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THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE 

BIRMINGHAM 

DOLLY 

PARTON 

What’sOnLIVING LEGEND IN BRUM 

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 

ISSUE 342 JUNE 2014 

DAWN FRENCH 

out on the road with 

first ever solo tour 

FLASH MOB 

celebrity-driven dance 

show arrives in the city 

AEGON CLASSIC 

prestigious sporting 

event back at Edgbaston

June 2014 

Editor: 

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01743 281708 

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Contributors: 

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James Cameron-Wilson: 

Film; Anita Champaneri: 

Eating Out; 

Alev Dervish: Music 

Eva Easthope, Kate 

Evans, Jessica Aston, 

Patsy Moss, Jack Rolfe, 

Jan Watts, Reggie White 

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What’sOn 

MAGAZINE GROUP 

Dawn French - brings new solo show to the region, page 24 

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INSIDE: 

Annie Get Your Gun 

all-star cast in 

West End musical p29 

Flash Mob 

promising a Flawless 

performance p38 

Bass Festival 

celebrating Black arts 

in the Midlands p49 

June 2014 

M T W T F S S 

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News A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS 

Arts Council grant secures 

future of Midlands orchestra 

An orchestra which faced an uncertain future 

following the closure of West Bromwich arts 

venue The Public last November has 

received a £100,000 grant from Arts Council 

England. The People’s Orchestra, which 

formed two years ago, was both located and 

regularly performed at The Public. The funding 

will allow the orchestra to employ two 

essential members of staff - a Volunteer 

Manager and a Concert Manager. 

Co-founder Sarah Marshall said of the grant: 

“This is fantastic news for the orchestra, and 

we can push on with an exciting artistic programme. 

As an amateur orchestra, run solely 

by volunteers, the move from The Public was 

very disruptive, and our existence has been 

very hand-to-mouth ever since.” 

The People’s Orchestra perform an evening 

of Film Greats at Birmingham’s Adrian Boult 

Hall on Sunday 22 June. 

Photography competition 

winner announced 

Thirty-one-year-old Sarah Harding from 

Cradley Heath in Birmingham has won a 

unique photography competition celebrating 

the traditional Japanese cherry blossom festival, 

Hanami. 

Sarah was up against an impressive number 

of entrants, but triumphed in the competition 

because the judges felt that her image had 

‘rather uniquely captured the cherry blossom 

on a rainy day’. The competition was organised 

in partnership with Ikon and Cafe Opus at 

Ikon. Sarah’s winning photograph will now be 

on public display at Cafe Opus. 

Belgrade Theatre Unplugs its new season 

A festival which offers audiences the opportunity to enjoy rehearsed readings from the 

Coventry Belgrade Theatre’s forthcoming autumn season of home-produced drama is making 

a welcome return after enjoying great success last year. Entitled Unplugged, the week-long 

performance programme takes place at venues throughout Coventry and Warwickshire. 

Highlights of the 2014 programme include readings from Peter Arnott’s Propaganda Swing, 

2Tone musical Three Minute Heroes and the popular B2 Christmas show Oh No It Isn’t. 

Commenting on the return of Unplugged, the Belgrade’s Artistic Director, Hamish Glen, said, 

“These events have been devised to offer people the chance to come and hear excerpts from 

our forthcoming autumn season in the form of rehearsed readings in interesting and inspiring 

settings. They aren’t fully realised productions with big sets and lighting; they are stripped 

back, ‘unplugged’ readings that I’m putting together with a group of talented actors, to give 

you a unique taste of what’s in store at the Belgrade throughout the rest of the year. Whether 

you’re a theatre aficionado or just looking for a fun and entertaining cultural experience, 

Unplugged promises to be a great showcase of some of the exciting theatre we’ve got coming 

up this autumn.” For more information, visit belgrade.co.uk/unplugged. 

Parking Around in Brum 

A unique theatrical event is to be showcased 

at three outdoor venues in Birmingham this 

month. RoguePlay Theatre’s project - supported 

by Birmingham Rep, Active Parks and 

Birmingham City Council - will feature twelve 

local people who’ve undertaken an intense 

training programme in various circus disciplines. 

The result - a highly physical piece of 

theatre with a strong but simple narrative 

played out through circus acts, dance and 

physical theatre sequences - will show at the 

city’s Small Heath Park (8 June), Eastside 

Park (15 June) and Walkers Heath Park (15 

June). All events are free, and will be supported 

by participatory workshops for both 

adults and children. 

Gala Opera event for 

Compton Verney 

Warwickshire’s Compton Verney Estate has 

announced plans to host a Gala Opera in 

July. It’s hoped that the evening event will 

raise £15,000 for the restoration of the 

venue’s landscape and Grade I-listed 

chapel. The Gala will see one of Britain’s 

foremost chamber opera companies, Diva 

Opera, perform Mozart’s Don Giovanni in a 

marquee in the art gallery’s park. A range of 

tickets options is available for the black tie 

event. For more information, contact 

Alexandra Grimes on 01926 645 547, or via 

alexandra.grimes@comptonverney.org.uk 

Lizard Lick Crew in Malvern 

North Carolina’s famous trucking duo, Ron 

and Amy Shirley, are to appear at this year’s 

Truckfest, at Malvern’s Three Counties 

Showground on 5 and 6 July. The couple, 

who host the hit show Lizard Lick Towing, 

will appear alongside celebrity truck driver 

Mark Dixon, The Only Way Is Essex star 

Joey Essex and Coronation Street actress 

Michelle Keegan. 

4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk

Glee Club in search of weird 

and wonderful performers 

Birmingham comedy venue The Glee Club 

is on the lookout for unusual talent to take 

part in the venue’s latest venture, Andy 

Robinson’s Comedy Carousel. The brainchild 

of local comedian Andy, the Thursday 

evening slot will feature ‘people with weird 

and wonderful talents’ performing alongside 

top comedians from across the UK. 

Described as ‘the biggest change in live 

comedy in the past twenty years’, the new 

initiative will feature a high level of audience 

interaction, live use of the internet and a 

competitive element. Performers interested 

in taking part in the Comedy Carousel can 

apply via: comedycarousel@glee.co.uk 

Gala boosts funds for 

Hippodrome Plus 

A recent fundraising event at Birmingham 

Hippodrome theatre has been hailed an 

unqualified success by its organisers. More 

than three hundred people from the region’s 

business community attended the fundraiser 

on 10 May. The event - sponsored by 

Hotel La Tour Birmingham in association 

with Shakespeare’s and supported by pantomime 

producer Qdos - raised nearly 

£50,000 via an auction and donations. 

Money raised will help the theatre’s 

Hippodrome Plus programme, which funds 

education projects, access services and 

outdoor performances that increase 

engagement with young people across the 

city. 

New Patrons for The Drum 

A Birmingham venue renowned for its programme 

of intercultural arts has welcomed 

two ‘phenomenal artists’ as its official 

Patrons. Pioneering jazz player Courtney 

Pine and Birmingham-born poet Dr 

Benjamin Zephaniah have chosen to lend 

their support to The Drum arts centre in the 

city’s Aston district, and will be instrumental 

in the venue’s Raising The Roof campaign. 

The £4.8million fundraising project plans to 

redesign, refurbish and upgrade The Drum 

with new features, facilities and equipment. 

The upgrade will increase the venue’s auditorium 

capacity and upgrade facilities for 

young people working in digital, arts, dance 

and drama. 

Of his appointment, Courtney Pine said: 

“It’s a great honour to become a Patron of 

The Drum, particularly during the organisation’s 

twentieth anniversary. The Drum has 

evolved into an essential part of 

Birmingham’s cultural ecology, providing a 

creative intercultural platform in the UK’s 

most diverse city, which is home to 

Europe’s largest under-sixteen population.” 

Courtney added that he hoped people 

would join him in “helping to make this 

visionary scheme a reality for young people 

in Birmingham.” 

Lenny Henry kicks off new season at The REP 

Dudley-born laughter merchant Lenny Henry is returning to the Midlands later this year to 

headline Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Autumn and Winter season. The former Tiswas and 

New Faces star will appear at The REP in the stage premiere of Rudy’s Rare Records, which 

runs from 4 to 20 September. 

Based on the successful BBC Radio Four series, which Henry co-created and in which he 

also starred, Rudy’s Rare Records is a touching comedy set in an old Birmingham reggae 

record shop at risk of redevelopment. 

Commenting on his forthcoming engagement at The REP, Lenny said: “I’ve performed comedy 

gigs many times in Birmingham over the years, but this is my first straight acting role in the 

city and the first time I’ve been on stage at The REP, which is something I’m really looking forward 

to. Growing up in Dudley, I would come into Birmingham every Saturday to hang out in 

a record shop not too dissimilar to Rudy’s, so it’s a play that’s very close to my heart." 

Rudy’s Rare Records kicks off a season at The REP which also includes a brand new staging 

of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men, a new production of JB Priestley’s Dangerous Corner, 

Frantic Assembly’s award-winning production of Othello, a critically acclaimed stage adaptation 

of The Kite Runner, and Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell To Arms. The venue’s Christmas 

show is Roald Dahl’s The BFG. 

IN BRIEF 

Classical feast 

in Coventry 

Coventry’s Warwick 

Arts Centre has 

announced an exciting 

season of classical 

music for its 2014/15 

season, launching with 

the Russian State 

Philharmonic 

Orchestra in October. 

Armonico Consort get 

festive with Handel’s 

Messiah in December, 

with the St Petersburg 

Symphony Orchestra - 

joined by acclaimed 

Anglo-Russian violinist 

Alexander Sitkovetsky 

- visiting in February. 

Celebrating the 

University of Warwick’s 

fiftieth anniversary next 

year, the Royal 

Philharmonic 

Orchestra will perform 

a programme of 

American music from 

Gershwin, Copland 

and Bernstein. The 

Royal Phil will be 

joined for the concert 

by the University of 

Warwick Symphony 

Orchestra. 

Arts Council Collection’s committee 

acquires work from local artists 

Four West Midlands-based artists have had their artwork bought 

by the biggest loan collection of contemporary British art in the 

UK. Barbara Walker, Stuart Whipps, Chris Clinton and Lucy 

Hutchinson are among twenty-one artists whose work has been 

purchased by the Arts Council Collection's Acquisitions 

Committee. The Collection, which was founded in 1946, supports 

artists via the purchase and display of their work. 

Commenting on the purchases, Peter Heslip, National Director 

Visual Arts, Arts Council England, said: “The Arts Council 

Collection’s Acquisition Committee is fortunate to have representation 

from curators and directors who work outside of London 

and bring their knowledge of regional artists. This means it’s one 

of few national art collections which is truly active supporting 

artists in the regions and helping them reach a wider public.” 

The Collection’s acquisitions policy is 

characterised by a spirit of risk-taking 

combined with an informed appraisal 

of current practice. Across the years, 

the Collection has purchased works 

by numerous up-and-coming artists 

who’ve gone on to achieve international 

recognition, including Francis 

Bacon, Grayson Perry, Damien Hirst 

and Tracey Emin. 

Coventry theatre company out on tour... 

A theatre company which set up home in a former fish and chip 

shop five years ago is to head out on tour for the first time with a 

triptych of plays by Steve Waters. Shop Front Theatre will perform 

Waters’ Far From The Sea - a drama which dissects the fate of a 

city in a world of conflict - at Theatre Absolute along Coventry’s 

City Arcade from 17 to 21 June. The company then tours to Hull, 

Leicester and Exeter before returning to the region to perform at 

Birmingham’s Old Joint Stock Theatre on 11 and 12 July. 

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5

“ 

they’re 

What we’ve got is four plays which are 

completely different from one another. They’re 

all really fun; really sunny and sparky. And 

very badly behaved, too... 

” 

Erica Whyman 

talks about Midsummer Mischief at the RSC... 


interview... 

A woman of numerous firsts, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Deputy Artistic Director, Erica 

Whyman, has many years’ experience in theatres across the UK, and has a particular interest in 

championing new work. In 2013, Erica’s services to theatre were acknowledged with an OBE in 

the New Year’s Honours List. In her role at the RSC, Erica has been hugely instrumental in the 

planned re-opening of The Other Place, the Stratford venue in which the Company will this 

month present four new plays as part of its Midsummer Mischief festival. What’s On recently 

caught up with Erica to talk about her role at the RSC, gender politics in theatre, and why ‘wellbehaved 

women seldom make history’. 

First and foremost, Erica, what’s your 

remit at the RSC? 

I’m Deputy Artistic Director, so basically I do 

what it says on the tin. I deputise for Greg 

Doran, the Artistic Director, which I suppose 

means not just being in the places that he 

can’t be, but working with him on the 

programming. I have a special responsibility 

for our new work, so Greg and I will talk in a 

lot of detail about, for instance, what we’re 

going to do in the Swan, which is a 

combination of Jacobean and Elizabethan 

work and plays that we might be unearthing, 

or plays that people love that they can only 

see with us, and new plays that we’ve 

commissioned. I have to look at how it all fits 

in with everything else in the programme. I 

also have a particular interest in making 

connections, inviting different kinds of 

theatre-makers to Stratford and to the West 

Midlands, either to spend some time working 

at the RSC or with other West Midlands 

artists. 

You’ve been with the company now for 

just over twelve months. Coming from 

Northern Stage to such a major institution, 

was the transition a bit of a culture shock? 

It was a bit strange at first because the 

theatre I was running in Newcastle had a 

staff of about forty-five. But there are big 

similarities between my previous and current 

roles, which I guess is why Greg asked me 

to come. At Northern Stage, we were 

interested in new work and were engaging 

with writers and other kinds of theatremakers 

- people who were devising new 

theatre. The year before I left, we’d joined a 

programme in Edinburgh which had quite a 

lot in common with my plans for The Other 

Place. So in terms of content it’s quite 

similar, but the scale and size of the RSC is 

quite different. There are some things about 

it that are completely wonderful and other 

things which are utterly bewildering, but I’m 

getting my head around them slowly. 

