Shropshire What's On March 2023

Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands

Shropshire

What’sOn

inside:

RACHEL BAIMAN

Political songwriter joins Dan Walsh at The Hive

ROCKY HORROR

Richard O’Brien’s iconic musical celebrates 50 years

TOE TAPPING FUN

Tales From Acorn Wood at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn

LAUGHS GALORE WITH GARY MEIKLE

FILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTS I FOOD

News from around the region

Iconic black comedy at the New Vic Theatre

Staffordshire’s New Vic Theatre will next month play host to an iconic 1960s black comedy presented by critically acclaimed theatre company Told

By An Idiot.

Famously adapted into a film in 1968 starring Beryl Reid in the title role, The Killing Of Sister George focuses on foul-mouthed actress June Buckeridge, who finds out that the character she plays in a BBC Radio soap opera is to be killed off...

The production shows at the Newcastleunder-Lyme venue from Friday 21 April to Saturday 13 May. For further information and to book tickets, visit newvictheatre.org.uk

Ricky Tomlinson stars in a celebration of Irish culture

Popular actor Ricky Tomlinson visits Stafford Gatehouse Theatre this month in a new musical comedy.

Ricky will play himself in Irish Annie’s - a celebration of Irish culture featuring six-piece band The Shenanigans.

Commenting on the show, Ricky said: “This production is a delight to be a part of, with a wonderful cast of characters and beautiful original and classic Irish music. Come along and enjoy the show - I guarantee you will have a ball!”

Irish Annie’s stops off at the Gatehouse on Monday 20 March.

Christmas visit to Narnia

Birmingham Rep is inviting audiences to pay a visit to Narnia this Christmas. The Birmingham theatre has announced that the smash-hit West End production of CS Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe will roar into Birmingham for the festive season, showing at the venue from Tuesday 14 November to Sunday 28 January.

Commenting on the news, Rep Artistic Director Sean Foley said: “This spectacular show brings the snowy world of Narnia to magical life with amazing stagecraft, astounding large-scale puppets, and live-onstage music and song.

The production is a thrilling theatrical experience for all ages.”

To find out more about the show and book tickets, visit birmingham-rep.co.uk

Shropshire festival marks its 30th anniversary

A Shropshire storytelling event will celebrate its 30th anniversary this summer. Taking place at Hopton Court in Cleobury Mortimer from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 July, Festival At The Edge features ‘the very best in traditional and contemporary storytelling from the British Isles and around the globe’. Musicians, dance artists and morris troops will also be making a contribution throughout the weekend.

Royal Air Force Museum asks for public support

The Royal Air Force Museum is asking for the public’s support to help keep Squadron Leader Arthur Scarf’s Victoria Cross medal in the UK.

Jesus Christ Superstar to tour to the Midlands

Phenomenal rock opera Jesus Christ

Superstar is touring to the Midlands later in the year.

The show was Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber’s second collaboration, originally opening on Broadway in the early 1970s. With hits like I Don’t Know How To Love Him, Hosanna and the famous title track itself to recommend it, the show visits the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 14 to 18 November. It’s then back in the Midlands early next year at the Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent (19 - 24 February) and makes a third stop-off in the region when it shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from 22 to 27 April.

Arthur was the recipient of the only Victoria Cross awarded to the Royal Air Force for services in the Far East during the Second World War.

The museum is a registered charity and has only a few months to raise £660,000 to match the auction bid placed by an overseas buyer. To find out more and offer your support, visit the Save the Scarf VC GoFundMe page.

Hit thriller set to spook Midlands theatre-goers

Smash-hit supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story will stop off in the Midlands next year as part of a UK tour.

Written by Danny Robins, the creator of popular BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeistm, 2:22 - A Ghost Story visits The Alexandra, Birmingham from 16 to 24 January and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 20 t0 24 February.

Commenting on the tour, Danny said: “We are beyond excited to be taking the show around the UK. It’s a play that will make you laugh, scream, cry, think and jump out of your seat - a proper spooky night out!”

For more information and to book tickets, visit: 222aghoststory.com/uk-tour-tickets

Celebrate St George’s Day at Tamworth Castle

Tamworth Castle will next month host a free-to-attend St George’s Day extravaganza. Taking place on Saturday 22 April, the event’s line-up includes jousting, archery, a living history camp, stalls, fairground rides and kids’ activities. To check out the full programme for the day, visit tamworthartsandevents.co.uk

Michael McIntyre: Macnificent! in the Midlands

Michael McIntyre is bringing a brand-new stand-up offering to Birmingham next year. The much-loved comedian will visit the city’s Utilita Arena with touring show Macnificent! on Friday 24 & Saturday 25 May 2024.

For more information and to check ticket availability, visit michaelmcintyre.co.uk

Birmingham Royal Ballet set to get its metal on...

Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) will present the world premiere of Black Sabbath: The Ballet at Birmingham Hippodrome in the autumn. Running at the venue from 23 to 30 September, the full-length, three-act show will feature eight Black Sabbath tracks re-orchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

Commenting on the news, BRB Director Carlos Acosta said: “Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’s biggest export... so I was naturally

A Shrewsbury Night Garden

Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and all their friends from hit CBeebies television series

In The Night Garden will visit Shrewsbury in the autumn with a ‘fun-filled live show’ entitled Igglepiggle’s Busy Day. The production stops off at the town’s Theatre Severn as part of a UK tour on Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 September.

To find out more and buy tickets, visit the venue’s website.

drawn to the idea of a collaboration between what most people might think are the most unlikely of partners.

“The band’s enthusiasm for the project is a huge endorsement. They are putting their trust in us to deliver something completely new and original. That’s quite a responsibility, but one that we are beyond excited to take on.”

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

Haçienda Classical at The Quarry

Haçienda Classical, featuring DJ Graeme Park, Manchester Camerata Orchestra and special guests, is coming to Shrewsbury’s Quarry Park in the summer.

‘Bringing to life the legendary sounds of Manchester’s Hacienda Club, with an awesome orchestrated twist’, the event takes place on Friday 14 July. To bag a place at the show, visit myticket.co.uk

Bingo with a twist!

A night of club classics and ‘bingo with a twist’ is coming to the Black Country this month.

Anyway Up Bingo will take over the Mecca Bingos in Oldbury (Friday 17 March) and Brierley Hill (Saturday the 18th) to present an evening ‘jam-packed with prizes and Ibiza party dancefloor classics’. The show will also feature a Kevin and Perry tribute act.

The event then returns to the Midlands in April - in Stoke, on Friday the 7th, and Wednesbury on Saturday the 8th.

As with the March dates, both shows will take place at Mecca Bingo venues.

Panto favourites return to Wolverhampton Grand

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s popular pantomime pair, Tam Ryan and Ian Adams, will return for their third consecutive year together in the venue’s Christmas production of Snow White (2 December - 7 January).

As well as reprising their roles as comic and dame, the duo are also writing the script for the show.

Commenting on the news, Wolverhampton Grand’s chief executive & artistic director, Adrian Jackson, said: “Snow White promises to be our most exciting pantomime yet. We are busy preparing many surprises that have never before been seen in a Wolverhampton pantomime, and Tam and Ian are already working on a fabulously funny script.” For more information and to book tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

Pauline Black joins Jools for Stoke-on-Trent gig

Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra will play Victoria Hall in Stoke-onTrent as part of an autumn/winter tour.

Featuring The Selecter’s Pauline Black and Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson as special guests, the touring show stops off at the venue on Thursday 16 November.

Tickets are available at atgtickets.com/stoke

Kerry Ellis to star in Stafford Shakespeare production

Broadway and West End star Kerry Ellis will play Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in this summer’s Stafford Shakespeare Festival production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In a break with convention, the show will be presented at Stafford Gatehouse TheatreStafford Borough Council decided that it would be too expensive to stage the production outdoors at the town’s castle, which is where the annual summer

Celebrate the 1970s at Newhampton Arts Centre

Get set to dig out your flares and platform heels later in the year - the Wolverhampton Seventies Weekend is making a welcome return in the autumn. Taking place at Newhampton Arts Centre on 29 & 30 September, the 2023 edition of the event features, among other highlights, Slade tribute band Sladest, who’ll be performing as part of this year’s Slade Fans Convention.

To find out more about the weekend and book tickets, visit newhamptonarts.co.uk

Zog activity trail opens at three Midlands locations

Young fans of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s loveable dragon, Zog, can now interact with him in three Midlands forests, courtesy of a family activity trail and free interactive app.

A collaboration between Forestry England and Magic Light Pictures, the trail and app are available in the Wyre Forest in

Shakespeare show is usually performed. Commenting on the news of her casting, Kerry said: “I’m so excited to be joining the cast of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This will be a new challenge for me, and I cannot wait to get going on my first Shakespeare play.”

The production runs at the Gatehouse from 23 June to 9 July. For further information and to book tickets, visit gatehousetheatre.co.uk

Worcestershire, Cannock Chase Forest in Staffordshire and the woodland at Haughmond Hill in Shropshire.

Commenting on the new initiative, Alex Sanson, senior brand manager at Magic Light, said: “Forestry England sites offer the perfect classroom for budding little dragons. The new Zog trails provide a great opportunity for young explorers to learn about all the wonderful ways our forests can look after us and how we can look after them. The app adds a fun extra element, so that children can explore the character, the story and the forest in a new way.”

Craig and Jodie to star as Annie’s Miss Hannigan

Hit musical Annie is stopping off at three Midlands theatres during its latest UK & Ireland tour, with Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood starring as Miss Hannigan at two of the venues and Jodie Prenger taking the role at the third. Craig will headline the show when it visits Birmingham’s The Alexandra next month (Monday 3 - Saturday 15 April) and the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in the autumn (Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 October). Jodie will step into Miss Hannigan’s shoes when the production tours to the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (Monday 8Saturday 13 May).

For more information and to book tickets, visit anniethemusicaltour.uk

Miriam in the Midlands

BAFTA-winning actress Miriam Margolyes will visit Birmingham in the autumn to present a show publicising her new book. Sharing the book’s title, Oh Miriam! stops off at Symphony Hall on 18 September. For more information and to book tickets, visit bmusic.co.uk

Full steam ahead to Wonderland with Alice!

A new interactive show featuring characters from Alice In Wonderland is coming to Telford Steam Railway next month. Following the success of the venue’s Polar Express Train Ride at Christmas, Alice and her friends are inviting visitors to dress in their finest tea party attire and enjoy a train ride to Wonderland. For more details about the event and to book tickets, visit telfordsteamrailway.co.uk

Pretty Woman The Musical heading for the Midlands

The stage musical version of hit Richard Gere/Julia Roberts film Pretty Woman will visit two Midlands venues next year as part of a UK & Ireland tour. The critically acclaimed production, which is playing at London’s Savoy Theatre until June, hits the road in the autumn and stops off at

Young performers urged to apply for £2,000 grants

The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 17 - Saturday 28 October and the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 July, 2024.

For more information about the show and to purchase tickets, visit atgtickets.com

Marie Bashiru (pictured), who will be a guest assessor on this year’s judging panel. The closing date for applications is 30 April. For more information and to apply, visit alansurteestrust.org.uk.

More acts announced for Moseley festivals

US funk/disco legends KC And The Sunshine Band are the latest big-name act to be announced for this year’s Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival in Birmingham’s Moseley Park.

Folk musicians, dancers, singers and performers are being invited to apply for grants of up to £2,000 to help develop their careers.

The grants are being made available by the Alan Surtees Trust, which was set up in memory of the co-founder & director of Shrewsbury Folk Festival, who died in 2017. Up to four awards will be made this year to applicants aged between 16 and 30. Previous recipients include Maddie Morris - who was given funding to buy equipment to record and produce her own music and went on to win the 2019 BBC Young Folk Award - and

Taking place from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 July, the 2023 edition of the popular event also features, among many others, Afrobeatinfused Kokoroko, BBC 6Music’s Huey Morgan and Newcastle favourites Smoove & Turrell.

The news coincides with the announcement that Irish legends The Saw Doctors will later in the year be headlining another popular Moseley Park music event - the Moseley Folk & Arts Festival. The early-autumn gettogether takes place at the outdoor venue from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 September.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL MURDER >

by Steve Adams

Black comedy Heathers might not have been a box-office smash on its release in 1988, but Michael Lehmann’s movie has gone on to become a cult classic, with a clutch of memorable lines and a high-school story that connects with teenagers the world over. The musical version is doing much the same thing, but with a bit more hope, a little less hate, and even more fun - as its director, Andy Fickman, explains to What’s On...

Director Andy Fickman is out of breath. He’s broken off from running two sets of rehearsals for Heathers The Musical - one with the West End cast, one with the touring company - and is scampering around trying to get a phone signal, as well as a bit of quiet, to speak to me about taking the hugely successful show on the road. He says he’s happy to take a break, but it’s evident that he’s happiest when working. Which is just as well, as he’s a man very much in demand. He helped devise and launch the musical in Los Angeles, then took it to New York, and has been at the helm ever since it transferred to London in 2018, where it proved an instant success and has been running on and off (Covid, you know…) ever since. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s continued to direct movies and TV showshe’s worked with everyone from Billy Crystal and Bette Midler to Matthew Perry and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. He has one film due for release - One True Loves - and another in pre-production: Tension Ring. Oh, and there’s a brand-new stage musical (13 Going On 30) in the works too.

“I’m someone who loves to keep working,” he understates cheerily, in an accent becoming more and more mid-Atlantic the longer he spends in the UK. If he had any cowboy drawl from growing up in Texas, then he’s definitely lost it, but the passion for TV and movies that developed during those childhood years has certainly never left him.

“I was a child of the ’80s and all the John Hughes movies were my favourites. I remember seeing Heathers at the movies and was just blown away by the darkness of the comedy and the message.

“Cut to years later, and [writer] Kevin Murphy and I had just finished doing another cult musical called Reefer Madness and were looking to see what our next project would be. Two producers in Los Angeles called to ask what we thought about Heathers, and I just jumped.”

The duo tracked down composer and lyricist Larry O’Keefe and got to work, but not before having lengthy discussions about how to tackle the source material and reposition the piece that spawned such quotable lines as ‘greetings and salutations’, ‘how very’, ‘I love my dead gay son’ and ‘Did you have a brain tumour for breakfast?’

“We spent a lot of time trying to figure out

how we would pull off Heathers and what changes we would make. We got very lucky, in that the original movie’s creative teamDan Waters, who wrote the script, Michael Lehmann, who directed, and Denise Di Novi, who produced it - became wonderful creative partners of ours. So we found a way to do the movie but not end it quite so nihilistically, as there’s not a great deal of hope at the end! “So it was kind of a dream come true. And all these years later, it’s still a dream come true.”

All these years later is right. The original stage show opened in 2010, and the film came 20 years before that. The movie would largely have been forgotten by now if not for a core cult following that has grown exponentially over the years.

“When the movie came out, it wasn’t a smash hit, but over the years, aside from launching great careers - Christian Slater, Winona Ryder, Shannen Doherty [all of whom have seen and lauded the stage version] - it has remained a cult film. When we launched the musical it was the same thing - it too started with a cult following, but by the time we shut down in New York, the amateur rights were going left and right.”

During Heathers’ New York run, the cast recorded an album of songs from the show which not only proved hugely popular in the US but across the Atlantic as well. A call from Paul Taylor Mills, from London’s Other Palace Theatre - at the time owned by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber - saw the show relocate to the UK, much to Andy’s bafflement.

“We were like, honestly? Will anybody in London know anything about this movie? And will they care about the late ’80s in Sherwood, Ohio, the waning years of the Reagan administration, the heart of MTV? Will they connect?

“What we didn’t realise was that the album we’d done in New York did gangbuster business here as well, and a lot of actors were using songs from the show for auditions. So the audience in London knew the music before they knew the show.

“We started selling out immediately, and our fans, who we call the Corn Nuts, started dressing up in costumes. It took on a Rocky Horror Picture Show vibe. That movie is my favourite of all time. Growing up, I went to see it every weekend in Texas, so I loved it.

“The cult following started to grow and the

UK quickly claimed the show as its own‘Heathers is ours’ - and we’re very happy with that.”

Beyond minor alterations to a couple of lines (references too obscure for UK audiences), the musical stayed the same after crossing the pond. The bigger differences are between the stage and movie versions, with the former adding an element of hope to the latter’s pitch-black plot. Andy and his team were determined not to water down the potential horrors of the student experience, even in the wake of high school violence witnessed in the years since the film was made.

“In the States we unfortunately live day to day with school violence, and we didn’t want to shy away from that. I always think one of art’s great opportunities is to put [that kind of thing] in front of people and not hide behind it.

“So we kept the bomb in the school, we kept the violence, but what we did differentlyand which Kevin and Larry were really insistent upon - was make sure we ended with an element of hope. We’re not wishywashy about it; the message isn’t ‘Hey everybody, good people will always win and bad people will be vanquished’. We point out that high school’s never gonna go away; there’s always gonna be challenges, there’s always gonna be assholes and horrible people - but if you’re a good person and you stand together, there’s a chance you can make it a little better.”

Andy is determined to make things better for the UK theatre scene too, with in-progress musical 13 Going On 30 set to launch here rather than in his homeland.

“What I love about the UK, having been here since 2017 on and off, is that there’s such a tremendous core of acting talent that every time I read a new script, I’m like ‘There’s 20 people I can think of for this right now.

“The reception to Heathers has been so lovely that I want to experience that again and again. As long as your country will have me, I will be happy to be here.”

Heathers The Musical shows at Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Tues 11 to Sat 15 April, The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tues 16 to Sat 20 May

Food news from across the region...

Love Cheese Live returning to Stafford

Love Cheese Live is returning to Staffordshire Showground on Friday 30 June & Saturday 1 July.

The popular event features shopping, tasting, live cooking demonstrations by an impressive line-up of chefs (James Martin, Will Holland and Lisa Marley, to name but a few), the ‘finest’ dairy brands and some of the UK’s most highly regarded independent producers of food, drink and culinary products.

A brand-new look for Walsall favourite

Award-winning Walsall restaurant Five Rivers À La Carte - which serves contemporary Punjabi cuisine - has been reimagined with a brand-new dining room and stylish new cocktail lounge. In addition to the reimagined dining area, Head Chef Divesh Anand, whose career has seen him spend time at the world-famous Oberoi hotel, has created some new dishes, including chimichurri grilled lobster and lababdar clams.

Digbeth Dining Club to open permanent site in the Black Country

Birmingham street-food favourites Digbeth Dining Club (DDC) is opening a permanent venue in the Black Country this spring.

The Dockworks - a canalside premises based at The Waterfront Marina in Brierley Hill (just a stone’s throw away from Merry Hill Shopping Centre) - will host DDC street-food traders on weekly rotation and also feature a programme of independent markets and live events. Groups and classes from the local area will be able to hire the venue outside of regular trading hours.

Former head chef returns to Shrewsbury restaurant

The Shire Collection, owners of The Peach Tree restaurant in Shrewsbury, have welcomed back Chris Burt (pictured above, centre) as executive chef, a post he previously held at the venue for more than 20 years.

