EDINBURGH THEATRE 

Nzinga — Warrior Queen 

Traverse Theatre

Cambridge Street

October 25

Nzinga is a powerful exploration by the Toto company of one of the world’s most intriguing yet little-known female rulers. Born in ancient Angola into a patriarchal society, Nzinga defied tradition to become queen at the age of 50, with the aim of ensuring her people were kept safe from the Portuguese slave traders. A true story of unrivalled determination, incredible wit, intelligence and resilience, this should be well worth seeking out. 

traverse.co.uk

LONDON/TOURING MUSIC

Abdullah Ibrahim

Royal Festival Hall

Belvedere Road, SE1

November 15

Legendary South African jazz pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, one of the most charismatic performers around, returns to Britain for this one-off at the London Jazz Festival before playing dates at Saffron Walden, Gateshead and Leeds. At various points on the tour, he’s joined by his septet Ekaya and his brand new trio featuring Cleave Guyton on reeds and cellist Noah Jackson. Huge treat in store.

serious.org.uk

MANCHESTER/TOURING THEATRE 

Grounded 

Royal Exchange Theatre

St Ann’s Square 

November 4-8

George Brant’s one-woman play with Lucy Ellinson (pictured) tells the story of  a fighter pilot who must come to terms with life on the ground when she becomes pregnant. How she does so is by working as a drone operative from a windowless trailer outside Las Vegas. There she hunts terrorists by day and returns to her family each night. As the pressure to track a high-profile target mounts, the boundaries begin to blur between the desert in which she lives and the one she patrols half a world away.

royalexchange.co.uk

NEWCASTLE EXHIBITIONS

Norman Cornish: The Many Faces of Cornish/Tom McGuinness: An Artist of his Time

University Gallery

Sandyford Road

November 7-January 23

In what can only be described as an imaginative double-whammy, the University Gallery is running concurrent exhibitions of paintings by two outstanding artists from the north east of England, Norman Cornish and Tom McGuinness (work pictured). Both are renowned for their realistic and beautifully realised depictions of working-class life in the region, particularly the mining communities, and these two shows give a fascinating opportunity to “compare and contrast” their work. universitygallery.co.uk