So what was your brief when 

programming for the Midsummer Mischief 

Festival? 

I sort of gave myself the brief. I’m charged 

with working out how we might open The 

Other Place, and I’m very excited about that. 

We want to take hold of the steel box that 

houses The Courtyard auditorium and turn it 

into, amongst other things, a Studio Theatre. 

That’s going to take us a couple of 

years, because although it’s not a huge 

project, we need to raise some funding for it, 

half of which we’ve already got in place. I 

was very aware that I’d talked quite a lot 

about radical mischief, the idea that 

Shakespeare’s spirit would encourage us to 

be quite daring in our theatre, both in our 

content and the way that we make theatre. 

Also, 2014 is the fortieth anniversary of when 

Buzz Goodbody set up the The Other Place 

in a tin hut on Waterside, essentially the 

same place where The Courtyard is now. 

And so we didn’t want to miss this year. We 

wanted to celebrate her legacy, the legacy of 

The Other Place and, I suppose, herald what 

we’re going to do in the future. And also give 

people a little bit of faith that we mean what 

we say and that we’re going to do a different 

kind of smaller theatre in Stratford, in 

dialogue which complements the main 

programme. That’s where it came from. Then 

I started thinking about the Roaring Girls 

season. Obviously, Greg and I had 

programmed the Roaring Girls together, and 

I’ve been very close to the directors and the 

way that they’ve thought about those plays. 

The plays really are magnificent, and are 

about quite remarkable women - but usually 

in a man’s world. So it seemed important to 

me that one of the roles of a national 

company, and a national theatre company 

with Shakespeare in our title, should be to 

make sure we’re listening to contemporary 

voices. We’re sort of asking ourselves, ‘what 

would Shakespeare be writing about now?’. 

He was very interested in gender, as we 

know, and was quite bold about it. Four 

hundred-odd years ago, there was a lot of 

planned thinking about gender but also the 

asking of serious questions about equality. 

So to me, it seemed completely appropriate 

to devise a very simple brief for our writers 

and say to them, ‘Actually, what if you wrote 

about well-behaved women’. 

Why ‘Well-behaved women seldom make 

history’? 

I came across a book titled the same about a 

year ago in New York. It was by the woman 

who’d originally said it, quite inadvertently, in 

a history article. She was a fascinating 

academic researcher and she’d been writing 

about a religious community in North 

America. At the bottom of a paragraph, 

almost as a throwaway line, she wrote: ‘Wellbehaved 

women seldom make history’. Years 

later, the slogan had been sent to her on a 

mug and she’d gone: ‘Oh crikey, it’s become 

this thing that everybody quotes!’. I came 

across her book and it started me thinking 

about good behaviour and bad behaviour, 

and how that feels like something which is 

applied to women in a different way to how it 

is men. So we started a process with the 

writers of thinking about that and, I suppose, 

gave them permission to be quite radical and 

quite daring about the issues. 

And what about the plays you’ve chosen? 

What we’ve got is four plays which are 

completely different from one another. 

They’re all really fun; really sunny and 

sparky. And they’re very badly behaved, too, 

in the sense that there’s one which I’m 

directing that doesn’t really behave like a 

play at all. It’s a series of little vignettes that 

kind of amount to a revolution and ask the 

question, ‘what would a revolution look like 

in 2014 if we were to have one?’. A sexual 

revolution, I suppose, or a revolution more 

broadly. These are not plays about women, 

but they take women seriously. I have a play 

in my double-bill that Timberlake 

Wertenbaker has written. It’s a new play 

about economics, about Europe and about 

how our language is limiting us. With the 

other two plays, which Jo McInnes is 

directing, one is more domestic in feel and is 

by EV Crow. It asks deep questions about 

how we treat mothers and what it is to be a 

mother. The fourth play, by Abi Zakarian, 

really thinks about how the debate around 

feminism has got so stuck, again using quite 

theatrical techniques to suggest we’ve got 

ourselves in a place we can’t get out of in 

terms of men, women and gender politics. 

The result of it all is quite thrilling, as they’re 

quite bold and unusual. They’re all short and 

sharp - each play is only an hour long - and 

it feels very nice to be doing something like 

this in Stratford, by contrast to the work that 

we make on The Swan stage or the RST 

stage. 

Are there any plans to tour the plays post- 

Stratford? 

I suspect they won’t have a long life, but 

never say never. The really lovely thing is that 

we have a collaboration with the Royal Court 

in London. The productions play Stratford for 

a whole month and then go to the Royal 

Court for a week to take part in their summer 

programme. One of the other plays, by Alice 

Birch, then goes on to be performed at 

Latitude Festival. It’s great they’ve got that 

London connection, but I was keen for it to 

be this way round and for more people to 

see the plays in Stratford. 

Gender imbalance in theatre remains an 

issue. How do you personally think this 

can be addressed? 

It is an issue, of course, but part of my 

answer is that we should celebrate our 

successes. I’ve been either running theatres 

- or, more recently, deputy of a major theatre 

- for seventeen years. I was the first woman 

to do any of the jobs that I’ve done, but I’m 

really not alone now. So I suppose I think it’s 

important that we notice when people do 

break through, when they’re in positions of 

influence, because I think we’re a bit hooked 

on the story that it’s all a disaster. I think 

there are other fields - I’m thinking about 

parts of the world where women and girls 

aren’t even allowed to go to school - which 

feel higher up the agenda. On the other 

hand, what I think is really shocking is how 

few terrific roles for women we have, both in 

terms of the images and stories we tell about 

women and the balance of our actresses, 

who don’t get as much of a look-in as our 

actors. We’ve obviously been talking about 

this a lot recently, and we were saying that 


the thing which is shocking is that you very 

rarely see a play in which a woman is 

responsible for a significant piece of the 

world - whether that’s in the private sector, 

public sector, in government, in school, or 

whatever it might be - without it being 

thoroughly and utterly about her private life. 

There’s a very strong sense that the women 

in our plays - and, indeed, on our television 

screens - are there to remind us that there’s 

a domestic sphere. This, to me, seems 

extraordinarily old-fashioned, because there 

are lots of women in very senior positions 

making a difference in the world. Women are 

doing very complicated jobs all over the 

place, but we don’t tell those stories. If we 

cover them, it’s about their love life and their 

marriages falling apart, or them not being 

able to cope with their washing machine. 

These are all things which are part of life, but 

I do think there’s a gender bias in the way 

we select our stories. ‘State of the nation’ 

plays tend to be plays around men. That’s 

the thing which interests me most because I 

think there’s something we can do about it. 

We can encourage writers - female writers - 

to write us big plays, and male writers to 

remember that women play all sorts of roles 

in life and not just domestic ones. Of course, 

the more women in senior or influential 

positions in theatre, the better, because more 

of us are likely to be thinking about these 

issues. But we also have to expect our male 

colleagues - and Greg is very much on 

board with this - to take it seriously too. 

Again to quote ‘Well-behaved women 

seldom make history’, which female 

character in history has inspired you most 

on a personal level? 

One of the plays, Timberlake’s play, deals 

with a woman who I knew nothing about. A 

woman called Bouboulina, who was an 

eighteenth century Greek naval commander 

who set up a fleet of ships to take on the 

Ottoman Empire and get Greece its freedom. 

She sounds fabulous, and recently I’ve been 

very inspired by her. Also, I suppose some of 

the groundbreaking politicians that we forget 

about. People like Barbara Castle and Shirley 

Williams, who’s still going strong, really did 

change the way we think about politics and 

women. I worry that we forget they made so 

much change. We have these great role 

models and all we need to do is follow them. 

Tell me about the long-term plans for The 

Other Place? 

If we get all the funding in place this year, 

which I hope we will, then next year we’ll go 

on site. We won’t be changing the structure 

at all, but what we will do is build two new 

rehearsal spaces so that we can have the 

performing company for the main stages in 

that building as well. Our current costume 

store is a bit cramped and not in a great 

place, so much so that it’s difficult to have 

them on show to the public. So we’ll be 

rehousing that department so that the 

costumes will be on constant public display. 

This will then create opportunities to tour the 

store and see the nitty gritty of many, many 

years of making costumes. There’ll also be 

the studio theatre, with about three hundred 

seats. 

You’ve been in the business for a long 

time. How do you think people’s tastes 

have changed since you started out? 

I suppose there’s more of a sense of 

adventure. There’s a generation of theatregoers 

who’ve now grown up with cinema 

and television screens being completely 

pervasive, including on their computers. I 

think this is a generation who want 

something from the live experience that’s a 

little bit more self-conscious, and I think 

that’s an exciting development. I also think 

that right now there’s a renewed seriousness 

about theatre and other art forms. The 

world’s been through quite a lot of change 

and continues to do so, with very difficult 

wars around the world, and we’re in a 

moment of trying to understand ourselves. 

Maybe fifteen years ago we were a bit more 

preoccupied with entertaining ourselves. 

There’s nothing wrong with that, but I think 

there’s a renewed interest in looking to 

theatre to present complex questions and 

maybe get some answers. 

Your first Main House production opens 

later this year. How would you describe 

The Christmas Truce? 

I’m absolutely loving working on it. It’s such 

a moving and inspiring story which is, I think, 

quite an important antidote to - quite rightly - 

remembering the tragedies of World War 

One. Although it won’t shy away from how 

tough it was, it’s a story not only of courage 

but also of peace. It’s about people who 

couldn’t resist peace, even if it were only for 

a night or two. That, to me, seems like a very 

Christmassy thing to do. We did some work 

on the script about six weeks ago and we 

were all in tears at the end - for the right 

reasons! It’s a beautiful story that’s set 

locally, so we’re really doing our research 

about the Royal Warwickshires. 

You sent out a plea to local people to 

come forward and share information. Has 

that benefitted the play? 

Yes! I can’t tell you how many stories we’ve 

received! Hundreds! Too many to use, but 

even the stories that won’t make it into the 

play, or into the research, have been very 

useful background in helping us try and 

understand how people feel about that war 

and what they remember. We’ve learned 

some things that we really didn’t know about 

Stratford. There were a couple of field 

hospitals - one of them in one of the theatre 

buildings and one of them in the Town Hall - 

which were quickly overrun, so they had to 

move out to a big hall nearby. Also, we didn’t 

know that soldiers were shipped from 

Australia to the front line, and that when they 

were injured they were sent to Stratfordupon-Avon. 

So yeah, we’ve learned all sorts 

of things. 

The RSC has a reputation for producing 

very successful Christmas shows. Is there 

a commercial pressure for this to be an 

all-singing, all-dancing production? 

There’s always a pressure, but the pressure I 

feel is to make sure families have a really 

fantastic, Christmassy evening while telling 

them this true story. I don’t feel it has to be 

an all-singing version. There’s going to be 

live music, but it’s not a musical in the 

conventional sense. We’re aware that it’s a 

very different kind of show to make at 

Christmas, but I still think it’ll be uplifting and 

a lot of fun. 

What are your future plans in your current 

role at the RSC. Do you have a personal 

plan? 

Oh my God, no! As an organisation, we’ve 

got a five-to-six-year plan to think through all 

the Shakespeare that we want to do and 

which order we want to do them in. We’re 

giving a lot of energy to 2016 because it’ll be 

the four hundredth anniversary of 

Shakespeare’s death. His death has very 

rarely been commemorated, if ever. That’s a 

very important fixture, and I’m going to play 

my part in that by directing my first 

Shakespeare. I’ll be directing A Midsummer 

Night’s Dream in a rather unusual way, in 

that I’m going to have a different group of 

amateur actors in different touring venues 

across the country. So there’ll be twelve 

touring venues, as well as Stratford and 

London, and we’ll work over the next two 

years to find amateur actors to play Bottom 

and the Mechanicals. We’ll find children to 

play Titania’s fairy train. It’ll be an 

extraordinary thing, and then each of those 

groups will come to Stratford in the summer 

of 2016 and do a couple of nights on the 

main stage here. That’s a fairly big plan and 

takes up any remaining room in our heads! 

Midsummer Mischief shows at The Other 

Place at The Courtyard Theatre 

from Sat 14 June to Sat 12 July 

Midsummer Mischief playwrights, from left to right: E.V. Crowe, Timberlake Wertenbaker, 

Abi Zakarian, Alice Birch. For further information on all four plays, visit www.rsc.org.uk 


Jason Manford 

Despite winning ITV1 charity-based talent competition Born To Shine, putting his new-found talent 

into practice by joining Alfie Boe on tour, and then starring in the critically acclaimed West End 

production of Sweeney Todd alongside Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, Jason Manford hasn’t 

forgotten his stand-up roots. Currently on the road with his First World Problems tour, Jason here 

talks about the attraction of stand-up - and why he sometimes wishes he was as miserable as 

Jack Dee... 

“I’ve been really enjoying this show,” says 

Jason. “I have fun with the audience; it’s very 

friendly and relaxed and I never get bored of 

it. It’s an absolute joy. I love being on stage, 

and I want to say a huge thank you to the 

brilliant crowds for their loyal support!” 

Jason’s charismatic style generates a real 

rapport with his audience, and his winning 

friendliness is no act. With this particular 

comic, what you see is what you get. “I’m the 

same on stage as I am in real life, which can 

be incredibly annoying at home! Jimmy Carr 

says that because he’s quite rude on stage, if 

he says 'hello' to a fan in the street, that will 

make their day. By contrast, because I’m nice 

on stage, unless I ask a fan if they fancy a 

brew, they’ll say, ‘He’s a bit rude’. I’m a victim 

of my own niceness. Sometimes I wish I’d 

gone down the Jack Dee misery route!” 

Jason, who’s performed stand-up on BBC1’s 

Live At The Apollo, Michael McIntyre’s 

Comedy Roadshow and multiple Royal 

Variety Shows, has been struggling to contain 

his excitement about returning to live 

comedy. 

