Coventry & Warwickshire What's On October 2023

Coventry & Warwickshire

What’sOn

inside:

COWBOIS

Queer Western at the RSC feature inside...

RICHARD COLES brings his Borderline National Trinket tour to the Midlands

SPOOK-TACULAR Halloween events to keep the kids entertained this month

News from around the region

The magic of winter steam at Severn Valley Railway

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is hosting a Winter Steam Gala early next year.

Taking place on Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 January, the event will see at least five steam locomotives in operation.

Commenting on the news, Lewis Maddox, SVR’s visitor engagement manager, said: “There are many people with a keen interest in seeing steam no matter what the season, and there can be nothing finer than the sight of a locomotive running on a crisp winter day.”

Tickets for the gala are now on sale at svr.co.uk

Celebrate Christmas with a party at Nailcote Hall

There are parties aplenty to enjoy at Coventry’s Nailcote Hall this Christmas!

The premier four-star country house hotel is offering an impressive line-up of entertainment for the festive season, including performances by live party bands and tribute acts. From the soulful sounds of Motown, to the timeless hits of ABBA, Take That, and the best of the 1970s, ’80s & ’90s, Nailcote is promising shows that generate ‘an electrifying atmosphere and cater to all musical tastes’.

The venue’s Christmas Party Night events also include a pre-show three-course meal and an after-show DJ, ‘spinning the hottest tracks to keep everyone on the dancefloor until the late hours’.

For further information and to book your Christmas party, visit nailcotehall.co.uk

Dickens reimagined

A new play which reimagines Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is being performed at Stratford-upon-Avon Methodist

Church Hall this month (Friday 13 October).

Titled What The Dickens?, the production sees the legendary author cast as Ebenezer Scrooge and ‘forced to face his sins’...

For further information about the show, visit thetelling.co.uk/dickens-stratford

Kali Theatre brings new show to the Belgrade

The award-winning Kali Theatre - a company which develops and presents contemporary theatre by women writers of South Asian descent - is this month presenting ‘a gripping psychological horror story’ at the Coventry Belgrade.

Titled Phantasmagoria, the play ‘explores the dangers of right-wing populism and unbridled social media, to show how fear can be manufactured and manipulated with chilling consequences’.

To find out more and book tickets, visit the theatre’s website: belgrade.co.uk

Reimagining Paul at Coventry Cathedral...

Two newly commissioned works of art will spend the majority of this month on display at Coventry Cathedral.

Titled Reimagining Paul and showing from Wednesday 4 to Tuesday 31 October, the pieces have been created to spark conversation about the apostle Paul, themes of identity, and the interpretation of Paul’s letters in contemporary society.

Children’s stories galore as Malvern festival returns

The Great Malvern Festival Of Stories For Children makes a welcome return this month following the huge success of last year’s inaugural event.

Taking place across a number of venues from Tuesday 24 to Sunday 29 October, the festival features professional storytellers, children’s authors & illustrators, puppet companies, musicians and theatre. Find out more by heading to visitthemalverns.org

Coventry theatre offering autumn drama sessions

Coventry’s Albany Theatre is running drama sessions for children and young people during the autumn term.

The sessions, taking place on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, cater for four separate age groups, from five to seven-yearolds through to 16 to 18-year-olds.

No previous drama experience is necessary to take part - just be ready to get involved and have fun! To find out more about the sessions, check out albanytheatre.co.uk

More Warwick Words...

Warwick Words History Festival returns this month, presenting a wide-ranging programme of talks, walks and tours ‘spanning 2,000 years of history, from the Romans to the Windsors’.

Using the town’s Castle Hill Baptist Church as its main venue, the festival runs from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 October and features contributions from, among others, Tracy Borman, Alison Weir, James Holland and Janina Ramirez.

Further information and tickets are now available at warwickwords.co.uk

Hugh Cornwell to play Leamington

Former Stranglers frontman Hugh Cornwell will perform at Leamington’s The Assembly early in the new year.

Hugh will be joined by The Primitives when he appears at the popular music venue on Friday 26 January.

For more information and to book tickets, visit the website assemblyleamington.com

Texas announce 2024 arena tour

Scottish rock band Texas will perform at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena next autumn as part of a UK tour.

Taking place on Friday 13 September, the show will see the band play a set of classic hits from their recently released album, The Very Best Of 1989 - 2023.

For further information and to purchase tickets, visit utilitaarenabham.co.uk

Monsters, historians and adventurers at Coventry venue

TV’s ‘queen of history’ Lucy Worsley, broadcaster and former pop star the Reverend Richard Coles, and explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes are among the well-known names presenting shows at Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre during the next few months.

And there’s plenty more to enjoy there, too - as the venue’s director, Doreen Foster, explains: “As we open our 2023 autumn season, we continue our commitment to free activities for everyone, with plenty of performances and workshops for all ages.

“Meanwhile, The Gruffalo is the perfect Christmas treat, our family-friendly Planting

Aladdin at the Hippodrome

West End & Broadway hit Aladdin is coming to Birmingham Hippodrome in 2024 as part of its first-ever UK & Ireland tour.

Based on Disney’s classic 1992 animated film, the show stops off at the venue from Wednesday 9 October to Sunday 3 November.

As well as featuring the movie’s original songs, the production also includes new music by eight-time Academy Award-winning composer Alan Menken.

The hugely popular show continues its recordbreaking run on Broadway. Since opening there in 2014, nine subsequent productions have launched around the world, including the West End version, which has racked up in excess of 1,200 performances.

To find out more about Aladdin’s autumn 2024 visit to Birmingham, and to book tickets, go to birminghamhippodrome.com

Roots Festival spans workshops, discussion, performance and more, and our Orchestral Series commences with the welcome return of the stunning Chineke! Orchestra, followed by the Symphony Orchestra of India’s first visit to us.

“And don’t forget our three cinema screens. We are not only home to big Hollywood blockbusters... we are also the only venue in Warwickshire where you’ll regularly find a selection of the very best films from around the world.”

For full details of the venue’s autumn/winter season, visit warwickartscentre.co.uk

Coventry Music Museum moves to increase footfall

Coventry Music Museum has joined leading city tourism organisation

Destination Coventry in a bid to increase footfall and volunteer numbers. The move comes as museum curator Pete Chambers works on expanding the venue’s offer, ‘incorporating new technologies to create immersive experiences and landing new showpiece exhibits’.

Tom Fletcher’s books to leap from page to stage

Author Tom Fletcher’s interactive adventures are leaping from page to stage next month, as his critically acclaimed Who’s In Your Book? series makes its debut as a brand-new musical.

Titled There’s A Monster In Your Show, the production visits the following venues: Royal Spa Centre, Leamington, on Tuesday 7 November; Halesowen Town Hall, Thursday 23 November; Malvern Theatres, Saturday 2Wednesday 6 December; Birmingham Town Hall, Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 April; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tuesday 30 April & Wednesday 1 May; and Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Friday 3 & Saturday 4 May.

Street art exhibition on show at Worcester gallery

An exhibition exploring the story of street art is currently on display at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum.

Available to view until Saturday 6 January, Paint The Streets features work by pivotal artists from the US and UK, including Banksy, Goldie and Inkie.

The show has been co-curated with the Worcester Paint Festival, an event which, over the past three years, has successfully raised the profile of street art in the city.

Pick pumpkins by moonlight, watch a classic horror movie at the drive-in cinema, listen to live music, and enjoy a drink and street food. That’s the deal available to visitors to Hatton Country World in Warwick on selected days this month. And what’s more, courtesy of a special offer, the experience can be enjoyed at half-price (excluding the movie). The

Coventry Biennial event returns for fourth edition...

This year’s Coventry Biennial, which launches this month, will investigate ‘our relationship to the world around us’. Presented in various venues and locations and running from Friday 6 October until mid-January, the festival offers visitors the opportunity to explore Coventry’s waterways, attend creative-writing workshops and share their ideas via collaborative artwork.

Further highlights include a film screening by a Turner Prize-nominated artist, guided

splendidly spooky event - titled Pumpkin Hollow - takes place every Saturday in October and also on Halloween. This event is primarily aimed at adults although children will be admitted.

Get your 50% off using code WOWARK23 when booking online at hattonworld.com/adventure-world

tours on foot and by bike, and arts & crafts workshops.

To check out the full Biennial programme, visit coventrybiennial.com

Cheltenham Literature Festival is back

The Times and Sunday Times

Cheltenham Literature Festival makes a welcome return this month. Featuring more than 500 events based around subjects including art & design, classic literature, current affairs, faith & philosophy, fiction, poetry & spoken word and food & drink, the festival runs from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 October.

Guest speakers this year include Brian Cox, Chris Packham (pictured), Bernie Taupin, David Mitchell, Adrian Edmondson, Michael Palin, David Walliams, Sebastian Faulks and David Baddiel.

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

FANGS AIN ’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE

Reimagining Bram Stoker’s Dracula...

by Steve Adams

An all-new - and all-female - adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula not only tells the tale from the viewpoint of vampire victim Mina Murray, it also relocates the classic gothic horror story to Aberdeenshire in Scotland. Its writer, Morna Pearson, talks to What’s On about the show...

Tell us how the project came about, Morna, and what you thought you could bring to a classic tale that’s already been told many times.

National Theatre of Scotland asked if I would like to adapt Dracula for a production with His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, and I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I’m drawn to dark stories. I’m from Elgin, in the north east of Scotland, so relocating the action to Aberdeenshire seemed a natural artistic choice to make. I believed I could contribute a unique version, despite the fact that it’s being done in many versions and mediums at any one time.

Sally Cookson is credited as director and you as writer, but the concept and style seems to have been quite a collaborative effort. How did that process work, and did you know her, or her work, before you started?

I hadn’t worked with Sally before, [but] had seen and admired filmed productions of her work. I was drawn to the fluidity, musicality and non-naturalism of Sally’s productions. She was brought on board very early on, so we could develop the storyline of the production through a collaborative process.

How did that work in practice?

Sally and I work in very different ways. She works visually and on her feet, while I’m very script-based and desk-bound. We had to find a process and a version of the story that worked for us both, and dramaturg Rosie Kellagher was the bridge in our collaboration. We had weeks of development, where we worked out what parts of the story we wanted to tell, how we wanted to tell it, and why.

What was the thinking behind making it an all-female and gender non-binary production - and putting them all in a psychiatric hospital?

Sally had the idea to frame the story of Dracula within an asylum - as psychiatric hospitals were called then - for women. I’d been writing Renfield as a female character and was drawn to exploring their experience in the asylum from the outset, so the framing

device spun from there. It opened the play up further to interrogate issues of power, identity and autonomy, which are so relevant today.

Why choose Mina Murray as the focal point? She was often regarded as the ‘ideal Victorian woman’ at the time, so are you planning to support or challenge that perception?

When I read the novel with an eye to adaptation, Mina immediately struck me as having great potential as a theatrical protagonist, and I was excited to retell the story of Dracula through her eyes. Our version of Mina has come from a less privileged background, and so is therefore less content to return to the status quo, like at the end of the novel. This production challenges Victorian beliefs and values, which were very constrictive for all. Through this, it also holds a mirror up to our modern beliefs.

Why did you choose to set the show in Scotland? Whitby and Transylvania are typically seen as the natural setting for the story, but it’s been suggested that Bram Stoker also took inspiration from Aberdeenshire when he visited the area. Are you reclaiming the tale for Scotland? I tend to set my plays in places I’m familiar with, and I fully believe you can find the universal in the specific. Because Stoker wrote a lot of Dracula in Cruden Bay (a coastal village north of Aberdeen) and was clearly inspired by the place and Slains Castle, it gives us permission to set it therein a way!

How do you intend to bring the Scottish location to life on stage?

It hopefully comes to life in the language, the humour, the characterisation and the soundscape.

The show has been described as ‘not for the faint-hearted’. Is it especially frightening, and if so, will the horrors be visual or psychological?

We explore the horror of the story through

various means. The novel has a lovely buildup of tension that I hope we’ve captured. But there will be blood and one or two jumpscares!

Even though the National Theatre of Scotland has teamed up with Aberdeen Performing Arts and the Coventry Belgrade Theatre for this production, it seems quite a big deal for them, not least because the show is touring quite extensively north of the border. Do you feel that - and feel the same way?

The National Theatre of Scotland have had faith and patience with this project from the beginning. They let us take our time finding the story we wanted to tell and how to tell it. The cast have been an integral part of that process of how we tell it, so they are just as emotionally invested. It’s my first large-scale production, so I can say it’s definitely a big deal for me!

As well as the Belgrade, the show will also be performed at Liverpool Playhouse. Are you looking forward to bringing the production south of Hadrian’s Wall, and will you need to tone down the accents or provide subtitles for an English audience?!

I’ve never had a full professional production south of Hadrian’s Wall, so I’m very excited and intrigued to see what the audiences make of it. I find non-local audiences/readers of my work atune their ear quite quickly to accents and dialects, so fingers crossed there will be no cries for subtitles!

Finally, how would you pitch the show to theatregoers? What can audiences expect from a night at Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning?

They can expect a story of friendship, loss and empowerment, with wonderfully striking and funny performances, all tied up with a bow of bloody horror!

Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning shows at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from Wednesday 18 to Saturday 21 October

Food news from across the region...

Pop-up eatery returns to the Belgrade...

Host Dining's pop-up eatery returns to the Coventry Belgrade Theatre’s Nineteen 58 restaurant & bar on Friday 20 October.

The exclusive evening will feature a new tasting menu from acclaimed local chef Sarah Jenkins and long-time collaborator Joel Gore, who has shared kitchens with Gordon Ramsay, James Martin and Mary Berry.

The menu is yet to be revealed.

Stratford food festival back on the menu

Stratford-upon-Avon Food Festival returns to the town centre on Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 October.

Featuring a wide range of artisan food producers and an impressive selection of local street food, the free-to-attend event provides visitors with the chance to ‘eat their way around the world’. Pop-up bars, cocktail demonstrations and live music also feature.

Celebrate Oktoberfest at Luna Springs

It’s time to dust off your lederhosenOktoberfest celebrations are returning to Luna Springs in Birmingham’s Digbeth district this month!

Brunch events will feature Bavarian decor, an oompah band, 90 minutes of bottomless booze and an Oktoberfestthemed dish.

The brunches are being held on Saturday 7 & Saturday 14 October and will take place in a heated marquee, meaning that you can celebrate in style, whatever the weather.

Worcester to host citywide celebration of food & drink

Worcester is hosting a citywide celebration of food & drink this month.

Running from Saturday 7 to Sunday 29 October, Taste Worcester is being described as a ‘culinary melting pot’ of set menus and special experiences, all available at ‘unbeatable prices’.

The tastebud-tantalising event is organised by

Warwick craft beer venue

The Craftsman proving a hit

A new craft beer venue has opened in Warwick. The Craftsman, which is run by father & son team Paul and Harvey Brown, boasts an extensive beer menu, including 16 rotating beers on tap and more than 50 product ranges in the bottle shop. As well as being available in pints, the drinkswhich include everything from hoppy IPAs and pale ales, to rich stouts, fruit sours and lagerscan also be enjoyed in third, half and two-third pint servings.

A selection of wines, spirits, liqueurs and ciders is also available.

To complement the drinks on offer, the venue also provides a food menu (think pizzas, burgers, wings and waffles) curated by Head Chef & General Manager Lee Mallen.

Visit Worcestershire and Worcester BID, with the very best of the city’s restaurants, bars & cafes all accessible via a downloadable voucher on the Visit Worcestershire website. Participating venues include: Cardinals Hat, Chesters, Olive Branch, Burger Shop, Maneki Ramen, Valentinos, Browns and Centenary Lounge.

ALL QUEER ON THE WESTERN FRONT

by Steve Adams

A new play by award-winning writer & actor Charlie Josephine is set to turn the stereotypical western - and its cowboy hero - on its head. With its “sexy trans masculine cowboys and queer working-class women”, Cowbois this month brings the classic genre kicking and screaming into the 21st century at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre... What’s On chats to Charlie to find out more...

As a child, award-winning trans masc writer & actor Charlie Josephine dreamed of being a cowboy, loving the posturing, sexiness and swagger every bit as much as the horse riding and gunslinging bravado.

An awareness of the fact that the hero in a Western was always a straight white malewith misogynistic and racist attitudes almost inevitably in attendance - came later. But even so, Charlie - who uses the pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’ - remained enamoured with the genre and has now written Cowbois, a Wild West-located play which this month premieres at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre in Stratford-uponAvon.

“I just thought cowboys were the coolest thing growing up and loved watching Rawhide on a Sunday morning,” says Charlie. “It’s been really interesting watching them all again for research.

“I’ve watched hours and hours and hours of films and documentaries, and you realise that of course the Hollywood version of cowboys is not at all historically accurate, and is a very white, male, often racist, often misogynistic version. I really wanted to disrupt that and to get us to question what we think a cowboy is, but also to just really enjoy the swagger and sexy cool iconic poses and images and language. It’s such a rich world to explore.”

In Cowbois, Charlie has created a sleepy town in the Wild West where the women are drifting through their days while the menfolk are away chasing fortunes in the goldrush. When handsome bandit Jack Cannon, a trans masc cowboy, swaggers into the town’s saloon, everything changes, kicking off a gender revolution.

The set-up - women and children left vulnerable in a partly deserted town - is a classic Western scenario that will feel familiar to fans of the genre. And, according to Charlie, it’s a deliberate ploy to ease audiences in gently, as well as to provide contrast once things start to change.

“I’ve chosen a classic story structure and shape that, without giving too many spoilers away, then gets disrupted and changed. It should feel very familiar in our bones, at least in the first half of the play, and then we get an opportunity to expand and explore and question that. I really wanted to put an unlikely protagonist on stage that you may not have seen at the RSC, but within a story shape that feels really familiar and comforting.”

The familiarity comment is telling, as even though the RSC has been promoting more diverse (and fewer male-led) Shakespeare productions in the last couple of years, the gender-bending content of Cowbois could still be seen as a challenge for a historical venue and traditional audience.

Charlie can see both sides of the coin.

“I think there’s a market for [this type of show], and people are hungry for it. It’s such a terrible myth that queer people only live in cities, and I’m sure the community that live around Stratford-upon-Avon will be thrilled to see this arriving on their doorstep.

“In some ways it’s a bold choice for the RSC, but ultimately it’s just a really brilliant story that’s full of action and everything you’d expect from a Western, so it should also just be a really great night out.”

That bold choice also extends to allowing Charlie to co-direct the production.

“I really wanted to use this as an opportunity to develop as a director. I’ve done a few bits and pieces on quite a small scale before, and I really wanted to learn how to direct ‘on the job’.”

A huge show at the RSC seems a prestigiousas well as challenging - place to earn your directorial stripes…

“Not bad is it? I’m not keeping it simple, I know - it’s go hard or go home, isn’t it?”

Charlie is quick to acknowledge the support of long-term collaborator and friend Sean Holmes - the associate artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe - as well as a talented creative team.

“We’ve really worked hard to be diverse backstage as well as on stage. No one will notice unless they really look at the list of creatives, but everything from stage management to sound design, all of that, we’ve really tried to embrace the themes of the play backstage as well. Which will enrich the work and be a really fun atmosphere to make this play in.”

The cast is equally diverse. Charlie is clearly excited by the entire company but especially smitten with leads Vinnie Heaven (Jack) and Sophie Melville (Miss Lillian).

“They’re incredible actors, both so exciting. You know when you can’t take your eyes off someone on stage? They’ve got that realwithout sounding too pretentious - aura about them. They’re unbelievable talents, and I’m so excited to get to work with them.

“The whole company is full of actors the RSC

hasn’t seen before but are known in the theatre scene - really brilliant, talented actors but just never seen on this particular stage before. It feels like a real privilege to bring them into this building.”

Charlie’s other privilege - and passion - is telling stories for and about people typically under-represented on the stage.

“Making work for working-class women and queer people, that seems to be where my heart and soul is, as well as my strength. There’s not enough theatre by, for and about working-class women and queer people [and] I hope people coming to watch this show feel empowered seeing these characters on this stage.

“Cowbois is an exploration of masculinity, power and freedom. But moreover, it’s a love letter to the trans masculine people in history whose stories have been ignored or erased. I hope people have some interesting chats about patriarchy, gender and freedom after seeing it.”

This all sounds very laudable, but Charlie’s also keen to point out that the show - which contains gunslinging, saloons, music, dancing and more - is a lot of fun and not in the least bit preachy.

“There’s some sort of nuanced explanation of big themes like class and race and gender, but it’s not smashing anyone in the face with it. If I’ve done my job right as a writer, it’s nuanced and messy and complex, and all within the heart of the story rather than being preachy or anything like that.

“It’s a classic Western and has everythingthere’s shootouts, horses, bars, whiskey… it’s a big, epic story that will feel cheeky and fun and exciting. There’s a love story, a few exciting twists you wouldn’t expect, but ultimately, it’s just a really good night out at the theatre.

“Since Covid I’ve learned that it’s a privilege to have a live audience, so I want theatre to feel really ‘live’. Netflix is brilliant, so why do you want to leave home, get a babysitter, get on the bus, go to the theatre and pay a lot of money for a ticket? It’s got to be an event and a spectacle, visceral and exciting in your body, and we’re definitely hoping to do that.”

Cowbois shows at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, from Saturday 14 October to Saturday 18 November

Classical music from across the region...

Ex Cathedra: Rachmaninoff 150: Vespers

St Mary’s Church, Warwick, Tues 10 October; Birmingham Town Hall, Sun 15 October

Ex Cathedra’s 53rd season is awash with celebrations and commemorations, beginning with this concert to mark the 150th anniversary of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birth.

