What's On - July 2014

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STAFFORDSHIRE WHAT’S ON ISSUE 343 JULY 2014

THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE STAFFORDSHIRE

’ What sOn www.whatsonlive.co.uk

ISSUE 343

JULY 2014

ROBBIE WILLIAM S SWIN GS INTO B RUM

RHYS DARBY return of the Kiwi comedian PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS

THE GRUFFALO journey through the deep dark wood in Stafford...

FUSE FESTIVAL @WHATSONSTAFFS WWW.WHATSONLIVE.CO.UK

showcasing the region’s talent at Beacon Park

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Contents- Region two - July.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 12:42 Page 1

June Editor: Davina Evans

2014

INSIDE:

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Ellie Goulding

Editorial Assistants: Brian O’Faolain

joins line-up for Wireless Festival p45

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Scooby-Doo

Managing Director: Paul Oliver

spooky things a-happening in Wolverhampton p27

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Graphic Designers: Lisa Wassell Chris Atherton Accounts Administrator Julia Perry

Wicked - the award-winning musical arrives in the Midlands, page 6

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

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News July region two.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:39 Page 1

News

A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Birmingham artist to exhibit in Los Angeles A Birmingham artist who’s receiving much critical acclaim for his use of chalk and pastel to produce images depicting the search for human perfection is to exhibit his work in Los Angeles. Oliver Jones’ lifelike portraits question the contemporary pursuit of beauty, with one particularly striking piece, Designer Baby, showing a five-month-old child prepared for surgery. Oliver, who trained at Birmingham Institute of Art and Design and is co-founder of A3 Project Space in Digbeth, will present a series of new canvases at Gusford I los angeles in September.

Anita And Me to debut in the Midlands

International Dance Festival hailed a resounding success Organisers behind the International Dance Festival Birmingham 2014 (IDFB) - one of the largest festivals of its kind in the UK - have declared this year’s event a resounding success, with attendances to ticketed performances showing an increase of thirty percent on the previous event in 2012.

IDFB took place at various venues across the city in May. Featuring artists from eighteen countries, it facilitated twenty-one free dance workshops and showcased nine world premieres. One of these was Concert Danse - a partnership with Quebecois contemporary dance company Cas Public and Birmingham early music ensemble Ex Cathedra. The production featured Aakash Odedra and dancers from Birmingham Royal Ballet.

A stage adaptation of Meera Syal’s award-winning semi-autobiographical novel Anita And Me is to make its debut at Birmingham’s Repertory Theatre next year. Syal’s story focuses on the experiences of nine-year-old Meena as she grows up in the only Punjabi family in a Black Country mining village. The novel is being developed for the stage by Tanika Gupta, and the show will be directed by The Rep’s artistic director Roxanna Silbert.

Commenting on the adaptation, Wolverhampton-born Meera said: “I’m so thrilled that Anita And Me is being developed and premiered at the Birmingham Rep - in the West Midlands where I grew up, where the novel is set, and whose people and stories had such a huge influence on my childhood. I know Roxanna and Tanika and the rest of the team will do it proud, and I can’t wait to see Anita, Meena and the rest of the crew come to life on stage. It will, I’m pretty sure, be ‘bostin’!” Anita And Me is scheduled to show at The Rep in Autumn 2015.

Musical, which will include the chance to meet some of the cast at the Library of Birmingham before taking their seats at the Hippodrome to see the show.

Entry forms are available from the Library of Birmingham Children’s Library and from birminghamhippodrome.com/news.

The competition closes at midnight on 9 July. Winners must be available to enjoy the special day on Wednesday 30 July.

Wicked opportunity for young writers...

Smile For Stephen...

Birmingham Hippodrome, the Library of Birmingham and smash-hit musical Wicked are on the lookout for Birmingham’s best young writing talent. The three organisations are inviting children and young people between seven and eighteen to submit short, clear and captivating stories based on a subject of their own choosing. The storywriting competition is split into two age-related categories (seven-to-eleven and twelve-to-eighteen). Two lucky winners (one from each category) will be rewarded with a ‘sparkling emerald day’ courtesy of Wicked The 4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Free Radio has announced initial plans for a fundraising event in memory of Stephen Sutton, the teenager who died of cancer in May and was posthumously awarded an MBE. With the blessing of Stephen’s mum, Free Radio is to hold an evening of comedy and music at the LG Arena on Sunday 30 November. Tickets priced £35 are now on sale, and further details of the event’s line-up will be announced soon.

All proceeds from the evening will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Ironbridge Gorge Museums teams up with Art Fund Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has joined forces with the Art Fund and four other museums from across the country to launch Art Happens - a crowdfunding platform housed within the Art Fund website which helps UK museums raise money for new, small-scale creative projects.

The trust is hoping the innovative approach will raise sufficient money to help transform the Museum of The Gorge, via a complete redesign of its gallery and an upgrade of its existing auditorium. Once completed, the venue will become the starting point for visitors wishing to explore the unique museums and landscapes of Ironbridge.

To find out more about the scheme and to make a donation, visit the Art Happens website at artfund.org/arthappens

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Ikon takes to the water A seventy-two-foot converted narrowboat is to embark on a journey along the Black Country’s industrial canal routes as part of an art initiative led by Midlands artists Juneau Projects. Involving members of the Ikon Youth Project (IYP), Black Country Voyages will see the Aaron Manby - leased from Sandwell Council - navigate its way along the canal route, stopping off at Cradley Heath, Tipton, Brownhills, Smethwick, Oldbury, Langley Green, Netherton, Brierley Hill and Stourbridge, where the IYP will present a series of workshops, live performances and exhibitions.

Ikon launches www.blackcountryvoyages.org on Black Country Day (14 July), enabling people to track the boat’s journey and find out what’s happening and where.

Chamberlain Square to stage British premiere of art National award for Midlands festival Organisers behind Wolverhampton’s Slam Dunk Festival are celebrating after the event won Best Festival in the Relentless Kerrang Awards. Slam Dunk fought off stiff competition from the likes of Leeds Festival, Download and Blood And Stock to claim the title, with festival representatives being presented with the award in front of an audience of stellar guests that included Status Quo, The Ramones and Fall Out Boy. The accolade cements Slam Dunk’s status as a major music event for the alternative rock scene.

An innovative work of art featuring five thousand figures made out of ice is to make its British debut in Birmingham as part of the city’s World War One commemorations. The major exhibition, by award-winning Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo, is described as ‘poignant and moving’ and will see the beautifully crafted ice figure sculptures melt in Chamberlain Square on 2 August. The event forms part of an urban intervention called Minimum Monument and follows on from similar presentations in Sao Paulo, Havana, Tokyo, Kyoto, Berlin, Porto and Florence.

This latest project features the largest number of ice sculptures Nele has ever produced.

Speaking about Minimum Monument, Nele says: “Hundreds of ice sculptures are taken to central places in cities and, with the help of passers-by, they are left to melt. The sculptures are tiny men and women, twenty centimetres-tall and placed on stairways. The invitation from Birmingham refers to the commemoration of World War One and the celebration of the common man, which is close to the original concept of the work.”

IN BRIEF Green accolade for Stoke venues Staff at the Regent Theatre and Victoria Hall in Stoke-on-Trent are celebrating after the two venues were named as Ambassador Theatre Group’s (ATG) Green Venue Of The Year. The theatres were also nominated in the highest number of categories across venues.

Sisters set sights on Kilimanjaro

Birmingham to host World Festival Of Theatre Birmingham has been selected as the 2016 host of the prestigious World Festival Of Theatre For Young Audiences.

The event, which takes place from 2 to 10 July 2016, showcases the best in theatre for children and young people from across the UK, Ireland and the rest of the world.

Comprising performances, workshops, seminars and events in theatres and venues across the city, the festival will use the Birmingham Rep as its main hub. A total of around four hundred international visitors from fifty countries are expected to attend the event.

Sisters Rebecca and Laura Jones are hoping to boost their recent fundraising efforts with a charity music event at Shrewsbury’s Beaconsfield Club on 18 July. Monies raised will assist the sisters’ self-funded Mount Kilimanjaro trek in 2015, with all sponsorship for the trek going directly to Rebecca and Laura’s chosen charity, Help For Heroes.

Festival offers What’s On readers discounted tickets A Shropshire festival which is gearing up to celebrate its fifth birthday is offering a limited number of discounted tickets to What’s On readers. Sited at North Shropshire’s Oswestry Showground, Osfest historically takes place in early May. However, due to a date clash with the BBC’s Radio One Big Weekender, it's this year been rescheduled to 9 - 11 August.

Singer-songwriter Paloma Faith will be making an appearance at the popular festival, playing a DJ set of her guilty pleasures. She'll be joined by the Grammy Award-winning Foxes, The Hoosiers, Union J, Conor Maynard, Nina Nesbit, From The Jam, the Bay City Rollers and Toyah.

Ten pound discounts apply to adult and under-sixteen tickets only. Call 01691 680468 for furPaloma Faith ther details.

NHS Trust seeking art competition entries Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust is on the lookout for submissions for this year’s Dawn Jones Art Prize, an initiative which invites people with experience of mental health issues to create artwork. Originally set up by Maureen Jones in memory of her daughter Dawn, the prize - which is open to residents from the boroughs of Dudley and Walsall - offers an opportunity for people with experience of mental ill-health to express themselves and raise awareness of mental health issues.

The competition comprises two categories - What Makes Me Happy and What Am I Hopeful For. The winners will receive £100 in vouchers of their choice and the opportunity to have their work displayed in a public building in either Dudley or Walsall.

Closing date for submissions is 1 September. Full details can be found at www.dwmh.nhs.uk/artprize. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5

Wicked Feature.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:07 Page 1

“

When you’re flying and singing that song, you feel like you’re on top of the world

”

Spellbinding!

West End musical casts a spell over the Midlands One of ‘the most popular West End musicals ever’ casts its spell over Midlands audiences this month when Wicked flies into Birmingham as part of its first UK tour.

A global phenomenon, the musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s ingenious reimagining of Frank L Baum’s Wizard Of Oz, and recounts the hitherto untold story of a profound friendship between sorcery students Glinda and Elphaba. So what’s it like to be Defying Gravity? And how do you know if you’re Popular? Emily Tierney (Glinda) and Nikki Davis-Jones (Elphaba) talk about what it means to be playing musical theatre’s most sought-after roles...

Are you a Glinda or an Elphaba? This, says Emily Tierney, is the question nowadays echoing around every drama school corridor - well, at least among those students who one day hope to star in Wicked. So which witch are you? White or green? Good or wicked? Are you ‘Popular’, or do you dream of ‘Defying Gravity’?

For Tierney and fellow actress Nikki DavisJones, these questions now have answers.

The pair are taking the lead roles in Wicked’s first ever UK and Ireland tour, stopping off in Birmingham from 9 July. And while neither performer is entirely new to the show, they still can’t believe their luck.

6 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

“Wicked is so appealing because it’s very rare that you get two such big, meaty, female leads,” says Tierney, whose first professional job was in Wicked’s London ensemble five years ago. “And they’re so different.

Everyone I knew at drama school wanted to play one or the other.”

Tierney was walking through Leicester Square when she heard she’d got the part of Glinda for a second time (she recently played her in The Wizard Of Oz too). “My agent phoned and asked if I was sitting down. I had to run into an alleyway. I burst into tears. I was laughing and hysterical at the same time.”

For Nikki Davis-Jones, until recently the stand-in Elphaba in the West End, it feels amazing to finally own the part. “I first watched it with (Broadway’s original Elphaba) Idina Menzel. I remember mum asking if I'd like to do the show, and me saying that I’d love to, but that there was nothing in it for me; the part was too big. A few years later, here I am.

We’re chatting in a rehearsal room in east London, where every surface is awash with green. Green sunglasses, green babies even a green cake that a cast member’s mum has made for someone’s birthday.

Welcome to the Emerald City!

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interview...

For those new to the Wicked phenomenon, the musical is based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 book, Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West, which riffs off the Oz story, stepping over Dorothy’s ruby slippers to concentrate on the witches instead. This is the back-story for why one ends up good and the other, er, wicked.

On stage, we first meet the characters as students of the University of Shiz.

“Glinda’s grown up a real daddy’s girl, having everything on a plate,” explains Tierney. “She’s never been told no. Then, suddenly, she meets this character who she doesn’t understand.”

Elphaba, meanwhile, is green and “completely misunderstood from birth,” says Davis-Jones. “Nobody likes her. And because of how she’s been treated all her life, she just wants justice for others too.

She’s a bit of a campaigner, our Elphaba.

She’d definitely be out on all the marches!”

Despite loathing each other on first acquaintance - dueting “there's a strange exhilaration in such total detestation” - it’s no spoiler to say the characters develop a friendship so strong that even a couple of love interests (played by the girls’ real-life buddies Liam Doyle and George Ure) can’t throw them off course. “They have this amazing bond, and change each other really dramatically,” says Tierney. “Everyone wants a friendship like that. I think that’s why people really connect with Wicked.”

And why bona fide actresses are clamouring to be cast in the show, she adds. “It’s great.

We get to play them at the beginning, when they’re young. Elphaba’s angry and Glinda’s a spoilt brat. And then they go on this big old journey to see the Wizard and the Emerald City. By the end of the show, they’re completely different people. Elphaba’s fallen in love; Glinda’s learned so much, she’s actually quite moral.”

The duo have just finished rehearsing Popular, a fabulously frothy number that sees Glinda give Elphaba the regulation spruceup. “When someone needs a makeover, I

totally Wicked facts... n Wicked has already been seen by thirtyseven million people worldwide. n In Gregory Maguire’s original novel, Elphaba’s first word as a young infant is ‘horrors’, a clear indication of what’s to come.

simply have to take over,” she yodels in the show.

“I was terrified about doing Popular,” confesses Tierney. “Glinda literally doesn’t sit still. She’s jumping around all over the place.

There’s a lot to remember, but I’m loving doing it now. I love all the numbers I do with Nikki because we get to have such a giggle.

We’ve got to try and hate each other - it’s not going to be easy!”

It’s harder still to pick a favourite song, she says. “For Good is such a beautiful one to sing. But I also love No Good Deed. I saw Nikki do it and ran down the corridor like a crazy fan.”

“They’re all iconic songs,” says Nikki - but even she can’t deny which number is the most iconic. When the TV show Glee devoted a whole episode to it, it was clear that Defying Gravity had moved from musical theatre into the mainstream.

“When you’re flying and singing that song, you feel like you’re on top of the world,” says Nikki. “It’s such a powerful feeling. This is the turning point, where Elphaba is revealed as the witch for the first time. I’ve got the broom, the hat, the cape, and I’m off. You can’t help but be lifted. I’ve got little goosebumps thinking about it.”

And vocally, adds Tierney, it’s incredibly challenging. “I remember being at drama school and everyone wanted to sing Defying Gravity. Everyone tried, but so few could do it.”

If Elphaba wins in the song stakes, Glinda certainly lucks out with her wardrobe. “I put her bubble dress on the other day for a photo shoot and got so choked up,” says Tierney. “They were telling me not to cry, because they’d just done all my make-up.

But it’s overwhelming. Someone asked if I could choose which costume was my favourite, but I couldn’t. They’re each individually designed. So many hours of work go into them; all the beading. I don’t think I’ve done a show before where you get such attention to detail, that scale of costume and set.” n The original Broadway production remains Broadway’s biggest-ever blockbuster. n Wicked’s costume department uses over one hundred-and-seventy-nine different types and finishes of leather. n The musical’s open-ended run at the Apollo Victoria Theatre is already the

Nikki agrees. “My Act Two costume is so sexy; right in at the waist, and all the frills are so flattering. They made it first in a sack material, to get the cut. Margie, our head of wardrobe, told me to stand up straight and be in character. And now the dress is made like that. So I can’t ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ it anyway. It’s really good for my posture.”

What about going green every night?

“She looks amazing,” gushes Tierney. “She’s got her own colour of green: the Nikki green.”

“It’s so strange,” says Nikki. “I didn’t realise how different everyone’s shade is to their skin. The director says I’m prettier green than in real life!”

The girls agree that the costumes really help to get them in character. “I keep wearing little skirts in the rehearsal room,” says Tierney. “I don’t feel Glinda-ry if I don’t. But the other day, I went home and put the grungiest gear on - I’d outgirlied even myself.”

With just weeks to go till opening night, nerves are rising for both actresses. “I keep having really manic stress dreams,” Tierney gulps. “I think it’s getting my head around taking on the mantle. We’ve seen so many Elphabas and Glindas; they’re iconic. But they’ve told us that they're our parts now and we’ve got to find our own way into them.”

And what about the high notes of ‘that song’? How does Nikki find her way into those?

“I get waves of nerves, usually in the scene before Defying Gravity,” she admits. “But by the time it comes, you’re so in the emotional moment. And to be honest, if you’re totally in it, you don’t even notice the singing. It just comes out and it feels amazing. And at the end of it all, when the show’s happened, you just think, ‘Oh my god, I love my job. I’m the luckiest girl around’.

Wicked shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Wed 9 July to Sat 6 September.

sixteenth longest-running musical in West End Theatre history. n The West End production is soon to enter its eighth year and reach its three thousandth performance at The Apollo. n Wicked has won over ninety international awards, including the Olivier Award for Most Popular Show.

Emily Tierney (Glinda), Liam Doyle (Fiyero) and Nikki Davis-Jones (Elphaba): Photo credit: Matt Crockett

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 7

BE Festival feature LW.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:03 Page 1

“

It’s about what the city has given to us, because it’s quite a feat for two Spanish people to be running a theatre festival here in Birmingham.

”

Glad to BE here... festival gearing up for its first venture at The REP A theatre festival created in 2010 as a direct response to Birmingham’s need for more international work is this year entering a new phase of its development, thanks to a partnership with the Birmingham REP. BE Festival annually brings together artists from across Europe to showcase a diverse range of contemporary theatre. Growing in stature since its humble beginnings in Birmingham’s AE Harris Building, the festival this month makes its debut at The REP. What’s On recently met up with festival directors Miguel Oyarzun and Isla Aguilar to talk about the origins of BE, its journey to The REP, and what’s in store for 2014.

Five years ago, the BE Festival’s nowdirectors, Miguel Oyarzun and Isla Aguillar, were invited to attend a conference organised by the Arts Council to look at how to improve diversity in the Midlands. Miguel and Isla were running their own theatre company and touring at the time. A recurring theme throughout the conference was the lack of international work visiting the region.

So Miguel and Isla suggested filling the void with a festival.

“That same day people were coming up to us and saying it was a great idea,” says Miguel, “and suggesting that we did it. So we thought, why not!”

That evening they set about thinking how 8 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

they would want a theatre festival to be.

“James at Stan’s Cafe offered us the use of the AE Harris Building,” Miguel continues, “and we put out a call for submissions. Very soon we received sixty-seven applications from all around Europe. Then Birmingham City Council opened an application for emerging festivals, and all of a sudden we knew it was all meant to be.”

An application went into the Arts Council for £8,000, because “to ask for ten seemed greedy!”. The first festival went ahead and was deemed a great success.

Finances dictated that the majority of artists who appeared at BE in 2010 were accommodated in people’s homes. Even

though the event has grown in stature, that particular arrangement has continued. “It’s now a feature of the festival,” says Isla.

“Having the city involved has resulted in big audiences coming to see the shows. Hosts not only have a ticket to come along, they also bring their family and friends.”

Although the festival enjoyed great success at the AE Harris during its first four years, the metal factory’s expanding business meant that BE needed to find a new home for 2014.

Fortunately, the refurbished Birmingham Rep came to the rescue, and now a whole new chapter in the event’s ongoing success story is set to begin.

Moving forward and acquiring bigger

BE Festival feature LW.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:03 Page 2

feature... audiences while at the same time retaining the festival’s original ethos was always going to be a fine balancing act, but Isla and Miguel are confident it can be achieved. The 2014 event will satisfy Isla’s vision of giving audiences a completely new experience, with The REP building being turned back-to-front and inside-out.

Audience members will have the opportunity to step backstage and see the theatre from a whole new perspective. While the venue’s workshop is transformed into a festival hub, with a bar and furnished area for relaxation, the stage will be converted into a pop-up restaurant. Audiences will be able to dine on food from Blanch & Shock Food Design while at the same time watching a performance taking place in the aisles.

The Rep’s scenic paintshop, meanwhile, will become an interactive space and feature a visual arts programme, including TIME = MONEY = ART, a sharing of work from Dutch artist Dadara.

All areas will be interconnected on a route that ensures every aspect of this innovative, topsy-turvy approach is on view.

A sign of the festival’s growing reputation is the number of applications received this year.

Six hundred in total. All were dissected in detail, with Miguel stipulating that the only criteria is ‘quality’. The festival will feature twenty-three performances by ensembles from fourteen different countries.

So how does BE’s format work?

“Our responsibility as programmers is to find a balance,” says Miguel. “The format of four short shows a night allows us to show a cross-section. You may have one show that’s more challenging, which will make people think. Then we’ll show something that everyone can access; something where people can enjoy themselves and have a laugh. Something which is still being contemporary and crossing boundaries in its approach but at the same time is very accessible. Each show is only thirty minuteslong, which means if you’re not liking it, you won’t have to wait long for the next one. And that’s a format that audiences have bought into.”

The programme is certainly eclectic, bringing together various artistic disciplines from across Europe. It also features workshops, talks, and a programme of visual arts.

There’s a theme for 2014 too - ‘currency’ but it’s not an overbearing, all-consuming one.

Five years on, BE has most definitely grown in terms of its international status. “The festival was created to become a catalyst for more international work, and that’s happened,” says Miguel. “Now we have four or five international companies who have residencies here. We may have started it all, but now they’re independently having relationships with places like mac and

Warwick Arts Centre. They’re coming here to perform, and there’s an audience for them.

But it works both ways. We also support companies from the UK. For instance, Kindle Theatre Company performed at the festival, and thanks to that, they’ve gone on to perform in Italy and other European countries.”

Asked to summarise what they and BE Festival have done for Birmingham, Isla and Miguel offer a modest response: “It’s about what the city has given to us, because it’s quite a feat for two Spanish people to be running a theatre festival here in Birmingham. The city is very welcoming to strangers. We feel very supported, and that’s fantastic.”

Isla and Miguel

twenty-three companies from fourteen countries in two weeks...

WEEK ONE 2 - 4 JULY BE FESTIVAL DOUBLE BILL Split into two distinct parts, week one of the festival is dedicated to works by Birmingham-based Stan’s Cafe and last year’s festival winners, Denmark’s Out Of Balanz.

Finger, Trigger, Bullet, Gun is a short play

by Nenad Prokiv, written for Stan’s Cafe.

The play asks, if a Serbian finger pulled the trigger which started World War One, who put the bullet in the gun? The show climaxes with the toppling of thousands of dominoes.

Next Door Out Of Balanz fuse intimate storytelling and high-octane physical theatre to explore what it is that really connects us.

WEEK TWO 8 - 12 JULY BE FESTIVAL REP TAKEOVER The festival’s second week sees the REP building turned back-to-front, as audiences access the venue from the rear entrance on Cambridge Street, where they’ll enter a relaxed hub complete with soft furnishings, cabaret stage, cafe and bar. The REP’s main stage will be transformed into a popup restaurant, where interval dinners will be served to both artists and audiences.

Each evening performance will feature four different studio shows - each no longer than thirty minutes - plus three more limitedcapacity pieces, taking place in other spaces within The REP. For information on all festival events, visit WWW.BEFESTIVAL.ORG

A TASTE OF WHAT’S ON OFFER AT BE FESTIVAL 2014 GETAWAY: THEATER AM TISCH An invitation to talk about what we’re fleeing from, running towards and hoping for.

Wed & Thurs, The Door, 6pm MI GRAN OBRA: DAVID ESPINOSA Three hundred actors, herds of animals and a military orchestra present an exploration of balance, substance and artistic practice, Wed & Thurs, The Door, 6.10pm FROM THE WALTZ TO THE MAMBO: RADIOBALLET A 1960s Hungarian ballroom dance manual becomes a tool for questioning today's dogmas surrounding beauty and education. Wed, The Studio, 7pm PLAZA AVELLANEDA: TEATRO SECRETO Stories with a refined informality, investigating narrative through a physical approach that invites an audience further into the depths of contemporary texts.

Wed, The Studio, 7pm EVERYTHING WE WERE (NOT) BORN WITH: KIJO GROUP A sparse, forensic examination of the internal and external boundaries of identity and the human body. Wed, The Studio, 9.30pm BEATING MCENROE: JAMIE WOOD Bjorn Borg, the self-controlled tennis champion and epitome of cool, was everything sixyear-old Jamie wanted to be.

Then John McEnroe came along... Wed, The Studio, 9.30pm

THAT’S IT: SANDMAN A spectre claws her way across the stage, back and forth between nightmarish dreamscapes, to become one creature after another, lurking in the darkest recesses of the mind, Thurs, The Studio, 7pm LOOPS AND BREAKS: JULIA SCHWARZBACH Julia invites her audience to make the action by responding to a series of shifting instructions prepared especially for the BE Festival crowd, Thurs, The Studio, 7pm ISLA’S GARDEN: ANNA PESCHKE An unscrupulous officer and concentration camp doctor, this ‘She-Wolf of the SS’ is an unsettling creation, inhabited here by the artist to interrogate the appeal of German Fascism, Thurs, The Studio, 9.30pm THE INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS: LA CASA EN EL ARBOL Fragments of ’50s scripts and sequels work in conversation with video projection to present an unsettling B-Movie mash-up of our notions of identity and collectivism, Thurs, The Studio, 9.30pm GHOSTLAND CINEMA: MINGBEAST IN COLLABORATION WITH SLEEPWALK COLLECTIVE A cryptic and chaotic exploration of how we remember - and of why we might prefer to forget, Fri, The Studio, 7pm DOES IT START WITH A KISS?: EVA DUDA DANCE COMPANY Questions of individual agency and submission spill from

relationships fizzing with the passion of the tango, as an impetuous trio dance ‘all for one and one for all!’ Fri, The Studio, 7pm WUNSCHKONZERT: MAURA MORALES One woman's grasp for a sensual life of joy, wonder and dreams realised, beyond everyday monotony, loneliness and longing, Fri, The Studio, 9.30pm WAITING: MOKHALLAD RASEM Different worlds clash quietly through traces of dance, performance and film in a meditation upon the fundamental human experience of waiting, Fri, The Studio, 9.30pm THE INVERSE OF THE PLOT: JAIME VALLAURE A response to BE Festival’s unique takeover of The REP; a performance which flips our understanding of how theatre space works.

Sat, Secret location IMPRESSIONS D’AFRIQUE: MK Raymond Roussel’s 1910 novel forms the backdrop to mk’s crowded system of chain reactions and ballistic choreography.

Sat, The Studio, 7pm AWKWARD HAPPENINGS: STUDIO MATEJKA The passage of a relationship, painted in its full colours of intimacy and doubt...

Sat, The Studio, 9.30pm SHOW: ANTONIO TAGLIARINI The audience helps a beleaguered performer attempt an impossible self-portrait. Sat, The Studio, 9.30pm

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Music Peatbog Faeries Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Wed 9 July

Although mainly influenced by traditional celtic music, the Peatbog Faeries create a sound that also embodies numerous other styles and influences, including folk, electronica, rock and jazz.

Well established on the circuit, having formed way back in 1991, the ensemble’s music brings together a blend of programmed effects with traditional celtic arrangements played on bagpipes, fiddles and whistles. The Faeries visit the Midlands from their home on the Isle of Skye.

Robbie Williams The Midnight Beast The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 25 July

Are they musicians? Are they comedians? Are they actors? The Midnight Beast are all these and more.

Stefan Abingdon, Dru Wakely and Ashley Horne started out making YouTube videos - including a parody of Kesha’s Tik Tok that she hailed “better than my version” - before scoring a self-titled Channel Four sitcom. They’ve now amassed over sixty-eight million views on YouTube and released a new album, Shtick Heads, which hit Number One in the iTunes Comedy chart. See them here on their Dirty Weekender tour.

