What's On - August 2014

Shropshire Cover .qxp_Mids Cover - August 25/07/2014 15:18 Page 1

SHROPSHIRE WHAT’S ON ISSUE 344 AUGUST 2014

THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE SHROPSHIRE

’ What sOn www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ISSUE 344

AUGUST 2014

MARRIAGE C AN BE MURDER...

ROBERT DAWES

DAWN STEELE

GRAY O’BRIEN

LISA STANSF IELD INT ERVIEW IN SIDE...

LENNY HENRY

PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS

Rudy’s Rare Records takes to the stage interview inside...

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Contents August.qxp_Layout 1 28/07/2014 15:22 Page 1

August 2014 Editor: Davina Evans

INSIDE:

davina@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281708

Wicked

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West End musical out on tour p21

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brings Caustic Love to V Festival p41

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Lenny Henry talks about bringing Rudy’s Rare Records to The REP. Interview page 6

Contributors: Graham Bostock: Theatre James Cameron-Wilson: Film; Alev Dervish: Music Eva Easthope, Kate Evans, Jessica Aston, Patsy Moss, Jack Rolfe, Jan Watts, Reggie White, Simon Carter, Anita Champaneri

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Lisa Stansfield talks about her music... interview p8

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News August.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 16:52 Page 1

News

A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

New gallery for Shropshire A new gallery displaying a collection of British decorative tiles is to open at the Jackfield Tile Museum in Ironbridge. The John Scott Gallery opens on 16 October and will house one thousand, three hundred individual tiles and three hundred-and-ten panels from the mid-nineteenth century through to the mid-twentieth century. Works by numerous renowned designers, including Pugin, Dresser, Morris, De Morgan and Bawden, will be included. The dedicated gallery, which has resulted from the renovation of what was originally a workroom in the Craven Dunhill tile factory, will pay homage to collector Scott's generosity by featuring a space that reflects the flamboyance of his own sitting room, with rich colours and tiles of every description spilling out over the walls and ceiling. The gallery will also feature clusters of some of Scott's favourite tiles, showcases of works by key designers and a digital photo catalogue of the entire collection.

Contemporary art fest for Leamington Spa Leamington’s Jephson Gardens this month hosts a brand new two-day event showcasing an eclectic mix of art disciplines, including painting, photography, live music, dance, theatre and demonstrations by local artists.

Sponsored by Leamington Studio Artists and Warwickshire District Council’s Arts Development Scheme, Art In The Park takes place on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 August, with events for all ages featured. Birmingham sculptor Graham Jones creates a chainsaw sculpture in front of an audience; ceramicist and glassworker Gabrielle Rucinski runs free workshops in pot making; theatre company Heartbreak Productions present a free performance of their ‘innovative adaptation’ of Macbeth; and BRINK Productions present a live painting demonstration. Other attractions at the event include a balloon art competition for children, salsa dancing, hair art by Jane Ward and garden-inspired body painting. For further information, visit www.lsaartists.co.uk/Artinthepark.html

Sarah Waters’ chilling tale to be staged in Birmingham A creative collaboration between Wales Millennium Centre and Birmingham Hippodrome is set to see Sarah Waters’ adaptation of The Frozen Scream brought to life on the Hippodrome stage. Based on an original novel by CC Gilbert, the drama tells the story of a group of friends stranded in an 4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Pif Paf with Submercycle

Festival Of Imagineers makes its debut Visionaries from the world of design, technology and engineering this month come together for a day of performance and activities at Coventry’s Cathedral Ruins. Entitled Festival Of Imagineers, the new outdoor event takes place on 9 August and is opened by Godiva’s cavalcade, a cycle-powered procession designed by children, built by engineers and led by Coventry’s six-metre-high Godiva. Early evening in the Cathedral Ruins will see the first outing in Coventry of the amazing hummingbird - Godiva’s faithful companion - and Imagineers’ newest street performance. The event also features the first public showcase of Matt Denton’s giant hexapod animatronic spider, the largest all-terrain operational hexapod robot in the world.

Other attractions include performances by companies from across the UK, including Acrojou, Pif-Paf, the London Vegetable Orchestra, the Jelly Rollers, Crocodile Style and the Bureau of Silly Ideas. A number of interactive and innovative exhibits and activities also feature.

Of the festival, Jane Hytch, Chief Executive of Godiva Awakes, said: “This first Festival Of Imagineers is a real opportunity to share the imagineering skill of creatives and engineers from across our region and beyond. We hope people come along to watch the performances and get involved with the many activities on offer, including a chance to operate our amazing Godiva for themselves.” abandoned lodge in the heart of winter.

Attempting to entertain themselves with the tale of Jack Frost, fictional horror soon slips into reality as events escalate in unexpected ways... Co-written and directed by awardwinning performer and writer Christopher Green, The Frozen Scream offers an alternative form of Christmas entertainment at Wales Millennium Centre in December, and then visits the Hippodrome for a ten-day run in the new year (from 7 to 17 January).

Meanwhile, Christopher Green is this month showcasing his talents as a performer to Midlands audiences by bringing his character, rapping pensioner Ida Barr, to Summer In Southside on 23 August.

Share your NIA memories!

Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena is asking the general public to share their memories of the venue during its twenty-three-year history. A virtual memory stage running on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest has been set up to collate and archive people’s recollections, prior to the opening of the new NIA in December, following a £26million redevelopment. Those submitting to the sites will be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to the venue’s opening season.

A taste of the Stratford Road Free taxi tours which immerse visitors in the sights, sounds, stories and memories of Birmingham’s Stratford Road are on offer throughout August. Forming part of Sampad south asian arts’ heritage project My Route, the tours tell the real-life stories of the people who lived and worked along the famous city road. Starting in Ladypool Road, the taxi tour route takes in the outer edges of Moseley and Balsall Heath before heading down the Stratford Road and winding up at Al Faisals in the Balti heartland, where snacks will be available. Find out more at myroute.org.

News August.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 16:52 Page 2

Casting announced for Dangerous Corner The former head of London’s acclaimed Almeida Theatre, Michael Attenborough, is to direct a new production of JB Priestley’s Dangerous Corner at Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre this autumn.

Robin Of Sherwood star Michael Praed and Dalziel And Pascoe’s Colin Buchanan (pictured) feature in the recently announced cast, and will be joined by Kim Thomson (Faye Lamb in Emmerdale) and Matt Milne (fresh from his performance as footman Alfred Nugent in Downton Abbey). Lauren Drummond (Holby City/Waterloo Road) and Finty Williams (Gosford Park/Mrs Brown) complete the casting.

A classic mystery in which a chance remark at a dinner party exposes a world of murder and conspiracy, Dangerous Corner shows at The REP from 3 to 8 November.

Shrewsbury panto looking for Lost Boys - and girls...

Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn is looking for young local talent to appear in its festive offering of Peter Pan. The theatre has joined Evolution Pantomimes in the search for boys and girls interested in auditioning for a variety of roles, including John and Michael Darling, members of the Lost Boys, and the show’s Juvenile Ensemble. Auditions take place at Priory School, Shrewsbury, at 3.45pm on Tuesday 16 September. Anyone wishing to attend will need to be aged between eight and fifteen (inclusive) on 1 September 2014. Further information can be obtained by calling the box office at Theatre Severn on 01743 281281.

Track listing announced for B-Side: The Album A diverse range of both past and present music from the West Midlands has been included on a new twenty-one-track virtual album. Entitled B-side, the album comprises songs chosen by a panel of singers, musicians and industry experts at a recent event at Birmingham’s Town Hall, and is the result of a nationwide campaign by Visit Birmingham to ‘celebrate the musical creativity of the city region’. The collection spans six decades and includes tracks by Joan Armatrading, Black Sabbath, Laura Mvula, Soweto Kinch, ELO, UB4O, The Specials and The Streets. Surprisingly, one of Brum’s most successful bands, Duran Duran, didn’t make it through to the final selection. B-Side: The Album is available to listen to on Spotify and watch on YouTube.

Photo credit: Paul Coltas

Hit West End show heading to the Midlands The hit West End production of The Bodyguard is to stop off at two Midlands venues next year, as part of its first national tour. Based on Lawrence Kasdan's 1992 Oscar-nominated film of the same title, the show tells the story of former Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard Frank Farmer, who's hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker.

Casting for the touring production is yet to be announced, but well-known performers who've played Rachel in the West End include Heather Headley and Wolverhampton's very own Queen of Soul, Beverley Knight (pictured). Former X Factor winner Alexandra Burke is currently playing the part at London's Adelphi Theatre.

Featuring a string of classic numbers, including I Wanna Dance With Somebody and I Will Always Love You, The Bodyguard shows at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tues 21 April to Sat 2 May, and then at the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent from Tues 19 to Sat 30 May.

IN BRIEF Snapshot of WWI life in Brum A well-known Birmingham visitor attraction is staging a World War One centenary weekend this month. The Back to Backs’ commemorative event, taking place on 2 and 3 August, offers an insight into how life would’ve been for the houses’ residents during the conflict of 1914 to ’18.

Subjects covered include: what life was like on the home front; how men from the Back to Backs signed up; what the women of the Back to Backs did in the local area; what Brummies did when zeppelins attacked; and what social changes happened for the residents after the war.

Re-enactors from the Birmingham Pals and an opportunity to get knitting with crafty volunteers also feature.

DanceXchange announces new season Avant Garde Dance’s ‘exceptional’ triple bill, The Black Album, next month kicks off DanceXchange’s eclectic autumn programme. Bringing together three distinct pieces of hip hop choreography in a seamless performance, the show is being presented at the Patrick Centre under the direction of award-winning choreographer Tony Adigun, the Artistic Director of Sky One’s Got To Dance programme.

Other new-season programming sees DanceXchange once again working in partnership with Fierce Festival (2 to 12 October), presenting two UK premieres by two international movement artists Miguel Gutierrez’s Heavens What Have I Done (USA) on 5 October, and Dana Michael’s Yellow Towel (Canada) five days later, on the 10th.

The season continues with Mark Bruce Company’s award-winning production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (15 to 18 October).

Sadler’s Wells New Wave Associate Alexander Whitley returns to the city to showcase two works (23 to 24 October), The Measures Taken and The Grit In The Oyster. The latter will be performed at DanceXchange ahead of its presentation at Sadler’s Wells as part of a celebration of the music of British composer Thomas Adès.

Company Chameleon present the Lowry-commissioned production of Beauty And The Beast exploring masculinity and male behaviour - on 13 and 14 November, while Arthur Pita’s The Little Match Girl, showing from 27 to 29 November and featuring original live music by Frank Moon, brings the season to a close.

Arthur Pita’s The Little Match Girl

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5

Lenny Henry feature.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 15:27 Page 1

“

I’d do it all the same again - even the bad bits.

”

Lenny Henry... talks about bringing Rudy’s Rare Records to The REP One of the Black Country’s best-known performers, Lenny Henry found fame as a young man on 1970s talent series New Faces. Becoming a household name co-hosting cult Saturday morning kids’ show Tiswas, Lenny has more recently enjoyed widespread critical acclaim for his theatrical performances in Northern Broadsides’s version of Othello and August Wilson’s Fences. This month sees the Dudley-born actor and comedian make his debut at the Birmingham Rep, in a stage version of popular radio show Rudy’s Rare Records. What’s On recently caught up with him to find out more...

What does it mean to be making your Birmingham debut as a straight actor at The REP? It’s a home audience - I’m coming home.

Since the day I came to Birmingham at fifteen and had lamb chops in Rackhams and thought I was the King of England, Birmingham has always been a special place for me. I remember being astounded that here was this big city so close to Dudley and I didn’t know. I’ve always felt it’s where I got started. It’s where I came to ATV and did New Faces. One of my earliest memories of the city was arriving at the ATV Studio, seeing where they made Crossroads and marvelling at the subsidised food in the canteen, where you could get sausage and chips for about a shilling. How naive I was then...

As for performing at the Birmingham Rep, its 6 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

reputation as a theatre-maker is extraordinary, and I’ve always wanted to work there. I’ve always done stand-up at the Town Hall or the NEC, and whenever I’ve done acting it’s been at Warwick or Stoke.

I’ve never really acted in Birmingham, so this is a huge thing for me.

Does performing to a home crowd make you nervous?

I want people to come and see it, and I think they’ll have a great night. When I played Othello at the Belgrade in Coventry, my sister Bev and my brother Hilton came to see it. What was really interesting was that when Bev came backstage after the play, she wouldn’t speak to the bloke who played Iago, because he’d killed Othello. When we walked into the bar afterwards, Conrad Nelson, who played Iago, was sitting there at

the bar, and when I introduced her to Conrad, Bev just said “You...” and walked away. So I’m hoping that when my family come to see Rudy’s Rare Records, which is a comedy, they’ll be in a slightly lighter frame of mind. But yeah, I am nervous, but that’s not bad. If you’re nerve-less, that generally means something’s wrong. Nerves keep you on your toes.

What or who inspired Rudy’s Rare Records?

It’s inspired by many things. To start, I used to go to a record shop in Birmingham called The Diskery, which I think is run by a father and son. It’s been there for years and I love the labyrinthy nature of it. It’s like you’d expect there to be a minotaur in the back with the rest of the records. It’s so twisty and turny in there. I’ve always loved the eclectic

Lenny Henry feature.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 15:27 Page 2

interview... nature of The Diskery’s records, and also the relationship between the older and the younger man. I like the shape of the shop, the way it looks and the way it’s off a main road. There was also a great record shop in London called The Dub Vendor - a reggae record shop. The blokes who owned it used to sound like they were arguing a lot. I just think a record shop is a great precinct for conflict and comedy. I thought I’d love to see three generations of Jamaicans - a granddad, a dad and a son, working in a record shop and arguing the odds all day.

So that was kind of the trigger for it all. It’s about family and about relationships particulary father-and-son relationships.

Does the music in the show have a personal connection?

It’s all music I grew up with - Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Toots & The Maytals, Dave & Ansell Collins; all of the albums my sister used to buy when I was younger. In Rudy’s Rare Records, I play Adam, who left home when he was eighteen, moved to London, went to university and became an actor. He grew up with reggae music and has this encyclopaedic knowledge, but it’s not really his favourite music. When he comes back to the record shop, he sort of knows where everything is, but he also knows about dance music and R&B, funk and soul. Richie (Adam’s son) is all about drum & bass, trance and hip-hop.

Rudy (my dad, played by Larrington Walker) is just old-school soul, reggae and R&B. So you’ve got three very distinct music appreciations going on.

Are you hoping that the three generations within the play will tempt different generations of audience?

Well, it’s a relatively clean show, so I think families would enjoy it. It’s a family knock ’em down, drag ’em out funny night out, with lots of Jamaican riffs.

As well as sharing the music of your youth in the play, you’ll be showcasing your own musical skills when you perform at The REP with Pure White Trash and The Little Big Horns...

Yeah, we’re doing a Poor White Trash gig during the run and I’ll be singing. The important thing is that audiences bring their dancing shoes, because they will dance.

How did the band come about?

We got together at Ben Elton’s wedding in the ’90s. Ben’s wife, Sophie, played the bass, and at the wedding a few of us - Hugh Laurie, Ade Edmondson, Kevin Allen and a few other people - got up and sang everything we knew. At the end of the reception, we said, ‘that was fun, we should do it again?” We arranged a rehearsal, Ade, Hugh and Sophie showed up and I got a few other people involved. We played R&B covers and had a really good night. We started getting together on a Monday night, and after a couple of weeks we’d got about ten or eleven songs. We were offered a gig at the Sense And Sensibility rap party and we stormed it. Suddenly we were being offered gigs, usually industry/rap parties. We did a couple of gigs at the Robin in Bilston, which was great, and three nights at the Edinburgh Festival. We don’t do very many shows because I’m always very busy, but we

do birthday parties for people who we know, and we’re open to gigs. It’s more for fun than anything else, but I do love singing.

How did your formative years in Dudley mould you as a performer?

People will be able to find out soon, because I’m making a film called Danny And The Human Zoo, which is being filmed in the Midlands next spring. It’s about this fifteenyear-old kid who enters a talent competition in Birmingham, wins, and winds up a star in a black and white minstrel show in Blackpool, then goes on to have a nervous breakdown. It’s sort of about the first few years of my career in showbusiness in the ’70s, and tells very loosely about me growing up in the Midlands, my relationship with my mum and dad and my relationship with my friends Greg, Matt and Tom. I was advised to make it real but to change names, to fantasise about things that could’ve happened and to write parallel to what happened, rather than what actually happened. I didn’t want to hurt anybody and I didn’t want anyone to feel that they were being privileged over anybody else.

Growing up in Dudley was almost a gift. It’s in my DNA. Living and growing up in Dudley informed and still informs every aspect of my stand-up comedy. I went to Bluecoat secondary modern, which even the headmaster said was a rough school. I could’ve had a fight every day because of racial abuse, but once I learned you could be funny and deflect all that stuff, it stopped.

While at school, I got up at the Queen Mary Ballroom and did my first impression - of Elvis Presley singing Jailhouse Rock. I compered the school concert and I worked all over Dudley doing stand-up. It was sort of my playground, and the DJs - God bless their souls - used to let me get up and do ten minutes in the middle of the disco. Can you imagine that in the middle of the rave tent at Glastonbury? It wouldn’t happen there, would it?

When you return to the area, do you recognise a lot of significant changes?

It’s very different to how it used to be, and the town centre has changed immeasurably.

What I think’s interesting is the redevelopment of Dudley as a market town, reinvesting in the town centre as a place of commerce. I think Dudley having its own identity is very important. Dudley people are very proud, and to celebrate the Black Country and have its own flag can only be a good thing. There’s so much to celebrate nowadays, what with Wren’s Nest, the Black Country Living Museum and the recent opening of the archive centre, where all things to do with Dudley’s history are there for people to plug into. I think it’s a good time.

Your critically acclaimed portrayal of Othello in 2009 saw a shift in your career and how you were perceived as an actor.

How did that change you personally?

Othello was extraordinary. It was a big, big risk because I was at the end of a cycle with stand-up comedy. I’d done a TV series which I hadn’t really enjoyed and was feeling a bit lost, and wondering where it was all going. I did a radio show, Lenny And Will. It was about how I hadn’t really been taught about Shakespeare at school, and how I was a bit

scared of it and didn’t like it very much. It was about how I thought Shakespeare was basically for posh people with a cabbage down their tights. I talked to Judy Dench, Trevor Nunn, Peter Hall and Adrian Lester about it, and they all said you’ve got to get it in your mouth and try it. Rather than standing on the sideline and slagging it off, speak it and see what it says to you. So I did another radio show, and Barry Rutter, who’s basically the boss of Northern Broadsides theatre company, said to me, “you do Shakespeare, you do it with your own voice and dialect”. When I did Othello, I spent two hours rehearsing with Barry at Television Centre. At the end of it, I realised that I’d really enjoyed it. I’d never spent that long rehearsing fifteen or twenty lines. I was enraptured by it. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to spend more time directing your role?

Also, there was the whole thing of appearing with lots of other people in a company. After spending a solitary existence in stand-up, that really appealed. Learning your lines with other people was great, because you all moan about the same things. So I did Othello, and I was genuinely very frightened about the whole thing. Barry Rutter just told me to learn my lines, avoid bumping into the furniture and make sure I rehearsed.

Basically, what he was telling me was to work hard - and that’s what I did. I worked very, very hard, and although people came to see it thinking it was going to be a car crash, they could see that we’d done the work. Whatever it said about me, they couldn’t say I hadn’t worked hard.

Fortunately it paid off and we got better reviews than anybody could’ve expected.

I was then asked to do A Comedy Of Errors with the National Theatre, with Dominic Cooke directing, which was an extraordinary thing. I loved working at the National. It just hummed with excitement and creativity; I loved it. Then, of course, I did Fences, which toured and then went into the West End. It was the first Black play with a Black director to run in the West End, and to say Augustus Wilson’s lines was a privilege. If you ask me what acting has done to me, then I feel like everything I’ve learned in Dudley, in Birmingham, as a comedian and as a professional has led to this last bit, which is being an actor. The hard-work ethic that I get from my mum and dad, and from my first few years in the business, is now applied to acting. I’m really loving it.

Next year marks forty years in entertainment for you. How do you plan to mark the occasion professionally?

Danny And The Humans is green-lit and is being made next year, so that’ll be one celebration - and if Rudy’s Rare Records gets picked up by the BBC, that would be a fantastic tribute to forty years. I hope they’ll repeat some shows or do some documentaries...

Reflecting on those forty years, is there anything you wish you’d done differently?

No. I’d do it all the same - even the bad bits.

Rudy’s Rare Records shows at The REP, Birmingham from Thurs 4 to Sat 20 September.

Read the full interview with Lenny, online at whatsonlive.co.uk www.whatsonlive.co.uk 7

Lisa Stansfield feature.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 16:19 Page 1

“

I got to shout and nag Ricky Tomlinson, which I thought was really weird

”

Lisa Stansfield talks about her music and giving up the fags...

As the recipient of two prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, three Brits and a World Art Award, Lisa Stansfield has achieved iconic status. Her seductive, soulful voice took the world by storm in the late 1980s, with her first solo album, Affection, proving to be a worldwide hit. Last year saw Lisa release her seventh album, her first in ten years, to great critical acclaim. She’s been All Around The World... and is now about to land in Brum, much to the delight of her Midlands fans.

What’s On recently caught up with the Lancashire lass to talk about her music, her latest venture into film, and whether it’s all very different this time round...

You’ve been out of the spotlight for quite some time now. Is it very different being on tour this time round?

We’ve toured in the interim period. In that respect, we’ve kept our hand in. It’s not like I’ve not done any gigs for ten years. I’ve been very busy, but I see it as I’m still honing my craft.

8 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Seven is your first album in ten years.

Were you surprised at the response it received from both critics and fans?

I never expect anything; then whatever happens is a bonus - especially if it’s positive!

For me, it was the right time to release Seven, because of the genre of music that it is. I didn’t want to release an album which wouldn’t fit in anywhere. You might as well

just flush it down the loo or throw it on a fire.

You spend a lot of time writing and recording, and there’s no point in releasing something unless people are going to take notice of it.

Whenever you do a project, you’re always quite apprehensive about it, because you don’t know how people are going to react to it. But you have to grit your teeth, cross your fingers, and get on with it.

Lisa Stansfield feature.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 16:19 Page 2

interview...

Did your approach to recording change this time round?

No, I don’t think much did. I think we all like to think everything’s changed and it’s all revolutionary, but I think from a long time ago things have been very much there. It just goes round in circles, really - there are different names used to describe certain genres but the music’s still the same. People think it’s all brand new, but really it isn’t.

What’s lovely is that new generations listen to music and think it’s theirs, but we’ve all been doing similar stuff for a very long time like with the different types of dance music.

So are you taking on a new audience now?

Yeah, it’s quite amazing. We’ve got the older fans, who’ve been there all along. A lot of them have had children who grew up listening to my music, and now they come along to my gigs. We’ve got this completely new generation of people listening to our music. It’s incredible really, because some of them have only heard the new stuff. When they hear the older stuff, they’re like, “Oh, this is that woman who did that? Right, I get it now!”

As a musician, are you still motivated by the same things as twenty or thirty years ago?

I think so. I’m motivated by the same music that I always was. I still want to make music and want people to share in that.

So what informs your music these days?

I’ve got to the stage where I don’t listen to very much of other people’s music when I’m writing. I find I’m a bit like a sponge. I’ll sit down and write what I think at the time is the most amazing song ever, and it’ll end up sounding like Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay. So I tend to try and not let things influence me. Other people’s music gets into your subconscious - once it’s there, it’s hard to shake off.

Has your approach to songwriting and recording changed over the years?

I suppose it has a bit. I can’t play piano to save my life, but I can sit down and work out chords. I’ve found that nowadays I work a lot more like that than I would’ve done in the past. Seven was a work in progress for ages.

We spent so little time recording it and such a long time writing. Groundwork is still the most important thing for me. It’s like writing anything; if you’re groundwork isn’t done, you’re going to get lost in the process.

Are you precious about how you take care of your voice?

Not really. I used to smoke an awful lot, but I gave up four years ago, and that’s the biggest gift I could’ve given both myself and my voice. I’m forty-eight now, and I’m singing like I was when I was twenty-six. It’s been pretty revelatory. As a singer, it’s really weird when you first stop smoking. Your voice has been tight all this time and you have to push past it. You find it becomes almost like an elastic band. At first, you think, ‘Oh God, what’s going on? I can’t sing anymore’, and then you just get used to it and find you have so much freedom. It’s incredible.

So do you wish you’d given up years ago?

No, not really, because I enjoyed every cigarette I had. I used to love smoking, but I decided to go for hypnotherapy and now it just doesn’t bother me anymore.

You’ve made numerous forays into acting, but this year sees you perform in the movie Northern Soul, due for release in October...

Yeah, I play the naggy northern mum who’s always in her dressing gown, curlers in her hair, screaming at her son. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience; it was a really interesting thing for me to do. What was lovely was that I’ve known Elaine (Constantine), who directed it, for a long time and I trusted her. I knew that if I was crap, she’d tell me.

What attracted you to playing the older mum?

I don’t know, really. Elaine’s done other projects in the past, smaller movies which I’d never had the chance to be in. So when she asked me this time round, I agreed. In the past I’ve played really bitchy, glamorous parts, so it was nice to diversify a bit.

What was it like to work alongside Steve Coogan, Ricky Tomlinson and John Thomson?

I didn’t get to meet Steve but I did get to meet Ricky. He played my dad, so I got to shout and nag Ricky Tomlinson, which I thought was really weird. He was really lovely; he joked and made everybody laugh all day. At the end of the shoot, he announced it was his birthday. We felt dreadful, as we’d gone all day without knowing. If he’d told us earlier, we’d have bought him a cake.

Were you given much freedom in developing the role?

Elaine was brilliant. There’s a level of mutual trust involved; you’re given this brief outline of what you’ve got to be, but a lot of it has got to come from you. You have to give something of yourself and find something of yourself. It makes me sound like a right twat - like an ac-tor! - when I talk about it, and I’m honestly not really like that. They’re all just things you have to consider when taking on a role.

So can we expect to see more of you on the big screen in the future?

I’ve done quite a few different things and I’ve done a bit of theatre, but yes, I’d like to do more film. It’s a very interesting process, creating something new - a bit like recording an album.

you not very much. You can find out a lot about what people like and don’t like about your work by just looking at your Facebook and Twitter pages. In terms of sales, it’s hard, very hard, but I think things are going to be controlled in a more diplomatic way. I love the fact that bands are out there doing their own thing, and don’t have to depend on big, corporate record companies anymore.

People need that opportunity, and I think it’s great they can do it on their own. Even if they eventually deal with a label, they’ve already carved out a niche for themselves and carved out their own style, so hopefully they have much more control over what they’re doing in the future.

Is the industry more fickle these days?

No, I think there have always been two different camps. There’s always been the corporate, marketed stuff like boybands, girlbands, X Factor and that sort of thing. It’s being going on for years and years. It wasn’t Simon Cowell’s idea! In one camp, you’ve got those who take the initiative to make music at home, go out and gig, and try really hard to get themselves out there. Then you’ve got the other camp, who think, “I can be famous really quickly if I do this...” I have respect for both, but I sort of prefer the first.

You’re back living in Rochdale. Was it always on the agenda that one day you’d return to your roots?

No, we didn’t really think about it. But we decided to record Seven at Gracieland.

