Leisure Listing

A Mad Science Show will take place at the Bahrain Science Centre at 10.30am for children aged seven. For more information, call 17686466 or visit www.bahrainsciencecentre.com

An art exhibition entitled Karibu Tanzania by artist Lena Dajani will take place at the World Beat Fitness Centre & Cafe. The exhibition will run until March 28.  For details, call 17611371.

The last day of the Middle East Oil and Gas Show will take place at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre at 4.30pm-5pm. More than 7,000 oil and gas professionals will be present.  For more information, visit www.meos2013.com

The Chuckle Club’s Easter EGGstravaganza will take place at the British Club and again tomorrow at the InterContinental Regency Hotel. Both shows start at 8pm. Jarlath Regan, Diane Spencer and Joe Lycett will perform. Tickets cost BD15 and are available online at www.amiando.com/chuckleclubmarch or from Virgin Megastore or the British Club reception. For details, email sales@punchlineme.com or call 36663509.

Salsa dance workshops will take place at Tabu in Panorama Hotel in Juffair. From 7.30pm-8.30pm a beginner’s class taught by Salsabor will take place and at 8.30pm-9.30pm intermediate and advance classes will be taught by Gabriel and Louisa. After the classes, DJ Osama and DJ Salime will perform until 2am. Entry costs BD3.  For more information, call 39633800.

A Static Electricity Show will take place at the Bahrain Science Centre at 10.30am and again at 5.30pm for children aged eight and above.  For more information, call 17686466 or visit www.bahrainsciencecentre.com

A hip-hop R ‘n’ B night will be held at JJ’s Music Hall from 9pm onwards featuring DJ Swing, DJ Riddler and Dr Black. Entry is free from 9pm – 11pm.
For more information, call 33334138 or 66300525. An Astrolab workshop will take place at 5pm at the Bahrain Science Centre for children aged 11+. For more information, call 17686466 or visit www.bahrainsciencecentre.com

Al Basta Market takes place every Friday from 3pm – 8pm and Saturday from 8am-8pm at Riffa Palms in Riffa Views until May 25.

A St Patrick’s Weekend Party will take place at Club Buffalo in Ramee California Hotel until Sunday. Unlimited beverage packages cost BD20. The dress code is Irish Green.  For more information, call 33731000.

The annual charity Wheelathon will take place at the Bahrain International Circuit with registration at 2pm. Those who participate will have the opportunity to cycle, rollerblade and skateboard on the F1 track. Bikes are available to hire. Every participant will be given the choice at registration and asked to raise money for a nominated charity.  For details, call 39432133.

The BSPCA’s annual Dog Walk will take place at 9am. Participants can walk their own dog or pre-book a homeless one from the BSPCA. Those taking part will raise funds for the BSPCA and get friends and family to sponsor every kilometre they walk. A BBQ and refreshments will also be available.  For more information, visit www.bspca.org

Art.haus night will take place at Brazil Rodizio Grill Lounge from 10.30pm – 2am. DJ Mazen and Sami Dee will perform. Entry is free.  For details, call 17826686.

An art exhibition entitled Nostalgia to the Past by Kamal Alsous is taking place at the Bahrain Arts Society until March 22 from 9am-1pm and again from 4pm-8pm. The centre is closed on Fridays.  For more information, call 17590551 or 17590562.

The 2005 Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking, Lance Miller, will visit Bahrain today and tomorrow. He will conduct a three-hour communication and leadership workshop at the Bahrain Society of Engineers in Juffair starting from 6pm for the Toastmasters.  Entry is free but those interested must register beforehand.  For more information, email elpidio@quitevis.com, doc_elpie@yahoo.com or kc@quitevis.com

A St Patrick’s Day Party will take place at Boomers Bar in Pars International Hotel from midday to 2am. The Noty Notes will perform alongside DJ Jessika from 9pm onwards. Entry is free. For more information, call 17814777.

