us to the past, they have taken contemporary images and events, personal dreams and feelings. The tapestries range in subject matter, from reflections of rural mythologies, to floods and urban decay. Always at the heart of the work is the human condition, the artists offering us both a utopian and dystopian view.

William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park House, 531 Forest Road, Walthamstow, E17 4PP, Saturday, June 16, to Sunday, September 23. Details: 020 8496 4390 wmgallery.org.uk

Frieda Kahlo: Making Her Self Up

Experience a fresh perspective on Kahlo's compelling life story through her most intimate personal belongings. This exhibition will present an extraordinary collection of personal artefacts and clothing belonging to the iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Locked away for 50 years after her death, this collection has never before been exhibited outside Mexico.

V&A Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, from Saturday, June 16. Details: 020 7942 2000 vam.ac.uk

Frank Matcham

The Matcham Road Society invites you to their first public lecture: Frank Matcham: The Most Prolific Theatre Architect of All Time - His Life and Work. The speaker is Mark Fox, Chairman of the Frank Matcham Society.

10 Matcham Road, E11 3LF, Sunday, June 17, 3pm. Details: 0208 555 5248 roskane@btinternet.com

West End Live 2018

West End Live celebrates and promotes London’s cultural offering and is a key fixture in the capital’s event calendar, growing in popularity year-on-year. Now in its fourteenth year, the show features stellar performances from London’s most celebrated West End musicals on a specially built stage in Trafalgar Square. In 2017 more than 30 shows performed over the course of the weekend to an audience of thousands. This year, there will be performances from Disney’s Aladdin, Chicago, Dreamgirls, Kinky Boots, Mama Mia!, Wicked, and many more. A range of merchandise, refreshments and interactive, family-friendly exhibits will also be available in Trafalgar Square. The event is completely free to the public and no tickets are required. However, entry is on a first come, first served basis.

Trafalgar Square, Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17. Details: westendlive.co.uk

Taste London

Taste of London is the highlight of the summer foodie calendar, as London’s latest, greatest and most exciting restaurants serve up taster size signature dishes, world-class chefs cook up a storm live on stage and, as always, there will be many opportunities to get hands-on with interactive masterclasses and shop from an array of more than 200 food and drink purveyors.

Regent’s Park, NW1 4NR, Wednesday, June 13, to Sunday, June 17. Details: london.tastefestivals.com