First Word

from Wolverhampton & Black Country What's On June 2022

Visual Arts

News from around the region

New 1940s event at Black Country Living Museum

A new two-day event will next month reveal fascinating stories of life in the Black Country during the war years of the 1940s. Back Home takes place on 9 & 10 July at the Black Country Living Museum. Commenting on the show, the venue’s director of programmes, Carol King, said: “There will be so many aspects of life from this period to rediscover, including the fearless contributions of ARP wardens, the resourcefulness of those at home, and the vital contribution of the home guard.” For more information, visit bclm.com

Indian movie magic at the Wolverhampton Grand

Responding to the success of its screening last autumn of Bollywood classic Devdas, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is this month showing another Indian film. Screened in Hindi with English subtitles, English Vinglish tells the story of a sweetnatured Indian homemaker who attempts to learn English after travelling alone to New York City to help her sister prepare for a wedding. The film is being screened at the Grand on Saturday 11 June. For more information and to book tickets, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

Himley Hall putting the (Bucks) Fizz into summer

Eurovision winners Bucks Fizz (now The Fizz), ’80s pop duo Go West and Roland Gift from the Fine Young Cannibals are among the performers appearing at next month’s Black Country Weekender - two days of live music and entertainment taking place in the grounds of Dudley’s Himley Hall. The event also features the Ibiza Proms - six hours of dance anthems, classic hits and contemporary tracks performed by The Garage House Orchestra. With further attractions including a comedy tent, local bands, a funfair, real ale & street food, and plenty of games and activities for youngsters to enjoy, the Weekender takes place at Himley on Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 July.

Supersized Elf to make Midlands Christmas visit

Elf: A Christmas Spectacular will make a two-day stopoff at Birmingham's Resorts World Arena this festive season (Thursday 22 & Friday 23 December). The hit Hollywood blockbuster movie has been supersized into a live arena spectacular, complete with a massive stage featuring film backdrops and a mobile stage which travels the auditorium, ensuring that everybody gets a close-up view of the action... You can bag yourself a seat for the show by visiting theticketfactory.com

Flower-powered family fun

A Shropshire company is this summer providing people with the opportunity to visit a field of flowers which is grown and harvested in order to make biodegradable petals and dried flowers. The award-winning Shropshire Petals is teaming up with Shropshire Festivals to offer the novel experience. A field of colourful sunflowers, cornflowers, delphiniums and wildflowers will create the perfect photo backdrop for visitors to the field, which is located in Newport. There will be a viewing platform to take in the spectacular views, street food to tuck into, and the opportunity to buy freshly cut flower bouquets. Kids, meanwhile, can experience the Forest of Fun, complete with a special gnome trail. The flower-field experience will open at the end of July for two weeks only. The exact dates will be revealed once it’s known when the best crop of flowers will be due. To find out more, visit shropshirepetals.com

Full steam ahead with the return of popular show

The Shrewsbury Steam Rally will make a welcome return at Onslow Park on Sunday 28 & Monday 29 August. The familyfriendly event will showcase over 1,000 exhibits, including working tractors, steam engines and beautifully preserved classic vehicles from years gone by. Among the show’s other attractions are an olde-time fair, miniature steam engines, a craft marquee and a full arena programme on both days, featuring moving convoys of historic commercial vehicles and an interactive display of birds of prey.

Lichfield Arts L2F Festival launches competition to find winning song 2022

Lichfield Arts L2F Festival has launched its search for the winning song for 2022. The competition is open to anyone who has an as-yet-unpublished, self-penned song that broadly fits into the global folk tradition. There’s a cash prize to be won and the chance to attend a songwriting forum with John Tamms. Finalists will be invited to perform their songs at Lichfield Arts’ Folk Farm Festival Picnic in September. Two of the short-listed candidates will then be invited to the L2F Festival weekend, to perform their entries at one of the concerts taking place in October. For further information and access to the entry form, visit lichfieldarts.org.uk

Coracle World Championships on the Severn

The famous Coracle World Championships event, staged on the River Severn in Shrewsbury, is set to return this autumn after a two-year absence (on Friday 16 September). The competition, which raises thousands of pounds for Macmillan Cancer Support, sees participants racing across the river in small, roundshaped coracles. The wickerwork boats were once traditionally used for fishing in some parts of the UK, as well as in India, Vietnam and Tibet. Entries have now opened for the event, with at least 40 teams expected to take part... To find out more and get involved, pay an online visit to coracleworldchampionship. co.uk

