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BLACK COUNTRY WHAT’S ON ISSUE 340 APRIL 2014
THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE WOLVERHAMPTON & BLACK COUNTRY
’ What sOn www.whatsonlive.co.uk
ISSUE 340
APRIL 2014
JUSTIN TIMBER LAKE IN THE MIDLA NDS
MIRANDA on the road with her My, What I Call, Live Show PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS
JAMES BLUNT Moon Landings in Wolves interview inside...
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Contents- Region two - April_Layout 1 24/03/2014 18:11 Page 1
April Editor: Davina Evans
2014
INSIDE:
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Sir Antony Sher
Editorial Assistants: Brian O’Faolain
playing Falstaff for the RSC interview p6
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Happy Days
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new musical in the Midlands p29
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James Blunt brings Moon Landings to Wolverhampton - interview page 12
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News April region two_Layout 1 24/03/2014 12:19 Page 1
News
A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Peace and reconciliation at Shrewsbury Folk Festival To commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the start of World War One, this year’s Shrewsbury Folk Festival will feature a touring marquee called the Peace Tent. The marquee seats up to two hundredand-fifty people, and will be located in a tranquil area of the festival site near to the banks of the River Severn. The tent is a touring venue in which ‘peace and reconciliation’ are celebrated through music, dance, drama, poetry and film. The 2014 folk festival is headlined by Bellowhead, Lau, Seth Lakeman, The Full English and BBC Folk Singer of the Year Bella Hardy. Commenting on the new venue, festival director Alan Surtees said: “I’m really pleased that we’ll be able to host the Peace Tent at the festival, particularly as the centenary of the start of the Great War is this year. It will be a great addition to the other four music stages.” The festival, which runs from 22 to 25 August, also offers a dedicated dance tent, dozens of workshops, a children's festival, a youth programme for eleven-to-twenty-yearolds, onsite camping, a craft fair and a food village. Tickets can be booked through www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk or direct at www.gigantic.com/shrewsburyfolkfestival Bella Hardy
Royal Shakespeare Theatre Live on DVD The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that it’s joined forces with the Opus Arte label to release some of its filmed Live From Stratford-upon-Avon productions on DVD. Last year’s hugely successful version of Richard II, starring David Tennant in the title role, will be the first in the series to be released by Opus. Directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran, the production was broadcast live (on 13 November 2013) to over one hundred cinemas around the UK, as well as to North America, Australia, Japan and northern Europe. The filmed performance of the production will be available on DVD, Blu-Ray and iTunes from Tuesday 6 May. DVD extras include an interview with David Tennant and commentary from Gregory Doran...
Midlands Winnie the Pooh Laureate announced Library shortlisted for national award - again! Dudley Library has been shortlisted in the Bookseller Industry Awards’ Library of the Year category for the second year in a row. The venue was shortlisted following news that the borough’s residents are bucking the national trend by increasing to more than 1.1million the number of visits being made to local libraries. Last year, the library’s team organised more than four thousand, five hundred public events, attracting more than fifty-five thousand people. A panel featuring prominent figures from publishing, journalism and literature will judge the Library of the Year category, with the winner being announced at an awards ceremony in London next month. Adele Parks
4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
A Sutton Coldfield woman has been crowned Disney Winnie the Pooh Laureate of the Midlands. Sally Jenkins won the title after entering Disney UK’s national competition. Aspiring Laureates were asked to share original stories, inspired by their local area, in which Winnie the Pooh and friends enjoyed an adventure outside their usual confines of Hundred Acre Wood. Responding to the challenge, Sally took AA Milne’s legendary characters on a unique journey to Birmingham, where they celebrated Christopher Robin’s birthday. Commenting on her win, Sally said: “I loved taking Winnie the Pooh and friends on an adventure around Birmingham - I think they enjoyed it too! I really enjoy telling stories inspired by my local area - there’s so much on offer right on our doorstep, so it was hard choosing which areas to actually write about. I still can’t quite believe I’m a regional winner!” Disney UK announced the results of its Pooh Laureate competition to coincide with the launch of its Story Time With Pooh series, which will see free, weekly storytelling sessions for children and parents taking place in Disney stores nationwide.
As You Like It in Ludlow Two familiar television faces will be taking starring roles in the Ludlow Shakespeare and Arts Festival’s summertime production of As You Like It, which is being presented in association with Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. Only Fools And Horses favourite John Challis, who played droll yuppie Boycie in the long-running BBC One sitcom, will star as the melancholic Lord Jaques, while Eric Potts - familiar to Coronation Street viewers as eccentric baker Diggory Compton - will play the court fool, Touchstone. Although As You Like It will be performed in the open air at Ludlow Castle, all audience seating will be covered. The John Challis eleven-performance production runs from 14 to 22 June. For further details of all the performances, as well as information on how to book, visit the festival website at www.ludlowartsfestival.co.uk.
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NIA date for Voice judge Kylie Minogue has announced that she’s to perform in Birmingham for the first time in nearly a decade, stopping off at the National Indoor Arena on 7 October as part of her new UK tour. Currently appearing as a judge on BBC One talent show The Voice, the one-time Neighbours star will hit the road in the autumn in support of new studio album Kiss Me Once, which was released last month. Kylie last performed in Birmingham in 2005..
New Art West Midlands winners revealed Five promising new West Midlands artists have each won £1,000 prize money and the chance to see their work exhibited in a prestigious Midlands gallery. A Turning Point West Midlands initiative, New Art West Midlands exhibits the work of twenty-four artists, all of whom have graduated from one of the region’s undergraduate and postgraduate fine art degree courses in the past three years. The overall winner was Staffordshire University fine art graduate Ali Reed, who impressed the judges with her site-specific installation at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Ali’s victory has earned her the chance to undertake a residency at A3 Project Space in Digbeth, leading to a solo exhibition in the future. The other New Art West Midlands 2014 winners were Lucy Hutchinson (Coventry University), Morna Lockie-Anrig (BCU), Sikander Pervez (Staffordshire University) and Anna Smith (Wolverhampton University). They win a residency at the Library of Birmingham, Airspace at Stoke-on-Trent, the New Art Gallery Walsall and mac birmingham respectively.
Aardman Animation studio to open at Thinktank Visitors to one of Birmingham’s top attractions will be able to try their hand at becoming a real-life director when a new animation studio opens on 12 April. A joint project with Bristol-based animation wizards Aardman Animations, the Animate It! Studio at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, forms part of the popular Kids City area, where children under seven are encouraged to learn through roleplay with their friends and family. This latest addition allows visitors to make short films in a human-sized green screen studio. Once their film is complete, they can broadcast their creation on a screen within the gallery. Running alongside the new studio attraction will be a number of hands-on play stations and Shaun the Sheep-inspired activities.
Julian Clary having a Ball in Wolverhampton Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre has announced that the inimitable Julian Clary will play Dandini in its pantomime version of Cinderella, which shows at the venue from 6 December 2014 to 18 January 2015. The comedian, presenter and novelist is no stranger to pantoland, having previously played Dandini in Crawley in 2010, and is a regular festive performer with the show’s producers, Qdos Entertainment. Commenting on Julian’s involvement, Michael Harrison, managing director of Qdos Entertainment’s pantomimes division, said: “It’s fitting that, for Cinderella, the most magical family pantomime of them all, we’ve been able to cast Julian Clary, the most glamorous of all pantomime stars, in our Wolverhampton show this Christmas. Julian is a fine actor, a first-rate comedian, and is guaranteed to keep audiences laughing right up to the final curtain call.”
IN BRIEF Celebrations at the Hippodrome Birmingham Hippodrome is celebrating after being featured in the Sunday Times’ 2014 list of the One Hundred Best Not-for-Profit Organisations To Work For. The theatre was positioned seventysixth out of a total of nearly nine hundred organisations entered for the prestigious listing. One of the UK’s largest presenting venues, the Hippodrome employs one hundredand-eleven permanent staff. Of those employees who were surveyed, eighty-four percent felt proud to work at the Hippodrome. Staff thought highly of their managers too, with the majority feeling they could speak honestly and openly with them. The theatre’s positive environmental management also enjoyed extremely positive feedback.
Iron Trail within World Heritage Site A brand new Iron Trail has been launched by the Severn Gorge Countryside Trust (SGCT) as part of an initiative aimed at further enhancing Ironbridge Gorge’s existing reputation as a major world tourism destination. The new three-and-a-half-mile trail is the result of a collaboration between SGCT and a number of partners, including the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust and Telford & Wrekin Council. The trail takes in breathtaking views from the Rotunda on Lincoln Hill towards the Iron Bridge. It then leads down a series of steps back into the town. SGCT has also developed a new website to accompany the trail. The site features two new videos which allow visitors to ‘walk’ the trail from the comfort of their own armchair, as well as to download a range of material and find out about Ironbridge’s numerous volunteering programmes. For copies of the new trails, send an SAE to the SGCT office at Darby Road, Coalbrookdale, TF8 7EP. Aternatively, the trails are free to download from www.severngorge.org.uk
Performer brings Billie Holiday to her home turf... A former Birmingham School of Speech and Drama student is to bring her critically acclaimed tribute to one of the world’s most celebrated artists to the Midlands next month. Nina Kristofferson grew up in Birmingham and attended Smethwick High School for girls before pursuing a career in performance art. Her self-penned one-woman show about the extraordinary but tragically short life of Billie Holiday is about to take to the road following a sell-out season at London’s Charing Cross Theatre. Featuring some of Billie’s greatest songs, including Strange Fruit, God Bless The Child, All Of Me and Don’t Explain, The Billie Holiday Story shows at Birmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre on 8 May. Find our more about Nina and the show at www.whatsonlive.co.uk www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5
Antony Sher interview region two_Layout 1 24/03/2014 12:15 Page 1
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I thought acting was all about disguise. I now believe it’s about revelation.
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Sir Antony Sher sinking his teeth into Falstaff for the RSC... Although turned down by RADA when he arrived in the UK from South Africa in 1968, Sir Antony Sher is without doubt one of Britain’s finest actors. His iconic portrayal of Richard III in 1984 won him a Laurence Olivier Award, and in 2000 he was honoured with a KBE for his services to theatre. With a plethora of critically acclaimed stage and TV roles - and a fair few literary offerings - under his belt, Sir Antony this month returns to Stratford’s Royal Shakespeare Theatre to play Falstaff in Henry IV Parts II and II, both of which are directed by his partner and RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran. You once said that you like ‘a bit of disturbance to get stuck into’ when playing a part. Will Falstaff satisfy this need? There’s just the enormous challenge of playing one of Shakespeare’s great roles. You don’t need more disturbance than that, really. There’s a huge extra responsibility and extra challenge that comes with this really famous part. There’s enough there to keep every fibre of your being concentrated. 6 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
So what drew you to Henry IV? Was it the role that you’re playing, or was the primary appeal something about the plays themselves? Both, really. They’re just wonderful plays which together form this epic portrait of England from the King down. You see all stratas of society, and it’s a wonderful, loving and melancholy picture of, as I say, the whole country. Falstaff is truly, literally, a great role.
Physically, he has to be very overweight because there are a lot of references to his girth, and it’s just a great piece of character writing by Shakespeare. Some people regard it as his greatest creation. The writing is very modern, in that he’s a kind of anti-hero who breaks all the rules. He’s the Lord of Mis-rule, really, and that’s just fantastic to play because he’s outrageous. The famous example is in the middle of the Battle of Shrewsbury, which
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interview... is the highlight of Part One, when the stakes are very high. There’s a rebellion in the land, and his forces are having to fight the rebel forces, so there’s an awful lot at stake. Falstaff comes on and has a speech about honour and how honour is a worthless, pointless thing, and it’s completely outrageous in the middle of a battle where people are fighting for their lives. So things like that make it very rich material. Alongside a character’s ‘level of disturbance’, what decides you to say yes to playing a particular role? You read it and try to imagine it as a new script, rather than something that you know and the world knows. As an actor, you know instantly whether it rings bells for you or not. I’ve always regarded myself as a character actor, and I’ve always regarded acting as something where I travel away from myself to become all these different characters. Falstaff is just the character actor’s dream, because there’s just so much rich material there. He’s obviously a man of some breeding and is indeed a knight - he’s Sir John Falstaff - but he’s choosing to live his life in a totally disreputable way. He’s a thief and a highwayman - and yet, in the next moment, when the war is on, he’s given a company of soldiers to command. There are so many wonderful, different things to play. Once you’ve agreed to play a part, how do you set about generating your version of a well-known character? How do you connect initially? Is it emotionally, physically, psychologically...? It’s all those things. You just start feeling around for what seems right for him. Physically, as with Falstaff, you’ve got to devise - with the designer and director - a way that he’s going to be very fat, and for that to be realistic. Vocally, you find that, as you’re working on it, there’s a certain way of talking that reflects both his breeding and the way that overweight people tend to have a kind of quality to their voice. Emotionally, you just go on a rollercoaster ride, because he’s at times very humorous and warm and at other times he’s very angry. There’s also a melancholic side to him, where he fears growing old and is in fear of death. There’s just tons and tons of stuff to get your teeth into. What drew you to acting, and is it still the reason you act today? Initially I was drawn to acting because I was a very shy kid and sort of out of place in my society, which was South Africa in the 1950s and ’60s. Certainly the white society that I was born into was a very sports-mad society, and I was this short, weedy little kid who wasn’t at all good at sport. I took refuge first in art painting and drawing, always thinking I would go to art school - but it was just making me more and more withdrawn, so my parents sent me to what was called elocution, but was, in fact, acting classes. I just found an enormous relief in becoming other people and not having to be this sort of inadequate person who wasn’t good at sport. That was the initial instinct. Is it still the same today? This might sound a little contradictory but in the beginning I loved disguising myself completely. I thought acting was all about disguise. I now believe it’s about revelation. The kind of acting I like to see best is where the actor shows you his or her soul.
Judi Dench is a fine example of that. Even though a role like Falstaff will require an awful lot of apparent disguise - my body will be different, my voice will be different, my face will be different - it’ll only work if my heart and soul is in the play. So I suppose that’s where my attitude about acting has changed. And has your criteria for accepting roles changed with your advancing years? I decided early on as an actor - in theatre, as it’s different in television - that I wanted to be a leading actor, so that’s the way I’ve led my career. And then, as I worked more and more for the Royal Shakespeare Company, I realised there was a very honourable tradition in acting of playing Shakespeare’s great roles. Shakespeare, very conveniently, wrote many great roles for different stages of one’s life, and so that’s sort of what I’ve done. Falstaff is just the latest in a series of great Shakespearean roles for me. Of all the characters you’ve portrayed, which have you connected with the most on a personal level? They tend to be either Jewish parts, gay parts, or even South African parts, all of which are aspects of my identity. Whenever one of those parts comes along, I sort of have a special feel for it - like when I played the Drag Queen in Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy, or the one-man play I did about Holocaust survivor Primo Levi. Shylock in Shakespeare or Athol Fughard’s Hello And Goodbye are all roles with which I’ve felt I have a special affinity. As well as being an actor, you’re also a renowned artist and writer. With which of those disciplines do you feel most at home, and does one inform the other two? As an artist, I most enjoy portraiture. And, of course, that’s exactly what acting is. You’re doing a form of portraiture. What I love about the three is that if I get fed up with one, I can do the others. Working in any of the creative arts can be frustrating at times, and I’ve certainly had periods where I’ve thought, ‘Oh, I’m fed up with this acting lark, so I’ll write now, or paint’. Then you get fed up with painting and think, ‘I’ll do a bit of acting now’. It’s also very useful, because I’m a workaholic. With acting, once you’ve got a show on, you’re only working for two or three hours in the evening. I need much more than that to keep myself going, so I’ll often be writing or painting in the days when I’ve got a show in the evening. Is it true that you paint a picture of yourself in character at the end of each run? Yes, I do a sort of version. It will be more about how I felt in the role rather than an exact physical image of me. Is that a cathartic process, a closure on another segment of your career? I suppose so. I love looking back at the different characters, and the fact that I’ve captured them on canvas is a nice thing for me to have. First and foremost you’re a theatre actor. What attracts you to performing on stage rather than appearing on screen? It’s very rare to get a film or TV script that is as rich as a Shakespeare play. With the latter, you’ve simply got the best. The language is fantastic, and his insight into human behaviour is remarkable. You just get served a rich meal
in a way in which most TV and film scripts are unable to deliver. I’m very greedy for the richness that Shakespeare offers, and I think that stage plays - not just Shakespeare - are probably richer experiences for the actor than TV roles. You mentioned in the past that you consider yourself to be an outsider in the UK. Is that still the case, or is it something you’ve come to terms with? It’s sewn into my DNA. Being Jewish and gay, certainly in the South Africa that I was growing up in, neither of those things was liked very much. Being gay was completely outlawed, and I certainly grew up thinking I was from Mars in terms of that. The racism in the old South Africa wasn’t only against Blacks, it was also a pretty anti-semitic country, so I grew up with those feelings. But of course, that’s not the situation in my life now. I’m completely accepted for what I am, but you don’t ever completely lose those childhood feelings. They’re part of what makes you. You’re touring with Henry IV after it’s finished in Stratford. Does touring a production have any impact on you as a performer? I quite like it. Each town or city you go to, you find that the character of the audience changes slightly. It’s a fact that people who live in different parts of the country react differently, and I find that rather invigorating. You touched on your relationship with Gregory. You’re reported as saying that, when he became RSC Artistic Director, you were worried you wouldn’t see as much of him. Is that all panning out okay? So far - touch wood! - it’s working out very well. That’s partly because we absolutely make sure that we get time together and that we take holidays. And now, of course, we’re working together again. Prior to Henry IV, we hadn’t worked together for about ten years, so it’s a real treat to be together all the time at the moment. The plays are being screened live to cinemas. Do you think this relatively new initiative has any downsides, or can it only be a good thing? I think it’s fantastic, the amount of people it can reach. I appeared in a live screening at the National Theatre, and I remember feeling terribly moved that particular evening as I went into my dressing room. As I started getting ready, I became aware that my family in South Africa were travelling to a local cinema, as was Greg’s sister in Colorado. All over the world and all over the UK, people were going to the cinema to see a live screening of a show that I was about to go on stage and appear in. Finally, have there been any roles which you’ve later regretted turning down? Yes, there have been. Only one occasion in the theatre and only one occasion in film where I’ve made that mistake, but I’ve also made a lot of very good choices... We’re with you there, Antony... Henry IV Parts I & II play at Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon until Sat 6 September Read the full interview online at www.whatsonlive.co.uk
www.whatsonlive.co.uk 7
Mitch Benn interview_Layout 1 24/03/2014 10:46 Page 1
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I’ve often thought that offensive humour is a bit of an oddity. In my mind, if something’s offensive, then it’s not funny.
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Mitch Benn on how he ended up as the 37th Beatle...
8 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
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interview... A regular contributor to BBC Radio Four’s The Now Show and BBC Radio Two’s It’s Been A Bad Week, Mitch Benn is one of the UK’s most accomplished writers and performers of comic songs. The recipient of numerous awards, Mitch recently had his first novel published and is currently touring the country with his new show, the intriguingly titled Mitch Benn Is The 37th Beatle. What’s On caught up with him ahead of his forthcoming Shrewsbury and Stafford dates... How did Mitch Benn Is The 37th Beatle come about? It’s an expansion of a show I did last year in Edinburgh. I came up with the idea almost exactly a year ago, when a guy called Tony Sheridan died. Sheridan was a British rockand-roll singer who was living in Hamburg at the same time as the Beatles in the early ’60s. Sheridan’s group actually put a record out while in Germany, and the Beatles were dragged in to be the backing band. It was the first proper record that they were on. When Sheridan died, a lot of obituaries began with ‘sometimes referred to as the fifth Beatle’, and I thought, “hang on, how many people have I heard referred to as ‘the fifth Beatle’? Quite a lot - and they can’t all be the fifth. Arithmetic alone dictates that they can’t be”. So following that rationale, I reckoned I was probably about twenty-ninth, so I added them all up and I came in at thirty-seventh. I’ve been dragging the show around for a couple of months now, and it’s probably got the best response of anything I’ve ever done. Are the songs you sing set to Beatles riffs? I only do one Beatles song in the show. There are a bunch of songs, some which I’ve written for this and some which I wrote a couple of years ago that I’ve dug up. One thing I don’t do is write songs to other people’s tunes mainly because it’s a bit cheap and obvious, but also because you end up with material you don’t own. You can’t put it out on records and you can’t use it on TV. A lot of musical comics use other people’s material within a cabaret setting, and I don’t think anyone really objects to that, but you’re very restricted in terms of any additional exploitation. For this new show, I’ve got a bunch of songs, some of which sound like a Beatles song you’ve never heard before, and a few based on a particular Beatles song. One of the things I find with the show is that, if anything, people tend to underrate the Beatles. People don’t really get how important they were in terms of their influence on pop culture. They were decades ahead of their time in many respects, and I illustrate this with a dance track called Tomorrow Never Knows, which came out in 1966. It was absolutely a dance track; not just in the way it sounds - the Chemical Brothers have been trying to reproduce it - but also because it was put together with loops and samples. What I do is refer back to how they created this, and then I kind of reproduce it myself - which is interesting, because it’s a track which is impossible to replicate live. Not only do I do it live, I also do it acappella. How many songs are there in total? All told, I think there are ten. Most of them are quite short, but one is incredibly long. I was trying to think of the perfect way to end the show and thought to myself, ‘how did the Beatles end?’. Unusually, they knew when it was all over. They actually had an ending, so I thought maybe I could do something that refers to that. And that’s what I’ve done. It’s probably one of the more ambitious things I’ve ever done.
Are you attracting ardent Beatles fans or is it mainly your established fanbase? I think there’s a fair bit of crossover, purely because it’s The Beatles we’re talking about. What would be interesting is if people were coming along who’re fans of mine but weren’t into the Beatles. I think we’ve had a few of those, and from my point of view it’s quite nice to bang the drum for them. Was there a defining moment when you realised you were funny? I don’t really know. Before I did stand-up I’d been doing student and ‘youth’ things, so when I first started doing this, I incorporated bits I’d written for that. It wasn’t quite ‘wing and a prayer’, and the music has been in my material from Day One. I thought, ‘if you’re going to do this, it’s got to be all arms to the pumps. Anything you’ve got in your armoury, there’s no shame in using it’. I know a lot of comedians who’re very good musicians in their spare time, and who’ve never incorporated it into their material. I have a certain amount of admiration for that. In my case, though, it honestly never occurred to me not to use it. It gave me a little niche, and it’s down to that more than anything else. You produce an awful lot of material. What’s the starting point when writing new songs? The joke. What’s the gag? Or, if you’re trying to make a point, what’s the point? Do you ever get to the stage where it’s not going as you’d like and you have to cast it aside? There have been a couple of things. Funnily enough, it’s the more-involved projects that’ve ended up going by the wayside. It all gets a bit complicated, and you get to the stage where you can’t see the wood for the trees. Sometimes you just junk it and start all over again. I’m not doing it on this tour, because it doesn’t fit the format, but often, at the end of Part One of a show, I ask for ideas from the audience, write something during the interval and perform it at the beginning of Part Two. I’ve always come up with something. It might not always be completely brilliant, but I’ve never struck out. That’s an awful lots of pressure you put yourself under... Pressure is what it’s all about. People often ask me where I get my ideas from, and I tell them there are two sources - debt and deadline. It’s amazing what you can achieve when you literally have no option other than to achieve it. Is there a place and a time when you feel you’re at your most creative? Wherever I have to be. There’s a place I go to write, which is a barn belonging to my wife’s uncle in the Peak District. When I’ve got a book deadline, or maybe a couple of weeks off, I go and hide out there. I also like vanishing into my own imagination, but I feel quite guilty when I do that, as I think it’s timewasting and there’s something else that I should be doing and I’m not.
Do you set yourself a time limit when composing? Not really. Sometimes I’m just up against a deadline because the deadline is there. When I’m working for the Now Show, everything has an inherent time frame. It doesn’t matter if I choose to impose it on myself or not. With most of what I do, it’s quite unusual for me to write something just because I feel like it. Most of the time I’m doing it because I’ve been engaged to. An exception to this was the Pride Of The BBC song, which took off a few years ago. I literally wrote that out of nothing. I was fed up with all the flack the BBC was getting from the rest of the media, and I had the impression that a lot of the public were a bit tired of it as well. If people have a legitimate problem with the BBC, then that’s one thing but what people have to understand is that most of the trash spoken about the BBC from the rest of the media is nothing other than commercial sabotage. One of the problems for the BBC is that because it’s essentially - if not technically - publicly funded, it never really speaks up for itself. It never fights its own corner, so I thought maybe I’d do it. That project took a long time. Lyrically, it was unbelievably tricky; there were about three hundred TV and radio shows, and I had to get them to rhyme. But what took the real time wasn’t writing it, it was learning it. I normally get my lyrics down quite quickly, but that took me a long time to learn. Do you have a favourite place to perform? I love doing Glastonbury. Last year I was on at the same time as the Stones, and I’m amazed anybody turned up to see me. I remember thinking, ‘the pressure’s on, because these people in this tent have chosen to come and see me over seeing the Rolling Stones!’. In terms of your material, is there ever a subject matter that’s taboo? I wouldn’t say there’s an absolutely taboo subject, but there are some things which are just so hard to make funny, you’d probably just upset yourself and everyone else by trying. You have to be realistic. I have the right to crack jokes about everything. The question is, do I have the capacity to crack jokes about everything? Am I that good that I can take the most abhorrent subjects and make them funny? I’ve often thought that offensive humour is a bit of an oddity. In my mind, if something’s offensive, then it’s not funny. I’m also quite suspicious of self-consciously dark humour. It seems to be dissipating a bit at the moment, but about ten years ago there was this obsession with being really bleak and dark in stand-up; somehow it was the most manly thing to do. My problem with it is that I think it shifts the burden onto the audience. It makes it their job to find you funny, rather than it being your job to make them laugh. As a comedian, I believe it’s never the audience’s responsibility to find you funny. Mitch Benn performs at Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 12 April; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 25 April
Read the full interview with Mitch at www.whatsonlive.co.uk 9
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The past and t h e P r e S e n t ROLLED INTO ONE...
ShrewSbury welcomeS new muSeum and art gallery A project five years in the making finally comes to fruition this month with the opening of the council-run Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery. The curtain goes up on the new venture on 1 April, with an impressive programme of events awaiting visitors. Housed within the town’s grade II Victorian Music Hall and one of the country’s rare thirteenth century mansions, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery will feature a broad range of artefacts alongside a rolling programme of contemporary art, commencing with Frank Cohen’s internationally acclaimed collection.
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feature... THE BUILDING... Described as a rescue mission rather than a restoration project, the museum’s space spreads over two of Shrewsbury’s most impressive buildings, with the unusual architecture and rich history provided by the two said to be just as intriguing to visitors as the collections housed within. Vaughan’s Mansion, dating back to 1290, is the oldest part of the complex, and is one of the few examples of an urban stonehouse left in the country. Meanwhile, the Music Hall, built in 1840 and designed by Edward Haycock Snr, forms the main structure. Having once been used as the base for the town’s fire service, the latter is best known for being Shrewsbury’s main entertainment venue up until the opening of Theatre Severn in 2009. Over the years, a veritable who’s who of the entertainment world performed at the Music Hall, including The Beatles in 1963.
WHAT LIES WITHIN... Undertaking a journey back in time, visitors are guided through an interactive experience. Key historical moments from the Early Prehistoric and Ice Ages and from Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Stuart times - as well as from the Industrial Revolution - are all included. Areas dedicated to River Life, Costume, Lost Country Houses, Ceramics and Collecting also feature. A section focusing on Shrewsbury’s most famous resident, naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin, completes the static exhibits.
Family activities, holiday clubs, cultural trails and artefact handling all ensure that Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery keeps the experience of learning at the centre of its work.
“This is an exciting time for Shropshire Museums, as many years of hard work come to fruition. We look forward to opening the doors of the new museum to the public, and sharing this fantastic new facility for Shrewsbury and Shropshire with visitors from around the world” Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council
HIDDEN SECRETS... Peeling back the historic layers of the building, workers unearthed a host of secrets buried deep within its fabric. These included: • A makeshift box, hidden between the joists, containing the skeleton of a fish wrapped in paper. An inscription inside the box read: “Dear Friends, here lie the remains...” with the rest of the message obscured. • Two medieval doors were discovered in the courtyard of the house. Both were within their original frames. • The Mytton family coat of arms. • Nineteenth century police holding cells and a twentieth century nuclear bunker, with concrete walls one metre thick, were revealed during the early stages of the restoration.
EXHIBITIONS... A rolling programme of contemporary art exhibitions from internationally renowned artists and curators is set to put Shrewsbury on the map, starting with the Frank Cohen exhibition, which shows at the venue until 30 June. Works by Tracey Emin, Damien Hirst, Charming Baker and Jake and Dinos Chapman - as well as pieces from rising stars championed by Cohen - have been chosen for the way they resonate with the museum’s Darwinian theme. The exhibition will be supported by a series of special installations from a group of artists and historians commissioned to curate areas of the collection and bring them to life with their new works. These include Shirley Chubb’s Charles Darwin’s Thinking Path; llana Halperin’s Intimate Geology - a display celebrating the beauty and significance of the geology collections; Neil Brownsword’s Unsung Heroes Of Ceramics - a film which records and celebrates the people and processes behind the pottery industry; and Jon Thomson and Alison Craighead’s The Now And The Hear - using live online material such as security webcams, audio feeds and chat room text transcripts to challenge people’s perceptions of time, and question their understanding of global events. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 11
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I’m not an overly emotional person in everyday life or in conversation. I suppose my songs are where I get all of that emotional crap out.
”
James Blunt brings his Moon Landings tour to Wolverhampton... James Blunt’s 2007 single You’re Beautiful, from his debut album Back To Bedlam, was an instant success, propelling the former army captain to overnight stardom. Three albums, three stints at Glastonbury and numerous tours later, James is back on the road with Moon Landings his biggest and most expensive tour to date. What’s On recently caught up with him in Austria to find out what audiences can expect when the show stops off in Wolverhampton this month. Moon Landings sees you touring for the best part of this year and into 2015. Quite an adventurous project, James... This is the biggest production that I’ve ever taken on the road, and it looks pretty phenomenal. It’s certainly the most expensive tour I’ve ever done. As you say, it’s the Moon Landings Tour, so we’ve got modules on the stage. The response to that so far has been great. The numbers here in Europe have been pretty amazing. I’m playing in lots and lots of cities in Germany 12 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
and France, and performing to over ten thousand people a night. With the UK leg, we didn’t know how the album would be received, but it’s gone much better than anyone anticipated. We’d already booked ourselves into smaller venues, but at the same time we thought, “come on, we might as well put this same big show on and have some fun with it”. Even if it turns out to be a totally unprofitable experience, at least it’s going to look great!