We’ve just started to get to know the place again, to get out there and meet people. It’s been lovely.

So are you back in the UK for good?

We still go to LA quite a lot. We’ve just got a new place over there, but we’ve only spent about ten days there so far because we’ve been so busy. We’ll be back there in August and will hopefully start the new album.

A new album? Does it have a theme, like Seven?

We’ve got a lot of ideas and a lot of songs, but we haven’t decided what’s going to go on the album yet. We’ll hopefully get round to that in the next couple of weeks.

So you won’t be leaving it so long before releasing the next album?

Hopefully not. I’ll try not to leave it so long this time round.

Is there a particular film genre that appeals to you?

I really like detective things and thrillers. I also quite like comedy, as long as it’s cleverly done.

What do you think about the current state of the industry?

I think it’s a really interesting time. There are a lot of fears about the internet and piracy, but I think it will eventually sort itself out. As an artist, social media enables you to find out much more about your demographic. It’s more useful than paying a company thousands and thousands of pounds to tell

Lisa Stansfield performs at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall on Fri 5 September. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 9

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Music Tarrus Riley The Institute, Birmingham, Sat 2 August

The son of veteran reggae singer Jimmy Riley, Tarrus has just hit the number one spot on the US Billboard Reggae Album Chart with his fifth release, Love Situation, and is widely considered to be one of the genre’s finest singer-songwriters, with hits including She’s Royal and Dem A Watch. Here performing alongside longtime producer Dean Fraser and The Black Soil Band, he’s paying tribute to rocksteady, reggae’s direct predecessor. Support comes from Alaine.

Ernie Halter Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, Tues 19 August

Ernie Halter’s admiration for The Beatles, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder and The Go-Go's has inspired him to create a brand of music that’s chimed with a significant (and ever-growing) fanbase. Burial have liked what he’s been doing too, sampling from Halter’s 2007 song Whisper, while Justin Bieber has produced a cover version of Come Home To Me. “I want to be the record you play while you make breakfast, make dinner, make out,” explains Ernie.

“I kept thinking of the songs that made up the soundtrack of my life, and wanted to create songs that would help others form theirs.”

Norman Jay Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Fri 8 August

From illegal raves to BBC Radio Two via pirate radio, Norman Jay has come a long way since his first public DJ performance at the age of eight.

A recognised authority on black music, he was awarded an MBE for his services to music in 2002.

Starting out as an underground DJ heavily influenced by his father’s collection of ’60s jazz, ska and reggae, Norman is credited with kickstarting the careers of numerous high-profile disc-spinners, including Giles Peterson, Trevor Nelson and Judge Jules. A regular at Big Chill, he’s here spinning funky house, with support from Deano Ferrino.

UB40 Wolverhampton Racecourse, Fri 29 August

It's thirty-plus years now since UB40 performed their first gig, at a Birmingham pub for the birthday of a friend, and the boys are still going strong. Their big break came in a pub, too, when Chrissie Hynde spotted them and gave them the chance to perform as support with The Pretenders. Blending pop and reggae, the band continue to perform across the world, helping to spread the reggae word to places as far-flung as Russia and South America. Expect to hear hits such as Red Red Wine, Kingston Town and One In Ten at this special outdoor show.

T-Live Telford Town Park, Shropshire,

Fri 29 - Sat 30 August

Pop rock band Lawson (pictured) headline this popular outdoor music event at Telford Town Park. The quartet, who have six UK top-twenty singles to their name, formed in 2009 as The Groves, changing their name to Lawson the following year after surgeon David Lawson performed life-saving brain surgery on lead singer Andy Brown. X Factor finalists Union J provide support at this Saturday evening gig. The festival kicks off on the Friday night with an evening of ’80s magic from ABC, Go West, Rick Astley, local soul diva Jaki Graham and Abba tribute band Arrival UK. Dancing shoes at the ready...

WI

TICKEN whats onlive TS .co.u to ente r

k

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5th Fri EPT

S

‘SUPREME’ MOTOWN & DIVA PARTY with

THE MONTELLAS Motown classic hits

3th t 1 PT a S E

S

.50 2 3 £

‘MICHAEL BUBLE’ TRIBUTE with

JAMIE FLANAGAN A mesmerising tribute show to one of the best jazz, swing, pop artists

.50 £32

h 6t i 2 PT r F E S

THE ‘SOUL MEN’!!!

Dance the night away with non-stop movie hits with our sensational duo

h 0t i 1 CT r F O

.50 2 3 £

ELVIS TRIBUTE

by KEVIN PAUL ‘The King’ is back by popular demand.

Breath-taking Elvis Vegas Show

.50 2 3 £

SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND ANNUAL EVENTS h 9t i 1 PT r F E S

‘THE LEGENDS’ PARTY with ABSOLUTE LEGENDS A tribute to four of the greatest Icons: Elton John, Tom Jones, Bryan Adams & Robbie Williams

th t4 Sa CT

O

.50 £37

AUTUMN SOUL PARTY with The Soul Survivors & Mel Day 60’s & 70’s non-stop classic hits

.50 7 3 £

NOW BOOKING Download the brochure from our website

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

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Music PREVIEWS Reel Big Fish The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 11 August; The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, Wed 13 August

Reel Big Fish’s high-energy sound has provided inspiration for big names such as No Doubt and Blink 182. Best known for 1997 hit Sell Out, the Californian Punk Ska heroes’ cover of A-Ha’s Take On Me has gained cult status. The boys are renowned for their live shows, offering a fun combination of crazy dancing, inspired covers and catchy songs.

Ghostface Killah The Drum, Birmingham, Sat 16 August

Cara Luft Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham, Weds 27 August

Founding member of Canadian folk trio The Wailin' Jennys, Cara’s solo sound has been moulded by such diverse influences as ’80s pop music, folk music, church music and, er, Led Zeppelin! She kick-started her musical career at the tender age of eleven when she decided to teach herself how to play the guitar, since which time she’s taken massive strides both as a musician and a performer.

Presenting what she describes as ‘rockin’ folk for the discerning listener’, Cara’s natural warmth and delicious sense of humour ensure that an evening in her company offers much, much more than some spellbindingly good musicianship.

Wu-Tang legend Ghostface Killah has been honoured twice recently - firstly by fans who named their twins Ghostface and Raekwon, after the bandmates, and secondly by developers who released an emoji in his likeness. Over twenty years since the release of Enter The Wu-Tang, Ghostface is now working in collaboration with artists such as Sheek Louch and MF Doom, but also finds time to create his own music - witness 2013’s Twelve Reasons To Die. Hear music from both Wu Tang and Killah in this special one-off show.

Quill

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 2 August; The Robin, Bilston, Sat 9 August

LG Arena, Birmingham, Mon 25 August

When bass guitarist Ben Brain died suddenly in 2012, his wife and Quill’s lead singer Joy Strachan-Brain was of a mind to call time on the popular Tamworth band’s thirty-plus years of musicmaking. Eventually, though, she decided it was more important to battle on, in so doing ensuring that the numerous songs Ben had written for a new album would eventually be heard. This latest tour sees the band playing their usual Fleetwood Mac-style rock, and presenting a playlist which features both timeless classics and brand new material. The Move, ELO and Black Sabbath star Bev Bevan joins them on percussion.

Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan primarily performs Qawwali, a devotional music of the Muslim Sufis, but also performs ghazals and other light music. A Bollywood playback singer, Rahat’s work includes Pakistani nationalistic songs such as Dharti Dharti and Hum Pakistan. He has toured extensively in Pakistan, India and the UK.

The Destroyers Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Sat 16 August

Lucky Ali Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 23 August

A melodious voice and a penchant for ballads has certainly served Lucky Ali well - as has no insignificant amount of acting ability.

The Mumbai-born performer - real name Maqsood Mehmood Ali - has starred in numerous movies and TV series down the years, but it’s as a singer-songwriter and composer that he’s made his most indelible mark. Announcing his arrival on the Indian pop scene in the late-1990s with the highly praised O Sanam, Ali has gone on to establish himself as something of a ‘living legend’, and is here performing in Birmingham for the very first time.

Midlands fifteen-piece orchestra The Destroyers combine numerous musical influences to create a sound that’s been described as ‘anarchic gypsy-punk’. Happily referring to themselves as a collection of rogues and misfits, they’ve impressed at some of the biggest festivals around - including Glastonbury and Bestival - and present a show that’s fit to burst with passion and originality.

Pulled Apart By Horses Kasbah, Coventry, Mon 18 August

Leeds band Pulled Apart By Horses kick-start a busy second half of the month with this Coventry show, then go on to perform another Midlands gig in Nottingham before taking their place in the Leeds/Reading Festival line-up. Having first made a splash in 2010 with their self-titled debut album, the alternative rockers are next month releasing their third album, Blood, and have greatly revelled in the rollercoaster ride that’s seen them graduate from supporting Biffy Clyro and Muse to headlining their very own tours.

Not that there haven’t been sacrifices to make along the way, mind: “Headlining means staying sober for longer,” observes bass guitarist Rob Lee. “When you’re on stage first, you do your set and can then just party all night!” www.whatsonlive.co.uk 13

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

FRI 1 AUG DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham QUEEN - FLASH The Robin, Bilston POP WILL EAT ITSELF The River Rooms, Stourbridge SUPERFICIALS O2 Academy, Birmingham HEROES OF HANOI The Marr's Bar, Worcester OCCOUER, MISTERNOTHING, ONLY THE GOOD & THE FAKULTY Route 44, Birmingham VIEON & MARTYRS The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham MAGIC DOOR The Oobleck, Birmingham GOODNIGHT LENIN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham GOT THE TSHIRT Moochers, Stourbridge SCOPYONS & BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNITY The Roadhouse, B’ham JUNCTION 16 The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent GAPS, DELIGHTFUL YOUNG MOTHERS & HE IS A PEGASUS The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THE REMEDY, THE MIGHTY WRAITH, MALLEN & HIDDEN Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham THE BROOMBUSTERS Brindleyplace, B’ham BURNING ALMS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FRAN THE MAN Irish Centre, Birmingham RICHY AHMED The Rainbow Venues, B’ham

SAT 2 AUG DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham QUILL Artrix, Bromsgrove THE REMI HARRIS GYPSY JAZZ PROJECT Artrix, Bromsgrove TARRUS RILEY The Institute, Birmingham PAT BRESLIN Irish Centre, Birmingham LAZY J & BLUE NATION The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham LOUISE PETIT Ort Cafe, Birmingham RESPUBLICA O2 Academy, Birmingham ICONIC 80S The River Rooms, Stourbridge MARK MORRISS Kasbah, Coventry THE SOUL TWINS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham EXPLOSIVE LIGHT ORCHESTRA The Roadhouse, Birmingham THRASHEOKE, SUICIDE WATCH, CHAINSAW ENEMA, DANMAKU & EXTERMINUS Scruffy Mur

phys, Birmingham LIME The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham FAT LIP Brindleyplace, Birmingham SOLID GOLD COUNTRY LEGENDS The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury JUBEI, IVY LAB & KLUTE The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham CLONED STONES Route 44, Birmingham

SUN 3 AUG CHRIS BEVINGTON & FRIENDS The Robin, Bilston SONANTA FLAMENCA Bancroft Terrace, Stratford-upon-Avon NIGHT SHIFT The Yardbird Jazz Club, B’ham PAT JORDAN & FINIANS RAINBOW Irish Centre, Birmingham A DESIGN FOR LIFE The Roadhouse, B’ham

MON 4 AUG THE DUNNETT/BAXTER BIG BAND The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham BELINDA O'HOOLEY & HEIDI TIDOW Stafford Gatehouse Theatre LOWER The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

TUE 5 AUG BACKTRACK The Oobleck, Birmingham

WED 6 AUG KINGSLAND ROAD O2 Academy, Birmingham JONAH MATRANGA The Jam House, B’ham TRAGEDY: A METAL TRIBUTE TO THE BEE GEES & BEYOND The Robin, Bilston

THU 7 AUG THE TEAM FEATURING ANGELO STARR The Jam House, Birmingham WHERE I'M BOUND O2 Academy, Birmingham BLACK STAR RIDERS The Asylum, Birmingham VIVID NATION, ANAVAE & EVILYN The Roadhouse, Birmingham LEON HENDRIX & HIS BAND The Robin, Bilston THE EDWIN STARR BAND The Jam House, Birmingham THE BARLEY MOB Hare & Hounds, Birmingham GOATS DON’T SHAVE Moochers, Stourbridge

FRI 8 AUG THE RED LEMONS The Jam House, B’ham THE MODS Artrix, Broms

The Graveltones - The Oobleck at The Custard Factory, Birmingham

grove STUNTDOG The Marr’s Bar, Worcester DEXY'S BOOTLEG RUNNERS The Roadhouse, Birmingham NORMAN JAY Hare & Hounds, Birmingham P!NK MISS UNDERSTOOD The River Rooms, Stourbridge PURPLE RAIN - TRIBUTE TO PRINCE The Robin, Bilston PURE PURPLE & MIZZ LED Route 44, Birmingham MARK MORRIS, OWEN PAUL, THE SONIC REVOLVERS & THE TASKERS The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent DUTCH COUSIN The Actress & Bishop, B’ham LOST ALONE The Flapper, Birmingham STEVE TROMAN Ort Cafe, Birmingham SHERRY BABYS The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury STUART DEMPSEY Irish Centre, Birmingham PEDESTRIAN, YOUANDEWAN & MEDLAR Nextdoor, Birmingham ECHOES OF PINK FLOYD Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffordshire

SAT 9 AUG THE RED LEMONS The Jam House, B’ham QUILL The Robin, Bilston THE ABBEY ROAD EXPERIENCE The Roadhouse, Birmingham LONG DISTANCE Irish Centre, Birmingham THE COMMANDMENTS The River Rooms, Stourbridge DUBFIRE, APOLLONIA, RHADOO, SCUBA & ADAM SHELTON The Textile Factory, Birmingham AMERICAN HEARTBEAT Route 44, Birmingham THE FLYING SQUAD The Institute, Birmingham THE LEAKING MACHINE

The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham SQUEAKY PETES LIQUOR & POKER BAND Moochers, Stourbridge MISS HALLIWELL The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham ACID MONKEYS, GARRY TODD, TOM CRAVEN & JAMES COTTERIL The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham THE PEAKY BLINDERS Hare & Hounds, B’ham DEXY’S BOOTLEG RUNNERS The Marr’s Bar, Worcester

SUN 10 AUG NODDY'S PUNCTURE The Robin, Bilston DERMOT HEGARTY Irish Centre, Birmingham DEEZ NUTS The Oobleck, BirminghamMIKE TURNER The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham THE DRUNK The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham THE JENTS Brindleyplace, Birmingham

MON 11 AUG METZ & GIRL BAND Hare & Hounds, Birmingham REEL BIG FISH The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent ORCHARD HILL O2 Academy, Birmingham

TUE 12 AUG NOVEMBER-7 The Robin, Bilston THE PHYSICS HOUSE BAND The Flapper, Birmingham SIRKEL The Boar’s Head, Kidderminster

WED 13 AUG GOSPEL CENTRAL The Jam House, B’ham THREE STEP MANOEUVRE FUNKY ORGAN TRIO The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham REEL BIG FISH The Slade Rooms, W’hampton

MUTUAL BENEFIT Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MARY JANE KILLED THE CAT The Asylum, Birmingham

THU 14 AUG DR FEELGOOD The Jam House, Birmingham ORIGINAL HIGH FIVE & TEMPTING ROSIE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THEATRE OF HATE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton FLASHFIRES The Roadhouse, Birmingham MAYCOMB & CALLS LANDING The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham DUMB The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

FRI 15 AUG GROUPER The Jam House, Birmingham THE WHO NUMBERS The Roadhouse, B’ham WOODEN HORSE Huntingdon Hall, Worcester PISSED JEANS The Institute, Birmingham THE LEGENDS Irish Centre, Birmingham THE HOT RED CHILLI PEPPERS Moochers, Stourbridge PUNK’D The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE RUBETTES The Robin, Bilston THE REALLY HOT CHILI PEPPERS Route 44, Birmingham PANSPERMIA O2 Acad emy, Birmingham BREAK4THEBORDER & LYNUS The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE MERCY HOUSE The Marr's Bar, Worcester METHODEMIC, BITTER ALLIANCE, STUART HAWTHORNE & STARCHILD Scruffy Murphys. Birmingham THE WEDDING CRASHERS Brindleyplace, B’ham

SAT 16 AUG GROUPER The Jam House, Birmingham BON GIOVI The Robin, Bilston THE ZZ TOPS The Roadhouse, Birmingham BATTLE OF THE PROMS Ragley Hall, Warwickshire FRAN THE MAN Irish Centre, Birmingham CRADLE OF FILTH Kasbah, Coventry THE BARRON KNIGHTS Lichfield Garrick THE CAJUN ROOSTERS Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire INLAND KNIGHTS The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham DEFINITELY MIGHT BE AND ADORED The River Rooms, Stourbridge FREE AT LAST Route 44, Birmingham PROUD MARY & THE BROKEN REBELS The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THIS GAME OF GHOSTS The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent HELLYEAH The Slade Rooms, W’hampton GHOSTFACE KILLAH (WU TANG CLAN) The Drum, Birmingham THE DESTROYERS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham BARNESY The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham THE JAZZ RAMBLERS Winterbourne House & Garden, Birmingham FAT LIP Brindleyplace, Birmingham

SUN 17 AUG ROBERT MIZZELL Irish Centre, Birmingham QUEEN TRIBUTE BAND Birmingham Botanical Gardens NICKY POUND & LUCY HUZZARD Bancroft Terrace, Stratford-uponAvon

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

MON 18 AUG PULLED APART BY HORSES Kasbah, Coventry

TUE 19 AUG ERNIE HALTER Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury BELLOWHEAD The Robin, Bilston

WED 20 AUG MY RUIN O2 Academy, Birmingham PATSY FULLER & THE REVELATORS The Jam House, Birmingham DESOLATOR, TERROR DRONE, PARALETICA & ERADIKATOR Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham HEEL The Roadhouse, Birmingham

THU 21 AUG KARMA TO BURN The Assembly, Leamington Spa THE CHRISTIANS The Jam House, B’ham ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO UFO & HENRY BLACKER The Flapper, B’ham ERIC SARDINAS & BIG MOTOR The Robin, Bilston SKREAMER The Roadhouse, Birmingham NON DR FEELGOOD Moochers, Stourbridge ESSIE & POLYDEMIC Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham

FRI 22 AUG THE INTENTIONS The Jam House, B’ham DEFINITELY MIGHT BE AND ADORED The Robin, Bilston HARRIET AMOS Huntingdon Hall, Worcester THE SUPERSKAS The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE SMITHS LTD The Roadhouse, B’ham PATSY FULLER & THE REVELATORS Brindley Place, Birmingham GRAVITY GHOST O2 Academy, Birmingham WOOKIE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ABDOUJAPAROV The Marr's Bar, Worcester ABSOLUTE BLONDIE Route 44, Birmingham INSCRIPTIONS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent THE SELF TITLED, VICIOUS NATURE & CHEMIKILL Scruffy Murphys, B’ham BON JOVI UK The Swan Theatre, Worcester KAST OFF KINKS Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

BOUNDARY The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham TAKE TWO Irish Centre, Birmingham

SAT 23 AUG THE INTENTIONS The Jam House, B’ham T.REXTASY The Robin, Bilston BASSMAN BIRTHDAY O2 Academy, Birmingham FOOD FIGHTERZ The Roadhouse, B’ham WRANGLER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham WILD IRISH Irish Centre, Birmingham SWEET LILY The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham 80S V 90S The River Rooms, Stourbridge PUNK'D Route 44, Birmingham LUCKY ALI Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE BLACK HOUNDS The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton CALIBRE The Oobleck, Birmingham HOLY ESQUE The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham ABBA REUNION The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

SUN 24 AUG THE DOORS ALIVE The Robin, Bilston ASKEW SISTERS Bancroft Terrace, Stratford-uponAvon STEPHEN SMYTH Irish Centre, Birmingham CASSY, LAURA JONES & ADAM SHELTON The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham SKABUCKS, THE STACKS, STAINED GLASS ALICE & JASON ENSA The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham ANDY BUTLER (HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR) DJ SET Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE LADY & THE SAX Brindleyplace, B’ham

MON 25 AUG ELKIE BROOKS The Swan Theatre, Worcester RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN LG Arena, Birmingham THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF MERCIA Brindleyplace, Birmingham

TUE 26 AUG MORDRED O2 Academy, Birmingham BATS The Flapper, Birmingham WILLIAM CONTROL The Roadhouse, B’ham TYLA GANG The Robin, Bilston THE GRAVELTONES The Oobleck, Birmingham THE FRONT BOTTOMS

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The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

Hellyeah - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

WED 27 AUG NURVRAX JAM The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham PETE KENT The Robin, Bilston CARA LUFT Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

THU 28 AUG DEL CAMINO The Jam House, Birmingham AUSTRALIAN BEE GEEZ The Robin, Bilston ROSE REDD The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton BJORN AGAIN The Assembly, Leamington Spa THE ACID BALLET, PUNK OF AGES, STYX & STONES AND 5/5.8 The Roadhouse, Birmingham

FRI 29 AUG UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, Birmingham MODS & ROCKERS SHOW 1964 - 1970 The Robin, Bilston RINGO DEATHSTARR Hare & Hounds, Birmingham UB40 Wolverhampton Racecourse THE KILLERZ The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE HANDSOME BEASTS Route 44, Birmingham ESTATES O2 Academy, Birmingham RINGO DEATHSTARR Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DEATHSEX BLOODBATH The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THE JANOSKIANS O2 Acamedy, Birmingham TRACEY HANNA Irish Centre, Birmingham THE REMEDY Moochers, Stourbridge

SAT 30 AUG UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, Birmingham THE SEX PISTOLS EXPERIENCE The Robin, Bilston ABBA UK Lichfield Garrick THE ELO EXPERIENCE New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE RYANS Irish Centre, Birmingham KATALEPTIC O2 Academy, Birmingham ONE STOP BOOGIE - 70S V 80S The River Rooms, Stourbridge SOUR MASH, TOROUS & GUNNERS LAW Route 44, Birmingham THE CARAVAN BEATLES The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury STAKEOUT O2 Academy, Birmingham MYTH CITY The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham TROOPS OF MAFEKING The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

SYPHOR, SINATE & LEGION OF WOLVES Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham SALVATORE LEONE The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

TWISTED WHEEL The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton PHIL CAMPBELL’S ALL STAR ROCK BAND Kasbah, Coventry

SUN 31 AUG BLAKE & BRAZIL Irish Centre, Birmingham RENNY JACKSON The Yardbird Jazz, B’ham

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 LG ARENA 0844 338 8000 NIA 0844 338 8000 THE OOBLECK 0121 270 6665 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

0870 320 7000 STOURBRIDGE TOWN HALL 01384 812812 WULFRUN HALL, 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

Warwickshire THE ASSEMBLY, LEAMINGTON 01926 311311 THE KASBAH, COVENTRY 024 7655 4473

0870 320 7000

NAILCOTE HALL, BERKSWELL 02476 46 6174

Shropshire

STRATFORD CIVIC HALL 01789 207100

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

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

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The Gilbert And Sullivan Opera Company

Classical Music PREVIEWS

Malvern Theatre, Tues 5 - Sat 9 August

Widely regarded as ‘the finest professional performers of G&S to be found anywhere in the world’, the Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company initially came together in 1995 to perform at the G&S Festival in Buxton. The ensuing years have seen the company tour extensively throughout the world, performing works from the Victorian duo’s extensive repertoire of comic operas.

This month they land in Malvern to perform four works, commencing with The Yeomen Of The Guard, a libretto of considerable humour set in the Tower of London in the sixteenth century. Next up is The Pirates Of Penzance, a jolly romp that comes complete with swashbuckling pirates, a dotty Major General and a bumbling policemen.

HMS Pinafore, meanwhile, is a Victorian satire which sets adrift aristocratic airs in favour of true love, while the company’s forth and final production is The Mikado, a topsyturvy tale considered to be G&S’s finest work.

Klaus Florian Vogt

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra: Wagner And Elgar Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Mon 25 August

Andris Nelsons and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra here join forces with German tenor Klaus Florian Vogt.

Vogt began his musical career playing First Horn in the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra before studying voice at the Lübeck Music Conservatory under Professor Günter Binge. Since 2003, he’s worked as a freelance singer, along the way carving out a reputation as a fine exponent of Wagner’s works.

Described as ‘an opera like no other’, Wagner’s final great masterpiece, Parsifal, is loosely based on Wolfram von Eschenbach’s thirteenth century poem about the Arthurian knight Parzival and his quest for the Holy Grail. Enthusing ‘a realm of sublime passion’, the opera here features alongside Wagner’s Lohengrin and Elgar’s mighty Second Symphony - a work of epic vision and secret sorrow.

