What's On March 2015

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BIRMINGHAM WHAT’S ON ISSUE 351 MARCH 2015

THE MIDLANDS ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE BIRMINGHAM

’ What sOn www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ISSUE 351

MARCH 2015

AMERIIE SOULS

TRESS BA CK IN

BRUM...

SHREK THE MUSICAL swamp-dwelling ogre set to make a splash...

PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS

JASON MANFORD talks about playing Leo Bloom in The Producers interview inside...

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INSIDE: FILM COMEDY THEATRE LIVE MUSIC VISUAL ARTS EVENTS FOOD & DRINK & MUCH MORE!

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Contents March Region 1.qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2015 21:37 Page 1

March 2015 Editor: Davina Evans

INSIDE:

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Shrek The Musical

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arrives in Brum p25

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stars in Arthur Miller classic interview p8

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Jason Manford, happy to be playing Leo Bloom in The Producers Interview page 6

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News March Region one.qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2015 21:29 Page 1

News

A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

The RSC’s Other Place to re-open in 2016 The Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) iconic studio theatre, The Other Place, is set to reopen in 2016 - a decade after it closed with work beginning on the Stratford-uponAvon premises this month.

The new venue will include a two hundredseat flexible studio theatre and two new rehearsal rooms.

The RSC’s thirty thousand-piece costume store will also be housed there, and will be available for the public to view via theatre tours.

The Other Place will host new-work festivals, provide space for rehearsals and a training area for artists. It will also be used for research projects, run in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and its Stratford-based Shakespeare Institute.

Sir Antony Sher takes on the role of King Lear

Narnia magic at The REP The magical land of Narnia will be materialising at Birmingham Repertory Theatre next Christmas.

The Rep has announced that its festive season production for 2015 will be a brand new staging of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe.

Commenting on the decision to mount an adaptation of CS Lewis’ much-loved children’s story, which was last presented at the venue in 2008, The Rep’s Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert, said: “The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe is a classic story that touches young and old, and this vivid stage adaptation will bring a little bit of magic to the winter season.”

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe opens at The REP on Wednesday 25 November 2015 and runs until Saturday 16 January 2016.

Tickets are now on sale from the box office 0121 236 4455 - and online at www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

Art project such a hoot...

A new art project will this summer see one hundred beautifully designed owl statues appearing throughout Birmingham over a ten-week period.

The Big Hoot is the brainchild of public art specialists Wild In Art, who’re developing the project in partnership with Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

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Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Associate Artist Sir Antony Sher, who this month stars in the company’s new production of Arthur Miller’s Death Of A Salesman, will return to Stratford in summer 2016 to take on the role of King Lear.

The RSC is pairing the plays, both of which are helmed by Artistic Director Gregory Doran.

Death Of A Salesman is being staged to mark the centenary of Miller’s birth, King Lear to commemorate the four hundredth anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.

The company is also presenting a strong autumn-winter 2015 season. A new production of Henry V, to mark the six hundredth anniversary of Agincourt, is joined by Ella Hickson’s Wendy & Peter Pan, making a welcome return to Stratford. The season also features two new plays - Marina Carr’s Hecuba and Helen Edmundson’s Queen Anne - as well as a production of William Congreve’s Love For Love.

The company famously hosted a similar event in Bristol which featured giant statues depicting Gromit of Wallace And Gromit fame.

One of the very first artists chosen to design an owl for The Big Hoot was Shrewsburybased illustrator Matt Sewell.

Formerly an artist-in-residence on BBC Two’s Spring Watch show and renowned for his bird illustrations, Matt has showcased his love of watching and painting birds on a 165cm-tall owl statue.

“The Big Hoot is going to be one massive festival all about birds, and I can’t wait for my art to be at the heart of it,” says Matt.

“Like every artist, I crave attention for my designs, and I’m grateful to have this opportunity to showcase my work across Birmingham in a fun and quirky way. This project is guaranteed to put a smile on people’s faces.”

For more information about the project, visit www.thebighoot.co.uk.

Theatre In Education project launched at The Belgrade A year-long programme of work celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of Theatre In Education in Coventry has been launched at the city’s Belgrade Theatre.

Inspiring Curiosity was launched by former Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sir Michael Boyd.

Highlights of the anniversary programme include a two-week festival of theatre in July.

The event will feature performances, workshops and talks, with contributors including Frantic Assembly, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Vamos Theatre Company.

There will also be an October festival for children and young people, showcasing professional theatre productions from across the UK and beyond.

Commenting on the anniversary celebrations, Sir Michael said: “I believe Theatre In Education is at the absolute epicentre of what makes theatre a distinct and cherished art form. That degree of embodied learning, that degree of engagement, of interactivity, of making it the business of the audience to take part in the show, has continued to shape my approach to theatre to this day.” Michael Boyd

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New Art West Midlands presents works for sale The first New Art West Midlands Annual exhibition is to take place at Birmingham’s Article Gallery this month.

Curated by Rachel Bradley, Head of Art Market at New Art WM, the showcase allows anyone interested in contemporary art to view some of the exciting new work being created in the Midlands.

The new initiative features works for sale by fourteen local artists. These include: Vanley Burke’s prints, showing life in urban Birmingham; Elizabeth Rowe’s collages, ‘intricately rendered from newspaper’; and new paintings and sculptures from New Art West Midlands 2014 winner Rafal Zar. The Annual runs from 20 March to 15 April.

For further information, visit www.newartwm.org

Excitement for Everyman at The Mailbox A brand new cinema experience has arrived in Birmingham’s Mailbox. The three-screen Everyman Cinema, which opened to the public at the end of last month, offers ‘a luxurious made-to-measure environment, a delicious food and drink menu and a state-of-the-art sound and vision experience’.

Sited on the canal side area of the Mailbox, the cinema will show both national releases and a regularly updated and curated themed film programme. Everyman is the first new venue to open as part of a major refurbishment programme at the Mailbox. Further developments include a sky-lit roof and a new retail mall. The mall will feature sleek store frontages showcasing exclusive retailers, bars and restaurants, all of which are due to open later this year.

Tom Odell added to Forest Live’s summer line-up Singer/songwriter Tom Odell is the latest big name to be added to this year’s Forest Live programme of concerts across the country.

Tom will perform in the Midlands at Delamere Forest, Cheshire (4 July), and Cannock Chase Forest, Staffs (12 July).

Odell, whose debut album Long Way Down shot to number one in the charts, will be joined by the supremely talented Rae Morris.

Forest Live is an independent programme organised by the Forestry Commission.

Income from sales is spent protecting, improving and expanding England’s forests and woodlands, increasing their value both to people and wildlife.

Other big names to appear at this year’s concerts include Paloma Faith (10 July) and Robert Plant & The Sensational Space Shifters (11 July). For further information and to book tickets, visit, www.forestry.gov.uk

Antiques experts in town...

BBC Antiques Roadshow regular Judith Miller next month returns to Birmingham to take part in Antiques For Everyone, the UK’s biggest springtime antiques and collectables fair. Judith will join a host of other wellknown speakers and industry experts at the event, which runs at the NEC from 9 to 12 April. For further information, visit www.antiquesforeveryone.co.uk

IN BRIEF A Black Country Night Out welcomes new faces One of the Midlands’ longest-running shows has been given a facelift for 2015.

A Black Country Night Out has been delighting audiences across the region for years, and has featured performances from local comedians Aynuk & Ayli, Tommy Mundon, Dolly Allen & Giggetty.

Bringing a fresh look to proceedings, this year’s shows welcome the addition of the latest ‘brilliantly talented’ Black Country acts including Jonny Cole, who’s earning himself quite a reputation for his musical parodies of modern local life.

Joining Jonny will be Kaylee Cropper, a ‘Black Country wench’ who regales audiences with stories of her life.

Meanwhile, music from The Ronaldos, featuring Ron Rogers from T’Pau, promises to get the aisles well and truly rocking.

24 Hour Culture Survey: The results...

A major region-wide survey has found that arts and culture are very important to people in the West Midlands.

The 24 Hour Culture Survey sought to discover how people experience arts and culture in their everyday lives.

The survey took place during one twenty-four hour period - from noon on Friday the 24th to noon on Saturday the 25th of October 2014.

The findings show that arts and culture are integral to the lives of many people. Ninety-eight percent of respondents said they felt that arts, culture and heritage are important to them.

The main reasons for appreciating arts and culture were that they keep the mind stimulated and give meaning to people’s lives.

Other major reasons include increased health and wellbeing, keeping communities together, improving the lives of children and young people, and the positive effect of arts and culture on jobs and economics.

Libraries were the most popular cultural venue over the twenty-four hours, with 14% of respondents visiting a branch. Twelve percent saw a play or drama during the twenty-four hour period, and 11% visited an art exhibition.

Twenty-four percent of respondents sang for their own pleasure and 15% took part in textile crafts such as knitting or sewing...Check out the findings at www.24hourculture.co.uk

You Me At Six to headline Slam Dunk You Me At Six, Taking Back Sunday and Lower Than Atlantis have been announced as part of this year’s Slam Dunk Festival line-up.

Now in its tenth year, Slam Dunk is described as the ‘loudest punk rock festival’ in the UK, taking place at three strategically selected sites across the country - Leeds in the north, Hertfordshire in the south and Wolverhampton here in the Midlands (25 May). The festival will see the city’s Wulfrun Hall, Civic Hall, Civic Bar and outdoor stages playing host to some of the industry’s best pop punk, ska, punk and hardcore bands. For further information, visit www.slamdunkmusic.com www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5

Jason Manford (CA).qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2015 15:21 Page 1

interview

Jason Manford happy to be playing Leo Bloom in The Producers As a stand-up comedian and panel show host, Jason Manford needs no introduction. His chirpychappy routines regularly sell out arenas across the country, while his TV appearances guarantee plenty of appreciative armchair fans. Back in 2012, Manford surprised West End critics with his portrayal of Italian barber Pirelli in a revival of Sweeney Todd. Preparing to take to the stage once again, this time playing Leo Bloom in the UK tour of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, Jason recently took time out from rehearsals to talk to What’s On...

What makes The Producers your 'favourite musical of all time'?

I guess it’s because it’s written by a comedian, so it naturally lends itself to a comic sensibility.

There are so many obvious ‘big gags’, but there are also loads of subtle jokes. Every day you’re finding another gag somewhere, and that’s mainly why it really suits me. It’s really funny and, in a way, a little offensive - but I guess in 2015 we’re a bit more blasé about what we find offensive. I imagine at the time of its original release, it would’ve been seen as a lot more offensive.

What does your experience as a stand-up comedian enable you to contribute to the role of Leo Bloom?

I guess you see the world through different eyes. Mel Brooks came up with the original idea back in the 1960s and it was based on two stories. He’d heard about this sloth of a producer, and he’d also heard about these criminals who were laundering money. So he 6 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

basically put the two ideas together. As a comic, that’s what you do all the time - you hear two or three funny stories and you amalgamate them to create a routine. So I guess in that respect, for me as a comic who’s always writing, it’s great just to be given a really funny script and not have to do anything. It’s not like when you’re given a sitcom script and you’re going through it, trying to make it funnier.

Do you have a favourite one-liner that you deliver?

I love the blue blanket scene at the beginning.

It’s fun, neurotic, hyperactive and really crazy.

I’m basically Judy Garland - that’s who Leo Bloom is. He’s brand new to showbusiness and is having his eyes opened very quickly to a lot of things he’s never experienced before.

My favourite line of his is “Stop the world, I want to get on”. It’s a really big moment for him, and you could just imagine a young Judy Garland saying it off camera.

Will it be a bit of a jolly, working alongside fellow comedians Ross Noble and Phill Jupitus?

We’re having so much fun at the moment.

Both of them are playing the same part at different times in the tour, and already they’re bringing things to it that aren’t in the script different ideas and different moments that are just really funny. But the whole cast are great fun. It’s really weird coming into a different world, where people sort of know each other a bit and you’re the outsider. Everyone is just really excited to be involved in such a brilliant musical.

You cut your teeth on the stage in Sweeney Todd, for which you received plenty of acclaim. Did that set the bar in terms of the pressure you put on yourself?

What’s interesting is that I’m so used to being on top of my game. I put loads of work into it and I make sure that it’s good - but when you come to do something like this, where

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somebody else is directing it, somebody else has written it, someone else is producing it, it’s hard to let go of the power that you normally have. Sweeney Todd is at the top of the Premier League of musicals. It’s a great Sondheim show, and to perform alongside Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball was just fantastic, even for the short run that I did. I guess after a taste of that, I was just waiting for another Premier League musical.

Do you ever foresee acting superceding your career as a stand-up comedian?

I don’t think so. I love stand-up - it’s my favourite way of performing because it’s so direct. Everything you say, the audience is on it. You can’t get better than that.

So what made you decide to become a comedian?

I was sixteen or seventeen when I first started and I didn’t really think about it. I just had some funny ideas and an opportunity to do a few gigs, so I did them. There wasn’t a business plan. I think I started in ’98 or ’99. I think I first got paid for a gig in 2004, so there was a good five or six years of going at it and getting into debt. I had other jobs. I was working in an office, on a building site, in a burger restaurant or a toy shop. I had hundreds of jobs and would do them for as long as possible - basically until they sacked me because I kept heading off to do a gig somewhere!

Were you funny at school?

I thought I was hilarious, but since school I’ve occasionally bumped into someone in a supermarket and they’ve said, ‘I can’t believe you’re a comedian’. I was a naughty boy at primary school level, although I never brought the police to the door, as my mum always points out with pride. One of the punishments my dad used was to send me to stand in the corner and face the wall. The wall he chose had a bookshelf, and invariably I would pick up a book. I remember going into school and everyone else was reading TIm And Tina Go To The Beach. I was bored out of my brain, as I’d just finished reading Lord Of The Rings. I was quite an advanced reader from an early age, so I was really bored at school. So I became naughty and thought of daft things to do. By the time I reached secondary school, I was always telling daft stories. Mrs Cooper, my English teacher, wasn’t very happy when I used to interrupt her lessons. On one occasion she asked me to share my story with everybody. So I did, and it got a laugh.

Mrs Cooper said it was a fun story and set me extra homework for that night to write it out as a story, which I did. That was the first piece of material that I wrote. I guess I was about twelve or thirteen. I took it into her and she said, ‘Well, that’s what really happened, so why don’t you go away and see if you can add to it and make things up around the story, rather than it being purely fact’. She advised me to lose a couple of elements of the story which weren’t as important and to add some things that would be really funny. I probably remember her advice better than she does, but it was a key moment for me.

What’s your process when writing material, and where do you find your inspiration?

I suppose it’s a bit clichéd but ‘life’, really. I’m surrounded by funny people. The kids are funny, and I’m always hanging around with

funny people - even this cast. We’ve been out to dinner a few times with Cory, who plays Max, and he makes me laugh so much. He tells me stories and I’m like, ‘I’m writing that down, I could use that’. I like to try and be open-minded about things. I do find myself in scrapes sometimes and wonder, ‘Why am I here? Why have I done this?’, but it’s always because there’ll be some fun in it.

What kind of shape do you think the UK comedy scene is in at the moment?

I think there are a lot of brilliant comics at the top level, but there are also loads of brilliant comics coming through from comedy clubs.

Me and my brother have a comedy club business and it’s hard. It doesn’t make any money, but it’s kind of putting something back in. It’s what we both wanted to do, and we’ve discovered loads of great comedians.

Do you both scout for new talent, or do you leave that to your brother?

He’s a comic as well, but he’s also the operations manager for the business.

So what career advice would you give to a raw, hungry, up-and-coming comedian?

I’d say, don’t take any of my work!

I would just say to people, compare yourself to yourself. Don’t think ‘Why has that guy got that’, or ‘Why is Michael McIntyre doing so well?’, or ‘I’m really funny, so why is so-andso doing that gig, not me?’. You know what, just don’t worry about it. If you’re doing better now than you were six months ago, then you’re doing well.

Can you relate to that? Have you ever compared yourself to other people?

No. From early on, my dad instilled in us, ‘Your horizon becomes your middle distance.

Aim far, and one day you’ll get there and you’ll get a new aim’. You’re constantly striving to move forward and make yourself better. There’s actually no point in comparing yourself to anybody else. It’s not healthy.

There will always be a Michael McIntyre.

There will always be a Peter Kay. There will always be a Richard Branson, a Bill Gates and all of those people. There’s always going to be someone better than you, but that should make you strive more.

What's been your worst experience of being heckled?

Oh horrible, horrible experiences. Horrendous gigs. There was a guy once where the gig went so badly he was waiting in the car park to ask for his money back.

And did you give it him?

No, but it was really awkward. It was like a really polite mugging.

What's your favourite joke?

I’ve got a routine that I love doing about the woman in Coventry who put a cat in a bin a few years ago. It’s one of those stories that everyone remembers. There’s also a joke I did on my very first Apollo show: ‘The weather in Manchester is like the Muslims in Iraq, its either sunny or Shiite’. What I love about that is, because of my accent and being a northerner, people think, ‘Oh, he’s probably a racist, he’s got that accent’. When you say the words ‘Muslims in Iraq’, you do see half the audience thinking, ‘Hey up, where’s this going?’. In the end, though, it’s just simple

international word play, a bit of a silly pun. You hear the audience laughing, but you’re also aware of them breathing a sigh of relief. I like playing that card a little bit.

You mentioned about your business with your brother. Will you be popping into that very well-known comedy club during your time in Brum?

I think so, yes. We’re there on Broad Street on Saturday nights. I‘ve played it a couple of times and I’ve got some other big-name comics coming to play over the next few months. I like to keep those as a bit of a surprise - I guess to reward loyalty. Rather than put them on general sale and get a load of people who’ve never been and will probably never come again, I try to only let people know who’ve already booked tickets.

It kind of works.

Tell us about the new BBC drama you’ll be appearing in later this year...

It’s called Ordinary Lives and is written by Danny Brocklehurst, who’s a brilliant writer.

He did The Driver for the BBC. He also did Shameless and Clocking Off. It’s very funny but also quite sad. My character is a guy who’s about to get sacked and panics. He lies and says his wife has died, even though she’s at home and fine. I guess he slightly enjoys the lie because he gets a lot of sympathy and attention, which he’s never experienced before. There’s some comedy and some obvious drama in the unravelling of the lie, but it’s just a guy having a midlife crisis and making it worse for himself. It’s a great cast Michelle Keegan, Mackenzie Crook, Sally Lindsay, Max Beesley and Jo Joyner - a really solid cast and it’s really well written. The producers are either side of making Happy Valley for the BBC, so they know what they’re doing too.

Do you consider working on TV a bit of a breeze in comparison to touring?

It’s certainly easier. Obviously there’s not as much travelling, there’s nobody staring at you and nobody’s paid twenty-five-pounds or whatever on the understanding that you make them laugh! That said, the immediacy of stand-up is very attractive. Once you’ve told a joke, you get a laugh, you know it’s gone well.

With TV, you film the scene and then wait four months until it’s on the telly to get a reaction.

But it’s always good to have that variety...

I think so. I’d get bored otherwise. With standup you only tour once every couple of years, so you need something to do for the rest of the time..

You’ve got Sweeney Todd and The Producers under your belt. Is there another big stage role that you’d love to take on?

I’d love to play Javert in Les Miserables. I don’t know if they’d ever employ a comedian in that role - but like my dad always points out, ‘Frank Spencer did Phantom Of The Opera, so if that can happen, anything can happen’.

The Producers shows at New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, from Mon 2 to Sat 25 April; Manford’s Comedy Club takes place at Players Bar, Broad Street, Birmingham every Saturday evening.

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Harriet Walter Interview (CA).qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2015 15:21 Page 1

interview

Harriet Walter talks about playing Linda Loman in Arthur Miller classic With a career embracing stage, TV and film, Dame Harriet Walter is rightly regarded as one of Britain’s most versatile and talented actors. What’s On recently caught up with Harriet to talk about her role in the RSC's production of Death Of A Salesman, which opens this month in Stratford...

It’s nine years since you last performed for the RSC. What does it feel like to return to the company which has played a huge part in your career?

I’ve had a loose connection with the RSC since I was thirty, sometimes spending time away doing other things, but I just think of it as another project. I don’t really think of the RSC, I think of working with Greg Doran and Tony Sher on an Arthur Miller play. It will be interesting working on the main stage there.

This will be my first time since the refurbishment, so that will be exciting.

You’re currently in rehearsal. What do you think Greg’s direction will bring to this Arthur Miller classic?

It’s early days and we’re currently going through Greg’s usual precision of examining every single layer of the text. You do the first read-through and you think, ‘This is a great play’. Then you break it down into little bits and it’s so much more complex. It’s like Chekov or Ibsen - there are so many layers underneath. As actors, we need to know what they are. Greg gets everybody round the table so that we all hear the play and get to understand the whole play and everybody else’s part, which means that everybody owns the production - even if you’re only saying a few lines. That’s a method used with Shakespeare plays and it really pays off.

There’s no such thing as a ‘bit part player’.

Everybody contributes.

How would you analyse the character of Linda Loman?

Linda is probably like millions of women of her time, living through her family and her husband. She seems to have no ego of her 8 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

own that’s not attached to being a successful wife and mother. You would call her selfless, but she’s not a doormat. She’s strong, controls her feelings and puts her husband first, even above her children. She doesn’t like the fact they fight, but she’ll always put her husband before her boys.

If you were to meet Linda, woman to woman, what would you tell her?

She’s basically the full-stop of an era of women’s behaviour which feminism later questioned. If she’d have been born even ten years later, she’d probably not behave in the same way. The whole notion of women having a destiny of their own, separate from their families, was not at all widespread then.

Obviously there were lots of exceptions, individual women who made their mark or did something special, but Linda’s just like the majority of women at that time, where her pride and ego is wrapped up with making a good home.

What would I tell Linda? I’d have to tell her about all the discoveries of modern-day feminism. I’d have to tell her about all the things I’ve discovered in my lifetime - about women’s autonomy and women’s rights - but she’d probably not want to listen. I think if I sat next to her at a dinner party, she’d regard me as an alien.

How do the challenges of performing a modern classic differ from the disciplines you have to adopt in a Shakespeare play?

They don’t differ that much. When you’re dealing with a great classic, they have a universality about them that means you study the text. Picking the words through, one by one, and looking for every nuance is what you

do with Shakespeare, and also what you do with a great classic like this. You’re dealing with great writers. Great writers who didn’t put one word in accidentally; writers who thought through every single phrase. If it doesn’t come easily to you, then you have to do the same thing that you would do with a Shakespeare piece, which is to find a path to what the playwright originally meant. With a modern thing that’s a bit more loosely written, or with a TV or film script, you can sort of say, ‘I don’t think I’ll say that, I think I’ll say this’, because it might add a bit more. You can’t do that with the classics because they meant what they said. They’re very rock solid, and if they’d intended something to be clearer, then they’d have said it. If it remains unclear to us, then it has to remain unclear to the audience. The ambiguity has to be preserved.

It’s well documented that you wanted to act from the age of nine, so what or who inspired you to become a performer?

It comes up in this play: ‘I’m a younger sibling and I wanted attention’. The younger brother seeks attention because it’s the older brother that matters to the family. I think that’s something I grew up with, and I recognise the need to be noticed and listened to. I wasn’t not listened to or not noticed, but that was my perception. I hero-worshipped my sister - just like Happy Loman, the younger brother, heroworships Biff. You have this perception that you’re playing second fiddle.

Now, as an older actor, what are your views on the availability of roles for ‘women of a certain age’?

It’s well documented. We’re all saying it. There aren’t enough of them. I liken it to musical

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chairs; there are fewer and fewer chairs but the same amount of people trying to chase them. A lot of people decide to pre-empt that and stop being an actor, which I think is very sad. If that’s what you like doing, then you should be able to do it. It’s not so much the amount, it’s the quality of the parts. There are too many cliches about older women. We’re just as interesting and complex as we were when we were younger, it’s just that we don’t tend to be the centre of the play, for lots of hysterical reasons.

You’re currently performing alongside your husband, Guy Paul, in Clara Brennan’s two-hander, Boa, at the Trafalgar Studios.

Why is this such a great role for an older female actor?

Because she’s not defined by her age but as a person, and I get to do flashbacks where I play her when she was younger. She’s an allround human being. She’s not a heroine, she’s not a manipulater or a cuddly granny any of those cliches you get with female roles.

She’s lots of different things, and the writer has acknowledged that we’re all kind of complicated and don’t get less complicated as we get older. She’s also, dare I say it, still very much portrayed as sexual, something you’re not normally allowed to be when playing older people.

Do you see the recent shift towards actors like yourself and Maxine Peake performing some of Shakespeare’s more famous male characters as a sign that the glass ceiling is finally beginning to crack?

I think it really is. The classics are infinitely flexible. You can do them in so many ways.

Death Of A Salesman was done in Beijing, and it means a lot to them. We transpose these classic plays to different situations, different times and bring in different ethnic characteristics - so why can’t women play men? I don’t think I’m in favour of changing the gender of the part. I don’t think we should be playing Hamletta. I think it should be women playing men. The main thing is making Shakespeare work in front of an audience. A lot of women I know would become better and better at it as they became more experienced. In female roles we don’t have a King Lear that we can climb towards.

With our productions at the Donmar, the feedback so frequently was ‘I forgot you were women, I just saw the play’. It should always be just about the performance. If I can pretend to be the Empress of Egypt, I can also pretend to be a Roman soldier. That’s what acting is.

How do opportunities for a young female actor starting out today differ from those available to you, say, forty years ago?

There wasn’t the Hollywood possibility when I was young. You couldn’t turn into Keira Knightly. That just didn’t happen. There wasn’t so much access to an American career and such a film industry. Now, in one department, the emphasis is very much on looks - both young men and young women - and if you’re not in the particular mould of the Hollywood star, there isn’t so much opportunity. There’s a lot going on in TV, and there are lots of parts for girls there. I think on stage, to really cut your teeth as a theatre actor, most of the young women I know - even if they’re the beautiful, glamourous ones who go to Hollywood - would give their eye teeth to be me and to be doing Shakespeare. A lot of them would love to be doing the classics on

stage, but you can’t practise. We used to have the whole regional repertory system, which would extend your training and give a lot of jobs to people - but as we all know, that system has shrunk.

Making a career on the back of physical beauty can be very shortlived, whereas real talent can stand the test of time...

Of course, there are a lot of lucky people who are both - very physically beautiful and very good actors. I think the point is, you soon discover the ones who really want to go on and have a lifetime career, and the ones who see it as a great way to spend the early part of their lives. Perhaps if they had more examples like mine, of people who carry on acting throughout their life, or role models of older women who carry on doing interesting parts, then they’d see their future in a different way and have different aspirations. There’s a lot more commercial pressure, a lot more agent pressure than when I was young. It’s very hard if you’re very beautiful and you want to be a serious actor. There are lots of agents although there are notable exceptions - who say ‘Come on, make hay while the sun shines. Go out there and make a blockbuster because you’ll make some money, and then you’ll be able to do anything’. There’s a certain amount of truth in that. You can come back to theatre, but if you’re very young and inexperienced, you do need to practise being on stage. You can’t just come off the big screen having never done it. There are very few exceptions who can do both, but you do need to have that training and testing ground that repertory theatre used to provide. It’s a very different picture to mine. I never stopped working through my early days. I was always in fringe companies or regional theatre. I built up a lot of experience in front of an audience, which meant that when I was exposed to a large part on the RSC stage I was kind of ready.

Looking back, what would you tell your eighteen-year-old self if you had the opportunity. What would you have done differently?

I don’t really know. I’ve never been very career-minded. I don’t think it’s done me any harm, but there are some career moves that I could’ve made which would have made me more successful.

Your repertoire is vast. Did your career naturally evolve or did you have a plan?

I work extremely hard. It certainly doesn’t drop into my lap. I’ve gone to the ‘bird in the hand’ a lot of the time and not really made a plan, but I believe that if you do the last job well... I do try to be as varied as possible. I think that helps because different jobs will come from different corners. If you make a little bit of a start in all of the categories, then those branches will grow and you have more choices. I don’t want to grow stale. I continually want to try new things.

You’ve played some of history’s feistiest women during your extensive career.

Which role has been the hardest to master?

Probably Hedda Gabbler because she’s quite difficult to reach. She’s quite unsympathetic.

Her energy is very internal and she’s quite eaten up. I found that hard.

How far do you think you’ll have to dig into your own character to find Linda Loman?

She’s very different to me, but she’s the person that I might have been had I been born at that time. She’s not a million miles away from my mother and mother-in-law, so I have to think of them. I’m certainly a very loyal person, but I would step into the breach more. She keeps quiet and suffers in silence.

Looking back over your career, what do you class as your greatest achievements?

The things that I’ve found difficult feature amongst my most memorable achievements.

Cleopatra was a high point, as I never thought I’d be able to achieve that. And I loved the allfemale stuff at the Donmar. And I love working on film. I just tend to love the thing I’m doing next, really.

Some actors speak of the need to genrehop between TV, stage and film in order not to get bored. Do you relate to that?

I don’t very easily get bored, but I think it’s more to do with the challenge. I’ve written a few books because I’ve wondered where I was going to get more of a challenge from acting. As I said before, the parts tend to get less complex, less long, and you’re doing more back-up parts as you get older.

It actually gets easier in some respects, so you want to conquer something new. It’s then that I tend to trip up into writing or something else to meet my challenges.

You’ve tried your hand at curating with the Infinite Variety exhibition, which recently showed at the RST. How was that experience?

I don’t think I’d do that again. It was a lot of organising and admin-based work, which isn’t my strong point, but it was a learning curve.

If you could change one rule in theatreland, what would it be?

The most important thing for me is to win new audiences and make it more relevant - and that’s partly about making seats cheaper and making it less elitist. I think a lot of companies are already doing that - well, trying to - but the economics make it tricky. If it were to be more widespread, then we’d have much more interesting programmes because the audiences would be wider.

Finally, what was your first reaction when you were offered an DBE? My first reaction was ‘I’d better turn it down’.

I’m one of those people who questions the whole honour system, but at the same time I obviously felt very honoured. I was a bit torn initially and then took a slightly feminist view of it. There are so many theatrical knights, I wanted to bump up the number of dames.

Part of the reason there aren’t more theatrical dames is that there aren’t the parts for us, and so it became a slightly feminist thing.

That justified it for me - but in another way, I felt very honoured that someone had remembered me. In this profession you can often feel that you’ve come and gone without having anything to show for it. So having that on my list is very nice. I still question the fairness of the honours system, but I’m glad to be one of the lucky ones.

Death Of A Salesman shows at Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, from Thurs 26 March to Sat 2 May

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 9

ray coulthard interview.qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2015 15:22 Page 1

interview

“

Talent isn’t to do with money. All of the money in the world won’t make you a good actor.

”

Ray Coulthard talks about playing George VI on stage...

10 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Following a two-year hiatus from the theatre, during which time he starred as Lord Egerton in TV’s Mr Selfridge, Ray Coulthard this month returns to the stage to perform opposite Jason Donovan in Roxana Silbert’s staging of The King’s Speech. What’s On recently caught up with Ray to discuss the challenges of playing King George VI....

The King’s Speech sees you return to the stage for the first time in two years. What drew you to this particular role?

The challenge. I’ve been at home quite a bit, looking after my five-year-old daughter. My other half is an actress and she’s been doing lots of theatre while I’ve been doing lots of television, so I really wanted to find something that makes me feel like an actor again - and this is it. Touring, being on the road and tackling a part that’s so challenging - it ticks all of the boxes, really.

What research and preparation goes into playing someone with a stammer?

You can see quite a lot of George VI on YouTube, on the Pathe news stuff, so I just watched lots of that to try and work out when he stuttered, on which sounds he stuttered and how he stuttered. Looking at the footage, together with other research I did, I realised people tend to stutter on certain sounds which are formed in certain parts of the mouth. But George VI, bless him, seemed to stutter on all of them. To be honest, the difficulty I found with this part is not how to stutter but when to stutter. Obviously if I stuttered too much, we’d have a six-hour play.

It’s finding the moments when he’s completely debilitated by his stutter, which tend to be with his public speaking - but there are lots of clues in the writing. For example, my character says: ‘I never stutter in the presence of my wife’ - so there’s one person you don’t have to stutter with at all. In his relationship with Lionel Logue he obviously starts off stuttering, but as the relationship progresses he stutters less and less. It’s a very technical exercise.

Is your George distinguishable from Colin Firth’s?

I know Colin. Interestingly I worked with him many years ago on The English Patient, where I played his clerk. I hadn’t seen him for quite a few years and then, bizarrely, a couple of days after I was offered this part, I bumped into him in London and had a good chat with him about it. They changed quite a lot in the film.

They changed a lot of the script and made it a much simpler story. It was a lot more domestic and excluded a lot of the political angle.

There’s a big part of this play that’s basically a political thriller: the abdication of my brother, me taking the throne and how that’s going to work; Wallis Simpson; Hitler and the Nazi party; the impending war. These are all things that aren’t concentrated on in the film.

In terms of my own performance, I stutter very differently to Colin. I guess because it was a film, they cut a lot of the dialogue and allowed a lot more stuttering.

I hadn’t seen the film until about a week before we started rehearsals, and I was very encouraged by the fact that it was very different. People who come to see a play, and who’ve seen the film, will notice a big difference. Hopefully for the better. What’s great about the play is that it’s inherently theatrical, and I think a lot of these elements had been eliminated for the film. It’s brilliantly structured, incredibly moving and very emotionally manipulative but without being sentimental.

How have you found the experience of working with Jason?

It’s been really lovely. He’s an incredibly open and generous man, with very little ego. He’s done a lot of theatre work in the past but hasn’t done much in the way of plays, which is a very different process. He’s stepped up to that challenge incredibly well.

We met for a drink and a chat a few times before we started rehearsals and had a look at the script together. He’s incredibly easy to work with, and I’m hoping this whole thing is going to be an equally enjoyable journey for both of us.

From an actor’s perspective, what’s are Roxana’s strengths as a director?

We’ve worked together before, and what’s great with Roxana is her attention to psychological detail. We’re very different in the way we work. Whereas she works very internally, from what’s going on in the head, I work quite technically and quite physically, and only then do I find the psychological stuff.

So we sort of challenge each other in our approaches, which I think works.

Of course, her bag has always been new plays, and although this isn’t a new play, it hasn’t been done that much - not like Shakespeare plays, where you’re constantly looking for a new approach. With something like this you have to look at what the intrinsic story is, what the relationships are and what you’re feeling in every second, which is what Roxana is brilliant at.

Where did your journey as an actor begin?