Will it be scaled down for Wolverhampton? No, we’ve got the lasers in the Civic and we’re firing on all cylinders. It’s going to look amazing! Was it a conscious decision to take the tour into Europe before performing in the UK? No, it was just the way it fell into place with the different venues. I’ve always wanted to play at the Albert Hall, and June was the
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interview... only date that was free, so we kind of built the tour around that. So a dream come true, then... Well, we’ll see when I play there. It might be a nightmare. You’ve described Moon Landings as going back to basics and discovering the power of music. Why has it taken until your fourth album to strip things back? I think each album had its own little reason behind it. The first album was on a budget and was just an innocent, naive album from a guy on an Indie label recording with an Indie producer - Tom Rothrock, who worked with Beck, Elliott Smith and Badly Drawn Boy. But it had You’re Beautiful on it, which stripped it of all its Indie roots and threw it into that dirty place called ‘the mainstream’. I was thrown into the public eye, and so my second album, All The Lost Souls, was a response to that. It was a dark and not very happy-sounding album. By the third album, I supposed I’d got more comfortable with it, and I was writing songs to fill the arenas I was playing - you don’t pick up an acoustic guitar to fill an arena, you pick up an electric guitar. I wrote songs with the audience in mind, and was therefore writing words that I thought they might like to hear. We had an amazing third world tour. It was really great fun. But for this fourth album, having done that and having had great fun, I just wanted to do something for myself. So I wrote much more personal songs, not ones with the audience in mind. The songs said things that I needed to say, explaining how I felt inside - and as a musician rather than a pop star, I suppose. The songs are very personal. And then, to record it, I needed to do it in the same innocent, genuine way that I’d done Back To Bedlam, without the audience in mind. There was only one person who could do that for me, and that was the guy who was there before the audience was there - Tom Rothrock, the producer who made Back To Bedlam. Do you think you needed to go through that process to get to where you are now? Exactly. I think it was all a natural reaction to things exploding in the way that they did. If You’re Beautiful hadn’t gone mainstream, this album is probably what I would’ve recorded as a second album. So does Moon Landings represent you best as an artist? I’m definitely very much at ease with how it sounds. I’m certainly not trying to be anyone else, or be influenced by anyone else. I think all of the other albums are still from the heart, but this one - because I’ve written it for myself - is definitely very genuine, and I think that comes across. Do you have a favourite song on the album? Always Hate Me. It probably won’t ever be a single but it’s a really cool song. It sounds like a Spaghetti Western, with two cowboys about to have a shoot-out. I’d be one of the cowboys, and perhaps an ex-girlfriend would be the other. For most musicians, writing is a cathartic process. Is that the case with you? Yeah. I suppose I write quite emotionally
heavy songs, but I’m not an overly emotional person in everyday life or in conversation. I suppose my songs are where I get all of that emotional crap out. Did your time in the army inspire your music? Yeah - very much along the way, of course. On this album, there’s a song called Blue On Blue - the military term for friendly fire, where two soldiers in the same army shoot each other by mistake. I suppose we do that in our relationships. It’s always the ones we love the most that we end up hurting. What did your army experience teach you about yourself? I don’t know whether it taught me a lot about myself, but it did teach me a great deal about other people. Our news channels always talk about the fear of other people and the differences between us, but I play all over the world, and people - whether they’re black or white, male or female, straight or gay, Muslim, Christian or Jewish - all seem to want the same thing; to be safe and secure, to find a connection with other people, and to love... Was being a musician always on your radar? Yes, definitely! I started playing the guitar at fourteen, and that’s when I wrote my first song. I was playing the piano before that, but I found classical training and playing through grades really boring - playing Mozart’s Sonata in F sharp minor is not a great way to impress your mates! With the guitar, I could play songs that I’d hear on the radio, and that was much more fun. Who’s inspired you most as a musician? Probably Paul Simon. David Bowie, perhaps, and Elton John, who runs my management firm. They look after me now, and Elton’s been a real support over the years.
Your responses to criticism on Twitter have earned you quite a few column inches. Do you always have the last laugh? I’m just messing around. I don’t ever think I’m having the last laugh, as I’m only ever abusing myself. I’m only taking the piss out of myself and laughing at the fact that we take Twitter so seriously. It’s weird that people’s responses make the news. I wouldn’t be on Twitter if I didn’t do music. What is Twitter? It’s people thinking their opinions should be heard. But the record labels want you to be on it, so I’m doing it my own way and am really enjoying taking the piss out of myself. For me, it’s kind of clear. We focus on the negative and take the negative so personally. With Twitter, what you’ve got to remember is that this bloke who’s writing something offensive on there about a guy he’s never met is probably all alone in his bedroom, in the shadows, with his trousers around his ankles and writing a few words saying “I don’t like you very much”. We focus on that and think it’s a big deal that someone’s getting abuse on Twitter. What we fail to realise is that someone like me is playing a concert where ten thousand people each night have bought a ticket. That’s ten thousand positive experiences. They’ve maybe bought an album and learned the words, they’ve maybe caught a train, hired a car or maybe even taken a flight to turn up at my concert and have a good time. All that the person who expresses hatred on Twitter has done is write a few words on their smart phone. If you ever turned the spotlight on them, or invited them to come anywhere near the stage, chances are they’d run a mile. I find it very hard to take all this very seriously. It’s just one person’s opinion, but everybody’s entitled to have one...
Which gig has made the most impact on you? I’ve always said that Glastonbury is one of the most amazing places to play. I’ve performed there three times, twice on the main stage. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I’d ever play there. Your track Miss American is said to be inspired by Whitney Houston. Is she someone you admired musically? I wouldn’t say I was a fan, but what struck me was her story. A similar story to Amy Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe and, I suppose, Princess Diana in many ways. The story of fragile people who are hunted down. The song essentially is about the relationship between the singer and an audience. Although I wrote it with her in mind, it’s about the singer and their audience, and how they’re kind of invited in, and how they then start to spectate and become part of that fragile performer’s downfall. Musically, what’s your guilty pleasure? I don’t think there’s such a thing as a guilty pleasure. I think that means you’re influenced by other people on your musical choices, and then feel ashamed to listen to something and not admit it to your friends. It sounds as if you haven’t got freedom of thought. Everything I listen to is not by guilt but by my own choice.
James Blunt plays Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall Fri 18 April www.whatsonlive.co.uk 13
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Music Matt Cardle The Place, Oakengates, Fri 25 April
Like so many other winners of TV talent competitions, Matt Cardle has struggled to cash in on his fifteen minutes of fame. Singer-songwriter Cardle took the X Factor crown in 2010 and enjoyed three weeks at the top of the charts with his million-selling winner’s single, When We Collide. Life’s been a bit quieter for the Southampton-born performer since then, however, although he’s proved popular enough to merit the release of three albums. His latest, Porcelain, came out in autumn 2013 and made a splash with the critics, many of whom feel it could be a real turning point in the singer’s career.
Jimi Goodwin The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 4 April
“I wanted to make this mad mixtape,” says Jimi Goodwin of his recently released first solo album Odulek. “The kind you’d pass back and forth with your mates; eclectic as fuck. That’s the way we’ve all discovered music over the years, isn’t it? We join our own dots to make it all make sense.” The lead singer, bassist and guitarist for Doves, Jimi’s appearing at The Sugarmill as part of a warm-up schedule for a forthcoming tour in support of Elbow.
Tich The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Sat 12 April
Counting One Direction’s Harry and Louis as fans, Tich has a number of male celebrity fans including Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers, who co-wrote Breathe In, Breathe Out, the single she’s releasing this month. Recently accompanying James Arthur on his debut UK tour, she’s also supported JLS, Olly Murs and Pixie Lott. A breath of fresh air, the twenty-year-old has admitted that she once asked Nick Jonas if he had any brothers, and that she cried throughout a Britney Spears concert.
Justin Timberlake LG Arena, Fri 11 - Sat 12 April
Just confirmed to headline this year’s V Festival, Justin Timberlake is donning a suit and tie to delight audiences across the globe on his 20/20 Experience World Tour. The multiGrammy and Emmy award-winning Timberlake made a triumphant return to music in 2013 with not one but two studio albums, and is a man of many talents. Known for his breakout movie roles in The Social Network and Friends With Benefits, he’s also coowner of myspace, as well as a record label, restaurants, and clothing line William Rast. Shimmying across stages for nine UK shows, he plays two Birmingham dates.
Manic Street Preachers Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Sun 6 April
Nearly thirty years of producing high-quality material has seen the Manics claim their place in the upper echelons of British rock. After hitting the big-time with a cover of Suicide Is Painless in the early ’90s, they survived the disappearance of band member Richey James to go on and enjoy mega-success with A Design For Life, from the album Everything Must Go. They appear in Wolverhampton in support of their most recent album, Rewind The Film, and will also be previewing this year’s release, Futurology.
www.whatsonlive.co.uk 15
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“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 EASY WAY TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE
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
whatsonlive.co.uk
£18 Full Price, £15 Concessions, £10 for under 18’s The most comprehensive what’s on listings website for Birmingham and the West Midlands
16 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
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Music PREVIEWS Elbow LG Arena, Birmingham, Sat 5 April
British band Elbow have played together since 1990, picking up the 2008 Mercury Music Prize for their album The Seldom Seen Kid. In 2012, the group released First Steps, the BBC theme for the London Olympics. Originally called Mr Soft, their music embraces various genres, including indie rock, art rock, new prog, post-Britpop and, most evidently, alternative rock. The band have a busy spring/summer schedule, embarking on tours of both the UK and North America as well as playing multiple festival slots. Jimi Goodwin supports.
Lucy Ward Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, Mon 21 April
Ben Harper
Hailing from Derby, Lucy Ward won the Horizon Award in 2012 and was nominated as this year’s BBC Radio Two Folk Singer Of The Year. Possessing a voice that’s been called ‘expressive and powerful’, she names Joni Mitchell and Joan Armatrading as her inspirations. A talented songwriter, she recently picked up Best Original Song at the Spiral Earth Awards, and has been called one of the UK folk scene’s hottest performers. Here appearing with her new band, she showcases songs from second album Single Flame.
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tues 29 April
American singer-songwriter Ben is a threetime Grammy award-winner who’s garnered plenty of praise for his guitar-playing skills. Stopping off in Birmingham as part of his first ever acoustic headline tour, he’ll be playing his trademark Weissenborn guitar and presenting a blend of southern gospel, ’70s funk, blues, reggae and rock-and-roll. Often singing songs that are either politicised or about the pain of heartbreak, Harper has built up a significant fanbase in Europe, and was once described by Rolling Stone magazine as a man who played slide guitar ‘with flashes of Hendrixian fire’. Praise indeed.
Status Quo
Megson
CIvic Hall, Wolverhampton, Thurs 3 & Thurs 10 April
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 27 April
Iconic rockers Status Quo hold the record for both the most appearances on Top Of The Pops and the greatest number of UK chart recordings. They’ve also sold around one hundred-and-twenty million records worldwide - not a bad achievement for a group of lads who were still at school when they decided to hook up and form a band. Originally called The Scorpions when they came together in 1962 (then The Spectres, then Traffic Jam), Quo hit the big-time with 1967’s Pictures Of Matchstick Men, and they’ve been banging out the hits ever since.
Since releasing first album On The Side in 2004, husband-and-wife team Stu and Debbie Hanna have gone on to develop an enviable reputation on the English folk music circuit. The duo have been hailed as both fresh and innovative (a description which is hardly surprising, given that Debbie is classically trained and Stu’s a former punk!) and specialise in self-composed melodies which bring together intimate harmony singing and multi-instrumental acoustic playing. The pair have released numerous albums since On The Side, with their latest studio offering, In A Box, set for release in May.
The Wildhearts Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, Tues 8 April
Gary Barlow LG Arena, Birmingham, Tues 8 & Sat 19 April
Gary Barlow is a man who needs no introduction - but let’s pretend that he does. Highly acclaimed singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer and X Factor judge, Barlow shot to fame in the 1990s as the frontman and lead vocalist of Take That. The group split in 1996, reforming in 2005 and brilliantly re-establishing themselves as a major player on the global music scene. In the nine years between split and reformation, Barlow went from the highs of being heralded as the next George Michael to the lows of a poorly received second album. The Take That star was appointed OBE in 2012 for services to the music industry and charity.
The Wildhearts’ mix of hard rock and pop has put them in a category all of their own. Living a rock-and-roll lifestyle, the band’s been through numerous line-up changes, with Ginger being the only remaining founding member. Having reformed in 2012 for a one-off appearance, they’re now back with new album Albion, a special eight-date UK tour, and Scott Sorry on bass following a four-year break. Support comes from The Von Hertzen Brothers and Hey! Hello!
Buzzcocks The Robin, Bilston, Thurs 10 April
Forming, along with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, the original holy trinity of British punk, Buzzcocks are genuine, twenty-four carat punk rock royalty, with superstar groups such as REM, Nirvana and Green Day all having been happy to acknowledge the influence which the Bolton-originated band had on their music. Influential in terms of both the independent record movement and the Manchester music scene, the band were once hailed ‘the Beatles of punk’, their sound being described as a fusion of pop craftsmanship and rapid-fire punk energy. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 17
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LICHFIELD GUILDHALL APRIL Sun 6th Apr, 8pm
Fay Hield and the Hurricane Party
Tickets: £14.00
Fri 18th Apr, 8pm
The Lucy Ward Band Tickets: £16.00
Sat 26th Apr, 8pm
King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys
Tickets: £16.00
MAY Sat 3rd May, 8pm
Fred Zeppelin Tickets: £10.00
JULY Fri 11th to Sun 13th July
BEACON PARK, LICHFIELD
NTRY FREE E 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 winners of BATTLE OF THE BANDS and BATTLE ACOUSTICA 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
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Music GIG REVIEWS
Music LISTINGS
For further reviews, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk
For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk
One Republic O2 Academy, Birmingham
It’s been a few years since I last saw OneRepublic perform. On that occasion they were supporting Coldplay at the NIA. Back then, I remember thinking they had something special to offer so much so, in fact, that I left the venue thinking their performance was actually as good as Coldplay’s. This time, they packed Birmingham’s O2 Academy, and were welcomed back to the city in style. The popular American band now have three albums under their belt. Most of the set came from Native, their 2013 album, but also included quite a few tracks from 2009’s Waking Up and 2007’s Dreaming Out Loud. They kicked off with Light It Up, and the crowd immediately joined in. In fact, they joined in with each and every song, on occasion singing louder than Ryan Tedder himself. This was followed by Secrets, All The Right Moves and What You Wanted. Stop And Stare literally had everyone in the place joining in. Apologise, their worldwide number one hit, prompted even the bar staff to sing along - it’s no wonder it made the top spot in no fewer than sixteen countries. The band then performed stripped-down acoustic versions of Preacher and Come Home. While they did so, the back-screen displayed pictures of Birmingham landmarks and the queue getting into the 02 - a nice dedication to the city. There’s no doubt that frontman Ryan Tedder has a phenomenal vocal range, but he’s also a talented musician and songwriter, having worked with Beyonce, Adele and Leona Lewis, to name but a few. Credit must also go to the other band members, with a special mention for guitarist Zach Filkins - who stole the show with a stunning Spanish guitar solo - and Brent Kutzle on cello. OneRepublic took to the stage at 9pm and finished at 10.30, by which time I was wondering where the previous ninety minutes had gone. They left us with a three-song encore, with If I Lose Myself culminating in an impressive display of strobe lighting and a shower of confetti. A great end to a great night. Sarah Oliver ■■■■■
TUE 1 APR LET IT BE Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent BOY GEORGE The Institute, Birmingham CHRIS NORMAN & HIS BAND The Robin, Bilston SOUL DEVOTION The Jam House, B’ham MARMOZETS The Institute, Birmingham
WED 2 APR LET IT BE Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent THE ONCE The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham SUSAN BOYLE Symphony Hall, B’ham MCIT WOODWIND CONCERT Solihull School EMMA STEVENS The Robin, Bilston SPACE LADY & TWO DOGS Hare & Hounds, B’ham THE TANNAHILL WEAVERS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham SIMONE FELICE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ARTHUR DOHERTY BAND Stafford Gatehouse EMILY SMITH Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek
THU 3 APR
Metronomy The Institute, Birmingham
On a Friday that saw Franz Ferdinand and Drake play the city, Metronomy took to the stage at the historic Institute. Against a backdrop of white fluffy clouds - in keeping with their new album’s artwork - and dressed in their Love Letters video uniform of maroon blazer and white trousers, the fourpiece played the concert on neon-lit instruments. Launching into neo-gothic Monstrous, Month Of Sundays and title track Love Letters, they then shocked the crowd mid-gig by throwing in epic single The Look, followed by She Wants. It was here that the concert took a turn, with instrumental piece Boy Racer and the slowpaced Call Me leaving the crowd lifeless. Thankfully, blast from the past Holiday revived us with its Duran Duran riffs, and all was definitely forgiven by the time they played Everything Goes My Way and up-tempo new single I’m Aquarius. They flitted between albums for the duration of the set, with some tracks from Love Letters being well received (The Upsetter, Reservoir), while others left us speechless. Here lies the problem. Certain tracks from Love Letters are single-worthy and catchy, but perhaps not so lyrically and musically strong as The English Riviera. In a conscious move away from that album, Love Letters is, quite frankly, boring in places, reminiscent of music from an ’80s pinball machine and taking a theme it’s difficult to keep up with. Here’s to the next album. Alev Dervish ■■■
Disclosure The Institute, Birmingham
Following a successful 2013, brothers Guy and Howard Lawrence aka Disclosure - promised their Birmingham O2 Academy audience their ‘biggest and best show yet’. And they certainly didn’t disappoint. Performing hits songs F For You and White Noise, the latter of which recently won an NME award for Best Track, the Surrey siblings brought everything they could muster to the show. A combination of mesmerising visuals and incredible live music, the night was best described by one single word - electric! Abigail Whitehouse ■■■■
LET IT BE Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent PRONG The Slade Rooms, W’hampton STATUS QUO Civic Hall, Wolverhampton BLONDIED The Robin, Bilston THE ELO EXPERIENCE The Place, Oakengates 12 GAUGE, STONE BROKEN & MALLEN The Roadhouse, B’ham TRAVELS AND FOLKLORE Birmingham Conservatoire BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT The Institute, Birmingham 1EYE The Jam House, Birmingham BIG DEAL Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ELLIOTT SHARPE’S FOLIAGE Birmingham Conservatoire
FRI 4 APR LET IT BE Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent THE BLOCKHEADS The Robin, Bilston THE BEAT The Assembly, Leamington Spa THAT’LL BE THE DAY Stafford Gatehouse CLOUDBUSTING - A TRIBUTE TO KATE BUSH Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE FORTUNES Tamworth Assembly Rooms, Staffordshire A PROMS FOR ST GEORGE’S DAY Forest
Arts Centre, Walsall THERAPY? Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton TAKE TWO Irish Centre, Birmingham BARON GREENBACK, VICTORIAN WHOREDOGS & LORD MISERY Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham MORGAN HERITAGE The Institute, Birmingham HATS OFF TO LED ZEPPELIN Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth LIVEWIRE The Place, Oakengates, Telford THE PEATBOG FAIRIES Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire PAUL LAMB & THE KING SNAKES Artrix, Bromsgrove MATRIX CLUB MATRIX The Jam House, Birmingham THE GUNS N’ ROSES EXPERIENCE The River Rooms, Stourbridge BRYAN GEE The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury THE MAGIC OF THE BEATLES Huntingdon Hall, Worcester SNOWBLIND Route 44, Birmingham JIMI GOODWIN The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent EMBLEM3 O2 Academy, Birmingham BEYOND SEVENSIGNS The Asylum, B’ham DUKE, KARMA CORNER & THE BLACK FOX The Actress & Bishop, B’ham BLUES BROTHERS & SOUL SISTERS TRIBUTE NIGHT The Great Barr Hotel, Birmingham KARMA CORNER The Flapper, Birmingham JOHNNY KOWALSKI & THE SEXY WEIRDOS Hare & Hounds, Birmingaham SANGRE DE MUERDAGO, CRYWANK & PERKIE Ort Cafe, Birmingham FRED ZEPPELIN The Roadhouse, B’ham STEVE AJAO BLUES GIANTS Symphony Hall, Birmingham
SAT 5 APR LET IT BE Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent THAT’LL BE THE DAY Stafford Gatehouse HATS OFF TO LED ZEPPELIN Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth MATRIX CLUB MATRIX The Jam House, Birmingham O’HOOLEY AND TIDOW Birchmeadow, Broseley, Shropshire THE MANFREDS Artrix, Bromsgrove ELBOW LG Arena, Birmingham SWIM WITH SHARKS Irish Centre, Birmingham THE SMITHS LTD The Roadhouse, B’ham DIRTY DC The Robin, Bilston
THE VIBE O2 Academy, Birmingham DEVILDRIVER Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton THE DRIFTERS Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock WALK OFF THE EARTH The Institute, B’ham KICK BACK THE 80S The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Shropshire THE BONNEVILLES The Assembly, Leamington Spa DARKSIDE - THE PINK FLOYD SHOW Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire KHIYO Symphony Hall, Birmingham SOLEY MOURNING The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE LITTLE DEATHS & PROLE POSITION The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE PEATBOG FAERIES Huntingdon Hall, Worcester CANTERBURY The Institute, Birmingham ULTRA 90’S The River Rooms, Stourbridge LET THERE B/D.C Loppington Village Hall, Shropshire THE DELTA RHYTHM, LUNA KISS MIDNIGHT CONVOY & PRIMER The Flapper, Birmingham GREG WILSON Hare & Hounds, Birmingham HIGHGRADE The Institute, Birmingham SLYDE ALIVE The Marr’s Bar, Worcester MS DYANAMITE Kasbah, Coventry THE WILD FLOWERS Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton
SUN 6 APR MANIC STREET PREACHERS Civic Hall, Wolverhampton OLIVER WAKEMAN & GORDON GILTRAP’S RAVEN’S AND LULLABIES The Robin, Bilston BLACKBEARD’S TEA PARTY The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Shropshire WOODEN HORSE Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham BLUEBIRD, COLLEGE, THE BLUE PERIOD & GUERRILLA MONSOON Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham FAY HIELD AND THE HURRICANE PARTY Lichfield Guildhall, Staffordshire NORTHERN SOUL & TAMLA MOTOWN NIGHT The River Rooms, Stourbridge PANKAJ UDHAS The New Bingley Hall, B’ham WORDS OF CONCRETE The Flapper, B’ham BENJAMIN CLEMENTINE The Glee Club, B’ham JAMES WALSH OF STARSAILOR Hare & Hounds, Birmingham TOSELAND The Assemb ly, Leamington Spa
MON 7 APR HARLESTORM O2 Academy, Birmingham SOPHIE ELLIS BEXTOR The Institute, B’ham
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Saturday 31st May Victoria Hall Stoke-on- Trent Tel: 0844 871 7649 For full details on all shows visit www.ratpack.biz 20 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
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Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk RIVERSIDE The Robin, Biston VELVET UNDERARM Crescent Theatre, B’ham ALY BAIN & PHIL CUNNINGHAM New Vic Theatre, Newcastle under Lyme RITA HOSKING Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury THE DUNNETT/BAXTER BIG BAND The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham PAUL THOMAS SAUNDERS Hare & Hounds, B’ham
TUE 8 APR GARY BARLOW LG Arena, Birmingham BOYCE AVENUE The Institute, Birmingham THE WILDHEARTS Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton LITTLE CAESAR The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA The Glee Club, Birmingham SKY LARKIN & ACE BUSHY STRIPTEASE Hare & Hounds, Birmingham GABRIELLA JONES The Jam House, B’ham ANTTIX The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury SCOTT MATTHEWS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham NEGURA BUNGET The Robin, Bilston JOHN LOWRIE QUARTET The Spotted Dog, Birmingham
WED 9 APR MOKOOMBA Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham AMARANTHE The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton VIN GARBUTT The Red Lion Folk Club, B’ham HUE AND CRY The Robin, Bilston CARAVAN Huntingdon Hall, Worcester THREE MANOEUVRE FUNKY ORGAN TRIO The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham TOSELAND The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent LOOP Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
THU 10 APR JOHNNY MATHIS LG Arena, Birmingham STATUS QUO Civic Hall, Wolverhampton GEORGE MONTAGUE Artrix, Bromsgrove THE LAST CARNIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham SUSAN BOYLE Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent MEMPHIS MAY FIRE O2 Academy, Birmingham BUZZCOCKS The Robin, Bilston CURB & SWERVE Sunflower Lounge, B’ham THE DEAD BETAS, UGLY LOVE, PUNK OF AGES & OH CAPTIVE The Road-
house, Birmingham THE STRUTS The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE FUREYS & DAVEY ARTHUR Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury QUILL Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MIDNIGHT SESSION The Jam House, B’ham FEAST OF FIDDLES Huntingdon Hall, Worcester TOM BROSSEAU The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THE NIGHTINGALES The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton PENETRATION The Institute, Birmingham THE CORRESPONDENTS The Institute, B’ham WHITE COAST REBELS Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham UPSCALE CLOTHES SHOW The Assembly, Leamington Spa GRIEVES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE FEW COLLECTIVE Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham
FRI 11 APR JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE LG Arena, Birmingham THE BOOTLEG BEATLES Malvern Theatres, Worcester THE HURLING BOYS DUO Irish Centre, B’ham MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham PARADISE CIRCUS, PROSPECT & HOLY CASPER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT The Assembly, Leamington Spa THE MOVE The Roadhouse, Birmingham MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS The Robin, Bilston ONLY THE GOOD The Asylum, Birmingham CODE 46 The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham THE SOLID SILVER 60S SHOW Birmingham Town Hall NOVANA O2 Academy, Birmingham THE MERSEY BEATLES Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury GERRY ACROSS THE MERSEY Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock THE ROAD TO BLISSFIELDS - HEAT The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent ARCANE ROOTS The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton ONLY ONE DIRECTION Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton KAIDEKA & OBEY Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham SKABUCKS The River Rooms, Stourbridge WE’VE ONLY JUST BEGUN Lichfield Garrick, Staffordshire HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
The Assembly, Leamington Spa TYRANNOSAURUS NEBULOUS The Flapper, Birmingham MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA The Marr’s Bar, Worcester THE BONFIRE RADICALS Ort Cafe, Birmingham A BLACK COUNTRY NIGHT OUT Palace Theatre, Redditch SHIELD PATTERNS The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry BEAT GOES BANG Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
SAT 12 APR JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE LG Arena, Birmingham MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham CELTIC FLAMES Artrix, Bromsgrove THE SEX PISTOLS EXPERIENCE O2 Academy, Birmingham BON GIOVI The Robin, Bilston FLARES PARTY BAND Route 44, Birmingham THE TRAPS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MATT CARDLE O2 Academy, Birmingham ABBA MANIA Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MITCH BENN IS THE 37TH BEATLE Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury STAR OF THE SEA Irish Centre, Birmingham PHIL HARTNOLL (ORBITAL) DJ SET Hare & Hounds, Birmingham ROY G HEMMINGS MOTOWN AND PHILADELPHIA ON TOUR The Place, Oakengates SIMON AND GARFUNKEL THROUGH THE YEARS The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich ATLAS The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham COMPLETE MADNESS Evesham Arts Centre, Worcester ONE STOP BOOGIE The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE FORTUNES - PAST & PRESENT Huntingdon Hall, Worcester 1977 The Roadhouse, Birmingham THE GET ALONGS The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent JACK WALLEN Ort Cafe, Birmingham GENO WASHINGTON Palace Theatre, Redditch COLD OCEAN LIES & OCEANIA Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham TICH The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury LOST ALONE & SCREAM BLUE MURDER Kasbah, Coventry THE ATROCITY, EXHIBIT, VICIOUS BASTARD, FESTUS CHRIST, GETS WORSE, WRONGDOING & DEATH TRIPPER Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham
SUN 13 APR PAUL CARRACK Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury CELTIC FLAMES Crewe Lyceum
CURVED AIR The Robin, Bilston WINDHAND The Asylum, Birmingham PATTI RUSSO O2 Academy, Birmingham GILMORE & ROBERTS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham THE SPIRIT & SOUND OF STEELY DAN NEARLY DAN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham PAT JORDAN & FINIANS RAINBOW Irish Centre, Birmingham BLACK ART, WEATHERED HANDS, SOMEONE SAID FIRE & OUR MOTHER SUNS The Flapper, Birmingham MUSED The Roadhouse, Birmingham
Anttix - The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury
MON 14 APR DEAF HAVANA Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton GAZPACHO The Assembly, Leamington Spa DAVID ROVICS Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham TAKE OFFENSE, EISBERG, WORLD EATER, COLD STARE & RESTRAINT The Flapper, Birmingham
TUE 15 APR FOREIGNER Civic Hall, Wolverhampton GETAWAY CLUB The Robin, Bilston DIANE CLUCK The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THESE KINGS, LYRE, LUMINANCE & KILLR PUNX The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham PAUL SAWTRELL PIANO The Jam House, B’ham CHRIS YOUNG SEXTET The Spotted Dog, Birmingham MADDY PRIOR WITH GILES LEWIN AND HANNAH JAMES Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham RAGLANS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham RODDIE WOOMBLE Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
WED 16 APR WITHIN TEMPTATION O2 Academy, Birmingham GOSPEL CENTRAL The Jam House, B’ham BRIDIE JACKSON & THE ARBOUR Artrix, Bromsgrove JULIE FELIX The Red Lion Folk Club, B’ham BEN REEL & ERIC ANDERSEN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE HIGH KINGS The Robin, Bilston EAGLES BORN VULTURES & ASH IS A ROBOT The Flapper, Birmingham ALL OUR YESTERDAYS Palace Theatre, Redditch APOLLO The River Rooms, Stourbridge
THU 17 APR THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN The Robin, Bilston LET’S HANG ON Birmingham Town Hall AN AUDIENCE WITH
SWARB Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury VEXXEN O2 Academy, Birmingham RED SHOES Symphony Hall, Birmingham KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS The Jam House, Birmingham JESSICA HOOP The Glee Club, Birmingham THE HEELS, TEMPTING ROSIE & JAMTIDY Hare & Hounds, Birmingham YOUR HEAD, THATCHER’S LOVE CHILD & PUMA XIII The Roadhouse, Birmingham BANTORIOUS DAN, CHAUCER & MR KLUGGS Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham JAWS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent THE SOUL SHAKEDOWN FUNK & SOUL SHOW Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton
FRI 18 APR THAT’LL BE THE DAY Wolverhampton Grand Theatre JAMES BLUNT Civic Hall, Wolverhampton QUEEN - FLASH The Robin, Bilston STOMP & HOLLER Artrix, Bromsgrove AC/DC TRIBUTE - HELLS BELLS The Roadhouse, Birmingham UB40 The Institute, Birmingham THE SUMMER SET O2 Academy, Birmingham LUCY WARD Lichfield Garrick, Staffordshire URBAN INTRO The Jam House, Birmingham 0WEN TROMANS The Marr’s Bar, Worcester BEE GEES FEVER The River Rooms, Stourbridge PAT BRESLIN Irish Centre, Birmingham FRAMED The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham HANSU-TORI Ikon Gallery, Birmingham THE EX, RATTLE, HEALTH & EFFICIENCY Hare &
Hounds, Birmingham THE SCREAMIN’ ABDABZ Route 44, Birmingham CHARLES DEXTER WARD & THE IMAGINEERS, RESURRECTION MEN & LIPSHOCK The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry NECK DEEP Kasbah, Coventry DETECTIVE, SWEET LILLY, THE HIGHS, THE SECOND CITY & PHYLO O2 Academy, Birmingham KIRVANA The Flapper, Birmingham
SAT 19 APR UB40 The Institute, Birmingham T.REXTASY The Robin, Bilston GARY BARLOW LG Arena, Birmingham THE TOY HEARTS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE U2 EXPERIENCE The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham BEN REEL & ERIC ANDERSEN Artrix, Bromsgrove THE ULTIMATE BOYBANDS SHOW The River Rooms, Stourbridge SUNSHINE FRISBEE LAZERBEAM, SUNSET CINEMA CLUB, ELEPHANTINE, HAPPYNESS & MIDNIGHT BONFIRES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham RAISE ON STAGE The Roadhouse, B’ham BREAKING SATELLITES The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent THE HANDSOME BEASTS Route 44, Birmingham THE FAUNS The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham FIGHT THE DICE O2 Academy, Birmingham SECOND CITY FIRE & THE EMISSARIES The Flapper, Birmingham JAWS The Institute, Birmingham STEVE FORBERT The Assembly, Leamington Spa SKEWWHIFF The Marr’s Bar, Worcester SYMPHONY STATES The Tin Music And Arts,
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BRAIN 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
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
www.brianyeates.co.uk 22 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
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Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Coventry FARRA O2 Academy, Birmingham HOTWIRED Irish Centre, Birmingham 10 YEARS OF THE RAINBOW VENUES The Rainbow Venues, B’ham URBAN TRIO The Jam House, Birmingham
SUN 20 APR MARTYR DE MONA Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton DEFINITELY MIGHT BE ADORED The Robin, Bilston ZIP, MR.G, ADAM SHELTON & SUBB-AN The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham ANGIE STONE The Drum, Birmingham LIMEHOUSE LIZZY The River Rooms, Stourbridge TUSSK, BEYOND THE ECLIPSE Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham SOUL II SOUL Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FROSTEASE The Roadhouse, Birmingham LEGENDS OF THE DARK BLACK The Institute, Birmingham IRENE & TOM Irish Centre, Birmingham ARBOR LIGHTS, POLAR WHITE, KARHIDE & A WEREWOLF! The Flapper, Birmingham
MON 21 APR AN EVENING WITH KENNY G Symphony Hall, Birmingham LUCY WARD Henry Tudor House, Birmingham SICK PUPPIES O2 Academy, Birmingham
TUE 22 APR MATT CARDLE Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS O2 Academy, Birmingham OF MICE & MEN The Institute, Birmingham THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton THE TAYLOR SWIFT EXPERIENCE The River Rooms, Stourbridge DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton FRANCESCA EGAN Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry SOUL ACOUSTIC The Glee Club, Birmingham CAPITAL GROOVE The Jam House, B’ham MATTHEW AND THE ATLAS Hare & Hounds, B’ham POP FACTOR Bedworth Civic Hall, Nuneaton TOM DUNNETT QUINTET The Spotted Dog, Birmingham THE SWEET LOWDOWN Kitchen Garden Cafe,
Birmingham
WED 23 APR PENTATONIX The Institute, Birmingham VENDENBERG’S MOONKINGS The Robin, Bilston THE CROOKES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham COVES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham IAN PARKER The Jam House, Birmingham JOHN KIRKPATRICK Huntingdon Hall, Worcester KVELERTAK The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE LORDS OF THYME Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
THU 24 APR DEL CAMINO The Jam House, Birmingham LARRY MILLER The Robin, Bilston ALKALINE TRIO The Institute, Birmingham SONS OF KEMET Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE COUNTERFEIT STONES Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury JACE EVERETT & DAN STUART Hare & Hounds, Birmingham OMG LIVE! LG Arena, Birmingham LET’S HANG ON Bedworth Civic Hall, Warwickshire SEX WOLF Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham THE CROOKES The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent BLOOD RED SHOES O2 Academy, Birmingham DA VINCI The Roadhouse, Birmingham SUGGS: MY LIFE STORY Palace Theatre, Redditch NICKLEBACK UK The River Rooms, Stourbridge SEAHAVEN WITH NAI HERVESTM BATTLELINES & JADED The Flapper, Birmingham
FRI 25 APR UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, B’ham GORDON ELVIS The Robin, Bilston CORTINA NIGHTS The Assembly, Leamington Spa THAT’LL BE THE DAY Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa FROM THE JAM The Buttermarket ALFA9, HEATHERS AND HOROWITZ Gladstone Pottery Museum, Uttoxeter FRAN THE MAN Irish Centre, Birmingham THE SMYTHS O2 Academy, Birmingham MAGNUM The Assembly, Leamington Spa IAN PROWSE AND AMSTERDAM The Slade
Rooms, Wolverhampton MOTOWN LEGENDS PARTY WITH SOUL LEGEND Nailcote Hall, Berkswell JANE MCDONALD Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent THE ROVING CROWS Artrix, Bromsgrove MATT CARDLE The Place, Oakengates NERIJA & THE JAZZLINES ENSEMBLE Symphony Hall, Birmingham THE STEVE GIBBONS BAND Ludlow Brewery, Shropshire HANDS LIKE HOUSES The Asylum, Birmingham MANIFEST The Drum, Birmingham P!NK MISS UNDERSTOOD The River Rooms, Stourbridge INTO THE SHADOWS Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth THE ELO EXPERIENCE The Swan Theatre, Worcester A PROMISE TO FORGET, KEEP THE CHANGE, RED METHOD, WAIT FOR THE FALL & NEVER BEEN LESS O2 Academy, Birmingham DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIOUS PIP Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry THE DINOSAUR CLUB Route 44, Birmingham WINSTON’S BIG BROTHER The Flapper, Birmingham WILDFLOWERS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham RUFUS The Institute, Birmingham SUGGS: MY LIFE STORY Malvern Theatres, Worcester WHO’S NEXT The Marr’s Bar, Worcester DAN HARTLAND Ort Cafe, Birmingham RADIO CLASH The Roadhouse, Birmingham 80’S TRIBUTE NIGHT The Great Barr Hotel, Birmingham PARADES The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THE SCRIBERS The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham
SAT 26 APR UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE The Jam House, Birmingham INTO THE SHADOWS Theatre On The Steps, Bridgnorth GO ON PUNK, MAKE MY DAY The Assembly, Leamington Spa KYLE EASTWOOD BAND Arena Theatre, Wolvherhampton GODSKITCHEN The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham LED BIB Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury KICK UP THE 80’S The Robin, Bilston THE SOLID SILVER 60’S SHOW Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent THE BIG CHRIS BARBER BAND Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa THE BEE GEES STORY Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury
IMOGEN’S KISS The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS Lichfield Guildhall, Staffordshire GUNS OR ROSES & SUBHUMAN RACE The Marr’s Bar, Worcester SAILSBURY CONCERT BAND Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire THE FULL SHA BANG Irish Centre, Birmingham THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK Evesham Arts Centre, Worcester QUEEN-FLASH The River Rooms, Stourbridge NURVRAX JAM The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham BRODY DALLE O2 Academy, Birmingham ROGUE AMBITION The Flapper, Birmingham TEK ONE & TYLER MAE Kasbah, Coventry THE FUREYS & DAVEY ARTHUR Palace Theatre, Redditch DIZZY LIZZY The Roadhouse, Birmingham WARPED ACOUSTIC BASEMENT TOUR The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton GLASSBULLET, SALVATION, FERAL SUN, BLACK TONGUE MESSIAH & SIGNS OF FIRE O2 Acadmey, Birmingham BIG TENT AND THE GYPSY LANTERN Ort Cafe, Birmingham ASH & LUCAS The Institute, Birmingham BETRAYAL WITHIN THE RANKS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent
SUN 27 APR THE ABBEY ROAD EXPERIENCE The Robin, Bilston MEGSON Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury PATSY REID & FRIENDS The Hive, Shrewsbury NORMA JEAN O2 Academy, Birmingham RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
Rufus Wainwright
ELI PAPERBOY REED O2 Academy, Birmingham STEPHEN SMYTH Irish Centre, Birmingham BIRDS OF CHICAGO Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham LEWIS J SMITH & JOE O’DONNELL’S SHKAYLA Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry
MON 28 APR PATENT PENDING & PEOPLE ON VACATION O2 Academy, Birmingham NEIL FINN Symphony Hall, Birmingham SIX TOWNS RADIO FM FUNDRAISER The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS O2 Academy, Birmingham
DAVID CAMPBELL & CHRIS CLEVERLEY Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
TUE 29 APR BEN HARPER Symphony Hall, Birmingham CLUTCH O2 Academy, Birmingham EDDI READER Huntingdon Hall, Worcester TOBY BOALCH SEXTET The Spotted Dog, Birmingham CHILDHOOD & DUMB Hare & Hounds, Birmingham 3 BOXES Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham RAE MORRIS The Institute, Birmingham
WED 30 APR SAUL ROSE & JAMES DELARRE The Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham BOB LOG III Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE MOULETTES The Robin, Bilston ROLL OUT THE BARREL Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock SUPERSTARS OF SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham MUTINEERS & MISTERNOTHING The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham BLITZ KIDS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent THE SWAPS Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham MARZY’S JAMMING NIGHT The Marr’s Bar, Worcester
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
For full music listings in the West Midlands, visit. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 23
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Classical Music PREVIEWS
András Schiff Birmingham Town Hall, Sat 12 April
Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff is one of the world’s most prolific classical performers. Although held in high regard for his keyboard interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann, it’s perhaps his performances of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music for which he’s most admired. Indeed, Schiff often says that Bach stands ‘at the core of his musicmaking’. This much-anticipated concert part of Bach: A Beautiful Mind 2014 - sees the celebrated pianist return to the Midlands to perform The Goldberg Variations, felt by many to be the German composer’s ‘crowning glory for the keyboard’. First published in 1741, the compositions are considered to be one of the most important examples of variation form.
