Coventry & Warwickshire What's On May 2023

40 AND COUNTING... James’ frontman talks about the band’s ongoing success

TEECHERS LEAVERS... John Godber comedy takes to the stage at The Albany

inside: ISSUE 436 MAY 2023 FILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTS I FOOD

ARTS CENTRE

Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands

News from around the region

Plenty of talking at Warwick Arts Centre

Adventurer Ben Fogle (5 May) and actor Richard E Grant (11 May) are among the wellknown names taking to the stage at Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre this month. The venue is also hosting talks by clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith (9 May), menopause expert Dr Louise Newson (11 May), lexicographer Susie Dent (21 May) and Great Pottery Throw Down judge Keith Brymer-Jones (25 May).

For more information and to book tickets, visit warwickartscentre.co.uk

Into The Woods with the Orchestra of the Swan

Stratford-upon-Avon’s highly regarded Orchestra of the Swan is taking a trip Into The Woods this month, to present a familyfriendly concert featuring two much-loved tales ‘wickedly retold’ by Roald Dahl: Little Red Riding Hood and Three Little Pigs. Featuring a score by Paul Patterson and with Classic FM’s Zeb Soanes (pictured) narrating, the suitable-for-all-ages performance takes place at Warwick Hall on Saturday 13 May.

Triple bill celebrates Korean dance in Coventry

Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre is hosting a vibrant triple bill of Korean dance early this month.

Forming part of the Festival Of Korean Dance 2023 and supported by Korean Cultural Centre UK, K:Dance (Wednesday 3 May) includes works by choreographer Howool Baek and Company Siga. For more information and to book tickets, visit warwickartscentre.co.uk

The Festival On The Close back in Rugby next month

The Festival On The Close will make a welcome return to the Warwickshire town of Rugby next month.

Local choirs in team-up with The King’s Singers

School choirs from Nuneaton and Bedworth recently enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform with the legendary King’s Singers.

The choirs sang alongside the world-famous a cappella group in a concert at the Collegiate Church of St Mary in Warwick. The concert was the culmination of a free course delivered by local choir Armonico Consort in partnership with Warwickshire Music. The course creates new school choirs and nurtures existing ones, as well as training and mentoring teachers as choir leaders, ‘to leave a legacy of singing in each school’.

A celebration of arts, outreach & education - taking place at Rugby School from Sunday 25 to Thursday 29 Junethe event features, among other highlights, a Night At The Musicals celebration with the BBC Concert Orchestra and a Cancer Research UK Comedy Night headlined by Seann Walsh (pictured). For more information and to book tickets, visit thefestivalontheclose.co.uk

Aztec Adventure opens two new attractions

Aztec Adventure has opened an outdoor golf course and a high-rope aerial course at The Valley in Evesham.

The 18-hole golf course challenges players to manoeuvre around the Lost Valley Aztec temple, a wooden bridge, water features, a crashed plane and an abandoned Land Rover. The new high-ropes aerial course, meanwhile, requires participants to navigate 15 elements four metres above the ground, including a cargo net, various wobbly bridges, swinging &

see-saw steps and a 70-metre zip wire descent. For more information and to book tickets, head to aztecadventure.co.uk/activities

Worcestershire’s hidden gem opens to the public

One of Worcestershire’s hidden gems will be open to the public over the weekend of Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 May.

As part of the national Open Mills Weekend, the mill at Shelsley Walsh - the only working water-powered corn mill in the county - will be welcoming visitors free of charge. An additional attraction across the weekend will be a display of period vehicles. The mill will be open between 10am and 4pm on both days.

Live At The RSC returns

Comedy & music festival Live At The RSC returns to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon late this month. Running from Wednesday 31 May to Sunday 4 June in association with Orchestra of the Swan and Underbelly, the event features Red Sky At Sunrise - a celebration of Cider With Rosie author Laurie Lee - and award-winning comedy Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel.

Three comedy nights also feature, with the line-up of talent including, among others, Nina Conti, Mark Watson and Ivo Graham. Find out more and book tickets at rsc.org.uk

Jonathan Pie to visit the Midlands

Fictional political correspondent Jonathan Pie is heading to two Midlands venues as part of a 30-date tour in early 2024.

The satirical charactercreation of actor, writer & comedian Tom Walker, Pie will stop off at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Friday 2 February. He then visits Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre on Sunday 18 February. For further information and to book tickets, visit the website jonathanpie.com

Top BBC shows back at the NEC

Two hugely popular shows are returning to Birmingham’s NEC next month.

The summer edition of the BBC Good Food Show will take place alongside BBC Gardeners’ World Live from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 June. A ticket for either show provides access to the other...

For further details, visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com and bbcgardenersworldlive.com

Gary Numan goes acoustic at the Town Hall

Electronic music pioneer Gary Numan will perform in Birmingham in the autumn as part of a short acoustic tour. Numan, who shot to stardom in the late 1970s with his eradefining hit, Cars, will perform at the Town Hall on 10 October. For more information and to book tickets, visit gigsandtours.com

Hamilton and Hammond heading for the Hippodrome

Birmingham Hippodrome has announced that internationally acclaimed musical Hamilton will play a 10-week season at the venue next summer.

The Olivier, Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prizewinning show will visit the Hippodrome from Tuesday 25 June to Saturday 31 August 2024.

The hit production, which blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway to tell the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, is widely considered to be one of the greatest musicals of

Penguins in Worcester...

The city of Worcester will next summer host a public art trail comprising 40 penguin sculptures (Monday 22 July - Sunday 15 September 2024).

The trail, which follows on from previous ones featuring giraffe and elephant sculptures, will be raising funds for St Richard’s Hospice. To find out more, visit waddleofworcester.co.uk

all time...

In other Hippodrome news, the theatre has also revealed that The Great British Bake Off’s new Birmingham-born presenter, Alison Hammond, will star in its 2023/24 pantomime production of Jack And The Beanstalk.

The show will run from Saturday 16 December to Sunday 28 January.

For more information and to book tickets, visit birminghamhippodrome.com

Sky and Utilita roll out new VIP lounge

Sky will next month launch a new VIP lounge experience at Utilita Arena Birmingham (on Thursday 8 June).

The exclusive lounge boasts a number of benefits, including dedicated entrances and customer check-in, plus a private area to relax and dine in, as well as the VIP Star Bar.

Sky customers can sign up to visit the brand-new lounge via the MySky app on a first-come first-served basis... To find out more, visit sky.com/pages/vip

Coventry Cathedral Chorus celebrate summer

Coventry Cathedral Chorus will present a summertime concert at St Nicholas Church in Kenilworth next month (Saturday 17 June).

The programme features Baroque music by Monteverdi, Handel, Purcell and Bach, a selection of English madrigals, and settings of Shakespeare songs by Vaughan Williams and George Shearing.

For further details and to buy tickets, visit coventrycathedralchorus.com

Breakthrough exhibition continues at the cathedral

Coventry Cathedral is currently hosting an exhibition celebrating a group of veteran Scottish artists who were ahead of their time in responding to the threat of climate change. Titled This Fragile Earth, the exhibition is presented by the Fleming Collection of Scottish Art, whose director, James Knox, said: “This landmark show, installed in the modernist masterpiece of Coventry Cathedral... will open the eyes of the public to the prophetic sensitivity of Scottish artists to the threats and consequences of climate change as expressed through works of great beauty and force.”

This Fragile Earth is available to view at the cathedral until Monday 29 May.

Big Picture film festival in Stratford-upon-Avon

A festival celebrating local filmmakers is coming to Stratford-upon-Avon and surrounding villages this month. Taking place from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 May, Big Picture Festival is run by local notfor-profit arts organisation Live & Local. Tickets to screenings are available on a paywhat-you-can basis.

To find out more, including details about the programme and individual films, visit the website tinyurl.com/BigPicFest23

By The Waters Of Liverpool... in Coventry

The stage adaptation of Helen Forrester’s 1930s-set bestselling book, By The Waters Of Liverpool, will stop off at Coventry’s Albany Theatre in the autumn.

Rescheduled from April, the production shows at the venue on 20 & 21 September. To find out more and book tickets, visit albanytheatre.co.uk

Belgrade announces its autumn/winter programme

A home-produced musical titled The Last Vampire, a musical adaptation of The Book Thief, and an all-female, non-binary version of Dracula are among the shows featuring in the Coventry Belgrade Theatre’s autumn/winter line-up of entertainment. Other programme highlights at the venue include productions of Heathers, Sister Act, Shrek, The Full Monty, Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and the Olivier Awardwinning Life Of Pi (pictured).

Celebrating Elgar’s music

The Elgar Festival - the annual celebration of the life and music of legendary Worcester composer Sir Edward Elgar - makes a welcome return to the city at the end of the month.

Taking place across a number of venues, the festival comprises concerts performed by the English Symphony Orchestra and guest artists. This year’s Gala Concert in Worcester Cathedral features Elgar’s Symphony No1 and his choral masterpiece, The Music Makers, with the Elgar Festival Chorus and mezzosoprano Jess Dandy. The festival runs from Tuesday 30 May to Sunday 4 June.

For more information, visit elgarfestival.org

The Play’s The Thing...

After being closed for three years, popular Shakespeare-related exhibition The Play’s The Thing has reopened in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The reopening of the exhibition coincides with the launch of a new artwork titled Three Gold Threads. The new work aims to elevate

Commenting on the season, the Belgrade’s chief executive, Laura Elliot, said: “We are so excited to bring these brilliant shows and companies to Coventry. We want to be a home for world-class, transformative, entertaining theatre & musicals that are truly distinctive, exciting and momentumbuilding, and which bring that moment where you go ‘I just saw something extraordinary!’” For further information and to book tickets, visit belgrade.co.uk

stories by Black people, Indigenous people, and people from the global majority who have interacted with Shakespeare’s First Folio throughout history.

Rock on, Tommy! Telly funnyman back on stage

Familiar television face Tommy Cannon will return to the stage in Coventry next month, two years after losing his long-term doubleact partner Bobby Ball.

In what’s been described as ‘a fun-packed variety show’, Tommy will look back on his career with ‘stories, songs and laughter’, recalling the days when Cannon & Ball were showbiz royalty.

The one-off afternoon performance is part of the Belgrade Theatre’s Midday Variety season and takes place on Wednesday 7 June at 1.30pm. For more information and tickets, visit the venue’s website: belgrade.co.uk

by Steve Adams

“If you are interested in a space to connect, emotionally, with the people in your community in relation to thinking about climate change, this is the play for you.”

Holly Rose Roughan, of award-winning theatre company Headlong, is giving me the lowdown (and maybe a little hard sell) on the company’s latest co-production - A Play For The Living In A Time Of Extinction - and she’s definitely on a roll.

“It’s a love letter to live theatre. It’s not a show that could happen on televisionyou’ve got to be in the room. It’s a heartbreaking play but also genuinely funny, moving and human.”

The new drama, which visits the Coventry Belgrade Theatre this month, is a call to arms about the climate crisis by American writer Miranda Rose Hall. It comes with an innovative - cynics might suggest gimmickyback story that complements the play’s content but also has the potential to overshadow it.

Not only will the eco-friendly show be powered by bicycles, but an innovative touring model means the only element that actually tours is the script - people and materials do not. In each city a blueprint of the show will be brought to life by local creative teams as part of a ground-breaking experiment in making theatre more ecofriendly.

“Come and be part of an exciting experiment in sustainability, as this has never been done before in the UK,” urges Holly, who took over as Headlong’s artistic director last August, having joined the company in 2019. “Come and be part of innovative live art and connect with your community in a real way.”

The Belgrade’s version of the show will be helmed by local director Nyasha Gudo. Associate director on the recent Birmingham Rep hit, Spitting Image, Nyasha is one of the first cohorts from Headlong’s Origins programme, which supports and nurtures artists outside of London.

Local actor Kimisha Lewis will play the lead role, with support from a community choir and four volunteer cyclists who will power the off-grid production.

The latter might sound like a gimmick, but Holly believes it will bring a fascinating

dynamic to the production.

“There’s a moment in the show where you go from the national grid into a bike-powered circuit. The audience will see that transition, see electricity created in real time and see volunteer cyclists powering the remainder of the show.

“There’ll be a real sense of how we power the projectors used in the play, how we power the lights, how we power the sound and how much electricity that all takes.”

As well as demonstrating the arbitrary way resources are used - and in some cases wasted - the local angle of the production is also designed to reflect how communities will ultimately lead the fight against the climate crisis.

“We have to collaborate across industries and across countries in the face of the climate emergency. Everything has got to be bespoke and for the community, so the model of the tour replicates the model of how we’re going to rise up to the challenges we face.”

Community is the central theme of the production, and even though the play is a one-woman show - essentially a monologue from frazzled theatre worker Naomi - Holly believes it transcends that categorisation by creating genuine engagement with the audience.

“The play is as big as there are people in the room. In the Barbican, where the tour begins, it will feel like a 1,000-person play. At the Belgrade, it will feel like however many people are in the room on the night [the Belgrade’s B2 space can hold almost 250 people].

“It’s a story about how we can feel so alone in the context of the climate crisis, but it’s also a story of hope and catharsis, and a place of reconnecting with community. In the words of Miranda Rose Hall, it’s partly a space to come and emotionally process what living through a climate crisis feels like. I think that’s part of what theatre’s role is - it’s not necessarily a consciousness-raising play, it’s a play to come and unpack our feelings towards this big immovable thing.”

But if all that sounds a bit, well, heavy… Holly is quick to point out that the play is also sharp, smart and very funny.

“Miranda is a writer with brilliant line-byline writing, in the same way that many American playwrights who have grown up with sitcoms are very good at witty oneliners. It’s got real intellectual integrity and heft, but it’s people-centred and really acknowledges who’s in the room. There are moments of gentle interaction with the audience.”

The production, which has already ‘toured’ internationally, is Headlong’s second major touring experiment. During the Covid pandemic, the company created Signal Fires, a national festival that saw more than 40 theatre companies telling stories to audiences around fires. It’s hoped that A Play For The Living will create similar community connections, as well as push the envelope in terms of how touring theatre can be made greener.

“There’s a shared aesthetic, a shared heart and a shared set of sustainability guidelines in terms of how we create it, but each production is going to be of that community and will speak to those audiences in a much more specific and bespoke way.

“This is an experiment in a different touring model, but I think what Headlong have been brilliant at in the past, and I hope will continue under my leadership, is being innovators. We’ll always find innovative ways of reaching large numbers of people and audiences, and this is another one of those.

“Our currency as an arts organisation is imagination. It’s really important that we keep deploying that and going, look, we’re capable of creating alternative ways of doing things. This is an experiment; it doesn’t mean we’ll replicate it forever, but it will shape the system and inspire ourselves and the organisations we work with.

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

A Play For The Living In A Time Of Extinction shows at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 May

A Play For The Living In A Time Of Extinction - a new drama about the climate crisis - is being staged as a ground-breaking, off-grid, zero-travel production. What’s On catches up with Holly Rose Roughan, artistic director of Headlong, the theatre company producing the show...

Food news from across the region...

New dining experience in cathedral quarter

No Ordinary Hospitality Management is launching a new evening menu at St Mary’s Guildhall - bringing a unique dining experience to Coventry’s historic cathedral quarter.

Visitors to Tales Of Tea, which is located in the Guildhall’s Undercroft, will be able to enjoy high-end à la carte dining - ‘offering twists on classic British cuisine using quality ingredients’ - on Saturdays from 13 May.

Latin eatery opens in Solihull’s Touchwood

Flagship restaurant Tio Latino has opened in Touchwood Solihull. The eatery’s menu includes ‘vibrant Mexican tacos, flavourful burritos, tangy Peruvian ceviche and crispy Argentinian empanadas’. Bottomless brunch, two-for-one cocktails and live music events also feature.

Grace & Savour wins coveted Michelin star

Grace & Savour at Hampton-in-Arden’s Hampton Manor now boasts a Michelin star. The coveted accolade is awarded to restaurants that provide outstanding cuisine.

Set within a Victorian walled garden and under the leadership of Head Chef David Taylor, the venue offers a 15course tasting menu that places farmers and growers ‘at the forefront of dishes served and stories told’.

Since opening, Grace & Savour has certainly made a significant splash. As well as the Michelin star, the eatery has also received four AA Rosettes, been included in The Good Food Guide’s Top 20 Most Exciting Restaurants for 2022, and this year been named the UK’s Best Restaurant in the SquareMeal Awards.

Event specialists Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) have unveiled details of their summer tour around the West Midlands.

The tour runs until September and visits some of the most idyllic settings across Birmingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Wolverhampton and the Black Country. Traders taking part include the award-winning Greidy’s, Beef On The Block and Fat Snags. Resident DJs and special guests will also be in attendance.

Commenting on the tour, DDC co-founder Jack Brabant said: “For 11 years we have grown and expanded our offering to make the events that

we put on as accessible as possible for as many people as we can. This year is no exception, taking in more sites and hopefully delivering fun to even more people across the region. “We go where the people are, and the new sites - Sutton, Sandwell and Bearwood - came off the back of public requests. So we spoke to the people in charge of the sites, and we all agreed it was a good idea to explore these and give people what they want.”

For full event listings and to buy tickets for any of DDC’s summertime stop-offs, pay a visit to: digbethdiningclub.com

Glynn Purnell has opened a new café & bistro at Charterhouse - one of Coventry’s most historic buildings.

Purnell’s Café & Bistro At Charterhouse offers ‘an all-day menu centering around simplicity and seasonality, taking the very best ingredients and respectfully combining them to deliver the most incredible flavours’.

Freshly made cakes, pastries, snacks and hot drinks are on offer for those wishing to enjoy elevenses or a mid-afternoon treat.

The café & bistro also offers a ‘small plates’ menu, with wine, champagne and other drinks available.

The 14th-century Charterhouse features a recently revitalised garden.

Glynn Purnell opens new café & bistro in Coventry

Digbeth Dining Club to tour West Midlands this summer

Classical music from across the region...

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tues 16 May; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 18 May

Orchestra of the Swan: Red Sky At Sunrise

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Wed 31 May

Inspiration for this show of words & music is provided by author Laurie Lee’s muchloved trilogy of novels: Cider With Rosie, As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, and A Moment Of War.

Featuring the music of Vaughan Williams, Walton, Holst, Elgar, Britten, Grainger, Albeniz, Turina and De Falla, the programme transports the audience from the lush Gloucestershire countryside of

Armonico Consort

Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire, Sun 14 May

Founded by organist and conductor Christopher Monks in 2001, Armonico are one of the largest organisations of their kind in the UK. Using authentic period instruments, the baroque consort regularly perform with some of the best solo musicians in the world.

This Malvern concert sees them presenting their internationally acclaimed rendition of Henry Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas alongside the Pergolesi masterpiece, Stabat Mater, a work here brought to life by countertenor William Towers and soprano Eloise Irving.

Lee’s childhood, to the ‘dry landscapes of Spain’, where he fought against Franco’s forces in the Spanish Civil War. Alongside music by the Orchestra of the Swan, the production sees Royal Shakespeare Company actors Anton Lesser and Charlie Hamblett taking on the role of Lee. The show opens Live At The RSC, a five-day festival of live comedy and music.

Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra

Worcester Cathedral, Sat 13 May

Worcester Cathedral is certainly a suitably magnificent setting in which to perform one of the greatest symphonies of all time: Mahler’s Second.

Worcestershire Symphony Orchestra are joined by the singers of WSO Chorus and soloists Claire Prewer-Jenkinson and Jennifer Mugleston for a concert experience that should live long in the memory.

BCMG: TREE Concert

Birmingham Town Hall, Fri 12 May

This exploration of the connections between nature and humankind sees Birmingham Contemporary Music Group performing a programme which includes the world premiere of Christian Mason’s new Sound Investment commission, The Singing Tree. The textural ‘Concertini for ensemble’ by Helmut Lachenmann also features...

The concert is part of a wider project that includes multiple activities and workshops for young musicians.

Making a first-ever stop-off in Birmingham before heading to Coventry two days later, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra open proceedings in both concerts with a performance of one of their countryman Arvo Pärt’s best-known works: Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten. In their Coventry concert, they then turn their attention to Thea Musgrave’s Song Of Enchanter and Sibelius’ Symphony No5. The evening’s programme is completed with a performance by Barry Douglas of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No2. The Gold Medal winner at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, Barry is here stepping in for Freddy Kempf, who has had to pull out of the orchestra’s UK concert tour for personal reasons.

Martinů Quartet

Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, Sat 13 May

Formed in 1976 by students of the Prague Conservatoire and here performing as part of a Leamington Music season for a 13th time (a record for quartets), Martinů present programmes of work which combine music by legendary composers with neglected compositions and world premieres.

