What's On December 2014

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WOLVERHAMPTON & BLACK COUNTRY WHAT’S ON ISSUE 348 DECEMBER 2014

THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE WOLVERHAMPTON & BLACK COUNTRY

’ What sOn www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ISSUE 348

DECEMBER 2014

RUSSEL L HOWARD GOO D NEWS IN

BRUM

CAMERON MACKINTOSH

PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS

talks musicals, money and more... interview inside...

BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB indie rockers at the Civic

VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS festive cheer at Black Country Living Museum @WHATSONWOLVES WWW.WHATSONLIVE.CO.UK

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Contents Dec Region 2.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2014 12:59 Page 1

December 2014 Editor: Davina Evans

INSIDE:

davina@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281708

Cameron Mackintosh

Editorial Assistants: Brian O’Faolain

Barnum out on tour... interview p6

brian@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281701

Lauren Foster lauren@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281707

Adrian Parker adrian.parker@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281714

Sales & Marketing: Chris Horton chris@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281704

Subscriptions: Adrian Parker adrian.parker@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281714

Managing Director: Paul Oliver

Chrissie Hynde

paul@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281711

bonafide rock legend in Wolves p17

Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan martin@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281710

Graphic Designers: Lisa Wassell Chris Atherton Accounts Administrator Julia Perry julia@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281717

Website Development: Eddie Payne

Camping it up in Grand style. Julian Clary tells us how he’ll be spending Christmas... Interview page 10

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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News

A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Secret Egypt, discovered An exhibition addressing popular modern misconceptions about ancient Egypt is to open at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery next month. Featuring more than one hundred-and-fifty objects, Secret Egypt is a collection of ceramics, jewellery, statues, coffins and both animal and human mummies.

The exhibition examines the science behind the mummification process and also looks at evidence of curses in Egyptian society.

A touring exhibition from Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, presented in partnership with Birmingham Museums Trust, Secret Egypt shows at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery from 24 January to 26 April.

Secret Egypt exhibition at a previous location

Scoundrels abound in the Midlands...

Festive treat with a difference Dudley Canal Trust is looking to make the most of the area’s underground acoustics in the lead up to Christmas.

Boat trips around the caverns and limestone mines on 14 and 21 December will see an onboard choir performing live in unaccompanied four-part harmony, presenting festive favourites such as God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, Coventry Carol and Silent Night.

The unique hour-long trip will take in locations such as Cathedral Arch and the famous Singing Cavern.

Tickets priced at £10.80 include travel aboard one of the Trust’s special electric tunnel tripping boats, a hot drink and a mince pie. For further information, call 0121 557 6265.

A national touring version of the critically acclaimed Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will visit two Midlands theatres next year. Based on Frank Oz’s 1988 film starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine - which itself was based on 1964’s Bedtime Story with David Niven and Marlon Brando - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is set in the decadent underworld of the French Riviera, where two seasoned swindlers attempt to hoodwink a millionaire soap heiress. The show stops off at Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre from 5 to 16 May and then at the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from 29 July to 1 August. Casting for the show is yet to be announced.

That’s Amore and Come Fly With Me. The show also boasts a sprinkling of seasonal favourites to enjoy. Ten percent of all ticket sales will be donated to local sight-loss charity Beacon. Funds raised will help the charity support people living with sight loss across the West Midlands. Tickets are priced £21 and £17 and are available from the Beacon fundraising team on 01902 880 111.

Raw State launched in Brum

That’s Amore in Wolves Wulfrun Hall is offering Midlanders the chance to enjoy Christmas with the Rat Pack on Tuesday 23 December. The popular tribute show sees ‘Frank Sinatra’, ‘Dean Martin’ and ‘Sammy Davis Jnr’ transporting audiences to 1960s Las Vegas via a programme of classic songs, including Mac The Knife, 4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Black Country-born singer-songwriter Dan Whitehouse is to officially launch his third album, Raw State, at Birmingham’s Glee Club this month (7 December). Dan performs at the venue with a full band - including BJ Cole (Bjork, Elvis Costello, REM).

Award-winning Irish songwriter Duke Special offers support.

Dan is releasing Raw State having just completed a string of UK and North America dates. The album has been described as a body of work which ‘embraces the power of change and new directions’.

Staffordshire location the public’s favourite The National Arboretum has come out on top in a public vote designed to find the most popular places to be funded by the National Lottery in the past twenty years.

The Staffordshire location received the most votes in the recent National Treasures survey, which asked social media users to choose their favourite from a range of iconic venues, landmarks and facilities, all of which have benefitted from Lottery funding.

To date, more than £8 million of Lottery funding has been awarded to the arboretum. The survey also saw the public choose Stephen Fry as their National Treasure, for his work as president of mental health charity Mind.

New collection revealed Walsall’s New Art Gallery this month presents the first exhibition from The Clive Beardmore Collection - a private collection which will expand the gallery’s holding of Modern British artworks. On general display from 4 December, the collection showcases pieces by Edward Bawden, John Bratby, Laura Knight, Graham Sutherland and Keith Vaughan, none of whom have previously been represented in the gallery.

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Motionhouse to join forces with Tamworth arts team World-renowned dance company Motionhouse is to join forces with Tamworth’s Arts & Events team to mount a large-scale site-specific performance next May. The Leamington-based ensemble will work with over two hundred performers from the local community to create Tigress, a piece inspired by the story of Æthelfleda, the eldest daughter of King Alfred the Great.

A powerful queen in her own right, she was responsible for refortifying the Saxon town of Tamworth and leading the Mercians into battle against the vikings.

Tigress is just one of many projects that Motionhouse has planned for 2015. The company will also be collaborating with No Fit State Circus on a brand new outdoor show called Block. We’ll keep you posted.

Archive image of rehearsals for a previous Motionhouse production

Love is in the air at National Sealife Centre John Lewis’ festive advert featuring Monty the penguin has certainly made a major impact. Birmingham’s National Sealife Centre has credited the ad for the popularity of its new VIP feeding experiences with penguins. The Brindleyplace venue has enjoyed a significant increase in bookings of late, with people eager to get up close and personal with the Gentoo penguins, who’ve recently begun bowing at one another in preparation for mating.

Photo credit: John Lewis

Roots season announced...

BBC Folk Award-winner Jim Moray, Demon Barber Roadshow frontman Damien Barber and rising star Emma Sweeney all feature in a series of concerts being presented next year by Shropshire Roots, an offshoot of the Shrewsbury Folk Festival.

Opening the winter season, festival patron John Jones performs a rare solo gig at Shrewsbury’s The Hive on 25 January. The venue will then host Damien Barber on 8 February, Jim Moray on 22 March and BBC Young Folk Award-winners Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar on 19 April. Emma Sweeney plays Shrewsbury’s Morris Hall on 10 May, while Irish singer-songwriter Keiran Goss brings the season to a close with a gig at The Hive on 31 May. Full details can be found at www.shropshireroots.co.uk

Three Men In A Bowtie go back to where it all began...

Shropshire’s most established comedy trio are this month celebrating their twenty-first anniversary by returning to their Shrewsbury roots.

Three Men In A Bowtie launched themselves on an unsuspecting public as a ‘Christmas entertainment’ way back in 1993. Five hundred concerts later they’re resurrecting the Christmas format for two special nights, and will be presenting their first ‘seasonal show’ in Shrewsbury since 1998. Classic Christmas songs will include Stuff The Turkey, Pantomime Blues and the Telford carol, Ding Dang Dong. They’ll also be giving an airing to all their latest songs, as well as pulling a few old crackers out of their Santa hats.

Accompanying the chaps will be Shropshire’s agricultural starlet Freda Brace-cock, who’ll be waving around her mistletoe in the high hope of enjoying a moment or two of yuletide romance.

Three Men In A Bowtie play the Ashton Theatre at Shrewsbury School on Thursday 18 and Friday 19 December. Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/threemeninabowtie, or by calling Darren Wood on 01743 280812.

IN BRIEF Mo’s back in Brum Tickets are now on sale for the world’s biggest indoor athletics meeting. The Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix will take place at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena formerly known as the National Indoor Arena - on Saturday 21 February. The event will see the biggest British and global athletics superstars including the legendary Mo Farah coming together for an afternoon of worldclass sport. Those who were lucky enough to get their hands on tickets for last year's sell-out Grand Prix saw some truly showstopping performances from Britain’s finest.

To secure tickets for the 2015 event, call 08000 556056.

Shropshire art show secures new patron An annual art event launched in Shropshire earlier this year has secured acclaimed British sculptor Andrew Logan as its new patron.

The Big Art Show made its debut at Shrewsbury’s County Showground in July and features works in a variety of media.

The 2015 version of the event will host over one hundred-and-fifty exhibitors, live music, workshops and talks by artists.

The Big Art Show organiser David Dawkins said of Logan’s involvement: “We’re really pleased that without hesitation Andrew Logan has agreed to become a patron. He’s a well-known and well-respected artist who also carries a lot of kudos. I hope his patronage will encourage others to exhibit. Andrew will be exhibiting his work, as well as holding one of his famous catwalk jewellery shows. We received very encouraging feedback from artists and attendees at last year’s event and look forward to 2015 being even better.”

Local reindeer become movie stars Seven reindeer from Blithbury Reindeer Lodge in Staffordshire have made it big in the movies by featuring in a brand new British comedy. Get Santa, which can be seen in cinemas across the UK from 5 December, boasts an all-star cast including Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Warwick Davies and Kit Connor.

The film finds Father Christmas not only on the run from the police but also befriended by a nine-year-old boy who wants to save Christmas. Blithbury’s seven-year-old reindeer, Combo, takes the lead as Dasher, while a reindeer named George, who communicates by breaking wind, is sure to keep younger cinema-goers suitably amused. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5

Cameron Mackintosh interview R2.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2014 19:24 Page 1

“

I love showbusiness, but I don’t want it to take over my life. I’m as interested in building houses as putting on shows.

”

Cameron Mackintosh

the modern-day Barnum talks musicals, money and more...

From the tender age of eight, when his aunt took him to see a matinee performance of Salad Days, Sir Cameron Mackintosh knew that he wanted to be a theatre producer. Little could he have imagined that his childhood ambition would be achieved so spectacularly! The first British producer to be inducted into the Broadway Hall of Fame, Sir Cameron has produced some of the world’s most successful musicals, including Cats, Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera and Les Miserables. He recently took time out of his busy schedule to talk to What’s On about his revival production of Barnum, which stars Brian Conley and visits two Midlands venues in 2015.

What lies behind the decision to bring Barnum back to the stage, Cameron?

I’ve got a very long connection with Barnum which is fairly tenuous. One of the first musicals I did, back in 1973, was called The Card, which was written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent. I was discussing having the lead played by Michael Crawford, who ended up doing another show called Billy instead. So I was wracking my brains to 6 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

think of who I would get to do it. Suddenly I remembered that I’d seen a young Jim Dale do a marvellous show called Scapino at the Young Vic. So I put him in The Card and he was terrific. The show was a reasonable success, and the great American producer David Merrick came and saw it. David had been asked about producing Barnum in the US. He put Jim Dale in the show as Barnum, and this unknown Englishman became the

toast of Broadway. The show was wonderful, and because of my connection with Jim, I went to see it and fell in love with it. It’s always been there in the back of my mind and, of course, there’s a bit of PT Barnum in me as well.

So how does this new staging differ from the original?

If you know Barnum at all, you know him of

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interview...

Barnum & Bailey’s Circus - but he didn’t join the circus until he was sixty-five. Before that, he was a great showman. He was also quite an influential politician, in first the Democrat and then the Republican party. In fact, he was one of the first people involved in getting Abraham Lincoln elected. He fought for very many causes - the emancipation of women, the abolition of slavery and all sorts of things, all of which are touched on in the show. It’s essentially about these amazing dreams that Barnum had, and about his very practical wife, Chairy, who made his dreams come true. There’s a real love story about a very extraordinary couple in the middle of this incredible fable about a man who can’t help thinking up these wonderful ideas. Those are the themes that have haunted me over the years. I was idly playing the music one day and thought, it’s funny that we haven’t heard this show for twenty-five years, because it’s such a wonderful, life-affirming score and a really lovely story. What I wanted to do was actually strengthen the love story between Barnum and Chairy, so I did some reworking with American theatre director and producer Mark Bramble, rebuilding the second act of the show. The rebuilding’s worked really well.

My first memories of watching the show with Jim Dale was of a very unknown Glenn Close playing his wife. I never thought that the role of Chairy was as good in any subsequent shows I saw, because Glenn - being a phenomenal actress - brought something really special to the part. Thereafter, Barnum was always thought of as a one-man show very entertaining but not much of a story. I think having someone as good as Linzi Hateley playing Chairy, and rebuilding the emotional core of the show, works really well.

We’ve put some new numbers into the show for when she dies and Barnum has a nervous breakdown. It’s had this fantastic reception from the audience since it reopened in Leicester a few weeks ago.

You’ve re-worked Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera and now Barnum.

What are your main considerations when setting out to re-work a very well-known show?

I re-imagined the staging for the new Phantom and Miss Saigon. In the latter, Claude-Michel and Alain wrote a new song for Ellen, but we didn’t really change the structure of the show at all. It was literally that. We looked at the language for the new London production and we tightened it up. It was written twenty-five years ago and we wanted it to have a bit more edge. Basically, both Saigon and Phantom were the same shows that were written twenty-five years ago. With Barnum, I felt it needed a much more radical re-think, to put the love story of the husband and wife more central stage to the telling of Barnum’s tale.

Broadly speaking, Miss Saigon is historical, Phantom is fictional, Barnum is biographical. What draws you to a story?

Are there common themes and elements to a story that you choose to bring to the stage?

Most of the shows I’ve done have been based on adaptations of classic material, whether it be Dickens, PL Travers, Hugo or whoever. I don’t normally do biography musicals, and I don’t know whether I would have done it originally. The connection I found in Barnum is that, being a showman

myself, I understand how important it is to have a relationship. It’s not all about the work, it’s about how you live your life. That’s the theme that I found in it. I normally produce much more serious musicals, like Oliver! and Miss Saigon. With Mary Poppins, I always thought PL Travers’ book had considerably more depth - there was more to be got out of it than the original film had presented. I loved the film, and I thought that the music written for the film was brilliant, but it was of its time. I had no interest in putting it on the stage. Nor would PL Travers - who never wanted the book to be turned into a film - ever have allowed it. She was ninetythree when she gave me the rights. I said I would never want to do it on stage unless I could bring the best of the music from the film into the stage score and create a new show, which I think is the reason it’s been such a great success. It’s a mixture of the best things from the film and the best things from her book. Out of two existing things we’ve made something new; something which continues to be a great success around the world.

You’ve obviously got an incredible radar for a good story. When you’re pitched an idea, how quickly into the pitch can you say ‘no, this just isn’t going to work’?

To be honest, I’m never interested in having an idea pitched to me. On the whole I only agree to do something if the writers have been inspired to do a draft of it. At the point at which they’ve finished the draft - or maybe half draft - I come to it and go “Oh yes, I see what you’re doing’. For instance, with Miss Saigon, Claude-Michele and Alain didn’t even tell me what the title was. Then, one day, they said they’d done the first act and had a recording of it - all in French, of course. They gave me an outline of the whole show. Then, when they told me it was Miss Saigon, I knew immediately that I wanted to do it. With Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber had been setting these poems that he loved from his childhood to music. There wasn’t any script at all, it was just the poems.

Everyone else he’d played it to had thought it was a terrible idea, but when he played it to me, I knew there was something there. I didn’t know what it was going to be at that point, but there was enough there to say ‘yes I’m going to do it’. With Phantom, yes, I suppose I thought the idea of doing The Phantom Of The Opera was a good one.

There were several other versions about, and originally we were just going to produce it.

Andrew didn’t want to write it, but the more we got into it, the more we saw there was a terrific show there. Thank God Andrew relented and decided to write the score, which has turned out to be one of his greatest works.

Usually I would never have thought of doing Les Miserables. It was the fact that I heard the original French concept album and had an idea of the story; that’s what grabbed me by the throat and made me say yes. Again, with Mary Poppins, I was inspired by the film - so much so, in fact, that I’d been trying to get the rights for thirty years. I just felt that there was something in the writing that made me want to try and get it. So it’s generally the characters and the story that make me want to do a show.

And is there a story that got away?

I did try and pursue Dr Zhivago for quite a

long time but the rights were never available.

Someone’s had them for many years and keeps having a go at it, but I believe it may end up on Broadway next year. That’s a show that I seriously did look at. I love the David Lean film and it’s a fascinating book, but I think it would be a tricky one to do.

Are audience expectations more of a challenge to meet these days?

I don’t think so. If you look at the biggest hits in London at the moment on the musical front, they’ve come from left field. The Book Of Mormon - nobody could know what that show was until it opened in America, and it’s had an equal success in London at the Prince of Wales. It’s an original musical, a pastiche of many things and is wickedly funny, but it’s taken audiences by surprise. I found with Les Mis and Miss Saigon, by retooling them, a whole new audience who’ve never seen them previously are coming to see them.

It remains to be seen which of the new musicals coming this season will actually last. Certainly the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda has been a completely unexpected success. So you really never know. There are unlikely shows that succeed. Look at Wicked. When it opened in New York it got terrible reviews. It actually built its audience over the first six months and became a huge hit; it wasn’t an overnight success. There was no expectation before the show opened - and that’s something which has happened throughout history. Two of the most famous shows on both sides of the Atlantic - Oklahoma in the States in the 1940s and Oliver! over here both opened with no advance at all. Legend has it that they couldn’t even fill the theatre with free seats on the opening nights of either show, but they’ve both gone on to become a phenomena. It’s really weird how it goes. Not all shows open like Cats and Phantom or Les Miserables, becoming a huge success immediately.

Is it the case that the bigger the name, the greater the expectation? Andrew Lloyd Webber, for example, has produced all these fantastic shows, so do audiences feel that every subsequent production of his should be of the highest standard?

If Andrew or, to a lesser extent, I myself do a new show, because we’ve been at it a long time, we might be one of the few names that the general public have heard of. That may get the show a bit of attention, but the public won’t buy in advance. That’s what Andrew discovered with his last show - in the end it only ran for a short amount of time. It’s the show that matters. The most that a famous name can do is generate publicity. A famous name doesn’t get you people - unless you’re a bonafide star, in which case they’re not coming because of the writer or the producer but because of the star.

So where does musical theatre go from here, Cameron? How would a brand new show in, say, thirty years’ time differ from what’s being presented today?

God knows! I’ve no idea. I never know what’s going to be a hit anyway. I treat every new show I do as if it’s the first one. Yes, I know there are certain things which would be stupid mistakes to make, but I think there are no rules about what makes a success.

I’ve always followed the dictum that you do it www.whatsonlive.co.uk 7

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Image from Barnum

continued... for yourself, you do it as well

as you can, and hopefully other people will like it. I have to fall in love with the material. The shows which have been successful have been successful because the authors believed in them. The reason that Matilda’s been a success is purely because of the brilliance of Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly’s writing, and the show’s been very well done. That said, I do think it’s unlikely the show would’ve done quite so well if it had opened cold in the West End. The fact that it came out of the RSC, as happened with Les Miserable thirty years ago, helped build an audienceawareness and appreciation for it.

Have shows like Matilda filled a gap for younger audiences?

Yes. It’s the younger market which keeps Phantom, Les Miserables and, particularly, Miss Saigon going. What I’ve seen is a shift over the last fifteen years. The main demographic is that late teens to people in their thirties make up the main bulk of the audience, whereas it used to be thirty-fives to fifties. I think the audience has got hugely younger for those shows that have staying power. Younger people have discovered the excitement and the thrill of musical theatre.

This is one of the reasons why theatre is thriving. Not every show, but the good shows are thriving because the audiences 8 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

are much younger, they’re contemporary and they like it.

Does theatre’s popularity with younger audiences re-affirm people’s perception of theatre becoming more accessible?

Absolutely. It’s now totally accessible. I think its popularity is partly to do with the fact that people have to stare at a screen with their jobs all day. Therefore, when they have leisure time, they want to do something that’s live, whether it’s a pop concert, the theatre or sport. Nowadays the live event is worth more than the recorded event. As we know with DVDs and CDs, people will flock to the concert much more than buy something to have at home now. And via all these TV programmes searching for new talent, people see that not only is theatre enjoyable, it can also be a very good profession to go into. The contribution of the entertainment industry is huge and right up the scale. It’s a real place where you can get a job; if you’ve got a talent and get a break, you can make it. There aren’t that many jobs in the world where you can do that, no matter where you come from.

What’s the greatest ever single piece of advice that you’ve been given, and is it the same advice that you’d pass on to an inspiring Cameron Mackintosh in 2014?

Do something because you believe in it and

not necessarily because you think it will make money. Do it passionately, do it as well as you can, and then hopefully the public will come to share your taste.

You’re the richest producer in the history of musical theatre. How do you remain grounded?

To be honest, as I spent so many years wondering if I could afford the petrol to go from one theatre to another, I’m constantly amazed that I can afford to do whatever I want. My sense of value is still there and I don’t spend all my time in the theatre. When I started out, I wanted to make a living and I wanted to be successful, like anyone does in any business, but I never thought of making lots of money. So the fact that I’ve ended up making more money than I could ever have imagined is something quite surreal. I’m only occasionally reminded of it. I live in nice houses and I can more or less go wherever I want and do what I want, but I love living in the country. I love showbusiness, but I don’t want it to take over my life. I’m as interested in building houses as putting on shows. I’m not caught up in the web of showbusiness glamour; in fact, I rarely ever do it. I throw a good party for opening night but I’m not interested in being in OK magazine and all of that showbusiness stuff. I think that’s helped me. Plus, I’ve got some very good people helping me - they do most of the work that

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keeps my empire around the world ticking.

They may have to choose their moment, but they know me well enough to tell me not to be an ass. I like to think I don’t give them too much of an opportunity to do so, but we can all get carried away at times and need people to say to us “Stop it! That’s not right”.

But the trappings have never interested me; I’d much rather be spending time at home.

I’m quite reclusive - and interestingly enough, so was PT Barnum, the greatest showman of all time. He would only go and do the hoopla when it was for his own show.

Otherwise he built himself nice houses and went home and had a kitchen supper. So I think we share a few more things in common.

What’s your favourite way to wind down?

To be honest, the luxury is having the time to myself and being with my friends. I’m equally happy wandering the hills in Scotland or the lovely countryside in Somerset. I switch off very easily and I’ve never had a problem relaxing and swimming and lying on the beach reading a tawdry book. I remember that even when I was twenty and didn’t have two pennies to rub together, I would never not go on holiday. I’ve always thought that that was as important as doing the work.

That’s what’s kept me sane. I still go shopping. I enjoy doing that and seeing the prices of things. Yes, I can afford a private jet and from time to time I’ll take it - mainly to save time - but when I don’t need to, I get on the shuttle or go Easy Jet or whatever, because there’s no reason not to. Also, I find there’s part of me that feels it’s worth knowing what things cost; to know what the price of a theatre ticket means to the people who’ve given me this fortunate lifestyle. I think it’s very important, and that’s why I’m fanatical that a show - wherever it’s going - is not only as good as possible but also hopefully better than what audiences have heard.

And that people think it’s money well spent?

Exactly! And that’s why I’m thrilled with all the reaction to Brian and Linzi in Barnum.

We’ve received lovely letters from people who’ve said they loved it with Michael Crawford but that they also love the differences, and that this production is just as good but in a different way. It is different to the original production and that’s what I wanted it to be.

So what makes Brian Conley a good choice to play Barnum?

There’s a line towards the end of the play about my kind of showbusiness being dead.

In a way, that means a throwback to an oldfashioned showman - and that’s Brian. He’s

Miss Saigon

Mary Poppins

a showman - and yet he’s also a very good actor. He doesn’t often get the chance to show that - although he was a very good Fagin for me two years ago when he toured England in Oliver!. Interestingly enough, he chases me for the parts that he feels he can do, and says “Look, I’d like to have a crack at that”. Brian takes a tremendous pride in his work. There are so many elements in this show - being able to act it and, obviously, technically sing it - but Brian also knows how to break that fourth wall with an audience.

Midlands audiences will have seen that year after year in Birmingham, where he’s been one of the great pantomime stars. There’s an element of that in Barnum too - in the way the show is constructed, with this man introducing us to all the people who made his life story. I think that’s why he’s so terrific.

He’s also very moving when he has his breakdown and loses his wife. I think it’s probably the best part Brian’s had since Jolson, who was another showman. There’s something about those roles that he has a fairly unique handle on, because of who he is and how his professional life has come about.

Also, Linzi - who I’ve known since she was sixteen - has such strength and such humour and is a real rock on that stage. You completely understand how Barnum needed her, and why, when she went, it was such a terrible loss - a loss which was only made up by having another, different kind of partner in Bailey for the last great adventure of his life.

Back to you. Where does being inducted into Broadway’s Hall Of Fame rank in terms of career highs?

As a little boy of eight who wanted to become a producer, having a show in London was on my list of dreams - but this never was. I believe I’m the only English producer who’s been given that accolade, so I was very, very touched to have that. I’ve had, and continue to have, a wonderful career in America, which has been a very important part of my life.

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

I would probably want to rehearse the actors and so rehearsals never stop, I suppose.

If you could choose one single scene from one of your shows to watch in your final moments on earth, which scene would you choose and why?

I think it would probably have to be the finale of Les Miserables, because it’s such a wonderfully uplifting piece of music. It’s about coming together, the past and the future. It’s about the people in your lives being forever young once you go beyond the barricade. As a piece of music, it’s very embracing.

Les Miserables

And what will be your lasting legacy?

Because of my very fortunate career, I’ve worked on - or become the father figure of at least half a dozen of the greatest musicals ever written. They’re all classics and are going to live on with new audiences long after I’m forgotten. Plus, I know that with the theatres I’ve bought and the work that’s been done to them, they’re going to last another hundred years. What better legacy could I leave?

We doubt you’ll be forgotten, Cameron...

Nobody remembers who produced Showboat, nobody remembers who produced Oklahoma, and there’s no reason to. It’s the authors who should be remembered. Sure, authors need producers, but none of us have a job unless authors come up with something that’s exciting and inspirational. In the end it’s the authors who’re the continuing life blood. A few people may know Burbidge’s name but, on the whole, everybody knows Shakespeare, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve obviously been blessed to be good at musicals and I enjoy every aspect of it.

Probably that’s the reason I’ve had more successes than anybody else has, but my greatest gift is being able to spot the writers who have a unique talent, and being able to work with them. My second greatest gift is knowing what I’m not good at. That’s something that often gets overlooked in life.

It’s really good to know what you’re not good at, and then to find the person who can do that thing instead of you.

So what is it that you’re not good at?

Even though I interfere with direction and things like that, I could never be a director. I can often come up with some smart direction once something exists. I’m very good in every department of going ‘No, you need to do this, not that, and what about that?’, and I can talk to actors about interpretation - but only once it exists. I could never put it up fresh; I don’t have that gift. That’s why I turned down directing. A number of producers, like Hal Prince, have become directors, and very successful directors - but I know I wouldn’t be one of them.

Is there anything else at which you’d like to have a go?

No, I’ve got the best job in the world. I’m very happy that that eight-year-old boy is still doing what he dreamed of doing. The only question in my life is whether I’ve grown up enough...

Barnum shows at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre, from Tues 27 - Sat 31 January and Birmingham Hippodrome, from Tues 7 July to Sat 1 August

Phantom Of The Opera

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Julian Clary prepares to camp it up Grand style in Wolverhampton...

Following in the footsteps of light entertainment icons such as Larry Grayson and John Inman, Julian Clary’s humour comes complete with an impressive side order of innuendo. Julian’s sure to be the source of much frivolity this month when he appears as Dandini in Cinderella at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre. What’s On recently caught up with him to find out what the comedian/actor/author and panto veteran enjoys most about Christmas...

This is your fifteenth panto, Julian. What is it that draws you to this traditional form of seasonal entertainment time and time again?

Well, it’s the one time of year that I get to be with a whole crowd of people, as opposed to travelling around on my own and sitting in a dressing room on my own, which I do the rest of the year. Also, I like that it’s such a strange performance that you give in panto.

