A WEEK of fashion with The Great British Sewing Bee, improvised musical drama from Notflix and an exhibition from Philip Sutton (RA) inspired by Shakespeare are just some of the highlights to feature in the new season at Bridport Arts Centre from February to May.

Curtis Fulcher, the centre's director and programmer, has announced a season bursting with drama, music, comedy and art.

The season begins with Grammy Award-ominated jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth singing a century of duets with her acclaimed American pianist Charlie Wood (Saturday, Febraury 97.30pm). You can expect great musical partnerships, such as Ray Charles & Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, George & Ira Gershwin and Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway – the concert will feature numbers including: Alone Together, Autumn In New York, It Don’t Mean a Thing, A Foggy Day, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face and You’ve Got a Friend.

There will be comedy early in February when the star of Room 101 and Live at the Apollo Lucy Porter joins the arts centre for a new stand up show (Saturday, February 16, 8pm) where she muses on what we receive from our ancestors and what we pass on to future generations. Lucy’s inherited dodgy knees and global warming from her parents, but can she leave a better legacy for her children?

SJ Watson’s first novel, Before I Go To Sleep, is an international bestseller, winning The Crime Writers’ Association Award for Best Debut Novel and The Galaxy National Book Award for Crime Thriller of the Year. The film of the book starred Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. SJ Watson will join us on Thursday, February 21 for a film screening and talk.

If you’re a fan of classic theatre Box Tale Soup will come to the centre for an adaptation of Henry James's story The Turn of the Screw (Saturday February 23). They will be followed by Ginger Green's madcap new theatre show set in the not too distant future, Intronauts (Friday. March 1).

There will be a week of fashion from Monday March 4 to Sunday, March 10. Events will include a Q&A with The Great British Sewing Bee contestants, a vintage and textile sale and a range of workshops.

Philip Sutton (RA) will be back in the gallery with an exhibition celebrating his love of Shakespeare. Sutton was a supporter of the Globe Theatre and many of his portraits are large canvasses with a Shakespearian theme (Saturday, March 2 – Saturday May, 4).

Other highlights include Notflix a fast, funny, female! 5-star-rated improvised comedy musical (Friday, May 3). Pete Firman, the UK's leading comedy magician (Thursday, March 21) and Irish legends The Fureys (Monday, April 1).

Marketing manager Lisa Wilcock said: “This is a season to delight and we can’t wait to share it with you. There’s something to make you laugh, cry, feel inspired and even dance! Some of our favourite artists including Philip Sutton are making a welcoming return and there are some new voices to be heard.”