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What’sOnISSUE 362 FEBRUARY 2016

Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands

inside:

thelistYour 16-page week

by week listings guide

THE SOUNDOF MUSIC

Echoes through the Malvern hills...

Worcestershire Cover Online.qxp_Worcestershire 01/02/2016 14:42 Page 1

Great Theatre at the Grand!THU 25 - SAT 27 FEB TUE 8 - SAT 12 MARCH TUE 15 - SAT 19 MARCH

SUN 20 - TUE 22 MARCH SAT 26 MARCH THU 31 MARCH

FRI 1 APRIL SAT 2 APRIL MON 4 - SAT 9 APRIL

Box Office 01902 42 92 12 Book online at www.grandtheatre.co.uk

Follow us on @WolvesGrand Like us on Facebook: Wolverhampton Grand

Music by STEVEN MARGOSHESLyrics by JAQUES LEVY Book by JOSE FERNADEZ

Based on a concept by David DeSilva(Title song “Fame” written by Dean Pitchford and Michael Gore)

This amateur production is presented by arrangement withJOSEF WEINBERGER LTD. ON BEHALF OF MUSIC THEATRE

INTERNATIONAL OF NEW YORK

THE RUSSIANSTATE BALLETOF SIBERIATHE SNOW MAIDENSleeping Beauty Swan Lake

HHHHH “Mesmerising” The Guardian

A BLACK COUNTRY NIGHT OUTJONNY COLEDANDYTHE FIZZOGS andTHE RONALDOS!

“What a great night...Just like it used to be”

DON’T MISS ANNIEYOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR

THAT YOU’LL LOVE IT!

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@whatsonbrumBirmingham What’s On Magazine

Editorial Director: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704Matt Rothwell [email protected] 01743 281719Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Ryan Humphreys [email protected] 01743 281722Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Heather Kincaid, Helen Stallard, Katherine Ewing Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan Accounts Administrator: Julia Perry [email protected] 01743 281717

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MAGAZINE GROUP

What’sOn

talks about her dual role inSingle Spies at The REP

page 20

sharp-witted comedianreturns to the Glee

page 22

Matthew Bourne’s gothicreworking of classic tale

page 30

your 16-page week-by-week listings guide

page 51

Belinda Lang Joe Caulfield Sleeping Beauty the list

inside:

Destination Space - topical half-term show at Thinktank page 40

February 2016

4. First Word 14. Music 22. Comedy 24. Theatre 32. Film 38. Visual Arts 40. Events11. Food

Contents

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Holy moley! AlexandraBurke to play Delorisin Sister Act Alexandra Burke is to star in a national tour of LeicesterCurve theatre’s all-new production of hit musical Sister Act. The one-time X Factor winner will play Deloris Van Cartier ina show directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.Commenting on the news, Alexandra said: “I’m over themoon to be given the opportunity to play the wonderfulDeloris in Sister Act. It’s such an iconic role and a part I’vealways wanted to play. I love touring the UK and I’m thrilledto be working with Craig and his amazing creative team. Ican’t wait to get started!” Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig added: “I’m truly thrilledthat Alexandra is going to be our leading lady in this all-newproduction of Sister Act at Curve. Alexandra is such a fantas-tic singer and actress, and I know she’s going to be amazing.I couldn’t think of anyone better to play the role of the smartand funny Deloris.”Sister Act opens at Curve on Saturday 30 July. The show vis-its Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre from 12 to 17 Septemberand Malvern Theatre, Worcestershire from 5 to 10 December.

Local entertainer sharesThe Secret Of HappinessA local musician, writer, comedian, storytellerand actor is this month making his debut as asolo performer. Rich Stokes’ new show, The Secret OfHappiness, brings together stand-up comedy,poetry and songs, in the process contemplatingsuch wide-ranging topics as love, stalking andearwax.“I used to sing in the indie rock band Aquila,”explains Rich, “but when the drummer left andI started playing acoustic gigs on my own, Ifound the crowd would often talk during myset. So I started talking back to them and writ-ing sillier songs to keep their attention. Slowly Idrifted from ‘serious artiste’ to ‘musical comedi-an’. Rich presents The Secret Of Happiness atBirmingham’s mac on 27 February.

Birthday moviefor music legend ScratchCharismatic Jamaicanmusic legend Lee‘Scratch’ Perry is celebrat-ing his 80th birthday withthe release of a new film. Lee Scratch Perry’s VisionOf Paradise is describedas ‘the ultimate portraitof a true musical icon’and shows at macBirmingham on 24 & 25February. One of Rolling StoneMagazine’s top 100 artistsof all time, Lee hasworked with, among oth-ers, Bob Marley And TheWailers, Junior Murvin,the Congos and MaxRomeo. “I find the inspi-ration for my music inlove,” says Lee, “love andcomics. In comic books,good triumphs over evil,just like in my music.”

The first rollercoaster in the world to be entirely dedicatedto virtual reality is set to open at Alton Towers in April.Galactica has been customised for the full virtual realityexperience. Each rider wears a specialist VR headset. Through this, anon board artificial intelligence guides them from the launchpad up into space, flying and looping beyond the stars,banking through wormholes and speeding across undis-covered galaxies. Commenting on the new attraction, Alton Towers’Marketing Director, Gill Riley, said: “Galactica usesground-breaking technology to give riders a breathtakingand completely unique rollercoaster experience. “There’snowhere else in the world that people can experience thefeeling of a flying rollercoaster combined with soaringthrough the universe. For two minutes, our guests will betransported into space. We believe Galactica showcases thefuture for theme parks around the world - it’s a completegame changer.”

First Word

Full virtual reality ride to open atStaffordshire theme park

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Motor museumre-opens forschool holidays The British Motor Museum, former-ly known as the Heritage MotorCentre, reopens this month(Saturday 13 February) following a£1.1million refurbishment. The new museum will feature animmersive display of British motor-ing history and a new CollectionsCentre. The centre will allow thepublic access to an extra 250 carsfrom the reserve collections of theBritish Motor Industry HeritageTrust and the Jaguar HeritageTrust.The museum reopens in time forschool half term and will be host-ing a number of workshops duringthe holiday week.Commenting on the reopening, themuseum’s Managing Director, JulieTew, said: “We’re delighted toreopen the museum to visitors forhalf term. We have a packed pro-gramme of family events and tours,and visitors will be impressed withthe changes we’ve made to themuseum.”

CS Lewis classic aREP box office hit Birmingham Rep has revealed thatits Christmas production of TheLion, The Witch And The Wardrobewas the biggest-selling show in thetheatre’s history.Over 62,000 people visited TheREP to watch the production,which was presented a total of 82times between 26 November and16 January.Commenting on the record, TheREP’s Executive Director, StuartRogers, said: “The Lion, The WitchAnd The Wardrobe demonstratesthat there’s a real desire from bothschools and families inBirmingham for high-quality, home-produced theatre.”

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Entertainment news from around the region

Kaiser Chiefs announceForest Live showsKaiser Chiefs have announced that they’ll per-form at this summer’s Forest Live event inCannock Chase Forest, Staffordshire. Andaccording to lead singer Ricky Wilson, theopen-air setting will suit them down to theground: “As a band we’ve always loved to playoutdoors. We’ve done fields, parks, farms,rooftops, beaches and back gardens, but this

will be the first time we’ve played in a forest. Ifyou go down to the woods this summer, you’resure of a big surprise!” As with all Forest Live gigs, income generatedfrom ticket sales for the 10 July event will bespent on protecting, improving and expandingEngland’s forests and woodlands.Tickets cost £38.50 (plus £4.35 booking fee) andare available from the Forestry Commission boxoffice on 03000 680400 or online atforestry.gov.uk/music

£4million community hub opens in BrumA £4million project has seen a once-derelict Birmingham swimmingpool transformed into a community hub.The restored Grade ll listed building has now reopened for business asStirchley Baths. The result of a three-year collaboration between Birmingham CityCouncil, Acivico, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), Balfour Beatty andpeople from the local community, the new centre features a communi-ty hall, cinema space, meeting rooms and café. For further information about Stirchley Baths or to make a booking,visit stirchleybaths.org or call 0121 464 9072.

ATG founders top Stage 100 list - again!The co-founders of Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), which ownsBirmingham’s New Alexandra Theatre and Stoke’s Regent Theatre,have topped The Stage 100 list for a record-breaking seventh consecu-tive year. The announcement makes husband-and-wife team Sir Howard Panterand Rosemary Squire OBE the most successful entrants ever on theexclusive annual list, which features the 100 most influential peopleworking in theatre and the performing arts.Commenting on their success, Sir Howard and Rosemary said: “Lastyear was an extremely important one in ATG’s history. Alongside con-tinuing to produce diverse, high-quality work, we also continued ourglobal expansion. “We are enormously excited about what this means for ATG over thenext twelve months. It’s a great honour to yet again top The Stage 100,and we’re delighted to be part of such a vibrant and exciting industry.”

Childreninvited to takeFirst Stepswith BRBBirmingham RoyalBallet is this half termpresenting a specialperformance for chil-dren between the agesof three and seven. First Steps: A Child’sThe Dream is an hour-long presentationdesigned to introduceyoungsters to the worldof ballet and live per-formance. Featuring a full cast ofdancers and an orches-tra, the show is basedon a one-act ballet bySir Frederick Ashtoninspired byShakespeare’s AMidsummer Night’sDream.Tickets for the 19February event (1pm)cost £10. To find outmore, visit brb.org.uk


NEW SHOWSAND GIGSANNOUNCED!THE JOY FORMIDABLE Wed24 February - The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

YOUTH CLUB Tues 1 March -The Sunflower Lounge,Birmingham

CROOKS - Wed 2 March - TheAsylum, Birmingham

LAPSLEY Wed 9 March - O2Institute, Birmingham

NATTY Wed 16 March - O2Academy, Birmingham

GWYNETH HERBERT Fri 18March - The Glee Club,Birmingham

KANO Thurs 24 March - O2Institute, Birmingham

ALESSIA CARA Fri 25 March -O2 Institute, Birmingham

SOX Sat 26 March - O2Institute, Birmingham

BRAIN STORM Thurs 7 April -O2 Academy, Birmingham

PATENT PENDING Thurs 14April - O2 Academy,Birmingham

NERINA PALLOT Fri 15 April -O2 Institute, Birmingham

WOLFMOTHER Sat 16 April -O2 Acadmey, Birmingham

THE LOVELY EGGS Sun 24April - Hare and Hounds,Birmigham

KIP MOORE Mon 25 April - O2Institute, Birmingham

TINASHE Wed 4 May - O2Institute, Birmingham

RAT BOY Thurs 5 May - O2Institute, Birmingham

FRANCES Sun 15 May - TheGlee Club, Birmingham

GRAHAM NASH Sun 22 May -Symphony Hall, Birmingham

ZZ TOP Thurs 23 June - O2Academy - Birmingham

KASIER CHIEFS Sun 3 July -Delamere Forest - Cheshire andSun 10 July - Cannock ChaseForest, Staffordshire

JAMIE LAWSON Sat 15October - O2 Academy,Birmingham

BRING ME THE HORIZON Fri4 November - BarclaycardArena, Birmingham

Explore your genealogy at the NEC The world’s largest family history show is returning to Birmingham inApril to celebrate its 10th anniversary.Who Do You Think You Are? Live brings together some of the mostrenowned experts in family history, all of whom will be on hand tohelp visitors with ongoing research or offer advice about how to startan investigation into a family tree. The show also features Antiques Roadshow favourite Eric Knowles,who’ll be helping to identify and date family treasures. Other attractions include a packed programme of workshops, treasurehunts for children, a replica Spitfire plane from World War Two and aspecialist military area to commemorate ancestors involved in conflict. Who Do You Think You Are? Live runs at the NEC Birmingham from 7to 9 April.

A Reflection OfSilence at macA collaboration between

four highly gifted musicianswhose speciality is inter-

preting Iranian and Kurdishmusic is being presented at

mac Birmingham nextmonth.

Reflection Of Silence beginswith Mehdi Rostami (setar)and Adib Rostami (tombak)performing a selection ofIranian music. They will

then be joined by Tara Jaff(harp, vocal) and PouyaMahmoudi (guitar) in apresentation of ancient

Kurdish pieces given a con-temporary twist.

A Sampad (South Asianarts) event, Reflection Of

Silence is performed at macon 9 March.

Having a Ball at The Drum

Intercultural Birminghamarts centre The Drum is this

month hosting a SpringMasquerade Ball.

The 27 February event fea-tures DJs from Birmingham,

Leeds and London. Dresscode is smart, with prizes

awarded to the best-dressedman and woman. The event

is suitable for over-18sonly.

Sealife Centre welcomes new additionA species of jellyfish named after a Star Wars character has beenadded to The National Sea Life Centre Birmingham’s ever-growingfamily of weird and wonderful sea creatures.The Sarlacc is named after a Star Wars: Episode VI - Return Of TheJedi character, a multi-talented alien beast with an insatiableappetite. Seven of the jellyfish now reside at the popular Birminghamvenue. Commenting on the new arrivals - which can grow to huge propor-tions, their tentacles reaching a staggering five or six metres - the SeaLife Centre’s curator, James Robson, said: “It’s always a massive perkof the job when we welcome new arrivals, and this swarm is no differ-ent. I’m sure this rare stinging species will prove to be a fantasticaddition.”

Contributors needed for radio takeover BBC Radio WM 95.6 is calling on local listeners to take over its air-waves for one week in March.Contributors will be selected by the WM team and invited for trainingin February. Commenting on the initiative, BBC WM’s Editor, SarahHarness, said: “This is a really exciting project. We’re inviting listen-ers of BBC WM to come in and work with our presenters and journal-ists to really influence what goes into our programmes and news bul-letins. It’s a fascinating chance for us to see what people really wantto hear on the radio, whilst at the same time giving the audience aunique opportunity to really shape our programmes and work withsome of their favourite presenters.”Anyone over the age of 18 who lives in Birmingham or the BlackCountry can apply to take part. For information on how to getinvolved, visit www.bbc.co.uk/wmtakeover or call 03453 009956.

First Word

Jamie Lawson

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Tom Chambers

What's a newlywed to do whenhis ex-wife and her new husbandshow up on his honeymoon? In Noel Coward's Private Lives,former spouses Elyot andAmanda each take off separatelyfor a romantic French break withtheir new partners, Sybil and Vic-tor, only to run into each other atthe same Deauville hotel andrekindle their explosive relation-ship. Strictly Come Dancing and HolbyCity star Tom Chambers spoke toWhat's On about playing the‘flamboyant’ Elyot and about hiscareer so far.

“Elyot absolutely lives in the mo-ment and just wants to enjoy lifeand everything he does,” Chambersexplains. “He goes against the so-cial ‘type’ in as much as he is kindof anti-moralist and anti-religion.It's quite a glamorous, decadent

world - these are characters whodon't really have to worry aboutmoney like the rest of us, and hejust has this very flamboyant na-ture. He also gets a thrill out ofbeing around people he can sparwith. He and his ex-wife have a veryturbulent, acidic relationship andcompletely drive each other up thewall, but that's obviously what theylove about each other.”

A long-term fan of the play, Cham-bers is thrilled to have been offereda leading part, and has been thor-oughly enjoying sinking his teethinto Coward's acerbically witty dia-logue.

“The play is absolutely amazing!”he gushes. “I saw the late AlanRickman do it about ten years ago.It was so good, I saw it three times!It feels like it could’ve been writtenyesterday. The way the dialoguemoves from one line to the next, it'slike being on a moving train thatdoesn't stop at any of the stations.And then it just suddenly leapsonto another track and goes off inanother direction. It's like a box offireworks! The great thing aboutgood writing is that as long as youcommit to it, it does all the work foryou.”

Rickman's isn't the only star per-formance of the part he's seen. Suchfamiliarity with the play's historycould easily be daunting, but he'sconfident that the brilliant teamwhich director Tom Attenboroughhas assembled for the show will en-

sure it lives up to expectations.“I'm very mindful of the fact that allthese great actors have done it be-fore, and it's easy to be scared bythat, but you have to trust the mate-rial and the people around you. Thecasting is perfect - I think LauraRogers' interpretation of Amanda isone of the best I've ever seen, andwe've also got Richard Teversonfrom Downton Abbey and CharlotteRitchie, who's in Call The Midwife.It's a really great group of peopleand Tom Attenborough is like a se-cret weapon. He's come from thatamazing bloodline with David andRichard, and he's made us do itwith a lot more realism and mean-ing, so we're not just saying thelines in that light, flippant Cowardmanner.”

Chambers' previous acting creditsinclude a leading role in the firststage production of the classic Irv-ing Berlin musical Top Hat, forwhich he was nominated for bothOlivier and WhatsOnStage Awards.Like Private Lives, the original TopHat was released in the 1930s, aswas A Damsel In Distress - a filmpartly responsible for kickstartinghis career. After six years of strug-gling to get a professional actingbreak, he took matters into his ownhands by recreating the complexdance sequence performed with adrum kit by Fred Astaire in the film.He then sent it out to casting direc-tors in the hope of grabbing their at-tention.

talks about starring in a major revival of Noel Coward’s Private Lives

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“When you go to drama school, youhave one compulsory ballet, tap andjazz lesson a week, but I always reallyloved tap. We finished college at six,but I'd usually stay on till nine on myown, tapping in front of a mirror inone of the studios, going over andover the same steps to make them asfluid as possible. People couldn't un-derstand why I kept doing it, and Idon't think I really knew myself, es-pecially when I'd been unemployedfor such a long time.”

“It was only when my agent fired mefor not doing Bob The Builder: TheArena Tour that I decided to try thisone last thing before I jacked it all in.So I left London and went back to livewith my parents. I spent sevenmonths watching this old VHS, paus-ing it and trying to recreate it frameby frame. I created a floor, put upsome mirrors, filmed it and then Isent out a thousand copies, and fromall of those I got two replies. I'd actu-ally gone into a fire station and gotmy papers to sign up to be a firemanwhen the phone rang to say I'd got anaudition for Holby City. The funnything was that they were actuallylooking for an American actor, andthey'd obviously decided that be-cause Fred Astaire was American, Imust be too.”

Chambers has continued to build upa portfolio of period roles, more re-cently finding himself transported to1950s settings as Inspector Sullivan inthe BBC detective show FatherBrown, and as Phil Davis in a stageadaptation of another Irving Berlin

musical, White Christmas.

“I often used to think I was born inthe wrong generation because Ifind it quite hard to be cool ortrendy or modern. I used to watchthose matinee idol films when Iwas younger and just really relateto them. For me, people like JimmyStewart, Cary Grant, Fred Astaireand Gene Kelly were all the greats.They have such class and style. Ofcourse, it's a bit romantic because Iknow that if you actually did live inthe 1930s it would have been direbecause of the Great Depressionand everything else. Probably a lotof that glamour is trying to makepeople feel good because thingswere so bad.”

But while he may be comfortable ina top hat, white tie and tails andhappy to be performing to live au-diences again, he remains gratefulof the opportunities that shows likeStrictly, Holby City and WaterlooRoad have offered him.

“At one time I was doing nothingbut plays, but that was back beforeI got a professional acting job. I'vedone musicals and TV, but it's nowbeen over ten years since I've donea play, so it feels like new territoryall of a sudden, which is excitingbut also a bit nerve-wracking. Afterspending six years as a lorry driver,pizza delivery man, windowcleaner, caretaker and barman, I’mintensely aware that it's thanks tothings like Strictly and Holby thatI'm now able to do these theatre

parts. That audition for Holby Citycompletely changed my lifeovernight. Suddenly, I had a pro-fessional job that I was actuallyable to pay bills from.”

This year, fans of Holby City will beable to see him reprise his role asSam Strachan in the show's sisterseries, Casualty - though how longhis storyline will be, you'll justhave to wait to find out.

Asked what lessons experience hastaught him that might benefit as-piring actors now struggling tobreak through, he suggests thatyoung performers should get cre-ative and start developing projectsof their own. “There are so manyamazing, talented actors and per-formers out in the world, but be-cause there's so much competition,it's not really about talent so muchas persistence,” he says. “I shouldhave had the courage to find some-thing I felt passionately enoughabout to record sooner, but it tookme a long time to get to that be-cause I always just thought that Iwas at the mercy of the industry,rather than taking things into myown hands. Working on your ownmaterial is good for your soul, andit's so easy to put things out therenow - you can just upload themonto YouTube and get discoveredthat way.”

Private Lives shows at the NewAlexandra Theatre, Birminghamfrom Mon 8 to Sat 13 February

‘‘

‘‘

I saw thelate AlanRickman doit about tenyears ago.It was sogood, I sawit threetimes!

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Chung Ying proudly advertisesitself as ‘Birmingham’s favouriteChinese restaurant’ - and if thecrowds eating there on a chillyTuesday night in January areanything to go by, they’re notexaggerating. Established in 1981, Chung Yingis a veteran of Birmingham’sChinese quarter, its neon signunmissable to passers-by. Insideit feels like nothing much haschanged in the intervening 35years - there’s an awful lot ofblack lacquered wood - but Ifind this quite refreshing.

There’s no concept menu here,no clever branding, just good,solid, old-school Chinese dining.When I say ‘old-school’, I’mactually talking about two differ-ent things. There are all the clas-sics that English diners expect -things like spare ribs, sweet andsour pork and fried rice. But thelengthy menu is also chock-fullof traditional dishes: steamedeel with black bean, slow-cooked pork and vegetable dish-es, chicken’s feet and tripe. It’san enticing mix, indicative of arestaurant that knows it has to

cater for both English andChinese customers.Starters of deep-fried prawns,crispy wonton wrappers andbreaded squid with a sweet andsour sauce were fine, if a littledull. My wonton soup neverarrived, but then the waiter hadtaken our order without actuallywriting anything down, so I was-n’t surprised.The mains were brilliant. Duckwith plum sauce was generouslysized - crispy, falling-apart ten-der and partnered with a sweetplum sauce that actually tastedof plum. We matched it withChinese broccoli with garlic andginger - expertly prepared,though not what I ordered; Ithink the waiter had overruledmy choice of broccoli with crab -and a gorgeous chow meinpacked with fresh vegetablesand king prawns. It was allfresh, flavoursome and pipinghot from the wok, with none ofthat sickly greasiness you cansometimes find in Chineserestaurant food.The large table next to us wasoffered a platter of fruit fordessert, but sadly that offer did-

n’t come our way. Our bill cameto £37, which is great value formoney given the standard ofcooking and portion size. I’dlove to go back and work myway through the lengthy dim-sum menu - and if that duck isanything to go by, the slow-cooked meat dishes on the a lacarte are begging to be workedthrough too. The service at Chung Ying isquick, albeit a little, erm,abrupt, but the quality of thecooking makes up for it.Altogether a great place for anentertaining evening out. Helen Stallard

Food: nnnnn

Service: nnnnn

Ambience: nnnnn

Overall value nnnnn

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Chung Ying,16-18 Wrottesley St,Birmingham,B5 4ATTel: 0121 622 5669

REVIEW: Chung Ying - Wrottesley StreetHot from the wok...

Bite is back...The Bite street foodcollective will be serv-ing up more culinaryfavourites atBirmingham’s iconicFort Dunlop on 26February.Promising eats, beatsand booze, Bite takesplace on the lastFriday of every month,from midday till 2pm.If you missedJanuary’s event, besure to get along thistime round...

New ventures forBirmingham brewer Birmingham brewery Davenports hasannounced two new ventures as partof a £10million investment.The Smethwick-based company willdevelop new venues while furtherinvesting in existing establishmentssuch as the City Tavern.Dares Cafe, will be located in the OldPolice Station at the heart of thevibrant Jewellery Quarter. The venuewill be one of the first inBirmingham to offer brewery-freshtank beer dispensed from five hun-dred litre tanks hung from the ceil-ing.The second venue, also to be namedDares and located in the vacantHSBC bank in Moseley, could well betransformed into a craft beer/cocktailbar, restaurant and ten-bedroomhotel. Davenports’ owners are cross-ing their fingers the city councilgrants the necessary application.

Nouveau bistrot...

Food

French chain Le Bistrot Pierre isto open its 15th restaurant nextmonth, its third in the WestMidlands.Based in a Grade II listed build-ing on Birmingham's Gas Street,near The Mailbox, the restaurantwill offer food with a decidedlyFrench flavour. All dishes will befreshly prepared using a mix ofartisan provincial ingredientsand carefully selected, locallysourced ingredients.Rob Beacham, co-owner ofBistrot Pierre, said: “We’ve been

working closely with our archi-tects to make best use of thestunning building. It will haveoriginal features throughout andwill give diners a real sense of itsheritage, which is all part of theexperience we want to create.”Le Bistrot Pierre will open sevendays a week and offer a two-course prix-fixe lunch for £10.95and a two-course pre-theatremenu for £14.95. There will alsobe an à la carte menu, a gluten-free menu and children’s menuavailable.




A taste of love...Simpsons Restaurant in Birminghamis offering romantic lovers and loversof food alike the chance to indulgetheir passion this Valentine’s Day.The Michelin-starred eatery is pre-senting a special tasting menu to cel-ebrate the day of love - so why nottreat your beloved to what promisesto be an evening of exquisite diningaccompanied by a glass of bubbly?But hurry, as spaces are limited.Call the reservations team on0121 454 3434.

