Birmingham What's On June 2023

Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands

What’sOn

in Brum feature inside:

News from around the region

Hit US sitcom Friends to be celebrated at the NEC

A celebration of hit US TV comedy series Friends is coming to Birmingham’s NEC next month.

Making its UK debut at the venue on Saturday 8 July, The Friends Experience offers fans the chance to explore set recreations - including Joey and Chandler’s apartment, Monica and Rachel’s kitchen, and Central Perk coffee shop - and to check out a selection of props and costumes from the show. To find out more and book tickets, visit birmingham.friendstheexperience.com

Celebrating Windrush

Birmingham’s Blackstory Partnership has teamed up with the Birmingham Rep to present a celebration of the 75th anniversary of Windrush Day.

Hosted by BBC West Midlands radio presenter Nikki Tapper and Mykal ‘Wassifa’ Brown MBE, the special event includes a variety of guest speakers and presentations, a performance by the newly formed Next Generation children’s choir, and a jamboree of music from the 1950s to the present day. The event takes place at the Rep on Thursday 22 June. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit birmingham-rep.co.uk

A heroic new production for younger audiences

A multi-layered children’s show that uses film, animation, music and physical theatre to make it ‘accessible to all’ stops off at Birmingham’s Midlands Art Centre this month as part of a summer tour. The Hero Next Door - described by its producers, Face Front Theatre, as ‘a celebration of difference and working together to do the right thing’ - shows at the venue on Sunday 25 June.

For more information about the show and to book tickets, visit macbirmingham.co.uk

Opera favourites to visit Birmingham on tour

Welsh National Opera visit Birmingham theatre The Alexandra next month as part of their summer tour. The ever-popular company, who are regular visitors to Birmingham Hippodrome, will stop off at the Alex with a new production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide on Wednesday 12 July. To find out more and book your seat, visit atgtickets.com/birmingham

By

Hook or

by

crook... Boy George to make panto debut in Brum

Boy George will star as Captain Hook this Christmas when a big-budget adaptation of Peter Pan shows at the city’s Resorts World Arena from 22 to 24 December.

Commenting on the news, George said: “I’m really looking forward to playing Captain Hook and showing off my evil side!

“I make my first entrance on a lifesize galleon that sails around the stage in front of an amazing water-wall fountain...

“Although the show has traditional pantomime elements, it is so much more, being a mix of cirque and spectacular event. And I get a chance to fight a giant animatronic crocodile. What’s not to like?”

Time to tango in Digbeth!

Dance enthusiastsand complete beginners - are being invited to move to the sounds of Buenos Aires this summer, courtesy of Argentine tango taster classes and social ‘milonga’ dances in Birmingham’s Digbeth district (at Kilder Bar).

Organised by Tango Oso and taking place every Sunday afternoon in July, the Bajo El Arco (underneath the arch) classes and milongas are open to all, with no experience necessary.

To find out more, send an email to: tango.oso@yahoo.com

Popular festival returns

A popular festival showcasing groundbreaking new music returns to Royal Birmingham Conservatoire this month (Monday 12 - Thursday 15 June).

Kicking off with a launch party titled The Night Of The Unexpected - ‘a fun, fresh and silly evening that’s sure to surprise’ - CODA features 14 separate shows. For further information, visit bcu.ac.uk

New indie bookshop fest

Birmingham is this month hosting its firstever Indie Bookshop Week festival. The event forms part of a national celebration of independent bookshops taking place from Saturday 17 to Saturday 24 June. To find out more, visit booksellers.org.uk

Loose Women take to the road

A live version of ITV’s popular lunchtime programme, Loose Women, will kickstart an autumn tour at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall (Friday 1 September).

The show will see Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha, Judi Love and Jane Moore present ‘an evening filled with laughter, hot topics, fun and surprises, as they share their stories and secrets, live and in-person’... For further information and to purchase tickets, visit livenation.co.uk

World-renowned composer to play Resorts World...

The most-streamed classical artist of all time is coming to Birmingham.

Ludovico Einaudi will visit the city’s Resorts World Arena on Thursday 18 October.

Commenting on the news, he said: “While I enjoy the period of contemplation, learning, inspiration and hard work that goes into the composing and recording process, it is in the live arena, in communion with the audience, that my work really comes alive.” For more information about Ludovico’s visit, check out resortsworldarena.co.uk

Disney takes to the ice...

Disney On Ice is making a welcome return to the Midlands this autumn, skating into Resorts World Arena in Birmingham from 1 to 5 November with a show that celebrates the company’s 100th anniversary. For more information about the production and to book your seat, check out resortsworldarena.co.uk

New festival to mark one-year anniversary of the Games

Birmingham will next month host a special event celebrating the first anniversary of the Commonwealth Games being held in the city. Commissioned and supported by the city council, Birmingham Festival 23 (Friday 28 JulySunday 6 August) will take place in Centenary Square and comprise a programme of free events.

Commenting on the festival, the leader of

Brexit, monarchy and grime at the Hippodrome

A new musical ‘told through the eyes of underrepresented people of today’ will be performed in Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Centre in the early autumn (Friday 1 - Sunday 3 September).

Presented by British Youth Music Theatre in partnership with the Hippodrome, #50days tells a story ‘with parallels to Brexit’, asks questions about the monarchy, features a new grime soundtrack and incorporates ‘a little bit of fake news’. To find out more and book tickets, visit birminghamhippodrome.com

Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward, said: “In addition to 11 days of world-class sport, the Commonwealth Games were a huge celebration of our city's fantastic culture and creativity - and we promised 2022 would be just the start. This year’s festival will once again shine a spotlight on the youth and diversity that make Birmingham such an amazing city.” To find out more, visit birmingham.gov.uk

Full Monty tour heading to the region

A new UK tour of The Full Monty will make two Midlands stopoffs during the autumn/winter period.

Based on the hit 1990s film of the same name, the show will visit the Coventry Belgrade from Monday 2 to Saturday 7 October and then return to the region at Birmingham’s The Alexandra from Tuesday 30 January to Saturday 3 February. For more information and to book tickets, visit the venues’ websites.

News from around the region

Ghostly goings-on...

Birmingham Town Hall will play host to some ghostly goings-on this forthcoming winter...

Brand-new production Do You Believe In Ghosts? - showing at the venue early next year (Friday 2 & Saturday 3 February) - is promising participants the chance to enjoy ‘an experiential ghost story unlike anything you have ever experienced before’...

To find out more and book your seat, visit bmusic.co.uk

Birmingham artists in pioneering programme

Art produced by a group of Birmingham-based Black and Black Mixed Heritage creatives will next month go on display at the Southbank Centre in London (from Tuesday 18 July). The artists are presenting their work in the capital as part of Reframe: The Residency, ‘a pioneering talent development programme aiming to address and remove the systemic barriers to career development which Black creatives face in the arts and creative industries’. The initiative is supported by Birmingham City University’s STEAMhouse and Midlands Arts Centre (MAC).

More acts announced for Moseley Folk...

Fast-rising Irish stars The Mary Wallopers will perform at this year’s Moseley Folk & Arts Festival (Friday 1 - Sunday 3 September). Formed by brothers Charles and Andrew Hendy with their friend Sean McKenna, the band’s raucous performances have seen them compared to The Pogues, Dead Kennedys and The Dubliners at their most visceral.

To find out who else is performing at this year’s festival, visit moseleyfolk.co.uk

BRB’s brand-new company heading to Wolves

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s brand-new company for top-class new dancers will make the short journey to Wolverhampton late this month to present a gala celebration of classical ballet. Launched earlier this year, BRB2 aims to

Electronic music festival to visit Birmingham

The 11th Seventh Wave Electronic Music Festival will visit Birmingham in the autumn.

The popular event, which showcases some of the genre’s most cutting-edge artists, stops off at Moseley venue The Castle & Falcon from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 October. To purchase tickets, visit skiddle.com

Auditioning for panto... Oh yes they are!

Solihull venue The Core is on the lookout for young people, aged between nine and 16, to make up the ‘junior ensemble’ for this year’s pantomime production of Jack And The Beanstalk. Auditions take place on Sunday 25 June.

To find out more and register for an audition slot, visit littlewolf.co.uk

Run to support Acorns Children’s Hospice

Acorns Children’s Hospice has been named as official charity partner for Run Solihull 2023. The popular event, this year taking

develop the ballet stars of the future. The company presents Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection at the Grand Theatre on Saturday 24 June. For more information and to book tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

place on Sunday 13 August, features a half marathon, a 10k and a children’s race.

Refugee exhibition at the Library of Birmingham

An exhibition exploring the dehumanisation experienced by people seeking refuge is currently available to view in the Shakespeare Memorial Room at the Library of Birmingham (until 7 August).

Titled You Can See Me, But I Don’t Exist, the exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Everything To Everybody project. It features photography by Alan Gignoux and creative writing by people seeking refuge living in Birmingham, London and Manchester.

News from around the region

Local writer to showcase new musical in Moseley

A new musical comedy-drama by Birmingham writer-composer Adrian Kimberlin will this month preview at Moseley venue The Dark Horse (Thursday 15 - Sunday 18 June) before heading north to the Edinburgh Fringe.

Taking the title After This Plane Has Landed, the show explores ‘the real-life storiesbeyond the headlines - of kidnapped journalist John McCarthy and his partner, Jill Morrell, who campaigned for his release in the 1990s’. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com

Win Grayson’s celebrity art in MAC’s charity raffle

Fancy livening up your home with an exclusive celebrity artwork? If so, be sure to enter Midlands Arts Centre’s charity raffle of six original pieces created by Sir Grayson Perry, his wife Philippa, Joe Wilkinson, Jo Brand, Dame Prue Leith and Katy Wix.

The celebrity artworks are on display at the Birmingham venue until Sunday 25 June, as part of the Grayson’s Art Club exhibition. The raffle tickets can be purchased until 12pm on Thursday 22 June. To find out more, visit macbirmingham.co.uk

One Way Ticket To Hell exhibition at Stir Stores

Foka Wolf’s One Way Ticket To Hell exhibition continues to show at Stir Stores in Birmingham.

The display, which is available to view free of charge until Friday 7 July, features light installations that explore the darker side of human nature.

It’s all going Pete Tong at Utilita Arena Birmingham!

DJ, broadcaster & global dance music legend Pete Tong makes a return to Birmingham later in the year with his critically acclaimed Ibiza Classics show. Taking place at the city’s Utilita Arena on Thursday 30 November, the production features Jules Buckley and The Essential Orchestra. For tickets, visit gigsandtours.com or ticketmaster.co.uk

Journey into the Spider-Verse at Symphony Hall!

Academy Award-winning animated superhero movie Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse will be shown at Birmingham Symphony Hall in the autumn.

The screening will be accompanied by a live orchestra, turntables and percussion playing

CBSO announces line-up of concerts for 2023/24

Concerts celebrating the CBSO Chorus’ halfcentury, performances marking the 150th anniversary of Rachmaninoff’s birth, and new music from a host of talented composers feature among the highlights of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s 2023/24 season.

Kazuki Yamada, who will be taking the helm for his first full season as chief conductor & artistic advisor, is very much looking forward to the experience. “I’m thrilled that it is a season full of surprises, incredible music and human connection,” says Kazuki. “I cannot wait to share it with our audiences in Birmingham and beyond.”

To check out the 2023/24 programme, visit cbso.co.uk/season

Exploring Birmingham with The Roundhouse...

If you’re looking for unique ways to experience Birmingham this year, The Roundhouse may well have the answer for you.

The popular venue - a hub for exploring the city - is hosting a season of tours and activities as it aims to share stories of Birmingham’s industrial heritage ‘in new and imaginative ways’.

the music from the film’s score and soundtrack.

The ‘live in concert’ experience takes place on Saturday 28 October. To find out more about the show and book your seat, head to: ticketmaster.co.uk

Among the activities available are kayak tours, standup paddleboarding experiences and heritage working boat trips. There’s also a new free drop-in tour titled Workers Of The Roundhouse, plus the chance to learn about the history of the canals and local area via films and artworks in the venue’s visitor centre. To find out more and book an activity, visit roundhousebirmingham.org.uk

Broadway Baby Melissa Errico at Lichfield Festival

American musical theatre star Melissa Errico visits Lichfield Cathedral next month with her touring show, The Life And Loves Of A Broadway Baby.

Featuring a selection of popular songsincluding ‘a dazzling set of beloved standards, from Rodgers & Hart to Lerner & Lowe’ - the show forms part of the Lichfield Festival and takes place on Tuesday 11 July... For more information and to book tickets, visit lichfieldfestival.org

AN ADVENTURE WITH POOH AND FRIENDS

A new children’s show featuring AA Milne’s much-loved characters is coming to Birmingham Hippodrome this month...

Children’s favourites Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Roo are taking to the stage in a new family musical set in the Hundred Acre Wood. What’s On recently caught up with one of the show’s actors - former Birmingham Ormiston Academy student Alex Cardall...

As a child, actor Alex Cardall’s second home was Birmingham Hippodrome. Each Saturday he would join a weekly amateur dramatics club for youngsters and, together with his family, regularly watch productions at the theatre.

So this month, when he steps onto the Hippodrome stage in the touring production of Winnie The Pooh, it will be a very special moment for the 26-year-old from Solihull.

“Birmingham Hippodrome was where it all started for me,” says Alex. “I began with BSS Spotlight, which became BSS Showbiz, and it was where I started to sing, act and dance. It was such a special place for me because it’s where I started to learn that this was what I wanted to do as a career.

“I was five when I first went to do am-dram with Ian Sandy, who used to do BSS Spotlight. My dad was a trumpet player, a very dramatic showbiz man, and he said it would be good for me and for my confidence. I didn’t think I’d want to do it, as I just wanted to play football, but I walked around with my dad and I saw the classes, saw the acting, saw the dancing, and I fell in love with it. So I did BSS Showbiz on Saturdays, then every fortnight I would go to London to see a show.”

Alex set his sights on a career on the stage and gained a place at Birmingham Ormiston Academy, where he studied for a BTEC in musical theatre. He also performed with National Youth Music Theatre and gained a place at Arts Educational School in Chiswick. Graduating in 2018, he has since performed in a number of shows, including taking the role of singer Andy Williams in the tour of The Osmonds, which visited both Birmingham’s The Alexandra and the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

Winnie The Pooh will be his first time back at the Hippodrome.

“What I always said when I was really young was that I really wanted to do a show on the Hippodrome stage. I remember seeing Slava’s Snowshow there and all the pantomimes, but I never thought I’d be bringing Winnie the Pooh to Birmingham! This is just an amazing experience, an amazing opportunity, and I’m excited to be in a kids’ show at the venue where I started as a kid.”

The hour-long stage adaptation of Disney’s Winnie The Pooh features puppets of all the much-loved characters from AA Milne’s classic stories. It also includes, alongside new music, a number of well-known Sherman Brothers songs, among them The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Rumbly In My Tumbly. Premiered off-Broadway in 2021, the production showed at London’s Riverside Studios before embarking on a UK tour this spring.

“It’s primarily a story told through the eyes of Winnie the Pooh, and we are actors with puppets attached to our bodies. We rotate the characters, so one day I play Owl, Eeyore and Rabbit, and that’s mixed in also with Tigger on another day. So each day I’ll have different characters to play.

“The puppets are quite heavy, so it’s a massive challenge. There’s a lot of selfdiscipline needed, to make sure you’re looking after yourself, because you are giving so much. Seeing the amazing responses of the audience, you want to make sure you’re giving the best performance every time, as it makes such a difference to people.”

Alex was keen to add another string to his bow by mastering puppetry on stage.

“Puppetry was new for me, so I had to learn it in four weeks of rehearsal. It was very hard

work to make sure we were lip-syncing as well. But learning a new skill was one of the reasons that I took the job - puppetry is a much-needed skill now in theatres. I feel like I’m learning on a daily basis how to make it better every time.”

Although aimed at children aged three and older, Winnie The Pooh is also attracting adult audiences who are keen to take a walk down memory lane.

“There’s an element of mystery and childhood within it, and it’s a really beautiful show for any person of any age. If you’re a child, you certainly relate to it. If you’re an adult, it just takes you straight back to a memory - like a mug in your nan’s room or a cuddly toy that you had as a kid. I think that’s what we are searching for as peoplean attachment to our childhood; a memory that takes you back.

“There are lots of characters in the show that people can connect to. For me, I loved Tigger as a kid - I thought he was such a wonderful character. I think when I was a kid it was the fact Tigger was so sporadic and so franticbut now I’m older, I feel more Rabbit. I like things to be more inline and tidier!”

Alex is hoping Winnie The Pooh and his part in it will inspire other children to love theatre.

“I’ll be looking at the kids at the meet & greet and thinking ‘that was me’. Being a professional actor and coming back to the Hippodrome and doing a kids’ show there really is a bit of a pinch-me moment.”

Winnie The Pooh shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Fri 16 to Sun 18 June

Food news from across the region...

Brum rum festival returns for a sixth year

Birmingham Rum Festival returns for its sixth year this month - with Bacardi Caribbean Spiced as headline sponsor. Taking place at The Cuban Embassy on Saturday 24 June, the event features rum tasting, street food by Santi Kitchen, live music and a Caribbean carnival vibe.

Grease is the word...

You better shape up...

A bottomless brunch paying homage to hit musical Grease has landed at The Cocktail Club in Birmingham. Featuring 90 minutes of bottomless prosecco and cocktails, street food by One Pot Wonders and performances by the West End cast of the much-loved stage show, Grease Bottomless Brunch is available at the venue on the last Sunday of every month.

Harborne Kitchen launches new menu

Harborne Kitchen, the popular restaurant on Harborne High Street, has launched a new ‘5 for £55’ menu. Available Wednesday and Thursday evening and Friday and Saturday lunchtime, the menu includes Jamie’s Chicken & White Chocolate - a parfait designed by Chef Patron James Desogus which was named as one of The Good Food Guide’s top 10 dishes of 2020. To book a table at the restaurant, visit the website - harbornekitchen.com - or call 0121 439 9150.

Celebrity guests announced for new food & drink festival

The Three Counties Food & Drink Festival has announced that Matt Tebbutt, Jean-Christophe Novelli (pictured) and Masterchef finalist Pookie will complete the Sunday line-up of celebrity guests at this year’s show.

The brand-new festival, which will be held at Three Counties Showground in Malvern on Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 July, will feature more than 150 food & drink vendors from the Three Counties region and beyond.

Sports bar & kitchen opens in Birmingham city centre

The award-winning premium bar operator behind Manahatta has opened BOX Brindleyplace in Birmingham.

Located at the former Pizza Express site, BOXwhich is dubbed ‘the best place to enjoy live sport’ - boasts an island bar surrounded by 32 top-of-the-range TV screens, two 18-foot maple wood European Shuffleboard tables and a wide range of food & drink options.

The food menu includes tater tots, hot honey and n’duja pizza, a pizza fondue, Detroit-style deep dish pizzas, burgers and premium kebabs.

The drinks menu features classic cocktails, refreshing lagers, hoppy pale ales and fruity IPAs.

BOX opens on Saturday 3 June - just in time for the FA Cup Final showdown between Manchester City and Manchester United.

The latest celebrity guests join the previously announced Saturday Cookery Theatre line-up, which includes chef Rosemary Shraeger, Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Dirty Vegan’s Matt Pritchard.