Carducci String Quartet The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury, Sun 6 April
Comprising Matthew Denton and Michelle Fleming (violins), Eoin Schmidt-Martin (viola) and Emma Denton (cello), the Carducci String Quartet is highly celebrated for its contemporary repertoire. Returning to Shrewsbury as part of Shropshire Music’s 2013/14 season, the quartet present Turning-point Paris, an exploration of the music of four composers - Mozart, Turina, Piazzolla and Ravel - all of whom were changed by their experiences in the French capital.
London Philharmonic Orchestra
BCMG: Words And Music
Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 29 April
Emerging from within the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1987, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) remains true to its original core commitment - producing ambitious commissions, innovative collaborations and a vibrant learning programme. Since its inception, the company has premiered over one hundred-and-fifty new works, and continues to receive much critical acclaim. This three-part concert of experimental works is kicked off by Howard Skempton’s Only The Sound Remains. A thirty-fiveminute piece for viola and ensemble, it takes its title from the first line of Edward Thomas’ poem, The Mill Water. This is followed by Shiori Usui’s Deep, a work inspired by the BBC’s Blue Planet series, which promises to ‘transport’ audiences to the bottom of the ocean. Completing the programme is Samuel Beckett/Morton Feldman’s Words And Music. Deliberating on the comparative power of these two modes of expression, it’s a piece which was described by The Guardian as ‘totally involving’.
Founded by Sir Thomas Beecham in 1932 and widely regarded as one of the UK’s most adventurous and forward-thinking orchestras, the London Philharmonic has been the resident orchestra at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall for the last twenty-two years. Having attracted some of the biggest names in the conducting world - Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink and Sir Georg Solti included the orchestra currently falls under the direction of Principal Conductor Vladimir Jurowski, who’ll be holding the baton for this Stoke-onTrent concert. The programme comprises Mozart’s Symphony No.32, Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 (Pathetique). Yugoslavian guitarist Miloš Karadaglić also contributes. Photo credit; Richiard Cannon
24 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
CBSO Centre, Birmingham, Sun 27 April
English Chamber Orchestra With Julian Lloyd Webber St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury, Fri 11 April
With more than eight hundred-and-fiftyseven recordings of over one thousand, five hundred works by more than four hundred composers under its belt, it’s easy to see why the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is thought to be the world’s most recorded chamber orchestra. Having performed in more countries than any other orchestra, the ECO this month stops off in the picturesque Shropshire town of Shrewsbury, where it’ll be joined by celebrated cellist Julian Lloyd Webber. Elgar’s Sospiri, Vaughan Williams’ Prelude From Charterhouse Suite and Walton’s Touch Her Sweet Lips And Part all feature in a programme of works by both well-known and not-so-well-known English composers.
Classical April Region Two_Layout 1 24/03/2014 10:44 Page 2
Classical LISTINGS For full listing information on classical concerts, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk HARRIET CARR Programme includes works by Schubert, Hindemith & Vieuxtemps, Tues 1 Apr, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham PAULINE OLIVEROS A solo accordion performance featuring special guests, Tues 1 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire. DECIBEL PERFORMS PHILIP GLASS A rare performance of Philip Glass’ ground-breaking early minimal compositions, Tue 1 Apr, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham SUSAN BOYLE Wed 2 Apr, Symphony Hall, Birmingham THREE WIND BAND CONCERT Wed 2 Apr, Guy Nelson Hall, Warwick ELYSIAN QUARTET AND NUNTEMPA present the European premiere of Elliot Sharp’s Occam’s Razor, Wed 2 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire HOWARD SKEMPTON WITH VIA NOVA Programme features Pauline Oliveros’ Sound Patterns & Robert Ashley’s She Was A Visitor, Wed 2 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire DECIBEL The Frontiers Festival Resident Ensemble presents a programme of works by Birmingham Conservatoire students alongside music by young New York composers Tristan Perich, Anna Clyne and Missy Mazzoli, Wed 2 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire NOSZFERATU Wed 2 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire BEAT IT! Percussionists led by Maraca2, Part II, Thurs 3 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire LANG LANG Fri 4 Apr, Symphony Hall, Birmingham TERRY RILEY’S IN C This performance is led by Northern Irish bandleader Sid Peacock, with musicians from his Surge Orchestra, the Thallein Ensemble and special guest Christopher Hobbs, Fri 4 Apr, Library Of Birmingham DECIBEL Performing works from Robert Ashley & Birmingham Conservatoire Composers, Fri 4 Apr, Birmingham Conservatoire MUSIC FOR LUNCH RECITAL Performed by Jonathan Stamp, Fri 4 Apr, Birmingham Cathedral ALCESTER MALE VOICE CHOIR Sat 5 Apr, Symphony Hall, Birmingham CARMINA BURANA Sat 5 Apr, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent THE SEVEN LAST WORDS
Programme includes works by Haydn & Kodaly, Sat 5 Apr, Bramall Music Building, Birmingham VAN BAERLE TRIO Programme includes works by Mendelssohn & Brahms, Sun 6 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET Sun 6 Apr, The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury SINGTASTIC Sun 6 Apr, Symphony Hall, Birmingham HALESOWEN ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Grieg & Beethoven, Sun 6 Apr, Cornbow Hall, Halesowen RAPHAEL WALLFISCH: THE ROMANTIC CELLIST Performed by Orchestra of the Swan. Featuring David Curtis (conductor) and Raphael Wallfisch (cello). Programme includes works by Mozart, Schumann and Beethoven, Wed 9 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall LA BOHEME: LIVE MET BROADCAST Wed 9 Apr, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Shropshire SUSAN BOYLE Thurs 10 Apr, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent BBC PHILHARMONIC: CLASSICAL MASTERWORKS Featuring; Richard Farnes (conductor) and Elena Urioste (soloist). Programme includes works by Brahms, Beethoven & Rimsky-Korsakov, Fri 11 Apr, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent ENGLISH CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AND JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER Programme includes works by Vaughan Williams, Elgar, Delius, Walton, Howard Goodall, Vivaldi, Ireland and William Lloyd Webber, Fri 11 Apr, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury BAROQUE ENSEMBLE Featuring The Royal Society of Musicians, Fri 11 Apr, CBSO Centre, Birmingham LAST NIGHT OF THE ROTARY PROMS Featuring the Treorchy Male Choir & Anthony Inglis & Jeffrey Howard (conductors). Programme includes works by Shostakovich, Davies, Strauss, Løvland, Steffe, Tchaikovsky, Schönberg, Parry, Thiele, Mendelssohn, Wagner, Wood, Arne & Elgar, Fri 11 Apr, Symphony Hall, B’ham BACH AT THE HARPSICHORD Presented & played by Richard Egarr. Programme includes works by JS Bach, Sat 12 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall
ANDRAS SCHIFF PLAYS THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS Sat 12 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall THE BRITISH POLICE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Programme includes Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Sat 12 Apr, Lichfield Garrick THE BRODSKY QUARTET Programme includes works by Mozart, Fugue, Schubert & Zemlinsky, Sat 12 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire SHREWSBURY CHORAL SOCIETY: THE FRENCH CONNECTION Featuring William Hayward (conductor) & Alison Kingshott (soloist). Programme comprises Gabriel Faure's Pavane, Ave Verum's Requiem & Cantique de Jean Racine, Sat 12 Apr, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL CHORUS - ELGAR & THE APOSTLES Ben Lamb conducts a performance of Edgar Elgar's great choral work The Apostles with Darwin Ensemble Chamber Orchestra, Sat 12 Apr, Lichfield Cathedral THE ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC Featuring Richard Egarr (harpsichord and director). Programme includes works by JS Bach, Sun 13 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall BACH AT THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS David Goode brings his clarity, command and vision to some of Bach’s towering organ works, and two centuries’-worth of awed tributes in sonorous romantic style, Sun 13 Apr, Symphony Hall, B’ham THOMAS TROTTER FAMILY CONCERT Mon 14 Apr, Symphony Hall, B’ham DERUFLE’S REQUIEM Requiem concert with singing from the Girls’ and Men's choirs of Birmingham Cathedral, Mon 14 Apr, Birmingham Cathedral PUBLIC MASTERCLASS WITH JULIAN JACOBSON Thurs 17 Apr, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham GOOD FRIDAY BACH ST JOHN PASSION Featuring the Ex Cathedra Choir and Baroque Orchestra, Jeffery Skidmore (conductor), Samuel Boden (Evangelist), Peter Harvey (Jesus) and Greg Skidmore (Pilate), Fri 18 Apr, Symphony Hall, B’ham NATIONAL YOUTH CHOIRS OF GREAT BRITAIN 25th Anniversary Gala, Fri 18 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall ST GEORGE’S DAY ANNUAL CELEBRATION CONCERT Featuring Birmingham Community Gospel Choir, Birmingham Schools' Showcase chosen school, Don Maclean, Joy Strachan-Brain with her group Quill, Malcolm
Stent, Massed Male Voice Choirs and Spal Automotive's Sovereign Brass, Sat 19 Apr, Symphony Hall, B’ham WHEN YESTERDAY WE MET... Pianist and presenter Dominic Harlan is joined by two singers for an original concert featuring music by Schubert, Rachmaninov, Brahms and Ives, Sat 19 Apr, Bramall Music Building, B’ham MANCHESTER CAMERATA: CARMEN REWORKED Featuring Gabor Takac'sNagy (conductor) & Christian Ihle Hadland (piano). Programme includes works by Grieg, Mozart & Shchedrin, Fri 25 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre SCHUBERT OCTET Featuring Joanna Patton (clarinet), Elspeth Dutch (horn), Gretha Tuls (bassoon), Byron Parish & Jane Wright (violins), Catherine Bower (viola), Kate Setterfield (cello) & Mark Goodchild (bass), Fri 25 Apr, CBSO Centre, Birmingham THE MIDLAND CHAMBER PLAYERS Programme includes works by Haydn & Beethoven, Fri 25 Apr, Birmingham & Midland Institute CBSO BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST Programme includes works by Holst, Berstein and Walton, Sat 26 Apr,
Symphony Hall, B’ham AN EVENING WITH CHRISTOPHER HOGWOOD Sat 26 Apr, The Lion Hotel, ShrewsburyWILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: SONGS FROM THE SHOWS Sat 26 Apr, Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham SALISBURY CONCERT BAND Sat 26 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire GALA EVENING OF OPERATIC EXTRACTS Sun 27 Apr, Maidment Hall, Shrewsbury AN AFTERNOON WITH BIRMINGHAM CLASSICAL
PLAYERS Programme includes works by Piazzolla & Copland, Sun 27 Apr, Adrian Boult Hall, Birmingham LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by JS Bach, Susato, Whitlock, Judith Weir & Vierne, Mon 28 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Tues 29 Apr, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent
Classical Box Office ADRIAN BOULT HALL, B’HAM 0121 331 5901 ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330
CBSO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER 01905 611 427
BARBER INSTITUTE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 7333
ROYAL PUMP ROOMS, LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 742700
BIRMINGHAM CONSERVATOIRE 0121 331 5901/2 BIRMINGHAM & MIDLAND INSTITUTE 0121 236 3591 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 BRAMALL CONCERT HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 414 3344 BRIDGE HOUSE THEATRE, WARWICK 01926 776438
ST MARY’S CHURCH, WARWICK 01926 403940 STRATFORD CIVIC HALL 01789 207100 SYMPHONY HALL, BIRMINGHAM 0121 780 3333 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 02476 524524
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Comedy April Region Two_Layout 1 24/03/2014 10:45 Page 1
Comedy Billy Pearce
Comedy Box Office
Lichfield Garrick, Fri 4 April; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Sat 12 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 10 May; Prince Of Wales Theatre, Cannock, Sat 24 May; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Thurs 29 May
Quickfire gags are the name of the game when Billy Pearce comes to town. The Yorkshire-born funnyman has been regaling appreciative audiences with his winning line in patter for the better part of three decades now. His 1986 success on ITV talent show New Faces (he reached the final) kickstarted a high-profile career that’s seen him appear in the Royal Variety Show and perform alongside household names such as Danny La Rue and Cannon & Ball. His summer shows and pantomimes regularly breaking box office records.
Glenn Wool The Glee Club, Birmingham, Fri 18 April
Glenn Wool manages to be smart, sophisticated and silly all in the space of a single evening - and it’s perhaps this chameleon-like quality more than any other which has so endeared him to the great British public. Canadian Glenn is a shaggy beast of a man whose act sees him cleverly putting his own unique spin on the big stories of the day. He touches base with a wide variety of political, religious and social subjects, intelligently processing the material to create nuggets of pure comedy gold, quite often delivered in a style that’s engagingly surreal. Glenn is support for Frankie Boyle when he plays at the Soho Theatre, London, in May.
Miranda Hart LG Arena, Birmingham, Fri 4 April; National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, Tues 8 - Thurs 10 April
Hugely popular and impressively tall, Miranda Hart is best known from her self-titled BBC TV comedy series, but has also turned up in hit shows like Not Going Out, Nighty Night, Smack The Pony, Ab Fab, The Vicar Of Dibley and Jack Dee’s Lead Balloon. She’s also had a recurring role in a couple of series of BBC One Sunday night drama Call The Midwife. Her telly career’s on hold for the moment, though, while she tours the country with her My, What I Call, Live Show, an offering that’s so far received mixed reviews from the critics. Other titbits about Ms Hart include the fact that she once caused controversy by referring to Prince Phillip and Her Majesty The Queen as 'that Greek twit and his Kraut wife', and has revealed that her ideal dinner party guests would be Eric Morecambe, Julie Walters, Joyce Grenfell, Matthew Perry and her very own grandmother.
Matt Richardson Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, Sun 6 April; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 23 April; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Sat 24 May
With his thirtieth birthday still a far-distant milestone on the horizon (he’s only twenty-two!), Matt Richardson is somewhat inevitably a workin-progress. He’s got all the necessary raw materials to make it big in the rough, tough world of comedy, but is still in the process of honing both his material and his delivery. That said, if we didn’t think he was ‘one to watch’ and well worth a gander, we wouldn’t be drawing your attention to him. Confident and engaging, he has the enviable knack of swiftly arriving at the comedy heartland of an anecdote; an admirable talent that ensures the next laugh is never too far away. 26 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Frank Skinner Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Wed 16 - Thurs 17 April; Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tues 22 - Thurs 24 April; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 18 May
Local lad Frank rose to the top of the comedy tree many a year ago, hitting the big time back in the 1990s Brit Pop/Men Behaving Badly era courtesy of his on-sofa partnership with David Baddiel in BBC TV’s hugely popular Fantasy Football programme. Chart success with Euro ’96 anthem Three Lions further enhanced his reputation as a ‘star of the moment’ - and while his public profile’s not quite what it was back in those heady days of the late twentieth century, he continues to be one of Britain’s most well-regarded funnymen.
ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM 0844 871 3011 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 KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 LG ARENA, BIRMINGHAM 0844 338 8000 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 MAC, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232 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
Comedy April Region Two_Layout 1 24/03/2014 10:45 Page 2
Comedy LISTINGS For full listing information on comedy gigs including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk CHRISTIAN REILLY, HARRIET DYER, FREDDIE FARRELL, SEAN PERCIVAL AND JIM KELLY Tues 1 Apr, Station Pub, Sutton Coldfield RICHARD HERRING Weds 2 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury ANDREW LAWRENCE Weds 2 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham JONNY AWSUM, SEAN PERCIVAL, ANNETTE FAGON Weds 2 Apr The Jam House, B’ham BRENDAN GRACE Thurs 3 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex SEAN HUGHES Thurs 3 Apr, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa NICK REVELL, JONNY AWSUM, IAN CRAWFORD, JOE BROMEHEAD Thurs 3 Apr, The George Hotel, Lichfield DAVID BADDIEL Thurs 3 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre SEAN PERCIVAL, JOHN MOLONEY, EDDIE BRIMSON, DAN NIGHTINGALE Thurs 3 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham KUM-N-AVALOFF COMEDY NIGHT Thurs 3 Apr, Stourbridge Town Hall ANDREW BIRD, DAVID TRENT, PAUL IMRIE, LOU CONRAN Thurs 3 Apr Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffordshire MIRANDA HART Fri 4 Apr, LG Arena, B’ham BILLY PEARCE Fri 4 Apr, Lichfield Garrick JOEL DOMMETT Fri 4 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre SEAN PERCIVAL, JOHN MOLONEY, EDDIE BRIMSON ADAM RUSHTON Fri 4 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham LUCY PORTER Fri 4 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham COURTLAUGHING COMEDY CLUB Fri 4 Apr, Hereford Courtyard Theatre PAUL TONKINSON, ALEX BOARDMAN, JIM CAMPBELL Fri 4 Apr Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham SLIM, ANNETTE FAGON, GLAZZ CAMPBELL, JOHN SIMMIT Fri 4 Apr The Drum, Birmingham EDDY BRIMSON, MARTIN MOR, MATT REES Fri 4 Apr, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton KERRIE GODLIMAN Fri 4 Apr, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa MATT RICHARDSON Sat 5 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch SEAN PERCIVAL, JOHN MOLONEY, EDDIE BRIMSON PLUS COMIC TBC Sat 5 Apr The Glee Club, B’ham PAUL TONKINSON,
DOUGIE DUNLOP, ALEX BOARDMAN, JIM CAMPBELL Sat 5 Apr Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham MARTIN MOR, GEORGE EGG, WINDSOR, JAVIER JARQUIN Sat 5 Apr, Coventry Showcase RUSSELL BRAND Sun 6 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome MATT RICHARDSON Sun 6 Apr, The Slade Rooms, W’hampton ENGLISH COMEDIAN OF THE YEAR Regional heat of prestigious national competition, Sun 6 Apr, Drummonds Bar, Worcester DAN NIGHTINGALE Tues 8 Apr, Rose Villa Tavern, B’ham MIRANDA HART Tues 8 Thurs 10 Apr, National Indoor Arena, B’ham ALBERT EINSTEIN: RELATIVITIVELY SPEAKING Weds 9 Apr Artrix, Bromsgrove LARA A KING, HANNAH SILVESTER, KAREN BAILEY, MAUREEN YOUNGER Weds 9 Apr, Kitchen Garden Cafe, B’ham ROB ROUSE, MARK OLVER, CHRIS TURNER, WES ZAHARUK Weds 9 Apr, Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury JASON MANFORDThurs 10 Apr, Crewe Lyceum NICK DOODY, PAUL TONKINSON, DAMIAN CLARK, PAUL JAMES Thurs 10 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham JOEL DOMMETT Fri 11 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch ROY CHUBBY BROWN Fri 11 Apr, Tamworth Assembly Rooms JON RICHARDSON Fri 11 Apr, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford TOM WRIGGLESWORTH Fri 11 Apr, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester JOHN FOTHERGILL, NICK DOODY, DAMIAN CLARK, ERIC LALOR Fri 11 Apr The Glee Club, B’ham SEAN PERCIVAL, PHIL BUTLER, MICK FERRY, STUART GOLDSMITH AND BEN BRIGGS Fri 11 Apr, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham MORECAMBE - THE MAN WHO BROUGHT US SUNSHINE Sat 12 Apr Crewe Lyceum SEAN PERCIVAL, PHIL BUTLER, MICK FERRY, DAN EVANS Sat 12 Apr, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham MITCH BENN IS THE 37TH BEATLE Sat 12 Apr Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BILLY PEARCE Sat 12 Apr, Hereford Courtyard Theatre DAMIAN CLARK, PAUL
TONKINSON, NICK DOODY, JOHN LYNN Sat 12 Apr The Glee Club, B’ham DANNY BUCKLER, JUNIOR SIMPSON, SIMON CLAYTON, LARRY DEAN Sat 12 Apr, Coventry Showcase COMEDY COURSE - LIVE SHOW Comedy course participants put their new found skills to the test in front of a live audience, Sat 12 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex JON RICHARDSON Sat 12 Apr, Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire TOM WRIGGLESWORTH Sun 13 Apr, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham OPEN MIC COMEDY HOSTED BY LOUDEEMY SOUP Mon 14 Apr, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham BARNSTORMERS COMEDY NIGHT Tues 15 Apr, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa JON RICHARDSON Weds 16 Apr, Crewe Lyceum FRANK SKINNER Weds 16 - Thurs 17 Apr Civic Hall, W’hampton NATHAN CATON, DAVID TRENT, ADAM VINCENT, ALAN DONEGA Thurs 17 Apr, The George Hotel, Burslem, Staffs SIMON EVANS Thurs 17 Apr, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton THE RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVUE, KEITH FARNAN, STEVE WILLIAMS PLUS COMIC TBC Thurs 17 Apr The Glee Club, B’ham CRAIG CAMPBELL Thurs 17 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre GLENN WOOL Fri 18 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham KEITH FARNAN, THE RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVUE, STEVE WILLIAMS AND TOMMY ROWSON Fri 18 - Sat 19 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham GEORGE EGG, JUNIOR SIMPSON, JIM SMALLMAN, THE NOISE NEXT DOOR Fri 18 - Sat 19 Apr, Highlight Comedy Club, B’ham ALAN DAVIES Sat 19 Apr, Crewe Lyceum GARETH BERLINER Sat 19 Apr, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham NICK WILTY, DUNCAN OAKLEY, CRAIG MURRAY, DANE BAPTISTE Sat 19 Apr, Coventry Showcase HELP FOR HEROES, WITH ABANDOMAN, KEITH FARNAN, BENNY BOOT Sun 20 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham TOADLLY FREE COMEDY Mon 21 Apr, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham ROB BECKETT Tues 22 Apr, The Palace Theare, Redditch JETHRO, Tues 22 Apr Stafford Gatehouse Theatre FRANK SKINNER Tues 22 - Thurs 24 Apr
Symphony Hall, B’ham MATT RICHARDSON Weds 23 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre TIERNAN DOUIEB Weds 23 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex GARY DELANEY Thurs 24 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove MATT RICHARDSON Thurs 24 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex JOSH WIDDICOMBE Thurs 24 Apr, Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton KAI HUMPHERIES, GEOFF NORCOTT, DOMINIC WOODWARD, PLUS COMIC TBC Thurs 24 Apr, The Glee Club,B’ham THE LAUGHTER CREWE Comedy and Curry night, Thurs 24 Apr, Crewe Lyceum ANTHONY KING, THE RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVUE, NATHAN CATON, JAMES COOK Fri 25 Apr, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham PHIL JERROD, KAI HUMPHERIES, GEOFF NORCOTT AND COMIC TBC Fri 25 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham AVA VIDAL, RICHARD TODD, ADI KNIGHT, PAUL MUTAGEJJA, MATT DWYER Fri 25 Apr, The National Brewery Centre, Burton-uponTrent COURTLAUGHING COMEDY CLUB Fri 25 Apr, Hereford Courtyard
Nathan Caton
Theatre MITCH BENN IS THE 37TH BEATLE Fri 25 Apr Stafford Gatehouse Theatre RICH HALL Fri 25 Apr Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shrops KAI HUMPHERIES, GEOFF NORCOTT, ANGIE MCEVOY, PLUS COMIC TBC Sat 26 Apr, The Glee Club, Birmingham ANTHONY KING, THE RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINS REVUE, ANDREW RYAN, JAMES COOK Sat 26 Apr, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham COMEDY IN THE MET Sat 26 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre PATRICK MONAHAN Sat 26 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove JOSH WIDDICOMBE Sat
26 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre DAMIAN CLARK, PRINCE ABDI, PAUL T EYRES, TOM TOAL Sat 26 Apr Coventry Showcase JOSH WIDDICOMBE Sun 27 Apr, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry JEFF DUNHAMT Sun 27 Apr, LG Arena, B’ham OMID DJALILI Tues 29 Apr, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury JOE LYCETT Tues 29 Apr, The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton RETURN OF THE GRUMPY OLD WOMEN: FIFTY SHADES OF BEIGE Tues 29 Apr, Hereford Courtyard Theatre HAL CRUTTENDEN Weds 30 Apr, The Place, Oakengates Theatre KEN DODD Weds 30 Apr, Bedworth Civic Hall
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Theatre WIN TIC
KETS
whats onliv to entee.co.uk r
Happy Days
Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 22 - Sat 26 April; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 9 - Sat 14 June
Television viewers of a certain age will well remember Happy Days, the legendary US sitcom about the Milwaukee-based Cunningham family. Set in the rock’n’roll days of the 1950s, the show scored a massive hit with 1970s and ’80s telly-watchers, in the process making a star of Henry Winkler, the actor who immortalised the character of self-styled King of Cool Arthur ‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli here played by Ben Freeman.
