Coventry & Warwickshire What's On January 2020

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Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2020

Coventry & Warwickshire

GHT PLAYS PLA L YS LA Y BEVERLEY KNIGHT S CENTRE CENTR T E TR WARWICK ARTS

ISSUE 409 JANUARY 2020 020

’ What sOn FILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTS I FOOD

warwickshirewhatson.co.uk

PART OF WHAT’S ON MEDIA GROUP

thelist

inside:

Your 16-page week by week listings guide

DAVID BADDIEL

talks trolls, Twitter and Trump interview inside...

TWITTER: @WHATSONWARWICKS

THE MORMONS ARE COMING...

Award-winning musical on tour

FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWARWICKSHIRE

ARENACROSS TOUR a non-stop white-knuckle ride at Resorts World Arena

WARWICKSHIREWHATSON.CO.UK

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Contents January Warwicks/Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 16:34 Page 2

January 2020

Contents

Go, go, go, Joe! - Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat visits the Coventry Belgrade - page 32

the list

David Baddiel

Milton Jones

Jennifer Saunders

takes to the road to talk trolls, Twitter and Trump...

in-demand funnyman heads for the Midlands region

summoning the dead in Blithe Spirit at Malvern Theatres

Your 16-page week-by-week listings guide

feature page 8

page 25

page 30

page 53

inside: 4. First Word

11. Food

17. Gigs

24. Comedy

30. Theatre

43. Film

46. Visual Arts

49. Events

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@whatsonwarwicks

@whatsonworcs

Warwickshire What’s On

Warwickshire What’s On

Worcestershire What’s On

What’sOn MEDIA GROUP

Worcestershire What’s On

Managing Director: Davina Evans davina@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse lei@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281703 Chris Horton chris@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281704 Editorial: Lauren Foster lauren@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281707 Brian O’Faolain brian@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281701 Abi Whitehouse abi@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281716 Lauren Cole lauren.cole@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281733 Sue Jones sue@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281705 Subscriptions: Adrian Parker adrian.parker@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Nanci Davies, Patsy Moss Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan Accounts Administrator: Julia Perry julia@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281717 This publication is printed on paper from a sustainable source and is produced without the use of elemental chlorine.

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Entertainment news from around the region

A Bite Size festival at Warwick Arts Centre Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre is this month once again hosting the Bite Size Festival, an initiative designed to celebrate and promote some of the best new work from the Midlands’ creative talents.

Offering audiences the chance to sample a range of theatre in one place on one day, the festival comprises six sessions throughout Saturday 18 January. Excerpts of brand new work, full-length shows and pieces still in development all feature. For more information, visit warwickartscentre.co.uk

Graziano and Giada set to dazzle in Havana Nights

to help fund two new exhibitions.

The museum has also been inducted into the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame.

For more information, visit covmm.co.uk

who has sold more than 75 million records worldwide, plays the venue on Friday 31 July.

For tickets, visit axs.com

RSC on the lookout for theatre groups to perform

Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima is preparing to ‘dazzle and delight’ Midlands audiences with a brand new dance show.

The 25-year-old will be joined on his Havana Nights tour by fellow Strictly professional and fiancée Giada Lini. Promising a mix of Latin dances, with individual performances from Graziano and Giada, the show stops off at a number of Midlands venues. To find out where, visit havananightstour.co.uk

Coventry Music Museum secures new sponsor The Coventry Music Museum has secured a new local sponsor for its 2020 programme.

Community service organisation Coventry Leofric Lions has donated £1,250 to the venue 4 whatsonlive.co.uk

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is offering amateur and semi-professional theatre groups, schools and colleges the opportunity to put on a play written or inspired by William Shakespeare.

The production will be staged in the summer at The Dell, the RSC’s open-air performance space on the banks of the River Avon in Stratford.

Anybody interested in mounting a production should download The Dell 2020 Guidance Notes & Application Form, which are available at rsc.org.uk/thedell. The closing date for applications is Monday 24 February.

Warwick Castle date for superstar Michael Buble Grammy Award-winning superstar singer Michael Bublé will stop off at Warwick Castle this summer as part of his UK tour of stately homes, castles and cricket grounds. Bublé,

Worcester to get state-ofthe-art hockey centre An application has been submitted to build a multi-million pound state-of-the-art hockey centre in Worcester.

The land is currently owned by the council. If agreement is reached, it would be jointly leased for 30 years to RGS Worcester and Worcester Hockey Club, with a proposed opening date at the end of 2020. The plans include two international-standard hockey pitches, two youth-football pitches, a singlestorey pavilion with changing rooms, a clubroom and car park. A decision on the application is due to be made by next month.

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First Word

Dance with Motionhouse in Leamington Spa Midlands dance company Motionhouse has launched three new classes at its Leamington Spa studio: Discover Movement & Play is a familyfriendly class for children aged between two and five; Dance Fit For Over-60s focuses on dance-based exercises to keep older people active; and Surge is a ‘physical and fun’ dance class for boys aged 11-plus.

For more information, visit motionhouse.co.uk

A Monster Calls at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre...

First it was a book, then a film, now it’s a play.

The critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd’s A Monster Calls stops off at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 March.

Stoke stadium date for Robbie Robbie Williams will this summer perform a special show at Port Vale Football Club's Vale Park Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent.

Local lad and Vale supporter Robbie will take to the stage on 20 June for a concert in aid of three charities - the Donna Louise Hospice for Children & Young People, Unicef UK and The Hubb Foundation.

Don’t forget to Treecycle!

Remember that you can take the hassle out of recycling your Christmas tree this month by allowing a local hospice to take it away for you.

St Mary’s Hospice’s Treecycling campaign will see volunteers collect thousands of used Christmas trees from properties across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull, in return for a donation to the Hospice.

The initiative takes place on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 January.

More info is available at birminghamhospice. org.uk

A story of love, life and healing, the production focuses on 13-year-old Conor, his terminally ill mother, and the monster who comes calling on him in the depths of the night... The show is suitable for children aged 10 and older.

New theatre producers gear up for 2021 Following the announcement of Corey Campbell, Balisha Karra and Justine Themen as co-artistic directors, Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has made two further appointments to the team that will support the delivery of its UK City of Culture programme next year.

Joining the venue as senior producer is Sâmir Bhamra, Artistic Director & CEO of Phizzical, a Midlands-based production company creating adventurous touring work with a focus on South Asian and British Asian perspectives.

The second appointment is Krysztina Winkel, who will take on the role of embedded community producer and focus on outreach and participation.

Krysztina has previously worked with community drama group Barefeet Theatre in Zambia, as well as on social inclusion projects in countries ranging from Italy to Iraq.

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First Word

Gwen Taylor to star in new thriller A brand new thriller is coming to Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre in the spring (15 - 18 April).

Based on a true story, The Croft is set in a remote region of the Scottish Highlands, where two women enjoying a break from the frantic pace of 21st century life find their weekend taking an unexpected turn...

Gwen Taylor, who recently appeared at the Belgrade in the UK tour of The Lady Vanishes, takes top billing. For more information, visit belgrade.co.uk

Big names announced for Solihull’s 2020 summer festival Kool And The Gang, Tony Hadley, Belinda Carlisle, Shalamar, Leo Sayer, The Brand New Heavies and From The Jam have all been confirmed to appear at the 2020 Solihull Summer Fest event. The two-day

festival in the town’s Tudor Grange Park is this year taking place on 25 & 26 July. More acts will be announced in the coming months. Keep up to date with developments at solihullsummerfest.co.uk

Strictly Ballroom out on tour The fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood is to direct a 2020/21 UK and Ireland tour of Baz Luhrmann's smash-hit musical, Strictly Ballroom.

The all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza stops off at two Midlands venues during the tour and comes complete with a selection of hit songs, including Love Is In The Air, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After Time.

The show foxtrots into the region at the Wolverhampton Grand from 5 to 10 October, and then at Birmingham Hippodrome, from 10 to 15 May 2021.

BoJo tempted at Malvern theatre A smash-hit comedy-drama about one of the most divisive and controversial politicians of modern times is visiting Malvern Theatre this month (Wednesday 22 - Saturday 25 January).

The Last Temptation Of Boris Johnson is set in a post-Brexit Britain of 2029 when Boris, no longer in power, roams the political wilderness. But unexpected events see him back in the spotlight and offered a perhaps-final chance to “make Britain great again”.

A sell-out during its West End run, the show is written by Jonathan Maitland, whose previous work includes Dead Sheep and An Audience With Jimmy Savile.

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Sea Life Centre to become home to rare Alaskan otters In a UK first, two Alaskan sea otters will soon become residents at Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre.

The otters will travel more than 5,000 miles by land and air to reach the Centre, where they will set up home in a new multi-million pound marine mammal rescue facility.

The facility is part of a pioneering education & conservation project in partnership with the Sea Life Trust and Alaska Wildlife.

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Taking on the trolls...

David Baddiel talks trolls, Twitter and Trump ahead of his new 52-date UK tour

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by Lauren Cole

David Baddiel is critically acclaimed in a number of creative fields. In his time in the spotlight, he’s been a comedian, presenter, author, screenwriter and playwright. His previous touring comedy show, My Family: Not The Sitcom, even transferred to the West End and was nominated for an Olivier Award.

“I decided when I came back to performing in 2013 that I didn’t just want to do generalised banter in that comedian way,” explains David, who’s visiting the region this month with his latest stage offering, Trolls: Not The Dolls - a show based around the subject of social media. “I wanted to talk about stuff; things that are important to me. I’ve watched quite a lot of Ted Talks and actually hosted a programme on Radio Four about people doing serious talks. I started to wonder about whether there could be a comedy version of really digging into a single subject. So my first show, Fame: Not The Musical, was about how weird the celebrity world is, and then My Family: Not The Sitcom was about my family.

During both shows I was using social media to talk about the ways in which the world was changing, and particularly the way people were getting really angry. Those parts worked so well in my previous shows that I realised there was probably a whole show to be had there.

“Certainly social media never fails to surprise me. For example, going back to when it was first becoming a thing, a journalist called India Knight described it as this website that’s like a cocktail party where you can mingle with others and have a lovely time. I’m sure many would’ve been surprised that it’s turned into mainly people shouting at each other.

Fortunately or unfortunately, social media does actually influence people a lot. If you fast-forward just over 10 years on from Twitter’s launch, Donald Trump becomes President of the United States. He is the archetypal troll - and not just in his presence on Twitter, but in his whole dialogue and very loud, angry, extreme discourse with conspiracy theories and all the rest of it. So we’re not talking about trolls as something on the fringes of our society here - they’re at the very centre of the changes that we see happening in our world.

"I think people used to dismiss social media snootily as a place where people try to show off or talk about what they had for breakfast.

Incidentally, I do the breakfast thing with my whole series of tweets about Full English

Breakfasts, and people go barmy about placing the beans next to the sausages and whatever. Even that gets an extreme reaction! So social media can be really trivial in that way, but also it can be so influential and is really changing everything. I predominantly use Twitter, and I think Twitter is where a lot of the battles - particularly political ones - are happening. Social media has changed the fundamental ideas behind the way humans think and just are, especially in regard to power and the way people interact.”

David’s Twitter interactions with trolls was one of the inspirations for his show: “When this really abusive part of social media began happening, people started this campaign about not ‘feeding the trolls’. Just ignore them. I found that really strange as a comedian, because trolls are essentially hecklers they’re people saying ‘you’re s***’ in one way or another. Generally a comedian’s response to hecklers is to try and put them down funnily. It’s seen as part of the job; to take what they’ve said and to disarm them in a way that makes the rest of the audience laugh. I didn’t see that as any different on Twitter. When I had a troll tweet me, I would retweet it with my own response above and it had the same response from the audience as it would in a live show... people laughed! I can sort of be a conductor of this great big comedy orchestra too, because others are itching to join in. So I’ll start something by responding to a troll with a joke, and someone else will then add to that with a graphic or whatever. People always ask me if what trolls say to and about me hurts me - and the true answer to that is yes. But seconds later I think it’s just immaterial. The window of feeling hurt is definitely getting smaller and smaller. One thing that Trolls: Not The Dolls tries to do is take this terrible, abusive thing and transform it into something joyful and funny. That’s one way of thinking about trolls that takes away any power they thought they had.”

Trolls: Not The Dolls has been described as Baddiel’s most political show yet, an assessment with which he agrees: “But I should stress from the start that it doesn’t come from a set political perspective. I certainly was left wing when I was young, but now I’m no wing whatsoever. I use that phrase rather than ‘centrist’ because I don’t really like that word, and, in fact, it’s something that trolls often use. What I mean is that I try not to fit any prearranged ideological map. If something

happens in the news, I don’t go, ‘Oh, I’m left wing so I should think about this like this’.

I just try to go off what I think, which doesn’t mean I won’t end up thinking about things in what is traditionally seen as a left or rightwing way. It just means that I’m more focused on my own identity. The show is actually about that, too. There’s a lot about how one’s pre-thought-out identity leads to anger. For example, I made this incredibly innocuous joke about Nicola Sturgeon, which led to unimaginable rage from Scottish Nationalists.

But being a Scottish Nationalist had absolutely nothing to do with the joke. I think social media is a lot about saying, Here I am, and wanting to have an identity in amongst the sea of people. One way of doing that is to turn up the volume and make people notice your identity - and the most obvious way to do that is through anger.”

So how come David has so many strings to his bow?

“From the word go, I’ve never really acknowledged boundaries between different types of storytelling. Take the children’s books as an example - my son, who was eight at the time, asked me why Harry Potter didn’t just run away from the Dursleys and find better parents, which gave me the idea for my first children’s book. In that world, children choose their own parents. I immediately saw that that particular idea was right for a children’s book rather than a live show, but what I didn’t do was decide that because I wasn’t a children’s author I couldn’t write it.

“Then, with my play, God’s Dice, I had an idea about a scientist who proves the existence of God with the help of his student - and to me that felt like an idea best fitted to a play.

I really don’t feel strapped into one medium.

People always tell me I do so many things in my job, but I don’t feel like that: I’m not a comedian and a plumber! I’m just a storyteller in different forms.”

Trolls: Not The Dolls visits Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 6 February; Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, Sun 9 February; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington, Sat 14 March; Dudley Town Hall, Sat 29 February; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 14 March; Symphony Hall, Brimingham, Thurs 19 March For further dates, visit davidbaddiel.com

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Dine out in 2020

Enjoy great food? Here’s a selection of some of our favourite eateries for you to try out in 2020.

Don’t forget, you can read all of our restaurant reviews in full at whatsonlive.co.uk

The Olive Branch Mediterranean Bistro & Wine Bar - ★★★★★ Worcester’s hidden gem, The Olive Branch is concealed behind a gated courtyard off Worcester High Street and nestled between the entrance of St Swithun’s Church and Superdrug.

Pricing - ££££ The Olive Branch Mediterranean Bistro & Wine Bar, 6 Church Street, Worcester, WR1 2RH

Asha’s Solihull - ★★★★★

Entouraj - ★★★★★

This internationally acclaimed awardwinning restaurant boasts a high-end Indian food offering and is named after one of India’s most famous singers and actresses, Asha Bhosle, photographs of whom are dotted around the walls.

Situated off Kidderminster Road in the picturesque surroundings of Cutnall Green, Droitwich, Entouraj has been tastefully refurbished to a slick, modern brief. Expect an informal yet sophisticated ambience that’s poised somewhere between contemporary gastro-pub, friendly village local and upmarket Indian bistro.

Pricing - £££££ Asha’s Solihull, Touchwood Shopping Centre, Homer Road, Solihull, B91 3GJ

Pricing - ££££ Kidderminster Road, Cuttnall Green, WR9 0PW

Mallory Court Hotel - ★★★★★

Indian Brewery - ★★★★

The Woodsman - ★★★★★

Mallory Court is a historic hotel & spa located between Warwick and Leamington.

Providing the perfect mix of traditional country house charm and contemporary style, the venue features 43 bedrooms, a three-AA Rosette restaurant, a two-AA Rosette art deco brasserie and a heavenly Elan Spa.

Having charmed the tastebuds of Brummies with its irresistible fusion of Bombay-inspired street food and home-brewed craft beer, this pint-sized success story, born of Birmingham’s very own Indian street food boom, has found itself a second home in Solihull.

Situated on Stratford-upon-Avon’s picturesque high street, this newly refurbished, Grade II listed former inn comes complete with a plentiful larder of locally sourced game, meat and fresh vegetables - all lovingly prepared to order on an open wood stove in a timeless marriage of fire, food and good company.

Pricing - £££££ Mallory Court Hotel & Spa, Harbury Lane, Royal Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV33 9QB

Pricing - £££ Indian Brewery, 52 Station Road, Solihull, B91 3RX

Pricing - ££££ The Woodsman, 4 Chapel Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HA

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Food

Cooked to perfection and bursting with freshness, it was clear that every possible effort had been taken with our meal, from the lightness of the bread served warm, from the oven - to the picante tang of the balsamic vinegar. The halloumi fries, likewise, were a delight and were complemented beautifully by the sharpness of the tomato sauce.

REVIEW: The Beech House

Solihull venue breathing new life into the concept of the modern-day public house When it comes to great British institutions, the ‘public house’ has to be up there with the best of them. As much a part of UK culture as a mug of builder’s tea, a full fry-up for breakfast or the Great British Bake Off, there’s nowhere we feel quite as ‘at home’ as our local, whether enjoying a post-work pint, meeting friends for cocktails or settling down to a Sunday roast with the extended family.

It is exactly this ‘home from home’ philosophy on which The Beech House is built - and therein lies the key to its wellearned success!

So much more than just a gastropub, this stylishly refurbished, centrally located restaurant & bar breathes new life into the concept of the modern-day public house, providing Solihull punters with an effortlessly sleek yet relaxed atmosphere in which to do business, catch up with friends over coffee, celebrate with loved ones or simply escape the world outside…

Part of the Oakmans Inn chain, whose fellow Warwickshire properties include The Four Alls in Welford-upon-Avon and The Globe in Warwick, this thriving bistro comes complete with stylishly decorated modern interiors, an enviable drinks selection and a carefully chosen repertoire of Mediterranean-inspired specials, pub-grub clas-

sics, build-your-own salads and, of course, the obligatory choice of Sunday roasts, available in a range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.

Fired by an unmistakable passion for its market and a commitment to sustainable produce, this is a venue that puts the needs of its punters first - a fact that was abundantly clear from a first glance at the menu.

Whether you’re a fan of handcrafted Italian pizzas cooked fresh over a wood-fired oven, a sucker for a freshly grilled sirloin, fillet or rump steak (lovingly cooked over fresh charcoal, theatre-style, for all to see) or someone who’s tempted by a continental twist on such classic comfort foods as fish & chips, you’ll find that The Beech House well and truly delivers on its promise to serve ‘quality, honest food’ that makes you feel instantly at home.

We opted for an appetiser of halloumi fries served with a spicy tomato sauce and a shared platter of fresh sourdough & puccia bread with extra virgin olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.

Our attentive waiter, Luke, wasted no time in making us feel at home in the ambient surroundings of the wood-panelled dining area - complete with festive mood lighting and signature teal walls accented with splashes of gold and bronze.

My partner’s choice of spicy pork meatball starter served with harissa sauce and puccia bread, whilst a little pricey at £7.75, was a perfect example of traditional comfort food… served continental style, freshly seasoned, generous in portion size and finished with an earthy kick of rich Italian-style tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese. Bellissimo!

After supping on a refreshing glass or two of Virgin Elderflower Mojito and Seed-fox mocktail served with non-alcoholic gin, elderflower cordial, cranberry & apple juice, lime and cucumber, it was time to raise the stakes… literally. Cue my partner’s main course of 7oz fillet steak served with house fries, dressed rocket and garlic & basil marinated tomatoes: yes, a tad on the pricey side at £27.50 per serving, but when steak tastes this good, it’s hard to argue the point! Infused with the rich, smoked scent of burning charcoal, beautifully tender and seasoned with fresh salt & pepper to draw out the fillet’s abundant natural flavours, we couldn’t have asked for more… except, perhaps, a return visit to sample the Jospher grilled sea-bass, garlic & herb lamb leg and grilled chicken with picante marinade. I could go on!

