Staffordshire What's On September 2023

News from around the region

Fireworks and music at Proms spectacular

Weston Park on the Shropshire-Staffordshire border is welcoming in the autumn by hosting a Proms concert.

Taking place on Saturday 9 September, the four-and-a-half-hour event features ‘fabulous’ entertainment and a Spitfire in full flight. The picnic concert includes performances by swing singer Sam Griffiths, London’s Orion Orchestra and Britain’s Got Talent favourite Malaki Booyah.

The evening will be brought to a close with the traditional Proms fireworks display. To find out more about the event and book tickets, visit weston-park.com

Brownhills to perform hit musical West Side Story

The award-winning Brownhills Musical Theatre Company is this month presenting a new production of West Side Story.

The production shows at Lichfield Garrick Theatre from Tuesday 26 to Saturday 30 September. To purchase tickets for the show, visit lichfieldgarrick.com

British Ironwork Centre to host Special Olympics

The British Ironwork Centre & Sculpture Park in Oswestry is hosting an event for athletes with intellectual disabilities next month. Taking place at the venue on Saturday 7 October, the Special Olympics will see athletes from Shropshire, Wales and the West Midlands competing in a selection of Olympic-style sports.

For further information about the event, visit britishironworkcentre.co.uk

More murder and mayhem as Cluedo returns in 2024

The theatrical version of classic boardgame Cluedo proved so popular on a recent UK tour that a follow-up show is set to hit the road in spring/summer 2024.

Titled Cluedo 2: The Next Chapter, the comedy-mystery will feature ‘a new story, a new house, new suspects, and lots of new bodies!’... The show stops off at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn from 23 to 27 April.

Bewdley Festival returns with 10 days of fun

The 35th Bewdley Festival takes place across a 10-day period next month. Highlights of the event’s 2023 line-up of entertainment include appearances by folk rock band Lindisfarne, author Lemn Sissay (pictured), comedian Shaparak Khorsandi, scientist & broadcaster Adam Rutherford, and talented classical music artists the Carducci Quartet. The festival runs at various venues from Friday 6 to Saturday 21 October. For further information, visit bewdleyfestival.org.uk

Funding secures film event at the Gatehouse

Stafford’s Gatehouse Theatre will continue its dementia-friendly ‘classic film afternoons’ this autumn, thanks in part to an award of £1,500 from Tesco’s Stronger Starts scheme. Commenting on the news, the venue’s general manager, Gary Stevens, said: “We are delighted to receive this money from Tesco’s Stronger Starts fund - and especially grateful to all the people of Stafford who helped by backing us with their tokens in-store.

“Our shows are dementia friendly, fully accessible and great value.

“We look forward to seeing even more guests for refreshments and these classic films over the next few months.”

Themed eatery Karen’s Diner to pop up in Stoke

Interactive AustralianAmerican theme restaurant Karen’s Diner is out on tour across the UK, and will be bringing its pop-up experience to a secret location in Stoke-on-Trent on Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 November.

The pop-up will offer the ‘full and authentic’ Karen experience, with customers greeted by rude waiters who will provide a deliberately unpleasant dining experience! Tickets are now on sale at explorehidden.com

New grime musical to show at the Hippodrome

A leading musical theatre company for young people is returning to Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio from Friday 1 to Sunday 3 September to present a brand-new musical.

Performed by British Youth Musical Theatre, a company of 14 to 21-year-olds from across the UK, #50 Days retells the story of the 50day period that led up to the outbreak of the British Civil Wars. With parallels to Brexit, questions about the monarchy and a new grime soundtrack, the contemporary musical ‘brings history back to the current day’. To find out more and book tickets, visit birminghamhippodrome.com

All aboard the Scream Train...

What better way to celebrate Halloween at the end of next month than by stepping on board the Severn Valley Railway Scream Train?

Running on Saturday 28, Monday 30 & Tuesday 31 October, the train will pass through haunted stations on its way to Arley - the home of the living dead!...

Fingers crossed you make it back to Kidderminster in one piece!... To find out more, visit svr.co.uk

Town Hall debut for Damian Lewis

Actor Damian Lewis and his band visit Birmingham Town Hall this month (Friday 15 September) as part of a firstever UK tour.

The tour comes in support of Damian’s critically acclaimed debut album, Mission Creep, which was released in June. To find out more and check ticket availability, visit bmusic.co.uk

Big Fish Little Fish at Wolverhampton venue

Award-winning family rave Big Fish Little Fish is visiting Popworld Wolverhampton on Saturday 30 September.

Families are invited to join DJ Joe Hunt for an event that promises confetti cannons, bubbles, snow, balloons and a parachute dance finale. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com

Time to raise a glass as Shropshire Oktoberfest returns

This year’s Shropshire Oktoberfest takes place in Shrewsbury’s Quarry Park on Friday 6 & Saturday 7 October.

The ever-popular event will once again be championing the region’s best breweries, cider makers, drinks producers and distilleries.

As well as the alcohol, the festival also includes a programme of entertainment, with a livemusic stage and comedy club both featuring. Commenting on this year’s get-together, Beth

Disney On Ice skates into the region

Feld Entertainment are bringing their hit show Disney On Ice presents 100 Years Of Wonder to Birmingham later in the autumn - and audiences should expect a seriously spectacular production.

Set & costume designers have created approximately 180 props and 250 different costumes for the show, all of which will be transported to Birmingham, alongside the impressive set itself, in a staggering 19 trucks! Featuring Mirabel and the stars of Encanto for the very first time in the UK, the show also includes plenty of well-established on-ice favourites...

There’s Moana and Maui - who’ll be busy trying to save the island of Motunui - the Disney Princesses, Frozen’s Anna, Elsa & Olaf, the Toy

Heath, Director of Fun at Shropshire Festivals, the company organising the event, said: “As always, there will be no mainstream rubbish at Shropshire Oktoberfest!...

“Instead, you can buy your beers, ciders and spirits directly from the people who make it, soaking in their expertise as well as enjoying quality tipples.”

Early-bird tickets for the festival are available from shropshireoktoberfest.co.uk

Story gang, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia, and Dory, Nemo, Marlin and new pal Hank.

The storyline sees Mickey Mouse being joined by his friends on a journey to discover his favourite memory of all time.

Disney On Ice shows at Resorts World Arena from Tuesday 1 to Sunday 5 November.

Tickets are available at resortsworldarena.co.uk

News from around the region

Robert Plant in Stoke-onTrent

Robert Plant is bringing his talented Saving Grace co-operative - featuring vocalist Suzi Dian - to Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent on Thursday 23 November. Singer, songwriter & musician Taylor McCall will make a special guest appearance. Tickets for the show are available by visiting atgtickets.com/stoke

Journey through creation at Lichfield Cathedral

Lichfield Cathedral is inviting visitors to Journey Through Creation this autumn, courtesy of numerous free-to-view miniinstallations celebrating the Earth and the stages of its creation according to the Bible. The installations will include artwork by youngsters who took part in the cathedral’s children’s activities over the summer. The initiative will also feature a garden space for relaxing, an aquarium, exhibits created by local students, and examples of ‘how we can all play our part in taking care of our precious Earth’...

Journey Through Creation is available to experience from Friday 22 September to Sunday 5 November.

British Ceramics Biennial Festival launches in Stoke

The British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) Festival returns to Stoke-onTrent for six weeks this autumn.

Running from Saturday 23 September to Sunday 5 November, BCB features exhibitions, installations and events, introduces work by international artists and fresh new talent, and celebrates the creative potential of clay in terms of storytelling, playfulness, risktaking and activism.

You can find out more about the festival by visiting britishceramicsbiennial.com

Festive light trail at the National Arboretum

The National Memorial Arboretum’s annual winter light trail will make a return this Christmas.

Following a mile-long route through the woodlands, gardens and memorials of the

A singalong with Gareth

Following the success of his 2022 tour, choirmaster & broadcaster Gareth Malone is back with more dates for this autumn - including a stop-off at Birmingham Town Hall on Saturday 18 November. To find out more and book your seat, visit garethmalone.com

Spooktacular Halloween fun at Telford Theatre

Families can enjoy ‘the Halloween adventure of a lifetime’ at Telford Theatre later this autumn.

The popular venue will host Made To Measure Productions’ Halloween Spooktacular on Thursday 2 November. Tickets for the ‘fang-tastic’ show, which features ‘ghosties, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night’, are available at telfordtheatre.com

Library literature festival

Wednesbury Library is hosting a literature festival this month as part of the We Are Wednesbury cultural programme.

Staffordshire venue, Illuminated Arboretum will be available to experience every evening from Thursday 7 to Saturday 23 December. To find out more, visit thenma.org.uk

Running across local community spaces from Tuesday 5 to Saturday 16 September, the festival will feature a range of events aimed at both celebrating the area and introducing people to new authors. Visit multistory.org.uk/product/wednesburyliterature-festival-2/to check out what’s happening, where and when.

Hit Drag Race show to visit Birmingham arena

Bimini Bon-Boulash will be the only UK queen to appear in RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World when it tours to Utilita Arena Birmingham next month (Thursday 12 October).

Bimini will appear in the show alongside Jaida Essence Hall, Aquaria, Vanessa Vanjie, Angeria, Bosco, Daya Betty, Kandy Muse and Ginger Minj. To find out more and book tickets, visit WerqTheWorld.com

Midlands venue to host 2024 basketball finals

Birmingham’s Utilita Arena will host the British Basketball League Men’s & Women’s Trophy Finals in the new year (Saturday 27 & Sunday 28 January). To book your seat, visit theticketfactory.com

LATIN FEVER

There’s a new musical visiting the region this month, and it’s causing quite a stir...

A new musical inspired by the life and legacy of rock & roll legend Ritchie Valens has just embarked on its first UK tour. La Bamba follows the journey of 17-year-old Sofia as she looks to fulfill her dream of becoming a huge musical star. The show sees dancer Pasha Kovalev make his musical theatre debut, whilst his Strictly co-star, Graziano Di Prima, is responsible for the choreography. What’s On recently caught up with ‘Italian stallion’ Graziano to find out more...

Strictly Come Dancing professional Graziano Di Prima is turning his hand to choreography with new musical La Bamba!.

Working in a team alongside his wife - Giada Lini - and Erica Da Silva, Graziano has been creating the dance moves for the show, which features music from Latin superstars including Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Camila Cabello. Graziano’s fellow Strictly professional, Pasha Kovalev, and Siva Kaneswaran, from boyband The Wanted, both star.

“This is my first job as a choreographer, and I couldn’t be more happy with it,” he reveals during a break in rehearsals. “I’m very lucky to be doing it, sharing this job with producers, the director and also my wife. We’re often apart through work because I do Strictly and she does Dancing With The Stars in Italy, so this is incredible.”

But, he laughs, the urge to dance can be impossible to resist.

“Sometimes I forget I’m the choreographer, and I start dancing with the guys, and my wife is like ‘You need to step out - you’re the choreographer, remember!’”

La Bamba! tells the story of 17-year-old Sofia, played by Inêz Fernandez, who dreams of becoming a Latin singing superstar. She is inspired by her father’s love for the great Latin singers, including Ritchie Valens, who famously topped the charts with a rock & roll version of Mexican folk song La Bamba. Valens died at the age of 17 in the same airplane crash that killed Buddy Holly and Jiles Perry ‘JP’ Richardson.

Although the story draws on the spirit of Valens, Graziano says it is very much a 21stcentury tale.

“Sofia grew up with the same musical roots as her dad, and in the show she is touring her dream. She does everything to achieve it, and it’s incredible - but then her producers want to change her. They want her to sing a song which is less Latin, and they want to change her surname.

“I’m so in love with the story because it is so relatable for people today. You know, so many of us are influenced by what others think of us. Sometimes we’re led by things like social media, and we see how they can influence a 17-year-old girl. Sofia is facing all these kinds of problems, wondering ‘What is my identity? Should I listen to the people who are commenting on me, or should I trust my family?’

“It’s about the need for people to keep going

forwards and challenging themselves. They can dream about their passion and want to fight for it, but sometimes they are insecure about it. I think each of us has some insecurity, and we live in a world where it’s so easy to judge people and comment on people. Somehow you have to stay true to your roots.”

Sicilian Graziano toured with the dance show Burn The Floor, but choreographing a musical is a new challenge for him.

“The toughest part for a choreographer is that you first of all find the idea, but you always need to be open to a plan B. If I come into the room with an idea and we have 20 minutes to make the choreography, and then I realise it doesn’t fit the dancers who are doing it, I need to change it and find something which will be effective for them.

“I didn’t expect that choreography would be so beautiful and so deep. You have to put your person and your knowledge on the side sometimes. Instead, you need to know the person who is dancing. It’s not just telling them what to do in terms of the steps; you need to understand them.”

And the reunion with Pasha, who left Strictly in 2019 after eight years and is playing Sofia’s father, Ricardo, in La Bamba!, is also a bonus.

“Pasha and I have been friends for ages now and have done so many jobs together and Strictly together. He’s amazing; he’s the most humble person I have ever met, but he understands the movement. He’s so professional, and because we know each other so well, he knows that everything he says to me I take on board.”

With La Bamba! now out on the road, Graziano can start thinking about the upcoming series of Strictly.

“I’m back this year - this is going to be my sixth season and I can’t believe that already. It’s such a crazy journey every year, and yet they make you feel at home. Every year it’s like you start from zero. You’re meeting a new person, so you need to challenge yourself.”

Graziano has so far partnered television presenter Vick Hope, comedian Judi Love and singer & actress Kym Marsh. He won the 2021 Christmas special, dancing with singersongwriter Anne-Marie.

“I love the competition stuff, and that you can go as far as you can - but for me, the first thing is getting to know people and making a new friend. First of all, you have in front of you a person, and secondly, that person, for

most of the time, is doing something that is completely out of their comfort zone, and they’ve got someone telling them what to do.

“Imagine the person who joins Strictly is already scared about the whole journey and knows that on Saturday, no matter how they look or feel, they’re going to dance in front of 10 million people. It’s scary.

“Everyone is different, and I’m very straight when I need to be, but I want to create a friendship first. So Strictly made me grow up as a dancer and as a person.”

At the time of chatting, the celebrity contestants have yet to be announced.

“It’s too early to know yet, but I don’t have any preference. As long as the person wants to learn and make a dance relationship, I’m there to help them.”

And while his next few months may be taken up on the small screen, Graziano is hoping that La Bamba! will lead to future choreography opportunities.

“I’d really like to do more. Working with the director and finding a purpose in everything is something that fascinates me. It’s about portraying everything in the choreography. “The dance in La Bamba! is a bit of everything, with the flavour of samba, salsa, and a flourish of tango, so this show is going to be a party for everyone. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve, and I hope the people in the audience feel as much energy as we do and are as much a part of this as we are.”

October

La Bamba! shows at the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7

Food news from across the region...

Sausage, cider and a singalong, anyone?

The touring Sausage & Cider Festival visits Telford’s QE2 Arena for the very first time on Saturday 9 September. The event’s attractions include a wide range of craft cider from around the UK, more than a dozen types of sausage, and performances by numerous tribute bands including Queen Greatest Hits, Kopycat Killers, Scam Fender, One Step Behind and ABBA Tribute. Festival tickets can be pre-booked by visiting sausageandciderfest.co.uk

Shrewsbury’s beer festival makes a return

Shrewsbury CAMRA Beer Festival returns to the town’s St Mary’s Church from Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 September. The popular event features ciders, perries, country wines, craft gins and around 100 beers... For more details, visit shrewsburycamra.org.uk

Japanese-inspired restaurant reopens

Japanese-inspired restaurant MomoNo-Ki has reopened on Shrewsbury’s Abbey Foregate - complete with a new outdoor terrace!

Housed in its original location - next door to The Peach Tree restaurant - the town favourite is open seven days a week and features a menu that brings together old favourites with new dishes; think ramen, sushi, sashimi, Piggy Bits and bao.

Main-dish highlights include KangarooUdon - seared kangaroo, udon noodles, soy egg, kimchi, pickled daikon and bushi - and Bao Boy - wild mushroom bao buns, lao gan ma, afro samurai udon noodles, gemchi.

The Tamworth Food Gusto Festival is back this month, returning to the town’s picturesque Castle Grounds on Saturday 23 & Sunday 24 September.

The popular event, now in its eighth year, features a wide variety of artisan food & drink, including wood-fired pizza, organic beef burgers, Greek gyros, spicy homemade samosas, authentic Caribbean BBQ, chicken shawarma wraps, hog roast and Thai cuisine.

Digbeth Dining Club touring to Black Country venues

Birmingham’s on-tour Digbeth Dining Club stops off at two Black Country venues this month: Dudley’s Himley Hall on Saturday the 9th and Bantock Park Gardens on Saturday the 23rd.

Traders participating include: What The Cluck, Cleopatra’s Kitchen, Spice Club, Fat Snags, Phata Phat, Chatty Patty, Brum Mi, Sticky Beats, Surf + Slice, Street Chef, Patty Freaks, Oh La La, Notty Bites, That’s Mature, Shrimp Shack, West Midlands Chip Van, West Midlands Jerk Centre, Cookie Mumster and Bournville Waffle Co.

As well as tasty food, each event features ‘great booze’, live music and ‘good vibes’. Pre-book tickets at digbethdiningclub.com or pay on the door on the day.

Barista coffee, local craft ale & cider, cocktails and English wines grown and produced in the Midlands will also be available. An entertainment programme including live music and children’s rides further adds to the fun.

Gates open at 10.30am (until 5pm) both days. Entry to the festival arena is £2.50 per adult and free for children under the age of 12. To pre-purchase tickets, visit foodgusto.com

Tamworth’s Food Gusto Festival back for an eighth year

The return of Heritage Open Days...

Heritage Open Days

Heritage Open Days is England’s largest festival of history and culture, taking place every September and involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Stories are told, traditions explored and histories brought to life. The festival provides members of the general public with the chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences. And what’s more, it’s all absolutely FREE. The event returns this year from Friday 8 to Sunday 17 September - and here are just some of the venues you can explore around the region...

Staffordshire Black Country

Dudley Zoo & Castle

Zoological Drive, Discovery Way, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 4AL

Enjoy a late afternoon at the 11th-century castle in the heart of Dudley Zoo. The venue will open its doors for free for those interested in the history of the castle. Access will include the castle courtyard, keep, undercroft and visitor centre. No guided tours will be included. However, the castle’s historian will be happy to answer any questions.

Thurs 14 & Fri 15 Sept | 5pm-7.30pm, pre- booking required

Wightwick Manor & Gardens

Bridgnorth Road, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV6 8BN

Enjoy a free visit to Wightwick and check out its Pre-Raphaelite art and William Morris interiors.

The De Morgan Gallery features the exhibition Look Beneath The Lustre, which includes some items on loan from the National Portrait Gallery (open 11am - 4pm). The 17-acre garden, Mander’s tearoom, kitchen garden and Woodland Play will also be open to explore.

