Shropshire What's On May 2023

Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands

Shropshire

What’sOn

inside:

RETURN OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS

Rambert back in the Midlands

GOING FOR BOLD...

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s new season set to cause a stir

LIVE AT THE HALLS

exciting times ahead as iconic venue prepares to reopen

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

Managing Director: Davina Evans davina@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Chris Horton chris@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281704

Editorial: Lauren Foster lauren@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281707 : Brian O’Faolain brian@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281701 : Abi Whitehouse abi@whatsonlive.co.uk

Subscriptions: subscriptions@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, Katherine Ewing, Diane Parkes, Patsy Moss, Steve Adams, Steve Taylor, Sue Hull, Reggie White, Sue Jones

CEO: Martin Monahan Accounts Administrator: Julia Perry julia@21stcd.com 01743 281717

News from around the region

Go West and Liberty X to headline at Flower Show

Go West and Liberty X will headline this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show.

Taking place in the town’s Quarry Park on Friday 11 & Saturday 12 August, the longrunning event will also host performances by tribute act Beatlemania and Abba counterfeits Watch That Scene. As well as live music, the 2023 edition of the Flower Show features a range of arena entertainment, a children’s area, a lecture marquee and a food hall. A spectacular fireworks display will round off proceedings on both days of the show. For more information, check out the website at: shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk

Severn Valley Railway launches survival appeal

The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) has launched a £1.5million Survival Fund appeal to enable it to overcome the current financial crisis. SVR warns that a viable future for the railway will be at risk unless there is an urgent injection of cash. To find out more and make a donation, visit svr.co.uk

Peaky Blinders costumes at Potteries museum

Stoke-on-Trent’s Gladstone Pottery Museum is currently displaying six costumes used in iconic TV series Peaky Blinders. The display includes a pale pink evening dress worn by Helen McCrory as Polly Gray and a grey suit worn by Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby. The exhibition is available to view until 18 June.

Tom Chambers to star in Murder In The Dark...

A touring production of a new Torben Betts ghost story will visit Birmingham theatre The Alexandra in the autumn.

Produced by award-winning company Original Theatre, Murder In The Dark is directed by Philip Franks and stars Tom

Chambers.

The show stops off at The Alexandra from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 November.

To find out more and purchase tickets, visit atgtickets.com/birmingham

Music, songs and laughter with Bob Brolly

Popular Irish entertainer Bob Brolly visits Brierley Hill Civic Hall on Wednesday 17 May to present ‘a heartwarming afternoon of music, songs and laughter’.

Well known for his long-running show on BBC Radio WM, Bob will be joined by his band and a number of special guests.

For more information and tickets, visit bhillcivic.co.uk

Alistair McGowan’s Piano Festival debuts in Ludlow

The picturesque Shropshire town of Ludlow is this month hosting its first Piano Festival.

Taking place at three venues and running across five days - from Wednesday 24 to Sunday 28 May - the event is the brainchild of actor and impersonator Alistair McGowan, who is the festival’s joint artistic director & chair.

For further information and to book tickets, visit ludlowpianofestival.com

Kym Marsh and daughter to star in Take That show

Singer, actress and TV presenter Kym Marsh will star alongside her daughter, Emilie Cunliffe, when the official Take That musical, Greatest Days, visits the Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton this summer. Originally produced and toured under the title of The Band, the Tim Firth-written show will stop off at the venue from Monday 17 to Saturday 22 July. To find out more and book tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

New sculpture celebrates Staffordshire Moorlands

Community arts programme Outside is bringing the stories and places of the Staffordshire Moorlands to life this summer, courtesy of a project titled Colours Of The Moorlands.

The project kicks off in Leek late this month with The Luminarium (Friday 26 - Monday 29 May), an interactive walk-in sculpture that melds into ‘an inspiring monument to the beauty of light and colour’. The sculpture is free to view but tickets to do so need to be booked in advance at outsidearts.org

Rugby legends at

The Alexandra

England Rugby stars James Haskell and Mike Tindall are getting back on the tour bus for a World Cup After Party this autumn, bringing their hit podcast, The Good, The Bad & The Rugby, to The Alexandra in Birmingham on Monday 13 November.

James and Mike will be joined by former Sky Sports rugby presenter Alex Payne. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to the website cuffeandtaylor.com

Jonathan Pie gets set to rant in the region

Fictional political correspondent Jonathan Pie is heading to two Midlands venues as part of a 30-date tour in early 2024. The satirical charactercreation of actor, writer & comedian Tom Walker, Pie will stop off at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Friday 2 February. He then visits Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre on Sunday 18 February. For further information and to book tickets, visit the website jonathanpie.com

Hamilton and Hammond heading for the Hippodrome

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

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

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

Fun in the forest...

Popular outdoor-concert series Forest Live makes a welcome return to Staffordshire’s Cannock Chase Forest in June.

Presented by Forestry England, the series aims to introduce forests ‘to new audiences in unique, natural woodland arenas around the country’. More than two million people have attended a Forest Live gig since the series began 22 years ago.

This year’s Cannock Chase Forest gigs are as follows: Madness + special guest Hollie Cook and support The Hawkmen, Thursday 8 June; Paul Weller with special guests Far From Saints and guest support Seb Lowe, Friday 9 June; Tom Grennan + guests, Saturday 10 June; Jack Savoretti plus special guest Natalie Imbruglia, Sunday 11 June.

For further information and to book tickets, visit forestryengland.uk/music

all time...

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

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

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

BBC favourites returning to the NEC this summer

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

The summer edition of the BBC Good Food Show will take place alongside BBC Gardeners’ World Live from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 June. A ticket for either show provides access to the other... For further details, visit bbcgoodfoodshow.com and bbcgardenersworldlive.com

New festival continues Commonwealth legacy

Birmingham City Council has unveiled plans for a 10-day summertime festival of free events.

Birmingham Festival 23 (28 July - 6 August) will mark the one-year anniversary of the city hosting the Commonwealth Games.

Win tickets in B:Music’s B:Lucky lottery

A Birmingham charity is this month providing music lovers with the chance to win three pairs of tickets to gigs of their choosing at the city’s Town Hall and Symphony Hall.

B:Music’s B:Lucky Lottery offer also includes a VIP backstage tour of one or other of the venues and a 12-month Silver Patron membership deal worth £250.

The lottery costs £5 to enter and closes at midday on Saturday 13 May. A winner will then be chosen at random.

Proceeds from the lottery will go toward supporting B:Music’s community projects, programme of free gigs and charitable work with young musicians.

To find out more about the lottery and enter, visit the charity’s website at: bmusic.co.uk

Tune in for Stranger Sings at Wolverhampton Grand

Smash-hit parody musical Stranger Sings is visiting the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre early next year.

The award-winning sci-fi spoof - described by its publicity as ‘a wild, irreverent twist on

A summer of outdoor shows at the castle

Five family-friendly shows will this summer be performed under the stars in the grounds of Shrewsbury Castle.

Outdoor productions of Robin Hood, Romeo & Juliet, Twelfth Night, The Wizard Of Oz and Wind In The Willows will be presented at the venue on dates between Thursday 27 July and Thursday 10 August.

To find out more about the shows and the companies presenting them - and to book tickets - visit theatresevern.co.uk

More acts announced for Shrewsbury Comedy Fest

Shrewsbury International Comedy Festival has announced yet more acts for its flagship Gala Show at Theatre Severn this summer. Taking place on Sunday 16 July, the line-up now features Tom Wrigglesworth, Jessica Fostekew, Adam Rowe, Clinton Baptiste and Paul Sinha. For more information and to book tickets, visit theatresevern.co.uk

popular Netflix series Stranger Things’stops off at the venue from Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 January. To find out more and book tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

Sky and Utilita Arena set to roll out new VIP lounge

Sky will next month launch a new VIP lounge experience at Utilita Arena Birmingham (on Thursday 8 June). The exclusive lounge boasts a number of benefits, including dedicated entrances and customer check-in, plus a private area to relax and dine in, as well as the VIP Star Bar. Sky customers can sign up to visit the brand-new lounge via the MySky app on a first-come first-served basis.

To find out more, visit sky.com/pages/vip

Restoration works begin at Lichfield Cathedral

Works to restore the badly damaged central spire at Lichfield Cathedral have begun, thanks to money received from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The 12-month project, costing a total of almost £1million, aims to ‘restore the structure, reopen the space to visitors, and explore what the iconic landmark means to its local residents’.

The Halls are alive!

Iconic Wolverhampton venue gets ready for its grand reopening

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

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

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

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

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

his local venue.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Steve Adams

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to What’s

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

After being closed for seven years, The Halls Wolverhampton reopens next month following an extensive refurbishment. Steve Homer - CEO of new operator AEG Presents

talks

On about the challenges and excitement of relaunching the iconic venue...

REVIEW: Wild Shropshire

There aren’t many restaurants you visit that coincidentally play one of your favourite albums from start to finish. This happened at Wild Shropshire. There was something quite emotional about tucking into a tremendous mystery dessert with Radiohead’s Reckoner playing in the background. It was one of those moments that will stick with me.

Headed up by owner & chef James Sherwin, Whitchurchbased Wild Shropshire is an award-winning terroir-led and micro seasonal restaurant which offers a tasting menu of British food. With a goal of becoming 95% self-sufficient, James grows, cultivates and produces plants, eggs, bees, trees and more on his Wild Shropshire farm, all of which are used in his dishes. At Wild Shropshire you get given the menu after you’ve eaten. Perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, but I loved the concept. It gets people talking about something other than the sorry state of the country. The menu changes often. In fact, pay the restaurant a visit twice in one week and you will more than likely receive two different sets of dishes.

The decor is simple and unassuming, with an atmosphere to match. “We want you to feel like we’ve invited you round for dinner at our house,” explained the restaurant’s mixologist, Joe. They’ve hit the nail on the head there.

We started with a sparkling wine. An extremely quaffable Loxerel A Per Pet Nat, to be precise.

James introduced himself and explained how the dining experience, which takes around three hours, would work.

I ordered the mixed drinks pairing and let Joe choose for me. First up was a fresh and

expertly made margarita, comprising Helena Koji Spirit, El Rayo Tequila, Shikuwasa Sake and a sour mix. Hints of nuttiness and citrus cleansed the palate, ready for the food that was to follow.