Bennigan’s will be holding a St Patrick’s Day celebration. A live band will perform with entertainment and games. All Irish passport holders will receive 15 per cent off food purchases as well as a special beverage deal. The ‘Big Irish Burger’ will also only cost BD4.200. Those who are not Irish passport holders can ‘like’ the Bennigan’s page on Facebook and will receive a ‘temporary passport’.  For details, call 17813750.

The Irish Society and JJ’s Irish Restaurant have teamed up to welcome back The Woodbines band to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. The band mash up Irish tunes with popular artists like the Violent Femmes, The Bangles and Guns ‘n’ Roses. Entry costs BD5.  For more information, call 39329083.

An adult fitness class will take place at SPARTA, the sports and arts academy of St Christopher’s School. The class is from 8.10am to 9.10am every Monday and Wednesday until March 27. It costs BD55 for 10 sessions, BD48 for eight sessions, BD42 for six and BD8 to pay as you go. For details, call 17598475 or 39974654.

Vicky Honar, an IBLCE certified lactation consultant will lead a breastfeeding event at the World Beat Fitness Centre & Cafe from 10.30am to 12.30pm. Entry is free. For details, call 17612576.

Education & Training International Exhibition will take place at the Bahrain International Exhibition Convention Centre until March 21. For more information, visit www.edutexme.com

A charity tournament organised by Arsenal Soccer Schools in partnership with Arsenal Football Club will take place on March 23 at Soccer City in Janabiya.   Those who are interested to participate must be born in 2002, 2003 and 2004. It costs BD5 per player and BD3 for Arsenal Soccer School students. All profits will go to the Save the Children charity. There is a minimum of five players per team and a maximum of eight.  For more information, email info@arsenalschoolbahrain.com or call 17561615.

Bahrain’s biggest animation and video games convention, Animania, will take place at Bahrain International Circuit on Friday. Gamers will meet and discuss as well as take part in a gaming tournament where they can test their skills against the best players in the region. Those interested must pre-register. A cosplay competition allowing gamers to dress as their favourite game characters will be judged by a panel for originality.  An art gallery will be dedicated to those who have drawing, designing and photography talents. Tickets cost BD5 if bought beforehand and BD6 on the day or BD20 for VIP from Euphoria in Seef Mall. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/AnimaniaBahrain

Bahrain’s biggest water theme park, Lost Paradise of Dilmun (LPOD) has opened its doors with a line-up of new games to entertain guests.

LPOD has added non-water based games including a bungee trampoline ride, Rodeo Bull challenge and a fun and competitive football game.

Guests will continue to enjoy the region’s largest wave pool, 18 water slides, water sprays, spa pools, family raft ride and interactive children’s wet play area. The water park also brings a new array of food choices with grills, burgers, salads, mini-snack stations as well as Chinese fast food. Three international entertainment shows are also lined up to perform this season. Entry costs BD16 for guests over 1.2 metres tall and BD7 for those under. For more information, visit www.lpodwaterpark.com

Open House debating sessions will take place on Monday from 2.50pm to 4pm at St Christopher’s School in Isa Town. The debate is open to all schools and will include both junior (Years 8 and 9) and senior (Years 10-13) pupils. The final of the Bahrain Inter-School Debating Tournament will take place on April 12 and 13. For more information, email david.milnes@st-chris.net or call 38890446.

MASK Theatre Company will be performing the hit musical West Side Story from March 20-23 at the British School of Bahrain (BSB).

The show on March 20, 21 and 22 will take place at 7pm with an additional performance at 2pm on March 22. On March 23 the show will take place at 5pm.

West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet but is set in downtown New York City with rival gangs the Sharks and Jets. The gangs are set to face off whilst love is blossoming between Shark Maries, (played by Scarlet Robinson and Gabriella Liandu) and Jet Tony (Gershom Vacarizas).

Standard tickets cost BD6 and VIP tickets (first two rows) cost BD8 and are available at the BSB’s reception and all Alosra outlets.  For more information, call 17610971.

