AGEING poodle-permed guitarist Brian May will be attempting to escape his career-defining role with Queen by teaming up with West End songstress Kerry Ellis for a candle-lit acoustic show at the Alban Arena next week.

Rocker May, 65, will be joining 33-year-old Kerry on the road for The Born Free Tour following the success of their previous live show Anthems – The Tour, across the UK and Europe.

As a member of Queen, Brian May composed hits including We Will Rock You, Who Wants To Live Forever, I Want It All, Save Me and Fat Bottom Girls, but his biggest solo success outside the group was with the number one hit The Stonk, featuring Hale and Pace, in 1991, although he has recently worked alongside the likes of Lady Gaga and Dappy.

Kerry Ellis starred in the leading role of Elphaba in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria in the West End and the Gershwin Theatre on Broadway. She played Fantine in Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre and Ellen in Miss Saigon on its UK tour.

The duo released their version of Oscar-winning song Born Free last week in aid of international wildlife charity, the Born Free Foundation.

Tickets are still available for the Arena show, and cost �37.50.

The Stylistics, one of the best-known Philadelphia soul music vocal groups of the 1970s are performing at the Arena on Friday November 16 at 8pm.

The group recorded a remarkable run of 10 straight top ten hits including Betcha by Golly, Wow, I’m Stone in Love with You, the Grammy-nominated hit You Make Me Feel Brand New, as well as Stop, Look, Listen To Your Heart and You Are Everything. Tickets cost �23.50 and �22.

Enjoy an evening of pure nostalgia with a show featuring the hits of the sixties by the original stars who performed them, including Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Animals, PJ Proby and Steve Ellis.

60s Gold will be at The Alban Arena on Saturday November 17 at 3pm and 8pm and tickets are available for �27.50 and �25.

“Get yer trousers on! You’re nicked!” The new movie version of The Sweeney (15), based on the 70s TV series, explodes onto The Alban Arena screen on Tuesday, November 15, at 5pm and 8pm. Jack Regan (Winstone) is a slobbish, old-style cop whose unsubtle methods usually get results, proving that sometimes you have to act like a criminal to catch a criminal.

Romantic comedy Hysteria (15), which boasts an accomplished cast led by Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hugh Dancy, Jonathan Pryce, Felicity Jones and Rupert Everett comes to the Arena on Wednesday November 14 at 1.30pm and 7.30pm.

In Victorian London, Dr Mortimer Granville (Dancy), a young doctor struggling to establish himself, is hired to investigate treatments for women diagnosed with female hysteria. Dr Granville sets about becoming an expert in the problem, leading to the birth of the electro-mechanical vibrator at the very peak of Victorian prudishness.

Tickets for films matinees are �5 and for evenings are �7 or �5 for concessions.