WemTown Hall programme January–March 2012
Arts · Learning · Community · Enterprise
DIARY OF EVENTS JANUARY Alan Albert Smith ‘stuff from over the years’ Until 28th GALLERY Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Thurs 19th, 5pm and 7.30pm FILM Super 8 Thurs 26th, 7.30pm FILM Ballroom & Sequence Dance Fri 27th, 8pm DANCE
FEBRUARY My Week with Marilyn Thurs 2nd, 5pm and 7.30pm FILM Thomas Adams School Songs from the Shows Sat 4th, 7.30pm MUSIC National Theatre Live: Travelling Light Thurs 9th, 7pm LIVE VIA SATELLITE Josh’s Monsters Sat 11th, 7.30pm THEATRE Thomas Adams Big Screen Exhibition Sat 11th to Sat 14th April GALLERY Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 Mon 13th, 2.30pm FILM Alvin and the Chipmunks 3 Tues 14th, 2.30pm FILM Sherlock Holmes 2 Thurs 16th 4pm & 7.30pm FILM WTHCT Table Top Sale – Fundraiser Sat 18th 9am–12.30pm SPECIAL EVENT Thomas Adams Big Screen Films Sat 18th, 2–4pm FILM The Big Blues Tribe Sat 18th, 7.30pm MUSIC The Way Thurs 23rd 7.30pm FILM Peacock & Gamble: Emergency Broadcast Fri 24th, 8pm COMEDY
MARCH National Theatre Live: A Comedy of Errors Thurs 1st, 7pm LIVE VIA SATELLITE Thomas Adams Big Screen Films Fri 2nd, 7pm FILM The Iron Lady Thurs 8th, 5pm & 7.30pm FILM Potiche Thurs 15th, 7.30pm FILM Thomas Adams School Spring Variety Show Mon 19th, 7.15pm MUSIC Thomas Adams School Spring Variety Show Tues 20th, 7.15pm MUSIC War Horse Thurs 22nd 5pm & 7.30pm FILM Ballroom & Sequence Dance Fri 23rd, 8pm DANCE Spring Market Sat 24th, 9am–1pm SPECIAL EVENT National Theatre Live: She Stoops to Conquer Thurs 29th, 7pm LIVE VIA SATELLITE Fordante – Movie Music Sat 31st, 7.30pm MUSIC
Box Office: 01939 238279 • Reception: 01939 232299 • www.wemtownhall.co.uk
WemTown Hall January–March 2012
Hello and Welcome We are very pleased to announce, that from February, live performances from the National Theatre in London, will be beamed into the Wem Town Hall cinema as part of the National Theatre Live season. See the ‘Live Via Satellite’ section for more details of the exciting productions coming up. Wem Town Hall will once again be part of Borderlines Film festival, who will be celebrating ten years in 2012, with screenings including the anticipated Oscar nominee Iron Lady. For more information on Borderlines see www.borderlinesfilmfestival.co.uk Live event highlights over the next few months include the hilarious Peacock and Gamble with their show Emergency Broadcast, Multistory Theatre Company performing Josh’s Monsters and nine piece blues band, The Big Blues Tribe. If you’d like to keep up to date about everything that’s going on at Wem Town Hall join our mailing list, email or postal, by calling in at reception, providing your contact details via our website link, by email or by simply calling us on 01939 232299.
Volunteer with us Wem Town Hall exists thanks to the time, dedication and commitment of many volunteers working in a variety of roles across the organisation. If you would like to find out more about volunteering opportunities please contact us on 01939 232299/volunteer@wemtownhall.co.uk
Hire us We have a great range of spaces available for private hires, community and special events, business meetings and conferences. We offer high quality catering to suit all tastes and budgets and house a superb range of audio visual equipment to meet all your technical needs. From Birthdays to Wedding Receptions and Business Meetings to Fitness Classes we might just be what you are looking for. Contact us on 01939 232299/info@wemtownhall.co.uk for more information.