As a kid I was always doing a lot of amateur stuff and really got the bug for it. I grew up in Ellesmere Port, up on the Wirral. There were lots of drama groups around. We did a lot of drama at school too. I was involved in the Cheshire Youth Theatre and then went off to do my A Levels. By the time I was seventeen, I was directing stuff and touring it around the county. Then I went off to drama school - I went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and had a fantastic time with some great people. My best friends now are my drama school buddies. We were very lucky; we had a great year. Then I went off into theatre and travelled all around the country. Those were the days when you could still start off in the repertory companies and do a lot of theatre, playing some great roles. I meet people now who’ve been acting for five years and have never done a play. I like doing television, but it’s not a patch on theatre. Theatre’s in my bones, and I agree with the old adage that film is a director’s medium, television is a producer’s medium and theatre is an actor’s medium. You’ve got to do the groundwork and, as an actor, the stage is where you cut your teeth and learn your skills.

Has your career taken any surprising turns, or has it very much taken the path you mapped out?

You can’t map it out. If you try to map it out you’ll go mad - invariably the road doesn’t go where you want it to go.

I suppose one of the most interesting turns for me has been that I always play the poshest of the posh. I’m actually a working class lad

from Ellesmere Port! I grew up in a one-parent family. My dad died when I was four. I grew up on the social, lived in a council house and went to the local comp, which wasn’t the best comp in the world. Therefore the big thing for me, I guess, was when Trevor Nunn invited me to join the ensemble company at the National back in 1998/9. I think I still had that slight working-class chip on my shoulder. I played Vlass in Summerfolk, and I remember one night, after one of the first performances, standing and taking a bow in front of a full house in the Olivier Theatre and thinking, ‘Wow, I never thought they’d let me on here.

How did this happen?’. I guess that gave me a great sense of achievement. I’d been off doing massive parts around the country but to be at the National Theatre, surrounded by the creme de la creme of British acting, was a very big thing for me. I let myself belong, so to speak, and it was a big turning point for my confidence.

So what’s the biggest misconception about actors?

I think most people have this image of actors as being gregarious people, the life and soul of the party. Actually, in my experience, it’s the exact opposite. Actors are usually the ones at the back, having a quiet chat and not getting involved. For an awful lot of people, acting, when they find it, is their salvation. It rescues them. It’s something that they find to take them out of whatever situation they’re in. I was from a working-class family in Ellesmere Port and there weren’t a lot of opportunities.

Acting saved me. It took me away from that. It gave me opportunities. It took me into a completely different world, and so I think there’s a part of an actor which stops them giving up. I think they feel they owe the profession a debt, and it’s somehow hard to walk away from it.

Would you like to use your back story as inspiration for young people from similar backgrounds to seek out a career in acting?

I’d like to, but I realise I was incredibly lucky. I got into a very good drama school and it was paid for. I don’t know how people cope with it these days. We didn’t have any money. We had nothing. To go to drama school, I had a subsidence allowance and my fees paid. I feel really sorry for working-class kids these days, and I think that’s why acting’s becoming more and more elitist. The thought of taking on this massive debt is so daunting. The bottom line is that it shouldn’t be so expensive. Talent isn’t to do with money. All of the money in the world won’t make you a good actor.

What would you like to have in the diary after The King’s Speech?

I love doing theatre, so hope it continues along that route. So more of the same, I think.

The King’s Speech shows at The REP, Birmingham, until Saturday 7 March, and Malvern Theatre, Worcestershire, from Monday 27 April to Saturday 2 May

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 11

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interview

“

I’m making love to Jacqueline Bisset for two days and they’re paying me’.

There’s so much stuff that, as an actor, you suffer...

”

Michael Brandon

stars in Arthur Miller classic...

Best known as one half of Dempsey and Makepeace, Michael Brandon’s wide-ranging repertoire spans TV, film and stage. Citing starring in George Cukor’s Rich And Famous as one of his all-time highs, Michael this month takes to the road to play Alfieri in Arthur Miller’s A View From The Bridge. What’s On recently caught up with him to find out more...

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What makes Arthur Miller such an accomplished playwright?

He’s a genius. His writing, when you speak it, is like Shakespeare. Alfieri is the voice of Arthur Miller, and he is ‘a view from the bridge’ - so I get to say these things to the audience, then go into the scenes with the other actors and the characters. Miller’s work is like poetry. To sip it and to sink those words within yourself, and then to be able to feel and express them is a joy.

Is A View From The Bridge your favourite Miller work?

Actually, it was an underrated work. I think I was much more into the parts that I used to work on in New York and in the studio - All My Sons and Death Of A Salesman. They were classics. A View From The Bridge, when it came to me, intrigued me because it’s a piece of heaven that’s not been exploited.

It’s quite a dark, heavy work...

Not for me. For me, there’s humour and a lot of feeling. It goes deeper, and he starts telling this story and remembering. Alfieri comes from the neighbourhood, but he’s one of those people who got lucky. He was lucky to get an education and bettered himself, which is why all of those immigrants came to Ellis Island. They came to make a better life - not get one but make one. He got an education and became a lawyer, but he didn’t move off.

He came and brought it back to his neighbourhood, so that people could benefit from his advantage, from his learning.

What are the major challenges for an actor in playing the role of Alfieri?

To make the poetry my own words, and to put the feeling and the honesty behind them.

To be able to talk these words and to share my experience with the audience, to interact with the other actors on stage and as my own self, as Alfieri, is a joy.

You’ve worked in the UK throughout your career. Was that a conscious decision in the beginning?

I came over to do Dempsey And Makepeace, which was supposed to be a six-month gig.

Then I learned that there’s more to life than the weather. I gave up weather for the life. I’ve done a lot of theatre over here, and it’s all very varied and all very exciting. I did a new play in August called The Long Road South.

To do Singing In The Rain at Chichester and in the West End, and to do one of the best pieces ever written - Oliver Cotton’s Wet Weather Cover - has been brilliant.

Very few American actors can point to that kind of long-term success in the UK. How have you managed to remain so highprofile here for so many years?

I think it was because Dempsey And Makepeace was so popular. It had twenty million viewers in the beginning. You don’t get that anymore - I don’t even know whether X Factor gets that many - because there are far more channels now. It was because I hit the mainstream. The popularity then gave me the opportunity to play everything. Another thing that’s very special here is that, as an American, the British give me every opportunity to play an American.

In America, I don’t get that opportunity

Despite Dempsey And Makepeace’s success, you don’t seem to have been typecast by the show. What’s the secret of remaining viable for a wide range of roles rather than becoming pigeonholed?

I guess I was typecast a little bit in the beginning, but then things began to change.

I got Jerry Springer The Opera, and then a brilliant piece for the BBC alongside Benedict Cumberbatch called Hawking. I played Arno Penzias, who discovered the Three Degrees of Radiation that backed his Big Bang Theory.

You’ve been married to your Dempsey And Makepeace co-star Glynis Barber for a quarter-century. What’s the secret of a successful showbiz marriage?

I really don’t know what it is. This is our twenty-fifth year of marriage. I think we allow each other space, and we’re a team as parents - but it goes beyond just us. We also have great friends. It’s all about bouncing off the wall of love, and feedback, and truth.

You mentioned Jerry Springer The Opera.

What made that show so groundbreaking and successful?

It was better than The Book Of Mormon. It was amazing because it was a rude opera.

Richard Thomas, who wrote it, was drunk at three in the morning when he watched Jerry Springer and realised it was opera. Stuart Lee never thought it would ever be anywhere other than above a pub. It happened, people responded. They saw the genius in it. It was a great piece. When I first read it, I couldn’t understand what it was. I really didn’t know. I asked them to cut out the libretto and just give me the part. It was amazing and it should’ve gone on to Broadway. I’d still love to do it again.

So you’d be up for it should it be resurrected?

There’s been talk about it coming back.

Jerry’s got a new show going on in America, so why not? I think there was talk that, if they found a slot - maybe 2017 - Jerry would be back.

You’ve made your way into the Marvel Comics movie franchise, playing Senator Brandt in Captain America...

Yeah, how about that? The first move was getting Dr Who when David Tennant was the Doctor. I was General Sanchez and was shot by a Dalek. I had that under my belt and it was great to move on to Captain America. So yeah, good things.

You’ve revealed elsewhere that superheroes were important to you as a child. Why did you need them when you were growing up?

It was a pay off. I had stacks and stacks of comic books. I loved Batman. They were better than the life there on the streets - the fighting and the survival. The hard reality of Brooklyn. That’s where comic books were born. It was a fantasy life being a hero, having a secret identity, an alter-ego. So to be in them as a grown up, especially when they’re made so well, is kind of a pay off.

Back to the beginning... Why did you decide to become an actor?

Because I wasn’t happy with anything else.

I couldn’t really do a day job. I didn’t know what to do. I was studying law, and here I am now playing a lawyer, playing Alfieri, but it was so boring. It’s not like ‘I object!’, like we see on TV and in the movies. It was a lot of case history and a lot of learning. After high school, I’d had enough. Then I had a blind date, and I was telling her that I wasn’t happy, that my job sucked, and she was hysterical.

She said, ‘You should become a comic or an actor’. It was like the green scent of the sea washing in and blowing away the dust. All of a sudden, I knew what I wanted to do. So I gave myself two years to become a movie star. Not unrealistic at all! That’s what I said to myself - and I did it. After acting school, banging on doors, doing auditions, a student film here and there and a Broadway show with Al Pacino called Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie?, I got the movie Lovers And Other Strangers. I’d seen the play, I’d snuck in to see it time and time again, and now I was in its movie version. There are times when the reality exceeds your fantasies - I’ve had a lot of them and I’m grateful for them. That’s why this life has been such a blessing.

You’ve played a wide range of roles - on stage, on TV, in film. If you had to select one of your performances to keep for posterity, which would it be and why?

There are different ones for different things. I think playing Brad in Oliver Cotton’s Wet Weather Cover was probably one of the best acting roles.

In the movies, it has to be George Cukor’s last film, Rich And Famous, with Jacqueline Bisset. I made love to Jacqueline in the bathroom of an aeroplane - Barbra Streisand tried to buy that scene out of the film to make a movie about the Mile High Club. Anyway, I did that, and all I kept thinking the whole time is ‘I’m making love to Jacqueline Bisset for two days and they’re paying me’. There’s so much stuff that, as an actor, you suffer...

Do you have any specific professional ambitions you’d like to fulfill - a character you’d love to play, for example - or do you simply sit back and see who makes contact?

I don’t know what it is yet, but yes. It’s the one that’s coming, it’s that surprise. That’s what it’s like because you’re living existentially. Alfieri just came at the right time and in the right place. There’s a reality in that moment, and I find that juicy. When you start out and nobody knows you or wants to know you, and you bang on doors and get turned away, and you can’t get an agent, you never give up and you never take it personally.

Good things come. My dream is that there’s still an Oscar waiting...

Michael Brandon stars in A View From The Bridge at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, from Wed 8 to Sat 11 April

One Man Breaking Bad Interview (CA) online.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2015 11:19 Page 1

interview

One Man Breaking Bad Squeezing sixty episodes of the cult drama into sixty minutes...

With a penchant for impersonations, LA actor Miles Allen continues to garner acclaim for his oneman parody of American drama Breaking Bad. With over one million YouTube hits and rave reviews at last year’s Edinburgh Festival, Allen is this month bringing the show to the Midlands. What’s On finds out what audiences can expect...

How would you describe One Man Breaking Bad? It’s a farcical love letter to all the people who went through the bloodbath and tears of Breaking Bad, and who’re now wanting to go on a nostalgia trip and laugh at all the different things that made it so special to them. It follows roughly the same timeline and the same plot points, condensed into a much shorter time frame. There are jokes I play on different scenes, including the more serious moments. We have an interesting take on them that leaves the audience in stitches. Along the way there are other popculture references. It’s like a fusion of solo theatre and stand-up. Sometimes I’ll make comments about the series and my own experience with it, plus there’s a bunch of other different impressions in the show, like Family Guy, Back To The Future and Lord Of The Rings.

Why did you feel Breaking Bad was ripe for parody?

When the show ended, I felt there was this huge hole in my heart - as I’m sure was the case for many other people. It was like ‘What am I gonna watch now that Breaking Bad, the greatest television show on earth, just ended?’. I realised there was this huge love and desire to see the characters re-enacted through that YouTube video of mine, which went viral in September 2013. It sort of developed from there, leading to this oneman show that’s like a nostalgia trip for all the fanboys and girls to enjoy.

Which character was the hardest to nail?

The most challenging was Walt Jr. He’s a character with cerebral palsy, so it could be perceived that I’m making fun of, or being insensitive towards, someone with cerebral palsy. My argument is that to not impersonate Walt Jr just because he’s a character with cerebral palsy, and to not treat him like any other character, would be a greater act of discrimination.

Which characters from the show are featured in your parody?

All the main characters. There are a few secondary characters but mostly it’s the main ones: Walt, Jesse, Skyler, Walt Jr, Hank, Mike, Gustavo Fring, Marie, Todd, Uncle Jack, the Salamanca twins, and Saul, of course.

How would you sum up the essence of, say, Walter and Jesse?

Walt is very determined. He feels underappreciated so is constantly trying to prove himself - but always for his family, he says.

Since he’s so smart, he really believes he’s the best - and that comes out in his alter-ego, Heisenberg. He’s this over-qualified high

And the easiest?

Jesse Pinkman, bitch! It started with Jesse and spiralled from there.

One Man Breaking Bad Interview (CA) online.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2015 11:19 Page 2

school chemistry teacher who could’ve been making millions or billions of dollars with Grey Matter, the company he left and which then became very successful. So he’s got this huge inferiority complex he’s trying to get over.

With Jesse, it’s so funny how he starts out like this character who we all perceive as a lowlife, with not much going for him.

Originally the show’s creator, Vince Gilligan, and the writers were going to kill him off at the end of the first season, but his character become so much more complex in terms of why he chose to go into the drug business and how he’s actually this really talented craftsman. Towards the end of the show, he actually becomes more of a protagonist for us than Walt is. We sympathise with him more because he’s still trying to do good, and experiences a lot of pain. By contrast, Walt’s character’s weird because he’s our protagonist yet becomes more distant from us. We start to disassociate ourselves from him. I don’t know many shows which have done that, and it’s what I find so riveting about the series.

It’s not the most humorous show in TV history, so in what ways have you made it funny?

That’s what’s so interesting. If I were to do a comedy about a comedy show, I’m not sure it would be that funny. Because Breaking Bad was so serious in its nature, they had some comic relief on the show. They had to, because the audience had to breathe at some point. And it’s because of that seriousness that the audience was more willing and ready to laugh, to release the tension the show constantly built up. So I found it easy to make a comedy out of a show that’s so serious, because people are ready to laugh about it.

Was there anything that surprised you about the audience reaction when you did One Man Breaking Bad in Melbourne and Edinburgh?

I was entirely shocked because it’s the first one-man show I’ve ever done. I’ve been an actor and a comedian, but it was my first attempt at doing an hour-long format. Doing voices and impressions is something I did in middle school. I didn’t have any friends so had to make up my own. So to go on stage and basically do what I’ve done since then namely, entertain myself - and have people enjoy it is amazing. It’s an amazing feeling to have your talents resonate with other people, and to create laughter and joy. I love making people laugh. I think it’s a very noble cause, because when you laugh you can’t feel any negative emotion. It’s cool that I can bring people to a heavenly state for even a brief moment. I’m humbled by it.

Are you looking forward to taking the show around the UK? I’m really excited about that. I did it in Scotland but I’ve not been to other parts of the UK. I think it’s an amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to go around all the various regions of the UK and perform. Hopefully they’ll enjoy it as much as everyone else has.

Did you expect the original YouTube clip to cause such a sensation?

No, not at all. Everyone says ‘Oh, what if this goes viral?’ but no-one expects it to happen.

That video clip was made at my friends’

beckoning when they heard me doing impressions. I’d been growing my beard out for a time and they said I looked homeless.

They said they should shoot a video of me pretending to do impressions for food and upload it. It was like ‘Friends might find it amusing’ - but many more people found it amusing apparently! It was a big surprise. We had twenty views when I uploaded it, then, the next morning, I’m getting calls from The Huffington Post and The Daily Beast and I’m like ‘Oh! Okay! I just went viral. That’s cool’.

People genuinely thought you were some homeless guy, didn’t they?

Yes, but I was immediately going ‘This is just a sketch’. I guess the real irony is that now I’m going on tour, I’m actually going to be sort of homeless. I’m moving out and putting everything in storage for this tour, so I guess it comes full circle.

When did you first get hooked on Breaking Bad? I had a couple of friends recommend the show to me. I think it was when Series Four was on that I got hooked on it. I’d just graduated college, I didn’t have to do homework anymore, so I was thinking ‘What am I going to fill my time with?’. So I started in on Breaking Bad, and the pilot episode hooked me. I thought it was one of the greatest openings to a show I’d ever seen.

That would’ve been in the May or June. By August, when Series Five rolled around, I was all caught up. There was a lot of time spent sitting on the couch enjoying Breaking Bad. You’ve hailed it as ‘the greatest TV show ever made’. Why do you feel it’s so good?

Because with every aspect of it, everything is at one hundred-and-ten percent. The writing, the acting - not just a particular actor but the ensemble of actors - the music, the editing.

Everybody seemed to be on their game. And I think it looks at the concept of the slippery slope better than any other story I’ve ever seen put on screen. It’s a very philosophical piece. In the first episode, the question posed is ‘Can a morally compromising decision that’s based on good intentions be justified?’.

I believe the rest of the series is an answer to that question. I think the answer is complex, but there’s also a clear end result that comes from it.

Have you met any of the cast?

I haven’t, but there was a guy with a fedora and sunglasses in one of my audiences once. After the show he just looked at me and gave me a nod. I’m not saying it was Heisenberg - but who can know for sure?

My goal is one day to be able to perform the show for the cast and crew, as a thank you for everything they gave to it. I couldn’t appreciate everything they’ve done more.

They gave America and the rest of the world a fantastic series that’ll be watched by generations to come.

How do you prepare for a performance that’s so full on?

I do over forty different impressions throughout the show, which is an hour long.

It looks like we’re going to be extending it for the UK run to possibly eighty minutes. It takes its toll on the voice, so there are a lot of vocal warm-ups and cups of hot tea with honey and lemon before a show. I have to make sure my instrument, my voice, is ready.

If that goes, it’s not good. The show is reliant on my voice, so I take a lot of care with it when I’m on the road.

What originally led you into acting and performing?

I studied acting in college. Once I graduated, I moved to Los Angeles to live the dream. I started out like any other person, a struggling actor trying to pick up auditions for as many gigs as possible. I had this idea that any career opportunity that happened would happen in LA, because that’s where I was.

Then, to my surprise, my first big break came from Australia, where I performed this show. I never saw it coming but I’m not gonna complain about it. It’s been awesome. It’s been a really cool ride.

When did you discover you had a flair for impersonations?

I kind of say it jokingly but I was bullied a lot growing up and didn’t have any friends. I didn’t really have any skills that set me apart either, so I kind of felt lost in the shuffle.

Some might say I was slipping through the cracks. My parents were concerned, too.

Then, one day, I just impersonated Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants on the school bus and everyone was like ‘Wow, Miles, that was really good’. For me it was, like, affirmation! So I bought a Spongebob DVD and watched the behind-the-scenes feature about all the various voice actors. I was hooked. I was like ‘This is so cool that they do this for a living’. I started to copy them and what they did. I did more and more impressions. I lost count of how many I could do, but in high school I think it was around two hundred.

What are the keys to a great parody? And the common pitfalls?

You have to walk the line of respecting the integrity of the show whilst picking out the nuances that the audience members really enjoyed about the characters - like how Skyler is always over-reacting and seems like a bitch in every single scene. And how Walt Jr is always eating breakfast. You have Saul’s kind of sleazy nature and how he’s always checking his hair. It’s picking up on those nuances whilst always being ready to be adaptable. I remember in Scotland, this guy who was interviewing me asked ‘Do you have anything in there about Irn-Bru?’. I didn’t know what it was. He told me and I ended up putting it in the show. When you have a show that’s a parody and also has cultural references in it, you need to be ready to change those references as the show goes on.

With Better Call Saul now on TV, are you keeping an eye on it to see if it could be your next parody project?

Oh yes! I don’t want to give anything away about my show but I’m definitely keeping an eye on Better Call Saul. Who knows? A One Man Better Call Saul might be in the works...

One Man Breaking Bad shows at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury on Monday 2 March, and Birmingham Town Hall on Wednesday 11 March

Claire Sweeney interview (CA) online.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2015 11:16 Page 1

interview

“

An older lady had been married for fifty years and never looked left or right, so we had to explain to her what the bag contained, bless her. It was all done with good humour.

”

Claire Sweeney talks about Sex In Suburbia...

Coming to public attention as Lindsey Corkhill in Channel Four soap opera Brookside, Claire Sweeney has since made a name for herself as a song-and-dance girl. As well as starring in numerous West End productions, including Guys And Dolls, Chicago and Educating Rita, she’s also toured the UK in hit musical Legally Blonde and one-woman show Tell Me On A Sunday.

This month Claire hits the road in Sex In Suburbia, a show she’s co-written with Mandy Muden. What’s On recently caught up with her to find out more...

Claire Sweeney interview (CA) online.qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2015 11:16 Page 2

Where did the idea for Sex In Suburbia come from?

All the appallingly bad dates my friends and I have ever experienced. We’d tell each other what had happened and get over the horror of the experiences by laughing about them.

Then, about two years ago, my close friend Mandy Muden and I started writing them all down in my front room with the notion of turning them into a comedy. At first we weren’t even sure if we were funny! But the play went down a storm with the audiences last year when it first opened in Liverpool. We take them through every emotion. They enjoy themselves so much that they get up to dance in the aisles and sing along to the big musical anthems we’ve included, such as I’m Every Woman, I Want To Break Free and, of course, I Will Survive.

What happens in the show?

It’s all about the eternal subject of love and romance, and the quest to find Mr Right through a series of mainly unsatisfactory dating experiences. But we’ve tried to take the bad out of the date and make the audience laugh by helping them to see the funny side. In our comedy, the host of a latenight radio show is Britain’s leading agony aunt. She takes calls from listeners about their dates from hell - and the occasional one from heaven - and dishes out her advice. In the original show I played a relationship expert, but this time I play myself - a working mum with a baby. I decided to update it because my baby boy, Jaxon, who was born in September, has changed my outlook on life. As a result, I’ve injected my own personal experiences of motherhood into the show.

Have you changed anything else?

Yes, I’ve de-Scoused it so that it will appeal more to a national audience. It was very localised before, about famous names and places in Liverpool, so I’ve taken out those references and made it more generic.

However, all the dating stories remain the same. Everyone can relate to them, wherever they’re from.

Have you included your own experiences of dating?

Yes, all the material comes from me and my friends. I’m the woman who goes on all these dodgy dates looking for love, then reaches a stage in her life when she would like to settle down and become a mum.

Well, you certainly achieved that, Claire!

Yes, I was due to go on tour with the show when I found out I was pregnant. Being a mum is the best thing ever, and Jaxon is the love of my life.

What kind of baby-related stories are in the show?

Funny anecdotes about pregnancy and breastfeeding. I had the most gorgeous pregnancy. I loved my growing bump and being able to eat what I wanted. A few weeks after I had Jaxon, people came up to congratulate me on being pregnant. I hadn’t lost baby weight and they thought I was still expecting! I was a bit embarrassed and replied indignantly, ‘Actually my baby’s six weeks old’. You can’t ping back into shape immediately.

Did you think twice about putting your own material in?

No, I found it liberating. I’ve changed the names and places but a few of the dates are based on my real dating experiences. I thought they were funny and I’m glad all the women who saw them in the show thought so too. You have to laugh in the face of adversity, don’t you? At first you go, ‘Woe is me!’ but then you turn it into a funny story and laugh.

What are some of the more outlandish dates experienced by friends?

Well, one of them found the macho man she was dating wearing a frilly ra-ra dress!

There’s another extraordinary tale about a cross-dresser. It’s the true story of a woman married to an uncommunicative, unpleasant man who suddenly discovers that he likes to wear women’s clothes. After the initial shock, she becomes the best of friends with his alter-ego - who’s softer, warm and kind - and it saves their marriage. There’s another cautionary tale that carries the warning, ‘be careful what you wish for’. A man wants to take his wife to a ‘swingers’ club, but she’s reluctant. When he finally persuades her to experiment, she ends up loving it. He becomes jealous and they end up getting divorced. But there’s nothing vulgar about our show; we’ve made it sympathetic and, most of all, amusing.

Do women in the audience volunteer their own stories?

Oh gosh yes! We have a slot in the show where they can share their dating nightmares. Instead of Blind Date we call it Bad Date. We’d been hearing all these disastrous stories and decided to ask the audience if any of them knew the secret to a happy marriage. A woman who’d been married for years replied that her tip for marital harmony with a husband was that you should, ‘Just ignore him’. Every woman brave enough to stand on stage receives a free goodie bag from Ann Summers, who’re supporting the show. An older lady had been married for fifty years and never looked left or right, so we had to explain to her what the bag contained, bless her. It was all done with good humour.

Will the show appeal only to women?

At first we assumed it would be a comedy for women, but we’ve seen men coming, too.

During a matinee performance, I saw a whole group of fellas fill a row, and at the bar in the interval I asked them why they’d come. They replied that one of their mates had seen it, loved it and recommended it, so they’d come along as part of a lads’ day out. There are elements of the show that men can definitely relate to.

So have you written a scenario from a man’s point of view?

Yes, one of them involves a bloke whose wife is pulling out all the stops - the lingerie and what have you - to seduce him when all he wants to do is watch the footie. Another bloke told us how he went on a date with this gorgeous girl, but when she took him to her house for a cup of tea, he was horrified to realise that he’d taken her mother out the week before!

Do you think the dodgy dating experience is a modern phenomenon?

No, it’s always been like that. We know this because our audiences include women from all generations. We’ve had grandmothers, mothers and daughters coming to the show on a family outing, and they can all relate to many of the stories we tell.

Who would your ideal date be and where would you go?

My guilty pleasure is Ray Winstone. I’ve never met him but he seems to get more and more fabulous as he gets older. He’s such a geezer, the type of bloke who’d look after you. A night out at the theatre followed by a slap-up meal would be perfect. Food and the theatre are my two favourite things.

You starred in panto in Liverpool just seven weeks after Jaxon was born. Has it been difficult getting the baby/work balance right?

It was hard at first, and Jaxon probably wants to know why he’s no longer being breastfed by a genie! I was playing the genie in Aladdin, wearing a fabulous sparkly purple costume, and used to feed Jaxon in the interval. He seemed to love the music, the magical surroundings and all my theatre friends who’d help me look after him. Some people said, ‘You should take time out and stay at home with your baby,’ but I’m a working mum who has bills to pay. Going back to work so early wasn’t a case of getting my life back and getting back on stage; it’s what I do, and I believe it’s possible to combine both successfully. So far so good!

You’re presenting a new radio show…

Yes, this month and next I’ll be presenting a show on Sunday afternoons at 3pm on Magic, the new national DAB radio station.

The show will feature reviews and recommendations, with a focus on the Olivier Awards 2015 and interviews with stars and cast members of musical theatre. I’ll also be playing a mix of Magic tracks and musical hits. It’s my dream come true, so with this and the tour of Sex In Suburbia, 2015 is already shaping up to be a brilliant year for me.

Will there be wedding bells for you and Jaxon’s dad, Daniel Riley, this year?

We’ve no plans for that at all. We’re taking every day as it comes with Jaxon, and I’m full-on being a mum and preparing for my UK tour. I’ve relocated with Jaxon to my house in London. It suddenly dawned on me that the house isn’t baby-friendly at all, so I’m having all the sharp corners on tables and worktops softened and warm carpets laid on all the floors.

Will you be taking Jaxon on tour with you?

Yes, a close friend is coming with me who’ll look after him while I’m on stage. He’ll be with me the rest of the time. I love him so much that I don’t want to be away from him.

How lucky am I!

Sex In Suburbia shows at New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham on Tues 3 March, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry on Thurs 12 March, and Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent on Sun 29 March

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interview

“

We’ve got to make them laugh, we’ve got to make them cry, and we’ve got to make them feel something. I think Rachel’s production will do just that.

”

Gary Wilmot explains why comedy is a serious business ...

Gary Wilmot Interview (CA).qxp_Layout 1 27/02/2015 11:17 Page 2

Having starred in almost as many hit musicals as there are hit musicals, Gary Wilmot continues to be a firm favourite with Midlands audiences, his recent portrayal of Dame Trott in Jack And The Beanstalk at Birmingham Hippodrome earning him further critical acclaim.

This month sees Gary return to the region to play Ali Hakim in a new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!. What’s On recently caught up with him to find out more...

As an actor, rather than a song-and-dance man, what do you find appealing about playing Aki Hakim in Oklahoma!?

There’s not much song and dance for me with this one. There’s only one song I sing, which is more of a song-speak song called It’s A Scandal. I’m mainly just acting. But it’s a fantastic character and different from everyone else on stage. Hakim stands out he’s supposed to be Persian, although we’ve yet to decide on that. He’s a salesman - a peddler - who comes into town and peddles his wares, woos the women and leaves.

Why do you think musicals like Oklahoma! retain their popularity in the twenty-first century?

Because they’re complete escapism from everyday life - when they’re done properly, which this one is. My main reason for taking this role was because of the director, Rachel Kavanaugh, who is extremely brilliant. I know she’ll get something extra special out of it as a piece, and out of me as a performer. And I, in turn, will learn an awful lot. She’s very good at telling the story. She goes through it with a fine tooth comb and finds a nuance in every interaction. It’s real escapism. In this business, we’re here to massage people’s emotions. We’ve got to make them laugh, we’ve got to make them cry, and we’ve got to make them feel something. I think Rachel’s production will do just that.

How do you feel a role in a musical differs as an acting experience from a more serious, classical role?

Funnily enough, for me it doesn’t differ at all.

A role is a role, and if you feel you can play the character, it’s immaterial whether he sings or not. If you can play the character, then you can sing as that character. Back in the day, singers would sing and that was the voice they had. When I’m in character, I tend to find the voice that the character would have. For instance, in Me And My Girl, the singing voice I used was very different to the one I used when I was playing Carmen Jones, or when I was in Copacabana. In comparison, the voice that I used as Fagan was very different from all three of those. I try to immerse myself in the character and then find the voice that they would use. It’s hard on the vocals for the first few weeks, but once it settles down, it’s much better and much more interesting to do it that way.

A lot of the roles that you play are quite lighthearted. Is there a ‘serious’ actor within you, straining to get out?

There’s an expression that ‘comedy is a serious business’ - and it is. You have to take it all very seriously. I really don’t see there’s anything different between playing a comedy or a tragedy. It all has to be believable, and that’s what you try to achieve. Even tragic characters aren’t tragic all the time. It’s different in the result, of course, but you can only take your own bag of tools into a rehearsal room. You have to use your own emotions to interpret what you’re reading on

a page. A character can only be an extension of yourself.

You’ve been a household name for many years. What’s the hardest challenge that a performer has to meet, or the biggest sacrifice that he has to make, to stay at the top of the profession?

I don’t know if I’d call it a sacrifice, really. I suppose there are things that happen that make it terribly difficult. I’ve been married three times, and travelling all over the country isn’t good for family life. It’s tough. Some people manage, but over the years, I haven’t.

I’m managing it now, though, and it’s fantastic. I feel sorry for people who’re married to explorers; somebody who wants to go to the North Pole, who they don’t see for six months. My wife’s incredibly supportive when new projects come up which may take me away from home. I’d say that if there’s any fall-out from being in this business, then that’s it - but I don’t think sacrifice is the right word to describe it.

Has it become harder to bag the big roles as you’ve got older?

I’ve never been worried about bagging roles.

I take each role as it comes. If it’s an interesting role - it doesn’t have to be the starring role - then I’ll do it. If it’s with a bunch of really nice people as well, then that can be more interesting than having a really big role.

It’s a collaborative art and everybody relies on everybody else, so it’s important to have that good working relationship with people.

I’ve been in great shows with horrible people, and I’ve been in horrible shows with great people. I’d much prefer the latter.

Oklahoma! follows hot on the heels of your panto role as a Dame at Birmingham Hippodrome. Has playing a Dame been everything you expected it to be?

There were a few surprises - but yes, it’s a lot of what I expected it to be. I don’t know whether I’ve fallen in love with playing a Dame, though. Again, I just see it as another role; a fun role where I can have a laugh, be creative and be expressive - but then I expect to do that with every role. I saw a film of Arthur Askey, who said that when you’re playing a Dame, the audience “have to know it’s a man” - and that’s exactly the kind of Dame I’ve tried to create.

You also spoke about your ‘Christmas musical’ project. Has that moved forward?

I’m always looking for someone to do it. I knew when I started writing that to get a Christmas show into a theatre at Christmas is a tough thing, because so many venues rely on the revenue and the popularity of pantomime. You get a theatre that has a soldout pantomime and it means they can put on other stuff throughout the year that might be a little bit more expensive to do - or shows that don’t make much money. I’m still pushing and trying to find the right venue.

I’ve been helped a little bit this year by White Christmas and Elf, who’ve done pre-

pantomime runs and been very successful, so maybe that’s the way forward. But yes, it’s all finished and ready to go.

You’re still pretty relaxed about it, though?

There’s no urgency?

No, not really. I’m a writer, but because I don’t make my living out of it, I’m not quite so desperate. If I needed to do it to keep the wolf from the door, then that would be a different matter. I’ve had a fantastic year, where my work has just dovetailed - I’ve hardly finished off doing one show before I’ve found myself rehearsing another. I’ve been very lucky. I’m extremely tired and don’t really have the motivation to give it my full attention anyway. But who knows, come August, when Oklahoma finishes, there might be a venue for it.

If you had to choose one song-and-dance number as a favourite from your career, which would you choose?

Mr Bojangles. It’s not from a musical but it’s a wonderful song and a terrific story. I find it quite emotional when I sing it. I’ve had good responses from audiences, too. If I had to get up tomorrow and sing one song, it would be that one.

Looking back over your professional career, what would you say has been the highlight?

It’s yet to come. I’m always looking for new stuff. I come in under the radar sometimes and I’m very, very happy with that. Unlike so many actors, I’m not sitting at home or having to work in a bar or ticketing agency.

I’ve been extremely fortunate and I’m happy to just keep going. When people ask me to do things, if I feel they’re right for me, then I’ll do them. Highlight? That’s difficult, because there are so many good things that I’ve been involved in.

Without being too modest, are you surprised that you’re still very much in demand?

Yeah, I suppose I am. I’ve been doing this for nearly forty years now, so I guess I must be doing something right. I try to be as pleasant as I can but also to get the job done. It’s tough under certain circumstances to get the job done properly. I like things to be perfect, but I don’t think I’d call myself a perfectionist - I’m not that ruthless. I’m quick to recognise that there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and just because I think it’s the right way doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only way.

I’ve learned a lot from not being belligerent.

The bottom line is, it’s only showbusiness.

You’re not saving lives.