Our menu comprised nine courses. A toasted chicken-skin cracker topped with pickled ramson gel, pickled celeriac and burnt leek ash and hogget tartare with ramson and Old Winchester cheese arrived at the table. It was apparent from the first bite that James really knows how to use ingredients. The way he manages to encapsulate savoury, sweet, salty, tangy and sharp into almost every bite is admirable. James’ creativity continued in the form of a leek & sunflower seed offering. Delicate, creamy and beautifully presented, its flavours, although simple, had impressive depth. Nothing overcomplicated here; just a really tasty dish that I could have eaten 10 times over. The chestnut dish was intense - in a good way! Soft to the bite, it was served with fermented tomato, mustard and puffed rice for additional texture. Again, the sharp, sweet, savoury balance here was just

perfection.

Next up was one of the most interesting dishes of the evening. A bread course accompanied by a nicely matched amber ale. A brioche and Japanese milk hybrid, glazed in thyme vinegar and honey, was served with butter and a bowl of cream to dip. You could see the puzzled faces around the room. At the end of the evening, James revealed that the sauce was made up of kelp, which had been roasted, infused into water, then reduced down to get a salty/umami stock. This had then been mixed with reduced cream. The result: a clever, creative and downright exceptional dish. More cream up next. And kelp. Potatoes cooked in kelp stock, blended with cream and butter, then aerated and whipped to create a light but flavour-packed dish. Cabbage roasted in plenty of butter and folded throughtwo classic British ingredients complementing each other nicely.

James admitted the dishes here are small. “Chips and curry sauce across the road for afters if you’re still hungry,” he jokingly said in his introduction. Needless to say, no such ‘afters’ were required. You’re paying £65pp here, not £165. Given the skill involved, and complexity of flavours, the price is not to be argued with.

Accompanied by a Slovakian wine - made with two red and one white grape - came the final savoury dish: Hogget loin and hogget belly, cooked for 24 hours, pressed, then topped with James’ version of furikake, made with onion and thyme. The sharp pickled ramson gel made a welcome return alongside a creamy sauce made from fermented onions and quince kosho. Another perfectly executed dish. The food here is truly exceptional.

The first dessert, whilst almost exactly replicating the taste of an apple pie, couldn’t have been further from it in terms of

substance. Liquid nitrogen is used. So is apple, cream and lacto koji. Another fine showcase of James’ increasingly enviable skillset and culinary precision. “I wish I could cook like this,” I said to my partner.

Hats off to Joe and sommeliere Jo for choosing such great pairings. I ended with a cocktail; a sharp and super-tasty mix of sea buckthorn, Whitchurch lemongrass and Shropshire apple brandy.

Titled Sake Lees/Black Apple Vinegar, the final dish was probably the most sophisticated of them all. Sake Lees is the byproduct of sake production, which is usually thrown away. Here, James makes it into ice cream. To create the vinegar, he slow-cooks apples for six weeks at 60°, then juices them. Both elements - which, yes, you guessed it, boast a mix of sweet, savoury and umami flavours - are combined with burnt white chocolate crumb and milk crisps. Light in texture yet indulgent in taste, it was an experience that I’ll remember for some time.

Wild Shropshire exceeded my expectations. Not because those expectations weren’t high, they absolutely were - you don’t get yourself a mention in the Michelin guide three years in a row if the standard isn’t abovepar - but rather because every aspect married up so nicely. The spectacular food & drink, intimate and relaxed setting, personable, knowledgable and welcoming staff, and of course the soundtrack, all played a part in making it a faultless dining experience from beginning to end.

Lauren Foster

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Wild Shropshire

25 Green End Whitchurch

SY13 1AD

Tel: 07766 685076

A truly spectacular dining experience

Food reviews from across the region...

Food news from across the region...

La Mer Rouge takes over Shrewsbury pub

The owners of seafood & Mediterranean restaurant La Mer Rouge are taking over The Coach & Horses pub in Shrewsbury. The venue is currently undergoing a small refurbishment. The new owners have confirmed that they will be offering classic British cuisine with a modern twist, Sunday lunches, and local real ales, ciders and lagers. Sports will also be shown on screens. The opening date is yet to be announced.

Travelling food festival visiting Tettenhall

Brand-new travelling food festival Dine N Devour visits Tettenhall this month. Taking place on Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 May at Upper Green, the free-toattend event features a range of street food, artisan stalls, live bands and DJs.

Shrewsbury restaurant makes ‘kids eat free’ offer permanent

Shrewsbury restaurant The Beefy Boys has made its ‘kids eat free’ offer permanent, to help with the cost-ofliving crisis.

The offer is available from 3pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

For every adult burger & fries (or side) ordered, customers can have one free meal from the kids’ menu.

The Beefy Boys use 100% Hereford beef in their burgers, which are made fresh every day.

Digbeth Dining Club to tour West Midlands this summer

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

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

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

Ludlow Spring Festival returns this month

Ludlow Spring Festival makes a welcome return this month, taking place at the Shropshire town’s Rugby Club from 12 to 14 May.

The popular event brings together over 60 food & drink producers, more than 100 real ales, 100 classic vehicles and live music.

Visitors can both buy and sample food & drink from an array of producers, including cheese mongers, bakers, sausage makers, winemakers, chocolatiers and creators of delicious ice cream! Panic Family Circus will be on hand to keep the kids entertained. Tickets for the event are available via ludlowspringfestival.co.uk

we put on as accessible as possible for as many people as we can. This year is no exception, taking in more sites and hopefully delivering fun to even more people across the region.

“We go where the people are, and the new sites - Sutton, Sandwell and Bearwood - came off the back of public requests. So we spoke to the people in charge of the sites, and we all agreed it was a good idea to explore these and give people what they want.”

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

by Diane Parkes

THIS IS REALITY...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Classical music from across the region...

Joanna MacGregor

St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire, Sun 28 May

Joanna MacGregor takes her audience on a global excursion of piano repertoire with her latest Ludlow concert, which draws to a close the town’s piano festival.

The programme sees the talented pianist shifting from the sublime elegance of Bach’s tuneful French Suite No5, through the jazz melodies of Chick Corea and Nina Simone, to the sounds of Piazzolla’s toetapping tangos.

Residing at the Corporation’s Manchester home of Media City in Salford Quays, the BBC Philharmonic are no strangers to Stoke-on-Trent, regularly presenting Victoria Hall concert-goers with works from their impressive repertoire. This latest presentation sees conductor Michael Seal

London Concertante: A Night At The Opera

Lichfield Cathedral, Sun 7 May

While it’s a given that they take the business of musicmaking extremely seriously, there’s certainly nothing stuffy about the London Concertante.

Indeed, 50 percent of people who attend a performance by this 32-year-old chamber orchestra are first-time classical music concert-goers - a statistic which speaks volumes for the ensemble’s commitment to remaining at all times light-of-touch and refreshingly accessible.

The Concertante here present a candlelit evening of opera arias and overtures, including works by Puccini, Verdi, Rossini and Mozart.

(pictured) being joined by solo violinist Simone Lamsma for a programme that features, among other works, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, Elgar’s Nursery Suite, Tippett’s Suite Of The Birthday Of Prince Charles and Elgar’s Pomp And Circumstance March No4.

Estonian National Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tues 16 May Making a first-ever stop-off in Birmingham, the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra open proceedings with a performance of one of their countryman Arvo Pärt’s best-known works, Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten.

They then perform Dvorák’s Seventh Symphony.

The evening’s programme is completed with a performance by Barry Douglas of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No3. The Gold Medal winner at the 1986 Tchaikovsky Piano Competition, Barry last contributed to a Birmingham classical season 14 years ago. He is here stepping in for Freddy Kempf, who has had to pull out of the concert for personal reasons.

Sir Willard White and Brodsky Quartet

Birmingham Town Hall, Sun 14 May

Sir Willard White and Brodsky Quartettwo great names in classical music - here join forces to present a homage to the musical relationship and personal friendship between Frank Sinatra and the Hollywood String Quartet.

The concert programme features, among other works, pieces from the Great American Songbook, excerpts from Porgy And Bess, traditional folk songs from both the US and the UK, Barber’s evocative Dover Beach, and a selection of Sinatra numbers from the album he cut with the Hollywood String Quartet in 1957: Close To You.

BBC Philharmonic Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 5 May

Forty and counting...

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

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

Genial singer Tim Booth, interrupting work on his first novel (“about a f**ked-up singer”) to chat with me, is clearly revelling in the band’s golden era, especially since they’re very much a creative entity and not some nostalgia act trading on former glories.

“I’m in one of the best bands in the world, I’ve never doubted that,” he says. “They’ve always turned me on. It’s amazing after 40 years that when we get together in a room they always turn me on, and I hope I do the same to them. It’s just thrilling - we never know what’s going to happen.

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Steve Adams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Might be.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

dance

music

music

FORBIDDEN NIGHTS

Thurs 8 June @ 7.30pm

music

BYE BYE BABY

Fri 9 June @ 7.30pm

dance

THE ALL OR NOTHING EXPERIENCE

Sat 10 June @ 7.30pm

music

LIVE/WIRE: THE AC/DC SHOW

Fri 16 June @ 8.00pm

music

THE LADYBOYS OF BANGKOK

Wed 21 June @ 7.30pm

family

EVERYTHING CHANGES: TAKE THAT TRIBUTE SHOW

Thurs 29 June @ 7.30pm

family

AN EVENING WITH SIMON & OSCAR FROM OCEAN COLOUR SCENE

Fri 30 June @ 7.30pm

ODDSOCKS’ MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Wed 19 July @ 7.30pm

MILKSHAKE! LIVE

Sat 22 July @ 12.00pm & 3.00pm

Live music from across the region...

Chantel McGregor

KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton, Thurs 4 May Blues rock musician Chantel McGregor was once told by a major label that she had a “great voice, but girls don’t play guitar like that!” Ignoring their opinion, she enrolled at the Leeds College of Music and became the first student in its history to achieve a 100 percent pass mark at BTEC, with 18 distinctions. She’s since released six albums, the most recent two of which were inspired by a weekly live show she performed from her shed during the Covid lockdown.

Skerryvore

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 20 May

The award-winning Skerryvore represent the best in contemporary Scottish traditional music, bringing to the table a unique blend of folk, trad, rock, jazz and Americana. Their feelgood sound is generated by an imaginative coming together of fiddle,

Dub Pistols

accordions, pipes, whistles, guitar and vocals, all underpinned by driving bass, drums and keys.

Touring to Shrewsbury in support of new album Tempus, the boys are joined for the gig by their fellow Scots, The Eves - a highly rated up-and-coming melodic-pop duo featuring Caroline Gilmour and Marissa Keltie.