This latest concert sees them performing three compositions, including their very own String Quartet No5 and a work by recently rediscovered Czech composer Josef Beneš. Dvořák’s String Quartet No 14 in A flat completes the bill.

Forty and counting...

An orchestral recording and tour, summer festival shows and a new studio album in the pipeline. Manchester indie rock band James enter their 40th year busier than ever. Singer Tim Booth talks to What’s On about their ongoing success...

To paraphrase one of their recent album titles, these are extraordinary times for James. As they prepare to celebrate their 40th anniversary, the seven-piece Manchester band have scarcely been in better shapetheir last three albums have all made the top 10 and an arena tour in 2021 was their biggest-selling and most successful to date. This year is set to be one of their busiest ever. The upcoming - and brilliantly titled - James Lasted tour will see them performing with a 22-piece orchestra and eight-strong gospel choir. There’s an album (Be Opened By The Wonderful) to go with it - featuring reimagined versions of some of their bestloved and rare tracks - festival shows in the summer, and an album of new material in the works.

Genial singer Tim Booth, interrupting work on his first novel (“about a f**ked-up singer”) to chat with me, is clearly revelling in the band’s golden era, especially since they’re very much a creative entity and not some nostalgia act trading on former glories. “I’m in one of the best bands in the world, I’ve never doubted that,” he says. “They’ve always turned me on. It’s amazing after 40 years that when we get together in a room they always turn me on, and I hope I do the same to them. It’s just thrilling - we never know what’s going to happen.

“There are a number of great bands who have been around for 40 years. But to get here and to be having the best time of our lives; to be part of a supportive, loving family that still has something to say and new ways to say it; to be turned on by every gig and every song; to fall in love over and over again, Groundhog Day-style, with our bandmates and our audience. That’s time well spent.” Those 40 years have seen the band sell more than 25 million albums, and while their profile might have dipped since Sit Down was kept off number one by Chesney Hawkes, ticket sales suggest they’re more popular than ever.

“To the general public we’ve probably disappeared, but we actually sell more tickets now than we did at the height of our fame. Young people and families are coming, generations are coming, and it’s really beautiful to witness.”

The current 15-date orchestral tour is long sold out, and while the venture might not be totally alien to the band - they did similar shows with the Orchestra of the Swan in 2011 - recording an album has upped the ante.

Conductor Joe Duddell, who has also worked with the likes of New Order and Elbow, helped with the arrangements, but in typical James fashion, the track list focuses more on rarities and fan favourites than chart hits.

“That’s so in keeping with our philosophy, which is basically that singles are a crapshoot and albums are what count to us and always have. We’ve got great songs hidden away on different records that didn’t get the attention they probably deserved, so it was a case of ‘this’d be great, let’s do this one’.

“It’s that James arrogance and obsession to not just be known by our hits from the ’90s but to show people we’ve got a massive catalogue of songs that we spent a lot of time working on. Our fans know us for that depth and for setlist changes and not playing the hits all the time.”

by Steve Adams

I can vouch for that. The last time I saw the band, Tim gently reminded an audience member that coming to see James and hoping to hear a favourite song - from a backcatalogue of 300 - was a bit like buying a lottery ticket.

“We feel that one of the things that makes us unique and different and interesting, and has helped our longevity, is the fact that it’s a live event and you roll the dice.

“Occasionally someone will lambast me on Twitter because we didn’t play Sit Down, and they’ll get 20 responses from fans saying ‘We

don’t want to hear Sit Down, we want to hear B-sides.’”

Varying the setlist won’t be as easy for the orchestral shows, but even though he admits there are a few set-pieces, Tim’s adamant that every night will be different. Not only can he claim “Joe knows how to dance with us,” but the band have a few surprises in store too. The orchestral album - which isn’t released until after the tour anyway - features 20 tracks, but a dozen more have been worked up and are waiting in the wings.

“That way we can rotate things a little. People will come to the gigs and go ‘that was my favourite song’ and then get the album and it won’t be on there!”

Does that mean there’s an orchestral version of my personal favourite, Just Like Fred Astaire?

“Might be.”

Looks like I’ll be rolling the dice with everyone else at the upcoming Symphony Hall show then!

Audiences at the band’s festival dates in the summer can be a little more confident of hearing songs they know.

“You can’t take as many risks at festivals because you’re often playing to an audience that aren’t yours. You want to make it easy for people - gigs are communication, and you’ve got to learn to adapt your communication so that you can be understood. But I’m sure some of the orchestral songs will linger into the set.”

One gig likely to be a perfect hybrid of the two scenarios is the band’s show at the newly reopened The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton on 20 June. The gig is one of only a couple of theatre dates during the run of festival shows, but is one the singer says he’s looking forward to.

“I think the first time we played there was with The Smiths - I remember it being a wonderful venue and Morrissey flagging it up to me at the time. It’s a great venue with a great history. There are certain gigs that have a resonance, where there’s a power to it and you’re building on the backs of other bands that have been there before. That’s definitely one of them - it’ll be great to go back.”

James play Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on Friday 5 May and The Halls, Wolverhampton, on Tuesday 20 June

Live music from across the region...

Masca

Drummonds Bar, Worcester, Tues 16 May

Christina Maynard is following up her time with cult favourites Soeur by straddling the worlds of pop and rock in the company of her long-time partner and drummer, Jack Hamilton. Presenting a winning combination of dual vocals, guitar riffs and catchy melodies, Masca sold out their first headline show in their home town of Bristol back in 2020. They have since steadily built on their grassroots following via support slots for the likes of Delta Sleep, Kier, Beach Rio and Goan Dogs.

Hothouse Flowers

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 5 May

It’s the better part of 40 years since Hothouse Flowers burst onto the scene with first single Love Don’t Work This Way. They followed up with debut album People, a record that hit the top spot in their native

Harry Styles

Coventry Building Society Arena, Mon 22 & Tues 23 May

Tickets for Harry Styles’ concerts sell like proverbial hotcakes. And why wouldn’t they?

He is, after all, a bona fide 24-carat global superstar - a fact to which his collection of Brit, Grammy and Ivor Novello awards bears glittering testament.

Harry’s path to fame and fortune started with an X-Factor appearance in 2010. After being eliminated as a solo artist, he was teamed with four other fellas who’d suffered the same fate. At Harry’s suggestion, the quintet took the name One Direction... and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here visiting his home patch of the West Midlands with his Love On Tour 2023 show, the Redditch-born singer is joined by Brit and Grammy Award-winning indie rock duo Wet Leg.

Ian Brown

hmv Empire, Coventry, Wed 24 May While plenty from his era have crashed and burned, Ian Brown’s star continues to shine bright. Having released seven studio albums, 19 singles, a remix album, a greatest-hits compilation and an 11-disc box set, it’s fair to say the 60-year-old musician is enjoying a solo career that’s well worth writing home about. Even so, it’s as the lead singer of legendary indie band The Stone Roses that he remains best known. His Coventry appearance is one of two intimate gigs he’s arranged this month - the other being in Cardiff - and comes just days before he headlines festivals in Newcastle and his home town of Warrington.

The Last Inklings

Temperance, Leamington Spa, Wed 24 May With cello, mandolin and vocal harmony lying at the heart of what they do, inspiration comes from many sources for Leonardo MacKenzie and David Hoyland, aka The Last Inklings. The traditional songs and tunes of the British Isles, the cinematic soundscapes of composers including the Oscar-winning Max Richter, and the writings of authors as diverse as Carl Jung and JRR Tolkien, have all played a part in the development of the duo’s innovative and

Ireland and kickstarted a decade of glorious chart success. Boasting a back-catalogue now bursting at the seams with much-loved numbers like I’m Sorry, Give It Up and I Can See Clearly Now, the band are at their formidable best when playing live, a fact which makes their Coventry stop-off this month an experience not to be missed.

genre-crossing sound.

Leonardo and David previously performed together in Kadia, a trio whose style saw them presenting shows that interspersed traditional and original folk-inspired songs with history and storytelling.

Roddy Woomble

The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry, Tues 9 May

“Lockdown gave me the sense of a collective melancholy,” says Idlewild frontman Roddy Woomble, in talking about his most recent album, Lo! Soul - tracks from which he’ll be performing during his Coventry gig. “That shared remoteness and isolation has been a guiding influence throughout all the songs. Lo! Soul is the most unusual record I’ve made, made in the most unusual way.”

The Halls are alive!

Iconic Wolverhampton venue gets ready for its grand reopening

Seven years after it closed for what was supposed to be a six-month refit, the newly refurbished, and slightly renamed, The Halls Wolverhampton finally reopens next month. The project to upgrade the iconic Civic Halla Grade II-listed building - and its Wulfrun Hall neighbour has faced a catalogue of delays and setbacks, including the discovery of asbestos, major structural issues and even the original contractor going bust. The issues saw costs spiral from an original estimate of around £10million to more than four times that amount. Work is now virtually complete, with the City of Wolverhampton Council handing over running duties to new operating partner AEG Presents. A subsidiary of AEG, the world’s leading sports & liveentertainment company, the international organisation operates tours, live shows and venues across the globe, including California’s famous Coachella Festival, BST Hyde Park and London’s O2.

It’s a pretty big deal for such a global giant to be running the venue - on a 25-year lease, no less - but one that has been prompted by a very local connection. AEG Presents’ CEO, Steve Homer, hails from Stourbridge and attended dozens of gigs at the venue as a youngster, including his first.

“It’s incredible to be able to bring an iconic venue back to life,” he says, “and as a local lad, this is all the more special. I saw The Clash perform here in 1978, and it was an event that forever cemented my love of music. We can’t wait to open the doors of The Halls Wolverhampton and bring the world’s best artists to the West Midlands stage.” Steve says he jumped at the chance to work with the venue as soon as the opportunity arose, but admits he had to convince his American colleagues that it was worthy of their support.

“Most of them couldn’t pinpoint Birmingham on a map, let alone Wolverhampton, so it was starting from a very basic level in terms of familiarity and knowledge of the site.”

That familiarity spans five decades for the lifelong music fan, who admits he still proudly displays old concert tickets on his wall. During our conversation, he reeled off an array of bands he’s seen at the Civic and Wulfrun over the years, from the likes of Stiff Little Fingers, OMD and Elvis Costello while he was still at school, to grunge and Britpop acts in the 1990s - a time when it wasn’t even

his local venue.

“I was living in Sheffield in the ’90s and I was coming down to see the likes of Offspring, Nirvana, Primal Scream and Oasis. I always used to come back to the Civic to watch them because you knew you were going to have a good gig. I could’ve gone to Manchester, as it was easier to get to, but I knew the Wolves gig would be better.

“There’s something in the DNA of the venue and the audience which means that Wolverhampton Civic has always been a good gig.”

That reputation is true for artists as much as fans, and it’s something Steve says he’s already capitalising on, with many acts keen to return to a favourite hunting ground. “One of the things I’ve found since we’ve reopened the diary is the amount of artists that say this is one of the best gigs they’ve ever had.

“We had a stab at putting on a headline show by Siouxsie from Siouxsie And The Banshees, because she’s doing a festival in LA with our company, as well as Latitude and a few other things in Europe. When I put in an enquiry, they came back and said she’s going to do it because it’s her favourite venue she ever played with the Banshees.”

Tickets for that show sold out within an hour of going on sale. A cursory glance at other upcoming shows - June is packed with big names such as Leftfield, McFly, James, Sparks, Sugababes and comedy-magicians Penn & Teller - reflects the appeal of the two venues as well as the ambition of the promoters. By the end of the month, Steve expects to have had more than 50,000 people come through the venues, now officially titled ‘The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton’ (capacity 3,404) and ‘The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton’ (capacity 1,289).

“We’ve got every recognisable promoter involved in our opening month. The shows are all selling really well, and some incredibly well. Selling tickets also gives us confidence to put other shows in place. We’re comfortably and confidently seeing a great uptake in acts, but it’s obviously only a startwe have to maintain that and then start taking things away from Birmingham.”

The latter is clearly the nature of the business, but Steve’s under no illusion about the initial challenge of getting people to come to a venue that’s been shut for so long,

by Steve Adams

whether that’s returnees or first-time visitors. “Being closed for seven years means you’ve got a hill to climb,” he admits, acknowledging that people familiar with the venue will need to be re-educated and reenergised, and that there’s a generation gap to be bridged for those who have never been.

“If you were 14 when you went to your first gig, you’re now sat there as a 21-year-old and you’ve never been to a show in Wolverhampton.”

With that in mind, Steve is keen to book more pop and urban acts aimed at younger audiences.

“That’s a real challenge for us - to try to get younger, contemporary artists to come and play in Wolverhampton. There’s no resistance from agents or managers, but you have to be able to convince the audience that it’s something that will be a great event.

“In some ways parents who were familiar with the venue will feel comfortable with their offspring going to Wolves Civic or the Wulfrun as they know it’s a safe environment.”

Ultimately it’s all about the quality of the acts and the overall experience, and Steve expects the refurbished venues to deliver on both fronts. As well as being able to attract bigger and better shows, he says the two halls will offer visitors a vastly improved experience, with better seating, more bars, more areas to socialise, improved toilet facilities, enhanced wheelchair access and more accessible viewing points.

Both venues have also had additional balconies installed, with the Civic now looking more like a theatre than a concert hall from the stage - something which Steve believes adds a new and different dimension without detracting from its longstanding appeal.

“I think audiences are going to be very pleasantly surprised when they return to both venues. They’re going to see an improvement in the facilities, and a re-fresh of what was a successful operation before. It’s going to feel quite special.”

To find out what’s happening and when at The Halls, check out the website: thehallswolverhampton.co.uk

After being closed for seven years, The Halls Wolverhampton reopens next month following an extensive refurbishment. Steve Homer - CEO of new operator AEG Presents - talks to What’s On about the challenges and excitement of relaunching the iconic venue...

Comedy previews from across the region

Josie Long

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 27 May; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Fri 15 September

Josie Long’s awardwinning comedian pal, Nish Kumar, has referred to her as ‘the David Bowie of standup’ - a description he’s used on account of the 41year-old comic’s impressive capacity for reinventing herself. London-born Long admits she is very much a political animal, but recognises that banging on too much about politics is a near-certain way to alienate an audience. Hence the fact that her latest touring show, Re-Enactment, focuses on ‘changes wrought by time, passion, moving to Scotland, and loving the world under - let’s face itdifficult circumstances’.

Jokes include: “When I was a kid, I asked my mum what a couple was and she said, ‘Oh, two or three’. And she wonders why her marriage didn’t work out...”

Tom Segura

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Fri 12 May

The title of Tom Segura’s current live standup offering, I’m Coming Everywhere, may sound a bit rude but it also has a ring of truth about it - the 44-year-old American comedian is taking the show to more than 200 cities across the globe!

Segura’s been scoring big in the comedy stakes for a long time now - so much so that he boasts numerous Netflix specials. He’s also made a name for himself as an author and podcaster.

Jokes include: “I’d love to learn another language, but there’s too much porn to watch,” and “I hate who I’m becoming socially. With all my social interactions I’m disintegrating into somebody I want to punch in the mouth.”

Wang

Phil Wang’s first-ever five minutes behind the microphone as a standup comedian were spent telling other people’s gags.

“I thought standup was like karaoke with jokes!” he recalls. “Most of the material I used was stolen, but I learned fast and immediately started writing my own

Tom Allen

Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 17 - Fri 19 May; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 6 & Sat 7 October; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 10 & Sat 11 November

The always dapper Tom Allen is a master of camp comedy. Often likened in style to legendary raconteurs Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howard, he also doffs his comedian’s cap in the direction of Michael McIntyre and Eddie Izzard.

Tom is visiting various Midlands venues across the next few months with his new touring show, Completely.

“The title is about finally being completely grown up,” Tom told beyondthejoke. “I finally moved out of my parents’ home at the tender age of 38. I use the show to talk about getting used to having my own home, how stressful it is buying a mattress. Also, you know, being an adult means that your friends are adults, which sometimes means their children coming around and wanting to chip the paint off the wall...

“I lost my dad a couple of years ago, so I talk about that, too. I think it’s important to talk about all of life and not be afraid of it.”

material.”

Inspired to become a comedian by his desire to avoid having to get up in the mornings, Phil describes his style of humour as smart, cheeky but always changing. He visits the Midlands with his touring show, Wang In There, Baby!

Scummy Mummies

Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 4 May; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Wed 24 May; Old Rep, Birmingham, Fri 26 May; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Tues 3 October

“Our speciality is comedy for less-thanperfect parents - so that means all parents!” says Ellie Gibson about Scummy Mummies, her popular double act with Helen Thorn.

“Our live comedy shows cover a wide range of parenting topics - from pelvic floors and play-dates to farting and fish fingers...

“Expect songs, sketches, standup and very scummy stories!”

Phil

Birmingham Town Hall, Thurs 4 May; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 26 May; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 16 June; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Fri 27 October

BY ORDER OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS

Costume designer Richard Gellar talks about the challenges of dressing Rambert’s dance version of the hit television series...

A co-production between dance company Rambert and Birmingham Hippodrome, Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby makes a welcome return to Birmingham this month. As well as boasting athletic dance and an eclectic soundtrack, the production showcases the skills of costume designer Richard Gellar. What’s On recently caught up with Richard to find out more about his creative approach...

How did you get into working in costume, Richard?

I’m originally from Liverpool, and everyone thinks that if you work in theatre costume, you love fashion. There are certain houses that I like, but that’s not how or why I got into costume. My original degree was in art history & theology, and I loved the clothes that were in portraits. I was more interested in that side of art than I was in anything else.  After I’d completed my degree and travelled a bit, I knew that I needed to get a job, so I thought about what I was interested in. During this period, I was doing drag on the doors in Liverpool, where I made my own costumes because I could sew, and someone mentioned I should do a costume course. So I did a post-grad in costume design & management, where I learnt everything about the industry.

I started working at the Royal Exchange in Manchester as a tailor’s assistant, before going onto ‘dye and breaking down’, which is where you age a costume. I went on to do bits of design before supervising. I think I’ve now probably covered every job in this sector! Overall, I love the creative process of making.

Did you have creative freedom with Peaky Blinders?

I like working with Rambert’s artistic director, Benoit Swan-Pouffer, because you can bounce ideas and nothing is too big. I tend to go to him with the biggest and brightest idea, so there’s room to bring it back collaboratively if needed.

A lot of the costumes have modern twists but give a nod to the characters and the era. I wanted to use a lot of beadwork and velvets for the women. When you put a dancer in a costume, you have to think about movement and adapt designs so that they’re fit for purpose. The suits are all 1920s cuts, but adapted slightly so that the dancers can move in them.

Where did you get inspiration for the costumes in the show?

I’ve created military looks before, so I know this area off by heart. Sometimes when I’m watching a film, I can place when the costume is wrong - either because of the era or if it doesn’t suit a person. I’m a bit of a stickler about everything being absolutely correct, whilst tweaking certain things because of it being presented in dance.

I haven’t created many costumes for the 1920s era before, but I like it because I love the glitz

of the period. After World War One, glamour really started to come into its own. People started to be able to afford things and create their own styles.

What was the creative process like?

At the moment there’s a focus on fast fashion and being sustainable, so it was important to me to utilise a lot of costumes we already had in stock. When I first started designing, I pulled everything out of the costume store, including all the spare fabrics, to see what we had available.

We made a lot of blouses and underskirts from stock that we already had. There were whole sections where we utilised costumes that we had in the Rambert costume store. For example, the factory scene was fully created from costumes we pulled from pieces from the past.

Some of the costumes in the production came from the 1930s to 1950s. It’s quite beautiful to bring back pieces of history created by people who’ve worked at Rambert through the years - and from years when Marie Rambert was artistic director.

Back then, during the period of the industrialisation of England, we were amazing at creating fabrics. We had fabric mills that were making wools that are in line with all the Peaky suits. There’s only a few fabric mills that make wools in the UK, so I looked to England and Scotland to source materials and check our carbon footprint, including the heavy-duty tweed used for the dancers who play the characters of Polly and Ada.

Which costumes are you most proud of?

Grace’s green dress has been in my head for some time, so I was happy to be able to create

it and use it in green velvet and jet black. As soon as I put that dress on dancer Nya, who plays Grace, I saw the way she moved in it, and she made the costume come to life. The dog costumes are a bit left-field, but I like them too. I thought about the sleek fur of powerful dogs like Dobermans. So I sought out brown leather, then added in chaps and brass buckles, alongside a steampunk jacket and the head masks to make them look scary and unique.

