MUSIC

BLUES Founding member and former lead singer of the alternative rock band Harem Scarem, Christopher Marshall leads a night of baroque blues and rock’n’roll in support of his latest release The Dog Beneath the Skin. Marshall is backed by a new band and joined by Opelousas and Julitha Ryan for a one-night only performance. Saturday, 7pm, Spotted Mallard, 314 Sydney Road, Brunswick, $19.50, 93808818, spottedmallard.com

Vince Jones.

JAZZ  Ever since the release in 1982 of his debut album, Watch What Happens, Vince Jones has continued to stamp his authority on the local jazz scene. His work comprises original material and contemporary versions of jazz classics, with A Personal Selection presenting a collection of tracks from his previous albums. He fronts a tour joined by the Heavy Hitters. Saturday, 7pm, the Thornbury Theatre, 859 High Street, Thornbury, $47-$53.50, 94849831,
thethornburytheatre.com

Ghost Stories features Greta Bradman.

CLASSICAL Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Ghost Stories features the profound harmonies of Shostakovich’s Seven Romances, contrasted against the poetic melodies of Paul Stanhope’s Lorca Songs and Beethoven’s uplifting fifth Piano Trio Ghost. Greta Bradman, Monica Curro, David Berlin and Stefan Cassomenos bring these to life. Saturday, 11am, Iwaki Auditorium, corner of Sturt Street and Southbank Boulevard, Southbank, $56-$62, 99299600, mso.com.au

STAGE

Ragtime.

COMEDY Computer engineer and management scholar Atul Khatri decided to take on stand-up comedy simply to tick it off his bucket list. Following his performance at the 2015 Dubai Comedy Festival, Khatri released his Netflix special, The Happiest Ending, and has since been taking his stand-up skills all over the world. Saturday, 7pm, Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street, city, $50, 132 849, ticketek.com.au

RAGTIME  A quiet, upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a Harlem musician and his fiancee examine life in contemporary America, against a backdrop of various musical styles, in Ragtime. The characters confront the contradictions between wealth and poverty and freedom and prejudice against a backdrop of various musical styles, from delicate waltzes to uptempo banjo tunes. Saturday, 2pm and 7.30pm, Sunday, 3pm, State Theatre, Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St Kilda Road, city, $25-$150, 1300 182 183, artscentremelbourne.com.au

Jullian Murray stars in The Year of Magical Thinking.

THEATRE  Joan Didion’s acclaimed memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, is a play about grief, as she faces the loss of her husband John and, later, her daughter Quintana. Green Room Award winners Jillian Murray and Laurence Strangio collaborate on this personal account of loss and hope. Saturday, 7.30pm, Sunday, 5pm, fortyfivedownstairs, 45 Flinders Lane, city, $40-$45, 96629966, fortyfivedownstairs.com

OPERA Die Walküre – Act One is a segment of Richard Wagner’s series of German-language operas, the four-part Ring Cycle. Act One details Siegmund’s journey into the terrain of his enemies, where he finds the woman he loves and discovers the cause for which he must die. Saturday, 7.30pm, Sunday, 5pm, Meat Market, 3 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne, $45, 93299966, meatmarket.org.au

ELSEWHERE

MARKET Pick up fresh strawberries from Benny’s Berries and asparagus from Cloud Produce at the Carlton Farmers’ Market. Enjoy coffee from One Bean and pastries from Q Le Baker while collecting all your staple meats, vegetables and fruits. Saturday, 8am-1pm, Carlton North Primary School, corner of Canning, Lee and O’Grady streets, Carlton North, $1-$2, vfma.org.au

Dyson Stringer Cloher.

OUT OF TOWN Vibes and Vino is the new event celebrating music, wine and cold brews taking place across the Heathcote region. Meet local winemakers and listen to independent Australian artists including Dyson Stringer Cloher and Josh Cashman. Saturday, noon-8.30pm, Barrack Reserve, Heathcote, $29-$47, 54333121, heathcote.org.au

FILM Literary adaptations, biographies and modern classics feature in the sixth annual British Film Festival. The program includes 30 titles of new releases and restored favourites. This year’s festival guest is actor Timothy Spall, best known for his roles in Mrs Lowry and Son and The King’s Speech. Saturday and Sunday, various times, locations and prices, 9817 6421, britishfilmfestival.com.au

FAMILY

Party Animals Collingwood Children’s Farm.

The Collingwood Children’s Farm is celebrating its 40th year with Party Animals, a day of live music, food, local brews and entertainment. The event includes a barbecue, farmers’ market stalls, storytelling and workshops, alongside performances from Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, Jess Ribeiro, Saint Jude and more. Sunday, 10am-8pm, Collingwood Children’s Farm, 18 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford, $20-$45, 9417 5806, farm.org.au

CRUISE Journey through Melbourne’s iconic waterways from the Docklands to St Kilda, while enjoying a selection of blues and roots music on the Melbourne Blues Cruise. Local and interstate artists including the Electric Blues Collective and Diamonds and the Blues perform on the upper deck against the backdrop of Melbourne’s skyline. Food and drink can be purchased on board. Sunday, 5pm, Melbourne Showboat, 131 Harbour Esplanade, Docklands, $45, 98187424, ladycutler.com.au

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