Eat and Drink with us Our café/bar is open Monday to Saturday and for evening events providing a warm welcome to all visitors. With free wi-fi access, the light and airy surroundings are the perfect place to meet up, relax, eat, drink and share. Our locally sourced menu offers homemade and high quality dishes and we offer speciality coffees, teas and soft drinks, along with a range of wines and local beers.
MUSIC Thomas Adams School presents an evening of Songs from the Shows Saturday 4 February 7.30pm An evening celebrating musical theatre. Young people from Thomas Adams School present solo, group and chorus performances from much loved musicals such as Les Misérables, Cabaret, Wicked and many more. Tickets: £5 full price, £2.50 concessions
The Big Blues Tribe Saturday 18 February 7.30pm A full nine-piece blues band in the style of BB King, Ray Charles and, more recently, Jools Holland’s R&B Orchestra. The Tribe features four excellent voices and a full five piece brass section, from trumpet to baritone sax, bringing good-time big band blues to life and filling the stage with energy and action. Fronted by Oliver Carpenter, one of the Midlands’ most experienced blues singers and featuring top musicians on every stand, the band combines musical quality with an infectious sense of fun and one hundred percent commitment to blues music. From the first shuffle to the last jump, The Big Blues Tribe’s complex and intricate arrangements take a broad range of music from little known tracks to standards like St James’ Infirmary and make them their own.
Thomas Adams School Spring Concert
‘This is a hell of a band… certain to blow your socks off.’ Blues in Britain Magazine
Saturday 31 March 7.30 pm Critically acclaimed ensemble Fordante return to Wem Town Hall with music from some of the greatest film soundtracks including Love Actually, The Mission (Gabriel’s Oboe), Dances With Wolves, Slumdog Millionaire, Lord of the Rings, Ladies in Lavender performed alongside their own beautiful, enchanting and award winning music. Experience an evening of sweeping Celtic melodies, mysterious Venetian
Tickets: £10 full price, £8 concessions if bought by 3rd February, thereafter £11 full price, £9 concessions
Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 March 7.15pm A concert celebrating the breadth of talent at Thomas Adams School, including vocal, instrumental, solo and ensemble performances by young people. Tickets: £5 full price, £2.50 concessions
Fordante Presents Movie Music Classics
DANCE harmonies and evocative Argentinean rhythms together with a host of fabulous film music. Ideal for music lovers who enjoy lighter, easier listening classical music. Tickets: £10 full price, £8 concessions if bought by 16th March, thereafter £11 full price, £9 concessions
Ballroom and Sequence Dance Friday 27 January and 23 March 8–11.30pm Ballroom and sequence dancing on the best dance floor in Shropshire, with live music by Robin Horton and Graham Darby respectively. Food and raffle on the evening. Tickets: £5
Taiko Drumming Workshops
Street Dance Classes
Young People Monday Afternoons Adults Monday 7–8.30pm An exciting opportunity to try your hand at the ancient style of Taiko drumming led by an expert Taiko master, James Barrow. Those new to drumming are welcome together with those with previous experience.
Ages 8–11 years, Wednesday 4.45–5.45pm Learn energetic street dance moves and build up a routine in this invigorating and satisfying class with our qualified tutor.
Course Dates: January 16th, 23rd, 30th, February 6th, 20th, 27th, March 5th, 12th, 26th
Course Cost: £32 for the 8 weeks
Course Cost: £54 for the 9 weeks Please note that Taiko is a loud drumming activity and those with a sensitivity to loud noises may be affected.
Course dates: February 1st, 8th, 22nd, 29th, March 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th
LIVE VIA SATELLITE National Theatre Live: Travelling Light
visitors question their very selves as the turmoil escalates.
Thursday 9th February 2012, 7pm Running time: 150mins (inc. interval) Written by Nicholas Wright Presented by National Theatre Live
Shakespeare’s furiously paced comedy will be staged in a contemporary world into which walk three prohibited foreigners who see everything for the first time.