LUDLOW FOOD SPRING FESTIVALBoasting over 180 small independentfood and drink producers from theMarches, with plenty of food-relatedactivities taking place in the town cen-tre, Sat 14 - Sun 15 May, Ludlow Castleand Castle Square, Ludlow

ALCESTER & FOREST OF ARDEN SPRINGFOOD FESTIVAL A chance to get yourhands on the seasonal produce onoffer, including artisan cheeses andbreads, beers, wines, fresh produceand a wide variety of mainly local foodand drink, Sat 21 May, Alcester HighStreet, Warwickshire

ASPARAFEST This music and food festi-val not only offers great local produceand real ale and cider, but also a vari-ety of crafts stalls featuring artisancrafts including leather work, willowweaving and much more... Sat 4 - Sun5 June, Ashdown Farm, Evesham,Worcestershire

THE GREAT BRITISH FOOD FESTIVALTaking place at historic venues acrossthe Midlands and the North, GBFFoffers lots of things to see and do,including a BBQ stage and Man VFood competitions, Ragley Hall,Warwickshire, Sat 11 - Sun 12 June

ELLESMERE FOOD & DRINK FESTIVALCoinciding with Father’s Day,Ellesmere’s food and drink festivalencourages families to come togetherand enjoy the entertainment on offer,Sat 18 - Sun 19 June, Various venues inEllesmere, Shropshire

DROITWICH SPA FOOD & DRINKFESTIVAL Local food and drink cometogether in this historic salt town,which welcomes both local residentsand visitors from further afield, Sat 18- Sun 19 June, High Street, DroitwichSpa, Worcestershire

FOODIES FESTIVAL BIRMINGHAM Theall-new Tasting Theatre is an excitingaddition to this national food festival,featuring masterclasses designed byfood bloggers and experts, Fri 24 - Sun26 June, Cannon Hill Park, B’ham

SHREWSBURY FOOD FESTIVALShropshire’s finest craftspeople areinvited to exhibit their wares at thissummertime festival, Sat 25 - Sun 26June, Quarry Park and aroundShrewsbury Town Centre

COLMORE FOOD FESTIVAL Twenty-fiveof the district’s top venues offer a widevariety of tasters alongside cookeryand cocktail demonstrations and live

music, Fri 8 - Sat 9 July, VictoriaSquare, Birmingham

THE GREAT BRITISH FOOD FESTIVALThis touring food festival arrives inStaffordshire. With free chef demos,kids cookery and a cake-off, there’splenty to see and do, ShugboroughEstate, Staffordshire, Sat 9 - Sun 10July

BIRMINGHAM COCKTAIL WEEKENDA chance to sample the very best ofBirmingham’s cocktail scene, with sev-eral exclusive events and masterclass-es, Fri 15 - Sun 17 July, Various venuesacross the City Centre

BIRMINGHAM BEER WEEK Nine days ofbeer-related events, activities and pro-motions across the city, Mon 15 - Sun23 July, Various venues acrossBirmingham

BIRMINGHAM BEER BASH A wide rangeof beers, stunning street food, fringeevents and entertainment, Fri 21 - Sun23 July, Bond Co, Digbeth, Birmingham

LUDLOW FOOD FESTIVAL AUTUMNExpect products you won’t find in yourlocal supermarkets, from rare breedsof meat to real ale from passionateproducers and sellers, Fri 9 - Sun 11

September, Ludlow Castle, Shropshire

TAMWORTH FOOD GUSTO FESTIVAL Taking place in the grounds ofTamworth Castle, this ever-popularevent is packed with stands from localand regional producers, making it agreat day out for the family, Sat 10th -Sun 11th SeptemberTamworth Castle, Staffordshire

LEAMINGTON FOOD & DRINK FESTIVALExpect a packed programme, includ-ing the Taste Trail - featuringLeamington’s varied and diverse foodand drink, Sat 10 - Sun 11 September,Pump Room Gardens, RoyalLeamington Spa

STRATFORD TOWN CENTRE FOODFESTIVAL Last year saw celebrity chefsJames Martin and Simon Rimmer inthe Cookery Theatre. Keep an eye openfor who will be headlining this year,Sun 25 September, Town Centre,Stratford-upon-Avon

ALCESTER & FOREST OF ARDEN AUTUMNFOOD FESTIVAL Forage through thefood festival stalls, plan meals at localpubs, cafes and restaurants, Sat 15October, Alcester High Street,Warwickshire

Something to sink your teeth into...

Foodies Festival, Cannon Hill Park

With so many new foodie events springing up across the region, it can sometimes be hard to decide where best toindulge your tastebuds... Here are just some of the Midlands food and drink festivals you can check out this year...

Food

Deliciously daringA new immersive event combining gastronomy, per-formance and visual art is set to provide an alterna-tive Valentine’s experience for the more daring diner.Diabolical Roses explores themes of romance, sex andunity via a marriage of food and performance.The production uses the dining table as a stage andsuggests unexpected ways in which food might beconsumed.Tickets for the event cost £40 and include a six-coursemeal and performance. The venue has yet to beannounced.For further information about the menu and to buytickets, visit billetto.co.uk/diabolical-roses



Jarrod DickensonThe Glee Club, Birmingham, Thurs 11 February

Texas-born Jarrod Dickenson’s criticallyacclaimed album, The LonesomeTraveler, saw him tour with LauraMarling, David Bromberg, JohnFullbright, Duke Special and David Ford.Meanwhile, his EP, Songs From WillowSt, enjoyed plenty of BBC airplay fromradio hosts including Cerys Matthewsand Dermot O’Leary. Dickenson gave breakout performancesat Glastonbury and Larmer Tree, andrecently embarked on a 21-date tour sup-porting The Waterboys.

Vula VielHare And Hounds, Birmingham, Thurs 25 February

Vula Viel means ‘good is good’ in Dagaare,

the language of a tribe in Upper West Ghana

where lead singer Bex Burch used to live.

A five-piece electronic, jazz and world music

collective from London, the talented outfit

bring the powerful, ancient Dagaare music

into the 21st century and promise to ‘engage,

entrance and excite your soul’.

Debut album Good Is Good has received rave

reviews from its critics and is described as

‘an engaging mix of African, electronica and

minimalist influences’.


FoalsBarclaycard Arena, Birmingham, Fri 19 February

Indie rock band Foals formed over a decadeago and comprise lead vocalist and lead gui-tarist Yannis Philippakis, drummer and per-cussionist Jack Bevan, rhythm guitaristJimmy Smith, bassist Walter Gervers and key-boardist Edwin Congreave. The band have released four studio albumsto date and certainly show no sign of slowingdown.Debut album Antidotes (2008) went straightinto the UK Album Charts at number three,with Total Life Forever (2010) and Holy Fire(2013) also making the top ten.Having reached number three in the chartswith critically acclaimed new album WhatWent Down, the band have now embarkedon a UK and European tour.Everything Everything support.

HozierO2 Academy, Birmingham, Tues 2 February

Global star Hozier burst onto the music scenefollowing the release of his single, Take MeTo Church, which made it to number one inBelgium and peaked at number two in theUK, the US and Ireland. Performances atprestigious events such as Victoria Secret Fashion Show, Billboard Music Awards andGlastonbury have since seen the 25-year-oldsinger-songwriter’s career go from strength tostrength. Hozier is touring the UK prior totaking time out to work on a new album.

Gigs

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John GrantWarwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Mon 1 February

John Grant visits Coventry this monthto celebrate the launch of third albumGrey Tickles, Black Pressure.“I do think the album’s great, and I’mreally proud of it,” he says. “I wantedto get moodier and angrier on thisrecord, but I probably had a lot morefun making it.” Despite ongoing health issues - includ-ing his HIV-positive status - theAmerican singer-songwriter hasrefused to slow down. “I want to con-tinue to challenge myself,” says John,“to keep collaborating, to get thesound or the direction that will takeme where I need to go. To keep takingthe bull by the horns.”

Wille And The BanditsArtrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 13 February;The Robin, Bilston, Thurs 18 February

Counting blues, rock, Latin and folkamong the styles of music they play,the Cornwall-based Wille And TheBandits have toured their huge andeclectic sound with the likes of DeepPurple, Joe Bonamassa, The JohnButler Trio and Status Quo. They’vealso reached number two in the UKblues charts, performed at the LondonOlympics and played countless sets atmajor music festivals, includingGlastonbury and BoomTown Fair. “Describing our music is alwayshard,” says frontman Wille Edwards.“We get compared to all sorts ofartists, so it’s maybe best if peoplemake up their own minds.”

For the complete gig guide visit whatsonlive.co.uk 15

Gig previews from around the region

Nathaniel Rateliff And The Night SweatsO2 Institute, Birmingham, Mon 15 February

Nathaniel Rateliff is a folk and blues singer-songwriter from America. He learned to playthe drums at the age of seven, not longafterwards teaching himself guitar and start-ing to write songs. After releasing two solo

albums - Desire And Dissolving Men (2007)and Falling Faster Than You Can Run (2013)- he launched soulful rhythm & blues comboNathaniel Rateliff And The Night Sweats. The seven-piece collective released theirself-titled debut offering last summer, secur-ing top spot in the US folk album charts.

FensterThe Tin Music and Arts, Coventry, Tues 16 February

Fenster are a four-piece experimental psych-pop band based in Berlin. They’ve releasedthree full-length albums to date - Bones(2012), The Pink Caves (2014) and Emocean(2015). The latter is the soundtrack to a sci-fiadventure film created by and starring theband. The movie starts out as a documentaryabout the band struggling to finish theirthird record. While attempting to do so,they’re accidentally transported into analternate dimension where nothing is as itseems...Fenster are here performing their cine-con-cert/film screening with a live score.

Leona LewisSymphony Hall, Birmingham,Sun 28 February

London-born Leona Lewis rose to fame backin 2006 when she won the third series ofThe X Factor. Best known for 2008 top-sell-ing single Bleeding Love - which reachednumber one in over 30 countries - she’s backon the road after a three-year break fromtouring to promote the release of her fifthalbum, I Am.

Wet Wet WetGenting Arena, Birmingham, Fri 26 February

Wet Wet Wet are best remembered for hav-ing topped the charts for a record-busting 15weeks back in the mid-1990s with Love Is AllAround. But their success story stretchesway beyond a single number-one hit, withthe group having amassed well in excess of20 top-40 hits and sold more than 15 millionrecords. Support on the evening comes fromWestlife’s Markus Feehily.

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BCMG: Parallel ColourCBSO Centre, Birmingham, Sat 6 February

Richard Baker here conducts the world pre-miere of Edmund Finnis’ commission forBirmingham Contemporary Music Group’sSound Investment scheme, a hugely success-ful initiative which aims to raise money tosupport living composers through the com-missioning of new music.As well as Finnis’ Parallel Colour, the pro-gramme also features Claude Vivier’s TroisAirs pour un opéra imaginaire, Tansy Davies’Dark Ground, the UK premiere of RozalieHirs’ Platonic ID, Jonathan Harvey’s CirrusLight and Franco Donatoni’s Still.

Unlimited VoicesBirmingham Town Hall,Sun 21 February

The 200-strong Unlimited Voices choirdescribes itself as “unlocking unlimit-ed potential, covering unlimited typesof music in an unlimited number ofplaces”. “We cover all different musicalstyles,” explains a choir spokesper-son, “including rock, pop, musicals,movies, classical, big band, swing,gospel, spiritual and folk music. “We run our concerts on a themedbasis for a particular genre of music -and our specialist workshops, singingdays and night classes cover all musi-cal genres. Choral singing is ourfocus, but there are also fabulous soloopportunities for those wishing to par-take in them.”This Birmingham concert sees thechoir performing some of the best-known musical theatre hits, fromshows such as Matilda and We WillRock You.

Ex Cathedra: I Was GladTown Hall, Birmingham, Sun 7 February

British choir and early music ensemble ExCathedra has based its reputation on theperformance of choral music from the15th century onwards. This latest presen-tation features works from the 20th centu-ry, including Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice InThe Lamb. The piece was written by thecomposer during a particularly prolificperiod in the mid-1940s and is widelyconsidered to be one of his finest choralworks. The evening’s programme also features:Janácek’s Otce nás (The Lord’s Prayer),Leighton’s Crucifixus pro nobis, Parry’s IWas Glad and Walton’s The Twelve.

Chamber Orchestrawith EMVEElgar Concert Hall, Birmingham,Sun 7 February

The Chamber Orchestra and Early ModernVocal Ensemble (EMVE) here present animaginative programme of music.Symphony in G minor by Pierre vanMaldere - the man often referred to as 'theFlemish Mozart' - is accompanied by ele-gant works for orchestra and vocalensemble. There’s also orchestral musicby Charles-Joseph van Helmont andPetrus Hercules Brehy, two composerswho look set to enjoy a bright future inthe world of classical music.

Classical Music

CBSO BenevolentFund ConcertSymphony Hall, Birmingham,Sun 14 February

Previous years have seen thelikes of Andris Nelsons and SirSimon Rattle giving their serv-ices for free to this annual con-cert, which is dedicated to theCBSO’s ‘friends in need’ withinBirmingham's musical commu-nity. John Wilson (pictured) picksup the baton on this occasion,with Valeriy Sokolov on violin.The programme featuresNicolai’s The Merry Wives OfWindsor - Overture 8‘′, Bruch’sViolin Concerto No. 1 25‘′ andElgar’s Enigma Variations, 31‘′.

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“I'm absolutely in love with Judy, and I feelvery protective of her at the moment,” saysMaxwell. “When I was little, I was such afan of the family that I wrote a letter toJim'll Fix It asking if I could do a duet withLiza Minnelli.”

Maxwell is far from alone in her admira-tion. In portraying such an enormouslypopular figure, she's mindful of the expec-tations that many audience members willbe bringing with them to the show.

“The thing I think I'm most worried aboutis really giving people what they expect,because there'll be a lot of Judy Garlandfans in the audience. Also, as a fan of hermyself, I want to do her justice. Die-hardJudy fans know everything about her, so Ihope that with this play we're giving themwhat they know and love. For those whoaren't fans, we're telling a sometimesfunny, sometimes touching story of awoman with a serious alcohol and pill ad-diction problem.”

The two characters who share the stagewith Judy in this show are almost symbolicof the double pull of her public and per-sonal life. Though mostly confident of heraudience's adoration, off-stage she strug-gled to build trust and maintain stable re-

lationships with other people.

“I know at times she behaved appallinglytowards other people, but she had no ideaof how to love or be loved because she wasnever shown,” Maxwell explains. “Her re-lationship with Anthony is one that she'scomfortable with because he's just there toserve her. Even though he's a gay man,there's a lot of chemistry between them,and he's partly there to represent her lovefor her audience. With Mickey Deans, onthe other hand, she has quite a volatile re-lationship, although she’s very much inlove with him. I think he loves her too, butas a frustrated musician, he's nonethelessaware of the opportunities that being mar-ried to her can bring him. He's actually herfifth husband, although she keeps callinghim husband number four because shecan't remember.”

Despite having watched all her films grow-ing up, Maxwell has spent time research-ing the woman behind the stardom,reading biographies and watching clips ofher performances on YouTube.

“I want to give the character as muchdepth as possible. It's important to say thatthis is a play with songs rather than a mu-sical, so we're trying to tell a very truthful

Loose Women regular talks aboutstarring as the iconic Judy Garland inPeter Quilter’s End Of The Rainbow

FEATURE

End of The Rainbow shows at

Belgrade Theatre, CoventryTues 23 to Sat 27 February

Malvern TheatresTues 5 to Sat 9 April

Wolverhampton Grand TheatreMon 18 to Wed 20 April

Lichfield GarrickMon 16 to Wed 18 May

New Alexandra TheatreTues 21 to Sat 25 June

Lisa Maxwell

In early 1969, after a string of unsuccessful shows generates a bout ofbad press, a damaged and deteriorating Judy Garland attempts to gether life and career back on track with the help of her newest husband,Mickey Deans, and her devoted friend and accompanist, Anthony. Butwill a five-week run at London's Talk Of The Town be enough to rekin-dle a star that's rapidly burning out, and can she rely on the good in-tentions of the men around her? Before the end of June that year,Garland's drug dependence would get the better of her, resulting in hertragic early death. So goes the story of Peter Quilter's End Of The Rainbow, a poignantwindow onto the final days of one of Hollywood’s greatest icons. In anew production of the show directed by Mercury Theatre's DanielBuckroyd and touring to Coventry's Belgrade Theatre this month, LisaMaxwell (The Bill, Loose Women) stars as Judy Garland, alongside GaryWilmot and Sam Attwater as Anthony and Mickey. What's On spoke tothe leading lady to learn more.


Lisa Maxwell DPS MM.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 14:33 Page 1

story that’s wonderfully punctuated with allthese moments where we see her in concert.I hope that people see her vulnerability, aswell as how absolutely hilarious she was.”

One difficulty, of course, is that during herfinal months, Garland had not been per-forming as well as at the peak of her career,presenting anyone portraying this period ofher life with a choice of whether to empha-sise that decline, or to focus on the talentthat made her famous. Maxwell knowswhere she stands.

“I want to be able to sing all the songs well,and I've been seeing a vocal coach for a fewmonths. Yes, she wasn't at the top of hergame towards the end, but the one thingthat she was always able to do was to turn iton and make magic happen on stage. I'mnot allowing myself to say, 'Oh, it doesn'tmatter if you can't sing it, because she wasat the end of her life'. I'm not taking thateasy way out.”

After five years presenting ITV's LooseWomen, Maxwell is relishing the challengeof getting stuck into a tough acting roleagain. With her teenage daughter now oldenough not to need her mum around somuch, it's the perfect time to get back onstage and start touring again, though familylife remains important to her. Outside work,she's also vice-patron of the Cotswolds Dogs& Cats Home and has been helping to raisemoney for a new, top-quality facility inGloucestershire.

“It's going really well. We're there now andwe're going to be opening in May. Hopefullyit's going to be the best rescue centre ever!The facilities for the animals are wonderfuland there are great working conditions forthe staff so that when they come, they'llstay. I'm amazed that in an area where na-ture and animal life play such a big rolethere are still so many animals being mis-treated. It's a real passion of mine to see thisfacility flourish. That said, I can't take anyof the credit for everything the peoplewho’ve been with the charity for years havedone - they've raised every penny them-selves.”


by Heather Kincaid

I hope thatpeople see hervulnerability,

as well as howabsolutely

hilarious shewas.

“

”

Lisa Maxwell DPS MM.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 14:33 Page 2

Belinda Lang

8 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

West End favourite stars in a snapshot of Soviet espionageon stage at The REP

At the height of the Cold War, while tour-ing with the Shakespeare Memorial The-atre in Moscow, the flamboyant stage andscreen star Coral Browne is thrown intoan unexpected encounter with the notori-ous Cambridge spy, Guy Burgess. Years later, while supervising the restora-tion of a Titian painting, Surveyor of theQueen's Pictures Anthony Blunt dis-cusses art and forgery with the monarch,around the time of his exposure as amember of the same spy ring.

In a new production of Alan Bennett'sSingle Spies by the Birmingham REP incollaboration with Chichester FestivalTheatre, these two snapshots of Soviet es-pionage are brought to life on stage byNicholas Farrell (The Iron Lady, The LadyIn The Van, Legend), David Robb (Down-ton Abbey, Wolf Hall, The Young Victoria)and Belinda Lang (2point4 Children, Sec-ond Thoughts, Dear John), directed byOlivier Award nominee Rachel Ka-vanaugh.

What's On recently caught up withBelinda about her two very different rolesin the play.

“Coral Browne is very theatrical,” says Lang,“she's an 'actressy actress', whereas theQueen is almost the opposite. She's not in-terested in gossip, and she even mentionshow actors just talk about themselves all thetime.”

A singular, colourful presence, famed for herwicked sense of humour, Coral Browne leftan indelible mark on the acting world. Langrecalls growing up with an even keenerawareness of her “legendary personality”than of her performances.“My mother was slightly younger than Coral,but they were acting at a similar time, andshe's very much someone I remember beingspoken of. She was just outrageous and terri-bly funny, speaking with this foul languageand always telling it like it is. I think beingAustralian gave her a different take on themanners of the day. Of course, she was alsomarried to Vincent Price, who was one of mygreat TV heroes, so that made her all themore interesting to me.”

Anyone taking on this role has the uniqueadvantage - or challenge, depending on howyou look at it - of being able to refer to the


FEATURE

Belinda Lang DPS.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:18 Page 1

real Coral Browne's own take on the story: inthe film version of the play's first act, An Eng-lishman Abroad, Browne actually plays her-self. “I think she was a bit too old to play heryounger self by the time she came to do it.I’ve watched the film just to see, but I've de-cided to play her more the way that Alan'swritten her than the way she is in the film.”

Meanwhile, the Queen's character is a trickierthing to get a handle on: as well as beingrather less flamboyant than Browne, she hassomething of an obligation to keep strongopinions under wraps, and to maintain a qui-etly dignified demeanour, at least in public.“The Queen is hard. You think you know howto play her, but when you come to actually doit, you realise how difficult it is. It's very easyto go into a caricature and do a ludicrouslyposh voice, but actually, she's not like that atall. I've been watching lots of footage of herfrom over the years, but in the end, I'm notan impressionist, I'm an actor, so I'm notgoing to try to do an impersonation of her.”

Fortunately, Lang will have the interval tomake the transition: enough time to slip intoa new character, as well as a new costume.Browne herself famously took issue with thecostumes in the original National Theatreproduction, describing Prunella Scales' outfitas a “defamation”, comprised of “fake furand hats that wouldn't have come out of agrab bag at the Sally Army on Boxing Day”.“When they first did the play at the NationalTheatre, it was at a time when people werevery anxious about using real fur, so they gota fake one,” Lang explains. “Browne was ab-solutely appalled by this because she lovedfurs, and had famously managed to get a furcoat in every show she was in, or at leastthat's what's said of her. She was apparentlyso horrified that she donated a real fur to thetheatre, which they got rid of shortly after-wards. I'm afraid as a homage to Coral I'mgoing to be wearing real fur - I don't want herghost coming and haunting us!”It's not only the characters' looks and person-alities that are distinct: the nature of their re-lationships with the two spies could alsohardly be further apart.

“Coral Browne only met Guy Burgess once,although they had a little correspondenceafter that, so this is just the true story of theone meeting they had. On the other hand, forthe Queen, Anthony Blunt was on her staff

for years, so he was very much a part of herworld.”

As the story has it, Burgess barged intoBrowne's dressing room during the intervalof a production of Hamlet in which she wasplaying the Danish Queen, Gertrude. Later,she was invited to his Moscow flat, where shemeasured him for a suit he wanted orderedfrom his London tailor. The specifics of theconversation between Blunt and the Queenare drawn more from Alan Bennett's imagi-nation, whereby a discussion of faked paint-ings once believed to be real serves as aclever metaphor for Blunt's betrayal. Their in-teraction nevertheless offers some profoundinsights into the impact of espionage on thelives of those involved.“People like Burgess were huge figures at thetime, and the papers were just full of storiesabout this spy ring, and endless speculationabout who the fourth man was, and then thefifth man. Even today, people still talk aboutit and say there must have been others in-volved, but of course none of that will ever beknown now: it's all kept under firm wraps forreasons of security, as well as out of embar-rassment. Still, the play isn't so much aboutspying as it is about the aftermath of it, andhaving to live a lonely life because of it.”

True to form, Bennett blends comedy withtragedy to bring a touching humanity to fig-ures once held up as dangerous traitors.“He's a very affectionate writer, and it'ssomething that you notice particularly whenyou're doing this play, because he's very sym-pathetic towards these people who were vili-fied in their day. Anthony Blunt wassupposed to have been rather unpleasant,but Alan's made him as hilarious and tolera-ble as he possibly could. Not because he ap-proved of spying, but because that's what he

does with his characters: he presents themwith all their foibles, but he doesn't ask youto judge them, and he makes them kind ofloveable and funny.”

Lang has previously described Bennett as“one of those rocks that makes our countrysit together artistically”, possessing talents that extend beyond his compelling character development.“His use of language is beautiful, and he justcaptures things in a way that seems so effort-less, though I'm sure it must take him hoursand hours to create such sensitive work. When you're learning one of his scripts, youfeel like he's put every word in the rightplace. He also has this very English humour.It's hard to put your finger on something likethat, but you can almost imagine him laugh-ing as he writes.”

The quiet introspection and gentle pacingthat tend to characterise Bennett's work are afar cry from Lang's previous performances atBirmingham theatres, which included AuntEller in the classic Rogers & Hammersteinmusical Oklahoma! at the Hippodrome, andElla Khan in a 2009 REP production of East IsEast which met with an exuberant reception.“I had a brilliant time,” she says of workingon East Is East. “It was extraordinary - morelike an event than a typical theatre piece be-cause it was jam-packed with all these peoplewho just shouted wonderful things out. Iloved every second of it! It will be interestingto come back and do a slightly less riotousplay - let's hope this gets a warm receptiontoo!”