Lady Maisery

Martin Carthy

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 26 May

For more than 50 years, Martin Carthy has been one of folk music’s greatest innovators and most quietly controversial figures. Described by Q Magazine as ‘arguably the greatest English folk-song performer, writer, collector and editor of them all’, the ballad singer and ground-breaking acoustic and electric guitarist has recorded 10 solo albums and over 40 collaborative records. Those with whom he’s teamed up creatively include, among many others, his late wife Norma Waterson, daughter Eliza Carthy, Steeleye Span and Dave Swarbrick.

The Robin, Bilston, Fri 5 May

London electronic-music band Dub Pistols boast a sound that takes in dub, punk, jungle, ska, breakbeat, hip-hop and a whole lot more. Recently celebrating their silver jubilee, the notorious party rockers have thrived on change across the years, both in terms of their personnel and their musical direction... They’re visiting the Midlands this month in support of newly released album Frontline.

Gaz Coombes

The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 25 May

Probably as famous, back in the day, for his sideburns as his music, Gaz Coombes signed his first record deal at the age of 14 and went on to form Supergrass, with whom he cut six albums in 17 years. The band split in 2010, citing musical differences.

Gaz has since forged a successful solo career, releasing four albums. His latest, the critically acclaimed Turn The Car Around, came out early this year.

“The one thing that has really nourished me in the last 10 years is the idea of evolving as an artist,” says Gaz, “evolving my writing to keep moving forward. I run on vibe. I always have.”

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 27 May

Bringing together Hannah James, Hazel Askew and Rowan Rheingans, Lady Maisery’s fresh interpretations of songs and ballads explore vocal harmony to breathtaking effect.

Having been nominated for the BBC Folk Award of 2012, the three-piece have since established themselves as a real force to be reckoned with, performing imaginative arrangements of traditional repertoire and drawing on a myriad of musical influences to create thoughtful original compositions.

POWER PLAY

Making

by Steve Adams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

dynamic to the production.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Play For The Living In A Time Of Extinction shows at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from Wednesday 10 to Saturday 13 May and New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme from Monday 19 to Saturday 24 June

A Play

For The Living In A Time Of Extinction

-

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

Comedy previews from across the region

Josie Long

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

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

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

Tom Segura

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Fri 12 May

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

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

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

Wang

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

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

Tom Allen

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

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

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

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

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

material.”

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

Scummy Mummies

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

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

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

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

Phil

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

BY ORDER OF THE PEAKY BLINDERS

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

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

How did you get into working in costume, Richard?

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

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

Did you have creative freedom with Peaky Blinders?

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

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

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

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

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

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

What was the creative process like?

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

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

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

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

Which costumes are you most proud of?

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

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

The TV series’ costumes are beautiful, and the whole show is a piece of art in its own right. I watched every single episode and loved it. I wanted to keep certain elements from each character, whilst at the same time making the designs stand alone too.

I didn’t want to mimic anything in the series, but I did want to make it so that you could pick out the characters. With Polly, for example, I created pieces that were highly tailored garments and slightly androgynous With Tommy, I noticed he wore a lot of grey, so I wanted to make a note of that by using grey wool in Prince of Wales check. With Arthur, he usually wears a bow tie, so he wears one throughout. I wanted to stay true to the characters so that the audience could instantly recognise them from the television series.

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

Theatre

Rock Of Ages

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

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

The King And I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bodyguard

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

This blockbusting West End musical is of course based on the similarly blockbusting 1990s Hollywood movie starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.

When ex-secret service agent Frank Farmer is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker, sparks soon begin to fly between the pair. Each expects to hold the whip-hand in the relationship; neither expects to fall in love...

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

Pussycat Doll Melody Thornton stars as Rachel.

Hamnet

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

Author Maggie

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

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

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

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

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre previews from around the region

Heathers The Musical

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

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

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

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

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

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

The Card

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

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

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

Mister Shakespeare

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 27 May

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

Unexpected Twist

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

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

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

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

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

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

Make-up

Lichfield Garrick, Fri 12 May

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

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

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

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre

Wuthering Heights

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

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

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

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

Annie

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

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

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

Cymbeline

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

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

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

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

with sexual jealousy and plots to have his spouse killed.

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

Cardboard Citizens: Faun

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

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

The Beekeeper Of Aleppo

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

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

The story follows the characters of beekeeper Nuri and artist Afra, a married couple enjoying a simple life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo. But when war breaks out, the pair must flee for their lives. In so doing, they embark on a journey that sees them not only face the pain

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

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

Teechers Leavers ’22

Old Rep, Birmingham, Thurs 11 & Fri 12 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 22 - Wed 24 May; Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 25 May

First performed way back in the mid-1980s, John Godber’s highly acclaimed comedy, Teechers, dealt with the sense of disillusionment evident in students at that time - and also in many of those who educated them.

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

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

Around The World In 80 Days

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

It’s easy to forget that not so long ago, travelling across the globe was a very difficult and long-winded undertaking. Jules Verne’s classic adventure story, Around The World In 80 Days - here adapted for the stage by Tilted Wig and York Theatre Royaloffers a fun-filled reminder of a time when exotic climes really were ‘a world away’. In keeping with Verne’s 1872 novel, this family-friendly production recounts the story of English gentleman Phileas Fogg’s attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days on a wager of £20,000.

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

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Phileas!

Welsh National Opera: Blaze Of Glory!

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

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

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

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

Theatre

Wish You Were Dead

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

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

Sense & Sensibility

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

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

The Polar Bear (Is Dead)

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

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

Theatre previews from around the region

REUNITED IN GRIEF

Family drama Big Aunty debuts at the Coventry Belgrade

by Diane Parkes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Theatre for younger audiences...

In The Night Garden

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

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

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

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

Dragons & Mythical Beasts Live

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

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

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

The Singing Mermaid

The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 27 & Sun 28 May

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

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

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

Ministry of Science Live

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

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

Milkshake! Live

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

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

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

Zog: Live On Stage

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

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

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

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

Alyssa Edwards On Tour

Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 2 May

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

A Night Of Stars

The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 9 May

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

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

Scottish Falsetto Socks: Eurovision Sock Contest

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 12 May

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

Sir Jack’s History Boys

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

Theatre

The Noise Next Door

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

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

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

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

Ventriloquist: A Day In The Life Of Arthur Lager

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 26 May

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

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

BRB: BOLD BALLET AND MORE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And early in 2024, the company performs Sir Peter Wright’s Sleeping Beauty. Carlos is keen for BRB to continue to showcase its classic works while also developing new pieces.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLACK SABBATH: THE BALLET

Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 23 - Sat 30 September

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

STILL LIFE AT THE PENGUIN CAFE

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

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

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

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

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

SELECTION

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

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

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

THE NUTCRACKER

Birmingham Hippodrome, Fri 17 November - Sat 9 December

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

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 21 February - Sat 2 March 2024

More magic from Sir Peter Wright, who has here created yet another memorable ballet based on the brilliance and ingenuity of a classic Tchaikovsky score. Cursed by a wicked fairy, a beautiful princess pricks her finger and falls into a deep sleepa slumber that can only be broken by true love’s kiss...

BRB2: CARLOS ACOSTA’S CLASSICAL

Dance previews from across the region

Strictly Come Dancing: The Professionals

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

Johannes Radebe: Freedom Unleashed

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

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

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

Gary Clarke Company: Wasteland

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

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

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

Rhiannon Faith Company: Drowntown

Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Wed 3 May

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

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

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

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

Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 13 - Sun 14 May

STILL FLOWERING

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I think the live stage is certainly our natural

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Film highlights in May...

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 3

CERT tbc (150 mins)

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

Directed by James Gunn

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

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

Released Wed 3 May

Hypnotic CERT tbc

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

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

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

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

Released Fri 12 May

Love Again CERT 12a

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

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

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

Released Wed 10 May

Book Club: The Next Chapter

CERT tbc (107 mins)

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

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

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

Released Fri 12 May

The Little Mermaid CERT PG (135 mins)

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

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

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

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

Released Fri 26 May

Fast X CERT tbc (140 mins)

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

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

Released Fri 19 May

About My Father CERT tbc (89 mins)

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

The Machine CERT tbc

Starring Mark Hamill, Jess Gabor, Mercedes De La Cruz, Bert Kreischer, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jimmy Tatro Directed by Peter Atenico

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

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

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

Released Fri 26 May

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

Released Wed 31 May

A REVIVAL FOR SISTER GEORGE

Critically

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Andrew Billington

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Melati Suryodarmo: Passionate Pilgrim

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

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

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

The Reason For Painting

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

The exhibition features works which

Karla Black Exhibition

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

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

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

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

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

Quentin Blake: Birds, Beast And Explorers

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

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

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

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

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

Visual Arts

Nature And Artifice: Dutch And Flemish Landscape Prints

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

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

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

The More Things Change...

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sun 9 July

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

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

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

Image credit: Claudette Johnson

Harminder JudgeUntitled (limb over fragments ascending) 2022

by Richard Barber

LAW AND ORDER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Events previews from around the region Events

Spring Diesel Festival

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

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

Makers

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

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

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

Peppa Pig’s Aquarium Adventure

National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, until Fri 2 June

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

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

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

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

Central NEC, Birmingham, Sat 13 & Sun 14 May

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

Events previews from around the region

Events

1940s Week

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

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

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

RHS Malvern Spring Festival

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

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

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

Birmingham Pride

food producers.

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

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

Weston’s Spring Fling

Weston Park, Staffordshire, Sun 28 & Mon 29 May

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

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

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

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

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

Shropshire County Show

West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, Sat 27 May

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

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

The Realm Of Zog

Warwick Castle, Sat 27 May - Fri 29 September

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

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

The Baby Show

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

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

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

Gaydon Land Rover Show

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

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

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

Tommee Tippee, BabyBjörn and Mamas & Papas.