Likewise, my Mediterranean-inspired main course of prawn & arabiata linguine served with tomato & white wine sauce, parsley, chilli and pangrattato crumb was a real feast for the senses.

Served al dente and infused with a subtle but tangible kick of chilli, both the freshness of the

seafood and intensity of the tomato sauce really shone through.

And whilst our stomachs couldn’t quite stretch to it this time around, for a classic taste of Italy, you can’t go far wrong with one of The Beech House’s signature wood-fired pizzas, cooked on the premises with fresh Neapolitan ingredients and available in a choice of tantalising flavours - from the classic margherita and marinara to the sophisticated stagioni (smoked pancetta, artichokes, mixed mushrooms, olives, fresh basil, tomato sauce and mozzarella).

Or how about the vegetarianfriendly funghi (porcini paste, mixed mushrooms and garlic oil) or the fiery Nduja, served with mozzarella, chicken, tomato sauce, fresh basil and spicy nduja sausage.

With optional breakfast, brunch, lunch and a la carte menus and an inventive yet affordable choice of kids’ meals, it’s hard to fault The Beech House’s incredible attention to detail, let alone customer-savvy approach to bringing relaxed sophistication to the nearest high street. Not content to rest on its laurels and rely on its location alone, it’s refreshing to see The Beech House, and venues like it, not only surviving but thriving in a crowded marketplace. And if my recent visit was anything to go by, it isn’t at all hard to see why.

Contemporary yet comforting, worldly yet warm - it’s fair to say that the future of the Solihull ‘local’ is in safe hands. I’ll drink to that! Katherine Ewing Food: Service: Ambience: Overall value OVERALL

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The Beech House 727 Warwick Road Solihull B01 3DA Tel: 0121 272 7730 whatsonlive.co.uk 13

Asking For It Warwicks Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 17:23 Page 1

ASKING FOR IT The subject of sexual consent takes centre stage at Birmingham Repertory Theatre when an acclaimed stage adaptation of Louise O'Neill's devastating novel, Asking For It, receives its UK premiere this month. A young woman’s life is left in tatters as 21st century morals and the traditions of a small, fictional town in County Cork collide...

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Lauren Cole

The critically acclaimed stage adaptation of Irish author Louise O'Neill’s novel, Asking For It, makes its UK debut in Birmingham this month. And it’s set to cause quite a stir too, focusing, as it does, on the experience of sexual-assault victim Emma O’Donovan, its fictional main character.

“Emma is a very confident, beautiful, popular, ambitious young woman,” explains author Louise. “She really has the world at her feet, but she can definitely veer from being devastatingly vulnerable to monstrously selfish. A lot of the reasons why I wanted to explore the less pleasant aspects of her personality is that I think it’s really important that we dismantle this myth of the perfect victim. People seem to have a finite amount of sympathy for survivors of sexual violence, and it’s as if you have to meet this strict set of criteria: you can’t have been drinking or wearing a short skirt, and if you’ve had any sexual history with your attacker previously, then that will be held against you. I wanted to emphasise that people we dislike who are sexually assaulted are just as deserving of our support.”

So what prompted Louise to write such a provocative novel, particularly for a ‘young adult’ target audience?

“There was a case in America called the Steubenville High School rape case. It was in a small town where the local school’s football team were treated like gods. At a party, a young woman drank a lot, passed out and was then sexually assaulted by multiple members of the team. Photos and videos were taken and circulated on social media. I was struck by the story, and what I found most disturbing was when a CNN reporter said, and I’m paraphrasing, how sad it was to see a day in court where these promising young men were having their futures taken away from them. She didn’t mention the victim at all! It was then that I really understood the term ‘rape culture’. We are still part of a culture that will do anything it can to normalise sexual violence in some degrees because of its prevalence. I was so angry about that, and I usually end up writing to process my emotions.”

Louise also drew on her own experiences of living in a small town in Ireland: “I wanted to translate this topic into an Irish context because I grew up in a small town there, and I

wanted to reflect that sense of claustrophobia and lack of anonymity in a place where everyone knows everyone. It felt important to write a story like this primarily targeted at a youngadult audience because so many of the young people who read the book need to hear about stories like this; to have some form of facilitating difficult conversations. Art really is the perfect tool to do that. It’s essential to raise awareness of consent, sexual violence, rape culture and victim blaming in this age group.”

Louise’s main focus was to make sure that Emma’s story felt as real as possible: “Firstly, I’ve been sexually assaulted myself, so I used a lot of my own experiences and ways I processed the feelings of depression, numbness and disassociation to create this novel. Also, I worked closely with the sexual violence centre in my hometown of Cork to speak to survivors.

I read memoirs and first-person fictional narratives, watched documentaries and really just fully researched anything I could get my hands on. I even spoke to a barrister. I wanted to make sure that I could not only make Emma’s experiences as authentic as possible, but that all the other parts of the story rang as true as they possibly could as well.

“I was nervous when it went to be published because there are so many myths out there about both the perpetrators and survivors of sexual violence. I was very aware that I could put something out in the world that could perpetuate those misconceptions and actually cause even more harm if I didn’t do it right. I’m incredibly proud of the book and its message, which is why I was so excited by the prospect of a stage adaptation. The prospect of this message getting as far and wide as possible is incredible. Sexual violence is such an epidemic in our culture, an important and devastating issue that needs to be addressed and eradicated, and we’re not going to do that unless we face the issue head-on.”

It was Landmark Productions and The Everyman in Cork that approached Louise about the prospect of adapting her novel for the stage.

“Having had a conversation with them, I really felt that they understood what I was trying to get at in the book. It felt like I had passed the baton on with the play. Even when writing Asking For It, I quickly realised that I didn’t feel the same kind of ownership over it as I did

with other works because it doesn’t feel like my story. It feels like something for everyone. I was away when the previews of the play happened, and I started getting phone calls and messages gushing about how amazing the play was. And on the opening night, I wasn’t disappointed. I was so blown away by the production values, the incredible set and the talented young cast.

It felt so vibrant, alive and exciting.

“Seeing the impact on the audience felt like such a powerful, collective experience. People were openly weeping by the end, which felt like both a grieving process and a catharsis like breaking a fever. It’s an extraordinary piece of work, and I feel so humbled by what the play has achieved. I always think about what kinds of conversations and stories have been, and will continue to be, shared between people who’ve gone to see Asking For It together - that’s vital. It broke the box office records at The Everyman in Cork and it was great to know that people who wouldn’t usually go to the theatre were going to see the play.”

Asking For It has also found its way into schools: “A programme was devised where staff went in to discuss the play, the pupils then saw it and had further discussions. The reports that came back were genuinely remarkable. At one girls’ school, they were engaging in a lot of victim blaming, and then they were able to display a great deal of empathy for Emma. Another school banded together to write a letter to their Principle asking for better sex education surrounding consent. Then some boys at another school had some very upsetting, misogynistic views surrounding female victims of sexual violence. After seeing the play, they were able to have a very frank conversation about their own vulnerabilities and the pressure they felt to conform to ideals of masculinity. That’s why people create art: it forces a sense of empathy by making you live in another person’s shoes and understand their motives. To think that Asking For It could shift attitudes is very overwhelming.”

Asking For It makes its UK debut at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on Wednesday 29 January, continuing its run at the venue until Saturday 15 February. whatsonlive.co.uk 15

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Classical

Van Kuijk String Quartet Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, Fri 24 January

These four fabulous Frenchmen have been picking up plaudits and awards at a seriously impressive rate since winning the London International String Quartet Competition five years ago. BBC New Generation Artists whose debut Leamington appearance saw them performing a concert of all-French music, the fellas return with their focus very much on Vienna, a city in which all three of the featured composers - Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven at one time or another resided.

Ex Cathedra: Beethoven - Missa Solemnis Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sunday 26 January

It’s hard to imagine a more appropriate time for Ex Cathedra to team up with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and perform Ludwig van Beethoven.

The highly rated choral music ensemble is celebrating its 50th year and the CBSO its centenary, while 2020 also marks the 25oth anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

Singer Roderick Williams (pictured) is

among the soloists contributing to an event that promises to be every bit as majestic and monumental as the composition being performed, a piece to which Beethoven devoted four years of his life.

The composer’s diligence and tenacity certainly paid off - Missa Solemnis is considered by some to be one of the greatest classical works of all time.

Coull Quartet: Beautiful Minds

CBSO: Viennese New Year Gala

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 30 January

Malvern Theatres, Sat 4 January; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 5 January

Stratford Playhouse, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tues 21 January; Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Wed 22 January

Violinist Tamsin Waley-Cohen (pictured) once again teams up with the Orchestra of the Swan, this time for a concert dedicated to the musical and personal landscape of Jean Sibelius. Waley-Cohen will perform the Finnish composer’s Humoresques, a collection of whimsical miniature masterpieces written in 1916/17.

So seldom are the compositions played that they’ve been described as ‘quite likely the most magical work you have never heard’.

Warwick University’s quartet-in-residence since 1977, Coull have made a name for themselves in places as far flung as the Americas, Australia, India and the Far East.

This latest offering sees them presenting works by Mozart and Beethoven, sandwiched between which is a quartet by John Ireland, one of Coull’s favourite composers.

The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra welcomes in the new year with an afternoon concert conducted by Thomas Rösner (pictured) and featuring soprano Sarah-Jane Brandon. Expect elegant waltzes, playful polkas and oodles of good old-fashioned operetta romance.

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Orchestra Of The Swan: Intimate Voices

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Gigs

King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 3 January

King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys are past masters at creating an evening of frenzied fun and frolics, presenting a trademark mix of nutty on-stage antics and accessible musicianship.

With a line-up featuring King Pleasure, Boysey Battrum, Bullmoose K Shirley, Mighty Matt Foundling, Shark Van Schtoop and Gary ‘The Enforcer’ Barber, the KPs have spent decades on the road, performing thousands of gigs in a total of more than 20 countries.

Described as ‘the world’s best jump, jive and swing band’, they’ve opened shows for BB King, Cab Calloway and Ray Charles, and also toured with the Blues Brothers Band.

Expect an evening of foot-tapping sounds and plenty of lighthearted moments...

Beverley Knight Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 31 January

Wolverhampton-born singer-songwriter Beverley Knight is celebrating 25 years in the music industry with the release of her album, BK25. Alongside gold and platinum-

selling albums, Beverley has garnered 14 top-40 hits and three MOBO Awards, not to mention numerous Brit Award and Mercury Music Prize nominations.

This Coventry gig sees her accompanied by a live band as she performs a combination of classic hits and newer material.

Kaiser Chiefs

Martyn Joseph

Purple Pilgrims

Arena Birmingham, Sat 25 January

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 23 January

The Tin Music & Arts, Coventry, Mon 20 January

Fifteen years into their career, Kaiser Chiefs are hitting new artistic peaks. “It’s more exciting than it’s ever been,” says charismatic frontman Ricky Wilson. “Every time there’s a big obstacle, it just gets blown away in the wind like a dandelion. We’re still selling out arenas but under the radar.”

Seventh album Duck came out in summer 2019, and the Leeds lads are celebrating its release with this new UK tour, supported by Razorlight and Life.

Presenting a sound that’s described as ‘lush ceremonial dream pop’, Purple Pilgrims features multi-instrumentalist home producers Valentine and Clementine Nixon.

To record their first full-length LP, Eternal Delight, the Pilgrims sequestered themselves in Tapu, on the western side of the Coromandel Peninsula of New Zealand, in a shed surrounded by native palms and birds.

Slipknot

“Really what I do is try to write songs that might step up and make some sense of a moment in time,” explains modern folk artist Martyn Joseph. “A good song makes you feel like you’re not alone in the world.”

Often compared to the likes of Bruce Springsteen, John Mayer, Bruce Cockburn and Dave Matthews, Martyn is a unique performer who’s driven by passion, social awareness and an abiding love for his trade.

His career spans 30 years, 32 albums, over half a million record sales and thousands of live performances.

Arena Birmingham, Fri 24 January

Slipknot return to Birmingham in support of their album, We Are Not Your Kind.

The record was so popular it knocked Ed Sheeran off the top of the charts...

As well as favourites from the new offering, expect to hear a selection of hits from the band’s back catalogue, including Duality, Before I Forget, Psychosocial and Wait And Bleed. whatsonlive.co.uk 17

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VOTING

Get for your favourite Midlands events, shows and venues in the...

’ What sOn Readers’ Awards 2020

Some of last year’s winners...

and heatre mime to arge T Best L idlands Pan drome o Best M gham Hipp Birmin

Best Kids Show - The Snowman, Best Birmingham Arts/Theatre Venue nue Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Best Home Produced Show wBirmingham Repertory Theatre’s The Wizard Of Oz

B Wolverh est Arts/The atre Ve ampto nue in n&B Wolverh lack Countr yampto n Gran d

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#culturematters #artsmatters Yes, it’s once again time for you to show just how much you appreciate Birmingham & the West Midlands’ ever-vibrant arts & entertainment scene.

Nominate and vote online for your favourites to help them secure a place in our What’s On Readers’ Awards Top 5 Shortlist.

The shortlist will be announced in our February issue. You will then be able to VOTE for your WINNER in each category.

So get voting now!

And complete our Readership Survey for the chance to WIN £1,000 cash!

VOTE for your NOMINATIONS

by Saturday 18 January WINNERS will be announced in the Spring

Best Midlands and Best Birmingham Arts Festival - Birmingham Comedy Festival

Best Birmingham Independent Restaurant - Purnell’s

CATEGORIES INCLUDE: Best Large Theatre Best Regional Theatre Best Touring Musical Best Home Produced Show Best Touring Show Best Kids Show Best Panto Dame Best Classical Production Best Orchestra Best Panto Best Amateur Theatre Company Best Arts Venue Best Large Music Venue Best Regional Music Venue Best Band/Artist Best Exhibition Best Comedy Night Best Dance Production Best Visitor Attraction Best Indoor Event Best Outdoor Event Best Music Festival Best Arts/Cultural Festival Best Food Festival Best Independent Restaurant Best Independent Coffee Shop Best Independent Bar Best Market

VOTE now at whatsonlive.co.uk whatsonlive.co.uk 21

Kojo Anim.qxp_Layout 1 12/12/2019 11:57 Page 1

kojo anim The Britain’s Got Talent finalist chats to What’s On as he prepares to hit the road with stories and observations about life, parenthood and family.

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When did you first realise you were funny?

I’d always been entertaining my family and friends. I was witty and quick with a response. In school, if I got in trouble, it was always what I’d said, not what I’d done. I had an answer for everything. Comedy happened almost by accident. My first love was always football, but I had terrible discipline as a footballer. I was selected with some of the best young players in England for a school of excellence to study and play football, but I had a terrible attitude about being on time etc and relied on being very talented. But it didn’t work out.

I learned a big lesson in hindsight, and it turned out to be a blessing. Missing that opportunity to change my life, the pain I felt when it ended, kept me disciplined when I found comedy. I would never, ever let an opportunity slip through my hands again. I have so much respect for every opportunity that comes my way now. I realised I was a natural with comedy, but also determined that I was going to work hard, find solutions and make no excuses.

You were ‘discovered’ on Britain’s Got Talent, but you’d already been working the circuit for 20 years. How did you turn that natural ability into a career?

I was doing talent shows at university and had the chance to go to comedy school, so I borrowed £150 from my Aunty Sandra - I’ve more than paid her back now. After that, I did a lot of university comedy gigs and built up a fanbase. From that, I was able to set up Kojo’s Comedy Fun House, which ran every Sunday for eight years, with 300 people queueing up outside each week, packing it to the rafters and coming along week after week. I came from a partying background, so would invite celebrities to the comedy shows - as well as hosting exciting new comedians and DJs - so it became somewhere people wanted to be.

What really made it big, though, was when David Chapelle was in town and heard about the club. I called someone who’d seen him and got them to put him on the phone. He just came down and performed. ‘Going viral’ wasn’t even a thing at the time, but that’s kind of what happened. It was the first show he’d done after going away following his big success, so everyone was talking about it. It was huge on YouTube, and it was a real international moment to see him back on stage.

So then people started talking about the Fun House, and I was hearing from American comedians over in the UK who wanted to come down. I was just a young comedian wanting to express myself there, and all this came from that small place.

Before Britain’s Got Talent, you were almost better known in America than here in the UK. How was that?

I’d met, through friends, Nick Cannon, who at the time was still married to Mariah Carey how crazy is that? - and he was bringing a big improvisation show, Wild N Out, back to American TV and wanted to include some UK talent. I leapt at the chance. I’d watched the show as a kid, and it was a ridiculous opportunity to go and work with all these famous and amazingly funny people in America.

Everyone I grew up with used to watch it, and there I was being invited to be the first British comedian on it.

So what made you audition for Britain’s Got Talent?

I’d been going through a bad period both financially and in terms of opportunities. I’d had my son, and that increased the pressure on me to decide what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I was feeling like I’d been placed in the ‘has-been’ box so far as a comedy career was concerned. I was approached

by Britain’s Got Talent - they’d seen some videos online - and I was told the producers had loved the videos and were dying to get me on the show, so I thought, ‘Why not?’

I’d always said it wasn’t for me - I didn’t think it was credible. But when I discussed it with my fiancée, she said the fact they’d had to find me as an ‘unknown’ meant they didn’t know me - so I had nothing to lose.

What was it like preparing for that first audition?

I didn’t just plan for the first audition, I planned my acts for every round from the first audition to the final. I had 20 years of material, so why not? I just had to decide which way round to use it, and to get my head straight about what was to come. As I gradually went through each phase, I realised what the opportunity was actually going to mean to me. The show’s called Britain’s Got Talent, but I suddenly realised that the world would be watching online because ‘Got Talent’ is a global thing. I know people in the comedy industry were saying, ‘Why is he doing it?’, but people across the country didn’t know me. I had to be able to look at my son and know I’d taken the chance, taken that massive leap of faith.

Simon Cowell famously hates comedians on the show, but he gave you his golden buzzer. How did that feel?

I was so nervous. The judges genuinely don’t know what’s coming next as you walk out; it’s a conveyor belt of talent. Simon had given two

comedians on before me absolute hell that day. My plan was to get Amanda Holden’s and David Walliams’ approval. Alesha Dixon had seen me at gigs, so I hoped she’d be on side.

I’d actually written Simon Cowell off, as I knew I only needed three of them to back me.

It was the very first day of filming, and - to add to the madness - Simon had never pressed his golden buzzer on day one. So when it happened, everyone was so shocked day one and a comedian! The reaction was so gratifying. It told me, ‘I can do this’. I’d proven myself and removed my doubts about me. After that, I knew I was good enough.

How’s it been since the show?

Absolutely life-changing. My dad was in Ghana and it came up on the news. I didn’t leave the house for four days after the goldenbuzzer audition was aired. I had so many messages on my phone, and everywhere I went, people were giving me their love and support. All the work during those 20 years had been gearing me up for it, and that’s made it all a bit easier to cope with.

It’s crazy and has all happened at the same time as adjusting to life as a first-time dad.

Roman’s oblivious to it, but we’re capturing it all on our phones and it’s amazing that he’s been on the journey with us. Roman’s also been life-changing. He’s allowed me to be selfish, and people told me how much harder I’d want to work after becoming a parent…

You’re making decisions for your child, not just for yourself.

How do you feel ahead of the tour?

Touring nationally is a dream come true; we’re working on material at the moment.

There’s definitely going to be a look at fatherhood - looking at what goes through a man’s mind as a new dad, as well as asking some serious questions like, ‘Will I end up looking like my parents, will my child end up in the same situation as me?’

