What's On - May 2014

Staffordshire Cover - May_Mids Cover - August 25/04/2014 15:47 Page 1

STAFFORDSHIRE WHAT’S ON ISSUE 341 MAY 2014

THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE STAFFORDSHIRE

’ What sOn www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ISSUE 341

MAY 2014

KATY PE RRY

BRINGS P R TOUR TO ISMATIC THE MIDL ANDS

DERREN BROWN

PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS

master of psychological illusion back on the road interview inside...

WOLF ALICE alternative rock in Stoke

LORD OF THE FLIES Matthew Bourne’s latest production lands in Brum @WHATSONSTAFFS WWW.WHATSONLIVE.CO.UK

Buttermarket - Billy_Layout 1 25/04/2014 13:06 Page 1

LAST TICKETS REMAINING!

BILLY OCEAN IN CONCERT PLUS: FREE SOUL & MOTOWN AFTER-PARTY from10pm-3am!

FRI 16 MAY at 8.30pm. (18+ONLY) TICKETS £25 AVAILABLE HERE:

Online: www.thebuttermarket.co.uk OR from The Peach Tree

Contents- Region two - May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 19:11 Page 1

May Editor: Davina Evans

2014

INSIDE:

davina@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281708

Rock Of Ages

Editorial Assistants: Brian O’Faolain

West End musical arrives in the Midlands p29

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: Jon Cartwright j.cartwright@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281703

Chris Horton chris@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281704

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

Nina Kristofferson

Managing Director: Paul Oliver

brings one-woman show to the Midlands p10

paul@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281711

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

Graphic Designers: Lisa Wassell Chris Atherton Accounts Administrator Julia Perry

Derrren Brown - master of psychological illusion on the road, page 6

julia@whatsonlive.co.uk 01743 281717

Website Development: Jim Pallett Contributors: Graham Bostock: Theatre James Cameron-Wilson: Film; Anita Champaneri: Eating Out; Alev Dervish: Music Eva Easthope, Kate Evans, Jessica Aston, Patsy Moss, Jack Rolfe, Jan Watts, Reggie White Head Office: 13-14 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE

Tel: 01743 281777

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Lord Of The Flies Matthew Bourne’s latest production in town p40

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News May Region Two_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:55 Page 1

News

A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

National Trust gives students’ artwork a Shropshire home An art installation produced by Birmingham City University students is to be exhibited at a National Trust property in Shropshire.

Battle Of The Somme, constructed from brown paper and cardboard, depicts the horrors of a typical day in the First World War trenches, and was initially only meant to be displayed for a two-week period before being recycled. However, a feature on BBC News and numerous public appeals led to RAF Shawbury housing it in its Mess until it was handed over to Dudmaston Hall near Bridgnorth, where it will remain on display until the end of the season.

Midlands festival dates for Tinie Tempah Ironbridge Gorge Museums in tourism awards finals Ironbridge Gorge Museums has been named as a finalist in the Large Visitor Attraction of the Year category of the prestigious VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2014. The winner, which is selected on the overall quality of the experience it provides, will be announced at a glittering awards ceremony at Cheltenham Racecourse on 12 May. The Ironbridge Gorge Museums, spread over six square miles of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, saw over half a million visitors pass through its gates in 2013.

Still riding high on the success of second album Demonstration, which was certified Gold in February, British hip-hop artist Tinie Tempah has announced he’s to perform at four of the region’s biggest festivals this summer.

Tempah will play Wireless in Perry Park, Birmingham (4 to 6 July), Global Gathering in Stratford-upon-Avon (21 to 27 July), V Festival at Weston Park in Staffordshire (16 to 17 August) and Shrewsbury Fields Forever at the West Mid/Shropshire Showground (12 to 14 September).

News of Tempah’s V Festival engagement coincided with announcements about other performers who’d also be appearing at the Virgin Media-sponsored event. Childish Gambino, CeeLo Green, John Martin, Pixie Lott, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Josh Record, Jess Glynne, Icona Pop and Howling Bells were the further additions to an already impressive line-up. and the surrounding area during the Great War. Already on the site are details of local war heroes who received the Victoria Cross, a First World War timeline and an overview of the war.

Anyone with related stories should send them to kate.rochester-jones@dudley.gov.uk

RAF Cosford receives Lottery funding for future projects

Dudley Council announces plans to commemorate WWI Dudley Council has issued a plea for residents from across the borough to assist with plans to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of World War One. The council is hoping locals will step forward to provide wartime stories, memories and photographs which will then be used to develop website pages exploring the significance of Dudley 4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

A grant of almost £900,000 has been awarded to the Royal Air Force Museum in Cosford by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to assist in the creation of a major new exhibition at the venue.

The First World War In The Air will provide an insight into the often-overlooked role of air power during the Great War. Featuring the stories of the men and women who took part in the conflict, the exhibition will be a significant element of a four-year project which sees the museum marking two centenaries - this year’s commemoration of World War One and 2018’s celebration of the birth of the RAF. The HLF grant will also help finance programmes for lifelong learning, volunteering, apprenticeships and public events.

Regent Theatre announces new-style Stage Experience The creative team behind a new play examining the impact of World War One on the Potteries are on the lookout for people wishing to work alongside professional production personnel.

Open auditions for budding actors, singers and dancers are being held at the Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent on 2 and 9 August, with successful applicants becoming part of a two-month project taking place in September and October. The project culminates in a performance of For The King’s Shilling - a collaboration with the Potteries Museum which looks at how the lives of three local families were changed forever when war engulfed Europe in 1914.

Interested in participating? If so, contact Laura Stacey at Creative Learning by emailing stokecreativelearning@theambassadors.com. Alternatively, call her on 01782 211214.

Image from previous Stage Experience production

News May Region Two_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:55 Page 2

Birmingham REP to host European theatre festival A festival which celebrates the best of European theatre is making a welcome return to Birmingham this July - and for the first time will be hosted by the city’s Repertory Theatre. Birmingham's fifth BE Festival will feature over twenty performances from eleven European countries, as well as live music, exhibitions, workshops and discussions. The eleven-day event will also see the Birmingham Repertory Theatre building being turned back-to-front, as festival-goers step backstage to experience The REP in a brand new way.

Commenting on the festival, Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, says: “I’m delighted that The REP will be home to this brilliant, creative festival, where you can enjoy and engage with a diverse programme of European theatre no matter what language you speak. And it’s particularly nice to be able to allow audiences backstage to enjoy and explore spaces where usually our carpenters, metalworkers and scenic artists create and build sets.”

BE Festival takes place at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 2 to 12 July. For tickets, ring 0121 236 4455, or book online at Birmingham-rep.co.uk

The HOLI ONE in Brum Digbeth’s Rainbow Arena is set to host one of the world’s most ‘unique, fun and exciting’ festivals this summer. Fusing music, dance, performance art and visual stimulation, HOLI ONE is a touring festival set against a backdrop of dance and DJ music, and invites revellers to throw powders into the air to create ‘an explosion of colour and excitement’. The festival is currently in the planning phase, with organisers asking for anyone interested in performing on 28 June to get in touch.

Got 2 Sing in Shropshire If you were one of the thousands of people who ventured into Shrewsbury for the recent Big Busk, then chances are you witnessed the melodic performance given by the Got 2 Sing Choir.

Formed in 2011, the community-based ensemble comprises eight adult choirs across the Midlands, including recent additions in Shrewsbury and Telford - both of which are currently on the lookout for new members. Presenting a repertoire of uplifting songs - from pop and motown to gospel and musical theatre - the ethos of Got 2 Sing is to meet, socialise, sing and perform.

The choir already has plenty of performances in the diary for this year - including appearances at the Ironbridge Museum and Telford and Shrewsbury food festivals - and is currently planning its 2015 Birmingham Symphony Hall concert.

For further information, call Beth Dunn on 07815 894788 or visit www.got2sing.co.uk.

Birmingham Hippodrome welcomes more bumper shows Following a record-breaking year which saw paid admissions rise to over six hundred-andtwenty-five thousand tickets in the 2013/14 financial period, Birmingham Hippodrome has announced the addition of further bumper shows to its programming for 2014/15.

Blood Brothers, Brazilian dance company Grupo Corpo, a twentieth anniversary production of Slava’s Snowshow, an autumn season of productions from Welsh National Opera, and Birmingham Royal Ballet’s staging of Sir Peter Wright’s The Nutcracker take the theatre through to the Christmas season, during which Jack And The Beanstalk will be keeping audiences entertained. Gary Wilmot, Paul Zerdin and Matt Slack will all be making a welcome return to the Hippodrome to star in the lavish pantomime, the trio having scored a big hit in last Christmas’s version of Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs.

A major revival of Matthew Bourne’s dance production of Edward Scissorhands (10 to 14 February) kickstarts the Spring 2015 season, with Shrek The Musical (31 March to 26 April) further cementing the Hippodrome’s reputation as a venue which attracts the biggest and best national and international shows. Tickets for Shrek go on sale to Friends on 6 May and to Groups on 12 May, then go on general sale on 14 May.

IN BRIEF Soap star to join panto cast Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has announced that Hollyoaks actor Joe Tracini is to join Julian Clary in the theatre’s 2014/15 panto version of Cinderella.

Tracini, the son of Joe Pasquale, became a household name playing Dennis Savage in the Channel Four soap. Following in his father’s footsteps as a comedy entertainer, Joe earned a nomination for Best Comedy Performance at the British Soap Awards, and has also garnered plenty of plaudits for his talents as a magician. Joe will play Buttons in the Qdos production of Cinderella, which shows at the Grand from 6 December to 18 January. Tickets are available from the box office on 01902 429212, or online at grandtheatre.co.uk

Shropshire schoolboy back in the West End A ten-year-old Shropshire schoolboy will this month perform on the West End stage in front of his friends and teachers.

Noah Key, a pupil at Brockton Primary School, is currently one of four youngsters playing a young Simon Cowell in the critically acclaimed X Factor musical I Can’t Sing, which is showing at the London Palladium. Noah, who’s admitted to being a bit nervous about performing to his friends and teachers when they head south on 22 May, is no stranger to the West End, having last year made his debut playing Gavroche in Les Miserables.

Noah recently met music mogul Cowell at I Can’t Sing’s launch, and said of his encounter: “It was great! He’s very nice and he commented on my Simon Cowell haircut, saying it was very nice.”

Of his latest West End role, Noel added: “Simon’s such a fun character to play”.

Noah hopes to continue with acting as he gets older, but has pledged not to let his performing interfere with his academic studies. He uses his journey to the capital wisely, catching up with his schoolwork on the train. “It can sometimes be hard,” he says, “but I love going to London and being part of the show.”

Noah will continue to play the young Noah with Simon Cowell Simon Cowell until the end of June.

Second Midlands date for Tony Awardwinning musical Avenue Q Avenue Q, the Tony Award-winning musical featuring some of the most outrageous puppets ever to appear on stage, has added a Birmingham date to its forthcoming tour. Focusing on subjects such as dating, racism, being gay and finding a purpose in life, Avenue Q is often controversial and not for the easily offended. This latest tour, visiting the region courtesy of Sell A Door Theatre Company, stops off at Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre from 16 to 20 September. The show also visits Lichfield Garrick from 24 to 26 July. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5

Derren Brown interview_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:46 Page 1

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My starting point has to be that people are chosen at random, therefore I work the show around that. I don’t do things in the show that will only work with a very particular type of person

”

Derren Brown the master of psychological illusion spills the beans

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interview...

Illusionist, mentalist, hypnotist and sceptic, Derren Brown is best known not only for his mindreading act but also for the fact that he openly admits it has nothing whatsoever to do with psychic or paranormal practices. Instead, he says that his successes are down to a combination of ‘magic, suggestion, psychology, misdirection and showmanship’. Derren this month returns to the Midlands with latest offering Infamous, which he describes as a ‘more stripped-down show’.

What’s On recently caught up with the master of psychological illusion to find out what audiences can expect......

Infamous is a mammoth tour. How do you keep things fresh when you’re doing the same thing night after night?

I think that’s part and parcel of doing a show.

Every time you do it, it should feel like the first time, other than that you’re on top of the words because you’ve spoken them so many times before. If you start out thinking, ‘oh, here we go again’, which can occasionally creep in, that’s when things start to feel like you’re on autopilot. Then everybody gets bored with the show, even though they don’t quite know why. For me, though, doing the show is a treat. I love having my days free.

Is that the main appeal of touring?

I love the process of touring, where I get to mooch around and hang out with a bunch of friends and be in a different city every week.

Normally, when I’m not on tour, it’s all TV stuff. I don’t really get much time to myself, so I value that. On tour, I get to spend the days reading. I’m writing a book at the moment, so I use that time effectively. Also, I’ll go to a city which I know from a previous year and maybe revisit a nice little coffee shop tucked away somewhere. All the things that I don’t get to do when I’m at home.

Are you able to do that incognito, or do you constantly get hassled by people?

No, I think you find a way of keeping your head down a bit, but it varies from city to city.

In London, people tend to be quite good at not ogling you. Also, I’ve cut my hair off and lost the goatee, so I’m not as recognisable as I used to be.

Would Infamous travel well internationally?

The language thing can be a bit of an issue a lot of the stuff that I do wouldn’t land properly. I think it’s lovely that the tours are so big and successful over here. It’s meant that I’ve not really had to think about taking them abroad. The trouble with doing that is that there would need to be a lot of press and TV stuff to do to promote it, which I don’t generally like doing. That said, there are certainly a few countries that have been asking about the show. I guess it would be good to get out there and see other parts of the world and be paid for it. An off-Broadway show has been in the pipeline for quite some time, but it kind of comes and goes as a possibility. That will probably be the next thing, and then, in time, there are certain pockets which seem to be really up for it but it’s all about finding the time, which at the moment I don’t have. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t travel, though.

What’s your starting point when writing a new show?

It starts off with the sense of a mood that you want to create. Aside from the ‘tricks’ aspect of it, you’re writing a show that’s a night of theatre. That means your first thought tends

to be about creating moments or images or things that are really going to stick with people. My first call is always, ‘here are two thousand people locked in a room with me, what would be an amazing thing to have happen to them?’. I read people’s tweets, which often say, “OMG! I’m going to see Derren Brown. He’s going to **** with my mind!”. Twitter is a useful way of reminding myself what people’s expectations are, so that I can make sure that I meet them. So you start out with a bunch of feelings and moods and things that you want to supply.

The aim is to give people something they couldn’t get anywhere else; things they couldn’t get with a magic show, couldn’t get with a play. After that comes the tricks, and after that comes how you set about making things happen. That’s the last consideration, really.

There must be pressure to keep upping your game. How much further can you take your craft?

I don’t think it’s about upping the game.

You’d begin to go mad if you saw it in terms of ‘it’s got to be bigger and better’. You’d end up breaking away from the things that root it in being intelligent and having an important subtext to it. With TV a couple of years ago, I did the Apocalypse show, which was this huge and ambitious project. Then, after that, I did a show that was much quieter, based around a painting getting stolen from a gallery by a bunch of OAPs. Infamous is a much more stripped-down show. I don’t see it being about topping my last effort, but you do have to make sure that the show delivers every time. And that certainly gets more difficult to achieve, because you sometimes feel you’ve been there before with the ideas you have.

Would you credit yourself with taking magic to a new level?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that, but what I’ve done, just from my own point of view, is to grow out of the desire to impress people with tricks. I think if you’re an insecure kid or teenager - or student, as I was - you want to impress people, and tricks are a very nice, easy way of doing so. By the time I’d grown out of that, I’d had some TV success, so it felt mad to leave it behind and do something more grown up. What I did do, though, was find a way of doing it which would still continue to be interesting for me. I wasn’t interested in just going, ‘Hey, look at me.

Look at this amazing thing I can do!’. So although the stage shows are still a bit more rooted in that, TV has gone down a different route and the focus isn’t really on me anymore. Now it’s on members of the public doing something extraordinary. Also, what’s interesting about that is that you’ve suddenly got drama, whereas being a magician or reading someone’s mind isn’t necessarily great drama. Classically, a magician clicks his fingers and something happens. That’s

like a ‘whimsical god’ thing, and there’s nothing dramatic in it. So if I’ve taken it to another place, it’s nothing other than that. As for the stage shows, I’m doing a new show every two years. I don’t think any other stage magician has ever done that, so in a sense maybe that’s new too.

Is it easier to deliver your craft live to a theatre audience, or in front of a TV camera?

It’s different! In some ways - and you see it a lot with other magicians on TV - it’s easy to make a TV magic show look amazing, because you can edit it in any way you want.

You can cheat in any way you want. There are all sorts of things that are at your disposal, and one TV production company may have a different set of ethical rules to another. I think the trouble with TV is it’s too easy to fake it - and if you’re not faking it, people don’t know that you’re not. It’s difficult to judge, whereas on stage you really see every moment of it - especially with people being chosen at random from the audience, which is how I do it. You may get involved with someone, and if things don’t quite work out, you’re going to see that happen. You’re going to see every moment of the process. You haven’t got that little border around it which you have with TV, where the edges are cut off in terms of what you’re seeing. As a TV audience, you only see what the camera is pointing at. I think with live shows there’s a fairness to it. I also think the point of magic is to generate that feeling of wonder and amazement, and I don’t get that when I’m watching magic on TV anymore.

With a live show, how do you assess the right candidate for a particular stunt?

My starting point has to be that people are chosen at random, therefore I work the show around that. I don’t do things in the show that will only work with a very particular type of person. There are times when I can do something over the whole audience and then pick someone I want to use - though that can only be done very sparingly, otherwise people would think it was stooged. It’s partly that, partly the writing of the show and the ideas that I come up with. Most of the things I do will work with about ninety percent of the audience. Occasionally I’ll get someone up on the stage and realise it’s not going to work, so I apologise and send them back.

Then there are the obvious tricks that I know will only work on a few people, so by that point I’ve earned the licence to go and pick somebody out of the audience myself.

In the past, you’ve described yourself as being a bit of a sceptic. What is it that you’re sceptical about?

By that I mean that what I’m doing treads the line of psychic ability and magical powers. I realised early on that there was a

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Continued from page 7... responsibility to contain what I’m doing within a theatrical framework and also to debunk - I know it’s a bit of a witless word, but there are charlatans out there who could do with a bit of debunking. That’s a kind of sceptical agenda - showing how people such as mediums and faith healers can operate, and how that stuff can be faked or how you can draw yourself into believing it. I think that’s an important notion to get out there, so that people can make a more informed decision about whether they want to go and spend money on people like that, and maybe risk getting into an addictive cycle, which I think can be really damaging. I believe it’s down to people like me to express that. I tend to do it by replicating a lot of the stuff and then saying I’m not using any psychic or magic powers, and that what I’m doing is entirely rational. I think that works better than trying to pull it apart, or saying ‘this is how the psychic does it’. I think being specific about the reference doesn’t actually do the job, whereas if you replicate it and make it entertaining, people are just left with that diffidence; a kind of a conflict that they can’t quite resolve.

So do you simply not believe that people have the ability to engage with the supernatural, or is it the supernatural you don’t believe in?

Until you know the limits of what’s natural and what ordinary sensory perception is, it’s very difficult to start saying that something is supernatural or extra-sensory. It’s not about trying to disprove it or even prove it. It’s just about ‘is this really happening?’, because things get in the way of people’s stories. If you see a psychic, you may come out thinking, ‘God, she knows all these things about me’, but you’re missing all the things that don’t quite match. Then there’s the possibility that the friend who saw her first and recommended that you see her has inadvertently dropped in a whole load of information about you. It’s not that I refuse to believe in it. The thing about being sceptical is you reserve judgement until the evidence comes in. That’s an important point, because nowadays people believe being ‘openminded’ means you believe in anything, but actually that’s very closed-minded. Being truly open-minded is about being prepared to change your beliefs based on evidence, or on the lack of it.

might cause harm. There’s a huge amount of behind-the-scenes stuff, and sometimes, to preserve a sense of drama, you don’t spell out all of those things. People have said ‘what if he’d picked up a big stick and whacked one of the zombies, what would have happened then? It doesn’t make sense.

It must all be fake’. What they don’t know is that we will have picked up every possible weapon from the site. There are lots of things to consider, but it’s all taken care of.

Has there ever been a time when you’ve overlooked something, resulting in things going wrong?

No, there really hasn’t. There’s a whole team of people making sure that this person I’ve chosen is malleable, and that I have all the things I need. I just know it will run like clockwork once he or she is in the world that they need to be put in - I know they’ll respond very well to everything. With a lot of those shows, he or she is just one unwitting participant alongside a whole cast of actors intent on making this thing happen, and it always does. Sometimes, little things occur which may shock. Like with the end of Apocalypse. I called him up and hypnotised him over the phone to bring him out of his story, and he collapsed to the ground. He had this heavy rucksack on his back and he collapsed face-first into the grass. Our hearts jumped and it was firstly, ‘oh, is he okay?’ and secondly, ‘can we really show that on TV, it’s all a bit too dramatic, isn’t it?’. But he was okay, as were Channel Four about showing it. Things like that might catch you by surprise, but generally it’s okay.

Have you ever been hypnotised?

I’m a classically bad subject. I think people who’re emotionally very open tend to be good subjects, and I’m not. I did have one experience at a hypnotic workshop where I found myself out of it. As far as I was concerned, I was on a beach; I could feel the sand, I could hear the waves - but then it finished, I snapped out of it and that was that.

Does your craft ever spill over into your private life - do people fear you have some sort of power over them?

I’ve got a good friend who’s said that the first couple of times we went out together he thought everything I said was some calculated measure, but it’s not. Because I

don’t do it, I don’t think about it, and I therefore don’t find it’s an issue.

Is it true that you tried to train yourself out of homosexuality?

No, that’s a weird made-up thing. What I did do when I was a student was go to a oneday event driven by a Christian group who claimed to ‘cure’ homosexuals. Obviously they don’t, but at the time I felt it wouldn’t be a bad thing. I could press a button and it would all change. I was up for that. Looking back, it was all nonsense. It’s not even like they achieve the results, and that’s even before you consider whether those results would be desirable or admirable. I’ve since come out of Christianity, but that was a bit more in line with the sort of stuff I was learning - a process of understanding the mind a bit better that took me out of the faith.

So whether those two things have been merged into a weird story, I don’t know.

Trying to train myself out of homosexuality would be most odd.

Which magic trick do you most wish was really magic, rather than a result of suggestion?

I think if I could genuinely read minds then that would save a lot of trouble.

Where did that initial interest in magic stem from?

I did have a magic set when I was little, but my interest really comes from seeing a hypnotist when I was at university. That really sowed the seed.

You mentioned you’re writing a book at the moment. What’s it about?

It’s about happiness, but I’m still in the process of writing the first draft at the moment. I’m writing it during the day while I’m out on tour. I anticipate it’ll be out some time next year.

And is there a new TV show on the agenda?

I think the next thing will be the televised version of this show. It’s been filmed and the plan is for it to go out over Christmas..

Derren Brown appears at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Mon 5 to Sat 10 May

As viewers, we often perceive people’s lives are being put at risk with some of your stunts, like with the Russian Roulette stunt. Is there always an element of risk?

There can be, inasmuch as things might not work out quite the way you planned, but you’d never put people at risk of harm.

There’s an enormous duty of care towards people who’re taking part in the show. With Apocalypse, we had someone going through a traumatic experience, believing the world was going to end. It did, and they woke up to find their family had gone and there were zombies everywhere. Something like that has to be plotted very carefully. The choice of person has to be made very carefully, and their ongoing experiences have to be presented in a way that’s passed as acceptable by psychiatrists and psychologists, to make sure the balance is always kept right. There are all sorts of physical things that can be put into place to make sure they can’t do certain things that www.whatsonlive.co.uk 9

Nina Kristofferson interview_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:59 Page 1

Nina Kristofferson back on home turf with The Billie Holiday Story...

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interview...

Former Birmingham School of Speech and Drama student Nina Kristofferson had her first taste of stardom aged thirteen, when she was chosen to become a CBBC presenter. Although a brief engagement, it sowed the seeds for a career on the stage, and roles with Birmingham Opera Company and Northern Broadsides followed. Having recently scored a West End hit with her tribute to Billie Holiday, Nina this month brings the highly acclaimed one-woman show to Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre. What’s On caught up with her to find out more...

Where did you grow up, which school did you attend and where did you train?

I grew up in Birmingham and attended Smethwick High School for Girls and Birmingham School of Speech and Dramatic Art. Then, after that, Guildford School of Acting, which is attached to the University of Surrey (Conservatoire). I studied there for three years and loved it. I’d wanted to be an actress from an early age. I knew I needed to know about acting, dancing and singing, so I immersed myself in training. I did some voice training at Birmingham’s Euphonius Music School, did a couple of ballet classes and some tap classes and lots of singing classes before going to Guildford.

Did you grow up with music? Did you sing from an early age?

I did grow up with music, particularly jazz and blues, so from an early age I loved listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Louis Armstrong. I also listened a lot to classical music. And I used to watch all the old films - still do - with Audrey Hepburn, Katherine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford. I loved their style, the drama, the look, everything. And I love opera too, particularly Maria Callas.

Tell us about your early career and your first break...

When I was about thirteen, I was picked to be a CBBC presenter. There was a group of us who presented Blue Peter-type shows from the inside of a red bus! We did six shows and I absolutely loved it! My first professional break was with a show called Paradise Now And Then, with the Gay Sweatshop Theatre Company, about the civil rights movement; I played a young Angela Davies, and it went brilliantly! Then I was in a show called Black Heroes In The Hall Of Fame, doing a mixture of singing and dancing. I played the character of Lorraine Hansberry, who was an American playwright and writer. She was the first black woman to write a play on Broadway, and inspired Nina Simone to write the song To Be Young, Gifted And Black. I also played the character of Marian Anderson, the African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. We then took the show to America and did a small run. While I was there, I went to a bar, started singing, and one of the show’s producers invited me back to do some jazz and blues concerts of my own.

In which shows and productions did you perform before your own show, The Billie Holiday Story?

Anthony And Cleopatra in Birmingham; Medea, on tour with Northern Broadside; and Porgy & Bess with the Birmingham Opera Group, both in Birmingham and Chicago.

When did you discover Billie Holiday?

When I was a kid listening to the radio, singing along using my hairbrush as a

microphone. I was quite a loud kid.

What attracted you to her music and story?

Her beautiful tone; her voice got me at first. I was curious about why she was so loved, and when I listened to her voice, it was so rich and warm and yet so sad; it really moves you. I started investigating her music and her life, and started singing along to more of her songs. The more I listened, the more I loved singing along. After the jazz and blues concerts I’d done in the US, I realised I could sing her songs, and I wanted to learn more about her. I wanted to nurture and bring forth someone who was iconic and who had a great story to tell. At first it was a toss-up between Billie Holiday and Nina Simone (I think Nina is someone whose story I’ll tell in the near future). Reading about Billie Holiday’s life, realising what she went through and what she achieved with her music was totally inspiring. If I could have an inch of her career, I’d be laughing.

How did you research The Billie Holiday Story?

I read and listened to anything I could get my hands on. I had some of her music, I did loads of internet searching, and I’ve now got lots of books about her. One that’s really popular is Julia Blackburn’s, called With Billie. Julia did a lot of research and knew a lot about Billie’s background; I found the book very useful. I got hold of all Billie’s CDs and gradually immersed myself in her story, her music, and started to get to know her as a person. The more you read, the more layers are revealed, and within the layers, the more you have to go into it to understand why things happened. I had to fill in the gaps in her story, because people only know segments. I want to take the audience on a journey, so that they get to know her and her music. I want them to get to know the true essence of who she was through the music, and through her great sense of humour, through her character, and through all the things - many terrible things - that happened to her.

Tell us how you work with your band...

Everyone in the band, bar the drummer, did the West End run with me, which was fantastic - luckily, I knew most of the musicians before. I also did auditions, so we jammed together. I’ve got a great ear, so I knew what would work. I’d met Allan (Rogers, pianist and MD) in Edinburgh when I did the show there in 2011. He was doing the festival at the time. He joined me in 2013.

I went through all of Billie’s classic music songs that people would identify with, such as Strange Fruit, God Bless The Child and Easy Living - and also looked at her legacy and history. I thought it would be interesting to integrate a bit of story and chat between the songs, to link everything together.

Your show ran very successfully at the Charing Cross Theatre in London. Was that your West End debut?

I’ve performed roles like Liz Imbrie - the wisecracking undercover tabloid reporter in High Society - at the Shaftsbury. It had started at Regent’s Park Theatre. I also played the Nurse in Romeo & Juliet, plus lots of classical soirees and some off-West End performances.

Do you have Billie Holiday fans coming to see the show?

Lots! They love it! And they come dressed up with a gardenia or flower in their hair.

Some of them come suited and booted to see the show - lots of people dress up in vintage gear. It’s lovely to see them!

Is this the first time you’ve toured the show?

I did the show at Edinburgh in 2011 - at the Assembly Rooms - and a small tour in 2012, which kicked off at the Electric Theatre in Guildford. This is quite different, though, and I’m really looking forward to it! I’m a bit nervous too!

What’s next for Nina Kristofferson?

I’d like to do some TV, I’d love to do classical plays, film and some classical music, along with jazz and blues. And hopefully the Nina Simone story.

The Billie Holiday Story shows at New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, on Thurs 8 May www.whatsonlive.co.uk 11

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Music Echo And The Bunnymen Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Sun 11 May

Hailing from Liverpool, Echo & The Bunnymen have released twelve studio albums in a career spanning more than three decades. Following Ian McCulloch’s departure in 1988, the loss of drummer Pete de Freitas the following year, and a split in 1993, the band regrouped four years later and continued to make music. Their Midlands gigs come as part of a brand new tour in support of equally brand new album Meteorites, which returning frontman McCulloch describes as “up there in heaven - untouchable, celestial, beautiful and real.

It has changed my life”.

Wolf Alice The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 22 May

Alternative rock band Wolf Alice - featuring Ellie Rowsell and Joff Oddie - are releasing new EP Creature Songs and playing twenty UK dates before hitting the summertime festival circuit, with appearances at Glastonbury, T In The Park and Reading & Leeds all scheduled for later this year.

Although starting out as an acoustic duo, Ellie and Joff evolved their music to include more rock elements, and the band are often compared to Hole and Elastica. Grungey new single Moaning Lisa Smile captures their raw, live sound, and is perhaps their best yet. Superfood and Gengahr support.

Gypsy Fire Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 9 May

Paolo Nutini Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Fri 30 May

After a period of wound-licking in the aftermath of a relationship break-up - and following the release of two successful albums which sold over three million copies between them Paolo Nutini here returns to the limelight in support of third album Caustic Love, the second single from which, Iron Sky, has earned warm praise from no less a luminary than Adele. Admitting that performing live still makes him nervous, Scottish singer Nutini is touring prior to summer gigs at Glastonbury, Radio One Big Weekend and T In The Park.

Janelle Monae The Institute, Birmingham, Thurs 8 May

Paying Birmingham fans a compliment by playing here on her exclusive three-date tour, Janelle Monae is The Electric Lady, and plays in support of the album of the same name.

Nominated for Best International Female at the BRITS this year, Janelle’s new album has already spawned singles Primetime and Q.U.E.E.N., featuring Erykah Badu.

Wearing only a uniform of monochrome, her alter-ego Cindi Mayweather is an alien sent from the future to save mankind. Watch instead as she saves the music industry with her Bowie-esque creativity and imagination. Cody Chesnutt supports.

This highly rated jazz quartet have pushed the boundaries by showing what can be achieved on purely acoustic instruments. Comprising two acoustic guitarists, a jazz violinist and a double bassist, Gypsy Fire perform with real passion and skill. Although the quartet formed a relatively short time ago, in 2010, their CV already features a performance at the Royal Albert Hall (as part of Late Night Jazz). Here making a return with a new Acoustic Spectacular theatre show, let them take you on a musical journey through style and time.

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 13

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BRIAN YEATES ASSOCIATES PROUDLY PRESENTS...

Stand Up & Rock ★ ★ ★ FEATURING ★ ★ ★

JASPER CARROTT THE BEV BEVAN BAND TREVOR BURTON GEOFF TURTON JOY STRACHAN-BRAIN SEPTEMBER 2014 Tue 16th Sept - Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton - 01902 429212 Fri 19th & Sat 20th Sept - Concordia Theatre, Hinckley - 01455 615005 Tue 23rd - Fri 26th Sept - Arts Complex, Solihull - 0121 704 6962

OCTOBER 2014 Thurs 16th Oct - Town Hall, Dudley - 01384 812812 Fri 17th Oct - Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury - 01684 295074 Tues 21st Oct - Town Hall, Birmingham - 0121 345 0600 Thurs 23rd - Sat 25th Oct - Palace Theatre, Redditch - 01527 65203 Sun 26th Oct - Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury - 01743 281281 Thurs 30th & Fri 31st Oct - Town Hall, Sutton Coldfield - 0121 464 8990

June 16th 2014 - Garrick Theatre, Lichfield

NOVEMBER 2014 Sat 1st Nov Civic Theatre, Bedworth 02476 376707 Tues 11th - Sat 15th Nov Garrick Theatre, Lichfield 01543 412121 Mon 17th Nov Playhouse, Nottingham 01159 419419

...trut ltyo a nighber. remem

Sept 16th 2014 - Garrick Theatre, Lichfield Oct 11th 2014 - Solihull Arts Complex

www.brianyeates.co.uk

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Music PREVIEWS The Urban Folk Quartet Stafford Gatehouse, Sat 10 May

The Urban Folk Quartet is like no other folk band. With Birmingham’s vibrant and diverse music scene having a significant influence on their work, they dabble in all kinds of sounds, from funk grooves and middle-eastern melodies to afrobeat and north Indian rhythms. That’s not to say, though, that they don’t tug their collective forelock in the direction of more traditional folk too, and describe their music as being ‘fiddle-led’ and drawn ‘heavily from celtic dance forms and traditional song’.