“My show is essentially moaning about 

everyday life, but with punchlines,” says 

Jason. “People who haven't done stand-up 

focus on the negatives. They ask, ‘what’s it 

like to die on stage?’, and I always say, ‘It’s 

horrendous, the worst feeling in the world’. 

But the lows are so low because the highs 

are so high. 

“Stand-up is a huge risk, but when it goes 

right, there’s nothing better. It creates a 

communal feeling that you just can’t beat. 

You get all these people laughing and you 

think, ‘I did that!’. If you make one person 

laugh in a day, that’s great. Imagine 

multiplying that by ten thousand!” 

Despite his sojourns into television with 

shows like 8 Out Of 10 Cats, QI, Big Fat Quiz 

Of The Year, League Of Their Own, Would I 

Lie To You, Show Me The Funny and 

Comedy Rocks, Jason admits that stand-up 

remains his overwhelming passion. “TV is 

simpler. You can do re-takes. But you're not 

getting an immediate response. You don't 

know if something is funny till weeks later. A 

lot of the time, it’s just professional reading. 

It's reading while trying to make it look like 

you're not reading. Stand-up, on the other 

hand, is much more demanding. On stage, 

you're everything. You're the boss. You're the 

performer, writer, editor, director. You’re even 

Ofcom. You decide what to say. It's brilliant.” 

Jason now has a very wide fanbase. “By 

now, people know that we share a sense of 

humour. They’re aware of what they're 

getting, and I’m aware of what makes them 

laugh. The weirdest thing is fans who 

remember jokes that I’ve forgotten. 

Sometimes I say to them, ‘I don’t remember 

that one. I must put it back in the act, it’s a 

good gag!’. 

“It’s also really interesting to see the 

demographic of my audience. I get grannies, 

their kids and their kids. It’s great to see.” 

Jason’s material is constantly evolving. “I only 

tour every couple of years. Over that period 

of time, your life and the people who 

surround you have changed. Also, as you get 

older, you get more opinionated.” 

So why is his latest stand-up show entitled 

First World Problems? 

“I’d seen the phrase online and liked it. It just 

sums up so much. I think the phrase 

emphasises those times when we moan 

about the most trivial things. It's as if we 

invent problems so we have something to 

moan about. I imagine someone in the third 

world just thinking that we’re all complete 

idiots!” 

Jason Manford appears at Civic Hall, 

Wolverhampton, Fri 13 June; Palace 

Theatre, Redditch, Wed 9 July; The Place, 

Oakengates Theatre, Tues 15 July; Royal 

Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Wed 16 July 


Rhys Chatham 

on bringing A Secret Rose For 100 Guitars to Brum 

Rhys Chatham is a composer, guitarist and trumpet player from Manhattan who’s credited with 

‘altering the DNA of rock music’. For over thirty years, Chatham has composed music for 

orchestras of electric guitars, combining classical compositions with the drive and rhythms of 

hard rock. His latest composition, A Secret Rose For 100 Guitars, receives its UK première as 

part of Frontiers Festival. What’s On recently caught up with Rhys to find out more... 

Tell us more about A Secret Rose. What 

should audiences expect? 

A Secret Rose is an orchestral piece written 

for one hundred electric guitars, bass guitars 

and drums. I’m a classically trained musician 

and didn’t really discover rock music until I 

saw a gig by The Ramones in 1976 at the 

New York club CBGB. From then on I went 

about merging the minimalist style of 

composing I was used to with the rock’n’roll 

music I loved. I started out composing for 

three guitars. By the 1980s, I’d worked my 

way up to one hundred. That many guitars 

playing together produces an amazing 

sound. Anyone who likes rock will enjoy this 

music. 

The piece is performed by one hundred 

guitarists, many of whom have been 

recruited especially for this event. How 

did you find that number of performers? 

I’ve created guitar orchestras all over the 

world. I put together a small team of 

musicians and technicians and we then work 

with a local promoter, who puts out a call for 

guitarists. Anyone can apply, as long as they 

can play; it doesn’t matter if they’re amateur 

or professional. My team then reads through 

the applications and checks what kind of 

guitars people have, as some kinds work 

better with our amps than others. We’re 

usually over-subscribed. In Birmingham, 

we’ve had one hundred-and-sixteen 

applications, I think. 

How do you go about teaching one 

hundred guitarists a piece of music in 

three days? 

Well, you have to remember that I’m a 

minimalist composer, so the actual piece 

isn’t that difficult to learn. The complicated 

bit is putting all the separate parts together! I 

split the guitarists up into three groups, each 

of which learns the piece with a guitarist from 

my team. After two days of playing 

separately, we bring everyone together for a 

final day of rehearsals. It’s intense; three 

days is not a long time to learn seventy 

minutes of music. 

I expect the guitarists have a great time, 

though? 

I hope so - and, of course, they’re the stars 

of the show. It’s uncommon for guitarists to 

have the chance to play in an orchestra, but 

it really is such a powerful way of learning 

and enjoying music. I’ve seen many new 

groups form as a result of people meeting in 

our orchestras. One Portuguese man met his 

wife in our orchestra, and they’ve now been 

together for over seventeen years! 

Over your long career, you’ve worked and 

hung out with some unusual and 

incredible people. Do you have any 

particular stand-out memories? 

I remember when Brian Eno came onto the 

scene I was in, in New York in the 1970s. He 

had his own label and he asked me to be 

part of a recording he was doing. Alas, I 

stayed out too late the night before and 

clean forgot all about it. I’ve regretted it ever 

since. New York then was such an exciting 

place. You could earn your keep from a few 

nights working in a bar or waitressing, and 

devote the rest of your time to music and art. 

Things are so different for young artists these 

days. 

Rhys Chatham presents A Secret Rose at 

Birmingham Town Hall on Sat 7 June. 


Music 

George Ezra 

The Glee Club, Birmingham, Mon 16 June 

Bristol-based Ezra is often described as having a 

voice beyond his nineteen years, and plays bluesy 

music that’s earned him extensive BBC attention. 

With ‘new music’ champion Zane Lowe calling him 

‘one of the most powerful and compelling new vocalists 

around’, Ezra featured on the Sound Of 

2014 list, and has already 

supported stars 

including Willy Mason 

and Tom Odell. Debut 

album Wanted On 

Voyage, featuring Did 

You Hear The Rain? 

and breakthrough single 

Budapest, is released 

at the end of 

the month. Support at 

the Glee comes from 

Port Isla and Dancing 

Years. 

Scott Bradlee/Postmodern Jukebox 

The Institute, Birmingham, Mon 16 June 

The original mashup artist, Scott Bradlee began 

rewriting pop music back in the noughties, later 

gaining recognition for his Motown interpretation of 

Nickelback (in 2012). The musician, pianist and 

composer has reworked numerous hits - including 

Careless Whisper (a must-listen) and the Game Of 

Thrones theme - into 1920s-style smooth jazz 

tunes. Setting out to create “an alternate universe 

of popular music”, Scott wants audiences to see 

how “songs can be twisted, shaped and altered 

without losing their identities”. Don’t miss this rare 

opportunity to hear your favourite songs in a different 

light. 

Public Enemy 

The Assembly, Leamington Spa, Wed 4 June 

Named after a term that was used to describe individuals 

whose actions were deemed criminal or 

dangerous to society, Public Enemy have been 

around for twenty-five years, winning fans with their 

politically charged lyrics and hip-hop beats. Still 

courting controversy, rapper Professor Griff recently 

insulted Kanye West and his fiancée Kim 

Kardashian in the press, downplaying the association 

between music and the illuminati and concluding 

“Stuff ain’t real, man”. The band were inducted 

into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2013, joining 

fellow hip-hop favourites Grandmaster Flash And 

The Furious Five, Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. 

Nick Mulvey 

Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Fri 6 June 

Nick is no newcomer to the music scene, having previously performed in the internationally 

successful jazz band Portico Quartet. After six years and numerous worldwide shows, 

he left the ensemble in 2011 to pursue his career as a singer-songwriter. His African-inspired 

guitar riffs, stunning vocals and captivating performances have bagged him a slot 

on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury this month. Nick visits Wolverhampton as London 

Grammar’s support on their summer headline tour, following the release of his debut 

album, First Mind. 

Dolly Parton 

LG Arena, Birmingham, 

Sun 22 June 

Now here's a woman 

who's always had an ‘upfront’ 

sense of fun. Dolly 

Parton is one of the 

biggest and best-known 

names in country music - 

and with a larger-than-life 

personality further recommending 

her, it's little wonder 

she's a living legend. 

Inducted into the Country 

Music Hall of Fame, Dolly is 

the most honoured female 

country performer of all time, 

and boasts a back-catalogue 

of classic hits that includes 9 

To 5, Here You Come Again, 

Jolene and I Will Always 

Love You. She visits Birmingham 

as part of a 

world tour in support 

of her forty-second 

studio album, Blue 

Smoke. 


Music PREVIEWS 

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel 

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 29 June 

Proving time and again that he’s much more 

than just a front man, Steve Harley’s not 

afraid to look at new ways of developing himself 

as a musician. Still, from his fans’ point of 

view, it’s his back-catalogue of hits that matters 

most - and Harley’s sensible enough to 

know that however much you may reinvent 

yourself, trying to deny a memorable past is 

futile in the extreme. With this in mind, he 

here performs (in full) the first two Cockney 

Rebel albums - 1973’s The Human 

Menagerie and 1974’s The Psychomodo - 

and is ably assisted by the Orchestra of The 

Swan and its choir. A highlight of the show is 

sure to be the epic Death Trip. At twelve minutes 

in length, the song has never before 

been performed live with the full orchestration 

of the recorded version. 

Thea Gilmore 

Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wed 4 June; The Assembly, Leamington Spa, Fri 6 June 

A distinctly English take on the angst-rock blueprint of American artists such as Ani DiFranco 

and Alanis Morissette has seen Thea Gilmore gain both a cult following and critical acclaim. 

Thea has played to sell-out crowds throughout the UK, and has appeared at major events 

such as T In The Park, V Festival and Cambridge Folk. She visits the Midlands following the 

massive success of her 2013 album Regardless, which featured the hit single Love Came 

Looking For Me. 

Dexys 

Kasbah, Coventry, Wed 25 June 

Rebranded from Dexys Midnight Runners in 

2003, Dexys is the brainchild of the famously 

intense Kevin Rowland. A pop band with real 

soul, they’re very much on the comeback 

trail, and will here be performing songs from 

2012’s One Day I’m Going To Soar - released 

a staggering twenty-seven years after their 

previous album. The band haven’t played 

Coventry in over thirty years, and are stopping 

off in the city as part of their warm-up 

schedule for Glastonbury. Old favourites such 

as Come On Eileen and Geno also feature on 

the playlist. 

Heaven & Earth 

O2 Academy, Birmingham, Thurs 26 June 

Starting out as a solo project for guitarist Stuart 

Smith, Heaven & Earth came about when 

the former Sweet guitarist enlisted friends 

Richie Sambora, Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn 

Hughes, Camine Appice, Howard Leese and 

Kelly Hansen to help him record an album. 

Released in 1998 to great critical acclaim, 

Stuart Smith’s Heaven & Earth was followed 

by Windows To The World in 2001. More recently, 

the band have released bluesy hard 

rock album Dig. Resurrecting classic rock, 

Heaven & Earth are refreshingly accessible, 

and very much in the same vein as Deep Purple 

and Bad Company. 

Remi Harris Trio & 

TG Collective 

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 5 June 

The young and contemporary Remi Harris 

Trio bring together traditional gypsy jazz and 

swing characteristics with influences from 

bebop, blues, rock, world music, contemporary 

jazz and popular melodies. 

They’re joined for this Studio gig at Warwick 

Arts Centre by instrumental seven-piece TG 

Collective, whose sound features an intriguing 

mix of gypsy jazz, flamenco, jazz and 

contemporary classical 

music. Greatly admired 

for the intensity of their 

live performances, their 

original arrangements 

touch on influences as 

varied as Paco de Lucia, 

Django Reinhardt and JS 

Bach. 

Parquet Courts 

The Institute, Birmingham, Mon 23 June 

New York punk-rock four-piece Parquet 

Courts have the energy of The Clash, and 

perform with surly disdain. Putting out their 

first EP, American Specialities, on cassette in 

2011, they followed up a year later with Light 

Up Gold, which was recorded in three days 

after the band pulled sickies from work. Now 

on the road with Sunbathing Animal, the boys 

have said it was “out of character” for them to 

spend so long in the studio recording the follow-up. 

They play five UK shows ahead of 

their Longitude and Latitude festival appearances 

in July. 

Hatful Of Rain 

Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham, 

Tues 10 June; Henry Tudor House, Shrewsbury, 

Sun 15 June 

Named after a Tom Waits lyric, Hatful Of Rain 

are based in East Sussex, influenced by Old 

Time and remain true to the British stringband 

format whilst playing in a folk and roots 

style. Composing material strongly influenced 

by tradition, they perform using a single 

microphone to present a communal style 

of singing that’s both warm and intimate. True 

to their roots, they recorded their 2012 debut 

album in a converted barn. 

Amp Fiddler 

Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Wed 11 June 

Singer and producer Joseph ‘Amp’ Fiddler is 

a keyboard, organ and piano player who’s 

shared stages and studios with Prince, the 

Brand New Heavies and Primal Scream. 

Performing and creating in a musical style 

that encompasses funk, soul, dance and 

electronica, he’s a charismatic performer 

who’s best known for his work with Enchantment. 

Laying low in recent times, he released 

Basementality 2 earlier this year, a six-track 

EP featuring a duet with Raphael Saadiq. 