The festival will also offer a programme of have-a-go activities, interactive workshops, and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy. Tickets for the show can be purchased via the website: threecountiesfoodfestival.com

AS HE LIKES IT...

Omar Elerian talks about his playful approach to one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies...

by Diane Parkes

One of Shakespeare’s ‘most joyous tales’ is being approached very differently in a brand-new RSC production directed by Omar Elerian. Staged as ‘a play within a play’, Omar’s version of As You Like It takes place in a rehearsal-room setting and features a cast of RSC veterans - as he recently explained to What’s On...

A new production of Shakespeare’s comedy, As You Like It - which opens in Stratfordupon-Avon this month - is aiming to throw a fresh light on the story by featuring a cast of actors who are mainly over 70.

Directed by Olivier Award-nominated Omar Elerian, the show hopes not only to challenge the stereotypes around older actors but also bring something new to a familiar play by examining the idea of memory and imagination.

“When the Royal Shakespeare Company approached me about directing As You Like It, I was intrigued,” says Omar. “It’s a comedy, it’s a bit disjointed, it’s full of tongue-in-cheek references and jokes to the audience - but I didn’t want to do it in a straight way.

“I was struck by reading the play how these ideas of love and freedom are normally associated to youth, and actually how I found that older actors, and in fact older people, were excluded by this vision of freedom and love. So I thought maybe that could be an interesting lens to look at the play. It’s a play a lot of people love and know very well, and whether this would be an opportunity to see something new, and whether that might unlock something in it that we hadn’t heard before.” And so the production becomes a play within a play.

“There is a framing device... there is a company of actors who are coming together some 40 to 45 years after they last performed a production of As You Like It. But nothing is left of that production apart from the memories they hold of it - and of course their memories are very different.

“I was interested in this idea of conjuring a memory of a show, and how actors are able to recreate something that is not there, to make the invisible visible to an audience, and how quickly the audience can go on that journey of belief and conspiracy with the performers.”

The production begins in an empty space, a rehearsal room, where the actors try to recall the previous production and their roles.

“By doing this, they little by little get back into habiting that production. Some of the elements can’t be there anymore, or just very simply the actors cannot do the things they were doing years ago. Or they are different people, and what they felt about playing a specific role or a specific line when they were in their 20s sounds very different once they speak those same lines or inhabit those same roles having had that lifelong experience.

“The idea is that theatre is a place where conventions can be challenged and a place of the imagination. Of all Shakespeare’s plays, As You Like It plays the most with this subversion of order, and class and gender and birth - and I thought one thing that we don’t see quite often is how perhaps age is a construct to which we apportion a social value as much as race or gender.”

One of the benefits of Omar’s idea is that the RSC has assembled a host of hugely skilled and respected actors for the show - many of whom have appeared in RSC productions over several decades. The cast includes Maureen Beattie, Oliver Cotton, Celia Bannerman, David Fielder, Geraldine James, David Sibley, Malcolm Sinclair, James Hayes, Robin Soans, Cleo Sylvestre, Ewart James Walters and Michael Bertenshaw.

“It was a very beautiful and humbling experience being able to speak with so many actors of that generation, people I have looked up to for a long time. They were very excited - a lot of them are perhaps not being asked to play roles of that age now. And also for the opportunity to be in a room where you go through a creative process which is not particularly traditional, in which there is a lot of playing, a lot of improvisation.

“Many told me it was like going back to their roots as a younger actor and starting off and kind of learning the craft. So for them it was a case of going back to the roots of their work, being in this big ensemble company, this repertoire company, all over the UK in the ’70s.”

And they are supported by a cast of four younger actors.

“The meeting of these two generations on

stage is very touching but also very playful and funny. I think that will be an added dimension of the production that I hope the audience will enjoy.”

Much of Omar’s thinking about the play was inspired by the famous ‘Seven Ages of Man’ speech - given by the exiled lord, Jacqueswhich sits at the heart of As You Like It.

“I was really intrigued by this play because Shakespeare in many plays mentions the craft of theatre - in The Tempest and in Hamlet - but the ‘Seven Ages of Man’ feels so much a declaration. When Jacques says ‘all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are merely players’, it’s an acknowledgement of how the microcosm that Shakespeare builds on stage was his daily breath; as a writer, an actor, a company manager, he lived and breathed for it.

“He just tells the audience ‘you are watching a play and you are watching the world.’ And the world as well can be a play, and the boundaries between representation and life can be very thin, and the emotions that we invest in these fictions actually help us to understand better our own real lives.

“I hope audiences take away a sense of joy and wonder and playfulness. I think, for me, perhaps the playfulness is at the heart of what we are trying to do. It’s the idea that, regardless of the age and regardless of the status that we apportion to a piece of work or a writer, when we gather for a few hours in a space like a theatre, what we are there to do is to exercise our imagination and to regress in a way, to have this state of childhood. A state where we can really experience wonder and imagine something different, and then perhaps we are able to bring this back into the real world and our daily lives and approach them with more imagination, playfulness and openness.”

The RSC’s As You Like It shows at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon, from Saturday 17 June to Saturday 5 August

Classical music from across the region...

CBSO: Season Finale

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wed 14 June Only a couple of months after becoming the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s chief conductor & artistic advisor, Kazuki Yamada (pictured) brings down the curtain on the 2022/23 season with an imaginative programme of work celebrating British music across a period of 100-plus years.

The concert is kickstarted with the world premiere of Dani Howard’s CBSO Centenary Commission, The Butterfly Effect, after which Britten’s Serenade For Tenor, Horn & Strings delights, haunts and terrifies in equal measure.

Ex Cathedra: Summer Music by Candlelight

Hereford Cathedral, Wed 14 June; St Peter’s Church, Wolverhampton, Thurs 15 June; St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, Tues 20 & Wed 21 June

Associate Conductor Sarah Latto takes charge of Ex Cathedra for a concert which the early music ensemble confidently predict will see audiences heading for home singing of summertime.

The programmes for these annual gettogethers, presented by candlelight as dusk falls, move seamlessly from seasonal favourites to rare, rediscovered,

Opera Gala: Tingguang Li

Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Thurs 15 June

Critically acclaimed Chinese tenor and opera actor Tingguang Li is on a mission to make his audiences aware of the unique charm of the art of opera.

A former Royal Academy of Music student, Tingguang here performs a selection of arias from different periods and in different languages and styles. The programme includes works by, among others, Mozart, Handel, Donizetti and Rossini.

contemporary and lighter repertoire. This year’s offering - taking the theme of ‘joy, and the many ways in which we can find it in our lives’ features, among other compositions, Iam lucis orto sidere - a sixthcentury plainchant - the 13th-century Summer is icumen in, and from more recent times, Summertime and Summer Holiday.

Binchois Consort feat. Gusto Renaissance Winds

Elgar Hall, The Bramall, University of Birmingham, Sun 11 June

A concert built around the music of Alexander Agricola is an event well worth catching; the 15th-century Netherlandish composer’s distinctive style has been referred to as ‘crazy’, ‘sublime’ and ‘strange and upside-down’.

Composing music featuring twists, turns and unexpected climaxes was very much the name of the game for Agricola, whose fantasies on well-known songs have long been, for wind players, a vehicle for virtuoso ensemble work.

The evening - and the season - is brought to a close with a performance of Elgar’s energetic and deeply personal First Symphony. The piece was written by the Worcestershire-born composer at the age of 51 - a full decade after he’d first attempted to write a symphony.

Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Sun 11 June

One of the UK’s most widely acclaimed non-professional symphony orchestras, the Birmingham Philharmonic here presents a concert of music from film director Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Michael Lloyd is the man with the baton as the orchestra makes its way through the following works: Selections from ‘Gayane’ (Khachaturian); The Blue Danube (J Strauss II); Ligeti (Lontano); and Also Sprach Zarathustra (R Strauss).

Live music from across the region...

Miller Blue

The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham, Thurs 1 June

Miller Blue burst onto the scene last year and has been garnering praise and gathering fans ever since. Boasting an entrancing voice and writing lyrics which have been described as medicine for the soul, the Shropshire-born performer (he hails from the small village of Gobowen) describes his style in three words: ‘Honest’, ‘electronic’ and ‘soul’. His appearance at the Sunflower Lounge comes on the back of recently released EP Eye To Eye, an offering that’s been racking up a serious number of plays on Spotify and which Clash Magazine described as ‘a dreamy fusion of jazz-leaning R&B and neo-soul’.

Barrington Levy

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Fri 23 June

Jamaica-born Barrington Levy wasted no time in establishing a career in music.

Back in the mid-1970s, at the tender age of 12, he teamed up with cousin Everton Dacres in a band called The Mighty Multitude and released a single titled My Black Girl. Within 12 months, Barrington was performing solo, developing a unique sound and musical style which in time would shape the evolution of reggae and steer it into subgenres like dancehall, fusion and ragga jungle.

Steve Earle

Birmingham Town Hall, Sat 17 June

There’s just no stopping Steve Earle. Thirty-seven years after bursting onto the scene with debut offering Guitar Townnowadays considered a classic of the Americana genre - the 68-year-old Virginiaborn singer-songwriter continues to fire on all cylinders. A novelist, actor and radio-

Siouxsie

The Halls Wolverhampton, Wed 21 June

Local lad Steve Homer - the CEO of The Halls’ operator, AEG Presents - is delighted to have secured an appearance by Siouxsie Sioux at the venue only weeks after its grand reopening. “When I put in an enquiry,” he reveals, “they came back and said she’s going to do it because it’s her favourite venue she ever played with the Banshees.”

At the time of writing, Siouxsie’s Wolverhampton date will mark the first time she’s performed live in the UK in 10 years. Her appearance at The Halls, coming in the middle of a set of shows in Europe, is part of the punk icon’s first live tour in 15 years.

Arab Strap

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Sun 11 June

Featuring core members Aiden Moffat (vocalist) and Malcolm Middleton (multiinstrumentalist), Arab Strap built their reputation around stark and sordid autobiographical narratives concerning the misadventures of youth. Time moves on, however, and Aiden is comfortable about admitting the inspiration for their lyrics nowadays comes from an entirely different source. “Now my songwriting is led more by

show host, he’s also produced albums for numerous other high-profile artists, including Joan Baez (who’s also one of countless major names to have recorded his songs).

With three consecutive Grammys for best contemporary folk album to his name, Steve visits the Midlands mid-month with his Alone Again tour.

things I’ve read that interest me,” he told the Guardian. “The truth is, life gets less interesting as you get older. I don’t want to write songs about the school run or having a nap!”

KISS

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Mon 5 June

Not only iconic but also still influential, KISS were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 2014. And with over 75 million album sales worldwide to recommend them, it’s easy to see why. This year not only celebrating their 50th anniversary but also calling it a day, the band stop off in Birmingham with their farewell End Of The Road tour.

Comedy previews from across the region

Paul Smith

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Wed 14 June; O2 Academy, Birmingham, Thurs 20 & Fri 21 July; Brierley Hill Civic Hall, Wed 26 - Thurs 27 July

Affable Liverpool comedian Paul Smith has waxed lyrical on all manner of topics in his time, including such peculiar subjects as who he’d most like to be haunted by (Ghandi - Paul reckons he’d do it quite quietly) and which is the largest animal he thinks he could beat in a fight (a goose). He’s also ‘died’ on stage in front of a Babylon 5 actress, who made matters worse for him by shaking her head in pity... Widely regarded as one of the comedy circuit’s most accomplished MCs, Paul visits the Midlands with his touring show, Joker.

Jen Brister

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 16 June

As she attempted to establish herself on the circuit back in the early noughties, Jen Brister received a much-needed boost from a comedy legend.

The occasion was the BBC New Act semifinals in Brighton. The legend in question: Spike Milligan, who was one of the judges. Although Jen didn’t get through to the final, she did find out from the show’s producer that Spike had voted for her.

“He’d also remarked that I had ‘a great pair of Bristols’,” she recalls. “So clearly he had great taste in comedy and, er, tits!”

Jen visits Shrewsbury with her latest touring show, The Optimist.

“My favourite thing is being relentless,” Australian comedian Rhys Nicholson revealed to broadwaybaby in preparing to tour his brand-new standup offering, Rhys! Rhys! Rhys!. “That’s what you can expect from this show - just me relentlessly talking too quickly.”

Rhys is promising a gig that will aim to steer

Tez Ilyas

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Fri 16 June

Tez Ilyas’ standup has been likened to candyfloss with a razorblade hidden inside, while his television work has brought him to the attention of a whole new audience. The fact that he’s been able to hit the right notes with so many people doesn’t come as a surprise to the man himself, though: “It doesn’t matter what walk of life we’re from, I think we’re all united by the British sense of humour. Whatever creed, colour, sexual orientation or gender type we are, we have a connection based around a mutual appreciation of that sort of comedy.”

clear of every comedian’s favourite subject over the last couple of years: the Covid pandemic. “It’s me banging on about myself for about an hour. It’s just about me. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been with a show, I thinkwhich sounds a bit arrogant, but I really worked hard on jokes per minute, and wanting it to be pretty relentless.”

Kane Brown & Richard Blackwood

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 24 June

Two comedy heavyweights for the price of one...

Former direct-sales executive Kane Brown kickstarted his current career back in 2006 when he enrolled in a two-week course in standup-comedy, since which time he’s honed his rib-tickling talents to excellent effect. Richard Blackwood, meanwhile, cites Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy and Chris Rock as his inspirations. He peddles a comedic style that’s been described as ‘an amalgam of these three, with an added healthy dose of Afro Caribbean and South London humour’.

Rhys Nicholson Old Rep, Birmingham, Sun 18 June

happy returns

Family celebrations at Warwick Arts Centre...

by Steve Adams

at

If you’re the sort of person who’s always in the kitchen at parties, then Rifco Theatre Company’s family comedy-drama, Happy Birthday Sunita, could be right up your (g)alley. Much of the play takes place between the sink and cooker of the Johal residence, where daughter Sunita’s 40th birthday party is the catalyst for a wild night of revelations, realisations, recriminations and ramifications, albeit with a hearty helping of food, fun and frolics along the way.

A sell-out success on its first outing in 2014, the play is being revived by the same team that created the original, but with a new cast and revised script by actress and writer Harvey Virdi. Harvey has starred in a number of films, including Bend It Like Beckham, but is probably best known as Dr Misbah Maalik in Channel Four soap Hollyoaks. The play will be directed by Pravesh Kumar MBE, founder & artistic director of Rifco, which has a stated remit to develop vibrant and accessible new plays and musicals that reflect and celebrate British South Asian experiences. Happy Birthday Sunita ticks all of those boxes, and while it might no longer be new, the script has undergone some major revisions that not only freshen it up but make it even better, according to Harvey.

“When Pravesh spoke to me last year and said he’d like to bring it back and have another go at it, I thought that’d be brilliant,” she says. “Since then we’ve had Brexit and Covid, and they’ve really affected people and how they think about what they want to do with their lives.”

Harvey admits she also jumped at the chance to tweak some of those things she wasn’t totally happy with first time around.

“It’s just trying to do it better, because that’s the whole point, isn’t it? I’m not saying it wasn’t good last time, because I was so happy with it, but it’s always nice to have another go.”

She also believes that a finished script is never set in stone, because it becomes a living thing for the cast to potentially tinker with and reinterpret at every performance.

“The wonderful thing about theatre is that every night it’s going to be different because the reaction from the audience is different. Sometimes they laugh at bits you didn’t

expect people to laugh at, or the reaction is different, and that affects how you play it as the actor. That’s the joy for me.”

Commitments to her day job on Hollyoaks mean Harvey won’t be performing - she missed out first time round too while touring another project - but she’s happy to have spent time in the rehearsal room seeing it taking shape, and is hugely excited by the new cast.

“They’re completely different [to the original cast] but equally amazing. Individual actors bring their own interpretation to a piece, and it’s wonderful watching actors bring a character to life. Sometimes in my head I can hear the rhythm of how I envisaged the scene going, and then when it happens you think ‘Yes! Yes!’”

As well as becoming the characters she envisioned, Harvey knows that actors in a touring company invariably become like a family, developing bonds that can spill over into their performances.

“It’s funny how that happens because it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re doing, as soon as a little company comes together you become a family for the length of that show. It might just be a few weeks or a year’s tour, but it’s joyous.”

She also delights in bringing characters we all grew up with - “aunties and uncles that are part of your life” - to the stage. “You grow up observing them and their characteristics, and they’re all people we recognise, but we don’t get to see them on TV or on stage that often.”

The characters in the play might be based on an amalgamation of her own ‘aunties’ (a generic term for older women connected to her family) and grandmas, according to Harvey, but she’s confident no one will see themselves on the stage. But even if they do, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the play features three especially strong female leads, all at potential turning points in their lives. “There’s a mother, a daughter-in-law and Sunita, whose birthday it is. All three women are at different stages in their lives, trying to work out or discover who they are, what they’ve done with their lives and what they’re going to do with their lives.”

The birthday party sees a variety of long-

hidden truths and feelings come to a head, and even though the characters and story might be fictional, Harvey genuinely, and adorably, gets infuriated just talking about them.

“They’ve just avoided talking about the one thing they all should’ve bloody talked about 20 years ago,” she says with more than an air of consternation. “And the longer you avoid it, the more … urrgghh [makes noise of acute exasperation] it becomes.”

All those elements remain at the heart of the revised version of the drama, but as well as feeding in a number of contemporary references - Brexit, Covid, etc - Harvey’s been able to flesh out some of the characters by extending the show. Formerly a one-act play, it’s now two acts with an interval.

“Having two acts gives us time to explore the characters a bit more and find out why they are the way they are and what they’ve experienced to get to this point in their lives. It’s been nice to have the space to explore that.”

And while those experiences might be specific to the Johal family, the story is very much a universal one. Harvey is keen for the play not to be pigeonholed as an Asian family drama but rather just a family drama. “The family might happen to be Punjabi but they could be anybody. For me, the story is really important because it’s about three women who are standing up and saying, this is how I want to live my life, and I’m not going to do what you want me to do.

“It’s scary for anyone to do that, and say ‘I’m going to live my life like this’, because the repercussions can be huge. It takes a lot of bravery.

“And that’s all of us, isn’t it? We’re all brought up with a certain way to behave and live our lives, and it takes a brave person to do something different and outside the family or community.

“In a way it’s got nothing to do with being Indian - it’s about all of us.”

June

Happy Birthday Sunita shows at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, from Tues 20 to Sat 24

A new version of acclaimed comedy-drama Happy Birthday Sunita shows

Warwick Arts Centre this month. The play tells the story of one Punjabi household,

but the

complicated dynamics at its heart are something that everyone with a family will understand

- as its

writer, Harvey Virdi, tells What’s On...

Festivals coming to the region in June...

Download Festival

Donington Park, Derby, Thurs 8 - Sun 11 June

With top billing consistently taken by some of the biggest names in rock and metal, it’s not hard to see why Download is one of the most popular and well-attended festivals in the UK.

Conceived as a follow-up to the Monsters Of Rock Festival, Download partly owes its name to the pioneering way in which it uses technology to connect with audiences and build a community.

2023 line-up includes: Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot (pictured), Alter Bridge, Architects, Parkway Drive, Evanescence, Pendulum, Disturbed, Placebo, Alexisonfire, Ghost, Bad Religion, Electric Callboy, Simple Plan and Coheed & Cambria.