Billy Ocean The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Fri 16 May; The Robin, Bilston, Sat 24 May; Lichfield Garrick, Sun 26 May

Shreya Ghoshal

Trinidad-born Billy Ocean scored his biggest successes in the 1970s and, particularly, the early-to-mid-’80s, winning the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his worldwide hit Caribbean Queen. As well as enjoying numerous hits himself, Ocean has also penned songs for various other artists, including LaToya Jackson, Randy Crawford, Marti Pellow and Boyzone. In 2011, he became a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, his title being presented to him by Sir Paul McCartney.

National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, Mon 26 May

Clean Bandit

Kris Drever

Brought up in the quaint town of Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, Shreya Ghoshal got her first real break when she won Reality TV show SaReGa Ma. It was here that Shreya impressed director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who later chose her to become the voice of the protagonist Paro in Devdas. With umpteen awards under her belt, this pitch-perfect songstress has become an icon for millions of young people.

The Institute, Birmingham, Mon 5 May

The Hive, Shrewsbury, Sun 4 May

Riding high on the success of single Rather Be, which stayed put at number one for four weeks in January, Clean Bandit are back for their second headlining UK tour. Tagged by The Guardian as ‘the UK’s number one classical-dance crossover act’, the Cambridgeeducated quartet this month release debut album New Eyes, featuring previously released singles A+E, Mozart’s House and Dust Clears. If you didn’t manage to buy tickets for this sold-out show, you can still catch them at Wireless in July. Javeon and Kidnap Kid support at The Institute.

Kris Drever hails from a musical background, his dad Ivan having been a member of Scottish band Wolfstone, best known for their combination of Highland music and rock’n’roll. Contemporary folk musician Kris came to prominence almost a decade ago, first of all forming awardwinning folk trio Lau and then releasing debut solo album Black Water. He’s also contributed to a couple of Kate Rusby offerings, 2005’s The Girl Who Couldn't Fly and 2007’s Awkward Annie.

Eagles LG Arena, Birmingham, Wed 28 - Thurs 29 May

Drawing on a back-catalogue spanning fortyplus years, The Eagles here make a welcome return to the Midlands - where they last performed in 2009 - for a concert that features all their classic numbers, including Lyin' Eyes, Best Of My Love and Desperado. One of the world’s best-selling bands, with a staggering one hundred-and-fifty million record sales under their collective belt, they’re probably best known for the hit 1977 single Hotel California, from their album of the same name...

This Birmingham gig sees them presenting their History Of The Eagles show, which they began touring last year in support of the similarly titled documentary release.

Katy Perry LG Arena, Birmingham, Tues 13 - Wed 14 May

Pink Fairies The Robin, Bilston, Thurs 15 May

Even by the crazy standards of the early1970s music scene, Pink Fairies were revellers in excess. Active in London’s Ladbroke Grove underground and psychedelic scene, they were well known for their promotion both of free music and drug taking, and garnered a reputation for performing impromptu concerts - and not always welcome ones.

Hailed by Sex Pistol John Lydon as his favourite old-wave band, they’re this year coming together a quarter-century after their last outing, and feature originals Russell Hunter and Duncan ‘Sandy’ Sanderson performing with guitarist supremo Andy Colquhoun.

One-time Christian artist Katy hit the big-time with a secular sound that's been described as a mix of 'sass and spunk'. The multiaward-winning Californian combines cheeky pop with more commercial pop/rock music, presenting a sound that calls to mind Lily Allen, Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morissette. Having chalked up over eleven million album sales and eighty-one million singles sales worldwide, Katy this month visits Birmingham on her Prismatic World Tour, which she’s undertaking in support of fourth studio album Prism. Icona Pop support. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 15

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FRIDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

HOWARD STREET, SHREWSBURY. SY1 2LF

0844 8737348 FOLLOW US ON:

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Music GIG REVIEWS

Music LISTINGS

THEM AND NOW Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham

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

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

ROBERT CRAY Birmingham Town Hall THE DUNNETT/BAXTER BIG BAND The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham LAKE STREET DIVE The Glee Club, Birmingham CLEAN BANDIT The Institute, Birmingham AMY KAKOURA Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham JAMES HICKMAN & DAN CASSIDY Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury EMPIRE, TIGERPUNCH & ZIM ZIM The Flapper, Birmingham

MON 5 MAY

Elbow LG Arena, Birmingham Kicking off their first UK tour in just under two years, Elbow returned to Birmingham last month in support of their recently released record, The Take Off And Landing Of Everything. With the gig pretty much sold out, the receptive crowd cheered as the band took to the stage after a warm-up by Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin. Despite the new tour supporting The Take Off And Landing Of Everything, the twohour-long set also featured plenty of tracks from their previous records, Build A Rocket Boys! and The Seldom Seen Kid. Backed by a brilliant brass and strings section, the band played hit tracks such as The Bones Of You, New York Morning and Mirrorball, as well as a soultouching version of The Heart Will Always Win, dedicated to those in the audience who were missing someone. Most of the band’s sixteentrack set was, as expected, relaxed. However, when it reached Grounds For Divorce, the rulebook went out of the window, their roaring rendition of one of their most famous songs breathing new life into everyone in the LG Arena. In between songs, Elbow lead singer Guy Garvey provided plenty of banter, telling stories and cracking jokes in a way that suited the band perfectly. The show itself was impressive yet restrained. Despite the occasional acoustic track here and there, the encore was certainly the highlight of the show for me, with a double act of Lippy Kids and One Day Like This generating a fantastic response from the crowd, egged on by Garvey. I’m already wishing them a speedy return to Birmingham, but in the meantime, fear not they’re quite active on the festival circuit this year.

Ryan Humphreys ■■■■

THU 1 MAY SOUL LEGENDS Stafford Gatehouse Theatre THE STEVE GIBBONS BAND The Robin, Bilston JOE BROWN Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent KRYSTLE WARREN Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury COCO & THE BUTTERFLIES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE FALL Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry PHILLIP CLOUTS JAZZ QUARTET Maidment Hall, Shrewsbury School DAVID SERERO The Glee Club, Birmingham NINE BLACK ALPS The Flapper, Birmingham THE PSYCHEDELIC WARLORDS The Roadhouse, Birmingham MIKE STEWART LAWRENCE Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull UNDER THE INFLUENCE The Asylum, B’ham FAULKNER The Jam House, Birmingham LADY FUEL Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham EVERYBODY LOOKS FAMOUS/WHITE CLOUDS & GUNFIRE The Institute, Birmingham

FRI 2 MAY

The Blockheads The Robin, Bilston A welcome return visit to Bilston for The Blockheads, currently touring their latest album. With their new material being every bit as poetic as early-days Blockheads offerings, Derek ‘The Draw’ Hussey and the boys are ensuring that the legacy of the late Ian Dury, who died thirteen years ago, not only lives on but is also celebrated - hence the choice of Same Horse, Different Jockey! as the album’s title. Accompanied by noted bassist Norman Watt-Roy, Hussey belts out the new material alongside plenty of classics numbers.

Thirty years on and The Blockheads are still as rock’n’roll as ever. A band of ageing members, sure; but not of ageing talent.

Luc Lichtle ■■■■

TALON Wulfun Hall, Wolverhampton FROM THE JAM The Robin, Bilston GROUPER The Jam House, Birmingham MCBUSTED LG Arena, Birmingham KAZABIAN O2 Academy, Birmingham PULLED APART BY HORSES The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent ABSOLVA & BABYLON FIRE The Asylum, Birmingham CYMBALS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham PROSUMER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham JUPITER ATE & THE DELTA RHYTHM The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham MENTALLICA The Roadhouse, Birmingham STOP STOP & LOVEBITE Route 44, Birmingham RED LIGHT ROOM The Institute, Birmingham TOSELAND The Asylum, Birmingham TAKE TWO Irish Centre, Birmingham IRON KNIGHTS & ERADIKATOR Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham

SAT 3 MAY MCBUSTED LG Arena, Birmingham THE ILLEGAL EAGLES Vi

ctoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent GROUPER The Jam House, Birmingham JETHRO TULL’S IAN ANDERSON Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE COUNTERFEIT STONES The Robin, Bilston MAGNUM Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton MAMA - GENISIS Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth THE QUIK & THE KLIKS Artrix, Bromsgrove MARTIN CARTHY & ELIZA CARTHY mac, Birmingham INTRIGUE IN TANGIERS Solihull Arts Complex FRED ZEPPELIN Lichfield Guildhall STEVE BROOKSTEIN Artrix, Bromsgrove BOOTLEG BLONDIE The Roadhouse, B’ham CAHELEN MORRISON & ELI WEST Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MALARKI The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham MIDLANDS’ METAL CRUSADE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton CONGO NATTY Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FIRE IN CAIRO, DINKY, SUNDAY 44 & CHANGING SEASONS O2 Academy, Birmingham RICARDO CURBELO Birchmeadow, Broseley THE HURLING BOYS Irish Centre, Birmingham SEDULUS, PROSPERINA, KI & PIST Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham FROM WITHIN The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent VAULT OF EAGLES & BLEECH & REAP The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham DUBSPEEKA The Vaults, Shrewsbury FATHOMS, BLACK DOGS, FAILURE TO FOLLOW & VEXXEN The Flapper, Birmingham

SUN 4 MAY YES Symphony Hall, Birmingham ALBERT LEE & HOGAN’S HEROES Artrix, Bromsgrove FUDGESTOCK The Robin, Bilston BLACK Artrix, Bromsgrove LOCO DICE, ROBERT DIETZ, ADAM SHELTON & SUBB-AN The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham EROL ALKAN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham SNARKY PUPPY The Glee Club, Birmingham KRIS DREVER The Hive, Shrewsbury THE INDIANS Irish Centre, Birmingham PEARL SCAM The Roadhouse, Birmingham

TUE 6 MAY BRENDAN SHINE Solihull Arts Complex FISH The Robin, Bilston BARRENCE WHITFIELD & THE SAVAGES The Slade Rooms, W’hampton MODERN MINDS, ALEX MOIR, GEORGE GADD & PINK VIOLENCE The Actress & Bishop, B’ham YELLOW OSTRICH Hare & Hounds, Birmingham WILD CLUB Hare & Hounds, Birmingham BAD RABBITS O2 Academy, Birmingham NADIINE DANIIELS & MISS DORA The Jam House, Birmingham 10CC’S GRAHAM GOULDMAN & FRIENDS The Glee Club, Birmingham

WED 7 MAY JOE TOPPING TRIO The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham HANNAH JAMES & SAM SWEENEY Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE WONDER YEARS The Institute, Birmingham GRAEME CLARK mac, Birmingham TWO MAN TING The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham MOTOR CITY MEMORIES Crewe Lyceum, Cheshire THE BREW The Robin, Bilston SOLIDS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham SEPTEMBER GIRLS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham BEAT BROTHERS The Jam House, Birmingham FRASER ANDERSON Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

THU 8 MAY THE FUREYS & DAVEY ARTHUR Solihull Arts Complex, Birmingham RHAPSODY QUEEN Crewe Lyceum, Cheshire MICHAEL BOLTON Civic Hall, Wolverhampton THE NEIL DIAMOND STORY Lichfield Garrick THE RIFLES The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton UK SUBS The Robin, Bilston JANELLE MONAE The Institute, Birmingham MOOD INDIGO The Jam

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

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LICHFIELD GUILDHALL MAY Sat 3rd May, 8pm

Fred Zeppelin

Tickets: £10.00

Sun 11 May, 5pm

Battle Acoustica Final

Tickets: £3.00

Sun 11 May, 8.15pm

Battle Of The Bands Final

Tickets: £3.00

JULY Fri 11th to Sun 13th July

BEACON PARK, LICHFIELD

FREE ENTRY

THE FAMILY COMMUNITY ARTS FESTIVAL The festival attracts many thousands of people to watch professional artists, participate in arts and crafts activities and to take part in performance opportunities.

Fuse aims to provide access to the Arts for everyone regardless of their ability to pay.

Featuring this years For a programme or further information contact: Donegal House, Bore Street, Lichfield. WS13 6LU

BOX OFFICE 01543 262223

www.lichfieldarts.org.uk You can now book on-line www.lichfieldarts.org.uk

18 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Music May Region Two _Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:54 Page 8

Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk House, Birmingham FATAL CHAOS, KRITICAL CHARGE, METHODEMIC, BITTER ALLIANCE & ARAMANTUS O2 Academy, Birmingham REUBEN FOWLER SEXTET Bramall Music Building, Birmingham MARK RADCLIFFE & THE FOES Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek THE GRAND SLAMBOVIANS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham SONS & LOVERS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DESOLATED, SENTENCED, GROVE STREET FAMILIES & BLOOD CURDLER The Flapper, Birmingham THE STARVING DOGS & FALLOW FIELDS The Roadhouse, B’ham DANIEL O’DONNELL Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent SWAATI KHUNTI Symphony Hall, Birmingham

FRI 9 MAY T-REXTASY Solihull Arts Complex TRU GROOVE The Jam House, Birmingham BIG UP THE 90’S The Robin, Bilston QUILL Tamworth Assembly Rooms GYPSY FIRE Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MARTIN SIMPSON Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton QUEEN - FLASH The Place, Oakengates BO NINGEN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham SNOWBLIND, IRON VOID, HOLLOW EARTH, LOOORD & BURDEN OF THE NOOSE The Asylum, Birmingham SINGING NINA The Drum, Birmingham SAM PEPPER The Institute, Birmingham THE KOOKS The Institute, Birmingham THE RYANS Irish Centre, Birmingham QUOMOTION Route 44, Birmingham EASY TARGET, IDIOM, DEAD CITY SOULS & LOVE SICK FOR MINA The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent PINK MARTINI PRESENTS THE VON TRAPS Birmingham Town Hall REED BASS Symphony Hall, Birmingham SNOOTY BOBS O2 Academy, Birmingham FRIENDLY FIRE BAND Hare & Hounds, B’ham KING KRAB The Roadhouse, Birmingham

SAT 10 MAY TRU GROOVE The Jam House, Birmingham SHOWADDYWADDY Crewe Lyceum, Cheshire KASAI MASAI Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DON WILLIAMS Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE DAMES OF DARKNESS FESTIVAL The Robin, Bilston THREE SPIRE ROMANCE The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham LIVEWIRE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton JOHN COOPER CLARKE Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton MIRANDA SYKES & REX PRESTON Birchmeadow, Broseley URBAN FOLK QUARTET Stafford Gatehouse Theatre EMBRACE O2 Academy, Birmingham PANIC! AT THE DISCO Civic Hall, W’hampton QUANTIC Hare & Hounds, Birmingham CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN The Institute, Birmingham A FOREIGNER’S JOURNEY The Roadhouse, Birmingham ENERGY GOD, MACKA DIAMOND, RANDY VALENTINE, REDMAN UK, V.ROCKET, BIG JOHN & NWR The Institute, Birmingham BRANDON ALLEN The Hive, Shrewsbury UNDER THE COVERS Irish Centre, Birmingham PUNK’D THE SPIRIT OF 77 Route 44, Birmingham ANIMA, SECOND CITY FIRE, MUTT & THE REAL QUAID Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham THE BIG FOUR TRIBUTE BAND The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent THE RAINBAND O2 Academy, Birmingham PURSON, WITCHSORROW, MEADOWS, SPACE WITCH, VODUN & ALUNAH The Asylum, Birmingham THE STAFFORDSHIRE MEN St John’s Methodist Church, Bloxwich

SUN 11 MAY LIFESIGNS The Robin, Bilston GRAEME CLARK Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Stafford Gatehouse Theatre ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton ALBERT HAMMOND JR The Glee Club, B’ham PURE LOVE O2 Academy, Birmingham LITTLE JIMMY Irish Centre, Birmingham DAVID GIBB & ELLY LUCAS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham PATSY MATHESON Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham BATTLE ACOUSTICA / BATTLE OF THE BANDS FINAL Lichfield Guildhall

LESS FOR MURDER, THE DALGRAINS & CARL MCFADYEN The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham GOATESS, SERPENT VENOM, SIGIRYA, EARTHMASS, OPIUM LORD & TRENCH OF BONES The Asylum, Birmingham BEAR HANDS & YOUNG MYTHS The Institute, Birmingham

MON 12 MAY TORI AMOS Symphony Hall, Birmingham PRETTY YENDE Birmingham Town Hall WOLF ALICE The Institute, Birmingham INME, THE RED PAINTINGS & OXYGEN THIEF The Flapper, Birmingham HARPETH RISING Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham ANGEL AT MY TABLE O2 Academy, Birmingham

TUE 13 MAY BELINDA CARLISLE Birmingham Town Hall MARTIN STEPHENSON & THE DAINTEES O2 Academy, Birmingham JAGWAR MA The Institute, Birmingham KATY PERRY LG Arena, Birmingham DELAYS The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton WE WERE EVERGREEN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, Birmingham MORGAN O’KANE Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

WED 14 MAY KATY PERRY LG Arena, Birmingham THE IAN SIEGAL BAND The Robin, Bilston BOO HEWERDINE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton JIMMY LEE & THE EDGE OF CHAOS ORCHESTRA The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham BARRON KNIGHTS Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THREE STEP MANOEUVRE FUNKY ORGAN TRIO The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham TELEMAN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD O2 Academy, Birmingham

THU 15 MAY THE SEARCHERS Crewe Lyceum, Cheshire RODNEY BRANIGAN & TIM SNIDER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE NEIL DIAMOND STORY Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire THE PLATINUM ROGUES The Jam House, Birmingham PINK FAIRIES The Robin, Bilston BETHAN AND THE MORGANS, SMALL CHANGES & OWD YER OSSIES The Roadhouse, B’ham

McBusted - LG Arena, Birmingham

CHARLIE SIMPSON O2 Academy, Birmingham FAIRPORT CONVENTION Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek DRUMSCAPES WITH JON STERCKX Symphony Hall, Birmingham

FRI 16 MAY DR FEELGOOD & EDDIE AND THE HOT RODS The Robin, Bilston DAN WHITEHOUSE & COLE STACEY Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham LITTLE MIX LG Arena, Birmingham KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BEATY HEART Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MILEY CYRUS National Indoor Arena, Birmingham VELLOCET The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent THE WHISKEY SYNDICATE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton PIAF THE SONGS Stafford Gatehouse Theatre JOE BROWN Birmingham Town Hall AUGUSTINES The Institute, Birmingham THE EMISSARIES The Actress & Bishop, B’ham BILLY OCEAN The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury FRED ZEPPELIN Route 44, Birmingham ACTION BRONSON O2 Academy, Birmingham THE BIG FOUR TRIBUTE BAND The Roadhouse, Birmingham FACTORY FLOOR Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DUKE, THE LITTLE DEATHS, THE VECTORS & STATIC IRONY O2 Academy, Birmingham TERRAFORM The Asylum, Birmingham LOTTE MULLAN The Glee Club, Birmingham MILESTONE EXPRESS Irish Centre, B’ham FIREBRAND SUPER ROCK Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham HORSE HOUSE Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SAT 17 MAY DETROIT SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham

THE FUREYS & DAVEY ARTHUR Crewe Lyceum, Cheshire ROCK 4 SPON 3 The Robin, Bilston MCBUSTED LG Arena, Birmingham DUETS FOR DJANGO Lichfield Garrick THE SKIRR The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE TREORCHY MALE VOICE CHOIR Bedworth Civic Hall LIT The Institute, Birmingham VIVA LA COLD PLAY Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth THAT’LL BE THE DAY Birmingham Town Hall WE ARE SAVIOURS O2 Academy, Birmingham SECOND CITY FIRE The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE ROVING CROWS Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek TOO REX The Roadhouse, Birmingham PAT BRESLIN Irish Centre, Birmingham GENERATION N, EASTFIELD & ACHOHOL LICKS Route 44, Birmingham WESTERN SAND & FEDERAL CHARM Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham PERHAPS CONTRAPTION Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE CORRESPONDENTS The Institute, B’ham LENZMAN The Vaults, Shrewsbury DILJIT DOSANJH The National Indoor Arena, Birmingham

SUN 18 MAY NINE INCH NAILS LG Arena, Birmingham THE GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA Wolverhampton Grand Theatre THE BOHEMIANS - A NIGHT OF QUEEN Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock COURTNEY BARNETT Hare & Hounds, Birmingham COCO MONTOYA The Robin, Bilston ELVIS ROXX Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull COURTNEY LOVE O2 Academy, Birmingham JOHN MCNICHOLL Irish Centre, Birmingham KIERAN GOSS Kitchen

Garden Cafe, B’ham TWO GLASS EYES The Roadhouse, B’ham FRENCH FOR RABBITS, CHRIS BICKNELL & JAMES SAYER The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham

MON 19 MAY THE FRYER BARNHART INTERNATIONAL ALL STARS Solihull Arts Complex AMANDA SHIRES Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury THE YOUNG FOLK Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DROWNERS The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham HANK WANGFORD O2 Academy, Birmingham IDIOM The Flapper, Birmingham BIG TENT AND THE GYPSY LANTERN Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

TUE 20 MAY KEITH JAMES: THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN The Robin, Bilston SPIERS AND BODEN Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury JEFF BECK & BAND Symphony Hall, Birmingham BEN MARKLAND BAND The Jam House, Birmingham FORRO SOCIAL Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham KYLE CAREY Ort Cafe, Birmingham THE S FACTOR Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

WED 21 MAY THE JOHNNY CASH ROADSHOW New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham SPIERS AND BODEN The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham GOSPEL CENTRAL The Jam House, Birmingham JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA Civic Hall, Wolverhampton BOB WAYNE The Institute, Birmingham THE SEARCHERS Lichfield Garrick TERRY REID WITH BJ COLE The Robin, Bilston DERVISH Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BURY TOMORROW The

For full music listings in the West Midlands, visit. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 19

Music May Region Two _Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:54 Page 9

“This show is not to be missed”

★★★★★ Edinburgh Evening News

“Unashamedly drumming as theatre... exhilarating”

★★★★ The Herald

“An invigorating, life-enriching experience. you’ll be poorer if you miss it.”

The Stage

Tuesday 13th May 2014, 7.30pm ELGAR CONCERT HALL Bramall Music Building at the University of Birmingham

Box Office: 0121 345 0492 or online: www.thsh.co.uk £18 Full Price, £15 Concessions, £10 for under 18’s

20 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Music May Region Two _Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:54 Page 10

Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent GYPSY FIRE Solihull Arts Centre THE RUTLES Birmingham Town Hall M.A.D O2 Academy, Birmingham GREG RUSSELL & CIARAN ALGAR Stafford Gatehouse Theatre WHORION, THE MIGHTY WRATH & ERADIKATOR The Roadhouse, Birmingham

THU 22 MAY ONE NIGHT OF ELVIS New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham SHAKATAK The Robin, Bilston A CELEBRATION OF NEIL DIAMOND Solihull Arts Complex MILES HUNT & ERICA NOCKTAILS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham EDEN’S CURSE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE PARIS 1940’S The Jam House, B’ham WOLF ALICE The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent TINY RUINS The Glee Club, Birmingham SKY VALLEY MISTRESS The Roadhouse, Birmingham THE STRUTS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

FRI 23 MAY ELVIS PRESLEY - ON STAGE Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE SUBTERRANEANS The Jam House, Birmingham FLEETWOOD BAC The Robin, Bilston THE CARPENTERS STORY New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE UPLOAD TOUR 3 O2 Academy, Birmingham BEN UFO Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE INDIANS Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock THUMPERS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham QUEEN ALIVE Route 44, Birmingham JIMI GOODWIN The Institute, Birmingham FRAMED The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE DOUBLE HAPPY The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton TOM HICKOX The Glee Club, Birmingham REEL NOTE Irish Centre, Birmingham REASIDE & LOCCA The Roadhouse, Birmingham DELAMERE & RACING GLACIERS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent TOM HILL AND ZZ BOP Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE HOOSIERS The Institute, Birmingham

SAT 24 MAY THE SUBTERRANEANS The Jam House, Birmingham FAIRPORT CONVENTION Birchmeadow, Broseley THE ELVIS YEARS Crewe Lyceum, Cheshire STILL MARILLION - TOTALLY FUGAZI The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton AN EVENING WITH JULIE ANDREWS National Indoor Arena, B’ham TROUMACA Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ROY ORBISON AND FRIENDS Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffordshire DILJIT DOSANJH Civic Hall, Wolverhampton BILLY OCEAN The Robin, Bilston SAXONIZED Route 44, Birmingham ENEMO J O2 Academy, Birmingham MARC FORD The Institute, Birmingham THE FULL SHA BANG Irish Centre, Birmingham JESS MORGAN Ort Cafe, Birmingham RAM WAREHOUSE PARTY The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham

SUN 25 MAY DESPERADO The Robin, Bilston GARETH MALONE Symphony Hall, Birmingham BILLY OCEAN Lichfield Garrick TIA MCGRAFF Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury HOT 8 BRASS BAND Hare & Hounds, Birmingham T R DALLAS Irish Centre, BIrmingham DISSIDENT PROPHET Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham KID CONGO AND THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MOJO HOOKER, SUZI AND THE BACKBEATS, THE ZOE GREEN BAND, THE LOVELESS, THE PAUL STEDMAN BAND, TOM WALKER TRIO AND MORE The Roadhouse, Birmingham JOE MILES, HOLLY AIRES, CONNOR HEMMING & WES DANCE The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham

MON 26 MAY THE SEEKERS Symphony Hall, Birmingham WHITE DENIM The Glee Club, Birmingham SHREYA GHOSHAL National Indoor Arena, Birmingham SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL Civic Hall, Wolverhampton THE PIZZA UNDERGROUND Hare & Hounds, Birmingham TIR NA NOG Kitchen Gar-

den Cafe, Birmingham MEADOWLARK Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

TUE 27 MAY MCBUSTED LG Arena, Birmingham BLAIR DUNLOP Hare & Hounds, Birmingham CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX The Robin, Bilston FOXES The Institute, Birmingham FREEZE THE ATLANTIC, LAYERS & THE BROKEN OAK DUET The Flapper, Birmingham

WED 28 MAY EAGLES LG Arena, Birmingham GWEN DICKEY’S ROSE ROYCE The Jam House, Birmingham POP FACTOR Lichfield Garrick PAUL LAMB & THE DETROIT BREAKDOWN The Robin, Bilston THE BLUES BAND The Place, Oakengates NURVRAX JAM The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham AWOLNATION The Institute, Birmingham FUTUREPROOF O2 Academy, Birmingham JACK NCNEILL & CHARLIE HEYS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

THU 29 MAY DEL CAMINO The Jam House, Birmingham TROUBADOUR The Robin, Bilston GERRY CROSS THE MERSEY Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury ESKA Hare & Hounds, Birmingham DOMINIC KIRWAN Lichfield Garrick THE RIPTIDE MOVEMENT O2 Academy, Birmingham THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE ENEMY The Institute, Birmingham FROM EDEN TO EXILE The Roadhouse, Birmingham THE PIZZA UNDERGROUND The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent MAGGIE 8 Symphony Hall, Birmingham EAGLES LG Arena, Birmingham A

FRI 30 MAY

DRESSED TO KILL The Robin, Bilston SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham KEZIASOUL & BURNSIDE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOT The Institute, Birmingham CAMERA OBSCURA The Institute, Birmingham WEDNESDAY 13 The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton OLLY MURS TRIBUTE The Great Barr Hotel, Birmingham

Wolf Alice - The Institute, Birmingham; The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

PAOLO NUTINI Civic Hall, Wolverhampton SOUR MASH The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham EAST INDIA YOUTH The Institute, Birmingham THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND The Roadhouse, Birmingham SLAB, CAMBION, STRONGHOST & IN THE GUISE OF MEN Scruffy Murphys, Birmingham RACHAEL COHEN QUARTET Symphony Hall, Birmingham MUSE INC & BLUE NATION Route 44, Birmingham REMI HARRIS TRIO mac, Birmingham TWELFTH DAY Ort Cafe, Birmingham

SAT 31 MAY THE SMYTHS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent T-REXTASY Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffordshire GRAHAM PARKER AND THE RUMOUR O2 Academy, Birmingham MICHAEL KING PRESENTS THE BILLY FURY YEARS Solihull Arts Complex THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock THE RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent METALLICA RELOADED O2 Academy, Birmingham NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK National Indoor Arena,

Birmingham IVOR & LYNN’S CLASSIC ROCK DISCO Route 44, Birmingham FRANCIS DUNNERY BAND The Robin, Bilston PHRONESIS Birmingham Town Hall SCHOOLBOY Q The Institute, Birmingham LACED Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ULTIMATE ELTON & THE ROCKET BAND Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth SWIM WITH SHARKS Irish Centre, Birmingham THE NOTEBENDERS Symphony Hall, Birmingham SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham

Music Venues Box Office 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 459 5660 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 May Region Two_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:42 Page 1

Classical Music PREVIEWS

The Marriage Of Figaro Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 25 May; Lichfield Garrick, Fri 30 May

Nowadays a cornerstone of the standard operatic repertoire, The Marriage Of Figaro was written by Mozart in 1786. Premiering the same year, it enjoyed instant success.

Set in Spain and recounting the events which take place during a single day in the palace of Count Almaviva, the opera follows the attempts of the countess to expose the infidelities of her husband, who has designs on his maid, Susanna.

This touring production arrives in the region courtesy of Swansea City Opera and features Andrew Mayor as the Count, Elin Pritchard as the Countess, Helen Massey as Susanna and Aris Nadirian as Figaro.

Sir Antonio Pappano Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 16 May

Music Director for the Royal Opera House since 2002, Antonio Pappano has conducted an impressive range of productions since making his directing debut at Den Norske Opera in 1987. Equally praised for his many recordings as both conductor and pianist, Pappano’s services to music were recognised with a knighthood in January 2012.

This month sees the British-born artist visiting the Midlands to direct an impressive cast in a performance of Verdi’s Requiem, often described as an opera in all but name. The production features Joseph Calleja - the Maltese tenor who’s been attracting comparisons with the young Pavarotti - soprano Hibla Gerzmaya, mezzo soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk, bass Carlo Colombara, and the Orchestra and Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Manchester Camerata: Carmen Reworked

Pretty Yende

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 25 April

With her victory in every category at the 2010 Belvedere International being followed a year later by a first place finish in Placido Domingo’s Operalia World Competition, South Africa’s Pretty Yende is rightly regarded as one of the world’s most thrilling new sopranos. Pretty’s critically acclaimed debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 further cemented her status as a fast-rising musical star.

Described by the Telegraph as ‘Possessed of diamanté tone and a megawatt smile’, she here performs a repertoire of bel canto gems by Rossini and Bellini, presented alongside works by Bernstein, Balfe and Gimenez.

One of the UK’s leading chamber orchestras, Manchester Camerata enjoys a ‘flourishing residency’ in Stafford, and this month returns to the Gatehouse to deliver a selection of classical favourites. Joined by one of Norway’s most exciting pianists, Christian Ihle Hadland, and under the direction of conductor Gábor TakácsNagy, the orchestra presents a programme which features: Grieg’s Holberg Suite op.40 five movements based on eighteenth century dance forms; Mozart’s Piano Concerto no.12 K414 - an early work, performed here with just a string orchestra; and Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite after Bizet - a memorable piece for strings and five percussionists described as ‘dramatic, entertaining and incredibly witty’.

Christian Ihle Hadland

22 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Birmingham Town Hall, Mon 12 May

Nigel Short

Tenebrae Consort St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, Fri 23 May

Tenebrae Consort comprises outstanding musicians drawn from the award-winning chamber choir Tenebrae, as well as from the groups the Swingle Singers, the Kings Singers and The Sixteen. Directed by Nigel Short, the consort here intersperses chant with the glories of polyphony, including three settings of John Sheppard’s In manus tuas, Thomas Tallis’ Te lucis ante terminum, and his intensely moving Lamentation Of Jeremiah. This timeless music will be performed by candlelight, with age-old traditional processionals being used to take full advantage of the unique acoustic and atmosphere of St Chad’s.

Classical May Region Two_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:42 Page 2

Classical LISTINGS For full listing information on classical concerts, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk CBSO RIMSKY-KORSAKOV'S SCHEHERAZADE Featuring Rafael Payare (conductor) and Jonathan Biss (piano).

Programme includes works by Brahms, Schumann and RimskyKorsakov, Thurs 1 May Symphony Hall, B’ham KHOVANSKYGATE: A NATIONAL INQUIRY Birmingham Opera Company present Mussorgsky’s final opera, directed by Graham Vick, Fri 2 May, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham LUNCHTIME CONCERT Rupert Marshall-Luck (violin) and Matthew Rickard (piano) perform works from Bartok and Dohnanyi, Fri 2 May, Barber Institute, B’ham PAVEL HAAS QUARTET Featuring Denis Kozhukhin (piano). Programme includes works

by Beethoven and Brahms, Sun 4 May, Birmingham Town Hall CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET - FROM VIENNA TO MOSCOW Sun 4 May, Maidment Hall, Shrewsbury School MOSCOW PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Featuring Yuri Simonov (conductor) and Natalie Clein (cello). Programme includes works by Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich, Tue 6 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham SANDRINE PIAU & APOLLO’S FIRE Programme includes works by Vivaldi, Rameau & Handel, Wed 7 May, Birmingham Town Hall STEPHEN HOUGH - PIANO RECITAL Programme includes works by Brahms, Bruckner, Schoenberg, Schumann, Strauss & Wagner, Wed 7 May, The Barber Institute, B’ham CBSO RACHMANINOV AND SHOSTAKOVICH Featuring Andres OrozcoEstrada (conductor) and Simone Lamsma (violin). Programme includes works by Ravel, Shostakovich & Rachmaninov, Thurs 8 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham REUBEN FOWLER SEXTET Thurs 8 May, Bramall Music Building, B’ham CBSO PLAYERS Featuring Gabriel Dyker & Bryony Morrison (violins), Michael Jenkinson (viola) & Sally Morgan (bass). Programme includes works by Rossini & Dvorak, Fri 9 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham THE HERMES ENSEMBLE Fri 9 May, Barber Institute, Birmingham CBSO SILENT HEROES: BUSTER KEATON Featur-

ing Carl Davis (conductor), Fri 9 May Symphony Hall, Birmingham HALLE ORCHESTRA GALA FINALE Fri 9 May, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent PINK MARTINI PRESENT THE VON TRAPPS Fri 9 May, Birmingham Town Hall ORGAN PROM WITH JONATHAN SCOTT Sat 10 May, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent LUDLOW ORCHESTRA: A RUSSIAN CONCERT Programme features works

by Borodin, Tchaikovsky, Bochmann & Mussorgsky, Sat 10 May, St Laurence Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire BCMG: FANTASIA ON THE NOTES Oliver Knussen conducts a programme of work in celebration of the 80th birthday of Harrison Birtwistle, Sat 10 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham CBSO FAMILY CONCERT: BITE-SIZE CLASSICS Featuring Michael Seal (conductor) and Alasdair Malloy (presenter).

