DEPTFORD DELIGHTS at The Albany

Female voices, some of the best cutting edge music and a wide range of family shows are at the heart of The Albany’s new programme which, as ever, focuses on the fabulous diversity of local talent and also offers tickets to many of the events from as little as £1 for first-time bookers.

Highlights include Luca Rutherford’s You Heard Me (top), a work exploring female violence inspired by her own experience of assault, sound activist Charles Hayward presenting Music Is Social Space, a solo gig by Squeeze legend Glenn Tilbrook and events that are part of a wider programme celebrating Lewisham’s role as 2022 London Borough of Culture. There is also a busy schedule at The Albany’s sister venue Canada Water Theatre.

Chief executive Gavin Barlow said: “It’s great to welcome back familiar faces such as Luca Rutherford and Charles Hayward with fresh new work and ideas as well as supporting emerging talent and a broad spectrum of artists.”

The Albany’s February begins on the 6th with two afternoon performances of The Dark, which is specially designed for blind or visually impaired children through integrated audio description and touch tours. It is also on at Canada Water at midday the previous day.

On the 13th, pioneering Tomorrow’s Warriors present another evening of jazz as part of their brilliant Live at the Albany series for emerging musicians.

Meal One on the 16th and 17th is an immersive show for youngsters which involves projections, singing, transformations and lots of surprises.

Charles Hayward’s Music is Social Space on the 19th continues the iconic drummer’s restless quest to challenge, innovate and embrace newness.

And Underwater on the 22nd is a magical, multi-sensory dance piece for babies featuring a ballerina who meets and makes friends with an octopus beneath the waves.

March’s prime event is Luca Rutherford’s hard-hitting, deeply personal new piece You Heard Me, which runs from the 16th to the 18th.

In April, kids will be enchanted with the puppetry of Wolf! with two shows at Canada Water on the 2nd and two more at the Albany on the 3rd. And Slime, at the Albany on the 6th and 7th, is a comedy for children about the perils of being a slug.

An Evening For Ed on the 9th sees Glenn Tilbrook (above) helping to raise money to help emerging south-east London musicians.

And Handa’s Surprise, on the 24th, is another magical show for youngsters featuring physical performance, song, puppets and live music. It will be reprised at Canada Water on 14 May.

Canada Water’s programme includes Simon Roth’s Behind The Beat on 21 January, Comfortable Classics on 7 February, 7 March and 4 April with City of London Sinfonia, spoken word/poetry in Off The Chest on 24 February, five illustrated talks about the Mayflower’s 1620 journey to America, jazz-triphop fusion with TINT & Friends on 5 March, new-mum comedy with Sophie Ross called Swings And Roundabouts on 12 March, Arabs Are Not Funny on 26 March, Miss Moore Thought Otherwise, a celebration of kids and libraries, on 12 April (and at Deptford Lounge the following day) and No Place Like Home on 28 April, a story about a chance meeting in a gay bar that leads to violence.

Meanwhile, throughout March award-winning Deptford-based songwriter, producer and musician Dave Okumu is curating Love Is Attention, a series of events at the Albany and other venues which are part of Lewisham’s London Borough of Culture schedule.

The irresistible Steam Down present new artists in evenings at Deptford’s Matchstick Piehouse on the 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st, producer-bandleader Joe Armon-Jones and friends play the Albany on the 6th and Ruby Hughes and lutenist Sergio Bucheli play St Peter’s, Brockley, on the 12th. The Albany hosts acclaimed drummer-composer Moses Boyd on the 20th while from the 21st to the 26th Lewisham Arthouse is the setting for Son, described as an immersive listening experience. Klein and guests play the Amersham Arms on the 25th, which is also the date of Lewisham Connections at Blackheath Halls where Dave Okumu will be joined by such musical luminaries Jessie Ware, Eska, Yasmin Lacey, Rosie Lowe and Tiberius B. What a line-up!

Details of all shows and how to buy tickets at https://www.thealbany.org.uk/shows-and-events/