I’m looking forward to touring - going to places I’ve never been to, like Swindon, Malvern, New Brighton and places in Wales I can’t even spell…

I’m now 40. I told my fiancée, Tiff, that I believe the best years of my life will be my 40s - and it’s definitely looking that way. Let’s have it!

Kojo Anim appears at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, on Thursday 6 February; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, on Tuesday 25 February; Forum Theatre, Malvern, on Wednesday 26 February and Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on Monday 9 March. whatsonlive.co.uk 23

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Comedy

Jamali Maddix Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 26 January; The Glee Club, Birmingham, Mon 17 February; Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, Tues 25 February; Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, Fri 28 February

Former Chortle ‘student comedian of the year’ Jamali Maddix has been praised both for his frank yet ironic take on everyday racism and for his willingness to tackle the ‘hot potato’ subject of terrorism.

With influences ranging from Gandhi to his Uncle Mark, the 28-year-old Londoner describes his new show, Strip Club Einstein, as “a reflection on tales from the front line of social change and uncomfortable home truths”.

The Thinking Drinkers The Old Rep, Birmingham, Sat 25 January Now here’s an offer that no self-respecting lover of quality comedy and the occasional cheeky tipple could possibly ignore...

Bag yourself a ticket for this show and you get five - yep, that’s right, five - free drinks!

There’s also every chance that you’ll leave the theatre at the end of the night with a splendidly enhanced understanding of the significance of alcohol. Enlightenment will

come as a result of Thinking Drinkers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham sharing their fascinating facts and absorbing anecdotes about the role the demon drink has played in inspiring some of history’s greatest names, from Plato and Picasso to Nelson, Napoleon, and even, we’re reliably informed, Norm from Cheers.

Jimmy Carr

Marcus Brigstocke

Sandi Toksvig: Live

Dudley Town Hall, Fri 31 January; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 13 February;

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Sat 4 January

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 27 January; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 1 February

Jimmy Carr’s comedy is all about quickfire, deadpan one-liners - and so many of them, in fact, that he’s not sure their content matters all that much: “People don’t really remember the individual jokes I tell because I tell such a lot; what they do remember, though, is how those jokes make them feel.”

Jimmy is a comedian for whom no subject is off limits: “I’ll talk about anything as long as I feel the joke justifies it. It may cause controversy, but controversy is an easy story on a slow-news day. And I never apologise for jokes. After all, I’m not making a serious political statement, I’m just trying to make somebody laugh.”

24 whatsonlive.co.uk

Peddling a line in dark, intelligent humour, the award-winning Marcus Brigstocke is one of the most inventive talents on the comedy circuit. Jokes include: “I realised I was dyslexic when I went to a toga party dressed as a goat,” and, “If Pac-Man had affected us as kids, we'd all be running around in dark rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive electronic music.”

Marcus is joined at the Glee by Paul Tonkinson, Joanne McNally and one other yet-tobe-announced comedian.

Best known nowadays as co-host of The Great British Bake Off, the everastute Sandi Toksvig is a woman of many talents. As well as her presenting work on television, she’s also written children's books, bestselling novels and a shedload of newspaper and magazine columns, not to mention kept her hand in as an impressively adept stand-up comic.

Her new one-woman comedy show sees her combining ‘tall stories’ with ‘fascinatingly funny facts, really silly jokes, a quickfire Q&A and a quiz’. She is, however, adamant that tap-dancing, the wearing of leotards and the performing of a forward roll will not be featuring in the show.

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Milton Jones Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wed 15 January; Dudley Town Hall, Fri 7 February; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 8 February; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 21 February

With a style of humour that’s mainly based around puns and one-liners, Milton Jones has established himself as one of Britain’s most in-demand funnymen.

“If my comedy’s working well, I put a cartoon in people’s heads that surprises them,” explains Milton. “So you start off and they’re thinking one thing, then you surprise them by changing the ending as you go along. It’s not political or particularly edgy, it’s just daft.

Gags include: “Militant feminists - I take my hat off to them. They don't like that,” and, “Recently on a flight to America, all the way across my wife was going, ‘Why don't you get an upgrade, why don't you get an upgrade?’ It took a bit of time, but in the end I got a better wife.”

Ed Byrne Birmingham Town Hall, Thurs 30 January; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 1 February; The Place, Telford, Thurs 12 March; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 14 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 17 March; Walsall Arena, Tues 24 March

If you fancy a good heckle, don't bother going to an Ed Byrne show. Ed's style of delivery is so fast that any attempted witticisms from the audience get drowned out by his barrage of top-quality material. A highly regarded master of observational comedy, the Mock The Week star admits to being a little uncomfortable about some of the more

Mark Watson Darren Harriott Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 18 January; The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, Thurs 23 January

Darren Harriott spent his childhood in Oldbury and at the age of 13 began carrying a knife.

Fortunately for the now-30-year-old comedian, he managed to turn away from a potential life of crime, finding his salvation in the business of making people laugh.

“I need to get this stuff out,” he explained in a recent interview. “All I’ve really got as a stand-up is my honesty. I’m okay if audiences hate me. What I don’t want is pity.

These stories might sound like tragedy, but I don’t compute it as tragedy. I’m enjoying this rollercoaster. I just worry that it could all go. This is the most important time in my career, but my main goal is to have fun.”

The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-uponTrent, Thurs 30 January

Well established on the UK comedy circuit, Mark Watson was born in Bristol to Welsh parents and initially delivered his act with a Welsh accent, claiming he felt “more comfortable talking in a voice that I didn't quite recognise as my own”.

A regular contributor to the Edinburgh Fringe, Mark has the curious distinction of having performed stand-up shows which have lasted for a period in excess of 24 hours. “Comedy is certainly a timeconsuming element of my life,” he admits, “but then while I’m out touring and on stage, there are people at home doing far less glamorous things. There have certainly been times when I’ve been very happy to say, ‘Of course I’d like to stay and help out with that plumbing crisis, but Burton awaits!’”

laddish material he used in the early days of his stand-up career.

“My comedy reflected my life at that time single and enjoying myself. Most of it was fairly harmless - 'the difference between men and women' kind of thing. But some of the stuff about an ex-girlfriend I can see was a bit angry, and I wouldn't do it now.”

Ivan Brackenbury Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sun 19 January; Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Sat 15 February; Just The Tonic Comedy Club, Birmingham, Fri 28 February

Ivan Brackenbury is an inept hospital radio DJ - and he’s also the creation of former XFM radio presenter Tom Binns.

A Jongleurs award winner, Binns came up with the character relatively early in his career and has enjoyed great success with him ever since. Brackenbury is here providing support to his creator, who will be performing on this tour as another of his characters, Ian D Montfort, the ‘psychic comedium’.

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All-American Prophets

by Louis Wise

Smash-hit musical comedy The Book Of Mormon visits Birmingham for the very first time this spring. What’s On catches up with one of its creators, Robert Lopez, a man whose CV also includes hit Broadway show Avenue Q and both of Disney’s Frozen movies...

At first glance, not a huge amount would seem to connect the story of female empowerment that is Disney’s Frozen with the naughty, dirty, sweary phenomenon that is hit Broadway show The Book Of Mormon.

Sure, they’re both full of great tunes and both have a sense of humour, but one is definitely for the kids, the other definitely not. One is all about love, magical powers and sisterhood, the other showcases shocking AIDS jokes and features unseemly things being done with frogs. Yet a surprising, even slightly scary, revelation is that both came from the mind of the same man - songwriter Robert Lopez.

“I mean, it is weird,” chuckles the 43-year-old New Yorker, pondering how the guy who wrote Let It Go also gave us Mormon’s Hasa Diga Eebowai. “I’m still trying to figure it out.

What’s wrong with me?!”

Little is wrong with Lopez - at least from a showbiz perspective. When you’ve already become, twice, a so-called EGOT - a winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony - you can only be doing things right. Robert’s CV includes not only The Book Of Mormon and Frozen (and now, of course, Frozen 2) but also his first great hit, Avenue Q, and the beautiful theme tune to Pixar’s film, Coco, entitled Remember Me. Sitting in the comfortable Brooklyn studio he shares with his wife and fellow tunesmith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez (with whom he co-wrote the Frozen movies), Robert is gentle and unassuming. If he’s always believed in his abilities, ever since he settled on his voca-

tion aged 13, he still manages to seem politely surprised about the huge success of his shows - not least The Book Of Mormon, which he co-composed with the dark geniuses behind South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

Since opening on Broadway in 2011, the show has become one of the most successful theatre productions of the decade. “The truth is,” says Robert, “we’d imagined it would be controversial, and we hoped that it would manage to run maybe a year.” Nine years down the line, it’s clear that theatre-goers’ love for the show massively outweighs any minor controversies. And as it prepares to visit continental Europe and the UK, having already conquered not only America but also Australia and Canada, it’s fair to assume that it’s about to gain nearly as many new converts as the missionaries it so lovingly sends up.

The Book Of Mormon is a great marker of Robert’s work, combining classic song craft and a deep love of musicals with a fresh, contemporary, often irreverent tone. The story follows the journey of two bright-eyed Mormon teenagers, Elder Price and Elder Cunningham, who, as tradition requires, are sent out to spread the word as they reach the age of 19. When they reach Uganda, though, they are somewhat shocked by the reality of the situation - The Lion King it ain’t! The Ugandans don’t necessarily need saving in the Mormon sense of the word - but they could definitely do with being saved from the terrifying warlord next door, who is threatening all the female villagers with FGM...

Somehow, all of this is relayed amid uproarious laughter within the first 20 minutes.

The real shocker, though, is that by the end, the show reveals it has a huge heart too. And Robert, who, along with Parker and Stone, has always had a surprising soft spot for Mormonism, wouldn’t have it any other way: “It’s about what we talked about the very first day we met. People are so quick to laugh at Mormons - and we wanted, in the end, to be able to turn it around on them, because although any belief in anything impossible is sort of funny, it’s also very inspiring and empowering.”

To understand how Robert came to co-write the show, you have to rewind way back to before he even met Parker and Stone in 2003.

You have to go back even beyond him seeing their film, South Park The Movie: Bigger, Longer And Uncut, and being dazzled by its pace and wit (“I was, like, this is the best musical of the last 10 years, for sure!”). You’d probably have to go back to when he was first taken to see a musical - A Chorus Line.

“It was way over my head,” he admits.

It clearly had an effect on him, though, because he started writing songs on the piano, encouraged by the teacher he was taking classes with at the time. “I wrote a song called Oy Vey, What A Day for some reason.

I’m not Jewish, but I guess growing up in New York pushes you in that direction.”

The son of a journalist-turned-press officer for NYU and a stay-at-home mother, Robert’s new passion for theatre grew and grew. Watching whatsonlive.co.uk 27

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West Side Story in 5th Grade is what sealed the deal. Then, from the age of 13, he started writing shows every term for an amateur group.

The eureka moment came when he decided, as he puts it, “to write a show that was funny all the way through”. For Robert, who had grown up in a raucously funny family, it seemed within his reach: “It was an area where Broadway had flagged behind in the culture. The humour in the shows was sort of a moderate chuckle, and I thought to myself, I bet I could do this.”

The result was Avenue Q, co-written with Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty. An immediate smash hit, it was an absolute game-changer for Robert. When Parker and Stone came to watch the show one night, they saw a note in the programme in which Robert thanked them for the influence they’d exerted on him, from the South Park musical onwards. When the three met for a drink after the show, they discovered a shared fascination for Mormonism.

Parker and Stone’s interest in the faith could be explained by the fact that they grew up near its heartland of Utah; they were one state away in Colorado. But Robert? A FilipinoAmerican growing up in Brooklyn? “I was just a nerd, and a little bit of a class clown, I guess. I remember reading about Joseph Smith (the founding father of Mormonism, who discovered the original Book of Mormon) in an American history textbook in 8th Grade

and just having to read it twice, because I couldn’t really believe what I was reading.

The whole idea of him digging up the golden plates, and the lost tribe of Israel, and Jesus being here in America. I was fascinated by that.”

It must be said that the founding story of the faith - as with every faith - requires a leap of the imagination. The story of Smith being visited by the Angel Moroni in the early 19th century, and discovering said Book on said golden plates, has an outlandish quality to it.

But Robert ultimately wanted to treat Mormonism with affection, as did Parker and Stone.

“We weren’t trying to get protesters. We were trying to make a show that was about the way we felt about the best parts of religion. We were writing a show about it that was sort of for atheists and believers at the same time, because it summed up how we felt about it that whether or not the stories are true, they do something that’s good. Believing in something impossible makes you do impossible things.”

Ultimately, The Book Of Mormon is mostly an unlikely bromance between the mismatched pair of Price and Cunningham. Ask Robert with which of the two he most associates and he smiles. “I was a straight-A student, and you know, I’ve been accused of being a little too arrogant at times.” This is very Price, the all-American kid whose perceptions of the world - and of himself - are jolted by his visit

to Africa. And yet, when it came down to actually working on the show, Robert went a bit more Cunningham, the goofy sidekick who’s in thrall to Price, his hero. “When I was with Matt and Trey, I was definitely following them. I was just so in awe of getting to work with my heroes.”

Truth be told, The Book Of Mormon is nowadays quite far away in Robert’s rearview mirror. His main preoccupation of late has been Frozen 2, but in a sense he’s looking forward to leaving behind the Disney phase of his career: “I don’t like to have a brand - I don’t like to be one thing.” After Mormon and Avenue Q, he was happy to leave the scabrous funny stuff for a bit and do something more emotional; now, having filled up on all those Disney emotions, he’d like to move on once again.

More immediately, though, Robert is looking forward to taking his 13-year-old daughter to see The Book Of Mormon for the first time.

“She’s ready,” he shrugs. “She’s already heard the cast album - her friends listen to it.

I think she had a nice, shielded, sheltered childhood mostly. And now I think she’s ready to enjoy some adult comedy!”

The Book Of Mormon shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wednesday 4 to Saturday 28 March. whatsonlive.co.uk 29

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Theatre

Theatre from around the region

The Bodyguard Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 21 January - Sat 1 February This blockbusting West End musical is of course based on the similarly blockbusting 1990s Hollywood movie starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. When ex-Secret Service agent Frank Farmer is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker, sparks soon begin to fly between the pair. Each expects to hold the whip-hand in the relationship; neither expects to fall in love...

Featuring classic numbers including One Moment In Time, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and the legendary I Will Always Love You, the stage show received mixed reviews from the critics when it opened in 2012 but has since proved to be a real hit with its audiences.

Alexandra Burke and Jennlee Shallow share the role of Rachel, with the former appearing in evening performances only.

Beneath The City

Blithe Spirit

The Gift

The REP, Birmingham, Thurs 16 - Sat 18 January

Malvern Theatre, Mon 27 January Sat 1 February

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 18 - Sat 25 January

The critically acclaimed Upstart Theatre are the talented ensemble behind this thoughtprovoking production...

When a young woman looking for sanctuary in a new city finds herself being put on trial for a crime she denies, the community finds itself wrestling with its commitment to the people and to power...

Bringing together music, movement and lyrical writing, Beneath The City has been made in Birmingham with a chorus of Young REP and Adult Drama Company members, refugees and asylum seekers.

30 whatsonlive.co.uk

One of Noel Coward’s best-loved plays, Blithe Spirit focuses on the character of successful author Charles Condomine.

Charles’ decision to hold a seance at his home has disastrous consequences, as eccentric medium Madam Arcati - here played by Jennifer Saunders no less - accidentally summons the spirit of his deceased first wife, Elvira. Unhappy to see Charles settled with second wife Ruth, Elvira proceeds to do everything she can to sabotage her ex-husband’s happiness - and that includes trying to bump him off...

Described as ‘an outrageous play about imperialism, cross-racial adoption, cultural appropriation… and tea’, The Gift tells the contrasting stories of two Sarahs: one, an African girl adopted by Queen Victoria and raised in Her Majesty’s circles; the other, a present-day black middle-class woman staying in a Cheshire village with her husband and small child.

The production is presented by Eclipse, a prominent Black-led national production company committed to delivering diverse programming in theatres across the country.

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Theatre

more theatre from around the region

Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 28 January Sat 1 February; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 25 - Sat 29 February

Joseph marked Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first foray into the world of musical theatre, paving the way for later offerings Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. Fabulously fun and frothy, the show offers great entertainment for anybody who fancies the kind of night out that lets you leave your brain at home.

Joseph sees the future in dreams, and tells his 11 brothers that he’s had a vision in which he’s seen them all bowing down to him.

Not surprisingly, the lads are a tad annoyed with him about this - and feel even less enamoured towards their sibling when their dad gives him a coat of many colours...

Mark McMullan stars as Joseph.

Jane Eyre Albany Theatre, Coventry, Wed 22 & Thurs 23 January; Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Thurs 6 - Sat 8 February; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 10 - Wed 12 February; Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 13 - Sat 15 February

proboscis - is here presented by everzany funsters Oddsocks. Expect plenty of merry music and marvellous madcap humour. And unlike Pinocchio, we say that without a word of a lie...

Dead Good Blackeyed Theatre visit the Midlands with this latest stage version of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel. For those not up to speed with the story, it follows the orphaned Jane as she's sent by her cruel Aunt Reed to the bleak Lowood School. Later, on securing a position as governess at Thornfield Hall, Jane finds herself falling for the charms of the enigmatic Edward Rochester, unaware that the new object of her affection harbours a dark and terrible secret...

The Adventures Of Pinocchio Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 12 January; The Place, Telford, Sat 1 February; Bridge House Theatre, Warwick, Sun 2 February

The legendary tale of the wooden boy with a disappointing propensity for telling porky pies - to the detriment of his fast-growing 32 whatsonlive.co.uk

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Thurs 23 & Fri 24 January; Malvern Theatres, Wed 5 February; Bridge House Theatre, Warwick, Thurs 6 February; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 27 February; Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Thurs 5 - Fri 6 March

Worcestershire-based full mask theatre company Vamos here tackle the thorny subject of death - the ultimate shared experience.

Witty and wordless, Dead Good focuses on the characters of Bob and Bernard, two men who have only a couple of things in common: one, that they’re both dying; and two, that they’re not going down without a fight. And

so, with a bottle of Bollinger in hand, they set out on one final death-defying adventure in Bernard’s Bentley... Vamos have created the show in collaboration with palliative care patients and specialists.

Circus Of Horrors Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 10 January; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Mon 10 February; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 4 March; The Place, Telford, Thurs 19 March; KKS Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Fri 20 March

An off-kilter affair that bears more resemblance to a freak show than any modern definition of a circus, the one-time Britain’s Got Talent finalists here present a world beyond political correctness and taste. With the performers dressed in a manner reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Show, there’s no denying the skill of those participating - or indeed the company’s sheer ‘wow’ factor.

This latest offering sees the ensemble celebrating 25 years on the road by presenting ‘an amazing amalgamation of acts driven by a rock’n’roll soundscape’.

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HISTORY LESSONS

Alan Bennett’s classroom comedy-drama visits Wolverhampton Grand Theatre next month...

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by Lauren Cole

A brand new production of Alan Bennett’s classic classroom comedy-drama, The History Boys, visits the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre early next month.

It’s the 1980s, and an unruly bunch of bright and funny sixth-form boys are in pursuit of sex, sporting achievement and a place at university…

Widely acknowledged to be one of the UK’s finest modern-day playwrights, Alan Bennett is perhaps best known for the frank yet compassionate way in which he unveils his characters’ many layers, exposing both their shortcomings and triumphs for his audience to see. His plays are jam-packed with sharp wit, devastating moments of raw emotion and incomparable humanity.

The History Boys is no exception.

“It’s all about considering what the point of education is,” says Ian Redford, who stars in the new production. “What are schools for? Is school about passing examinations or is it about actually learning stuff? And then is that learning focused on how to be a human being, or finding out about how the world around you works - or both? Education is always on people’s minds and everyone has an opinion about it. I think the further away an individual gets from having been in education, the more strident their opinions become.