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 9whatsonlive.co.uk 21

Single Spies shows at The REP, Birmingham from Wednesday 17 -Saturday 27 February.

by Heather Kincaid

The Queen is hard. You think you know how to play her, but whenyou come to actually do it, you realise how difficult it is.‘‘

”

Belinda Lang DPS.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:18 Page 2


RichardHerringStation Pub,Birmingham,Wed 3 February

Richard Herringhas developed areputation as oneof the UK’s mostinventive and origi-nal comedians, cleverly using his real-life trials and tribulations to inform his high-quality line in comic patter. And he’s certainly not a man to shirk big orcontroversial subjects when it comes to hiscomedy shows. Previous tours have seen himponder religion (Christ On A Bike), politics(Hitler Moustache) and penises (TalkingCock). This latest offering finds him contemplatingthe subject of happiness. Questions for con-sideration include whether true belly laughsonly come from depression, and just howmuch pressure Happy the dwarf was underto live up to his name...

Tony LawThe Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton,Thurs 11 February;Royal Spa Centre,Leamington Spa,Sat 13 February;The Glee Club,Birmingham, Wed 17February

Zany alternativecomedy is Canadianfunnyman Tony Law's stock-in-trade, a factwhich means his audience is guaranteed anevening of truly off-the-wall, boundary-defy-ing stand-up. So if you like your comedians to be touchedwith genius while at the same time prone tomeander off-topic with gag-laden dialogues,Tony is definitely the laughter merchant foryou. Jokes include: “My kid was looking at mewith doey eyes - we'd been baking thatmorning”.Tony visits the Midlands this month with hisbrand new touring show, Frillemorphesis.

Mark SteelThe Courtyard,Hereford, Sat 6February, WarwickArts Centre,Coventry, Thurs 11February

“I started doingstand-up in 1982,around the circuit ofbizarre gigs,” recallshighly regarded writer and comedian MarkSteel. “I’d go on after jugglers and escapolo-gists and people that banged nails into theirear. “Since then, I’ve spoken at lots of demon-strations, union meetings, protests and ben-efits - and yet capitalism still seems to rulethe world. Maybe I’m a jinx!” A well-established performer on the UK com-edy circuit, Mark’s CV includes the BAFTA-nominated Mark Steel Lectures for BBC Two,BBC One’s Have I Got News For You andRadio Four’s News Quiz. His latest touring show, Who Do I Think IAm?, takes a look at the subjects of identityand adoption.

Six of the best...

Comedy

Jo CaulfieldGlee Club, Birmingham, Fri 19 & Sat 20 February

Enjoy an evening of urban comedy in thecompany of the sharp-witted Jo Caulfield,one of the most successful and instantlyrecognisable female comedians in the coun-try. Midlands-born Jo has appeared on plenty ofwell-known telly shows during her career,including Mock The Week, Have I Got NewsFor You and Never Mind The Buzzcocks.“Information just leaves my brain continu-ally,” says Jo in talking about her latestshow, Uninformed Opinions. “I think Irealised that a couple of years ago, watch-ing quizzes on TV. I remember thinking,‘Oh, I like a quiz. I’m quite intelligent, I’mwell read...’ Then I realised I didn’t remem-ber anything. “Now I find quizzes quite annoying. I justwatch them to see if there are actually peo-ple more stupid than me.

Check out page 53 for EXCLUSIVEFriday night deals at The Glee Club

Comedy Feb - Region 1.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:17 Page 1

Adam HillsTheatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 13 February

Birmingham Hippodrome, Sun 28 February

One of Australia's most talented comedians, Adam Hillsis a Perrier Award nominee and best-selling act at the

Edinburgh Festival. His thoughtful comedy, inter-spersed with moments of real spontaneity, have earnedhim rave reviews across the globe, in the process win-

ning him an ever-growing legion of fans.Jokes include: “Deaf people are c***s. I’m not afraid to

say that out loud,” and “The Pope is resigning. He’llsoon be known as Ex Benedict”.

TommyTiernanTheatre Severn,Shrewsbury,Wed 10 February;The Glee Club,Birmingham,Sun 6 March

With sold-outshows across theworld, it’s fair tosay Tommy Tiernan is a hugely successfulIrish export - albeit an often controversialone. Most notably he once found himself inhot water for comments he made about theHolocaust, Jews and the death of Christ.And he’s not always been the comedian ofchoice with parents of Down Syndrome chil-dren either... With his bag of gags also including jokeswhich take as their subject matter amethadone user, eastern European immi-grant accents and a film idea about gay trav-eller spacemen seeking a cure for homosexu-ality, an evening in his company certainlyhas the potential to be a bit challenging.That said, Tiernan’s not one of Ireland’s topcomedians without very good reason...

Steve HallMockingbird Theatre, Birmingham,Sat 20 February

Steve Hall is not only related (via a convolut-ed web of Irish cousins) to Steve Coogan,he’s also often likened in both look andsound to the Alan Partridge star. That said,Hall is very much his own man, and hasbeen making a splash on the UK comedy cir-cuit for many a year now. Best known as one third of the We Are Klangsketch group, Steve has also provided sup-port for Russell Howard on three sell-outtours.

RussellKaneThe Rose Theatre,Tewkesbury, Sat 27 February

This man's officialpublicity blurbhas previouslyincluded the fol-lowing: “Love.Race. Politics. Class. Strap in for some super-speed sunderings and inconvenient sociolo-gy in an hour of self-soiling merriment thatwill leave you with rickets.”Russell Kane is a very funny man - and it’snot just his publicist who thinks so. Kane’sbeen drawing a crowd since bursting ontothe scene way back in 2004, serving up liber-al doses of high-quality humour in an act which also features some considerablyweighty and thought-provoking material.His latest touring show, Right Man, WrongAge, is described as ‘a performance aboutgrowing up, growing down, and why fartswill always be funny’.

For more comedy listings visit whatsonlive.co.uk 23

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ImpossibleNew Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 16 - Sat 20 February

This West End show has been hailed as ‘theUK’s biggest magic spectacular’.Fusing ‘death-defying’ stunts, technologicaltrickery and close-up magic, Impossible rein-vents some of the biggest illusions in history.The touring version of the show features threeoriginal West End cast members - daredevilescapologist Jonathan Goodwin, mind-readingspecialist Chris Cox and illusionist Ben Hart.The trio are joined by Britain’s Got Talent starJames More, Cirque du Soleil and Hollywoodtrickster Lee Thompson and hip-hop andbreak-dancing magician Magical Bones.Expect to have your breath well and trulytaken...

Miss NightingaleBelgrade Theatre, Coventry,Tues 9 - Sat 13 February

Described as ‘a heartwarming and hilariouscabaret-style story of love, loss and hope’,Miss Nightingale is set during the SecondWorld War and tells the story of feisty singerMaggie and her songwriter pal, George.As London crumbles around her, Maggieyearns for the bright lights. George, mean-while, keeps hidden a deep, dark secret. Butwhen wealthy club owner Sir Frank sidlesinto their lives, everything suddenlychanges, and Maggie is miraculously trans-formed into satirical music hall star MissNightingale...

Doctor FaustusRoyal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon; Thurs 4 February - Thurs 4 August

First published in 1604, 11 years after itsauthor Christopher Marlowe's death, theElizabethan-age story of Dr Faustus is afamiliar one. A disillusioned but knowledge-hungry academic enters into a pact with thedevil - one which will see him relinquishinghis soul in the afterlife in exchange for theenjoyment of unlimited power during histime on earth...Maria Aberg returns to the RSC to direct thisnotorious tale of vanity, greed and damna-tion. Read our interview with Maria online atwhatsonlive.co.uk

Round And Round The GardenLichfield Garrick, Mon 8 - Wed 10 February;Malvern Theatre, Tues 16 - Sat 20 February

Round And Round The Garden is one of AlanAyckbourn’s 1973 Norman Conquests trilo-gy, three plays following the same cast of sixcharacters as they spend a weekend togetherin a Sussex country house.The Norman of the title is a beguiling, fatallyflawed assistant librarian - a man intent onmaking women happy. But when heattempts to seduce his sister-in-law andcharm his brother-in-law’s wife - while at thesame time attempting to keep on the rightside of his own spouse - it soon becomesapparent that he’s bitten off more than hecan chew...

The Best ThingRoses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Tues 2 February;Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 6 February; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 11 - Fri 12February; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, SouthShropshire, Sat 13 February; mac,Birmingham, Thurs 17 - Fri 18 March

Leading full-mask theatre company Vamoshave collaborated with London InternationalMime Festival to present this Swinging ’60sstory of unconditional love. Described as ‘a bitter-sweet tale of mistakenmorals and broken hearts, 45s and beehives’,it focuses on the character of Susan, a youngwoman who finds her life unexpectedlyturned upside down at the tender age of 17...

WIN! TICKETS To enter, visit whatsonlive.co.uk

Theatre

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The UnknownSoldierOld Joint Stock Theatre,Birmingham,Fri 26 - Sat 27 February

The need to keep a promise andrepay a debt keeps Jack on theWorld War One battlefields,even though the guns have fall-en silent... Described as a story of comrade-ship and betrayal, and of prom-ises both broken and kept fol-lowing the carnage of the GreatWar, The Unknown Soldierdebuted at Edinburgh last yearand was highly praised by thecritics. Its author, award-nominatedplaywright Ross Ericson,enjoyed a 2013 success withCasualties, a fraught dramaabout the Afghanistan War andits repercussions.

I Know All TheSecrets In MyWorldThe Drum, Birmingham,Fri 25 - Sat 26 February

One of the UK’s first BritishAfrican theatre companies, TiataFahodzi, are the talented ensem-ble behind this thought-provok-ing two-hander. Presented bythe actors using mime andmovement, the show follows theexperiences of a father and sonas they grieve the loss of thewoman they both loved...A resident company at WatfordPalace Theatre, Tiata Fahodzihas built a reputation for pre-senting accessible productionswith wide appeal, in so doingcrossing boundaries of race,gender, age and wealth.“We seek to challenge presump-tions,” explains the company,“and to reveal the African expe-rience to British audiences inways that are unusual and unex-pected. We want to be formallyadventurous as well as rigorousin our storytelling.”

For more theatre previews visit whatsonlive.co.uk 25

Lord Of The FliesWarwick Arts Centre, Coventry,Tues 23 - Sat 27 February

Written by William Golding in 1954, Lord OfThe Flies tells the story of a group of Britishboys who find themselves stranded on anuninhabited island. In an effort to bringsome order to their peculiar existence, theyattempt to govern themselves - but thingssoon get seriously out of hand...This new version of Golding’s classic is pre-sented by London’s award-winning Regent’s

Park Theatre and has enjoyed rave reviews. “Unfortunately, I don't think this story goesout of date,” says the show’s director,Timothy Sheader. “We're even more exposedto these kind of events today than peoplewere in the 1950s. Then, it was more of a‘what if?’. Now, we've all seen terribly tragicexamples of violence from and against chil-dren and young people in the news - whetherit's child soldiers in Africa, teenage girls run-ning away to Syria, or horrible youth gangsand murder cases in disenfranchised pocketsof our own country.”

Land Of Our Fathersmac, Birmingham; Tues 2 - Wed 3 February

Chris Urch’s play made a significant splashwhen it debuted in 2013, picking up the TimeOut Critic’s Choice and Fringe Show Of TheYear awards. Hailed as an engrossing andpowerful theatrical experience, the play is setin South Wales on the day that MargaretThatcher came to power. Trapped down a coal mine, six Welsh minersawait rescue, in the meantime engaging inheated conversations that will change theirworld forever...

Of Mice And MenThe REP, Birmingham, Thurs 4 - Sat 13February; Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton,Tues 8 - Sat 12 March

George and Lennie are drifters who only haveeach other and their shared search for theAmerican Dream. George is the sharp littleguy who looks out for Lennie. Lennie, mean-while, is his big-hearted companion who,unaware of his own strength, seems unableto keep out of trouble. Finding work on a ranch in California, theyplan to stay long enough to buy a little placeof their own - but their arrival triggers a tragicchain of events thatthreatens to destroythe very dream thatunites them... This brand new ver-sion of the JohnSteinbeck classicstars Dudley Suttonin the role of Candy.

Theatre previews from around the region



Avenue QTheatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 16 - Sat 20February; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent,Mon 21 - Sat 26 March

This Tony Award-winning musical focuses onsubjects such as dating, racism, being gay andfinding your purpose in life. At the centre of the story is Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate with a tiny bank balancewho, as he sets out on a voyage of self-discov-ery, is easily distracted by a busty blonde and aplethora of weird and wonderful friends.

Who’s Afraid OfVirginia Woolf?Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 February

Edward Albee’s 1962 play is best rememberedfrom its film version, which starred RichardBurton and Elizabeth Taylor. The play focuseson a middle-aged couple named Martha andGeorge, and examines the spectacular decline oftheir marriage. As the couple wage war againstone another, in the process drawing their younghouse-party guests into a series of all-or-nothing‘games’, it becomes increasingly hard for themto distinguish the line between fact and fiction...

Jeeves And WoosterLichfield Garrick, Tues 23 - Sat 27 February

The delightful world of PG Wodehouse is herebrought to the stage by amateur ensembleDifferent Animal.Featuring an engaging cast of quirky characters,Perfect Nonsense finds Bertie Wooster beingunwittingly called on to play matchmaker whena country house weekend takes a turn for theworse. To add to his problems, Bertie needs to steal asilver cow creamer from Totleigh Towers.Needless to say, the ever-dependable Jeeves ison hand to save his employer’s blushes...

Wilde Without The BoyBrewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-upon-Trent,Staffs, Fri 12 February

This dramatic interpretation of De Profundis -the letter Oscar Wilde sent to his lover, LordAlfred Douglas, from Reading gaol, where he’dbeen imprisoned for acts of gross indecencywith other males - is directed and dramatised bythe award-winning Gareth Armstrong and per-formed by Gerard Logan. It’s accompanied by a companion piece from thesame two men, Wilde’s The Ballad Of ReadingGaol - a poem narrating the execution of CharlesThomas Wooldridge, who’d been convicted ofmurdering his wife.

Merry WivesNew Vic Theatre,Newcastle-under-Lyme,Fri 5 - Sat 27 February

Mistresses Page and Fordbelieve it’s high time that the fatknight Sir John Falstaff wastaught a lesson. After all, the bigfella’s been courting them both -and caring not one jot about thefact that both of them are mar-ried! This Shakespearian tale of buck-baskets, frolicsome fairies andmistaken identity here receivesthe Northern Broadsides treat-ment.

Stags And HensPrince of Wales Centre,Cannock,Thurs 11 - Fri 12 February

A typical Willy Russell comedy,Stags And Hens manages to beboth funny and thought-provok-ing. And as with the majority ofthe playwright’s work, it alsohas plenty to say about Britishworking class society. First pub-lished thirty years ago in a col-lection with Educating Rita andBlood Brothers, it focuses on thestag and hen parties takingplace the night before Dave andLinda’s wedding. Problem is,both events are being held inthe same venue. And to makematters worse, Linda’s ex hasunexpectedly turned up, leavingthe bride-to-be with a life-changing decision to make...

Life And TimesOf The Tat ManOld Joint Stock Theatre,Birmingham, Wed 3 February; Arena Theatre,Wolverhampton,Sat 13 February

David Calcutt’s much-admiredplay is a one-man show that’sbeen variously described as‘powerful’, ‘stirring’, ‘intimate’and ‘enthralling’.The Tat Man is a restless soul,and from the scrapyard tellstales of travelling folk, bloodybirths, blacksmiths, devils andtalking horses. His stories lead to the landscapeof World War One, where, asdreams are shattered, he’s leftto gather together the pieces inan effort to make sense ofthings... For full theatre listings, visit whatsonlive.co.uk

The Jersey BoysWolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 20 February

Rockin’ and rollin’ New Jersey boys Frankie Valliand The Four Seasons scored some truly massivehits during the 1960s. Best-known numbersincluded Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, BigGirls Don't Cry, Sherry and December 1963 (Oh,What A Night).This massive Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-winning jukebox musical tells their story. Taking a documentary-style format, the show isstructured as four ‘seasons’, each being narratedby a different member of the band.


Theatre previews from around the region


Spring 2016A new look for a new year

0844 338 5000 birminghamhippodrome.comCalls cost 4.5p per min. plus access charge. 5% transaction charge applies excluding cash sales in person.

Wed 9 Mar -Sat 23 AprFrom £25

Mon 25 - Sat 30 AprFrom £13.50

Carlos Acosta Cloud Gate DanceTheatre of Taiwan

Mon 30 May - Sat 4 JunFrom £20

Tue 1 & Fri 4 MarFrom £16.50

Fri 6 & Sat 7 MayFrom £15

NederlandsDans Theater 2

Produced by DanceXchange in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome, funded by Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council.

Dance: Sampled Ballet BC

Tue 3 & Wed 4 MayFrom £15

Tue 10 &Wed11MayFrom £15

Fri 20 &Sat 21 MayFrom £15

Tue 17 &Wed18May£15

The Barber of SevilleRossiniNEW PRODUCTION

Tue 9 - Sat 13 FebFrom £18.50

Wed 17 - Sat 27 FebFrom £10

Wed 17 - Sat 20 Feb

Ashton Double BillWed 24 - Sat 27 Feb

Romeo & Juliet

B.Hipp. Feb RIGHT HAND FP 2016:Layout 1 22/01/2016 09:29 Page 1

AnnieRegent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mon 1 -Sat 6 February; Wolverhampton GrandTheatre, Mon 4 - Sat 9 April

Birds Of A Feather actress Lesley Joseph starsas the far-from-pleasant Miss Hannigan inthis latest version of the oft-touringBroadway hit.The heart-warming rags-to-riches tale of a lit-tle girl who finds herself transported from aNew York orphanage to the luxurious worldof millionaire Oliver Warbucks, the show fea-tures plenty of memorable songs, includingIt's A Hard Knock Life and the legendaryTomorrow.

The Lost ThingsLichfield Garrick, Mon 15 - Tues 16 February;mac, Birmingham, Thurs 18 - Sat 20 February

Award-winning theatre company Tortoise InA Nutshell have here teamed up with writerOliver Emanuel to present a show that’sdescribed as ‘a dark fairytale where nothingis quite as it seems’.When a boy falls, he finds himself in a terri-fying new world of lost things - including amysterious girl who’s busying herself build-ing an amazing machine...

RapunzelTheatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 13 February

Immersion Theatre have earned themselvesan enviable reputation for their witty,tongue-in-cheek retellings of much-lovedtales. Their last visit to Shrewsbury saw thempresenting a sparky and sold-out version ofThe Wind In The Willows - and there’s everyreason to imagine this latest offering will bea similar bums-on-seats success story.The book and lyrics come courtesy of the cre-ators of hit US television series Friends... As starting points for an entertaining experi-ence go, that certainly isn’t a bad one.

The Owl Who Was AfraidOf The DarkOld Rep, Birmingham, Mon 15 February

Jill Tomlinson’s bestselling children’s classicis here brought to the stage by the talentedBlunderbus. The ensemble utilise music,puppetry and storytelling to present thedelightful tale of a baby barn owl who’s notas comfortable with the darkness of night asmaybe he should be...

Gangsta GrannyBelgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tues 16 - Sat 20February; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent,Wed 8 - Sat 11 June; New Alexandra Theatre,Birmingham, Tues 28 June - Sat 2 July;Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 12 - Sun 16October

The ever-popular Birmingham StageCompany make a welcome return with theiradaptation of David Walliams’ best-sellingbook.Ben’s no lover of Friday nights - and whywould he be? After all, Friday nights meanhaving to stay at Granny’s house, where he’snot only bored senseless but also has to eatan unholy trinity of cabbage dishes - cabbagesoup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake. Butexperiences can sometimes be deceptive,and Ben soon finds out that there’s way moreto his boring old Granny than ever he’d imag-ined...

Here Be MonstersRoses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Wed 17 February;Old Rep, Birmingham, Sat 5 March

The villainous Captain Cut-Throat may beadamant that monsters simply don’t exist,but his usually fearsome crew are far fromconvinced by their skipper...Based on the book by Jonathan Emmett, thissea-faring adventure features a veritabletreasure chest of songs and interactive fun.

The Return Of NeverlandThe Place, Oakengates Theatre, Shropshire,Fri 12 - Sat 13 February

Even timeless classics can benefit from afresh perspective - and that’s exactly whatthis show is giving JM Barrie’s much-lovedstory of Peter Pan. As Neverland’s magic decreases, Peter andthe Lost Boys find themselves grounded.Then, unexpectedly, a secret is revealed thatmay not only save the island but make itmore powerful than ever before....

The Gruffalo’s ChildStafford Gatehouse Theatre,Thurs 4 - Fri 5 February

This Tall Stories Theatre Company’s musicaladaptation of Julia Donaldson and AxelScheffler’s much-loved book is sure to be ahit with kids, and finds the Gruffalo and hisyoungster embarking on yet another adven-ture in the deep, dark wood.Despite her dad's warning to stay away fromthe wood, the Gruffalo's child decides it'stime to go and explore, unworried by the leg-end of the Big Bad Mouse... All adults mustbe accompanied by a responsible child!

Cinder-EllaArena Theatre, Wolverhampton,Thurs 11 February; The REP, Birmingham, Sat 13 February

The ever-imaginative Krazy Kat Theatre makea welcome return with a show that featurespuppetry and sign language. When a grandfather is left holding a ratherleaky baby, he decides to create a world offantasy, using dolls, magic tricks and evenan old pram to bring alive his favourite fairy-tale.

Kids shows this month...


For full theatre listings, visit whatsonlive.co.uk

The Return Of NeverlandRapunzel

Gangsta Granny



Birmingham Royal Ballet:Ashton Double BillBirmingham Hippodrome,Wed 17 - Sat 20 February

This Birmingham Royal Ballet tribute to SirFrederick Ashton, one of England’s mostadmired and influential choreographers,features two of his best-loved one-act bal-lets.Created by Sir Frederick in 1964, The Dreamhas been described as an ‘elegant and wittydistillation’ of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.BRB’s performance of the work kick-startsthe company’s year-long celebration ofShakespeare, four hundred years after theplaywright’s death.A Month In The Country, meanwhile, is apoignant, romantic tale inspired by IvanTurgenev’s play of the same title. It tells thestory of a bored housewife, her young fosterdaughter, and the rivalry that developsbetween them when a handsome young stu-dent enters their lives...

2Faced Dance:Dreaming In CodeTheatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 9 February

This double bill of works from award-win-ning choreographer Tamsin Fitzgerald andEddie Ray for Frantic Assembly is performedby one of the UK’s most innovative maledance ensembles.The Herefordshire-based 2Faced DanceCompany was formed by Fitzgerald in 1999,its stated mission being to inspire andincrease dance provision to young peopleand the wider community. The company here performs a work that’sbeen described as ‘exhilarating, heartbreak-ing, devastating and joyful’. Dreaming InCode comprises two presentations - LucidGrounds and Milk Night. Both use a combi-nation of theatre, dance, film and music byAngus MacRae and Tony-nominated com-poser Alex Baranowski to contemplate whatthe future could look like.

Into The Hoods: RemixedWolverhampton Grand Theatre,Thurs 25 - Sat 27 February

Sadler’s Wells associate artist Kate Prince

here presents the story of two lost school

children who’re tasked with finding a num

ber of items, including trainers as pure as

gold and a hoodie as red as blood. Their

efforts to do so bring them into contact with

some truly colourful characters, among

them wannabe singer Lil Red and vivacious

rapper Rap On Zel.

The youngsters soon find themselves inextri

cably involved in ‘a storybook adventure

into the heart of a pulsating community’.

This is a newly revamped version of the

award-winning 2008 West End production.


Matthew Bourne’sSleeping Beauty Birmingham Hippodrome,Tues 9 - Sat 13 February

Described as a fairytale for all ages, MatthewBourne’s gothic reworking of Perrault’s classicfairytale has received rave reviews since mak-ing its debut at London’s Sadlers Wells. The decade of the 1890s - a period synony-mous with fairies, vampires and decadentopulence - is the starting point for this haunt-ing tale of good versus evil, which begins withthe birth of Princess Aurora. The action then shifts to the 1920s, as theprincess makes the transition into adoles-cence, and then jumps forward once again -this time to the modern day, and her awaken-ing from 100 years of slumber...


Dance

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Motionhouse DanceWarwick Arts Centre, Coventry,Thurs 4 - Fri 5 February;mac, Birmingham, Tues 9 - Wed 10 February;Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 26 February

Although Motionhouse’s work is essentiallyrooted in dance, the Leamington-basedensemble also draw on theatre, circus, acro-batics and film to create visually stunningperformances. The company is out and about in theMidlands with not one but two presentationsthis month... Broken fuses athletic dance with digitalimagery and original music to examineman’s precarious relationship with theearth... Captive and Underground, meanwhile, areperformed as a double bill. The former -blending dance, acrobatics and aerial work -is performed by four dancers in a rockingtubular structure. The latter uses ‘physicaldance, poignant imagery and surprising aer-ial encounters’ to explore the new reality oftrain travel.

Brendan Cole:A Night To RememberRegent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sun 21February; Symphony Hall, Birmingham,Sun 20 March

Brendan Cole is once again out on tour withthis hit production, presenting a show thatfeatures, among other dance styles, waltzes,quicksteps, tangos and salsas. Described byCole as ‘an evening with style, with some-thing for everyone’, the production providesthe Strictly Come Dancing stalwart withplenty of opportunity to demonstrate hisslick dance moves and impressive vocalprowess.