NEC, Birmingham, Fri 12 - Sun 14 May

Coronation events from around the region Events

King’s Coronation Party

Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May

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

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

Coronation With The Characters

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

A Royal Cheer

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

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

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

Coronation Street Party

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

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

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

A Coronation Celebration

Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire, Mon 8 May

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

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

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

Anton Du Beke at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Sukh Ojla at Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

The Big Bark at Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

1940s Week at RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

thelist

VISUAL ARTS IN THE MIDLANDS Gigs

The Barber Institute Of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

PAYING RESPECTS: MONEY AND MOR-

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

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

Midlands Arts Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham

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

GRAYSON’S ART CLUB: THE EXHIBITION

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

New Art Gallery, Walsall

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

BOYANA ALEKSOVA Residency exhibition in which the artist explores concepts of rewilding, degrowth and detachment from nature, until Sun 28 May

JOHN BECK AND MATTHEW CORNFORD

Exhibition offering an opportunity to reflect on the changing nature of art education and the value of creativity... until Sun 2 July

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

DRESSING THE ROYALS Costumes from film and TV, spanning over 400 years of royal fashion, until Sun 3 September

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DOLLS

Family-friendly exhibition inspired by Jules Verne’s adventure novel and exploring the museum’s extensive doll collection, Sat 20 May - Sun 27 August

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

DRAWINGS BY STEVE EVANS The geometrics of the built environment provide the inspiration for the abstract drawings featured in this exhibition by Wolverhampton-based artist Steve Evans, until Mon 1 May

EUGENE PALMER: STANDING STILL

Series of paintings by internationally acclaimed Jamaican-British artist Eugene Palmer, until Mon 8 May

ERIC BIBB Fri 5 May, Birmingham Town Hall

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

FINE LINES: CONTEMPORARY

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

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

Elsewhere:

FESTIVAL OF CRAFT Featuring ceramics, prints, textiles, mosaics, glass art, works in wood, and paper jewellery, until Thurs 20 May, VAN Gallery, Darwin Shopping Centre, Shrewsbury

MICHELLE COXON SOLO EXHIBITION

Eclectic collection of mixed media sculpture, ceramics, textiles and illustration from the award-winning artist and popular children’s books author and illustrator, until Mon 29 May, Qube Gallery, Oswestry, North Shropshire

ASSOCIATION OF ANIMAL ARTISTS

Collection of animal artworks in an array of mediums and styles, until Wed 31 May, Rose Patterson Art Gallery, Weston-under-Lizard, Shifnal, Shropshire

CARNIVAL GLASS SOCIETY 40TH

ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION Showcase of work exploring the history and inspirations of carnival glass manufacture, until Sun 5 November, Stourbridge Glass Museum

INTERNATIONAL GARDEN

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR One of the world’s most respected photography competitions and exhibitions, particularly within the genres of garden, plant, flower and botanical photography, Sat 6 MayWed 28 June, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

WELSHLY ARMS + MYLE Mon 1 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

RABBIT RABBIT - CHAS & DAVE TRIBUTE Mon 1 May, The Robin, Bilston

OYSTERBAND Mon 1 May, Birchmeadow Centre, Broseley

THE TOASTERS + SMOKE

LIKE A FISH Mon 1 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

HENRY MOODIE Tues 2 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

DELTA GOODREM Tues 2 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE LOTTERY WINNERS + PET NEEDS Tues 2 May, The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS Tues 2 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ASTON MERRYGOLD +

NATHAN GURD Wed 3 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

GIVEON Wed 3 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY +

PLAINRIDE Wed 3 May, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

WAX FUTURES + DVRK

ROMANTICS + COLD

COMFORT Wed 3 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

PETER DOHERTY +

TRAMPOLENE Thurs 4 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

OLLY MURS Thurs 4 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

CHANTEL MCGREGOR +

BLUE NATION Thurs 4 May, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

DAVID PRESTON QUARTET Thurs 4 May, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

SLEEPER Thurs 4 May, The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

ALESUND + MEGAN

DIXON-HOOD Thurs 4 May, The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent

HUGH CORNWELL Fri 5 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

JAMES Fri 5 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

DURAN DURAN Fri 5 May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

THE FOOZ FIGHTERS Fri 5 May, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

THE BON JOVI

EXPERIENCE Fri 5 May, Walsall Arena & Arts

Centre

MADE IN TENNESSEE Fri 5

May, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

MOSHTALGIA Fri 5 May, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

DUB PISTOLS Fri 5 May, The Robin, Bilston

JAMIE LENMAN Fri 5

May, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

CRYBABY & THE HOOCHIE

COOCHIE BOYS +

GOODFELLAS Fri 5 May, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

TALON Fri 5 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

THE GUITAR EXPERIENCE

Fri 5 May, Brewhouse

Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

TAXI FOR JESUS Fri 5 May, Lichfield Guildhall

RUBY BRIDGE Fri 5 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

FLASH: A TRIBUTE TO QUEEN Fri 5 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE RONALDOS Fri 5 May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

JOHN E VISITIC + GUNS FOR GIRLS Fri 5 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

LUTHER VANDROSS - A TRIBUTE Fri 5 May, Telford Theatre

NEW AMEN CORNER Fri 5 May, Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth

DES & DAN Fri 5 May, SpArC Theatre, Bishops

Castle

A VISION OF ELVIS Fri 5Sat 6 May, Lichfield

Garrick

POP EVIL + CALL ME

AMOUR Sat 6 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

BILLY LOCKETT Sat 6

THE SMYTHS Sat 6 May, O2 Academy, B’ham

ESSENTIAL 80S Sat 6 May, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

THE KILLERZ + THE DRIVE Sat 6 May, The Robin, Bilston

JAMIE LENMAN Sat 6 May, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

DAVID LIVE - BOWIE

TRIBUTE Sat 6 May, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

MATRIX CLUB MATRIX Sat

6 May, The Quarter at Potbank, Stoke-onTrent

21ST CENTURY ABBA Sat

6 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

MURPHY’S MARBLES Sat 6 May, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

NICHOLE Sat 6 May, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

THANK ABBA FOR THE MUSIC Sat 6 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

LAURA CORTESE AND FRIENDS Sat 6 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

MAET LIVE Sat 6 May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

EMMA LINNEY Sat 6 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

CHASING AUGUST +

LITTLE GHOST Sat 6 May, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

CRY FOR MERCY + SECRET ELEPHANT Sat 6 May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

WHEN CHAI MET TOAST

Sun 7 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DEAD MAN’S WHISKEY Sun 7 May, The Asylum, Birmingham

HENRIK FREISCHLADER + THE GAMMER LEACH

EXPERIENCE Sun 7 May, The Robin, Bilston

RAT PACK - SWINGIN’ AT THE SANDS Sun 7 May, Wolverhampton Grand

MONKEY WRENCH Sun 7 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

BURNING HEART Sun 7 May, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

Classical Music

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

GEORGE ZACH, JO CAULFIELD, HENRY

MICHAEL & BARRY DODDS Thurs 4 May, Lichfield Sports Club

SCUMMY MUMMIES Thurs 4 May, Lichfield Garrick

LAUGH OUT LICHFIELD! Thurs 4 May, The Bowling Green, Lichfield

KUM-N-AVALOFF COMEDY NIGHT Thurs 4 May, Stourbridge Town Hall

TIM VINE Thurs 4 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

PIANO MASTERS SERIES FEATURING

ALIM BEISEMBAYEV Programme includes works by Beethoven, Rachmaninov & Liszt, Thurs 4 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre

BBC PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Featuring Michael Seal (conductor) & Simone Lamsma (soloist). Programme includes works by Bax, Butterworth, Mendelssohn, Elgar & Tippett, Fri 5 May, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

CALLINO QUARTET Featuring Helena Winkelman & Tom Hankey (violins), Rebecca Jones (viola) & Sarah McMahon (cello). Programme includes works by Daria Kwiatkowska & Ravel, Fri 5 May, Elgar Concert Hall, The Bramall, University of Birmingham

CBSO & THE ORCHESTRAL QAWWALI

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

LONDON CONCERTANTE: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA Programme includes works by Puccini, Mozart, Verdi & Rossini, Sun 7 May, Lichfield Cathedral

Comedy

RICKY BALSHAW, JOE ZALIAS, LOVDEV BARPAIGA & SOL BERNSTEIN Mon 1 May, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

JOE PERA Wed 3 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PHIL WANG Thurs 4 May, Birmingham Town Hall

TOM WRIGGLESWORTH, ANDY ROBINSON, CRAIG HILL, DON BISWAS & PADDY YOUNG Thurs 4 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

STEPHEN BAILEY, NIPPER THOMAS, FOXDOG & DAVE TWENTYMAN Thurs 4 May, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek,

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

SCHALK BEZUIDENHOUT Fri 5 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MORTI-FIED LIVE COMEDY Fri 5 May, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

DALISO CHAPONDA, SARAH CALLAGHAN, DAN TIERNAN & WAYNE BEESE Fri 5 May, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

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

FAMILY COMEDY SHOW WITH PATRICK

MONAHAN, JONNY AWSUM & BARBARA

NICE Sun 7 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

FARHAN SOLO, AATIF NAWAZ, PRINCE

ABDI & TEZ ILYAS Sun 7 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

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

GARY DELANEY Sun 7 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Theatre

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

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

MOTHER GOOSE Jimmy Burton-Iles takes the lead role in this springtime pantomime, Mon 1 May, Halesowen Town Hall

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

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL Musical Theatre Stafford present an amateur version of the hit high-school musical, Wed 3 - Sat 6 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL Crewe

Amateur Musicals Society presents its version of the Tim Firth musical, Wed 3 - Sat 6 May, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

KING LEAR Paul Morel’s one-man show, presented from the point of view of Lear’s long-suffering and ever-loyal fool, Thurs 4 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

FAME JR Amateur version presented by Ludwig Theatre Arts’ Broadway Juniors, Thurs 4, Fri 5 & Sun 7 May, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

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

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

Kids Theatre

BLOOM A ‘perfect introduction’ to theatre for babies and very young children, featuring puppetry and stay & play, Sun 7 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

Dance

MOTIONHOUSE: NOBODY A dancecircus adventure featuring gravity-defying choreography, digital projections and a shape-shifting set, Tues 2 - Wed 3 May, Lichfield Garrick

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

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

HAMNET Stage adaptation of Maggie

Motionhouse: Nobody - Lichfield Garrick WNO: Blaze of Glory - Birmingham Hippodrome

thelist

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

Light Entertainment

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

A CORONATION CELEBRATION Cannock Wood & Gentleshaw Music Society present an evening of music ‘fit for a king’. Expect a mixture of music from Last Night of the Proms, British musical theatre and well-known choral pieces, Wed 3 - Fri 5 May, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

DEEP FILL DOUBLE BILL: A COMEDY

CABARET WITH FATT BUTCHER & GINNY

LEMON Featuring ‘unforgettable music, outrageous laughs and surprise performances’, Thurs 4 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