This brand new musical promises to reacquaint fans of the TV series with all their favourite characters, including Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie, Chachi and Pinky Tuscadero, the latter being played on this occasion by former Sugababes and Atomic Kitten star Heidi Range, while Cheryl Baker features as Mrs Cunningham. Read the interview with Cheryl online at www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Peter Pan On Ice Lichfield Garrick, Tues 22 - Sat 26 April
As if ‘second star to the right and straight on till morning’ isn’t a challenging enough route when heading for Neverland, on this occasion Peter Pan’s also got to negotiate ice! Luckily for JM Barrie’s legendary Boy Who Never Grows Up, he’s in safe hands and on equally secure skates, with the highly accomplished Russian Ice Stars showing just why they’re so well regarded across the globe. Boasting the talented ensemble’s usual blend of lavish sets, sumptuous costumes and breathtaking athleticism, this is a production that should be well worth, er, getting your skates on for...
Fame The Musical Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 28 April - Sat 3 May
The original mega-hit film and its spin-off TV series are now both so old that their once-nimble dancers might soon be reaching for zimmer frames! By contrast, Fame The Musical continues to get up a sweat on a regular basis. And as high-octane, choreographed-to-the-rafters stage musicals go, it hits the Midlands this month with a reputation second to none. Set in New York’s legendary High School For The Performing Arts, the show focuses on the highs and lows of the students who’re desperately seeking success, and offers a dazzling evening of foot-tapping music and breathtaking dance. Re-envisioned songs include Let’s Play A Love Scene and the title hit itself. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 29
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Theatre PREVIEWS Beside The Seaside Lichfield Garrick, 9 - 12 April; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Tues 15 - Fri 18 April
This slice of 1950s life focuses on the lessthan-ideal holiday endured by Wilf and Ethel Pearson and their daughter Sally. With a lonely mother left back in Huddersfield, the family embark on a week-long vacation that proves to be anything but relaxing, thanks in no small measure to a dragon of a landlady, warring honeymooners and a couple of people who’re way too ‘showbiz’.
Brassed Off Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 8 - Sat 12 April
Classic Ghosts Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 7 - Wed 9 April
Middle Ground Theatre Company is the ensemble behind this atmospheric double-bill of famous ghost stories. Charles Dickens’ The Signalman tells the tale of a Victorian-age signalman who’s haunted by visions of impending disaster on his isolated stretch of line. Meanwhile, MR James’ Oh, Whistle And I’ll Come To You, My Lad focuses on the terrifying ordeal which befalls a Cambridge academic when he discovers an old bone whistle in a graveyard near a deserted beach... Veteran actor Jack Shepherd, best known for starring on television as WJ Burley’s Cornish detective Wycliffe, takes top billing.
This is a stage adaptation of the award-winning 1996 film of the same name, which starred Ewan McGregor and Tara Fitzgerald. The lifeblood of Grimley’s community is threatened when the pit looks set for closure, with the loss of twelve hundred jobs. As a result, the closeknit brass band is at stake. Conductor Danny is determined that the band gains national recognition to help secure its future, regardless of loyalties, political pressure and other issues that get in the way... John McCardle stars.
The Anatomy Of Melancholy
Let It Be
Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Wed 2 - Thurs 3 April
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, until Sat 5 April
The ever-impressive Stan’s Cafe are the ensemble behind this imaginative new work of theatre, which uses as its inspiration librarian and vicar Robert Burton’s four hundredyear-old book The Anatomy Of Melancholy. And Burton’s tome certainly offers no shortage of that aforementioned inspiration, containing, as it does, all manner of subject matter, from cutting-edge science, maids vomiting pebbles and priests defecating in ditches to unrequited lovers, friends who can’t be parted, and a consideration of the foods, herbs, locations, activities and occupations that can bring on or cure melancholy in any one of its many forms (boy, that was a long sentence!).
A hit West End and Broadway jukebox musical, Let It Be debuted in London in 2012 and tells the story of Britain’s most famous pop group, The Beatles. The show offers a nostalgic but vital journey through the 1960s, as John, Paul, George and Ringo transform from happy-go-lucky mop-tops to peace-loving hippies. As you’d expect, the production’s soundtrack reflects the Fab Four’s evolution, presenting a non-stop parade of some of the most famous songs ever written, from earlydays hits such as She Loves You to latercareer studio masterpieces like Revolver and Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It goes without saying the show is an absolute must for all fans of The Beatles!
Finding Joy The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Wed 23 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 20 May
War Correspondents The REP, Birmingham, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 April
This multi-disciplined performance fuses testimony, singing and choreography to offer an insight into the dangerous and sometimes painful world of the war correspondent. A song cycle performance, the show features stories about the profoundly affecting experiences of numerous war journalists, along the way bringing to life the horrors of being caught up in a violent conflict between opposing factions. In researching the show, composer Helen Chadwick and designer Miriam Nabarro interviewed war correspondents who’d covered Iraq, Chechnya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Liberia and Bosnia. One of the journalists to whom they spoke was Giuliana Sgrena, who was taken hostage in Iraq and subsequently shot at by the US army.
A work of full mask theatre based on true stories, Finding Joy has been described as ‘a funny and fearless piece’ that’s positively brimming with ‘visual inventiveness’. When Danny decides to become his grandmother Joy’s carer, their new-found bond is unexpected, to say the least. After all, Joy is creative, funny and losing her memory; Danny is rebellious and always getting into trouble. Yet bond the pair most certainly do. The question is, where will their newly developed connection lead them?...
The Jungle Book Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Wed 23 April
Best known, of course, from the classic Walt Disney movie, The Jungle Book originated in the mind and through the pen of Rudyard Kipling. It’s the story of a young boy named Mowgli who’s been raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, and whose friends, Baloo and Bagheera, are determined to save him from the evil intentions of Shere Khan the tiger. But keeping Mowgli safe is no walk in the jungle, as his two pals soon find out... www.whatsonlive.co.uk 31
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CALL
FOR Y BROCHOUR U TODAYRE
BESIDE THE SEASIDE THE MET STUDIO
Tues 15, Wed 16 & Fri 18 April Join the fun as Wilf and Ethel Pearson try to holiday away from his mother-in-law in Huddersfield; and as Henry and Daphne Pepper try to enjoy a honeymoon, helped by a dragon of a landlady Mrs. Austin who swears by her weekly séance sessions in the hope of communicating with her dead husband!
7.30pm, £10/£8 concs
DOUG ALLEN GATEHOUSE THEATRE
Thur 17 April "My passion lies with the big animals” - That’s how multiaward winning cameraman Doug Allan (Blue Planet, Planet Earth, Ocean Giants, Wild Cameramen at Work) introduces his new show – In the Company of Giants. Join Doug for an unforgettable evening of extraordinary animal adventures and unique wildlife film footage
7.30pm, £15/£13.50 concs
KRAPP’S LAST TAPE THE MET STUDIO
Sat 19 April Starring Tom Owen from Last Of The Summer Wine as Krapp. It is 69 year-old Krapp’s birthday. He is preparing for his yearly ritual of recording his reflections on a tape-recorder. First he listens to a tape of critical decisions made on his 39th birthday. The 39 year-old Krapp has in turn listened to a tape he made when he was 27. By this 7.30pm, £15/£12 concs means we come to know fragments of Krapp’s life: His monologue reflects the internal conversations we have with ourselves and cannot escape.
JETHRO GATEHOUSE THEATRE
Tues 22 April Cornish comedy legend Jethro is back, as large as life, with his very own unique brand of irresistible West Country tales for a fun-filled night of adult comedy. Jethro promises more tear-jerking, farcical stories featuring his old mates Denzil and Slip Along Trevaskis, as well as hilarious tales from his extensive repertoire and his successful career in TV and theatre.
15+ 7.30pm, £19.50
ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS GATEHOUSE THEATRE
Wed 23 & Thurs 24 April This zany and hilarious tale based on the best selling childrens book is wonderfully brought to life on stage for the very first time. With stunning effects, madcap action, original music (and lots of aliens of course!) this fantastically fresh and funny production will delight the whole family
Wed 23rd 1.30pm & 3.30pm Thurs 24th 11am & 2pm £12.50/Family £46/ Buy 10 tickets and get 1 free!
CARMEN REWORKED GATEHOUSE THEATRE
Fri 25 April Grieg’s Holberg Suite is a perennial favourite. Manchester Camerata are joined by Christian Ihle Hadland, one of Norway’s most exciting young pianists, for the next concerto in the Mozart 7.30pm, £15/£13 concs/ cycle, no.12. Rodion under 26 £5/under 18 £3 Shchedrin’s memorable work for strings and five percussionists is a reworking of Bizet’s Carmen.
BOOKONLINE Box Office 01785 254653 www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk
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Theatre PREVIEWS Hetty Feather Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 22 - Sun 27 April
“She’s very naughty, very difficult, but full of spirit,” says author Jacqueline Wilson of her character Hetty Feather. A child of the Victorian era, Hetty was left at the Foundling Hospital when she was a baby. She also has a famously short fuse, and was created by Wilson as a result of an educational session at the Foundling Hospital Museum. Featuring all the best-loved characters from the hugely popular books - including the frightening Matron ‘Stinking’ Bottomly - this brand new touring show is suitable for children aged seven and older.
Evita Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 8 - Sat 19 April
Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Tim Rice's third major collaboration opened to rave reviews way back in the late 1970s, and has since garnered a reputation as one of the greatest musicals ever to grace West End and Broadway stages. Telling the real-life story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, the show is packed to the rafters with memorable numbers, including On This Night Of A Thousand Stars, Buenos Aires and the classic Don't Cry For Me Argentina. Marti Pellow stars.
Teechers New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Wed 23 - Sat 26 April
John Godber's highly acclaimed comedy tells the story of three school leavers, Salty, Hobby and Gail, who offer an account of their time in high school. Their memories focus mainly on their experience of Mr Nixon, the drama teacher who inspires them with his belief that all children should be treated equally... A play which deals with the sense of disillusionment evident not only in students but in many of those who educate them, Teechers remains as relevant today as it was when first performed at the Edinburgh Festival way back in 1987.
Krapp’s Last Tape Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 19 April
This memorable one-act offering explores the character of a sixty-nine-year-old man who the play’s writer, Samuel Beckett, describes as ‘filled up to his teeth with bitterness’. Listening to a tape he made on his thirty-ninth birthday, Krapp revisits fragments of his own life - his mother’s demise, his failed pursuit of intellectual fame, his visionary moment of inspiration - and contemplates how the fires of passion which he felt as a young man have been transformed into a simple "burning to be gone". Last Of The Summer Wine star Tom Owen plays Krapp.
David Copperfield Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 11 April
Refugee Boy The REP, Birmingham, Tues 8 - Fri 12 April
The Birmingham-born Benjamin Zephaniah and his fellow high-profile poet Lemn Sissay are the creative forces behind this poignant new offering from West Yorkshire Playhouse. With a violent civil war raging back home, Alem’s Ethiopian father and Eritrean mother make the heartbreaking decision to leave their son in London, hoping that he’ll be safe there. But Alem’s new life doesn’t come without its own set of challenges... Refugee Boy is described as a work of theatre designed ‘to reach out and connect with the refugee community, using creativity to celebrate diversity, bring people together, share stories and dispel myths’.
Hotbuckle Productions present a new version of Charles Dickens’ phenomenally popular novel. David Copperfield tells the story of a young man whose life is turned upsidedown by the marriage of his mother to a ruthless and violent man named Murdstone. With poverty and hardship closing in on him, David finds solace in the care and affection of best friend Agnes and eccentric aunt Betsey, his desperate attempts to carve out a brighter future bringing him into contact with such iconic Dickensian characters as Uriah Heep and Wilkins Micawber.
The Play That Goes Wrong Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 29 April - Sat 3 May
A play about a play that goes wrong isn’t a new idea but it’s certainly a winning one, as the plaudits garnered by this cheeky fringe hit ably illustrate. One reviewer laughed so much he feared he was going to hyperventilate, another admitted his funny bone had been well and truly struck by the piece, while a third laughed and laughed until ‘the tears ran down’. Mischief Theatre Company’s Edinburgh Festival show arrives in the region on the back of a fantastic reputation and a couple of successful West End runs. For those not in the know, the play focuses on the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’s attempt to put on a 1920s-set murder-mystery. The only trouble is, the bumbling thesps are more than a little accident-prone - so much so, in fact, that they’re not even sure they’ll manage to reach the curtain call...
FishHead Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tues 22 April
Malvern-based Reaction Theatre Makers have garnered a reputation as real trailblazers in the field of contemporary drama. Expect FishHead to ably illustrate the reason why. When fisherman Tom meets ventriloquist Lydia by the sea, what follows is pure and simple fairytale... www.whatsonlive.co.uk 33
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Aldridge Musical Comedy Society presents:
Sat 12th April
THE SOUND OF PHILADELPHIA AND MOTOWN 7.30pm. Tickets: £18, £16.50 concs
Tue 15th April
MIKE MCGEAR MCCARTNEY SEX, DRUGS & ROCK 'N' ROLL (I WISH!)
’ N I G N I S IN THE RAIN
7.30pm. Tickets: £16
Thu 24th April
ICONIC LIVE 7.30pm. Tickets: £20, £17 concs, £15 child
Prince of Wales Theatre, Church St, Cannock, WS11 1DE
Thurs 8th - Sat 10th May Tickets: £12, £10 concs, £6 child
Wed 30th April
HAL CRUTTENDEN: THE TOUGH LUVVIE TOUR 8pm. Tickets: £15, £13 concs
Box Office: 01543 578762 This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd. On behalf of Music Theatre International of New York Affiliated to the National Operatic and Dramatic Association Registered Charity Number 505962
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
Fri 30th May
OMID DJALILI LIVE 8.00pm, Tickets: £23.00
Thurs 5th June
ELIO PACE PERFORMS THE BILLY JOEL SONGBOOK 7.30pm, Tickets: £19, £17 concs
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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk From
TUES 1 APR SINGIN' IN THE RAIN Chichester Festival Theatre production of the much-acclaimed musical. Maxwell Caulfield & Faye Tozer star, until Sat 5 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome THE TWO WORLDS OF CHARLIE F A new play by Owen Sheers that provides a soldier’s view of service, injury and recovery, until Sat 5 Apr, Malvern Theatres DREAMBOATS AND PETTICOATS THE MUSICAL Featuring songs from Roy Orbison, The Shadows, Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury, Chuck Berry and many more... until Sat 5 Apr, Malvern Theatres THE CANTERBURY TALES Presented by Worcester Repertory Company, until Sat 5 Apr, The Swan Theatre, Worcester SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS Starring Sam Attwater & Helena Blackman, until Sat 5 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre LOVE ON THE DOLE Ronald Gow's stage adaptation of Walter Greenwood's powerful novel which depicts Lancashire life during the Great Depression, until Sat 5 Apr, Hall Green Little Theatre, Birmingham HOBSON'S CHOICE Harold Brighouse’s classic northern comedy, in which father and daughter go head-tohead, until Sat 12 Apr, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme THE THREEPENNY OPERA A collaboration between Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company, Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company, Graeae Theatre Company, New Wolsey Theatre & Ipswich And West Yorkshire Playhouse, until Sat 12 Apr, The REP, Birmingham WEST SIDE STORY One of the most iconic musicals of all time with Katie Hall giving an impressive performance as Maria. Read the interview with Maria and review of West Side Story at www.whatsonlive, until Sat 12 Apr, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham A LADY OF LITTLE SENSE Big-hearted romantic comedy which celebrates the power of
love, presented at the Belgrade as part of the theatre's Spanish Golden Age season, until Thurs 17 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry DON GIL OF THE GREEN BREECHES Sean O'Brien's new translation of Tirso de Molina's exuberant comedy blends mistaken identity, role-reversal, ghosts and green trousers. Presented as part of the Belgrade's Spanish Golden Age season, until Sat 19 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry PUNISHMENT WITHOUT REVENGE Meredith Oakes’ translation of Lope de Vega's dark and thrilling drama, performed at the Belgrade as part of the theatre's Spanish Golden Age season, until Sat 19 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry HENRY IV PART I & II RSC Associate Artist Antony Sher returns to the company to play the infamous comic knight Falstaff. Sher is joined by Jasper Britton as Henry IV and Alex Hassell as Prince Hal, until Sat 6 Sep, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon FAULTLINES - A TALE OF CORIANDER AND THE DOG Three weddings, a funeral and next door’s dog peeing on the family’s coriander. This is Asian family life as it really is - honest, funny and moving. Please note, this performance contains some bad language, Tues 1 Apr, The Drum, Birmingham THANKS FOR THE MEMORY Impresario and Music Hall authority Duggie Chapman shares his memories, from music hall to variety, Wed 2 Apr, Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock HOT FLUSH New musical featuring Matt Slack & Lesley Joseph, Wed 2 Apr, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford LITTLE WOMEN - THE BROADWAY MUSICAL South Staffordshire College Performing Arts Department present a musical based on Louisa May Alcott's classic family novel, Wed 2 Apr, Lichfield Garrick THE ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY Stan's Cafe brings the 'world's most extraordinary self-help manual' to the stage, Wed 2 - Thurs 3 Apr, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton MACBETH Arena Theatre
West Side Story, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Read the review at www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Young REP fuse physical theatre and mask work to bring a bold new telling of a classic text to the stage, Wed 2 - Thurs 3 Apr, The REP, Birmingham KING UBU Young REP Seniors Company present Alfred Jarry’s ‘funny and grotesque’ play about greed and the abuse of power, Wed 2Thurs 3 Apr, The REP, Birmingham JOHN BERKAVITCH: SHAME A high-impact spoken-word piece, with integrated dance and animation, Wed 2 Fri 4 Apr, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham PETER PAN: A MUSICAL ADVENTURE SMASH present a new version of the JM Barrie classic, Wed 2 - Sat 5 Apr, Dovehouse Theatre, Solihull I, ELIZABETH Guy Masterson directs Rebecca Vaughan in a onewoman show which explores Queen Elizabeth's struggle to reconcile the desires of womanhood, Thurs 3 Apr, Bridge House Theatre, Warwick JIM DAVIDSON & RICHARD DIGANCE Two of the 'most iconic entertainers of a generation' team up for one night only, Thurs 3 Apr, Lichfield Garrick ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST Amateur production presented by South Staffordshire College Performing Arts Department Thurs 3 Apr, Lichfield Garrick POETRY SLAM Hosted by former Birmingham Poet Laureate SPOZ, Thurs 3 Apr. Palace Theatre, Redditch SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS A drug & alcohol awareness play which followers the lives of four young abusers who allow their lives to spiral out of control, Thurs 3 Sat 5 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham
MY, WHAT I CALL, LIVE SHOW: MIRANDA HART Fri 4 Apr, LG Arena, Birmingham ROMEO AND JULIET Madcap Theatre Productions present their version of the worldfamous love story, Fri 4 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE GREATEST HITS FROM THE MUSICALS Join Craig Price and his company Leading Lights Productions for a night of musical classics, featuring songs from the hit productions Les Misérables, Phantom Of The Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar, to name but a few. Fri 4 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry MIKE MCGEAR MCCARTNEY Mike takes audiences through his family album, with stories ranging from Liverpool life during childhood to entering showbiz when, because of Beatlemania, he had to change his name to 'McGear', becoming an integral part of the ’60s Merseybeat era, Fri 4 Apr, Lichfield Garrick TABLETOP GAMES Thought-provoking play which questions whether religion is killing faith, Fri 4 Apr, Malvern Theatres THAT'LL BE THE DAY Rock'n'Roll spectacular combining music from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s with wacky comedy routines, Fri 4 - Sat 5 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS After three sellout runs in London and two sell-out Edinburgh Fringe Festival stints, David Sedaris embarks on his first ever UK tour, Sat 5 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall LIVE MET BROADCAST LA BOHEME Puccini's magnificent tale of two couples powerfully evidences the fact that love may not necessarily always conquer all,
Sat 5 Apr, Malvern Theatres NEW JERSEY NIGHTS The international hit show takes you on a musical journey, celebrating the greatest hits of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Sat 5 Apr, Crewe Lyceum PIRATE GRAN Scamp Theatre & Watford Palace Theatre present a swashbuckling new show for children, Sat 5 Apr, The REP, Birmingham LIVE MET BROADCAST LA BOHEME Puccini's magnificent tale of two couples powerfully evidences the fact that love may not necessarily always conquer all, Sat 5 Apr, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry JULIET CAESAR Presented by the Young REP Juniors Company, Sat 5 Apr, The REP, Birmingham A MURDER OF CROWS The Young REP Juniors Company present Mike Kenny’s version of Hansel And Gretel, told by the crows who eat the bread, Sat 5 Apr, The REP, Birmingham MR LAUREL Hour-long play exploring Stan Laurel's relationships with his family, his boss, Oliver Hardy, and the women in his life... Sat 5 Apr, Lichfield Garrick BOND ON STAGE Solo, cartoon-style adventure which sees Gavin Robertson spoofing well-known characters from the Bond phenomenon, Sat 5 Apr, Lichfield Garrick LIFE'S RICH TAPESTRY: OUT OF THE BOX A showcase of monologues and duologues and other audition techniques, devised and produced by the students themselves, Sat 5 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove PRINCESS TANIA AND THE WICKED WITCH Plays acted by adults providing fun, songs and
audience participation for two-to-nine-yearolds, Sat 5 Apr, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE FAAABULOUS CERI DUPREE SHOW Sun 6 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre IN THE SPOTLIGHT The Viv Kelly Youth Theatre present a journey through the musicals from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sun 6 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MOUTH OPEN, STORY JUMP OUT Polarbear present a show about the craft of storytelling, Sun 6 Apr, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham FOOTLOOSE The Adlib Theatre Company present their version of the explosive hit musical, featuring many muchloved songs from the 1980s, Sun 6 Apr, Lichfield Garrick INHERITANCE - A PASSION PLAY FOR LENT Presented by the Riding Lights Theatre Company, Sun 6 Apr, Coventry Cathedral
Week Commencing
MON 7 APR GLASSHOUSE Cardboard Citizens present Kate Tempest's play, which sees three stories brought together by Kate's haunting poetry, Mon 7 - Tue 8 Apr, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham CLASSIC GHOSTS Presented by Middle Ground Theatre Company, Mon 7 - Wed 9 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BLACK COFFEE Agatha Christie classic starring Robert Powell, Liza Goddard, Gary Mavers & Ben Nealon, Mon 7 Sat 12 Apr, Malvern Theatres GHOSTS Presented by
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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk The Nonentitties Mon 7 - Sat 12 Apr, The Roses Theatre, Kidderminster THE YOUNG REP’S PLAYWRIGHT’S SHOWCASE A rehearsed reading by professional actors of seven short plays by Young REP writers aged fourteen to eighteen, Tues 8 Apr, The REP, Birmingham MY, WHAT I CALL, LIVE SHOW: MIRANDA HART Tue 8 - Thurs 10 Apr, National Indoor Arena, Birmingham 51 SHADES OF MAGGIE Spoof play based on the bestselling trilogy 50 Shades Of Grey, Tue 8 - Thurs 10 Apr, Lichfield Garrick LABYRINTH Amateur production presented by Stafford Gatehouse Youth Theatre, Tue 8 Fri 11 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre THE PRODUCERS Amateur version of Mel Brooks’ award-winning musical, Tue 8 - Sat 12 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex BRASSED OFF A touching and savage account of a tight-knit mining community's struggle when their local pit faces closure, Tue 8 Sat 12 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE Presented by Willenhall Musical Theatre Company, Tues 8 Sat 12 Apr, Dormston Theatre, Sedgley REFUGEE BOY West Yorkshire Playhouse present a production which weaves together work from two of the UK's most prolific and revered poets, Benjamin Zephaniah and Lemn Sissay. A story which is described as both heartbreaking and hilarious, with love, loss and hope at its core, Tue 8 - Sat 12 Apr, The REP, Birmingham HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING Musical comedy presented by Stafford & District Operatic Society, Tue 8 - Sat 12 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre THE YEOMAN OF THE GUARD Great Witley Operatic Society present Gilbert & Sullivan's story of dirty doings in the sixteenth century Tower of London, Tue 8 - Sat 12 Apr, The Swan Theatre Worcester EVITA Multi-award-winning hit musical by Tim Rice and Andrew LloydWebber. Marti Pellow stars... Tue 8 - Sat 19 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome LIVE MET BROADCAST -
LA BOHEME Puccini's magnificent tale of two couples powerfully evidences the fact that love may not necessarily always conquer all, Wed 9 Apr, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire THE UNREMARKABLE DEATH OF MARILYN MONROE Dyad Productions present a candid insight into the life of the Hollywood legend, Wed 9 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire AMID SOME NIGHTS (A DREAM) A performance which sees a favourite Shakespearean comedy ‘broken down and mashed-up’, Wed 9 Thurs 10 Apr, The REP, Birmingham BESIDE THE SEASIDE The first play in Leslie Sands’ trilogy of seaside capers at the Seaview Guest House, Wed 9 - Sat 12 Apr, Lichfield Garrick RENT Amateur production presented by Stone Revellers Musical Theatre, Wed 9 - Sat 12 Apr, St Michael’s Hall, Lichfield Street, Stone, Staffs 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, Wed 9 Apr - Tue 30 Sept, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon FORMBY A new play written and performed by Ewan Wardrop which charts George Formby’s rise from awkward stable boy to one of Britain’s biggest stars, Thurs 10 Apr, Malvern Theatres DAVID COPPERFIELD Amateur production of Charles Dickens’ classic Victorian tale of poverty and hardship, Thurs 10 Apr, Forest Arts Centre, Walsall ELVIS: THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE New stage show direct from the West End which brings the best of Elvis' movies to life on stage, Thurs 10 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE Three pieces of new writing featuring an allfemale cast, Thurs 10 Sat 12 Apr, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Birmingham Ormiston Academy Musical Theatre present George Furth's Hollywood musi-
cal, Thurs 10 - Sat 12 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham PLAYING LIFE Onewoman show that explores the art of moving forward and forgiveness, Thurs 10 - Sat 12 Apr, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham PRESENT LAUGHTER Tread The Boards Theatre Company present Noel Coward’s comic farce, Thurs 10 - Sun 20 Apr, The Attic Theatre, The Lazy Cow, Stratford-upon-Avon DAVID COPPERFIELD Hotbuckle Productions present a new play by Adrian Preater based on the novel by Charles Dickens, Fri 11 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BEN COOPER: WORDS Ben Cooper is the controller of one of the most famous radio stations in the world, and is considered to be one of the most powerful people in the broadcasting industry, Fri 11 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove MISS NIGHTINGALE: THE MUSICAL Cabaret-style story of love, loss and hope which captures the saucy spirit of the 1940s, Fri 11 Apr, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham UNDERWORLD SCREENING & SPOKEN WORD SHOWCASE Screening of a full-length documentary examining the art of the spoken word, followed by live performances by leading Spoken Word artists from London and Birmingham, Fri 11 Apr, The Drum, Birmingham A BLACK COUNTRY NIGHT OUT The cream of Black Country entertainment comes together again to raise the roof with laughter, Fri 11 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch TRES TRES CABARET Stafford's very own burlesque and cabaret night. Strictly over-18s only, Sat 12 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre SHALL I KILL MAMA Bickles Kitchen Theatre present a comic drama which focuses on the difficult relationship between a mother and her son, Sat 12 Apr, The Drum, Birmingham THE MACABRE MISDEEDS OF SPRING-HEELED JACK Re-imagined Victorian thriller from Don't Go Into The Cellar, Sat 12 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch PROFESSOR PEPPERWORT: BALLOONTASTIC MAGIC SHOW Professor Pepperpot presents his unique style of magic mayhem, Sat 12 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch ENOUGH Eve Leigh’s thought-provoking exploration of what it’s like to grow up in a
world where one percent of the population own almost half of the wealth, Sat 12 Apr, The REP, Birmingham VICTIM SIDEKICK BOYFRIEND ME Hilary Bell’s tale of what happens when bullying goes too far, Sat 12 Apr, The REP, Birmingham BLACK COMEDY AND REAL INSPECTOR HOUND The Crescent Theatre Company present a double-bill of plays: A Peter Schaffer comedy and Helen Hotchkiss' play within a play, Sat 12 - Sat 19 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham CHRIS AND PUI Preschool entertainment, Sun 13 Apr, Tamworth Assembly Rooms CURIOUS A spirited play for the very young which presents a perfect introduction to theatre while exploring everyday objects in an interactive environment, Sun 13 - Tue 15 Apr, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Week Commencing
MON 14 APR POSTMAN PAT See Pat and his friends live on stage, with an exciting new story based around the forthcoming feature film, Mon 14 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE MOUSETRAP Touring production of Agatha Christie's famous thriller - the longest running show in the history of British theatre, Mon 14 Sat 19 Apr, Lichfield Garrick A PASSION FOR BIRMINGHAM A contemporary reimagining of one of the world's most important stories, the life and death of Jesus Christ, Mon 14 - Sat 19 Apr, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham ANDY KIRKPATRICK: INAPPROPRIATE CLIMBING Tue 15 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BESIDE THE SEASIDE The first play in Leslie Sands’ trilogy of seaside capers at the Seaview Guest House Tue 15 - Fri 18 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse 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 15 - Sat 19 Apr, Malvern Theatres TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN Birmingham Stage Company present their acclaimed version of Philippa Pearce's fantasy novel Tue 15 - Sat 19 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry ENTERTAINING MR SLOANE London Classic
Theatre present Joe Orton's critically acclaimed farce, Tue 15 - Sat 19 Apr, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme THE GO! GO! GO! SHOW All-new pop musical for kids that features five new pop stars, a sockeating Fluffalope and the permanently confused Mr Baffled... Wed 16 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall POSTMAN PAT See Pat and his friends live on stage, with an exciting new story based around the forthcoming feature film, Wed 16 Apr, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Award-winning actor George Dillon presents an unforgettable vision of Jesus in a solo staging of the first Gospel, Wed 16 Apr, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE CHAIRS Extant presents a tragic farce, produced for the first time by Britain’s only professional company of visually impaired artists, Wed 16 - Fri 18 Apr, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton BANANAS IN PYJAMAS Thurs 17 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY A fastpaced romp through all of the Bard's plays, Thurs 17 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex MARK GRIST: ROGUE TEACHER A fusion of poetry and hip-hop at its fiercest, Thurs 17 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE GO! GO! GO! SHOW All-new pop musical for kids that features five new pop stars, a sockeating Fluffalope and the permanently confused Mr Baffled... Thurs 17 Apr, The Assembly, Leamington Spa JULIE MADLY DEEPLY West End actress & Fascinating Aida star Sarah-Louise Young presents a cabaret performance which looks at the fame and fandom of Dame Julie Andrews, Thurs 17 Apr, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa AN EVENING WITH HENRY SANDON Royal Worcester Porcelain maestro and Antiques Roadshow veteran Henry Sandon values people's cherished antiques, Thurs 17 Apr, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester 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, Thurs 17 - Sat 19 Apr, Malvern Theatres WHY IS JOHN LENNON WEARING A SKIRT? Stage2 revisit the work
of Crescent Theatre patron Claire Dowie, reworking her acclaimed monologue exploring stereotyping and the pressure in society to conform, Thurs 17 - Sat 19 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND The Roaring Vagabonds present an amateur production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s acclaimed musical, Thurs 17 - Sat 19 Apr, Stratford Civic Hall CBEEBIES LIVE! Brand new live arena show from the producers of Justin & Friends, described as a 'musicthemed extravaganza bound to have preschoolers rocking in the aisles', Fri 18 Apr, LG Arena, Birmingham THAT'LL BE THE DAY Rock'n'Roll spectacular combining music from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s with wacky comedy routines, Fri 18 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre CHARLIE & LOLA'S EXTREMELY NEW PLAY Fusion of puppetry, live action and music based on the much-loved books by Lauren Child, Fri 18 - Sat 19 Apr, Malvern Theatres THE SAGA NOTTMERR Swan Youth Theatre present a new work based on Old Norse Tales, Fri 18 - Sat 19 Apr, The Swan Theatre Worcester THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS IN A 2014 SPACE ODDITY A new show promising fun for all the family, Sat 19 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre KRAPP'S LAST TAPE Last Of The Summer Wine actor Tom Owen stars in Samuel Beckett's one-act play, Sat 19 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre CHILDREN'S THEATRE A short play performed by adults especially for children who’re between the ages of four and ten, Sat 19 Apr, The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS Children's tale based on the best selling children's book, Sun 20 - Thurs 24 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
Week Commencing
MON 21 APR ALIENS LOVE UNDERPANTS Children's tale based on the best selling children's book, Mon 21 - Tue 22 Apr, Artrix, Worcester PIRATE & PARROT An entertaining family show set on the high seas and co-devised by A Little Commitment & Red Earth Theatre, Mon 21 - Tues 22 Apr, mac Midlands Arts Centre,
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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Birmingham THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTON The first national tour of Luke Kempner's tour-de-force impressions comedy, in an extended version featuring exclusive new material, Tues 22 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex FISHHEAD Malvernbased Reaction Theatre Makers present a contemporary fairytale for the 'growing-up', Tue 22 Apr, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton KISSING SID JAMES Reform Theatre Company present Robert Farquhar's heartwarming romantic comedy, Tue 22 Apr, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre LES MISERABLES Get Your Wigle On present an amateur performance of Boubil and Schonberg's muchacclaimed musical, Tue 22 - Thurs 24 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury HMS PINAFORE Presented by Union Theatre, Tue 22 - Sat 26 Apr, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry HAPPY DAYS Brand new musical based on the hit American TV series. Sugarbabe Heidi Range stars as Pinky Tuscadero, Tue 22 - Sat 26 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Noises Off meets Fawlty Towers in this hit comedy direct from the West End, Tue 22 - Sat 26 Apr, Malvern Theatres HETTY FEATHER Stage adaptation of the Jacqueline Wilson children's novel, Tue 22 Sun 27 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall DOUG ALLAN Wildlife cameraman Doug Allan talks about what it's like to come face-to-face with a hungry polar bear and its cubs as they emerge from their den, and what it feels like to be stalked by killer whales in the straits of Gibraltar, Wed 23 Apr, Malvern Theatres JUNGLE BOOK Indigo Moon Theatre bring Rudyard Kipling's story to life with inventive shadow theatre, powerful original music and colourful digital projections, Wed 23 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire BRASSED OFF A touching and savage account of a tight-knit mining community's struggle when their local pit faces closure, Wed 23 Sat 26 Apr, Belgrade
Theatre, Coventry TEECHERS John Godber's contemporary classic sees three actors play a plethora of characters, Wed 23 Sat 26 Apr, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme FINDING JOY A comic, anarchic, touching and heroic full mask adventure from Worcesterbased theatre company Vamos, Thurs 24 Apr, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton FOGHORN IMPROV: SINGING IN THE FOG Making it up as they go along, comedy improvisation group Foghorn Improv present an audience-led show featuring improvised games, sketches and a wealth of 'interesting' characters, Thurs 24 Apr, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham 'ALLO 'ALLO Stage adaptation of the BBC hitcomedy, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 Apr, The Belfrey Theatre, Wellington, Shropshire WAR CORRESPONDENTS Multi-disciplined production concerning a journalist who's captured while reporting the outbreak of war, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 Apr, The REP, Birmingham THAT'LL BE THE DAY Rock'n'Roll spectacular combining music from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s with wacky comedy routines, Fri 25 Apr, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa DIRTY DUSTING Heartwarming comedy starring Crissy Rock, Dolores Porretta Brown, Leah Bell & Jason Jones, Fri 25 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE SINGULAR EXPLOITS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Holmes and Watson recount their lives and adventures... Fri 25 Apr, Brockhampton Estate, Worcester GIVE MY REGARDS TO HOLLYWOOD Ka-Bu-Ki presents a musical theatre showcase which explores the best-loved songs and dances from blockbuster movies, Fri 25 - Sun 26 Apr, Old Rep, Birmingham OTHELLO Tread The Boards Theatre Company presents one of Shakespeare’s darkest tragedies, Fri 25 Apr Sun 4 May, The Attic Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon LIVE MET BROADCAST COSI FAN TUTTE Sat 26 Apr, Malvern Theatres; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry; The Roses
Theatre, Tewkesbury SING-A-LONG-A GREASE A brand new sing-along version of the classic film starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta, Sat 26 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: SONGS FROM THE SHOWS Commemorating the Bard's 450th anniversary, The Night Watch reclaim the music the Bard knew and used in his plays, performed on the instruments he would have heard, and wearing clothes of the day, Sat 26 Apr, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TAT MAN A powerful and stirring one-man show, Sat 26 Apr, Walsall Museum BEN HART - MAGICIAN Sat 26 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex HOT FLUSH New musical featuring Matt Slack & Lesley Joseph, Sat 26 Apr, Regent Theatre, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent LITTLE HOWARD AND THE MAGIC PENCIL OF LIFE AND...Epic family show as seen on CBBC's smash-hit show The Slammer and ITV's Comedy Cuts. Suitable for children aged six and older... Sat 26 Apr, Lichfield Garrick FISHHEAD Malvernbased Reaction Theatre Makers present a contemporary fairytale for the 'growing-up', Sat 26 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove DYLAN THOMAS: CLOWN IN THE MOON Celebrating one hundred years since Thomas’ birth, Clown In The Moon (the title of a poem written when Dylan was fourteen) is a dramatic portrait of the poet's chaotic, frequently hilarious and all too brief life, Sat 26 Apr, The Swan Theatre, Worcester 5TH ANNUAL FOXY VARIETY SHOW Featuring almost twenty acts, including vocalists, musicians, dancers, comedians, an acrobat, a harpist and a tenor opera star, Sun 27 Apr, Tamworth Assembly Rooms WITTY TICCY RAE - LE MOT JUST THEATRE Set to the rhythms of the 1960s New York jazz scene, Witty Ticcy Rae tells the true story of a brilliant man with Tourette's Syndrome, Sun 27 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove
MUSICAL Hit musical based on the life of Marc Bolan. Mon 28 Apr - Sat 3 May, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham FAME - THE MUSICAL Presented by Bill Kenwright, Mon 28 Apr Sat 3 May, Regent Theatre, Hanley, Stoke-onTrent PYGMALION Alistair McGowan, Rula Lenska and Jamie Foreman star in the centenaryyear production of Bernard Shaw's enduring masterpiece, Mon 28 Apr - Sat 3 May, Malvern Theatres THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Theatre Mischief present a playwithin-a-play about an amateur dramatic society putting on a murder-mystery production, Tues 29 Apr - Fri 2 May, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre FAWLTY TOWERS Presented by Stoke Repertory Theatre, Tue 29 Apr - Sat 3 May, Stoke Repertory Theatre THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL Presented by Lichfield Operatic Society, Tue 29 Apr - Sat 3 May, Lichfield Garrick LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Amateur production presented by the Stafford Gatehouse Youth Theatre, Tue 29 Apr - Sat 3 May,
Hot Flush -Oakengates Theatre, Telford & Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre GUYS AND DOLLS Presented by Worcester Operatic and Dramatic Society, Tue 29 Apr Sat 3 May, The Swan Theatre, Worcester THE PAJAMA GAME Classic musical comedy presented by Studley Operatic Society, Tue 29 Apr - Sat 3 May, Palace Theatre, Redditch A TRES BANDES: LOCUS AMOENUS Catalan Theatre Company A Tres Bandes present their latest work which, set on a train about to derail, explores what goes through the minds of three people who’re
about to die, Wed 30 Apr, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, B’ham COVENTRY GANG SHOW The promise of a spectacular show packed with singing, dancing and comedy, Wed 30 Apr - Sat 3 May, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry 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 within a deadly game, Wed 30 Apr Thurs 2 Oct, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon
Week Commencing
MON 28 APR GUYS AND DOLLS Amateur production presented by Solihull On Stage, Mon 28 Apr Sat 3 May, Solihull Arts Complex 20TH CENTURY BOY - THE
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VISIT OU WEBSITE R T VIEW MO O RE SHOWS!