Since leaving the eatery in 2017, Chris has worked at two of the county’s most celebrated establishments. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed Momo-No-Ki cookbook.

Shropshire Lad launches new venture in Telford

Chef Adam Purnell, also known as Shropshire Lad, is opening a permanent site in Telford.

Commenting on the launch of Embers Shropshire, Adam said: “To all of you who asked me when I’m going to open my own place and I told you ‘never’, I’m really sorry, I lied!

“I’m so excited to announce that Embers Shropshire will open this spring at the former site of the Green Wood Cafe on the Smallwoods site in Coalbrookdale, Telford.”

Adam is currently looking for experienced chefs, baristas and front-of-house staff to share his brand-new adventure.

To apply for any of the posts, email your CV to: adampurnellshropshirelad@gmail.com

Commenting on his return to his previous stomping ground, Chris said: “Walking into The Peach Tree on my first day brought back many happy and joyful memories.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the team and look forward to helping restore the restaurant as the jewel in the crown of Shrewsbury town!” To reserve a table at the Peach Tree, call 01743 281744.

Credit: Lucy Rebecca Photography

Classical music from across the region...

Halle Orchestra: Spring Classics

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 31 March

One of the UK’s top symphonic ensembles, the Manchester-based Halle is admired around the world for its extensive orchestral repertoire. This Victoria Hall concert sees the orchestra present three works under the umbrella title of ‘spring classics’: Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, Grieg’s Symphonic Dances

Carducci String Quartet

St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury, Fri 10 March

Performing around 100 international concerts each year, Carducci are widely considered to be one of the most successful string quartets in the business, garnering lavish praise wherever they play. Indeed, the Washington Post has described their performances as displaying ‘a deep and almost familial sense of unity... full of life and vitality... extravagantly beautiful...’ In this, their final concert of the Shropshire Music season, they present a profile of Soviet-era Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich through words as well as music.

No 4, and to finish, Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony.

The inspiration for the latter was in part provided by the composer’s sighting of a flock of 16 swans in the forests of Finland. Tabita Berglund (pictured) conducts; cellist Jakob Koranyi is the soloist.

Classical

Halesowen Orchestra

Cornbow Hall, Halesowen, Sat 25 March

The Halesowen Orchestra was once described by James Morris MP as ‘one of the town’s hidden jewels’.

It’s a description with which the longestablished ensemble’s many enthusiastic supporters would wholeheartedly agree. Founded in 1986, the amateur group of musicians meets regularly to practise a wide and varied repertoire of works by some of the world’s greatest classical composers...

The orchestra is here presenting a concert titled Heroes & Villains, which features, among other compositions, Prokofiev’s Montagues And Capulets, Wagner’s Ride Of The Valkyries and The William Tell Overture by Rossini.

Sean Shibe

Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Ludlow, South Shropshire, Wed 8 March

“In terms of the volume it provides, the guitar is never going to be overwhelming,” explains Sean Shibe, a man whose innovative approach to playing the instrument saw him become the first guitarist ever to be selected for BBC Radio Three’s New Generation Artists scheme. “What you do have, though, is colourand the guitar can be extremely overwhelming in terms of the colour you provide; the subtle palette of sounds.”

Born in Edinburgh of English and Japanese heritage, Sean is widely considered to be the foremost guitarist of his generation and last year won the prestigious Leonard Bernstein Award. His Ludlow concert sees him performing compositions by, among others, Ades, Poulenc, Birtwistle and Villa-Lobos.

CBSO: Elgar & Schumann

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wed 8 March

Mirga Gražinyt-Tyla picks up the baton to conduct a concert that brings together two highly acclaimed works of classical music. Elgar’s Violin Concerto has been described as tender yet tempestuous, a work driven by a passion beyond reason that rewrites the rules, and which, performed here by the hugely talented Vilde Frang (pictured), promises 50 minutes of truly magnificent musicmaking. Accompanying it is Schumann’s First Symphony, a playful and poetic piece that welcomes in the season of spring with a blaze of trumpets.

Photo © Nikolaj Lund

Live music from across the region...

Michael McGoldrick, John McCusker & John Doyle

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 16 March

An evening of top-class tunes and charming bonhomie, courtesy of three highly acclaimed musicians, is surely an experience that no self-respecting folk-music fan will want to miss out on.

A master of flutes, whistles and Uillean pipes, Michael McGoldrick is a founding member of Flook and Lunasa and a current member of Capercaille... John McCusker, meanwhile, is a unique fiddle player who’s worked alongside Paulo Nutini, Jools Holland, Steve Earle and Paul Weller... The triumvirate is completed by John Doyle, whose gifts as a guitarist, songwriter & vocalist have played a significant role in the ongoing renaissance of Irish traditional music.

Trichotomy

Newhampton Arts Centre, Thurs 23 March

Boasting a distinctive sound characterised by melodic detail and rich improvised interplay, Australian piano trio Trichotomy have been performing together for 20 years, during which time they’ve made a significant splash on their home country’s

Martin Turner

The Robin, Bilston, Sun 19 March

Dan Walsh & Rachel Baiman

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Sun 12 March

Funky grooves presented via a unique and dazzling take on clawhammer-style banjo is the name of the game for BBC Folk Awards Best Musician nominee Dan Walsh, a muchin-demand purveyor of British, Irish and American folk music...

He’s joined at The Hive by Chicago-born Rachel Baiman (pictured) , whose first solo album, Shame, saw her being hailed as one of a new generation of political songwriters.

Wishbone Ash’s founding lead vocalist and key creative force, Martin Turner here performs some of the band’s best-loved works with the assistance of his current lineup.

Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash were long admired for their unique blend of blues, jazz and English folk. But it was the way the guitars played melodic leads together that became their trademark, inspiring bands such as Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden. Classic albums, including Argus, Pilgrimage, There’s The Rub, New England and Live Dates, defined the band’s sound and have touched the hearts of several generations of music fans.

Shader

The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 18 March Local boys Shader have been clocking up the miles over the last few years, working hard to establish themselves as a band to watch out for. The release of their debut album, Everything Is Connected, should certainly further their cause, as did a recent invitation to support The Enemy at Keele University. Noted for their huge guitars and singalong choruses, they name as their influences The Smiths, The Killers, Echo And The Bunnymen, The Verve, Oasis, U2, The Who and The Beatles.

jazz scene and collaborated with dance companies and jazz, folk and classical artists from across the globe. This first-ever appearance at Newhampton Arts Centre sees them performing material from latest album Vanish, a release that’s garnered plenty of praise for showcasing the trio’s trademark inventiveness.

David Ford

Lichfield Guildhall, Sun 12 March

Although greatly admired for the way in which he turns live music into elaborate performance art, David Ford’s most impressive talent lies in his songwriting. His fluent melodicism, lyrical dexterity and willingness to tackle complex and controversial subject matter has marked him out as one of the country’s most accomplished singer-songwriters. This Lichfield gig sees the Dartford-born musician keeping things simple, ‘leaving most of the crazy machines at home’, playing some of his favourite songs and sharing stories about where they came from.

THE LAUNCHPAD

Shrewsbury Folk Festival is inviting applications for its emerging-artists initiative

Shrewsbury Folk Festival has kicked off its annual search for folk stars of the futuremusicians looking to showcase their talent and reach new audiences at this year’s fourday event in late August.

Organisers are looking for bands, duos or solo artists to pitch for one of the three places available on The Launchpad, the festival’s platform for emerging artists.

Successful candidates will get to perform two 30-minute sets on the Village Stage over the weekend. Hopefully they will then follow in the footsteps of numerous previous Launchpad performers who’ve gone on to enjoy great success.

“Every year we are astounded at the wealth of talent that we uncover for The Launchpad,” says Festival Artistic Director Sandra Surtees. “One of our first-ever Launchpad artists was The Trials Of Cato, who won Best Album at the BBC Folk Awards in 2019 and played on our main stage last year.

“For many young musicians, appearing on The Launchpad will be the first time they’ve had the opportunity to take part in a major festival like ours. It’s good experience and the chance to reach a new audience. We’re

inviting applications from bands, duos or solo artists in the folk, roots or acoustic genre who’d like this opportunity.”

Bonnie Schwarz, from duo Good Habits, who played on The Launchpad last year, said: “Performing at Shrewsbury Folk Festival was such a joyful experience, and we were thrilled to have such an attentive crowd at the Village Stage. A lovely opportunity that we’re very grateful for!”

Shropshire musician Jessie Reid is another artist who made her mark on The Launchpad (in 2019). The singer-songwriter went on to release her first single in 2022 and now regularly performs at music venues and festivals across the UK.

What’s On Media Group has been the official sponsor of The Launchpad for a number of years and is thrilled to continue the partnership in 2023: “Shrewsbury Folk Festival is one of the top events of its kind, and the opportunity to play there is a great step for young musicians who are looking to make a name for themselves and get some festival experience.

“There is a wealth of talent across the region, and we’re delighted once again to be supporting this fantastic initiative.”

How to apply:

Artists must be available to attend the festival between Friday 25 and Monday 28 August. They must be aged over 16. All 16 to 18-yearolds require parental permission. There is no upper age limit.

Launchpad musicians will receive a free artist and guest ticket, on-site camping and artist hospitality.

Applicants must include a short biography (including location and ages) and links to performances (Soundcloud, YouTube etc).

Applications must be sent, before 26 May, to: jo@shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk

Only elected performers will be contacted.

Shrewsbury Folk Festival is an awardwinning family-friendly event taking place at West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury, from Friday 25 to Monday 28 August.

Highlights for the 2023 festival so far include Billy Bragg, Leveret, Jiggy & The Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican.

To find out more and book tickets, visit: shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk

Comedy previews from across the region...

Gary Meikle

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 31 March; Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, Sun 2 April; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 22 April “This show will be a continued celebration of me being me,” explains Gary Meikle, “which in the current climate of cancel culture could be seen as risky!

Rosie Holt

The Old Rep, Birmingham, Fri 17 March

Rosie Holt’s online videos became so popular that her podcast, NonCensored, hit number two in the charts before it had even been released! A jobbing actor before the pandemic, lockdown saw her holed up with her parents and itching for something to do with the acres of spare time at her disposal. So she put her acting talents to good use by tweeting clips of herself ‘skewering the political landscape’, as she puts it. Much to Rosie’s surprise and delight, she

Alfie Moore

Lichfield Garrick, Fri 17 & Sat 18 March; Stourbridge Town Hall, Fri 31 March; The Core Theatre, Solihull, Fri 19 May; The Roses, Tewkesbury, Sat 17 June

Staunch Sheffield socialist Alfie Moore is a very funny man and a former police officer. Indeed, back in the day, his website referenced his two careers, advising that if you wanted to see him live, your best options were either to ‘catch him at one of his gigs’ or ‘drive to Scunthorpe and park on a double yellow line’.

He visits the Midlands with Fair Cop Unleashed, a show based on a dramatic reallife incident - taken from Alfie’s police casebook - that recounts ‘the thrilling ups and downs of the night a mysterious clown came to town and more than one life ended up in the balance’.

became an online sensation, her up-to-theminute satirising of Westminster life seeing her Twitter following rising from 3,000 to more than 250,000 in the proverbial blink of an eye.

With evidence of her comedic talent accumulating at a spectacular rate of knots, it’s little wonder the Chortle Award winner has decided to hit the road with her first-ever tour...

The show, titled The Woman’s Hour, did great business in Edinburgh last summer and promises 60 minutes of topical humour to savour.

Sara Pascoe

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sun 19 March Covid. Conflict. Cost of living. Climate. The 2020s are certainly providing standups with plenty of material from which to chisel out and polish up all manner of comedy gems. And against so dramatic and often heartstrings-pulling a backdrop, there’s one thing about which Sara Pascoe is clear: There are no off-limit subjects when it comes to comedy...

“People forgive the subject matter when they find something funny,” she says, “but that doesn’t mean the comedian has no responsibility to question their own material. If they’re going to tell a joke about rape, they should first consider how you might feel if you’ve been a victim of it. If, after that, they still feel it’s a joke worth telling, then they’ll be doing so with complete faith in their own material, which is great.”

Sara visits the Midlands this month with her touring show, Success Story.

“My targets, as always, will be my girls and me, as well as life observations on things like how equality between the sexes has a clear, definitive line, all medication side-effects, my loathing of stupid questions, how our ancestors were idiots and much, much more. I’m going to remain playfully dark and as always do what I do best, which is to be relatable, honest, and give you an insight into what it’s like to be me - a young, single grandad who’s passionate about making his audience laugh!”

Patrick Monahan

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Sat 11 March

Half Iranian, half Irish stand-up comic Patrick Monahan is no slouch when it comes to bringing up the subject of his own ethnicity on stage.

“I guess I like to think that maybe I’m breaking down stereotypes,” explains Patrick, who’s eager to make it clear that his comedy isn’t just political. “I think it’s important to look for positive stuff in life. Focusing on the bad stuff all the time would mean that the only people who’d come to my shows would be the ones who thought the end of the world was nigh!”

Josh Pugh

Birmingham Town Hall, Fri 17 March Hailing from Atherstone in Warwickshire, Josh Pugh made his stand-up debut in the spring of 2014 and within 18 months had won the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award.

Then, in 2016, he picked up the English Comedian of the Year title - the prize for which included a string of Australian gigs. “The weirdest thing about that,” recalls Josh, “was the ex-pats who came to the show because I was billed as English Comedian of the Year. I’d have people coming up to me saying, ‘I used to live in Coventry,’ or ‘I’ve been to The Roadhouse’ (a now-closed venue in Birmingham). I found that dead odd - being so far away, on the other side of the world, and having people coming up to me who knew where I lived!”

Simon Brodkin

The Old Rep, Birmingham, Sun 5 March; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 24 March; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 8 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 16 April; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 13 September; Birmingham Town Hall, Thurs 14 September; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 11 November

Former medical doctor Simon Brodkin is perhaps best known as the creator of comedy character Lee Nelson, a blingwearing Stella-swigging South London geezer.

Simon has also hit the headlines for his unwavering commitment to the business of being a top-quality prankster: In 2017 he famously handed Prime Minister Theresa May her P45 at the Tory Party Conference... This latest tour, entitled Screwed Up, sees him ripping into celebrity culture, social media, the police, Putin, Prince Andrew and Jesus.

Colin Hoult: The Death Of Anna Mann

Colin Hoult here puts his fabulous comedy creation, Anna Mann, to the sword. For those not in the know, Colin’s character of Anna is an actress & singer whose back-up profession is welder, whose past is littered with failed marriages, and whose quest for stardom has taken her from a Midlands egg-sandwich

Jimmy Carr

Dudley Town Hall, Sat 25 March; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Fri 12 May; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 11 June; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Wed 1 November & Fri 1 December

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

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

Jimmy visits the region with Terribly Funny 2.0, a show which he warns contains ‘jokes about all kinds of terrible things’.

shop to the dizzying career heights of Predator The Musical and video nasty Cannibal Bagpipers... A smash-hit meditation ‘on life, death and literally everything in between’, The Death Of Anna Mann was a nominee for best show at Dave’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards last year.

John Kearns

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 4 March; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 25 March; Glee Club, Birmingham, Sun 26 March; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 1 November

“When I visit your town, dogs will start barking, as will clergy,” warns John Kearns, who’s stopping off in the Midlands this month with his ‘heart-stopping, glassesdropping, hard-rocking, wig-shaking’ new show, The Varnishing Days. “Your microwave will go haywire. The lights in your vestibule will flicker, and the Bank of England will nervously look at interest rates...

“On the day I write this, the pound has hit an all-time low against the dollar. Mark my words: This show will break that record again and again and again...”

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 11 March

A TITANIC RETURN

Director Thom Sutherland talks about bringing his award-winning musical back to Birmingham...

The tragic story of RMS Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage in 1912 was made into an awardwinning Broadway musical over a quarter of a century ago. Then, in 2013, the production was massively reworked by director Thom Sutherland, who grew up in Walsall. Thom talks to What’s On about his show’s 10th anniversary tour, which sails into Birmingham next month...

Director Thom Southerland would be the first to admit that a musical about RMS Titanic could have gone horribly wrong. Faced with one of history’s most infamous tragedies - in which more than 1,500 people died after the luxury liner hit an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage - the question was how to tell the story in a way which was respectful to the memory of those who perished.

For Thom, the answer was about celebrating the lives of the people on board the shippaying tribute to their hopes and dreamsrather than focusing on the catastrophe.

Titanic The Musical had first been produced on Broadway in 1997, but Thom massively reworked the show when he directed it at Southwark Playhouse in 2013. His version, with music & lyrics by Maury Yeston, not only received critical and audience acclaim but this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, next month visiting Birmingham Hippodrome for a second time.

“I think the Titanic story will always be with us,” says Thom. “There’s a fascination with it, the majesty of the legend of Titanic. The success of the musical is that it takes that story and legend of history and makes it a very human story. It makes it a story that we can all associate with, as we all set sail on the journey with the passengers who were brave enough to sail on that maiden voyage more than 100 years ago.

“We honour and remember them, and we celebrate the positive aspects of their lives, how brave and courageous they were, and what we can learn from that fateful night that they encountered. I think by telling a story from as much as we know to be the truth, or to be from factual events - and not to replicate or over-dramatise or simplify itwas the solution.

“In the musical, unlike any other dramatisation of the story, all the people represented on stage are real people. Peter Stone, who wrote the script, chose very different sorts of people, who could all be connected together and had aspects of their lives which I think we can all associate with. Whether it’s the Irish immigrants, who are desperate to be free and have a new life across the world in America, or the middleclass aspirational people running away for

love, or whether it’s the aristocracy, there’s something for everyone.

“The ship and its people are the stars of our show. We made a very intentional decision when we created this version that we would not turn it into a disaster movie, as that could be in bad taste. And I wanted to bring in the memorial boards and have the names of everybody who lost their lives that night shown on stage. I want us to remember and to celebrate their lives, and at the end of the night that board returns. It’s wonderful to see people go down to the stage at the end and look at that board and the names and take in the human scale of it.”

This connection with the characters means the story remains relevant more than a century after the event.

“We have to tell human stories to reflect on our own stories today. It’s an absorbing piece, but we have to do it carefully. The key thing is to show how unhistorical these stories are, how contemporary they are, and therefore to celebrate and not be overly maudlin about it. We have to celebrate what was so wonderful about their lives and go forward.”

Thom believes the music also helps ensure the show captures the emotion of the stories.

“When you are dealing with such a tragedy, I have learnt that to musicalise it helps to tell those moments of either horror or, actually, optimism, quickly and without words. Maury’s music does it. I remember at the very beginning, when we said we were going to do a musical of the Titanic story, people laughed. It sounded like the worst idea possible, but actually, with music, you’re able to portray such a wide range of emotion. I think Maury’s Titanic music is universal, and I learn, as we continue to tour this production, how really affecting the show is in any language and any culture.