Nissan Bahrain, in association with Salaam Bahrain, are bringing the celebrated inter-city lunch couriers Mumbai Dabbawalas to Bahrain for a management lecture on how they stay focused on their job of delivering 200,000 lunches across Mumbai with an amazingly small error margin of just one in six million and without a strike or work disruption for the past 125 years.

The Bahrain speaking engagement will take place on March 21 under the patronage of Minister of Electricity and Water, Dr Abdulhusein bin Ali Mirza at the Nissan showroom in Sitra.  According to Stefan Thomke, co-author of a Harvard Business School study on the enterprise, the success of the Dabbawalas can be attributed to their human resource system - the way they hire, develop and manage their team in which every dabbawala is a shareholder.

The programme is an invitation-only event. Call 39156786 or 36684011 for reservations and more details.

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Never one to miss out on celebrations of any kind, Bahrain will turn green and play host to a series of Irish events over the coming weekend.

Organised by the Bahrain Irish Society, the signature event of the St Patrick’s Festival will once again be the annual Paddy’s Ball at the Gulf Convention Centre on Thursday night.

Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the kingdom’s social calendar, this year’s ball is set to welcome over 750 members and guests.

Aside from the extensive four-course meal, attendees will also be treated to entertainment from the Victoria School of Dance and live band, The Woodbines, pictured above, who are flying out from Ireland especially for the occasion.

Once the dust settles after the ball, attentions will turn to Bahrain Rugby Football Club (RFC) in Saar on Friday.

The traditional venue for the Paddy’s Ball post-mortem will this year play host to a full programme of activities, kicking off with the Railway Cup Gaelic football clash from 3.30pm.

The traditional kids’ parade will follow, before a live set from the locally-based Paddy Behan and the Tinkermen at 8pm.

Saturday’s activities will centre around the final round of fixtures in the 2013 RBS Six Nations, with an injury-depleted Ireland looking to finish a bitterly disappointing campaign with victory over Italy in Rome.

The match will be screened live at Bahrain RFC from 5.30 and will be followed by France -v- Scotland and the championship decider between Wales and England.

A number of well-known venues will be marking St Patrick’s Day in their own way on Sunday, with Bahrain RFC hosting a special St Patrick’s Day Wine Dinner at Manos and JJ’s Irish Restaurant staging a bumper Paddy’s Day Party.

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Dinosaurs will be making an appearance in a unique interactive show with the Australian Erth performers taking the audience on a journey through prehistoric times. These life-like dinosaur creations come to life in an eye-popping display filled with fun, education and imagination. Seize the opportunity to feed, water and care for these prehistoric marvels. This show will take place adjacent to the Bahrain Fort Museum at 4pm until Friday. There will also be a 10.30am showing on Friday. Tickets cost BD4.

Kadim Al Sahir has been dubbed the ‘Caesar of Arabic Song’ and ‘Iraq’s Ambassador to the world’. Throughout his 30-year career, he has sold over 100 million albums and performed live to millions across the globe. He will perform on April 6 at Arad Fort. Tickets cost BD20, BD25 and BD35.

From Cuba, the Ballet Revolución show combines a fusion of ballet, contemporary dance and hip-hop, against a blend of sounds meshed with Cuban classics, Latin American and R&B hits. The show takes place on March 29 and 30 at Arad Fort at 8.30pm. Tickets will cost BD10, BD15 and BD20.

Melody Gardot is a Grammy-nominated American singer, writer and musician. She created a blend of jazz-infused music over the past decade, catching the eye of major record labels with the 2008 release of her album Worrisome Heart. Melody’s performance will take place at Arad Fort at 8.30pm on March 23. Tickets cost BD10, BD15 and BD20.

The Mahler Chamber Orchestra created its own ensemble pursuing a vision of an independent international orchestra.  The show will take place on March 27 at 7.45pm at the Bahrain National Theatre. Tickets cost BD20, BD30 and BD40.