Tame Impala The Institute, Birmingham, Mon 14 July

“Our way of doing music is very organic,” explains Kevin Parker, the Australian psychedelic rock musician who fronts Tame Impala. “There’s a repetitiveness about it; it’s meant to be hypnotic, almost in a kind of electronic nature.”

The band formed in 2007 and came to prominence three years later with the release of their debut album, Innerspeaker. Two years afterwards, followup effort Lonerism scored a massive hit with the critics. Making psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music that Parker says is as influenced ‘by English folk as it is homeless folk’, and as much by ‘Turkish prog as it is by Turkish Delight’, the highly regarded ensemble stop off in Birmingham as part of a European summer tour.

LG Arena, Birmingham, Sat 6 - Sun 7 July

With six of his albums featuring among the top one hundred biggest-selling in the UK, an entry in the Guinness Book Of World Records for selling over one-and-a-half million tickets for a tour in a single day, and almost eighty million record sales to his name worldwide, Midlands-born Robbie needs no introduction. Whether with Take That or as a solo artist, Williams is a heavyweight performer whose popularity has endured despite the passing of time and no shortage of negative publicity along the way.

He appears at the LG this month on the back of late-2013 album release Swings Both Ways - his second swing album after 2001's Swing When You're Winning and the fourth best-selling UK album of last year.

Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, Sat 12 July

Jools Holland is - somewhat unfairly, it should be said - often viewed as little more than an arch-fan, albeit one with his finger firmly on the musical pulse.

His well-established BBC TV show has long been an eclectic mixture of styles and genres, encompassing music from across the world. His own talent on the piano is immense, and his attitude towards his famed rhythm & blues orchestra friendly and egalitarian. The result is a joyous celebration of music, and a sound to which you can’t help but tap your feet. The band are quite a hit on the summer festival circuit for this very reason, with Holland’s familiarity with a bewildering range of material inevitably feeding into the group’s music-making endeavours. Support on this occasion comes from Marc Almond, Melanie C and Ruby Turner.

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Music PREVIEWS Jim Moray Stafford Gatehouse, Mon 7 July

An established star of the contemporary folk scene, Jim Moray is widely considered to be one of the most consistently inventive musicians working in English traditional music today. This latest tour sees him showcasing music from his forthcoming album of traditional ballads, but fans will be equally eager for him to raid his back-catalogue - with five groundbreaking albums to his name, there’s no shortage of material they’ll be happy to hear again. Very much at the forefront of the UK folk revival, Jim last year celebrated the tenth anniversary of landmark debut album Sweet England, and looks set to add to the five BBC Radio Two Folk Awards already taking pride of place on his mantelpiece.

Bellowhead Ludlow Castle, Shropshire, Sat 5 July

This eleven-piece group merge folk, jazz, funk, classical and world music influences with a twist of English music hall. Between them, they play more than twenty instruments in a unique mix, and have picked up numerous coveted awards in recognition of their quality.

High energy and highly talented, the band recently released their latest album, Revival, in celebration of their tenth anniversary.

Daryl Hall & John Oates Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Tues 22 July

It’s been nearly ten years since ’80s pop icons Hall and Oates last performed in the UK, so this Symphony Hall appearance has understandably excited their legion of loyal fans. Performing together since 1970, the duo really hit the big time in the latter part of that decade, their star then shining bright until the mid-1980s.

Expect the fellas to dig deep into their fourdecades-long back-catalogue when they play Birmingham, with performances of massive hits like You Make My Dreams, Out Of Touch, Private Eyes and Maneater certain to be among the highlights of a memorable evening.

Utah Jazz

Paul Weller

The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Fri 18 July

Delamere Forest, Crewe, Fri 4 July; Warwick Castle, Fri 11 July

It’s been a couple of years since Luke (Utah Jazz, to his worldwide drum & bass fanbase) released his last liquid funk longplayer, so the time is right for album number three to surface. Trends may have changed, his sound may have evolved, but the beautiful and warming melodies persist, reminding us why he’s often referred to as ‘the soul prince'.

His non-stop world touring continues to promote Portfolio, released on Spearhead Records a few days after promoters Perception bring him to Shrewsbury.

Not many solo artists can claim to be as instantly identifiable in both sound and appearance as the legendary Paul Weller. Now more of a brand than an individual, the man is a PR executive’s dream. However, as an antidote to these cynical pre-packaged days, there’s substance behind the spin.

Doomed to be forever known as the Mod-father (if only behind his back), Weller has done much of his growing up in public. From the heady punk-pop days of The Jam in the 1970s to the more soulful Style Council of the 1980s, he's graduated to a solo career consisting of solid guitar work punctuated by the flashes of lyrical ingenuity.

Raghu Dixit The Glee Club, Birmingham, Sun 27 July

One of India’s biggest cultural and musical exports, Raghu Dixit has appeared on Jools Holland and at Glastonbury, and has also performed for Her Majesty The Queen. He’s been described as a ‘transcendental, folkrocking singer-songwriter’, presenting Indian music rooted in tradition but fused with a contemporary sound. Raghu is currently touring with his new album, Jag Changa.

Simply Soweto Encha Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham Fri 18 - Sat 19 July

Here performing as part of Birmingham Fest 2014, South African a cappella group Simply Soweto Encha make music that’s been described as ‘a sound sensation’. Showcasing R’n’B, doo-wop, gospel, pop and jazz, they perform original material, cover songs, and traditional African music from the Zulu, Tswana and Xhosa cultures. Their show is beautifully choreographed, too, and pays tribute to the late Nelson Mandela.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre O2 Academy, Birmingham, Mon 7 July

One of the most experimental and fluid bands in music, BJM have seen forty members join the ranks in nearly thirty years and are named after both the Rolling Stones’ guitarist and a mass cult suicide.

They’ve notched up fourteen albums during their career, with latest release Revelation very much a continuation of their signature neo-psychedelic sound. Taking the genre to dark depths, it’s trippy, spacey and introspective, tinged with Eastern sitar but also influenced by world music from the Middle East and Brazil. Carsick Cars support. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 13

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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

London Grammar Civic Hall, Wolverhampton Fresh from their recent Ivor Novello Award win, London Grammar were welcomed to Wolverhampton’s stunning retro Civic Hall by a truly mixed bunch of punters, from bearded hipsters in their skinny jeans to middle-aged art teacher types and all the tribes in between.

This trio’s music obviously appeals to all ages.

First up was the track which started it all, Hey Now, originally posted on YouTube in late 2012. Standing centre-stage but slightly in the shadows - which kind of set the tone for the gig - Hannah Reid performed some impressive vocal gymnastics before launching effortlessly into the body of the song. In fact, throughout the fifty-five-minute set, Hannah's vocals were pitch-perfect, the audience enjoying her performance in an almost reverential silence.

Hannah, Dot and Dan performed each and every track from debut album If You Wait. The arrangements were almost identical to the album, a fact which displayed either a supreme confidence or a touch of laziness. I'm veering towards the former.

With Interlude, the original white backcloth was removed to reveal six string players on a raised platform. Some mighty fine lighting very effectively lifted the atmosphere. The good vibes continued with Wasting My Young Years, one of the band’s strongest songs. That said, it was a pity to see so many smartphones being raised into the air. Rather than enjoying the live performance, some people preferred to scrabble to get a poorly recorded version that they most likely wouldn’t watch again later. A waste indeed.

The only cover version of the set was Nightcall. With the aforementioned strings and superb lighting, this was a real highlight, finally giving the audience something to move to.

After the award-winning Strong, it was time for the encore. In a rare moment of verbal communication with the crowd, Hannah admitted she felt a bit of a fraud ending a show, with everyone knowing they’d be back on shortly for a couple more songs. But what a couple of songs they were: Metal And Dust and If You Wait, the album’s title and, in my view, its strongest - track, which saw Hannah at the piano doing what she does best, delivering flawless vocals.

The only disappointment of the night was that we weren't treated to anything new.

So what’s up next for London Grammar, and what can we expect from that ‘difficult’ second album? The hipsters, art teacher types and I can’t wait to find out. Tony Maxwell nnnn

John Grant Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon First coming to prominence in the mid-1990s as frontman in the altrock band The Czars, American singer-songwriter John Grant took to the stage at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre as part of his European summer tour.

John opened the set with the sardonic, synth-led You Don’t Have To, from his second and most recent solo album, Pale Green Ghosts. Its mid-tempo beat and John’s deep, resonant vocals filled the large auditorium. Already, the audience was in the palm of his hand. John’s music isn’t pop; by his own admission, it’s ‘angry and sarcastic’. The second track of the set, Vietnam, is laced with both. His autobiographical and almost confessional lyrics are tempered not only by the classically melodious and beautifully played keyboard of Coventry-born Chris Pemberton but also, of course, by the warmth and depth of John’s own vocals.

The band were sharp. When it came to playing the album title-track, the power and energy was fantastic. John alternated between determined vocals and ominous synth-playing. Stark back-lighting and strobes pushed the sound into the crowd. Inevitably, it was GMF - a song rejoicing in personal faults and reflecting a steely determination to make them count for something - that most fans wanted to hear.

When it came, it was delivered with confidence and swagger.

At times during the performance, John took a backseat vocally, allowing the music to speak for itself as he sat, almost motionless, playing keyboards/synth. Although intensely personal, his music isn’t self-indulgent; its dark humour allows no room for self-pity, a fact evidenced by the jokes and banter he shared with the audience.

The set ended with a mighty version of Queen Of Denmark.

The encores were acoustic: a poignant version of Abba’s song of ‘love betrayed’, Angel Eyes (a favourite of his); a nod to his time with The Czars, Drugs; and the beautifully rich love song, Caramel.

Ted Finlay nnnn

TUE 1 JULY IAN MCLAGAN Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE JAZZ COMPOSERS ENSEMBLE The Jam House, Birmingham THE ENEMY The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

WED 2 JULY THE FULL ENGLISH mac, Birmingham THE REVEREND PEYTON'S BIG DAMN BAND The Robin, Bilston TWO MAN TING The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham GARY NUMAN The Assembly, Leamington Spa STEVE AJAO BLUES GIANTS The Jam House, Birmingham

THU 3 JULY SCHOOL OF ROCK & POP SHOWCASE O2 Academy, Birmingham SILENT SCREAMS The Asylum, Birmingham THAT'LL BE THE DAY The Place, Oakengates, Telford TONY JOE WHITE The Robin, Bilston OMAR The Jam House, Birmingham WBS MUSIC CONCERT An evening of country/folk performed by the Express Club, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Shropshire ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton BAM MARGERA'S F**KFACE UNSTOPPABLE O2 Academy, B’ham

FRI 4 JUL MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham MIXTAPE SAINTS The Actress & Bishop, B’ham MAETLOAF The Robin, Bilston THE ELO EXPERIENCE Wulfrun Hall, W’hampton PAUL WELLER Delamere Forest, Cheshire THE 80'S PROJECT The River Rooms, Stourbridge HANSU-TORI Symphony Hall, Birmingham PAT BRESLIN Irish Centre, Birmingham JAYNE POWELL Ort Cafe, Birmingham CHASING TRAITS The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent SAD SALLY The Flapper, Birmingham SLYDE ALIVE The Roadhouse, Birmingham GRACE THE SKIES The Asylum, Birmingham

SAT 5 JULY MR BEN The Jam House, Birmingham KICK UP THE 80'S The Robin, Bilston MERCURY - QUEEN TRIBUTE Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent UPRAWR’S SUMMER PARADISE The Asylum, Birmingham ROBBIE WILLIAMS LG Arena, Birmingham KFAMOVES PRESENTS MOVE TO THE RHYTHM Symphony Hall, Birmingham GIMME GIMME NIGHT FEVER Prince Of Wales Centre, Cannock Chase ONE STOP BOOGIE - 70S V 80S The River Rooms, Stourbridge MADDY STORM The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent TIPITINA Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire THE REDEEMED The Drum, Birmingham THE DESTROYERS mac, Birmingham JAI-JAGDEESH mac, Birmingham STAR OF THE SEA Irish Centre, Birmingham THIRD ANGLE PROJECTION The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham TEMPLETON PEK The Flapper, Birmingham SMOOVE & TURRELL Hare & Hounds, B’ham STATED QUO, JACKIE LYNTON & MERCHANTS OF COOL The Roadhouse, Birmingham THE DINOSAUR CLUB Route 44, Birmingham KWAI & LORD BYRON Hare & Hounds, B’ham CITIES PREPARE FOR ATTACK Ort Cafe, B’ham

SUN 6 JULY ROBBIE WILLIAMS LG Arena, Birmingham CODY SIMPSON The Institute, Birmingham SHILLEAGH Irish Centre, Birmingham SALLY PEPPER The Yardbird Jazz Club, B’ham TORI REED The Marr's Bar, Worcester STEVE AJAO'S CLUB BEBOP The Spotted Dog, Birmingham UNTO US & COLOURFLOW The Robin, Bilston THE MINIATURE CONCERT BAND Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove THE WOOHOO REVIEW Lichfield Garrick

MON 7 JULY EXTREME O2 Academy, Birmingham KATHRYN TICKELL AND THE SIDE Lichfield Garrick THE DUNNETT/BAXTER BIG BAND The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham

THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE O2 Academy, Birmingham JIM MORAY Stafford Gatehouse Theatre THE WINERY DOGS The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton SOUTHSIDE JOHNNY & THE ASBURY JUKES The Robin, Bilston TRASH TALK The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent A LITTLE NIGHTMARE MUSIC Lichfield Garrick

TUE 8 JULY SEBASTIAN BACH The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton RIXTON O2 Academy, Birmingham CARL SINCLAIR DUO The Jam House, B’ham MUSIC FOR YOUTH NATIONAL FESTIVAL Various venues around B’ham

WED 9 JULY THREE STEP MANOEUVRE FUNKY ORGAN TRIO The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham GOSPEL CENTRAL The Jam House, B’ham SOULFLY The Slade Rooms, W’hampton THE PEATBOG FAERIES Hare & Hounds, B’ham RAGE OF ANGELS The River Rooms, Stourbridge MUSIC FOR YOUTH NATIONAL FESTIVAL Various venues around B’ham

THU 10 JULY JO HARMAN The Robin, Bilston MUSIC FOR YOUTH NATIONAL FESTIVAL Various venues around B’ham ELKIE BROOKS Crewe Lyceum LARRY MILLER The River Rooms, Stourbridge JOHN OTWAY Hare & Hounds, Birmingham 1-EYE The Jam House, Birmingham OUR MUTUAL FRIEND The Roadhouse, B’ham LIGHT THE SKIES O2 Academy, Birmingham

FRI 11 JULY B'SPOKE The Jam House, Birmingham JOHN COGHLAN'S QUO The Robin, Bilston FLEETWOOD BAC The Roadhouse, B’ham MUSIC FOR YOUTH NATIONAL FESTIVAL Various venues around B’ham ADRIAN LITVINOFF’S INTERPLAY Symphony Hall, Birmingham PAUL WELLER Warwick Castle KRAAK & SMAAK Hare & Hounds, Birmingham IN HINDSIGHT O2 Academy, Birmingham CHOIR WITH NO NAME mac, Birmingham DEAD SEA SKULLS The Victoria, Birmingham FOLK CRUISE Sabrina Boat, Shrewsbury JOE LONGTHORNE The Place, Oakengates, Telford LONG DISTANCE Irish

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Music LISTINGS For full listing information on gigs, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Centre, Birmingham LAU Lichfield Garrick HANNAH BROWN Ort Cafe, Birmingham BAD MANNERS The River Rooms, Stourbridge MUSIC FOR YOUTH ROCK, POP & URBAN Birmingham Town Hall NICKY BLACKMARKET The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury RUSS WINSTANLEY Hare & Hounds, Birmingham MORAL PANICS The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent JAMES HICKMAN & DAN CASSIDY Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury PENGUIN CAFE Lichfield Cathedral

SAT 12 JULY B'SPOKE The Jam House, Birmingham MUSIC FOR YOUTH NATIONAL FESTIVAL Various venues around B’ham ULTIMATE MADNESS V SKA & 2 TONE REVUE The Robin, Bilston THE KOMMITMENTS The Roadhouse, B’ham LYNUS, PHOENIX RISING, THE OLDEST HOUSE & DOLLS WEAVER The Flapper, Birmingham THE FORTUNES The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury LIMEHOUSE LIZZY Tamworth Assembly Rooms OUR WORLD BELOW The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton CRAIG CHARLES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham VALVE SOUND SYSTEM The Institute, B’ham THE DECADES BAND The River Rooms, Stourbridge TRIBUTE TO CAL TJADER The Hive, Shrewsbury THE RYANS Irish Centre, Birmingham COURTNEY PINE Lichfield Garrick SUNJAY BRAYNE & BETHAN AND THE MORGANS Ort Cafe, B’ham THE NATIONAL ROCK & POP FESTIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham TFI90 The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham A FUSION OF VOICES AND SAXOPHONES Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire ALEX OHM & DUKE The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham KASTELLA O2 Academy, Birmingham

SUN 13 JULY THE NATIONAL ROCK & POP FESTIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

LITTLE JIMMY Irish Centre, Birmingham METAL TO THE MASSES FINAL The Roadhouse, Birmingham TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR Birmingham Town Hall MORPHEUS RISING The Robin, Bilston LIVE AT THE CASTLE Stafford Castle TAKE IT TO THE STAGE mac, Birmingham

MON 14 JULY THE NATIONAL ROCK & POP FESTIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham TAME IMPALA The Institute, Birmingham SOLEY MOURNING, THE EMPTY CAN, CYNICAL RENEGADE, SUNDAY 44 & ELEVATE The Robin, Bilston AC ACADEMY SING WITH RUSSELL WATSON Symphony Hall, B’ham

TUE 15 JULY THE NATIONAL ROCK & POP FESTIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham HEAVEN & EARTH The Robin, Bilston DELANO MILLS NOT STRICTLY JAZZ QUARTET The Jam House, B’ham

WED 16 JULY THE NATIONAL ROCK & POP FESTIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham KIRAN LEONARD Hare & Hounds, Birmingham LAURENCE JONES BAND The Robin, Bilston

THU 17 JUL TOPLOADER The Jam House, Birmingham FIVE STAR SWING: THE BIG BAND Artrix, Bromsgrove LADY LUCK AND THE LATE NIGHT PLAYERS The Roadhouse, B’ham 10CC The Robin, Bilston TROYKA & PULCINELLA The Tin Music And Arts, Coventry THE STRUTS The River Rooms, Stourbridge THE AMORETTES, PENCILS FOR PISTOLS & FOOLS GLORY The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham THE SHALFONTS Ort Cafe, Birmingham

FRI 18 JULY SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham WHO'S WHO & THE JAM'D The Robin, Bilston MARTYR DE MONA The River Rooms, Stourbridge ALISON SYMONS & STEVE

TROMANS BAND Symphony Hall, B’ham SLOW CLUB The Institute, Birmingham SONS OF CALIBRE Irish Centre, Birmingham BON GIOVI The Roadhouse, Birmingham ONETHOUSANDSUNS The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham UTAH JAZZ The Buttermarket, Shropshire HOT CLUB DE SWING JULY BALL Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FULLY LOADED & MR APOLLO Route 44, Birmingham SIMPLY SOWETO ENCHA Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

SAT 19 JUL SOLID SOUL The Jam House, Birmingham JEAN GENIE The Robin, Bilston SIMPLY SOWETO ENCHA Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham DARK SIDE OF THE WALL The Roadhouse, B’ham SECRETS OF MARIANA, STONEPIT LANE, NEVERENDER, CELESTIAL WISH & RUSTLUNG The Flapper, Birmingham BETRAYAL The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent METROPOLITAN BRASS QUINTET Symphony Hall, Birmingham MOTOWN'S GREATEST HITS New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham A TOUCH OF VEGAS Lichfield Garrick THE 80'S V THE 90'S The River Rooms, Stourbridge IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE STATE TERRORISM TOUR The Drum, Birmingham THE CHOIR THAT ROCKS Symphony Hall, B’ham AN EVENING WITH GILLES PETERSON Hare & Hounds, Birmingham FRAN THE MAN Irish Centre, Birmingham DIZZY LIZZY Moochers, Stourbridge GLASSBULLET O2 Academy, Birmingham ESTATES The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham TAKE THAT EXPERIENCE Trentham Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent MATTHEW EDWARDS & THE UNFORTUNATES Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

SUN 20 JULY SNAKECHARMER The Assembly, Leamington Spa ULTIMATE GENESIS O2 Academy, Birmingham PAUL CARRACK The Robin, Bilston IRENE & TOM Irish Centre, Birmingham SPITTING FEATHERS, LAST TRAIN & HORROR ON THE HIGH SEAS The Roadhouse, B’ham KIDS CAN’T FLY O2 Academy, Birmingham

MON 21 JULY ONSLAUGHT O2 Academy, Birmingham HANS CHEW & RHINO &

THE RANTERS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham NOT JUST JAZZ Crescent Theatre, Birmingham STEVEN SEAGAL'S BLUES BAND The Robin, Bilston

Ron Pope The Institute

TUE 22 JULY STEVEN SEAGAL'S BLUES BAND The Robin, Bilston DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES Symphony Hall, Birmingham CITIZEN, DIAMOND YOUTH & HEADROOM The Flapper, Birmingham MIKE DIGNAM The Institute, Birmingham RON POPE The Institute, Birmingham MAYSA The Jam House, Birmingham

WED 23 JULY EVE SELIS The Robin, Bilston NURVRAX JAM The Yardbird Jazz Club, B’ham THERE'LL ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND The Place, Oakengates, Telford, Shropshire FRED WESLEY The Drum, Birmingham GORDIE MACKEEMAN & HIS RHYTHM BOYS Hare & Hounds, Birmingham BROTHERS GROOVE The Jam House, B’ham LOWER THAN ATLANTIS The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent

THU 24 JULY GUNNRUNNER The Robin, Bilston MARK MORRISS The Actress & Bishop, B’ham ROCK 4 MACMILLAN Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury MIKE SANCHEZ BAND The Jam House, B’ham THE LAST CARNIVAL O2 Academy, Birmingham LOWER THAN ATLANTIS The Institute, B’ham X CONTRACT, PROMETHEA, THE SENTON BOMBS & ANESIS The Roadhouse, B’ham

FRI 25 JULY THE SUBTERRANEANS The Jam House, B’ham FRED ZEPPELIN The Robin, Bilston DARKSIDE - THE PINK FLOYD SHOW Belgrade Theatre, Coventry DESPERADO - THE VERY BEST OF THE EAGLES The Roadhouse, B’ham THE GUNS N' ROSES EXPERIENCE The River Rooms, Stourbridge YOUNG PILGRIMS Symphony Hall, B’ham ONDAHWUN The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham TIDES, PAGE44 & KEEP THE CHANGE The Institute, Birmingham WHOLE LOTTA DC Moochers, Stourbridge THE NORTONS O2 Academy, Birmingham PIONEER The Actress & Bishop, Birmingham REBECCA FERGUSON Ricoh Arena, Coventry LIBERTY LIES The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton BROOM BEZZUMS The Marr's Bar, Worcester

THE MOURNING SUNS Ort Cafe, Birmingham VINCENT FLATT'S FINAL DRIVE Route 44, B’ham THE MIDNIGHT BEAST The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent

RODGERS TRIBUTE The Roadhouse, B’ham NOTHING BUT THIEVES The Yardbird Jazz Club, Birmingham

SAT 26 JULY

LAYLA ZOE The Robin, Bilston BURT BACHARACH Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THE SUBTERRANEANS The Jam House, B’ham MAD P Hare & Hounds, Birmingham JOHNNY 2 BAD The Robin, Bilston STONE THE ALCHEMIST The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent ABBA REUNION Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent OTIS GIBBS Birchmeadow, Broseley, Shropshire SWEET BABY JAMES Lichfield Garrick PHORIA The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham JOOLS HOLLAND & HIS RHYTHM & BLUES ORCHESTRA Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire SWEDE DREAMZ - ABBA TRIBUTE NIGHT The Great Barr Hotel, B’ham KICK UP THE 80'S The River Rooms, Stourbridge SWIM WITH SHARKS Irish Centre, Birmingham THE SIMON AND GARFUNKEL STORY Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Shropshire SOULSHAKE The Yardbird Jazz Club, B’ham SISTER SHOTGUN O2 Academy, Birmingham THE MICKY GREANEY BAND Ort Cafe, B’ham TRANSMISSION - JOY DIVISION TRIBUTE The Roadhouse, B’ham THE BIG FOUR TRIBUTE BAND Route 44, B’ham BACK TO THE 80S Trentham Gardens, Stokeon-Trent SLOWBURNER Wheathill Court Farm, Shropshire

SUN 27 JUL THE KINGS DIVISION BAND Crewe Lyceum IMPERIA The Robin, Bilston RAGHU DIXIT The Glee Club, Birmingham BLAKE & BRAZIL Irish Centre, Birmingham HEARTBREAKER - PAUL

MON 28 JULY

TUE 29 JULY RYAN MCGARVEY BAND The Robin, Bilston ARNOCORPS The Asylum, Birmingham

WED 30 JULY RYAN MCGARVEY BAND The Roadhouse, Birmingham JULIE DEXTER The Jam House, Birmingham THE PRETTY THINGS PEEPSHOW The Robin, Bilston THE SHIRES The Institute, Birmingham

THU 31 JULY DEL CAMINO The Jam House, Birmingham JP COOPER Hare & Hounds, Birmingham NOSOUND The Robin, Bilston AUGUSTUS CAESAR The Roadhouse, Birmingham LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury SWEDE DREAMZ - ABBA TRIBUTE NIGHT The Great Barr Hotel, B’ham THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE The River Rooms, Stourbridge WARLORD UK O2 Academy, Birmingham THE MANFREDS Lichfield Garrick HAWK EYES The Flapper, Birmingham UNDER THE COVERS Irish Centre, Birmingham BOXCAR ALDOUS HUXLEY & ANDY OLIVERI Ort Cafe, Birmingham IVOR & LYNN'S CLASSIC ROCK DISCO Route 44, Birmingham TOM JONES TRIBUTE Genting Club, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent

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The Royal Opera: Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos

Classical Music PREVIEWS

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 6 July

The King’s Singers

Tragic opera and romantic farce combine perfectly in Richard Strauss’ brilliant chamber opera.

Celebrating the one hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the composer’s birth, Christof Loy’s eye-catching production takes time out from its London run to delight Birmingham audiences. Under the baton of Sir Antonio Pappano, an impressive cast transports viewers to a baroque Vienna, where a grand opera company and a panto troupe are forced onto the same stage. The resulting scenes have been described as ‘uproarious, unpredictable - and ultimately sublime’.

Finnish opera singer Karita Mattila takes the lead as Ariadne, opposite Italian tenor Roberto Saccà as Bacchus. Other casting includes Jane Archibald (Zerbinetta), Ruxandra Donose (composer), Markus Werba (Harlequin) and Sir Thomas Allen (The Music Master).

Sung in German with English surtitles.

Three Choirs Festival

Karita Mattila

various locations in and around Worcester, Sat 26 July - Sat 2 August

Held annually since the early eighteenth century, the Three Choirs Festival rotates between the cities of Hereford, Worcester and Gloucester, showcasing an eclectic range of choral performances from across Britain, Europe, America and Australasia, as well as theatre, lectures, masterclasses and exhibitions. This year it’s the turn of Worcester to host the week-long event, which is commemorating the centenary of the outbreak of World War One. The festival opens with a morning service in the city’s cathedral on the Saturday. It’s followed in the evening by a performance of Britten’s War Requiem, in which Dr Peter Nardone and Gerraint Bowen conduct the Festival Chorus and Philharmonia Orchestra, with vocals provided by Susan Gritton (soprano), James Oxley (tenor) and David Wilson-Johnson (baritone).

Other festival highlights include performances by the Aquilin Ensemble (Huntingdon Hall, 27 July), Tenebrae (Worcester Cathedral, 29 July), Elgar and Korngold Piano Quintets (Pershore Abbey, 30 July), and The King’s Singers (Worcester Cathedral, 31 July).