“And there’s also something wildly joyful about Titanic. She was the largest moving object in the world, and the wealth and the glamour and the excitement of the idea of getting to the other side of the world was immense. Actually the disappointment and the upset and the tragedy is only the last bit. The excitement of being on the most luxurious ship in the world is the story.”

The show has toured the UK and played dates in China, Japan, Canada and Germany, but for Thom, who grew up in Walsall, Birmingham Hippodrome remains a special venue. As a child, the shows he would see there with his grandparents provided him with an introduction to the world of theatre.

“My heart is in Birmingham! On the last tour, I was there at the Hippodrome on the first night and the last night, and all the family came as well. It was a special day when we were there because I sat in the front row of the dress circle, where I used to sit with my grandparents when they used to bring me to the pantomime. It was a day that I won’t forget. And again, this time when Titanic comes to the Hippodrome, we’re all coming. Just to sit in that auditorium is special.”

Last autumn Thom took on the position of associate artistic director of MAST and Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. And he’s keen to continue to promote large-scale shows like Titanic visiting different venues.

“I think it’s wonderful that Titanic tours and visits places like the Hippodrome. Titanic is one of those pieces that I think should be seen by as many people as possible locally. It’s on a huge scale with the music and the stage, and I love getting that scale of show touring and visiting venues.”

Titanic The Musical drops anchor at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tues 18Sat 22 April & Regent Theatre, Stoke-onTrent from Mon 24 - Sat 29 April

Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 8 March - Sun 19 March

Based on George Bernard Shaw's play, Pygmalion, My Fair Lady tells the story of Professor Henry Higgins, an arrogant expert in phonetics who reckons he could teach any woman to speak properly. Enter, Eliza Dolittle - a young flower seller who’s no great lover of pronouncing her aitches. But will Eliza prove a challenge too far for the proper-speakin’ professor?

Of Mice And Men

The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 18 March - Sat 8 April

George and Lennie are drifters who only have each other and their shared search for the American Dream. George is the sharp little guy who looks out for Lennie. Lennie, meanwhile, is a big-hearted fella who, unaware of his own strength, seems unable to keep out of trouble.

Finding work on a ranch in California, they plan to stay long enough to buy a little place of their own. But their arrival triggers a tragic chain of events that threatens to destroy the very dream that unites them...

This brand-new version of the John Steinbeck classic is helmed by Rep Associate Director and Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony Director Iqbal Khan.

Lesley Garrett and Adam Woodyatt star in this touring version of the critically acclaimed West Ender, which comes complete with Lerner & Loewe’s famous score.

Memorable songs include Wouldn't It Be Loverly?, With A Little Bit Of Luck, The Rain In Spain, I Could Have Danced All Night and Get Me To The Church On Time.

Death Drop: Back In The Habit

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 13 - Sat 18 March

Jersey Boys

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 7 - Sat 18 March

Rockin’ and rollin’ New Jersey boys Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons scored some truly massive hits during the mid-1960s. This award-winning jukebox musical tells their story.

If you like your spinetingling murdermysteries liberally festooned with raucous ridiculousness and outrageous drag stars, then this is the show for you. When a convent’s peace and tranquillity is shattered by a serial slayer slashing their way through the sisters, the Mother Superior and the rag-tag nuns of St Babs must gird their loins and save their souls...

Expect witty one-liners, breathtaking costumes, grisly murders and madcap mayhem aplenty in this camp-as-Christmas comedy starring Jujubee, Cheryl Hole, Victoria Scone and LoUis CYfer.

Taking a documentary-style format, the show is structured as four ‘seasons’, each being narrated by a different member of the band. Featured hits include Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, Big Girls Don't Cry, Sherry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back To You and December 1963 (Oh, What A Night).

Theatre

Theatre previews from around the region

My Fair Lady

Theatre previews from around the region

The Rocky Horror Show

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 6 - Sat 11 March; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Mon 27 March - Sat 1 April

Hook up your fishnets, tighten your corsets and prepare to ‘do The Time Warp again’The Rocky Horror Show is returning to the Midlands!

Richard O Brien’s cult production tells the tale of the straight-laced Brad and the deliciously corruptible Janet, who arrive at the castle of the alien transvestite Frank N Furter and witness the birth of the monster, Rocky.

Along the way, the show takes the audience through a selection of love-’em-or-loathe-’em musical numbers, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn It Janet and The Time Warp. Great fun’s a guarantee - particularly if you get into the spirit of things and attend the show dressed in your very best stockings & suspenders (as many patrons do)!

How Not To Drown

Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 7 & Wed 8 March

“I’m really excited to bring How Not To Drown to Birmingham,” says director Neil Bettles, in talking about a show that tells the real-life story of a Kosovan boy sent on a perilous journey to Europe with a gang of people smugglers. “It’s a story that resonated with audiences when we made it in 2019 at the Edinburgh Festival, and I think it’s even more relevant today, with immigration so prominent in the media and our political discussions. It’s a play about how we care for people, what it’s like to be lost in a system at breaking point, where you belong, and ultimately what it takes to call a place home. Above all it’s a story of hope about a cheeky young lad who used his wit and charm to get through it.”

Run Rebel

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 21 - Sat 25 March

Fresh from presenting their acclaimed production of Noughts And Crosses, Pilot Theatre make a welcome return with another adaptation of a celebrated work of youngadult fiction: Manjeet Mann’s 2020 novel, Run Rebel.

Trapped by her family’s rules, their expectations and her own fears, Amber finds freedom on the running track. As her body speeds up, the world slows down, and she soon feels compelled to start a revolutionfor her mother, her sister, and herself... Run Rebel has been written especially for audiences aged 11-plus.

The Moth

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 9 - Sat 11 March

“This innovative, contemporary version of an American classic has now been relocated to working-class Britain and set in the 1990s,” explains Lying Lips Theatre Company in describing latest production The Moth - an adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire. “Join us as we explore and unpack the toxicity of relationships and dissect the presentation of masculinity and femininity. Witness the struggles of societal expectations and the repercussions that can occur when these are challenged. When hierarchy becomes contested, what extremities will one go to, to attempt to bring it back to order?”

The production contains ‘scenes of domestic abuse, sexual violence and partial nudity’.

The Time Machine: A Comedy

Malvern Theatres, Tues 28 March - Sat 1 April

With their tour of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d ending early this month, Original Theatre turn their attention to HG Wells’ famous time-travelling adventure, cleverly augmenting their telling of the terrific tale with a healthy dose of fast-paced, wise-cracking humour.

“Expect the most surprising and unforeseen consequences as we go on a journey through time,” explain Original Theatre. “This is a comedy that travels to the end of the earth's life in order to reflect on our own.”

The cast includes Dave Hearn, a founding member of the Olivier Award-winning Mischief Theatre.

Theatre

Theatre previews from around the region

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 28 March - Sat 1 April; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 13 - Sat 17 June

“I’m so thrilled that my characters are stepping into a new life on the stage,” says Deborah Moggach in talking about the theatrical version of her bestselling novel of the same name. “They’ve been waiting impatiently for the curtain to rise, and none of them are getting any younger. So welcome again to the Marigold Hotel! We've assembled an amazing cast, so I hope they bring you plenty of laughs and some warm sparks of recognition.”

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

Too Much World At Once

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 13 - Wed 15 March

Award-winning Manchester theatre company Box Of Tricks here does what it does bestchampions a playwright by presenting a new work reflecting ‘the world in which we live today’.

Billie Collins’ Too Much World At Oncedescribed by the company as ‘a lyrical, theatrical journey that spans continents and lives’ - finds teenager Noble transforming into a bird on the occasion of his 15th birthday.

Thousands of miles away, his sister, Cleo, is stationed on a remote island with the British Antarctic Survey. The birds have disappeared and Noble needs to reach Cleo. Lying low until it’s time to take flight, he finds solace in misfit Ellis, while his mother, Fiona, desperately tries to stop their home from falling apart...

Menopause The Musical 2

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent; Sat 18 March; Telford Theatre, Tues 21 March; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Thurs 30 March; Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock, Sat 1 April; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Thurs 13 April; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Fri 14 April; Malvern Theatres, Thurs 20 April; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Fri 21 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 17 June

Mary Byrne, Annabel Giles, Rebecca Wheatley and Susie Fenwick star in this highly anticipated sequel.

In the first show, four women met in a department store, with conversation quickly turning to the one thing they all had in common - the menopause. Cue innumerable one-liners on subjects including mood

Blood Brothers

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 28 March - Sat 1 April

Although it’s effectively a class-driven ‘scouse melodrama’, to describe Blood Brothers as such is to greatly underestimate the emotional response it produces within its audience.

The show features adult actors playing children, a narrator who wanders through the scenes with warnings of impending doom, a good helping of sharp social awareness to counteract the sticky sentimentality, and a raft of much-loved musical numbers, including Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged Tell Me It’s Not True.

swings, forgetfulness, wrinkles, night sweats and uncontrollable chocolate binges... This follow-up offering - subtitled Cruising The Menopause - catches up with the ladies five years later, this time as they set off on the high seas.

Quality Street

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Fri 3 - Sat 25 March

JM Barrie is best known as the creator of Peter Pan, but years before he ventured to Neverland, he penned a farce so popular that it gave its name to one of the UK’s most famous brands of chocolate.

When Captain Valentine returns from fighting Napoleon, he’s disappointed to find Phoebe Throssel somewhat less glamorous than he remembers her. But Phoebe has a plan to rekindle his interest, courtesy of her younger alter-ego, the wild and sparkling Miss Livvy...

Presented by the ever-impressive Northern Broadsides.

Niki Colwell Evans stars as Mrs Johnstone.

Theatre previews from around the region

Abigail’s Party

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March

Making its television debut as a BBC Play For Today in November 1977, Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party became an instant hit and catapulted Alison Steadman to stardom. A fascinating study of the pretensions of 1970s suburbia, the play focuses on the interaction between five ill-matched people during an evening characterised by alcohol, cigarettes, Demis Roussos records and cheesy nibbles. Steadman’s portrayal of the monstrous Beverly was so definitive that it’s since been hugely challenging for any actress to play the character in any other way. This London Classic Theatre version is out on tour following a successful run in the West End.

Family Tree

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Fri 10 - Sat 18 March

Henrietta Lacks is considered by many to be one of the most widely influential Black women of modern times. The reason? Her cells form the basis of the most important medical research and breakthroughs happening in the world today, from cancer to HIV to Covid-19.

But Henrietta, who died of cancer in 1951, aged 31, never knew any of this, because her cells were taken without either her or her family’s knowledge or permission...

Hailed as both a remembrance and a celebration, Mojisola Adebayo’s awardwinning play has been described as fearlessly honest and ultimately transformative.

Michelle Asante stars as Henrietta.

Julius Caesar

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, Sat 18 March - Sat 8 April

When Roman emperor Caesar is assassinated by a group of prominent senators, one of his staunchest supporters, Mark Antony,

manages not only to turn the crowd against the conspirators but also to defeat them in battle...

This bloody story of conspiracy and murder, noble intentions and ignoble actions is directed by the critically acclaimed Atri Banerjee, here making his RSC debut.

“Julius Caesar is the perfect play for our age of emergency, asking uncomfortable questions about today,” says Atri. “When asked to imagine a better future for us all, what resources do we have left? What are the limits of peaceful activism? How far would you, personally, go, to make the world a better place?...”

Little Women

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Wed 15 March

The highly rated Jenny Wren Productions visit Coventry with their adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s famous story. Written in the 19th century, it tells the tale of four sisters - Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy - as they experience passion, romance, heartache and hardship during the brutal and challenging years of the American Civil War.

Nothing Happens (Twice)

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 17 March

An exploration of companionship, codependency and what motivates people to keep going, Nothing Happens (Twice) follows the failing fortunes of theatre performers Mercè and Patricia. After successful years spent making and touring shows across the world, the duo have lost their momentum - so much so, in fact, that they now find themselves dressing up as flamingos in a shopping centre to make ends meet.

But all may not be lost; they have a shared dream of getting back on track by staging Waiting For Godot - always assuming they can negotiate the red tape that threatens to strangle the life out of their career-saving project...

Slapstick humour meets Samuel Beckett head-on in this quest for life’s meaning, presented by Patrícia Rodríguez and Mercè Ribot, aka Little Soldier.

A Room Of One’s Own

Lichfield Garrick, Wed 15 March; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 21 April

From Tudor queen to shell-shocked soldier, and from Regency heroine to Hollywood icon, Dyad Productions’ Rebecca Vaughan has portrayed a dazzlingly diverse array of characters in her touring solo shows. With previous theatrical offerings including Jane Eyre: An Autobiography, Austen’s Women and Dalloway, Rebecca here returns to provide a 21st-century take on Virginia Woolf’s late-1920s extended essay - an exploration of the impact of poverty and sexual inequality on intellectual freedom and creativity.

Theatre for younger audiences...

Demon Dentist

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 30 March - Sun 2 April; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Wed 28 June - Sat 1 July

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

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

The Tiger Who Came To Tea

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Fri 24 - Sun 26 March; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tues 18 - Wed 19 July; Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 22 - Sat 26 August

The tea-guzzling tiger once again stops off in the Midlands to drop in on Sophie and her mum, just as they’re settling down for an afternoon cuppa...

Adapted by David Wood from the late Judith Kerr’s 1968 book, this 55-minute show comes without an interval, features singalong songs and boasts plenty of magic - not to mention a big stripy tiger, of course!

Tales From Acorn Wood

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 7 - Thurs 9 March; Worcester Swan Theatre, Tues 14Wed 15 March

Stage adaptations of books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler invariably offer theatrical magic aplenty, so this is definitely a show that’s well worth catching.

Presented by the team behind two other hit kids’ productions, Dear Zoo Live and Dear Santa, the show features clever puppetry, toetapping songs, and the chance to join in with Pig and Hen’s game of hide & seek.

Light entertainment from around the region

Circus Of Horrors: Haunted Fairground

Brierley Hill Civic Hall, Sun 5 March; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 25 March

An off-kilter affair that bears more resemblance to a freak show than any modern definition of a circus, one-time Britain’s Got Talent finalists Circus Of Horrors here present a world beyond political correctness and taste. With the performers dressed in a manner reminiscent of The Rocky Horror Show, there’s no denying the skill of those participating - or indeed the ensemble’s sheer ‘wow’ factor. Set in a decrepit fairground ‘on the edge of nowhere’, this latest offering features ‘beautifully bizarre circus acts, a sinister storyline and the darkest of magic - all performed to an original rock score’...

Daniel Nicholas: Eugene

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Fri 10 March

“I like to confuse and engage an audience at the same time,” says Daniel Nicholas, “whether that’s through comedy or storytelling, whilst playing lasertag, or with a dancer reacting to the set.”

Daniel’s currently touring show is certainly an attention-grabber: “Think The Terminator does a Ted Talk with Steve Jobs and you’d be on the right track!”

The storyline sees a millionaire & inventor in a not-too-distant future - “Think Elon Musk with a further attitude problem!” - launching the first superhuman artificial intelligence at a press conference to which the audience is invited... With the show having made a

splash in Edinburgh a couple of years back, this UK tour looks set to further establish Daniel as one of the country’s most interesting, imaginative and interactive comedians.

I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 2 March; Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 25 March

One-time Young Ones star Adrian Edmondson has called it “The most ridiculous, most surreal, most incomprehensibly funny show on any medium,” while The Radio Times confidently describes it as: “Indisputably the greatest radio comedy of all time.” Having garnered plenty more similarly effusive praise across its 51 years and 70-plus series, I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue continues to strike chords with BBC Radio Four listeners throughout the country. The comedy panel game has been touring to theatres since 2007 and here makes a welcome return to the Midlands. This particular evening of inspired nonsense sees host Jack Dee being joined by Rory Bremner (Tony Hawks at Warwick Arts Centre), Pippa Evans, Milton Jones and Marcus Brigstocke.

Send In The Clowns: Hey Big Bender

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 23 - Sat 25 March

A drag celebration of ‘sexy, sultry and downright lustful’ musical theatre favourites, Send In The Clowns is hosted by cabaret performer and Drag Idol UK winner Fatt Butcher. The show features some of the

Theatre

An Evening Without Kate Bush

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 19 March With Kate Bush no fan of performing live (to put it mildly), cabaret stalwart Sarah-Louise Young has stepped into the breach to present this lively stand-in offering - a show that’s surely going to be in the ‘must see’ category for Kate’s legion of West Midlands-based fans.

It’s not a tribute show in the conventional sense of the word - Sarah-Louise doesn’t spend the hour impersonating Kate - but it certainly has more than enough for Bush lovers to delight in and thoroughly enjoy, including impressive renditions of their idol’s greatest hits.

The show visits Coventry on the back of successful runs in both Edinburgh and Soho.

Midlands’ best-known drag & cabaret entertainers performing favourite numbers from, among other theatrical hits, Chicago, Cabaret and La Cage Aux Folles.

Queenz: The Show With Balls

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Wed 29 March; Lichfield Garrick, Sun 30 April; Telford Theatre, Wed 11 October; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thurs 26 October; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 18 November

Loved and adored by celebrities including Gary Barlow and Dawn French, Queenz is described as ‘a trailblazing, life-affirming drag extravaganza that’s currently taking the UK by storm’. The show sees death-dropping divas slaying the biggest hits of all time - and there won’t be a lip-sync in sight! Get ready to sing along to reimagined classics from The Spice Girls, Lady Gaga, Little Mix, Britney, Whitney and everything in between...

Ceri Dupree

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thurs 30 March Female impersonator Ceri Dupree was once described as a cross between Joe Longthorne and Lily Savage - only with better legs! Well known to Midlands theatre-goers following past pantomime stints in both Birmingham and Wolverhampton, the hugely popular Ceri here returns to the region with her hit show, Back To The Rhinestone. Expect an evening of visual comedy, impressions, music and ‘thousands of pounds-worth of jaw-dropping costumes’.

Going solo

Actor & playwright Mark Farrelly talks about bringing a popular one-man show back to the region...

Mark Farrelly writes and performs in shows which aim to lift the lid on the lives of well-known figures from British public life. Comedian Frankie Howerd, playwright & novelist Patrick Hamilton and film director Derek Jarman have all come under Mark’s spotlight in recent years. So, too, has gay icon & raconteur Quentin Crisp, who the Sheffield-born actor will next month play when his critically acclaimed solo production, Naked Hope, returns to the Midlands. What’s On recently interviewed Mark to find out more about his shows and career...

You’re bringing Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope back to the Midlands this spring, Mark. Tell us a little bit about the play...

It’s an up-close encounter with one of the most remarkable, brave and witty figures of the 20th century. Quentin was openly gay from the 1930s onwards, and was routinely beaten because of this. But he refused to hide his true nature, which is something we all should learn to do. After John Hurt played Quentin in the TV film, The Naked Civil Servant [1975], Quentin became famous and travelled the world doing one-man performances in which he elucidated his advice on how to live a truthful life. He did so with tremendous wit, and I recreate part of that performance in my show, as well as exploring his earlier years.