I was reading an article years ago about parents running around in Starbucks bragging about their children’s material possessions and arbitrary achievements. But it’s not about that. It’s about whether kids are growing up into happy human beings, not just being raised to achieve certain things, like fulfilling a school’s desired number of pupils going to Oxford and Cambridge, which is certainly part of the story in The History Boys. Education is the nub of the way society works and can become a topic in which people explore what it means to be human, but almost by accident.”

So what was Ian’s own education like?

“I had a particularly extraordinary teacher at school. I wasn’t academic and was pretty lazy too. I really wasn’t interested in school, but I was in plays, theatre and acting. This wonderful teacher - who was a History teacher, funnily enough - taught me how to live through my passions. Reading a book or seeing a play is like going on a magic-carpet ride where you go into this whole different world.

“We also have this desperate focus on achievement; who’s got a better car, a nicer phone, whatever. The History Boys is about that, and it’s also about being human and the power of language.”

As he’s got older, Bennett has become more political, particularly when it comes to the arts. I suppose everything is political in the end, but The History Boys is certainly more overtly so.

The play also delves into the subject of male relationships...

“And it’s so funny too. The humour and wit in it is so funny; “History is just one f***ing thing after another”! It’s truly brilliant. I can’t think of any other playwright who does the combination of politics, comedy and human relationships so well. I’d say he does it in a very understated English way. There’s a gentleness and a sardonic humour around his work. He’s the most extraordinary writer.”

“A few of the characters, both the boys and the teachers, are homosexual or are pretty open when it comes to what they’re willing to try. Putting aside sex, what Alan Bennett discusses is male love of all kinds - a sense of caring for another male. There are all these pressures about what a man should be, how to be an alpha male and what masculinity means. Women obviously have their own pressures, but in the 1980s, men weren’t supposed to hug, touch and be caring towards one another in the same way as women were.

It’s also about adolescence and how to navigate that. It’s about the value of teachers as guides - and not just academically either; not just to get you through the exam and be done with you.”

Ian plays the character of old-school history teacher Hector.

“Hector is married and described as a latent homosexual. He’s a teacher who’s been around a long time and is getting to the latter stage of his career. He survives through humour, definitely knows the limits of his influence - as most teachers do - but has a burning passion which has kept him going throughout his years in teaching. The beauty of language is particularly important for Hector. He has a beautiful relationship with all of the boys, in the sense that he’s a sort of parental figure, but also knows when to give them a cuffing. Hector is forced to share a class with Irwin - a younger teacher who’s come in to shake things up. Irwin’s idea is not to teach the subject as it is, but to embellish and subvert it in a way that makes it more appealing to the students. It’s almost as if he’s flogging stuff! So Hector and Irwin’s relationship is certainly a little confrontational.”

How does Ian think The History Boys compares to Bennett’s other plays?

“In a way I think this play is his most political, although he doesn’t really come up with a specific leaning towards one side or the other.

He just throws up into the air all the questions for the audience to consider for themselves.

Lee Comley, taking on the role of Hector’s rival, Irwin, and Victoria Carling, playing the only female teacher, Mrs Lintott, also have plenty of praise for Bennett and The History Boys.

“This is a play that everyone can relate to,” says Lee. “That feeling of moving from being a late teen into an adult is a strange time for all of us. I think everyone will leave at the end of the show having had a great time, but also holding onto those really important parts of the play. What I like the most, though, is that the boys are very open to their sexuality being fluid. To have that viewpoint in the ’80s is quite unusual. I think what’s so striking about Bennett is how he just lays everything out there, just as it is.”

Victoria is equally complimentary about The History Boys: “After I’d read the script, I tried to describe to my husband what sort of humour Bennett injected into his plays, but it’s really hard to do that. It’s almost like it’s so subtle that you don’t quite know why you’ve laughed, but you do anyway. The comedy in his plays is so clever, but certainly not in an inaccessible way. Bennett is nothing to be afraid of!

“The History Boys never struck me as a play I ever wanted to see, but now having read it, my thinking has been completely altered. It’s moving, funny and thought-provoking. I would compare it to a heartfelt chamber piece. It’s not a great, showy symphony - all fire and bangs - but it’s something you will keep thinking about afterwards.”

The History Boys shows at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Friday 7 to Saturday 22 February.

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more theatre from around the region

The Boy In The Dress Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, until Sun 8 March

David Walliams’ The Boy In The Dress - helmed

by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran - ticks all the boxes of the feelgood family musical: young protagonists, splendidly choreographed scenes (including football playing and disco dancing), a lightweight but thoroughly engaging storyline, a timely message (about embracing difference) and a fantastically memorable score (by one of the world’s hottest songwriting partnerships - Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers).

The show is fun, fast, lively, colourful, clever and utterly absorbing, with an energetic and confident cast who’ve evidently got the greatest of faith in their material and more than enough talent to maximise the magic.

Ghost Stories

Dead Men’s Eyes

Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 7 - Sat 11 January

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 22 January

The Alex has issued a word or several of warning about this production...

‘Ghost Stories,’ it says, ‘contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.’

Written by Andy Nyman & Jeremy Dyson and presenting ‘a fully sensory and electrifying encounter’, Ghost Stories has become something of a global stage phenomenon.

It won’t be surprising to learn that the show comes complete with phantoms, poltergeists and things that go bump in the night...

,

The Political History Of Smack And Crack The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 22 - Sun 26 January

The fallout for communities crushed by the heroin epidemic at the height of Thatcherism is the challenging and thought-provoking subject matter of this one-hour two-hander from playwright Ed Edwards.

Inspired by the writer’s own experience in prison and rehab, the play was one of five finalists in Theatre503’s 2017 Playwriting Award, making the shortlist out of 1,600 entries from 58 countries.

34 whatsonlive.co.uk

This is the latest instalment in a series of one-man shows which aim to revive the tradition of ‘oral, supernatural storytelling’. And given that fact, which hair-raising tales could possibly be more appropriate to recount than those of Montague Rhodes James (more commonly known as MR James), the man widely considered to be the master of the English ghost story...

RM Lloyd Parry, the actor here charged with the task of making spines tingle, presents two classics from the James canon - A View From A Hill and The Treasure Of Abbot Thomas.

Two New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Fri 31 January - Sat 22 February

Jim Cartwright’s sharp and touching slice of English life is set in a northern pub owned by a savagely bickering husband and wife.

The play is actually a series of short vignettes that skilfully combine pathos and humour, with all 14 characters being played by just two actors. During the course of the evening, assorted customers pass through the pub, including a little boy left behind by his father. The young lad’s plight triggers a fragile reconciliation between the pub couple, as their own dark tragedy is finally revealed...

Captain Breadbeard’s Bready Brilliant Cookbook The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 24 - Sat 25 January

Have you ever taken the time to consider the dangers that people with floury facial fuzz encounter every day, ask the producers of this delightfully quirky family show. If you haven’t, not to worry, because Captain Breadbeard is all set to take you on ‘an energetic and shameless punfilled journey of enlightenment’. A salty notso-old seadog with a beard made of bread, the Cap’n is joined in this surreal two-handed comedy sketch show by his ever-faithful sidekick, Davy Scones (geddit?).

Dad’s Army Radio Show The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 22 - Sun 26 January

You’ve seen the TV show, now listen to the radio broadcast! And what a highly acclaimed one it is, with two talented actors taking up position behind their microphones to play no fewer than 25 characters between them. Working from original radio scripts many of the TV episodes were remade for BBC Radio Four with the original cast - the actors will present three much-loved episodes of Jimmy Perry & David Croft’s classic 1970s’ sitcom, complete with sound effects and vintage music.

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Theatre

Peter Pan

Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever

The REP, Birmingham, until Sun 19 January

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 29 & Thurs 30 January

Fly away to Neverland with the boy who wouldn't grow up, meet a real fairy, marvellous mermaids, wonderful Wendy and the down-on-their-luck lost boys. Oh, and beware the ever-so-wicked Captain Hook and a very hungry crocodile who goes tick-tock (he swallowed a clock!).

This ‘thrillingly reimagined’ version of the JM Barrie classic (the show is set in the 21st century and located in Birmingham) is helmed

by Liam Steel, who last Christmas directed The REP’s acclaimed production of The Wizard Of Oz.

If you’ve taken your little ones to any of the previous Peppa Pig stage shows - and enjoyed the experience of watching them having a fantastic time - you’ll already know that this latest production is well worth catching.

Peppa Pig is heading out on a road trip with George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig, and there are plenty of adventures waiting to be had - including ones that involve dragons, dinosaurs, ice-creams and muddy puddles...

Pantos and festive shows into January Snow White

tricked by an evil fairy and pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, causing her to sleep for 100 years, offers a great story around which to build a pantomime production of real quality. Jonathan Wilkes stars.

The Regal, Tenbury, until Fri 3 January; Swan Theatre, Worcester, until Sun 5 January; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, until Sun 5 January; Birmingham Hippodrome, until Sun 2 February

Dick Whittington

Everybody knows the story - the nasty old queen’s less than keen on her younger and more beautiful stepdaughter, who takes refuge from her royal evilness by holing up in the deep, dark forest with a household of vertically challenged miners.

The Hippodrome version stars Lesley Joseph as the Wicked Queen.

The story of a young man who heads for London in search of fame and fortune is one of the most popular in all of pantoland.

Ex-Corrie favourite Ryan Thomas and onetime Hi-De-Hi! duo Su Pollard and Jeffrey Holland star.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, until Sun 12 January

Peter Pan

Cinderella

Stafford Gatehouse, until Sun 5 January

Lichfield Garrick, until Sun 5 January; Palace Theatre, Redditch, until Sun 5 January

Peter Pan’s producers describe their production as ‘a high-energy localised show packed with all the ingredients that make pantomime such an unforgettable experience for the entire family”... What more could a panto-loving theatre-goer possibly want?

With its comical Ugly Sisters, matchmaking fairy godmother, drop-dead-gorgeous Prince Charming, super-cute mice and fits-one-footonly glass slipper, Cinderella can justifiably lay claim to being the most popular of all pantomimes.

Aladdin

Sleeping Beauty

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, until Sun 12 January

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, until Sun 5 January

Flying carpets at the ready, boys and girls...

A perfect story for an evening of family entertainment finds street youth Aladdin trying

The tragic tale of a young princess who’s

We’re Going On A Bear Hunt Birmingham Town Hall, until Sun 12 January

Suitable for children aged three and older, this lively adaptation of Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury’s popular picture book follows the adventures of a family as they head out on an intrepid quest to find a bear.

Catchy songs and enchanting puppets are combined with no shortage of ‘swishy swashy grass’ and ‘oozy, squelchy mud’ in a show that seems certain to keep youngsters splendidly entertained.

against all odds to win the hand of the beautiful princess - and being helped in his endeavours by the mystical genie of the lamp...

Robin Hood: The Pantomime Adventure The Core, Solihull, until Sun 5 January

A dashing hero, a Santa’s Sack-worth of audience participation and more corny gags than you could fit into an oversized Christmas stocking. What’s not to like?...

Puss In Boots Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, until Sat 11 January

A show which producers Imagine Theatre have referred to as ‘the cat’s whiskers’, Puss In Boots tells the tail, sorry, tale, of a fabulous feline who outwits both a king and an ogre to make his master the top, er, dog...

The Prince And The Pauper New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 25 January

An interesting and imaginative choice for a Christmas show, Mark Twain’s famous story here features ‘imaginative storytelling, live music, humour, puppetry and plenty of festive magic’. whatsonlive.co.uk 35

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Dance

Dance previews from around the region

Anton & Erin: Dance Those Magical Movies Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 25 January; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Wed 29 January

Celebrity dancing duo Anton du Beke and Erin Boeg return to the Midlands this month to present their brand new show.

Blending smart choreography and sparkly costumes with much-loved music from some of Hollywood’s greatest ever movies, Anton and Erin are joined by a 23-piece orchestra, a ‘spectacular’ dance ensemble, guest singer Lance Ellington and conductor Richard Balcombe.

The programme of music features hits from musical classics including Breakfast At Tiffany’s, Singin’ In The Rain, Casablanca, The Wizard Of Oz, The Greatest Showman, Titanic and Moulin Rouge.

Big Bond blockbusters also feature.

Shen Yun International Convention Centre, Birmingham, Tues 31 December - Thurs 2 January

The New York Times described Shen Yun as ‘5,000 years of Chinese music and dance in one night’ - which, as evenings of theatrical entertainment go, sounds like a pretty good deal.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is a not-for-

profit organisation dedicated to reviving authentic Chinese culture. And it certainly achieves its aim, presenting shows which have been enjoyed by millions of people across the globe.

Expect ethnic and folk dancers, ‘stunning costuming, high-tech backdrops, an orchestra like no other’ and plenty more besides when the company stops off in Birmingham early this month....

Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour Arena Birmingham, Thurs 16 - Sun 19 January

The Wizard Of Oz Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wed 22 January; Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Tues 28 January

A marvellous mix of magic, mayhem and munchkins, this classic story from the pen of L Frank Baum comes complete with some of the 20th century’s best-known children’s characters, including the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the cowardly Lion and, of course, the Wicked Witch of the West.

Baum’s story is certainly in safe hands with the ever-excellent Ballet Theatre UK, a 12-year-old company with an impressive history of producing bright and colourful shows designed to promote classical dance as a hugely accessible artform.

The Wizard Of Oz is one of two brand new offerings being toured by the ensemble this season the other is Sense And Sensibility - with a revival of the company’s critically acclaimed production of Giselle also featuring.

With 2018 winner Stacey Dooley taking on the presenting role, the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour is back in Brum with a bang.

Waltzing its way into the city mid-month, the sequin-saturated show features TV judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli. Taking to the dancefloor

with their professional dance partners are celebrities Karim Zeroual, Kelvin Fletcher, Saffron Barker, Mike Bushell, Alex Scott, Emma Barton and Catherine Tyldesley.

If you’re a fan of the hit BBC TV series, this is definitely an evening out not to be missed...

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Dance

Dance previews from around the region

Joseph Toonga: Born To Manifest Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Fri 31 January

“I feel a responsibility as a black male,” says Joseph Toonga, “to empower the younger generation as a role model and as an example of how dance can provide a positive, successful route. Mental health, and black men’s experiences of it, is little discussed, which is why I’m so passionate about creating awareness and shifting stigmas.”

Toonga’s hour-long presentation is a new hiphop dance double bill that illuminates the experience of young black British men. The show draws from real-life accounts with the aim of simultaneously championing cultural identity and challenging racial stigmas.

Spirit Of The Dance Malvern Theatres, Fri 31 January; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sun 2 February

A colourful and lively theatrical event celebrating dance and music from around the world, Spirit Of The Dance follows in the high-kicking traditions of the ever-popular Riverdance and Lord Of The Dance productions.

The show is this year celebrating its 21st birthday and boasts the pounding rhythms

not only of Irish dance but also Scottish, flamenco, Latin, salsa, street, hip-hop, techno and American Tap. It’s been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide since debuting in the 1990s and very much retains its reputation as one of the best and most spectacular dance shows around.

Dance To The Music Albany Theatre, Coventry, Tues 14 January; The Place, Telford, Shropshire, Sun 26 January

One-time X-Factor contestant Jake Quickenden is the man at the helm of this highenergy show, created, directed and choreographed by ex-Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff.

Featuring 15 different dances, the production portrays the evolution of dance through numerous musical eras and gen-

res, from the Roaring ’20s with its Charleston and tap dances, through to modern-day ballroom and Latin. ‘Fabulous’ costumes, ‘stunning’ vocals, ‘breathtaking’ choreography and an ‘electrifying’ dance troupe are all present and correct in a show that promises to banish the winter blues, at least for an evening.

Moscow State Ballet: The Nutcracker Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 20 - Wed 22 January

One of the great ballet staples, Tchaikovsky’s enchanting tale of Clara and her nutcracker doll has been delighting audiences for generations. The fantasy of soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, magic and mystery this month visits the region courtesy of Moscow State Ballet, a young company which has earned an impressive reputation for its thoughtful and energetic productions. whatsonlive.co.uk 39

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A TASTE OF ITALY Popular Italian chef Gino D’Acampo talks about his new Birmingham restaurant, his children’s book, his television show, his favourite food and, er, his wife’s apparently ample bosom...

On Halloween, the UK’s favourite Italian chef, Gino D’Acampo, opened much-anticipated Birmingham eatery Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant.

Situated on the bustling Temple Row, it features 165 covers, a 25 metre cocktail bar at which patrons can dine, a deli bar and a private dining area. A 15 metre open kitchen with a spectacular hand-crafted copper wood 40 whatsonlive.co.uk

oven sits centre restaurant, providing guests with the opportunity to watch Gino’s chefs in action.

The opening of the restaurant marks the completion of the first of a two-phase grand plan which Gino has for Birmingham - still to come is a rooftop sky bar and restaurant with spectacular views across the city...

“My new restaurant serves real Italian food and has a real Italian look,” explains the charismatic chef. “Don’t get me wrong, I have other restaurants in Birmingham - we have Piccolino and Bank, which are both great restaurants, and I do all the menus and all the stuff like that - but this is different. Here, you’ll have real Italian food, fresh ingredients, the lifestyle. And the look of the restaurant is

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by Lauren Foster

different, too. We source everything from Italy. I have a company where we import ingredients. We bring them here, we store them here, and then we send them to the restaurants. Everything you see, everything you touch, has been chosen and looked after by me.”

Alongside an extensive food menu offering Italian classics aplenty, Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant’s wine list boasts one of the biggest selections of prosecco, sparkling wine and Franciacorta in the country. There are more than 30 varieties to choose from, many of which you won’t find available anywhere else.

If Gino was visiting his new eatery as a diner, which dishes would he order from the menu?

“I would definitely have rigatoni with wild boar ragu. I usually have the calamari - we make it to perfection, with fried courgettes, fried peppers and a beautiful lemon mayonnaise. I would rock a pizza, because I’m greedy. My favourite pizza is the Real Neapolitan pizza, with Italian sausage, friarrielli, mozzarella and chilli. We make the best. If I had enough space in my belly, I would rock in with the slow-roasted pork belly - that is very sexy, with the radicchio and the chopped roasted hazelnuts on the top; it's very cool.

For dessert, I always have a tiramisu. We make the traditional tiramisu with the Savoiardi biscuits, mascarpone, Amaretto liqueur. Mwah! Fantastico!”

After Italian, what’s Gino’s favourite cuisine and is there anything he really can’t stand?

“I always eat Italian food! I like Japanese food, Chinese too. I’m not a huge fan of Indian cuisine; there are too many herbs and spices. It's very different from Italian cuisine.

We use four or five ingredients to make one thing, they use 23 different spices and ingredients. It's just not the way I cook or eat.

“I hate cucumber and I don't like coriander it's too overpowering. When you eat something with coriander, the only thing you taste is coriander. It reminds me of soap. Once, I was invited somewhere - I can't be too specific because it was a royal thing - but ****ing hell, do you know what they served me? Cucumber and coriander sandwiches! Cucumber sandwiches with a kind of coriander pesto in it. I pretended to eat one, but I had a napkin on my leg, so I rolled it into the napkin and threw the napkin underneath the table. It was

a table of 10, so it could have been anyone who’d thrown it.”

Birmingham boasts a brilliant and explosive food scene, with six Michelin-star restaurants, an abundance of high-quality independent eateries, one of the UK’s most popular street-food events and plenty of big-chain restaurants. So what is it about the city that makes it so appealing to restauranteurs and diners?

“Birmingham has always been a great city for food, because here is where the BBC Good Food Show is. I remember 20 years ago we used to do it. It was Gordon, Ainsley Harriott, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, all those people. For us, it's always been a foodie place. Birmingham is getting cooler, I think - it's a cool city now. It was always one of those places which had a lot of negativity - “it's too industrial, it's too this, it's too that”. It's a beautiful city and it's definitely on the up, if not already up there. For anyone interested in good restaurants, this is the place to be now.”