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The most comprehensive what’s on listings website 

for Birmingham and the West Midlands 


Music GIG REVIEWS 

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

Prince LG Arena, Birmingham 

Given that Prince is one of the most influential recording artists of all 

time, it’s hardly surprising that the announcement of his return to Birmingham 

after a nineteen-year absence was greeted with a veritable 

frenzy of expectation. But could the reality of his long-awaited return 

live up to the expectation? 

The answer was a resounding yes. 

Throwing himself body and soul into a mammoth thirty-four-song set, 

the now-fifty-five-year-old ‘godfather of funk’ ably illustrated both his 

seemingly endless talent for self-reinvention and his pretty much unrivalled 

ability as a multi-instrumentalist and live performer. 

A set by no means short of surprises got off to a characteristically 

playful start, courtesy of three false-alarm dips of the lights. Entering 

the stage to the pounding bass riff of Funk’N’Roll, and decked out in a 

fitted white suit and flared trousers, Prince (complete with full-bodied 

afro) channelled the spirit of his icon, Jimmi Hendrix. This was a performance 

refreshingly free from frills or special effects, the live experience 

instead being allowed to speak for itself. 

The set combined funked-up reinventions of popular crowd-pleasers - 

1999, Controversy, Kiss - with extended renditions of lesser-known 

album tracks such as Raspberry Beret, and tantalisingly brief mashups 

spanning the entirety of Prince’s eclectic back-catalogue. 

What stood out most, though, beyond the artist’s undisputed showmanship, 

was his musicianship. Shifting from virtuoso guitar solos 

reminiscent of Hendrix in his prime to stripped-back acoustic solos 

highlighting his pitch-perfect vocal delivery, Prince presented a set 

marked by chameleonic shifts in style, texture and mood, successfully 

steering the line between self-indulgence and celebration. 

Special mention, too, must go to the all-female backing band, 3rdEye- 

Girl. Lead guitarist Donna Grantis’ intricate and unremittingly energetic 

solo sequences were a joy to behold. 

Highlights of the evening included a full-bodied funk-rock reimagining 

of the 1999 album track Something In The Water (Does Not Compute), 

a richly soulful performance of How Come You Don’t Call Me Anymore?, 

and the hotly-anticipated versions of ’80s pop classics 1999, 

Kiss and When Doves Cry. But the pinnacle of the evening came in the 

form of an epic live rendition of Purple Rain, which combined richly 

layered instrumentation with soaring guitar solo sequences reminiscent 

of a later-era Pink Floyd. 

An awe-inspiring performance! Katherine Ewing ■■■■■ 

Neil Finn Symphony Hall, Birmingham 

With teatowels and tote bags for sale alongside tee shirts on the merchandise 

stand, it would be easy to dismiss Neil Finn as a middleaged, 

middle-of-the-road act. But while his audience demographic 

might suggest otherwise, the brilliant New Zealand singer-songwriter 

is anything but MOR. His former (and now on-off) band, Crowded 

House, always had far more depth and edge than a perfunctory assessment 

would suggest, and Finn’s recent solo album, Dizzy 

Heights, adds a variety of contemporary twists and textures to his typically 

melodic palate. But if the album is a triumph, this live show totally 

eclipsed it. Ably supported (as well as rejuvenated) by a formidable 

backing band featuring his wife and a group of musicians young 

enough to be his offspring (his two sons are regular cohorts), Finn 

showcased material from all areas of his CV in an inspired and inspiring 

performance. Bookending the curfew-breaking one hundred-andfifty-minute 

set with stunning solo acoustic readings of Crowded 

House classics World Where You Live and Better Be Home Soon, he 

slipped as effortlessly between piano and electric/acoustic guitar as 

he did between the various phases of his career. Indeed, it was surprising 

how easily the thirty-plus years of tunes slotted together; 

whether it was energetic rock (Locked Out, I Got You), psychedelic 

pop (Divebomber, Suffer Never), piano balladry (Message To My Girl) 

or simply the Weather (With You). Finn’s genial bonhomie - he performed 

the requested Enz song Six Months In A Leaky Boat despite it 

being one of his brother Tim’s tunes - further enhanced the experience. 

So, too, did the musicians, who seemed to be enjoying the 

evening every bit as much as the audience. Guitarist Jesse Sheehan 

even got an extended solo slot while Finn retuned his instrument. 

In short, there really was some-Finn for everyone to enjoy. 