You’re also performing another of your plays, Jarman, in Warwickshire. Again, can you provide an idea of what audiences can expect...

You can expect dynamism, inspiration and spontaneity. Derek Jarman was a wondrous polymath, a writer, painter, gardener, filmmaker and activist. He lived a life without boundaries or convention and is a beacon for anyone who wants to express themselves without restriction. He also showed tremendous, heart-breaking courage in dealing with and dying from AIDS. So you get a thrilling, funny and authentic encounter with this man, who still has so much to teach us.

Your plays have proved hugely popular. What are the secrets of their success?

Honesty. I’m playing characters who were utterly sincere and spoke pure truth. That’s a surprisingly rare commodity in this world. I also choose people who are funny, because we all need a laugh, no? Perhaps above all is that I speak directly to the audience all the way through, in all my work. There’s no fourth wall. I allow the audience to feel seen and valued.

As the actor appearing in the shows, which play has given you the most pleasure to perform?

I don’t have a favourite because they all

provide particular pleasures, otherwise I wouldn’t have performed them almost 400 times collectively. Also the audience is, of course, different for every show, so each performance feels fresh. You never know what you’re going to get!

How did your career as a playwright come about?

Despair. I went through some great losses and setbacks about 10 years ago, and felt so broken that I tried writing to help myself out of my misery. I chose figures like Quentin Crisp, who I felt had something to say, not only to me but to an audience. Then I found that I rather liked writing. And also, words and wit are more powerful when born of suffering, which is something known by all the characters I play.

Did you make a conscious decision to forge your writing career around biographical plays about interesting people in the public eye, or did you have the initial idea for your first such play and then, once it had been successful, decide it was a genre to return to?

I wanted to write about Quentin, and also the novelist Patrick Hamilton. After that, the ideas to write about Frankie Howerd and Derek Jarman very much came along organically. It’s not been a very conscious or chosen path; I’ve just written when I’ve felt the urge. I certainly never write something because I anticipate that it will be a success or ‘sell well’, which would be a big mistake.

How do you decide which real-life people to write about?

I have to be struck by some aspect of the person’s life, and maybe that’s also a part of myself that I need to develop or enhance. For instance, I much admire Quentin Crisp’s stoic endurance and Derek Jarman’s artistic iconoclasm. I’ve often said that although the plays explore the lives of well-known figures, they are also a veiled form of autobiography, in that I’m simultaneously exploring my own life as well as that of the characters. As the saying goes, the unexamined life is not worth living.

Which of the plays proved to be the most challenging for you as a writer, and which, relatively speaking, was the easiest?

Perhaps The Silence Of Snow: The Life Of Patrick Hamilton was the toughest, because it was my first. Possibly Quentin was the easiest because Mr Crisp left behind such immaculately crafted language in his books, and I wanted to get as much of that into the script as possible.

For many writers, breaking the fourth wall is not an option, but as you’ve already mentioned, the characters in your plays speak directly to the audience. What’s your motivation as a writer/creator for breaking with that particular convention?

I detest the fourth wall. I think it traps performers and represents a blind alley in which theatre has become stuck. Shakespeare constantly broke the fourth wall. We seem to have lost the art. Live comedy does it. Live music does it. Panto does it. And that’s why they are all more popular than most fourth-wall theatre. I need to connect. I hunger and I burn to do it. And I think audiences do too.

You’re certainly on a roll, Mark. Are there any other public figures about whom you’d like to write a biographical play in the future?

The answer is currently no. As I said, it has to be organic, and nobody leaps out at me presently. Who knows? Maybe I’ve already written my last play. And if that were the case, I’d genuinely be grateful for what I’ve had. Then again, a new idea might whisper to me tomorrow afternoon. I’m content to let things take their natural course.

Mark Farrelly brings Quentin Crisp: Naked Hope to The Hive, Shrewsbury, on Saturday 26 March and the Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 May.

He performs Jarman at the Guild Hall, Henley-in-Arden, on Thursday 20 April

Dance previews from across the region

James Wilton Dance: The Four Seasons

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 7 & Wed 8 March

Award-winning Cornwall-based company James Wilton Dance here get to grips with Max Richter’s recomposed version of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.

Richter wrote the critically acclaimed piece in an attempt to re-enthuse himself about the original. “Hearing it principally in shopping centres, advertising jingles, on telephone-hold systems and similar places, I stopped being able to hear it as music,” Max told ClassicFM. “It had become an irritant - much to my dismay! So I set out to try to find a new way to engage with this wonderful material, by writing through it anew... and thus rediscovering it for myself.

“I deliberately didn’t want to give it a modernist imprint but to remain in sympathy and in keeping with Vivaldi’s own musical language.”

Internationally renowned and award-winning South African dancer & choreographer Dada Masilo here makes a welcome return to the Hippodrome, four years after she and her company presented a stunning version of Giselle at the venue. Inspired by Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring and featuring live-on-

Firedance: Gorka Marquez & Karen Hauer

Symphony Hall, Birmingham Fri 31 March

It’s time to turn up the heat and join Strictly stars Gorka Marquez and Karen Hauer for a show that’s been widely praised for its fresh flavours and super-charged choreography. Taking the form of a dance-off, the production finds its inspiration in Romeo & Juliet, Moulin Rouge, Carmen and West Side Story. In the process it showcases not only an eclectic mix of Latin, rock and pop music but also a ‘sensational’ live band and a lineup of ‘sizzling’ dancers and ‘mesmerising’ fire specialists.

stage music, The Sacrifice tells the story of how a celebration of the advent of Spring sees a young girl being chosen as a sacrifice and dancing herself to death as part of an ancient ritual. The piece features the uniquely rhythmic and expressive movements of Tswana, the traditional dance of Botswana.

Ballet Theatre UK: Romeo & Juliet

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Wed 22 March; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Sun 26 March; The Core Theatre, Solihull, Sat 15 April

Ace Dance & Music: Unknown Realms

Malvern Theatres, Wed 1 March; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Fri 31 March Committed to the presentation of contemporary dance inspired by the African Diaspora, ACE Dance & Music here collaborate with two internationally acclaimed Black male choreographersSerge 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’.

Hailed as the greatest love story ever told, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is here presented by the always excellent Ballet Theatre UK, an ensemble with an impressive history of producing bright and colourful shows designed to promote classical dance as an accessible art form.

Expect ‘stunning costumes, innovative stage sets and heartbreaking intimacy’ in a show which the company reveal is making a comeback ‘by popular demand’.

Dada Masilo: The Sacrifice Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 28 & Wed 29 March

PRUE STORIES

Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith takes to the road to talk about a life in which she does Nothing In Moderation...

by Simon Gage

Having lived a life every bit as colourful as the clothes she wears in Channel Four’s The Great British Bake Off, Prue Leith is taking to the stage to share her stories - from a childhood spent in Africa, to messing up a cup of tea for the late Queen and being the butt of Noel Fielding and Matt Lucas’ jokes...

If there’s one thing Dame Prue Leith likes at the age of 82 - apart from a drink! - it’s a challenge. It’s the reason the TV presenter, chef, writer of bestsellers and director of a brand-new TV production company has chosen this moment to embark on an international tour of one-woman shows to tell some of her stories.

And there are plenty of stories to tell: her childhood in Africa, her years in Paris, her glittering career in cooking and as a pioneering businesswoman… and, of course, her judging role on The Great British Bake Off.

“At the end of the first shows, I thought, I must be mad,” says Prue with a chuckle from behind some outsize multi-coloured spectacles. She’s talking about her early tryouts of Nothing In Moderation, the show that starts with highlights from her glittering life against a backdrop of personal photographs“mostly funny” - and “clips of past disasters’, before moving into an audience questionand-answer session after the interval. “I was so frightened, but by the time I did New York, I absolutely loved it and realised why people become addicted to doing one-man - or onewoman - shows. The audience was on my side, the atmosphere was terrific, and I just had a ball.”

The UK leg of Prue’s tour kicked off in February and goes “all over the place”, ending up at the Palladium. “Imagine!” she laughs. “What the hell am I doing?”

The whole show is done pretty much chronologically - though Prue admits she sometimes gets over-excited and jumps around a little, starting with her saying to the audience that “probably the one thing you know about me is that I eat cake for a living on telly”.

“Basically because I’ve lived such a long life, there’s quite a lot that’s interesting. How I failed at university in Cape Town, how I went off to Paris and fell in love with food, how I started as a chef-for-hire in a bedsit in Earl’s Court, going around in a little bubble car delivering food. And I tell lots of disaster stories. People love to hear what goes wrong. And you only have to have a member of the royal family come into a situation and everything automatically goes wrong.”

Prue illustrates that belief with a story about

how she had to present the late Queen with a simple cup of tea and managed to mess it up completely, adding lemon, taking out lemon, making it too weak, ruining the tea-tray… “It should be easy enough, shouldn’t it? I still feel ashamed that I couldn’t present our beloved Queen with a simple cup of tea. But I actually have quite a few royal disaster stories, which the audiences love!”

And yet she still got the Damehood! “It did take me 50 years,” she laughs. “I blame that cup of tea!”

In the 1980s, after she had sold her businesses - a cooking school, a catering business and a restaurant - Prue found herself sitting, usually as the only woman, on a lot of high-powered company boards, representing the customer and women in general to groups of men in grey suits, who treated her as something of a novelty. “There weren’t many women very high up in business back in the ’80s, especially not running their own businesses, and so I got a lot of these jobs: Halifax, Sainsbury’s, Whitbread, British Rail…”

She tells the story of the time she started on one particular board with 16 older men, mostly Scottish engineers. When she got up “because I was dying for a wee but was too shy”, all 16 men stood respectfully “to bow me out of the room!” They then stood up again when she came back in. “The first time I opened my mouth was to say ‘Now look, guys, you’ve got to treat me like a chap! You can’t keep jumping up and down!’”

The reason these stories are so inspirational is not that Prue is fearless but rather that she feels the fear… and does it anyway. “I’m always a bit nervous,” she admits - and not least when she first went on stage, which she says terrified her so much that she could feel her heart hammering. “But John does turn up in the interval with a whisky…” John, her second husband, lives in a virtually ‘cakefree house’ and jokes that he should have married Mary Berry instead of Prue.

It’s not the whisky that makes the second half of the show go easier but the fact that Prue takes questions from the audience, some of which she’s not permittedcontractually - to answer. “People want to know about things that happen off-screen in Bake Off, and I’m not allowed to tell them

about that,” she explains, adding that she also won’t talk about who she beat to the Bake Off job when Mary Berry left.

“I can say I lie in a hammock between shots, but I think they’re longing to know whether Paul Hollywood’s eyes are really that blue. Paul and I get on really well because we both care a lot about food and we know the same people.” Prue actually phoned Mary Berry to ask about Paul before she took the job. The main advice from Mary was “You have to hold your own.”

As for Bake Off presenters Noel and Matt... “They are like 15-year-old children,” says Prue. “I just don’t understand their sense of humour, I mostly don’t get their jokes, and I’m the butt of most of them because I don’t get any of the innuendos. They think a sausage is something to laugh about. I don’t get it, but I love them dearly.’

Embarking on a major international tour at the age of 82, in a tour bus - “I’d love groupies,” she jokes, “I’m all for attention!”isn’t what most people are thinking about doing at that stage in their lives. For most people of 80-plus, surely it’s more about sitting at home with a slice of cake and a cup of tea, watching Pointless? “That’s the last thing I want to do!” laughs Prue. “Not that I don’t love Pointless. I just have a lot of energy and want to do stuff. I’m not sure you shouldn’t have a revolution in your life every few years. I did food for the first 25 years, then I sold all the companies because I wanted to write novels, so for the next 20 years I wrote novels and the autobiography. Then it was television…”

Given that she has a tour bus and an entourage, you can’t help but wonder if she also has a rock’n’roll rider - the list that rock stars send ahead to the venue, outlining how many bottles of Jack Daniels are required for backstage. Prue wasn’t aware that such a thing existed. When she finds out, she smiles that smile of hers, turns to someone and shouts “I think we need a rider!”

Prue Leith takes to the stage at The Alexandra, Birmingham, on Sunday 12 March

Film highlights in March...

Shazam! Fury Of The Gods

CERT 12a (130 mins)

Starring Zachary Levi, Helen Mirren, Meagan Good, Grace Caroline Currey, Lucy Liu, Adam Brody, Rachel Zegler

Directed by David F. Sandberg

It’s fair to say that in the US comic-book giants’ ongoing battle for cinematic supremacy, Marvel has pretty much had DC in a long-term headlock. But it’s not been all bad news for the latter. Among a handful of superhero success stories was 2019’s Shazam!, telling the story of how young Billy Batson became ‘the world’s mightiest mortal’. It’s not surprising, therefore, that four years later there is a much-anticipated sequel offering, with fans of the character crossing fingers that Fury Of The Gods is every bit as funny, inventive and engaging as the first film. Zachary Levi again dons the spandex, this time finding himself pitted against the Daughters of Atlas, one of whom is played by Helen Mirren, making her DC Extended Universe debut.

Released Fri 17 March

Creed III CERT tbc (116 mins)

Starring Jonathan Majors, Michael B Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris, Florian Munteanu, Phylicia Rashad

Directed by Michael B Jordan

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life.

When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after doing time in jail, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. But the face-off that follows between the two former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line, and in Damian face up to a fighter who has nothing to lose...

This latest installment in the successful sports drama franchise sees Jordan making his directorial debut.

Released Fri 3 March

Scream VI CERT 15 (123 mins)

Starring Melissa Barrera, Courteney Cox, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Hayden Panettiere Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

65 CERT tbc

Starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman, Nika King

Directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods

“It doesn’t feel like ‘part six’; it feels like you’re watching this big, huge, fresh reinvention. I love, love, love, love it!...” So says Kevin Williamson, the writer of the original Scream movie, who is executive producing this latest installment of the hugely successful horror franchise. “I’ve watched the movie with a big smile on my face,” Kevin told SyFy Wire. “I think it’s everything and more... The movie feels new, it feels fresh, it feels like a new movie.”

A direct follow-up to last year’s Scream, which took place over two decades after the infamous Woodsboro killings, Part Six sees the four survivors of the Ghostface murders heading for New York City - only to find themselves in a fight for their lives when a new killer embarks on a bloody rampage...

Released Fri 10 March

Adam Driver takes the lead role in a film that really could go either way at the box officemaking Tyrannosaurus Rex-sized profits or quickly establishing itself as an early contender for ‘flop of the year’. After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth - 65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at a rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa, must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures.

Released Fri 10 March

Allelujah CERT 12a (99

mins)

Starring Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, David Bradley, Russell Tovey, Derek Jacobi, Judi Dench Directed by Richard Eyre

Now here’s a film that will hopefully warm the cockles for cinema-goers who love a good British movie.

With the screenplay by Heidi Thomas, who’s best known for her writing contribution across all 12 series of BBC television’s Call The Midwife, Allelujah is based on Alan Bennett’s play of the same name and boasts an all-star cast.

A warm and humorous story about surviving old age, the film’s action takes place in a small Yorkshire hospital, the geriatric ward of which is threatened with closure. Until, that is, the local community decides to fight back...

Released Fri 17 March

Pearl CERT 15 (102 mins)

Starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, Emma JenkinsPurro, Alistair Sewell Directed by Ti West Filmmaker Ti West here makes a swift return with a prequel movie to his 2022 slasher pic, X. Set some 60 years before the events of the first film - which saw a group of young filmmakers fall foul of murderous elderly couple Pearl & Howard on a rural Texas property - the film focuses on how Pearl became a killer. The movie premiered last autumn at the Venice International Film Festival, and in common with X, scored a major hit with the critics.

Legendary Goodfellas and Taxi Driver director Martin Scorsese was also impressed. He hailed it “a wild, mesmerising, deeply - and I mean deeplydisturbing 102 minutes”, revealing that it left him “enthralled, then disturbed, then so unsettled that I had trouble getting to sleep”. Praise indeed.

Released Fri 17 March

A Good Person

Allison seemingly has it all: wonderful fiance; blossoming career; supportive family and friends. But then a fatal car accident involving her soon-to-be-sister-in-law shatters her world and catapults her into a downward spiral of addiction and unresolved grief.

Mummies CERT PG (88 mins)

With the voices of Sean Bean, Joe Thomas, Eleanor Tomlinson, Hugh Bonneville, Celia Imrie, Dan Starkey Directed by Juan Jesús García Galocha Juan Jesús García Galocha’s feature directorial debut follows the adventures of three mummies - a princess, a former charioteer and his younger brother - who live in a secret underground city, hidden in ancient Egypt.

Through a series of unfortunate events, the mummies end up in present-day London. There, they embark on a ‘wacky and hilarious’ quest for an old ring, belonging to the royal family, which was stolen by the ambitious archaeologist Lord Carnaby.

Released Fri 31 March

The road back is a hard one - but when she forms an unlikely friendship with her wouldbe-father-in-law, Allison begins to see an unexpected light at the end of a very dark tunnel...

Released Fri 24 March

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

CERT tbc (134 mins)

Starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant Directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic - but things go dangerously awry when they fall foul of the wrong people...

The playful spirit of Dungeons & Dragons, the much-loved and long-established roleplaying game from which the film takes its main title, is very much alive and well in this action-packed adventure.

“It’s Game Of Thrones mixed with a little Princess Bride and just a smidge of Holy Grail,” lead actor Chris Pine told Collider.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s got a lot of thrills. It’s poppy, it’s ’80s heartfelt, there’s a bit of Goonies in there...

“We had a great cast and we had a good time making it. And that’s all you can ask for.”

Released Fri 31 March

CERT 15 (129 mins)

Starring Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Celeste O’Connor, Molly Shannon, Chinaza Uche, Zoe Lister-Jones Directed by Zach Braff

Rhythm & Passion

Strictly stars Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez return with Firedance, featuring fresh flavours and super-charged choreography...

by Jules Boyle

Tell us about the new show...

Karen: This is our third year doing Firedance. The first year, we only got six shows in before it got stopped by the pandemic, so it still feels very new and exciting! It’s a show that is fresh, it’s sexy and it’s just a celebration! We have all the dances that the audiences love, like our tangos, our sambas and our salsas. It just celebrates all the fun we have together and everything we love to share with people. We just love dancing together so much, so we’re bringing that joy out onto the stage for everyone to have fun with us!

What’s different this time around?

Gorka: It’s still along the lines of what we did before, but we’ve remade some of the show and brought in some more uplifting songs, some more modern songs and a fair few surprises too. The idea is still the same obviously - we’re going to be dancing all night, there’s lots of fire and a lot of energy. Everything people loved about it the last time is still there, just with some new things brought in which we think really add a new spark to the whole thing.

The previous shows have been really wellreceived. How did you go about changing it up while still keeping in everything that people loved the last time around?

Karen: We have a great creative team. For us, it’s always about the volume when you do a show, as you can hear and feel when a number really, really connects with the audience. So it’s always fun to be able to evolve and change things up. You have an idea what people are really going to respond to, and the challenge then is to be able to give them that. It’s like a little puzzle, putting it all together and seeing which parts worked, which parts didn’t so much, and what you can do to constantly be improving the whole show.