Black History Month celebrations start early on the Saturday and feature local reggae legend Basil Gabbidon and other artists. Sunday attractions include traditional outdoor games and craft activities. Sat 16 & Sun 17 Sept | 10am-5pm, no booking required

Transport Heritage Walk

Cup Cake Lane Cafe, Ranger Centre, Station Buildings, Henwood Road, Wolverhampton, WV6 8NY

Led by local historian Alec Brew, this familyfriendly guided walk journeys through 250 years of Wolverhampton’s transport history. The walk begins and ends at the Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre, which will also be open to visit for free.

Sat 9 Sept | 11am-1pm, pre-booking preferred

Behind the Scenes at the Museum Stores

Museum Stores, Beacon Business Park, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0WL

Families can pick up a mini trail sheet and go behind the scenes at the Museum Stores to check out its fascinating collections. Staffordshire social history, costume and artand the recently moved carriage collectionwill be available to explore. The large-object store will be open on the hour for those who would like to investigate further. This is a self-guided visit, but staff and volunteers will be on hand to highlight treasures, give directions and answer questions.

Sat 9 Sept | 10.30am-4pm, pre-booking required

Gladstone Pottery Museum

26 Uttoxeter Road, Stoke-on-Trent, ST3 1PQ

17th Century Life At Moseley Old Hall

Featherstone, Wolverhampton, WV10 7HY

Moseley Old Hall was built in 1600 and belonged to a family of wool merchants throughout the 17th century. In 1651, Moseley played a pivotal role in saving the life of Charles II; for 70 hours he sheltered at the venue, under the care of the Whitgreave family.

Visitors on the 9th of September can discover the extraordinary history of ‘the home that saved a king’. Wander through the hall and experience the sights and smells of a 17thcentury farmhouse, complete with crackling open fire and costumed characters with whom to interact.

Traditional lawn games also feature, and there are woods and meadows to explore too.

Sat 9 Sept | 10am-5pm, no booking required

Visitors to the museum on Friday the 8th can experience what conditions were like for the men, women and children who worked at the centre of the world’s pottery industry. While at the venue, be sure to check out the Tile Gallery - which features one of the best decorative tile collections in the countryand Flushed With Pride, a gallery dedicated to the history of the toilet.

Fri 8 Sept | 10am-5pm, no booking required

The return of Heritage Open Days...

Unpacking The V&A Wedgwood Collection: Behind-the-scenes tours

V&A Wedgwood Collection, Wedgwood Drive, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9ER

At V&A Wedgwood Collection, they are in the process of unpacking and cataloguing their stored collections of more than 65,000 objects.

Take a look behind the scenes of the unpacking project via a guided tour, learn more about how the collection is cared for, and find out about the creativity behind the objects that are being unwrapped.

Wed 13 - Fri 15 Sept | Wed & Thurs 10.30am, Fri 2.30pm, pre-booking required

Shropshire

Coalbrookdale Open weekend

Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Coach Road, Coalbrookdale, TF8 7DQ

For Heritage Open Days’ first weekend, Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is making Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Enginuity, and the Old Furnace free entry. Family craft activities inspired by the historic industries of the Gorge will be available to enjoy at Enginuity.

Sat 9 & Sun 10 Sept | 10am-5pm, no booking required

Heritage Open Days

piece of barley grain art on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th. The following weekend you can make your very own linen bookmark, decorated with fabric pens.

Sat 9 - Sun 10 & Sat 16 - Sun 17 Sept | 10am5pm, pre-booking preferred

Heritage Crafts at Tamworth Castle

The Holloway, Lady Bank, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B79 7NA

A host of local makers and craftspeople will be contributing to this special Heritage Crafts showcase, highlighting forgotten techniques and skills via a series of demonstrations, workshops and talks.

On 9 & 10 September, visitors will be able to hand-build mini castles in clay, make willow bird feeders, learn rag-rugging using recycled fabric, join weaving workshops and improve knife skills by carving a wooden spoon. Stonemasons will be on hand to discuss their work restoring the castle wall and shed light on heritage conservation.

Inside the castle the following weekend, visitors can learn textile recycling skills through sashiko stitching, boro cloth and 1960s hippie patchwork.

Sat 9 - Sun 10 & Sat 16 - Sun 17 Sept | Sat 9 & Sun 10 10am-4pm; Sat 16 & Sun 17 10.30am-3pm, pre-booking required

Llanymynech Limeworks Heritage Area

Llanymynech Limeworks, North Road, Llanymynech, Shropshire, SY22 6EZ

The Llanymynech Limeworks and surrounding area is steeped in history, with minerals being mined in the area as long ago as the Iron Age and Roman Britain. Throughout the day, guides will take you around the area and up into the quarries (if you have the energy!).

There will be films showing in the stables block, entertainment around the site, and narrowboat rides on The Montgomery canal facilitated by the Wharf Visitor Centre volunteers.

Sun 17 Sept | 10am-4pm, no booking required, book a tour on arrival

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings

Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, Spring Gardens, Shrewsbury, SY1 2SZ

Learn all about Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, the lives of the people who worked there, and the regeneration of the grandparent of the modern skyscrapers. There will also be a chance to make a unique

St Alkmund’s Church Tower Tour

St Alkmund’s Church, Church Street, Whitchurch, Shropshire, SY13 1LB

St Alkmund’s is the parish church of Whitchurch and is a Grade I listed building. This is an opportunity to mount the many steps to the top of the church tower. The climb will take you past the ringing room and allow a view of the clock mechanism, where an expert on Joyce’s Clocks will explain its workings. Continue past the church bells before reaching the roof. The top of the tower affords a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside, with diagrams available to help identify major landmarks.

Fri 8 & Sat 9 Sept | Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 9.45am-2pm, pre-booking required

Classical music from across the region...

Kazuki Yamada & the CBSO: Verdi Requiem

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thurs 14 September

Often described as an opera in all but name, Verdi’s Requiem is the major composition with which the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra get their 2023/24 programme under way.

Kazuki Yamada (pictured) picks up the baton to kickstart his first full season as the orchestra’s chief conductor & artistic advisor.

The exceptionally gifted Sheku KannehMason makes a welcome return to Symphony Hall to perform Shostakovich’s gripping First Cello Concerto. Twenty-four-year-old Sheku came to prominence back in 2016 when he was named BBC Young Musician, becoming the

first Black entrant to win the competition since its launch in 1978... Sheku’s contribution to this City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra concert is sandwiched between Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No1 and Walton’s explosive First Symphony. Kazuki Yamada conducts.

Shostakovich 8

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Thurs 28 September

Written at breakneck speed during a time of world conflict in 1943, Shostakovich’s Eighth Symphony was described by the composerin public, at least - as a poem of suffering and ‘an attempt to reflect the terrible tragedy of war’.

In truth, though, the composition was about so much more...

Writing in his memoirs, Shostakovich admitted that, yes, he felt ‘eternal pain’ for those who had been killed by Hitler, but he then added: “I feel no less pain for those

killed on Stalin’s orders. I suffer for everyone who was tortured, shot, or starved to death. There were millions of them in our country before the war with Hitler began. “The war brought much new sorrow and much new destruction, but I haven’t forgotten the terrible pre-war years. That is what my symphonies are about, including Number Eight.”

Alongside the Eighth, this City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra concert also features pianist Boris Giltburg (pictured) playing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini. Michael Seal conducts.

The concert features the CBSO Chorus, which is celebrating 50 hugely successful years spent performing alongside the orchestra. The past half-century has also seen the Chorus tour the world, sing alongside numerous other prestigious orchestras, make in excess of 50 recordings and pick up four Gramophone awards.

Olivia Dance: Piano Recital

Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Thurs 21 September

Up-and-coming pianist Olivia Dance here presents a lunchtime recital of piano miniatures, along the way discussing their origin and contemplating their value in today’s society.

A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Olivia will perform works by, among others, Schubert, Brahms and Chopin. Two pieces by British composer Madeleine Dring - West Indian Dance and Waltz Finale - also feature.

Sheku Kanneh-Mason Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 16 September

HAPPIER THAN EVER

Graham Nash’s contributions to music have seen him reap an exceptional number of rewards, not least two inductions into the Hall Of Fame - firstly with American supergroup Crosby, Stills And Nash, then with The Hollies. The Salford-born icon chats to What’s On ahead of joining a star-studded line-up at this month’s Moseley Folk Festival...

For anybody who doesn’t know, The Hollies were one of the biggest bands of the 1960s, releasing their debut single, Just Like Me, in 1963, and then going on to amass a string of hits, including Just One Look, Here I Go Again, Look Through Any Window, Bus Stop and Jennifer Eccles. At the heart of their sound were the voices of Allan Clarke and Graham Nash, Salford school pals who had been performing together for a number of years prior to the arrival of The Hollies. But frustrated by their musical direction, Nash quit the band in 1968 and relocated to the US, where he formed supergroup Crosby Stills And Nash (later joined by Neil Young). In the years since, the two old school friends have reunited now and again, but this year sees them writing and recording together for the first time in decades (Nash reckons 1983!), with the track Buddy’s Back appearing on both Nash’s new Now album and Clarke’s I’ll Never Forget LP (with Clarke’s record featuring further collaborations).

"Allan had lost his voice many years ago,” recalls Graham, “and couldn't sing The Air That I Breathe, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother, and Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress. But he called me about eight months ago and said he’d found his voice, and I said, fantastic - any help I can give?

"He said: 'Yeah, well, I've got a couple of songs I want you to consider. If you like them, put your voice on and send them back.' So I did that. And he loved them. So what does he do? He sends me another two songs - and now I'm on 10 songs on his solo record! And I'm very happy about it.”

Born in 1942 and raised in Salford, Manchester, Nash was part of a young generation of British musicians for whom rock & roll/pop music was suddenly a viable, long-term, career option.

“Me and Allan started out in working men's clubs. We were just two teenagers with a couple of acoustic guitars singing skiffle songs. But the audience loved us. And once we realised that, we were off and running as musicians.

"We were supposed to do what our dads did,

and our grandfathers did. We were supposed to go down the mine and dig coal, or supposed to go in the mill and make cloth. But fortunately, my parents recognised my passion for music and encouraged me, rather than slapping me upside the head and telling me to get a real job... Do what you love.”

Although Crosby Stills Nash, and their various configurations, dominate Graham’s post-Hollies discography, the songwriter has nonetheless enjoyed a successful if sporadic solo career since releasing his debut offering, Songs For Beginners, in 1971. Occasional solo releases have followed, although only three this century. But as he's quick to point out, alongside working towards 2016’s This Path Tonight and this year’s Now, the last decade has seen him involved with a mass of other releases.

“Don't forget that in that time I put out something like 14 CDs. I did the CSNY Stadium tour of 1970 - that was four CDs; I did Stephen [Still]'s box set of four CDs; I did David [Crosby]'s box of three CDs; I did my own box; I did demos of Crosby Nash... in between making solo records.”

He also found time to marry his third wife, photographer Amy Grantham, and relocate to New York: “The city that never sleeps.” Now 81, and despite his concerns for the world and environment, he says he's personally happier than ever: “I used to think that I would never love again.”

A special guest at Moseley Folk & Arts Festival, where he joins a line-up that also includes Squeeze, Wilco, The Proclaimers, Stornoway, The Saw Doctors and The Mary Wallopers, Graham has no plans to slow down. Forthcoming projects include a new collection of previously unheard Crosby Nash live recordings, and the possibility of a new solo album culled from Now and This Path Tonight surplus cuts.

And as an avid photographer for decades, he’s also planning a new photography book. Inspired by his amateur photographer father, Graham began taking photos of his family at the age of 11. “That was the first time I realised that I could see things differently,” he says. Though music became his primary

obsession, he’s never stopped snapping and was quick to embrace the possibilities of digital photography and digital printing.

“I waited for years and years for digital to get to the resolution of film, but it's way past it now, right? I love to be able to work on images, having a cup of tea and using Photoshop to get rid of scratches and stuff like that. I'm always doing something.”

Capturing images of those around him over the years - from bandmates and associates, such as Joni Mitchell, to family and friendsGraham finds inspiration in studying pictures taken by some of the best in the business.

“Diane Arbus is a great photographer; Weegee is a great photographer. I like unusual photographs. I do collect photography - just images that I can’t leave the store without.”

Graham Nash plays Moseley Folk on Friday 1 September. The festival runs at Moseley Park & Pool, Birmingham, until Sun 3 September. For further information, visit: moseleyfolk.co.uk

Seal

The Civic at The Halls, Wolverhampton, Thurs 14 September

Award-winning vocalist & songwriter

Seal is certainly a man who knows how to wow a live audience. But although his shows are highly acclaimed for their hugely impressive production values, they could never be so brilliant as to put the London-born superstar’s own spectacular talent in the shade.

He’s visiting Wolverhampton this month as part of a world tour ‘celebrating 30 years of the classic albums Seal I and Seal II’.

Shania Twain

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Tues 26 September

One hundred million global album sales, 330 million streams in the UK alone and five Grammy awards speak volumes for the talent and status of Shania Twain, who is not only the best selling female artist in country-music history but also counts among her fans Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne and Harry Styles.

Crossover star Shania was catapulted into the limelight in the 1990s, scoring hit after fabulous hit as she morphed from country singer to pop goddess in the blink of an eye. But then an encounter with a blood-sucking tick threatened to bring her career to an abrupt end. The resultant Lyme Disease left her vocal box needing reconstruction and stopped her from making an album for a staggering 15 years.

Now returned to health, she’s certainly been busy in recent times. In the last few years she’s released and toured two albums, taken up a Las Vegas residency, made a couple of movies and featured in a Netflix documentary about her career... She visits Birmingham as part of her Queen Of Me tour.

The Big Moon

The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 9 September

Formed by Juliette Jackson via a Facebook callout in 2014, all-female indie rock band

The Big Moon made a splash three years later with debut album Love In The 4th Dimension, for which they were Mercury Prize-shortlisted.

Their second offering, Walking Like We Do, was released in 2020. It was followed last year by Here Is Everything, an introspective

Ferocious Dog

The Robin, Bilston, Fri 29 September Favourites on the festival scene, Ferocious Dog have been entertaining celtic-folk and punk fans for more than 30 years.

“My politics are my politics,” explains lead Ken Bonsall. “We’ll sing those songs about what we believe, but whatever side of the political divide you are from, we want you to feel welcome at an FD show. We always say, you’re never alone at one of our gigs, and that’s the most important thing to us.”

Chris Quinn

Hermon Chapel, Oswestry, Shropshire, Wed 15 September; The Hive, Shrewsbury, Sat 16 September

Shrewsbury-based singer-songwriter & acoustic guitarist Chris Quinn stays close to home for these mid-month gigs, presenting shows which will no doubt leave his audience suitably awestruck by his phenomenal talent.

Whether it’s authentic interpretations of traditional folk songs or lightning quick bluegrass flat picking that floats your boat, you’re in for a treat. Instrumental solo guitar

Live music from across the region...

contemplation of motherhood inspired by frontwoman Jackson’s pregnancy. The band is stopping off at The Sugarmill this month as part of an intimate UK tour in support of the Music Venue Trust.

“Smaller venues are so crucial to the UK’s musical landscape,” says Jackson. “They give new artists a vital space to learn and hone their craft and enter the world of live music at an accessible level. We need to protect these places to keep new music coming.”

pieces, swing jazz numbers and intricate finger style delta blues also feature on Chris’ playlist.

Granny’s Attic

Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Sat 9 September

Granny’s Attic features a trio of young folk musicians who started performing together at Bishop Perone College in Worcester 14 years ago.

Taking a lively and vibrant approach to traditional English, Irish and Scottish folk music, all three performers are accomplished vocalists who between them play a variety of instruments, including melodeon, concertina, guitar, fiddle and mandolin.

GOING FOR (OLD) GOLD

SHED SEVEN GET READY TO HIT THE ROAD

by Steve Adams

Rejuvenated Britpop stars Shed Seven return to the Midlands next month for a show that will bring back fond memories of one of their favourite venues - as singer Rick Witter reveals...

“We have a soft spot for the Wulfrun - it’s a great little venue. We’ve played it loads of times over the years, and we’ve also done the Civic. We must’ve been big in the ’90s because they broadcast the entire gig live on Radio One!”

Shed Seven singer Rick Witter is on a roll, reminiscing about the band’s previous appearances in Wolverhampton as they prepare to return to the city next month. A quick check on Google reveals that the Radio One gig took place on 28 May 1998but it’s a legendary performance from 10 years earlier that first brought the venue to Rick’s attention; namely, the debut solo show by Smiths singer Morrissey.

“One of the reasons I enjoy the Civic so much is because it’s where Morrissey played his first-ever solo gig. He filmed the Hulmerist video there, and I remember the footage of him getting off his fancy tour bus backstage. I’m a big fan of The Smiths, so I’ve watched that video loads. It’s nice to know I’ve shared the stage with Morrissey, even though it was on different nights!”

The pair’s career trajectories have had a few ups and downs since the heady days of their ’80s and ’90s peaks, but Shed Seven - named after a numbered railway building the band spotted while on a train heading into their hometown of York - are currently enjoying something of an Indian summer. Nearly 30 years since the height of their fame - in 1996 they had more top-40 hit singles than any other act - the five-piece are playing the biggest shows of their career and are arguably a bigger live act now than they were in their heyday.

It’s something that seems to confound and delight the friendly, straight-talking Yorkshireman in equal measure.

“It’s funny because we’ve been going for so long and we were big in the ’90s, but we just seem to be going up again. We were kind of also-rans in the Britpop scene - it was basically Pulp, Blur and Oasis, then lots of also-rans like us, The Bluetones, Cast… lots of Championship teams!

“It’s weird to be back and doing so well, but I’m enjoying the process and long may it continue - I am the pilot of the good ship Shed Seven.”

The ship recently gained a couple of new passengers in the shape of drummer Rob ‘Maxi’ Maxfield and keyboardist/multi-

instrumentalist Tim Willis, who joined Witter and fellow core members Paul Banks (guitar) and Tom Gladwin (bass) following the departure of longstanding members Alan Leach and Joe Johnson. Rick believes the new arrivals have given the band a “big kick up the backside”, an argument borne out by the speed with which they wrote and recorded new album A Matter Of Time. The aptly titled LP is the band’s first new music in six years and came together in a matter of monthsunlike previous album Instant Pleasures, which took three years to write. And even though the songs were all written by Rick and Banks, “everyone brings their own little bit to the party.”

The new members have had a direct and indirect influence on proceedings, according to Rick.

“These two guys came on board and settled in straight away - they fit in so well, they’re great musicians and it just flows. Maybe that’s why the album was so quick to writewe were invigorated enough to think, let’s crack on with this.

“I think me and Paul must’ve also hit some type of purple patch because the ideas were just flowing. You have to kind of embrace that to a point because the tap can turn off at any time. We enjoyed the process a lot, and I think that shines through when you hear the music.”