For full festival event listings, visit www.3choirs.org

The Sixteen

Last Night Of The Summer Proms

Lichfield Cathedral, Tues 8 July

Recognised as one of the world’s greatest ensembles, The Sixteen were formed by conductor Harry Christophers thirty-five years ago with the aim of providing a fresh insight into Baroque and early classical music and a diversity of twentieth and twentyfirst-century music. With over one hundred recordings under their belt and numerous accolades to their name, they return to the Midlands this month to perform in the beautiful setting of Lichfield Cathedral.

Presenting The Choral Pilgrimage, ‘an annual tour which aims to bring music back to the buildings for which it was written’, Harry Christophers directs the ensemble in a programme of works that includes: Sheppard’s Gaude, gaude, gaude Maria; Mundy’s Adolscentulus sum ego; Davy’s O Domine caeli terraeque; Sheppard’s Libera no I and II; Shepphard’s In manus tuas I; Davy’s Ah, mine heart, remember thee well; Sheppard’s In manus tuas III and Mundy’s Vox patris caelestis.

18 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 5 July

Elias String Quartet St Michael’s Church, Lichfield, Fri 11 July

Taking their name from Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah - Elias is the German form - the Elias String Quartet formed in 1988 while students at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music. In 2010 the quartet received the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, and have since performed at some of the world’s most prestigious chamber venues and alongside a plethora of highly respected artists.

Stopping off in the region to perform as part of the annual Lichfield Festival, the quartet present a programme comprising works

by Haydn, Webber and Beethoven.

As quintessentially English as cucumber sandwiches and Pimms, the ever-popular Last Night Of The Summer Proms promises to provide an evening of uplifting classics and prom favourites. Works from some of the world’s greatest composers Rossini, Bizet, Sibelius and Mozart - are played out alongside rousing favourites Jerusalem, Land Of Hope And Glory, Nessun Dorma and the Dambusters March.

The concert is performed by the London Concert Orchestra under the direction of conductor Hilary Davan Wetton.

Vocals come from Angharad Morgan (soprano), Katie Bray (mezzo soprano) and John Pierce (tenor).

Angharad Morgan

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Classical LISTINGS For full listing information on classical concerts, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk THE MAGIC FLUTE Midlands opera present a colourful production of Mozart’s whimsical opera, Tues 1 - Sat 5 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE TURN OF THE SCREW Featuring Seastar Opera, Susie Self (conductor) and Michael Black (piano), Tues 1 July, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove CBSO BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE Featuring Edward Gardner (conductor), Ekaterina Gubanova (mezzo) and Gabor Bretz (bass). Programme includes works

by Janacek & Bartok, Wed 2 July, Symphony Hall, Birmingham COSI FAN TUTTE - OPERA UK Opera UK bring Mozart's comic opera into the twenty-first century. Sung in English, Wed 2 July, Lichfield Garrick ALISTAIR MOSELEY & THE VIRR QUARTET Opportunity to hear two wonderful works – Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, paired with Weber’s Clarinet Quintet, Wed 2 July, Artrix, Bromsgrove THE BERKLEY SALON ENSEMBLE Thurs 3 July, Solihull Arts Complex CBSO NEW YORK - A GERSHWIN AND BERNSTEIN GALA Featuring Martin Yates (conductor), West End vocalists and Victor Sangiorgio (piano). Programme includes music by Gershwin and Bernstein, Fri 4 July, Symphony Hall, B’ham BRODSKY QUARTET Programme includes works

by Brahms, Borodin & Panufnik, Fri 4 July, St Michael’s Church, Lichfield 2014 BRANT INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION BIRMINGHAM - THE FINAL Sat 5 July, Birmingham Town Hall CHETHAM’S SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Debussy, Ravel & Szymanowski, Sat 5 July, Lichfield Cathedral ACADEMIA MUSICA CHOIR Sat 5 July, Great Malvern Priory, Worcester LAST NIGHT OF THE SUMMER PROMS Sat 5 July, Symphony Hall, B’ham THE ROYAL OPERA: STRAUSS’ ARIADNE AUF NAXOS Sun 6 July, Symphony Hall, B’ham THE SIXTEEN: CHORALE PILGRIMAGE 2014 Tues 8 July, Lichfield Cathedral AQUARELLE GUITAR QUARTET Tues 8 July, Swinfen Hall, Lichfield THE MINIATURE CONCERT BAND Concert marking the centenary of the

Great War, from unaccompanied Bach to Bolero, Latin style music to military marches, and English music

by Vaughan-Williams, Butterworth & Elgar accompanied by readings of war poems, Wed 9 July, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove LAURA VAN DER HEIJDEN: YOUNG ARTIST CONCERT Programme includes works by Schumann, Ligeti & Brahms, Wed 9 July, Lady Chapel, Lichfield Cathedral THE JOHN WILSON ORCHESTRA Featuring Matt Ford, Wed 9 July, Lichfield Cathedral CATRIN FINCH & SECKOU KEITA Wed 9 July, Lady Chapel, Lichfield Cathedral PETER MOORE: YOUNG ARTIST CONCERT Thurs 10 July, Lady Chapel, Lichfield Cathedral JAN GARBAREK AND THE HILLIARD ENSEMBLE Thurs 10 July, Lichfield Cathedral ADRIAN LITVINOFF’S INTERPLAY Fri 11 July, Symphony Hall, B’ham ELIAS STRING QUARTET Programme includes works by Haydn, Webern & Beethoven, Fri 11 July, St Michael’s Church, Lichfield GHISLAINE REECE-TRAPP Fri 11 July, Lichfield Cathedral OPERA GALA A black tie evening set amongst Compton's Moore Rodin exhibition. The evening sees Diva Opera perform Mozart's Don Giovanni, Sat 12 July, Compton Verney Gallery, Warwickshire CALLUM SMART: YOUNG ARTIST CONCERT Programme includes works

by Brahms, Mozart, Saint-Saens & Franck, Sat 12 July, Lady Chapel, Lichfield Cathedral BBC PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Featuring violinist Tasmin Little.

Programme includes works by Mendelssohn, Moeran, Vaughan Williams & Elgar, Sat 12 July, Lichfield Cathedral SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Borodin, Smetana, Grieg & Tchaikovsky, Sun 13 July, Stratford Civic Hall METROPOLITAN BRASS QUINTET Part of Musical Picnic. Recommended for ages 0-7, Sat 19 July, Symphony Hall, Birmingham ELIZABETH ATHERTON Supported by Robert Plane (clarinet) & Michael Pollock (piano).

Programme includes works by Purcell, Finzi, Warlock, Joseph Hol-

brooke & Ian Venables, Sun 20 July, Tardebigge Church, Worcester ENSEMBLE 360: OBOE STRING Programme includes works by Mozart & Britten, Mon 21 July, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-underLyme CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Kodaly, Strauss & Beethoven, Sat 26 July, Birmingham Town Hall A SHROPSHIRE LAD: THE GREAT WAR IN ENGLISH SONG Featuring Roderick Williams (baritone) & Gary Matthewman (piano), Sat 26 July, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester BRITTEN WAR REQUIEM Featuring the Festival Chorus & Philharmonia Orchestra, Sat 26 July, Worcester Cathedral OPUS ANGLICANUM: THE SONG OF ANGELS The five-man a cappella group present a programme of works by Gibbons, Howard Skempton & Byrd, Sat 26 July, College Hall, Worcester THE AQUILON ENSEMBLE Programme includes works by Beethoven, Reicha, Arnold, Szervansky & Bizet, Sun 27 July, Kings School, Worcester SACCONI QUARTET: TOWARDS THE NEW WORLD Programme includes works by Janacek, Mozart & Dvorak, Sun 27 July, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester FESTIVAL CHORUS & PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA Programme comprises Dvorak’s Stabat Mater, Sun 27 July, Worcester Cathedral THE SOUNDS OF BURT BACHARACH Mon 28 July, Symphony Hall, Birmingham THREE CHOIRS FESTIVAL YOUTH CHOIR Programme includes works

by Paul Mealor, Vaughan Williams & Joseph Phibbs, Mon 28 July, Worcester Cathedral LUNCHTIME YOUNG ARTIST SERIES ORGAN RECITAL Programme includes works by Buxtehude, JS Bach, Byrd, Howells, Langlais, Durufle & Franck, Mon 28 July, St Martin’s Church, Worcester PROTEUS ENSEMBLE Featuring Stephen Shellard (conductor) & Christopher Allsop (organ).

Programme includes works by Parry, David Briggs, Tavener, Bainton, Donald Hunt, Durufle, Villette & David Briggs, Mon 28 July, Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire FESTIVAL CHORUS & PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA Featuring Juraj Valcuha (conductor), Katherine Broderick (soprano) & Jennifer Johnston (mezzo

Tenebrae - Worcester Cathedral

soprano), Mon 28 July, Worcester Cathedral LAY CLERKS IN CONCERT Programme includes Arthur Sullivan’s The Long Day Closes, Mon 28 July, College Hall, Worcester AISA IJIR PIANO CONCERT Programme includes works by Debussy, de Falla, Rachmaninov & Prokofiev, Tues 29 July, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester LUNCHTIME YOUNG ARTIST SERIES WITH ROSE HSIEN Programme includes works by Debussy, Elgar & Ravel, Tues 29 July, St Martin’s Church, Worcester ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC ORCHESTRA & THREE CATHEDRAL CHOIRS Programme comprises Mass in B Minor, Tues 29 July, Worcester Cathedral TENABRAE:RUSSIAN TREASURES Programme includes works by Rachmaninov, Golo-

vanov, Kalinnikov, Glinka, Chesnokov, Golovanov, Sheremetiev, Tchaikovsky & Kedrow, Tues 29 July, Worcester Cathedral RODOLFUS CHOIR; TIME AND ITS PASSING Programme includes works

by Tavener, Tallis, Arvo Part & Kodaly, Wed 30 July, St George’s Church, Barbourne, Worcestershire LUNCHTIME YOUNG ARTISTS SERIES SVETLANA MOCHALOVA Programme includes works

by Schumann & Rachmaninov, Wed 30 July, St Martin’s Church, Worcester ARONOWITZ ENSEMBLE Programme includes Elgar & Korngold piano quintets, Wed 30 July, Pershore Abbey, Worcestershire THREE CATHEDRAL CHOIRS Programme includes works by Tomkins, Howells, Byrd & Mathias, Wed 30 July,

Worcester Cathedral FESTIVAL CHORUS & PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Strauss, Korngold & Walton, Wed 30 July, Worcester Cathedral THE BUSCH PIANO TRIO Programme includes works by Haydn & Dvorak, Thurs 31 July, St Martin’s Church, Worcester THE KING’S SINGERS Programme includes works

by Byrd, Morley, Dowland, Libby Larsen, Shearing, Schubert, Schumann, Faure & Auric, Thurs 31 July, Worcester Cathedral REFLECTIONS OF 1914 Featuring Roderick Williams (baritone), Yeree Suh (soprano), Peter Hoare (tenor), Festival Chorus & Philharmonia Orchestra, Thurs 31 July, Worcester Cathedral

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Comedy Duncan Oakley

Comedy Box Office

The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, Fri 4 July

Just as comfortable with the guitar, harmonica, drums and piano as he is with a big bagful of top gags, Duncan Oakley presents what’s probably most easily described as a musical comedy act. He’s a performer best kept out of earshot of your grandmother, with his stand-up routine being liberally peppered with four-letter expletives and gags about drinking and shagging. There’s some silly stuff in there too - a previous musical composition bore the title The Girl With A Bum For A Face...

Virginia Ironside Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 11 July

Best known as a journalist, agony aunt and author, Virginia Ironside is currently touring with this Nigel Planer-directed show.

“When an agony aunt reaches sixty,” observes Virginia, “she can lie like a trooper, jump off a bridge - or take to the stage.”

Judging by the show’s reviews thus far, Virginia’s decision to select the latter of those options has proved to be the right one, with plenty by way of glowing praise heading in the direction of this legendary doyenne of Fleet Street. “It’s a kind of ‘granny stand-up’,” she’s said of the show, “and I thoroughly enjoy it - as, it appears, do the audiences!”

Rhys Darby Birmingham Town Hall, Sun 20 July

According to Jim Carrey, who knows a thing or two about being a popular funnyman, Rhys Darby - aka band manager Murray Hewitt in Flight Of The Conchords - is "just absolutely brilliant. He’s got that Peter Sellers madness inside him”.

Far be it from us to argue with so glowing an assessment from so well respected a source. Instead, we'll just settle for telling you that Rhys's shows tend to combine surreal musings, hilarious stories from his life and a healthy dollop of nonsense and fantasy. Jokes include: “My girlfriend recently told me that she's into self-harming. So for her birthday I got her a hammer and said ‘knock yourself out.’”

Addy van der Borgh The George Hotel, Lichfield, Thurs 3 July

Likening somebody to Marmite - you either love them or hate them - has nowadays become a fairly commonplace way of describing a particular type of person. Addy van der Borgh is one comedian for whom that comparison is entirely appropriate. Addy’s not the most sophisticated comedian on the circuit, relying a little more than he should do on silly accents, facial expressions and a capacity to play the harmonica. That said, he’s also been described - in positive terms - as a ‘lucid Bill Bailey’, and has been doing the rounds for long enough to know that there’s a significant audience ready and willing to buy into his quirky brand of comedy.

Jokes include: “You have to remember all the trivia that your girlfriend tells you, because eventually you get tested. She'll go, ‘What's my favourite flower?’, and you murmur to yourself, ‘Shit, I wasn't listening! Self-raising?.”

20 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Dan Nightingale Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 13 July

An evening of Dan Nightingale comedy has been likened to a night out on the beers with your best mate. There’s precious little not to like about Dan. At turns, he manages to be a bit of a tragic figure, a hugely endearing top chum and a fella whose switched-on observations are both profound enough to make you think hard and funny enough to make you laugh out loud.

His choice of material could maybe be a bit braver, but he’s nonetheless good value for money - very much the kind of comedian you’d contemplate catching again and again.

ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 0121 780 3333 CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 COURTYARD THEATRE, HEREFORD 01432 340555 THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 0121 333 2444 DRUMMONDS BAR, WORCESTER 01905 28190 THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, MUCH WENLOCK 01952 728911 EVESHAM ARTS CENTRE, WORCESTERSHIRE 01386 446944 FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK, STAFFS 01538 386112 THE GEORGE HOTEL, BURSLEM, STAFFS 07763301081 THE GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM 0871 4720400 HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM, 0844 844 0044 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER, 01905 611427 KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01584 878141 MAC, BIRMINGHAM 0121 446 3232 OAKENGATES THEATRE, TELFORD 01952 382382 PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH 01527 65203 PLAYERS BAR, BIRMINGHAM 0121 643 6871 THE ROSES THEATRE TEWKESBURY 01684 295074 ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMINGTON SPA 01926 334418 SHOWCASE, COVENTRY, 0871 220 1000 THE SLADE ROOMS, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000 SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 0121 704 6962 STAFFORD GATEHOUSE THEATRE 01785 254653 THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 02476 524524 WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 0870 320 7000

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Comedy LISTINGS For full listing information on comedy gigs including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk MILTON JONES & PAUL ZERDIN Weds 2 July, Ludlow Castle, Ludlow, South Shropshire DAVE TWENTYMAN PLUS GUESTS Weds 2 July, The Custard Factory, Birmingham ANDY WHITE, DAN SMITH PLUS TWO COMICS TBC Thurs 3 July, Stourbridge Town Hall JETHRO Thurs 3 July, Palace Theatre, Redditch ZOE LYONS & ROB ROUSE Thurs 3 July, mac, Birmingham ADDY VAN DER BORGH, JO CAULFIELD, CHRIS WASHINGTON & ANDY KIND Thurs 3 July, The George Hotel, Lichfield ANDY ROBINSON, JARRED CHRISTMAS, COMEDY CAROUSEL & FREDRICK ANDERSSON Thurs 3 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham STEPHEN K. AMOS, SPECIAL P, JOHN SIMMIT PLUS SPECIAL GUEST Fri 4 July, The Drum, Birmingham GARETH RICHARD, DIANE SPENCER & HALEY ELLIS Fri 4 July, Hereford

Courtyard Theatre DUNCAN OAKLEY, DAMION LARKIN, PLUS TWO COMICS TBC Fri 4 July The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton DANNY MCLOUGHLIN, FREDRIK ANDERSSON, JARRED CHRISTMAS & MATT REES Fri 4 - Sat 5 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham KEN DODD Sat 5 July Malvern Theatres STEVE GRIBBIN, PENELLA MELLOR, COMIC TBC, & MIKE WILSON Sat 5 July Players Bar, Birmingham STEVE ROYLE, SAM AVERY, ALFIE MOORE & LUKE GRAVES Sat 5 July Coventry Showcase JOHN BISHOP Sun 6 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham JUSTIN MOORHOUSE & JASON COOK Tues 8 July, Rose Villa Tavern, Birmingham BARBARA NICE, MADGE HOOKS, MANDY MUDEN & MAUREEN YOUNGER Weds 9 July, Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham

JASON MANFORD Weds 9 July, Palace Theatre, Redditch SARA PASCOE & JOHN ROBINS Thurs 10 July, mac, Birmingham LEE EVANS Thurs 10 July, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent JULIAN DEANE, IMRAN YUSUF, COMEDY CAROUSEL & ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 10 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham THE IMPROLYMPIANS Fri 11 July, mac, Birmingham GEOFF BOYZ, ANGIE MCEVOY, PRINCE ABDI & LUKE TOULSON Fri 11 Sat 12 July, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham JULIAN DEANE, IMRAN YUSUF, COMEDY CAROUSEL, ANTHONY J BROWN & GARY LITTLE Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham JAMES ACASTER, ANDREW BIRD, JO CAUFIELD & MICK FERRY Sat 12 July, Players Bar, Birmingham TREVOR CROOK, TONY JAMESON, MIKE NEWALL & LOST VOICE GUY Sat 12 July, Coventry Showcase JETHRO Sun 13 July, The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury ROUGH WORKS Sun 13 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DAN NIGHTINGALE & GLENN WOOL Sun 13 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury JASON MANFORD Tues 15 July, Oakengates Theatre, Telford JASON MANFORD Weds 16 July, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa MICHAEL FABBRI, DAVID TRENT, COMEDY CAROUSEL & ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 17 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham ADDY VAN DER BORGH & ED GAMBLE Thurs 17 July, mac, Birmingham STAND UP COMEDY SHOWCASE Fri 18 July, mac , Birmingham PAUL MCCAFFREY, KIERAN BOYD & STEVE BUGEJA Fri 18 July, Hereford Courtyard Theatre STAND-UP STAIRS COMEDY SHOW Fri 18 July, Palace Theatre, Redditch MICHAEL FABBRI, DAVID TRENT, COMEDY CAROUSEL, PIERRE HOLLINS & ALFIE MOORE Fri 18 - Sat 19 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham OWEN O'NEILL, QUINCY, IMRAN YUSUF & ADAM ROWE Fri 18 - Sat 19 July, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham HARRIETT DYER Sat 19 July, mac, Birmingham LOL COMEDY CLUB WITH

MC DAMION LARKIN Sat 19 July, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent GARY DELANEY, SEAN PERCIVAL, TOM WRIGGLESWORTH & JUSTIN MOORHOUSE Sat 19 July, Players Bar, Birmingham TOM WRIGGLESWORTH, MIKE BELGRAVE, OLA & RHYS MATTHEWSON Sat 19 July, Coventry Showcase THE LAUGHTER CREWE Sun 20 July, Crewe Lyceum RHYS DARBY Sun 20 July, Birmingham Town Hall TOM STADE, LUCY PORTER & RYAN GOUGH Sun 20 July, Urban Coffee Company, Birmingham JEWELLERY QUARTER COMEDY MINI FRINGE II Sun 20 July, Rose Villa Tavern, Birmingham LLOYD LANGFORD, WES ZAHARUK, COMEDY CAROUSEL & ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 24 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham PATRICK MONAHAN & ANDREW BIRD Thurs 24 July, mac , Birmingham ANGELA BARNES & HENRY PARKER Fri 25 July, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire GARY COLMAN, DIANE SPENCER, COOK & DAVIES, JACK SHANIK &

VAHID JAHANGARD Fri 25 July, National Brewery Centre, Burton-UponTrent LLOYD LANGFORD, WES ZAHARUK, COMEDY CAROUSEL, RUDI LICKWOOD & GORDON SOUTHERN Fri 25 - Sat 26 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham MANDY KNIGHT, MICKEY D, JIMMY MCGHIE & WILL MARS Fri 25 July, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham MANDY KNIGHT, MICKEY D, JIMMY MCGHIE & DANNY WARD Sat 26 July, Highlight Comedy Club, Birmingham COMEDY IN THE MET, LINE UP TBC Sat 26 July, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre JUNIOR SIMPSON, JOSH HOWIE, PAUL TONKINSON & COLIN MANFORD Sat 26 July, Players Bar, Birmingham MATTHEW OSBORN, SCOTT GIBSON, PETE OTWAY & TOM TOAL Sat 26 July, Coventry Showcase JETHRO Weds 30 Thurs 31 July, Hereford Courtyard Theatre DAVE HADINGHAM, PETER WHITE, COMEDY CAROUSEL & ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 31 Sat 2 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham

THE EASY WAY TO BOOK YOUR TICKETS ONLINE

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

For more comedy listings, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 21

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Theatre

Rock Of Ages

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 14 - Sat 19 July

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

For those who didn’t and therefore don’t, it focuses on the romance between a smalltown girl and a big-city rocker, and is packed to its

proverbial rafters with classic ’80s numbers.

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

Avenue Q Lichfield Garrick, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 July

Described by The Times as ‘the best musical of the decade’, the Tony Award-winning Avenue Q focuses on subjects such as dating, racism, being gay and finding your purpose in life. At the centre of the story is Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate with a tiny bank balance who's easily distracted by a busty blonde and a plethora of weird and wonderful friends.

Hilariously funny, Avenue Q is nonetheless probably not suitable for those who’re easily offended...

WI

Show Boat

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

k

Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 2 - Sat 5 July

Following a much-acclaimed production of Porgy & Bess at Birmingham Hippodrome in 2012, Cape Town Opera this month returns to the venue with this new version of one of America’s oldest musicals. Premiered on Broadway in 1927, Show Boat tells the story of the old American south by following the lives of performers, stagehands and dock workers on the Cotton Blossom, a Mississippi River Show Boat. The Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical features well-loved melodies including Ol’ Man River and Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man.... www.whatsonlive.co.uk 23

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STAFFORD FESTIVAL SHAKESPEARE: AS YOU LIKE IT STAFFORD CASTLE

Sun 29 June - Sat 12 July

£11 - £25 The stunning grounds of Stafford Castle make the perfect setting to celebrate one of Shakespeare's most popular musical comedies. This production is set in the late sixties, just as cold war paranoia gives way to the counter culture of free expression, free verse and free love. Starring Only Fools and Horses Legend John Challis and Coronation Street Star Eric Potts, As You Like It will be the perfect start to your summer.

BEN HART: THE OUTSIDER THE MET STUDIO

Fri 4 July Having spent his life using magic to solve impossible problems, award-winning magician Ben Hart turns his attention to himself. Be amazed by his magic, impressed by his skill and moved by how the owner of such a brilliant mind can still be so in need of a cup of tea and a cuddle…

8.00pm, £13/£12 concs Family £40

VIRGINIA IRONSIDE THE MET STUDIO

Fri 11July When an agony aunt reaches sixty, she can lie like a trooper, jump off a bridge – or take to the stage. In Virginia Ironside’s case, she’s still an agony columnist for The Independent, but she also performs her one woman show Growing Old Disgracefully. She explains why 7.30pm, £12/£10 concs unlimited free drugs, fun funerals, grandchildren and sex – or even better, no sex – make the sixties the best (and funniest) time of your life.

THE GRUFFALO GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Tue 22 - Wed 23 July

Various Times, £11 Buy 10 get 1 free Don’t miss Tall Stories’ hit musical stage adaption of the award winning picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The perfect family treat with plenty of songs, laughs and scary fun for children age 3+ and their grown ups.

COMEDY IN THE MET THE MET STUDIO

Sat 26 July Bringing you the very best in live comedy from around the country, The MET Studio has line ups to rival the biggest comedy clubs in the UK. The 8pm, £10 MET Studio has become a regular stop off for those travelling to and from the Edinburgh fringe or preparing for their slot on Russell Howard’s Good News Show.

The MET Comedy nights are regular sell outs so make sure you book early to avoid disappointment!

DOCTOR DOLITTLE GATEHOUSE THEATRE

Wed 13 - Sat 16 August Following on from the huge success of the 2013 production Whistle Down The Wind, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre Summer School present the classic tale of kindness 2.30pm and 7.30pm, Tickets £8 - £36 to animals in a big Broadway-sized family musical. All of the characters we’ve come to love through the stories of Hugh Lofting are given new life in this magical stage adapation.

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

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Theatre PREVIEWS Caitlin Moran: How To Build A Girl New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 16 July

Broadcaster, TV critic and newspaper columnist Caitlin Moran is a performer of many talents, as this new touring show is certain to illustrate. The woman who once described sex as ‘an incredibly relaxing thing to do before or after Newsnight’ visits Birmingham in an effort to get out of doing her fair share of the childcare (well, so her publicity says), and will be talking about subjects including Sherlock, David Bowie, big hair, feminism, welfare and ‘that amazing heavy-metal kid on Gogglebox who never says anything’.

Flash Mob Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tues 15 - Wed 16 July

As You Like It Stafford Castle, until Sat 12 July

Two familiar television faces are taking starring roles in this outdoor production.

Only Fools And Horses favourite John Challis, who played droll yuppie Boycie in the long-running BBC One sitcom, stars as the melancholic Lord Jaques, while Eric Potts familiar to Coronation Street viewers as eccentric baker Diggory Compton - plays the court fool, Touchstone.

Although the show is being performed in the open air, all audience seating is covered.

Carmilla Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 8 - Sat 12 July

Leicester-born playwright David Campton’s Carmilla has been adapted from a story of the same name by nineteenth century Irish writer Sheridan Le Fanu. A Gothic novella, it tells the tale of a young woman’s encounter with a female vampire - the Carmilla of the title. Originally published in 1871, Carmilla predates Bram Stoker’s more famous Dracula by a quarter of a century. This David Campton version was first published and produced in the mid-1970s. This production features Peter Amory, Karen Ford (pictured) and Michelle Morris.

Flash Mob is the latest celebrity-driven dance show to grace venues across the UK. Described as celebrating ‘the various emotions that dance can bring to an audience’, the show promises to provide an exhilarating night out for all ages, with performances in Latin, locking, Celtic, contemporary, jazz and jump-jive all taking their place on the evening’s agenda. Headlined by Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing), the production features performances from World Street Dance champions Flawless, the Olivier-nominated Tommy Franzen (from BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance), contemporary duo Alleviate, and Irish fusion duo Brosena (from Sky One’s Got To Dance).

An Audience With Colin Fry

Open All Hours

The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Thurs 24 July

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 July

Familiar Satellite TV face Colin Fry spends his career making contact with the dead, so just how interested you are in grabbing yourself a ticket to see his show will depend on whether you believe in life after death. If you don’t, you’re likely to be of the opinion that Fry is the worst kind of showman, preying on the bereaved and vulnerable to serve his own ends. If, on the other hand, you reckon the spirit world does exist, then prepare to be amazed by a man with a jawdroppingly uncanny talent.

Roy Clarke’s BBC TV series about the comic misadventures of shopkeeper Albert Arkwright and put-upon errand boy Granville as played by Ronnie Barker and David Jason - is the latest in a now-significant line of telly sitcoms to be adapted for the theatre.

This stage version has been specially commissioned to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the series’ television premiere, and brings together memorable moments from over twenty classic episodes.

A History Of Falling Things New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Fri 11 - Sat 26 July

The highly regarded James Graham is the playwright behind this thought-provoking slice of twenty-first century romance. The story revolves around two people - Robin and Jacqui - who’re looking for love. When they meet one another in cyberspace and discover that they live only five minutes apart, it would seem that Cupid’s arrow has struck a definite bullseye.