Box Office 01743 281 281 Book Online www.theatresevern.co.uk
Frankwell Quay, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY3 8FT
FRIDAY 11 APRIL 2014
MERSEY BEATLES Celebrating 50 years of The Beatles
SATURDAY 12 APRIL 2014
MITCH BENN is the 37th BEATLE
Mitch's new show combines his Scouse upbringing with his love of music and a lifelong obsession with Liverpool's most famous sons.
MONDAY 14 APRIL 2014
BEYOND THE BARRICADE
ALL YOUR FAVOURITE SONGS FROM THE WEST END SHOWS
THURSDAY 17 APRIL 2014
IT’S BANANA-RIFFIC! THURSDAY 24 APRIL 2014
COUNTERFEIT STONES "The most famous Stones band in England" SIR MICK JAGGER
FRIDAY 25 APRIL 2014
A riotous tale of growing old disgracefully starring CHRISSY ROCK.
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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
Disney On Ice: Worlds Of Fantasy LG Arena, Birmingham
High-flying fairies, racing cars revving across the ice and a magical underwater kingdom. It can only mean one thing - the return of Disney On Ice with its latest offering, Worlds Of Fantasy. This dazzling show brings to life a host of muchloved Disney tales and boasts well-designed sets, fast-paced action and a cast of hugely talented ice skaters. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck are the hosts, bringing plenty of slapstick fun to proceedings as they accompany the audience to various much-loved fantasy worlds. First up are Disney Cars, who arrive on stage in a puff of smoke before roaring across the ice to the delight of the crowd. Then it’s time to dive into the world of The Little Mermaid, where Ariel and Prince Eric continue their battle with the evil sea-witch Ursula. To the soundtrack of classics such as Under The Sea and Kiss The Girl, the duo win through after a series of stunning routines amidst a sea of dancers. Then, with a sprinkle of fairydust, we’re transported to the world of Pixie-Hollow, where Tinker Bell and her friends are desperately trying to change the season to Spring. Last but certainly not least, we revisit the fantastic Toy Story 3, as Woody, Buzz, Rex and the gang stage a dramatic escape from Sunnyside Day Care. This is undoubtedly the biggest crowdpleaser of the evening, with wonderful costumes and magnificent routines - especially from scene-stealing Barbie and Ken. This is a great experience for both young and old to enjoy. Fiona McCartney ■ ■ ■ ■
James Wilton Dance mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham
Up-and-coming choreographer James Wilton’s career has simply rocketed since he graduated from London Contemporary Dance in 2010. Having gained funding from various sources and won multiple awards, Wilton is often described as a ‘nextgeneration’ choreographer. Last Man Standing presents an eclectic mix of contemporary dance, combat, martial arts and breakdancing. Wilton’s choreography is built up of floor work and falling, offering various approaches to contact work on multiple levels. There’s no doubting the physical strength of his company of dancers, as they effortlessly lift and carry one another through the space. Act One comprises mainly of individual routines performed in a shared space by all six dancers. There’s a real sense of improvisation, resulting in a mass of intense movement that’s precisely arranged to avoid collision. In the main, the first act is not a tranquil place to be, with Wilton creating, building and maintaining a real tension within the auditorium, making his audience hold their breath. Finally, thankfully, delicate duets provide an opportunity to exhale and relax, and to savour some much-needed moments of calm. Act Two varies in delivery, presenting solos, duets and trios, all sharing a sense of control and manipulation. A female dancer holds most of the second act with an innovative solo, displaying the intense physicality of which she’s capable. Casting himself in a lead role, Wilton regularly occupies the space, reminding us that he’s not only a successful choreographer but also a very able dancer. Jamie Ryan ■ ■ ■
Singin’ In The Rain Birmingham Hippodrome
We were promised a veritable feast akin to a spectacular Hollywood production when Singin’ In The Rain came to town, and that’s exactly what we got. Based on the famous 1952 MGM movie, Jonathan Church’s much-lauded stage version glides us through the transition from silent movies to the first talkies with bucket loads of hilarity - in the main courtesy of the show’s frequent one-liners, many of which are delivered with real aplomb by Stephanne Anelli as Don Lockwood’s sidekick Cosmo Brown. Shining performances are in evidence throughout the production, not least from Faye Tozer, who really does steal the show as the queen of the silent movies, Lina Lamont. Her ability to maintain a vocal level somewhere between a scolded cat and - at times Marge Simpson is truly deserving of a gong. Fast-paced from the outset, Singin’ In The Rain certainly has the feelgood factor. What the settings, choreography, melodies and rain - and yes, there’s plenty of the latter! do for the senses, the show’s upbeat wit does for the soul. A production able to brighten up the rainiest of days. Patsy Moss ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Theatre Box Office Birmingham ALEXANDRA THEATRE 0844 871 3011 BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 0844 338 5000 BIRMINGHAM REP 0121 236 4455 THE BLUE ORANGE THEATRE 0121 212 2643 CRESCENT THEATRE 0121 643 5858 DOVEHOUSE THEATRE 0121 706 7139 THE DRUM 0121 333 2444 HALL GREEN LITTLE THEATRE 0121 707 1874 MAC 0121 446 3232 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 Beverley Knight back in the West End Following her critically acclaimed West End debut as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard, Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight has announced that she’s to perform there again, this time in the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis. Wolverhampton-born Knight will star as nightclub singer Felicia when the show opens at Shaftesbury Theatre in October. Featuring a Grammy Award-winning original score by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan, the musical is inspired by true events from the underground dance clubs of 1950s Memphis. The story focuses on the forbidden love between a radio DJ who wants to change the world and a club singer who’s ready for her big break.
Ralph Fiennes returns to the National Theatre Academy Award-nominated Ralph Fiennes will return to the National Theatre (NT) next year to star in the George Bernard Shaw tragicomedy Man And Superman. The Schindler’s List and Harry Potter actor, who’s taken over as 007’s boss M in the James Bond movies, will be appearing at the National for the sixth time, having previously performed there in versions of Oedipus, The Talking Cure, Six Characters In Search Of An Author, Fathers And Sons and Ting Tang Mine. Man And Superman will show at the venue in spring 2015 as part of Nicholas Hytner’s final season as the NT’s Director.
Gemma Arterton to ‘strike’ it big in Rupert Goold musical
WEST END LISTINGS:
THRILLER LIVE Lyric Theatre, booking until 28 Sept 2014 WE WILL ROCK YOU Dominion Theatre, booking until 31 May 2014 WICKED Apollo Victoria Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015
MUSICALS 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 28 June 2014 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THE MUSICAL Drury Lane Royal, booking until 30 May 2015 COMMITMENTS Victoria Palace Theatre, booking until 14 Sept 2014 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 Oct 2014
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 Oct 2014 MATILDA THE MUSICAL Cambridge Theatre, booking until 21 Dec 2014 MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL Shaftesbury Theatre, 9 Oct 2014 - 28 Mar 2015
Gemma Arterton is to take the lead role in Rupert Goold’s musical comedy Made In Dagenham when it debuts at London’s Adelphi Theatre in the autumn. The international stage and screen actress will play Rita O’Grady in Goold’s staging of the hit British movie. Based on true events, Made In Dagenham tells the story of the 1968 Ford sewing machinists strike at the Ford Dagenham plant, during which female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination and unequal pay. Their course
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
of action led to the Equal Pay Act of 1970. Commenting on her impending role, Arterton said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be playing Rita O’Grady in Made In Dagenham. It’s an important story that I’m passionate about telling, and we intend to tell it with wit, warmth and, of course, a lot of singing and dancing. Roll on October!” Further information, and how to book tickets, can be found at www.madeindagenhamthemusical.com
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
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - Savoy Theatre
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
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Dance
Richard Alston Dance Regent Theatre, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 8 April
A choreographer who’s very much at the forefront of contemporary dance in the UK, Richard Alston takes inspiration directly from the music he uses. This month sees Alston’s highly rated company return to the region with a triple-bill from its acclaimed repertoire. Featured works include Illuminations, a piece which paints a vivid picture of the turbulent creative life of French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Described as a work that induces both joy and heartbreak, it’s been revived for the Benjamin Britten centenary celebrations. Another revived work is The Devil In The Detail, the new version of which oozes plenty of swagger - its choreographed ‘loping strides and cakewalk steps’ are accompanied by the ragtime music of Scott Joplin. Britten’s Rejoice In The Lamb, a new addition to the company’s repertoire inspired by the works of eighteenth century poet Christopher Smart, completes the programme.
Vienna Festival Ballet: Cinderella Art Centre, Evesham, Mon 21 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 23 April; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 2 May
Dancing On Ice National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, Fri 18 - Mon 21 April
Gymnast Beth Tweedle, West End performer Bonnie Langford, actress Suzanne Shaw and singer Gareth Gates are just some of the celebrities who’ll be joining Olympic champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean when they stop off in the Midlands this month with their Bolero 30th Anniversary tour. Torvill And Dean’s Dancing On Ice has proved to be a massive success when it's taken to the road in previous years, boasting great choreography, a big spangly wardrobe's-worth of beautiful costumes, and a line-up of have-a-go celebrities who're willing to take the risk that they'll end up sliding around on their derrieres. 44 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Founded in 1980 by celebrated Austrian dancer Peter Malleck, the now-UK-based Vienna Festival Ballet presents a repertoire which comprises both full-length classics and new commissions. Touring extensively for two-thirds of the year, the company this month visits the Midlands with its interpretation of one of the most popular ragsto-riches fairytales of all time. Renowned conductor Chris Nicholls has reworked Rossini’s original score for Cinderella, while the choreography (by former Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet choreographer Sheila Styles) fuses classical dancing with traditional pantomime.
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Dance LISTINGS For full listing information on dance, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk AN EVENING WITH STARS FROM STRICTLY COME DANCING Starring Pasha Kovalev & Katya Virshilas, Wed 2 Apr, Lichfield Garrick THE IRISH HOUSE PARTY Described as 'Dublin's No.1 award-winning music and dance show', Wed 2 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch THE IRISH HOUSE PARTY Thurs 3 Apr, Belgrade Theatre, Coventry THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE Midland Theatre Ballet present a choreographed version of CS Lewis' magical tale, Thurs 3 - Sat 5 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham ACT IT, DANCE IT, SING IT Revue show from the Stage 2 Performing Arts Academy, Fri 4 - Sat 5 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury ONE TWO FREEZE Breakdancers from across the UK descend on Coventry for the day, to do battle with their crazy moves, Sat 5 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry
MY FIRST COPPELIA English National Ballet present the much-loved tale of Dr Coppelia and his mechanical doll, in a specially adapted version for young audiences, Sat 5 - Sun 6 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury RICHARD ALSTON DANCE Tue 8 Apr, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent NEW COLLEGE 2ND YEAR BTEC - DEVISED PERFORMANCE Drawing on influences such as Complicite, Frantic Assembly & Forced Entertainment, Wed 9 Apr, Artrix, Bromsgrove TAP FACTORY Mon 14 Tue 15 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre THE LITTLE MERMAID Join Ballet Theatre UK for a dramatic re-telling of the Hans Christian Andersen favourite, Tue 15 Apr, Palace Theatre, Redditch TORVILL AND DEAN'S DANCING ON ICE Featuring celebrities from the popular TV show, Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, National Indoor Arena, Birmingham BRING THE ACTION
Showcase from two of Stoke's best known dance schools: Angela Beardmore School of Dance & Studio #, 1 Wed 16 - Sat 19 Apr, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent THE LITTLE MERMAID Presented by Ballet Theatre UK, Wed 23 Apr, Tamworth Assembly Rooms ROBIN COUSINS' ICE World-class skaters glide, soar, flip and fly in a theatrical setting, Wed 23 April - Sun 27 Apr, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre CINDERELLA Vienna Festival Ballet present a classical staging of the world-famous fairytale. Wed 23 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET: THREE SHORT WORKS A programme comprising both contemporary and traditional works, Thurs 24 Sat 26 Apr, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM Produced by Birmingham Hippodrome & DanceXchange, Thurs 24 Apr - Sun 25 May, various locations across Birmingham & one event (The Rite of Spring...) at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry SIDEWAYS RAIN Contemporary dance
company Alias present a powerfully visual exploration of human nature, Tue 29 - Wed 30 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome THE RITE OF SPRING AND PETRUSHKA A doublebill of works by Michael Keegan-Dolan which contrast the light and dark that mirrors the Stravinsky music of the same name, Tue 29 Wed 30 Apr, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry LET’S DANCE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL LEICESTER (LDIF 2014) Tues 29 Apr - Sat 24 May. vartious locations throughout Leicester
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
VIENNA FESTIVAL BALLET presents
Cinderella Easter Monday 21st April, 5pm Arts Centre, Evesham 01386 446944
Wed 23rd April, 7.30pm, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury 01743 281281 Fri 2nd May, 7.30pm, Rose Theatre, Tewkesbury 01684 295074
22nd - 24th May, 7.30pm - SWAN
LAKE
Lichfield Garrick 01543 412121
www.viennafestivalballet.com
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IDFB Feature LW_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:27 Page 1
One of Europe’s largest dance festivals, International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB) is back! We’re thrilled to present another jam-packed celebration of dance – from ballet to breakdancing, contemporary to circus. Our fourth festival will showcase some of the finest dance performances from across the globe between 24 April and 25 May 2014, as Birmingham hosts four weeks of world premieres, unique collaborations, community events, outdoor spectacles and world-class performances. With several new venue partners, we’re presenting more shows than ever before, including some of the biggest names in dance and many hotly tipped rising choreographic stars. Within this magazine you can find out more about the festival - including full listings, and guides to many of the performances and events within the programme. Also, don’t forget to check out idfb.co.uk for more information and join in the conversation with us on Facebook and Twitter. Whether you want to move or be moved, we think you’ll find what you’re looking for in IDFB 2014! David Massingham
Stuart Griffiths
Artistic Director DanceXchange & Co-Artistic Director IDFB 2014
Chief Executive Birmingham Hippodrome & Co-Artistic Director IDFB 2014
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Highlights International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014
“This exceptional festival embodies our daily relationship with art” David Lister – The Independent
A HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Produced by DanceXchange and Birmingham Hippodrome, International Dance Festival Birmingham (also known as IDFB) is a major biennial festival that presents a world-class programme of dance performances and participation in theatres and public spaces across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Here’s a brief history of how IDFB has developed over the years to become one of the biggest and most diverse dance festivals in Europe. The inaugural International Dance Festival Birmingham took place in 2008, establishing the trademark IDFB blend of innovative new productions and the best of the world’s dance companies. The theatre programme included performances by The Kirov Ballet, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, Rosie Kay Dance Company and Aracaladanza alongside a brand new production from Akram Khan and National Ballet of China. Meanwhile, in the outdoor spaces of the city, Luca Silvestrini created a performance in shop windows, whilst Hofesh Shechter Company and 2Faced Dance Company collaborated in Watch This Space, a spectacular event which combined contemporary dance, bboys, freerunners, live drummers and exploding cars. Bringing this first festival to a close, hundreds of salsa fans took to the streets for Salsa at Sunset. The second edition of IDFB in 2010 proved that dance could be performed just about anywhere. From a four-week run of outstanding dance at Birmingham Hippodrome (including Mark Morris Dance Group and Ballet Nacional de Cuba with Carlos Acosta) to (In)visible Dancing - a series of quirky performances on Birmingham’s High Street there was a sense that the festival was firmly establishing itself in the fabric of the city. At Birmingham REP, record audiences witnessed the extraordinary Sutra and Australia’s spectacular Circa. Elsewhere in the city, world dance star Akram Khan and Irish dance legend Colin Dunne presented new performances, and some of the most cutting-edge performers from the Arab world shared their unique approach to dance.
Alongside (In)visible Dancing, the city’s public spaces saw a range of new IDFB productions. Utopia was a re-imagining of global folk dance, with over forty dance performers from across the world joined by Birmingham’s gypsy-balkan supergroup The Destroyers in Victoria Square. Once again, participation played a big part in the festival, with the family weekend engaging audiences of all ages. Hip-hop participation spectacular Put Your Foot Down! closed the festival, with thousands of people learning some new moves from superstar dancer Salah. The third International Dance Festival Birmingham in 2012 cemented the festival’s reputation as one of the biggest and most varied dance festivals in Europe. Exceeding all previous audience and participation numbers, over 60,000 people saw a performance in the festival, while the 7,500-plus participatory experiences engaged people of all ages and abilities. Once again, some of the biggest names in world dance graced the stages of the festival, including Sylvie Guillem, Russell Maliphant, Royal Ballet Flanders, Louise Lecavalier, Dave St-Pierre Company and Birmingham Royal Ballet, with a new IDFB commission by American choreographer Jessica Lang. New collaborations and commissions included Asian international integrated dance production The Impending Storm and film programme Light Fantastic, in conjunction with Flatpack Festival. Participation again featured heavily in the festival, with Cultural Olympiad projects Home, Breathe The Beat and Spill all bringing dance to new audiences in new spaces and places. Breakin' Convention and Colombia’s Circolombia brought an urban flavour to the final week of the festival, which culminated in IDFB’s biggest outdoor production to date - Wings of Desire. Featuring the astonishing circus skills of Australia’s Circa, the raw physicality of 2Faced Dance Company, building projection across the city’s landmark Town Hall and a team of actors led by film, TV and DJ star Goldie, this was a spectacular event using the roofs, balconies and walls of the buildings around Birmingham’s Victoria Square, which left over 9000 spectators in awe.
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WEEK
1
THU 24 APR - SAT 3 MAY
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Birmingham Royal Ballet //
THREE SHORT WORKS
WORLD PREMIERE
Thursday 24 – Saturday 26 April // 7.30pm & 2.30pm (Saturday) The Crescent Theatre //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Image: Dee Conway
An exciting programme of both contemporary and traditional works including premieres of two new commissions from young choreographers; Kin, by former Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer Alexander Whitley; and Quatrain, by current company First Artist Kit Holder. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Alias //
ARGENTINE TANGO WEEKEND
Tuesday 29 – Wednesday 30 April // 7.30pm Birmingham Hippodrome
Friday 25 – Sunday 27 April
& MIDNIGHT MILONGA
Image: Jean-Yves Genoud
SIDEWAYS RAIN
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Saturday 26 April // 8pm – 1am Blue Ice Plaza, Solihull
Guilherme Botelho’s Sideways Rain is a powerfully visual examination of human nature. It’s performed by 14 dancers who walk, run, fall, rise, stop and then start again, depicting the evolution of man and the human urge to constantly change and move forwards.
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Loyd Vidal & Sandra Bernard lead a three-day intensive in Argentine tango. On the Saturday night, take part in a Midnight Milonga, a social dance evening usually held in intimate late-night bars in Buenos Aires.
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Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre // /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Saturday 26 April // 7pm Ruddock Performing Arts Centre /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
A Midlands youth dance platform that showcases the next generation of dance talent, including vibrant performances of work by some of the best youth dance companies in the East and West Midlands.
THE RITE OF SPRING & PETRUSHKA Tuesday 29 – Wednesday 30 April // 7.30pm Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The two halves of Michael Keegan-Dolan’s thrilling dance theatre double bill are a contrast in light and dark that mirrors the Stravinsky music of the same name. Performed by an international cast, both works are theatrical interpretations of the original music that created such outrage and excitement in the early 20th century. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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48 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Image: Ros Kavanagh
MY (MIDLANDS YOUTH) DANCE FESTIVAL
Image: The Lift Creative Services
DanceXchange and Dance4 //
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Kidd Pivot //
HEADPHONES Image: Nicholas Keegan
Wednesday 30 April – Sunday 4 May // 1 & 3pm daily Birmingham High Street & City Centre
TEMPEST REPLICA
Highlights International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014
Image: Jorg Baumann
Corey Baker Dance //
Friday 2 – Saturday 3 May // 7.30pm Birmingham Hippodrome /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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Follow @IDFB #headphones on Twitter to find out the exact locations on the day. Appearing amongst the crowds of shoppers in Birmingham city centre, this comical solo performance shuffles through a whole host of dance styles and music genres. The audience even gets to direct the performer at times, meaning no two shows will be the same!
Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite stages a game of revenge and forgiveness, reality and imagination, based on motifs from Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Chalkwhite replicas deliver the essential plot points of the story, but the emotion and tension of the narrative are fleshed out by real characters. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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CONCERT DANSÉ Friday 2 May // 7.30pm Symphony Hall /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014 is delighted to present the world premiere of a unique collaboration between Birmingham’s Ex Cathedra, Québécois dance company Cas Public, and a cast of UK performers. Featuring works for choir, organ and cello, the evening culminates in an evocative reimagining of Duruflé’s Requiem, featuring a mix of ballet, Kathak and contemporary dance. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SWING DANCE DAY Saturday 3 May Digbeth (in association with Electric Swing Circus)
& SWINGAMAJIG Sunday 4 May 2pm – 5am Boxxed, Digbeth /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Swingamajig is an urban festival dedicated to Electro Swing, Gypsy Folk and vintage mayhem. On Saturday, IDFB has teamed up with Swingamajig’s organisers Electric Swing Circus to host a day of swing dance - come and learn the moves to join in on the day. Then, on Sunday, bring the whole family to see some of the most inventive, entertaining live acts, DJs, swing dancers, acrobats and artists around. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
FLAMENCO WEEKEND Sat 3 – Mon 5 May /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Get to grips with the intricate rhythms behind this most passionate of dances in a series of fantastic workshops for all levels. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Image: Johan Perssona
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For ticket prices and booking information, visit www.idfb.co.uk. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 49
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WEEK
2
TUE 6 – SAT 10 MAY
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Sylvie Guillem //
6000 MILES AWAY Tuesday 6 – Wednesday 7 May // 7.30pm Birmingham Hippodrome
International Dance Festival Birmingham is delighted to present a mixed programme devised and performed by internationally acclaimed dancer and Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Sylvie Guillem, who is widely recognised as one of the world’s greatest dancers.
Image: Bill Cooper
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Aakash Odedra Company //
MURMUR & INKED Tuesday 6 – Wednesday 7 May // 8pm DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome
A world premiere double bill from the acclaimed Aakash Odedra company, exploring themes of dyslexia and scarification and tattoos through Odedra’s distinctive movement style, based on his original training in South Asian styles of Kathak and Bharatanatyam. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Image: Lewis Major
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Les 7 Doigts de la Main //
SÉQUENCE 8 Thursday 8 – Saturday 10 May // 7.30pm & 2pm (Saturday) Birmingham Repertory Theatre /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Groundbreaking Montreal circus company Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The 7 Fingers) bring a deeply human dimension to the world of awe-inspiring acrobatics and phenomenal physicality. Playful and profound, Séquence 8 is an exhilarating race through the furthest reaches of acrobatics, circus arts, dance and theatre.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, including venue addresses and more on ticket prices, visit www.idfb.co.uk
50 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Image: Yann Boyenval
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IDFB Feature LW_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:28 Page 6
Highlights
Company Decalage //
MATCH & HALFWAY TO THE OTHER SIDE Friday 9 – Saturday 10 May // 8pm DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Company Decalage present this highly anticipated world premiere double bill, featuring a meeting of minds, a light in the dark and three choreographers whose paths crossed, turned, flipped, spun and crossed again. Celebrated Midlands-based choreographer and bboy Mickael ‘Marso’ Riviere joins forces with two exceptional talents; acclaimed choreographer, actor and dancer Guy Nader (originally from Lebanon, based in Barcelona) and extraordinary performer and choreographer Salah El Brogy (hailing from Egypt, based in London). Working together, they’ve co-created two brand new duets.