Classical LISTINGS For full listing information on classical concerts, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk SHROPSHIRE WIND ENSEMBLE Fri 1 Aug, Church Stretton School, South Shropshire CHAPTER 8 Featuring an eclectic programme of works ranging from Rachmaninov to Lennon & McCartney, Fri 1 Aug, College Hall, Worcester HAKAN HARDENBERGER AND NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF SCOTLAND Programme includes works by Walton, Sally Beamish & Strauss, Fri 1 Aug, Worcester Cathedral ELGAR THE APOSTLES Featuring the Festival Chorus, Three Choirs Festival Youth Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Sarah Fox (soprano), Claudia Huckle (contralto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor) & Neal Davies (bass baritone), Fri 1 Aug, Worcester Cathedral SHAKESPEARE IN SONG Featuring works by Purcell, Blow, Arne, Haydn, Carissimi, Maudit &

Weldon, Fri 1 Aug, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester FITZWILLIAM QUARTET Programme comprises Haydn’s Seven Last Words from the Cross, Fri 1 Aug, Great Witley Church, Worcester THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHOIR OF GREAT BRITAIN - JUNIOR CONCERT Sat 2 Aug, St. Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury WORCESTER CATHEDRAL CHOIR: CHORAL EVENSONG Programme includes works by Elgar, Statham, Day, Ned Rorem & Vierne, Sat 2 Aug, Worcester Cathedral FESTIVAL CHORUS: BEST OF BRITISH FESTIVAL FINALE Featuring works

by Handel, Vaughan Williams, Delius, Elgar, Parry & Finzi, Sat 2 Aug, Worcester Cathedral ROYAL MARINES ASSOCIATION CONCERT BAND Featuring the Innsworth Military Wives Choir, Sat

2 Aug, Worcester Cathedral NATIONAL CHILDREN'S ORCHESTRAS OF GREAT BRITAIN: UNDER 12 ORCHESTRA Sun 3 Aug, Birmingham Town Hall LONDON SCHOOLS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - THE GREAT ANIMAL ORCHESTRA Mon 4 Aug, Birmingham Town Hall LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT Mon 4 Aug, Coventry Cathedral CELLOPHONY - CELLO OCTET Mon 4 Aug, Church Stretton School, South Shropshire YEOMAN OF THE GUARD Presented by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Tues 5 Aug, Malvern Theatres MARK BEBBINGTON: PIANO RECITAL Tues 5 Aug, St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Presented by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Weds 6 Aug, Malvern Theatres K’ANTU ENSEMBLE: SONGS AND DANCES FROM SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS Weds 6 Aug, The Shakespeare Institute, Stratford-upon-Avon HMS PINAFORE Presented by The Gilbert &

Sullivan Opera Company, Thurs 7 Aug, Malvern Theatres THE NATIONAL CHILDREN’S CHOIR OF GREAT BRITAIN - SENIOR CONCERT Thurs 7 Aug, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury THE MIKADO Presented

by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug, Malvern Theatres NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN Programme includes works by Stravinsky & Petrushka, Sat 9 Aug, Symphony Hall, Birmingham KOSMOS ENSEMBLE Sat 9 Aug, Symphony Hall, Birmingham LA TRAVIATA Live screening of Glyndebourne’s new version of Verdi's masterpiece -one of the most popular operas of all time, Sun 10 Aug, Malvern Theatres & mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT Mon 11 Aug, Coventry Cathedral PAM PICKFORD (PIANO) & MARY FORRESTER (VIOLIN) Weds 13 Aug, Shrewsbury Abbey ORGAN PROM WITH KEVIN MORGAN Sat 16 Aug, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-

Trent MARK STONE & SHOLTO KYNOCH Programme comprises Vaughan Williams' Songs of Travel & Toby Young's premiere of new work, Sun 17 Aug, Tardebigge Church, Worcester LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT Mon 18 Aug, Coventry Cathedral

HARRIET AMOS Programme includes works

by Debussy & Beethoven, Fri 22 Aug, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester CBSO: WAGNER AND ELGAR Mon 25 Aug, Symphony Hall, Birmingham LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT Mon 25 Aug, Coventry Cathedral

Classical Box Office ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330

01584 873229

BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 CBSO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333 COLLEGE HALL, WORCESTER 01905 721 700

MAC - MIDLANDS ARTS CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232 ST LAURENCE’S CHURCH, LUDLOW 01584 872 073 MALVERN THEATRE 01684 892277

COVENTRY CATHEDRAL 02476 521200

ST ALKMUNDS CHURCH, SHREWSBURY 01743 365 478

GREAT WITLEY CHURCH, WORCESTER 01684 561 623

SYMPHONY HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333

HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER 01905 611 427

VICTORIA HALL, STOKE-ON-TRENT 0844 871 7649

LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS, SOUTH SHROPSHIRE

WORCESTER CATHEDRAL 01905 732 900

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Comedy Maureen Younger

Comedy Box Office

Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham, Weds 13 August

The 2007 Hackney Empire New Act competition winner, the much-travelled Maureen Younger began performing comedy sketches for a French cafe theatre group called Meceuil Theatre de Paris before branching out on her own. Peddling an on-stage persona that's been described as 'a lazily saucy flirt', she makes the most of some rather lightweight material by virtue of her impeccable comic timing. She also hosts this regular night at the Kitchen Garden Cafe - so if you can’t make it to this show, be sure to check her out on a future occasion.

The Real McCoy The Glee Club, Birmingham, Sun 31 August

Nobody’s safe from becoming a target of Rudi Lickwood’s fast-paced humour, least of all his wife, who, he claims, has emasculated him, and whose snoring and menstruating he hates.

His kids don’t escape unscathed either - but then if they were better at art and playing the recorder, they wouldn’t give dad quite so much material to work with. Lickwood - who appears alongside Geoff Schumann, Curtis Walker, Leo Muhammad and Mr Frasier at this Real McCoy comedy event - started out as an Eddie Murphy impersonater back in the late-1980s before turning his considerable comic talent to the business of stand-up. Critics claim he fasttracks to big laughs, way too often utilising tried, tested and predictable subject matter rather than more cutting-edge material. That said, if you’re going to judge a comedian by the level of audience laughter during a gig, Lickwood’s definitely got this stand-up business well and truly, er, licked.

Brendan Riley

Andrew Bird

DAVE HADINGHAM, PETER WHITE, GAR MURRAN & COMIC TBC Fri 1 -Sat 2 Aug, The Glee Club, B’ham SIMON CLAYTON, BRYAN LACEY, DAVE TWENTYMAN & CURTIS WALKER Fri 1 - Sat 2 Aug, Highlight Comedy Club, B’ham DANA ALEXANDER, PHIL NICHOL, MC MATT RICHARDSON & COMIC TBC Sat 2 Aug, Players Bar, B’ham PAUL SINAH, ANDREW BIRD, HELEN KEELER & COMPERE ADAM ROWE Sun 3 Aug, The George Hotel, Lichfield SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO, COMPERE SPIKY MIKE Sun 3 Aug, Drummonds Bar, Worcester SUZY BENNETT, AARON TWITCHEN Mon 4 Aug, Old Joint Stock Pub, Birmingham COMEDY CAROUSEL

The George Hotel, Lichfield, Sun 3 August; Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham, Fri 8 - Sat 9 August

Described as a boy-next-door kinda guy, Andrew Bird is a cheery and affable funnyman who can fairly quickly get an audience eating out of the palm of his hand. That said - and as can often be the case with up-and-coming comedians - he’s a wee bit more about style than substance, and will need to start harvesting a far greater quantity of cutting-edge material if he’s really going to make an impact in the fiercely competitive arena of stand-up comedy.

Manford Comedy Club, Players Bar, Birmingham, Fri 16 August

Although he’s often been lambasted for peddling material that’s maybe a bit on the shabby side, Brendan Riley nonetheless knows how to give a roomful of people a good time. A gregarious Liverpudlian, his winning personality allows him to generate a nearinstant rapport with his audience, in so doing ensuring they like him way too much to worry that his gags are maybe a little limp and longwinded. Brendan’s probably at his best as a compere, a role he’s assuming this very evening. He takes his place in the comedy limelight alongside fellow purveyors of mirth Matt Kirshen and Simon Bligh.

Comedy LISTINGS For full listing information on comedy gigs including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk WITH ANDY ROBINSON, MARK MAIER & COMIC TBC Thurs 7 Aug, The Glee Club, B’ham MARK MAIER, DAN THOMAS, TANYALEE DAVIS Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham ANDREW BIRD, STEFANO PAOLINI, ALISTAIR BARRIE, PHIL DINSDALE Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham DUNCAN OAKLEY, MATT KRISHEN, KEITH CARTER, MARK OLIVER Sat 9 Aug, Players Bar, Birmingham JO ENRIGHT WITH MC MAUREEN YOUNGER Wed 13 Aug, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham MATT REED, BETHANY BLACK, TREVOR COOK & COMIC TBC Thurs 14 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham MATT REED, BETHANY BLACK, TREVOR COOK &

ANDY ASKINS Fri 15 Aug, Glee Club, Birmingham MATT REED, BETHANY BLACK & TREVOR COOK Sat 16 Aug, Glee Club, Birmingham PHIL WALKER, BRENDAN RILEY, STEVE GRIBBIN & COMIC TBC Fri 22 - Sat 23 Aug, Highlight Comedy Club, B’ham COMEDY IN THE MET LINE UP TBC Sat 23 Aug, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre RUDI LICKWOOD, GEOFF NORCOTT, DAVE JOHNS & KEVIN GILDEA Fri 15 - Sat 16 Aug, Highlight Comedy Club, B’ham LOL COMEDY CLUB WITH MC DAMION LARKIN Sat 16 Aug, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent BRENDAN RILEY & COMICS TBC Fri 16 Aug, Players Bar, Birmingham BEN HURLEY, ALISON SMITH & ANDREW STANLEY Thurs 21 Sat 23 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham PHIL WALKER, BRENDAN RILEY & STEVE GRIBBIN Fri 22 - Sat 23 Aug, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham COMEDY IN THE MET

COURTYARD THEATRE, HEREFORD 01432 340555 THE LYCEUM, CREWE 01270 368 242 THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 0121 333 2444 DRUMMONDS BAR, WORCESTER 01905 28190 THE GEORGE HOTEL, LICHFIELD, STAFFS 01543 414822 THE GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM 0871 4720400 HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM, 0844 844 0044 KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 OLD JOINT STOCK PUB BIRMINGHAM 0121 200 1892 PLAYERS BAR, BIRMINGHAM 0121 643 6871 REGENT THEATRE, STOKEON-TRENT 0844 871 7627 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE 01785 254653

Sat 23 Aug, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre ALEX BOARDMAN, MC ANDRE VINCENT & TWO COMICS TBC Sat 23 Aug, Players Bar THE LAUGHTER CREWE Comedy and curry night, Sun 24 Aug, Crewe Lyceum COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, TOM WRIGGLESWORTH & COMIC TBC Thu 28 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham TOM WRIGGLESWORTH, SIMON CLAYTON, CHRIS MCCAUSLAND & COMIC TBC Fri 29 - Sat 30 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham BOBBY MAIR, TONY HENDRICKS, JOJO SMITH, PIERRE HOLLINS Fri 29 - Sat 30 Aug, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham KATHERINE RYAN, JONNY AWSUM, STEVE HARRIS, CHRIS CAIRNS Sat 30 Aug, Players Bar, Birmingham STAND UP WITH THE REAL MCCOY; GEOFF SCHUMANN, RUDI LICKWOOD, CURTIS WALKER & LEO MUHAMMAD (AS MR FRASIER) Sun 31 Aug, The Glee Club, B’ham

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Theatre Read the review on page 31

Wicked

Birmingham Hippodrome, until Sat 6 September

Offering proof that you simply can’t please all of the people all of the time, Wicked had to dodge its fair share of slings and arrows when it opened in London in 2006. As far as many a broadsheet theatre critic was concerned, there was certainly no pot of gold at the end of this particular rainbow, let alone a big and mysterious wizard.

The proof of the pudding, however, is most definitely in the eating, and eight years after its West End debut, Wicked is still going strong so much so that it’s now out on tour. Based on novelist Gregory Maguire’s ingenious reimagining of Frank L Baum’s famous tale, it’s

basically the story of The Wizard Of Oz as told from the perspective of two sorcery students, one of whom will become Glinda The Good, the other the Wicked Witch of the West.

If you’ve seen the show in London, chances are you’ll be eager to catch it again here in the Midlands.

If, on the other hand, Oz is a land to which you’ve yet to travel, then follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Hippodrome box office just as fast as your ruby slippers will carry you... Read the review on page 31

Arden Of Faversham The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Thurs 2 October

WI

One Man, Two Guvnors

TIC N whats KETS onlive .co.u to ente r

Determined to free herself from a miserable marriage so that she can be with her lover, Alice Arden recruits a band of would-be murderers to put paid to her husband... This is a short work of theatre by RSC standards, with the curtain falling after just one hour and forty minutes. Still, it’s quality rather than quantity that matters, and this Elizabethan domestic tragedy has certainly got the former in abundance.

Its author’s identity is unknown, a fact which has led to Thomas Kyd, Christopher Marlowe and even William Shakespeare being credited with the piece.

Sharon Small (pictured below), whose credits include BBC's Inspector Lynley Mysteries and Mistresses, makes her RSC debut as Alice Arden.

k

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 25 - Sat 30 August

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. Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small-time East End hood who’s now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel, posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers. You keeping up?... Ex-Eastender, Shaun Williamson, stars. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 21

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Theatre PREVIEWS The 39 Steps Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 28 August - Sat 6 September

Anybody who remembers the various film versions of John Buchan's classic spy thriller will be hard-pressed to call any of them 'humorous' - so it's a bit weird, to say the least, to think of this stage version having bagged the Olivier Award for Best New Comedy! Nonetheless, that's exactly what it's done, courtesy of some imaginative thinking on the part of its creative team. So why not catch up with handsome hero Richard Hannay as he battles to remain impressively stiffupper-lipped in the face of dastardly murders and life-threatening encounters with doublecrossing secret agents. Oh, and there are some beautiful and mysterious women involved, too, so it's not all bad news for our intrepid hero! Four fearless actors play no fewer than one hundred-and-fifty roles in this real gem of a show.

Thérèse Raquin Malvern Theatre, Mon 18 - Sat 23 August

Abigail’s Party and Gavin & Stacey favourite Alison Steadman is the star attraction in this new version of Emile Zola’s nineteenth century tale of lust, madness and destruction.

Set in the backstreets of Paris, it tells the story of a beautiful-yet-doomed woman whose aunt has her married off to a sickly cousin. But when Thérèse’s husband introduces her to the enigmatic Laurent Raquin, an illicit passion is stirred that will ultimately lead to violence and murder...

Henry IV Parts I & II Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sat 6 September

Shakespeare’s famous epic offers up some of his most beautifully drawn characters, including Mistress Quickly, Pistol, Justice Shallow and irrepressible comic knight Sir John Falstaff.

With England in turmoil, the king’s position weak and the Prince of Wales under the corrupting influence of Falstaff, civil war is inevitable... This highly acclaimed RSC production sees the company’s Associate Artist, Antony Sher, returning to the fold to star as the larger-than-life Falstaff. Directed by Gregory Doran, the production features Jasper Britton as King Henry IV.

The Gruffalo Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 12 - Sun 24 August

With over four million copies of the book having been sold, it's fair to say that Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's award-winning Gruffalo has captured the hearts and minds of children everywhere. Presenting songs, laughs and scary fun that's ideal for youngsters aged three and older, the stage version follows Mouse as he heads out on his journey through the deep dark wood, scaring away hungry animals with tall stories of the terrifying Gruffalo. Imagine his surprise, then, when he suddenly finds himself coming faceto-face with the very creature that he's imagined!

Alice Through The Looking Glass The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Thurs 14 August

Lewis Carroll's timeless classic tells the enchanting tale of Alice, a little girl who enters a magical and sometimes scary alternative world through the mirror above her drawing-room fireplace. There, she discovers a whole host of nonsensical and amusing characters, including nursery rhyme favourites Humpty Dumpty and Tweedledum & Tweedledee... This brand new version of the popular children’s story benefits from live music and is presented by the well-regarded Quantum Theatre, who characteristically present shows which blend educational elements with pacey and humorous musical theatre.

awash with showstopping musical numbers, including I Dreamed A Dream, On My Own and One Day More.

Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Of The Pyramid Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 12 Weds 13 August; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Mon 25 - Weds 27 August

Hanna-Barbera’s 1969 animated creation has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent times, with new television series and even a couple of big-screen movie versions ensuring brand new generations of admirers have been able to enjoy the wacky adventures of the cowardly mutt and his faithful companions. Scooby’s no stranger to the stage either, and this latest offering seems certain to press all the appropriate buttons when it comes to providing an evening of family-friendly fun. As you’d expect, the storyline itself’s not really all that relevant - suffice it to say Scooby and Shaggy have got plenty of reason to quiver at their respective knees when a trip to Egypt brings the gang into contact with mysterious mummies and freaky Pharaohs!

Les Miserables Crescent Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 20 - Sat 23 August

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic 1862 novel, Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s beloved show is a sweeping, uplifting, epic saga that’s thrilled audiences throughout the world. When the fugitive, Jean Valjean, is pitted against the tenacious Inspector Javert in a lifelong struggle to evade capture, the high-stakes conflict becomes deeply personal, playing out against an historical backdrop of unparalleled scale. The production is www.whatsonlive.co.uk 23

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Theatre PREVIEWS Eric And Cleopatra New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Mon 18 - Sat 30 August

Highlighting the little-known fact that the Ancient Romans loved, er, the music of the 1960s, it’s fair to say that this latest Uncle Eric production is offering the usual evening of pure, unadulterated silliness. When Uncle Eric’s ancestor, Eric The Smith, is mistaken for legendary Roman soldier Mark Antony, he finds himself being sent to meet the world’s most beautiful woman - Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. But Cleo looks remarkably like someone from Eric’s murky past...

The New Vic’s Uncle Eric shows have developed a significant and loyal following over the years. This latest installment - described by its promoters as ‘an ancient Roman spectacular filled with comedy, sandals and the greatest hits of the 1960s’ - looks set to further enhance an already impressive reputation.

Pride And Prejudice Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire, Weds 13 August

Elegant Georgian settings and wonderful comic characters abound in this stage adaptation of Jane Austen's famous romantic novel. The foolish and marriage-obsessed Mrs Bennet is relentless in her pursuit of suitable men for her five daughters to marry, her increasingly desperate quest generating all manner of muddle and mayhem in the process. This much-loved and oft-performed story is here presented by the well-established Heartbreak Productions, a company which has garnered an enviable reputation for producing high-quality theatrical fare for performance in the great outdoors.

David Graham who plays Uncle Eric

The Taming Of The Shrew Martineau Gardens, Birmingham, Sun 10 August; Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton, Tues 14 - Fri 15 August; Dorothy Clive Garden, Shropshire, Sat 23 August; Biddulph Grange Gardens, Staffordshire, Sun 24 August

Possibly the most famous of all plays about the battle of the sexes, The Taming Of The Shrew has become a somewhat overlooked work of late, perhaps because its subject matter doesn’t sit comfortably in a post-feminist age. Whatever the whys and wherefores, Shrew is one of Shakespeare’s most robust and riotous comedies, and tells the story of the fiery Katherina - who’s angrily rejected all her suitors - and the attempts by the golddigging Petruchio to bring her under his control. This outdoor production comes courtesy of Folksy Theatre Company.

is a perfect example of a creative force operating at the very peak of his powers. With their marriage on the rocks, Bet and Al win a romantic night in Paris - but although the City of Love ignites their relationship like never before, the reality of returning home always looms large... Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinnerladies) and Joe McGann (Calendar Girls, The Upper Hand) star in this new version of Godber’s Olivier Award-nominated comedy.

John Godber’s talent for taking big themes and presenting them in an accessible, downto-earth manner has seen him become one of the UK’s most successful playwrights over the last two decades, and this 1992 offering

The city’s current Britain From Above exhibition, developed as part of the Britain From Above summer school (in collaboration with English Heritage) provides the inspiration for this short and innovative show by local young people. The piece invites its audience to look out across the city from the garden terraces of the Library of Birmingham, and to see the area’s past as ‘a hub of industry, a home of hauntings, and a centre of culture’.

Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 8 August

The Attic Theatre, Coventry, Fri 1 - Mon 4 August

Malvern Theatre, Worcestershire, Tues 12 Sat 16 August; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 7 - Sat 11 October

Library of Birmingham, Sat 9 August

Two Old Men: 2Faced Dance

Not About Heroes

April In Paris

Birmingham From Above

A fusion of break, street and contemporary dance is the trademark offering from 2Faced Dance Company in this family-friendly production. Presenting the story of two old friends, their extraordinary experiences, eccentric behaviour and ‘lifelong journey all the way to the pub’, the show is described by 2Faced as ‘twenty minutes of adrenalinefuelled, heart-in-the-mouth acrobatics that will leave you wanting more’.

Tread The Boards Theatre Company here commemorates the one hundredth anniversary of the First World War with a production that explores the friendship between two of England’s greatest twentieth century war poets. When Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen met at Craiglockhart War Hospital, they forged a bond which transformed them both.

Weaving together their poems, letters and autobiographical writings, this well-reviewed and emotionally powerful show not only pays homage to that bond but also celebrates the power of their words, written in the shadow of a terrible and all-consuming conflict. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 25

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

FRI 1 AUG ANNIE GET YOUR GUN Major new production of the Tony Award-winning version of Irving Berlin's classic musical.

Jason Donovan, Emma Williams and Norman Pace star, until Sat 2 Aug, Malvern Theatres THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA Full staging of Shakespeare’s exuberant romantic comedy, until Thurs 4 Sept, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon HENRY IV PARTS I & II RSC Associate Artist Antony Sher returns to the Company to play infamous comic knight Falstaff, until Sat 6 Sep, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon WICKED Read the review on page 31, showing until Sat 6 Sept, Birmingham Hippodrome THE ROARING GIRL Jo Davies directs Lisa Dillon as the dynamic, cross-dressing heroine in a new version of Thomas Middleton & Thomas Dekker's Jacobean comedy, until Tue 30 Sep, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM Polly Findlay makes her RSC debut, directing a darkly comic thriller which focuses on a husband, wife and lover who find themselves locked within a deadly game, until Thurs 2 Oct, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon THE WHITE DEVIL Maria Aberg directs a new production of John Webster's violent tragedy, considered by many to be one of the great works of Jacobean theatre, until Sat 4 Oct, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon MAGIC RUSS Magic & mayhem from Russ and his cheeky friend, Dave the Wonder Dog, Fri 1 Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Amateur production presented by Chapterhouse Theatre Company, Fri 1 Aug, Gregynog Hall, Powys THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER Storybox Theatre present a faithful retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's master-

piece, Fri 1 Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove ROCK SCHOOL Out Of The Box present a ‘vibrant & electrifying show’ written by Stuart Parkes, Fri 1 Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Oddsocks presentation, Fri 1 Aug, Mary Arden House, Stratford-upon-Avon TWELFTH NIGHT Madcap Theatre fuse music, dance & physical theatre in an energetic adaptation of Shakespeare’s cross-dressing tale of mistaken identity, Fri 1 Aug, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury PEPPA PIG'S BIG SPLASH All-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles for children, Fri 1 - Sat 2 Aug, Malvern Theatres NOT ABOUT HEROES Tread The Boards Theatre Company present a production based on the true story of friendship between war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, Fri 1 Mon 4 Aug, The Attic Theatre, Coventry TWELFTH NIGHT Oddsocks provide a madcap musical treat, with Shakespeare's love stories intertwined with well-known British chart hits to keep the blood pumping and the mood merry, Sat 2 Aug, Mary Arden House, Stratfordupon-Avon MILKSHAKE LIVE! New musical featuring brand new songs, classic favourites & funky dance routines, Sat 2 Aug, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa GEORGE'S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE Ilyria theatre are back again with another family adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic, Sat 2 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury PETER PAN AND THE LOST BOYS Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary version of JM Barrie’s fantastical tale, Sat 2 Aug, Brockhampton Estate, Worcestershire TROILUS & CRESSIDA The King's Troupe - an intergenerational group from West Yorkshire fuse stilt walking, dancing and a Greek Chorus to tell one of Shakespeare's most complex stories, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon BE OUR GUEST! Join The

Old Joint Stock Musical Theatre Company in a special concert celebrating much-loved classics from family favourites, including The Little Mermaid, Despicable Me, Frozen, Toy Story, The Lion King, Aladdin and Shrek, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Supported by Richard Wilson, Virgin Media and Stephen Fry, Purple Coat's first Youth Theatre production aims to give opportunities to talented youngsters in an innovative and modern twist on Shakespeare's greatest comedy, Sun 3 Aug, The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon MACBETH Heartbreak Productions present an innovative version of Shakespeare’s bloody tale, Sun 3 Aug, Warley Woods, Smethwick EVERYBODY DANCE: LOVELY BUGS An outdoor, interactive, participatory aerial dance performance work for all ages and abilities, Lovely Bugs tells the story of dangerously different bugs on a quest. What emerges is a tale of friendship and understanding, Sun 3 Aug, Cannon Hill Park, Bowling Green, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 4 AUG YEOMAN OF THE GUARD Presented by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Tue 5 Aug, Malvern Theatres FOOTLOOSE Amateur production presented by the Worcester Operatic & Dramatic Society Youth Section, Tues 5 Sat 9 Aug, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE Presented by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Wed 6 Aug, Malvern Theatres MARTY MACDONALD’S FARM lnteractive puppet show for young children, with children’s TV presenter Justin Fletcher voicing Pongo the pig, Weds 6 Aug, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury HMS PINAFORE Presented by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Thurs 7 Aug, Malvern Theatres PETER PAN AND THE LOST BOYS Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary version of JM Barrie’s fantastical tale, Thurs 7 Aug, Powis Castle, Powys SONGS FOR A NEW

The Sorceror’s Apprentice - The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

WORLD History and performance are fused together in this presentation by participants of Oakengates Theatre's Youth Summer Project, Thurs 7 - Fri 8 Aug, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford HUGLESS DOUGLAS Blunderbus Theatre fuse music, puppetry and high-energy storytelling in a new show for children, Fri 8 Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove TREASURE ISLAND Rain Or Shine Theatre present an outdoor performance of Robert Louis Stevenson's buccaneering adventure, Fri 8 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley, Shropshire PETER PAN AND THE LOST BOYS Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary version of JM Barrie’s fantastical tale, Fri 8 Aug, Packwood House, Warwickshire THE MIKADO Presented

by The Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company, Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug, Malvern Theatres TWELFTH NIGHT Madcap Theatre Productions fuse music, dance, stage combat and physical theatre in a retelling of Shakespeare’s cross-dressing tale of mistaken identity, Sat 9 Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary outdoor production of Jane Austen's observational drama, Sat 9 Aug, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire BIRMINGHAM FROM ABOVE Innovative show

by Rochi Rampal which ties in with the library’s Britain From Above exhibition, Sat 9 Aug, Roof Terrace, Library of Birmingham HAMLET PROJECT Shakespeare students tell the

story of his greatest play by unravelling the threads that connect their lives, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon ROMEO AND JULIET Shooting Stars Theatre Company present a 'stripped-down' version of Shakespeare's tale of star-crossed lovers, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-uponAvon LA TRAVIATA Glyndebourne present a new version of Verdi's masterpiece, one of the most popular operas of all time, Sun 10 Aug, Malvern Theatres PETER PAN AND THE LOST BOYS Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary version of JM Barrie’s fantastical tale, Sun 10 Aug, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Presented by Folksy Theatre Company, Sun 10 Aug, Martineau Gardens, Birmingham LA TRAVIATA LIVE Live screening from Glyndebourne Festival, Sun 10 Aug, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 11 AUG PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary outdoor production of Jane Austen's observational drama, Tues 12 Aug, St John’s House Museum, Warwick ROMEO AND JULIET An outdoor production of the greatest love story ever told is here presented by The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, Tues 12 Aug, Shrewsbury Castle SCOOBY DOO - THE MYSTERY OF THE PYRAMID

Family show featuring physical comedy, popular tunes and special effects, Tues 12 - Weds 13 Aug, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent APRIL IN PARIS Shobna Gulati (Dinnerladies) and Joe McGann star in John Godber's comic masterpiece, Tues 12 Sat 16 Aug, Malvern Theatres THE GRUFFALO Tall Stories present their adaptation of Julia Donaldson's magical tale for children, Tues 12 - Sun 24 Aug, Birmingham Town Hall PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary outdoor production of Jane Austen's observational drama, Weds 13 Aug, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire ROMEO AND JULIET The Lord Chamberlain's Men present a brand new, action-packed production of the world's greatest love story, Wed 13 Aug, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Festival Players present Shakespeare’s farcical play of mistaken identity, Weds 13 Aug, Swan Theatre, Worcester DOCTOR DOLITTLE Presented by Stafford Gatehouse Theatre Summer School, Weds 13 - Sat 16 Aug, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Quantum Theatre present a brand new adaptation of Lewis Carroll's timeless classic, Thurs 14 Aug, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford THE SORCEROR’S APPRENTICE Garlic Theatre conjure up a bewitching tale of mystery, featuring puppetry,

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk humour and technical wizardry, Thurs 14 Aug, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Presented by Folksy Theatre Company, Thurs 14 - Fri 15 Aug, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton TALBOT HOUSE - A HOME FROM HOME Peter Gill’s play recreates the humour, music and atmosphere of Belgium’s Talbot House, which became a haven for thousands of allied troops during the Great War, Fri 15 Aug, Swan Theatre, Worcester KATRICE HORSLEY: CLOCKWORK Join National Storytelling Laureate Katrice Horsley in her one-woman show, featuring poetry & song that explores the corsetry of social constructs upon the human form, Fri 15 Aug, Studio Theatre, Library of Birmingham LITTLE MERMAID JNR Family show which promises to transport audiences to the underwater home of young mermaid Ariel, Fri 15 Aug, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE RAIN IT RAINETH EVERY DAY Shakespeare Live use songs, music, sonnets and short scenes to take audiences on a journey through the four seasons and their accompanying weather, Sat 16 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon

Week Commencing

MON 18 AUG THERESE RAQUIN Alison Steadman stars in Helen Edmundson's version of Emile Zola's story of lust, madness and destruction, set within the back streets of Paris, Mon 18 - Sat 23 Aug, Malvern Theatres ERIC AND CLEOPATRA Roman spectacular filled with comedy, sandals and the greatest hits of the 1960s, Mon 18 - Sat 30 Aug, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Malvern Theatres Young Company present an amateur version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic, Tues 19 - Sat 23 Aug, Malvern Theatres HEROES Swan Theatre Amateur Company

present Tom Stoppard’s adaptation of Gerald Sibleyras’ ‘beautifully crafted’ comedy, Tues 19 - Sat 23 Aug, Swan Theatre, Worcester LES MISERABLES Musical Youth UK presents its version of Alain Boubil & Claude-Michel Schonberg’s enthralling story, which bears testament to the strength of the human spirit, Weds 20 - Sat 23 Aug, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham FOOTLOOSE - STAGE EXPERIENCE Amateur production of the hit rock'n'roll musical, Weds 20 - Sat 23 Aug, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham PETER PAN AND THE LOST BOYS Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary version of JM Barrie’s fantastical tale, Thurs 21 Aug, St John’s House Museum, Warwick MILKSHAKE LIVE! Children’s show featuring new songs, classic favourites and funky dance routines, based on the popular Channel 5 show, Thurs 21 Aug, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury PETER PAN Tread The Boards Theatre Company present JM Barrie's much-loved story.