In a remote village in Eastern Europe, around 1900, the young Motl Mendl is entranced by the flickering silent images on his father’s cinematograph. Bankrolled by Jacob, the ebullient local timber-merchant, and inspired by Anna, the girl sent to help him make moving pictures of their village, he stumbles on a revolutionary way of story-telling. Forty years on, Motl – now the famed American film director Maurice Montgomery – looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams, both to himself and those he left behind. Following Vincent in Brixton and The Reporter, Nicholas Wright’s new play is a funny and fascinating tribute to the Eastern European immigrants who became major players in Hollywood’s golden age; and a haunting look at the stories we tell about our own lives. The award-winning Antony Sher returns to the National to play Jacob.
National Theatre Live: A Comedy of Errors Thursday 1st March 2012, 7pm Running time: 180mins (inc interval) Presented by National Theatre Live Written by William Shakespeare Two sets of twins, separated at birth, collide in the same city for one crazy day as multiple mistaken identities lead to confusion on a grand scale. Antipholus of Syracuse (Lenny Henry) and his servant Dromio, in search of their brothers, arrive in a land entirely foreign to their distant home. Consistently recognised by strangers, the
National Theatre Live: She Stoops to Conquer Thursday 29 March, 2012, 7pm Written by Oliver Goldsmith Hardcastle, a man of substance, plans to acquaint his daughter with his old pal’s son with a view to marriage. But thanks to playboy Lumpkin, he’s mistaken by his prospective son-in-law Marlow for an innkeeper, his daughter for the barmaid Misdemeanours multiply, love blossoms, mayhem ensues. One of the great, generoushearted and ingenious comedies of the English language, Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer offers a celebration of chaos, courtship and the dysfunctional family. Cast includes Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street), Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen & Benidorm) & Sophie Thompson (Eastenders & Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1) All productions are beamed live via satellite from the National Theatre London into the Wem Town Hall Cinema. Latecomers will not be permitted until a convenient break in the performance. Tickets: £11 full price, £10 Concessions
image: A Comedy of Errors
THEATRE & COMEDY Tickets: £9.50/£8 if bought by Friday 27th Jan, thereafter £11/£9. The show has limited capacity audience so book early to avoid disappointment. The money raised from this performance will be donated to Pilgrim Bandits, a charity set up by a group of ex Special Forces members who endeavour to support the growing number of amputees and seriously injured forces personnel.
Ray Peacock and Ed Gamble ‘Emergency Broadcast’
Josh’s Monsters Saturday 11 February 7.30pm Josh and Ben fought imaginary monsters together as kids growing up. Now Ben climbs mountains and Josh is about to leave for a second tour of duty in Afghanistan. Their mother and Father are at odds with each other, Chrissie in the kitchen baking cakes for her son and his fellow soldiers, Doug in the cellar with his computers refusing to join his wife at Josh’s send off, their only communication being through skype. A play that starts in the leafy lanes of Devon and ends up in the dusty dirt roads of Afghanistan, Josh’s Monsters embraces the frictions and fun of family life familiar to us all but made all the more intense when lives are on the line. Wryly amusing, utterly absorbing and, ultimately, deeply moving.
Friday 24 February 8pm We have all been at a show that goes wrong. Actors can forget their lines, technicians can miss cues, or a lion can get in the room and go mental. But there has never been, until now, a back–up show waiting in the wings, ready to leap in and save the day (and kill the lion). Step forward Ray Peacock & Ed Gamble (Russell Howard’s Good News, Peacock & Gamble Podcast) with their ramshackle, seat-of-the-pants, emergency comedy night. Chortle Award Nominees 2011. ‘Unfettered roars of laughter’ The Guardian – Don’t bring a lion Tickets: All at £10
FILM
FILM SCREENINGS
Super 8 (12A)
Unless stated, all films are priced at £5 Adults, £4.50 Concessions and £4 for 16’s and under
Thursday 26 January 7.30pm (112mins) In the summer of 1979, a group of friends in a small Ohio town witness a catastrophic train crash while making a super 8 movie and soon suspect that it was not an accident. Shortly after, unusual disappearances and inexplicable events begin to take place in town, and the local Deputy tries to uncover the truth – something more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.