The TV series’ costumes are beautiful, and the whole show is a piece of art in its own right. I watched every single episode and loved it. I wanted to keep certain elements from each character, whilst at the same time making the designs stand alone too. I didn’t want to mimic anything in the series, but I did want to make it so that you could pick out the characters. With Polly, for example, I created pieces that were highly tailored garments and slightly androgynous With Tommy, I noticed he wore a lot of grey, so I wanted to make a note of that by using grey wool in Prince of Wales check. With Arthur, he usually wears a bow tie, so he wears one throughout. I wanted to stay true to the characters so that the audience could instantly recognise them from the television series.

Peaky Blinders: The Redemption Of Thomas Shelby runs at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 May

Rock Of Ages

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May

Cinema-goers who caught the 2012 movie version of Rock Of Ages, starring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Catherine ZetaJones, will know exactly what to expect from this feelgood musical. For those who didn’t and therefore don’t, it focuses on the romance between a small-town girl and a big-city rocker, and is packed to its proverbial rafters with classic 1980s numbers. So if you’re someone for whom the decade of Glasnost, yuppies, Miami Vice and mullet

The King And I

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

In 1862, Anna Leonowens, upon whose real-life experiences The King And I is based, was employed by King Mongkut of Siam to serve as governess to his 67 children. Anna wrote of her experiences in two books, The English Governess At The Siamese Court and The Romance Of The Harem. Published in the 1870s, the books became significant sources of information about Siam and its culture for Western readers.

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

Boasting spectacular sets, breathtaking costumes, all the splendour of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s memorable score and a royal palace’s-worth of awards, The King And I is a show that’s well worth catching.

hair-dos took place against a soundtrack of pounding rock anthems, this is the show for you.

Songs include We Built This City, Here I Go Again, I Want To Know What Love Is and The Final Countdown.

The show visits the Midlands as part of its farewell tour and stars Kevin Kennedy, best known from his days playing the character of Curly Watts in Coronation Street.

The Bodyguard

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 4 - Sat 30 December

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

Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton stars as Rachel.

Hamnet

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

Author Maggie

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

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

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

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

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre previews from around the region

Heathers The Musical

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May; Malvern Theatres, Tues 25 - Sat 29 July; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 19 - Sat 23 September

Although far from being an unqualified success with the critics, Heathers The Musical did great business in the West End. The show is equally likely to pack them in during its first-ever UK tour. Based on the cult 1989 movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, the story focuses on the character of Veronica Sawyer, a high school student who’s tired of being part of a feared and popular clique with three girls named Heather. Eager to opt out, she finds herself drawn to new student Jason ‘JD’ Dean, a rebellious young man with murder in mind...

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 12Sat 16 September; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 26 - Sat 30 September

Neil Gaiman’s critically acclaimed novel is here given the National Theatre treatment. Described as a thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship, the story takes audiences on an epic journey to ‘a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it’.

When a man returns to the home in which he grew up and the pond where he used to play, he finds himself transported back to his 12th birthday. There, his remarkable friend, Lettie, claims that the pond is, in fact, an ocean - a place where everything is possible. But as they plunge into a magical world, they find themselves confronting ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them...

The Card

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sat 20 May - Sat 10 June

Claybody Theatre here revive their stage adaptation of Potteries-born author Arnold Bennett’s classic comic novel.

Set in a fictionalised Stoke-on-Trent known as The Five Towns, the story follows the fortunes of loveable rogue Denry Machin, a washerwoman’s son who refuses to allow his humble beginnings to thwart his ambition to live the high life.

Mister Shakespeare

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 27 May

Michael Barry’s exploration of Shakespeare the man, the father, the actor and the entrepreneur finds the Stratford bard struggling to cope with life as he locks himself away in his rooms to avoid contagion. But even as his problems pile high, his genius burns bright. As the walls close in, Shakespeare gets to work - and the masterpieces that are King Lear, Antony & Cleopatra and Macbeth are born...

Unexpected Twist

Malvern Theatres, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May

One-time Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen brings a retelling of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist to the Midlands.

Presented as a musical, Unexpected Twist combines the 1838 classic with a terrific tale of Michael’s very own.

The central character in his story is Shona, the new girl in school, whose class is studying Oliver Twist. Much like the raggedy hero of the Dickens classic, Shona is finding

it hard to stay out of trouble. But when she’s given a new phone by a stranger, she begins to suspect there’s something unusual about the new boys she’s met...

Unexpected Twist is presented by The Children’s Theatre Partnership, whose previous shows have included adaptations of Animal Farm and The Jungle Book.

Make-up

Lichfield Garrick, Fri 12 May

For Christopher Laneghan, performing as his drag alter-ego Lady Christina has become a real, er, drag.

Stepping off the stage and leaving behind the glamour and the costumes, Christopher offers some poignant dressing-room reflections - not only about his own struggles in life but also around broader questions connected to the issue of identity and how people choose to define themselves...

Andy Moseley’s insightful monologue stars Moj Taylor, who, alongside Andy, has codirected the production.

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre

Wuthering Heights

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 16 - Thurs 18 May

When first published in 1847, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights came as a shock to many of its readers, who found themselves somewhat horrified by the story’s stark depictions of mental and physical cruelty.

“Wuthering Heights is not a funny novel,” observes Giulia Innocenti, co-director of Inspector Sands, the theatre company here performing the show. ”It’s pretty bleak, but we’ll tell the story with humour because otherwise we’ll kill ourselves!

“Someone said we turn anxiety into an art form, and I thought that was the perfect way to sum us up. You’re laughing, and then you realise, actually, that’s really awkward...”

Annie

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 8 - Sat 13 May

Jodie Prenger here takes on the coveted role of Miss Hannigan, as oft-touring musical Annie once again visits the Midlands this month.

A heart-warming rags-to-riches story of a little girl who finds herself transported from a New York orphanage to the luxurious world of a millionaire, the show features plenty of memorable songs, including It’s The Hard Knock Life, I Don’t Need Anything But You, Easy Street and the legendary Tomorrow.

Cymbeline

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, until Sat 27 May

Blending reality with fantasy, Shakespeare’s rarely performed play tells the story of Imogen, the daughter of King Cymbeline of Britain, who marries the lowly Posthumus against her father’s wishes.

Angered by the union, Cymbeline banishes Posthumus, who, relocating to Italy, places a bet on the chastity of his wife, who has remained in Britain.

But when Posthumus is incorrectly informed that he has lost the wager, he is overcome

with sexual jealousy and plots to have his spouse killed.

Learning that her life is in danger, Imogen flees to Wales, disguised as a boy... RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran helms a production that offers a compelling concoction of surprise and suspense.

Cardboard Citizens: Faun

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 5 May

Not only 22, trans and queer, Ace is also unexpectedly growing fluffy ears and a tiny tail... This ‘celebration of queer community full of heart, youth and pan pipes’ is presented by Cardboard Citizens, an ensemble whose mission statement is to create ‘life-changing theatre’ with and for homeless people - a task which they’ve been pursuing with great zeal and considerable success for more than 30 years.

The Beekeeper Of Aleppo

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May; The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 13 - Sat 17 June

Nesrin Alrefaai’s stage adaptation of Christy Leftieri’s bestselling novel reflects on the connections that exist between friends, families and strangers.

The story follows the characters of beekeeper Nuri and artist Afra, a married couple enjoying a simple life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo.

But when war breaks out, the pair must flee for their lives. In so doing, they embark on a journey that sees them not only face the pain

of their own unbearable loss but also the challenge of finding each other again.

The production is helmed by Olivier Award-winning director Miranda Cromwell.

Teechers Leavers ’22

Old Rep, Birmingham, Thurs 11 & Fri 12 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 22 - Wed 24 May; Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 25 May First performed way back in the mid-1980s, John Godber’s highly acclaimed comedy, Teechers, dealt with the sense of disillusionment evident in students at that time - and also in many of those who educated them.

This revised, updated version, set in a struggling academy the better part of 40 years later, boasts the same edgy humour as the original.

It also makes it clear that, although time has moved on, the country’s education system remains a source of upset and frustration for many of those whose lives are inextricably linked to it.

Theatre Theatre previews from around the region

Wish You Were Dead

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Malvern Theatres, Mon 12 - Sat 17 June; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 20 - Sat 24 June

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

Around The World In 80 Days

Albany Theatre, Coventry, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June

It’s easy to forget that not so long ago, travelling across the globe was a very difficult and long-winded undertaking.

Jules Verne’s classic adventure story, Around The World In 80 Days - here adapted for the stage by Tilted Wig and York Theatre Royaloffers a fun-filled reminder of a time when exotic climes really were ‘a world away’.

In keeping with Verne’s 1872 novel, this family-friendly production recounts the story of English gentleman Phileas Fogg’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days on a wager of £20,000.

But this new adaptation is no straightforward retelling of Verne’s story; added into the theatrical mix is another tale - a true one this time - about trailblazing American journalist Nellie Bly, who, in 1889/90, completed a record-breaking trip around the world in just 72 days!

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Phileas!

Welsh National Opera: Blaze Of Glory!

Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 6 May Welsh National Opera (WNO) this month premieres a new work created and set in South Wales. Telling the tale of a male voice choir’s determination to succeed against all the odds, Blaze Of Glory! pays tribute to the musical traditions and close-knit neighbourhoods of the Valleys.

Written by Emma Jenkins and directed by Caroline Clegg - the same team who created WNO’s Rhondda Rips It Up! - this new production turns the spotlight firmly on the region’s former mining communities.

“We wanted to look at the Welsh mining community and the tradition of the male voice choir,” says Caroline. “Not just from the men’s perspective but from the whole community’s point of view.

“The heart and soul of this piece is community, solidarity and friendship. It’s a real feelgood show, and that is definitely something to celebrate post-lockdown, whatever your background.”

Sense & Sensibility

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 10 & Thurs 11 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Thurs 18 May

Hotbuckle theatre company is the ensemble performing this Adrian Preater adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel. Regency-era sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are the main protagonists of the story, busily making their first forays into the excitingly decadent world of 18th-century high society, where the giddy excitement of love and the terrible pain of heartbreak await them...

The Polar Bear (Is Dead)

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 12 May

“We’ve made a show about loss and being alone that’s ultimately full of hope,” explain Natalie Bellingham and Daniele Pennati, in talking about their latest production, The Polar Bear (Is Dead). “It talks about familiar things as a way of facing the massive thing that we know we should be doing something about but don’t - the climate crisis.”

by Diane Parkes

THIS IS REALITY...

As the eponymous hero in Ken Loach’s multiaward-winning film, I, Daniel Blake, comedian, actor & writer Dave Johns won the hearts of people across the world. So when he was asked to adapt the story for a stage show, he jumped at the chance.

The film’s story follows Dan, a fiftysomething Geordie, who has worked his whole adult life as a carpenter. After suffering a heart attack so serious that his doctors tell him to give up work, he turns to the state for support. But his benefits claim becomes a Kafkaesque nightmare in which he receives anything but help.

Along the way he befriends Katie, a young mother from London, who has been offered social housing in Newcastle. Like Dan, she also finds the welfare state to be anything but benevolent.

Dave, whose previous stage adaptations include The Shawshank Redemption, was keen to bring these characters to the theatre.

“What interested me was taking Paul Laverty’s lovely script from the film and trying to adapt it for the stage,” he says. “That was the challenge and the excitement. I didn’t want to just put the film on stage.

“When I made the film in Newcastle, working with Ken Loach, none of us realised what an impact it would have. When the film was released in 2016, it caught the imagination because the time was right and it was a very human story.

“I wanted the stage show to have the same emotional power as the film but bring it up to date, so that it wasn’t a history piece. So I started doing some research about what was different - and nothing was different! With the cost-of-living rise, foodbanks, austerity, it’s affecting even more people now. There are so many people just trying to make ends meet.”

The film and the stage show aim to go beyond the statistics to the real lives of people down on their luck.

“When the film came out, the narrative from Government was that anyone who was on social security or was claiming benefits was not bothering to work and were scroungers. And the film showed how these things

happen to ordinary people. What shocked people was that it could be your father, your daughter, your sister, your mother. Dan wasn’t a shirking scrounger, he was just an ordinary bloke, and the system wasn’t set up to help him or to help Katie.

“The rhetoric was that if you’re on benefits, you’re not trying and you’re not contributing to society - but society doesn’t take into account how you get into that situation. The film showed this uncaring face of the state; the way it was set up was that they were making it as hard as possible for you to navigate the benefits system.”

Dave has made some changes to the tale for the stage show, which opens in Newcastle this month and comes to Birmingham Rep’s Studio space in mid-June.

“It’s an ensemble piece and the story is told by six actors. It’s basically Dan’s story as you think of it in the film, but I’ve written up Katie and the kids’ part in the play. We get a much more rounded idea of where Katie comes from and why she’s been sent from London up to Newcastle.

“I think audiences will get a more visceral emotional hit from the play than the film because you’re right there in the room with the actors and the action. It’s living and breathing, but there is humour as well. Both Dan and Katie have a good sense of humour, so there are moments of light relief. When you are faced with adversity, the one thing that keeps us all sane is a sense of humour.

“You have to have those moments of light relief because the harsh reality of how bleak their lives are would be too much to bear. So you will laugh and you’ll cry - that is what I hope is good theatre.”

But when Dave is so synonymous with the part of Daniel Blake, didn’t he want to reprise the role in theatres?

“The funny answer would be that I won lots and lots of awards for Daniel Blake, and I don’t want them to take them off me if I make a mess on stage!

“But actually, I think you do a piece of work and you’re proud of it, and I will always be proud of Daniel Blake. I have people who come up to me who recognise me and say

how much that film meant to them and how much it moved them. But since then, I’ve gone on and done other films and projects, so I wasn’t tempted to recreate the role of Daniel Blake on stage.

“And we have a fabulous cast. When we put the call out for six actors, we had more than 700 submissions. The cast we have are very talented, and it’s going to be a different take on it.”

Taking the role of Dan is David Nellist, who played Mike Stamford in BBC’s Sherlock. Katie is played by Bryony Corrigan, who is best known as Vanessa in Mischief Theatre’s BBC series The Goes Wrong Show. The production also has a new score composed by Ross Millard of The Futureheads.

Produced by Northern Stage, Birmingham Rep, ETT, Oldham Coliseum and Tiny Dragon Productions, directed by Mark Calvert and designed by Rhys Jarman, the stage show has some new theatrical elements.

“We have been very influenced by Led By Donkeys, who take Government tweets and project them onto the Houses of Parliament and posters,” says Dave. “We’re working with a company who will be doing projections. So there will be a narrative, a story in tweets, of what the Government policies have been, and then, on stage, there will be Dan and Katie’s lives, their experience of it. So you can judge what the Government is saying in tweets and what is happening in reality.

“I hope audiences will feel a connection with the people who are going through these problems, and that they will be angry when they go out after seeing the show. Theatre has a power to do this, to give people a human bond with what is happening on stage. The skill of good theatre is that you emotionally grab people, you entertain them, and if you impart some knowledge to them, then you go out changing their ideas of the world - and that’s the perfect thing.”

I, Daniel Blake shows at The Rep, Birmingham, from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 24 June

Comedian, actor & writer Dave Johns, who played the title character in Ken Loach’s I, Daniel Blake, talks about the challenge of adapting the award-winning 2016 film for the stage...

Theatre for younger audiences...

In The Night Garden

Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 8 - Wed 10 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 9 - Sun 10 September

If your little ones are big fans of much-loved CBeebies television series In The Night Garden, they’re certain to adore this live version as well.

And it’s not only the kids who’re in love with the stage shows: according to audience surveys and parents’ reviews, nine out of 10 adults consider the productions to be a fivestar theatrical experience.

This currently touring show - titled Igglepiggle’s Busy Day - has a running time of just under an hour and features a very special visit from the amazing flying Pinky Ponk...

Dragons & Mythical Beasts Live

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sun 28 - Tues 30 May; The Rep, Birmingham, Wed 31 MayFri 2 June

If you caught and enjoyed Dinosaur World Live when it toured to the region, then Dragons & Mythical Beasts should also float your boat, as it’s produced by the very same creative team.

An interactive show for all the family to enjoy, the production boasts a cast of ‘magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts’. These include the colossal Stone Troll, the mysterious Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy (who’s not as sweet as you’d think), an adorable unicorn and a majestic griffin. Oh, and there’s a dragon, too - but the producers strongly advise that you steer well clear of doing anything that might risk waking it up...

The Singing Mermaid

The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 27 & Sun 28 May

Little Angel Theatre’s stage adaptation of the popular children’s book by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks visits Birmingham riding high on a wave of positive reviews.

The story focuses on the adventures of the eponymous character after she is tempted away from the safety of the ocean to become

part of a travelling circus. But although audiences love her singing, it isn’t long before she realises that she’s been tricked by the dastardly circus master... Developed for children aged from three to eight, the show has a running time of 55 minutes.

Ministry of Science Live

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 27 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 30 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wed 31 May; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Thurs 1 June Liquid nitrogen clouds, exploding oxygen & hydrogen balloons, fire tornados, hydrogen bottle rockets, ignited methane and even a self-built hovercraft are all part and parcel of the Ministry Of Science’s anarchic approach to science communication.

As well as taking a look at the inventors and engineers who’ve shaped and inspired the modern world, the show’s presenters will be conducting clever demonstrations aplenty. The resultant loud bangs should certainly keep everybody on their toes!

Milkshake! Live

Lichfield Garrick, Sat 13 May; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Wed 31 May; Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock, Thurs 1 June; The Place, Telford, Shropshire, Sat 22 July; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 4 August

Milkshake Monkey’s putting on a show - and he’s inviting little ones to come along and join in the fun with Paddington, Daisy & Ollie, Milo, Noddy, Pip & Posy and Blue’s Clues... If you’ve watched the TV series and/or been to a previous live production, you’ll already

know what to expect from a Milkshake! show. If not, get ready for an event that promises lots of laughter, bucketloads of family fun, bags of audience participation and plenty of singing and dancing.

Zog: Live On Stage

Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire, Tues 23 & Wed 24 May; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wed 26 - Sun 30 July

With their other shows including Tiddler And Other Terrific Tales, Stick Man and Tabby McTat, it’s fair to say that Freckle Productions know a thing or two about presenting stage adaptations of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler books.

One of the most popular, and here making a welcome return to the stage, is Zog - the delightful story of a young dragon who is determined to win himself a gold star while attending dragon school.

Zog is so determined, in fact, that he tries a little bit too hard and finds himself bumping, burning and roaring his way through years one, two and three. Somewhat the worse for wear from his experiences, he not only finds himself being patched up by the plucky Princess Pearl but also coming face-to-face with his biggest challenge yet… a duel with the knight, Sir Gadabout the Great!

Alyssa Edwards On Tour

Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 2 May

From dance instructor and drag pageantry scene performer to global superstar - Alyssa Edwards has certainly been on a turbocharged ride since appearing in the fifth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race a decade ago. Real name Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, Alyssa’s candid testimonials, outrageous tongue-pops and quirky personality traits have seen her score a major hit with drag fans across the world. She visits Birmingham with Becoming Alyssa, ‘an epic, must-see, tell-all, dance-all story about her life growing up, her extraordinary career, and her incredible journey to finding love’.

A Night Of Stars

The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 9 May

Jasper Carrott here hosts a special tribute to Bob Warman, the Walsall-born ITV news anchorman who retired last summer. All proceeds from the show will go to the Journalist’s Charity - founded by Charles Dickens in 1864 to support journalists and their families through tough times - and

Birmingham’s Acorns Children’s Hospice. Commenting on the event, Jasper said: “It is an honour to be presenting this very special evening celebrating the extensive career of Birmingham’s brilliant broadcaster, Bob Warman. This one-off event guarantees audiences plenty of laughter and entertainment at the city’s historic leading theatre.”|

Scottish Falsetto Socks: Eurovision Sock Contest

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 12 May

Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre have been making audiences laugh their socks off for a good few years now, regularly scoring a major success at the Edinburgh Fringe with their rude, anarchic and routinely trailblazing performances. This latest offering sees ‘Earth’s funniest socks’ presenting a winning blend of ‘songs, sketches, and Gags Sans Frontieres’ based around the subject of the Eurovision Song Contest - the 2023 final of which takes place in Liverpool the following night.

Sir Jack’s History Boys

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 22 May Former Wolverhampton Wanderers footballers Matt Murray Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller are reunited

Theatre

The Noise Next Door

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sat 13 May

Praised for presenting their audiences with ‘a superior kind of chaos’, The Noise Next Door is a quartet of improvising comedians who’ve been garnering critical praise for a good few years now. Big in Edinburgh at festival time, they pride themselves on their originality and quick-wittedness.