Oklahoma! shows at Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, from Tues 3 to Sat 7 March, and Birmingham Hippodrome, from Tues 30 June to Sat 4 July.

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Cirque Eloize bringing contemporary circus to the Midlands...

WIN TI

CKETS

whatso nlive.c to enter o.uk

The internationally acclaimed Cirque Éloize visits the Midlands this month. Expressing its innovative nature ‘through theatricality and humanity’, it combines circus arts with music, dance and theatre in a groundbreaking and original manner.

Simon Harper recently visited France, where Cirque Éloize has been performing, to find out more about the company and the show...

With its constant focus on artistic research, Cirque Éloize ranks amongst the leading contemporary circuses. With ten original productions to its credit, it’s presented over four thousand performances in four hundredand-forty cities in forty different countries.

Now, the Canadian-based company, founded in 1993, is preparing to perform in the UK. It brings its show Cirkopolis to Birmingham Hippodrome from 25 to 28 March.

“Cirkopolis is inspired by Fritz Lang’s legendary film, Metropolis,” explains Samuel Charlton, one of twelve Cirkopolis artists who bring the show to life through skills such as hand to hand, juggling, the German wheel, banquine and the teeterboard. “It also nods in the direction of the old industrial world of Kafka and German Expressionism. It’s an extremely visual circus show. Yes, the basis of the show is circus, but a heavy contemporary dance influence has been brought in by codirector and choreographer Dave St-Pierre.

He’s from a contemporary dance background, and his influences are very visible in the show. St-Pierre is known for his raw style of dance - not necessarily placed and clean acrobatics, but raw, powerful, breathtaking work that has the audiences on the edge of their seats.”

Before becoming a professional circus artist, Samuel was extremely successful in judo. He won international competitions and two consecutive UK national championships.

“I’m an acrobatic base in the show, meaning my speciality is hand to hand. I work with another English guy, Reuben Hosler. We’ve been working together for ten-and-a-half years. Basically, Reuben does handstands on my hands, and I’m the base artist that supports him. He does flips and I catch him.

There are definitely some scary moments for the performers. There are always risks.”

(insert hand to hand pic) So how do Samuel and his fellow performers rehearse and prepare for a show as physical as Cirkopolis in a way that avoids those risks?

“We start by rehearsing small sections and piecing them together one by one. We can work all day and sometimes into the evening and weekends. With performance shows like this, getting to know each other is really important. Seeing how we work together and learning how we interact is really important. It helps us build up trust with each other and improves the professional relationship on and off stage. That’s important when you’re on the road with a show. We’re like family to each other.”

Samuel is one of three talented British artists in the show. He’s worked on other productions similar to Cirkopolis, but he acknowledges that this production is different to previous ones in which he’s performed.

“As well as the performances, the large projections fill the back-drop and bring something different to the show,” he says.

“They allow the production to move from one sort of universe to another very quickly.

There’s so much variety in Cirkopolis too lots of different types of performance and lots of circus skills, such as the Chinese pole, trapeze and cyr wheel, as well as the disciplines I’m involved in. Ashley Carr, another British artist in the show (insert pic), is more of an actor than a dancer. He brings a lot of comedy to the performance. His scene is funny but very thoughtful and moving too.

And, of course, there’s a very high standard of acrobatics throughout. The mixture of all these things is quite rare.”

One of the most exciting aspects about being back in the UK for Samuel - and especially back in the Midlands - is being able to perform in front of his family. He hails from

Newton Harcourt in Leicestershire, and this will be the first time that some of his family have seen him perform professionally since he left the UK to train overseas. “I’m really looking forward to family and friends seeing the show - people who haven't seen me perform for over ten years. I moved to Paris to train at the National Circus School before heading to the National Circus School in Montreal. For my grandparents, it’ll be the first time they’ve seen me perform.”

Although Samuel is away from the UK whilst touring and now resides in Canada, he does have the added comfort of being able to work with his wife, Myriam Deraiche (insert pic), who features as the contortionist in the show.

“Her performance is one of the most beautiful moments in Cirkopolis. You can hear a pin drop. The audience sit in silent appreciation, I guess. There are five male artists on stage with Myriam, and she doesn’t touch the floor for the whole duration of the piece. I think UK audiences will really enjoy this moment in the production - it seems to be really popular wherever we perform the show.”

So how does Samuel sum up Cirkopolis in five words? “Acrobatic, fast, sensitive, funny and energetic,” he replies without hesitation.

“Very, very energetic!”

Indeed it is. The souvenir brochure asks the question, “Is Cirkopolis circus? Is it dance? Is it theatre?”. The truth is, it’s all three - and so very much more besides. A brilliant night at the theatre that will leave you wanting to see more.

Cirque Eloize perform Cirkopolis at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wed 25 to Sat 28 March.

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Music Spandau Ballet Genting Arena (formerly LG Arena), Birmingham, Thurs 19 March

“It just keeps getting better and better,” says Tony Hadley, in talking about the public's reaction to Spandau Ballet's decision to re-form. “We’d hoped that we'd be welcomed back, but what's happened has been completely beyond our expectations.”

Tony really shouldn't be all that surprised that the boys have been so enthusiastically re-embraced.

After all, in their time, Spandau Ballet sold twentyfive million records, had six multi-platinum albums and twenty-three hit singles - so it's fair to say the band's got a sizable, if nowadays somewhat older, fanbase. They visit Birmingham as part of their Soulboys Of The Western World tour.

Morrissey Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham, Fri 27 March

Eddi Reader Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 22 March

With an MBE sitting behind her name and numerous BRIT Awards decorating her mantlepiece, Scottish singer-songwriter Eddi Reader is well remembered for her association with Fairground Attraction, with whom she scored a UK number one, Perfect, in 1988. The band’s star shone brightly but briefly, with differences during the production of a second album precipitating a parting of the ways.

Reader’s solo career has encountered no such difficulties, however. Highlights include her 2003 album of material by Scotland’s ‘bard’, Robert Burns, which she performed alongside the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Duke Special Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, Wed 11 March; Glee Club, Birmingham, Sun 15 March

Although sounding like a band, Duke Special is, in fact, just Peter Wilson - singing and playing his piano. Resembling Tim Minchin, with his long dreadlocks, eyeliner and hobo chic outfits, Peter presents shows that are well known for incorporating theatrical elements of vaudeville.

These Midlands gigs come in support of latest album Look Out Machines!

Revered by many, reviled by others, Morrissey has been performing and recording as a solo artist since The Smiths broke up in 1987. His sensitive, melancholic persona and poetic, literate lyrics spoke directly to a generation of disaffected young people in the 1980s, elevating him to the status of icon and guaranteeing a solid fan base in the decades which have followed.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing, though. In 1992, for example, he was erroneously reported to be aligning himself with the BNP - and there have been some pretty acrimonious feuds with his managers, associates and former colleagues along the way too.

It’s a measure of his charisma and singular identity that, despite such controversies, he continues to attract big audiences to his concerts.

Lionel Richie Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham, Sat 14 March

Boasting in excess of one hundred million album sales, a Golden Globe, numerous Grammy Awards and the Crystal Award for Humanitarianism, Lionel Richie is a twentyfour carat superstar. This latest concert - All The Hits All Night Long - blends new material with old. Undoubtedly on the playlist will be classics such as Hello, Dancing On The Ceiling and Endless Love, as well as mega-hits from his Commodore days, like Easy, Brickhouse and Three Times A Lady.

Richie was recently confirmed for Glastonbury 2015’s ‘legends’ slot, which has previously been filled by the likes of Dolly Parton, Tony Christie and James Brown.

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 133

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SPRING & SUMMER PARTY NIGHTS 2015 Fri 6 Mar £32.50

Sat 25th April, 6pm

OLLY MURS & BRUNO MARS with Robbie Glenn

Sat 14 Mar £37.50

BACK TO THE 80’S PARTY with The 80’s Experience

Fri 20 Mar £32.50

MICHAEL BUBLE TRIBUTE with Jamie Flanagan

Fri 27 Mar £37.50

MAMMA MIA PARTY with Bootleg Abba An Abba Tribute

Fri 10 Apr £32.50

SUPREME MOTOWN & SOUL DIVA PARTY with The The Montellas

Fri 24 Apr £37.50

THE ULTIMATE SOUL PARTY with The Soul Suvivors and Mel Day

Sat 9 May £32.50

MOTOWN LEGENDS PARTY with Soul Legend

MAMMA MIA PARTY

Sat 16 May £37.50

with ‘Sensation’ Abba Tribute

Sat 30 May £32.50

SOUL & MOTOWN HITS PARTY with Divas Of Soul

SATURDAY NIGHT FAVER PARTY

Sat 13 Jun £37.50

with Stayin Alive

DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE FROM OUR WEBSITE

TICKET PRICES INCLUDE 4 COURSE MEAL WE WILL CATER FOR ANY SPECIAL DIETARY NEEDS BY PRIOR ARRANGMENT

BOOKING HOTLINE 02476 466174

www.nailcotehall.co.uk Nailcote Hall Hotel, Nailcote Lane, Berkswell, Warwickshire CV7 7DE 14 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Music PREVIEWS

Ameriie The Drum, Birmingham, Sat 28 March

Royal Blood Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Wed 11 March

Forming in 2013, rock duo Royal Blood almost instantly took the music industry by storm. Not only did they support Arctic Monkeys for two Finsbury Park shows in 2014, their eponymous debut album was verified by the Official Charts Company as the UK’s fastest-selling British rock debut album for three years. Oh, and they’ve impressed Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, too. “Their album has taken the genre up a serious few notches,” says Jimmy. “It's so refreshing to hear, because they play with the spirit of the things that have preceded them, but you can hear they're going to take rock into a new realm - if they're not already doing that. It's music of tremendous quality.”

Foo Fighters, meanwhile, are so impressed that they’ve given the pair supporting slots alongside Iggy Pop - on selected dates during their 2015 UK and US tours.

José González Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 13 March

José Gabriel González is a Swedish indie folk singer-songwriter and guitarist from Gothenburg who’s best known for his 2003 single, Heartbeats. Famously remixed by The Knife, the song came from Gonzalez’s first solo album, Veneer, which reached number seven in the UK charts. His current world tour is in support of third album Vestiges & Claws, released last month.

Grammy-nominated soulstress Ameriie makes a long-awaited return to The Drum with a full live band and a big back-catalogue. Her show blends hits from her thirteen-year career (including One Thing, Why Don't We Fall In Love and All I Have) with brand new material from her forthcoming album, Bili - a project in which she’s completely immersed herself.

“I can’t help but be heavily involved,” she recently explained to officialcharts.com.

“That’s just my personality. The reason I do it is because I love to be able to express myself through the music, so I can’t see it being any other way.

Stiff Little Fingers

GoGo Penguin

Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Fri 20 March The Assembly, Leamington Spa, Sat 21 March

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Fri 13 March

This punk rock group from Belfast haven’t had the smoothest of careers. They started out as a schoolboy band called Highway Star, doing rock covers until they discovered punk. After six years and four albums they split up, reforming five years later, in 1987.

Lead singer Jake Burns is the only member to have been with the band throughout.

Despite major personnel changes, 2014 saw the release of their tenth studio album, No Going Back, which is being supported by this current world tour.

‘Jazz, techno, hip-hop and dubstep are glimpsed here, but for all the looping motifs and dancefloor vibes, this is the work of three sure-footed improvisers with deep jazz roots.’

So read The Guardian’s recent review of Manchester-based three-piece GoGo Penguin. The band have received plenty of critical acclaim since they released debut album Fanfares in 2012. Their 2014 follow-up, v2.0, was named one of the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Albums of the Year.

Chic Featuring Nile Rodgers O2 Academy, Birmingham, Wed 25 March

Cara Dillon Town Hall, Birmingham, Fri 27 March

With childhood musical influences including retro folk artists Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell, as well as the pop music listened to by her older sisters, it took Cara Dillon a while to decide that she was happiest singing the traditional Irish songs with which she’d grown up. Having come to that conclusion, she then set off on a journey which has seen her establish herself as one of the UK’s finest female vocalists. In collaboration with husband and musical partner Sam Lakeman, Cara has developed a style which blends her traditional sound with contemporary elements, and is always looking to introduce her music to new audiences.

This Birmingham appearance comes on the back of her latest album, A Thousand Hearts.

When Chic burst on to the music scene in the mid-1970s, they described themselves as a rock band for the disco movement that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom...

They certainly made good on their other intention to pump out some chart hits!

Formed by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards, the band enjoyed discoera success with Dance, Dance, Dance (Yowsah, Yowsah, Yowsah), Everybody Dance, Le Freak, I Want Your Love, Good Times and My Forbidden Lover. This latest tour comes in support of I’ll Be There, the band’s first single in twenty-three years.

The Beat The Robin, Bilston, Fri 20 March

Playing songs which fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and which typically feature lyrics dealing with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics, The Beat first came to prominence in the late 1970s.

The 2 Tone ska revival band enjoyed their greatest successes at the beginning of the following decade, during which period they released three studio albums before going their separate ways in 1983.

They briefly reformed twenty years later, and then again in 2005, since which time they’ve been busily winning themselves a whole new generation of fans. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 15

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Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

SUN 1 MAR THE MAVERICKS Symphony Hall, B’ham STRAY FEATURING DEL BROMHAM The Robin, Bilston LEVELLERS Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE QUIREBOYS The Assembly, Leamington Spa THE COAL PORTERS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham NOTHING BUT THIEVES The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham SHRAPNEL & BLUDVERA The Oobleck, B’ham MCGOLDRICK, MCCUSKER & DOYLE mac - Midlands Art Centre, B’ham INPUT HAVANA, THE FIX, THE NATURAL EMOTIONS, ELLIE POOLE & AMY ELLIS The Roadhouse, Birmingham

MON 2 MAR JON GOMM The Marr's Bar, Worcester UK The Assembly, Leamington Spa TIGERCLUB, BAD GRAMMAR & ENQUIRY The Flapper, Birmingham

TUE 3 MAR TINASHE The Institute, Birmingham BUDDY WHITTINGTON & HIS BAND The Robin, Bilston GLAMOUR OF THE KILL The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton SATURDAY NIGHT BEE GEES Belgrade Theatre, Coventry BRYAN CORBETT QUARTET The Jam House, Birmingham

WED 4 MAR BARBARA DICKSON Birmingham Town Hall SONGBIRD – THE EVA CASSIDY STORY New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham RAY QUINN The Robin, Bilston THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Solihull Arts Complex IN THIS MOMENT Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton JOHN RENBOURN & WIZZ JONES Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham THE VERONICAS The Institute, Birmingham EDDY MORTON & THE BUSHBURYS AND SUNJAY BRAYNE The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham SOULMANIA The Jam House, Birmingham THE CADILLAC THREE The Slade Rooms,

Wolverhampton STEADY HANDS, BIG TENT AND THE GYPSY LANTERN & MELLOW PEACHES Hare & Hounds, B’ham

THU 5 MAR THE MEAT LOAF STORY New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE ELVIS YEARS Bedworth Civic Hall JUNGLE The Assembly, Leamington Spa JUDITH OWEN The Glee Club, Birmingham YELLOWCARD & LESS THAN JAKE O2 Academy, Birmingham THE STEVE GIBBONS BAND The Robin, Bilston COVES The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham JIM CAUSLEY & LUKAS DRINKWATER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DEBORAH ROSE FEATURING THE O'FARRELLS FROLICKS & GREY WOLF Artrix, Bromsgrove VENREZ The Asylum, Birmingham SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED The Jam House, Birmingham EDD DONOVAN, DAN HARTLAND & JAYNE POWELL Ort Cafe, B’ham HOTTER THAN HELL TRIBUTE TO KISS The Roadhouse, B’ham PETER KNIGHT'S GIGSPANNER mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

FRI 6 MAR THE SENSATIONAL SIXTIES EXPERIENCE New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham LOS PACAMINOS FEAT PAUL YOUNG The Robin, Bilston LET'S HANG ON Solihull Arts Complex BARRON KNIGHTS Huntingdon Hall, Worcester BACK TO BROADWAY The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Palace Theatre, Redditch JON GOMM The Glee Club, Birmingham FIRES THAT DIVIDE O2 Academy, Birmingham COVENANT The Institute, Birmingham DURAN: THE TRIBUTE Artrix, Bromsgrove MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE BORN AGAIN BEATLES The Roadhouse, Birmingham BRYAN CORBETT QUARTET Symphony Hall, Birmingham

16 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

THUNDEROUS JONES, SISTER SHOTGUN & CRAWLIN HANDS The Flapper, Birmingham THE SOUNDS OF THE 60S, 70S & 80S SOUL & JAZZ NIGHT Belgrade Theatre, Coventry ED SOLO & DEEKLINE Hare & Hounds, B’ham FRED ZEPPELIN The Marr's Bar, Worcester OLLY MURS & BRUNO MARS WITH ROBBIE GLENN Nailcote Hall, Berkswell THE DARKMESS & VON KRYSTAL ROKZ Route 44, Birmingham

SAT 7 MAR MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD MAC Birmingham Town Hall THE SMITHS INDEED Huntingdon Hall, Worcester SONGBIRD – THE EVA CASSIDY STORY The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE ILLEGAL EAGLES New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham KING KING The Robin, Bilston LET'S HANG ON The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury GRANT NICHOLAS The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton COLLIE BUDDZ O2 Academy, Birmingham LITTLE COMETS The Institute, Birmingham JAWS The Institute, Birmingham THE JOHN OTWAY BIG BAND Artrix, Bromsgrove STARS OF AFRO BEAT The Drum, Birmingham LARRY MILLER Solihull Arts Complex THE SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA Stratford Artshouse TOMMY SCOTT Alfie Bird’s, Birmingham THE HANDSOME FAMILY The Institute, B’ham RUST FOR GLORY The Marr's Bar, Worcester MISS HALLIWELL The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham CRACKED ACTORS Boar's Head, Kidderminster HOLLY THOMAS Symphony Hall, B’ham HOLLOW PEOPLE, HOPE FOR RETURN, BIGGER THAN SEATTLE The Flapper, Birmingham UNCLE JIM Route 44, Birmingham

SUN 8 MAR KARNATAKA The Robin, Bilston THE UNTHANKS Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry FOZZY The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton ELEANOR MCEVOY Artrix, Bromsgrove KEVIN PAUL AS ELVIS Artrix, Bromsgrove FLOWERS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham RICH MCMAHON Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham

TREVOR BURTON The Roadhouse, B’ham 40 WATT SUN, RUMOUR CUBES & SUNWOLF The Flapper, Birmingham SOUL ACOUSTIC The Glee Club, Birmingham ETHAN ASH The Marr's Bar, Worcester BLEACH BLOOD The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham

MON 9 MAR CLEAN BANDIT O2 Academy, Birmingham HALESTORM, NOTHING MORE & WILSON Civic Hall, Wolverhampton BC CAMPLIGHT Hare & Hounds, Birmingham GOOD LUCK MOUNTAIN Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham THE QUIREBOYS The Robin, Bilston RED CITY RADIO, PEARS & GUERRILLA MONSOON Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham NIGEL KENNEDY The Assembly, Leamington Spa

TUE 10 MAR LENE LOVICH BAND The Roadhouse, B’ham IDLEWILD The Institute, Birmingham MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK, JOHN MCCUSKER AND JOHN DOYLE Huntingdon Hall, Worcester PAUL WELLER Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ELEANOR MCEVOY Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham BEN DRUMMOND The Jam House, B’ham

WED 11 MAR ROYAL BLOOD Civic Hall, Wolverhampton THE GLORIOUS FOOLS The Robin, Bilston THE ELO EXPERIENCE New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham LOSTATHOME O2 Academy, Birmingham GOSPEL CENTRAL The Jam House, B’ham NANCY KERR & THE SWEET VISITOR BAND The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham KIM CHURCHILL The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham STARZ The Assembly, Leamington Spa

THU 12 MAR THE FUREYS New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham STEEL PANTHER Civic Hall, Wolverhampton ROOM 94 O2 Academy, Birmingham ARCHITECTS & EVERY TIME I DIE The Institute, Birmingham THE UNDERCOVER HIPPY The Marr's Bar, Worcester BENJAMIN YELLOWITZ Hare & Hounds, B’ham JORDAN HUNT & LAURA MOODY The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry PHAROAHE MONCH The Oobleck, Birmingham

THUNDER & LIGHTNING, WINTER'S EDGE, CHEMIKILL & CELESTIAL WISH The Roadhouse, Birmingham SHIVER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

FRI 13 MAR THE ZOE GREEN BAND Route 44, Birmingham THUNDER The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham MOON SUGAR, SHOOT THE TOWN, SEMANTICS & BROTHERS OF CAEDMON The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham LIMEHOUSE LIZZY The Assembly, Leamington Spa GENESIS CONNECTED Artrix, Bromsgrove GOGO PENGUIN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DREAMING OF KATE The Robin, Bilston THE CHARLATANS Civic Hall, Wolverhampton JOSE GONZALEZ Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry BOB FOX mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham THE QEMISTS O2 Academy, Birmingham LETZ ZEP Huntingdon Hall, Worcester DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham MUSED The River Rooms, Stourbridge MEDLAR Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MODESTEP O2 Academy, Birmingham CYMBALS, BATSCH & FIELD HARMONICS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham GUNS OR ROSES The Marr's Bar, Worcester U2UK The Roadhouse, Birmingham TOM GREEN SEPTET Symphony Hall, B’ham PUPPET REBELLION, LONGFALLBOOTS, ONE TON BULLET, BEFORE THE STORY END The Flapper, Birmingham

SAT 14 MAR DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham BLACK STAR RIDERS Civic Hall, Wolverhampton DEVIANT UK, AMONG THE ECHOES & GLOBAL CITIZEN The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE PHIL BEER BAND Artrix, Bromsgrove JAMES HYPE & ILL PHIL Alfie Bird’s, B’ham MOTOWN'S GREATEST HITS - HOW SWEET IT IS Bedworth Civic Hall, Warwickshire LIONEL RICHIE The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham THE STRANGLERS O2 Academy, Birmingham LEGENDS OF LEGENDS The Drum, Birmingham MARTYR DE MONA O2 Academy, Birmingham THE BLOCKHEADS The Robin, Bilston EUROPE Civic Hall, Wolverhampton X FACTOR LIVE TOUR 2015 Genting Arena, Birmingham ZUN ZUN EGUI The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham WARD THOMAS The Insti-

tute, Birmingham RADIO CLASH & NEVILLE STAPLE BAND Belgrade Theatre, Coventry A CELEBRATION OF NEIL DIAMOND Huntingdon Hall, Worcester SUNSET SONS The Institute, Birmingham KODALINE The Institute, Birmingham HOT RED CHILI PEPPERS The Roadhouse, B’ham NFWI - SINGING FOR JOY FINAL Birmingham Town Hall HUEY MORGAN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham CHARLIE SLOTH, BOY BETTER KNOW, FRISCO, ARTFUL DODGER AND MORE...

The Institute, B’ham HANNAH WANTS The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham MAXXI SOUNDSYSTEM Alfie Bird's, Birmingham BITTERSWEET REVENGE, VOODOO SIOUX & VICIOUS NATURE The Asylum, Birmingham THE 80'S EXPERIENCE Nailcote Hall, Berkswell, Warwickshire THE ADAN PROJECT Ort Cafe, Birmingham THE NOTORIOUS BROTHERS Route 44, B’ham GUTS FOR GLORY, HIDDEN, LIQUID METAL, NOVACROW Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham ANDREAS MOUTSIOULIS Birmingham Conservatoire RITUALS, NATIVE WRECK & MARLOES The Flapper, Birmingham

SUN 15 MAR NATHAN CARTER Birmingham Town Hall CARL PALMER, MARTIN TURNER AND THE STRAWBS Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton DUKE SPECIAL The Glee Club, Birmingham LAST NIGHT OF THE SPRING PROMS Symphony Hall, B’ham CHRIS WOOD Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham THE CARPET CRAWLERS The Robin, Bilston HIRAX The Asylum, Birmingham DECIMATE, NO WARNING SHOT & DAYS OF END The Flapper, B’ham LADIES SING THE BLUES The Roadhouse, B’ham AARON KEYLOCK The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

MON 16 MAR THE HIGH KINGS Artrix, Bromsgrove ANDY JORDAN The Institute, Birmingham STEELEYE SPAN Stratford Artshouse CLOUD CASTLE LAKE Hare & Hounds, B’ham

TUE 17 MAR PAPA ROACH O2 Academy, Birmingham LONELY THE BRAVE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton JAMES HOUSE The Robin, Bilston SIVU The Tin Music And

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Arts, Coventry EBAN BROWN The Glee Club, Birmingham PALMER HILL BAND The Jam House, B’ham

WED 18 MAR THE SENSATIONAL 60'S EXPERIENCE Belgrade Theatre, Coventry PLACEBO O2 Academy, Birmingham STEVEN WILSON Civic Hall, Wolverhampton REG MEUROSS & JESS VINCENT Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham ALABAMA 3 The Robin, Bilston DORJE Alfie Bird's, Birmingham BIG WOLF BAND The Jam House, Birmingham HARDCORE SUPERSTAR The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton NERVANA The Institute, Birmingham ONLY SHADOWS & LITTLE DYNAMITE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THU 19 MAR PALOMA FAITH The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham SPANDAU BALLET Genting Arena, B’ham THE REALLY HOT CHILI PEPPERS The Robin, Bilston FLATBUSH ZOMBIES & THE UNDERACHIEVERS The Institute, B’ham MAD DOG MCREA Hare & Hounds, Birmingham TRAGEDY The Oobleck, Birmingham KINGSLAND ROAD The Institute, Birmingham CRAOBH RUA Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham KILLING WITH A VENGEANCE & SWAMP DONKEY O2 Academy, Birmingham NORTH ATLANTIC OSCILLATION Alfie Bird’s, Birmingham COLD OCEAN LIES The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton ECHO LAKE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham CHRIS POOLE & THE SHADES The Jam House, Birmingham ANCHOR DOWN The Roadhouse, B’ham

FRI 20 MAR THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham LAST ORDER Route 44, Birmingham THE FUREYS The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury SACK SABBATH & MEGADETH UK The Roadhouse, B’ham STIFF LITTLE FINGERS Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton WARPAINT The Institute, Birmingham THE ANSWER The Institute, Birmingham FANFARE CIOCARLIA Town Hall, Birmingham THE BEAT The Robin, Bilston REFLECTION OF SILENCE The Drum, Birmingham MATT WOOSEY The Marr's Bar, Worcester

MICHAEL BUBLE TRIBUTE WITH JAMIE FLANAGEN Nailcote Hall, Berkswell HANG THE BASTARD The Oobleck, Birmingham THE SLOW REVOLT Alfie Bird’s, Birmingham NATHAN GRISDALE The Institute, Birmingham BLACK TONGUE MESSIAH The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

SAT 21 MAR UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, B’ham KICK UP THE 80'S The Robin, Bilston GRETCHEN PETERS Birmingham Town Hall MIKE PETERS O2 Academy, Birmingham STIFF LITTLE FINGERS The Assembly, Leamington Spa ANDY BENNETT Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DROP OF LIFE Symphony Hall, Birmingham KIRVANA - A TRIBUTE TO NIRVANA The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton REAL FRIENDS The Asylum, Birmingham HABITATS The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham DAFT AS PUNK O2 Academy, Birmingham KARNATAKA Huntingdon Hall, Worcester ZO, SY SMITH & CARMEN RODGERS The Institute, Birmingham THE LITTLE UNSAID Ort Cafe, Birmingham THE SEX PISTOLS EXPERIENCE The Roadhouse, Birmingham HIGHER ON MAIDEN Route 44, Birmingham THE DARKER MY HORIZON Scruffy Murphys, B’ham ALLUSONDRUGS & KALEIDOSCOPE The Flapper, Birmingham

SUN 22 MAR SAM SMITH Civic Hall, Wolverhampton ARENA The Assembly, Leamington Spa TRUST FUND, SQUEAKEASY & OKINAWA PICTURE SHOW Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DROPKICK MURPHYS O2 Academy, Birmingham SETH LAKEMAN The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton PURLING HISS The Oobleck, Birmingham EDDI READER Artrix, Bromsgrove LUCY WARD Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

MON 23 MAR SAM SMITH Civic Hall, Wolverhampton THE SUBWAYS The Institute, Birmingham KIESZA The Institute, Birmingham THE BLACKOUT The Asylum, Birmingham LOGIC O2 Academy, Birmingham RAG 'N' BONE MAN Kasbah, Coventry

TUE 24 MAR THE SLEAFORD MODS The Assembly, Leam-

ington Spa CHUCK RAGAN AND THE CAMARADERIE The Institute, Birmingham OYSTERBAND The Robin, Bilston USHER The Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham BEN WALKER & JOSIENNE CLARK The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury THE GLAMOPHONES The Jam House, B’ham SHE MAKES WAR Ort Cafe, Birmingham

WED 25 MAR JOAN ARMATRADING Birmingham Town Hall TRAIN The Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham LOTTE MULLAN & JAZZ MORLEY Hare & Hounds, B’ham GUN The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE CORONAS O2 Academy, Birmingham ALEXANDER O'NEAL The Jam House, B’ham PETE COE The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham LUCY ROSE The Institute, Birmingham THE MARRAKESH EXPRESS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham BRIDIE JACKSON AND THE ARBOUR The Robin, Bilston THE BONFIRE RADICALS Ort Cafe, Birmingham RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR 2015 Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa JOHN SOUTHWORTH & DANIEL KNOX The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry CHIC FEATURING NILE RODGERS O2 Academy, Birmingham

THU 26 MAR THE RAMONAS The Institute, Birmingham PINK FAIRIES The Robin, Bilston KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS Solihull Arts Complex THE ELO EXPERIENCE The Swan Theatre, Worcester DENNIS GREAVES & MARK FELTHAM Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FUSE ODG The Institute, Birmingham BLUE Civic Hall, Wolverhampton DEL CAMINO The Jam House, Birmingham CLARE TEAL Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire DR HOOK FEATURING RAY SAWYER Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton WALKING ON CARS & PORTA ISLA O2 Academy, B’ham NEW STREET ADVENTURE Hare & Hounds, B’ham MARIKA HACKMAN The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham ANDREW MONTGOMERY Alfie Bird’s, Birmingham BIG BOY BLOATER The Roadhouse, B’ham

FRI 27 MAR QUILL Solihull Arts Complex FRED ZEPPELIN The Robin, Bilston CARA DILLON Birmingham Town Hall STEVE TILSTON Palace Theatre, Redditch THE SUBTERRANEANS The Jam House, B’ham FOUR YEAR STRONG O2 Academy, Birmingham GUNS VS ROSES The Roadhouse, B’ham HOODIE ALLEN The Institute, Birmingham MORRISSEY The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham REN HARVIEU The Glee Club, Birmingham SCROOBIUS PIP Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MIC LOWRY The Institute, Birmingham KILL IT KID The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton MAMMA MIA PARTY WITH BOOTLEG ABBA Nailcote Hall, Berkswell, Warwickshire ERRORS & UBRE BLANCA The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham STOMP AND HOLLER Brewhouse, Burtonupon-Trent LAST LIGHT The Flapper, B’ham MEME DETROIT, TRUEHEIGHTS, BURN DOWN RYDELL, GEM & CHASING DEER O2 Academy, Birmingham ROMARE Hare & Hounds, B’ham

SOUL DUO VELVET Bar Opus, Birmingham STOP STOP & VOODOO SIOUX Route 44, B’ham NOBLE/SANDERS/BANNER Fri 27 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham p

SAT 28 MAR

MAZ MIZTRENKO Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ROBIN TROWER & JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR Birmingham Town Hall CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN The Institute, Birmingham THE SELECTER & THE TUTS Student Union Copper Rooms, Warwick Uni, Coventry MARTY WILDE & THE WILDCATS Palace Theatre, Redditch FLEETWOOD BAC The Robin, Bilston PURPLE ZEPPELIN Artrix, Bromsgrove MCBUSTED The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham FYFE The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham LOTTE MULLAN & JAZZ MORLEY The Assembly, Leamington Spa LET'S ROCK'N'ROLL WITH THE PONTIACS Huntingdon Hall, Worcester THE WORLD OF PANDORA O2 Academy, B’ham AMERIIE The Drum, Birmingham SOULED OUT 2 FUNK The Roadhouse, B’ham THE WESTENDERS The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

THE BAD FLOWERS The Institute, Birmingham HOT WAX The Institute, Birmingham GLAMBUSTERS The Marr's Bar, Worcester IVOR & LYN'S CLASSIC ROCK DISCO Route 44, Birmingham THE FURROW COLLECTIVE Mac, Birmingham

SUN 29 MAR MCBUSTED The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW The Oobleck, B’ham HUE AND CRY The Robin, Bilston RAYMOND FROGGATT The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton CHRIS STRINGER AND ANTHONY JAMES The Marr's Bar, Worcester BARS AND MELODY O2 Academy, Birmingham RANG BARSE - A RAIN OF COLOUR The Drum, Birmingham PAT MCMANUS BAND Route 44, Birmingham

MON 30 MAR AXIS OF The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

TUE 31 MAR GLEE CHOIRS CONCERT I'M STILL STANDING Wolverhampton Grand Theatre WOLF ALICE The Institute, Birmingham

Music Venues Box Office Across The Midlands Birmingham 02 ACADEMY 0121 622 8250 THE ACTRESS & BISHOP 0121 236 7426 ADRIAN BOULT HALL 0121 331 5901 THE ASYLUM 0121 233 1109 THE BARBER INSTITUTE 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 CBSO CENTRE 0121 780 3333 FLAPPER 0121 236 2421 THE GLEE CLUB 0871 472 0400 HARE & HOUNDS 0121 444 2081 THE INSTITUTE 0121 643 0428 IRISH CENTRE 0121 622 2314 THE JAM HOUSE 0121 200 3030 THE KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE 0121 443 4725 GENTING ARENA 0844 338 8000 BARCLAYCARD ARENA 0844 338 8000 THE RAINBOW 0121 772 8174 RED LION FOLK CLUB 0121472 4253 THE ROADHOUSE 0121 246 2273 ROUTE 44 0121 708 0108 SYMPHONY HALL 0121 780 3333 THE VICTORIA 0121 633 9439

THE YARDBIRD 0121 212 2524

Black Country CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 DUDLEY CONCERT HALL 01384 815577 FOREST ARTS CENTRE 0845 111 2898 NEWHAMPTON ARTS CENTRE 01902 572090 ROBIN 2, BILSTON 01902 401211 SLADE ROOMS WOLVERHAMPTON

Staffordshire FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK 01538 386112 LICHFIELD GUILDHALL 01543 262223 THE SUGARMILL, HANLEY STOKE-ON-TRENT 01159 454 593 TAMWORTH ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01827 709618 VICTORIA HALL, HANLEY 0870 060 6649 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE

01785 254653

0870 320 7000

Warwickshire

STOURBRIDGE TOWN HALL 01384 812812 WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON

THE ASSEMBLY, LEAMINGTON 01926 311311

0870 320 7000

Shropshire BIRCHMEADOW, BROSELEY 01952 882210 THE BUTTERMARKET, SHREWSBURY 01743 355055 THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728911 HENRY TUDOR HOUSE SHREWSBURY 01743 361666 THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY 01743 234970 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 THE PLACE, OAKENGATES, TELFORD 01952 382382 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299

THE KASBAH, COVENTRY 024 7655 4473 NAILCOTE HALL, BERKSWELL 02476 46 6174 STRATFORD CIVIC HALL 01789 207100 THE TIN MUSIC & ARTS, COVENTRY 0247 655 9958

Worcestershire ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 HUNTINGDON HALL / SWAN THEATRE 01905 611427 MARR’S BAR, WORCESTER 01905 613336 THE RIVER ROOMS, STOURBRIDGE 01384 397177

For additional information and to find out What’s On at these venues.

Visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

For full music listings in the West Midlands, visit. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 17

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View the latest trailers on line

18 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Frontiers Festival

Classical Music PREVIEWS

Various locations, Birmingham, Mon 16 - Fri 27 March

A two-week celebration of bold new music, this Birmingham Conservatoire-led initiative features a packed programme of cutting-edge performances and exhibitions.

Taking place at various venues across the city - including the Library of Birmingham and Cafe Ort - the festival also provides a platform for some of the most exciting young talent in contemporary music.

Highlights of the 2015 festival include a rare UK outing by French ensemble CourtCircuit. Founded more than twenty years ago by Phillippe Hurel and Pierre Andre Valade, the ensemble is held in high regard for its risk-taking approach to classical music.

Jonathan Harvey’s seminal From Silence also features, as does Gerard Grisey’s Le temps et l’ecume and the world premiere of Ed Bennett’s new work for piano and live electronics. There are also performances by contemporary pianist Xenia Pestova, the experimental and energetic Decibel Ensemble, and Birmingham Conservatoire’s own Thallein Ensemble.

Welsh National Opera featuring Lesley Garrett Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 4 - Sat 7 March

Founded in Cardiff in 1943, Welsh National Opera (WNO) is a regular visitor to the Midlands, presenting seasons of work at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The company is committed to producing operas which are extremely accessible for its audiences, whether they be opera-going regulars or people attending a performance for the very first time.

WNO’s latest Birmingham visit sees the company presenting three works...

Legendary soprano Lesley Garrett stars in Chorus! (Wed 4 March), a fully staged extravaganza featuring some of opera's greatest moments. Scenes from Il trovatore, Madam Butterfly, The Pirates Of Penzance and Peter Grimes are all included.

Dominic Cooke’s version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute (Thurs 5 to Fri 6 March), meanwhile, benefits from some truly surreal staging, and features an angry lobster, a newspaper-reading lion and a fish that’s also a bicycle.

Last but certainly not least in this imaginative spring season is a hugely inventive version of Humperdinck’s Hansel And Gretel (Sat 7 March) that revels in the story’s most deliciously sinister moments. The production is directed by Richard Jones.

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group CBSO Centre, Birmingham, Sun 8 March

This month sees Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) join forces with Stan’s Cafe, GRAINPhotography Hub and the Library of Birmingham to create a new musical experience.

Pathways And Places, which brings together contemporary classical music with projected photographs, features the BCMG ensemble performing six pieces of atmospheric music, each inspired by or linked to the theme of landscape.

Simon Bainbridge’s specially commissioned work, Path To Othona, opens two performances (11.30am and 2pm), both of which are recommended for children and families.

Bob Chilcott

Birmingham Festival Choral Society

Thallien at Frontiers

Tesla String Quartet The Barber Institute, Birmingham, Fri 20 March

Comprising Ross Snyder and Michelle Lie on violins, Edwin Kaplan on viola and Serafim Smigelskiy on cello, the Tesla String Quartet formed at New York’s Juilliard School in 2008 and quickly established themselves as one of the most promising young ensembles in the city. Winners of numerous awards - including the Gold Medal at the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition - and prizewinners in both the London and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competitions, Tesla this month visit the Midlands to perform the following: Schubert’s String Quartet in C minor, D 703, Quartettsatz; Linus Köhring’s 7 Aphorismen; Mendelssohn String Quartet in E minor, Op. 44, No. 2.

Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham, Sat 21 March

Bob Chilcott’s epic Circlesong is the highlight of this special concert reflecting the circle of life. Written for two choirs, a wide variety of percussion instruments and two pianos, Circlesong received its premiere at the city’s Adrian Boult Hall in 2004.

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Ben van Tienan’s Find My Way and works by Maxwell Davies and Gerald Finzi also feature in this mouthwatering programme. The concert sees the Birmingham Festival Choral Society performing alongside CBSO Young Voices and Atherstone Choral Society. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 19

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Classical LISTINGS For full listing information on classical concerts, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk HANDEL'S HERCULES Sun 1 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall BEETHOVEN: A MARATHON Sun 1 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT - THOMAS TROTTER Mon 2 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall HONG KONG PHILHARMONIC PLAY BEETHOVEN AND DVORAK Tue 3 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham RACHEL BARTON PINE Programme includes works by JS Bach, Mohammed Fairouz, Earl Maneein & Paganini, Tue 3 Mar, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham CHORUS! Soprano Lesley Garrett leads the Welsh National Opera in an extravaganza of some of the greatest moments in opera, Wed 4 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome ALESSANDRO RUISI Wed 4 Mar, Evesham Arts Centre, Worcester CBSO: JANACEK'S GLAGOLITIC MASS Featuring Luba Orgonášová, soprano; Sarah Connolly, mezzo-

Soprano; John Daszak tenor; Clive Bayley. bass &Thomas Trotter, organ. Programme includes works by Berlioz & Janacek, Thurs 5 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham PETER EDWARDS TRIO Thurs 5 Mar, Bramall Music Building, B’ham THE MAGIC FLUTE Welsh National Opera present a warm & witty production fusing Mozart's sublime music with Dominic Cooke's surreal staging, Thurs 5 - Fri 6 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome CBSO FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS: 21ST CENTURY BLOCKBUSTERS Featuring music from such films as Gladiator, Sherlock, War Horse, The Hobbit and many more, Fri 6 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham RICHARD & ADAM Fri 6 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall THE STRING SOUND Unique and exciting recital showcasing the development of the string family sound, from early Renaissance to modern day, Fri 6

20 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE CHORUS WITH DAVID SAINT Programme includes works

by Durufle, Aston & Fielden, Fri 6 Mar, St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham HANSEL AND GRETEL Welsh National Opera present Richard Jones' endlessly inventive production of Humperdinck's gorgeous opera which revels in the story's more sinister moments... Sat 7 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome TREORCHY MALE CHOIR Sat 7 Mar, Number 8 Community Arts Centre, Pershore WARWICKSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Katharine Lam

(piano) & Dominic Grier (guest conductor). Programme includes Borodin's Overture Prince Igor, Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue & Stravinsky's Firebird Suite (1919 version), Sat 7 Mar, North Leamington School KATHERINE JENKINS IN CONCERT Eagerly anticipated concert from the record-breaking, multiplatinum-selling mezzosoprano, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham IRVING BERLIN - RAGS TO RITZES Mon 9 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall MONDAY SHOWCASE Programme features works

by Prokofiev, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Poulenc & Mozart, Mon 9 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire

EMERGING DIRECTORS: SAN GIOVANNI BATISTA Performed by Alessandro Stradella, Mon 9 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire SHOSTAKOVICH WITH PETER DONOHOE Featuring Orchestra Of The Swan. Programme includes works by Haydn, Shostakovich & Mendelssohn, Tue 10 Mar, Stratford Artshouse THE SCHUBERT ENSEMBLE Programme comprises Chausson’s Piano Quartet, Op. 30, Tue 10 Mar, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham FRONTIERS: WOLFF AT 80, FINNISSY'S BEATS AND HOWARD SKEMPTON Tue 10 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire SHOSTAKOVICH WITH PETER DONOHOE Featur-

ing Orchestra Of The Swan. Programme includes works by Haydn, Shostakovich & Mendelssohn, Wed 11 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall CBSO BACH AND BRUCKNER Programme comprises Bach’s Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor & Symphony No 5, Wed 11 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA Featuring conductor Tugan Sokhiev & Katy Woolley on French Horn. Programme comprises Beethoven's Egmont Overture; Strauss' Horn Concerto No.2 & Brahms' Symphony No.2, Wed 11 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LA TRAVIATA LIVE Live

Tamsin Waley Cohen - Bramall Hall, Birmingham

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screening of English National Opera's performance of Verdi's operatic masterpiece, Wed 11 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham IOLANTHE Gilbert & Sullivan’s timeless Savoy classic is here presented by Astwood Bank Operatic Society, Wed 11 - Sat 14 March, Palace Theatre, Redditch CAMERATA SALZBURG AND NICOLA BENEDETTI PLAY MOZART Programme includes works

by Schonberg, Mozart & Bruckner, Thurs 12 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham ENSEMBLE 1685 A singers' group, based in Coventry, to uplift and inspire, Thurs 12 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry CBSO CENTRE STAGE: BRAHMS' PIANO QUARTET NO 3 Thurs 12 Mar, CBSO Centre, B’ham EMERGING DIRECTORS: QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME Featuring Zhivko Georgiev, Jack McNeill, Lucy French & Mark Pringle, Fri 13 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire SOL3 MIO Featuring tenor brothers, Pene & Amitai Pati and their baritone cousin Moses Mackey, Fri 13 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall ELLEN KENT'S LA TRAVIATA OperaUpClose present the story of a nineteenth century Parisian courtesan who, dreaming of a better life, becomes involved with a man who may finally make her dreams come true, Sat 14 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham CBSO BACH AND BRUCKNER Programme comprises Bach’s Violin Concerto No 1 in A minor & Symphony No 5, Sat 14 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham LA DONNA DEL LAGO: MET OPERA LIVE Met Opera Live screening of Rossini's showcase of vocal virtuosity, set in the medieval Scottish highlands and based on a novel by Sir Walter Scott, Sat 14 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ENSEMBLE 360 Programme includes works

by Mozart & Dvorak, Sun 15 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa BIRMINGHAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA HOLST'S PLANETS Sun 15 Mar, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham FRONTIERS: THE YOUNG COMPOSERS' PROJECT CONCERT Sun 15 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT - THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by JS Bach, Ireland, James MacMillan,

Hollins, Torch & Litaize, Mon 16 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham MONDAY SHOWCASE Programme includes works

by Shocker, Bozza, Britten, Debussy & Beethoven, Mon 16 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire THE ROSAMUNDE TRIO Programme includes Boulanger’s D'un matin de printemps; Mozart’s Piano Trio in G major K564 & Lalo’s Piano Trio No.3 in A minor Op.26, Tue 17 Mar, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham CBSO CENTRE STAGE: BEETHOVEN AND PENDERECKI STRING TRIOS Featuring Moritz Pfister, Catherine Bower and Eduardo Vassallo. Programme includes Penderecki’s String Trio & Beethoven’s String Trio in D, Op 9 No 2, Wed 18 Mar, CBSO Centre, Birmingham BEYOND CLASSICAL Wed 18 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CBSO RACHMANINOV'S SECOND SYMPHONY Wed 18 - Thurs 19 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET Featuring Matthew Denton & Michelle Fleming (violins), Eoin Schmidt-Martin (viola) & Emma Denton (cello).

Programme includes works by Beethoven, Shostakovich & Elgar, Thurs 19 Mar, Malvern Theatres, Worcester JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER Julian will be joined by his wife and fellow cellist Jiaxin Lloyd Webber and pianist Pam Showhan, Thurs 19 Mar, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury FORTEPIANO GALA CONCERT Thu 19 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire DANTE STRING QUARTET Programme includes works by Haydn, Sibelius & Beethoven, Fri 20 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove VILLIERS STRING QUARTET Programme includes works by Haydn, Delius & Elgar , Fri 20 Mar, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa THE EBLANA STRING TRIO Programme comprises Eugene Ysaye’s Le Chimay & Mozart’s Divertimento in E flat major K.563, Fri 20 Mar, Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE HANDPICKED ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Vaughan Williams, Addison & Poulenc, Fri 20 Mar, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham THE FLUTE & HARP Programme includes works

by Mozart, Debussy & Liszt, Sat 21 Mar, Cornbow Hall, Halesowen CIRCLESONG See opposite page, Sat 21 Mar, Bramall Music Building,

Sol3 Mio - Birmingham Town Hall

Birmingham STRATFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Bizet, Dvorak & Brahms, Sun 22 Mar, Stratford Artshouse THE BACH PLAYERS Featuring works by Buxtehude's Trio Sonata No 6 in D minor, Telemann's Paris Quartet No 6 in E minor and Bach's The Musical Offering BWV 1079, Tue 24 Mar, St Mary's Church, Warwick LAURA WRIGHT Tue 24 Mar, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham PERFORMANCE PLATFORM: SOFIA SARMENTO - IMAGINARY BORDERS: ENGLAND AND PORTUGAL Programme includes works by John Ireland, Joao Pedro Oliveira & new work from Ignatius Sokol, Benjamin O'Sullivan & Tiago Morais Morgado, Tue 24 Mar, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham THE MIKADO Birmingham Savoyards' production of one of Gilbert & Sullivan's most popular operettas, Tue 24 - Sat 28 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham CBSO: BRAHMS AND BEETHOVEN Programme includes works by Vaughan Williams & Beethoven, Wed 25 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CBSO: FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS - QUEEN, ROCK AND SYMPHONIC SPECTACULAR Fri 27 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham CBSO: HOLST, HAYDN & BACH Fri 27 Mar, CBSO Centre, Birmingham THALLEIN AND INTEGRA Fri 27 Mar, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham BACH & KUHNAU MAGNIFICATS Presented by the Armonico Consort & Baroque Players. Programme includes works

by Charpentier, Kuhnau, Schelle & Bach, Sat 28 Mar, Malvern Theatres, Worcester CBSO BRAHMS AND BEETHOVEN Programme includes works by Vaughan Williams & Beethoven, Symphony No 2, Sat 28 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham BIRMINGHAM CHORAL UNION Programme includes works by John Dankworth’s The Diamond and the Goose, Joseph Horovitz’s Horrotorio and Malcolm Arnold’s Grand, Grand Overture, Sat 28 Mar, The Elgar Concert Hall, Birmingham BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR: MAGNIFICAT! Sat 28 Mar, St Philip’s Cathedral, Birmingham ENGLISH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - MOZART TO MENDELSSOHN Sun 29 Mar, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT: THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by Dupre, J S Bach, Anderson & Flagler, Mon 30 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

Classical Box Office ADRIAN BOULT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 331 5901

OLD REP THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 359 9445

ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330

PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH 01527 65203 ROSES THEATRE, TEWKESBURY 01684 295074

BARBER INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 0121 331 5901/2 BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 0844 338 5000 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 0121 348 8000 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 BRAMALL CONCERT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 3344 CBSO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333 EVESHAM ARTS CENTRE 01386 446944 MALVERN THEATRE 01684 892277 NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM 0844 871 3011

ROYAL PUMP ROOMS LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 334418 ST CHAD’S CATHEDRAL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 236 2251 ST MARY’S CHURCH, WARWICK 01926 403940 ST PHILLIP’S CATHEDRAL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 262 1840 STRATFORD ARTSHOUSE 01789 207100 STRATFORD UPON AVON TOWN HALL 01789 269332 SYMPHONY HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 02476 524524

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Comedy Tony Hawks

Comedy Box Office

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Fri 20 March

Tony Hawks has no trouble seeing the funny side of being confused with pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk - so much so, in fact, that he even had Mr Hawk as his specialist subject on a celebrity edition of Mastermind!

Breaking into showbiz as a singer-songwriter, Tony enjoyed 1987 chart success as a member of Morris Minor And The Majors, scoring a hit with Stutter Rap, an original song inspired by the Beastie Boys’ No Sleep Till Brooklyn.

His subsequent career in comedy has seen him appearing on shows including I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Just A Minute, Have I Got News For You and The Unbelievable Truth.

Simon Evans Stratford Artshouse, Stratford-upon-Avon, Fri 13 March

Royle Family creator Caroline Aherne has gone on record with her view that Simon Evans is “absolutely brilliant”. And judging by the popularity of his gigs, she’s not alone in her admiration of the smartly-dressed funnyman.

Best known from shows such as The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth and Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive, Evans is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and distinctive talents to emerge on the UK comedy circuit during the last few years.

One Man Breaking Bad Birmingham Town Hall, Wed 11 March; Malvern Theatres, Thurs 12 March; Warwick Arts Centre, Sat 14 March; The Courtyard, Hereford, Sun 22 March

Miles Allen racked up over one million hits when he posted a YouTube video in which he appeared as a homeless man doing Breaking Bad impressions in return for food.

Not surprisingly, Miles quickly realised he was on to a good thing and set about creating a stage show. This is the result. Taking sixty minutes in which to cover all sixty episodes of the hit AMC series, he brilliantly impersonates pretty much all the characters in the show - and manages to be splendidly funny while doing so.

Jo Caulfield: Uninformed Opinions Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 1 March; Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield, Fri 20 March; The Bear Pit, Stratford-upon-Avon, Fri 27 March

Enjoy an evening of urban comedy in the company of the sharp-witted Jo Caulfield, one of the most successful and instantly recognisable female comedians in the country. Midlands-born Jo has appeared on plenty of well-known telly shows during her career, including Mock The Week, Have I Got News For You and Never Mind The Buzzcocks. “Information just leaves my brain continually,” says Jo in talking about her latest show, Uninformed Opinions. “I think I realised that a couple of years ago, watching quizzes on TV. I remember thinking, ‘oh, I like a quiz. I’m quite intelligent, I’m well read...’.

Then I realised I didn’t remember anything. Now I find quizzes quite annoying. I just watch them to see if there are actually people more stupid than me.”

Read our full interiew with Jo at www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Tom Stade Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Fri 20 March; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wed 25 March

Clever, controversial and Canadian pretty much sums up Tom Stade, a familiar face on BBC TV programmes such as Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Mock The Week.

Tom’s headlined gigs in comedy hotspots like New York and London, and has also earned his corn entertaining the troops in far-flung war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

22 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 THE BEAR PIT, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 01789 403416 CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 COURTYARD THEATRE, HEREFORD 01432 340555 THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 0121 333 2444 DRUMMONDS BAR, WORCESTER 01905 28190 THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, MUCH WENLOCK, SOUTH SHROPSHIRE 01952 728911 EVESHAM ARTS CENTRE, WORCESTERSHIRE 01386 446944 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK, STAFFS 01538 386112 THE GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM 0871 4720400 HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM 0844 844 0044 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER, 01905 611427 KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS, SOUTH SHROPSHIRE 01584 878141 MAC, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232 OAKENGATES THEATRE, TELFORD, SHROPSHIRE 01952 382382 PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH 01527 65203 PLAYERS BAR, BIRMINGHAM 0121 643 6871 THE ROSES THEATRE TEWKESBURY 01684 295074 ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 334418 SHOWCASE, COVENTRY 0871 220 1000 THE SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962 STRATFORD ARTSHOUSE 01789 207100 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 02476 524524 WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000

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Comedy LISTINGS For full listing information on comedy gigs including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk ALUN COCHRANE Sun 1 Mar, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton JO CAULFIELD Sun 1 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry DIRTY WHITE BOYS VS PLANET EARTH Mon 2 Mar, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham STAND UP FOR THE HEROES Featuring Patrick Monahan, Andy Askins, Geoff Norcott, Andrew McBurney, Jay Foreman, Adam Rushton, Leo Kearse & Hal Cruttenden, Wed 4 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham SIMON AMSTELL Thurs 5 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry IVAN BRACKENBURY, IAN D. MONTFORT & LAURA LEX Thurs 5 Mar, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham DARA O'BRIAIN Thurs 5 Sat 7 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry HENRY PARKER, NATHAN CATON, MASAI GRAHAM & SIMON GIBSON Thurs 5 Mar, The George Hotel, Lichfield, Staffs ROMESH RANGANATHAN & SUZI RUFFELL Fri 6 Mar, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton GINA YASHERE Fri 6 Mar, Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton MATTHEW BAYLISS, PATRICK DRAPER & COMICS TBC Fri 6 Mar, Evesham Arts Centre, Evesham, Worcs KOJO, NINIA BENJAMIN, AURIE STYLA & JOHN SIMMIT Fri 6 Mar, The Drum, Birmingham IAIN STIRLING, JOJO SMITH, IAN MOORE & JOHN LYNN Fri 6 - Sat 7

Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham BRENDAN RILEY, DANE BAPTISTE, MARIA SHEHATA & ALISTAIR BARRIE Fri 6 - Sat 7 Mar, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham ADAM STAUNTON, JONNY AWESOME & EDDY BRIMSON Sat 7 Mar, Players Bar, B’ham ALISTAIR BARRIE, DOUGIE DUNLOP, LUKE BENSON & CARLY SMALLMAN Sat 7 Mar, Coventry Showcase JOSIE LONG Sun 8 Mar Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LOUDEEMY SOUP COMEDY NIGHT Mon 9 Mar, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham BARBARA NICE, WILL DUGGAN, FREDDIE FARRELL, DEAN MAVROS & HARRIET DYER Tues 10 Mar, Rose Villa Tavern, Birmingham ONE MAN BREAKING BAD Wed 11 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall TIFF STEVENSON Wed 11 Mar, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton SALLY-ANNE HAYWARD, LARA A KING, V G LEE & MAUREEN YOUNGER Wed 11 Mar, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham GARY LITTLE, DAVE FULTON AND COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 12 Mar, The Glee Club, B’ham ONE MAN BREAKING BAD Thurs 12 Mar, Malvern Theatres SIMON EVANS Fri 13 Mar Stratford Artshouse, Stratford-upon-Avon ANGIE MCEVOY, MATT RUDGE WITH THE NOISE NEXT DOOR & DAN

Simon Amstell - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

NIGHTINGALE Fri 13 Mar, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham GARY LITTLE, DAVE FULTON, GEORGE ZACH & COMIC TBC Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham THE SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCK PUPPET THEATRE Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar The Swan Theatre, Worcester LLOYD LANGFORD Sat 14 Mar, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton ONE MAN BREAKING BAD Sat 14 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry COUNT ARTHUR STRONG Sat 14 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ANGIE MCEVOY, MATT RUDGE, THE NOISE NEXT DOOR & MATT RUDGE Sat 14 Mar, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham TOADALLY FREE COMEDY! Mon 16 Mar, The Blue Orange Theatre, B’ham OMID DJALILI Wed 18 Mar, De Montfort Hall, Leicester STAND UP COMEDY SHOWCASE Wed 18 Mar, mac, Birmingham PAUL THORNE, CARL DONNELLY AND COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 19 Mar, The Glee Club, B’ham JO CAULFIELD Fri 20 Mar, Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield SHAPPI KHORSANDI Fri 20 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa TOM STADE Fri 20 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa PAUL THORNE, CARL DONNELLY, JOE HEENAN & STEPHEN GRANT Fri 20 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham STAND-UP STAIRS COMEDY SHOW Fri 20 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch TONY HAWKS Fri 20 Mar, The Glee Club, B’ham STAND UP COMEDY SHOWCASE Fri 20 Mar, mac, Birmingham JONNY CANDON, ALEX BOARDMAN, TOM DEACON & ROBERT WHITE Fri 20 Sat 21 Mar, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham GINA YASHERE Sat 21 Mar, mac, Birmingham JOSH HOWIE, BRYAN LACEY, NICK DIXON & RAY PEACOCK Sat 21 Mar, Players Bar, B’ham PAUL THORNE, CARL DONNELLY, FREDDIE FARRELL AND STEPHEN GRANT Sat 21 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham RICHARD HERRING Sun 22 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham CAVE COMEDY RADIO Tues 24 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham TOM STADE Wed 25 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove ONE MAN BREAKING BAD Wed 25 Mar, De Montfort Hall, Leicester PHIL NICHOL PLUS COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON & COMIC TBC Thurs 26 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham COUNT ARTHUR STRONG

Shappi Khorsandi - Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

Fri 27 Mar, Malvern Theatres PHIL NICHOL, JONNY PELHAM, TIM CLARK & COMIC TBC Fri 27 Mar The Glee Club, B’ham ANDY PARSONS Fri 27 Mar, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury TOMMY RAWSON, ALEX SMITH & STEVE BUGEJA Fri 27 Mar, The Courtyard, Hereford MATT RICHARDSON,

ADAM BLOOM & MICKEY D Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham ELLIE TAYLOR Sat 28 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove PHIL NICHOL, JONNY PELHAM, TIM CLARK & ANGELA BARNES Sat 28 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham PAUL MCCAFFERY, JESSICA FOESTEKEW, DAN NIGHTINGALE &

JASON COOK Sat 28 Mar, Players Bar, Birmingham SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO WITH SPIKEY MIKE Sun 29 Mar, Drummonds Bar, Worcester JIM DAVIDSON Sun 29 Mar, Evesham Arts Centre, Evesham, Worcester

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Theatre

Shrek

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 31 March - Sun 26 April; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Wed 30 September - Sun 11 October

The popularity of this family-friendly West End winner of a show hardly comes as a surprise. After all, Dreamworks’ animated Shrek movies, inspired by cartoonist William Steig's 1990 book, were absolutely huge. It was only ever going to be a matter of time before everybody’s favourite swamp-residing ogre made a big splash away from the silver screen. After a tentative Broadway start, the production was revised for its subsequent US tour and West End residency -

and is all the better for it. Pretty much retelling the story of the first movie, it peddles a line in humour that calls to mind both the surrealist Pythons and an evening of festive-season pantomime fare.

There are plenty of new songs to enjoy, too, presented alongside the cult Shrek anthem I’m A Believer. All in all, then, a feelgood show that pretty much touches all the bases for its young target audience, while at the same time offering plenty to keep the adults amused.

A Passion For Birmingham Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 24 March - Fri 3 April

Blood Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Fri 27 March - Sat 11 April When Caneze meets Sully in the college canteen, sparks fly - but neither of them can know the lengths to which her brother will go to keep them apart...

“After the 2011 riots,” recalls Blood’s writer, Emteaz Hussain, “I felt frustrated over the myopic portrayal of working-class young people. It was important to me to write a play which captured the complexity of their lives, and the brave, sassy way they negotiate their identity in a wider context.”

This modern-day love story is being presented by Coventry Belgrade in collaboration with Tamasha, a British Asian theatre company founded in 1989. Presenting plays from ‘seldom-heard voices’, the company - whose Hindi name means ‘creating a stir’ - seeks to reflect the realities of life in a multicultural society.

A reimagining of the life and death of Christ, A Passion For Birmingham presents one of the world’s most important stories as a contemporary drama. At the heartland of the tale is a stranger who arrives in Birmingham city centre just as the biggest festival in its history is beginning. The stranger’s arrival is the catalyst for a series of events which, over the course of the following few days, sees the world being turned upside-down...

A promenade production first presented last year, the show will lead its audience around Birmingham’s cathedral and grounds, as well as the Old Joint Stock pub & theatre itself.

In each new location, a new scene unfolds.

Audience members are advised to wear suitable footwear.

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Theatre PREVIEWS Death Of A Salesman Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thurs 26 March - Sat 2 May

As the world changes around him, Willy Loman struggles to keep up. An on-the-road salesman for longer than he cares to remember, Willy’s notched up countless miles in his efforts to earn an honest crust for himself and his family. But as the corporate world moves on, sixty-year-old Willy finds himself questioning the decisions he’s made - and wonders how the world can care so little for a man who’s given so much...

Arthur Miller’s poignant and harrowing play is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s most influential works, its study of loneliness and failure having touched a chord with postwar America. At a time when society is changing at an ever-faster pace, the play continues to have resonance today, particularly for anybody who’s ever had the feeling that the world is passing them by.

Sir Antony Sher stars alongside Harriet Walter in Gregory Doran’s new RSC production.

Read our interview with Harriet on page 8.

Beautiful Thing The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 30 March - Sat 11 April

Jonathan Harvey’s award-winning play tells the story of teenager Jamie’s relationship with his classmate and neighbour, Ste...

Numerous well-known actors have appeared in Beautiful Thing during its twenty-year history - among them Jonny Lee Miller, Suranne Jones, Hugh Bonneville, Philip Glennister, Andrew Garfield and Rhys Ifans - while productions have been mounted in countries including China, France, Canada, Australia and Holland.

EastEnders actors Charlie Brooks and Thomas Law star in this latest version of the play, and are joined by Sam Thomas from Channel Four’s hit teen drama, Skins.

WIN

TICK whatso ETS nlive.co

All My Sons

to enter

The REP, Birmingham, Tues 24 - Sat 28 March

All My Sons was Arthur Miller’s first success, blazing a trail for such later-career triumphs as A View From The Bridge, The Crucible and Death Of A Salesman. It tells the story of all-American couple Joe and Kate Keller who, in 1947, are still living with the ghosts of World War Two. Joe and Kate should be happy, but they simply aren’t able to be - their son is missing in action, presumed dead by all but his mother...

Described as ‘a searing investigation of honesty, guilt and the corrupting power of greed’, All My Sons is here presented by Talawa, the UK’s primary Black-led touring theatre company.

What’s far better known, however, is that when it comes to ripping yarns which celebrate the very essence of ‘Britishness’, Three Men In A Boat is in a class all of its own...

This highly acclaimed adaptation by Craig Gilbert enjoyed sell-out success a couple of years back, and comes ashore at The Old Rep complete with ‘a working pub, live piano accompaniment, some ale, music hall singing, a dog and a feast of physical comedy’.

Original Theatre Company is the ensemble bringing it all together.

It’s a relatively little-known fact that Jerome K Jerome’s classic tale of misadventure was originally intended as a handy guide to boating on the River Thames.

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Mon 23 - Sat 28 March

Tom Stoppard has a strong claim to the title of Britain’s greatest living playwright, and this is considered by many to be his finest play.

Part romance, part comedy, part detective story, it’s a playful and poignant celebration of the perpetual conflict between the head and the heart. With Lord Byron and Capability Brown on the periphery of proceedings, the action takes place in a country house, switching between the years 1809 and 1993.

The impossibility of ever completely understanding the past, and the importance of living life to the full in the present, are recurring themes in a satisfyingly complex plot where nothing is quite as it seems.

mac, Birmingham, Wed 25 March

Palace Theatre, Redditch, Thurs 5 March

The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, Tue 10 - Sat 14 March

Arcadia

Stand by For Tape Back-Up

Half Baked

Three Men In A Boat

.uk

This is a new offering from the Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s collaboration with the New Wolsey Theatre, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. The collaboration sees the theatres working together to create new productions using young theatre makers.

This particular show - described by its producers as a play about ‘unemployment, uncertain futures and unreliable ovens’ focuses on six teenagers as they prepare for life beyond the local bakery in which they work.

“Two years ago, I discovered a videotape in my loft,” says Ross Sutherland, who found himself house-bound after a hard-drive crash and near-death experience. “On it: one-anda-half films, one quiz show and two sitcoms.

Somehow, it became the story of my life.”

The true tale of ‘one man’s journey into synchronicity and madness’, Stand By For Tape Back-Up explains how Ross memorised every second of the tape, learned to manipulate the images into telling the story of his life and opened a dialogue with his late grandfather...

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Theatre PREVIEWS Saturday Night Fever New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 17 - Sat 21 March

Tony Manero knows there has to be more to life than he’s got - an unremarkable existence in New York City with family and friends who’ve accepted their lot and expect him to do the same.

But there’s fat chance of Tony doing that; he’s way too busy living his very own American dream, hitting Manhattan’s nightspots with dancing partner Stephanie Mangano and strutting his funky stuff...

The mother of all disco shows, Saturday Night Fever pulsates to the music of the Bee Gees’ famous soundtrack. Classic hits like Stayin’ Alive, Jive Talkin’, Night Fever, If I Can’t Have You and Tragedy guarantee an evening of flares-flapping fun for anyone who’s ever enjoyed the pumping sounds of the disco dancefloor.

In short, you can expect to find yourself well and truly, er, Lost In Music...

WIN

TICK whatso ETS nlive.co

WIN

TICKET S

whatson live.c to enter o.uk

Inside Out Of Mind

Top Hat

to enter

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 10 - Sat 21 March

When famous American headliner Jerry Travers arrives in London to appear in his first West End show, it isn't long before he meets the irresistible Dale Tremont. Quickly realising that she's the girl of his dreams, Travers determines to follow her across Europe in a desperate attempt to win her heart with his wonderful song and dance routines... Irving Berlin’s celebrated score features such classics numbers as Cheek To Cheek, Let’s Face The Music And Dance, Isn’t It A Lovely Day To Be Caught In The Rain and Top Hat, White Tie & Tails.

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 10 - Fri 13 March

Jane Eyre

Tanya Myers wrote and directed Inside Out Of Mind after what she refers to as ‘rigorous participant observation in dementia wards’.

An innovative project bringing together ethnographic researchers with theatre practitioners to tackle the challenge of dementia care, the play is a darkly comic offering that ‘moves between multiple realities where time and identity drift apart’.

“I wanted the audience to come in with their preconceptions,” explains Tanya, “so that the story would then challenge those. The play asks how we relate to somebody whose cognitive impairment is so severe that we feel we’ve lost that person.”

Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, until Sat 7 March; Solihull Arts Complex, Thurs 26 March; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 27 March

Blue Orange Arts are the ensemble behind this latest stage version of Charlotte Bronte's classic novel. For those not up to speed with the story, it follows the orphaned Jane as she's sent by her cruel Aunt Reed to the bleak Lowood School.

On securing a position as governess at Thornfield Hall, Jane finds herself falling for the charms of enigmatic master Edward Rochester, unaware that the new object of her affection harbours a dark and terrible secret...

The Government Inspector Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Wed 11 March

When news reaches them that a government inspector is set to visit, the bureaucrats in a small Russian town are sent into a blind panic... Nikolai Gogol’s biting moral satire is here presented by Flintlock Theatre, whose high-energy production features four actors swapping characters at break-neck speed.

A fast and furious Klezmer soundtrack and ‘scintillating live music’ add to the experience.

.uk

Salty Water And Us The Drum, Birmingham, Mon 23 March

British heritage, in the process aiming ‘to critically analyse the recent "go back home" campaign from a different point of view’.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Malvern Theatre, Tues 10 - Sat 14 March; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 June; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 16 - Sat 20 June;

The Children’s Touring Partnership have previously enjoyed great success with versions of Swallows And Amazons and Goodnight Mister Tom, so there’s every reason to look forward to this latest offering from the highly rated company.