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a play. It’s not a cabaret and there’s no fourth wall. You can mess around and it’s just a mad, mad world. Also, I like spending the dark winter months in the theatre - all day and every day. It gets you out of the real world.

Tell us about your Dandini?

I’m acting but I’m also being myself. Dandini is the Prince’s right-hand man and they’ve had to swap clothes because the Prince wants to meet all of these ordinary girls. So I

get to wear all the lavish costumes. Dandini guides the plot along - but apart from that, I’m just being myself. The great thing about panto is that you can never be accused of over-acting or wearing too much make-up.

What makes a great panto?

Magic. It’s got to transport the audience and it’s got to be jaw-dropping. Not too many distractions - I don’t like pantos where people come on in the middle and do a twentyminute act. It’s all got to be plot-driven.

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interview...

Do you have a favourite?

Cinderella - and I’m not just saying that because I’m in it. It has the best story and it’s got the most magic in it. It’s got the romance and it’s got a lot of comedy with the Ugly Sisters. It’s a winner all round.

Christmas for you - bah humbug or warm mince pies?

Warm mince pies. I like Christmas but I’m happy to be working throughout. I like Christmas Day - I get to go to my parents’ but then Boxing Day morning I have to leave to get back to the theatre, which I secretly like. I wouldn’t want days and days of sitting around watching bad television. I’d rather be working.

A perfect festive companion from the past - who would you choose?

Queen Victoria. She’d do a fabulous Christmas, wouldn’t she? And the setting would be lovely, as would the clothes and the food. And I suspect she’d be quite good fun secretly.

And from Christmas present?

Joan Collins, who I was in panto with a few years back in Birmingham. We’ve since become friends and she’s good fun to be with. I’ve been to her house in the South of France. She’s very good at entertaining and loves Christmas, so I imagine it would be very beautiful and very chic. I would imagine she has baubles from Cartier hanging on her tree.

In your advancing years, who would you like to spend Christmas with?

One Direction. All of them. In ten years, when they’ve calmed down. They’d be fun, wouldn’t they?

Who would be your Christmas nightmare?

Nigel Farage, if he’d been on the sherry and did that awful laughing grimace that he does.

That would finish me off, I think.

Decorations - subtle or bling?

Actually, quite subtle. I have a big tree at home and all the decorations are pink. Is that subtle? Well, subtle bling then. There’s no reason why taste has to go out of the window just because it’s Christmas.

Will you still have the festive paraphernalia even though you’ll be spending much of your time in the run-up to Christmas in Wolverhampton?

I will, even though I’m not there. I like to decorate the tree at home. My sister will be there, looking after the animals for me whilst I’m away, so she’ll get to enjoy it. I always get my tree decorated horribly early.

Is Christmas a time for giving or receiving?

I give and receive, so it’s both. I suppose giving is more important than receiving, but there’s nothing much that I particularly want this year. I enjoy giving people something that will make them genuinely happy.

You say you don’t particularly want anything, but what would be your ideal gift?

I could do with some tupperware. I really could. I’m keen on tupperware, especially when you’re doing panto and you can make

your own lunch. I’d also like a kitten. I’ve wanted one for the past couple of years, but the request has been denied by my partner.

A siamese kitten, that’s what I’d like.

Turkey or Goose...

Turkey every time.

Favourite stuffing...

Can I say One Direction again?

Favourite Clary festive custom...

I think it’s much like anyone else’s. We go to church, open our presents, drink sherry and eat sausage rolls. Nothing out of the ordinary.

So is your perfect Christmas the way you spend it now?

I like it as it is. I did spend one Christmas in Australia. I was on tour and I hated not being in England. I hated it being sunny. It’s all a ritual over here. I like the repetition of knowing what I’ll be doing at the same time on that day, and knowing we’ll all be together. My parents are in their 80s and I’ve got nephews and nieces and great nephews and nieces, so there’s quite a lot of us. But it’s just good to be together; that’s what’s important.

What’s your earliest Christmas memory?

I remember being at my grandparents’ house in Norfolk and my favourite present was a little stuffed dog. We had a dachsund named Monty and he got hold of it, thinking it was a dog toy, and bit its head off. I was terribly upset.

You’ve touched on performing in Australia.

How is your brand of comedy received down under?

Oh, they like it. They like a bit of filth in Australia. They’re nice, extrovert people. We understand each other, me and the Australians. They have a well-developed sense of vulgarity. It’s a bit like in the south of England, people are a little bit reticent and introverted, whereas the further north you go, the more people are out for a good time. In Australia it’s a bit like being in Glasgow every night.

and thinking I should write a novel. It did make me feel inadequate but I got over that.

Actually, I can write anywhere.

It’s been a few years since you wrote your last book. Are there plans for any more?

I’ve just written a children’s book which is due to be published next summer. I can’t say any more than that because it’s not been announced yet. It’s a very beautiful story for eight to twelve-year-olds.

Were you commissioned?

No, it all comes from my imagination. I was quite a solitary child and used to make up stories about the neighbours for my own amusement. So I resurrected my inner child and wrote it from there. They’ve already asked me to write another one, so I reckon that’s what I’ll be doing after panto.

You’ve also got a TV show coming up for ITV1...

Yes, Nature Nuts. It’s about me going around the country and looking at some British wildlife. I go up to Scotland and find some pine martins, then I encounter some beavers, falcons and hedgehogs. It’s been great fun and I had a lovely year going all around the country, not only meeting the animals but also the people who’re interested in them. It was also a very educational experience for me.

You’ve had a couple of successful stints in the West End. Is that something you’d like to revisit?

I’d like to. I loved doing that, and the routine of trekking into work and being part of a show with other people in.

A book and a TV show. Anything else on the agenda?

I don’t think I’ll tour next year, but I’m quite interested in doing smaller cabaret venues.

There’s a place called Crazy Coqs in Piccadilly where I’ve just finished a week. It’s nice to do intimate cabaret gigs. I’d like to do more of those. I’ve also written a play - a serious play that I might be putting on next year.

You mentioned earlier about your parents, and going to church. How do they deal with your vulgarity?

It’s all their fault. It all comes from them. I’m not immoral. I’m not the devil’s work, so they cope quite well. My sense of humour is inherited, so they find it quite amusing.

You live in Noel Coward’s house...

No, it’s my house now.

Okay, your house. Is it true that you believe the house to be haunted?

There’s supposed to be four ghosts wandering around. When I first moved in, the spirits were a bit disturbed and pictures started falling off the walls and people were getting locked in rooms. Then it all calmed down. I think that’s sort of what happens.

They get used to you, so there’s not been much lately.

How does living there inspire you creatively?

It’s difficult sitting down in the room in which Noel Coward used to write songs and plays

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One of Britain’s greatest traditions, pantomime continues to play a significant role in the country’s festive celebrations. And a staple of most productions is the rotten-to-the-core panto villain, whose sinister and often downright evil behaviour provides audiences with plenty of opportunity to enjoy a good ol’ boo and hiss. Nowadays the role is an absolute shoe-in for actors who’re best known for starring as fatally flawed or downright nasty characters on TV - and there’s certainly no shortage of famous panto baddies for them to play! Abanazar in Aladdin, Fleshcreep in Jack And The Beanstalk, Captain Hook in Peter Pan and the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella are just some of the much-loved rotters who routinely make life hell for pantoland’s handsome heroes and beautiful heroines.

Here in the Midlands we’re fortunate to host some of the country’s very best pantomimes and pantomime villains - so if you’re up for a bit of booing and the pleasure of seeing a good-for-nothing ne’er-do-well get their comeuppance, you know what you need to do...

Not only does Jack have a giant-sized problem in the shape of a big, scary ogre, he’s also got to tackle a nasty piece of work known as Fleshcreep! The ogre’s henchman, Fleshcreep is traditionally played by a male actor - with Coronation Street favourite Chris Gascoyne stepping into the role at the Birmingham Hippodrome this Christmas. Chris has starred as the Street’s much-maligned Peter Barlow since the year 2000, recently leaving the popular soap in order to pursue other acting projects. Making people’s skin crawl as Fleshcreep in Jack And The Beanstalk seems like a fun way for him to get that particular ball rolling!

Well shiver those timbers and splice that mainbrace if Captain Hook isn’t one of the most dastardly pirates in the history of fictional seafarers! Hook’s only got one hand - but what he’s lacking in the limb department he more than makes up for in the nastiness stakes. He’s not without his weaknesses, though, fearing both the sight of his own blood and the crocodile who ate his hand after Peter Pan cut it off. Michael Neilson stars as Pan’s arch enemy in the Theatre Severn version of JM Barrie’s children’s classic. Over the years Michael’s been a regular visitor to pantoland, with his festive CV including the roles of Squire Squander in Mother Goose, Dame Trot in Jack And The Beanstalk and Herman The Henchman in Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. He’s also played Dean Martin in The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas.

Rats have been getting a bad press since the fourteenth century, when they brought plague-infested fleas to the city of London. So there’s little wonder that Dick Whittington’s enemy, King Rat, is such a popular ‘unpopular character’! Dick finds himself shipwrecked in an exotic kingdom that’s overrun with rats, the leader of whom is, yep, you’ve guessed it, King Rat himself. Thank heaven our eponymous hero has brought his rodent-terrorising cat along for the ride! Kai Owen takes the role of King Rat in the Regent Theatre production, and is perhaps best known for having played the character of Rhys Williams in the popular Dr Who spin-off TV series, Torchwood.

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Witch Guillotine may not be as famous as Abanazar or Fleshcreep but she’s no less wicked.

When a handsome prince makes the mistake of teasing her terribly, she exacts a horrifying revenge by casting a spell on him, condemning him to a life lived as a ghastly looking beast. Nicki French stars as Guillotine in the Oakengates Theatre production in Telford this Christmas. Nicki, who’s best known for her 1995 dance cover version of Total Eclipse Of The Heart, represented the United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest in the year 2000, finishing sixteenth with Don't Play That Song Again.

Cinderella was almost certainly at the back of the queue when siblings were being handed out! The daughters of Cinders’ wicked stepmother, these vile-looking girls are more bitchy than evil, and are well-jealous of their stunningly beautiful sister. Making her life an absolute hell at every conceivable turn, they force her to stay at home and do the chores while they swan off to the big flash Ball.

The Ugly Sisters are traditionally played by men as is the case in this year’s Wolverhampton Grand Theatre production - but are sometimes played by women check out the Lichfield Garrick version. At the Grand, Ben Stock and Tony Jackson are the fellas who’re getting rouged up for the roles. Ben’s no stranger to starring as an Ugly Sister, having previously appeared in productions of Cinderella in Hastings, High Wycombe, Dartford, Bradford and, er, Wolverhampton twice! Tony, meanwhile, is starring in his eighth pantomime season with Julian Clary.

The Lichfield Garrick version sees Stacey Bland and Kate Playdon starring as Cinders’ seriously scary-lookingsiblings.

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Music Rodrigo Y Gabriela Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 5 December

Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero are a Mexican acoustic guitar duo whose music is influenced by genres such as nuevo flamenco, heavy metal and rock. They’ve released five studio albums in total, including re-Foc (2002), 11:11(2009) and this year’s 9 Dead Alive. As well as countless tours and festival performances, the duo also collaborated with Hans Zimmer on the soundtrack for Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and contributed to the soundtrack for Shrek prequel movie Puss In Boots. Catch them at Symphony Hall for what promises to be a thoroughly engaging show.

The Puppini Sisters Glee Club, Birmingham, Tues 9 December

With influences that range from The Andrews Sisters to Mike Flowers Pops, it’s fairly evident that The Puppini Sisters are peddling something rather unique. The retro stars, lauded for their ‘1940s glamour’ look, perform tongue-in-cheek classics in three-part harmony. They here present their very own sassy reworkings of festive hits from performers including Bing Crosby, Mariah Carey and Ertha Kitt. Well worth a look.

Chrissie Hynde Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Fri 12 December

Bonafide rock legend Chrissie Hynde is here joined by The Pretenders’ James Walbourne and Nick Wilkinson for a show which blends the best of her and the band’s backcatalogue with songs from debut solo album Stockholm.

Hynde has been mega since she and the Hereford-originated Pretenders enjoyed chart success with 1979’s Brass In Pocket. In the years that followed they scored numerous other hits, including Back On The Chain Gang, Message Of Love, Talk Of The Town, Thin Line Between Love And Hate and Don't Get Me Wrong.

Commenting on her Wolverhampton show, Chrissie said: "My new band, Will Travel, is uniting with James and Nick to form a band which I can only describe as All I Want For Christmas. Rejoice!"

The Who Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham, Sun 7 December Ben Howard Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Thurs 4 December

Double BRIT Award-winner Ben Howard was brought up listening to the sounds of John Martyn, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkel. He began writing songs at the age of eleven. “I was quite an imaginative little kid, I guess,” reveals Ben. “So your standard little love songs turned into your standard adolescent love songs. I think you start getting your own take on things when you’re a late teen. That’s when everything changes.”

Following on from three EPs, Ben released his first studio album, Every Kingdom, in 2012, peaking at number four in the UK Albums Chart. His follow-up offering, I Forget Where We Were, was released in October and faired even better, taking top spot. Expect plenty more from this talented singer-songwriter in the years to come...

Just like The Rolling Stones, The Who simply don't know when to stop touring. They're appearing in the Midlands as part of their The Who Hits Fifty anniversary tour - and as you’d expect when celebrating a glorious half-century’s-worth of success, they’re presenting an evening of classic anthems from their truly stupendous back-catalogue.

“Trying to stay young,” said Pete Townshend in a news release announcing the tour. “Not wearing socks. Growing a great big woodcutter’s beard. Might even wear a check shirt on stage and get a tattoo of a Union Jack. Always a fashion victim. But under no illusions.

We are what we are, and extremely good at it, but we’re lucky to be alive and still touring.”

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Music PREVIEWS Embrace Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Wed 3 December; Kasbah, Coventry, Mon 8 December

This English rock band don’t really need an introduction. After building a following through their EP releases, 1998 debut album The Good Will Out went straight to number one in the UK Albums Chart. They’ve since enjoyed a colourful career, bagging themselves another two number one albums - Out Of Nothing and This New Day - as well as being chosen to record England’s official World Cup 2006 song, World At Your Feet, which entered the UK Single Chart at number three. After a quiet period, the boys have returned to the music scene to release sixth studio album Embrace, in support of which they’re playing this Midlands gig.

Madness LG Arena, Birmingham, Sat 13 December

Madness were one of the most prominent bands of the late-1970s/early-1980s 2 Tone Ska revival, and although their high-profile days are behind them, the zany funsters continue to draw a crowd - as their regular arena concerts ably illustrate. With hits like Baggy Trousers, On The Wings Of A Dove and Our House to recommend them, an evening with Suggs and the gang guarantees plenty of great music and not a little madcap mayhem. They appear in Birmingham this month as part of their All For The M.A.D.H.E.A.D. tour. Pop rock trio Scouting For Girls support.

By The Rivers The Institute, Birmingham, Wed 10 December

Driven by a real passion for the groove, culture and soul of reggae music, Leicester sixpiece By The Rivers write and perform songs about the subjects that impact on the youth of today. Their lyrics are awash with social comment and positive messages, while their self-titled debut album has been enthusiastically received by their growing legion of fans.

Presenting pretty much everything you’d expect from a typical Brit Reggae band, the boys attracted large crowds at numerous UK festivals during the summer and are widely tipped for great things in 2015.

This Birmingham gig kick-starts a nine-date tour.

Lindisfarne Christmas Show

Bombay Bicycle Club

The Robin, Bilston, Mon 15 December

Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Wed 10 December

“When the band was really popular,” says Lindisfarne’s Ray Jackson, “we kept our feet very firmly planted on the ground and did our own thing. We were proud of our self-deprecating Geordie roots, and just wanted the freedom to play our music and entertain people.” Mandolin and harmonica player Jackson was an original member of the Newcastle folk-rock group, appearing with them for twenty long years from 1970.

Hailed for their winning blend of Geordie wit and well-crafted songs, the band scored hits with memorable numbers such as Meet Me On The Corner, Lady Eleanor, All Fall Down, Run For Home and Fog On The Tyne.

Support on the night comes from local lad David Young and The Midnight Chorus.

English indie rockers Bombay Bicycle Club formed in 2005 and, after winning a competition to secure the opening slot at the following year’s V Festival, released two EPs and debut single Evening/Morning. The band have since cut four albums - including So Long, See You Tomorrow, which topped the charts in February. This Midlands gig is one of nine UK dates they’re undertaking after an extensive tour of Australia, the US, Canada, Europe and South Africa. Support comes from upcoming indie rock quartet Peace.

Leveret The Morris Hall, Shrewsbury, Sun 14 December

Catfish And The Bottlemen The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 5 December; The Institute, Birmingham, Sun 7 December

Although it took a while for Welsh rock band Catfish And The Bottlemen to get noticed, they finally signed to Communication Records and released their first single, Homesick, last year. Now with Island Records, the band released debut album The Balcony in September and charted at number ten - not bad for a group who were fairly unknown until recently. What’s more, they’ve managed to sell out plenty of dates on this November/December headline tour, including both Midlands shows. Honeyblood support.

If you’re a fan of instrumental folk music, this is a gig you won’t want to miss. With a collective CV that includes Bellowhead, The Full English, Kate Rusby and Blowzabella, Sam Sweeney, Andy Cutting and Rob Harbron decided to get together, form a band and, in January this year, hit the road - since which time they’ve garnered praise pretty much everywhere they’ve performed.

The Dylan Project Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Fri 5 December; Lichfield Guildhall, Staffs, Sun 14 December

“Don't be misled by the word 'tribute',” reads The Dylan Project’s website. “Although the phrase ‘tribute band’ can mean a slavish facsimile or a big-name cash-in, The Dylan Project is far more than a mere copycat act.”

An accurate appraisal indeed of this most accomplished of tributes. Steve Gibbons interprets Bob Dylan’s lyrics with stylish individuality, while Dave Pegg, PJ Wright and Simon Nicol offer their own distinctive take on the Great Man’s music. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 19

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Music LISTINGS

Music GIG REVIEWS

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

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

Paloma Faith Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Paloma trooped on to the stage with her backing singers, performing a rousing rendition of Take Me. The eager crowd at Wolverhampton Civic immediately rose to their feet and sang along.

Vocally, Paloma was fantastic. The richness of her voice could be best appreciated when she was singing the ballads, especially Only Love Can Hurt Like This. The band were sharp and polished, the backing vocalists on fine form.

It was a gig which made more than a passing nod in the direction of some of Paloma’s influences. Van Morrison’s Crazy Love was performed with support artist Brett Dennen. The Sisters Love’s The Bigger You Love, which appears on her latest album, also featured. So too did Ike and Tina Turner’s River Deep, Mountain High. Performed as part of her encore, it came complete with accompanying Tina Turner dance moves!

Essentially this was an album tour for A Perfect Contradiction, so we didn’t get to hear the big tunes from her two previous albums. Although the performance was great, the evening lacked any real sense of momentum. I think she’s saving herself for her first arena tour, which stops off in Birmingham next March. Ted Finlay nnnn

Jackson Browne Symphony Hall, Birmingham This legendary Californian singer-songwriter has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He also penned one of the most profound and moving canons of contemporary song. So quite how he’s escaped becoming a household name is a complete mystery!

Now aged sixty-six and still producing fine work, Browne’s magnificent voice remains undiminished by time. Performing seven tracks from his new album, Standing In The Breach, he was supported by his incredible five-piece band and backing singers. This topical album showcases the musician’s defining political and environmental beliefs from the damning indictment of corporate greed on Which Side to the hope for change on If I Could Be Anywhere. But it was the album’s title track, with all its elegiac power, that made for the night’s outstanding performance.

Older classics were rapturously received, including Doctor My Eyes, Fountain Of Sorrow and a knockout rendition of The Pretender, but I was sorely disappointed that arguably his finest song, Sky Blue And Black, was omitted - as were various other classics.

I was also congratulated by strangers on a fantastic poster made by my equally over-excited sister, and repeatedly asked by astonished pensioners both to justify my ardour and to confirm my age! As the night drew to a close with Running On Empty, we joined fans dancing in the aisles and Browne even pointed at us!

A magical night I’ll never forget. Malaka Chowdhury nnnnn

Lady Gaga

MON 1 DEC THE DUNNETT/BAXTER BIG BAND The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham SLASH LG Arena, B’ham BRIT FLOYD Symphony Hall, Birmingham NUESTRAS VIVENCIAS & JUGGY RIHAL Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry CHRIS CLEVERLEY Crescent Theatre, B’hamBABY GODZILLA The Oobleck, Birmingham

TUE 2 DEC SIXTIES GOLD Feat.

Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers, The Fortunes & Chip Hawkes, Symphony Hall, B’ham THE DEFILED The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton JANET DEVLIN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE WYTCHES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MARTIN SMITH The Robin, Bilston MICHAEL BUBLÉ The Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham GEORGE COLLIGAN The Spotted Dog, B’ham

WED 3 DEC TWO MAN TING The Yardbird Jazz Club, B’ham MICHAEL BUBLÉ The Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham ELECTRIC SIX O2 Academy, Birmingham ABBA MANIA New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham BREED 77 The Oobleck, Birmingham BEANS ON TOAST Hare & Hounds, Birmingham A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham HACKTIVIST The Institute, Birmingham BASEMENT JAXX The Institute, Birmingham EMBRACE Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent PAUL CARRACK Malvern Theatres

THE FRANKIE VALLI STORY Feat: Stephen James, The Robin, Bilston JACK GARRAT Hare & Hounds, Birmingham URBAN TRIO The Jam House, Birmingham

THU 4 DEC RAYMOND FROGGATT Birmingham Town Hall BOYZ II MEN O2 Academy, Birmingham JASPER CARROT'S STAND UP AND ROCK Stratford Artshouse THE SENSATIONAL 60'S EXPERIENCE Malvern Theatres THE CHANTEL MCGREGOR BAND The Robin, Bilston BEN HOWARD Civic Hall, Wolverhampton PASADENA ROOF ORCHESTRA The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury RAGING SPEEDHORN The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent ANY TROUBLE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham GERARD AND THE WATCHMEN Ort Cafe, B’ham CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK New Alexandra Theatre, B’ham WAIT FOR THE FALL, HOUR GLASS, ALL THE REST AND MORE... The Roadhouse, B’hams SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham THE HELL The Oobleck, Birmingham

FRI 5 DEC THE HUMAN LEAGUE Civic Hall, W’hampton GORDON HENDRICKS IS ELVIS Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham JEFF WAYNE'S MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS LG Arena, Birmingham LONE The Oobleck, Birmingham CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK New Alexandra Theatre, B’ham JASPER CARROT'S STAND

LG Arena, Birmingham

It takes few words to describe a live performance by the amazing Lady G: Vocally - Amazing; Visually - Stunning; Verbally - Slightly embarrassing.

Gaga treated her little monsters to The Artpop Ball at the NIA in Birmingham last month. Her two-hour set included a lot of swearing, a lot of outfit changes and only a few of her biggest hits, including Poker Face, Just Dance and Paparazzi. I couldn’t help feeling that the audience, along with myself, were hoping for more of the old and less of the new. But, as Lady G put it, “If you’ve come here tonight to hear all the old hits, you’d better f... off now.”

Andrew Middleton nnnn

UP AND ROCK Stratford Artshouse CENTIMENT, BRUTAL, MIDNIGHT CONVOY & EMURSIA The Oobleck, Birmingham GRAHAM BONNET'S CATCH THE RAINBOW O2 Academy, Birmingham THE BOOZE BROTHERS Nailcote Hall, Berkswell RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Symphony Hall, B’ham CHRISTMAS ROCK N ROLL ROADSHOW Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffs AUGUSTINES Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent PRINCE OF WALES BRASS BAND Artrix, Bromsgrove BJORN AGAIN The Assembly, Leamington Spa T.REXTASY Huntingdon Hall, Worcester ALABAMA 3 The Institute, Birmingham ICONIC 80S The River Rooms, Stourbridge DESPERADO - THE VERY BEST OF THE EAGLES The Roadhouse, B’ham MAGNUM The Robin, Bilston OZZBEST Route 44, Birmingham CAPERCAILLIE IN CONCERT Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry WOMEN IN JAZZ Symphony Hall, B’ham ABBA LOVE Genting Club Stoke-on-Trent AGAINST THE CURRENT The Asylum, B’ham FRAN THE MAN Irish Centre, Birmingham BOAT TO ROW Ort Cafe, Birmingham SEEDY SONICS The Rainbow Venues, B’ham LONGFALLBOOTS O2 Academy, Birmingham COME UP & SEE ME Drummonds Bar, Worcester HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham RORY MCGRATH AND PHILIP POPE Malvern Theatres

SAT 6 DEC PROFESSOR GREEN O2 Academy, Birmingham THE LEGENDS PARTY WITH ABSOLUTE LEGENDS Nailcote Hall, Berkswell THE 80'S EXPERIENCE

Basement Jaxx - The Institute, Birmingham

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Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Nailcote Hall, Berkswell MARCIA CARR & NUBIAN SOUL Hare & Hounds, Birmingham HARARE Ort Cafe, B’ham SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK New Alexandra Theatre, B’ham GORDON HENDRICKS IS ELVIS Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth IMELDA MAY The Institute, Birmingham A FOREIGNERS JOURNEY The Roadhouse, B’ham DARK SKY The Oobleck, Birmingham TURBOWOLF The Institute, Birmingham LUKE DANIELS Artrix, Bromsgrove SALLY BARKER Lichfield Guildhall, Staffs LABOUR OF LOVE - UB40 TRIBUTE The River Rooms, Stourbridge MOSTLY AUTUMN The Robin, Bilston PUNK'D Route 44, B’ham THE BRITISH POLICE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Symphony Hall, B’ham LYNUS, ROSE REDD, HOPE STREET, LAUREN PRYKE, HIDDEN SKIES, KILLGLASS, SINGING TOWARDS DISASTER, SEVENDAZE & OUT OF LUCK O2 Academy, Birmingham BEYOND THE BARRICADE Malvern Theatres, Worcs THE MOTOWN SISTERS DUO Genting Club, Stoke-on-Trent SOLDIER & DUKE The Actress & Bishop, B’ham ST AGNES FOUNTAIN Huntingdon Hall, Worcs THE HURLING BOYS Irish Centre, Birmingham OYE SANTANA The Marr's Bar, Worcester LOVELESS LUCK, AGAINST THE WHEEL & HOLLOW PEOPLE The Oobleck, Birmingham CREAM BIRMINGHAM 8TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham THE BLOCKHEADS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE AGES, CAROLS THROUGH THE CHAIRS Stafford Town Centre MARTIN CARTHY Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton THE BOOTLEG BEATLES De Montfort Hall, Leicester MORAL PANICS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent HEADBANGERS BALL The Flapper, Birmingham

SUN 7 DEC ROD AND THE FACEZ The Roadhouse, B’ham AT THE GATES The Oobleck, Birmingham RODDY FRAME Birming-

ham Town Hall THE WHO The Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham RECKLESS LOVE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton INSPIRAL CARPETS O2 Academy, Birmingham MAYBESHEWILL The Flapper, Birmingham CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN The Institute, Birmingham THE FREE LOVE CLUB The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham MARILLION The Assembly, Leamington Spa DAN WHITEHOUSE The Glee Club, Birmingham KATONA TWINS Huntingdon Hall, Worcs IRENE & TOM Irish Centre, Birmingham AVONBANK BRASS BAND Evesham Arts Centre ANGEL AT MY TABLE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham SHALAMAR The Institute, Birmingham BIG SIXES The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham ABSOLVA The Asylum, Birmingham HANK WOOD & THE HAMMERHEADS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

MON 8 DEC ONLY MEN ALOUD Birmingham Town Hall RAGING SPEEDHORN O2 Academy, Birmingham SAINT SAVIOUR & BILL RYDER-JONES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FISH The Robin, Bilston EMBRACE Kasbah, Coventry NINA NESBITT The Glee Club, Birmingham THE CADILLAC THREE The Oobleck, Birmingham