Take That! Howard to DJ at Ladies Day

Uttoxeter Racecourse’s hugely popular Bresbet Ladies Day returns next month - on Friday 22 July - with Take That's Howard Donald confirmed to DJ live after the racing. Commenting on the news, the racecourse’s general manager, Brian Barrass, said: “Everyone here at Uttoxeter Racecourse loves Ladies Day, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming our racegoers in all their finery alongside Howard.” For further information and to book tickets, visit uttoxeterracecourse.co.uk

Major UK tour for acclaimed National Theatre adaptation

The National Theatre’s critically acclaimed adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean At The End Of The Lane will visit The Alexandra in Birmingham from 23 to 27 May next year. The production then stops off at the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (12 - 16 September 2023) and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (26 - 30 September 2023). Described as ‘a thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship’, the show will visit the three Midlands venues as part of a 40-week tour... For more information and to book tickets, visit atgtickets.com

Taking to the Telford skies

The Telford Balloon Fiesta will return to Telford Town Park over the August bank holiday weekend (the 27th & 28th). A popular event in the borough's calendar, the Fiesta provides an impressive visual spectacle, with more than 30 balloons of varying shapes and sizes taking to the Shropshire skies. The festival will also feature a local music stage, food & drink stalls, LED performers and fire eaters, parkour free runners, BMX stunts and a flight simulator. For up-to-date information, visit telfordtownpark.co.uk

A Different Stage for Gary

Gary Barlow is to bring his new one-man show to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre in the autumn. Taking the title A Different Stage and produced in collaboration with long-time friend Tim Firth, the production sees Gary narrating the story of his life alongside a selection of music from his impressive discography. The show stops off at the Grand from 16 to 20 November. For ticket availability and more information, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

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Dream Big with Disney On Ice this winter

Disney On Ice makes a welcome return to Birmingham this winter with a show that’s encouraging audiences to Dream Big. Featuring a host of the Mouse House’s most popular characters, including numerous Disney princesses, the new production visits Resorts World Arena from 30 November to 4 December. For tickets, visit the venue’s website.

Comics about town

Walking Dead comic-book artist and Shrewsbury resident Charlie Adlard is among the festival guests at this year’s Comics Salopia event, running in the town on Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 June. Charlie is joined by a host of other talented creatives from the comic-book industry for an event which features expert panels, Q&As and numerous workshops (including a brand-new Manga one for adults!). There’s also a comics fair and an across-town interactive comics trail to enjoy. For more information, visit comicssalopia.com

Indian classical dance on show at the Arena Theatre

Fans of Indian classical dance should make a beeline for Wolverhampton’s Arena Theatre on Saturday 18 June, when the venue’s associate artist, Jaivant Patel Dance, curates a show featuring ‘breathtaking performances by some of the most exciting British South Asian dance artists currently on the UK cultural landscape’. For more information, visit wlv.ticketsolve.com

News from around the region

More Midlands venues added to The Mousetrap tour

The latest tour of The Mousetrap will see Agatha Christie’s famous play stopping off at a number of Midlands venues, including The Alexandra, Birmingham (31 October - 5 November), the Lichfield Garrick (27 March 1 April 2023) and the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent (3 - 8 April 2023). The Mousetrap is touring the UK on the back of an uninterrupted (except by the pandemic) 70 years in the London West End. Opening in 1952, it is officially the longestrunning play in the world. To check its full touring schedule, visit mousetrapontour.co.uk

Queen’s Baton Relay Midlands route unveiled

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has unveiled the route that the Queen’s Baton Relay will take in the West Midlands this summer. Highlights include a visit to the Kidsgrove Pump Track in Newcastle-under-Lyme on 18 July, a journey by coracle on the River Severn the following day and a visit to the Black Country Living Museum on the 24th. As the Baton gets closer to the host city, it will be abseiled from Galton Bridge (on the 25th) and transported by barge on the Grand Union Canal (on the 26th). For more information, visit birmingham2022.com

Become a Ninja Warrior at new Walsall attraction!