Telling the heart-wrenching tale of an unlikely Second World War friendship between two innocent boys, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas is based on John Boyne’s best-selling novel of the same title.

The story is told through the eyes of Bruno, a concentration camp commandant’s eightyear-old son. Bruno’s forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence not only takes him on a personal journey from innocence to revelation but also leads to startling and devastating consequences...

Murad Khan’s play takes as its subject matter the lascar stories of Bangladeshi immigrants.

Lascars were sailors or militiaman from the Indian Subcontinent who were employed on European ships from the sixteenth century through to the middle of the twentieth. Many of them aspired to return home, yet never managed to make the journey.

Salty Water And Us acknowledges and celebrates the lascar dreams, struggles, contributions and journeys as part of the shared www.whatsonlive.co.uk 29

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk From

SUN 1 MAR LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST Christopher Luscombe directs a new production of Shakespeare's sparkling comedy, until Sat 14 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon LOVE'S LABOUR'S WON Christopher Luscombe directs the second of Shakespeare's matching pair of comedies that rejoice in man's capacity to find love in the most unlikely of places, until Sat 14 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY Following his acclaimed RSC debut in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2012), Phillip Breen returns to direct Dekker's glorious city comedy of class, conflict and cobblers in love, Sun 1 - Sat 7 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon OPPENHEIMER Angus Jackson directs Tom Moreton's new play, which explores the personal cost of making history, until Sat 7 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon Read the review online at whatsonlive.co.uk THE KING'S SPEECH Jason Donovan & Raymond Coulthard star in a new staging of the story of one man's struggle to overcome his personal affliction and, in his country's darkest hour, deliver a radio broadcast designed to inspire his people across the globe, until Sat 7 Mar, The REP, Birmingham JANE EYRE Blue Orange Arts presents Charlotte Bronte's classic tale of a young woman's courageous fight through injustice and hardship, until Sat 7 Mar, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham BACK DOWN Highlyanticipated first play by Birmingham-born Steven Camden, more commonly known as award-winning performance poet Polarbear, until Sat 7 Mar, The REP, Birmingham THE TEMPEST Crescent Theatre present Shakespeare's magical tale, until Sat 14 Mar, Crescent Theatre, B’ham NICOBOBINUS Red Ladder & DumbWise present Terry Jones' adventurous family musical a much-loved children's

tale about the boy 'who could do anything', Sun 1 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham CHUCKLES OF OZ New version of the familiar Wizard Of Oz story from popular children's entertainment duo, The Chuckle Brothers, Sun 1 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham ... AND THIS IS MY FRIEND MR LAUREL Finishing Touch Company present a one-man play about the life of comedian Stan Laurel. This is a humorous and touching look at one of the great cinematic partnerships of the last century, Sun 1 Mar, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE MYSTERIES Playbox Theatre presents a bold new staging of its acclaimed trilogy. Part One: Creation; Part Two: Passion; Part Three: Doomsday.

These performances are based on the original production and feature a new cast of young actors from across Warwickshire and the West Midlands, Sun 1 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon DIRTY WHITE BOYS VS PLANET EARTH Sketch duo Dirty White Boys take to the stage to present a preview performance of their debut comedy show in which they take on Planet Earth, Mon 2 Mar, Crescent Theatre, B’ham SEX IN SUBURBIA Claire Sweeney stars in a new comedy about dating, men and finding Mr Right, Mon 2 Mar, Malvern Theatre Read the interview with Claire Sweeney online at whatsonlive.co.uk LA TRAVIATA Verdi's story of a nineteenth century Parisian courtesan who, hoping for a better life, becomes involved with a man who may finally make her dreams come true, Mon 2 Mar, Malvern Theatre WASTERS Malvernbard present Nick Wilkes’ dark comedy of food waste, life decisions & toilet rolls... Mon 2 - Sat 7 Mar, The Coach House Theatre, Malvern OKLAHOMA New touring production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, starring Gary Wilmot as Ali Hakim, Belinda Lang as Aunt Eller, Ashley Day as Curly & Nic Greenshields as Jud Fry, Tue 3 - Sat 7 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand The-

atre Read the interview with Gary Wilmot online at whatsonlive.co.uk SEX IN SUBURBIA Clare Sweeney stars in a new comedy about dating, men and finding Mr Right, Tue 3 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Read the interview with Claire Sweeney online at whatsonlive.co.uk HACKTIVISTS The Roses Youth Theatre Company present Ben Ockrent’s thought-provoking drama, which follows a group of youths whose relatively harmless computer hacking takes on a sinister direction, Tues 3 Mar, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury AN AUDIENCE WITH DES O'CONNOR Tue 3 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex WUDS: SEVEN LEARS Warwick University Drama Society's production of Howard Baker's imaginative exploration of the life of King Lear, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry BEDLAM Birmingham Ormiston Academy's Year Twelve Actors present four classic texts: Marat/Beth and Oedipus (Wed & Fri at 2.30pm), King Lear and Coriolanus (Thurs & Fri at 7.30pm), Wed 4 - Fri 6 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham HALF BAKED Alex Joynes’ funny, moving and bittersweet new play about unemployment, uncertain futures & unreliable ovens, Thurs 5 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE MAGIC FLUTE Welsh National Opera present a warm and witty production which fuses Mozart's sublime music with Dominic Cooke's surreal staging, Thurs 5 - Fri 6 March, Birmingham Hippodrome BILLY YOUNG: A LIFE ON DEATH ROW Set in Alabama, Texas, A Life On Death Row tells the story of a man who made a mistake in order to protect the son he loves. Presented by Lying Lips Theatre Company, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Mar, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham BACK TO BROADWAY Described as an 'allsinging, all-dancing' theatrical extravaganza, Fri 6 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE CRUCIBLE Holdsworth Law Society present an amateur production of Arthur Miller's tale of hysteria, superstition and malice, Fri 6 - Sat 7 Mar, Crescent Theatre, B’ham DINOSAUR ZOO A unique experience which ‘enables audiences to interact with lifelike dinosaurs in an engaging live show’, Fri 6 Sat 7 Mar, Malvern The-

The King’s Speech - The REP, Birmingham

atre ANDREW DEE Evening of spirit mediumship, Sat 7 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch HANSEL AND GRETEL Welsh National Opera present Richard Jones' endlessly inventive production of Humperdinck's gorgeous opera, revelling in the story's more sinister moments..., Sat 7 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome THE MAGICIAN WHO LOST HIS SPELLS BY TRICIA HOCKETT Fun, songs and plenty of audience participation for two-tonine-year-olds, Sat 7 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester WARWICK MALAYSIAN NIGHT 2015: A BEAUTIFUL MESS Annual showcase which promises a dazzling collage of classical dance and original music pieces, infused in an entertaining play, Sat 7 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry I DREAMED A DREAM Fundraising show featuring local performers Sophie Grogan & Brett Elesmore. All proceeds made from the show go to MACS, the Micro and Anophthalmic Children’s Society, Sat 7 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch

Week Commencing

MON 9 MAR PSYCHIC SALLY ON THE ROAD Mon 9 Mar,New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE ADDAMS FAMILY Knowle Musical Society present a new family musical comedy with an original story about every father's nightmare..., Mon 9 - Sat 14 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex JEEVES AND WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE Hit West End comedy adapted from the works of PG Wodehouse, directed by Sean Foley, Mon 9 - Sat 14 Mar, The REP, Birmingham Read the review on page 37 HALF-BAKED Alex

Joynes' 'funny, moving and bittersweet new play about unemployment, uncertain futures & alternative ovens'.

Mon 9 Mar, The REP, Birmingham MTW: THE IMPROV MUSICAL Music Theatre Warwick presents an hour of pure improvised entertainment, Mon 9 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LUKE JERMAY: SIXTH SENSE ‘An expert display of telepathy and personal predictions about your future, developed to amazing razor-sharp accuracy’, Tues 10 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove CALAMITY JANE The Watermill Theatre present a new production of the classic musical.

Jodie Prenger stars, Tue 10 - Sat 14 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent Read the interview with Jodie Prenger online at whatsonlive.co.uk TOP HAT Olivier Awardwinning musical direct from its West End run, Tue 10 - Sat 21 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome INSIDE OUT OF MIND Nottingham Lakeside Arts & Meeting Ground Theatre Company present a darkly comic investigation into the experience of dementia care, Tue 10 - Fri 13 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ARCHIVE & ENGAGEMENT SPACE An opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with issues of gender equality and female creative practice, Tue 10 - Fri 13 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THREE MEN IN A BOAT The Original Theatre Company present a staging of Jerome K Jerome's classic tale of boating misadventure, Tue 10 - Sat 14 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS The Children’s Touring Partnership present a staging of John Boyne’s heart-

wrenching tale of an unlikely Second World War friendship between two innocent boys, Tues 10 - Sat 14 Mar, Malvern Theatre Read the interview with John Boynes online at whatsonlive.co.uk WARWICKSHIRE GANG SHOW Warwickshire Scouts & Guides perform a vibrant show full of music, dance and comedy Tue 10 - Sat 14 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa LA TRAVIATA LIVE Live screening of English National Opera's performance of Verdi's operatic masterpiece, Wed 11 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham IOLANTHE Gilbert & Sullivan's timeless Savoy classic is here presented by Astwood Bank Operatic Society, Wed 11 - Sat 14 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS The show that stormed into the finals of Britain's Got Talent and became a West End smash is back, marking its twentieth anniversary in spectacular style, Wed 11 Mar, Bedworth Civic Hall THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR Flintock Theatre reinvent Nikolai Gogol’s hilarious satire, Wed 11 Mar, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury WOMEN ON TOP World premiere. From the creators of Doreen comes a brand new satire.

Wed 11 Mar, Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull BLEAK HOUSE The Pantaloon Theatre Company present a fog-filled adventure in Victorian London, Thurs 12 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester SEX IN SUBURBIA Clare Sweeney stars in a new comedy about dating, men and finding Mr Right, Thurs 12 Mar, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS National Theatre Live screening of David Hare's new play, based on Katherine Boo's book, Thurs 12

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BROMSGROVE’S THEATRE, CINEMA, LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUE

MARCH 2015

Sunday 8th March

Tuesday 10th March

Sunday 22nd March

ELEANOR MCEVOY

LUKE JERMAY

EDDI READER

INTIMATE, EMOTIONAL AND UPLIFTING SINGER SONGWRITER

SIXTH SENSE (AGES 16+)

FORMER LEAD SINGER OF FAIRGROUND ATTRACTION

Wednesday 25th March

Saturday 28th March

Saturday 28th March

TOM STADE

PURPLE ZEPPELIN

ELLIE TAYLOR

DECISIONS DECISIONS

THE DREAM GIG THAT NEVER WAS - UNTIL NOW!

ELLIEMENTARY

FORTHCOMING CINEMA: The Theory Of Everything (PG) // Bicycle (PG) // Quadrophenia (18) FORTHCOMING SCREENINGS: Love’s Labour’s Lost/Won (RSC) // The Crucible (Old Vic) Behind The Beautiful Forevers (NT Live) // Swan Lake (Royal Ballet) // Hamlet (Royal Exchange) A View From The Bridge (NT Live) // The Rise & Fall of The City of Mahogonny (Royal Opera house)

The new Artrix brochure is available to download on www.artrix.co.uk from 7 March 2015

www.artrix.co.uk or phone 01527 577330 Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1PQ

32 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Free parking on-site

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry; Malvern Theatre; Artrix, Bromsgrove; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury SING-A-LONG-A SOUND OF MUSIC A screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical, complete with lyric subtitles to help the audience sing along... Fri 13 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham FASCINATING AIDA Starring Dillie Keane, Liza Pulman & Adele Anderson, Fri 13 Mar, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry DINOSAUR ZOO A unique experience which ‘enables audiences to interact with lifelike dinosaurs in an engaging live show’, Fri 13 Sun 15 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome THE LADYKILLERS A Bear Pit Theatre Company production of Graham Linehan's muchacclaimed staging of the classic Ealing comedy of the same name, Fri 13 - Sat 21 Mar, The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon LA TRAVIATA Ellen Kent’s production of Verdi's story of a nineteenth century Parisian courtesan who, hoping for a better life, becomes involved with a man who may finally make her dreams come true, Sat 14 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST The Crescent Theatre presents Dale Wasserman's critically acclaimed work, Sat 14 - Sat 21 Mar, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham NEAR GONE A two-hander about survival.

Delivered in English & Bulgarian, the piece also features gypsyinspired music, Sat 14 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham THE GLENN MILLER STORY Sun 15 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE SOOTY SHOW WITH RICHARD CADELL Join ‘the nation’s favourite bear’ as he celebrates his birthday in true Sooty style with the help of friends Sweep & Soo, Sun 15 Mar, Bedworth Civic Hall

Week Commencing

MON 16 MAR PSYCHIC SALLY ON THE ROAD Mon 16 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

AND THEN THERE WERE NONE The Agatha Christie Theatre Company present a new staging of the Queen of Crime’s dark and captivating tale, Mon 16 Sat 21 Mar, Malvern Theatre JEKYLL AND HYDE Amateur production presented by Coleshill Operatic Society, Tue 17 - Sat 21 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Amateur production presented by Great Whitley Operatic Society, Tue 17 - Sat 21 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester HAMLETS Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Library of Birmingham & Hôtel Teatro Theatre Company present a Young REP 18-25 Company production which sees Shakespeare’s most famous play cut up, rearranged and spread all over the Library of Birmingham, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, Library of Birmingham ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS Based on The Servant Of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, this National Theatre production is directed by Nicholas Hytner and stops off in the Midlands as part of its biggest-ever UK and Ireland tour, Sean Williams stars, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre THE MANIFESTO The Young Rep Festival 2015 - a two-and-a-half week festival packed with punchy political ideas, Tue 17 Mar Wed 1 Apr, The REP, Birmingham SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER Brand new production of one of the best-loved dance stories of all time, Tue 17 - Sat 21 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham BACK DOWN Highlyanticipated first play by Birmingham-born Steven Camden, more commonly known as award-winning performance poet Polarbear, Tue 17 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex GOD OF CARNAGE Swan Theatre Amateur Company present Christopher Hampton’s translation of Yasmina Reza’s play, Tues 17 Sat 21 Mar, Swan Theatre, Worcester HOW THE KOALA LEARNT TO HUG A charming tale about the magic of family and, of course, the importance of a nice warm hug! Wed 18 Mar,

Arcadia - New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

Malvern Theatre THE LADYKILLERS All & Sundry present an amateur staging of Graham Lineham’s adaptation of the classic Ealing comedy, Wed 18 Sat 21 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE WIZARD OF OZ presented by SMASH. Join Dorothy on her quest to find her way back from the land of OZ to her home in Kansas. Wed 18 Mar, The Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull THE JEW OF MALTA Justin Audibert makes his RSC debut, directing Christopher Marlowe's subversive play, Wed 18 Mar - Tue 8 Sept, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon BLEAK HOUSE The Pantaloon Theatre Company present a fog-filled adventure in Victorian London, Thurs 19 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove ALAN AYCKBOURN'S BEDROOM FARCE Thurs 19 Sat 28 Mar, Sutton Arts Theatre, Sutton Coldfield CIRQUE BERSERK Fusion of circus skills and thrilling stunt action in a danger-filled spectacle that promises to amaze audiences of all ages, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Mar, The REP, Birmingham 20 STORIES HIGH: BLACK A provocative and engaging new show from the award-winning 20 Stories High which digs deep into the heart of racial divisions through the voice of a teenage girl struggling to do what's best. Contains strong language and racist insults that are addressed in the play, Thurs 19 - Fri 20 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham BETTY BLUE EYES BOA Musical Theatre Pathway present Stile & Drewe's musical, which centres around a humble chiropodist struggling to bring home the

bacon, Thurs 19 - Sat 21 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham NOMAD VARIETY Evening of live entertainment, including folk, jazz & blues, comedy & spoken word, Fri 20 Mar, Martineau Gardens, Birmingham THE PAPER CINEMA'S ODYSSEY Cut-out illustrations and live music are brought together in a new retelling of Homer's island-hopping adventures, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Mar, The REP, B’ham VIRTUALLY HARMLESS Riverside Performing Arts fuse story, humour, news, music & sketches to explore the lighter and darker side of social media, Fri 20 Sat 21 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham IT'S THE REAL MCCOY The Crockey Hill Club present 'a full-blown Irish comedy' set over two days in the Spring of 1964. Featuring Ireland's two noisiest neighbours, a gormless postman, an anxious husband, a nervous curate, tormented wife and shy daughter, It's The Real McCoy is described as a cross between Father Ted, Mrs Brown's Boys and JB Keane, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Mar, Albany Theatre, Coventry MUCH ADO ABOUT SHAKESPEARE presented

by Out Of The Box, Sat 21 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE STORY GARDEN Active storytelling sessions where children aged between four and eight and their parents/carers can get involved in telling Shakespeare's stories in a fun and lively way, Sat 21 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon WOMEN ON TOP World premiere. From the creators of Doreen comes a brand new satire. Sat

21 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham MUCH ADO ABOUT SHAKESPEARE Out Of The Box Youth Theatre explore the work of the Bard and how Shakespeare can be made interesting to a modern audience, especially young people, Sat 21 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove SING-A-LONG-A FROZEN A full screening of the Disney sensation, complete with on-screen lyrics to help you sing along with Anna and Elsa during the film, Sat 21 Mar, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury OCTONAUTS AND THE DEEP SEA VOLCANO ADVENTURE A brand new stage show based on the popular CBeebies TV series, Sat 21 Sun 22 Mar, Malvern Theatre CAPTAIN FLINN AND THE PIRATE DINOSAURS Les Petits Theatre Company present a live pirate adventure fusing live music, puppetry, physical performance and dastardly dinosaurs, Sun 22 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham

Week Commencing

MON 23 MAR SALTY WATER & US Murad Khan's play about the lascar stories of Bangladeshi immigrants who aspired to return home but never did, Mon 23 Mar, The Drum, Birmingham MEMORY LANE Timeless Theatre presents a rollercoaster ride of nostalgia, Mon 23 - Tue 24 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex BOUNCERS John Godber's classic comedy, Mon 23 - Tue 24 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa ARCADIA Tom Stoppard's 1993 masterpiece explores two

groups of people (two hundred years apart) in the same room of one of England's great country houses, Mon 23 - Sat 28 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE Arthur Miller's modern classic, Tue 24 - Sat 28 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre ALL MY SONS Talawa Theatre Company presents Arthur Miller's searing investigation of honesty, guilt and the corrupting power of greed, Tue 24 - Sat 28 Mar, The REP, Birmingham HOW NOW MRS BROWN COW Following the release of D’Movie, the award-winning Mrs Brown’s Boys return with their new show, Tue 24 - Sat 28 Mar, Genting Arena, B’ham A MAD WORLD MY MASTERS An RSC English Touring Theatre revival of Sean Foley's stage production of Thomas Middleton's Jacobean 'city comedy', Tues 24 Sat 28 Mar, Malvern Theatre THE MIKADO Birmingham Savoyards' production of one of Gilbert & Sullivan's most popular operettas, Tue 24 - Sat 28 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham A PASSION FOR BIRMINGHAM An immersive, promenade production which reimagines one of the world's most important stories, the life and death of Jesus Christ, Tue 24 Mar - Fri 3 Apr, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham STAND BY FOR TAPE BACK UP The true story of one man's journey into synchronicity and madness, Wed 25 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham DANGEROUS OBSESSION St John’s Players present an amateur production of NJ Crisp’s psy-

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk chological thriller, Wed 25 - Sat 28 Mar, Swan Theatre, Worcester ALICE Crescent Youth Theatre present Laura Wade's reinterpretation of Lewis Carroll's classic book, Wed 25 - Sat 28 Mar, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham JANE EYRE Blue Orange Arts presents Charlotte Bronte's classic tale of a young woman's courageous fight through injustice and hardship, Thurs 26 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex MY DEAREST GIRLS: HELEN'S STORY Researched in Shropshire Archives and based on real letters sent between six young Shropshire women between 1917 and 1920, Helen's Story is a thirty-minute piece telling the tale of one of them - a farmer's daughter in Much Wenlock, Thurs 26 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham Read the review online at www.whatsonlive.co.uk A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE National Theatre Live screening of Arthur Miller's dark and passionate tale. Mark Strong stars, Thurs 26 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry; Malvern Theatre; Artrix, Bromsgrove THE VERY WORST OF THE TIGER LILLIES Celebrating twenty-five years of musical mayhem from the Grammy-nominated ‘godfathers of alternative cabaret’, Thurs 26 Mar, Lichfield Garrick THE PEARL Dumbshow present their critically acclaimed new adapta-

tion of John Steinbeck's classic novella, bringing it to life with their trademark visual inventiveness, original music and playful theatricality, Thurs 26 Mar, The Talbot Theatre, Whitchurch, North Shropshire AN EVENING WITH COLIN FRY Thurs 26 Mar, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock OUR TOWN A play set at the turn of the 20th century, about the ordinary lives of the people of a small town in New Hampshire. Thurs 26 Fri 27 Mar, The Blue Orange Theatre, B’ham DEATH OF A SALESMAN Sir Antony Sher, Alex Hassell and Harriet Walter star in Arthur Miller's great American tragedy, Thurs 26 Mar - Sat 2 May, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon JANE EYRE Blue Orange Arts presents Charlotte Bronte's classic tale of a young woman's courageous fight through injustice and hardship, Fri 27 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove MEMORY LANE Timeless Theatre present a rollercoaster ride of nostalgia, Fri 27 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE PEARL Dumbshow present their critically acclaimed new adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novella, bringing it to life with their trademark visual inventiveness, original music & playful theatricality, Fri 27 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham WITHERING LOOKS presented by Lipservice

Theatre. Cult Brontë spoof by classic comic duo, Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding, Fri 27 Mar, The Market Theatre, Ledbury WOMEN ON TOP World premiere. From the creators of Doreen comes a brand new satire. Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar, Roses Theatre, Kidderminster THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD SYT present an amateur production of John Millington’s three-act farce, set in Ireland in 1900, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury FIERY FEET: DISNEY VS DREAMWORKS DANCE Fiery Feet Dance Studio presents its eleventh annual show to celebrate some of the wonderful music from favourite Disney and Dreamworks films, including both timeless classics and modern melodies, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD SYT present an amateur production of John Millington’s three-act farce, set in Ireland in 1900, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BLOOD Emteaz Hussain's twenty-first century love story, Fri 27 Mar - Sat 11 April, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry SING-A-LONG-A FROZEN A full screening of the Disney sensation complete with on-screen lyrics to help you sing along with Anna and Elsa during the film, Sat 28 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex BITA Palace Youth Theatre - Adventures In Motion - presents its latest edible theatre production. Set within a mythical world of folklore and witchcraft, the Bíta, a group of strange

Oh What A Lovely War - Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. 30 March - 4 April; The REP, Birmingham, 5 - 9 May

forest-dwelling creatures, are on the hunt for food, Sat 28 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch SING-A-LONG-A SOUND OF MUSIC A screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical, complete with lyric subtitles to help the audience sing along, Sat 28 Mar, Solihull Arts Complex THREE MEN IN A BOW TIE Evening of silly songs & manic monologues, Sat 28 Mar, Belmont Hall, Wellington, Shropshire THE WESTENDERS Gala concert featuring show tunes from some of the world’s most popular musicals, Sat 28 Mar, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury PENELOPE RETOLD Caroline Horton presents an epic, heartbreaking and fiercely playful tale of love, loneliness and the need to be free, Sat 28 Mar, The Market Theatre, Ledbury, Herefordshire

Sex In Suburbia - New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham; Malvern Theatre & Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

SEX IN SUBURBIA Claire Sweeney stars in a new comedy about dating, men and finding Mr Right, Sun 29 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent Read the interview with Claire Sweeney online at whatsonlive.co.uk ROBIN HOOD & HIS MERRY MEN CITV’s HI-5 Chris Edgerley takes the lead in a new ‘laugh-a-minute’ family pantomime for Easter, Sun 29 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury SEX IN SUBURBIA Claire Sweeney stars in a new comedy about dating, men and finding Mr Right, Sun 29 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent Read the interview with Claire Sweeney at whatsonlive.co.uk HUGLESS DOUGLAS Blunderbus Theatre fuse music, puppetry and high-energy storytelling in a new show for children, Sun 29 Mar, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham SING-A-LONG-A FROZEN A full screening of the Disney sensation, complete with on-screen lyrics to help you sing along with Anna and Elsa during the film, Sun 29 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham MILKSHAKE PARTY PARTY LIVE! Brand new musical spectacular for children featuring new songs alongside old favourites, funky dance routines and plenty of laughter, Sun 29 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham ANDREW DEE: THE BLACK OR WHITE TOUR Spirit medium Andrew Dee promises to guide audiences 'through some of life's mysteries with help from loved ones in the spirit world', Sun 29 Mar, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

SING-A-LONG-A FROZEN A full screening of the Disney sensation, complete with on-screen lyrics to help you sing along with Anna and Elsa during the film, Sun 29 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Week Commencing

MON 30 MAR COLLIDOSCOPE Bittersweet story of how fantasy and reality collide in the effervescent mind of an ordinary girl on an extraordinary journey.

Written & performed by Hannah Graham, Mon 30 Mar, The REP, B’ham UP IN THE ATTIC Half Moon present a story about co-operation, friendship and overcoming fears, Mon 30 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham PSYCHIC SALLY ON THE ROAD Mon 30 Mar, Lichfield Garrick HOW THE KOALA LEARNT TO HUG The People’s Theatre Company present a tale for children about the magic of family and the importance of a nice, warm hug.

Based on the bestselling book by Steven Lee, Mon 30 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury DR SEUSS’S THE CAT IN THE HAT Lively and engaging theatre experience for young children aged three-plus, Mon 30 Mar - Tues 1 Apr, Malvern Theatre OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR Joan Littlewood’s legendary musical, revived to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of World War One, Mon 30 Mar - Sat 4 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry JEEVES AND WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE Hit West End comedy adapted from the works of PG Wodehouse,

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 35

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk directed by Sean Foley, Robert Webb, Jason Thorpe & Christopher Ryan star, Mon 30 Mar Sat 4 Apr, The REP, Birmingham; Malvern Theatres Read the review on page 37 DERREN BROWN The award-winning master of psychological illusion returns to the Midlands with a brand new show (title to be confirmed), Mon 30 Mar - Sat 11 Apr, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham BEAUTIFUL THING Featuring Charlie Brooks, Thomas Law, Sam Jackson & Gerard McCarthy, Mon 30 Mar - Sat 11 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS Non-sexual show featuring full-frontal male nudity. Suitable for adults only! Tue 31 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch POP UP FLASHBACK Half Moon present a heartwarming adventure about complicated families and growing up, Tue 31 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

SOMETHING ELSE Deafinitely Theatre present a story about a small creature who lives his life always trying to fit in, Tue 31 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, B’ham POP! Mr Bean meets Charlie Chaplin in Christian Lee’s feast of illusion, comedy and massive balloons, Tues 31 Mar, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury BACK DOWN Highly anticipated first play by Birmingham-born Steven Camden, more commonly known as award-winning performance poet Polarbear,

Tues 31 Mar - Wed 1 Apr, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton THE ADDAMS FAMILY: THE MUSICAL Worcester On Stage provide a rare chance to see a new musical, fresh from Broadway, Tue 31 Mar Sat 4 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham BOUNCERS John Godber’s award-winning comedy, Tues 31 Mar Sat 4 Apr, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-underLyme THE BUSINESS OF MURDER Middle Ground Theatre Company present Richard Harris’ acclaimed psychological thriller, Tues 31 Mar - Sat 4 Apr, Lichfield Garrick SHREK THE MUSICAL Direct from the West End, Tue 31 Mar - Sun 26 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome

Theatre Box Office Birmingham ALEXANDRA THEATRE 0844 871 3011 BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 0844 338 5000 BIRMINGHAM REP 0121 236 4455 THE BLUE ORANGE THEATRE 0121 212 2643 CRESCENT THEATRE 0121 643 5858 DOVEHOUSE THEATRE 0121 706 7139 THE DRUM 0121 333 2444 HALL GREEN LITTLE THEATRE 0121 707 1874 MAC 0121 446 3232 OLD JOINT STOCK THEATRE 0121 200 0946 OLD REP 0121 359 9444 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962 SUTTON ARTS THEATRE, SUTTON COLDFIELD 0121 355 5355

Black Country

Derren Brown - New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

36 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ARENA THEATRE WOLVERHAMPTON 01902 321321 BLOXWICH THEATRE 01922 653183 DUDLEY CONCERT HALL 01384 812812 FOREST ARTS CENTRE, WALSALL 01922 654555 GRAND THEATRE, 01902 429212

NEWHAMPTON ARTS CENTRE 01902 572090 OLDBURY REP, OLDBURY 0121 552 2761

Shropshire THE BELFREY, WELLINGTON 01952 222277 THE EDGE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728911 THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY 01743 234970 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 THE PLACE, OAKENGATES, TELFORD 01952 382382 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281

Staffordshire LICHFIELD GARRICK 01543 412121 NEW VIC, NEWCASTLEUNDER-LYME 01782 717962 PRINCE OF WALES CENTRE, CANNOCK 01543 578762 REGENT THEATRE, STOKE 0870 060 6649 RUGELEY ROSE THEATRE 01889 584036 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE 01785 619080 STOKE REPERTORY THEATRE 01782 209784

Warwickshire ALBANY THEATRE, COVENTRY 024 7601 6222

BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL 024 7637 6707 BELGRADE THEATRE, COVENTRY 024 7655 3055 BRIDGE HOUSE THEATRE, WARWICK 01926 776438 THE DREAM FACTORY 01926 419555 ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 0844 800 1110 ROYAL SPA CENTRE LEAMINGTON 01926 334418 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE, COVENTRY 02476 524524

Worcestershire ARTRIX ARTS CENTRE, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 THE HIVE 01905 822866 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER 01905 611427 MALVERN THEATRE 01684 892277 NORBURY THEATRE, DROITWICH 01905 770154 PALACE THEATRE REDDITCH 01527 65203 ROSE THEATRE, 01562 743745 SWAN THEATRE, WORCESTER 01905 611427

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Theatre REVIEWS CONT...

Below are reviews of theatre productions we checked out last month.

For further theatre reviews, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Edward Scissorhands Birmingham Hippodrome

First adapted from Tim Burton’s 1990 movie back in 2005, Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands has certainly been through some cutting and slicing of its own. Bourne’s magical tale has been changed and edited through various revivals over the years - but this latest version is without doubt the tightest and slickest of the lot.

As the house lights dim, a ‘storm’ descends over the auditorium and the work takes flight. The ensemble numbers show Bourne’s talent as a choreographer, and we’re soon swept into the life of a suburban town. As Edward settles into Hope Springs and, more particularly, life with the Boggs family, his style of movement develops. At first rigid and robotic, he becomes ever more fluid, even jiving at parties. Act One finishes with a romantic encounter in the topiary garden, a scissorless Edward dancing a duet with Kim, surrounded by magical topiary figures.

Act Two sees Bourne coming into his own. The ‘corps de ballet’ moments are extremely impressive. The intricate yet powerful choreography really shines at the annual Christmas Ball, where once again the stage comes alive with activity. The partner work of the large ensembles is mesmerising throughout. By contrast, creativity does sometimes dip in the solos and duets, where movements are repeated.

The show’s design is truly impressive. Costume, set and lighting are all taken to a new level, creating an authentic and intriguing look.

Bourne’s adaptation is witty, funny, romantic and heartbreaking. In short, an impressive triumph.

Jamie Ryan n n n n

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton

For those of us who had no previous experience of Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel, this National Theatre production, adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens, was offering an opportunity to enter a truly intriguing world.

And that world became intriguing even before the play had actually started. On entering the auditorium we could see that the stage was set, quite literally. It resembled a Star Trek holodeck with just one object in the centre: a dead dog.

It looked like the crime had already been committed. All that was required was for someone to solve the mystery.

Enter our main protagonist, Christopher, who is fifteen years, three months and two days old at the time we meet him.

What unfolds is a coming-of-age story of sorts, in which Christopher is challenged with understanding the nuances of an adult world while living on the autistic spectrum. There’s so much humour and warmth here too. Joshua Jenkins portrays Christopher with a fantastic energy that he maintains throughout - he’s on stage for almost the entire performance. Great support comes from Geraldine A as Christopher's tutor/mentor, with whom he has a solid, trusting and positive relationship.

Curious Incident is a unique and thoroughly engaging production that’s a real must-see.

Ted Finlay n n n n

Jeeves And Wooster In Perfect Nonsense Bertie Wooster has aspirations. He wants to perform. ‘This acting lark looks easy,’ he says.

And so, with the help of dutiful valet Jeeves and fellow man servant Seppings, he hires a theatre to satisfy his desire - and recounts the elaborate tale of his pursuit of a silver antique cream jug...

While Wooster hogs the limelight and provides the narrative for the evening, it’s Jeeves and Seppings who show what it means to multi-task in the world of showbiz. As well as taking control of set design and props, the duo between them adopt the roles of the show’s remaining ‘colourful’ characters.

Perfectly plummy and wonderfully animated, Peep Show star Robert Webb’s version of the bumbling Bertie Wooster is certainly one to savour. From the moment the curtain rises right through to its final fall, Webb has you grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire Cat. And in those moments of real Wooster buffoonery - of which there are many - it’s hard to imagine anyone playing Bertie quite so sublimely.

Jason Thorpe’s characterisation of the exceedingly upright Jeeves is of similar quality.

He proves equally adept at playing the larger-than-life characters of Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeline Bassett and Sir Watkin Bassett.

Christopher Ryan (Mike in cult 1980s TV comedy The Young Ones) is a delight as Seppings - think Julie Walters in Acorn Antiques. He also brings us Wooster’s bowlegged and very orange aunt, Dahlia Travers, the rotund Constable Oates and intimidatingly tall villain Roderick Spode.

Farce at its very best, Jeeves And Wooster is exactly what it says on the tin - Perfect Nonsense. Ideal for lifting the spirits on a cold winter’s evening.

I, for one, look forward to seeing it again when it shows at Birmingham Rep this month.

Patsy Moss n n n n Catch Jeeves And Wooster In Perfect Nonsense when it shows at The Rep, Birmingham, from Mon 9 to Sat 14 March Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Harvey The REP, Birmingham If it wasn’t for cinematic evidence to the contrary, you might believe Mary Chase wrote the part of Elwood P Dowd specifically for James Dreyfus. The role of the gently polite, urbane and thoroughly charming chap fits him perfectly. He looks like a portly Stan Laurel as he casually wanders around the stage, handing out his business cards and making complete sense... but for his imaginary six foot, furry friend.