Suitable for all ages, Thurs 21 - Sun 31 Aug, The Attic Theatre, Coventry THE THREE MUSKETEERS Join young D’Artagnan in an outdoor production of swashbuckling adventure for all the family, Fri 22 Aug, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire THE TEMPEST The Pantaloons present an outdoor production of Shakespeare’s mystical tale, Fri 22 Aug, Coughton Court, Warwickshire BOTTLENECK & SPACEWANG Season of short new works by dynamic young playwrights. Also being presented is a curtain-raiser entitled Notes For First Time Astronauts, Fri 22 - Sat 23 Aug, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE STORY GARDEN Active storytelling sessions where children aged four to eight and their parents/carers can get involved in telling Shakespeare's stories in a fun and lively way, Sat 23 Aug, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE FORBIDDEN PLANET Sat 23 Aug, Prince of Wales Centre, Cannock THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Presented by Folksy Theatre Company, Sat 23 Aug, The Dorothy Clive Garden, North Shropshire TWELFTH NIGHT BMH Productions combine puppetry, music and song in an innovative presentation of Shakespeare's comic masterpiece, Sat 23 - Sun 24 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon RHYTHM OF THE DANCE Featuring thirty dancers, a traditional live full Irish band and the ‘dashing’ Young Irish Tenors, Sun 24 Aug, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham L_OVE HANGMAN A lifesized gameshow version of the pen & paper classic, Sun 24 Aug, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 25 AUG SCOOBY DOO - THE MYSTERY OF THE PYRAMID Family show featuring physical comedy, popular tunes and special effects, Mon 25 - Wed 27 Aug, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS The critically acclaimed National Theatre production takes to the road... Mon 25 - Sat 30 Aug, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent THE SECRET GARDEN Directed by Juliet Vankay, based on the book by Frances Hodgson, Weds 27 - Sun 31 Aug, The Dream Factory, Warwick THE 39 STEPS John Buchan's classic spy thriller, Thurs 28 Aug Sat 6 Sept, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham MACBETH Heartbreak Productions present an innovative version of Shakespeare’s bloody tale, Thurs 28 Aug, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire THE UGLY DUCKLING Sea Legs Puppet Theatre fuse storytelling, puppetry and a musical score in an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of belonging and identity, Thurs 28 Aug, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Rain Or Shine Theatre present an outdoor production of Shakespeare's romantic comedy, Fri 29 Aug, Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire A NIGHT OF DIRTY DANCING Brand new dancing

L_ove Hangman - mac, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

extravaganza presented by an all-star cast, including West End performers, Fri 29 Aug, Malvern Theatre HITS OF THE KHANS Bollywood's most successful actors - Aamir Khan, ShahRukh Khan and Salman Khan - present an evening of non-stop songs from the day they all entered the industry, including Tere Mast Do Nain, Chaiyya Chaiyya, Malang, Didi Teri Deewana, Chand Sifarish, Tadap Tadap, and many more... Fri 29 Aug, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry MARTY MCDONALD’S FARM Featuring the voice of CBeebies favourite Justin Fletch-

er, Fri 29 Aug, Lichfield Garrick GREASE THE MUSICAL Theatre First bring to a close two weeks of intense rehearsals with their version of the much-loved musical, Fri 29 - Sat 30 Aug, Forest Arts Centre, Walsall TREASURE ISLAND Outdoor performance presented by Rain Or Shine Theatre Company, Sat 30 Aug, Witley Court, Worcestershire THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Presented by the Dulwich Players, an amateur theatre group based in south-east London, Sat 30 Aug, The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon

SING-A-LONG-A GREASE A brand new singalong version of the classic film starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, Sat 30 Aug, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry THE TEMPEST A cultureclash of characters brings Shakespeare's language to life through the island's habitants and the arrival of the shipwrecked party, Sun 31 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary outdoor production of Jane Austen's observational drama, Sun 31 Aug, Brockhampton Estate, Worcestershire

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 245 4455 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962

Black Country 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 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299

Staffordshire LICHFIELD GARRICK 01543 412121 NEW VIC 01782 717962 PRINCE OF WALES CENTRE, CANNOCK 01543 578762 REGENT THEATRE, STOKE 0870 060 6649 RUGELEY ROSE THEATRE 01889 584036 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE 01785 254653 STOKE REPERTORY THEATRE 01782 209784

Warwickshire 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, STRATFORDUPON-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 743745SWAN THEATRE, WORCESTER 01905 611427

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COMING SOON IN 2014

BROMSGROVE’S THEATRE, CINEMA, LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUE Fridays 1st, 8th & 15th August

Friday 8th August

HUGLESS DOUGLAS

FAMILY FUN FRIDAYS LOTS TO SEE & DO FOR ALL THE FAMILY

Thursday 4th September

ADORABLE FAMILY SHOW FROM BLUNDERBUS

Friday 5th September

MEDEA NT LIVE SCREENING WITH MUSIC FROM GOLDFRAPP

SUPERSONIC 70S SHOW WITH MUSIC FROM QUEEN, THE OSMONDS, SWEET, ABBA, T-REX & LOADS MORE

Friday 8th August

THE MODS CLASSIC MUSIC FROM A CLASSIC ERA

Thursday 11th September

HARDEEP SINGH KOHLI TOP COMEDIAN ASKS ‘HARDEEP IS YOUR LOVE’

FORTHCOMING CINEMA: Postman Pat (U) // TS Spivet (12A) Chef (15) // Venus in Fur (15) // How To Train Your Dragon 2 (PG) Jersey Boys (15) // Hector & The Search For Happiness (15) ,

The new Artrix brochure is available to download on www.artrix.co.uk

For bookings & full details log onto www.artrix.co.uk or phone 01527 577330 Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1PQ

Free parking on-site

FORTHCOMING ATTRACTIONS 2014 Box Office: 01527 65203 Sat 13 Sept, 7.30pm

Wed 17 Sept, 8pm

DON MACLEAN

PETE FIRMAN

50 YEARS OF LAUGHTER

TRICKSTER

Tickets £16.75*

Tickets £15.75*

Thurs 18 Sept, 7.30pm

THE SEARCHERS

Fri 19 Sept, 7.30pm

HA HA HOOD STARRING SU POLLARD AND CANNON & BALL

Tickets £19.25*

Tickets £20.75*

Wed 24 Sept, 7.30pm

Thurs 25 Sept, 7.30pm

THAT’LL BE THE DAY

THE PAUL ZERDIN SHOW

Tickets £23.75*

Tickets £16.75*

* Inclusive of 75p booking fee per ticket up to a max of £3

ONLINE BOOKING: www.redditchpalacetheatre.co.uk 30 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Theatre - August .qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2014 17:15 Page 12

Theatre REVIEWS Below are reviews of theatre productions we checked out last month. For further theatre reviews, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

As You Like It Stafford Castle

The annual Shakespeare production at Stafford Castle always feels like a safe bet: a safe bet that you’ll stay dry despite its outdoor setting (thanks to the covered seating), and a safe bet that you’ll be presented with an evening of great entertainment.

This year was no different.

Unlike many a previous occasion, the press showing was a dry event; no deluge from the skies, no actors slipping across the stage, no costumes needing to be wrung out and dried off in time for the next performance.

And like pretty much every previous occasion, the company of performers rose majestically to the challenge of making Shakespeare accessible, enjoyable and, where appropriate, funny.

There were plenty of great performances in this 1960s-set production, which came complete with Forest of Arden hippie commune, where Duke Senior and his band of faithful lords existed in exile. Star attraction John Challis - Boycie from Only Fools And Horses - struck a suitably melancholic note as Jacques, while Eric Potts brought his natural comic flair to the role of Touchstone.

Georgina White and Tom Radford provided plenty of youthful energy in the respective roles of Rosalind and Orlando.

Another excellent offering from the always valuefor-money Stafford Shakespeare.

Harry Pelham n n n n

Caitlin Moran New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

With a rock concertsized crowd of largely twentysomething women cheering her on, the irrepressible Caitlin Moran extended a warm welcome to the smattering of men in the audience - and then invited the women to stand on their seats and roar, ‘I am a feminist!’ (as you do).

Scantily-clad women on MTV and the absence of ‘women’s issues’ in pop culture were among the subjects the sharp-witted Moran covered, and she wasn’t averse to some shameless name-dropping either. Promoting her new book, How To Build A Girl, she shared empowering platitudes and promoted pop culture to galvanise change.

Moran is undoubtedly intelligent, but her sordid diatribe was wholly unoriginal. Confessing her nonacademic credentials, she emerged like a cross between a 1990s ladette and Bridget Jones with a Twitter page. Demanding an increased lexicon for women, then using the myopic phrase ‘women of colour’, her assertion that she was in the ‘straight, white woman’ minority was frankly baffling.

Her potentially damaging perspective expects women to cross respectable boundaries and act like men in order to be ‘equal’.

This was strictly fizzy feminism for the masses, with bubble-gum slogans to match. She had plenty to say, but few opinions of considered merit. This particular feminist was appalled and more than disappointed. Malaka Chowdhury n n

Wicked Birmingham Hippodrome One of the most popular musicals ever to grace the stage finally landed in Birmingham - and what a spellbinding show it was too. Why I’d never seen Wicked before, I don’t know. It’s been on my radar for years and there have been numerous opportunities to see it in the West End, but there’s always been a genuine reason for turning down offers. Anyway, here it was ‘on my doorstep’, so my time to venture into the Emerald City had finally arrived.

Gregory Maguire’s story is a prequel to Frank L Baum’s Wizard Of Oz, and gives a damn good explanation as to why Elphaba (Elphie to her friends) turned out to be so Wicked - though not as wicked as we’d been led to believe...

Here, Elphaba was portrayed by stand-in Jemma Alexander, and what a fine performance she gave. Her strong vocals were put to good use in the show-stopping number, Defying Gravity.

Emily Tierney brought plenty of energy and humour to the role of the sugary-sweet but ditzy Glinda (G-linda), her frequent mispronunciations proving to be an entertaining staple of the show.

Wicked is certainly a high-end musical; it’s clear to see why so many young musical performers aspire to play one (or even both!) of the main roles. But strip away the glitz and what you’re left with is a heartfelt story of friendship, misplaced loyalties and love with quite a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

With its wonderfully crafted staging and dramatic score, Wicked hits the mark on every level, and is hugely deserving of its status as one of the all-time great musicals. It certainly cast its spell over me... Patsy Moss n n n n n

Midsummer Mischief Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

‘Well-behaved women seldom make history’ - so the legacy of Buzz Goodbody, the RSC’s first ever female Director, teaches us.

It seems fitting, then, that Deputy Artistic Director Erica Whyman chose Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s inflammatory words as provocation for a radical new festival of plays which acknowledged the industry’s debt to that early pioneer.

Following in the revolutionary footsteps of Goodbody - champion of some of the company’s most politically subversive stagings of the early-1970s - Midsummer Mischief marked the first step in the re-birth of Stratford venue The Other Place, which Goodbody founded.

Divided into two double-bills, ably performed by a single company of actors, these responses to Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s provocation diverged dramatically in style and theme.

By far the least well behaved in form was Alice Birch’s Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.

Performed as a series of punchy, self-contained episodes, this was an emphatic wakeup call to the politically disengaged, and a violent rallying cry to radicalism.

In stark contrast, its companion piece - The Ant And The Cicada, by Timberlake Wertenbaker - chose a single narrative focus, telling the story of modern Greece’s disenfranchisement and ultimate revolt against capitalist monopoly through the story of two warring sisters.

In Programme B, we saw women battling with the ghosts of an ever-present past in their effort to secure personal fulfilment. EV Crowe’s supernatural take on the traditional drawing-room drama (I Can Hear You) offered a chilling study of one family’s failed attempts to make spiritual contact with their mother. Taken for granted by her family and denied an identity outside of their imagining, her absence turned out to be as relevant in life as in death.

Concluding the quartet is Abi Zakarian’s This Is Not An Exit, an intriguing if underdeveloped study of the compromises that underpin twenty-first century womanhood, as seen through the eyes of a commercial magazine editor haunted by the ghosts of female role-models past and present.

A challenging and provocative cocktail of feminist fighting-talk, Midsummer Mischief was a fitting tribute to Buzz Goodbody’s original vision. Katherine Ewing n n n n www.whatsonlive.co.uk 31

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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 4 SEPTEMBER Thurs 14th August

QUANTUM THEATRE PRESENTS

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS Times: 1.30pm & 4.30pm

DES O’CONNOR Join the true showbusiness legend for a wonderful evening of comedy, laughter and music

Thurs 4th September

AN EVENING OF CLAIRVOYANCE WITH JOHN COOK

FRIDAY 5 SEPTEMBER

Time: 7.30pm

Fri 12th Sept

ROY ORBISON AND FRIENDS Time: 7.30pm

JOE McELDERRY Set Your Soul Alive Tour performing songs from Rock to Pop to Classical

Wed 17th Sept

NATHAN CARTER

WEDNESDAY 10 SEPTEMBER

Time: 7.30pm

NIK KERSHAW Thurs 18th & Fri 19th Sept

THE ME, MYSELF AND I TOUR

ROSS NOBLE WARM UP

A Solo Retrospective

Time: 8.00pm

Sat 20th September

OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM

FRIDAY 12 SEPTEMBER

Time: 2.30pm

JIM DAVIDSON

Thurs 25th September

MARCUS COLLINS

16+

NO FURTHER ACTION

Time: 7.30pm

8pm - LIMITED AVAILABILiTY 10.45pm - THIS SPECIAL LATE NIGHT EDITION will be being filmed for Jim's latest DVD release.

Fri 3rd October

LET’S HANG ON THE WORLD’S NO.1 TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE VALLI AND FOUR SEASONS Time: 7.30pm

SATURDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

TONY JACKLIN HOSTED BY WILLIE THORNE An Evening with The Ryder Cup & Golfing Legend

TWC GP 00839

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Theatre WEST END

Ex-EastEnder to star in new comedy Former EastEnders actress Tamzin Outhwaite is to star in a new comedy by Olivier Award-nominated writer Ben Ockrent.

Tamzin will take the lead in Breeders, which opens at St James Theatre in the autumn.

Following the story of Andrea, her wife Caroline, and their quest to have a child that shares both of their DNA, Breeders is inspired by Ockrent’s real-life experience and offers a new perspective on how and why to make babies. Commenting on the play, Ockrent says: “Some years ago, when a good friend asked me to donate my sperm for her and her girlfriend to conceive a child with, I was struck by the scale of the decision. Whilst I had every confidence in their ability to parent, it felt like there was an almost unfeasible amount riding on my answer. So, after they granted me some thinking time - years, as it turned out - it occurred to me that my wrangling could be an interesting set-up for a play. Discussing it with the couple over dinner, the story for Breeders (a quite different one to ours) emerged. Like this production, there’ll have to come a point when the curtain comes up on my personal answer to my friends’ request. The play starts previewing on September 4th. It’s as good a date as any.”

Breeders shows at St James Theatre until 4 October.

Matilda to welcome new Miss Trunchbull Acclaimed actor Craige Els is next month joining the cast of Matilda The Musical to star as the fearsome Miss Trunchbull.

Craige’s previous theatre work includes Mamma Mia!, Oklahoma!, The New Yorkers, Never Forget, Spamalot, Timon Of Athens, Antigone and The Cherry Orchard. On TV he’s appeared in Ripper Street, The Bletchley Circle and Call The Midwife.

A Royal Shakespeare Company production, Matilda The Musical continues to play to packed houses at London’s Cambridge Theatre. The show has been seen by almost 1.5 million people since it transferred to the West End in October 2011, and is currently booking until 24 May 2015.

Craige Els (centre) with Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly

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ISSUE 344

AUGUST 2014

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Film

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

From

FRI 22 AUG

Sin City 2: A Dame To Kill For CERT tbc Starring Jessica Alba, Powers Booth, Josh Brolin, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eva Green, Dennis Haysbert, Stacy Keach, Jamie King, Ray Liotta, Jeremy Piven, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Lady Gaga Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller (USA/France)

The fact that the sequel to Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s Sin City (2005) has taken so long to reach the screen is probably a good thing. Rodriguez and Miller return to the helm and have taken the main story, A Dame To Kill For, from the second edition in the comic-book series. Alongside this are two original subplots, and a fourth, Just Another Saturday Night, is taken from the sixth Sin City instalment. The central role of Dwight Murphy, originally played by Clive Owen, is now limned by Josh Brolin. Expect some extreme violence. In 3D.

TOP 5 FILM BOX OFFICE

Of The Planet 1 Dawn Of The Apes (12a) To Train Your 2 How Dragon 2 (PG) 3 Transformers: Age Of Extinction (12a) Python 4 Monty Live (Mostly) (12a) Brown’s Boys 5 Mrs d’Movie (15)

FROM

FRI 1 AUG

The Nut Job CERT U (86 mins) Featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser, Gabriel Iglesias, Liam Neeson, Katherine Heigl Directed by Peter Lepeniotis (Canada/South Korea/USA)

Don’t be fooled by the title: this is not the story of an orchiectomy but is an animated comedy-adventure for the whole family. The nuts in question are those prized by squirrels in the fictional town of Oakton, where the self-centred Surly (Arnett) is forced to reconsider the value of the greater good. The cartoon - adapted from the director’s own 2005 short film Surly Squirrel - was so successful in the States that a sequel is already in the works. In 3D.

Transformers: Age Of Extinction

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Film NEW RELEASES Released from Fri 1 August

Step Up 5: All In CERT PG (112 mins) Starring Ryan Guzman, Briana Evigan, Alyson Stoner, Adam Sevani Directed by Trish Sie (USA)

Step up, step up, here’s the sequel to Step Up Revolution (2012), or rather the fifth chapter in the Step Up franchise about those rippling dance devotees. On this occasion it’s all about a life-changing contest in Las Vegas. We must just contain ourselves. In 3D.

From

WED 6 AUG

Released from Fri 8 August

Planes 2: Fire and Rescue CERT U (84 mins)

Featuring the voices of Dane Cook, Stacy Keach, Brad Garrett, Danny Mann, Teri Hatcher, Julie Bowen, Ed Harris, Wes Studi Directed by Roberts Gannaway (USA)

Anthropomorphism rules OK in this sequel to Planes (2013), itself a spin-off of Cars (2006).

Here, Dusty Crophopper (voiced by Dane Cook) returns for more aerial adventures, although when his engine is damaged he realises that he may never race again. So, to keep his ego airborne, he becomes a firefighter and joins forces with the fireand-rescue helicopter Blade Ranger (Ed Harris).

In 3D, naturally.

The Inbetweeners 2 CERT tbc

Starring Simon Bird, James Buckley, Blake Harrison, Joe Thomas, Belinda StewartWilson Directed by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris (UK)

Having wreaked havoc in Crete, Jay Cartwright (Buckley) goes on a gap year in Australia and invites along his sex-mad, halfwitted friends. The last film - The Inbetweeners Movie - broke box-office records in the UK, so expect much more of the same.

For full film listings, showings and booking links

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk

View the latest trailers on line 36 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Wakolda CERT 15 (104 mins) Starring Àlex Brendemühl, Natalia Oreiro, Diego Peretti, Florencia Bado, Elena Roger Directed by Lucía Puenzo (Argentina/France/Spain/Norway)

Helmut is an avuncular, if aloof figure, driving through the Patagonian wastes of Argentina in 1960. In appearance, he’s not unlike Dr Zhivago, although his grasp of Spanish is marked by a strong German accent. Along the way he befriends a little girl, Lilith - who looks eight, but is actually twelve - who proves to be a perfect specimen for his next round of experiments… Were one not aware that Helmut was actually Josef Mengele, and of the hideous experiments he conducted at Auschwitz, Lucía Puenzo's Wakolda might suffice as the gentle tale of a bullied girl (‘the dwarf’) finding solace in the friendship of a kindly stranger. Perhaps the film is too restrained - too reliant on its viewers’ foreknowledge - but it’s an accomplished, undulating drama, beautifully played out against the stunning, mountainous scenery of Patagonia. And as Lilith, newcomer Florencia Bado is simply wonderful.

From

THU 14 AUG imation to include live-action in the story of an ageing Hollywood beauty (Robin Wright) who can no longer get work due to her reputation for being ‘difficult.’ So, in order to continue her career, she sells the rights to her ‘digital image.’

Lilting CERT 15 (86 mins)

The Rover CERT 15 (103 mins)

Released from Fri 15 Aug

Blood Ties CERT 15 (125 mins) Starring Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Jon Hamm, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Danny Huston, Paul Giamatti Directed by Ari Folman (Israel/France/Belgium/Poland/Germany)

The Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman previously directed the haunting Waltz With Bashir (2008), which won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Now he broadens his use of an-

Canet. Canet now directs the English-language replica and has cast his girlfriend, Mlle Cotillard, as Owen’s ex-wife. It’s not that complicated.

Starring Guy Pearce, Robert Pattinson, Scoot McNairy, Gillian Jones Directed by David Michôd (Australia)

Anybody who saw David Michôd’s brutal Animal Kingdom (2010) may approach his latest film with some caution. Indeed, it’s a suitably punishing, post-apocalyptic drama in which a tough loner (Guy Pearce) pursues a gang of men who have stolen his only possession - his car.

Michôd conceived the story with the actor Joel Edgerton, who previously starred opposite Guy Pearce in Animal Kingdom.

The Congress CERT 15 (123 mins)

Starring Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Antonio Banderas, Jet Li, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Mel Gibson, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger Directed by Patrick Hughes (USA)

At one point in this ludicrously violent and witless franchise, Barney Ross (Stallone) was forced to snuff the Expendables’ ruthless and unscrupulous co-founder, Conrad Stonebanks (Mel Gibson). But Stonebacks survived and so Barney must now recruit a new band of younger Expendables to help him finish the job. It must have been a nightmare working as a PR on this set: whose ego would you have stroked the hardest?

Starring Ben Whishaw, Cheng Pei Pei, Andrew Leung, Morven Christie, Naomi Christie, Peter Bowles Directed by Hong Khaou (UK)

Few films can be as pertinent as Lilting, a British drama that deals with immigration, multiculturism, the non-English speaking in England and homosexuality. Junn (Cheng) is a CambodianChinese woman who lives in London but cannot speak English and is totally dependent on her son, Kai (Leung), to understand the community in which she lives. Then Kai dies unexpectedly, severing her links with the outside world…

The Expendables 3 CERT tbc

Starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Marion Cotillard, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, James Caan Directed by Guillaume Canet (France/USA)

A crook (Owen) and a cop (Crudup) come to blows, even though they’re brothers... If this idea sounds familiar, then it’s one that’s been done many times before, although this particular version is a remake of the 2008 French film Les liens du sang, which starred Guillaume

Released from Fri 22 Aug

Deliver Us From Evil CERT 15 (118 mins) Starring Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale Directed by Scott Derrickson (USA)

Many filmgoers may agree with the sentiment of the title, but this is nonetheless another horror film apparently based on real events. The deal is that New York was once so plagued by demonic possessions, that police officer Ralph Sarchie (Bana) sought the help of a renegade priest “schooled in the rituals of exorcism.” The director previously brought us The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, which was apparently based on real events too. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 37

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Into The Storm CERT 12a (89 mins) Starring Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh, Alycia Debnam-Carey Directed by Steven Quale (USA)

The poster is impressive but for those looking for a meteorological Godzilla should be warned that this is a “found footage” thriller. The premise is about a group of students who attempt to document the devastating effects of a tornado, and so the events are relayed by video camera à la Cloverfield, Paranormal Activity, Chronicle, et al. The Leicester-born actor Richard Armitage (The Hobbit, TV’s Spooks) plays a widowed father trying to rescue his son.

Two Days, One Night CERT 15 (95 mins)

From

FRI 22 AUG

Starring Marion Cotillard, Fabrizio Rongione, Pili Groyne, Catherine Salée Directed by Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (Belgium/France/Italy)

Sandra has one weekend to convince her workmates to give up their bonuses so that she can keep her job… The Dardenne brothers, whose films include Rosetta, L’Enfant and The Kid With A Bike, have a knack for bringing an enormous credibility to their films, stories about real people trapped in very real lives. And Mlle Cotillard is already being tipped for an Oscar nomination for her part as Sandra.

If I Stay CERT tbc

Lucy CERT 15 (166 mins)

Starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Mireille Enos, Lauren Lee Smith, Liana Liberato, Jamie Blackley, Joshua Leonard Directed by R.J. Cutler (USA)

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Amr Waked, Choi Min-sik, Pilou Asbæk Directed by Luc Besson (France/USA/Taiwan)

Mia Hall (Moretz) is one of the blessed: she has a loving family, an adoring boyfriend and a bright future as a talented cellist. Then one day, in a matter of seconds, everything is taken from her… Based on the 2009 novel by Gayle Forman.

The Grand Seduction CERT 12a (113 mins)

Starring Brendan Gleeson, Taylor Kitsch, Liane Balaban, Gordon Pinsent Directed by Don McKellar (Canada)

What If CERT 15 (102 mins) Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Zoe Kazan, Megan Park, Adam Driver, Rafe Spall Directed by Michael Dowse (Canada/Ireland)

The Grand Seduction is a Canadian remake of a French-Canadian 2003 comedy called Seducing Doctor Lewis (aka La Grande séduction), which won seven French-Canadian Oscars. The story of a remote fishing village that has to ensnare a doctor in order to land a factory contract - and thus stabilize the local economy - the film promises buckets of wily charm.

