Pencil This In: November 9-13

Got the rainy day blues? Hacking up your right lung thanks to some smog clouds? Have no fear, Pencil This In is here! This week, treat yourself to some Swiss jazz, get schooled in Jamaican reggae, then end the week with some proper comic relief, UK style.

Monday: BEAN Networking Night

BEAN Shanghai, the international leadership organization with a passion for community service and volunteerism, is hosting their monthly networking night at Kuluska. Mingle with other BEAN members over drink specials and 15 RMB tapas, and find out about upcoming volunteer and social events.

7-10 PM. Kuluska, 528 Kanding Lu near Xikang Lu (康定路528弄 近西康路)

Tuesday: Ronin, Intrigue and Love

Catch Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch and his zen-funk quintet Ronin (MySpace), performing for one night only at JZ Club. In Japanese history, a ronin was a samurai with no clan loyalties, who wandered the country as a lone warrior. In this vein, Ronin the band is an individualistic jazz machine, combining classic elements of music into a post-modern, minimalist style.

Begins 8 PM. JZ Club, 46 Fuxing Xi Lu near Yongfu Lu (复兴西路46号 近永福路)

Interested in classic German plays with political undertones about class society? Then Friedrich Schiller's Love and Intrigue is perfect for you! A tragic tale of two doomed lovers, an aristocrat and a commoner, the five-act play criticizes the tyranny of the nobles and the inability of the citizen class to fight back. To celebrate the playwright's 250th birthday, Germany's Meininger Theatre will be presenting the play as part of their China tour and the still-ongoing Shanghai International Arts Fest.

7:30-9:30. Shanghai Oriental Art Center, 425 Dingxiang Lu near Yingchun Lu (丁香路425号 近迎春路) In German. ¥80-380

Wednesday: An Audience with Clive Chin

Put on your rasta hats and learn about Jamaican music from the master: Clive Chin, a Jamaican-born Chinese currently producing and recording some of the greatest reggae music to date. His shows last week in Beijing and Hong Kong were so packed out, the police nearly shut him down- and now he's in Shanghai to show his mad skills. In anticipation of his Saturday show at Shelter, Clive will be droppin' knowledge at a free special presentation on the history of Jamaican music, complete with film footage and old-time photos, followed by a Q&A session.

Begins 9 PM. Dada, 115 Xingfu Lu, between Fahuazhen and Pingwu Lu (幸福路 115号 近华山和法华镇路) Free

Thursday: Inside the Queen's Boudoir

Tale of 4 Cities' dinner theatre series continues with "Cabaret Le Gai Paris: Inside the Queen's Boudoir". Enjoy an island-themed menu while listening to cabaret artist Venus, the divine Queen, engage you in tales of love and life, accompanied by scatching wit and inventive song and dance routines.

8-10 PM. Tale of 4 Cities, 3/F, Ke Center, 613 Kaixuan Lu near Yanan Xi Lu (凯旋路613号3楼 近延安西路) ¥198 dinner and show, ¥100 show only

Friday: Punchline Comedy Club

It's time for Punchline Comedy's last show of the year, and to end things with a bang, they've brought to the stage Scotsman Dougie Dunlop and Brits Dave Hadingham and John Fothergill. Hey, the only thing better than stand-up comedy on a Friday night is stand-up comedy delivered in Scottish and English accents.

9-11:30 PM. O'Malley's Irish Pub, 42 Taojiang Lu near Hengshan Lu (桃江路42号 近衡山路) ¥325, includes one drink