Programme includes works by Strauss, Glinka, Faure, Beethoven, Shostakovich, Copland, Prokofiev and Mercury, Sun 11 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CBSO WITH SIMON RATTLE Sun 11 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT: THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by Bach, Handel (arr Trotter), Judith Weir, Mendelssohn & Vierne, Mon 12 May Birmingham Town Hall PRETTY YENDE Mon 12 May, B’ham Town Hall ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: BEETHOVEN'S EROICA Featuring Martin Roscoe on piano, Wed 14 May, Birmingham Town Hall CBSO HAYDN AND MOZART Featuring Andris Nelson (conductor), Margaret Cookhorn (contrabassoon), Rainer Gibbons (oboe), Christopher Richards (clarinet), Gretha Tuls (bassoon) & Elspeth Dutch (horn), Wed 14 - Thurs 15 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham PAPPANO CONDUCTS THE VERDI REQUIEM Fri 16 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham ZELKOVA QUARTET Programme includes works from Haydn and Bartok, Fri 16 May, Barber Institute, Birmingham THE MIDLAND CHAMBER PLAYERS Fri 16 May, Birmingham And Midland Institute BIDDULPH MALE VOICE CHOI WITH JONATHAN ANSELL Sat 17 May, Vic-

toria hall, Stoke-onTrent SIAN JONES CANTIONES CHAMBER CHOIR Programme includes works

by Pergolesi & Mozart, Sat 17 May, Holy Trinity Church, Oswestry, North Shropshire ENGLISH REFLECTIONS City of Birmingham Choir perform works by Elgar & Vaughan Williams, Sat 17 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham LUDLOW CHORAL SOCIETY: DURUFLE’S REQUIEM Sat 17 May, St Laurence’s Church, Ludlow, South Shropshire RISING STARS: DIONYSIS GRAMMENOS AND KARINA SPOSOBINA Programme includes works

by Bassi, Rachmaninov, Faure, Della Giacomma, Schumann, Chopin, Poulenc & de Sarasate, Sun 18 May, Birmingham Town Hall BIRMINGHAM CANOLDIR MALE CHOIR Sun 18 May, Birmingham Town Hall CBSO PLAYERS Programme includes works

by Bax, Debussy & Piazolla, Thurs 22 May, CBSO Centre, B’ham BEYOND CLASSICAL: INVITATION TO THE DANCE Featuring performances

by Yawen Mu & Linyang Wang, Thurs 22 May, Symphony Hall Cafe Bar, Birmingham MANCHESTER CAMERATA: THE YELLOW HAMMERS SONG Featuring Benjamin Grosvenor (piano), Giovanni Guzzo (violin) & Hannah Roberts (cello).

Programme includes works by Beethoven, Fri 23 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre BACK TO BACH LUNCHTIME CONCERT WITH KENNETH HAMILTON Fri 23 May, Barber Institute, Birmingham TENEBRAE CONSORT CHANT AND POLYPHONY

BY CANDLELIGHT Fri 23 May, St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury CBSO DER ROSENKAVALIER Featuring Andris Nelsons (conductor), Soile Isokoski (Marschallin), Alice Coote (Octavian), Sophie Bevan (Sophie), Franz Hawlata (Ochs), Mark Stone (Faninal), Bonaventura Bottone (Valzacchi), Pamela Helen Stephen (Annina), Ji-Min Park (Italian Tenor), Eddie Wade (Notary/Police Inspector/Servant) and CBSO Chorus and Youth Chorus, Sat 24 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham GARETH MALONE An inspirational evening of choral music courtesy of the UK’s Favourite Choirmaster, Sun 25 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Swansea City Opera present their version of Mozart's comic opera, Sun 25 May,

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury JULIAN HELLABY & PETER NOKE Programme includes works by Gershwin, Milhaud, Poulenc & Ramskill, Tues 27 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham CBSO ANDRIS AND HAKAN IN CONCERT Featuring Andris Nelsons (conductor) and Hakan Hardenberger (trumpet). Programme includes works by Ravel, Haydn and Mussorgsky, Wed 28 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham CBSO PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION Featuring Andris Nelsons (conductor) and Hakan Hardenberger (trumpet). Programme includes works by Ravel, Dean and Mussorgsky, Thurs 29 May, Symphony Hall, B’ham THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Swansea City Opera present their version of Mozart's comic opera, Fri 30 May, Lichfield Garrick BACK TO BACH LUNCHTIME CONCERT WITH KENNETH HAMILTON Fri 30 May, Barber Institute, Birmingham CBSO PLAYERS Adrian Spillett presents a contemporary programme featuring works by Radiohead, Reich, Bradley & Rush, Fri 30 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

Jonathan Ansell - Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

Classical Box Office ADRIAN BOULT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 331 5901

HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, OSWESTRY 01691 654832 / 652810

BARBER INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 7333

MAIDMENT HALL, SHREWSBURY SCHOOL 01743 280810

BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 0121 331 5901/2

ST CHAD’S CHURCH, SHREWSBURY 01743 365478

BIRMINGHAM & MIDLAND INSTITUTE 0121 236 3591

ST LAURENCE’S CHURCH, LUDLOW 01584 872073

BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333

SYMPHONY HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333

BRAMALL CONCERT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 3344 CBSO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 333

VICTORIA HALL, STOKE-ON-TRENT 0870 060 6649 For additional information Visit: w ww.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Comedy May Region Two_Layout 1 25/04/2014 14:43 Page 2

Comedy Brian Conley

Comedy Box Office

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Weds 14 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Fri 16 May

Comedian, television presenter, singer and actor Brian Conley is well known indeed in these parts, having regularly appeared at the Birmingham Hippodrome over the years, in musicals such as Jolson, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Oliver!. His popularity with Midlands audiences has been most in evidence during the festive season, however, courtesy of his numerous star-turns in the Hippodrome’s pantomime. In short, when Brian’s in town, a ticket sell-out is a guarantee!

Tom Stade The Glee Club, Birmingham, Fri 30 - Sat 31 May

Clever, controversial and Canadian pretty much sums up Tom Stade, a familiar face on BBC TV programmes such as Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Mock The Week. Tom has headlined gigs in comedy hotspots like New York and London by way of locations such as Amsterdam and Johannesburg, and has also earned his corn in far-flung war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan, scoring some major hits by entertaining the troops.

ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL 02476 376707 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 0121 333 2444 DUDLEY CONCERT HALL 01384 815 577 GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM 0871 4720400 HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM, 0844 844 0044 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER, 01905 611427 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK, STAFFS 01538 386112

Omid Djalili Palace Theatre, Redditch, Thurs 15 May; Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Fri 30 May; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Sat 27 Sept; Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Thurs 11 Dec

A fella who's been referred to as 'the thinking person's Iranian comedian', multi-award-winning funnyman Omid Djalili is a firm favourite at the Edinburgh Festival, and is probably one of the most subversive comedians currently doing the rounds on the UK comedy circuit. An actor as well as a comedian, Omid has trodden the boards in versions of The Shawshank Redemption and Joe Orton's acclaimed comedy What The Butler Saw. He also took the lead role in the David Baddiel film The Infidel, as well as appearing in box office blockbusters Gladiator, The Mummy, Sex And The City 2 and the James Bond movie The World Is Not Enough.

Shappi Khorsandi Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Fri 9 May; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 24 May

Iranian-born comedian Shappi found herself living in the UK after her father, the poet and satirist Hadi Khorsandi, wrote a poem that was perceived as being critical of Iran’s revolutionary regime.

A regular contributor both to radio and television comedy shows, Shappi’s jokes include: “I'm going to India on holiday and I wanted to know what the weather is like there. So I phoned my bank”.

Comedy Hulaballoo The Courtyard & Idolize Spiegeltent, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thurs 22 May - Sun 25 May

Some of the biggest names on the circuit feature in four days of comic madness when Comedy Hullabaloo takes place in Stratford this month. Organised by Underbelly, the entertainment company responsible for Udderbelly Festival London and London Wonderground, the festival spreads across various venues in Stratford-upon-Avon. Ardal O’Hanlon, Tim Vine, Milton Jones (pictured), Jason Manford, Al Murray, Hal Cruttenden, Justin Moorhouse and Richard Herring are among the well-established names booked to appear. Meanwhile, a Comedy Club 4 Kids element of the show sees Ed Gamble, Nish Kumar and James Acaster plying their trade to younger visitors - but without any rude bits.

KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 LG ARENA, BIRMINGHAM 0844 338 8000 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 MAC, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232 NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM 0844 871 3011 PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH 01527 65203 THE PUBLIC, WEST BROMWICH 0121 533 7161 DRUMMONDS BAR, WORCESTER 01905 28190 RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY 0844 873 6565 THE ROSES THEATRE TEWKESBURY 01684 295074 ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 334418 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE 01785 254653 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962 THE SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 THE GEORGE HOTEL, BURSLEM, STAFFS 07763301081 TAMWORTH ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01827 709618 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 VICTORIA HALL, HANLEY, STOKE-ON-TRENT 0844 871 7649 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 02476 524524 WEST BROMWICH TOWN HALL 0121 596 4429 WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000

For more comedy listings, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 25

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Comedy LISTINGS For full listing information on comedy gigs including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk PAUL CHOWDHRY Thurs 1 May, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton KUM-N-AVALOFF COMEDY NIGHT Thurs 1 May Stourbridge Town Hall PIERRE HOLLINS, SCOTTISH FALSETTO SOCK PUPPET THEATRE, JAMES MEEHAN, JOHN LEBBON, LOU CONRAN Thurs 1 May, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffordshire REVEREND OBADIAH STEPPENWOLF III, TIM CLARK, ADAM BLOOM, COMIC TBC Thurs 1 May, The Glee Club, B’ham ANDY ROBINSON, GERRY K, JELLYBEAN MARTINEZ, ALAN DONEGAN Fri 2 May, The George Hotel, Burslem, Staffordshire LAURENCE CLARK Fri 2 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton JON RICHARDSON Fri 2 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry JERRY SADOWITZ Fri 2 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham ANDREW BIRD, MIKE WILKINSON, DAVID LONGLEY, CHRIS CHOPPING, CARL HUTCHINSON Fri 2 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham TOM STADE, ANDY ASKINS, JOSEPH WILSON, DAMION LARKIN Fri 2 May, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton MARK STEEL: BACK IN TOWN Fri 2 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire ANGIE LE MAR, KEVIN J PLUS COMIC TBC Fri 2 May, The Drum, B’ham ALEX LOVE, TIM O'CONNOR, NICK ROOT, PHILLIP SIMON, WAYNE BEESE, SARA MASON, ROB COLEMAN Fri 2 May Evesham Arts Centre, Worcestershire TOM CRAINE, ASH FRITH, HAYLEY ELLIS Fri 2 May Hereford Courtyard Theatre REVEREND OBADIAH STEPPENWOLF III, TIM CLARK, ADAM BLOOM, MIKE WILMOT Fri 2 May Sat 3 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham MARK THOMAS Sat 3 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa ALFIE MOORE Sat 3 May Huntingdon Hall, Worcester PETER WHITE, TOM DEACON, PAUL F TAYLOR, ANDY FURY Sat 3 May, Coventry Showcase Cinema ANDREW BIRD, MIKE WILKINSON, CARL HUTCHINSON, DAVID LONGLEY Sat 3 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham JOHN WITHERSPOON Sun 4 May, Wulfrun Hall,

Wolverhampton RICH HALL Thurs 8 May The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford JAMES DOWDESWELL, MIKE GUNN, GWILLUM ARGOS, DAVE TWENTYMAN Thurs 8 May, The George Hotel, Lichfield HOLLY WALSH, CHRISTIAN REILLY Thurs 8 May, mac, B’ham PATRICK MONAHAN Thurs 8 May - Sat 10 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham DANA ALEXANDER, DAVE LONGLEY, JUSTIN MOORHOUSE, JONNY AWSUM Thurs 8 May Sat 10 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham SHAPPI KHORSANDI Fri 9 May, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton LEE EVANS Fri 9 May, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire PAUL SINAH, IAN COPPINGER, ROB COLLINS, STEVE SHANYASKI, RYAN GOUGH Fri 9 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham JUSTIN BOTTOM'S FIRST ENCOUNTERS OF THE CLOSE KIND Fri 9 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch LEE HURST Sat 10 May Artrix, Bromsgrove BILLY PEARCE Sat 10 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury RICH HALL Sat 10 May Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa ALUN COCHRANE, PAUL TONKINSON, TOM STADE AND MC MRS BARBARA NICE Sat 10 May, Players Bar, B’ham PAUL SINAH, IAN COPPINGER, ROB COLLINS, STEVE SHANYASKI Sat 10 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham LEE EVANS: WORK IN PROGRESS Sat 10 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre PAUL TONKINSON, KAREN BAYLEY, DANNY WARD, BETHANY BLACK Sat 10 May, Coventry Showcase Cinema SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO Sun 11 May, Drummonds Bar, Worcester ROUGH WORKS Sun 11 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham MARK GRIST Sun 11 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LEE EVANS Sun 11 May Hereford Courtyard Theatre OPEN MIC COMEDY HOSTED BY LOUDEEMY SOUP Mon 12 May, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham BARNSTOMERS COMEDY

Tues 13 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa DUNCAN OAKLEY Tues 13 May, Rose Villa Tavern, Birmingham SAM BRADY Weds 14 May, mac, Birmingham BRIAN CONLEY Weds 14 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre VG LEE, HELEN THORN, INDIA MCLEOD, MAUREEN YOUNGER Weds 14 May, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham KATHERINE RYAN, PHIL JERROD, JONNY PELHAM, CLINT EDWARDS Weds 14 May, Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury OMID DJALILI Thurs 15 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch BEN NORRIS, ZOE LYONS, JAMES DOWDESWELL, BARRY DODDS Thurs 15 May - Sat 17 May, The Glee Club, B’ham SARAH MILLICAN Fri 16 May, De Montfort Hall, Leicester ANDY ASKINS, JIM SMALLMAN, LUKE TOULSON, TOM DEACON, KIRI PRITCHARD-MCLEAN Fri 16 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham BRIAN CONLEY Fri 16 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury JETHRO Fri 16 May, Crewe Lyceum COURTLAUGHING COMEDY CLUB Fri 16 May, Hereford Courtyard Theatre JIMMY CARR Sat 17 May, Dudley Town Hall ANDY ASKINS, LUKE TOULSON, JOE BOR Sat 17 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, B’ham MICKEY SHARMA Sat 17 May, mac, Birmingham JON RICHARDSON Sat 17 May, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton JAMES SHERWOOD, ANDY WATSON, MATT RUDGE, GARETH MILLERICK Sat 17 May, Coventry Showcase Cinema IT'S A CRACKER, BE A JUDGE AS EIGHT COMEDIANS BATTLE TO BE 'COMEDY KING OF EVESHAM'. MC JAN WAGSTAFFE, BEN THURSRSTON, SHERAZ YOUSAF, NEIL IRVING, JOSH SADLER, JAY QUINN, PETE BECKLEY, JIM KELLY, RUSS MULLIGAN Sat 17 May, Evesham Arts Centre, Worcestershire ROB ROUSE, RIA LINA, BREN RILEY, COMIC TBC Sat 17 May, Players Bar, Birmingham SEVERN JESTERS Sun 18 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury FRANK SKINNER Sun 18 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry GARY DELANEY, BRET GOLDSTEIN, ROB ROUSE Sun 18 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry TOADALLY FREE COMEDY! Mon 19 May The Blue Orange Theatre, B’ham RICHARD HERRING Tues 20 May, Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR Weds 21 May, Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield JOSH WIDDICOMBE Weds 21 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham GRUMPY OLD WOMEN Weds 21 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MATT RICHARDSON Thurs 22 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove JON RICHARDSON Thurs 22 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry RO CAMPBELL, TOBIAS PERSSON, NATHAN CATON, COMIC TBC Thurs 22 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham RUBY WAX Thurs 22 May, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury NICK DOODY, SILKY Thurs 22 May, mac, B’ham RAYMOND MEARNS, ROGER MONKHOUSE, SMUG ROBERTS, BARRY DODDS, AARON TWITCHEN Fri 23 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham MAXINE JONES Fri 23 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre RO CAMPBELL, STEVE HARRIS, TOBIAS PERSSON, JASON PATTERSON Fri 23 May The Glee Club, B’ham THE LAUGHTER CREWE Fri 23 May, Crewe Lyceum LEE EVANS: WORK IN PROGRESS Fri 23 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire BARNSTORMERS COMEDY NIGHT Sat 24 May Artrix, Bromsgrove BILLY PEARCE Sat 24 May, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock, Staffordshire LEE EVANS: WORK IN PROGRESS Sat 24 May, Evesham Arts Centre, Worcestershire MATT RICHARDSON Sat 24 May, Hereford Courtyard Theatre PAUL CHOWDHRY Sat 24

May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry SHAPPI KHORSANDI Sat 24 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa RAYMOND MEARNS, ROGER MONKHOUSE, SMUG ROBERTS, BARRY DODDS Sat 24 May, Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham DUNCAN OAKLEY, JOE BOR, CARLY SMALLMAN, ANTHONY J BROWN Sat 24 May, Coventry Showcase Cinema JOE LYCETT, ELLIE TAYLOR, RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVUE, QUINCY Sat 24 May, Players Bar, Birmingham DAN NIGHTINGALE, RICH WILSON, CHRISTIAN REILLY Sun 25 May, Rose Villa Tavern, Birmingham MILES JUPP Tues 27 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove CRAIG CAMPBELL Weds 28 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham JIM DAVIDSON AND RICHARD DIGANCE Weds 28 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch DALISO CHAPONDA, PHIL ELLIS, TOM STADE PLUS COMIC TBC Thurs 29 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham THE HILARITY CHARITY GALA WITH JOSH WIDDICOMBE AND JON RICHARDSON Thurs 29 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre BILLY PEARCE Thurs 29 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch LEE EVANS: WORK IN PROGRESS Thurs 29 May, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury HAL CRUTTENDEN Fri 30 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa BILLY PEARCE Fri 30 May, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury DOUG SEGAL Fri 30 May Artrix, Bromsgrove OMID DJALILI Fri 30 May

NATHAN CATON, ERICH MCELROY, OLA, KATE LUCAS Fri 30 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms OMID DJALILI Fri 30 May The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford MORECAMBE - THE MAN WHO BROUGHT US SUNSHINE Fri 30 May Sat 31 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury TANYALEE DAVIS, JIMMY MCGHIE, BOBBY MAIR Fri 30 May - Sat 31 May Jongleurs Comedy Club, Birmingham YIANNI AGISILAOU, MISS LONDON, ARCHIE MADDOCKS, ROBYN PERKINS, MATTHEW BAYLIS Fri 30 May, National Brewery Centre, Burton-uponTrent TOM STADE, DALISO CHAPONDA, PHIL ELLIS, JOE BROMEHEAD Fri 30 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham RETURN OF THE GRUMPY OLD WOMEN: FIFTY SHADES OF BEIGE Sat 31 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester JEFF LEACH: FIT (WORK IN PROGRESS) Sat 31 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove NICK REVELL, BEN VAN DER VALDE, STEVE DAY, JOLLYBOAT Sat 31 May Coventry Showcase Cinema RETURN OF THE GRUMPY OLD WOMEN: FIFTY SHADES OF BEIGE Sat 31 May, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester PHIL ELLIS, TOM STADE, DALISO CHAPONDA, CAIMH MCDONNELL Sat 31 May, The Glee Club, Birmingham NATHAN CATON, OLA, NICK DIXON, JOHNNY PELHAM, SUSAN MURRAY Sat 31 May, Players Bar, Birmingham COMEDY IN THE MET, LINE UP TBC Sat 31 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Comedy Hullabaloo ARDAL O'HANLON, ROISIN CONATY PLUS COMICS TBC Thurs 22 May, The Courtyard, Stratford-Upon-Avon MILTON JONES, JAMES ACASTER, ROISIN CONATY, ED GAMBLE Fri 23 May, The Courtyard, StratfordUpon-Avon TOMMY TIERNAN Fri 23 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, Stratford Upon-Avon JASON MANFORD Fri 23 May, The Courtyard, Stratford-Upon-Avon ARDAL O’HANLON, JAMES ACASTER, ED GAMBLE PLUS COMIC TBC Fri 23 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-Avon AL MURRAY Sat 24 May Idolize Spiegeltent, Stratford-Upon-Avon

COMEDY CLUB 4 KIDS WITH ED GAMBLE, NISH KUMAR, JAMES ACASTER Sat 24 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-Avon DAVID O'DOHERTY WILL TRY TO FIX EVERYTHING (SOLO SHOW) Sat 24 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-Avon AL MURRAY, JUSTIN MOORHOUSE, LLOYD LANGFORD, JAMES ACASTER, NISH KUMAR Sat 24 May, The Courtyard, StratfordUpon-Avon JUSTIN MOORHOUSE, LLOYD LANGFORD, ED GAMBLE, NISH KUMAR Sat 24 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-avon ALUN COCHRANE, TOMMY TIERNAN, TIFF

STEVENSON, MARK OLVER, JAMES ACASTER Sat 24 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-avon ALUN COCHRANE, NISH KUMAR, PETE FIRMAN, HAL CRUTTENDEN Sun 25 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-Avon RICHARD HERRING, CHARLIE BAKER, NISH KUMAR, SHAPPI KHORSANDI Sun 25 May, Idolize Spiegeltent, StratfordUpon-Avon RICHARD HERRING, SIMON EVANS, DAVID O’DOHERTY, JUSTIN MOORHOUSE PLUS COMICS TBC Sun 25 May, The Courtyard, Stratford-Upon-Avon www.comedyhullabaloo.com

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

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Theatre

Rock Of Ages

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Mon 12 - Sat 17 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 14 - Sat 19 July

Cinema-goers who caught the 2012 movie version of Rock Of Ages, starring Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Russell Brand and Catherine ZetaJones, will know exactly what to expect from this feelgood musical.

For those who didn’t and therefore don’t, it focuses on the romance between a smalltown girl and a big-city rocker, and is packed to its proverbial rafters with classic 1980s numbers.

So if, for you, the decade of Glasnost, yuppies, Miami Vice and mullet hair-dos took place against a soundtrack of rock anthems such as We Built This City, The Final Countdown and I Wanna Know What Love Is, then this is undoubtedly a show worth catching.

Ben Richards and Noel Sullivan star.

Private Peaceful The REP, Birmingham, Wed 14 - Sat 17 May

Private Peaceful is a short play that packs a real punch. Based on the book by War Horse author Michael Morpurgo and perfectly pitched for the young audience at which it’s aimed, the stage production has been hailed for being “as moving as the poetry of Wilfred Owen and as painfully memorable as white-hot shrapnel”.

First World War soldier Private Tommo Peaceful is awaiting the firing squad at dawn. With his young life about to be cut tragically short, he recalls his joyful past growing up in rural Devon, his schooldays, his father, and the love of his life - a girl named Molly...

This collaboration between Scamp Theatre & Fiery Angel features Andy Daniel in the role of Private Peaceful.

One Man, Two Guvnors Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 26 - Sat 31 May

Based on The Servant Of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni, this National Theatre production is directed by Nicholas Hytner and stops off in Birmingham as part of its biggest-ever UK and Ireland tour. Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small-time East End hood who’s now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancée’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel, posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend, Stanley Stubbers. You keeping up?... Shaun Williamson, Jasmyn Banks, Gavin Spokes and Emma Barton star. Check out the interview with Nicholas Hytner at whatsonlive.co.uk www.whatsonlive.co.uk 29

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Theatre PREVIEWS Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 19 - Sat 24 May; Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 23 - Sat 28 June

Seen by over twenty million people across the globe, Buddy is an enormously enduring and touchingly affectionate portrayal of one of rock’n’roll's earliest and brightest stars.

Charting the singer's meteoric rise to fame and fortune, and following his career through to his very last performance, the show features timeless classics such as That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Rave On and Everyday.

Cirque Du Soleil: Dralion LG Arena, Birmingham, Thurs 22 - Sun 25 May.

Entertaining Mr Sloane Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 22 - Sat 24 May

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of Joe Orton’s black comedy, a work of theatre which proved an instant hit when it was first staged in 1964. The arrival of the enigmatic Mr Sloane seems like a dream come true for Kath, who shares a drab existence with her father in a house on the outskirts of a rubbish dump. But there’s more to Sloane than meets the eye. As Kath and her brother Ed compete for his favours, it soon becomes apparent that behind the new lodger’s provocative and sexually ambivalent demeanour lies a calculating psychopath with a dark and secretive past... A 1970 film version of the play starred Peter McEnery in the title role, with Beryl Reid and Harry Andrews giving star turns as Kath and Ed.

The internationally acclaimed Cirque Du Soleil returns to the region to present the UK debut of its signature production. Drawing inspiration from Eastern philosophy, Dralion (pronounced dra-lee-on) showcases the three thousand-year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatics to explore the ongoing quest for harmony between humans and nature.

The ensemble which has done most to restore people’s view of the circus as a valid and desirable form of entertainment, Cirque du Soleil (or Circus of the Sun) was founded in Quebec, Canada, in 1984, and has since gone on to present some of the most successful and groundbreaking theatrical extravaganzas of all time. A massive hit wherever it erects its big top, the company has performed in more than two hundred-and-seventy cities, on every continent except Antarctica, and in front of a combined total of ninety million-plus people.

years later, romance is once again in the Mediterranean air, as the love-struck protagonists try every trick in the book to keep their amorous intentions a secret...

Inherit The Wind New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Sat 31 May - Sat 14 June

Although best known from the 1960 Stanley Kramer film version starring Spencer Tracey and Fredric March, Inherit The Wind debuted as a play some five years earlier. Written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee, it fictionalises a real-life trial that happened in 1925, in which a high school teacher in Tennessee broke the law by teaching human evolution in a state-funded school. The play was produced by Lawrence and Lee as a means of reflecting on the then-topical subject of the McCarthy Trials, during which thousands of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathisers.

Every Brilliant Thing The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Wed 21 May

Paines Plough and Pentabus, two theatre companies celebrating their fortieth anniversary in 2014, have come together to produce this contemplation on the subject of depression. When a six-year-old girl finds that her mother’s been taken to hospital having ‘done something stupid’, she determines to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Twenty years later, the list takes on a life of its own...

Every Brilliant Thing involves the participation of members of the audience, a fact which ensures each performance is unique.

Kidnapped .

Last Of The Duty Free Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 19 May - Sat 24 May

Fans of writer Eric Chappell’s 1980s sitcom Duty Free will surely be taking their seats for this somewhat unexpected opportunity to once again enjoy the company of David, Amy, Robert and Linda - particularly as the show stars three of the four original performers. Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor and Neil Stacy reprise their roles for the stage version of a TV programme that pulled in over twelve million viewers at the height of its success.

When working class David and Amy Pearce met upper-middle class Robert and Linda Cochran, opposites attracted and a most unlikely romantic liaison developed. Thirty

Carnaby Street Lichfield Garrick, Sat 31 May

There’s nothing complicated or unfamiliar about Carnaby Street. The show takes the well-peddled ‘wannabe rock star’ storyline, locates its action in London’s West End against the backdrop of the Swinging ’60s, and throws in a jukebox-worth of classic hits from the decade, including Roll Over Beethoven, Do Wah Diddy Diddy, Tired Of Waiting For You, You Really Got Me, Keep On Running and Sweets For My Sweet. Add into the mix a high-energy cast and you’ve got yourself one of those evenings that should see your hands and toes clapping and tapping respectively. And if you’re really lucky, there might even be some ‘dancing in the aisles’ to be done.

Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Sat 24 May

Robert Louis Stevenson’s third best-known tale - after Treasure Island and The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde - Kidnapped is set against the fierce social and political backdrop of 1750s’ Scotland, telling the story of the young Davie Balfour’s pursuit of his inheritance and escape to the Highlands. Very much a family-friendly adventure, the story is here adapted by emerging playwright Ivan Wilkinson and presented by Sell A Door Theatre Company. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 31

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CALL

FOR Y BROCHOUR U TODAYRE

OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Sun 4 May Presented by the team behind There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly and written especially for parents to enjoy with their children, this fun filled farmyard tale brings to life all 2.30pm, £9.50/£8.50 concs the best loved characters from /Family £32 the original nursery rhyme along with a magical medley of games, giggles and sing along songs including Heads, Shoulders Knees and Toes, She’ll Be Coming Round The Mountain and of course Old MacDonald Had A Farm.

THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Sun 11 May Direct from London's West End, award winning actor Dean Elliott (Buddy Holly in 'Buddy -The Musical') and a full cast of performers tell The Simon and Garfunkel Story using original pho7.30pm, £18.50/£16.50 concs tos, film footage and featuring a live band performing hits including 'Mrs Robinson', 'Cecilia', 'Homeward Bound' and many more.

PIAF THE SONGS GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Fri 16 May Edith Piaf remains France’s most popular singer. Piaf’s life was the stuff of legend, from her dramatic rise from Paris street urchin to star of international renown. Her life, however, was anything but ‘La vie en rose'. In the 50th anniversary year of Piaf’s death, this powerful celebration comes from a company whose credentials include Kneehigh Theatre and Canteve Vocale.

7.30pm, £15/£12 under 21s

THE YELLOW-HAMMER’S SONG GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Fri 23 May Considered one of the most talented and respected pianists of the younger generation, Benjamin Grosvenor joins Manchester Camerata’s leader, Giovanni Guzzo, and principal cellist, Hannah Roberts, in Beethoven’s beautifully lyrical Triple Concerto. Gábor Takács7.30pm, £15/£13 concs Nagy will bring his unparalleled /under 26s £5/under 18s £3 musical imagination, emotional depth and sizzling energy to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony – the most iconic and timeless of all orchestral works.

EMBARRASSING MOTHER THE MET STUDIO

Fri 23 May Maxine's three sons are horrified when she starts stand-up. She is forced to lie. They think she's in Lidl. Maxine left London for Dublin in 1990, married an Irishman, became the first divorcee, reared three rowdy sons and discovered how English she was. Maxine has featured on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour and RTE’s Arena. Embarrassing Mother has played to full houses in Dublin and Edinburgh.

8pm, £10

THE TIME MACHINE THE MET STUDIO

Thu 29 May 1985.In a suburban garden, beneath a waning moon, a man lies dazed beside a remarkable machine. He has a story to tell.

An unbelievable story about the 7.30pm, £12/£10 concs future that he insists is true.

Is it a joke? A prophecy? A dream? Now this classic of science fiction is brought thrillingly and vividly to life by Robert Lloyd Parry of Nunkie Theatre Company in new, one-man show that returns to the brilliantly imaginative, ground-breaking source.

BOOKONLINE Box Office 01785 254653 www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

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Theatre PREVIEWS

Theatre LISTINGS

Birango: Women Of War

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

The Drum, Birmingham, Sun 11 May

This thought-provoking work of theatre blends physical performance, dance, animation and film to recount the story of Birangona women during the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. The conflict saw over two hundred thousand women and girls systematically raped and tortured as part of the Pakistani Army's war strategy. These same innocent females were then silenced, ostracised and forgotten about by their society.... Presented by Komola Collective, Birango: Women Of War features the firsthand accounts of five of these women, offering a moving and disturbing insight not only into their experiences during the war, but also into the subsequent misery of living in a society in which they were marked with dishonour and shame.

The Time Machine Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thurs 29 May

The primary protagonist of this classic HG Wells science fiction tale is an English scientist and gentleman inventor, referred to by the story’s narrator as the Time Traveller. Building a machine capable of travelling through the fourth dimension of time, he journeys to AD 802,701, where he meets a society of elegant yet childlike adults called the Eloi, and a breed of ape-like troglodytes known as the Morlocks. But his encounter with these two very different races of creature is only the beginning of his adventure... Nunkie is the company behind this new one-man adaptation of Wells’ profoundly influential Victorian novella.

Morecambe Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 30 - Sat 31 May

Hailed for lovingly and thoughtfully bringing a little of Eric and Ernie’s sunshine to the London West End stage, this is a one-man show exploring the life and times of John Eric Bartholomew - better known, of course, as the comedian Eric Morecambe.

Bob Golding’s the man charged with the sizable task of portraying one of Britain’s best-known and most-loved funnymen, and it’s a challenge which he meets head on. Indeed, there are moments when he so effectively captures the spirit of Eric that audience members of a certain age may feel like they’ve actually been transported back to the 1970s, the decade most closely associated with the legend that is Morecambe and Wise.