The album wears its heart, if not its influences, on its sleeve. Rick reveals that during the writing, the duo went back to their early years and the music that inspired them as teenagers.

“Before the first Stone Roses album came out, Paul and I would listen to Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Duran Duran. Paul was hugely into Simple Minds, and I loved U2 around the Joshua Tree period. Almost without discussing it, I think we’ve kinda gone back to our youth.”

The resulting album - due out next Januaryis full of the catchy, jangly guitar anthems that made the band famous. “It’s very Shed Seven,” says Rick, “but it sounds fresh and new.” It also adds a few new colours to the palette, not least in the form of guest turns from the likes of Happy Mondays’ Rowetta, Laura McClure (Reverend & The Makers) and Peter Doherty. The latter connection was forged when Shed Seven opened for The Libertines at the Bingley Weekender festival

in Yorkshire last summer.

“As we played, I noticed Peter stood at the side of the stage watching our gig and singing along. I thought, alright, so you’re a bit of a fan, are you? We got chatting afterwards and he was telling us how he listened to Shed Seven in the ’90s. That opened the doors to me saying: If you like us that much, why don’t you come and sing on one of our songs!”

That track (Throwaways) is an anthem for “people who don’t fit”, according to Rick, and closes the album in suitably epic fashion. Earlier tunes, such as opener Let’s Go and current single Kissing California, are natural successors to the band’s best-known hits, such as Going For Gold and Chasing Rainbows.

“‘Kissing California is Shed Seven’s summer anthem. It’s essentially a celebration of being alive, and grabbing the opportunity to paint the town red with someone special and have the best of times.”

And these are very definitely the best of times for the band, he believes - even though he’s loathe to reel out one particular cliché.

“I really don’t like it when I read interviews with bands and they’ve got a new album out and they tell you it’s the best thing they’ve ever done. But I’m just gonna have to be in that camp because I really do think it. And that’s after 30-odd years of doing this. It’s taken us that long to get to a point where I can feel like we’ve achieved something.” That satisfaction also comes from seeing younger audiences and generations of families at Shed Seven’s live shows, which Rick believes means that the band can go on forever (“we are the new Rolling Stones”) - an ambition he’s determined to follow through on.

“This is basically all I’ve ever wanted to do. When I was nine, I used to sing in front of the mirror with a hairbrush and shake me hips, so I’ve been lucky enough to be able to do it as a career. This is my life, so I’ll do it till I’m dead.”

Shed Seven play Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent, on Monday 23 October and Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, on Tuesday 24 October

Suzi Ruffell

Old Rep, Birmingham, Sat 16 September; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 19 October

Gay, quirky and delightfully selfdeprecating, Suzi Ruffell is now well established in the challenging world of standup comedy.

Presenting an unquestionably likeable persona, she imbues her act with an impressive dynamism.

As well as being a comedian, Suzi’s also a writer, contributing to TV shows including 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The Last Leg. She’s also scored big hits with her podcasts, Like Minded Friends and Out.

Away from comedy, she lists her ‘likes’ as ‘cooking’ and ‘those cats with no hair’. Suzi visits Birmingham this month with latest touring show Snappy, in which she talks about settling down, becoming a mother and ‘still worrying about everything’.

Ricky Gervais

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Mon 4 September

Ricky Gervais has been called the most influential British comedian since Charlie Chaplin...

In fact, he’s been called all sorts of things, some of them far less complimentary. A comic who very much divides opinionhe’s clever and talented but often criticised for peddling ‘unacceptable’ material - there’s certainly no questioning the worldwide impact of the Reading-born 62-year-old.

Ruby Wax

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sat 23 September; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 13 October

American comedian Ruby Wax here follows up her critically acclaimed show, How To Be Human, with what’s being described as her rawest, darkest and funniest offering yet. “The original idea behind this show [titled I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was] was based on the extreme journeys that I wanted to take in order to find an antidote to living a frazzled life,” says Ruby. “Along the way, I wanted to find meaning, peace, happiness - the stuff we’re all chasing. However, after some transcendent experiences, I ended up in a mental institution... Obviously, I didn’t find what I was looking for...”

After shooting to fame as David Brent in television’s The Office - the BBC mockumentary he co-wrote with Stephen Merchant back in the early noughties - he’s established himself as a star-name funnyman on both sides of the Atlantic, picking up his fair share of glittering awards, critical acclaim and severe reproaches along the way. This latest stand-up offering - titled Armageddon but not particularly focusing on ‘the end of everything’ - follows on from six previous touring shows.

Bridget Christie

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 21 September; Stratford Playhouse, Stratfordupon-Avon, Sat 30 September; Old Rep, Birmingham, Sun 1 October; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Fri 10 November

It’s been a highprofile few months for Bridget Christie. Having enjoyed positive reviews for her Channel Four comedy drama series, The Change, she’s been back in the media spotlight this summer after it was announced that her 17-year marriage to fellow standup Stewart Lee had come to an end.

She tours to the region this autumn with the critically acclaimed Who Am I?, a show described in its publicity as ‘a menopause laugh-a-minute with a confused, furious, sweaty lady who is annoyed by everything’.

Fiona Allen

Stourbridge Town Hall, Sat 23 September With Emmys and kids under her belt, Fiona Allen spent some time

wondering what to do next...

...And coming to the conclusion she had nowhere left to turn, she decided to hit the road with her debut standup show!

Fiona is pretty long in the tooth when it comes to the business of creating comedy, rising to stardom in the dying days of the last millennium when she appeared as a regular in Channel Four sketch show Smack The Pony. Her acting CV, meanwhile, includes Skins, Waterloo Road and six months spent in Albert Square playing EastEnders character Michaela Turnbull. She visits Stourbridge with On The Run, ‘a show about family, marriage, and things that truly annoy her’.

It’s an evening for everyone, she says, “even those passive-aggressive school mums…”

Comedy previews from across the region...

Comedy

Simon Brodkin

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 13 September; Birmingham Town Hall, Thurs 14 September; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 11 November

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

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

Kae Kurd

Birmingham Town Hall, Fri 23 September

British-Kurdish standup Kae Kurd didn’t have the easiest start in life. Even before he was one year old, he had become a refugee, as his parents fled Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime.

In Iraq, Kae observes, ‘activism’ means risking death; in sharp contrast (he further notes), here in the UK all you have to do to be an activist is tweet with the right hashtag!

This wry comment and plenty more in the same vein formed the basis of Kae’s firstever full-length standup show back in 2018.

Three years later, he made a significant splash with debut solo tour The Spoken Kurd.

His Town Hall show this month sees him performing another 90 minutes of brandnew material, presented under the title Kurd Immunity.

Rhys James

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 15 September; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 30 September; Old Rep, Birmingham, Thurs 12 October; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 26 October

The gags come thick and fast when Rhys James is in town. The Mock

The Week comedian is visiting the Midlands this month with fifth touring show Spilt Milk, in which he takes a look at life now that he’s in his 30s, and shares a number of ‘home truths’. These include the fact that nobody is self-aware enough to write their own New Year resolutions; that every vote for the Green Party is an unfortunate waste of paper; and that until you’re wearing a plaster, you don’t realise just how frequently that particular part of your body gets wet. Oh, and the 32-year-old comic has also discovered that mindfulness is a scam, comprising little more than a collection of empty mantras, intentionally freezing showers and glorified PE...

Everyone may be fighting their own mental battle, says Rhys, but the problem is, they’re doing it wrong...

Geoff Norcott

Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Wed 6 September; Old Rep, Birmingham, Fri 15 September; The Core Theatre, Solihull, Fri 16 February; The Roses, Tewkesbury, Thurs 29 February; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 15 March; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Fri 22 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 23 March; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Sat 13 April One of the sharpest tools in the comedy shed, Geoff Norcott is visiting the Midlands this autumn and beyond with Basic Bloke, ‘a kindly and funny stock-take of both himself and his fellow man’.

Geoff will be taking a deep-dive into the business of being a fella, to try and find out what makes them tick. After all, there’s got to be more to being a man than watching football, enjoying sheds, reading sporting autobiographies, wearing socks at all times and strategically burying your feelings whenever necessary. Hasn’t there?...

Russell Brand

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton, Thurs 28 September

Blending a memorable look with a penchant for courting controversy, it’s fair to say that Russell Brand has very much ploughed his own furrow in the world of light entertainment.

In recent times he’s developed a reputation as a public activist and campaigner, with climate change and corporate capitalism among the issues he’s tackled. He’s also been described as a freethinking contrarian, using his hugely popular podcasts and YouTube channel to espouse theories around topics including the Covid vaccine and Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Russell is stopping off in Wolverhampton with brand-new show Bipolarisation, during which he aims to investigate the subjects of rules, rule-breaking, democracy and freedom, by “polling the live audience”.

THE CIRCUS IS COMING!

Staffordshire theatre The New Vic is once again honouring Philip Astley - the founder of the modern circus - by staging its hit show, Astley’s Astounding Adventures. A spectacle to behold, the production is filled with fast-paced action and breathtaking circus skills. Here, lead actor Nicholas Richardson tells What’s On what it’s like to be playing a local hero...

The premiere of Astley’s Astounding Adventures at the New Vic in 2018 captivated and thrilled audiences of all ages with its fast-paced action and laugh-out-loud humour. The story is based on the life of Philip Astley, the Newcastle-under-Lymeborn impresario who invented circus, and incorporates gripping drama and breathtaking circus performance.

Five years later, the exciting production is returning to the venue and promises to be just as impressive.

This latest outing of Astley’s Astounding Adventures features added thrills and surprises. It also sees original cast member Nicholas Richardson once again playing Philip Astley. So how does he feel about being back in the title role?

“It’s a mixture of emotions,” Nicholas admits. “I’m excited and curious - and if I think too much on it, nervous! But only in terms of doing it justice. We’re telling a real story about a very significant local figure, and we have to live as close to that as possible. The story is already so magnificent and always bigger than the individuals acting it out, so we have a high standard to reach!”

Thinking back to 2018, where audiences were thrown into an ‘adrenaline-fuelled true story’, Nicholas recalls his favourite memory happening on a particular night midway through the first act…

“There was one amazing moment - a really moving moment, actually. It was where Dani (Danielle Bird, who plays Patty Jones) did this silk routine that happens mid-show - not at the end or anything - and there was a standing ovation. We just had to stand and wait on stage for the audience to stop applauding. I have never had an experience like that before or since - a standing ovation

mid-show! To make people feel that way again would be incredible.”

Combining drama and circus is no mean feat, and actors undergo an intensive training process before they are ready to perform. Nicholas doesn’t have a circus background to draw on, so what’s it been like for him?

“The training is easy! Super easy! No, just kidding! It’s actually very hard work. You can do as much training as you possibly can before coming into a play like this, but you just can’t prepare for something like silks without doing silks. It’s the height factor, the bruising, the stretching... We’re three days in and I’m having a bath every night; let’s put it that way. It’s a very intense process, but a rewarding one. After a while you start to feel excited as the story is wrapped around physicality.

“My favourite skill that I’ve learnt is probably juggling. I’ve never used it since, but at least I know I can do it! The escapology is really interesting, too. Learning how that works was a frustrating process but a really fascinating skill - it’s like learning a magic trick.”

Nicholas has also had to familiarise himself with the character he portrays. Philip Astley invented the modern circus in 1768 and was at the heart of many early performances.

“Astley was an incredibly tenacious and determined individual who never gave up on his dreams. He’s a very inspirational character. One thing that struck me about him is just how competitive he had to be and his desire to prove to the world what is possible. He was a genius of his time.”

This latest staging of Astley’s Astounding Adventures is in celebration of the 850th anniversary of Newcastle-under-Lyme

receiving its charter to become a borough.

“It’s incredibly special to be celebrating the life of Philip Astley during a monumental year in his native-town’s history,” says Nicholas. “It’s also wonderful to celebrate the work, skillset and talent of circus performers. Watching these artists perform on silks and trapeze is remarkable, and to dedicate your life to learning a craft like that deserves some celebration because it’s a brave thing to do.”

It is hoped that the show may inspire the next generation of circus artists.

“I think it will inspire people to do something different and challenge themselves and be reminded that it’s okay to not always succeed. It’s an important lesson - not just for circus performers or actors or Philip Astley but for everyone in life. A story of failure and redemption and getting back up again - it’s an inspiring narrative. And circus in general is such a great fitness skill - it’s so accessible. I would encourage anyone interested to explore it.”

So how would Nicholas sum up Astley’s Astounding Adventures?

“It’s energetic and inspiring, moving and compelling. It’s a rollercoaster. I don’t know what it’s like to watch - I wish I did - but I know it’s like a heart-acceleration experience that will leave a longlasting impression on audiences. And the best part about it is that it’s all true - it’s a real-life extraordinary story about a local hero.”

Astley’s Astounding Adventures shows at The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-underLyme, from Saturday 23 September until Saturday 21 October

The Ocean At The End Of The Lane

Regent Theatre, Tues 12 - Sat 16 September; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 26 - Sat 30 September

Neil Gaiman’s critically acclaimed novel is here given the National Theatre stage 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.

“There are moments of utter theatrical magic,” says Neil, in talking about the stage adaptation, “but the things that demolish me emotionally are the moments of forgiveness, or a hug between two characters. The internet phrase for it is ‘all the feels’, and really it is the emotion that I hope people will take away. I’d love it if you took away what it was like to be a kid and to have less power...

“And of course there’s the astonishing puppetry and magic. I had always dreamed of stage magic being used for seamless illusion. This is always in service of the story, but you’re going to see miracles.” 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 Woman In Black

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Wed 6Sat 9 September; Malvern Theatres, Tues 7 - Sat 11 November; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 6 - Sat 10 February; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tues 23 - Sat 27 April

The Woman In Black, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the same-named gothic horror novel by Dame Susan Hill, is a classic ghost story first performed in 1989. It has since become one of the West End’s most successful plays.

Solicitor Arthur Kipp believes that his family has somehow been cursed by a mysterious woman in black. In an attempt to tell his story, and to exorcise the evil by which he feels threatened, he hires a young actor to assist him in recounting his experiences...

Brown Boys Swim

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 26Sat 30 September; The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 31 October - Sat 4 November

Exploring the pressures faced by young Muslim men, Karim Khan’s play focuses on best friends Mohsen and Kash as they ready themselves for a seriously important event: Jess Denver’s pool party. But the two pals are ill-prepared for what’s to come, as neither of them can swim...

Tackling cramped cubicles and cold showers, Mohsen and Kash throw themselves in at the deep end, in a desperate attempt to be at one with the water...

Theatre

Theatre previews from around the region

The Book Thief

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Mon 11 - Sat 16 September

Published in 2006, Markus Zusak’s international bestseller, The Book Thief, has sold more than 17 million copies worldwide and been made into a well-received film starring Geoffrey Rush and Emily Watson.

The Long Road

Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 8 September; Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge, Sat 9 & Sun 10 September; Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 12 September; Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Thurs 14 September

Shelagh Stephenson’s play - stopping off at four of the region’s venues with the aim of raising money for charities battling against knife crime - focuses on the impact which the senseless stabbing-to-death of 18-year-old Danny has on his family...

A cast of professional actors from across the Midlands is here joined by local singersongwriter Andy Jenkins. Andy will be performing a number of original songs during the show, some of which have been specially written for The Long Road.

The novel tells the story of an illiterate orphan girl who, after stealing an abandoned book in 1930s Nazi Germany, goes on to learn about the power of words from a Jewish man who her foster parents hide in their basement...

Despite some of the darker content, the Belgrade’s musical adaptation of The Book

Astley’s Astounding Adventures

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sat 23 September - Sat 21 October

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

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

Thief is very much a family show - not least because the two main characters, Liesel and Rudy, are children.

“We see a lot of the story through their eyes,” says the show’s director, Lotte Wakeham, “so we’ve thought a lot about how to tell it in a sensitive way that will also be suitable for children who’re watching.”

Faith Healer

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Tues 5 - Sat 9 September; Malvern Theatres, Tues 19 - Sat 23 September; Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tues 24 October; Lichfield Garrick, Fri 27 & Sat 28 October

London Classic Theatre are the talented ensemble behind this new adaptation of Brian Friel’s 1979 play.

Telling the story of a mercurial showman who travels with his wife to remote corners of Scotland and Wales, allegedly healing the sick, suffering and desperate as he goes, Faith Healer was named one of the hundred most significant plays of the 20th century in a poll conducted by the Royal National Theatre. The Independent newspaper, meanwhile, went one better, hailing it one of the 40 greatest plays of all time.

Theatre previews from around the region

Theatre

Theatre previews from around the region

Sister Act

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 25 - Sat 30 September; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Mon 9 - Sat 14 October

After seeing her gangster boyfriend kill an employee, Reno lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier is placed on a witness protection programme and hidden in a convent, where she proceeds to take over the rehearsals of the inhouse choir of nuns. Thanks to her musical expertise, the choir becomes a huge success and church attendances go through the roof. But in giving the church a new lease of life, Deloris may inadvertently have jeopardised her own safety...

Based on the hit Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same name, this fun-filled spectacular of a show boasts a real feelgood factor and stars Lesley Joseph.

Heathers The Musical

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 and is proving popular on its first-ever UK tour. Based on the cult 1989 movie starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater, the show follows 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...

Disney’s The Lion King

Birmingham Hippodrome, until Sat 16 September

Julie Taymor’s stage adaptation of the Oscarwinning animated film of the same name brings together a huge cast of actors, singers and dancers. Seen by a staggering 110 million people worldwide since premiering on Broadway in 1997 - and featuring hundreds of masks & puppets - the show tells the compelling story of Simba, a young lion cub, as he journeys through life and struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood...

The production’s rich tapestry of songs and compositions - the most famous among which is the iconic Circle Of Lifeincludes contributions from Elton John and Hans Zimmer.

Age guidance for the two-and-a-half hour show is six-plus.

Blood Brothers

Lichfield Garrick, Tues 5 - Sat 9 September

Although it’s effectively a class-driven ‘scouse melodrama’, to describe Blood Brothers as such is to greatly underestimate the emotional response it produces within its audience. The show features adult actors playing children, a narrator who wanders through the scenes with warnings of impending doom, a good helping of sharp social awareness to counteract the sticky sentimentality, and a raft of much-loved musical numbers, including Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged Tell Me It’s Not True. One-time X-Factor semifinalist Niki Colwell Evans takes the iconic role of Mrs Johnstone.

By The Waters Of Liverpool

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Wed 20 & Thurs 21 September; Lichfield Garrick, Tues 3 & Wed 4 October

Helen Forrester’s autobiographical play, from her same-titled bestselling book, is set in the 1930s and finds the teenage Helen fighting a bitter battle with her parents for the right to educate herself and go out to work. Life, however, has a habit of getting in the way of even the best-laid plans - and so it proves for Helen... Following her family’s fall from grace, she finds herself taken from school to work as an ‘unpaid slave’ looking after her siblings. But with Britain on the brink of war, the arrival in her life of a tall, strong seaman provides Helen with the chink of light for which she’s been desperately searching...