Audio Aids Infra Red enhanced hearing headsets are available to amplify sound for hard of hearing patrons. They can be worn with or without a hearing aid. Please call 01939 232299 to book your headset.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (15) Thursday 19 January 5pm and 7.30pm (127mins) In the bleak days of the Cold War, an espionage veteran is forced from semiretirement to uncover a double agent within MI6, leading to a spy-hunt that leaves a trail of murder, doubt and double crosses in his wake shaking the British Secret Intelligence Service to its very foundations. Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong.
FILM Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (U) Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 February 2.30pm (87mins) Playing around while aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical paradise where they discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems!
My Week With Marilyn (15) Thursday 2 February 5pm and 7.30pm (99mins) In the early summer of 1956, 23 year old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne) worked as an assistant on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl, the film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams). When Marilyn’s new husband, playwright Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life. This film tells the story of an idyllic week in which he escorts Monroe, taking her away from Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work and is granted access to the innermost thoughts and secrets of the troubled sex symbol. Also starring Judi Dench, Zoe Wanamaker, Emma Watson and Dominic Cooper. Michelle Williams is widely expected to receive an Oscar nomination for her role, as is Kenneth Branagh for best supporting actor.
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (12A) Thursday 16 February 4pm and 7.30pm (129mins) When the Crown Prince of Austria is murdered Holmes is drawn into a large puzzle, designed by the cunning Professor Moriarty. Always one step ahead of Holmes, Moriarty spins a web of death and destruction – all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history. Directed by Guy Ritchie starring Robert Downey Jr. as Homes and Jude Law as Watson.
Thomas Adams Big Screen Presents Saturday 18 February 2–4pm Friday 2 March 7pm (60mins) Screenings celebrating the work of young filmmakers from the North Shropshire area, and further a-field, including the First Light Funded Ghostbusters, King of Wenlock and On Our Doorstep amongst others. (See Gallery section for information about the ‘Making of’ exhibition relating to these films). Contact reception for a full programme of films or see www.wemtownhall.co.uk Entry is free.
The Way (12A) Thursday 23 February 7.30pm (121mins) Martin Sheen stars as an American doctor whose son dies in a storm whilst walking The Camino de Santiago, also known as ‘The Way of Saint James’. Driven by his profound sadness and desire to understand his lost son, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage, leaving his California life behind. From the hardship experienced along ‘The Way’ an unlikely group of misfits are bonded together and Tom begins to learn the difference between ‘The life we live and the life we choose.’
FILM War Horse (Cert TBC) Thursday 22 March 5pm and 7.30pm (Running Time TBC) Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him.
The Iron Lady (12A) Thursday 8 March 5 and 7.30pm (105mins) Meryl Streep is widely anticipated to receive an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher, in a compelling story of a woman who succeeded in a male-dominated world. The story concerns power and the price that is paid for power, and is a surprising and intimate portrait of one of the 20th Century’s most famous and influential women.
When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, reaching its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land. An extraordinary odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure based on the Michael Morpurgo novel which also spawned the hugely successful stage adaptation. It now comes to screen in an epic adaptation by one of the greatest directors in film history, Steven Spielberg.
The film stars Academy Award winners Meryl Streep as Lady Thatcher, Jim Broadbent as Denis Thatcher and Alexandra Roach and Harry Lloyd as their young counterparts. The film also stars a host of British acting talent, including Olivia Colman (Peep Show), Nicholas Farrell, Susan Brown (Hope and Glory), Roger Allam (Tamara Drewe), Anthony Head and Richard E Grant.