From

THUR 1 MAY GUYS AND DOLLS Amateur production presented by Solihull On Stage, until Sat 3 May, Solihull Arts Complex 20TH CENTURY BOY - THE MUSICAL Based on the life of Marc Bolan, until Sat 3 May, New Alexandra Theatre FAME - THE MUSICAL Presented by Bill Kenwright until Sat 3 May, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent PYGMALION Alistair McGowan, Rula Lenska and Jamie Foreman star in the centenaryyear production of Bernard Shaw's enduring masterpiece, until Sat 3 May, Malvern Theatres FAWLTY TOWERS Presented by Stoke Repertory Theatre, until Sat 3 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Presented by Lichfield Operatic Society, until Sat 3 May, Lichfield Garrick LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Amateur production presented by the Stafford Gatehouse Youth Theatre, until Sat 3 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre GUYS AND DOLLS Presented by Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society, until Sat 3 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE PAJAMA GAME Classic musical comedy presented by Studley Operatic Society, until Sat 3 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Theatre Mischief present a playwithin-a-play about an amateur dramatic society putting on a murder-mystery production, until Sat 3 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre SCOUT GANG SHOW until Sat 3 May, Crewe Lyceum COVENTRY GANG SHOW The promise of a spectacular show packed with singing, dancing & comedy, until Sat 3 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry GIRLS LIKE THAT A Young REP production which explores the pressures surrounding young people today and in the past, and the contradictory choices they make in expressing themselves, until Sat 3 May, The REP, Birmingham

OTHELLO Tread The Boards Theatre Company presents one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies, until Sat 24 May, The Attic Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon HENRY IV PARTS I & II RSC Associate Artist Antony Sher returns to the Company to play the infamous comic knight Falstaff, until Sat 6 Sept, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon THE ROARING GIRL Jo Davies directs Lisa Dillon as the dynamic, cross-dressing heroine in a new version of Thomas Middleton & Thomas Dekker's Jacobean comedy, until Tue 30 Sept, The Swan Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM Polly Findlay makes her RSC debut, directing this darkly comic thriller which focuses on a husband, wife and lover who find themselves locked in a deadly game, until Thurs 2 Oct, The Swan Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon A JOURNEY AROUND MY SKULL Kindle Theatre present a darkly comic examination of our relationship with our mind, memories and imagination, Thurs 1 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham KING LEAR: NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE Acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale takes the lead role in this National Theatre production of Shakespeare's bloody tale, Thurs 1 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire THE ARCHERS An evening of anecdotes, banter and favourite pieces from Sunny Ormonde, the women who plays wayward Lilian Bellamy in the Radio Four soap, Thurs 1 May, Lichfield Garrick HOLMES ALONE Presented by Don’t Go Into The Cellar Theatre Company, Thurs 1 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham NEWMAN UNIVERSITY: PEOPLE Eight performers explore the lives of a group of diverse characters, Thurs 1 - Fri 2 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham FINDING JOY A comic, anarchic, touching and heroic full-mask adventure from Worcesterbased theatre company Vamos, Thurs 1 - Fri 2

May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms CRAZY FOR YOU Amateur production presented

by Mad Cow Productions, Thurs 1 - Sat 3 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BASSETT The Belgrade Acting Out Company present James Graham's pacey look at a generation of young people who've inherited a world at war, Thurs 1 - Sat 3 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry GEORGE'S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE Blue Orange Arts presents its version of Roald Dahl's classic tale, Thurs 1 Sat 10 May, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham AN EVENING WITH PAM AYRES Fri 2 May, Birmingham Town Hall TEA WITH OSCAR Don't Go Into The Cellar Theatre Company present a Victorian chat show, hosted by Mr Wilde himself, Fri 2 May, Lichfield Garrick BLOWERS & BAXTER: MEMORIES OF TEST MATCH SPECIAL Two of the titans of cricket share tales from Test Match Special commentary boxes all over the world, Fri 2 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre LEVEL UP WITH ZENA EDWARDS & TOM SISSONS An explosive night of spoken word performance, featuring some of the country’s very best poets alongside local rising stars, Fri 2 May, The REP, Birmingham TERRY PRATCHETT'S WYRD SISTERS Jadis Shadows present Stephen Briggs stage adaptation of one of Terry Pratchett’s most beloved tales, Fri 2 Sat 3 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham I DON’T WANT TO SET THE WORLD ON FIRE! A brand new production of Bob Eaton’s tale of ordinary women living in extraordinary times, Fri 2 - Sat 24 May, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme BIN MEN AJTC and York Theatre Royal present Mike Kenny's play, with music for young children and their families, Sat 3 May, The REP, Birmingham THE SINGULAR EXPLOITS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Holmes and Watson recount their lives and adventures... Sat 3 May, Lichfield Garrick COSI FAN TUTI Opera Live from the Metropolitan New York, Sat 3 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire PIRATES NEVER WASH THEIR HANDS Plays acted by adults, providing fun, songs and audience participation

for two-to-nine-yearolds, Sat 3 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE DISPUTE The Crescent Theatre Company present their version of Pierre de Marivaux's eighteenth century comedy of love, jealousy and betrayal, Sat 3 - Sat 10 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham MAMMA MIA Murder & Cabaret, Sun 4 May, Crewe Lyceum HOW TO CATCH A STAR Blunderbus present a new show which fuses music, puppetry and storytelling for three-toseven-year-olds, Sun 4 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM Presented by People's Theatre Company, Sun 4 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

From

MON 5 MAY PAUL HOLLYWOOD LIVE Promising an evening of baking, comedy & fun... Mon 5 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham KING LEAR: NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE Acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale takes the lead role in this National Theatre production of Shakespeare's bloody tale, Mon 5 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove SONGS FROM A LEDGE: A BLUES OPERA Scenes and songs from a new musical based on the troubled life of fictional jazz’n’blues star Maria Lynwood, whose career spanned the 20th century, and of Annalie, her great granddaughter, lost in life and desperate for something to fight for, Mon 5 May, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, Birmingham SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS Starring Sam Attwater & Helena Blackman, Mon 5 - Sat 10 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent DERREN BROWN Mon 5 Sat 10 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (Read the interview with Derren on page 10) HOT FLUSH New musical featuring Matt Slack & Lesley Joseph, Tue 6 May, Crewe Lyceum BLACK COFFEE Agatha Christie classic starring Robert Powell, Liza Goddard, Gary Mavers & Ben Nealon, Tue 6 Sat 10 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry KISMET Tinkers Farm Opera present an amateur version of the Tony Award-winning musical, Tue 6 - Sat 10 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

For full theatre listings in the West Midlands, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 33

Theatre May Region Two_Layout 1 25/04/2014 16:32 Page 7

Fri 9th May

FLASH: A TRIBUTE TO QUEEN 7.30pm. Tickets: £18

Wed 14th - Sat 17th May

TADLOP PRESENTS LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS 7.30pm, Sat Mat 2.30pm.

Tickets: Stalls £12, Tier £14

Wed 28th May

THE BLUES BAND 7.30pm, Tickets: £18.50

Thur 29th May

DRIVE-IN MOVIE: GREASE 2pm & 8pm, Tickets: £20 per car or £35 for both Days

Fri 30th May

DRIVE-IN MOVIE: TOP GUN 2pm & 8pm, Tickets: £20 per car or £35 for both Days

Fri 30th May

OMID DJALILI LIVE

MAY 2014

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

HIGHLIGHTS

Friday 9th May

Friday 16th May

Saturday 17th May

THE REAL THING

AUSTENTATIOUS

MILLION SELLING SOUL & RNB BAND

PRESENTS AN IMPROVISED NOVEL

CHANTEL MCGREGOR

Thursday 22nd May

Monday 26th May

Tuesday 27th May

MATT RICHARDSON

JULIE FOWLIS

CHRIS & PUI

TOUR SUPPORTING HER NEW ALBUM GACH SGEUL

CBEEBIES’ FAVOURITE DOUBLE ACT RETURN TO ARTRIX

8.00pm, Tickets: £23.00

MULTI-AWARD WINNING BLUES MUSICIAN

Thurs 5th June

ELIO PACE PERFORMS THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK 7.30pm, Tickets: £19, £17 concs

Thur 12th June

THE WORLDS WORST SERIAL KILLER SHOW 2014 PRESENTED

BY TREVOR MARRIOTT

COMEDIAN’S HOMETOWN HERO TOUR

7.30pm, Tickets: £13/£11 concs/ £9 students

Fri 13th June

JETHRO THE LEGEND AT LARGE 7.30pm, Tickets: £19.50

FORTHCOMING CINEMA: A Long Way Down (15) Her (15) // The Double (15) // Rio 2 (U) // Calvary The new Artrix brochure is available to download on www.artrix.co.uk

TWC GP 00836

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

34 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Free parking on-site

Theatre May region one_Layout 1 25/04/2014 16:46 Page 8

Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk CRAZY FOR YOU Brownhills Musical Theatre Company present an amateur performance of the Gershwin musical comedy, Tue 6 - Sat 10 May, Lichfield Garrick EVITA Multi-award-winning hit musical by Tim Rice and Andrew LloydWebber. Marti Pellow stars... Tue 6 - Sat 10 May, Malvern Theatres RSC LIVE ENCORE RICHARD II Featuring David Tennant in the title role, Wed 7 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire THE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE A drama which explores the dramatic downfall of one of history’s most popular playwrights, Wed 7 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury ROAD New College Foundation Degree students present an amateur production of Jim Cartwright’s play, which explores the deprived lives of people living along the same road in a working class Lancashire in the 1980s, Wed 7 - Thurs 8 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove LES MISERABLES Schools edition presented by Youth on Stage, Wed 7 - Sat 10 May, Old Rep, Birmingham THE HAIRY APE Warwick University Drama Society present Eugene O’Neill’s powerful and exhilarating fantastical story of the struggle against the commercial, corporate capitalist machine, Wed 7 - Sat 10 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry AN EVENING WITH PAM AYRES Wed 7 May, Malvern Theatres THE BILLIE HOLIDAY STORY Musical play dramatising the life of legendary singer Billie Holiday, and including over twenty of Billie's classic songs, Thurs 8 May, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham KING LEAR A National Theatre Live screening, Thurs 8 May, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire 'ALLO 'ALLO Stage adaptation of the BBC TV comedy, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 May, The Belfrey Theatre, Wellington, Shropshire SINGIN' IN THE RAIN Amateur production presented by Aldridge Musical Comedy Society, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 May, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock DAD'S ARMY The Norbury Players present an

amateur production of the classic BBC TV comedy series, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 May, The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich OPEN ALL HOURS A stage adaptation of the hugely popular BBC TV comedy series, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch CIRCLES Rachel Delahay's vivid and powerful new play which explores violent relationships, love, trust and friendship, Fri 9 Sat 24 May, The REP, Birmingham AT THE CROSSROADS: BIBLE, BURLESQUE AND THE BLUES... A Fired Up Theatre production supported by Lichfield Mysteries, Fri 9 - Sat 10 May, Lichfield Garrick HOT FLUSH New musical featuring Matt Slack & Lesley Joseph, Fri 9 May, Hereford Courtyard Theatre IOLANTHE Coventry Savoy Opera Society present Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera, Fri 9 May, Dovehouse Theatre SPECTRA Original piece of performance fusing physical theatre, dance, live music and a picnic... Fri 9 May, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham LIVE MET BROADCAST LA CENERENTOLA Sat 10 May, Malvern Theatres; The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM Presented by People's Theatre Company, Sat 10 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester SING-A-LONG-A GREASE A brand new singalong version of the classic film starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, Sat 10 May New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham CHORALE: THE HOLY GHOSTLY & THE WAR IN HEAVEN A double-bill of works from American playwright Sam Shepard, Sat 10 - Sat 17 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry AVON CALLING The Other Way Works present a celebration of beauty with a theatrical twist, Sat 10 - Sun 11 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THIS HAPPY BREED Noel Coward's attempt to show how ordinary people lived between the wars, Sat 10 - Sat 17 May, Oldbury Rep Barlow Theatre OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM Presented by People's Theatre Com-

pany, Sun 11 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BIRANGONA: WOMEN OF WAR Komola Collective present a fusion of physical performance, dance and animation interwoven with film to tell the story of the 1971 war of independence which tore through Bangladesh, Sun 11 May, The Drum, Birmingham THE SILKEN BURLESQUE VARIETESE Presented by Mina Von Vixen, Sun 11 May, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

Week Commencing

MON 12 MAY HONOR BLACKMAN AS HERSELF Mon 12 May, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme QUARTET Presented by Nonentitties, Mon 12 Sat 17 May, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster ROCK OF AGES Mon 12 Sat 17 May, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham PYGMALION Alistair McGowan, Rula Lenska and Jamie Foreman star in the centenaryyear production of Bernard Shaw's enduring masterpiece, Mon 12 - Sat 17 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry SUMMER HOLIDAY Amateur production presented by the Porthill Players, Mon 12 - Sat 17 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre CHORALE: SAVAGE/ LOVE & THE ANIMAL (YOU) A double-bill of works from American playwright Sam Shepard, Mon 12 - Sat 17 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry UNDER MILK WOOD A new production of Dylan Thomas' work of genius, celebrating the centenary of the playwright's birth and the sixtieth anniversary of the play's British premiere, Mon 12 - Sat 17 May, Malvern Theatres FOGGY & WHIT: GIVIN' IT GAS Described as a 'high-octane experience for all sports fans', this new event provides an insight into today's world of racing and recalls the former glories and disasters of four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty, Tue 13 May, National Motorcycle Museum VESTA - WORCESTER’S WONDER OF THE MUSIC HALLS One-woman show about the life and music of Vesta Tilley ‘one of the most remarkable female entertainers that has ever lived’, Tues 13 Wed 14 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester INSTITUTE Physical dance theatre company

Gecko present an intimate, funny and revealing exploration of care, Tues 13 - Fri 16 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry SISTER ACT Amateur production presented

by WBOS, Tue 13 - Sat 17 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre DIAL M FOR MURDER Lucy Bailey's acclaimed production of Frederick Knott's murder-mystery.

Christopher Timothy, Kelly Hotten, Daniel Betts, Philip Cairns and Robert Perkins star, Tue 13 - Sat 17 May, The REP, Birmingham THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Presented by Solihull Theatre Company, Tue 13 - Sat 17 May, Solihull Arts Complex RENT Amateur production presented by The Arcadians, Tue 13 - Sat 17 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN SONGBOOK A concert-style show featuring four accomplished West End and Broadway performers in an evening of music from the world’s most prolific composers, Wed 14 May, Crewe Lyceum RSC LIVE: HENRY IV PART I Screened live from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, featuring Sir Antony Sher as Falstaff, Wed 14 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry; Roses theatre, Tewkesbury; Malvern Theatres STEVE HEWLETT: THINKING INSIDE THE BOX Britain's Got Talent contestant and ventriloquist Steve Hewlett takes to the road with awardwinning illusionist Richard Griffin, in a brand new show which promises to 'delight and amaze the whole family', Wed 14 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch PRIVATE PEACEFUL A staging of Michael Morpurgo's book, which relives the life of Private Tommo Peaceful, a young First World War soldier awaiting the firing squad at dawn, Wed 14 - Sat 17 May, The REP, Birmingham GUYS AND DOLLS Music Theatre Warwick present their version of one of the best-loved musicals of all time, Wed 14 - Sat 17 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL The Lichfield Players present an amateur production of Alan Ayckbourn's award-winning play, Wed 14 - Sat 17 May, Lichfield Garrick BLACKADDER Dudley Little Theatre present a stage version of the popular British sitcom, this time set during the

Great War of 1914/18 Wed 14 - Sat 17 May, Netherton Arts Centre, Dudley LITTLE SHOPS OF HORRORS Amateur production presented by TADLOP, Wed 14 - Sat 17 May, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford YOU’RE NOT LIKE ALL THE OTHER GIRLS CHRISSY Caroline Horton’s poignant portrait of one woman’s experience of love and war, Thurs 15 Fri 16 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham “YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN” Performed by Junior School Boys, Thurs 15 - Fri 16 May, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick VICAR OF DIBLEY Staffordshire Stage Productions bring the hit TV series to the stage in a brand new production, Thurs 15 - Sat 17 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent A DREAM Krazy Kat Theatre Company fuse puppetry, acting, music and sign language to tell a timeless story of mysticism, love and forgiveness, Thurs 15 Sat 17 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton DAD'S ARMY The Norbury Players present an amateur production of the classic BBC TV comedy series about the Home Guard of Walmington-on-Sea, Thurs 15 - Sat 17 May, The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET Here presented by Birmingham Youth Theatre, Return To The Forbidden Planet is one of the best of all cult musicals, Thurs 15 - Sat 17 May, Old Rep, Birmingham HEAR THE PEOPLE SING The Westenders present a gala concert celebrating Les Miserables and the world’s most popular musicals, Fri 16 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms MONOLOGUESLAM UK Jimmy Akingbola hosts an evening where actors from all backgrounds can showcase their skills to a panel of people who’re in a position to move their careers forward, Fri 16 May, The REP, Birmingham COWARD BY SEA Actor, pianist and singer Michael Lunts presents a one-man staging of Noel Coward's littleknown comedy, P&O 1930, Fri 16 May, Lichfield Garrick AUSTENTATIOUS: AN IMPROVISED NOVEL A comedy play spun in the inimitable style of Jane Austen - and based entirely on audience suggestions, Fri 16 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove

MIKE MCGEAR MCCARTNEY Mike takes audiences through his family album, with stories of Liverpool life from childhood through to entering showbiz when, because of Beatlemania, he had to change his name to 'McGear', and became an integral part of the ’60s Merseybeat era, Fri 16 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa KING LEAR: NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE Acclaimed actor Simon Russell Beale takes the lead role in this National Theatre production of Shakespeare's bloody tale, Fri 16 May, Malvern Theatres; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry BEHIND THE BLINDS Serrated Edge present a new show for people aged fourteen-plus which weaves together lyrically witty and sophisticated songs to reveal what goes on behind the blinds on an ordinary-looking suburban street, Fri 16 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham BESIDE THE SEASIDE Opus Theatre Company present the first play in Leslie Sands’ trilogy of seaside capers at the Seaview Guest House, Fri 16 May, Bedworth Civic Hall PIAF THE SONGS A powerful tribute to the woman who became synonymous with French cabaret, Fri 16 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre TWO-WAY MIRROR Two related short plays by Arthur Miller, said to be inspired by his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, Fri 16 - Sat 17 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED Amateur production of the Agatha Christie classic, adapted by Leslie Darbon, Fri 16 - Sat 24 May, Hall Green Little Theatre, Birmingham CHILDREN'S THEATRE A short play performed by adults especially for children aged four to ten, Sat 17 May, The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich THAT'LL BE THE DAY Rock’n’roll spectacular, combining music from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s with wacky comedy routines, Sat 17 May, Birmingham Town Hall QU LIVE Musical theatre cabaret night showcasing new writers and performers, Sat 17 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham IOLANTHE OR THE PEER AND THE PERI Written by WS Gilbert and composed by Arthur Sullivan, Sat 17 May, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick KIDNAPPED Robert Louis

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VISIT OU WEBSITE R T VIEW MO O RE SHOWS!

Box Office 01743 281 281

Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8FT

Book Online www.theatresevern.co.uk

WEDNESDAY 7 & THURDAY 8 MAY Get your ballet fix with this amazing selection of work from the internationally acclaimed Birmingham Royal Ballet.

QUATRAIN An exciting new piece by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s own dancer and choreographer Kit Holder.

FAÇADE

Aldridge Musical Comedy Society presents:

’ N I G SIN IN THE RAIN

A hilarious comic ballet based on Edith Sitwell’s deliciously nonsensical poetry.

BITESIZED BALLET Best bits from our world-renowned classical ballet repertory.

SATURDAY 10 MAY

Prince of Wales Theatre, Church St, Cannock, WS11 1DE

Thurs 8th - Sat 10th May Tickets: £12, £10 concs, £6 child

Box Office: 01543 578762

BILLY PEARCE

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd. On behalf of Music Theatre International of New York

One of Britain's best loved comedians, British comedy award winner Billy Pearce presents a night of quick fire gags as part of his latest national tour.

Affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association Registered Charity Number 505962

TUESDAY 20 MAY

SPIERS & BODEN THE FOUNDERS OF BELLOWHEAD TWICE WINNERS OF THE BBC FOLK AWARDS FOR BEST DUO

"Dynamic, drive and passion" BBC Radio 2 folk website

FRIDAY 30 & SATURDAY 31ST MAY

Tim Whitnall's Olivier Award-winning play, starring the Olivier-nominated Bob Golding as comedy icon, Eric Morecambe.

'...will bring sunshine into the lives of all who see it.' DAILY TELEGRAPH

36 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Theatre May region one_Layout 1 25/04/2014 16:46 Page 10

Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Stevenson’s familyfriendly adventure is here adapted by emerging playwright Ivan Wilkinson and presented by Sell A Door Theatre Company, Sat 17 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN SONGBOOK Concert-style show featuring accomplished West End and Broadway performers, Sat 17 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S CAT Rude Mechanicals present a stage version of a popular classic for children, Sun 18 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham THE D-DAY DARLINGS The songs that won the war, Sun 18 May, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick SWINGING AT THE COTTON CLUB Action-packed show celebrating the music, dance and songs of the Cotton Club, Sun 18 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury DOUBLE TROUBLE Comedy about one man and his boss.

Handyman Woodstock and his boss Mr Dickance are always arguing. But when Mr Dickance finds himself in hot water, Woodstock plays detective to help him out, Sun 18 May, The Drum, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 19 MAY VIVA LA DRAG Slick choreography, enticing harmonies and glamorous costumes are the order of the day in this 'new sensation', featuring original songs by Boy George, Mon 19 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry JOHN EDWARD - PSYCHIC MEDIUM Mon 19 May, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham LAST OF THE DUTY FREE Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor and Neil Stacy play out the next installment in a series which regularly pulled in TV audiences of over 12 million viewers, Mon 19 - Sat 24 May, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Awardwinning musical, Mon 19 - Sat 24 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre FINDING JOY A comic, anarchic, touching and heroic full-mask adventure from Worcesterbased theatre company

Vamos, Tue 20 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury LIVE MET BROADCAST LA CENERENTOLA Tue 20 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry BLESS 'EM ALL Nostalgic show, Tue 20 May, Lichfield Garrick WAR CORRESPONDENTS Multi-disciplined production concerning a journalist captured while reporting the outbreak of war, Tue 20 Wed 21 May, Malvern Theatres CATCH-22 Northern Stage present the first ever UK production of Joseph Heller's dramatisation of his classic novel, Tue 20 - Sat 24 May, The REP, B’ham NOISES OFF Swan Theatre Amateur Company present Michael Frayn's smash-hit farce, Tue 20 - Sat 24 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester EVERY BRILLIANT THING Paines Plough & Pentabus Theatre present a new play about depression, and the lengths we go to for those we love, Wed 21 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE Georges Feydeau’s high-spirited 19th century romp, Wed 21 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury PEPPA PIG'S BIG SPLASH All-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles for children, Wed 21 - Thurs 22 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry CONFIRMATION A play about the gulf between beliefs that we can’t talk across and the way we only choose to see the evidence that proves we’re right, Wed 21 Thurs 22 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME A National Theatre Live Encore performance, Thurs 22 May, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LADY GOGO GOCH & A JOURNEY ROUND MY SKULL Double-bill of works from Kindle Theatre, Thurs 22 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE London Classic Theatre present Joe Orton's critically acclaimed farce, Thurs 22 - Sat 24 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: DRALION UK debut of Cirque’s signature production which fuses the three thousand-year-old tradition of Chinese acrobatics to explore the ongoing quest for harmony between humans and nature, Thurs 22 - Sun 25 May, LG Arena, Birmingham KHANDAN (FAMILY) Birmingham Repertory Theatre in association with The Royal Court presents Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti's tale of extended family life, Thurs 22 May - Sat 7 June, The REP, Birmingham LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING Celebrating the music of Michael Ball, Fri 23 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch MIKE MCGEAR MCCARTNEY Mike takes audiences through his family album, with stories of Liverpool life from childhood through to entering showbiz when, because of Beatlemania, he had to change his name to 'McGear', and became an integral part of the ’60s Merseybeat era, Fri 23 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms MISSING In Britain, one person goes missing every two minutes.

Missing seeks to scrutinise the vast scale and unique mystery of disappearance. Created from first-hand interviews gathered by the cast and developed in collaboration with journalists from national newspapers, Fri 23 Sat 24 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry THE LAST SUPPER From Marilyn Monroe to Rasputin, Princess Diana to Joan Of Arc, this is an intimate and unusual performance serving a set of last statements and last meals to a limited audience of thirty-nine, Fri 23 - Sun 25 May, Church of St. John The Baptist, Coventry THE INSTITUTE OF IMPOSSIBILITY Join award-winning company LAStheatre for an immersive adventure exploring the evolution of all things, from crops to legends and satellites to stories.

Encounter real scientists and meet their mysterious machine – all on a journey to save creativity from destruction, Fri 23 - Sun 25 May, Drapers Hall, Coventry AN EVENING WITH JULIE ANDREWS Sat 24 May, National Indoor Arena, Birmingham ROLL UP! ROLL UP! Language Alive present an early-years story which focuses on a man's dream to one day perform in the circus, Sat 24 May, The REP, Birmingham THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS

IN A 2014 SPACE ODDITY A new show promising fun for all the family, Sat 24 May, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham KIDNAPPED Robert Louis Stevenson’s familyfriendly adventure is here adapted by emerging playwright Ivan Wilkinson and presented by Sell A Door Theatre Company, Sat 24 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Swansea City Opera present their version of Mozart's comic opera, Sun 25 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE WASPS Ludus Theatre present a retelling of the ancient tale The Wasps of Aristophanes!, Sun 25 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham CHARITY VARIETY PERFORMANCE Showcase of work from Stagecoach theatre schools in Leamington Spa, Banbury, Warwick & Kenilworth, Sun 25 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

Week Commencing

MON 26 MAY ROCK POOL Award-winning theatre group Inspector Sands present a new show for children featuring rock music and splashy dancing, Mon 26 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS The critically acclaimed National Theatre production takes to the road... Mon 26 - Sat 31 May, Birmingham Hippodrome RSC LIVE: HENRY IV PART I Screened live from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, featuring Sir Antony Sher as Falstaff, Tues 27 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE NEW ADVENTURES OF PUSS IN BOOTS Music, magic and mayhem, with plenty of audience participation...

Tue 27 May, Lichfield Garrick CHRIS & PUI Brand new show packed with songs, games and a few surprises!, Tue 27 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove KIDNAPPED Robert Louis Stevenson’s familyfriendly adventure, is here adapted by emerging playwright Ivan Wilkinson and presented by Sell A Door Theatre Company, Tue 27 - Sat 31 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry GREASE Amateur production presented by Five Towns Theatre Company, Tues 27 - Sat 31 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre THIS IS MUSIC HALL Wed 28 May, Wolverhamp-

ton Grand Theatre WUTHERING HEIGHTS A 'bold new adaptation' of Emily Bronte's classic love story, Wed 28 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury RSC LIVE: HENRY IV PART I Screened live from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, featuring Sir Antony Sher as Falstaff, Wed 28 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE JUNGLE BOOK Riverbank Productions present a stage version of Rudyard Kipling’s much-loved family tale, Wed 28 May, Tamworth Assembly Rooms CHARLIE & LOLA'S EXTREMELY NEW PLAY Fusion of puppetry, live action and music based on the much-loved books by Lauren Child, Wed 28 - Sat 31 May, The REP, Birmingham THE TRIAL Freshblood Theatre’s student-written adaptation of Franz Kafka’s groundbreaking novel, Wed 28 - Sat 31 May, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE TIME MACHINE Oneman adaptation of Orson Wells’ profoundly influential Victorian novella, Thurs 29 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre THE SOOTY SHOW A brand new family show, Thurs 29 May, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock BANANAS IN PYJAMAS Thurs 29 May, Bedworth Civic Hall HUGLESS DOUGLAS Theatre for children, based on the bestselling book

by David Melling, Thurs 29 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury TERRY PRATCHETT'S WYRD SISTERS Jadis Shadows present a stage version of Terry Pratchett’s cautionary tale of ‘murderous kings, spectres, lost princes, demons, jesters and “divers alarums” galore’, Thurs 29 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester FOGHORN IMPROV: THE SHERLOCK TOMES Evening of improvised sleuthing, Thurs 29 May, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham WEST SIDE STORY Amateur production presented by the Viv Kelly Youth Theatre Group, Thurs 29 - Sat 31 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury DOUG SEGAL: I CAN MAKE YOU A MENTALIST Comedy, animation, interaction and ‘mind-blowing miracles’... Fri 30 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove LAURIE LEE: REFLECTIONS Local writers Roger Elkin and Pamela Brough-Sandford join journalist Phil Edmeades to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the writer’s birth, Fri 30 May, Foxloew Arts Cen-

tre, Leek, Staffs THE FORENSICS OF A FLAT (AND OTHER STORIES) By Francesca Millican Slater, Fri 30 - Sat 31 May, The REP, Birmingham MORECAMBE Tim Whitnall’s award-winning play, Fri 30 - Sat 31 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM Presented by People's Theatre Company, Fri 30 May, Solihull Arts Complex THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO Swansea City Opera present their version of Mozart's comic opera, Fri 30 May, Lichfield Garrick SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN Lichfield Garrick Rep Company present John Godber's semi-autobiographical play, loosely based on the lives of his own parents, Fri 30 May - Thurs 5 Jun, Lichfield Garrick BOBBY SOCKS AND BLUE JEANS Sat 31 May, Crewe Lyceum PEPPA PIG'S BIG SPLASH All-singing, all-dancing adventure full of songs, games and muddy puddles for children, Sat 31 May - Sun 1 June, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre CARNABY STREET Real musical story set against a backdrop of London's West End in the 1960s. Verity Rushworth and Aaron Sidwell star, Sat 31 May, Lichfield Garrick DESI PEO Gurdip Kaur Chaudhary's 'high voltage' Punjabi comedy which, set in London, centres around the clashing traditional beliefs of Joginder and Lucy Singh and their British-born son Gaz, Sat 31 May, The Drum, Birmingham TOOTY FROOTIES DO HOLLYWOOD A burlesque review with a difference, Sat 31 May, Old Rep, Birmingham THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Sat 31 May, Whittington Castle, Nr Oswestry, North Shropshire GRUMPY OLD WOMEN: FIFTY SHADES OF BEIGE Featuring Jenny Eclair, Susie Blake & Kate Robbins, Sat 31 May, Swan Theatre, Worcester INHERIT THE WIND Jerome Lawrence and Robert E Lee’s American drama, inspired by real-life events, Sat 31 May - Sat 14 June, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme CRAZY FOR YOU The Crescent Theatre present the story of Bobby Childs, a well-to-do 1930s playboy whose dream in life is to dance, Sat 31 May - Sat 7 Jun, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

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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

The Passion Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

The Old Joint Stock Theatre Company here presented an original and expansive promenade retelling of the Passion Story, set in modern-day Birmingham and spanning three buildings and various streets in the city centre.

During the show’s run, ‘Jesus Davidson of Northfield’ was played by two actors; Seabert Henry, the night we reviewed. He was excellent as a brooding but fragile rogue. Alex Nikitas was perfectly cast as Pilate - a mercilessly on-message politician - while the large multicultural cast played their roles superbly. But it was the surprises which really sold the production: the audience kitbags filled with items which enhanced various scenes, the spot-on extras (Pilate’s campaign material, later defaced) and, most of all, the variety and inventiveness of the spaces used.

We entered the Old Joint Stock Theatre itself twice, first for The Last Supper - an immersive partyturned-sour - then for a brutal Guantanamo Baystyle crucifixion.

The show felt overlong, and there was often too much physical distance to cover between the scenes - but for sheer ambition, creativity and commitment, this young company cannot be faulted.

James Pursglove ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

Happy Days Birmingham Hippodrome

To me as a child growing up in the 1970s, Happy Days was a bit of a phenomenon (not sure I knew what that word meant back then, mind). Keeping on top of what the slick-haired Fonz and his not-so-cool followers were up to in 1950s America provided me with a reason to rush home from school (as if any reason were needed!). So why is it that I couldn’t quite get into the spirit of this all-singing, all-dancing incarnation?

Well, if you like your musicals saccharine-sweet, chances are Happy Days The Musical is for you. If, on the other hand, you like a bit more substance to your entertainment, the show is likely to leave you feeling somewhat disappointed.

The narrative is a simple one - Arnold’s Diner is under threat from new fast food merchant Ronald McDonald and the heat is on to raise the cash to save Arnold’s bacon.

Enter, the Fonz!

Ex-Emmerdale star Ben Freeman is less than totally convincing as the comb-touting main man. That said, he does grow on you, and the role allows him to demonstrate his vocal prowess. Heidi Range can certainly belt out a tune, but on more than one occasion she looks out of place as the Fonz’s husky-voiced love interest, Pinky Tuscadero. Cheryl Baker, by contrast, is a perfect fit as homemaker Mrs Cunningham, as is James Paterson as her husband Howard. And there are many more performances well worth applauding, including that of Scott Waugh, who gives the show momentum as Richie Cunningham.

Happy Days may have the makings of a good musical but it lacks the wow factor to take it to the next level. Maybe it’ll grow on me. Or maybe I’ve just grown up.

Patsy Moss ■ ■ ■

Theatre Box Office Birmingham

Threepenny Opera The REP, Birmingham

Written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, this raucous musical here dispatched a galvanising punch to the gut as it crashed through the topical subjects of police corruption, criminality and the exploitation of the poor - all achieved with its tongue set firmly in its cheek!

Relocated to contemporary London, it tells the story of Polly (Cici Howells), whose father - the crook, Mr Peachum (Garry Robson) - so disapproves of her marriage to notorious criminal Macheath - dubbed Mack the Knife (Milton Lopes) that he schemes for his arrest and hanging.

The cast performed splendidly, particularly the smoothly menacing Lopes, and revelled in the business of presenting a tale of blackmail, hypocrisy and moral corruption, complete with foul-mouthed dialogue and super songs, including Army Song and the sultry Pimp’s Ballad.

Unfortunately, the preachy parallels, with images of David Cameron and Jimmy Savile, felt too smug in their bid to appear ‘socially relevant’. Also distracting were the screens and onstage band, drawing the focus away from the unfolding action.