Steve Adams ■■■■■ 

Music LISTINGS 

For full listing information on gigs, 

including times and dates, 

visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 

SUN 1 JUN 

MAKUINI AND THE 

HOODOO MEN The 

Robin, Bilston 

SMOKE FAIRIES Hare & 

Hounds, Birmingham 

TOUMANI & SIDIKI DIA- 

BATE Warwick Arts Centre, 

Coventry 

BLAKE & BRAZIL Irish 

Centre, Birmingham 

ROO PANES The Yardbird 

Jazz Club, Birmingham 

BACKYARD MUSIC BOYS 

Oozells Square, B’ham 

STEVE AJAO’S CLUB 

BEBOP Spotted Dog, 

Birmingham 

THE DAVE FARRANT 

BAND, BLANK PARODY & 

SECOND TRIP The Actress 

& Bishop, B’ham 

COWER, HOUNDS!, ONE 

LIFE LEFT & KRITICAL 

CHARGE The Flapper, 

Birmingham 

MON 2 JUN 

THE DUNNETT/BAXTER 

BIG BAND The Yardbird 

Jazz Club, Birmingham 

HOT POTATO FEATURING 

YEDO GIBSON Birmingham 

Conservatoire 

CARNABY STREET: THE 

CONCERT Solihull Arts 

Complex 

VERSES The Asylum, 

Birmingham 

TUE 3 JUN 

HOLLIS BROWN Hare & 


ANGELA BROWN The 


KROCK - THREE OBJECTS 

IN A CONCERT HALL 

Birmingham Conservatoire 

HOWLING BELLS Hare & 


JOHN FULLBRIGHT The 

Glee Club, Birmingham 

THE MARRAKESH EX- 

PRESS Kitchen Garden 

Cafe, Birmingham 

THE WEDDING CRASHERS 

The Jam House, B’ham 

WED 4 JUN 

THE SEARCHERS Tamworth 

Assembly Rooms 

JONNY COLE'S BLACK 

COUNTRY BEACH PARTY 

The Robin, Bilston 

THEA GILMORE Artrix 

Bromsgrove 

ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY, 

MOUNT FUJI, WAX FEA- 

TURES & POCKET APOCA- 

LYPSE The Flapper, 

Birmingham 

SAM BAKER Hare & 


THE BLUES BAND Solihull 

Arts Complex 

PUBLIC ENEMY The Assembly, 

Leamington 

Spa 

UPRAWR 4TH BIRTHDAY 

The Asylum, B’ham 

FRANÇOIS THÉBERGE 


ANTA The Tin Music And 

Arts, Coventry 

ABANDOMAN - MOON 

ROCK BOOMBOX TOUR 

Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton 

WOODEN SHJIPS O2 

Academy, Birmingham 

ALLUSONDRUGS, MILK 

TEETH & FIZZY BLOOD 

The Actress & Bishop, 

Birmingham 

THE SPEAKEASY Kitchen 

Garden Cafe, B’ham 

LAURENCE JONES BAND 

The Assembly, Leamington 

Spa 

THE FAMILY RAIN Hare & 


LUCAS D & THE GROOVE 

GHETTO The Jam 

House, Birmingham 

HANSU-TORI Ort Cafe, 

Birmingham 

THU 5 JUN 

THE BEE GEES SATURDAY 

NIGHT FEVER PARTY WITH 

STAYIN' ALIVE Crewe 

Lyceum 

THE MOVE The Robin, 

Bilston 

THE BOHEMIANS - A 

NIGHT OF QUEEN Solihull 

Arts Complex 

BIG WOLF BAND The 

Roadhouse, B’ham 

ANGEL OLSEN Hare & 


MONKATHON FINALE The 

Yardbird Jazz Club, 

Birmingham 

WARREN SMITH WITH 

SPECIAL GUESTS Hare & 


REMI HARRIS TRIO & TG 

COLLECTIVE Warwick 

Arts Centre, Coventry 

JILL AND KATE The Actress 


MR BEN The Jam 


MJ HIBBETT, GRACE 

PETRIE & GAVIN OSBORN 

Ort Cafe, Birmingham 

FRI 6 JUN 

CBSO HEROES AND SU- 

PERHEROES Symphony 

Hall, Birmingham 

THE INTENTIONS The 

Jam House, B’ham 

MOSTLY AUTUMN The 


HENRY PRIESTMAN Huntingdon 

Hall, Worcester 

LONDON GRAMMAR Civic 

Hall, Wolverhampton 

NICK MULVEY Civic Hall, 

Wolverhampton 

VOODOO ROOM Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

THEA GILMORE The Assembly, 

Leamington 

Spa 

HOZIER O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

PUTTING ON THE RITZ 

Upton House & Gardens, 

Warwickshire 

FOREST Hare & Hounds, 

Birmingham 

PIAF IN CABARET Theatre 

Severn, Shrewsbury 

THE RONALDOS Fleet 

Street Kitchen, B’ham 

MISTY'S BIG ADVENTURE 

Hare & Hounds, B’ham 

FRAN THE MAN Irish 


JOHNNY 2 BAD Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

HOT RED CHILI PEPPERS 

The Marr's Bar, 

Worcester 

THE SUPERSKAS 

Newhampton Arts Centre, 

Wolverhampton 

MELLOW PEACHES, CHRIS 

CLEVERLEY & ELLIS TAL- 

BOT Ort Cafe, B’ham 

THE DESERT MONKEYS 

The River Rooms, 

Stourbridge 

THE QUO The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

THE SHAPES, DOMESTIC 

BLESS & HUFFY Route 

44, Birmingham 

BLUES BOY DAN OWEN 

The Tin Music And Arts, 

Coventry 

THE YAMAHA SCHOLARS 

Symphony Hall, B’ham 

JACQUI DANKWORTH The 

Roses Theatre, 

Tewkesbury 

THE JAKE LEG JUG BAND 

The Water’s Edge 

Bandstand, B’ham 

MILOS Malvern Theatres 

SAT 7 JUN 

THE INTENTIONS The 


THE JENTS The Slug and 

Lettuce, Birmingham 

LIMEHOUSE LIZZY The 


THE TREORCHY MALE 

VOICE CHOIR Royal Spa 

Centre, Leamington 

Spa 

CARLTON MALE VOICE 

CHOIR Huntingdon Hall, 

Worcester 

RHYS CHATHAM'S A SE- 

CRET ROSE Birmingham 

Town Hall 

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PARADISE 

The Roses Theatre, 

Tewkesbury 

SYMPHONY SOUNDS 


NICK OLIVERI The Institute, 

Birmingham 

NICK MALCOLM QUARTET 

The Hive, Shrewsbury 

DRENGE Kasbah, 

Coventry 

FABIO, BRYAN G & LENZ- 

MAN Hare & Hounds, 

Birmingham 

WHOLE LOTTA LED Ludlow 

Assembly Rooms, 

Shropshire 

MAETLOAF The River 

Rooms, Stourbridge 

SWEET BABOO Warwick 


FOLLOW YOU HOME O2 


THE ELO EXPERIENCE Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

BBC BIG BAND Bedworth 

Civic Hall 

TASKERS, THE MONICAS 

& SIERRA HOTEL The 

Flapper, Birmingham 

THE FATHER TEDS Irish 


BROOKE SHARKEY, ADAM 

BEATTIE & LEANDER 

JONES Ort Cafe, B’ham 

BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL'S 

METAL TO THE MASSES 

SEMI FINAL The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

DAVID COSLETT & JOSH 

KEMP Hare & Hounds, 

Birmingham 

THE CLONED STONES 

Route 44, Birmingham 

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

* 

Booking fee applies 

* 






GOD DAMN The Slade 

Rooms, Wolverhampton 

SUN 8 JUN 

TALON - THE BEST OF EA- 

GLES Lichfield Garrick 

COLIN BLUNSTONE & 

BAND The Robin, Bilston 

RED DRAGON CARTEL The 

Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton 

KAST OFF KINKS Hare & 


DAVID LANG - CROWD 

OUT Millennium Point, 

Birmingham 

ELECTRIC CAKE SALAD, 

THE ROZ BRUCE INFU- 

SION, TANG & ULYSSES 

The Actress & Bishop, 

Birmingham 

INTERPLAY & SONRISA 

Warwick Arts Centre, 

Coventry 

GENTLE FRIENDLY Hare & 


MARIAN & ALLY HARRON 

Irish Centre, B’ham 

MAGIC & LOSS - THE 

MUSIC OF LOU REED The 


MON 9 JUN 

THE ENEMY The Sugarmill, 

Stoke-on-Trent 

PEACE The Assembly, 

Leamington Spa 

BELLA HARDY New Vic 

Theatre, Newcastleunder-lyme 

THE KENNEDYS Henry 

Tudor House, 

Shrewsbury 

GHETTS The Institute, 

Birmingham 

TUE 10 JUN 

HATFUL OF RAIN Kitchen 


RIVAL SONS O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

BEN DRUMMOND The 

Jam House, Birmingham 

WED 11 JUN 

GOSPEL CENTRAL The 

Jam House, Bi’ham 

THE FOUR SEASONS 

Number 8 Community 

Arts Centre, Pershore 

JOHN BRAMWELL The 


THREE STEP MANOEUVRE 

FUNKY ORGAN TRIO The 

Yardbird Jazz Club, 

Birmingham 

AMP FIDDLER Hare & 


ASIA Malvern Theatres 

DESERT SUN, VINYETTE & 

NEVERENDER The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

THU 12 JUN 

BELLA HARDY mac, 

Birmingham 

ABBAMANIA Prince Of 

Wales Centre, Cannock 

JUDIE TZUKE Huntingdon 


BIRMINGHAM CONSERVA- 

TOIRE FOLK ENSEMBLE 

Foxlowe Arts Centre, 

Leek 

ANATHEMA The Assembly, 


CLUB CLASSICS LIVE The 


MERCHANTS OF COOL 

The Roadhouse, B’ham 

FRI 13 JUN 

ROCKET The Jam 


PANIC ROOM The Robin, 

Bilston 

LADY BE GOOD Dovehouse 

Theatre, Solihull 

THE DRIFTERS Dudley 

Town Hall 

MAGOOL mac, B’ham 

THE MUMBLECORES The 

Flapper, Birmingham 

CASINO The Actress & 

Bishop, Birmingham 

PET SHOP BOYS LG 

Arena, Birmingham 

FRED ZEPPELIN The 

River Rooms, Stourbridge 

THE WEDDING CRASHERS 

The Water’s Edge 

Bandstand, B’ham 

ROBBIE MOORE QUINTET 


BOYS MAKE NOISE Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN 

Malvern Theatres 

1215 Fleet Street 

Kitchen, Birmingham 

HIGHGRADE - SUMMER 

SESSION The Institute, 

Birmingham 

FOUR ACES Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

THE FOO FIGHTERS TRIB- 

UTE The Marr's Bar, 

Worcester 

MIDNIGHT BONFIRES 


HOT RED CHILI PEPPERS 

The Roadhouse, B’ham 

BEAR & STEVIE E'S ROCK 

DISCO Route 44, B’ham 

THE PERSONAS The Sugarmill, 


SMITHED Moochers, 

Stourbridge 

QUILL The Assembly, 


DUKE & DETECTIVE O2 


HOLLYWOOD ENDING 

Kasbah, Coventry 

SAT 14 JUN 

ROCKET The Jam 


TAKE THAT RELIGHTING 

THE FIRE The Robin, 

Bilston 

THE MOTOWN BLACK TIE 

MIDSUMMER BALL WITH 

RICHIE SAMPSONS 

DRIFTERS Nailcote Hall, 

Berkswell, Warwickshire 

STRICTLY ABBA Theatre 

On The Steps, Bridgnorth, 

Shropshire 

JOE BROUGHTON'S CON- 

SERVATOIRE FOLK EN- 

SEMBLE Huntingdon 


ROXY MAGIC The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

PHOENIX GOLD Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

RHOMBUS The Marr's 

Bar, Worcester 

The Pet Shop Boys - LG Arena, Birmingham 

THE STRANGEST FEELING 

Ort Cafe, Birmingham 

BLACK COUNTRY COMMU- 

NITY Route 44, B’ham 

THE BOOTLEG SHADOWS 

Tamworth Assembly 

Rooms, Staffs 

THE MOTIVES The Sugarmill, 


HALFWAY TO PARADISE 

Prince Of Wales Theatre, 

Cannock 

KILL THE ROMANTIC, 

STORMRIDDEN & PRIMER 

The Flapper, B’ham 

PIERRE BENSUSAN mac, 

Birmingham 

SUN 15 JUN 

THE GRIMETHORPE COL- 

LIERY BAND Theatre 


ANDY JORDAN O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

ADRIAN EDMONDSON & 

THE BAD SHEPHERDS The 


THE KENNEDYS Kitchen 


HOLLYWOOD ENDING O2 


HATFUL OF RAIN Henry 

Tudor House, 

Shrewsbury 

TOM HEALY Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

THE REMI HARRIS GYPSY 

JAZZ PROJECT Ludlow 


Shropshire 

MARTIN & ELIZA CARTHY 

Ludlow Assembly 

Rooms, Shropshire 

SARA SMITH TRIO Quality 

Square, Ludlow 

GIOCOSO SAXOPHONE 

QUARTET Oozells 

Square, Birmingham 

MON 16 JUN 

WALSALL JAZZ ORCHES- 

TRA Forest Arts Centre, 

Walsall 

ANDY JORDAN The Sugarmill, 


GEORGE EZRA The Glee 

Club, Birmingham 

ROD CLEMENTS Kitchen 


SCOTT BRADLEE & POST- 

MODERN JUKEBOX The 

Institute, Birmingham 

TUE 17 JUN 

THE ILLEGAL EAGLES Belgrade 

Theatre, 

Coventry 

THE DELINES Hare & 


THE CYBORGS The 


TROYKA & PULCINELLA 

The Tin Music And Arts, 

Coventry 

JEFFREY LEWIS & THE 

JRAMS The Actress & 


WED 18 JUN 

MOTOWN'S GREATEST 

HITS - HOW SWEET IT IS 

Belgrade Theatre, 

Coventry 

TAKING CARE OF ELVIS 

Malvern Theatres, 

Worcestershire 

HAMILTON LOOMIS The 


BABAJACK The Robin, 

Bilston 

THU 19 JUN 

TAKING CARE OF ELVIS 


Coventry 

QUEEN ALIVE The Robin, 

Bilston 

THE BLUES BAND Tamworth 

Assembly Rooms 

MEL DAY & THE SOUL 

SURVIVORS The Jam 


HARP DUO Ludlow Assembly 

Rooms, Shropshire 

FRI 20 JUN 

UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE 


AND FINALLY - PHIL COL- 

INS TRIBUTE SHOW The 


LOVE CHANGES EVERY- 

THING Solihull Arts 

Complex 

SHERRY COUNSELLORS 

The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent 

THE STAFFORDSHIRE 

BAND - MYTHS AND LE- 

GIONS Forest Arts Centre, 

Walsall 

ABBA MANIA Belgrade 

Theatre, Coventry 

THE CLASSIC ROCK 

TRIPLE HEADER The 


THE LOVED & LOST O2 


MISTY IN ROOTS The Assembly, 

Leamington 

Spa 

COLDPLACE The River 

Rooms, Stourbridge 

PETE CHURCHILL Symphony 

Hall, B’ham 

THE DETACHED COLLEC- 

TIVE The Actress & 


PLASTIC PANTOMIME 

Fleet Street Kitchen, 

Birmingham 

LIFE & GOD DAMN Hare & 


HOT CLUB DE SWING - 

FESTIVAL TEA PARTY 


JOHN KIERNAN Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

THE BIG WOLF BAND 

Route 44, Birmingham 

THE DELRAY ROCKETS 

Moochers, Stourbridge 

DAVID REA Quality 

Square, Ludlow 

RUDIE AND THE RE- 

VOLVERS The Water’s 

Edge Bandstand, 

Birmingham 

MR GEORGE’S FAMOUS 

LAST WORDS, KLASSIDE 

& ABBERLINE The Flapper, 

Birmingham 

SAT 21 JUN 

UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE 


THE MOTELLAS Nailcote 

Hall, Berkswell 

AND FINALLY - PHIL 

COLLINS TRIBUTE SHOW 

Solihull Arts Complex 

THE STONES The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

KASABIAN Victoria Park, 

Leicester 

WORBEY AND FARRELL 

Huntingdon Hall, B’ham 

MICHAEL KING PRESENTS 

THE BILLY FURY YEARS 

Theatre Severn, 

Shrewsbury 

MOTOWN MAGIC The 

Swan Theatre, 

Worcester 

GREEN DAY UK The 


OLLY MURS TRBUTE The 

Great Barr Hotel, B’ham 

PRELUDE The Edge Arts 

Centre, Much Wenlock 

ROCK ANTHEMS Number 

8 Community Arts Centre, 

Pershore 

THE WEEKEND ANTHEMS 

The River Rooms, 

Stourbridge 

BIG BAND FINALE CON- 

CERT Warwick Arts Centre, 

Coventry 

TIGER CUB O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

THE HOT HEADS The Actress 


KIRVANA - A TRIBUTE TO 

NIRVANA The Flapper, 

Birmingham 

HOTWIRED Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

RIFF RAFF The Marr's 

Bar, Worcester 

SOUR MASH Route 44, 

Birmingham 

WHITE NOISE THEORY 

The Sugarmill, Stokeon-Trent 

SOULSHAKE The Yardbird 

Jazz Club, B’ham 

KING PLEASURE & THE 

BISCUIT BOYS Moochers, 

Stourbridge 

SOUNDS OF SUMMER 

Town Hall, Birmingham 

WOODEN HORSE Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

SUN 22 JUN 

DOLLY PARTON LG 

Arena, Birmingham 

ALOHA FROM HAWAII 

Lichfield Garrick 

GEORGE BENSON Symphony 

Hall, B’ham 

THE SOUTH Crewe 

Lyceum 

TOUCHSTONE The Robin, 

Bilston 

CATHERINE FEENY 

Kitchen Garden Cafe, 

Birmingham 

MALONE MALONE The Institute, 

Birmingham 

SHAWN CUDDY Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

THE PEOPLE'S ORCHES- 

TRA Adrian Boult Hall, 

Birmingham 

SAM SAX MAN The 

Water’s Edge Bandstand, 

Birmingham 

MON 23 JUN 

DOPETHRONE The Asylum, 

Birmingham 

PARQUET COURTS The Institute, 

Birmingham 

DAVID GRAY Symphony 


TUE 24 JUN 

MITCH LADDIE The 


JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER 

ORCHESTRA Symphony 


SUMMER PROM CONCERT 

Evesham Arts Centre 







HOLLY WILLIAMS TRIO 

The Glee Club, B’ham 

CHERRY GHOST The Institute, 

Birmingham 

EDWINA HAYES The 

Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury 

WED 25 JUN 

NURVRAX JAM The Yardbird 

Jazz Club, B’ham 

GARETH GATES O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

MISFITS The Assembly, 


MORELAND & ARBUCKLE 


DEXYS Kasbah, Coventry 

THU 26 JUN 

DEL CAMINO The Jam 


ROY ORBISON AND 

FRIENDS Lichfield Garrick 

HEAVEN & EARTH O2 


MONOCLED MAN Hare & 


PANSPERMIA & LET 

VENGEANCE RISE O2 


NILE The Robin, Bilston 

BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

QUEEN ALIVE The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

FRI 27 JUN 

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: The 

Final Tour Featuring The 

Osmonds, David Essex, 

Showaddywaddy & Les 

McKeowan's Bay City 

Rollers, LG Arena, Birmingham 

AND FINALLY - PHIL COL- 

INS TRIBUTE SHOW Lichfield 

Garrick 

SONGS OF STRUGGLE The 

Drum, Birmingham 

RAGHU DIXIT The Glee 


JESSIE J Cannock 

Chase Forest 

GRAPPELLI SWING Huntingdon 


SKABUCKS The Roadhouse, 

Birmingham 

DANCING QUEEN Theatre 


THE RED LEMONS The 


AC/DC UK The Robin, Bilston 

ROCK IT! Malvern Theatres 

HIGHTOWER O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

SIMON SPILLETT QUARTET 


ONLY SHADOWS The Actress 


DEVIL RED THE REMEDY 

The Slade Rooms, 

Wolverhampton 

MJ TRIBUTE Fleet Street 

Kitchen, Birmingham 

BOAT TO ROW Hare & 


PAT BRESLIN Irish Centre, 

Birmingham 

GREEN HAZE Route 44, 

Birmingham 

POLICE DOG HOGAN The 


Tewkesbury 

MALLEN The Flapper, 

Birmingham 

SAT 28 JUN 

THE RED LEMONS The 


AND FINALLY - PHIL 

COLLINS TRIBUTE The 


Tewkesbury 

THE BEATLES WITH TOP 

TRIBUTE BAND THE NAKED 

BEATLES The Robin, Bilston 

PAUL WELLER Cannock 

Chase Forest 

HAT FITZ & CARA Huntingdon 


LOVE CHANGES EVERY- 

THING Theatre Severn, 

Shrewsbury 

THE RAT PACK VEGAS 

SPECTACULAR Malvern 

Theatres 

SWEDE DREAMZ - ABBA 

TRIBUTE NIGHT The 

Great Barr Hotel, B’ham 

THE BON JOVI EXPERI- 

ENCE The River Rooms, 

Stourbridge 

WARLORD UK O2 Academy, 

Birmingham 

THE MANFREDS Lichfield 

Garrick 

Jessie J, Cannock Chase Forest 

HAWK EYES The Flapper, 

Birmingham 

UNDER THE COVERS Irish 


BOXCAR ALDOUS HUXLEY 

& ANDY OLIVERI Ort 


IVOR & LYNN'S CLASSIC 

ROCK DISCO Route 44, 

Birmingham 

SUN 29 JUN 

STEVE HARLEY & COCK- 

NEY REBEL Symphony 


SIMPLY DYLAN Kitchen 


FRANKLEY GUITAR CLUB 

SUMMER CONCERT Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

KENNY DANCE FEIS Irish 


BLAKE & BRAZIL Irish 


MON 30 JUN 

LARKIN POE Hare & 


NEW AMERICAN TROUBA- 

DOURS Henry Tudor 

House, Shrewsbury 

Music Venues Box Office Across The Midlands 

Birmingham 

02 ACADEMY 

0121 622 8250 

THE ACTRESS & BISHOP 

0121 236 7426 

ADRIAN BOULT HALL 

0121 331 5901 

THE ASYLUM 

0121 233 1109 

THE BARBER INSTITUTE 

0121 414 7333 

BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 

0121 780 3333 

CBSO CENTRE 

0121 780 3333 

FLAPPER 0121 236 2421 

THE GLEE CLUB 

0871 472 0400 

HARE & HOUNDS 

0121 444 2081 

THE INSTITUTE 

0121 643 0428 

IRISH CENTRE 

0121 622 2314 

THE JAM HOUSE 

0121 200 3030 

THE KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE 

0121 443 4725 

LG ARENA 

0844 338 8000 

NIA 

0844 338 8000 

THE RAINBOW 

0121 772 8174 

RED LION FOLK CLUB 

0121472 4253 

THE ROADHOUSE 

0121 246 2273 

ROUTE 44 

0121 708 0108 

SYMPHONY HALL 

0121 780 3333 

THE VICTORIA 

0121 633 9439 

THE YARDBIRD 

0121 212 2524 

Black Country 

CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 

0870 320 7000 

DUDLEY CONCERT HALL 

01384 815577 

FOREST ARTS CENTRE 

0845 111 2898 

NEWHAMPTON ARTS CENTRE 

01902 572090 

ROBIN 2, BILSTON 

01902 401211 

SLADE ROOMS 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

0870 320 7000 

STOURBRIDGE TOWN HALL 

01384 812812 

WULFRUN HALL, 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

0870 320 7000 

Shropshire 

BIRCHMEADOW, BROSELEY 

01952 882210 

THE BUTTERMARKET, 

SHREWSBURY 

01743 355055 

THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, 

MUCH WENLOCK 

01952 728911 

HENRY TUDOR HOUSE 

SHREWSBURY 

01743 361666 

THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY 

01743 234970 

LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ROOMS 

01584 878141 

THEATRE SEVERN, 

SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 

THE PLACE, OAKENGATES, 

TELFORD 01952 382382 

WEM TOWN HALL 

01939 232299 

Staffordshire 

FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, LEEK 

01538 386112 

LICHFIELD GUILDHALL 

01543 262223 

THE SUGARMILL, HANLEY 

STOKE-ON-TRENT 

01159 454 593 

TAMWORTH ASSEMBLY ROOMS 

01827 709618 

VICTORIA HALL, HANLEY 

0870 060 6649 

STAFFORD GATEHOUSE 

01785 254653 

Warwickshire 

THE ASSEMBLY, LEAMINGTON 

01926 311311 

THE KASBAH, COVENTRY 

024 7655 4473 

NAILCOTE HALL, 

BERKSWELL 

02476 46 6174 

STRATFORD CIVIC HALL 

01789 207100 

THE TIN MUSIC & ARTS, 

COVENTRY 

0247 655 9958 


ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE 

01527 577330 

HUNTINGDON HALL / SWAN 

THEATRE 01905 611427 

MARR’S BAR, WORCESTER 

01905 613336 

THE RIVER ROOMS, 

STOURBRIDGE 

01384 397177 

For additional information 

and to find out What’s On 

at these venues. 

Visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk 


Classical Music PREVIEWS 

Barbara Hannigan 

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wed 18 June 

Hot on the heels of her performance as 

Marie in Zimmerman’s Die Soldaten, 

acclaimed Canadian soprano Barbara 

Hannigan this month performs alongside 

the CBSO in the UK premiere of Hans 

Abrahamsen’s Let Me Tell You. 

Hannigan’s much-anticipated performance 

features in a programme of works entitled 

Strauss And Shakespeare, Abrahamsen’s 

orchestral song cycle having been 

inspired by the works of the Stratford 

bard. Under the baton of Andris Nelsons, 

the evening begins with Mendelssohn’s A 

Midsummer Night’s Dream and culminates 

with Strauss’ Symphonica Domestica 44’ - 

a no-holds-barred musical diary of a day 

with the Strauss family. 

Birmingham Contemporary Music Group: Crowd Out 

Millennium Point, Birmingham, Sun 8 June 

Here world-premiered in an epic-scale production, David Lang’s new piece for one thousand 

untrained voices is one of the largest vocal events ever to be staged in Birmingham. The work 

has been commissioned by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) and encompasses 

a wide range of public singing and vocalising - including football chanting. CBSO Chorus 

Director Simon Halsey - widely regarded as one of the world’s top choral conductors - leads 

the performance. The production visits Berlin and London following its Birmingham debut. 

Welsh National Opera: Faith 

Birmingham Hippodrome, Weds 18 - Fri 20 June 

Founded in Cardiff in 1943, Welsh National Opera (WNO) is committed 

to producing highly accessible work for its audiences, 

whether they be opera-going regulars or people attending for the 

very first time. Here presenting three works from its summer season, 

the company explores the subject of faith, and the way in 

which music and religion are brought together. 

Schoenberg’s rarely performed Moses Und Aron opens the Hippodrome 

season. Standing as one of the most powerful political 

statements of the twentieth century, the three-act opera is a 

response to the composer’s reflections, both on the existence of 

God and his own musical and religious identity. 

A piece from the opposite end of the operatic spectrum follows 

when the company presents Nabucco. One of Verdi’s earliest 

hits, the work is often referred to as ‘the operatic equivalent of a 

1950s biblical Hollywood epic’. It includes a rousing score featuring 

The Chorus Of The Hebrew Slaves. 

WNO ends its latest Hippodrome season with a double-bill, bringing 

together Debussy’s La Chute de la Maison - based on Edgar 

Allan Poe’s The Fall Of The House Of Usher - and the world 

stage premiere of Gordon Getty’s Usher House. 

22 www.whatsonlive.co.uk 

Dante Quartet 

Avoncroft Museum, 

Bromsgrove, 

Wed 25 June 

Held in high regard for 

their imaginative programming, 

the Dante Quartet 

are resident at King’s College, 

Cambridge. They’re 

also the team behind the 

esteemed Dante Summer 

Festival, which takes place 

in the Tamar Valley every 

July. 

Comprising Yuko Inoue 

(viola), Richard Jenkinson 

(cello), and Krysia Osostowicz 

and Oscar Perks 

(violins), the quartet this 

month return to the Midlands 

for the Bromsgrove 

Festival, where they’ll perform 

Haydn’s Quartet Op 

33 No 1 and Schubert’s 

Quartettsatz. 

Wagner’s Ring: 

Götterdämmerung 

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 21 June 

Opera North’s four-year traversal of Wagner’s 

Ring Cycle here comes to a conclusion 

with the composer’s awe-inspiring 

final opera. Sung in German with English 

surtitles, Götterdämmerung finds Siegfried 

falling amongst enemies, Brünnhilde’s love 

being betrayed and the gods themselves 

confronting the end of a world. 

Alwyn Mellor, who garnered great critical 

acclaim for her 2012 portrayal of Sieglinde 

in Opera North’s Die Walküre, sings the 

role of Brünnhilde. She’s joined by Estonian 

tenor Mati Turi as Siegfried and 

Swedish bass Mats Almgren as Hagen.

Classical LISTINGS 

For full listing information on classical 

concerts, including times and dates, 


THE SACCONI QUARTET 

With Freddy Kempf 

(piano). Programme 

includes Elgar's Piano 

Quintet & Schubert's 

Piano Quintet in A 

Major 'The Trout', Sun 1 

June, Malvern Theatres 

EDWARD DUSINBERRE & 

CHARLES OWEN Programme 

to include 

works by Brahms, 

Bach, Mendelssohn 

and Beethoven, Sun 1 

June, Royal Pump 

Rooms, Leamington 

Spa 

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CON- 

CERT WITH ROGER 

OWENS The programme 

will include works by 

Gershwin, Mozart and 

Addinsell, Mon 2 June, 

Symphony Hall, Birmingham 

SINFONIETTA CONCERT 

Featuring music from 

James Oldham, Fang 

Fang, Richard Stenton, 

Luke Deane, Andy 

Ingamells and Ryan 

Probert, Mon 2 June, 



CERT WITH NIGEL ALL- 

COAT Mon 2 June, 

Coventry Cathedral Of 

Ruins 

BRAHMSIAD Tues 3 

June, Adrian Boult Hall, 

Birmingham 

CBSO SUMMER SERE- 

NADE Featuring Laurence 

Jackson 

(violin/director) & 

Christopher Yates 

(viola). Programme 

includes works by 

Grieg, Mozart, Dvorak 

& Tchaikovsky, Thurs 5 

June, Symphony Hall, 

Birmingham 


TOIRE PERCUSSION 

ENSEMBLE Thurs 5 

June, Birmingham Conservatoire 


TOIRE ORGAN DEPART- 

MENT IN CONCERT Fri 6 

June, St Swithun’s 

Church, Worcester 

CBSO HEROES AND 

SUPERHEROES Featuring 

Richard Kaufman (conductor) 

and music from 

Superman, Dance with 

Wolves, 633 Squadron, 

Saving Private Ryan, 

The Sea Hawk, Spider- 

Man, Silverado and 

many more, Fri 6 June, 

Symphony Hal, Birmingham 

THE TREORCHY MALE 

VOICE CHOIR Sat 7 June, 

Royal Spa Centre, 


CARLTON MALE VOICE 

CHOIR Sat 7 June, Huntingdon 


SYMPHONY SOUNDS Presented 

by The Salvation 

Army and featuring 

The International Staff 

Band and International 

Staff Songsters, Sat 7 


Birmingham 

BACH ORGAN RECITAL 

Sun 8 June, St Chad’s 

Church, Shrewsbury 

CHORAL EVENSONG TO 

COMMEMORATE 70TH 

ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY 




CERT WITH JONATHAN 

ALLSOPP Mon 9 June, 


Ruins 

LUCY CHANG Tues 10 


Birmingham 

COMPOSERS’ PLATFORM 

Tues 10 June, Recital 

Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire 


Tues 10 June, St 

Chad’s Church, 

Shrewsbury 

CBSO THOMAS ADES: 

NEW HORIZONS Featuring 

Thomas Ades (conductor) 

and Nicolas 

Hodges (piano). Programme 

includes works 

by Ravel, Barry, Coll 

and Ades, Wed 11 

June, Symphony Hall 

CBSO SCHOOL’S CON- 

CERTS: CARNIVAL OF THE 

ANIMALS Devised specially 

for students at 

Key Stage 2. Featuring 

Michael Seal (conductor) 

and Nikky Smedley 

(presenter), Thurs12 


Birmingham 

THE NAVARRO STRING 

QUARTET Programme 

featuring works by 

Mozart & Beethoven, 

Thurs 12 June, Recital 


THE PRIMROSE PIANO 

QUINTET Programme 

includes works by; JS 

Bach, Bridge, Francaix 

& Schumann, Fri 13 

June, Recital Hall, Birmingham 

Conservatoire 

THE HEPPLEWHITE TRIO 

Programme includes 

works by Bridge & Dvorak, 

Fri 13 June, Recital 


RUISI STRING QUARTET 


works by Mozart, 

Haydn & Debussy, Fri 

13 June, Recital Hall, 


THE MARRIAGE OF 

FIGARO Fri 13 - Sun 15 

June, Barber Institute, 

Birmingham 

THE SCHUBERT ENSEM- 

BLE OF LONDON Sat 14 

June, Adrian Boult, 

Birmingham 

THE CBSO PLAY THE 

ADRIAN BOULT HALL Programme 


by Grieg, Pehkonen, 

Elgar & Strauss, Sun 15 


Birmingham 

BPO CONCERT Featuring 

Elgar’s cello concerto 

and King Arthur Suite, 

Vaughan Williams’ overture 

The Wasps and 

Five Variants on Dives 

and Lazarus, Sun 15 


Birmingham 




D-DAY AFTERNOON CON- 

CERT Featuring the 

Glebe Symphonic 

Winds, Sun 15 June, 

RAF Museum, Cosford, 

Nr Wolverhampton 


CERT: THOMAS TROTTER 

Mon 16 June, Birmingham 

Town Hall 


CERT WITH FLORIAN 

ZSCHUKE Mon 16 June, 


Ruins 

CBSO STRAUSS AND 

SHAKESPEARE Featuring 

Andris Nelsons (conductor) 

and Barbara 

Hannigan (soprano). 


works by Mendelssohn, 

Abrahamsen and 

Strauss, Wed 18 June, 


MOSES AND ARON Welsh 

National Opera present 

Sergio Morabito and 

Jossi Wiesler's highly 

charged production, 

Wed 18 June, Birmingham 

Hippodrome 

ORGAN RECITAL: VINCENT 

GRAPPY Wed 18 June, 

St Chad’s Cathedral, 

Shrewsbury 

BEORMA VOCAL QUARTET 

Programme of English 

music spanning four 

centuries, Wed 18 

June, Avoncroft Museum, 

Bromsgrove 

CBSO BEETHOVEN’S 

EMPEROR CONCERTO 

Featuring Andris Nelsons 

(conductor) and 

Paul Lewis (piano). Programme 


by Beethoven and 

Strauss, Thurs 19 June, 


ASTARIA STRING QUAR- 

TET Programme features 

works by Haydn, 

Schumann, Janacek & 

Smetana, Thurs 19 

June, Grafton Manor 

Chapel, Bromsgrove 

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE 

OF USHER Welsh National 

Opera bring Edgar 

Allan Poe’s macabre 

tale to the operatic 

stage, Fri 20 June, 

Birmingham Hippodrome 

BIRMINGHAM UNIVERSITY 

SINGERS AND UNIVERSI- 

TY WOMEN’S CHOIR Fri 

20 June, Barber Institute, 

Birmingham 


TOIRE SYMPHONY 

ORCHESTRA: SYMPHONY 

OF DREAMS Fri 20 June, 

Town Hall, Birmingham 

WAGNER’S RING: GOT- 

TERDAMMERUNG Performed 

by the Orchestra 

and Chorus Of 

Opera North and Huddersfield 

Choral Society. 

Performance sung in 

German with English 

surtitles, Sat 21 June, 


THE RAF COSFORD MILI- 

TARY WIVES CHOIR Sat 

21 June, The Abbey, 

Shrewsbury 

SHREWSBURY CANTATA 

CHOIR Featuring vocalists 

Victoria Adams, 

Rosie Walker, luno Connolly, 

Robert Tilson & 

Daniel Wyman with 

accompaniment by 

musicians from the 

Birmingham Conservatoire. 