Potiche (15) Thursday 15 March 7.30pm (103mins) When her husband is taken hostage by his striking employees, a trophy wife takes the reins of the family business and proves to be a remarkably effective leader. Business and personal complications arrive in the form of her ex-lover a former union leader. Starring Gérard Depardieu and Catherine Deneuve. In French with Subtitles. ‘a potent comedy’ Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
Free cinema for children and young people Thursdays 4-6pm Run in partnerships with local schools. Contact reception for details.
Film-making and Animation Workshops Regular sessions for children, young people and adults. Contact reception for details.
SPECIAL EVENTS Table Top Sale Wem Town Hall Community Trust Saturday 18 February 9–12.30pm To book tables or for more information please call 01939 232299.
Wem Spring Market From the Wem Combine Harvesters Saturday 24 March 9–1pm Local and regional traders will be offering a range of food, drink, and crafts for sale. There will be charity jammers and picklers with
Regular Activities Mondays TAIKO DRUMMING 7.00–8.30pm See music section for more information.
Wednesdays STREET DANCE 4.45–5.45pm For ages 8–11years. See dance section for more information. PILATES@WEM 6.30–7.30pm, 7.45-8.45pm Learn Pilates movements and exercises with qualified tutor Helen Minton. Course Cost: £50 for a block of 6 sessions For further information and enrollment forms please contact Helen Minton on 01939 234017 or email wempilates@hotmail.com ZUMBA 8–9pm Zumba is an exhilarating, effective, easyto-follow, Latin-inspired, calorie-burning dance fitness-party™ that’s moving millions of people toward joy and health. Enjoy the World’s most successful dancefitness program with tutor Cherie Jerrard at Wem Town Hall. Cost: £4.50 per class or £20 for 5 classes.
homemade preserves, wine from local vineyards, baked goods, vegetables, plants, jewellery, quilts and many more local products. Entertainments will include quizzes and a raffle. Entry is free. Members of Wem Civic Society, Wem & District Garden Club and Wem Transition Town Initiative have got together as Wem Combine Harvesters to put on this event. All profits from the market will go the groups and their local projects.
To book or for more information please call Cherie on: 07957 429869 or email cheriejerrard@gmail.com
Fridays RHYTHM TIME 10.00–11.00am Rhythm Time is a really enjoyable, well thought out musical experience that uses lots of exciting songs and activities to help a child's development and life skills. A love and understanding of music is instilled in the children from an early age and week by week, as they develop, so does their confidence, creativity and coordination. Classes for baby, toddler and pre-school children. To book places or for more information please call Julia Casperd on: 07789 867589
Saturdays SHROPSHIRE DANCE BALLET Royal Academy of Dance ballet classes for boys and girls aged 3 years and upwards, with Principle Sally Wellings. For more information on class times and availability please contact Sally Wellings on 01743 240748
GALLERY
COMING SOON The Stu Brown Sextet Presents Twisted Toons: The Music of Raymond Scott Friday 20 April, 7.30pm The Stu Brown Sextet celebrates the eyeball‐popping, hyper‐animated ‘cartoon jazz’ of Raymond Scott. Though his name is largely unknown, Scott’s remarkable music will be familiar from its use in the Looney Tunes cartoons from the 1940s onwards and, more recently, in Ren and Stimpy and The Simpsons; his manic offbeat compositions lending themselves perfectly to the antics of Bugs, Daffy, Road Runner and co.
Alan Albert Smith ‘stuff from over the years’ Monday to Saturday until 28 January An exhibition of paintings and constructions by the celebrated Wem artist.
Thomas Adams Big Screen Exhibition Saturday 11 February – Saturday 14 April Thomas Adams Big Screen Presents a ‘making of’ exhibition of short films made by children and young people from the North Shropshire area. The exhibition will include the First Light Funded: Ghostbusters, a documentary about how an amateur photographer from Wem came to take one of the most famous Ghost pictures ever taken; King of Wenlock, two short montage documentaries of Shropshire’s influence on the modern day Olympics and On Our Doorstep, a closer look at what lies in the heart of a small village in Penley, Wales. A special cinema screening of the Films will take place on Saturday 18th February 2–4pm.