International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014
ALL OF BIRMINGHAM IS A STAGE EXHIBITION Thursday 8 – Sunday 11 May Millennium Point
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Students from Birmingham City University’s School of Architecture have been working with DanceXchange to imagine how disused or unloved corners of Birmingham could be transformed into performance spaces. See the results in an exhibition which aims to kick-start regeneration and community development projects across the city. On Thursday and Friday look out for pop-up performances by Birmingham Ormiston Academy dance students, inspired by the architectural designs. The exhibition forms part of Birmingham Made Me 2014. /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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Image : Time Unlimited Tours
[Match & Halfway To The Other Side]
Corey Baker Dance //
A HAKA DAY OUT Saturday 10 May // Free workshops: 12-12.30pm, 1-1.30pm & 2.30-3pm // Live Haka Performance: 3.30pm Birmingham City Centre
Image: marz1.4
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Take part in a traditional Māori experience in Birmingham city centre as part of A Haka Day Out. IDFB’s International Resident Choreographer and New Zealander Corey Baker will lead exhilarating tribal Haka (war dance) workshops with native Māori performers, followed by a live Haka performance. Suitable for everyone - just turn up and have a go.
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For ticket prices and booking information, visit www.idfb.co.uk.
What’s On IDFB 2014
17
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WEEK
3
TUE 13 – SAT 17 MAY
Luca Silvestrini’s Protein //
BORDER TALES Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 May // 8pm DanceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome £12/£8 Suitable for ages 12+ 0844 338 5000 or book online www.idfb.co.uk/protein /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
New Adventures & Re:Bourne //
LORD OF THE FLIES Wednesday 14 – Saturday 17 May // 7.30pm, 2pm (Thursday), 2.30pm (Saturday) Birmingham Hippodrome £15-£36 // Concessions available // Suitable for ages 8+ 0844 338 5000 or book online www.idfb.co.uk/newadventures /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
[Border Tales]
[Lord of The Flies]
PUT YOUR FOOT DOWN Saturday 17 May // 12pm-6pm Bullring, Spiceal Street Free Outdoor Event // Suitable for all ages /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Paint The Town Red //
THE SOUND OF FOOTWORK Saturday 17 May // 8pm-2am Hare & Hounds, Kings Heath (in association with brukup!) Suitable for ages 18+ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, including venue addresses and more on ticket prices, visit www.idfb.co.uk
52 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Image: Chris Nash
[Put Your Foot Down]
IDFB Feature LW_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:29 Page 8
Highlights
WEEK
4
TUE 20 – SUN 25 MAY
International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014
A Sadler’s Wells project //
Paint The Town Red //
BREAKIN’ CONVENTION Tuesday 20 – Wednesday 21 May // 7.30pm (Foyer Events from 5.30pm) Birmingham Hippodrome
INTERNATIONAL CAPOEIRA FESTIVAL & BRAZILIAN CARNIVAL PARADE
£9.50 in advance // £15 on the day // Suitable for all ages 0844 338 5000 or book online www.idfb.co.uk/breakinconvention
Friday 23 – Sunday 25 May mac birmingham
Aerites //
PLANITES Thursday 22 – Friday 23 May // 8pm DanceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome £12/£8 Suitable for ages 11+ 0844 338 5000 or book online www.idfb.co.uk/aerites
Image: Andreas Endermann
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REBEL SPIRIT: BRAZILIAN CLUB NIGHT Saturday 24 May // 8pm-12am PST, Digbeth (in association with Espirito Brum) Suitable for ages 18+ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
[Breakin’ Convention]
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Friday 23 – Saturday 24 May // 7.30pm Birmingham Hippodrome £12-£28 Suitable for ages 11+ 0844 338 5000 or book online www.idfb.co.uk/milonga
Image: Paul Hampartsoumian
M¡LONGA
Image: Tristram Kenton
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui //
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Candoco Dance Company //
STUDIES FOR C Saturday 24 May // 2pm & 4pm The Village Green (outside The Village Inn, Hurst Street. Access via Sherlock Street) Free Outdoor Event // Suitable for ages 14+ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
YOUNG MAN! Saturday 24 May // 2.20pm & 4.20pm The Village Green (outside The Village Inn, Hurst Street. Access via Sherlock Street)
Image: Krzysztof Jokiel
DeNada Dance Theatre //
Free Outdoor Event // Suitable for ages 14+ /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
B-TOWN Wednesday 21 – Saturday 24 May // 9.30pm Victoria Square Free Outdoor Event /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
For ticket prices and booking information, visit www.idfb.co.uk. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 53
Film April 2014 Davina_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:13 Page 1
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Film
TO WATCH THE LATEST MOVIE TRAILERS, VISIT: www.whatsonlive.co.uk
From
8 FRI 1 R P A
The Amazing Spiderman 2
CERT tbc
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz, Colm Feore, Paul Giamatti, Sally Field, Martin Sheen, Felicity Jones, Chris Cooper Directed by Marc Webb (USA)
The trailer looks great, the cast is mouthwatering and Marc Webb returns from his duties on the first film (the 2012 reboot, that is). This should be big. Humongous even. This time Spidey (aka Peter Parker) has his web full as he competes against a slew of super-villains, including Electro (Foxx), the Green Goblin (DeHaan) and the Rhino (Giamatti). Let’s just hope that so much is not too much of a good thing. The budget is said to be north of $200million. In 3D (obviously).
Noah CERT 12a (138mins) Starring Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins, Logan Lerman, Douglas Booth, Nick Nolte, Frank Langella Directed by Darren Aronofsky (USA))
m Fro
4 FRI R P A
Boasting a budget of $130million ($124million more than Aronofsky’s 2008 film The Wrestler), this is a real Biblical epic. Russell Crowe plays the Patriarch of Genesis who turns out to be a good deal more prescient than Michael Fish. Interestingly, the part was originally offered to Christian Bale, who opted to jump ship (or ark). Instead, Bale went on to play Moses in Ridley Scott’s upcoming Exodus. Meanwhile, we have Crowe rounding up a formidable menagerie of species to rescue them from the flood. It should make our recent moans about the wet weather seem incredibly feeble.
TOP 5 FILM BOX OFFICE
1 Need For Speed (12a) Grand Budapest 2 The Hotel (12a) 3 The Lego Movie (U) Rise Of An 4 300: Empire (15) 5 Non-Stop (12a) Need For Speed
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Film April 2014 Davina_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:13 Page 3
Film NEW RELEASES Released from Fri 4 April
Divergent CERT 12a (139 mins) Starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Zoe Kravitz, Maggie Q, Jai Courtney, Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd Directed by Neil Burger (USA)
Believe it or not, we’re back in a post-apocalyptic dystopia, this one adapted from the novel by Veronica Roth. Here, we’re in a futuristic Chicago in which the populace are divided into five distinct classes of personality or ‘virtues’. But Beatrice 'Tris' Prior (Woodley) is a ‘divergent’, which means she is without an official virtue - which makes her very dangerous. But ‘why’, she wonders?
Honour CERT 15 (102 mins)
Rio 2 CERT U (101 mins)
Starring Paddy Considine, Aiysha Hart, Harvey Virdi, Nikesh Patel, Faraz Ayub Directed by Shan Khan (UK)
With the voices of Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, Leslie Mann, Bruno Mars, Jemaine Clement, Andy Garcia Directed by Carlos Saldanha (USA)
There is honour among thieves but not in some families living in London. When Mona (Aiysha Hart) ‘shames’ her family, a contract is put on her life. When the first attempted honour killing misfires, the family hires a bounty killer (Considine) as Mona goes on the run. Sounds terribly topical.
Carlos Saldanha’s Rio (2011) was a sweet, funny and highly entertaining tale of love and ecology and there’s no reason why the sequel shouldn’t be as good. Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg return to voice their characters of a couple of lovestruck 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 (well, look at that cast). In 3D.
For full film listings, showings and booking links
visit: whatsonlive.co.uk
View the latest trailers on line 56 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
Film April 2014 Davina_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:13 Page 4
The Double CERT 15 (93mins) Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mia Wasikowska, Wallace Shawn, Noah Taylor, Yasmin Paige, James Fox Directed by Richard Ayoade (UK)
The former star of Channel Four’s The IT Crowd continues his exploration of the cinema with this comic thriller about a man and his doppelgänger. Based on the novella by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, it stars Jesse Eisenberg as a man gradually driven nuts when he realises that his life has been taken over by his double. Richard Ayoade previously directed the smart, surprising and very funny Submarine (2010).
From
1 FRI 1 R AP
Released from Fri 11 April
Calvary CERT 15 (101 mins) Starring Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly, Aidan Gillen, Isaach de Bankolé, Domhnall Gleeson Directed by John Michael McDonagh (Ireland/UK)
McDonagh previously directed Brendan Gleeson in The Guard, one of the funniest, darkest films of 2011. Here, he’s cast Mr Gleeson as a priest - a good one, to boot who is constantly disappointed by the smallmindedness of his flock. He’s then threatened during a routine confession and finds that he must combat a very real evil head-on. We can’t wait.
The Quiet Ones CERT 15 (98 mins)
Half Of A Yellow Sun
Starring Jared Harris, Sam Claflin, Olivia Cooke, Erin Richards Directed by John Pogue (UK)
CERT 15 (111 mins)
Following the success of their Daniel Radcliffestarrer The Woman In Black, Hammer Films now serve up more thrills with this little horror. Jared Harris plays Professor Coupland, a university physics professor who gathers together his best students to try and create a real-life poltergeist. Inspired by real events.
The Raid 2 CERT 18 (150 mins) Starring Iko Uwais, Arifin Putra, Oka Antara, Tio Pakusadewo Directed by Gareth Evans (Indonesia)
The Last Days On Mars CERT 15 (98 mins)
Starring Liev Schreiber, Elias Koteas, Romola Garai, Goran Kostić, Olivia Williams Directed by Ruairí Robinson (Ireland/UK/USA)
Man has finally made it to Mars and after six months one of the eight-man team makes a startling discovery. With just nineteen hours before they are due to return to earth, Marko (Kostić) finds what he believes to be proof of bacterial life. And then everything goes pearshaped. So, where’s Sandra Bullock when you need her?
Gareth Evans’ The Raid (2012) was the most successful Indonesian film ever to be directed by a Welshman. Now comes the sequel in which the rookie Jakarta cop Rama (Uwais) finds that his original sortie on a crime-infested tenement block has opened a can of very big worms. Members of the Indonesian underworld now want their pound of flesh and Rama is forced to go undercover.
Khumba: A Zebra’s Tale CERT U (85 mins)
Featuring the voices of Jake T. Austin, Steve Buscemi, Loretta Devine, Laurence Fishburne, Richard E. Grant, AnnaSophia Robb, Catherine Tate, Liam Neeson Directed by Anthony Silverston (South Africa)
Khumba is a South African zebra with only half his stripes. And because he’s different he is blamed for the recent drought and eventually feels compelled to leave his family. Beyond the safety of his own home, Khumba is forced to survive on his wits and to find the courage to be himself. In 3D.
Starring Thandie Newton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anika Noni Rose, Joseph Mawle, John Boyega Directed by Biyi Bandele (Nigeria/UK)
It is perhaps ironic that great African parts are so often played by the English. Winnie Mandela has been played by the Londonborn Sophie Okonedo and Naomie Harris, Nelson Mandela by Idris Elba and (wince) Muhammad Ahmad by Laurence Olivier (in Khartoum). Now comes the adaptation of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Orange Prize-winning novel set during the NigerianBiafran War of 1967-1970. While Adichie and the director Bandele are Nigerian, the two leads are played by the London-born Thandie Newton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, as Olanna and her lover Odenigbo. While they are both very good, Bandele (a prominent novelist and playwright) is unable to draw convincing performances from the rest of his cast and the film, at best, is workmanlike. And, spanning most of the 1960s, it fails to find a cohesive narrative, although under the guidance of cinematographer John de Borman it does look terrific.
Released from Fri 18 April
Locke CERT 15 (85 mins) Starring Tom Hardy, with the voices of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Ruth Wilson, Ben Daniels Directed by Steven Knight (UK/USA
While driving from Birmingham to London, a construction manager receives a phone call. The remainder of the film sees Ivan Locke (Hardy) attempting to salvage his life via mobile phone as he continues to race home. If the claustrophobic setting is off-putting, Hardy’s performance and the taut direction of Steven Knight apparently make this one helluva fresh and gripping thriller. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 57
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GET YOUR FREE COPY DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR EVERY MONTH ...you just pay for the postage and packing! Yes, we know you’re wondering what the catch is. Well, there isn’t one! We’ve ripped up our subscription rates so that more of you can get the No.1 listings magazine in the Midlands delivered direct to your front door every month. And at just £2 an issue to cover the postage and packing, there’s never been a better time to get it delivered!
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The Love Punch CERT 12a (94 mins) Starring Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson, Timothy Spall, Celia Imrie, Louise Bourgoin, Tuppence Middleton Directed by Joel Hopkins (UK)
A romantic caper in the tradition of Stanley Donen’s Charade, The Love Punch is the story of two divorcees. Reunited at a wedding, the ex-couple decides to team up to retrieve the retirement money stolen from them. In the process, Pierce Brosnan gets to wear a lot of silly costumes.
From
FRI 2 APR 5
The Other Woman CERT tbc Starring Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Kate Upton, Taylor Kinney, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Nicki Minaj Directed by Nick Cassavetes (USA)
(Deutch), a Dhampir who, as you know, is a half human/half vampire thingy and actually quite a peaceful sort. And she’s here to protect her own kind from the more disruptive, hell-forleather Strigoi undead. Based on the novel by Richelle Mead.
It’s hard to imagine any man double-dealing Cameron Diaz, but this is the case in this revenge comedy. Once Amber (Diaz) realises that her boyfriend (Coster-Waldau) is actually married, she teams up with his wife (Mann) to plot suitable retribution.
Transcendence CERT tbc Starring Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy Directed by Wally Pfister (USA)
Not content to be a brilliant scientist, Dr Will Caster (Depp) downloads his mind onto a computer. It’s not ethical and there are people out to stop him. Meanwhile, Dr Caster is gaining unprecedented power… Think RoboProf.
Tracks CERT 12a (113mins) Starring Mia Wasikowska, Adam Driver Directed by John Curran (Australia)
Released from Fri 25 April
Exhibition CERT 15 (105mins) Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters CERT tbc Starring Zoey Deutch, Danila Kozlovsky, Lucy Fry, Dominic Sherwood, Olga Kurylenko, Joely Richardson Directed by Mark Waters (USA)
Mark Waters directed Mean Girls (2004) and the girls don’t get much meaner than these bloodsuckers. Our heroine is Rose Hathaway
CINEMA Box Office Birmingham CINEWORLD Broad St, B’ham 0871 200 2000 CINEWORLD Solihull 0871 200 2000 ELECTRIC, B’ham 0121 643 7879 EMPIRE 0871 471 4714 MILLENNIUM POINT 0121 202 2222 MAC 0121 446 3232 ODEON 0871 224 4007 REEL Quinton 0121 421 5316
SHOWCASE 0871 220 1000 VUE CINEMA Star City 08712 240 240
Black Country CINEWORLD W’HAMPTON 0871 200 2000 LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CENTRE, W’HAMPTON 01902 716055 ODEON MERRY HILL, DUDLEY 0871 22 44007 SHOWCASE, DUDLEY 0871 220 1000
Starring Liam Gillick, Viv Albertine, Tom Hiddleston Directed by Joanna Hogg (UK)
In 2006 John Curran directed a sumptuous and accomplished adaptation of W Somerset Maugham’s novel The Painted Veil. Here, he tackles the altogether more tricky 1980 memoir by Robyn Davidson which chronicles her one thousand, seven hundred-mile trek across the Australian Outback with just a dog, four camels and the National Geographic photographer Rick Smolan. The desert scenery promises to look stunning and Mia Wasikowska is always an engaging cinematic presence.
Tom Hiddleston is becoming this year’s James Franco (as a constant presence on our screens) and is teamed up with director Joanna Hogg for the third time. Here, he plays an estate agent, but the central characters are ‘H’ (Gillick) and ‘D’ (Albertine), an artistic couple whose lifestyle is threatened when their London home is put up for sale. Incidentally, Albertine was guitarist for the punk band The Slits.
FOREST ARTS CENTRE, WALSALL 01922 645 555
Shropshire CINEWORLD, SHREWSBURY 0871 200 2000 THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728 911 FESTIVAL DRAYTON CENTRE, MARKET DRAYTON 01630 654 444 THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY 01743 234 970 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878 141 MAJESTIC, BRIDGNORTH 01746 761815
ODEON TELFORD 0871 224 4007 OMH SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WEM TOWN HALL 01939 232299
Staffordshire CINEWORLD, BURTON-UPONTRENT 0871 200 2000 THE STAFFORD CINEMA, STAFFORD 0207 438 9580 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK 01538 386 112 STOKE FILM THEATRE, 01782 411188
ODEON TAMWORTH 0871 224 4007
Warwickshire ODEON COVENTRY 0871 224 4007 ODEON NUNEATON 0871 224 4007 SHOWCASE, COVENTRY 0871 220 1000 VUE, LEAMINGTON SPA 08712 240 240 PICTURE HOUSE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 0871 902 5741 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE COVENTRY 02476 524524
Worcestershire ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 MALVERN THEATRE 0845 287 2146 THE NORBURY THEATRE, DROITWICH SPA 08444 777 1000 WAREHOUSE, KIDDERMINSTER 01562 747773 VUE, WORCESTER 0871 224 0240 THE ROSE’S THEATRE, TEWKESBURY 01684 295 074
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Film A-Z LISTINGS All films are currently on general release unless otherwise stated. For full listing information, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 12 Years A Slave 15 Based on the autobiography of Soloman Northup, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbenders star. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Tues 1 Apr; The Courtyard, Hereford, until Tues 7 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 13 - Tues 15, Fri 18 - Sat 19 Apr
A Late Quartet 15 The future of the quartet is threatened when one of them may or may not have Parkinson’s. As it happens, this proves to be the least of their problems. Philip Seymour Hoffman & Christopher Walken star. Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 25 Apr A Long Way Down 15 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 Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 11 - Thurs 17 Apr; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Tues 15 - Thurs 17 Apr
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, from Weds 30 Apr
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. Meryl Streep & Julia Roberts star. Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, until Tues 1 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Tues 1 - Thurs 3 Apr; The Courtyard, Hereford, Fri 4 Apr; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 11 - Mon 14 Apr
Bastards 18 Following the unheralded suicide of his brother-inlaw, Marco goes AWOL from the ship he captains in the merchant marines to support his distressed sister and niece. Troubled by what he finds, he
begins to investigate the events leading to Jacques' death. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 10 Apr
WATCH THE FILM T A TRAILERS .uk ve.co whatsonli The Book Thief 12a A young girl sent to live with a foster family in World War Two Germany learns to read, with encouragement from Max, a Jewish refugee who they’re hiding under the stairs. Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 18 - Weds 23 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Mon 21, Weds 23 - Thurs 24 Apr; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 22 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 25, Sun 27 - Mon 28 Apr
The Butler 12a Loosely based on real events, The Butler in question works at the White House, and it’s through his eyes that we see many of the major historical episodes of the twentieth century. Showing at Stourbridge Town Hall, Mon 7 Apr Cuban Fury 15 Bruce is a loser who’s got a crush on his beautiful American boss, Julia. Then he discovers she has a secret passion: salsa. And many, many years ago, Bruce was something of a child prodigy of the Latin dance… Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 4, Mon 7 Thurs 10 Apr; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 25 - Mon 28 Mar
The Dallas Buyers Club 15 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 & Jennifer Garner star. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, until Tues 1 Apr; The Courtyard, Hereford, Mon 7 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Tues 15 Weds 16 Apr; Old Market
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Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 25 Tues 29 Apr
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off PG A high school wise guy is determined to have a day off from school. Stars Matthew Broderick. Showing at The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham, Weds 30 Apr
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 the Princess Elsa. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-onTrent, Sat 12 Apr; Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Thurs 17 Apr
Funny Face PG Jo Stockton is a book clerk in New York, who gets “discovered” as a potential model. Initially sceptical and snobbish about the job offer, she accepts when she finds it involves a trip to Paris for a fashion shoot. Cue much hijinks in the French capital as Jo’s attitude soon begins to soften towards her new role, and towards her handsome photographer. Fred Astaire & Audrey Hepburn star. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 19 - Sun 20 Apr G B F 15 When Tanner unwittingly becomes his high school’s first openly gay student, social warfare erupts with three prom queen hopefuls competing over this year's must have teen girl accessory – ‘The G.B.F’. Stars Michael J. Willett. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Weds 23 Apr The Godfather Part II 12a The film shifts back and forth in time between Michael Corleone consolidating his empire in the 1950s and his father Vito escaping Sicily as a boy at the turn of the twentieth century. Al Pacino & Robert Duvall star. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 27 Apr
The Grand Budapest Hotel 12a The adventures of the legendary concierge Gustave H. As played by Ralph Fiennes, Gustave H is a wonderful comic character, an articulate, manipulative and brazen fellow who abuses his position with startling zeal. Accused of murder and chased all over the shop, the fellow never loses his nerve. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Thurs 3 Apr; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Thurs 8 Apr; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Mon 14 - Thurs 17 Apr; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 15, Fri 18 - Sat 19 Apr; Old Market Hall,
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Shrewsbury, Fri 18 - Thurs 24 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Tues 29 Weds 30 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Tues 29 Weds 30 Apr
Gravity 12a Matt Kowalsky is on his last shuttle before retirement, along with medical engineer Dr Ryan Stone on her first mission in space. Then, on a routine spacewalk, their craft is destroyed, leaving them stranded in the cosmos... Sandra Bullock & George Clooney star. Showing at Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Mon 14 & Thurs 17 Apr
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 Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Fri 11 - Sat 12 Apr; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 11 - Thurs 17 Apr; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 19 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Sun 27 - Mon 28 Apr
The Hunt 12a Klara, a five-year-old pupil, makes up a charge of assault. The nursery is in shock, suspicions are aroused and as hatred of one man spreads throughout the village, the small community rapidly begins to fall apart. Mads Mikkelsen stars. Showing at The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 4 Apr
I Am Divine tbc The story of Divine, aka Harris Glenn Milstead, from his humble beginnings as an overweight, teased Baltimore youth to internationally recognized cult drag superstar through his collaboration with filmmaker John Waters. Directed by Jeffery Schwarz. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sun 27 Apr
Inside Llewyn Davis 15 Set in Greenwich Village, New York, in 1961, and loosely based on the memoir of folk singer Dave Van Ronk. Oscar Isaac stars. Directed by the Coen brothers. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, until Tues 1 Apr; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 6 - Weds 9 Apr
The Invisible Woman 12a The film focuses on Dickens’ extra-marital relationship with Ellen ‘Nelly’ Ternan. Ralph Fiennes & Felicity Jones star. Showing at Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Weds 2 - Thurs 3 Apr; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, until Thurs 3 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Sun 6 - Tues 8, Fri 11, Sun 13 - Mon 14 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sun 6 - Tues 8, Fri 11 Apr; The Courtyard, Hereford, Tues 8 Apr; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 8 - Tues 15 Apr; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 18 - Sat 19, Mon 21 Apr
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit 12a Jack Ryan is the CIA agent first featured in the 1990 thriller The Hunt For Red October. Shadow Recruit, to use the popular parlance, is a reboot and sees a younger Ryan counter a Soviet plot to undermine the US economy. Chris Pine stars. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, until Weds 2 Apr
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 & Josh Brolin star. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 18 Thurs 24 Apr; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 21 - Thurs 24 Apr
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 Wem Town Hall, Fri 11 - Sat 12 & Weds 16 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 14 - Sat 19 Apr; Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 18 - Thurs 24 Apr; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 18 - Sat 26 Apr; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Shropshire Tues 22 & Thurs 24 Apr
Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom 12a The late anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela has been played by several actors, but this is the first film to be based on Mandela’s autobiography. Idris Elba stars. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 4 - Tues 8 Apr
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. Showing at Festival Drayton Centre, Shropshire, Fri 4 - Sat 5 Apr; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 4 - Sat 5 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 18 - Sun 20 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 21 Weds 23 Apr; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, from Fri 25 Apr
The New Black tbc The New Black documents activists on both sides of the campaign to legalise gay marriage in Maryland, USA. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sat 26 Apr
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 & Jessica Brown Findlay
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star. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Thurs 3 Apr
Hiddleston & Tilda Swinton star. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Thurs 3 Apr
Mr Peabody And Sherman U
Philomena 12a Dame Judi Dench plays Philomena Lee, an elderly woman who decides to search for the son taken from her when she was just a teenager. Also stars Steve Coogan. Showing at The Courtyard, Hereford, until Weds 2 Apr; Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Mon 7 Apr
A highly intelligent dog (Mr Peabody) and his adopted boy, Sherman, travel back in time in their Wayback Machine. Showing at Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 7 - Weds 9 Apr; Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Sat 12 - Thurs 17 Apr; Festival Drayton Centre, Shropshire, Mon 14 - Tues 15 Apr; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Mon 14 - Tues 15, Thurs 17 Apr; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Weds 23 Thurs 24, Sat 26 Apr; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 25 - Tues 29 Apr
Nebraska 15 The story of a dipsomaniac who travels from Montana to Nebraska with his son to supposedly claim some prize money. Bruce Dern & Will Forte star. Showing at Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 8 Apr 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
Quartet 12a In a retirement home for opera singers and musicians, the occupants are facing more than one kind of music… Maggie Smith, Tom Courtenay & Billy Connolly star. Showing at The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich Spa, Weds 16 Apr The Railway Man 15 Based on the autobiography of Eric Lomax who, as a POW for the Japanese, helped build the Thai-Burma Railway. Colin Firth and Nicole Kidman star. Showing at Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 11 - Thurs 17 Apr; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 15 - Thurs 17 Apr 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 Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Weds 9 - Thurs 10 Apr; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Mon 14 - Weds 16 Apr
Rush PG A film which charts the 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 Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 1 Apr
Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 14 Apr
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 Electric Cinema, B’ham, until Thurs 3 Apr; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-onTrent, Fri 25 - Sat 26 Apr Stranger By The Lake
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 & Tom Hanks star. Showing at Stourbridge Town Hall, Mon 28 Apr
18 Alain Guiraudie’s atmospheric thriller is set at a beautiful lakeside spot in southern France, frequented by men sunbathing in the summer heat. Franck bears witness to a murder and, as a silent witness, must choose between his passion and his moral integrity. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Thurs 3 Apr; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 17 Apr; mac, Birmingham, Sat 26 Apr
Shirley Valentine 15 Shirley is a housewife in Liverpool, undervalued by her husband. When she gets a chance to go to Greece with a female friend, she discovers the pleasures of freedom away from the limitations of her marriage, and falls in love with living. Showing at Stoke Film
Submerge tbc For Jordan, university life brings the promise of new experiences and a chance to break away from intense family pressure to pursue a career as an elite swimmer. Through her newly discovered passions – the study of history and her academic tutor, Angie –
Jordan opens her eyes to the possibility of a new path, one that she herself controls. Or does she? Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 25 Apr
Tank Girl 15 Tank Girl and her friends stand up to a huge corporation, headed by Kesslee, controller of the earth’s water supply, and total mania ensues. Lori Petty & Malcolm McDowell star. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Tues 8th Apr Teenage 12a Teenagers didn’t exist much before the 1950s. Or did they? This kaleidoscopic collage of rare archive footage, diary entries and Super 8 recreations follows their evolution during the first half of the twentieth century. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Weds 2 Thurs 3 Apr; Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 8th Apr Under The Skin U This science fiction thriller stars Scarlett Johansson as an alien who preys on hitchhikers in Scotland. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 25 Apr and also from Sun 27 Apr Wake In Fright 18 A 1971 thriller staring For full listings visit:
Donald Pleasence as a middle class teacher from the big city hoping to escape his outback posting and return to Sydney. Described by musician and screenwriter Nick Cave as being 'the best and most terrifying film about Australia in existence.' Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 24 Apr
The Wolf Of Wall Street 18 Over its three-hour running time, there’s so much bad behaviour, so much profanity, so much cocaine, and so many hookers and parties that it’s like The Hangover that swallowed Wall Street. Leonardo DiCaprio stars. Showing at Artrix, Bromsgrove until Weds 2 Apr; The Courtyard, Hereford, until Weds 2 Apr
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 Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 4 Thurs 10 Apr
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DVD NEW RELEASES Oldboy 18 The story of a man seeking vengeance for his false imprisonment. Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men, Gangster Squad) plays the detainee with retribution on his mind. Expect some strong adult content. Elizabeth Olsen also stars. Released 7 April
Kill Your Darlings 15 Cinematically, there’s been a lot of interest in the generation of Beat poets. Here, Daniel Radcliffe plays Allen Ginsberg in a true crime story that implicates him, Jack Kerouac and William S Burroughs in a murder. Dane DeHann also stars. Released 21 April All Is Lost 12a Robert Redford plays a sailor whose craft takes on water when it collides with a shipping container: what follows is a story of elemental survival. Released 21 April
Nebraska 15 Bruce Dern was nominated for best actor at this year’s Oscars for his role here as a dipsomaniac who travels from Montana to Nebraska with his son to supposedly claim some prize money. Will Forte also stars. Released 14 April
The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty PG
Like Father, Like Son 12a
Ryota feels he’s earned his perfect life. Then he receives a phone call from the hospital where his son was born. There’d been a mix-up, and his son is not actually his... From the director Hirokazo Koreeda. Released 28 April
Not a sequel, nor a reboot, but a remake (of sorts). Walter Mitty, played by Ben Stiller (who also directs the film), is the ultimate dreamer, who embarks on extravagant adventures inside his own head. Released 21 April
Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom 12a Nelson Mandela’s life story is one of the most remarkable of the twentieth century. The late anti-apartheid
activist has been played by several actors (Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Dennis Haysbert), but this is the first film to be based on Mandela’s autobiography and stars Idras Elba and Naomie Harris. Released 28 April
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
Walking With Dinosaurs U
12a Director Peter Jackson continues the Tolkien saga, with Gandalf, Bilbo Baggins and those silly dwarfs hiking their way to the Kingdom of Erebor. There, they encounter the dragon Smaug, voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch. Having played Stephen Hawking, William Pitt the Younger and Julian Assange, there is obviously no end to the man’s talents. Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman and Richard Armitage star. Released 28 April
The story of three Pachyrhinosauruses (you know, those centrosaurine ceratopsid dinosaurs) from infancy through to adulthood. Released 28 April
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Visual Arts Last Post: Remembering The First World War Coalbrookdale Gallery, Ironbridge Gorge, Fri 11 April - 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.
Michael Francois: Pieces Of Evidence Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Wed 30 April - Sun 22 June
BP Portrait Award Wolverhampton Art Gallery, until Sat 31 May
The BP Portrait Award is the world’s most prestigious portrait competition - 2013's contest saw nearly two thousand artists from seventy-seven countries competing for the top prize. Submissions were presented in a variety of contemporary styles, and ranged from informal and personal studies of friends and family to revealing portraits of famous faces - including those of Alistair Campbell, Frida Kahlo and Emeli Sande. This Wolverhampton showcase features the Award’s winning entry - Pieter by Susanne du Toit - and Second Prize-winner The Uncertain Time (pictured below), by Coventry-based artist John Devane.
The Uncertain Time by John Devane, 2013 © John
Belgian artist Michel François’ belief that art is ‘life sculpted’ is ably evidenced by the works on show in this thought-provoking exhibition. François brings together sculpture, film, paintings, prints and photographs to illustrate his conviction that the meanings of a work of art are determined through its combination with others in relation to an exhibition space. This is the most comprehensive UK exhibition to date of the Brussels-based artist’s work. As with many of François’ solo exhibitions, it carries a title (Pieces Of Evidence) that reflects his interest in such subjects as contemporary reality, surveillance, psychology and the police state. Further examples of this are other exhibition titles such as State Of Being, Expanded Bureau and Theatre Of Operations.