Heal

West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July

Music & wellbeing festival Heal returns for a second year.

As well as a diverse main-stage musical lineup, the event also features a bass tent, a health & wellbeing village, a funfair, arts & crafts, street food and optional camping.

Lichfield Blues & Jazz

Various venues across Lichfield, Sun 4 - Sun 11 June

Now in its 32nd year, Lichfield Blues & Jazz Festival has become a firm favourite on the city’s cultural calendar.

The week-long get-together celebrates the best in local jazz & blues talent, as well as showcasing quality musicianship from further afield.

New for 2023 is the inclusion of Latin and salsa music, while the Lindy Hop dance community will be hosting sure-to-bepopular dance workshops.

2023 line-up includes: Catfish, Remi Harris Trio, Fred T Baker, Funky Velvet, Nick Dewhurst Band, Chris Bowden Quartet, Del Camino (pictured) and Lichfield Jazz Big Band

Godiva Festival

War Memorial Park, Coventry, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July

Organisers of Coventry’s Godiva Festival are anticipating another blockbuster year, with veteran performers joining emerging artists across a dazzling array of genres. While the traditional Godiva procession continues to this day, the event has certainly come a long way since its 17th-century origins as a celebration of the medieval Countess of Mercia.

The award-winning original family ravers, Big Fish Little Fish, will be on hand to keep youngsters entertained. The festival will also play host to the Shropshire Music Awards grand final on the Friday evening.

2023 line-up includes: The Enemy, Cast, The Slow Readers Club (pictured), Dub Pistols, Altern8, Mistress Mo, K-Klass, Bryan Gee, Aries and Kelvin Grant of Musical Youth

Due to its continued popularity, the festival is ticketed. Under-fives go free, and concessions are available for students, over-65s, and people who have benefits and asylum-seeker status.

2023 line-up includes: The Enemy, Rudimental, Melanie C, Ella Eyre (pictured), The Selecter, The K’s, Celina Sharma, Cruel Hearts Club and Oneman

AlderFest

Alderford Lake, Whitchurch, Fri 30 June & Sat 1 July

AlderFest returns for a second year after a successful debut event in 2022.

Hosted by AJ and Curtis Pritchard, the event features a live-music line-up and plenty for the family to enjoy, including a roller disco, motorcycle stunt show, Zeus the dinosaur, circus workshops and a football academy. An ‘extraordinary’ 120-person aquapark will be open throughout the day, with other attractions including raft building, wild swimming and paddleboards.

2023 line-up includes: McFly, Sam Ryder, Heather Small, Aston Merrygold, Artful Dodger, The Royston Club, Sonique, NTrance, Dave Pearce, Baby D and Ultrabeat

MAN IN THE MOON

Peter Gabriel stops off in Birmingham as part of i/o European tour

by Steve Adams

Peter Gabriel brings his first European tour in a decade to Birmingham this month, and is set to play songs from his first new album in twice that time. As usual it looks like he’s doing things his own way and to his own schedule - but it turns out that a certain celestial body is influencing proceedings too, as What’s On discovers...

Peter Gabriel has never been an artist to do things by halves, or follow anything resembling a predictable career path. He wore bizarre costumes on stage with Genesis, quit as they were starting to gain some success, and called his first four solo albums by the same name (his own). He also made an album containing no cymbals (Peter Gabriel 3), was an early champion of World Music, hired a theatre stage director (Robert Lepage) to work on his rock shows and much more. He’s also not one to be rushed. The gaps between new music have grown exponentially, and forthcoming album i/o is his first in over 20 years - if you don’t count LPs of cover versions, live recordings, orchestral recordings, live recordings of orchestral recordings, or a compilation of songs used in movies. And so far, i/o isn’t even an album. The title might have been revealed - Gabriel originally announced it in 2002 for what was intended to be a prompt follow-up to his last studio album, Up - but there’s still no official release date. Which is even more surprising given that the accompanying tour, which visits Birmingham this month, is already under way. It’s somewhat typical of the contrary musician (he recently described himself as an “old awkward sod”), who has opted to drip-feed new material to eager fans (who he calls his ‘Lunatics’) based on lunar phases, with a new song revealed on each full moon.

Gabriel says there’s a method to the luna-cy in terms of the album’s concept.

“Some of what I’m writing about this time is the idea that we seem incredibly capable of destroying the planet that gave us birth, and that unless we find ways to reconnect ourselves to nature and the natural world, we are going to lose a lot. A simple way of thinking about where we fit in to all of this is looking up at the sky… and the moon has always drawn me to it.”

There have been five full moons so far this year, and as a result there have been five new songs - Panopticom, The Court, Playing For Time, i/o and, most recently, Four Kinds Of Horses. In yet another novel approach, at least two mixes of each track have been issued, a tactic Gabriel hopes will give listeners a window into the way the music was created.

“I quite like this idea of the multiple mix approach because for most artists it’s the process, not the product, that is most important. In some ways I’m trying to open up the process a little more for those that are interested.”

The key word above is artist, because although the 73-year-old is arguably one of our greatest rock singers, courtesy of a uniquely soulful voice, he is very much a creative individual, with interests that extend way beyond singing and songwriting. There are way too many to list here, but a fundamental one is an ongoing fascination with technology that has kept him at the cutting-edge when it comes to its musical applications. Gabriel was one of the first musicians to use a Fairlight CMI synthesizer in the late 1970s and recently launched a competition encouraging fans to create an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-generated video inspired by, and set to, his music.

“These powerful, transformative AI tools are for the first time within reach of all of us - we have the chance to weave new realities together from the threads of our own imagination and creativity. I’ve built my world out of sound, and I’m now asking the visual artist community to create its own uncharted audio-visual dreamscapes with a carpet of my music.”

The competition has drawn criticism from some quarters - largely due to fears over copyright infringement - but Gabriel’s response is that the world is about to be fundamentally transformed by AI, and there’s no stopping it.

“Many people see AI as the enemy, but along with extraordinary scientific, functional and creative tools, it can provide great education and better healthcare to billions.

“It also has many inherent potential dangers that we urgently need to address. Like the wheel, or the Industrial Revolution, I believe the changes coming with AI are unstoppable, but we can clearly influence them.”

Panopticom, the first track released from the new album, is also based on a potential positive use for technology, and sounds like a rival for Wikipedia into the bargain.

“The first song is based on an idea I’ve been working on to initiate the creation of an

infinitely expandable accessible data globeThe Panopticom. We are beginning to connect a like-minded group of people who might be able to bring this to life, to allow the world to see itself better and understand more of what’s really going on.”

The project is typically ambitious of the onceshy private boarding school pupil, who says the desire to recognise, as well as forge, connections also inspired the album’s title track - which contains yet another technological, or at least technical, reference.

“i/o means input/output - you see it on the back of a lot of electrical equipment, and it just triggered some ideas about the stuff we put in and pull out of ourselves, in physical and non-physical ways.

“That was the starting point of this idea, and then trying to talk about the interconnectedness of everything. The older I get, I probably don’t get any smarter, but I have learned a few things and it makes a lot of sense to me that we are not these independent islands we like to think we are; that we are part of a whole. If we can see ourselves as better connected, still messedup individuals, but as part of a whole, then maybe there’s something to learn.”

Often a solitary creator, being part of a ‘whole’ is clearly one of the main joys of touring, and Gabriel’s current backing band includes long-time cohorts David Rhodes (guitar), Tony Levin (bass) and Manu Katché (drums) - all of whom performed on his breakthrough solo album, So, as well as the Back To Front shows to celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2013.

That was last time Gabriel played gigs in Europe, and he’s clearly excited to be back on the road, especially now he has new material to play.

“It’s been a while, and I am now surrounded by a whole lot of new songs and excited to be taking them out on the road for a spin. I look forward to seeing you out there.”

Peter Gabriel plays Utilita Arena Birmingham on Saturday 17 June

Theatre

Theatre previews from around the region

Sister Act Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 5 - Sat 10 June; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 25 - Sat 30 September; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 9 - Sat 14 October

After seeing her gangster boyfriend kill an employee, Reno lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier is placed on a witness protection programme and hidden in a convent, where she proceeds to take over the rehearsals of the in-house choir of nuns. Thanks to her musical expertise, the choir becomes a huge success and church attendances go through the roof.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 13 - Sat 17 June

Best known from its 2011 film version starring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel tells the story of an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life in India... Belinda Lang (2 Point 4 Children), Paul Nicholas (Just Good Friends), Tessa Peake-Jones (Only Fools And Horses) and Graham Seed (The Archers) star.

But in giving the church a new lease of life, Deloris may inadvertently have jeopardised her own safety...

Based on the hit Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same name, this fun-filled spectacular of a show boasts a real feelgood factor and stars Lesley Joseph and Sandra Marvin.

Six The Musical

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 20 - Sun 25 June; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 27 February - Sat 3 March

From Tudor queens to battling boss-women, the 2022 Tony Award-winning Six The Musical sees the wives of Henry VIII take to the stage to tell their own versions of their lives.

Tony! (The Tony Blair Rock Opera)

The Rep, Birmingham, Wed 7 - Sat 10 June; Malvern Theatres, Tues 18 - Sat 22 July Harry Hill’s critically acclaimed offering (cowritten with Steve Brown) has been described as a cross between Yes, Minister and The Rocky Horror Show. Playing fast and loose with the truth, the production follows the journey of Tony Blair from peace-loving hippie and would-be pop star to warmongering multimillionaire. A rock & roll soundtrack adds to the fun of a show which, as you’d expect, offers up plenty of laughs.

A loud and colourful celebration of girl power that sits somewhere between a Girls Aloud gig and a traditional musical, the production sees the cast being ably supported by all-female band The Ladies In Waiting.

Theatre previews from around the region

Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding 2 Mauritius

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sun 4 June

Mrs Kapoor’s Daughter’s Wedding scored a big hit when it toured to the Midlands, and there’s every chance that this sequelfeaturing the same winning blend of relatable comedy and Bollywood-style glamour - will be accompanied by a similar cascade of well-deserved plaudits. The show’s storyline is wafer-thin, but where the production really scores is with its highenergy feelgood factor, imaginatively blending dancing and singing to create a party atmosphere that’s clearly enjoyed by audiences and performers alike.

The Spongebob Musical

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 27 June - Sat 1 July

Popular Nickleodeon animated television star SpongeBob SquarePants takes centrestage in a production that’s being described as ‘an all-singing, all-dancing, deep-sea pearl of a show’.

Featuring ‘irresistible characters, magical choreography and dazzling costumes’ - not to mention ‘wave after wave of original songs by the world’s most iconic rock and pop artists’the show made a splash when it played Broadway back in 2017, picking up an impressive 12 Tony Award nominations in the process.

If you’ve not caught the television series, SpongeBob is a yellow sea sponge who lives with a host of other quirky characters in the undersea city of Bikini Bottom. The show has proved enormously popular since debuting in 1999 and was last year renewed for a 14th season. Celebs Go Dating’s Tom Read Wilson and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Divina De Campo take top billing.

The Card

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 10 June

Claybody Theatre here revive their stage adaptation of Potteries-born author Arnold Bennett’s classic comic novel. Set in a fictionalised Stokeon-Trent known as The Five Towns, the story follows the fortunes of loveable rogue Denry Machin, a washerwoman’s son who refuses to allow his humble beginnings to thwart his ambition to live the high life.

As You Like It

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, Sat 17 June - Sat 5 August Omar Elerian directs this ‘playful and provocative’ new version of Shakespeare’s highly likable comedy. In a move away from a more traditional presentation of the play, the production sees the stage transformed into a rehearsal room, where actors gather to recall a past show and share out between them the roles in As You Like It.

The comedy’s storyline revolves around the character of Rosalind, banished by her usurping uncle to the Forest Of Arden, where her exiled father is already living. Revelling in the naturalness of her surroundings - and accompanied by her cousin, Celia, and Touchstone the fool - the young woman finds a happiness she didn’t know existed... In an example of age-blind casting, 72-year-old Geraldine James - making her RSC debutstars as Rosalind and leads a company of veteran actors.

Black Is The Color Of My Voice

Albany Theatre, Coventry, Fri 16 June

Inspired by the life of jazz icon Nina Simone, Black Is The Color Of My Voice follows a successful singer and civil rights activist seeking redemption after the death of her father. Her grief provides an opportunity to reflect on the journey that took her from a piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.

Featuring classic tunes such as Feeling Good, I Put A Spell On You, Mississippi Goddamn, I Love You Porgy and See-Line Woman, this acclaimed one-woman show currently stars its creator, Apphia Campbell.

“I was inspired by Nina Simone as a woman,” says Apphia. “I wanted to show the woman behind the music because I felt like there was a lot of mystery around her, and a lot of myth as well. People had all these stories about her and her erratic behaviour. I just felt really moved by it, and I wanted to know where all that pain and all the feeling she put into her songs came from.”

Theatre previews from around the region

The King And I

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June

In 1862, Anna Leonowens, upon whose reallife experiences The King And I is based, was employed by King Mongkut of Siam to serve as governess to his 67 children. Anna wrote of her experiences in two books, The English Governess At The Siamese Court and The Romance Of The Harem.

Published in the 1870s, the books became significant sources of information about Siam and its culture for Western readers.

The stage musical tells Anna’s story, showing the way in which she wins the trust of the barbaric but inquisitive King as she makes her presence felt in the royal court.

Boasting spectacular sets, breathtaking costumes, all the splendour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s memorable score and a royal palace’s-worth of awards, the show currently stars Annalene Beechey and Darren Lee.

A Play For The Living In A Time Of Extinction

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Mon 19 - Sat 24 June

“Come and be part of an exciting experiment in sustainability, as this has never been done before in the UK,” urges Holly Rose Roughan, artistic director of Headlong, the theatre company co-producing this climate-crisis drama by American writer Miranda Rose Hall.

The ‘exciting experiment’ to which Holly is referring involves the show being powered by bicycles. And an innovative touring model means that the only element which actually tours is the script - people and materials do not.

In each city a blueprint of the show will be brought to life by local creative teams as part of a ground-breaking experiment in making theatre more eco-friendly.

“Theatre allows us to collectively imagine an alternative future, “ says Holly, “and I firmly believe that touring companies can be pollinators of that national imagination.”

Happy Days

The Rep, Birmingham, Wed 28 June - Sat 1 July

Siobhán McSweeney here takes the role of Winnie - a woman literally buried up to her waist in a mound of earth - in Samuel Beckett’s critically acclaimed 1961 play. Widely considered to be a reflection on, among other themes, the passing of time and the endless repetition of dying moments, the work has been named by the Independent newspaper as one of the 40 greatest plays of all time.

Much Ado About Nothing

Tamworth Castle, Sun 18 June; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Mon 19 - Wed 21 June; Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sat 8 - Sun 9 July

Much Ado About Nothing revolves around the stumbling romance between Benedick and Beatrice, a liaison strewn with difficulties - not least among which is an unwillingness on the part of either to admit a liking for the other...

Not that the plot of Much Ado is likely to be overly important in this particular production, given the fact that it’s zany funsters Oddsocks who’re at the helm! Expect plenty of madcap mayhem and laughter from this always-value-for-money ensemble.

5 Years

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Wed 21 & Thurs 22 June

A new comedy-drama by Birmingham-based

writer Hayley Davis, 5 Years asks what price people would pay for the perfect body. Hayley was inspired to write the play after being shocked by national research which revealed what people would sacrifice for the ideal physique.

“Some people are trading their lives in a search for perfection,” says Hayley. “They are having surgery, going and doing really dangerous things, taking skin-lightening creams that can cause cancer, having Brazilian butt-lifts which mean you can die on the table, or ‘Turkey teeth’, where people are living in agony because they’ve shaved down perfectly healthy teeth. It’s just torturous.”

Sucker Punch

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 13 - Fri 16 June

Leading dramatist Roy Williams explores the experience of being young and black in 1980s Thatcherite Britain.

As simmering racial tensions threaten to spill over, best pals and promising boxers Troy and Leon hope that trainer Charlie can help them punch their way to a better life...

by Diane Parkes

A Dream Role

The Stafford Shakespeare Festival is taking a somewhat different approach from usual in 2023. For the first time in its 30-year history, this major theatrical event will take place indoors at the Gatehouse theatre rather than in its familiar outdoor setting of Stafford Castle. Another Festival first will see musical theatre favourite Kerry Ellis make her Shakespeare debut, starring as Titania in this year’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Kerry chats to What’s On about the challenges of playing the queen of the fairies...

Actress Kerry Ellis is best known for her stellar roles in a host of blockbuster West End shows - including Wicked, Cats, We Will Rock You, Les Misérables and Oliver! - but this summer she’s swapping musical theatre for Shakespeare and starring in A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre.

Taking the part of fairy queen Titania, Kerry is looking forward to the challenge of playing a lead Shakespearian role for the first time.

“Whenever something unusual comes along, I’m super-excited,” she says. “But then reality hits and I’m also slightly nervous, even slightly daunted by it.

“Shakespeare comes with a massive responsibility. People know and love the plays, a lot of people have studied A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and there’s a big weight that comes with that show. So it took me a few days to think about it, not because I didn’t want to do it, but I was asking myself ‘can I do it, can I deliver a performance like this?’”

Kerry decided to do some research.

“I knew the story and that A Midsummer Night’s Dream was one of the comedies, but I didn’t know it in detail. So I watched a version, with my two kids, in which Michelle Pfeiffer was Titania. I think what blew my mind most about it was that my kids, who are nine and seven-year-old boys, sat and watched the whole thing with me, and I couldn’t believe how engrossed they were in it. They were asking me questions and laughing and really just letting the language go over them.

“So I thought ‘I really need to play this role, I need to push myself and go for it.’ And now I’m really excited about it.”

Often cited as Shakespeare’s most performed play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a tale of magic and mixed identities. Two pairs of lovers elope and escape to the forest, but

once there, they have a spell cast on them by a mischief-making fairy named Puck. Also in the forest, fairy queen and king Titania and Oberon are fighting over possession of a changeling child. With Puck’s intervention, who will be triumphant?

Kerry believes the play is a great introduction to Shakespeare.

“Give it a go because you will enjoy it. You’ll laugh and have a good time. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is accessible for people; it’s Shakespeare for everybody, and this production is going to be so much fun.”

She has been working hard to develop her character.

“What I love about the relationship between Titania and Oberon is that they are both like alpha-males and lock horns. The fire in their relationship is what brings them together. It’s almost like a sport; it’s exciting for them to kind of push each other. They are both very feisty, and I think what attracts Titania to Oberon is that he pushes her boundaries. If it was anybody else, she wouldn’t let them get away with it.”

As well as delving into the character, Kerry has also been brushing up on her Shakespeare ahead of the play.

“Shakespeare is something new for me, and I have a responsibility to deliver this language in a way that people understand. So I’ve been doing lots of prep - it’s almost like going back to A-level English! I’ve been doing lots of research and discovering the text. I watched Helen Mirren, who has done some talks on Shakespeare, and she was so brilliant, so insightful and helpful.

“For me, it’s about understanding the text before I go into the rehearsal room because that’s where it all happens. I did my first halfmarathon a few weeks ago, and if I hadn’t trained for it then I wouldn’t have been able to do it. And it’s a similar thing with a show -

if you’ve done your training and you’re prepared, then you can just enjoy creating the performance. When I do a musical, I do all my research, then forget it all and do my own take on it.”