Chineke! Orchestra Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 26 October

“Chineke! is not only an exciting idea but a profoundly necessary one,” says Sir Simon Rattle in talking about Europe’s first orchestra to feature a majority of black and minority ethnic musicians. “It’s the kind of idea which is so obvious that you wonder why it’s not already in place; the kind of idea which could deepen and enrich

Leonkoro Quartet

Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa, Fri 6 October

Hats off to the Leonkoro, who visit Leamington laden with booty after winning a bagful of awards at the 2022 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. The Berlin-based musicians - Leonkoro means Lionheart in Esperanto, by the wayalso came out victorious at the prestigious Bordeaux Competition, claimed the coveted Jürgen Ponto Foundation Music Prize and became BBC New Generation Artists for a period of two years.

In short, they’re a terrifically talented ensemble who’re well worth an evening of your time.

Their Midlands stop-off early this month sees them getting to grips with compositions by Schubert, Janáček and Brahms.

classical music in the UK for generations. What a thrilling prospect!”

Chineke! here present a programme featuring Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No85 in B flat (La reine), Joseph Bologne’s Violin Concerto - performed by Nathan Amaraland Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Symphony No3 in E flat (Eroica).

Orchestra of the Swan: Neoclassic

Warwick Hall, Thurs 12 October; The Courtyard, Hereford, Fri 13 October

The ever-splendid Orchestra of the Swan continue to hit all the right notes with their autumn-season programming, on this occasion presenting a Michael Collinsconducted concert that brings together works by Stravinsky, Rodrigo, Albéniz, Tárrega and Prokofiev. They are joined for the occasion by Xuefei Yang (pictured above), a Chinese classical guitarist whose phenomenal talent has earned her a place on Classic FM’s list of the 100 greatest classical musicians of modern times.

Other occasions being acknowledged by the ensemble during the coming weeks and months include the 300th anniversary of Bach’s St John Passion, the 400th anniversary of William Byrd’s death, and the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F Kennedy.

The choir will also be paying tribute to legendary composer Burt Bacharach, who died earlier this year.

“Rachmaninoff’s All-Night Vigil is his most-loved work,” says Ex Cathedra founder & conductor Jeffrey Skidmore (pictured) on the subject of this opening concert. “Recent discoveries from the original 1915 poster inform our performance, and bells - so dear to Rachmaninoff and Russian Christian culture - will sound the chants between movements.”

Ludovico Einaudi

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Wed 18 October

“There is something in it that comes from classical,” says Ludovico Einaudi of his own music, “but I have influences from different music I’ve experienced in my life; from African music to folk and rock.” Ludovico’s sound certainly defies easy classification. Commentators have ‘tried on for size’ all manner of descriptions; from ‘beautifully haunting’ and ‘evocative’, to ‘minimalist’, ‘alt-classical’, ‘ambient’ and ‘contemporary’. None of these quite say enough, however, about the stylish soundscape created by a man who has quietly become one of the most successful musicians in the world - he is, in fact, the most-streamed classical artist of all time... Ludovico returns to Birmingham on the back of Underwater, his first new solo piano album in 20 years.

Live music from across the region...

Beverley Craven & Judie Tzuke

Worcester Cathedral, Fri 27 October

An evening of witty narrative, unforgettable melodies and poignant sentiments is the guarantee being made to audiences by Beverley Craven and Judie Tzuke as they hit the road with this intimate acoustic show. Two of the UK’s best-loved female singersongwriters, Beverley and Judie are joined by the Gabriella Swallow string quartet.

LYR

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 5 October

No less a talent than the current poet laureate - Simon Armitage - makes up one third of genre-splicing band LYR (Land Yacht Regatta).

Elvana

hmv Empire, Coventry, Fri 13 October

Whoever hit upon this delightfully off-thewall idea must’ve been having a seriously heavy night on the wine gums...

A tribute act like no other, Elvana comes from ‘the bowels of Disgraceland’ and sees Elvis Presley fronting 1990s rock royalty Nirvana, presenting a concert in which the magnificently talented performers tear through the latter’s catalogue of hits ‘whilst splicing in grunged-up sections of the King of Rock & Roll’s finest moments’...

So... if you’re looking for a somewhat bizarre, engagingly colourful and altogether splendidly ridiculous experience with which to brighten up the dark autumn nights, we would respectfully suggest that this mindbending evening of fun and frivolity could very well be it.

But Simon isn’t the first holder of the prestigious post to put spoken word to music... Way back in 1974, 67-year-old thenlaureate Sir John Betjeman released Banana Blush, an album which he himself later described as a “vulgar pop song record, a serious lapse in taste”.

The Undertones

The Assembly, Leamington Spa, Sat 7 October

This year sees Derry punk rock band The Undertones celebrating the 45th anniversary of Teenage Kicks, the single for which they remain best known. After their first appearance on Top Of The Pops, the band spent the next five years producing popular hits such as Here Comes The Summer, My Perfect Cousin and You’ve Got My Number. When vocalist Feargal Sharkey left in 1983 to pursue a solo career, the remaining members decided to call it a day. They reformed in 1999 with replacement vocalist Paul McLoone and have been producing and performing ever since. The boys are here joined by Tom Robinson Band.

Lloyd Cole

Coventry Cathedral, Sat 28 October

One-time lead singer with The Commotions, with whom he released three albums in the 1980s, singer-songwriter Lloyd Cole has also enjoyed plenty of solo success.

“I’m excited to still be finding new methods, new perspectives, new sounds,” he says,

It’s to be hoped that Simon is somewhat less prone to self-condemnation than Sir John when it comes to assessing his own contribution to the world of music!

Having previously co-founded a band called The Scaremongers, he’s now settled down to the business of performing in LYR, where he’s joined by two seriously impressive talents in Richard Walters and Patrick Pearson.

Releasing their debut album in 2020, the trio visit Coventry this month in support of second offering The Ultraviolet Age... Support on the night is provided by singersongwriter Elanor Moss.

prior to this month’s return to the cathedral with two sets - one solo and one with a full electric band. “The album may be nearing commercial death, but my career has been in that state for almost 30 years, and here we are still; and I still want to make albums. I still want to be heard.”

Lloyd is joined for the gig by former Commotions members Neil Clark and Blair Cowan. “I’m very much looking forward to being on stage with Neil and Blair. We have no intention of producing a retro show.”

Maz O’Connor

Temperance, Leamington, Tues 3 October

It was while reading English at Cambridge that Maz O’Connor fell in love with the folk songwriters of the 1960s and ’70samong them Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake and Neil Young.

“I just loved the storytelling in their music,” she says. “It’s been a real inspiration for me, along with the more modern influence of Kate Rusby, whose singing style completely enchanted me when I was younger.”

THE DARK SIDE

Tom Chambers on starring in Torben Betts’ psychological thriller

Tom Chambers is a familiar television face, having appeared in Holby City, Casualty, Waterloo Road and Strictly Come Dancing (he won the Glitter Ball in 2008). Following a West End stint in Elf The Musical, he’s now touring the UK in a brand-new production: Torben Betts’ spinechilling ghost story, Murder In The Dark. What’s On caught up with Tom to chat about the show, which is visiting Birmingham’s The Alexandra in November...

What’s Murder In The Dark all about, Tom?

It's a ghost story surrounding a modern, dysfunctional family who are travelling back from a funeral and involved in a car crash on New Year's Eve. They're taken in by what seems like a nice old farmer’s wife. She offers them temporary salvage in her farm cottage, then all sorts of weird things start happening. The line is blurred between what's real and what's surreal, and the consequences of their past catching up with them in this eerie place. Things get scary because it's a psychological thriller, but at the same time you might be laughing because it's also unbearably comedic!

Who do you play in the show?

Danny Sierra, a somewhat washed-up pop star. He’s facing many demons and insecurities, as he fell from the perch and the trappings of fame. He was famous on both sides of the Atlantic some 20 years ago and has since fallen on harder times. His role is to try and make amends with his family, but he fails dramatically, as his efforts are either squashed or mixed up in what some would describe as paranormal activity. I don't want to give too much away, and we’ve been given strict instructions to ask all members of the audience to keep the two big plot twists a secret!

Have you worked with any of your castmates before?

I haven't, no, but that's always part of the fun of starting a new job - getting to know new people and sharing our creative resources. I always find it a fascinating discovery, witnessing what people are capable of. But of course I'm already very familiar with Susie Blake's work from Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV and all the other great things she's done.

Danny is a singer - and you're no stranger to musicals. Do you have any numbers in the show?

Yes, actually. Among the family party is Danny's brother, Will. They originally started out as a double act, playing in pubs and bars, before Danny took off and deserted him to ‘hit the big time’ with a teen pop band. And

so at one point the brothers sing together one of their most popular songs from 20 years ago - but then they’re interrupted by something peculiar!

Why do you think we all love a good murder-mystery?

I heard a very clever man on the radio describing how the human brain hasn't evolved over the last 10,000 years. Our bodies and everything around us have, but our brains can’t separate the difference between fact and fiction when it comes to imagination and storytelling and the effects it has on us. We live in a semi-constant state of anxiety... on the edge of adrenaline, while we wait for either something bad to happen or the possibility of being taken by surprise. So I think a good ghost story or murder-mystery exercises the senses that we’ve relied on for thousands of years to keep us alive as a species! And together, subconsciously perhaps, we enjoy problem-solving or raising our awareness. Plus, the moment someone starts telling ghost stories round the dinner table, it either puts the fear of god into you or your brain starts lighting up like rockets on a dark night! Either way, it’s exciting food for your brain!

Do you scare easily yourself?

Yes, I do. I tend not to gravitate towards scary things. Mystery, yes, but I'm certainly not someone who prefers horror movies, although I know millions of people do. It's probably because I've got older siblings who would either make me jump or fill my imagination with doubt! Fear is contagious, and so while it’s thrilling doing this play, it’s also a bit like you're experiencing and feeling it for real!

Was working in theatre always part of the plan?

I sort of grew up with theatre, but I wanted to get into television and film because, well, who wouldn't? But I love doing stage work. The magical thing about theatre is that when you sit there with a whole load of other people, it makes you realise you're not alone; we all share similar feelings and responses. People could be watching the dysfunctional

family in this play and thinking 'Hey, it's not just me,' or they'll look to their family or friends and be thinking 'That's definitely you,' in relation to what's happening on stage. Or it might just be that you enjoy the shared experience of a live performance. Live events are great because we’re a herd species, and it's really fulfilling and nourishing when you're watching something together.

You made your musical theatre debut in Top Hat. How was the experience?

I did shows for the National Youth Music Theatre and Edinburgh Festivals, and when I left drama school I did loads of theatre, but it was all profit-share and fringe stuff. But doing Top Hat after Strictly Come Dancing was my first-ever professional West End musical. It was both incredible and daunting. I was following in Fred Astaire's footsteps, and he's someone who's obviously very hard to replicate, so it was a huge challenge. It was also a great honour, because I was such a fan of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly back in the day. I suddenly had newfound respect for anyone who works in theatre because you have to be physically and mentally fit, like an athlete. You're doing eight shows a week, and it's all about structure and planning and scheduling and keeping yourself 100% ready with a very precise nutrition plan!

Which theatre jobs have you most enjoyed?

I did White Christmas in the West End and played both the Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby roles, which was really, really fun. Playing the grumpy dad in Elf The Musical was also a lot of fun. Doing Dial M For Murder on tour was another highlight. Top Hat was certainly the big one; a huge role and the show that really started my theatre career. I've been lucky because I've really enjoyed everything I've done since. And now with Murder In The Dark, I pray it continues!

Murder In The Dark shows at The Alexandra, Birmingham from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 November

Comedy previews from across the region...

Ed Byrne

Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Fri 6 October; Lichfield Garrick, Wed 11 October; Regal, Evesham, Thurs 12 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 13 October; Walsall Arena, Sat 14 October; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Wed 18 October; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 19 October; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 15 November; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 14 December

A highly regarded master of observational comedy, Ed Byrne admits to being a little uncomfortable about some of the ‘more laddish’ material he used in the early days of his standup career.

“My comedy reflected my life at that timesingle and enjoying myself. Most of it was fairly harmless, but some of the stuff about an ex-girlfriend I can see was a bit angry, and I wouldn’t do it now.”

Ed is bringing his latest standup offering, Tragedy Plus Time - which sees him ‘mining the most tragic event in his life for laughs’to numerous Midlands venues in the final few months of the year. So does he enjoy touring the country?

“Apart from the travel involved, which no comic likes, I love it. You have people responding to something that you’ve written alone in your office, and the work comes alive in a roomful of people. I like the TV things I do, but nothing can beat a live comedy audience.”

Sophie McCartney

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Thurs 12 October; Birmingham Town Hall, Thurs 19 October

Award-winning comedian Sophie McCartney has entered the perilous world of parenting and thinks it’s high time she told her audience all about it.

“Why did no one tell me what to really expect after I was expecting?” she questions. “Will my belly button ever go back to ‘normal’?

Jenny Eclair

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 1 October; Old Rep, Birmingham, Sat 14 October; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 21 October

Compared to some of her peers, Jenny Eclair’s ascent up the greasy comedy pole to the ‘promised land’ of celebrity status was relatively slow.

Queer As Joke

The Loft, Birmingham, Mon 9 October

The city’s only LGBTQIA+ comedy night makes a welcome return as part of this year’s Birmingham Comedy Festival. Featuring a winning mix of new comedians and veteran acts, the show is hosted by Cycki Brokat, Ellen Degenerate and Gareth Williams. The ‘trio of misfits’ are promising that they’ll be ready, steady and raring to go with ‘charming stories, absolute nonsense and a skittle bomb or three’...

“I think I’ve made more public mistakes than most people, and suffered for them,” she observes. “Like being crap on stage. I was 22 when I started, and there are still producers working now who saw me then and wrote me off. It took years to change their minds.”

As Jenny has matured - she’s now 63 - she’s developed an appreciation of her womanhood that’s proved to be of real benefit to her comedy routine: “I think women get dirtier as they get older. The more your body lets you down, the more you have to find it funny. I just think bumholes and fannies are hilarious...

“The first joke my father told me was a fart gag, and I still find it funny.”

Why do you need a degree in collapsing travel cots? And do I have what it takes to stop my current cereal eaters from becoming future serial killers?”

These and many more questions will hopefully be answered in latest show Tired & Tested, during which Sophie makes her way through subjects including mating, birthing, body changes, school WhatsApp groups, overbearing nutjob love, and still not being able to handle her booze on a night out...

Angela Barnes

Old Rep, Birmingham, Sat 28 October

When Angela Barnes’ inspirational father died, it proved to be the catalyst for her to follow his advice - finally - and hurl herself into the rough, tough world of standup comedy...

And if her success so far is anything to go by, she certainly made the right decision. A BBC New Comedy Awards winner and selfconfessed BBC Radio Four nerd, Angela is this month visiting Birmingham with latest stream of consciousness Hot Mess, a show that’s garnered its fair share of plaudits both in Edinburgh and on tour.

Comedy previews from across the region...

Nabil Abdulrashid

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Thurs 26 October; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 2 December

In 2010 and at the age of 25, Nabil Abdulrashid became the youngest-ever black comedian to perform standup at London’s Hammersmith Apollo when he entered the Which Religion Is Funniest? competition. He came out joint winner and was chosen to perform at the premiere of the Omid Djalili film The Infidel.

More recent times have seen him finishing fourth in the 2020 series of Britain’s Got Talent and appearing as a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef.

The London-born 38-year-old visits the Midlands this month with The Purple Pill, ‘a show about trying to be a good person while staying a badman’.

Davis

Birmingham Town Hall, Fri 6 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 20 October; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Thurs 26 October; Victoria Hall, Stoke, Sat 2 March, 2024; Malvern Theatres, Sat 23 March; Birmingham Town Hall, Sat 11 May “I’ve always thought of myself as an underdog,” reveals Murder In Successville’s Tom Davis to beyondthejoke.com, “though not necessarily in a negative way. I think

Dan Nightingale

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 27 October

There’s precious little not to like about Dan Nightingale. At turns, he manages to be a bit of a tragic figure, a hugely endearing top chum, and a fella whose switched-on observations can be exceedingly funny and sometimes even a little bit profound. Sure, his choice of material could maybe be braver, but he’s nevertheless good value for money, and very much the kind of comedian you’d happily catch up with again and again.

Paul Foot

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Fri 13 October; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 14 October; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Wed 15 May

Paul Foot’s routines involve him sharing with his audience the seemingly random and intriguingly surreal thoughts that make their way through his ever-busy mind...

By way of example, he told comedy.co.uk: “I’d like to do a TV show in which I enter an unsuspecting family’s house at dinner time, violently upturn tables, hurl all the crockery and food at the walls and scream ‘Oh how the tables have turned!’”

On that particular subject of television shows, Paul admits he doesn’t appear on anywhere near as many as some other comedians. “People know when a TV show needs me and the phone will ring. Quite often I’m in the bath, though, or smashing specially purchased greenhouses with a golf club in the garden.”

Comedy

that’s what has made me. The bulk of my humour comes from constantly feeling like someone who’s had a little bit of a kicking.” Having left school with no qualifications, Tom’s road to comedy success proved to be a long and winding one: “I’d been working on building sites for 20-odd years. I just wanted to do something for myself. I tried standup, and straight away I just thought “Wow! I feel like I’m actually quite good at something: making other people laugh.”

Victoria Melody

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 6 October

Performance artist Victoria Melody’s decision to quit theatre in favour of becoming a standup comedian steered her down an interesting path. In an effort to become better at being funny, she took the unusual step of enlisting the assistance of speech & language specialists. It was a move which not only led to her discovering that she’s neurodivergent, but also provided her with plenty of material for currently touring standup show Head Set, the critically acclaimed 65-minute offering she’s bringing to Birmingham early this month.

Tom

Theatre

Charlie And The Chocolate Factory - The Musical

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 17 October - Sun 5 November

Roald Dahl’s famous 1964 story follows the fortunes of 11-year-old Charlie Bucket, a young boy living in poverty who finds one of five golden tickets to Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. But there’s plenty more to candy-creating Willie’s magical world than Everlasting Gobstoppers and a Chocolate River - as Charlie and the

Annie

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 10 - Sat 14 October

Craig Revel Horwood is the latest high-profile performer to take on the coveted role of Miss Hannigan in this oft-touring musical. 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. The role of Miss Hannigan will be taken by Jodie Prenger on Saturday the 14th.

La Bamba!

other golden ticket holders soon find out...

Combining memorable songs - The Candy Man, Pure Imaginationfrom the 1971 film version with all-new numbers from the multiaward-winning songwriters of Hairspray, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory visits Birmingham as part of its first-ever UK & Ireland tour.

of samba, salsa, and a flourish of tango. So this show is going to be a party for everyone!”

Sinatra The Musical

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 3 - Sat 7 October

A new musical inspired by the life and legacy of rock & roll legend Ritchie Valens, La Bamba! follows the journey of 17-year-old Sofia as she looks to fulfill her dream of becoming a huge musical star.

The show sees dancer Pasha Kovalev make his musical theatre debut, with Siva Kaneswaran, from boyband The Wanted, also starring.

Pasha’s Strictly co-star, Graziano Di Prima, is responsible for the choreography.

“The dance in La Bamba! is a bit of everything,” says Graziano, “with the flavour

The Rep, Birmingham, until Sat 28 October Coming 25 years after Frank Sinatra’s death, Sinatra The Musical is the first production of its kind to explore the singer’s life both on and off stage. Produced by the Rep with an award-winning creative team and featuring more than 25 of Frank’s best-loved songs, the show focuses on his 1940s rise and fall, as his skyrocketing popularity is dramatically undermined by his headline-making affair with actress Ava Gardner...

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre previews from around the region

Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 30 October - Sat 4 November; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 18 - Sat 23 March

A play about a play that goes wrong isn’t a new idea by any means, but it’s certainly a winning one, as the plaudits garnered by this cheeky little hit ably illustrate. Indeed, one reviewer laughed so much that he feared he was going to hyperventilate; another admitted his funny bone had been well and truly struck by the piece; a third laughed and laughed until ‘tears ran down’. Having first introduced audiences to the Cornley Drama Society in the Olivier Awardwinning The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Theatre Company here let loose those selfsame comic creations on a production of JM Barrie’s children’s classic. The only trouble is, the bumbling thesps are more than a little accident-prone. So much so, in fact, that they’re not even sure they’ll manage to reach the curtain call, let alone Neverland...

Alan Turing: A Musical Biography

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 October

Alan Turing is nowadays considered to be a World War Two hero, having helped Britain defeat the Nazis by cracking the German’s now-famous Enigma code.

But Turing wasn’t always viewed in such a positive light. Indeed, in the aftermath of the war, he was persecuted for his homosexuality by the British government. He took his own life in 1954...

Using dialogue directly taken from historical letters that Alan wrote to his friends, colleagues and mother, this inventive dramatisation of his life played the Edinburgh Fringe to great critical acclaim.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 10 - Sat 14 October; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 23 - Sat 27 January

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie may have come from humble beginnings - it was inspired by a television documentary and premiered in Sheffield - but after only a matter of months it had transferred to the West End. Since then, the musical - which

follows a young man’s quest for acceptance on his journey to becoming a drag queenhas enjoyed blockbusting success, with numerous Olivier nominations and a wellreceived feature film testifying to its incredible popularity.

This latest tour sees Ivano Turco starring as Jamie and EastEnders actor John Partridge taking the role of Hugo/Loco Chanelle.

Calendar Girls

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 3 - Sat 7 October; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 14 - Sat 18 November

Based on a true story originally dramatised in a star-studded 2003 film, Calendar Girls tells the terrific tale of a group of women who spark a global phenomenon when they decide to pose nude for a charity calendar. Tim Firth & Gary Barlow’s award-winning stage version of the hit movie stars Tanya Franks, Maureen Nolan, Lyn Paul, Amy Robbins, Paula Tappenden, Marti Webb and Honeysuckle Weeks.