Overall, though, a powerful commentary on undeniably pertinent themes. Malaka Chowdhury ■ ■ ■ 38 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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 MIXING BOWL THEATRE 0121 224 7545 OLD JOINT STOCK THEATRE 0121 200 0946 OLD REP 0121 245 4455 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962

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

GRAND THEATRE, 01902 429212 NEWHAMPTON ARTS CENTRE 01902 572090 OLDBURY REP, OLDBURY 0121 552 2761

Shropshire THE BELFREY, WELLINGTON 01952 222277 THE EDGE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728911 THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY 01743 234970 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 THE PLACE, OAKENGATES, TELFORD 01952 382382 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299

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

Warwickshire BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL 024 7637 6707 BELGRADE THEATRE, COVENTRY 024 7655 3055 BRIDGE HOUSE THEATRE, WARWICK 01926 776438 THE DREAM FACTORY 01926 419555 ROYAL SHAKESPEARE THEATRE, 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 WEST END

WEST END LISTINGS: MUSICALS

Richard Armitage

Richard Armitage to star in re-imagining of Arthur Miller classic Leicester-born actor Richard Armitage is to take the lead in a new production of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible at The Old Vic. Armitage, probably best known as Thorin Oakenshield in the Hobbit trilogy, will play John Proctor in Miller’s drama about the Salem witch trials.

Focusing on one man’s fight to save his identity in a repressive Puritan community, this new version of Miller’s modern masterpiece is brought to the stage by internationally acclaimed director Yael Farber, with the

award-winning Soutra Gilmour responsible for set design.

Anna Madeley, who’s been described as one of the UK’s ‘brightest and most versatile young actresses’, returns to the West End stage to play Proctor’s wife Elizabeth. Oxford School of Drama graduate Samantha Colley makes her professional stage debut as the manipulative Abigail Williams, a central character in the play.

The Crucible opens at The Old Vic on Tues 24 June and shows until Sat 13 September.

Extended booking period for the RSC’s Matilda The Musical

the heartbreak of being a parent and the compromise of growing up. Numrich is joined in the production by Anthony Calf (Nikolia), Elaine Cassidy (Anna), Caoilfhionn Dunn (Fenichka) and Susan Engel (Princess Olga).

Fathers And Sons opens at The Donmar Warehouse on 5 June and runs until Seth Numrich 26 July.

The booking period for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musical at the Cambridge Theatre has been extended until May 2015. Written by Dennis Kelly, and with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, Matilda recently clocked up its one thousandth performance. The hit show has received a total of forty-nine awards - including seven Oliviers and four Tonys - since its 2010 debut in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Cillian Murphy returns to the National Theatre in new play

Casting announced for Russian masterpiece Fathers And Sons Seth Numrich is to return to the West End to star in the Donmar Warehouse production of Brian Friel’s Fathers And Sons. Numrich, who was awarded Best Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2013, will play Bazarov in Friel’s dramatisation of Ivan Turgenev’s Russian masterpiece. Set during the course of a summer retreat at a country estate, Fathers And Sons focuses on

Following his success playing Tommy Shelby in the Birmingham-based BBC drama Peaky Blinders, Irish actor Cillian Murphy has announced he’s to return to the National Theatre (NT). Murphy will be reunited with writer and director Edna Walsh on Ballyturk, which plays in the Lyttleton Theatre for a fiveweek season from 11 September. An ‘ambitious and tender’ new work, Ballyturk focuses on two men as their lives unravel over the course of ninety minutes, and is described by the NT as ‘gut-wrenchingly funny, achingly sad, and featuring jaw-dropping moments of physical comedy’.

Murphy and Walsh last worked together on Misterman, which showed at the Cillian Murphy National in 2012.

BILLY ELLIOT – THE MUSICAL Victoria Palace Theatre, booking until 16 May 2015 BODYGUARD Adelphi Theatre, booking until 30 Aug 2014 BOOK OF MORMON Prince Of Wales Theatre, booking until 30 Aug 2014 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THE MUSICAL Drury Lane Royal, booking until 30 May 2015 COMMITMENTS Victoria Palace Theatre, booking until 19 Apr 2015 DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS Savoy Theatre, booking until 29 Nov 2014 I CAN’T SING! THE X FACTOR MUSICAL London Palladium Theatre, booking until 25 Oct 2014 JERSEY BOYS Piccadilly Theatre, booking until 26 Oct 2014 LES MISÉRABLES Queen's Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015 LION KING Lyceum Theatre, booking until 28 Sept 2014 MADE IN DAGENHAM THE MUSICAL Adelphi Theatre, 9 Oct 2014 28 Mar 2015 MAMMA MIA! Novello Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015 MATILDA THE MUSICAL Cambridge Theatre, booking until 21 Dec 2014 MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL Shaftesbury Theatre, 9 Oct 2014 - 28 Mar 2015 MISS SAIGON Prince Edward Theatre, 3 May - 25 Oct 2014 ONCE Phoenix Theatre, booking until 4 July 2015 PAJAMA GAME Shaftesbury Theatre, 2 May - 13 Sep 2014 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Her Majesty's Theatre,

booking until 25 Oct 2014 PORGY AND BESS Open Air Theatre, Regents Park, 17 Jul 23 Aug 2014 STOMP Ambassadors Theatre, booking until 21 Dec 2014 THRILLER LIVE Lyric Theatre, booking until 19 Apr 2015 WE WILL ROCK YOU Dominion Theatre, booking until 31 May 2014 WICKED Apollo Victoria Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015

DRAMA 1984 Playhouse Theatre, 28 Apr - 19 Jul 2014 ANTONY & CLEOPATRA Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 17 May - 24 Aug 2014 DOCTOR SCROGGY’S WAR Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 12 Sept - 10 Oct 2014 FATAL ATTRACTION Haymarket Theatre Royal, booking until 21 Jun 2014 GHOST STORIES Arts Theatre, booking until 17 Aug 2014 GOLEM Young Vic Theatre, booking until 17 Jan 2015 HANDBAGGED Vaudeville Theatre, 3 Apr - 2 Aug 2014 KING LEAR Olivier National Theatre, booking until 28 May 2014 OTHER DESERT CITIES Old Vic Theatre, booking until 24 May 2014

COMEDY 39 STEPS Criterion Theatre, booking until 18 Oct 2014 BLITHE SPIRIT Gielgud Theatre, booking until 7 June 2014 RELATIVE VALUES Harold Pinter Theatre, booking until 21 jun 2014 TWELFTH KNIGHT RE-IMAGINED Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, 21 Jun - 12 July 2014

Made In Dagenham - Adelphi Theatre

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Dance

Lord Of The Flies Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 14 - Sat 17 May

Stopping off in Birmingham as part of its inaugural tour, Matthew Bourne’s latest production is an adventurous interpretation of William Golding’s seminal exploration of the breakdown of social order. Once again bringing New Adventures’ style to a classic piece, Bourne transposes the story from a deserted island to a deserted theatre, where a group of schoolboys find themselves abandoned. With no adults to keep order, the teenagers create their own ‘dog eat dog’ civilisation, in which a new set of rules apply. And, with tension building throughout the show, audiences are promised an electrifying climax in true Matthew Bourne style. Featuring a mixed cast of professional and non-professional dancers, Lord Of The Flies is a joint venture between Bourne and Olivier Award-nominated choreographer Scott Ambler.

Birmingham Royal Ballet Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 7 - Thurs 8 May

Let’s Dance International Festival Various locations around Leicester, until Sat 24 May

Raising the profile of dance throughout Leicester, the inaugural Let’s Dance International Festival launched in 2011 as part of the celebrations leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Presenting an eclectic programme of events across the city, this year’s festival showcases a host of internationally acclaimed dancers and choreographers, including FuturPointe Dance from New York (16 - 17 May) and Sana Budaya from Suriname (23 to 24 May). Homegrown performers include Freddie Opoku-Addaie and Henri Oguike, to name but two. For full details of the festival and to find out who’s on where, visit www.ldif.co.uk 40 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Internationally acclaimed Birmingham Royal Ballet is out on the road this month, stopping off at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn to perform three short works from its extensive repertoire.

Quatrain, a new work from BRB dancer and choreographer Kit Holder, opens the triple-bill. An upbeat piece inspired by the vibrant rhythms of Astor Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons Of Beunos Aires, it follows the success of Holder’s previous work, 9-5, which featured at International Dance Festival Birmingham in 2012. Next up is Frederick Ashton’s Facade. Based on Edith Sitwell’s nonsensical poetry, it’s a comic ballet brimming with delightful characters. Completing the bill is Bitesize - an opportunity to enjoy highlights from the company’s best-loved ballets.

Frederick Ashton’s Facade

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Séquence 8 The REP, Birmingham, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 May

Montreal circus company Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers) here fuses acrobatics, circus arts, dance and theatre in a performance described as ‘playful and profound’.

Created in 2012, the company’s Sequence 8 takes emotional dynamics to a point of explosion and propulsion, where there are no specific references to time or place. Instead, there’s a contemplation of the role of the ‘other’, and how we define ourselves both through and against it.

Company Decalage DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Fri 9 - Sat 10 May

Sylvie Guillem: 6000 Miles Away Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 6 - Wed 7 May

Known for its unique style, which blends various dance disciplines, Company Decalage here presents a highly anticipated world premiere double-bill. The two new duets have been devised by celebrated Midlands choreographer and bboy Mickael ‘Marso’ Riviere in partnership with acclaimed Barcelona-based choreographer, actor and dancer Guy Nader and Egyptian-born choreographer Salah El Brogy. The first work, Match, is a piece where destruction and renewal, devastation and beauty are never far apart. Halfway To The Other Side, meanwhile, is a part-spiritual journey and part-absurd reflection on the human tendency to repeat and replicate.

Widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest dancers, French artist Sylvie Guillem this month makes a welcome return to the region to showcase an evening of works by three of today’s most renowned choreographers - Mats Ek, William Forsythe and Jirí Kylián.

Commissioned in 2011, 6000 Miles is a collaboration between Guillem and Sadler’s Wells, for whom she is Associate Artist. The critically acclaimed work features Forsythe’s lauded duet Rearray, presented alongside Bye, Mats Ek’s solo for Guillem which is set to Beethoven’s last piano sonata. A duet from Kylián’s work 27’52”, performed by dancers handpicked by the choreographer, completes the performance.

The Parisian protegee of Rudolf Nureyev, Guillem was, at nineteen, the youngest dancer to be appointed to the Paris Opera Ballet, where she remained the top-ranking female dancer from 1984 to 1989 before arriving at Covent Garden in a blaze of publicity. In 2006 she made the transition from ballet to contemporary dance.

Luca Silvestrini’s Protein

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 2 May

DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 13 - Sat 17 May

Award-winning dance company Protein here bring their trademark physical and verbal wit to Birmingham with a new slice of social commentary. Featuring international dancers and local performers, Border Tales is a poignant look at multi-cultural living in the UK. Told through the eyes of the characters on the stage, we’re presented with a satirical gaze into the world of stereotypical thinking, tolerance and where lines are drawn between ‘them’ and ‘us’.

Concert Dansé.

A world premiere of a unique collaboration between Birmingham’s Ex Cathedra, Québécois dance company Cas Public, Birmingham Royal Ballet and a cast of UK performers, Concert Dansé promises to create within Symphony Hall an ethereal, haunting atmosphere. Featuring classical pieces from SaintSaens, Massenet and Copland, the evening culminates in a reimagining of Durufle’s Requiem, featuring a mix of ballet, Kathak and contemporary dance. Choreographed

by Helene Blackburn and Pierre Lecours, and with David Massingham as creative producer, the piece features a performance from trained Kathak dancer Aakash Odedra, a rising star of British South Asian Dance.

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42 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Dance LISTINGS For full listing information on dance, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk LET’S DANCE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL LEICESTER Showcasing dancers & choreographers from around the world, until Sat 24 May, various locations around Leicester.

Check www.Idif.co.uk for details JAMES WILTON: LAST MAN STANDING Thurs 1 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury TEMPEST REPLICA In her new dance piece, based on motifs from Shakespeare's The Tempest, Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite stages a game of revenge and forgiveness, reality and imagination, Fri 2 - Sat 3 May, Birmingham Hippodrome CONCERT DANSE A unique collaboration between Birmingham's Ex Cathedra, Quebecois dance company Cas Public, and a cast of UK performers.

Featuring works for choir, organ and cello, the performance culminates in an evocative reimagining of Durufle's Requiem, with a mix of ballet, Kathak and contemporary dance, Fri 2 May, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CINDERELLA Vienna Festival Ballet present a classical staging of the world-famous fairytale, Fri 2 May, The Roses, Tewkesbury THE LITTLE MERMAID Ballet Theatre UK present a choreographed performance of Hans Christian Andersen's enchanting tale, Sat 3 May, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham TAP FACTORY Sat 3 May, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa SYLVIE GUILLEM: 6000 MILES AWAY Sadler's Wells present a mixed programme performed by its Associate Artist Sylvie Guillem, Tue 6 Wed 7 May, Birmingham Hippodrome AAKASH ODEDRA COMPANY A double-bill of new work including Murmur

& Inked, Tues 6 - Wed 7 Apr, DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET ON TOUR Programme includes Kit Holder's Quatrain, Frederick Ashton's Facade and Bitesize Ballet - a series of highlights from the company's 'most-loved ballets', Wed 7 - Thurs 8 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury STRICTLY STAFFORD AND STONE Featuring over twenty local schools who’ll grace the Gatehouse stage in a celebration of dance, Wed 7 - Thurs 8 May, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre SEQUENCE 8 A fusion of acrobatics, circus acts, dance and theatre, Thurs 8 - Sat 10 May, The REP, Birmingham NATIONAL DANCE COMPANY WALES A triple bill of international work, Fri 9 May, Malvern Theatres COMPANY DECALAGE Presenting a world premiere double bill including Match & Halfway To The Other Side, Fri 9 - Sat 10 May, DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome KASAI MASAI CENTRAL African music and dance group, Sat 10 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury A SPRING CELEBRATION Special event from Sampad South Asian Arts featuring live music & Bollywood dance, Sat 10 May, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton STARS OF STRICTLY Featuring Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas, Sun 11 May, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury AMY FLYNN SCHOOL OF DANCE Showcase of work in celebration of the school’s first birthday, Sun 11 May, Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

LUCA SILVESTRINI’S PROTEIN / BORDER DANCE A cast of international dancers & local performers entertain & provoke with a new slice of social commentary, Tues 13 - Sat 17 May, DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome LORD OF THE FLIES Brand new show from Matthew Bourne's New Adventures, Wed 14 Sat 17 May, Birmingham Hippodrome THE SECRET GARDEN BALLET PRODUCTION Fri 16 - Sat 17 May, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN Free dance performances in a range of styles with everything from street to capoeira covered, Sat 17 May, Bullring, Spiceal Street, Birmingham INTOTO DANCE Featuring works by four up-andcoming choreographers, including former Rambert dancer and twice winner of the Critics Circle Contemporary Artist of the Year, Ana Lujan Sanchez, Tue 20 May, Artrix, Bromsgrove BREAKIN' CONVENTION A hugely popular production hosted and curated

by UK hip hop theatre artist Jonzi D, Tue 20 Wed 21 May, Birmingham Hippodrome THE LITTLE MERMAID Ballet Theatre UK present a choreographed performance of Hans Christian Andersen's enchanting tale, Wed 21 May, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock B-TOWN A unique show which references both the ancient and the futuristic while featuring 'explosive dance' from World B-Boy Champions Morning of Owl (Korea) and an all star line-up from Funkstylerz UK collective, Wed 21 - Sat 24 May, Victoria Square, Birmingham PLANITES The latest work by Greek choreographer Patricia Apergi and her company Aerites, Thurs 22 Fri 23 May, DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham

Hippodrome SWAN LAKE Vienna Festival Ballet present a lavish production of one of the best known love stories of all time, Thurs 22 - Sat 24 May, Lichfield Garrick STARS OF STRICTLY Featuring Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas, Fri 23 May, Solihull Arts Complex MILONGA Sidi Larbi Cherkaoul present an exploration of both traditional and contemporary tango, Fri 23 - Sat 24 May, Birmingham Hippodrome CANDOCO DANCE COMPANY: STUDIES FOR C Celebration of difference and rebellion from award-winning choreographer Javier de Frutos, Sat 24 May, The Village Green, Hurst Street, Birmingham DENADA DANCE THEATRE: YOUNG MAN! Carlos Pons Guerra’s choreographed duel of seduction which is said to put the figure of the Spanish ‘macho’ to the test, Sat 24 May, The Village Green, Hurst Street, Birmingham MADE OF STARS Blending together parkour and dance, twelve young men fly over obstacles and spiral through wide-open spaces on a collision course with each other,

Sat 24 - Sun 25 May, Coventry city centre, starting at Millenium Place DANCEXCHANGE & SHAUN PARKER COMPANY/ SPILL A PLAYGROUND OF DANCE Combining quirky, dynamic dance with high energy street gymnastics, Sun 25 May, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham THE LITTLE MERMAID Ballet Theatre UK present a dramatic re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen's all-time favourite story, Tue 27 May, Solihull Arts Complex PHOENIX DANCE THEATRE Triple bill of works fea-

turing the world premieres of two exciting new dance works, Wed 28 May, Malvern Theatres THE LITTLE MERMAID Ballet Theatre UK present a dramatic re-telling of Hans Christian Andersen's all-time favourite, Thurs 29 May, Crewe Lyceum LET'S GO A showcase of works by Steelworks Dance Academy, Thurs 29 - Sat 31 May, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent HAPPY MIX Showcase of dance routines from street to upbeat dances, Fri 30 May, The Old Rep, Birmingham

Dance Box Office ARENA THEATRE, WOLVERHAMPTON 01902 321321 ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 0844 338 5000 DOVEHOUSE THEATRE 0121 706 7139 LICHFIELD GARRICK 01543 412121 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS, SHROPSHIRE 01584 873229 MAC, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232

NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 230 9082 ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 334418 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE 01785 254653 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE, COVENTRY 02476 524524

For full venue information visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Milonga - Birmingham Hippodrome

For full dance listings, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 43

Film May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:13 Page 1

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Film

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

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X-Men: Days Of Future Past

CERT tbc

Starring Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Shawn Ashmore, Nicholas Hoult, Peter Dinklage, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart Directed by Bryan Singer (USA/UK)

The future is looking rather grim again, so Wolverine (Jackman) is sent back in time to alter the course of history. If that sounds like a familiar concept (in cinematic terms), it does provide a wonderful opportunity for cramming two Xaviers into one movie (played by James McAvoy and Patrick Stewart). In fact, Days Of Future Past presents a cast to die for and is also significant for reintroducing real-life lovebirds Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult (who met on the set of X-Men: First Class). Incidentally, a similar narrative ruse was used in another Patrick Stewart vehicle, Star Trek Generations, when both commanders of the starship Enterprise were levered into the same movie. In 3D.

Godzilla CERT tbc Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, Sally Hawkins, David Strathairn, Bryan Cranston Directed by Gareth Edwards (USA)

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It’s a strange old world. Gareth Edwards’ last film was a monster pic called, er, Monsters, and cost $500,000 to make. No wonder: he whipped up all the special effects on the computer in his bedroom.

Now he takes on the might of Hollywood and a $160million budget for the ultimate monster movie, a reboot of the cult Japanese sci-fi thriller. The last version (1998), which starred Matthew Broderick, was a critical flop, so it’ll be interesting to see what Edwards does with the material. He’s certainly got a first-rate cast, with the High Wycombe-born Taylor-Johnson leading the human beings, while old Godzilla himself battles a horde of malevolent creatures that “threaten our very existence”. In 3D.

TOP 5 FILM BOX OFFICE

America: 1 Captain The Winter Soldier (12a) 2 Noah (12a) 3 Rio 2 (U) 4 Divergent (12a) 5 The Quiet Ones (15)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 45

Film May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:13 Page 3

Film NEW RELEASES Now showing

Plastic CERT 15 (102 mins) Starring Ed Speleers, Alfie Allen, Will Poulter, Emma Rigby, Graham McTavish, Thomas Kretschmann Directed by Julian Gilbey (UK)

Based on real events, this comedy thriller focuses on a group of students whose credit card fraud lands them in hot water with a ruthless crime boss. So they’re given two weeks to raise £2million, which they attempt to do by engineering an audacious diamond heist in Miami.

Released from Fri 2 May

Brick Mansions CERT 15 (91 mins) Starring Paul Walker, David Belle, RZA Directed by Camille Delamarre (France/Canada)

Tarzan CERT PG (99mins)

Bad Neighbors CERT 15 (97 mins)

Featuring the voices of Kellan Lutz, Spencer Locke, Jaime Ray Newman Directed by Reinhard Klooss (Germany)

Luc Besson’s District 13 (2004) was an adrenaline-pumping thriller featuring the phenomenon of ‘free running’. It starred Dave Belle (best known at the time for appearing in the BBC’s ‘rooftop’ trailer), who returns in this FrancoCanadian remake. This time he’s paired up with the late Paul Walker (as an undercover cop) and the location has been switched from Paris to Detroit. Expect a lot of ghetto life, ghetto thugs, a neutron bomb and athletic sprinting.

It really doesn’t seem that long ago that Disney brought us an animated version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Apeman (with songs by Phil Collins). However, this edition was filmed in motion capture in Munich and pits Tarzan and Jane against an army dispatched by ‘Greystoke Energies’. In 3D.

Starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, Christopher MintzPlasse, Lisa Kudrow, Craig Roberts Directed by Nicholas Stoller (USA)

‘Bad Neighbours’ could actually be the name given to a sub-genre of American comedy. Here, the deal is that family man Seth Rogen (with new-born baby girl) moves next door to a frat house run by the unruly, beer-swigging Efron. Expect some pretty strong language, nudity and ‘crude sex references’.

For full film listings, showings and booking links

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk

View the latest trailers on line 46 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Film May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:13 Page 4

Pompeii CERT 12a (104 mins) Starring Kit Harrington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, Jared Harris, Jessica Lucas, Carrie-Anne Moss, Paz Vega Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson (USA)

It’s 79 AD and former slave Milo (Harrington, from Game Of Thrones) is now an invincible gladiator. He’s in love with Cassia (Browning), who is betrothed against her will to the corrupt senator Corvis (Sutherland). And then all hell breaks loose when Mount Vesuvius upstages all the melodrama. In 3D.

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Released from Fri 9 May

The Wind Rises CERT PG (127 mins)

Before The Winter Chill

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sam Worthington, Olivia Williams, Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello, Mireille Enos Directed by David Ayer (USA)

Featuring the voices (for the dubbed version) of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Werner Herzog, William H. Macy Directed by Hayao Miyazaki (Japan)

CERT 15 (103 mins)

Having robbed a drug cartel safe house, members of an elite DEA task force find themselves picked off one by one. David Ayer previously directed the edgy, uncompromising Harsh Times and End Of Watch, so he may have a chance at getting something credible out of what sounds like a rather formulaic actionthriller. Expect extreme violence, scenes of torture and big bangs. Don’t expect subtext.

Hayao Miyazaki is one of the leading talents in animation today, having won countless awards and even an Oscar (for his peerless 2001 fantasy Spirited Away). Here, he’s adapted his own manga comic, a fictionalised biography of the aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi. It was the highest grossing Japanese film in Japan last year and earned Miyazaki another Oscar nomination this year.

At first glimpse, Philippe Claudel’s third feature looks like a stodgily paced, middle-aged domestic drama. But should one pay attention, one might notice sinister depths to this cosy, typically bourgeois scene. As Lucie, the Anglo-French wife of an eminent brain surgeon, Kristin Scott Thomas does the gardening and holds convivial lunch parties al fresco - before, of course, the winter chill. As Paul, the surgeon, Daniel Auteuil works long hours and is beloved by his patients - because, like all good doctors, he treats the person as well as the malady. And at home in their luxurious modern house, Paul and Lucie enjoy quality time together. We know this because in one scene Claudel shows the couple dancing together in a marital embrace and gives the actors time to register their content. It’s hard to imagine any American movie, or even an English one, that would allow a scene like this to linger; to permit the actors to think their way into the moment. And yet the hibernal chill does come, in imperceptible flakes that might melt before one catches them: in the choice of a computer password, an unanswered question, a half-glimpsed photograph… but the director never overplays his hand. Claudel is a master of the misconstrued incident - as illustrated so profoundly with his 2008 masterpiece, I’ve Loved You So Long (also with Scott Thomas) - and here he doesn’t disappoint. Just pay attention.

Sabotage CERT 15 (109 mins)

Released from Fri 16 May

Enemy CERT 15 (90 mins) Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Sarah Gadon, Isabella Rossellini, Stephen R. Hart Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Canada/Spain)

Frank CERT 15 (95 mins) Starring Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy, Tess Harper Directed by Leonard Abrahamson (UK/Ireland)

Eccentricity is the order of the day in this smallscale indie Irish comedy. Frank (Fassbender) is the lead singer of a band called Soronprfbs [sic], who wears a large papier-mâché mask, not only when he performs, but when he sleeps and showers, too. Jon Burroughs (Gleeson) is the wannabe musician who joins the band when they move to Ireland to cut an album.

Doppelgängers are all the rage at the moment.

Following a double helping of Jesse Eisenberg in The Double, now comes Jake Gyllenhaal, who spots his double in an erotic movie. He then watches all of the actor’s films and starts moving in on the actor’s real life… Based on José Saramago's 2002 novel The Double.

Starring Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas, Leïla Bekhti, Richard Berry Directed by Philippe Claudel (France/Luxembourg)

In Secret CERT 15 (107mins) Starring Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton, Jessica Lange, Matt Lucas, Shirley Henderson Directed by Charlie Stratton (USA)

Based on Émile Zola's classic 1867 novel Thérèse Raquin, In Secret stars Elizabeth Olsen as the repressed Thérèse who seeks solace from her loveless marriage in the arms of Laurent LeClaire (Oscar Isaac). Expect quite a bit of heaving décolletage and some ‘strong sex’. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 47

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Film May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:13 Page 6

The Two Faces Of January CERT 12a (96mins)

Starring Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, Oscar Isaac, Yigit Ozsener Directed by Hossein Amini (USA)

The ubiquitous Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) is back in this thriller based on the novel

by Patricia Highsmith. He plays Rydal, a tour guide who 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 (Mortensen)…

Released from Fri 23 May

From

FRI 3 MAY 0

Postman Pat The Movie CERT U (88mins)

Featuring the voices of Stephen Mangan, Jim Broadbent, Rupert Grint, Ronan Keating, David Tennant Directed by Mike Disa (UK)

It had to happen (think The Magic Roundabout and Thomas the Tank Engine), but Postman Pat now has his own (computer-animated) movie. But who thought that Ronan Keating would end up singing for the friendly postman of Greendale? Yep, PP enters a TV talent show, leaving his postal duties to a line of rather suspicious robots. The movie of Paddington Bear arrives in November.

Released from Fri 30 May

A Million Ways To Die In The West CERT tbc

Starring Seth MacFarlane, Charlize Theron, Amanda Seyfried, Liam Neeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Sarah Silverman Directed by Seth MacFarlane (USA)

With his live-action directorial debut, Seth MacFarlane introduced us to the world of a foul-mouthed teddy bear (called Ted). Now he’s into sheep and takes the lead himself, as a cowardly sheep farmer who loses his girlfriend (Seyfried) through an act of pusillanimity. Then he meets Anna (Theron), who teaches him to man up. The only problem is her husband, a ruthless gunman (Neeson).

Blended CERT 12a (117mins) Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Bella Thorne, Terry Crews, Joel McHale Directed by Frank Coraci (USA)

While hardly Tracy and Hepburn, Sandler and Barrymore team up for the third time in this romantic comedy. Following a blind date that misfired, Jim (Sandler) and Lauren (Barrymore) find themselves stuck together at a family resort… Coraci previously directed Sandler in The Wedding Singer, The Water Boy and Click.

Jimmy’s Hall CERT tbc

Edge Of Tomorrow CERT tbc Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Lara Pulver, Jeremy Piven Directed by Doug Liman (USA/UK/Australia/South Korea)

In the near future, the world is under siege by an alien race, apparently unstoppable by the military. But then Lt. Col. Cage (Cruise) finds himself trapped in a time loop, re-visiting the same battle over and over again. And along the way, he finds himself sharpening up his tactics… Think Groundhog Day with big guns. Based on the novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Shown in 3D and the IMAX format.

Maleficent CERT tbc Starring Angelina Jolie, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville Directed by Robert Stromberg (USA)

Following the success of the live-action Mirror Mirror and Snow White And The Huntsman, Disney now serves up their own version of a fairy tale with this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The twist is that it’s told from the viewpoint of the wicked fairy ‘Mistress of All Evil,’ as created in the original 1959 cartoon. Angelina Jolie should certainly do her justice. Shown in 3D and the IMAX format.

Starring Barry Ward, Simone Kirby, Andrew Scott, Jim Norton, Brían F. O'Byrne Directed by Ken Loach (UK/Ireland/France)

Ken Loach and the screenwriter Paul Laverty have worked together on Sweet Sixteen, Ae Fond Kiss... and The Wind That Shakes The Barley, so one’s expectations for this should be pretty high. Barry Ward plays the real-life political activist Jimmy Gralton, who becomes the only Irishman ever to be deported from Ireland.

This is the story of the dance hall he built. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 49

Film May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:13 Page 7

Film A-Z LISTINGS

makes for a fascinating story and one that deserves to be seen on the big screen. Showing at Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffordshire

All films are currently on general release unless otherwise stated. For full listing information, including times and dates, The Dallas Buyers Club visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 15 A Long Way Down 15

Berlin International Film Festival. Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Thurs 29 May

The story of four people who decide to commit suicide by jumping off a tall building in London on New Year’s Eve. The twist is that they’re all strangers and each character’s attempt to end his life in solitude is ruined by the appearance of the others.

Pierce Brosnan & Toni Collette star. Showing at Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 2 - Sat 3 May; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 10 - Mon 12 May; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 26 Tues 27 May

Calvary 15 Brendan Gleeson plays a priest - a good one, to boot - who is constantly disappointed by the small-mindedness of his flock. He’s then threatened during a routine confession and finds that he must combat a very real evil head-on. Also stars Chris O’Dowd.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 2 - Thurs 8 May; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 23 - Sat 24 & Tues 27 May; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Weds 28 Thurs 29 May; Artrix, Bromsgrove, from Fri 30 May

The Armstrong Lie 15 The extraordinary story of the Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, his fight with testicular and brain cancer, his astonishing comeback and then his terrible shame.

Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, until Thurs 1 May

Back To The Garden 12a

WATCH THE FILM T A TRAILERS k

A year after the death of an inspirational theatre director and teacher, his widow is struggling to come to terms with her loss. A group of close friends come to spend the weekend with her, to offer their support before they scatter her husband’s ashes in the garden. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Thurs 1 May

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Behind The Candelabra 15 The film follows Liberace’s six-year relationship with the considerably younger Scott Thorson, and is based on the latter’s autobiography. Stars Michael Douglas, Matt Damon.

Showing at The Norbury Theatre, Weds 21 May

Caesar Must Die 12 Inmates at a high-security prison in Rome prepare for a public performance of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Winner of the Golden Bear at the 62nd

Catching History On The Wings tbc A documentary about Ambalavaner Sivanandan, a highly influential thinker on race, racism, globalisation and resistance. Since 1972, he has been the director of the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).

Showing at The Drum, Birmingham, Sun 11 May

Chasing Ice tbc National Geographic photographer James Balog risked his life to travel across the arctic and capture climate change in action. Using revolutionary time-lapse cameras, he collected images from a three-year period of the glaciers and landscapes changing. The result

CINEMA Box Office

Based on a lengthy article in the Dallas Morning News, this is a true story about a homophobic rodeo jock who contracts Aids. Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Garner star.

Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 17 - Tues 20 May

Diana 12 Here, the former Princess of Wales is portrayed by the Anglo-Australian actress Naomi Watts, and the film recounts the last two years of Diana’s life.

Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Thurs 29 May

Divergent 12a A futuristic Chicago in which the populace are divided into five distinct classes of personality or ‘virtues’. But Beatrice 'Tris' Prior is a ‘divergent’, which means she’s without an official virtue which makes her very dangerous. But ‘why’, she wonders? Stars Shailene Woodley.

Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, from Sat 31 May

The Double 15 Based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Jesse Eisenberg stars as a man gradually driven nuts when he realises that his life has been taken over by his double.

Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 16 - Sat 17 May; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 18 - Fri 23 May; mac, Birmingham, Tues 20 Thurs 22 May

Dustbin Baby PG Abandoned as a baby in a bin outside a pizza parlour, teenager April lives with her foster mother Marion. After an argument with Marion on her 14th birthday, April runs away from home to find her birth mother. Stars Dakota Blue Richards, Juliet Stevenson. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 25 May WALSALL 01922 645 555

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50 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Five Broken Cameras PG Made by West Bank villager Emad Burnat, this film tells the story of protests and conflict around the building of the West Bank security wall.

Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 9 May

Frozen PG Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, in which the kingdom of Arendelle is turned into an eternal winter by Princess Elsa.

Showing at Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 12 May; Hereford Courtyard Theatre, from Sat 31 May

The General U The true story of a train (The General) that is stolen by Union soldiers, the movie stars Buster Keaton as an engineer who is both obsessed with the locomotive of the title and the girl who rejects him for being a coward. Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 4 May Gone With The Wind 12a A manipulative Southern belle carries on a turbulent affair with a blockade runner during the American Civil War. Stars Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 16 May

The Grand Budapest Hotel 12a The adventures of the legendary concierge Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) an articulate, manipulative and brazen fellow who abuses his position with startling zeal.

Accused of murder and chased all over the shop, he never loses his nerve.

Showing at Artrix, Bromsgrove, until Mon 5 May; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Weds 7 - Thurs 8 May; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 25 - Fri 30 May

29 May; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 29 May

Her 12a In the not-too-distant future, Theo, who’s going through a divorce, downloads a voice-activated operating system.

Choosing a female identity for his new programme, he finds himself becoming totally reliant on ‘Her’.