Problem is, neither of them have the courage to confront their fear of leaving the safety of their home...

Sweet Rockall AE Harris Building, Birmingham, Thurs 3 - Sat 5 July

This new play by David Gray is a worryingly believable political satire in which egos, sex and crossed wires conspire to bring the world to the brink of war. Rockall is a rock in the wilderness of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite being uninhabitable, it’s the subject of an ownership battle between no fewer than four countries, all of which are eager to claim the oil reserves that potentially surround it. The four-way tug-of-war is ongoing - until, that is, a seemingly innocuous press statement from the Icelandic Government sets the wheels in motion for a diplomatic crisis on a grand scale... www.whatsonlive.co.uk 25

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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

MONDAY 30 JUNE - SATURDAY 5 JULY Thurs 3rd July

THAT’LL BE THE DAY Time: 7.30pm

Fri 11th July

JOE LONGTHORNE Time: 7.30pm

TUESDAY 8 & WEDNESDAY 9 JULY

Wed 23rd July

THERE’LL ALWAYS BE ENGLAND Time: 2.00pm

Thurs 24th July

COLIN FRY: THE VOICES FROM HEAVEN SHOW Time: 7.30pm

Thurs 7th - Sat 9th August

OAKENGATES THEATRE YOUTH SUMMER PROJECT PRESENTS

FRIDAY 11 JULY

TUESDAY 22 JULY

OH WHAT A LOVELY WAR Times: Thurs - Sat, 7.30pm Sat Mat: 2.30pm

Thurs 14th August

QUANTUM THEATRE PRESENTS

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

OPEN ALL HOURS

THURSDAY 24 - SATURDAY 26 JULY

Times: 1.30pm & 4.30pm

Thurs 4th September

AN EVENING OF CLAIRVOYANCE WITH JOHN COOK

"A terrific 40th anniversary celebration of a memorable television show."

Time: 7.30pm

Sir David Jason OBE

Fri 12th Sept

ROY ORBISON AND FRIENDS SUNDAY 27 JULY

Time: 7.30pm

PATRICIA ROUTLEDGE

Sat 20th September

OLD MACDONALD HAD A FARM

FACING THE MUSIC: A LIFE IN MUSICAL THEATRE

Time: 2.30pm

TWC GP 00838

26 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Theatre PREVIEWS Black Coffee Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, until Sat 5 July; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Mon 7 - Sat 12 July

Take a play by the Queen of Crime and a company dedicated to producing new versions of her work, and there’s every chance you’ll be left with an evening of high-quality, brain-teasing theatre. This latest version of Black Coffee promises to make for just such an evening. The Official Agatha Christie Theatre Company here make a welcome return with the first play ever written by Ms Christie.

When eccentric inventor Sir Claud Amory is murdered and his new formula stolen, it’s time for a legendary Belgian detective with an almost-as-legendary wax moustache to put his ‘little grey cells’ to work and uncover the perpetrator of the dastardly crime...

Scooby-Doo Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Thurs 17 - Sun 20 July

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

In The Night Garden Live Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, Sat 12 - Sat 26 July

If your little ones are big fans of the top-rated CBeebies television series, they’re certain to love this live version as well. And it’s not only the kids who’re in love with the production audience surveys and parents' reviews on NightGardenLive.com reveal that, for nine out of ten adults, it’s a five-out-of-five theatrical experience! Taking place in an all-weather, purpose-built inflatable showdome featuring numerous family-friendly facilities, the show uses full-size costumes and magical puppets to bring to life Igglepiggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and friends. In The Night Garden creator and composer Andrew Davenport has written the show, with Royal Ballet choreographer Will Tuckett taking the director’s chair.

children aged seven and older, the show finds two futuristic science students exploring, exploding and experimenting with anything and everything they can get their hands on, in a fun and frantic attempt to demonstrate all forms of energy live on stage.

Norsome mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Fri 25 - Sat 26 July

Science Museum Live On Tour Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 8 - Wed 9 July

Studying physics isn’t most people’s idea of having a good time, but this Science Museum Live presentation ably illustrates what the unenamoured are missing out on - namely, bubbles, fireballs, explosions, rockets, and the fun of living dangerously! Suitable for

This potent blend of comedy, music, physical theatre and, er, quality cross-dressing is being presented in the great outdoors. So given its subject matter of Norse mythology, it’s to be hoped that neither omnipotent Odin nor thundergod Thor decide it’s high time to open the heavens! Bringing together stories of gods, giants, elves and ‘a very angry snake face-off’, this high-energy offering is presented by the award-winning Temple Theatre, and should be well worth a look if you’re in the market for a nonetoo-subtle chuckle or several.

Peter Pan And The Lost Boys Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire, Thurs 31 July; Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton, Sun 10 August

Second star to the right and straight on till morning - that's the way to Neverland. Fly away with the boy who wouldn't grow up to a magical island filled with adventure. Meet a real fairy and the wicked Captain Hook - and don’t forget to listen out for the ‘tick-tock’ of a very hungry crocodile too. That said, this Heartbreak Productions offering is no common-or-garden version of the JM Barrie classic, presenting, as it does, the Lost Boys staging an overnight protest to save their local skate park...

The Gruffalo Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Thurs 22 - Wed 23 July

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

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Theatre LISTINGS

Annie Get Your Gun - New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

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

TUE 1 JULY EUROBEAT, ALMOST EUROVISION (SARAJEVO) Great Barr Musical Theatre Company present a stage musical which celebrates the Eurovision Song Contest, until Fri 4 July, Old Rep, Birmingham THE RAPE OF LUCRECE Internationally acclaimed singer Camille O'Sullivan stars in Shakespeare’s terrible tale of lust, rape and politics, until Fri 4 July, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon THE MAGIC FLUTE Midlands Opera present a colourful production of Mozart's whimsical opera, until Sat 5 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS A new adaptation of Jules Verne’s famous story follows the adventures of Phileas Fogg and his French valet Passepartout as they attempt to circumnavigate the globe in only eighty days, until Sat 5 July, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme 20TH CENTURY BOY - THE MUSICAL Musical based on the life of Marc Bolan, until Sat 5 July, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre BLACK COFFEE Agatha Christie classic starring Robert Powell, Liza Goddard, Gary Mavers & Ben Nealon, until Sat 5 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Presented by Rooftop Theatre Company as part of Ludlow Fringe, until Sat 5 July, Ludlow Brewery, South Shropshire ANNIE GET YOUR GUN Major new production of the Tony Award-winning version of Irving Berlin's classic musical.

Jason Donovan, Emma Williams and Norman Pace star, until Sat 5 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham MIDSUMMER MISCHIEF A festival of exciting new plays, performed in a purpose-built temporary studio on the current Courtyard Theatre stage, until Sat 12 July, The Courtyard, Stratford-upon-Avon AS YOU LIKE IT Stafford Festival Shakespeare presents an outdoor

production of one of Shakespeare's most popular musical comedies, until Sat 12 July, Stafford Castle HENRY IV PARTS I & II RSC Associate Artist Antony Sher returns to the Company to play the infamous comic knight Falstaff, until Sat 6 Sep, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon THE ROARING GIRL Jo Davies directs Lisa Dillon as the dynamic, cross-dressing heroine in a new version of Thomas Middleton & Thomas Dekker's Jacobean comedy, until Tues 30 Sep, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon 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, until Thurs 2 Oct, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon WILD Presented by Buttermilk Dance Academy, Tues 1 - Sat 5 July, Stoke Repertory Theatre NEXT DOOR The muchacclaimed and awardwinning Out Of Balanz fuse intimate storytelling with high-octane physical theatre to explore what it is that connects us, Weds 2 Fri 4 July, The REP, Birmingham SHOW BOAT Cape Town Opera return to the Midlands to perform one of the first American musicals ever written, Weds 2 - Sat 5 July, Birmingham Hippodrome THAT'LL BE THE DAY Rock'n'Roll spectacular combining music from the ’50s, ’60s & ’70s with wacky comedy routines, Thurs 3 July, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, Shropshire THE TWIST New musical featuring songs from the ’50s and ’60s, Thurs 3 July, Lichfield Garrick THE WEDDING SINGER Young Performers Theatre Group present an amateur production of the hit musical about rock star-wannabe Robbie Hart, Thurs 3 - Fri 4 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury SWEET ROCKALL A new play written by David Gray and directed by

Jen Davis, both supported artists on the Birmingham REP Foundry Programme, Thurs 3 - Sat 5 July, AE Harris Building, Birmingham BEN HART Performance from the award-winning magician, Fri 4 July, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre FASCINATING AIDA Fri 4 July, Lichfield Garrick 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, Fri 4 - Sat 5 July, Lichfield Garrick WWI CENTENARY AND DDAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION CONCERT Featuring the music of the time, including Glenn Miller, played by the superb Don Mather Big Band, vocalists and the Birmingham Military Community Choir, Sat 5 July, Old Rep, Birmingham THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ERNEST Outdoor performance of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, Sat 5 July, Whittington Castle, North Shropshire THE REDEEMED A movement of youthful energy boasting seventeen members, including singers, guitarists, dancers and drummers, Sat 5 July, The Drum, Birmingham A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Students and alumni from the University of Exeter present the wild escapades of lovers, fairies and mechanicals in a chaotic world of folly, Sat 5 July, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon

A SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS A National Theatre Live screening of Alan Ayckbourn's riotous exposure of entrepreneurial greed, Sat 5 July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham A STEP IN TIME GastonPayne Dance & Theatre School present their annual show, covering a variety of dance styles. Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, The Place, Oakengates Theatre UNDERNEATH THE ARCHES The story in songs and sketches of two of Britain's most popular entertainers, the loveable Bud Flanagan and the urbane Chesney Allen - and their association with The Crazy Gang, Sat 5 - Thurs 24 July, Oldbury Rep - Barlow Theatre HAMLET CL Rep Company present a shortened, contemporary version of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, told from a female perspective, Sun 6 July, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon SUMMER SHOWCASE 2014 An evening of monologues, short scenes and music, to showcase the talents of the Crescent's young actors, Sun 6 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 7 JULY BLACK COFFEE Agatha Christie classic starring Robert Powell, Liza Goddard, Gary Mavers & Ben Nealon, Mon 7 Sat 12 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham IF YOU SEE A CROCODILE Gazebo Theatre present a theatre perform-

ance for young children, Tues 8 July, Lichfield Garrick SCIENCE MUSEUM LIVE ON TOUR! London's world-famous Science Museum takes to the road to present a brand new live show that's set to challenge the brains of children aged seven and older Tues 8 Weds 9 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury CARMILLA David Campton's Gothic thriller in two acts, Tues 8 - Sat 12 July, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre TWELFTH NIGHT Oddsocks present a madcap musical treat which sees Shakespeare's love stories intertwined with well-known British chart hits to keep the blood pumping and the mood merry, Weds 9 July, Blue Coat School, Hereford SUMMER DANCE Presented by William Brookes School, Weds 9 - Thurs 10 July, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire THE HYSTERICAL HISTORY TOUR Acclaimed theatre company and comedy duo Lipservice deliver a whirlwind tour of Britain’s female national treasures, Weds 9 - Thurs 10 July, Lichfield Garrick THE SHOWCASE Stage 2 Performing Arts return with their annual dance show, Weds 9 - Thurs 10 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury WEST SIDE STORY Amateur production presented by Musical Youth Theatre Stafford, Weds 9 - Sat 12 July, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre MOSCOW STATE CIRCUS Moscow’s cultural & artistic quarter, ‘Park Gorkogo’ (Gorky Park),

is the perfect seasonal backdrop for what is widely regarded as ‘the greatest and most famous circus on earth’, Weds 9 - Sun 13 July, Beckett's Farm, Wythall, Warwickshire WICKED Hit West End musical flies into Brum... Weds 9 July Sat 6 Sep, Birmingham Hippodrome ONCE UPON A TIME IN A WESTERN New show from the award-winning, internationally touring troupe of clowns Le Navet Bete, Thurs 10 July, Lichfield Garrick PIRATES OF PENZANCE Illyria Theatre Company present an outdoor production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s popular comic opera, Thurs 10 July, Dorothy Clive Garden, Nr Market Drayton, Shropshire THE TEMPEST Shakespeare's magical play where drama, mystery, romance and comedy combine to create the story of an overthrown Duke and his desire for justice, Thurs 10 - Sat 12 July, The Belfrey Theatre, Wellington, Shropshire ECHO BEACH Spotlight Youth Productions step back into the ’80s, to a world where sex discrimination is being replaced by equality...

Thurs 10 - Sat 12 July, Forest Arts Centre, Walsall LORD ARTHURS SAVILE'S CRIME Acocks Green Am Dram Group Stage 27 present their version of Oscar Wilde's semicomic mystery, Thurs 10 - Sat 12 July, Old Rep, Birmingham THE GREAT WAR An evening of poetry & music to commemorate the centenary of World War One, Fri 11 July, National Memorial

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A MIDSUMMER NIGHTS DREAM 13th July AVONCROFT MUSEUM Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, B60 4JR 01332 258328 31st July WHITBOURNE HALL Worcestershire, WR6 5SE 0774 703 1701 1st August MARY ARDEN’S FARM Wilmcote, Nr Stafford CV37 9UN 01332 258328

TWELFTH NIGHT 9th July BLUE COAT SCHOOL Tupsley, Hereford HR1 1UU 01432 347506 12th July MAC (ARENA) Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham B12 9QH 0121 446 3232 1st August MARY ARDEN’S FARM Wilmcote, Nr Stafford CV37 9UN 01332 258328

www.oddsocks.co.uk info@oddsocks.co.uk 01332 258328 30 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Arboretum, Staffordshire BURLESQUE IS BACK IN TOWN HP Saucy Productions present an evening of striptease combined with vintage glamour, comedy and elegance. Alabama Boom, Angela LaVey, Jacques Bruxelles, Jasmine Noir, Kitty Ribbons and Venus Starr feature, Fri 11 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE BOY FROM THE 'BORO Three In One Productions present the story of an ordinary soldier, one-time farm worker and shop keeper who’s thrust into the mud and blood of trench warfare, Fri 11 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham AN EVENING OF DIRTY DANCING A tribute show featuring great songs and memorable dancing, Fri 11 July Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury RHYTHM OF THE DANCE Featuring thirty dancers, a traditional live full Irish band and the 'dashing' Young Irish Tenors, Fri 11 July, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent FAR FROM THE SEA Theatre Absolute present Steve Waters' humorous play about power, place, and the industry of war, Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham THE ONLY WAY IS DOWNTON Luke Kempner's tour-de-force comedy about life at Downton Abbey, Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, Lichfield Garrick PAPER IN MY PANTS Studio Three present a comedy which explores the boundaries between reality and fiction, free will and determination, and pizza and chicken, Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham

PINOCCHIO Amateur performance from Adage Dance & Fitness Studio, Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham A HISTORY OF FALLING THINGS James Graham's twenty-first century love story, Fri 11 Sat 26 July, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme SHROPSHIRE BOYS DANCING: NO MAN'S LAND Live dance performance by young men and boys from across Shropshire, Sat 12 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE PLEASURE IS YOURS A multimedia character comedy show with songs and sandwiches, Sat 12 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham ALL THE BEST! Stripped Down Theatre presents some of its most popular sketches, including Robin's Nervous Breakdown, Hitler's Bad Day and the infamous Fiesta Scene... Sat 12 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham TWELFTH NIGHT Oddsocks present a madcap musical treat which sees Shakespeare's love stories intertwined with well-known British chart hits to keep the blood pumping and the mood merry, Sat 12 July, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham THE MAGIC OF DISNEY Victoria's School of Dance & Performing Arts presents a showcase of its latest works, Sat 12 July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham TARRUN AND THE ELEPHANT Non Nonsense Theatre Company present a faraway tale for children, Sat 12 July, Lichfield Garrick YPTG THROUGH THE YEARS Showcase featuring hits from past

shows including Seussical, Camp Rock and Footloose, plus new numbers from Les Miserables, Shrek and Dreamgirls, Sat 12 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Outdoor production presented by the Shakespeare Young Company, Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon OLD WIVES' TALE Presented by the Shakespeare Young Company, Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon STATISTICS UNAVAILABLE Blue Orange Theatre presents a thought-provoking production consisting of four new pieces of writing which explore issues of human interaction, relationships and social dynamics, Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE Musical theatre experience for the whole family that's presented within a purpose-built touring theatre. Made up of two state-of-the-art show domes, the setting recreates the magical world of the popular BBC children's show, Sat 12 - Sat 26 July, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA Full staging of Shakespeare’s exuberant romantic comedy, Sat 12 July - Thurs 4 Sep, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon MD SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS Showcase of works featuring a range of styles, Sun 13 July, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford DARE TO DREAM Grazia Academy of Dance present an evening of dancing, singing, tricks and flicks... Sun 13 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE FIG LEAF WARS The Nomadic Academy For

Any Fool Can Start A War - mac, Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

Fools presents Christopher Murray and Joanne Tremarco in a production which sees a human-sized penis and vulva dance, argue, love and struggle in endless permutations, Sun 13 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham HEAD GIRL Taking Chances present a new dark comedy set in the sixth form of an all-girls private school, Sun 13 July - Tues 15 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham

The Only Way Is Downton - Lichfield Garrick

Week Commencing

MON 14 JULY RHYTHM OF THE DANCE Featuring thirty dancers, a traditional, live Irish band and the 'dashing' Young Irish Tenors, Mon 14 - Tues 15 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham ROCK OF AGES Mon 14 July - Sat 19 July, Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent JUKEBOX VOL.2 Get Your Wigle On present a musical selection of treats for 'Wigles' of all ages, Tues 15 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury FLASH MOB Tues 15 Weds 16 July, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre CAITLIN MORAN: LIVE The well-known author, journalist and broadcaster hits the road with her new one-woman show, featuring highlights from How To Be A Woman, Moranthology and Caitlin's new book: How To Build A Girl, Weds 16 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Chapterhouse Theatre Company tell the story of the world’s greatest detective, Weds 16 July, Birmingham Botanical Gardens BOYBAND THE MUSICAL Get Your Wigle On present Peter Quilter's contemporary musical, featuring songs from One Direction, Take That, Westlife, The Wanted, Boyzone and N-Sync, Weds 16 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury TANGOMOTION A breathtaking journey into the heart of Tango with four outstanding dancers, Weds 16 July, New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme ANY FOOL CAN START A WAR A playful collaboration between internationally renowned theatre company Stan’s Cafe and one of Birmingham’s most adventurous primary schools, Weds 16 - Thurs 17

July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR Presented by The Young Rep, Weds 16 July - Fri 18 July, Stoke Repertory Theatre HOLLY Bittersweet musical from Jars Of Clay, Weds 16 - Sat 19 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham THE DREAMBOYS The UK’s top male glamour show, Thurs 17 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham LOVE IS A CAT SKIN RUG Headless Doctor Theatre Company present a 'sexy, surreal and unflinching exploration of what love really means', Thurs 17 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Chapterhouse Theatre Company tell the story of the world’s greatest detective, Thurs 17 July, Hampton Court, Herefordshire UNDER THE SUN Graeme Braidwood directs a cornucopia of the contemporary, the bizarre, the serious, the absurd and the just plain funny - a miscellany of short plays from some of Birmingham's foremost playwrights, Thurs 17Fri 18 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS Stage2 present Helen Edmundson's staging of Arthurs Ransome's tale of adventure, Thurs 17 - Sat 19 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham SCOOBY-DOO - THE MYSTERY OF THE PYRAMID Family show featuring

physical comedy, popular tunes and special effects, Thurs 17 - Sun 20 July, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre UK PLC, WITH CAMILLA CANCANTATA AND THE COCKROACH A guided tour in music of the strange and shadowy world of outsourcing and globalisation, where elected governments are largely redundant... Fri 18 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham WIFE AFTER DEATH Amateur production of Eric Chappell's acclaimed comedy based upon the death of a sitcom actor, a throng of grieving friends, a misplaced relative and dirty secrets, Fri 18 - Sat 26 July, Hall Green Little Theatre, Birmingham WHAT'S MY NAME? Showcase of works presented by Telford Academy of Performing Arts, Sat 19 July, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM Presented by the Royal Navy Theatre Association, Sat 19 July, The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon THESPIANAGE: SKETCH APPEAL Thespianage Productions make their Birmingham Fringe debut with an hour-long show of songs, satire & silliness, Sat 19 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL Amateur production presented by Get Your Wigle On, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury SILLY COW Ben Elton's observational comedy,

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JULY 2014

BROMSGROVE’S THEATRE, CINEMA, LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUE Friday 11th July

DEAN FRIEDMAN INTIMATE STUDIO SHOW

HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday 15th & Wednesday 16th July

Thursday 17th July

THE ENERGY SHOW

SWING ALONG WITH FIVE STAR SWING

THE BIG BAND

EXPLOSIVE FAMILY SHOW FROM THE SCIENCE MUSEUM

Friday 18th July

Wednesday 23rd July

Saturday 26th July

MONEY FOR NOTHING

SKYLIGHT

DESPERADO

ENCORE SCREENING FROM NT LIVE

EAGLES TRIBUTE PRESENTS THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA SHOW

TOP TRIBUTE TO DIRE STRAITS

FORTHCOMING CINEMA: The Two Faces Of January (12A) Grace Of Monaco (PG) // The Wind Rises (PG) // Maleficent (PG) In Secret (15) // Legend of Oz (U) // Jimmy’s Hall (12A) // Belle (12A) ,

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

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

32 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Free parking on-site

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Theatre LISTINGS For full listing information on theatre productions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk centred around the 'slick and savage’ world of the tabloid press, Sat 19 - Sat 26 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham ALPHABET AVENUE Interactive performance exploring children's responses to their first experience of theatre, Sat 19 - Sun 27 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham HAL Ingenious Theatre present a stripped down version of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I, focusing on the relationship between the Prince of Wales and Falstaff, Sun 20 July, The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon SHORTS 2 The Blue Orange Writers group present an evening of rehearsed readings of new writing, Sun 20 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham UNFOLD CREATES Phenix RDC Youth present a showcase of contemporary dance from the company's repertoire, Sun 20 July, Crescent Theatre, Birm ingham

Week Commencing

MON 21 JULY AN EVENING OF IMPROVISATION Members of Box Of Frogs present their own inimitable brand of high-octane improvised nonsense from audience suggestions, Mon 21 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham BUGLE BOY The life story of Glenn Miller, Tues 22 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury NINE Midlands-based Cataclysm Theatre present a tale of two women held against their will, and the mind games they employ to

keep one another alive, Tues 22 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham THE GRUFFALO Tall Stories present their adaptation of Julia Donaldson's magical tale for children, Tues 22 Weds 23 July, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre NO SMOKE Colin Ward's story about the perceptions and judgements of truth in the hands of an uncomfortable relationship between the law, the media and society, Tues 22 - Thurs 24 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM The wild escapades of lovers, fairies and mechanicals in a chaotic world of folly, Weds 23 July, Birmingham Botanical Gardens AN AUDIENCE WITH COLIN FRY Thurs 24 July, The Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford THE RASHOMON EFFECT/ VERTICAL ROAD A double-bill of works by Guest Artistic Director Akram Khan, Thurs 24 July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham THE TAMING OF THE SHREW Presented by Folksy Theatre Company, Thurs 24 July, Bishops Wood Centre Garden, Stourport-on-Severn YESTERDAY AN INCIDENT OCCURRED Mark Ravenhill's contemporary British drama, which questions the lengths to which we're prepared to go to uncover perpetrators of violent crime, Thurs 24 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham A WORLD BEYOND MAN An intimate telling of an epic story of ice and polar bears, determina-

Bugle Boy - Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

The Gruffalo - Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

tion and betrayal, adventure and death, based on the true story of Valerian Albanov, Thurs 24 July, mac Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham AVENUE Q Tony Awardwinning musical that centres on a group of loveable yet hopeless characters on a downtown New York street, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 July, Lichfield Garrick OPEN ALL HOURS Stage adaptation of the hugely popular BBC television series... Thurs 24 Sat 26 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury DOUBLE BOOKED AND SOMETHING FISHY ‘A hilarious and instantly recognisable depiction of family mores.’ Fri 25 July, Lichfield Garrick THE MEMOIRS OF MODGER MORRISH Fri 25 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham SHUFFLING PHILOSOPHIES A one-man show in which Jin Lee fuses his love for card artistry and storytelling, Fri 25

July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham TWELFTH NIGHT (OR WHAT YOU WILL) Madcap Theatre productions fuse music, dance, physical theatre & stage combat with the original script in an innovative performance of Shakespeare's finest comedy, Fri 25 July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham NORSESOME Music, physical theatre and cross-dressing come together in a familyfriendly production featuring gods, giants, elves and a very angry snake, Fri 25 - Sat 26 July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham THE JUNGLE BOOK Chapterhouse Theatre Company present an outdoor production of Rudyard Kipling’s enchanting tale, Sat 26 July, Erddig National Trust, Wrexham, Clywd THE BEST OF THEATRE EXCHANGE A rolling, strolling, informal showcase of some of the best work-in-progress theatre in the region, Sat 26 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham DEFYING GRAVITY Followspot Theatre celebrate the best of contemporary American musical theatre, Sat 26 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham FIRST DO NO HARM Tea And Tenacity present Hilary Spiers' drama, which examines a forgotten corner of history, encouraging discussion

on the future of our health & welfare system, Sat 26 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham THE TEMPEST Gloucestershire Youth Players bring fresh eyes to Shakespeare's mystical tale, Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TAT MAN A new play

by David Calcutt taking an intimate look at the life and times of the Tat Man, through tales of travelling folk, bloody births, blacksmiths, devils and talking horses... Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham SORTED Big D presents a comic drama featuring bickering family members, flat tyres, illness and ailments, men in their night attire and piles of ironing... Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham BOLLYWOOD EXPRESS One hundred-and-fifty students from the Bollywood Dreams Academy explore the popular dance form and how it varies in India's different regions, Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham THE MERCHANT OF VENICE Rain Or Shine Theatre present an outdoor production of Shakespeare's famous tale, Sun 27 July, Goodrich Castle, Hereford PATRICIA ROUTLEDGE: FACING THE MUSIC A fascinating encounter which sees writer and

broadcaster Edward Seckerson talk to Patricia Routledge about her experience and success in musical theatre, Sun 27 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury BURLESQUE IS BACK IN TOWN HP Saucy Productions present an evening of striptease combined with vintage glamour, comedy and elegance. Alabama Boom, Angela LaVey, Jacques Bruxelles, Jasmine Noir, Kitty Ribbons and Venus Starr feature, Sun 27 July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

Week Commencing

MON 28 JULY PETER PAN AND THE LOST BOYS Heartbreak Productions present a contemporary version of JM Barrie’s fantastical tale, Thurs 31 July, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire FOGHORN IMPROV: MORNING CAMPERS! Improvised games & stories with audiences transposed to the 1950s and the only holiday camp in Birmingham... Thurs 31 July Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham PILOT NIGHTS A space where theatre-makers can try out their work and new ideas in front of a 'lively and supportive' crowd, Thurs 31 July, mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 33

Theatre June Region Two.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:41 Page 13

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

September In The Rain Lichfield Garrick

Having previously visited the main stage at the Garrick, we were delighted to discover that we’d be viewing September In The Rain in the smaller, intimate Studio space. The Studio, with its capacity of no more than a hundred and without a stage to perform on, is the perfect venue for a play like this, where the emphasis is on acting and storytelling rather than high production values or technical extravagance.

John Godber’s tale, here directed by Gareth Tudor Price, introduces us to an elderly couple - strongwilled Yorkshire miner Jack (Heartbeat’s David Lonsdale) and his put-upon spouse, Liz (Sarah Jane Buckley, best known from Hollyoaks) - as they prepare to board the bus to Blackpool, their annual holiday destination since before they were married. The couple, talking directly to the audience, reminisce about their very first trip to Britain’s favourite seaside town in the 1950s, and soon we’re right back there with them.