SalaamOld Rep, Birmingham,Thurs 4 February

A double bill celebrating ‘har-mony, inner-stillness and thesimple bliss of being alive’,Salaam (meaning ‘peace’) is thelatest work from British-borndancer-choreographer SoniaSabri and her dynamic ensem-ble. Sonia describes Salaam as “aresponse to unrest around theworld that aims to refocus onand reminisce about all that isgood”...Over the years, her highly ratedcompany has established aninternational reputation for itspresentation of Kathak dance ina contemporary context.

Richard AlstonDance CompanyMalvern Theatre, Worcestershire,Tues 16 - Wed 17 February

Richard Alston is recognised asone of British dance’s mostinspiring and influential chore-ographers, his work beingdescribed by The New YorkTimes as 'the finest by any cho-reographer alive’. Alston is alsorenowned for his instinctivemusicality - an attribute whichis sure to be much in evidence inthis celebration of the compa-ny’s 20th anniversary. A triplebill, the performance features:Nomadic (connecting Romaniangypsy music and electronicsound), Martin Lawrance’sBurning (inspired by the DanteSonata of Franz Liszt) andOverdrive (in which Alston takesup the pulsating rhythms ofCalifornian composer TerryRiley’s music).

DeNada Dance Theatre: Ham And Passionmac, Birmingham, Thurs 25 February

The history of homosexuality in 20th century Spain is the subject of this brand new showfrom choreographer Carlos Pons Guerra and his DeNada Dance Theatre company.The dance triple bill is being promoted as an evening of ‘seductive, provocative and emphati-cally Spanish contemporary dance theatre that will subvert the senses’. DeNada has a fast-growing reputation for the vigorously physical style of its shows, blendingdance vocabularies to present work that’s been described as accessible, humorous andpoignant...

Dance previews from around the region



Dance DPS Feb - Region 1.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 16:14 Page 2


Deadpool CERT 15 tbc

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin,Ed Skrein, TJ Miller, Gina Carano, BriannaHildebrand, Leslie UggamsDirected by Tim Miller (USA)

Special Forces operative Wade Wilson is sub-jected to an experimental treatment to curehis cancer. However, things do not go accord-ing to plan and he is left severely disfigured.But it’s not all bad: although he seems tohave acquired a twisted sense of humour andan unstable mind, he is endowed with newhealing powers. So he hangs up his khakisand takes on the superhero moniker ofDeadpool, setting off to exact his revenge. In the hands of Ryan Reynolds - who does a“twisted sense of humour” proud - this couldbe enormous fun. Having helmed the title sequence to theAmerican remake of The Girl With TheDragon Tattoo, Tim Miller now steps into hisfull-length directorial debut. We wish himluck. In IMAX.

Released Wed 10 February

Dad’s Army CERT 15 tbc

Starring Bill Nighy, Catherine Zeta-Jones,Toby Jones, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon,Blake Harrison, Daniel MaysDirected by Oliver Parker (UK)

Don’t panic! This may be another big-screentranslation of a beloved British treasure, butthe cast is truly impressive. No doubt youngerviewers couldn’t tell John Le Mesurier fromJohn Laurie, so this lot should do very nicelyas the inept conscripts of the Home Guard. The scripter Hamish McColl is perhaps bestknown for co-writing the theatrical hit ThePlay What I Wrote and contributing to the‘story’ of Paddington.

Released Fri 5 February

Rams CERT 15 (93 mins)

Starring Sigurður Sigurjónsson,Theódór Júlíusson Directed by Grímur Hákonarson(Iceland/Denmark)

In a remote, windswept corner of Icelandreside two prize rams, Garpur and Sproti.Coincidentally, they belong to Gummi andKiddi, who happen to be neighbours - andbrothers - who haven’t spoken to each otherin forty years… Anybody who ‘gets’ Icelandic humourshould relish the doleful, under-stated andstraight-faced portrait of rivalry, competi-tion, loneliness and sheep as delineatedhere. The fact that it is so entirely plausible andbleakly beautiful just adds to the distinctivemeasure of this haunting and original work.And if you think you know where the storyis going, you may be surprised. It’s grim upnorth - but, here, it’s also quite droll andsurprisingly moving.Released Fri 5 February

Film highlights released in February...

GoosebumpsCERT PG (103 mins)

Starring Jack Black, Dylan Minnette,Odeya Rush, Amy Ryan, Ryan Lee Directed by Rob Letterman (USA)

RL Stine is dubbed ‘the Stephen Kingof children’s literature’ and here isplayed by Jack Black in a comic-horrorfantasy adapted from his own series.When Stine’s imaginary demons areunleashed on the town of Madison inDelaware, his daughter Hannah (Rush)teams up with a new teenager on theblock to try and save the day. In 3D.


CRITIC’S CHOICE

Film

Film Feb - Region 1.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 16:17 Page 1

Concussion CERT 12a (123 mins)

Starring Will Smith, Alec Baldwin,Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Albert Brooks, ArlissHoward, Luke WilsonDirected by Peter Landesman (USA)

If you think FIFA is corrupt, you shouldtry this true-life drama. Will Smith playsBennet Omalu, an eccentric Nigerianpathologist whose life changes foreverwhen he cuts open the brain of formerfootball legend Mike Webster. At firstBennet is confused by what he finds.

However, he soon discovers that Websterwas suffering from chronic traumaticencephalopathy, a disorder resultingfrom concussion sustained during hiscareer as an offensive lineman. But withhis department’s finances stretchedbeyond breaking point and with theNational Football League making his lifeas awkward as hell, Bennet funds hisown continuing investigation. It may becosting him his life savings, but he has todo the right thing...


Alvin And The Chipmunks:The Road Chip CERT U (92 mins)

Starring Jason Lee, Tony Hale, KimberlyWilliams-Paisley, with the voices of JustinLong, Anna Faris, Christina Applegate Directed by Walt Becker (USA)

Believe it or not, this is the fourth cinematicouting for the mischievous ground squirrels(created by a hit single in 1958). Here, they suspect that their human inti-mate Dave (Lee) is going to dump them infavour of his new girlfriend, so they set offon a road chip [sic] to Miami to stop him.Expect irritatingly high voices.


A Bigger SplashCERT 15 (124 mins)

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson,Matthias Schoenaerts, Tilda SwintonDirected by Luca Guadagnino (Italy/France)

Recuperating from an operation on hervocal chords, the androgynous rock starMarianne Lane (Swinton) holidays on theremote island of Pantelleria with her consid-erably younger boyfriend (Schoenaerts). Buttheir idyll is rudely interrupted by thearrival of Marianne’s former partner(Fiennes), along with his sultry 22-year-oldcompanion (Johnson)… Reuniting MsSwinton with Luca Guadagnino, the directorof I Am Love (2009), A Bigger Splash is aloose adaptation of Jacques Deray's crimedrama La Piscine (1969). And it’s an oddone, to say the least. There is much toadmire, but then also little to engage. Themain problem, though, is that the charac-ters are more colourful than believable andwe are given little reason to care for them.Above all, though, the film suffers from ahaemorrhaging unevenness of tone. Is it afamily melodrama, erotic thriller or madcapfarce? In spite of the best efforts of all, itdoesn’t succeed on any count.


Oddball and the PenguinsCERT U (96 mins)

Starring Shane Jacobson, Sarah Snook, AlanTudyk, Deborah Mailman, Coco Jack Gillies,Terry CamilleriDirected by Stuart McDonald (USA)

Oddball is the canine protagonist of thisdecidedly odd true-life story. When a popu-lation of penguins on an Australian islandare decimated by foxes, a farmer (Jacobson)decides to train his dog to look after theseabirds. The result was astonishing.



Film releases in February

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Trumbo CERT 15 (124 mins)

Starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, HelenMirren, Louis CK, Elle Fanning, JohnGoodman Directed by Jay Roach (USA)

Understandably, Hollywood has proved to berather obsessed with the McCarthy witchhunts of the 1950s.Here, the Oscar-winning screenwriter DaltonTrumbo (Roman Holiday, Spartacus) is thefocus of our sympathies, an anarchic talentwith a keen eye for a good line.In the hands of Bryan Cranston, he is a com-pelling figure, brandishing a cigarette-holderin his teeth while knocking out screenplaysin the bath.He’s well supported by Diane Lane in anunshowy performance as his long-sufferingwife Cleo and by a barnstorming turn fromHelen Mirren as the waspish gossip colum-nist Hedda Hopper. As an engrossing dramarecalling such a preposterous passage ofHollywood shame, the film is good value.




Zoolander 2 CERT tbc

Starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell,Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, BenedictCumberbatchDirected by Ben Stiller (USA)

It’s been a long time coming, but the sequelto Ben Stiller’s cult comedy of 2001 finallyarrives with a very starry ensemble (includ-ing cameos from Justin Bieber, KimKardashian, Lewis Hamilton, et al). When Zoolander’s mesmerising and iconic‘blue steel’ look ends up on the faces of astring of celebrity corpses, he’s recruited byInterpol to help solve the crimes.


The Finest HoursCERT 12a (117 mins)

Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster,Eric Bana, Holliday GraingerDirected by Craig Gillespie (USA)

It’s been quite a year for blizzards (cf. TheHateful Eight, The Revenant) and now wehave a nor’easter that splits asunder two oiltankers off the New England coast. The yearis 1952 and this big-budget disaster movie isbased on the very true event now known asthe Pendleton rescue mission. In 3D.


FreeheldCERT 12a (101 mins)

Starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, MichaelShannon, Steve Carell, Luke Grimes, JoshCharles Directed by Peter Sollett (USA)

Last year Julianne Moore won an Oscar forplaying a woman suffering fromAlzheimer’s. She’s now playing a victim of avery different stripe. She is New Jerseydetective Laurel Hester and the proud same-sex partner of Stacie Andree (Ellen Page).Peter Sollett's Freeheld is a more credibledrama than Still Alice (for which Moore wonher Oscar), and a good deal more moving. Ithelps, of course, that Laurel Hester is a truecharacter and that Ellen Page is so damnedgood as the younger lesbian.Michael Shannon contributes male ballastas Laurel’s professional partner, while SteveCarell adds light relief as a gay legal activist.It’s an emotive, eloquent and even funnydrama and a testament to the skills of itssuperior cast.


Gods Of Egypt CERT tbc

Starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, BrentonThwaites, Chadwick Boseman, Rufus Sewell,Gerard Butler, Geoffrey RushDirected by David Gordon Green (USA)

When Set, the god of darkness, plungesEgypt into chaos, a young thief determinesto dethrone him for taking the love of hislife captive. Not to be mistaken for a sequelto Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods And Kings.


Secret In Their EyesCERT tbc

Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman,Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, Michael Kelly,Alfred MolinaDirected by Patricia Riggen (Chile/Colombia)

A team of investigative agents is thrown intodisarray when a murder victim turns out tobe the daughter of DA employee Jess Cobb(Julia Roberts). A remake of the Oscar-win-ning Argentine film of the same name, thiscrime thriller should surely, finally cementChiwetel Ejiofor's standing in Hollywood.

Released Fri 29 January

Triple 9 CERT 15 (116 mins)

Starring Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor,Anthony Mackie, Aaron Paul, WoodyHarrelson, Kate WinsletDirected by John Hillcoat (USA)

If done properly, heist films are prettyirresistible. This one is directed byJohn Hillcoat, the uncompromisingfilmmaker with such credits as TheProposition, The Road and Lawlessunder his belt. Here, a gang of crimi-nals in cahoots with a cabal of corruptcops get together to pull off a seem-ingly impossible robbery. But firstthey must eliminate a certain policeofficer…


How To Be Single CERT 15 (110 mins)

Starring Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson,Alison Brie, Leslie Mann, JasonMantzoukas, Damon Wayans JrDirected by Christian Ditter (USA)

The title says it all: in a world of evercomplicated definitions of a meaning-ful relationship, four single New Yorkwomen strive to live life to the full - ontheir own terms. Based on the novel ofthe same name by Liz Tuccillo.


Grimsby CERT tbc

Starring Sacha Baron Cohen, MarkStrong, Rebel Wilson, Penélope Cruz,Isla Fisher, Gabourey SidibeDirected by Louis Leterrier (UK)

Sebastian Grimsby (Strong) is success-ful, efficient and deadly - and one ofMI6’s most prized assassins. However,when the fate of the world is in thebalance, he is forced to team up withhis estranged brother Nobby, a foot-ball hooligan and an idiot.

Released Wed 24 February

Film


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Ikon Single Page.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:23 Page 1

Arriving as a student at Birmingham Uni-versity's Centre for Contemporary Cul-tural Studies in the late 1960s, Harvardgraduate Janet Mendelsohn embarked ona project to document life in the impov-erished inner-city district of BalsallHeath. Then notorious for its slum hous-ing, prostitution and growing immigrantpopulation, the area became a source ofmoral panic, inspiring the youngMendelsohn to produce a striking photo-essay exploring the medium as “a tool forsocial analysis”.

Decades later, thanks to historian KieranConnell and a new exhibition at Ikon,Mendelsohn's work is finally getting thelocal recognition it deserves. Publicly dis-playing many pieces for the first time in theUK, Varna Road opens a fascinating windowonto the troubled history of Birminghamand the titular street, once described as “thewickedest road in Britain”.

“Balsall Heath is a very historic and texturalpart of the city, and what you see in the pho-tographs is almost unrecognisable now,”says Jonathan Watkins, Director of IkonGallery. “They were taken just before thewrecking machines started to move in forthe slum clearance.”

The exhibition follows a glimpse into herwork that was displayed at Balsall Heath'sOrt Café as part of last year's Flatpack Festi-val. Ghost Streets Of Balsall Heath sought toengage residents of the area, offering arange of activities, talks and screenings tohelp contextualise the images.

“That selection was made very much withthe local community in mind,” Watkinssays. “But the selection is going to be muchgreater here. As well as more of the BalsallHeath photographs, we have a set focusingon the daily life of a prostitute called Kath-leen. You see her at home, you see her onthe streets with friends, you see her work-ing, and you see her with her husband andchildren.”

Sensitive yet unsentimental, Mendelsohn'swork gives an unflinchingly honest depic-tion of her subject's world. As well as pic-tures of her soliciting passers-by from her

bedroom window and standing alone in thestreets, there are some beautifully tenderimages of Kathleen with her infant children,and an insightful collection of interviewswith both her and members of her family.

One of the first academic bodies to give seri-ous attention to popular culture, the Centrefor Contemporary Cultural Studies thatMendelsohn attended was a vital part of thedevelopment of a new discipline that wouldgo on to gain international recognition. Nev-ertheless, the centre was eventually closedin 2002.

Varna Road is just one part of Ikon's 2016-17programme with a local connection. Overthe summer, the gallery will display thestriking monochrome landscapes of JesseBruton, one of its founding artists. Towardsthe end of the year, it will host a comprehen-sive survey of the work of Birmingham-bornRoger Hiorns, known for his innovative useof objects and materials. Hiorns will also beengaging in off-site activities, including theburial of a 737 aeroplane on a nearbybrownfields site, and an intervention intochurch services at Birmingham Cathedralwhich will see the choir arranged in randompatterns, lying on their backs for evensong.

“Ikon is a flagship venue for visual arts inthis city and this region,” says Watkins,“and it would be negligent of us not to ac-knowledge that context and not to be cham-pioning what happens here, with respect toboth contemporary art practice and to ourheritage. At the same time, there’s a widercontext of an increasingly globalised artworld. You don't just think of yourself inyour local area - you're part of a widerworld, and to a large extent the demo-graphic of Birmingham reflects that. Birm-ingham is a manifestation of a huge globalmovement of people, so it's locally relevantto have an internationalist programme.”

This “internationalist programme” will in-clude a major exhibition of Dan Flavin's flu-orescent light works in spring, as well asThe Colony, a new video installation by Viet-namese-American artist Dinh Q Lê thatopens alongside Varna Road. Commissionedin collaboration with Artangel, The Colonytakes as its subject Peru's Guano Islands,

which became a seat of international ten-sion during the 19th century as foreign pow-ers fought over their natural resources. Theword guano refers to bird excrement thathas built up over centuries, valued for itspowerful fertilising properties.

“It was like a kind of gold that travelled allaround the world, and resource wars actu-ally broke out over it,” Watkins explains.“It's only mined occasionally now, but in the19th century, everybody pounced on it be-cause it would give you maybe three, four,even five times the agricultural yield of whathad been used previously.”

The project marks something of a departurefor Lê, who is best known for his workaround the Vietnam War, often juxtaposingpictures of Vietnam with images from west-ern culture.

“What the artist wants to do is to relate whathappened then to what's gone on more re-cently in his part of the world. We're still inthe process of working some things out, butthere will be footage from the South ChinaSea and a kind of montage of news reportson what's happening in that part of theworld. It's a great privilege to introduce anartist like Dinh Q Lê to an audience which ismore or less completely unfamiliar withhim.”

Ikon’s Director Jonathan Watkins talks about an exciting new season of thought-provoking work

FEATURE

Janet Mendelsohn's Varna Road and Dinh QLê's The Colony show at Ikon Gallery,Birmingham, until Sunday 3 April


Ikon - a flagship venue...

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New Art West MidlandsBirmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Fri 12 February -Sun 15 May; mac, Birmingham, Sat 13 February -Sun 10 April; The Herbert Gallery & Museum, Coventry,Fri 26 February - Sun 24 April & Wolverhampton ArtGallery, Sat 12 March - Sat 15 May

After attracting around 80,000 visitors last year, NewArt West Midlands returns in 2016 to showcase morework by recent graduates from five West Midlands artschools.For the first time this year, mac Birmingham joinsBirmingham Museum & Art Gallery, WolverhamptonArt Gallery and the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum toexhibit and celebrate the region's achievements incontemporary art. Selected by a panel of leading art world figures -including artists Sonia Boyce and John Stezaker andHead of Programme at ICA London Katharine Stout -the work on display offers insights into current trendsand concerns in visual art, as well as providing a plat-form for the region's most promising new artists. Forty-three emerging talents exhibit their work, with acash prize of £1000 available to five winners.Exhibition highlights include Laura Haycock's reclin-ing self-portraits - inspired by Velasquez's 17th-centuryoil paintings - Jack Marder's video installation on glut-tony in the modern age, and Matt Parker's TheImitation Archive. Developed in residency at theNational Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park, thisaudio-visual installation traces the history of digitaltechnology from Colossus to the Cloud.

Maureen Cooper:What Remains Newman Brothers Coffin Works, Birmingham,Wed 3 February - Thurs 28 April

Incorporating photographs, prints andmixed-media sculptures, this fascinatingexhibition sees Leicester-based artistMaureen Cooper reflect on the grievingprocess. She does so in the resonant setting ofBirmingham's recently restored Coffin Works.Following a visit to the former coffin fittingsfactory in 2011, before restoration workbegan, Cooper was inspired to create workexploring themes of loss and memory. Thesetook on a personal dimension after the deathof her mother in 2014.The exhibition’s title refers both to the physi-cal remains of the building and those itscoffins were produced for, and to the memo-ries left in people's minds of their loved onesand of the factory. Metal offcuts and otherartefacts from the production process arecombined with wax, a material whose shape-shifting properties emphasise the idea ofmutability and change.

Chance, Order, Change:Abstract Paintings1939 - 1989 The Barber Institute, Birmingham,Tues 11 February - Sunday 8 May

Spanning 50 key years in the evolution ofmodern art, the dozen works in this exhibi-tion come from an important private collec-tion, and are being publicly displayedtogether for the first time at the BarberInstitute. In a setting more commonly associated withrepresentational and impressionist paint-ings, this is a rare chance to encounterabstract art at its purest, showcasing impor-tant work by some of the most influentialartists of the late 20th century. These includeJosef Albers, Bridget Riley, Victor Pasmore,Ad Reinhardt and Sean Scully.

Laura LancasterThe New Art Gallery, Walsall, until Sun 8 May

Drawing inspiration from forgottenand discarded photographs and homemovies, Laura Lancaster's expressivepaintings prompt reflections on mem-ory, loss and the passage of time.Divorced from their original contexts,the once personal treasures she col-lects from flea markets, charity shopsand eBay are revitalised through herwork, taking on new meanings in thespace between figuration and abstrac-tion. This free exhibition brings together avariety of Lancaster's works, includ-ing a new series of diptychs drawnfrom the first and last frames of foundsuper 8mm films, prompting reflec-tions on a lost medium as well as onits subjects.

Visual Arts

Sean Scully, Red Painting, 1989 © Sean Scully

Visual Arts February.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 16:34 Page 1

Wildlife PhotographerOf The YearThe Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry,Fri 5 February - Sunday 10 April

As part of an international tour spanning sixcontinents, this globally renowned exhibitionarrives in Coventry on loan from the NationalHistory Museum. Launched in 1965, Wildlife Photographer OfThe Year is the most prestigious photographyevent of its kind, with this year's competitionattracting over 42,000 entries from 96 differ-ent countries. The 100 award-winning photographs take vis-itors on a journey across seas, skies and sanddunes, the shots of breathtaking landscapes,fascinating animal behaviour and other awe-inspiring scenes from nature celebrating thehuge diversity of life on planet earth.The Herbert invites visitors to get involvedand explore Coventry's own wild side by tag-ging their nature photographs #WildCov onTwitter and Instagram.

For more visual arts listings visit whatsonlive.co.uk 39

Visual Arts February.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2016 16:34 Page 2


Destination SpaceFamily ShowThinktank, Birmingham,Mon 15 - Fri 19 February

With British astronaut Tim Peake currentlydoing the nation proud on the InternationalSpace Station, this is a timely and topicalshow for youngsters to enjoy. A range ofdemonstrations and science experimentspresent children not only with the opportuni-ty to learn about how rockets are built andlaunched, but also to find out what life is likefor Tim and his fellow space travellers on theISS. Not surprisingly, Thinktank is billing theshow as a real out-of-this world experience.

Events

History unveiled atTamworth CastleTamworth Castle, Staffordshire,Sun 13 - Fri 19 February

Education and entertainment is the packagebeing offered to families visiting TamworthCastle this half-term holiday.The educational element is provided byenjoying a walk around the castle, which fea-tures displays that take visitors on a journeyfrom Saxon to Victorian times. Items from theworld famous Staffordshire Hoard are alsoavailable to view.As for the entertainment, there are lots ofdragon-related activities to keep youngstershappily engaged - and hopefully to coax resi-dent dragon Ruby out of her hiding place...

Chinese New YearThe Arcadian, Birmingham, Sun 7 February

Birmingham’s Southside district once againplays host to the region’s biggest ChineseNew Year celebrations (2016 is the year ofthe Red Monkey). Attractions include dragon dances, acrobaticdisplays, martial art demonstrations, streetfood, traditional market stalls and a fair-ground. “Each year, the Chinese New Year festivitiesbring thousands of new and returning visi-tors to Southside’s Chinatown,” says JuliaChance, Southside BID manager. “Despite itscontinued and growing success, this yearthe festival lost its funding from BirminghamCity Council as part of the ongoing budgetcuts happening across the city. Despite thishit, spirits haven’t been dampened and theentire Southside community has cometogether to raise the much-needed funds toplug this gap.”

Dinosaur ZooTown Hall, Birmingham,Sat 13 - Sun 14 February

Small children and enormousdinosaurs are brought together in thishit show, here making a welcomereturn to the Midlands following its T-Rex-size success in previous years.And speaking of the T-Rex, this presen-tation is all about them. Youngsters can either marvel at themfrom a distance (well, at lifelike modelsof them anyway!) or get right up closeto the ravenous reptiles by sitting inthe ‘Danger Zone’ seats. If your child takes a while to build upenough courage to approach, not toworry - there’s a meet-and-greet ses-sion at the end of the 50-minute show.

Events 1.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:24 Page 1



more events from around the region

Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire,Sat 13 - Sun 21 February

The chance to print a hand-made Valentine’scard, have a go at candle dipping and make aminiature roof tile are among the half-termattractions at Blists Hill Victorian Town thismonth. There’s also the opportunity to findout more about the history of sweets, build a

wall with mini-bricks and colour in picturesof Victorian scenes. The venue’s drop-in ses-sions take place from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to3.30pm, with activities varying from day today. Candles and roof tiles carry a small extracharge in addition to the museum entrancefee.

The Alternative &Burlesque FairO2 Institute, Birmingham, Sat 13 February

The Edwardian splendour of the 02 Instituteconcert venue provides the backdrop forBirmingham’s latest Alternative & BurlesqueFair. Up to 60 exhibitors will be presentingtheir wares at the hugely popular event. Theshow also features burlesque, twistedcabaret, aerial acts, DJs, vintage dining, neo-Victorian clothing, accessories, jewellery andartwork.

February Half Term AtWedgwoodWorld of Wedgwood, Stoke-on-Trent,Staffordshire, Sat 13 - Sun 21 February

The Wedgwood Museum’s First World WarPeace Medallion provides the inspiration forthis popular venue’s special half-term activi-ty. Visitors are invited to make their very ownWedgwood Plaque, using the traditionalmethod of applied ornamentation.Participants will be shown how to roll out theclay, cut it to shape and apply decoration,after which they can either take it straighthome or leave it behind to have it fired.