Charles Aznavour, dubbed as ‘the French Frank Sinatra’, has appeared in more than 60 movies, composed over 1,000 songs (including at least 150 in English, 100 in Italian, 70 in Spanish, and 50 in German) and sold more than 100 million records. He will perform on Friday  at Arad Fort at 8.30pm. Tickets cost BD20, BD25 and BD35.

Rashmi dance troupe have reinvented Kathak, a traditional Indian dance through the portrayal of various traditional heroines, whose stories are told through dance.  The dance troupe will perform at La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art on March 29. Tickets cost BD25 and BD35 and can be purchased from the centre.

Yanni is a popular Greek pianist, keyboardist, composer and music producer. He blends jazz, classical, soft rock and world music to create predominantly instrumental works. Yanni will perform on April 2 at the Bahrain National Theatre.  Tickets have sold out.

Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba troupe is back in Bahrain with its premiere dance musical Amigas. Featuring the fictional story of divas Mercedes, Caridad and Regla. The company’s performances combine elements of flamenco, ballet and contemporary dance with Spanish and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The show takes place at the Cultural Hall on March 21 and 22. Entry is free.

Interactive Musical Atelier will perform at the Salman Culture Centre on March 22 and 23 at 11am and 4pm. This Italian musical theatre group combines visual, emotional and immersive theatre. The audience will also be invited to touch and explore the interactive scene. Entry is free but reservations must be made in advance by calling 39999521.

Artist Leadership programmes will take place all day at Albareh Art Gallery until April 10. Entry is free.

BAB Market, an outdoor festival at Bab Al Bahrain and Manama Souq will take place until March 30 from 4pm to 10pm everyday. Entry is free.

A photography exhibition entitled Within the Shadows by Ghada Khunji will take place on Sunday until March 23 at Bin Matar House in Muharraq. Entry is free.

An art exhibition by Himat Mohammed Ali will take place from Sunday until March 26 at Al Riwaq Art Space. Entry is free.

A puppetry, acting, shadow theatre and video performance by Sneezing Firas will take place until tomorrow at 5pm at the Cultural Hall. Entry is free.

A Turkish photography exhibition will take place at the Bahrain National Museum at 7pm on Sunday. Entry is free.

Jordanian composer and pianist Zade Dirani will perform at the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research on Monday at 8pm. Entry is free.

Bechara El Bon will lead an Arabic lecture on the experience of an Arab journalist in foreign media organisations on March 25 at 8pm in Al Zayed House. Entry is free.

A theatre performance for children aged two to six by Paperbelle will take place at the Art Centre on March 26-28 at 10am and 4pm. Entry is free.

Alwan 338 exhibition will day place daily from March 26-April 22 in Adliya Block 338. Entry is free.

A lecture about secularism in today’s world by Tunisian Raja Bin Salama will take place at 8pm on April 1 at the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research. Entry is free.

Travel writer Tim Mackintosh-Smith will share tips on how to write a good travel book on April 4 at La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art at 7pm. Tickets cost BD20 and can be purchased at the centre.

An exhibition entitled Imagine, Fictional Architecture and the Liberation of Ideas will take place from April 7-27 at the Bin Matar House from 9am-1pm and again from 4pm-7pm. Entry is free.

Poet Najib Khaddari will recite his poetry at the House of Poetry on April 8 at 8pm. Entry is free.

An art exhibition by Lebanese artist Fatima El Hajj will take place from April 9-30 at Albareh Art Gallery. Entry is free.

Jordanian musician Farah Siraj, below, will perform on April 12 at 8pm at the Cultural Hall. Entry is free.

A lecture on the price to pay, lessons for tomorrow and clashes of ignorance in the Mediterranean by Morrocoan Andre Azoulay will take place at the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research on April 15 at 8pm. Entry is free.

An exhibition by architects Thomas Modeen and Maysam Alnasser as well as calligrapher Akar will take place from April 20 - May 20 at La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art. Entry is free.

A lecture focusing on media by Ghassan Hajjar will take place Al Zayed House at 8pm on April 22. Entry is free.

*For more information on tickets and events, call the Festival’s hotline on 39900630 or visit www.springofculture.org