Previous on-stage endeavours have included a mini-musical embracing the uncomfortable bedfellows of pantomime, folk music and death-metal, and a surreal adventure in which the Magic Roundabout’s Zebedee leads the forces of good against Darth Vader, who’s holed up in Worcester Cathedral. They visit MAC this month with two shows on the same day: Mysterious Mansions Of Mystery and Hometown Heroes.

for an evening in conversation with Sky Sports presenter Johnny Phillips. The subject under discussion: Wolves’ return to the top flight 20 years ago following a 19-year absence. The club at the time was owned by Sir Jack Hayward, hence the show’s title.

Ventriloquist: A Day In The Life Of Arthur Lager

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 26 May

The days when people delighted at the likes of Keith Harris fitting his arm up the behind of a curious-looking puppet and seemingly making it talk are long gone. Well, at least they were until recently. But now there’s one man in particular who’s doing his bit to change the widely held view that ventriloquism acts are old hat, tired out, and alarmingly frayed at the edges. That man is Steve Hewlett, Britain’s Got Talent finalist 2013, whose puppet partners include Chi Chi the dog, Pongo the skunk and cheeky old geezer Arthur Lager.

The puppets of Simon Cowell and Sinittawhich Steve used during his Britain’s Got Talent run - might also get an airing on the night.

BRB: BOLD BALLET AND MORE

Fusing traditional and contemporary (and heavy metal!), Birmingham Royal Ballet’s new season is causing quite a stir - and for all the right reasons. Between next month and March 2024, audiences will be able to enjoy an eclectic mix of productions - as the Company’s director, Carlos Acosta, explains to What’s On...

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s (BRB) upcoming season features an ambitious programme of dance. Attractions include an exciting triple bill, the first tour by BRB2 - a new company of talented young dancers - much-loved classics and the world premiere of Black Sabbath - The Ballet.

Director Carlos Acosta is keen to blend BRB’s rich tradition of classic and contemporary works with new pieces that give audiences opportunities to see the full range of talent within the company.

“From BRB performing at the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony to Black Sabbath, and with everything in-between, I think people get what we are trying to do,” he says. “We may have raised some eyebrows, but people love that kind of boldness. We want to surprise people, and we want to bring new people in to see ballet.

“We are ambassadors for the city of Birmingham, and whatever we do, we do for the community. Birmingham has a lot of treasures that the world doesn’t always

realise are from Birmingham, such as Black Sabbath, so our role is to shine a light on how important this city has been - not only for the UK but for the world as well.”

The next few weeks see BRB taking its place at two of the city’s key events - Birmingham Pride and the Mostly Jazz Festival.

It will be the first time the company has danced on the main stage at Pride, presenting a performance that includes the pas de deux from Interlinked, with principal dancers Brandon Lawrence and Tzu-Chao Cho (on 27 May).

The company is also presenting its first-ever dance performance at the Mostly Jazz Festival (8 & 9 July). Inspired by ‘Still Life’ At The Penguin Café, BRB principal Lachlan Monaghan and artist Rosanna Ely are cochoreographing work with students to create multiple pop-up performances at the event. Looking ahead to the autumn, there’s the world premiere of Black Sabbath - The Ballet, tickets for which sold out almost as soon as they went on sale.

At Christmas, BRB returns with the everpopular Nutcracker, a newly rebuilt version of which premiered in Birmingham last November.

And early in 2024, the company performs Sir Peter Wright’s Sleeping Beauty.

Carlos is keen for BRB to continue to showcase its classic works while also developing new pieces.

“Ballets like Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker and Swan Lake show the company at its best. These classics are what the company already has, but I am also bringing a new repertory and a new artistic vision. Hopefully this will cultivate new audiences and the imagination of the public.

“When I joined the company in 2020, we had the pandemic and we weren’t able to look ahead, but now things have changed, so I want to go, go, go!

“There is so much happening for BRB now. I would say: Look out for other exciting announcements, and do come along to the performances and be part of BRB.”

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

The programme aims to ensure that there’s something for everyone to enjoy, says BRB Director Carlos Acosta. “It makes a very good package for the audience. I’m trying not to be predictable, so we are offering audiences three different pieces in one evening.

“In the context of this triple bill, there’s what could be seen as the beginning, which is Apollo by George Balanchine. It is a 1928 piece, but it’s still very relevant today, feels very modern, and it’s one of my favourite pieces.”

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

Birmingham Royal Ballet this spring announced the launch of BRB2, a company of top-class young dancers whose first tour includes Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

Aiming to develop the ballet stars of the future, BRB2 has attracted young dancers from around the world. They will train and perform alongside the current professional dancers while also developing their own touring programme.

“Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection is a gala programme; kind of a greatest hits of ballet,” explains BRB2 Artistic Coordinator Kit Holder. “There will absolutely be more than one piece that everyone will enjoy.

“The programme touches those keystone classics, with an excerpt from Swan Lake and a beautiful piece by Frederick Ashton, the

BLACK SABBATH: THE BALLET

Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 23 - Sat 30 September

This full-length, three-act production features eight Black Sabbath tracks reorchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. “Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’s biggest export,” says Carlos Acosta. “So I was naturally drawn to the idea of a collaboration between what most people might think are the most unlikely of partners!”

STILL LIFE AT THE PENGUIN CAFE

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

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

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

BRB’s triple bill shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 June.

central pas de deux from Rhapsody, which has the amazing music of Rachmaninov’s Paganini. There’s also La Sylphide, which is a stunning piece of choreography and music. In the second half, we go slightly more to the

BRB2: CARLOS ACOSTA’S CLASSICAL SELECTION

contemporary end of ballet. We have a beautiful pas de deux by Ben Stevenson called End Of Time, which is hugely atmospheric, almost hypnotic. There’s some Piazzolla and some chanson with Edith Piaf and Jacques Brel. So musically as well as choreographically there’s a lot of variety in the show.

“I’m sure the majority of our audience will have been to a ballet before, but this is a brilliant programme for people who aren’t familiar with ballet because it’s a lot of short numbers with technical fireworks and virtuosity - and some really beautiful dancing.”

BRB2: Carlos Acosta’s Classical Selection shows at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Saturday 24 June

THE NUTCRACKER

Birmingham Hippodrome, Fri 17 November - Sat 9 December

Sir Peter Wright’s production is considered by many to be the finest interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s magnificent and mesmerising score... In true Christmas spirit, the story follows the young Clara as she’s swept up in a fantasy of soldiers, giant rats, snow fairies, magic and mystery, before finally being transformed into a beautiful ballerina.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 21 February - Sat 2 March 2024

More magic from Sir Peter Wright, who has here created yet another memorable ballet based on the brilliance and ingenuity of a classic Tchaikovsky score.

Cursed by a wicked fairy, a beautiful princess pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleepa slumber that can only be broken by true love’s kiss...

Dance previews from across the region

Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals

Helmed by Strictly’s creative director of choreography, Jason Gilkison, this annual extravaganza features the TV series’ professional dancers strutting their stuff to a fabulous soundtrack. Previous incarnations of the show have gone down a treat with Strictly fans, and there’s every

Johannes Radebe: Freedom Unleashed

Malvern Theatres, Thurs 4 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sat 13 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 20 May

Strictly Come Dancing favourite Johannes Radebe made a major splash with his sell-out debut tour last year. He now returns with what’s being described as a pulsating and jubilant celebration of culture, passion and freedom. The show’s recipe for success involves the bringing together of South African rhythms with huge party anthems. A cheeky dash of ballroom magic further spices up proceedings. Johannes is joined in this latest colourful, high-energy production by a diverse cast of dancers and singers.

reason to suppose the 2023 edition will prove equally popular. The 10 participating dancers are Dianne Buswell, Vito Coppola, Carlos Gu, Karen Hauer, Neil Jones, Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk, Jowita Przystal and Nancy Xu.

Gary Clarke Company: Wasteland

The Rep, Birmingham, Thurs 18 - Fri 19 May Following on from Coal, his show about the 1984/85 Miners Strike, Gary Clarke turns his attention to the early 1990s, a time when the coal industry was in terminal decline.

It was also a period when Britain’s illegal rave scene was flourishing...

A raver himself, Gary here brings together the two seemingly unconnected subjects. “Rave was a subculture that came out of oppression,” explains the Barnsley-born choreographer. “The factories, warehouses and mills were now home to new communities. But rather than working, those communities were dancing and playing music.”

Alongside dancers, brass musicians and a community cast of singers, the show also features archive film footage, a rave soundtrack and unique art work.

Rhiannon Faith Company: Drowntown

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Wed 3 May

“The production mirrors our current world crisis, our experiences of isolation and loneliness, and our future of socialeconomical uncertainty...”

Choreographer Rhiannon Faith is talking about Drowntown, the show she’s bringing to Birmingham early this month...

“We meet six strangers, who come to the beach alone, deep in their own personal pain. When they realise they can’t leave, and that the lifeguard has left them to fend for themselves, we visit their inner spaces of suffering.

“There are glimpses of connectedness and support, and we see if hope can pull them together. Or is it just too late…?”

by Richard Barber

LAW AND ORDER

George Rainsford is really excited. He’s playing Detective Superintendent Roy Grace in a touring stage adaptation of Peter James’s bestselling thriller, Wish You Were Dead, and he couldn’t be happier.

“I haven’t been on-stage for about 10 years,” says George, “so it’s good to be part of an ensemble again.”

This absence from the boards is explained by the nine years he spent playing Ethan Hardy in BBC One’s Casualty. Before that, in the first two series of Call The Midwife, he was Jessica Raine’s unfaithful boyfriend, Jimmy Wilson.

After time spent learning his craft at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art, George gravitated to theatre work. “I’ve always enjoyed the live element of doing a play - the audience reaction, the adrenaline it generates and so on. And the reaction we are getting from audiences so far on the tour has been amazing. They seem to be loving it!”

He auditioned for the lead role of Roy Grace last August. “It’s a fantastic part, something I can really get my teeth into.” As a result, he’s been reading author Peter James’s backcatalogue of murder-mysteries - “always so beautifully plotted” - and watching the first two television series of Grace, starring John Simm as the eponymous policeman.

The TV series was an immediate success with audiences when it launched on ITV in 2021almost nine million viewers tuned in to watch the primetime drama. Series two hit TV screens in spring 2022, the five episodes being the most watched programme across all channels on each of the Sundays they were broadcast. A third successful series has just finished on ITV.

The twist in Wish You Were Dead is that Roy is on holiday in France with his wife, Cleo, and their baby. “He’s not working,” explains George. “But when a crime boss, Curtis, is released from prison, he’s a man desperate to take revenge on the policeman who got him incarcerated. So, crime comes looking for Grace.”

Is it scary? “I hope so. Roy has to use all his wits to ensure his loved ones come to no harm. It’s full of surprises. I think audiences like being scared. Hearing the audience jump and gasp each night is great! But it’s also great funthere’s quite a bit of dark comedy that audiences are really enjoying.”

Will it involve fisticuffs? “Oh yes, a bit of that, and possibly some bodies - although I’m not about to give the game away.”

George knows all about pretend-fighting. In a play at the RSC in 2009, he was required to look as though he’d landed a punch in a bar-room brawl on fellow actor Luke Norris. On one occasion, he misjudged the swing and made heavy contact with Luke.

“The result was that I hit him in the mouth with enough force for his teeth to puncture his lip and take a chunk out of the joint on my fist. He looked worse than me, but I ended up in hospital for a week.”

Wish You Were Dead is the sixth stage adaptation of Peter James’s novels, making it the most successful crime-thriller theatrical franchise since Agatha Christie.

Previous James novels brought to the stage are: Looking Good Dead, starring Adam Woodyatt and Gaynor Faye; The House On Cold Hill, with Joe McFadden and Rita Simons; Not Dead Enough, starring Shane Richie and Laura Whitmore; Dead Simple, with Tina Hobley; and The Perfect Murder, starring Les Dennis and Claire Goose.

“I’m really enjoying touring, visiting places I’ve never been before,” says an enthusiastic George. “I’m only able to get home once a week, or Sunday wash day, as I call it.”

George is joined in the production by Clive Mantle, with whom he’s worked before - they were both in a Doctor Who audio drama. “And then there was an edition of Pointless Celebrities, featuring actors who’d been in Casualty. As I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to point out, I was kicked off at the end of the first round, and he and his partner went on to win.”

As George predicted, Clive is indeed only too happy to mention Pointless. “I thrashed him roundly,” he says, eyes glinting. “I left him snivelling in the dirt. I’ve won Pointless twice, as it happens. I’ve half a mind to pin my Pointless trophies to my dressing-room door as we tour the UK, to wind George up.”

Clive fell in love with his character of crime boss Curtis as soon as he read the script of Wish You Were Dead. “He’s been the head of a mob based in Brighton; an old-fashioned family villain with his own set of values. He has a personal moral code, which covers slitting your throat without a second’s thought. And don’t you dare say anything bad to his mum.”

Curtis also has a lovely turn of phrase, says Clive. “He’s very sharp, very sarcastic, often very funny. I’ve enjoyed making the audience laugh - they seem to quite like Curtis, despite his criminal intent, but I do also like to frighten the audience at some points in the evening!”

In a career covering some 45 years, Clive has played everything from poor, lumbering Lenny in Of Mice And Men (“seven times now, I think”) to surgeon Mike Barratt in both Casualty and Holby. He was also a recurring character, Simon Horton, in The Vicar Of Dibley. More recently, he was seen in another light comedy, White Van Man, opposite Will Mellor, who was a big success on Strictly last year.

“I played his dad, and he taught me a lot about comedy. But then, I taught him everything he knows about dancing!”

Wish You Were Dead shows at Theatres Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May; Malvern Theatres, Mon 12 - Sat 17 June; The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 June

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is back, doing what he does best in a new stage adaptation of Peter James’ bestselling novel, Wish You Were Dead. Actor George Rainsford, who plays the iconic character in the show, and Clive Mantle, who also stars, explain more...

Film highlights in May...

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3 CERT tbc (150 mins)

Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and the voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper

Directed by James Gunn

Film critics back in 2014 predicted that Guardians Of The Galaxy would prove to be Marvel Studios’ first flop. They were wrong. The film went on to earn $772million (£622million) at the worldwide box office. Its 2017 sequel outperformed even that, accruing $863million (£695million) across the globe.

On the eve of the release of the third movie in the series, the franchise’s leading man, Chris Pratt - who was catapulted to stardom by the original film - has not been slow to pour salt on the critics’ wounds by pointing out to them just how wrong they were. It’s a strategy that could well see said film reviewers sharpening their nibs in the hope that Guardians finally falls flat on its face with this latest offering. But, according to actor Dave Bautista, who plays Drax, the critics are going to be sorely disappointed. “Unlike a lot of franchises, we’re leaving with our best,” he told Uproxx. “We haven’t been watered down as we’ve gone along, but I think we’re leaving with our best film.”

Released Wed 3 May

Hypnotic CERT tbc

Starring Ben Affleck, William Fichtner, Alice Braga, Jeff Fahey, Kelly Frye, JD Padro Directed by Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez’s sleight-of-hand movie finds Ben Affleck playing the role of detective Daniel Rourke.

While investigating a string of heists, Rourke becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government programme...

Hypnotic has been two decades in the making, according to Rodriguez, who also wrote the script. “It’s like a Hitchcock thriller on steroids,” he told Collider. “That’s all I can say. As soon as you see the first trailer, you’ll go ‘I got it. I’m there.’ It’s that kind of a movie. A lot of twists, a lot of turns... It’ll be very energetic.”

Released Fri 12 May

Love Again CERT 12a

Starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Sam Heughan, Céline Dion, Russell Tovey, Celia Imrie, Lydia West Directed by Jim Strouse

What if a random text message led to the love of your life?

In trying to deal with the loss of her fiancé, Mira Ray sends a series of romantic texts to his old mobile number… not realising that said number has been reassigned to the new work phone of journalist Rob Burns. Rob is captivated by the honesty of Mira’s beautifully confessional texts. When he’s assigned to write a profile of Celine Dion (here playing herself), he enlists the megastar’s help in figuring out not only how to meet Mira in person, but also how to win her heart.

Released Wed 10 May

Book Club: The Next Chapter

CERT tbc (107 mins)

Starring Jane Fonda, Mary Steenburgen, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, Don Johnson, Andy Garcia, Directed by Bill Holderman

If you like your Hollywood heroines to have a lived-in, cosmetically enhanced look about them, then Book Club: The Next Chapter is definitely the film for you.

Boasting a combined age of several hundred years, the four household names playing the lead roles of Diane, Vivian, Carol and Sharon here reunite five years after the original film. And this time the quartet of friends are reaching for their passports and heading for their dream destination of sun-kissed Italy... Don Johnson and Andy Garcia also contribute to the celebratory wrinkle fest.

Released Fri 12 May

The Little Mermaid CERT PG (135 mins)

Starring Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, and the voices of Daveed Diggs and Jacob Tremblay Directed by Rob Marshall

With the first full trailer for The Little Mermaid generating in excess of 108 million global views in just 24 hours, Disney is understandably bracing itself for a tidal wave of success with this live-action version of the 1989 animated movie.

Halle Bailey is the eponymous half-woman half-fish in a film that sees Melissa McCarthy taking on the role of the villainous Ursula.

As well as featuring reimagined versions of songs from the original - including Under The Sea and Part Of Your World - the new release also includes a smattering of original tunes. “There’s no bigger Little Mermaid fan than me,” producer Lin-Manuel Miranda told Variety, “but we found a couple of opportunities for some other music that I can’t wait to see.”

Released Fri 26 May

Fast X CERT tbc (140 mins)

Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Jason Momoa, Nathalie Emmanuel Directed by Louis Leterrier

The 10th film in the Fast & Furious saga, Fast X launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s biggest global franchises. Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever had to face: a terrifying threat, emerging from the shadows of the past, who is determined to shatter the Toretto family once and for all...

Released Fri 19 May

About My Father CERT tbc (89 mins)

Starring Robert De Niro, Kim Cattrall, Leslie Bibb, David Rasche, Anders Holm, Sebastian Maniscalco Directed by Lauren Terruso

The Machine CERT tbc

Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is on a hot streak right now, and he’ll be hoping this brand-new comedy scores another bulls-eye hit for him.

The movie’s plotline sees Sebastian, playing himself, being encouraged by his fiancée (Leslie Bibb) to bring his immigrant hairdresser father, Salvo (De Niro), to a Memorial Day barbecue with her super-rich and exceedingly eccentric family (one of whom is played by Sex And The City favourite Kim Cattrall). But as the gettogether develops, it becomes clear that not everything is going smoothly, and it isn’t too long before a significant number of feathers get seriously ruffled...

Maniscalco and De Niro previously appeared together in Martin Scorcese’s epic gangster movie, The Irishman.

Released Fri 26 May

Starring Mark Hamill, Jess Gabor, Mercedes De La Cruz, Bert Kreischer, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jimmy Tatro Directed by Peter Atenico Bert Kreischer rose to fame as a standup comedian known as The Machine, and in his signature-set he recounts his true experience with Russian mobsters while on a boozesoaked college trip. Now, 23 years later, that trip has come back to haunt him, as he and his estranged father (Mark Hamill) are kidnapped back to Russia by the mob, to atone for his ‘crimes’. Together, Bert and his dad must retrace the steps of his younger self (played by Jimmy Tatro), while at the same time attempting to find common ground in their often-fraught relationship.

Released Wed 31 May

A REVIVAL FOR SISTER GEORGE

Critically

Black comedy The Killing Of Sister George, written in 1964 by Frank Marcus, was quite radical in its day and became very successful. Playing in the West End and on Broadway, it was then filmed in 1968, with Beryl Reid in the title role. Reid had previously won a Tony Award for the Broadway production.

The Killing Of Sister George has been revived since, but “maybe not for a long time and certainly not ‘in the round’, which is why we were drawn to do it,” says Paul Hunter, who is directing a new version of the play at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Paul is the artistic director of theatre company Told By An Idiot, which is coproducing the show with the venue.

The play tells the story of June Buckeridge, an actor who plays the part of district nurse Sister George in fictitious radio soap opera Applehurst.

“She’s a very kindly nurse, who rides around the village looking after people and singing

hymns,” explains Paul, “whereas in reality, June is a foul-mouthed and unpredictable loose cannon.”

When low ratings, cutbacks and June’s bad behaviour see Sister George axed from the show, things take a decidedly dark turn.

“One of the great things about the play is that all is not what it seems,” explains Paul.