Programme features 

works by Handel, 

Brahms, Gabrieli, 

Bruckner & Stravinsky, 

Sun 22 June, Holy Trinity 

Church, Meole 

Brace, Shrewsbury 

THE PEOPLE’S ORCHES- 

TRA Featuring a selection 

of film greats, 

including Schindler's 

List, The Lord of the 

Rings, Harry Potter, 

plus many more... Sun 

22 June, Adrian Boult 


CHARLES BURNEY BI- 

CENTENNIAL MEMORIAL 

CONCERT Sun 22 June, 

Maidment Hall, Shrewsbury 

School 


CERT WITH MARTYN 

RAWLES Mon 23 June, 

Coventry Cathedral of 

Ruins 

SUMMER PROM CONCERT 

Presented by Prince 

Henry's High School, 

Tues 24 June, Evesham 

Arts Centre, Worcester 

THE GILBERT AND SULLI- 

VAN OPERA COMPANY 

Tues 24 - Sat 28 June, 

Wolverhampton Grand 

Theatre 

DANTE QUARTET Programme 


by Haydn & Schubert, 

Wed 25 June, Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

CBSO MOZART’S C MINOR 

MASS Featuring Andris 

Nelsons (conductor), 

Sarah-Jane Brandon 

(soprano), Lisa Milne 

(soprano), Ben Johnson 

(tenor), Vuyani 

Mlinde (bass) and John 

Tattersdill (double 

bass), Thurs 26 & Sat 

28 June, Symphony 


WESTCOMBE BRASS Programme 


by Bach, Handel, Bar 

Classical Box Office 

ADRIAN BOULT HALL, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 331 5901 

BARBER INSTITUTE, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 414 7333 

BIRMINGHAM 

CONSERVATOIRE 

0121 331 5901/2 

BIRMINGHAM & MIDLAND 

INSTITUTE 

0121 236 3591 


0121 780 3333 

BRAMALL CONCERT HALL, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 414 3344 

CBSO CENTRE, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 780 333 

tok, Berlin & Sherwin, 

Fri 27 June, St Mary the 

Virgin Church, Ullenhall, 

Nr Henley in 

Arden, Warwickshire 

JUNIOR CONSERVATOIRE: 

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 

Sat 28 June, Adrian 

Boult Hall, Birmingham 

ACADEMIA MUSICA CHOIR 

Sat 28 June, Great 

Malvern Priory, 

Worcester 

THOMAS TROTTER: SUM- 

MER REQUESTS Mon 30 

June, Birmingham 

Town Hall 

NIGEL KENNEDY Mon 30 

June - Weds 2 July, 


HOLY TRINITY CHURCH, 

OSWESTRY 

01691 654832 / 652810 

MAIDMENT HALL, 

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL 

01743 280810 

MALVERN THEATRE 

01684 892277 

ST CHAD’S CHURCH, 

SHREWSBURY 

01743 365478 

ST LAURENCE’S CHURCH, 

LUDLOW 

01584 872073 

SYMPHONY HALL, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 780 3333 

VICTORIA HALL, 


0870 060 6649 


Comedy 

The Improlympians 

mac, Birmingham, Fri 13 June & Fri 11 July 

If you like your comedy seriously ‘off the cuff’, 

The Improlympians are the act for you. 

Regulars at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the 

talented troupe of lighthearted, family-friendly 

performers never present the same show twice, 

with their act on any given night depending 

entirely on suggestions made by the audience. 

As you’d expect, their comedy is bold and 

adventurous, their wit razor-sharp. How else 

would they manage to present a show based 

on, for example, the tale of a mother bear who 

travels to India on a bus in order to seek 

vengeance on a talking zimmer frame?... 

Made In Britain Special 

The Drum, Birmingham, Fri 6 June 

Made In Britain Special shows at The Drum as 

part of the Bass Festival 2014. Suitable for audience 

members aged eighteen and above, the 

evening sees funnyman Don Curtis Walker 

headline a programme that also features gags 

aplenty from fellow rib-tickler Lateef Lovejoy. 

Soul music comes from promising RCA 

Records talent Jamie Joseph and the honeyvoiced 

Kezia. 

Pete Firman 

The Glee Club, Birmingham, 

Thurs 12 - Sat 14 June 

Pete Firman's been described as 'funnier than 

most comedians and more magical than 

Dumbledore on a good day' - which, as reviews 

go, isn't a bad one. Combining comedy and 

magic to excellent effect, this Middlesboroughborn 

funnyman wears ill-fitting suits like they’re 

going out of fashion 

and is perfectly 

happy hammering a 

nail into his face in 

the name of comedy. 

His gags are delivered 

at breakneck 

speed and he’s got a 

bagful of tricks 

designed to leave his 

audiences openmouthed 

in disbelief. 

This Birmingham 

date is followed later 

in the year by a 

national tour. 

24 www.whatsonlive.co.uk 

Dawn French 

Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 13 June; New Alexandra Theatre, 

Birmingham Weds 18 - Fri 20 June 

One of the UK’s foremost and best-loved comedians, Dawn French is 

this month visiting the Midlands as part of her first ever solo tour. 

The Vicar Of Dibley star stops off in the region with a show entitled 

30 Million Minutes - roughly the amount of time, according to Dawn’s 

calculations, that she’s been alive. 

"I'm sick with excitement about this solo tour,” says Dawn. “I’m enjoying 

the fact that I can't categorise exactly what it is, but it's somewhere 

between a monologue, a play, and an autobiographical 

slideshow with a few funnies thrown in.” 

Dawn’s previously toured with her longtime comedy partner Jennifer 

Saunders, and has also trodden the boards as Bottom in A 

Midsummer Night's Dream. In 2003, she starred at the Apollo 

Shaftsbury in Geraldine Aron’s one-woman play, My Brilliant Divorce. 

Marlon Davis 

Players Bar, Birmingham, 

Sat 14 June 

Described by Chortle as a 

fella with 'an impish grin, boyish 

enthusiasm and an effortlessly 

open, confident style', 

Marlon Davis uses his 

upbringing in urban Britain as 

the inspiration for his act, 

tackling social issues with 

skillful characterisations. 

Winner of FHM’s Search For 

A Stand-Up competition, 

Marlon has also been finalist 

in both the Laughing Horse 

and So You Think You're 

Funny? new act competitions. 

Comedy 

Box Office 


01527 577330 

BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL 

02476 376707 


0121 780 3333 

THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 

0121 333 2444 


01384 815 577 

GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM 

0871 4720400 

HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM, 

0844 844 0044 

HUNTINGDON HALL, 

WORCESTER, 

01905 611427 

FOXLOWE ARTS CENTRE, 

LEEK, STAFFS 

01538 386112 

KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 443 4725 

LG ARENA, BIRMINGHAM 

0844 338 8000 

LUDLOW ASSEMBLY 

ROOMS 

01584 878141 

MAC, BIRMINGHAM 

0121 446 3232 

NEW ALEXANDRA 

THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM 

0844 871 3011 

PALACE THEATRE, 

REDDITCH 

01527 65203 

THE PUBLIC, WEST 

BROMWICH 

0121 533 7161 

DRUMMONDS BAR, 

WORCESTER 

01905 28190 

RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY 

0844 873 6565 

THE ROSES THEATRE 

TEWKESBURY 

01684 295074 

ROYAL SPA CENTRE, 

LEAMINGTON SPA 

01926 334418 


THEATRE 

01785 254653 

SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX 

0121 704 6962 

THE SLADE ROOMS, 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

0870 320 7000 

THE GEORGE HOTEL, 

BURSLEM, STAFFS 

07763301081 

TAMWORTH ASSEMBLY 

ROOMS 

01827 709618 


SHREWSBURY 

01743 281281 

VICTORIA HALL, HANLEY, 


0844 871 7649 

WARWICK ARTS CENTRE 

02476 524524 

WEST BROMWICH TOWN 

HALL 

0121 596 4429 

WULFRUN HALL, 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

0870 320 7000

Comedy LISTINGS 

For full listing information on comedy 

gigs including times and dates visit 


SHOULD I STAY OR 

SHOULD I GO Sun 1 

June, Drummonds Bar, 

Worcester 

LEE EVANS - WORK IN 

PROGRESS Sun 1 June, 

Oakengates Theatre, 

Telford 

MILES JUPP Tues 3 


Town Hall 

ABANDOMAN Weds 4 

June, Wulfrun Hall, 

Wolverhampton 

THE NOISE NEXT DOOR 

Thurs 5 June, Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

RETURN OF THE GRUMPY 

OLD WOMEN Thurs 5 

June, Royal Spa 

Centre, Leamington 

Spa 

MATT RICHARDSON Thurs 

5 June, Solihull Arts 

Complex 

KUM-N-AVALOFF COMEDY 

NIGHT Thurs 5 June, 

Stourbridge Town Hall 

IAN COPPINGER, JOJO 

SMITH & CHRIS TURNER 

Thurs 5 June, The Glee 


VIKKI STONE, DAVID 

TRENT Thurs 5 June, 

mac, Birmingham 

CUT THE CHAT Thurs 5 

June, The Glee Club, 

Birmingham 

IAN COPPINGER, JOJO 

SMITH, CHRIS TURNER & 

ROB HUGHES Fri 6 June, 


CARL DONNELLY Fri 6 


Birmingham 

CURTIS WALKER, LATEEF 

LOVEJOY & JOHN SIMMIT 

Fri 6 June, The Drum, 

Birmingham 

TOPPING AND BUTCH, 

MAFF BROWN, CAREY 

MARX & MATT RUDGE Fri 

6 - Sat 7 June, 

Highlight Comedy 


JAMES ACASTER, JOJO 

SMITH, IAN COPPINGER & 

CHRIS TURNER Sat 7 


Birmingham 

DOUGIE DUNLOP, PHILL 

ELLIS DAN EVANS & TONY 

COWARDS Sat 7 June, 

Coventry Showcase 

BOBBY MAIR, NICK 

DODDY, SIMON BLIGH & 

KAREN BAYLEY Sat 7 

June, Players Bar, 

Birmingham 

ROUGH WORKS New 

material from the 

Midlands' finest comics, 

Sun 8 June, The Glee 


OPEN MIC COMEDY 

HOSTED BY LOUDEEMY 

SOUP Mon 9 June, The 

Blue Orange Theatre, 

Birmingham 

ANDREW O'NEIL, ALAN 

MOORE Tues 10 June, 

Rose Villa Tavern, 

Birmingham 

MERCEDES BENSON, 

JULIE JEPSON, JEN 

BRISTER & MAUREEN 

YOUNGER Weds 11 

June, Kitchen Garden 


JETHRO Thurs 12 June, 


PETE FIRMAN, ANDY 

ROBINSON & DAVE 

FULTON Thurs 12 June, 

The Glee Club, 

Birmingham 

JAMES ACASTER & ROB 

DEERING Thurs 12 June 


JASON MANFORD Fri 13 

June, Civic Hall, 

Wolverhampton 

DAWN FRENCH Fri 13 

June, Victoria Hall, 


BRENDON BURNS & JOHN 

HASTINGS Fri 13 June 

Station Pub, Sutton 

Coldfield 

JEFF INNOCENT, JEREMY 

O'DONNELL, DAN 

NIGHTINGALE & NATHAN 

CATON Fri 13 June, 

Highlight Comedy 


THE IMPROLYMPIANS Fri 

13 June, mac, B’ham 

PETE FIRMAN, DAVE 

JOHNS, DAVE FULTON & 

JEN BRISTER Fri 13 - Sat 

14 June, The Glee 


JEFF INNOCENT, JEREMY 

O'DONNELL, DAN 

NIGHTINGALE & ROMESH 

RANGANATHAN Sat 14 

June, Highlight 

Comedy Club, 

Birmingham 

WES ZAHARUK, 

JONATHAN ELSTON, 

MICHAEL FABBRI & 

DANNY DEEGAN Sat 14 

June, Coventry 

Showcase 

MARLON DAVIS, STEVE 

SHANYASKI, JOHN 

MOLONEY & JOJO SMITH 

Sat 14 June, Players 

Bar, Birmingham 

ARIES SPEARS Sun 15 


Birmingham 

BEN NORRIS Sun 15 

June, Theatre Severn, 

Shrewsbury 

NATON CATON WITH FOIL, 

ARMS AND HOG, DAMIAN 

CLARK Sun 15 June, 


Coventry 

TOADALLY FREE COMEDY! 

Mon 16 June, The Blue 

Orange Theatre, 

Birmingham 

BARNSTORMERS COMEDY 

NIGHT Tues 17 June, 

Royal Spa Centre, 


DAWN FRENCH Weds 18 

- Fri 20 June, New 

Alexandra Theatre, 

Birmingham 

NORMAN LOVETT Thurs 

19 June, Huntingdon 


JOHN FOTHERGILL, ANDY 

ROBINSON, TIFFANY 

STEVENSON & COMEDY 

CAROUSEL Thurs 19 


Birmingham 

LORETTA MAINE, GAVIN 

WEBSTER Thurs 19 

June, mac, Birmingham 

IAN MOORE, BARRY 

CASTAGNOLA, DAVID 

WARD & STUART 

MITCHELL Fri 20 - Sat 21 

June, Highlight 

Comedy Club, B’ham 

JOHN FOTHERGILL, PETE 

JOHANSSON, BRENDAN 

DEMPSEY & TIFFANY 

STEVENSON Fri 20 - Sat 

21 June, The Glee 


ANDY WHITE Sat 21 

June, mac, Birmingham 

DANA ALEXANDER, RYAN 

MCDONNELL, LUKE 

BENSON & ADAM ROWE 

Sat 21 June, Coventry 

Showcase 

BENNY BOOT, SOFIE 

HAGEN, ANDY ASKINS & 

ANDRE VINCENT Sat 21 


Birmingham 

JOHN BISHOP Weds 25 

June, Warwick Arts 

Centre, Coventry 

JASON MANFORD Weds 

25 June, Crewe 

Lyceum 

GAVIN WEBSTER, ANGELA 

BARNES & JOHN 

HASTINGS Thurs 26 


Birmingham 

MILES JUPP Thurs 26 

June, Warwick Arts 

Centre, Coventry 

DANNY BUCKLER, MARTIN 

MOR Thurs 26 June, 


JOHN BISHOP - WORK IN 

PROGRESS Thurs 26 

June, Huntingdon Hall, 

Worcester 


BARNES, JOHN HASTINGS 

& MATHEW HEARD Fri 28 


Birmingham 

DANNY BUCKLER, MATT 

HOBS, NEIL MCFARLANE, 

PAUL DUNCAN 

MCGARRITY & PHILIP 

SIMON Fri 27 June, 

National Brewery 

Centre, Burton Upon 

Trent 

PAUL & ANDREW 

NIGHTINGALE, RICHARD 

PULSFORD, BISHA K ALI, 

JON PEARSON, ALEX 

HYLTON & MATTHEW 

BAYLIS Fri 27 June, 



BARNES & JOHN 

HASTINGS Sat 28 June 


JIM SMALLMAN, SCOTT 

BENNETT, GARETH 

BERLINER & SOFIE HAGEN 

Sat 28 June, Coventry 

Showcase 

PRINCE ABDI, VIKKI 

STONE, STEVE HARRIS & 

JOHNNY CANDON Sat 28 


Birmingham 

THE LAUGHING SOLE - 

COMEDY CLUB FOR KIDS 

Sun 29 June, mac, 

Birmingham 

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

Theatre 

Woman In Mind 

The REP, Birmingham, Fri 13 - Sat 28 June 

Mention Alan Ayckbourn and a list of brilliant observational comedies 

springs readily to mind, including classics such as Season’s Greetings, 

The Norman Conquests and Absurd Person Singular. 