Princess And Pirate WeekAlton Towers Theme Park, Staffordshire,Fri 12 - Sun 21 February

There’s plenty of swashbuckling action toenjoy at Alton Towers this half-term holiday. The popular Staffordshire visitor attraction ishosting an interactive live show featuringCook and Line from CBeebies’ Swashbuckle.It’s also offering families the chance to visitSharkbait Reef, a pirate-themed aquarium.Evening entertainment comes in the form oflive shows, pirate and princess parties andcharacter meet-and-greets.

Events

Classic DirtBike ShowTelford International Centre,Shropshire, Sat 20 - Sun 21February

Appearances by off-road sportslegends Nick Jefferies, Jim Aird,Wayne le Marquand and BarryBriggs are among the highlightsat this attraction-packed show.The event also features tradersand jumble sellers offeringparts, pieces, spares, riding gear,clothing and accessories. Clubstands and private entrants willbe displaying a variety of classicbikes from numerous disci-plines, including road racing.New show sponsor HagonShocks plans to bring togetherrare Hagon bikes from across thedecades, so anybody who ownsone is encouraged to get intouch.

Ancient OceansSealife Centre, Birmingham,Sat 6 - Sun 21 February

The Midlands has gone dinosaurcrazy this half-term holiday. Notonly is there hit West End showDinosaur Zoo to enjoy, there’s alsothis National Sea Life Centre offer-ing, providing youngsters with thechance to become dinosaur detec-tives. Children are invited to com-plete a selection of challenges toearn a special certificate. In theprocess they’ll learn all about thefearsome creatures that lurked inthe ancient oceans. The challengesare accompanied by a host ofactivities and talks to enjoy, withvisitors also able to explore thecentre’s many fascinating displays.


Half-Term Holiday At Blists Hill Victorian Town



Caravan, Camping &Motorhome ShowNEC, Birmingham, Tues 23 - Sun 28 February

Attracting huge crowds and promising to be‘bigger and better than ever’, the Caravan,Camping & Motorhome Show features over350 exhibitors. As well as exploring all thelatest products, the show also presents apacked programme of events, complete withbuying tips, cookery demonstrations, holidayadvice and - back by popular demand, we’retold - live dog displays and expert advice ontaking pets on holiday. New for 2016 is theGlamping Village, presented at the show inconjunction with Visit Pembrokeshire.There’s also the chance to marvel at theGuinness World Record-breaking Lego brickcaravan.

Stunt FestSanta Pod Raceway, Northampton,Sat 20 February

This high-octane half-term event offers anaction-packed day of daredevil activity andmonster truck magic. Attractions include apresentation by world record-breaking stunt

driver Terry Grant, drivers competing to jumpover a bed of cars (one’s going to attempt thefeat with a caravan attached to the back ofhis vehicle!), and the guaranteed mayhem ofthe ever-popular car football. A funfair andrange of children’s entertainment ensuresthere’s plenty to keep youngsters amusedand engaged if they fancy a break fromwatching the death-defying stunt action.

Half Term at CoventryTransport MuseumCoventry Transport Museum,Sat 13 - Sun 21 February

A journey through Coventry TransportMuseum begins with a look at the transportindustry's history. The story starts in the 19thcentury and ends with a Coventry-madeblack taxi (which you can hop inside to enjoya video tour of the city as it is today). Passingby work & leisure vehicles - including uniqueitems like a Sky Blues tour bus and a restored1916 Maudslay lorry - you'll discover theInnovation & Future area. Highlights includeglimpses of modern car construction, a state-of-the-art driverless model and projects bylocal university students. There's also a glit-tering Jaguar room, the bright lights andsparkling floors of which complement thegleaming surfaces of the new F-Type and C-X75. Finally, there's the Supersonic section,where you can choose from three simulationsto enjoy. Half-term attractions at the museuminclude Bristle Bugs - a chance for youngstersto create motorised creatures - and an A to Ztrail of Coventry Transport’s impressive col-lection.

HeritageWeekendCadbury World, Birmingham, Sat 27 - Sun 28 February

Cadbury World’s 14 chocolate-themed zones - including an1824 full-scale replica of BullStreet, location of the first everCadbury shop - offer plenty ofreason to get yourself along tothis latest Heritage Weekend.There’s also the chance tomake a purchase or two in theWorld’s Biggest Cadbury Shop,as well as the opportunity tovisit various other places ofinterest in the scenicBournville Village.

Down Under LiveNational Motorcycle Museum,Solihull, Sat 13 - Sun 14February

If the thought of starting a newlife in Australia or New Zealandfloats your boat, be sure to makethe somewhat shorter journey tothis hugely informative show. Thetwo-day event features numerousspecialist exhibitors, experts onevery aspect of the emigrationprocess, and a dedicated recruit-ment team who’ll help visitorsfind their ideal job down under.

MCM MidlandsComic ConTelford Internaitonal Centre, Shropshire,Sat 13 February

The seventh Doctor Who, Sylvestor McCoy, isone of numerous celebrities making guestappearances at this well-established show,which last year attracted in excess of 9,000visitors. The event features eSports competi-tions, a Comic Village packed with artists andwriters, and a wide range of popular-culturememorabilia, including games, anime, gadg-ets and toys.

more events from around the region

Events

See thelist for all your events listings



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Tickets to The Classic Dirt BikeShow

Closes Monday 8 February

Tickets to Hannah Wants

Closes Friday 11 March

Tickets to Miss Nightingale


Tickets to The Diesel & ElectricShow


Tickets to Avenue Q

Closes Tuesday 9 February

Tickets to Horrible HistoriesGroovy Greeks

Closes Friday 11 March

Tickets Thriller Live

Closes Friday 26 February

Tickets to Gangsta Granny


Tickets to Bring on the Bollywood

Closes Friday 15 April

Tickets to Goodnight Mister Tom

Closes Monday 7 March

Tickets to Into the Hoods(Remixed)

Closes Thursday 18 February

Tickets to Impossible

Closes Friday 5 February

Tickets to End Of The Rainbow

Closes Tuesday 16 February

Tickets to Matthew Bourne'sSleeping Beauty


Tickets to Hamlet

Closes Thursday 24 March

To enter all competitions go to whatsonlive.co.uk

To enter all competitions go to whatsonlive.co.ukalso follow us on Twitter for more great competitions

Win!

Competitions February.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 16:09 Page 1

THEATRE: Best Touring Play

l Beautiful Thingl Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time l East is East l Lord of the Fliesl One Man Two Guvnors l The History Boys l Twelve Angry Men

THEATRE: Best Touring Musical

l Anniel Blood Brothersl The Bodyguardl Dirty Rotten Scoundrels l Guys and Dollsl Hairsprayl Shrek

THEATRE: Best Home-ProducedShow In The Midlands

l Anita & Me - The REP l Beautiful Thing - The Curve l The Borrowers - New Vic Theatre l Crush - The Belgrade l The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe - The REP l Wendy & Peter Pan - RSCl Treasure Island - Old Rep

THEATRE: Best Pantomime In TheMidlands 2015/16

l Aladdin - Birmingham Hippodrome l Beauty & The Beast -Belgrade Theatrel Cinderella - Barclaycard Arena l Dick Whittington - Theatre Severnl Jack & the Beanstalk -Lichfield Garrick l Peter Pan - Grand Theatre W’hampton l Peter Pan - Regent Theatre, Hanley

THEATRE: Best AmateurDramatic/Operatic Group (WestMidlands)

l Bilston Operatic Company l Bournville Musical Theatre Company l Grange Players - Walsall l Solihull Theatre Company l Telford and District Light Operatic Players (TADLOP) l West Bromwich Operatic Society (WBOS) l Wolverhampton Musical Comedy Company (MUSCOM)

DANCE: Best Production

l Birmingham Royal Ballet - The Nutcracker l Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands

l Motionhouse - Tigress l Rambert Dance Company - Red Rooster l Rosie Kay Dance - 5 Soldiers: The Body Is The Frontline l Scottish Dance Theatre - YAMA l Vincent Dance Theatre: 21 Years / 21 Works

CLASSICAL (inc Opera): Best Production

l BCMG: The Miracle Of the Rose l Birmingham Opera - The Ice Break l CBSO at Symphony Halll Ex Cathedra - Christmas Music By Candlelight l WNO - Sweeney Todd

Best Midlands Arts/CulturalFestivals

l Birmingham Weekenderl Birmingham Comedy Festivall Birmingham Literature Festivall Fierce Festivall Flatpack Festivall Godiva Festivall Super Sonic Festival

Top Finalists Award - continued...


Readers’Awards

Award FINALISTS in each categoryannounced! VOTE for your WINNER!

What’sOnYes, you VOTED in your thousands in the first round of nominations in the What’s On Readers’

Awards - over 8,500 votes to be precise! Now it’s time for you to VOTE once more to choose your

ultimate WINNER in each category! Here are the award shortlist finalists:

Readers’Awards

#culturematters#artsmatters

VOTE today at whatsonlive.co.uk

Whats On Readers Awards Shortlist.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 16:58 Page 2

Best Midlands Theatre/Arts Venue(Large: 1000+ capacity)

l Alexandra Theatre - Birminghaml Belgrade Theatre - Coventryl Birmingham Hippodromel Birmingham Repl Grand Theatre - Wolverhamptonl The Regent - Hanleyl RSC - Stratford-upon-Avon

Best Midlands Theatre/Arts Venue(Medium: 500-1000 capacity)Best Midlands Theatre/Arts Venue(Medium: 500 - 1000 capacity):

l Arena Theatre - Wolverhamptonl Artrix - Bromsgrovel Lichfield Garrickl mac - Birminghaml Malvern Theatrel Theatre Severn - Shrewsburyl Warwick Arts Centre - Coventry

Best Independent Cinema

l Electric Cinema - Birmingham l Light House Media Centre - Wolverhampton l mac - Birmingham l Old Market Hall - Shrewsbury l Warwick Arts Centre - Coventry l Stoke Film Theatre l Regal - Evesham

Best Midlands Comedian

l Scott Bennettl Tom Binnsl James Cook

l Chris Purchasel Masai Grahaml Barbara Nicel Andy White

Best Midlands Music Venue(Large: 1000+ capacity)

l Barclaycard Arena - Birminghaml Birmingham Town Halll Civic Hall - Wolverhamptonl Genting Arena - Birminghaml O2 Academy - Birminghaml O2 Institute - Birminghaml Symphony Hall - Birmingham

Best Midlands Music Venue(Medium: 500 - 1000 capacity)

l The Copper Rooms - Coventryl Lichfield Garrickl The Robin - Bilstonl The Slade Rooms - Wolverhamptonl mac - Birminghaml Warwick Arts Centre - Coventry

Best Midlands Music Festival

l Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival l Download Festival l Fusion Festival l Moseley Folk Festivall Shrewsbury Folk Festivall Slam Dunk Festival l V Festival

Best Midlands Live Band

l Bonfire Radicals

l Goodnight Lenin l Rainbreakers l The Rooz l The Twang

Best Midlands Exhibition

l The Story of Childrens Television - Herbert Art Gallery & Museum l Enchanted Dreams - BMAGl Love is Enough: William Morris and Andy Warhol - BMAGl New Art West Midlands Exhibition - mac, Herbert, BMAG & Wolves Art Galleryl Pop Art - Wolverhampton Art Galleryl Secret Egypt - Shrewsbury Museum & Art Galleryl Staffordshire Hoard - BMAG

Best Birmingham Art Gallery/Exhibition Venue

l Barber Institute l Birmingham Museum and Art Galleryl Centrala in Digbethl Grand Union in Digbethl IKON Galleryl mac - Birminghaml Parkside Gallery, Birmingham City University

Best Midlands Art Gallery/Exhibition Venue (outsideBirmingham)

l Compton Verney Galleryl Herbert Art Gallery - Coventryl The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery -


Birminghaml The Oobleck, The l l

l Custard Factoryl Hare & Houndsl Ort Cafel The Sunflower l l l

l Loungel The Flapperl The Glee Club

Black Countryl Katie Fitzgeralds, l The Slade Roomsl The River Rooms, l Newhampton Arts l l

l Centrel Dudley Concert Halll Stourbridge Town Hall

Shropshirel Henry Tudor Housel Birchmeadow, l l l

l Broseleyl The Edge Arts Centre,l Much Wenlockl Walker Theatrel Havana Republic, l The Brewery, Ludlow

Staffordshirel The Sugarmill, Stokel Tamworth Assembly ll Roomsl The Madhouse, l l l

l Burton-upon-Trentl Brewhouse Arts, l l

l Burton-upon-Trentl Stafford Gatehouse l Prince of Wales l l l

l Centre, Cannock

Warwickshirel Copper Rooms, l l l

l Coventryl Kasbah, Coventryl The Tin Angel, l l l

l Coventryl The Arches, Coventryl Leamington Lamp, ll Leamington Spa

Worcestershirel Marr Barr, Worcesterl Artrix, Bromsgrovel Huntingdon Hall, l l

l Worcesterl Swan Theatre, l l l

l Worcesterl Palace Theatre, l l l

l Redditchl No 8 Community Arts,l Pershore

Birminghaml Blue Orange Theatrel The Crescent Theatrel The Druml Old Joint Stock l Theatrel Old Repl Mockingbird Theatre

Black Countryl Stourbridge Town Halll Arena Theatre, W’tonl Newhampton Arts ll Centre, W’tonl Forest Arts Centre, ll Walsalll Netherton Arts Centre,l Dudley

Shropshirel Theatre on the Steps,l Bridgnorthl Wightman Theatre, ll Shrewsburyl The Hive, Shrewsburyl Theatre Drayton, l l

l Market Draytonl Ludlow Assembly l l

l Rooms, Ludlow

Staffordshirel Prince of Wales l l l

l Centre, Cannockl Brewhouse Arts, l l

l Burton-upon-Trentl Stafford Gatehouse l Foxlowe Arts Centre,l Leekl Mitchell Arts Centre, ll Hanley, Stoke

Warwickshirel Albany Theatre, C’tryl Bear Pitt Theatre, l l

l Stratford-upon-Avonl Dream Factory, l l l

l Warwickl Criterion Theatre, l l

l Coventryl Priory Theatre, l l l

l Kenilworth

Worcestershirel Swan Theatre, l l l

l Worcesterl Palace Theatre, l l l

l Redditchl Artrix, Bromsgrovel Evesham Arts Centrel No 8 Community Arts,l Pershore

Best Regional Theatre/Arts Venue (Small - under 500 capacity)

Best Regional Live Music Venue (Small - under 500 capacity)

VOTE today at whatsonlive.co.uk

What’sOn Readers’ Awards - TOP


l Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery l New Art Gallery - Walsall l Wolverhampton Art Galleryl Worcester Art Gallery & Museum

Best Midlands' Visitor Attraction

l Alton Towersl Birmingham Museum & Art Galleryl Black Country Living Museuml Cadbury Worldl Coventry Transport Museuml Drayton Manor Parkl Ironbridge Gorge Museumsl Severn Valley Railway

Best Midlands Outdoor Event

l Blists Hill Victorian Christmasl RAF Cosford Air Showl Shrewsbury Flower Showl The Big Hoot - Birminghaml Frankfurt Christmas Market - B’ham

Best Midlands Indoor Event

l Antiques For Everyone - NECl BBC Good Food Showl Comic Con - Birminghaml Crufts - Birminghaml Grand Designs - Birminghaml International Craft & Hobby Fairl Style Birmingham

Best Family-friendly/CommunityFestival

l Birmingham Weekenderl Fun Palaces Festivall Imagineer Festival

l Ludlow Food Festivall Moseley Folk Festivall Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Best Midlands' Food Festival

l Birmingham Ind Food Festival l Foodies Festival - Birmingham l Great British Food Festival l Leamington Spa Food & Drink Festival l Ludlow Food Festival l Shrewsbury Food Festival l Warwick Food Festival

Best Midlands Street Food Event

l Brum Yum Yum - Kings Heath/ JQl Digbeth Dining Club - Birmingham l Kings Heath Street Closure l Flying Teapot Events at Sarehole Milll mac Food Market - Birminghaml Taste & Liquor - Birmingham

Best Midlands Street Food Vendor

l Andy's Low n Slow l Baked In Brick l Bournville Waffle Company l Brum Yum Yum l Buddha Belly l Street Chef Peterl The Vegan Grindhouse

Best Midlands Retail ShoppingCentre

l Bullring - Birmingham l Grand Central - Birmingham l Mailbox - Birmingham l Merry Hill - Westfields - Brierley Hill

l Telford Shopping Centre

Best Sporting Event

l Aegon Classic Tennisl British Basketball League Championshipsl British Show Jumping National Championship l Horse of The Year Showl Rugby World Cup l Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix l Yonex All England Open Badmington Championships

Best Midlands Nightclub

l The Buttermarket - Shrewsburyl Couture - Staffordl Faces - Wolverhamptonl The Nightingale - Birminghaml Rainbow Venues in Digbeth

Midlands EntertainmentPersonality of the Year Award

l Barbara Nice (Janice Connolly)l Beverley Knightl Citizen Khan (Adil Ray)l Alison Hammondl Joe Lycett


Birmingham

l Sabai Sabail Purnellsl Adamsl Marco Pierre White atl The Cubel Pushkarl Turners

Black Country

l Indigo Restaurantl The Summerhouse, ll Dudleyl Ann’s Thai l Cafe Maxsiml Penn Cottagel Miller & Carter

Shropshire

l Csonsl The King and Thail The Peach Treel The Townhouse, l l

l Oswestryl Hundred House, l Shifnal

Staffordshire

l The Orange Treel The Swan with l l l

l Two Necksl David’s Brasseriel Eastern Eyel Baby Russets

Warwickshire

l Greyhound Innl The Sculleryl The Opposition Bistrol Anthony’s, Nuneatonl Taylors, Warwick

Worcestershire

l The Royal Oak, l l

l Eveshaml Pundits Fusionl Casa Med, l l l l

l Bromsgrovel The Black Star, l l

l Southport-on-Severnl Maekong Thai, l l

l Bromsgrove

Birminghaml Birminghaml Botancial Gardensl Aston Halll Cadbury Worldl Thinktankl Birmingham Libraryl Winterbourne Housel Birmingham Museuml & Art Gallery

Black Countryl Dudley Zool Black Country Livingl Museuml Wightwick Manor & ll Gardensl RAF Cosfordl Bantock Housel Dudley Canal & l l

l Tunnel Trust

Shropshirel Ironbridge Gorge l l

l Museumsl Attingham Parkl Stokesay Castlel Hawkstone Park & ll Folliesl Shrewsbury Museuml & Art Gallery

Staffordshirel Trentham Estatel National Memorial l l

l Arboretuml The Potteries Museuml & Art Gallery l Go Ape, Cannock l l

l Chase Forestl Alton Towersl Drayton Manor

Warwickshirel Herbert Art Galleryl Warwick Castlel Kenilworth Castlel Compton Verneyl Umberslade Farml Coventry Transport ll Museuml British Motor Museum

Worcestershirel Croome Parkl Avoncroft Museuml The Elgar Birthplacel Museuml Croft Castlel Severn Valley Railwayl Forge Mill Needle l l

l Museum

Best Regional Visitor Attraction

Best Independent Regional Restaurant

and choose your WINNER!

FINALISTS in each category

VOTENOW atwhatsonlive.co.ukVOTING ENDS 10 MARCH


buy tickets on-line www.ichfevents.co.ukor phone ticket hotline 01425 277988tickets: adults £12 in advance, £14 on the door

seniors £11 in advance, £13 on the doorchildren under 16 free if accompanied by a parent

catwalk fashiOn shOws // sewdirect pattern bOutique.

far frOm the madding crOwd cOstumes // images Of egypt.

Jewellery making & beading // madeira cOmpetitiOn.

free wOrkshOps and demOnstratiOns // papercrafts & cardmaking.

the ultimate stitching, knitting & crafting shows!

thurs 17 - sun 20 march 2016 nec, birmingham

9.30am-5.30pm (5pm sun)

THE WORLDS MOST POPULAR SUGARCRAFT, CAKE DECORATING & BAKING SHOW!

fri 18 - sun 20 march 2016 nec, birmingham

9.30am-5.30pm (5pm sun)

save up tO

£2 Off! each adult and seniOr ticket if Ordered by 5pm mOn 14 march

Over

400 exhibitOrs

4 SHOWS FOR THE PRICE OF 1

NEC 2016 Spring A4:Layout 1 14/01/2016 11:52 Page 1


Your week to week listings guide

February 2016thelist

Music I Comedy I Theatre I Dance I Film I Events I Visual Arts I and more!

Jess Glynne at O

2 Academy, B

irmingham

- Friday 26 February

What’s OnMon 1 to Sun 7 Feb Mon 8 to Sun 14 Feb Mon 15 to Sun 21 Feb Mon 22 to Mon 29 Feb

Chinese New Year Festivalat The Arcadian

Sun 7 February

Private Lives atNew Alexandra Theatre

Mon 8 to Sat 13 February

Ashton Double Bill atBirmingham Hippodrome

Wed 17 to Sat 20 February

Leona Lewis atSymphony Hall

Sun 28 February

The List Cover Feb Birmingham ONLY.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:41 Page 1

Visual ArtsASSEMBLED DREAMS: A HISTORY OFBUILDING TOYS until Sat 5 Mar,Wolverhampton Art Gallery

DAVID TEDHAM ARBSA Series ofabstract paintings by artist DavidTedham, until Sat 12 Mar, RBSAGallery, Birmingham

FITTING IN AND GETTING ALONGThrough personal stories, film and aselection of objects, this exhibitionexplores the life stories of membersof the Birmingham Polish community,until Wed 23 Mar, BirminghamMuseum & Art Gallery

JINDřICH ŠTREIT: SOVINECPhotography exhibition documentingrural Czech life, until Wed 30 Mar,Centrala Gallery & Cafe, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM PEOPLE AND CHANGE INTHE INNER-CITY Birmingham Peopleexplores the ways in which ordinaryBrummie folk have been representedin art during the 20th and 21st cen-turies... Change In The Inner Cityfocuses on the inner-city wards ofLadywood, including Nechells, Sohoand Aston, until Thurs 31 Mar,Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery

JANET MENDELSOHN - VARNA ROADThis exhibition, in collaboration withthe University of Birmingham, fea-tures original prints fromMendelsohn’s archive of over 3,000photographs taken predominately inthe Balsall Heath area ofBirmingham, until Sun 3 Apr, IkonGallery, Birmingham

DINH Q LÊ Video installation, organ-ised in collaboration with Artangel,until Sun 3 Apr, Ikon Gallery, B’ham

KELLY MARK: 108 LYTON AVE Oppositebut asymmetrical roles performed bythe artist for a split-screen projection,until Sun 3 Apr, Ikon Gallery, B’ham

RICHARD WOODS: DUCK WEAVE Adevelopment of a 1000-year-oldbuilding technology recently redis-covered by the internationallyrenowned artist. Woods is widelyknown for his large-scale transforma-

tive graphic artworks on architectureand his inventive and playful sculp-ture, painting and woodblock printedfurniture, until Sat 9 Apr, EastsideProjects, Birmingham

A WORLD TO WIN: POSTERS OFPROTEST AND REVOLUTION From theV&A’s collection, showcasing thework of diverse artists, graphicdesigners and print collectives, untilSun 10 April, W’hampton Art Gallery

INHERITING ROME Exhibition whichuses money to explore and questionour deep-seated familiarity with theRoman Empire’s imagery, until Sun24 Apr, The Barber Institute, B’ham

ECO-CRAFT EXHIBITION An exhibitionshowcasing designer makers with anethical approach to craft-making,until Sat 7 May, RBSA Gallery, B’ham

PRESTIGE & POWER Artists, writers,politicians and royalty are the sub-jects in this display of works byRubens, Van Dyck and Charles LeBrun - as well as miniaturistsNicholas Hilliard, Isaac Oliver andRichard Gibson, until Sun 15 May,The Barber Institute, Birmingham

WENDY RAMSHAW’S ROOM OF DREAMSAn installation made up of manyparts, from small jewels in frames tolarge, freestanding furniture, untilSun 22 May, Birmingham Museum &Art Gallery

MADE AT MAC AT HEART OF ENGLANDTRUST HOSPITALS Touring exhibitionby various mac students, until Fri 29July, Heartlands Hospital, GoodHope and Solihull Hospitals

A BIG BANG: THE ORIGINS OF THE POPART COLLECTION, PART 2 AndyWarhol’s legendary 1968 CampbellsSoup Can and the iconic maquette ofa statue of King Kong - originallycommissioned in 1972 for display inBirmingham’s Bull Ring - take prideof place in this exhibition of Pop Art,until Sat 13 Aug, Wolverhampton ArtGallery

BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERYIN 130 YEARS The story of theMuseum & Art Gallery, told via a spe-cial anniversary exhibition, until Thurs1 Sept, B’ham Museum & Art Gallery


thelist Monday 1 - Sunday 7 February

GigsNEKROGOBLIKON Mon 1Feb, The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

NECK DEEP, STATECHAMPS, CREEPER &LIGHT YEARS Mon 1Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

HOZIER Tues 2 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

BLACK STONE CHERRY,SHINEDOWN ANDHALESTORM Tues 2 Feb,Barclaycard Arena,Birmingham