Harvey the large white rabbit has become the stuff of legend since Chase created him as a cheery antidote to the tragedies of World War Two. He’s come to symbolise the unalienable right of the individual to believe in what they wish to believe in - even big bunnies.

Elwood is embarrassing. He takes his invisible friend with him everywhere, introducing him to guests at society parties and buying him drinks in bars.

The other piece of perfect casting in Lindsay Posner’s production is Maureen Lipman, thoroughly engaging as the dippy American ma’am.

Her comic acting is effortless, her timing immaculate. The two combine sublimely when she finally spots that Elwood has swapped a family painting for one of himself and Harvey. She holds the double take perfectly.

The RSC’s Desmond Barrit plays the weighty judge.

Calibre actors in cameos is always a good sign...

Harvey is a show that reels you in slowly and makes for a lovely evening. And what’s more, at final curtain, there’s even a space left in the line-up of performers for our eponymous hero!

Chris Eldon Lee n n n n www.whatsonlive.co.uk 37

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VISIT OU WEBSITE R T VIEW MO O RE SHOWS!

Box Office 01743 281 281 Book Online www.theatresevern.co.uk

Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8FT

THURSDAY 5 MARCH

The Manfreds, will be performing many of their biggest hits including 5-4-3-2-1, Pretty Flamingo and Do Wah Diddy Diddy, along with a mix of solo hits and jazz and rhythm 'n' blues renditions.

SATURDAY 7 MARCH

this bittersweet comedy is a thought-provoking insight into the world of a stand-up comedian, brilliantly portrayed by Damian Williams.

TUEDAY 17 & WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH

Get ready to embark on an exciting new mission

FRIDAY 27 MARCH YET ANOTHER EVENING WITH

RICK WAKEMAN THE MUSIC AND ANECDOTAL WIT OF AN OLD AGE PENSIONER

SUNDAY 29 MARCH

38 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Theatre WEST END Casting announced for Elf The Musical Ben Forster is to reprise the role of Buddy in Michael Rose’s Elf The Musical when it transfers to the West End later this year.

Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh, Joe McGann and Jessica Martin will also appear in the festive production, which is based on the hit 2003 film starring Will Ferrell.

Forster, who starred as Jesus in the 2012 arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, previously played Buddy alongside Walsh, McGann and Martin when Elf The Musical showed in Plymouth and Dublin in 2014.

More recently he trod the West End boards as Magaldi in the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita.

Elf The Musical is the story of a young, orphaned child named Buddy who’s accidentally transported to the North Pole and raised among Santa’s elves.

Feeling he doesn’t belong, Buddy decides to seek out his birth father in New York City, where all sorts of shenanigans take place.

Further casting is yet to be announced for the production, which shows at the Dominion Theatre from 5 November to 2 January 2016.

Kinky Boots in the West End Tickets are now on sale for the West End premiere of Harvey Fierstein’s Tony Award-winning comedy, Kinky Boots.

Previewing at the Adelphi Theatre from 21 August, Kinky Boots features music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winner Cyndi Lauper. It’s produced by Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig and features choreography and direction by Jerry Mitchell.

Inspired by a true story and based on the Miramax film of the same name, Kinky Boots tells the tale of Charlie Price, who reluctantly inherits his father’s Northampton shoe factory. Trying to live up to his dad’s legacy and save the family business from bankruptcy, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, an entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos...

The Broadway production of the show, which opened in 2013, was the recipient of no fewer than six Tonys, including Best Musical and Best Performance By An Actor In A Leading Role In A Musical (Billy Porter).

Beverley Knight holds on to Memphis...

Soul queen Beverley Knight has extended her run in Memphis The Musical until July. The Wolverhampton-born singer/actress, who plays the part of Felicia Farrell, opened with the production in October last year, since which time she’s received huge critical acclaim for her performance.

Inspired by the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis and telling a story of forbidden love, the musical follows the fortunes of a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer ready for her big break.

Having just celebrated its one hundredth performance, Memphis The Musical continues to show at Shaftesbury Avenue until October 2015.

Kate Fleetwood Lording it up in the West End Harry Potter actress Kate Fleetwood is to star as socialite Tracy Lord in the upcoming revival of Cole Porter’s musical comedy High Society, which opens at the Old Vic in April.

Will Young’s twin brother, Rupert, will star opposite Fleetwood as Dexter Haven.

Jamie Parker stars as Mike Connor, Barbara Flynn as Margaret Lord, Anabel Scholey as Liz Imbrie and Ellie Bamber as Dinah Lord.

High Society opens on 30 April and is currently taking bookings until 20 August. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 39

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Dance

Vincent Dance Theatre: 21 Years / 21 Works Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 10 - Fri 13 March; DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 18 March

Choreographer and director Charlotte Vincent’s dance ensemble is this month presenting four shows across two Midlands venues to reflect the journey they’ve taken as a company during their first twenty-one years.

Underworld (performed at DanceXchange) is loosely based on the myth of Orpheus & Eurydice and takes inspiration from The Brothers Quay. The company invites audience members to ‘come and go as they please’ throughout the show’s two-hour duration...

Glasshouse (DanceXchange and Warwick Arts Centre) is a short film starring Vincent herself. A strong and powerful duet between the choreographer and Richard Lowdon, the work is set in a small glass house and explores how actions speak louder than words...

Shobana Jeyasingh Dance mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Wed 18 March

Described by The Independent On Sunday as ‘one of the country’s most brilliant creators’, Shobana Jeyasingh this month returns to the Midlands with her dance company to present its latest work La Bayadère - The Ninth Life.

Taking its inspiration from Marius Petipa’s original choreography and its relation to the present day, La Bayadère fuses modern fantasies of the east and west. The work draws on the stories of the first real ‘temple dancers’ to visit Europe, in so doing highlighting the West’s fascination with the myth of the Orient.

La Bayadère has been commissioned by the Royal Ballet School Studio Programme.

40 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Look At Me Now, Mummy (Warwick Arts Centre) is a one-woman show about trial, error and a mother’s desire to ‘look the part’. The piece was created with Aurora Lubos...

Archive And Engagement Space (DanceXchange and Warwick Arts Centre) completes Vincent Dance Theatre’s Midlands line-up.

This final piece invites participants to enter a room featuring a dressed table with twenty-one place settings. At each setting, visitors can explore images, watch video footage of VDT and learn the story of the company’s first twenty-one years. Participants are then invited by company members to perform digital and physical tasks. In engaging with the tasks, they become part of the show and make their own contribution to the ensemble’s ongoing story.

Vienna Festival Ballet Bedworth Civic Hall, Thus 26 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 28 March; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 29 March

Vienna Festival Ballet (VFB) here celebrates a hugely successful thirty-five years with a gala evening featuring excerpts from three world-famous ballets. Under the direction of Artistic Director Peter Mallek, the company performs a series of ‘magical moments’, including the scene in which Odette falls in love with her prince from Swan Lake, the journey to the land of snow from The Nutcracker, and the Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty.

Training under Russian ballet teacher Harry Pluciss - a pupil of the famous Alexander Pushkin - Mallek began his ballet career touring the world with various national companies. He formed the VFB in 1980 with the intention of sharing his passion and love for classical ballet.

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Dance LISTINGS For full listing information on dance, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk CIRCUS VOGUE Join Circus Vogue's aerial dancers on a journey of reflection, Tues 3 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington WHAT THE BODY DOES NOT REMEMBER Dance Touring Partnership present Wim Vandekeybus & Ultima Vez's acclaimed production, where moments of humour thread through explosions of aggression, fear and danger in an adrenaline-fuelled and distinctly physical performance, Tue 3 - Wed 4 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry TRANSITIONS DANCE COMPANY A triple bill presented by the postgraduate company of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, bringing together the most exciting choreographers and dancers of the future, Wed 4 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury DREAMING IN CODE 2Faced Dance present a double-bill of all-male

dance, featuring work from Artistic Director Tamsin Fitzgerald and Eddie Kay of Frantic Assembly, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Mar, DanceXchange, Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome RIGOLETTO The Russian State Ballet & Opera House present Verdi's tragic tale of misunderstanding, revenge and sacrifice. Sung in Italian with English surtitles and accompanied by a live orchestra with over thirty musicians, Fri 6 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury ESSENCE OF IRELAND Exploration of Irish myths through narration, Irish music and Irish dancing, Sun 8 Mar, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury ESSENCE OF IRELAND Tue 10 Mar, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry BROKEN Weaving athletic dance with digital imagery and original music, Broken examines man’s precarious

relationship with the earth. Kevin Finnan’s production takes audiences on a journey which questions man’s ambivalence to the planet, Tue 10 - Wed 11 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham GLASSHOUSE A short dance theatre film conceived and performed

by Charlotte Vincent and Forced Entertainment's Richard Lowdon, Tue 10 - Fri 13 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LOOK AT ME NOW, MUMMY Vincent Dance Theatre present a comitragic one-woman show which offers a moving portrait of a mother's desire to look the part, Wed 11 Thurs 12 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry BALLET THEATRE UK PRESENTS - ALADDIN Ballet Theatre UK re-tell the exotic and classic tale of the lonely orphan whose life is destined for greater things, Fri 13 Mar, Albany Theatre, Coventry; Swan Theatre, Worcester SALAAM This latest work from Sonia Sabri Company crafts a beautiful dialogue of live music and Kathak dance, Sat 14 Mar, mac -Midlands Art Centre,

Birmingham MARGAM: AN AFTERNOON OF KATHAK Three highlytalented Kathak performers come together to present a form of dance which traces its origins to the nomadic bards of ancient northern India, Sun 15 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham 21 YEARS/21 WORKS Celebrating twenty-one years of making and touring, Vincent Dance Theatre take a live and digital journey through Artistic Director Charlotte Vincent’s work from 1994 to 2015, Wed 18 Mar, DanceXchange. Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome SHOBANA JEYASINGH DANCE: BAYADERE - THE NINTH LIFE A radical reimagining of the celebrated ballet for the twenty-first-century.

Moving between fact and fantasy, the original story is interwoven with the first ever visit of Indian dancers to Europe in 1838, Wed 18 Mar, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham SLEEPING BEAUTY Moscow Ballet La Classique bring Tchaikovsky’s delightful score and magical characters to life in this magnificent ballet, Fri

Cirque Eloize - Birmingham Hippodrome

20 - Sat 21 Mar, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry AN EVENING OF DIRTY DANCING This fifth anniversary show is a fully choreographed, highly interactive celebration of music from the iconic movie, Fri 20 Mar, Bedworth Civic Hall DREAMING IN CODE 2Faced Dance present a double-bill of all-male dance, featuring work from Artistic Director Tamsin Fitzgerald and Eddie Kay of Frantic Assembly Tues 24 Mar, Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire CIRQUE ELOIZE PRESENTS CIRKOPOLIS A show combining the worlds of circus, dance and theatre, Wed 25 - Sat 28 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome IDIOT-SYNCRASY Igor and Moreno explore male identity and relationships in a very energetic duet, Thurs 26 -

Fri 27 Mar, DanceXchange, Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome VIENNA FESTIVAL BALLET 35TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Thurs 26 Mar, Bedworth Civic Hall VIENNA FESTIVAL BALLET 35TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Sat 28 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury HOLI - A CELEBRATION OF COLOUR Presented by Jai Jashn Dance, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton BRENDAN COLE - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER A brand new production from the Strictly star which brings together ballroom magic and Latin excitement in what's described as a 'must see' show!', Sun 29 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham VIENNA FESTIVAL BALLET 35TH ANNIVERSARY GALA Sun 29 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

Tue 17 March, 7.30pm Lyceum Theatre, Crewe  01270 368242 Thurs 26 March, 7.30pm Civic Hall, Bedworth  02476 376707 Sat 28 March, 2.30pm & 7.30pm Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury  01743 281 281 Sun 29 March, 2pm & 5pm Artrix, Bromsgrove  01527 577330 Wed 1 April, 7.30pm Roses Theatre, Tewksbury  01684 295074 Mon 6 April, 7.30pm Arts Centre, Evesham  01386 446944 Sun 2 May, 2.30pm & 7.30pm The Little Theatre, Leicester  01527 577330 Thurs 21 - Sat 23 May, 7.30pm Garrick Theatre, Lichfield  01543 412121 Sat 30 May, 7.30pm Old Rep, Birmingham  0121 359 9444

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

DanceXchange Birmingham Hippodrome Hurst Street // Birmingham // B5 4TB dx registered charity no. 1045364

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Flatpack Film Festival taking place at various locations around Birmingham, Thurs 19 - Sun 29 March Now in its ninth year, Flatpack Film Festival once again runs across two weekends and offers a plethora of events at various locations across Birmingham. Audiences can take their pick from live silents, industry events, Paper Cinema and VHS seance. Highlights of this year’s event include a tribute to 1960s and ’70s documentary maker Philip Donnellan, an exploration of the ever-growing parameters of animation, and a chance for foreign film fans to enjoy a selection of early-career movies from Swedish director Roy Andersson.

Also featured in the festival programme are prize-winning documentaries, experimental films, interactive installations, short film competition programmes, and a special family strand entitled Colour Box. We’ve selected our favourite events below, but don’t just take our word for it, check out full festival listings at www.flatpackfestival.org.uk

Here’s just a few of our favourite things...

THE AMUSEMENT PARK A new exhibition which explores the relationship between animation and interactivity, From Mon16 Mar, BCU Parkside, Birmingham THE PAPER CINEMA’S ODYSSEY Tales of gods and monsters recreated as you’ve never seen them before, using paper cut outs, live music and onstage cameras, the films are created before your eyes, Fri 20 Mar, Birmingham Rep BETWEEN US: BIRMINGHAM PORTRAITS A 25minute film shot in slow-motion exploring what can be seen in the faces of Birmingham’s people as they move through public spaces, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Mar, Great Western Arcade, Birmingham CARTOON ROCK Classic cartoons shown on a 16mm projector with breakfast cereal included, family-friendly event with drop-in car-

toon illustration workshop afterwards, Sat 21 Mar, Birmingham & West Midlands Institute SHIZZLES & GIGGLES Funny shorts featuring a number of British comedy luminaries, Sat 21 March, Old Joint Stock Theatre LANDMARKS 1-3 Recently commissioned for BBC 2, this six-part series mirrors the seven ages of man, from birth to death, Sat 21 Mar, mac, Birmingham CELLULOID CITY Embark on a journey exploring the unique history of cinema in Birmingham, an afternoon of free screenings and activities, Sun 22 Mar, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? A documentary

by Philip Donnelllan following the travelling families across Kent and Shropshire up to a Yorkshire horse fair, Sun 22 Mar, mac, Birmingham

42 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

INK & PIXELS A taster of Made You Look, a soon-to-be-released documentary about the UK’s graphic art scene, joined by cast and crew for a screening and discussion, Mon 23 Mar, BCU Parkside, Birmingham BEETHOVEN’S 5TH Emily Wright’s single-screen exhibition sees her playing all the parts of the German composers masterwork, Mon 23 Fri 27 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire THE CLOUD IS MORE THAN AIR AND WATER A video installation investigating the mechanical nature of Data Centres and internet storage systems, Mon 23 - Fri 27 Mar, Birmingham Conservatoire THE FINNISH LINE A selection of short animated films made by artists featured in The Amusement Park exhibition, Tues 24 Mar, BCU Parkside, Birmingham

ISHORTS Short films created from entry-level filmmakers outside of London with a budget of £5000, Weds 25 Mar, BCU Parkside, B’ham TIME + MOTION An evening of live animation and performance, featuring three attraction from worldwide artists plus activities, workshops and demonstrations, Weds 25 Mar, Millenium Point, Birmingham ANIMATION AND BEYOND Featuring screenings, demonstrations and panel discussions all exploring the evergrowing world of animation, Thurs 26 Mar, BCU Parkside, Birmingham THE DOGHOUSE Seated at a dinner table with four other guests, wearing goggles, experience a fraught family situation, the food is virtual but the tension is all too real, Thurs 26 - Sun 29 Mar, Stryx @ MW, Birmingham I’M A FILMMAKER, BUT I WANT TO EAT A lighthearted but informative look at the diverse

means filmmakers use to sustain themselves, Fri 27 Mar, The Mockingbird, Birmingham CROSS CITY WALKS Attempting to walk across Birmingham in a straight line, taking photos every 5 seconds, this interactive installation lets you literally retrace the steps of artists

Andy Howlett & Pete Ashton, Fri 27 - Sun 29 Mar, Centrala @ MW, Birmingham TOMORROW IS ALWAYS TOO LONG Artist Phil Collins explores the voices of the citizens of Glasgow amplified by the songs of Cate Le Bon, Sun 29 Mar, The Electric, Birmingham

The Doghouse - Stryx @ MW, Birmingham

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Film

TO WATCH THE LATEST MOVIE TRAILERS, VISIT: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

FROM

FRI 6 MAR

Still Alice CERT 12a (101 mins) Starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth, Hunter Parrish Directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland (USA)

Julianne Moore is Alice Howland, a linguistics professor who is defined by her intellect, her language and her articulation. Then, during a routine lecture at Columbia University, she forgets the word “lexicon.” For Alice, it is the beginning of the end… By the time you read this, Julianne Moore will have won the Oscar for best actress, following the gongs she picked up at Bafta, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors’ Guild and the London Film Critics’ Circle Awards. It is her year, Alice is a peach of a part and she gives it the intelligence and the emotion that is the raison d’être of the film. Alice Howland is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, and Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland's drama - adapted from Lisa Genova’s insightful and heart-rending novel - artfully supplies Ms Moore with a platform on which to delineate her character’s mental deterioration. However, Ilan Eshkeri's’s treacly piano-driven score, the impeccable production design and starry supporting cast all abet in removing the viewer from any raw connection with Alice’s dilemma. These are privileged people going through the motions in a competent, bythe-numbers TV disease-of-the-month movie. It’s poignant and affecting in places - but how could it not be? Julianne Moore is terrific.

TOP 5 FILM BOX OFFICE

From

FRI 27 MAR

Cinderella CERT tbc Starring Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgård, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Helena Bonham Carter, Hayley Atwell, Ben Chaplin Directed by Kenneth Branagh (USA)

Once upon a time... Oh, don’t let us spoil the plot for you. Let’s just say there are long work hours, really horrible step-sisters and a rather dashing prince. ’Nough said. This version actually adheres more to Disney’s classic cartoon version of 1950 than Charles Perrault’s original folk story, as part of an on-going initiative to turn the old ’toons into live-action adaptations. Last year Disney brought us a re-working of their animated Sleeping Beauty and called it Maleficent. In October we’ll be treated to a live-action edition of The Jungle Book (with Bill Murray as Baloo the Bear), while Beauty And The Beast - with Emma Watson as Belle - is in pre-production. Here, under the directorial eye of Kenneth Branagh, Cinders is played by Lily James, probably best known for her role as Lady Rose McClare in Downton Abbey. P.S. Nice to see Branagh directing his former girlfriend Ms Bonham Carter again (she plays the Fairy Godmother).

1 Big Hero 6 (PG) The Secret 2 Kingsman: Service (15) The Sheep 3 Shaun Movie (U) 4 Jupiter Ascending (12a) 5 American Sniper (15)

Big Hero 6

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Film NEW RELEASES Released from Fri 6 March

White Bird In A Blizzard CERT 15 (91 mins)

Starring Shailene Woodley, Eva Green, Christopher Meloni, Shiloh Fernandez, Gabourey Sidibe, Thomas Jane, Angela Bassett Directed by Gregg Araki (USA/France)

Following her Golden Globe nomination for The Descendants, the lead in The Fault In Our Stars and her role as Tris Prior in the Divergent franchise, Shailene Woodley has gone from strength to strength. Here she plays Katrina ‘Kat’ Connors, whose life is thrown into disarray when her mother (Eva Green) disappears. From the 1999 novel by Laura Kasischke.

Unfinished Business

Chappie CERT 15 (120 mins)

CERT 15 (91 mins)

Starring Sharlto Copley, Hugh Jackman, Dev Patel, Sigourney Weaver Directed by Neill Blomkamp (USA/Mexico)

Starring Vince Vaughn, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Franco, Sienna Miller, Nick Frost, James Marsden Directed by Ken Scott (USA)

Three business associates from Boston travel to Berlin to close the biggest deal of their careers.

However, things get a little out of hand… Think The Hangover meets Eurotrip.

It’s been quite a year for robots - think Ex Machina, Big Hero 6 - and this one feels as recycled as an old Henry Hoover. In the future our streets will be patrolled by a mechanised police force (think RoboCop, et al), but then Chappie - a police droid - is stolen and re-programmed. He then starts to get all emotional... The director previously brought us District 9 and Elysium, so it might not be all bad.

For full film listings, showings and booking links

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk

View the latest trailers on line 44 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Film March Davina.qxp_Layout 1 23/02/2015 21:49 Page 4

Kill The Messenger CERT 15 (112 mins)

Starring Jeremy Renner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ray Liotta, Barry Pepper, Oliver Platt, Michael Sheen, Andy García Directed by Michael Cuesta (USA)

A true story: when, in the mid-1990s, a reporter exposes the CIA plot to arm the Contra rebels in Nicaragua, he becomes the victim of a vicious smear campaign. And we thought the CIA could do no wrong.

From

Released from Fri 13 March

Elle L’Adore CERT 15 (102 mins) Starring Sandrine Kiberlain, Laurent Lafitte, Pascal Demolon Directed by Jeanne Herry (France)

There are shades of Notting Hill here. Muriel Bayen (Kiberlain) is a massive fan of the singer Vincent Lacroix (Lafitte). Then, one day, he knocks on her door asking for help… Mlle Kiberlain has been nominated for a French Oscar (the César) as best actress.

FRI 20 MAR

Suite Francaise CERT 15 (107 mins)

Home CERT U (94 mins)

Starring Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Matthias Schoenaerts, Sam Riley, Ruth Wilson, Margot Robbie, Harriet Walter Directed by Saul Dibb (UK/France/Canada)

Featuring the voices of Rihanna, Jim Parsons, Jennifer Lopez, Steve Martin, Matt Jones Directed by Tim Johnson (USA)

Although Irène Némirovsky's story of wartime romance was written in 1942, it wasn’t published until 2004, sixty-two years after her death.

For Némirovsky was a Ukrainian Jew and perished in Auschwitz and never got to complete her planned quintet of stories. This tale focuses on Lucille Angellier (Williams), a young wife in Nazi-occupied France who comes under the watchful gaze of a German commander (Schoenaerts) posted at the home she shares with her domineering mother-in-law (Scott Thomas). The director Saul Dibb previously brought us Bullet Boy and The Duchess.

There’s no place li... Actually, the loveable extraterrestrial Oh is very far from home when he escapes to Earth to evade a nefarious alien race. He then teams up with a teenage girl, Tip (voiced by Rihanna), and they both find themselves on the run. The latest computer-animated feature from DreamWorks Animation (Shrek, Madagascar, How To Train Your Dragon), Home is based on the 2007 children’s book The True Meaning Of Smekday. In 3D.

Released from Fri 20 March

The Gunman CERT 15 (115 mins) Starring Sean Penn, Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance, Javier Bardem, Peter Franzén Directed by Pierre Morel (USA/France/Spain)

Martin Terrier (Sean Penn) is a former Special Forces soldier suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and decides to throw in the towel. However, his employers have different plans - and so Terrier is forced to go on the run.

Based on the 1981 novel The Prone Gunman

by Jean-Patrick Manchette.

Run All Night CERT tbc Starring Liam Neeson, Joel Kinnaman, Common, Ed Harris, Génesis Rodríguez, Vincent D'Onofrio, Boyd Holbrook Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (USA)

Liam Neeson plays Jimmy Conlon, an ageing hitman who finds that his family is in danger when his old boss turns nasty. Audiences taken with Mr Neeson’s last few films may lap this up with a ladle, but we feel the actor isn’t stretching himself. It’s been twenty-two years since he was nominated for an Oscar.

X + Y CERT tbc Starring Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan, Jo Yang Directed by Morgan Matthews (UK)

First Werner Herzog transformed his documentary Little Dieter Needs To Fly into Rescue Dawn, now Morgan Matthews has dramatised his own documentary Beautiful Young Minds into the fictionalised X+Y. Asa Butterfield (The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Hugo) plays Nathan Ellis, a teenage maths prodigy who is chosen to represent Britain at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

But because Nathan is autistic, he has more than numerical equations to deal with.

The Voices

CERT 15 (104 mins)

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver, Sam Spruell Directed by Marjane Satrapi (USA/Germany)

Jerry (Reynolds) is a happy-go-lucky guy with a serious problem. He can hear his cat and dog speak. And his cat is urging him to be a serial killer... It’s actually a comedy - but with very sharp canine teeth. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 45

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46 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Wild Card

CERT 15 (92 mins)

Starring Jason Statham, Milo Ventimiglia, Sofía Vergara, Stanley Tucci, Anne Heche Directed by Simon West (USA)

Jason Statham is Nick Wild and he has a gambling problem. But when he gets on the wrong side of the mob they wish they’d never gambled on eliminating him... A remake of the 1986 Burt Reynolds thriller Heat, this has turned out to be Jason Statham’s biggest flop to date (amazingly, it only grossed $3,200 in the US).

The Divergent Series: Insurgent CERT tbc

Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Octavia Spencer, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet Directed by Robert Schwentke (USA)

Divergent, the first in Veronica Roth’s literary trilogy, was released in April of last year - and grossed over $288million worldwide. Now the second instalment is upon us and maverick Tris Prior (Woodley) continues her fight against the totalitarian state that governs a dystopian Chicago of the future. Hunger Games fans can lap this up while they wait patiently for Mockingjay - Part 2. In 3D.

Seventh Son CERT 12a (102 mins) Starring Jeff Bridges, Ben Barnes, Julianne Moore, Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington, Olivia Williams, Djimon Hounsou Directed by Sergei Bodrov

Another month, another franchise. This actionfantasy is based on the novel The Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney, the first chapter in his Wardstone Chronicles. The London-born Ben Barnes plays Thomas Ward, a seventh son of a seventh son, a happenstance that enables him to see supernatural stuff. It’s a useful gift and so he’s called on to help the legendary knight Master Gregory (Jeff Bridges) to track down a powerful witch (Julianne Moore) with malevolent intent. In 3D.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water CERT U (92 mins) Directed by Paul Tibbitt and Mike Mitchell (USA)

You just can’t keep a good sponge down.

Here, the jolly yellow sea sponge joins forces with his adversary Plankton to help retrieve his precious ‘Krabby Patty’ formula. The villain of the piece - a pirate named Burger-Beard is played by Antonio Banderas. As the film made almost $100million in its first ten days of release in the US, we can expect more of the same in the not too-distant future.

Face Of An Angel CERT 15 (101 mins) Starring Kate Beckinsale, Daniel Brühl, Cara Delevingne, Genevieve Gaunt, Ava Acres Directed by Michael Winterbottom (UK/Italy/Spain)

Mommy CERT 15 (138 mins) Starring Anne Dorval, Antoine-Olivier Pilon, Suzanne Clément Directed by Xavier Dolan (Canada)

When Diane Després (Dorval) is widowed, she finds the prospect of bringing up her troublesome son more than she can cope with. Then a mysterious neighbour (Clément) supplies some unexpected assistance… Winner of the Jury Prize at last year’s Cannes film festival.

Released from Fri 27 March

Get Hard CERT tbc Starring Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart, Alison Brie, Edwina Findley, Craig T. Nelson Directed by Etan Cohen (USA)

When millionaire businessman James King (Will Ferrell) is sent down for ten years for tax evasion, he’s not sure he’s ready for prison. So he hires Darnell Lewis (Kevin Hart) to help prepare him for a life behind bars. If he’s gonna survive, he’s gotta get hard…

The Signal CERT 15 (97 mins)

Michael Winterbottom is not a director to shy away from controversy - or to give a fresh perspective on things. Here, he’s taken a real-life murder case - the sexually motivated killing of the British student Meredith Kercher - and turned it into a fictionalised psychological thriller. Genevieve Gaunt plays a thinly disguised version of the prime suspect, Amanda Knox, renamed here Jessica Fuller.

Starring Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Beau Knapp, Lin Shaye, Laurence Fishburne Directed by William Eubank (USA)

On a road trip to California, three MIT students find themselves taunted by a hacker going by the moniker of NOMAD. When they decide to confront NOMAD - and locate ‘his’ lair - they are transported into an entirely surreal situation...

The scriptwriters (and brothers) William and Carlyle Eubank have said that they were drawn to the material by a fascination with "the conflict between logic and emotion." Be afraid. We think.

Wild Tales CERT 15 (122 mins) Starring Ricardo Darín, Óscar Martínez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Érica Rivas Directed by Damián Szifrón (Argentina/Spain)

Nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film, Wild Tales is an anthology of six tales, all united by themes of violence, vengeance, love and deception. Incidentally, Ricardo Darín - who plays a luckless demolitions expert - is the biggest star in Argentina, having appeared in such films as Nine Queens and The Secret In Their Eyes. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 47

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Film A-Z LISTINGS

The Duke Of Burgundy

All films are currently on general release unless otherwise stated. For full listing information, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 12 Years A Slave 15 The true story of Solomon Northup, a cultured and educated family man who’s kidnapped while visiting Washington DC and sold into slavery.

Stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender.

Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Thurs 26 Mar

The Colony

American Sniper 15 The Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle was not nicknamed ‘Legend’ for nothing. He was the most deadly sniper in US military history. This is his story. Stars Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller.

Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 13 Mar; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Wed 18 - Thurs 19 Mar

Dancing In Jaffa PG

Bad Hair 15 Junior is a nine-year-old boy who has stubbornly curly hair, or "bad hair". He wants to have it straightened for his yearbook picture, like a fashionable pop singer with long, ironed hair. This puts him at odds with his mother, Marta, a young, unemployed widow who finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate Junior's fixation with his looks. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sun 1, Wed 4 - Thurs 5 Mar Big Hero 6 U The fourteen-year-old robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada forms a team of crime-fighting robots, along with the eminently outsize, huggable Baymax. With the voices of Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit.

Showing at Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Mon 30 - Tues 31 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 30 Tues 31 Mar

Casablanca Calling A documentary regarding the four hundred women who’ve started to work as Muslim leaders or Morchidats for the first time in Morocco. Their mission is simple: to liberate women

by sharing the true teaching of Islam, freed from misogynist interpretations.

Showing The Drum, Birmingham, Sun 8 Mar Filmed at a variety of locations in Birmingham in 1963, The Colony is remarkable for its time in giving a voice to working-class settlers from the Caribbean. This unique screening boasts a live score performed by Birmingham Jazz. Showing The Drum, Birmingham, Tues 24 Mar Four-time ballroom dancing world champion Pierre Dulaine returns to the place of his birth, Jaffa - a city in which two communities continue to grow apart. Via his Dancing Classrooms programme, Pierre seeks to find some common ground between the Jewish and Palestinian Israeli children. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Mon 9 - Tues 10 Mar

WATCH THE FILM T TRAILERS A k .co.u

whatsonlive

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes 12a Here, Caesar and his army of genetically modified simian soldiers face a band of humans that survived the virus that all but wiped out mankind. It’s ten years on from the events of the last film (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), but can the apes and their subordinate humans reach a truce? Stars Jason Clarke and Gary Oldman. Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Fri 6 Mar

CINEMA Box Office Birmingham CINEWORLD Broad St, B’ham 0871 200 2000 CINEWORLD Solihull 0871 200 2000 ELECTRIC, B’ham 0121 643 7879 EMPIRE 0871 471 4714 MILLENNIUM POINT 0121 202 2222 MAC 0121 446 3232 ODEON 0871 224 4007 REEL Quinton 0121 421 5316

SHOWCASE 0871 220 1000 VUE CINEMA Star City 08712 240 240

Black Country CINEWORLD W’HAMPTON 0871 200 2000 LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CENTRE, W’HAMPTON 01902 716055 ODEON MERRY HILL, DUDLEY 0871 22 44007 SHOWCASE, DUDLEY 0871 220 1000

48 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

18 Exploration of the deep love of two women who inhabit an almost exclusively female world, and who’re united by their interest in sado-masochism and moths and butterflies.

Expect a degree of sexual fetishism. Stars Sidse Babett Knudsen and Chiara D'Anna. Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Sat 14 - Mon 16 Mar

Effie Gray 15 Back in the 1850s, ‘Effie,’ the wife of the eminent art critic John Ruskin, met the Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais. The resultant affaire de cœur has been the subject of much speculation. Stars Dakota Fanning & Emma Thompson. Showing at Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 23 Mar; Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 24 Mar Fantastic Mr Fox PG For twelve years, Mr and Mrs Fox (voices of George Clooney and Meryl Streep) have lived a peaceful life in the wilderness with their son, Ash. Shortly after their young nephew, Kristofferson, arrives for a visit, Mr. Fox's long-suppressed animal instincts begin to take over and the faithful family man resorts back to his old ways as a cunning chicken thief, endangering not only his family but the entire animal community as well. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, Tues 31 Mar

Fifty Shades Of Grey 18 The first volume of EL James’ ‘literary’ trilogy was initially deemed smutty, even pornographic. In August of 2012, Amazon announced that it had sold more copies of the novel than the entire Harry Potter series put together. So a film version was inevitable, and here we have it. Stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. Showing at Light House Media Centre, until Thurs 5 Mar; Electric Cinema, Birmingham, until Thurs 5 Mar

Foxcatcher 15

one (a true story) Channing Tatum dons the tights as Mark Schultz, as does Mark Ruffalo as his brother, Dave. But it’s Steve Carell’s performance as Channing’s sponsor and coach that people are talking about. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Sun 1 - Tues 3 Mar; Stoke Film Theatre, Thurs 5 - Fri 6 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 6 Mar; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Tues 24 - Thurs 26 Mar

Gone Girl 18 Nick Dunne, on his fifth wedding anniversary, reports the disappearance of his wife. Then, as a media frenzy builds around the gone girl, suspicion starts to fall on Nick himself…

Stars Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike. Showing at Stourbridge Townhall, Mon 16 Mar

The Hundred-Foot Journey PG When Hassan Kadam and his family are displaced from their native India, they set up a new restaurant in the South of France. However, Madame Mallory, the proprietress of a traditional French restaurant down the street, is determined to give the new upstarts hell.

Stars Helen Mirren and Om Puri. Showing at Stourbridge Town Hall, Mon 2 Mar

A documentary telling the story of Ras Seymour Maclean, who was convicted and imprisoned for reclaiming over two thousand books on Ethiopian and African history from British institutions. Showing at The Drum, Birmingham, Thurs 19 Mar

The Judge 15 Estranged from his family, top city lawyer Hank Palmer (Robert Downey Jr) returns to the small town of Carlinville, in Indiana, for his mother's funeral. He then discovers that his father, the local judge, has been accused of murder. Also stars Robert Duvall. Showing at Edge Arts Centre, Mon 16 Mar Kingsman: The Secret Service 15

Poland 1962; orphaned novice nun Sister Anna is about to take her vows when she finds out that she was originally named Ida and is Jewish. So she goes on a search for the truth about her parents.