Constant Companions

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Tues 24 October - Sat 4 November

Mention Alan Ayckbourn and a list of brilliant observational comedies springs readily to mind, the most famous among which - think Relatively Speaking, Absurd Person Singular, The Norman Conquests, Bedroom Farce - were penned way back in the 1970s. But the 84-year-old has written plenty more plays besides, including this latest - and 89th - offering.

Premiering only last month, it contemplates the subject of true love in a world in which humans have turned to artificial friends for the experience of ‘companionship without compromise’.

As is often the case with his plays, Ayckbourn also takes the directorial reins.

Murder On The Nile

Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock, Wed 11 & Thurs 12 October

Kay Ridgeway has led a charmed life. Blessed with beauty, enormous wealth and a brandnew husband, she embarks on a honeymoon voyage down the Nile, little knowing that she is sailing towards shocking and brutal murder.

Under scrutiny are a multitude of passengers, all with good reason to kill. As the tension and sense of claustrophobia builds, a shocking and audacious conspiracy is laid bare...

Theatre previews from around the region

Twelve Angry Men

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 30 October - Sat 4 November

Hollywood star Patrick Duffy heads the cast in this brand-new touring version of Reginald Rose’s gripping courtroom drama.

Best known from the 1957 film starring Henry Fonda, Twelve Angry Men tells the story of one juror’s battle to save the life of a man on trial for the murder of his father.

Initially a lone voice in the wilderness, Juror Eight is faced with the monumental challenge of persuading his eleven fellow jurors to spare the defendant’s life - a task made all the more difficult by the other men’s prejudices and preconceptions about the trial.

The production also stars Gray O’Brien (Coronation Street), Tristan Gemmill (Casualty, Coronation Street), Michael Greco (EastEnders), Ben Nealon (Soldier Soldier) and Gary Webster (Minder).

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing

Lichfield Garrick, Tues 17 October; Old Rep, Birmingham, Wed 18 October; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Sat 21 October

Taking one of the bard’s classic comedies and attempting to increase its laughter count, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare is, as the performers themselves describe it, a classic combination of a hacked-to-bits Shakespeare script, half a dozen professional actors and a bucketload of booze.

The Sh!t-faced crew have been plying their trade to excellent effect since 2010, enjoying worldwide success with their winning combination of high-brow Elizabethan drama and no-holds-barred drunken antics and ‘rude stuff’. What’s more, they make the impressive promise that, ‘with a genuinely inebriated cast member each night, no two shows are ever the same’…

Cheeky Little Brown

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 24 - Sat 28 October

Papatango Prize-winning playwright Nkenna Akunna is the immense talent behind this

thought-provoking story about two Black women on diverging paths of self-love and acceptance.

“Cheeky Little Brown is an ode to your early 20s,” explains Nkenna, “a second coming of age, an aesthetically pleasing panic attack. It’s a story about a young woman’s resistance to change and ultimately her journey toward a new beginning.”

The play has been co-produced by the Belgrade with the Bristol Old Vic and British African heritage contemporary theatre company Tiata Fahodzi.

A Box Of Delights

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, Tues 31 October - Sun 7 January

Opening on Halloween, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) festive family treat for 2023 is based on Poet Laureate John Masefield’s fantasy novel of the same name, first published in 1935.

The Box Of Delights follows the adventures of schoolboy Kay Harker, who, returning home for Christmas, finds himself unexpectedly entrusted with a small wooden box that has magical powers beyond his wildest dreams. But a ne’er-do-well wizard is after the box and will stop at nothing to get it, even threatening to cancel Christmas...

The RSC is promising theatre-goers a ‘fantastically festive’ production, with Justin Audibert taking the director’s chair. Justin’s previous work for the Company includes a critically acclaimed version of The Taming Of The Shrew back in 2019. The Box Of Delights is suitable for children aged seven-plus.

The Merchant Of Venice 1936

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sat 10 February

Undoubtedly one of Shakespeare’s most difficult, complex and controversial works, The Merchant Of Venice follows the fortunes of the antisemitic Antonio, who bets on a venture that fails to repay and finds himself forced to borrow cash from Shylock, a Jewish money-lender whom he detests...

Relocated in time and place, the play is here set against a backdrop of London in 1936, as the threat of fascism grows on a daily basis and Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists plan a march through the Jewish East End.

Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Doctor Who) stars as Shylock in a production which has garnered widespread critical acclaim.

Image from previous touring production

Theatre previews from around the region

Astley’s Astounding Adventures

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 21 October

Astley’s Astounding Adventures first delighted audiences five years ago, to mark the 250th anniversary of the circus. It returns in 2023 to celebrate the 850th anniversary of Newcastle-under-Lyme - the location of the New Vic Theatre and the home town of Philip Astley, the international impresario who invented the circus.

This bold, colourful and critically acclaimed show is co-helmed by expert choreographer Vicki Dela Amedume and the New Vic’s artistic director, Theresa Heskins.

Crimes On Centre Court

Albany Theatre, Coventry, Tues 17 & Wed 18

October; Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 19 - Sat 21

October; The Roses, Tewkesbury, Tues 31 October

Poised and polished purveyors of mirth The New Old Friends make a welcome return with a show that serves up murder, mystery, mayhem - and tennis!

The chair of the Whombledun International tennis tournament has died, and his son is suspicious. Enter seriously silly sleuths Perry & Penny Pink, who’re hoping to solve the case with all the speed and efficiency of a Novak Djokovic forehand smash...

Highly regarded for their comic songwriting and happy to employ both puppetry and slapstick routines in the name of comedy, The New Old Friends serve another ace with this latest show.

The Full Monty

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Mon 2 - Sat 7

October; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 30

January - Sat 3 February

When six men lose their jobs at the local steelworks, they find that dignity, hope and self-belief are suddenly in short supply. Until, that is, they take the plunge and become male strippers...

And Then There Were None

Malvern Theatres, Tues 24 - Sat 28 October

Having been invited to a privately owned remote island off the coast of Devon, a group of strangers find that their eccentric millionaire host has mysteriously disappeared.

Not long afterwards, one of the 10 strangers meets with an untimely demise... National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company director Lucy Bailey takes the helm for this latest version of Agatha Christie’s 1943 adaptation of her own 1939 novel - a book which she admitted had been her most difficult to write.

Cowbois

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, Sat 14 October - Sat 18 November

“Cowbois is co-directed by me and Sean Holmes [associate artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe],” explains playwright Charlie Josephine in talking about Cowbois.

“It’s a big queer cowboy show full of everything you’d expect from a western. But our lone ranger is a gender outlaw who fights patriarchy and inspires a queer revolution.”

The lone ranger mentioned by Charlie is handsome bandit Jack Cannon, whose arrival in a sleepy, isolated, goldrush-era Wild West town bereft of men quickly puts the cat among the pigeons...

“My brain is fizzy and my body likes to move,” says Charlie, whose pronouns are they/them. “I’m proper passionate about making art that’s honest, visceral, sweatyand particularly stories that centre workingclass women and queer people.”

Cowbois is accompanied on Monday 23 October by a pre-show talk by the production’s creative team. A post-show talk takes place on Friday 3 November.

Tickets for these can be booked via rsc.org.uk

This touring stage production, based on the hit 1996 film of the same name, stars Danny Hatchard (EastEnders), Jake Quickenden (X Factor, Dancing On Ice) and Bill Ward (Coronation Street, Emmerdale).

Rehearsal image: credit Andrew Billington

HAPPY CHAPPY

Ore Oduba shares his delight at starring in hit musical Pretty Woman, which tours to the Midlands this month...

by Steve Adams

Fresh from a successful run in London’s West End, an all-new production of Pretty Woman: The Musical kicks off its first-ever UK tour in Birmingham this month. Former TV presenter and Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba tells What’s On why he’s a very happy man to be joining the cast as, er, Happy Man...

Based on the 1990 blockbuster movie that turned Julia Roberts into a superstar, Pretty Woman: The Musical has become quite a phenomenon in its own right, with recordbreaking runs on Broadway and in the West End, a US tour and performances in cities around the world.

Co-written by the film’s director, Garry Marshall - best-known as the man behind 1970s TV hits Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and Mork & Mindy - the show features original music and lyrics by pop superstar Bryan Adams and his long-term collaborator, Jim Vallance, and is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell.

The A-listers all bring their A-game to proceedings, according to Garry’s widow, Barbara, who claims the idea of putting the movie on stage was hers.

“I kept saying to him ‘You know, this could be a musical,’” she laughs, “and he’d say ‘Yeah, okay’, but nothing happened.”

It took another 15 years for her husband to start working on the script. Sadly, he died before his dream of having a show on Broadway was fulfilled, but Barbara is convinced he’d love the finished article. “He loved revisiting the story and transforming it into a musical, adding the songs and changing some of the structure. Had someone told him it would be such a hit around the world, he wouldn’t have believed it. Not only did it make it to Broadway, it’s bringing joy to so many people in so many other places.”

The next one of those places is Birmingham, where the refreshed show kicks off its first UK tour this month. It stars Amber Davies as Vivian Ward (the role made famous by Julia Roberts), Oliver Savile as Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere in the movie) and Ore Oduba as Happy Man/Mr Thompson. The former TV presenter’s star has been in the ascendancy ever since he won Strictly Come Dancing in 2016, which not only enabled viewers to see him in a new light but gave him the confidence to push his career in a new direction. He happily admits performing in the likes of Grease and The Rocky Horror Show has been a dream come true - a notion that ties in nicely with his latest character. “I can’t believe Strictly was seven years ago,” says Ore. “The memories are still so strong, even though life has carried on and there’s

been all these other roles since then. It’s interesting, because I guess Strictly was all about dreams, and what’s lovely about my role in Pretty Woman is that Happy Man is the narrator of the show and is all about dreams and magic - and if you buy into the magic, your dreams can become reality. I get to sell that every night.

“What was crazy about doing Strictly was that it was beyond my wildest dreams to be doing this professionally, but I remember being in that show and loving being on stage, thinking what an amazing thing it would be to get to do it every day.”

As much as it might seem a strange move for the former TV presenter (he helmed CBBC’s Newsround and regularly appeared on BBC Breakfast, among other programmes), there’s a link between what he does now and what he did as a youngster.

“ I guess the last four years working in musical theatre makes sense to me, even though it still blows my mind. It makes sense because when I was younger, I spent a lot of time on stage - I was in every school production. If I wasn’t playing sport, I was on stage singing or performing somewhere, so it’s wonderful that I’ve been able, 20 years down the track, to unlock something that was always a massive passion.”

It’s just as well it’s a passion, as the Pretty Woman tour lasts over a year. Ore’s only break - if you can call it that - will be to do pantomime over Christmas. At the moment he’s the excited puppy (“it’s such a wonderful experience to be thrown into a brand-new production, because it’s an explosion for the senses”), but he knows it’ll be hard work the longer it goes on, not least because he’s on stage for the bulk of the show.

He’s speaking slowly and choosing his words carefully as he tries not to explain.

“Happy Man is kind of ever-present, and then there’s a lovely moment when he becomes Mr Thompson. So I do play a couple - if not, multiple - roles; my guy pops up regularly. That’s just to give you a bit of a tease and not give too much away. But I’m there quite a lot!”

Ore’s especially excited about fuelling the audience’s imagination as Happy Man (“he’s in the heart of the show, as well as its message about living your dream”). He’s also clearly fired up for the big dance numbers.

“There are so many wonderful messages within the show, and my narrator part as Happy Man gets to relay all of that. But then there are also some fabulous dance numbers and really lovely song & dance momentsthis might be the biggest dance I’ve done since Strictly!”

Ore even has a link to the writer of much of the music, and not just because he’s a big fan of Bryan Adams.

“Funnily enough, I remember interviewing him on BBC One in 2015 because he was doing the New Year’s Eve fireworks show and I was hosting the programme. He was doing all his hits - Summer of 69, Run To You, and the rest. Fast forward eight years and I’m singing his songs!

“I’m really excited because he’s had such a successful career writing incredible songs. I remember watching Pretty Woman in London, and there are some really strong numbers in the show - absolute belters - and I think people are going to love that element of it, too.”

Ore got to see the musical just before the end of its London run earlier this year, but admits he dragged his feet on the original movie. “I’d never seen the film until last year. I have a thing about classic movies, in that I’m always playing catch-up with a lot of iconic titles. My issue is that if you missed it the first time around, everyone else has seen it, so it’s very rare that you can find someone else who’s in your boat. Every time you suggest ‘Maybe we could watch Pretty Woman’, everyone else goes ‘Seen it!’

“So I watched it for the first time quite recently, and then again prior to rehearsals, and it really got the tastebuds sizzling. I think what’s wonderful about the musical is that it’s a really gorgeous tribute to a film that people know and love. But whether you’ve seen the movie or not, it’s a big night out for everybody, and we guarantee you’re going to have a good time!”

Pretty Woman shows at The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 28 October. The show then returns to the Midlands in 2024 to play the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 July

Theatre for younger audiences...

The Smeds & The Smoos

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 31 October & Wed 1 November

Another Tall Stories adaptation of a picture book by award-winning collaborators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, The Smeds And The Smoos tells the intergalactic tale of a young Smed and a young Smoo who fall hopelessly in love. Problem is... the redcoloured Smeds and the blue-coloured Smoos never mix, causing Romeo & Julietstyle complications for the star-crossed lovers...

Created for children aged three-plus, this theatrical presentation of Donaldson & Scheffler’s delightful space romance comes complete with a powerful but gently conveyed message about difference and tolerance.

Nest

The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 21 October

Taking a bird’s eye view of human beings and telling a tale about ‘discovering what’s important and learning how to fly’, Nest is a highly physical show that uses minimal language and combines imaginative clowning with beautiful shadow play and original song. The company behind the production is M6 Theatre, a well-established Rochdale-based ensemble whose stated aim is to produce stagework that ‘ignites the imagination, nurtures the heart and challenges the mind’. The show is suitable for children aged threeplus.

Thumbelina

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Tues 31 October

Born inside a flower, the ever-so-tiny Thumbelina finds herself living in an oversized world of woodland creatures - some of whom, she soon discovers, pose a significant threat to her safety...

This gentle and playful performance, ‘with the beauty of the natural world at its heart’, is suitable for children aged between three and eight.

The Singing Mermaid

Lichfield Garrick, Tues 31 October & Wed 1 November

Little Angel Theatre’s stage adaptation of the popular children’s book by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks visits Lichfield 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 the circus 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 between three and eight, the show has a running time of 55 minutes.

The Amazing Bubble Man

Lichfield Garrick, Sat 28 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 29 October

Square bubbles, bubbles inside bubbles, fogfilled bubbles, giant bubbles, bubble volcanoes and tornados - even people inside bubbles. Whatever kind of bubble floats your boat, it’s likely that the Amazing Bubble Man - aka Louis Pearl - will be able to provide it. Louis has been thrilling audiences worldwide with his mindbending bubble shows for more

than 30 years and is a surefire sellout whenever he appears at the Edinburgh Festival. Expect comedy, artistry, audience participation and more spellbinding bubble tricks than you could, er, blow a bubble at, when he stops off in the Midlands this month.

Tom Thumb

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sun 22 October

The classic story of the terrifically tiny Tom Thumb here gets the always-imaginative Lyngo Theatre treatment - which on this occasion means a show that features feathery spinning birds, a flying house and a portable forest. Oh, and which also takes place entirely on and under a kitchen table!

There’s A Tiger In The Garden

The Brewhouse, Burton-upon-Trent, Sun 15 October

Lizzy Stewart’s award-winning children’s book is brought to life by the highly acclaimed Flock Theatre Makers, whose adaptation brings together puppetry, music and imaginative design. The 45-minute show - suitable for children aged three-plusfollows the adventures of a little girl named Nora as she discovers the wonders that lie beyond the shrubbery in the garden (which may or may not include a big stripey tiger!).

Light entertainment from around the region

Buffy Revamped

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sat 28 October

Calling to mind the work of ensembles such as the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Buffy Revamped is a fast-paced new production that wings its way through all 144 episodes of hit 1990s television series Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Not only that, but it does so in an admirably concise 70 minutes.

The one-man production is presented by Brendan Murphy, whose central character of Spike is a fella who, as you might imagine, knows a thing or several about the now-cult US TV show... Buffy Revamped scored a big hit in Edinburgh, so if you’re a fan of the series yourself, a fun evening out is pretty much a guarantee.

Reverend Richard Coles

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Fri 27 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wed 22 November; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Sat 2 December

Having concluded that the BBC’s decision to move its production of Radio Four’s Saturday Live to Cardiff meant that it was no longer viable for him to cohost the show, the Reverend Richard Coles is now cutting loose and hitting the road with a brand-new offering. And the former Communards star and onetime Strictly contestant certainly has plenty to chat about in the amusingly titled Borderline National Trinket - from sex and drugs, to pop stardom and religious epiphany...

Expect an evening of engaging storytelling from a witty and talented raconteur.

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 7 October

If ever there was a show worth seeing more than once, this is it - and not only because it’s an Olivier Award winner.

Showstopper! is exactly what it says on the tin: a musical that’s improvised - meaning that no two nights are ever the same. The rotating cast of

quick-witted performers take suggestions from the audience and then spin a brandnew comedy musical out of thin air, complete with tunes, lyrics, dances and harmonies. It’s clever stuff, performed by clever people. And if audience reaction is anything to go by, you might even find yourself well and truly gobsmacked by just how good they are.

Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal Live Show

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tues 31 October

The gender-fluid Sasha Velour - the seasonnine winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race back in 2017 - stops off in Birmingham in support of recently published book The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto Of Drag. Offering an immersive evening of storytelling and live art, the show features ‘iconic new performances’ by Sasha and an appearance by a special guest star.

sensitive about the subjects of ‘divorce, German terrorists and foot trauma’, it might be best to opt for a quiet night in!

An unauthorised parody of classic 1980s Bruce Willis action movie Die Hard, the show is heading out on tour following rave reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe and in London.

Ru Paul’s Drag Race: Werq The World

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Thurs 12 October

Bimini Bon-Boulash will be the only UK drag queen in Werq The World when the show sashays into Birmingham’s Utilita Arena this month.

Bimini will be appearing alongside US drag queens Jaida Essence Hall, Aquaria, Vanessa Vanjie, Angeria, Bosco, Daya Betty, Kandy Muse and Ginger Minj.

The show is set in a dystopian future and finds the stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race having to choose between the real world and the artificial one they have come to know.

Commenting on the production, Bimini said: “I can’t wait to team up with my drag sisters for five amazing nights on the Werq The World tour. It’s going to be huge, so get ready for the largest drag production in herstory!”

Yippee Ki Yay

Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 12 October; The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 14 October

The award-winning Richard Marsh’s critically acclaimed show comes complete with a content warning - so if you’re particularly

JAMIE’S WORLD

by Hugh Montgomery

Hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie tells the story of 16-year-old Jamie New, who dreams of becoming a drag queen.

Inspired by a real-life television documentary and garnering great critical acclaim since premiering in 2017, the show returns to the Midlands this month, with Ivano Turco taking the title role, John Partridge playing Hugo/Loco Chanelle and Hayley Tamaddon starring as Miss Hedge... What’s On recently caught up with the trio to find out more...

“It’s very freeing in that sense, in that I can put a lot of my natural movement into it.” One of the other aspects of the role that really resonates with Ivano is Jamie’s close relationship with his mother. “For the most part I grew up in a single-parent household with my mother, so we really had that kind of connection. [Like Jamie] I know what it felt like to have a dream that was different from everyone else’s.”

Since it premiered in 2017, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has been a huge international hit. Ivano believes its success has a lot to do with the pioneering nature of the character of Jamie himself. “He’s just a boy who happens to be gay and wants to be a drag queen. I think that’s a refreshing lens to look through - [someone] who’s not burdened by their queerness. I know I really felt empowered by that, watching it.”

In his short career so far, super-talented musical theatre star Ivano Turco has already demonstrated formidable range. Having made his professional debut playing Prince Sebastian in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella in the West End, he then transformed into reggae icon Bob Marley in bio-musical Get Up, Stand Up!. But his latest role, as Jamie in the new touring production of heartwarming British musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, is particularly fulfilling because “it’s the closest character to my actual character that I’ve played.” That’s partly because, in playing a gay teenage hero and aspiring drag queen, Ivano is getting to embrace his queerness in a way that his previous theatre roles haven’t allowed. “I really wanted to be able to experience playing within those realms and not having to put on several layers to try and be somebody else.”

What this means in practice, Ivano explains, is that in the rehearsal process, he doesn’t “have to do as much” in terms of trying to figure out his character’s mannerisms and nuances.

Ivano thinks another of the show’s key draws is its music. “The music is really easy to digest. It’s a lot like what we listen to nowadays, so it’s much more realistic [than most musical theatre].”

If Jamie has had a remarkable run over the last few years, then so has its new star. From an early age, Ivano set his sights on performing. Growing up in Milton Keynes, he graduated from drama school in 2020 and found himself personally chosen by Lord Lloyd Webber to be the male lead in his hotly anticipated new show, Cinderella. The experience proved to be wonderful for Ivano, if somewhat nerve-wracking: “To have a multimillion pound musical resting on your shoulders was hard to navigate for me. I found at times it was hard to really [appreciate my achievement] because there was just so much work to be done. But then somewhere about halfway [through the run], because I really knew the show and what I wanted to do as an actor, it became perfect.”

To top that challenge, Ivano then took the

lead role of Bob Marley in the musical Get Up, Stand Up! - and did so on the back of only two weeks’ rehearsal! “The first Bob had a year to prepare … so for me to try and get all that work done in two weeks was… well, a challenge!”