Although you’re the stars, Firedance is as much about the other performers and the production itself as it is about the pair of you. Why is that so important for you to ensure?

Gorka: As Karen said, we have an amazing team with us, so the production is always huge and of the highest standard. From day one, though, when we were looking for dancers, singers, musicians and so on, we were determined to get the most amazing ones we could find. That way, when we aren’t on stage, the show is still amazing - with the

level everyone is at, you can’t help getting lost in it for the full 90 minutes. For us, it’s all about the dancing, the music and the performers.

How much does having your own show free you from the constraints of the ballroom?

Karen: We’ve trained in so many different styles, and being able to utilise that is really special. Obviously we can do all the waltzes and tangoes etc, which we do in our own way, and we do enjoy putting things in there that we know people really like to see, but there are still dances we actually don’t like. Every dancer has some, so it’s great to have the freedom to just do the things we love, and I think that comes over in the performances. We like the fire dances; we like the strong, rhythmical dances that have power behind them. At the same time, though, we do have some very simple, beautiful and understated numbers that people love to see. So there’s a good mix in there, but it’s all the things we love. The fact we have a background in different styles is a good thing, so why not put it out there and show ourselves in a different light?

One of the biggest things that people loved at the previous shows was the huge production and in particular the massive amounts of fire you have onstage. Like the rest of the show, is that another element that you will be taking to the next level this time around?

Gorka: I think it’s going to be even more epic than it was before, to be honest. The production, and the fire in particular, was always hugely important to us. Like the music and the dancing, we really wanted to make sure that the other aspects of the show stepped up another gear too. What we have in store this time around is just incredible. I think people would be blown away by it even if there was nothing else happening on the stage! We’re already planning on stepping it up even more for next year’s show, too!

If you had to pick one thing, what would be your favourite part of the show?

Gorka: I love every part of it, but in a funny way, I love the last number which we used to do. It was so fun and upbeat! We’d always end up getting the giggles, as we don’t take ourselves too seriously and just have a laugh with it. I’m sure that will be the same with the new one.

Karen: I agree. The fact that we get to be so creative, and do something that allows us to

be so proud of ourselves and our team, really means so much to us - so that moment at the end of the night is always really special. It doesn’t feel like a job; it’s more like a gig that we just happen to be at. It doesn’t feel choreographed in a way, as there’s so much freedom in it, which is what we want the audience to feel too. It’s just such a liberating feeling to be up there with everyone.

Across all the years you’ve been on Strictly, you’ve inspired so many young people to take up dancing, either for fun or as a career. What advice would you like to give them?

Gorka: I would just say that if it’s something you love, just do it. If you are a dancer and are passionate about it, put all your effort into it 24/7, as nothing is easy in life. If you really want it, don’t let anyone try and take that passion away from you. Work hard and love it every day. Standards are high, so if you don’t love it, you’ll quit, but if you do… just do it.

Karen: I couldn’t agree more with that. It’s all about discipline. You have to be so disciplined with yourself and be very aware of all the ups and downs. The ups are going to feel amazing, though, as the downs are the things that will push you harder to feel the ups when they happen! You have to be always listening and learning, as you’re always a beginner in a way. That’s why I’m always ready to be watching and learning from anyone in front of me, whether they have just started or have been doing it for a long time. Always be learning and get ready to work hard, as it never stops. It’s not to scare anybody, but no matter how far you go or how much success you have, in order to keep that success, you need to keep working hard. But it’s worth it!

What do you think the future holds for you?

Karen: I’m not ready to hang up my shoes yet, put it that way! In fact, I can’t see my drive ever retiring, as once you do, what’s left? It’s lovely for people who do enjoy retirement, but I don’t ever want this to end; I’ll always want to be involved in the arts and in dancing. It’ll always be a part of my life. I’ll go as far as I can and for as long as I can, that’s for sure!

Firedance shows at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, on Friday 31 March

Foka Wolf: Why Are We Stuck In Hospital

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Sun 19 March

This latest Ikon exhibition is a response to a project conducted by the School of Social Policy at the University of Birmingham, working in partnership with rights-based organisation Changing Our Lives.

The project aims to raise awareness of the 2,000 autistic people and/or individuals with learning disabilities who live in hospital settings for long periods of time, often for many years and with no planned date to leave.

The Ikon exhibition is the work of Birmingham-based artist & activist Foka Wolf, who has become well known as a result of his ‘subvertisements’, which parody corporate and political posters. Foka’s interventions serve the purpose of posing questions about the city’s infrastructure and whether it meets the needs of its community.

Paying Respects: Money And Mortality

Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, until spring 2024 Having been struck in tribute to emperors, monarchs and leadersand also used in many of the rituals and routines that mark the passage from life to the afterlife - coins of historical significance are invariably accompanied by some fascinating stories.

That’s certainly true of the examples on show in this ongoing Barber display. The exhibition draws from a superlative collection that features caches of Byzantine, Trapezuntine and Sasanian currency, as well as significant holdings of Roman and medieval coins.

Living Traditions: A Director’s Acquisitions Of Works On Paper

Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham, until Mon 10 July

Nicola Kalinsky acquired 53 works on paper by a whole variety of artists during her nine years as the Barber’s sixth director. Her acquisitions added to an already world-class collection of drawings (the venue owns 343 ) and prints (596). In Living Traditions, Nicola has curated a selection of these works, primarily focusing on examples that feature the human figure.

From The Cornish Coast To The Malvern Hills...

Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, Sat 4 March - Sat 1 July

Characteristically painting en plein air with free brushstrokes and joyful colours, British Impressionists focused on the interplay between working people, families at leisure and the landscapes in which they lived.

Bringing together works from the Worcester City collection, the Bowerman Trust and Southampton Art Gallery, this fascinating exhibition celebrates the links between Worcestershire and the Newlyn school of artists, who played a significant role in what is widely considered to have been a ‘magical moment’ in British art history.

The exhibition includes paintings by Stanhope Forbes, Dame Laura Knight and Elizabeth Forbes. Artworks by Camille and Lucian Pissarro represent the influence of French Impressionists.

Craftspace: Queer & Metals

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, until Sun 2 April

The multiplicity of queerness is here explored via metalwork and metalsmithing, in an exhibition that makes visible the ways in which LGBTQIA+ creatives are shaping, disrupting and contributing to contemporary culture.

Featuring artworks, video interviews and an Instagram campaign, the Craftspace presentation aims to ‘make connections within a diverse, intersectional, complex and fluid community of making’.

SnapperSquad ‘Natural World’ Exhibition

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-onTrent, until Sun 16 April

SnapperSquad is an independent group of amateur photographers living across North Staffordshire & South Cheshire. Their latest exhibition showcases their natural-history interests and technical abilities, which they hope will encourage other amateur photographers to try different ways of photographing a vast array of subjects.

Image: Forbes (Stanhope Alexander), Chadding on Mounts Bay, 1902

Dippy In Coventry: The Nation’s Favourite Dinosaur

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, until Tues 21 February 2026

The Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus cast - life-size, made of plaster-of-paris, and affectionately referred to as Dippy - has taken up residence in Coventry for an initial period of three years.

Diplodocus carnegii, to give it its official name, lived during the Late Jurassic period, somewhere between 155 and 145 million years ago. Huge, plant-eating

The Moon

Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, until Sun 16 April

More than 50 years after Neil Armstrong’s ‘giant leap for mankind’, the moon continues to fascinate. This family-friendly exhibition not only invites visitors to relive moments in lunar discovery and exploration but also features ‘real, touchable moon rock’.

The exhibition is accompanied by a series of workshops and events. To find out more about these, visit the venue’s website.

dinosaurs with long, whip-like tails, they grew to about 25 metres in length and are believed to have weighed around 15 tonnes, making them three tonnes heavier than a London double-decker bus. Dippy first arrived in London in 1905 and recently visited Birmingham as part of an eight-city tour that attracted a recordbreaking two million visitors.

Breaking The Mould

New Art Gallery, Walsall, until Sun 16 April Surveying the post-war period and exploring the art of more than 40 female sculptors, Breaking The Mould addresses the many accounts of British sculpture that have marginalised women or airbrushed their work from art history altogether.

The works on show have been selected from the Arts Council Collection, which holds more than 250 sculptures by more than 150 women.

A wide range of digital resources have been developed to accompany the exhibition.

Shemza Digital: Across Generations

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sun 16 April

A hybrid exhibition featuring ‘the physical experience of the work at the art gallery’ and an online version on the venue’s website, Shemza Digital displays examples of the output of celebrated British Pakistani Modernist artist Anwar Jalal Shemza, presented alongside artworks by his granddaughter, Aphra. The exhibition features participatory digital projections - inviting viewers to create their own digital paintings - and interactive architectural sculptures that respond to visitors’ movements. A specially commissioned soundscape fuses traditional South Asian instruments with drone & ambient electronic sounds.

Tudor Mystery: A Master Painter Revealed

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, until Sun 7 May If you have an interest in art history and also fancy trying your hand at some Sherlock Holmesstyle detective work, then this is the exhibition for you...

The ‘Tudor mystery’ of the title revolves around the Master of the Countess of Warwick, an important, talented and largely forgotten painter who played a pivotal role in the development of portraiture in Britain. His identity remains unknown.

A Master Painter Revealed not only offers visitors the chance to speculate about who the artist was, but also takes a look at the production of art in Tudor Britain and the ways in which art historians use evidence to determine authorship.

The exhibition features numerous loans from public and private collections across the UK and Ireland, many of which are rarely displayed.

National Outdoor Expo

NEC, Birmingham, Sat 18 & Sun 19 March

For those who love the outdoors, The National Outdoor Expo provides all the inspiration, kit, tech, nutrition information and general advice needed for your next adventure.

The show offers the opportunity to take part in a range of performance workshops and get your adrenaline going via one of the many family-friendly interactive features (think paddle boarding, zip lining and open water swimming, to name but a few).

Contributions from some of the world’s greatest outdoor enthusiasts and familiar faces - including Ben Fogle, Julia Bradbury, Hamza Yassin, Helen Skelton and Ray Mears - further add to the show’s appeal.

YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Tues 14 - Sat 19 March

The world’s oldest and most prestigious badminton tournament (it was first held in 1899), the YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships returns to Utilita Arena this month.

The 2023 edition of the event marks the 30th anniversary of the tournament being held at the popular Birmingham venue. Commenting on this month’s championships,

organisers Badminton England said: “Nothing can prepare you for watching the greatest badminton players in the world play live.

“The speed, agility and skill needed to compete at the highest level is breathtaking, and the passion and noise of some of the most committed fans in the world needs to be experienced to be believed.”

Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show

NEC, Birmingham, Fri 24 - Sun 26 March

Whether you’re looking to reignite your passion for cars, finish a restoration project or simply want to reminisce with family and friends over the classic cars on display, the Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show is the event for you.

The show brings together 1000-plus cars, 150-plus car clubs representing a wide variety of marques and models, and 250-plus exhibitors and autojumblers, including restoration companies, services providers and product suppliers.

Famous petrolheads making a contribution to the show include Richard Hammond, Ant Anstead and Mike Brewer.

Homebuilding & Renovating Show

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 23 - Sun 26 March

If you’re looking to give your humble abode an upgrade in 2023, The Homebuilding & Renovating Show is well worth checking out. Visitors to the event can access tailored oneto-one advice, browse thousands of new and

innovative products, and discover the ins and outs of everything from planning regulations for extensions and managing renovation budgets, to stylish kitchen design and integrating underfloor heating.

Events previews from around the region Events

The Kids’ Festival

Staffordshire County Showground, Sun 12 March

Aimed at families with children aged between one and 11, The Kids’ Festival features a wide range of interactive activities. Attractions include bouncy castles and fairground rides, electric cars, BMX stunt shows, messy play, baby massage, a climbing wall, face painting, workshops in cookery and sports, and the chance to meet princesses and superheroes. Everything (aside from food & drink and merchandise) is included in the ticket price. Babies-in-arms go free.

Famously described as ‘black by day and red by night’ - a phrase coined at a time when the local furnaces churned out smoke and grime during the daytime and glowed after darkthe Black Country played a pivotal role in the Industrial Revolution.

To celebrate this legacy, Black Country Living Museum is this month opening its doors after hours for its Red By Night event, an evening

of live entertainment, industrial demonstrations, steam action and living history.

The special event is always a welcome addition to the venue’s list of attractions, which also includes a traditional sweet shop, underground mine, a 1950s pub and a hugely popular fish & chip shop.

Peppa Pig’s Aquarium Adventure

National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, until Fri 2 June

This brand-new event sees Peppa Pig diving into a Sea Life Centre adventure and making friends with some of the venue’s 2,000 underwater creatures. Families can take part in a fun interactive

trail around the aquarium, along the way spotting seahorses, counting starfish and finding out how fast sharks can swim. A variety of fun activities also feature, including bracelet and jigsaw-making.

Aston Alive: Big Book Day Takeover

Aston Hall, Birmingham, Sun 19 March

Aston Hall comes alive this month with wellknown storybook characters who’ve escaped from their stories and taken over the famous venue. And families attending the Big Book Day Takeover had better keep their wits about them, because alongside princesses, knights and heroes there’s likely to be foul witches, fierce beasts and evil villains!

Red By Night Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Fri 24 & Sat 25 March

Justin Moorhouse - Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

- Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek

thelist

VISUAL ARTS IN THE MIDLANDS

The Barber Institute Of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

PAYING RESPECTS: MONEY AND MORTALITY A compelling exhibition featuring highlights from the Barber’s superlative coin collection, which includes world-class caches of Byzantine, Trapezuntine and Sasanian currency, as well as significant holdings of Roman and medieval coins, until Sun 25 June, 2024

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC)

GRAYSON’S ART CLUB: THE EXHIBITION III Major exhibition featuring over 100 artworks selected by Grayson Perry, his wife Philippa, and guest celebrities during season three of the popular TV series, Grayson’s Art Club, until Sun 16 April

New Art Gallery, Walsall

WEST MIDLANDS OPEN RESIDENCY

AWARD: COURTNEY WELCOME

Exploration of race politics, identity and social justice via painting, installation, assemblage and performance, until Sun 5 March

HERE&QUEER Exhibition in which members of the LGBTQ+ community take ownership of the gallery’s collections and re-interpret them from a queer perspective, until Sun 28 May

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

SNAPPERSQUAD ‘NATURAL WORLD’

EXHIBITION Featuring works by an independent group of photographers from across North Staffordshire & South Cheshire, until Sun 16 April

Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery

THE MOON Exhibition in which visitors can discover 5,000 years of humankinds fascination with our celestial neighbour... until Sun 16 April

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

FINE LINES: CONTEMPORARY DRAWING

BY STEVE EVANS Including a small selection of influential works from the artist’s private collection and works on paper from the gallery’s permanent art collections, until Sun 12 March

PR1V4TES: SUKI CHUMBER Featuring portrait photography investigating the cultural phenomenon of personalised car registration plates, until Sun 26 March

POP PARADE Showcasing the

gallery’s most iconic pop artworks by leading British and American artists, until Sun 31 Dec

Elsewhere:

CLINKER (WASTE) Graduate residency

exhibition showcasing Maya Dew’s sculptures, created with locally sourced materials, until Thurs 2 March, Airspace, Stoke-on-Trent

NEW YEAR OPEN Showcasing a range of subjects and media, until Sat 4 March, Willow Gallery, Oswestry

PED4IR MÔM PHOTOGRAPHIC GROUP

Featuring the works of four photographic artists - Hanna Baguley, Joan West, Sharon Eynon & Siân Monument - all based on the isle of Anglesey, until Sat 4 March, Willow Gallery, Oswestry

GEORGIA REDPATH:

NATURE/ARCHITECTURE Featuring new works exploring how ‘pattern and geometry lie at the heart of everything on our planet’, until Sun 26 March, Stourbridge Glass Museum

Gigs

BAD OMENS Wed 1

March, The Mill, Digbeth, Birmingham

SELF ESTEEM Thurs 2

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

LYNKS + VLURE Thurs 2

March, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

NOVA TWINS + WITCH

FEVER + UNINVITED

Thurs 2 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

STARSET + SMASH INTO PIECES Thurs 2 March,

KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

RAVEN + HELLGRIMM +

DAXX & ROXANNE Thurs

2 March, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

Rooms, Stourbridge

THE REVOLVERS Fri 3

March, The Robin, Bilston

HEADSHRINKERS Fri 3

March, Katie

Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

ROD AND THE FACEZ Fri 3

March, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

SHE’KOYOKH Fri 3

March, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

ZION TRAIN + DJ NUTZO

Fri 3 March, Albert’s

Shed, Shrewsbury

BLOCK 33 + SHARP

CLASS Fri 3 March, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

HOTROX Fri 3 March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

ERASURED Sat 4 March, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

CHRIS CONNOR - ELVIS

TRIBUTE Sat 4 March, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

BEATLEMANIA Sat 4

March, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

MEL DAY + D’AGGRO Sat

4 March, The Robin, Bilston

SUNSCREEM Sat 4

March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

TOOL SHED - TOOL

TRIBUTE Sat 4 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

FAMILIARITY - AN EVENING OF WARMING

WINTER FOLK Sat 4

VANLEY BURKE: A GIFT TO BIRMINGHAM

Exhibition comprising 17 portraits representing the stories of members of Migrant Voice - a migrant-led organisation with a hub in Birmingham, until Fri 31 March, Handsworth Library

HORROR IN THE MODERNIST BLOCK

High-rise towers. Concrete buildings. In an exhibition featuring the work of 20 contemporary artists, these modernist structures are viewed through the lens of the horror genre with which they are often associated in dystopian fiction, until Mon 1 May, Ikon Gallery, B’ham

PAINTING WITH WORDS Inspired by story, myth and language, Sat 11 March - Sat 29 April, Willow Gallery, Oswestry

FLUORESCENCE: CHARLOTTE WYON

Graduate residency exhibition showcasing a ‘mash-up of traditional and digital paintings’, Fri 10 - Sun 19 March, Airspace, Stoke-on-Trent

FOREVER ELTON Thurs 2

March, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

LEVELLERS Thurs 2

March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

HUNDRED REASONS + HELL IS FOR HEROES + MY VITRIOL Fri 3 March, O2 Institute, B’ham

PUNK ROCK FACTORY Fri

3 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

TURIN BRAKES Fri 3

March, Birmingham

Town Hall

SYSTEM EIGHTIES Fri 3

March, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

DON’T STOPFLEETWOOD MAC Fri 3

March, The River

ABSOLUTE BOWIE Fri 3

March, Telford Theatre

THE PINK FLOYD SHOW

Fri 3 March, Theatre On

The Steps, Bridgnorth

FATBOY SLIM Fri 3 - Sat 4

March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

CALLING PLANET EARTH

Fri 3 - Sat 4 March,

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

ELIZA + KEMI ADE Sat 4

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

ISAIAH RASHAD Sat 4

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

DANIEL MARTINEZ Sat 4

March, Birmingham

Town Hall

LEVELLERS Sat 4 March, Symphony Hall, B’ham

March, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

VU - LOU REED AND THE VELVET UNDERGROUND TRIBUTE Sat 4March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