TUE 9 DEC RIVAL SONS Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton SABATON The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE ALBION CHRISTMAS BAND Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire JACK MCNEIL AND CHARLIE HEYS Ort Cafe, Birmingham ROCKET The Jam House, Birmingham BOB LOG III The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry ROY WOOD CHRISTMAS CONCERT Symphony Hall, Birmingham '68 O2 Academy, B’ham BYRON HARE The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham THE LITTLE UNSAID Hare & Hounds, Birmingham CHRISTMAS WITH THE PUPPINI SISTERS The Glee Club, Birmingham JENNY JONES The Robin, Bilston GARETH FOWLER QUARTET The Spotted Dog,

22 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

The Human League - Civic Hall, Wolverhampton

Birmingham

WED 10 DEC THREE STEP MANOEUVRE FUNKY ORGAN TRIO The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham MARTIN SIMPSON The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham MORBID ANGEL The Asylum, Birmingham BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB Civic Hall, W’hampton FOXES Kasbah, Coventry THE MOULETTES The Robin, Bilston BROTHER STRUT Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MADDY PRIOR & THE CARNIVAL BAND Huntingdon Hall, Worcs

BY THE RIVERS The Institute, Birmingham THE LAST CARNIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham ROCKET The Jam House, Birmingham

THU 11 DEC ALFIE BOE LG Arena, Birmingham SAXON Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton TAKING BACK SUNDAY The Institute, B’ham U.K. SUBS The Institute, Birmingham GOGOL BORDELLO O2 Academy, Birmingham BAD MANNERS The Robin, Bilston THE BORN AGAIN BEATLES Stafford Gatehouse Theatre THE RAT PACK Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffs MATT WOOSEY The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent INSOLITO O2 Academy, Birmingham UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, Birmingham RICHIE RAMONE The Assembly, Leamington Spa LAETITIA SADIER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE Hare & Hounds,

Birmingham ORACLE, VEXXEN, SAMSARA AND MORE... The Roadhouse, B’ham NEON WALTZ The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent KATE RUSBY Symphony Hall, Birmingham LAURA JURD QUARTET Bramall Music Building, Birmingham THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Theatre Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham ACOUSTIC EVENING WITH TONY WRIGHT, CJ, PAUL MIRO & CHRIS CATALYST The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton

FRI 12 DEC THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Civic Hall, W’hampton THE DOORS ALIVE O2 Academy, Birmingham THE JAKE & ELWOOD BLUES BROTHERS TRIBUTE The Robin, Bilston THAT'S LIFE - TAKE THAT & WESTLIFE SHOW Nailcote Hall, Berkswell UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, Birmingham AMERICAN DREAMS Nailcote Hall, Berkswell MAJISTRATE The Institute, Birmingham BEHEMOTH O2 Academy, Birmingham DOWN N' OUTZ The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton PARTY POPPERZ Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffs ESCAPING VENDETTA O2 Academy, Birmingham ALL ON A WINTER'S NIGHT WITH JOHNNY COPPIN Artrix, Bromsgrove KICK UP THE 80'S The River Rooms, Stourbridge ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN The Institute, Birmingham CAROLS AND CAPERS The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury FRED ZEPPELIN Route 44, Birmingham BEE GEES FEVER Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth MICHELLE LAWSON Genting Club, Stoke-onTrent UNDER THE COVERS Irish

Centre, Birmingham HYPE BIRMINGHAM The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham CASH (JOHNNY CASH TRIBUTE) The Roadhouse, Birmingham STONE FARM Drummonds Bar, Worcester LITTLE SIMZ, OCD: MOOSH & TWIST The Institute, Birmingham MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA The Marr's Bar, Worcester JACK WALLEN Ort Cafe, Birmingham CHRISSIE HYNDE Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton DAN MESSORE AND INDIGO KID Symphony Hall, Birmingham JESSICA RHODES The Strawberry Bank, Coventry ED DOOLAN CHRISTMAS SHOW Symphony Hall, Birmingham DEAD CITY SOULS The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent JEAN GENIE The Assembly, Leamington Spa INTO THE SHADOWS Bridge House Theatre, Warwicks

SAT 13 DEC BON GIOVI The Robin, Bilston ROY ORBISON AND FRIENDS Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock STATUS QUO The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham BEE GEES FEVER Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth THE MOTELLAS Nailcote Hall, Berkswell UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, B’ham THAT'LL BE THE DAY CHRISTMAS SHOW Birmingham Town Hall MADNESS LG Arena, Birmingham THE CROCKERS Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton BLUE ZOO The Flapper, Birmingham LPZKIN O2 Academy, Birmingham TALON - THE BEST OF EAGLES Malvern Theatres ERIC MARTIN The Oobleck, Birmingham ULTRA 90S The River

Rooms, Stourbridge THE STONES The Roadhouse, Birmingham INTO THE SHADOWS Stafford Gatehouse Theatre MUSIC FOR CHRISTMAS The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury FULLY LOADED Route 44, Birmingham AMINGTON BAND PRESENTS A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffs MIDLANDS METAL CRUSADE III Featuring Seven Deadly, Destroyed Beyond Belief, The Heretic Order, Our World Below and more... The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton MAXIMUM ROBBIE - TRIBUTE ACT Genting Club, Stoke-on-Trent RED LIGHT ROOM & GUERILLA MONSOON The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE FATHER TEDS Irish Centre, Birmingham SHAWN CUDDY Irish Centre, Birmingham LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHORUS Lichfield Garrick, Staffs STRATFORD CONCERT BAND: A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL Stratford Artshouse THOSE AMONGST US ARE WOLVES, STRUCTURES & MEDWAY MONOLITH The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry RIFF RAFF The Marr's Bar, Coventry DIZZY LIZZY Moochers, Stourbridge

SUN 14 DEC TALON - THE BEST OF EAGLES Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock CAST The Institute, Birmingham CHRIS REA The Barclaycard Arena (formerly NIA), Birmingham LEVERET The Morris Hall, Shrewsbury ENNIO MORRICONE LG Arena, Birmingham THE ALBION CHRISTMAS BAND mac, Birmingham DEVIL’S DANCE The Roadhouse, B’ham

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TEWKESBURY TOWN BAND The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury RED BIRD SKY Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham THE DYLAN PROJECT Lichfield Guildhall, Staffs TOUCHSTONE The Robin, Bilston THE FREE LOVE CLUB The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham MADDY PRIOR & THE CARNIVAL BAND Birmingham Town Hall ORCHARD HILL O2 Academy, Birmingham BRETFORTON SILVER BAND Evesham Arts Centre, Worcs EAMMON MCCANN Irish Centre, Birmingham H.E.A.T The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton EAMMON MCCANN Irish Centre, Irish Centre

MON 15 DEC THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Symphony Hall, B’ham LINDISFARNE CHRISTMAS SHOW The Robin, Bilston CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury IN THE CARDS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

TUE 16 DEC DEACON BLUE Symphony Hall, Birmingham ARCH ENEMY & KREATOR The Institute, B’ham THE DIRTY OLD FOLKERS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK The Robin, Bilston MIKE SANCHEZ Huntingdon Hall, Worcs THE BBC BIG BAND PRESENTS A SWINGING CHRISTMAS Birmingham Town Hall THE JONATHAN SILK BIG BAND The Spotted Dog, Birmingham RED LEMONS The Jam House, Birmingham

WED 17 DEC JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA Symphony Hall, Birmingham ARTHUR DOHERTY BAND Stafford Gatehouse Theatre RED LEMONS The Jam House, Birmingham MAD JOCKS AND ENGLISHMEN The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham HEFFRON DRIVE O2 Academy, Birmingham THE ALBION CHRISTMAS BAND New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs MIKE SANCHEZ The Robin, Bilston THE MELLSTOCK BAND Lord Leycester Hospital, Coventry DEAF HAVANA Kasbah, Coventry CANTERBURY The Flapper, Birmingham HOZIER The Institute, Birmingham GIN ANNIE & NOISE POLLUTION ROCK DISCO The

River Rooms, Stourbridge

THU 18 DEC THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent NYA KING AS WHITNEY HOUSTON Nailcote Hall, Berkswell, Warwickshire SLADE The Robin, Bilston CHINA DRUM The Institute, Birmingham THE MELLSTOCK BAND Lord Leycester Hospital, Coventry LIVE & PICKING Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton MACHINE HEAD O2 Academy, Birmingham KATE RUSBY Malvern Theatres GORDON GILTRAP Stafford Gatehouse Theatre KERI ARRINDELL Genting Club, Stoke-on-Trent THE WONDER STUFF O2 Academy, Birmingham LIFESIGNS The Assembly, Leamington Spa THE ALBION CHRISTMAS BAND Huntingdon Hall, Worcs BLOBBIE WILLIAMS The Roadhouse, B’ham WILEY The Institute, Birmingham THE DYLAN PROJECT Hare & Hounds, B’ham BIG TENT AND THE GYPSY LANTERN Ort Cafe, Birmingham RICHIE RAMONE Kasbah, Coventry HANGING TREE The Marr's Bar, Coventry E OF E The River Rooms, Stourbridge INSCRIPTIONS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA Symphony Hall, Birmingham DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham

FRI 19 DEC BAD MANNERS The Assembly, Leamington Spa SWINGING 60'S MOTOWN PARTY WITH THE KRYSTALETTES Nailcote Hall, Berkswell DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham THE BARRY WHITE SHOW WITH THE DIVAS OF MOTOWN Nailcote Hall, Berkswell UB40 O2 Academy, Birmingham THE 90’S NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS The Institute, Birmingham A GERMAN CHRISTMAS Malvern Theatres THE STONES Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth LARRY MILLER The Marr's Bar, Worcester ONE STOP BOOGIE - 70S V 80S The River Rooms, Stourbridge SLADE UK The Roadhouse, Birmingham KICK UP THE 80'S The Robin, Bilston THE ALI CLINTON BAND & THE Z F PROJECT Route 44, Birmingham 3 DAFT MONKEYS The

Oobleck, Birmingham BACK TO THE 80'S Genting Club, Stoke-onTrent THE FULL SHA BANG Irish Centre, Birmingham OUT OF TIME CHRISTMAS SPECIAL Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton PALEMAN The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham THE NOTEBENDERS Symphony Hall, Birmingham KILLERSTREAM Drummonds Bar, Worcester WAIT FOR THE FALL, KEEP THE CHANGE, SPEAKING IN SHADOWS & YOU KNOW THE DRILL The Institute, Birmingham TRIAXIS The Asylum, Birmingham Birmingham

SAT 20 DEC

THE ENEMY & THE TWANG O2 Academy, B’ham BOOTLEG ABBA Nailcote Hall, Berkswell THE BROTHERS OF SOUL Nailcote Hall, Berkswell THE MARTIN BARRE BAND The Assembly, Leamington Spa SWORN TO OATH The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent KICK UP THE 80'S The River Rooms, Stourbridge DARK SIDE OF THE WALL The Roadhouse, B’ham TALON - THE BEST OF EAGLES The Robin, Bilston ROBERT ALEXANDER GILES - MICHAEL JACKSON TRIBUTE Route 44, Birmingham LIAM KELLY Genting Club, Stoke-on-Trent BUZZARD LOPE & GILL SANDELL Ort Cafe, Birmingham THEIA The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton JAMIE KNIGHT AND THE MANUKA BAND Huntingdon Hall, Worcs GBH, DRONGOS FOR EUROPE & EASTFIELD The Institute, Birmingham DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham

SUN 21 DEC CHAS AND DAVE The Robin, Bilston THE FREE LOVE CLUB The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham TOM HEALY BAND Irish Centre, Birmingham THE SPEAKEASY Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham DOWNSHIFT The Roadhouse, Birmingham ALTERNATIVE DUBSTEP ORCHESTRA Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

MON 22 DEC ROD STEWART TRIBUTE GARRY PEASE Nailcote Hall, Berkswell GOSPEL CENTRAL The Jam House, B’ham CHRISTMAS CAROL SINGALONG Symphony Hall, Birmingham A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Lichfield Guildhall, Staffs SWEET The Robin, Bilston BIG BOY BLOATER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE ALBION, BONSAI & THE REBELLION The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

TUE 23 DEC JERSEY 4 Nailcote Hall, Berkswell CHRISTMAS WITH THE RAT PACK Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton THE DIRTY OLD FOLKERS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham FRED ZEPPELIN The Robin, Bilston BLAST FROM THE PAST PRESENTS - A MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS Huntingdon Hall, Worcs JAMIE KNIGHT & THE MANUKA BAND Artrix, Bromsgrove WHITE NOISE THEORY The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent BEAT BROTHERS The Jam House, Birmingham

WED 24 DEC SKABUCKS The Roadhouse, Birmingham THE CAVERN BEATLES The Robin, Bilston

FRI 26 DEC MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham LIMEHOUSE LIZZY The Robin, Bilston THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE The River Rooms, Stoubridge THE NORTORIOUS BROTHERS Route 44, B’ham THE HURLING BOYS Irish Centre, Birmingham

SOULED OUT 2 FUNK The Roadhouse, B’ham

SAT 27 DEC MOTOWN LEGENDS PARTY WITH SOUL LEGEND Nailcote Hall, Berkswell GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA Symphony Hall, Birmingham MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham SUPREME QUEEN The River Rooms, Stourbridge ROXY MAGIC The Roadhouse, Birmingham MAINLY MADNESS The Robin, Bilston FLARES PARTY BAND Route 44, Birmingham ELVIS TRIBUTE BY ANDY WHITE Irish Centre, Birmingham THE BHANGRA LEGENDS Civic Hall, Birmingham LAWLESS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

SUN 28 DEC THE VERY BEST OF JOHN WILLIAMS Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE FREE LOVE CLUB The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham LITTLE JIMMY Irish Centre, Birmingham HEAVENLY SINNERS The Roadhouse, B’ham IVOR & LYN'S CLASSIC ROCK NIGHT Route 44, Birmingham DIRTY DC - TRIBUTE TO AC / DC The Robin, Bilston ELIVS PRESLEY - GORDON HENDRICKS & THE PAS-

SIONETTES The River Rooms, Stourbridge

MON 29 DEC THE SOUND OF MUSICALS Symphony Hall, B’ham DEFINITELY MIGHT BE AND ADORED The Robin, Bilston GENERATIONS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

TUE 30 DEC THE TREVOR BURTON CHRISTMAS SHOW The Roadhouse, B’ham THE SOUL SURVIVORS The Robin, Bilston

WED 31 DEC T.REXTASY The Robin, Bilston THE DELRAY ROCKETS The Roadhouse, B’ham NEW YEAR'S EVE GALA Symphony Hall, B’ham NEW YEAR'S EVE - ROUTE 44 PARTY NIGHT Route 44, Birmingham THE FATHER TEDS Irish Centre, Birmingham SEAN WILSON Irish Centre, Birmingham SWINGAMAJIG NEW YEAR'S EVE The Oobleck, Birmingham THE DECADES BAND The River Rooms, Stourbridge GLOBAL GATHERING NYE Featuring Wilkinson & David Rodigan, The Institute, Birmingham THE SUBTERRANEANS The Jam House, 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 RAINBOW 0121 772 8174 RED LION FOLK CLUB 0121472 4253 THE ROADHOUSE 0121 246 2273 ROUTE 44 0121 708 0108 SYMPHONY HALL 0121 780 3333 THE VICTORIA 0121 633 9439

THE YARDBIRD 0121 212 2524

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

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

01785 254653

0870 320 7000

Warwickshire

STOURBRIDGE TOWN HALL 01384 812812 WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON

THE ASSEMBLY, LEAMINGTON 01926 311311

0870 320 7000

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

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

Worcestershire ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 HUNTINGDON HALL / SWAN THEATRE 01905 611427 MARR’S BAR, WORCESTER 01905 613336 THE RIVER ROOMS, STOURBRIDGE 01384 397177 For additional information and to find out What’s On at these venues.

Visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Classical Music PREVIEWS ‘Simply the greatest all-round opera experience available in this country’ BBC Music Magazine

Alfie Boe LG Arena, Birmingham, Thurs 11 December

Alfie Boe this month makes a welcome return to the Midlands as part of his second UK arena tour. One of the most talented crossover artists of modern times, Alfie here performs tracks from latest album Serenata - a collection from the golden era of Italian song that’s widely considered to be his most romantic offering yet.

Alfie’s joined on stage by New Zealand’s internationally renowned singing trio, Sol3 Mio. Tenor brothers Pene and Amitai Pati and their baritone cousin Moses Mackay fuse powerful operatics with Samoan humour to ‘break down the perceived barriers and stereotypes of the music’, at the same time breathing new life into time-honoured classics. Sol3 Mio’s self-titled debut album, featuring Nessun Dorma, Amazing Grace and O Sole Mio, was New Zealand’s biggest seller of 2013, beating off opposition from regular chart-toppers Susan Boyle and One Direction.

Glyndebourne On Tour: La Traviata Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 9 - Wed 10 December

As committed to reaching new audiences as it is to presenting opera of the highest quality, Glyndebourne has been taking its work out on the road every autumn since 1968. A regular at Stoke’s Regent Theatre, the company this month returns to the venue with a new production of Verdi’s La Traviata.

One of the most popular operas of all time, La Traviata tells the story of Violetta, a nineteenth century Parisian courtesan who, aspiring to a better life, becomes involved with a man who may finally make her dreams come true.

Written by Verdi at the peak of his powers, the work covers a subject of intense personal significance to the Italian composer - he and the singer Giuseppina Strepponi lived together for ten years before they married, enduring the objections of those who viewed her as a woman of no worth or moral standing. This particular production is sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Festive Favourites With Hugh Dennis Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 19 - Sun 22 December

Christmas Classics

Outnumbered star Hugh Dennis hosts this firm festive favourite, which sees the City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) presenting an evening of classic carols and seasonal stories. Members of the audience are invited to get into the festive spirit by joining the CBSO’s famous choruses in a Christmas singalong. Simon Halsey conducts.

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 20 December

Ex Cathedra St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, Tues 2 December; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 7 December; Birmingham Cathedral, Mon 8 December; Sy John’s Church, Hagley, Birmingham, Tues 9 December; Hereford Cathedral, Wed 10 December; St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, Fri 19 - Sat 20 & Mon 22 - Tues 23 December

What better way to get into the festive spirit than by enjoying an evening with one of the country’s finest choral music ensembles? Under the directorship of its founder, Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra this month presents a series of atmospheric ‘Christmas music by candlelight’ evenings, blending seasonal favourites from around the globe and across the ages with a variety of readings.

Keeping in the festive spirit, the ensemble also presents Handel’s Messiah at Symphony Hall on 7 December; Santa Lucia Service - a traditional Swedish service of carols and readings at Birmingham Cathedral on 8 December; An Elizabethan Evening featuring the music of Byrd, Gibbons, Tallis and Sheppard at Hereford Cathedral on 10 December; and Angels, Stars And Kings - a relaxed family concert at St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, on 20 December.

24 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Larger-than-life thespian and ‘devilish storyteller’ Brian Blessed here presents a series of festive readings to complement a host of favourite Christmas songs. Directed by conductor Adrian Lucas and accompanied by soprano Elizabeth Atherton, the London Concert Orchestra perform a programme of carols for all, including: Good King Wenceslas; O Come, All Ye Faithful; Once In Royal David’s City; The First Nowell; and O Little Town Of Bethlehem. The programme also features Darke’s In The Bleak Midwinter, Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel Overture and Mozart’s Alleluia from Exsultate Jubilate.

Brian Blessed

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Classical LISTINGS For full listing information on classical concerts, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk EX CATHEDRA - CHRISTMAS MUSIC BY CANDLELIGHT Featuring Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor), Alexander Mason (organ) & Lynda Sayce (guitar), Tue 2 Dec, St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury MICHAEL BUBLE Tue 2 Wed 3 Dec, The Barclaycard Arena, B’ham CBSO MACMILLAN'S ST LUKE PASSION Thurs 4 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham WBS EXPRESS CONCERT Thurs 4 Dec, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire SENIOR CITIZENS ORCHESTRA CONCERT Thurs 4 Dec, Forest Arts Centre, Walsall TRIO SEVERN Programme includes works

by Schubert & Arensky, Thurs 4 Dec, CBSO Centre, Birmingham JEFF WAYNE'S MUSICAL VERSION OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS Fri 5 Dec, LG Arena, Birmingham IGOR LEVIT PLAYS RACHMANINOV Fri 5 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall NAVARRA QUARTET WITH ALEXANDER BOYD Fri 5 Dec, The Barber Institute, Birmingham University CBSO BRASS ENSEMBLE: CHRISTMAS CRACKERS Featuring the CBSO Brass Ensemble & Catherine Arlidge (presenter), Fri 5 - Sat 6 Dec, CBSO Centre, Birmingham A VIENNESE STRAUSS GALA Sat 6 Dec, Crewe Lyceum THE BRITISH POLICE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: PROMS NIGHT SPECTACULAR Sat 6 Dec, Symphony Hall, B’ham MIDLANDS FRETTED ORCHESTRA Sat 6 Dec, Bonded Warehouse, Stourbridge CHRISTMAS CONCERT In aid of the Hope & Homes For Children Charity, Sat 6 Dec, Maidment Auditorium, Shrewsbury School

THE SALSEDO ENSEMBLE: CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Sat 6 Dec, Charlemont Methodist Church, West Bromwich EX CATHEDRA: HANDEL’S MESSIAH Sun 7 Dec, Symphony Hall, B’ham ONLY MEN ALOUD Mon 8 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall SANTA LUCIA SERVICE Ex Cathedra present a traditional Swedish service of carols & readings by candlelight, Mon 8 Dec, Birmingham Cathedral LA TRAVIATA Glyndebourne present a new version of Verdi's masterpiece, Tue 9 - Wed 10 Dec, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent LUNCHTIME CHRISTMAS MUSIC WITH THE CHOIR OF WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL Tue 9 Dec, Symphony Hall, B’ham MIDLANDS HOSPITALS' CHOIR - CAROLS THAT COUNT Tue 9 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall EX CATHEDRA - CHRISTMAS MUSIC BY CANDLELIGHT Featuring Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor), Alexander Mason (organ) & Lynda Sayce (guitar), Tue 9 Dec, St John’s Church, Hagley, Birmingham CBSO ELGAR'S ENIGMA VARIATIONS Wed 10 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham ALFIE BOE Thurs 11 Dec, LG Arena, B’ham LAURA JURD QUARTET Featuring 2014 Yamaha Jazz Scholar Awardwinner Elliot Galvin on piano & Corrie Dick on drums, Thurs 11 Dec, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham THE MIDLAND PIANO TRIO & BRIAN PERKINS (GUITAR): THE MAGIC OF SPAIN Programme includes works by Manuel de Falla & Albeniz, Fri 12 Dec, Birmingham & Midland Institute, Birmingham CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR: HANDEL’S MESSIAH Fri 12 Dec, Sympho-

Christopher Warren-Green: Beethoven’s Ninth, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

ny Hall, Birmingham UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S CHOIR Fri 12 Dec, The Barber Institute, B’ham ANDREW LITTON & CBSO PLAYERS Feat. Andrew Litton (piano), Fri 12 Dec, CBSO Centre, Birmingham PHOENIX SINGERS Featuring James Llewellyn Jones (conductor) & Sara Wilander (accompanist), Sat 13 Dec, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire AMINGTON BAND PRESENTS A CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS Sat 13 Dec, Tamworth Assembly Rooms CBSO ELGAR'S ENIGMA VARIATIONS Sat 13 Dec, Symphony Hall, B’ham CAROLS FOR ALL Featuring the Maldwyn Strings, The Shrewsbury Consort of Recorders & Shrewsbury Handbells. Conducted by Richard White. All proceeds to The Cystic Fibrosis Trust & The Hamar Centre, Shrewsbury, Sat 13 Dec, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury SONGS OF THE ANGELS: CHRISTMAS CHARITY CONCERT Featuring Birmingham Festival Choral Society with the choristers of St Alphege, Solihull; Joe Cooper (organ) & Patrick Larley (conductor), Sat 13 Dec, St John’s & St Peter’s Church, Ladywood ARC, Birmingham GLORIOUS MESSIAH Featuring the Lichfield Cathedral Chorus & Staffordshire Band, Sat 13 Dec, Lichfield Cathedral BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR: CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Sat 13 Dec, St Francis Of Assisi, Bournville, B’ham CHRISTMAS WITH THE SALVATION ARMY Sun 14 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham BIRMINGHAM PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA: FIRST & LAST Programme includes works

by Butterworth, Strauss & Mahler, Sun 14 Dec, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham SING CAROLS WITH THE CITY ORGANIST Presented by Jeremy Nicholas, Mon 15 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall CHRISTMAS WITH THE TOWN HALL GOSPEL CHOIR Hosted by BBC WM presenter Nikki Tapper, Mon 15 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall THE BBC BIG BAND PRESENTS A SWINGING CHRISTMAS Tue 16 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall ANDRE RIEU Wed 17 Dec, LG Arena, B’ham CHRISTMAS WITH CANOLDIR Thurs 18 Dec, Birmingham Town Hall PIVA: OLD CHRISTMAS RETURN'D Evening of music celebrating the yuletide season in true

Andre Rieu - LG Arena, Birmingham

Elizabethan style, with traditional music, songs and stories from Tudor times, Fri 19 Dec, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION OF THE GREAT CROONERS Join Matthew Long for a festive celebration, featuring the works of Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Matt Monro and many more... Fri 19 Dec, mac, Birmingham CBSO FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH HUGH DENNIS Fri 19 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE KLEE QUARTET Programme includes works

by Haydn, Stravinsky & Mendelssohn, Fri 19 Dec, The Round Room, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE REPERTOIRE ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Mahler, Mozart, Fang Fang & Dvorak, Fri 19 Dec, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire EX CATHEDRA - CHRISTMAS MUSIC BY CANDLELIGHT Featuring Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor), Alexander Mason (organ) & Lynda Sayce (guitar), Fri 19 - Sat 20 Dec, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Sat 20 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE FRONCYSYLITE MALE VOICE CHOIR Sat 20 Dec, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Sat 20 Dec, Lichfield Cathedral LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: CHRISTMAS CLASSICS Feat. festive readings by Brian Blessed, Sat 20 Dec, Symphony Hall, B’ham EX CATHEDRA: ANGELS, STARS & KINGS Family Christmas music by candlelight, Sat 20 Dec, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR: NINE LESSONS & CAROLS Conducted by

Paul Spicer & featuring organist Paul Carr, Sun 21 Dec, St Paul’s Church, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham CBSO FESTIVE FAVOURITES WITH HUGH DENNIS Sun 21 - Mon 22 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham JONATHAN COHEN CHRISTMAS CAROL SINGALONG Mon 22 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham EX CATHEDRA: CHRISTMAS MUSIC BY CANDLELIGHT Mon 22 - Tues 23 Dec, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham BERKLEY SALON ENSEMBLE Mon 22 Dec, CBSO Centre, Birmingham THE MESSIAH Presented

by Shrewsbury School Community Choir & Guests, Tues 23 Dec, The Abbey, Shrewsbury LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: THE GLORY OF CHRISTMAS Wed 24 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: LAST NIGHT OF THE CHRISTMAS PROMS Featuring Hilary Davan Wetton (conductor), Philip O'Brien (tenor), James Cleverton (baritone). Programme includes works

by Rossini, Sousa, Bizet, Verdi, Ravel, Denza and Grieg, Sat 27 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham MOZART FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA: GLORIOUS HANDEL BY CANDLELIGHT Sun 28 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: THE VERY BEST OF JOHN WILLIAMS Sun 28 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CBSO NELSONS CONDUCTS BRUCKNER'S SEVENTH Mon 29 Dec, Symphony Hall, B’ham LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: THE SOUND OF THE MUSICALS feat.