“Frank Marcus talked about how, for him, the play is about illusion and reality. We’re playing with the notion of what is and isn’t real all the time. The play is about human relationships that are complicated but recognisably very real.”

Hayley Carmichael, co-founder of Told By An Idiot, plays Sister George. “June does comment on people getting so absorbed in characters they watch on the television,” she says. “We are all susceptible to that confusion of what’s real.

“You don’t really know who is committing to who. It’s a real web of relationships, and full of grey areas. I think we live in a time when lots of people, because of social media, are trying to define themselves against the odds still. But in this play, there are no lines. I like the non-need to define yourself. If you can shake off any preconceptions, that’s great.” Paul agrees, and adds: “What struck me strongly is that one of the themes of the play is that, maybe for some women at a certain point in their working life, they can become dispensable; almost disappear, in a sense. And sadly I think that still seems to be present in lots of jobs, certainly in the media

and on television. It’s still strangely bizarre that we don’t see women of a certain age on these things, and that’s one of the things that makes the play remain quite relevant and timely.”

The lines between the worlds of Applehurst and June’s ‘real life’ are further blurred in the production by the use of foley - real-time sound effects created by the actors on stage.

“The foley came very much from the world of radio and Applehurst,” says Paul. “But then, when we did some development on the show, I thought maybe it’s interesting if the foley exists more in the world of the actual story, and it becomes a device that allows us to echo this thing of reality and fantasy. June and Sister George, they are so entwined, that use of the sound in her house blurs the lines in a really strong, visual way.”

For fans of the Robert Aldridge-directed film, there will be some surprises in store.

“The play is much more nuanced,” Paul explains. “I think if people know the film and don’t know the play, they’ll see something that’s less obvious, full of contradiction and much funnier. I’m sure the film will draw some people in, but what’s good about it is that it’s not just like watching the film; it’ll feel quite different.”

The Killing Of Sister George runs at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-underLyme until Saturday 13 May

acclaimed theatre company Told By An Idiot are reviving Frank Marcus’ 1960s cult classic, The Killing Of Sister George, at Staffordshire venue the New Vic Theatre...

Photo credit: Andrew Billington

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Melati Suryodarmo: Passionate Pilgrim

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Wed 17 May - Sun 3 September

Strenuous durational performances lasting several hours and testing the limits of the human mind and body are very much the name of the game for Melati Suryodarmo.

One of Indonesia’s most important artists, Melati majors in visually spectacular feats of endurance that interrogate notions of time, labour and identity. Her performances at Ikon will be something to behold, including one in which she will continuously grind blocks of charcoal with a stone rolling-pin for a period of 12 hours. To check out her complete programme of live shows, visit Ikon’s website.

The Reason For Painting

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

The exhibition features works which

Karla Black Exhibition

The New Art Gallery, Walsall, Fri 12 May - Sun 29 October

Turner Prize-nominated Scottish artist Karla Black here presents a major solo exhibition of previously unseen work. The show features two multi-faceted room-size presentations and a number of singular sculptures. The pieces absorb into them Karla’s interest in postmodernist art, Greek philosophy and ancient history.

Included in her New Art Gallery exhibition is a specially commissioned work for the venue’s ground-level glass window box: a mixture of a messy studio, a department store make-up counter, a jewellery box and a museum vitrine.

share the contributing artists’ experiences of experimenting with colour, mark and form.

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

Quentin Blake: Birds, Beast And Explorers

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Sat 27 May - Sun 1 October

Still splendidly relevant at the grand old age of 90, Sir Quentin Blake is without question one of the UK’s best-known and most-loved artists.

In a career spanning several decades, Quentin has illustrated a staggering 500plus books, bringing to life a host of treasured literary characters in his unmistakeable style.

He is most readily associated, of course, with the stories of Roald Dahl but has also provided illustrations for numerous other children’s authors, including David Walliams and Michael Rosen...

Compton Verney’s celebration of his artfeaturing more than 70 original illustrations - takes its inspiration from birds, fantastical flying creatures and the joy of exploring in nature, all of which are themes often evident in Quentin’s work.

Visual Arts

Nature And Artifice: Dutch And Flemish Landscape Prints

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, until Sun 23 July

Featuring artworks drawn from the Barber’s own collection, Nature And Artifice explores the subject of landscape via etchings and engravings made in the Netherlands during the first half of the 17th century.

Although most of the featured landscapes allude to the countryside of the Netherlands, a number depict views from further afield. In so doing, the artworks reflect not only the widespread travel of artists during the period but also the sophisticated tastes of some of their patrons. Scenes of rustic life are also included in the show.

The More Things Change...

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sun 9 July

The More Things Change... tells the story of a group of students who were instrumental in shaping the British ‘Black Arts Movement’. Hosting the First National Convention of Black Art at Wolverhampton Polytechnic in 1982, the students became known as the Blk Art Group. Commenting on the exhibition, Senior Curator for Wolverhampton Arts & Culture, Carol Thompson, said: “The history of the Blk Art Group is intertwined with Wolverhampton and the city’s art gallery, so this is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the Group and reconsider the importance of its legacy on British art 40 years since its formation.

“Wolverhampton Art Gallery is proud to now hold one of the most significant collections of works by Black British artists. We continue to champion their art in our programme of exhibitions, events and development work.”

Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 4 May - Sun 25 June

Image credit: Claudette Johnson

Harminder JudgeUntitled (limb over fragments ascending) 2022

STILL FLOWERING

Hothouse Flowers' Fiachna Ó Braonáin is pretty sure the band have played Coventry before.

“I seem to remember that our beloved lead singer may have ended up on stage wearing nothing but an acoustic guitar at one point during our last appearance. But my memory is very hazy. You'll have to ask him!”

Sadly, lead singer Liam Ó Maonlaí isn’t here for What’s On to ask, but the anecdote highlights how anything seems possible once the fired-up Hothouse Flowers get on a stage. Formed by school pals Fiachna and Liam in the mid-1980s, the band cut their teeth as buskers on Dublin's streets. Quickly gaining a reputation for their electrifying mix of Irish folk/roots, rock, soul, gospel and blues, they released their debut single, Love Don’t Work This Way, on U2's Mother label after being spotted by Bono on TV.

However, arguably their biggest break came when Ireland hosted the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. It was the year an unknown Celine Dion won (representing Switzerland) and the UK came second (thanks to Scott Fitzgerald). Hothouse Flowers made a storming interval appearance.

“There's no doubt that Eurovision brought our music to a huge audience overnight," says Fiachna. "Making the video was a wonderful experience in itself... travelling to a host of European countries in a very short space of time... it was very exciting, and we were very honoured that Don't Go was seen as a timeless song - even before it was released.”

The single gave the band their first UK hit and charted the world over. Further hits followed, including I'm Sorry, Give It Up, and a cover of Johnny Nash's I Can See Clearly Now. But while their recordings undoubtedly capture something of Hothouse Flowers’ appeal, it's arguably live where the band really shine.

“I think the live stage is certainly our natural

habitat!” agrees Fiachna. “We've enjoyed all of our times in the studio, and we've spent many hours in rehearsal rooms over the years creating and reaching for what the next song might be. But there's nothing like getting up in front of a live audience and filling that shared space with a feeling that is elevating and transporting. It's what we live for!”

While 'The Flowers' continue to tour, their last LP was 2016's Let's Do This Thing - only their second studio album in 20 years. But currently out on the road again, the prospect of new music is very possible.

“Hopefully getting back on tour, we'll get the creative juices flowing again,” says Fiachna. “We often write during soundchecks when we improvise for one another, and that almost-sacred time very often brings forth new song ideas.

“Things seem to take a little longer as we all have our separate lives as well, but certainly by spending time together my hope would be that seeds for a new album would be sown!”

For Fiachna, his 'separate life' includes a family, solo career, and a regular show on Ireland's RTÉ Radio 1.

“My wife and I have two young children, so that keeps us going pretty constantly. And presenting my radio programme is a constant source of joy and exploration and community. I feel very privileged to have developed that over the past decade.

“I'm hoping to write and record some new songs myself, maybe for a solo album. I'm also working on some new music with my great friend Tom Dunn of the Irish band Something Happens - we've been doing some shows together, along with Alan Connor, and there are more in the pipeline. And I recently presented the RTE television programme, The Tradfest Sessions, which will be screened here in Ireland in the summer and worldwide in the coming year.”

Alongside those commitments, the busy Fiachna has also branched out into acting,

appearing in the long-running Irish soap Ros na Rún.

Recalling how he landed the role of Luke in the popular Irish-language drama, which screens on the TG4 channel, he says: “I was asked to audition during the first lockdown, in 2020, so I acted out a scene, which I filmed on my phone, and sent it to them!

“I couldn't believe it when they called me to say I’d got the part!

“I found the experience very nerve-wracking at first, but got used to it as time went by. It was an incredible experience being dropped into something so new, especially when Covid rules were being strictly enforced throughout the production - social distancing and mask wearing was enforced on the set at all times, except for when we were going for the take - but in a weird way it brought the cast and the crew closer together ultimately.

“I've done two seasons, and they've asked me to be in the next season, and I've agreed!” While Fiachna's own multifaceted career continues to grow, Hothouse Flowers nonetheless remain a constant force, the musicians united by a decade-spanning connection.

“The main thing that has kept Hothouse Flowers together for almost 40 years is mutual love and affection,” Fiachna says with pride. “There's nothing like the feeling of being in a band of brothers, where we have each other's backs musically while we're on stage - and that only exists because of the deep friendship that we share, which goes back to our much younger years.

“We've seen a lot of life go by, and we've shared a lot of highs and lows during that time, and to still have the opportunity and the desire to make music together is a wonderful thing!”

Hothouse Flowers play Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, on Friday 5 May

Fiachna Ó Braonáin, founder member of much-loved Irish folk rockers Hothouse Flowers, chats to What’s On ahead of the band’s Warwick Arts Centre gig...

Events previews from around the region Events

Spring Diesel Festival

Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, nr Kidderminster, Thurs 18 - Sun 21 May

A variety of classes and traction types will be roaring through the Shropshire and Worcestershire countryside this month as part of the Spring Diesel Festival. Attendees can ride behind the best of the diesel home fleet alongside a number of special guests. These include: a Class 58 No 58023, a Class 56, Class 57/3 (pictured), Class 47 47712, and a set of push-pull DBSO coaches. Visitors can swap trains whenever they wish and stop off at a variety of stations along the way.

Makers

Bringing together makers, creators, artists and hobbyists from across the world, Makers Central returns to the NEC this month.

The 2023 edition of the show features live demonstrations, talks, an exhibitor zone displaying machinery, hand tools and

software, and appearances by YouTube stars and influencers from the makers community (including UK inventor & maker Colin Furze). Hands-on workshops in pyrography, drone-making and engraving also feature.

Peppa Pig’s Aquarium Adventure

National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, until Fri 2 June

This brand-new event sees Peppa Pig diving into a SEA LIFE Centre adventure and making friends with some of the venue’s 2,000 underwater creatures. Families can take part in a fun interactive trail around the aquarium - along the way spotting seahorses, counting starfish and finding out how fast sharks can swim. A variety of fun activities also feature, including bracelet and jigsaw-making.

From the producers of some of the world’s most famous circuses comes the all-new Circus Extreme.

Presented by an ensemble of wellestablished circus artists, the show brings together clown escapades and hair-raising stunts, many of which have never before

been seen in the UK. Performers include Guinness World Recordholding highwire act Ayala Troupe, the Extreme freestyle motocross team, internationally renowned aerial performer Laura Miller and the critically acclaimed Henry the Prince of Clowns.

Central NEC, Birmingham, Sat 13 & Sun 14 May

Circus Extreme NEC, Birmingham, Fri 19 May - Sun 4 June

Events

Events previews from around the region

1940s Week

The Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, Cosford, Sat 27 May - Thurs 1 June

Step back in time to the 1940s this May half term, as the RAF Museum celebrates the launch of its brand-new Bomber Command exhibition.

Visitors can try their hand at ‘make do and mend’ crafts, learn the secrets of ration cooking and enjoy a classic war film.

RHS Malvern Spring Festival

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Thurs 11 - Sun 14 May

Taking the theme of ‘gardening for everyone’, this month’s RHS Malvern Spring Festival features a brand-new Tips & Tricks Area, where visitors can learn how to creatively upcycle or re-use items for their outdoor space.

Other attractions at the show include the Bloom & Grow Area - a great place to pick up handy hints and tips from gardening experts - and the Fire & Feast Theatre - hosting live demonstrations by talented chefs and local

Birmingham Pride

food producers.

The Festival Theatre, meanwhile, is the place to head if you want to catch up with TV gardening personalities and leading horticulturalists - including BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Frances Tophill.

New for 2023 is The Potting Shed Theatre, where a number of green-fingered professionals will share their specialist gardening knowledge in a series of sure-tobe-enlightening sessions.

Weston’s Spring Fling

Weston Park, Staffordshire, Sun 28 & Mon 29 May

Enjoy a day (or even a weekend) at Weston Park this Whitsun bank holiday, courtesy of the venue’s Spring Fling event. Visitors can explore and enjoy the whole estate throughout the two days, engaging in a selection of family-friendly activities along the way - from taking walks around the parkland and relaxing in the formal gardens, to running wild in the Woodland Adventure Playground and journeying around Temple Wood on the miniature railway. The event’s line-up of attractions also features local artisan food producers, unique crafts, street food and fairground rides. Live music comes from the Dirty Rockin Scoundrels.

Birmingham Gay Village & Smithfield, Birmingham, Sat 27 & Sun 28 May

Celebrating the Midlands’ LGBTQIA+ community, Birmingham Pride once again gets the city partying this month. It’s expected that more than 40,000 revellers will attend the event across the weekend, with an impressive 75,000-plus people either participating in or watching the annual Pride parade through the city’s streets. The festival’s Smithfield site is the centre of

the action, featuring a main stage, the Conrad Guest Cabaret Stage and a dance arena. Headline acts include Sugababes, Gabrielle and B*Witched.

The Pride ‘street party’ - taking place in the heart of the Gay Village - and the quieter, family-friendly Community Village Green also return.

Shropshire County Show

West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, Sat 27 May

With a history dating back to the mid-19th century, the Shropshire County Show attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Main-arena entertainment for the 2023 edition of the event includes death-defying aerial stunts by the Bulldog Lings motorcycle display team and the ever-popular Shropshire Young Farmers float parade. Visitors can also wander around the shopping court, sample food in the Taste Of The Shires area, and enjoy live music at the Village Green bandstand. There’s plenty to keep younger visitors engaged too, with a number of children’s activities inspired by the show’s theme of Science & Nature.

The Realm Of Zog Warwick

Following on from its roaring success in 2022, The Realm Of Zog makes a welcome return to Warwick Castle.

Castle, Sat 27 May - Fri 29 September

As well as checking out the available-allyear-round Zog Playland - the world’s first Zog playground - summertime visitors can also sample the interactive Zog And The Quest For The Golden Star trail and Zog Live Show, both of which are included in the

The Baby Show

The Baby Show offers parents and parentsto-be the chance to check out a wide range of products and services.

Visitors can try, compare and buy products whilst also enjoying exclusive ‘show deals’ from over 300 brands, including well-known names such as Maxi-Cosi, Cybex, MAM,

price of a day ticket. For families who simply can’t get enough of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s muchloved dragon, there’s also the Zog Storytime Break. The experience includes a meet & greet with Zog and an overnight stay in one of the castle’s woodland lodges or medieval glamping tents.

Gaydon Land Rover Show

British Motor Museum, Warwickshire, Sun 7 & Mon 8 May

Marking the 75th anniversary of the Land Rover, this year’s get-together at the British Motor Museum features hundreds of cars, including Defenders Series 1-3, Discoverys, Range Rovers, and the number-one preproduction Land Rover, HUE 166, from 1948. Jaguar Land Rover Experience will also be at the show, offering Land Rover drivers the chance to put their vehicle through its paces.

A popular feature of the show is the Live Talks stage, which hosts panel discussions and celebrity Q&As covering all manner of parenting and baby subjects, from birth prep to life-saving first-aid skills.

Tommee Tippee, BabyBjörn and Mamas & Papas.

NEC, Birmingham, Fri 12 - Sun 14 May

Coronation events from around the region Events

King’s Coronation Party

Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May

Legoland Discovery Centre is hosting some royally good fun over the bank holiday weekend.

Little princes and princesses (accompanied by an adult) can celebrate the King’s coronation by taking part in themed building challenges, trying to spot the royal family hidden in the attraction’s Miniland, and taking advantage of a royal photo opportunity.

Coronation With The Characters

National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton upon Trent, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May

Royal Cheer

The Black Country Living Museum is this month raising a royal cheer to past royal celebrations - from Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee all the way through to the coronation of King Charles III. Visitors will find out how Black Country folk celebrated kings and queens across the years, learn about the royal souvenirs that were made in the region, and discover the

truth about King Edward VIII - the king who never had a coronation. They can also give a helping hand to numerous historic characters - including Mr Singh, the pub landlady and the bossy street-party organiser - before taking part in some royal celebrations. And don’t forget to come suitably dressed for the occasion!

Favourite children’s characters will be out in force at National Forest Adventure Farm as the popular venue celebrates the coronation. Highlights include meet & greets, coronation party games, a royal disco and the chance for youngsters to make a crown. The farm’s indoor and outdoor play areas will be open across the weekend, as will the animal barn and outdoor paddocks.

Coronation Street Party

Drayton Manor Resort, Tamworth, Fri 5 - Mon 8 May

Drayton Manor is pulling out all the stops for its coronation celebrations and extending its opening hours to 9pm.

Visitors over the bank holiday weekend will not only be able to enjoy the venue’s plethora of rides but also check out street-party entertainment throughout the day, including mascot Rory’s very own coronation show. A line-up of tribute acts and DJs will provide a soundtrack to the celebrations, after which there’ll be a fireworks finale to round off proceedings with a great big bang.

A Coronation Celebration

Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire, Mon 8 May

Hartlebury’s Coronation event includes an opportunity to learn about the numerous royal visitors who’ve stopped off at the castle across the centuries.

Reproductions of clothing worn by King George III and Queen Charlotte - who paid a visit in 1788 - will be on display, while for younger visitors there’s the chance to be ‘crowned like a monarch’ in the Great Hall. Falconry displays in the castle’s carriage circle also feature in the venue’s programme of bank holiday attractions.

A

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May

REUNITED

by Diane Parkes

Big Aunty, the Coventry Belgrade’s first home-produced show in the spring season, is a darkly comic drama following the story of an estranged family who are brought together for a funeral. What’s On recently caught up with three of the show’s creatives to find out more...

New show Big Aunty, which premieres at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre this month, uses the experiences of one family to focus on shared grief and resolution.

When matriarch Big Aunty dies, her children come together to bury her. Travelling from England to Jamaica are daughter Naomi and her two adopted brothers, Marcus and Shaun. But they are by no means a united frontestranged over long periods of time, will their shared sorrow be the catalyst for rebuilding their family?

The show, which features music, physical theatre and drama, has been devised by a team including Belgrade Creative Director Corey Campbell and Birmingham-based actors Alexia McIntosh and Keiren HamiltonAmos, along with a group of community performers.

Corey, who is directing the show, says the darkly comic tale reflects both shared and personal experience.

“On a macro level and thematically, Big Aunty allows people the space to look at all we’ve gone through as a collective over the past three years,” he says. “We’ve had a lot of grief, we’ve had a lot of mourning, changes of leadership, global pandemic, the cost-ofliving crisis, the death of our monarch, and we’ve kind of just shuck back into some kind of reality to get through it.

“And then, on the micro level, the show puts a microscope on a youngish black family who have lost their matriarch in the same way the country has lost its matriarch in the Queen. Within the family there’s politics and drama, in the same way as there’s politics and drama in the royal family.”

The story reveals how the death of Big Aunty becomes the catalyst for a family reunion. “So there are three siblings, two who are adopted into the family and one who is born of mum and dad, and the play looks at how they reconcile through grief. And amongst that is the joy of reconciliation, the joy of memory, and how people live on through memory.

“Big Aunty is also looking at the drama of how long you’re allowed to grieve for, and when is it time to get back to work? It looks at family politics - what happens when there are

secrets in the family, and who gets the blame for that?

“It also finds pockets of joy, as we do in the darkest hours, and looks into the normality of tomorrow, because tomorrow still has to happen.”

The trio of actors have been working since March on devising the production. It’s a new experience for Alexia, whose previous roles include Anna of Cleves in Six The Musical.

“As an actor you usually go into the room and the script is already there, so all you are focusing on really is character work,” says Alexia, who grew up in Erdington and studied at Birmingham School of Acting.