Originally from Naples, Gino moved to London when he was 19 and worked in both The Orchard Restaurant in Hampstead and the Cambio Restaurant in Guildford.

“I moved because of my wife. I met my wife when I was 18. We were in Spain, we were in Puerto Banús. I used to be the chef at the restaurant and she used to be the waiter. I had just come from the south of Italy and I fell in love with her. Blonde, clever, huge knockers, beautiful eyes. Eyes, brain, hair, knockers - we'll put knockers at number four. You can't have them at number one; that would make me very shallow.”

Gino rose to fame as a regular chef on longrunning ITV magazine show This Morning.

He’s since presented cookery programmes including Let's Do Lunch, There's No Taste Like Home and Gino's Italian Escape, and has also taken part in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! - which he won in 2009 - and Celebrity Juice. His most recent TV project is Gordon, Gino And Fred, a second series of which he’s just finished filming with Gordon Ramsey and First Dates’ Fred Sirieix.

“I cannot tell you a lot about this, but it's out in April. It's four episodes and we went to America. I think it was the best two weeks of my life - it was awesome! We couldn’t stop having fun. I know at work you shouldn't have too much fun, but I absolutely loved it.

Sometimes there was tension between us because we're three very strong characters Gordon is the alpha male, Fred is the sensible Frenchman, and I'm the one who doesn't give a shit - yet we really gelled well together. I can tell you that we're going to Morocco and we're going to film a Christmas special.”

Having already successfully conquered a multitude of markets, Gino recently added another string to his bow - children’s books.

His first publication, Get Cooking With Wiskella, is guaranteed to get your little ones excited about food. All Gino’s books, his recipe books included, can be bought in Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant.

“The inspiration for Get Cooking With Wiskella came from my daughter, Mia. She's seven years old. She always makes up stories in her mind as to why she should cook. She pretends that she's with friends. As I was watching her, I was thinking, 'I can make this reality; I can actually come up with a character'. The character is a whisk that turns into a little girl. All the characters in the book are cooking utensils, and I made them into humans. Wiskella is a girl who loves cooking and who goes around looking for all the ingredients that she needs. Eventually she gets all her friends around and they cook together. Usually when you read a book with your kids, the experience ends once the book is ended. But at the end of Get Cooking With Wiskella there’s a recipe. So you read the book and then, at the end, the idea is that the children, the parents, grandparents or whoever say, 'Hey, why don't we do the recipe?'

I've given them a full recipe - a pancake recipe - with the method. Wiskella explains exactly how she does it. The interaction doesn't end there - that's what's important to me. It's important to get kids interested in food and in cooking from a really young age. And on every page there is a little cat to find, too.

“My children cook and explore a lot with food. We have a rule in my house that anything I put on the table, they eat. If they don't like it, that's fine, but at least they've tried it.

And when I say anything, I mean anything. I once got them to try donkey testicle with butter, sage, salt & pepper. It was quite good.”

Gino D’Acampo My Restaurant can be found at 61-63 Temple Row, Birmingham whatsonlive.co.uk 41

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Film

1917 CERT 15 (119 mins) Starring George MacKay, DeanCharles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Daniel Mays Directed by Sam Mendes (UK/USA)

Partly based on fact - as relayed to the director Sam Mendes by his grandfather - this First World War epic is unfolded in one continuous shot. Two British soldiers are entrusted with the assignment of penetrating enemy lines in order to deliver a warning of an impending ambush by the Germans.

Mendes, of course, is the Oscarwinning director of such outstanding movies as American Beauty, Jarhead and the James Bond films Skyfall and Spectre.

Released Fri 10 January

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Film highlights released in January...

The Gentlemen CERT 18 (113 mins)

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant Directed by Guy Ritchie (UK/USA)

After toying with family entertainment and the Arabian Nights, Guy Ritchie returns to familiar territory with this highly adult gangster thriller. When a drug dealer decides to offload his criminal empire, he inadvertently triggers a war of unimaginable mayhem.

Released Wed 1 January

Jojo Rabbit CERT 12a (108 mins) Starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Taika Waititi, Rebel Wilson, Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson Directed by Taika Waititi (New Zealand/USA/Czech Republic)

Jojo, a 10-year-old recruit of Hitler’s Youth, is nicknamed Rabbit because of his cowardice - his inability even to kill a rabbit for the Führer. But with the help of his imaginary friend - none other than a blustering Adolf Hitler played by the director - he does

his best to toe the party line and learn to hate the Jews. Jojo Rabbit is a strange mix in that on the one hand it is very naturalistic - filmed in the picturesque town of Ustek in the Czech Republic - but also wildly farcical, at times resembling a sort of Carry On Hitler. Sadly, it has neither the confident cheek of Mel Brooks’ fictitious musical Springtime For Hitler nor the harrowing satire of George Roy Hills’ SlaughterhouseFive (1972).

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Film

Seberg CERT tbc (96 mins)

Just Mercy CERT 12a (136 mins)

Starring Kristen Stewart, Jack O'Connell, Margaret Qualley, Zazie Beetz, Vince Vaughn, Anthony Mackie, Yvan Attal Directed by Benedict Andrews (USA/UK)

Starring Michael B Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan, Tim Blake Nelson, Rafe Spall, O'Shea Jackson Jr Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (USA)

Based on the memoir by Bryan Stevenson, this is the story of the attorney (Jordan) who fought to clear the name of a wrongly convicted killer (Foxx). The US reviews have been pretty good so far.

The Personal History Of David Copperfield CERT PG (119 mins)

Starring Dev Patel, Peter Capaldi, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Ben Whishaw, Paul Whitehouse Directed by Armando Iannucci (UK/USA)

Released Fri 17 January

No mere biopic of the 1960s’ icon Jean Seberg, this political drama focuses on the FBI’s targeting of the actress because of her involvement with the civil rights activist Hakim Jamal (Mackie).

Armando Iannucci, the creative force behind The Thick Of It and The Death Of Stalin, gives his own singular spin to Charles Dickens’ favourite novel, making it both pertinent and, apparently, hilarious.

Released Fri 10 January

Bad Boys For Life CERT tbc Starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Joe Pantoliano, Theresa Randle Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (USA)

Released Fri 24 January

Plus One CERT 15 (99 mins)

The Turning CERT tbc

Starring Maya Erskine, Jack Quaid, Beck Bennett, Rosalind Chao, Perrey Reeves, Ed Begley Jr, Finn Wittrock Directed by Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer (USA)

Starring Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, Joely Richardson, Mark Huberman Directed by Floria Sigismondi (USA)

Marriage is in the air. So committed singletons and best friends Ben and Alice agree to be each other’s ‘plus one’ at every nuptial they’re invited to. Expect comparisons to When Harry Met Sally.

When he is entrusted with the care of his niece and nephew, a man hires a governess to look after them at his spooky mansion. Believe it or not, this is yet another re-working of Henry James’ 1898 The Turn Of The Screw, executive-produced by Steven Spielberg.

Released Fri 17 January

Released Fri 24 January

Just as old partners Marcus Burnett (Martin Lawrence) and Mike Lowery (Will Smith) are due to retire, they are forced together on one final assignment when the latter is targeted by a Romanian mob boss. Unusually for a big Hollywood film, the action-comedy is directed by a Belgian filmmaking duo (who are also developing the next Beverly Hills Cop sequel).

A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood CERT PG (109 mins) Starring Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper, Christine Lahti Directed by Marielle Heller (USA)

Released Fri 17 January

A Hidden Life CERT tbc (173 mins) Starring August Diehl, Valerie Pachner, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Nyqvist, Jürgen Prochnow, Bruno Ganz Directed by Terrence Malick (USA/Germany)

This is the true story of Franz Jägerstätter (Diehl), a devout Catholic farmer who refused to collude with the Nazis during the Second World War. Incidentally, the film proved to be the last for both the late Michael Nyqvist and Bruno Ganz.

Released Fri 17 January 44 whatsonlive.co.uk

Waves CERT 15 (135 mins) Starring Kelvin Harrison Jr, Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown Directed by Trey Edward Shults (USA)

Life comes in waves and that is certainly the case for an African-American family living in a suburb of Southern Florida. In spite of the film’s subject matter, its writer-director is not African-American.

Last year we had the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? about Fred Rogers. Here, Tom Hanks plays the children’s TV presenter, who is befriended by a cynical journalist from Esquire magazine (Rhys), on whose article the screenplay is loosely based.

Released Fri 17 January

Released Fri 31 January

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Film highlights released in January...

The Grudge CERT tbc Starring Andrea Riseborough, Demián Bichir, John Cho, Betty Gilpin, Lin Shaye, Jacki Weaver Directed by Nicolas Pesce (Canada/USA)

This is the second American remake of the 2002 Japanese horror film in which a young female detective investigates a horrific murder in a house that is, frankly, doomed.

Released Fri 31 January

The Lighthouse CERT 15 (109 mins) Starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson Directed by Robert Eggers (USA)

When two lighthouse keepers are stranded on their island by a storm, they both begin to lose their sanity… Robert Pattinson has said that the experience of making the film has made him renounce Method acting for good.

EDITOR’S CHOICE

Released Fri 31 January

Bombshell CERT 15 (108 mins) Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Malcolm McDowell, Allison Janney, Mark Duplass, Alice Eve Directed by Jay Roach (USA)

One doesn’t come across a cast like this very often. But in the #MeToo era, true-life dramas like this will be popping up all over. Set in the toxic atmosphere of Fox

Queen And Slim CERT 15 (131mins) Starring Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloë Sevigny, Flea Directed by Melina Matsoukas (USA)

Having killed a cop after being pulled over in their car, a loved-up African-American couple go on the run... The British actress-model Jodie Turner-Smith has had rave reviews for her part, even prompting talk of an Oscar nomination.

News, the film follows several women as they attempt to expose the unbecoming conduct of the TV executive Roger Ailes, played by an unrecognisable John Lithgow.

Interesting that the three leads are, respectively, South African, Australian and Australian. From the director of the Austin Powers and Meet The Fockers films, so maybe there will even be some humour.

Released Fri 24 January

The Rhythm Section

Richard Jewell CERT 15 (129 mins)

CERT 15 (110 mins)

Starring Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Paul Walter Hauser Directed by Clint Eastwood (USA)

Starring Blake Lively, Jude Law, Sterling K. Brown, Max Casella, Daniel Mays, Geoff Bell Directed by Reed Morano (UK/USA)

Released Fri 31 January

Clint Eastwood, now 89, directs and produces this true-life drama about a security guard (Hauser) who saved the lives of thousands from a terrorist attack at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. However, the press and media set out to destroy his life…

Released Fri 31 January

Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively) was meant to be on a flight that killed her family. Then she discovers that the crash was not an accident… Based on the novel by Mark Burnell and directed by the former cinematographer Reed Morano, so it should look good.

Released Fri 31 January whatsonlive.co.uk 45

Visual Arts January.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 13:10 Page 1

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Tim Mara: Not Pop? Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sun 29 March

Although frequently associated with the Pop Art movement, Irish printmaker and one-time Wolverhampton Polytechnic student Tim Mara - who died in 1997 at the age of 48 - found his inspiration elsewhere. “I knew that the Pop thing was going on,” he said. “Screen printing was there, photography was there, the everyday objects were there - but I was much more interested pictorially in Velásquez and Vermeer. Those prints had much more to do with painting.”

Mara’s work saw him blending traditional processes with digital printing techniques, but his main consideration was always the subject matter: “In the hierarchy of fine art, printmaking is usually associated with craft skills - with technique. And that gets in the way. My work was always about the ideas more than the medium.”

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Visual Arts

John Walker: New Paintings

La Patrie, 1916 By Christopher Richard W. Nevinson

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, until Sun 23 February

Birmingham Revolutions: Power To The People Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, until Fri 4 September

play aims to highlight the different ways in which people can protest and campaign, and also to take a look at specific examples from history - from the Priestley Riots of 1791 all the way through to the LGBTQ+ campaigns of modern times.

Radical Drawing: Works From Coventry And The Courtauld Herbert Art Gallery, Coventry, until Sun 19 January

The radical and creative potential of drawn marks and lines is explored in an exhibition featuring not only artwork from the Herbert but also pieces both from The Courtauld Gallery in London and the University of Warwick.

The display offers viewers the opportunity to contemplate work by a number of artists who have pushed the boundaries of what it means to draw.

Also on display are objects linked to the Courtaulds factory in Coventry and a specially produced film about Courtaulds Ltd. The long-established manufacturer of fabric, clothing, artificial fibres and chemicals set up shop in the city in 1905.

Truly Bright And Memorable

The Influence Project Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Sat 18 January - Sun 22 March

A photography exhibition celebrating the impact of leading black musicians on contemporary sound and culture, The Influence Project chronicles pioneering voices from the 20thcentury music scene. Along the way, the show assesses their impact on music, exploring the ways in which they have creatively, socially and politically influenced and inspired modern-day artists.

Barber Institute, Birmingham, until Sun 19 January

Subtitled Jan de Beer’s Renaissance Altarpieces, this latest in the Barber’s Masterpiece In Focus series showcases the venue’s very own double-sided altarpiece, featuring The Nativity and the ‘apocryphal tale of Joseph and the suitors’.

The altarpiece is one of many created by 16th century Flemish artist de Beer, a man whose star shone brightly for centuries after his death but whose relevance has been somewhat downgraded in recent times.

The exhibition also brings together for the first time all of de Beer’s paintings and drawings from public and private collections in Britain.

Image: Laura Mvula, London 2017 C-Type © Alexis Chabala

Voting reform, nuclear disarmament, trade unionism, anti-racism and human rights all feature in Power To The People, an exhibition exploring Birmingham’s vibrant and varied history of protest and activism.

In the process of the exploration, the dis-

Birmingham artist John Walker left the city of his birth more than 50 years ago and now resides in Maine. The US state is renowned for its rocky coastal landscape, and it’s these stark natural features that have provided Walker with the inspiration for this new exhibition of ‘anti-scenic’ paintings.

Recently described as one of the standout abstract painters of the last 50 years, John was the first artist to show at Ikon Gallery when it moved to new premises in the Birmingham Shopping Centre above New Street Station in 1972.

His return to the venue, now of course in a different location, has been long awaited, his new paintings being widely acclaimed as works which reveal an artist at the very peak of his powers.

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Events

Events previews from around the region

Ice Skate Birmingham Centenary Square, Birmingham, until Sun 12 January

Vitality Netball Nations Cup Arena Birmingham, Wed 22 January

The Vitality Roses, England’s elite netball team, play in front of a home crowd this month for the

Autosport International NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 9 - Sun 12 January

Described as ‘the world’s greatest four-wheel indoor extravaganza’, Autosport International caters for industry professionals and motorsport fans alike. Featuring every level of motor racing from karting through to Formula One - the event offers visitors the chance to check out the latest performance road cars, chat to club members and watch precision-driving displays in the Live Action Arena. The show is this year marking the 70th anniversary of the F1 British Grand Prix.

first time since the Netball World Cup. As part of a new four-day three-city international series, the Roses face South Africa in a World Cup bronze medal rematch, while Jamaica lock horns with New Zealand.

Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Arena Birmingham, Fri 31 January - Sun 2 February

Jumps and stunts and crashing and smashing is very much the order of the day when the Hot Wheels Monster Trucks take to the stage.

In addition to the trucks, each show features a range of entertainment that includes world record attempts and performances by stars of the freestyle motocross world. Oh, and there’s the Megasaurus too - a massive car-eating firebreathing prehistoric robot that loves to chomp on anything with four wheels.

Best leave your skateboard at home, we thinks...

Christmas may be over, but there’s still plenty of opportunity to enjoy Ice Skate Birmingham and the Big Wheel this month.

While the wheel offers the chance to enjoy fantastic views across the city, the ice rink accommodates up to 300 people per session and is this year weather-proofed thanks to the addition of a roof. Younger or inexperienced skating enthusiasts can keep upright by using special penguin skating aids.

And when skaters have finished their Torvill & Dean routine, they can warm themselves up with some festive fare in the nearby Ice Lounge.

The Arenacross Tour 2020 Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Fri 31 January & Sat 1 February

An absolute must for extreme sports fans, the 2020 Arenacross tour brings indoors all the spectacular elements of motorcross for a ‘non-stop white-knuckle ride’. Set to a pumping soundtrack and laser show, the event sees some of the world’s top freestylers hitting the track to present what organisers describe as ‘truly awe-inspiring entertainment’.

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Festivals

When it comes to music, regardless of your preference - be it jazz, indie, folk, classical, world or pop - you’re almost certain to find a festival in the Midlands to suit your taste. And 2020 looks set to be another bumper year for the region’s festival-goers. Get your diary out and get booking!

APRIL NANTWICH JAZZ, BLUES & MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up includes Big Country, Sari Schorr, Stereo MCs, Ruby Turner, The Blockheads, Jeremiah Ferrari, Suburban Symphony.

Thurs 9 - Mon 13 April, various venues in Nantwich. More information at nantwichjazz.com WONDERLAND 2 Line-up includes Filta, Rooted and Booted, Totally Tina, Daft Punk Tribute, Jay Francis as George Michael, Flash, Gimme Some Lovin Soul Band, The Blue Print Blues Brothers featuring Aretha Franklin tribute, Erasured - Erasure Tribute – Marquis Drive. Fri 10 - Mon 13 April, Chillington Hall, Brewood, Wolverhampton. More information at dubscollective.com

MAY UPTON UPON SEVERN FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Martyn Harvey, Dovetail Trio, Worcestershire Levellers, Rod Penlington. Fri 1 - Mon 4 May, various venues, Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire. More information at uptonfolk.org LEAMINGTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 1 - Tues 5 May, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa. More information at leamingtonmusic.org

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CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Tues 5 - Sun 10 May, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham.

More information at cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz FOCUS WALES Line-up includes Flamingods, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Georgia Ruth, John, Gruff Rhys.

Thurs 7 - Sat 9 May, various venues in Wrexham, Wales. More information at focuswales.com SWINGAMAJIG Line-up to be announced. Fri 8 May, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. More information at swingamajig.co.uk FORBIDDEN FOREST Line-up to be announced. Sat 9 May, The Oaks Forest, Grimethorpe. More information at forbidden-forest.co.uk BEARDED THEORY Line-up includes The Flaming Lips, Nova Twins, Derange, The Dualers, Ferocious Dog, The Bar Steward Sons Of Val Doonican, KT Tunstall, The Undertones, The Kubricks. Thurs 21 - Sun 24 May, Catton Hall, South Derbyshire. More information at beardedtheory.co.uk BREAKING BANDS Line-up includes Gorilla Riot, Stellsword, Midnite City, King Creature. Thurs 21 - Mon 25 May, Stoke Prior Sports & Country Club, Bromsgrove. More information at breakingbandsfestival.com MELLO Line-up includes Odyssey, Steeleye Span, Craig Charles, Fairport Convention. Fri 22 - Sun 24 May, Seven

End Country Estate, Hanley Castle, Worcestershire. More information at mellofestival.co.uk LECHLADE MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Boomtown Rats (Headliner). Fri 22 - Sun 24 May, Riverside Park, Lechlade, Gloucestershire. More information at lechladefestival.co.uk GLASTONBUDGET Line-up Who's Who, One Step Behind, The Kommitments, The Bootleg Beatles, T.Rextasy, Dolly Parton Experience, Vicky Jackson as Pink. Fri 22 - Sun 24 May, Turnpost Farm, Leicestershire. More information at glastonbudget.org

nbhdweekender.com BIRMINGHAM PRIDE Line-up to be announced. Sat 23 - Sun 24 May, Birmingham Gay Village.

More information at birminghampride.com ROCK AND BOWL Line-up to be announced. Sat 23 - Mon 25 May, Picnic Area, Market Drayton. More information at rockandbowlfestival.com DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Sun 24 May, various venues in Nottingham. More information at dottodotfestival.co.uk

STAFFS FEST Line-up to be announced.