Walsall has a brand-new family-friendly visitor attraction... Inspired by hit television programme Ninja Warrior UK, the Ninja Warrior UK Adventure Park features a mix of adrenaline-fuelled TV show-style courses and inflatable runs. The 22,000 sq ft indoor facility at Crown Wharf Retail Park includes obstacles to climb, balance, jump and swing across, as well as the famous Warped Wall. Wannabe Ninjas will need to preserve some energy to tackle the new Mount Sasuke climb and an additional inflatable course that comes complete with tunnels, battle towers and ‘the ultimate airpark obstacle run’ to race through. For more information and to book a visit, check out ninjawarrioruk.co.uk/walsall

News from around the region

Craft, repair and upcycle...

Turtle Doves - a Shropshire-based designer and manufacturer of luxury 100% recycled cashmere accessories - has launched its firstever craft, clothes repair and upcycling classes. Run across four weeks at the company’s workshop on Shrewsbury’s high street, the classes provide customers with the opportunity to make items ranging from placemats to jumpers, and to learn how to repair and upcycle clothes rather than throw them away. To find out more, visit turtledoves.co.uk

Illyria bringing outdoor Peter Pan to the Midlands

‘Second star to the right and straight on till morning’ may be Peter Pan’s final destination, but this summer he’s first of all stopping off at three Midlands venues to excite and delight family audiences courtesy of the ever-popular Illyria Theatre. The company’s new outdoor touring version of JM Barrie’s classic story visits Moseley Old Hall in Wolverhampton (16 August), Shrewsbury’s Attingham Park (24 August) and Bolton Gate Farm in Stoke-on-Trent (2 September)... For more information and to book tickets, visit illyria.co.uk/whatson

Image from previous Illyria production

Midlands grassroots live music gets cash support

Arts Council England has announced that part of a £1.5million fund has been ringfenced within National Lottery Project Grants to support the Midlands’ grassroots live-music sector. Commenting on the news, Peter Knott, Midlands area director for Arts Council England, said: “Grassroots live-music venues perform a vital role in the music ecology of the Midlands. As well as inspiring the next generation of talent across a huge range of musical genres, these are the places where many artists first cut their teeth, and they spark a special connection between audiences and professional musicians.”

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Alice taking a tumble into the New Vic this Christmas

One of the New Vic’s best-loved Christmas shows will make a welcome return this festive season - and in the process offer families a not-to-be-missed opportunity to take a trip down the rabbit hole to Wonderland! Brought to life in the Newcastle-under-Lyme theatre’s trademark style, Alice In Wonderland features ‘fun, laughter and lots of magical moments’. The show is helmed by Artistic Director Theresa Heskins and runs from Friday 18 November to Saturday 28 January. For more information and to book tickets, visit newvictheatre.org.uk

Imagineer bringing Queen’s Favourites to platinum jubilee pageant

Coventry live-events production company Imagineer is working in collaboration with Midlands artists and participants to bring all The Queen’s Favourites to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant on 5 June. Imagineer’s 20-foot-high Godiva - dressed in a new frock - will lead a procession of corgis, horses, swans and boats, highlighting the ingenuity and industry of the West Midlands. The Pageant will wind through the streets of Westminster and along The Mall past Buckingham Palace, telling the story of the Queen’s record reign and highlighting how society has changed during the last 70 years. For more information, visit imagineerproductions.co.uk

Popular flower show to return in August

Shrewsbury Flower Show makes a welcome return late summer following a two year absence enforced by the pandemic. One of the world’s longest independent flower shows, the prestigious event takes place in the town’s Quarry Park on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 August. Attractions include stunning floral displays, show gardens, equestrian competitions and arena entertainment. A dedicated food hall, crafts marquee and large trade stands area also feature, as do Fleurs de Villes - delightful floral mannequins that take pride of place in the Dingle Marquee. For further information, and to purchase tickets, visit: shrewsburyflowershow.org.uk

Michael Hugo sneaks out of rehearsals to discuss Tom, Dick & Harry, an ambitious reimagining of a daring escape attempt at a prisoner-of-war camp during World War Two. Memorably filmed as The Great Escape in the early 1960s, the all-new theatrical version is partly based on previously classified information from the war archive...