“But in a devised piece, you’re also a writer, you’re directing, lighting, sound, and you’re thinking about how the story is perceived by the audience. It’s a different way of working, so there are a lot of plates that are spinning and things that you’re having to delve into that you wouldn’t necessarily when you are just coming in as an actor.

“It’s been amazing to come out of musical theatre, which is quite structured, and to work with Keiren and Corey because now we’re delving into what a character wants and the reaction and the emotion from a real place. It’s intense, but it’s great; it’s like going back to drama school!

“I think the audience and us creators will come out of it with a deeper knowledge of grief, knowing it’s okay to face grief head-on and not run away from it. There’s a lot coming out of the rehearsal space that I didn’t necessarily anticipate.”

For Keiren, who most recently played the lead role in Birmingham Rep production GrimeBoy, the devising process has also been a learning curve.

“There are no rules to creativity as long as you are being coherent in your storytelling and making sure the audience comes along on the journey,” he says. “Devising allows you to understand the craft that you’ve learnt in more structured plays, but it allows you to break all of those rules. It allows you to really dig into yourself and find out why something can or can’t happen.”

Although the story focuses on a Jamaican family, it could be any family’s experience of

conflict and loss, says Keiren, who grew up in Birmingham’s Newtown and studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.

“It may have lots of Jamaican elements to it, but on a wider scale, anyone from anywhere can sit down and say ‘Yeah, that was me, or that was mum or aunty.’

“The thing that really shows is the reality of grief. Even though Big Aunty has passed away, there’s so much more going on and so much life going on. So one minute you’re crying, then you’re laughing, then you’re arguing, then you’re crying again.”

The different experiences of the community cast have also fed into the story.

“We couldn’t really do this show without the community being involved,” says Corey, who grew up in Birmingham’s Alum Rock. “It’s part of the way we work at the Belgrade and part of my practice.

“And this show is about community and about that collective grief and collective memories. The community company are doing a lot of our singing with us. They bring a lot of the comedic flow, and they are sharing their experiences.

“The show works because of that diversity of experience. The real reason for diversity isn’t just for the sake of a buzz word but because art requires different voices. It literally grows and gets better when there are different noises in a space.”

And the team hope that the sharing and exchanging of experience will also involve the audience.

“My hope has always been that the audience takes away from the show that it’s okay to display emotion,” says Corey. “And I want the audience to get the importance of reconciliation. We know our days are numbered - we don’t know whether we will see tomorrow - so whatever politics you have or nonsense you have with your siblings, don’t wait until they are in the ground to sort it out. Find a time for forgiveness before it’s too late.”

Big Aunty shows at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, until Saturday 6 May

Hamnet at Swan

Stratford-upon-Avon

Angela Barnes at Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Fun Lovin’ Criminals at The Assembly, Leamington Spa Sat 20 May

Judi Love at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry Sat

thelist

VISUAL ARTS IN THE MIDLANDS

Compton Verney, Warwickshire

TUDOR MYSTERY: A MASTER PAINTER REVEALED The world’s first exhibition devoted to an important, talented and largely forgotten painter known as the Master of the Countess of Warwick, until Mon 8 May

MAKING MISCHIEF: FOLK COSTUME IN BRITAIN A celebration of grassroots traditions that challenge preconceptions about folk customs being fixed and nostalgic, until Sun 11 June

LIVING SYMPHONIES Landscape sound installation that portrays the moment-to-moment activity of a woodland ecosystem, until Sun 6 August

COMPTON VERNEY AND COVENTRY

BIENNIAL EXHIBITION AND RESIDENCY

The result of a project in which artists created new work in collaboration with communities in Nuneaton, until Sun 1 October

PORTRAIT MINIATURES: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE GRANTCHESTER COLLECTION

Showcasing over 40 miniatures from the 16th, 17th & 18th centuries, many of which are on show in public for the first time, until Sun 31 Dec

SENSING NAPLES Works from the gallery’s Naples Collection, re-hung and reimagined, until Sun 31 December

Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry

DIPPY IN COVENTRY: THE NATION’S FAVOURITE DINOSAUR Dippy the diplodocus visits Coventry on a three-year loan from the Natural History Museum

COVENTRY OPEN 2023 Showcasing work by West Midlands artists in an array of visual art mediums, until Sun 21 May

Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE REASON FOR PAINTING Exhibition of works by young artists, showcasing experiences working with colour, mark and form, to create moments of joy... Thurs 4 May - Sun

25 June

Rugby Art Gallery

DAVID REMFRY RA SELECTS: THE RUGBY COLLECTION Bringing together more than 60 works from Rugby Art Gallery’s own collection, including paintings, photographs and works on paper from some of the most exciting names in modern and contemporary British art, until Sat 3

June

RUGBY’S CORONATIONS A look back at

previous coronations that have taken place across the borough, until Sat 23 September

Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

SILOCON SPA: VIDEO GAMES IN LEAMINGTON Exhibition tracing the history of the gaming industry in Leamington and the surrounding area, until Sun 8 May

Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery

WHERE DID YOU GET THAT HAT? Fun exhibition of hats from the museum’s collection, until Sun 25 June

Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

WATERMARK EXHIBITION

Contemporary artworks and paintings from the museum’s collections are brought together to explore climate change in terms of flooding - both locally and globally, until Sat 3 June

FROM THE CORNISH COAST TO THE MALVERN HILLS: BRITISH IMPRESSIONISM FROM THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES Featuring works by Stanhope Forbes, Dame Laura Knight and Elizabeth Forbes, until Sat 1 July

Elsewhere:

NATURAL WORLD Printmaker Pauline Meade showcases lino prints and etchings inspired by the natural environment, until Fri 21 May, Wyre Forest Gallery, Bewdley Museum, Worcestershire

ASPIRE Sculptures of winged creatures and beings created by contemporary artist Wayne Warren, until Sun 3 September, The Commandery, Worcester

CRASH - THE PERFECT POP SONG

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

THREADS: MY HAPPY PLACE Year-long display by independent textile group Threads, until Mon 8 Jan 2024, Croome Park, Worcestershire

OUR FRAGILE SPACE: PROTECTING THE NEAR - SPACE ENVIRONMENT Unique opportunity to see first-hand the impact of the increasing amount of space debris that crowds the skies, Sat 6 - Sun 21 May, Coventry Cathedral

Gigs

WELSHLY ARMS + MYLE

Mon 1 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

TARREN Mon 1 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

HOTHOUSE FLOWERS

Mon 1 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

HENRY MOODIE Tues 2 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

DELTA GOODREM Tues 2 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SARAH MCQUAID Tues 2 May, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

THE ANDY TAYLOR GROUP

Tues 2 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

LEGENDS OF AMERICAN COUNTRY SHOW Tues 2 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

ASTON MERRYGOLD + NATHAN GURD Wed 3 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

GIVEON Wed 3 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DALLAHAN Wed 3 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MARTI PELLOW Wed 3 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

PETER DOHERTY +

TRAMPOLENE Thurs 4 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

RACHEL CHINOURIRI

Thurs 4 May, O2

THE LEYLINES + GAVIN OSBORN AND THE COMMENT SECTION Fri 5 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

DEAN FRIEDMAN Fri 5 May, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

THE DOLLY SHOW Fri 5 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN Fri 5 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

CHARLIE DORE WITH JULIAN LITTMAN Fri 5 May, Malvern Cube

POP EVIL + CALL ME

AMOUR Sat 6 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

BILLY LOCKETT Sat 6 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

Academy, Birmingham

OLLY MURS Thurs 4 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

TALON Thurs 4 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

REG MEUROSS Thurs 4 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

ABDOUJAPAROV +

SKEWWHIFF + JESS SILK

Thurs 4 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

BETTY LEGS DIAMOND

Thurs 4 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

SWING FROM PARIS

Thurs 4 May, 45Live, Kidderminster

HUGH CORNWELL Fri 5 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

ERIC BIBB Fri 5 May, Birmingham Town Hall

JAMES Fri 5 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

DURAN DURAN Fri 5 May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

THE SHAKEDOWN BROTHERS Fri 5 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

TRUE FOXES Fri 5 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

WE LOVE THE 80S Fri 5 May, The Rialto, Coventry

HOTHOUSE FLOWERS Fri 5 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

FOSSIL FUEL Fri 5 May, The Valkyrie Bar, Evesham

THE SMYTHS Sat 6 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

SIMPLY DYLAN Sat 6 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

NYA KING AS WHITNEY HOUSTON Sat 6 May, The Rialto, Coventry

UK FOO FIGHTERS Sat 6 May, hmv Empire, Coventry

ALL FLOYD - PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE Sat 6 May, The Henrician, Evesham

SATELLITE DOWN Sat 6 May, The Valkyrie Bar, Evesham

FAUX FIGHTERS + SUNDAY AFTERNOON Sat 6 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

TRIGGER - THE STADIUM ROCK EXPERIENCE Sat 6 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

DEAD KENNEDYS + PISS

BATH Sun 7 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

WHEN CHAI MET TOAST Sun 7 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE UNRESOLVED + THE GASOLINE SUPREMES + KHARMA + MASSASUGA Sun 7 May, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

FLEECE CEILIDH BAND Sun 7 May, The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Nr Evesham

ARROW VALLEY + THESE FOUNDATIONS + LAST AGONY Sun 7 May, 45Live, Kidderminster

Olly Murs - Resorts World Arena

Classical Music

MARTIN BAKER ORGAN RECITAL

Programme includes works by Lemmens, Byrd, Robin Holloway, JS Bach, Reger, Whitlock, Jongen, Walton & Martin Baker, Mon 1 May, All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

GREENWICH PIANO TRIO Featuring Lana Trotovšek (violin), Heather Tuach (cello) & Simon Callaghan (piano). Programme includes works by Mozart & Rachmaninov, Mon 1 May, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa

PADDY YOUNG Thurs 4 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH, RAJ POOJARA, CRAIG HILL & JAKE DONALDSON Fri 5 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SCHALK BEZUIDENHOUT Fri 5 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JONNY AWSUM Fri 5 May, Saint Andrews Rugby Club, Rugby

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH, RAJ POOJARA, CRAIG HILL & COMIC TBC Sat 6 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

FAMILY COMEDY SHOW WITH PATRICK

MONAHAN, JONNY AWSUM & BARBARA

NICE Sun 7 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

FARHAN SOLO, AATIF NAWAZ, PRINCE ABDI & TEZ ILYAS Sun 7 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MARIA MINCU șI BANCIU Sun 7 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

3 - Sat 13 May, The Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa

SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL Presented by Spa Theatre Company Juniors, Thurs

Dance

RHIANNON FAITH COMPANY:

SACCONI QUARTET & BEN

GOLDSCHEIDER (HORN) Also featuring Ben Hancox and Hannah Dawson (violins), Robin Ashwell (viola) & Cara Berridge (cello). Programme includes works by Robin Holloway, Mozart, Rachmaninov & Schubert, Mon 1 May, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa

CBSO AND KAZUKI YAMADA Also featuring Daishin Kashimoto (violin), Programme comprises Brahms’ Violin Concerto, 40 and RimskyKorsakov’s Scheherazade, 45, Wed 4 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SHELDON SINGERS IN CONCERT Led by musical director Julie De’Ath Lancaster. Programme includes works by Vivaldi & Rutter, Thurs 4 May, Great Malvern Priory

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: ROCOCO Programme includes works by Jessie Montgomery, Warlock, Tchaikovsky arr. Le Page, Martinu arr. Le Page & Tchaikovsky, Fri 5 May, Number 8, Pershore

CBSO & THE ORCHESTRAL QAWWALI

PROJECT Featuring Ben Palmer (conductor), Rushil Ranjan (composer / music director / harmonium / piano / guitar), Abi Sampa (lead vocalist / harmonium), Amrit Dhuffler (tabla), Lydia Alonso (solo cello), Vidya Patel (dancer artist / choreographer), Sat 6 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Comedy

RECKLESS COMEDY Mon 1 May, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

JOE PERA Wed 3 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PHIL WANG Thurs 4 May, Birmingham Town Hall

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH, ANDY

ROBINSON, CRAIG HILL, DON BISWAS &

Theatre

BIG AUNTY Corey Campbell’s darkly comic family drama reflects on challenging times and how we can find a path to resolution, until Sat 6 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE Told By An Idiot presents a new version of Frank Marcus’ 1960s cult classic, until Sat 13 May, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

CYMBELINE Gregory Doran directs Shakespeare’s ‘rare late romance’ in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s First Folio, until Sat 27 May, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

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

WNO: THE MAGIC FLUTE Welsh National Opera give Mozart’s enchanting fairytale a makeover, Wed 3 - Fri 5 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG Amateur version presented by Coventry Youth Operetta Group, Wed 3 - Sat 6 May, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

BACK STREETS Jackie Lines’ hardhitting new play tells the stories of some of the people who live homeless on UK streets and whose voices are very rarely heard. This production will support the homeless and vulnerable in Stratford-uponAvon, Wed 3 - Sat 6 May, Bear Pitt Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

A QUARTER TO THREE A night comedy by Nick Wilkes, Wed 3 - Sat 6 May, The Coach House, Malvern Theatres

CONSENT Nina Raine’s ‘powerful, painful and funny’ play see barristers and friends Ed and Tim take opposing briefs in a rape case, Wed

4 - Sun 7 May, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick

FAUN Cardboard Citizens present a celebration of queer community, full of heart, youth and pan pipes, Fri 5 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

WNO: BLAZE OF GLORY! Welsh National Opera present a brand-new production celebrating the power of community spirit, Sat 6 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

DROWNTOWN Gritty dance theatre combined with autobiographical testimonials and text, Wed 3 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

K:DANCE - TRIPLE BILL Celebrating new Korean Dance from choreographer Howool Baek and Company Siga, Wed 3 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

BALLET BLACK: PIONEERS Double-bill featuring new and original work by award-winning choreographers Will Tuckett & Mthuthuzeli November, Wed 3 - Thurs 4 May, The Rep, Birmingham

LA BOHEME Ellen Kent Opera present Puccini’s classic tale of Parisian love and loss. Sung in Italian with English surtitles, Sun 7 May, Malvern

Theatres

TOP SECRET: THE MAGIC OF SCIENCE

Fast-moving science show packed with ‘mystery, suspense and heaps of mess’, Sun 7 May, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

JOHANNES RADEBE: FREEDOM

UNLEASHED Join the Strictly favourite in a show described as a ‘melting pot of South African rhythms and huge party anthems’, Thurs 4 May, Malvern Theatres

K: Dance Triple Bill - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Hamnet - Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

thelist

Light Entertainment

ALYSSA EDWARDS ON TOUR An epic must-see, tell-all, dance-all story about Alyssa’s extraordinary drag career and incredible journey to finding love, Tues 2 May, Birmingham Town Hall

DEEP FILL DOUBLE BILL: A COMEDY CABARET WITH FATT BUTCHER & GINNY LEMON Featuring ‘unforgettable music, outrageous laughs and surprise performances’, Thurs 4 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

FUNNY GIRLS ON TOUR Starring female impersonator Betty Legs Diamond, Thurs 4 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE OTHER CORONATION CONCERT Rick Wakeman and Gordon Giltrap are joined by Oliver Wakeman and Carrie Martin for an evening of music and stories. This charity event is in aid of Milestone and Cleeve Schools, Sat 6 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury

Talks & Spoken Word

THE SERIAL KILLER NEXT DOOR Leading psychological therapist and crime commentator Emma Kenny discusses what creates a serial killer, Thurs 4 May, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Events

FESTIVAL OF THRILLS Celebrating the park’s line-up of rollercoasters, in particular The Smiler as it enters its 10th year, until Sun 7 May, Alton Towers, Staffordshire

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

National SEA LIFE Centre, B’ham

SEVERN RISING 2222 GAME New interactive and immersive game set 200 years in the future in a flooded version of the city consumed by nature, where the wildlife does the talking, until Sat 3 June, Worcester

Art Gallery and Museum

FAMILY ACTIVITIES - ANIMAL ANTICS

Test your safari skills and go wild looking for fabulous famous animals, until Sat 1 July, Worcester Art Gallery & Museum

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

Legoland Discovery Centre B’ham

EASTNOR CHILLIFEST Featuring live music, ‘hot’ food, a children’s cookery school, a chilli-eating competition and cooking demonstrations, Sun 30 April - Mon 1 May, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

A GRAND MEDIEVAL DAY OUT Visitors to the 900-year-old castle will be transported back to Kenilworth’s medieval prime, with re-enactors throughout the grounds, Sun 30 April - Mon 1 May, Kenilworth Castle

KIDS CARNIVAL DAY Featuring seven races and free children’s entertainment, Mon 1 May, Warwick Racecourse

ENCHANTED FAIRY DOORS Arrive dressed up in your most magical outfit and go on a quest to see if you can spot all the fairy doors, Mon 1 May, The Commandery, Worcester

OUTDOOR CINEMA Outdoor screenings of Encanto, Matilda The Musical and Elvis, Mon 1 May, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

STRATFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL One of the most significant literary festivals in the UK, featuring Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox and Alexander Armstrong, Tues 2 - Sun 7 May, Various venues in Stratford-upon-Avon

MINDFUL MAY YOGA Five weeks of gentle and nurturing yoga, breathing and mindfulness, Wed 3 May, Coventry Cathedral

LIVE & DYE GARDEN Help out at Live & Dye Garden with Food Union Coventry, Thurs 4 May, Coventry Cathedral

AFTER HOURS The historic house and grounds of Compton Verney open at night, Fri 5 May, Compton Verney, Warwickshire

your friends & family to witness this once-in-a-generation occasion, Sat 6 May, Kenilworth Castle

WARWICK’S CORONATION CELEBRATION: PARTY IN THE SQUARE Featuring live bands and entertainment reflecting their Majesties’ years of service and passions, Sat 6 May, Market Place, Warwick

CORONATION DAY CELEBRATIONS A right royal day of celebrations at the Kidderminster station, Sat 6 May, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

CORONATION EVENING VARIETY SHOW

An evening of singing, dancing, comedy and music, Sat 6 May, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

SPRING MODEL RAILWAY WEEKEND

DAWN CHORUS WALK AND TALK Guided walk identifying birdsong from local and migrating birds, Fri 5 May, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster

CORONATION STREET PARTY British street party with entertainment throughout the day, Fri 5 - Mon 8 May, Drayton Manor Theme Park, Tamworth

BOXXER PRESENTS FIGHT NIGHT

BIRMINGHAM Undefeated lightheavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi headlines in a showdown with undefeated Polish rival Pawel Stepien, Sat 6 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

CORONATION LIVE SCREENING Pack your picnic blanket and take along

Many of the UK’s most popular displays and layouts will be on display at the Highley Visitor Centre, Sat 6 - Sun 7 May, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

A ROYAL CHEER - A CELEBRATION TO MARK THE CORONATION OF KING

CHARLES III Discover how Black Country folk celebrated the UK’s kings and queens through the years, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May, The Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

A KING’S CHALLENGE Test your skills in kingly pursuits, learn about the successes of those who lived to be great kings and the fate of those who did not, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May, Tamworth Castle

MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS A joint celebration of the ancient festival of Mayday and the coronation of King Charles III, Sun 7 May, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

CORONATION DAY PHOTOGRAPHY

WORKSHOP Unique workshop to capture the atmosphere of the railway as it celebrates the coronation, Sun 7 May, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

MUD BATHS A filthy, muddy trail race on the Land Rover test tracks and through the estate swamp, Sun 7 May, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

DAWN CHORUS WALK Take a walk in the park with the ranger to listen to the beautiful dawn chorus of birds at Croome, Sun 7 May, Croome Park, Worcestershire

CORONATION PAGEANT Specially commissioned performance by The Slaughterhouse Players, accompanied by the renowned local folk-rock act, Wychwood, Sun 7 May, Pageant Garden, off Castle Street, Warwick

TAGORE’S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Celebrate the 162nd birthday of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Sun 7 May, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratford-upon-Avon

GAYDON LAND ROVER SHOW Celebrate the 75th anniversary of the iconic Land Rover marque, Sun 7 - Mon 8 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

A Grand Medieval Day Out - Kenilworth Castle

thelist

Monday 8 - Sunday 14 May

Classical Music

CBSO CENTRE STAGE: MUSIC & POETRY

Featuring Oliver Janes (clarinet), Peter Cambell-Kelly & Bryony Morrison (violins), Christopher Yates (viola) & Helen Edgar (cello). Programme includes works by Purcell, Finzi, Penderecki & Mozart, Thurs 11 May, CBSO Centre, B’ham

BCMG: TREE CONCERT Featuring the world premiere of Christian Mason’s new Sound Investment commission