A Room Of One’s Own

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Tues 19 September

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

Falkland Sound

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sat 16 September

If you’ve clocked up a half-century or more on Planet Earth, you’ll remember the Falklands War; the 74-day conflict in Spring 1982 between Argentina and Britain over two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic. The British won, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s popularity soared... But what was the conflict like for those who actually had to live in the shadow of the war? Falkland Sound offers a thought-provoking insight.

Inspired by real-life testimonies, Brad Birch’s new play explores a community and way of life turned upside-down following the invasion by Argentine forces.

Macbeth

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 12 - Sat 16 September

Having been spurred into action by the prophesies of supernatural beingsand egged on by his conniving wifeMacbeth’s desire to be king of Scotland sees him

slaughtering those who stand in his way. As the pressure mounts and his grip on sanity weakens, he commits even more atrocities - including the murder of women and children...

Presented by the award-winning Daniel Taylor Productions.

And This Is My Friend Mr Laurel

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sun 3 September

“I loved the way Olly thought he was smarter than Stan when in fact he was far more stupid,” says Jeffrey Holland. “It always made me laugh.”

Hi-de-Hi favourite Jeffrey is here starring as the legendary Stan Laurel in a one-man show which he’s co-written with award-winning playwright Gail Louw. A loving homage to one of the 20th century’s greatest comedy duos, the production has received plenty of positive reviews since making its debut a

handful of years back.

Set in Olly’s bedroom, it finds Stan visiting his sick friend and recalling their glory days together on the silver screen.

“Stan and Olly became my friendsmetaphorically speaking, of course,” continues the Walsall-born Jeff, recalling his childhood days. “I always looked forward to Laurel & Hardy films. If there wasn’t one, I was bereft!”

Crimes On Centre Court

Malvern Theatres, Fri 29 & Sat 30 September; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Tues 17 & Wed 18 October; Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 19 - Sat 21 October; The Roses, Tewkesbury, Tues 31 October

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

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

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

The Merchant Of Venice 1936

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thurs 21 September - Sat 10 February

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

Relocated in time and place, the play is here set against a backdrop of London in 1936, as the threat of fascism grows on a daily basis and Oswald Mosley and the British Union of Fascists plan a march through the Jewish East End. Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders, Doctor Who) stars as Shylock, in a production which has garnered widespread critical acclaim.

Diana: The Untold And Untrue Story

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 27 - Fri 29 September

Drag, multimedia, audience interaction and puppetry combine in this unashamedly tasteless offering from writer & performer Linus Karp and ‘harbingers of theatrical chaos’ Awkward Productions.

The company’s previous shows have included the well-reviewed How To Live A Jellicle Life: Life Lessons From The 2019 Hit Movie Musical Cats and Awkward Conversations With Animals I’ve F*cked. This latest offering catches up with ‘people’s princess’ Diana in heaven, from where she shares ‘the untold and untrue tale of her extraordinary life’.

Theatre previews from around the region

TO BE PERFECTLY

Frank

Brand-new musical celebrates the life and loves of iconic crooner Frank Sinatra

Image: Matt Doyle who will play Frank Sinatra

by Steve Adams

A brand-new stage show about (and featuring the music of) Frank Sinatra receives its world premiere in Birmingham this month. Tony Award-winning writer Joe DiPietro tells What’s On why he jumped at the chance to work on Sinatra The Musical, a production which is promising to shed new light on the life and loves of the legendary singer...

A brand-new show about legendary crooner Frank Sinatra premieres at The Rep in Birmingham this month.

Titled Sinatra The Musical, the show is already raising plenty of eyebrows across the globe, thanks in no small part to the Tony Award-winning credentials of its key players. Matt Doyle, who took home the 2022 Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical (for his performance as Jamie in the Broadway revival of Company), plays Sinatra. Two-time Tony-winning writer Joe DiPietro has penned the script, and three-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall will direct.

Frank’s youngest daughter, Tina Sinatra, is one of the producers, ensuring the show offers a unique insight into the life and times of the celebrated singer and actor. Alongside her duties as producer, Tina has shared with writer Joe DiPietro a number of stories about her father which had never really been heard before.

These unique elements give the musical a truly exciting edge, according to New Jerseyborn DiPietro, who says that working with Tina made the experience even more special for him.

“We have a very open dialogue,” he reveals. “She’s very supportive and she loves the show. Just the other night, she said: ‘This is the book that my father never wrote.’ Frank never wrote an autobiography, and there’s so much personal stuff about his life, and his life with his family, that Tina told me that’s never been told anywhere else.

“It’s hard writing a show about your beloved mother and father and his troubles and peccadilloes, but she’s been very open and honest about it. I think it’s gonna surprise people how deeply we explore Frank. It’s not a watered-down version of his life; it’s really about the demons he faced and overcame, and how he put all that into his songs.”

The show will feature more than 25 of Frank’s best-known tunes - likely to include such classics as My Way, Strangers In The Night, Fly Me To The Moon and New York, New York. And with a cast of 20 actors and 17 musicians, Sinatra The Musical is set to be a big event in more ways than one. Which begs the question: Why hold the world premiere in Birmingham? It turns out Joe has history with The Rep, as his last musical, What’s New Pussycat?, premiered there last year.

“It was a big success. I loved Birmingham, I thought the theatre was beautiful, Sean Foley [The Rep’s artistic director] is great, and we had terrific audiences. One of the producers of Sinatra came to see the show and really loved the theatre, so when we were looking for a place that was neither New York nor London to premiere it - a regional theatre with some prominence and the ability to produce a big, splashy musical - Birmingham Rep came up.”

And even though the show is inescapably very American - although the cast is British bar the two leads - Joe is quick to point out that its story has global appeal.

“The interesting thing about Sinatra is that he’s so worldwide. When I started this project, I knew he was huge obviously, but I was amazed about how he crosses cultures and generations. Once we started looking around for where to start the show, there was interest from all over.”

Despite his burgeoning reputation as the goto writer for major musicals - his next project will be a show about the work of songwriter Dianne Warren - Joe thinks his family roots were a major reason he was invited to script Sinatra.

“I got a phone call from a producer I knew, who I think thought ‘Oh, Joe’s an ItalianAmerican, he’ll know about all this!’ What Sinatra meant to the Italian-American community in the 1940s and ’50s was huge; beyond his role as an entertainer. He really was the embodiment of the American dream for Italians.

“When they asked if I’d be interested in meeting Tina and writing a musical, I said absolutely! It was a dream come true - I knew all the songs and I knew a lot about him, but Sinatra had a long life with lots of very different parts to it, so I also learned a lot in the process.

“The first time I met Tina, I told her my Italian grandmother, who lived in a little town in New Jersey, had two pictures hanging up on her kitchen wall - the Pope and Frank Sinatra. They were the real cultural touchstones for me growing up.”

The musical covers a specific - and dramatic10-year period in Sinatra’s life, during which he’d become a teen idol and his career was really taking off but his family life and marriage to wife Nancy were suffering. When

he began an affair with Ava Gardner, his records stopped selling, the press turned against him and he endured a huge fall from grace - setting the scene for one of the greatest comebacks in showbusiness history. Joe knows a dramatic scenario when he sees one (“no conflict, no play - and Frank definitely had conflict in his life”), but admits he’s tinkered with the timeline to ensure the show contains a wide selection of Sinatra’s classic tunes.

“It’s a musical, not a documentary. The show ends in 1952, but I took songs that were recorded after that. I really wanted to use songs from various parts of his life [because] even though he didn’t write them, they were very personal to him and made perfect sense for a lot of the drama that happened during this period of his life.

“He was clearly a complicated, emotional man who had many demons, and he took all of these emotions and feelings and put them into his music. When he sings about being in a bar at 3am, you know this guy didn’t have to do research. He’s experienced it; he’s lived that song.”

Joe also believes the show will appeal to audiences beyond Sinatra’s fans and those already familiar with the iconic singer and his songs, not least because, while he was very much a one-off, his story is universal. “He was a tough guy - what we used to call a ‘man’s man’. He loved women, got into fights, drank too much, but also supported his family and cared about what happened in the world. So there’s a lot in his story for everyone, and even though he wasn’t a rock & roller, he was one of the original rebels of music. He stood his ground - and not to use a cliché, did things his way.

“In many ways he was the precursor to Mick Jagger and all the folks who came after. The word I keep using is swagger - he was vulnerable in many ways and could access that place in his music, but he had swagger when he walked into a room, and I think that makes him a really compelling character for an evening of theatre.”

Sinatra The Musical shows at The Rep, Birmingham, from Saturday 23 September to Saturday 28 October

Light entertainment from around the region

Theatre

An Evening Without Kate Bush

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 16 September; Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Wed 20 September; Stourbridge Town Hall, Thurs 16 November

With Kate Bush less than enthusiastic about performing live (to put it mildly), cabaret stalwart Sarah-Louise Young has stepped into the breach to present this lively stand-in offering - a show that’s surely going to be in the ‘must see’ category for Kate’s legion of Midlands-based fans.

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

Magical Bones: Soulful Magic

The Core Theatre, Solihull, Fri 22 September Magical Bones’ inspiration for his Britain’s Got Talent audition back in 2020 came via the story of Henry Box Brown, a 19thcentury slave who, prior to becoming a magician, had escaped a life in captivity by hiding inside a box and posting himself to a free state...

With a man like Henry as his hero, there’s little wonder the critically acclaimed magician, illusionist & Bboy - real name Richard Essien - is hitting the heights and turning some heads.

A spellbinding evening of sleight-of-hand trickery awaits...

Adam Willis: Joseph

The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 22 September

Adam Willis goes biblical with this new touring show, determined to prove that Nativity plays are only “boring” when presented by untrained children who can’t act! Focusing-in on the character of ‘the Bible’s third-best carpenter’ - that’s Jesus’ on-earth dad, Joseph of Nazareth - the Willis & Vere star looks set to score a major critical success with this latest offering.

Slay Queenz

Birmingham Town Hall, Mon 18 September; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 30 September

Top-class drag is guaranteed when the Slay Queenz sashay into the Midlands this month. The production showcases the talents of the three most recent winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK: Krystal Versace, Danny Beard and Blu Hydrangea.

The talented trio are promising ‘an exclusive spectacular of side-splitting laughs, jawdropping vocals and eye-popping outfits’.

Most Haunted: The Stage Show

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 14 September; Dudley Town Hall, Thurs 21 September; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 23 October; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Sun 4 February; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Thurs 14 March

You’ve seen the television series, now catch the stage production! Yvette Fielding hosts a show that features Most Haunted’s all-time top-10 scares, complete with unseen video footage from haunted castles, hospitals, prisons and manor houses. There’s even the chance for audience members to conduct their very own ghostly investigation!

Captain Sandy Live

The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 22 September After participating in seven seasons of Below Deck Mediterranean, Captain Sandy Yawn has become one of reality television’s most recognisable stars. She ‘sails’ into landlocked Birmingham this month to make waves in a brand-new tell-all offering. Seafaring stories and salacious gossip are on the menu in a show hosted by broadcaster, author & LGBTQ+ advocate Riyadh Khalaf. Musical performances are provided by Leah Rae.

Splash Test Dummies

Stourbridge Town Hall, Sun 10 September

Award-winning Aussie entertainers the Splash Test

Dummies invite you to grab your snorkel and flippers for 60 minutes of ‘catchyour-breath stunt work, dazzling acrobatics, dexterous juggling and sidesplitting, slapstick comedy’. A big hit in Edinburgh - and pretty much everywhere else in the world, for that matterthe Dummies specialise in narrative-driven circus comedy that’s ideal for a family audience.

Theatre for younger audiences...

In The Night Garden Live

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 9 & Sun 10 September

If your little ones are big fans of CBeebies television series In The Night Garden - now available to view on BBCiPlayer - they’re certain to adore this live version as well... And it’s not only the kids who’re in

Tales From Acorn Wood

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Mon 11 - Tues 12 September; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wed 13 - Sun 17 September; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tues 21 & Wed 22 November

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

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

love with the stage shows; according to audience surveys and parents’ reviews, nine out of 10 adults consider In The Night Garden Live to be a five-star theatrical experience. This latest show, called Igglepiggle’s Busy Day, features ‘full-size costumes, magical puppets, enchanting music and the amazing flying Pinky Ponk’.

The King Of Nothing

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 23 September; Bilston Town Hall, Sun 15 October; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Wed 1 November

While King Reginald busies himself keeping up to date with all the latest clothes fashions, his kingdom is in meltdown. When two supposed ‘weavers’ bring to court news of a brand-new magical fabric, the foppish king demands a sparkling new outfit for the Big Parade...

But all is not quite as it seems, as His Royal Highness is soon to find out...

Monstro and Little Angel Theatre come together to present this puppet-musical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s muchloved story, The Emperor’s New Clothes.

I Spy With My Little Eye

The Roses, Tewkesbury, Fri 1 September; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 17 September

If you’re familiar with other picture books by Steven Lee - think Don’t Dribble On The Dragon and How The Koala Learnt To Hugyou will surely want to take your little ones to see this delightful stage version of I Spy With My Little Eye.

Presented by The People’s Theatre Company, the story sees Molly and Bingo the Puppy-Dog inviting youngsters and their families to Molly’s sixth birthday party.

The celebration comes complete with ‘a terrific treasure hunt, all your favourite singalong songs and lots of fantastic games to play’.

Dance previews from across the region

Black Sabbath: The Ballet Birmingham Hippodrome, Sat 23 - Sat 30 September

Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) turn up the volume with this fulllength, three-act show featuring eight Black Sabbath tracks re-orchestrated for the Royal Ballet Sinfonia.

“Black Sabbath is probably Birmingham’s biggest export,” says BRB Director 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.

“The band’s enthusiasm for the project is a huge endorsement. They are putting their trust in us to deliver something completely new and

Emerald Storm

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Thurs 21 September; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Sun 8 October; Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Fri 13 October; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 14 October

From gentle ballet to fiery salsa, and from Irish dance to modern tap, the critically acclaimed Emerald Storm offers something for dance fans of all persuasions. Along the way it tells a pulsating story of mortals battling against the elements to save the mythical land of the Celtic Otherworld from destruction. The show has been co-written and co-choreographed by Australian tap dancer, Hollywood actor and two-time Olivier Award nominee Adam Garcia. Expect mesmerising moves and lightning footwork aplenty...

original. That’s quite a responsibility, but one that we are beyond excited to take on.”

Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi is similarly enthused about the project.

“I know it’s going to be great because all the people involved are really talented and it’s such an exciting project. And it’s not just our fans who want to come, it’s lots of people who love music.

“You’d never have thought this would happen - a Black Sabbath ballet. I certainly would never have thought it could. I mean, I’ve done some things in my life, but this is so different!”

Chantry Dance: A Matter Of Time

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wed 27 September

The highly acclaimed Chantry Dance here presents a vibrant triple bill ‘exploring our relationship with time’. The programme features Nicholas Maw’s 1988 suite, Ghost Dances - a work combining contemporary dance with puppetry - Ariadne’s Lament - a dance setting of an extract from Roman poet Catullus’ Carmen 64 - and In Time Of Daffodils - an evocative piece danced to Chanticleer’s musical setting of EE Cummings’ poem of the same name. Nudity, scenes of a sexual nature and violence all feature in the one-hour show, suggested age guidance for which is 13-plus.

NEW MOVES

Ailey 2 returns to the Midlands next month to showcase The Next Generation Of Dance...

Ground-breaking New York dance company Ailey 2 embarks on its largest European tour in more than a decade this autumn, visiting 12 venues across the UK with a programme of hugely popular audience favourites and ambitious contemporary pieces.

About to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Ailey 2 is the second company of the iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and offers the exceptional dancers from The Ailey School the chance to perform their first professional roles.

This tour, says Ailey 2 Artistic Director Francesca Harper, is a rare chance for UK audiences to see the next generation of performers.

“What’s so exciting about Ailey 2 is that we are catching the enthusiasm and raw talent of the dancers at the beginning of their careers,” says Francesca.

“There’s such a rich history of the company fostering and nourishing young artists. They are so talented, and Ailey 2 gives them an opportunity for that talent to flourish.”

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

“Revelations is Mr Ailey’s most famous work and it’s a masterpiece,” says Francesca. “It reflects the cultural heritage of the African American community and Mr Ailey’s blood memories. It embodies this reverent grace and spiritual elation.”

Ailey 2 has also adapted The Hunt, which was originally created for six male dancers by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle.

“I asked Robert if we could have women perform in it as well, so we are the first company within the Ailey organisation to have The Hunt performed by an all-female cast. It’s a very athletic work and is set to really powerful music by French percussion band Les Tambours du Bronx. Robert was inspired by modern sports and the rituals of gladiators, so it has this very ominous and threatening energy. For the women to be as ferocious and athletic as the men is really exciting and an important statement.”

Francesca also brings her own stamp to the programme in the shape of William

Forsythe’s Enemy In The Figure. From 1991 to 1999, she was a dancer in Forsythe’s hugely influential Ballett Frankfurt, rising to principal for the final five years.

“I thought it was so important to bring Forsythe’s work into the company because he was one of my mentors when I left New York and it helps the dancers understand who I am as an artist.

“Enemy In The Figure was inspired by Thom Willems’ percussive and electronic score. William had this sense of abstract storytelling, where he would take his personal stories and deconstruct them. It’s a powerful work and will leave the audience on the edge of their seats.”

Francesca’s own work, Freedom Series, was inspired by her taking up the post of Ailey 2 artistic director and her emotional responses to returning to the Alvin Ailey family - she trained at The Ailey School, where her mother, Denise Jefferson, was director.

“This is my home; it has always had that familial feeling,” says Francesca, who has also choreographed for Broadway shows and was the ballet consultant for the film Black Swan. “It grounded me to see all of these people of colour and diverse representation living their dreams, following their passions and feeling empowered. And to see them transform and develop and flourish. Over the years I feel so fortunate to have witnessed that, and for it to have been an integral part of my development. When I’m back here, I feel the power that is in that kind of cyclical journey.

“Freedom Series carries so much weight for me. I have so many memories that live in the building and this organisation. I created a series of vignettes that imagine this hybridity where these memories strive to influence my vision of the future. It examines identity and community and being an African American woman, as well as the diversity that Alvin embraced.”

Francesca is looking forward to sharing the programme with UK audiences. The tour is presented by Dance Consortium, a group of large-scale theatres which aims to bring the best international dance to venues across the UK and Ireland.

The tour also features an extensive community outreach project for young dancers, with workshops, masterclasses and open rehearsals all included. This forms part

of the Ailey Project UK, which was launched in 2021 with Dance Consortium member venues.

“We’ve established this wonderful relationship through the Ailey Project UK. It really falls in alignment with spreading the message of an inclusive voice, so it’s exciting to bring those two worlds together with this tour.