As for the future, Ivano really isn’t thinking too far beyond Jamie, “dream show” that it is. “[This role] is my chance to put into overdrive all the techniques that I've learned, as the character is so much closer to me. I feel like there's a lot more power with it that I’ve been afforded.”

Getting to dress up must be one of the most enjoyable elements of an actor’s life - and in that respect, John Partridge is certainly relishing playing Hugo - aka frustrated drag artiste Loco Chanelle - in the new tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. “I’ve tried on Loco’s undergarb so far,” he says, “the padding and the corset, and I’m looking forward to it. I always like characters that are transformative.”

John’s only costume concern is Loco’s vertiginous heels. “I have worn heels, but

Ivano Turco Jamie

John Partridge Loco Chanelle

these are extraordinary. So I’ve been teetering around in them at home - I answered the door to the builders in them this morning!”

For John, who became a household name playing Christian Clarke in EastEnders, the show is a perfect entrée back into musical theatre after having major surgery on his vocal cords.

“My role [in Jamie] is small and perfectly formed,” he says of Hugo, the dress shop owner who, in the process of becoming a mentor to the show’s titular hero as he takes his first steps in drag, rediscovers his own passion for performing.

“There’s something very comforting about stepping into this Jamie juggernaut,” says John, who adds that the production already feels very ‘family’.

“I know that’s a word that’s thrown around all the time, and actually it’s often a lie - it’s something we say simply to give that impression - but this really is like that. It’s to do with the feeling of the piece; there’s something very grounding about it.”

As for his character, John says he’s really connected on a personal level with Hugo and his poignant journey. “There aren’t that many parts written for a mid-50s gay man. [Like Hugo] I’m at the moment in my life where I’m fully aware of what’s behind me as opposed to what’s in front of me - of my fleeting successes and my failures and disappointments.”

It has to be said, though, that John is being pretty hard on himself, given the amount of success he’s had. On stage, he’s been dazzling audiences ever since appearing in the original UK tour of Cats, aged just 16. His impressive CV also includes showstopping performances in, among other musicals, Cabaret and La Cage Aux Folles.

In 2008 he landed the part of the out-andproud Christian in EastEnders, quickly becoming a fan favourite.

Indeed, he thinks Everybody’s Talking About Jamie has been such a success because it has the mass appeal of a TV soap opera. “It’s a story about Jamie, but it’s also got this really wide breadth of very well-crafted characters that you see in your daily life. You live with them in your own homes, on your own streets.”

What’s more, he says, he couldn’t be prouder to be involved in a show that, in telling the story of a gay teenager, flies the flag for the LGBTQIA+ community. “We see this massive push against LGBTQIA+ hard-won freedomsand they are hard-won freedoms … and that’s why it’s really important for us right now to be able to get out there and tell this story.

And the fact that people *love* this show gives me hope. It shows me there is a way through.”

“I did have one teacher, Mrs Crossley, who was ace - she used to tell me ‘Be whatever you want to be, go dance, go sing.’ But a lot of teachers said ‘You’ll never make it, Hayley - it’s too difficult, don’t try and do it.’ That just made me want to do it even more.” Indeed, from baby ballet classes onwards, Hayley never looked back. After graduating from drama school, she went straight into a West End musical, landing a role that would change everything for her: the lead in a Sheffield revival of A Chorus Line. In the audience for that show was Emmerdale’s casting director - and so it was that she landed the part of the irrepressible Del Dingle.

Whether starring as much-loved characters in Emmerdale and Coronation Street, or appearing as herself in shows such as Dancing On Ice, Hayley Tamaddon has always lit up the screen with her natural warmth and charm. So she’s performing quite the switch-up with her role in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, for once playing someone relatively cold and unsympathetic: cynical teacher Miss Hedge, who is out to quash poor Jamie’s showbiz dreams. “I am not cold,” Hayley says, confirming what a leap the character is for her. “I am huggy and warm and want to cuddle everybody - whereas she’s just a bit over life.”

Actually, Hayley has already played Miss Hedge - in the West End production of Jamie back in 2019 - and this new tour is proving a joyful return to the role. “Even though I’m a few years older, I’ve apparently still got the moves! I’m dancing around on tables, and I get to rap, which brings out that inner Vanilla Ice in me.”

Hayley doesn’t see Miss Hedge as a villain, but rather as someone who’s been beaten down by disappointment - and who has more in common with Jamie than might seem to be the case...

“The way I see her, she’s a really frustrated club singer. That’s all she wanted to do, but she couldn’t because there was no money, and she ended up going into teaching to make a living. She looks at Jamie as this kid she kind of sees herself in a little bit, but she can’t let that side out.”

Miss Hedge also reminds Hayley of teachers she encountered as a youngster growing up in Blackpool.

Alongside her successful telly career, Hayley has continued to tread the boards, appearing in shows including Chicago and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She thinks Jamie is something special, though - not least because of the sheer passion of its fans. “It has the biggest fanbase that I’ve ever known in any show. They hold parties for the cast and they’re very prominent on social media, so if anybody in our company was getting grilled by anybody, that fanbase would step in. So we’re very lucky to have that.”

Hayley is looking forward to the show picking up new fans as it travels around the UK - particularly because of the powerful statements the musical makes about tolerance and self-expression. “The more towns we can get this show into, the more parents are educated, the more kids that watch and go ‘I did bully that other kid at school, I should stop that’ – the more we can get the word out there, the better.”

So what else does Hayley have in the pipeline? Well, she’s currently writing a TV comedy, inspired by her own life. Meanwhile, she says she’d be interested in going into the jungle with I’m A Celebrity. “In terms of reality shows, that would be the funniest, because I’m scared of everything!”

When it comes to Jamie, however, she has no qualms about what lies ahead: “Of course I get stage nerves on opening night, and for the first few nights, but you turn over the energy and they become exciting nerves. It feels wonderful - you should never stop feeling like that.”

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 October and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 January

Hayley Tamaddon Miss Hedge

Dance previews from across the region

Dance

ACE Dance: Unknown Realms

The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 10 October; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 12 October; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 7 November Committed to the presentation of contemporary dance inspired by the African Diaspora, ACE Dance & Music here collaborate with two internationally acclaimed Black male choreographers - Serge Aime Coulibaly (Burkina Faso) and Vincent Mantsoe (South Africa) - to present a double bill of work which they describe as ‘transcending the past and present’. The Night Before Tomorrow sees people engaging in their last dance ahead of an uncertain future. Mana, The Power Within, meanwhile, aims to ‘trace the journey of past lives by unifying beliefs & cultures’.

Ailey 2

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 3 & Wed 4 October

Ground-breaking New York dance company Ailey 2 visits Birmingham this month with a programme of popular audience favourites and ambitious contemporary pieces.

“What’s so exciting about Ailey 2 is that we are catching the enthusiasm and raw talent of the dancers at the beginning of their careers,” explains the company’s artistic director, Francesca Harper. “Audiences can expect excellence and heart. They can expect innovation, cutting-edge work, and the chance to see these young artists at the height of their expression. They are all so talented, and Ailey 2 provides the opportunity for that talent to flourish.”

The programme for 12 dancers features four works - excerpts from Francesca’s very own Freedom Series and William Forsythe’s Enemy In The Figure, along with Robert Battle’s The Hunt and Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, which is a signature work of all the Ailey companies.

Giselle

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 20 October; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Mon 6 November Premiered in Paris in 1841, Giselle tells the story of a peasant girl who takes her own life when she finds out that the man with whom she has fallen in love, a nobleman named Albrecht, is engaged to another woman.

After Giselle’s funeral, Albrecht visits her unconsecrated grave and finds himself in mortal danger: The Wilis, a sisterhood of ghosts who, in life, were jilted by their lovers, have returned to take their terrible revenge... Adolphe Adam’s surreal romantic ballet is here presented by Classical Ballet & Opera House.

mythical land of the Celtic Otherworld from destruction.

The show has been co-written and cochoreographed by Australian tap dancer, Hollywood actor and two-time Olivier Award nominee Adam Garcia. Expect mesmerising moves and lightning footwork aplenty...

An Evening With Anton Du Beke & Friends

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 2 October; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sun 8 October; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 29 October; Lichfield Garrick, Mon 29 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 30 April

It’s a busy old time for Anton Du Beke. Not only is he sitting in judgement on this year’s Strictly Come Dancing contestants every weekend, he’s also out on the road with his latest show. This one sees the fleet-of-foot legend team up with his dancers, a live band and guest singer Lance Ellington to present an evening of song, dance and laughter. Behind-the scenes stories from his time on Strictly will also feature...

Seriously, what’s not to like?

Emerald Storm

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Sun 8 October; Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Fri 13 October; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 14 October From gentle ballet to fiery salsa, and from Irish dance to modern tap, the critically acclaimed Emerald Storm offers something for dance fans of every persuasion. Along the way it tells a pulsating story of mortals battling against the elements to save the

CELEBRATING THE BARD

for Shakespeare with his fellow Brummies...

Birmingham-born actor Adrian Lester is back in his home city this month to unveil a historic copy of the First Folio - the first collected volume of Shakespeare’s plays, which is this year celebrating its 400th anniversary. Here, Adrian chats to What’s On about the Folio, the Bard, and his own introduction to the works of the world’s greatest-ever playwright...

Actor & director Adrian Lester was a member of Birmingham Youth Theatre when he first discovered Shakespeare - and it opened up a whole new world for him. In plays written centuries ago, he found all of human experience.

Birmingham-born Adrian has since gone on to build a hugely successful career on both stage and screen, from long-running television series Hustle, to Shakespeare’s Henry V and Hamlet. And he’s keen to share this enthusiasm for the Bard with his fellow Brummies.

Adrian is the patron of the ‘Everything To Everybody’ Project, an initiative aiming to raise awareness of Birmingham’s unique Shakespeare Memorial Library, which contains, among thousands of other Bardrelated artefacts, a historic copy of the 1623 First Folio - the first collected volume of Shakespeare’s plays.

“It was Derek Nicholls at Birmingham Youth Theatre who introduced me to Shakespeare,” Adrian recalls. “He knew I wanted to be an actor and that I hadn’t read Shakespeare, so he gave me a copy of Measure For Measure to read - and at the same time he gave me a copy of a Shakespeare glossary.

“He said ‘Start slowly, and when you come to a word you don’t understand, look it up and then come back to the play.’ It took me about a week to read that play, and then I understood what Shakespeare was like.

“People say Shakespeare uses too many words, but once people understand how many ideas he’s fitting into one sentence, they realise he’s using too few words! Because in one speech is everything.”

The ‘Everything To Everybody’ Project has toured the First Folio to communities across Birmingham, sharing Shakespeare with people in museums, libraries, shopping centres and even Winson Green Prison.

Although the collected volume of plays is this year celebrating its 400th anniversary, Adrian says it very much speaks to today.

“It’s not just about taking this book around to show people; it’s looking at it through the

access to stories, the access to understanding human nature, how the plays were performed.

“It’s understanding the way Shakespeare galvanised people to understand storytelling, and it’s recognising its influence today. I mean, look at The Lion King - it’s a retelling of Hamlet - or some of the best television programmes, like Succession or Breaking Bad. People constantly say a show is ‘Shakespearian’ in character because how Shakespeare presents a character is uniquely Shakespearian.

“When they speak in soliloquy, the character is caught in a moment of time and their character is developed as they speak. And at that moment, you see how a character who you thought was one thing - and they thought they were one thing - suddenly shifts and twists and changes in front of you. And that is Shakespeare’s brilliance. It’s the essence of human nature.”

Adrian will be unveiling the First Folio at a celebration event for Everything To Everybody, taking place at Bullring and Grand Central on Saturday 21 October. People will have the chance to view the book and also take part in a range of activities.

“There’s going to be singing, drummers, music, people speaking Shakespeare in different languages, Stan’s Café theatre company and DESIBlitz. It’s the idea that you start with the words and then it becomes a melting pot of expression, and we’ll see how this or that came from the book. If I was doing an animation, you’d open this book and what flies out of it and comes to life is Hollywood movies, operas, ballets, paintings - in fact, everything.”

The Birmingham First Folio is unique in the world because it was given to the people of Birmingham by George Dawson in 1881 after he founded the Shakespeare Memorial Library. One of only 235 First Folios currently known to exist, it is the only one which belongs to the people of a city. And that matters, says Adrian.

“The fact that it belongs to everybody, the

people of Birmingham, is so important. The idea that it sits in the library and no one knows about it is what the ‘Everything To Everybody’ Project is aiming to change. Professor Ewan Fernie at the University of Birmingham, who is the project director, and the team at the library just thought ‘We have to do something about it, we have to shout about it,’ and they got me on board.

“It’s a free library. You walk in and you look, and you should have access simply because you were born here; simply because it was prepared for you; simply because someone wrote it and said ‘I want people to read this.’ If you want to own it, then you should pay for it, but if you want to have access to it, to simply exist in the same space as the work, then it should be free. We’re talking about classical work. Talent doesn’t sit behind a paywall.”

That spirit of social philanthropy not only inspires Adrian but changed his life.

“I am the result of an Everything To Everybody ethos. I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the dancefloors at Midlands Arts Centre if they didn’t keep the doors open to a young man who couldn’t afford to get in. The Birmingham Youth Theatre would not have been there if that ethos wasn’t true. There wouldn’t have been access to drama schools, RADA or wherever. The idea that councils saw that you got in and then gave you a grant to go and train wouldn’t have existed. I wouldn’t be where I am today if various structures and various funding bodies did not exist to make sure that the people who walked through the door could be supported. They simply had to have the interest and the talent - and nothing else.”

The ‘Everything To Everybody’ Project celebration takes place at Bullring & Grand Central on Saturday 21 October between 11am and 4pm.

Further information can be found at everythingtoeverybody.bham.ac.uk

Film highlights in October...

Foe CERT 15 (110 mins)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Paul Mescal, Aaron Pierre, Jordan Chodziesner, William Freeman, Jalen Ong

Directed by Garth Davis

Adapted from the 2018 novel of the same name by Iain Reid (who’s co-written the film script with director Garth Davis), Foe is a haunting exploration of marriage and identity set in an uncertain near-future world. Married couple Hen and Junior farm a secluded piece of land that’s been in Junior’s family for generations. But when a stranger arrives with a startling proposal, their quiet life and relationship is thrown into an unexpected turmoil...

“The point of the movie is that corporate power and environmental decay is literally eating away at the natural world,” says Australian director Davis. “Not just the environment, but from a human point of view, it’s eating away at society and taking away why we’re meant to be here and what connects us.”

Foe is the second of Reid’s novels to be adapted for the cinema screen, following on from the Charlie Kaufmandirected I'm Thinking Of Ending Things, released in 2020.

Released Fri 20 October

Golda CERT

12a (100 mins)

Starring Helen Mirren, Zed Josef, Claudette Williams, Henry Goodman, Emma Davies, Rotem Keinan Directed by Guy Nattiv Helen Mirren disappears beneath the prosthetics to play Israeli prime minister Golda Meir, who came to power in 1969 and resigned five years later over her administration’s handling of the Yom Kippur War.

And it’s that 19-day conflict - waged in 1973 between Israel and an Arab-state coalition led by Egypt and Syria - that sits at the heart of a film described by its publicity as a ticking-clock thriller. Sadly, it’s anything but, failing to mine the drama of a situation in which the future of a whole country hangs in the balance, and plodding along at a pedestrian pace that stops the audience from ever really managing to give a damn. Mirren is okay as the chain-smoking Golda, but isn’t afforded the opportunity to set the screen alight - a fact which is every bit as disappointing as the film itself.

Released Fri 6 October

The Great Escaper

CERT 12a (96 mins)

Starring Michael Caine, Glenda Jackson, John Standing, Donald Stage Mackay, Danielle Vitlis, Will Fletcher Directed by Oliver Parker

Dalíland CERT 15 (97 mins)

Starring Ben Kingsley, Barbara Sukowa, Ezra Miller, Christopher Briney, Rupert Graves, Andreja Pejic Directed by Mary Harron

Helmed by American Psycho director Mary Harron, Daliland stars Sir Ben Kingsley as legendary surrealist artist Salvador Dali. In 1970s New York, Dali enjoys the latter stage of his career and a lifestyle awash with luxury and extravagant parties. Surrounded by his own decadence and a band of eccentric followers who worship him, he is content with avoiding a fastapproaching art show and the demands of his formidable wife, Gala...

In 2014, at the ripe old age of 89, former naval officer Bernard Jordan sneaked out of his nursing home and made his way to France for the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day Landings. This is his story.

With a script by Made In Dagenham writer William Ivory, The Great Escaper sees Academy Award winners Michael Caine and Glenda Jackson - the latter in her final film role - team up on screen for the first time in almost 50 years (they were last seen together in The Romantic Englishwoman, in 1975). Early reviews of the film have been very positive - and with Caine and Jackson taking the lead roles (Caine as Bernard, Jackson as his wife, Irene), there’s every chance it will prove to be a beautiful story beautifully told.

Released Fri 6 October

The film’s story is told through the eyes of James Linton, a young gallery assistant who’s eager to make a name for himself in the art world. Although initially beguiled by the provocative world of Dali, James soon realises that behind the glitz and glamour lies a fragile genius; a man haunted by the past and unprepared for the changing world around him.

Released Fri 13 October

Killers Of The Flower Moon

CERT 15 (206 mins)

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow

Directed by Martin Scorsese

When it comes to films, Martin Scorsese likes to make epics, but even by his standard his last two movies have been off the scale.

His 2019 film, The Irishman, came in at one minute shy of three-and-a-half hours. At only three minutes shorter, Killers

Of The Flower Moon is equally likely to see the average cinema-goer lose all sensation in their backside. However, the payback for a passing numbness in the gluteus maximus region is likely to be significant: Scorsese is quite simply one of Hollywood’s greatest-ever directors - and he looks set to remind everybody of the fact with this based-ona-true-story story.

The film’s focus is a 1920s series of murders which took place in the Osage Nation in Oklahoma, committed after oil was discovered on tribal land.

Scorsese favourites Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro make a welcome return to head a magnificently talented cast.

Released Fri 20 October

Trolls Band Together CERT PG

PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie

CERT U (92 mins)

With the voices of Finn Lee-Epp, Ron Pardo, Mckenna Grace, Christian Convery, Taraji P Henson, Marsai Martin Directed by Cal Brunke Fans of Nickelodeon’s PAW Patrol would have to be barking mad not to catch this latest spin-off film.

When a magical meteor crash-lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers.

But things then take a turn for the worse when arch rival Humdinger breaks out of prison and teams up with a mad scientist to steal the superpowers...

For those not in the know, PAW Patrol is a Canadian television series about a young boy named Ryder and his crew of search & rescue dogs. As well as offering plenty of entertainment for youngsters, the show also aims to be educational and enlightening, sharing lessons about subjects including citizenship, social skills and problemsolving.

All in all, then, a film that your kids are quite likely to go, er, absolutely mutts about...

Released Fri 13 October

With the voices of Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Justin Timberlake, Kunal Nayyar, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Daveed Diggs Directed by Walt Dohrn and Tim Heitz Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake make a welcome return for this third installment of DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise.

With Poppy and Branch now officially a couple, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favourite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, along with his four brothers. BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby - as did the familyand Branch hasn’t seen his siblings since. But when Branch’s bro, Floyd, is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains, Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers - and to rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than popculture obscurity...

Released Fri 20 October

Five Nights At Freddy’s

CERT tbc (110 mins)

Starring Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, Elizabeth Lail, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kevin Foster, Kat Conner Sterling Directed by Emma Tammi

The horror game phenomenon of the same name here gets the Hollywood movie treatment. The film follows Mike, a troubled young man caring for his 10-year-old sister Abby and haunted by the unsolved disappearance of his younger brother more than a decade earlier.

Recently fired and desperate for work so that he can keep custody of Abby, Mike agrees to take a position as a night security guard at abandoned theme restaurant Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. But he soon discovers that nothing at Freddy’s is quite what it seems.

With the aid of local police officer Vanessa, Mike’s nights at Freddy’s lead him into unexplainable encounters with the supernatural, in the process dragging him into the dark heart of an unspeakable nightmare...

Released Fri 27 October

British Ceramics Biennal

Various locations, Stoke-on-Trent, until Sun 5 November

Presented against the backdrop of Stoke-onTrent’s industrial heritage, the free-to-attend British Ceramics Biennal is a celebration of the potential of clay in terms of storytelling, playfulness and risk-taking.

The festival comprises six weeks of exhibitions, installations and events, which not only spotlight the UK’s leading ceramicists but also introduce work by international artists and fresh new talent.

The main venue is the city’s All Saints Church, where visitors can check out several exhibitions & displays. They can also have a go at making ceramics themselves in the Tactile Project Space... Other venues presenting work include Stoke’s Potteries Museum & Art Gallery (showing Embodiments Of Memory by Osman Yousefzada) and AirSpace Gallery (Social Substance by William Cobbing). Further afield, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Brampton Museum is hosting Obsolescence And Renewal by Neil Brownsword.

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Visual Arts

Derek Boshier: Image In Revolt

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Sat 7 Oct - Sun 21 January

Derek Boshier’s lifelong fascination with the power, use and function of images is much in evidence in this celebration of his 60 years as a restlessly inventive artist.

Taking a rare overview of his career, the exhibition features examples of his artwork from the postwar period - such as Pop paintings tackling nuclear anxieties - right through to the digital age; his more recent work includes expressive paintings and drawings confronting gender, technology and war at the height of the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements.

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, Fri 27 October - Mon 1 April

“We are facing urgent biodiversity and climate crises, and photography is a powerful catalyst for change.”

So says Dr Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum, which has developed & produced this year’s Wildlife Photographer Of The Year competition.