Like When Harry Met Sally, What If - based on the play Cigars and Toothpaste - is a romantic comedy about a platonic heterosexual relationship. When medical school drop-out Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe) falls for an animator called Chantry (Zoe Kazan), he discovers that she has a live-in boyfriend. But Wallace and Chantry click big time and become best friends. But what if…?

Scarlett Johansson kicked major ass as the Black Widow in The Avengers and now has a movie to herself. Here, she plays Lucy, a drug mule living in Taipei whose body is permeated by a drug she is carrying, which boots her brain power to superhuman proportions.

Quite simply, she becomes amazing and turns on the gangsters who have been exploiting her.

League baseball. This “inspirational” true-life drama from Disney includes both, as the sports agent JB Bernstein (Hamm) tries to recruit Indian cricketers to play baseball in America.

Night Moves CERT 15 (113 mins) Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Dakota Fanning, Peter Sarsgaard, Alia Shawkat Directed by Kelly Reichardt (USA)

Released from Fri 29 Aug

Million Dollar Arm CERT PG (124 mins) Starring Jon Hamm, Suraj Sharma, Alan Arkin, Bill Paxton, Aasif Mandvi, Lake Bell Directed by Craig Gillespie (USA)

Now that Wimbledon and the World Cup are over, it’s time to embrace cricket and Major

Kelly Reichardt previously directed Wendy And Lucy and Meek's Cutoff, both of which received critical raves. Here, she tells the story of three radical environmentalists who combine forces to execute the protest of their lives: the detonation of a hydroelectric dam. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 39

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Festivals Fusion Festival Cofton Park, Birmingham, Sat 30 - Sun 31 August

Following the success of its debut event in 2013, Fusion is this month back at Cofton Park for a second outing. And the 2014 festival, run in association with Capital FM and in support of the Prince’s Trust, certainly boasts a poptastic line-up.

American rapper Pitbull takes top billing on the Saturday, while last year’s headliner, Jessie J, brings the festival to a rousing close on the Sunday. The line-up also features Dizzee Rascal, The Wanted, Lawson, Union J, The Vamps, Pixie Lott, Neon Jungle, Ella Henderson, Elyar Fox, Fuse ODG, Luke Friend, Ollie Marland, Foxes, Becky Hill and Loveable Rogues.

V Festival Weston Park, Staffordshire, Sat 16 - Sun 17 August

Moseley Folk Festival Moseley Park, Birmingham, Fri 29 - Sun 31 August

Renowned guitarists and songwriters Johnny Marr and Richard Thompson and Scottish folk rockers The Waterboys headline this genre-crossing festival, which features both professional and unsigned bands in its eclectic line-up.

The festival’s taking place in the leafy setting of the eleven-acre Moseley Park for the sixth consecutive year, but also spills out into a selection of Moseley Village’s finest pubs.

The main festival site offers two stages of topnotch music from some of the finest musicians on the circuit. Alongside the aforementioned artists, contemporary folk bands Lau and The Old Dance School and acid folk rockers Lords Of Thyme also contribute.

Taking place simultaneously in Essex and Staffordshire, V Festival continues to be one of the most popular events on the pop festival circuit. Boasting an extensive line-up across five stages over two days, the festival annually features some of the biggest names in the music industry.

World-renowned artists from across the pond take the limelight at this year’s event, with Californian rock band The Killers appearing on the Virgin Media stage on the Saturday evening. Justin Timberlake takes time out from his world tour to headline Sunday’s proceedings.

Elbow, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Tinie Tempah, Ed Sheeran, Paolo Nutini, Lily Allen, Rudimental, Example, Bastille, Kaiser Chiefs, Blondie and Jason Derulo also feature at the 2014 get-together.

Osfest Oswestry Showground, North Shropshire, Sat 9 - Mon 11 August

Conor Maynard, Union J, Wiley and The Hoosiers headline what’s being described as an ‘all-new Osfest for 2014’. Historically Osfest has taken place in May, but due to a clash of dates with Radio One’s Big Weekender, organisers decided to reschedule the festival to the second weekend in August. First staged in 2010, the event was created to provide the people of Shropshire with the chance to enjoy a festival atmosphere on their very own doorstep and at an affordable price. With this in mind, the festival has consistently strived to keep its ticket prices as low as possible, at the same time continuing to feature some of the biggest pop artists on the circuit. Osfest also provides a platform for local talent to perform. This year sees the event partnering the Isabelle Lottie Foundation, in so doing raising awareness of brain tumours in children and young adults by spreading the message of the HeadSmart campaign. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 41

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Festivals Worcester Music Festival Various locations around Worcester, Fri 29 - Sun 31 August

Three days of free music on the streets of Worcester - no wonder organisers are describing this festival as a ‘corker’ of an event. One of the fastest-growing urban festivals of its kind, the Worcester Music Festival provides a platform for talented new acts to showcase their talents to the general public. Hundreds of performances take place across Worcester city centre over the weekend, as do a series of diverse workshops. Hoping to make their mark at this year’s event are Tewkesbury Ska band Spunge, Worcester rockers The Broken Duet, Young Folk Award finalists Granny’s Attic, Indie rock three-piece The Crooked Empire, Malvern pop-punk band Dogs Of Santorini, Kidderminster’s Marina Del Ray, Evesham folk outfit Skinny River and Birmingham’s reggae pop band XOVA. Japanese pop rock trio No Cars and London band Pony And Trap (pictured), described by BBC Radio’s Edith Bowman as ‘amazing’, also feature.

For further information on who’s playing, visit www. worcestermusicfestival.co.uk

Rewind Festival Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire, Fri 29 - Sun 31 August

If you’re a fan of ’80s music, then this three-day festival should be right up your street. One of three such events taking place across the country, this Cheshire version, now in its third year, provides high-end accommodation courtesy of Cloudhouses (Yurts and Squrts), Hotel Bell Tents (ultimate luxury) and Podpads (boutique camping). While glamping unquestionably offers an appealing alternative to roughing it, it’s the music that tempts people to festivals - and although the line-up here reads a bit like a who’s who of hasbeens, it also boasts more than enough talent to sink the proverbial battleship. Much-loved performers include Mike and The Mechanics, Jimmy Somerville, Nik Kershaw, Go West, Rick Astley, Billy Ocean, Marc Almond, Tony Hadley, Holly Johnson, Midge Ure, Heaven 17, The Straights, The Beat, China Crisis and Doctor & The Medics.

Bellowhead

Shrewsbury Folk Festival West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury, Fri 22 - Mon 25 August

Having grown considerably in both reputation and stature since its debut at the town’s Quarry Park in 2006, Shrewsbury Folk Festival is now undoubtedly one of the country’s top events of its kind - a status endorsed by Bellowhead’s Jon Boden, who rated it in the Sunday Telegraph as one of his top five festivals.

Offering a lot more than just great music, the festival’s relaxed atmosphere provides a perfect environment in which to meet likeminded people. And with dozens of workshops to enjoy, there’s plenty to keep people of all ages entertained. For the more energetic, the dance tent provides the perfect place in which to participate in ceilidhs and to watch dance displays. The children’s festival and circus tent, meanwhile, are certain to keep youngsters amused, while young folkies are invited to get involved in Refolkus, the festival’s very own Youth Festival.

The newly introduced Peace Tent offers a programme of workshops, song, music, film and poetry to mark the centenary of World War One, in the process highlighting, through ‘fun, fellowship’ and participation, the futility of war.

Bella Hardy, Lau, Seth Lakeman, Jim Moray, Karine Polwart, The Full English, The Dhol Foundation and Cara Luft are just a few of the acts performing across the four days of the festival. Bellowhead once again bring festivities to an end on the Monday afternoon.

Bridgnorth Music And Arts Festival Various locations, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, Fri 22 - Sun 31 August

Billy Ocean

Now in its ninth year and spanning ten days, Bridgnorth Music and Arts Festival is the biggest free festival in Shropshire and celebrates numerous artistic genres, with music, comedy, art, dance, film and poetry taking place at various locations across the town.

Reuben Archer’s Personal Sin take top billing on the Edgar Davies Rock Stage on Saturday 23 August, and are joined by Butterfly Stone, Twisted Species and renowned Pink Floyd tribute band Darkside (pictured), who’ll be performing a complete concert.

On the Sunday, attention turns to the town’s high street, where a host of local talent takes to the stage to perform alongside numerous nationally acclaimed bands.

A Children’s Festival & Food Fair (24 August), acoustic performances on the Quayside Stage (25 August), a Family Fun Day at the Castle Grounds and a comedy evening with James Cook at The Falcon Hotel in Lowtown (30 August) ensure there’s something for everyone to enjoy at this ever-popular event. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 43

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THE EASY WAY TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

whatsonlive.co.uk The most comprehensive what’s on listings website for Birmingham and the West Midlands

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Festivals Listings For full listing information on festivals, including dates and line-up, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

AUGUST Y-NOT Featuring Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls & The Fratellis, Fri 1 Aug - Sun 3 Aug, Mouldrige Lane, Derbyshire CARFEST NORTH Featuring Jools Holland, Seasick Steve, Erasure & Eliza Doolittle, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Aug, Oulton Park Race Circuit, Cheshire NOZSTOCK Featuring Roots Manuva, The Heavy, The Skints & Molotov Jukebox, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Aug, The Farm, Bromyard, Worcestershire LOUNGE ON THE FARM Featuring Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Peter Hook and the Light, DJ Yoda & Courtney Pine, Sat 2 Aug, Merton Farm, Barkby, Nr Leicester BULLDOG BASH Featuring Dirty DC, Aynt Skynyrd, The Kommitments, Half Deaf Clatch, Thurs 7 Sun 10 Aug, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford Upon Avon BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR Featuring Megadeth, Down, Emperor & Carcass, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Aug, Catton Park, Derbyshire STRAWBERRY FIELDS FESTIVAL Featuring Reverend And The Makers, Steve Lawler, The Rifles & Catfish and the Bottlemen, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Cattow Farm, Leicester FARMER PHIL’S FESTIVAL Featuring The Orb, The Blockheads, Ferocious Dog & The Delray

Rockets, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Gatten Farm, Shrewsbury JUNCTION 16 Featuring Katherine Jenkins, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Betley Court Farm, Crewe, Cheshire LAKEFEST Featuring The Bad Shepherds, Buzzcocks, Shed Seven & Lightning Seeds, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Croft Farm Waterpark, Tewkesbury RUGBY MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Dead Frequency, White Men Can’t Funk, Soul Rhymaz & Paper Street, Sat 9 Aug, Whitehall Recreational Grounds, Rugby, Warwickshire OSFEST Featuring Union J, The Hoosiers, From The Jam & The Bay City Rollers, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Oswestry Showground, Shropshire THE GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Featuring Beirut, First Aid Kit, Neutral Milk Hotel & The Waterboys, Thurs 14 Sun 17 Aug, Glanusk Park, Powys V FESTIVAL Featuring Justin Timberlake, The Killers, Ed Sheeran & Paolo Nutini, Sat 16 Sun 17 Aug, Weston Park, Staffordshire ALT-FEST Featuring The Cult, Gary Numan, Cradle Of Filth & Arch Enemy, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Boughton House, Northamptonshire THE JUST SO FESTIVAL Featuring Gabby Young and Other Animals, Perhaps Contraption, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners & Kidnap Alice, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Rode Hall Parkland, Cheshire

Pet Shop Boys - Festival No.6, Portmeirion

Lantern parade at Shrewsbury Folk Festival

PERSHORE JAZZ FESTIVAL Featuring Adrian Cox Quartet, Alan Barnes, Bohem Ragtime Jazz Band, Midland Youth Jazz Orchestra & Craig Milverton, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Pershore College, Worcestershire THE MOIRA FURNACE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Blackbeard’s Tea Party, Other Roads, Lucy Ward, Something Nasty In The Woodshed, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Moira Furnace Museum and Monument Site, Derbyshire BAKEWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Chas Hodge’s Band, John Coghlan’s Quo, Lucy Ward & George Borowski, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, The Showground, Derbyshire LICHFIELD FAKE FESTIVAL Featuring Supreme Queen, Oasish & Coldplace, Sat 16 Aug, Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire SUMMER FESTIVAL Featuring Ms Dynamite,

Hannah Wants, DJ Luck & Neat & Artful Dodger, Sat 16 Aug, Donington Park, Derby SHAMBALA FESTIVAL Featuring Mulatu Astatke, Collie Buddz, Public Service Broadcasting, Cumbria All Stars, By The Rivers & Babyhead, Thur 21 Sun 24, Secret location in The Midlands CREAMFIELDS Featuring Avicii, Deadmau5, Fatboy Slim & Above and Beyond, Fri 22 Sun 24 Aug, Daresbury, Cheshire BEERMAGEDDON Featuring Lawnmower Deth, Skreamer, The Starry Wisdom Cult & Kambrium, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Aug, Stoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings & Lau, Fri 22 - Mon 25 Aug, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury

BRIDGNORTH MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL Featuring Rhino and The Ranters, Reuben Archer’s Personal Sin, Butterfly Stone & Young Braves, Fri 22 - Sun 31 Aug, various venues MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Johnny Marr, The Waterboys, Richard Thompson & Lau, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Moseley Park, Birmingham WORCESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring The Crooked Empire, Skewwhiff, Cracked Actors & Point Zero, Fri 29 - Sun 31, Various locations around Worcester OFF THE TRACKS SUMMER FESTIVAL Featuring The Orb, Ozric Tentacles & Treacherous Orchestra, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Donington Park Farmhouse, Derbyshire REWIND FESTIVAL Featuring Billy Ocean, Boomtown Rats, Holly Johnson & Hall and Oates, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire FUSION FESTIVAL Featuring Jessie J, Pitbull, Lawson & Dizzee Rascal, Sat 30 Sun 31 Aug, Cofton Park, Birmingham

SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL NO.6 Featuring Pet Shop Boys, Beck, London Grammar, Bonobo & Martha and the Vandellas, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Portmeirion, North Wales ONBOARD THE CRAFT FESTIVAL Featuring PreMad, Moulettes, Leatheratm Harvey Bainbridge & Flutatious, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Sept, Stoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove WHITWELL FESTIVAL OF MUSIC Featuring Doctor

and the Medics, James Warner Prophecies, Dirtbox Disco & I Set The Sea On Fire, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Community Centre, Whitwell, Derbyshire STOURBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring The Strawbs, Scott Matthews, Roberts & Lakeman & The Stubble Brothers, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge OAKFEST Featuring Bad Manners, From The Jam & The Troggs, Sat 6 Sept, Hartshill Park, Telford, Shropshire ZOO PROJECT Featuring Groove Armada, Mr Scruff, Ten Walls & Ben UFO, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Donington Park, Derbyshire SHREWSBURY FIELDS FOREVER FESTIVAL Featuring Tinie Tempah, Shed Seven, New York Tourists & Blues Boy Dan Own, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury ROCK AND METAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL Featuring Voodoo Six, Exit State, Gehtika & Triaxis, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Sywell Aerodome, Northamptonshire BROMYARD FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Oysterband, Vin Garbutt, The Old Dance School & Whapweasel, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Various locations around Bromyard SNODFEST Featuring Skewwhiff, Shatter Effect, Ronin & Crazy 88s, Sat 13 Sept, The Park, Worcestershire

OCTOBER DERBY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring David Gibb, Elly Lucas & Cardboard Fox, Fri 3 - Sun 5 Oct, Assembly Rooms, Market Place, Derby

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Visual Arts The Great War: Coventry’s Story Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, Fri 1 August - Sun 1 February

An exhibition of memories collected and preserved by Coventry people, The Great War marks the centenary of the outbreak of World War One. Objects, photographs and archive material from the Herbert’s collections have been brought together to provide a thought-provoking insight into the lives of active servicemen, taking a look at their personal experiences of combat and life in the trenches. War production, the role of women, rationing and food shortages also come under the microscope in an examination of how those who were left behind managed to adapt and survive.

Sharif Waked - Chic Point: Fashion For Israeli Checkpoints Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sat 20 September

“Chic Point,” explains Palestinian artist Sharif Waked, “documents the thousands of moments in which Palestinians are daily forced to nude themselves in the face of interrogation and humiliation, as they attempt to move through the intricate and constantly expanding network of Israeli checkpoints.”

Waked’s presentation features uniquely designed clothes featuring woven-in holes, gaps and splits.

The items of clothing are made to meet the daily demands of the Israeli checkpoint soldiers, who require Palestinians to demonstrate that they’re not carrying explosives or weapons.

“Raw materials and standard clothes are transformed into pieces that follow normative fashion standards while calling them into question,” continues Sharif. “The body of the Palestinian, today commonly understood by the Israeli state as a dangerous weapon, is brought to the viewer’s eye in the flesh.”

Terence Spencer: Living Dangerously Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, until Sun 31 August

An audacious World War Two Spitfire pilot and daredevil adventurer, the remarkable Terry Spencer was also a celebrated photographer, often taking on assignments for Life magazine. His work ranged from ariel shots of South Africa through portraits of stars like Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Roger Moore and, most famously, The Beatles, to harrowing images from the Vietnam War. This visually stunning collection celebrates both the man and his work, and is accompanied by a selection of images from Rock Archive, the world’s largest collective of rock photographers.

Dadara: TIME=MONEY=ART mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, until Sun 31 August

Still from Chic Point (c) Sharif Waked

This BE Festival exhibition finds Dutch artist Daniel Rozenberg - aka Dadara - doing what he does best; providing a critical commentary on contemporary society.

Dadara switched professions in 2010, moving from artist to Bank Director, and proceeded to involve the public in various forms of alternative exchange through his works. This intriguing exhibition documents that irreverent 'career shift', which saw Dadara engaging in a playful obsession with value creation, money, and its relationship to art. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 47

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VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS Further exhibitions

Cornelia Parker: Ikon Icons 1980s Ikon, Birmingham, until Sun 31 August

Cornelia Parker returns to Ikon as part of Ikon Icons, an exhibition programme which celebrates the work of five significant artists in the gallery’s history, one from each of its five decades. Parker has been selected by the venue to represent the 1980s, a decade during which Ikon commissioned her to make Thirty Pieces Of Silver, a major installation now in the collection of the Tate. The artist here returns with Thirty Pieces Of Silver (exhaled) (2003), a more recent work comprising thirty silverplated items crushed by a two hundredand-fifty-tonne industrial press.

The Ikon Icons series is a major component of Ikon 50, a programme of exhibitions and events celebrating the gallery’s fiftieth anniversary.

Symmetry In Sculpture Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, until Sun 2 November

The largest ever display of work by one of the UK’s most exciting British Pakistani artists, Zarah Hussain’s Symmetry In Sculpture features three-dimensional wall sculptures inspired by the complex patterns that emerge from simply repeating shape, as found in Islamic art.

Hussain’s exhibition of contemporary works is supported by Arts Council England, and reveals new ways of seeing shadow, colour and light.

We Are Here The New Art Gallery, Walsall, until Sun 12 October

Turner Prize-winning Midlander Gillian Wearing has built her reputation around a body of highly acclaimed film and photographic work exploring people’s public personas and private lives. This new, singlescreen video work features monologues by people from the Sandwell area of the West Midlands, speaking as though from beyond the grave. Wearing’s inspiration for the work is American poet Edgar Lee Masters' Spoon River Anthology (1915), in which residents rise up from the grave to talk about their lives, losses, regrets and memories.

Gillian Wearing, We Are Here (video still), 2014, colour video with sound, 21 minutes (c) Gillian Wearing, Courtesy Maureen Paley, London

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For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk GRACE SCHWINDT: ONLY A FREE INDIVIDUAL CAN CREATE A FREE SOCIETY London-based German artist Grace Schwindt here revisits her childhood to recall discussions she heard when surrounded by leftwing individuals in Frankfurt, until Sat 2 Aug, Eastside Projects, Birmingham TRIO OF ARTISTS An exhibition featuring the work of artists Anne Hackett, Chris Tarplee and Claire Sherwin, until Sun 3 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge HOME AWAY FROM HOME Photographs, artefacts and oral history come together in this exhibition, which captures the experiences of women migrating from Mirpur to Birmingham in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, until Sun 3 Aug, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery ALL THAT GLISTERS: 18TH CENTURY STEEL JEWELLERY until Sun 10 Aug, Bantock House & Park, Wolverhampton SUMMER SHOWCASE Featuring textiles, ceramics, homewares and delicate paper jewellery, until Sat 16 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery DANIEL MEADOWS: EARLY PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS Impressive works from one of the most influential figures to emerge from the new wave of British independent photography in the 1970s, until Sun 17 Aug, Library of Birmingham PRINT BIENNIAL Open exhibition comprising works using a variety of techniques, until Sat 23 Aug, RBSA, Birmingham A FIRST CLASS WATERING PLACE: 200 YEARS OF THE ROYAL PUMP ROOMS until Mon 25 Aug, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa AGILE A group show from creative practitioners working in partnership with Walsall College, until Mon 29 Aug, Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton 400 YEARS OF THE SELFIE Exploring how the modern portrait developed in England, from the Elizabethans to photographs taken by Martin Parr in Sandwell in 2010, until Sat 30 Aug, Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery PHOENIX: THE STORY OF THE BRITISH HEAT RESISTING GLASS COMPANY

Showcase of works celebrating the Bilston-based Phoenix company, until Sat 30 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery A GLASS ACT Exhibition which brings together work which explores how we use, understand and value glassware, and considers why so many craftspeople focus on items for the table, until Sat 30 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery A VIKINGS GUIDE TO DEADLY DRAGONS Engaging exploration of the ways in which Viking history, legend & dragonlore inspired Cressida Cowell’s books, until Sat 30 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery MOORE RODIN Works from two major players in the world of modern sculpture feature in this exhibition in celebration of Compton Verney’s tenth anniversary, until Sun 31 Aug, Compton Verney Gallery, Warwickshire MADE AT MAC - CERAMICS Led by tutors Sue Dyer and Wendy Tournay, the exhibition puts a spotlight on ceramics and is set to inspire audiences and students alike, until Sun 31 Aug, mac, Birmingham ROMAN EMPIRE: POWER & PEOPLE The largest ever UK exhibition of Roman artefacts on loan from the British Museum, until Sun 31 Aug, The Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry AS EXCITING AS WE CAN MAKE IT: IKON IN THE 1980S A survey of the gallery’s programme of work from the 1980s, a decade which saw the rise of postmodernism in line with broader cultural shifts taking place under the Thatcher government, until Sun 31 Aug, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham AEROFILMS: BRITAIN FROM ABOVE Photographic exhibition providing a unique view of the development of Britain’s urban centres and rural landscapes of the 20th century, until Sun 31 Aug, Library of Birmingham SUMMER SHOWCASE Selling exhibition featuring jewellery, ceramics, mosaic wall pieces & textile works, until Sun 31 Aug, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford LICHFIELD’S ICONIC WOMEN Including photo-

graphs of The Queen, Marsha Hunt & Joan Collins, until Sun 31 Aug, Shugborough, Staffordshire ILLUSTRATE A showcase of work by local artists whose work consists of differing styles of illustration, until Mon 1 Sept, The Drum, Birmingham HERE AND NOW: OPEN SUBMISSION EXHIBITION until Sat 6 Sept, Solihull Arts Complex COME CREATE Exhibition to inspire visitors to explore and demonstrate their creativity through displays, hands-on interactives and fun activities, until Sun 7 Sept, Thinktank, Birmingham EIGHT CENTURIES OF HISTORY Exhibition looking at the life and times of the Earls of Dudley, who lived at Himley Hall, until Sun 7 Sept, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley 40 YEARS OF WATCHING PAINT DRY Featuring the work of fine artist, cartoonist and comedy writer Geoff Tristram, until Sun 7 Sept, Himley Park & Hall, Dudley ARTIST ROOMS: ROBERT THERRIEN Exhibition from the American artist renowned for his monumental sculptures which transform everyday objects into fantastical installations, until Sun 7 Sept, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham CERAMIC EMPIRE: THE TRADE IN STAFFORDSHIRE POTTERY Exhibition exploring the supply and representation of the Empire in Staffordshire pottery, until Sun 7 Sept, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent MARKO MÄETAMM Installation by acclaimed Estonian artist Marko Maetamm, until Tues 9 Sept, Fletcher’s Walk, Birmingham FANCY PANTS Glamorous gowns, party pieces and ‘fashion on a ration’ feature in this celebration of style from the 1920s through to the Second World War, until Sat 13 Sept, Worcester City Museum & Art Gallery NOEMIE GOUDAL: THE GEOMETRICAL DETERMINATION OF THE SUNRISE Solo exhibition from French artist Noémie Goudal, comprising new photographs and stereosonic images, until Sun 14 Sept, The New Art Gallery, Walsall TRACED Exhibition tracing the success of art & design in Wolverhampton, and bringing together works by local artists from the museum’s collection, until Sat 20 Sept,

Wolverhampton Art Gallery MARVELLOUS MACHINES: THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ROWLAND EMETT The largest ever display of Emett’s work, telling the story of the innovator’s life in Birmingham, until Sun 21 Sept, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery IS THIS A DAGGER? AN EXPLORATION OF RSC PROPS until Sun 21 Sep, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon LASTING IMPRESSIONS Third in a collaborative series with the National Portrait Gallery, London, until Sun 28 Sept, The Barber Institute, Birmingham QUILT ART EXHIBITION until Sat 27 Sept, Dudley Museum CONVERSATIONS A display which spans four centuries of printmaking and features works by Rembrandt, Goya, Cezanne & Picasso, until Sun 5 Oct, The Barber Institute, Birmingham BESIDE THE SEA Exhibition which revisits the halcyon days of the British seaside, until Sun 5 Oct, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent STAFFORD AND THE GREAT WAR History exhibition highlighting the work of local people on the home front and within the armed services, until Sat 18 Oct, Ancient High House, Stafford MADE IN SHREWSBURY until Sun 19 Oct, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Works on paper from the Barber’s collection, until Sun 26 Oct, The Barber Institute, Birmingham SENSATIONAL CLAY until Sat 1 Nov, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum TOM, FRANK AND MAY Original material, uniforms, handling activities and a short film which demonstrates the role played by the Merry family during World War One, until Sun 2 Nov, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham TRUE TO LIFE? NEW PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST until Sun 2 Nov, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery BACK TO FRONT: 40 PERMANENT COLLECTION GEMS Exhibition which celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the gallery’s Garman Ryan collection, until Sat 16 Nov, New Art Gallery, Walsall DEALING WITH DREAMS: THE GARMAN RYAN COLLECTION 40TH ANNIVER-

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VisualArts LISTINGS For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk SARY Exhibition which tells the story of the Garman Ryan collection, from its conception to the present day, with previously unseen archive material and artworks, until Sun 16 Nov, The New Art Gallery, Walsall WALSALL’S GREAT WAR Exhibition marking the centenary of World War One and the impact of the Home Front on Walsall, until Sat 29 Nov, Walsall Local History Centre BRIAN YALE: FIRST WORLD WAR BATTLEFIELD PAINTINGS until Sat 29 Nov, Wolverhampton Art Gallery FAITH AND FORTUNE Exploring the early histories of two of the world’s great religions, until Sun 30 Nov, The Barber Institute, Birmingham THE JEWELLERY QUARTER DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR until Sun 14 Dec, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

FROM AMMUNITION TO ART: TRENCH ART FROM THE FIRST WORLD WAR Display featuring decorated shell cases, carved sections of propeller and rifle cartridges, created by servicemen, civilians and prisoners of war from over twenty countries, until Sun 14 Dec, Compton Verney, Warwickshire STATIC: STILL LIFE RECONSIDERED until Wed 31 Dec, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery CRAFTSENSE Featuring over one hundred of the world-renowned Bilston enamels, until Wed 31 Dec, Bilston Craft Gallery SENSING SCULPTURE Featuring new sculptures alongside old favourites, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery POP EUROPE! until Sat 7 Feb, Wolverhampton Art Gallery LAST POST: REMEMBERING THE FIRST WORLD WAR until Fri 27 Mar, Coalbrookdale Gallery, Ironbridge

100 DAYS: THE RWANDAN GENOCIDE TWENTY YEARS LATER A display of photographic, digital & installation works from a selection of international contemporary artists to give voice to the women who lived through the conflict, until Thurs 30 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry THE GREAT WAR: COVENTRY’S STORY Exhibition marking the outbreak of World War One which focuses on the experiences of Coventry people during the conflict, Fri 1 Aug - Sun 1 Feb, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry YOU GO DOWN PATHWAYS Prints, paintings & drawings by Mike Massingham, Sat 2 Sat 30 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery STRANGE WAYS: CRASH TEST DUMMIES Multi-disciplinary practice steered by Elena Cassidy-Smith, Harmeet Chagger-Khan and Helen Grundy, Tues 2 Aug - Sun 26 Oct, New Art Gallery, Walsall SOLDIERS STORIES: BIRMINGHAM AND THE 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, Tues 2 Aug - Sun 26 July 2015, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

ART RAVE A weekendlong exhibition of painting, sculpture, film, music, performance & installation produced by twenty artists, Sat 9 Sun 10 Aug, The Bond Complex, Birmingham

LETTERS HOME Exhibition exploring different elements of letters written during the First World War, Thurs 14 Aug - Sun 2 Nov, Bantock House & Park, Wolverhampton

Museums & Art Galleries Birmingham ARTIFEX Sutton Coldfield 0121 323 3776 BARBER INSTITUTE 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 0121 303 2834 CASTLE GALLERIES 0121 248 8484 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

Black Country 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

Shropshire BEAR STEPS GALLERY, SHREWSBURY 01743 344994 SHREWSBURY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01743 258885 TWENTY TWENTY GALLERY, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 727952 THE WILLOW GALLERY, OSWESTRY 01691 657575

Staffordshire NEWCASTLE BOROUGH MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01782 232323 THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY, STOKE-ONTRENT 01782 232323 SHIRE HALL GALLERY STAFFORD 01785 278345 STAFFORDSHIRE MUSEUM, SHUGBOROUGH 01889 881388

Warwickshire COMPTON VERNEY GALLERY 01926 645500 HERBERT ART GALLERY COVENTRY 02476 832386 MEAD GALLERY WARWICK 02476 524524 ROYAL PUMP ROOMS 01926 742700 RUGBY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01788 533201

Worcestershire WORCESTER CITY ART GALLERY 01905 25371

Visit whatsonlive.co.uk for venue website details

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Shrewsbury Flower Show Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, Fri 8 - Sat 9 August

The ever-spectacular RAF aerobatic team The Red Arrows will get people looking skywards at this year’s Shrewsbury Flower Show, when they conduct a dazzling flypast over Quarry Park on the second day of the popular annual event.