“Our outreach programme is so important to us. It’s sharing and spreading our mission to these young aspiring artists. As a young African American girl, I just didn’t see people like myself doing the things and performing the way that I dreamt of, so for us to reach young people who may have dreams of dancing or being involved in the arts in some other capacity, it’s so important. It can change lives.

“One of the most exciting things is that this tour is launching our anniversary season, as 2024 marks 50 years since Ailey 2 was founded. Audiences on this tour can expect excellence and heart, they can expect innovation, they can expect cutting-edge work, and they can expect these young artists at the height of their expression.”

Ailey 2: The Next Generation of Dance shows at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 3 & Wednesday 4 October

As the second company of internationally renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey 2 provides a platform for early-career dancers to flourish and learn from the best. What’s On chats to Artistic Director Francesca Harper about the New York-based dance company’s forthcoming show at Birmingham Hippodrome...

Film highlights in September...

A Haunting In Venice CERT 12a (103 mins)

Starring Kenneth Branagh, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Emma Laird, Tina Fey Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Kenneth Branagh here dons the twirly tash for a third time to play Hercule Poirot in an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1969 novel, Hallowe’en Party.

Shifting the action from the English countryside to postWorld War Two Venice - and replacing the All Hallows’ Eve shindig with a séance - Branagh, who also directs, will no doubt be relieved that his latest outing as the legendary Belgian detective has avoided the difficulties which beset the previous movie in the series, Death On The Nile. Not only was its release delayed on several occasions by the Covid pandemic, one of its stars, Armie Hammer, had allegations of sexual misconduct made against him.

“[Death On The Nile’s] theatrical release was challenged for various reasons,” Branagh told the Hollywood Reporter, “but it still did exceptional numbers in the circumstances. And then the streaming performance was really exceptional. So I was very pleased when they came back to us, for sure.”

Released Fri 15 September

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

CERT 12a (91 mins)

Starring Nia Vardalos, John Corbett, Stephanie Nur, Elena Kampouris, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin Directed by Nia Vardalos

57 Seconds CERT tbc

Starring Morgan Freeman, Josh Hutcherson, Greg Germann, Lovie Simone, Bevin Bru, Griff Furst Directed by Rusty Cundieff

“Today we have tools at our fingertips that allow us to respond to events at the moment,” says director Rusty Cundieff in talking about his latest film, “short-circuiting our time to be thoughtful and consider the consequences. 57 Seconds examines how emotions influence the innate human desire to solve things quickly via technology, be it a gun, pill or computer.”

Saw X CERT tbc

Starring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, Steve Brand, Synnøve Macody Lund, Michael Beach, Renata Vaca Directed by Kevin Greutert

Everybody loves a wedding - and judging by the fact that the Portokalos family are here returning for a third time, it would seem that big fat Greek ones are particularly popular! Writer and star (and, for this latest film, also director) Nia Vardalos scored a global smashhit 21 years ago with the original movie, telling the story of 30-year-old Toula Portokalos’ ongoing efforts to dodge her family’s relentless matchmaking attempts. Eventually, Toula falls for a fella who isn’t Greek - and although her choice initially causes shockwaves, her relatives eventually accept her choice and throw her a spectacular wedding celebration. This latest adventure sees the Portokalos clan travelling to a family reunion in Greece ‘for a heartwarming and hilarious trip full of love, twists and turns’.

Released Fri 8 September

When tech blogger Franklin Fausti (Josh Hutcherson) interviews visionary entrepreneur Anton Burrell (Morgan Freeman), he stumbles across a mysterious ring which allows him to travel 57 seconds back in time. Driven by revenge, Franklin uses this newfound power to dismantle the pharmaceutical company responsible for his sister’s death. But as he dives deeper into an unfamiliar world of wealth and technology, he finds himself becoming entangled in a high-stakes chain of events that threatens his very survival... Released Fri 29 September

The

series. Both a prequel and a sequel - it‘s set between the events which took place in the first two films - it finds serial killer John Kramer travelling to Mexico in the hope that a risky and experimental medical procedure will provide a miracle cure for his cancer. Discovering that the entire operation is a scam, he decides that the con artists responsible must pay the price for their criminal deceit...

movie in

Director Kevin Greutert previously helmed Saw VI and Saw 3D - as well as editing a number of other Saw films - so this latest entry in the series is in a seriously safe pair of hands.

Released Fri 29 September

Saw franchise makes a return with the 10th

the

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Gaia by Luke Jerram

Lichfield Cathedral, Fri 22 September - Sun 5 November

If you stand 211 metres away from Luke Jerram’s touring artwork, Gaia - which features high-resolution NASA imagery of Earth’s surface - you will be able to see the planet as it appears from the moon.

Luke’s artwork - 1.8 million times smaller than the real Earthis certain to draw a crowd during its stay in Lichfield, where it will be suspended inside the cathedral’s nave.

Gaia visits the city a half-century after people were first able to view the Earth in its entirety; the ‘blue marble’, floating in the vast blackness of space.

That opportunity to do so - which came courtesy of an image provided by the crew of NASA’s Apollo 17 mission - changed forever humankind’s perception and understanding of the planet on which we live.

Luke is hopeful that Gaia - just like the 1972 NASA photograph - will make people aware of how isolated and fragile the Earth is.

“I hope visitors to Gaia get to see the planet as if from space,” says the artist. “An incredibly beautiful and precious place. An ecosystem we urgently need to look after; our only home.”

Gaia is accompanied by a 30-minute surround-sound composition by Luke’s regular collaborator, multi-awardwinning composer Dan Jones.

Mali Morris: Calling

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Wed 20 September - Friday 22 December

Visual arenas in which colour moves through space and space moves through colour are a signature aspect of recent work by British artist Mali Morris.

Mali has been exploring the possibilities of abstract painting for more than half a century; she first mounted a solo exhibition at Ikon way back in 1979.

This latest show, featuring paintings produced during the past 25 years, illustrates the way in which she has rethought the role of gesture within abstract painting, using layers of colour to create luminous spaces which, although visually clear, are full of precisely judged ambiguities.

Worlds Away: Art, Nature & Wellbeing

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sat 2 September - Sun 26 November

The subtitle of this new exhibition nicely sums up its intention; to explore the ways in which artists have been inspired by the natural world - and particularly by its power to stimulate feelings of mental and physical wellbeing.

The art on show displays a range of perspectives. Some works celebrate nature as a therapeutic companion;

William Cobbing Exhibition

Airspace Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 23 September - Sunday 5 November

This major exhibition for the British Ceramics Biennial Festival showcases brandnew commissioned artwork by the internationally acclaimed William Cobbing.

William’s practice - which encompasses a diverse range of media, including ceramic sculpture, video and performance - sees him creating surreal, performative pieces that show the protagonists engaging in repetitive cycles of manipulating formless clay surfaces.

The exhibition features works spanning film, sculpture and performance.

others reflect its profile and significance in the contemporary era of ‘climate anxiety’...

A free-to-attend party on Friday the 1st launches not only Worlds Away but also another MAC exhibition related to nature and wellbeing: Madge Gill - The Clouds Will Burst The Sun Will Shine Again (like Worlds Away, it shows from Saturday 2 September to Sunday 26 November). Both exhibitions have been inspired by the 150th anniversary of Cannon Hill Park, the green space in which MAC is located.

This Is Our Love And It Knows No Division

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sun 10 September

If you enjoy art, love football, but haven’t yet checked out This Is Our Love And It Knows No Division, delay your visit to Wolverhampton Art Gallery no longer - the venue is blowing the full-time whistle on the exhibition in the middle of this month...

Curated by artists and football fans Ewan Johnston and Dion Kitson, the show features contemporary works exploring topical themes such as football culture and its relationship to politics.

Quentin Blake: Birds, Beasts & Explorers

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, until Sun 1 October Still splendidly relevant at the grand old age of 90, Sir Quentin Blake is without question one of the UK’s most-loved artists.

In a career spanning several decades, Quentin has illustrated a staggering 500-plus 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 art - featuring 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.

Events previews from around the region Events

LEGO DREAMZzz

Legoland Discovery Centre, Birmingham, until Mon 4 September

The LEGO DREAMZzz television series has taken over the Discovery Centre until the end of the school summer holiday... and there’s a brand-new and exclusive 4D movie - Z-Blob Rescue Rush - showing at the venue’s cinema.

A dream creature hunt, building activities and exclusive giveaways ensure there’s plenty to keep families entertained.

Malvern Autumn Show

Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Fri 22 - Sun 24 September

The UK’s biggest harvest-season celebration is back this month with a jam-packed programme.

Crowd-pleasers such as the CANNA UK Giant Vegetables Championship and the colourful RHS Flower Show will make a welcome return, featuring alongside a number of

A Place In The Sun Live

NEC, Birmingham, Fri 22 - Sun 24 September

If you’re looking to invest in overseas property, A Place In The Sun Live has everything you need to know.

Estate agents will be flying in from around the world to showcase hundreds of overseas properties, while lawyers, currency specialists, tax experts and specialist advisers will be on hand to answer house hunters’ questions. The hit Channel Four TV series’ presenters will be in attendance too, offering show visitors not only their property expertise but also the chance to find out lots of behind-the-scenes secrets.

brand-new features, including the Great Taste Food & Drink Market, Joseph’s Amazing Racing Camels and the Octopus Publishing Takeover. The latter event sees some of the UK’s bestselling food & drink authors sharing ‘snippets and insights from their latest books’.

Pirate Treasure Hunt

National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham, until Mon 4 September

Ahoy there, mateys, it’s time to head off on a swashbuckling treasure hunt at the National SEA LIFE Centre!

Along the way, little ones will have the chance to meet a real pirate and collect pirate trading cards...

And to make the experience even better, there will be some ‘special treasure’ waiting for them at the end of the adventure, too! Opportunities to check out the venue’s underwater residents - including sharks, green sea turtles and clownfish - further add to the fun.

Horrible Histories Up In The Air Adventure

Royal Air Force Museum Midlands, Cosford, until Sun 3 September

Visitors can experience the (sometimes gruesome!) history of flight at the RAF Museum’s Horrible Hangar this month. Based on the Horrible Histories publication Up In The Air, this brand-new interactive event brings characters from the book to life, flagging up some of their truly brainless blunders as they pursued their ambition to take to the air!

Legendary aviation pioneers from throughout history will be on hand to steer families around six zones: The Engineer’s Workshop; Barnstorming Braves; Creation Station; Meet The Inventor; Selfie Zone and the Up In The Air Challenge.

Visitors can also pick up a bespoke Horrible Histories activity pack and check out the free Twinkletoes Trail.

Events previews from around the region Events

Insomnia

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 September

Described as a ‘world of non-stop gaming’, Insomnia has everything from the latest video games to retro classics. Guests will have the chance to meet fellow gamers, attend panels and meet & greets with some of their favourite creators, and compete in tournaments for special prizes. A huge selection of gaming will be on offer, including VR games and esports competitions. Live performances and cosplay competitions also feature, as does the chance to pick up the latest gaming gear in the marketplace.

Autumn Steam Gala

Severn Valley Railway will be hosting a selection of guest locomotives alongside its home steam engine fleet at this month’s Autumn Steam Gala.

Although festivities kickstart on the Thursday with a centenary celebration of the ‘Big Four’ Grouping Act, the main event runs from Friday to Sunday.

Historic Rally Festival

Hatton Grange and Weston Park, Shropshire, Sat 30 September & Sun 1 October

The Historic Rally Festival returns for 2023, with the two-day Motorsport UK-permitted multi-venue event featuring stages at stately home Hatton Grange and dusk stages at Weston Park.

Up to 60 specially selected cars will compete in the rally, starting at Hatton Grange before taking on the famous RAC stages at Weston in the dark. A fireworks finale will bring proceedings to an end with a bang. Sunday visitors will have the opportunity to check out the cars and say hello to the drivers in the meet & greet area.

An intensive timetable will operate each day, with all available engines in service (including overnight running on Friday and Saturday with BR 75069).

The gala’s line-up of entertainment also includes a mini beer festival - taking place at The Engine House - and a Battle of Britain Memorial Flypast with a Spitfire.

Warwick Comic Con and Gaming Festival

NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire, Sat 16 September

Making its debut at Stoneleigh this month, Warwick Comic Con & Gaming Festival features a selection of TV & film memorabilia, games, comics, Lego, Harry Potter and Japanese Manga items, all of which are available to purchase throughout the weekend.

Comic-book artists and film & television actors will also be in attendance at the event, providing fans with the chance to take advantage of some not-to-be-missed photo opportunities.

The show’s Gaming Zone, meanwhile, features a selection of virtual reality and retro computer games to check out.

Vikings Festival

Drayton Manor Resort, Staffordshire, Fri 15 September - Sun 1 October

The Vikings will be taking over Drayton Manor this month, for what’s being described as ‘the ultimate family festival’. Event highlights include fire performers, DJs, drummers, beer tents, and the chance to sample some specially themed food. Visitors can also check out the resort’s Vikings-themed Thor and Sleipnir rides and the Walhalla eatery.

Medieval Experience

Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove, Sat 23 & Sun 24 September

Step back in time to the Middle Ages at Avoncroft Museum this month.

As well as watching demonstration battles, visitors can also learn how to tell a commoner from nobility, find out how to arm a knight, and discover how their ancestors lived. The two-day event is presented by the well-established Beaufort Companye.

Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster, Thurs 14 - Sun 17 September

thelist

VISUAL ARTS IN THE MIDLANDS Gigs

New Art Gallery, Walsall

KARLA BLACK Major solo exhibition from the critically acclaimed Scottish artist, featuring previously unseen sculptures, until Sun 29 Oct

A SENSE OF PLACE Featuring artworks created across the West Midlands, with a focus on nature, collections and wellbeing, until Sun 26 Nov

PRIDE & PRIVILEGE AT THE CLASS ACT Temporary exhibition exploring class and identity, until Sun 9 June 2024

ANNETTE PUGH: HAPPENSTANCE

Featuring newly commissioned oil paintings that explore traces of human presence in the landscape, until Sun 7 Jan

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

DRESSING THE ROYALS Featuring costumes from film and TV that span over 400 years of royal fashion, until Sun 3 Sept

ODE TO NANA Exhibition by Jioni Warner, in celebration of Windrush 75, that explores the ideas of legacy, struggle and change, until Sat 4 Nov, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

BLACK COUNTRY LANDSCAPES A selection of art and objects from Wolverhampton’s collections, exploring relationships between the Black Country’s industries and landscapes, until Sun 3 Sept

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

Elsewhere:

PAUL FOWLER - LANDSCAPE, BORDERS AND BEYOND Exhibition of works featuring a range of materials and techniques, from drawings and watercolours to larger works on canvas in oil and mixed media, until Fri 8 Sept, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

ABSTRACT ART EXHIBITION until Sat 23 Sept, VAN Gallery, The Darwin Centre, Shrewsbury

MASTERING THE MARKET: DUTCH AND FLEMISH PAINTINGS FROM WOBURN

ABBEY Featuring masterpieces by, among others, Rembrandt van Rijn, Anthony van Dyck and Frans Hals, until Mon 25 Sept, The Barber Institute, University of Birmingham

JOURNEY INTO MARVEL New exhibition looking at the world of Marvel Comics, until Sat 14 October, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

CONTEMPORARY GLASS SOCIETY AT 25: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE Exhibition

telling the story of both CGS and the world it reflects. Featuring glass artworks selected from the past 25 years, until Mon 30 Oct, Stourbridge Glass Museum

CARNIVAL GLASS SOCIETY 40TH

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

THE DAILY GRIND: THE INDUSTRIAL WORKERS OF THE IRONBRIDGE GORGE

Exhibition shining a spotlight on the lives and voices of the people who have worked in the industries of the Ironbridge Gorge, from the early days of the 18th century until the end of the First World War, until Sun 5 Nov, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Shropshire

THE ARTISTS COLLECTIVE Featuring works by Bernard Finnemore, Chris Moult, Dawn Ashcroft, Ingrid Wagner, Jan Jones, Joan Chatterton, John Bullock, Julie Timmis, Kim Davis, Lesley Howse, Mary Dennis, Paul Holmes & Sue Chatterton, Fri 1 - Thurs 28 Sept, The Rose Paterson Art Gallery, The Granary, Weston Park, Nr Shifnal

SEVERN ART 2023 Featuring work by more than 40 local artists, Thurs 7Sun 17 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire

SHROPSHIRE OPEN Featuring works in a selection of different media on the theme of growth, Fri 8 Sept - Fri 27

Oct, The Gateway, Shrewsbury

MICHAEL PINKSKY: POLLUTION PODS

Five interconnected domes imitating polluted environments in cities around the world, Thurs 14 - Sun 24 Sept, Edgbaston Stadium Piazza. Booking required

SUE LEAVETT - THERE AND BACK Exhibition of prints and paintings exploring elements of repetition and pattern making, Fri 15 Sept - Fri 17

Nov, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

GERMAN WAR GRAVES COMMISSION

EXHIBITION Exhibition tracing the history of the cemetery and the reconciliation between Britons and Germans after 1945, Sat 16 Sept -

Sun 19 Nov, Lichfield Cathedral

JOURNEY THROUGH CREATION Mini installations celebrating the Earth and the stages of its creation according to the Bible, Fri 22 Sept -

Sun 5 Nov, Lichfield Cathedral

ART FOR ALL REASONS

Wolverhampton Society of Artist’s 104th exhibition, Fri 29 Sept - Tues 31 Oct, The Rose Paterson Art Gallery, The Granary, Weston Park, Shifnal, Shropshire

FALLOUT + SONDR + THE INSTINCT + UNIT 16 +

EVER Fri 1 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

NEVILLE STAPLE BAND Fri

1 Sept, Midlands Arts

Centre (MAC), B’ham

ULTIMATE COLDPLAY Fri 1 Sept, The Robin, Bilston

FUTURE ISLANDS + R.A.P.