Summer Strallen, Kerry Ellis, Graham Bickley & Tim Howard, Mon 29 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham BEETHOVEN'S NINTH Tue 30 Dec, Symphony

Hall, B’ham LONDON CONCERT ORCHESTRA: NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA Programme includes works by Mendelssohn, Sousa, Grieg, Mascagni, Sibelius, Ravel, Elgar, Rossini, Verdi & Tchaikovsky, Wed 31 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Classical Box Office ABEEY CHURCH SHREWSBURY 01743 232723

,

ADRIAN BOULT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 331 5901 BARBER INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRAL 0121 262 1840 BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 0121 331 5901/2 BIRMINGHAM & MIDLAND INSTITUTE 0121 236 3591 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 BRAMALL CONCERT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 3344 CBSO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS, SOUTH SHROPSHIRE 01584 873229 MAIDMENT HALL, SHREWSBURY SCHOOL 01743 280810 ST ALBAN THE MARTYR, BIRMINGHAM 0121 440 4605 ST CHAD’S CATHEDRAL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 236 2251 ST FRANCES CHURCH, BIRMINGHAM 0121 472 7215 STRATFORD CIVIC HALL 01789 207100 SYMPHONY HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 25

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Comedy Seann Walsh

Comedy Box Office

Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Thursday 18 December

Seann Walsh is such a popular comedian he could even give Real Madrid a run for their money when it comes to the acquisition of silverware. The multi-award-winning star of television shows such as Mock The Week and Russell Howard’s Good News Extra, Seann’s been likened to the legendary Billy Connolly in terms of his gift for storytelling. His jokes aren’t bad either, with two examples being as follows: “I don't understand swimming. You don't see fish going for a walk” and “Are city centre beat officers police who rap?”

Jeremy Hardy Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Friday 12 December

“In an ideal world," The Guardian once wrote, "Jeremy Hardy would be extremely famous but an ideal world would leave him without most of his best material."

Hardy has developed a reputation for being one of the most topical comedians on the circuit. He blends his concerns about the modernday world with a humour that makes his sometimes controversial subject matter all the more accessible and thought-provoking.

Russell Howard LG Arena, Birmingham, Sunday 21 December

Rob Deering Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, Sunday 14 December

Rob Deering has successfully built on the benefit of having a face that was made for comedy to turn himself into a rather splendid finished product. He’s been described as a man with ‘clownish physicality’ and ‘easy charm’ - and on the back of such qualities he’s nurtured a small army of hugely dedicated fans, all of whom are addicted to the pleasures of an evening in the company of his razor-sharp wit.

According to his mother - Russell Howard reveals - his comic style calls to mind a child telling people about his day at the zoo. And in fairness, Mrs H’s assessment is a pretty accurate one...

Gags include, “A Levels are getting easier; in my day you had to do fifty questions in a minute, and if you got one wrong they killed your dad!” and “Anyone else wonder if the Queen ever props her quilt cover up to her neck whilst in bed and says 'Look Philip, I'm a stamp!'?"

Zoe Lyons The George Hotel, Lichfield, Tues 23 December

High on confidence and blessed with a razor-sharp wit - which, let’s face it, are pretty vital commodities for a successful comedian to possess - Zoe Lyons creates funny routines based on astute observation of life’s absurdities. She came to prominence in 2004 when she won the Nivea Funny Women Award, since which time she’s been garnering plaudits like they’re going out of fashion. Described by one reviewer as ‘Alan Bennett on speed’, her jokes include: ‘The old blind fisherman liked nothing more than coming home and putting on a pair of his favourite kippers.’

26 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 COURTYARD THEATRE, HEREFORD 01432 340555 THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 0121 333 2444 DRUMMONDS BAR, WORCESTER 01905 28190 THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728911 EVESHAM ARTS CENTRE, WORCESTERSHIRE 01386 446944 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK, STAFFS 01538 386112 THE GEORGE HOTEL, BURSLEM, STAFFS 07763301081 THE GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM 0871 4720400 HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM 0844 844 0044 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER, 01905 611427 KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 MAC, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232 OAKENGATES THEATRE, TELFORD 01952 382382 PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH 01527 65203 PLAYERS BAR, BIRMINGHAM 0121 643 6871 THE ROSES THEATRE TEWKESBURY 01684 295074 ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 334418 SHOWCASE, COVENTRY 0871 220 1000 THE SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE 01785 619080 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 02476 524524 WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000

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Comedy LISTINGS For full listing information on comedy gigs including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk MARK STEEL Wed 3 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove CRAIG MURRAY, GEOFF NORCOTT AND MARLON DAVIS Wed 3 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham LEE NELSON Wed 3 Dec, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury DAWN FRENCH Wed 3 Dec, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ALAN DAVIS Thurs 4 Dec, De Montfort Hall, Leicester ROB ROUSE, GEOFF NORCOTT AND MARLON DAVIS Thurs 4 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham NOEL FIELDING Thurs 4 Dec, Crewe Lyceum SUSAN CALMAN Thurs 4 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove KUM-N-AVALOFF COMEDY NIGHT Thurs 4 Dec, Stourbridge Town Hall ANDY WHITE, CAIMAH MCDONNELL, PETE PHILLIPSON AND ANDY KIND Thurs 4 Dec, The George Hotel, Lichfield STAND UP COMEDY SHOWCASE Thurs 4 Dec, mac, Birmingham BENNETT ARRON, JIMMY MCGHIE, IAN COPPINGER AND TANYALEE DAVIS Thurs 4 - Sat 6 Dec Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham JEFFERSON AND WHITFIELD, SUSAN MURRAY AND THANYIA MOORE Fri 5 Dec, The Drum, Birmingham STEVE BUGEJA, ERIC LAMPAERT AND KIERAN BOYD Fri 5 Dec, Hereford Courtyard Theatre BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED LAGER WITH RORY MAGRATH AND PHILIP POPE Fri 5 Dec, Malvern Theatres ELEANOR TIERNAN PLUS COMICS TBC Fri 5 Dec, Players Bar, B’ham DAVE FULTON, GEOFF NORCOTT AND MARLON DAVIS Fri 5 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham NOEL FIELDING Sat 6 Dec, Victoria Hall, Stoke-On-Trent KATHERINE RYAN Sat 6 Dec, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry HOWARD READ, LLOYD GRIFFITH, RHYS JAMES AND DAMION LARKIN Sat 6 Dec, Regent Theatre, Stoke-On-Trent DAVE FULTON, GEOFF NORCOTT, MARLON DAVIS AND ANDREW BIRD Sat 6 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham CHRIS LYNAM, ERICH MCILORY, DEBRA JANE APPELBY AND HARRIET DYER Sat 6 Dec, Coventry Showcase Cinema LUCY BEAUMONT PLUS COMICS TBC Sat 6 Dec, Players Bar, B’ham STAND UP COMEDY

SHOWCASE Sat 6 Dec, mac, Birmingham ROUGH WORKS NEW MATERIAL NIGHT Sun 7 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham LOUDEEMY SOUP COMEDY NIGHT Mon 8 Dec, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham IAN D MONTFORT, TOM BINNS AND IVAN BRACKENBURY Tues 9 Dec, Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield COMEDY EVENING WITH MRS BARBARA NICE AND JO ENRIGHT Tues 9 Dec, mac, Birmingham JEN BRISTER, MAUREEN YOUNGER Wed 10 Dec, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham ALEX BOARDMAN, SEAN PERCIVAL, TANYALEE DAVIS AND ROBERT WHITE Wed 10 Dec, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham JOHN FOTHERGILL, SOL BERNSTEIN AND ANDY ROBINSON Wed 10 - Fri 12 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham OMID DJALILI Thurs 11 Dec, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton PAUL SINHA, JOHN ROBINS AND SUZI RUFFELL Thurs 11 Dec, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham ALEX BOARDMAN, SEAN PERCIVAL, TANYALEE DAVIS AND DALISO CHAPONDA Thurs 11 Sat 13 Dec, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham SEANN WALSH Fri 12 Dec, Evesham Arts Centre JEREMY HARDY Fri 12 Dec, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire JOHNNY CANDON, BARRY DODDS, IAN COPPINGER PLUS COMIC TBC Fri 12 Dec, Players Bar, Birmingham BARBARA NICE'S CHRISTMAS CRACKER Fri 12 - Sat 13 Dec mac, Birmingham ED GAMBLE, HAYLEY ELLIS AND JACK BARRY Fri 12 - Sat 13 Dec, Hereford Courtyard Theatre JIMMY CARR Sat 13 Dec, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton STAND-UP STAIRS COMEDY SHOW WITH MC MR ANT HILL Sat 13 Dec, Palace Theatre, Redditch RHODRI RHYS, DANNY WARD, PAUL PIRIE AND JOHN HASTINGS Sat 13 Dec, Coventry Showcase Cinema JOHNNY CANDON, BARRY DODDS, ELEANOR TIERNAN AND IAN COPPINGER Sat 13 Dec, Players Bar, B’ham JOHN FOTHERGILL, SOL

BERNSTEIN, ANDY ROBINSON AND JOE LYCETT Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham KEN DODD Sun 14 Dec, Civic Hall, W’hmapton ROB DEERING, BLAIR DUNLOP AND BETH PRIOR Sun 14 Dec, Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury TOADALLY FREE COMEDY! Mon 15 Dec, The Blue Orange Theatre, B’ham MICKEY D, ALISTAIR BARRIE, DANA ALEXANDER AND RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVIEW Tues 16 Dec, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham LEE MAC Tues 16 - Wed 17 Dec, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton MICKEY D, ADDY VAN DE BORGH, DANA ALEXANDER AND RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVIEW Wed 17 Dec, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham DAN NIGHTINGALE, MARK OLVER AND CHARLIE BAKER Wed 17 - Thurs 18 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham SEANN WALSH Thurs 18 Dec, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton TIFF STEVENSON, STEVE BUGEJA AND AHIR SHAH Thurs 18 - Fri 19 Dec, Hereford Courtyard Theatre JOJO SUTHERLAND, ADDY VAN DER BORGH, CARL HUTCHINSON AND ANDY ASKINS Thurs 18 Dec Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham ROY CHUBBY BROWN Fri 19 Dec, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton DAN NIGHTINGALE, MARK OLVER, CHARLIE BAKER PLUS COMIC TBC Fri 19 Sat 20 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham JOJO SUTHERLAND, ADDY VAN DER BORGH, CARL HUTCHINSON AND STEVE SHANYASKI Fri 19 - Sat 20 Dec, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham KEN DODD Sat 20 Dec, Victoria Hall, Stoke-OnTrent JIM TAVARE, GARY DELANEY, MATT REES AND DAMION LARKIN Sat 20 Dec, Regent Theatre, Stoke-On-Trent COMEDY IN THE MET Sat 20 Dec, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre RUSSELL HOWARD Sun 21 Dec, LG Arena, Birmingham MARK OLVER, CHARLIE BAKER, MARLON DAVIS PLUS COMIC TBC Sun 21 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham THE LAUGHING SOLE COMEDY CLUB FOR KIDS Sun 21 Dec, mac, Birmingham ZOE LYONS, THE RAYMOND AND MR TIMPKINS REVIEW, MARK CRAM AND SUSAN MURRAY Tues 23 Dec, The George Hotel, Lichfield ROY CHUBBY BROWN Sat 27 Dec, Victoria Hall, Stoke-On-Trent

Noel Fielding - Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent & Crewe Lyceum

PAUL THORNE, JIM TAVARE, MARLON DAVIS PLUS COMIC TBC Sat 27 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO Sun 28 Dec, Drummonds Bar, Worcester PAUL THORNE, ANTHONY

J BROWN, MARLON DAVIS PLUS COMIC TBC Sun 28 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham DAVID JOHNS, JUSTIN MOORHOUSE, JONNY PELHAM, DAMION LARKIN Wed 31 Dec, Regent Theatre, Stoke-On-Trent ANDY ROBINSON, ROB

DEERING, MICKEY D AND NATHAN CATON Wed 31 Dec, The Glee Club, Birmingham KAREN BAYLEY, SMUG ROBERTS, DANA ALEXANDER AND SEAN PERCIVAL Wed 31 Dec, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham

For more comedy listings, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 27

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Theatre Lichfield Garrick’s panto ensemble

Cinderella

Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 4 December - Sun 4 January; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sat 6 December Sun 18 January

With its comical Ugly Sisters, metamorphosising pumpkin, matchmaking fairy godmother, drop-dead gorgeous Prince Charming, super-cute mice and fits-one-foot-only glass slipper, Cinderella can justifiably lay claim to being the most popular of all pantomimes.

Julian Clary and Hollyoaks star Joe Tracini take top billing in the

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre’s version of the classic fairytale.

Meanwhile ’Allo, ’Allo’s Arthur Bostrom (he played French Gendarme Crabtree in the hit BBC TV comedy series) stars as Count Dandini de Tartare at the Lichfield Garrick.

Peter Pan Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 3 December - Sun 11 January

Shropshire-based pantomime audiences this year get the chance to fly away with the boy who wouldn't grow up to a magical island filled with adventure.

Meet a real fairy, marvellous mermaids, wonderful Wendy and the down-on-their-luck lost boys. Oh, and beware the ever-so-wicked Captain Hook and a very hungry crocodile who goes tick-tock (he swallowed a clock). Pantomime favourite Brad Fitt ensures there’s plenty of chance to enjoy a chuckle or several.

Dick Whittington Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, until Sun 4 January

‘Son of the Potteries’ Jonathan Wilkes dons the tights to star as the lad himself in this ever-popular pantomime tale. Homecoming hero Jonathan’s pretty much a festive fixture at the Regent Theatre nowadays, and is set to play an inevitably significant part in making Dick Whittington one of the region’s must-see pantos this Christmas.

The story of a young man who heads to London in search of fame and fortune is one of the most popular of all pantomimes, not least because of the top adventures in which the happy-go-lucky Dick finds himself involved. With Sarah the Cook and King Rat both putting in an appearance, and heady romance with the delightful Alice also on the cards for young Dick, this is a show that promises to be packed to its festive rafters with action, comedy, fun and romance. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 29

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Theatre PREVIEWS Sleeping Beauty Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock, Sun 21 - Tues 30 December

The tragic tale of a young princess who’s tricked by an evil fairy and pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, causing her to fall asleep for a hundred years, offers a great story around which to build a pantomime production of real quality. And judging by its panto offerings in previous years, the Prince of Wales Centre’s 2014 festive presentation is likely to be just that. Shorelle Hepkin from CBBC’s Wolfblood, Darren John Langford from Hollyoaks, Keith De Winter and Nikki Horsburgh star.

Jersey Boys New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 9 December - Sun 4 January

Uncle Ben’s Festive Block Party The Drum, Birmingham, Thurs 18 - Sun 21 December

Described as an evening of merriment and festive celebration, Uncle Ben’s Festive Block Party finds the eponymous lead character in the mood to enjoy a cracking Christmas caper. With the local sound system booked to supply the music, obligatory party hats, crackers, mistletoe and decorative lights all purchased (and a few bottles of rum on hand to ensure that even his least humorous jokes go down a storm), Uncle Ben’s set to leave a tragic year battling ill health behind him.

Until, that is, an enlightening dream finds him suddenly facing a significantly bigger challenge than simply throwing a festive gettogether...

Rockin’ and rollin’ New Jersey boys Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons scored some truly massive hits during the mid-1960s, with best-known numbers including Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, Big Girls Don't Cry, Sherry and December 1963 (Oh, What A Night). This massive jukebox musical tells their story. Taking a documentary-style format, the show is structured as four ‘seasons’, each being narrated by a different member of the band.

The Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-winning production is visiting the Midlands as part of its first ever UK tour.

Beauty And The Beast The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Tues 9 December - Mon 5 January

When a young woman is captured by a hideous beast, she finds herself facing a life of isolation in his mysterious palace. The Beast, too, is trapped - seemingly forever inside the grotesquery of his physical appearance, the consequence of a spell cast upon him by an evil witch. Only Beauty’s ability to look beyond his ugliness and see the person within can save him...

That’s pretty much the story outline of this ever-popular fairytale, which is here given the pantomime treatment by a high-energy ensemble of talented performers.

One-time Eurovision entrant Nikki French and Dancing On Ice favourite Matt Evers star.

adventure to the big bad city.

Expect gangster moles, singing fish, biker beetles and crooning birds in a production that features puppetry, clowning, live music and even a sprinkling of snow...

Looking Good - Feeling Better Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tues 9 December

The company behind this story, which has been inspired by the real-life experience of a breast cancer sufferer, is OutsidEye, who describe themselves as having been ‘born from a passion for physical theatre’. Using a collaborative studio approach, the ensemble seeks to create theatre which is inspired by the unconventional within the everyday, in the process ‘transforming what’s seen into innovative performance’.

A Christmas Carol Birmingham Town Hall, Sun 21 December

For anybody tired of the commercialism of Christmas in the twenty-first century, delving into the delightful world of Charles Dickens should offer the perfect antidote.

Of all his festive stories, A Christmas Carol reigns supreme. The covetous sinning of the miserly Scrooge, the ghostly visions of redemption and the eternal hope offered by Tiny Tim all combine to give the tale a real olde-world charm.

Clive Francis stars as Scrooge, and also offers an introduction to Dickens’ exploits in Birmingham, which included an 1853 Town Hall reading of A Christmas Carol.

Thumbelina’s Great Big Adventure mac, Birmingham, Mon 1 - Sat 13 December

Award-winning physical theatre company Dancing Brick are the high-energy ensemble behind this brand new retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale.

The company describe the show as ‘a brightly-coloured, action-packed musical’, in which the vertically challenged Thumbelina, her daredevil Granny and a forest’s-worth of delightful animals embark on a whirlwind www.whatsonlive.co.uk 31

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Tue 9th Dec 14 - Mon 5th Jan 15

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PANTOMIME MAGIC FOR ALL THE FAMILY Time: Various

Sat 24th January

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Time: 7.30pm

Thu 5th February

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Time: 7.30pm

Fri 6th Feruary

ALL STAR SUPERSLAM WRESTLING Time: 7.30pm

Fri 13th February

THE JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW Time: 7.30pm

Thu 19th February

THE CIRCUS OF HORRORS THE NIGHT OF THE ZOMBIE Time: 7.30pm

Sun 1st & Mon 2nd March

THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE Time: Sun, 2.00pm, 4.30pm Mon, 10.30am, 12.30pm

Fri 13th March

LLOYD LANGFORD Time: 8.00pm

Sat 21st March

AABA BY ARRIVAL UK THE ULTIMATE ABBA TRIBUTE SHOW Time: 7.30pm

TWC GP 00940

32 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Theatre PREVIEWS Horrible Christmas Old Rep, Birmingham, until Sat 17 January

The Horrible Histories team are back, this time to stab a sprig of holly through the heart of the yuletide season! Famous festive favourites Charles Dickens, St Nicholas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - as well as Oliver Cromwell and King Henry VIII - are all present and correct in a good-humoured show that brings together Victorian villains, Medieval monks, Puritan parties and Tudor treats. Read the review on page 42.

Jack And The Beanstalk Birmingham Hippodrome, Fri 19 December - Sun 1 February

The Tiger Who Came To Tea Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 23 December - Wed 14 January

Following on from a hugely successful West End season, the tea-guzzling tiger is back in town, dropping in on Sophie and her mum just as they’re settling down for an afternoon cuppa... Adapted by David Wood OBE from Judith Kerr’s 1968 book, this fifty-five-minute show features singalong songs and boasts plenty of magic - not to mention a big, stripey tiger, of course!

The Borrowers New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 31 January

After enjoying success with previous festive offerings such as The Hundred And One Dalmatians, Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan, the New Vic turns its attention to Mary Norton’s delightful 1952 children’s fantasy.

Living happily beneath the floorboards of a quiet old house, The Borrowers suddenly find their way of life compromised when young Arrietty gets itchy feet and goes exploring...

The New Vic team is here promising a yuletide package of ‘magical storytelling, original music and thrilling live-on-stage effects’. So if you’re looking for a Christmas show free of custard pies and rouged-up Dames, this could well be the production for you.

Jack and his mam are hard-up, and have no choice but to take their cow to market to raise some much-needed cash. However, Jack being Jack, he decides to trade her in (the cow, that is, not his mam!) for a handful of magic beans, which then grow into a real ogre of a beanstalk. And speaking of ogres...

Jack And The Beanstalk is one of the UK’s best-loved pantos - so it’s appropriate indeed that it’s the show of choice at the world’s number one pantomime venue, the Birmingham Hippodrome. As well as featuring a big, bad, fee-fi-fo-fumming ogre, the production also boasts a star cast headed up by Jane McDonald, Blue’s Duncan James and Coronation Street badboy Chris Gascoyne. Gary Wilmot makes a welcome return as Dame Trot, with Paul Zerdin and Matt Slack also on hand to play their part in ensuring the laughter count’s as high as a really tall beanstalk.

Cinderella: The Rock’n’Roll Panto Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 12 December - Sat 10 January

They’ve done it before and now they’re doing it again. Yep, Stafford Gatehouse’s oftused twist of imbuing their annual pantomime with a real rock’n’roll flavour has proved so popular in previous years that the venue is giving the exact same treatment to its 2014 production. So... they’ve taken a fairytale about a put-upon girl who finally finds her Prince Charming, stirred in a few time-honoured pantomime favourites and then seasoned liberally with all manner of rock’n’roll hits - including favourites from Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Jackson 5 and The Blues Brothers.

A recipe for success if ever there was one so expect a veritable feast of fun and frivolity.

he teaches her whizzpopping, shows her his secret collection of dreams and lets her taste his extraordinary food, the snozzcumber. When it becomes apparent a tribe of boghumping giants are planning to rampage through England, Sophie and the BFG realise they must save the country from unprecedented disaster...

Wind In The Willows Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Tues 2 December; The Place, Oakengates, Telford, Sat 24 January

Kenneth Grahame’s famous children’s book presents a perfect example of how one life can command the full attention of three others. Mole, Badger and Ratty simply don’t have time for any of their own interests they’re way too busy having to look after their reckless and irrepressible friend, Toad...

The Wind In The Willows is here brought to the stage by acclaimed touring troupe Oddsocks. Zany humour is guaranteed.

The BFG The REP, Birmingham, until Sat 17 January

Roald Dahl’s delightful tale has been enchanting children and the adults in their lives for over thirty years now. The story follows the adventures of a little girl named Sophie, who’s taken to a magical land by the Big Friendly Giant (or BFG for short). There, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 33

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NOT ABOUT HEROES THE MET STUDIO

Sat 6 Dec Through the letters and poems of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, Stephen MacDonald’s acclaimed play paints a vivid and moving picture of their friendship and the conflict that brought them together. One hundred years on 7.30pm, £13 from the beginning of the First World War, Not About Heroes is both exhilarating and uncompromising in its exploration of love, war and a friendship that changed the face of British poetry.

CINDERELLA THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PANTO GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Wed 10 Dec 14 - Sat 10 Jan 15

Tickets from £12.50 Rock around the clock and get ready to party at Prince Charming's ball with Baron Hardup, the loveable Buttons, Cinderella, and two very ugly sisters...Rock ‘n' Roll panto returns to Stafford with one of the most loved fairytales of all time. Cinderella is filled with classic hits from Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, The Blues Brothers and many, many more, all played live on stage by an incredible cast of actor musicians.

INTO THE SHADOWS THE MET STUDIO

Sat 13 Dec Into the Shadows recreate the unique sounds of The Shadows.

The Shadows had 5 number one hits and 16 top ten hits, and were in the UK Charts for 310 weeks.

7.30pm, £13 No other Instrumental Group has ever achieved such success. Into the Shadows play all their hits, and more. Also performing many of the early Cliff Richard hits from the days when The Shadows were his backing Group.

GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS THE MET STUDIO

Tue 16 Dec Join the macabre tradition of the BBC's classic 1970s programme, Ghost Stories for Christmas is a theatre show featuring new adaptations of classic spine-chillers. An evening of vengeful revenants, restless spirits and malevolent ghouls is guaranteed for those brave enough to join us!

7.30pm, £10/£8 concs

THE UGLY DUCKLING THE MET STUDIO

Tue 22 & Wed 23 Dec Float downstream with the Story Man, in Sea Legs Puppet Theatre’s gentle, musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale of belonging and identity. Set on the banks of a magical river, brilliant storytelling, fantastic puppets and a delightful new musical score, make this a must see show for little ones and their families.

Tue 22nd 1.30pm & 3.30pm Wed 23rd 11.30am & 1.30pm £7 / Family £24

TRÈS TRÈS CABARET CHRISTMAS SPECIAL THE MET STUDIO Sat 27 Dec

OVER

18 After the runaway success of Stafford’s first burlesque and cabaret night, Très Très Cabaret is back with a very special show for the festive season, 8.00pm, £20 Featuring the hottest performers from the international cabaret scene to surprise and delight you...

Dress to impress and join us for an evening of glitz, glamour and so much more.

BOOKONLINE Box Office 01785 619080 www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

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

MON 1 DEC FRANKENSTEIN Return of the National Theatre Live's broadcast of Frankenstein, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the creature, until Sun 7 Dec, mac, Birmingham WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT Little Angel Theatre bring Michael Rosen's much-loved children's book to life in a new puppetry production featuring music and lyrics by renowned singer-songwriter Barb Jungr, until Sun 7 Dec, mac, Birmingham THE NUTCRACKER Birmingham Royal Ballet present Sir Peter Wright’s enchanting version of the festive favourite, until Sat 13 Dec, Birmingham Hippodrome BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Traditional family pantomime, until Sat 3 Jan, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury DICK WHITTINGTON Traditional family pantomime, until Sun 4 Jan, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent THE GRUFFALO Songs, laughter and scary fun come together in this family favourite based on Julia Donaldson's best-selling book, until Sun 4 Jan, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry ALADDIN By Iain Lauchlan, until Sat 10 January, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry HORRIBLE CHRISTMAS The Horrible Histories team are back, this time to stab a sprig of holly through the heart of the yuletide season!, until Sat 17 Jan, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham THE BFG A brand new staging of Roald Dahl's popular children's book, until Sat 24 Jan, The REP, Birmingham THE BORROWERS Mary Norton's classic family adventure, until Sat 31 Jan, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE A specially commissioned play by Phil Porter which draws on true stories of soldiers in the Warwickshire Regiment, until Sat 31 Jan, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST Christopher Luscombe directs a new production of Shakespeare's sparkling comedy, until Sat 14 March, Royal Shakespeare Theatre,

Stratford-upon-Avon LOVE'S LABOUR'S WON Christopher Luscombe directs the second of Shakespeare's matching pair of comedies that rejoice in man's capacity to find love in the most of unlikely places, until Sat 14 March, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon BLOOD BROTHERS Amateur version presented

by Stage Productions, Mon 1 - Fri 5 Dec, Stoke Repertory Theatre CALAMITY JANE The Watermill Theatre present a new production of the classic musical.