ROD PICOTT Tues 2 Feb,Kitchen Garden Cafe,Birmingham

THE WEDDING CRASHERSTues 2 Feb, The JamHouse, Birmingham

LEE BUTCHER SANDERSWed 3 Feb, mac,Birmingham

THE ELO EXPERIENCEWed 3 Feb, SolihullArts Complex

POLLY BARRETT Wed 3Feb, Kitchen GardenCafe, Birmingham

LOUISE WARREN Wed 3Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

NGOD Wed 3 Feb, TheSunflower Lounge,Birmingham

SUNFLOWER BEAN Wed3 Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

AN EVENING WITH IANMCCULLOCH Wed 3 Feb,The Robin, Bilston

TESSERACT Thurs 4Feb, O2 Institute,B’ham

THE CADILLAC THREEThurs 4 Feb, O2Institute, Birmingham

RICKY COOL & THE INCROWD Thurs 4 Feb,

The Jam House,Birmingham

PEACE AND LOVEBARBERSHOPMUHAMMAD ALI Thurs 4Feb, The SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

JACK JONES Fri 5 Feb,Birmingham Town Hall

CRAIG OGDEN Fri 5 Feb,Artrix, Bromsgrove

THE WINERY DOGS Fri 5Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

CAPTAIN HORIZON Fri 5Feb, The Asylum,Birmingham

THE CROOKES Fri 5 Feb,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

MALA Fri 5 Feb, Hare &Hounds, Birmingham

HIGHGRADE - WE BLAZEFri 5 Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

TRANSMISSION Fri 5Feb, The Roadhouse,Birmingham

U2-2 Fri 5 Feb, TheRobin, Bilston

ARMANTUS + FREE SUNRISING + GUNNER'S LAWFri 5 Feb, Route 44,Birmingham

ALEXANDERARMSTRONG: A YEAR OFSONGS LIVE Fri 5 Feb,Symphony Hall, B’ham

GROUPER Fri 5 - Sat 6Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

BOWLING FOR SOUP Sat6 Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

SAY WE CAN FLY Sat 6Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

FRENCH CHANSON ANDGYPSY JAZZ WITHMONTPARNASSE Sat 6Feb, mac, Birmingham

TOGETHER PANGEA Sat 6Feb, The SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

SONS OF ICARUS Sat 6Feb, The Asylum,Birmingham

AUGUSTANA Sat 6 Feb,O2 Academy, B’ham

THE MOD CONNECTIONSat 6 Feb, The Actress& Bishop, Birmingham

HOSPITALITY Sat 6 Feb,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

EVOLVE PRESENTSNICOLAS LUTZ &FRANCESCO DEL GARDASat 6 Feb, TheRainbow Venues,Birmingham

THE STYLE COUNCILLORSSat 6 Feb, TheRoadhouse,Birmingham

SPECIAL KINDAMADNESS Sat 6 Feb,The Robin, Bilston

ROXY MAGIC Sat 6 Feb,Route 44, Birmingham

VILLAGERS Sun 7 Feb,The Glee Club,Birmingham

MILLIE JACKSON Sun 7Feb, The Drum,Birmingham

STIPE Sun 7 Feb, TheRobin, Bilston

SOULFLY Sun 7 Feb,The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

SUNDAY CLASSICS Sun7 Feb, The SpottedDog, Birmingham

MARTHA TILSTON Sun 7Feb, Kitchen GardenCafe, Birmingham

LIVE & UNSIGNED FEA-TURING DEVIL'S DICE,RKBAND, SUNDAY44,BLUE SEASON, BUZZARDSun 7 Feb, The Robin,Bilston

THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY

Richard Woods: Duck Weave, Eastside Projects, Birmingham until Sat 9 April

Alexander Armstrong, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 5 February

The List 1-7 Feb - BIRMINGHAM MASTER VERSION MM.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 15:45 Page 1

Classical MusicGLIÈRE, SAINT-SAËNS, BRAHMS, LISZTFeaturing Catherine Thomas (Frenchhorn), Joanne Sealey & GyorgyHodozsó (pianos); Edward Francis-Smith (double bass) & JonathanFrench (piano), Mon 1 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

JAMAL ALIYEV Featuring Jamal Aliyev(cello) and Joanne Sealey (piano).Programme includes works bySchubert, Wieniawski, Schumannand Chopin, Tues 2 Feb, BirminghamConservatoire

IAN BOSTRIDGE AND JOSEPHMIDDLETON Programme comprisesSchubert’s song cycle Winterreise(‘Winter’s Journey’), a set of 24 songsbased on the poetry of WilhelmMüller, Wed 3 Feb, The BarberInstitute, University of Birmingham

CBSO BAIBA SKRIDE: SZYMANOWSKIFeaturing Olari Elts (Conductor) andBaiba Skride (Violin). Programmeincludes work by Mendelssohn,Szymanowski and Shostakovich,Thurs 4 Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

PINES OF ROME Featuring MichaelSeal (conductor) & BirminghamConservatoire Symphony Orchestra,Thurs 4 Feb, B’ham Conservatoire

THE WONDERS OF WALT Performed bypercussionist Phil James, his 16-piece band and 12 vocalists.Featuring music from Snow White,The Lion King, Beauty And TheBeast, Up, Frozen and many more...Fri 5 Feb, Birmingham Conservatoire

CRAIG OGDEN Programme includesworks by D Scarlatti, Tippett, Bach,David Knotts, Ginastera, Fri 5 Feb,Artrix, Bromsgrove

RACHEL LEE PRIDAY AND MICHAELDUSSEK Featuring Rachel Lee Priday(violin) and Michael Dussek (piano).Programme includes works bySchubert, Ravel & Sarasate, Fri 5Feb, The Barber Institute, Universityof Birmingham

AN EVENING OF MUSIC AND DANCEWITH BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLETBirmingham Royal Ballet and itsacclaimed orchestra, the Royal BalletSinfonia, return to Symphony Hall foran evening of spectacular music and

dance, Sat 6 Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

BCMG - PARALLEL COLOUR FeaturingRichard Baker (conductor), AllisonBell (soprano), Julian Warburton(percussion) & Timothy Lines (clar-inet), Sat 6 Feb, CBSO Centre,Birmingham

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA AND EMVEFeaturing Andrew Kirkmam(Chamber Orchestra conductor), Sun7 Feb, Elgar Concert Hall,Birmingham

CBSO FAMILY FILM FAVOURITESFeaturing Alasdair Malloy (presenter)and City of Birmingham SymphonyOrchestra. Programme includessoundtracks from Star Wars, ToyStory, Harry Potter, Mary Poppins,Shrek, Despicable Me, Frozen, TheLego Movie and more, Sun 7 Feb,Symphony Hall, Birmingham

EX CATHEDRA, I WAS GLAD A concert ofmagnificent 20th century music forchoir and organ, including master-pieces by Leighton, Walton, Janácekand Parry, whose glorious anthemwas written for the coronation of KingEdward VII, Sun 7 Feb, BirminghamTown Hall

Comedy GigsDIANE SPENCER, AARON TWITCHEN Mon1 Feb, Old Joint Stock Pub, B’ham

JO ENRIGHT, MAUREEN YOUNGER Tues 2Feb, The Dark Horse, Moseley,Birmingham

RICHARD HERRING Wed 3 Feb, StationPub, Sutton Coldfield

LEE NELSON Wed 3 Feb, The Old RepTheatre, Birmingham

NICK REVELL, DIANE SPENCER Wed 3Feb, The Dark Horse, Birmingham

MOCK THE FLOCK - COMEDIANS TBCWed 3 Feb, The MockingbirdTheatre, Birmingham

DAVE'S LEICESTER COMEDY FESTIVALPromising to be the festival’s mostdiverse and inventive yet, Wed 3 -Sun 21 Feb, Leicester City Centre

DAVID TSONOS, TOM TOAL Thurs 4 Feb,The Dark Horse, Moseley, B’ham

ADAM BLOOM, KEVIN MCGAHERN &COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY

ROBINSON Thurs 4 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

NICK PAGE, JON PEARSON, HANNAHSILVESTER, & MICHAEL CRAMP Thurs 4Feb, The Victoria, Birmingham

THE MOSELEY COMEDY FESTIVAL - NEWACT AWARD Fri 5 Feb, The DarkHorse, Moseley, Birmingham

KANE BROWN, LES BLAIR, MAUREENYOUNGER & AURIE STYLA Fri 5 Feb,The Drum, Birmingham

JO ENRIGHT, ADAM BLOOM, ANDYROBINSON & KEVIN MCGAHERN Fri 5 -Sat 6 Feb, The Glee Club,Birmingham

JARLETH REGAN, DOUGIE DUNLOP,DOMINIC WOODWARD & SALLY-ANNEHAYWARD Fri 5 - Sat 6 Feb, JongleursComedy Club, Birmingham

GARY DELANEY Sun 7 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

TheatreTHE SISTERHOOD Ranjit Bolt’s brilliant-ly funny adaptation of Molière’s clas-sic satire, Les Femmes Savantes,until Sat 20 Feb, Belgrade Theatre,Coventry

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM MerelyTheatre present an energetic ninety-minute production of Shakespeare'smost popular comedy, Mon 1 Feb,Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

OUR KYLIE'S GETTING' WED StrippedDown Theatre present a funny yettouching play about the trials andtribulations of every family weddingthat you have ever been to, Mon 1Feb, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

HENRY V Merely Theatre presents an'exciting and humorous' version ofShakespeare's most patriotic Historyplay, Tues 2 Feb, Old Joint StockTheatre,. Birmingham

LAND OF OUR FATHERS Chris Urch'saward-winning debut play, whichechoes a generation of lost voices,Tues 2 - Wed 3 Feb, mac,Birmingham

AN INSPECTOR CALLS National Theatreproduction of JB Priestley’s classicthriller, Tues 2 - Sat 6 Feb,Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THE SOLID LIFE OF SUGAR WATER Jack

Thorne's critically acclaimed play,which offers a candid, intimate andtender portrait of loss, hurt andrecovery, Tues 2 - Sat 6 Feb, TheREP, Birmingham

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TAT MAN Apowerful one-man play that tells therag-and-tat tales gathered during thetat man’s years on the road, Wed 3Feb, Old Joint Stock Theatre,Birmingham

SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK: THEROD STEWART STORY Brand new the-atrical production celebrating thecareer of one of rock’s great icons,Wed 3 Feb, Belgrade Theatre,Coventry

POCKET DREAM Propeller present a60-minute adaptation ofShakespeare's A Midsummer Night'sDream, Thurs 4 - Sat 6 Feb, BelgradeTheatre, Coventry

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK Charitablepantomime production presented byPwC as part of its Community Affairsprogramme, Thurs 4 - Sat 6 Feb,New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

OF MICE AND MEN Roxana Silbertdirects John Steinbeck's classicstory, Thurs 4 - Sat 13 Feb, The REP,Birmingham

ROMEO AND JULIET Blue Orange Artspresent Shakespeare's classicromantic tragedy, Thurs 4 - Sat 13Feb, The Blue Orange Theatre,Birmingham

SHIRLEY VALENTINE Willy Russell'sheart-warming play of self-discovery,Fri 5 - Sat 13 Feb, Hall Green LittleTheatre, Birmingham

THE UNBEARABLE PLEASURE OF BEING AWOMAN Comedy cabaret whereJoana Eden & Leigh McDonaldlaugh, cry and sing about the seriousbusiness of being female, Sat 6 Feb,Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

THE BEST THING Vamos Theatre pres-ent a fully masked performance of aSwinging 60s story of unconditionallove, Sat 6 Feb, Artrix, Bromsgrove

DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE The CrescentTheatre Company presents a stagingof Robert Louis Stevenson's timelessclassic, Sat 6 - Sat 13 Feb, CrescentTheatre, Birmingham

Monday 1 - Sunday 7 February





DanceSALAAM Sonia Sabri Company pres-ent a double-bill of works which clev-erly weaves a dialogue between livemusic and Kathak dance to celebrateharmony, inner-stillness and the sim-ple bliss of being alive, Thurs 4 Feb,The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham

AN EVENING OF MUSIC & DANCE WITHBRB Compered by David Bintley, Sat6 Feb, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Spoken WordCAFÉ SCIENTIFIQUE: SNAKES AND EYESFOR VITREORETINAL SURGERY DrChristos Bergeles talks about minia-turised robots running around in youreyes to deliver drugs and conductsurgery, Tues 2 Feb, Thinktank atMillennium Point, Birmingham

AN EVENING WITH MELINDA SALISBURYCelebrating the launch of her newbook, The Sleeping Prince, Fri 5 Feb,Waterstones - High St, Birmingham

FilmINDEPENDENT LISTINGS:MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (U) Thebest-known work of experimentaldocumentary pioneer Dziga Vertov,Man With A Movie Camera is one ofthe most influential films in cinemahistory. A poetic vision of urban life in1920s Russia, Vertov’s extraordinarymontage presents a bustling city atwork and at play. Tues 2 Feb, TheElectric, Birmingham

LE MÉPRIS (15) Screenwriter PaulJaval's marriage to his wife disinte-grates during a movie production asshe spends time with the producer.Stars Brigitte Bardot & Michel Piccoli.Mon 1 - Tues 2 Feb, Warwick ArtsCentre, Coventry; Tues 2 - Wed 3Feb, mac, Birmingham

CHEMSEX (18) Documentary about thepractice of mixing sex and drug use,set in London's gay scene. Thurs 4Feb, mac, Birmingham

BY THE SEA (15) Drama set in Francein the 1970s about a married couplegoing through a difficult period whostay at a hotel in a small seaside

resort. Stars Brad Pitt & AngelinaJolie. Fri 5 Feb, Artrix, Bromsgrove;Fri 5 Feb, mac, Birmingham

BOLSHOI BABYLON (PG) In 2013 theBallet was in the headlines for all thewrong reasons when its ArtisticDirector, Sergei Filin, was the victimof a shocking acid attack. In this doc-umentary, filmmakers Nick Read andMark Franchetti record as Filin recu-perates and theatre managerVladimir Urin takes over. Fri 5 - Thu11 Feb, mac, Birmingham

THE HATEFUL EIGHT (18) Tarantino’slong-awaited re-imagining of TheMagnificent Seven, with less clean-cut protagonists. Set in post-CivilWar Wyoming, the film features eightdisparate bounty hunters who takerefuge at a stagecoach stopover dur-ing a blizzard. Stars Samuel LJackson & Kurt Russell. Fri 5 - Thurs11 Feb, mac, Birmingham; Fri 5 -Thurs 11 Feb, Warwick Arts Centre,Coventry

SCREEN JUNIORS: SLEEPING BEAUTY (U)After being snubbed by the royalfamily, a malevolent fairy places acurse on a princess which only aprince can break, along with the helpof three good fairies. Animated filmfirst released 1959. Sat 6 Feb, mac,Birmingham

THE 39 STEPS (U) This heart-racingspy story by Alfred Hitchcock followsRichard Hannay as he stumblesupon a conspiracy that thrusts himinto a hectic chase across theScottish moors - a chase in which heis both the pursuer and the pursued.The film will be preceded by a 20-minute introduction from B-Film aca-demic Roger Shannon. Sat 6 Feb,The Electric, Birmingham

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE:Released Fri 5 Feb, showing atselected cinemas.

DAD’S ARMY (tbc)

GOOSEBUMPS (PG)

RAMS (15)

TRUMBO (15)

POINT BREAK (12a)

LEE SCRATCH PERRY'S VISION OFPARADISE (tbc)

TAKING STOCK (tbc)

MISS HOKUSAI (12a)

THE AMERICAN DREAMER (tbc)

See Film section for previews on p40

EventsWINTER HERITAGE TOURS OFBLAKESLEY HALL Experience one ofBirmingham’s finest timber-framedbuildings and get a unique insightinto the people who lived andworked there, Mon 1 - Thurs 11 Feb,Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

WINTER HERITAGE TOURS OF SAREHOLEMILL Taking place on a Wednesdayand Thursday, explore the idyllicchildhood haunt of JRR Tolkien, Mon1 - Thurs 11 Feb, Sarehole Mill,Birmingham

FACETS - ANNA FRANCIS Thurs 4 Feb,Herbert Art Gallery & Museum,Coventry

EARLY YEARS PLAY DAYS Inspiring andsensory materials allow children toexplore and helps their developmentthrough play, Thurs 4 - Fri 5 Feb,Herbert Art Gallery & Museum,Coventry

BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR: COME ANDSING! Join the renowned chamberchoir and conductor Paul Spicer foran afternoon rehearsingMendelssohn's Elijah, Sat 6 Feb,Selly Oak Methodist Church,Birmingham

PANTOMIME WEEKENDS Classic pantofun with Princess Aurora and friendsin Sleeping Beauty And The ChuckleBean Fairy, a magical performancefull of giggles and songs, Sat 6 - Sun7 Feb, Cadbury World, Birmingham

EXCALIBUR PAPER CRAFTING FAIRFeaturing crafting supplies from lead-ing craft companies from around theUK, Sat 6 Feb, National MotorcycleMuseum, Solihull

X-RUNNER WINTER WARRIOR 2016Winter Warrior mud run, including avariety of challenging obstacles ineither 5k or 10k format, Sat 6 Feb,Donington Park Racing Circuit,Castle Donington

ANCIENT OCEANS Brush up on yourdiscovery skills this half term andbecome a dinosaur detective, Sat 6 -Sun 21 Feb, National Sea LifeCentre, Birmingham

CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVALBirmingham’s Southside once againplays host to the city’s Chinese NewYear celebrations, as thousands offestival-goers descend on the areaand welcome in the Year of theMonkey, Sun 7 Feb, Arcadian Centre,Birmingham

Visual ArtsSOUND MATTERS; EXPLORING CRAFTAND SOUND A Craft Council touringexhibition featuring seven contempo-rary works from a range of creativedisciplines, until Sat 6 Feb,Wolverhampton Art Gallery

START EXHIBITION Featuring works byRBSA Members and Associates, untilSat 6 Feb, RBSA Gallery,Birmingham

ANDREW KINMONT ARBSA Andrew'sexperiences of working in the land-scape are reflected in this body ofwork, until Sun 7 Feb, RBSA Gallery,Birmingham

OLD WIVES’ TALES: MIGRATIONJOURNEYS OF BANGLADESHI WOMEN TOTHE UK Photographic exhibition whichgives a unique insight into the livesof young Bangladeshi women whocame to Birmingham between the1960s and 1980s, until Sun 7 Feb,Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

HOPES + DREAMS: STATEMENTS OFINTENT EXPLORED An exhibition featur-ing lettered work, in all types ofmedia, by members of LetterExchange, until Fri 12 Feb, ParksideGallery, Birmingham

JOAN SHARMA ARBSA A celebration ofmothers, babies and mothers-to-bevia sculptures in stone and wood,until Sat 20 Feb, RBSA Gallery,Birmingham

ENCHANTED DREAMS The first everexhibition to be dedicated to Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward RobertHughes, until Sun 21 Feb,Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

WOLVERHAMPTON SOCIETY OF ARTISTSBiennial exhibition with a diverserange of styles, mediums and sub-ject matter, until Sat 27 Feb,Wolverhampton Art Gallery

WHAT REMAINS Mixed media exhibi-tion by Maureen Cooper, Wed 3 Feb- Thurs 28 Apr, Newman BrothersCoffin Works, Birmingham

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR2015 Featuring 100 amazing images,from fascinating animal behaviour tobreathtaking wild landscapes, Fri 5Feb - Sun 10 Apr, Herbert Art Gallery& Museum, Coventry





Classical MusicLUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITHTHOMAS TROTTER Mon 8 Feb,Birmingham Town Hall

SCHMITT, JS BACH, BEETHOVENLunchtime concert performed byConservatoire students, Mon 8 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

THE ATÉA WIND QUARTET Double prizewinners at the 2015 Karl NielsenInternational Chamber MusicCompetition in Denmark. Programmefeatures work by Francaix, Bridgeand Nielsen, Tues 9 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTOS 2,3 AND4 Featuring Rudolf Buchbinder (con-ductor/piano), Wed 10 Feb,Symphony Hall, Birmingham

DAN TEPFER: GOLDBERGVARIATIONS/VARIATIONS Talentedyoung pianist Dan Tepfer performshis interpretation of Bach’s master-piece, Wed 10 Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

AN EVENING WITH NEY ROSAUROFeaturing Ney Rosauro, Shih-HanLee, Matthew Firkins, StephenPlummer, Luke Taylor, DanielMartinez Martin, BirminghamConservatoire PercussionDepartment. Programme includesworks from Rosauro, Wed 10 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

TASMIN WALEY-COHEN AND HUWWATKINS Programme includes worksof Bach, Beethoven, Hahn,Szymanowski, Thurs 11 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

MARIA JOAO PIRES IN RECITALProgramme features the works ofDebussy, Mozart & Schubert, Thurs11 Feb, Birmingham Town Hall

HERMES ENSEMBLE Featuring Karin deFleyt (flute), Peter Merckx (clarinet)and Jacob Fichert (piano).Programme includes works byHenderickx, Gehlhaar, Boulez,Fardon and Pärt, Fri 12 Feb, TheBarber Institute, University of B’ham

NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE Daniele Rosina(director), Percy Pursglove(trumpet/flugel horn), Lydia Haynes,Holly Singlehurst, Amy Farnell (vocal-ists). Programme includes works byBerio, Kwiatkowska and Evans, Fri12 Feb, Bramall Music Building,University of Birmingham

MARIA JOAO PIRES & MILOS POPOVIC INRECITAL Programme features the

works of Schubert & Beethoven, Fri12 Feb, Birmingham Town Hall

BEETHOVEN PIANO CONCERTOS 1 AND 5In this second instalment of hisBirmingham Beethoven cycle, con-ductor/pianist Rudolf Buchbindertackles the mighty “Emperor” concer-to itself: music without limits, per-formed with supreme understandingby a living legend amongst pianists,Sat 13 Feb, Symphony Hall, B’ham

CBSO BENEVOLENT FUND CONCERTFeaturing City of BirminghamSymphony Orchestra, John Wilson(conductor) and Valeriy Sokolov (vio-lin). Programme includes works byNicolai, Bruch and Elgar, Sun 14Feb, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Comedy GigsLOUDEEMY SOUP COMEDY NIGHT Mon 8Feb, The Blue Orange Theatre,Birmingham

MERCEDES BENSON, CLAIRE NELSON,LINDSEY HULSE & MAUREEN YOUNGERWed 10 Feb, Kitchen Garden Cafe,Birmingham

MOCK THE FLOCK - ACTS TBC Wed 10Feb, The Mockingbird Theatre,Birmingham

TONY LAW Thurs 11 Feb, The SladeRooms, Wolverhampton

DAVE FULTON, STEVE WILLIAMS &COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDYROBINSON Thurs 11 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

WHITE YARDIE - BATTLE OF THE SEXESFri 12 Feb, The Drum, Birmingham

CRAIG HILL, DAVE FULTON, STEVEWILLIAMS & COMIC TBC Fri 12 - Sat 13Feb, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CHARLIE BAKER, MATT REED, CARLHUTCHINSON & JEFF INNOCENT Fri 12 -Sat 13 Feb, Jongleurs Comedy Club,Birmingham

BARNSTORMERS COMEDY NIGHT - ACTSTBC Sat 13 Feb, Artrix, Bromsgrove

PATRICK MONAHAN, SOL BERNSTEIN, RIALINA & THE RAYMOND & MR TIMPKINSREVUE Sun 14 Feb, The Glee Club,Birmingham


GigsLITTLE SIMZ Mon 8 Feb,O2 Academy, B’ham

PHILLIP HENRY ANDHANNAH MARTIN Mon 8Feb, Kitchen GardenCafe, Birmingham

THE FRONT BOTTOMSMon 8 Feb, O2Institute, Birmingham

THE GAME Mon 8 Feb,O2 Academy, B’ham

THE COMPOZERS Mon 8Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

RICHIE RAMONE Mon 8Feb, The Robin, Bilston

ALEXANDRA JAYNE Tues9 Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

ULRIKA SPACEK Tues 9Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

GOSPEL CENTRAL Wed10 Feb, The JamHouse, Birmingham

MARTIN SIMPSON Wed10 Feb, The Red LionFolk Club, Birmingham

DANNY BRYANT Wed 10Feb, The Robin, Bilston

MARIA JOÃO PIRESThurs 11 Feb,Birmingham Town Hall

FAY HIELD Thurs 11Feb, Artrix, Bromsgrove

JOE JACKSON Thurs 11Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

TELEGRAM Thurs 11Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

RICK WAKEMAN Thurs11 Feb, Solihull ArtsComplex

JARROD DICKENSONThurs 11 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

THE SUBS Thurs 11 Feb,The Jam House,Birmingham

CATAPULT CLUB FEAT.SONATA FALL Thurs 11Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

NIK TURNER’S NEWSPACE RITUAL Thurs 11Feb, The Robin, Bilston

SO CALLED STUDIOSPRESENTS BATTLE OFTHE BANDS.Thurs 11Feb, Route 44, B’ham

ROY ORBISON ANDFRIENDS Fri 12 Feb,Solihull Arts Complex

MARIA JOÃO PIRES &MILO� POPOVIC Fri 12Feb, Birmingham TownHall

SLIPKNOT Fri 12 Feb,Genting Arena, B’ham

NME AWARDS TOUR 2016Fri 12 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

LISBON Fri 12 Feb, TheOobleck, Birmingham

GRAHAM BONNET BANDFri 12 Feb, The SladeRooms, W’hampton

THE GODFATHERS Fri 12Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

THE WORLD IS ABEAUTIFUL PLACE & I AMNO LONGER AFRAID TODIE Fri 12 Feb, O2Institute, Birmingham