MICROBABY Sat 4

March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

SOULTOWN DIVAS Sat 4 March, Telford Theatre

LAVIRE Sat 4 March, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

BEAUTIFUL TRAUMAPINK TRIBUTE Sun 5 March, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

JUNODEF Sun 5 March, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

Self Esteem - O2 Institute, Birmingham

Classical Music

CBSO: THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS

Featuring Sir Andrew Davis (conductor), Alice Coote (mezzo soprano), Brendon Gunnell (tenor), Ashley Riches (bass baritone) & the CBSO Chorus, Thurs 2 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

MILOS MILIVOJEVIC CLASSICAL ACCORDION LUNCHTIME CONCERT Thurs

2 March, The Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury

BENJAMIN GROSVENOR Programme includes works by Bach-Busoni, Schumann, Ravel & Prokofiev, Thurs

2 March, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

SILKY, STEVE N ALLEN, LOVDEV BARPAGA & RAUL KOHLI Thurs 2 March, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffordshire

RICHARD MORTON, ROGER MONKHOUSE, ASHLEY FRIEZE & DAVE WILLIAMS Thurs

2 March, Lichfield Sports Club

LAUGH OUT LICHFIELD! Thurs 2 March, The Bowling Green, Lichfield

KUM-N-AVALOFF COMEDY NIGHT Thurs

2 March, Stourbridge Town Hall

ROSIE JONES Fri 3 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

IVO GRAHAM Fri 3 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

ROB DEERING, JOHN JO TAYLOR, LILY

PHILIPS & MATT REED Fri 3 March, Lichfield Garrick

JAKE LAMBERT, LIAM PICKFORD, DARREN HARRIOT & ALLYSON SMITH Fri

3 - Sat 4 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JOHN KEARNS Sat 4 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

LUCY PORTER Sat 4 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

CBSO: METAMORPHOSEN Featuring Eugene Tzikindelean & Philip Brett (violins), Adam Römer & Jessica Tickle (violas), Eduardo Vassallo & Arthur Boutllier (cellos) & Jeremy Watt (double bass). Programme includes works by Haydn, Brumby & Furtok, Fri 3 March, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

BBC PHILHARMONIC Featuring Ben Gernon (conductor) & Juan Pérez Floristám (piano). Programme includes works by Offenbach, Johan Svendsen, Ravel & Beethoven, Fri 3 March, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

JO ENRIGHT, ANDY WHITE & TONY VINO

Sat 4 March, Halesowen Cricket Club

FERN BRADY & CELYA AB Sun 5 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SIMON BRODKIN Sun 5 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

LLOYD GRIFFITH Sun 5 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Theatre

ANOTHER LOVER’S DISCOURSE

DAVID JOYCE (VIOLIN) & RICHARD SILK (PIANO) Fri 3 March, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

ROYAL SUTTON COLDFIELD ORCHESTRA: YOUNG SOLOISTS’ CONCERT Featuring Bob Vivian (conductor) & Jeremy Blunt (leader). Programme includes works by Mozart, Albinoni, Bruch, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Addinsell & Delibes, Sat 4 March, All Saints Church, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield

SHOWCASE RECITAL Featuring piano students from the Royal Northern College of Music, Sun 5 March, Shrewsbury Abbey

Comedy

ANDY ROBINSON, DARREN HARRIOT & ALLYSON SMITH Thurs 2 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Palestinian artist Riham fuses interviews, video, music, performance and film footage to explore the complexity of love and relationships, until Wed 1 March, The Rep, Birmingham

THE TEMPEST Alex Kingston plays Prospero in Shakespeare’s elemental tale of survival and forgiveness, until Sat 4 March, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE WAY OLD FRIENDS DO World premiere of a new comedy about devotion, desire and dancing queens, until Sat 4 March, The Rep, Birmingham

SIX From Tudor queens to pop princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power, until Sat 4 Mar, B’ham Hippodrome

THE KING AND I Call The Midwife’s Helen George stars as Anna in a new version of Bartlett Sher’s iconic musical, until Sat 4 March, The Alexandra, Birmingham

THE BODYGUARD Ex-Pussycat Doll

Melody Thornton stars alongside Ayden Callaghan (Emmerdale, Hollyoaks) in this new production based on the smash-hit film, until Sat 4 March, Regent Theatre, Stoke-onTrent

IDIOTS ASSEMBLE: SPITTING IMAGE

SAVES THE WORLD Join the Spitting Image puppets in this world premiere, in which King Charles enlists Tom Cruise to save Great Britain, until Sat 11 March, The Rep, Birmingham

GOOD GRIEF Multi-award-winning physical comedy company Ugly Bucket process the death of a friend in the only way they know howthrough ‘a kinetic maelstrom of outrageous clowning, personal testimony and a thumping techno soundtrack’, Thurs 2 - Sat 4 March, The Rep, Birmingham

CARMEN Ukrainian National Opera present the much-loved tale of passion and jealousy, Fri 3 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

QUALITY STREET Northern Broadsides revive their hit regency farce, described as ‘Bridgerton meets Inside The Factory’, Fri 3 - Sat 25 March, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme

A PERFECT LIKENESS Daniel Rover Singer’s comedy concerning the meeting of two literary greats - Lewis Carroll and Charles Dickens, Sat 4 March, Lichfield Garrick

Kids Theatre

THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Performed by Birmingham Savoyards, Wed 1Fri 3 March, Old Rep, Birmingham

FORGET ME NOT: THE ALZHEIMER’S

WHODUNNIT Solo show in which comic, poet & former mental-health nurse Rob Gee plays 15 characters who deliver a series of clues, tropes, plot twists and red herrings, Thurs 2 March, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

SUPERPOWER PANTO! Family show featuring ‘a host of fun-packed characters’ who need your help to save the day, Thurs 2 March, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

FATHERHOOD Physical theatre, multilingual text and integrated captions combine to explore the ups and downs of fatherhood across generations, Thurs 2 March, The Brewhouse, Burton upon Trent

ROTI MOON Midlands actor Chandni Mistry presents an interactive show that deals with food, culture, likes, dislikes & family relationships. ‘Suitable for young audiences and their grown-ups’, Sun 5 March, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

WOODLAND TALES WITH GRANDAD Family show with an environmental message at its heart, Sun 5 March, The Talbot Theatre, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

The Bodyguard - Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

thelist

classics, Tues 2 March, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR Featuring back-to-back hits from the 1950s and ’60s,Fri 3 March, Stoke Repertory Theatre

IMPROV WOLVES An evening of comedy featuring some of ‘the best improvisers in the Midlands’, Fri 3 March, Arena Theatre, W’hampton

DARTS & THE KING Join Mervyn King, Kevin Painter, Trina Gulliver, Jamie Caven and Shaun Vegas as Elvis in an evening of darts and entertainment, Fri 3 March, Bilston Town Hall

Dance

GIOVANNI PERNICE: MADE IN ITALY Also featuring dancers and singers from the world of ballroom and theatre, Sat 4 - Sun 5 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Light Entertainment

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Nostalgic variety performance featuring songs,

impressions & comic sketches, Wed

1 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

COMING OUT OF MY CAGE Storytelling show with music, karaoke and audience participation, Wed 1 - Thurs

2 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

THE MAKINGS OF A MURDERER Join Scottish detective David Swindle as he explores the cases of some of the biggest British serial killers of all time, Tues 2 March, Lichfield Garrick

THE ROCK ORCHESTRA BY CANDLELIGHT

Watch and listen as a chamber orchestra breathes beautifully dark energy into legendary rock & metal

GRAFFITI CLASSICS - THE COMEDY

STRING QUARTET A classical concert, gypsy-folk romp, opera, stand-up comedy and dance show, all rolled into one, Fri 3 March, The Talbot Theatre, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent

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

A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS Featuring hits from Les Miserables, The Greatest Showman, Cats, Phantom Of The Opera, Miss Saigon and many more... Sat 4 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

LORD PISSINGTON’S BOOZY WOOZY

COMEDY GALA Evening of ‘gags, japes and a few cheeky tipples’, Sat 4 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

SING-A-LONG-A GREATEST SHOWMAN With lyrics on screen to help you on your way. Fancy dress encouraged, Sat 4 March, Dudley Town Hall

FULL FORCE WRESTLING Thurs 4 March, The Cornbow Hall, Halesowen

GRAFFITI CLASSICS - THE COMEDY

STRING QUARTET A classical concert, gypsy-folk romp, opera, stand-up comedy and dance show, all rolled into one, Fri 5 March, SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle, South Shropshire

URZILA CARLSON: IT’S PERSONAL A show about keeping your cards close to your chest while walking around naked, Sun 5 March, Birmingham Town Hall

Events

GANDEYS CIRCUS Gandeys Circus returns with brand-new Big Top show, Glitterati, suitable for all the family, until Sun 5 March, Trentham

LEGO CITY Join the Lego City Minifigure team, Ricky Rocket Racer, Mech-Max, Go-To Gary and Fearless Fi, as they set epic missions for you to complete, until Sun 4 June, Legoland Discovery Centre, B’ham SUPERPOWER PANTO! WORKSHOP

Workshops will be led by two actors and consist of introductions, warmup games and the teaching of pantomime techniques, Thurs 2 March, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

WHAT UNIVERSITY? & WHAT CAREER?

LIVE An event for 15 to 19-year-olds considering their options after leaving school or college, Fri 3 - Sat 4 March, NEC, Birmingham

THE NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW

Featuring hundreds of wedding specialists, all with exclusive show discounts and unique ideas for your big day, Fri 3 - Sun 5 March, NEC, Birmingham

THE MIDLANDS NEW HOME SHOW

Discover the latest products and services for a new build home, Sat 4 March, NEC, Birmingham

HOLI HAI 2023 Make oil pastel and watercolour decorations, and print with balloons and bubble wrap onto the giant collaborative artwork, Sat 4 March, The New Art Gallery Walsall COLLECTIONS TOUR In celebration of International Women’s Day, gallery assistant Julie Jones explores key works representing women within the Garman Ryan Collection displays, Sat 4 March, The New Art Gallery Walsall

THE NATIONAL EQUINE SHOW Featuring inspiring speakers, interactive elements, skills workshops and some of the best brands in the equine world, Sat 4 - Sun 5 March, NEC, Birmingham

The only UK consumer and trade event dedicated to scuba diving and dive travel, Sat 4 - Sun 5 March, NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

GO DIVING

Gandeys Circus - Trentham Gardens, Stoke

Classical Music

PAUL LEWIS PIANO RECITAL

Programme comprises Schubert’s Piano Sonatas No.2, Tues 7 March, Birmingham Town Hall

SHEKU KANNEH-MASON SOLO RECITAL

Programme includes works by Bach, Simcock, Britten, Leo Brouwer, Edmund Finnis & Gaspar Cassado, Tues 7 March, Wrekin College, Wellington, Shropshire

CBSO: ELGAR & SCHUMANN Featuring Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (conductor), Vilde Frang (violin) & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Gigs

ETTA MARCUS Mon 6

March, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

BULLET FOR MY

VALENTINE + JINJER +

ATREYU Tues 7 March, O2 Academy, B’ham COUNTERFEIT SIXTIES

Tues 7 March, Dudley

Town Hall

LOYLE CARNER Wed 8

March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE BACKSEAT LOVERS

Thurs 9 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

BETH HART Thurs 9

March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

QUEEN OF THE NIGHTWHITNEY HOUSTON

TRIBUTE Thurs 9 March, Walsall Arena & Arts

Centre

ŠIROM Thurs 9 March, SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle, South Shropshire

LAMB OF GOD + KREATOR + MUNICIPAL

WASTE Fri 10 March, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE SLOW READERS

CLUB Fri 10 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

A CENTURY OF SWING Fri 10 March, Sutton

Coldfield Town Hall

LIZA REBECCA WALSHSHANIA TWAIN TRIBUTE

Fri 10 March, Dudley

Town Hall

KILLING JOKE Fri 10

March, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

MARK STANWAY’S

KINGDOM OF MADNESS

Fri 10 March, Newhampton Arts Centre, W’hampton

PASADENA ROOF

ORCHESTRA Fri 10

March, Tamworth

Assembly Rooms

BIG GIRLS DONT CRYTHE MUSIC OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR

SEASONS Fri 10 March, The Prince Of Wales Theatre, Cannock

JOHNNY 2 BAD - UB40

TRIBUTE Fri 10 March, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

CHASING AUGUST +

LUNA KISS + GREYSHA

Fri 10March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

GOOD TO GO Fri 10

March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

FROM GOLD TO RIO - THE MUSIC OF DURAN DURAN & SPANDAU BALLET Fri 10 March, Telford Theatre

THE 309S Fri 10 March, Chelmarsh Parish Hall, South Shropshire

NAPALM DEATH + SIBERIAN MEAT GRINDER Sat 11 March, O2

Institute, Birmingham

OLIVIA DEAN Sat 11 March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE JETTYS + VIENNA, ROAD CLOSED + THE SKEME + GROW YOUR OWN STUPID Sat 11 March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS

Sat 11 March, O2

Academy, Birmingham

THE K’S Sat 11 March, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE DIANA ROSS STORY Sat 11 March, Sutton

Coldfield Town Hall

THE FLOYD EFFECTPINK FLOYD TRIBUTE Sat

11 March, Brierley Hill

Civic, Dudley

GUITAR HEROES Sat 11

March, Dudley Town Hall

BON JOVI EXPERIENCE

Sat 11 March, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

BOOTLEG ABBA Sat 11 March, The Robin, Bilston

NIRVANA UK Sat 11 March, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

THE BEAUTIFUL COUCH

Sat 11 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS Sat 11 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

DARK SIDE OF THE WALL - PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE Sat 11 March, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

WAYNE DILKS AS GEORGE MICHAEL Sat 11 March, Lichfield Garrick

SOMEONE LIKE YOUADELE TRIBUTE Sat 11 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

THE BAREBACKS Sat 11 March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

WATERMELON CHRONICLES Sat 11 March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

ARRIVAL: THE HITS OF ABBA Sat 11 March, Telford Theatre

ARON Sun 12 March, O2 Institute, B’ham

RACHEL BAIMAN Sun 12 March, The Hive, Shrewsbury

Programme comprises Elgar’s Violin Concerto, 50 & Schumann’s Symphony No 1 (Spring), 30, Wed 8 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SEAN SHIBE IN CONCERT Programme includes works by Narvaez, Ades, De Falla, Poulenc, Birtwistle, Barrios, Villa-Lobos & Ginastera, Wed 8 March, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

ANTHONY PINEL ORGAN RECITAL Fri 10 March, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET

‘CONNECTIONS’ 3 Concert includes readings and examples of Shostakovich’s string quartets, Fri 10 March, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury

ORGAN CONCERT WITH JOHN KEYS Sat

11 March, Shrewsbury Abbey

CBSO FAMILY CONCERT: FILM

FAVOURITES Featuring Delyana Lazarova (conductor), Tom Redmond (presenter), Sarah Butt (BSL Interpreter) & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Programme includes music from Star Wars, The Jungle Book, The Sound of Music, Harry Potter, Slumdog Millionaire and more... Sun 12 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Comedy

SARAH KEYWORTH Wed 8 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CHRIS MCCAUSLAND Wed 8 March, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-underLyme

JIMEOIN Wed 8 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

SCOTT BENNETT, TOM LITTLE, SIMON WOZNIAK & DANNY MCLOUGHLIN Wed 8 March, Red Brick, Wellington

ESHAAN AKBAR & RICHARD SPALDING Thurs 9 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, DAVE JOHNS & DANA

ALEXANDER Thurs 9 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM ALLEN Thurs 9 March, Telford Theatre

FATIHA EL-GHORRI, ADAM HESS, DAVE JOHNS, DANA ALEXANDER & MIKE

CARTER Fri 10 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

FIN TAYLOR & DAN COOK Fri 10 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BASSEM YOUSSEF Fri 10 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

BILAL ZAFAR Fri 10 March, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

JAMES COOK, KAREN BAYLEY, SIMON

LOMAS & STEVE DAY Fri 10 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

STEVE ROYLE, GERRY KYEI, SAMMY DOBSON & WAYNE BEESE Fri 10 March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

FATIHA EL-GHORRI, ADAM HESS, DAVE JOHNS & DANA ALEXANDER Sat 11 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SHAZIA MIRZA Sat 11 March, The Rep, Birmingham

IGOR KWIATKOWSKI Sat 11 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

PATRICK MONAHAN Sat 11 March, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

TOMMY SANDHU, TEZ ILYAS, FARHAN

SOLO & MARLON DAVIS Sun 12 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Theatre

CARMEN Ukrainian National Opera present the much-loved tale of passion & jealousy, Mon 6 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW Special anniversary production of Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock’n’roll musical, Mon 6 - Sat 11 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

HOW NOT TO DROWN A story of endurance for a little kid who wasn’t safe anywhere in the world, Tues 7Wed 8 March, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

JERSEY BOYS Award-winning musical telling of the rise to fame of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, Tues 7Sat 18 March, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Johnny 2 Bad - The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

thelist

THE BIG O Kim Cormack’s play is described as an ‘empowering, hilarious, heart-breaking and relevant piece for every woman (and everyone who cares about women)’, Wed 8 March, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

ANNA CLOVER: GOING DEUTSCH A studio comedic theatre show about relationships, inherited trauma and how the past shapes the future, Wed 8 March, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

MY FAIR LADY Multi-award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe’s world-famous musical, starring Michael D Xavier, Charlotte Kennedy, Adam Woodyatt, Lesley Garrett & John Middleton, Wed 8 - Sun 19 March, Birmingham Hippodrome

THE MOTH A contemporary version of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, set in working-class Britain in the 1990s, Thurs 9 - Sat 11 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

DANIEL NICHOLAS: EUGENE Comedy theatre show about the power of technology. Think The Terminator does a Ted Talk with Steve Jobs, Fri 10 March, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

Kids Theatre

ZOG Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s much-loved character is brought to life on stage in a production for all ages, Tues 7Thurs 9 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

TALES FROM ACORN WOOD Puppetry and songs combine in this stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s much-loved book, Tues 7Thurs 9 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

HEY DUGGEE Live theatre show for younger audiences, featuring muchloved CBeebies characters, music, puppetry and laughter, Fri 10 - Sun 12 March, Regent Theatre, Stoke-onTrent

PINOCCHIO Indefinite Articles fuse puppetry, shadows, illusion and

original music in a retelling of a classic story, Fri 10 - Sat 12 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

SQUIDGE Interactive film-dance experience with a tale of friendship at its heart. Perfect for younger audiences, Fri 11 March, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek

Light Entertainment

DREAMCOAT STARS Featuring hits from the West End and Broadway, Wed 8 March, Lichfield Garrick