Boarding houses, traffic jams, knotted hankies, deck chairs, dancing, fish and chips and, of course, Blackpool Tower are all present and correct in this affectionate and nostalgic tale.

When venue and production, story, direction and cast work this well together, the result is sure to be satisfying. This is a touching comedy-drama that did not disappoint. Simon Carter n n n n

Khandan The REP, Birmingham

It isn’t every day that a play resonates in quite such an intense way. As a second-generation British-Asian woman, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s powerful depiction of an extended Punjabi family and their conflicting dreams hit close to home.

Fierce Punjabi matriarch and widow Jeeto Gill (Sudha Buchar) lives with her ambitious son, Pal (Rez Kempton), and his sweet-natured wife, Liz (Lauren Crace). Wistfully dreaming of returning home to India, Jeeto expects Pal to manage his father’s shop. Pal has bigger dreams of opening a nursing home with his brother-in-law, Major (Neil D’Souza), while all Liz wants is a baby.

This family turmoil implodes when their cousin’s needy wife, Reema (Preeya Kalidas), comes to stay, shattering their hopes.

Unfolding at The Rep’s Studio venue, this funny yet emotional drama recreated an authentic South Asian household, right down to the bag of atta flour and constant char! Reconciling family expectations with personal autonomy is an aching reality for many second-generation South Asians, and I found myself recognising certain elements - for example, the patronising Shaadi.com website for singletons! This heartbreaking struggle was presented, with much pathos, through the eyes of the troubled Pal, and via a host of likeable characters and numerous outstanding performances - the Buchar-Kempton dynamic was positively incendiary. With their disintegrated dreams culminating in tragedy, it’s with a keen understanding of the human heart that Bhatti portrays how our cherished dreams are inexplicably affected by our choices. Khandan’s resounding triumph was in skilfully depicting how South Asian families remain a blessed curse, bound with honour, duty and unparalleled love. Simply marvellous.

Malaka Chowdhury n n n n 34 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

One Man, Two Guvnors Birmingham Hippodrome

As a huge fan of Shakespeare, Fawlty Towers and belly laughs, I found this screwball comedy - which drew from the first two and featured plenty of the third - had me grinning from the off.

Based on Carlo Goldoni’s 1746 play, The Servant Of Two Masters, this National Theatre production kicked off with rockabilly-style band The Craze performing brilliantly in natty suits. Set in 1960s Brighton, the story focuses on the permanently hungry Francis Henshall (Gavin Spokes), who lands two jobs - hence the ‘two guvnors’ of the title (Alicia Davies and Patrick Warner) - and spends the entire play preventing said bosses from meeting, with calamitous consequences.

The production was slow to get going but then rattled along at a breakneck speed.

Only a writer of Richard Bean’s calibre could have presented this hilarious revival, helped by wonderful direction and set designs. I was twice warned not to reveal the surprises, and they’re certainly well worth waiting for.

A cracking cast turned in fabulous performances, complete with expert comic timing to spare. Gavin Spokes’ exuberance stole the show, his complete lack of vanity helping him to portray a larger-than-life character. The side-splitting dinner scene was easily the best; I can’t remember laughing so much in a long time! Inevitably, the pace of the second half waned, but reached a song-and-dance conclusion to ensure an uplifting ending. A wonderful way to perk up a gloomy evening. Well done to all concerned!

Malaka Chowdhury n n n n

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

WEST END LISTINGS: MUSICALS

Stars of Boyzone take to the West End stage Ronan Keating and Keith Duffy are to make their West End debuts in two separate productions on the London stage. Keating will join the cast of Once at the Phoenix Theatre from 17 November, playing the lead role of Guy in the much-heralded musical version of John Carney’s hit film. Duffy, meanwhile, will star in the West End transfer of Theatre503’s production of A Handful Of Stars at Trafalgar Studios in July. Duffy’s no stranger to acting, having starred as Ciaran in Coronation Street. Keating’s acting credits include the role of James Dickens in the 2013 romantic comedy, Goddess.

Talking about his impending role, Keating said: “When I was asked about playing the lead male - who’s a busker in Dublin - I was completely overwhelmed, because I knew it would be perfect.

This was my home town, my people, and the place where I began my own music career. But, as exciting as that is, it's scary too. I've never performed in the West End and this is a huge challenge and commitment. I'm really looking forward to returning to London later this year and completely sinking my teeth into the role. I think there's going to be lots to learn and lots to gain from this experience, and I just want to be the absolute best that I can be."

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 23 Aug 2014 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THE MUSICAL Drury Lane Royal, booking until 30 May 2015 COMMITMENTS Victoria Palace Theatre, booking until 19 Apr 2015 DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS Savoy Theatre, booking until 7 Mar 2015 JERSEY BOYS Piccadilly Theatre, booking until 15 Feb 2015 LES MISÉRABLES Queen's Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015 LET IT BE Garrick Theatre, booking until 21 Sept 2014 LION KING Lyceum Theatre, booking until 4 Jan 2015 MADE IN DAGENHAM -THE MUSICAL Adelphi Theatre, 9 Oct 2014 - 28 Mar 2015

MAMMA MIA! Novello Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015 MATILDA THE MUSICAL Cambridge Theatre, booking until 24 May 2015 MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL Shaftesbury Theatre, 9 Oct 2014 - 28 Mar 2015 MISS SAIGON Prince Edward Theatre,now booking until 25 Apr 2015 ONCE Phoenix Theatre, booking until 4 July 2015 PAJAMA GAME Shaftesbury Theatre, now booking until 13 Sept 2014 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Her Majesty's Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015 PORGY AND BESS Open Air Theatre, Regents Park, 17 Jul 23 Aug 2014 STOMP Ambassadors Theatre, booking until 21 Dec 2014 THRILLER LIVE Lyric Theatre, booking until 19 Apr 2015 WICKED Apollo Victoria Theatre, booking until 25 Apr 2015

DRAMA 1984 Playhouse Theatre, booking until 23 Aug 2014

ANTONY & CLEOPATRA Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, booking until 24 Aug 2014 BAKERSFIELD MISTDuchess Theatre, booking until 30 Aug 2014 BRING UP THE BODIES Aldwych Theatre, booking until 6 Sept 2014 DOCTOR SCROGGY’S WAR Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, 12 Sept - 10 Oct 2014 GHOST STORIES Arts Theatre, booking until 17 Aug 2014 GOLEM Young Vic Theatre, booking until 17 Jan 2015

COMEDY 39 STEPS Criterion Theatre, booking until 18 Oct 2014 CONFESSIONS OF GORDON BROWN Ambassadors Theatre, booking until 30 July 2014 HANDBAGGED Vaudeville Theatre, booking until 2 Aug 2014 JEEVES AND WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE Duke Of York’s Theatre, booking until 20 Sept 2014 TWELFTH KNIGHT RE-IMAGINED Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, booking until 12 July 2014 MY NIGHT WITH REG Donmar Warehouse 31 Jul - 27 Sept 2014

Casting announced for Kander And Ebb musical Acclaimed Broadway actor Brandon Victor Dixon is to make his West End debut later this year when Susan Stroman’s Young Vic production of The Scottsboro Boys transfers to the Garrick Theatre. Dixon will star as Haywood Patterson, a role he created in the original US production. He’ll be joined in the Kander & Ebb musical by fellow Americans Colman Domingo, Forrest McClendon and James T Lane. The show tells the story of nine young black men travelling on a train through Scottsboro, Alabama, in 1931, in search of a new life.

The Scottsboro Boys opens at The Garrick in October.

Christmas treat in store at Duchess Theatre Will Tuckett’s Oliver Award-winning adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s Wind In The Willows is to return to the West End this Christmas. The production draws inspiration from the music of Edwardian composer George Butterworth, with the action set to a score

by Martin Ward. Brought to the stage by the Royal Opera House and with casting soon to be announced, the production opens at The Duchess Theatre on 26 November, where it will run for an eight week period. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 35

Film - July.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:26 Page 1

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Film

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

Fr

FRI om JUL 25 Y

Guardians Of The Galaxy CERT tbc Starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio del Toro Directed by James Gunn (USA)

The tenth instalment in the so-called ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe,’ Guardians Of The Galaxy stars Chris Pratt (from TV's Parks And Recreation) as the half-alien, half-human pilot Peter Quill. When Quill steals a special ‘orb’ from the villainous Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), he is forced to form an uneasy alliance with a ragtag group of extra-terrestrial misfits. The film is a combination of live-action, CGI effects and motion capture technology. And we can’t wait to see Vin Diesel as Groot, a humanoid tree, a part he was obviously born to play.

In 3D.

TOP 5 FILM BOX OFFICE

1 22 Jump Street (15) X-Men: Days Of 2 Future Past (12a) 3 Edge Of Tomorrow (12a) 4 Maleficent (PG) 5 Godzilla (12a)

From

THU 1 JULY 7

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes CERT tbc Starring Jason Clarke, Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Andy Serkis, Judy Greer, Toby Kebbell Directed by Matt Reeves (USA)

Believe it or not, this is the eighth instalment in the Planet Of The Apes franchise. But the last one was the best of the lot - so far. Here, Caesar and his army of genetically modified simian soldiers face a band of humans that survived the virus that all but wiped out mankind. It’s ten years on from the events of the last film (Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes), but can the apes and their subordinate humans reach a truce? The next chapter is already in the works. In 3D.

22 Jump Street

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 37

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Film NEW RELEASES Now Showing

Arthur And Mike CERT 15 (93 mins) Starring Colin Firth, Emily Blunt, Anne Heche, Sterling Beaumon Directed by Dante Ariola (USA)

Actually filmed in 2011, this is the story of a former professional golfer who fakes his own death in order to escape a life of failure. Then, in his new incarnation as Arthur Newman, he encounters a woman who is also fleeing her old identity.

Fr

THUom JUL 10 Y

Released from Fri 4 July

Cycling With Moliere CERT 15 (105 mins)

Starring Fabrice Luchini, Lambert Wilson, Maya Sansa, Camille Japy Directed by Philippe Le Guay (France)

Fabrice Luchini is one of the most wonderful actors working in France today. To see him play a

misanthropic actor who’s turned his back on the stage sounds like a part tailor-made for him.

Then his grumpy thesp is approached by another actor (Wilson) to make a comeback in a production of Moliere’s The Misanthrope. Unfortunately, it’s not the leading part…

Transformers: Age Of Extinction CERT 12a (165 mins)

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles Directed by Michael Bay (USA)

Four years after the invasion of Chicago, a mechanic (Wahlberg) and his daughter (Peltz, from TV’s Bates Motel) stumble across a deactivated Optimus Prime (you know, the leader of the Autobots). Their lives are about to change forever… In 3D.

For full film listings, showings and booking links

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk

View the latest trailers on line 38 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Film - July.qxp_Layout 1 23/06/2014 20:26 Page 4

Tammy CERT 15 (97 mins) Starring Melissa McCarthy, Susan Sarandon, Allison Janney, Toni Collette, Sandra Oh, Dan Aykroyd, Kathy Bates Directed by Michael Bay (USA)

Now that she’s a bona fide box-office star, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Identity Thief, The Heat) takes solo billing above the title in this comedy. She plays Tammy, who takes to the road with her dipsomaniac grandmother (Sarandon) after losing her job, her car and her husband. Remember Thelma & Louise? Well, forget it.

Fro

FRI m JUL 11 Y

Released from Fri 11 July

Begin Again CERT 15 (104 mins) Starring Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Hailee Steinfeld, Adam Levine, James Corden, Cee Lo Green, Catherine Keener Directed by John Carney (USA)

Having played bass for the Irish band The Frames, filmed their music videos and then directed Once, about a street musician, John Carney returns to the music world for his American directorial debut. Keira Knightley plays a singersongwriter who moves to New York with her boyfriend, only to be cheated on by him. She then meets Dan (Ruffalo), a disillusioned music executive… Keira sings!

Mr Morgan’s Last Love

How To Train Your Dragon 2

CERT 12a (116 mins)

CERT PG (102 mins)

Starring Michael Caine, Clémence Poésy, Justin Kirk, Jane Alexander, Gillian Anderson Directed by Sandra Nettelbeck (Germany/Belgium/USA/France)

Featuring the voices of Jay Baruchel, Cate Blanchett, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Kristen Wiig, Djimon Hounsou, Kit Harington Directed by Dean DeBlois (USA)

Michael Caine may be eighty-one but that doesn’t mean he still hasn’t got an eye for the young ladies. Here he plays retired philosophy professor Matthew Morgan who lives in Paris and ‘takes up’ with a French dance instructor (Poésy, aged 31). From Sandra Nettelbeck, who directed the highly acclaimed German film Mostly Martha (2001).

Released from Fri 18 July

Boyhood CERT 15 (166 mins) Starring Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, Ethan Hawke, Lorelei Linklater Directed by Richard Linklater (USA)

This is one film that lives up to its title. Started in the summer of 2002, the drama continued production through to October 2013, having shot for a few weeks every year in-between. The film is the story of Mason Jr (Coltrane) and follows him from the age of six to eighteen. It’s no surprise, then, that the completed picture runs for one hundred-and-sixty-five minutes. Winner of the Silver Bear for Best Director at this year’s Berlin festival.

Grand Central CERT 15 (95 mins) Starring Tahar Rahim, Léa Seydoux, Denis Ménochet, Olivier Gourmet, Johan Libéreau Directed by Rebecca Zlotowski (France/Austria)

Winner of the François Chalais Prize at Cannes, this is the story of a decontamination sub-contractor at a nuclear power plant in the lower valley of the Rhone. It doesn’t sound very exciting, but the film deals with the everyday problem of radiation contamination and stars two of France’s hottest young performers: Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) and Léa Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Colour).

Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois’ How To Train Your Dragon (2010) was a hard act to follow. However, DreamWorks Animation has pulled out all the stops to produce a cartoon spectacular to rival the entertainment value of the original. So, now that all the Vikings of Berk are at one with the dragons in their midst, young Hiccup (Baruchel) feels free to explore neighbouring lands on the back of his trusted Toothless. But beyond the familiar horizon lie new peoples with a less sympathetic disposition towards our soaring friends... How To Train Your Dragon 2, under the sole direction of Dean DeBlois, is full of eco-friendly evangelism, warning against the wrong of killing something just because it’s different (Hiccup: “Dragons are kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together”).

There’s also lashings of humour, wonderful dialogue (“soil my britches!” should be adopted as a preferable alternative to “WTF?”) and engaging, colourful characters. But it’s a mark of the film’s intelligence that we are allowed some downtime with these individuals - the naturalistic human interaction of the characters is remarkable. One may wonder why Hiccup, coming from a line of Scottish Vikings, has an American accent and Cate Blanchett, as a “feral vigilante dragon lady,” has yet to master her Caledonian brogue. But these are small quibbles when everything else fits together so magically. In 3D.

Jealousy CERT 12a (77 mins) Starring Anna Mouglalis, Louis Garrel, Rebecca Convenant, Esther Garrel Directed by Philippe Garrel (France)

Once again the veteran French filmmaker Philippe Garrel casts his son (Louis) in the central role of a very Gallic tale of thwarted love.

This one is set in the world of the theatre and Louis (Garrel) is an impoverished actor desperwww.whatsonlive.co.uk 39

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ate to make the woman he loves a star. But the prospects don’t look good… Unlike the director’s most famous film, Les amants réguliers (aka Regular Lovers), which was three hours’ long, this is a mere seventy-seven minutes. And it’s in black-and-white.

Some Like It Hot CERT U (116 mins) Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Pat O’Brien, Joe E. Brown Directed by Billy Wilder (USA)

Voted greatest comedy of all time by the American Film Institute, Some Like It Hot is likely to be re-released many times yet. Chock-full of iconic moments, it does boast some sparkling dialogue from Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond and is powered by enormous comic energy. But it’s funny to think, looking at it now, that the 1959 film was deemed too provocative for some US states. So Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon dress up as women - to escape the clutches of some Chicago mobsters - but they wouldn’t pass muster today. Now the farcical elements seem a little over-ripe, while Marilyn Monroe appears more sweet and ordinary than pneumatic and goddess-like.

Released from Fri 25 July

Pudsey The Dog: The Movie CERT tbc

Featuring the voices of David Walliams, Olivia Colman, Peter Serafinowicz, Lorraine Kelly, Amanda Holden; and with John Sessions Directed by Nick Moore (UK)

From the director of Horrid Henry: The Movie comes this all-new family adventure about the border collie/bichon frise/Chinese crested powderpuff cross. On-the-ball viewers will recall that Pudsey - with his trainer Ashleigh Butler - won Britain’s Got Talent two years ago by doing doggy tricks. Here, Pudsey and his three siblings move from London to a sleepy seaside village where Pudsey aims to thwart the nefarious dealings of a certain Mr Thorne and his cat Faustus.

From

FRI 25 JULY

Joe CERT 15 (117 mins)

Hercules CERT tbc

Starring Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Gary Poulter, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Adriene Mishler Directed by David Gordon Green (USA)

Starring Dwayne Johnson, Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Joseph Fiennes, Peter Mullan, John Hurt Directed by Brett Ratner (USA)

Just as the role of Rooster Cogburn (in True Grit) was a hand-in-glove part for John Wayne, so the role of Joe Ransom is a tailormade vehicle for Nicolas Cage. A grizzled excon with an alcohol and cigarette addiction, Joe is a tough nut trying to stay on the right side of the law. When a fifteen-year-old drifter (Sheridan) enters his life, Joe’s parental instincts are kindled, just as the emotional temperature in his small community heats up.

And as incoherent rednecks and pot-bellied policemen circle the narrative, so an air of impending violence builds. The director David Gordon Green has always had an eye - and ear - for the underbelly of American life, and here he draws on the hardscrabble ugliness of the backwoods of Texas to stoke his drama. Cage is brilliantly effective as the morally divided loner, while the camerawork, music and intoxicating visuals add to the simmering stew. Based on the 1991 novel by Larry Brown.

We know, there was a Hercules film back in March (The Legend Of Hercules), but did anybody actually see it? This one is based on the graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars and has a much better cast. The Rock (sorry, Dwayne Johnson) stars as the demi-god and is recruited by the King of Thrace (John Hurt) to combat a tyrannical warlord. Let the muscles clench. manager of Manchester United. Set in 1984, it tells of the time Busby came out of retirement to coach a team of young Mancunian schoolboys.

The Purge Anarchy CERT tbc Starring Frank Grillo, Carmen Ejogo, Zach Gilford, Kiele Sanchez, Michael K. Williams Directed by James DeMonaco (USA)

Last year’s The Purge was one of the most disturbing and frightening films of 2013. Set in the not-too-distant future, the US government declares a twelve-hour amnesty when anybody can commit any crime they like. This time, during ‘the purge,’ a couple’s car runs out of petrol and they find themselves the prey of a crimehungry mob…

Believe CERT PG (96 mins) Starring Brian Cox, Natascha McElhone, Toby Stephens, Anne Reid, Jack Smith, Philip Jackson, Kate Ashfield Directed by David Scheinmann (UK)

If you’re not tired of football by now, here’s a true story about Matt Busby (Cox), erstwhile www.whatsonlive.co.uk 41

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Film A-Z LISTINGS

ripped straight from the headlines, based on the book by Captain Phillips himself in collaboration with Stephan Talty. Showing at Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Tues 1 July

All films are currently on general release unless otherwise stated. For full listing information, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk The Dallas Buyers Club 1984 15

Beyond The Edge PG

George Orwell's novel of a totalitarian future society, in which a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love. Stars John Hurt, Suzanna Hamilton. Showing at Crescent Theatre, Birmingham, Weds 9 July

Docudrama charting Edmund Hilary's historical ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. Combining reconstructions, found footage, photographs and interviews. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Sat 12 July

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 Fassbender star.

Showing at Stourbridge Town Hall, Mon 7 July; The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 14 July

Before The Winter Chill 15 An upmarket Parisian couple’s marriage is put under strain when Paul starts to receive unwanted attention from a younger woman. With bunches of roses arriving on a daily basis, he begins to take an interest in her life.

Who then, is stalking who? Stars Daniel Auteuil, Kristin Scott Thomas. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Mon 14 - Weds 16 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 17 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 25 - Weds 30 July

Belle 12a Based on true events, this is the story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a former slave who’s brought up by her great uncle. What’s surprising is that Dido is mixed race and her uncle was the 1st Earl of Mansfield, William Murray. Consequently, Dido is raised as an aristocrat. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Thurs 3 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 25 - Thurs 31 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, from Thurs 31 July

Blue Ruin 15 Dwight Evans is a mysterious outsider whose quiet life on the margins is turned upside-down when he returns to his childhood home to carry out an act of vengeance.

Proving himself an amateur assassin, he winds up in a brutal fight to protect his estranged family.

Stars Macon Blair, Devin Ratray. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Fri - Sat 5 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Mon 21 - Weds 23 July

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Devil’s Knot 15 Based on the book by Mara Leveritt, this is the true story of three eightyear-old boys who went missing in 1993 in West Memphis. In the event, the boys’ naked bodies were found horrifically beaten. Colin Firth plays the private investigator on the case. Showing at Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, until Thurs 3 July

A Farewell To Arms PG A tale of the love between ambulance driver Lt. Henry and Nurse Catherine Barkley during World War One. The action takes place in Italy. The two fall in love during the war and will stop at nothing to be together. Stars Gary Cooper, Helen Hayes. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 17 July

WATCH THE FILM T A TRAILERS k .u onlive.co

whats

Breakfast At Tiffany’s PG A lonely, struggling writer becomes enchanted with his neighbour, Holly Golightly: an independent young woman who strives to be a high-climbing socialite with a penchant for high-fashion and wild parties. Stars Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard.

Showing at Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Weds 16 Thurs 17 July

Captain Phillips 12a Tom Hanks plays the eponymous Captain Richard Phillips, who was abducted by Somali pirates in 2009. It’s a tale

CINEMA Box Office Birmingham

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 Foxlowe Arts Centre, Tues 8 July

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42 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Frank 15 Frank is the lead singer of a band called Soronprfbs [sic], who wears a large papier-mâché mask, not only when he performs, but when he sleeps and showers, too. Jon Burroughs is the wannabe musician who joins the band when they move to Ireland to cut an album.

Stars Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson.

Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Thurs 10 - Fri 11 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 12 July Fruitvale Station 15 On New Year’s Eve 2008, Oscar Grant III was shot at point blank range by a po-

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lice officer while being restrained by another. The mobile phone footage has been seen by millions of people. This drama traces Oscar’s last twenty-four hours. Stars Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz.

Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sun 13 - Thurs 17 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sat 26 July

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 Stourbridge Town Hall, Mon 21 July

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes U Two singers, best friends Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw, travel to Paris pursued by a private detective hired by Lorelei’s fiancé’s disapproving father to keep an eye on her, a rich, enamoured old man and many other doting admirers. Stars Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe.

Showing at Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Thurs 24 Fri 25 July

Godzilla 12a As if Godzilla wasn’t terrifying enough, there are even more malevolent creatures out there, threatening humanity’s very existence. And Godzilla is pitted against them. Stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Fri 18 - Sat 19 July

Sun 13 - Thurs 17 July; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 18 Thurs 24 July

Harold And Maud 15 The film follows the burgeoning relationship between the gloomy, twenty-year-old, suicidestaging Harold and the sprightly octogenarian Maude, whose bohemian wiles and open-arms approach to living enable Harold's first gentle steps towards embracing existence. Showing at Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Weds 30 - Thurs 31 July Here And Now 12a A sweet tale of a holiday romance between lippy city girl Grace and sullen country boy Say. She’s angry that her parents are tearing their marriage apart, while the intriguing Say barely speaks. Stars Lauren Johns, Andy Rush. Showing at Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Sun 6 - Thurs 17 July

Honey I Shrunk The Kids U Erstwhile inventor Prof Wayne Szalinski has been experimenting with an electromagnetic shrinking machine. He leaves the device unattended in his attic; shortly afterward, it’s accidentally activated and the machine is aimed at his children, as well as the son of a neighbour. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Sat 5 July

In Secret 15

Grace Of Monaco PG

In 1860s Paris, Therese, forced into a loveless marriage by her domineering aunt, embarks on a passionate affair and hatches a deadly plan to secure a future with her new lover.

Stars Elizabeth Olsen, Oscar Isaac, Tom Felton.

Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 21 - Weds 27 July

Olivier Dahan’s biography deals with the marital crisis of the former Grace Kelly, who went from being Hollywood royalty to bona fide European sovereignty. Starring Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Thurs 3 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 8 - Thurs 10 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford,

Jersey Boys 15 Before The Beatles, the most popular rock band of all time was The Four Seasons. The Broadway musical that chronicled their amazing career has been brought to the big screen by Clint Eastwood.

Stars John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen. Showing at mac, Birmingham, Fri 18 Thurs 24 July: Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 25 -

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Thurs 31 July

Jimmy’s Hall 12a Barry Ward plays the reallife political activist Jimmy Gralton, who becomes the only Irishman ever to be deported from Ireland.

This is the story of the dance hall he built. Also stars Simone Kirby.

Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stoke-On-Trent, Fri 4 July; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Weds 23 Thurs 24 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 25 Mon 28 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 29 - Weds 30 July The Last Picture Show 15 Set in a bleak, isolated Texas town, this is the story of teenager Sonny and his friend Duane, who’re destined to fall out over their interest in the stunningly beautiful and exquisitely manipulative Jacy. Stars Timothy Bottoms, Jeff Bridges, Cybill Shepherd. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, Mon 7 July

Legends Of Oz: Dorothy’s Return U In this animated musical sequel to the family classic, Dorothy wakes up in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man and Glinda from a devious new villain. With the voices of Hugh Dancy, Lea Michele. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Weds 23 Tues 29 July

Locke 15 While driving from Birmingham to London, a construction manager receives a phone call. The remainder of the film sees Ivan Locke attempting to salvage his life via mobile phone as he continues to race home. Stars Tom Hardy, with the voices of Tom Holland, Olivia Colman. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Tues 1 Weds 2 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 4 July

The Love Punch 15 The Love Punch is the story of two divorcees.

Reunited at a wedding, the ex-couple decide to

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team up to retrieve the retirement money stolen from them. Stars Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson. Showing at Artrix, Bromsgrove, until Fri 4 July

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 The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Mon 7 July; Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Tues 15 July

Maleficent PG

in the wake of an Israeli soldier’s killing. Stars Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, Tues 1 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Mon 21 - Tues 22 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 28 July

Postman Pat: The Movie U Postman Pat now has his own (computer-animated) movie. But who thought that Ronan Keating would end up singing for the friendly postman of Greendale? Yep, PP enters a TV talent show, leaving his postal duties to a line of rather suspicious robots. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, from Weds 30 July

Disney serves up their own version of a fairytale with this retelling of Sleeping Beauty. The twist is that it’s told from the viewpoint of the wicked fairy ‘Mistress of All Evil’, as created in the original 1959 cartoon. Stars Angelina Jolie and Sharlto Copley. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, until Thurs 3 July; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Weds 23 - Thurs 24 July; Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 25 - Thurs 31 July

Quadrophenia 18 Franc Roddam’s Quadrophenia describes the experiences of Jimmy and his Mod friends in 1965 London, and how they create a world outside the humdrum and mainstream with their scooters, Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, Sun 20 July

Omar 15 A young Palestinian freedom fighter agrees to work as an informant after he’s tricked into an admission of guilt by association

Roman Holiday U Romantic comedy telling the story of a bored and sheltered princess who escapes her guardians and falls in love with an

American reporter in Rome. Stars Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck.

Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, Sun 20 July; Crescent Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 31 July

Run And Jump 15 An American doctor travels to Ireland to study the Casey family after thirtyeight-year-old Conor suffers a stroke which changes his personality, leaving dynamo wife and mother Vanetia to run the show. Stars Maxine Peake, Will Forte. Showing at Light House Media Centre, Wolverhampton, until Tues 1 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 29 July 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 Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Thurs 24 July The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty PG Ben Stiller directs and stars in James Thurber's classic story of a daydreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of

fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action.

Showing at Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, Fri 11 July

Sunshine On Leith PG Inspired by the album of the same name by The Proclaimers, Sunshine On Leith went from vinyl to CD to stage musical. The film version follows the story of two soldiers from Afghanistan who have to adjust to civilian life in Edinburgh. Showing at Norbury Theatre, Weds 16 July A Thousand Times Good Night 15 Rebecca is a top war photographer. While photographing a female suicide bomber group, she’s badly hurt in an explosion.