FERREIRA Fri 1 Sept, Wulfrun Hall, Wolves

SEX PISTOLS EXPOSÉ Fri

1 Sept, The Station, Cannock

THE CHRIS SLADE

TIMELINE Fri 1 Sept, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

GOLDWATER + HONEY, I

SHOT THE PRESIDENT Fri

1 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

KID KLUMSY + THE RED BASTARDS + THE DC

SPECTRES Fri 1 Sept, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

WAX FUTURES + SOAPER

Fri 1 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

KING Sat 2 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

CAMMY BARNES Sat 2 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

BOYCE AVENUE + RYAN

CABRERA Sat 2 Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

NEW PURPLE

CELEBRATION Sat 2 Sept, The Robin, Bilston

THE AUDIOTHIEVES Sat 2 Sept, Birchmeadow Centre, Broseley

MARTIN MCALOON Sat 2 Sept, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

MELIORA Sat 2 Sept, The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

ULTIMATE GREENDAY Sat

2 Sept, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

FACELIFT - ALICE IN CHAINS TRIBUTE + OUTSHINED A GRUNGE Sat 2 Sept, The Station, Cannock

THE MARLEY EXPERIENCE + UB40 EXPERIENCE Sat

2 Sept, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

FEE FEE & THE SENTIMENTS Sat 2 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

FASTLOVE - THE MUSIC

OF GEORGE MICHAEL Sat

2 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

ARIEL POSEN + JONNY

MORGAN Sun 3 Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

JESS SILK + MATT

JOHNSON + SID RIVER +

BRIAN STONE Sun 3

Sept, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

LIME CORDIALE +

COTERIE Mon 4 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

CHRISTINE AND THE

QUEENS Wed 6 Sept, Symphony Hall, B’ham

NIRVARDY Thurs 7 Sept, The Robin, Bilston

THE STONES Thurs 7

Sept, Telford Theatre

THE ILLEGAL EAGLES

Thurs 7 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

STEVE AJAO’S BLUES GIANTS Fri 8 Sept, Symphony Hall, B’ham

DON’T STOPFLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE Fri 8 Sept, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

JOHNNY2BAD Fri 8 Sept, The Robin, Bilston

CLAVIS 7EVEN Fri 8 Sept,

Newhampton Arts

Centre, Wolverhampton

DAN MCKINNON Fri 8

Sept, Fenton Town Hall Café, Stoke-on-Trent

SHOWADDYWADDY Fri 8

Sept, Stafford

Gatehouse Theatre

AMY LOU Fri 8 Sept, The Prince Of Wales, Cannock

MEGADETH UK Fri 8 Sept, The Station, Cannock

THE RESIDENTS Fri 8 Sept, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

SUBARCTIC MONKEYS Fri 8 Sept, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

THE ENDINGS Fri 8 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

THOMAS ATLAS Fri 8 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

DESPERADO - TRIBUTE TO THE EAGLES Fri 8 Sept, Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth

SIX SINS TILL SUNDAY + THE GHOULES Fri 8 Sept, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

TOM CLARKE + JOE

DOLMAN Sat 9 Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

BUSTED + HANSON + NEW HOPE CLUB + THE TYNE Sat 9 Sept, Utilita Arena Birmingham

WISHBONE ASH Sat 9 Sept, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

GRANNY’S ATTIC Sat 9 Sept, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

THE BIG MOON Sat 9 Sept, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

THE CARPENTERS STORY Sat 9 Sept, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

OUR MAN IN THE FIELD Sat 9 Sept, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

ANNETTE SMITH BLUNT

Sat 9 Sept, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

MICROBABY Sat 9 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

BEAUTIFUL WAYS Sun 10 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

The Chris Slade Timeline - The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

Classical Music

THOMAS ALLERY ORGAN RECITAL Sat 2 Sept, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury

JONATHAN SCOTT ORGAN RECITAL Programme includes works by R. Strauss arr. Scott, Dvorak arr. Scott, Dubois, Debussy arr. Scott, J. Strauss arr. Scott & Holst arr. Scott, Sat 2 Sept, St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire

ORGAN RECITAL WITH CATHY LAMB Tues 5 Sept, Lichfield Cathedral

REQUIEM IN A DAY WITH MICHAEL COLERIDGE Sat 9 Sept, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury

Comedy

JAMES ACASTER Thurs 31 Aug - Sun 3

Sept, The Alexandra, Birmingham

DAISY EARL, MICHAEL FABBRI, ANDY

ROBINSON, ADAM BLOOM & SEETA

WRIGHTSON Fri 1 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BOBBY DAVRO & DANNY POSTHILL Fri 1

Sept, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

PAUL SMITH Fri 1 - Sat 2 Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DAISY EARL, MICHAEL FABBRI, ANDY

ROBINSON & ADAM BLOOM Sat 2 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GEORGIE CARROLL Sun 3 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RICKY GERVAIS Mon 4 Sept, Utilita Arena Birmingham

PETE FIRMAN Wed 6 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

ALEXANDER BENNETT, KATE MARTIN, DAMAN BAMRAH & EL BALDINIHO Fri 8 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

PAUL SINHA, JOSH PUGH, NATHAN

CATON & WAYNE BEESE Fri 8 Sept, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

RED RICHARDSON, BEN NORRIS, GARETH

WAUGH & ANDREA HUBERT Fri 8 - Sat 9 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DAN NIGHTINGALE Sun 10 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BRIAN BUTTERFIELD Sun 10 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS, LOVDEV BARPAGA, DOMINIC WOODWARD & DANNY MCLOUGHLIN Sun 10 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Theatre

ERIC’S ITALIAN JOB Dysfunctional character Eric makes a welcome return to the stage, helping the police in their pursuit of two of the Great Train Robbers, until Sat 2 Sept, New Vic Theatre, Staffordshire

NOISES OFF Matthew Kelly, Liza Goddard and Simon Shepherd star in Michael Frayn’s celebrated ‘play within a play’, until Sat 9 Sept, The Rep, Birmingham

DISNEY’S THE LION KING Acclaimed production telling the story of Simba’s epic journey to fulfil his destiny as King of the Pridelands, until Sat 16 Sept, Birmingham Hippodrome

FALKLAND SOUND Brad Birch’s lyrical new play turns modern history into a theatrical epic, depicting a community and way of life turned upside-down, until Sat 16 Sept, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

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

Baga Chipz: Material Girl

Stourbridge Town Hall, Mon 4 September

“I was having a drink in a pub in Birmingham and this fella came up and started flirting with me and my mate,” Baga Chipz revealed to the BBC when appearing on season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. “I said: ‘Look, why do you want burger when you can have me, prime steak on a plate?’ And he was like: ‘Prime steak? More like a bag a chips!’ I thought, you can’t get more British than a bag of chips, can you?! You’ve got your Crystals and your Sandras, but I’m unique. I stand out. If anyone else has my name, then they’ve copied it!”

The West Bromwich-born drag favourite visits Stourbridge this month with brand-new touring show Material Girl.

presented by the Curtain Call Teens, Sat 2 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE SECRET GARDEN Chapterhouse Theatre present an outdoor adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s much-loved children’s novel, Sun 3 Sept, Dudmaston Hall, Quatt, Bridgnorth, Shropshire

show is created every night using audience suggestions and the cast’s overactive imagination, Fri 8 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Kids Theatre

SARAH & DUCK Puppetry, storytelling and music combine as Sarah and her best friend, Duck, plan the ultimate circus soiree for Scarf Lady’s birthday, Thurs 31 Aug - Fri 1 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

JORDAN GRAY Thurs 7 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JARLATH REGAN Thurs 7 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

STEVE ROYLE, ERIC RUSHTON, HENRY

MICHAEL & DAVE TWENTYMAN Thurs 7 Sept, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

JOHN FOTHERGILL (PICTURED), DEMITRIS DEECH, DAN SMITH & COMIC

TBC Thurs 7 Sept, Stourbridge Town Hall

THE EMPRESS Tanika Gupta’s epic story reveals how socially diverse the Asian presence was in 19th-century Britain, until Sat 18 Nov, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

#50DAYS A state-of-the-nation grime musical with parallels to Brexit, questions about the monarchy, a little bit of fake news and a new grime soundtrack, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Sept, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

AUTIN DANCE THEATRE: PARADE - THE GIANT WHEEL Autin Dance Theatre uses its unique blend of contemporary storytelling, striking physicality and innovative large designs to take audiences on a carefully choreographed journey, Sat 2 Sept, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE: TEEN EDITION Amateur version,

RENT (SCHOOL EDITION) Presented by Wolverhampton Youth Music Theatre, Tues 5 - Sat 9 Sept, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

FAITH HEALER London Classic Theatre present Brian Friel’s classic play about the life of faith healer Francis Hardy, Tues 5 - Sat 9 Sept, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

BLOOD BROTHERS Niki Colwell Evans stars as Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell’s iconic musical, Tues 5 - Sat 9 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

THE WOMAN IN BLACK Susan Hill’s chilling ghost story, Wed 6 - Sat 9

Sept, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

SHAKE IT UP: THE IMPROVISED

SHAKESPEARE SHOW A brand-new

THE ZOO THAT COMES TO YOU Meet an eclectic group of animals as they discuss their life experiences and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world dominated by humans, Thurs 7 Sept, Wednesbury Library

IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE Join Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and friends for a fun-filled live show, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

thelist

Light Entertainment

LOOSE WOMEN LIVE The popular panel show takes to the road for the first time. Sherrie Hewson, Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha, Judi Love and Jane Moore star, Fri 1 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LIPSTICK ON YOUR COLLAR Nostalgic show featuring back-to-back hits from the 1950s and ’60s, Fri 1 Sept, Telford Theatre

BAGA CHIPZ: MATERIAL GIRL Join the Drag Race UK star as she hits the road with her first-ever solo theatre show, Mon 4 Sept, Stourbridge Town Hall

FASCINATING AIDA Brand-new show from ‘Britain’s raciest and sassiest musical cabaret trio’, Thurs 7 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

RICHARD HERRING’S LEICESTER SQUARE

PODCAST Featuring special guests Adil Ray and Joe Lycett, Fri 8 Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

Talks & Spoken Word

HAZEL FINDLAY: THE WALLS WITHIN

Join the ‘rockstar’ climber as she walks you through the biggest internal battles she’s faced in her career and explains how she’s overcome them, Sat 9 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Events

SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES Take part in outdoor challenges and trails, until Fri 1 Sept, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire

SUMMER OF SOUND SHOW A drop-in daily show exploring how sounds are made, until Fri 1 Sept, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

FREDDO’S MAGIC SHOW Master magician Freddo takes to the stage in this daily show, until Fri 1 Sept, Cadbury World, Bournville, B’ham

SUMMER TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS

Learn and apply the traditional technique of tube-lining as you decorate your very own ceramic tile, until Thurs 1 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge

SAFE AND SOUND! Learn about how sounds are produced and detected through this interactive gallery activity, until Fri 1 Sept, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

DISASTERS AND DINOSAURS - SUMMER

SELF-LED CHINA PAINTING WORKSHOPS

Drop-in sessions where you can paint one of the slip-cast figurines, until Sun 3 Sept, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

VICTORIAN SEASIDE EXPERIENCE

Featuring a traditional carousel and donkey rides, until Sun 3 Sept, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge TIME TRAVELLERS CHALLENGE A mischievous time traveller has created a series of historical blunders. Can you help fix them? until Sun 3 Sept, Tamworth Castle

SUMMER MEDIEVAL GAMES Try out your strength in a tug-of-war, your skill with quoits, or test your mind with a game of chess or noughts & crosses, until Sun 3 Sept, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire

DINO MAIZE MAZE Join the team of intrepid dino rangers as they search for the lost dinos in the maize maze, until Sun 3 Sept, Lower Drayton Farm, Staffordshire

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: UP IN THE AIR ADVENTURE Check out the Horrible Hangar and meet fearless and foolish flyers from the history of flight in this fully interactive experience, until Sun 3 Sept, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

Fri 1 - Sun 10 Sept, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton

MURDER MYSTERY DINING EXPERIENCE

- AN OPEN AND SHUT CASE Crack the clues, enjoy a four-course dining experience and travel along the Severn Valley Railway, Sat 2 Sept, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

EXPLORE SAREHOLE MILL Enjoy the sights and sounds of a traditional 18th-century water mill, learn about the life of a miller and take part in hands-on demonstrations, Sat 2 Sept, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

FUTURE FEST 2023 Featuring live music acts, immersive shows and activities for the kids, street food & drinks, an artisan market, and workshops for the whole family, Sat 2 Sept, World of Wedgwood, Stoke-onTrent

DIVINE BEAUTY SCAFFOLDING TOURS

Take a trip up the scaffolding to check out the cathedral’s stainedglass windows up close, Sat 2 Sept, Birmingham Cathedral

BREWHOUSE ON TOUR A taste of The Brewhouse courtesy of live professional performances, Sat 2 Sept, The Washlands (by Burton Library), Burton upon Trent

LICHFIELD PROMS IN BEACON PARK

Featuring music and a firework finale, Sat 2 Sept, Beacon Park, Lichfield

DUDLEY CASTLE GHOST HUNT Learn all about ghost hunting and the techniques used to encourage paranormal activity, Sat 2 Sept, Dudley Zoo & Castle

DREAMBOYS: NO STRINGS ATTACHED

Fun, fantasy and brand-new visual spectacle, Fri 8 Sept, Dudley Town Hall

CERI DUPREE: BACK TO THE RHINESTONE

An evening with ‘the country’s greatest female impersonator since Danny La Rue’, Sat 9 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

HOLIDAY ACTIVITY Investigate the disasters that began and ended the dinosaurs, make a model volcano and experiment with the patterns left by asteroids hitting Earth, until Fri 1 Sept, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shrops

THE FRIENDS™ EXPERIENCE: THE ONE IN BIRMINGHAM Featuring a variety of nostalgia-packed interactive sets, until Sun 3 Sept, NEC, Birmingham

THE PIRATES OF THE ARRRRBORETUM

Search for the secret symbols, then unlock the code to find the Mermaid Cove and a treasure trove, until Sun 3 Sept, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster

THE BEACH Featuring sand, deckchairs and children’s activities, until Sun 3 Sept, Lichfield Cathedral

BOP AND POP WEEK Finish the summer with some party fun, until Sun 3 Sept, Park Hall Farm, Oswestry, North Shropshire

PIRATE TREASURE HUNT Navigate the high seas with a swashbuckling treasure hunt through the aquarium, until Mon 4 Sept, National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham

LEGO® DREAMZZZ Awaken your imagination with a dream creature hunt. Also featuring build activities and exclusive giveaways, until Mon 4 Sept, Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham

FARMARAMA Featuring seaside shows, sand art, the huge maize maze and a foam party, until Mon 4 Sept, National Forest Adventure Farm, Burton upon Trent

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Sat 2 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

‘FUNNY FACES’ CLAY DROP-INS Create your very own animal face from air dry clay, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Sept, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

SANDWELL SCARECROW FESTIVAL A showcase of Sandwell scarecrows made across the summer by families, community groups and businesses, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Sept, Sandwell Valley, West Bromwich

VICTORIAN FARM WEEKEND Meet the animals from the Victorian farmyard and hear tales of daily farm life and harvest, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Sept, Boscobel House, Shropshire

SPLASH TEST DUMMIES An ‘exciting adventure of oceanic proportions featuring breathtaking stunt work, dazzling acrobatics, dexterous juggling and slapstick comedy’, Sun 10 Sept, Stourbridge Town Hall

DOWNFALL ABBEY Immersive murdermystery evening, Sun 10 Sept, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

SUMMER AT THE FARM ‘From tractors to pizza and everything in between’, learn all about the farm and what they do there, until Sun 3 Sept, Forge Mill Farm, West Bromwich

SUMMER OF SCIENCE Interactive exhibits, workshops and more, until Sun 3 Sept, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

ADVENTURE CINEMA Outdoor screenings of Pretty Woman, Elvis, Sing, Grease, Matilda The Musical and Top Gun: Maverick, Thurs 31 Aug - Sun 3 Sept, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury

LYCEUM GHOST HUNT All-access investigation of the venue as you search for signs of the paranormal, Fri 1 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

AUTUMN SECOND HAND BOOK SALE

Featuring a wide selection of books,

ENGLAND V NEW ZEALAND - VITALITY

IT20 2023 Sun 3 Sept, Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Thurs 7 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

BRIDGNORTH BEER FESTIVAL Up to 50 different beers, ciders and perries will

be available, Thurs 7 - Sat 9 Sept, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr

Kidderminster

TAMWORTH BEER FESTIVAL Featuring 75-plus real ales, including festival specials and many new brews, Thurs 7 - Sat 9 Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

INSOMNIA THE GAMING FESTIVAL

Immerse yourself in a world of nonstop gaming, with everything from the latest video games to retro classics, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Sept, NEC, Birmingham

PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE: BBG FROM 1832 - TOMORROW Tour through history, exploring unique plants, social discoveries and intriguing facts, Fri 8 Sept, Birmingham

Botanical Gardens

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Sat 9 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

EXPLORE BLAKESLEY: HERITAGE OPEN

DAYS Celebrate Birmingham Heritage Week and Open Days with a visit to Blakesley Hall, a fine Tudor house and beautiful gardens built in 1590, Sat 9 Sept, Blakesley Hall, B’ham

THE ALDERFORD SWIM Alderford’s very own open water swimming competition accommodates all abilities, Sat 9 Sept, Alderford Lake, North Shropshire

ROCKIN’ AND ROLLIN’: A 1950S EVENING

Get ready to ‘hear, see, taste and smell all that the 1950s had to offer in the Black Country and beyond’, Sat 9 Sept, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

PROMS SPECTACULAR Proms

spectacular featuring music, a Spitfire in full flight and a fireworks finale, Sat 9 Sept, Weston Park, Shropshire

CELEBRATION IN THE PARK Featuring stalls, face painting, forest bathing, children’s yoga, nature activities, history talks and plenty more, Sat 9 Sept, Newton Road Park, Burton upon Trent

GALTON VALLEY PUMPING STATION OPEN

DAY Take a walk along the canal and visit pumping station, Sat 9 Sept, Galton Valley Pumping Station, Smethwick

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS Take advantage of free entry to all venues in Coalbrookdale over the weekend, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Sept, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Enginuity, The Old Furnace and Darby Houses,

Ironbridge

WELLINGTON WALKING FESTIVAL

Featuring 30 varied walking events, ranging from short strolls and visits to full-day hikes, Sat 9 - Sun 17 Sept, Wellington, Shropshire

OKTOBERFEST Featuring themed entertainment for all ages and the chance to ride a selection of rollercoasters and family favourites, Sat 9 Sept - Sun 1 Oct, Alton Towers, Staffordshire

ORIGINS OF MIDDLE-EARTH: JRR

TOLKIEN AND SAREHOLE GUIDED WALK

A guided walk introducing the scenery that inspired JRR Tolkien when he lived near Sarehole Mill as a child, Sun 10 Sept, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS THEATRE TOURS

Explore the Grade II-listed auditorium and go backstage to see areas normally only open to performers, Sun 10 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

THE MACABRE MUSEUM: STORIES OF MURDER AND MAYHEM Hear some of the darker stories of the lock-up’s history, Sun 10 Sept, West Midlands Police Museum, Birmingham

Festivals in the Midlands

MOSELEY FOLK & ARTS FESTIVAL Lineup includes Billy Bragg (pictured), Squeeze, Louie Miles, My Darling Clementine, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Sept, Moseley Park, Birmingham

OFF THE TRACKS FESTIVAL Line-up includes Dreadzone, Noble Jacks, Kissmet, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Sept, Castle

Donington

BROMYARD FOLK FESTIVAL Line-up includes Merry Hell, The Young’uns, Eliza Carthy Trio, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Sept, Bromyard, Herefordshire

thelist

Classical Music

MELVYN TANN IN CONCERT Wed 13 Sept, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