Jodie Prenger stars..., Mon 1 - Sat 6 Dec, Malvern Theatres A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL The Nonentities present Alan Ayckbourn’s hilarious view of amateur theatre, Mon 1 - Sat 6 Dec, Rose Theatre, Kidderminster THUMBELINA'S GREAT BIG ADVENTURE Puppetry, clowning, live music and a sprinkling of snow are all promised in this brand new, brightly coloured, action-packed, musical retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale, Mon 1 - Sat 13 Dec, mac, Birmingham UNCLE ERIC'S CHRISTMAS PARTY New Vic legend Uncle Eric returns with a fun night of Christmas comedy and ’60s music, Mon 1 - Sat 13 Dec, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme BEAUTY AND THE BEAST A ‘magical festive pantomime’ presented by the Worcester Repertory Company, Mon 1 Dec - Sun 4 Jan, The Swan Theatre Worcester WEST END WOMEN West End leading ladies Kerry Ellis, Joanna Ampil & Ria Jones join forces for a celebration of their careers in the musicals. Songs from Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Cats, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Wicked all feature, Tue 2 Dec, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Live music and comedy from Oddsocks as they present their version of the classic tale of boats, cars, trains and washerwomen... Tue 2 Dec, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire ERIC AND LITTLE ERN A homage to the great British comedy duo,

recreating some of the finest moments of Eric & Ernie's television and stage performances, Tue 2 Dec, Malvern Theatres A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Presented by Blast From The Past, Wed 3 Dec, The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham TAT MAN TALES Black Country Touring present an intense, emotional, one-man production featuring stories that promise to stay with audiences long after the show is over, Wed 3 Dec, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton DEM BOYZ Exploration of the issues of gang association, devised and performed by year Two BA (Hons) applied performance students from Birmingham School of Acting, Wed 3 - Fri 5 Dec, The Drum, Birmingham DAYS OF SIGNIFICANCE Birmingham School of Acting present Roy Williams' explosive play that explores the aftermath of war, Wed 3 Sat 6 Dec, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham RETURN TO NEVERLAND Presented by Cannock Wood & Gentleshaw Musical Society, Wed 3 - Sat 6 Dec, Prince of Wales Centre, Cannock HORRIBLE HISTORIES: BARMY BRITAIN Birmingham Stage Company bring historical figures to life in a new show featuring 3D Bogglevision, Wed 3 - Sat 6 Dec, Theatre Hafren, Newtown, Powys DONA ROSITA THE SPINSTER Birmingham School of Acting present one of Lorca’s greatest achievements, a play which charts the decline of a young girl full of dreams whose hopes of marriage diminish with every passing year, Wed 3 Sat 6 Dec, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham PETER PAN OR THE BOY WHO WOULDN’T GROW UP Presented by the Solihull Society of Art & Drama, Wed 3 - Sat 6 Dec, The Edge, Alderbrook School, Solihull ALADDIN Wed 3 - Sun 28 Dec, Bedworth Civic Hall PETER PAN Paul Hendy Productions and Brad Fitt return to Theatre Severn with another fun-filled family pantomime, Wed 3 Dec Sun 11 Jan, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury AN EVENING WITH NOEL FIELDING Expect a magical mix of Noel's unique brand of standup comedy, live animation and music, plus some of his best-known TV characters (such as The Moon and Fantasy Man)…, Thurs 4 Dec, Crewe Lyceum THE CRUCIBLE Live

BRB’s The Nutcracker - Birmingham Hippodrome

screening of Arthur Miller’s classic American drama based on Salem’s infamous witch trials. Richard Armitage stars, Thurs 4 Dec, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire HOKE'S BLUFF Action Hero present an underdog story that shifts and rearranges the trite conventions and narratives of American teen movies to talk about what it means to be a winner on the inside, Thurs 4 - Sat 6 Dec, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE LASTING SENSE OF SUDDEN A rollercoaster ride across the diverse landscape of human sexuality and relationships, Thurs 4 - Sat 6 Dec, Fred’s Shed, Sheep Street, Stratfordupon-Avon CINDERELLA Traditional family pantomime...

Thurs 4 Dec - Sun 4 Jan, Lichfield Garrick ALL TURN! Brass Tack Theatre present a oneman show which tells the story of workingclass man Albert North, Fri 5 Dec, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED LAGER After their hit dad-rock album, Dark Side Of The Moob, Rory and Philip return to touring with an evening of sophisticated comedy and song, Fri 5 Dec, Malvern Theatres IMPRO HO HO! An improvised Christmas cracker featuring mistletoads and folly, Fri 5 Dec, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham STAND UP AND ROCK WITH JASPER CARROTT Fri 5 Dec, Stratford Artshouse, Stratfordupon-Avon WAR OF THE WORLDS: THE FINAL ARENA TOUR

Conducted by Jeff Wayne & featuring Liam Neeson in 3D holography, Jason Donovan, Westlife’s Brian McFadden, Shayne Ward, Les Miserables’ Carrie Hope Fletcher & X Factor 2013’s Joseph Whelan, Fri 5 Dec, LG Arena, Birmingham MORE GRIMM TALES Stage 27 present ‘dark festive fun’ via comic fables from the Brothers Grimm, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Dec, Acocks Green Methodist Church, Shirley Rd, Birmingham SANTA'S DIZZY DAY! Funpacked experience for children with song & laughter, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Dec, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry THE VICAR OF DIBLEY THE SECOND COMING Amateur stage version of the popular BBC sitcom, Fri 5 - Sat 13 Dec, The Bear Pit, Stratfordupon-Avon CHRISTMAS ON BROADWAY Featuring a plethora of Christmas musical favourites, including White Christmas, A Winter’s Tale & The Perfect Year, Sat 6 Dec, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham AN AUDIENCE WITH DES O'CONNOR Sat 6 Dec, Evesham Arts Centre AN EVENING WITH NOEL FIELDING Expect a magical mix of Noel's unique brand of standup comedy, live animation and music, plus some of his best-known TV characters (such as The Moon and Fantasy Man)…, Sat 6 Dec, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent NORMS OF CONDUCT Triple bill of works which focus on the distinguishing characteristics of human nature: Rosie Kay's Dance Of Possession; Carlos Pons Guerra's Costa

Del Sol; Adam Rutherford's What Sexuality Is Love?, Sat 6 Dec, The Drum, Birmingham BEAUTY AND THE BEAST PMA Productions present their version of the greatest love story ever told, Sat 6 Dec, Festival Drayton, Market Drayton, North Shropshire CHRISTMAS ON BROADWAY Join a talented cast of singers as they perform some of the best Christmas songs from the world of musical theatre and beyond, Sat 6 Dec, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham NOT ABOUT HEROES Feelgood Theatre present a production based on the true story of friendship between war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, Sat 6 Dec, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre BEAUTY & THE BEAST Ballet Cymru present a choreographed version of the much-loved fairytale, Sat 6 Dec, Stourbridge Town Hall BEYOND THE BARRICADE Musical theatre concert recreating original West End & Broadway musical hit songs, Sat 6 Dec, Malvern Theatre PAUL HOLLYWOOD: BRITISH BAKING LIVE A packed show full of baking, fun, demos & audience participation, Sat 6 Dec, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry A CHRISTMAS WASSAIL A festive feast of carol music and song, comedy and spoken word, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Coughton Court, Warwickshire THE LADYKILLERS Graham Lineham’s staging of the classic Ealing comedy, Sat 6 - Sun 14 Dec, Criterion Theatre, Coventry THE WITCHES The Crescent Theatre Company

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk present David Wood's adaptation of Roald Dahl's children's tale, Sat 6 - Sat 20 Dec, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham MOTHER GOOSE Sat 6 Sat 20 Dec, Sutton Arts Theatre, Sutton Coldfield OH NO IT ISN'T! A festive comedy thriller written and directed by Nick Walker, Sat 6 - Sat 27 Dec, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry CINDERELLA Starring JP McCue & Mike Royce as the Ugly Sisters, Sat 6 Dec - Sat 3 Jan, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa CINDERELLA Qdos return to the Wolverhampton Grand with yet another popular family pantomime. This year's adventure sees Julian Clary star as Dandini.

Hollyoaks star Joe Tracini takes the role of Buttons, Sat 6 Dec Sun 18 Jan. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre THE PEOPLE'S ORCHESTRA: THE SNOWMAN Classic Christmas songs and stories followed by The People’s Orchestra playing the original orchestration to a live screening of the classic film, Sun 7 Dec, Malvern Theatres BASHMENT HOUSEWIVES An urban comedy highlighting the lifestyles of four competitive young women wanting to live a life of luxury, Sun 7 Dec, The Drum, Birmingham LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD Presented by Working Theatre Company, Sun 7 Dec, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton THE CRUCIBLE Live screening of Arthur Miller’s classic American drama based on Salem’s infamous witch trials. Richard Armitage stars, Sun 7 Dec, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire SIMONE SCHOOL OF DANCE Sun 7 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove

Week Commencing

MON 8 DEC A CHRISTMAS WASSAIL Evening of festive fun, Christmas comedy & seasonal song, Mon 8 & Tues 9 Dec, Highbury Hall, Birmingham LOOKING GOOD - FEELING BETTER OutsidEye present a passionate story about the social and personal traumas faced by a breast cancer suf-

ferer. Inspired by reallife experiences, Tue 9 Dec, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton CINDERELLA Anne Charleston stars as the Fairy Godmother in the classic festive fairytale.

Rebecca Tyson (Cinderella), Scott Cripps (Buttons) and Richard Pocock & Derreck Walker (Ugly Sisters) also star... Mon 8 Dec Sun 4 Jan, Palace Theatre, Redditch CANNOCK CHASE HIGH SCHOOL CHRISTMAS CONCERT Join students from Cannock Chase High School for a festive celebration. A blend of musical, dramatic and dance performances showcase the very best individual and group talents at the school, Tues 9 Dec, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock LA TRAVIATA Glyndebourne present a new version of Verdi's masterpiece - one of the most popular operas of all time, Tue 9 - Wed 10 Dec, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent ALADDIN Presented by Rugeley Rose Theatre, in association with Reveal Theatre Company, Tues 9 - Sat 13 Dec, Rugeley Rose Theatre, Staffordshire THE TWELVE DATES OF CHRISTMAS Gina Hoben's off-Broadway play, Tue 9 - Sat 13 Dec, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham UNDER THE STARS Language Alive present a celebration of the rich world of Arabic storytelling, including Sinbad The Sailor and Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves, Tue 9 - Sat 20 Dec, The REP, Birmingham JERSEY BOYS The Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning musical hits the road for its first UK tour, Tue 9 Dec Sun 4 Jan, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Chaos, calamities & comedy in the French village of Cristimonto, Tue 9 Dec - Mon 5 Jan, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Shropshire JOHN CLEESE: 'SO, ANYWAY' BOOK TOUR John brings his unique comedic perspective to audiences across the UK with tales from his new book, So, Anyway.

Wed 10 Dec, Malvern Theatres JESUS MY BOY Worcester Repertory Theatre Company present a

one-man show which tells the story of Jesus through the eyes of Joseph, Wed 10 Dec, The Attic Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon A NUTCRACKER CHRISTMAS HOW College students present a tale of magic & discovery, Wed 10 - Fri 12 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE WIZARD OF OZ Presented by Stratford Musical Theatre Company, Wed 10 - Sat 13 Dec, The Courtyard, Stratford-upon-Avon OUR LIFE ON ICE In conversation with legendary skating duo Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean, Thurs 11 Dec, Town Hall, Birmingham JUST ANOTHER WINTER'S TALE Jean Brown Productions present an evening of 'harmony singing with a touch of Christmas', Thurs 11 Dec, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock ELEGIES FOR ANGELS, PUNKS AND RAGING QUEENS A dramatic and emotive musical theatre piece featuring free verse poems and songs which reflect the lives of people who’ve lived with and died from AIDS, Thurs 11 - Fri 12 Dec, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton ROBIN HOOD AND BABES IN THE WOOD Thurs 11 Sun 21 Dec, Forest Arts Centre, Walsall ALADDIN Robert Powell stars as Abanazar, Thurs 11 Dec - Sun 4 Jan, Malvern Theatres Aladdin THE SHOEMAKER'S HOLIDAY Following his acclaimed RSC debut with The Merry Wives Of Windsor (2012), Phillip Breen returns to direct Dekker's glorious city comedy of class, conflict and cobblers in love, Thurs 11 Dec Sat 7 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Stratford THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER A magical new show for children from Silly Boys, the creators of The Tallest Horse On Earth, Fri 12 Dec, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire SWAN LAKE Ballet Theatre UK present a retelling of the worldfamous ballet, Fri 12 Dec, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock SLEEPING BEAUTY Traditional family pantomime, Fri 12 - Sat 20 Dec, Hall Green Little Theatre, Acocks Green, Birmingham CINDERELLA Traditional family pantomime written by & starring Malcolm Stent, Fri 12 Dec Sun 4 Jan, Solihull Arts Complex CINDERELLA THE ROCK 'N' ROLL PANTO Rock around the clock and get ready to party at Prince Charming's ball

Hoke’s Bluff - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

with Baron Hardup, the loveable Buttons, Cinderella - and two very ugly sisters... Fri 12 Dec - Sat 10 Jan, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre CINDERELLA Encore Academy bring a twist to a classic festive panto, Sat 13 Dec, Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull CELTIC FEET THE SHOW Dance show presented by the Celtic Feet Irish Dance & Theatre Company, Sat 13 Dec, Albany Theatre, Coventry A CHRISTMAS CAROL Booster Cushion Theatre Company’s version of the festive Dickensian tale, told using mime, voice, some sign language, a 60cm-tall pop-up book and lots of audience participation, Sat 13 Dec, Library of Birmingham FATHER CHRISTMAS NEEDS A WEE! Tale Gate Theatre present a ‘bouncy’ musical adaptation of Nicholas Allan’s much-loved book, Sat 13 Dec, Theatre Hafren, Newtown, Powys GILBERT & SULLIVAN GALA Presented by Bromsgrove Operatic Society, Sat 13 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove 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 13 Dec, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon SWAN LAKE Ballet Theatre UK present a retelling of the worldfamous ballet, Sat 13 Sun 14 Dec, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS Presented by Blue Orange Arts, Sat 13 Dec - Sat 3 Jan, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham JACK AND THE

BEANSTALK A ‘not-to-be missed production’ packed full of sparkling costumes, spectacular sets, supersized comedy and some very magical beans! Sat 13 Dec Sun 4 Jan, Crewe Lyceum A CHRISTMAS CRACKER Presented by Elite Dance Academy, Sun 14 Dec, Albany Theatre, Coventry MY DEAREST GIRLS: THE LETTER BOOK A fulllength theatre piece based on the real letters sent between a group of six Shropshire women between 19171920 Sun 14 Dec, Wem Town Hall, South Shropshire ONCE IN A BLUE MOON Wriggle Dance Theatre present a fusion of dance, live music and audience interactivity for three-to-six-yearolds, Sun 14 Dec, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton THE CRUCIBLE Live screening of Arthur Miller’s classic American drama based on Salem’s infamous witch trials. Richard Armitage stars, Sun 14 - Mon 15 Dec, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry A CHRISTMAS WASSAIL Evening of festive fun, Christmas comedy & seasonal song, Sun 14 - Tues 16 Dec, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 15 DEC ALADDIN Annual family pantomime presented

by Reveal Theatre Ltd Mon 15 - Tue 16 Dec, Rugeley Rose Theatre ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND Live screening from the Royal Opera House of Christopher Wheeldon's ballet in three acts, based on Lewis Carroll's much-loved children's classic, Tue 16 Dec, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shrop-

shire AN AUDIENCE WITH ALBERT ROUX Tue 16 Dec, Malvern Theatres GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS In the macabre tradition of the BBC's classic 1970s programme, Ghost Stories For Christmas, this theatre show features new adaptations of classic spinechillers, Tue 16 Dec, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre JOHN CLEESE: SO, ANYWAY BOOK TOUR Bringing a unique comedy perspective to audiences with tales from his new book, Tues 16 Dec, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry GOING FOR A NUMBER ONE AT CHRISTMAS Amateur Transplants front man Adam Kay presents his festive antidote to the pantomime horrors on every other London stage, Tues 16 Dec, mac, Birmingham THE SNOWMAN Familyfriendly concert featuring Raymond Briggs’ much-loved festive film accompanied by a live, twenty-five-piece orchestra, Tues 16 Dec, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent PWS MEWN BWTS Welsh version of the famous Puss In Boots adventure, Tues 16 Dec, Theatre Haffren, Newtown, Powys THE HAUNTING Psychological horror presented by Stoke-On-Trent Repertory Players, Tues 16 - Sat 20 Dec, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent RUMPELSTILTSKIN Northumberland Theatre Company present an adaptation of the classic fairytale, Tue 16 - Sun 21 Dec, Stratford Artshouse JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Presented

by Tread The Boards Theatre Company, Tues 16 - Sun 28 Dec, Attic Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon A CHRISTMAS SHOW-

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk CASE Three local theatre groups - WOW, No-Nonsense and The Discoverers - present a festive showcase of dance, drama, music & comedy, Wed 17 Dec, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS Don’t Go Into The Cellar theatre company present new adaptations of classic spinechillers, Wed 17 Thurs 18 Dec, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham ROBIN PUD William Brooks’ School Sixth Form present a brand new version of the Robin Hood legend, Wed 17 - Thurs 18 Dec, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire TWELFTH NIGHT OR WHAT YOU WILL Birmingham-based youth theatre Drama-Link present ‘a hilarious play suitable for all ages’ that’s based on Shakespeare’s famous comedy of mistaken identity, romance & shipwrecks, Wed 17 -

Sat 20 Dec, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham ALADDIN All & Sundry serve up a festive family treat, Wed 17 - Sun 21 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove MOTHER GOOSE Wed 17 Dec - Sun 4 Jan, Priory Theatre, Kenilworth, Warwickshire PETER PAN Playbox Christmas show featuring 'swashbuckling sword fights, music, dancing, wonderful characters & plenty of fairy dust', Thurs 18 Dec - Sun 4 Jan, The Dream Factory, Warwick UNCLE BEN'S FESTIVE BLOCK PARTY Join Uncle Ben, his friends and some very special guests for an evening of merriment and festive celebrations, Thurs 18 - Sun 21 Dec, The Drum, Birmingham THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS Distraction Theatre Company present the story of Miss Elizabeth Fairfax and her rather unusual Christmas of 1895, Fri 19 Dec, Bridge House

Theatre, Warwick VIENNA FESTIVAL BALLET - SNOW WHITE Fri 19 Sat 20 Dec, Evesham Arts Centre ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS Described as a Christmas show for all ages & tastes, Fri 19 Sat 20 Dec, Albany Theatre, Coventry JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Fri 19 DecSun 1 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS Distraction Theatre Company present a heartwarming tale based on the story of Saint Nicholas and his kind offerings, Sat 20 Dec, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick EMBRACED BURLESQUE Sat 20 Dec, Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton KEN DODD Sat 20 Dec, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES Sat 20 Dec Sat 3 Jan, Talisman Theatre, Coventry A CHRISTMAS CAROL Clive Francis brings Charles Dickens’ most famous characters to life. The first half of the performance sees Francis talk about Dickens’ first reading at the Town Hall and the author’s exploits in Birmingham, Sun 21

Rumpelstiltskin - Stratford Artshouse

Dec, Birmingham Town Hall THE CHRISTMAS BALLET Presented by the Amy Greaves School of Dance, Sun 21 Dec, Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull SLEEPING BEAUTY Sun 21- Tue 30 Dec, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock

Week Commencing

MON 22 DEC THE UGLY DUCKLING Sea Legs Puppet Theatre’s gentle musical adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale of belonging & identity, Mon 22 - Tues 23 Dec, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Wed 26 November, 7.30pm

Wed 3 December, 7.30pm

Tickets: £10/£8 concs

Tickets: £10/£8 concs

Tickets: £10/£8 concs

Tickets: £5.00

Fri 5 December, 7.30pm

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS The People's Theatre Company present a festive family production based on the ever-popular Christmas carol, Mon 22 Tue 30 Dec, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Presented by Blast From The Past, Mon 22 Dec, Lichfield Guildhall

Sun 14 December, 11am & 2pm

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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

TUESDAY 27 JANUARY

Westcountry folk singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist .

WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY

His darkest, most personal show yet.

Luckily, also his funniest.

THURSDAY 29 JANUARY

THE THREE DEGREES

The Legendary American female vocal group, formed in 1963 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

FRIDAY 30 JANUARY

Olivier Award winning OperaUpClose follow their hugely successful La Boheme & Tosca with Mozart's joyous The Marriage of Figaro.

Bursting with great tunes, laugh-out-loud comedy and powerful insights.

WEDNESDAY 4 - SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk SANTA'S LITTLE HELPER Festive family show blending music, puppetry and high-energy storytelling, Mon 22 Wed 24 Dec, Solihull Arts Complex THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA Stage adaptation of Judith Kerr's muchloved picture book for children, Tue 23 Dec Wed 14 Jan, Birmingham Town Hall TRES TRES CABARET Stafford's very own burlesque and cabaret

night. Strictly over-18s only, Sat 27 Dec, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre A CHRISTMAS CAROL Little English Theatre Company bring a new twist to Dickens' festive favourite, Sun 28 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove ALADDIN Family pantomime presented by DE Cavershill Theatre Company. Jonny Wilkes & Christian Patterson star, Sun 28 - Mon 29 Dec, Stoke Repertory

A Christmas Carol - Artrix, Bromsgrove

Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent DICK WHITTINGTON Traditional pantomime performed by Three Spires Musical Society, Sun 28 Dec - Sat 3 Jan, Albany Theatre, Coventry THE SNOW PRINCESS Amateur production presented by Limelight Theatre Company, Sun 28 Dec - Sat 3 Jan, Roses Theatre, Kidderminster

Week Commencing

MON 29 DEC AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND DANCE WITH BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET Wed 31 Dec, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

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

Warwickshire ALBANY THEATRE, COVENTRY 024 7601 6222

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

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

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

Horrible Christmas The Old Rep, Birmingham

A rapping King Charles II was the source of much hilarity in this festive offering from Birmingham Stage Company. An alternative to the traditional panto, Terry Deary’s Horrible Christmas provides a fun - and often participatory - way for younger audiences to learn about the origins of Christmas.

In modern-day England, when a young Watson Williams has his presents snatched from under the tree, he calls upon the help of super sleuth Shirley Holmes. Together, Watson and Holmes soon establish that the villains behind the crime are Sydney Clause and his Scottish sidekick Rudolph. Clause hates Christmas and is on a mission to change the course of history. And so, aided by a time-travelling scooter, Clause and Rudolph, with Watson and Holmes in hot pursuit, take us to numerous places: the home of Charles Dickens, where the author is suffering a literary block; the opulent surroundings of a blinged-up King Charles II; Oliver Cromwell’s puritan England; the palaces of Henry VIII, complete with a snorting Katherine Howard; the faraway shores where St Nicholas resides.

Horrible Christmas is very entertaining, even for older members of the audience. The performance of each of the eight-strong cast is excellent. Tom Jude’s amusing portrayals of all of the principal characters throughout history was perfect. His depiction of Charles II and Henry VIII had me in stitches - so much so, in fact, that I’d love to see the show all over again. It was certainly a great start to my festive season... Patsy Moss n n n n

Slava’s Snowshow Birmingham Hippodrome Slava’s Snowshow has been touring the world for around a decade now, so most of the riotous audience at Birmingham Hippodrome knew exactly what to expect - except me! Consequently I was literally blown away by it - by the wide-eyed magic, wonderful comedy and gale-force blizzard that swept through the stalls.

Half a century ago, Slava Polunin was famously turned down by the Leningrad Theatre Institute because his diction wasn’t up to scratch. Instead he turned himself into a Russian clown and mime artist. He and his troupe have never looked back. Now in worldwide demand, their UK Christmas tour began in Birmingham.

This is no circus slapstick show. It’s a comedy without words, a ballet without dance; a sequence of gently moving tableaux laden with grace, humour and pathos. Each idea creates diametrically contrasting emotions. I’d never seen anything quite like it.

A red-nosed, red-slippered, ageing clown walks on with a noose around his neck. He tugs and tugs at his long rope, trying to find the other end, only to discover that it too is a noose, fitted round the neck of another clown. You want to laugh and weep in the same moment. Gradually his gang of green gabardined fools arrive, wearing winged hats and huge, flapping feet. They move slowly about the stage with keen intent.

Every gesture generates a laugh. They are ridiculous, simple and elegant, as they gently toy with our imaginations. A red bedstead and white sheet becomes a ship, rolling roughly in a sea of smoke. Another clown, with his belly on a skateboard and a dark fin on his back, circles the shipmates, weighing up his lunch. It’s simultaneously sinister and hilarious. The show oscillates from tiny, bittersweet, solo vignettes to huge arena effects.

In a moment of sophisticated street theatre, Slava plays coyly with his own arm as if it belongs to a stranger. It’s a simple street artist stunt, but in the controlled environment of a proper theatre, its impact is side-splitting. And when he deigns to speak, it’s in completely comprehensible gibberish.

The big set-pieces really are big. What at first looks like a harmless wisp of candyfloss grows and grows until it envelops the entire audience in a white cobweb the size of Wembley. And when the blizzard finally comes - billowing ferociously off the stage right into our faces - it brings with it awe and joy. Chris Eldon Lee n n n n n

MummyJi Presents The REP, Birmingham Beauty Of The Beast The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome

Taking the theme of masculinity as its starting point, Beauty Of The Beast brings together theatre and dance to showcase ‘the many sides of men’.

It’s performed by an all-male cast of six.

Raising the curtain with a work of ballet, what was originally meant to be a pastiche poses questions about masculinity and femininity. Graceful yet powerful, is the artform really so soft?

Moving into an exploration of group dynamics, the ceremonies of initiation and, conversely, of alienation, hierarchy and public/private personas, the evolution of man is symbolised through clothing.

Breaking down barriers and challenging preconceived notions of what’s masculine, how men should act and what it means to be a man, Company Chameleon has here created a thought-provoking piece. Alev Dervish n n n n 42 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

This warm, British-Asian talent show was hosted by the bubbly MummyJi (Rina Fatania) and her hapless son, Pandesh (Divian Ladwa), from the comfort of ‘their own living room’. In no time at all, I too felt very much at home. Claiming that Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan had appeared to her in a dream, urging her to launch the show, MummyJi presented a production that made for a welcome and refreshing change from stale TV talent shows like The X Factor. I very much enjoyed watching the diverse acts - from classical Indian dancing to spoken performance art and even a comedy monologue.

Light relief was provided

by MummyJi’s attempts to find her son a wife she even asked female audience members about their marital status! The show broke with tradition by not announcing an overall winner. If I’d had to choose, the superb Giddha Sansaar dance troupe would have received my vote.

Malaka Chowdhury n n n

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Jasmin Vardimon Company Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Ten years after it was first staged, Jasmin Vardimon’s critically acclaimed PARK has been resurrected and refigured for a new generation. Bringing so much more to the stage than just contemporary dance, the production is set in an urban park in need of some care and attention. The narrative follows eight principial characters who frequent, live or work near to the park, which is under threat of development as we witness a property developer trying to persuade a Japanese businesswoman to invest.

A simple set comprising a fenced-off fountain with a mermaid on top, a row of benches, a lamppost and a bin is used to great effect throughout the performance, and could see PARK placed anywhere in the world.

Throughout the ninety-five-minute production, we get to meet a host of interesting characters. The opening performance introduces us to a bag lady with a penchant for twerking as she wields bundles of carrier bags around her robust frame. As the story unfolds, so does her character. Each new routine sees her gradually shed more layers of clothing until, finally, she morphs into a slimline form of sophistication.

A busker who loves to graffiti, a homeless man wanting to ‘share the love’, an ASBO boy who bullies his way through life, a chav girl who communicates through intimidation and a singing vamp who attempts to seduce anyone who crosses her path complete the line-up of characters, each of whom contribute in equal measure to the sheer magnificence of PARK. Comedy interspersed with choreographed routines set to an eclectic musical soundscape (ranging from Singin’ In The Rain to The Power Of Love and Popcorn) means there’s no shortage of surprises. There’s even a lighthearted rendition of Oh, I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside.

PARK is undoubtedly physical theatre at its very best. The dance, the comedy, the narrative and the performers are all first class. All in all, an excellent evening’s entertainment that I strongly recommend. Let’s just hope it comes to the region again soon!”. Patsy Moss n n n n n

Theatre WEST END Phill Jupitus to join Urinetown The Musical Never Mind The Buzzcocks frontman Phill Jupitus is to join the cast of Urinetown The Musical this month. Jupitus will play Caldwell B Cladwell in director Jamie Lloyd’s well-reviewed production. A social and political satire, Urinetown is set in a fictional future where water is scarce.

With the government having imposed a ban on all private toilets in order to control water consumption, spending a penny can be somewhat problematic...

Urinetown The Musical shows at the Apollo Theatre until 10 January.

Daniel Kitson and Cole Porter at the Old Vic Artistic Director Kevin Spacey has announced two new shows for his final season at the Old Vic. Revivals of Daniel Kitson’s Tree and Cole Porter’s High Society - the latter directed by Maria Friedman are highlights of the theatre’s programming for 2015.