D-DAY DARLINGS - THE SONGS THAT WON THE WAR Re-live the nostalgic days of wartime Britain as the delightful D-Day Darlings Trio take you on a musical journey back to 1940s wartime Britain, Fri 5 May, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

RAT PACK - SWINGIN’ AT THE SANDS Sun

7 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Talks & Spoken Word

ANTON DU BEKE The Strictly judge takes to the stage for an evening of song, dance & laughter, Thurs 4 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

discusses what creates a serial killer, Fri 5 May, Dudley Town Hall

Events

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

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

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

THE GREAT BRITISH FOOD FESTIVAL

Featuring celebrity-chef demos, an artisan market, street-food stalls, bars and more, Sat 29 April - Mon 1 May, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

SPRING PLANT FAIR Offering an opportunity for gardening enthusiasts to check out plants from specialised, family-run nurseries, Sun 30 AprilMon 1 May, Weston Park, Shropshire

THE FABULOUS 40S An afternoon in the 1940s with costumed characters, live music, Punch & Judy shows, demonstrations and more, Mon 1 May, Haden Hill House Museum, Cradley Heath

STAFFORDSHIRE DAY TRAIL Take this family trail to discover more about legends, folklore and ‘fantastic Staffordshire facts’, Mon 1 May, Tamworth Castle

KINGS CHARLES III CORONATION

AFTERNOON TEA Afternoon tea with the mayor celebrating the King’s coronation, Tues 2 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery

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

BOXXER PRESENTS FIGHT NIGHT

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

INTERNATIONAL GARDEN

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

EXHIBITION One of the world’s most respected photography competitions and exhibitions, particularly within the genres of garden, plant, flower and botanical photography, Sat 6 May, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

THE KING’S CORONATION: A VERY BRITISH CELEBRATION Featuring a live DJ, picnic tables, freshly baked goods from the Courtyard Cafe and

cocktails at Sixtowns, Sat 6 May, World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent

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

THE KINGS CHARLES III CORONATION

CHILDREN’S PARTY Little ones can get involved and be a king or queen for the day as they celebrate the coronation, Sat 6 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton

KING’S CORONATION MARKET Royalthemed market on The Stones, Sat 6 May, The Stones, Newcastle-underLyme

CORONATION EVENING VARIETY SHOW

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

BEST OF BRITISH - ROYAL CORONATION

CELEBRATION Enjoy a traditionally English afternoon tea whilst watching the coronation live on the big screen, Sat 6 May, British Ironwork Centre, Oswestry, North Shropshire

SPRING MODEL RAILWAY WEEKEND

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

THE REALM CORONATION INFLATABLE

CHALLENGE Large-scale inflatable designed specifically for children up to 12 years of age, Sat 6 - Sun 7 May, Tamworth Castle Grounds

KING’S CORONATION WEEKEND

Quintessentially British entertainment, with a big screen displaying the coronation, vintage fairground rides and games, Sat 6 - Sun 7 May, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

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

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

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

CORONATION WITH THE CHARACTERS

Celebrate the bank holiday with character meet & greets, party games and a royal disco, Sat 6 - Mon 8 May, National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton upon Trent

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

INTERNATIONAL DAWN CHORUS DAY

Enjoy the orchestra of birdsong as Trentham opens its doors from 4.30am, Sun 7 May, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

CORONATION DAY PHOTOGRAPHY

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

THE CORONATION BIG PICNIC LUNCH

Tale along your sandwiches, snacks and drinks and join the Mayor in celebrating the King’s coronation, Sun 7 May, Sandwell Valley

CORONATION CELEBRATION Enjoy a glass of fizz, a two-course Best of British buffet and music from Tony & The Sapphires Band joined by Treyc Cohen, Sun 7 May, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire

CORONATION CROWN TRAIL Spot the crowns hidden in paintings and plasterwork, on ceilings and furniture - how many will you find?

Sat 6 - Mon

8 May, Powis Castle, Welshpool

SUNDAY ART CLUB Pop along to make a fancy crown, an orb and a sceptre in this coronation-themed session, Sun 7 May, The New Art Gallery, Walsall

THE SERIAL KILLER NEXT DOOR Leading psychological therapist and crime commentator Emma Kenny

Ballet Black - The Rep, Birmingham

thelist

WITH FRANCESCO

TURRISI + PHILIPPA

ZAWE Sat 13 May, Birmingham Town Hall

MICHAEL JACKSON THE LEGACY, STARRING CJ Sat 13 May, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

MAGIC OF MOTOWN Sat

13 May, Dudley Town Hall

TYTANIA Sat 13 May, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

NEW SAINTS + SHORT

Gigs

MASCA Mon 8 May, The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent

INGRID ANDRESS + NICK

WILSON Wed 10 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

HOTHOUSE FLOWERS + CLARE SANDS Wed 10

May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

EUROPHORIA Wed 10

May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

MICHAEL BUBLÉ Wed 10

- Thurs 11 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

JON ALLEN AND THE LUNA KINGS Thurs 11

May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DANIEL O’DONNELL

Thurs 11 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham

PETER COX OF GO WEST

Thurs 11 May, The Robin, Bilston

ALLAN TAYLOR Thurs 11

May, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

TOTALLY TINA Thurs 11

May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

POLYPHIA Fri 12 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

JOE SATRIANI Fri 12

May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE MARY WALLOPERS

Fri 12 May, The Mill, Digbeth, Birmingham

ABBA - ARRIVAL Fri 12

May, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

FLASH: A TRIBUTE TO QUEEN Fri 12 May, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

BASIL GABBIDON WITH THE BEAT Fri 12 May,

Classical Music

CBSO PLAYS BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTH SYMPHONY Featuring Jörg Widmann (conductor / clarinet). Programme includes works by Weber, Widman & Beethoven, Wed 10 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE CLASSICAL PIANO TRIO: THE MUSICAL WORLD OF DR CHARLES

BURNEY Featuring Steven Devine (fortepiano & harpsichord), Caroline Balding (violin) & Andrew Skidmore (cello), Fri 12 May, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury

Birmingham

JIMMY CARR Fri 12 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

TIM KEY Fri 12 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

DAVE GORMAN Fri 12 May, Dudley Town Hall

TONY COWARDS, JACK GLEADOW, HARRY STACHINI & DAVE TWENTYMAN Fri 12 May, Crewe Lyceum

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

The Robin, Bilston

GIN ANNIE + SKAM + THE HOT ONE TWO +

WAKING THE ANGELS Fri 12 May, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

OASISH Fri 12 May, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

RUMER Fri 12 May, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

JIVE ACES Fri 12 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

PISTOL PETE WEARN Fri 12 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

KD AND THE DOGS Fri 12 May, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

IAN PROWSE & AMSTERDAM Fri 12 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

JOHN DOYLE & CHRIS

QUINN Fri 12 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

COLDPLACE - COLDPLAY

TRIBUTE Fri 12 May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

THE AMERICAN FOUR TOPS Fri 12 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shrops

NAMELESS + THE BLACK

HOUNDS + LEAVE NO

WITNESS Fri 12 May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

LUCY SPRAGGAN +

CASSA JACKSON +

GARETH DUNLOP Sat 13

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

WES NELSON Sat 13 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

STONEBWOY Sat 13 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

RHIANNON GIDDENS

HEATH BOYZ + SCITTICA + SLIM & BLADE Sat 13 May, The Robin, Bilston

MORETALLICA Sat 13 May, Eleven, Stoke-onTrent

REYONCE - BEYONCE

TRIBUTE Sat 13 May, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent

THE BOOTLEG SHADOWS

Sat 13 May, Stafford

Gatehouse Theatre

THE PHONICSSTEREOPHONICS

TRIBUTE Sat 13 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

BRYAN CORBETT BLUE

NOTE QUINTET Sat 13 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

THE DOLLY SHOW Sat 13 May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

UNTAMED SHREWS Sat

13 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

JOHNNY 2 BAD Sat 13 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Telford

RULED BY RAPTORS + CAGES FOR PREACHERS

Sat 13 May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

NEEVE Sun 14 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

POST MALONE Sun 14 May, Resorts World Arena, Birmingham

JOE BONAMASSA Sun 14 May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

SENSATIONAL 60S

EXPERIENCE Sun 14 May, Wolverhampton

Grand Theatre

MARTI PELLOW Sun 14 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

BOWIE EXPERIENCE Sun

14 May, Lichfield Garrick

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

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

MOVIE MAGIC WITH THE CBSO

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

MEOLE BRACE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Featuring James Kirby. Programme tbc, Sat 13 May, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury

ECHO RISING STARS: DIANA TISHCHENKO (VIOLIN) Also featuring Kirill Kozlovski (piano). Programme includes works by Ravel, Vasco Mendonça & Beethoven, Sun 14 May, Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING WITH SIR WILLARD WHITE AND BRODSKY

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

Comedy

TIM KEY Tues 9 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ANUVAB PAL, HAYLEY ELLIS, KEITH

FARNAN, PRIYA HALL & RUNI TALWAR

Thurs 11 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BETHANY BLACK Thurs 11 May, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

NOEL MILLER Thurs 11 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

RUSSELL HOWARD Thurs 11 - Fri 12 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

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

Fri 12 May, The Glee Club, B’ham

TIFF STEVENSON Fri 12 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM SEGURA Fri 12 May, Utilita Arena

EDDIE NESTOR, SLIM, ROBBIE GEE, KOJO ANIM, CURTIS WALKER & RUDI

LICKWOOD Sat 13 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MARK STEEL Sat 13 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

ROBBIE GEE, EDDIE NESTOR, MR CEE & KAT Sat 13 May, Bilston Town Hall

KAT B, SUKH OJLA (PICTURED), OMAR

BADAWY & DON BISWAS Sat 13 May, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

TRASHFUTURE: LIVE IN BIRMINGHAM

Sun 14 May, The Glee Club, B’ham

Theatre

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

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

Ian Prowse - Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

thelist

TAPPED Heart-warming comedy that explores the importance of connection, fulfilment and (lack of) hope, Tues 9 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

ROCK OF AGES Farewell tour of the smash-hit musical, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

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

WISH YOU WERE DEAD Clive Mantle, George Rainsford and Katie McGlynn star in the world premiere stage adaptation of Peter James’ crime story, Tues 9 - Sat 13 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

A MONTH OF SUNDAYS Stafford Players present a comedy about the challenges of growing old, Tues 9Sat 13 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE Ridiculusmus present a play about ageing, dying and death... Wed 10 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