Back home, her husband and daughters can no longer bear the thought of her dying on assignment.

She’s given an ultimatum: choose between your work or your family. Stars Juliette Binoche, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Showing at Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Mon 7 - Tues 9 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 14 July

To Catch A Thief PG In Hitchcock’s classic thriller, Grace Kelly plays pampered heiress Frances, who suspects reformed jewel thief The Cat of a rash of gem thefts in the luxury hotels of the

French Riviera. But she proves her love by helping him escape so he can clear his name. Also stars Cary Grant. Showing at Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July

The Two Faces Of January 12a The ubiquitous Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis) is back in this thriller based on the novel

by Patricia Highsmith. He plays Rydal, a tour guide who shows an American couple around the Acropolis of Athens. But Rydal is not all he seems - and neither, for that matter, is his new friend, Chester MacFarland. Also stars Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst. Showing at The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Weds 2 - Mon 7 July; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 11 Mon 14 July

The Wind Rises PG Hayao Miyazaki is one of the leading talents in animation today, having won countless awards and even an Oscar (for his peerless 2001 fantasy Spirited Away). Here, he’s adapted his own manga comic, a fictionalised biography of the aircraft designer Jiro Horikoshi. Showing at

Stoke Film Theatre, StokeOn-Trent, Sat 5 July; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 21 - Fri 25 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Thurs 24 July

X-Men: Days Of Future Past 12a The future is looking rather grim again, so Wolverine (Jackman) is sent back in time to alter the course of history. Stars Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender.

Showing at Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, Fri 4, Mon 7 & Tues 8 July

The Young And Prodigious TS Spivit 12a The story of a ten-year-old cartographer who sets out across country to receive a prize at the Smithsonian Institute for his discovery of a perpetual-motion machine.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Stars Kyle Catlett, Helena Bonham Carter.

Expect vivid characters and lashings of charm. Showing at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, until Thurs 3 July; mac, Birmingham, Sat 12 - Tues 15 July; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, Fri 25 - Tues 29 July

For full listings visit:

www.whatsonlive.co.uk

DVD NEW RELEASES The Book Thief 12a In World War Two Germany, young Liesel finds solace by stealing books and sharing them with others. In the basement of her home, Max, a Jewish refugee sheltered by her adoptive parents, is teaching her to read. Stars Sophie Nélisse.

Released 7 July

The Lunchbox PG While attempting to spice up her marriage, Ila puts a note in her husband’s lunchbox. But when it’s delivered to Saajan, a lonely man on the verge of retirement, an exchange of notes begins and a relationship develops that could jeopardise both of their worlds.

Released 14 July Need For Speed 12a Based on the most successful video racing game franchise ever, there are fast cars and unique action sequences in this story of revenge and retribution. Stars Aaron Paul.

Released 21 July

Under The Skin 15

The Grand Budapest Hotel 15

From the director of Sexy Beast and Birth (Jonathan Glazer), this science fiction thriller stars Scarlett Johansson as an alien who preys on hitchhikers in Scotland. You’ll either love it or hate it.

Released 14 July

The Lego Movie U Ordinary guy Emmet is mistaken for someone who has the key to save the world and finds himself drafted to join an epic quest and stop an evil tyrant - a quest for which he is hilariously underprepared.

Released 21 July

An original story about a concierge in an imaginary European country.

Ralph Fiennes plays the porter of the eponymous establishment (in the Republic of Zubrowka), and his adventures prove to be predictably unconventional. Also stars F Murray Abraham. Directed by Wes Anderson.

Released 7 July

The Zero Theorem 15 A science fiction fantasy about a reclusive computer

hacker looking for the meaning of life. Of course, it’s all there in the algebra except that Life keeps on getting in the way… Stars Christoph Waltz and Mélanie Thierry. Directed by Terry Gilliam.

Released 21 July

A Long Way Down 15

About Last Night 15

Johnny Depp bought the rights to Nick Hornby’s 2005 novel before it was even published, but has taken a back seat on this all-British production. It tells 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 other.

Stars Pierce Brosnan and Toni Collette.

Released 28 July

A remake of the 1986 romcom, this version has changed the colour of the characters and switched the locale. But it’s still about the complications of love and relationships.

Released 28 July

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Festivals Birmingham Jazz Festival Various locations in and around Birmingham, Fri 18 - Sun 27 July

Set to brighten up all manner of nooks, crannies, shuts and passages in and around the city centre, the annual Birmingham International Jazz Festival entices thousands of visitors to the region every year with its impressive line-up of artists and impromptu performances. In celebration of the festival’s thirtieth anniversary, organisers are promising a bumper event this month, with one hundredand-seventy-five performances taking place across eighty venues, most of which offer free admission.

Although very much a Birmingham affair, the festival regularly attracts acts from across the world.

Performers from the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Spain and the USA all feature in this year’s programme.

The Jake Leg Jug Band - The Bureau, The Mailbox & The Brasshouse

Steel Pulse

Simmer Down Festival Handsworth Park, Birmingham, Sun 20 July Very much a community affair, Simmer Down is a one-day event celebrating Birmingham’s rich cultural diversity and musical heritage. Organised by The Drum, this year’s event is of special significance, as it forms part of the Aston-based arts centre’s twentieth anniversary celebrations.

Musical greats who’ve helped put the Midlands on the map headline the festival’s fifth outing. Grammy Award-winning Steel Pulse - one of the most recognisable reggae acts of all time - appear on the bill alongside Apache Indian, whose fusion of Asian, West Indian and English musical cultures has secured him a global reputation. Musical Youth’s Michael Grant and Dennis Seaton also feature. In addition to its offer of topnotch live entertainment, the festival also hosts an impressive programme of dance activities, arts and education workshops, and craft stalls from around the world.

Wireless Festival Perry Park, Birmingham, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July

Wireless is the latest festival to establish a dualsite status, with performers taking to the stage during the same weekend in both London’s Finsbury Park and, for the first time, in Birmingham’s Perry Park. In the Midlands, Canadian R&B artist Drake takes top billing on the Friday evening, featuring in a line-up that also includes Rudimental, Knife Party, Wiz Khafila, Labrinth and Azealia Banks.

The Saturday evening sees Doo-Wops & Hooligans star Bruno Mars, Outkast, Ellie Goulding and Robin Thicke take the top four slots, while Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Tinie Tempah and Basement Jaxx are guaranteed to bring the festival to an explosive finale on the Sunday night.

Blondie, Foxes, Clean Bandit, John Newman and Ella Eyre are just a few of the many other notable acts worth a watch over the weekend.

The Selecter

Coventry Godiva Festival Memorial Park, Coventry, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July

Ellie Goulding

Maintaining its status as one of the biggest free, ticketless festivals in the country, Godiva this year hosts a ska-tastic programme, with Horace Panter, Neville Staple and King Hammond all performing. Friday evening sees The Selecter presenting their seminal album, Too Much Pressure, in its entirety, after which they hand over the stage to the headlining Buzzcocks, one of the original trinity of British punk groups.

Eighties band The Happy Mondays take top billing on the Saturday evening, while The Lightening Seeds round off the festival with a selection of their crowdpleasing hits on the Sunday. As well as its plethora of well-known names - We Are Scientists, The Ordinary Boys and Funeral For A Friend included - Godiva Festival also provides a platform on which local artists and bands can showcase their skills, while up-and-coming comedians are encouraged to ply their wares in the site’s Fargo Village Tent. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 45

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Festivals Splendour Festival Wollaton Park, Nottingham, Sat 19 July

Established as Nottingham’s largest outdoor music event and taking place in a stunning setting, Splendour provides its thousands of visitors of all ages - with the chance to enjoy music both from internationally renowned artists and local upand-coming talent. Singer-songwriter Tom O’Dell has established quite a following since his debut album, Long Way Down, was released in June 2013, and here performs alongside Happy Mondays, Scouting For Girls, Foxes and The Beat.

The Boomtown Rats, Reverend & The Makers and The Rifles appear on the Confetti Stage, while additional entertainment for younger visitors comes courtesy of a kids’ area and funfair.

Mr George’s Famous Last Words

Fuse Festival Beacon Park, Lichfield, Fri 11 - Sun 13 July

Happy Mondays

Burton Jazz Festival National Brewery Centre, Burton-upon-Trent, Thurs 18 - Sat 19 July

With its unique setting in Burton’s National Brewery Centre, this two-day festival delivers a feast of jazz presented by some of the finest performers in the genre. Acclaimed quartet Gypsy Fire and one of Europe’s finest jazz vocalists, Claire Martin, perform consecutively in the main marquee on the Saturday evening. Other notable names featured on the bill include Art Theman Quartet, Zoe Gilby Trio, Ollie Howell Quintet and Stuart McDonald and Organik Trio.

Organised by Lichfield Arts (the team behind the ever-popular Lichfield Folk Festival), this annual community event features a wide variety of arts-based activities. Since its debut more than ten years ago, Fuse has become one of the largest free community arts festivals in the Midlands, attracting thousands of people to Beacon Park to enjoy a diverse range of music performances, theatre skills, storytelling sessions and workshops, as well as to browse the festival market’s many and varied stalls. With its three entertainment marquees - Beacon Stage, Park Stage and Cafe Fuse - the festival is a veritable honeypot of talented local and not-so-local bands. Mister George’s Famous Last Words, a five-piece inspired by the likes of The Killers, Gaslight Anthem and Bruce Springsteen, kick off Friday’s proceedings on the Park Stage, while The Born Again Beatles promise to replicate the ‘true sounds’ of the Fab Four in the Beacon Tent. The Chris Elliot Band, Wildfire Rock, the Annie Whitehead Band, The Assist, Wally Von Zipper, The Arcadians and Radio Mary also contribute to the three-day event.

Warwick Folk Festival Warwick Showground, Thurs 24 - Sun 27 July

Now in its thirty-fifth year, Warwick Folk Festival continues to attract the creme de la creme of the folk world, with Richard Thompson, Breabach, Habadekuk and Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys all headlining in 2014. In addition to four days’-worth of extensive music on its main stages, the festival features a programme of ceilidhs, workshops and talks, dance, a crafts and music fair, a family festival and impromptu acoustic sessions.

The accompanying Food & Real Ale And Cider Festival provides visitors with the chance to sample an array of international cuisine.

New Rope String Band

Festival At The Edge Stoke Barns, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Fri 18 - Sun 20 July

Richard Thompson

The beautiful setting of Wenlock Edge provides a perfect backdrop for this annual gettogether, which features artists from across the globe. Recognised as one of the oldest events of its kind in England, Festival At The Edge launches major new storytelling endeavours and features performances from some of folk’s finest. Artists confirmed to appear in 2014 include fiddle and melodian players Jess and Richard Arrowsmith, funky folksters Blackbeard’s Tea Party, French trio EnChante and multi-award-winning AngloAustralian duo James Fagan and Nancy Kerr. Wonderful musicianship and side-splitting comedy comes courtesy of the New Rope String Band, while Canada’s Gail Nyoka, British/Indian storyteller Peter Chand and New Zealand’s self-confessed story-o-phile and frock-o-holic Tanya Batt are amongst those with a delightful tale or two to tell. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 47

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

JULY CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Brodsky Quartet, Buskaid Soweto Strings & Nicola Benedetti, Wed 2 - Sun 13 July, Various venues LICHFIELD FESTIVAL 2014 line-up includes; Brodsky, Catrin Finch & Seckou Keita, Benjamin Baker & Aquarelle String Quartet, Fri 4 Sat 13 July, Various venues around Lichfield NATIONAL FOREST FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Steeleye Span, Shooglenifty, The Mighty Doonans & The Shee, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Conkers, Leicestershire GODIVA FESTIVAL Featuring Happy Mondays, Funeral For A Friend, We Are Scientists & Buzzcocks, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Memorial Park, Coventry WIRELESS FESTIVAL Featuring Kayne West, Outkast, Bruno Mars, Drake, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, Perry Park, Birmingham STRATFORD RIVER FESTIVAL 2014 line-up to be announced, Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Recreation Ground, Stratford-uponAvon BLUES AT THE FOLD Featuring Steve Morrison, MumboJumbo, Wily Bo Walker and the Mescal Canyon Troubadours & The Blues Duo featuring Tommy Allen and Johnny Hewit, Sat 5 July, The Fold, Worcester 2000TRESS FESTIVAL Featuring Frightened Rabbit, The Bronx, Kids In Glass Houses, Blood Red Shoes, Thurs 10 Sat 12 July, Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire BREWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Glenn Tilbrook, Laurence Jones, Toploader & By The Rivers, Thurs 10 Sun 13, Market Place, Brewood, Staffordshire NAPTON FESTIVAL Featuring Grace Solero, Voodoo Vegas, Nina Baker & The Fallows, Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, Napton Village Hall Grounds, Warwickshire MOSTLY JAZZ, FUNK & SOUL FESTIVAL Featuring Mavis Staples, Earth Wind & Fire Experience featuring Al McKay, Fun Lovin’ Criminals & Omar Souleyman, Fri 11 - Sun 13 July, Moseley Park, B’ham FUSE FESTIVAL Featuring Tom Woodman Band,

Dean James, The Kate Gee Band & King Edwards School Orchestra, Fri 11 - Sun 13 July, Beacon Park, Lichfield BROMSGROVE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Dougie Mclean, Richard Digance, Anthony John Clarke & Mike Silver, Fri 11 - Sun 13 July, The Bowling Green, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire WORKHOUSE FESTIVAL Featuring Ash Mandrake, Bleedin Noses, Soul Preachers & The Misty Blue Trio, Fri 11 - Mon 14 July, Llanfyllin, Powys NOISILY FESTIVAL Featuring Max Cooper, Slam, Gaudi & Symphonix, Fri 11 Sun 13 July, Coney Woods, Leicestershire THE ROCK AND BIKE FEST Featuring White Coast Rebels, Chase The Ace, Snakecharmer & Evil Scarecrow, Thurs 17 Sun 20 July, Carnfield Hall, Derby BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL Featuring Bratislava Hot Serenaders, Bruce Adams, Art Themen & Electric Swing Circus, Fri 18 - Sun 27 July, Various locations throughout Birmingham L FEST Featuring Erin McKeown, Never The Bride, D’lys, Jenny Lockyer & Sounds Of Sirens, Fri 18 - Mon 21 June, Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire HOLE IN THE WALL Blind Lemon, The Bookends, Mummy Mia! & The Quo AKA Four Rossis, Fri 18 - Sun 20 July, Hopton Court, Kidderminster ALIVE AT DELAPRE PARK Featuring Simple Minds, Boyzone, Bananarama & Rick Astley, Fri 18 - Sun 20 July, Delapre Park, Northamptonshire SPLENDOUR Featuring Tom Odell, Happy Mondays, Boomtown Rats & Reverend And The Makers, Sat 19 July, Wollaton Park, Nottingham ONE BEAT WEEKENDER Featuring Troumaca, Johnny Foreigner, Dumb & Juice, Sat 19 Sun 20 July, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham FOLK BY THE OAK Featuring Seth Lakeman, Kathryn Tickell & The Side, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker, Sun 20 July, various venues around Nottingham SIMMER DOWN FESTIVAL Featuring Steel Pulse,

Apache Indian, Reggae Revolution & Musical Youth, Sun 20 July, Handsworth Park, Birmingham ROCK AND BLUES OLD SCHOOL WEEKENDER Featuring Toseland, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Pig Iron & Slaveout, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 July, Coney Grey Showground, Derbyshire WARWICK FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Habadekuk, John Tams and Barry Coope, Gordie MacKeeman and his Rhythm Boys & Breabach, Thurs 24 Sun 27 July, various venues around Warwickshire GLOBAL GATHERING Featuring Prodigy, Chase & Status, David Guetta & Knife Party, Fri 25 - Sat 26 July, Long Marston Airfield, Stratford upon Avon DEERSTOCK Featuring This Wicked Tongue, Cadets, Parasite, Bongolistic Intent, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, Newton, Nottingham SINGING STICKS FESTIVAL Featuring Los Monkeys Musica, Inta Africa, Dub Didge & Super Roo, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, The Overstone Scout Camp, Northamptonshire INDIETRACKS MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Gruff Rhys, Allo Darlin’, Dean Wareham & Spearmint, Fri 25 - Sun 27 July, Butterley Station, Derbyshire BAREFOOT FESTIVAL Featuring SuperEvolver, DC Fontana & Laurel Canyons, Fri 25 - Mon 28 July, Prestwold Hall, Leicestershire LEICESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Kool & The Gang, Labrinth, Fri 25 - Sat 26 July, Welford Road Stadium, Leicestershire CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Van Morrison, Sinead O’Connor, Newton Faulkner & Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thurs 31 - Sun 3 Aug, Cherry Hinton Hall Ground, Cambridge

AUGUST Y-NOT Featuring Dizzee Rascal, White Lies, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls & The Fratellis, Fri 1 Aug - Sun 3 Aug, Mouldrige Lane, Derbyshire CARFEST NORTH Featuring Jools Holland, Seasick Steve, Erasure & Eliza Doolittle, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Aug, Oulton Park Race Circuit, Cheshire NOZSTOCK Featuring Roots Manuva, The Heavy, The Skints & Molotov Jukebox, Fri 1 - Sun 3 Aug, The Farm, Bromyard, Worcestershire

LOUNGE ON THE FARM Featuring Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Peter Hook and the Light, DJ Yoda & Courtney Pine, Sat 2 Aug, Merton Farm, Barkby, Nr Leicester BULLDOG BASH Featuring Dirty DC, Aynt Skynyrd, The Kommitments, Half Deaf Clatch, Thurs 7 Sun 10 Aug, Shakespeare County Raceway, Stratford Upon Avon BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR Featuring Megadeth, Down, Emperor & Carcass, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 Aug, Catton Park, Derbyshire STRAWBERRY FIELDS FESTIVAL Featuring Reverend And The Makers, Steve Lawler, The Rifles & Catfish and the Bottlemen, Fri 8 Sun 10 Aug, Cattow Farm, Leicester FARMER PHIL’S FESTIVAL Featuring The Orb, The Blockheads, Ferocious Dog & The Delray Rockets, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Gatten Farm, Shrewsbury JUNCTION 16 Featuring Katherine Jenkins, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Betley Court Farm, Crewe, Cheshire LAKEFEST Featuring The Bad Shepherds, Buzzcocks, Shed Seven & Lightning Seeds, Fri 8 - Sun 10 Aug, Croft Farm Waterpark, Tewkesbury RUGBY MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Dead Frequency, White Men Can’t Funk, Soul Rhymaz & Paper Street, Sat 9 Aug, Whitehall Recreational Grounds, Rugby, Warwickshire OSFEST Featuring Paloma Faith (DJ set), The Hoosiers, From The Jam & The Bay City Rollers, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Aug, Oswestry Showground, Shropshire THE GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Featuring Beirut, First Aid Kit, Neutral Milk Hotel & The Waterboys, Thurs 14 Sun 17 Aug, Glanusk Park, Powys V FESTIVAL Featuring Justin Timberlake, The Killers, Ed Sheeran & Paolo Nutini, Sat 16 Sun 17 Aug, Weston Park, Staffordshire ALT-FEST Featuring The Cult, Gary Numan, Cradle Of Filth & Arch Enemy, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Boughton House, Northamptonshire THE JUST SO FESTIVAL Featuring Gabby Young and Other Animals, Perhaps Contraption, Mr Wilson’s Second Liners & Kidnap Alice, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Rode Hall Parkland, Cheshire PERSHORE JAZZ FESTIVAL Featuring Adrian Cox Quartet, Alan Barnes, Bohem Ragtime Jazz Band, Midland Youth

Jazz Orchestra & Craig Milverton, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Pershore College, Worcestershire THE MOIRA FURNACE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Blackbeard’s Tea Party, Other Roads, Lucy Ward, Something Nasty In The Woodshed, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, Moira Furnace Museum and Monument Site, Derbyshire BAKEWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Chas Hodge’s Band, John Coghlan’s Quo, Lucy Ward & George Borowski, Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, The Showground, Derbyshire LICHFIELD FAKE FESTIVAL Featuring Supreme Queen, Oasish & Coldplace, Sat 16 Aug, Beacon Park, Lichfield, Staffordshire SUMMER FESTIVAL Featuring Ms Dynamite, Hannah Wants, DJ Luck & Neat & Artful Dodger, Sat 16 Aug, Donington Park, Derby SHAMBALA FESTIVAL Featuring Mulatu Astatke, Collie Buddz, Public Service Broadcasting, Cumbria All Stars, By The Rivers & Babyhead, Thur 21 Sun 24, Secret location in The Midlands CREAMFIELDS Featuring Avicii, Deadmau5, Fatboy Slim & Above and Beyond, Fri 22 Sun 24 Aug, Daresbury, Cheshire BEERMAGEDDON Featuring Lawnmower Deth, Skreamer, The Starry Wisdom Cult & Kambrium, Fri 22 - Sun 24 Aug, Stoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Bellowhead, Seth Lakeman, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings & Lau, Fri 22 - Mon 25 Aug, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury T-LIVE Featuring Rick Astley, Lawson, Go West & Union J, Fri 29 Sat 30 Aug, Telford Town Park, Shropshire MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Johnny Marr, The Waterboys, Richard Thompson & Lau, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Moseley Park, Birmingham WORCESTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring The Crooked Empire, Skewwhiff, Cracked Actors & Point Zero, Fri 29 - Sun 31, Various locations around Worcester OFF THE TRACKS SUMMER FESTIVAL Featuring The Orb, Ozric Tentacles & Treacherous Orchestra, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Donington Park Farmhouse, Derbyshire REWIND FESTIVAL Featuring Billy Ocean, Boomtown Rats, Holly

Johnson & Hall and Oates, Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire FUSION FESTIVAL Featuring Jessie J, Pitbull, Lawson & Dizzee Rascal, Sat 30 Sun 31 Aug, Cofton Park, Birmingham

SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL NO.6 Featuring Pet Shop Boys, Beck, London Grammar, Bonobo & Martha and the Vandellas, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Portmeirion, North Wales ONBOARD THE CRAFT FESTIVAL Featuring PreMad, Moulettes, Leatheratm Harvey Bainbridge & Flutatious, Fri 5 - Sat 6 Sept, Stoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove WHITWELL FESTIVAL OF MUSIC Featuring Doctor and the Medics, James Warner Prophecies, Dirtbox Disco & I Set The Sea On Fire, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Community Centre, Whitwell, Derbyshire STOURBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring The Strawbs, Scott Matthews, Roberts & Lakeman & The Stubble Brothers, Fri 5 Sun 7 Sept, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge OAKFEST Featuring Bad Manners, From The Jam & The Troggs, Sat 6 Sept, Hartshill Park, Telford, Shropshire ZOO PROJECT Featuring Groove Armada, Mr Scruff, Ten Walls & Ben UFO, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Donington Park, Derbyshire SHREWSBURY FIELDS FOREVER FESTIVAL Featuring Tinie Tempah, Shed Seven, New York Tourists & Blues Boy Dan Own, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury ROCK AND METAL CIRCUS FESTIVAL Featuring Voodoo Six, Exit State, Gehtika & Triaxis, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Sywell Aerodome, Northamptonshire BROMYARD FOLK FESTIVAL Featuring Oysterband, Vin Garbutt, The Old Dance School & Whapweasel, Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, Various locations around Bromyard SNODFEST Featuring Skewwhiff, Shatter Effect, Ronin & Crazy 88s, Sat 13 Sept, The Park, Worcestershire

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

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Visual Arts A Glass Act Bilston Craft Gallery, until Sat 30 August

Functional objects for domestic use - from the everyday tumbler through to intricate candelabras - are featured in this exhibition of contemporary glass tableware. The display explores not only why so many craftspeople focus on making items for the table but also how people use, understand and value glassware. The items on show have been blown, cast, kiln-formed, fused and engraved, and offer a fascinating insight into the potential of the medium.

Noémie Goudal: The Geometrical Determination Of The Sunrise New Art Gallery, Walsall, Thurs 10 July - Sun 14 September

French artist Noémie Goudal is much admired for her large-format photographs which, inspired by secluded and isolated places, possess an impressive narrative power.

Featuring new examples of the kind of work for which she’s become well known, this is Noémie’s first ever solo exhibition, and sees the artist extend her photographic practice into the area of film and installation for the very first time.

Noémie’s new works refer to Brutalist and Cosmic Indian architecture, exploring her ongoing interest in geomorphic structures and the relationship between nature and artifice.

Julio le Parc, Longue March, 1976, Lithograph © The Artist

Pop Europe!

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Sat 5 July - Sat 7 February, 2015

Taking a look at artists working on the continent in a comparative aesthetic, Pop Europe! brings together colourful Pop and Op Art with examples of Expressionist and Abstract art. The exhibition seeks to place Europe’s contribution to Pop Art in the context of the work being produced on both sides of the Atlantic, in Britain and America.

A free mobile app to accompany the exhibition is being released to coincide with the opening of the exhibition and a book exploring the key ideas expressed in the exhibition, also entitled POP EUROPE!, will be available from the Art Gallery.

Exposed: The Body In Art From Durer To Freud Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, Sat 12 July - Sun 31 August

Noémie Goudal, Tanker (film still), 2014, Courtesy the artist. Commissioned by The New Art Gallery Walsall.

Exploring artistic responses to the human body, this new Herbert partnership with Birmingham Museum features Burne-Jones’ pre-raphaelite Pygmalion series, presenting ideals of love and aspiration.

Via works by Albrecht Dürer, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Barbara Hepworth, Helen Chadwick, Francis Bacon, Gillian Wearing and Lucian Freud, Exposed reinforces Jones’ five themes: the body as focus for the artist’s observation; the creation of the ‘ideal’ body; the mutation of the body; art as a means of preserving and memorialising the body; and the body as a vehicle for the artist’s imagination and fantasy. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 51

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VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS

and ceramics, until Sat 30 Aug, Rugby Museum & Art Gallery

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

PHOENIX: THE STORY OF THE BRITISH HEAT RESISTING GLASS COMPANY Showcase of works celebrating the Bilstonbased Phoenix company, until Sat 30 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery

Further exhibitions

A Trio Of Artists Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge, until Sun 3 August

Comprising paintings inspired by nature, portraits and collograph prints, A Trio Of Artists showcases work by three talented Midlanders - Anne Hackett, Clare Sherwen and Chris Taplee.

Former Birmingham University tutor Anne produces acrylic, watercolour and collaged images of plants and flowers.

Wolverhampton University graduate Clare specialises in collograph prints which have a textual and tonal quality that denote a sense of heritage. Oldbury-based Chris paints under the name of Kris Whoosh, and is a self-taught portrait artist working mainly with acrylic and oils.

Commenting on A Trio Of Artists, John Millar, director of the urban environment at Dudley Council, which runs the Red House Glass Cone, said: “This is a beautiful exhibition.

The artists all have very different styles and subjects, resulting in an eclectic range of pieces that work together because of their local flavour. I’m sure that people visiting the cone will enjoy this exhibition as part of their day out.”

As Exciting As We Can Make It Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Wed 2 July - Sun 31 August

Presented as part of the Ikon’s fiftieth anniversary celebrations, As Exciting As We Can Make It surveys the gallery’s programme of work from the 1980s, a decade which saw the rise of postmodernism in line with broader cultural shifts taking place under the Thatcher government. The exhibition brings together paintings, sculpture, installation, film and photography, with highlights including Dennis Oppenheim’s Vibrating Forest (1982) - a piece made from welded steel, a candyfloss-maker and unfired fireworks - and Charles Garrad’s Monsoon (1986), which sees a small South East Asian restaurant subjected to theatrical effects of thunder and lightning in order to conjure up an evocative environment... The culture and politics of the 1980s is the focus of a related public programme that includes artists’ talks and film screenings.