Fri 22 - Sun 24 May, Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffs. More information at staffsfest.co.uk

LICHFIELD BLUES AND JAZZ FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 28 May - Sun 31 May, various venues around Lichfield. More information at lichfield-jazz.co.uk

HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN The world’s largest philosophy and music festival.

Line-up includes Nitin Sawhney, Belle and Sebastian, The Correspondents, Ayanna Witter Johnson. Fri 22 - Mon 25 May, Hay on Wye, Hereford. More information at howthelightgetsin.org

THE ACOUSTIC FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN Line-up includes Lindisfarne, Lucas Marks & The Glorious Unknown, Merry Hell, The Quireboys, Old Town Sailors.

Fri 29 May - Sun 31 May, Uttoxeter Racecourse. More information at acousticfestival.co.uk

CHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Kimber’s Men, Wet The Tea, Sam Carter, Albireo. Fri 22 - Mon 25 May, Kelsall Village. More information at chesterfolk.org.uk

WYCHWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 29 May - Sun 31 May, Cheltenham Racecourse.

More information at wychwoodfestival.com

NEIGHBOURHOOD WEEKENDER Line-up includes Ian Brown, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Shed Seven, The Wombats.

Sat 23 - Sun 24 May, Victoria Park, Warrington. More information at

JUNE WIRRAL FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up in-

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cludes Lindisfarne, Trials Of Cato, Merry Hell, The Churchfitters. Thurs 4 June - Sun 7 June, The Whitby Club, Ellesmere Port. More information at wirralfolkonthecoast.com GATE TO SOUTHWELL Line-up includes Show Of Hands, Madison Violet, Talisk, Track Dogs. Thurs 4 - Sun 7 June, Southwell Racecourse, Nottinghamshire. More information at gtsf.uk DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Line-up includes Kiss, Iron Maiden, System Of A Down, Deftones, Korn, The Offspring. Fri 12 Sun 14 June, Donington Park, Derby.

More information at downloadfestival.co.uk NOCTURNE LIVE AT BLENHEIM PALACE Line-up includes David Gray, Lionel Richie. Thurs 18 - Sun 21 June, Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. More information at nocturnelive.com SONIC ROCK SOLSTICE 2019 Line-up includes Acid Mothers Temple, Atomic Rooster, Astralasia, Heavy Metal Kids.

Thurs 18 - Sun 21 June, Stoke Prior Sports and Country Club, Worcester.

More information at sonicrocksolstice.com BEARDY FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys, Rura, Gaz Brookfield, Calan, Luke Jackson, Midnight Skyracer. Fri 19 - Sun 21 June, Hopton Court, Cleobury Mortimer, Shropshire. More information at beardyfolkfestival.co.uk UPTON JAZZ FESTIVAL Line-up includes Black Cat Jazz Band, 12 Shades Of Jazz, Ben Cummings Gerry Mulligan Quartet, Keith Nichols Hot Seven. Fri 26 Sun 28 June. Various venues in Uptonupon-Severn, Worcestershire. More information at uptonjazz.co.uk

JULY NAPTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 3 - Sat 4 July, Napton Village Hall Grounds, Napton On The Hill, Warwickshire. More information naptonfestival.co.uk CAMPERJAM Line-up to be announced.

Fri 3 - Sun 5 July, Weston Park, Shropshire. More information at camperjam.com ALSO FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 3 - Sat 5 July, Park Farm, Warwickshire. More information and tickets at also-festival.com TIMBER FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Unthanks, Sam Lee, Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Dame Evelyn Glennie, Gary Stewart’s Graceland. Fri 3 Sun 5 July, Feanedock, The National

Forest. More information and tickets at timberfestival.org.uk

Bolesworth Castle, Chester. More information at carfest.org

THE ROCK AND BIKE FEST Line-up includes Fleetwood Bac, Guns 2 Roses, Green Haze, The Animals & Friends.

Thurs 9 - Sat 11 July, Carnfield Hall, Derbyshire. More information at rockandbikefest.co.uk

BAREFOOT FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 31 July - Mon 3 August, Prestwold Hall, Leicestershire. More information at barefootfestival.com

2000TREES FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 9 - Sat 11 July, Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

More information at twothousandtreesfestival.co.uk BROMSGROVE FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes The Lost Notes, Keith Donnelly, Union Jill. Thurs 9 - Sun 12 July, various venues across Bromsgrove.

More information at bromsgrovefolkclub.co.uk NOISILY FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 9 - Fri 12 July, Coney Woods at Noseley Hall, Leicestershire.

More information and tickets at noisilyfestival.com THE MOSTLY JAZZ FUNK AND SOUL FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 10 - Sun 12 July, Moseley Park, Birmingham.

More information at mostlyjazz.co.uk LICHFIELD ARTS FUSE FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 10 - Sun 12 July, Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire.

More information at fuselichfield.org.uk LET’S ROCK SHREWSBURY Line-up includes Adam Ant, OMD, ABC, Tony Hadley, Go West. Sat 11 July, The Quarry, Shrewsbury. More information at letsrockshrewsbury.com UPTON BLUES FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 16 - Sun 19 July, various venues around Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire. More information at uptonbluesfestival.com THE BIRMINGHAM, SOLIHULL & WESTSIDE FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 17 - Sun 26 July, The Crossing + Boxxed + Wilde Building in Floodgate Street, Birmingham. More information at birminghamjazzfestival.com NOZSTOCK Line-up to be announced.

Thurs 23 - Sun 26 July, Rowden Paddocks, Bromyard, Herefordshire. More information at nozstock.com WARWICK FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 23 - Sun 26 July, Warwick School and Warwick Town Centre. More information at warwickfolkfestival.co.uk CARFEST NORTH Line-up to be announced. Fri 24 - Sun 26 July,

AUGUST MADE BIRMINGHAM Line-up to be announced. Sat 1 August, Perry Park, Birmingham. More information at made-festival.co.uk BOARDMASTERS Line-up to be announced. Wed 5 - Sun 9 Aug, Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall. More information at boardmasters.com BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR Line-up includes Skindred, Paradise Lost, Butcher Babies. Thurs 6 - Sun 9 Aug, Catton Hall, Derbyshire. More information at bloodstock.uk.com ROCK THE PARK WREXHAM 2019 Lineup includes Vengaboys, K-Klass, Robin S, DJ Sash. Fri 7 - Sun 9 Aug, Borras Hall Lane, Wrexham. More information at rockthepark.co.uk 110 ABOVE FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 13 - Sun 16 Aug, Gopsall Hall Farm, Leicestershire. More information at 110above.com

Buuren. Thurs 27 - Sun 30 Aug, Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire. More information at creamfields.com BEERMAGEDDON FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug, Stoke Prior Sports & Country Club, Bromsgrove, Worcester. More information at beermageddon.co.uk SUNSHINE FESTIVAL Line-up includes B*Witched, David Essex, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel. Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug, Fish Meadow, Upton upon Severn, Worcestershire. More information at uptonfestival.co.uk CAMPER CALLING Line-up includes Skunk Anansie, The Fratellis, Ash, The Feeling. Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire. More information at campercalling.com THE BIG FEASTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 28 - Sun 30 Aug, Kingham, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire.

More information at thebigfeastival.co.uk SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Show Of Hands, Carlos Núñez, The Young’uns, Kabantu. Fri 28 - Mon 31 Aug, Greenhous West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury. More information at shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk

LAKEFEST Line-up includes Echo and the Bunnymen, Ash, Starsailor. Thurs 13 - Sun 16 Aug, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire. More information at lakefest.co.uk FARMER PHIL’S FESTIVAL Line up to be announced. Fri 14 - Sun 16 Aug, near Gatten Farm, Shropshire. More information at farmerphilsfestival.com THE MOIRA FURNACE FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Steve Tilston & Hugh Bradley, Granny’s Attic, Robin Laing, Kenny Spiers. Fri 21 - Sun 23 Aug, Moira Furnace Museum and Monument Site, Derbyshire. More information at moirafurnacefolkfestival.co.uk OLD BUSH BLUES FESTIVAL Line-up includes Pot Kettle Black, Trafficker, Wayne Martin. Fri 21 - Sun 23 Aug, The Old Bush, Callow End Worcester. More information at oldbushblues.co.uk THE JUST SO FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Fri 21 - Sun 23 Aug, Rode Hall Parkland, Cheshire. More information at justsofestival.org.uk SHAMBALA Line-up to be announced.

Thurs 27 - Sun 30 Aug. A secret location in Northampton. More information at shambalafestival.org CREAMFIELDS Headliner Armin Van

SEPTEMBER MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL Passenger announced as first headliner. Fri 4 - Sun 6 Sept, Moseley Park, Birmingham.

More information at moseleyfolk.co.uk OFF THE TRACKS Line-up to be announced. Wed 4 - Fri 6 Sept, Castle Donington. More information at offthetracks.co.uk BROMYARD FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up to be announced. Thurs 10 - Sun 13 Sept, Bromyard, Herefordshire. More information at bromyardfolkfestival.co.uk

OCTOBER LICHFIELD FESTIVAL OF FOLK Line-up to be announced. Fri 16 - Sun 18 Oct, venues around Lichfield, Staffordshire.

More information at lichfieldarts.org.uk

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The List Cover January Warwicks Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 14:29 Page 1

Your Y Yo ur weekb by -week by-week llistings li isti is t ng ngs gs gu gguide ide d de

January 2020

Vamos Theatre’s Dead Good at the Swan Theatre, Worcester, Thurs 23 & Fri 24 January

Music I Comedy I Theatre I Dance I Film I Events I Visual Arts I

What’s On

and more!

Wed 1 to Sun 5 January

Mon 6 to Sun 12 January

Mon 13 to Sun 19 January

Mon 20 to Fri 31 January

The Snow Dragon at Number 8, Pershore

Puss In Boots at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Miloš Karadaglic in concert at Malvern Theatres

Merry Hell at Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Sat 4 January

until Sat 11 January

Fri 17 January

Fri 24 January

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THROUGHOUT JANUARY

Gigs

Visual Arts

NEW JOHN HUNT EXHIBITION Fri 24 Jan - Fri 7 Feb

GUNS 2 ROSES Thurs 2 Jan, The Robin, Bilston

Artrix, Bromsgrove

NEW FOOL’S GOLD – PAMELA SCHILDERMAN AND HAYLEY HARRISON Exhibition exploring society’s consumerism and the impact it has on the environment, Sat 25 Jan - Sat 14 Mar

WEDDING CRASHERS Thurs 2 Jan, The Jam House, Birmimgham

KATHLEEN WATSON AND LYNNE SAWYER - INSPIRE BY NATURE Exhibition exploring the natural world in a celebration of texture and colour, until Sun 5 Jan TOP FLOOR ABSTRACTS Exhibition of work by Richard Mcllwraith, until Sun 5 Jan NEW DRAWN FROM THE WOOD Robin Shaw tells a story of Hanbury Woods in black-and-white drawings, Tues 7 Jan - Sun 2 Feb

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery WHITWORTH WALLIS ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: LEANNE O'CONNOR Leanne's work responds to the stained-glass and metalwork collection held within the Industrial gallery, the Museum Collections Centre and Community History & Archives Service in Smethwick, until Mon 1 June DRESSED TO THE NINES Exhibition about dressing up and going out, from around 1850 to the present day, until Fri 4 Sept

NEW RUGBY COLLECTION: STILL LIFE Display that draws together some of the still-life artworks in the Rugby Art Gallery& Museum’s renowned collection, Sat 25 Jan - Sat 14 Mar

NEARLY DAN IN CONCERT Fri 3 Jan, The Robin, Bilston SLEEPY HEADS + HOTPLATE + GLASS CEILINGS + THE COMMON

KING PLEASURE AND THE BISCUIT BOYS Fri 3 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

RULE THE WORLD - TAKE THAT TRIBUTE Sat 4 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

URBAN INTO Fri 3 Jan Sat 4 Jan, The Jam House, Birmingham

BAD GIRLFRIEND + FEED ME MILK + SIMPLE TRIXX + SPIT Sun 5 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

BOWIE NIGHT 2020 Sat 4 Jan, Night Owl, B’ham

COVENTRY BIENNIAL - THE TWIN Exhibition contemplating themes such as ideas and processes while also exploring some of the difficulties presented by globalisation, political inequality and conflict, until Sun 26 Jan EXPLORING ELIOT'S COVENTRY Exhibition marking the 200th anniversary of the birth of author George Eliot and celebrating her connections with Coventry, until Sun 26 Apr

Other VISUAL ARTS

CIVIL WAR WORCESTERSHIRE New display about featuring objects and documents from the Worcestershire Archive & Archaeology Service collections, until Fri 24 Jan, The Hive, Worcester

Compton Verney Gallery, Warwick

ION MAIDEN Fri 3 Jan, Route 44, Birmingham

DEAF BALLOONS + SECOND HAND GENES + HONEY FACTORY Sat 4 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum

CRAFTED FOR YOU 2019 Array of jewellery, textiles, ceramics and other handmade items, until Sat 4 Jan, Worcester City Museum & Art Gallery

BIRMINGHAM REVOLUTIONS - POWER TO THE PEOPLE Display exploring Birmingham’s vibrant and varied history of protest and activism, until Fri 4 Sept

Fri 3 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

FASHIONING PEACE: LIFE AND LIBERTY AFTER THE GREAT WAR EXHIBITION Exhibition exploring how the changes brought about through the Great War were reflected in clothing and fashion from 1918 through to the Roaring 20s, until Mon 12 Oct, Hartlebury Castle, Kidderminster

King Pleasure And The Biscuit Boys - Artrix, Bromsgrove

Classical

Theatre

THE JOHANN STRAUSS GALA Featuring the Johann Strauss Orchestra, John Rigby (conductor) and Lizzie Holmes (soprano), Wed 1 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE KING & I Tony Award-winning Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, until Sat 4 Jan, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Hanns Eisler, Britten & Shostakovich, Sat 4 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

PETER PAN New version of JM Barrie's swashbuckling creation... until Sun 19 Jan, The REP, Birmingham

ARIEL SCHLESINGER: WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE Newly commissioned sculpture in the park by Ariel Schlesinger that seeks to highlight the relationship between people and nature, until Wed 30 Sept

A MUSEUM IN BAGHDAD A story of treasured history, desperate choices and the remarkable Gertrude Bell, until Sat 25 Jan, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

Rugby Art Gallery & Museum RUGBY OPEN until Sat 11 Jan, Rugby Art Gallery & Museum CURIOUS CURES AND MARVELLOUS MEDICINES Explore medical instruments and packaging dating from the late Victorians to the mid-20th century in a new exhibition about health and medicine, until Sat 14 Mar NEW RICHARD HORSMAN EXHIBITION Fri 10 - Fri 24 Jan

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THE GIN CHRONICLES CHRISTMAS SHOW The Misfits of London present a festive evening of ‘fast-paced, vintage comedy’, until Sun 5 Jan, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, B’ham

Radical Drawing Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: VIENNESE NEW YEAR GALA Featuring Thomas Rösner (conductor) & Sarah-Jane Brandon (soprano). Programme includes works

by Nicolai & J.Strauss II, Sat 4 Jan, Malvern Theatres

THE BOY IN THE DRESS World premiere based on David Walliams' bestselling book and featuring songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, until Sun 8 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: VIENNESE NEW YEAR GALA Featuring Thomas Rösner (conductor) & Sarah-Jane Brandon (soprano). Programme includes works

by Nicolai & J.Strauss II, Sun 5 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

KING JOHN Shakespeare’s rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil, until Sat 21 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon

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Wednesday 1 - Sunday 5 January

Pantomime SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARVES OF TEME until Fri 3 Jan, Regal, Tenbury Wells THE FROG PRINCE Based on the muchloved Grimm fairytale, until Sat 4 Jan, Talisman Theatre, Coventry ROBIN HOOD - THE PANTOMIME ADVENTURE Festive show jam-packed with ‘daring duels, stunning sets, outrageous costumes and a very merry man in a dress’... until Sun 5 Jan, The Core Theatre, Solihull JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Tread the Boards Theatre presents ‘a giant of a pantomime’, until Sun 5 Jan, The Attic Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Featuring Imelda Staunton as the voice of the Magic Mirror, until Sun 5 Jan, The Swan Theatre, Worcester ALADDIN Featuring Only Fools & Horses actor John Challis, until Sun 5 Jan, Malvern Theatres SNOW WHITE Festive family favourite featuring JP McCue, Emma Marsh and Mary Mac, until Sun 5 Jan, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

book, until Sun 12 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall THE SNOW DRAGON Tall Stories theatre present a ‘magical tale featuring toetapping songs and laughs aplenty’, Fri 3 Jan, Number 8, Pershore FATHER TIME’S DAY OFF Fun, songs & plenty of audience participation in a theatre production for younger audiences, Sat 4 Jan, Swan Theatre, Worcester

Comedy MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE, PAUL TONKINSON, JOANNE MCNALLY & COMIC TBC Fri 3 - Sat 4 Jan, The Glee Club, B’ham

The Snow Dragon

Dance SHEN YUN Epic production fusing classical Chinese dance, scenographical effects and original orchestral works, Tues 31 Dec - Thurs 2 Jan, International Convention Centre (ICC), Birmingham

BABES IN THE WOOD Panto mayhem with failed Morris Dancers Doris & Boris, until Sun 5 Jan, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

Film

CINDERELLA Festive family favourite starring Rebecca Keatley (CBeebies) and Sam Rabone, until Sun 5 Jan, Lichfield Garrick

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (12a) Action/Adventure. Starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver. Malvern Theatres, Thurs 19 Dec - Thurs 2 Jan

PUSS IN BOOTS Festive favourite written by and starring Iain Lauchlan, until Sat 11 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE IRISHMAN (15) Biography/Crime.

Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino.

The Roses Theatre, Tewkesubry, Thurs 19 Dec

DICK WHITTINGTON Starring Su Pollard, Ryan Thomas, Jeffrey Holland, Aaron James & Ian Adams, until Sun 12 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

NON-FICTION (15) Comedy/Drama.

Starring Guillaume Canet, Juliette Binoche. Foreign language, subtitled.

Number 8, Pershore, Thurs 19 Dec

CINDERELLA until Sun 12 Jan, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS Featuring Lesley Joseph, Matt Slack, Joe McElderry, Faye Brookes, Flawless, Doreen Tipton & Andrew Ryan, until Sun 2 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome ALADDIN Journey to the streets of Old Peking, where you can meet the mischievous Aladdin, his dopey brother, Wishee Washee, and his poor honest mum, Dame Widow Twankey, Wed 1 - Sun 5 Jan, Albany Theatre, Coventry

Kids Shows WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT ‘Catchy songs, interactive scenes and plenty of hands-on adventure’ combine in this adaptation of Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury's much-loved picture

INDEPENDENT LISTINGS:

KNIVES OUT (12a) Comedy/Crime.

Starring Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis. Malvern Theatres, Thurs 19 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 27, Sun 29 & Mon 30 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Dec & Thurs 2 Jan; Number 8, Pershore, Fri 3, Mon 6 - Tues 7 Jan LAST CHRISTMAS (12a) Comedy/Drama. Starring Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding. Number 8, Pershore, Fri 20 - Mon 23 Dec FROZEN 2 (PG) Animation/Adventure.

With the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 20 - Sat 21 & Mon 23, Mon 30 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 20 Tues 31 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 20, Mon 23 - Tues 24 Dec, Fri 27 - Sat 28, Mon 30 & Tues 31 Dec; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 21 - Tues 24 Dec & Thurs 26 Dec - Tues 31 Dec; Malvern Theatres, Sun 22 Tues 24 Dec; Pershore, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Dec

Number 8, Pershore, Sat 4 January

The ever-resourceful and always-value-for-money Tall Stories have previously presented hit shows The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and Room On The Broom. The company here returns with the enchanting story of a young goat named Billy.

It’s New Year’s Eve and the legendary Snow Dragon will be paying its annual visit the following day, bringing with it all manner of goodies. Billy’s on tenterhooks with excitement - but when he meets a pack of hungry wolves in the forest, New Year’s Day suddenly seems a very long way away... Suitable for children aged three and older.

