Live entertainment set to return to The Apex next month

Live entertainment is planned to return to The Apex, in Bury St Edmunds, in May, when further Covid-19 restrictions are hoped to be lifted.

There is a programme of a socially distanced season which is aimed at welcoming audiences back to the complex in the town centre.

It opens on Wednesday, May 26, with the Yiddish Twist Orchestra (pictured above).

The band play a danceable mix of Klezmer, West Indian calypso, mambo, surf guitar, classic Yiddish songs and English beat rhythms.

The following day Mick Doran, principal percussion of English National Opera, brings “An A to Z of Orchestral Triangle Playing” which is full of humorous stories and poignant moments drawn from 30+ years’ experience working with the world’s greatest orchestras, conductors and soloists.

Singer/songwriter Bessie Turner (pictured) will play on Friday, May 28.

Suffolk-born Bessie released her debut single in 2017 to unexpected acclaim. After performing a live session for BBC Introducing in Suffolk, the single enjoyed plays on BBC Radio 1 and 6 Music. Bessie has headlined the BBC Introducing Stages at Latitude, Reading and Leeds and in 2019 was picked by Ed Sheeran as his support act.

Joanna Eden (pictured) brings her band to The Apex on Thursday, June 3. It features leading musicians from the Latin jazz scene and combines the energy and rhythmic virtuosity of Latin music with the intimacy of her acclaimed originals and her own take on classic songs by the likes of Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt and Carole King.

Omar Puente Quintet take to the stage on Thursday, June 10.

This internationally renowned violinist brings a virtuoso performance to a variety of musical styles, including traditional Cuban music, classical genres and jazz. Rich with energy, creative arrangements and originality,

On Wednesday, June 16, you can see pioneering vocalist Najma Akhtar.

She explores her Indian-British roots by encompassing a plethora of genres from world jazz, Rajasthani, Delta blues, psychedelic, rock and folk, to Sufi, African blues and Irish Celtic. Her diverse body of work includes artistic collaborations with some of the world’s most influential and credible musicians, including Nina Simone, Jah Wobble, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Basement Jaxx, Jethro Tull, Philip Glass and many more

Richard Digance will play the final socially distanced gig – four times.

BAFTA nominated performer and recipient of The Gold Award from the British Academy of Songwriters, Richard plays two shows on Saturday, June 19, and a further two the following day Sunday, June 20.

Richard has been on TV too many times to count, but it’s live on stage that he is most comfortable, just one man with a treasure chest of stories collected over 40 years in the music and entertainment industry.

Venue manager, Nick Wells, said: “We’re really looking forward to being able to open our doors again to audiences and performers for this run of socially distanced shows. The joyful response to the handful of shows we did in the Autumn showed us how much people are looking forward to doing all of those things again that bring pleasure to our lives.”

With the Covid recovery road map step 4 due around June 21, Mr Wells added: “We are of course keeping everything crossed that in the not too distant future we will be able to open our doors without restrictions so that we can all once again enjoy some of those special sold out nights at The Apex.”

Contact The Apex Box Office on 01284 758000 or visit www.theapex.co.uk for more information or to book. If any events are cancelled or postponed, you will be entitled to a refund of the ticket price.