THE KERRANG! TOUR Fri12 Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

SYMPHONIC FLOYD FEA-TURING THE EN SUITEELECTRIC BAND Fri 12Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

INFERNO! Fri 12 Feb,Adrian Boult Hall,Birmingham

CHAPTER 100 AND ADREAM Fri 12 Feb, TheGlee Club, Birmingham

DIO TRIOLOGY + PUREPURPLE Fri 12 Feb, TheRoadhouse, B’ham

SYMPHONY X Fri 12Feb, The Robin, Bilston

UP4 THE DOWNSTROKEFri 12 - Sat 13 Feb, TheJam House, B’ham

ALL TIME LOW Sat 13Feb, BarclaycardArena, Birmingham

SNUFF Sat 13 Feb, The

Slade Rooms, Wolves

WILLE & THE BANDITSSat 13 Feb, Artrix,Bromsgrove

THE DARKER MYHORIZON & EUPHORIAAUDIO Sat 13 Feb,Scruffy Murphys,Birmingham

REIGNING DAYS Sat 13Feb, The SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

BEAST ANDSOUNDKITCHEN PRES-ENT: BEASTDOME PANTRYSESSIONS Sat 13 - Sun14 Feb, Bramall MusicBuilding, Birmingham

FAITH CHILD Sat 13 Feb,The Drum, Birmingham

LUNA KISS / INCLOSURE /AIRWAYS Sat 13 Feb,The Flapper, B’ham

MY NU LENG & M8S Sat13 Feb, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

SOUL JUNCTION Sat 13Feb, The Roadhouse,Birmingham

THE COUNTERFEITSTONES Sat 13 Feb,The Robin, Bilston

IVOR & LYNN'S CLASSICROCK NIGHT WITH DJDAVE Sat 13 Feb, Route44, Birmingham

GABRIELLE APLIN Sun14 Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

PAUL EDWARDS Sun 14Feb, Artrix,Bromsgrove

MCGOLDRICK,MCCUSKER & DOYLE Sun14 Feb, mac, B’ham

SANCHEZ & ROMAINVIRGO - THE 2016REGGAE VALENTINEAFFAIR Sun 14 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

GAVIN JAMES Sun 14Feb, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

SINNERBOY Sun 14 Feb,The Roadhouse, B’ham

RAYMOND FROGGATT &HIS BAND Sun 14 Feb,The Robin, Bilston

Little Simz, O2 Academy, Birmingham, Mon 8 February

The List 8-14 Feb - BIRMINGHAM ONLY MASTER VERSION.qxp_Layout 1 25/01/2016 17:16 Page 1


DOCTOR FAUSTUS Maria Aberg returnsto the RSC to direct Marlowe's notori-ous tale of vanity, greed and damna-tion, Thurs 4 Feb - Thurs 4 Aug, TheSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE The CrescentTheatre Company presents a stagingof Robert Louis Stevenson's timelessclassic, Sat 6 - Sat 13 Feb, CrescentTheatre, Birmingham

PRIVATE LIVES Tom Chambers andCharlotte Ritchie star in a majorrevival of Noël Coward's hilariousmasterpiece, Mon 8 - Sat 13 Feb,New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

THE CROWS PLUCKED YOUR SINEWSBased on real events and featuringthe epic lyrical tradition of Somalia,Hassan Mahamdallie's play presentsa unique exploration of the violenceof empire and the poetry of resist-ance. This one-man show is per-formed by Yusra Warsama, Tues 9 -Thurs 11 Feb, The REP, Birmingham

MISS NIGHTINGALE THE MUSICALMatthew Bugg's critically acclaimedmusical brings the on-stage glamourand off-stage affairs of war-tornLondon to life, Tues 9 - Sat 13 Feb,Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

JERSEY BOYS This Tony, Olivier andGrammy Award-winning musicalcharts the rise to stardom of one ofthe most successful bands in popmusic history, Tues 9 - Sat 20 Feb,Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

AMERICAN IDIOT Amateur version ofGreen Day's award-winningBroadway musical, Tues 9 - Sun 21Feb, Old Joint Stock Theatre,Birmingham

FLASHLIGHT: HEARTS & CROSSES Anevening of eight short stories told byeight storytellers, full of real life andloss (just in time for Valentine's Day),Thurs 11 Feb, The Old Rep Theatre,Birmingham

MACBETH Award-winning Out OfChaos present a two-man productionof Shakespeare's drama of intrigue

and madness, bringing more than 30characters to the stage in a high-octane 80-minute production, Thurs11 - Sat 13 Feb, mac, Birmingham

ALI BABA & THE FOUR TEA THIEVESHarlequinade present a pantomimewith a difference, Fri 12 - Sat 13 Feb,Solihull Arts Complex

THE BEAUTY OF THE HEART - MORETHAN A VALENTINE, MUCH MORE A newplay from Somesuch Theatre as theircontribution to the year ofShakespeare celebrations, Fri 12 -Sun 14 Feb, mac, Birmingham

FIRST STAGES: CINDER-ELLA Krazy Katfuse imaginative storytelling, sign lan-guage and visual storytelling in aproduction for younger audiences.Recommended for children agedthree-plus, Sat 13 Feb, The REP,Birmingham

THIS ENCHANTED EVENING An eveningof Broadway and West End Classicsraising money for St James's PlaceFoundation, and supported by majorcompanies from across theMidlands, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Feb,Solihull Arts Complex

DINOSAUR ZOO Unique stage showwhich brings a plethora of prehistoriccreatures to the stage, Sat 13 - Sun14 Feb, Birmingham Town Hall

DanceSLEEPING BEAUTY Matthew Bourne’s‘gothic tale for all ages’, Tues 9 - Sat13 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome

BROKEN An adrenaline-filled spectaclefrom Leamington-based dancetroupe, Motionhouse, Tues 9 - Wed10 Feb, mac, Birmingham

COAL Gary Clarke Company presentan emotional, moving and ever-rele-vant exploration of community, soli-darity and survival, Thurs 11 - Sat 13Feb, DanceXchange, BirminghamHippodrome




FilmBEING GOOD (tbc) Tasuku, a new pri-mary school teacher, discovers thatone of his pupils is being abused bytheir parents and decides that hemust help. Meanwhile in the samecity, Masami, a woman who appearsto be a good mother, can’t help lash-ing out at her own child. Foreign lan-guage, subtitled. Mon 8 - Tues 9 Feb,mac, Birmingham

LABYRINTH (PG) A selfish 16-year-oldgirl is given 13 hours to solve alabyrinth and rescue her baby broth-er when her wish for him to be takenaway is granted by the Goblin King.Stars David Bowie & JenniferConnelly. Wed 10 Feb, mac,Birmingham

DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (15) Winner of the2014 Sundance Film Festival'sSpecial Jury Award for BreakthroughTalent, Dear White People is a sly,provocative satire of race relations inthe age of Obama. Thurs 11 Feb,The Drum, Birmingham

JOY (12a) That’s ‘Joy’ as in ‘JoyMangano’, the remarkable womanwho founded a business empire afterinventing the Miracle Mop. StarsJennifer Lawrence & Robert De Niro.Fri 12 - Thurs 18 Feb, mac, B’ham

THE REVENANT (15) Inspired by trueevents and filmed in the frozen wildsof Alberta and British Columbia.Leonardo DiCaprio plays HughGlass, an 1820s’ frontiersman whowas left for dead after being mauledby a bear. Incensed by his abandon-ment, Glass dreams of revenge - butfirst must find the will to survive inunhospitable terrain. Fri 12 - Thurs18 Feb, mac, Birmingham

SAFETY LAST! + ONE WEEK (U) Thecomic genius of silent-movie starHarold Lloyd is eternal. With perfectlyexecuted gags and astonishingstunts, Safety Last! is the perfectintroduction to him, featuring liveorgan accompaniment from DavidIvory. Preceded by the 1920 BusterKeaton short, One Week. Sat 13 Feb,Birmingham Cathedral

DIRTY DANCING (12) The now-classiclove story of Baby and Johnny. StarsJennifer Grey & Patrick Swayze. Meal& movie deal available. Sat 13 - Sun14 Feb, mac, Birmingham

GONE WITH THE WIND (PG) David O’Selznick's production of MargaretMitchell's bestseller remains the pin-nacle of polished Hollywood story-telling and craftsmanship. Stars ClarkGable & Vivien Leigh. Sun 14 Feb,The Electric, Birmingham


ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE ROADCHIP (U)

A BIGGER SPLASH (15)

DEADPOOL (tbc)

CONCUSSION (15)

ODDBALL AND THE PENGUINS (tbc)

ZOOLANDER 2 (tbc)

THE GREEN INFERNO (18)

JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS (tbc)

NOBEL (tbc)

THE SURVIVALIST (tbc)

WELCOME TO LEITH (tbc)


EventsCHINESE NEW YEAR Chinese New Yearcelebrations, Mon 8 Feb,Birmingham Botanical Gardens

PIRATE AND PRINCESS WEEK Head forAlton Towers Resort this half term asthey welcome Cook & Line fromCBeebies’ Swashbuckle, Fri 12 - Sun21 Feb, Alton Towers, Staffordshire

FEBRUARY HALF-TERM TILE DECORATINGWORKSHOPS Circus-themed drop-intile decorating workshops, Sat 13Feb, Jackfield Tile Museum,Ironbridge, Shropshire

SKETCH COVENTRY Join local urbansketchers in the Herbert Café for aday of sketching around Coventrycity centre, Sat 13 Feb, Herbert ArtGallery & Museum, Coventry

VALENTINE’S HOOKING AND PROGGINGCRAFT WORKSHOP Chance to gainknowledge and learn the skills ofhooking and progging to make apiece of traditional work that will lasta lifetime, Sat 13 Feb, BirminghamBack to Backs

VALENTINE’S WEEKEND Enjoy thesweetest Valentine's Day withCadbury World as hearts and choco-late will be melting for their real-lifeCupid statue, Sat 13 - Sun 14 Feb,Cadbury World, Bournville

DOWN UNDER LIVE Do you want toemigrate to Australia or NewZealand? Find out how at DownUnder Live - the UK’s number oneemigration event, Sat 13 - Sun 14Feb, National Motorcycle Museum,Solihull

HALF TERM FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT Ahost of children's entertainers will bespreading joy throughout the day

during the half-term holidays, Sat 13- Sun 21 Feb, Cadbury World, B’ham

FAMILY FUN DAYS - FEBRUARY HALFTERM An outdoor adventure for allthe family featuring a natural play trailwith stepping stones, rope swingsand a winding labyrinth, Sat 13 - Sun21 Feb, Baddesley Clinton, Solihull

ANVILS & PETTICOATS: WOMEN ININDUSTRY Find out about the incredi-ble history of women workers in thisone-off half-term event and discoverhow women in industry changed thecourse of history, Sat 13 - Sun 21Feb, Black Country Living Museum,Dudley

FEBRUARY HALF-TERM FAMILYACTIVITIES Sat 13 - Sun 21 Feb, BlistsHill, Ironbridge, Shropshire

FAMILY FUN DAYS - FEBRUARY HALF-TERM Head off on a journey throughthe woods for a welly walk, Sat 13 -Sun 21 Feb, Packwood House,Solihull

FLIGHT WORKSHOPS Take part in inter-active activities and make your ownrocket from the available craft materi-als, Sat 13 - Sun 21 Feb, EnginuityMuseum, Ironbridge, Shropshire

DESTINATION SPACE HALF TERM Sat 13- Sun 21 Feb, National Space Centre,Leicester

ASTON EXPERIENCE TOURS A chanceto see the site’s 17th century roomsand get ‘hands on’ with objects fromthe past, Sun 14 Feb, Aston Hall,Birmingham

MONTHLY TOUR OF BLAKESLEY HALLExperience one of Birmingham’sfinest timber-framed buildings andget a unique insight into the aspira-tions of the Tudor classes who livedand worked there, Sun 14 Feb,Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

COIN & BANKNOTE FAIR Featuring coin,banknote, medal and antiquity deal-ers from the United Kingdom andIreland, Sun 14 Feb, NationalMotorcycle Museum, Solihull

PIZZA MAKING AT SAREHOLE MILL Jointhe Millers at Sarehole Mill for a funand informal baking class. Learn tomake dough, see the mill in actionand create and bake your own deli-cious pizza, Sun 14 Feb, SareholeMill, Birmingham

Visual ArtsHOPES + DREAMS: STATEMENTS OFINTENT EXPLORED An exhibition featur-ing lettered work, in all types ofmedia, by members of LetterExchange, until Fri 12 Feb, ParksideGallery, Birmingham

JOAN SHARMA ARBSA A celebration ofmothers, babies and mothers-to-be.Sculptures in stone and wood, untilSat 20 Feb, RBSA Gallery, B’ham

ENCHANTED DREAMS The first everexhibition to be dedicated to Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward RobertHughes, until Sun 21 Feb,Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

WOLVERHAMPTON SOCIETY OF ARTISTSBiennial exhibition featuring a diverserange of styles, mediums and sub-ject matter, until Sat 27 Feb,Wolverhampton Art Gallery



LOVE ART, BUY ART, MAKE ARTEXHIBITION Works by the tutors whowill deliver the Winter and Summerworkshops, Mon 8 - Sat 20 Feb,RBSA Gallery, Birmingham

MARGARET FAIRHEAD RBSA Margarethas drawn inspiration from thecanals near the gallery to produce aseries of machine-stitched urbanlandscapes, Mon 8 Feb - Sat 19 Mar,RBSA Gallery, Birmingham

CHANCE, ORDER, CHANGE: ABSTRACTPAINTINGS 1939 - 1989 A great oppor-tunity to enjoy abstract art at itspurest, Thurs 11 Feb - Sun 8 May,The Barber Institute, Birmingham

INTO THE WOODS Featuring stylisticallydiverse works by distinguished artistsincluding Jacob van Ruisdael,Theodore Rousseau & SamuelPalmer, Fri 12 Feb - Sun 12 June,The Barber Institute, Birmingham

NEW ART WEST MIDLANDS 2016Exhibition of works by graduatesfrom various West Midlands artschools, Fri 12 Feb - Sun 15 May,Birmingham Museum & Art Galleryand Sat 13 Feb - Sun 10 Apr, mac,Birmingham





David O’DohertyFriday 12th February, 8:00pm

The Rat Pack & JudyThursday 25th February, 7:30pm

Gary DelaneySaturday 12th March, 8:00pm

The DreamersThursday 24th March, 7:30pm


Classical MusicPETER DONOHOE CELEBRITY PIANORECITAL Featuring Peter Donohoe(piano). Programme includesScriabin, Schubert, Beethoven andBrahms, Tues 16 Feb, BirminghamConservatoire

AISHA ORAZBAYEVA AND JOSEPHHOUSTON Featuring Aisha Orazbayeva(violin) and Joseph Houston (piano).Programme includes Feldman ForJohn Cage, Tues 16 Feb, BramallMusic Building, University ofBirmingham

JOEL SACHS Programme comprisesCage Sonatas and Interludes for pre-pared piano, Tues 16 Feb, BramallMusic Building, University ofBirmingham

TCHAIKOVSKY’S SIXTH Featuring City ofBirmingham Symphony Orchestra,Rafael Payare (conductor) and AlisaWeilerstein (cello). Programmeincludes works by Berlioz, Prokofiev,Sinfonia and Tchaikovsky, Wed 17Feb, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

FLANDERS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAFeaturing Jan Latham Koenig (con-ductor), Nikolai Demidenko (piano),Wed 17 Feb, Warwick Arts Centre,Coventry

EMMA JOHNSON & MOZART'S CLARINETCONCERTO Featuring David Curtis(conductor). Programme includesworks by Gluck, Fauré, Haydn andMozart, Wed 17 Feb, BirminghamTown Hall

FIDELIO TRIO Featuring DarraghMorgan (violin), Adi Tal (cello) andMary Dullea (piano). Programmeincludes Alasdair Nicolson Half ToldTales, Judith Weir Piano Trio Two,Luke Bedford Chiaroscuro, ScottWilson New work (premiere), MichaelZev Gordon In the Middle of Things,Wed 17 Feb, The Barber Institute,University of Birmingham

PIANO SHOWCASE Featuring GyörgyHodozsó and Csabay Domonkos.Programme includes Liszt’s Variationsof Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zager, aswell as works by Schubert, Wed 17Feb, Birmingham Conservatoire

CBSO RODGERS & HAMMERSTEINFeaturing Martin Yates (conductor)and University of Birmingham Voices.Programme includes songs fromOklahoma!, The King and I, TheSound Of Music and more, Fri 19Feb, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

THALLEIN PLUS - 8 WORLDS PREMIERES

Following last year's highly successfulproject, Thallein Ensemble are herejoined by a number of the UK's lead-ing contemporary music performersin a concert of world premieres fromBirmingham Conservatoire com-posers, Fri 19 Feb, BirminghamConservatoire

FINAL PROJECTS ORCHESTRA FeaturingLucinda Scott (soprano) and ConnorWilcox (piano). Programme featuresthe works of Ravel and Beethoven, Fri19 Feb, Birmingham Conservatoire

BIRMINGHAM CONTEMPORARY MUSICGROUP Featuring Richard Baker (con-ductor), Lucy Schaufer (mezzo sopra-no) and Christopher Yates (viola).Programme includes the works ofBerio, Tansy Davies, Judith Weir,Feldman, Richard Baker, Michael SevGorden, and various other com-posers, Sat 20 Feb, Bramall MusicBuilding, Birmingham

CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA:RACHMANINOV'S SECOND Featuring Jacvan Steen (conductor). Programmeincludes works by Prokofiev andRachmaninov, Sun 21 Feb,Symphony Hall, Birmingham

UNLIMITED VOICES PRESENT THE GREATSONGS OF MUSICAL THEATRE Sun 21Feb, Birmingham Town Hall

Comedy GigsTOADALLY FREE COMEDY! Mon 15 Feb,The Blue Orange Theatre,Birmingham

JIMEOIN Wed 17 Feb, BirminghamTown Hall

TONY LAW Wed 17 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

MOCK THE FLOCK - ACTS TBC Wed 17Feb, The Mockingbird Theatre,Birmingham

RORY MCGRATH Thurs 18 Feb, Artrix,Bromsgrove

ZOE LYONS, BOBBY MAIR & BETHANYBLACK Thurs 18 Feb, Bramall MusicBuilding, Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC COMEDY CLUB FEAT.JOHNNY VEGAS Thurs 18 Feb, 6 onBroad Street, Birmingham

ROGER MONKHOUSE, JOHN HASTINGS &COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDYROBINSON Thurs 18 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

ED BYRNE Fri 19 Feb, BirminghamTown Hall

CHRIS MARTIN Fri 19 Feb, mac,Birmingham

JO CAULFIELD, ROGER MONKHOUSE,MICKEY SHARMA & JOHN HASTINGS Fri19 - Sat 20 Feb, The Glee Club,Birmingham



GigsPARKWAY DRIVE Mon 15Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

NATHANIEL RATELIFF ANDTHE NIGHT SWEATS Mon15 Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

MIKEY BROMLEY Mon 15Feb, O2 Institute,B’ham

FATHERSON Mon 15Feb, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

THE LEGENDS OFAMERICAN COUNTRYMon 15 Feb, TheRobin, Bilston

EZRA FURMAN Tues 16Feb, The Glee Club,Birmingham

THE TIM AMANN X-TETTues 16 Feb, The JamHouse, Birmingham

MAZ O'CONNOR Tues 16Feb, Kitchen GardenCafe, Birmingham

HUE AND CRY Tues 16Feb, The Robin, Bilston

BARS AND MELODY Wed17 Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

HEATHER SMALL Wed 17Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

MIRANDA SYKES & REXPRESTON Wed 17 Feb,The Red Lion FolkClub, Birmingham

PETE KENT Wed 17 Feb,The Robin, Bilston

RUNRIG Thurs 18 Feb,Symphony Hall,Birmingham

DIGBY FAIRWEATHER'SHALF DOZEN Thurs 18Feb, Solihull ArtsComplex

MONEY Thurs 18 Feb,Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

JOHNNY 2 BAD Thurs 18Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

MYSTERY JETS Thurs 18Feb, O2 Institute,

Birmingham

!!! (CHK CHK CHK) Thurs18 Feb, The Oobleck,Birmingham

JESSE MALIN Thurs 18Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

JAZZ COLLECTIVE Thurs18 - Fri 19 Feb, BramallMusic Building, B’ham

DEVILSKIN Thurs 18Feb, The Roadhouse,Birmingham

WILLE & THE BANDITSThurs 18 Feb, TheRobin, Bilston

GRETCHEN PETERS Fri 19Feb, Artrix, Bromsgrove

FOALS Fri 19 Feb,Barclaycard Arena,Birmingham

LET'S HANG ON Fri 19Feb, Solihull ArtsComplex

LUCY SPRAGGAN Fri 19Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

TRU GROOVE Fri 19 - Sat20 Feb, The JamHouse, Birmingham

CATAPULT CLUB FEAT. THEYOUNG Fri 19 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

DIRTY OLD FOLKERS Fri19 Feb, The Actress &Bishop, Birmingham

RYLEY WALKER & DANNYTHOMPSON Fri 19 Feb,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

GUY JONES Fri 19 Feb,The Flapper, B’ham

DAVID RODIGAN'SRAMJAM Fri 19 Feb,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

CIRQUE DU SOULPRESENT TODDLA T Fri19 Feb, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY +WEAPON UK +AVENFORD +BULLETRIDE Fri 19 Feb,The Roadhouse, B’ham

THE BOSS + BRYANADAMS EXPERIENCE Fri19 Feb, The Robin,

Bilston

RHINO'S REVENGE Sat 20Feb, The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

HALSEY Sat 20 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

ALLISON WEISS Sat 20Feb, O2 Institute,B’ham

PAUL CARRACK Sat 20Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

ATOMIC BLONDIE & THEBOWIE EXPERIENCE Sat20 Feb, Artrix,Bromsgrove

CASH (PAYIN' RESPECTTO THE MAN IN BLACK)Sat 20 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

FAT WHITE FAMILY Sat20 Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

BLACK PEAKS Sat 20Feb, The Asylum,Birmingham

FLOWERS Sat 20 Feb,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

SEMANTICS Sat 20 Feb,The Sunflower Lounge,Birmingham

PORTAL 2ND BIRTHDAY -AMNESIA IBIZA TOUR Sat20 Feb, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

THE PHONICS Sat 20Feb, The Roadhouse,Birmingham

THE BILLY FURY YEARSSun 21 Feb,Wolverhampton GrandTheatre

A PROMISE TO FORGETSun 21 Feb, TheFlapper, Birmingham

VICTORIA Sun 21 Feb,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

E OF E Sun 21 Feb, TheSlade Rooms,Wolverhampton

THE JOHNNY WINTEREXPERIENCE FEATURINGDEL BROMHAM Sun 21Feb, The Robin, Bilston

Paul Carrack, Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 20 February


PHIL NICHOL, BARRY CASTAGNOLA,KEVIN GILDEA & MICHAEL FABBRI Fri 19- Sat 20 Feb, Jongleurs ComedyClub, Birmingham

STEVE HALL Sat 20 Feb, TheMockingbird Theatre, Birmingham


DOCTOR FAUSTUS Maria Aberg returnsto the RSC to direct Marlowe's notori-ous tale of vanity, greed and damna-tion, Thurs 4 Feb - Thurs 4 Aug, TheSwan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE OWL WHO WAS AFRAID OF THEDARK Theatre production for childrenaged three to seven, based on JillTomlinson’s classic, Mon 15 Feb,The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham

THE BROKE N BEAT COLLECTIVE 20Stories High and Theatre-Rites joinforces to create a unique mash up ofhip-hop, theatre and puppetry, Tues16 - Wed 17 Feb, mac, Birmingham

KITE The Wrong Crowd theatre com-pany present a new play withoutwords featuring originally composedmusic, dance, puppetry and, ofcourse, kites. Inspired by the worldof indoor kite flying and stories suchas The Snowman and The RedBalloon, Tues 16 - Wed 17 Feb, TheREP, Birmingham

GANGSTA GRANNY Birmingham StageCompany bring a production ofDavid Walliams' best-selling book tothe stage, Tues 16 - Sat 20 Feb,Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

IMPOSSIBLE The world's greatest illu-sionists live on stage in a magicspectacular, Tues 16 - Sat 20 Feb,New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham

HANDSWORTH GANG SHOW 2016 A fast-moving family show performed bycubs, scouts and guides from theTame Valley districts of Birmingham(Handsworth, Perry Barr, Great Barrand Erdington), Tues 16 - Sat 20Feb, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

SINGLE SPIES Nicholas Farrell (TheLady In The Van), Belinda Lang(2point4 Children) and David Robb(Downton Abbey) star in RachelKavanagh's staging of Alan Bennett's

comedy masterpiece, Wed 17 - Sat27 Feb, The REP, Birmingham

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM: A PLAYFOR THE NATION A co-productionbetween the Royal ShakespeareCompany and amateur theatre com-panies across the UK, Wed 17 Feb -Sat 5 Mar, Royal ShakespeareTheatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE LOST THINGS Tortoise In ANutshell & Oliver Emanuel present adark fairytale set in a fantasticalworld where nothing is quite as itseems, Thurs 18 - Sat 20 Feb, mac,Birmingham