ABOMINABLE (U) Animation/Adventure.

With the voices of Chloe Bennet, Albert Tsai. Number 8, Pershore, Tues 24 Dec LITTLE WOMEN (U) Drama/Romance.

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson. Malvern Theatres, Thurs 26 Dec - Thurs 9 Jan A SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE: FARMAGEDDON (U) Animation/Family. With the voices of Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes. Number 8, Pershore, Fri 27, Mon 30 Dec & Tues 2 Jan SING-A-LONG-A CALAMITY JANE (U) Comedy/Musical. Starring Doris Day, Howard Keel. Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 28 Dec AD ASTRA (12A) Adventure/Drama.

Starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones.

Number 8, Pershore, Thurs 2 Jan MARRIAGE STORY (15) Comedy/Drama. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver. Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 3 Jan CATS (12a) Comedy/Drama. Starring Idris Elba, Taylor Swift. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 3, Tues 7 Sat 11, Mon 13 - Tues 14 Jan

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE: Released from Wed 1Jan, showing at selected cinemas JOJO RABBIT (12a)

Events PAW PATROL PUPS SAVE CHRISTMAS TRAIL Featuring 21 characters and buildings from the hit Nick Jr show, all built by BRICKLIVE from brightly coloured toy bricks and placed around the city centre, until Fri 3 Jan, Birmingham City Centre CONTINENTAL CIRCUS BERLIN Brand new show for the festive season, until Sat 4 Jan, NEC, Birmingham THE SNOW HOUSE BAR Snow House Bar makes a welcome return, complete with super-popular VIP igloos, until Sun 5 Jan, The Bullring Shopping Centre, Birmingham ICE SKATE BIRMINGHAM Ice Skate Birmingham and the Big Wheel make a welcome return to Centenary Square, until Sun 12 Jan, Centenary Square, Birmingham NEW YEAR CRAFT: CREATE YOUR OWN CALENDAR Use a variety of craft materials to design and create a unique calendar for 2020, Thurs 2 Jan, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham NEW YEAR, NEW YOU Featuring a variety of activities and stalls, Sun 5 Jan, Soho House, Birmingham FREE DAY AT BLAKESLEY HALL Blow away the winter blues with a visit to Blakesley, Sun 5 Jan, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

THE GENTLEMEN (18)

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BROMSGROVE

January 2020 Workshop

Music

Wednesdays 8 January to 12 February

JEWELLERY MAKING £90 for 5 week course Saturday 11 January

AMERICAN TROUBADOUR SONGS AND STORIES

£15, The Studio

Sunday 12 January

Family Theatre

PINOCCHIO

£16.50 / £10.50, Under 16s / £49 Family (4), Main House Comedy

Saturday 18 January

DARREN HARRIOTT: GOOD HEART YUTE TOUR £12.50, The Studio

Music

Saturday 25 January

THE RAT PACK £24.50, Main House

Music

Friday 31 January

THE WHITNEY HOUSTON EXPERENCE £20, £17.50 concessions, Main House

box office: 01527 57733 I

www.artrix.co.uk. I

Join our Mailing List and receive information about up coming shows or down load our latest brochure

56 whatsonlive.co.uk

56 whatsonlive.co.uk

@artrixarts

Artrix, Slideslow Drive Bromsgrove, B60 1GN

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Monday 6 - Sunday 12 January

Classical Music LUNCHTIME MUSIC Featuring Phoebe Cheng (double bass) performing a programme of works by Bottensini.

Also Charlotte Sleet (mezzo-soprano) & Jonathan French (piano).

Programme for the latter includes works by Vivaldi & Ravel, Mon 6 Jan, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Lady Sanity - The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

Gigs THE BUTTERS ALIENS + CORNFLAKE’S AT KELLY’S + IN OUR LIVES + HONEY I SHOT THE PRESIDENT Mon 6 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham THE NU + FUTURE FIRES + AKANDE + THE FLOW Tues 7 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham DINO BAPTISTE Wed 8 Jan, The Jam House, Birmingham COSMOTHEKA Wed 8 Jan, The Red Lion Folk Club, B’ham OUTLINE + CRYMSON + EASY COMPANY + THE BRACKET Wed 8 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham PAUL SMITH: FOLLOWING Thurs 9 Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham PAUL DUNMALL INVITATION SERIES Thurs 9 Jan, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

GOOD WATER + HEADSHRINKERS + BERMUDA Fri 10 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham BACK TO THE 80’S Fri 10 Jan, The Robin, Bilston CIVIL WRONGS Fri 10 Jan - Sat 11 Jan, The Jam House, B’ham SINGLE BY SUNDAY Fri 10 Jan, The Asylum, Birmingham ALL MOD CONS Fri 10 Jan, Night Owl, B’ham BROKEN MINDS, WAX ON & THE SOURCE PRESENTS: A TRIBUTE TO TANGO Fri 10 Jan, Hare & Hounds, B’ham THE JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW Fri 10 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove NICK PARKER AND THE FALSE ALARMS Fri 10 Jan, Marr’s Bar, Worcester PJ MORTON Fri 10 Jan, O2 Institute, B’ham THE BUSINESS Fri 10

Jan, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FROM THE JAM Fri 10 Jan, The Mill, Digbeth MARK MORTON Sat 11 Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham THE ASSIST + KARKOSA + ROMA COVE + THE NEW CONSISTENT Sat 11 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: A VISION OF THE FUTURE Featuring Jaume Santonja Espinós (conductor) & Vesselin Gellev (violin). Programme includes works by Shostakovich, Arturo Marquez, Debussy, Anna Meredith, Piazzolla, Gershwin & Mason Bates, Thurs 9 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

AMERICAN TROUBADOUR SONGS AND STORIES Sat 11 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

BLACK DYKE IN CONCERT Featuring thrilling film scores, toe tapping big band jazz, barnstorming classics and highlights of the traditional brass band repertoire, Sun 12 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

RISCAS + FLARES + 11 57 + SOUKI Sun 12 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

Comedy ESTHER MANITO (PICTURED), CHRIS WASHINGTON & COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 9 Jan, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE ACID TEST Written by award-winning and critically acclaimed playwright Anya Reiss, Wed 8 - Sat 11 Jan, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham ALICE IN PANTOLAND Birmingham Youth Theatre present a new and original take on one of Britain’s favourite tales, Thurs 9 - Sat 11 Jan, The Old Rep, Birmingham PINOCCHIO Oddsocks present a brand new adaptation of a classic story, Sun 12 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE BOY IN THE DRESS World premiere based on David Walliams' bestselling book and featuring songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, until Sun 8 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon KING JOHN Shakespeare’s rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil, until Sat 21 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon WHERE IN THE WORLD IS FRANK SPARROW? Midnite Youth Theatre Company weave stark urban reality with the mythical underworld of the dead in a new staging of Angela Betzien’s play, Fri 10 Jan, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick

LADY SANITY + ED GEATER + A$TROBOY$ + STELLA Thurs 9 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham KINGS HEATH & MOSELEY NEIGHBOURHOOD Thurs 9 Jan, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

Pantomime

3 SIXTIES Thurs 9 Jan, The Jam House, Birmingham THE REPTARS Fri 10 Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham

ESTHER MANITO (PICTURED), CHRIS WASHINGTON, DOMINIC FRISBY & BEN NORRIS Fri 10 - Sat 11 Jan, The Glee Club, B’ham

NEW MODEL ARMY Fri 10 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham PAPER BUOYS + THE

A MUSEUM IN BAGHDAD A story of treasured history, desperate choices and the remarkable Gertrude Bell, until Sat 25 Jan, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

EDWARD LEUNG PIANO RECITAL Programme includes works by JS Bach, Haydn, Chopin, Ives & Stravinsky, Wed 8 Jan, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

BRAHMS’ HORN TRIO Fri 10 Jan, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

BLACK DYKE IN CONCERT Sun 12 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

PETER PAN New version of JM Barrie's swashbuckling creation... until Sun 19 Jan, The REP, Birmingham

ELISABETH BRAUSS PIANO CONCERT Programme includes works by Schubert and Beethoven, Tues 7 Jan, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

PLANET DURAN Sat 11 Jan, Marr’s Bar, Worcester

BRAVADO - TRIBUTE TO RUSH Sun 12 Jan, The Robin, Bilston

Theatre

PJ Morton - O2 Academy, Birmingham

ALISTAIR BARRIE, BRENNAN REECE, JOHN GAVIN & DANNY MCLOUGHLIN Sat 11 Jan, The Comedy Loft, B’ham

DICK WHITTINGTON Starring Su Pollard, Ryan Thomas, Jeffrey Holland, Aaron James & Ian Adams, until Sun 12 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS Featuring Lesley Joseph, Matt Slack, Joe McElderry, Faye Brookes, Flawless, Doreen Tipton & Andrew Ryan,

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PUSS IN BOOTS Festive favourite written by and starring Iain Lauchlan, until Sat 11 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry CINDERELLA Rags-to-riches pantomime performed by Three Spires Guildhall, Thurs 9 - Sun 12 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Monday 6 - Sunday 12 January

edy. Starring Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins. Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 6 Jan MARRIAGE STORY (15) Comedy/Drama. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Wed 8 - Thurs 9 Jan

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Ian Thompson’s staging of the popular festive tale, Fri 10 - Sat 18 Jan, Oldbury Rep

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (12a) Adventure/Comedy. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 9 Jan

Kids Shows

A STAR IS BORN (U) Drama/Musical.

Starring Judy Garland, James Mason. Number 8, Pershore, Thurs 9 Jan

Little Women - on general release

WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT ‘Catchy songs, interactive scenes and plenty of hands-on adventure’ combine in this adaptation of Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury's much-loved picture book, until Sun 12 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall

LE MANS ‘66 (12a) Action/Biography.

Starring Matt Damon, Christian Bale.

The Roses Theatre, Tewkesubry, Thurs 9 - Sun 12 Jan LITTLE WOMEN (U) Drama/Romance.

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 17 & Sun 19, Tues 21 - Thurs 23 Jan

1917 (tbc)

Film

STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (12a) Action/Adventure. Starring Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesubry, Fri 10 - Sun 19 Jan

Events

INDEPENDENT LISTINGS THE TWO POPES (12a) Biography/Com-

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE: Released from Fri 10 Jan, showing at selected cinemas SEBERG (tbc)

ICE SKATE BIRMINGHAM Ice Skate Birmingham and the Big Wheel make

a welcome return to Centenary Square, until Sun 12 Jan, Centenary Square, Birmingham AUTOSPORT INTERNATIONAL Must-attend event for motorsport fans and industry professionals featuring ‘an unmissable combination of cars, stars and action’, Sat 11 - Sun 12 Jan, NEC, Birmingham SING-A-LONG-A THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (PG) Drama/Musical. Starring Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams.

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sun 12 Jan

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Classical Music THOMAS TROTTER LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT Mon 13 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall LUNCHTIME MUSIC Featuring Brigitta Sveda (piano), Helena Townsend (mezzo-soprano) & Johnny Budd (piano). Programme includes works

by Bernstein, Larsen, Chanier, Barber, Duke & Hundley, Mon 13 Jan, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

The Upbeat Beatles - Artrix, Bromsgrove

Gigs

DYKE Thurs 16 Jan, The Fleece Inn, Nr Evesham

Sat 18 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry

DELTA AUTUMN + ROSIE TEE + GABY KETTLE + CARISS AUBURN Mon 13 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

80S MANIA Thurs 16 Fri 17 Jan, Lichfield Garrick

JOE BROWN Sat 18 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

INSOMNIUM Fri 17 Jan, O2 Academy, B’ham

ALEX OHM + JACK CATTELL + MATT MILLARD + COTTER Sat 18 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

JAZZ CANON: THE MUSIC OF ORNETTE COLEMAN Tues 14 Jan, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire SUE + PRETTY VILE + TWELVE TWELVE + THE WOLF WITHIN Tues 14 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Wed 15 Jan, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham KIOKO + THE PAGANS S.O.H + SKETCH + STRESS RELEASE Wed 15 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham MIKE SILVER PLUS GEOFF, CHRIS & KIM Wed 15 Jan, The Red Lion Folk Club, B’ham WAGE WAR Thurs 16 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham THE ELVIS PRESLEY SONGBOOK Thurs 16 Jan, Bedworth Civic Hall LEGEND: THE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY Thurs 16 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry VIOLET+ RAI KAH MERCURY + WISHBONE + THE SPACE Thurs 16 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham LOST IN MUSIC - ONE NIGHT AT THE DISCO Thurs 16 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre FLEECEY FOLK: FIELD &

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SPILT MILK SOCIETY + ODD SOUL + CHERRY CHERRY + AMY LOUISE ELLIS Fri 17 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham SOUNDS FAMILIAR BIRMINGHAM 2020 Fri 17 Jan, Mama Roux’s Birmingham BE BOP A LULA Fri 17 Jan, Albany Theatre, Coventry THE KING OF POP STARRING NAVI Fri 17 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry SOULIN’ LIVE FUNK AND PERCUSSION NIGHT Fri 17 Jan, The Night Owl, Birmingham CHASE RICE: THE PINT OF ANYTHING TOUR Fri 17 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham A COUNTRY NIGHT IN NASHVILLE Fri 17 Jan, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE MOWGLI’S + SPECIAL GUESTS Fri 17 Jan, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham THE GEORGE MICHAEL LEGACY WAYNE DILKS Fri 17 Jan, The Palace Theatre, Redditch SIDHU MOOSE WALA Sat 18 Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham JUDY COLLINS Sat 18 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall THE LOADED : BOXSET

RETROFORWARD & WEIRD WAX PRESENT PARANOID LONDON (DJ SET) Sat 18 Jan, Hare & Hounds, B’ham WE LOVE LITTLE MIX Sat 18 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry AMY WINEHOUSE TRIBUTE BY MARINA COOMBES Sat 18 Jan, Night Owl, B’ham WINTER CARNIVAL FT. SHENSEEA Sat 18 Jan, O2 Institute, B’ham

SIR SIMON RATTLE & LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Also featuring Dorothea Röschmann (soprano).

Programme includes works by Berg and Beethoven, Tues 14 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham ANNELIEN VAN WAUWE (CLARINET) & EVGENIA RUBINOVA (PIANO) IN CONCERT Programme includes works by Debussy, Brahms, Rachmaninov, Pierne & Widor, Tues 14 Jan, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire KA PEK HO IN CONCERT Programme includes works by Bottesini, Tchaikovsky & Herti, Wed 15 Jan, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire PHOEBE CHENG IN CONCERT Programme includes works by Bottesini & Franck Arr. Eugene Levinson, Thurs 16 Jan, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire MILOS KARADAGLIC IN CONCERT Programme includes works by Bach, Granados, Albeniz, Villa Lobos, Beatles & Duplessy, Fri 17 Jan, Malvern Theatres

TOYAH Sat 18 Jan, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

JOHN LENNON UK Sat 18 Jan, The Palace Theatre, Redditch THE TAKE THAT EXPERIENCE Sat 18 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry NAMIWA JAZZ + RUTH KOKUMO + FERGUS CHANNELL + DEMELZA Sun 19 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham VICARAGE X SEMPER VERA TOUR Sun 19 Jan, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

MARLON DAVIS, JARLATH REGAN & COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 16 Jan, The Glee Club, Birmingham JIM DAVIDSON Fri 17 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre LOL COMEDY CLUB Fri 17 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester MARLON DAVIS, JARLATH REGAN, LEE MALONE & KELLY CONVEY Fri 17 - Sat 18 Jan, The Glee Club, Birmingham DARREN HARRIOTT Sat 18 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove ALLYSON SMITH, MATT RICHARDSON, EMMANUAL SONUBI & DANNY CLIVES Sat 18 Jan, The Comedy Loft, B’ham

Theatre PETER PAN New version of JM Barrie's swashbuckling creation... until Sun 19 Jan, The REP, Birmingham A MUSEUM IN BAGHDAD A story of treasured history, desperate choices and the remarkable Gertrude Bell, until Sat 25 Jan, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon THE BOY IN THE DRESS World premiere based on David Walliams' bestselling book and featuring songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, until Sun 8 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon KING JOHN Shakespeare’s rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil, until Sat 21 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T GOT A CLUE BBC Radio’s award-winning antidote to panel games, hosted by Jack Dee & featuring Tim Brooke-Taylor, Tony Hawks, Miles Jupp, Rory Bremner & Colin Sell, Mon 13 Jan, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

THE BILLY FURY YEARS Sat 18 Jan, The Core Theatre, Solihull THE UPBEAT BEATLES Sat 18 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

Comedy MILTON JONES Wed 15 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

BENYOUNES STRING QUARTET Featuring Zara Benyounes & Emily Holland (violins), Sara Roberts (viola) & Kim Vaughan (cello). Programme includes works by Mozart, John Woolrich & Beethoven, Fri 17 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove CBSO: MAHLER'S SYMPHONY OF A THOUSAND Featuring Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (conductor), Erin Wall and Natalya Romaniw (sopranos).

Programme comprises Mahler's Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand), 85’, Sat 18 - Sun 19 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham BRITISH PHILARMONIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA: VIENNESE STRAUSS GALA Sun 19 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

FRANKENSTEIN Rona Munro’s new adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Gothic masterpiece, Mon 13 - Sat 18 Jan, Malvern Theatres MASTERS OF THE HOUSE: MUSICAL MOVIES Journey through the world of musical theatre and movies with stars from Les Misérables, Phantom, Sunset Boulevard and other hit West End musicals, Wed 15 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry BENEATH THE CITY The critically acclaimed Upstart Theatre combine music, lyrical writing & movement to tell a tale about how the decisions we make go on to haunt us, Thurs 16 - Sat 18 Jan, The REP, B’ham

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Monday 13 - Sunday 19 January BOAR One-man fantasy tale immersing the audience in a larger-than-life Game Of Thrones-style adventure, Sat 18 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ALL OF ME (THE POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE SPLENDOUR) Caroline Horton’s onewoman show is an intimate exploration of wanting to live, wanting to die, and what can happen if we sit together with the dark, Sat 18 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE GIFT Comedy-drama about imperialism, cross-racial adoption, cultural appropriation and drinking tea, Sat 18 - Sat 25 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Pantomime DICK WHITTINGTON Starring Su Pollard, Ryan Thomas, Jeffrey Holland, Aaron James & Ian Adams, until Sun 12 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS Featuring Lesley Joseph, Matt Slack, Joe McElderry, Faye Brookes, Doreen Tipton & Andrew Ryan, until Sun 2 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome

Dance DANCE TO THE MUSIC Hosted by X-Factor star & Dancing On Ice winner Jake Quickenden and featuring choreography by Strictly professional Kristina Rihanoff, Tues 14 Jan, Albany Theatre, Coventry STRICTLY COME DANCING LIVE TOUR Hosted by Stacey Dooley & featuring TV judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood & Bruno Tonioli, Thurs 16 Sun 19 Jan, Arena Birmingham SWAN LAKE Presented by Moscow City Ballet, Fri 17 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Film INDEPENDENT LISTINGS: LA BELLE EPOQUE (15) Comedy/Drama. Starring Daniel Auteuil, Guillaume Canet. Foreign language, subtitled.

The Roses Theatre, Tewkesubry, Tues 14 & Sat 18 Jan; Number 8, Pershore, Thurs 16 & Wed 22 Jan THE GREAT ESCAPE (PG) Drama/History.

Starring Steve McQueen, James Garner. Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 14 JUDY & PUNCH (15) Crime/Comedy.