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

WORLD TOUR Brand-new collection of short films from the world’s most prestigious mountain film festival, Thurs 9 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

PSYCHIC SALLY Evening of mediumship, Thurs 9 March, Dudley Town Hall

A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS WITH THE OPERA BOYS Thurs 9 March, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

THE DORIS DAY STORY A journey through the songs, music & life of Doris Day, Fri 10 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

TJ HIGGS: GRIEF IS LOVE Evening of psychic mediumship, Fri 10 March, Bilston Town Hall

SUPERSTARS OF WRESTLING Live allaction family entertainment, Fri 10 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

BEYOND THE BARRICADE Musical theatre concert featuring past principal performers from Les Miserables, Sat 11 March, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

DICK AND DOM IN DA BUNGALOW The promise of a messy night out filled with chaos and familiar favourites, Sat 11 March, Birmingham Town Hall

IRELAND THE SHOW Featuring some of the Emerald Isle’s most talented singers and performers, Sat 11 March, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

Talks & Spoken

Word

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SERIAL KILLERS

Join expert forensics lecturer Jennifer Rees to explore one of forensic psychology’s most troubling topics, Tues 7 March, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SERIAL KILLERS

Join expert forensics lecturer Jennifer Rees to explore one of forensic psychology’s most troubling topics, Wed 8 March, The Alexandra, Birmingham

HIT THE ODE A unique performance poetry night where spoken-word artists perform alongside open micers, Fri 10 March, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

UNISLAM 2023 See the UK & Ireland’s ‘most exciting’ spoken-word poets perform live, Sun 12 March, Birmingham Hippodrome

JOURNEY INTO SPACE WITH TIM PEAKE

Join the European Space Agency astronaut for an insight into what it’s really like to be an astronaut, Sun 12 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

PRUE LEITH: NOTHING IN MODERATION

Join the British Bake Off judge as she shares stories from an eventful career, Sun 12 March, The Alexandra, Birmingham

Events

A WOMAN'S LIFE AT ASTON HALL TOUR

From the glamour of the lady of the manor to the work of the scullery maid, this special tour focuses on the women of Aston Hall, Wed 8 March, Aston Hall, Birmingham

BABY & ME Explore colours and light projections, discover new smells, feel new textures and meet other new parents, Wed 8 March, The New Art Gallery Walsall

CRUFTS Organised by the Kennel Club, the show celebrates every aspect of the role that dogs play in our lives, Thurs 9 - Sun 12 March, NEC, Birmingham

WOMEN IN POLICING - EVENING TOUR

Discover the roles undertaken by pioneering women, from the first lock-up matrons to the first fire-arms officers, Fri 10 March, West Midlands Police Museum, Birmingham

BRITAIN’S FIRST NOBEL PRIZE For two days only Blists Hill hosts the 1904 Nobel Prize of Sir William Ramsay, on display to the public for the first time outside London, Fri 10 - Sat 11 March, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge

MARCH OF THE DINOSAURS Venture into the park to see the adorable baby dinos, and train to be a pro ranger in the Raptor Live Show, Fri 10 - Sat 11 March, Drayton Manor Theme Park, Staffordshire

WILD GARLIC PESTO WORKSHOP Halfday workshop on how to make wild-garlic pesto, Sat 11 March, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms

TUDOR WOMEN GUIDED TOUR AT BLAKESLEY HALL Learn about Tudor women on a guided tour to mark International Women’s Day, Sun 12 March, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

AGBO STAGES RALLY See club rallying at its best, with over 75 cars taking on 10 stages and driven by the best club drivers in the country, Sun 12 March, Weston Park, Shropshire

THE KIDS’ FESTIVAL Indoor family festival, with plenty of activities and entertainment all included in the ticket price, Sun 12 March, Staffordshire Showground

ULTIMATE DUBS 2023 The UK’s largest indoor VAG enthusiast’s event, bringing together the Ultimate VW, Audi, Seat & Skoda show cars under one roof, Sun 12 March, Telford International Centre, Shropshire

Zog - Crewe Lyceum Theatre

Hey Duggee - Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

thelist

DION TRIBUTE Sat 18 March, Dudley Town Hall

ESSENTIAL 80S Sat 18 March, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

ELO AGAIN Sat 18 March, The Robin, Bilston

NECK Sat 18 March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

W.A.S.P. Sat 18 March, KK’s Steel Mill, W’hampton

VERA VAN HEERINGEN

Sat 18 March, Newhampton Arts Centre, W’hampton

MOTLEY CRUDE + SHEF

Gigs

JAMES TW Tues 14

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

ELLES BAILEY Tues 14

March, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

BEN OTTEWELL & IAN

BALL Wed 15 March, The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

GAZ HUGHES TRIO Wed

15 March, The Cathedral Hotel, Lichfield

MARQUIS DRIVE + YEAR

OF THE DOG Thurs 16

March, The Robin, Bilston

ROBERT FORSTER Thurs 16 March, Newhampton Arts

Centre, W’hampton

ENTER SHIKARI + AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS + CODY FROST Thurs 16

March, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK, JOHN MCCUSKER & JOHN DOYLE Thurs 16

March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ONE NIGHT IN DUBLIN

Thurs 16 March, Telford Theatre

SUGAR RAY TRIO Thurs 16 March, Hermon

Arts, Oswestry, North Shropshire

THE ANSWER + OLI BROWN & THE DEAD COLLECTIVE Fri 17

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE LATHUMS Fri 17

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

Monday 13 - Sunday 19 March

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER: THE PRIDE OF BIRMINGHAM A history of Town Hall told in music, words & images, Mon 13 March, Birmingham Town Hall

CBSO PLAYS ROMEO & JULIET Featuring Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla (conductor) & Kirill Gerstein (piano). Programme includes works by Weinberg, Schumann & Prokofiev, Wed 15 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE PHOENIX SINGERS: MUSIC FOR LENT AND PASSIONTIDE Featuring Anthony Pinel (organ) & David Thomas (conductor). Programme includes works by Mendelssohn, Bach & Scarlatti, Sat 18 March, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

THE MARCHES CHOIR AND SINFONIA

BERWYN Fri 17 March, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE PINCH Fri 17 March, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

BEAUTIFUL TRAUMA -

PINK TRIBUTE Fri 17

March, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

BON GIOVI Fri 17 March, The Robin, Bilston

STATE OF QUO + SYKED

Fri 17 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’ Fri 17 March, Victoria

Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

BILLY OCEAN Fri 17 March, Regent Theatre, Stoke-onTrent

SHOWADDYWADDY Fri 17 March, The Prince Of Wales Theatre, Cannock

JOHNNY KOWALSKI AND THE SEXY WEIRDOS Fri 17March, Albert’s

Shed, Shrewsbury

THOMAS ATLAS Fri 17 March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

GORDON HENDRICKS Fri 17 March, Telford Theatre

BEARTOOTH + MOTIONLESS IN WHITE + STRAY FROM THE PATH Sat 18 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

JOESEF + ETTA MARCUS

Sat 18 March, O2

Academy, Birmingham

NOT THE ROLLING

STONES Sat 18 March, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

LEANNE LOVE - CELINE

LEPPARD + POIZON Sat 18 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

THE SOUND OF SPRINGSTEEN Sat 18 March, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

THE DIANA ROSS STORY

Sat 18 March, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

CALLING PLANET EARTH Sat 18 March, The Prince Of Wales Theatre, Cannock

JOHN LAW’S RECREATIONS Sat 18 March, The Hive, Shrewsbury

BOBCAT BILLY’S MOONSHINE MISSION

Sat 18March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

BEAUTIFUL WAYS Sat 18 March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

THE UPBEAT BEATLES Sat 18 March, Telford Theatre

I PREVAIL + TRASH BOAT + BLIND CHANNEL Sun 19 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

MARTIN TURNER Sun 19 March, The Robin, Bilston

BLAZE BAYLEY + ABSOLVA Sun 19 March, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? - TINA TURNER TRIBUTE Sun 19 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

JAMIE FLANAGANMICHAEL BUBLÉ TRIBUTE

Sun 19 March, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

Featuring Caroline Clarke (soprano) & Alistair Auld (conductor). Programme includes works by Dvorak & Schubert, Sat 18 March, Church of St John the Baptist, Bishops Castle, South Shropshire

Comedy

MIKE BUBBINS Wed 15 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, ANDREW RYAN & COMIC TBC

Thurs 16 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ANGELA BARNES Thurs 16 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

RICH HALL Sat 18 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

JAMIE SUTHERLAND, BIG LOU, DAMION

LARKIN & COMIC TBC Sat 18 March, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

JUSTIN MOORHOUSE Sat 18 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

RICHARD MORTON, TREVOR OAKES, HENRY MICHAEL & DARREN MORTIBOY

Thurs 16 March, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

JACK GLEADOW Thurs 16 March, Katie

Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

JOSH PUGH Fri 17 March, Birmingham Town Hall

JOE SUTHERLAND, RACHEL FAIRBURN, ANDREW RYAN & ISABELLE FARAH Fri 17 March, The Glee Club, B‘ham

ROSIE HOLT Fri 17 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

RICH HALL Fri 17 March, Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, North Shropshire

ALFIE MOORE Fri 17 - Sat 18 March, Lichfield Garrick

JOE SUTHERLAND, RACHEL FAIRBURN, ANDREW RYAN & COMIC TBC Sat 18 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ROUGH WORKS: NEW MATERIAL NIGHT Sun 19 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JAYDE ADAMS Sun 19 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SARA PASCOE Sun 19 March, The Alexandra, Birmingham

HENNING WEHN Sun 19 March, Lichfield Garrick

Theatre

TOO MUCH WORLD AT ONCE A comingof-age story exploring themes such as the climate crisis, identity, divorce, bullying and prejudice, Mon 13 - Wed 15 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

CRY-BABY THE MUSICAL BOA Year 13 Musical Theatre present a staging based on John Walters’ 1990 cult film, Mon 13 - Thurs 16 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

KINKY BOOTS North Staffs Operatic Society Ltd present an amateur version of the comic drama, which was inspired by true events in a struggling Northampton shoe factory, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March, Stoke Repertory Theatre

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL Comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances. Paul Nicholas, Belinda Lang, Tessa Peake-Jones and Graham Seed star, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DEATH DROP - BACK IN THE HABIT Comedy thriller paying homage to ‘all your favourite horror films’ - from IT to Scream and everything in between, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March, The Alexandra, Birmingham

Elles Bailey - KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

Image credit: Alan Dunkley

thelist

BLOOD BROTHERS Willy Russell’s iconic musical tells the tale of twins separated at birth who grow up on opposite sides of the track, only to meet again with tragic consequences, Tues 14 - Sat 18 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN One-woman show in which Rebecca Vaughan performs Virginia Woolf’s 1928 exploration of the impact of poverty and sexual inequality on intellectual freedom and creativity, Wed 15 March, Lichfield Garrick

LATELY James Lewis’ intimate & emotional story about the places we can never escape from, the dreams we never realise and the people that bring us back down to earth again, Thurs 16 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

MISS NOBODIES A ‘funny and uplifting’ play about a little shop in a little town and the larger-than-life women who pass through from 1919 to the present day, Thurs 16 March, Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire

MISS NOBODIES A ‘funny and uplifting’ play about a little shop in a little town and the larger-than-life women who pass through from 1919 to the present day, Fri 17 March, Stoke St Milborough Village Hall, Ludlow, South Shropshire

LITTLE SOLDIER: NOTHING HAPPENS

(TWICE) Exploration of companionship, co-dependency and what motivates us to keep going, even in the face of failure and bureaucratic brick walls, Fri 17 March, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

OF MICE & MEN Iqbal Khan puts ‘a 2023 lens’ on John Steinbeck’s classic story of economic migration, racism, prejudice and enduring friendship, Sat 18 March - Sat 8 April, The Rep, Birmingham

Dance

SWAN LAKE Presented by Midland Youth Ballet, Sat 18 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

EASTSIDE STORY Street dance students at Rock School UK give a hip-hop twist to West Side Story, Sun 19 March, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

Light Entertainment

THAT’LL BE THE DAY A nostalgic variety performance featuring songs, impressions & comic sketches, Wed 15 - Thurs 16 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

MUSIC FOR A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY

An evening of light entertainment from the 1940s onwards. In aid of Masonic & non-Masonic charities, Sat 18 March, Halesowen Cornbow Hall

SHELL SUIT CHER: BELIEVE IN BINGO

Imagine if Cher left showbiz behind, swapped leather for leisure wear and became a shell-suit wearing bingo host... Sat 18 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

Talks & Spoken Word

MISS NOBODIES A ‘funny and uplifting’ play about a little shop in a little town and the larger-than-life women who pass through from 1919 to the present day, Sat 18 March, Habberley Village Hall, Shropshire

MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL 2 Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty), Mary Byrne (X Factor), Jessica Martin (Copycats) & West End favourite Susie Fenwick star in a ‘funny and heartfelt look’ at the ‘joys’ of menopause, Sat 18 March, Regent Theatre, Stoke-onTrent

13 THE MUSICAL Amateur version presented by Curtain Call Juniors, Sat 18 - Sun 19 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

JULIUS CAESAR Atri Banerjee’s staging of Shakespeare’s political thriller, Sat 18 March - Sat 8 April, Royal

KATE MOSSE OBE: WARRIOR QUEENS & REVOLUTIONARIES Celebration of some of history’s most extraordinary, brilliant, trail-blazing and inspirational women, Mon 13 March, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

NEIGHBOURS: THE CELEBRATION TOUR

Hear never-before-shared stories from the cast of the popular Aussie soap, Thurs 16 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

TALKING OF ADVENTURE: JAMIE MCANSH

An evening with the inspirational sportsman, role model, entrepreneur, disabled adventurer and survivor, Fri 17 March, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

SUSIE DENT: THE SECRET LIFE OF WORDS Join the Countdown star as she delves into the curious, unexpected and downright surreal origins of the words we use every day, Sat 18 March, Lichfield Garrick

TONGUE-TIED AND TWISTED Peter Chand shares Indian tales with a contemporary twist, Sat 18 March, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

TALES TILL RAMADAN Eleanor Martin goes in search of sincerity through a collection of Muslim heritage stories, Sat 18 March, The Rep, Birmingham

Events

YONEX ALL ENGLAND OPEN BADMINTON

CHAMPIONSHIPS 2023 Bringing together the best badminton players from around the world to compete in one of the sport’s oldest and most prestigious tournaments, Tues 14Sun 19 March, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

PLANETARIUM LATES: NAVIGATING ROUND OUR WORLD Discover how technology helped mariners know exactly where they were on the world’s oceans over 200 years ago, Thurs 16 March, Thinktank

Birmingham Science Museum

NEC, Birmingham

THE CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW A haven for enthusiasts of knitting, cross stitch, paper crafting, jewellery & dressmaking, and stitching, Thurs 16 - Sun 19 March, NEC, Birmingham

FLICKS IN THE STICKS - THE DUKE

Screening of the critically acclaimed film starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, with hot food served beforehand, Fri 17 March, Shropshire

Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

THEATRE TOUR A tour of the UK’s first purpose-built repertory theatre, Sat 18 March, The Old Rep, Birmingham

THE MURDER OF ELIZABETH EDGAR

Look at the evidence, follow the clues and interrogate the suspects in their cells as you attempt to get to the bottom of what happened to poor Elizabeth, Sat 18 March, West Midlands Police Museum, B’ham

STAFFORDSHIRE ARCHAEOLOGY DAY Six speakers present illustrated lectures on recent archaeological digs and finds from the Staffordshire area, Sat 18 March, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke on Trent

THE NATIONAL OUTDOOR EXPO Be inspired and motivated by some of the world’s greatest outdoor enthusiasts, Sat 18 - Sun 19 March, NEC, Birmingham

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SERIAL KILLERS

Join expert forensics lecturer Jennifer Rees to explore one of forensic psychology’s most troubling topics, Wed 15 March, Victoria Hall, Stokeon-Trent

FASHION & EMBROIDERY Event for textile artists, with exclusive features and industry experts, Thurs 16 - Sun 19 March, NEC, Birmingham

SEWING FOR PLEASURE The latest stitching supplies and plenty of ideas to inspire, Thurs 16 - Sun 19 March,

CASTLE

Meet the wedding coordinators to explore the castle and check out their wedding packages, Sat 18 - Sun 19 March, Tamworth Castle

WEDDING SHOWCASE

Blood Brothers - Crewe Lyceum Theatre

thelist

PSYDOLL + LUPINE Fri

24 March, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

THE 309S Fri 24 March, Silvester Horne Institute, Church Stretton, Shropshire

JACK GARRATT Sat 25 March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

NAVI - MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE Sat 25 March, The Robin, Bilston

HAYSEED DIXIE + THE HOT DAMN! Sat 25 March, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

Gigs

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE + SLOW PULP Tues 21

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SUEDE Tues 21 March, Symphony Hall, B’ham

BADLY DRAWN BOY Tues

21 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE PROTOMEN Tues 21

March, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

HANNAH JAMES AND TOBY KUHN Tues 21

March, Ludlow

Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

MARTY & OLIVIA

WILLSON-PIPER Wed 22

March, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

GRAHAM GOULDMAN

Wed 22 March, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

SUNGAZER Thurs 23

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

PENGSHUI Thurs 23

March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

A BOOGIE WIT DA HOODIE + LOLA BROOKE + J.I. +

BOUBA SAVAGE Thurs

23 March, O2

Academy, Birmingham

TOM WALKER Thurs 23

March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

NICK PARKER

March, Katie

Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

Classical Music

MAGDALEN COLLEGE ORCHESTRAL & CHORAL CONCERT Programme includes Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Walton’s Crown Imperial & Coronation Te Deum, Handel’s Zakok the Priest & Parry’s I Was Glad, Mon 20 March, Symphony Hall, B’ham

LUNCHTIME RECITAL: TOM BOWES & VERONA MAIER Programme includes works by J.S Bach, Enescu, Franck & Ravel, Thurs 23 March, Ludlow

Assembly Rooms, Ludlow, South Shropshire

STUDENTS OF CHETHAM’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC Fri 24 March, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

MATT STELLINGWERF, TADIWA

MAHLUNGE & DAN ANTOPOLSKI Fri 24 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

SIMON BRODKIN Fri 24 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

JOHN ROBERTSON, STEVE HALL, MATT BRAGG & JON PEARSON Sat 25 March, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

TOM WARD, KYRAH GRAY, JACOB

HAWLEY & AARON WOOD Sat 25 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

REGINALD D HUNTER, SHAZIA MIRZA, JOSH JONES & WAYNE BEESE Sat 25 March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

JIMMY CARR Sat 25 March, Dudley Town Hall

Thurs 23

Thurs 23 March, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent

UK PINK FLOYD

EXPERIENCE Thurs 23

March, Lichfield

Garrick

ELO EXPERIENCE Thurs

23 March, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

THE SCARLET WIVES +

LILITH’S ARMY Thurs 23

March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

THE DIANA ROSS STORY

Thurs 23 March, Telford Theatre

FLEETWOOD BAC Fri 24

March, The Robin, Bilston

JOLLY ROGER Fri 24

March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

SHAUN TOBAR + THE BRITANNIA BEAT + ALEX

VANN Fri 24 March, Newhampton Arts

Centre, W’hampton

THE DOORS RISING Fri 24 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOUROBBIE WILLIAMS