Nadia Kisseleva: Document mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Sat 5 Apr - Sun 1 Jun
Russian-born Nadia Kisseleva is an artist known for her use of vivid and intense colour palettes. Document, with its monochrome palette, therefore constitutes something of a departure for her. The exhibition comprises a series of portraits of people imprisoned in the former Soviet Union during the Stalinist era, the use of a muted palette allowing Kisseleva not only to reference the original black-and-white photographs upon which the paintings are based, but also to convey a sense of the abhorrent conditions suffered by people who were detained under Stalin’s regime. Kisseleva has developed a worldwide reputation as an artist of note since leaving Russia for Africa thirty-four years ago. Now resident in the UK, her work can be found in private collections in the United States, Kenya, Denmark and Austria.
Devane
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VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS Further exhibitions
Beside The Seaside Bilston Craft Gallery, Sat 12 April - Sat 14 June
The halcyon days of the British seaside resort may be long gone, but time spent on a UK beach enjoying donkey rides, building sandcastles and eating ice-creams is still familiar enough to most people to ensure that they’ll both enjoy and engage with this lighthearted exhibition. Comprising craft inspired by British beaches, life on the coast and seaside holidays, Beside The Seaside features quirky automata boating scenes made from British hardwoods and found objects, charming seaside scenes in textiles and ceramics, and plenty of interactive features to try out.
Home Away From Home Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, until Sun 3 August
This fascinating exhibition showcases the results of a Heritage Lottery-funded project run by Go-Woman! Alliance CIC (GOAL). GOAL is coordinated by individuals who’ve been working in the field of enterprise for many years to help support, develop and celebrate entrepreneurial culture. The alliance’s Home Away From Home project focuses on bringing together and presenting the experiences of migrant Mirpuri/Kashmiri women who arrived in the UK between the 1950s and 1970s and are now living in the Saltley and Washwood Heath area of Birmingham. The project and this accompanying exhibition explore numerous elements which have affected the women’s ability to settle into their new community, including issues around language, employment, and health and wellbeing.
Photo credit: Birmingham Museums Trust
Artist Rooms: Richard Long New Art Gallery, Walsall, Wed 16 April - Sun 22 June
As one of Britain’s leading artists, Richard Long works with the landscape to create sculptures in some of the world’s most remote locations, along the way taking photographs to document his work. This Artist Rooms exhibition brings together a selection of Long’s sculptures, maps and text works from the late 1960s to the present day, in so doing demonstrating the breadth of his travels, which have taken him as far afield as Japan and Alaska... Now in its fifth year, Artist Rooms is a public collection of international contemporary art which is shared across the UK. This is made possible through the generosity of Anthony d’Offay and other funders, including the Art Fund. 64 www.whatsonlive.co.uk
For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk NIKHIL CHOPRA: SPACE ODDITY Personal histories and India's colonial past are explored using performance, painting and photography, until Sat 5 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery
DAVID TREMLETT EXHIBITION Large-scale sitespecific wall drawings of geometric arrangements, abstract compositions of arcs, circles, trapezoids and line, until Mon 21 April, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
SCORE A snapshot of the variety of musical scores which have emerged since the 1950s. Works by Janet Boulton and Claudia Molitor feature, until Sat 5 Apr, Library of Birmingham
JAMAL PENJWENY Exhibition comprising twelve images of Iraqi people holding a lifesize picture of Saddam Hussain in front of their own, until Mon 21 Apr, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
MELTING POT CRAFT EXHIBITION Showcasing the diverse and eclectic cultural influences present within the British craft scene, until Sat 5 Apr, RBSA, Birmingham
EXPOSED: THE BODY IN ART FORM FROM DURER TO FREUD Exhibition which explores artistic responses to the human body, with works by Albrecht Dürer, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Barbara Hepworth, Helen Chadwick, Francis Bacon, Gillian Wearing and Lucian Freud all featured, until Mon 21 Apr, Herbert Gallery & Museum, Coventry
MARGARET FAIRHEAD RBSA A series of stitched pieces inspired by observations of flowers from her garden, until Sat 5 Apr, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham CHRIS CLINTON, DEAD MEDIA Birminghambased artist Chris Clinton uses familiar objects and reclaimed materials to create artworks which refer to contemporary popular culture and our disregard for out-of-date media, until Sun 6 Apr, The New Art Gallery, Walsall PORTRAIT OF A POTTERIES POPSTAR A selection of objects and memorabilia to celebrate the fortieth birthday of one of the world’s most successful pop stars, Robbie Williams, until Sun 6 Apr, The Potteries Museum, Stoke-on-Trent LEARNING TEAM SHOWCASE Exhibition of work from the WAVE learning team during 2013/14, until Sat 12 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery JOHN RIDOUT: A LIFE IN PAINTING Retrospective exhibition of paintings which catalogue changes in the Midlands over scores of years, until Sat 12 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery FOUND EXHIBITION Second group exhibition held at the gallery by Quatrefoil artists Jacqueline Calladine, Annette Lucas ARBSA and Stephanie Redfern RBSA, until Sat 12 Apr, RBSA, Birmingham STUDIO PRINTS Exhibition featuring the work of artists and printmakers Dorothea Wight and Marc Balakjian, until Tues 15 Apr, New Art Gallery, Walsall
IKON ICONS: JOHN SALT The first artist ever to exhibit at Ikon, in 1965, until Mon 21 Apr, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham DAVID CARPANINI: A PAINTER-PRINTMAKER AND HIS WORLD Retrospective exhibition featuring some of Carpanini’s most iconic works, dating back to 1964, alongside recently completed etchings, drawings and paintings, until Mon 21 Apr, Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum SONGS OF THE SEA Showcase of the wealth of material produced by the St Ives colony of artists, until Sat 26 Apr, Worcester City Art Gallery DAVID ROWAN: THE DARK RIVER A body of work which navigates the course of Birmingham’s River Rea, until Sun 27 Apr, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham TREASURE! DISCOVERING THE STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD A family-friendly community exhibition developed by Staffordshire County Council as part of the Mercian Trail, until Sun 27 Apr, Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery, Newcastleunder-Lyme, Staffs 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 27 Apr, The Barber Institute, Birmingham
until Sat 7 Jun, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum
DEVIL’S IN THE DETAIL Exhibition celebrating the steady hand and eagle eye of the Victorian trade catalogue engraver, until Wed 30 Apr, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Ironbridge, Shropshire
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
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
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
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 & Park, Wolverhampton
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
SPRING SHOWCASE Featuring an eclectic mix of ceramics, textiles, homewares and delicate paper jewellery, until Sat 10 May, Bilston Craft Gallery
FOR THE RECORD Exploring themes of preservation and recording in the work of female artists, until Sun 29 June, Birmingham Museum & 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
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
ANDREW MATHESON RBSA Solo show featuring a display of forms in porcelain, experimenting with barium glaze, until Sat 17 May, RBSA, Birmingham DALE N MARSHALL: WALLS WITH WOUNDS Exhibition which consists of vibrant abstract and layered multimedia works which reference the artist’s life, until Sun 18 May, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry 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 Sun 18 May, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery FAMILY CIRCLES Featuring contributions from some of the greatest masters in miniature portraiture, until Mon 26 May, The Barber Institute, Birmingham BARBARIANS: THE AGE OF IRON Showcasing new research, artefacts and prehistoric skeletons which tell the story of Worcestershire over two thousand years ago,
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 MOORE RODIN Works from two major players in the world of modern sculpture feature in this exhibition in celebration of Compton Verney’s tenth anniversary, until Sun 31 Aug, Compton Verney Gallery, Warwickshire
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VisualArts LISTINGS For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk YOU - THE 12TH PLINTH Stand on the empty 12th plinth, strike a pose and create a living sculpture by becoming an artist’s model, inspiring a composition for a new sculpture, until Sun 31 Aug, Compton Verney, Warwickshire IN STITCHES: A CELEBRATION OF RSC COSTUME until Mon 1 Sep, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon BACK TO FRONT: 40 PERMANENT COLLECTION GEMS Exhibition which celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the gallery’s Garman Ryan collection, until Sat 16 Nov, New Art Gallery, Walsall 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
Mon 7 Apr - Sat 3 May, Solihull Arts Complex NIGEL PRIDDEY RBSA Solo show featuring a selection of watercolour paintings which explore pattern and colour in the landscape, Mon 7 Apr - Sat 31 May, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham
COLD TEA Exploration of the phenomenology of colour and unreality executed through the materiality of paint and photographic images, Fri 18 Apr - Sat 17 May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery
SECRET GARDEN CRAFT EXHIBITION Collection of jewellery, ceramics and textiles exploring fairytales and narratives, Mon 7 Apr - Sat 28 Jun, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham
CONNECTIONS: LAND & SKY Showcasing the works of three textile artists - Susan Walker, Val Brewin and Dorothy Deakin, Sat 19 Apr - Sat 17 May, Bilston Craft Gallery
TOM, FRANK AND MAY Showcase of original material, uniforms, handling activities and a short film which demonstrate the role played by the Merry family during World War One, from 12 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham
JUSTYNA PTAK A series of photographers which draw from domestic, architectural and rural environments while seeking to capture the significant and intangible in the everyday, Sat 19 Apr - Sat 12 July, Wolverhampton Art Gallery
ROY ABELL Selling exhibition from husband & wife team Roy & Pat Abell, Sat 5 Apr - Thurs 31 May, Artifex, Solihull
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, Sat 12 Apr - Sun 8 Jun, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham
STUDIO 14B Fresh new work from Leicesterbased artist STUDIO 14b, featuring landscape, seascape, portraiture and still-life,
OPEN ART AND CRAFT EXHIBITION 2014 Sat 12 Apr - Wed 2 Jul, Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery, Newcastle-under-Lyme,
SENSING SCULPTURE Featuring new sculptures alongside old favourites, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery
Staffs
UKCPS ANNUAL EXHIBITION A selection of work by coloured pencil artists from the UK and around the world, Mon 28 Apr - Sat 10 May, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham 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, Wed 30 Apr - Sun 22 Jun, Ikon Gallery, 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
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
NUMBER NINE THE GALLERY 0121 643 9099 RBSA GALLERY 0121 2364353 THREE WHITE WALLS GALLERY 0121 643 0078
THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01782 232323 SHIRE HALL GALLERY STAFFORD 01785 278345 STAFFORDSHIRE MUSEUM, SHUGBOROUGH 01889 881388
Black Country
Warwickshire
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
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
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Events
Ed Vere
Pop Up Festival Of Stories Enginuity, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 19 April A ‘children’s literature festival with a twist’ is how this brand new popup event is being described. With its intention of bringing families together to enjoy and participate in stories where play, experiment, creativity and collaboration are celebrated, this free one-day event comprises three distinct areas: Fantasy author Sarwat Chadda’s Marvel Comics-inspired interpretations of classic myths are told through roaming performances and monster puppets; Novelist Julia Golding’s Arthurian Pavilion features
medieval gameshows, knights, minstrels, and the legendary Round Table; And Mr Big illustrator Ed Vere’s ’50s-era jazz joint comprises a cabaret line-up, wacky cocktails and compulsory dressing up... At the heart of the Pop Up organisation’s work is the conviction that, by facilitating pleasurable encounters with authors and their stories, they can ignite imaginations, inspire future readers and writers, and build more literate communities.
Transport Show Weston Park, Staffordshire, Sun 20 - Mon 21 April
The beautiful setting of Staffordshire’s Weston Park - with its miniature steam railway, adventure playground, lakes and follies - offers the perfect setting for this popular event for motoring enthusiasts. Organised by Transtar Events, the team behind numerous other regional motoring get-togethers, this annual showcase of classic cars, motorcycles, commercials, period caravans and American cars features a wealth of additional attractions. As well as providing an opportunity for visitors to peruse more than thirteen hundred on-display vehicles, the two-day event also showcases live entertainment from the Piston Ring Youth Motorcycle Display Team and birds of prey demonstrations in the main arena. A funfair, inflatables and a children’s play area should ensure younger visitors are kept entertained.
CBeebies Live! LG Arena, Birmingham, Fri 18 April From the creators of the popular Justin And Friends Easter Tour 2013 comes this brand new live arena show for pre-school children. Featuring plenty of audience interaction, CBeebies Live! promises ‘a musical extravaganza that’s bound to have audiences dancing in the aisles’. Children’s presenter Justin Fletcher MBE oversees events, and is joined by Mister Maker, Rastamouse, musical fab four the ZingZillas and gardener extraordinaire Mr Bloom, who’s making his CBeebies Live! debut. Nina from Nina And The Neurons brings a scientific angle to the show, while the adventurous Andy Day and charismatic Katy Ashworth are tasked with ensuring everyone has fun. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 67
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Events PREVIEWS Vaishaki Celebrations New Art Gallery, Walsall, Sat 26 April
Organisers of the New Art Gallery’s Vaishaki festival celebrations are promising visitors a bigger and better experience than ever before. Alongside live music and dance performances of Bhangra and Gidha, this year’s event also acknowledges the Sikh contribution to World War One with a model army battle layout and the chance to meet some of today’s new cadets. Family-friendly workshops also feature throughout the day.
Easter Celebrations In Ironbridge Blists Hill, Ironbridge Gorge, Shropshire, Fri 18 - Mon 21 April
Harlem Globetrotters LG Arena, Birmingham, Mon 14 April
Having played exhibition basketball games combining athleticism and comedy for the best part of a century, the Harlem Globetrotters this month return to the Midlands with a brand new family show that takes fan intervention to a whole new level. Pre-show online voting at harlemglobetrotters.com/rule allows followers to decide which new game-changing rules they want to see when the troupe stop off at the LG Arena. The Globetrotters expect to feature Special K Daley, Big Easy Lofton, Flight Time Lang, Hi-Lite Bruton, Dizzy Grant and female stars TNT Maddox and T-Time.
International Cartoon Festival Shrewsbury Town Centre, Fri 21 - Sat 26 April
The streets of Shrewsbury will be a hive of activity late this month with the return of the town’s annual International Cartoon Festival. The only event of its kind in the UK, the festival sees professional artists descend on the market town to create giant cartoons and caricatures, as well as host various have-ago workshops. Highlights this year include a How To Draw Absolutely Anything workshop with Wilbur Dawbarn of The Beano and Private Eye; a Blow Your Own Trump! event, where visitors are encouraged to make farting musical instruments using drinking straws and plastic tubes; and Creating The Soundbusters - a comic strip drawn on the spot by a crack team of cartoonists.
The Ironbridge Gorge Museums are offering a packed programme of events to entertain visitors over the Easter school holidays. For those in need of some craft therapy, Jackfield’s tiledecorating workshops and Coalport China Museum’s ceramic workshops should certainly fit the bill. Visitors in search of some nostalgic fun and games, meanwhile, should make their way to Blists Hill, where, in addition to the usual attractions, a host of festive entertainment is on offer, including a ‘hunt the chick’ competition, an Easter bonnet parade and numerous themed workshops - not to mention regular demonstrations of the unusual pastime of egg dancing! Blists Hill regulars, the Prince Albert Players, are also in attendance, presenting open-air performances on the Village Green.
Wenlock Poetry Festival Various venues, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, 25 - 27 April
Now in its fifth year, Wenlock Poetry Festival offers three days of live performances, readings, workshops, literature, art, music and film. Featuring over seventy events, this year’s festival is the most ambitious to date. Literary heavyweights programmed to appear include performance poet John Hegley, poet and painter Frieda Hughes and Olivier Award-winning actor Alex Jennings. Multi-award-winning poet and playwright Simon Armitage brings the event to a close at the Edge Arts Centre, drawing on his twenty-five years of writing poetry as well as reading excerpts from his 2012 book, Walking Home: Travels With A Troubadour On The Pennine Way. The hundredth anniversary of the outbreak of World War One provides a running theme for the 2014 festival, with Shropshire war poets AE Housman, Wilfred Owen and Mary Webb each celebrated, while a screening of film drama Severn And Somme recounts the life of World War One poet and composer Ivor Gurney. For full listings, visit www.wenlockpoetJohn Hegley ryfestival.org.
Easter Trail RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton, Mon 14 - Fri 25 April
For those seeking an alternative Easter experience, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford could have just the thing. Here, the only egg cracking taking place will be of the secret code that trail-followers are challenged to break. The trail guides young detectives
around the hangers, viewing platforms and exhibitions, in the process allowing them to take in over seventy aircraft of all different shapes and sizes, including the famous Dornier 17. Correct trail entries will be entered into a draw, and five lucky winners will each win a £20 gift voucher to spend in the Museum Shop. The RAF Museum also offers visitors the chance to get up close and personal to the world’s oldest Spitfire and a mighty Vulcan bomber, as well as to enjoy a taste of the action in a flight simulator or 4D experience.
The Gadget Show Live NEC, Birmingham, Wed 9 - Sun 13 April
Providing a platform on which to showcase the very best in cutting-edge technology, the Gadget Show Live sees more than two hundred top tech companies exhibiting their latest futuristic products, from TVs, toys and tablets to cameras, cars and consoles. New features for 2014 include the British Inventors Project, which profiles and celebrates the UK’s innovators and inventors by showcasing new products before they hit the market. There’s also the Innovation Theatre, where inventors can talk about and demonstrate their prototypes, and the Gadget Imaging Zone, in which visitors can learn about the very latest in photography technology. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 69
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Events PREVIEWS Billy Smart’s Circus West Park, Wolverhampton, Tues 1 - Sun 6 April
Founded in 1946 by its namesake, Billy Smart’s Circus soon became a household name with its regular TV appearances and tours. Back on the road for 2014, and with Billy’s granddaughter Yasmine at the helm, the circus promises a real family spectacle, with award-winning artistes from around the world coming together in a fast-moving and visually thrilling two-hour show. Expect great entertainment from Australia’s Flying Aces, Russia’s ten-handed Assadulin Troupe, Romanian acrobatic trio The Extreme Brothers, Italian clown Jonny Bogino and French foot juggler Germaine Delbosq.
Antiques For Everyone NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 10 - Sun 13 April
St George’s Day Celebrations Tamworth Castle, Sat 26 April
An annual occurrence on the Tamworth Castle calendar, this family-friendly event brings together a wide range of activities for all ages to enjoy - from pottery making and have-a-go archery to jousting displays and medieval re-enactments. The castle’s medieval household extends a warm welcome to modern-day visitors as they set about their daily tasks. Tamworth’s laundress demonstrates how clothes were prepared for washing, while Lady Freville indulges in some medieval games-playing. Handling sessions of replica weapons and armour with the site’s Armourer also feature.
The largest antiques fair of its kind returns to Birmingham this month for its annual spring fair, offering the perfect opportunity for enthusiasts and collectors to browse, purchase and obtain information on a vast array of furniture and collectables. The show welcomes a large number of specialists in the Decorative Arts and this year, for the very first time, allows some mid-twentieth century and designer pieces to be displayed alongside antiques. Also new for 2014 is a ‘unique and exciting’ exhibition featuring a display of rare Czechoslovakian glass. Presented by BBC Antiques Roadshow personality Mark Hill, the exhibition marks the first time the whole private collection has been exhibited in the UK.
Shen Yun
Knights Of The Damned
International Convention Centre, Birmingham, Mon 14 - Tues 15 April
Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire, Mon 21 April
Shen Yun is a unique event that’s currently bringing the wonders of ancient Chinese culture to millions of people across the globe. A new musical experience, the production uses classical Chinese dance, traditional costumes and a full orchestra to bring to life myths, legends and heroes of literary classics, in the process transporting audiences to a land dominated by brave generals, heavenly maidens, mischievous monks - and a flying pig! In a dazzling high-energy display, Shen Yun’s aerial masters leap and flip across the stage to the sound of thunderous battle drums and singers’ soaring voices. Currently taking the world by storm, the show’s acquired numerous high-profile fans, not least among whom are Academy Awardwinning actress Cate Blanchett and Avatar production designer Robert Stromberg.
Recognised as one of the UK’s leading medieval jousting acts, Knights of the Damned are a stunt team who’ve been presenting displays throughout the UK and across Europe since 1990. This month finds the team stopping off in Ludlow, at one of the country’s finest examples of a medieval ruin, to joust and fight as part of a programme of events that also features medieval music, birds of prey displays, havea-go archery sessions, jesters and traditional crafts.
Black Country Goes Green Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Sat 12 - Sun 27 April
Victorian growing techniques are unearthed at Dudley’s living history museum this month as part of the site’s Easter attractions. Visitors are invited to explore what would have been growing in the gardens of the shops and houses around the museum by following a new trail and unearthing clues. A chance to experience life in a 1850s coal mine also features.
George And The Dragon The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stokeon-Trent, Wed 23 April
Celebrating England’s patron saint, this interactive themed story event features both St George and his dragon (thankfully, pre-slaying!), as well as a medieval ‘fool’ in the site’s Tudor Court. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 71
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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk from
TUES 1 APR THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX - SOME NONCONFORMISTS FROM BIRMINGHAM'S PAST Henrietta Lockhart, Curator of History, will lead a tour of Birmingham - its people and its history. The tour will delve into the lives and opinions of the free-thinkers who’ve helped shaped the city, Tue 1 Apr, Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery MCE INSURANCE BRITISH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP PreSeason Test Day, Tue 1 Apr, Donington Park LUNCHTIME TALK: LOOKING AT FACTORIES Illustrated talk by Billy Howe about the old factories of the Wolverhampton area, Tues 1 Apr, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton STUART MACONIE & FRIENDS Tues 1 Apr, Library of Birmingham MOULD MAKING SCULPTURE COURSE A practical course covering the theory, process and application of mould-making, with professional artist Darren Fraser from The Castle Foundry, Tue 1 Apr, The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, North Shropshire BILLY SMART'S CIRCUS Tue 1 - Sun 6 Apr, West Park, Wolverhampton WINTER GUIDED TOUR Wed 2 Apr, Aston Hall, Birmingham RUBY’S ROOM AND OTHER WORKS IN MINIATURE Artist Bettina von Zwehl discusses her work and practice, Wed 2 Apr, The Barber Institute, Birmingham MURDER MYSTERY Fri 4 Apr, Walsall Leather Museum WINTER GUIDED TOUR Fri 4 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham THE EDGY ARTS SHOW Free contemporary art event, held as part of the Staffordshire Festival of Performing Arts, Fri 4 Apr, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS Sat 5 Apr, Birmingham Town Hall MARKETING FOR CLUBS WORKSHOPS Learn on and offline techniques for successfully marketing a club, Sat 5 Apr, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire RUN WHAT YA BRUNG 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 5 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton YOUNG ARTISTS Weekly sessions where visitors can learn new drawing, painting & sculpture skills, Sat 5 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery STICKY SATURDAY: PAPER CRAFT Sat 5 Apr, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley AN EVENING OF BURLESQUE & WORKSHOP Sat 5 Apr, Ramada Hotel, Sutton GALLERY TOUR An informal event where visitors can learn about the history of the building and Wolverhampton’s renowned collections, Sat 5 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery FARMER'S MARKET Sat 5 Apr, The Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire WILLOW WEAVING WORKSHOP Sat 5 Apr, Winterbourne House & Gardens, Birmingham WEM SPRING MARKET Sat 5 Apr, Wem, North Shropshire DRY POINT PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP Sat 5 - Sun 6 Apr, The Willow Gallery, Oswestry Weston Park PRINTMAKING WORKSHOP Sat 5 - Sun 6 Apr, Weston Park, Staffordshire EASTER HOLIDAY FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Sat 5 Sun 27 Apr, Cadbury World, Birmingham GTI SPRING FESTIVAL Run What Ya Brung day for water-cooled VWs, auto jumble, Show'n' Shine, plus club displays, Sun 6 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton SHROPSHIRE SCALE MODEL SHOW Sun 6 Apr, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton HISTORIC SPORTS CAR RACES Sun 6 Apr, Donington Park DOLLS HOUSE FAIR Wolverhampton & District Dolls House & Miniaturist Society, with stalls, displays & workshops, Sun 6 Apr, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton
Week Commencing
MON 7 APR 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 8 Apr, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire BARBER BOOK CLUB Informal discussion of books that link to the Barber’s collection. This month’s selection is Kazuo Ishiguro’s Nocturnes, Tues 8 Apr, The Barber Institute, Birmingham TUESDAY TOUR - A SNEAK PREVIEW OF TOM, FRANK AND MAY - ONE FAMILY’S STORY A sneak preview and talk ahead of the Tom, Frank And May exhibition’s official opening on 12 April, Tues 8 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham MOULD-MAKING SCULPTURE COURSE This practical course will cover the theory, process and application of mould-making with professional artist Darren Fraser from The Castle Foundry, Tue 8 Apr, The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, North Shropshire DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG Chance to practise drifting in safe and legal conditions on some of the Pod's thirty acres of open tarmac, Wed 9 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton NATURE TOTS Nature themed activities for under 5's and their carers, Weds 9 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford LOCAL HISTORY TALK: HIDDEN HISTORIES A talk by Councillor Claire Darke and Dr Paul Darke about the first female doctors in Wolverhampton, and the patients, places and institutions they would have visited, Wed 9 Apr, Wolverhampton City Archives THE GADGET SHOW LIVE Five-day event packed with gaming celebrities, brand new games and top tournaments, Wed 9 - Sun 13 Apr, NEC, Birmingham COVENTRY WATCH MUSEUM CHARITY AUCTION Charles Hanson from the television programme Bargain Hunt hosts an informal chat followed by a charity auction in aid of the Coventry Watch Museum, Thurs 10 Apr, Ricoh Arena, Coventry BIRD HIDE OPENING Be the first to try out the Wolseley Centre's brand new bird hide! Fri 11 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford WALK WITH THE GARDENER Opportunity to discover more about the estate and ask questions, Fri 11 Apr, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire
Big Bang Camper and Bus Show - Santa Pod, Northampton
LOCAL HISTORY TALK: BIRMINGHAM AND THE BLACK COUNTRY A talk by Chris Upton about two tales of the industrial West Midlands, Fri 11 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery ADULT CRAFTS: FABRIC FAFFERS Fri 11 Apr, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley BIG BANG CAMPER & BUS SHOW Three full days of laidback fun’s on offer at this first VW festival on the Santa Pod calendar, Fri 11- Sun 13 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton FUNPARK CITY Fri 11 Sun 27 Apr, Star City, Birmingham BACH DISCOVERY DAY Explore Bach with talks, discussions and live music in the company of a range of stimulating and entertaining guest speakers, Sat 12 Apr, Symphony Hall, Birmingham DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS BOOK LAUNCH Presented by Dance Stage Promotions. Support comes from the legendary Archie Brown & The Young Bucks, Sat 12 Apr, The Flapper, Birmingham BIRMINGHAM INDEPENDENT BOOK FAIR Sat 12 Apr, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham MISS CLARA AND FRIENDS Workshop, led by Barber Writer-inResidence Jacqui Rowe, which explores the relationships portrayed between animals and humans, Sat 12 Apr, The Barber Institute, Birmingham HERITAGE WALK Sat 12 Apr, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham Transport Museum EASTER FUN AT HOO Find the hidden Easter eggs, Sat 12 Apr, Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom, Telford, Shropshire SPECIALIST PLANT FAIR Sat 12 Apr, Bodenham Arboretum, Kidderminster NATURE PRINTS Design and print your own
work of art, inspired by the beautiful patterns of the natural world, Sat 12 - Sun 13 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry MEDIEVAL EASTER BASH See knights in armour and learn about medieval times, Sat 12 - Sun 13 Apr, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge THE HOUSE OF THE BLACKSTAR Re-enactment event, Sat 12 Sun 13 Apr, Whittington Castle, North Shropshire THUNDERSPORT GB MOTORCYCLE RACES Sat 12 - Sun 13 Apr, Donington Park YARDLEY ARTS WEEKEND Two days of creative activities with local artists. Yardley Photographic Society and Yardley Society of Artists both display their work, Sat 12 - Sun 13 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham FROM PLOTS TO PLENTY Focusing on Victorian food growing techniques, including traditional allotment gardening, Sat 12 - Sun 13 Apr, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley EASTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES A variety of family-friendly trails, crafts and outdoor activities, Sat 12 Sun 20 Apr, National Memorial Arboretum, Stafford EASTER ACTIVITIES Sat 12 - Mon 21 Apr, Chirk Castle, Wrexham EASTER EGG HUNTS Sat 12 - Sat 26 Apr, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham EASTER POTTERY PAINTING Paint a piece of pottery to take home with you. Choose from animals, bottle ovens, flowers and much more, Sat 12 - Sat 26 Apr, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent SPRING TRAIL Sat 12 Sat 26 Apr, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery SPRING TRAIL Sat 12 -
Sat 26 Apr, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley EASTER HOLIDAY FARMING FUN Sat 12 - Sun 27 Apr, Beckett’s Farm, Wythall, Birmingham BLACK COUNTRY GOES GREEN Explore the gardens and follow an exciting trail to unearth clues, Sat 12 - Sun 27 April, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley HOLIDAY TRAILS Sat 12 Sun 27 Apr, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury EASTER HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES Sat 12 - Sun 27 Apr, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire SPRING DUCK TRAIL Sat 12 - Sun 27 Apr, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge MOVING PICTURES WORKSHOP Sat 12 - Sun 27 Apr, Enginuity, Ironbridge, Shropshire CADBURY'S EASTER EGG TRAILS Follow the trail around the park and claim your prize, Sat 12 - Sun 27 Apr, Brockhampton Estate, Worcester EASTER EGG HUNT Find the eggs to win a prize, Sat 12 - Sun 27 Apr, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa SPRING CRAFT FAYRE Featuring Nerf challenge, face-painting and visits from Micky and Minnie Mouse, Peppa Pig and George, Sun 13 Apr, Highbury Hall, Birmingham XR OWNERS CLUB Car Club display featuring Ford Fiesta, Escort and Sierra XR models, Sun 13 Apr, Coventry Transport Museum SPRING CRAFT FAYRE Sun 13 Apr, Highbury Hall, Birmingham HANG OUT WITH A HAWK Get the school holidays off to a flying start and meet some stunning birds of prey, Sun 13 Apr, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury MILLING SUNDAY See the large waterwheel turn and hear the millstones rumble. Talk to the millers to find out about the past of the