Alongside theatre, Kerry has a successful recording and live-concert career. Last month she released her fourth studio album, Kings & Queens, which was launched with a handful of concerts, one of which took place at Birmingham’s Town Hall.

“I like being busy! And performance is performance - it’s about telling stories and connecting with the audience.

“I remember doing The Importance Of Being Earnest before the pandemic. It was my first proper play, and the thing which struck me the most was that it was all exactly the same as a musical, except that I could hear my footsteps walking on and off stage! You never hear your footsteps in a musical because there’s always underscoring, clapping and noise.

“The Importance Of Being Earnest is also a comedy, and I think the key to a comedy performance is being as truthful and as honest as you can. If you try to be funny, it doesn’t work. If you play the truth and play the character, that will make people laugh.” Kerry has been to the Gatehouse as an audience member in the past, but this will be her first time on stage at the theatre.

“It’s quite an intimate space and the visuals are really good. I’m excited to get up there. It’s been a while since I’ve been so excited to do a show... I think it’s going to be a fun and brilliant production. And Stafford will be a nice place to spend a couple of weeks.”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre from Friday 23 June to Sunday 9 July

Theatre

around the region

Hamnet

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sat 17 June

Author Maggie O’Farrell scored an unlikely hit when her 2020 novel, Hamnet, became an international bestseller.

Set in 1582, the story follows the lives of William Shakespeare (unnamed in the novel) and Anne (in the book, Agnes) Hathaway as they fall in love and start a family.

William moves to London to forge his career in the world of theatre while Agnes stays at home in Warwickshire to raise their three children. But then tragedy strikes, as their only son, 11-year-old Hamnet, succumbs to the bubonic plague.

This stage adaptation of O’Farrell’s novel is the first production to be mounted in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s newly restored Swan Theatre. RSC Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman helms the show.

Confetti

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Thurs 15 June

Award-winning Birmingham theatre company Quick Duck make ‘ridiculous queer shows with a lot of heart and a killer soundtrack’ - and this latest production can very definitely be described as such. A warm, funny and impressively nuanced celebration of the traditional rom-com movie, Confetti’s story is based around the lead-up to a wedding and pays homage to the often overlooked character of ‘the gay best friend’. The production stars its writer, Will Jackson, and shows in Birmingham - Will’s home town - as part of a UK tour.

Dracula: The Bloody Truth

Lichfield Garrick, Fri 23 & Sat 24 June

Audience members as young as eight could well be saying ‘fangs for the advice’ after watching this cautionary tale about the dangers of vampires.

Presented by highly regarded Devon-based theatre company Le Navet Bete, it follows the

desperate - and comic - attempts of Dracula’s nemesis, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, to warn the audience not to tangle with the prince of the undead. Sound advice, we’d say, and delivered with plenty of family-friendly laughs along the way. It’s probably best to pack some garlic, though - just in case...

The Complete Works Of Shakespeare (Abridged)

Albany Theatre, Coventry, Fri 9 June Now, if you feel you really should pay more attention to the works of the world’s greatest-ever playwright, but really don’t fancy hour upon endless hour spent listening to some terribly serious actors theeing and thou-ing in your general direction, then this is the show for you! All of Shakespeare’s 30-plus plays are covered in the blink of an eye, allowing you not only to become very learned very quickly, but also to get down the pub in time for last orders!

God Of Carnage

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 28 June - Sat 1 July

Although her 1994 play, Art, is probably French playwright Yasmina Reza’s most decorated work, this sharp-edged black comedy has certainly picked up its fair share of coveted silverware.

The winner of the 2009 Oliver Award for best comedy, it focuses on two sets of parents who meet up to deal with the unruly behaviour of their children. It soon becomes apparent, however, that it isn’t only the youngsters who resort to hysteria, name-calling, tantrums and tears before bedtime...

Wish You Were Dead

Malvern Theatres, Mon 12 - Sat 17 June; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 20 - Sat 24 June

Bestselling crime writer Peter James has scored major successes on stage as well as in print, with adaptations of his novels having played to appreciative audiences at venues across the UK. This latest offering sees Detective Superintendent Roy Grace - the Brighton-based policeman who’s headed up murder investigations in a number of James’ most popular works - heading off on holiday with Senior Anatomical Pathology Technician Cleo Morey. It’s their first vacation together, and they’re very much looking forward to a few days away from the dark worlds of murder and the mortuary. But fate, it would seem, has other plans for them... Clive Mantle and George Rainsford star.

Theatre previews from

FESTIVAL FEVER

Birmingham Festival 23, a 10-day programme of free live music, performance and other events, kicks off late next month and is organised by the team behind the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Festival. Creative Director Raidene Carter, who was executive producer of last year’s event, chats to What’s On about how the new festival came about, what audiences can expect, and why it’s important for Birmingham...

Where did the idea for an anniversary festival come from, Raidene, or was it something that was envisioned all along? It was an evolving idea that brought together a few conversations, ideas and strategic plans. Birmingham 2022 Festival had legacy ambitions that were developed with funders and strategic partners, and one thread was exploring a new international festival that could be a future platform for some of the outcomes achieved and ambitions raised through staging the 2022 festival. There was undeniably a shared joyful experience of being in the city during Games time; people felt good, and this was a collective energy that would not have been the same if culture hadn’t occupied the city in the way it did.

Given the cost-of-living crisis, it’s great that the festival is free to attend. Do you see this as a positive statement of intent by Birmingham City Council in terms of a commitment to funding culture in the region?

Possibly… hopefully! That said, I think the cost-of-living ‘crisis’ and commitments to funding culture are related, but I choose not

to see them side by side, as this tends to unfairly make us question the value of culture. Culture has, time and time again, proven a return on investment both in terms of the financial value that can be calculated and the non-tangible value it gives back over time - happiness, wellbeing, sense of pride and place, making places attractive for visitors and businesses. It’s not a myth - last year the six-month festival cost roughly £16million and the independent festival evaluation calculated a £100million direct return with a further £87million in gross value added. So while we should absolutely celebrate that the City Council is funding the festival this year, we should also recognise that it’s a smart move - culture is a good investment!

Do you hope that making the festival free will encourage people who may not usually attend arts & cultural events to check them out?

For sure. Honestly, while we want everyone and anyone to come out and enjoy the festival, we’re working hard to make sure that the audiences we reached last year - of which

70 per cent were from lower and low-income households - come back again, because the diversity and profile of the audiences we reached wasn’t the same as those who regularly attend arts & cultural events. We’d love for those who felt they took a risk last year, to come out again this year, and it will hopefully seem less of a risk and more familiar this time.

This year’s event follows a similar pattern to 2022 in terms of utilising local talent, including a Made In Brum element. Can we expect to see some of last year’s favourites as well as new faces?

Yes, there’ll be familiar faces and loads of new talent, too. We’re right in the thick of programming, so I can’t say too much about what’s confirmed, but we are leaning into what worked last year - local artists and groups went down so well, and we know they want to build on that experience. We also had work happen all over the place and not come into the city centre, so if you think ‘I will have seen it all before’, you won’t haveunless you managed to be at every single site and day of the festival last year!

Is it more of a challenge to put the event on this year without the Commonwealth Games, or is there a benefit to having less pressure?

It’s a bit of both! The speed of this year is a bit terrifying, but the familiarity is really helping those of us who were involved before. The pressure is much higher, even though our event is much smaller, as we really raised the bar last year. We’re not trying to compete or compare, as that would be silly - and disrespectful too, I think, as thousands of people came together last year to make it all happen. Instead, we’re paying homage to the Games by inviting people to come out and mark its one-year anniversary.

There will obviously be fewer tourists and international visitors this time around. Will that influence the style and content of the festival, in terms of gearing it more towards local people?

Not having a global mega event in town is one of the things that will make this year’s festival very different, but it’s not the only reason. We’re still inviting visitors from further afield and working closely with the region’s tourism & growth programme to make sure we’re part of that outward narrative this summer. The majority of the festival’s audiences last year were from the city and region, so we’re not changing the

script too much in terms of audience development - we still want local people to turn up and know it’s for them, plus tourists.

How important is it to continue the legacy of the Games and last year’s festival, particularly in terms of celebrating the region’s creative community?

I keep saying there’s big-L legacy and small-l legacy but all of it is important. The smaller threads of activity that go under the radar are propping up or leading to the bigger outcomes. Birmingham Festival 23 will cover both little-l and big-L legacy for the Games. It’s happening one year on as a reminder of all that goodwill and intention, and we’re platforming lots of the creatives and work that developed last year, plus loads of new stuff and younger creatives as a nod to the future. The city and region needs major platforms to express the ridiculously broad range and amount of culture and talent here. When it comes together, it’s so powerful. Are there any events you’re especially excited about?

As I said, we’re right in the thick of confirming the programme, so it’d be a bit unfair to reveal details when the artists and companies aren’t completely sure of the plans themselves! We had an amazing glut of applications for Made In Brum, and the

by Steve Adams

proposals for the Twilight Takeover were really inspiring. It’s always nerve-wracking putting a brief out to the creative sector, as you never know if it will strike the right chord with where they’re at and the current ambition in the air, but the ideas that came back were on the nose. It’s really difficult deciding what to programme for that reasonthe hardest job is turning ideas down!

And the million-dollar question - will the iconic Raging Bull be playing a part in proceedings?

Well, we already know that Raging Bull will take up a permanent home at New Street Station, and given it’s probably the Games’ biggest cultural icon, I can’t wait for it to return - it’s a feat of puppetry engineering that we don’t often get to see up close. You’ll have to wait and see what happens… but we can’t actually fit him on Centenary Square during the festival as you wouldn’t be able to see the screen! Plus, we have Perry the Bull, who can dance and smiles a lot more than his angry cousin!

Birmingham Festival 23 takes place in Centenary Square from Friday 28 July to Sunday 6 August

Photo credits: Main image Birmingham 2022 Smithfield Festival Site Mostly Jazz Funk Soul - photo by Dylan Parrin. This page clockwise: QBR Homecoming Celebration Produced by OPUS - photo by Rebecca Lim; Birmingham Eurovision Fan

Zone © Lensi Photography; Birmingham 2022 Victoria Square Festival Site - photo by Verity Milligan; Birmingham 2022 Victoria Square Festival Site Perry Playtime Disco - photo by Verity Milligan

Theatre for younger audiences...

The Smeds And The Smoos

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 1 - Sun 4 June; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wed 7 - Thurs 8 June; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 31 October - Wed 1 November

Another Tall Stories adaptation of a picture book by award-winning collaborators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Smeds And The

Mog The Forgetful Cat

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, until Sun 4 June; Malvern Theatres, Sat 10 & Sun 11 June

This hour-long stage production, starring the late Judith Kerr’s much-loved creation, is presented by Bristol-based theatre group The Wardrobe Ensemble.

Suitable for children aged three-plus, the show takes audiences on a journey through one year in the life of forgetful feline Mog, whose adventures see her catching a burglar, gatecrashing a cat show, going to the vet, and eating a considerable number of eggs.

Although Kerr is perhaps best known for her 1968 children’s story, The Tiger Who Came To Tea, her character of Mog is certainly no

Smoos tells the intergalactic tale of a young Smed and a young Smoo who fall hopelessly in love. Problem is... the red-coloured Smeds and the blue-coloured Smoos never mix, causing Romeo & Juliet-style complications for the star-crossed lovers... Created for children aged three-plus, this theatrical presentation of Donaldson and Scheffler’s delightful space romance comes complete with a powerful but gently conveyed message about difference and tolerance.

slouch when it comes to the serious business of exciting and delighting young readers; indeed, the original Mog story, published in 1970, has never been out of print.

Animals Unleashed

Lichfield Garrick, Sun 25 June

Combining visual effects, music and comedy, this 60-minute show features elephants from Africa, saltwater crocodiles from Australia, orangutans from Indonesia and dinosaurs from the past.

The production is presented by the Animal Guyz, who scored a big hit last year with their previous touring show, Animal Antics.

Demon Dentist

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Wed 28 June - Sat 1 July

David Walliams’ Demon Dentist tells a toothy tale of dental disaster and finds Alfie and his pal, Gabz, doing their level best to solve a disturbing mystery: Why is it that children who leave their teeth for the tooth fairy are then waking up to find horrible things under their pillow?...

Could it have anything to do with the town’s new dentist - the aptly named Miss Root?

Theatre

Light entertainment from around the region

Penn & Teller

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Thurs 1 June; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Thurs 8 & Fri 9 June

“We’ve been working together 45 years and are now coming out of the longest break we’ve ever had from working together.”

So says Penn Jillette, in talking about his Emmy award-winning magic act with Teller, who goes only by that one name. “We are so excited to start touring in the UK, playing our favourite theatres. Is this our last UK tour? We don’t know, but you’re welcome to buy tickets and hope for that, while we’ll be hoping for more final tours than the Stones and Cher put together. Wouldn’t you like to see the Stones and Cher put together?”

Titled The First Final UK Tour, the show will combine stunning magic tricks with plenty of humour and audience participation.

Send In The Clowns: Tw*ts

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 June

A ‘raucous, wild and tantalising’ drag revue show paying homage to the magic and madness of musical theatre, Send In The Clowns is hosted by cabaret performer and Drag Idol UK winner Fatt Butcher. This latest show features some of the Midlands’ bestknown drag & cabaret entertainers engaging in what’s being described as ‘a celebrationcum-assassination’ of the work of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

History’s A Drag

Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire, Thurs 15 June

Drag fans can enjoy two acts for the price of one in Telford mid-month, when Vanity Milan and Elektra Fence team up to present an evening of near-the-knuckle cabaret. It isn’t the first time South London’s Vanity and Burnley’s Elektra have performed together - the pair both featured in the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. The duo are promising a show that’s ‘sexy, savage, sugar & spice and everything nice’.

Hot Brown Honey: The Remix

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wed 14 - Sat 17 June

Hip-hop-infused, politically charged protest cabaret Hot Brown Honey returns with The Remix, a celebration of female power that promises its audience ‘you’ll laugh until you cry, clap until your hands bleed... and shake every part of what your mama gave you’. An impressively inventive exploration of everyday racism and sexism, the show blends burlesque, dance, circus and music to excellent effect, its unapologetically feminist manifesto seeking not only to entertain and educate but also to challenge and inspire.

Fun & Slutty With Jonathan Van Ness

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 2 June

Best known for extremely funny Game Of Thrones online recaps (titled Gay Of Thrones) and from rebooted Netflix makeover show Queer Eye, Emmy-nominated Jonathan Van Ness heads for the Midlands early this month with a show that’s promising an evening of ‘queer joy and side-splitting comedy’.

Cirque The Greatest Show

Lichfield Garrick, Sat 10 June; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sun 25 June; Birmingham Town Hall, Sat 1 July

A coming together of musical theatre and jaw-dropping circus, this intriguing touring show features stars of the West End performing alongside ‘amazing aerialists and incredible contortionists’ as they undertake ‘thrilling feats of agility and flair’... Cirque is certainly an interesting concept, and it’s to be hoped that the performers really embrace the challenge of seamlessly combining two such hugely popular art forms.

Disney 100 The Concert

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Tues 6 June

Strictly star and Disney super-fan Janette Manrara hosts this centenary celebration of the much-loved Mouse House, presenting a concert that features hit songs from a wealth of classic films plus highlights from the worlds of Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel.

“It’s no secret I’m a big Disney fan,” says Janette, “so to be able to celebrate all the beautiful music of the last 100 years that Disney’s storytelling has brought us, is an absolute joy!”

Dance previews from across the region

This mouthwatering triple bill features three very different pieces: former BRB Artistic Director David Bintley’s ‘Still Life’ At The Penguin Café, George Balanchine’s Apollo and Juliano Nunes’ Interlinked.

“The programme aims to ensure that there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” says BRB Director Carlos Acosta. “In the context of this triple bill, there’s what could be seen as the beginning, which is Apollo by George Balanchine. It is a 1928 piece, but it’s still very relevant today, feels very modern, and it’s one of my favourite pieces.”

Carlos was also keen to include Nunes’ Interlinked, which formed part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival last summer.

“Interlinked shows the company very well, it’s modern but classically

Breakin’ Convention

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 13 & Wed 14 June

Touring festival Breakin’ Convention is the brainchild of pioneering dancer, director & poet Jonzi D.

Uniting top international acts with local talent, it aims to enhance the profile of hiphop as an art form, presenting a mix of professional development, youth and education projects in addition to its worldrenowned events.

This year’s show features South Korea’s breakin’ crew Mover, Netherland’s influential forces of funk, Ghetto Funk Collective, and Dutch international hip-hop pole champion Yvonne Smink.

based, and was a great hit with the audience. Its theme of being gender neutral is something that is so much in discussion at the moment, so it’s very inclusive from that perspective. This feels very much that it is showing the company now.”

The triple bill’s finale - ‘Still Life’ At The Penguin Café - features a range of endangered creatures in different guises, including a morrisdancing flea and penguin waiters.

“Penguin Café is more relevant than ever, as it looks at climate change,” says Carlos. “It’s a very popular work, so we are delighted to be bringing it back.”

Ballet Cymru: Roald Dahl’s Little Red Riding Hood & The Three Little Pigs

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Mon 5 June; Malvern Theatres, Thurs 8 June; The Roses, Tewkesbury, Fri 23 June

Touring to an impressive number of venues throughout the UK on an annual basis, Ballet Cymru has garnered a reputation for presenting innovative, challenging and original productions. The company was founded in 1986 and prides itself on presenting ‘a high standard of classical ballet in an unpretentious and original way’. Ballet Cymru’s latest show sees them performing two of Roald Dahl’s much-loved Revolting Rhymes - a 1982 collection of reinterpreted fairytales featuring surprise endings.

Anton & Giovanni: Him & Me

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 29 & Fri 30 June; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 15 July; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 29 July With the next series of Strictly Come Dancing still some time away, you may be in urgent need of a summertime booster-jab to keep you going. If so, then Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice’s Him & Me is most definitely the production for you. Two of the hit BBC TV series’ biggest and alltime best-loved professional dancers, Anton and Giovanni here present a show that’s being described as a true dance extravaganza. A ‘world-class’ cast of dancers and singers further add to the magic.

Birmingham Royal Ballet: ‘Still Life’ At The Penguin Cafe

Birmingham Hippodrome, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 June

BRB perform InterlinkedImage credit: Tristram Kenton

Film highlights in June...

Greatest Days CERT 12a (112

mins)

Starring Aisling Bea, Alice Lowe, Amaka Okafor, Jayde Adams, Marc Wootton, Lara McDonnell Directed by Coky Giedroyc

Despite being executive-produced by Take That and featuring their music, Greatest Days isn’t a film about Gary Barlow and co. It’s actually a story about the fans, the power music can have over people, and - as writer Tim Firth says - how music ‘makes time travellers of us all’. For five teenage girls, their favourite boyband and the music they play are everything. Twenty-five years later, the quintet attempt to rekindle their friendship with a trip to a concert by the band they loved so dearly as teenagers. But none of the ladies’ lives have turned out quite the way they were expecting...

The film is based on the hit musical of the same name, which was originally titled The Band.