Meanwhile, on terra firma, celebrity chefs Tom Kerridge and Marcus Bean, gardening expert Pippa Greenwood, tribute band the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and classical duo The Opera Boys are the main acts

gracing the stage at one of the region’s biggest horticultural events.

As well as perusing magnificent displays from national and international exhibitors, visitors to this prestigious event can also enjoy a packed programme of activities, including showjumping, a high-wire act with Bernie Bennett, Dingle Fingle’s comedy car act, a field gun display from the South African Challenge team, and juggling and magic in the children’s area.

As usual, both days’ proceedings culminate in a massed bands arena finale and a spectacular firework display.

Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix Alexander Stadium, Birmingham, Sun 24 August

Now in its fourth year, this International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) event regularly attracts a star-studded line-up, and 2014 is no exception. World Champions Mo Farah and Christine Ohuruogu are just two of the many top-ranking athletes showcasing their on-track skills at this hugely popular meeting. A weekend of sporting action kicks off with the prestigious IAAF Diamond League on the Sunday, followed by the IPC Grand Prix Final on the Monday.

Hoping to set the track alight on the Bank Holiday Monday will be stars from the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The corresponding event last year saw six-time Paralympic champion David Weir being joined by fellow London 2012 gold medallists Jonnie Peacock, Hannah Cockcroft and Richard Whitehead.

Oliver Twist Weekend Blists Hill Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 23 - Mon 25 August

Visitors to Ironbridge’s award-winning Victorian museum are in for a treat over the bank holiday weekend, when characters from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist come to life in a brand new, themed event. Sundial Theatre Company are on hand to re-enact scenes from the novel, while children are invited to take part in street games and activities with the Artful Dodger and his gang. Visitors are encouraged to attend dressed ‘in character’, to see if they can win the museum’s ‘best dressed’ competition. Winners receive a photographic portrait of themselves in their outfits. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 51

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Events PREVIEWS Staffordshire Cycling Festival Stafford Town Centre, Fri 1 - Sat 2 August: Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire, Sat 2 August

Hot on the wheels of the Tour de France, Staffordshire’s two-day cycling extravaganza provides an opportunity to rub shoulders with numerous professional cyclists - and maybe even take on a challenge of your own. The weekend event kicks off in the centre of Stafford on the Friday evening with Rollapaluza And The Extreme Mountain Bike Show, followed by two professional races around the town centre.

The Saturday sees the festival move to the grounds of the Shugborough Estate, where riders of all abilities will venture into the Staffordshire countryside for two rides, one of thirty-five miles, the other, seventy. A host of themed activities, entertainment and a BBQ take place on the Saturday afternoon, with further professional racing on the streets of Stafford in the evening.

Beside The Seaside Activities Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent, throughout August

Circus Academy Aston Hall, Birmingham, Wed 13 August; Soho House, Birmingham, Thurs 21 August; Blakesley Hall, Birmingham, Thurs 28 August; Museum Collections Centre, Birmingham, Sun 14 September

If you fancy some circus-tastic fun and games this summer, this series of events taking place across four of the Birmingham Museum sites - should be right up your street. Working with local circus company CircusMASH, the museums are offering workshops in free-running, tricking, tumbling, break dancing and acro-balancing. There’s also the chance to take part in your own show at Aston Hall (13 Aug), and to focus on juggling, spin and balancing at Soho House (21 Aug). Wired Up Gardens at Blakesley Hall (28 Aug), meanwhile, teaches the art of tight wire, slack line, globe and rola bola.

The gallery’s current Beside The Seaside exhibition provides the inspiration for a series of themed events this month.

Marking an era when most local people spent their holidays on the coastline of Britain, the exhibition takes visitors on a nostalgic journey back to a time when donkey rides, Punch & Judy shows and the business of building sandcastles were the mainstay of the typical British holiday. In celebration of this, Mr Whippy & the Conettes present a ‘1950s Hollywood musicals’ entertainment on 6 August, while a twilight beach cocktail party two days later (on Fri the 8th) offers the chance to relax in the museum’s cafe while listening to live music.

Craft activities (Tues 5 - Thurs 7 and Tues 12 - Thurs 14) present younger visitors with the opportunity to create crazy creatures from shells, while drop-in workshops (between Tues 19th and Thurs 21st and Tues 26th to Thurs 28th August) offer the chance to tell seaside stories and make Punch & Judy puppets. gramme of family-orientated activities.

A motorcross display team, a sheepdog display team, an equine/canine stunt team, a heavy horse logging demonstration and a falconry display all feature in the main arena.

Further attractions include: a young people’s dance arena, a countryside pursuits paddock, a sports paddock, a craft fair, an earlyyears marquee for children aged five and under, a custom car competition, a funfair, giant bouncy castles and inflatables, and a real ale festival and market.

and themed trails. Local poetry group Poetry Readers are also on hand to perform their own poems, inspired by the works on show in the Georgian gallery.

Bowman Antique Fair Stafford Bingley Hall, Fri 8 - Sun 10 August

Up to four hundred stands of quality antiques, curios, vintage, retro and collectable items regularly feature at what continues to be one of the region’s most popular antique fairs. Established in 1978 by Helen Bowman and her husband Ben Wray, the fair is also a mecca for contemporary art, bringing the old and the modern together under one roof.

Georgian Day

Ironbridge Coracle Regatta Ironbridge, Shropshire, Mon 25 August

Attracting coracle makers and paddlers from all over Britain, this annual event features an array of madcap races along the picturesque River Severn (between midday and 4pm).

Novice paddlers can have a go in the water using traditional coracles, handmade by the local Green Wood Centre. This free-to-watch event is supported by a variety of shorebased activities..

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Mon 11 August

Sandwell Show Sandwell Valley Showground, Sun 24 - Mon 25 August

A popular event on the Sandwell calendar, this bank holiday show regularly attracts thousands of visitors with its packed pro-

Tying in with the site’s Georgian Gallery, this new educational event provides an opportunity to enjoy some family-friendly fun, along the way uncovering the hidden symbolism in the gallery’s paintings.

The day’s programme of events includes workshops offering visitors the chance to play the harp, a Georgian coffee house quiz for adults and children, dressing-up sessions www.whatsonlive.co.uk 53

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Events PREVIEWS Oswestry Show Oswestry Showground, North Shropshire, Sat 2 August

This one-day agricultural event gets off to an early start as exhibitors from across the country descend on the venue with cattle, sheep and horses, ready for judging at 8.30am. A packed programme of events follows, with the Imps Motorcycle Display Team making a welcome return to the show to perform their daredevil jumps and routines in the main ring. A grand parade of livestock includes an appearance by 2012 Grand National winner Neptune Collonges, who will lead exhibitors in the new class of Racehorse to Riding Horse into the ring to be judged. Other featured attractions include displays of Montgomeryshire’s vintage tractor and farm machinery, vintage classic car and motorcycle vehicles, a floral art competition, a showcase of footballing skills from the New Saints Football Club, and performances from the Border Counties School of Gymnastics. The local YFC’s It’s A Knockout competition completes the day’s main arena activities.

Summer Holiday Activities Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, throughout August

A packed programme awaits visitors to Dudley’s twenty-six-acre Black Country Living Museum this month, with the venue offering a series of themed activities to commemorate the centenary of the Great War. In addition to the fixed attractions - including canalside village, underground mine, 1930s fairground and 1920s cinema - both the young and not-so-young can take part in a family discovery trail around the museum to learn about topics such as food rationing, munitions, war babies and mining life.

Visitors are invited to share their family’s stories of World War One and have a go at making their very own vintage-style postcard on a hand printing machine. A rare film is shown each day in the Limelight cinema (at 1pm), while resident theatre troupe Fizzog Productions are on site every weekend, performing lively street theatre based on historical life stories from the Great War.

Summer In Southside Hippodrome Square, Inge Street, Hurst Street & Arcadian, Sat 9, Sat 16 & Sat 24 - Sun 25 August

Birmingham’s Southside district once again plays host to a selection of free outdoor theatre this month. Dance, circus and music performances are programmed on the second and third Saturdays of August (from 1pm to 7pm), as well as during the bank holiday weekend (Sat and Sun only).

A Live And Local theme kicks of proceedings on the 9th, with Coventry-based Talking Birds set to amuse audiences with their take on the game of cricket. In a double-bill of adrenalinefuelled entertainment, Hereford-based company 2Faced Dance use their trademark fusion of break, street and contemporary to tell a tale of two old friends, then return later in the day to present The Pod - a performance based on club culture which features dance, circus, music and projection.

Euro Stars (Sat 16 Aug) showcases the best international performers, including French acts De Fakto Company and Les Goulus. UK troupe Acrojou make a return to Birmingham with Frantic - a mesmerising circus and theatre performance-piece set within a wheel and culminating in a stunning water finale.

A Bank Holiday Jamboree brings this year’s Summer In Southside to a close. Highlights include Helen Chadwick’s Song Theatre - featuring close harmony singing and a largerthan-life physical performance - a promenade audio-tour of Southside from Inspector Sands, and the rapping talents of Ida Barr, a female Victorian Music Hall star created by Christopher Green. There’s also a reimagining of Goethe’s Faust All to enjoy on the Saturday night (10pm). Presented by Southpaw Dance Company, the piece fuses breaking skills, Lindy Hop and Charleston with physical theatre and narrative.

For a full programme of events and artist information, visit birminghamhippodrome.com.

Moshi Monsters Splash Down Churchstoke Fun Day Sea Life Centre, Birmingham, until Sun 31 August

Harry Tuffins, Craven Arms, South Shropshire, Sat 2 - Sun 3 August

Characters from one of the world’s most popular children’s social networks continue their residency at Birmingham’s National Sealife Centre this month. King of the karate chop, Katsuma, super-cute Poppet and Monstro City’s Moshling conservationist Buster Bumblechops are on a mission to save the venue’s marine creatures.

Attractions include character meet-and-greet sessions in Sea Life’s Conservation Cove and the chance for visitors to take along and exchange their Moshling collectable figures in the site’s Swap Zone (note that rules apply). They can also help search for the missing marine Moshlings hiding in the centre’s tanks, and take part in a monsterific quiz trail to earn a Buster Bumblechops Sea Life Conservation Hero Award.

This regular fun day out is a real crowd pleaser and offers an abundance of family entertainment with sheep shearing, farrier and birds of prey demonstrations, helicopter rides, food fayre and bouncy castle for children. Churchstoke Fun Day 2014 kicks off at 4pm on Saturday, with free live music, bar and pig roast available to visitors.

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

FRI 1 AUG ANCIENT WISDOM Ever wondered what the ancients did for us? If so, this interactive touring exhibition - new to Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery - should hopefully satisfy your curiosity, courtesy of its plethora of child-friendly, hands-on activities, until Sun 31 Aug, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery SUMMER HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES until Sun 31 Aug, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire SUMMER FUN AT WONDERLAND Visit the Mad Hatter and his fairytale friends for fun, games and storytelling throughout the day, until Sun 31 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAY TRAILS until Sun 31 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury AUGUST ACTIVITIES until Sun 31 Aug, RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton MOSHI MONSTERS SPLASH DOWN Join Katsuma, Poppet and Monstro City's number one Moshling conservationist, Buster Bumblechops, for some underwater fun in a themed event featuring a Moshling Swap Zone and interactive quiz trail with online virtual goodies, until Sun 31 Aug, The National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham SUMMER TREASURE HUNT Holiday fun where participants can solve the clues around the park to win a medal, until Tues 2 Sep, Hawkstone Park & Follies, North Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Fri 1 Aug, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Fri 1 Aug, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge MOTH NIGHT Discover more about the insect nightlife at Smestow Valley, Fri 1 Aug, Smestow Valley, Wolverhampton SILLY SUNGLASSES SUMMER HOLIDAY CRAFT ACTIVITY Fri 1 Aug, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent 10TH ANNIVERSARY GARDEN TOURS Discover the story behind the restoration of Trentham Gardens, Fri 1 Aug, Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent

HENNA ART WORKSHOP Recommended for children aged five-plus, Fri 1 Aug, Cradley Heath Library, SUMMER GHOSTS AT THE CASTLE Evening of paranormal investigation, Fri 1 Aug, Tutbury Castle, Burton-uponTrent HEROES AND VILLAINS Watch on as Sir William Marshall, the greatest knight in England, battles it out for prizes and glory. Pick your favourite knight and cheer him on, Fri 1 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire SPORTY PEG PEOPLE: SUMMER HOLIDAYS CRAFT ACTIVITIES Fri 1 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent CHASE CHALLENGE: WATER, MUD & SLUDGE Try your hand at catching the weird & wonderful creatures lurking in the bog, Fri 1 Aug, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre TWILIGHT BAT WALK Chance to find out more about these fascinating twilight creatures, Fri 1 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Staffs EXTREME STUNT SHOW Fri 1 Aug, Hearsall Common, Coventry MINIBEAST HUNT Use sweep nets to discover the minibeasts who live in the tall grasses and meadows of the park, Fri 1 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire SUMMER AT SOHO Dropin craft activities for children, Fri 1 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham THE FLIGHT OF ICARUS Join award-winning storyteller Ann Conomos for a spellbinding retelling of the famous Greek myth, Fri 1- Sat 2 Aug, Library of Birmingham STAFFORDSHIRE CYCLING FESTIVAL Two-wheeled fun, incorporating a mass-participation cycle ride in the daytime, cycling activities for the family and a professional cycle race in the evening, Fri 1 Sat 2 Aug, Stafford Town Centre & Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire (Sat only) FARMER'S MARKET Local food, drink, craft and produce, Sat 2 Aug, The Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire THE HOUND SHOW Sat 2 Aug, Staffordshire Showground

GALLERY TOUR Chance to find out more about the gallery and its collections, Sat 2 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery FAMILY FUN DAY Sat 2 Aug, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley FUN CUP ENDURANCE RACE Sat 2 Aug, Donington Park BROCKHAMPTON BOWMAN ARCHERY SESSIONS Join the Brockhampton Bowmen and put your archery skills to the test. Discover various bows and find out how they were used, Sat 2 Aug, Brockhampton Estate, Herefordshire EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 2 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Shropshire THE BIG LATCH ON 2014 BREASTFEEDERS ALOUD World record attempt to get the most breastfeeding mothers latched on for one minute. Registration from 9.30am, Sat 2 Aug, Birmingham Cathedral POETRY FROM SCRATCH Sat 2 Aug, Blackenhall Community & Healthy Living Centre, Wolverhampton MYTHICAL CREATURES WORKSHOP Sat 2 Aug, Cradley Heath Library, Sandwell TRY SAILING Short, free, taster sessions on the Great Pool with a qualified YRA instructor.

Booking essential! Sat 2 Aug, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime and Humble Pie’s famous puppets... Sat 2 Aug, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire OSWESTRY SHOW Leading one-day agricultural show, Sat 2 Aug, Oswestry Showground, North Shropshire BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTESEEING TOUR Sat 2 Aug, starts Victoria Square, Birmingham ROBERT THERRIEN: FAMILY MOVEMENT WORKSHOP Led by choreographer and dance artist Marie-Louise Crawley as part of her residency at mac Birmingham, Sat 2 Aug, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham PIRATE CRAFTS Themed event where visitors can have a go at making their very own treasure chest, pirate hats and parrot to take home, Sat 2 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire FROM PRIVIES TO PASSCHENDAELE Commemorate WWI as Court 15 remembers what life was like for the

residents and the Brummies that went off to war, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Birmingham Back to Backs 17TH CENTURY WEEKEND Travel back in time to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of domestic life in the 17th century, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton THE PET SHOW The largest event of its kind, with indoor and outdoor arenas showcasing the best in animal displays, pet-related features, products, care and advice, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire RAINBOW LIVE! ZIPPY & GEORGE'S HOLIDAY SHOW Stars of classic children's television programme Rainbow take to the Cadbury World stage in a brand new live show promising plenty of fun & frolics, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Cadbury World, Birmingham WWI LIVING HISTORY EVENT Travel back to the era of the Great War via a fusion of stories, music & song, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Tamworth Castle FIGHTING KNIGHTS Journey back to medieval times with fighting knights and legends of old, Sat 2 Sun 3 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire FIGHTING KNIGHTS Journey back to medieval times with fighting knights & legends of old, Sat 2 - Sun 3 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire WWI EDWARDIAN FETE & PICNIC Featuring period fairground rides & stalls, beer tent, WWIthemed entertainment, live music, drama & reenactments, Sun 3 Aug, Staffordshire Regimental Museum GUIDED WALK Chance to explore Himley’s features & wildlife, Sun 3 Aug, Himley Hall, Dudley CLASSIC CAR SHOW Vintage fun for all the family, Sun 3 Aug, Stafford Castle MG SPORTS & SALOON CAR RACES Sun 3 Aug, Donington Park HAVE-A-GO ARCHERY Learn the traditional skills of the archer, Sun 3 Aug, Stafford Castle TOUR OF GREGYNOG General tour of the historic rooms at Gregynog, Sun 3 Aug, Gregynog Hall, Powys SUMMER FAMILY DAY Sun 3 Aug, Museum of Cannock Chase, Staffs EVERYBODY DANCE: LOVELY BUGS - HAVE A GO SESSION Get involved and have a go in between performances of the main Lovely Bugs show. Suitable for all ages but only thirty places available - book,

Sun 3 Aug, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham HANG OUT WITH A HAWK See some of nature's most amazing birds of prey soar free. Get up close and personal with Feather Perfect Falconry to discover more about these magnificent creatures, Sun 3 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury NORTHERN CAVALIER KING CHARLES SPANIEL SHOW Sun 3 Aug, Stafford Showground FLYING POTTER Creative workshops throughout the day, Sun 3 - Thurs 7 Aug, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Week Commencing

MON 4 AUG WORLD WAR I COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE Mon 4 Aug, National Memorial Aboretum, Staffordshire WWI DISCOVERY DAY Join uniformed guards on a detailed tour of the museum’s WWI trench system, Mon 4 Aug, Staffordshire Regimental Museum WORLD WAR I EVENT Mon 4 Aug, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery CANDLELIT COMMEMORATION Mon 4 Aug, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley SUPER SCIENCE Mon 4 Wed 6 Aug, Dudmaston Estate, Nr Bridgnorth, Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 4 - Fri 8 Aug, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire WISH YOU WERE HERE POSTCARD MAKING WORKSHOP Mon 4 - Fri 8 Aug, Wedgwood Visitor Centre & Museum, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent HOLIDAY CRAFTS & GLASS SCHOOL Tues 5 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge WILLOW WEAVING Children’s workshop where they can learn how to weave willow and create a willow sculpture, Tues 5 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery TOTSTIME TUESDAY Creative play for undersevens, Tue 5 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham LUNCHTIME TALK: GEORGIAN WOLVERHAMPTON Illustrated talk by Frank Sharman & Heather Steatham on the subject of Georgian Wolverhampton. Free, drop-in event, Tues 5 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton ART HISTORY: THE SHADOWY WORLD OF BAROQUE Look closely at how Baroque paintings create drama through light & shadow, and make your own

‘chiaroscuro’ portraits.

Booking required, Tues 5 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ONCE UPON A TIME...

Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 5 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB: POND DIPPING Borrow a net and find out what lives in the estate's ponds, Tue 5 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SIEGE CHALLENGE FOR KIDS Find out how to defend a castle via hands-on games, activities & drill training, Tue 5 - Wed 6 Aug, Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAYS CRAFT ACTIVITY: SEASHELL SOUVENIRS Make a crazy creature with real shells, Tues 5 Thurs 7 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent WWI LIVING HISTORY EVENT Travel back to the era of the Great War via a fusion of stories, music & song, Tues 5 - Thurs 7 Aug, Tamworth Castle STEAM AND WHISTLE ACTIVITY CLUB: ARTS & CRAFTS Be prepared to get messy with workshops, a craft competition and meet the bees... Tue 5 - Fri 8 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster TEDDY DAY Take your favourite teddy along to enjoy trails, stories & more... Wed 6 Aug, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Wed 6 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire TREASURE ISLAND PIRATE ADVENTURE Wear your best pirate costume and join in with some swashbuckling fun, Wed 6 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire MAKE A WAR HORSE PUPPET WORKSHOP Join acclaimed artist & puppeteer Jim Morris to create your own puppet. All materials provided, Wed 6 Aug, Walsall Museum STEAM CREAM LAND CRUISE TRAIN Wed 6 Aug, Foxfield Steam Railway, Stoke-on-Trent CRAFTPLAY LITTLE EXPLORERS Feel, play & discover with your child in friendly, relaxed sessions, Wed 6 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery SUPER HEROES! Create your very own super hero or heroine with the help of artist Ruth Turnbull, Wed 6 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum SUMMER CRAFTS -

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk MINIBEASTS Kids activity where visitors can make and try out their own identification dial, Wed 6 Aug, Northycote Farm, Wolverhampton STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD TOUR & VISIT TO CONSERVATION STUDIO Find out about the Hoard and get a glimpse into Anglo Saxon times. Advance booking essential!, Wed 6 Aug, Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery TEDDY BEARS PARACHUTING PICNIC Take along your teddy bear and join in the fun for National Play Day, Wed 6 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham HUNGRY BUG PLAY DAY & PICNIC Have a go at the butterfly hunt, make yourself a caterpillar hat and enjoy the site's bug-themed play area, Wed 6 Aug, Weoley Castle, Birmingham MR WHIPPY & THE CONETTES Themed event which fuses 1950s musicals with the great British holiday experience, Wed 6 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent A VIKING’S GUIDE TO DEADLY DRAGONS: VIKING RUNES NECKLACE Explore the magical power of Viking runes, investigate the runic alphabet and carve your name into your own personalised rune necklace. Booking required, Wed 6 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery AUGUST SUMMER FUN Featuring a range of summer workshops for children, Wed 6 - Thur 28 Aug, Stafford Castle BURWARTON SHOW Annual agriculture show featuring live arena events, displays, livestock and heavy horses, exhibitors and competitions, Thurs 7 Aug, The Showground, Burwarton TRUSTY'S THURSDAY PICNIC Join Attingham's storyteller for fun and games... Thurs 7 Aug, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury WHAT’S HIDING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN Thurs 7 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge SUMMER GARDEN TOUR & AFTERNOON TEA Stroll through the garden in the summer sunshine with a garden expert and finish with afternoon tea on the terrace. Limited places available for this prebookable event, Thurs 7 Aug, Winterbourne

House & Garden, Birmingham ANANSI & FRIENDS Story & craft session for children aged five-plus, Thurs 7 Aug, Central Children’s Library, Wolverhampton PAINTING WORKSHOP WITH JUNEAU PROJECTS Hands-on workshop devised especially for adults which takes place on board Ikon’s canal boat, Thurs 7 Aug, meet at Ikon Gallery, Brindleyplace, Birmingham CANVAS BAGS FOR SUMMER Family craft workshop, Thurs 7 Aug, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham CRAFTY THURSDAY Fun creative activities for families, Thurs 7 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham FELTED MINI BEASTS Join maker Kirsty Smith and create your own felted minibeast to take home, Thurs 7 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery STAINED GLASS WORKSHOP Decorate your own tealight holder to take home, inspired by the stained glass and gardens at Bantock, Thurs 7 Aug, Bantock House, Wolverhampton STORYTELLING: LADY WULFRUNA Interactive storytelling for all the family, followed by craft activities, Thurs 7 Aug, Wolverhampton City Archives KNIGHTS AND PRINCESSES ACADEMY Join in with medieval fun at this academy for budding knights & princesses, Thurs 7 - Fri 8 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire BULLDOG BASH Annual motorcycle rally with plenty of live music, a drag strip, a custom show and dance tent, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Aug, Shakespeare County Raceway THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS The largest patchwork and quilting event in Europe, with a huge International following, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Aug, NEC, Birmingham HOLIDAY CRAFTS & GLASS SCHOOL Fri 8 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge FRIDAY TWILIGHT: BEACH COCKTAIL PARTY Visit the seaside exhibition before enjoying a range of cocktails in the museum cafe and listening to the sounds of a local music duo, Fri 8 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-onTrent SUMMER HOLIDAYS