THE MP, AUNTY MANDY & ME A bittersweet tale that explores consent, coercion and grooming within the gay male community, Wed 10 May, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

SENSE & SENSIBILITY Hotbuckle

Productions present a new version of Jane Austen’s romantic classic, Wed 10 - Thurs 11 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

FUR COAT AND NO KNICKERS Mow Cop

Players present an amateur version of Mike Harding’s play about the wedding of Deirdre and Mark... Thurs 11 - Sat 13 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

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

MAKE-UP A poignant story about what happens when drag becomes a drag - and the life-changing decision to walk away from your alter-ego... Fri 12 May, Lichfield Garrick

TWICE NIGHTLY Brand-new musical comedy featuring original songs and celebrating theatre’s golden years, Fri 12 May, Theatre on the Steps, Bridgnorth, Shropshire

WONDERLAND DREAMS Stoke Amateur Theatre Society presents a new musical based on Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, Fri 12 - Sat 13 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-onTrent

GODSPELL Amateur version presented by Aldridge Musical Comedy Society, Fri 12 - Sat 13 May, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

SHERLOCK’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE

James Barry’s comedy, inspired by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic character, Sat 13 May, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

Kids Theatre

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

MILKSHAKE! LIVE Join your favourite Milkshake! characters in a family show packed with songs, dances, laughter and audience interaction, Sat 13 May, Lichfield Garrick

Dance

STRICTLY COME DANCING: THE PROFESSIONALS Featuring stars from the popular BBC show, including: Dianne Buswell; Vito Coppola; Carlos Gu; Karen Hauer; Neil Jones; Nikita Kuzmin; Gorka Marquez; Luba Mushtuk; Jowita Przystal; and Nancy Xu, Sat 13 - Sun 14 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

Light Entertainment

A NIGHT OF STARS Jasper Carrott hosts an evening of famous faces, music & comedy in celebration of local news anchorman Bob Warman’s 50 years in TV, Tues 9 May, The Rep, B’ham WHEN YOU’RE SMILING Afternoon of musical memories from Neil Sands and his West End cast, Tues 9 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

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

TRACY BORMAN - HOW TO BE A GOOD MONARCH An ‘entertaining and informative’ audio-visual tour of 1,000 years of twists and turns in the story of the British monarchy - from William the Conqueror to Charles III, Fri 12 May, Lichfield Garrick

AN EVENING OF MAGIC WITH RICHARD JONES An evening with the first-ever magician to win Britain’s Got Talent, Fri 12 May, Tamworth Assembly

Rooms

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

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR: HOMETOWN

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

THE D-DAY DARLING’S KING’S CORONATION TOUR 2023 A song & dance extravaganza featuring The DDay Juniors alongside special guest Colin Thackery, Sun 14 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

Events

THE KING CHARLES III CORONATION AFTERNOON TEA A coronation-themed afternoon tea in the Dining Room and Drawing room, Mon 8 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton CORONATION FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY

Have a go at making a nature-crown and colour-in a flag, Mon 8 May, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton ABBEY CORONATION CELEBRATION A huge tea party and picnic in and around the Abbey to celebrate the King’s coronation, Mon 8 May, Shrewsbury Abbey

RAF STEM TAKEOVER DAY Series of interactive workshops exploring different elements of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths, Wed 10 May, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire

NATURAL CRAFTING WORKSHOP Find out how to use natural materials found along the canal to create surface patterns, explore textures and learn crafts, Thurs 11 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

DIVORCED, BEHEAD, DIED: AN AUDIENCE WITH KING HENRY VIII The public are invited to question and ‘petition’ their Monarch, Fri 12 May, The Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent

WORCESTER BALLOON FESTIVAL

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

LUDLOW SPRING FESTIVAL A packed line-up of music, comedy, talks and activities for all the family, Fri 12 - Sun 14 May, Ludlow Rugby Club, Shropshire

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

THE VAPER EXPO UK The world’s leading vape companies, all under one roof, Fri 12 - Sun 14 May, NEC, Birmingham

PEAKY BLINDERS - FACT OR FICTION?

Discover what’s fact and what’s fiction in hit TV series Peaky Blinders, Sat 13 May, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent

KING’S CORONATION PARTY Family show with comedy, slapstick, audience interaction and games, Sat 13 May, The Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent

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

MEET THE EXPERT: HUNTINGTON’S DISEASE YOUTH ORGANISATION Meet an ambassador from the Huntington’s Disease Youth Organisation during Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month, Sat 13 May, Thinktank

Birmingham Science Museum

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

HEAVY HORSE WEEKEND The resident shire horses are joined by other heavy horses across the weekend, Sat 13 - Sun 14 May, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge

GREEN MAN CELEBRATION A celebration of spring with performances, music, dancing and entertainment, Sun 14 May, Oak House, West Bromwich

Tapped - Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

thelist

Monday 15 - Sunday 21 May

May, Newhampton Arts Centre, W’hampton

TUBEWAY DAYS - 79/80

ERA GARY NUMAN

TRIBUTE Sat 20 May, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

GORDON HENDRICKS Sat 20 May, Mitchell Arts

Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

FRENZY + MYSTERY

ACTION Sat 20 May, The Underground, Stokeon-Trent

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS

Gigs

KERRY ELLIS Mon 15 May, Birmingham Town Hall

KATIE MELUA Mon 15

May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LIL MACKS Tues 16 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

WALK RIGHT BACK - THE EVERLY BROTHERS

STORY Tues 16 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

PRETENDERS Wed 17 May, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

THE MANFREDS Wed 17

May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

SONGER Thurs 18 May, O2 Institute, B’ham

KIP MOORE Thurs 18

May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SUN RECORDS, THE CONCERT Thurs 18 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

SHOW OF HANDS WITH MICHAEL WOOD Thurs 18 May, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

GARY BARLOW AND ROBBIE WILLIAMS

TRIBUTE SHOW Fri 19 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

CODY PENNINGTON Fri 19 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DREAMS OF FLEETWOOD

MAC Fri 19 May, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

THE U2 EXPERIENCE Fri 19 May, The Robin, Bilston

SLEEP IN MOTION Fri 19 May, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

TYKETTO + FM + DARE

Fri 19 May, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

JONNY COLE Fri 19 May, Churchill’s, Wednesbury

MOMENTS OF PLEASURE

- KATE BUSH TRIBUTE Fri

19 May, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS Fri 19 May, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent

A VISION OF ELVIS Fri 19 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

PHIL KING Fri 19 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

THE CARPENTERS STORY Fri 19 May, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

STATE OF SATTA +

HERBIE JACK Fri 19 May,

Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Fri 19 May, Telford

Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

UNTIL 9 + VULGORE +

MAD SPANNER Fri 19 May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

STRICTLY ABBA Fri 19Sat 20 May, Theatre

On The Steps, Bridgnorth

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

MIKE AND THE MECHANICS Sat 20 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham

GRETCHEN PETERS +

KIM RICHEY Sat 20 May, Birmingham Town Hall

GURDAS MAAN Sat 20

May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

LEGEND - THE MUSIC OF BOB MARLEY Sat 20

May, Dudley Town Hall

HOUSE OF ALL Sat 20

Classical Music

ESTONIAN NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Olari Elts (conductor) & Barry Douglas (piano). Programme includes works by Pärt, Rachmaninoff & Dvorak, Tues 16 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham ORCHESTRA OF THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT Featuring Kati Debretzeni (director/violin) & JeanGuihen Queyras (cello). Programme includes works by CPE Bach, JC Bach & Mozart, Wed 17 May, Birmingham Town Hall

Sat 20 May, Uttoxeter Racecourse

KING PLEASURE AND THE BISCUIT BOYS Sat 20 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

AMERICAN FOUR TOPS Sat 20 May, Prince Of Wales Theatre, Cannock

THE EQUATORS Sat 20 May, Lichfield Guildhall

THE HOT HOUSE COMBO

Sat 20 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield SKERRYVORE Sat 20 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DAN HADFIELD AS GARY BARLOW Sat 20 May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

THE WEEKENDERS Sat 20 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

VRI Sat 20 May, Herman Arts, Oswestry, North Shropshire

ARMY OF SKANKS + THE VERMIN SUICIDES + THE DEMENTIAS Sat 20 May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

THE ROCKET MANELTON JOHN TRIBUTE Sat 20 May, Aston Hall, Wrexham

THE WEDDING PRESENT Sun 21 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE SEARCHERS Sun 21 May, Birmingham Town Hall

THE EVERLY BROTHERS STORY Sun 21 May, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent

STEVE HARLEY Sun 21 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF EWAN MACCOLL Sun 21 May, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

CBSO: MAHLER’S TENTH SYMPHONY

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

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

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

LICHFIELD SINFONIA SPRING CONCERT

Sat 20 May, Lichfield Cathedral

ORGAN CONCERT WITH HANS HIELSCHER

Sat 20 May, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury

BRITISH POLICE SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA: SPRING ROMANCE

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

QUINBORNE CHOIR: NOW IS THE MONTH OF MAYING Featuring Chloe Chousmer-Kerr (harp), Darren Hogg (organ & piano) & Nicola Starkie (director), Sat 20 May, St Francis Church, Bournville, Birmingham

ROYAL SUTTON COLDFIELD ORCHESTRA

Featuring Bob Vivian (conductor) & Joss Brookes (cello). Programme includes works by Tchaikovsky, Sat 20 May, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

THE BREWOOD SINGERS IN CONCERT Sat 20 May, St Mary’s Church, Willenhall

Comedy

DEAD MEN TOURING WITH FREDDY

QUINNE & ROB MULHOLLAND Tues 16 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ELEANOR MORTON Wed 17 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE ALTER COMEDY CLUB Wed 17 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

TOM ALLEN Wed 17 - Fri 19 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON, JOSH PUGH & KAZEEM

JAMAL Thurs 18 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

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

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

CHARLIE BAKER Fri 19 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JONNY COLE Fri 19 May, Churchill’s, Wednesbury

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

JUDI LOVE Sat 20 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

DAVE LONGLEY, DAN ANTOPOLOSKI

DAMION LARKIN & COMIC TBC Sat 20 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

JONNY COLE Sat 20 May, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

GEOFF NORCOTT Sat 20 May, Bilston Town Hall

ROUGH WORKS: NEW MATERIAL NIGHT Sun 21 May, The Glee Club, B’ham

KENNY SEBASTIAN Sun 21 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

IGOR KWIATKOWSKI Sun 21 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

Theatre

SISTER ACT HQPA Productions present an amateur version of the divine musical comedy, Tues 16Thurs 18 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