Released Fri 16 June

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse

CERT tbc

With the voices of Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Brian Tyree Henry

Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K Thompson

Everybody’s favourite wall-crawling webslinger makes a welcome return in another animated tale. And if it’s even half as good as its 2018 predecessor, Into The SpiderVerse, it’s going to be one hell of a film. This one finds Spidey battling to complete a mission to save every universe of SpiderPeople from the evil-doings of The Spot - a supervillain with the ability to open interdimensional portals via which he travels long distances and commits crimes. A third film in the series, Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse, is slated for release in spring of next year.

Released Fri 2 June

Transformers: Rise Of The

Beasts CERT tbc (220 mins)

With the voices of Michelle Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Ron Perlman, Peter Dinklage, John DiMaggio, Cristo Fernández

Directed by Steven Caple Jr

Having eagerly anticipated this film for more than four years, Transformers’ hugely committed fans will no doubt be beyond ecstatic to see their favourites finally return to the cinema screen.

Following on from the highly successful Bumblebee movie of 2018, Rise Of The Beasts is the seventh installment in a series which kickstarted in 2007 and has been gathering pace ever since.

Inspired, of course, by Hasbro’s Transformers toy line, the films feature a traditional story of good versus evil, as the heroic Autobots battle against the evil Decepticons.

Released Fri 8 June

The Flash CERT tbc

Starring Ezra Miller, Ben Affleck, Michael Shannon, Michael Keaton, Temuera Morrison, Sasha Calle Directed by Andy Muschietti

This first film about The Flash (a superfast superhero who’s been around since the 1930s) is also the 13th movie in the DC Extended Universe.

And the comic-book giants will certainly be hoping this latest release is no slouch when it comes to the serious box-office business of putting bums on seats.

Broadly speaking, DC has struggled to make the same cinematic impact as its traditional rivals, Marvel, but The Flash has impressive form when it comes to successfully accessing a significant audience - the samenamed television series ran for a total of nine seasons.

The film sees Flash travelling back in time to prevent his mother’s murder - an action that leaves him trapped in an alternate reality threatened with annihilation by the seriously unpleasant General Zod. If ever a superhero needed to move fast...

Released Fri 16 June

Asteroid City CERT

tbc

Starring Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston Directed by Wes Anderson

Director Wes Anderson’s fertile imagination is firing on all cylinders in this eagerly anticipated sci-fi rom-com. A star-studded story about stargazers, the film is set in a fictional desert town in 1955, where students and parents come together for an annual junior stargazer/space cadet convention. Rest, recreation, scholarly competition and an appreciation of ‘the clear skies above’ all feature on the convention’s agenda. But thanks to a series of profoundly affecting ‘unspecified events’, not everything goes according to plan...

Released Fri 23 June

Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

CERT tbc (142 mins)

Starring Harrison Ford, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies Directed by James Mangold

Age has not withered him...

No Hard Feelings CERT

tbc

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Natalie Morales, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Matthew Broderick, Laura Benanti, Danielia Maximillian

Directed by Gene Stupnitsky

Jennifer Lawrence produces as well as stars in this coming-of-age sex comedy, taking the lead role of Maddie, an Uber driver facing bankruptcy when her car is repossessed. Needing to sort out her life fast, she finds herself taking on an unusual job - working for a couple who want her to help their introverted son enjoy the pleasures of adult life by ‘dating his brains out’. In exchange for making a man of him, she will receive a Buick Regal. Maddie’s expecting the gig to be a walk in the park, but much to her surprise she soon discovers that the painfully awkward Percy is no sure thing...

Released Fri 23 June

Or at least that’s what Harrison Ford fans will be hoping is the case as he returns, in his 81st year, to the role of whip-wielding actionadventurer Indiana Jones.

This is the fifth Indy film, with Harrison declaring that it will also be his final outing in the role. As such, he’ll no doubt be hoping to make a fond farewell with all guns blazing. With a solid supporting cast giving it their all, and an imaginative storyline that brings together NASA and Nazis, there’s plenty of reason to think this latest entry in the franchise will be a summer blockbuster well worth catching.

Released Fri 30 June

by Steve Adams

BOXING CLEVER

Sucker Punch, Roy Williams’

award-winning play about being young and black in Britain, might be set in the 1980s - when Thatcherism and simmering racial tensions were the order of the day - but director Nathan Powell tells What’s On its content continues to resonate in 2023...

Director and writer Nathan Powell might be a boxing enthusiast, but he knows where to draw the line. “I like to think of myself as a casual fan,” he admits. “Because real boxing fans will get angry if I don’t know the answer to a boxing question!”

It’s a sensible stance to take, given that his latest project sees him directing a revival of Sucker Punch, British dramatist Roy Williams’ hard-hitting sports drama about two former friends who step into the ring to face each other as well as their own demons. But is Leon Davidson a Black British champion or an Uncle Tom? And is his onetime ally, Troy Augustus, an American powerhouse or just a naïve cash cow?

As well as being a classic underdog story, the drama tackles themes of identity, prejudice and the financial exploitation of athletestopics just as relevant today as they were in the 1980s, when the play is set.

Sucker Punch debuted at London’s Royal Court in 2010. An instant hit with the critics, it was nominated for an Olivier for Best New Play and scooped a number of other prizes, including The Alfred Fagon Award and The Writers Guild Award for Best Play.

The plaudits are all merited, according Nathan, who was recently appointed artistic director & joint CEO of the National Student Drama Festival.

“I think it’s such a brilliant piece,” he says. “Roy Williams is amazing at telling really detailed, intricate, big and vast stories for everyone in the audience. He’s such a wonderful creator of characters, but also a great creator of stories.”

Nathan is especially taken with the relationship between the two main characters, but just as importantly with their circumstances and the experiences of black men in this country, which aren’t that dissimilar to the period in which the play is set.

“It opens up a really useful dialogue between different generations of black people who grew up in the UK. The challenges now, compared to the ’80s, are different but the same, if that makes any sense? There’s a difference in terms of how what we experience today looks, but they’re the same

challenges. And it’s all about how we approach those challenges.”

And given that those experiences and challenges are universal to black people all over the country, Nathan is keen to bring the production to regions and audiences not necessarily familiar with the play’s London setting and Brixton riots backdrop.

“I’m a Londoner who’s moved out of London, and I have a real commitment and energy and drive to create really excellent work outside of the capital.

“This Theatre Nation Partnership with Wolverhampton Grand and all the other partners allows us to tour such an amazing piece of work outside of London. And that’s powerful, and really special to be able to share with as many audiences across the country as possible.

“Taking this type of work out to the regions is really at the heart of this project - that’s the thing that feels really important and empowering. We’ve just come out of the pandemic, and partnerships like this mean that this might be some people’s first experience of theatre, or their only experience of theatre for a long time.”

Nathan is also thrilled at the chance to work with Roy Williams (“one of the country’s greatest living playwrights”) after their paths first crossed in 2020 on an audio play project by Stratford East called 846. The title came from the eight minutes and 46 seconds it took for George Floyd to die in police custody. The project featured short pieces by 14 different writers, including Nathan, each responding to Floyd’s murder and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Each was a standalone exploration of racial inequality and oppression, but together they formed a powerful tapestry of voices. That was the first time that Roy and I had worked together, and I’m seriously excited to be working with him again on Sucker Punch.”

Nathan is also keen to make the show a more immersive experience than a typical stage show. He wants audiences to feel like they’re stepping into a boxing gym and “walking into an event rather than a traditional theatre space” - one in which movement direction is

just as important as set design.

“We can’t turn the performers into professional boxers in a four-week rehearsal period, but that’s what the audience want to see. They want to see the beauty of the art that is the sport of boxing. So it’s really interesting how we can make that big and theatrical, but also how we show off the raw skill and beauty that is in boxing.

“I think there are some real key elements we can pull out of that to make it a wonderful theatrical feat but also make the audience feel like they’re experiencing those fights.”

Nathan admits the boxing scenes will need to be stylised, but hopes he can find a middle ground realistic enough for audiences to feel like they’ve seen a real fight. As much as there’s a balancing act between satisfying theatre-goers and fight fans, he’s also keen to highlight the genuine drama of the sport. “As a boxing fan, I wouldn’t want to watch boxing being acted badly in a play, but I would want to experience the energy of being there at a boxing match.

“When you’re at home watching boxing on a TV screen, sometimes you don’t pick up on things like the boxers sweat bouncing off other people, or the sound of a punch landing, or the exhale of a boxer as the final bell goes. Those things are what I want to highlight when people come to watch thisthat idea of being at a live boxing match. I really want to bring those feelings of seeing and hearing a real fight to this play.”

As well as being excited by the piece, he also wants audiences to leave the theatre with a few things to think - and talk - about.

“I hope that they have interesting conversations with the people that they came with about what it means to be black in Britain. I don’t want to answer questions for anyone, I just want to encourage talking and people to start a conversation. That’s all I can ask for and that’s all I hope for.”

Sucker Punch shows at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, from Tuesday 13 to Friday 16 June

The More Things Change...

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sun 9 July

More than 30 artworks - including paintings, works on paper, mixed media, sculpture and film - are here presented in celebration of a very special collective of artists.

The More Things Change... tells the story of the student-inspired Blk Art Group, who hosted the First National Convention of Black Art at Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1982 and were instrumental in shaping the British Black Arts Movement. The show is accompanied by a public programme and symposia, which explores the Group’s relationship to the wider movement.

“The Blk Art Group was relatively short-lived,” recalls one of its members, Keith Piper, in an article which he originally wrote for Frieze magazine. “By 1984, its momentum had dissipated and its members had become increasingly engaged in solo projects and broader survey exhibitions.

“Its legacy remains significant largely because of the network of artists who converged in Wolverhampton in October 1982, and their wider impact on the Black Arts Movement in general, and Black Women’s practices in particular, which have gone on to so radically shape contemporary art in the UK and beyond.”

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Credit: Keith Piper

Sensing Naples

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, until Sun 31 December

Historic works from Compton Verney’s Naples Collection are rehung and reimagined in this interactive exhibition, which aims to bring to life the sights, smells, sounds, tastes and sensations experienced by those who visit the famous Italian city.

Watershed

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Thurs 29 June - Sun 5 November

The relationship between Birmingham and Elan Valley in Wales, which has provided the second city with water since the early 20th century, comes under consideration in this group exhibition. The show aims to explore the cultural and social connections between the two locations, in the process homing in on

The show comes complete with two new contemporary sculptures. Created by DYSPLA - an award-winning, neurodivergent-led arts studio - and Aaron McPeake - an artist who makes works that deal with his own experience of sight loss - the sculptures have been commissioned in partnership with Unlimited, an organisation that supports, funds and promotes new work by disabled artists.

Mastering The Market

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, Sat 17 June - Sun 24 September

Now here’s an exhibition that’s well worth catching - a dazzling selection of Dutch and Flemish 17th-century masterpieces which usually reside in Woburn Abbey.

Featuring a dozen Old Master paintings, Mastering The Market focuses on the themes of patronage and collecting.

The artworks are visiting Birmingham while the Abbey is undergoing an extensive refurbishment. Commenting on the exhibition, Robert Wenley, Barber Institute Deputy Director, Research and Collections, said: “Mastering The Market will present the public with the rare opportunity to view these works up close in a gallery setting, and facilitate an appreciation of the ways in which patronage and collecting reflected and contributed to a dynamic period of European history.”

The Reason For Painting

Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Sun 25 June

Warwick Arts Centre’s The Reason For Painting aims to provide visitors with a brief but welcome escape from ‘the social and economic crisis we are living in today’.

their distinctive landscapes and the part that people play in nature’s balance. Among the artists whose work is featured in the show is Birmingham-based Rowena Harris. Rowena’s art explores parallels between the way that Elan Valley has managed water’s energy ‘as a design for health for Birmingham’, and the way that bodies with energy-limiting disabilities also manage energy ‘as a method for health’.

The exhibition features works which share the contributing artists’ experiences of experimenting with colour, mark and form.

The artists’ aim is to create ‘moments of joy’ through their practice, in the process redefining the meaning of ‘abstract’.

As part of the exhibition, an active space has been made available, in which visitors can respond to the artworks on display and discover their own reasons for painting. The space is fully equipped with a range of materials and resources, including paint, brushes and paper.

Image: Frans HalsPortrait of a man, traditionally identified as the artist.

Image: Kate Green, Watershed Line, 2021

Events previews from around the region Events

The Big Bang Fair

NEC, Birmingham, Wed 21 - Fri 23 June

With the support of over 100 organisations, The Big Bang Fair is an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for 10 to 13-year-olds.

The event offers a combination of theatre shows, interactive exhibits and careers information, along the way providing young people with the chance to meet hundreds of scientists and engineers.

Children younger or older than the show’s key audience can attend the after-hours Big Bang Fair Unlocked session on Wednesday 21 June, running from 4.30pm to 7.30pm.

BBC Good Food Show Summer

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 15 - Sun 18 June

Boasting tasty food, mouthwatering recipes, and in-the-kitchen entertainment served up by some of the nation’s most celebrated chefs, the summer edition of the BBC Good Food Show makes a welcome return midmonth.

TV chefs including James Martin (pictured), Ainsley Harriott and Nadiya Hussain will be

BBC Gardeners’ World Live

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 15 - Sun 18 June

Green-fingered visitors to BBC Gardeners’ World Live will, as usual, find plenty to delight them.

As well as taking ideas and inspiration from the show gardens and displays, attendees can also pick up tips and tricks from TV gardeners including Monty Don, Frances Tophill and Alan Titchmarsh.

Meanwhile, the Floral Marquee and Plant Village will have a vast array of top-quality nurseries from which to make purchases for your next gardening project.

sharing their culinary skills and cooking live on stage.

The show’s ever-popular shopping village returns too, providing visitors with plenty of opportunity to ‘taste, try and buy’ a wide range of delicious produce from an impressive selection of food & drink suppliers.

The Creative Craft Show

NEC, Birmingham, Fri 23 - Sun 25 June

A dream for knitting, cross stitching, paper crafting, jewellery & dressmaking enthusiasts, the Creative Craft Show boasts more than 100 stalls and offers the very latest in supplies and innovative ideas. As well as getting their hands on all sorts of goodies at the event - from kits, charts and patterns, to fabrics, yarns, threads and buttons - crafters can also seek out advice from industry experts and take part in a selection of interactive workshops being held across the weekend.

National Cycling Show

NEC, Birmingham, Sat 17 & Sun 18 June

Described as an ‘immersive retail experience’, the National Cycling Show is a one-stop shop for all your cycling needs. The event brings together experts from across the industry, with this year’s special guests including Sir Chris Hoy, Team GB’s Ed Clancy OBE, Lizzie Deignan MBE, and pro BMX athlete Kriss Kyle.

Other show highlights include a meet & greet zone, fusion freestyle performances by Fusion Extreme, The Bike Clinic and a Wheels For All hub covering inclusivity and accessibility.

Events previews from around the region Events

Lego City: City Of Champions

Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham, until Sun 9 July

The Lego City Minifigure team - Ricky Rocket Racer, Mech-Max, Go-To Gary and Fearless Fi - have taken over Legoland Discovery Centre to set epic missions for little ones and their families to complete.

Testing your skills with each mission, you will rescue animals, find messages in the street art and have a go at brick-building games, in the process earning an exclusive limited-edition card and sticker.

For £5 per person, there will also be the chance to build your own police car or fire engine in the on-site creative workshop.

Aethelfest: Tamworth’s Annual Saxon Festival

Tamworth Castle, Sat 10 - Sun 11 June

This annual living-history event celebrates Tamworth’s rich history - the town was the capital of the Kingdom of Mercia during the Saxon period - and features a variety of attractions and activities for families to enjoy.

Highlights across the two days include an outdoor Saxon encampment with traditional

The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show

NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, Fri 9 - Sun 11 June

As the biggest event of its kind in the UK, The World of Park & Leisure Homes Show provides a fantastic opportunity to discover and consider a leisure lifestyle.

Visitors can view approximately 40 state-ofthe-art leisure lodges and residential park homes, check out the latest designs and innovations, and discover affordable luxury. There’s also the chance to pick up some expert advice and find out more from people already enjoying the leisure lifestyle.

crafts, a chance to test your skills in sword school, contributions by historians and authors, and an opportunity to indulge in a spot of mead tasting. Visitors can also check out the castle’s Saxon exhibition and Staffordshire Hoard collection.

Weston Park Air Show International

Weston Park, Shropshire, Fri 16 - Sun 18 June

Model and full-sized aircraft taking to the skies, off-road and circuit model-car racing, model boats and helicopters, trade stands, food & drink stalls and a craft fair all feature among the attractions at this three-day show. Youngsters are catered for too, courtesy of a funfair, and there’s live music to enjoy in the evenings.

Pyrotechnics, gliders and fireworks light up the sky on the Saturday night.

The Royal Three Counties Show

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Fri 16 - Sun 18 June

Hailed as one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of the great British countryside, the Royal Three Counties Show offers three days of animal encounters, interesting displays and expert agricultural insights.

TV presenter and Cotswold farming royalty Adam Henson returns as show ambassador in the Farming Village, where more than 6,000 animals will feature.

Other highlights include The Future of Farming Zone, hosting a line-up of informative talks and Q&A sessions. The show also features the Food & Drink Theatre, the Equine Village, the all-new Stable Yard, the Countryside Arena and the Fur, Feather & Farm area.

Events previews from around the region Events

Planetarium Lates: Particle/Wave

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, Thurs 15 June

Particle/Wave is a special adults-only planetarium show telling the story of gravitational waves.

The immersive multimedia experience is presented through the collaboration of poets, musicians and sound & video artists alongside renowned scientists.

RAF Cosford Air Show

RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford, Sun 11 June

Step Back To The 1940s

Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster, Sat 24 & Sun 25 and Sat 1 & Sun 2 July

A taste of all things vintage comes to the Severn Valley Railway this month, as the 16mile line and all of its stations host a festival of 1940s-themed fun.

Taking place across two weekends, the event features an array of attractions and entertainment, including 1940s singers & dancers, a wartime wedding and jitterbug sessions. There’s even the chance to hear a rousing speech by Winston Churchill! Vintage traders will be selling their wares at

Sharklife

National SEA LIFE Birmingham, until Sun 4 June

Sharklife provides families with the opportunity to get up close and personal with SEA LIFE’s fin-tastic Black Tip Reef Sharks.

The event also includes the chance to learn more about the species from the venue’s resident marine biologist.

A special themed Sharklife trail around the aquarium further adds to the fun.

The Engine House at Highley, with the June weekend seeing a replica Spitfire plane going on display outside the venue, along with a Merlin engine. During the July weekend, this space will be taken up by a range of vintage fairground games such as swing boats, hook-a-duck and tin can alley. Big Band shows take place at Kidderminster station on the Saturday evening of both weekends.

MotoFest: Coventry Concours

Coventry Cathedral Ruins, Sat 3 & Sun 4 June MotoFest’s annual Coventry Concours event returns to the Cathedral Ruins this month and celebrates the life of Queen Elizabeth II. The free-to-attend weekend features cars and motorcycles from the 1950s through to the present day and boasts a strong Coventry theme. The vehicle line-up includes manufacturer models from Jaguar, Daimler, Standard, Triumph, Rootes Group and Armstrong Sideley.