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES A collaborative project from BA & MA students from the Architecture & Art & Design courses at Birmingham City University, until Sat 5 July, School of Art Bournville, Birmingham STAFFORDSHIRE OPEN ART Annual showcase for the region’s artistic talent, until Sun 6 July, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford RICHARD LONG: SPRING CIRCLE, 1992 until Wed 9 July, The New Art Gallery, Walsall JUSTYNA PTAK: THE HOUSE Collection of photographs & large transparencies which explore the relationship between thought & image, until Sat 12 July, Wolverhampton Art Gallery PRIZE EXHIBITION Popular exhibition which provides a platform for artists in a range of media, until Sat 12 July, RBSA, Birmingham HAWTHORN MAKES THE SWEETEST BREAD Exhibition exploring the art of breadmaking and the baking heritage of north Staffordshire, until Sat 13 July, Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery, Staffordshire WHO AM I? Exploring the concept of citizenship, heritage and identity in England today, until Mon 15 July, The Drum, Birmingham THE GREAT WAR COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBITION Exhibition by the Cheshire Artist Network, until Fri 18 July, RAF Museum, Cosford 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 LARISSA SANSOUR: NATION ESTATE Palestinian artist Larissa Sansour presents an iconic take on the political situation in Israel and Palestine, until Sat 26 July, Wolverhampton Art Gallery HOLLY ANTRUM: A DIFFUSE CITIZEN Solo exhibition comprising digital film & printmaking, until Sat 26 July, Grand Union, Birmingham RAINBOW BRIDGE - THE SILENT VOICES Exhibition

by Glenda Dolman, until Sat 26 July, Bilston Craft Gallery

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JENNY RYRIE: WHITE WATER, WHITE LIGHT A display of abstract paintings in water-based media that respond to the natural and mystical energies of the sea and coastline, until Sat 26 July, RBSA Gallery, Birmingham LASTING IMPRESSIONS: 20TH CENTURY PORTRAIT PRINTS Third in a collaborative series with the National Portrait Gallery, London, until Sun 28 Sept, The Barber Institute, Birmingham BRIAN AND GILL TANDY EXHIBITION Selling exhibition of works inspired by the geological structures of Brown Clee Hill in south Shropshire, until Wed 30 July, Weston Park, Staffordshire 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 GRACE SCHWINDT: ONLY A FREE INDIVIDUAL CAN CREATE A FREE SOCIETY Film installation which revisits discussions the artist witnessed as a child surrounded by leftwing individuals, until Sat 2 Aug, Eastside Projects, Birmingham HOME AWAY FROM HOME Photographs, artefacts and oral history come together in this exhibition, which captures the experiences of women migrating from Mirpur to Birmingham in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, until Sun 3 Aug, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery DANIEL MEADOWS: EARLY PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKS Impressive works from one of the most influential figures to emerge from the new wave of British independent photography in the 1970s, until Sun 17 Aug, Library of Birmingham SUMMER SHOWCASE Featuring textiles, ceramics, homewares and delicate paper jewellery, until Sat 16 Aug, Bilston Craft Gallery 400 YEARS OF THE SELFIE Exploring how the modern portrait developed in England, from the Elizabethans to photographs taken by Martin Parr in Sandwell in 2010, until Sat 30 Aug, Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery THE BEST IS NOT TOO GOOD FOR YOU Showcase of Pop Art

MADE AT MAC - CERAMICS Led by tutors Sue Dyer and Wendy Tournay, the exhibition puts a spotlight on ceramics and is set to inspire audiences and students alike, until Sun 31 Aug, mac, Birmingham CORNELIA PARKER EXHIBITION The third in a series of five exhibitions to be presented in Ikon's Tower Room as part of the gallery's birthday celebrations, until Sun 31 Aug, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham COME CREATE Exhibition to inspire visitors to explore and demonstrate their creativity through displays, hands-on interactives and fun activities, until Sun 7 Sept, Thinktank, Birmingham EIGHT CENTURIES OF HISTORY Exhibition looking at the life and times of the Earls of Dudley, who lived at Himley Hall, until Sun 7 Sept, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley CERAMIC EMPIRE: THE TRADE IN STAFFORDSHIRE POTTERY Exhibition exploring the supply and representation of the Empire in Staffordshire pottery, mounted to coincide with MP Tristram Hunt’s new book on the cities of the Empire, until Sun 7 Sept, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

Cezanne & Picasso, until Sun 5 Oct, The Barber Institute, Birmingham A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Works on paper from the Barber’s collection, until Sun 26 Oct, The Barber Institute, Birmingham TOM, FRANK AND MAY Original material, uniforms, handling activities and a short film which demonstrates the role played by the Merry family during World War One, until Fri 31 Oct, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham SENSATIONAL CLAY ‘Fun and thought-provoking exhibition for all the family’, until Sat 1 Nov, Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum SYMMETRY IN SCULPTURE Focusing on the recent work of one of the UK’s most exciting British Asian artists, Zarah Hussain, until Sun 2 Nov, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery TRUE TO LIFE? NEW PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE MIDDLE EAST Exhibition featuring a selection of loaned photos from the British and Victoria & Albert Museums, until Sun 2 Nov, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery BACK TO FRONT: 40 PERMANENT COLLECTION GEMS Exhibition which celebrates the fortieth anniversary of the gallery’s Garman Ryan collection, until Sat 16 Nov, New Art Gallery, Walsall WALSALL’S GREAT WAR Exhibition marking the centenary of WWI and the impact of the Home Front on Walsall, until Sat 29 Nov, Walsall Local History Centre

40 YEARS OF WATCHING PAINT DRY Featuring the work of fine artist, cartoonist and comedy writer Geoff Tristram, until Sun 7 Sept, Himley Park & Hall, Dudley

FAITH AND FORTUNE Exhibition exploring the early histories of two of the world’s great religions, until Sun 30 Nov, The Barber Institute, Birmingham

SECRET GARDEN CRAFT EXHIBITION Collection of jewellery, textiles and ceramics exploring fairytales and narratives, until Sat 13 Sep, RBSA Gallery, 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

MARVELLOUS MACHINES: THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ROWLAND EMETT The largest ever display of Emett’s work, telling the story of the innovator’s life in Birmingham, until Sun 21 Sept, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery LASTING IMPRESSIONS Third in a collaborative series with the National Portrait Gallery, London, until Sun 28 Sept, The Barber Institute, Birmingham CONVERSATIONS A display which spans four centuries of printmaking and features works by Rembrandt, Goya,

TRACED Permanent exhibition tracing the success of art & design in Wolverhampton, and bringing together works by local artists from the museum’s collection, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery CRAFTSENSE Featuring over one hundred of the world-renowned Bilston enamels, until Wed 31 Dec, Bilston Craft Gallery SENSING SCULPTURE Featuring new sculp-

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VisualArts LISTINGS For full listing information on Visual Art exhibitions, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk tures alongside old favourites, until Wed 31 Dec, Wolverhampton Art Gallery WOLVERHAMPTON PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY Exhibition which traces the rich and influential history of photography in Wolverhampton from the mid-19th century to the present day, Tues 1 - Thurs 31 July, Wolverhampton City Archives AEROFILMS: BRITAIN FROM ABOVE Photographic exhibition providing a unique view of the development of Britain’s urban centres and rural landscapes of the 20th century, Tues 1 July - Sun 31 Aug, Library of Birmingham DEALING WITH DREAMS: THE GARMAN RYAN COLLECTION 40TH ANNIVERSARY Exhibition which tells the stories of the Garman Ryan collection from its conception to the present day, with previously unseen archive material and artworks, Thurs 10 July Sun 16 Nov, The New Art Gallery, Walsall

SUMMER SHOWCASE Selling exhibition featuring jewellery, ceramics, mosaic wall pieces & textile works, Sat 12 July - Sun 31 Aug, Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford PRINT BIENNIAL Open exhibition comprising works using a variety of techniques, Wed 16 July - Sat 23 Aug, RBSA, Birmingham SOUND AND VISION Family-friendly interactive exhibition comprising themed crafts and trails around the museum, Sat 19 July - Sun 31 Aug, Newcastle Borough Museum & Art Gallery, Staffordshire EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE TERENCE SPENCER ARCHIVE Eclectic collection of work from the one-time photojournalist of LIFE magazine. This exhibition has been curated

by Spencer’s daughter Cara, Sat 19 July - Sun 31 Aug, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery GILLIAN WEARING: WE ARE HERE A singlescreen video work featuring people from the

West Midlands region speaking various monologues as if from the grave, Fri 18 July - Sun 12 Oct, New Art Gallery, Walsall SHROPSHIRE SCRIBES CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBITION Demonstrations and a chance to try your hand at calligraphy, Sat 19 July - Sat 2 Aug, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury SIAN MACFARLANE: WE ARE ILLUMINATED Exhibition which acts as a response to the artist’s research into the history of fairs and carnivals, cinema and celebration in the Walsall area, from the 19th century to the present day, Mon 21 July - Sun 3 Aug, New Art Gallery, Walsall STAN JOYCE ARBSA Retrospective exhibition highlighting the artist’s lifelong passion for art, from nudes to landscapes, Mon 21 July Sat 30 Aug, RBSA, Birmingham BRIAN YALE: FIRST WORLD WAR BATTLEFIELD PAINTINGS Exhibition of work by Cradley-born artist Brian Yale which forms part of the gallery’s commemoration of the First World War, Sat 26 July - Sat 29 Nov, Wolverhampton Art Gallery

STATIC: STILL LIFE RECONSIDERED A series of works which bring together a range of artistic styles from the late-1800s to the present day, Sat 26 July Wed 31 Dec, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

SHARIF WAKED - CHIC POINT: FASHION FOR ISRAELI CHECKPOINTS Palestinian artist Sharif Waked presents a glamorous fashion show, but with uniquely designed clothes made to meet the daily demands of the checkpoint soldiers,

who require Palestinians to demonstrate that they are not carrying explosives or weapons, Wed 30 July - Sat 20 Sept, Wolverhampton Art Gallery

Museums & Art Galleries Birmingham ARTIFEX Sutton Coldfield 0121 323 3776 BARBER INSTITUTE 0121 414 7333 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 0121 303 2834 CASTLE GALLERIES 0121 248 8484 GRAND UNION 0121 643 9079 IKON GALLERY 0121 248 0708 NUMBER NINE THE GALLERY 0121 643 9099 RBSA GALLERY 0121 2364353 STRYX GALLERY, DIGBETH stryxarts@gmail.com THREE WHITE WALLS GALLERY 0121 200 3328

Black Country BANTOCK HOUSE WOLVERHAMPTON 01902 552195 BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY 01902 552507

BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS MUSEUM, DUDLEY 01384 812745 DUDLEY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 01384 815575 LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CENTRE WOLVERHAMPTON 01902 716055 THE NEW ART GALLERY WALSALL 01922 654400 RED HOUSE GLASS CONE 01384 812750 WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY 01902 552055

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

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

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

Worcestershire WORCESTER CITY ART GALLERY 01905 25371

Visit whatsonlive.co.uk for venue website details

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Events

Antiques For Everyone NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 24 - Sun 27 July As one of the UK’s largest fairs of its kind, Antiques For Everyone continues to attract a huge number of dealers from across the UK and abroad. They descend on Birmingham’s NEC to showcase an eclectic array of antiques and collectables, ranging from kitchenalia through to fine works of art worth in excess of £20,000.

The high-profile event regularly features impressive displays of unusual items. An exhibition of amber - the world’s oldest antique, at between twenty and one hundred million-years-old - takes centrestage at this summer’s event. Curated by world-renowned amber

expert Vanessa Paterson, the collection is one of the biggest of its kind ever to be exhibited in the UK. Book lovers, meanwhile, are sure to be interested in an illustrated limited edition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, marking the four hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth.

Each book is individually numbered and signed by celebrated illustrator and artist Christian Birmingham, with just four hundred-and-fifty copies produced and launched at the fair.

Camper Jam

Weston Park, Staffordshire, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July

The beautiful grounds of Weston Park provide the perfect setting for this popular annual event, which is aimed at owners and lovers of the VW Bus in all its models and types. One of the most anticipated and highly regarded Volkswagen shows on the calendar, the weekend-long Camper Jam this year includes live music tributes to Abba, Madonna and Michael Jackson, drumming workshops, the K9 Dog Show, children’s entertainment with Rooobarb Krumble, Barefoot Chef’s Celebrity Barbie Challenge, Boomwhackers Workshop and the Onesie Party.

1940s Weekend Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July

Spivs, canary girls and British and US troops take centre-stage at Dudley’s award-winning open-air museum this month, where visitors are invited to dress in costume and experience the spirit of the 1940s. Make do and mend, home front kitchen and beauty tips all feature on the wartime agenda, while those thinking of getting spliced vintage-style are sure to be interested in the array of wedding dresses on display in the on-site chapel.

A memorabilia market, period activities, and musical entertainment courtesy of vocalist Laura Bill are just a few of the other attractions on offer over the weekend. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 55

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Events PREVIEWS CBD Food Festival

Victoria Square, Birmingham, Fri 18 - Sat 19 July

Showcasing the ‘excellent food and drink offering’ available in Birmingham’s commercial quarter, Colmore Business District, this two-day event features an eclectic programme of entertainment and edible delights. In addition to demonstrations from top chefs, baristas and mixologists, visitors can enjoy outdoor theatre performances and a magic show, while music comes courtesy of Colmore Chorus and the Birmingham International Jazz and Blues Festival.

The festival features plenty of old favourites, amongst which are the Michelin-starred Purnells restaurant, Nepalese venue Jojolapa, the Urban Coffee Company, the Old Joint Stock Pub & Theatre, Hotel du Vin, Metro Bar & Grill and Opus At Cornwall Street.

A warm welcome is also extended to some of the district’s newer venues, with contemporary Indian restaurant Isaacs, bar and deli The Bureau, oriental restaurant Chung Ying Central and craft beer and food experts Pure Bar & Kitchen each having a presence at this major event on Birmingham’s gastro calendar.

Ancient Wisdom

Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery, Tues 1 July - Mon 1 September

Ever wondered what the ancients did for us? If so, this interactive touring exhibition - new to Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery - should hopefully satisfy your curiosity, courtesy of its plethora of child-friendly, hands-on activities. Find out how the Greeks used the sun to burn their enemies’ ships, how the Egyptians locked their doors, and how to write your name in hieroglyphics. Accompanying activities include using small marble and stone tiles to create your own mosaic design, building a Roman arch and testing its strength, and learning the art of communicating with your friends using flags, just as the Romans did.

Made In China Workshop

The Science Of Circus

Thinktank, Birmingham, Tues 29 July

Ever wondered why jugglers love gravity, how clowns use ‘the force’ like a Jedi, or why unicyclists need to keep moving to stay still? Well, this unique one-day event promises to provide the answers to these questions and more in an exploration of the thrills and spills of the circus. One of a series of five Circus Academy presentations across Birmingham Museum sites, The Science Of Circus offers visitors the chance not only to enjoy a summer of circus skills and performances but also to uncover some of the hidden treasures within the city.

Eastnor Castle Country Show

Enginuity, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 19 July - Sun 31 August

Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, Sat 12 - Sun 13 July

Discover more about China’s inventions, science and technologies via a series of themed workshops over the school summer holidays. Hands-on activities include using brightly coloured cards and tissue paper to make kites, boats and shadow puppets; decorating paper bricks to place in the on-site Great Wall Of Enginuity; solving trangram puzzles and following a trail which links the museum’s exhibits to the inventions in China. Presenter-led shows in Gadgetdom highlighting the enormous contribution that China has made to the world of design and technology - also feature.

Acclaimed medieval jousting team Knights Of The Damned are one of the highlights at this brand new show. Organised by Oakleigh Fairs, the two-day event has all the elements of a perfect family day out. As well as the Knights, the programme also includes: Living History re-enactors A Moment In Time, offering an insight into different periods throughout history; a traditional Punch & Judy show; cookery demonstrations from Masterchef finalist Ondine Hartgroves; and practical horse demonstrations with horse whisperer Grant Bastin.

Birds of prey flying displays, a goat show, displays of working gundogs, terrier racing, traditional craft demonstrations, performances from Plonkers agricultural orchestra and the Companion Dog Show also feature. The only thing that’s not guaranteed is the sunshine, so fingers crossed on that one!

Cosford Food Festival

RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton, Sat 26 - Sun 27 July

Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, which attracted in excess of six thousand-five hundred visitors, Cosford Food Festival this month returns with yet more attractions to tantalise the tastebuds. The show features eighty-plus independent food and drink retailers showcasing their wares, a vast programme of food-related events, live music and children’s craft activities. A £5 adult ticket to the show also allows access to the RAF Museum, home to over seventy historic aircraft (including the world’s oldest Spitfire and the mighty Vulcan bomber, to name but two). www.whatsonlive.co.uk 57

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Events PREVIEWS Great British Food Festival

Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire, Sat 5 - Sun 6 July

A fabulous foodie day out for all the family is promised at this popular event. More than eighty local producers, chef demos, artisan talks, cookery lessons and live music feature in the weekend’s packed programme of activities, with a Cake Off competition and a Men v Food challenge sure to be real highlights of the show. The latter invites the sturdiest of men to test their levels of endurance by taking on the Men versus Meat, Men versus Heat or Men versus Wheat challenges.

Those wishing for a less energetic form of entertainment can relax and listen to live music courtesy of the Jam Factory and James Gillespie. Face painting, balloon modelling and kids’ cookery classes are on offer for youngsters, while visitors who pay an additional £5 admission fee get entry to all of Shugborough’s usual attractions.

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland

Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge, Shropshire, Sat 26 - Sun 27 July

CS Lewis’ much-loved tale is at the centre of this imaginative weekend at Blists Hill Victorian Town. Visitors are invited to attend dressed as characters from the story, join the Queen of Hearts for a game of croquet, and follow a clue-led trail around the town to find the Cheshire Cat. Blists Hill regulars Kaleidoscope and Sundial theatre groups are also on hand, roaming the grounds in costume and performing scenes from the book.

A programme of themed, hands-on activities for children and a portrait prize for the best dressed person in costume also feature.

Black Country Festival

Various locations across the Black Country, Sat 12 - Sun 14 July

A celebration on a grand scale, this debuting festival features numerous satellite events across the region, all of which have the same aim in mind - to celebrate Black Country Day. Live music, comedy, food & drink and arts & craft events take centre-stage at numerous locations. Here’s just a taster of what’s on offer...

Fizzog Productions promise new comedy sketches, a few old favourites and lots of laughter at Brierley Hill. A taste of the Black Country - faggots and peas - is served up at Coseley Summerhill Community Centre and Cradley Heath Library. A Black Country weekend, featuring musical performances, live demonstrations and a hot metal trail, takes place at the Black Country Living Museum. A real ale festival offers the chance to sample some delightful brews at Dudley Canal Trust. The American Dream, featuring the sounds of the great American musicals, is performed at Dudley Town Hall.

The main event, meanwhile, boasting an extensive programme of outdoor entertainment, takes place at Dudley’s Stone Square on 12 July. For full details of what’s happening and where, visit www.blackcountryfestival.co.uk

Newport Show

Chetwynd Park, Newport, Shropshire, Sat 12 July

Australian stunt man The Kangaroo Kid and his equally daring son are the star attractions at this popular event, which regularly attracts thousands of visitors. The duo, who’ve won international fame for their adrenaline-packed

performances, promise ‘nailbiting’ stunts in the main arena on the first day of the show.

Other weekend highlights include parades of vintage tractors, winning cattle and horses, Meirion Owen & The Quack Pack, displays from the Whitchurch Dog Display Team, Street Dance Telford and Stafford Morris.

Dippy The Clown, meanwhile, is sure to delight younger visitors with his hilarious antics.

New attractions for 2014 include Wot’s Cooking, with master chefs, and leading food and wine experts demonstrating their expertise throughout the day. An interhunt relay and the Shropshire v Staffordshire YFC intercounty competition also feature.

Activefest

Shugborough, Staffordshire, Sat 26 - Sun 27 July

This inaugural event celebrates and promotes the very best in outdoor pursuits, sports, hobbies and crafts for all ages. The two-day festival is designed to appeal to anyone looking to try their hand at something new, and boasts a wide range of exhibitors, sports clubs and retailers.

With its ‘something for all’ ethos, the show also features a diverse range of entertainment and activities, all of which are designed not only to get people motivated but also to offer inspiration on how to keep your kids entertained during the summer holidays.

Jane Austen Day

Soho House, Birmingham, Sun 20 July

Step back in time and discover the romantic world of Jane Austen in an event which explores what life would’ve been like for the eighteenth century English novelist.

Promenade drama performances, regency dance workshops and embroidery demonstrations are all presented in the stunning setting of Soho House.

Birmingham Beer Bash

Bond Co, Digbeth, Birmingham, Thurs 24 - Sat 26 July

An event conceived by a group of beer bloggers and social media beer enthusiasts returns to Birmingham’s canalside this month. Taking place across three evenings (with a Saturday afternoon session thrown in for good measure), the Birmingham Beer Bash does exactly what it says on the tin, providing punters with the chance to enjoy some of the best beer the Midlands has to offer. There are plenty of UK beers to enjoy too, not to mention an extensive selection of foreign brews. A special project to bring several historic beers back to life also comes to fruition, with the event showcasing six beers manufactured between 1833 and 1929. And beer historian Ron Pattinson is on hand to promote his recent book, which is aimed at encouraging home brewers to recreate vintage recipes. An array of edible delights, including street food to suit all tastes, also features, as do beer and food-matching sessions. And for those wishing to discover and learn, the festival’s fringe programme showcases talks from industry experts, established brewers and new startups (and boasts plenty of Nicci Peet tastings too!).

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

TUES 1 JULY LUDLOW SHAKESPEARE & ARTS FESTIVAL until Sun 6 July, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire 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 1 July, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD TOUR & VISIT TO CONSERVATION STUDIO Wed 2 July, Birmingham Museum REAL ALE FESTIVAL Featuring sixty real ales, ciders & wines, Wed 2 - Sat 5 July, Dudley Canal Trust LICHFIELD FESTIVAL Annual celebration of classical music, dance, drama, film, jazz, literature & poetry, Fri 4 Sun 13 July, various locations throughout Lichfield FRIDAY TWILIGHT: HIDDEN TREASURES IDENTIFICATION EVENING Take along your heirlooms, collectables & antiques to be identified, Fri 4 July, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-onTrent OVER THE FENCE Acclaimed Australian film festival makes its debut in Brum, featuring selected films exploring death, love & desire, Fri 4 - Sat 5 July, Films show at The Edge in Cheapside & The Custard Factory Theatre, Birmingham LONGTON BEER FESTIVAL Featuring live music and a huge range of beers & ciders, Fri 4 Sun 6 July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent CAMPER JAM Highlights include live bands, a food village, children's activities and the everpopular 'cooking in a camper' competition, Fri 4 - Sun 6 July Weston Park, Staffordshire OPEN DAY Part of Black Country Festival celebrations, Sat 5 July, Dudley Fire Station WWI CENTENARY AND DDAY 70TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION Concert featuring the music of the time including Glenn Miller, played by the superb Don Mather Big Band, vocalists and the Birmingham Military Community Choir, Sat 5 July, Old Rep, Birmingham

BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 5 July, Starts Victoria Square & ends Colmore Row, Birmingham CUSTARD FIND FOOD MARKET Sat 5 July, Gibb Street, Birmingham BOYS BRIGADE 125TH CELEBRATION Sat 5 July, Birmingham Botanical Gardens BIRDS OF PREY EXPERIENCE Sat 5 July, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre FARMER'S MARKET All the stalls sell local food, drink, craft and produce. Including, sweets, apple juice, bread, cakes, honey, smoked meats, hand dyed yarns, beer, plants and much more, Sat 5 July, The Discovery Centre, Craven Arms, South Shropshire HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime and Humble Pie’s famous puppets... Sat 5 July, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire GIFT MAKING WORKSHOPS Sat 5 July, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire THE GREAT BRITISH FOOD FESTIVAL Featuring games & activities for kids, balloon races, bake-offs, live music, and an array of food & drink from the show's exhibitors, Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire BUSHCRAFT CAMP OUT Enjoy a night under the stars... Booking essential! Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire STEP BACK TO THE 1940S Popular event taking a lighthearted journey back to wartime Britain.