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

MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT Amateur version presented by The Mellow Dramatics, Tues 16 - Sat 20 May, The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

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

Scouting For Girls - Uttoxeter Racecourse

thelist

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

KIPPS - THE NEW HALF A SIXPENCE

MUSICAL Amateur version presented by Tinkers Farm Opera, Wed 17Sat 20 May, Stourbridge Town Hall

THE 45TH ANNUAL CHATTERLEY VILLAGE

FETE A quintessentially British musical presented by University of Wolverhampton School of Performing Arts level 6 students, Wed 17 - Sat 20 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

BE MORE CHILL The story of one boy’s exploration of what it is to be ‘cool’. Based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, Fri 19 - Sat 20 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

THE BOY WHO HAD A SECRET New play, devised by Kidderminster Rose Young People’s Theatre, which tells the story of a seemingly normal child with very abnormal powers, Sat 20Sun 21 May, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

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

Kids Theatre

THE LITTLE MERMAID Family musical based on Hans Christian Andersen’s much-loved story, Wed 17 - Sat 20 May, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

MATILDA JR Amateur version presented by Walsall Youth Theatre, Thurs 18 - Sat 20 May, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH Central Youth Theatre Acting Up present an amateur version of Roald Dahl’s classic tale, Fri 19 May, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

Dance

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

LEGACY Mixed bill presented by Elmhurst Ballet Company as part of an ongoing partnership with Studio Wayne McGregor,Fri 19 - Sat 20May, Elmhurst Ballet School, Birmingham

comedian Steve Royle, Black Country stars The Fizzogs, a capella group Men In Harmony and comedian Ada Campe, Tues 16 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

BOB BROLLY AND FRIENDS An afternoon of music and laughter. Bob will be joined by entertainer Andy Eastwood and vocalist Maggie

O’Hara, Wed 17 May, Brierley Hill

Civic, Dudley

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL A night of adventure featuring a brandnew collection of short films, Thurs 18 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

CHEESY BINGO PARTY A mix of bingo and ‘the cheesiest party music you ever heard!’, Thurs 18 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

MUSICALITY Fundraising concert featuring songs from the West End and Broadway, Thurs 18 - Fri 20 May, Whitchurch Civic Centre, North Shropshire

SHELL SUIT CHER: BELIEVE IN BINGO!

Laugh, dance and play to win as Shell Suit Cher (aka Tina T’urner Tea Lady) ‘unzips her wild journey from Vegas to Mecca and beyond’, Sat 20 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, B’ham

FANNY GALORE’S BIG BINGO PARTY Eyes down with ‘the hostess with the mostest’. Bar snacks included in ticket price, Sat 20 May, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

Talks & Spoken Word

AN EVENING WITH TERRY CONROY AND NIGEL JOHNSON: THE VOICES OF STOKE CITY ‘A night not to be missed for all Potters fans!’, Fri 19 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

TALKING OF ADVENTURE: AL SYLVESTER The second instalment of the venue’s Talking Of Adventure series, Fri 19 May, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

MEGAN MCCUBBIN: ON THE BRINK + Q&A Megan McCubbin discusses her new book, An Atlas Of Endangered Species, Sat 20 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

Events

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

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

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

PUDDING NIGHTS ‘All you can eat’ pudding nights, Fri 19 - Sat 20 May, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster CIRCUS EXTREME Combining worldfamous circus artists, clown escapades and extreme stunts, Fri 19 May - Sun 4 June, NEC, Birmingham

ADVENTURE CINEMA The touring outdoor cinema visits Shugborough with screenings of top films, Fri 19Sun 21 May, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire

CREATIVE FACTORY COMMUNITY DAY

Performances from BDK Dance Crew, with premiere showings of their film, Grief. Learn mendhi with Creative Factory Friday Ladies and decorate a

gift box, a sun catcher or a coaster, Sat 20 May, The New Art Gallery, Walsall

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

WORLD BEE DAY FAMILY CRAFTS

Celebrate World Bee Day by making a wildflower seed bomb for your garden, or your very own bee headgear, Sat 20 - Sun 21 May, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton

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

ARTISAN, CRAFT AND GIFT MARKET

Featuring talented makers, creators and enterprises from across the region, Sat 20 - Sun 21 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton

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

AFTERNOON OF ENTERTAINMENT Variety show featuring Britain’s Got Talent

NATURE WRITING Using botanical knowledge and observing seasonal change, keep a personal record through words and pictures, Thurs 18 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

PLANETARIUM LATES: THE ORIGIN OF

Circus Extreme - NEC, Birmingham

The Big Bark - Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

thelist

May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

P!NK LIVE - STARRING

VICKY JACKSON Fri 26

May, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

STONE JETS +

WHIPJACKS + SEAN

GAFFNEY Fri 26 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

YOURYTHMICS Fri 26

May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shrops

CAPER CLOWNS + THE

GUS GLYNN BAND Fri 26

May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

CALLING PLANET EARTH

Classical Music

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

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

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

Gigs

RAPSQUILLION Mon 22

May, Bill’s Kitchen, Ludlow, South Shrops

THE CHATS + THE CHISEL + GUANTANAMO

BAYWATCH Wed 24 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE JAY RAYNER SEXTET

Wed 24 May, New Vic

Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme

HANNAH SANDERS & BEN

SAVAGE Wed 24 May, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

LULU Wed 24 May, Lichfield Garrick

THE PRIMITIVES Thurs 25 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

MAGGIE LINDEMANN

Thurs 25 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

MIDGE URE Thurs 25 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

BENNY & THE FOZ Thurs

25 May, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

NERVOSA + ELYREAN +

BORN ZERO Thurs 25

May, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

GAZ COOMBES + JOHN J.

PRESLEY Thurs 25 May, The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

BATTLE BORN + WARLOCK AD + FROZEN

IN SHADOWS Thurs 25

May, The Underground, Stokeon-Trent

BRANDY AND THE BUTCHER + ERA’S END

Thurs 25 May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

THE SENSATIONAL 60S

EXPERIENCE Thurs 25

May, Crewe Lyceum

SARKODIE Fri 26 May,

O2 Institute, B’ham

BAD BOY CHILLER CREW

Fri 26 May, O2

Academy, Birmingham

DAN WHITEHOUSE Fri 26

May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

OASIIS AND THE ABSOLUTE STONE ROSES

Fri 26 May, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

BLOBBIE WILLIAMS Fri

26 May, Brierley Hill

Civic, Dudley

SUPREME QUEEN Fri 26

May, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

ALL OR NOTHING - A CELEBRATION OF SMALL

FACES Fri 26 May,

Stourbridge Town Hall

GUNS 2 ROSES Fri 26

May, The Robin, Bilston

THE CIRCLES Fri 26 May, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

RESTLESS DOG THE

BAND Fri 26 May, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

FASTLOVE - GEORGE

MICHAEL TRIBUTE Fri 26

May, Prince Of Wales Theatre, Cannock

THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN

Fri 26 May, Lichfield

Garrick

THE LONDON DJANGO

COLLECTIVE Fri 26 May, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

MARTIN CARTHY Fri 26

Fri 26 May, Crewe

Lyceum

TOKEN Sat 27 May, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE RYLAND CARAVAN

Sat 27 May, Midlands

Arts Centre, B’ham

LIQUOR & POKER BAND

Sat 27 May, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

LADY MAISERY Sat 27

May, Newhampton Arts Centre, W’hampton

RAMMLIED - RAMMSTEIN

TRIBUTE Sat 27 May, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

THE BON JOVI

EXPERIENCE Sat 27

May, Lichfield Garrick

GOOD TO GO Sat 27

May, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

PETER ANDRE Sat 27

May, Crewe Lyceum

KINGS OF LEON Sat 27Sun 28 May, Wrexham

AFC

THE BUSHBURYS Sun 28

May, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

RACHAEL SAGE Sun 28

May, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

THE BOOTLEG ROCK

SHOW Sun 28 May, Crewe Lyceum

TIM GALLAGHER Wed 31 May, O2 Academy, Birmingham

ROGER WATERS Wed 31

May, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

A TRIBUTE TO LUTHER

VANDROSS Wed 31

May, Wolverhampton

Grand Theatre

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

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

Comedy

FRANKIE BOYLE Mon 22 May, Crewe Lyceum

FRANKIE BOYLE Tues 23 May, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

COMEDY IN THE MET Tues 23 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

THE SCUMMY MUMMIES Wed 24 May, Crewe Lyceum

LOU CONRAN, SEAN MCLOUGHLIN, JENNY HART, DEAN COUGHLIN & COMIC

TBC Thurs 25 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JUSTIN MOORHOUSE Thurs 25 May, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

THE MAN THEY CALL G Fri 26 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

DAN TIERNAN, LOU CONRAN, SEAN

MCLOUGHLIN & RORY O’HANLON Sat 27 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS! Sat 27 May, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

KANE BROWN Sun 28 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JOSH BERRY Sun 28 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JON RICHARDSON Sun 28 - Mon 29 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

LOU CONRAN & HARRIET DYER (PICTURED) Wed 31 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Theatre

TEECHERS (LEAVERS ’22) John Godber’s comedy about the education system, updated for the 21st century, Mon 22 - Wed 24 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE National Theatre production taking audiences on a journey to ‘a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it’, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

ROCK OF AGES Farewell tour of the smash-hit musical, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL Sutton Coldfield Musical Youth Theatre present an amateur version of the hit high-school musical, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

IVO GRAHAM Thurs 25 May, Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, North Shropshire

DAN TIERNAN, LOU CONRAN, SEAN

MCLOUGHLIN, FARHAN SOLO & TREVOR

BICKLES Fri 26 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE SCUMMY MUMMIES Fri 26 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

ADAM BEARDSMORE, KAREN BAYLEY & STEVE ROYAL Fri 26 May, Brewhouse

MEN OF THE WORLD The Lichfield Players present an amateur version of John Godber’s bitter-sweet play, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Lichfield Garrick

BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

Experience the drama, passion and excitement as a multi-talented cast of actor-musicians tell Buddy Holly’s story, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

P!NK starring Vicky Jackson - The Buttermarket

HEMATOMA Kieran Dee’s one-man road movie in which he ‘tries everything to fill the gap in his head’, Wed 24 - Thurs 25 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

THIS BEAUTIFUL FANTASTIC Amateur production presented by Central Youth Theatre, Wed 24 - Thurs 25 May, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