The RAF Cosford Air Show returns this month with an action-packed flying display, featuring powerful demonstrations of modern military aircraft from the Royal Air Force and international military partners, including the Supermarine Spitfire IX, RAF Falcons and the ever-popular Red Arrows. On-the-ground entertainment comes in the form of, among other attractions, static displays of aircraft, a Vintage Village with reenactors, and STEM hangars offering family-friendly interactive activities.

Potfest By The Lake

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Fri 23 - Sun 25 June

An artisan ceramics market, showcasing the work of 80 of the UK’s finest ceramics makers, Potfest returns to Compton Verney for a third year and has become a highlight in every potter’s calendar. Work by local and continental makers also features.

thelist

VISUAL ARTS IN THE MIDLANDS

The Barber Institute Of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

PAYING RESPECTS: MONEY AND MORTALITY Compelling exhibition featuring highlights from the Barber’s superlative coin collection, which includes world-class caches of Byzantine, Trapezuntine and Sasanian currency, as well as significant holdings of Roman and medieval coins, until Spring 2024

NATURE AND ARTIFICE: DUTCH AND FLEMISH LANDSCAPE PRINTS Display exploring the subject of landscape in etchings and engravings made in the Netherlands during the first half of the 17th century, until Sun 23 July

STORYTELLING: A LIFE OF CHRIST ON PAPER Featuring Italian prints and drawings from the 15th to the 17th century, until Sun 24 September

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

MELATI SURYODARMO: PASSIONATE

PILGRIM The first UK exhibition by one of Indonesia’s ‘most important’ living artists, known for her strenuous durational performances that last several hours, until Sun 3 September

Midlands Arts Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham

BEDLAM: THE EXHIBITION Group show featuring compelling artworks and short films created by people in Birmingham and Solihull during their personal journeys with mental health, until Sun 18 June

GRAYSON’S ART CLUB: THE EXHIBITION III Major exhibition featuring over 100 artworks selected by Grayson Perry, his wife Philippa, and guest celebrities during season three of the popular TV series, Grayson’s Art Club, until Sun 25 June

WATERSHED Group exhibition exploring the relationship between Birmingham and Elan Valley, Walestwo places inextricably linked by water, Thurs 29 June - Sun 5 November

RBSA Gallery, Birmingham

RBSA GRADUATE ARTISTS 2023

Exhibition showcasing works by early-career artists based in the Midlands, until Sun 11 June

ERIC GASKELL ARBSA Exhibition formed by reworking and collaging earlier linocuts created by the artist, until Sun 11 June

LINDA NEVILL: INTO THE LANDSCAPE

Exploration of the beauty of landscape, until Sun 11 June

JASMINA AJZENKOL Showcase of one-off pieces of ceramic art in the form of vessels inspired by nature

and life forms, until Sun 11 June

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE... New exhibition featuring the work of the founder-member artists of the Blk Art Group, an association of young black British artists formed in 1979 to question what black art was, until Sun 9 July

BLACK COUNTRY LANDSCAPES A selection of art and objects from Wolverhampton’s collections, exploring relationships between the Black Country’s industries and landscapes, until Sun 3 Sept

POP PARADE Showcasing the gallery’s most iconic pop artworks by leading British and American artists, until Sun 31 December

Elsewhere:

THE REASON FOR PAINTING Exhibition of works by young artists working with colour, mark and form to create moments of joy... until Sun 25 June, Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

INTERNATIONAL GARDEN

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

EXHIBITION One of the world’s most respected photography competitions and exhibitions, particularly within the genres of garden, plant, flower and botanical photography, until Wed 28 June, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

LIBRARY AND LEGACY The story of Lichfield Cathedral Library and the Seymour Family, until Sun 3 September, Lichfield Cathedral

DIVIDED SELVES: LEGACIES, MEMORIES, BELONGING Exploring notions of belonging at a time when the idea of nation is threatened... until Sun 24 Sept, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

400 YEARS OF THE FIRST FOLIO An opportunity to delve deeper into the legacy of one of the most important books in Western literature... until Sun 5 November, Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust (New Place), Stratford-upon-Avon

CRASH - THE PERFECT POP SONG

Exhibition celebrating 35 years of the Primitives’ song, Crash, and exploring the history of the Coventry band. Visitors to the museum will also be able to partake in photo opportunities and Crash karaoke, until December 2023, Coventry

Music Museum

WHERE WE ONCE GATHERED

Showcase of Herbert Walters’ photographic works, taken on the silent and still streets of Birmingham in the first four weeks of the 2020 Covid lockdown, until Fri 8 Dec, The Bramall, University of Birmingham

Gigs

IAN MOSS Thurs 1 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

JOHNNY2BAD Thurs 1

June, The Jam House, Jewellery Quarter

MILLER BLUE Thurs 1

June, The Sunflower Lounge

GASOLINE & MATCHES +

JESSIE G + JOSH

SETTERFIELD + AARON

GOODVIN + MATT WYNN

Thurs 1 June, Jennifer

Blackwell Performance

Space, Symphony Hall

RICHARD SCOTT’S IMPROVISING STRING

QUARTET Thurs 1 June, Midlands Arts Centre

JILL JACKSON Thurs 1

June, The Kitchen

Garden, Kings Heath

WHITNEY - QUEEN OF THE NIGHT Thurs 1 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

SHANIA - 25 LIVE Thurs 1

June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

ATOM HEART FLOYD Fri 2

June, The Night Owl

KIRA MAC + THESE

WICKED RIVERS + JAMIE

PORTER BAND Fri 2 June, The Asylum

HARRIET Fri 2 June, Symphony Hall

DMA’S Fri 2 June, The Mill, Digbeth

LOST IN MUSIC Fri 2

June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

SOLID SOUL Fri 2 - Sat 3

June, The Jam House, Jewellery Quarter

BLUES CLUB Sat 3 June,

Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

SHARNIE + JAYSON

WYNTERS Sat 3 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

SAYOB Sat 3 June, The

Sunflower Lounge

DADDY LONG LEGS Sat 3

June, The Night Owl

DODGY Sat 3 June, O2 Institute

SIMULATION THEORY +

MORTIS + CULCHA +

KRYPTIC + EVER Sat 3

June, O2 Institute

HASAN RAHEEM Sat 3

June, O2 Institute

PARAMORE GB Sat 3

June, Castle & Falcon

HORACE ANDY Sat 3

June, Midlands Arts Centre

ADAM BEATTIE + FIONA

BEVAN Sat 3 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

LEFTFIELD Sat 3 June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

SARABETH TUCEK Sun 4

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

JAMES WALSH Sun 4

June, The Dark Horse, Moseley

SUN RECORDS, THE CONCERT: 70TH

ANNIVERSARY Sun 4

June, Birmingham Town Hall

GEORGIA CÉCILE Sun 4

June, Symphony Hall

ATIF ASLAM Sun 4 June, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

MORTON VALENCE Sun 4

June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

Horace Andy - Midlands Arts Centre

Georgia Cécile - Symphony Hall

Classical Music

BENJAMIIN GROSVENOR AND THE CBSO PLAY CHOPIN Riccardo Minasi conducts. Programme includes works by Schubert, Chopin & Mozart, Thurs 1 June, Symphony Hall, B’ham

Darren Lee in a new version of Bartlett Sher’s iconic musical, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

ROBIN HOOD Illyria fuses

‘swashbuckling action with riotous comedy’ in a classic tale of camaraderie, Thurs 1 June, Winterbourne Gardens, Birmingham

STARS - AN AFROFUTURIST SPACE

ODYSSEY A new play about an old lady who goes into outer space in search of her own orgasm, Thurs 1Sat 3 June, Old Rep, Birmingham

comedy’, Fri 2 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Events

CLASSIC WAR FILM SEASON Classic war films are screened within the newly launched Bomber Command exhibition, until Thurs 1 June, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

1940S WEEK Explore life in the 1940s via workshops, displays and activities, until Thurs 1 June, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

Make beautiful watercolour flowers created using chromatography and your very own drawbot, Thurs 1 June, Soho House, Birmingham

TALL TALES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Interactive storytelling with a craft activity, Fri 2 June, Aston Hall, Birmingham

REEL & MEAL: FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY

OFF Enjoy hot dogs, ice cream and a screening of the classic John Hughes comedy, Fri 2 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

CBSO FAMILY CONCERT: PETER AND THE WOLF Featuring Julian Wilkins (conductor), Jane Wright (presenter), the CBSO Youth Chorus, CBSO Children’s Chorus & Sarah Butt (BSL Interpreter). Programme includes Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, 25 & Patterson’s Little Red Riding Hood, 27, Sun 4 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Comedy

ANDREW O’NEILL, JOHN LYNN, BENNY SHAKES, CHARLIE BOWERS & COMIC TBC

Thurs 1 June, The Glee Club, B’ham

TIM VINE Thurs 1 June, The Alexandra, Birmingham

CHLOE PETTS Fri 2 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ANDREW O’NEILL, MARC JENNINGS, JOHN LYNN, VICTOR DANIELS & EVA

BINDEMAN Fri 2 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PETER KAY Fri 2 June, Utilita Arena Birmingham

CAREY MARX, KATE BARRON, RICH

WILSON & COMIC TBC Sat 3 June, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

ANDREW O’NEILL, MARC JENNINGS, JOHN LYNN & DANNY MCLOUGHLIN Sat 3 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TIM VINE Sat 3 June, Wolverhampton

Grand Theatre

STEPHEN BAILEY, JEFF INNOCENT, KEVIN

J, ESTHER MANITO & KAT B Sat 3 June, The Core Theatre, Solihull

ESTHER MANITO, LOST VOICE GUY, JEFF

INNOCENT, FREDDY QUINNE, STEPHEN

BAILEY & FARHAN SOLO Sat 3 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Theatre

HAMNET Stage adaptation of Maggie

O’Farrell’s bestselling novel, pulling back the curtain on the imagined life of William Shakespeare, until Sat 17 June, Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon

THE KING AND I West End performer

Annalene Beechey stars alongside

MADE IN (INDIA) BRITAIN A coming-ofage story about discovering your community and the journey that follows, Fri 2 - Sat 3 June, The Rep, Birmingham

MRS KAPOOR’S DAUGHTER’S WEDDING 2

MAURITIUS British Asian ‘laugh-outloud’ theatre production promising comedy, singing, dancing and dhol, Sun 4 June, The Alexandra, B’ham BUFFY REVAMPED A fast-paced new production that makes its way through the entire 144 episodes of the hit 1990s TV show in just 75 minutes (no interval), Sat 3 June, The Rep, Birmingham

Kids Theatre

DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS A ‘fantastical’ family show where audiences are invited into a magical world of myths & legends, Wed 31 May - Fri 2 June, The Rep, Birmingham

MOG THE FORGETFUL CAT First-ever stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s bestselling Mog picture books, Tues 30 May - Sun 4 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS A stellar tale of star-crossed aliens, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Thurs 1 - Sun 4 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Light Entertainment

SING-A-LONG ENCANTO Fun family screening, complete with lyrics so that you can sing along, Thurs 1 June, The Core Theatre, Solihull

FUN & SLUTTY WITH JONATHAN VAN

NESS ‘Queer joy and side-splitting

PEPPA PIG AT SEA LIFE Meet Peppa as she dives into a new adventure, making friends with thousands of sea creatures, until Fri 2 June, National SEA LIFE Centre, Birmingham

CLIMATE BUSKING Discover how the changing ocean is having an impact on its millions of fish shells, and what we can do for the climate, until Fri 2 June, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

ZOOLAB CLIMATE CRUSADER’S SHOW

Get ‘up close and hands-on’ with exotic animals as you learn about the changing planet, until Fri 2 June, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

MAKE YOUR OWN PAPER PLANT POT

Make your very own paper plant pots and plant dwarf French beans, which you can take home and care for this summer, until Fri 2 June, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

FREDDO’S MAGIC SHOW Freddo hosts his very own magic show, until Fri 2 June, Cadbury World, Bournville

BRICKLIVE BRICKOSAURS Get ready for a ‘roar-some display on a T-Rex scale’, until Sun 4 June, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

SHARKLIFE Learn the truth about sharks, until Sun 4 June, National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham

LEGO CITY Join the Lego City Minifigure team - Ricky Rocket Racer, Mech-Max, Go-To Gary and Fearless Fi - as they set epic missions for you to complete, until Sat 9 July, Legoland Discovery Centre B’ham

THEATRE TOUR Go behind the scenes at the UK’s first purpose-built repertory theatre, Thurs 1 June, Old Rep, Birmingham

CANDLELIGHT: TRIBUTE TO COLDPLAY AT ST PHILIP’S CATHEDRAL Discover the music of Coldplay at St Philip’s Cathedral, Thurs 1 June, Birmingham Cathedral

KIDS JEWELLERY WORKSHOP Design and create either a bracelet or pendant, and learn and use real jewellers’ techniques, Thurs 1 June, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

FAMILY CRAFTS: SCIENCE EXPLORERS

UK GAMES EXPO All aspects of the tabletop gaming hobby are represented under one roof, Fri 2Sun 4 June, NEC, Birmingham

MIDLANDS AIR FESTIVAL Returning for a fifth year, with over 100 hot-air balloons in attendance, Fri 2 - Sun 4 June, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire

BACKSTAGE TOUR Dress up like 1930s stars and join in on the mystery, Sat 3 June, The Rep, Birmingham

QUEERING THE MIDDLE AGES TALK AND TOUR Dr Liam Lewis discusses marvellous trans saints and queer knights whose stories may have been told at Weoley Castle, Sat 3 June, Weoley Castle, Birmingham

KALEIDOSCOPE: POP AT THE MAC II Join TV archivists Kaleidoscope for more rare pop performances from the archives, Sat 3 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

BLUE BADGE BUNCH A gameshow in which each game represents a different disability, giving kids and grown-ups the chance to learn about autism and cerebral palsy, Sun 4 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

MAC ARTS MARKET Featuring the work of local designer makers, Sun 4 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

COLOUR BOX: THE BFG Hour-long workshop followed by a screening of the 1989 animated film, Sun 4 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

Festivals in the Midlands

FORBIDDEN FOREST Line-up includes Andy C, Camelphat, High Contrast, Marco Carola, Fri 2 - Sun 4 June, Belvoir Castle, Nottinghamshire

WYCHWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up includes Happy Mondays, Travis, Sam Ryder, The Proclaimers, Fri 2Sun 4 June, Cheltenham Racecourse

LICHFIELD BLUES & JAZZ Line-up includes Catfish, Remi Harris Trio, Fred T Baker, Funky Velvet, Sun 4Sun 11 June, various locations across Lichfield

thelist

Monday 5 - Sunday 11 June

+ MALBORO DRIVE +

THE CAGE Fri 9 June, O2 Academy

ALGERNON CADWALLER + SUNSHINE FRISBEE

LASERBEAM +

SUPERMILK Fri 9 June, Castle & Falcon

CARCASS + UNTO

OTHERS + CONJURER Fri

9 June, The Asylum

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

UK Fri 9 June, The Flapper

MADDY COOMBS TRIO Fri

9 June, Jennifer

Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall

SEAMUS MOORE Fri 9

June, Irish Centre, Kings Heath

SUNNBRELLA Sat 10

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER & CELIA CRAIG

(OBOE) Programme includes works by Anne Cawrse, C.H.H Parry, H. Schindler, J. Noyon, J.L Krebs & Robert AMPT, Mon 5 June, Birmingham Town Hall

CBSO AND KAZUKI YAMADA Also featuring Seong-Jin Cho on piano (pictured). Programme includes works by Holst, Beethoven & Rachmaninoff, Wed 7 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Comedy

LAURA BELBIN Wed 7 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ANDY ASKINS, JEFF INNOCENT & BETHANY BLACK Wed 7 June, Herbert’s Yard, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, STEPHEN BUCHANAN & TAMER KATTAN Thurs 8 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

HELEN BAUER, ALEX KEALY, STEPHEN BUCHANAN, TAMER KATTAN & PREET

SINGH Fri 9 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

FIN TAYLOR Fri 9 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RICH HALL Fri 9 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THOMAS GREEN, DIANE SPENCER, ADAM BLOOM & BEN BRIGGS Sat 10 June, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

Gigs

LERA LYNN Mon 5 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

SUPERLOVE Mon 5

June, The Sunflower

Lounge

MELVINS + TAIPEI

HOUSTON Mon 5 June, O2 Institute

DEAN LEWIS Mon 5

June, O2 Academy

ANDREW BAIN

MOSVATNET & ANGELICA

SANCHEZ + AIDAN POPE

BAND Mon 5 June, Royal Birmingham

Conservatoire

KISS + SKINDRED + THE WILD THINGS Mon 5

June, Resorts World Arena

PATRICK DUFF Mon 5

June, The Kitchen

Garden, Kings Heath

BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA Mon 5 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE SCRIPT Mon 5

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

GRAHAM COSTELLO’S

STRATA Tues 6 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

SIR CHLOE Tues 6 June, O2 Institute

HIL ST SOUL + NOEL

GOURDIN Wed 7 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

POZI Wed 7 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

PANOPTICON + AFSKY

Wed 7 June, The Asylum

USHA UTHUP Wed 7

June, Birmingham

Town Hall

SAMANA Wed 7 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

JAMES BAY Wed 7

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

MY LIFE STORY Thurs 8

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

TRIPTIDES + BABY

VANGA Thurs 8 June, The Night Owl

CAMEL Thurs 8 June, Symphony Hall

NICOLE ATKINS & JIM

SCLAVUNOS Thurs 8

June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

CIRCA WAVES + CASSIA + COURTING Thurs 8

June, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

ELTON JOHN Thurs 8, Sat 10 - Sun 11 June, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

ELLE-J WALTERS BAND

Fri 9 June, The Jam

House, Jewellery

Quarter

PINK SUITS + LOXZ +

TRANSISTRRR Fri 9

June, The Sunflower Lounge

LUCKY NUMBER YOU +

MONDAY CLUB + DUKE

KEATS Fri 9 June, The Night Owl

SWIM DEEP + JAWS Fri 9 June, O2 Institute

THE CHERRY APES + FAIZED + RING O’ROSES

June, The Sunflower Lounge

ZIGGY ALBERTS Sat 10

June, O2 Institute

ELOISE + JAMES SMITH

Sat 10 June, O2 Institute

RAMPAGE + E DOUBLE D + JUS’NEIL + RICK

STARR + LUV INJECTION

+ BIG JOHN Sat 10

June, O2 Institute

THE SOUTHMARTINS Sat

10 June, O2 Academy

ROBERT CRAY BAND Sat

10 June, Birmingham Town Hall

A COUNTRY NIGHT IN NASHVILLE Sat 10 June, The Alexandra

THE VAMPS Sat 10

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

JEN CLOHER + HACHIKU

Sun 11 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

ARAB STRAP Sun 11

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

RAP Sun 11 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

LAUREN SANDERSON

Sun 11 June, O2

Institute

THE ORIELLES Sun 11

June, Castle & Falcon

DARKNESS - HUMAN

LEAGUE TRIBUTE Sun 11

June, Fletchers Bar

A DIFFERENT THREAD

Sun 11 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

RANJIT BAWA Sun 11

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

CBSO CENTRE STAGE: TCHAIKOVSKY

SOUVENIR DE FLORENCE Featuring Eugene Tzikindelean & Kirsty Lovie (violins), Adam Römer & David BaMaung (violas), Eduardo Vassallo & Arthur Boutillier (cellos), Thurs 8 June, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