THE LADYKILLERS Comedy byGraham Linehan, presented by theCarrs Lane Players, Thurs 18 - Sat 20Feb, Carrs Church Lane Centre,Birmingham

COUNT DUCKULA & THE JEWELS OFDUCKULA Join Duckula, Nanny andIgor in a race to find the treasure in ashow packed with songs, games andtons of fun - perfect entertainment forall the family to enjoy, Sat 20 Feb,Solihull Arts Complex

40 DAYS IN 40 MINUTES 40 one-minutespoken word pieces, written and pre-sented by Nick Holloway, Sat 20 Feb,mac, Birmingham

FIFTY SHADES OF BEIGE A poignantbut uplifting comedy from All &Sundry, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Feb, Artrix,

Bromsgrove

MORGAN & WEST'S UTTERLY SPIFFINGSPECTACULAR MAGIC SHOW FOR KIDSAND CHILDISH GROWN UPS Fun for allas Morgan & West mix brainbustingillusion and good old-fashioned tom-foolery, where magic and silliness arethe order of the day, Sun 21 Feb,mac, Birmingham

THE BOY WHO BIT PICASSO Featuringstorytelling, music and lots ofchances to make your own art, thishands-on family show introducesone of the 20th century’s most influ-ential artists through the eyes of ayoung boy. Be sure to wear someplay-clothes because it’s going to getmessy!, Sun 21 Feb, Bramall MusicBuilding, Birmingham University

THE REMARKABLE TALE OF OLIVERTWIST Red Earth Theatre presentCharles Dickens' mesmerising tale inVictorian music hall style, with spe-ciality acts and variety entertain-ments, Sun 21 Feb, Artrix,Bromsgrove




DanceASHTON DOUBLE BILL BirminghamRoyal Ballet present a programme ofone-act ballets celebrating one ofEngland's most influential choreogra-phers, Wed 17 - Sat 20 Feb,Birmingham Hippodrome

A CHILD'S DREAM Birmingham RoyalBallet present an adaptation ofShakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’sDream, specially created for childrenaged between three and seven, Fri19 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome

FilmINDEPENDENT LISTINGS:

TED '16: DREAM - OPENING NIGHT (12a)Live broadcast - TED’s curator ChrisAnderson will host the opening night,which will feature some of the world’sleading thinkers and doers who’vewon every international prize ofexcellence, from Nobel Laureates toPulitzer Prize authors to Oscar win-ners. Tues 16 Feb, Warwick ArtsCentre, Coventry; The Electric,Birmingham

THE ABOMINABLE CRIME A documen-tary that explores the culture ofhomophobia in Jamaica through theeyes of gay Jamaicans who areforced to choose between theirhomeland and their lives after theirsexual orientations are exposed.Q&A to follow screening. Thurs 18Feb, The Drum, Birmingham

PARTISAN (15) Vincent Cassel stars asthe cold and calculating leader of asecluded commune whose idyllicworld is turned upside down with thearrival of a newcomer. An unnerving,apocalyptic, psychological thriller. Fri19 - Tues 23 Feb, mac, Birmingham

DRACULA (PG) A late-night screeningof Tod Browning's 1931 Gothic chilleron 35mm, starring Bela Lugosi as theCount. Sat 20 Feb, The Electric,Birmingham


THE FINEST HOURS (tbc)

FREEHELD (12a)

HOW TO BE SINGLE (tbc)

TRIPLE NINE (tbc)

BONE TOMAHAWK (18)

THE BOY (tbc)

CHRONIC (15)

MAVIS! (tbc)

ORTHODOX (tbc)


EventsSCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME Offeringa variety of activities for young peo-ple to try, from skiing to archery andclimbing to orienteering, Mon 15Feb, Wed 17 Feb, Fri 19 Feb TheAckers, Birmingham

DESTINATION SPACE: FAMILY SHOWExplore what life is like for the entirespace crew in a family show cele-brating astronaut Tim Peake’s mis-sion to the International SpaceStation, Mon 15 - Fri 19 Feb,Thinktank at Millennium Point,Birmingham

SPACE BUGGIES Join the space crewengineering team to design andbuild a space buggy to send to theMoon, Mon 15 - Fri 19 Feb,Thinktank at Millennium Point,Birmingham

HALF-TERM FUN Craft activities, naturetrails and plenty of fun and games...Mon 15 - Fri 19 Feb, BirminghamBotanical Gardens

HALF-TERM CERAMIC CRAFTS Funceramic drop-in workshops wherevisitors can have a go at clay model-ling and painting on ceramics, Mon15 - Fri 19 Feb, Coalport ChinaMuseum, Ironbridge, Shropshire

FEBRUARY HALF-TERM: TILEDECORATING WORKSHOPS Circus-themed drop-in tile decorating work-shops, Mon 15 - Sat 20 Feb,Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge,Shropshire

BANG - FAMILY POP SHOW &WORKSHOP A brand new touring popshow featuring a talented cast of pro-fessional singers and dancers per-forming the chart and pop music oftoday, Wed 17 Feb, Solihull ArtsComplex

THE NATIONAL FRANCHISE EXHIBITIONShowcasing a huge range of nationalfranchise opportunities - an idealplatform for anyone looking to runtheir own business, Fri 19 - Sat 20Feb, NEC, Birmingham

DSLR PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS Aconcise four-week beginner’s intro-duction to you DSLR camera, Sat 20Feb, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

DISCOVER YOUR IRISH FAMILY HISTORYLectures from genealogy expertMaggie Loughran on how to discoveryour Irish family history, Sat 20 Feb,Birmingham Back to Backs

THE CLASSIC DIRT BIKE SHOW Tradersand jumble sellers come together tooffer parts, pieces and spares fornearly every project, alongside ridinggear, clothing and accessories, Sat20 - Sun 21 Feb, Telford InternationalCentre, Shropshire

BIRMINGHAM ARMS FAIR The UK’sbiggest and best antique and vintagearms fair, Sun 21 Feb, NationalMotorcycle Museum, Solihull

Visual ArtsJOAN SHARMA ARBSA A celebration ofmothers, babies and mothers-to-be.Sculptures in stone and wood, untilSat 20 Feb, RBSA Gallery, B’ham

ENCHANTED DREAMS The first everexhibition to be dedicated to Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward RobertHughes, until Sun 21 Feb,

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery



LOVE ART, BUY ART, MAKE ARTEXHIBITION Works by the tutors whowill deliver the Winter and Summerworkshops, Mon 8 - Sat 20 Feb,RBSA Gallery, Birmingham



INTO THE WOODS Featuring stylisticallydiverse works by distinguished artistsincluding Jacob van Ruisdael,Theodore Rousseau and SamuelPalmer, Fri 12 Feb - Sun 12 June,The Barber Institute, Birmingham


BIG CERAMICS: DISCOVER CLAY ON AMONUMENTAL SCALE Bringing togethereight ceramicists who use clay tocreate ambitious objects on a monu-mental scale, Sat 20 Feb - Sat 28May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery



Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2015, Herbert Art Gallery, Fri 5 February - Sun 10 April





Classical MusicQUATUOR ZAIDE Programme includesthe works of Haydn, Shostakovich,Francesca Verunelli andMendelssohn, Mon 22 Feb,Birmingham Town Hall

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT - THOMASTROTTER Mon 22 Feb, BirminghamTown Hall

HARMONIEBAND Featuring BenjaminFarrar (conductor). Programme com-prises Mozart Serenade in B flat,‘Gran Partita’, Mon 22 Feb, BramallMusic Building, Birmingham

SCHUBERT FESTIVAL With five concertseach day, students and staff explorethe diverse richness of Schubert’smusic, Mon 22 - Fri 26 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

CBSO BENJAMIN GROSVENOR: GRIEGFeaturing Jac van Steen (conductor)and Benjamin Grosvenor (piano).Programme includes the works ofElgar, Grieg and Brahms, Wed 24Feb, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

TRIO SEVERN Featuring Zoë Beyers(violin), David Powell (cello) & RobertMarkham (piano). Programmeincludes works by Beethoven, Thurs25 Feb, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

STAR WARS & BEYOND - A SPACESPECTACULAR Featuring AnthonyInglis (conductor) and LondonConcert Orchestra. Programmeincludes works by John Williams,Holst, Strauss, and more... Fri 26Feb, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

HARRY BICKET AND THE ENGLISHCONCERT PERFORM HANDEL'S ORLANDOFeaturing Carolyn Sampson andLestyn Davies in the title role, Fri 26Feb, Birmingham Town Hall

THE ALMA GUITAR QUARTET HannahWoollacott, Brexwedan Kockaya,Jonnie Cumming and RowanMcConkey perform a broad reper-toire ranging from early baroquearrangements to early 20th centuryworks and popular music from SouthAmerica and Cuba, Fri 26 Feb,Birmingham Conservatoire

CHRISTOPHER ORTON AND TOMOKOMATSUOKA Featuring ChristopherOrton (recorders) and TomokoMatsuoka (harpsichord). Programmeincludes works of JS Bach, Telemannand Froberger, Fri 26 Feb, TheBarber Institute, University ofBirmingham

SYMPHONIC ROCK The RoyalPhilharmonic Orchestra presents themost rocking show in town, featuringall your favourite rock and pop hits,including music by: U2, The Verve,Eric Clapton, Coldplay, Adele andmore, Sat 27 Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

CHAMBER MUSIC NIGHT Featuring theFlute Choir and Clarinet Choir, Sat 27Feb, The Barber Institute, Universityof Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM CATHEDRALTERCENTENARY FESTIVAL OF VOICES(THE 20TH CENTURY) Discover themusical richness and heritage ofBirmingham Cathedral in The Festival

Of Voices, to celebrate the cathe-dral's tercentenary. The festival willcomplete its series with a 20th centu-ry concert at the cathedral, Sat 27Feb, Birmingham Cathedral

TOSCA Ellen Kent Opera presentPuccini's tale of love and treachery.Sung in Italian with English surtitles,Sun 28 Feb, New Alexandra Theatre,Birmingham

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL PRESENTSVERDI'S REQUIEM Featuring guestsoloists Claire Morris, RebeccaAfonwy-Jones, Gareth Dafydd Morris& Jonathan May, Sun 28 Feb,Birmingham Town Hall

DanceROMEO AND JULIET Birmingham RoyalBallet present Kenneth MacMillan’sbest-loved adaptation of this famousplay to continue their 2016Shakespeare celebration, Wed 24 -Sat 27 Feb, Birmingham Hippodrome

HAM & PASSION DeNada DanceTheatre present a gender-bendingevening of seductive and provocativedance choreographed by CarlosPons Guerra, Thurs 25 Feb, mac,Birmingham

INTO THE HOODS (REMIXED) Zoonationpresent a newly revamped version ofthe award-winning production thatstormed the West End in 2008, Thurs25 - Sat 27 Feb, WolverhamptonGrand Theatre

NEW WORK NIGHTS: DANCE Debutevent celebrating the diversity ofdance forms in Birmingham, withcontributions from Lauren van Hulle(Motionhouse, van Hulle DanceTheatre), Jigsaw Collective,Outspoken Dance and Break Missionlead artists David ‘Footloose’ Russelland Michael ‘Silence’ Glasgow, Thurs25 Feb The Old Rep Theatre,Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET - CLASS ONSTAGE A chance to look behind thescenes and watch BRB’s talenteddancers in their final preparations fora performance of world-class danc-ing, Sat 27 Feb, BirminghamHippodrome


GigsGIRL BAND, JET SETTER& THEM WOLVES Mon 22Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

GIRLS NAMES Mon 22Feb, The SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

SECTION BOYZ Mon 22Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

MORGANISATION Mon 22Feb, Kitchen GardenCafe, Birmingham

HINDS Tues 23 Feb,Hare & Hounds, B’ham

TWENTY ONE PILOTSTues 23 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

GOGO PENGUIN Tues 23Feb, The Glee Club,Birmingham

WALK THE MOON Tues23 Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

WILSON Tues 23 Feb,The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

THE BULLETPROOF BOMBTues 23 Feb, TheSunflower Lounge,Birmingham

THE JOY FORMIDABLEWed 24 Feb, TheRainbow Venues,Birmingham

EWAN MCLENNAN Wed24 Feb, The Red LionFolk Club, Birmingham

INGLORIOUS Wed 24Feb, The Robin, Bilston

THE BLUES BAND Thurs25 Feb, The Robin,Bilston

FUN LOVIN' CRIMINALSThurs 25 Feb, O2Institute

EXODUS Thurs 25 Feb,The Asylum, B’ham

WILL VARLEY Thurs 25Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

BOY AND BEAR Thurs 25Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

VULA VIEL Thurs 25Feb, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

SHUGGIE OTIS Thurs 25Feb, O2 Institute,B’ham

DEL CAMINO Thurs 25Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

DAMIEN DEMPSEY ANDHIS BAND Thurs 25 Feb,O2 Academy, B’ham

ALISTAIR GRIFFIN Thurs25 Feb, The Actress &Bishop, Birmingham

BOOMIN / HIDDEN SKIES /APHERIUM / CAVALIERThurs 25 Feb, TheFlapper, Birmingham

ESTRONS, SHRINKINGVIOLETS & GUESTSThurs 25 Feb, TheSunflower Lounge,Birmingham

WET WET WET Fri 26Feb, Genting Arena,Birmingham

JESS GLYNNE Fri 26Feb, O2 Academy,Birmingham

LADY BE GOOD Fri 26Feb, DovehouseTheatre, Solihull

ULRICH SCHNAUSS Fri26 Feb, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

ALEX OHM Fri 26 Feb,O2 Institute, B’ham

TONIGHT ALIVE Fri 26Feb, O2 Institute,Birmingham

MR BEN Fri 26 - Sat 27Feb, The Jam House,Birmingham

AN EVENING WITHOUTJAKE THACKRAY Fri 26Feb, Solihull ArtsComplex

CATAPULT CLUB FEAT.BLUE NATION - ‘STEADYYOUR SOUL’� ALBUMLAUNCH Fri 26 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

SOULED OUT 2 FUNK Fri26 Feb, The

Roadhouse, B’ham

HELLS BELLS Fri 26 Feb,The Robin, Bilston

SCREAMIN' ABDABZ &BEDROCK BULLETS Fri 26Feb, Route 44, B’ham

ASHLEY HUTCHINGS Sat27 Feb, mac, B’ham

THE X FACTOR LIVE TOUR2016 Sat 27 Feb,Genting Arena, B’ham

HOSTILE Sat 27 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

TALON - THE BEST OFEAGLES Sat 27 Feb,Solihull Arts Complex

TORI KELLY Sat 27 Feb,O2 Institute, B’ham

WOLVERHAMPTONBLUES, RHYTHM & ROCKFESTIVAL Sat 27 Feb,The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

GOODNIGHT BERLIN /DARREN HAMES Sat 27Feb, The Flapper,Birmingham

ELEMENTS PRESENTSTRUNCATE, REBEKAH &MORE Sat 27 Feb, TheRainbow Venues,Birmingham

REACH OUT TO MOTOWN- A CELEBRATION OF 50YEARS OF MOTOWN Sat27 Feb, The Robin,Bilston

SAX IN THE CITY: THENOTEBENDERS Sat 27Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

BRITISH SEA POWER Sat27 Feb, BirminghamTown Hall

SABATON & ALESTORMSun 28 Feb, O2Academy, Birmingham

LEONA LEWIS Sun 28Feb, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

STRAY Sun 28 Feb, TheRobin, Bilston

Wet Wet Wet at Genting Arena, Birmingham on 26 February


Comedy GigsMOCK THE FLOCK - ACTS TBC Wed 24Feb, The Mockingbird Theatre,Birmingham

CARL HUTCHINSON, IAIN STIRLINGThurs 25 Feb, The Glee Club,Birmingham

JOHN FOTHERGILL, SIMON KING &COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDYROBINSON Thurs 25 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

JO ENRIGHT & COMIC TBC Thurs 25Feb, Station Pub, Birmingham

ADAM HESS & STEVE BUGEJA Fri 26Feb, The Old Rep Theatre,Birmingham

JOHN FOTHERGILL, DAN NIGHTINGALE,SIMON KING & COMIC TBC Fri 26 - Sat27 Feb, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MARLON DAVIS, STEFANO PAOLINI &ALEX BOARDMAN & JOHNNY CANDONFri 26 - Sat 27 Feb, JongleursComedy Club, Birmingham

RICH STOKES Sat 27 Feb, mac,B’ham

ADAM HILLS Sun 28 Feb,Birmingham Hippodrome

ROUGH WORKS Sun 28 Feb, The GleeClub, Birmingham

THE LAUGHING SOLE - COMEDY CLUBFOR KIDS WITH MRS BARBARA NICEAND GUESTS Sun 28 Feb, mac,B’ham.

TheatreDOCTOR FAUSTUS Maria Abergreturns to the RSC to directMarlowe's notorious tale of vanity,greed and damnation, Thurs 4 Feb -Thurs 4 Aug, The Swan Theatre,Stratford-upon-Avon

THE ODYSSEY In a brand new cre-ative theatrical adaptation, SplendidProductions retell the story ofOdysseus and his famously incon-venient journey home from theTrojan War, Mon 22 Feb, mac,Birmingham

END OF THE RAINBOW Lisa Maxwellstars as Judy Garland as the WizardOf Oz star makes her explosiveSwinging 60s London comeback inthe, Tues 23 - Sat 27 Feb, BelgradeTheatre, Coventry

MIDDAY VARIETY Featuring the starsof Blackpool - Billy Pearce & JohnBowdler, Thurs 25 Feb, BelgradeTheatre, Coventry

MUSIC HALL TAVERN Cabaret-styleperformance packed with ‘dazzling’costumes, ‘side-splitting’ laughter

and a cast of unique characterssinging and dancing all night long,Thurs 25 Feb, Crescent Theatre,Birmingham

DON QUIXOTE Rufus Hound stars inJames Fenton's staging ofCervantes' comic novel - a workregarded as one of the foundationstones of modern fiction, Thurs 25Feb - Sat 21 May, The SwanTheatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

I KNOW ALL THE SECRETS IN MYWORLD Tiata Fahodzi presents aheart-breaking play about a fatherand son whose lives comes tum-bling down following the loss of theirwife and mother, Thurs 25 - Fri 26Feb, The Drum, Birmingham

FOOTLOOSE SoSage Factory presentan amateur version of the 1984 film.Featuring iconic hits Holding OutFor A Hero, Lets Here It For TheBoy, Mama Says and, of course, thetitle song itself, Thurs 25 - Sat 27Feb, Solihull Arts Complex

FLYING SOLO Manjeet Mann's exhila-rating semi-autobiographical storyabout family, survival, guilt and self-delusion, Thurs 25 - Sat 27 Feb, TheREP, Birmingham

THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER Humorousand thought-provoking story of com-radeship, betrayal and promisesboth broken and kept following thecarnage of World War One, Fri 26 -Sat 27 Feb, Old Joint Stock Theatre,Birmingham

TOSCA Ellen Kent Opera presentPuccini's tale of love and treachery.Sung in Italian with English surtitles,Sun 28 Feb, New Alexandra Theatre.Birmingham

THE 39 STEPS Fiery Angel presentAlfred Hitchcock's classic spy thriller,Mon 29 Feb - Sat 5 Mar, The REP,Birmingham

FilmINDEPENDENT LISTINGS:

ANTHEM OF THE HEART (tbc) A younggirl who believes that her wordshave caused unmeasurable troubleis one day visited by a mysterious‘Egg Fairy’ who casts a spell on her,preventing her from speaking...Foreign language, subtitled. Mon 22- Tues 23 Feb, mac, Birmingham

LEE SCRATCH PERRY'S VISION OFPARADISE (tbc) For the past 15 years,director Volker Schaner has followedPerry. Over this period, Volker hasearned Perry’s trust, resulting in anever-before-granted level of accessand insight into the legendary musi-

Mon 22 - Sun 28 February



cian’s fantastical, spiritual world.Wed 24 - Thurs 25 Feb, mac,Birmingham

THE LADY IN THE VAN (12a) Inspiredby the true story of a homelesswoman who moved into a Bedfordvan in the drive of Alan Bennett’sCamden home. Stars Maggie Smith& Alex Jennings. Fri 26 - Sun 28Feb, mac, Birmingham

GONE WITH THE WIND (PG) David O’Selznick's production of MargaretMitchell's bestseller remains the pin-nacle of polished Hollywood story-telling and craftsmanship. StarsClark Gable & Vivien Leigh. Sat 27Feb, The Electric, Birmingham


GRIMSBY (tbc)

GODS OF EGYPT (tbc)

SECRET IN THEIR EYES (tbc)

EXPOSED (tbc)

THE FOREST (tbc)

KING JACK (tbc)

THE PROPAGANDA GAME (tbc)


EventsCARAVAN, CAMPING AND MOTORHOMESHOW The UK’s biggest start-of-sea-son showcase of caravans,motorhomes, campervans, trailertents and folding caravans, plustents of all sizes and caravan holidayhomes & lodges, Tues 23 - Sun 28Feb, NEC, B’ham

WINTER HERITAGE TOURS OF ASTONHALL Hear all about the fascinatinghistory of Aston Hall, one of the lastJacobean houses to be built inBritain, Tues 23 Feb - Thurs 24 Mar,Aston Hall, Birmingham

WINTER HERITAGE TOURS OFBLAKESLEY HALL Get a unique insightinto the aspirations of the Tudorclasses who lived and worked at thehall, Wed 24 Feb - Thurs 24 Mar,Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

WINTER HERITAGE TOURS OF SAREHOLEMILL Taking place on a Wednesdayand Thursday, explore the idyllicchildhood haunt of JRR Tolkien, Wed24 Feb - Thurs 24 Mar, Sarehole Mill,

Birmingham

WHAT UNIVERSITY LIVE? A new eventfor 15-to-19-year-olds, to help themdecide what to do after leavingschool, be it an apprenticeship,training programme or universityafter A Levels, Fri 26 - Sat 27 Feb,NEC, Birmingham

DSLR PHOTOGRAPHY FOR BEGINNERS Aconcise four-week beginner’s intro-duction to your DSLR camera, Sat27 Feb, Birmingham BotanicalGardens

HERITAGE WEEKEND Join the guidedwalks on offer around the villagewhich showcase places of interestand the rich history of the area, Sat27 - Sun 28 Feb, Cadbury World,Bournville, Birmingham

NOBUKO IMAI A unique learning expe-rience, as world-renownedJapanese-born violinist Nobuko Imaigives viola master classes, work-shops and ensemble sessions. Aday for all musicians, not just violin-ists, Sun 28 Feb, BirminghamConservatoire

DIVA WEDDING FAYRE See the hall setup for a ceremony and chat to 25exhibitors showcasing the very bestservices and products to make sureyour special day is truly perfect, Sun28 Feb, Aston Hall, Birmingham

Visual ArtsWOLVERHAMPTON SOCIETY OF ARTISTSBiennial exhibition with a diverserange of styles, mediums and sub-ject matter, until Sat 27 Feb,Wolverhampton Art Gallery



LOVE ART, BUY ART, MAKE ARTEXHIBITION Works by the tutors whowill deliver the Winter and Summer

workshops, Mon 8 - Sat 20 Feb,RBSA Gallery, Birmingham



INTO THE WOODS Featuring stylistical-ly diverse works by distinguishedartists including Jacob van Ruisdael,Theodore Rousseau & SamuelPalmer, Fri 12 Feb - Sun 12 June,The Barber Institute, Birmingham


BIG CERAMICS: DISCOVER CLAY ON AMONUMENTAL SCALE Bringing togeth-er eight ceramicists who use clay tocreate ambitious objects, Sat 20 Feb- Sat 28 May, Wolverhampton ArtGallery

BIRMINGHAM ART CIRCLE EXHIBITIONFeaturing a group of professionalartists who exhibit at the RBSA eachyear, Mon 22 Feb - Sat 5 Mar, RBSAGallery, Birmingham

ROB HAND RBSA On the Edge - A col-lection of pit-fired and raku piecesincluding a range of jewellery, Mon22 Feb - Sat 2 Apr, RBSA Gallery,Birmingham

FLOCKOMANIA 2 A solo exhibition andinstallation by Zoe Robertson featur-ing a display of wearable sculpture,Mon 22 Feb - Fri 1 Apr, ParksideGallery, Birmingham

HOTEL DIARIES Made over six years inhotels in six different countries, HotelDiaries charts the ‘war on terror’ eraof Bush and Blair through a series ofvideo recordings that relate personalexperiences to the ongoing conflictsin Afghanistan, Iraq andIsrael/Palestine, Sat 27 Feb - Sat 7May, Wolverhampton Art Gallery


thelist Monday 22 - Sunday 28 Feb

THE DINNER CLUB (EST 86)FOR THE MORE DISCERNING UNATTACHED PERSON

SINGLE?

£55.00Booked for 80accomodationalso available

www.thedinnerclubuk.com

FRIDAY 5 FEBRUARYat Mollington Banastre Hotel & Spa, Parkgate RoadMollington, Chester CH1 6NN7.30 for 8pm - Pre-dinner drink, 3 course meal with wine, coffee and dancing till late (disco)(01244) 677030 weekdays or 548816 eve/weekends

BLACK TIE


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