VERDI REQUIEM WITH KAZUKI YAMADA & THE CBSO Featuring Evelina Dobračeva (soprano), Karen Cargill (mezzo-soprano), Dmytro Popov (tenor) & Ashley Riches (bass), Thurs 14 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Gigs

BIG BIG TRAIN Mon 11

Sept, Birmingham

Town Hall

OBITUARY + PEST CONTROL Mon 11 Sept,

The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

TWO DOOR CINEMA Mon

11 Sept, Keele University, Stoke-onTrent

STEPHEN LYNCH Wed 13

Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE DRIFTERS Wed 13

Sept, Crewe Lyceum

RED GUITARS Thurs 14

Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DONCHEZ DACRES Thurs

14 Sept, The Robin, Bilston

SEAL Thurs 14 Sept, The Civic at The Halls

Wolverhampton

CHRIS LESLIE Thurs 14

Sept, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

A BEAUTIFUL NOISENEIL DIAMOND TRIBUTE

Thurs 14 Sept, Stafford

Gatehouse Theatre

THE REZILLOS Fri 15

Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE REAL PEOPLE Fri 15

Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DAMIAN LEWIS Fri 15

Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

KAISER MONKEY

KILLERS Fri 15 Sept, The River Rooms,

Stourbridge

THE BRANDON MCPHEE SHOW Fri 15 Sept,

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

CHRIS QUINN Fri 15

Sept, Hermon Arts,

Oswestry, North Shropshire

A COUNTRY NIGHT IN NASHVILLE Fri 15 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

THE FAZYS Fri 15 Sept,

The Townhouse, Sutton Coldfield

CARPENTERS SONGBOOK

Fri 15 Sept, Dudley

Town Hall

THE DIRTY ROCKING SCOUNDRELS Fri 15

Sept, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

NOASIS Fri 15 Sept, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

TV PINS + SMOKIN’

ESKIMO Fri 15 Sept,

Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

ANNA AND THE TONICS

Fri 15 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

MICHAEL STARRING BEN

Fri 15 Sept, Telford

Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

THE MODERATORS Sat 16 Sept, The Robin, Bilston

DEXYS Sat 16 Sept,

The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

TASHA LEAPER IS

MADONNA Sat 16

Sept, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

ONE NIGHT OF ELVISLEE ‘MEMPHIS’ KING Sat

16 Sept, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

LONG TALL TEXANS Sat

16 Sept, The Underground, Stokeon-Trent

THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Sat 16

Sept, Dudley Town Hall

CHRIS QUINN Sat 16

Sept, The Hive, Shrewsbury

THE INDIGO MACHINE

Sat 16 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

HOTROX Sat 16 Sept,

Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

LYNUS + BAD EARTH +

UNDURSKIN Sat 16

Sept, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

LOVEJOY Sun 17 Sept, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE KARMA EFFECT + THE BAD DAY + THIEVES OF LIBERTY Sun 17

Sept, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

THE ILLEGAL EAGLES

Sun 17 Sept, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

LICHFIELD FOLK ON THE FARM Sun 17 Sept, Woodhouse Farm and Garden, Lichfield

SARAH RICHES Sun 17

Sept, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

THE MERSEY BEATLES

Sun 17 Sept, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

MANCHESTER COLLECTIVE: DIFFERENT TRAINS Featuring Sara Wolstenholme & Anna Tulchinskaya (violins), Alex Mitchell (viola) & Christian Elliot (cello). Programme includes works by Cassandra Miller, Samuel Barber, Jasmin Kent Rodgman & Steve Reich, Thurs 14 Sept, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

JARUALDA QUARTET Featuring Joely Koos (cello). Programme includes works by Beethoven, Barber & Schubert, Fri 15 Sept, St Michael’s Church, Munslow, South Shropshire

MARINA KAM MARIMBA RECITAL Fri 15 Sept, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

SHEKU KANNEH-MASON, KAZUKI

YAMADA & THE CBSO Programme includes works by Beethoven, Shostakovich & Walton, Sat 16 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

YUGEN SAXOPHONE QUARTET

Programme includes works by Raymond Moulaert, Fernande Decruck, Philippe Geiss, Jennifer Watson, Caryl Florio & Barbara Thompson, Sat 16 Sept, St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire

WILLIAM SMITH (TENOR) & SIMON BATE (PIANO) Programme includes works by Schubert, Gurney & Sky by Paul Henley, Sat 16 Sept, St Michael’s Church, Munslow, South Shropshire

MAGDALENNA KRSTEVSKA (CLARINET), RUTH HENLEY (CELLO) & ROELOF

TEMMINGH (PIANO) Programme includes works by Beethoven, Brahms & the world premiere of Paul Henley’s Theme & Variations, Sat 16 Sept, St Michael’s Church, Munslow, South Shropshire

Comedy

SIMON BRODKIN Wed 13 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

SIMON BRODKIN Thurs 14 Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

ESTHER MANITO Thurs 14 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CARL HUTCHINSON Thurs 14 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

SPRING DAY, MICHAEL RICE, JOE WELLS, NICK DOODY & AARON LEVENE Fri 15

Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ANDREW BIRD Fri 15 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GEOFF NORCOTT Fri 15 Sept, Old Rep, Birmingham

RHYS JAMES Fri 15 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

SARA KEYWORTH, MATT READ, DANNY

MCLAUGHLIN & WAYNE BEESE Fri 15 Sept, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

JOSIE LONG Fri 15 Sept, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

SPRING DAY, MICHAEL RICE, JOE WELLS & NICK DOODY Sat 16 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SUZI RUFFELL Sat 16 Sept, Old Rep, Birmingham

CHRIS WASHINGTON, DOMINIC HATTONWOODS, MATT FOSTER & DAMION

LARKIN Sat 16 Sept, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

FIONA ALLEN Sat 16 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

NINA CONTI, IGNACIO LOPEZ, EDDY

BRIMSON & WAYNE BEESE Sat 16 Sept, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

TOMMY SANDHU, TEZ ILYAS, KIRAN

DEOL & RICHARD BLACKWOOD Sun 17 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ED BYRNE Sun 17 Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

Theatre

DISNEY’S THE LION KING Acclaimed production telling the story of Simba’s epic journey to fulfil his destiny as King of the Pridelands, until Sat 16 Sept, Birmingham

Hippodrome

FALKLAND SOUND Brad Birch’s lyrical new play turns modern history into a theatrical epic, depicting a community and way of life turned upside-down, until Sat 16 Sept, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

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

Dexys - The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

upon-Avon

THE EMPRESS Tanika Gupta’s epic story reveals how socially diverse the Asian presence was in 19th-century Britain, until Sat 18 Nov, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

INSPECTOR DRAKE AND THE PERFEKT

CRIME The Nonentities present an amateur version of David Tristram’s murder-mystery, Mon 11 - Sat 16 Sept, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

SHREK: THE MUSICAL Amateur version presented by Sutton Coldfield Musical Theatre Company, Tues 12Sat 16 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

THE SOUND OF MUSIC Amateur version presented by The Mellow Dramatics, Tues 12 - Sat 16 Sept, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

MACBETH An immersive production of Shakespeare’s bloody play, Tues 12Sat 16 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE Fantasy and myth combine in a story that takes audiences on a journey to a childhood once forgotten - and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it... Tues 12 - Sat 16 Sept, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE Interactive theatre for younger audiences, based on the book by Steven Lee, Sun 17 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Light Entertainment

MOST HAUNTED Yvette Fielding hosts the stage version of the hit TV series, Thurs 14 Sept, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

SOLVE-ALONG-A-MURDER-SHE-WROTE

Interactive screening of classic Murder She Wrote episode The Corpse Flew First Class, Fri 15 - Sat 16 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

ANDY & THE ODD SOCKS ‘One of the most popular and endearing live music shows in the UK - and every kids essential first gig!’, Sat 16 Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH Howl with the Hounds of Love and dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights as Sarah-Louise Young pays homage to the music, fans and mythology of one of British music’s most influential performers, Sat 16 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Talks & Spoken Word

THE WIZARD OF OZ CLOC Musical Theatre Company present an amateur version of Frank Baum’s iconic story, Wed 13 - Sat 16 Sept, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

SHAKESPEARE’S FOOL Join Cavaliero Kempe as he gives his final performance to an audience of a mouse and a marrote, and explains what really happened between him and William Shakespeare, Thurs 14 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

WOMEN & THEATRE: NOT THE LAST A new production that shines a light on female land ownership, philanthropy and the vital and varied role of parks and green spaces in the city, Thurs 14 - Sun 17 Sept, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

THE BENCH Joe O’Byrne’s comedy about love, life and loss, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

Kids Theatre

TALES FROM ACORN WOOD Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s muchloved tales are brought to the stage, Mon 11 - Tues 12 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

HENRY BLOFELD An evening with the much-loved Test Match Special commentator, Wed 13 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

AN EVENING WITH HARRY REDKNAPP

Join the ex-football manager and one-time I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! winner as he recounts stories from his long career and time in the jungle, Sun 17 Sept, The Alexandra, Birmingham

Events

VICTORIAN PRINTERS EXPERIENCE DAY

Experience the life of a Victorian printer, Wed 13 Sept, Blists Hill

Victorian Town, Ironbridge

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS Guided tour explaining how the venue’s collection is cared for, Wed 13 - Fri 15 Sept, World of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Thurs 14 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

CANNOCK BEER FESTIVAL Featuring 45 cask ales, 10 ciders & perries and a new addition of five ‘KeyKeg’ craft beers, Thurs 14 - Sat 16 Sept, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

AUTUMN STEAM GALA Severn Valley Railway presents a selection of guest locomotives alongside its home steam engine fleet, Thurs 14 - Sun 17 Sept, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

A TOUR WITH SIR THOMAS HOLTE The infamous Sir Thomas Holte shows you around his grand 17th-century mansion, Fri 15 Sept, Aston Hall, Birmingham

BRITAIN’S FIRST NOBEL PRIZE FOR CHEMISTRY For two days only, Blists Hill hosts the 1904 Nobel Prize of Sir William Ramsay, on display to the public for the first time outside London, Fri 15 - Sat 16 Sept, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge

VIKINGS FESTIVAL Family Viking festival with night rides, live shows and more, Fri 15 Sept - Sun 1 Oct, Drayton Manor Resort, Staffordshire

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Sat 16 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

MUSEUM COLLECTION CENTRE OPEN DAY Featuring family-friendly activities, meet-the-expert events, and the chance to explore the artefactpacked warehouse, Sat 16 Sept, Museum Collections Centre, Birmingham

OSWESTRY ANTIQUE & COLLECTORS

FAIR Featuring an array of outdoor and indoor stalls selling an eclectic mix of antiques, vintage and collectibles, Sat 16 Sept, Oswestry Showground, Shropshire

HERITAGE OPEN DAY Find out where and how the museum’s collections are stored, Sat 16 Sept, New Art Gallery, Walsall

BAZ LUHRMANN’S ‘ELVIS’ FILM & FOOD

EXPERIENCE The magic of the big

screen meets gourmet treats from the Arts Cafe, Sat 16 Sept, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

HERITAGE OPEN DAY Explore a home full of Pre-Raphaelite art and William Morris interiors, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Sept, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton

ORIGINS OF MIDDLE-EARTH: JRR

TOLKIEN AND SAREHOLE GUIDED WALK

A guided walk introducing the scenery that inspired JRR Tolkien when he lived near Sarehole Mill as a child, Sun 17 Sept, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

AMERICAN WRESTLING Family fun provided by top-class wrestlers, Sun 17 Sept, Brierley Hill Civic Hall

QUIET SESSION Enjoy an all-round quieter experience, with fewer people and no music, Sun 17 Sept, Legoland Discovery Centre

Birmingham

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTORS FAIR

Featuring traders from across the UK selling a wide range of items from yesteryear, Sun 17 Sept, Himley Hall, Dudley

CLASSIC & RETRO CAR SHOW Featuring a large number of static displays and a show arena hosting ‘stunning parades’, Sun 17 Sept, Trentham Estate, Staffordshire

THE TAM-MIRTH COMEDY FESTIVAL A diverse range of entertainment across the town, Sun 17 - Fri 29 Sept, various venues across Tamworth

Festivals in the Midlands

LICHFIELD FESTIVAL OF FOLK Line-up includes False Lights, Juan Martin, In The Bellows, Sun 17 Sept - Sat 14 Oct, various venues across Lichfield

Shakespeare’s Fool - Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

thelist

Monday 18 - Sunday 24 September

ELLIE GOWERS Fri 22

Sept, Hermon Arts, Oswestry, North Shropshire

PROMETHIUM + BANG

BANG FIRECRACKER Fri

22 Sept, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

HIGHLY SUSPECT Sat 23

Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

KATHRYN WILLIAMS & POLLY PAULUSMA Sat

23 Sept, Newhampton

Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

KOSHEEN Sat 23 Sept, The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

A FOREIGNERS JOURNEY

Sat 23 Sept, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

Gigs

NEMZZZ Tues 19 Sept,

O2 Institute, B’ham

THE HEAVY Tues 19

Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

ALEXANDER O’NEAL

Tues 19 Sept, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

DEACON BLUE Wed 20

Sept, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

MARTYN JOSEPH Thurs

21 Sept, Katie

Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

WHEATUS Thurs 21

Sept, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

VOID INN + ELKAPATH

Thurs 21 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

SIMEON WALKER +

DAVID JOHN FITZPATRICK

Thurs 21 Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury

THE ROY ORBISON

STORY Thurs 21 Sept, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

GET YOUR ROCKS OFF Fri

22 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

UK SUBS + MENACE + CHELSEA Fri 22 Sept,

O2 Academy, B’ham

DOMINIC FIKE Fri 22

Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE SUPERSKAS Fri 22

Sept, Brierley Hill Civic, Dudley

Classical Music

ORGAN RECITAL WITH MARTYN RAWLES

Tues 19 Sept, Lichfield Cathedral

LUNCHTIME LECTURE RECITAL WITH OLIVIA DANCE Programme includes works by Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Schumman/Liszt, Brahms, Chopin, Chaminade, Piazolla, Dring & Barber, Thurs 21 Sept, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

ORGAN RECITAL WITH PETER KING Fri 22 Sept, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

ORGAN RECITAL WITH PETER KING Sat 23 Sept, The Abbey Church, Shrewsbury

JARUALDA QUARTET Programme includes works by Beethoven & Brahms, Sat 23 Sept, St Michael’s Church, Munslow, South Shropshire

FIONA ALLEN Sat 23 Sept, Stourbridge Town Hall

DAN NIGHTINGALE Sat 23 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

OMID DJALILI AND FRIENDS! Sat 23 Sept, Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, North Shropshire

ROBERT WHITE Sun 24 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SOPHIE MCCARTNEY Sun 24 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

STEVE HEWLETT Sun 24 Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

Theatre

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

TOTALLY TINA Fri 22

Sept, Dudley Town Hall

JESS SILK Fri 22 Sept, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

OLI BROWN & THE DEAD COLLECTIVE Fri 22 Sept,

KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

ALEX OHM + JACK

FLETCHER + JACK

CATTELL Fri 22 Sept, Newhampton Arts

Centre, Wolves

FRED ZEPPLIN Fri 22

Sept, Eleven, Stokeon-Trent

NINEBARROW Fri 22

Sept, Brewhouse Arts

Centre, Burton upon Trent

NINE BELOW ZERO Fri 22

Sept, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

HOT CHOCOLATE Fri 22

Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

MARTIN MCALOON Fri 22

Sept, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

SONS OF PITCHES Fri 22

Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

NIRVANAH Fri 22 Sept, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

THE RAMONAS Fri 22

Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

ENDLESS LOVE - TRIBUTE TO LIONEL RICHIE & DIANA ROSS Fri 22

Sept, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

BRIGID MAE POWER Sat 23 Sept, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

VENITA LAWRENCE Sat

23 Sept, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

AN EVENING OF RADIOHEAD Sat 23

Sept, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

HELLBENT FOREVER + MOTORKILL Sat 23 Sept, The Station, Cannock

THE ORIGINAL WANTED Sat 23 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

AUDIO THIEVES Sat 23 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

TRIGGER - THE STADIUM ROCK EXPERIENCE Sat

23 Sept, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

THE WOW SIGNAL + PYLON POETS Sat 23 Sept, Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

DAVID RODIGAN Sun 24 Sept, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE ANALOGUES Sun 24 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

FRANCIS ROSSI Sun 24 Sept, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

THE BUSHBURYS Sun 24 Sept, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

1999 - THE ULTIMATE PRINCE EXPERIENCE

Sun 24 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

TROVATORI Featuring Darren & Caroline Clarke. Programme includes works by Bizet, Augustin Lara, Dvorak, William Ross, Leonard Bernstein and more... Sun 24 Sept, St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire

Comedy

GARETH REYNOLDS Wed 20 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TOM STADE Wed 20 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

TIM VINE Wed 20 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE EMPRESS Tanika Gupta’s epic story reveals how socially diverse the Asian presence was in 19th-century Britain, until Sat 18 Nov, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

BY THE WATERS OF LIVERPOOL New version of Helen Forrester’s period drama, Mon 18 - Tues 19 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN One-woman show in which Rebecca Vaughan performs Virgina Woolf’s 1928 exploration of the impact of poverty and sexual inequality on intellectual freedom and creativity, Tues 19 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL Amateur version presented by Get Your Wigle

On, Tues 19 - Wed 20 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

GREASE Amateur version presented by Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre, Tues 19 - Sat 23 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

CHARLIE & THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR

DANNY POSTHILL, SIOBHAN PHILLIPS, NOEL JAMES, BEN LANGLEY & DALISO

CHAPONDA Thurs 21 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

KAE KURD Fri 22 Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

CARL HUTCHINSON Fri 22 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

CHARLIE BAKER Fri 22 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

ALISTAIR BARRIE, MARIA SHEHATA, MORGAN REES & ROBERT WHITE Fri 22

- Sat 23 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RUBY WAX Sat 23 Sept, The Alexandra, Birmingham

SOPHIE DUKER Sat 23 Sept, Old Rep, Birmingham

JOSH PUGH, NABIL ABDULRASHID, TAL DAVIES & WAYNE BEESE Sat 23 Sept, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

The Upstagers neurodiverse cast present an immersive, inclusive and ‘scrumdidlyumptious’ staging of Roald Dahl’s book, Thurs 21 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

CHRISTINE BOVILL PIAF TO POP A new celebration of the Golden Age of French song and how it evolved during the Swinging 60s, Thurs 21 Sept, The Hub @ St Marys, Lichfield

HEABEAS CORPUS Amateur version of Alan Bennett’s popular comedy, Thurs 21 - Sat 23 Sept, The Little Theatre, Donnington

ALICE IN WONDERLAND Amateur version of Lewis Carroll’s fantastical tale, presented by Cannock Chase Drama Society, Thurs 21 - Sun 24 Sept, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Tracy-Ann Oberman stars in a powerful reimagining of Shakespeare’s play, set in 1936 London, Thurs 21 Sept -

Ellie Gowers - Hermon Arts, Oswestry

thelist

Sat 10 Feb, Swan Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

ANNIE JR Amateur version presented by Get Your Wigle On’s junior and teen cast members, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) Join a troupe of madcap performers in tights as they weave their way through all of Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and tragedies in just 97 minutes, Sat 23 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

SINATRA THE MUSICAL Brand-new production exploring the life of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, Sat 23 Sep - Sat 28 Oct, The Rep, Birmingham

ASTLEY’S ASTOUNDING ADVENTURES

Action-packed production telling the story of the local showman who invented the circus, Sat 23 Sept - Sat 21 Oct, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme

Kids Theatre

THE KING OF NOTHING Monstro Theatre present an anarchic piece of musical puppet theatre inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes, Sat 23 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Dance

IAN WAITE & VINCENT SIMONE: THE MAGIC OF DANCE A choreographed journey through dance, from the sizzling samba to the passion of the Argentine tango, Wed 20 Sept, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

EMERALD STORM Irish dance and modern tap combine in this tale of love, rivalry and turmoil.