AN EVENING OF 20TH CENTURY BRITISH

VIOLIN & PIANO MUSIC Featuring Fangtong Liu (violin) & Robert Markham (piano). Programme includes work by Britten, Vaughan Williams, Thurs 8 June, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

ARMONICO CONSORT: AFRICA Directed by Gaynor Larkin and featuring the AC Academy Choirs, Thurs 8 June, The Core Theatre, Solihull

BEST OF THE WEST END WITH THE CBSO Featuring Michael England (conductor), Sophie Evans & Scott Davies (vocalists), Paul Whittaker (BSL Interpreter) & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Programme includes music from The Phantom of the Opera, Cabaret, Les Misérables, Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King & Wicked, amongst others... Fri 9 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHAMBER CHOIR

ANNIVERSARY CONCERT Fri 9 June, Lichfield Cathedral

BIRMINGHAM PHILHARMONIC

ORCHESTRA: SPACE ODYSSEY Featuring Michael Lloyd (conductor). Programme includes works by Khachaturian, J Strauss II, Ligeti & R Strauss, Sun 11 June, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

BINCHOIS CONSORT FEAT. GUSTO

RENAISSANCE WINDS Sun 11 June, Elgar Concert Hall, The Bramall, University of Birmingham

HELEN BAUER, ALEX KEALY, STEPHEN BUCHANAN & TAMER KATTAN Sat 10 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JIMMY CARR Sun 11 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Theatre

SISTER ACT TV & West End legend Lesley Joseph stars alongside Lizzie Bea and Sandra Marvin, Mon 5 - Sat 10 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

ACTING OUT: IRRECONCILABLE Thoughtprovoking, tender and emotionally charged play, written by local playwright Greg Andrews, Tues 6Thurs 8 June, Old Rep, Birmingham

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Trinity Players present an amateur version of Victor Hugo’s epic novel, Tues 6Sat 10 June, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

THE BIG O + Q&A Join Lucy on her personal voyage into sex, healing, and connection after a diagnosis of lifelong Anorgasmia (with a Trunchbull-esque psychosexual consultant), Wed 7 - Thurs 8 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

James Bay - The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

thelist

TONY! (THE TONY BLAIR ROCK OPERA)

New show by Harry Hill & Steve Brown which looks at how one man went from peace-loving, long-haired hippie and would-be pop star to warmongering multimillionaire in just a couple of decades, Wed 7 - Sat 10

June, The Rep, Birmingham

CAN I LIVE? Fehinti Balogun presents a vital new digital performance about the climate catastrophe, sharing his personal journey into the biggest challenge of our times, Wed 7 - Sat

10 June, The Rep, Birmingham

BRONTË Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Theatre Company present a literary detective story about the turbulent lives of the Brontë sisters, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 June, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

THE ENCHANTED PIG Singers from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire perform Jonathan Dove’s operatic version of an enchanting fairytale with a humorous twist, Thurs 8 - Sat 10

June, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Dance

B-SIDE HIP HOP FESTIVAL 2023 Annual festival bringing together artists from all four elements of hip-hop: breakin, graffiti, DJ’ing and MC’ing, Thurs 8Wed 14 June, Birmingham

Hippodrome - plus various events at Bullring and Grand Central

Queen of Indian Pop discusses her inspirational life and music, Wed 7 June, Birmingham Town Hall

ROCK ON TOMMY Andy Eastwood hosts an eclectic afternoon of entertainment, including an interview with Tommy Cannon, who will look back on his life as one half of comedy duo Cannon & Ball, Wed 7 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

PENN & TELLER Featuring classic magic tricks, audience participation and plenty of humour, Thurs 8 - Fri 9 June, The Alexandra, Birmingham

SEND IN THE CLOWNS TW*TS A ‘raucous, wild and tantalising’ drag revue show celebrating the magic and madness of musical theatre, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 June, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

G4 LIVE Fri 9 June, Old Rep, Birmingham

THE BOOK OF MUSICALS A celebration of everyone’s favourite musicals, performed by School of Theatre Excellence, Sun 11 June, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

Talks & Spoken Word

ALAN FLETCHER: THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW Join Ramsey Street’s most famous doctor as he looks back on and celebrates almost three decades of hit TV series Neighbours, Sat 10 June, The Core Theatre, Solihull

Events

LETTERS TO THE EARTH WORKSHOP

The Enchanted Pig

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 June

While fate decrees that her two sisters wed princes, Princess Flora finds herself marrying a pig.

Luckily for her, by night the pig becomes a handsome prince - one who has had a terrible curse visited upon him by a witch. But when the wicked old woman kidnaps the pig, Flora finds herself having to travel to the end of the world and beyond - to the sun, moon and Milky Way - to save her husband from a terrible fate... Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig has been universally adored by critics and audiences alike since debuting in 2006. Singers from Royal Birmingham Conservatoire here get their teeth into this bold, beautiful and family-friendly fairytale.

of 50 leisure & residential homes, Fri 9 - Sun 11 June, NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

JAMES WATT JR AT ASTON HALL (TALK AND TOUR) Join historian Chris Rice for an introduction to the life of James Watt Junior, followed by a guided tour of the Hall, Sat 10 June, Aston Hall, Birmingham

A TASTE OF HANDSWORTH WALKING

TOUR This special tour focuses on the impact of African and AfricanCaribbean communities on Handsworth’s culinary scene, Sat 10 June, Soho House, Birmingham

BUDDING BOTANISTS An interactive learning experience for children, teaching them about bugs, plants, pollination, nature and more, Sat 10 June, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

WEDDING OPEN DAY See the venue set out for a wedding, Sun 11 June, Bantock House, Wolverhampton

THE RAF COSFORD AIR SHOW Actionpacked day of aircraft-related entertainment, Sun 11 June, Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, Cosford

MIDLAND BONSAI SOCIETY ANNUAL SHOW Expect to be ‘mesmerised’ by the intricate details and serene beauty of these miniature trees, Sun 11 June, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

MUSICAL PICNIC Featuring an eclectic mix of musicians, musical styles, cultures, instruments and personalities, Sun 11 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

BRB: APOLLO / INTERLINKED / STILL LIFE

AT THE PENGUIN CAFE A triple bill of works to showcase the Company’s ‘classical skill and artistry’, Thurs 8Sat 10 June, Birmingham

Hippodrome

MIDLANDS’ BEST DANCE CREW 2023

Featuring live street dance, commercial and hip-hop performances, Sat 10 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Light Entertainment

DISNEY 100 - THE CONCERT Featuring legendary film scenes on a giant screen and magical musical moments brought to life by the Hollywood Sound Orchestra, Tues 6 June, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

AN EVENING WITH USHA UTHUP An inconversation event in which The

Write a letter to the Earth as part of the Rep’s Climate Action Week, Mon 5 June, The Rep, Birmingham

CHELTENHAM SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Featuring the world’s greatest scientists, futurologists and thoughtleaders, Tues 6 - Sun 11 June, various venues in Cheltenham

CEF LIVE Thousands of professionals from across the electrical industry come together to share ideas and present the latest products and innovations, Thurs 8 - Fri 9 June, NEC, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM DESIGN FESTIVAL Twoday event featuring talks and workshops by internationally renowned designers and artists, Thurs 8 - Fri 9 June, various venues in Birmingham

REAL ALE FESTIVAL Featuring more than 20 cask ales from a selection of UK breweries, Fri 9 - Sat 10 June, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

WORLD OF PARK & LEISURE HOME

SHOW A three-day event offering visitors the chance to view in excess

INSPIRED FESTIVAL FAMILY DAY Visitors can build their very own city of the future, get creative with writing and metal workshops, find out what it’s like to be a television presenter, learn some first aid and climb inside one of the training ambulances, Sat 10 June, Birmingham City University City Centre Campus

Festivals in the Midlands

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Line-up includes Metallica, Bring Me The Horizon & Slipknot, Thurs 8 - Sun 11 June, Donington Park, Derby downloadfestival.co.uk

BRB: Still Life at the Penguin Cafe - Birmingham Hippodrome

thelist

Classical Music

APD GALA CONCERT Featuring Hannah Morley (mezzo soprano), Alma Orr Ewing (viola), Chuling Ye (percussion), Hejie Zhong (piano), Fangtong Liu (violin) & Fuyao Li (viola). Programme tbc, Tues 13 June, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

SAME POEM BY DIFFERENT COMPOSERS

FEAT. GUANG FENG (PIANO) Also featuring Hebe Hamilton (mezzosoprano), Lu Zhang & Yunqing Jiang (sopranos). Programme includes works by Finzi, Korngold, Schubert, Quilter, Parry, Dring, Debussy, Fauré, Caplet, Beethoven, Wolf & Schumann, Tues 13 June, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

CBSO SEASON FINALE: KAZUKI

Gigs

CHUCK PROPHET & THE MISSION EXPRESS + KRIS GRUEN Mon 12

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

PLACEBO + CRUEL

HEARTS CLUB Mon 12

June, O2 Academy

THE BEAT + BOW WOW

WOW Mon 12 June, Birmingham Town Hall

PINK Tues 13 June, Villa Park

ENOLA GAY Tues 13

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

SPIERS & BODEN Tues

13 June, Symphony

Hall

COLLECTIVE SLEEP Wed

14 June, The Night

Owl

AMON AMARTH + BLEED FROM WITHIN Wed 14

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

LUKAS NELSON + POTR

Wed 14 June, The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton

THE CHILLS + RATS ON

RAFTS Thurs 15 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

LOWES Thurs 15 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings

Heath

CIVIL WRONGS Thurs 15

June, The Jam House, Jewellery Quarter

THE ROSADOCS Thurs 15 June, The

Sunflower Lounge

GOO GOO DOLLS Thurs 15 June, O2 Institute

BONNIE RAITT Thurs 15

June, Birmingham

Town Hall

ABE PARTRIDGE + DAVID

MILES HUNT Fri 16

June, Midlands Arts

Centre

MCFLY Fri 16 June, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

THE SHIRES Fri 16 June, The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton

BLUES CLUB Sat 17

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

SUSAN CADOGAN + THE REGGULITES + MR 45S

Sat 17 June, The Night

Owl

HOMESCHOOLING +

ANOMALY + GROW YOUR OWN STUPID +

THE JACQUIRE +

VERTIGO FLOWERS Sat

17 June, O2 Institute

SABRINA CARPENTER

Sat 17 June, O2

Academy

PARAZITII + DAN

GEROSU & ALAN + KEPA

Sat 17 June, Castle & Falcon

A TITAN A DEITY +

CONDUCTS ELGAR’S FIRST SYMPHONY

Also featuring Ian Bostridge (tenor), Elspeth Dutch (horn) & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Programme includes works by Howard, Britten & Elgar, Wed 14 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

OPERA GALA: TINGGUANG LI (TENOR)

Also featuring Guang Feng (piano). Programme includes works by Cilea, Mozart, Leoncavallo, Lalo, Rossini, Handel, Massenet, Gluck & Donizetti, Thurs 15 June, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

RBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Barry Wordsworth & Daniele Rosina (conductors) & Grace Lupson-Darnell (mezzo-soprano). Programme includes works by Wolters, Ravel & Zenobia Powell Perry, Fri 16 June, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

THE MUSIC OF ZIMMER VS WILLIAMS

Performed by the London Concert Orchestra, Sat 17 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE UK PROMS IN THE PARK Performed by the UK Proms Orchestra and featuring a host of special guests, Sat 17 June, The West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury

ALEXANDER BENNETT & DAVE LONGLEY

Sat 17 June, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

THOMAS GREEN, ROB DEERING, JO

ENRIGHT & COMIC TBC Sat 17 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ROUGH WORKS: NEW MATERIAL NIGHT

Sun 18 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RHYS NICHOLSON Sun 18 June, Old Rep, Birmingham

Theatre

9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL Birmingham

Musical Operatic Society present an amateur version of the Dolly Parton musical, Tues 13 - Sat 17 June, The Alexandra, Birmingham

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO Christy Lefteri’s powerful and compassionate story of connection between family, friends and strangers... Tues 13 - Sat 17 June, The Rep, Birmingham

SUCKER PUNCH Roy Williams’ ‘tender, bruising and funny play’, which explores the experience of being young and black in the 1980s, Tues 13 - Fri 16 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL Join Belinda Lang, Paul Nicholas, Tessa Peake-Jones and Graham Seed in a joyous comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances, Tues 13 - Sat 17 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

I, DANIEL BLAKE Based on Ken Loach’s iconic film, described as ‘one of the most important stories of a generation’, Tues 13 - Sat 24 June, The Rep, Birmingham

THE ADDAMS FAMILY: A NEW MUSICAL Amateur version presented by Queensbridge Musical Theatre Society (QMTS), Wed 14 - Sat 17

KEITH JAMES - THE MUSIC OF CAT STEVENS

Tues 13 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings

Heath

RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC Tues

13 June, Warwick Arts

Centre, Coventry

ACID TONGUE + SANTÚ + SAWEL

UNDERGROUND +

LIAMOSINO Wed 14

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

AZIYA Wed 14 June, The Sunflower Lounge

BIG SKY ORCHESTRA +

SAYOB + ALEX HOPKINS + JAG THE GUITARIST +

FORD Thurs 15 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

LOREN GRAY Fri 16

June, O2 Institute

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND Fri 16 June, Villa Park

PORKPIE Fri 16 June, O2 Academy

CHERISE & UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM JAZZ

ORCHESTRA Fri 16 June, Jennifer Blackwell

Performance Space, Symphony Hall

MNOZIL BRASS Fri 16

June, Symphony Hall

WINTER HOTEL Sat 17

June, The Asylum

SKULLDUGGERY +

BASEMENT ORPHANS Sat

17 June, The Flapper

STEVE EARL Sat 17

June, Birmingham

Town Hall

PETER GABRIEL Sat 17

June, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

THE EVERLY BROTHERS

STORY Sun 18 June, The Alexandra, Birmingham

JOHN BRAMWELL Sun

18 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

Comedy

THOMAS GREEN, ROB DEERING, JAY

CORCORAN & COMIC TBC Thurs 15 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BIG DEAL COMEDY Thurs 15 June, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

TEZ ILYAS Fri 16 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THOMAS GREEN, ROB DEERING, JO

ENRIGHT, HANNAH WEETMAN & ROGER

O’SULLIVAN Fri 16 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CURTIS WALKER Fri 16 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GAVIN WEBSTER, LOUISE LEIGH,

June, The Core Theatre, Solihull CONFETTI Will Jackson’s Edinburgh Fringe smash-hit follows weddingplanner Felix on his personal journey on the road to romance, Thurs 15 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

ALAN TURING: A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY A theatrical journey through the extraordinary life of the codebreaker and mathematician who’s best known for cracking the Enigma Code, Thurs 15 June, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

MARY SHELLEY Play about the life of the Frankenstein author, Thurs 15Sat 17 June, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL Amateur staging based on the popular 1980s musical and featuring music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, Thurs 15 - Sat 17 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry SHREK JR. Amateur version presented

Placebo - O2 Academy

by Breakout Performing Arts, Sat 17 June, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

AS YOU LIKE IT Geraldine James stars in Omar Elerian’s playful new take on one of Shakespeare’s most joyous tales, Sat 17 June - Sat 5 Aug, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

TREASURE ISLAND Company Theatre

School presents an amateur version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckling tale, Sun 18 June, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Shakespeare’s romantic romp gets the Oddsocks treatment in an outdoor production featuring songs and silliness, Sun 18 June, Tamworth Castle

FOOTBALL FREDDIE New show for children, telling the story of a little girl with a big love of the beautiful game, Sun 18 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Kids Theatre

WINNIE THE POOH New musical based on AA Milne’s much-loved characters and their adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood, Fri 16 - Sun 18 June, Birmingham Hippodrome

Dance

BREAKIN’ CONVENTION Showcasing inspiring performances from internationally celebrated poppers, lockers, b-boys and b-girls, with local talent performing alongside global sensations, Tues 13 - Wed 14 June, Birmingham Hippodrome

Sat 17 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

MUSICAL THEATRE KARAOKE An evening of ‘stagey joy’, Fri 16 June, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

ELVIS LESLEY: BURNIN’ LOVE BINGO Join award-winning character comedian Tracey Collins (Shell Suit Cher, Audrey Heartburn) as she brings her latest ‘ridiculous’ act to the stage, Sat 17 June, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

TOSCANA STRINGS: MONKEY PUZZLE AND PETER AND THE WOLF - STORIES SET TO MUSIC Music & dance accompany the reading of two wellknown children’s classics. Sophie Price narrates a performance by BRB soloist Laura Tye, Sun 18 June, Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Talks & Spoken Word

THE MAKING OF A MURDERER Scottish detective David Swindle shares his unique insight into the minds of some of Britain’s biggest serial killers, Thurs 15 June, Birmingham Town Hall

Events

GAYDON GATHERING An opportunity for petrolheads to indulge in their passion with like-minded people, Tues 13 June, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

REVEALING THE MASK TEACHER WORKSHOP Mask workshops featuring games, exercises and shared exploration, Tues 13 June, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

PLANETARIUM LATES: PARTICLE/WAVE A look at gravitational waves via a collaboration between poets, musicians, sound & video artists and scientists, Thurs 15 June, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

WESTON PARK AIR SHOW

INTERNATIONAL Featuring model and full-sized aircraft displays, off-road and circuit model car racing, model boats and helicopters, Fri 16 - Sun 18 June, Weston Park, Shropshire

SUMMER SOLSTICE CELTIC CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP Join expert calligrapher Jane Lappage to celebrate the advent of midsummer, Sat 17 June, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

WESTON PARK FIREWORK & AERIAL

PYRO SPECTACULAR The organisers of the Weston Park Air Show International bring you ‘a very special aerial show’, Sat 17 June, Weston Park, Shropshire

BUDDING BOTANISTS An interactive learning experience for children, teaching them about bugs, plants, pollination, nature and more, Sat 17 June, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

WILDLIFE WALK Get hands-on with some of the plants in the gardens and look for the creatures which make the gardens their home, Sat 17 June, Aston Hall, Birmingham

Hawaiian-themed pup cafe for Dachshunds and their crosses, Sun 18 June, The Lost & Found, Birmingham

PUP UP CAFE Special-themed pup cafe for Dachshunds, Frenchie and Pugs, Sun 18 June, The Lost & Found, Birmingham

BANBURY RUN Featuring motorcycles and three-wheelers produced before 1931, with up to 500 entrants starting their run from the museum, Sun 18 June, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTORS FAIR

Featuring traders from across the UK selling a wide range of items from yesteryear, Sun 18 June, Himley Hall, Dudley

OLD SKOOL FAMILY DISCO Featuring a DJ banging out the tunes, plus mascots, glow sticks and bubbles, Sun 18 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

BALLET CENTRAL 2023 Featuring a programme of much-loved familiar stories alongside contemporary pieces and brand-new work, Thurs 15 June, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

Light Entertainment

HOT BROWN HONEY - THE REMIX

Theatre and social activism combine as a posse of World First Nations women smash stereotypes in ‘an unapologetic celebration of our similarities and differences’, Wed 14 -