Stars Joaquin Phoenix and the voice of Scarlett Johansson. Showing at Artrix, Bromsgrove, Tues 13 - Fri 16 May

King Lear tbc Grigori Kozintsev’s blackand-white King Lear is set in a stark landscape of windswept moors and marshes, bare castles and wandering beggars.

The well-known Shostakovich score underpins the drama of Shakespeare’s great tragedy. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 8 May

Labor Day 12a Adele Wheeler is suffering from a degenerative psychological disorder, her thirteen-year-old son is taking on the responsibilities of the house and Mr Wheeler has run off with another woman. Then a killer forces his way into their home… Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin star.

Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 9 - Sat 10 May; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 16 - Sat 17 May

The Lego Movie U The computer-animated movie is set in the ‘Lego universe’ and features such ‘minifigures’ as Batman, Superman and Spaceman Benny. With the voices of Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks.

Showing at Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Sat 17 - Sun 18 May; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Sat 24 - Tues 27 May

Half A Yellow Sun 15 The film adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Orange Prizewinning novel, set during the Nigerian-Biafran War of 1967-1970. Stars Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 23 - Thurs

Locke 15 While driving from Birmingham to London, a construction manager receives a phone call. The remainder of the film sees Ivan Locke attempting to salvage his life via mobile phone as he continues to race home. Stars Tom

ODEON TELFORD 0871 224 4007 OMH SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299

ODEON TAMWORTH 0871 224 4007

Staffordshire CINEWORLD, BURTON-UPONTRENT 0871 200 2000 THE STAFFORD CINEMA, STAFFORD 0207 438 9580 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK 01538 386 112 STOKE FILM THEATRE, 01782 411188

Warwickshire ODEON COVENTRY 0871 224 4007 ODEON NUNEATON 0871 224 4007 SHOWCASE, COVENTRY 0871 220 1000 VUE, LEAMINGTON SPA 08712 240 240 PICTURE HOUSE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 0871 902 5741 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE COVENTRY 02476 524524

Hardy, with the voices of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman. Showing at Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Mon 19 - Tues 20 May; mac, Birmingham, Fri 23 - Tues 27 May; Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Fri 30 - Sat 31 May

The Monuments Men 12a Based on the book by Robert M Edsel, this is the true story of a group of art historians and curators who’re conscripted to infiltrate Nazi Germany in order to track down invaluable works of art.

Starring George Clooney, Matt Damon. Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, until Thurs 1 May; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 3 - Tues 6 May

Muppets Most Wanted 12a This time, the gang are on tour in Europe (London, Berlin, Madrid) and find themselves involved in an international crime racket headed by Kermit’s double. Stars Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell. Showing at Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Fri 23 - Fri 30 May; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 26 Tues 27 May; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Thurs 29 - Sat 31 May

A New York Winter’s Tale 12a When burglar Peter Lake breaks into a Manhattan property, an heiress dies in his arms. What follows is a mystical, romantic fantasy that spans almost a century as he attempts to be reunited with the late heiress. Colin Farrell and Jessica Brown Findlay star. Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 11 May

Noah 12a Russell Crowe stars as Noah, rounding up a formidable menagerie of species to rescue them from the flood. It makes our recent moans about the wet weather seem incredibly feeble. Showing at Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Sat 17 - Weds 21 May; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Sat 24 - Mon 26 May; Roses Theatre, Worcestershire ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 MALVERN THEATRE 0845 287 2146 THE NORBURY THEATRE, DROITWICH SPA 08444 777 1000 WAREHOUSE, KIDDERMINSTER 01562 747773 VUE, WORCESTER 0871 224 0240 THE ROSE’S THEATRE, TEWKESBURY 01684 295 074

Film May_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:12 Page 8

Tewkesbury, from Sat 31 May

Only Lovers Left Alive 15 A reclusive, centuries-old vampire rock star is finding it hard to keep up with modern technology. In fact, it’s all getting so much that he decides to take his own life… Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton star. Showing at Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Weds 7 - Thurs 8 May

The Past 12a A study of modern family life in emotional flux, The Past is set in a Paris suburb, where Ahmad arrives from Tehran to divorce his tempestuous, estranged wife Marie. Stars Ali Mosaffa, Bérénice Bejo.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, until Thurs 1 May; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 20 May; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Weds 21 - Fri 23 May

Paths Of Glory PG When soldiers in World War One refuse to continue with an impossible attack, their superior officers decide to make an example of them. Starring Kirk Douglas, directed by Stanley Kubrick, and adapted for film from the novel of the same name

by Humphrey Cobb.

Showing at mac, B’ham, Tues 20 Thurs 22 May

Rio 2 U A couple of love-struck Spix's macaws, this time with three kids in tow. On a trip to the Amazon, they meet up with family and discover that the rainforest is threatened… Expect songs. With the voices of Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg.

Showing at Hereford Courtyard theatre, Fri 23 Thurs 29 May; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 26 Thurs 29 May; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Tues 27 & Thurs 29 May; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Weds 28 May The Rocket 12a The Rocket explores the displacement of a rural Lao community as a new dam is constructed. The central character is Ahlo, a ten-year-old boy believed to bring bad luck wherever he goes. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Tues 6 May; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 12 May Rush PG A film which charts the fierce rivalry between Formula One racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda as they compete for the 1976 World Championship. Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl star. Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Fri 23 May

Saving Mr Banks PG Biog of PL Travers, the author of Mary Poppins.

The film is divided between Travers’ early years in Australia and the later negotiations with Disney to make a film of her popular children’s novel. Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks star.

Showing at Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 19 May The Secret Of Kells PG Follow 12-year-old Brendan as he battles Vikings and confronts an ancient serpent god on a mission to locate a legendary crystal and complete the mythical Book of Kells. With the voices of Brendan Gleeson and Liam Hourican. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sat 3 May Starred Up 18 The story of a teenage inmate who, because of his predilection for violence, is moved from a young offender’s institution to an adult jail. Jack O'Connell stars. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Mon 19 - Tues 20 May; Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Tues 20 - Weds 21 May Stuart Hall Project tbc This film from award-winning documentarian John Akomfrah (The Nine Muses) is a portrait of cul-

tural theorist Stuart Hall.

Showing at The Drum, Birmingham, Thurs 29 May

A Touch Of Sin 15 Four independent stories set in modern China about random acts of violence, inspired by four shocking (and true) events that forced the world's fastest-growing economy into a period of self-examination. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 16 - Mon 19 May Tracks 12a Director John Curran brings to the screen the 1980 memoir by Robyn Davidson which chronicles her 1,700-mile trek across the Australian Outback with just a dog, four camels and the National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan.

Stars Mia Wasikowska.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 9 - Thurs 15 May; Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Fri 23 Thurs 29 May Twenty Feet From Stardom tbc A wonderfully exuberant tribute to the fabulous backing singers who worked on classic albums through the 1960s & ’70s.

Millions loved their voices but no one even knew their names. Stars Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer. Showing at Hereford Courtyard

Theatre, Mon 12 - Thurs 15 May; mac, Birmingham, Tues 13 thurs 15 May; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 15 May; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 27 May

Two Brothers U The tale of two tiger siblings who are separated as cubs. After an intrepid hunter kills their father, one cub ends up in a circus while his brother languishes in a royal menagerie. But their separation is brought to an unfortunate close, when a traditional tiger fight pits brother against brother.

Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 10 May Under The Skin U This science fiction thriller stars Scarlett Johansson as an alien who preys on hitchhikers in Scotland.

Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 2 - Sat 3 May; Warwick Arts Centre,Coventry, until Thurs 1 May We Are The Best 15 Three 13-year-old girls who roam the streets: brave and tough, strong and weak, confused and weird. Taking care of themselves way too early, they find joy in starting a punk band without any instruments, even though For full listings visit:

everybody says that punk is dead. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 2 - Thurs 8 May

Yves Saint Laurent 15 This is a biog of the man once described as the most influential fashion designer of the latter part of the twentieth century. A story which explores Saint Laurent’s long-term friendship, love affair and business partnership with Pierre Bergé. Pierre Niney & Guillaume Gallienne star.

Showing at Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 9 & Mon 12 May; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Sat 10 & Tues 13 May; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Weds 14 Thurs 15 May; Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Sat 17 Weds 21 May; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 22 May The Zero Theorem 15 A science fiction fantasy about a computer hacker looking for the meaning of life. Of course, it’s all there in the algebra, except that Life keeps on getting in the way… Stars Christoph Waltz, directed by Terry Gilliam. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-onTrent, Thurs 8 May; Hereford Courtyard Theatre, Sat 11 - Thurs 15 May

www.whatsonlive.co.uk

DVD NEW RELEASES The Railway Man 15 The railway in question is the Thai-Burma Railway and the man is Eric Lomax, who helped to build it during his internment in a Japanese POW camp.

Years later, Lomax decides to track down the officer who tortured him while he was there. Stars Colin Firth.

Released 5 May

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones 15 Once again, everything is relayed through the use of an investigative camera, as a group of partygoers attempt to find why a woman died in the apartment beneath them. Stars Andrew Jacobs and Richard Cabral.

Released 12 May

12 Years A Slave 15 Solomon Northup is kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841.The film is adapted from his1853 autobiography. Stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender.

Released 12 May

47 Ronin 15 A famous Japanese story of revenge and honour.

When the leader of a group of ronin (samurai) is killed, the 47 warriors embark on a journey of retribution.

Stars Keanu Reeves and Rinko Kikuchi.

Released 12 May

The Wolf Of Wall Street. PG

The Best Man Holiday 15 It’s fourteen years since the romantic comedy The Best Man. Now comes the sequel, in which the characters meet at Christmas for a reunion. Rivalries are reignited, new relationships formed - how much they have all changed in the interim…

Released 12 May

From the American dream to corporate greed, Jordon Belfort goes from penny stocks and righteousness to founding the brokerage firm Stratton Oakmont earning him the title ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’.

Stars Leonardo De Caprio.

Released 19 May

August: Osage County 15 Adapted from the 2007 play by Tracy Letts, this is a black comedy set in an

Oklahoma household where a crisis reunites the women in the family.

Starring Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts, both of whom were nominated for an Oscar for their roles as mother and daughter.

Released 26 May

I, Frankenstein 12a

Inside Llewyn Davis 15

Actually, the lead character is Frankenstein’s monster, but I, Frankenstein’s Monster just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Anyway, Frankenstein’s Monster has actually taken the name Adam and, far from the imagination of Mary Shelley, becomes involved with two warring tribes of immortal status. Adapted from the graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux (who also wrote the screenplay). Stars Aaaron Eckhart and Bill Nighy. Released 26 May

Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) is a struggling folk singer in Greenwich Village, New York, 1961.

The film is loosely based on the memoir of the late Dave Van Ronk.

Released 26 May

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Festivals Wychwood Festival Cheltenham Racecourse, Fri 30 May - Sun 1 June

Regularly nominated in the Best Family Festival category in the UK Festival Awards, the annual Wychwood Festival features over one hundred bands on four stages, more than one hundred workshops, a kids literature festival, a real ale festival and much more.

A line-up featuring The Boomtown Rats, The Levellers, The Stranglers, Wolf Alice, Newton Faulkner, comedians Jellybean Martinez and Gary Delaney and Cbeebies favourite Justin Fletcher bear testament to the festival’s broad appeal.

Shaanti’s Eastern Electronic Festival Various locations in and around Birmingham, Tues 6 - Sat 31 May

Now in its third year, Shaanti’s Eastern Electronic Festival is an artist-led event which presents an ‘eclectic mix of some of the best performers across film, music, visual-digital arts, spoken word and new music’.

Taking place at numerous venues across the city, the twenty-six-day festival weaves together a programme of twenty-nine events under the theme of empowerment. Highlights include Champion Sound Live - a showcase for new British music at Symphony Hall; a screening of Sita Sings The Blues at mac; an Eastern Pride parade (part of Birmingham Pride) in the city’s Gay Village; and the Rivers Of British-Asian Blood exhibition at The Old Print Works.

For full listings visit, www.easternelectronicfestival.co.uk

Birmingham Pride

The All American Rejects

Slam Dunk Festival Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Mon 26 May

The UK’s biggest independent touring festival, Slam Dunk returns to the Midlands this month to celebrate the best of Pop-Punk, Ska and Emo. The All American Rejects headline the seven-stage event, making their only UK appearance in 2014. Fans of the Oklahoma rockers can expect hits from each of their four albums, including Dirty Little Secrets, Gives You Hell and Swing Swing.

Slam Dunk is now in its ninth year, and as usual features an international line-up of artists. Performers include Los Angeles hardcore band The Ghost Inside, Australia’s I Killed The Prom and British pop-rock band The New Forest. There’s also an exclusive appearance by Washington crooner Ben Liebsch, who brings his brainchild You, Me, And Everyone We Know to the UK for the very first time.

Championing up-and-coming acts, this year’s Slam Dunk welcomes State Champs, one of the most talked-about bands of the year, who’ll be making their UK festival debut at the event.

Gay Village, Birmingham, Sat 24 - Sun 25 May

Celebrating the city’s diverse LGBT community, Birmingham Pride is the largest two-day festival of its kind in the UK. Taking place in the heart of Birmingham’s Gay Village, this annual event regularly attracts visitors from a cross-section of communities.

Festivities begin with a colourful Carnival Parade.

Celebrating equality and freedom around the world, the parade sets off from the city’s Victoria Square at 12noon on the Saturday, winding its way to the main festival area where a host of attractions await. High-profile performers Gabrielle, Ms Dynamite, Stooshe, S Club, Fuse ODG and Tich feature on the Pride Main Stage, while numerous popular acts from across the UK share the limelight on the Village Cabaret Stage.

Pride 2014 also features a Community Village Green, a Women’s Arena and the Chic Dance Arena (with DJs The Artful Dodger and Chris Steele).

Visit www.birminghampride.com for further Gabrielle details.

Acoustic Festival Of Britain

Seth Lakeman

Uttoxeter Racecourse, Fri 30 May - Sun 1 June

As usual, the Acoustic Festival of Britain this year welcomes an eclectic line-up of performers, with high-profile contributors including folk musician Seth Lakeman, rock group Terrorvision, Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, X Factor winner Matt Cardle, Grammy Hall of Fame Award-winners The Animals and widely acclaimed singer/songwriter Nick Harper.

The festival also features a special performance of greatest hits from English folk rock group Fairport Convention, who’ll be picking up the event’s bi-annually presented Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition to its promise of great music, the Acoustic Festival this year features a Sessions Marquee - hosting various folk and blues clubs - music workshops, an open-mic tent, a vintage T tent, a classic car show, an antique fair, a variety of family activities, roaming performers, and two real ale tents.

What else could a festival-goer possibly wish for?...

Fairport Convention

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

MAY CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL Featuring Jamie Cullum, Billy Cobham, Laura Mvula & Jools Holland, Wed 30 Apr Mon 5 May, Montpellier Gardens, Cheltenham HANDMADE FESTIVAL Featuring Grace Petrie and the Benefits Culture, Woahnows, Emperor & Katie Malco, Fri 2 - Sun 4 May, Old Town Quarter, Leicester UPTON FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Andrew McKay, Carole Etherton, Acoustic Collective & David Gibb and Elly Lucas, Fri 2 - Mon 5 May, Various locations throughout Worcester BATTLEFIELD MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Andy O’Brien, Stu Jennings, Not For Real & Two Blank Pages, Fri 2 - Mon 5 May, Battlefield, Shrewsbury TROYFEST Featuring Dr Meaker, Joe Driscoll, Seckou Kouyate & Smoove and Turrell, Fri 2 - Mon 5 May, Baskerville, Powys LEAMINGTON MUSIC FESTIVAL WEEKEND Featuring Ensemble 360, Marek Bracha, Royal String Quartet & Longbow, Fri 2 - Mon 5 May, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa ASHLEYHAY FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Sat 3 - Sun 4 May, Sycamore Farm, Derbyshire CLUN GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Featuring The Rhythm Thieves, Naomi Payne Hotsy Totsy Band, AT James & Les Amis D’onno, Sat 3 - Mon 5 May, Clun Castle, Shropshire EVERYWHERE FESTIVAL Featuring Artwork,

Blonde, Skream & Hannah Wants, Sun 4 May, various venues around Nottingham SWINGAMAJIG FESTIVAL Featuring Molotov Jukebox, Electric Swing Circus, The Destroyers & Renegade Brass Band, Sun 4 May, Spotlight, Birmingham FUDGESTOCK 2014 Featuring Bekah & the Sounds, Crazy Horses, Bethan & the Morgans & Dead Sea Skulls, Sun 4 May, The Robin, Bilston SHAANTI’S EASTERN ELECTRONIC FESTIVAL 2014 Artist-led festival presenting an eclectic mix of film, music, spoken word & new music, Tues 6 - Sat 31 May, various locations across Birmingham DOOM FOR THE DOOMED FESTIVAL Featuring Snowblind, Purson, Goatess & Iron Void, Fri 9 - Sun 11 May, The Asylum, Birmingham LUDLOW SPRING FESTIVAL Featuring The Hip Joints, Anthony Doyle, Gino Kemp & Sam Thomas and Ben Walsh, Sat 10 - Sun 11 May, Ludlow Castle, Shropshire STOURBRIDGE BLUES FESTIVAL Featuring Virgil & The Accelerators, Dani Wilde, SwampCandy & Tom Walker Trio, Fri 16 - Sat 17 May, Old Halesonians, Stourbridge BEARDED THEORY Featuring UB40, Peter Hook, Oysterband, Wilko Johnson, Thur 22 - Sun 25 May, Catton Hall, Derby HOWTHELIGHTGETSIN Featuring Mr Scruff, Emmy The Great, Moulettes, The Hoosiers, Thurs 22 May

Outkast - Wireless Festival, Birmingham

- Sun 1 June, Hay-onWye, Powys CHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Jez Lowe and the Big Bad Pennies, Jim Moray, Fay Hield and the Hurricane Party & Lucy Ward, Fri 23 Mon 26 May, Kelsall Village, Nr Cheshire GLASTONBUDGET Featuring Abba Revival, Who’s Who, Hot Red Chili Peppers & Talon, Fri 23 - Sun 25, Turnpost Farm, Wymeswold, Leicestershire OFF THE TRACKS SPRING FESTIVAL Featuring The Neville Staple Band, Big Country, Moulettes & Eat Static, Fri 23 Sun 25 May, Donington Park Farmhouse, Derbyshire LEFTFOOT BANK HOLIDAY WEEKENDER Featuring Ben UFO, Troumaca & Hot 8 Brass Band, Fri 23 - Sun 25 May, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham OSFEST Featuring Wiley, Nina Nesbitt, Foxes & Elyar Fox, Sat 24 - Sun 25 May, Oswestry Showground, Shropshire BIRMINGHAM PRIDE FESTIVAL Featuring Gabrielle, Ms Dynamite, Chris Steele & Stooshe, Sat 24 - Sun 25 May, Gay Village, Birmingham ROCK AND BOWL FESTIVAL Featuring The Superskas, UK Foo Fighters, Jim Kirkpatrick’s Heavy Weather & Sons Of Clogger, Sat 24 - Mon 26 May, The Picnic Area, Market Drayton, Shropshire DOT TO DOT FESTIVAL Featuring Peace, The Midnight Beasts, Real Estate & We Were Evergreen, Sun 25 May, Various locations around Nottingham FARM FEST Featuring Peter Hook and the Light, Stealing Sheep, Wirrall Ukulele Orchestra & Emilio Pinchi, Sun 25 - Mon 26 May, Claremont Farm, Cheshire WYCHWOOD FESTIVAL

Ghetts - BASS Festival, various venues, Birmingham

Featuring Levellers, Reef, Peter White & King Charles, Fri 30 May - Sun 1 June, Cheltenham Racecourse THE ACOUSTIC FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN Featuring 10CC, The Attix, Gaudy Orde & Andrew Bazeley, Fri 30 May Sun 1 June, Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire LEAMINGTON MUSIC FESTIVAL WEEKEND Featuring Ensemble 360, Marek Bracha, Royal String Quartet & Longbow, Fri 30 May Sun 1 June, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa ASPARAFEST 2014 lineup to be announced, Sat 31 May - Sun 1 June, Ashdown Farm, Worcestershire

JUNE BASS FESTIVAL Featuring Ghetts, Harleigh Blu, Brinsley Forde & Call Me Unique, Sun 1st - Sat 14 June, various venues around Birmingham ENGLISH HAYDEN FESTIVAL Featuring The Chiaroscuro String Quartet, The Salomon String Quartet, The Barbican Piano Trio, The English Hayden Orchestra, Tues 3 - Sun 8 June, Various locations around Bridgnorth SOUTHWELL FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Feast Of Fiddles, The Kennedys, The Henry Girls & The Poozies, Thurs 5 - Sun 8 June, The Workhouse, Nottinghamshire WELFEST ON THE MEADOW Featuring Medicine Head, SO2F, Jazz Morley & Wes Finch, Sat 7 June, Synder Meadow, Stratford Upon Avon DETONATE FESTIVAL Featuring Bonobo, David Rodigan, LTJ

Bukem & Bad Company, Sat 7 June, Nottingham Racecourse NO TOMORROW FESTIVAL Featuring London Grammar, Sam Smith, Clean Bandit, Duke Dumont, Sat 7 June, Wollaton Park, Nottingham MUCH WENLOCK FESTIVAL Featuring Ceilidh & Male Voice Choir, Sat 7 - Sat 21 June, Various locations around Much Wenlock DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Featuring Linkin Park, Aerosmith, Avenged Sevenfold & Killswitch Engaged, Wed 11 June - Mon 16 June, Donington Park, Derby FOLK ON THE PARK Featuring Jinski, Jonathan Day Trio, Keith Donnelly & Sunjay Brayne, Fri 13 Sun 15 June, Lower Lacon Caravan Park, Shropshire GREGYNOG FESTIVAL Featuring BBC National Orchestra Wales, The Nash Ensemble, Flemish Radio Choir & Alamire, Fri 13 - Sun 29 June, Powys LEAMINGTON PEACE FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Sat 14 Sun 15 June, Pump Room Gardens, Leamington Spa LINTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Walter Trout, Vintage Trouble, Geno Washington, Pat McManus, Fri 20 - Sun 22 June, The Alma Inn, Hertfordshire LAINFEST Featuring Young Kato, I Am I Love, The Other Tribe, Jaws, Fri 20 - Sun 22 June, Gopsall Hall Farm, Leicestershire FOXTON LOCKS FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Sat 21 Sun 22 June, Foxton Locks, Leicestershire KINETON MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Bad Janet, Battered Soul, Nik Lowe, Klasside, Sat 21 June, Kineton Sports

and Social Club, Warwickshire EXILE MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Blue Wallpaper Incorporated, The Cats Charis, Rita Payne, The Lucky Stikes, Fri 27 Sun 29 June, Sabine Hay, Derbyshire HOLI ONE FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM Featuring Piloy, Hard Rock Sofa, Goodluck, Florian Kunicke, Sat 28 June, The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham SUTTON COLDFIELD CARNIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Sun 29 June, Meadow Platt, Sutton Coldfield

JULY LICHFIELD FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Thurs 3 Sat 13 July, Various venues around Lichfield THE MOSTLY JAZZ FESTIVAL Featuring Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Earth Wind & Fire Experience ft Al McKay, Craig Charles, Radio Riddler, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Moseley Park, Birmingham NATIONAL FOREST FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Steeleye Span, Shoolenifty, The Mighty Doonans, The Shee, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Conkers, Leicestershire GODIVA FESTIVAL Featuring Happy Mondays, Funeral For A Friend, We Are Scientists & Buzzcocks, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Memorial Park, Coventry WIRELESS FESTIVAL Featuring Kayne West, Outkast, Bruno Mars, Drake, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Perry Park, Birmingham BLUES AT THE FOLD Featuring Steve Morrison, MumboJumbo, Wily Bo Walker and the Mescal Canyon Troubadours & The Blues Duo featuring

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Festivals Listings For full listing information on festivals, including dates and line-up, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Tommy Allen and Johnny Hewit, Sat 5 July, The Fold, Worcester BUXTON FESTIVAL FRINGE 2014 line-up to be announced, Wed 9 Sun 27 July, Various venues around Buxton 2000TRESS FESTIVAL Featuring Frightened Rabbit, The Bronx, Kids In Glass Houses, Blood Red Shoes, Thurs 10 Sat 12 July, Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire NAPTON FESTIVAL Featuring Grace Solero, Voodoo Vegas, Nina Baker & The Fallows, Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, Napton Village Hall Grounds, Warwickshire MOSTLY JAZZ, FUNK & SOUL FESTIVAL Featuring Mavis Staples, Earth Wind & Fire Experience featuring Al McKay, Fun Lovin’ Criminals & Omar Souleyman, Fri 11 - Sun 13 July, Moseley Park, B’ham BROMSGROVE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Dougie Mclean, Richard Digance, Anthony John Clarke & Mike Silver, Fri 11 - Sun 13 July, The Bowling Green, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire WORKHOUSE FESTIVAL Featuring Ash Mandrake, Bleedin Noses, Soul Preachers & The Misty Blue Trio, Fri 11 - Mon 14 July, Llanfyllin, Powys BIRMINGHAM FEST 2014 line-up to be announced, Fri 11 Sun 27 July, Various locations throughout Birmingham NOISILY FESTIVAL Featuring Max Cooper, Slam, Gaudi & Symphonix, Fri 11 Sun 13 May, Coney Woods, Leicestershire TRIUMPH LIVE 2014 lineup to be announced Sat 12 July, Heritage Motor Centre, Warwickshire THE ROCK AND BIKE FEST Featuring White Coast Rebels, Chase The Ace, Snakecharmer & Evil Scarecrow, Thurs 17 - Sun 20 July, Carnfield Hall, Derby BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Fri 18 - Sun 27 July, Various locations throughout Birmingham L FEST 2014 line-up to be announced, Fri 18 Mon 21 June, Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire HOLE IN THE WALL Blind Lemon, The Bookends, Mummy Mia! & The

Quo AKA Four Rossis, Fri 18 - Sun 20 July, Hopton Court, Kidderminster ALIVE AT DELAPRE PARK Featuring Simple Minds, Boyzone, Bananarama & Rick Astley, Fri 18 - Sun 20 July, Delapre Park, Northamptonshire SPLENDOUR Featuring Tom Odell, Happy Mondays, Boomtown Rats & Reverend And The Makers, Sat 19 July, Wollaton Park, Nottingham FOLK BY THE OAK Featuring Seth Lakeman, Kathryn Tickell & The Side, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Sun 20 July, various venues around Nottingham SIMMER DOWN FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Sun 20 July, Handsworth Park, Birmingham ROCK AND BLUES OLD SCHOOL WEEKENDER Featuring Toseland, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Pig Iron & Slaveout, Thurs 24 Sat 26 July, Coney Grey Showground, Derbyshire WARWICK FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Habadekuk, John Tams and Barry Coope, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys & Breabach, Thurs 24 Sun 27 July, various venues around Warwickshire GLOBAL GATHERING Featuring Prodigy, Chase & Status, David Guetta & Knife Party, Fri 25 - Sat 26 July, Long Marston Airfield, Stratford upon Avon DEERSTOCK Featuring This Wicked Tongue, Cadets, Parasite, Bongolistic Intent, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, Newton, Nottingham SINGING STICKS FESTIVAL Featuring Los Monkeys Musica, Inta Africa, Dub Didge & Super Roo, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, The Overstone Scout Camp, Northamptonshire INDIETRACKS MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Gruff Rhys, Allo Darlin’, Dean Wareham & Spearmint, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, Butterley Station, Derbyshire BAREFOOT FESTIVAL Featuring SuperEvolver, DC Fontana & Laurel Canyons, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, Prestwold Hall, Leicestershire LEICESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Kool & The Gang, Labrinth, Sat 26 - Sun

27 July, Welford Road Stadium, Leicestershire CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, Newton Faulkner & Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thurs 31 - Sun 3 Aug, Cherry Hinton Hall Ground, Cambridge

AUGUST Y-NOT Featuring Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls & The Fratellis, Fri 1 Aug Sun 3 Aug, Mouldrige Lane, Derbyshire CARFEST NORTH Featuring Jools Holland, Seasick Steve, Erasure & Eliza Doolittle, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Aug, Oulton Park Race Circuit, Cheshire NOZSTOCK Featuring Roots Manuva, The Heavy, The Skints & Molotov Jukebox, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Aug, The Farm, Bromyard, Worcestershire LOUNGE ON THE FARM Featuring Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Peter Hook and the Light, DJ Yoda & Courtney Pine, Sat 2 May, Merton Farm, Barkby, Nr Leciester BULLDOG BASH Featuring Dirty DC, Aynt Skynyrd, The Kommitments, Half Deaf Clatch, Thurs 7 Sat 9 Aug, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford Upon Avon BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR Featuring Megadeth, Down, Emperor & Carcass, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Aug, Catton Park, Derbyshire STRAWBERRY FIELDS FESTIVAL Featuring Reverend And The Makers, Steve Lawler, The Rifles & Catfish and the Bottlemen, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Cattow Farm, Leicester FARMER PHIL’S FESTIVAL Featuring The Orb, The Blockheads, Ferocious Dog & The Delray Rockets, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Gatten Farm, Shrewsbury JUNCTION 16 Featuring Katherine Jenkins, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Betley Court Farm, Crewe, Cheshire LAKEFEST Featuring The Bad Shepherds, Buzzcocks, Shed Seven, Lightning Seeds, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Croft Farm Waterpark, Tewkesbury RUGBY MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Dead Frequency, White Men Can’t Funk, Soul Rhymaz & Paper Street, Sat 9 Aug, Whitehall Recreational Grounds, Rugby, Warwickshire THE GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Featuring Beirut, First Aid Kit, Neutral Milk Hotel & The

The Killers - V Festival, Weston Park, Staffordshire

Waterboys, Mon 11 Sun 17 Aug, Glanusk Park, Powys V FESTIVAL Featuring Justin Timberlake, The Killers, Ed Sheeran & Paolo Nutini, Fri 15 Sun 17 Aug, Weston Park, Staffordshire ALT-FEST Featuring The Cult, Gary Numan, Cradle Of Filth & Arch Enemy, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Boughton House, Northamptonshire THE JUST SO FESTIVAL Featuring Gabby Young and Other Animals, Perhaps Contraption, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners & Kidnap Alice, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Rode Hall Parkland, Cheshire PERSHORE JAZZ FESTIVAL Featuring Adrian Cox Quartet, Alan Barnes, Bohem Ragtime Jazz Band & Craig Milverton, Fri 15 Sun 17 Aug, Pershore College, Worcestershire THE MOIRA FURNACE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Blackbeard’s Tea Party, Other Roads, Lucy Ward, Something Nasty In The Woodshed, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Moira Furnace Museum and Monument Site, Derbyshire BAKEWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Chas Hodge’s Band, John Coghlan’s Quo, Lucy Ward & George Borowski, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, The Showground, Derbyshire LICHFIELD FAKE FESTIVAL Featuring Supreme Queen, Oasish & Coldplace, Sat 16 Aug, Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire SHAMBALA FESTIVAL Featuring Mulatu Astatke, Collie Buddz, Public Service Broadcasting & Cumbria All Stars, Thur 21 - Sun 24, Secret location in The Midlands CREAMFIELDS Featuring Avicii, Deadmau5,

Fatboy Slim & Above and Beyond, Fri 22 Sun 24 Aug, Daresbury, Cheshire THE SUMMER RETREAT 2014 line-up to be announced, Fri 22 Sun 24 Aug, The Overstone, Northamptonshire BEERMAGEDDON Featuring Lawnmower Deth, Skreamer, The Starry Wisdom Cult & Kambrium, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Aug, Stoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove SHREWSURY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings & Lau, Fri 22 - Mon 25 Aug, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Johnny Marr, The Waterboys, Richard Thompson & Lau, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Moseley Park, Birmingham WORCESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Fri 29 Sun 31, Various locations around Worcester OFF THE TRACKS SUMMER FESTIVAL 2014 lineup to be announced, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Donington Park Farmhouse, Derbyshire REWIND FESTIVAL Featuring Billy Ocean, Boomtown Rats, Holly Johnson & Hall and Oates, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire FUSION FESTIVAL Featuring Jessie J, Pitbull & Dizzee Rascal, Sat 30 - Sun 31 Aug, Cofton Park, Birmingham

Wales ONBOARD THE CRAFT FESTIVAL Featuring PreMad, Moulettes, Leatheratm Harvey Bainbridge & Flutatious, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Sept, Stoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove WHITWELL FESTIVAL OF MUSIC Featuring Doctor and the Medics, James Warner Prophecies, Dirtbox Disco & I Set The Sea On Fire, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Community Centre, Whitwell, Derbyshire STOURBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Fri 5 - Sun 7 Sept, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge ZOO PROJECT Featuring Groove Armada, Mr Scruff, Ten Walls & Ben UFO, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Donington Park, Derbyshire SHREWSBURY FIELDS FOREVER FESTIVAL Featuring Tinie Tempah and more tbc, Fri 12 Sun 14 Sept, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury ROCK AND METAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL Featuring Voodoo Six, Exit State, Gehtika & Triaxis, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Sywell Aerodome, Northamptonshire BROMYARD FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Oysterband, Vin Garbutt, The Old Dance School & Whapweasel, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Various locations around Bromyard SNODFEST 2014 line-up to be announced, Sat 13 Sept, The Park, Worcestershire

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

FESTIVAL NO.6 Featuring Beck, London Grammar, Bonobo & Neneh Cherry & Number Nine, Thurs 4 Sun 7 Sept, Portmeirion, North

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

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Visual Arts Justyna Ptak: The House Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sat 12 July

This highly rated collection of photographs and large transparencies offers plenty of opportunity to admire the talent of the award-winning Justyna, a recent postgraduate of the University of Wolverhampton who won the West Midlands Open ‘best in show’ prize in 2012.