One of actor Michael Hugo’s fondest childhood memories is of all his family sitting down over the Christmas holidays to watch action film The Great Escape on TV. Starring the likes of Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough and Charles Bronson, the iconic movie follows a group of Allied soldiers as they stage a daring escape from Stalag Luft III, a POW camp in Nazi-occupied Europe during the Second World War. When the creative team at the New Vic Theatre in Newcastle-under-Lyme were thinking about ideas for their next epic production, the war drama was one of the first to spring to mind, recalls Michael, who recently starred as Neil Baldwin in the venue’s highly acclaimed production, Marvellous. “It was around the time we were doing Around The World In 80 Days, which was also in partnership with [Producer] Kenny Wax and [Artistic Director] Theresa Heskins. We went back to when we were kids and remembered that at Christmas, The Great Escape was always on TV and we were thinking: Was it the true story that was told on the telly? Could we bring it to the stage, or was it impossible? “Theresa loves the impossible, so that was definitely part of the appeal, but when we got into the research and archives that weren’t available when the original film was made [it was released in cinemas in 1963], it just opened up so many rich stories and themes that weren’t explored in the film.” Secret information from the war archive declassified in 1972 - offered a number of fascinating insights into the camp and its inhabitants. According to Michael - who cowrote the new play, titled Tom, Dick & Harry, with Andrew Pollard and Heskins, who also directs - the theatrical reimagining aims to highlight some of those unique elements as well as honour the memory of those involved. “There was so much to work from, it was an absolute gift and almost too epic to pick one element. For example, they had a theatre there, inside the prison. “We sometimes hear about the entertainment division of the army entertaining the troops, but usually in their own camps, not in a prison. And this theatre was used to entertain the German staff as well - the guards used to really look forward to the shows. They even worked together to help secure the lighting, props and costumes, all on the promise that none of it would be used for any naughty business like trying to escape or anything daft like that!” The soldiers’ ingenuity in their use of props and other items to facilitate their escape they hid their covert activity in plain sight through gymnastic exercise, choir practice and even cabbage growing - created a game of cat and mouse between the captors and their captives that Michael believes lends itself to theatrical interpretation. “It’s a bit like having a prop that needs to be used many times. They would have an item that might have to be used for a number of things - something that might look innocent but then be able to snip through a wire fence if necessary. I call it ‘Transformer technology’ or Optimus Prime - here’s a pencil case but now we’ve got a lawnmower … a sort of ATeam ethic! “It's easy to get carried away with it all, but when you go back to the research, this is what these guys were actually doing. Nothing that the theatre is designing and building with all the materials and space and freedom that we have - outshines what they had to do in secret.” Michael says the writing process also gave an unlikely insight into the prisoners’ experience, as much of the play was written at the height of the Covid pandemic. “Being in lockdown was a strange part of the process, when we all switched to being on Teams and Zoom and sending documents to each other. It started to feel very military in that way. Even to the point where we’ve not been in a conflict but we’ve been through lockdown, when people wanted to go out but couldn’t - so there’s a little hint of what it might be like to be in the cooler. You’re not allowed to see people and they can’t come and see you - we know what that feels like a little bit more, rather than it being a distant story.” Lockdown was also a big deal for an actor known for the physicality and humour of his performances, Michael admits, relieved now that it’s over. “I definitely looked forward to getting back into the room, where I could be a bit more of a caveman and pick things up and smack it against me head and see what it’s like to have a more visceral relationship with things.” Speaking of physical activity, the new production is set to be another dynamic spectacle for the theatre. As well as in-theround staging, there’s an imaginative set design by Laura Willstead (“a magical, magical being”) that includes all three escape tunnels - the Tom, Dick and Harry of the play’s title. “They’re really big, really deep and really, really long! We’re starting to get to the point where we feel like the audience can be there with us. I don’t want to give too much away about how, but it’s very, very, very clever.” The play will also involve an element of (voluntary) audience participation, a device that worked well in recent epic productions of Around The World In 80 Days and The 39 Steps, because yet again there won’t be enough cast to go round. “We’ve got a camp of 600-plus people and a limited cast, so there’s an opportunity for people to help out if they wish. Without giving too much away, there’s chances for people to muck in. “You can’t do that unless you feel involved in the story and directly relating to it, so that’s why we chose to perform it in-the-round.” The approach also makes for a more immersive experience and increases audience engagement - not least because people can see each other rather than simply stare in one direction at the stage or the back of somebody else’s head, something Michael calls “comfortable detachment”. “There’s a comfortable inclusivity about the in-the-round performances here - particularly the shows that Theresa’s been putting on that really involve the audience. We’re lucky that the people who come here really seem to embrace and enjoy it.”