Gigs

BEAUX GRIS GRIS & THE APOCALYPSE Mon 8

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

RODDY WOOMBLE Tues

9 May, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

INGRID ANDRESS + NICK

WILSON Wed 10 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

TREVOR ‘BABAJACK

STEGER + TOMMY

ALLEN Wed 10 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF EWAN MACCOLL Wed 10

May, The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Nr Evesham

MICHAEL BUBLÉ Wed 10 - Thurs 11 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

JON ALLEN AND THE LUNA KINGS Thurs 11

May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

IAN BRUCE Thurs 11

May, Bromsgrove Folk Club

RAZORLIGHT Thurs 11

May, hmv Empire, Coventry

FEROCIOUS DOG + LEATHERAT + MATTSHISNAME Thurs 11 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

TRIBUTE TO LUTHER

VANDROSS Thurs 11

May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

THE SOUND OF SPRINGSTEEN Thurs 11

May, Malvern Theatres

POLYPHIA Fri 12 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

BLACK WATER FIEND Fri 12 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

Comedy

TIM KEY Wed 10 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

ANUVAB PAL, HAYLEY ELLIS, KEITH FARNAN, PRIYA HALL & RUNI TALWAR

Thurs 11 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BETHANY BLACK Thurs 11 May, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

NOEL MILLER Thurs 11 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

Razorlight - hmv Empire, Coventry

JOE SATRIANI Fri 12

May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

RHYTHM OF THE 90S Fri 12 May, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

THOM KIRKPATRICK Fri 12 May, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

ABBA REVIVAL! Fri 12

May, The Rialto, Coventry

THE SELECTER Fri 12

May, hmv Empire, Coventry

EUROPHORIA Fri 12

May, Albany Theatre, Coventry

ALL NIGHT DANCE

AFFAIR Fri 12 May, The Valkyrie Bar, Evesham

HI-ON MAIDEN Fri 12

May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

VINNY PECULIAR + LOST

WAVE MUSIC + WES

DANCE Fri 12 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

FRANKIES GUYS -

FRANKIE VALLI TRIBUTE Fri 12 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

GREEN HAZE - GREEN

DAY TRIBUTE Fri 12 May, 45Live, Kidderminster

ULTIMATE COLDPLAY Fri 12 May, Malvern Cube

LUCY SPRAGGAN +

CASSA JACKSON +

GARETH DUNLOP Sat 13

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

RØRY + SOUTH ARCADE + CAMERON

SANDERSON Sat 13

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

WES NELSON Sat 13

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

STONEBWOY Sat 13

May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

RHIANNON GIDDENS WITH FRANCESCO

TURRISI + PHILIPPA

ZAWE Sat 13 May, Birmingham Town Hall

VOICE OF THE HEARTTHE CARPENTERS

TRIBUTE Sat 13 May, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

DAN LUMLEY Sat 13 May, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

ATTRITION + KHOST +

SATORI Sat 13 May, Arches Venue, Coventry

FUNKE AND THE TWO

TONE BABY Sat 13 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

THE BOOTLEG ROCK

SHOW Sat 13 May, The Benn Hall, Rugby

A HEAD FULL OF COLDPLAY Sat 13 May, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

ROCKET MAN - ELTON

JOHN TRIBUTE Sat 13 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

SIGNING OFF - UB40

TRIBUTE Sat 13 May, 45Live, Kidderminster

NEEVE Sun 14 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

POST MALONE Sun 14 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

JOE BONAMASSA Sun 14 May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

CHARLIE DORE & JULIAN

LITTMAN Sun 14 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

RUTS DC Sun 14 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

SENSATIONAL 60S

EXPERIENCE Sun 14 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

The Singing Tree, with text by Paul Griffiths, and the textural Concertini for ensemble by Helmut Lachenmann, Fri 12 May, Birmingham Town Hall

BBC PHILHARMONIC WITH RACHEL

PODGER (PICTURED) Programme includes works by Bach, Mozart & Haydn, Fri 12 May, Malvern Theatres

RUSSELL HOWARD Thurs 11 - Fri 12 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

ANUVAB PAL, TOM LUCY, HAYLEY ELLIS, KEITH FARNAN & PHILIPP KOSTELECKY

Fri 12 May, The Glee Club, B’ham

TIFF STEVENSON Fri 12 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM SEGURA Fri 12 May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

JIMMY CARR Fri 12 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

NATALIE DURKINS, NICK BYARD & BEN BRIGGS Fri 12 May, Ecgwins Club, Evesham

DOUG CARTER, BARRY DODDS, TAL

DAVIS & DANNY DEEGAN Fri 12 May, Weddington Sports & Social Club, Nuneaton

WORCESTERSHIRE SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA: MAHLER’S SECOND

SYMPHONY Featuring guest soloists Claire Prewer-Jenkinson & Jennifer

Mugleston, Sat 13 May, Worcester Cathedral

MOVIE MAGIC WITH THE CBSO

Featuring Richard Balcombe (conductor) & Tommy Pearson (presenter). Programme includes musical scores from Stars Wars, Harry Potter, The Great Escape, Back to the Future, Superman and much more... Sat 13 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

MARTINU QUARTET Featuring Lubomír Havlák & Adéla Štajnochrová (violins), Martin Stupka (viola) & Jitka Vlašánková (cello). Programme includes works by Beneš, Martinu & Dvorák, Sat 13 May, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: INTO THE WOODS Featuring Gerry Cornelius (conductor) & Zeb Soanes (narrator), Sat 13 May, Warwick Hall, Warwick School

ARMONICO CONSORT Featuring William Towers (countertenor) & Eloise Irving (soprano). Programme comprises Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater & Henry Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas, Sun 14 May, Malvern Theatres

AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING WITH SIR WILLARD WHITE AND BRODSKY

QUARTET Featuring Krysia Osostowicz & Ian Belton (violins), Paul Cassidy (viola) & Jacqueline Thomas (cello), Sun 14 May, Birmingham Town Hall

ANGELA BARNES Fri 12 May, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

ANUVAB PAL, TOM LUCY, HAYLEY ELLIS & KEITH FARNAN Sat 13 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

EDDIE NESTOR, SLIM, ROBBIE GEE, KOJO

ANIM, CURTIS WALKER & RUDI

LICKWOOD Sat 13 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MARK STEEL Sat 13 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

TRASHFUTURE: LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM

Sun 14 May, The Glee Club, B’ham

NATHAN CATON, MATT FOSTER & FIN

TAYLOR Sun 14 May, Coventry Dining Club

Theatre

ANNIE Jodie Prenger stars as Miss Hannigan in a ‘glorious revival’ of the much-loved musical, Mon 8 - Sat 13 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

RUMOURS The Nonentities present an amateur version of Neil Simon’s farce, Mon 8 - Sat 13 May, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

HIDDEN STORIES - NOW YOU SEE ME AND DARLINT PEIDI Two new playlets

thelist

that uncover the true stories of Ruth Ellis and Edith Thompson, hanged and executed for murder, Tues 9 May, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick

SISTER ACT Solihull Theatre Company present an amateur version of the divine musical comedy, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

UNEXPECTED TWIST A contemporary new musical, based on a novel by children’s author Michael Rosen, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May, Malvern

Theatres

Dianne Buswell; Vito Coppola; Carlos Gu; Karen Hauer; Neil Jones; Nikita Kuzmin; Gorka Marquez; Luba Mushtuk; Jowita Przystal; and Nancy Xu, Sat 13 - Sun 14 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

Light

Entertainment

A NIGHT OF STARS Jasper Carrott hosts an evening of famous faces, music & comedy in celebration of local news anchorman Bob Warman’s 50 years in TV, Tues 9 May, The Rep, B’ham

ALL OUR YESTERDAYS ‘Ultimate feelgood experience’ with music and choreography celebrating the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, Wed 10 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCKS:

DR LOUISE NEWSON: IN CONVERSATION

VAUX ALL A celebration of all things

THE BODYGUARD Melody Thornton stars as Rachel Marron alongside Ayden Callaghan as her bodyguard, Frank Farmer, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

A PLAY FOR THE LIVING IN A TIME OF EXTINCTION Miranda Rose Hall’s onewoman show confronts’ the urgent ecological disaster unfolding around us’, Wed 10 - Sat 13 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

NANA’S KNICKERS Phoenix Players present an amateur version of Andi Hardy’s lighthearted look at family life ‘when it goes a bit wrong’, Wed 10Sat 13 May, Bear Pitt Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

BOUNCERS The Worcester Repertory Company present an amateur version of the John Godber classic, Wed 10Sat 13 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

KINKY BOOTS Amateur version presented by Coventry Musical Theatre Society, Thurs 11 - Sun 14 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE POLAR BEAR (IS DEAD) A show ‘about loss and being alone that’s ultimately full of hope’. Note that the production engages with themes of death and bereavement, Fri 12 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

Kids Theatre

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE Fun-filled family show complete with puppetry, enchanting music and a very special visit from the amazing flying Pinky Ponk, Mon 8 - Wed 10 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

Dance

STRICTLY COME DANCING: THE PROFESSIONALS Featuring stars from the popular BBC show, including:

EUROVISION Earth’s funniest footwear are back with their latest comedy hour, Fri 12 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

PRISCILLA - QUEEN OF DISASTER Join Susie - a mother of two boys - as she shares her story of becoming a mum, Fri 12 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE TASHI LHUNPO MONKS Sacred dance and music from Tibet, Fri 12 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury

A YEAR OF BIRDSONG & BIRD SONGS

Anthony Harris and Ajay Tegala - one singer and one ornithologist - share their passion for birdsong and the natural world, Fri 12 May, Number 8, Pershore

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR: MYSTERIOUS

MANSIONS OF MYSTERY Anarchic entertainment that promises to be ‘a little bit spooky, a little bit stupid and a whole lot funny’, Sat 13 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR: HOMETOWN

HEROES Evening of off-the-cuff songs, scenes and characters, Sat 13 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham

Talks & Spoken

Word

DR JULIE SMITH: IN CONVERSATION Find out more about the clinical psychologist’s personal blueprint for optimal health & wellbeing. Audience questions welcomed at the end, Tues 9 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

BEN FOGLE: WILD Join the intrepid explorer as he shares stories from extraordinary encounters, in both the human and the natural world, Wed 10 May, Malvern Theatres

AN EVENING WITH RICHARD E GRANT A unique event in which the Withnail And I actor tells stories from his life, Thurs 11 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Join one of the UK’s leading medical experts on menopause as she shares her mission to educate everyoneincluding men - on the subject, Thurs 11 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Events

BIG BANK HOLIDAY FAMILY RACEDAY

Celebrating all things royal and British in commemoration of the coronation of King Charles, Mon 8 May, Worcester Racecourse

KING CHARLES III CORONATION

Coronation celebration with Bewdley Concert Band, Mon 8 May, Bewdley Museum, Worcestershire

A CORONATION CELEBRATION Featuring a falconry display, a royal trail and more, Mon 8 May, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

GAYDON GATHERING Free event for motoring enthusiasts, Tues 9 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

DAWN CHORUS WALK AND TALK Guided walk identifying birdsong from local and migrating birds, Wed 10 May, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster

MINDFUL MAY YOGA Five weeks of gentle and nurturing yoga, breathing and mindfulness, Wed 10 May, Coventry Cathedral

WONDER A new worship community for those who love the arts, Wed 10 May, Coventry Cathedral

RHS MALVERN SPRING FESTIVAL

Featuring a star-studded line-up of TV gardners, authors and celebrity chefs, Thurs 11 - Sun 14 May, Three Counties Showground, Malvern

WORCESTER BALLOON FESTIVAL

Worcester’s first-ever balloon festival, Fri 12 - Sat 13 May, Worcester

Racecourse

THE BABY SHOW With over 300 leading baby brands in attendance, the show has everything from buggies and bouncers to cribs and car seats, Fri 12 - Sun 14 May, NEC, Birmingham

Vauxhall, Opel and Bedford, Sat 13 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

BIRMINGHAM BRICK FESTIVAL Lego fan event dedicated to all things brick, Sat 13 May, The Bond Company, Birmingham

BEADED JEWELLERY MAKING

WORKSHOP Artist-led workshop in which you can make a sculptural piece of beaded jewellery, Sat 13 May, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

MEET THE EXPERT: HUNTINGTON’S

DISEASE YOUTH ORGANISATION Meet an ambassador from the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organisation during Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month, Sat 13 May, Thinktank

Birmingham Science Museum

OPEN DAYS AT SHELSLEY MILL Enjoy a guided tour and demonstration of Worcestershire’s only working waterpowered corn mill, Sat 13 - Sun 14 May, Shelsley Walsh

MAKERS CENTRAL Featuring crafters, inventors, hobbyists and artists, Sat 13 - Sun 14 May, NEC, Birmingham

ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIR Browse a variety of stalls offering quality, collectable and eclectic items, Sun 14 May, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

FUNTOPIA Fun-filled festival designed especially for the under-10s, Sun 14 May, Arrow Valley Country Park, Redditch

THE INSANE FESTIVAL A series of artsfocused events, activities and wellbeing workshops designed for young people during Mental Health Awareness Week, Sun 14 - Mon 15 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

RHS Malvern Spring Festival - Three Counties Showground

thelist

Monday 15 - Sunday 21 May

THE BRIGHOUSE & RASTRICK BAND Sat 20 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

FUN LOVIN’ CRIMINALS

Sat 20 May, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

MISSISSIPPI MCDONALD

Sat 20 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

ALEX HARRY Sat 20 May, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

HELLS BELLS - AC/DC

Gigs

KERRY ELLIS Mon 15 May, Birmingham Town Hall

KATIE MELUA Mon 15 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LIL MACKS Tues 16 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

JON WILKS Tues 16

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

ALGIERS + HELEN

GANYA Wed 17 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

TOBIAS DELIUS/PAUL

DUNMALL/OLIE

BRICE/MARK SANDERS

Wed 17 May, Midlands

Arts Centre, B’ham

SHOW OF HANDS AND MICHAEL WOOD Wed 17

May, The Roses

Theatre, Tewkesbury

FIONA BEVAN + ADAM

BEATTIE Wed 17 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

BEE BEE SEA + DEZ

DARE + HULA GIRLS

Wed 17 May, The Tin

At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC Wed 17 May, Malvern

Theatres

SONGER Thurs 18 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

KIP MOORE Thurs 18

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE ANCHORESS Thurs 18 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

STEEL PANTHER + WINGER Thurs 18 May, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE BOOTLEG ROCK

SHOW Thurs 18 May,

The Core Theatre,

Classical Music

ESTONIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA Featuring Olari Elts (conductor) & Barry Douglas (piano). Programme includes works by Pärt, Rachmaninoff & Dvorak, Tues 16 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Featuring Kati Debretzeni (director/violin) & JeanGuihen Queyras (cello). Programme includes works by CPE Bach, JC Bach & Mozart, Wed 17 May, Birmingham Town Hall

CBSO: MAHLER’S TENTH SYMPHONY

OFF THE KERB COMEDY CLUB Thurs 18 May, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

JAY LAFFERTY, CHRIS KENT, JOSH PUGH, KAZEEM JAMAL & ANDY BARR Fri 19 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CHARLIE BAKER Fri 19 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ALFIE MOORE Fri 19 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

Solihull

ASHIQUE ALI COLLECTIVE

Thurs 18 May, The New Cathedral, Coventry

CODY PENNINGTON Fri 19 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE LONG RYDERS Fri 19 May, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

EDDY SMITH Fri 19 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

DANNY ANSELL + MAZE + THE CARLINGS +

CAITLIN Fri 19 May, hmv Empire, Coventry

THE PROCLAIMERS Fri 19 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

HEALS Fri 19 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

LOL GOODMAN BAND Fri 19 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

CHARLIE GREEN Fri 19 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

SPICE FOREVER - SPICE

GIRLS TRIBUTE Fri 19 May, 45Live, Kidderminster

DODGY + SKEWWHIFF

Fri 19 May, Malvern

Cube

PUSHA T Sat 20 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

FRENCH THE KID Sat 20

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

GYAKIE Sat 20 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

MIKE AND THE MECHANICS Sat 20 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

GRETCHEN PETERS +

KIM RICHEY Sat 20 May, Birmingham Town Hall

GURDAS MAAN Sat 20

May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

TRIBUTE Sat 20 May, hmv Empire, Coventry

ALCHEMY - DIRE STRAITS

TRIBUTE Sat 20 May, Arches Venue, Coventry

ENDLESS LOVE - LIONEL

RICHIE & DIANA ROSS

TRIBUTE Sat 20 May, Albany Theatre, Coventry

LADY MAISERY Sat 20 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

FLEETWOOD MACHINE

Sat 20 May, Number 8, Pershore

WINK-182 Sat 20 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

JIMMY ATE WORLD + WARNING - GREENDAY

TRIBUTE + THE BLINK

182 SHOW Sat 20 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

THE WEDDING PRESENT Sun 21 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE SEARCHERS Sun 21 May, Birmingham Town Hall

CELEBRATING MEAT LOAF

Sun 21 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham

SAM HUBER WITH JONATHAN READ Sun 21 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

STRÂIN + TROJAN PONY + CREAKING TWITCH

Sun 21 May, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

JOOLS HOLLAND AND HIS RHYTHM & BLUES

ORCHESTRA Sun 21 May, Warwick Arts

Centre, Coventry

MARTIN SIMPSON Sun

21 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

KATE RUSBY Sun 21 May, Malvern Theatres

Featuring Mirga Gražinyté-Tyla (conductor), Thurs 18 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: THE MUSIC OF LORD OF THE RINGS AND BEYOND Fri 19 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LONDON CONCERTANTE: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Programme includes works by Puccini, Mozart, Verdi & Rossini, Sat 20 May, Worcester Cathedral

JAY LAFFERTY, CHRIS KENT, JOSH PUGH & KAZEEM JAMAL Sat 20 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JUDI LOVE Sat 20 May, Birmingham

Hippodrome

DOUG CARTER, JACK GLEADOW, SIMON LOMAS & DAVE LONGLEY Sat 20 May, Bulkington Community Centre, Bedworth

KENNY SEBASTIAN Sun 21 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

IGOR KWIATKOWSKI Sun 21 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

Theatre

BRITISH POLICE SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA: SPRING ROMANCE

Featuring Dr Richard Jenkinson (musical director). Programme includes works by Ravel, Shostakovich & Rachmaninoff, Sat 20 May, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Comedy

DEAD MEN TOURING WITH FREDDY QUINNE & ROB MULHOLLAND Tues 16 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ELEANOR MORTON Wed 17 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM ALLEN Wed 17 - Fri 19 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

WUTHERING HEIGHTS Inspector Sands bring their characteristic humour to Emily Bronte’s much-loved classic, Tues 16 - Thurs 18 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Black comedy based on the cult 1989 movie that starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

UNEXPECTED TWIST A contemporary new musical, based on a novel by children’s author Michael Rosen, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

VANILLA A ‘fresh, honest and awkwardly funny’ look into the workings of an isolated relationship, Wed 17 - Thurs 18 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

SENSE & SENSIBILITY Hotbuckle Productions present a new version of Jane Austen’s romantic classic, Thurs 18 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, JOSH PUGH & KAZEEM

JAMAL Thurs 18 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GARY POWNDLAND & FRIENDS Thurs 18 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE WISH GATHERER English Touring Opera present a story of beauty, loss, revolution and new beginnings. The show is aimed at children in Key Stage 2 (7 to 11 years) but is equally suited to all ages, Fri 19 May, Albany Theatre, Coventry

THE BOY WHO HAD A SECRET New play, devised by Kidderminster Rose Young People’s Theatre, which tells

Fun Lovin’ Criminals - The Assembly, Leamington Spa

thelist

the story of a seemingly normal child with very abnormal powers, Sat 20Sun 21 May, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

WAITING FOR GOD Amateur production based on the BBC sitcom of the same name concerning two spirited residents in a stuffy home for senior citizens, Sat 20 - Sat 27 May, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

THE CARD Claybody Theatre present a new version of Arnold Bennett’s classic comic novel, Sat 20 May - Sat 10 June, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

TAPPED Heart-warming comedy that explores the importance of connection, fulfilment and (lack of) hope, 21 May, Macready Theatre, Rugby

Dance

WASTELAND Gary Clarke fuses physical dance language with archive film footage and live music to explore how two generations coped in an era of radical upheaval, Thurs 18 - Fri 19 May, The Rep, Birmingham

Light Entertainment

MUSIC & COMEDY WITH KEITH SLATER AND CHRISTOPHER GEE Matinee performance showcasing music from the 1960s onwards, Tues 16 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