TRIBUTE Fri 24 March, Lichfield Garrick

ERASURED - ERASURE

TRIBUTE Fri 24 March, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

SECRET ELEPHANT +

THE SMITH’S ARE DEAD Sat 25 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

AARON CATLOW & BROOKS WILLIAMS Sat 25 March, Lichfield

Guildhall

THE CLARE TEAL SEVEN Sat 25 March, Lichfield

Garrick

THE ROLLING STONES

STORY Sat 25 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

JEAN GENIE - BOWIE

TRIBUTE Sat 25 March, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

DOMINO SUGAR Sat 25 March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

BLACK HEART ANGELS Sat 25March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

LET ME ENTERTAIN YOUROBBIE WILLIAMS

TRIBUTE Sat 25 March, Telford Theatre

RODDY WOOMBLE +

MICHAEL ANGUISH Sat 25 March, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

BLACKBERRY SMOKE + READ SOUTHALL BAND

Sun 26 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

BLACK HONEY Sun 26 March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

COWBRIDGE MALE VOICE CHOIR In support of Samaritans, Shrewsbury, Sat 25 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

SHREWSBURY CHORAL Featuring Yuxuan Zhao (piano). Programme includes Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2, Sat 25 March, Shrewsbury Abbey

HALESOWEN ORCHESTRA: HEROES & VILLAINS Programme includes works by Prokofiev, Grieg, Mussorgsky, Williams, Wagner, Rossini & Badelt, Sat 25 March, Cornbow Hall, Halesowen

NORTH STAFFS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Featuring Jon Malaxetxebarria (conductor) & Marie Bateman (clarinet solo). Programme includes works by Tchaikovsky, Weber & Price, Sat 25 March, Saint John Fisher Catholic College, Newcastleunder-Lyme

WOMBOURNE & DISTRICT CHORAL

SOCIETY: MOZART’S REQUIEM Featuring Edward Caine (conductor). Programme also includes Mozart’s Vesperae solennes de Confessore, Sat 25 March, Church of St John’s in the Square, Wolverhampton

Comedy

JOE LYCETT & FRIENDS Wed 22 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM HOUGHTON Wed 22 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, PETER RETHINASAMY & JACOB HAWLEY Thurs 23 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PETER KAY Thurs 23 March, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

CHRIS MCCAUSLAND Sat 25 March, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

TRICHOTOMY Thurs 23

March, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

THE BOOTLEG BEATLES

HONEY, I SHOT THE PRESIDENT + RED BY NIGHT Fri 24March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

THE ORIGINAL WANTED

Fri 24March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

DARREN HAYES Sun 26 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

JIM KIRKPATRICK BAND

Sun 26 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

ELTON JOHN Sun 26 March, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

TOM WARD, KYRAH GRAY, JACOB

HAWLEY, AARON WOOD & BELLA HULL Fri 24 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MICHELLE DE SWARTE Fri 24 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MARCUS BRIGSTOCK Fri 24 March, Burton Town Hall, Burton upon Trent

JOHN KEARNS Sun 26 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Theatre

MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL 2 Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty), Mary Byrne (X Factor), Jessica Martin (Copycats) & West End favourite Susie Fenwick star in a ‘funny and heartfelt look’ at the ‘joys’ of menopause, Tues 21 March, Telford Theatre

IRISH ANNIE’S A musical comedy featuring a live band on stage and starring Ricky Tomlinson as himself... Mon 20 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

TEECHERS (LEAVERS ’22) John Godber’s comedy about education for the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, Tues 21 - Wed 22 March, Lichfield Garrick

GREASE THE MUSICAL Amateur version presented by West Bromwich Operatic Society, Tues 21 - Sat 25 March, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

STEEL MAGNOLIAS Heart-warming play following the trials and tribulations of six fierce and sassy women as they set the world to rights. Laura Main, Lucy Speed, Harriet Thorpe, Diana Vickers, Elizabeth Ayodele and Caroline Harker star, Tues 21 - Sat 25 March, The Alexandra, Birmingham

THE FULL MONTY Amateur production presented by Walsall Operatic Society, Wed 22 - Sat 25 March, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock SILVER & GOLD Brother Wolf presents an all-new monodrama based on

Roddy Woomble - Ludlow Assembly Rooms

Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic maritime adventure, Thurs 23 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

SAP A new play about passion, power, and photosynthesis, Thurs 23 - Fri 24 March, The Rep, Birmingham

QUENTIN CRISP: NAKED HOPE Mark Farrelly’s one-man show depicting two distinct phases in the extraordinary life of Quentin Crisp, Sat 25 March, The Hive, Shrewsbury

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU? A series of scenarios inspired by real-life stories to promote the importance of access and inclusion. Suitable for seven to 12-year-olds, Sat 25 March, The Rep, Birmingham

ELLEN KENT’S LA BOHÉME Brand-new production of Puccini’s romantic opera, Sun 26 March, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

Kids Shows

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE A roarsome interactive show for all the family, Fri 24 - Sun 26 March, Birmingham

Hippodrome

Light Entertainment

CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! Epic 1980s singalong hosted by Nobu Adilman & Daveed Goldman, Tues 21 March, Birmingham Town Hall

NEIL SANDS: WHEN YOU’RE SMILING

Nostalgic show featuring songs from the 1940s through to the 1970s, Wed 22 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

SEND IN THE CLOWNS: HEY, BIG BENDER! Drag Idol UK winner Fatt Butcher hosts a stellar line-up of Midlands’ drag and cabaret performers, Thurs 23 - Sat 25 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

CHOIR! CHOIR! CHOIR! Epic 1980s singalong hosted by Nobu Adilman & Daveed Goldman, Fri 24 March, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

DICK AND DOM IN DA BUNGALOW The promise of a messy night out filled with chaos and familiar favourites, Fri 24 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

COME WHAT MAY Former Strictly star Robin Windsor stars in this ‘ultimate tribute to Moulin Rouge’, Fri 24 March, Dudley Town Hall

LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR Featuring back-to-back hits from the 1950s and ’60s, Fri 24 March, Telford Theatre

MOTHER GOOSE CRACKS ONE OFF

Starring adult panto legends Liam Mellor (Billy Goose) and Jimmy Burton-lles (Mother Goose), Fri 24Sat 25 March, Tamworth Assembly

Rooms

CIRCUS OF HORRORS: HAUNTED

FAIRGROUND Brand-new show featuring daredevil circus acts, a stellar light show, dark magic, an original rock score and a sinister storyline, Sat 25 March, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

MARVEL VERSUS MARVEL: THE LIVE PODCAST! Two comedians - Will Preston & Rob Halden - explore the history, trivia and stories that made Marvel famous, Sat 25 March, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

I’M SORRY I HAVEN’T A CLUE Join Jack Dee, Rory Bremner, Pippa Evans, Milton Jones and Marcus Brigstocke for an evening of inspired nonsense, Sat 25 March, Birmingham Hippodrome

WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE WRONG TROUSERS WITH LIVE BRASS BAND

Watch the iconic Aardman film accompanied by a brass band playing the soundtrack, Sat 25 March, Birmingham Town Hall

A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS WITH THE OPERA BOYS Sun 26 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Nostalgic variety performance featuring songs, impressions & comic sketches, Sun 26 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

Events

SPRING EQUINOX SUNSET SWIM

Celebrate the start of spring with a beautiful sunset swim, Mon 20 March, Alderford Lake, Shropshire

ADVENTURES UP THE FAMILY TREE

Light-hearted afternoon event featuring some of the amazing stories uncovered over 30 years of amateur genealogy, Tues 21 March, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

INCLUSIVE CLUB NIGHT Disco for young people & adults with additional needs (aged 14-plus) and their friends, families and carers, Thurs 23 March, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

LICHFIELD LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Featuring a wide range of events covering all types of literature, from historical fiction to poetry, via memoir, true crime, children’s books and more, Thurs 23 - Sun 26 March, various venues across Lichfield

THE NATIONAL HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING SHOW Be inspired by over 400 exhibitors and masterclasses, Thurs 23 - Sun 26 March, NEC, Birmingham

RED BY NIGHT Atmospheric evening celebrating the region’s rich industrial heritage and featuring live entertainment, demonstrations, food and living history, Fri 24 - Sat 25 March, Black Country Living Museum

DYSLEXIA SHOW An event for everyone with dyslexia or neurodiversity, as well as for the people, businesses and organisations supporting and working with them, Fri 24 - Sat 25 March, NEC, Birmingham

PRACTICAL CLASSICS CLASSIC CAR & RESTORATION SHOW Bringing together 1000-plus cars, 150-plus car clubs and 250-plus exhibitors and autojumblers, Fri 24 - Sun 26 March, NEC, Birmingham

RUSTICUS PRESENTS: THE FOREST

FAIRY An ‘enchanting adventure’ into nature with the Forest Fairy as she takes care of all the wild things in the gardens, Sat 25 March, Aston Hall, Birmingham

BACKSTAGE THEATRE TOUR Go behind the scenes and find out what it’s like to be involved in the theatre, Sat 25 March, Crescent Theatre, B’ham

FOUR SEASONS: FAMILY DAY WITH FANTASTIC JOURNEYS Explore fabrics and natural objects, investigate rhythms and play instruments, Sat 25 March, The New Art Gallery Walsall PEG LOOM WORKSHOP Upcycle while

learning the art of peg looming with recycled fabric, to make a comfy seat pad or two, Sat 25 March, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

PUBLIC THEATRE TOUR Check out the stage, backstage areas, dressing rooms and front-of-house, along the way learning about the theatre’s history, Sat 25 March, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

TWILIGHT AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP Develop your photography skills and get ‘up close and personal’ with some of the museum’s iconic exhibits, Sat 25Sun 26 March, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

MEGACON LIVE BIRMINGHAM & KIDTROPOLIS Popular culture show with special guests Sat 25 - Sun 26 March, NEC, Birmingham

DRAW WITH ROB Join draw-along genius and Lichfield Festival favourite Rob Biddulph as he presents a session packed with colour, creativity and fun, Sun 26 March, Lichfield Garrick, Staffordshire

Dinosaur World Live - Birmingham Hippodrome

Steel Magnolias - The Alexanndra, Birmingham

thelist

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH DANIEL MOULT Programme includes works by Elgar, Mendelssohn, JS Bach, Mozart, Thalben-Ball, Whitlock & Britton, Mon 27 March, Birmingham Town Hall

THE HALLÉ IN HANLEY Featuring Tabita Berglund (conductor) & Jakob Koranyi (cello). Programme includes works by Dvorák, Grieg & Sibelius, Fri 31 March, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

THE MELA GUITAR QUARTET Fri 31 March, Blackburn Theatre, Prestfelde School, Shrewsbury

YUNQING JIANG (SOPRANO) & YIHAN JIN (PIANO) Fri 31 March, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

Gigs

LOVEJOY Mon 27

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

CLAVISH Mon 27

March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

SAM RYDER + TORS + CHARLOTTE JANE Tues

28 March, O2

Academy, Birmingham

SNOOP DOGG Tues 28

March, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

THE GHOST INSIDE Wed

29 March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

KRANIUM + BIG JOHN +

DJ NATE Wed 29 March, O2 Academy, B’ham

UNTHANK:SMITH Thurs

30 March, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

RAINBOW KITTEN

SURPRISE Thurs 30

March, O2 Institute,

Birmingham

QUINN XCII Thurs 30

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS Thurs 30

March, O2 Academy, Birmingham

TED POLEY WITH DECLAN

MCKERR + ROB WYLDE

Thurs 30 March,

Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

RORY JACKSON AS

MICHAEL JACKSON

Thurs 30 March,

Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

ICEAGE Fri 31 March, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE STEVE HILLAGE BAND Fri 31 March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

BLOODYWOOD Fri 31

March, O2 Institute, Birmingham

UK BJORN - ABBA

TRIBUTE Fri 31 March, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

THE STYLE COUNCILLORS

Fri 31 March, The Robin, Bilston

JULIE JULY BAND Fri 31

March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

THE UPBEAT BEATLES Fri 31 March, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

COUCH Fri 31 March, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

Comedy

LUKE KIDGELL Tues 28 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JIM JEFFERIES Wed 29 March, Utilita Arena Birmingham

STEEL & MICK FERRY Fri 31 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MICHAEL AKADIRI Fri 31 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ALFIE MOORE Fri 31 March, Stourbridge Town Hall

GARY MEIKLE Fri 31 March, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DAVE GORMAN Fri 31 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

Theatre

THE MOUSETRAP Todd Carty & Gwyneth Strong star in Agatha

Christie’s bestselling classic, Mon 27 March - Sat 1 April, Lichfield Garrick

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW Special anniversary production of Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock’n’roll musical, Mon 27 March - Sat 1 Apr, The Alexandra, Birmingham

NIGEL SLATER’S TOAST Studio 61 present an amateur version of Wolverhampton-born Nigel Slater’s memoir, Tues 28 - Thurs 30 March, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL Comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances. Paul Nicholas, Belinda Lang, Tessa Peake-Jones and Graham Seed star, Tues 28 MarchSat 1 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

CHINA CRISIS Fri 31 March, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

THE CARPENTERS STORY Fri 31 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

LICHFIELD ARTS

INTRODUCING Fri 31

March, The Hub at St

Mary’s, Lichfield

JAMES ATKIN Fri 31

March, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

MR BLACK Fri 31March, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

FACE UP! + GRAIL GUARD + LEECH

BLEEDERS Fri 31 March, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

JOE LYCETT & FRIENDS Wed 29 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE ALTER COMEDY CLUB Wed 29 March, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, ELLIOT STEEL & MICK FERRY Thurs 30 March, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GAVIN WEBSTER Thurs 30 March, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

DARA Ó BRIAIN Thurs 30 - Fri 31 March, Birmingham Hippodrome

ALEXANDRA HADDOW, SLIM, ELLIOT

BOUNCERS John Godber’s classic comedy set in a northern nightclub, Tues 28 March - Sat 1 Apr, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

GREASE Amateur version presented by Stoke Youth Musical Theatre Company, Tues 28 March - Sat 1 April. Stoke Repertory Theatre

KATIE GUICCIARDI: FOX A brutally honest and amusing exploration of new motherhood in an increasingly isolating society, Wed 29 March, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

ANIMAL FARM Amateur version presented by Shropshire Youth Theatre, Wed 29 - Thurs 30 March,

China Crisis - Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek

Snoop Dog - Resort’s World Arena, Birmingham The Mousetrap - Lichfield Garrick

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

BAD GIRLS THE MUSICAL Amateur version presented by Tamworth Musical Theatre Company, Wed 29 March - Sat 1 April, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL 2 Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty), Mary Byrne (X Factor), Jessica Martin (Copycats) & West End favourite Susie Fenwick star in a ‘funny and heartfelt look’ at the ‘joys’ of menopause, Thurs 30 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

SUNSHINE ON LEITH Amateur version presented by Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company, Thurs 30 MarchSat 1 April, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE REMAINS OF LOGAN DANKWORTH

The third in Luke Wright’s trilogy of political verse plays looks at trust, fatherhood and family in the age of Brexit. The show was a big hit with audiences and reviewers at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe, Fri 31 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

ROMEO & JULIE A love story ‘with complications that exist not only in their hearts but also within their lifestyles and their infamy’, Fri 31 March - Sat 1 Apr, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

PETER PAN Amateur version presented by Stafford Gatehouse Youth Theatre, Fri 31 March - Sat 1 April, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Kids Theatre

DEMON DENTIST David Walliams’

‘hilarious and thrilling story’ live on stage, Thurs 30 March - Sun 2 April, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

Dance

DADA MASILO: THE SACRIFICE UK premiere in which award-winning choreographer Dada Masilo presents a fusion of contemporary dances, powered by original music performed live on stage, Tues 28 - Wed 29 March, Birmingham Hippodrome

ME DANCE PRESENTS: A KISS GOODBYE

Narrative work of contemporary dance celebrating the nurses from World War One who worked tirelessly to look after the soldiers who served their country... Thurs 30 March, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

TANGO PASSIONS WITH VINCENT SIMONE

Also starring Argentine Tango specialist Paula Duarte as Vincent’s leading lady, Thurs 30 March, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

FIREDANCE: GORKA MARQUEZ & KAREN

HAUER Featuring ‘super-charged choreography’ inspired by Moulin Rouge, Carmen, West Side Story and more... Fri 31 March, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Light Entertainment

AGENDA A storytelling/stand-up comedy show about the shame of being a bloke who wants to wear a dress - presented by a bloke wearing a dress, Tues 28 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

QUEENZ Drag extravaganza where death-dropping divas slay some of the biggest hits of all time, Wed 29 March, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

THE DORIS DAY STORY A journey through the songs, music & life of Doris Day, Wed 29 March, Telford Theatre

A NIGHT OF BURLESQUE WITH RUBY & THE DIAMONDS An evening of singing, comedy & drag, accompanied by a live all-female band, Wed 29 - Thurs 30 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

CERI DUPREE - BACK TO THE RHINESTONE Join the ‘country’s

Bouncers - New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

greatest female impersonator since Danny La Rue’ for an evening of wit and glamour, Thurs 30 March, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

YIPPEE KI YAY Richard Marsh’s acclaimed retelling of classic action

film Die Hard, Fri 31 March, The Rep, Birmingham

WALSALL GILBERT & SULLIVAN SOCIETY

A showcase of music, song and comedy from the past 60 years... Fri 31 March - Sat 1 April, Walsall Arena

The Halls Wolverhampton

Penn & Teller

Emmy award-winning duo Penn and Teller showcase their ‘outrageous and innovative’ style of magic at The Halls Wolverhampton on Thursday 1 June.

Competition closes Friday 26 May

Ranjit Bawa

After a seven year break, Punjabi singer and actor Ranjit Bawa is back in the UK. He stops off at The Halls Wolverhampton with his Old Skool tour on Sunday 11 June.

Competition closes Wednesday 31 May

WIN! with What’s On...

McFly

One of the most iconic British bands of the ‘00s, the BRIT award-winning McFly are back on tour and will perform at The Halls Wolverhampton on Friday 16 June.

Competition closes Monday 5 June

Siouxsie

Marking her return to the stage after a decade-long hiatus, music icon Siouxsie plays The Halls Wolverhampton on Wednesday 21 June as part of just a few UK dates.

Competition closes Monday 12 June

The Vamps

Amongst the ‘most-watched artists on YouTube’, pop band The Vamps bring their Greatest Hits World Tour to The Halls Wolverhampton on Saturday 10 June.

Competition closes Friday 2 June

Sugababes

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

Competition closes Monday 19 June

reopens in just couple of months and we’ve joined with the venue to offer readers the chance to WIN! a pair of tickets the following events...