“The exhibition reveals some of nature’s most wondrous sights,” adds Dr Gurr,

History In The Making

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Sat 21 October - Sun 11 February

The subtitle of this exhibition is ‘stories of materials and making in the collections of Woburn Abbey and the Crafts Council, 700AD to now’ - which does a pretty good job of explaining what the show is all about.

Madge Gill: The Clouds Will Burst The Sun Will Shine Again

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, until Sun 26 November

Seeking solace from a difficult life, Madge Gill found inspiration in spirituality and nature - a fact reflected in the critically acclaimed artwork she produced during

“whilst also offering hope and achievable actions that visitors can take to help protect the natural world.”

The hugely prestigious show - visiting the Herbert as part of an extensive tourfeatures a host of awe-inspiring images capturing fascinating animal behaviour and breathtaking landscapes.

The photos included in the exhibition have been selected from 49,957 entries, with photographers from no fewer than 95 countries taking part.

The 2024 competition opens this month, on Monday the 16th.

Presenting the historic and the contemporary side-by-side, History In The Making explores the changing attitudes towards materials over time. It also investigates craft both in terms of its importance to communities and its environmental impact... The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of talks and practical workshops.

Phantom Sculpture

Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 6 October - Sun 10 March

This brand-new exhibition aims to find links between sculpture’s past, present and future. Featuring work by some of the most important artists from the last century, the show also considers the discipline’s physical relationship to space, and how it embodies lived experiences, notions of place and cultural significance.

Anthony Caro, Richard Deacon, Mona Hatoum, Sarah Lucas and Rachel Whiteread are among the established and upcoming artists whose work is included in the exhibition.

her now-celebrated career.

Born in 1882, Madge was a self-taught and prolific artist, using her drawings, paintings and embroidery to explore the struggles she faced, and also to record her experiences of joy and hope.

To add some meat to the bone in terms of the exhibition, its curator, Sophie Dutton, will be in conversation with MAC’s CEO & artistic director, Deborah Kermode, on Thursday 26 October (6.30pm - 8pm).

Events previews from around the region

Events

Half term at The Bear Grylls Adventure

The Bear Grylls Adventure, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT

The Bear Grylls Adventure has everything you need for an adrenaline-fuelled day out, with activities including high ropes, indoor archery and climbing, escape rooms and axethrowing.

The more-courageous visitor can check out Cage Snorkel and Shark Dive, where they can ‘take the plunge’ with blacktip reef sharks and tropical fish.

Fancy experiencing the thrill of free-falling at 12,000ft without having to jump out of a plane? Then you’re in luck, as the attraction is home to one of only five iFly wind tunnels in the UK.

Based on Channel Four’s long-running programme, Grand Designs Live is the best place to access ideas, advice and products to make your own home project a success. The show features hundreds of exhibitors and is split into four key sections - Build, Kitchens & Bathrooms, Interiors and Gardens - with designers, planning and finance specialists, architects and project managers all on hand to offer expert advice.

Horse Of The Year Show

NEC, Birmingham, Wed 4 - Sun 8 October

The Horse Of The Year Show is back in Birmingham this month for its 74th edition. The five-day event includes end-of-season national championships for showing and showjumping competitors, as well as international showjumping.

Alongside two arenas of top-class competition, spectators can enjoy impressive displays and numerous crowd favourites, including scurry driving and mounted games.

The show also features a retail village stocked with a range of essentials from top equestrian brands.

Sustainability talks and workshop demos also feature, celebrating the best conceptual and eco-friendly construction ideas. Additional attractions include live talks, Ask An Expert, Green Living Live and Green Living Advice Zone. The show’s usual array of celebrity guests will also be in attendance, as will Kevin McCloud, who’s been hosting the television series since it premiered 24 years ago.

Jet And Space Week

Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, Cosford, Sat 28 October - Sun 5 November

Every adventurer will also get to test their agility on the assault course, which is included with any activity ticket. The venue now welcomes children aged five and older on a number of activities, so even the littlest adventurers can get in on the action.

The Motorhome & Caravan Show

NEC, Birmingham, Tues 17 - Sun 22 October

The RAF Museum Midlands’ first event of its kind, Jet And Space Week sees the venue taking visitors through the history of space exploration via a huge mobile planetarium called Space Odyssey’s Galileo Dome (Thursday 2 - Sunday 5 November).

The week’s line-up of attractions also includes two stargazing evenings with Shropshire Astronomical Society (Saturday 28 October & Wednesday 1 November), the chance to test decision-making skills with a Cuban Missile Crisis-related game (Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 October), and the opportunity to find out all about spacesuits courtesy of a special interactive display (Wednesday 1 - Friday 3 November).

Spanning 11 halls, the Motorhome & Caravan Show is the UK leisure-vehicle industry’s national showcase for the latest motorhome, campervan, caravan and trailer tents. Visitors can speak directly with experts, gain valuable advice, book their pitches and holidays for 2024, and pick up any accessories needed for future trips. Free motorhome driving and towing workshops, and plenty of talks by celebrities and vloggers, also feature.

Grand Designs Live NEC, Birmingham, Wed 4 - Sun 8 October

Events previews from around the region Events

Halloween at Thinktank

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, Mon 30 October - Fri 3 November

There are spinetingling goings-on aplenty at Thinktank during this month’s half-term holiday.

The Fright At The Museum family show takes place daily and is full to the brim with freaky facts and spooky science experiments. Meanwhile, over in MiniBrum’s Den, daily Halloween and autumn-themed interactive and sensory stay & play sessions should keep little ones aged 18 months to three years old nicely entertained.

Severn Valley Railway Ghost & Scream Trains

Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, nr Kidderminster, Sat 28 - Tues 31 October

Are you brave enough to ride the Ghost Train at Severn Valley Railway this Halloween?

Kickstart your fright night with tricks and treats for the whole family to enjoy at Kidderminster Station, then take your reserved seats and settle back to experience a ride out into the darkness.

Scary characters will join you on board, sneaking along the corridors of the train as it passes through haunted stations to Arley.

Brick Or TreatMonster Party

Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham, Sat 30 September - Sun 5 November

Little monsters can enjoy plenty of chills and thrills at Legoland Discovery Centre this month.

Along with two rides, build & play zones and a soft-play area, mini builders and their families can sink their teeth into a whole (g)host of fang-tastic seasonal activities. Highlights include a haunted Miniland spooky scavenger hunt, the chance to help build Lego pumpkins to add to the monster garden, and an opportunity to check out Lego 4D Halloween movie The Great Monster Chase!. Mascot Scarecrow will also be on site for a Halloween dance party and photo opportunities.

The Ghost Train experience lasts for approximately 75 minutes and comes complete with a free goodie bag for every child.

Severn Valley Railway is also hosting a similar but ‘more fearsome’ event for older guests. The Scream Train is aimed at visitors aged 18-plus and features ‘petrifying ghouls’ who will be looking to scare the life out of commuters as they make their way to Arley.

Ascarium: Trick Or Treat

National SEA LIFE Centre, Birmingham, Sun 8 October - Sun 5 November

Get ready to dive into some spinetingling fun as the SEA LIFE Centre transforms from aquarium to ascarium this Halloween. Guests are invited to follow an immersive trail, complete magical challenges throughout the aquarium, and help the sea witch and warlock look after their ocean home and fellow sea creatures. There are games and activities to check out as well, with visitors receiving a reward for completing the ‘spook-splash-tic challenges’.

Victorian Ghost Town

Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge, Fri 27 & Saturday 28 October

Celebrate Halloween with two nights of spooky special events and creepy goings-on in the lamp-lit streets of Blists Hill Victorian Town.

Visitors can try candle dipping and poster printing, shop for handmade Halloween items at the Morbid Market and meet creatures from a local reptile rescue organisation at the Spooky Zoo. Other highlights include a special trick-ortreat trail and a lantern parade to the fairground, where youngsters will be able to sing, dance and take part in a special costume competition.

Events previews from around the region

Events

Halloween Fun At The Farm

Mary Arden’s Farm, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tues 31 October, Thurs 2 & Sat 4 November Discover the weird and wonderful Halloween traditions of medieval and Tudor England at Mary Arden’s Farm this October half term. As well as learning about the customs which people used to follow in order to ward off evil spirits, visitors can also sample a selection of hands-on activities, including making soul cakes, carving pumpkins and crafting a protection charm.

Disney On Ice Presents 100 Years Of Wonder

Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, Wed 1 - Sun 5 November

Disney On Ice is back in Birmingham this half-term-holiday with 100 Years Of Wonder. Set and costume designers have created approximately 180 props and 250 different costumes for the show, all of which will be transported to Birmingham, alongside the impressive set itself, in a staggering 19 trucks!

Featuring Mirabel and the stars of Encanto for the very first time in the UK, the show also includes plenty of well-established on-

On The Home Front 1940s Weekend

Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove, Sat 14 & Sun 15 October

Avoncroft Museum steps back to the 1940s this month, providing visitors with a taste of life in the Midlands during the Second World War.

The event’s attractions include motorcycles and vehicles from the era, roaming reenactors, dance classes, a vintage trading area and a fashion show.

A wartime dance event (costing £10pp) takes place on the Saturday evening and comes complete with live entertainment and a 1940s village-hall atmosphere.

ice favourites...

There’s Moana and Maui - who’ll be busy trying to save the island of Motunui - the Disney Princesses, Frozen’s Anna, Elsa & Olaf, the Toy Story gang, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia, and Dory, Nemo, Marlin and new pal Hank. The storyline sees Mickey Mouse being joined by his friends on a journey to discover his favourite memory of all time.

Spooky Spectacular

West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Sat 21 October - Sun 5 November

West Midland Safari Park is once again hosting its Spooky Spectacular event for Halloween - and as usual there’s plenty to keep half-term visitors entertained. As well as a free Spooky Trail, there’s also a spinetingling virtual-reality ride, the chance to say a big hello to Patch the Pumpkin Scarecrow and his new friend, Mitzy Monster, and a daily silly science show. Opening hours will be extended on Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 October so that visitors can explore the park after dark.

Oh, and broomsticks at the ready too, as there will also be an immersive reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s spookiest tales: Macbeth.

After-Dark Tours

The Commandery, Worcester, Tues 17, Thurs 19, Tues 24, Thurs 26 & Tues 31 October

The Commandery is one of Worcester’s oldest buildings and a place that harbours lots of ghostly secrets for visitors to uncover. Suitable for people aged 14-plus, the venue’s after-dark tours include tales of strange sightings and mysterious rumours, with your guide for the evening giving the history of the building a hair-raising Halloween twist.

Aston Hall’oween

Aston Hall, Birmingham, Sun 29 October

Dress in your finest ghoulish gear and head to Aston Hall for some family-friendly Halloween fun this month.

Meet creepy characters as you explore the hall, including the wise woman - who’s sure to have a cure for whatever ails you - a man of science & medicine speaking about the nature of the universe, and a witch hunter, who will be prowling the halls in search of broomstick-riding ne’er-do-wells with pointy hats and a bad attitude.

BEYOND SUPERVET

Best known from TV’s The Supervet, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick takes to the road with a brand-new stage show in which he explains how caring for animals can help us heal...

by James Rampton

In a tone that brooks no contradiction, Professor Noel Fitzpatrick - known to millions of TV viewers as The Supervetasserts: “Animals make us better people in every conceivable way. I don't think that we can always be our true selves with humans.”

Noel, who is the director and managing clinician at Fitzpatrick Referrals in Surrey, goes on to provide an example of this. “Imagine you've had a hard day at work, where your boss has been awful to you all day. Then you come home from work, and the neighbour who keeps dumping his grass cuttings on your side of the fence has parked his car right in front of your door. You're pretty narked off.

“You don't like your neighbour - whose name is Bob - anyway, and now he's parked his car right in front of your door for the 14th time; you've been counting. The chances of you forgiving Bob at this moment are exactly zero.

“You open the door of your house and you see your new £100 Nike trainers, torn to pieces, that your new puppy has chewed up, and you forgive him in exactly one nanosecond when he bounds towards you and greets you. And that is what animals teach us about life. They teach us the power of forgiveness and love.

“It's a good example because we all know people we bear a grudge against, for whatever reason, because we're human. But animals unlock unconditional love within us. Even though Freddy has just chewed up your new £100 trainers, you don't care. But if a human did that... Oh, my goodness! You'd be livid, maybe forever.

“So, it is interesting. Animals uncork an ability within us to be ourselves and an ability to look beyond the facade that we put up for society every single day. They allow us to be ourselves, and therefore to be the best we can be.”

This is exactly the sort of story that Noel will be sharing in his live stage show, Beyond Supervet. Visiting the Midlands in November, Noel promises a show full of passion, poignancy and peerless humour; a show that offers loads of fun, as well as profound insights into what one of the world’s most acclaimed and beloved orthopaedic-neuro

veterinary surgeons has gleaned from the thousands of animals he’s treated throughout his career.

Reaching beyond the world of TV’s The Supervet, which has been running for 18 series on Channel Four, Noel examines how caring for animals really can benefit us all, and how modern medicine can have a massive effect on our lives.

Drawing on the vivid narrative of his many books, he will be engrossing audiences with stories, anecdotes, and a visionary look at the future, all recounted to a potent soundtrack which underscores the immense role music plays in his life.

The County Laois-born vet, who exudes charisma on stage thanks to years as a professional actor in shows such as London's Burning, Casualty, The Bill and Heartbeat (where he played - guess what? - a vet), reveals just how excited he is about hitting the road again. “I'm passionate about going on tour because there are so many things, hilariously funny and very sad and very real and very truthful, that I would like to share with everybody.”

In addition, Noel can't wait to engage with his wonderfully devoted fan base. “The main reason to do this is the connection with the audience. You can’t get that connection sitting on your own writing a book, but you can really bring the book to life on stage.”

Among the things Noel will be chatting about is his beloved dog Keira - who passed away in 2021. “She has basically taught me everything I know. I would be an empty vessel if she hadn't been there.

“She's very much responsible for the building of my practice because she was by my side through all 14 years of that dream. She saw me in my truest raw sense. The show is centred around a dozen or so lessons that I've learned along the way from Keira and other animals.”

On what he has learned from Keira, he says, “She has taught me humility, gratitude, and how to dream big. She very much inspired [the book] How Animals Make Us The Best We Can Be, which was about passion and thankfulness and openness and kindness and commitment and authenticity and creativity and, of course, love and hope.

The live show also sees Noel extolling the redemptive joy of his work: “I see love, hope and redemption every single day in my consulting room. For example, you've caught me now just after a very difficult conversation. This morning, I had to euthanise a dog that I couldn't save because it just wasn't ethically right to do so. His owners were weeping tears onto my shoulder.

“One of them was a big burly bloke, who really only let their guard down with me. When they’ve turned into a blithering wreck in my arms, their partner will often say to me ‘Oh, my God! Frank has never shown that kind of emotion before in his entire life!’

“I don't think it's my cuddle that makes every grown man cry! It's just that I'm supporting them while their best friend is in need - and that unlocks the raw childhood need to love and be loved that’s in all of us. That's a miraculous thing which hopefully I'll bring to the stage.”

Above all, in Beyond Supervet, Noel is keen to accentuate the positive. “I also talk about the tough times, because I think it's important that we reflect on the fact that everybody has challenges. We're going through a world of war at the moment, but it's vital to look at the joy and the goodness and the love in the world. Yes, I talk about the darkness a bit in the show, but as an example of how you can find light.”

So what does Noel hope audiences will take away from Beyond Supervet? “I want people to go out feeling that they've gained an insight into something that they didn’t expect - a truly uplifting experience where they’ll feel enriched and entertained.

“The show is a smorgasbord of visual, auditory and stimulatory delights. By coming along and feeling that unconditional love wash over you, I guarantee you will walk out feeling a million percent better than when you walked in.”

Beyond Supervet: Noet Fitzpatrick visits Crewe Lyceum on Friday 10 November; Dudley Town Hall on Saturday 11 November and Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry on Friday 17 November

Tom Allen - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

The Haunting - Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

Vincent Simone: Tango Passions - Swan Theatre, Worcester

22

Voyage Round My FatherMalvern Theatres

thelist

VISUAL ARTS IN THE MIDLANDS

Compton Verney, Warwickshire

BIRDS OF AMERICA Exhibition

examining the artistry and legacy of one of the world’s rarest, largest and most coveted books, until Sun 1 Oct

QUENTIN BLAKE: BIRDS, BEASTS AND EXPLORERS Showcasing over 70 original illustrations that take inspiration from recurring themes in Blake’s works - birds, fantastical flying creatures and the joy of exploring nature, until Sun 1 Oct

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 Dec

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 11 Feb

COVENTRY BIENNIAL A solo exhibition of new co-created artworks by Nuneaton-based artist and researcher Jo Gane that explores early photographic processes and techniques and their relationships to people and the environment, Fri 6 Oct - Sat 14 Jan

Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry

DIPPY IN COVENTRY: THE NATION’S

FAVOURITE DINOSAUR Dippy the diplodocus is in Coventry on a three-year loan from the Natural History Museum

WARWICKSHIRE’S JURASSIC SEA

Discover the amazing creatures that lived in Coventry & Warwickshire during the time of the dinosaurs, until Feb 2024

COVENTRY BIENNIAL One part of a major new group project featuring significant newly commissioned artworks and existing projects on loan from national collections. The second part of this exhibition shows at the Old Grammar School, Coventry, Fri 6 Oct - Sat 14 Jan

Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

LOST LEAMINGTON: A PICTURE OF THE PAST An exhibition which draws on LSAG&M’s extensive collection of prints, watercolours and photographs to show ‘buildings and scenes from the town that are no more’, until Sun 14 Jan

Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery

IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH

Showcasing health issues during different periods in history, until Mon 23 Oct

CORLEY & FILLONGLEY PHOTOGRAPHIC

CLUB EXHIBITION Featuring photographs on a wide range of topics, until Sun 29 Oct

A MILD DISTURBANCE - MY TINY RIOT!

Exhibition by Becca Pullen, until Sun 12 Nov

Rugby Art Gallery

A HISTORY OF RUGBY IN 50 OBJECTS A new exhibition featuring 50 objects from the museum’s collection which represent a moment, person or event that helped shape the town, from Sat 7 Oct

REDDING AROUND RUGBY Temporary display featuring photographs of local companies, shops, transport and buildings taken by Rodney H Huntingford of Redding Photographers, Sat 7 Oct - Sat 6 April

Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

PETER COLLINS, F1 HERO - MUSTOW GREEN TO NÜRBURGRING Exhibition telling Peter’s remarkable storythrough original photographs and letters - and featuring numerous personal items, including his racing helmet and gloves, until January

2024

PAINT THE STREETS Exhibition celebrating the story of graffiti and street art in partnership with Worcester Paint Festival, until Sat 6 Jan

Elsewhere:

COUNTRY HOUSES, JEWISH HOMES

Exhibition exploring how Jews who arrived in Britain fought for the right to acquire land - and the political rights and social status that came with it, until Fri 3 Nov, Upton House & Gardens, Nr Banbury, Warwickshire

400 YEARS OF THE FIRST FOLIO

Opportunity to delve deeper into the legacy of Shakespeare’s First Folio... until Sun 5 November, Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust (New Place), Stratford-upon-Avon

AN APPLE GATHERING Celebrating the importance of Herefordshire’s applegrowing history, until Sun 5 November, Croft Castle, Herefordshire

TRANSENDENCE: AN EXHIBITION BY COLIN MONK Tues 3 - Sun 15 Oct, Worcester Cathedral

Gigs

DIVINE + RIAR SAAB Sun 1 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

JUDY COLLINS Sun 1

Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

FORT ROYAL + PHON +

THE CAGE + SUPERSONIC

FUZZ GUN Sun 1 Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Sun 1 Oct, Malvern Theatres

SUNDAY SESSIONS Sun 1

Oct, 45Live, Kidderminster

LAUREN SPENCER SMITH + HENRY MOODIE +

GEENA FONTANELLA Mon 2 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

STARLITE & CAMPBELL

Mon 2 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MAZ O’CONNOR + WES

FINCH Tues 3 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

POWFU Wed 4 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

LYNNE HANSON Wed 4 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

GANG OF FOUR + MIKI

BERENYI TRIO + LOOSE

ARTICLES Thurs 5 Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

ELIANA Thurs 5 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

LYR Thurs 5 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

MARK CHADWICK +

MICKY OLIVER Thurs 5

Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

JINGU BANG Thurs 5 Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

THE SHERLOCKS Fri 6

Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

JOEL FOSTER + SONDR +

MACKIE LAWLOR +

LAUREN MARY +

FALLOUT Fri 6 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SCENE QUEEN Fri 6 Oct, O2 Academy, B’ham

LAUREN MAYBERRY Fri 6

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

JACOB AND DRINKWATER

Fri 6 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

LIONEL RITCHIE VS DIANA

ROSS Fri 6 Oct, The Rialto, Coventry

A BAND CALLED MALICE Fri 6 Oct, Arches

Venue, Coventry

THE VAPORS + THE MOLOTOVS Fri 6 Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

SWEET CAROLINE - NEIL

DIAMOND TRIBUTE Fri 6

Oct, Malvern Theatres

HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT

Fri 6 Oct, The Wulfrun at The Halls

Wolverhampton

PARADISE CIRCUS +

PENTIRE + SUNBALM Sat 7 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

KK’S PRIEST + PAUL

DI’ANNO + BURNING

WITCHES Sat 7 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

RAF-SAPERRA Sat 7 Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

THE DOORS ALIVE Sat 7

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

HOWARD JONES + BLANCMANGE Sat 7 Oct, Symphony Hall, B’ham

THE ULTIMATE BOYBAND PARTY SHOW Sat 7 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

MARK HARRISON BAND Sat 7 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

TALON Sat 7 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

THE UNDERTONES + TOM ROBINSON BAND Sat 7 Oct, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