Stars Agata Kulesza.

Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Mon 2 Mar

The Imitation Game 12a

Kon Tiki 15

Based on the biography, Alan Turing: The Enigma,

by Andrew Hodges, the film chronicles Turing’s part in winning the Second World War (by helping to crack the Nazi’s Enigma code) and then his criminal prosecution for being homosexual.

Stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, Mon 2- wed 4 Mar

In 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific Ocean in a balsa wood raft to prove that South Americans could have settled on the Polynesian islands.

This is an old-fashioned man-against-the-elements adventure epic, propelled by human-scaled heroics.

Part classic adventure tale, part history lesson. Stars Pal Sverre Hagen, Anders Christiansen. Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrews-

Ida 12a

Into The Woods PG A complex weave of the

FOREST ARTS CENTRE, WALSALL 01922 645 555

ODEON TELFORD 0871 224 4007 OMH SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299

CINEWORLD, SHREWSBURY 0871 200 2000 THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728 911 FESTIVAL DRAYTON CENTRE, MARKET DRAYTON 01630 654 444 THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY 01743 234 970 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878 141 MAJESTIC, BRIDGNORTH 01746 761815

The Jamaican Book Liberator

This spy adventure unites director Matthew Vaughn with the scenarist Jane Goldman for the fourth time (cf. Stardust, Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class). Colin Firth plays a veteran secret agent who takes on a young protégé. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 22 - Wed 25 Mar; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 20 & Mon 23 Mar

There aren’t enough films about wrestlers. In this

Shropshire

fairytales Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack And The Beanstalk and Rapunzel, dexterously shuffling our notions of these legends and coming up with something altogether more elaborate and darker. Stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt. Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 27 - Sun 29 Mar; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Tues 31 Mar; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Tues 31 Mar

Staffordshire CINEWORLD, BURTON-UPONTRENT 0871 200 2000 THE STAFFORD CINEMA, STAFFORD 0207 438 9580 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK 01538 386 112 STOKE FILM THEATRE, 01782 411188

ODEON TAMWORTH 0871 224 4007

Warwickshire ODEON COVENTRY 0871 224 4007 ODEON NUNEATON 0871 224 4007 SHOWCASE, COVENTRY 0871 220 1000 VUE, LEAMINGTON SPA 08712 240 240 PICTURE HOUSE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 0871 902 5741 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE COVENTRY 02476 524524

bury, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Mar

Laura Mvula & The Metropole Orkest 12a Laura Mvula Live At The Paradiso With The Metropole Orkest in Amsterdam was sold out months in advance, but can now be seen exclusively in cinemas for one night only.

With a Q&A introduction

by Laura Mvula - live from London - plus a live finale acoustic set especially for cinema audiences. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Thurs 5 Mar

Locke 15 While driving from Birmingham to London, a construction manager receives a phone call. The remainder of the film sees Ivan Locke attempting to salvage his life via mobile phone as he continues to race home. Stars Tom Hardy, with the voices of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman. Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 20 Mar

Love, Honour And Disobey A documentary investigating domestic violence in Britain's black and ethnic minority communities through the eyes of Southall Black Sisters.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sun 1 - Tues 3 & Thurs 5 Mar; The Drum, Birmingham, Fri 6 Mar

Love Is Strange 15 After nearly four decades together, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) finally tie the knot in an idyllic wedding ceremony in lower Manhattan.

But when George loses his job soon after, the couple must sell their apartment and temporarily live apart until they can find an affordable new home.

Stars John Lithgow and Alfred Molina. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sun 1 Tues 3 & Thurs 5 Mar; Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 10 Mar

Magdala Campaign An account from Ras Seymour regarding the desecration, destruction and theft by British forces in 1868 of thousands of priceless religious icons, books, manuscripts, vestments and vessels with sacred significance, when they stormed the fortress city of Magdala in Ethiopia. Showing at The

Worcestershire ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 MALVERN THEATRE 0845 287 2146 THE NORBURY THEATRE, DROITWICH SPA 08444 777 1000 WAREHOUSE, KIDDERMINSTER 01562 747773 VUE, WORCESTER 0871 224 0240 THE ROSE’S THEATRE, TEWKESBURY 01684 295 074

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Drum, Birmingham, Thurs 19 Mar

A Most Violent Year 15 In 1981 it was a most dangerous year in New York City, and immigrant businessman Abel Morales struggles to keep his head above water. Stars Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-onTrent, Thurs 12 - Fri 13 Mar; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 13, Mon 16 - Tues 17 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Wed 18 Mar A Most Wanted Man 15 Set in the world of the war on terror and featuring a half-Chechen, half-Russian Muslim who turns up in Hamburg with a claim to a huge fortune. Stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rachel McAdams.

Showing at Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 17 Mar My Old Lady 12a This is all a bit of a reunion for Kristin Scott Thomas, as she’s previously starred alongside both Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith. Here, she plays the old lady’s daughter, her mother being the sole occupant of a Parisian apartment inherited by a New Yorker.

Showing at Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 31 Mar The National Gallery 12a

The National Gallery in London is one of the great museums of the world. Almost every human experience is represented in one or the other of the paintings. The sequences of the film show the public in various galleries and the scholars, scientists and curators studying, restoring and planning the exhibitions. Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Sun 22 Mar; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 27 & Tues 31 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 29 Mar

Northern Soul 15 An authentic, uplifting drama about two friends whose horizons are expanded forever by their discovery of black American soul music. With supporting turns from Steve Coogan, Lisa Stansfield and Ricky Tomlinson, amongst others. Showing at Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 9 Mar The Past 12a A study of modern family life in emotional flux, set in a Paris suburb where Ahmad arrives from Tehran to divorce his tempestuous, estranged wife Marie. Stars Ali Mosaffa and Bérénice Bejo. Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Wed 11 Mar The Riot Club 15 For Riot Club read the Bullingdon Club, the Ox-

ford University establishment known for its rambunctious rituals and elaborate banquets.

Adapted by Laura Wade from her own play, Posh.

Stars Max Irons and Sam Claflin. Showing at Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 2 Mar

Selma 12a The story of Martin Luther King’s legendary march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, in 1965, to secure equal voting rights for black Americans. Stars David Oyelowo and Tom Wilkinson. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Thurs 5 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 29 - Tues 31 Mar The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 12a The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), adapted from Deborah Moggach's novel, These Foolish Things, was a huge and unexpected hit. The good news is that John Madden (Shakespeare In Love, Mrs Brown) returns for the sequel, in which the hapless Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) has opened the new Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, until Thurs 5 Mar; Malvern Theatres, until Thurs 12 Mar; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 6 -

Thurs 26 Mar; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 20 - Mon 30 Mar

Set Fire To the Stars 15 Taking its title from the last line of Dylan Thomas’s Love In The Asylum, this is the story of the Welsh poet’s first visit to America.

Elijah Wood plays the literary critic and aspiring poet John Malcolm Brinnin, who brings Thomas along and has to suffer the consequences. Stars Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones.

Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, until Thurs 5 Mar Stations Of The Cross 15 Divided into fourteen chapters to mirror the number of stages of Christ’s judgement up to his burial, this is probably one of the year’s most unusual films. Winner of the best script award at Berlin, it focuses on the fourteen year-old Maria who follows the aforementioned fourteen stages through which to reach her nirvana per the dictates of the fundamentalist Catholic community in which she’s raised. Stars Lea van Acken, Hanns Zischler.

Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Wed 4 - Thurs 5 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 26 Mar

Testament Of Youth 12a During World War One, a young English woman named Vera Brittain postpones her studies at Oxford University to serve as a Voluntary Aid Detachment nurse in London and abroad. Stars Alicia Vikander, Kit Harington. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 3 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 3 Thurs 12 Mar; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Tues 17 - Thurs 19 Mar; mac, Birmingham, Mon 23, Wed 25 & Thurs 26 Mar

The Theory Of Everything 12a The story of Stephen Hawking is one of the most remarkable and stirring of the twentieth century.

That’s why it was turned into a TV movie. This edition is told from the viewpoint of Hawking’s first wife, Jane Wilde. Stars Eddie Redmayne, Felicity Jones.

Showing at Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 1 - Tues 3 Mar; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Mon 2 & Mon 16 Mar

drumming, a distinctive, unusual and completely engrossing experience.

Stars Miles Teller and JK Simmons. Showing at Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Wed 4 Thurs 5 Mar; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 7 Mar; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Tues 10 - Thurs 12 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 17 Mar; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton Centre, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar

Wild 15 Adapted (by Nick Hornby) from her own memoir, this is the story of Cheryl Strayed, who hiked one thousand, one hundred miles of the Pacific Crest Trail. Stars Reese Witherspoon. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 6 Sun 8 Mar; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 12 Mar The Woman In Black: Angel Of Death 12a

Whiplash 15 A thoroughly gripping drama about passion, ambition, perfectionism and the obstacles that impede our path to success.

A suspenseful film about

When a group of schoolchildren are evacuated from London during the Blitz, they are moved to the remote Eel Marsh House. But what happens there is far worse than anything the Luftwaffe could mete out.... Stars Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 16 - Tues 17 Mar

Winter Sleep 15

Interstellar

DVD NEW RELEASES Mr. Turner 12a

The Imitation Game 12a

Mr Turner is arguably Britain’s greatest artist of all time. Here director Mike Leigh captures the feel of the period and people in Turner’s life with a colourful catalogue of caricatures.

Starring Timothy Spall, Dorothy Atkinson and Paul Jesson.

Released 2 March

Based on the biography

by Andrew Hodges, the film chronicles Alan Turing’s part in winning the Second World War and then his criminal prosecution for being homosexual. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch.

Released 9 March

Paddington PG A live-action rendering of the loveable bear, with Paddington himself created via CGI and animatronics. Stars Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins.

Released 23 March

Leviathan 15 In a small coastal town by the Barents Sea, an ordinary family is harassed by a corrupt local mayor, who has his sites on both their land and business. To save themselves, the father calls on an old army friend from Moscow. Stars Vladimir Vdovichenkov.

Released 9 March

Pride 15

The Homesman 15 An unlikely Western, this, in which a man and woman team up to escort three mentally impaired women from Nebraska to Iowa. From the 1988 novel by Glendon Swarthout. Stars Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank and Hailee Steinfeld. Released 23 March

Based on actual events, this is the story of how a group of LGBT activists attempted to raise money to help families affected by the 1984 miners' strike.

Starring Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West.

Released 2 March

Penguins Of Madagascar

U Like the Nickelodeon TV series The Penguins Of Madagascar, this fulllength feature is an off-

shoot from DreamWorks’ Madagascar trilogy. This one features a lot of penguins and is a spy thriller (seriously) - with a lot of laughs. Featuring the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller and John DiMaggio.

Released 23 March

In 2014 Palme d'Or winner Winter Sleep, Aydin, a former actor, runs a small hotel in central Anatolia with his young wife, Nihal - with whom he has a stormy relationship - and his sister, Necla, who’s suffering from her recent divorce. In winter, as the snow begins to fall, the hotel turns into a shelter but also an inescapable place that fuels their animosities… Stars Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sözen and Demet Akbag.

Released 23 March

12a The tale of the journey undertaken by a group of astronauts through a wormhole. Think Gravity with more star names.

Starring Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway.

Released 30 March

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Visual Arts Stanhope Forbes’ England Worcester Museum & Art Gallery, Sat 21 March - Sat 6 June

Although he was born in a city (Dublin) and studied in two other cities (London and Paris), it was for his paintings of towns and villages that Stanhope Forbes was most admired.

This new exhibition takes a look at some of the artist’s best-known works - his beautiful costal scenes of Newlyn and the surrounding areas and includes the painting Chadding On Mount’s Bay. “Chadding On Mount's Bay is considered Stanhope Forbes' greatest work and is a jewel in Worcester's collection,” says Philippa Tinsley, Senior Curator at Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum. “The exhibition brings together a fascinating selection of other landscapes by Forbes, from both public and private collections, to tell the story of this important artist.”

Canaletto: Celebrating Britain Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Sat 14 March - Sun 7 June

This selection of magnificent paintings and drawings provides a fascinating insight into Canaletto’s nine-year stay in Britain (from 1746 to ’55). Documenting not only traditional or established views and landmarks but also the latest achievements in architecture and engineering, the artist’s work was a celebration of the nation’s new-found economic wealth and sense of assurance. This upsurge in national self-confidence was reflected in contemporary developments in popular culture, among which were the rediscovery of Shakespeare and the success of Handel’s Messiah. Canaletto’s canvases are not only brilliant works of art but also an invaluable record of an era when Britain was booming.

New Art West Midlands Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Saturday 25 April; Birmingham Museum & Gallery, until Sun 17 May; The Barber Institute, Birmingham, until Sun 17 May; Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, until Sun 31 May

Saranjit Birdi- Cogn, I The Drum, Birmingham, Thurs 26 March - Mon 6 April

“The combination of artist, architect and streetjazz dancer have led me to a fusion or synthesis of art forms that explores issues of freedom, territoriality and stereotype,” explains artist Saranjit Birdi, “My installation practice includes live and video performance, performance drawing, actionpainting and dance movement within gallery installations. I explore human evolution and cognition through the act of drawing with various parts of the body, sometimes bridging the art-science thresholds and working with ability-disability.”

In Cogn, I, Saranjit uses a variety of media to ask whether the human being’s biped aesthetic sense and understanding differs from that of animals, and of plants rooted to the earth.

Thirty of the region’s best emerging artists are this month being given the opportunity to showcase their work, as the third edition of the New Art West Midlands exhibition takes its place at four local art galleries.

A Turning Point West Midlands initiative, New Art West Midlands features an eclectic mix of artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, photography, performance, installation and video work.

All the participating artists have graduated from one of the region’s undergraduate or postgraduate fine art degree courses during the past three years.

“It’s exciting to see how New Art West Midlands has grown since 2013,” says Wendy Law, Director of Turning Point West Midlands. “There’s an interesting and diverse range of talent and work coming out of our art schools and universities today. New Art West Midlands provides an important opportunity at a crucial point in the careers of these artists, enabling them to have their work displayed in highly respected galleries and to be seen and enjoyed by a large public.” www.whatsonlive.co.uk 51

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VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS Further exhibitions

Mat Jenner: Dreams Time Free Grand Union, Birmingham, until Fri 3 April

Mat Jenner’s latest presentation includes his highly acclaimed exhibition piece, Foam.

Jenner invites visitors to enter a space and listen to a record selected from a dubplate archive (featuring everything from experimental soundscapes and heavy metal to spoken-word poetry and a Nick Drake cover). In so doing, explains Matt, the participants are ‘colouring’ the space, with each person who enters the gallery and plucks out a record having the potential to drastically alter their surroundings.

Tony Clarke - On The Threshold Of A Dream Coventry Music Museum, until May

One of Coventry’s most beloved sons is being honoured in this new exhibition.

Record producer Tony Clarke famously oversaw the 1960s rise of one of the UK’s most talented rock groups, the Moody Blues.

Clarke, who died of emphysema in 2010, was the man behind both the group’s groundbreaking concept album, Days Of Future Passed, and their legendary signature song, Nights In White Satin.

The exhibition features a number of Tony's personal possessions, including a platinum disc, Moody Blues master tapes, his prized bass guitar, numerous photographs and various items of clothing.

Commenting on the exhibition, museum director and curator Pete Chambers said: “Coventry Music Museum continues to celebrate Coventry talent, especially those names that may not be familiar.

Tony was a Cov Kid who did amazing things in the studio, helping to create ‘Prog Rock’ - many people have no idea that Coventry had a hand in that.”

Disrupted mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Sat 14 March - Sun 3 May

This group exhibition directly responds to and interacts with the Midlands Arts Centre (mac), its audiences and the building itself.

Curator Noëmi Lakmaier has selected artworks and installations which invite visitors to engage with ‘the different and unfamiliar’, yet to do so within a familiar space.

The show brings together both established and emerging artists working within the realm of Disability Arts. These include Swedish performance artist Anna Berndtson, London-based artist and activist The Vacuum Cleaner and up-and-coming Wolverhampton sculptor Anna Smith.

52 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk DOUBLE TAKE: THE KOESTLER EXHIBITION FOR THE WEST MIDLANDS Artwork, audio and creative writing from prisons, secure hospitals and young offenders institutes in the West Midlands, until Sun 1 March, mac, Birmingham JOSHUA MATHESON: CREATIVE INTERPRETATION THROUGH BEAUTY Insight into the creative world of hairdressing & make-up artistry, until Sun 1 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove STEPHEN I COOPER: PORTRAITS IN THE FLESH Portraits painted in a loose yet figurative style, until Sat 7 Mar, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ROBERT HAND ARBSA Solo show featuring a combination of handbuilt raku & pit-fired ceramics, until Sat 7 Mar, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham JOHN AKOMFRAH: THE UNFINISHED CONVERSATION Archival imagery & news footage, overlaid with a soundtrack incorporating the writings of William Blake, Charles Dickens, Virginia Woolf and jazz & gospel music, until Sat 7 Mar, The Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry CLOSE AND FAR: RUSSIAN PHOTOGRAPHY NOW Exhibition which centres around the recently discovered works of Sergei ProkudinGorsky, an early pioneer of colour photography, until Sat 7 Mar, Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre PAUL KIDBY: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBITION Touring exhibition from St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery, showcasing a collection of drawings, watercolours & oils most famously associated with the book jackets of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, until Wed 11 Mar, Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery

Sun 15 Mar, Paccar Room, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon RASTAFARI: THE MAJESTY Exhibition which details the history of Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, and the Black liberation 'movement' that takes the Emperor's crown prince title, Ras Tafari, until Mon 23 Mar, The Drum, Birmingham FORWARD 100: BIRMINGHAM AT WAR This exhibition draws on reproductions of material in the Cadbury Research Library collections relating to the history of the First Southern General Hospital (depicted in a 1917 painting by Cecil Price). Curated by postgraduate students from the University of Birmingham, until Fri 27 Mar, Library Foyer, University of Birmingham OPEN ALL MEDIA EXHIBITION Showcasing artists from across the UK working in a variety of media. Work from guest artist, Peter Monaghan, also features, until Sat 28 March, RBSA, Birmingham BIRMINGHAM SHOW Large-scale group exhibition, until Sat 11 Apr, Eastside Projects, Birmingham JERWOOD ENCOUNTERS 3-PHASE SHOW 1 First of two exhibitions by emerging artists - in this case, Kelly Best and Georgie Grace, until Sat 11 Apr, Eastside Projects, Birmingham WILL SHANNON: THE CLOSET CRAFTSMAN In this new exhibition for Birmingham, Shannon produces Market

Factory. Resonating with Birmingham’s heritage as a place for trade and making things, the new workspace will manufacture limited-edition chairs for sale, until Sun 19 Apr, mac, Birmingham AK DOLVEN Anne Katrine Dolven shows paintings, film, video, photography & sound installation alongside the extraordinary landscapes of fellow Norwegian artist, nineteenth century painter Peder Balke, until Sun 19 April, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham NASTIO MOSQUITO: DAILY LOVEMAKING Exhibition fusing music, photography, film & performance poetry to reflect on the nature of the globalised world, and how lovemaking can act as an antidote to corruption and hypocrisy, until Sun 19 Apr, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham STEVE EVANS ARBSA Display of abstract perspex works & ink drawings, until Sat 25 April, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham RECORDING BRITAIN Victoria & Albert Museum collection comprising over one thousand, five hundred paintings that present a remarkable snapshot of the fast-changing country, until Sun 26 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND WELCOMES An exhibition showcasing collected welcomes from Birmingham & beyond, until Sun 26 Apr, mac, Birmingham REVOLUTIONISING FASHION Display of elegant eighteenth & early-nineteenth century British miniatures by the likes of Richard Cosway, George Engleheart & John Smart, until Sun 26 April, The Barber Institute, Birmingham 100 DAYS: THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE TWENTY YEARS LATER A display

of photographic, digital and installation works from a selection of international contemporary artists, giving voice to the women who lived through the conflict, until Thurs 30 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry THE POETIC IMPOSSIBILITY TO MANAGE THE INFINITE Exhibition which documents our quest to penetrate the astrophysical reality of the universe in order to better understand time, space & matter, until Sat 2 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery MADE AT MAC: TEXTILES Featuring work from mac’s From Paper To Fabric course, until Sun 3 May, mac, Birmingham ROBERT GROVES: GOLDEN YEARS Constellation of small golden paintings (c.1965) which reflect the artist’s strong interest in Middle Eastern & South Asian culture, until Mon 4 May, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham HIDDEN TREASURES CRAFT EXHIBITION Exhibition featuring new techniques such as 3Dprinting to examine current trends in ceramics & jewellery, until Sat 9 May, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham STONES & BONES EXHIBITION Discover more about the early history of the Midlands and how that history was uncovered, recorded and told by prominent local geologists and scientists, until Sun 17 May, Library of Birmingham GODS AND HEROES Seeking to uncover the methods and motives behind the representation of the superhuman and supernatural in art.

Subjects drawn from both ancient mythology and the Judo-Christian tradition feature, until Mon 25 May, The Barber Institute, Birmingham

WORLD WAR ONE: IN THE WORDS OF WORCESTERSHIRE PEOPLE Part of a series of events in Worcestershire commemorating the anniversary of the First World War, until Sat 14 Mar, Worcester City Museum & Art Gallery BRUCE BAIRNSFATHER Fascinating exhibition which explores the life and illustrative work of soldier-artist Captain Bruce Bairnsfather, until

Close And Far: Russian Photography Now - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

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ART FROM ELSEWHERE: INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART FROM UK GALLERIES Touring exhibition which considers themes of global change, postcolonial experiences and failed utopias, until Sun 31 May, Waterhall Gallery, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery FAITH & ACTION: QUAKERS & THE FIRST WORLD WAR Exhibition which uses original photographs, film interviews & artefacts to tell the compelling stories of Quaker men and women during the 1914-1918 conflict and its aftermath, until Sun 7 June, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery THE JEWELLERY QUARTER DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR Exhibition of artefacts, images and oral histories relating to the recruitment of soldiers from the Jewellery Quarter, until Sat 27 June, The Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

ROYAL WARWICKSHIRE REGIMENT 1914 - 1918 Exhibition which commemorates the centenary of the First World War and recounts the experiences of Birmingham men who served in the regiment between 1914 and 1918, using personal objects, medals & memorabilia, until Sun 26 July, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery AN ENGLISHMEN ABROAD Exhibition examining the changing focus of pilgrims and the countries that their pilgrimages have taken them to, until Sat 31 Oct, Worcester City Museum & Art Gallery INHERITING ROME Exhibition which uses money to explore and question our deep-seated familiarity with the Roman Empire’s imagery, until Sun 24 Jan 2016, The Barber Institute, Birmingham

POP IN SPACE: WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON Exploring artists’ responses to the Space Race during the Cold War, until Sat 18 July, Wolverhampton Art Gallery

THE ART OF PASTELS The Birmingham and Midland Pastel Society presents this exhibition showing the use of pastels in a wide variety of styles and approaches from figurative to abstract, Wed 4 - Sun 28 March, Artrix, Bromagrove

SOLDIERS’ STORIES: BIRMINGHAM AND THE

JON WILLIAMS: SENSATIONAL CLAY Touring

exhibition from Bilston Craft Gallery, featuring ceramics by Herefordbased maker Jon Williams, Fri 6 Mar Mon 4 May, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa DRESDEN EXCHANGE Artist-led initiative founded in 2012 by John Yeadon and Jean Kirsten which seeks to develop dialogue and communication between artists from the cities of Coventry and Dresden, Fri 13 Mar - Sun 19 Apr, Lanchester Gallery, Coventry University SIGN, SYMBOL & SCRIPT David Walton’s large abstract paintings, based on the symbolic marks on ancient stones, Sat 14 Mar Sat 11 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery THE NON-CONFORMISTS: PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN PARR Featuring the first major body of work by celebrated documentary photographer & satirist Martin Parr, Sat 14 Mar - Sun 7 June, Compton Verney, Warwickshire ART IN THE PARK: KERN BABY BY FAYE CLARIDGE This enigmatic new commission by artist Faye Claridge for the grounds at Compton

Verney will take on the form of an exaggerated sculptural emblem of folklore, Sat 14 Mar Sun 13 Dec, Compton Verney, Warwickshire CAROLINE DEVINE: POETICS OF (OUTER SPACE) Installation exploring the natural acoustic resonances of stars and the orbits of newly discovered exoplanets here sonified data from the NASA Kepler Mission is presented as an evolving composi-

tion, Wed 18 - Sun 22 Mar, Perrott’s Folly, Waterworks Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham YOU ARE HERE A series of newly commissioned audio & video portraits

by Chris Paul Daniels of residents and workers from Digbeth and Bordesley Village, Thurs 9 Mar - Fri 3 Apr, A3 Project Space, Digbeth, Birmingham EXPRESSIONS OF THE HUMAN ART FORM Six

RBSA members & associates focus on the human figure within the context of the traditions of western art, Mon 30 Mar - Sat 11 Apr, RBSA, Birmingham EAT, DRINK, WORK, REST & PLAY EXHIBITION A show by Colin Wilkinson & John Shakespeare RBSA which celebrates everyday life and objects, Mon 30 Mar - Sat 11 Apr, RBSA, Birmingham

Museums & Art Galleries Birmingham

Black Country

Warwickshire

ARTIFEX Sutton Coldfield 0121 323 3776 BARBER INSTITUTE 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 0121 303 2834 CASTLE GALLERIES 0121 248 8484

BANTOCK HOUSE WOLVERHAMPTON 01902 552195 BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY 01902 552507 BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM, DUDLEY 01384 812745 DUDLEY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01384 815575 LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CENTRE WOLVERHAMPTON 01902 716055 THE NEW ART GALLERY WALSALL 01922 654400 RED HOUSE GLASS CONE 01384 812750 WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY 01902 552055

COMPTON VERNEY GALLERY 01926 645500 HERBERT ART GALLERY COVENTRY 02476 832386 LANCHESTER GALLERY, COVENTRY 02476 887831 MEAD GALLERY WARWICK 02476 524524 ROYAL PUMP ROOMS 01926 742700 RUGBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01788 533201

GRAND UNION 0121 643 9079 IKON GALLERY 0121 248 0708 NUMBER NINE THE GALLERY 0121 643 9099 RBSA GALLERY 0121 2364353 STRYX GALLERY, DIGBETH stryxarts@gmail.com THREE WHITE WALLS GALLERY 0121 200 3328

Worcestershire WORCESTER CITY ART GALLERY 01905 25371

Visit whatsonlive.co.uk for venue website details

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Events

Shen Yun International Convention Centre, Birmingham, Sat 28 - Sun 29 March Shen Yun Performing Arts’ stated mission is to revive five millennia of civilisation. That’s no small order, but they nonetheless make a decent fist of it with this high-energy show, taking their audience on ‘an extraordinary journey to the lost land of the ancient Middle Kingdom’.

‘Magical legends and heavenly realms’ abound in a production that brings together classical Chinese dance with ethnic and folk dances.

‘Stunning’ animated backdrops, ‘exquisite’ costumes and an orchestra blending East and West also feature.

The Fast Show

Hobbycrafts

Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton, Sun 22 March

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 March

This is the first ‘performance and modified car’ event on the 2015 calendar, kick-starting the season in fine style. Attractions include club stand displays, Run What Ya Brung, FWD & JDS drag racing, drifting, stunt displays, a jet car, a trade village and funfair rides.

Santa Pod is billing the event as having ‘something for everyone’, whether your car is about ‘show’ or ‘go’, a modified hot-hatch, a retro classic or a supercar.

A dream for craft enthusiasts, this award-winning event is the UK’s largest creative crafts show - providing talks and demonstrations, an unrivalled array of hands-on experiences and plenty of inspiration for the thousands of visitors who pass through its doors.

A ticket to the show also allows entry into Hobbycraft’s companion events...

Sewing For Pleasure features some of the very best in the industry helping visitors brush up on their talents.

Fashion Embroidery & Stitch, meanwhile, is the ultimate showcase for those with a love of stitch and textiles.

The event features costumes from the retail-inspired TV drama Mr Selfridge, daily catwalk shows and live demonstrations.

WIN TIC

KETS

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Events PREVIEWS British Alpaca Futurity Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Fri 27 - Sat 28 March

The chance to buy fleeces, tops and a range of beautiful textiles features amongst the attractions at this year’s British Alpaca Futurity. The popular event, which is often described as ‘Crufts for alpacas’, attracts thousands of visitors from across the UK and Europe. This year’s get-together includes a new show promoting textile artists, designers, and companies selling exquisite handmade objects and designs.

Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, Tues 3 - Sun 8 March

Coventry Transport Museum Spring Fair Coventry Transport Museum, Sat 21 - Sun 22 March

An ever-popular event on the Coventry Transport Museum calendar, this annual spring fair showcases the work of local craftspeople and offers visitors the perfect opportunity to purchase items made by some of the region’s most creative people.

The show features stalls selling one-off jewellery pieces and toys, paintings and photographs, artisan food products and cards.

Blists Hill Victorian Town Blists Hill Victorian Town, Nr Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 28 March - Sun 12 April

Join the residents of Blists Hill Victorian Town this month for a whole host of Easter-themed activities. Kicking off the fun is egg dancing at the Print Shop. Watch the residents, blindfolded, dance across the streets, attempting to avoid the eggs placed along their route.

Everyone can have a go, and there’s even a prize for completing the course! The self-led ‘bunny hunt’, meanwhile, is a great way to explore the town. Follow the trail correctly and find all the bunnies to collect a prize.

And if you’ve still got the energy and enthusiasm to enjoy even more fun, then drop into the ‘goods shed’ and make a unique shadow lamp, lighting it up using a not-soVictorian battery-operated tea light!

This month sees a host of world-class badminton players visit the Midlands to compete for the Yonex title. The popular event, the one hundred-and-fifth of its kind, is taking place in Birmingham for the twenty-second year. The 2015 contest not only offers fans the chance to see players from the Commonwealth Games medal-winning England team but also the legendary Chinese Olympic Champion Lin Dan, who’ll be attempting to win his sixth Yonex title.

England’s mixed doubles stars Chris and Gabby Adcock are also in attendance. The popular pair will be going all out to land England’s first title since Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms in 2005. Let battle commence...

Red Nose Crafts Dudley Canal Tunnel, Sat 14 March

Funny face making craft activities provide an added attraction for visitors to Dudley Canal Tunnel and Limestone Mines this month. The activities are being run by Dudley Canal Trust in support of Red Nose Day, with all proceeds donated to Comic Relief.

The sessions, which run between 11.30am and 1.30pm, are in addition to the site’s regular forty-five-minute guided boat trips through the tunnels (10.30am to 3pm), which come complete with videos, lifelike reconstructions, music and light shows. Bookings for craft activities can be made in advance by calling 0121 557 6265.

Other attractions include the Spring’s largest indoor autojumble, a ‘cars for sale’ area, Silverstone auctions, the Practical Classics Live Stage and the UK’s biggest collection of barn find displays.

Miniatura NEC, Birmingham, Sat 28 - Sun 29 March

Miniatura is a highly specialised visitor attraction event established in 1983 and entirely dedicated to the amazing hobby of domestic modelling in 1/12th and related scales. The 'one-inch-to-the-foot' scale, as it has always been universally known, is now complimented by other related scales. If you have ever thought that dolls' houses are only toys for children - think again!

Practical Classics Restoration Show NEC, Birmingham, Sat 28 - Sun 29 March

Midlands Classic Car enthusiasts can really immerse themselves in their passion at this specialist event.

Showcasing in excess of five hundred magnificent motors, the show also boasts live demos, expert tutorials, workshops, celebrity seminars and three hundred-and-fifty exhibitors selling a wide range of popular products. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 57

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Events PREVIEWS Homebuilding & Renovating Show NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 26 - Sun 29 March

Whether you’re looking to build a new home from scratch or considering a home renovation project (regardless of size), a visit to the National Homebuilding And Renovating Show is sure to prove a good starting point.

Aimed at the self-builder, the 2015 event features a host of new attractions, such as the Innovation Trail and Ask The Architects.

There are plenty of familiar features in evidence too, including the Advice Centre, Ask The Experts, numerous specialist exhibitors and the chance to peruse hundreds of niche products.

Drayton Manor Theme Park Tamworth, Staffordshire, open daily from 9.45am (from Wed 25 March)

Shakespeare Week Activities Various Locations around the Midlands, Mon 16 - Sun 22 March

A celebration of the most famous playwright of all time, Shakespeare Week takes place in homes, schools and museums across the Midlands and aims to encourage children to enjoy the work of the legendary Stratford bard.

Events include puppet making (All The World’s A Stage, Sat 14 - Sun 22 Mar, Shakespeare’s Houses, Stratford-uponAvon), Fairy Folk Mask Making (Sat 14 - Sun 22 Mar, Halls Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon) and Anne Hathaway’s Forest Creation (Sat 14 Sun 22 Mar, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage & Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon).

Offering a range of cross-curricular resources and activities for teachers and families, Shakespeare Week helps to bring Shakespeare to life.

For a full list of Shakespeare Week events, visit: www.shakespeareweek.org.uk

Drayton Manor Theme Park reopens for the new season this month - complete with a newly expanded Thomas Land. The Staffordshire venue’s popular Thomas The Tank Engine attraction has been increased in size by a staggering forty percent and features three brand new rides.

Drayton Manor is celebrating its sixty-fifth birthday this year and will be offering its visitors the chance to enjoy plenty of thrills and spills in the months ahead.

The park boasts some of the biggest, wettest and scariest rides around, including whiteknuckle thrillers such as adrenaline-inducing drop-tower Apocalypse, Europe’s only stand-up coaster, Shockwave, stomach-churning gyro-swing Maelstrom, and the acrobatic aeroplane flight, Air Race. There’s also the Ben 10: Ultimate Mission rollercoaster, a fifteen-acre zoo and a 4D cinema - featuring special simulations - to enjoy.

“We’re proud of our heritage here at Drayton Manor Theme Park,” says the visitor attraction’s CEO, Colin Bryan. “We’re still family owned and understand what our visitors want in order to ensure that they have a fun-filled day out that everyone can enjoy.”

Live (from the BBC TV series Robot Wars), the show is the ideal place to pick up those much sought-after collectables.

And with a fantastic line-up of TV and movie stars in attendance, it’s a great day out for autograph-hunters too.