First performed at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, Tree is described as a show about ‘dissent, commitment, two people and a tree’. Kitson will appear in the show alongside fellow comedian Tim Key. The production shows at the Old Vic from 5 to 31 January.

Cole Porter’s High Society, meanwhile, is the story of Long Island socialite Tracy Lord, whose plans for a lavish summer wedding are thrown into disarray when her ex-husband turns up and tries to win her back. Casting for High Society (30 April to 20 August) has yet to be announced.

Arthur Miller classic transfers to the West End The cast of the Young Vic’s A View From The Bridge is to remain with the production when it transfers to Wyndham’s Theatre next year. The Arthur Miller classic, a dark and passionate tale which confronts the American dream, has enjoyed rave reviews at the Young Vic, with Mark Strong receiving particular acclaim for his portrayal of Eddie Carbone. The production also stars Emun Elliot (Marco), Phoebe Fox (Catherine), Michael Gould (Alfieri), Luke Norris (Rodolpho) and Nicola Walker (Beatrice). A View From The Bridge shows at Wyndhams Theatre from 11 February until 11 April.

Songs From A Ledge Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham A theatre space the size of my living room was brought to sizzling life by three brilliant actors in this intimate production.

Transported back to 1920s New York, I was spellbound by the stormy life of vivacious blues singer Maria Linwood - played by Amy Kakoura, who also co-wrote the play. Her voice was stunning; her recollections of her past, hilarious. Her scenes were interjected with those of her great-granddaughter Anna (Jessica Duncan), who received from a distant relative a box of Maria’s memorabilia which transformed her life.

The strong script, excellent characterisations and wonderful, live music - performed by both the actors and talented musicians made me wish this show had found a wider audience. The delightful sets paved the way for an absorbing tale of familial estrangement and heartbreak. By the end, I truly loved the characters. An evocative evening filled with life, love and laughs.

Malaka Chowdhury nnnnn

Casting complete for Women On The Verge...

Land Girls actress Seline Hizli is to join Tamsin Greig, Haydn Gwynne and Anna Skellern in the forthcoming London production of Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown. Based on the original book by Pedro Almodóvar, Women On The Verge... is set in Spain in the late 1980s and follows the messy love lives of several women. Hizli, who stars as Marisa, has previously appeared in Jumpy at The Royal Court and The House Of Bernada Alba at the Almeida Theatre. Greig, who plays the central character of Pepa an actress and singer who struggles to deal with being dumped by her boyfriend - is well known from TV shows Green Wing, Episodes and Friday Night Dinner.

Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown opens at the Playhouse Theatre on 12 January and runs through to 9 May. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 43

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Film

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

From

FRI 26 DEC

Exodus: Gods And Kings CERT 12a (150 mins) Starring Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley, Hiam Abbass Directed by Ridley Scott (USA/UK/Spain)

Sir Ridley Scott calls this his biggest epic yet, which is some almighty claim (it was he who brought us 1492: Conquest Of Paradise, Gladiator and Kingdom Of Heaven). For those who don’t know their Bible, it’s a tale of sibling rivalry, namely between a lawgiver called Moses (Christian Bale) and his adopted brother Ramesses II (Joel Edgerton), a rather powerful pharaoh. There are also wars, plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. Please, this has got to be better than Darren Aronofsky’s Noah. We hope. Expect some CGI. In 3D.

TOP 5 FILM BOX OFFICE

1 Interstellar (12a) Imitation Game 2 The (12a) 3 Nativity 3 (U) 4 Mr. Turner (12a) 5 The Drop (15)

FROM

FRI 2 DEC 6

Big Eyes CERT tbc Starring Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Danny Huston, Krysten Ritter, Jason Schwartzman, Terence Stamp, Jon Polito Directed by Tim Burton (USA)

Any film from Tim Burton is an event but this one is trailing Oscar buzz in its wake - and it’s a fascinating story. This is the true tale of the impresario Walter Keane (Waltz) whose pictures of wide-eyed waifs became a marketing phenomenon in the 1950s. However, history relates that it was actually his wife Margaret (Adams), not Walter, who painted the pictures and when he refused to give her any credit, she took him to court. Originally Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Reynolds were in the frame to star, but when Burton took over as director there was a creative reshuffle. If Amy Adams snatches the Oscar nomination she is tipped to, it will be her sixth. Herr Waltz already has two (actual statuettes).

Interstellar

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Film NEW RELEASES Released from Fri 5 December

Penguins Of Madagascar CERT U (92 mins)

Featuring the voices of Jennifer Aniston, Mos Def, Isla Fisher, Will Forte, Tim Robbins, John Hawkes Directed by Simon J. Smith and Eric Darnell (USA)

Like the Nickelodeon TV series The Penguins Of Madagascar, this full-length feature is an off-shoot from DreamWorks’ Madagascar trilogy. This one features a lot of penguins and is a spy thriller (seriously) - with a lot of laughs. To secure the voice of Werner Herzog as narrator is definitely a coup. In 3D.

Black Sea CERT 15 (115 mins) Starring Jude Law, Scoot McNairy, Ben Mendelsohn, Jodie Whittaker Directed by Kevin Macdonald (UK)

For his Bafta-winning documentary Touching The Void (2003), Kevin Macdonald scaled the heights of the Peruvian Andes. Now he tackles the depths of the Black Sea, where Jude Law’s submarine captain goes in search of a sunken sub supposedly stacked with gold…

The screenplay is by the playwright Dennis Kelly, he who scripted Channel Four’s Utopia.

The Grandmaster CERT 15 (108 mins)

Get Santa CERT U (102 mins)

Starring Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan Directed by Wong Kar-wai (Hong Kong/China)

Starring Jim Broadbent, Rafe Spall, Kit Connor, Stephen Graham, Ewen Bremner, Jodie Whittaker Directed by Christopher Smith (UK)

Dedicated followers of Wong Kar-wai will probably adore The Grandmaster. It is such a Wong Kar-wai film that one aches in its exalted presence. With its exquisite lighting, atmospheric interiors, tight close-ups and elegiac, Morricone-esque score, the film sweeps one up and invites one to fall in love with its imagery.

The Grandmaster himself is one Ip Man (Leung), a martial arts maestro who perfected the horizontal/vertical combat of wing chun. Ip Man was a very real person - he went on to teach Bruce Lee - although this biography is more of a hallucinogenic tapestry of captions, voice-over and fights. On the combatant front, the film is no equal of Bruce Lee’s cinematic antics - let alone Jackie Chan’s - as the fight sequences are far too stylised to exhilarate or enthral. It’s just a symphony of exaggerated sound effects, musical riffs and impossibly balletic jumps. It’s odd, then, that this is one martial arts film that might actually be better without the martial arts.

St Vincent CERT 12a (102 mins) Starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Chris O'Dowd, Scott Adsit, Terrence Howard Directed by Theodore Melfi (USA)

Jack Nicholson was due to play the drunken, hedonistic, misanthropic war veteran St Vincent de Van Nuys, but Bill Murray is a damn good replacement. When St Vincent is recruited by his neighbour, Maggie (McCarthy), to look after her twelve-year-old son, he introduces the undersized boy to the joys of the strip club and the racetrack, among other things.

Men, Women & Children CERT 15 (120 mins)

Starring Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Ansel Elgort Directed by Jason Reitman (USA)

A hugely ambitious undertaking, this dramatic comedy follows the interlocking lives of a group of people whose worlds have been changed by the Internet and social networking. From the director of Juno, Up In The Air and Labor Day.

The Pyramid CERT 15 (89 mins) Starring Ashley Hinshaw, Denis O'Hare, James Buckley Directed by Grégory Levasseur (USA)

Hello Carter CERT U (92 mins) Starring Charlie Cox, Jodie Whittaker, Paul Schneider, Annabelle Wallis, Christian Cooke, Judy Parfitt Directed by Anthony Wilcox (UK)

A comedy-drama with a romantic heart, Hello Carter follows the hapless Carter (Cox) as he attempts to get his life back together.

He’s lost his job, he’s lost his home, but worst of all, he’s lost his girlfriend. Filmed in and around London.

46 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

For Santa read Father Christmas, even though this is a British comedy. So, Father Christmas (Jim Broadbent) is on the run from the police, crashes his sleigh and is then befriended by a nine-year-old boy (Connor) who wants to help his hero save Christmas. Incidentally, Chris Smith previously directed the extremely nasty Creep, Severance and Black Death. But this bears a U certificate.

What are those Egyptians like? All those curses.

Here a team of American archaeologists unearth a previously unknown pyramid, but once inside... Expect some gory imagery.

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Released from Fri 12 December

The Circle (Der Kreis) CERT 15 (102 mins)

Starring Matthias Hungerbühler, Sven Schelker, Marianne Sägebrecht, Stefan Witschi Directed by Stefan Haupt (Switzerland)

Ernst Ostertag and Röbi Rapp were the first same-sex couple to be married in Switzerland, back in 2003. Here, now in their eighties, they relate to camera how their relationship flourished in Zurich in 1956, at a time when adult homosexuality was not a criminal offence. In fact, as one talking head puts it, Zurich had “practically one leg in New York.” But things were to change, and The Circle details the backlash against the liberal ideal, with the younger Ernst and Röbi played by Matthias Hungerbühler and Sven Schelker in the dramatised bulk of the film. Unfortunately, Hungerbühler gives a somewhat wooden reading of Ernst, a portrayal that reflects the rather flat delineation of Stefan Haupt’s film. It seems a missed opportunity as the story contains all the true-life dramatic potential of Pride, but The Circle fails to either stir or excite.

From

FRI 12 DEC

Released from Fri 19 December

Night At The Museum: Secret Of The Tomb CERT tbc Starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Dan Stevens, Ben Kingsley, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Mickey Rooney Directed by Shawn Levy (USA)

The Face Of Love CERT 12a (90mins) Starring Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman, Jess Weixler Directed by Arie Posin (USA)

Annette Bening may be fifty-six, but there’s love in the air. She plays Nikki Lostrom, who has recently lost her husband. Then she meets - and connects with - a teacher and artist (Ed Harris) who bears an uncanny resemblance to her late spouse. The Israeli-born director Arie Posin previously brought us the slick, smart satire The Chumscrubber (2005).

After voicing Alex in Madagascar 3 and before embarking on Zoolander 2, Ben Stiller slipped in this sequel to Night At The Museum 2: Battle Of The Smithsonian. This time the former security guard Larry Daley embarks on a round-the-world trip in an effort to save the magic powers of The Tablet of Ahkmenrah. Sadly, this comic sequel was to be the last film for both Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney.

Lily O’Connor (Deyn) suffers from temporal lobe epilepsy and it is through her eyes - and hallucinations - that we follow her search for her long lost brother. Based on the novel by Ray Robinson, which was partly inspired by events in his own childhood. Filmed in and around London and Newcastle.

Previously known as The Hobbit: There And Back Again, the final instalment of the Hobbit trilogy now takes on a more militant subtitle.

And there’s a lot of battling. There’s not only a very grumpy Smaug (the dragon voiced by Cumberbatch) but the return of Sauron (Cumberbatch again) and his army of ferocious Orcs. It’s all too exciting. In 3D of course.

Released from Fri 26 December

Unbroken CERT 12a (tbc)

Dumb & Dumber To CERT tbc

Electricity CERT 15 (96 mins)

Starring Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom Directed by Peter Jackson (New Zealand/UK/USA)

Starring Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson, Miyavi, Garrett Hedlund, Jai Courtney Directed by Angelina Jolie (USA)

Starring Jim Carrey, Jeff Daniels, Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, Bill Murray Directed by Bobby Farrelly and Peter Farrelly (USA)

Starring Agyness Deyn, Christian Cooke, Paul Anderson, Alice Lowe, Lenora Crichlow, Tom Georgeson Directed by Bryn Higgins (UK)

The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies CERT tbc

Twenty years after Dumber And Dumber was released (almost to the day) and went on to gross $247million worldwide, we have the sequel.

Pedants will recall that there was a prequel (in 2003), but this is the first time that Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, now fifty-two and fifty-nine, respectively, have resurrected their characters of the cerebrally challenged morons Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne. Now they go on a road trip to find Harry’s daughter, who was given up for adoption. Think Philomena meets Rain Man - and prepare to be offended.

Louis ‘Louie’ Zamperini was quite a chap. An Olympic distance runner praised by Hitler, Zamperini was a survivor. When his plane crashed in the Pacific, he spent forty-seven days drifting on a raft before being picked up by the Japanese and then sent to a series of POW camps. Jack O’Connell (Starred Up, ’71) is said to be sensational as Zamperini, while such heavyweights as William Nicholson, Richard LaGravenese and Joel and Ethan Coen contributed to the screenplay.

Annie CERT PG (118 mins) Starring Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Cameron Diaz, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Directed by Will Gluck (USA)

Little Orphan Annie (Wallis) trusts the sun'll come out tomorrow when filthy-rich New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Foxx) turns up at her foster home. Of course, it’s a thinlyveiled campaign movie but Annie is no fool… No doubt we’ll be whistling the tunes when we leave the cinema. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 47

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Film A-Z LISTINGS All films are currently on general release unless otherwise stated. For full listing information, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk ‘71 15 An unstable British soldier is caught up in riots in Belfast in the year of the title. Stars Jack O’Connell.

Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, Mon 8 - Thurs 11 Dec

Alexander And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day PG The title pretty much sums up the gist of this Disney comedy about poor old eleven-year-old Alex(ander). It’s based on the 1972 children’s book

by Judith Viorst. Stars Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Mon 29 - Tues 30 Dec

Belle 12a Based on true events, this is the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a former slave who is brought up by her great uncle, the First Earl of Mansfield. Stars Mbatha-Raw. Showing at Stourbridge Town Hall , Mon 1 Dec

The Big Lebowski 15 "Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it. Starring Jeff Bridges, John Goodman.

Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Thurs 11 Dec Blade Runner: The Final Cut 15 Adapted from Philip K Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott’s science fiction masterpiece Blade Runner has gripped audiences and inspired passionate and fierce debate ever since its initial release in 1982. Stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer.

Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Sat 14 Dec

Book Of Life U Originally entitled Day Of The Dead, this animated musical-adventure concerns a hopeless romantic with a guitar and two

swords. However, in order to pursue his romantic dream, he has to manoeuvre two alternative worlds.

Stars Diego Luna, Zoe Saldana. Showing at Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 22 Weds 24 Dec

Chef 15 The story of a disgraced chef who starts up his own business running an eatery on wheels. Stars Jon Favreau. Showing at Stourbridge Town Hall , Mon 15 Dec

Dolphin Tale 2 U More true stories from the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida. The first film was rather sweet.

Stars Harry Connick, Jr. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 7 Dec

WATCH THE FILM T A TRAILERS k ve.co.u whatsonli

The Drop 15 Tom Hardy plays a Brooklyn bartender whose joint is used as a money-laundering operation for the local lowlife. Then things get personal… Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, until Thurs 4 Dec Effie Gray 15 Back in the 1850s, ‘Effie,’ the wife of the eminent art critic John Ruskin, met the Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais. The resultant affaire de cœur has been the subject of much speculation. Stars Dakota Fanning & Emma Thompson. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Mon 1 & Wed 3 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, until Fri 5 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 7 - Mon 8 Dec

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

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Fear Eats The Soul 15 An almost accidental romance is kindled between a German woman in her mid-sixties and a Moroccan migrant worker around twenty-five years younger. They abruptly decide to marry, appalling everyone around them.

Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Wed 10 Dec Fury 15 ‘Fury’ is the name of a Sherman tank and Brad Pitt is in command. It’s the last month of the war (the Second) and Pitt and his crew of five find themselves stuck behind enemy lines. And even though the Allies are mopping up all over Europe, Fury finds itself in dire straits as the full might of a Nazi backlash unleashes its, er, fury. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 6 Dec Get On Up 12a A biography of James Brown. Brown, of course, was the Godfather of Soul, and Get On Up chronicles his rise from poverty to celebrity. Stars Chadwick Boseman & Nelsan Ellis.

Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 6 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Mon 15 - Sun 21 Dec The Homesman 15 An unlikely Western, in which a man and woman team up to escort three mentally impaired women from Nebraska to Iowa.

From the 1988 novel by Glendon Swarthout. Stars Tommy Lee Jones & Hilary Swank. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sat 13 Thurs 18 Dec

Human Capital 15 A cyclist is hit by a jeep, and so the destinies of two families become irrevocably intertwined in a tricky social dance of status, money and ambition.

Stars Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Showing at Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Mon 1 - Wed 3 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 11 Dec

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 12a JLaw is back as Katniss Everdeen, and in her new role as Mockingjay - the symbol of hope for the persecuted districts of Panem - she must consolidate the divided in their FOREST ARTS CENTRE, WALSALL 01922 645 555

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fight against the Capitol.

Stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson. Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, until Thurs 4 Dec; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Thurs 18 - Sat 20 & Mon 22 Dec

I am Ali PG An intimate and heartwarming documentary looking at the man behind the legend - Muhammad Ali as he’s never been seen before. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 19 Sat 20 Dec

Ida 12a Poland 1962; orphaned novice nun Sister Anna is about to take her vows when she finds out that she was originally named Ida and is Jewish, so she goes on a search for the truth about her parents.

Stars Agata Kulesza.

Showing at Malvern Theatres, Thurs 11 Dec

The Imitation Game 12a Based on the biography Alan Turing: The Enigma

by Andrew Hodges, the film chronicles Turing’s part in winning the Second World War (by helping to crack the Nazi’s Enigma code) and then his criminal prosecution for being homosexual.

Stars Benedict Cumberbatch & Keira Knightley.

Showing at Malvern Theatres, until Thurs 4 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Sun 7 Dec; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, until Thurs 11 Dec; The Courtyard, Hereford, Fri 12 - Wed 17 Dec; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Sat 13, Mon15 - Thurs 18 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 28 - Sun 28 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Mon 29 Wed 31 Dec

Interstellar 12a A sci-fi tale of the journey undertaken by a group of astronauts through a wormhole. Think Gravity with more star names.

Stars Matthew McConaughey & Anne Hathaway. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, Fri 12 - Wed 17 Dec; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Mon 29 - Tues 30 Dec It’s A Wonderful Life U When selfless George Bailey attempts suicide on Christmas Eve he gains ODEON TELFORD 0871 224 4007 OMH SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299

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the attention of a guardian angel that shows him all the people whose lives George has touched and the difference he has made to his community.

Stars James Stewart & Donna Reed. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 19 Dec; mac, Birmingham, Sat 20 Tues 23 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 20 Tues 23 Dec; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Tues 23 Dec

Mr. Turner 12a Mr Turner seems to have been known by a number of names: Mr Mallord, Mr Booth, William, Billy and by posterity as J.M.W. Turner, arguably Britain’s greatest artist of all time.

Stars Timothy Spall. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, Fri 5 - Thurs 11 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 27 - Mon 29 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 27 - Tues 30 Dec

Jimi: All Is By My Side

The Muppet Christmas Carol U

12 A drama based on Jimi Hendrix's life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.

Stars André Benjamin & Imogen Poots. Showing at The Roses theatre, Tewkesbury, Wed 10 Dec

Joyeux Noel 12 The moment when World War One took a momentary backseat for Christmas. Stars Diane Kruger & Benno Furmann. Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Fri 5 Dec The Judge 15 Estranged from his family, top city lawyer Hank Palmer returns to the small town of Carlinville, in Indiana, for his mother's funeral. He then discovers that his father, the local judge, has been accused of murder… Stars Robert Downey Jr. & Robert Duvall. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Wed 10 - Thurs 11 Dec

La Belle Et La Bete PG Jean Cocteau's adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. When a merchant is told that he must die for picking a rose from the Beast's garden, his courageous daughter offers to go back to the Beast in her father's place. Stars Jean Marais & Josette Day. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 7 Dec Miracle On 34th Street U The mysterious Kriss Kringle is white-bearded department store Santa listening to the wish lists of toy-crazed kids, determined to prove he is in fact the genuine article.

Stars Richard Attenborough. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec ODEON TAMWORTH 0871 224 4007

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Michael Caine, surrounded by legions of fuzzy, felt puppets, plays it straight as the crotchety Ebenezer Scrooge, an old miser who couldn’t care less about Christmas and the joy the season brings.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sat 6 Dec; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Thurs 11 Dec

My Old Lady 12a This is all bit of a reunion for Kristin Scott Thomas as she has previously starred alongside both Kevin Kline and Maggie Smith. Here, she plays the old lady’s daughter, her mother being the sole occupant of a Parisian apartment inherited by a New Yorker. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 5 - Thurs 11 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 5 - Fri 12 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 21 - Tues 23 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 26 - Sun 28 Dec; The Courtyard, Hereford, Fri 26 - Tues 30 Dec; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Mon 29 - Tues 30 Dec

Nativity! U Primary school teacher Paul Maddens is being charged with the biggest challenge of his life - directing the school's musical version of the Nativity, competing against the posh local school for the honour of best reviewed show in town. Stars Martin Freeman & Pam Ferris.

Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Sat 6 Dec

Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey? U Following in the skid marks of Nativity! (2009) and Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (2012), comes this third instalment featur-

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ing the loose canon that is Mr Poppy, whom the students of St Bernadette's adore. Stars Martin Clunes & Marc Wootton. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 12 - Thurs 18 Dec; Wem Town Hall, Fri 19 - Sun 21 Dec; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 19 - Sat 20 & Tues 23 Dec; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Mon 22 Wed 24 Dec

Northern Soul 15 An authentic, uplifting drama about two friends whose horizons are expanded forever by their discovery of black American soul music, with supporting turns from Steve Coogan, Lisa Stansfield &Ricky Tomlinson amongst others. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 20 Dec The Other Woman 12a It’s hard to imagine any man double-dealing Cameron Diaz, but this is the case in this revenge comedy. Also stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Fri 5 Dec Our Currency Is Information The first episode of the documentary film series exposing the Invisible which shows methods for investigating corruption and organised crime.

Showing at The Drum, Birmingham, Thurs 4 Dec

Paddington tbc A film about the loveable bear with a penchant for marmalade. Stars Hugh Bonneville &Sally Hawkins.

Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 19 Wed 24 Dec; The Courtyard, Hereford, Sat 20 Wed 31 Dec; mac, Birmingham, Fri 26 - Wed 31 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 27 - Wed 31 Dec

Say When 15 When Megan is proposed to by her long-term boyfriend, she panics and hangs out with sixteenyear-old Annika instead.

Then she meets Annika’s rather cute dad. Stars Keira Knightley & Sam Rockwell.

Showing at The Roses Theatre, Thurs 18 Dec Serena 15 George Pemberton is a tycoon who moves from Boston to Depression-Era North Carolina to build a timber empire. Initially met with hostility by the locals, his wife, Serena soon proves that she can hold her own. But then a secret

from George’s past threatens to undermine their union... Stars Jennifer Lawrence & Bradley Cooper. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Thurs 4 Dec; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Mon 8 Thurs 11 Dec; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 16 - Thurs 18 Dec

Set Fire To the Stars 15 Taking its title from the last line of Dylan Thomas’s ‘'Love in the Asylum,' this is the story of the Welsh poet’s first visit to America.

Elijah Wood plays the literary critic and aspiring poet John Malcolm Brinnin who brings Thomas along - and has to suffer the consequences. Stars Elijah Wood & Celyn Jones.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, until Tues 2 Dec The Shop Around The Corner U Two employees at a gift shop can barely stand one another, without realising that they're falling in love through the post as each other's anonymous pen pal. Stars Margaret Sullavan & James Stewart.

Showing at Wem Town Hall, Thurs 4 Dec

terviews and a wealth of rare and never before seen archive, Still the Enemy Within draws together personal experiences – whether they’re tragic, funny or terrifying – to take the audience on an emotionally powerful journey through the dramatic events of that year.

Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Tues 2 Dec

Times And Winds 15 Turkish director Reha Erdem's sumptuously composed fourth feature looks at childhood life in a rural village on a mountain overlooking the sea is the incubator for an examination of that pain as experienced through the eyes of three very different children. Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 5 Dec This Is Where I Leave You 12a The comedic story of four siblings who return to their childhood home following the death of their father.

Stars Jason Bateman & Tina Fey. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, until Mon 1 Dec

Still the Enemy Within

Twenty Feet From Stardom 12a

15 In 1984, a conservative government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war on Britain’s unions. Using in-

A wonderfully exuberant tribute to the fabulous backing singers who worked on classic albums through the 60s & 70s.

Millions loved their voices

but no one even knew their names. Starring Darlene Love & Lisa Fischer.

Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 19 Dec

The Two Faces Of January 12a Rydal, a tour guide shows an American couple around the Acropolis of Athens. But Rydal is not all he seems and neither, for that matter, is his new friend Chester MacFarland. Stars Viggo Mortensen & Kirsten Dunst. Showing at The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Mon 1 Dec; Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 2 Dec

Violette 15 Impoverished and unloved Violette Leduc meets Simone de Beauvoir in post war Saint-Germaindes-Prés. An intense lifelong relationship develops between the two women authors, based on Violette’s quest for freedom through writing and on Simone’s conviction that she holds in her hands the destiny of an extraordinary writer. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, Mon 1 - Thurs 4 Dec Withnail & I 15 A modern classic that follows the (mis) fortunes of Withnail and friend as they attempt to escape their squalid Camden flat for an holiday in the countryside.

However, their limited survival skills are tested by the lack of food, bad weather, an over amorous Uncle and a shared fixation for illegal substances.

Stars Richard E. Grant & Paul McGann. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Tues 16 - Thurs 18 Dec

What We Did On Our Holiday 12a When Abi and Doug are invited to the Scottish Highlands for the birthday of Doug’s father, they are determined to keep their impending divorce a secret. Stars Rosamund Pike & David Tennant.

Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Sat 6 & Mon 8 Dec; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Tues 9 & Fri 19 Dec

Winter Sleep 15 In Palme d'Or winner Winter Sleep, Aydin, a former actor, runs a small hotel in central Anatolia with his young wife Nihal with whom he has a stormy relationship and his sister Necla who is suffering from her recent divorce. In winter as the snow begins to fall, the hotel turns into a shelter but also an inescapable place that fuels their animosities… Stars Haluk Bilginer & Melisa Sözen. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 12 - Mon 15 Dec; Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Sat 6 - Thurs 11 Dec

DVD NEW RELEASES The Congress 15

The Inbetweeners 2 15

The story of an ageing Hollywood beauty 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.’

Stars Robin Wright and Harvey Keitel.

Released 8 December

Having wreaked havoc in Crete, Jay Cartwright (Buckley) goes on a gap year in Australia and invites along his sex-mad, half-witted friends. Stars Simon Bird, James Buckley and Blake Harrison.

Released 8 December

The Nut Job U The nuts in question are those prized by squirrels in the fictional town of Oakton, where the selfcentred Surly is forced to reconsider the value of the greater good. With the voices of Will Arnett and Brendan Fraser.

Released 8 December

The Expendables 3 12a After Conrad Stonebacks (Mel Gibson) survived Expendables 2 so Barney must now recruit a new band of younger Expendables to help him finish the job. Stars Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham.

Released 8 December

Lucy 12a

Million Dollar Arm PG This “inspirational” truelife drama from Disney includes both cricket and Major League baseball, as the sports agent J. B. Bernstein tries to recruit Indian cricketers to play baseball in America.

Stars Jon Hamm and Suraj Sharma.

Released 15 December

Lucy is a drug mule whose body is permeated by a drug she is carrying, which boots her brain power to superhuman proportions, so she turns on the gangsters who have been exploiting her.

Stars Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman.

Released 29 Dec

Sin City 2: A Dame To Kill For 18 Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller’s visually stunning graphic

novels back to the screen. Weaving together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales, some of Sin City's most hard-boiled citizens cross paths with a few of its more reviled inhabitants. Stars Jessica Alba.

Released 15 December

Into The Storm

Sex Tape 15

12a

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.

Released 15 December

Cameron Diaz and Jason Segal team up again with director Jake Kasdan.

This time they play a married couple whose private sex tape ends up in cyber space.

Released 26 December

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Visual Arts Last Post: Remembering The First World War Coalbrookdale Gallery, Ironbridge, Shropshire, until Fri 27 March

Curated by the British Postal Museum & Archive (BPMA) in partnership with the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, Last Post explores the effect of the Great War on the Post Office and its people, as well as explaining the contribution of postal communications to the war effort.