THE TERRAPLANES BLUES BAND Sat 7 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

NEW PURPLE

CELEBRATION Sat 7 Oct, hmv Empire, Coventry

NOTLEY CRUE + BLACK

WATER FIEND Sat 7 Oct, Arches Venue, Coventry

THE STORY OF GUITAR

HEROES Sat 7 Oct, The Benn Hall, Rugby

THE BROTHERS GILLESPIE Sun 8 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

HAWKLORDS Sun 8 Oct, Arches Venue, Coventry

ANNA RYDER Sun 8 Oct, Albany Theatre, Coventry

ELLIE GOWERS Sun 8 Oct, The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Nr Evesham

LEVEL 42 + THE CHRISTIANS Sun 8 Oct, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

Lynne Hanson - Temperance, Leamington Spa

Classical Music

SYMPHONIC UNIVERSE Featuring music from The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, Black Panther, Captain America, Ant-Man, Doctor Strange and more... Sun 1 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

RACHMANINOFF WITH KAZUKI YAMADA & THE CBSO Featuring Fazil Say (piano). Programme includes works by Prokofiev, Saint-Saëns & Rachmaninoff, Wed 4 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

MUSIC FOR RECORDERS Featuring Linda Hardwick and Michael Oakley (Director of Music at St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow), Thurs 5 Oct, Great Malvern Priory, Worcestershire

ARMONICO CONSORT: THE FRENCH

CONNECTION Featuring Christopher Monks (director). Programme includes works by Charpentier, Jean Baptiste Lully, Rameau & Michel Richard Delalande, Thurs 5 Oct, Malvern Theatres

THOMAS TROTTER: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS AS BIRMINGHAM CITY ORGANIST

Fri 6 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

COLIN MILLINGTON ORGAN RECITAL Fri 6 Oct, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

LEONKORO QUARTET Featuring Jonathan Schwarz & Amelie Wallner (violins), Mayu Konoe (viola) & Lukas Schwarz (cello). Programme includes works by Schubert, Janáček & Brahms, Fri 6 Oct, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa

ST JAMES’ SINGERS Featuring Julian Harris (conductor), Mollie Smith (soprano), Alexandra Gibson (alto), Christopher Willoughby (tenor) & Jack Holten (bass). Programme comprises JS Bach’s Mass in B minor, Sat 7 Oct, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

CBSO FAMILY CONCERT: FAIRY TALES

Featuring Kazuki Yamada (conductor), Casey Bailey (presenter). Programme includes works by Ravel, Harrison & Grieg, Sun 8 Oct, Symphony Hall, B’ham

SARAH BETH BRIGGS PIANO CONCERT

Programme includes works by Mozart, Hans Gál, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Beethoven & Chopin, Sun 8 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Comedy

BRIDGET CHRISTIE Sun 1 Oct, Old Rep, Birmingham

JOSH PUGH, STEVE HALL & HANNAH

WEETMAN Sun 1 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MATT GREEN Mon 2 Oct, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

JOSH PUGH, GARY DELANEY, ANDY

ROBINSON & COMIC TBC Tues 3 Oct,

The Glee Club, Birmingham

SCUMMY MUMMIES Tues 3 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

RIA LINA Wed 4 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TIFF STEVENSON, ED PATRICK, EMMANUEL SONUBI & JO ENRIGHT Wed 4 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JUSTIN MOORHOUSE Wed 4 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

FRANKIE BOYLE Wed 4 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SOPHIE DUKER Wed 4 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

MYRA DUBOIS Thurs 5 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

LAUGH OUT PROUD Thurs 5 Oct, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

SEANN WALSH Thurs 5 - Fri 6 Oct, Old Rep, Birmingham

DAWN FRENCH Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Oct, Birmingham Hippodrome

TOM DAVIS Fri 6 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

JOSH JONES Fri 6 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

STEVE ROYLE, MAUREEN YOUNGER, RAY

BRADSHAW, AURIE STYLA & AJAY ROSE

Fri 6 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PETER KAY Fri 6 Oct, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

VICTORIA MELODY Fri 6 Oct, Midlands

Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

ED BYRNE Fri 6 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

DAISY EARL, DAVID EAGLE & ADA CAMPE

Fri 6 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

DOUG CARTER, JACK CAMPBELL, ANT

DEWSON & CERYS NELMES Fri 6 Oct, Saunders Club, Bedworth

TOM ALLEN Fri 6 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JASON BYRNE Sun 8 Oct, Birmingham

Town Hall

JAMIE HUTCHINSON Sun 8 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

KIERAN HODGSON Sun 8 Oct, Warwick

Arts Centre, Coventry

COMEDY LADDER Sun 8 Oct, BCM

Craft Ale Bar, Evesham

Theatre

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE A ‘thrilling adventure’ of fantasy, myth and friendship, taking audiences on a journey to a childhood once forgotten, and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it... until Sat 30 Sept, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

BRIDESMAIDS OF BRITAIN Comedy parody featuring dance-offs, sing-offs and eventually shout-offs at ‘the hen do of the year’, until Sat 30 Sept, Malvern Theatres

EVERY MAN OUT OF HIS HUMOUR Ben Jonson’s farce about ‘terrible people getting their comeuppance’, until Sat 30 Sept, The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

LA BAMBA! The Wanted’s Siva

fun with ‘world-class beatboxing, jokes, banter, tomfoolery and more’... Sat 30 Sept, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

MACBETH Reuben Joseph takes the lead in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, until Sat 14 Oct, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

SINATRA THE MUSICAL Brand-new production exploring the life (on and off stage) of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra. Matt Doyle stars in the lead role, until Sat 28 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Tracy-Ann Oberman stars in a powerful reimagining which places Shakespeare’s play in 1936 Londona time when fascism is on the rise across the whole of England... until Sat 10 Feb, Swan Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

THE FULL MONTY Danny Hatchard, Jake Quickenden and Bill Ward star in a new touring production based on the hit 1996 film of the same name, Mon 2 - Sat 7 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

ALFIE MOORE Fri 6 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

ERIC RUSHTON Sat 7 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

STEVE ROYLE, MAUREEN YOUNGER, RAY

BRADSHAW & AURIE STYLA Sat 7 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CARL HUTCHINSON Sat 7 Oct, Old Rep, Birmingham

COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS Sat 7 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

ASHLEY BLAKER Sat 7 Oct, Royal Spa

Centre, Leamington Spa

JORDAN GRAY Sat 7 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Kaneswaran and Strictly star Pasha Kovalev star in a brand-new musical about a young girl with a big voice, big dreams and an even bigger heart, until Sat 30 Sept, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

BROWN BOYS SWIM Karim Khan examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in an ‘exhilarating’ new play about fitting in and striking out, until Sat 30 Sept, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

CRIMES ON CENTRE COURT Murder and mayhem combine in a tennis-themed whodunnit performed by New Old Friends, Fri 29 - Sat 30 Sept, Malvern Theatres

THE MIGHTY KIDS BEATBOX COMEDY SHOW STRIKES BACK Unabandoned

SWEET CHARITY Amateur version of the Tony Award-winning musical, Mon 2 - Sat 7 Oct, Talisman Theatre, Leamington Spa

CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL Brandnew production of the Gary Barlow & Tim Firth musical starring Tanya Franks, Maureen Nolan, Lyn Paul, Amy Robbins, Paula Tappenden, Marti Webb & Honeysuckle Weeks, Tues 3 - Sat 7 Oct, The Alexandra, Birmingham

LEGALLY BLONDE Amateur version presented by Alcester Musical Theatre Company, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

BLYTHE SPIRIT Second Thoughts

Drama Group Productions present an amateur version of Noel Coward’s comic play, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Oct, The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

The Merchant Of Venice - Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

thelist

ROMEO & JULIET Worcester Rep present an amateur version of the world’s greatest love story, Wed 4Sat 7 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

TO BEGIN THE WORLD OVER AGAIN: THE LIFE OF THOMAS PAINE A one-man show telling the very personal story of an 18th-century rock star... Thurs 5 Oct, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

PHANTASMAGORIA Gripping psychological horror exploring the dangers of right-wing popularism, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE ADDAMS FAMILY Amateur version presented by Evesham’s Phoenix Theatre Group, Thurs 5 - Sun 8 Oct, The Henrican, Evesham

UNUSUAL SHORTS The Flying Ducks Theatre Company present an evening of comedy sketches, quirky characters, audio-visual treats and vintage live music, Fri 6 Oct, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED

MUSICAL Award-winning spontaneous musical theatre show direct from the West End, Sat 7 Oct, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

Kids Theatre

GREG CHAPMAN’S MAGIC OF THE DINOSAURS Family show featuring comedy, magic, mentalism, storytelling, puppetry and more... Sat 7 Oct, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

Dance

AILEY 2: THE NEXT GENERATION OF DANCE Presented by exceptional, early-career dance talent from the US. Programme features Francesca Harper’s futuristic Freedom Series (excerpt), Robert Battle’s The Hunt, William Forsythe’s Enemy In The Figure (excerpt), and Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece, Revelations, Tues 3Wed 4 Oct, Birmingham Hippodrome

EMERALD STORM Irish dance and modern tap combine in a story about the conflicts of human nature, Sun 8 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

AN EVENING WITH ANTON DU BEKE An evening of song, dance and laughter hosted by the Strictly judge, Sun 8 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

Light Entertainment

FOIL, ARMS & HOG An evening with one of the internet’s most renowned comedy sketch groups, Sun 1 Oct, Birmingham Hippodrome

AN EVENING WITH ANTON DU BEKE An evening of song, dance and laughter hosted by the Strictly judge, Mon 2 Oct, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

FASCINATING AIDA Brand-new show from ‘Britain’s raciest and sassiest musical cabaret trio’, Mon 2 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

FROZEN LIGHT: THE BAR AT THE EDGE OF TIME

A ‘multi-sensory spectacular’ for audiences with profound and multiple learning difficulties, Tues 3 - Wed 4 Oct, Malvern Theatres

BOB BROLLY & FRIENDS Midday variety show featuring a blend of Irish, country and singalong songs, fun and laughter, Wed 4 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Nostalgic show featuring comedy sketches, music and impersonations, Wed 4 - Thurs 5 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

FUNNY GIRLS HALLOWEEN SHOW

FEATURING BETTY LEGS DIAMOND Join Betty and her crypt kicker dancers for a spooky spectacle. Note that all children must be accompanied by an adult, Thurs 5 Oct, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

RAVE ON ‘The ultimate 1950 & ’60s experience’ charting the meteoric rise of rock & roll, Fri 6 Oct, Stratford Playhouse, Stratford-upon-Avon

AN EVENING OF BURLESQUE Expect fun, feathers and fabulous costumes in a fusion of cabaret, comedy, music, circus and burlesque, Sat 7 Oct, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

FASCINATING AIDA Brand-new show from ‘Britain’s raciest and sassiest musical cabaret trio’, Sat 7 Oct, Malvern Theatres

OFF MENU: LIVE Ed Gamble and James Acaster’s award-winning podcast, live on stage for the first time, Sun 8 Oct, Birmingham

Hippodrome

Talks & Spoken

Word

POETRY JAM LIVE! Featuring poets who are starting out and seasoned veterans - plus anyone else who can tell a story! Thurs 5 Oct, Jennifer Blackwell Space, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

TRACY BORMAN: ANNE BOLEYN & ELIZABETH I Join historian Tracy as she sheds light on an extraordinary mother & daughter who changed the course of British history forever, Sat 7 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

LESLEY SMITH: NELL GWYNNE Meet the mistress of Charles II in this spokenword event that promises to be just a little bit ‘bawdy’. Not suitable for under-16s, Sun 8 Oct, The Court House Ballroom, Leamington Spa

Events

HAUNTED ADVENTURES - GHOST HUNT

Join Haunted Adventures for a ghost hunt in the theatre, until Sun 1 Oct, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

POTATO & SWEETCORN SHINDIG Pick your own potatoes and sweetcorn straight from the fields, until Sun 8 Oct, Hatton Adventure World, Warwickshire

BRICK OR TREAT: MONSTER PARTY Get into the Halloween spirit with some fang-tastic activities, Sat 30 SeptSun 5 Nov, Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham

GAIA Touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram, until Sun 5 Nov, Lichfield Cathedral, Staffordshire

BRICK OR TREAT: MONSTER PARTY

Spooktacular activities, including a ‘scarevenger’ hunt, a Lego pumpkin patch and more, until Sun 5 Nov, Legoland Discovery Centre, Birmingham

HAUNTED ADVENTURES - GHOST HUNT

Overnight ghost hunting event, Sun 1 Oct, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

TOY COLLECTORS FAIR Featuring more than 500 stalls packed with thousands of new and old collectables for sale, Sun 1 Oct, NEC, Birmingham

WEDDING FAIR Meet an array of wedding suppliers and check out the facilities that the museum has to offer for wedding ceremonies and receptions, Sun 1 Oct, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

WARWICK WORDS HISTORY FESTIVAL Festival of the written and spoken word, Sun 1 - Sun 8 Oct, various venues in Warwick

COLLECTIONS CENTRE TOUR See more of the historic collections of Worcestershire County Museum and Worcester City Museums, Tues 3 Oct, Museums Worcestershire’s Collections Centre, Hartlebury

HORSE OF THE YEAR SHOW 2023 The biggest week of the year for

equestrian entertainment, Wed 4Sun 8 Oct, NEC, Birmingham

GRAND DESIGNS LIVE Access

inspiration and expert advice for your next building project, Wed 4 - Sun 8 Oct, NEC, Birmingham

GANDEYS CIRCUS The circus presents brand-new production Glitterati, Wed 4 - Sun 8 Oct, Tudor Grange Park, Solihull

THINKTANK TASTER TOUR Guided tour of a selection of the Visitor Service Team’s favourite items, Thurs 5 Oct, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

CEILIDH IN THE CATHEDRAL An evening of merry jigging, new friends and lots of laughter, Fri 6 Oct, Coventry Cathedral

LET’S WATCH AND MAKE: WORLD

ANIMAL DAY Series of shorts followed by a free guided craft activity, Sat 7 Oct, Coventry Cathedral

BIG GREEN ECO FAMILY FAIR Featuring family-friendly craft & nature activities, a selection of stalls selling green products and advice about sustainable living, Sat 7 Oct, Worcester Cathedral

O GAUGE GET TOGETHER Check out some of the UK’s award-winning O Gauge layouts and dioramas, Sat 7Sun 8 Oct, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

CHURCHFIELDS FARM PUMPKIN

FESTIVAL Pick your own pumpkin and carve it, enjoy pumpkin games, live entertainment and more, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Oct, Churchfields Farm, Droitwich

ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIR Browse a variety of stalls offering quality, collectable and eclectic items, Sun 8 Oct, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

ASCARIUM: TRICKS & TREATS Follow an immersive trail to help the witches and warlocks find their missing potion ingredients. Discover some of the spookiest creatures of the sea, Sun 8 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, National SEA LIFE Centre, Birmingham

That’ll Be The Day - The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

thelist

Gigs

FREYA RIDINGS Tues 10 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

GARY NUMAN Tues 10 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

SMITH Fri 13 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

TAY IWAR Fri 13 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SANCTUM SANCTORIUM

Fri 13 Oct, O2

Academy, Birmingham

CASH... A TRIBUTE TO JOHNNY CASH Fri 13

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

NASHVILLE IN CONCERT

Fri 13 Oct, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

BRÌGHDE CHAIMBEUL Fri

13 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MONASTERY + CROWNED HYENAS +

SERENITY Sat 14 Oct,

O2 Academy, B’ham

BLINK-182 + THE STORY

SO FAR Sat 14 Oct,

Utilita Arena, B’ham

THE ROY ORBISON

STORY Sat 14 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

JO HARROP AND PAUL

EDIS Sat 14 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

SOUL II SOUL Sat 14

Oct, hmv Empire, Coventry

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by JS Bach, K Volans, H Willan, W Wolstenholme & R Laurin, Mon 9 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

EX CATHEDRA: RACHMANINOFF 150: VESPERS Featuring Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor), Martha McLorinan (mezzo soprano), James Robinson (tenor) & Simone Rebello (bells), Tues 10 Oct, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

Brahms, Elgar & Dvorak, Sat 14 Oct, Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham

A FESTIVAL OF 100 VOICES An evening of choral and musical delights in support of Midlands Air Ambulance charity. Curzon Brass and Dave Coulson (baritone) feature, Sat 14 Oct, Worcester Cathedral

EX CATHEDRA: RACHMANINOFF 150: VESPERS Featuring Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor), Martha McLorinan (mezzo soprano), James Robinson (tenor) & Simone Rebello (bells), Sun 15 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

Comedy

STEVE PLEDGER Tues 10 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

HENGE Wed 11 Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND + DASHBOARD

CONFESSIONAL Wed 11 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

INSTRUMENTAL GROOVE

UNIT Wed 11 Oct, Stratford Playhouse

JOEL CORRY Wed 11 Oct, hmv Empire, Coventry

SIOBHAN MILLER Wed 11 Oct, The Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Nr Evesham

PAUL YOUNG Wed 11 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

THE MACHINE RAGES ON Fri 13 Oct, The Tin At

The Coal Vaults,

Coventry

THE OFFSPIN + SOME 41

Fri 13 Oct, Arches

Venue, Coventry

LOST IN MUSIC Fri 13

Oct, The Roses

Theatre, Tewkesbury

THE OVERTONES Fri 13

Oct, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

ELVANA: ELVIS FRONTED

NIRVANA Fri 13 Oct,

hmv Empire, Coventry

NIN UK + SPOUKY KIDS + KORN AGAIN Fri 13

Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

MOSHTALGIA +

HIPFLASK VIRGINS Fri 13 Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

DOM MARTIN Fri 13 Oct,

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

GENESIS VISIBLE TOUCH

Fri 13 Oct, Palace

Theatre, Redditch

ALANIS UK Fri 13 Oct,

45Live, Kidderminster

PICTURE THIS Sat 14

CORY WONG FEAT

ANTWAUN STANLEY +

SECRET NIGHT GANG

Thurs 12 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

DON TOLIVER Thurs 12

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

NOTHING TO PROVE

Thurs 12 Oct,

Bromsgrove Folk Club

JACKIE OATES TRIO

Thurs 12 Oct, The

Fleece Inn, Bretforton, Nr Evesham

ELECTRIC SWING CIRCUS

Fri 13 Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

HARD-FI + TOM A.

Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

AFFLECK’S PALACE +

JEALOUS NOSTRIL Sat 14 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE RUSHMORE + THE JETTYS + NECKLACE +

CAMERON JENKINS + BO

Sat 14 Oct, O2

Institute, Birmingham

FELL OUT BOY + BLACK

CHARADE Sat 14 Oct,

O2 Academy, B’ham

ANTARCTIC MONKEYS

Sat 14 Oct, O2

Academy, Birmingham

BLACK WATER FIEND +

SOLITARY +

ERADICATOR + WIRED +

SOULRIDE Sat 14 Oct, Arches Venue, Coventry

MORETALLICA Sat 14

Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

DARK SIDE OF THE WALL - PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE

Sat 14 Oct, The Benn Hall, Rugby

BRITPOP UNITED Sat 14

Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

BOWIESQUE Sat 14 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

THE DRIFTERS Sat 14 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

THE BOHEMIANS - QUEEN

TRIBUTE Sat 14 Oct, Civic, Stourport

THE HOLLIES Sat 14

Oct, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

DAYTIME TV Sun 15

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

ROISIN MURPHY FROM CO. MONAGHAN & LITTLE

JIMMY Sun 15 Oct, Irish Centre, Kings Heath, Birmingham

CHRISTINA ALDEN & ALEX PATTERSON Sun 15 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE IRREPRESSIBLES

Sun 15 Oct, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

FRANCIS ROSSI Sun 15

Oct, Albany Theatre, Coventry

REVIVAL - ABBA TRIBUTE

Sun 15 Oct, The Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

LINDISFARNE Sun 15

Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: NEOCLASSIC Featuring Michael Collins (conductor) & Xuefei Yang (guitar). Programme includes works by Stravinsky, Rodrigo, Albéniz, Tárrega & Prokofiev, Thurs 12 Oct, The Bridge House Theatre, Warwick School, Warwick

RACHMANINOFF PIANO CONCERTO NO.2 WITH JENEBA KANNEH-MASON & THE CBSO Featuring Andrew Gourlay (conductor). Programme includes works by Coleridge-Taylor, Rachmaninoff & Wagner, Thurs 12 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES Featuring Suzie Purkis (mezzo soprano) & Flora McNicoll (cellist), Thurs 12 Oct, Ensemble Room, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: NEOCLASSIC Featuring Michael Collins (conductor) & Xuefei Yang (guitar). Programme includes works by Stravinsky, Rodrigo, Albéniz, Tárrega & Prokofiev, Fri 13 Oct, The Courtyard, Hereford

ALFIE BOE IN CONCERT Sat 14 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

JOSH PUGH Tues 10 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JACK SKIPPER Wed 11 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

NORMAN LOVETT, ERIC RUSHTON, DAMON CONLAN, RICHARD DADD, MAT

TAYLOR & HANNAH WEETMAN Wed 11 Oct, The Irish Centre, Birmingham

MARK WATSON Wed 11 Oct, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, STEVE GRIBBIN & SUSIE

MCCABE Thurs 12 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RHYS JAMES Thurs 12 Oct, Old Rep, Birmingham

LIAM WITHNAIL, MATT REES, STEVE GRIBBIN, SUSIE MCCABE & CHARLIE

LEWIS Fri 13 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PAUL FOOT Fri 13 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BEN ASHURST, GARETH NEALE, MARK PENCHERZ, MAT SMITH & DYLAN DODDS Fri 13 Oct, Ecgwins Club, Evesham