Performed with zest and spontaneity by drummer Brown’s brilliantly orchestrated Sextet, the combination of slapstick alertness and nursery rhyme cheeriness produces music to make you smile. Suitable for family audiences this is a crowd-pleasing show performed with energy and wit. The group has performed at the UK’s biggest Jazz Festivals including Manchester, Cheltenham, Glasgow and London; now see them at Wem Town Hall. Tickets: £10.50 full price, £9 concessions, £5 child if bought by 6th April, thereafter tickets at £12 full price, £10 concessions £6 child
An Intimate Evening with The Unthanks with support from Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell Friday 4 May, 8pm Following their successful collaboration with the massed ranks of national champions Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band, the Mercury nominated Tynesiders now return to where they began, in the guise of their core creative quintet, for a more intimate and personal experience at Wem Town Hall. The Unthanks prefer to see folk as an ongoing unwritten history, rather than a style of music, drawing on a myriad of influences to story-tell in technicolour.
Another Helping of Mervyn Stutter Friday 18 May, 8pm Mervyn Stutter is back at Wem Town Hall with another helping of wonderful new comedy songs and audience banter in a joyous show of life affirming fun. Last time Merv was at WTH he had the audience crying with laughter and shouting for more. Like the host of a dinner party, Merv treats his audience as welcome guests. He chats a bit, tells a few jokes, makes some pithy observations with lots of clever comedy songs on guitar; poking fun at himself and the baby boomer generation.
Their music has been described as ‘Bewitching’ (Q magazine) and ‘Simply Gripping’ (fRoots) so don’t miss this opportunity to see The Unthanks close-up and paired down, with Jonny Kearney and Lucy Farrell in support, performing songs from their debut album Kite, described by Lauren Laverne as ‘absolutely gorgeous’.
An actor, comedian, scriptwriter, satirical songwriter and something of a national treasure; he performs at the Edinburgh Fringe every year and audiences love him. His sometimes wicked but always affectionate sense of humour brings warmth and joy to an audience that is happy to laugh both at his life and their own.
BBC Radio 2 folk awards 2012 nominees for Best Group, Best Album, Best Original Song, and Best Live Act. Lucy Farrell and Jonny Kearney have also been nominated for Best Duo.
‘Celebrating the trivial and attacking the absurd he gives us a seriously funny show’ The Scotsman
Tickets: £17 full price, £15 concessions. Book early to avoid disappointment.
‘All of his songs have one thing in common – they are astute, funny, often gentle but always jampacked with clever lyrics.’ BBC Radio Berkshire Tickets: £9.50 full price, £8 concessions if bought by 4th May, thereafter tickets at £11 full price, £9 concession
VENUE INFORMATION
Access information
To plan your journey
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Access to the first floor can be gained via a lift.
please visit www.wemtownhall.co.uk
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Wheelchair accessible toilets are available on all floors.
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Infra Red enhanced hearing headsets are available for cinema patrons.
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Induction Loop system operates in the main hall and foyer.
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Guide Dogs are welcome in all parts of the building.
Parking information The nearest parking is located at the main car park, adjacent to the Co-op, just off High Street. Disabled parking on site (limited) please book in advance. Please do not park on Noble Street.
Wem Town Hall High Street, Wem, Shropshire SY4 5DG Reg Charity No. 1113075 Box Office: (Tickets and Bookings) 01939 238279 Mon–Fri 10am-4pm or Online 24hrs Reception: (Information) 01939 232299 www.wemtownhall.co.uk info@wemtownhall.co.uk Open Monday–Saturday 10am–4pm and at other times for events. Follow us on Twitter @WEMTOWNHALL
Large print versions of brochure and other information are available upon request, please contact reception.
All information correct at time of printing. Please see Wem Town Hall website for the most up to date listings or contact reception. The image of the Hoopoe bird denotes an event has been kindly sponsored by a local resident. Designed and produced by aquarium. www.aquariumgd.co.uk