“The First World War Centenary is an opportunity to reflect on the impact that this cataclysmic conflict had upon everyone, not just those fighting on the Front Line,” says Dr Adrian Steel, Director of BPMA. “Few organisations had a greater role to play, or a greater impact, over the five years of hostilities than the British postal service.”

The exhibition encompasses a variety of themes.

Alongside its presentation of objects of military and postal importance, it also includes stories from a Shropshire perspective.

Art Of The Troubles Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Fri 27 February

No fewer than fifty artists have contributed to this thought-provoking exhibition, which takes a look at the ways in which the Troubles in Northern Ireland have impacted on modern-day society.

“Art Of The Troubles is not designed to be either a historical or comprehensive account of all that happened during the Troubles,” explains Dr Jim McGreevy, Director of Collections & Interpretation for National Museums Northern Ireland. “We are conscious of the unresolved legacy of the Troubles and continuing sensitivities in our community. The exhibition offers avenues for exploring the ways in which the Troubles have been viewed by a range of artists, and for reflecting upon the manifestations and impact of violence and division in our community.”

The exhibition features a wide range of works and includes paintings, drawings, photographs and sculpture.

Black Sheep: The Dark Side Of Felt Bilston Craft Gallery, Sat 6 December - Sat 31 January

“There are some fascinating pieces of work in Black Sheep that let you see beyond felt’s fuzzy reputation,” says Bilston Craft Gallery Exhibitions Officer Carrie Slawinska. “It’s amazing what can be created from the material - and with such a long history, it makes you realise just how versatile felt truly is.” Items on show include teddy bear skulls, seamless show-stopping garments, animal-based headwear and sculptural forms.

Darren Banks: The Raven New Art Gallery, Walsall, Thurs 4 December - Sun 26 April

The extraordinary life of 1960s disc jockey Mike Raven is here explored by the highly rated Darren Banks.

Pirate radio and Radio One star Raven, whose real name was Churton Fairman, dabbled with various artforms during his career. An aspiring ballet dancer and photographer, he later became a horror film actor and starred alongside Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.

A 1970s epiphany led him to become a sheep farmer and woodcarver on Bodmin Moor where, following his death in 1997, he was buried in a grave that he’d dug himself.

Banks’ homage to Raven not only explores many facets of the latter’s life but does so within the context of the New Art Gallery’s collections - a process which requires the reframing of historic and contemporary art and sculpture. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 51

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VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Further exhibitions

Empire By Jon Tonks mac, Birmingham, until Sun 4 January

West Midlands-born photographer Jon Tonks’s fascinating exhibition is the end product of a sixty thousand-mile journey, during which he used four hundred rolls of film, caught twenty-four flights and spent thirtytwo days at sea. Jon’s travels saw him exploring life on four remote islands in the South Atlantic, all of which are relics of the once-formidable British Empire - the British Overseas Territories of Ascension Island, Tristan da Cunha, the Falkland Islands and St Helena. Photographing the people and landscapes, and recording traces of the past which he found embedded within each territory, Jon is eager to point out that his motivation for the project was neither political nor nostalgic. Instead it arose from his curiosity about the lives of these distant yet still firmly British lands.

Enchanted Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge, until Sat 4 Jan

Mystical artworks depicting elusive fairies and soulful pieces celebrating the origins of Christmas feature in this delightful exhibition, which explores ‘the magic and wonder of the festive season’. Enchanted has been mounted by Red House Glass Cone’s studio artists and features jewellery, ceramic, glass and lino-cut prints, with pieces including glassfused Christmas wreaths, hand-fused Christmas trees on cards and paintings of local scenes.

“The made@the cone studio artists have pulled out all the stops for their annual showcase,” says Councillor Hilary Bills, cabinet member for environment and culture. “The Enchanted exhibition embraces the spirit of Christmas and the traditions of Yule to create some truly original pieces of work.”

Static: Still Life Reconsidered Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, until Wed 31 December

Las chanct to seee

Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Howard Hodgkin, Henry Moore and Jim Dine are just some of the renowned artists whose work features in this exhibition at the Museum & Art Gallery’s Waterhall Gallery. Comprising fifty artworks from Birmingham’s collection from the 1800s to the present day, Static brings together a broad range of disciplines and artistic responses, at the same time opening a discussion about the genre of still life in its broadest sense.

Three new contemporary exhibits, Land Of Milk And Honey II - from the late West Bromwich artist Donald Rodney - and Snacks 4 and London Oyster Shells (from young artist Jess Flood-Paddock) are showcased in the exhibition.

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ECHO Exhibition of paintings by London-based artists, with audio accompaniment from Birmingham-based musicians, until Fri 5 Dec, Stryx, Digbeth, Birmingham SUSAN PHILIPSZ - BROKEN ENSEMBLE: WAR DAMAGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (BRASS SECTION) New site-specific work from Turner Prize-winning artist Susan Philipsz, which promises to fill the gallery with the sounds of instruments damaged in World War One, until Sat 6 Dec, Eastside Projects, Birmingham OLD HILL UPRISING Exhibition of paintings

by Sandwell-based Polish artist Rafal Zar, until Sat 6 Dec, Eastside Projects, Birmingham MILLION WOMEN RISE EXHIBITION Highlighting some of what the MMR has done over the years, until Wed 10 Dec, Library Of Birmingham SOUND AND SILENCE EXHIBITION Exploring the experience of prayer & contemplation amongst Birmingham’s six major faith groups, until Sat 13 Dec, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery ALL FIRED UP Exhibition of work created by members of Region 4 from the Guild of Enamellers, until Sat 13 Dec, Bilston Craft Gallery MOUNTAIN, MOOR AND MOONLIGHT Cleone Abbs’ artwork reflects her attempts to bring inner and outer worlds into new and unexpected relationships, until Sat 13 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Birmingham JIM SIMPSON’S PHOTOGRAPHY RETROSPECTIVE Exhibition which looks at the many and varied photographs that the artist produced back in the sixties, during which time he caught on camera such stars as The Rolling Stones, Little Richard & Black Sabbath, until Sat 27 Dec, Havill & Travis, Harborne, Birmingham SENSING SCULPTURE Featuring new sculptures alongside old favourites, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery DUDLEY SOCIETY OF ARTISTS until Wed 31 Dec, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery DEER PARK DUDLEY Archaeological exhibition, until Wed 31 Dec, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery BOULTON PAUL Former employees of the British Aircraft manufacturer showcase their knowledge of the industry, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery CRAFTSENSE Exploring three hundred years of craft through fine historic examples of applied arts produced in the Black Country, including the famous Bilston enamels, until Wed 31 Dec, Bilston Craft Gallery TURNING ‘AGES EXHIBITION Installation & exhibition which comments on our connection with the written word, until Wed 31 Dec, Library of Birmingham VOICES OF WAR EXHIBITION The experiences of men on the Front, the impact of war on children, the contribution of Black & Asian soldiers,

and the role of women on the Home Front are among the themes explored in this enlightening WWI exhibition, until Wed 31 Dec, Library of Birmingham STATIC: STILL LIFE RECONSIDERED Exhibition comprising fifty artworks from Birmingham’s collection from the 1800s to the present day, until Wed 31 Dec, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery NEIL HARRIS People’s Prize Winner 2013 whose work is inspired by fantasy, the mythical and the extinct, until Fri 2 Jan, Newcastle Museum & Art Gallery, Newcastle-under-Lyme MADE AT MAC: JEWELLERY EXHIBITION Featuring work created under the watchful eye of artist-tutor Nick Greenhough, until Sun 4 Jan, mac, Birmingham JON TONKS: EMPIRE Series of photographs which come together to tell the story of life on four remote islands in the South Atlantic, until Sun 4 Jan, mac, Birmingham CHRISTMAS CRAFTS & CONTEMPORARY PRINTS until Sun 4 Jan, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford WEST INDIES TO WEST MIDLANDS Photographic exhibition by rising Birmingham-based documentary photographer Inés Elsa Dalal, until Thurs 8 Jan, The Drum, Birmingham AFTER THE GOLDRUSH An exhibition of work by Stephen Boyd made in response to the finding and conservation of the Staffordshire Hoard, until Fri 11 Jan, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery B(U)Y ME! FOR CHRISTMAS Exhibition of handmade festive gifts from local & national designer makers, until Fri 11 Jan, Newcastle Museum & Art Gallery, Newcastle-under-Lyme ‘DEGENERATE ART’

German expressionist art from the Barber Collection, including early twentieth century prints by celebrated artists Max Beckmann, George Grosz & Egon Schlele, until Sun 11 Jan, The Barber Institute, Birmingham MARTIN PARR: BLACK COUNTRY STORIES Photographic portrait & archive of life in the Black Country, until Sun 11 Jan, New Art Gallery, Walsall USEFUL OR BEAUTIFUL CRAFT EXHIBITION Curated selection of contemporary craft for sale, until Sat 17 Jan, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham THE MAKING OF MORDOR Exhibition exploring the links between JRR Tolkien’s depiction of his fantasy region and the industrial Black Country of the 1900s, presented alongside more contemporary responses, until 17 Jan, Wolverhampton Art Gallery THE NAKED AND THE NUDE Works made between 1500 and 1914 by, among others, Durer, Rembrandt and Matisse are featured in this striking exhibition of images portraying the unclothed human figure, until Sun 18 Jan, The Barber Institute, Birmingham WHEN SANTA CAME TO THE FACTORY Exhibition which brings together childhood memories with nostalgic photographs to focus on the hugely popular Christmas parties organised by the region’s factories & their workforce, until Sun 18 Jan, Bantock House, Wolverhampton A MODERN NARRATIVE Exhibition of contemporary painting & drawing

by Kate Bainbridge & Genevieve Belgard, until Fri 23 Jan, The Bond Cafe Gallery, Birmingham REBEL VISIONS Groundbreaking exhibi-

THE ARTIST AND THE CITY A collaborative exhibition celebrating Stoke’s status as a creative hub, until Sat 13 Dec, Airspace Gallery, Stokeon-Trent HIDDEN WATERS Exhibition by Bob Levene about water, sewage & maps, until Sat 20 Dec, Ort Gallery, Balsall Heath, Birmingham BIRMINGHAM AND BEYOND Featuring contributions from numerous highly acclaimed honorary RBSA members, notably David Carpanini, Ken Howard, HRH the Prince of Wales and John Salt, until Wed 24 December, RBSA Gallery,

Rebel Visions - The Barber Institute, Birmingham

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VisualArts LISTINGS For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk tion exploring the work of British war artist Richard Nevinson, until Sun 25 Jan, The Barber Institute, Birmingham JULIAN OPIE The last in a series of five exhibitions to be presented in Ikon’s Tower Room as part of the gallery’s birthday celebrations, until Sun 25 Jan. Ikon Gallery, Birmingham IMRAN QURESHI Featuring an array of gold and blood-red miniature paintings depicting people, blossoms, colours, rain, leaves and abstract forms, until Sun 25 Jan, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham ANDY GARBI: SHADOWS & DUST Using music, photography and video, the artist explores ‘spirit of place’ through audiovisual works that contain within them the ‘DNA’ of the Newman Bros factory before changes occurred through its renovation, until Fri 30 Jan, Newman Brothers at the Coffin Works, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

POP EUROPE! until Sat 7 Feb, Wolverhampton Art Gallery WEST MIDLANDS OPEN Biennial public art exhibition featuring work by both professional and amateur artists from all disciplines, until Sun 15 Feb, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery THE ARTIST AND THE CITY A collaborative exhibition celebrating Stoke’s status as a creative hub, until Sun 22 Feb, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent ART OF THE TROUBLES Major new exhibition featuring artists’ responses to the troubles in Northern Ireland, until Fri 27 Feb, Wolverhampton Art Gallery THE JEWELLERY QUARTER DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR Exhibition of artefacts, images and oral histories relating to the recruitment of soldiers from the Jewellery Quarter, until Sat 27 June, The Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham 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, until Sun 26 July, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery FAITHFUL FRIENDS PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION A body of work documenting friendships formed & deepened through the Near Neighbours programme in Birmingham, Mon 1 Sun 14 Dec, Library of Birmingham DARREN BANKS: THE RAVEN A body of work inspired by the legacy of Churton Fairman better known by his alias, Mike Raven, Thurs 4 Dec - Sun 26 Apr, New Art Gallery, Walsall BLACK SHEEP: THE DARK SIDE OF FELT Exploration of the edgier side of felt in an exhibition curated by textile artist & felt maker Laura Mabbutt, Sat 6 Dec - Sat 31 Jan, Bilston Craft Gallery VAL PITCHFORD RBSA Val explores the small, and very small, format

through abstract landscapes, still life and flower paintings, Mon 29 Dec - Sat 28 Feb, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham ROBERT HAND ARBSA Solo show featuring a combination of handbuilt raku & pit-fired

ceramics, Mon 29 Dec Sat 7 Mar, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham JUNE DUDLESTON RBSA Exhibition exploring landscape scenes over the changing seasons, Mon 29 Dec - Sat 14 Feb, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham

START Featuring works

by RBSA Members & Associates. All works on show are for sale, priced £200 or under, Tues 30 Dec - Sat 7 Feb, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham

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

For more visual arts listings, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 53

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Events

Santa’s Winter Wonderland Snowdome, Tamworth, Staffs, until Wed 31 December A brand new adventure-packed stage show awaits festive-season visitors to this popular Staffordshire destination. Santa’s on a mission to find a new apprentice for his Winter Wonderland stage show, and everyone needs to play their part in helping him decide who to hire.

Suitable for all age groups, the Winter Wonderland Show is just part of the festive fun on offer at Tamworth’s snowy indoor attraction. A safe environment ensures visitors are able to play and slide in real

snow as they explore Santa’s Christmas snow trail, take a walk through the enchanted forest, enjoy a game of snowballs and hitch a ride on a sledge.

The less adventurous, meanwhile, can observe the snow action as they amble along the promenade walkway. There’s even an animal village, where you can meet Santa’s reindeer and say hello to some of his furry friends.

Continental Circus Berlin On Ice Star City, Birmingham, Thurs 18 December - Sat 3 January

After delighting audiences across the world, Continental Circus Berlin this month lands in the Midlands with a glittering show that combines ice artistry, circus skills and illusions. Ice dancers, trapeze artists, contortionists, comedians and magicians all feature in this highenergy production, which is presented within a brand new state-of-the-art (and heated!) luxury big top.

Festive Weekends Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 6 - Sun 7 & Sat 13 - Sun 14 December

Plenty of Victorian festive cheer is on offer at Shropshire’s Blists Hill museum this month, as residents busy themselves with preparations for Christmas. Visitors to the award-winning site can watch some of the seasonal entertainment on offer - including Punch & Judy, a mini performance of Little Red Riding Hood, a magician and carol singing. New for 2014, Blists Hill is offering a series of family workshops in the site’s Engine Shed. Here, children will be able to have a go at printing Christmas cards, making paper chain decorations, writing letters to Father Christmas and taking part in fun quizzes and fascinating Christmas facts. And just in case all that’s not enough to ensure your youngsters are happily entertained, Father Christmas himself - together with his reindeer - will be on hand to hear some last-minute present requests. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 55

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Events PREVIEWS Antiques For Everyone NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 4 - Sun 7 December

Antiques For Everyone is one of the largest events of its kind in the UK - and with items ranging from as little as £10 (up to £100,000 for the more serious collectors), it provides a perfect environment in which to pick up some unusual Christmas gifts.

Collectables on show at the event include antique and decorative furniture, treen, ceramics, kitchenalia, silver, glass, jewellery, works of art, arms and armour, maps, dolls and bears.

Taking centre-stage at this latest fair is a display of silverware from the Soldiers Of Gloucester Museum, including trophies, medals and flags from one of the British Army's most battle-honoured units, the Gloucestershire Regiment.

The event also features more than two hundred-and-fifty stall holders. Antiques For Everyone favourites Judith Miller and Mark Hill will be on hand to offer hints and tips on what’s hot and what’s not.

Victorian Christmas Evenings Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Fri 19 - Tues 23 December

Providing a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, these traditional festive evenings at Dudley’s award-winning living history museum promise plenty of Christmas cheer. Entertainment is provided courtesy of brass bands, street performers and carols singers - and there’s even a fairytale panto with a Black Country twist from the museum’s resident performers, Fizzog Productions.

Mulled wine and roasted chestnuts, a food & craft market and the chance to visit Santa by the fireside provide even more reasons to experience this always-popular event.

Clothes Show Live NEC, Birmingham, Fri 5 - Tues 9 December

Featuring more than five hundred leading fashion and beauty brands, non-stop catwalk shows, makeovers, manicures, beauty demonstrations and style advice, it’s little wonder that Clothes Show Live is described as ‘the hottest ticket on the fashion calendar’. The award-winning ALCATEL ONETOUCH Fashion Theatre is the place to see hot new girl band Neon Jungle, British music talent Jetta, onscreen favourite Rick Edwards, fashion designer Henry Holland and the cheekiest chap in Chelsea, Jamie Laing. Meanwhile, over at the Olympus PEN Designer Catwalk, British journalist Hilary Alexander OBE presents an exclusive trend show featuring iconic designer Zandra Rhodes. Other features include: Model Masterclasses - thirty-minute tutorials led by an industry expert; the Image Catwalk showcasing influential and contemporary collections from emerging talent and graduate designers; and the THX Total Hair Experts Paparazzi Pen - where visitors can have the ultimate celebrity selfie with their favourite TV & music stars, set against a branded Clothes Show Live wall.

Christmas At Sandwell Park

Santa Safari

Sandwell Park Farm, Sat 13 - Sun 14 December

Hawkstone Park, Weston-under-Redcastle, Shropshire, Fri 5 - Sun 7 December; Fri 12 Sun 14 December & Tues 16 - Tues 23 December

The big-bearded gent with a sackful of presents is just one of the attractions families can enjoy at Sandwell Park Farm this Christmas.

St Nick is in residence throughout the month, but is particularly keen for visitors to join him on the 13th and 14th for a special Christmas Fayre, complete with carol singers, brass and jazz bands, and a choir. Free children’s activities also feature, while a craft fair provides a perfect opportunity to purchase presents aplenty for family and friends. Festive food, including a hog roast, ensures a rumbling stomach won’t distract from the feast of entertainment on offer.

The North Pole’s most famous resident comes to North Shropshire this month, with Hawkstone Park Follies once again transformed into a Santa Safari experience. A trip through the site’s ‘mystical woodland’ leads the way to a hillside grotto, where a Wishing Arch marks the entrance to a network of fairy-lit caverns and tunnels. It’s here that Santa, his elves and reindeer will reside in the run-up to Christmas. For visitors wishing to make more of their day at Hawkstone Park, refreshments, mince pies and a full festive menu are on offer at the on-site hotel.

Winter Skate Centenary Square, Birmingham, until Sun 5 January

Oswestry Christmas Live

Returning to Centenary Square for a second year, Winter Skate provides a perfect opportunity for wannabe Torvill and Deans to try out their skating skills on an Olympic-sized outdoor ice rink. Perfect for the lead-up to Christmas, it provides an ideal accompaniment to Birmingham’s well-established Frankfurt Market.

Oswestry, North Shropshire, Fri 5 December

Widely regarded as one of north Shropshire’s largest festive celebrations, Oswestry Christmas Live features fairground rides, live music and roaming street entertainers. The return of a synthetic ice rink in Festival Square is certain to delight those in search of a bit of gentle exercise. Meanwhile, the indoor market not only offers the chance to shop for late-night bargains but also houses Santa’s Grotto.

A massive firework display (from 9pm) brings this year’s event to a close. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 57

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

MON 1 DEC FRANKFURT CHRISTMAS MARKETS The largest outdoor market in the country, featuring a wide range of traditional handmade toys, art, and items from throughout the world, until Mon 22 Dec, Birmingham City Centre WINTER WONDERLAND Visit Santa in his log cabin, walk through Ice Mountain, take a spin on the Winter Carousel and Sleigh Ride, until Tues 23 Dec, Wonderland, Telford, Shropshire THE SHROPSHIRE SANTA EXPERIENCE until Wed 24 Dec, Park Hall Countryside Experience, Oswestry, North Shropshire CHRISTMAS AT RAYS FARM See baby Jesus in the donkey’s stable with Mary, Joseph, the Three Kings and Wise Men, until Wed 24 Dec, Rays Farm Country Matters, Bridgnorth,

Shropshire WINTER SKATE Providing a perfect opportunity for wannabe Torvill & Deans to try out their skills on an Olympicsize outdoor ice rink, until Sun 5 Jan, Centenary Square, Birmingham THE RAGLEY SNOW BALL Mon 1 Dec, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire THE BIRTHPLACE LIGHT SHOW Celebrate Christmas with the Birthplace lightshow and garden illumination, Mon 1 - Sun 14 Dec, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon FESTIVE FEASTS Mon 1 Fri 19 Dec, St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry FESTIVE OUTDOOR AND CRAFTY FUN Mon 1 Mon 22 Dec, Brandon Marsh Nature Centre, Coventry SANTA SAFARI Enjoy a four-mile drive-through safari. See cheetahs, lions and elephants and meet Santa too!

Mon 1 - Wed 24 Dec, West Midland Safari Park, Bewdley TRENTHAM FAIRY TRAIL

Mon 1 Dec - Wed 24 Dec, Trentham Gardens, Staffs CHRISTMAS POTTERY PAINTING Mon 1 Dec Wed 24 Dec, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent SANTA'S WINTER WONDERLAND Explore Santa’s Christmas snow trail, take a walk through the enchanted forest, enjoy a game of snowballs and hitch a ride on a sledge, Mon 1 - Wed 31 Dec, The Snowdome, Tamworth EXPERIENCE CHRISTMAS AT WORCESTER CATHEDRAL Enjoy a family trail around the east end of the Cathedral, Mon 1 Dec - Tues 6 Jan, Worcester Cathedral SCIENCE OF SOUND Mon 1 Dec - Fri 5 June 2015, Symphony Hall, Birmingham LUNCHTIME TALK: THE FACTORY CHRISTMAS PARTY Illustrated talk linked to the exhibition When Santa Came To The Factory, Tues 2 Dec, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Drop-in sessions where participants use the technique known as tube lining to decorate their very own tile to take home, Tue 2 Dec, Jackfield Tile Museum,

Oswestry Christmas Live, North Shropshire

Shropshire DASH ART EXPRESS WORKSHOP Tues 2 Dec, The Hive, Shrewsbury SONGS FOR THE CITY Tues 2 Dec, Lichfield Cathedral POP EUROPE! SYMPOSIUM Symposium addressing the issues concerning the geographical confinement of Pop Art, Tues 2 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Tues 2 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Worcester ART BUS! GALLERIES NIGHT Birmingham's Art Bus is back on the road this month, transporting art lovers between the city’s various galleries,

Wed 3 Dec, mac, Birmingham VOICES OF WAR EXHIBITION GUIDED TOURS Wed 3 Dec, Library Of Birmingham MAKE A CHRISTMAS PLANTER Wed 3 Dec, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire FREE RADIO STAGE Enjoy festive music and entertainment from Free Radio, Wed 3 Dec, Civic Centre 4, Coventry SANTA AND STEAM Celebrate the festive season with a nostalgic steam ride through Staffordshire’s most idyllic valley, Wed 3 Dec, Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall,

Staffordshire CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL Wed 3 - Sun 7 Dec, St Marys Church, Stafford CHRISTMAS AT ARLEY ARBORETUM Wed 3 Sun 7 Dec, Arley Arboretum, Worcester CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS A rare opportunity to see the house decorated for a Georgian Christmas. Hear tales of how the season was celebrated over two hundred years ago, Thurs 4 Dec, Soho House, Birmingham GRUESOME AND GHOSTLY TOURS Hear about the ghosts that haunt the streets and houses of Lichfield, Thurs 4 Dec,

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Lichfield City CITY CENTRE SANTA RIDE Charity bike ride around the city centre.

All proceeds to the Heart of England Community Foundation, Thurs 4 Dec, Coventry City Centre ANTIQUES FOR EVERYONE Showcasing an eclectic array of antiques and collectables, ranging from kitchenalia through to fine works of art worth in excess of £20,000, Thurs 4 - Sun 7 Dec, NEC, Birmingham CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING Led by an expert, learn about the different techniques used to make a wreath and then get creative, designing something special to take home with you, Fri 5 Dec, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire SANTA SAFARI Fri 5 Dec, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Weston-underRedcastle, North Shropshire FESTIVE CHRISTMAS CAROLS Fri 5 Dec, Aston Hall, Birmingham MURDER MYSTERY DINNERS Fri 5 Dec, Shugborough Working Estate, Staffs VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Evening of festive entertainment, Fri 5 Dec, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton FRIDAY TWILIGHT CAROLS IN THE CAFE See the World War One exhibition by lamplight and enjoy traditional carols in the cafe with pianist Frank Leigh, Fri 5 Dec, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent TUDOR BANQUETS Fri 5 Sat 6 Dec, Tamworth Castle, Staffs CHRISTMAS AT HOME WITH THE EDWARDIANS Enjoy Christmas activities and entertainment, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Dec, The Locksmith’s House, Willenhall WINTER WONDERLAND PARTY NIGHT Enjoy food, drink and entertainment by Mark Tolliss Experience, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Dec, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull WINTER WONDERFARM See Lower Drayton Farm transformed into a winter wonderland and meet Santa for an early Christmas present, Fri 5 - Sun 7 Dec, Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffs CLOTHES SHOW LIVE Five-day fashion festival packed with unique

and boutique fashion and beauty brands.

Hair and beauty demonstrations, makeovers, experts, trend reports, celebrities and next generation talent all feature, Fri 5 - Tue 9 Dec, NEC, Birmingham CHRISTMAS TREE FESTIVAL Fri 5 - Sat 20 Dec, Lichfield Cathedral SANTA SAFARI Fri 5 Tues 23 Dec, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Shropshire SANTA’S DIZZY DAY A fun-packed experience for children which includes meeting santa, sing-a-longs, festive shows and more, Fri 5 Wed 24 Dec, Belgrade Square, Coventry FARMER'S MARKET Featuring stalls selling local food, drink, craft and produce, including, sweets, apple juice, bread, cakes, honey, smoked meats, handdyed yarns, beer, plants and much more, Sat 6 Dec, The Discovery Centre, Shropshire WINTER MARKET Sat 6 Dec, The Bond, Birmingham HAND-CASTING AT THE GLASS MUSEUM Sat 6 Dec, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley A34 FESTIVE DOMINO MUSIC NIGHT An evening of dominos, music & Caribbean cuisine to welcome the festive period, Sat 6 Dec, The Drum, Birmingham CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS Costumed guided tours, carol singing by Enchant Choir and festive refreshments, Sat 6 Dec, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP Sat 6 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS - CRAFT ACTIVITY Make-and-take drop-in craft activity for children, Sat 6 Dec, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham CHRISTMAS FAYRE Sat 6 Dec, Lower Precinct Shopping Centre, Coventry GREEN WREATH WORKSHOPS Sat 6 Dec, Weoley Castle, Birmingham FREE RADIO CHRISTMAS STARS Sat 6 Dec, New Art Gallery, Walsall LINOCUT PRINTMAKING WITH IAN PHILIPS Sat 6 Dec, The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, North Shropshire

CANDLELIT CHRISTMAS NIGHT Sat 6 Dec, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove GALLERY TOUR An informal tour of the gallery to find out about the history of the building and Wolverhampton’s renowned collections, Sat 6 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery THE SINGULAR EXPLOITS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Sat 6 Dec, Wightwick Manor & Gardens, Wolverhampton CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA Make, play and discover during a festive session inspired by Christmas decorations, Sat 6 Dec, Bilston Craft Gallery CHRISTMAS AT WINTERBOURNE Featuring themed craft activities and a magical Christmas grotto, Sat 6 Dec, Winterbourne House and Garden, Birmingham MUCH WENLOCK CHRISTMAS FAYRE Sat 6 Dec, The Square, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS See the Tudor manor decorated for Christmas, lit by atmospheric candlelight and brought to life by living history group Gloriana, Sat 6 Dec, Selly Manor, Birmingham DRIVEZONE - CAR CLINIC A three-hour course in the basics of motoring, Sat 6 Dec, Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire CHRISTMAS BALL Sat 6 Dec, Warwick Castle FESTIVE BUNTING WORKSHOP Sat 6 Dec, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry MIRANDA DICKINSON BOOK LAUNCH Sat 6 Dec, Fargo Village, Coventry CHRSTIMAS WREATH WORKSHOP Sat 6 Dec, Jinney Ring Craft Centre, Bromsgrove STUFF THE TURKEY CHRISTMAS CONCERT Sat 6 Dec, St Nicolas Church, Coventry CHRISTMAS FOOD AND GIFT FAIR Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs CHRISTMAS SHOPPING FARGO STYLE Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Fargo Village, Coventry BREAKFAST WITH FATHER CHRISTMAS Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Wightwick Manor & Gardens, Wolverhampton DBPC CHRISTMAS GALA Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Dallas Burton Polo Club, Coventry ATTINGHAM CHRISTMAS Discover the mansion decorated for Christmas in a bygone age, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury SANTA HUNTS A funfilled search for Santa.