ED BYRNE Fri 13 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

HOT WATER COMEDY CLUB Fri 13 Oct, The Rialto, Coventry

CONNOR BURNS Sat 14 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

LIAM WITHNAIL, MATT REES, STEVE

GRIBBIN & SUSIE MCCABE Sat 14 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JENNY ECLAIR Sat 14 Oct, Old Rep, Birmingham

WARWICKSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Callun Smart (violin) & Roger Coull (conductor). Programme includes works by Walton, Elgar & Rachmaninov, Sat 14 Oct, The Bridge House Theatre, Warwick School, Warwick

MILOŠ KARADAGLIĆ CLASSICAL GUITAR CONCERT Programme includes works by Bach, Couperin, Barrios, Scarlatti, Rameau & Duplessy, Sat 14 Oct, Malvern Theatres

CHELTENHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring David Curtis (conductor) & Emma Roberts (mezzo-soprano). Programme includes works by

PIERRE NOVELLIE Sat 14 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DANNY MCLOUGHLIN Sun 15 Oct,

TRAVIS JAY, LOYISO GOLA, TRIXX, KAT BOYCE & LOVELL SMITH Sun

Glee Club, Birmingham

PAUL WHITEHOUSE, SHAZIA MIRZA, JOHN SIMMIT, GEOFF SCHUMANN & COMIC TBC Sun 15 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

Theatre

MADE IN (INDIA) BRITAIN A coming-ofage story about discovering your community and the journey that follows, Mon 9 - Wed 11 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

SISTER ACT Lesley Joseph stars as Mother Superior in the heavenly smash-hit musical, Mon 9 - Sat 14 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Smash-hit musical featuring Ivano Turco as Jamie and John Partridge as Hugo//Loco Chanelle, Tues 10Sat 14 Oct, Birmingham Hippodrome

ANNIE Craig Revel Horwood (TuesFri) and Jodie Prenger (Sat) star as Miss Hannigan in the rags-to-riches tale of orphan Annie and her journey to a better life, Tues 10 - Sat 14 Oct,

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THE HAUNTING A ‘gripping’ adaptation of one of Charles Dickens’ most haunting works, Wed 11 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

Stratford-upon-Avon Methodist Church Hall

ENGLISH TOURING OPERA: THE CORONATION OF POPPEA Monteverdi’s operatic masterpiece aims to answer the question: How far would you go for love?, Sat 14 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

THE HAUNTING A ‘gripping’ adaptation of one of Charles Dickens’ most haunting works, Sat 14 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

COWBOIS A ‘rollicking’ queer western about a handsome bandit named Jack Cannon, Sat 14 Oct - Sat 18 Nov, Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon

WAR OF THE WORLDS (ON A BUDGET) An abridged version of the HG Wells classic, featuring ‘one actor, a loop pedal, ukulele, lots of cardboard, many hats and terrifying tripod puppets’, Sun 15 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

Kids Theatre

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD Tall Stories’ enchanting version of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s muchloved picture book, Wed 11 - Thurs 12 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES A Once

Upon A Time story for younger audiences, presented by Priory Youth Theatre, Wed 11 - Thurs 12 Oct, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

ULTIMATE DINOSAURS A pre-historic adventure starring dinosaur aficionado Dr Ben Garrod, Sun 15 Oct, The Henrican, Evesham

Monday 9 - Sunday 15 October

EMERALD STORM Irish dance and modern tap combine in a story about the conflicts of human nature, Sat 14 Oct, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

Light Entertainment

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE: WERQ THE WORLD Featuring fan favourite drag queens Bimini Bon-Boulash, Aquaria, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, Bosco, Daya Betty, Kandy Muse & Ginger Minj, Thurs 12 Oct, Utilita Arena Birmingham

PSYCHIC SALLY Thurs 12 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

CANDLELIGHT: A TRIBUTE TO COLDPLAY Discover the music of Coldplay by the gentle glow of candlelight, Fri 13 Oct, Coventry Cathedral

SHELF The story of one bizarrely life changing haircut and one lifelong friendship through acoustic jams, slamming EDM, and jokes, Wed 11 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

YIPPEE KI YAY Richard Marsh’s acclaimed retelling of classic action movie Die Hard, Sat 14 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

DREAMCOAT STARS Keith Jack (BBC’s Any Dream Will Do) headlines a cast of performers in a mega-mix production celebrating West End and Broadway musical theatre classics, Sun 15 Oct, Malvern Theatres

Arts Centre, Coventry

SIMON REEVES: TO THE END OF THE EARTH An evening with one of the world’s most adventurous travellers, Sat 14 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Events

GAYDON GATHERING Motoring enthusiast meet-up event, Tues 10 Oct, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

THINKTANK TASTER TOUR Guided tour of a selection of the Visitor Service Team’s favourite items, Wed 11 Oct, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

100 YEARS OF FASHION: FASHION SHOW

Ladies fashions from the 1880s to the 1980s, Fri 13 Oct, Worcester Cathedral

DUNGEONS AFTER DARK Travel back in time and experience some of Warwick Castle’s most horrifying residents, who are feeling anything but friendly, Fri 13 Oct, Warwick Castle

MIDLANDS MODEL ENGINEERING

EXHIBITION Showcasing hundreds of models in competition and display classes, Thurs 12 - Sun 15 Oct, Warwickshire Event Centre, Leamington Spa

WAR TIME DANCE Soak up the atmosphere from a bygone era with live entertainment in the 1940s village hall, Sat 14 Oct, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove

MURDER MYSTERY DINING EXPERIENCE

MACBETH Love, politics and witchcraft collide in Shakespeare’s bloody tale, Wed 11 Oct, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

NIGHTFALL WITH EDGAR ALLAN POE A Phoenix Players Production, Wed 11Sat 14 Oct, The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

WOMEN & THEATRE: REVIVAL A series of rehearsed readings and key productions from Women & Theatre’s archive, presented in celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary, Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

MUM’S THE WORD Cheryl Fergison, Sarita Plowman & Poppy Tierney star in an uplifting show about ‘navigating motherhood and the drama life throws at you’, Fri 13 Oct, Malvern Theatres

WHAT THE DICKENS? Brand new concertplay by Clare Norburn in which Charles Dickens is haunted by the women he has mistreated. The production features colourful Victorian popular songs and street music, haunting old carols and lively folk dance music, Fri 13 Oct,

Dance

UNKNOWN REALMS ACE Dance & Music double bill featuring contrasting works examining the past and present, Tues 10 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

UNKNOWN REALMS ACE Dance & Music double bill featuring contrasting works examining the past and present, Thurs 12 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

ROSHNI Sonia Sabri presents a soulstirring performance combining Kathak dance and live music, Fri 13 Oct, Steiner Academy, Hereford

Talks & Spoken Word

AN AUDIENCE WITH LUCY WORSLEY: AGATHA CHRISTIE Join ‘the queen of history’ as she shares stories from the fascinating life of ‘the queen of crime’, Mon 9 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

- A FOWL MURDER Crack the clues, enjoy a four-course dining experience and travel along the railway, Sat 14 Oct, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

ON THE HOME FRONT 1940S WEEKEND

Experience life in the Second World War with traders, music, dancing, displays and shopping, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Oct, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove

FARGO RETRO REVIVAL Featuring a range of independent retailers, creatives and artists, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Oct, FarGo Village, Coventry

THE NATIONAL SNOW SHOW

Inspirational speakers, cutting-edge technologies and the best in gear, all under one roof, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Oct, NEC, Birmingham

HOLLY MATTHEWS IN CONVERSATION An evening with the former TV actress (Waterloo Road, Casualty, Byker Grove), singer, widowed mother of two, self-development coach and founder of The Happy Me Project, Tues 10 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

UNCANNY: I KNOW WHAT I SAW Join Danny Robbins for ‘the biggest investigation into the paranormalever!’ Fri 13 - Sat 14 Oct, Warwick

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR Fangtastic fun on the farm, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Oct, Hatton Adventure World, Warwick CHURCHFIELDS FARM PUMPKIN

FESTIVAL Pick your own pumpkin and carve it, enjoy pumpkin games, live entertainment and more, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Oct, Churchfields Farm, Droitwich

MALVERN FLEA AND COLLECTORS FAIR

Sun 15 Oct, Three Counties

Showground, Malvern

thelist

Gigs

SQUID Mon 16 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

ALBANY DOWN Mon 16

Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

SPEECH DEBELLE Tues

17 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES + THE NIGHTMARES

Tues 17 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

RIVAL SONS + L.A.

EDWARDS Tues 17 Oct, O2 Academy, B’ham

SAM HUBER FT JON

READ & KEITH SHOCKLEE

Tues 17 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

BELLAH MAE Wed 18

Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

WATERLOO - A TRIBUTE

TO ABBA Wed 18 Oct, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

MICHELE STODART Wed

18 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

JESCA HOOP Wed 18

Oct, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

GAVIN DEGRAW Thurs

19 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

LARRY JUNE Thurs 19

Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

UK PINK FLOYD

EXPERIENCE Thurs 19

Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

THE TELESCOPES Thurs

19 Oct, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

THE MUSIC OF BUDDY

HOLLY AND THE CRICKETERS Thurs 19

Oct, Malvern Theatres

THE NEIL COLEY BIG

BAND Thurs 19 Oct, Civic, Stourport

LITTLE MAN TATE + THE INSTITUTES + SHAMBOLICS Fri 20 Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

KEZIA GILL Fri 20 Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

MAHALIA Fri 20 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

POP-PUNK! ON BRASS Fri 20 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DOWN FOR THE COUNT

Fri 20 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

OH! WHAT A NIGHT - THE MUSIC OF FRANKIE VALLI

Fri 20 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

BENJI KIRKPATRICK Fri 20 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

SOMEONE LIKE YOUTHE ADELE SONGBOOK Fri 20 Oct, Albany Theatre, Coventry

OYSTERBAND Fri 20 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

XANDER AND THE PEACE

PIRATES Fri 20 Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

DAOIRÍ FARRELL Fri 20

Oct, Regal, Tenbury Wells

GUNS OR ROSES Fri 20

Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

MAN OF THE WORLD: THE MUSIC OF PETER GREEN Fri 20 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

JIVE TALKIN’ - BEE GEES

TRIBUTE Fri 20 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

SCOTT MATTHEWS Fri 20

Oct, West Malvern Social Club

TREVOR BABAJACK TRIO Fri 20 Oct, Malvern Cube

WHITNEY - QUEEN OF THE NIGHT Fri 20 Oct, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

HERE AT LAST Sat 21 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

ANDREW CUSHIN Sat 21 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE CLONE ROSES + DEFINITELY MIGHTBE +

THE JAMES EXPERIENCE

Sat 21 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

Monday 16 - Sunday 22 October

Classical Music

LUDOVICO EINAUDI Featuring special guest Sam Lee. Programme includes tracks from Underwater - 12 newly composed solo piano tracks, Wed 18 Oct, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

Coventry

JAY LAFFERTY, LOST VOICE GUY, GAVIN

WEBSTER & IAN COPPINGER Sat 21 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

KANE BROWN, KYRAH GRAY, LOYISO

GOLA & TRIXX Sat 21 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

JENNY ECLAIR Sat 21 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

RODRIGO Y GABRIELA

Sat 21 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

STEVE AJAO BLUES

GIANTS Sat 21 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE ROLLOCKS + THE BIG SUGARS + DOWNDRAFT Sat 21

Oct, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

FAT LIP FESTIVAL Sat 21

Oct, Arches Venue, Coventry

TUNDE Sat 21 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE STONES Sat 21 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

BLASFEME + ADDER + HEXENBRENNER Sat 21

Oct, Paradiddles Cafe, Worcester

THE JERSEYS - THE MUSIC OF FRANKIE VALLI

Sat 21 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch SOMEONE LIKE YOUTHE ADELE SONGBOOK

Sat 21 Oct, Malvern

Theatres

EUROPE Sat 21 Oct, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

THE BLUETONES Sun 22

Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

CODY PENNINGTON COUNTRY SHOW Sun 22

Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE JAPANESE HOUSE

Sun 22 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE WATERBOYS Sun 22

Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SKA TRAIN Sun 22 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

JAKE MARSH Sun 22

Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

COVENTRY PHILHARMONIC Featuring David Wynne (director), Alexandra Wynne (soprano), Charlotte Woodhead (alto), Edward Harrison (tenor), Edward Robinson (bass), Da-Hee Kim and Antoine Mitchell (pianos) plus Ben de Souza (piano accordian). Programme comprises Rossini’s Petite messe solennelle, Sat 21 Oct, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

LONDON CONCERTANTE Programme includes Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro Overture, Vaughan-Williams’ The Lark Ascending & Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Sat 21 Oct, Worcester Cathedral

BIRMINGHAM PHILHARMONIC

ORCHESTRA: 80TH ANNIVERSARY

CONCERT Programme includes works by Elgar & Beethoven, Sun 22 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

Comedy

JACKIE FABULOUS Tues 17 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SHANE TODD Tues 17 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

STEFF TODD Wed 18 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ED BYRNE Wed 18 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

ROMESH RANGANATHAN Wed 18Thurs 19 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, LOST VOICE GUY & IAN

COPPINGER Thurs 19 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SOPHIE MCCARTNEY Thurs 19 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

SUZI RUFFELL Thurs 19 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

STEPHEN BAILEY, FREDDY QUINNE, LINDSEY SANTORO & BEN SILVER Thurs 19 Oct, Cofa’s Social, Coventry

ED BYRNE Thurs 19 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

JAY LAFFERTY, LOST VOICE GUY, GAVIN

WEBSTER, IAN COPPINGER & JON

CAPEWELL Fri 20 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SEAN COLLINS Fri 20 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM DAVIS Fri 20 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

PAUL SMITH Fri 20 Oct, The Rialto,

GARY DELANEY Sat 21 Oct, Abbey Theatre, Nuneaton

ROUGH WORKS: NEW MATERIAL NIGHT Sun 22 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PETER FRANCIS, RICHARD BLACKWOOD, SLIM, AURIE STYLA, DANA ALEXANDER, THENJIWE & ANNETTE FAGON Sun 22

Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Theatre

MY FAIR LADY Amateur version presented by Carpet Trades Musical Theatre Company, Mon 16 - Sat 21

Oct, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

CRIMES ON CENTRE COURT Murder and mayhem combine in a tennis-themed whodunnit performed by New Old Friends, Tues 17 - Wed 18 Oct, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

THE WEDDING SINGER Amateur version presented by Worcester

Operatic & Dramatic Society, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL Amber Davie, Ore Odube and Oliver Savile star in this touring version of the smash-hit musical, Tues 17 - Sat 28

Oct, The Alexandra, Birmingham

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

- THE MUSICAL Roald Dahl’s iconic story is brought to the stage in a new production fusing memorable songs from the 1971 film with new numbers from the award-winning songwriters of Hairspray, Tues 17 Oct - Sun 5

Nov, Birmingham Hippodrome

Oysterband - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

thelist

DRACULA: MINA’S RECKONING A contemporary retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic horror, Wed 18 - Sat 21 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

BAZAAR AND RUMMAGE Amateur version of Sue Townsend’s comedy, highlighting the social problems that come with agoraphobia, Wed 18 - Sat 21 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

DISCOVERING ANTARCTICA: HEROIC TALES OF SHACKLETON, CREAN & SCOTT

Tom Crean, intrepid Antarctic explorer and one of Ireland’s unsung heroes, is brought to life on stage in a solo performance by Aidan Dooley, Fri 20 Oct, Number 8, Pershore

BUMPER BLYTON Improvised parody packed with puns and innuendo, in the style of author Enid Blyton, Sat 21 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

THE WELKIN Amateur version of Lucy Kirkwood’s play, exploring the experiences of women in past and present society, Sat 21 - Sat 28 Oct, Criterion Theatre, Coventry

A SUMMER IN THE SOUTH The ‘dark and disturbing’ mingles with the ‘colourful and amusing’ in this mosaic of prose and dramatised readings. Presented by Michael Maloney and Nichola McAuliffe, Sun 22 Oct, Malvern Theatres

Kids Theatre

NEST M6 Theatre fuse clowning, original song and shadow play in a brand-new family show telling a tale about taking care, discovering what’s important and learning how to fly, Sat 21 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

Dance

MATTHEW BOURNE’S ROMEO & JULIET

New Adventures’ critically acclaimed production of Shakespeare’s timeless tale, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Oct,

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

DAZZLE Swing dance spectacular with The Swing Time Jivers, Sun 22 Oct, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

VINCENT SIMONE: TANGO PASSIONS

Journey to Buenos Aires with the ‘Italian stallion’ and his leading lady, Paula Duarte, Sun 22 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

Light Entertainment

HISTORY IN THE MAKING: A BLACK HISTORY SPECIAL A trip down the Black History timeline, presented through drama, spoken word, dance and music performance, Tues 17Wed 18 Oct, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

UNCANNY: I KNOW WHAT I SAW Danny Robbins undertakes ‘the biggest-ever investigation into the paranormal’, Wed 18 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

ROLLING BACK THE YEARS Fast-moving show bringing the songs and moves of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s to the stage, Thurs 19 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

JURASSIC PARK 30TH ANNIVERSARY

LIVE IN CONCERT Watch the Stephen Spielberg classic in HD on a big screen while the Halle Orchestra perform John Williams’ iconic score live on stage, Sat 21 Oct, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

THE BEST OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS A musical journey through the career of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons. Gareth Gates stars, Fri 20 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

NICK COPE A show that promises to appeal to children and adults alike, ‘with songs to reach into the heart and ignite the imaginations of younger audience members’, Sun 22 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Talks & Spoken Word

AN EVENING WITH ADRIAN EDMONDSON

A chance to hear the comedy legend’s back story - from strict Methodist upbringing and boarding school education, through to joining the comedy revolution and more... Tues 17 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

MR GAYDEN OF BRAILES AND OTHER STORIES; ADVENTURES IN LOCAL HISTORY RESEARCH Talk given by Maggie Wood, formerly Keeper of Social History for the Warwickshire Museum Service, Tues 17 Oct, Aylesford School, Warwick

THE MAKINGS OF A MURDERER Join Scottish detective David Swindle as

he shares a unique insight into the minds of some of Britain’s notorious serial killers, Wed 18 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

BILLY BILLINGHAM MBE: ALWAYS A LITTLE FURTHER Spend an evening with the decorated SAS leader as he shares his inspirational story, Sat 21 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

FAMILY HISTORY WITH DNA DETECTIVE, PROFESSOR TURI KING Join the copresenter of BBC Two series DNA Family Secrets as she uncovers how DNA has revolutionised genealogy and forensics, Sun 22 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Events

MINI MOTORISTS MONDAYS Find the museum cats before enjoying a special Halloween-themed singalong, Mon 16 Oct, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

AFTER-DARK TOURS Explore one of the oldest buildings in Worcester, Tues 17 & Thurs 19 Oct, The Commandery, Worcester

THE MOTORHOME AND CARAVAN SHOW

Explore the new 2024 motorhome, campervan, caravan and trailer tents from the leading UK and European manufacturers, Tues 17 - Sun 22 Oct, NEC, Birmingham

HOST DINING AT NINETEEN 58 Featuring a new tasting menu from acclaimed local chef Sarah Jenkins, Fri 20 Oct, Nineteen 58, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

MUSEUM AFTER HOURS - PAINT THE STREETS Get yourself a themed cocktail, check out Paint The Streets after hours, and have a dance to music courtesy of Zee-Rock, Fri 20 Oct, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

AUTUMN QUILTS FESTIVAL Featuring quilt displays from well-known quilters & textile artists, Fri 20 - Sun 22 Oct, Three Counties Showground, Malvern

CASTLE AFTER DARK The castle

courtyard transforms into a frightful festival of entertainment, Sat 21 Oct, Warwick Castle

THE CITY IS FULL OF NOISES: MAKE MODULAR Intermediate modular workshop, Sat 21 Oct, Coventry Transport Museum

GCCF SUPREME CAT SHOW 2023 Cats of all shapes, sizes and coat textures will be attendance! Sat 21 Oct, NAEC Stoneleigh, Kenilworth

CHURCHFIELDS FARM PUMPKIN

FESTIVAL Pick your own pumpkin and carve it, enjoy pumpkin games, live entertainment and more, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Oct, Churchfields Farm, Droitwich

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

‘Fangtastic’ fun on the farm, Sat 21Sun 22 Oct, Hatton Adventure World, Warwick

IKIGAI JAPANESE FESTIVAL Featuring stallholders, food vendors, artists, tattooists, performances, cosplay fashion shows, anime & manga merchandise, traditional Japanese tableware and more, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Oct, Assembly Leamington

SPOOKY SPECTACULAR Join Patch the pumpkin-scarecrow and his new friend, Mitzy Monster, Sat 21 OctSun 5 Nov, West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Nr Kiddermister

THE HAUNTED CASTLE Explore over a thousand years of ‘spooktacular history’, Sat 21 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, Warwick Castle

‘PUMPKIN PARTY’ - COMMUNITY

HALLOWEEN DISPLAY Check out the knitted, crocheted and hand-crafted pumpkins and gourds on display in the Victorian kitchen, Sat 21 OctSun 5 Nov, Charlecote Park, Warwick

LARGE MODEL AIRCRAFT SHOW

Featuring over 100 large static radiocontrolled model aircraft, Sun 22 Oct, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

HALLOWEEN - THE HAUNTED HOUSE

Explore the haunted house, try the spooky quiz by day and join a ghost tour by night, Sun 22 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, Tudor World, Stratford-uponAvon

Halloween Spooktacular - Hatton Adventure World, Warwick

thelist

Monday 23 - Tuesday 31 October

AWAKE BY DESIGN + ARROW VALLEY Fri 27 Oct, 45Live, Kidderminster

JLS Fri 27 - Sat 28 Oct, Utilita Arena B’ham

SAMANTHA FISH Sat 28

Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

WE THREE + MORGAN ST.

