CARLISLE is awash with live entertainment this week, ranging from stand-up comedy to theatre, classical concerts to early-hours DJ sets.

To kick things off, the Old Fire Station, one of the city’s most popular venues, will be hosting comedian Scott Bennett on Thursday.

Billed as ‘an act on the verge of breaking through into the big time’, having recently made his debut on the BBC’s Live at the Apollo, Bennett’s show Great Scott! promises to be a howl.

There will be live music at the Old Fire Station too, with two 80s-inspired retrospectives: Bootleg Blondie on Friday, and 80s Mania on Saturday.

While the premise for Bootleg Blondie is clear from the group’s title, 80s Mania is instead a sprawling, multi-tribute act in which the audience will come face to face with 28 of the decade’s most celebrated icons.

Live music can be found in other venues too. Well-established American band Fun Lovin’ Criminals perform at the Brickyard on Friday. The band’s infusion of hip-hop, jazz and rock ’n’ roll led to their Tarantino-inspired single ‘Scooby Snacks’ reaching gold status in the US.

Meanwhile, Manchester’s up-and-coming reggae-alternative rock band Jeremiah Ferrari will play at The Source in Denton Holme on Saturday, along with a DJ set, lasting from 7pm until 1.30 in the morning.

The Wordsworth Singers will perform Heartlands at St Cuthbert’s Church on Sunday, featuring the work of several composers from Brahms and Schubert to Cumbria’s own Philip Cooke.

In this concert, the Cumbria-based chamber choir will sing texts by both William and Dorothy Wordsworth, featuring the premiere of John Whittaker’s ‘Daffodils’ - and entry is free.

Outside of music, a student production of Andrew Bovell’s wildly acclaimed play Things I Know To Be True is taking place at West Walls Theatre every evening from Wednesday to Saturday. At its core a family drama, this play centres around the pains of growing up and has been described as ‘poignant and heartbreaking’ but - crucially - also ‘funny’.

Veteran actor Richard E Grant, of Withnail and I, Star Wars and Downtown Abbey fame, will be speaking at The Sands Centre on Monday for An Evening with Richard E Grant. Here, Grant will be talking about his illustrious career on screen, but also about love, loss, and his wife’s dying wish for him ‘to find a pocketful of happiness in every day’.

The Carlisle and Border Art Society are hosting an art exhibition at Tullie House, running from Wednesday to Saturday (free entry).

Local artists will showcase recent artwork, and greetings cards and paintings will be for sale, with funds going towards Tullie House.