Attractions include costumed re-enactments, 1940s Blackout Fair, displays of historic civilian & military vehicles, a wartime operations room and stands featuring period memorabilia, Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster SOOTY’S WACKY WORKSHOP Brand new, exclusive live show direct from CITV, Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Cadbury World, Birmingham SUMMER FOOD & CRAFT FAIR Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Attingham Park, Nr Shrewsbury CHETWYND MEDIEVAL FAIR Featuring all the pageant of medieval England, Sat 5 - Sun 6 July, Chetwynd Park,

Newport, Shropshire BIRMINGHAM TOURS MUSEUM HERITAGE BUS Enjoy a ride on the Big Brum Open Top Buz and discover Birmingham’s unique Heritage Sites on the first Sunday of the month, Sun 6 July, Aston Hall/Soho House, Birmingham SUMMER SUNDAY FUN & CAR RALLY Sun 6 July, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire VINTAGE AND POST VINTAGE THOROUGHBRED The ever-popular annual MAC Vintage meeting in association with the Vintage Sports Car Club, which is a special draw for lovers of vintage racing cars the world over, Sun 6 July, Shelsey Walsh, Worcestershire SECOND HAND BOOK SALE Sun 6 July, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham FAMILY ORIENTEERING COMPETITION Chance to test your navigational skills, Sun 6 July, Severn Valley Country Park, Bridgnorth, Shropshire AWAKEN YOUR SENSES Mind, body, spirit event, Sun 6 July, Kings Heath Cricket Club, Birmingham WISH YOU WERE HERE History wardrobe demonstration of seaside clothing from the eighteenth century onwards, Sun 6 July, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery TREE TRAIL Join Himley’s senior park warden for a walk around the grounds of Himley Hall, discovering some of the trees on site. Pre-booking essential! Sun 6 July, Himley Hall, Dudley CAMERA FAIR The UK’s largest independent camera fair, featuring over one hundred tables and a wide range of vendors, Sun 6 July, Wolverhampton Racecourse

Week Commencing

MON 7 JULY

CONSERVATION WEEK Series of events in support of Barbary macaques in the wild, Mon 7 - Sun 13 July, Trentham Monkey Forest, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire BRINDLEYPLACE FILM FESTIVAL Free outdoor event screening Birmingham’s favourite films, Mon 7 - Sun 13 July, Central Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham 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 July, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge MUSIC FOR YOUTH ROCK, POP & URBAN The MFY National Festival celebrates its tenth year in Birmingham with over 8,000 of the UK’s most talented musicians, all aged 21 and under, performing all styles of music in the concert halls of the city, Tues 8 - Sat 12 July, Birmingham Town Hall MOSCOW STATE CIRCUS Wed 9 - Sun 13 July, Beckett's Farm, Alcester Rd, Birmingham BREWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL Showcase of young performers spanning numerous musical genres, Thurs 10 - Sun 13 July, various locations, Brewood, Stafford FOLK CRUISE Live music on board the Sabrina, Fri 11 July, departs Victoria Quay, Shrewsbury THE GREAT WAR An evening of poetry & music to commemorate the centenary of World War One, Fri 11 July, National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire MIDLAND MOTORHOME SALE Fri 11 - Sun 13 July, Stafford County Showground Arboretum, Staffordshire BLACK COUNTRY CELEBRATION DAY Featuring outdoor stalls, BBQ, traditional games & food, Sat 12 July, Summerhill Community Centre, Coseley FIZZGOG PROODUCTIONS: ANOTHER ONE NIGHT STAND Forming part of Black Country Day, Sat 12 July, Brierley Hill Civic Hall GLASS ENGRAVING ADULT WORKSHOP Learn the basics of handengraved glass with Charlotte Hughes Martin and create a personalised glass to take home, Sat 12 July, Bilston Craft Gallery CLUB LEGENDS CUP Unique six-a-side indoor football tournament, Sat 12 July, LG Arena, Birmingham SUN, SEA & SAND Themed event which ties in with the Potteries’ current exhibition. Expect donkey rides, ice cream and 1920s-styled bathers, Sat 12 July, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent VINTAGE TEA PARTY Take a stroll back to the ‘make do and mend’ era of the 1940s with various themed activities & workshops, Sat 12 July, Cathedral Close, Lichfield LEAMINGTON SUMMER CARNIVAL Sat 12 July, Leamington Spa DRAWING FROM ANTIQUITY Expand your skills under the guidance of

artist Frieda van de Poll, Sat 12 July, Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry WHEATON ASTON CARNIVAL Celebrating the hundredth anniversary of WWI, Sat 12 July, Wheaton Aston, Staffordshire THE OFFICIAL BLACK COUNTRY FESTIVAL MAIN EVENT Featuring poets, buskers & themed stalls, Sat 12 July, Stone Square, Dudley EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride, with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 12 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster THE NEWPORT SHOW Annual event which this year welcomes Aussie daredevil The Kangaroo Kid - and his equally daring teenage son for an adrenalinefuelled performance in the main arena, Sat 12 July, Chetwynd Park, Newport, Shropshire HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime and Humble Pie’s famous puppets... Sat 12 July, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire LEATHER BAG-MAKING WORKSHOP Create a leather messenger bag with Sarah Benson from the Identity Store, Sat 12 July, Walsall Leather Museum WILDFEST Featuring an array of stalls, live music, traditional craft demonstrations & activities, Sat 12 July, Shropshire Wildlife Trust Visitor Centre, Shrewsbury FOOD FESTIVAL A brand new addition to the Severn Valley Railway calendar, Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, Starts Victoria Square & ends Colmore Row, Birmingham WW2 WEEKEND - THE STAFFORDS IN 1944 Featuring battle reenactments, demonstrations & hands-on activities, Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, Staffordshire Regimental Museum INTERNATIONAL FORMULA CARS & SUPPORT RACES Sat 12 July - Sun 13 July, Donington Park BLACK COUNTRY WEEKEND Sat 12 - Sun 13 July, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley OSWESTRY FOOD & DRINK FESTIVAL Popular annual event, Sat 12 Sun 13 July, various venues in and around Oswestry, North Shropshire WENLOCK OLYMPIAN GAMES Featuring competitions in a variety of sporting disciplines, Sat 12 - Sun 20 July, Much

Wenlock, Shropshire SUNBEAM TIGER RALLY Sun 13 July, Heritage Motor Centre, Gaydon, Warwickshire CANAL WALK Sun 13 July, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SUNDAY TALK WITH CANON COCHRANE SLIDEA Insight into the man who was the vicar of Yardley in the 1920s, Sun 13 July, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham OXFORD ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR Presented by acclaimed historian Sir Hew Strachan, Sun 13 July, George Hotel, Lichfield UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Revealing what goes on behind the scenes of a stately home, this unique tour takes in some of the site's twenty-eight bedrooms and offers a chance to learn about the Weston Park Foundation, the charitable trust that owns and maintains the venue, Sun 13 July, Weston Park, Staffordshire RACE FOR LIFE A 5km run around the park in aid of Cancer Research UK, Sun 13 July, Himley Hall & Park, Wolverhampton LIVING HISTORY DAY & KNIGHT SCHOOL Medieval family fun, Sun 13 July, Weoley Castle, Birmingham SUMMER FUN DAY A fundraiser day for Marie Curie featuring stalls, a bouncy castle, face painting, a Pimms tent and much more. Music entertainment comes from The Severn Ukes, The Brickaleles, The Crown Ukes and Geoff Rodgers, Sun 13 July, Isle Estate, Bicton, Nr Shrewsbury STAFFORD MORRIS Demonstrations of traditional dancing... Sun 13 July, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton ROSIE’S WALK & FESTIVAL Charity walk followed by live entertainment & fun activities, Sun 13 July, Aldridge Airport, Walsall CIRCUS SKILLS WORKSHOP Clown around and have a go at juggling, stiltwalking, unicycling, tightrope-walking, plate-spinning & more... Sun 13 July, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Week Commencing

MON 14 JULY

MATTER HATTER’S TEA PARTY Mon 14 July, Birmingham Botanical Gardens TILE DECORATING WORKSHOPS Drop-in sessions where participants use the technique known as tube lining to decorate their

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MEETING POINT: corner of Colmore Row & Waterloo Street, Victoria Square TOUR TIMES: 10.30am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm CONTACT:

0121 427 2555 / 07805 115 998

enquiries@birmingham-tours.co.uk AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE HIRE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk very own tile to take home, Tue 15 July, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire MEET ME AT BANTOCK Regular conversation club for people aged fifty years and over, Tues 15 July, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton TENTH ANNIVERSARY GARDEN TOURS Discover the story behind the restoration of Trentham Gardens, Fri 18 July, Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Fri 18 July - Fri 22 August, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire SUMMER FUN Featuring a plethora of activities for the school holidays, Fri 18 July - Sun 28 Sept, Park Hall Countryside, Oswestry, North Shropshire MADE IN CHINA WORKSHOP Featuring boatmaking, kites, silk painting, paper-making and printing Fri 18 July - Sun 31 August, Enginuity, Ironbridge, PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES Insight into the work that takes place to keep Severn Valley Railway’s heritage trains running, Sat 19 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster NORTH OF ENGLAND DALMATION SHOW Sat 19 July, Stafford Showground VINTAGE RETRO FAIR Unique and original clothes, accessories, homeware, jewellery and crafts for sale, Sat 19 July, St Thomas' Church Hall, Stourbridge VINTAGE SPORTS CAR RACES Sat 19 July Donington Park BUSHCRAFT CAMP OUT Enjoy a night under the stars... Booking essential! Sat 19 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire DRUM, DANCE, DYNAMIX Day of free musical entertainment organised by Shrewsbury Morris Dancers, Sat 19 July, The Square, Shrewsbury SILVER PENDANT JEWELLERY WORKSHOP Adult jewellery workshop, Sat 19 July, Museum of Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham MARIE CURIE WALK 10 Twilight walk through the estate's nine hundred-acre classical landscape, in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care. Participants are invited to pack a picnic basket and - post walk

- sit back and celebrate the work of the Marie Curie nurses with live music & entertainment, Sat 19 July, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES A unique insight into what goes on behind the scenes to keep Severn Valley Railway running, Sat 19 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster 1940S WEEKEND Sat 19 Sun 20 July, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley THE BIG ART SHOW A fine art and high-end craft show featuring sculptures, painters, metal workers, jewellers, glass artists, ceramicists, furniture designers & textiles, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury COUNTRY FAIR Artisanthemed fair for all the family, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July, Emma Bridgewater Factory, Stoke-on-Trent LARGE MODEL AIRCRAFT RALLY An air show in miniature, Sat 19 July Sun 20 July, RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 19 - Sat 20 July, Starts Victoria Square & ends Colmore Row, Birmingham IF YOU GO DOWN IN THE WOODS... Use sticks to make a trail for you and your family to follow before making your own catapult and having a go at firing it on Moseley’s firing range, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton THE OWL EXPERIENCE See owl conservation in action, with live owls to admire and hold, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July, Trentham Monkey Forest, Staffordshire RALLY IN THE VALLEY Annual steam & vintage engine rally with arena displays & crafts, Sat 19 - Sun 20 July, Edgar Davies Rugby Ground, Bridgnorth, Shropshire SHROPSHIRE SCRIBES CALLIGRAPHY EXHIBITION Demonstrations and a chance to try your hand at calligraphy, Sat 19 July - Sat 2 Aug, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury SUMMER HOLIDAY FAMILY ACTIVITIES Sat 19 July - Sun 31 August, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire HOLIDAY TRAILS Explore

the grounds to find the clues and win a prize, Sat 19 July - Sun 31 Aug, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury SUMMER ACTIVITIES Sat 19 July - Tues 2 Sept, Emma Bridgewater Factory, Stoke-on-Trent THE LAUGHTER CREWE A comedy and curry night, Sun 20 July, Crewe Lyceum BARBECUE ON THE BEACH Take along your bike and enjoy an earlyevening ride around Chasewater and Norton Bog; stop for a BBQ on the beach to refuel, Sun 20 July, Chasewater Country Park, Brownhills, Staffs BUTTERLY WALK Join the guided walk and become part of the National Butterfly Survey, Sun 20 July, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham BEGINNERS ORIENTEERING Fun activity suitable for all ages, Sun 20 July, Biddulph Grange, Staffs HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime and Humble Pie’s famous puppets... Sun 20 July, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire DRAGONFLY WALK Sun 20 July, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury ICE CREAM SUNDAE AND CLASSIC FUN DAY Sun 20 July, Apley Farm Shop, Norton, Shifnal, Shropshire CANNOCK CHASE 100 SPORTIVE Trio of rides which sees cyclists traversing some of Staffordshire's most beautiful villages, scenic woodland, exciting climbs and stunning countryside, Sun 20 July, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire SPIRITUAL WOLVERLEY Holistic Event, Sun 20 July, Wolverley Memorial Hall, Kidderminster BUTTERFLY DISPLAY See close-up some of the UK’s most beautiful butterflies. There’s also a chance to make a big bamboo butterfly with local artworker Jim Morris, Sun 20 July, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham CAN YOU DIG? Learn archaeological skills with the Ironbridge Young Archaeologist’s Club, an event for kids wishing to learn more about what archaeologists do, Sun 20 July, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Ironbridge, Shropshire LUDLOW DOG DAY New event with dog display team, stalls, food, competitions & fun... Sun 20 July, Stokesay Court, Craven Arms, South Shropshire THE ORIGINS OF MIDDLEEARTH WALK A guided walk exploring the sur-

Seaside fun - The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent

roundings that inspired JRR Tolkien, Sun 20 July, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham TREASURE HUNT Explore the magical castle grounds and collect your sweetie treasure, Sun 20 - Thurs 24 July, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire SUMMER TREASURE HUNT Daily holiday fun, where participants can solve the clues around the park to win a medal, Sun 20 July Tues 2 September Hawkstone Park & Follies, Weston-underRedcastle, North Shropshire

Week Commencing

MON 21 JULY

AWESOME ART ADVENTURE See if you’ve got what it takes to become a great garden detective, Mon 21 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 21 - Fri 25 July, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire SAND PICTURES WORKSHOP Mon 21 - Fri 25 July, Wedgewood Museum, Stoke-onTrent SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 21 - Fri 25 July, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire ESCAPE TO FRANCE TRAIL Follow King Charles II’s escape from Parliamentary soldiers in a scaled-down version where, using a compass, you can find your way to an imaginary France and safety, Mon 21 July - Sun 3

Aug, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton EVENING OUTDOOR SCREENING OF WAR HORSE Tues 22 July, National Memorial Arboretum, Burtonupon-Trent CLAY CUP & SAUCER WORKSHOP Children’s workshop where youngsters can demonstrate their creative side and make a decorative cup and saucer to take home, Tues 22 July, Bilston Craft Gallery SPORTY PEG PEOPLE WORKSHOP Make a ‘peg person’ playing your favourite sport and decorated in your team colours, Tues 22 July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent GALLERY TALK: JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, A BIRMINGHAM ICON Tues 22 July, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery FESTIVAL OF BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGY KIDS WORKSHOP Tues 22 Thurs 24 July, Museum of Cannock Chase, Staffs SILLY SUNGLASSES CRAFT ACTIVITY Make a pair of sunglasses to wear to the Potteries’ Seaside Exhibition, Tues 22 - Fri 25 July, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent TEDDY DAY Take your favourite teddy along to enjoy trails, stories & more... Wed 23 July Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire HANDS-ON WITH THE JACKFIELD TILE MOULD Help the Ironbridge Gorge Archaeology Volunteer Group catalogue a collection of tiles moulds, Wed 23 July, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron,

Ironbridge, South Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVITY WEDNESDAYS Castle tours with Lady Caroline (11am, 1.30pm & 4pm) and Birds of Prey flying displays (12.30pm & 3pm), Wed 23 July, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire PEDAL FOR HEALTH TASTER DAY Wed 23 July, Shrewsbury Sports Village, Shrewsbury SUMMER FUN DAY Featuring children’s entertainment, face painting & balloon modelling, Wed 23 July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent AWESOME ART ADVENTURE See if you’ve got what it takes to become a great garden detective, Wed 23 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire BUG HOTEL WORKSHOP Make a bug hotel for the mini-beasts in your garden, Wed 23 July, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVITY THURSDAYS Castle tours with Lady Caroline, living history, have-a-go archery, dressing up and various other activities, Thurs 24 July, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire SUMMERY STAINED GLASS WINDOWS WORKSHOP Children’s event, Thurs 24 July, Bilston Craft Gallery WIND CHIME CRAFT ACTIVITY Have a go at making a beaded windchime to take home for your garden, Thurs 24 July, Sarehole Mill, Birmingham

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Events LISTINGS For full listing information on Events, including times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk CRAFTY THURSDAYS Fun creative activities for families, Thurs 24 July, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham STORYTELLING WEEK Thurs 24 - Wed 30 July, Hawkstone Park & Follies, Weston-underRedcastle, North Shropshire SCHOOL HOLIDAY FRIDAY NATURE SESSIONS Join the site’s rangers and get closer to nature around the park, Fri 25 July, Severn Valley Country Park, Bridgnorth, Shropshire SPORTY PEG PEOPLE WORKSHOP Make a ‘peg person’ playing your favourite sport and decorated in your team colours, Fri 25 July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent CHASE CHALLENGE: BUGS & BEASTS Meet the creepy crawlies and not-so-deadly characters living on the Chase and make some bugtastic crafts, Fri 25 July, Cannock Chase Visitor Centre, Staffs MURDER MYSTERY EVENT Booking essential! Sat 26 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime and Humble Pie’s famous puppets... Sat 26 July, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire MAKE YOUR OWN RAG RUG HEART With craft specialist Jessie Lindon, Sat 26 July, Birmingham Back to Backs VIP MUSIC FAIR Sat 26 July, The Dome/Zellig, Custard Factory, Birmingham EERIE EVENINGS GHOST EVENT Sat 26 July, Dudley Zoo DOULTON CLAY PITS OPEN DAY Informal events inspired by Doulton’s clay pits, with activities including walks and creative workshops, Sat 26 July,

Saltwells Nature Reserve, Dudley LEEK & DISTRICT SHOW Sat 26 July, Leek, Staffordshire CONCERT IN THE CASTLE An evening of music and poetry in the grounds of Shrewsbury Castle to commemorate World War One, Sat 26 July, Shrewsbury Castle INTRO TO ACTING WORKSHOP A course which caters for people aged 16-plus which covers ensemble work, basic stage & acting techniques, and how an actor approaches working with scripts, Sat 26 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS A scenic evening ride, with the added option of a traditional fish and chip supper, Sat 26 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster COSFORD FOOD FESTIVAL Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton LARGE LIVING HISTORY EVENT Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, Whittington Castle, North Shropshire NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE RACES Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, Donington Park BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, Starts Victoria Square & ends Colmore Row, Birmingham ACTIVEFEST Celebrating and showcasing the very best in outdoor pursuits, sports, hobbies, crafts and volunteer opportunities, Activefest offers something for all the family, Sat 26 - Sun 27 July, Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND Sat 26 Sun 27 July, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire 1940S EVENT Featuring 1940s music, entertainment, costumes, and

fun with the Victorian Westerners re-enactment group, Sat 26 Sun 27 July, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge CHURCH STRETTON ARTS FESTIVAL Sat 26 July Sat 9 Aug, various locations, Church Stretton, South Shropshire FESTIVAL OF BLACK COUNTRY VEHICLES The annual gathering of cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles built in the Black Country sees over one hundred vehicles parade around the museum site, Sun 27 July, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR Revealing what goes on behind the scenes of a stately home, this unique tour takes in some of the site's twenty-eight bedrooms and offers a chance to learn about the Weston Park Foundation, the charitable trust that owns and maintains the venue, Sun 27 July, Weston Park, Staffordshire CLASSIC VEHICLE DAY Featuring a selection of pre-war cars at Kidderminster station, and a display of Ford cars of all ages at the Visitor Centre at Highley, Sun 27 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster JAZZ @ THE DRUM WORKSHOP Sun 27 July, The Drum, Birmingham AUDITIONING FOR DRAMA SCHOOLS WORKSHOP Find out the do's and dont's of auditioning for drama schools, Sun 27 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham WALLED GARDEN IN BLOOM: FRUIT FEST Help harvest, and hear how best to prepare for table and storage, Sun 27 July, Attingham Park, Shrewsbury CLASSIC VEHICLE DAY Displays of historic vehicles at stations up and down the line, Sun 27 July, Severn Valley Railway, Kidderminster B-FESTIVAL Charity fun day raising funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital, Sun 27 July,

Festival of Black Country Vehicles - Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

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Cosford Food Festival - RAF Cosford, Nr Wolverhampton

The Clocktower, Donnington Wood, Telford WALSALL CLASSIC CAR & TRANSPORT SHOW Featuring over five hundred vehicles, jumble & trade stands, and children’s funfair, Sun 27 July, Walsall Arboretum BOUNCE & BOING! Get the school holidays off to a bouncing start with the ultimate obstacle course and bouncy castle, Sun 27 - Thurs 31 July, Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Week Commencing

MON 28 JULY

CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY DAYS: FANTASTIC FLORA Journey to all four corners of Dudmaston’s gardens and see if you’ve got what it takes to become a botanist, Mon 28 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire ACTIVE AFTERNOONS Fun activities for children, Mon 28 - Tues 29 July, Moseley Old Hall, Wolverhampton SPOON PAL PUPPETS WORKSHOP Mon 28 July - Fri 1 Aug, Wedgwood Museum, Stoke-onTrent SUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATING WORKSHOP Mon 28 July - Fri 1 August, Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire SUMMER CERAMIC DROPIN WORKSHOPS Mon 28 July - Fri 1 Aug, Coalport China Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire CIRCUS ACADEMY Tues

29 July, Thinktank, Birmingham SPORTY PEG PEOPLE WORKSHOP Make a ‘peg person’ playing your favourite sport and decorated in your team colours, Tues 29 July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-onTrent BLACK COUNTRY VOYAGES IN TIPTON Members of Ikon Youth Project lead practical workshops, including painting, badge-making & zine-making, as well as hosting public talks, Tues 29 July, Birmingham Canal, Owen Street, Tipton KNIGHTS AND PRINCESSES Hands-on medieval fun, where young visitors can transform themselves into a courtly Lord or Lady, with tips on everything from curtsies to combat, Tue 29 Wed 30 July, Stokesay Castle, South Shropshire SILLY SUNGLASSES CRAFT ACTIVITY Make a pair of sunglasses to wear to the Potteries’ Seaside Exhibition, Tues 29 July - Fri 1 Aug, Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-onTrent TEDDY DAY Take your favourite teddy along to enjoy trails, stories and more... Wed 30 July Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Staffordshire ALIENS V MONSTERS Mask-making session for children, Wed 30 July, Walsall Leather Museum CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY DAYS: FANTASTIC FLORA

Journey to all four corners of Dudmaston’s gardens and see if you’ve got what it takes to become a botanist, Wed 30 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVITY WEDNESDAYS Castle tours with Lady Caroline (11am, 1.30pm & 4pm), and Birds of Prey flying displays (12.30pm & 3pm), Wed 30 July, Ludlow Castle, South Shropshire GLASS ENGRAVING CHILDREN’S WORKSHOP Wed 30 July, Bilston Craft Gallery HUMBLE PIE PUPPET PANTOMIME Music, magic, mime and Humble Pie’s famous puppets... Wed 30 July, Wonderland, Telford Town Park, Shropshire DIG FOR HISTORY Family fun day with crafts, archaeology, Wed 30 July, Aston Hall, Birmingham 3D ANIMAL BEASTS Drop in and make a funky 3D animal with Ruth Radcliffe, Thurs 31 July, Walsall Leather Museum CRAFTY THURSDAYS Fun creative activities for children, Thurs 31 July, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham HEROES AND VILLAINS Watch on as Sir William Marshall, the greatest knight in England, battles it out for prizes and glory. Pick your favourite knight and cheer him on, Thurs 31 July - Fri 1 Aug, Goodrich Castle, Herefordshire

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Eating Out Asian addition to Shropshire dining A new culinary experience is set to take Shropshire diners by storm this month, with the opening of the pop-up Momo No Ki Ramen Bar on 3 July. The new venture offers a variety of ramen and noodle dishes, as well as sushi and sashimi. Owner Martin Monahan said: “There’s recently been a huge worldwide growth in the popularity of ramen and noodles, and we’re responding to that development. Surprisingly, Momo-Ni-Ko is the first independent ramen and noodle bar in the UK, outside of the capital.” Mr Monahan added: “We’re all extremely proud of our Executive Head Chef, Christopher Burt, who will be launching his fantastic new Momo No Ki cookbook at the same time. There are certainly exciting times ahead.” Momo No Ki is situated next door to Shrewsbury’s popular Peach Tree restaurant, opposite the town’s historic Abbey. In addition to its restaurant facility, Momo No Ki provides a takeaway service for its customers.

A casino gamble worth taking REVIEW

Broseley chef declared Shropshire Curry Chef 2014 Dan Coates, Head Chef at Broseley’s award-winning King And Thai restaurant, has beaten off stiff opposition to become Shropshire Curry Chef 2014. Dan’s crowning glory was a Thai Green Curry, which was described by judges as ‘perfection’. In the lead-up to the competition, Dan was mentored by Executive Chief Patron of the King And Thai, Suree Coates, who passed on her passion for ‘flavour, texture and presentation’.

Of his win, Dan said: “I’m overwhelmed. I’ve never entered a competition, but Suree encouraged me and helped train me. Winning was way beyond my expectations. I’m delighted with the results and the support from our suppliers and customers."

Tasty tapas promised at independent festival Organisers of the forthcoming Birmingham Independent Food Fair have welcomed the Authentic Tapas Group as the event’s Restaurant Dining Sponsor. Currently operating the successful Don Diego in Sutton Coldfield - serving up genuine tapas dishes in authentic surroundings the group will host the Don Diego Bar de Tapas in Millennium Point for the duration of the festival (13 Sept), and will hopefully bring with them a ray or two of Spanish sunshine as well as a taste of Espana.

While you would have to stretch your imagination quite some way to picture 007 in Stoke-on-Trent, there’s something about preparing for a visit to a casino that brings out a little James Bond in all of us. Driving to the Genting Casino to dine in the Fahrenheit Grill, it was hard not to picture oysters, Champagne and Martinis followed by poker, blackjack and yet more Champagne.

And although the conservative, square exterior served to tone down the fantasy somewhat, the stylish, plush interior, from the welcoming foyer through to the restaurant, didn’t disappoint.

Being relatively early diners, we were first into the restaurant, and were thrilled to find that we could see directly onto the gaming floors from our table. With the restaurant open until 2am, the atmosphere must positively buzz as money is won and lost in the casino.

The lack of intimacy offered by the restaurant’s proximity to the gaming tables suggested that the Fahrenheit wasn’t pitching itself as a romantic hideaway. This was further illustrated by the menu, which swayed more towards high-end pub grub than a la carte. That said, the choice of starters and mains was relatively wide-ranging (from calamari to hog roast pate on the starters menu, and teriyaki salmon, mixed grill and tapas on the mains).

The food itself was delicious and filling - the limited choice of desserts may well be due to the fact that nobody ever has room for one! The Mushroom Rarebit Crostini arrived sizzling with heat and flavour.

The perennial favourite, the prawn cocktail, delivered a spicy twist on a classic.

We side-stepped the grill menu (standard grill fare of sirloin and rump steak, gammon and burgers were all on offer) to indulge in Chicago chicken - served with soft and beautiful sweet potato

fries, cherry tomatoes and a perfectly seasoned flat mushroom - and the triumphant tapas plate of smoked ham, smoked lamb, halloumi, pastrami, olives stuffed with garlic and roquitto peppers (I told you it was filling!)

The friendly, attentive and efficient staff furnished us with drinks (including a tasty non-alcoholic cocktail) and even whipped up a toffee sauce to accompany our ice cream dessert.

Reasonable prices, tasty food and generous portions means that, like us, you will leave the Fahrenheit full to the brim.

And unlike many who visit the casino, you’ll still have the shirt on your back.

Kelly Carter Food: nnnnn Service: nnnnn Ambience: n n n n n Overall value n n n n n OVERALL n n n n n Genting Casino Eturia Road Hanley Stoke-on-Trent 01782 213499 www.whatsonlive.co.uk 65

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

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

LOVES The Glasshouse, Browning St, B16 8FL 0121 454 5151 MECHU 47 - 59 Summer Row, B3 1JJ 0121 212 1661 METRO BAR & GRILL 73 Cornwall St B3 2DF 0121 200 1911 MOUNT FUJI The Bullring, B5 4BH 0121 633 9853 OPUS 54 Cornwall St, B3 2DE 0121 200 2323 THE ORIENTAL The Mailbox, 128-130 Wharfside St, B1 1RQ 0121 633 9988 PEACHYKEENS 1741 Coventry Road, B26 1DS 0121 764 5519 PENNY BLACKS The Mailbox, 132-134 Wharfside St, B1 1XL 0121 632 1460 PICCOLINO 9 Brindleyplace B1 2HS 0121 634 3055 PITCHER & PIANO Brindleyplace, B1 2HP 0121 643 0214 POPPY RED Arcadian Centre, Birmingham B5 4TD 0121 687 1200 PURNELL’S 55 Cornwall St, B3 2DH 0121 212 9799 PURNELL’SBISTOR & GINGER’S BAR 11 Newhall Street, B3 3NY, 0121 2000 1588 RED PEPPERS 117 Wharfside St, B1 1RF 0121 643 4202 SAN CARLO 4 Temple St, B2 5BN 0121 633 0251 SHIMLA PINKS 215 Broad St, B15 1AY 0121 633 0366 SIMPSONS, 20 Highfield Rd, Edgbaston B13 3DU 0121 454 3434 THE SLUG AND LETTUCE, Brindley Place, Birmingham B1 2HL 0121 633 3049 STRADA 109-111 Wharfside St, The Mailbox B1 1XL 0121 643 7279 THAI EDGE 7 Oozells Sq, B1 2HL 0121 643 3993 WAGAMAMA Brindley Place, birmingham B1

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

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

7DG 01746 710 553

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Great theGrand!

Grand!

GreatTheatre Theatre at the TUE 8 - SAT 12 JULY

MON 30 JUNE - SAT 5 JULY

SUN 13 JULY

THE SMASH HIT MARC BOLAN MUSICAL! BILL KENWRIGHT PRESENTS

STARRING

IT’S BACK - AND IT’S GONNA LIVE FOREVER!

PETER AMORY AND MICHELLE MORRIS

SAT 13 SEPTEMBER

TUE 16 SEPTEMBER

WED 17 SEPTEMBER

FRI 19 - SAT 20 SEPTEMBER

ALSO BOOKING ALSO BOOKING

TUE 14 - SAT 18 OCTOBER

SAT 22 MARCH LESLEY TUE 23 SEPT JOSEPH - SAT 11 OCT

HOTDANCING FLUSH DIRTY

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THE SOLID SILVER SHOW TUE 21 OCT - SAT60s 1 NOV

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SUN TOP6 APRIL HAT

THE FAAABULOUS CERI DUPREE SHOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THU . . . . . . . . . .23 . . . . . .-. .SAT . . . . . . . . .25 . . . . . OCT .................................. ..............................................................................

SUN 13 APRIL DINOSAUR ZOO

BEYOND THE BARRICADE

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MON 144--TUES APRIL TUE SAT 815 NOV

TAP FACTORY REGENERATION

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FRI . . . . . .18 . . . . .APRIL ......................................

THAT’LL DAY TUE 11 -BE SATTHE 15 NOV

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SAT 19 APRIL THRILLER LIVE

THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS’ SPACE ODDITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SAT . . . . . . . .6 . . . .DEC . . . . . . . . . -. . .SUN . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . JAN .............................. ..............................................................................

TUESJULIAN 29 APRIL - SAT 3 CLARY INMAY

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

CINDERELLA

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