An exploration of the relationship between thought and image, The House seeks to capture the significant and intangible in the everyday. “While the overall aim is to concentrate on the quiet beauty of everyday surroundings,” says Justyna of her work, “the immediate ambition is to encourage the viewer to really see their everyday. The signification of visual effect and the nature of transparencies explore the relationship between known and unknown, thought and image, in the same manner as photographed objects explore the relationship between known and forgotten, thought and deed.”

Marvellous Machines: Rowland Emett Exhibition Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Thurs 1 May - Mon 1 September

Brum Creatives Stryx Gallery, Digbeth, Birmingham, Thurs 8 - Sun 18 May

Known for his quirky paintings, cartoons and fantastical mechanical contraptions, Rowland Emett took a lighthearted and modest approach to his art. "It’s a well-known fact that all inventors get their first ideas on the back of an envelope,” he once said. “I take slight exception to this; I use the front, so that I can incorporate the stamp - and then the design is already half done". This new presentation of the work of Emett, who died in 1990 aged eighty-four, is the largest ever display of his extraordinary creations.

Commenting on the exhibition, Tim Griffiths, founder of the Rowland Emett Society, says: “Rowland Emett was a very familiar figure during the post-war decades but has been largely forgotten - until now. We will have twelve of the fifteen machines known to have survived in the UK on display, alongside many of his distinctive original drawings.”

The idea for Brum Creatives came about after photographer Ian Davies and award-winning stylist Sy Anne Holden had been required to shoot some portraits of local creative-industry professionals. The experience got the pair thinking about the possibility of putting together a series of portraits of some of Birmingham’s most creative people - from artists, writers and filmmakers through to celebrity-status figures. Partnered by the Arts Council-funded Birmingham Loves Photography Spring/Summer programme, the exhibition features portraits of, among others, Jasper Carrott, Patti Bell, Glynn Purnell, Brian Travers and Steve Knight (pictured).

Staffordshire Open Art Exhibition Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, Sat 17 May - Sun 6 July

A significant event in the Shire Hall gallery’s calendar, the Staffordshire Open Art exhibition provides an opportunity for the region’s newly emerging artists to display their work, often for the very first time. The exhibition is open to any artist who lives, works, studies or was born in the county, and features paintings, drawings, prints, photography, film, animation and sculpture. Most of the work is for sale and, according to organisers, the exhibition usually features something to suit ‘all tastes and pockets’. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 59

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VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS Further exhibitions

The Frank Cohen Collection Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, until Mon 30 June

“As a collector,” says Frank Cohen, “there’s great pleasure in acquiring artworks, but there’s also great satisfaction in being able to share, so that others may discover and enjoy these works, as I have. I’ve welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, as I sincerely believe that, where possible, collections like mine should support regional ambitions in making access to great art possible.”

The newly opened art gallery’s Cohen exhibition takes an animal theme, with the pieces having being selected for the way in which they resonate with the museum’s historic collections. The show features artwork by, among others, Tracey Emin, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Damien Hirst and Charming Baker, as well as pieces from rising stars of the art world who’re being championed by Cohen

Ceramic Empire: The Trade In Staffordshire Pottery The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stokeon-Trent, Sat 24 May - Sun 7 September

The publication of MP Tristram Hunt’s new book Ten Cities That Made An Empire has provided the inspiration for this fascinating new exhibition, which looks at the growth of the British Empire in terms of Staffordshire’s potters. As Britain’s overseas influence expanded, the potters began to supply the new markets with their wares, their pottery often depicting the latest world events and discoveries, as well as the global politics of the Empire. The exhibition draws on the museum & art gallery’s own extensive holdings, supplemented by loans from a number of private and public collections.

The Last Post: Remembering The First World War Coalbrookdale Gallery, Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, until Fri 27 March 2015

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,” says Dr Adrian Steel, Director of BPMA, “not just those fighting on the Front Line. 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.

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For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk PAT LANDON RBSA Solo show which focuses on the artist’s year of travelling, until Sat 3 May, RBSA, Birmingham MADE AT MAC: FROM THE INSIDE Featuring artworks from the Introduction To Art Techniques course, led by artist-tutor Helen Tarr, until Sun 4 May, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham ALL IN A DAY’S WORK Insight into some of the large manufacturing companies which once made their home in the Black Country, until Mon 5 May, Bantock House, Wolverhampton ENJOY ART EXHIBITION Display of works based within Lord Lichfield’s private cinema, until Mon 5 May, Shugborough, Staffordshire SPRING SHOWCASE Featuring an eclectic mix of ceramics, textiles, homewares and delicate paper jewellery, until Sat 10 May, Bilston Craft Gallery UKCPS ANNUAL EXHIBITION A selection of work by coloured pencil artists from the UK and around the world, until Sat 10 May, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham HERE IS THE YARD: MAIA CONRAN Solo exhibition comprising three works which transform short video recordings of brief moments filmed or found by the artist; a large-scale panorama, a sculptural sound installation & a discrete video work, until Sat 10 May, Grand Union, Birmingham NEW ART WEST MIDLANDS A showcase of ‘high quality, innovative work’ by the best new talent in the region, until Sat 10 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery GRAYSON PERRY: THE VANITY OF SMALL DIFFERENCES Exhibition charting the story of class mobility while examining the influence of social class on aesthetic taste, until Sun 11 May, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery REINCARNATED RUBBISH Retrospective exhibition encompassing the whole spectrum of Val Hunt’s creative recycling, until Sun 11 May, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford PAPEROLOGY Exhibition of prints, jewellery & paper sculptures inspired by natural history, until Sun 11 May,

Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford ANDREW MATHESON RBSA Solo show featuring a display of forms in porcelain, experimenting with barium glaze, until Sat 17 May, RBSA, Birmingham COLD TEA Exploration of the phenomenology of colour and unreality executed through the materiality of paint and photographic images, until Sat 17 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery CONNECTIONS: LAND & SKY Showcasing the works of three textile artists - Susan Walker, Val Brewin and Dorothy Deakin, until Sat 17 May, Bilston Craft Gallery NEW ART WEST MIDLANDS Showcase of works from twenty-four artists, all of whom have graduated from one of the region’s undergraduate or postgraduate fine art degree courses within the past three years, until Sun 18 May, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery KEITH NOBLE EXHIBITION Featuring works inspired by architectural subjects in London and Oxford, until Sat 24 May, Silk Top Hat Gallery, Ludlow, South Shropshire FAMILY CIRCLES Featuring contributions from some of the greatest masters in miniature portraiture, until Mon 26 May, The Barber Institute, Birmingham NIGEL PRIDDEY RBSA Solo show featuring a selection of watercolour paintings which explore pattern and colour in the landscape, until Sat 31 May, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham BP PORTRAIT AWARDS Showcasing fifty-five of the 'most outstanding and innovative new portraits from around the world', until Sat 31 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery NADIA KISSELEVA: DOCUMENT Featuring a series of portraits of people imprisoned during the Stalinist era in the former Soviet Union, until Sun 1 June, mac, Birmingham BARBARIANS: THE AGE OF IRON Showcasing new research, artefacts and prehistoric skeletons which tell the story of Worcestershire over two thousand years ago, until Sat 7 Jun, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

CHROMA COLLECTIVE Exhibition featuring works from four contemporary jewellers with a shared goal of raising awareness of the craft within Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, until Sat 7 June, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham TIM SHAW: RA BLACK SMOKE RISING The first solo exhibition from Belfast-born sculptor Tim Shaw, who grapples with contemporary and political realities whilst evoking the mythical and metaphysical, until Sun 8 June, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham BILL DRUMMOND: THE 25 PAINTINGS Unique exhibition marking the beginning of a ten-year journey which, starting off beneath Spaghetti Junction, will see Drummond tour twelve cities across the world, until Sat 14 June, Eastside Projects, Birmingham BESIDE THE SEA Showcase of craft inspired by British beaches, life on the coast and seaside holidays, until Sat 14 June, Bilston Craft Gallery A BIG BANG: THE ORIGINS OF POP ART COLLECTION The first in a two-part display exploring some of the biggest names in the Pop Art industry, until Sat 21 June, Wolverhampton Art Gallery IKON ICONS: IAN EMES The second in a series of five exhibitions to be presented in Ikon's Tower Room as part of the gallery's birthday celebrations, until Sun 22 Jun, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham RICHARD LONG: PRINTS 1970 - 2013 Featuring all of the artist’s prints, made over a forty-year period, until Sun 22 June, The New Art Gallery, Walsall MICHAEL FRANCOIS Sculpture, film, paintings, prints and photography are brought together in this, the most comprehensive exhibition to date of work by Belgium artist Michel Francois, until Sun 22 June, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham SECRET GARDEN CRAFT EXHIBITION Collection of jewellery, ceramics and textiles exploring fairytales and narratives, until Sat 28 Jun, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham ROMANTIC RUINS Featuring paintings from the museum’s collection, until Sat 28 June, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery FOR THE RECORD Exploring themes of preservation and recording in the work of

female artists, until Sun 29 June, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery 40 YEARS OF WOMEN ARTISTS The strong female characters in the Garman Epstein family and their circle of friends are captured in this exhibition of works from the gallery's Permanent Collection, until Sun 29 Jun, The New Art Gallery, Walsall FRANK COHEN EXHIBITION Featuring works by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Charming Baker and Jake & Dinos Chapman, until Mon 30 June, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery OPEN ART AND CRAFT EXHIBITION 2014 until Wed 2 Jul, Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery, Newcastleunder-Lyme, Staffs RICHARD LONG: SPRING CIRCLE, 1992 until Wed 9 July, The New Art Gallery, Walsall JUSTYNA PTAK A series of photographs which draw from domestic, architectural and rural environments while seeking to capture the significant and intangible in the everyday, until Sat 12 July, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ARTISTS’ STUDIO: SARAH TAYLOR SILVERWOOD Exhibition from Birmingham-based artist Sarah Taylor Silverwood, whose practice is grounded in drawing, narrative and landscape, until Sun 20 July, New Art Gallery, Walsall WE WORKED AT THE PORCELAIN Photographic exhibition focusing on some of Royal Worcester’s many craftsmen and women, until Fri 1 Aug, The Museum of Royal Worcester THE ROGER PILKINGTON GLASS COLLECTION Exhibition which shows the development of English drinking glasses from the late-seventeenth to the late-nineteenth century, until Sun 10 Aug, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley ILIFE ON THE EVE OF WAR Exhibition which takes a look at 1914 Shugborough, until Fri 24 Oct, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire TOM, FRANK AND MAY Original material, uniforms, handling activities and a short film which demonstrate the role played by the Merry family during World War One, until Sun 2 Nov, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham BACK TO FRONT: 40 PERMANENT COLLECTION GEMS Exhibition which celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the

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VisualArts LISTINGS For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk gallery’s Garman Ryan collection, until Sat 16 Nov, New Art Gallery, Walsall FAITH AND FORTUNE Exhibition exploring the early histories of two of the world’s great religions, until Sun 30 Nov, The Barber Institute, Birmingham THE JEWELLERY QUARTER DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR Exhibition of artefacts, images and oral histories relating to the recruitment of soldiers from the Jewellery Quarter, until Sun 14 Dec, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham TRACED Permanent exhibition tracing the success of art & design in Wolverhampton while bringing together works by local artists from the museum’s collection, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery CRAFTSENSE Featuring over one hundred of the world-renowned Bilston enamels, until Wed 31 Dec, Bilston Craft Gallery

SENSING SCULPTURE Featuring new sculptures alongside old favourites, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery THE ROAD TO WAR Sat 3 May - Mon 4 Aug, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery ALL THAT GLISTERS Showcase of eighteenth century steel jewellery, Fri 9 May - Sun 10 Aug, Bantock House Museum 50 YEARS ON: THE CENTRE OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL STUDIES Featuring the work of eminent artists including Trevor Appleson and David Batchelor, Sat 10 May - Sun 29 June, mac, Birmingham SUMMER SHOWCASE Featuring textiles, ceramics, homewares and delicate paper jewellery, Tues 13 May - Sat 16 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery CHINESE LIVES IN BIRMINGHAM A display which demonstrates the origins and rich culture of Birmingham's diverse

Chinese community, Sat 17 May - Sun 18 June, The Barber Institute, Birmingham STAFFORDSHIRE OPEN ART 2014 Sat 17 May Sun 6 July, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford MADE AT MAC - CERAMICS Led by tutors Sue Dyer and Wendy Tournay, the exhibition puts a spotlight on ceramics and is set to inspire audiences and students alike, Sat 17 May - Sun 31 Aug, mac, Birmingham MUSIC, ART AND BEER An exhibition of new visual works by five local artists, Sat 24 May - Sat 21 June, Wolverhampton Art Gallery LANDSCAPES: CHAPTERS OF IMPERMANENCE Exhibition which brings together two different artists responding to the same landscapes from different perspectives, Sat 24 May - Sat 21 June, Bilston Craft Gallery A TRIO OF ARTISTS An exhibition featuring the work of artists Anne Hackett, Chris Tarplee and Claire Sherwin, Sat 24 May - Sun 3 Aug, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge COME CREATE Exhibition to inspire visitors to explore and demon-

strate their creativity through displays, hands-on interactives and fun activities, Sat 24 May - Sun 7 Sept, Thinktank, Birmingham CERAMIC EMPIRE: THE TRADE IN STAFFORDSHIRE POTTERY Exhibition exploring the supply and representation of the Empire in

Staffordshire pottery, Sat 24 May - Sun 7 Sept, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent SYMMETRY IN SCULPTURE Focusing on the recent work of one of the UK’s most exciting British Asian artists, Zarah Hussain, Sat 24 May - Sun 2 Nov,

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery RIVERS OF BRITISH-ASIAN BLOOD EXHIBITION Display of images of influential British Asians over the past forty years, Mon 26 May Sun 1 June, The Old Print Works, Birmingham

Museums & Art Galleries Birmingham ARTIFEX Sutton Coldfield 0121 323 3776 BARBER INSTITUTE 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 0121 303 2834 THE BURROWS GALLERY, THE CUSTARD FACTORY 0121 224 7344 CASTLE GALLERIES 0121 633 0015 GRAND UNION 0121 643 9079 IKON GALLERY 0121 248 0708 NUMBER NINE THE GALLERY 0121 643 9099 RBSA GALLERY 0121 2364353 THREE WHITE WALLS GALLERY 0121 643 0078

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 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 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

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 61

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Events

The Baby Show NEC, Birmingham, 16 - 18 May As the UK’s leading pregnancy and parenting event, this Fisher Pricesponsored show offers a plethora of advice on a wide range of associated topics. BBC presenter and authority on child development Professor Robert Winston is confirmed as this year’s headline speaker. Appearances from child nutrition practitioner Annabel Karmel, twins and baby sleep specialist Jo Tantum, and learning-through-play expert Dr Julie Coultas are also programmed during the three-day

event. Showcasing the very latest in maternity and baby brands, The Baby Show offers one-to-one demonstrations and the chance to ‘touch, feel and compare’ items, enabling shoppers to make an informed decision about their purchases.

Other highlights include daily fashion shows for mums-to-be, babies and toddlers, numerous competitions, an activity zone and a variety of workshops.

Corey Baker: A Haka Day Out Centenary Square, Birmingham, Sat 10 May

Bringing a traditional Maori experience to the streets of Birmingham, this unique drop-in event looks like a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Led by esteemed choreographer and New Zealander Corey Baker, A Haka Day Out forms part of International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014 and features free tribal Haka workshops with native Maori performers at half-hour intervals between 12noon and 2.30pm. The sessions, which are followed by a live Haka performance, are described as ‘suitable for everyone’. All you have to do is turn up and have a go...

Energy On The Move Enginuity, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 24 May - Sun 1 June

Enginuity offers all-year-round hands-on fun for kids of all ages, with the chance to pull a five-ton locomotive, control the flow of a ‘river’ in order to generate electricity, and look inside common objects such as mobile phones and x-ray machines all being part of the standard package. Alongside these static attractions, the venue also provides a programme of activities for the school holidays, many of which vary on a day-to-day basis. During the Whitsun school holidays, Energy On The Move invites visitors to create a ‘dancing jitterbug’ using craft materials and an electric motor. Workshops are held daily between 10.30am and 3.45pm. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 63

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Events PREVIEWS Ludlow Spring Festival Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire, Fri 9 - Sun 11 May

This annual festival ably illustrates why Ludlow is one of the country’s most reputable foodie towns. The three-day event features more than one hundred-and-ninety beers (from more than fifty local brewers) alongside an array of food stalls, with vendors offering delectable delights ranging from artisan flours to charcuterie, award-winning cakes, gourmet sausage rolls and local cheeses. A hugely popular element of the festival is its talks and demonstrations, which take place in the Inner Bailey. This year’s programme features Suree Coates - from award-winning Shropshire restaurant King & Thai - World Cheese Awards founder Juliet Harbutt, and TV chef and local cookery school owner Marcus Bean.

For younger visitors, the festival offers hands-on cookery classes in the Castle Gardens Arena. The Marches Transport Festival and a wealth of musical entertainment - from jazz and blues to latin and folk completes the weekend’s programme of attractions.

Heritage Bus Tours Birmingham City Centre, Sun 4 May

Made available by Birmingham tours, the Heritage Bus Tour enables passengers to explore and discover the city’s unique community museums. Departing Victoria Square at various intervals throughout the day, the tour’s first stop is Aston Hall, where visitors can experience the splendour of a grand Jacobean House and relive its role in the English Civil War. Soho House, the Georgian home of industrialist and entrepreneur Matthew Bolton, is the next destination, with the bus’s final stop being the Pen Room at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter.

Donington Historic Festival Donington Park, Sat 3 - Mon 5 May

Since its debut in 2011, the Donington Historic Festival has become a major fixture on the international racing calendar, and in 2014 sees more than four hundred racing cars from the 1920s through to the 1980s taking to the track to compete. This year marks the ninetieth anniversary of Motor Sport magazine, and the Donington Historic Festival is acknowledging the occasion with a pre-war sports car race. Meanwhile, a Maserati-only race marks the one hundredth anniversary of the marque. John Surtees OBE - the only man to have won World Championships both on two and four wheels - is the show’s Guest of Honour, and will be signing autographs for fans on the Sunday and Monday. Other noteable features at this bank holiday weekend event include an open paddock - where spectators can get up close to priceless racing machines - historic rally and karting action, and ‘living motoring museum’ car club displays. and sets from classic live-action programmes like Space 1999 and UFO promise to take visitors back in time to the 1960s and ’70s, as do much-loved characters from Thunderbirds - not to mention Joe 90, Steve Zodiac, Captain Scarlet and his evil nemesis Captain Black.

Numerous talks and question-and-answer sessions also feature, with Sylvia Anderson herself taking top billing on both days.

The exhibition is free to attend, with entry to the Q&A sessions priced at £25 per day.

Ironbridge Walking Festival Various locations in Ironbridge, Sat 3 - Sun 11 May

Flights Of Fancy RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton, Sat 17 - Sun 18 May

Puppetry and memorabilia from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s iconic science fiction TV shows lie at the heart of this nostalgic weekend. Models, costumes, full-sized vehicles

Now in its ninth year, this annual spring festival features more than fifty guided scenic walks, offering participants the chance to enjoy the many and varied delights of Shropshire’s beautiful countryside.

Promising to be bigger and better than ever before, the 2014 event has the added appeal of twenty new walks - including the One Hundred Mile Ironbridge Challenge.

The nine-day festival also features family adventures, historic trails and wildlife walks, ensuring it’s an experience that caters for all ages and abilities.

Stafford Cheese And Ale Festival Market Square and The Swan Hotel, Stafford, Sat 17 May

This debut event promises to be a mouthwatering affair with more than twenty exhibitors, selling a wide range of cheese and fine ales, booked to showcase their fayre. Held within two marquees - ensuring the weather doesn’t hinder enjoyment - the Stafford Cheese And Ale Festival has a programme of talks and demonstrations lined up for visitors. So if you fancy learning about the art of beer barrel making or how to make homemade cheese, pop along and take note. A number of talks and cookery demonstrations from top chefs from restaurants around Staffordshire, also feature.

Shropshire County Agricultural Show The West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, Sat 24 May

One of the country’s oldest-surviving agriculture events, the Shropshire County Agricultural Show showcases local livestock, businesses and produce. This year’s event welcomes the return of the County Horse Show after a two-year absence, and also features Edible Shropshire, a presentation of produce from food and drink suppliers across the county. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 65

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Events PREVIEWS Queen Victoria’s Birthday Celebrations Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 24 - Mon 26 May

Join the residents of Blists Hill Victorian Town as they celebrate the birthday of their beloved Queen Victoria with plenty of pomp and pageantry. With the town decked out in a blaze of colour, visitors can enjoy live reenactments of popular plays performed by the Prince Albert Players and listen to sessions by the bagpipe players and drummers from the Seaforth Highlanders band (in full Scottish costume!). A Punch & Judy show, a lost toys trail, hands-on activities and themed games ensure younger visitors have plenty to enjoy, in addition to the site’s usual attractions.

British Falconry And Country Fair Chetwynd Park, Newport, Shropshire, Sun 4 - Mon 5 May

The Chilli Festival

Celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary by moving to a new venue, the British Falconry and Country Fair is considered to be the UK’s leading falconry and hawking event, covering all aspects of country pursuits. Taking place over the spring bank holiday weekend, highlights include continuous main arena events, falconry flying displays, a static display and parade of vintage Land Rovers, and a plethora of ‘have a go’ attractions such as shooting, shotgun coaching, fly-casting, dog agility sessions and archery. Children’s amusements, a funfair and pony rides are available for younger visitors. New for 2014, kids under fifteen go free with a paying adult.

Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Sun 4 - Mon 5 May

Promising to heat up the Bank Holiday weekend, Eastnor’s third annual Chilli Festival showcases an abundance of spiced-up entertainment for all the family to enjoy. The castle courtyard will be transformed into a chilli market for the event, where visitors can both try and buy the selection of chilliinfused delights on offer - including chocolate, bread, cakes, vodka, cocktails and chutney. There’s also a selection of specialist hot food suppliers on hand, selling authentic Asian curries and a variety of other spicy foods... Aside from the gourmet element, the two-day event features musical entertainment from Hereford-based Mexican band Los Squideros, a Cookery Theatre in which Shropshire chef Suree Coates demonstrates her authentic cookery skills, the chance to make Egyptian mezze with Marina Ibrahim, and an opportunity to find out about Italian culinary delights with Felice Tocchini.

Younger visitors are well catered for too, courtesy of the Easy Peasy Children’s Cookery Theatre.

Museums at Night Museums At Night is an annual UK-wide initiative which sees museums, galleries and heritage sites throwing open their doors after hours and putting on special events. Here’s just a taster of what’s happening in the Midlands...

Galleries Night: Art Bus Various locations, Birmingham City Centre, Thurs 15 May

Birmingham's Art Bus is back on the road this month, transporting art lovers between the city’s various galleries. The city centre route is available between 5pm and 9pm, and links the Barber, Ikon, RBSA, BMAG, Eastside Projects and mac Birmingham.

Guided tours are available at selected venues, and timetables can be picked up from participating galleries, tourist information centres and public libraries, or can be downloaded from the galleries' websites.

Transient Live Art The Pen Museum, Birmingham, Thurs 15 - Sat 17 May

Transient Art visits the Pen Museum as part of the Museums At Night initiative.

Intertwining with the venue’s exhibits will be artists presenting performance art, video, live ink making, sculpture, writing and drawing.

Based around the notion of the scribe, draw-

ing, writing and the concept of the pen itself, the initiative explores the museum’s traditions, and their place both in history and in modern society. The artwork on show will embrace the nature of the museum, juxtaposing history with contemporary examination.

Red By Night Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Sat 17 May

Red By Night is a new addition to the Museums At Night initiative. It uses human soundscapes, physical theatre and promenade drama scenes to tell the story of the hard-working people of the area who created a turning point in Britain’s national story. A unique event, it offers a rare opportunity to see all of the museum’s industrial areas in action, including the rolling mill, chainmakers and brass foundry.

Please note this is an ‘advanced booking only’ event.

Giant Patchwork Quilt Enginuity, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 17 May

This unique event is looking for visitors to become part of a modern take on traditional needlework skills. Images of faces will be etched onto sheets of brightly coloured acrylic; then - at the end of the evening - the artwork will be illuminated, to reveal all the colours and etchings.

The individual panels will then be joined together with cable ties. Once complete, the finished quilt will hang in Enginuity as a lasting reminder. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 67

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

THUR 1 MAY SIR EDWARD GERMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL A celebration of the life of composer Sir Edward German, who was born in Shrewsbury. The festival includes a Commemorative Concert and events connected to the Great War Legacy, including visits to firing ranges at Whixall and Fenns Mosses, and a visit to the National War Graves Arboretum, until Fri 2 May, The Parish of St. Alkmund, Whitchurch 2014 PREMIER LEAGUE DARTS Darts' biggest roadshow event will celebrate its tenth staging, with reigning champion Michael van Gerwen set to defend his title against the likes of six-time winner Phil Taylor, Thurs 1 May, National Indoor Arena, Birmingham MAYPOLE DANCING Enjoy watching traditional maypole dancing on the Green at Blists Hill Victorian Town. You may even feel compelled to join in the fun as well! Thurs 1 May, Blists Hill, Ironbridge

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

ANIMAL MAGIC TRAIL Follow the clues and track down the animals hiding around the museum, Thurs 1 May Sat 28 June, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent PAUL HOLLYWOOD - GET YOUR BAKE ON TV's baking star Paul Hollywood brings his first ever live show to the UK Fri 2 May, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton DIGBETH FIRST FRIDAY Exhibitions, late-night openings, special events, culture in unexpected places, live music, street food and more, Fri 2 May, Digbeth, Birmingham SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL Run What Ya Brung till late. Track open from 9am-8pm with evening entertainment and camping, Sat 3 May, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton FARMER'S MARKET Sat 3 May, The Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, Shrewsbury HISTORY SEEKERS Discover fascinating facts about history, and

hear amazing stories about local people and events from the past using real historical documents at the City Archives. Suitable for children aged 8 plus, Sat 3 May, Wolverhampton City Archives GALLERY TOUR An opportunity to find out more about the gallery and its collections, Sat 3 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery VINTAGE & HANDMADE FAIR Sat 3 May, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham Shropshire HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIPPER Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sat 3 May, Shrewsbury Baptist Church BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 3 May, Starting Victoria Square, ending at Colmore Row, Birmingham FRIENDSHIP AND FUN IN SECRET KINGDOM Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sat 3 May, Shropshire Wildlife Trust ADVENTURE IN THE SQUARE Storytelling, craft activities, live dance & theatre, a book swap and tons more... A Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sat 3 May, The Square, Shrewsbury BEAST QUEST & SEA QUEST Interactive event for children aged seven-plus. A Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sat 3 May, Shropshire Wildlife Trust GO ADVENTURING WITH THE FAMOUS FIVE Join Julian from The Famous Five as he demonstrates some mystery-solving techniques and tips!, Sat 3 May, Shropshire Wildlife Trust EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride, with the added option of traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 3 May, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster 3D SEASIDE POSTCARDS WITH LAUREN VAN HELMOND Learn techniques devised by the artist to combine transfer-printed designs with recycled materials such as old biscuit tins, wire and fabrics to depict a charming holiday scene, Sat 3 May, Bilston Craft Gallery OXFORD WORD WIZARDS With Marcus Moore & Sarah-Jane Arbury. A Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sat 3 May, The

Hive, Shrewsbury THE ROALD DAHL FUN AT THE FORT! May Day fun with Bert & Gert’s market and a series of fun activities, Sat 3 - Sun 4 May, Fort Shopping Park, Birmingham EMBROIDERY WORKSHOP Suitable for beginners and experienced embroiderers alike Sat 3 May, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton HISTORIA NORMANNIS Three-day re-enactment, Sat 3 - Mon 5 May, Whittington Castle, Oswestry, North Shropshire DONINGTON HISTORIC FESTIVAL A major fixture on the international racing calendar, showcasing hundreds of worldclass historic racing cars, Sat 3 - Mon 5 May Donington Park SHREWSBURY CHILDREN'S BOOKFEST Sat 3 - Mon 5 May, various Locations around Shrewsbury GAME ON! BIG SPORT WEEKEND Meet local sports groups, try taster sessions and challenge your friends & family to a game or two... Sat 3 Mon 5 May, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury PIRATE WEEKEND Featuring plenty of seafaring fun to amuse, Sat 3 - Mon 5 May, Cadbury World, Birmingham IRONBRIDGE GORGE WALKING FESTIVAL Sat 3 - Sun 11 May, Ironbridge, Shropshire RUN WHAT YA BRUNG Regular event which provides an opportunity to take your car or motorcycle out on the famous quarter-mile dragstrip and test its performance limits in a safe and legal environment, Sun 4 May, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton ZIGZAG ENSEMBLE A composing and improvising group for twelveto-sixteen-year-olds, Sun 4 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham BLUEBELL WALK Stroll among the nodding bluebells on a walk through the woods that takes in the best displays as they start to bloom Sun 4 May, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury DARWINS CHALLENGE AQUATHLON Sun 4 May, Shrewsbury School MUDTASTIK MUD RUN Test your endurance, physical ability and determination via a range of challenging climbs, drops, muddy tracks and deep water pools, all whilst raising money for charity. For further details, visit, www.cavaliercentre.org/ mud-run/ Sun 4 May Fox Trax, Marchamley, Shropshire LEDBURY WAYTES, MEDIEVAL MUSIC AND

DANCE Meet the Medieval Minstrels, listen to their music, talk to them about their costumes and try on some armour, Sun 4 May, Brockhampton Estate, Worcestershire CONTEMPORARY CRAFT MARKET Sun 4 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham MUSIC MAZE Creative participatory workshops for children aged eight to eleven inclusive, Sun 4 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham HERITAGE BUS TOUR Discover Birmingham’s unique community museums, Sun 4 May, Starting Victoria Square, ending at Colmore Row, Birmingham CREATE A PICTURE BOOK WITH TOM PERCIVAL A Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sun 4 May, Shrewsbury High Prep School MATHS, MAGIC & MYSTERY A Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sun 4 May, Shrewsbury High Prep School AFTERNOON CAKE WITH CATHY CASSIDY A Shrewsbury Bookfest event, Sun 4 May, Shrewsbury Baptist Church STEAM WEEKEND See Blists Hill Victorian Town’s steam machines in their full working splendour at this popular steam weekend, Sun 4 - Mon 5 May, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire BRITISH FALCONRY AND COUNTRY FAIR The ultimate event for enthusiasts and experts alike, with continuous main arena events, demonstrations, a craft fair, sporting & wildlife artists, a fun dog show, displays of vintage land rovers, children's activities and much, much more... Sun 4 - Mon 5 May, Chetwynd Park, Newport, Shropshire SPRING FAIR Sun 4 Mon 5 May, Weston Park, Staffordshire MEDIEVAL THEMED REENACTMENT Knights, armour, chivalry and military strategy, Sun 4 - Mon 5 May, Red House Glass Cone, Dudley CHILLI FESTIVAL A unique event celebrating the different flavours of all things chilli... a cookery theatre, live music and a chilli-eating competition also feature, Sun 4 Mon 5 May, Eastnor Castle Deer Park PAUL HOLLYWOOD - GET YOUR BAKE ON TV's baking star Paul Hollywood brings his first ever live show to the UK, Mon 5 May, Symphony Hall YUMMY BRUMMIE Free family event all about food, Mon 5 May, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter,

Birmingham TRADITIONAL MAY DAY Featuring maypole dancing, country crafts, music, food and traditional Morris dancing, Mon 5 May, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove PIG WASH DAY Watch on as the staff give the site's porkers a good scrub followed by a generous massage of oil and sunscreen - on the hour throughout the day, Mon 5 May, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS Welcome in May, add your wish to Dudmaston's traditional May tree and join in the dancing, music & festivities, Mon 5 May, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth EYTON RACES NORTH SHROPSHIRE HUNT POINT-TO-POINT Point-toPoint at Eyton is an amateur form of steeple chasing, set in a beautiful location, with panoramic views of Wenlock Edge. Mon 5 May, Eyton Racecourse, Eaton Consadine, Shropshire BIT OF A DO Family fun day organised by the Friends of Bantock House Museum, with Punch & Judy, donkeys, music, stalls and activities, Mon 5 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton HISTORIC LONGTON WALK Join local historian Phil Rowley on a guided walk around Longton, Mon 5 May, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent

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TUES 6 MAY 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 6 May, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire LUNCHTIME TALK: THE TREASURES OF BANTOCK HOUSE A talk by the curator of Bantock House Museum on the history of the house and its collections, Tues 6 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton DISCOVER THE COLLECTION Meet the conservation team who'll tell you about interesting items in the collection and demonstrate how they're looked after, Tue 6 May, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton LIVE FLOWER DEMO Wed 7 May, Solihull Arts Complex STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD TOUR & VISIT TO CON-

SERVATION STUDIO Wed 7 May, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery ARTFORUM GOLD CLUB Art club where young people aged fourteen to twenty-five can explore exhibits, work with artists and try new techniques, Wed 7 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery LONDON CALLING ALE FESTIVAL Thurs 8 - Sun 11 May, Route 44, Acocks Green, Birmingham COREY BAKER DANCE: A HAKA DAY OUT International Dance Festival Birmingham Resident Choreographer Corey Baker brings a traditional Maori experience to Birmingham city centre as he leads tribal Haka (war dance) workshops with native Maori performers, followed by a live Haka performance. Just turn up and take part... Sat 10 May, Birmingham City Centre OPEN COCKPITS EVENING This annual event allows visitors the chance to get up close and personal to the workings of a wide range of the museum’s aircraft. Enthusiasts young and old will be able to get a feel for what it was like to fly these much-loved machines, as well as gain out-of-hours access to the museum, Sat 10 May, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton TALK AND WALK Learn more about one of Birmingham’s hidden gems and join the museum’s resident experts for an illustrated talk and tour of the ruins, Sat 10 May, Weoley Castle, Birmingham SPORTS & SALOON CAR RACES Sat 10 - Sun 11 May, Donington Park SPRING GALA WEEKEND Miniature railway special opening, Sat 10 Sun 11 May, Electric Railway Museum, Baginton, Coventry WORLD CUP WARM-UP Weekend dedicated to footie fun, Sat 10 - Sun 11 May, Cadbury World, Birmingham LUDLOW SPRING FESTIVAL Popular annual event featuring live music, more than one hundred-and-eighty real ale trails, eighty food and drink stalls, displays of classic motor cars and various children's events including hands-on cookery workshops, Sat 10 - Sun 11 May, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire MIDNIGHT WALK Featuring an ’80s theme, this year's event is open to men, while raising funds for Shrewsbury's Severn Hospice, Sat 10 - Sun

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 11 May, Telford College Of Arts And Technology, Shropshire BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 10 - Sun 11 May, Starting Victoria Square, ending at Colmore Row, Birmingham FAMILY WEEKEND FUN Enjoy a steam train ride on the Severn Valley Railway and see your favourite characters, Peppa Pig and George along the way, Sat 10 Sun 11 May, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster A LOAD OF OLD NONSENSE Join the Prince Albert Players as they read from the works of Edward Lear and invite visitors to recite some of the poet’s limericks, including The Owl And The Pussycat - a favourite in Victorian times, Sat 10 Mon 12 May, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire WALK FOR REMEMBRANCE Sponsored 5km & 10km walk in support of National Memorial Arboretum, Sun 11 May, National Memorial Aboretum, Staffordshire THE NATIONAL GLASS FAIR Featuring exhibitors offering a wide choice of glassware, from eighteenth century drinking glasses through to contemporary studio glass, Sun 11 May, National Motorcycle Museum BLUEBELL TOURS Enjoy a guided tour in Blackwell's Wood to see the bluebells, Sun 11 May, Upton House & Gardens NATIONAL VINTAGE COMMUNICATION FAIR Sun 11 May, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre GLASS CRAFTS ENGRACE A TEA LIGHT Sun 11 May, Broadfield Glass Museum, Kingswinford NATIONAL MILLS DAY Celebrate National Mills Day by visiting the world's only surviving water-powered scouring mill. Find out about workers in the Victorian needle industry with Redditch Amateur Theatre Society, Sun 11 May, Forge Mill Needle Museum, Redditch BATTLE ACOUSTICA / BATTLE OF THE BANDS FINAL Sun 11 May, Lichfield Guildhall VILLAGE LACEMAKERS Featuring a demonstration from the skilful Village Lacemakers.