CRAFT ACTIVITY: BIRTHDAY BOTTLE OVENS! Add a brick to the museum’s big bottle oven display in celebration of the site’s four decades as a museum, Fri 8 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent WATTLE & DAUB DAY Chance to find out how houses like Greyfriars were made, Fri 8 Aug, Greyfriars, Worcester SHREWSBURY FLOWER SHOW A major event on the Shropshire calendar, this year's show features appearances from celebrity chef Tom Kerridge, folk musician Johnny Flynn and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Fri 8 - Sat 9 Aug, The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury SUMMER FAMILY BIKE RIDE Fri 8 Aug, The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury OPEN SOCIAL A chance for young people to visit the gallery, enjoy live performances & explore the gallery’s current exhibitions, Fri 8 Aug, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham OBSESSION SILENT DISCO Grab a pair of headphones and join Artforum Gold for their silent disco, inspired by the Obsession exhibition, Fri 8 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery TREE-MENDOUS TREES Find out how old a tree is by using a piece of string & have a go at making a tree collage using completely natural items, Fri 8 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire CHASE CHALLENGE: MUD MASKS & NATURAL PAINTING Help brighten up the woodlands with natural decorations, Fri 8 Aug, Cannock Chase Country Park, Staffs SUMMER AT SOHO Dropin craft activities for children, Fri 8 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham BOWMAN ANTIQUES FAIR Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Stafford Showground BOWMAN ANTIQUE FAIR Featuring up to four hundred stands selling antiques, curios, vintage, retro & collectables, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Stafford Bingley Hall CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE FESTIVAL Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Donington Park SUMMER ACTIVITY DAYS: BUG HUNTING & PAPERCRAFTS Hire a Bug Hunting kit to see what creepy crawlies you can find in the park, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Croome Country Park, Worcester VW CAMPER & BUS SHOW Vehicle displays, family entertainment & live music, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Eastnor Country Park,

Herefordshire PUTTING ON THE BLITZ: 1940S WARTIME FASHION SHOW Sat 9 Aug, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum 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, Sat 9 Aug, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton SATURDAY ARTS CLUB Regular themed event for five to eleven-yearolds, Sat 9 Aug, Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery EXHIBITION TOUR & COIN HANDLING A guided tour of the exhibition and the chance to get your hands on real Roman coins, Sat 9 Aug, Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry SUMMER SALSA CLASS Put on your dancing shoes and learn the Salsa with Library of Birmingham ‘Face’ Thomas O’Flaherty, the UK’s first qualified Salsa teacher. Suitable for persons aged eighteen-plus, Sat 9 Aug, Library of Birmingham VINTAGE/NOSTALGIA DAY A day of reminiscing with special entertainment and displays of vintage telephones, Sat 9 Aug, Electric Railway Museum, Baginton, Coventry WEAVER'S HOUSE OPEN DAY Find out what life as a medieval weaver would have been like in an event featuring talks about the house as well as spinning demonstrations, Sat 9 Aug, The Weaver's House, Coventry INFIRMARY HISTORICAL SUMMER TOUR Guided tour to find out more about the site’s connection to the British Medical Association, Sat 9 Aug, University of Worcester CONJURE THE IMAGE: STORYTELLING WORKSHOP With Chris Lowe, in association with Birmingham Writers’ Group, Sat 9 Aug, Library of Birmingham HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Sat 9 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 9 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster FIGHTING KNIGHTS Journey back to medieval times with fighting knights and legends of old, Sat 9 Sun 10 Aug, Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ

SIGHTESEEING TOUR Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, starts Victoria Square, Birmingham ANT AND DEC'S TAKEAWAY ON TOUR Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, LG Arena, Birmingham SHERLOCK HOLMES WEEKEND Budding amateur sleuths and wouldbe private detectives have the chance to help Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve a mysterious crime, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire HISTORY THROUGH THE AGES Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge MILITARY SKILLS WEEKEND Join in a pike drill or musket firing and find out how wounds were treated in the 17th century, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton RAINBOW LIVE! ZIPPY & GEORGE'S HOLIDAY SHOW Stars of the classic children's television programme Rainbow take to the Cadbury World stage in a brand new live show promising plenty of fun & frolics, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Cadbury World, Birmingham THE KNOTTY HERITAGE TRAIN LAUNCH WEEKEND Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Foxfield Steam Railway, Stoke-on-Trent WORCESTER FESTIVAL Featuring a wide selection of professional & community events, Sat 9 - Mon 25 Aug, various locations in & around Worcester NATURE EXHIBITION Interactive exhibition for the children's holidays, Sat 9 - Sat 13 Sep, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge CLASSIC CAR & TRANSPORT SHOW Featuring over 1000 vehicles dating back to the 1920s, Sun 10 Aug, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Revealing what goes on behind the scenes of a stately home, this unique tour takes in some of the site's twenty-eight bedrooms and offers a chance to learn about the Weston Park Foundation, the charitable trust that owns and maintains the venue, Sun 10 Aug, Weston Park, Staffordshire SEVERN HOSPICE CLASSIC VEHICLE RALLY Chance to view a range of vintage & classic cars lined up in front of the house, helping to raise funds for the Severn Hospice charity, Sun 10 Aug, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury RARE PLANTS FAIR Sun 10 Aug, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, Birmingham

WILD ABOUT ART WORKSHOP Make a stunning piece of art to take home using Victorian photography methods and flowers from the garden, Sun 10 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Staffs TOY FAIR Sun 10 Aug, Stafford County Showground EXOTIC ANIMALS Talks & displays plus the chance to meet snakes, spiders, meerkats, skunks and more... Sun 10 - Thurs 14 Aug, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Week Commencing

MON 11 AUG WWI DISCOVERY DAY Join uniformed guards on a detailed tour of the museum’s WWI trench system, Mon 11 Aug, Staffordshire Regimental Museum GEORGIAN DAY Familyfriendly activities exploring the lives of the Georgians, Mon 11 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery FAMILY FUN DAY Mon 11 Aug, Wolverhampton Racecourse THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE CAMOUFLAGED CREEPY CRAWLIES Mon 11 - Wed 13 Aug, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire CHILDREN’S SUMMER CRAFT ACTIVITY Mon 11 - Wed 13 Aug, Ford Green Hall, Stoke-onTrent SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 11 - Fri 15 Aug, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire MAKE YOUR OWN BUCKET AND SPADE DECORATION Fun activity for children, Mon 11 - Fri 15 Aug, Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Stoke-on-Trent SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 11 - Fri 15 Aug, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire MAKE A KITE FAMILY WORKSHOP Mon 11 Sun 17 Aug, Library of Birmingham ART HISTORY: ROMANTIC LANDSCAPES Explore the gallery’s landscapes and build a romantic scene from little bits of nature, Tues 12 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES: NATURE’S GUARDIANS Use your imagination to create a clay guardian for the reserve or your garden, Tues 12 Aug, Smestow Valley, Wolverhampton MERMAID MAGIC Story & craft session for children aged five-plus, Tues 12 Aug, Central Children’s Library, Wolverhampton GUIDED TOUR Prebooked guided tour,

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Tue 12 Aug, Stokesay Court, South Shropshire ONCE UPON A TIME...

Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 12 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton MONSTER MODELLING Workshop which invites five to twelve-year-olds to create mini-monsters from clay & collage materials, Tues 12 Aug, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB: WILD IN THE WOODS Chance to learn woodland skills like den building, Tue 12 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury CHILDREN'S WORKSHOP: THE GREAT OUTDOORS Get along and build a den, make mud critters and leaf crowns, and a fantastic house for hedgehogs. Pre-booking essential. Tue 12 Aug, Selly Manor, Birmingham ACOUSTIC SPOKEN WORD AND MUSIC NIGHT Featuring boxer & poet Matt Windle and Scandinavian folk duo Sirkel, Tues 12 Aug, The Boars Head, Kidderminster TOYS GALORE! Family event where visitors are invited to take along their favourite childhood toy and share memories, Tues 12 Aug, Museum of Cannock Chase, Staffs TOTSTIME TUESDAY Creative play for undersevens, Tues 12 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham GUY DAY'S HINTS & TIPS: PICNICS Featuring demonstrations, recipe packs, tastings and a two-course lunch in the Granary Grill, Tues 12 Weds 13 Aug, Weston Park, Staffordshire HEROES AND VILLAINS Watch on as Sir William Marshall, the greatest knight in England, battles it out for prizes and glory. Pick your favourite knight and cheer him on, Tues 12 Weds 13 Aug, Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAYS CRAFT ACTIVITY: SEASHELL SOUVENIRS Make a crazy creature with real shells to create your own silly seaside souvenir, Tues 12 Thurs 14 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent MEDIEVAL LIVING HISTORY Meet medieval characters as they set about their castle duties, Tues 12 - Thurs 14 Aug,

Tamworth Castle, Staffs STEAM AND WHISTLE ACTIVITY CLUB: DINOSAUR WEEK Featuring dinosaur dig, Jurassic trail, fossil investigations, Meet the Owls and a free dinosaur cup to take home, Tue 12 - Fri 15 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Wed 13 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire LET’S MAKE A SPLASH! Stream & pond dipping event to find the site’s strange & exotic aquatic inhabitants, Wed 13 Aug, Consall Forge, Stoke-on-Trent HOW TO BE A GEORGIAN Dressing-up workshop for all the family, Wed 13 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery IMAGINARY MONARCHS Transform yourself into a king or queen with the help of Jim Morris, Wed 13 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum GARDEN PARTY Annual event with WWI providing the theme for 2014, Wed 13 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery BILSTON ON THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE Frank Sharman discusses Bilston’s role on the international stage, using eminent Viennese architects and planners for their post-war reconstruction programme, Wed 13 Aug, Wolverhampton City Archives HAVE A GO AT GEOCACHING Use a handheld GPS unit to navigate around the park looking for hidden treasure, Wed 13 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire CIRCUS ACADEMY: ACROBATS AND FREERUNNERS One of many similar events being held across five of the Birmingham Museum sites. This particular event focuses on acrobats and aerial skills with tricking, tumbling, break dancing & acrobalancing, Wed 13 Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham BLACK COUNTRY VOYAGES Informal afternoon of workshops, including painting, drawing and walks - all taking place around the visitor centre & nature reserve, Wed 13 Aug, Canalside, Bumblehole Conservation Group Visitor Centre, Netherton, Dudley

FAMILY PIZZA DAY Make your own pizza using fresh ingredients and bake in Fordhall's outdoor clay oven, Thurs 14 Aug, Fordhall Organic Farm, Market Drayton, North Shropshire TRUSTY'S THURSDAY PICNIC Join Attingham's storyteller for fun and games... Thurs 14 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury FUSED GLASS BEACH HUT Family workshop, Thurs 14 Aug, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Kingswinford CIRCUS STARS Drop-in workshops where visitors can make their own clown puppet to take home, Thurs 14 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum FAMILY FUN DAY Thurs 14 Aug, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens, Birmingham CHILDREN'S WORKSHOP KNIGHT TRAINING March on down to Selly Manor and construct a swashbuckling sword and shield, learn soldier’s drills, play games and handle real weapons from the museum’s collection. Booking essential! Thurs 14 Aug, Selly Manor, Birmingham CRAFT BEADWORK Family craft workshop, Thurs 14 Aug, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC Pack a picnic and take along your favourite teddy for a fun-filled teddy-themed craft workshop, Thurs 14 Augm Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton CRAFTY THURSDAY Fun creative activities for families, Thurs 14 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham STORYTELLING AT ARCHIVES: PAUL LEROY ROBESON Interactive storytelling sessions followed by craft activities, Thurs 14 Aug, Wolverhampton City Archives ROBIN HOOD RECRUITS! Tall tales & archery demonstrations, Thurs 14 - Fri 15 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire ROBIN HOOD RECRUITS! Join Robin Hood for tall tales & archery demonstrations as he visits Goodrich with his merry band of men, Thurs 14 - Fri 15 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire SUMMER BBQ CRUISE Fri 15 Aug, Sabrina Boat, Shrewsbury POND DIPPING Join the rangers and roam the park to look for different creatures living in the park's ponds, Fri 15 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Shropshire CHASE CHALLENGE: WOODLAND SURVIVAL SKILLS Have-a-go sessions in shelter build-

ing, knot tying, fire lightening and marshmallow toasting, Fri 15 Aug, Cannock Chase Country Park, Staffordshire SUMMER HOLIDAYS CRAFT ACTIVITY: BIRTHDAY BOTTLE OVENS! Add a brick to the museum’s big bottle oven display in celebration of the site’s four decades as a museum, Fri 15 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent 10TH ANNIVERSARY GARDEN TOURS Discover the story behind the restorations of Trentham Gardens, Fri 15 Aug, Trentham Gardens, Stoke-onTrent SUMMER AT SOHO Dropin craft activities for children, Fri 15 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham THE WHITE FEATHER A talk by Heidi McIntosh about local architect William Weller and the First World War white feather movement, Fri 15 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ART SPEAKING Free audio-described tour of A Viking’s Guide to Deadly Dragons with Cressida Cowell, for people with visual impairment, Fri 15 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery WESTERN MOTORHOME SHOW 2015 Featuring a showcase of new and pre-owned motorhomes, displays of western memorabilia, re-enactments & living history area, Fri 15 Sun 17 Aug, Three Counties Showground, Malvern CRAFTPLAY LITTLE EXPLORERS Feel, play & discover with your child in friendly, relaxed sessions, Sat 16 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery FAMILY SUMMER NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Sat 16 Aug, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley IYP PRESENTS Regular drop-in workshops for young people, Sat 16 Aug, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham SHUGBOROUGH PICNIC MOVIES FAMILY MATINEE Open-air family matinee screening to be shown on a huge 40sqm screen. Film yet to be confirmed, Sat 16 Aug, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 16 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster MINSTERLEY SHOW Prestigious one-day agricultural show, Sat 16 Aug, Lea Cross, Nr Shrewsbury

POETIC IMAGES Enjoy short prose & poetry readings of original work, inspired by images, from Birmingham Writers’ Group, Sat 16 Aug, Library of Birmingham PORTRAIT PAINTING AND THE FIGURE WITH DAVID GLEESON Workshop for adults. Booking essential! Sat 16 Aug, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford CHAINSAW SCULPTING Sat 16 Aug, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Westonunder-Redcastle, North Shropshire THE COLOR RUN It's anticipated that around eight thousand people will turn out for Color Run's Birmingham debut. The 5k fun run sees participants doused with colour every 1km and culminates in a 'Color Festival' at the finish line. Color Run is open to runners of any age or ability and promises to be 'the happiest 5k on the planet', Sat 16 Aug, NEC, Birmingham CIRCUS CRAFTS Have a go at making your very own Big Top Circus tent, complete with elephants, lions, clowns & acrobats Sat 16 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire WILD ABOUT ART WORKSHOP Make a stunning piece of art to take home using Victorian photography methods and flowers from the garden, Sat 16 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Staffs BASKET WEAVING WORKSHOP Learn the traditional art of basket weaving. All materials provided, Sat 16 Aug, Fordhall Organic Farm, Market Drayton, Shropshire RAINBOW LIVE! ZIPPY & GEORGE'S HOLIDAY SHOW Stars of classic children's television programme Rainbow take to the Cadbury World stage in a brand new live show promising plenty of fun & frolics, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Cadbury World, Birmingham BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTESEEING TOUR Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, starts Victoria Square, Birmingham TERN VALLEY VINTAGE SHOW Featuring over six hundred vintage vehicles, plus steam engines, tractor pulling, arena events, a craft marquee, trade stands & vintage auction, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Chetwynd Park, Newport, Shropshire CANNOCK CHASE MILITARY HISTORY WEEKEND Annual free event featuring reenactment groups, experts & veterans, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre

MECCANO EVENT See some amazing working Meccano models and find out more about the versatile building system with the Telford Meccano Society, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire Museum, Bromsgrove CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Shelsey Walsh, Worcestershire WORLD WAR I FAMILY WEEKEND Featuring interactive heritage, hands-on craft & exploration, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire ROCK & FOSSIL EXPERIENCE Travel back in time to discover the secrets of 250million years ago hidden in the stone at Upton House & Gardens, Sat 16 Sun 17 Aug, Upton House & Gardens, Warwickshire IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS Search the quiet corners of Moseley’s wood and find out what minibeasts are hiding there, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton MODEL AIR & BOAT SHOW Family entertainment, with top display teams, rocket school & a craft fair, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Aug, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire TURNER SPORT CAR RALLY See stunning examples of Turner sports cars, locally made in Wolverhampton, Sun 17 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Sun 17 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire ARTS AND CRAFTS TOUR Learn about the site's arts and crafts acquisitions at this new addition to the Gregynog events list, Sun 17 Aug, Gregynog Hall, Powys FLY A KITE Drop-in family activity with flying sessions and activities in the craft room, Sun 17 Aug, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham STEAM CREAM LAND CRUISE TRAIN Sun 17 Aug, Foxfield Steam Railway, Stoke-on-Trent CHILDREN’S GARDENING CLUB Sun 17 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Staffs

Week Commencing

MON 18 AUG WWI DISCOVERY DAY Join uniformed guards on a detailed tour of the museum’s WWI trench system, Mon 18 Aug, Staffordshire

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Regimental Museum WHICH WILD ANIMAL? See if you can discover which wild animal is causing chaos at Dudmaston before creating your own critter hand puppet to take home, Mon 18 - Wed 20 Aug, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire FRIDGE MAGNETS WORKSHOPS Mon 18 - Fri 22 Aug, Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent IKON NATURE HOLIDAY SCHOOL Mon 18 - Fri 22 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge & Broadfield House Glass Museum, Kingswinford SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 18 - Fri 22 Aug, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 18 Fri 22 Aug, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire CHILDREN’S FUN WEEK Featuring free children’s craft workshops, Mon 18 - Fri 22 Aug, Market Square, Stafford MAKE A BIRD OR BUTTERFLY COLLAGE Family workshop, Mon 18 Sun 24 Aug, Library of Birmingham ART HISTORY: MAKE YOUR OWN IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING Work in small groups to create different colours using optical mixing, and make ‘impasto’ impressionist paintings, Tues 19 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery LADIES EVENING Vintage themed event of National Hunt racing & entertainment, Tues 19 Aug, Worcester Racecourse TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB: DEER PARK RIDES Tue 19 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury ONCE UPON A TIME...

Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 19 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton MEET ME AT BANTOCK Regular conversation club for people aged fifty plus, Tues 19 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton CHILDREN'S WORKSHOPS: ROBOTS AND ROCKETS Launch into action and create a recycled robot.

Make your own minirocket, have a go at a big rocket launch and construct a lightening fast jet pack! Tue 19 Aug, Selly Manor, Birmingham TOTSTIME TUESDAY

Creative play for under sevens, Tue 19 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham ROYALS AND REBELS Take a look at what makes a King or Queen great. Grab your own crown and find out if you have what it takes, Tue 19 - Wed 20 Aug, Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire SAXONS AT THE CASTLE Find out what life was like for those living in Tamworth in Saxon times, Tues 19 - Thurs 21 Aug, Tamworth Castle, Staffs SUMMER HOLIDAY CRAFT ACTIVITY: PUNCH & JUDY Tell your own seaside stories & make your very own Punch and Judy - or even crocodile - puppets, Tues 19 - Thurs 21 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent STEAM AND WHISTLE ACTIVITY CLUB: PIRATE TIME Meet the pirates, dig for hidden treasure, join the pirate trail, make a pirate hat, meet the bees & take part in the best dressed pirate competition, Tue 19 Fri 22 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster SUMMER CRAFTS: LEAVES Leaf related crafts for kids, Wed 20 Aug, Northycote Farm, Wolverhampton HOW THE VICTORIAN HOME CAN KILL! Join costumed re-enactors Discover History to find out more about how deadly homes could be in Victorian times, Wed 20 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stokeon-Trent ANIMAL KINGDOM Using tissue and withies, Benny Semp will help you to create your own piece of natural wonder, Wed 20 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Wed 20 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire ARTFORUM GOLD CLUB Art club for young people aged 14 to 25, Wed 20 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery SEVERN VALLEY CIRCUS DAY Learn how to juggle, spin plates and keep diablos in the air at this themed event which invites visitors to attend as their favourite circus character, Wed 20 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire

TEDDY BEARS PICNIC With plenty to keep young ones entertained,, including giveaways, activity packs, competition and free gifts, Wed 20 Aug, Foxfield Railway, Stokeon-Trent GAMES FROM THE GREAT WAR Play popular games from the Edwardian and Great War period and make your own Marbles Bridge to take home, Wed 20 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum TRUSTY'S THURSDAY PICNICS Take along a picnic and enjoy some storytelling & games at Trusty's weekly picnic, Thurs 21 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury MONSTER MANIA Story & craft session for children aged five plus, Thurs 21 Aug, Central Children’s Library, Wolverhampton WETLAND WILDLIFE Discover the inhabitants of the site’s brook & canal area, Thurs 21 Aug, Smestow Valley, Wolverhampton CHILDREN'S WORKSHOPS: PERFECT PRINCESS Fashion a princess crown and wand.

Create a frog prince hand puppet, wooden spoon dragon, princess tower and learn the rules of how to be a princess, Thurs 21 Aug, Selly Manor, Birmingham SUMMER GARDEN TOUR & AFTERNOON TEA Stroll through the Garden in the summer sunshine with a Garden expert and finish with afternoon tea on the terrace.

Limited places available for this pre-bookable event, Thurs 21 Aug, Winterbourne House & Garden, Birmingham CIRCUS ACADEMY: JUDICIOUS JUGGLERS SOCIETY Learn how to juggle, spin & balance in one of the many circus academies taking place across five of the museum's sites, Thurs 21 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham FAMILY CRAFT Workshop with artist Jolene Smith, Thurs 21 Aug, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham CRAFTY THURSDAY Fun creative activities for families, Thurs 21 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham COWBOYS & COWGIRLS CRAFTS Thurs 21 Aug, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery CRAFTPLAY LITTLE EXPLORERS Feel, play & discover with your child in friendly, relaxed sessions, Thurs 21 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery WEAPONS & WARRIORS Train in the art of combat & learn about what it takes to be a medieval warrior, Thurs 21 - Fri 22 Aug,

Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire MINIBEAST HUNT Use sweep nets to discover the mini beasts who live in the tall grasses and meadows of the park, Fri 22 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire TAKE OFF WITH BHANGRA TOTS! Flap, buzz, zoom and soar around the Amphitheatre to the happy beat of Bhangra with Sohan Kailey, Fri 22 Aug, Library of Birmingham SUMMER HOLIDAYS CRAFT ACTIVITY: BIRTHDAY BOTTLE OVENS! Add a brick to the museum’s big bottle oven display in celebration of the site’s four decades as a museum, Fri 22 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent CHASE CHALLENGE: MAMMAL TRAPPING & TRACKING Get along & help record any mammals living on the Chase, Fri 22 Aug, Cannock Chase Country Park, Staffs SUMMER AT SOHO Dropin craft activities for children, Fri 22 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham POND DIPPING Fish for some creepy crawlies in the mill pond and examine your catch under the microscope, Fri 22 Aug, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham BLACK COUNTRY VOYAGES Afternoon of family-friendly workshops, Fri 22 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge TALES FROM THE TRENCHES A day of storytelling, trench reel and songs from the First World War, with costumed interpreters History's Maid, Fri 22 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum FAIRYTALE WEEKEND See characters from your favourite fairytales brought to life during four days of magic, Fri 22 - Mon 25 Aug, Tutbury Castle, Burtonupon-Trent SUMMER HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES Fri 22 - Sat 30 Aug, National Memorial Aboretum, Staffordshire BIRD HOUSE HANGINGS, PARTY BUNTING & FISH MOSAICS Summer Saturday specials, Sat 23 Aug, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford SPORTS & SALOON CAR RACES Sat 23 Aug, Donington Park EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 23 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster ART FROM ABOVE Help Anna Magpie make a giant artwork on the floor of the

Amphitheatre that can be seen from above!, Sat 23 Aug, Library of Birmingham HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Sat 23 Aug, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire ARCHERY AT ATTINGHAM Try your hand at archery with the Bowbrook Archers, Sat 23 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury JAMAICAN HIDDEN HISTORIES Sat 23 Aug, The Drum, Birmingham SATURDAY ARTS CLUB Regular themed event for five to eleven-yearolds, Sat 23 Aug, Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery SIMPLY MESSING ABOUT WITH BOATS Join members of the Bournville Boat Club, who'll demonstrate some of their models on the mill pond, Sat 23 Aug, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham RAINBOW LIVE! ZIPPY & GEORGE'S HOLIDAY SHOW Stars of classic children's television programme Rainbow take to the Cadbury World stage in a brand new live show promising plenty of fun & frolics, Sat 23 - Sun 24 Aug, Cadbury World, Birmingham BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTESEEING TOUR Sat 23 - Sun 24 Aug, starts Victoria Square, Birmingham ROBIN HOOD AT HAWKSTONE Sat 23 Sun 24 Aug, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Newcastleunder-Redcastle, North Shropshire OLIVER TWIST WEEKEND Sat 23 - Mon 25 Aug, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire TUDOR HARVEST FAIR Experience the noise and bustle of a sixteenth century hiring market, Sat 23 - Mon 25 Aug, Mary Arden’s Farm, Stratford-uponAvon FOOD & FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring a huge specialist food and artisan market, craft beer tent and live folk acts!, Sat 23 - Mon 25 Aug, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs POND DIPPING WITH WILDLIFE TRUST Fish for some creepy crawlies in the mill pond and examine your catch under the microscope, Sun 24 Aug, Sarehole Mill, B’ham BUG HUNTING Sun 24 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent BIRMINGHAM GRAND PRIX Sun 24 Aug, Alexander Stadium, Birmingham LATE SUMMER STROLL Sun 24 Aug, Northycote Farm, Wolverhampton

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Revealing what goes on behind the scenes of a stately home, this unique tour takes in some of the site's twenty-eight bedrooms and offers a chance to learn about the Weston Park Foundation, the charitable trust that owns and maintains the venue, Sun 24 Aug, Weston Park, Staffordshire GUIDED TOUR Prebooked guided tour of Stokesay Court, Sun 24 Aug, Stokesay Court, Nr Craven Arms, South Shropshire MEDIEVAL COMBAT EXTRAVAGANZA WITH BATTLE HERITAGE Go back in time for a medieval treat and forge-making armour demonstrations, havea-go archery, medieval music, jesters, birds of prey, face painting & food, Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire SHREWSBURY STEAM RALLY Showcasing over one thousand exhibits, including beautifully preserved classic cars from yesteryear, Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Onslow Park, Shrewsbury HARVINGTON AT WAR Multi-period Living History event, Sun 24 Mon 25 Aug, Harvington Hall, Nr Kidderminster A WALK THROUGH THE WAR: LIVING HISTORY EVENT Step back in time as Dudmaston commemorates WWI with real stories from behind the lines... Sun 24 Mon 25 Aug, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire BRITISH TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP & SUPPORT RACES Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Donington Park WILDPLAY WEEKEND Mud & mess in the great outdoors, Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire TEDDY BEARS PICNIC With plenty to keep young ones entertained, including giveaways, activity packs, competition and free gifts, Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Foxfield Railway, Stoke-on-Trent PLANT HUNTER’S FAIR Fundraising event, Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Dorothy Clive Garden, North Shropshire PUMPING STATION OPEN DAY Sun 24 - Mon 25 Aug, Claymills Pumping Station, Burton-uponTrent, Staffs CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY DAYS: TRENCH TALK Find out how soldiers communicated during WWI by taking a fun trail around the Dudmaston garden, Sun 24 - Wed 27 Aug, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk SCOPE FESTIVAL OF SHOW JUMPING Sun 24 Sat 30 Aug, Stafford County Showground

Week Commencing

MON 25 AUG WWI DISCOVERY DAY Join uniformed guards on a detailed tour of the museum’s WWI trench system, Mon 25 Aug, Staffordshire Regimental Museum SUMMER FAMILY FUN DAY Entertainment includes puppet show, walkabouts, face painters, art activities & much more... Mon 25 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY FARM FAIR Featuring good old-fashioned entertainment from apple bobbing & dancing to stalls & craft activities, Mon 25 Aug, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire SAINSBURY’S IPC GRAND PRIX FINAL Mon 25 Aug, Alexander Stadium, Birmingham PRINCESS AND PIRATES DAY Join Captain Hook and friends for a crazy pirate day, or dress as a beautiful princess and dance around with the Wonderland Princesses, Mon 25 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire LINE DANCING Mon 25 Aug, Northycote Farm, Wolverhampton ANIMAL OLYMPICS Different events will be running all day, with all proceeds going to 'The Brook' donkey charity, Mon 25 Aug, Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom, Telford, Shropshire GLADSTONE BIG POTTERY PARTY Make a souvenir birthday card in the site’s special photo booth to celebrate the Gladstone Museum’s 40th anniversary, Mon 25 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stokeon-Trent KALEIDOSCOPE WORKSHOP Craft-making sessions, Mon 25 - Fri 29 Aug, Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Stoke-on-Trent SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 25 - Fri 29 Aug, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 25 Fri 29 Aug, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire CREATE A FABULOUS FLYING MACHINE Family workshop, Mon 25 Sun 31 Aug, Library of Birmingham

ART HISTORY: POP ART PRINTING Design & print your own pictures, inspired by the gallery’s Andy Warhol Campbell’s Soup can, Tues 26 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery STEAM AND WHISTLE ACTIVITY CLUB: DIG & DISCOVER Learn about the Romans & archaeology through various onsite activities. Dig for real Roman artefacts, follow the archaeology trail, make a Roman shield & participate in the best-dressed Roman competition, Tue 26 - Thurs 28 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster HEROES & VILLAINS SHERLOCK HOLMES Hunt for clues on the Sherlock-themed trail around the museum grounds, Tue 26 - Thurs 28 Aug, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove GUIDED TOUR Prebooked guided tour of Stokesay Court, Tue 26 Aug, Stokesay Court, Craven Arms, South Shropshire ONCE UPON A TIME...

Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 26 Aug, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB: SEARCH FOR A SHERIFF Complete the challenges to track down a highway man and see if you can earn yourselves a Sheriff's badge, Tue 26 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury TOTSTIME TUESDAY Creative play for under sevens, Tue 26 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES: EYE SPY Enjoy a different take on the much-loved game. Drop-in sessions, Tues 26 Aug, Smestow Valley, Wolverhampton SUMMER HOLIDAY CRAFT ACTIVITY: PUNCH & JUDY Tell your own seaside stories & make your very own Punch and Judy - or even crocodile - puppets, Tues 26 - Thurs 28 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent DROP IN CRAFT ACTIVITIES Enjoy a range of craft activities involving pastels and watercolours. Suitable for all ages, Tues 26 - Thurs 28 Aug, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG Chance to practise drift-

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ing 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 27 Aug, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton A ROMAN FEAST Take a picnic and feast in a specially decorated area of the museum, accompanied by Roman characters, Wed 27 Aug, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry STEAM CREAM LAND CRUISE TRAIN Wed 27 Aug, Foxfield Steam Railway, Stoke-on-Trent TEDDY DAY Take your favourite teddy along to enjoy trails, stories & more... Wed 27 Aug, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire MEET ME AT WAG Regular conversation club for people aged fifty-plus, Wed 27 Aug, Wolverhampton Art Gallery HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Wed 27 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire MAKE A MINI RAFT Find materials around the park and have a go at making your very own mini-raft to take to the water in the Severn Valley Mini Raft Race, Wed 27 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire TEDDY BEAR'S PICNIC Wed 27 Aug, Birmingham Botanical Gardens FACE TO FACE Make a fabulous giant portrait with local artist & illustrator Ruth Radcliffe, Wed 27 Aug, Walsall Leather Museum MAKE AND TAKE CRAFT Drop-in events for creative types, Wed 27 Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham SCREEN PRINTED PATTERNS & NOTEBOOKS Create your own notebook and learn some basic bookbinding techniques in a twohour workshop, Wed 27 - Thurs 28 Aug, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon MAD HATTERS TEA PARTY CRAFTS Thurs 28 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge CRAFTPLAY LITTLE EXPLORERS Feel, play & discover with your child in friendly, relaxed sessions, Thurs 28 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery CIRCUS ACADEMY: WIRED UP GARDENS One of many similar events being held across five of the Birmingham Museum sites, with this particular event featuring a moving statue

garden, workshop, tight wire and slack line performances & audience showcase, Thurs 28 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham PRINTMAKING FUN Family craft workshop, Thurs 28 Aug, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham CRAFTY THURSDAY Fun creative activities for families, Thurs 28 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham SUMMER HOLIDAYS CRAFT ACTIVITY: BIRTHDAY BOTTLE OVENS! Add a brick to the museum’s big bottle oven display in celebration of the site’s four decades as a museum, Fri 29 Aug, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent 1950S GAMES Discover the games played by children of the 1950s and try them out yourself, Fri 29 Aug, Greyfriars House, Worcester TRUSTY'S THURSDAY PICNICS Enjoy storytelling & games at Trusty's weekly picnic, Fri 29 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury TREE-MENDOUS TREES Find out how old a tree is by using a piece of string. Have a go at making a tree collage using completely natural items, Fri 29 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire CURATORS TOUR Join exhibition curator Paul Thompson for a fascinating tour around the exhibition, Fri 29 Aug, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry ART FROM ABOVE Help Anna Magpie make a giant artwork on the floor of the Amphitheatre that can be seen from above!, Fri 29 Aug, Library of Birmingham CREATURES OF THE NIGHT Join in an evening walk around the park and learn about nocturnal wildlife, Fri 29 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire SUMMER AT SOHO Dropin craft activities for children, Fri 29 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham POND DIPPING Fish for creepy crawlies in the mill pond and examine your catch under the microscope, Fri 29 Aug, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham LORD DUDLEY'S CRAZY CRUSADE QUEST Try to solve Lord Dudley's Crazy Crusade Quest and find the grail cup to win a prize, Fri 29 Aug, Weoley Castle, Birmingham 10TH ANNIVERSARY GARDEN TOURS Discover the story behind the restoration of Trentham Gardens, Fri 29 Aug, Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent

CHASE CHALLENGE: BIRDS OF PREY Get along and see some birds of prey up close, learn some cool facts about them and get a chance to stroke one, Fri 29 Aug, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, Staffs VW ACTION A laid-back gathering of likeminded VW enthusiasts enjoying racing, RWYB, Show‘n’Shine, a trade village plus evening family entertainment, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton EXCLUSIVE GALA BALL Organised in partnership by the RAF Benevolent Fund and the RAF Museum, with support from RAF Cosford, Sat 30 Aug, RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton SEVERN FESTIVAL Featuring boat races, a food & drink market, a local arts & crafts market, and more... Sat 30 Aug, South Quay, Worcester CENTENARY COMMEMORATIONS Sat 30 Aug, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley FIREWORK CHAMPIONSHIPS Three of the UK’s best firework companies compete against each other with a tenminute firework display choreographed to music, Sat 30 Aug, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire BIRD HOUSE HANGINGS, PARTY BUNTING & FISH MOSAICS Summer Saturday specials, Sat 30 Aug, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 30 Aug, Severn Valley Railway, Bewdley, Nr Kidderminster HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime & Humble Pie’s famous puppets...

Sat 30 Aug, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire SUMMER CRAFTS Make your own sandy hand mosaic and a scrapbook to fill with all your summer memories, Sat 30 Aug, Severn Valley Country Park, Shropshire RAG RUG WORKSHOP Learn about the history of the craft with specialist Jessie Lindon, Sat 30 Aug, Birmingham Back to Backs TALK AND WALK Join the site's resident expert for an illustrated talk and tour of the ruins, Sat 30 Aug, Weoley Castle, Birmingham LEARN TO DANCE - LINDY HOP (SWING JIVE) Join Ross Jive and Swing and learn how to Lindy Hop in one of their fun taster sessions, Sat 30

Aug, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum MEET THE ANIMALS Sat 30 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Barlaston, Stoke-onTrent RAINBOW LIVE! ZIPPY & GEORGE'S HOLIDAY SHOW Stars of classic children's television programme Rainbow take to the Cadbury World stage in a brand new live show promising plenty of fun & frolics, Sat 30 - Sun 31 Aug, Cadbury World, Birmingham SUNNYCROFT PRODUCE FESTIVAL Show your home-grown veg, cakes and flower arrangements at the Sunnycroft Produce Festival, Sat 30 - Sun 31 Aug, Sunnycroft, Wellington, Shropshire CLASSIC SPORTS CAR RACES Sat 30 - Sun 31 Aug, Donington Park BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTESEEING TOUR Sat 30 - Sun 31 Aug, starts Victoria Square, Birmingham LICHFIELD FOOD FESTIVAL Celebrating local food producers, top local chefs & the city’s food venues, Sat 30 Sun 31 Aug, Lichfield City Centre WALK WITH THE GARDENER Opportunity to discover more about the estate and ask questions, Sun 31 Aug, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire HAWK DAY Sun 31 Aug, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Newcastleunder-Redcastle, North Shropshire MAC FOOD MARKET Indulge yourself with tasty treats and specialist goods at mac's monthly food market, featuring a host of local artisan producers, Sun 31 Aug, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham MEET THE ANIMALS Chance to meet a huge array of animals, from skunks to spiders and owls to tortoises, Sun 31 Aug, Biddulph Grange Garden, Stokeon-Trent THE ORIGINS OF MIDDLE EARTH WALK A guided walk exploring the surroundings that inspired JRR Tolkien, Sun 31 Aug, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham RUNWAY DISPLAY CAR SHOW ‘The car show offering visitors a diverse range of events and displays to view or participate in, ’ Sun 31 Aug, Stafford Driving Centre, Seighford, Staffs TAKE OFF WITH BHANGRA TOTS Flap, buzz, zoom and soar around the Amphitheatre to the happy beat of Bhangra.

With Sohan Kailey, Sun 31 Aug, Library of Birmingham

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Eating Out New chain in town...

An award-winning restaurant chain which markets itself as ‘the home of authentic Punjabi cuisine’ is opening the doors of its newest outlet this month.

Having already established itself in Manchester, Liverpool, Preston and Whitefield, EastZEast is now coming to Birmingham’s Broad Street, launching on 5 August. The eatery offers an extensive menu, ‘relaxed and elegant’ surroundings and a takeaway service. Check out the menu at www.eastzeast.com

Change of offer at The REP Catering company Searcy’s is withdrawing from its contract with Birmingham Repertory Theatre at the end of the month, stating ‘changes in business priorities’ as its reason. Searcy’s has operated the Centenary Bar & Restaurant since The REP’s re-opening last year. The theatre has recently made public its intention to provide customers with a substantial snack and bar service during its autumn/winter season, while at the same time undertaking a comprehensive review of its retail catering facilities. It will not operate a restaurant service during this period. Pre-theatre diners who’ve made autumn/winter restaurant bookings will be given a full refund.

Whipping up an Asian delight REVIEW

Restaurant celebrates first birthday with fundraising event Wolverhampton’s Wing Wah World Buffet recently celebrated its first birthday with a charity fundraising event. Seventy-five distinguished guests including the city’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Michael Heap - attended the Stafford Road restaurant’s special event, which raised funds for local children’s charity Promise Dreams. Previously a Chinese buffet, the two hundred-seat restaurant was rebranded last year and now also provides Mexican, Italian, Indian and Japanese dishes.

Paula Jones, Promise Dreams, Alex Boa, general manager and Lord Mayor of Wolverhampton, Cllr Michael Heap

It’s not very often a town like Shrewsbury gets excited about a new restaurant opening. But there was something different about its latest offering, Momo·No·Ki, a ramen noodle bar, billed as ‘The Home of Ramen in Shrewsbury’. Momo·No·Ki is located right next door to its sister venue, The Peach Tree and promises great tasting, authentic Asian flavours, but delivered using only local suppliers. Stepping into Momo·No·Ki, you’re greeted with a bright, sleek and modern restaurant, which is something you wouldn’t really associate with an Asian cusine. I was expecting dreary Thai music, waterfalls and the occasional stick of bamboo. Instead, it’s a Quentin Tarantino inspired soundtrack, bright white and orange walls, modern furniture and minimal nods

towards the East. Being shown to my table, my friend and I were talked through the tasty menu by one of the restaurant’s knowledgeable staff, carefully explaining what the components for each dish are. I took the plunge on a dish humourously known as ‘Seoul Mates’, which consisted of crispy Korean BBQ pork and a rice noodle salad, beansprouts, cucumber and kimchi (a fermented Chinese cabbage with chilli and red bean curd). My friend, after what seemed like hours, decided on the Taishoken Ramen, a beautifully presented dish of ramen noodles, pork belly, Togarashi scallops, a soft egg, dashi and all the trimmings. We sat in silence, trying for our dishes for the first time. The result?

They were great! Bursting with flavour, the ramen and noodle dishes were suddenly up there in our top ten favourite meals of

all time. We just wish we’d had room for more - the portions sizes were generous, big enough to fill you up, but not too trying.

Price wise, you’ll be looking at between £5 and £15, depending on what you have (the kangaroo dish tips the top end, whilst the ‘Seoul Mates’ dish that I enjoyed, starts at just a fiver) - don’t worry about it though, you certainly get your money’s worth. Overall, we weren’t expecting such great Asian food from such a small town. We’ll definitely be returning! Olivia Grey Food: nnnnn Service: nnnnn Ambience: n n n n n Overall value n n n n n OVERALL n n n n n Momo-No-Ki 19 Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6AE 01743 281770

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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 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 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 CARLUCCIO’S The Water’s Edge, Brindleyplace B1 2HP 0121 633 9262 CENTENARY BAR & BRASSERIE Broad Street, B1 2EP 0121 245 2080 CHUNG YING 16-18 Wrottersley Street, B5 4RT 0121 622 5669 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 DEL VILLAGGIO Unit 528, Middle Mall, The Bullring. B5 4BE 0121 643 1400 EDMUNDS 6 Brindley place, B1 2JB 0121 633 4944 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

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 MOUNT FUJI The Bullring, B5 4BH 0121 633 9853 OPUS 54 Cornwall St, B3 2DE 0121 200 2323 THE ORIENTAL The Mailbox, 128-130 Wharfside St, B1 1RQ 0121 633 9988 PEACHYKEENS 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’SBISTOR & GINGER’S BAR 11 Newhall Street, B3 3NY, 0121 2000 1588 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 THAI EDGE 7 Oozells Sq, B1 2HL 0121 643 3993 WAGAMAMA Brindley Place, birmingham B1

Black Country ARBOUR LIGHTS 127-128 Lichfield Street, Walsall WS1 1SY 01922 613361 BANKS BISTRO Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton WV1 4EP 01902 238433 BELLA 82 Chapel Ash, Wolverhampton. 01902 427555 BENGAL FUSION 174 High St, Lye, Stourbridge DY9 8LN. 01384 891111 BILASH 2 Cheapside, Wolverhampton, WV1 1TU 01902 427762 THE BLUE BRICK Broad Gauge Way, Wolverhampton WV1 1AA 01902 875301 BRAVACCIOUS 4 Upper Green, Wolverhampton WV6 8QQ 01902

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756052 CAFE CHAMPAGNE 253255 Bilston Road, Wolverhampton WV2 2JN 01902 458024 CASA CASITA Upper Gornal, Dudley. DY3 1UP 01902 676754 CATELLANI’S 6 School St, Wolverhampton, WV1 4LR 01902 428928 CINNAMON COURT Bentley Mill Way, Walsall WS2 0BP 0121 568 6664 THE COWSHED Clive Farm Clive Rd, Pattingham, WV6 7EN 01902 701888 THE CROOKED HOUSE Coppice Hill, Himley DY3 4DA 01384 238583 THE DITCH 1 Town Hill, Walsall, WS1 2EU 01922 643215 DON SALVO 25 Darlington Street, Wolverhampton WV1 4HW 01902 712819 DUNSLEY HALL Dunsley Rd, Kinver, DY7 6LU 01384 877077 FARADAYS The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, Dudley, DY5 1UR 01384 482 882 FIVE RIVERS Vicarage Place, Walsall WS1 3NA 01922 646164 FOUR STONES Adam’s Hill,Clint, Stourbridge, DY9 9PS 01562 883260 FRANZLS 151 Milcote Rd, Smethwick, B67 5BN 0121 429 7920 FRENCH CONNECTION 3 Coventry St, Stourbridge DY8 1EP 01384 390940 FRENCH HEN Bromsgrove Rd, Clent, Stourbridge DY9 9PY 01562 883040 GOLDEN MOMENTS 2-3 Ablewell St, Walsall WS1 2EQ 01922 640363 THE HUNGRY BISTRO 81 Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1EQ 01902 546336 LE BRASSERIE 5 Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster. DY11 6UU 01562 744976 MADE IN THAI Darlington St, Wolverhampton WV1 4HW 01902 312512 PARADISE BALTI 7 Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster DY11 6UU 01562 60479 THE PIE FACTORY 50 Hurst Lane, Tipton DY4 9AB 0121 557 1402 RED FORT Fold St, Wolverhampton, WV1 4LP 01902 424440 RISTORANTE ROMAGNA 4 Upper Green, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton WV6 8QQ 01902 756052 SAFFRON Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury B69 4RR 0121 552 1752 SIMON’S 520 Chester Rd, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0PU 0121 580 9293 SPICES Hollywell Rd, Wednesbury. WS10 7PA 0121 502 0720 THE SPRINGHILL Warstones Rd, Penn, Wolverhampton WV4 4LB 01902 342530 THE SUMMERHOUSE 92 Gospel End Rd, Dudley DY3 4AN 01902 676 102 THORNESCROFT Bridgnorth Rd, Wolverhampton, WV6 7EQ 01902 700 253 THE WOODMAN Claverley, Wolverhampton WV5

7DG 01746 710 553

Shropshire AFTAB 25 High St, Ironbridge TF8 7AD 01952 432055 ALBRIGHT HUSSEY Ellesmere Rd, Shrewsbury, SY4 3AF 01939 290 523 BISTRO JACQUES 77/77a Mardol, Shrewsbury SY1 1PZ 01743 272586 BUFFALO STEAK HOUSE 125 Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8JX 01743 537523 BUTLERS Park St, Shifnal, TF11 9BA 01952 460662 CASA NARANJO Barracks Passage, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 01743 588165 CASA RUIZ 45 High Street, Bridgnorth, WV16 4DX 01746 218 084 CHEZ MAW Best Western Valley Hotel, Buildwas Rd, Ironbridge, TF8 7DW 01952 432247 THE COTTAGE Tern Hill, Market Drayton TF9 3PX 01630 638984 CROMWELLS 11 Dogpole, Shrewsbury SY1 1EN 01743 361440 DA VINCI’S 26 High St, Ironbridge, TF8 7AD 01952 432250 DORRINGTON OLD HALL PERSIAN CUISINE Main Road, Dorrington, Shropshire SY5 7JD 01743 719100 DRAPERS 10 St Mary’s St Shrewsbury, SY1 1DZ 01743 344679 THE FEATHERS Brockton, Much Wenlock TF13 6JR 01746 785202 FENNELS 8 Market Place, Shifnall TF11 9AZ 01952 463020 THE FOX INN 46 High St, Much Wenlock TF13 6AD 01952 727292 FRANK CAFE BAR 129 Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8JX 01743 354422 THE GOLDEN CROSS 14 Princess St, Shrewsbury, SY1 1LP 01743 362507 GRANARY BAR & GRILL Weston Park, Westonunder-Lizard, Nr Shifnal, TF11 8LE 01952 852107 THE GLUTTON CLUB 165167 Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8LG 01743 361672 HADLEY PARK HOUSE Hadley Park, Telford TF1 6QJ 01952 677269 THE HAYWARDS at The Lion Hotel, Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1UY 01743 353107 HENRY TUDOR HOUSE Barracks Passage Shrewsbury SY1 1XA 01743 361666 HILL VALLEY HOTEL Tarporley Road, Whitchurch SY13 4HA 0844 879 9049 THE INN AT GRINSHILL The High Street, Grinshill, Shrewsbury, SY4 3BL 01939 220410 KING & THAI Avenue Rd, Broseley, Telford TF12 5DL 01952 882004 THE KNIGHTON HOTEL Broad Street, Knighton,

Powys LD7 1BL 01547 520530 LA BÉCASSE 17 Corve St, Ludlow, SY8 1DA 01584 872 325 LA DOLCE VITA 35 Hills Lane, Shrewsbury SY1 1QU 01743 249126 LA LANTERNA The Old Vestry, St Julian's Church, Shrewsbury SY1 1UH 01743 233552 LION & PHEASANT 50 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1XJ 01743 770345 THE LION QUAYS Moreton, Oswestry SY11 3EN 01691 684300 LOCH FYNE Talbot House, Market Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1LG 01743 277140 LUDLOW KITCHEN Bromfield, Ludlow, SY2 2JR 01584 856020 THE MALTHOUSE The Wharfage, Ironbridge TF8 7NH 01902 433712 MORGANS 1 Bellstone, Shrewsbury SY1 1HU 01743 239114 MR UNDERHILLS Dinham Weir, Ludlow Shropshire SY8 1EH 01584 874431 THE MYTTON & MERMAID Atcham, Shrewsbury, SY5 6QG 01743 761220 THE OLD ORLETON INN Holyhead Rd, Wellington, TF1 2HA 01952 255011 THE OLD RECTORY HOTEL & RESTAURANT Lowe Hill Road, Wem, Shropshire SY4 5UA 01939 233233 THE PEACH TREE 21 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE 01743 355055 THE PLUME OF FEATHERS Harley, Shrewsbury SY5 6LP 01743 727360 PORTER HOUSE 15 St Mary’s St, Shrewsbury, SY1 1EQ 01743 358870 THE POUND AT LEEBOTWOOD Leebotwood, Nr Church Stretton SY6 6ND 01694 751477 RENAISSANCE, 29a Princess St, Shrewsbury, SY11LW 01743 354289 ROMOLO Victoria Avenue, shrewsbury SY1 1HH 01743 233244 SARACENS Shrewsbury Rd, SY4 4AG 01939 210877 SEBASTIANS 45 Willow St, Oswestry SY11 1AQ 01691 655444 SHALIMAR 23 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6AE 01743 366658 SHERAZ 79 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1UT 01743 242321 THE SILVERTON the Old Dairy, 9-10 Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8JY 01743 248000 TIN TINS Wellington Road, Telford TF2 8AJ 01952 608688 THE WALLS Welsh Walls, Oswestry SY11 1AW 01691 670970 ZIZZI RISORANTE 39-40 High Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1SF 01743 353232

Staffordshire NO 5 Gaol Mews, Stafford ST16 3AN 01785 22 9900 95 HIGH GREEN Cannock.

WS11 1BH 01543 573905 1709 THE BASSERIE 3-5 Lombard St, Lichfield.

WS13 6DP 01543 257986 BELLA ITALIA 20 Greengate St, Stafford, ST16 2HS 01785 211968 CHANDLERS Corn Exchange, Conduit St, Lichfield, WS13 6JU 01543 416688 THE CORNER HOUSE Second Avenue, BurtonOn-Trent DE14 2WF 01283 542321 CURRY KUTEER 31 Greengate Street, Stafford ST16 2HY 01785 253279 ESSENCE OF THE ORIENT 27 Broad Eye, Stafford ST16 2QB 01785 229988 FOUR SEASONS Swinfen Hall Lichfield, WS14 9RE 01543 481494 THE GREEN ROOM Castle Dyke, Lichfield WS13 6HR 01543 412121 INDIAN VILLAGE 8 Lombard St, Lichfield.

WS13 6DR 01543 253415 INDICA Virage Park, Cannock. WS11 0HN 08712 070417 LA DOLCE VITA 19 Stafford St, Stone ST15 8QW 01785 817 985 THE LODGE 24 Birmingham Road, Shenstone. WS14 0LQ 01543 483334 MALABAR 1-2 Water Street, Stafford, ST16 2AG 01785 227 500/600 MARLOES 13 London Road, Newcastle under Lyme, ST4 1LQ 01782 661983 THE MILL 1 Mill St, Stone, ST15 8BA 01785 818456 THE NAVIGATION INN Newport Road, Gnosall, Stafford ST20 0BN 01785 822327 OLD VICARAGE 2 Main St, Branston, Burton, DE14 3EX 01283 533222 PASCAL AT THE OLD VICARAGE 2 Main Street, Branston, Burton-uponTren 01283 533222 PASTICHE BISTRO 1 - 2 Mill Street, Stafford, ST16 2AJ 01782 263 737 THE PEAR TREE Swinfen, Nr. Lichfield, WS14 9QR 01543 481807 PORTOFINO 38-40 Marsh St Stoke-On-Trent, ST1 1JD 01782 209444 THE RED ROOM 7 Newcastle Road, Congleton CW12 4HN 01260 297871 THORNBURY HALL, RASOI Lockwood Rd, Kingsley Holt, Stafford ST10 2DH 01538 750831 WOLSELEY ARMS Wolseley Bridge, Stafford ST17 0XS 01889 883179

For full Restaurant listings visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Great theGrand!

Grand!

GreatTheatre Theatre at the TUES 14 - SAT 18 OCT

TUES 23 SEPT - SAT 11 OCT

An amateur performance in association with MusicScope

THU 23 - SAT 25 OCT

TUES 21 OCT - SAT 1 NOV

TUES 4 - SAT 8 NOV A TOURING CONSORTIUM THEATRE COMPANY AND ROYAL & DERNGATE NORTHAMPTON PRODUCTION

★★★★ ‘PUPPET-TASTIC!

Thoroughly entertaining. A delight’ Time Out, Critic’s Choice

TUES 11 - SAT 15 NOV

ALSO BOOKING MON 24 - SAT 29 NOV

SAT 6 DEC - SUN 18 JAN

SAT 22 MARCH LESLEY JOSEPH

HOT FLUSH

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SUN 30 MARCH

THE SOLID SILVER 60s SHOW

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SUN 6 APRIL

THE FAAABULOUS CERI DUPREE SHOW ............................................................................................

SUN 13 APRIL

BEYOND THE BARRICADE

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MON 14 - TUES 15 APRIL

TAP FACTORY

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FRI 18 APRIL

THAT’LL BE THE DAY

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SAT 19 APRIL

THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS’ SPACE ODDITY ............................................................................................

TUES 29 APRIL - SAT 3 MAY

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

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Box Office 01902

42 92 12

BOOK ONLINE AT www.grandtheatre.co.uk