JEAN Sat 28 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

ELECTRIC CALLBOY + AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS + MONUMENTS Sat 28 Oct, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE SOUP DRAGONS +

BMX BANDITS Sat 28

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE COUNTERFEIT

Gigs

ELLIE GOULDING Mon 23

Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

MODERNLOVE. +

ELLYSSE MASON Mon 23

Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

YE VAGABONDS Mon 23

Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

BRENT FAIYAZ Mon 23

Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

JANA VARGA + STELLA

PRINCE Mon 23 Oct,

Temperance, Leamington Spa

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB

Mon 23 Oct, hmv

Empire, Coventry

ROMAIN VIRGO Tues 24

Oct, The Jam House, Birmingham

MAC AYRES Tues 24 Oct,

Mama Roux’s, B’ham

THY ART IS MURDER + WHITECHAPEL + FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY + SPITE

Tues 24 Oct, O2

Institute, Birmingham

SIXTIES GOLD Tues 24

Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE DUNWELLS Tues 24

Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MIDLAND YOUTH JAZZ

ORCHESTRA Tues 24

Oct, The Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

SHED SEVEN + THE SLOW READERS CLUB

Tues 24 Oct, The

Wulfrun at The Halls

Wolverhampton

HAIRCUT 100 Wed 25

Oct, Birmingham Town

Hall

HOLLY JOHNSON Wed 25

Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SARAH SMOUT Wed 25

Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MARTI PELLOW Wed 25

Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

PROTOMARTYR Wed 25

Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

TALON Wed 25 Oct,

Regal, Tenbury Wells

THE MAGIC OF THE BEE

GEES Wed 25 Oct,

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

LYNNE HANSON Wed 25

Oct, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

NOAHFINNCE + BLACKOUT PROBLEMS

Thurs 26 Oct, O2

Institute, Birmingham

SEBA SAFE Thurs 26

Oct, The Victoria, Birmingham

ZYGGURAT + ANTHONY

CHILD Thurs 26 Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

KIT DOWNES & ENEMY

Thurs 26 Oct, Royal

Birmingham

Conservatoire

S CLUB Thurs 26 Oct, Utilita Arena B’ham

ANTHONY JOHN CLARKE

Thurs 26 Oct,

Bromsgrove Folk Club

TALON Thurs 26 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

JOSIENNE CLARKE Thurs 26 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

SHANIA 25 LIVE Thurs 26

Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

ROYAL BLOOD + HOTWAX

Thurs 26 Oct, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

EXIST IMMORTAL +

GLASS GRAVE Thurs 26 Oct, Devil’s Dog, Birmingham

THE KINGS OF SPAIN

Thurs 26 Oct, Tilt, Birmingham

VENBEE Fri 27 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE DUST CODA +

DOOMSDAY OUTLAW +

BUNKER 9 Fri 27 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

YOUNG FATHERS Fri 27 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE REYTONS + THE K’S + DECLAN WELSH + THE DECADENT WEST Fri 27 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

STONEBWOY Fri 27 Oct, O2 Academy, B’ham

MEATLOUD Fri 27 Oct, Stratford Playhouse

ANTI-NOWHERE LEAGUE + FIGHT BACK + LEECH

BLEEDERS Fri 27 Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

MADCHESTER Fri 27 Oct, The Benn Hall, Rugby

HAWKLORDS Fri 27 Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

SUNJAY Fri 27 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

RUBEN SEABRIGHT & FRIENDS Fri 27 Oct, Paradiddles Cafe, Worcester

SISTER SHOTGUN +

MARTIN CARTHY AND JON

WILKS Sat 28 Oct, Malvern Cube

FLEETWOOD MACHINE

Sat 28 Oct, Civic, Stourport

GABRIELLE Sat 28 Oct, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

A TRIBUTE TO THE CARPENTERS Sat 28 Oct, The Wulfrun at The Halls Wolverhampton

BROKEN DRUMSTICK +

MY LAST DUTCHESS +

SPITWASH + JINXED +

REDEMPTION Sun 29

Oct, O2 Institute, B’ham

CITY AND COLOUR Sun

29 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

STONES Sat 28 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

THE DOLLY SHOW! Sat 28 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

JO CARLEY AND THE OLD

DRY SKULLS Sat 28 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE UKULELE

ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN Sat 28 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

LAST RESORT Sat 28 Oct, Devil’s Dog, Birmingham

THE FATHER TEDS Sat 28

Oct, Nortons, Digbeth, Birmingham

BLACK VOICES Sat 28 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

LLOYD COLE Sat 28 Oct, Coventry Cathedral

THE FIREBALLS Sat 28 Oct, Number 8, Pershore

RAGGED BEAR FESTIVAL Sat 28 Oct, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

HEREFORD POLICE MALE

VOICE CHOIR Sat 28 Oct, The Market Theatre, Ledbury

AMY MONTGOMERY +

CHE AIMEE DORVAL Sat 28 Oct, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

THE SAMPLES + THE

TIGHTS Sat 28 Oct, Marrs Bar, Worcester

KNA-LO VENGE + WHITE

TYGER Sat 28 Oct, 45Live, Kidderminster

JOHN BRAMWELL Sat 28

Oct, West Malvern Social Club

Nuneaton

GIGSPANNER BIG BAND

Sun 29 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

FRANK SINATRA - THE RETIREMENT CONCERT

Sun 29 Oct, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

SAINT AGNES Mon 30 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

VANJA SKY Mon 30 Oct, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE BOO RADLEYS + CUD Tues 31 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

NEWTON FAULKNER Sun

29 Oct, O2 Institute, Birmingham

MAISIE PETERS Sun 29

Oct, O2 Academy,

Birmingham

S CLUB Sun 29 Oct,

Utilita Arena B’ham

GNOSS Sun 29 Oct,

Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE PROFESSIONALS +

GUITAR GANGSTERS Sun

29 Oct, Queens Hall,

MAISIE PETERS Tues 31 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

WUNDERHORSE + EADES + BASHT. Tues 31 Oct, O2 Academy, B’ham

MCFLY Tues 31 Oct, O2 Academy, Birmingham

FALL OUT BOY + PVRIS + NOTHING, NOWHERE. Tues 31 Oct, Utilita Arena Birmingham

ENGLISH TEACHER Tues 31 Oct, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

The Dunwells - Temperance, Leamington Spa

Marti Pellow - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by Buxtehude, Susato, Byrd, Merkel, Weir & Coates, Mon 23 Oct, Birmingham Town Hall

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF UKRAINE Featuring Volodymyr Sirenko (conductor) & Antonii Baryshevskyi (piano). Programme includes works by Lyatosynsky, Beethoven & Sibelius, Tues 24 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

CHINEKE! ORCHESTRA Featuring soloist Nathan Amaral (violin). Programme includes works by Haydn, Bologne & Beethoven, Thurs 26 Oct, Warwick

Arts Centre, Coventry

SIQIN LI PIANO CONCERT Programme includes works by Mozart, Scriabin, Wanghua Chu, Ravel & Liszt, Thurs 26 Oct, Malvern Theatres

LANG LANG PLAYS THE GOLDBERG

VARIATIONS Fri 27 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE

LIVE IN CONCERT Sat 28 Oct,

Symphony Hall, Birmingham

EUROPEAN UNION CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Featuring Hans-Peter Hoffmann (director) & Yuzhang Li (piano). Programme includes works by Prokofiev, Mozart, Walton & Tchaikovsky, Sun 29 Oct, Malvern

Theatres

ORGAN RECITAL WITH PAUL TREPTE

Programme includes works by Reger, Mendelssohn, Vaughan Williams, Sumsion, Howells & Elgar, Sat 28 Oct, Great Malvern Priory, Worcestershire

Comedy

TOM LUCY Wed 25 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DAN HAGLEY Wed 25 - Thurs 26 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, STEVE WILLIAMS & PAUL

MCCAFFREY Thurs 26 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM DAVIS Thurs 26 Oct,

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

RHYS JAMES Thurs 26 Oct,

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

THOMAS GREEN Fri 27 Oct, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JUDI LOVE Fri 27 Oct, Wolverhampton

Grand Theatre

PHIL WANG Fri 27 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

DAN NIGHTINGALE Fri 27 Oct, Warwick

Arts Centre, Coventry

SUSAN MURRY, BARRY DODDS & COMICS TBC Fri 27 Oct, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth

ANDY PARSONS Fri 27 Oct, Regal,

Tenbury Wells

JOSH PUGH, MARTIN MÓR, STEVE

WILLIAMS & PAUL MCCAFFREY Fri 27Sat 28 Oct, The Glee Club, B’ham

JOHN ROBINS Sat 28 Oct, Birmingham

Town Hall

ANGELA BARNES Sat 28 Oct, Old Rep, Birmingham

ADAM ROWE Sat 28 Oct, Malvern

Theatres

DOUG CARTER, TONY COWARDS, SAM SERRANO & JOE ZALIAS Sat 28 Oct, Bulkington Village Community Centre, Bedworth

ANGELA BARNES Sun 29 Oct, Evesham

Town Hall

JOHN ROBINS Sun 29 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

acclaimed play, Thurs 26 - Sat 28 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

MUM’S THE WORD Cheryl Fergison, Sarita Plowman & Poppy Tierney star in an uplifting show about ‘navigating motherhood and the drama life throws at you’, Fri 27 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

AN IMPROVISED MURDER Foghorn

Unscripted present a classic whodunnit, performed live on stage with no script and no plot... Fri 27Sat 28 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE HAUNTING OF BLAINE MANOR A haunted-house chiller, Sat 28 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

TWELVE ANGRY MEN Hollywood star Patrick Duffy leads the cast in Reginald Rose’s gripping courtroom drama, Mon 30 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, The Alexandra, Birmingham

PETER PAN GOES WRONG Mischief are back with their riotous spin on a timeless classic, Mon 30 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Kids Theatre

ROALD DAHL & THE IMAGINATION

SEEKERS A show for young children that aims to develop both creative and literary skills while exploring two of Roald Dahl’s stories, Sun 29 Oct, Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall

THE AMAZING BUBBLE MAN Children’s show in which Louis Pearl showcases the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles, Mon 29 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE LITTLE MERMAID A brand-new underwater musical adventure for all the family, Mon 29 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE AMAZING BUBBLE MAN Children’s show in which Louis Pearl showcases the art, magic, science and fun of bubbles, Mon 30 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

JEN BRISTER Mon 30 Oct, Birmingham

Town Hall

Theatre

CHEEKY LITTLE BROWN A coming-ofage story examining the friendship between two Black women on diverging paths of self-love and acceptance, Tues 24 - Sat 28 Oct, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THE CHERRY ORCHARD The Bear Pit Theatre Company present an amateur version of the Checkov masterpiece, Tues 24 - Sat 28 Oct, The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE Director Lucy Bailey’s version of Agatha Christie’s bestselling crime novel, Tues 24 - Sat 28 Oct, Malvern

Theatres

MACBETH Amateur version of Shakespeare’s blood-soaked tragedy, Wed 25 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, The Loft, Leamington Spa

HALF WAY ‘ROUND THE BEND’ An ‘unflinchingly honest and cheerfully anarchic fusion of contemporary writing and stand-up comedy that explores ‘what it really means to live, work and thrive with mental illness’, Wed 25 - Thurs 26 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

THE GOOD ENOUGH MUMS CLUB A poignant new musical telling the story of five women drawn together by motherhood, Wed 25 - Sat 28 Oct, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

THE REAL AND IMAGINED HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT MAN Tom Wright’s

INTO THE WOODS Creators Theatre Company present Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning musical, Mon 30 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, The Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull

MUM’S THE WORD Cheryl Fergison, Sarita Plowman & Poppy Tierney star in an uplifting show about ‘navigating motherhood and the drama life throws at you’, Tues 31 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

CRIMES ON CENTRE COURT Murder and mayhem combine in a tennis-themed whodunnit performed by New Old Friends, Tues 31 Oct, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

BROWN BOYS SWIM Karim Khan examines the pressures faced by young Muslim men in an ‘exhilarating’ new play about fitting in and striking out, Tues 31 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, The Rep, Birmingham

A VOYAGE ROUND MY FATHER Rupert Everett and Julian Wadham star in John Mortimer’s celebrated autobiographical play, Tues 31 OctSat 4 Nov, Malvern Theatres

THE SMEDS AND THE SMOOS A joyful tale of star-crossed lovers, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Tues 31 Oct - Wed 1 Nov, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

Light Entertainment

MOST HAUNTED THE STAGE SHOW

Hosted by Yvette Fielding and featuring the TV show’s all-time top10 scares, complete with previously unseen video footage, Mon 23 Oct, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THE BOX OF DELIGHTS The RSC’s festive family show follows an orphaned schoolboy who finds himself the guardian of a small wooden box with powers beyond his wildest dreams, Tues 31 Oct - Sun 7 Jan, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE PUNDITS An evening with football pundits Jeff Stelling, Paul Merson, Matt Le Tissier, Phil Thompson & Charlie Nicholas, Tues 24 Oct, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Nostalgic show featuring comedy sketches, music and impersonations, Wed 25 Oct, Malvern Theatres

TAILENDERS The award-winning podcast team (Greg James, Felix White and Jimmy Anderson) take to the road with their alternative (and sometimes musical) look at cricket, Thurs 26 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

REVEREND RICHARD COLES: BORDERLINE NATIONAL TRINKET The only British vicar to have had a number-one hit single lifts the lid on a life ‘truly and truthfully lived’, Fri 27 Oct, Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham

BUFFY REVAMPED Seventy minutes. Seven seasons. One Spike, Sat 28 Oct, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

A CELEBRATION OF FATHER TED WITH JOE ROONEY Featuring ‘silly delights, quizzes and a dancing priests competition’, Sat 28 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

SASHA VELOUR: THE BIG REVEAL LIVE SHOW An immersive evening of drag, storytelling and live art, Tues 31 Oct, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Talks & Spoken

Word

DOUG ALLAN - IT’S A WRAP Join the wildlife cameraman as he looks back over his 35 years of natural history

filmmaking, Mon 23 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

DOUG ALLAN - IT’S A WRAP Join the wildlife cameraman as he looks back over his 35 years of natural history

filmmaking, Tues 24 Oct, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Monday 23 - Tuesday 31 October

cutting-edge science and big-screen footage, Fri 27 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

HALLOWEEN HALF-TERM AT KENILWORTH

CASTLE Gather round for tales from spooky storytellers, and solve creepy clues in the Halloween Quest, Fri 27 Oct - Fri 3 Nov, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

OCTOBER HALF-TERM: PUMPKIN CRAFTS

Make your own spooky pumpkins out of paper or apple stamps to take home, Fri 27 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, Hanbury Hall, Droitwich Spa

THE MONSTER BALL HALLOWEEN PARTY

creature and monster mask, Sat 28 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

PUMPKIN TRAIL & FIREWORKS

ACTIVITIES See if you can find all the pumpkins on site, Sat 28 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, County Museum at Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

FAMILY HISTORY WITH DNA DETECTIVE, PROFESSOR TURI KING Join the copresenter of BBC Two series DNA Family Secrets as she uncovers how DNA has revolutionised genealogy and forensics, Mon 30 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

Events

AUTUMN NATURE CRAFTING Go leafpeeping on a woodland walk and collect colourful leaves and twigs to make your own autumn collage, Mon 23 Oct - Fri 3 Nov, Upton House & Gardens, Warwickshire

AFTER-DARK TOURS Explore one of the oldest buildings in Worcester, Tues 24 & Thurs 26 Oct, The Commandery, Worcester

An evening of ‘wickedly good fun and live entertainment’, Sat 28 Oct, West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

DEER AT DUSK Learn all about the fallow deer herd and how they are looked after, Sat 28 Oct, Charlecote Park, Warwick

HALLOWEEN MAKERS MARKET

Featuring candles & needle-felted pumpkins, jewellery, sweets and much more, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Oct, FarGo Village, Coventry

GREAT BRITISH MODEL RAILWAY SHOW

A family-friendly weekend dedicated to model trains and layouts, Sat 28Sun 29 Oct, British Motor Museum, Gaydon

WILD PHOTOGRAPHERS Discover what it means to be a photographer by crafting crazy cardboard cameras, exploring lenticular art, and making decorative driftwood frames to take home, Sat 28 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

HALLOWEEN HALF-TERM AT WITLEY

COURT Gather round for tales from spooky storytellers, and solve creepy clues in the Halloween Quest, Sat 28 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, Witley Court and Gardens, Worcestershire

HAUNTED HOUSE - FAMILY TRAIL Follow the Haunted House family trail, discovering monsters and spooks along the way, Sat 28 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, The Commandery, Worcester

‘VILE VEGETABLE’ OCTOBER HALF TERM

MARTYN ASHTON: BIKE PARTY An evening with the former world champion mountain bike trials rider. May contain strong language, so parental discretion is advised, Tues 24 Oct, Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE GREAT MALVERN FESTIVAL OF STORIES FOR CHILDREN Featuring professional storytellers, children’s authors, illustrators, puppet companies, musicians and theatre, Tues 24 - Sun 29 Oct, venues across Great Malvern

ELVIS LIVE ON SCREEN Full-scale concert featuring Elvis on screen while the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra perform some of his bestknown songs live on stage, Fri 27 Oct, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

CASTLE AFTER DARK The castle courtyard hosts ‘a frightful festival of entertainment’, Fri 27 - Sun 29 Oct, Warwick Castle

GHOST TALES AT KENILWORTH CASTLE

CHRISTMAS GIFT FAYRE A great place to start your Christmas shopping, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Oct, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

HARVINGTON LIVING HOUSE See Harvington as a fully working Elizabethan House, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Oct, Harvington Hall, Kidderminster

HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN CARVING Choose your pumpkin, draw your design, then hand it over for the carvers to create, Sat 28 - Tues 31 Oct, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

SCREAM TRAINS Hold on tight as the train passes through haunted stations on the way to Arley, Sat 28Tues 31 Oct, Severn Valley Railway,, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

GHOST TRAINS Take a thrilling ride in the dark through haunted stations, Sat 28 - Tues 31 Oct, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

TRAIL Discover fun vegetable games and learn interesting facts about food waste to earn ‘a non-pumpkin-based prize’, Sat 28 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, Charlecote Park, Warwick

JUNK MODELLING MAKER CHALLENGE: MOVING MONSTERS Get creative by upcycling waste into new inventions, Sat 28 Oct - Sun 5 Nov, Coventry Transport Museum

MALVERN 4×4, LAND ROVER & VINTAGE SPARES DAY Indoor and outdoor autojumble spares day, with club stands in the Wye and Avon Halls, Sun 29 Oct, Three Counties Showground, Malvern

COVENTRY HALF MARATHON 2023 The much-loved run returns to the streets of Coventry, Sun 29 Oct, Coventry city centre

FRIGHT AT THE MUSEUM FAMILY SHOW Prepare for a ‘monstrous’ show featuring freaky facts and spooky science, Mon 30 Oct - Fri 3 Nov, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

CALEB FEMI IN CONVERSATION An evening with the acclaimed writer, director and photographer, Wed 25 Oct, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE MAKINGS OF A MURDERER Join Scottish detective David Swindle as he shares a unique insight into the minds of some of Britain’s notorious serial killers, Wed 25 Oct, Palace Theatre, Redditch

MARTYN ASHTON: BIKE PARTY An evening with the former world champion mountain bike trials rider. May contain strong language, so parental discretion is advised, Thurs 26 Oct, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

STEVE BACKSHALL: OCEAN Family show featuring stunts, experiments, props,

Join historic storytellers on a spinetingling journey through history, Fri 27 - Tues 31 Oct, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire

CHURCHFIELDS FARM PUMPKIN

FESTIVAL Pick your own pumpkin and carve it, enjoy pumpkin games, live entertainment and more, Sat 28Tues 31 Oct, Churchfields Farm, Droitwich

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR

‘Fangtastic’ fun on the farm, Sat 28Tues 31 Oct, Hatton Adventure World, Warwick

WITCH & WIZARD SCHOOL Dress up in your favourite spooky costume, create your own magic wand in the craft area, then use your magic in Professor Bumbledum’s enchanting spell sessions, Sat 28 - Tues 31 Oct, Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire

HALLOWEEN FAMILY ACTIVITIES - BAGS OF MONSTERS Come up with your own

HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR FAMILY EVENT ‘Spooky family fun’, Mon 30 Oct - Fri 3 Nov, Spetchley Park Estate, Worcester

CASTLE AFTER DARK The castle courtyard hosts ‘a frightful festival of entertainment’, Tues 31 Oct, Warwick Castle

AFTER-DARK TOURS Explore one of the oldest buildings in Worcester, Tues 31 Oct, The Commandery, Worcester

HALLOWEEN FUN AT THE FARM Find out about the medieval and Tudor England traditions that were followed in an attempt to keep evil spirits at bay, Tues 31 Oct - Sat 4 Nov, Mary Arden’s Farm, Stratford-upon-Avon

Competitions

Enter now at

be

WIN!

with a chance of bagging one of these fabulous prizes!

A pair of tickets to see Peter Pan Goes Wrong

Mischief return to the region this month with their riotous spin on a timeless classic - West End smash hit Peter Pan Goes Wrong.

The show visits Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Monday 30 October - Saturday 4 November and we have a pair of tickets to give away for the 7.30pm performance on the opening night.

Competition closes Friday 20 October

A pair of tickets to see The Box Of Delights

The RSC’s ‘magically festive’ production of The Box Of Delights is sure to enchant families this winter with performances running at Stratford-upon-Avon’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Tuesday 31 October to Sunday 7 January.

We’ve joined with the RSC to offer readers the chance to win a pair of tickets to the afternoon performance on Saturday 18 November.

Competition closes Monday 6 November