Starring Mia Wasikowska, Damon Herriman. Number 8, Pershore, Fri 17 - Sat 19 Jan

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE: Released from Fri 17 Jan, showing at selected cinemas A HIDDEN LIFE BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (tbc) JUST MERCY (12a) BOMBSHELL (15) WAVES (15) PLUS ONE (15)

Events GHOST TOURS Exclusive opportunity to venture into the Hall at night - prepare for a scare! Sat 18 Jan, Aston Hall, Birmingham

THE IRISHMAN (15) Biography/Crime.

Starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino.

The Roses Theatre, Tewkesubry, Sat 18 - Sun 19 Jan JOJO RABBIT (12a) Comedy/Drama.

Starring Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 25 - Thurs30 Jan

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Classical Music MILOŠ KARADAGLIC IN CONCERT Programme includes works by Bach, Granados, Albeniz, Villa Lobos, Beatles & Duplessy, Tues 21 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: INTIMATE VOICES Featuring Tom Hammond (conductor), Tamsin Waley-Cohen (violin) and David Suchet (narrator).

Programme includes the works of Sibelius and Jonah Raes, Tues 21 Jan, Stratford Playhouse, Stratfordupon-Avon

Merry Hell - Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Gigs PURPLE PILGRIMS Mon 20 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry LUCY MAY WALKER + MIDGE + ELLIE POOLE + LUCY SHAW Mon 20 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham Y!KES + FREE GALAXY + BADDREAMS + BLEACH Tues 21 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham DEAD MOB + BORN ZERO + INSURGENT + CHLORINE Wed 22 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham CANNABIS CORPSE Wed 22 Jan, The Asylum, Birmingham GRAFFITI CLASSICS Wed 22 Jan, The Core Theatre, Solihull THE OUTSIDE TRACK Wed 22 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester JOHN WARD TRIO Wed 22 Jan, The Red Lion Folk Club, B’ham THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Wed 22 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry THE BEST OF QUEEN Thurs 23 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry MARTYN JOSEPH Thurs 23 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester GENUINE PANAMA + MELOTONE + SRIRACHA PEOPLE + TRADIN’ FIVES Thurs 23 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham BOOGIE WILLIAMS GREAT BALLS OF FIRE Thurs 23 Jan, The

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Core Theatre, Solihull THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC - ABBA TRIBUTE Thurs 23 Jan, Wolverhamptpon Grand Theatre THE MILK CARTON KIDS Fri 24 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall MERRY HELL Fri 24 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester SLIPKNOT Fri 24 Jan, Arena Birmingham THIS FEELING BIRMINGHAM - BIG IN 2020 Fri 24 Jan, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham TALON - THE BEST OF THE EAGLES Fri 24 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre THE STORY OF GUITAR HEROES Fri 24 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove BYE BYE BABY Fri 24 Jan, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry MVNICH Fri 24 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry NON JOVI Fri 24 Jan, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury GA GA - A TRIBUTE TO QUEEN Fri 24 Jan, The Palace Theatre, Redditch THE NEW RIGHTEOUS MOOD + LA DHARMA + FAT CAT + CELLAR DOOR Fri 24 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham RESURRECTION + OASIS - CO HEADLINE TOUR 2020 Fri 24 Jan, The Mill, Digbeth, B’ham SHAKATAK Fri 24 Jan Sat 25 Jan, Pizza Express Live, B’ham KREPT & KONAN Sat 25

Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham SING-A-LONG THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Sat 25 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre SHAI BRIDES + THE RESERVOIR CATS + THE SILVER LINES + BOATS ON THE OCEAN Sat 25 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham THE GUNS N’ROSES EXPERIENCE, WRONG JOVI Sat 25 Jan, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE PHONICS Sat 25 Jan, Kasbah, Coventry WE THREE KINGS - OF ROCK N ROLL Sat 25 Jan, The Palace Theatre, Redditch JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW Sat 25 Jan, Malvern Theatres KAISER CHIEFS Sat 25 Jan, Arena B’ham BLOBBIE WILLIAMS Sat 25 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester THE PHONICS Sat 25 Jan, Kasbah, Coventry

CONSONE QUARTET Programme includes works by Mendelssohn and Schumann, Tues 21 Jan, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire CBSO: YAMADA: BRAHMS AND SCHUMANN Featuring Kazuki Yamada (conductor), Francesco Piemontesi (piano) and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Programme includes works by Brahms and Schumann, Wed 22 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham RBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: STRAUSS OBOE CONCERTO Featuring Jaume Santonja (conductor) & Jonathan Kelly (oboe), Fri 24 Jan, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire VAN KUIJK STRING QUARTET Featuring Nicolas Van Kuijk & Sylvain FavreBulle (violins), Emmanuel François (viola) & François Robin (cello). Programme includes works by Mozart, Brahms & Beethoven, Fri 24 Jan, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa EX CATHEDRA: BEETHOVEN, MISSA SOLEMNIS Featuring the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor), Carolyn Sampson (soprano), Sophie Rennert (Mezzo Soprano), Andrew Tortoise (tenor) & Roderick Williams (bass), Sun 26 Jan, Symphony Hall, B’ham THE GILDAS STRING QUARTET Sun 26 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

THE RAT PACK Sat 25 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

SIMPLY DYLAN Sun 26 Jan, The Glee Club, BirminghamROZI PLAIN PLUS SUPPORT Sun 26 Jan, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

ALLYSON SMITH, RAY BRADSHAW, THE NOISE NEXT DOOR & ANNE EDMONDS Fri 24 - Sat 25 Jan, The Glee Club, Birmingham ANDREW BIRD, KAE KURD, PIERRE HOLLINS & DAVE LONGLEY Sat 25 Jan, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham JAMALI MADDIX Sun 26 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Theatre A MUSEUM IN BAGHDAD A story of treasured history, desperate choices and the remarkable Gertrude Bell, until Sat 25 Jan, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon THE BOY IN THE DRESS World premiere based on David Walliams' bestselling book and featuring songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, until Sun 8 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon KING JOHN Shakespeare’s rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil, until Sat 21 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T GOT A CLUE BBC Radio’s award-winning antidote to panel games, hosted by Jack Dee & featuring Tim Brooke-Taylor, Tony Hawks, Miles Jupp, Rory Bremner & Colin Sell, Mon 20 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre EMILIA An all-female cast from Birmingham Ormiston Academy present a play set against a turbulent backdrop of Elizabethan England, Mon 20 Tues 21 Jan, The Old Rep, B’ham THE BODYGUARD Alexandra Burke stars as Rachel Marron in the muchacclaimed romantic musical, Tues 21 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham GRAFFITI CLASSICS All-singing, alldancing musical comedy show, Wed 22 Jan, The Core Theatre, Solihull EXTRAORDINARY WALL (OF SILENCE) Ad Infinitum combine physical storytelling with British sign language as they unveil three coming-of-age stories, Wed 22 - Thurs 23 Jan, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BORIS JOHNSON Jonathan Maitland’s smash-hit play with a continuously updated script (where necessary), Wed 22 Sat 25 Jan, Malvern Theatres

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER Sun 26 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove GEORGE PANNELL + ROBERT CRAIG OULTON + THE PINES + LAUREN HOYLE Sun 26 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

Birmingham

Comedy DARREN HARRIOTT Thurs 23 Jan, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton ALLYSON SMITH, RAY BRADSHAW & COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 23 Jan, The Glee Club,

PORRIDGE New production bringing together three classic episodes from the 1970s’ TV series, Wed 22 - Sat 25 Jan, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham DAD’S ARMY RADIO SHOW Two actors, two microphones, over 25 characters and lots of sound effects, as Perry & Croft’s classic BBC sitcom is brought to life, Wed 22 - Sun 26 Jan, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham JANE EYRE Blackeyed Theatre present

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Monday 20 - Sunday 26 January a new staging of Charlotte Bronte’s gothic masterpiece, Wed 22 - Thurs 23 Jan, Albany Theatre, Coventry

room couple’ return with a brand new show, Sat 25 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

EARTHQUAKES IN LONDON Birmingham Ormiston Academy Year 13 students present their version of Mike Bartlett’s contemporary play, Thurs 23 - Fri 24 Jan, The Old Rep, Birmingham

Film

DEAD GOOD Vamos Theatre’s hotly anticipated new production, which promises to be both ‘funny & poignant in equal measure’, Thurs 23 - Fri 24 Jan, Swan Theatre, Worcester CAPTAIN BREADBEARD’S BREADY BRILLIANT COMEDY COOKBOOK Fast-paced pun-filled comedy sketch show about a sailor with a beard made of bread...

Fri 24 Jan, Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham GLORIOUS! Heart-warming comedy which tells the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins - the worst singer in the world, Sat 25 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, Criterion Theatre, Coventry LA BOHEME Ellen Kent’s brand new production of Puccini’s romantic opera. Sung in Italian with English surtitles, Sun 26 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

INDEPENDENT LISTINGS: THE AERONAUTS (PG) Action/Biography. Starring Felicity Jones, Eddie Redmayne. Number 8, Pershore, Mon 20 - Tues 21 Jan THE TWO POPES (12a) Biography/Comedy. Starring Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 20 & Sun 26 Jan MARRIAGE STORY (15) Comedy/Drama. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 21 & Thurs 23 Jan SORRY WE MISSED YOU (15) Drama.

Starring Debbie Honeywood, Simran Kaur. Number 8, Pershore, Thurs 23 Jan HONEY BOY (15) Drama. Starring Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Wed 22 - Sat 25 Jan LE MANS ‘66 (12a) Action/Biography.

Starring Matt Damon, Christian Bale.

Number 8, Pershore, Fri 24 Jan

Vamos Theatre’s Dead Good - Swan Theatre, Worcester

1980s, Sat 25 Jan, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

ing 250-plus leading brands, Sat 25 Sun 26 Jan, NEC, Birmingham

SING-A-LONG-A THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Immersive presentation of the smash-hit film, Sat 25 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

BBL CUP FINAL 2020 Featuring showpiece games and the 2020 BBL Dunk Contest, Sun 26 Jan, Arena Birmingham

THE NATIONAL RUNNING SHOW Featur-

ORDINARY LOVE (12a) Drama/Romance. Starring Liam Neeson, Lesley Manville. The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 26 Jan; Number 8, Pershore, Thurs 30 Jan

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE:

Pantomime

Released from Fri 24 Jan, showing at selected cinemas

SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS Featuring Lesley Joseph, Matt Slack, Joe McElderry, Faye Brookes, Flawless, Doreen Tipton & Andrew Ryan, until Sun 2 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD (PG) THE TURNING (tbc)

Events VITALITY NETBALL NATIONS CUP 2020 England’s elite netball team features in a new international series, Wed 22 Jan, Arena Birmingham MINI MUSEUM ENGINEERS: RAMPS & RACERS Make the highest ramps, the fastest racers and the longest racetracks, Wed 22 Jan, Coventry Transport Museum

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Fri 24 Jan Sun 2 Feb, Rugby Theatre

Dance THE WIZARD OF OZ Join Ballet Theatre UK as they venture along the Yellow Brick Road, Wed 22 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ANTON & ERIN: DANCE THOSE MAGICAL MOVIES ‘The nation’s favourite ball-

PUBLIC THEATRE TOUR Go behind the scenes and learn about the theatre’s history, Sat 25 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre SING-A-LONG-A BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY Immersive presentation of the smashhit film, Sat 25 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre WOMEN'S WORK IN THE JEWELLERY QUARTER Tour explaining the work undertaken by women in the jewellery industry from the late 1800s to the

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Monday 27 - Friday 31 January

Gigs

Classical

Sun 8 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

WATERPARKS Mon 27 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THOMAS TROTTER LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT Mon 27 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall

KING JOHN Shakespeare’s rarely performed tale of a nation in turmoil, until Sat 21 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

GEORGIE + JEN NORTH Mon 27 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham

ORCHESTRE NATIONAL DE LILLE Featuring Alexandre Bloch (conductor) and Eric Lu (piano). Programme includes works by Ravel, Debussy and Beethoven, Tues 28 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

BLITHE SPIRIT Jennifer Saunders & Lisa Dillon star in a brand new staging of Noel Coward’s sparkling comedy, Mon 27 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, Malvern Theatres

THE INTERRUPTERS Tues 28 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham

KING’S SINGERS Tues 28 Jan, Malvern Theatres

PENELOPE ISLES Sat 28 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry THE ROY ORBISON STORY Tues 28 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Institute, Birmingham

THE TESKY BROTHERS Tues 28 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SAM FENDER Thurs 30 Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham

PEANESS Tues 28 Jan, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

ITALIA 90 + KICK THE CLOWN Thurs 30 Jan, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

SCHOOLBOY Q WITH SPECIAL GUEST JAY ROCK Wed 29 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham ROZI PLAIN Wed 29 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry THE SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA Wed 29 Jan, The Core Theatre, Solihull ASWAD Wed 29 Jan, The Jam House, Birmingham FAIRPORT CONVENTION Wed 29 Jan, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury JONAS BROTHERS Wed 29 Jan, Arena Birmingham WIRE Wed 29 Jan, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DENO Thurs 30 Jan, O2

Rozi Plain - The Tin Music & Arts, Coventry

THE PASADENA ROOF ORCHESTRA Thurs 30 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester AWALE Thurs 30 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry THE NEIL DIAMOND STORY Thurs 30 Jan Fri 31 Jan, The Core Theatre, Solihull BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Fri 31 Jan, O2 Academy, Birmingham THE ART IS MURDER Fri 31 Jan, O2 Institute, Birmingham A FESTIVAL, A PARADE + SPECIAL GUESTS Fri 31 Jan, The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE WHITNEY HOUSTON EXPERIENCE Fri 31 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove

VUKOVI Fri 31 Jan, The Asylum, Birmingham CLOUDBUSTING - THE MUSIC OF KATE BUSH Fri 31 Jan, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester DOG OF TWO HEADS Fri 31 Jan, Marr’s Bar, Worcester NED’S ACOUSTIC DUSTBIN Fri 31 Jan, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton THE TAKE THAT EXPERIENCEI Fri 31 Jan, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury IDEAS OF NOISE FESTIVAL Fri 31 Jan, The Tin Music And Arts, Canal Basin, Coventry THE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW 2020 Fri 31 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall AC/DC UK Fri 31 Jan, The Mill, Digbeth BEVERLEY KNIGHT Fri 31 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre ALESSI’S ARK Fri 31 Jan, The Cuban Embassy, Birmingham

THE GONZAGA BAND Featuring Faye Newton (soprano), Jamie Savan & Helen Roberts (cornetts), Oliver Webber & Theresa Caudle (violins) & Steven Devine (organ & harpsichord), Tues 28 Jan, St Mary’s Church, Warwick THE ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Featuring Sir Roger Norrington (conductor). Programme comprises works by Beethoven, Wed 29 Jan, Malvern Theatres NOA WILDSCHUT IN RECITAL Also featuring Elisabeth Brauß (piano). Programme includes works by Schubert, Joey Roukens and Tchaikovsky, Wed 29 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CBSO: MIRGA'S BEETHOVEN Featuring Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (conductor) and City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Programme includes works

by Beethoven, Unsuk Chin and Britten, Wed 29 - Thurs 30 Jan, Symphony Hall, Birmingham COULL QUARTET: BEAUTIFUL MINDS Featuring Roger Coull (violin); Philip Gallaway & Jonathan Barritt (viola) & Nick Roberts (cello). Programme includes works by Mozart, John Ireland & Beethoven, Thurs 30 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry SCHUBERT’S PIANO TRIO Featuring Jonathan Martindale (violin), David Powell (cello) & Robert Markham (piano). Programme comprises Schubert’s Piano Trio No.2 in E flat, Thurs 30 Jan, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

CHASE ME UP FARNDALE AVENUE French farce presented by The Nonentities, Mon 27 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster DEATH OF A SALESMAN Birmingham Ormiston Academy Year 13 Acting students present an amateur staging of Arthur Miller’s iconic play, Tues 28 Wed 29 Jan, The Old Rep, B’ham GREASE Amateur production presented by Saint Augustine’s Performing Arts, Tues 28 - Wed 29 Jan, Artrix, Bromsgrove JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Starring Britain’s Got Talent 2019 finalist Mark McMullan as Joseph, Tues 28 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Comedy SANDI TOKSVIG Mon 27 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre ELEANOR TIERNAN, ADAM HESS & COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 30 Jan, The Glee Club, B’ham ELEANOR TIERNAN, ADAM HESS, ROSIE JONES & COMIC TBC Fri 31 Jan, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Theatre THE BOY IN THE DRESS World premiere based on David Walliams' bestselling book and featuring songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers, until Jonas Brothers - Arena Birmingham

THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF SMACK AND CRACK An ‘angry, funny, love-song to a lost generation, inspired by the playwright’s own experience of jail and rehab’, Wed 29 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, The REP, Birmingham ASKING FOR IT UK stage premiere of Louise O’Neill’s devasting novel about sexual consent, Wed 29 Jan - Sat 15 Feb, The REP, Birmingham SOPHOCLES’ OEDIPUS REX Warwick Classics Department & Warwick Classics Society add a city-noir twist to an age-old classic, Thurs 30 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

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Dance

SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS Featuring Lesley Joseph, Matt Slack, Joe McElderry, Faye Brookes, Flawless, Doreen Tipton & Andrew Ryan, until Sun 2 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome

ANTON & ERIN: DANCE THOSE MAGICAL MOVIES ‘The nation’s favourite ballroom couple’ return with a brand new show, Wed 29 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

ROBINSON CRUSOE AND THE PIRATES Swashbuckling pantomime from Kays Theatre Group, Thurs 30 Jan Sun 9 Feb, Swan Theatre, Worcester

Cabaret TINA T’URNER’S TEA LADY’S STEAMY BINGO Laugh, dance and play to win as Tina spins her cage of balls to a high-energy ’80s soundtrack, Thurs 30 Jan, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

Kids Shows LITTLE STAR - BABY SHOW Puppetry, music and captivating visuals to delight young audiences in an intimate, relaxed setting... Mon 27 Jan, Albany Theatre, Coventry

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COPPELIA Presented by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Thurs 30 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre JOSEPH TOONGA: BORN TO MANIFEST Dance double bill illuminating the experience of young black British men, Fri 31 Jan, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham SLEEPING BEAUTY Presented by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia, Fri 31 Jan, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre SPIRIT OF THE DANCE Twenty-first anniversary production of the internationally acclaimed show, Fri 31 Jan, Malvern Theatres

Film INDEPENDENT LISTINGS OFFICIAL SECRETS (15) Biography/Drama. Starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode. Number

Monday 27 - Friday 31 January 8, Pershore, Mon 27 - Tues 29 Jan SORRY WE MISSED YOU (15) Drama.

Starring Debbie Honeywood, Simran Kaur. Number 8, Pershore, Wed 29 Jan LITTLE WOMEN (U) Drama/Romance.

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson. Number 8, Pershore, Fri 31 Jan

Events MINI MUSEUM ENGINEERS: FUN WITH MAGNETS See what you can build with different types of magnets and other materials, Wed 29 Jan, Coventry Transport Museum

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE: Released from Fri 31 Jan, showing at selected cinemas A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (PG) THE GRUDGE (tbc) THE LIGHTHOUSE (15) QUEEN AND SLIM (tbc) RHYTHM SECTION (tbc) RICHARD JEWELL (tbc)

Talks

THE ARENACROSS TOUR 2020 ‘Stunning winter showdown from Europe’s leading action-sports show’, Fri 31 Jan - Sat 1 Feb, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

HIT THE ODE Performance poetry night where one regional, one national and one international poet perform alongside open micers, Fri 31 Jan, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

HOT WHEELS MONSTER TRUCKS LIVE Combining Hot Wheels’ iconic jumps and stunts with ‘epic crashing and smashing’, Fri 31 Jan - Sun 2 Feb, Arena Birmingham

Ice skate Birmingham Full January 2020.qxp_Layout 1 12/12/2019 10:01 Page 1

Live Nation Full October 2019.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 08:43 Page 1