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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk mill and what milling is all about, Sun 13 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham WESTON PARK SPRING WALK Sun 13 Apr, Weston Park, Staffordshire ACORNS ABSEIL Charity fundraising event, Sun 13 Apr, House of Fraser, Birmingham GLASS CRAFTS: PAINTING & STICKING Sun 13 Apr, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley
Week Commencing
MON 14 APR HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS Chance to enjoy some slam-dunkin' magic, courtesy of the world's most famous basketball team! Mon 14 Apr, LG Arena, Birmingham EASTER DRAWING WORKSHOP Learn how to draw a large portrait using charcoal and pastels on big sheets of paper, Mon 14 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery MEET THE GRUFFALO Mon 14 Apr, Northfield Baptist Church, Birmingham SHEN YUN New musical experience bringing the wonders of ancient Chinese culture to millions across the globe, Mon 14 - Tues 15 Apr, International Convention Centre, Birmingham MEET THE GRUFFALO Mon 14 - Tues 15 Apr, The Walker Memorial Hall, Edgbaston, Birmingham MINI MAMMALS TRAIL Themed trail & holiday activities, Mon 14 Thurs 17 Apr, Hanbury Hall, Worcestershire EASTER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 14 - Fri 18 Apr, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge EGGCELLENT EASTER EGGTIVITIES Create your own Easter basket and join the egg hunt, Mon 14 - Sun 20 Apr, Selly Manor, Birmingham CHUCKLE ISLAND: THE HUNT FOR THE MISSING EGGS Brand new live show which follows the Chuckle Beans and their faithful companions as they go in search of the missing eggs, Mon 14 - Fri 25 Apr, Cadbury World, Birmingham EASTER TRAIL Mon 14 Fri 25 Apr, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton EASTER - ALL THINGS SPRING Featuring Easter trail & Pom Pom
Chick Workshops, Mon 14 - Fri 17 Apr, Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Stoke-on-Trent SPRINGTIME MOBILES Children's workshop with Ruth Radcliffe, Tue 15 Apr, Walsall Leather Museum ANDY KIRKPATRICK: INAPPROPRIATE CLIMBING Tue 15 Apr, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury EASTER CRAFT ACTIVITY Tues 15 Apr, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent ONCE UPON A TIME... Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 15 Apr, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton BLAKESLEY’S GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Dropin activities for families, Tues 15 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham EASTER CRAFTS Tues 15 Apr, Dudley Museum & Art Gallery MEET ME AT BANTOCK Regular conversation club for people aged fifty and over, Tues 15 Apr, Bantock House Museum TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB Schools out, holiday fun with craft sessions and fun in the park, Tue 15 Apr, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury MOULD MAKING SCULPTURE COURSE Practical course which covers the theory, process and application of mould-making, with professional artist Darren Fraser from The Castle Foundry, Tue 15 Apr, The Willow Gallery, Oswestry, North Shropshire EASTER CRAFTS Tues 15 Apr, Dudley Museum & Arts Gallery EASTER PAINTING WORKSHOP Have a go at creating your very own portrait using acrylic paint, Tues 15 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery EASTER CRAFT MAKING Tue 15 - Thurs 17 Apr, Weston Park, Staffordshire EASTER BUNNY’S BASKET Workshop where visitors can make a miniclay basket in which to collect their Easter Bunny’s eggs, Tues 15 - Fri 18 Apr, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent BOTTLE OVEN STORYTELLING Travel back in time to 1846 when Stoke-on-Trent was covered in potbanks and working canals. Join ‘Toby Jugg’, a costumed storyteller, and hear tales about working in the bottle ovens,
Tues 15 - Tues 22 Apr, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent WILDLIFE WATCH Fun family session and exploring the outdoors! Weds 16 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford EASTER CROWNS Have a go at making your very own natural Easter crown, and try some natural art in the site’s wildlife area, Wed 16 Apr, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, Staffs STORYTELLING CAFE Wed 16 Apr, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Kings Heath, Birmingham MILLING WEDNESDAYS Listen to volunteer millers as they talk about the history of the mill and demonstrate how flour is produced. Wed 16 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham BAT WALK Wed 16 Apr, Martineau Gardens, Birmingham FAMILY BANNER MAKING WORKSHOP Wed 16 Apr, Library of Birmingham BIRD WATCHING FOR KIDS & POND DIPPING Wed 16 Apr, Carding Mill Valley & The Shropshire Hills WILDFLOWER COURSE INTRODUCTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF WILDFLOWERS Wed 16 Apr, Carding Mill Valley & The Shropshire Hills EASTER HOLIDAY ACTIVITY WEDNESDAYS Featuring castle tours with Lady Caroline, birds of prey flying displays, living history, have-a-go archery, activities and dressing up, Wed 16 Apr, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire CHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES THE GREAT EGG ENIGMA Wed 16 Apr, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire CHILDREN’S CRAFT ACTIVITY Wed 16 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham SPRING FUN DAY Promising lots of fun activities for all the family to enjoy, Wed 16 Apr, Bilston Craft Gallery EXHIBITALES Interactive story, trail and simple craft, Wed 16 Apr, Broadfield House Glass Museum HOW TO GET MORE FROM YOUR URBAN VEG PATCH A five-week course (Wednesdays@7pm) which takes an extensive look at how to grow great vegetables and tackle pests, diseases, watering and compost-making, Wed 16 Apr - Wed 14 May, Winterbourne House & Garden, Birmingham POM-POM ANIMAL DROPIN Thurs 17 Apr, Walsall Leather Museum WERE-RABBITS AND EASTER CARDS Workshop where chil-
Creative Workshops - Enginuity, Ironbridge
dren aged six-plus can have fun making their own Wallace and Gromit were-rabbit and funky Easter cards, Thurs 17 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire VALUATION DAY: FINE ART & ANTIQUES Take along your treasures to be valued by Fieldings Auctioneers, Thurs 17 Apr, Bantock House Museum BLAKESLEY’S GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Dropin activities for families, Thurs 17 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham CREATIVE CRAFTS: LITTLE GARDENERS Green-fingered fun for little gardeners, with lots of different practical activities to try, Thurs 17 Apr, Bantock House Museum EASTER ANIMALS Familyfriendly craft activity, Thurs 17 Apr, Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham CHILDREN’S CRAFT ACTIVITY Thurs 17 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham EASTER ART CLUB Themed drop-in sessions aimed at children aged six to twelve, Thurs 17 Apr, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa EASTER CRAFTS Thurs 17 Apr, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge ART SPEAKING Audiodescribed tours of exhibitions for people with visual impairment, Thurs 17 - Fri 18 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery EASTER CRAFT ACTIVITY Fri 18 Apr, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent EASTER EGG HUNT Fri 18 Apr, Weoley Castle, Birmingham CBEEBIES LIVE! Brand new live arena show from the producers of Justin & Friends, described as a 'musicthemed extravaganza bound to have preschoolers rocking in the aisles' Fri 18 Apr,
LG Arena, Birmingham GROWING IN THE WALLED GARDEN: POTATO PLANTING Fri 18 Apr, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury FESTIVAL OF POWER An action-packed Easter weekend of family Drag Racing entertainment, including European Nitro Funny Car series, Jet Car Shootout and National Drag Racing, Fri 18 - Sun 20 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA Promising an actionpacked programme of chocolatey fun for the whole family, Fri 18 Mon 21 Apr, Cadbury World, Birmingham EASTER FUN Follow the site’s Easter trail and make the Easter bunnies feel welcome... Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Trentham Monkey Forest, Trentham Gardens, Stoke-onTrent CADBURY'S EASTER TRAILS Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury CADBURY EASTER TRAILS Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Chirk Castle, Nr Wrexham EASTER AT THE ESTATE Featuring traditional Easter activities, spring trails, hidden bunnies, chicks and piglets, Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire CADBURY’S EASTER TRAIL Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Biddulph Grange, Staffordshire EASTER EGG TRAIL For the whole family... Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Westport Lake Visitor Centre, Tunstall, Staffs CADBURY'S EASTER EGG TRAILS Follow the trail around the park and claim your prize, Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Greyfriars House & Garden, Worcester EASTER EGG TRAIL Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford CADBURY'S EASTER TRAILS Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Carding Mill Valley
& The Shropshire Hills TRADITIONAL EASTER CELEBRATIONS Activities include Easter bonnet parade, egg dancing, 'hunt-the-chick' competition, candle-dipping and peg doll-making workshops, Fri 18 Mon 21 Apr, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire EASTER HUNT FOR HEROES Search for the brave bunnies around the castle and grounds, solve the clues and you might be a lucky winner of a giant chocolate egg! Everyone who joins in the fun will receive an Easter treat, Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Ledbury, Herefordshire CADBURY'S EASTER TRAILS Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Powis Castle and Garden, Nr Welshpool, Powys EASTER BUNNY TRAIL Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Gregynog Hall, Nr Newtown, Powys FOXEY’S EASTER SPECIALS Including face painting and egg hunts, Fri 18 - Mon 21 Apr, Foxfield Steam Railway, Stoke-on-Trent POP-UP FESTIVAL OF STORIES Free one-day family-focused literary festival, Sat 19 Apr, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Ironbridge, Shropshire ST GEORGE’S DAY DRAGON STORIES Sat 19 Apr, Library of Birmingham EASTER VINTAGE FAIR Sat 19 Apr, Castle Hall, Bridgnorth, Shropshire YOUNG ARTISTS Weekly sessions where visitors can learn new drawing, painting and sculpture skills, Sat 19 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery DUNLOP MSA BRITISH TOURING CAR CHAMPIONSHIP Arguably one of the most exciting championships, this paint-rubbing, gladiatorial-style racing offers unmissable entertainment, Sat 19 - Sun 20 Apr, Donington Park CASTLE EGG HUNT Ruby,
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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk the Tamworth Castle dragon, has mislaid her eggs and she’s hoping that visitors to the castle will be able to help her find them... Sat 19 Mon 21 Apr, Tamworth Castle EASTER EGG HUNT Sat 19 - Mon 21 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham EASTER FAMILY FUN Hands-on activities for all ages, Sat 19 - Mon 21 Apr, Tamworth Castle, Staffs EASTER EGG HUNT Sun 20 Apr, Whittington Castle, Nr Oswestry, North Shropshire BONSAI DEMONSTRATION Sun 20 Apr, Birmingham Botanical Gardens EASTER FUNDAY Sun 20 Apr, Birmingham Botanical Gardens MILE WALK, MILL WALK? Sun 20 Apr, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury EASTER EGGSPEDITION Help the Easter bunny find the missing eggs, solve the clues and gain your eggciting reward, Sun 20 Apr, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, Staffs MILLING SUNDAY Listen to volunteer millers as they talk about the history of the mill and demonstrate how flour is produced. Sun 20 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham MAD HATTER'S FAMILY FUN WEEKEND Featuring historical demonstrations, traditional crafts and activities with a Wonderland theme and windmill sailing, Sun 20 - Mon 21 Apr, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove EARLY TUDOR LIVING HISTORY Celebrate Easter with a tour of the hall, where a re-enactment group will bring the Early Tudor period to life with cooking demonstrations, costumes, dancing and music, Sun 20 - Mon 21 Apr, Harvington Hall, Nr Kidderminster WESTON PARK TRANSPORT SHOW Sun 20 - Mon 21 Apr, Weston Park, Staffordshire CADBURY'S EASTER TRAILS - THE EASTER BUNNY'S GREAT EGGSPEDITION Sun 20 Mon 21 Apr, Dudmaston Estate, Nr Bridgnorth, Shropshire EASTER FAMILY FUN Featuring Easter egg hunt, face-painting, children's fairground rides, falconry display and craft activities, Sun 20 - Mon 21 April Ragley Hall, Alcester
ALICE IN WONDERLAND CRAFT, ACTIVITIES & GAMES Themed fun for Easter school holidays, Fri 20 - Mon 27 Apr, The Commandery, Worcester
Week Commencing
MON 21 APR EASTER FAMILY FUN DAY Mon 21 Apr, Walsall Leather Museum WWI DISCOVERY DAY Mon 21 Apr, Staffordshire Regimental Museum, Lichfield MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY & WHITE RABBIT EGG HUNT Mon 21 Apr, The Commandery, Worcester GLAM ROCK GUITARS Rock out with your own personally decorated 1970s glam rock guitar! Drop in sessions, Mon 21 Apr, Coventry Transport Museum KNIGHTS OF THE DAMNED Jousting and Medieval entertainment, featuring a fight for the castle, entertainment jesters, medieval music, birds of prey displays, havea-go archery, facepainting, willow artist and food, Mon 21 Apr, Ludlow Castle, South 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, Mon 21 Apr, Brockhampton Estate, Worcestershire ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL Chance to meet a variety of scaly, feathered and furry friends. The event also features displays of falconry, Mon 21 Apr, Hartlebury Museum, Worcestershire EASTER-THEMED TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 21 - Fri 25 Apr, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire EASTER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 21 - Fri 25 Apr, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge THE NATURAL WORLD: BEASTLY BUGS Use art straws, model-making techniques and colourful materials to make a beastly bug of your own design. There will be bugs from the museum's natural history collection on hand for inspiration, Tue 22 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry ONCE UPON A TIME
Storytelling followed by craft activities, Tues 22 Apr, Bantock House Museum WILDPLAY Fun activities in great outdoors! Tue 22 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford VICTORIAN CYCLES WORKSHOP Discover more about the Victorian cycles and how these strangelooking machines actually worked. Create your own framed timeline collage to show the many different cycles made in Coventry. Advance booking is essential, as limited tickets are available, Tue 22 Apr, Coventry Transport Museum IRON AGE COSTUME & BARBARIAN COSTUME Choose from a jewel studded brooch, warrior shield or spear and decorate your own Little Barbarian tunic. Spaces are limited, so booking is essential, Tues 22 Apr, Worcestershire Museum EASTER CRAFT ACTIVITY Tues 22 Apr, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent TRUSTY'S TUESDAY CLUB Schools out, holiday fun with craft sessions and fun in the park, Tue 22 Apr, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury BLAKESLEY’S GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Dropin activities for families, Tues 22 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham JEPHSON’S SUITCASE Find out about Dr Henry Jephson on a handling tour of items from the collection. Learn about medicine from the 1800s to the mid-1900s, Tues 22 Apr, Royal Pump Rooms, Leamington Spa FAMILY DEN-BUILDING DAY Put your skills to the test with den-building and survival skills in the woods. Take along a picnic and eat it in your new shelter. Reward yourself with roasted marshmallows on the fire... Tue 22 Apr, Brockhampton Estate, Worcester EASTER ART SCHOOL: DASTARDLY DRAGONS Design your own dragon on day one, then bring it to life via sculpture on day two, Tues 22 - Wed 23 Apr, The Barber Institute, Birmingham EASTER HOLIDAY FUN: MAGIC AND TRICKERY Featuring Magic Bob, children's activities, crafts, balloon-modelling and games, Tue 22 - Thurs 24 Apr, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove EASTER CRAFT MAKING Tue 22 - Thurs 24 Apr, Weston Park, Staffordshire CONNIE AND VERNE EASTER ADVENTURES
Easter adventures at English Heritage
Storytelling sessions for the under-fives, Tue 22 - Fri 25 Apr, Compton Verney Gallery, Warwickshire KITE CHAOS Follow the themed trail around the garden and collect your prize, then enjoy 'make and take' activities, Tue 22 - Fri 25 Apr, Hanbury Hall and Gardens, Worcestershire EASTER - ALL THINGS SPRING Featuring Easter trail & Pom Pom Chick Workshops, Tue 22 - Fri 25 Apr, Wedgwood Visitor Centre, Stoke-on-Trent DRAGON WIND SOCKS Create a ferocious dragon wind sock to float in the wind, Tues 22 - Fri 25 Apr, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent QUICK ON THE DRAW CHILDREN'S WORKSHOP WITH JIM MORRIS Wed 23 Apr, Walsall Leather Museum CADBURY'S EASTER TRAILS - THE GREAT EGG ENIGMA Weds 23 Apr, Dudmaston Estate, Nr Bridgnorth, Shropshire EASTER HOLIDAY ACTIVITY WEDNESDAYS Featuring castle tours with Lady Caroline, birds of prey flying displays, living history, have-a-go archery, activities and dressing up, Wed 23 Apr, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire CHILDREN’S CRAFT ACTIVITY Wed 23 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham DENS & MARSHMALLOWS Build your very own den before having a go at fire-lighting and marshmallow-toasting, Wed 23 Apr, Cannock Chase Country Park, Staffs GEORGE AND THE DRAG-
ON Interactive storytelling event where visitors can meet the patron saint of England and the dragon he slayed, Wed 23 Apr, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-onTrent THE NATURAL WORLD: XRAYED! A great chance to look at some of the museum's animal skeletons and create your own x-ray work of art, Wed 23 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry ST GEORGE'S DAY CELEBRATIONS Wed 23 Apr, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire TEXTILE GROUP An opportunity to meet likeminded people in a creative environment and swap knowledge and skills, Wed 23 Apr, Bilston Craft Gallery NATURE TOTS Nature themed activities for under 5's and their carers. Wed 23 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford SPORTY WEDNESDAYS Wed 23 Apr, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury EASTER MASKS Chance to get creative and make your very own collaged mask to take home, Wed 23 Apr, Bilston Craft Gallery BIRDS WATCHING FOR KIDS Wed 23 Apr, Carding Mill Valley & The Shropshire Hills A WALK THROUGH TIME A walk which explores the natural and man-made landscape, discovering the roots of both, going back to the Carboniferous Period some 310 million years ago, Wed 23 Apr, Himley Hall, Dudley FLOWER POWER AND BEES Make colourful flowers and bees from
recycled materials, Wed 23 Apr, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury PUPPET DROP-IN WORKSHOP Thurs 24 Apr, Walsall Leather Museum SING-A-LONG BUGSY MALONE Watch the film, play games, sing songs and enjoy live music while dining from Jekyll’s food fusion menu, Thurs 24 Apr, The Jekyll And Hyde, Birmingham ASIAN BRITAIN: A PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORY Susheila Nasta with Florian Stadtler present a photographic history which draws upon the different phases of historic settlement of Asian migrants from the subcontinent, the Caribbean and East Africa. The authors will be in conversation with Raj Pai from the South Asian Alliance, Thurs 24 Apr, The Drum, Birmingham BLAKESLEY’S GREAT OUTDOOR ADVENTURE Dropin activities for families, Thurs 24 Apr, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham WILLOW NESTS Learn how to work with willow and create a small willow nest to take home, Thurs 24 Apr, Bilston Craft Gallery HOLIDAY SCHOOL Thurs 24 Apr, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge CHILDREN’S CRAFT ACTIVITY Thurs 24 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham CREATIVE CRAFTS: GET AHEAD WITH A HAT Victorian and Edwardian hat and accessory-making, inspired by outfits at Bantock House Museum, Thurs 24 Apr,
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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Bantock House Museum JUNGLE FEVER Make a Baloo or baby Hathi mask and join in the fun with some jungle inspired games. Age 6+, under 8s must be accompanied, Thurs 24 Apr, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire EASTER TOY WORKSHOP Family-friendly workshop inspired by toys from the past, Thurs 24 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery SINGING SHAKESPEARE Enjoy musical settings of Shakespeare, with world premieres by composer David Wordsworth and awardwinning composer Gary Carpenter, Thurs 24 Apr, Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-uponAvon HIDEOUS HISTORIES GUIDE TO FIENDISH FASHIONS Find out more about how Victorian ladies and gentlemen kept up appearances, Thurs 24 - Fri 25 Apr, Haden Hill House Museum, Sandwell INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM 2014 The return of one of Europe’s largest dance festivals, Thurs 24 Apr - Sun 25 May, various locations including Birmingham Hippodrome, Warwick Arts Centre and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. See page 46 for more details... WILDPLAY Fun activities in great outdoors! Fri 25 Apr, The Wolseley Centre, Stafford EASTER CRAFT ACTIVITY Fri 25 Apr, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stokeon-Trent FUSED GLASS BUNNY ORNAMENT WORKSHOP Fri 25 Apr, Broadfield House Glass Museum, Dudley ST GEORGE’S DAY DRAG-
ON CHILDREN’S CRAFT ACTIVITY Craft a dragon in celebration of St George’s Day, Fri 25 Apr, Weoley Castle, Birmingham GREGYNOG FASHION SHOW Fri 25 Apr, Gregynog Hall, Nr Newtown, Powys WENLOCK POETRY FESTIVAL Taking place for the fifth time and continuing to gather pace, the Wenlock Poetry Festival this year features no fewer than thirty much-admired practitioners, Fri 25 Sun 27 Apr, Various venues in Much Wenlock, South Shropshire RUN WHAT YA BRUNG 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 26 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton SPRING FAIR AND PLANT SALE Sat 26 Apr, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury YOUNG ARTISTS Weekly sessions where visitors can learn new drawing, painting & sculpture skills, Sat 26 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery SIMPLY MESSING ABOUT WITH BOATS Join members of the Bournville boat club, who’ll be demonstrating some of their model boats on the mill pond, Sat 26 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham ST GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS Featuring medieval re-enactments, a knight’s tournament and joust, medieval games, pottery making and archery, Sat 26 Apr, Tamworth Castle A SHAKESPEARE MARATHON Watch on as
Shakespeare Aloud! bring Shakespeare’s complete works to life in just two hours, Sat 26 Apr, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon BASKETWEAVING WORKSHOP Sat 26 Apr, Fordhall Organic Farm, Nr Market Drayton, Shropshire BEN HART - MAGIC WORKSHOP Magician Ben Hart holds an hourlong workshop. For all ages from eight-plus, Sat 26 Apr, Solihull Arts Complex PATCHWORK QUILT WORKSHOP Booking essential, Sat 26 Apr, Birmingham Back to Backs VAISHAKI This year’s event explores the involvement of Sikhs during the First World War, Sat 26 Apr, The New Art Gallery, Walsall DECOUPAGE PICTURES Drop-in sessions where visitors can create their very own decoupage picture - a popular pastime in Edwardian times, Sat 26 - Sun 27 Apr, Coventry Transport Museum NATURE PRINTS Design and print your own work of art, inspired by the beautiful patterns of the natural world, Sat 26 - Sun 27 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry GT & FORMULA CAR RACES Sat 26 - Sun 27 Apr, Donington Park ST GEORGE AND THE DRAGON Discover the legend of St George, patron saint of both England and soldiers, as his story comes to life in the castle grounds, Sat 26 April Sun 27 Apr, Kenilworth Castle SHAKESPEARE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS Featuring tours with William Shakespeare - in person - and supper with the Bard... Sat 26 - Sun 27 Apr, The Falstaff's Experience, Stratfordupon-Avon BIG BRUM OPEN-TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 26 - Sun 27 Apr, starting at Victoria Square (10.30am, 12.30pm & Bike4Life Festival, RAF Cosford
George and the Dragon - The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent
2.30pm) ending at Colmore Row TRIBUTES TO THE 1940S Be transported back in time with an event featuring re-enactments, military vehicle displays, vintage market stalls and musical entertainment, Sat 26 Sun 27 Apr, Churnet Valley Railway, Froghall, Staffordshire AMERICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE WEEKEND Sat 26 - Sun 27 Apr, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove INTERNATIONAL CARTOON FESTIVAL Unique opportunity to see artists at work, creating giant cartoons on the streets of Shrewsbury, Sat 26 Sun 27 Apr, Shrewsbury Town Centre 5TH ANNUAL FOXY VARIETY SHOW Featuring almost twenty acts, including vocalists, musicians, dancers, comedians, an acrobat, a harpist and a tenor opera star, Sun 27 Apr, Tamworth Assembly Rooms TOY AND COLLECTORS FAIR Sun 27 Apr, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire THE CENTRAL FORD RS OWNERS CLUB DAY Open RWYB with competition to find the fastest roadlegal Ford, concours, traders, jet car and more, Sun 27 Apr, Santa Pod Raceway, Northampton AZAD KASHMIR AND BRITISH KASHMIRI DIASPORA Three esteemed Kashmiri authors and political activists come together to discuss the contested militarised state of Kashmir, Sun 27 Apr, The Drum, Birmingham MORRIS MINOR CLUB RALLY Sun 27 Apr, Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens
ACORNS CHILDREN’S HOSPICE SUPERHERO DOG WALK Fundraising event, Sun 27 Apr, Sutton Park, Sutton Coldfield DRIVE IT DAY An annual national event launched and publicised by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), Drive It Day commemorates the sixty-four cars that left London on a 1000-mile trial in April 1900, Sun 27 Apr, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire SOUTH STAFFS BONSAI SHOW Sun 27 Apr, Birmingham Botanical Gardens SWALLOWS AND RAMSONS Join the ranger for a gentle three-hour stroll through the meadows and woodland around Froghall, Sun 27 Apr, Froghall Wharf Visitor Centre, Nr Cheadle, Staffs MSA SPRING CLASSIC Sun 27 Apr, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire BIKE4LIFE FEST Sun 27 Apr, RAF Cosford, Wolverhampton SPRING CELEBRATION Sun 27 Apr, Fordhall Organic Farm, Nr Market Drayton, North Shropshire GREGYNOG WEDDING FAIR Sun 27 Apr, Gregynog Hall, Nr Newtown, Powys MILLING SUNDAY Listen to volunteer millers as they talk about the history of the mill and demonstrate how flour is produced, Sun 27 Apr, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham
Week Commencing
MON 28 APR
spring displays between 10am and 3pm daily. Join head gardener Ross Barbour as he talks about how they’re conceived and carried out, Mon 28 Tue 29 Apr, Ragley Hall, Alcester SIR EDWARD GERMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL A celebration of the life of composer Sir Edward German, Mon 28 Apr Fri 2 May, The Parish Church of St. Alkmund, Whitchurch, Shropshire IN CONVERSATION WITH TERRY RILEY Terry Riley has been an advocate for British Sign Language for over forty years, and has been instrumental in bringing it to mainstream society, Tue 29 Apr, Arena Theatre, 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 29 Apr, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire AN AUDIENCE WITH HOWARD MARKS Wed 30 Apr, The Assembly, Leamington Spa AFTERNOON TEA DANCE Wed 30 Apr, The Tower Ballroom, Edgbaston, Birmingham SOUTH STAFFS EXPLORER A 10k walk encompassing Himley & Baggeridge Parks, together with the South Staffs Railway Walk. This is a free event but pre-booking is essential, Wed 30 Apr, Himley Hall, Dudley MEET ME AT WAG Regular conversation club for people aged fifty-plus, Wed 30 Apr, Wolverhampton Art Gallery
GARDEN WALKS - TULIPS & DAFFODILS Enjoy the
www.whatsonlive.co.uk 79
Eating Out April Region two_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:08 Page 1
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Eating Out Dim sum delights... Located in the hub of Colmore Row, the recently opened Chung Ying Central is the only Chinese restaurant in Birmingham’s thriving business district. Offering high-quality dim sum, pan Asian noodles and a selection of cocktails and oriental drinks, the eatery has inherited an exceptional reputation from sister venues Chung Ying and Chung Ying Garden, both of which are located in the city’s popular China Town. Owner James Wong hopes that, by moving business out of the Chinese quarter, he can bring Chinese culture into the wider community. On arrival, we were welcomed by hospitable waitresses who promptly took our coats and guided us to a cosy booth in the heart of the restaurant. Whilst waiting to order, we took in the modern yet authentically oriental atmosphere that Chung Ying boasts. The walls draped in Chinese lanterns and tables littered with tea lights gave the room a warm and inviting glow. The a la carte menu showcases an extensive but not overwhelming list of Chinese dishes, and the staff were more than happy to guide us through them. To start, a choice of thirty-two dim sum. The steamed chiu chow, along with pork and king prawn dumplings, were the obvious choice - and one that we most certainly didn’t regret. Mouths still watering from dim sum, we eagerly anticipated the mains - and were not disappointed. We were presented with a banquet of fried beef in Cantonese sauce, sweet and sour pork and deep-fried duck in plum sauce; all very different but equally delicious. To accompany, we sipped a fruity pinot noir which managed to complement every single dish. Chung Ying Central seems to have struck a unique balance between quality, quantity and variety. It should do well. Very well. Laura Scott
REVIEW
Food: ■■■■■ Service: ■■■■ Ambience: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Overall value ■ ■ ■ ■ OVERALL ■ ■ ■ ■ Chung Ying Central, 126 Colmore Row Birmingham, B3 3AP Tel: 0121 4000 888
Quirky venue hits the mark... REVIEW The Hundred House Hotel has been a firm favourite of mine for a couple of years now. Aside from being the quirkiest venue I’ve been to in Shropshire, the food and service is consistently good - a virtue that can be hard to find nowadays. Opening the Lord Of The Rings-style front door reveals a cosy fire, a ceiling filled with dried wild flowers, giant high-backed chairs and the rich smell of game and ale. In short, the venue absolutely hits the mark right from the off! The uber-chatty staff sat us down at our table with a glass of merlot, warm bread and some lovely canapes. To start, we had the Stilton-stuffed mushrooms wrapped in bacon and served with tomato chutney & toasts, and the black pudding, apple and chorizo stack with smoked
cheese sauce. The portions are very generous. With a lot happening on the plate, light eaters could quite easily stop there with a satisfied belly. We continued to the mains, however, selecting a medium-rare steak with Dijon sauce, chunky chips and all the trimmings, and - from the specials menu pan-fried monkfish with king prawns served with braised fennel, cherry tomatoes and a lobster dill bisque. As always, the steak was tender and juicy all the way through, the monkfish chunky and flavoursome. My husband and I fought over the last king prawn. Although we didn’t finish every mouthful, it was purely in order to leave space for the desserts! Cue a large, light crème brulee with sweet rosemary shortbread, and a surprisingly weightless sticky toffee pudding - the perfect answer to my pregnancy-induced sweet
tooth! The Hundred House adopts a friendly, laidback form of service, with chatty staff who’re happy to share their opinions about the food and drink. I see from Trip Advisor reviews that the restaurant isn’t to everyone’s taste - but quite how ‘good food with a smile’ can disappoint, I really don’t know! ‘Fine dining’ it isn’t, but if you want rustic, hearty, real food in a totally individual country pub, it’s a nobrainer. The Hundred House Hotel gets my vote every time. Jessica Aston Food: ■■■■ Service: ■■■■ Ambience: ■ ■ ■ ■ Overall value ■ ■ ■ ■ OVERALL ■ ■ ■ ■ The Hundred House Norton Ironbridge Gorge Telford Shropshire TF11 9EE Tel: 01952 580240 www.whatsonlive.co.uk 81
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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
82 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
grand_whatson FP April_Layout 1 24/03/2014 17:54 Page 1
GreatTheatre Theatre at the Great theGrand! Grand! SUN 6 APRIL
MON 31 MARCH - SAT 5 APRIL
TUES 8 - SAT 12 APRIL
A BRAND NEW RE-STAGED VERSION OF THE CLASSIC AMERICAN FRONTIER DANCE MUSICAL!
BILL KENWRIGHT PRESENTS
the Faaaabulous
ceri dupree show ceri is back on the road with his 1 man, 21 woman show!
featuring The Jackfield Elcock Reisen Brass Band
Book by
d by D S. LANDAY RENCE KASHANewDAVI LAW Songs by PATTIbyCOLOMBOLyrics by Music HIRSCHORN JOEL A PAUL JOHNNY MERCER AL KASH GENE IT’SDEBACK - AND IT’S GONNA LIVE FOREVER! Directed and Choreographe
Starring
JOHN McARDLE ANDREW DUNN
and
‘IT IS A STORY FULL OF BELLY LAUGHS, FULL OF HUMAN SPIRIT’
and
THE INDEPENDENT
MON 14 - TUE 15 APRIL
SAT 19 APRIL
WED 23 - SUN 27 APRIL
ALSO BOOKING ALSO BOOKING
TUE 13 - SAT 17 MAY
WHERE TAP DOGS MEET STOMP! TUES 29 APR - SAT 3 MAY
SAT 22 MARCH LESLEY SUN 13JOSEPH APRIL
HOT FLUSH BEYOND THE BARRICADE
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SUN 30 MARCH
FRI 18 APRIL THE SOLID SILVER 60s SHOW THAT’LL BE THE DAY ..............................................................................
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SUN 6 APRIL MON MAY - SAT 10 MAY THE5FAAABULOUS
CERIBROWN DUPREE- SHOW DERREN INFAMOUS
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SUN SUN13 18APRIL MAY
AN AMATEUR PRODUCTION
THE BARRICADE THEBEYOND GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA
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MON19 14MAY - TUES 15 24 APRIL MON - SAT MAY
TAP FACTORY BUDDY
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FRI 18 APRIL
WEDBE 28 THE MAY DAY THAT’LL ............................................................................................ THIS IS MUSIC HALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SAT . . . . . . . 19 . . . . . APRIL ...................................... THE CHUCKLE THURS 29BROTHERS’ MAY SPACE ODDITY . . . . . . . . . . .THE . . . . . . . . . . .HILARITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .CHARITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GALA ....................... ..............................................................................
MUSIC BY
LYRICS BY
ALAN MENKEN
GLEN SLATER BOOK BY
CHERI STEINKELLNER & BILL STEINKELLNER ADDITIONAL BOOK MATERIAL
TUES 29MAY APRIL - SAT13JUNE MAY SAT 31 - SUN
BEST NEW COMEDY WHATSONSTAGE 2014 AWARDS
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DOUGLAS CARTER BEANE BASED IN TOUCHSTONE MOTION PICTURE ‘SISTER ACT’ WRITTEN BY JOSEPH HOWARD
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Box Office 01902
42 92 12
BOOK ONLINE AT www.grandtheatre.co.uk