Visitors will also be given an opportunity to

have a go, Sun 11 May Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton BRITISH MINI DAY Examples and variations of the iconic car made famous in the film, The Italian Job. Sun 11 May, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley BBC INSPIRE COMPOSER LAB Day-long composing workshop for twelve-to-eighteen-yearolds, Sun 11 May, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 12 MAY SALLY MORGAN: PSYCHIC SALLY ON THE ROAD Mon 12 May, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton 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 and make butter Mon 12 May, Moseley Old Hall, 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 13 May Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire DISCOVER THE COLLECTION Meet the conservation team who'll tell you about interesting items in the collection and demonstrate how they're looked after, Tue 13 May, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton BRITISH PIG AND POULTRY FAIR A biennial two-day event featuring over three hundred exhibitors showcasing their latest products & services Tue 13 - Wed 14 May, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire 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 14 May, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton BIRMINGHAM AND THE BLACK COUNTRY A talk

by Chris Upton about two tales of the industrial West Midlands. Free entry. Wed 14 May, Wolverhampton City Archives 'PEN' (MUSEUMS AT NIGHT) - TRANSIENT ART An annual UK-wide fes-

tival which seeks to encourage visitors into museums, galleries & heritage sites by throwing open their doors after hours and putting on special evening events. During this project, Transient Art will temporarily become part of the Pen Museum, with numerous artists covering performance art, video, live ink making, sculpture, writing and drawing. Visit: www.transient-art.com, Thurs 15 - Sat 17 May, The Pen Museum, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham ART SPEAKING Free audio-described tour of the Victorian Gallery for people with visual impairment, Fri 16 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery HOARD BY TORCHLIGHT Explore the Staffordshire Hoard by the light of candles & torches and listen to some of the tales that thrilled our AngloSaxon ancestors, Fri 16 May, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent THE BABY SHOW Fri 16 Sun 18 May, NEC, Birmingham HANDICRAFT WEEKEND Featuring demonstrations by local craft groups, including the Wrekin branch of the Embroiderers' Guild and Shrewsbury Lacemakers Fri 16 Mon 19 May, Sunnycroft, Wellington, Shropshire NAYLOR CAR CLUB 20TH BIRTHDAY Sat 17 May, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire RUN WHAT YA BRUNG Offering the chance to take your car or motorcycle out on the famous quarter-mile dragstrip and test its performance limits in a safe and legal environment, Sat 17 May, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton SILVER EARRING JEWELLERY WORKSHOP Sat 17 May, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham EARLY MORNING BIRD WALK Sat 17 May, National Memorial Aboretum, Stafford EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 17 May, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster RED BY NIGHT Join the Black Country Living Museum in its annual Night At The Museum celebration, Sat 17 May, Black Country Living Museum, Coventry TOILETS BY TWILIGHT Explore Flushed With Pride after dark and visit the Modern Toss ‘Cistern Chapel’ exhibi-

tion to celebrate a decade of their edgy humour, Sat 17 May, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent THE SOOTY SHOW Sat 17 - Sun 18 May, Cadbury World, Birmingham COSFORD FLIGHTS OF FANTASY Sat 17 - Sun 18 May, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton CRAFT FAYRE Sat 17 Sun 18 May, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge SPRING CRAFT MARKET Featuring May crafts & May Day dancers, Sat 17 - Sun 18 May, Red House Glass Cone, Dudley NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE RACES Sat 17 - Sun 18 May, Donington Park POND DIPPING AND BUG HUNTING An actionpacked afternoon looking for mini-beasts and micro-monsters in the Powis gardens Sat 17 Sun 18 May, Powis Castle and Garden, Nr Welshpool, Powys SPECIALIST TALK: LIZZIE SIDDAL, THE FIRST PRERAPHAELITE LADY Join the House Steward for a relaxed talk followed by a walking tour of the collection, featuring items not usually on public display, Sat 17 May, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton RAG RUG WORKSHOP Make a rag rug with specialist Jessie Lindon, Sat 17 May, Birmingham Back to Backs LINOCUT PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP WITH IAN PHILLIPS Explore a variety of reduction linocut techniques and handburnishing printmaking with an experienced professional printmaker Sat 17 May The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, Shropshire TRY SAILING Short free taster sessions on the Great Pool with a qualified YRA instructor.

Booking essential, Sat 17 May, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 17 - Sun 18 May, Starting Victoria Square, ending at Colmore Row, Birmingham WWE LIVE 2014 Fans can watch their favourite WWE superstars, including World Heavyweight champion John Cena, Alberto Del Rio, Randy Orton, CM Punk, AJ, The Bella Twins and many more, Sun 18 May, National Indoor Arena, Birmingham PEAK PERFORMANCE TEST & TUNE DAY RWYB with maximum track time for serious enthusiasts. Car clubs, performance specialists and individuals all welcome, Sun 18 May, Santa Pod Raceway,

Northampton BLUEBELL AND RHODODENDRON WALK Join head gardener Martin Gee for a threeand-a-half mile guided walk through carpets of bluebells, avenues of azaleas and Capability Brown’s pleasure grounds Sun 18 May, Weston Park, Staffordshire DRAGON BOAT RACING All-action event with teams battling it out on the Great Pool in Chinese Dragon Boats.

A charity event organised by Wolverhampton Rotary Club, Sun 18 May, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley

Week Commencing

MON 19 MAY 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 20 May, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire MEET ME AT BANTOCK Regular conversation club for people aged fifty-plus, Tues 20 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton DISCOVER THE COLLECTION Meet the conservation team who'll tell you about interesting items in the collection and demonstrate how they're looked after, Tue 20 May, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton DRESSING THE QUEEN Wed 21 May, Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire ARTFORUM GOLD CLUB Art club where young people aged fourteen to twenty-five can explore exhibits, work with artists and try new techniques, Wed 21 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ATTINGHAM PARK RELAYS Three-stage relay around the park, Thurs 22 May, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury THE LATE NIGHT WORSHIP CONCERT Featuring Fred Hammond and Jason Nelson, Fri 23 May, Bethel Convention Centre, Birmingham CERAMIC EMPIRE Public lecture by Tristram Hunt MP to open the exciting new Ceramic Empire exhibition, Fri 23 May, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-onTrent

BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Fri 23 Sun 25 May, Donington Park

GRACE AND FAITH Fourday event with teachings and worship for all ages, Fri 23 - Mon 26 May, Telford International Centre, Shropshire FIA/FIM EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS ROUND 1 Santa Pod’s flagship championship event, attracting over two hundred-and-fifty of Europe’s top drag racing teams, including 300mph Top Fuel Dragsters, FIM Drag Bikes, jet cars, air displays, stunts, monster trucks, traders, sideshows and family entertainment, Fri 23 Mon 26 May, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton MAKE AND TAKE ART SESSIONS With local artist Benny Semp, Sat 24 May, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery SPRING TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Get creative by using the tube lining technique to produce your very own tile to take home. Activities vary from day to day, Sat 24 May, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 24 May, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster SHROPSHIRE COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SHOW A prestigious annual event featuring some of the finest livestock competing against each other, as well as items for sale from dozens of traders, Sat 24 May, West Midland Showground, Shropshire BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 24 - Sun 25 May, Starting Victoria Square, ending at Colmore Row, Birmingham LAND ROVER SHOW Featuring an array of vehicles, displays and more... Sat 24 May Sun 25 May, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire QUEEN VICTORIA'S BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Join the residents of Blists Hill Victorian Town as they celebrate the birthday of their much-loved Queen Victoria with style, pomp and pageantry...

Sat 24 - Mon 26 May, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY DAYS - SECRET GARDEN TRAIL Head out on a mystery tour around the gardens and learn about its hidden secrets Sat 24 - Wed 28 May, Dudmaston Estate, Nr Bridgnorth DRAWING FROM NATURE Use natural objects as inspiration to create your own still life Sat 24

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk - Fri 30 May, Compton Verney Gallery, Warwickshire FAMILY TRAIL Sat 24 Sat 31 May, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery HALF TERM POTTERY PAINTING Get creative and decorate a critter to take home, Sat 24 Sat 31 May, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent HALF-TERM FAMILY ACTIVITIES A variety of family-friendly trails, crafts and outdoor activities, Sat 24 May Fri 30 May, National Memorial Aboretum, Staffordshire SWEET AND TREAT See the re-launch of the sweet-shop boiler and try your hand at traditional board and street games Sat 24 May Sun 1 June, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley ENERGY ON THE MOVE Interactive activities allowing visitors to discover more about different types of energy and how energy transfers. Make your own dancing jitterbug and see how it transfers electrical energy into kinetic energy, Sat 24 May - Sun 1 June, Enginuity, Ironbridge, Shropshire FAMILY DROP-IN ACTIVITIES Dip your own colourful candles, play with Victorian games & toys and colour oldfashioned pictures.

Activities vary from day to day, with some carrying an extra charge, Sat 24 May - Sun 1 June, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire HALF-TERM FAMILY FUN Join Professor Chuckle as he battles to save his lab with the help of his ‘Instant Chocolate Making Machine’, Sat 24 May - Sun 1 June, Cadbury World, Birmingham HALF-TERM FAMILY ACTIVITY WEEK A time for the kids to have fun in the wilderness, build dens, take a train ride and feed the animals, Sat 24 May - Sun 1 June, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire HALF-TERM FAMILY TRAILS Explore the grounds with a different theme every holiday; there's something new to discover every time you visit, Sat 24 May Sun 1 June, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury TIME LORD FAMILY TRAIL Sat 24 May - Sun 1 June, Broad House Glass Museum, Kingswinford

FAMILY TRAIL Sat 24 Sun 1 June, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge FOOD MARKET Monthly event featuring an array of fine food, Sun 25 May, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham SPILL: A PLAYGROUND OF DANCE Back by popular demand, Spill: A Playground Of Dance combines quirky, dynamic dance with high-energy street gymnastics, as dancers blaze a colourful trail across the structures and landscapes of the playground. Each performance is unique, as the show scrambles around, over, under and through swings, slides and roundabouts, Sun 25 May, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham GROWING UP IN THE WALLED GARDEN: SALAD DAYS Join the Walled Garden team to find out about the range of salad plants grown on the estate, see how they avoid pests, find out which are the tastiest varieties and how to combine them to best effect on the plate, Sun 25 May, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SHREWSBURY CYCLE GRAND PRIX Sun 25 May Shrewsbury Town Centre FLOAT YOUR BOAT Fun afternoon especially for families with school-age children, Sun 25 May, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham SPRING GARDENING FAIR Featuring a Secret Garden trail, craft activities and a Q&A with the experts, Sun 25 - Mon 26 May, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth VINTAGE FAMILY FUN A day packed with nostalgia and featuring the sounds of Sauce City Jazz, a Punch & Judy show, impressive displays of steam engines, vintage carousel, model steam engine and pony rides, Sun 25 - Mon 26 May, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire MEDIEVAL LIVING HISTORY EVENT Travel back in time to the medieval period and learn about costumes, cooking methods and how the people of the day kept themselves entertained, Sun 25 Mon 26 May, Harvington Hall, Kidderminster ROMANS INVADE! Witness the might of the Roman Army as it

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invades Wroxeter Roman City, Sun 25 Mon 26 May, Wroxeter Roman City, Nr Shrewsbury BANK HOLIDAY ANIMAL RACING Day of racing mayhem featuring sheep, ducks & guinea pigs. Dragon-themed trails and activities in the Mansion and Servants' Quarters, garden games and dressup scarecrows in the walled garden also feature Mon 26 May, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire SPRING FOOD & CRAFT FAYRE Featuring over sixty stalls ranging from local produce to handmade craft, art & gifts, Mon 26 May, Weston Park, Staffordshire BATTLE HERITAGE MEDIEVAL EXPERIENCE Real medieval experience featuring soldier encampment, medieval music & dancing, jesters, birds of prey, face painting and havea-go archery with real weapons, Mon 26 May, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire FLOWER POWER PLANT FAIR Mon 26 May, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham BANTOCK MUSIC LIVE Afternoon of live acoustic music showcasing talented local musicians. Free entry!

Mon 26 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton MAY BANK HOLIDAY FAMILY FUN DAY Mon 26 May, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove SPRING TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Get creative by using the tube lining technique to produce your very own tile to take home. Activities vary from day to day, Mon 26 - Fri 30 May, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire BUG MAKING WORKSHOPS Join in the hands-on workshops to make and decorate ceramics to take home.

Monday's theme is garden-inspired mugs.

Tuesday and Friday, visitors can sculpt their own bughouse, plantmarker or sundial from terracotta clay, Mon 26 - Fri 30 May, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire WOMEN IN AVIATION Mon 26 - Fri 30 May, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton HALF TERM CRAFT ACTIVITY - STEALTHY SQUIRRELS Make a pop-up squirrel puppet that can hide in its tree, Tues 27 - Fri 30 May, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB Holiday fun featuring craft sessions and fun in the park, Tue 27 May, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury

Tile Decorating Workshops - Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge

DISCOVER THE COLLECTION Meet the conservation team, who'll tell you about interesting items in the collection and demonstrate how they're looked after, Tue 27 May, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton SAND ART POSTCARDS Design a holiday postcard and use brightly coloured sand to colour it in. Booking required, Tues 27 May, Bilston Craft Gallery ONCE UPON A TIME...

Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 27 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton KIDS’ ACTIVITIES Tues 27 - Thurs 29 May, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham MEET ME AT WAG Regular conversation club for people aged fifty-plus, Wed 28 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery POP ART WORKSHOP Print a Pop Art poster using bright colours and imaginative designs. Learn painting techniques. Booking required. Wed 28 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery SPORTY WEDNESDAYS Featuring activities for the whole family, Wed 28 May, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury 50 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU’RE 11 AND 3/4 Join Simon Airey and his vast array of exotic animals. Have a go at holding a snake or tarantula, Wed 28 May, Powis Castle and Garden, Nr Welshpool, Powys TARDIS FUSED TILE WORKSHOP Wed 28 May, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Kingswinford CRAFTY WEDNESDAY! Make-and-take activity, Wed 28 May, Aston Hall, Birmingham TEXTILE GROUP Excellent opportunity to

meet likeminded people in a creative environment, Wed 28 May, Bilston Craft Gallery MAKING METAL BOOKMARKS Family craft workshops, Wed 28 May, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham TRUSTY'S THURSDAY PICNICS Take along a picnic and enjoy some storytelling and games at Trusty's weekly picnic Thurs 29 May, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury DRIVE IN MOVIE: GREASE Cineworld are sponsoring Telford’s first drivein event and will be handing out free popcorn, to provide a fully authentic drive-in experience Thurs 29 May, Telford International Centre, Shropshire CREATIVE ARTS: FLASH, BANG, WALLOP Victorian dressing up & photo shoot, Thurs 29 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton MAKE-AND-TAKE ACTIVITY Family-friendly event, Thurs 29 May, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham VALUATION DAY: FINE ART & ANTIQUES Hosted by Fielding Antiques, Thurs 29 May, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton DECORATIVE PHOTO FRAME WORKSHOP Facilitated by SCARF Wolverhampton’s Schools and Community Arts Resource Facility, Thurs 29 May, Bilston Craft Gallery VICTORIAN STEAMPUNK PARTY Art activities, storytelling, dressing up & music, Thurs 29 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery CRAFTPLAY MAY HOLIDAY SESSION Booking required, Thurs 29 May, Bilston Craft Gallery MAKE A KITE WORKSHOP Fri 30 May, Weoley Castle, Birmingham

STORYTELLING: MEET QUEEN VICTORIA History comes alive with this event, based upon Queen Victoria’s famous visit to Wolverhampton, Fri 30 May, Wolverhampton City Archives ANIMAL MANIA Meet the animals 12noon to 3pm, Fri 30 May, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham DRIVE IN MOVIE: TOP GUN Cineworld are sponsoring Telford’s first drivein event and will be handing out free popcorn, to provide a fully authentic drive-in experience, Fri 30 May, Telford International Centre, Shropshire FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY Fri 30 May, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 31 May, Starting Victoria Square, ending at Colmore Row, Birmingham SPORTS & SALOON CAR RACES Sat 31 May Sun 1 June, Donington Park EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride, with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 31 May, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster FELT FLOWER-MAKING WORKSHOP Susan Mulcock demonstrates a variety of felt-making techniques to help participants create their very own flowers for corsages, bags, hair, hats and general decorations, Sat 31 May, The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, Shropshire MIDNIGHT WALK Featuring an ’80s theme, this year's event is open to men while raising funds for Shrewsbury's Severn Hospice Sat 31 May Sun 1 June, Shrewsbury Sports Village

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Eating Out Book launch for Shropshire chef Shropshire-based lovers of Asian food who fancy cooking a few Far Eastern dishes in the comfort of their own home are set to be given a helping hand next month with the launch of a brand new book. Momo.No.Ki is a recipe book written by Chris Burt, the award-winning Executive Head Chef of Shrewsbury’s hugely popular Peach Tree restaurant. Featuring a wide selection of Asian dishes that Chris has developed during his many years of travelling, the book is being launched at the second Shrewsbury Food Festival, which takes place in and around the town on 28 & 29 June.

Chris Burt

Food event a welcome addition to Birmingham culinary scene Organisers of a new independent food fare taking place at Millennium Point in September have announced initial plans for the event. A welcome addition to the city’s ever-growing culinary scene, the Birmingham Independent Food Fair will provide a platform on which to showcase the city’s finest food and drink. Organised by Dine Birmingham and supported by Visit Birmingham, the one-day event takes place on Saturday 13 September and will feature a wines & spirits area sponsored by Birmingham’s own gin brand, Langley’s No.8.

Carluccio’s the man about town Famous Italian food chain Carluccio’s has added to its empire by opening a new restaurant in the market town of Shrewsbury. The company has been on the lookout for a venue in the town for quite some time and have struck lucky with a prime location. Antonio Carluccio recently headed to Shropshire for the restaurant’s official launch, and What’s On were lucky enough to get papped with the Italian Godfather of Gastronomy.

Lauren Foster and Enya Loughnane with Antonio Carluccio

The Clive: One of Ludlow’s best REVIEW Anyone driving to the south of the county will have noticed The Clive (formerly The Cook House, but The Clive Arms when I was a nipper) sitting proudly alongside the A49 at Bromfield, a couple of miles north of Ludlow.

Originally an eighteenth century farmhouse, it's long been established as a good-quality restaurant.

The bar there is a real favourite of mine because of its roaring log fire.

However, I hadn’t tried out the restaurant since its acquisition by the owners of the fantastic Ludlow Kitchen, which sits right next door.

The two eateries will complement each other nicely; the Kitchen serving breakfasts and lunches, The Clive catering more for evening diners and overnight guests.

Like its neighbour, The Clive benefits from being situated less than a localsausage's throw away from the award-winning Ludlow Food Centre - and this is evident in the quality of the cuisine on offer.

A warm, smiley welcome greeted us on our arrival.

The atmosphere, though relaxed and informal, still retained the smart and sophisticated feel of a high-end restaurant.

Quite busy for a midweek evening, the venue’s slightly dimmed lighting and the gentle hum from fellow diners made for the perfect ambience.

On to the starters - chicken & duck liver pate with brioche was my choice (and a good one at that!), while my wife went for duck spring roll with pak choi. Both were beautifully presented and packed with flavour.

Expectations were running high for the main courses.

Sure enough, out came my chicken breast stuffed with sun-blanched tomatoes and cream cheese, with crushed new potatoes and a basil cream sauce - all expertly cooked and presented. It was hoovered up as quickly as is acceptable in these situations!

My wife, meanwhile, chose the pan-fried fillet of Shropshire beef, which was accompanied by caramelised baby shallots,

girolle mushrooms and pomme-neuf potatoes. I can't be sure, as I was too engrossed in my own plate, but I do recall sounds of approval and delight, so I presume it was every bit as good as my dish.

Top marks so far.

Next came the obligatory and irresistible desserts.

Delicious vanilla panna cotta and a chocolate & salted caramel pot made a brief appearance before being polished off.

All in all, then, a distinctive, delicious dining experience, complete with an accompanying lovely atmosphere.

The Clive is definitely up there with Ludlow's best.

Matt Morris Food: ■■■■■ Service: ■■■■■ Ambience: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Overall value ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ OVERALL ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ The Clive Restaurant Bromfield Ludlow Shropshire SY8 2JR Tel: 01584 856565

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 73

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Restaurant LISTINGS For full listing information on restaurants, including opening times and type of cuisine, visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Birmingham AALTO RESTAURANT Hotel La Tour, Albert Street, Birmingham B5 5JT 0121 718 8000 AIR RESTAURANT LG Arena, Bickenhill Rd, 0844 338 0333 BANK 4 Brindleyplace, B1 2JB 0121 633 4466 BAR ESTILO 10-114 Wharfside St, The Mailbox, B1 1RF 0121 643 3443 BARAJEE 265 Broad Street, B1 2DS 0121 643 6699 BELLA ITALIA 102 New Street, B2 4HQ 0121 643 1548 BLUE MANGO Regency Wharf, Broad St, B1 2DS 0121 633 4422 BLUE PIANO RESTAURANT AND BAR 24-26 Harborne Rd, B15 3AA 0121 454 6877 BUONISSIMO 1 Albany Rd, Harborne, B17 9JX 0121 426 2444 CAFE OPUS 1 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, B1 2HS 0121 248 3226 CARLUCCIO’S The Water’s Edge, Brindleyplace B1 2HP 0121 633 9262 CENTENARY BAR & BRASSERIE Broad Street, B1 2EP 0121 245 2080 CHUNG YING 16-18 Wrottersley Street, B5 4RT 0121 622 5669 CHUNG YING GARDEN 17 Thorpe St, B5 4AT 0121 666 6622 CIELO 6 Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, B1 2JB 0121 632 6882 COAST TO COAST 9 Brindleyplace, Broad Street, B1 2HJ COTE The Mailbox, B1 1RX 0121 631 1587 CUCINA RUSTICA 24 Ludgate Hill, B3 1DX 0121 233 2277 DEL VILLAGGIO Unit 528, Middle Mall, The Bullring. B5 4BE 0121 643 1400 EDMUNDS 6 Brindley place, B1 2JB 0121 633 4944 FLEET STREET KITCHEN Fleet Street, Islington Gates, B3 1JH 0121 236 0100 ITIHAAS 18 Fleet St, B3 1JL 0121 212 3383 JAMIE’S ITALIAN Middle Mall, Bullring Shopping Centre, B5 4BE 0121 270 3610 JIMMY SPICES Regency Wharf, Broad St, B1 2DS 0121 643 2111 LAS IGUANAS Arcadian Centre, Hurst St, B5 4TD 0121 622 4466 LASAN 3-4 Dakota Buildings, James St, St Paul’s Square, B3 1SD 0121 212 3664 THE LOFT LOUNGE 143 Bromsgrove St, B5 6RG 0121 622 2444

LOVES The Glasshouse, Browning St, B16 8FL 0121 454 5151 MECHU 47 - 59 Summer Row, B3 1JJ 0121 212 1661 METRO BAR & GRILL 73 Cornwall St B3 2DF 0121 200 1911 MINT Yew Tree Retail Park, Stoney Lane Yardley, B25 8YP 0121 789 8908 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 THE RECTORY 50-54 St Paul’s Sq, B3 1QS 0121 605 1001 RED PEPPERS 117 Wharfside St, B1 1RF 0121 643 4202 SAN CARLO 4 Temple St, B2 5BN 0121 633 0251 SHIMLA PINKS 215 Broad St, B15 1AY 0121 633 0366 SIMPSONS, 20 Highfield Rd, Edgbaston B13 3DU 0121 454 3434 THE SLUG AND LETTUCE, Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2HL 0121 633 3049 STRADA 109-111 Wharfside St, The Mailbox B1 1XL 0121 643 7279 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

74 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

THE BLUE BRICK Broad Gauge Way, Wolverhampton WV1 1AA 01902 875301 BRAVACCIOUS 4 Upper Green, Wolverhampton WV6 8QQ 01902 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 LE BRASSERIE 5 Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster. DY11 6UU 01562 744976 MADE IN THAI Darlington St, Wolverhampton WV1 4HW 01902 312512 PARADISE BALTI 7 Lower Mill Street, Kidderminster DY11 6UU 01562 60479 THE PIE FACTORY 50 Hurst Lane, Tipton DY4 9AB 0121 557 1402 RED FORT Fold St, Wolverhampton, WV1 4LP 01902 424440 RISTORANTE ROMAGNA 4 Upper Green, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton WV6 8QQ 01902 756052 SAFFRON Wolverhampton Road, Oldbury B69 4RR 0121 552 1752 SIMON’S 520 Chester Rd, Aldridge, Walsall, WS9 0PU 0121 580 9293 SPICES Hollywell Rd, Wednesbury. WS10 7PA 0121 502 0720 THE SPRINGHILL Warstones Rd, Penn, Wolverhampton WV4 4LB 01902 342530 THE SUMMERHOUSE 92 Gospel End Rd, Dudley DY3 4AN 01902 676 102 THORNESCROFT Bridgnorth Rd, Wolverhampton, WV6

7EQ 01902 700 253 THE WOODMAN Claverley, Wolverhampton WV5 7DG 01746 710 553

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

5DL 01952 882004 THE KNIGHTON HOTEL Broad Street, Knighton, Powys LD7 1BL 01547 520530 LA BÉCASSE 17 Corve St, Ludlow, SY8 1DA 01584 872 325 LA DOLCE VITA 35 Hills Lane, Shrewsbury SY1 1QU 01743 249126 LA LANTERNA The Old Vestry, St Julian's Church, Shrewsbury SY1 1UH 01743 233552 LION & PHEASANT 50 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1XJ 01743 770345 THE LION QUAYS Moreton, Oswestry SY11 3EN 01691 684300 LOCH FYNE Talbot House, Market Street, Shrewsbury SY1 1LG 01743 277140 LUDLOW KITCHEN Bromfield, Ludlow, SY2 2JR 01584 856020 THE MALTHOUSE The Wharfage, Ironbridge TF8 7NH 01902 433712 MORGANS 1 Bellstone, Shrewsbury SY1 1HU 01743 239114 MR UNDERHILLS Dinham Weir, Ludlow Shropshire SY8 1EH 01584 874431 THE MYTTON & MERMAID Atcham, Shrewsbury, SY5 6QG 01743 761220 THE OLD ORLETON INN Holyhead Rd, Wellington, TF1 2HA 01952 255011 THE OLD RECTORY HOTEL & RESTAURANT Lowe Hill Road, Wem, Shropshire SY4 5UA 01939 233233 THE PEACH TREE 21 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE 01743 355055 THE PLUME OF FEATHERS Harley, Shrewsbury SY5 6LP 01743 727360 PORTER HOUSE 15 St Mary’s St, Shrewsbury, SY1 1EQ 01743 358870 THE POUND AT LEEBOTWOOD Leebotwood, Nr Church Stretton SY6 6ND 01694 751477 RENAISSANCE, 29a Princess St, Shrewsbury, SY11LW 01743 354289 ROMOLO Victoria Avenue, shrewsbury SY1 1HH 01743 233244 SARACENS Shrewsbury Rd, SY4 4AG 01939 210877 SEBASTIANS 45 Willow St, Oswestry SY11 1AQ 01691 655444 SHALIMAR 23 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury SY2 6AE 01743 366658 SHERAZ 79 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1UT 01743 242321 THE SILVERTON the Old Dairy, 9-10 Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8JY 01743 248000 TIN TINS Wellington Road, Telford TF2 8AJ 01952 608688 TRAITORS GATE Castle St, Water Lane, Shrewsbury SY1 2BX 01743 249152 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 PASTICHE BISTRO 1 - 2 Mill Street, Stafford, ST16 2AJ 01782 263 737 THE PEAR TREE Swinfen, Nr. Lichfield, WS14 9QR 01543 481807 PORTOFINO 38-40 Marsh St Stoke-On-Trent, ST1 1JD 01782 209444 THE RED ROOM 7 Newcastle Road, Congleton CW12 4HN 01260 297871 THORNBURY HALL, RASOI Lockwood Rd, Kingsley Holt, Stafford ST10 2DH 01538 750831 WOLSELEY ARMS Wolseley Bridge, Stafford ST17 0XS 01889 883179

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

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A great offer from your favourite independent Shrewsbury restaurant

THE EVENING

ÂŁ10 DEAL 2 COURSES!

...available every night!* *Offer available Sun until Thurs from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Fri/Sat from 4pm until 6.30pm.

BOOK ONLINE: www.thepeachtree.co.uk 18-21 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE. Tel 01743 355055

For full Restaurant listings

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk

Read the reviews online

grand_whatson FP May 1_Layout 1 25/04/2014 15:49 Page 1

GreatTheatre Theatre at the Great theGrand!

Grand!

SUN 18 MAY

MON 19 - SAT 24 MAY

SAT 31 MAY - SUN 1 JUNE

TUES 3 JUNE - SAT 12 JULY

TUE 13 - SAT 17 MAY BILL KENWRIGHT PRESENTS

AN AMATEUR PRODUCTION

MUSIC BY

LYRICS BY

ALAN MENKEN

GLEN SLATER

BOOK BY

CHERI STEINKELLNER & BILL STEINKELLNER ADDITIONAL BOOK MATERIAL

DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE AN AMATEUR PRODUCTION

IT’S BACK - AND IT’S GONNA LIVE FOREVER! BASED IN TOUCHSTONE MOTION PICTURE ‘SISTER ACT’ WRITTEN BY JOSEPH HOWARD

WED 28 MAY

Brand new live show!

SUMMER

SON PLAY SEA 12 JULY 3 JUNE -

BOOK YOUR SEASON TICKET AND SAVE £££s!

JUNE 3-7 LADIES IN RETIREMENT JUNE 17-21 DESIGN FOR MURDER JULY 8-12 CARMILLA THREE PLAYS, ONE GREAT PRICE

ALSO BOOKING ALSO BOOKING

TUES 10 - SAT 14 JUNE

TUES 24 - SAT 28 JUNE

SAT 22 MARCH MON 5 - SAT 10 MAY LESLEY JOSEPH

DERREN BROWN - INFAMOUS HOT FLUSH

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SUN 30 29 MARCH THURS MAY

THE HILARITY SOLID SILVER 60s SHOW THE CHARITY GALA ..............................................................................

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SUN 15 6 APRIL SUN JUNE

THE FAAABULOUS OLD. .MACDONALD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CERI . . . . . . . . . . DUPREE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SHOW ............................... ............................................................................................

MON 30 JUNE - SAT 5 JULY SUN 13 APRIL

20TH CENTURY BOY BEYOND THE BARRICADE

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MON 14 - TUES 15 APRIL SUN 13 JULY

TAP OF FACTORY MAGIC MOTOWN

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THE MIKADO ( S A T U R D A Y ) I O LA N T H E ( T H U - F R I ) The Pirates of Penzance

★★★★

FRI-18 APRIL TUE 15 WED 16 JULY

Daily Mail

(TU ES-W E D)

★★★★ Daily Express

THAT’LL BE MOB THE DAY FLASH

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SAT 19 APRIL

17 - SUNBROTHERS’ 20 JULY THE THU CHUCKLE SCOOBY DOO SPACE ODDITY ..............................................................................

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FROM 6 DECEMBER TUES 29 APRIL - SAT 3 MAY

THE PLAY THATCLARY GOESINWRONG JULIAN CINDERELLA

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