Choreographed by dancer & Hollywood actor Adam Garcia, Thurs 21 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

BLACK SABBATH: THE BALLET

Birmingham Royal Ballet combine theatrical dance and a new Black Sabbath soundtrack, Sat 23 - Sat 30 Sept, Birmingham Hippodrome

Light Entertainment

SLAY QUEENZ Join the latest three winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK for a show featuring ‘side-splitting laughs, jaw-dropping vocals and eyepopping outfits’. Krystal Versace, Danny Beard and Blu Hydrangea star, Mon 18 Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

MIRIAM MARGOLYES: OH MIRIAM! LIVE

An ‘unforgettable adventure’ through the extraordinary life and strong opinions of Miriam Margolyes - actor, author, broadcaster and voice of Cadbury’s Caramel Rabbit, Mon 18 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LOOKING FOR ME FRIEND: THE MUSIC OF VICTORIA WOOD This acclaimed show takes audiences on a whistle-stop tour of 21 of Victoria’s best-loved songs, including the hilarious Ballad

Of Barry & Freda and the classic It Would Never Have Worked, Tues 19 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

THE HYPNOTIST: RED RAW Brand-new show in which volunteers from the audience unlock their imaginations under the influence of hypnosis, Wed 20 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH Howl with the Hounds of Love and dance on the moors with Wuthering Heights as Sarah-Louise Young pays homage to the music, fans and mythology of one of British music’s most influential performers, Wed 20 Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

THE GREATEST MAGICIAN Magic and humour combine in a show that’s promising ‘lighthearted hilarity, wonderment and mystery’, Wed 20 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

AUNTY DONNA: THE MAGICAL DEAD CAT

TOUR Featuring all-new sketches alongside fan favourites. Expect ‘funny voices, incredible costumes and silly songs’, Wed 20 - Thurs 21 Sept, The Alexandra, Birmingham

MOST HAUNTED Yvette Fielding hosts the stage version of the hit TV series, Thurs 21 Sept, Dudley Town Hall

LEGENDS OF VARIETY Featuring entertainment ‘from a host of household names’, Thurs 21 Sept, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

ADAM WILLIS: JOSEPH Brand-new oneman show retelling the Nativity story and putting the spotlight on the Bible’s third-best carpenter, Joseph of Nazareth, Fri 22 Sept, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

CAPTAIN SANDY LIVE Join the reality-TV star to find out more about life at the helm. The evening is hosted by broadcaster, author & LGBTQ+ advocate Riyadh Khalaf, with musical performances from Leah Rae, Fri 22 Sept, Old Rep, Birmingham

DO YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS? Leading man Adam - an actor turned paranormal investigator - unravels the legends of theatre ghosts, Fri 22 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

BRIDESMAIDS OF BRITAIN Comedy parody featuring dance-offs, sing-offs and eventually shout-offs at ‘the hen do of the year’, Sat 23 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

STEVE HEWLETT An evening with the comedy ventriloquist and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Sun 24 Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

Events

VICTORIAN PRINTERS EXPERIENCE DAY

Experience the life of a Victorian printer, Wed 20 Sept, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge

VICTORIAN BLACKSMITH EXPERIENCE

DAY Pull on some gloves, pick up a hammer and feel the heat of the furnace, Wed 20 - Thurs 21 Sept, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Thurs 21 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

ADULT NIGHT Enjoy a child-free Lego experience, Fri 22 Sept, Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham

PEAKY BLINDERS NIGHTS Grab your flatcap and don your finest threads for a night of fun and revelry as you step into the smoky underworld of the 1920s, Fri 22 - Sat 23 Sept, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

FASHION THROUGH THE AGES

Exploration of the history of fashion from 1750 to 1970, Fri 22 - Sat 23 Sept, Enginuity, Ironbridge

A PLACE IN THE SUN LIVE Featuring seminars, Q&As and panel talks across the weekend, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Sept, NEC, Birmingham

THE NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW

Discover ‘breathtaking’ wedding dresses, explore ‘captivating’ stationery designs, and check out ‘enchanting’ top-tier entertainment, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Sept, NEC, B’ham

GAIA BY LUKE JERRAM Featuring highresolution NASA imagery of Earth’s surface - an opportunity to see the planet floating and rotating in three dimensions, Fri 22 Sept - Sun 5 Nov, Lichfield Cathedral

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the

Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Sat 23 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

ON-TRAIN VINTAGE AFTERNOON TEA ‘Get ready for a very British culinary journey...’, Sat 23 Sept, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

SANDON HALL LITERATURE FESTIVAL Featuring contributions from a number of authors, Sat 23 - Sun 24 Sept, Sandon Hall, Staffordshire

WREXHAM FEAST Showcasing streetfood traders and artisan producers, Sat 23 - Sun 24 Sept, Waterworld car park, Wrexham

STAFFORD RAILWAY CIRCLE ANNUAL

MODEL RAILWAY EXHIBITION One of the UK’s premier model railway shows, Sat 23 - Sun 24 Sept, Staffordshire County Showground

ORIGINS OF MIDDLE-EARTH: JRR

TOLKIEN AND SAREHOLE GUIDED WALK

A guided walk introducing the scenery that inspired JRR Tolkien when he lived near Sarehole Mill as a child, Sun 24 Sept, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

ART PLAY Creative sensory play sessions for families with babies and toddlers, Sun 24 Sept,

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

MR MOTIVATOR PRESENTS THE MOTIVATIONAL EXPERIENCE Featuring activities aimed at improving your sense of wellbeing, Sun 24 Sept, Halesowen Town Hall

Festivals in the Midlands

WOODSHROP Line-up includes Not the Rolling Stones, ABBA Revival & Guns or Roses, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Sept, West Mid Showground, Shropshire

Astley’s Astounding Adventures - New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

Imageprevious production of Astley’s Astounding Adventures at the New Vic

thelist

Gigs

JP COOPER Tues 26

Sept, Birmingham Town Hall

SHANIA TWAIN Tues 26

Sept, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

BACK TO BACHARACH

Tues 26 Sept, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

RUEL Wed 27 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THEREZA BAZAR’S

DOLLAR Wed 27 Sept,

The Robin, Bilston

SHIVRAJ SINGH’S

‘LOOPHOLE’ FEAT.

SOWETO KINCH Wed 27

Sept, Newhampton

Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

FINE LINES Wed 27

Sept, Foxlowe Arts

Centre, Leek, Staffs

THE ELTON JOHN SHOW

Wed 27 Sept, Stafford

Gatehouse Theatre

PRINCESS GOES Thurs

28 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

LORD OF THE LOST + ESOTERICA Thurs 28

Sept, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

SPREAD EAGLE + LEAF

Thurs 28 Sept, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

PHILOMENA BEGLEY

Thurs 28 Sept, Theatre

Severn, Shrewsbury

LOVELESS Fri 29 Sept,

O2 Institute, B’ham

BLÜ EYES Fri 29 Sept,

O2 Institute, B’ham

FIZZ Fri 29 Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

SAM OFFENDER + THE COURTBETWEENERS Fri 29 Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

HOME FREE Fri 29 Sept, O2 Academy, B’ham

DREADZONE Fri 29 Sept, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

SAME PAGE BAND Fri 29

Sept, The Townhouse, Sutton Coldfield

OLD TIME SAILORS Fri 29 Sept, St. Matthew’s Church, Walsall

THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Fri 29 Sept, Dudley Town Hall

FEROCIOUS DOG +

HENSHAW Fri 29 Sept,

The Robin, Bilston

THEORY OF A DEADMAN + AMONGST LIARS Fri 29 Sept, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

FLOYD IN THE FLESH Fri 29 Sept, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

TOM CLARKE Fri 29 Sept, Keele University, Stoke-on-Trent

JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW Fri 29 Sept, Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent

CHAIN DRIVE Fri 29

Sept, The Underground, Stokeon-Trent

CLIMAX BLUES BAND Fri 29 Sept, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

RESTLESS DOG THE BAND Fri 29 Sept, Two

Gates Club, Tamworth ROBERT JACKSON +

JAKE MORGAN + DANNY

BRADLEY Fri 29 Sept, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

THE STORY OF GUITAR HEROES Fri 29 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE ROLLING CLONES Fri 29 Sept, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

MAD DOG MCREA Fri 29

Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

JACK GOODALL & THE KICK + SAM LAMBETH

Fri 29 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

FLEETWOOD BAC Fri 29

Sept, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

DEVILS HENCHMEN +

FACE OF A STRANGER +

MISCHIEF Fri 29 Sept,

Percy’s Cafe Bar, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

Monday 25 - Saturday 30 September

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Plus special guest Roger Owens. Programme includes works by D Bédard, Franck, Chopin & Gershwin, Mon 25 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

JAMES COOK Fri 29 Sept, The Station, King’s Heath, Birmingham

STEPHEN K AMOS Fri 29 Sept, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

LIAM FARRELLY, ERIC RUSHTON, ROBYN PERKINS & COMIC TBC Fri 29 - Sat 30 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

SOPHIE MCCARTNEY Sat 30 Sept, Old Rep, Birmingham

NIK KERSHAW Sat 30

Sept, O2 Institute, Birmingham

GRACIE ABRAMS + SEAROWS Sat 30 Sept, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE MANFREDS Sat 30

Sept, Birmingham

Town Hall

AMMY VIRK Sat 30

Sept, Utilita Arena

Birmingham

MAX COOPER Sat 30

Sept, The Mill, Digbeth, Birmingham

MASSIVE WAGONS Sat

30 Sept, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

KOPYCAT KILLERS + SCAM FENDER + SUBARCTIC MONKEYS

Sat 30 Sept, Keele University, Stoke-onTrent

BECKY PURCHASE Sat

30 Sept, Two Gates Club, Tamworth

THE DRIFTERS Sat 30

Sept, The Prince Of Wales, Cannock

COLLATERAL + JAYLER + FALL FROM RUIN Sat 30 Sept, The Station, Cannock

JUAN MARTIN Sat 30 Sept, Lichfield Guildhall

DARKSIDE - THE PINK FLOYD SHOW Sat 30

Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DIRTY ROCKIN’ SCOUNDRELS Sat 30

Sept, Albert’s Shed, Southwater, Telford

THE 309S Sat 30 Sept, Chapel Lawn Village Hall, Craven Arms, South Shropshire

CHIC OUT! Sat 30 Sept, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

BOWIE LIVE Sat 30

Sept, Crewe Lyceum

BREAK THE RECORD Sat

30 Sept, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

SHOSTAKOVICH 8 WITH THE CBSO Featuring Michael Seal (conductor) & Boris Giltburg (piano). Programme includes works by Rachmaninoff & Shostakovich, Thurs 28 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

CLASSICS AT THE MOVIES WITH THE CBSO Featuring Stephen Bell (conductor) & Máire Flavin (soprano). Programme includes works by Mozart, Elgar, Sibelius, Offenbach & Puccini, Fri 29 Sept, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

ULRICH HEINEN (CELLO) & JOHN HUMPHREYS (PIANO) Programme includes works by Schumann, Dvorak & Beethoven, Fri 29 Sept, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

NICHOLAS FREESTONE ORGAN RECITAL Programme includes works by Jean Langlais, J.S Bach, Francis Jackson. Jehan Alain, Ad Wammes & Louis Vierne, Sat 30 Sept, St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire

Comedy

MARK NORMAND Tues 26 Sept, O2 Academy, Birmingham

MARK STEEL Wed 27 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, MATT RICHARDSON & ROBYN PERKINS Thurs 28 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

EMMANUEL SONUBI Thurs 28 Sept, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

RUSSELL BRAND Thurs 28 Sept, The Civic at The Halls Wolverhampton

ROSIE JONES Thurs 28 Sept, Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, North Shropshire

GRACE PETRIE: BUTCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Sat 30 Sept, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

RHYS JAMES Sat 30 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Theatre

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

THE EMPRESS Tanika Gupta’s epic story reveals how socially diverse the Asian presence was in 19th-century Britain, until Sat 18 Nov, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

AXEL BLAKE Thurs 28 Sept, Crewe Lyceum

PIERRE NOVELLIE Thurs 28 - Fri 29 Sept, The Glee Club, Birmingham

IVO GRAHAM Fri 29 Sept, Old Rep, Birmingham

STEVE BUGEJA, MARY FLANIGAN &

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE Fantasy and myth combine in a story that takes audiences on a journey to a childhood once forgotten - and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it... Tues 26 - Sat 30 Sept, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

SISTER ACT Lesley Joseph stars as Mother Superior in the heavenly smash-hit musical, Mon 25 - Sat 30 Sept, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

WEST SIDE STORY Amateur version presented by Brownhills Musical Theatre Company, Tues 26 - Sat 30 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

84 CHARING CROSS ROAD Amateur version presented by the Lichfield Players, Tues 26 - Sat 30 Sept, Lichfield Garrick

YORKSHIRE KERNEL & THE LAND GIRL A Theatre On Your Doorstep double bill, featuring: Danny Mill’s Yorkshire Kernal, with songs by Jez Lowe, and Kate Bramley’s The Land Girl, performed by Ellen Carnazza and also featuring songs by Jez Lowe, Fri 29 Sept, The Talbot Theatre, Whitchurch, North Shropshire

WHAT’S YOUR POISON? Rumpus Theatre Company presents a truecrime Victorian murder-mystery, Fri 29 Sept, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

Old Time Sailors - St Matthew’s Church, Walsall

thelist

CONFETTI Will Jackson presents a one-man show celebrating ‘the gay best friend’, Sat 30 Sept, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

Dance

BLACK SABBATH: THE BALLET Birmingham Royal Ballet combine theatrical dance and a new Black Sabbath soundtrack, until Sat 30 Sept, Birmingham Hippodrome

Light Entertainment

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Nostalgic show featuring comedy sketches, music and impersonations, Mon 25 Sept, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DREAMBOYS: NO STRINGS ATTACHED

Fun, fantasy and brand-new visual spectacle, Wed 27 Sept, Crewe

Lyceum Theatre

WOLVES ICONS - THE 70S Join John Richards, Kenny Hibbitt and Steve Daley as they share stories from their Molineux careers, Thurs 28 Sept, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock

RAT PACK: SWINGIN’ AT THE SANDS Fully choreographed show featuring a host of well-known songs, Sat 30 Sept, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

SLAY QUEENZ Join the latest three winners of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK for a show featuring ‘side-splitting laughs, jaw-dropping vocals and eyepopping outfits’. Krystal Versace, Danny Beard and Blu Hydrangea star, Sat 30 Sept, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

Talks & Spoken Word

THE SERIAL KILLER NEXT DOOR Join psychological therapist and crime commentator Emma Kenny as she discusses what creates a serial killer, Sun 24 Sept, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

AN EVENING WITH AGGERS Join cricket commentator Jonathan Agnew as he recounts tales from his ‘highly entertaining’ career, Wed 27 Sept, Telford Theatre, Oakengates, Shropshire

Events

BLACK COUNTRY DIALECT ACROSS TIME AND SPACE Esther Asprey explores how the dialect of the area has developed, Wed 27 Sept, Bilston Town Hall

SHREWSBURY CAMRA BEER FESTIVAL

Featuring 100 beers, plus ciders, perries, country wines and craft gins, Wed 27 - Sat 30 Sept, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Thurs 28 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

SHROPSHIRE MUSIC AWARDS 2023

Event shining a light on Shropshire’s musical talents across a wide range of genres, Thurs 28 Sept, Telford Theatre

AUTUMN DIESEL BASH - THE

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN Featuring seven former Western Region dieselhydraulics led locomotives, Thurs 28 Sept - Sun 1 Oct, Severn Valley

Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster

WOLVERHAMPTON SEVENTIES WEEKEND

2023 Featuring a weekend of performers and the Slade fan convention, Fri 29 - Sat 30 Sept, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton

CLUN VALLEY BEER FESTIVAL Enjoy all the pubs along the valley, Fri 29 - Sat 30 Sept, Clun, Shropshire

COALPORT AND JACKFIELD WALK A guided walk between two of the Ironbridge Gorge’s ‘must see’ museums, Sat 30 Sept, Jackfield Tile Museum and Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge

STOURBRIDGE RECORD & MUSIC FAIR

Featuring traders selling records, CDs, tapes, posters and other goodies, Sat 30 Sept, Stourbridge Town Hall

BIG FISH LITTLE FISH WOLVERHAMPTON

END OF SUMMER FAMILY RAVE Dance the afternoon away with the whole family, Sat 30 Sept, Popworld, Wolverhampton

AFRO TRADITIONAL MULTICULTURAL

EVENT Featuring drumming and dancing, a traditional fashion show, a Ghanaian live band, OLU Root Reggae, historical speeches, a talent show, unveiling of traditional Queen Mothers and lots more, Sat 30 Sept, Telford Theatre

GINGER AND SPICE FESTIVAL The annual Market Drayton food, drink & heritage festival, dedicated to all things ginger and spice, Sat 30 Sept, Cheshire Street, Market Drayton

THE MURDER OF FLORENCE CAMPBELL

An after-hours murder-mystery evening in the Victorian lock-up, Sat 30 Sept, West Midlands Police

Museum, Birmingham

SHREWSBURY PRIDE FESTIVAL Events include a main stage highlighting local queer acts, a Pride March, an aftershow and more..., Sat 30 Sept, The Square, Shrewsbury

SUMMER SOUL PARTY Featuring the best of 1980s, ’90s and noughties soul, Sat 30 Sept, North Street Social, Wolverhampton

HISTORIC RALLY FESTIVAL Featuring up to 60 specially selected cars, Sat 30 Sept - Sun 1 Oct, Weston Park, Shropshire

BRICK OR TREAT: MONSTER PARTY Get into the Halloween spirit with some fang-tastic activities, Sat 30 SeptTues 31 October, Legoland Discovery Centre Birmingham

Big Fish Little Fish - Popworld, Wolverhampton