Acorns Santa Run, Walsall

Costumed guides and Christmas clues point the way to Santa's workshop. This is a pre-book event, Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley CHRISTMAS CRAFT AND FOOD MARKET Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Croome Park, Worcester SANTA AT THE SERVANTS' QUARTERS Explore the festively decorated Victorian servants’ quarters and meet Santa in the butler’s pantry, where he’ll be handing out gifts to visiting children, Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffs SANTA STEAM SPECIALS Visit Santa in his special grotto at Arley, where all fare-paying children will receive a present, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster CHRISTMAS CRAFT MARKET Featuring local designers selling an exclusive selection of products, including ceramics, jewellery, paintings and craft items, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, mac, Birmingham SANTA AND STEAM Celebrate the festive season with a nostalgic steam ride through Staffordshire’s most idyllic valley, Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall, Staffordshire CHRISTMAS MARKET Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Upton House & Gardens, Warwickshire VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire SANTA AT ARLEY ARBORETUM Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Arley Arboretum, Worcester CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WEEKENDS The run-up to Christmas sees Bournville’s chocolate paradise converted into a festive wonderland filled with seasonal entertainment and activities, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Cadbury World, Birmingham

CHRISTMAS FOOD AND CRAFT FAYRE Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Weston Park, Shifnal, Shropshire HOLLY WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOPS Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs CHRISTMAS WASSAIL Enjoy Christmas stories and carols from Birmingham Crescent Theatre, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Coughton Court, Warwickshire CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS CARD AND BAUBLE MAKING CRAFTS Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire STORIES WITH SANTA Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire VICTORIAN CRAFT FAYRE Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, St Leonard’s Church, Bridgnorth, Shropshire CHRISTMAS IN THE HOME Learn how to make traditional Christmas decorations and watch demonstrations on how to traditionally boil a Christmas pudding, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley CHRISTMAS GROTTO No child's Christmas would be complete without a trip to see Father Christmas, Sat 6 - Sun 21 Dec, Birmingham Botanical Gardens FATHER CHRISTMAS AT CHARLECOTE Sat 6 - Sun 21 December, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire VISIT FATHER CHRISTMAS Sat 6 - Sun 21 Dec, Upton House & Gardens, Warwickshire VISIT FATHER CHRISTMAS Sat 6 - Sun 21 Dec, Croome Park, Worcester CHRISTMAS FAMILY PORTRAITS Draw your own Holbein-style portrait, Sat 6 - Sun 28 Dec, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon CHRISTMAS TREE FESTI-

VAL Sat 6 Dec - Mon 5 Jan, Worcester Cathedral A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Sat 6 Dec - Tues 6 Jan, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage & Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon CHRISTMAS GIFT FAIR Featuring unique arts and crafts created by local designers, Sat 6 Tues 7 Dec, Hall’s Croft, Stratford-uponAvon ATTINGHAM AT CHRISTMAS Discover the mansion decorated for Christmas in a bygone age, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Dec, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SANTA’S GROTTO Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Gregynog Hall, Newtown CHRISTMAS DURING WWI Experience what life was like for a middleclass family between 1914 and 1918, Sat 6 Sun 7 Dec, Hall’s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon CHRISTMAS CRAFT SHOPPING EXPERIENCE Sun 7 Dec, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre DECK THE HALLS Sun 7 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton SANTA DASH Sun 7 Dec, Stafford Town Centre FAMILY FUSED GLASS DECORATIONS Sun 7 Dec, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley THE MYTON HOSPICES SANTA DASH Sun 7 Dec, War Memorial Park, Coventry CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE Sun 7 Dec, Worcestershire County Museum FLEA FAIR Sun 7 Dec, Three Counties Showground, Malvern COVENTRY BLAZE VS NOTTINGHAM PANTHERS Sun 7 Dec, Skydome Arena, Coventry

Week Commencing

MON 8 DEC BAKE AND MAKE - THE ART OF BREAD AND BUTTER Find out how people in the seventeenth century ran their home, bake a loaf of bread

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk and make butter, Mon 8 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton VINTAGE CHRISTMAS PAPER CRAFTS Mon 8 Dec, Gregynog Hall, Newtown CHRISTMAS TOURS Take part in a festive tour, Mon 8 - Thurs 11 Dec, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham MOSELEY BY CANDLELIGHT Mon 8 - Fri 12 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERTS Mon 8 - Tues 16 Dec, Wightwick Manor & Gardens, Wolverhampton TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Drop-in sessions where participants use the technique known as tube lining to decorate their very own tile to take home, Tue 9 Dec, Jackfield Tile Museum, Shropshire CHRISTMAS FLOWER ARRANGING Tues 9 Dec, Gregynog Hall, Newtown CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Tues 9 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Evesham DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG Chance to practise drifting in safe and legal conditions on some of the Pod's thirty acres of open tarmac, where there are beginners, intermediate and advanced tracks open at the same time each DWYB day, Wed 10 Dec, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton CHRISTMAS COOKERY Wed 10 Dec, Gregynog Hall, Newtown WREATH-MAKING WORKSHOP Wed 10 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton SANTA AND STEAM Celebrate the festive season with a nostalgic steam ride through Staffordshire’s most idyllic valley, Wed 10 Dec, Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall, Staffordshire FARGO CHRISTMAS MARKET Wed 10 Dec, Fargo Village, Coventry CHRISTMAS AT ARLEY ARBORETUM Wed 10 Sun 14 Dec, Arley Arboretum, Worcester CHRISTMAS MARKET Wed 10 - Wed 24 Dec, Civic Centre 4, Coventry CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS A rare opportunity to see the house decorated for a Georgian Christmas.

Hear tales of how the season was celebrated over two hundred years ago, Thurs 11 Dec, Soho House, Birmingham MURDER MYSTERY DIN-

NERS Thurs 11 Dec, Shugborough Working Estate, Staffordshire CHRISTMAS WREATH MAKING Fri 12 Dec, Witley Court & Gardens, Worcester WORCESTER WOLVES VS SHEFFIELD SHARKS Fri 12 Dec, Worcester University Arena FABRIC FAFFERS Fri 12 Dec, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Stourbridge CHRISTMAS READINGS Fri 12 Dec, Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry BOWMAN ANTIQUES FAIR A quality three-day giant antique fair. Up to four hundred stands, including antiques, curios, vintage, retro and collectables. Free Parking, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Dec, Bingley Hall, Stafford WINTER WONDERFARM See Lower Drayton Farm transformed into a winter wonderland and meet Santa for an early Christmas present, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Dec, Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffs 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR FROLICS Fri 12 Dec - Mon 5 Jan, Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Sat 13 Dec, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham GLAM XMAS PARTY 1970s-themed Christmas party to coincide with the When Santa Came To The Factory exhibition, Sat 13 Dec, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton WORCESTER WARRIORS V NOTTINGHAM Sat 13 Dec, Sixways Stadium, Worcester MURDER-MYSTERY DINNERS Sat 13 Dec, Shugborough Working Estate, Staffs CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS Featuring live music, mulled fruit punch and lots of festive goodies, Sat 13 Dec, Chedham's Yard, Warwickshire DRIVEZONE - TASTER One-hour session aimed at young people who’ve not yet started formal driving lessons, Sat 13 Dec, Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire A CHRISTMAS WISH Meet Santa, listen to storytelling and join in with a variety of craft activities, Sat 13 Dec, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent PARANORMAL INVESTIGATION Join the Simply Paranormal team as they explore ghostly

goings on, Sat 13 Dec, St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR AT FUSION Sat 13 Dec, Fusion, Jackfield, Nr Ironbridge, Shropshire LANTERN PARADE Sat 13 Dec, Lower Precinct Shopping Centre, Coventry RETRO CHRISTMAS FAIR Sat 13 Dec, Walsall Leather Museum SANTA DASH Take part in the festive fun and walk or jog a one-mile route from Chase Leisure Centre to the Bank Bar & Lounge in aid of Newlife Foundation, Sat 13 Dec, Cannock Town Centre CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Sat 13 Dec, Christ Church, Oswestry, North Shropshire OVERNIGHT GHOST HUNT Sat 13 Dec, The Falstaff’s Experience, Stratford-upon-Avon BUSH CRAFT - SPOON CARVING Learn the process and techniques of working with green wood and knives to create your own spoon, Sat 13 Dec, Bishops Wood Centre, Stourport CHRISTMAS DECORATION WORKSHOP Decorate and take away your own Christmas promander, Sat 13 Dec, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon CAROLS AT SOHO In partnership with St Michael’s Church, Sat 13 Dec, Soho House, Birmingham FAMILY CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT Sat 13 Dec, Croome Park, Worcester SANTA’S GROTTO Sat 13 Dec, Gregynog Hall, Newtown, Powys FESTIVE FARMERS MARKET Sat 13 Dec, Stafford Town Centre SANTA HUNTS A fun-filled search for Santa.

Costumed guides and Christmas clues point the way to Santa's workshop. This is a prebook event, Sat 13 Sun 14 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE Crafts, storytelling and a chance to see a very special guest in his grotto, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire SANTA AT THE SERVANTS' QUARTERS Explore the festively decorated Victorian servants’ quarters and meet Santa in the butler’s pantry, where he’ll be handing out gifts to visiting children, Sat 13 Sun 14 Dec, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffs SANTA STEAM SPECIALS Visit Santa in his special grotto at Arley, where all fare-paying children will receive a present, Sat 13 - Sun

Drayton’s Magical Christmas - Drayton Manor Park, Tamworth, Staffs

14 Dec, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster SEARCH FOR SANTA Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove SANTA AT THE CONE Visits to Santa include a gift, photo, craft activity and much more, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge CHRISTMAS CRAFT MARKET Featuring local designers selling an exclusive selection of products, including ceramics, jewellery, paintings & craft items, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, mac, Birmingham CHRISTMAS TRUCE WALK Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Worcestershire County Museum CHRISTMAS IN THE HOME Learn how to make traditional Christmas decorations and watch demonstrations on how to traditionally boil a Christmas pudding, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley SANTA AT ARLEY ARBORETUM Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Arley Arboretum, Worcester

CHRISTMAS WEEKEND Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Bewdley Museum, Worcester SANTA AND STEAM Celebrate the festive season with a nostalgic steam ride through Staffordshire’s most idyllic valley, Sat 13 Sun 14 Dec, Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall, Staffordshire CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WEEKENDS The run-up to Christmas sees Bournville’s chocolate paradise converted into a festive wonderland filled with seasonal entertainment and activities, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Cadbury World, Birmingham MERLIN'S MAGIC WAND WINTER PARTY Festive painting, clay modelmaking and festive craft activities, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, The National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham CHRISTMAS GIFT-MAKING WORKSHOPS Sat 13 Sun 14 Dec, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire COVENTRY BLAZE VS SHEFFIELD STEELERS Sun 14 Dec, Skydome Arena, Coventry CHRISTMAS AT THE CASTLE Enjoy crafts, storytelling and more, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Dec, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS

SANTA TRAILS Sat 13 Sun 14 Dec, Tamworth Castle, Staffordshire CHRISTMAS STORYTELLING Sat 13 - Sun 21 Dec, Croome Park, Worcester 17TH CENTURY CHRISTMAS Sat 13 - Sun 21 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton FATHER CHRISTMAS GROTTO Sat 13 - Sun 21 Dec, Wightwick Manor & Gardens, Wolverhampton MERRY 'FISHMAS' Visit the National Sealife Centre to meet the man who makes Christmas happen, Sat 13 - Tues 23 Dec, The National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham ATTINGHAM AT CHRISTMAS Discover the mansion decorated for Christmas in a bygone age, Sat 13 - Tues 23 Dec, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury DRIVEZONE - EXPERIENCE A three- hour package that includes classroom training and tuition behind the wheel, Sun 14 Dec, Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire WINTER WONDERLAND PARTY NIGHT Enjoy food, drink and entertainment by Mark Tolliss Experience, Sun 14 Dec, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Sun 14 Dec, Black

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Country Living Museum, Dudley CHRISTMAS CAROLS ON THE FARM Sun 14 Dec, Fordhall Community Farm, Market Drayton, Shropshire THE MYTON HOSPICES WARWICK SANTA DASH Sun 14 Dec, The Myton Hospice, Coventry OSWESTRY CHRISTMAS MARKET Sun 14 Dec, Bailey Street, Oswestry, North Shropshire POTTER’S WHEEL WORKSHOP Sun 14 Dec, Eastnor Pottery and The Flying Potter, Herefordshire SO SUNDAY, SO SANTA Week Commencing Sun 14 Dec, The Fleece MON 15 Inn, Evesham DEC SEASONAL CRAFT FOR ADULTS Mon 15 Dec, Solihull Arts Complex TWILIGHT SANTA Pop along after school, meet Santa in the mansion and receive a special gift, Mon 15 - Fri 19 Dec, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Drop-in sessions where participants use the technique known as tube lining to decorate their very own tile to take home, Tue 16 Dec, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Tues 16 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Evesham MURDER MYSTERY DINNERS Tues 16 Dec, Shugborough Working Estate, Staffordshire CHRISTMAS AT ARLEY ARBORETUM Wed 17 Sun 21 Dec, Arley Arboretum, Worcester CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS A rare opportunity to see the house decorated for a Georgian Christmas.

Hear tales of how the season was celebrated over two hundred years ago, Thurs 18 Dec, Soho House, Birmingham MURDER-MYSTERY DINNERS Thurs 18 Dec, Shugborough Working Estate, Stafordshire THREE MEN IN A BOWTIE Music and comedy capers... Thurs 18 Dec, Ashton Theatre, Shrewsbury School EARLY YEARS PLAY DAYS Children aged 1-3 have an opportunity to explore through sensory play that encourages creativity, Thurs 18 - Fri 19 Dec, Hebert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry THE MAD HATTER'S CHRISTMAS PARTY A theatrical Christmas party which offers partici-

pants the chance to eat, drink and dance the night away inside The Studio, The Rep’s newest theatre space, Thurs 18 - Sat 20 Dec, The REP, Birmingham HISTORY TALKS: BLACK COUNTRY ECHOES Paul Quigley, curator of Black Country Echoes, discusses the project and some of the fascinating stories he and the team unearthed while researching the region’s industrial heritage, Fri 19 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ART SPEAKING Audiodescribed tours of exhibitions for people with visual impairment, Fri 19 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery WORCESTER WOLVES VS LONDON LIONS Fri 19 Dec, University of Worcester Arena OVERNIGHT GHOST HUNT Fri 19 - Sat 20 Dec, The Falstaff’s Experience, Stratford-upon-Avon WINTER WONDERFARM See Lower Drayton Farm transformed into a winter wonderland and meet Santa for an early Christmas present, Fri 19 - Sun 21 Dec, Lower Drayton Farm, Penkridge, Staffs VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS EVENINGS Featuring market stalls, carol singing and both street and musical entertainment. Local theatre group Fizzgog Productions present their fairytale panto, Fri 19 - Tue 23 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley DICKENSIAN CAROL SINGERS & CHRISTMAS STREET THEATRE Sat 20 Dec, Stafford Town Centre CANDLELIT CAROL SERVICE Sat 20 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs AN AFTERNOON WITH CLARE BALDING Sat 20 Dec, Cineworld, Shrewsbury ANNUAL SANTA RUN & ICE RINK Sat 20 Dec, Haughton St Giles Primary School, Staffs CAROLS BY CANDLELIGHT Sat 20 Dec, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove FUSED GLASS CHRISTMAS DECORATION WORKSHOP Sat 20 Dec, Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge WINTER WONDERLAND PARTY NIGHT Enjoy food, drink and entertainment by Mark Tolliss Experience, Sat 20 Dec, National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull MURDER MYSTERY DINNERS Sat 20 Dec,

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Shugborough Working Estate, Staffs MEET SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Sat 20 Dec, City Arcade, Coventry A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS Sat 20 Dec, Elgar Birthplace Museum, Worcester CAROLS AT WARWICK Sat 20 Dec, Warwick Castle SANTA STEAM SPECIALS Visit Santa in his special grotto at Arley, where all fare-paying children will receive a present, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Dec, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster CHRISTMAS IN THE HOME Learn how to make traditional Christmas decorations and watch demonstrations on how to traditionally boil a Christmas pudding, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley SANTA AT THE CONE Visits to Santa include a gift, photo, craft activity and much more, Sat 20 - Tue 23 Dec, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge SANTA HUNTS A fun-filled search for Santa.

Costumed guides and Christmas clues point the way to Santa's workshop. This is a prebook event, Sat 20 Wed 24 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION WEEKENDS The run-up to Christmas sees Bournville’s chocolate paradise converted into a festive wonderland filled with seasonal entertainment and activities, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Dec, Cadbury World, Birmingham SANTA AT ARLEY ARBORETUM Sat 20 - Sun 21 Dec, Arley Arboretum, Worcester CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS SANTA TRAILS Sat 20 Sun 21 Dec, Tamworth Castle, Staffs SHREWSBURY WALKING TOURS - A CHRISTMAS CAROL Sat 20 - Sun 21 Dec, Shrewsbury Town Centre SANTA AT THE SERVANTS' QUARTERS Explore the festively decorated Victorian servants’ quarters and meet Santa in the butler’s pantry, where he’ll be handing out gifts to visiting children, Sat 20 - Mon 22 Dec, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffs SANTA AND STEAM Celebrate the festive season with a nostalgic steam ride through Staffordshire’s most idyllic valley, Sat 20 Wed 24 Dec, Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall, Staffordshire CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY TRAIL Sat 20 Dec - Sun 4 Jan, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury MAC FOOD MARKET Indulge yourself with

tasty treats and specialist goods at a special festive edition of mac's monthly food market, featuring a host of local artisan producers, Sun 21 Dec, mac, Birmingham CHRISTMAS RAMBLE Enjoy a walk around the Capability Brown Parkland and learn how the landscape has evolved over centuries, Sun 21 Dec, Weston Park, Staffordshire COVENTRY BLAZE VS FIFE FLYERS Sun 21 Dec, Skydome Arena, Coventry CAROLS AND SUNDAY LUNCH Sun 21 Dec, Weston Park, Staffordshire WASPS VS LONDON IRISH Sun 21 Dec, Ricoh Arena, Coventry A MEDIEVAL CHRISTMAS WITH WAYTES & MEASURES Sun 21 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Worcester CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES A variety of family-friendly trails, crafts and outdoor activities, Sun 21 Wed 31 Dec, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffs

Week Commencing

MON 22 DEC WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP Mon 22 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton A VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS WITH SWAN & DYER’S WINTER WARMER A festive celebration of Christmas carols and music hall, Mon 22 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Evesham FESTIVE DROP-IN CRAFT Mon 22 Dec, Artrix, Bromsgrove CATHEDRAL CAROL SERVICES Mon 22 - Tues 23 Dec, Worcester Cathedral TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Drop-in sessions where participants use the technique known as tube lining to decorate their very own tile to take home, Tue 23 Dec, Jackfield Tile Museum, Shropshire GREAT HALL MEDIAEVAL BANQUET Tues 23 Dec, Warwick Castle CHRISTMAS BY CANDLELIGHT Tues 23 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Evesham CHRISTMAS QUEST Tues 23 - Wed 24 Dec, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton SANTA STEAM SPECIALS Visit Santa in his special grotto at Arley, where all fare-paying children will receive a present, Wed 24 Dec, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster CHRISTMAS EVE GHOST TOUR Including mince pies and mulled wine, Wed 24 Dec, The Falstaff’s Experience, Stratford-upon-Avon TUDOR CHRISTMAS TALKS

Santa Safaris - The Follies, Hawkstone Park, Weston-under-Redcastle, North Shropshire

Wed 24 Dec, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon BLESSING OF THE CRIB Wed 24 Dec, Worcester Cathedral CHRISTMAS DAY EUCHARIST Thurs 25 Dec, Worcester Cathedral CHRISTMAS DAY EVENSONG WITH CAROLS Thurs 25 Dec, Worcester Cathedral COVENTRY BLAZE VS CARDIFF DEVILS Fri 26 Dec, Skydome Arena, Coventry WINTER FAMILY OUTDOOR TRAIL Fri 26 Dec - Mon 5 Jan, Croome Park, Worcester TOY COLLECTORS FAIR Described as 'Britain's biggest' event of its kind and featuring thousands of collectables for sale from the UK's leading specialist dealers, Sat 27 Dec, NEC, Birmingham CHRISTMAS IN THE HOME Learn how to make traditional Christmas decorations and watch demonstrations on how to traditionally boil a Christmas pudding, Sat 27 - Sun 28 Dec, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley FLEECE FESTIVE FILMS Sun 28 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Evesham EVENSONG WITH CAROLS Sun 28 Dec, Great Witley Parish Church, Worcester CHILDREN’S SCHOOL HOLIDAY POTTERY SESSIONS Mon 29 Dec, Eastnor Pottery and The Flying Potter, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Drop-in sessions where participants use the technique known as tube lining to decorate their very own tile to take home, Tue 30 Dec, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire NEW YEAR’S EVE GHOST TOUR Includes a glass of buck’s fizz, Wed 31 Dec, The Falstaff’s Experience, Stratfordupon-Avon NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA Enjoy a five-course meal and disco, Wed 31 Dec, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Westonunder-Redcastle, North Shropshire NEW YEAR’S EVE HOUSE PARTY Wed 31 Dec, Weston Park, Staffordshire NEW YEAR’S EVE 1940S PARTY Includes a welcome drink and a fourcourse meal, Wed 31 Dec, Jinney Ring Craft Centre, Bromsgrove NEW YEAR EVE CEILIDH Family event featuring music entertainment as well as a hot supper and bonfire. Fancy dress theme is Sci-Fi, Wed 31 Dec, The Fleece Inn, Evesham GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY Featuring a glass of fizz on arrival, live music and hot food, Wed 31 Dec, The Swan Theatre, Worcester NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS Featuring a buffet and live entertainment from Sole Trader, Wed 31 Dec, Wharton Park, Bewdley

Eating Out December Region Two.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2014 17:49 Page 1

Eating Out Shropshire food centre a winner...

The Ludlow Food Centre in South Shropshire has fended off stiff competition from hundreds of entrants to win the title of the Midlands’ Best Deli.

Following an arduous judging process, the centre was declared ‘the ultimate food destination in the Midlands’ at the recent BBC Good Food Show.

Barney Desmazery, BBC Good Food’s Food Editor, said of the win: “Once again during the search for the Midlands’ best deli or farm shop we’ve uncovered some incredible food shops.

From traditional high street delis to a chicken shed-turned-farm shop, customers have nominated their favourite local food destinations across the Midlands. I’m really impressed with the winner, the Ludlow Food Centre, and am sure food lovers from across the region will agree that they’re worthy winners of the title.”

Hav’an’a Cuban feast in Shrewsbury REVIEW

Just Good Food at The REP...

Highly rated local outfit Just Good Food has been chosen by The REP as its caterer for private parties and events. The Birmingham-based catering company will provide a wide range of food options - from canapes to three-course meals for a variety of events at the Centenary Square theatre venue, including VIP launch events, opening nights, corporate breakfasts, lunches and private parties. The company will this month be creating a special menu for The REP’s Alice In Wonderland-themed Mad Hatter’s Christmas Parties.

Gentleman & Scholar opens at The Hyatt Birmingham’s Hyatt hotel has unveiled its brand new look following a multi-million pound refurbishment. An integral part of the revamp is the creation of a new bistro pub. The Gentleman & Scholar opens onto Broad Street and features a heated terrace and extensive menu. Open to both guests and non-guests, the eatery mixes modern European cuisine with great British classics. Dishes include a trio of Shropshire lamb, chargrilled cutlets, lamb shoulder boulangere and sauted sweet breads, all sourced from local producers.

Last night was the second time I’ve been to Havana Republic since its opening in September - both times under different circumstances. The first occasion was a boozy Saturday night birthday celebration with my friends; the second, a child-free date with my husband. I loved it the first time, primarily for the atmosphere and the fun.

Now I love it even more, thanks to the food...

Brought to you by the team who created the award-winning Peach Tree Restaurant and swanky ramen bar Momo·No·Ki, Havana Republic offers a top-notch night out to suit every mood. Its Cubaninfluenced, no-fuss menu allows you to dip in and try a bit of everything, share with friends, and eat either a little or a lot.

Executive Head Chef Chris Burt has created a fingerlickin’, tapas-style menu incorporating wings, ribs, steaks, burgers, Cuban jerk spices, smoky dips, sauces, paellas, chorizo and salsas.

If meat isn’t your thing, there are veggie options

too - with not a standard risotto or goat’s cheese tart in sight! Vegetarian paellas, jerk-spiced salmon and Cuban chick pea curry are all there for the taking.

My one criticism would be that the dessert menu is the same as the Peach Tree’s. That said, the Peach Tree’s is delicious, so that’s no bad thing. Try their famous brulee that comes in three eggshells in a nest!

The cocktail menu is a fantastic read. With every type of rum, mojito and daiquiri you could wish for, the flavour combinations and ingredients used are inspired. If you’re a fan of ginger, elderflower, fresh mint and long, refreshing drinks, you could easily spend a whole night working your way through the menu. If you’re not sure what to go for, the staff are more than happy to recommend. Chris, our waiter, was very knowledgeable and chatty - the service was excellent.

Moving on to the decor, the vibe is all about the raw, industrial look that’s not only typical of a Cuban-style bar but is also

very fashionable at the moment. Think piled-up wooden crates, bare floors, stripped-back brick walls, upcycled furniture made from oil drums, lighting fixtures made from helicopter parts, angle lamps and wooden panelling with pops of colour.

Top it off with warm mood lighting and live Cuban music and you’ve got yourself an upbeat atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re enjoying a Caribbean getaway.

Havana Republic is very much to my taste. Its social, Cuban, food & family-loving vibe makes it my new ‘favourite hangout’ in Shrewsbury. My next table has already been booked... roll on next month!

Jessica Aston Food: nnnnn Service: nnnnn Ambience: n n n n n Overall value n n n n n OVERALL n n n n n Havana Republic Bar & Restaurant 18 Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 6AE 01743 281744 www.whatsonlive.co.uk 65

Eating Out December Region Two.qxp_Layout 1 24/11/2014 17:49 Page 2

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 231199 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

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Great Theatre at the Grand!

SAT 6 DEC - SUN 18 JAN

MON 12 JAN

TUES 20 JAN

WED 21 JAN

FRI 23 JAN

SAT 24 JAN

HERMAN’S HERMITS THE SWINGING BLUE JEANS DAVE BERRY THE UNION GAP THE IVY LEAGUE ALAN MOSCA FROM FREDDIE AND THE DREAMERS

MON 2 - SAT 7 FEB

TUES 27 - SAT 31 JAN

SUN 8 - MON 9 FEB Raymond Gubbay presents

Russia’s acclaimed ballet company returns for the UK Tour 2014/15

SWAN LAKE THE NUTCRACKER Performed by The Russian State Ballet & Orchestra of Siberia

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