Spring Makes Craft & Art Fair

The Big Bang Fair NEC, Birmingham, Wed 11 - Sat 14 March

Recognised as the UK’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths for young people, The Big Bang Fair brings together leading business and industry experts for four action-packed days of theatre shows, interactive workshops and exhibits. Highlights of the 2015 event include Supertasters, which not only features live eyeball dissection and cutting-edge food chemistry but also TV presenter Stefan Gates firing smell cannons! There’s also #Error404 - which explores the science behind computer coding using pyrotechnics and fireballs - and CSI workshops, offering visitors the chance to try their hand at being real-life forensic scientists. The Big Bang Fair Family Fun Day, meanwhile (Saturday and Sunday only), features plenty of engaging activities to keep children of all ages entertained.

Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry, Sat 7 March

MCM Comic Con And Memorabilia NEC, Birmingham, Sat 21 - Sun 22 March

Birmingham’s best comic con returns to the NEC with Britain’s biggest collectors’ event, Memorabilia. Featuring Comic Village - for budding creators, artists and writers - the MCM Main Stage, dealer stalls and Robots

A brand new event on the Herbert Museum & Art Gallery calendar, the Spring Makes Craft & Art Fair promises a fun and interesting day for all. Local craftspeople demonstrating their talents, workshops in which to learn new skills, and stallholders offering the chance to create under their guidance provide plenty of opportunity for visitors to show off their artistic flair.

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk from

SUN 1 MAR ELIZABETHAN LIVING HISTORY WEEKEND The Reenactment group fill the hall with costumes and artifacts, bringing the period to life, Sun 1 Mar, Harvington Hall, Kidderminster COVENTRY HALF MARATHON Traffic-free road race set in the heart of Coventry, Sun 1 Mar, Coventry City Centre TIMBERLAKE WERTENBAKER The influential screenwriter and translater talks about playwriting, Sun 1 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove MUSIC DAY A day of musical activities, performances and fun, Sun 1 Mar, Library of Birmingham FRIENDS BOOK SALE Including Children’s Book Corner storytelling, Sun 1 Mar, Birmingham Botanical Gardens THE NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW Described as ‘the ultimate wedding experience’, the National Wedding Show features over three hundred wedding specialists showcasing their wares and providing endless inspiration for your big day, until Sun 1 Mar, NEC, Birmingham CADBURY CHARACTER WEEKEND Featuring Caramel Bunny, Freddo & more..., until Sun 1 Mar, Cadbury World, Birmingham ART CART FAMILY FUN Family art and craft sessions in the galleries using a mobile art cart, Sun 1 - Sat 7 Mar, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum TELESCOPE CLINIC Mon 2 Mar, Bromsgrove Rugby Football Club THE LIFE & LOVES OF QUEEN BESS A special opportunity to see original documents from the Coventry Borough

Archive related to Elizabeth I, Tues 3 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry BELIEF & SUPERSTITION Delve deeper into the mysterious history of folklore and customs, Tues 3 Mar, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham THE YONEX ALL ENGLAND OPEN BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS One of the oldest and most prestigious open badminton tournaments in the world, bringing together the top ten players from each discipline to compete for the coveted title, Tue 3 Sun 8 Mar, The Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham WINTER GUIDED TOUR A chance to see Aston Hall during the closed season, Wed 4 Mar, Aston Hall, Birmingham WINTER TOURS An informative winter tour to find out more about the incredible story of Soho House and the world-changing meetings that took place there, Thurs 5 Mar, Soho House, Birmingham EARLY YEARS PLAY DAYS Giving children aged one to three an opportunity to explore and investigate through sensory play, Thurs 5 Fri 6 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry CANDLELIGHT TOURS Warm yourself by the open fires of the Back To Backs and sample the delights of fresh brown bread toasted on the range, with either jam or dripping, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Mar, Birmingham Back to Backs CRUFTS The world's largest dog show returns with activities for the whole family, Thurs 5 - Sun 8 Mar, NEC, Birmingham CARIBBEAN BEACH PARTY WEEKEND Sit back and enjoy the Caribbean sounds & splish-splash

Fabulous Froggies - Sea Life Centre, Birmingham

Character Weekend - Cadbury World, Birmingham

your way around the resort’s tropical waterpark, Fri 6 - Sat 7 Mar, Alton Towers Resort, Staffs CRAFT AND ART FAIR The first ever Spring makers craft fair, Sat 7 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry SCIENCE CLUB - OPTICAL ILLUSIONS Sat 7 Mar, Red House Glass Cone, Dudley AN INTRODUCTION TO WICKER BASKETRY Expert Jonathan Ridgeon teaches how to weave small, medium and multi-purpose baskets, Sat 7 Mar, Selly Manor, Birmingham DIAL IN DAY An opportunity for RWYBers to have a go and learn about bracket racing before taking the plunge and going racing for real. Pre-entry only, normal RWYB rules apply, Sat 7 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton POOH’S BASKET OF SURPRISES Storytelling session read by a professional storyteller, craft activities and Pooh Bear meet-and-greet, Sat 7 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch BIRMINGHAM GREENFEST Sat 7 Mar, Birmingham Botanical Gardens DISCOVER YOUR IRISH FAMILY HISTORY Join Maggie Loughran, an

expert in British and Irish genealogy, for a fascinating lecture with advice on how to discover your Irish family history, Sat 7 Mar, Birmingham Back to Backs HERITAGE WEEKEND Take a guided stroll around the beautiful Bournville Village and learn about its history, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, Cadbury World, Birmingham FABULOUS FROGGIES Join in the froggy activities, including activity books and badge making, Sat 7 - Sun 15 Mar, National Sealife Centre, Birmingham RUN WHAT YA BRUNG Offering the chance to take your car or motorcycle out on the famous quarter-mile dragstrip and test its performance limits in a safe and legal environment, Sun 8 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY A panel discussion and collection of monologues, all sharing experiences of women, Sun 8 Mar, mac Midlands Art Centre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 9 MAR SPRING HAS SPRUNG A guided walk around the estate at this very hectic time of year, Tues 10 Mar, Charecote Park, Warwick DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG Chance to practise drifting in safe and legal conditions on some of the Pod's thirty acres of open tarmac, where there are beginners, intermediate and advanced tracks open at the same time each DWYB day, Wed 11 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton WINTER GUIDED TOUR A chance to see Aston Hall during the closed

season, Wed 11 Mar, Aston Hall, Birmingham THE BIG BANG: UK YOUNG SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS FAIR Celebration of science and engineering for young people, aiming to inspire through engaging and interactive activities, workshops and shows, Wed 11 - Sat 14 Mar, NEC, Birmingham MY AMERICAN ODYSSEY: FROM THE WINDRUSH TO THE WHITEHOUSE Book launch of Roger Griffiths' story, which charts the life of a Black British boy growing up in 1980s England. Roger's travels around America, and the influence of Black-British and African-American culture in education, religion, music, sport & politics are also explored, Thurs 12 Mar, The Drum, Birmingham WINTER TOURS Informative winter tour to find out more about the incredible story of Soho House and the world-changing meetings that took place there, Thurs 12 Mar, Soho House, Birmingham BEHIND-THE-SCENESTOURS Spend the day on an ‘access all areas’ tour with staff, Fri 13 Mar, Whitley Court and Gardens, Worcestershire PIRATE WEEKEND Featuring pirate activities throughout the weekend, including entertainment from Pirate Bill, Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar, Alton Towers Resort, Staffs TREE CLIMBING AT CROOME Tree climb with experts from the Big Tree Company, Sat 14 Mar, Croome Park, Worcester OUTDOOR PURSUITS ACTIVITY DAY Learn how to survive in the wilderness through a host of bushcraft survival skills & orienteering activities, Sat 14 Mar, Conkers,

Swadlincote, Derbyshire CRADLEY HEATH CREATIVE: LOCKED IN A local arts festival at a local pub, featuring film, photography, crafts, drawings & paintings, Sat 14 Mar, The Holly Bush Pub, Cradley Heath SOOTY’S FUN HOUSE Sooty and co return with a new show to entertain the whole family, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar, Cadbury World, Birmingham SUNS, MOONS AND STARS Get creative making suns, moons and stars inspired by Shakespeare, Sat 14 Sun 22 Mar, Harvard House, Stratford-uponAvon FAIRY FOLK MASKS Create fairy folk masks inspired by Shakespeare’s Dream and take to the stage to act out a scene, Sat 14 - Sun 22 Mar, Hall’s Croft, Stratford-uponAvon ANNE HATHAWAY’S FOREST CREATION Be inspired by the woodland walk and create your own flower garland or folk crown, Sat 14 - Sun 22 Mar. Anne Hathaway’s Cottage & Gardens, Stratfordupon-Avon ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE Join the education team to make puppets, props, masks and scenery to perform in the Midsummer Night’s Dream Puppet Show, Sat 14 - Sun 22 Mar, Shakespeare Houses, Stratford-upon-Avon GLOVE PUPPET WORKSHOP Visit the glovemaking workshop and make your very own glove puppet to take away with you, Sat 14 - Sun 22 Mar, Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon MUMS GO FREE IN THE GARDENS & BONSAI BOOT SALE Sun 15 Mar, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk SILVERSTONE HALF MARATHON A chance to run on the silverstone circuit, Sun 15 Mar, Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire MUMS & GRANDMOTHERS GO FREE AT RAGLEY Visit Ragley Hall, where mums and grandmothers go free, for woodland walks, antique collections and a stroll around the gardens, Sun 15 Mar, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire FREE FOR MUMS Enjoy a stroll around the grounds, Sun 15 Mar, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove

Week Commencing

MON 16 MAR IMAGINING MUSHROOMS A chance to create your very own mushroominspired cyanotype, Mon 16 Mar, Winterbourne House & Gardens, Birmingham DAMIAN PEACH - THE GIANT PLANET JUPITER Mon 16 Mar, Bromsgrove Rugby Football Club EQUINOX MIXED MEDIA

FESTIVAL Founded by Beatfreaks, this community-based festival pioneers young talent in film, photography and design, Mon 16 Fri 20 Mar, Various locations across Birmingham TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Use the tube lining technique to produce a 6x6inch tile featuring your own design and choice of colours.

Fired tiles can later be sent home for a small extra charge to cover postage and packing, Tues 17 Mar, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire HERBERT ILLUMINATION: RECORDING BRITAIN CURATORS TALK Curator Gill Saunders from the V&A offers an insight into the Recording Britain exhibition, Tue 17 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry WINTER GUIDED TOUR A chance to see Aston Hall during the closed season, Wed 18 Mar, Aston Hall, Birmingham WINTER TOURS An informative winter tour

to find out more about the incredible story of Soho House and the world-changing meetings that took place there, Thurs 19 Mar, Soho House, Birmingham OFFICIAL SQUEAMISHNESS’: THE AIR MINISTRY AND THE BOMBER OFFENSIVE OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR Lecture by Air Commodore (ret'd) Dr Peter Gray. This event forms part of The Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies that are held in conjunction with the Royal Aeronautical Society and the University of Wolverhampton, Thurs 19 Mar, University of Wolverhampton SEWING FOR PLEASURE AND FASHION EMBROIDERY & STICH Fans of knitting, sewing, patchwork and cross stich should be sure to visit, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Mar, NEC, Birmingham HOBBYCRAFTS For all the latest creative craft supplies, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Mar, NEC, Birmingham FLATPACK FILM FESTIVAL A mixture of films, performances, contraptions and surprises, Thurs 19 - Sun 29 Mar, Across Birmingham THE STORY GARDEN Active storytelling sessions where children

Caribbean Beach Party Weekend - Alton Towers Resort

aged four to eight and their parents/carers can get involved in telling Shakespeare's stories in a fun and lively way, Sat 21 Mar, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon CHILDREN’S BOOK FESTIVAL Join time-travelling Professor McGinty for a historical tour of Tudor times, Sat 21 Mar, Selly Manor, Birmingham RECORDING COVENTRY Photography Workshop with New Art West Midlands artist Megan Sheridan, exploring the principles of street pho-

tography. Booking required, Sat 21 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Run What Ya Brung till late. Track open from 9.30am 8pm, with evening entertainment and camping, Sat 21 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM PUPPET SHOWS Take along the puppets you've created at All The World’s A Stage (Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar) and watch the magical enactment of

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shows will take place throughout the day, Sat 21 Mar, Mary Arden Farm, Stratfordupon-Avon EASTER RAG RUG Learn about the craft and techniques which will help you create a wreath for all occasions. All tools, materials and Easter refreshments are provided, Sat 21 Mar, Birmingham Back to Backs SUPERHERO STORIES Superhero stories with the site’s storyteller, Sat 21 Mar, Gladstone

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Pottery Museum, Stokeon-Trent MICROSCOPIC! Discover the world beyond the reach of the human eye, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, The Elgar Birthplace Museum, Worcestershire SPRING CRAFT FAIR Local crafts people present beautiful gifts for that special person, including jewellery, toys, food, paintings and photographs, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, Coventry Transport Museum, Coventry WATERLOO COMMEMORATION WEEKEND Celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, with re-enactors preparing for combat, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, Avoncroft, Bromsgrove MCM COMIC CON & MEMORABILIA Birmingham’s best comic con and Britain’s biggest collectors’ event, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, NEC, Birmingham GRUESOME GRIPES & MURDEROUS MEDICINE A weekend of fun and gruesome activities about life in Tudor times, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum, Royal Leamington Spa CADBURY CHARACTER WEEKEND Featuring Caramel Bunny, Freddo & more..., Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, Cadbury World, Birmingham THE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW An event dedicated to the world of photography, Sat 21 - Tue 24 Mar, NEC, Birmingham MEET THE TUDORS Explore portraits, costumes and mystery objects, Sun 22 Mar, Compton Verney Art

Gallery, Warwick THE MEE CLUB WORKSHOP Workshop led by Cat Weatherill.

Discover more about real-life storytelling, Sun 22 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry THE FAST SHOW The season-opening show for all performance and modified car enthusiasts. Featuring FWD Drag Series, RWYB, Show’n’Shine, stunt shows, traders, car clubs - and a heated nightclub on Saturday night!, Sun 22 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton CROOME SPRING MARKET Lots of things to tempt you on the food and craft stalls, Sun 22 Mar, Croome Park, Worcester DAFFODIL TOUR Join the Head Gardener for a walk around the collections of daffodils, Sun 22 Mar, Spetchley Park and Gardens, Worcestershire

Week Commencing

MON 23 MAR NATIONAL BADMINTON LEAGUE Birmingham Lions vs Loughborough Sport, Mon 23 Mar, Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham STAR-GAZING AT CROOME Join the team for an evening walk around the grounds and experience Croome under the stars, Mon 23 Mar, Croome Park, Worcester THE LIFE & LOVES OF QUEEN BESS A special opportunity to see original documents from the Coventry Borough Archive related to Elizabeth I, Tues 24 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery

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& Museum, Coventry DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG Chance to practise drifting in safe and legal conditions on some of the Pod's thirty acres of open tarmac, where there are beginners, intermediate and advanced tracks open at the same time each DWY,B day, Wed 25 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton HEAD GARDENER TOUR Enjoy a tour of the grounds and learn more about the work involved in maintaining the garden, Thurs 26 Mar, Witley Court & Gardens, Worcestershire SPRING HIGHLIGHTS GARDEN TOUR Enjoy a guided tour of the gardens, Thurs 26 Mar, Winterbourne House & Gardens, Birmingham VIDEO GAMES LIVE BONUS ROUND Picture the energy and excitement of a rock concert mixed with the power and emotion of a live symphony orchestra, combined together by the technology, interactivity, stunning visuals and fun that only video games can provide, Thurs 26 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING SHOW Find everything you’ll need for your next home improvement project, Thurs 26 - Sun 29 Mar, NEC, Birmingham TOAST AND MARMALADE: STORIES FROM THE KITCHEN DRESSER Join Emma Bridgewater for an afternoon of stories, tea and delicious cake..., Fri 27 Mar, Lord Leycester Hospital, Warwick BRITISH ALPACA FUTURITY AND P-LUSH SHOW 2015 The largest alpaca show in Europe, with 400 alpacas in the show ring. Fri 27 - Sat 28 Mar, Ricoh Arena, Coventry BANKING FOR VICTORY: A COUNTRY HOUSE AT WAR

Equinox Mixed Media Festival - Various Locations Around Birmingham

A chance to discover more about the history of the house, Fri 28 Mar, Upton House & Gardens, Warwickshire RUN WHAT YA BRUNG Chance to take your car or motorcycle out on the famous quartermile dragstrip and test its performance limits in a safe and legal environment, Sat 28 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton THE HISTORY OF GARDENS A look at the records of the history of gardening in Warwick, Sat 28 Mar, Priory Gardens, Warwick SOOTY’S FUN HOUSE Sooty and co return with a new show to entertain the whole family, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, Cadbury World, Birmingham MINIATURA - THE INTERNATIONAL DOLLS' HOUSE MODELLING SHOW Specialised event dedicated to domestic modelling in 1/12th and related scales, Sat 28 Sun 29 Mar, NEC, Birmingham PRACTICAL CLASSICS RESTORATION SHOW With inspirational advice, live demos, workshops and celebrity seminars, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, NEC, Birmingham DINOSAUR EGG HUNT Test your dinosaur knowledge and follow the trail, Sat 28 Mar Sat 11 April, Library of Birmingham THE GREAT EASTER BUNNY HUNT Featuring a new themed trail where visitors can hunt for the Easter Bunnies hiding in the Blists Hill woods, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge EASTER-THEMED SHADOW LAMP MAKING Design and make your own shadow lamp using card & battery-powered tea light, Sat 28 Mar Sun 12 Apr, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge, Shropshire EGG DANCING & EASTER FUN Join the residents of Blists Hill as they celebrate Easter over the

school holidays, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge, Shropshire KEEP THE HOME FIRES BURNING Discover Elgar’s Great War with the soldiers’ kitbag trail, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, The Elgar Birthplace Museum, Worcestershire GEORGIAN JEWELS Follow the trail to find the hidden treasures in the garden, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Berrington Hall, Herefordshire CROOME’S EGGSPLORER TRAIL Collect the clues from around the parkland to win a prize when you finish, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 April, Croome Park, Worcester EASTER EGG TRAIL Explore the grounds on this exciting trail with Cadbury’s Egg prizes, Sun 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire LIGHT WORKSHOPS Drop-in family workshops to illuminate your understanding of light, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge PREPARING THE WILDFLOWER MEADOW Help prepare the meadow, try your hand at scything and raking, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire EASTER CRAFT FAIR Bespoke gifts and treats from talented businesses in the West Midlands, Sat 28 Mar Sun 12 Apr, Becketts Farm, Wythall, Birmingham EASTER TRAIL Follow the Easter-themed trail to solve the clues and win a prize, Sat 28 Mar Wed 15 Apr, Beacon Park, Lichfield Staffs PAINTY: RECORDING COVENTRY Artist Craig Gilman helps you create a masterpiece of your own to take home.

All materials will be provided and no experience is necessary.

Suitable for adults.

Booking required, Sun 29 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry THE MEE CLUB WORKSHOP Workshop led by Cat Weatherill.

Discover more about real-life storytelling, Sun 29 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry STRAIGHTLINERS Bikeonly RWYB, including Round One of the Straightliners Championship, Sun 29 Mar, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton SPRING IN THE GARDEN Join Croome’s garden team for a detailed and guided walk round the spring flowers, Mon 30 Mar, Croome Park, Worcester HOME SWEET HOME FAMILY WORKSHOPS Make your own tea light holders, inspired by the intricate china cottage models known as the Coalport pastille burners, Mon 30 Mar - Fri 3 Apr, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire EASTER-THEMED TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Mon 30 Mar Sat 4 Apr, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire EASTER FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Easter holiday family entertainment, Mon 30 Mar - 19 April, Cadbury World, Birmingham FAMILY CRAFTS Tues 31 Mar, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery, Dudley GO WILD! Explore the great outdoors, make shelters and learn bushcrafts, Tues 31 Mar- Thurs 2 Apr, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove GROSS GAZUNDAS & PUTRID PRIVIES Explore the interesting world of gross gazundas and putrid privies by following the trail while taking a tour of the Back To Backs, Tue 31 Mar Sun 12 April, Birmingham Back to Backs

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Eating Out Independent cafe opens new Eastside venue One of Birmingham’s most popular independent coffee shops, Six Eight Kafe, has opened its second outlet at Eastside’s Millennium Point. Voted one of the top fifty coffee shops in the UK by The Independent, the cafe serves an acclaimed range of coffee, speciality teas and artisan food. It’s also one of the largest independent artisan coffee shops in the Midlands, and has developed a loyal following since opening in Temple Row in 2011.

Soho comes to Birmingham This month sees the opening of a new and exclusive entertainment venue in the heart of Birmingham.

Following substantial investment, The Soho Rooms are being refurbished and will be ready to open by the end of March.

Located on Holloway Head, on the site of the former Sunset Club, The Soho Rooms promise to be a sophisticated, high-end venue. The rooms will include a fine dining steak restaurant, a luxury bar serving high-quality beverages and a nightclub. Also available are VIP karaoke suites and a Moroccan-themed shisha lounge.

Commenting on the new venue, General Manager Dean Jessop said: “It’s a concept that’s been very popular in London, one which we feel Birmingham is now ready for.”

Dean Jessop - General Manager

Plenty of choices at Prezzo...

REVIEW Prezzo is a new two hundred-seater restaurant on the corner. It’s big, shiny and gleaming with newness! The interior is all deep greys and very Terence Conran in feel and style. The staff are very friendly, too.

Visiting during its first week of trading, we were seated in a booth that was very cosy but very dark!

The choices on the menu were plentiful - but with so many great-sounding dishes, it was hard to make a definitive decision.

For starters we had the baked mushrooms, stuffed with grana padano and mozzarella cheese, garlic, onions, mushrooms and breadcrumbs.

The pizzas looked amaz-

ing - ‘crafted from artisan ingredients, direct from the heart of Italy’ - but I fancied something less carb-heavy. I decided on the spaghetti with king prawns made with spinach, red onion and red chilli in a tomato and garlic sauce. The sauce was quite light and could’ve done with an extra kick of chilli in it, but the dish was plentiful.

Hubby had the calzone with chicken and meatballs, which was mouthwateringly good. Do check if it’s pork or beef. They changed it for us, which was great. So we had the seasoned chicken, meatballs, mushrooms and crushed chillies with bolognese sauce. I’m glad we tried something different - it proved to be a fantastic dish.

The Kids’ Menu - great value at £6.50 for three courses and a drink offers classic little dishes made for little people aged five to eleven. Their pizza was massive for their little appetites, but they certainly gave it a good go.

As food chains go, this is one of the best I’ve been to. Anita Champaneri.

Food: nnnnn Service: nnnnn Ambience: n n n n n Overall value n n n n n OVERALL n n n n n Prezzo Unit 1A 14 New Square West Bromwich B70 7PP Tel: 0121 553 4482

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 65

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Restaurant LISTINGS For full listing information on restaurants, including opening times and type of cuisine, visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Birmingham AALTO RESTAURANT Hotel La Tour, Albert Street, Birmingham B5 5JT 0121 718 8000 AIR RESTAURANT LG Arena, Bickenhill Rd, 0844 338 0333 BALCONY BRASSERIE Selfridges On4, The Bullring, B5 4BP BANK 4 Brindleyplace, B1 2JB 0121 633 4466 BAR ESTILO 10-114 Wharfside St, The Mailbox, B1 1RF 0121 643 3443 BARAJEE 265 Broad Street, B1 2DS 0121 643 6699 BELLA ITALIA 102 New Street, B2 4HQ 0121 643 1548 BERLIOZ Burlington Arcade, New St, B2 4JQ 0121 633 1737 BLUE GINGER 32 Poplar, Rd, Kings Heath, B14 7AD 0121 444 0999 BLUE MANGO Regency Wharf, Broad St, B1 2DS 0121 633 4422 BLUE PIANO RESTAURANT AND BAR 24-26 Harborne Rd, B15 3AA 0121 454 6877 BUONISSIMO 1 Albany Rd, Harborne, B17 9JX 0121 426 2444 CAFE OPUS 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, B1 2HS 0121 248 3226 CAFE SAFFRON Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury B69 4RR 0121 552 1752 CARLUCCIO’S The Water’s Edge, Brindleyplace B1 2HP 0121 633 9262 CENTENARY BAR & BRASSERIE Broad Street, B1 2EP 0121 245 2080 CHI BAR & GRILL 61 Newhall Street, B3 3RB 0121 233 3150 CHIMICHANGA 41 Mill Lane Arcade, Touchwood, Solihull, B91 3GS 0121 704 0749 CHUNG YING 16-18 Wrottersley Street,

B5 4RT 0121 622 5669 CHUNG YING CENTRAL 126 Colmore Row, B3 3AP 0121 400 0888 CHUNG YING GARDEN 17 Thorpe St, B5 4AT 0121 666 6622 CIELO 6 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, B1 2JB 0121 632 6882 COAST TO COAST 9 Brindleyplace, Broad Street, B1 2HJ COTE The Mailbox, B1 1RX 0121 631 1587 CUCINA RUSTICA 24 Ludgate Hill, B3 1DX 0121 233 2277 EASTZEAST 167 Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1AY, 0121 643 4808 EDMUNDS 6 Brindley place, B1 2JB 0121 633 4944 FIESTA DEL ASADO 229 Hagley Road, Birmingham, B16 9RP 0121 445 9331 FLEET STREET KITCHEN Fleet Street, Islington Gates, B3 1JH 0121 236 0100 ITIHAAS 18 Fleet St, B3 1JL 0121 212 3383 JAMIE’S ITALIAN Middle Mall, Bullring Shopping Centre, B5 4BE 0121 270 3610 JIMMY SPICES Regency Wharf, Broad St, B1 2DS 0121 643 2111 LAS IGUANAS Arcadian Centre, Hurst St, B5 4TD 0121 622 4466 LASAN 3-4 Dakota Buildings, James St, St Paul’s Square, B3 1SD 0121 212 3664 THE LOFT LOUNGE 143 Bromsgrove St, B5 6RG 0121 622 2444 THE LOST & FOUND 8 Bennetts Hill, B2 5RS 0121 643 9293 LOVES The Glasshouse, Browning St, B16 8FL 0121 454 5151 MECHU 47 - 59 Summer Row, B3 1JJ 0121 212 1661 METRO BAR & GRILL 73 Cornwall St B3 2DF 0121 200 1911

THE DINNER CLUB

MINT Yew Tree Retail Park, Stoney Lane Yardley, B25 8YP 0121 789 8908 MOUNT FUJI The Bullring, B5 4BH 0121 633 9853 NUVO BAR 11 Brindley Place, B1 2LP 0121 631 1600 OPUS 54 Cornwall St, B3 2DE 0121 200 2323 THE ORIENTAL The Mailbox, 128-130 Wharfside St, B1 1RQ 0121 633 9988 PEACHY KEENS 1741 Coventry Road, B26 1DS 0121 764 5519 PENNY BLACKS The Mailbox, 132-134 Wharfside St, B1 1XL 0121 632 1460 PICCOLINO 9 Brindleyplace B1 2HS 0121 634 3055 PITCHER & PIANO Brindleyplace, B1 2HP 0121 643 0214 POPPY RED Arcadian Centre, Birmingham B5 4TD 0121 687 1200 PURNELL’S 55 Cornwall St, B3 2DH 0121 212 9799 PURNELL’S BISTO 11 Newhall Street, B3 3NY, 0121 2000 1588 RAJDOOT TANDOORI 78 79 George St, B31 1PY 0121 236 1116 THE RECTORY 50-54 St Paul’s Sq, B3 1QS 0121 605 1001 RED PEPPERS 117 Wharfside St, B1 1RF 0121 643 4202 SAN CARLO 4 Temple St, B2 5BN 0121 633 0251 SHIMLA PINKS 215 Broad St, B15 1AY 0121 633 0366 SIMPSONS, 20 Highfield Rd, Edgbaston B13 3DU 0121 454 3434 THE SLUG AND LETTUCE, Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2HL 0121 633 3049 STRADA 109-111 Wharfside St, The Mailbox B1 1XL 0121 643 7279 TGI FRIDAYS 180 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, B16 9NY 0121 454 1930 THAI EDGE 7 Oozells Sq, B1 2HL 0121 643 3993 TURTLE BAY 81-91 John Bright Street, B1 1BL THE VAULTS Newhall Place, Newhall Hill, B1 3JH 0121 212 9837

(EST 86)

A RECIPE FOR FINE FOOD AND GOOD COMPANY

SINGLE?

For the more discerning unattached person, age 40+ Events weekly include dining out, dinner dances, black tie balls,theatre, parties, weekends away and holidays abroad.

NOT A DATING AGENCY

01244 677030 (Day) / 01244 548816 (Eve/W-end)

www.thedinnerclubuk.com 66 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

WAGAMAMA Brindley Place, birmingham B1 WATERS ON THE SQUARE Chad Square, Hawthorne Rd, Edgbaston, B15 3TQ

Warwickshire 7 SQUARE 7 Old Square, Warwick CV34 4RA 01926 411 755 NO. 9 CHURCH STREET Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 6HB 01789 415522 AGRA PLACE 12 Abbey Green, Nuneaton, CV11 5DR 024 7635 0515 THE ALMANACK Abbey End North, Kenilworth CV8 1QJ 01926 353637 AUBERGINE 32 Smith St, Warwick CV34 4HS 01926 400 086 THE BELL Alderminster, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 8NY 01789 450414 BLUE BISTRO 21 Spon St, Coventry, CV1 3BA 024 7622 9274 CARLUCCIOS 13 Waterside, Stratford-Upon-Avon CV37 6BA 01789 267424 CATALAN 6 Jury St , Warwick CV34 4EW 01926 498 930 THE CHURCH STREET TOWNHOUSE 16 Church Street, Stratford-uponAvon CV37 6HB 01789 262222 COOMBE ABBEY Brinklow Road, Coventry, CV3 2AB 024 7645 0450 CROSSED KHUKRIS GURKHA 115 Abbey Street, Nuneaton, CV11 5BX 024 7634 4488 EDWARD MOON 9 Chapel Street, Stratford-uponAvon, CV37 6EP 01789 267069 EGO 29 The Square, Kenilworth, CV8 1EF 01926 864463 THE ENCORE Bridge Street Stratford upon Avon CV37 6AB 01789 269462 FINEST CATCH B’ham Rd, Henley in Arden. B95 5QR 01564 793783 FIVE RIVERS 20-22 Victoria Terrace, Leamington Spa, CV31 3AB 01926 431999 HIGH PAVEMENT BAR & DINING 3 High Street, CV34 4AP 01926 494725 HELP OUT MILL Heather Rd, Shakerstone, Nuneaton. CV13 0BT 01530 260666 INDIA RED 25 Abbey Street, Nuneaton, CV11 5BX 024 7634 2090 LE BISTRO PIERRE Swans Nest, Bridgford, Stratford upon Avon. CV37 7LT 01789 264804 MALLORY COURT Harbury Lane, Leamington Spa, CV33 9QB, 01926 330214 MATRICARDIS 97 High St, Henley in Arden. B95 5AT 01564 792735 MERCHANTS Swan Street, Warwick CV34 4BJ 01926 403833 NICOLINIS 14 The Parade, Leamington Spa, CV32 4DW 01926 421620 NUMBER SIX Castle Street, Warwick, CV34 4BP 01926 497663

Hotel Du Vin - Birmingham

ONE ELM 1 Guild St, Stratford-Upon-Avon, CV37 6QZ 01789 404919 PREZZO 1-3 High St, Warwick CV34 4AP 01926 475867 RESTAURANT 23 34 Hamilton Terrace, Holly Walk Leamington Spa, CV32 4LY 01926 422422 RISTORANTE DA VINCI 50 Earlsdon Street, Coventry, CV5 6EJ 024 7671 3554 ROBBIE’S RESTAURANT 74 Smith Street, CV34 4HU 01926 400470 ROOFTOP RESTAURANT @ The RST, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6BB 01789 403449 SAFFRON GOLD Market St, Westgate House, Warwick CV34 4DE 01926 402061 THE SAXON MILL Coventry Rd, Guys Cliffe, Warwick CV34 5YN 01926 492 255 TAILORS 22 Market Place, Warwick CV34 4SL 01926 410590 THE TREVELYAN Warwick Rd, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 ONR 01789 295252 THE VINE INN 86 - 88 West St, Warwick CV34 6AW 07873 219005 WARWICK SPICE 24 Smith Street, CV34 4HS 01926 491736 ZIZZI 85-87 Regent Square House, Parade, Leamington Spa CV 32 4NL 01926 432532

Worcestershire ANAKARALI 47 The Tythings, Worcester. WR1 1JT 01905 21412 ANGEL CHEF 1 Angel St, Worcester WR1 3QT 01905 731131 ANUPAM 85 Church Street, Malvern. WR14 2AE 01684 573814 BACCHUS 44 Worcester Road, Bromsgrove B61 0TA 01527 877557 BENEDICTOS 34 Sidbury, Worcester WR1 2HZ 01905 21444 BINDLES BAR & BRASSERIE 55 Sidbury, WR1 2HU 01905 611120 BRAMBLINGS Hither Green Lane, Redditch, B98 9BE 01527 406600 BRIDGE INN Plough Road,

Droitwich WR9 7NQ 01905 345874 CHADDESLEY RESTAURANT Brockencote Hall Hotel, Kidderminster DY10 4PY 01562 777876 THE CHASE INN Chase Rd, Upper Colwall, Malvern.

WR13 6DQ 01684 540276 CHESTERS 51 New St, Worcester, WR1 2DL 01905 611638 CROWN & SANDYS Main Rd, Ombersley, WR9 0EW 01905 62025 EWE AND LAMB Hanbury Road, Bromsgrove B60 4DN 01527 871 929 THE FIG TREE 99 Church Street, Gt Malvern, WR14 2AE 01684 569909 FUSION BRASSERIE Hawbridge, Stoulton, Worcester WR7 4RJ 01905 840647 THE INN AT STONEHALL Stonehall Common, Worcester, WR5 3QG 01905 820462 KING CHARLES II King Charles House, New St, Worcester WR1 2D 01905 22449 L’AMUSE BOUCHE 51 Graham Rd, Malvern.

WR14 2HU 01684 572427 LE BRASSERIE 5 Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster. DY11 6UU 01562 744976 MAEKONG THAI 12 Worcester Road, Bromsgrove B61 7AE 01527 578888 MASSALLA LOUNGE 35 Broad St, Worcester WR1 3NH 01905 729955 MUG HOUSE Claines Lane, Worcester WR3 7RN 01905 456649 ON THE ROCKS 44 Worcester Road, Bromsgrove, B61 7AE 01527 882412 PARADISE BALTI 7 Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster DY11 6UU 01562 60479 PORTWAY ITALIAN, Alcester Rd, Redditch.

B48 7HT 01564 824794 ROSADOS’S 2 Finstall Rd, Aston Fields, Bromsgrove. B60 2DZ 01527 889948 SAFFRON BISTRO 15 New St, Worcester WR1 2DP 01905 610505

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