DESPITE EVERYTHING, PRICE STILL

INCLUDES BISCUITS One-woman show featuring original songs, topical stories and Jewish humour, Tues 16 May, The Civic, Stourport

SOLVE-ALONG-A-MURDER-SHE-WROTE

An interactive screening of classic Murder, She Wrote episode Sing A Song Of Murder, plus games, prizes and audience participation, Wed 17 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

TRACY BORMAN - HOW TO BE A GOOD MONARCH An ‘entertaining and informative’ audio-visual tour of 1,000

years of twists and turns in the story of the British monarchy - from William the Conqueror to Charles III, Wed 17 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

BROADWAY AND BEYOND Presented by Evesham Operatic & Dramatic Society, Thurs 18 - Fri 20 May, The Henrican, Evesham

SK SHLOMO: BREATHE Join the international beatboxing star as he presents ‘a rollercoaster love-letter to the lifesaving power of beats, bass and breathing’, Fri 19 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DREAMCOAT STARS Featuring hits from the West End and Broadway, Fri 19 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

WEST END SHOWSTOPPERS Presented by Carpet Trades Musical Theatre Company, Fri 19 - Sat 20 May, The Civic, Stourport

STUART MICHAEL PSYCHIC MEDIUM Sat 20 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

HIS ONLY SONNET An evening of ‘poetry old and new’ by Paul Curran and friends... Sat 20 May, The Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa

Talks & Spoken Word

SUSIE DENT PRESENTS THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS Join the Queen of Dictionary Corner as she explores the surreal origins of words we use everyday, Sun 21 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Events

MINI MOTORISTS MONDAYS Land

Rover-themed crafts & storytime to celebrate the much-loved vehicle’s 75th birthday, Mon 15 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

FLATPACK FESTIVAL The 17th edition of the film festival, featuring a full programme of screenings, Tues 16Sun 21 May, Venues across Birmingham

MINDFUL MAY YOGA Five weeks of gentle and nurturing yoga, breathing and mindfulness, Wed 17 May, Coventry Cathedral

PLANETARIUM LATES: THE ORIGIN OF GIN Join Dan Upton, with a gin made for the evening, as he gives ‘a very broad history condensed into an hour of limited rambling’, Thurs 18 May, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

SPRING DIESEL FESTIVAL Featuring locomotives of all classes from 60 years of diesel traction, Thurs 18Sun 21 May, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

PUDDING NIGHTS ‘All you can eat’ pudding nights, Fri 19 - Sat 20 May,

Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster

CIRCUS EXTREME Combining worldfamous circus artists, clown escapades and extreme stunts, Fri 19 May - Sun 4 June, NEC, Birmingham

BUTOH FOR BEGINNERS WORKSHOP

Find out about Butoh-fu with movement artist Daniel Somerville and work towards creating your own dance pieces, Sat 20 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

LATE SPRING CRAFT AND GIFT FAIR

Featuring a curated range of local artisans and independent retailers, Sat 20 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

FARGO DOG FEST Family-friendly dog social, raising funds for Broken Souls Rescue, Sat 20 May, FarGo Village, Coventry

PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION Go on a ghost hunt in the grounds of the museum, Sat 20 May, Bewdley Museum, Worcestershire

DIE DE DIE: A 1950S HOLIDAY CAMP

MURDER MYSTERY Interactive evening of murder, mystery and food, Sat 20 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury

UK SLOT CAR FESTIVAL Featuring all major slot car manufacturers, Sat 20Sun 21 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

EVESHAM MEDIEVAL MARKET Vikings, Normans and medieval knights set up camp in the heart of Evesham to demonstrate how arms, armour and life changed during the highmedieval period, Sat 20 - Sun 21 May, Evesham Market Place

LAND ROVER MONTHLY LIVE Unique Land Rover event, with on-site camping, a beer tent with entertainment, Land Rover clubs, trade stands and autojumble, Sat 20Sun 21 May, Three Counties

Showground, Malvern

THE BIG BARK Featuring canine olympics, dog shows and agility challenges, Sat 20 - Sun 21 May, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

MARDI GRAS Carnival-inspired takeover featuring an explosion of colours, sensational flavours, highenergy music and much more, Sat 20 May - Sun 18 June, Alton Towers, Staffordshire

Tapped - Macready Theatre, Rugby

Circus Extreme - NEC, Birmingham

thelist

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by W Harris, Mendelssohn, WT Best, F Bridge, L Rogg & R Laurin, Mon 22 May, Birmingham Town Hall

LONDON CONCERTANTE Programme comprises Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro & Vaughan-Williams’ The Lark Ascending, Fri 26 May, Hereford Cathedral

Gigs

BRAVE RIVAL Mon 22

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

A COUNTRY NIGHT IN

NASHVILLE Mon 22

May, Stratford

Playhouse

HARRY STYLES + WET

LEG Mon 22 - Tues 23

May, Coventry Building Society Arena

THE FUREYS Tues 23

May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

ALBANY DOWN Tues 23

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE CHATS + THE CHISEL + GUANTANAMO

BAYWATCH Wed 24

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE LAST INKLINGS Wed 24 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

AMY MAY ELLIS Wed 24

May, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

IAN BROWN Wed 24 May, hmv Empire, Coventry

THE PRIMITIVES Thurs 25 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

MAGGIE LINDEMANN

Thurs 25 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

MIDGE URE Thurs 25

May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

JANA VARGA Thurs 25

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

HOOP Thurs 25 May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

SUNSET

ROLLERCOASTER Fri 26

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SARKODIE Fri 26 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

BAD BOY CHILLER CREW

Fri 26 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DAN WHITEHOUSE Fri 26

May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

CODY PENNINGTON Fri

26 May, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

OLIVER DARLING Fri 26

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

HOT SPACE UK - QUEEN

TRIBUTE Fri 26 May,

The Valkyrie Bar, Evesham

THE DREADNOUGHTS Fri 26 May, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

THE SPECIALS TRIBUTE

Fri 26 May, The Benn Hall, Rugby

SOUL TRAIN Fri 26 May, Macready Theatre, Rugby

TALON Fri 26 May, Regal, Tenbury Wells

CARPENTERS GOLD Fri 26 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS

RHYTHM & BLUES

ORCHESTRA Fri 26 May, Malvern Theatres

KALASHNIKOV SKUNK +

SMOKIN ESKIMO +

CHIPSUM GRAVY Fri 26 May, 45Live, Kidderminster

TOYAH WILLCOX AND ROBERT FRIPP Fri 26Sat 27 May, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

BURNING HOUSE +

CITRUS + BROKEN

DRUMSTICK + UNIT 47

+ THE RAIN Sat 27 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

TOKEN Sat 27 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

DIRTY DC - AC/DC

TRIBUTE Sat 27 May, The Assembly,

Leamington Spa

THE CHURCHFITTERS Sat 27 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

LONG GOOD FRIDAYS +

YES PRINCESS + THE LOADED + WHATS LEFT Sat 27 May, hmv Empire, Coventry

THE SEARCHERS Sat 27

May, The Benn Hall, Rugby

THE FLEETWOOD MAC

SONGBOOK Sat 27 May, Regal, Tenbury Wells

RUST FOR GLORY - NEIL

YOUNG TRIBUTE Sat 27

May, Marrs Bar, Worcester

TOTALLY TINA Sat 27

May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE EURYTHMICS

EXPERIENCE Sat 27

May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

HARTWIN DHOORE AND ROSS GRANT Sun 28

May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Sun 28 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

HATSTAND Mon 29 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

NXWORRIES Tues 30

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

TIM GALLAGHER Wed 31

May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

ROGER WATERS Wed 31

May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

RIC SANDERS AND VO

FLETCHER + ANNA

RYDER Wed 31 May, Temperance, Leamington Spa

ARTIC MONKEYS Wed 31

May, Coventry Building Society Arena

QUEEN SYMPHONIC: A ROCK ORCHESTRA EXPERIENCE Featuring Richard Sidwell (conductor) & Jon Boydon, Jenna Lee James, Peter Eldridge & Rachael Wooding (vocalists), Fri 26 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

CBSO SINGALONG: MOZART’S REQUIEM Featuring Simon Halsey (conductor). Programme comprises Errollyn Wallen’s Peace on Earth, 4 & Mozart’s Requiem, 48, Sun 28 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: AMERICANA Programme includes works by Denes Agay, Barber, George Perle, Valerie Coleman, Kazimierz Machala, Reich & Dvorak, Tues 30 May, The Courtyard, Hereford

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: RED SKY BY SUNRISE Featuring Charlie Hamblett (younger Laurie Lee), Anton Lesser (older Laurie Lee) & Mark Ashford (guitar), Wed 31 May, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

Comedy

MICHAEL MCINTYRE Wed 24 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

LOU CONRAN, SEAN MCLOUGHLIN, JENNY HART, DEAN COUGHLIN & COMIC

TBC Thurs 25 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GARY DELANEY Thurs 25 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

DAN TIERNAN, LOU CONRAN, SEAN MCLOUGHLIN & RORY O’HANLON Sat 27 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MUHSIN YESILADA, AATIF NAWAAZ, PRINCE ABDI & IMRAN YUSUF Sat 27 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

JOSIE LONG Sat 27 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JUDI LOVE Sat 27 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DAN TIERNAN, LOU CONRAN, SEAN MCLOUGHLIN, FARHAN SOLO & TREVOR

BICKLES Fri 26 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PHIL WANG Fri 26 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SAM AVERY, LAUREN PATTISON, GARRETT MILLERICK & MARKUS

BIRDMAN Fri 26 May, The Rialto, Coventry

KANE BROWN Sun 28 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JOSH BERRY Sun 28 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MARK STEEL Sun 28 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JON RICHARDSON Sun 28 - Mon 29 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

HUGE DAVIES, TESSA COATES & BURT WILLIAMSON Wed 31 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Theatre

DON’T DRESS FOR DINNER Amateur version of Marc Camoletti’s sophisticated farce, Mon 22 - Sat 27 May, Talisman Theatre & Arts Centre, Kenilworth

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE National Theatre production taking audiences on a journey to ‘a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it’, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

ROCK OF AGES Farewell tour of the smash-hit musical, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO Christy Lefteri’s powerful and compassionate story of connection between family, friends and strangers... Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

HEMATOMA Kieran Dee’s one-man road movie in which he ‘tries everything to fill the gap in his head’, Wed 24 - Thurs 25 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

BAD ROADS ‘Heart-breaking, powerful, bitterly comic’ account of what it is to be a woman in wartime. Written by leading Ukrainian playwright Natal’ya Vorozhbit, Wed 24 - Sat 27 May, Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham

ROCK BOTTOM Charlie Day’s one-man show reimagines Shakespeare’s best-loved clown, Thurs 25 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

TEECHERS (LEAVERS ’22) John

Arctic Monkeys - Coventry Building Society Arena

Godber’s comedy about the education system, updated for the 21st century, Thurs 25 May, Albany Theatre, Coventry

MOTHER GOOSE CRACKS... CRACKS ONE OFF! Adult panto starring Liam Mellor as Billy Goose and Jimmy Burton in the title role, Fri 26 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE SIGN OF FOUR One-man show in which Jonathan Goodwin plays Sherlock Holmes and a miscellany of other larger-than-life characters, Fri 26 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

STARS - AN AFROFUTURIST SPACE

ODYSSEY A new play about an old lady who goes into outer space in search of her own orgasm, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June, The Old Rep, Birmingham

THE KING AND I West End performer

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

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Fact meets fiction as a band of travelling performers embark on their most daring feat yet. Based on the novel by Jules Verne, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF)

Award-winning retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June, Malvern

Theatres

Kids Theatre

THE SINGING MERMAID Theatre for younger audiences, based on the original storybook by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks, Sat 27Sun 28 May, The Rep, Birmingham

DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS LIVE!

A ‘fantastical’ family show where audiences are invited into a magical world of myths & legends, Sun 28Tues 30 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

FIREMAN SAM LIVE! Join Sam, Penny, Elvis, Station Officer Steele and Norman in an all-singing, all-dancing action-packed show, Mon 29 May, The Civic, Stourport

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE: SCIENCE

SAVES THE WORLD Entertaining,

educational show which explores how science shapes the world in which we live. Expect a few loud bangs along the way, Tues 30 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

THE WORST PRINCESS Children’s show based on the bestselling book by Anna Kemp & Sara Ogilvie, Tues 30 May, The Core Theatre, Solihull

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

MILKSHAKE! LIVE Join your favourite Milkshake! characters in a family show packed with songs, dances, laughter and audience interaction, Wed 31 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE: SCIENCE

SAVES THE WORLD Entertaining, educational show which explores how science shapes the world in which we live. Expect a few loud bangs along the way, Wed 31 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester

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

Dance

RAMBERT DANCE: PEAKY BLINDERS THE REDEMPTION OF THOMAS SHELBY

Steven Knight’s timeless story returns to the Midlands by popular demand. Expect Peaky tracks from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, The Last Shadow Puppets, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, B’ham Hippodrome

Light Entertainment

SIR JACK’S HISTORY BOYS An evening of football talk with Sky Sports presenter Johnny Phillips and former Wolves players Matt Murray, Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller, Mon 22 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

LIZ PULLMAN SINGS STREISAND Fascinating Aida’s acclaimed singer and comedienne, Liza Pulman, celebrates the legend of Barbra Streisand, Wed 24 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch

FUNNY GIRLS ON TOUR Starring female impersonator Betty Legs Diamond, Thurs 25 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

RAT PACK: SWINGIN’ IN THE SANDS Fully choreographed homage to Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Sammy Davis

Jnr, Fri 26 May, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

THE BIG LOCAL NIGHT OUT Comedy

magician Tom Elliott hosts a variety show featuring local talent alongside artists from the UK’s performing-arts scene, Fri 26 May, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick

MR.B - THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER Join the British parodist as he attempts to reconnect hip-hop with manners and the King’s English! Sat 27 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

CIRCUS RAJ Featuring Rajasthan street performers, including aerialists, acrobats, musicians, slack-rope walkers and giant puppet characters, Sat 27 May, Steiner Academy, Hereford

SK SHLOMO: BREATHE Join the international beatboxing star as he presents ‘a rollercoaster love-letter to the lifesaving power of beats, bass and breathing’, Sun 28 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER: AN OPEN BOOK

An evening with the award-winning West End star. Expect perfectly executed songs from the musicals,

interspersed with chat about her fascinating life and career, Mon 29 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

PSYCHIC SALLY An evening of mediumship with ‘the nation’s favourite psychic’, Wed 31 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

SING-A-LONG-A ENCANTO A screening of the movie with lyrics presented on stage so that you can sing along... Wed 31 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Around The World In 80 Days - Albany Theatre, Coventry

Mog The Forgetful Cat - Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

thelist

Talks & Spoken Word

JAY SHETTY WORLD TOUR: LOVE RULES

A 90-minute experience in which the See On Purpose podcast host and bestselling author talks about ‘finding, keeping and letting go of love’, Mon 22 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

KEITH BRYMER-JONES LIVE: LIFE, CLAY, AND EVERYTHING An ‘uplifting’ evening with the renowned British designer, bestselling author and Great Pottery Throw Down judge, Thurs 25 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Monday 22 - Wednesday 31 May

and small start-up businesses, Sat 27 - Sun 28 May, NEC, Birmingham

1940S WEEK Explore life in the 1940s with workshops, displays and activities, Sat 27 May - Thurs 1 June,

RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

TINKER MAKE PLAY - PLAYING WITH GRAVITY Discover the power of gravity in this family engineering session, Sat 27 May - Sat 3 June, Coventry

Transport Museum

ANIMAL ANTICS Test your safari skills and go wild looking for animals, Sat 27 May - Sat 3 June, Worcester City

Art Gallery & Museum

MAY HALF-TERM CRAFTS: SCENIC

SEASCAPES Explore watercolours, collaging and junk modelling, Sat 27 May - Sat 3 June, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

JUNK MODELLING MAKER CHALLENGE Get creative by upcycling waste into new inventions, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Coventry Transport Museum

PIRATE INVASION Help save Hatton from the dreaded pirate invasion, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Hatton

Adventure World, Warwick

Events

EXPERIENCE PENTECOST Find out about the story of Pentecost and the beginning of the church, Mon 22 - Fri 26 May, Coventry Cathedral

MINDFUL MAY YOGA Five weeks of gentle and nurturing yoga, breathing and mindfulness, Wed 24 May, Coventry Cathedral

THE GIANT’S GARDEN Follow the trail of Bodenham’s busy bees and discover what has been created in the Giant’s Garden, Wed 24 May - Sun 4 June, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster

BIG PICTURE FESTIVAL Featuring local filmmakers, newly released international and independent feature films and well-regarded documentaries, Thurs 25 - Sun 28 May, various locations in Stratfordupon-Avon

RUM & REGGAE RACENIGHT Featuring ‘live horse racing, the best selection of rums and the slickest selection of reggae sounds’, Fri 26 May, Worcester Racecourse

RUSTICUS PRESENTS: WACKY WILDLIFE

Interactive walking adventure where you’ll meet an array of wildlife taking part in some silly activities, Sat 27 May, Aston Hall, Birmingham

MG CENTENARY The MG Owners’ Club, the Early MG Society, the MG Octagon Car Club, the MG ‘T’ Society and the MG Car Club join forces at this special event, Sat 27 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

THE NATIONAL HALAL FOOD FESTIVAL & LIFESTYLE SHOW Exhibitors include gourmet street-food vendors, national halal brands, established businesses

WITLEY COURT & KIDS RULE! Celebrate King Charles III’s coronation with hands-on activities and family fun, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Witley Court, Worcestershire

BRICKLIVE BRICKOSAURS Get ready for a ‘roar-some display on a T-Rex scale, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

KENILWORTH CASTLE & KIDS RULE!

Celebrate King Charles III’s coronation with hands-on activities and family fun, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Kenilworth Castle

FIESTAVAL Vibrant and colourful, celebration across the resort, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Drayton Manor Theme Park, Tamworth

DINO WEEK Open the gates to the new Raptor Ranch, where the T-Rex, Velociraptor, Triceratops and Spinosaurus are waiting to meet you, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton upon Trent

YOUNG DRIVER LESSONS Aimed at young people between the ages of 10 and 17, Sun 28 May, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

EASTNOR STEAM & VINTAGE Featuring steam engines and vintage cars, on display in the castle courtyard, Sun 28 - Mon 29 May, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

OAK APPLE DAY Featuring musket firing, pike drills and a historic camp, Mon 29 May, The Commandery, Worcester

SUPERHERO ADVENTURES WITH IAN

CRAIGAN Take along your action figures and dress up for superhero adventures with storyteller Ian

Craigan, Mon 29 May, Worcestershire County Museum at Hartlebury Castle

ZOOLAB CLIMATE CRUSADER’S SHOW Get ‘up close and hands-on’ with exotic animals as you learn about the changing planet, Mon 29 May - Fri 2 June, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

FREDDO’S MAGIC SHOW Freddo hosts his very own magic show, Mon 29 May - Fri 2 June, Cadbury World, Bournville

Mary Arden’s Farm, Stratford-uponAvon

SUPERHERO ADVENTURES - CRAFTS AND TRAIL Arrive dressed up ready to save the day and create a wooden puppet hero before following the trail around the castle and museum, Tues 30 May - Thurs 1 June, Worcestershire

County Museum at Hartlebury Castle

FAMILY CIVIL WAR SOLDIER SCHOOL

Have a go at pike and cannon drills, play games soldiers would have played, and help King Charles II escape from the Parliamentarian army, Tues 30 May - Fri 2 June, The Commandery, Worcester

MINDFUL MAY YOGA Five weeks of gentle and nurturing yoga, breathing and mindfulness, Wed 31 May, Coventry Cathedral

FAMILY YOGA SESSION Follow the trail of Bodenham’s busy bees and discover what’s been created in the Giant’s Garden, Tues 30 May, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster

SPRING FUN AT THE FARM Get handson with flower crown crafting, help prepare for a Tudor feast and take part in an interactive retelling of As You Like it, Tues 30 - Wed 31 May,

POO DETECTIVES Find out what we can learn about animals from their droppings in a fun family workshop, Wed 31 May, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

WHITSUN HALF TERM FAMILY FUN

‘SECRET GARDEN’ Follow the Robin trail through Spetchley Park to find the key and unlock the door to the secret garden, Wed 31 May - Fri 2 June, Spetchley Park Gardens, Worcestershire

Spring Fun at the Farm - Mary Arden’s Farm, Stratford-upon-Avon

Kids Rule - Witley Court & Kenilworth Castle