FINDS DAY AT ASTON HALL Take along your archaeological finds to be identified and recorded by an expert, Thurs 15 June, Aston Hall, Birmingham

BBC GARDENERS’ WORLD LIVE

Featuring top TV gardeners, shopping opportunities and expert advice, Thurs 15 - Sun 18 June, NEC, Birmingham

BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW SUMMER

Featuring hundreds of brands, plenty of inspiration and a line-up of popular chefs and experts, Thurs 15 - Sun 18 June, NEC, Birmingham

EXPLORE ASTON HALL Immerse yourself in 400 years of history as you learn about the people who lived in the Hall, Fri 16 June, Aston Hall

LICHFIELD WINE FESTIVAL Featuring an array of local and national wine merchants, as well as local vineyards and distillers, Sat 17 June, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

FIRING UP FOR FATHERS DAY WEEKEND

A weekend of activities for dads and families, including heritage vehicles and milling displays, Sat 17 - Sun 18 June, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove

ANIMECON UK A showcase of the best of Asian pop culture, Sat 17 - Sun 18 June, NEC, Birmingham

NATIONAL CYCLING SHOW A show aiming to educate, inspire and motivate, Sat 17 - Sun 18 June, NEC, Birmingham

DACHSHUND PUP UP CAFE Special

Festivals in the Midlands

NOCTURNE LIVE AT BLENHEIM PALACE

Line-up includes Lionel Richie, Pete Tong presents Ibiza Classics, Gregory Porter, Emeli Sande, Wed 14 - Sun 18 June, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

BEARDY FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Skerryvore, Seth Lakeman, Rusty Shackle, Valtos, Thurs 15 - Sun 18 June, Hopton Court, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire

SONIC ROCK SOLSTICE Line-up includes Henge, Keepers Brew, Eat Static, David Smale, Thurs 15 - Mon 19 June, Stoke Prior Sports and Country Club, Bromsgrove

BBC Good Food Show Summer - NEC, Birmingham

thelist

Monday 19 - Sunday 25 June

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by P Grainger, E Coates, A Ketelby, J Ireland, S Torch, M Dring, R Binge & P Fletcher, Mon 19 June, Birmingham Town Hall

RARE, UNFINISHED AND BELOVEDFUYAO LI (VIOLA) Also featuring Charles Matthews (piano). Programme includes works by Vieuxtemps, Kattenburg & Hindemith, Mon 19 June, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham

Conservatoire

BRUCH AND BLOCH. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: CHANLIAN CHEN (VIOLA) Also featuring Christian Hoddinott (clarinet) & Charles Matthews (piano), Tues 20 June, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham

Gigs

BETH MCCARTHY Mon

19 June, The Sunflower Lounge, Kings Heath

FRANKIE AND THE WITCH

FINGERS Tues 20 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

CARTER SAMPSON +

AMELIA WHITE Tues 20

June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

JAMES Tues 20 June,

The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

TORS Wed 21 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

WHEN TIGERS USED TO SMOKE + ADULT

LEISURE + IZUZVO +

BRAD WALTON Wed 21

June, The Sunflower Lounge

SPECTRAL WOUND + THE SUN’S JOURNEY

THROUGH THE NIGHT

Wed 21 June, The Asylum

TUNDE BAIYEWU +

BURR ISLAND Wed 21

June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SIOUXSIE Wed 21 June, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

ELLEN ANDREA

WANG/ROB LUFT/JOHN

FÄLT

Thurs 22 June,

Midlands Arts Centre

HANNAH ALDRIDGE

Thurs 22 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

SPARKS Thurs 22 June, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

MAJOR TOMS + KATE

O’MALLEY ON SAX Fri 23

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

BLOODSTOCKBIRMINGHAM METAL TO THE MASSES - FINAL Fri

23 June, Devil’s Dog

KURT VILE & THE VIOLATORS + KING

HANNAH Fri 23 June,

O2 Institute

AMIGO THE DEVIL Fri 23

June, O2 Institute

DEVOUT - DEPECHE

MODE TRIBUTE Fri 23

June, O2 Academy

BARRINGTON LEVY Fri 23

June, O2 Academy

PROCONSUL Fri 23

June, Castle & Falcon

THE HIGH KINGS Fri 23

June, Birmingham Town Hall

RICHARD THOMPSON + MEMORIAL Fri 23 June, The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton

RED LEMONS Fri 23Sat 24 June, The Jam House, Jewellery Quarter

THE ELO EXPERIENCE Fri 23 - Sat 24 June, The Core Theatre, Solihull

BLUES CLUB Sat 24 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

WE ARE (NOT) DEVO Sat 24 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

THE ALLERGIES Sat 24

June, The Night Owl

SPECIAL KINDA

MADNESS Sat 24 June, Castle & Falcon

LAURA ASTON & THE LA

BAND Sun 25 June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

SHALAMAR Sun 25

June, Symphony Hall

FASTLOVE - A TRIBUTE

TO GEORGE MICHAEL

Sun 25 June, The Alexandra

Conservatoire

JIA HUANG (BARITONE) & BOCHENG

WANG (PIANO) Programme includes works by Vaughan Williams, Brahms, Schubert, YingHai, Chang Qun Ao & JianFen Gu, Tues 20 June, The Bradshaw Hall, Birmingham

EX CATHEDRA: SUMMER MUSIC BY CANDLELIGHT Featuring Sarah Latto (conductor - pictured). Programme includes works by William Byrd, George Gershwin, Alec Roth & Herbert Howells, Tues 20 - Wed 21

June, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham

Comedy

PREACHER LAWSON Tues 20 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, GARY LITTLE & COMIC TBC

Thurs 22 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BETHANY BLACK, FREDDIE FARRELL & JAMES COOK Fri 23 June, The Station, Kings Heath, Birmingham

GARY POWNDLAND & FRIENDS Fri 23

June, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

TEZ ILYAS, MUHSIN YESILADA, FARHAN

SOLO & NABIL ABDULRASHID Fri 23

June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JOSH PUGH, MICHAEL MAY, GARY LITTLE & SAMMY DOBSON Fri 23 - Sat 24

June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PAUL SINHA, JOEY PAGE, MICHAEL

FABBRI & JON PEARSON Sat 24 June, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

MARK SIMMONS Sat 24 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

NOREEN KHAN, EMILY LLOYD SAINI, SUKH OJLA & KYRAH GRAY Sat 24

June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

KANE BROWN & RICHARD BLACKWOOD

Sat 24 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

HARE OF THE DOG COMEDY Sun 25

June, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

Theatre

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Shakespeare’s romantic romp gets the Oddsocks treatment in a production featuring songs and silliness, Mon 19 - Wed 21 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

A PLAY FOR THE LIVING IN A TIME OF EXTINCTION Miranda Rose Hall’s onewoman show confronts ‘the urgent ecological disaster unfolding around us’, Mon 19 - Sat 24 June, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

WISH YOU WERE DEAD Clive Mantle and George Rainsford star in Peter James’ hit thriller, Tues 20 - Sat 24 June, The Alexandra, Birmingham

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNITA Rifco present a ‘samosa saga’ about a coming together of the Johals - and what happens when a family has decades of unfinished business, Tues 20 - Sat 24 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SIX THE MUSICAL Smash-hit musical in which the six wives of Henry VIII take to the stage to tell their tales... Tues 20 - Sun 25 June, Birmingham

Hippodrome

5 YEARS A new comic drama asking ‘what do we lose in the pursuit of perfection?’, Wed 21 - Thurs 22 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham

TWELFTH NIGHT Illyria presents an evening of ‘yearning romance, music and sheer joy’, Fri 23 June, Winterbourne Gardens, Birmingham

ROMEO & JULIET The Lord Chamberlain’s Men present an outdoor version of the timeless love story, Fri 23 June, Packwood House, Solihull

DRACULA: THE BLOODY TRUTH Four actors play over 40 characters in an innovative and humorous production based on ‘the true events of Dracula’,

Shalamar - Symphony Hall

Siouxsie - The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

thelist

Fri 23 - Sat 24 June, Lichfield Garrick

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM West

End favourite Kerry Ellis (pictured) stars alongside Jonathan Hyde (Titanic, Jumanji) and Milly Zero (EastEnders, The Foreigner) in a new version of Shakespeare’s most popular comedy, Fri 23 June - Sun 9 July, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Kids Theatre

THE HERO NEXT DOOR BY ONJALI Q. RAÚF New play for seven to 10-yearolds exploring themes of friendship, and empathy, Sun 25 June, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

ANIMALS UNLEASHED Fast-paced theatre show for the whole family featuring visual effects, comedy, music and life-sized animals, Sun 25 June, Lichfield Garrick

Dance

FREEMAN DANCE SUMMER SHOW

Featuring inspiring choreography in the genres of street dance, ballet, tap, Irish and musical theatre, Fri 23 & Sat 24 June, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

BRB2: CARLOS ACOSTA’S CLASSICAL

SELECTION A gala celebration of classical ballet, with Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody and Carlos’ new interpretation of Fokine’s The Dying Swan featuring amongst the highlights, Sat 24 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Light Entertainment

WINDRUSH 75TH YEAR CELEBRATION

One-off event featuring performances, guest speakers and presentations. The evening culminates with a jamboree of music from the 1950s to the present day, Thurs 22 June, The Rep, Birmingham

RUSH - A JOYOUS JAMAICAN JOURNEY

Comedian John Simmit narrates the story of reggae music and the Windrush Generation, Thurs 22 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

BINGO AT TIFFANY’S An evening of bingo games, raucous singalongs and glamorous dancing, Sat 24 June,

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

CIRQUE: THE GREATEST SHOW Musical theatre meets circus in a show featuring ‘breath-taking’ aerialists and contortionists... Sun 25 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Talks & Spoken Word

THE MAKING OF A MURDERER Scottish detective David Swindle shares his unique insight into the minds of some of Britain’s biggest serial killers, Wed 21 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Q&A WITH CLIVE MANTLE Join the TV & stage actor for a session on everything from Casualty to Game Of Thrones. Part of Independent Bookshop Week, Thurs 22 June, Bear Bookshop, Bearwood, Birmingham

THE AUTISM SHOW Over 100 hours of talks, clinics and workshops, plus hundreds of specialist products and services, Fri 23 - Sat 24 June, NEC, Birmingham

THE CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW A haven for crafters, offering all the latest supplies, ideas and innovations, Fri 23 - Sun 25 June, NEC, Birmingham

Sun 25 June, Dartmouth Park, West Bromwich

TECH ROOTZ Immersive experience in the worlds of gaming, design thinking, music production and more, Sun 25 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

AN EVENING WITH CHRIS HADFIELD A mind-expanding evening of exploration, imagery, stories and music, Fri 23 June, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

CLAIRE FULLER: THE MEMORY OF ANIMALS Part of Independent Bookshop Week, Sat 24 June, All Saints Centre, Kings Heath, B‘ham

Events

MINI MOTORISTS MONDAYS Celebrating the centenary of the famous Le Mans endurance race, Mon 19 June, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

THE BIG BANG FAIR The UK’s biggest STEM celebration for young people, Wed 21 - Fri 23 June, NEC, B’ham

POTFEST BY THE LAKE Showcasing the work of 80 of the UK’s finest ceramics makers, Fri 23 - Sun 25 June, Compton Verney, Warwickshire

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR A guided tour of Aston Hall, with the rare opportunity to see some sections of the building not usually open to the public, Sat 24 June, Aston Hall, Birmingham

BUDDING BOTANISTS Interactive learning experience for children, teaching them about bugs, plants, pollination, nature and more, Sat 24 June, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

STEP BACK TO THE 1940S Feel the spirit of the British home front as you travel by heritage steam train to each station, Sat 24 - Sun 25 June, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

STEAMPUNK WEEKEND Featuring elaborate costumes on parade, traders selling accessories and clothing, and ‘fascinating’ exhibits, Sat 24 - Sun 25 June, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge

ARMED FORCES WEEKEND Featuring fun family activities, a service of tribute and a food & craft fair, Sat 24Sun 25 June, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire

FORD NATIONALS Ford car clubs all over the UK come together to make a display of blue oval wheels, Sun 25 June, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

ADULT NIGHT Chance to enjoy ‘the ultimate’ indoor Lego playground completely kid-free! Fri 23 June, Legoland Discovery Centre B’ham

SANDWELL PRIDE FESTIVAL LGBT+ community celebration featuring music, performances and activities,

PANTOMIME KIDS AUDITIONS - JACK & THE BEANSTALK Little Wolf Entertainment is holding auditions for youngsters who’d like to participate in this year’s panto production of Jack And The Beanstalk, Sun 25 June, The Core Theatre, Solihull

ARMED FORCES DAY Free family day out honouring those in the armed forces, Sun 25 June, Himley Hall, Dudley

BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Join informative guides for a peek behind closed doors, to learn some of the royal secrets of the Bradford family, Sun 25 June, Weston Park, Staffordshire

Festivals in the Midlands

BIRMINGHAM RUM FESTIVAL Featuring over 100 rums, including heritage brands such as Appleton Estate and Havana Club, Sat 24 June, The Cuban Embassy, Moseley

SHREWSBURY FOOD FESTIVAL

Featuring hundreds of food & drink stalls, street-food trucks, bars, chef stages and chef schools, Sat 24Sun 25 June, The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury

UPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL Line-up includes Ben Holder’s Hot Club Quartet, Jake Leg Jug Band, Sarah Spencer’s Transatlantic Jazz Band & Hotsy Totsy, Sat 24 - Sun 25 June, various venues in Upton-upon-Severn, Worcestershire

An Evening With Chris Hadfield - Symphony Hall, Birmingham

thelist

Monday 26 - Friday 30 June

Classical Music

CBSO CUPPA CONCERT A series of relaxed small-ensemble concerts, specially programmed for people living in care, Tues 27 June (2pm), CBSO Centre, Birmingham

Comedy

FRANKIE BOYLE Mon 26 June, The Alexandra, Birmingham

ISMO Wed 28 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MAUREEN YOUNGER & LINDSEY

SANTORO Wed 28 June, The Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

Kids Theatre

DEMON DENTIST David Walliams’

‘hilarious and thrilling’ story, live on stage, Wed 28 June - Sat 1 July, The Alexandra, Birmingham

Gigs

SUZIE UNGERLEIDER

Mon 26 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings

Heath

NELL BRYDEN Tues 27

June, Symphony Hall

JACK GOODALL AND THE KICK Tues 27 June, The Kitchen Garden, Kings Heath

TASH SULTANA Tues 27

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

June, Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath

DEL CAMINO Thurs 29

June, The Jam House, Birmingham

CAN’T SWIM + JETSKI

Thurs 29 June, O2

Academy

MICK THOMAS & JEN ANDERSON Thurs 29

June, The Kitchen

Garden, Kings Heath

RUTH ANGELL Thurs 29

June, Bromsgrove Folk Club

SUGABABES Thurs 29

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

CLOUDBUSTING - THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH

Thurs 29 June, The Robin, Bilston

LEGEND - THE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY Thurs 29

June, Lichfield Garrick

SUBTERRANEANS Fri 30

June, The Jam House, Jewellery Quarter

SHOW ME THE BODY Fri 30 June, The Asylum

ROBINSON, ANNA MANN (COLIN HOULT) & TATTY MACLEOD Thurs 29 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RUSSELL HOWARD Thurs 29 June, Birmingham Hippodrome

JOSH JONES, KATE LUCAS & PAUL

MCCAFFREY Thurs 29 June, Hockley Social Club, Birmingham

ANIA MAGLIANO, LEW FITZ & ALEX KITSON Thurs 29 June, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DARREN HARRIOTT, DAVE LONGLEY, ANNA MANN (COLIN HOULT), TATTY

Light Entertainment

THE BASTARD ENBY SHOW Genderdefiant performance collective bringing together the ‘creme-de-lathems of cabaret’, Fri 30 June, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM JAZZ

ORCHESTRA Fri 30 June, Jennifer Blackwell

Performance Space, Symphony Hall

LEGEND: THE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY Fri 30

June, Birmingham

Town Hall

CHRIS ISAAK Fri 30

June, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

THE UK ROCK SHOW Fri 30 June, Lichfield Garrick

MACLEOD & ROMAN HARRIS Fri 30 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ALEX KREKAN, SMASH BENGALI, ICY JONES, HUSSEIN ALI, SMASH ENTERTAINZ & CASSANDRA MARIA Fri 30 June, The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham

JONNY COLE Fri 30 June, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Theatre

THE WORLD WILL REMEMBER US Birmingham Ormiston Academy showcase a selection of musicals about true and life-changing events, Mon 26 - Tues 27 June, Old Rep, Birmingham

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL Tom Read Wilson and RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Divina De Campo take top billing in an ‘all-singing, all-dancing, deepsea pearl of a show’, Tues 27 JuneSat 1 July, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

HAPPY DAYS Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls/The Great Pottery Throw Down) plays Winnie in Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece, Wed 28 June - Sat 1 July, The Rep, Birmingham

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW The Crescent Theatre Company present an amateur version of Shakespeare’s provocative comedy, Thurs 29 JuneSat 1 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

Festivals in the Midlands

BACK 2 FESTIVAL Line-up includes Blue, Basshunter, Cascada, A1, Boyzlife, Thurs 29 June - Mon 3 July, Catton Hall & Park, Derbyshire

ALDERFEST Line-up includes McFly, Sam Ryder, Aston Merrygold, Sonique, Fri 30 June - Sat 1 July, Alderford Lake, Shropshire

PUB IN THE PARK Line-up includes Bananarama, Toploader, Ronan

Keating, Soul II Soul, Fri 30 JuneSun 2 July, Victoria Park, Leamington Spa

HEAL FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Enemy, Cast, Dub Pistols, The Slow Readers Club, Fri 30 June - Sun 2 July, Greenhous West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury GODIVA

FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Enemy, Melanie C, Rudimental, Ella Eyre, Fri 20 June - Sun 2 July, War Memorial Park, Coventry

EINSTELLUNG + ZYGGURAT + WILDFORMS Wed 28

Legend: The Music of Bob Marley - Birmingham Town Hall

The Sugababes - The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

Enter now at whatsonlive.co.uk and be in with a chance of bagging one of these fab prizes...

A pair of tickets to see Fastlove: The George Michael tribute

This internationally acclaimed tribute to George Michael heads to The Alexandra, Birmingham on Sunday 25 June, marking what would have been the star’s 60th birthday.

Competition closes Monday 19 June

Four tickets to the National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham

Regarded as one of the region’s most popular visitor attractions, the National Sealife Centre features over 2000 amazing creatures and is home to the UK's Only 360° Ocean Tunnel.

Competition closes Monday 3 July

A pair of tickets to see Siouxsie

Returning to the stage following a decade-long hiatus, punk icon Siouxsie plays The Halls Wolverhampton on Wednesday 21 June as part of just handful of UK dates.

Competition closes Monday 12 June

A pair of tickets to see Sugababes

The era-defining girl group promise an epic comeback with original line-up Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy. The trio play The Halls Wolverhampton on Thursday 29 June.

Competition closes Monday 19 June

Four tickets to Heal Festival

The Enemy (pictured), CAST, The Slow Readers Club and The Dub Pistols are amongst the 80-plus performers playing at Heal this year. The festival takes place at The West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, from 30 June to 2 July.

Competition closes Monday 19 June