BAD ROADS ‘Heart-breaking, powerful, bitterly comic’ account of what it is to be a woman in wartime. Written by leading Ukrainian playwright Natal’ya Vorozhbit, Wed 24 - Sat 27 May, Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? ‘An experiential ghost story, unlike anything you have ever experienced before...’, Thurs 25 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

DIRTY DUSTING Crissy Rock, Leah Bell, Vanessa Karon & Paul Dunn star in a comic production described as ‘an evening of pure theatrical viagra’, Thurs 25 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

MISTER SHAKESPEARE - AN INCOMPLETE

WORK New play exploring Shakespeare the man, the father, the actor and the entrepreneur, Sat 27 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

INTO THE WOODS Curtain Call Theatre Company present an amateur version of Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Sat 27 - Sun 28 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DON’T CLAP FOR ME MR JOHNSON New play from Agape Theatre Company, Sun 28 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

MY SON PINOCCHIO JR Amateur production by Get Your Wigle On, Mon 29 - Tues 30 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

STARS - AN AFROFUTURIST SPACE

ODYSSEY A new play about an old lady who goes into outer space in search of her own orgasm, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June, The Old Rep, Birmingham

THE KING AND I West End performer

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

MATILDA JR Amateur version presented by Stage Productions, Tues 30 May - Sat 3 June, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

Kids Shows

ZOG Smash-hit stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s popular children’s book, Tues 23Wed 24 May, Telford Theatre

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE: SCIENCE

SAVES THE WORLD Entertaining, educational show which explores

how science shapes the world in which we live. Expect a few loud bangs along the way, Sat 27 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

THE SINGING MERMAID Theatre for younger audiences, based on the original storybook by Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks, Sat 27Sun 28 May, The Rep, Birmingham

RAPUNZEL New version of the popular musical featuring songs, dance routines and jokes aplenty, Sat 27Sun 28 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS LIVE!

A ‘fantastical’ family show where audiences are invited into a magical world of myths & legends, Sun 28Tues 30 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

RAPUNZEL Panto adventure starring Kerry Katona, Joanne Clifton, Dean Gaffney and Jamie & Chuck, Mon 29 May, Whitchurch Civic Centre, North Shropshire

MINISTRY OF SCIENCE LIVE: SCIENCE

SAVES THE WORLD Entertaining, educational show which explores how science shapes the world in which we live. Expect a few loud bangs along the way, Tues 30 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS

Pantomime-style show featuring circus and speciality acts, highenergy choreography, and a post-show meet & greet opportunity, Wed 31 May, Stourbridge Town Hall

DINOSAUR ADVENTURE LIVE Fun family show that immerses audiences in an ‘enthralling & realistic’ world of dinosaurs, Wed 31 May, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE The People’s Theatre Company present a production for younger audiences. Based on the Steven Lee picture book, Wed 31 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

party anthems’, Sat 20 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

RAMBERT DANCE: PEAKY BLINDERS THE REDEMPTION OF THOMAS SHELBY

Steven Knight’s timeless story returns to the Midlands by popular demand. Expect Peaky tracks from Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Radiohead, Anna Calvi, The Last Shadow Puppets, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Tues 23 - Sat 27 May, Birmingham Hippodrome

Light Entertainment

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

Dance

JOHANNES RADEBE: FREEDOM

UNLEASHED Join the Strictly favourite in a show described as a ‘melting pot of South African rhythms and huge

SIR JACK’S HISTORY BOYS An evening of football talk with Sky Sports presenter Johnny Phillips and former Wolves players Matt Murray, Mark Kennedy, Nathan Blake and Kenny Miller, Mon 22 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

AN AUDIENCE WITH LIVERPOOL LEGENDS

Entertainment and banter with Ronnie Whelan, Steve McMahon, Jan Molby and host Jed Stone, Tues 23 May, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

DREAMCOAT STARS Featuring hits from the West End and Broadway, Wed 24 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

FUNNY GIRLS ON TOUR Starring female

impersonator Betty Legs Diamond, Thurs 25 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

FORBIDDEN NIGHTS Featuring circus acts, seductive choreography and a comedian compere, Thurs 25 May, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

VENTRILOQUIST: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ARTHUR LAGER An evening with Steve Hewlett and his cast of zany characters, Fri 26 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

MR.B - THE GENTLEMAN RHYMER Join the British parodist as he attempts to reconnect hip-hop with manners and the King’s English! Sat 27 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

MILLION DOLLAR MEN A tribute to Magic Mike described as ‘the ultimate ladies night out’, Sat 27 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

CIRCUS RAJ Featuring Rajasthan street performers, including aerialists, acrobats, musicians, slack-rope walkers and giant puppet characters, Sat 27 May, Steiner Academy, Hereford

SK SHLOMO: BREATHE Join the international beatboxing star as he presents ‘a rollercoaster love-letter to the lifesaving power of beats, bass and breathing’, Sun 28 May, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham OPERA BOYS: A NIGHT AT THE MUSICALS

Complete with brand-new musical medleys, solo performances and ‘a few surprises!’, Sun 28 May, Lichfield Garrick

CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER: AN OPEN BOOK

An evening with the award-winning West End star. Expect perfectly executed songs from the musicals, interspersed with chat about her fascinating life and career, 29 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

PSYCHIC SALLY An evening of mediumship with ‘the nation’s favourite psychic’, Wed 31 May, The Alexandra, Birmingham

The King & I - Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

thelist

Talks & Spoken Word

JAY SHETTY WORLD TOUR: LOVE RULES

A 90-minute experience in which the See On Purpose podcast host and bestselling author talks about ‘finding, keeping and letting go of love’, Mon 22 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Monday 22 - Wednesday 31 May

livestock, tractors and main-arena entertainment, Sat 27 May, West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury

LIBRARY TOUR Climb the spiral staircase to see one of the cathedral’s best loved treasures, Sat 27 May, Lichfield Cathedral

RUSTICUS PRESENTS: WACKY WILDLIFE

Interactive walking adventure where you’ll meet an array of wildlife taking part in some silly activities, Sat 27 May, Aston Hall, Birmingham

THE NATIONAL HALAL FOOD FESTIVAL & LIFESTYLE SHOW Exhibitors include gourmet street-food vendors, national halal brands, established businesses and small start-up businesses, Sat 27 - Sun 28 May, NEC, Birmingham

HEROES OF 93 Re-live the excitement of when John Rudge’s Port Vale won the Autoglass Trophy at Wembley. Compered by Vale legend Mark Grew, Tues 23 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE - I WANNA

BE... Unique poetry show, with support from Luke Wright, Sat 27 May, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

CLASSIC WAR FILM SEASON Classic war films screened within the newly launched Bomber Command exhibition, Sat 27 May - Thurs 1 June, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

1940S WEEK Explore life in the 1940s with workshops, displays and activities, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

unique crafts, street food, live music from the Dirty Rockin’ Scoundrels and fairground rides, Sun 28 - Mon 29 May, Weston Park, Shropshire

SUPERSTAR WRESTLING - ARE YOU READY FOR SHOWTIME? Top international wrestling stars head to the ring to face the very best of home-grown talent and fans’ favourites, Mon 29 May, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

interactive workshops exploring different elements of Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths, Mon 29 May - Fri 2 June, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire

RAPUNZEL WORKSHOP Children’s dance workshop led by a professional practitioner, Tues 30 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-onTrent

THE MYTH OF SERIAL KILLER PROFILING

Join Professor Jackson as he explores how behavioural analysis has been used in high-profile murder investigations, Tues 30 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Events

DISCOVERING BEES AND WASPS Learn about miners, masons, plasterers and thieves as you delve into the fascinating world of bees and wasps, Mon 22 May, Shropshire Hills

Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

NATURAL CRAFTING WORKSHOP

Discover how to use natural materials found along the canal to create surface patterns, explore textures and learn crafts, Thurs 25 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

CANDLELIT LIBRARY TOUR Climb the spiral staircase to see one of the cathedral’s best-loved treasures under LED candlelight, Fri 26 May, Lichfield Cathedral

SHROPSHIRE COUNTY SHOW Featuring

MAYBEES TRAIL Create a buzz as you follow this self-led 10-point nature trail around Powis Castle’s colourful garden, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Powis Castle, Welshpool

BRICKLIVE BRICKOSAURS Get ready for a ‘roar-some display on a T-Rex scale, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

FIESTAVAL Vibrant and colourful, celebration across the resort, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Drayton Manor

Theme Park, Tamworth

DINO WEEK Open the gates to the new Raptor Ranch, where the T-Rex, Velociraptor, Triceratops and Spinosaurus are waiting to meet you, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton upon Trent

WILDERNESS WEEK Become a nature detective and test your den-building skills, Sat 27 May - Sun 4 June, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Shropshire

FAMILY FUN RACEDAY Featuring a range of activities, Sun 28 May, Uttoxeter Racecourse

MEDIEVAL LIFE Meet characters from the past and hear tales from centuries ago, Sun 28 - Mon 29 May, Stokesay Castle, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

WESTON’S SPRING FLING Featuring a line-up of artisan food producers,

ZOOLAB CLIMATE CRUSADER’S SHOW Get ‘up close and hands-on’ with exotic animals as you learn about the changing planet, Mon 29 May - Fri 2 June, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

MAY HALF TERM ACTIVITY - BACKYARD SURVIVAL Find out about surviving outdoors; filter water, pick ‘spring greens’ to taste as a stir-fry, make a ‘one minute’ fire and build a den, Mon 29 May - Fri 2 June, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

FREDDO’S MAGIC SHOW Freddo hosts his very own magic show, Mon 29 May - Fri 2 June, Cadbury World, Bournville, Birmingham

MAY HALF TERM ACTIVITIES Series of

FAIRYTALE WORKSHOP An opportunity to explore crafts as a family, Tues 30 May, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-onTrent

BOTANICAL ECO-PRINTS Learn how to create your own botanical contact prints with real fresh leaves and flowers on paper and fabric, Tues 30 May, The Hive, Shrewsbury

MAY HALF TERM FAMILY FUN Try one of the nature-themed or traditional Victorian craft sessions before taking part in some outdoor games, Tues 30 - Wed 31 May, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton

STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY SHOW A twoday agricultural show with competitions for livestock & horses, Wed 31 May - Thurs 1 June, Staffordshire Count Showground

Dino Week - National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton upon Trent

Freddo’s Magic Show - Cadbury World, Birmingham