Although not as famous as the aforementioned offerings, Woman In 

Mind certainly deserves to keep company with them in terms of its 

quality, and is widely regarded as one of the playwright’s most affecting 

works. Premiered in 1985 and marking Ayckbourn’s first use of 

first-person narrative and a subjective viewpoint, it tells the story of 

vicar’s wife Susan, whose best way of escaping the challenges of her 

real-life family is to create a fantasy one. But when her two worlds 

begin to overlap, it soon becomes evident that Susan is beginning to 

unravel... 

The Rape Of Lucrece 

The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, 

Mon 23 June - Fri 4 July 

The Rape of Lucrece is a brilliant, brutal narrative 

poem giving an account of the terrible crime of rape 

and its dreadful consequences for victim and perpetrator. 

As ever, Shakespeare goes beyond the obvious, 

following the ramifications of the crime wherever 

they take him, and in so doing shining a light on a 

level of human behaviour that encompasses both 

the bestial and the beautiful. This particular version 

of Shakespeare’s famous work is described as ‘an 

hypnotic evening of song and storytelling’, and stars 

internationally acclaimed singer Camille O'Sullivan. 

Propeller Theatre 

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 3 - Sat 7 June 

Mask work, animation, and both classic and modern film and music have all influenced 

the work of the Worcestershire-based Propeller Theatre, a talented all-male 

ensemble who seek to find ‘a more engaging way of expressing Shakespeare’. Having 

toured extensively across the globe and bagged numerous awards for their highenergy 

endeavours, the company is this month visiting Birmingham with a double-bill 

of Shakespeare comedies - A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy Of Errors. 


Theatre PREVIEWS 

Fame The Musical 

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, 

Mon 2 - Sat 7 June 

The original mega-hit film and its spin-off TV 

series are now both so old that their oncenimble 

dancers might soon be reaching for 

zimmer frames! By contrast, Fame The Musical 

continues to get up a sweat on a regular 

basis. And as high-octane, choreographedto-the-rafters 

stage musicals go, it hits the 

Midlands this month with a reputation second 

to none. Set in New York’s legendary High 

School For The Performing Arts, the show 

focuses on the highs and lows of the students 

who’re desperately seeking success, 

and offers a dazzling evening of foot-tapping 

music and breathtaking dance. 

Re-envisioned songs include Let’s Play A 

Love Scene and the title track itself. 

Annie Get Your Gun 

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 10 - Sat 14 June; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, 

Tues 1 - Sat 5 July; Malvern Theatre, Mon 28 July - Sat 2 August 

Jason Donovan returns to the Midlands this month to star in this major new version of the 

Tony Award-winning musical. Donovan, who’s previously appeared in the region in stage productions 

of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, The Rocky Horror Show and Sweeney Todd, plays 

the sharpshooting Frank Butler, appearing alongside Emma Williams as Annie Oakley and 

Norman Pace as Buffalo Bill. The show was written by Irving Berlin in 1946 and includes such 

famous numbers as There’s No Business Like Show Business and Anything You Can Do, I 

Can Do Better. 

“I've been very lucky in having some great roles to get my teeth into in the past,” says Jason, 

“but now having the chance to star in the UK premiere production of this award-winning version 

of such a classic musical is very exciting. I'm very much looking forward to performing 

such brilliant songs and appearing alongside a truly great cast, as we bring the Wild West to 

theatres across the country.” 

20th Century Boy: 

The Musical 

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, 

Mon 30 June - Sat 5 July 

Marc Bolan was one of glam rock's most 

iconic superstars until his life was tragically 

ended in a car crash in the autumn of 1977. 

This high-energy musical, exploding onto the 

stage to coincide with the thirty-seventh 

anniversary of the T-Rex singer's demise, is 

impressively packed with the band’s classic 

1970s hits, including Ride A White Swan, 

Metal Guru, Get It On, I Love To Boogie, Children 

Of The Revolution and, of course, 20th 

Century Boy. 

Fragile 

Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, 


“Fragile is about a man who has an abuse 

outed upon him when he’s twelve,” explains 

the play’s BAFTA award-winning writer Geoff 

Thompson, “and that abuse sends his life at 

a right-angle.” 

Coventry-born playwright Geoff premiered 

Fragile to rave reviews at the city’s Belgrade 

Theatre in 2012, and admits that the play is 

semi-autobiographical. “Instead of following 

the life he thinks he needs to follow,” Geoff 

continues, “the man ends up becoming cripplingly 

insecure. He would like to talk to the 

person who abused him, but he’s too 

scared. He’d like to talk to the people who 

love him, but he’s too fragile. He’d like to talk 

to God, but he’s too 

angry. So he talks to a 

tape recorder instead, and 

professes his shame, his 

guilt, his anger and his 

rage.” 

A one-man performance 

starring Nigel Francis, 

Fragile has been co-directed 

by 

Geoff Thompson 

Thompson. 

Paiseyan Di Hera Pheri 

The Drum, Birmingham, Sat 28 June 

When the spirit of a dead father takes a trip 

around the home in which he’d once lived, 

he doesn’t much like what he finds. 

Rather than mourning him, his children have 

descended into greed and bitterness, and 

think only of the money which will soon be 

coming their way. Faced with such an upsetting 

reality, what’s a ghost to do but take 

action to change the content of his Will - 

from beyond the grave... 

This comic portrayal of the darker side of 

humanity is performed in Punjabi. 

Blackadder 

Artrix, Bromsgrove, Tues 24 - Sat 28 June 

South Birmingham-based semi-professional 

theatrical group All & Sundry is the company 

behind this stage version of the hit Rowan 

Atkinson television comedy. The production 

reworks three popular episodes from the 

Richard Curtis and Ben Elton-penned 1989 

series, which was set in the trenches during 

the First World War... All & Sundry is this year 

also presenting a theatrical version of another 

Richard Curtis television hit, The Vicar Of 

Dibley, as well as a new production of John 

Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men. 

Morecambe 

The Roses, Tewkesbury, Fri 13 June 

Hailed for lovingly and thoughtfully bringing a 

little of Eric and Ernie’s sunshine to the London 

West End stage, this is a one-man show 

exploring the life and times of John Eric 

Bartholomew - better known, of course, as 

the comedian Eric Morecambe. 

Bob Golding’s the man charged 

with the sizable task of portraying 

one of Britain’s best-known 

and most-loved funnymen, 

and it’s a challenge which 

he meets head on. Indeed, 

there are moments when 

he so effectively captures 

the spirit of Eric that 

audience members of a 

certain age may feel like 

they’ve actually been 

transported back to the 

1970s, the decade 

most closely associated 

with the 

legend that is 

Morecambe and 

Wise. 


A MIDSUMMER 

NIGHTS DREAM 

8th June 

OAKENGATES THEATRE 

Telford, Shropshire, TF2 6EP 

01952 382382 

13th July 

AVONCROFT MUSEUM 

Bromsgrove, Worcs, B60 4JR 

01332 258328 

31st July 

WHITBOURNE HALL 

Worcestershire, WR6 5SE 

0774 703 1701 

1st August 

MARY ARDEN’S FARM 

Wilmcote, Nr Stafford CV37 9UN 

01332 258328 

TWELFTH NIGHT 

9th July 

BLUE COAT SCHOOL 

Tupsley, 

Hereford HR1 1UU 

01432 347506 

12th July 

MAC (ARENA) 

Cannon Hill Park, 

Birmingham 

B12 9QH 

0121 446 3232 

1st August 

MARY ARDEN’S FARM 

Wilmcote, 

Nr Stafford CV37 9UN 

01332 258328 

www.oddsocks.co.uk 

info@oddsocks.co.uk 

01332 258328 


Theatre PREVIEWS 

Under Milk Wood 

The REP, Birmingham, Mon 2 - Sat 7 June 

Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood started out 

as a 1954 radio drama, later being adapted 

for both stage and film. Widely considered to 

be a work of real genius, it provides its audience 

with the opportunity to share in the lives 

of a host of eccentric characters, all of whom 

reside in the small Welsh fishing village of 

Llareggub (the village name is ‘bugger all’ 

written backwards). This new production, 

directed by Terry Hands, has been well 

received by theatre critics, and is touring to 

mark the centenary of Thomas’ birth in 1914 

and the sixtieth anniversary of the play’s 

British premiere. 

Horrible Histories: 

Barmy Britain 

Birmingham Town Hall, 

Weds 11 - Sun 15 June 

If you love the Horrible Histories series - and 

why the heck wouldn’t you?! - then Barmy 

Britain is a show well worth catching. 

Alongside providing answers to such searching 

questions as ‘what would happen if a 

Viking moved in next door?’ and ‘would you 

stand and deliver to dastardly Dick Turpin?’, 

the show also invites its audience to escape 

the clutches of Burke and Hare, move to the 

groove with the partying Queen Victoria and 

prepare to do battle in the First World War. 

In short, and as its publicity says, it’s ‘a truly 

horrible history of Britain - with all the nasty 

bits left in!’. 

The Duchess Of Malfi 

Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, 


This is a Birmingham School of Acting version 

of John Webster’s Jacobean masterpiece. 

An example of English renaissance 

drama at its finest, The Duchess Of Malfi 

starts as a romance but ends as a tragedy, 

along the way touching upon a wide range 

of themes, including the status of women 

and the misuse of power. When a recently 

Happy Days 

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 10 - Sat 14 June 

Television viewers of a certain age will well remember Happy Days, the legendary US sitcom 

about Milwaukee-based family the Cunninghams, set in the rock’n’roll days of the 1950s. The 

show scored a massive hit with 1970s and ’80s telly-watchers, in the process making a star of 

Henry Winkler, the actor who immortalised the character of the self-styled King of Cool, Arthur 

‘The Fonz’ Fonzarelli. This brand new musical promises to reacquaint fans of the TV series 

with all their favourite characters, including Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie, Chachi and Pinky 

Tuscadero, the latter being played on this occasion by former Sugababes and Atomic Kitten 

star Heidi Range. 

widowed duchess marries a lowly steward 

and bears him three children, her two corrupt 

brothers decide to exact a terrible revenge... 

A Taste Of Honey 

Malvern Theatre, Tues 17 - Sat 21 June 

Shelagh Delaney was only eighteen when 

she wrote A Taste Of Honey. In so doing, she 

not only gave notice that a bright new talent 

had arrived on the scene but also established 

herself as a major player in the cultural 

movement that became known as ‘kitchen 

sink realism’. The movement was at its 

height during the late-1950s and early-1960s, 

and saw playwrights such as Delaney and, 

equally famously, John Osborne, exploring 

social and political issues by focusing on the 

domestic situations of the working-classes. 

At the centre of Delaney’s play is the character 

of seventeen-year-old Jo, whose attempts 

to break free from the shackles of her manhunting 

mother lead her into the arms of a 

black sailor, by whom she becomes pregnant. 

A touching tale of a young girl’s journey 

into adulthood in 1950s Salford, A Taste 

Of Honey here stars Shameless and Waterloo 

Road favourite Rebecca Ryan, and is 

helmed by Hull Truck Theatre’s new Artistic 

Director Mark Babych. 

Sizwe Banzi Is Dead 

mac - Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, 


This thought-provoking revival has enjoyed 

plenty of critical acclaim since opening last 

summer, with actors Sibusiso Mamba and 

Tonderai Munyevu garnering great praise for 

their terrific performances. Helmed by Genesis 

Future Directors Award-winner Matthew 

Xia, the play is set in apartheid-era South 

Africa, and was written in 1972 by white 

South African playwright Athol Fugard and 

black actors John Kani and Winston Ntshon. 

Sizwe Banzi’s looking for work, but his passbook 

has expired and deportation seems 

inevitable. So when he stumbles across a 

dead body with a passbook, Sizwe has a 

choice to make - either to accept the fact 

that he can’t get work to support his family, 

or to pretend that he’s met with a tragic end 

and instead adopt the identity of the dead 

man... Eclipse Theatre and the Young Vic are 

the organisations behind this Tony-nominated 

exploration of life under a brutal regime. 

3 Summers 

Library of Birmingham, Tues 17 - Sat 21 June 

A national tour follows for this production - 

after it’s become the first full-scale musical to 

be staged in the Library of Birmingham’s Studio 

Theatre, that is. Set in the psychedelic 

’60s, the show follows the efforts of four 

young girls seeking fame and fortune. When 

Pen, Maz, Heff and Princess rent rooms from 

the reclusive Freddie Savage, they soon 

realise they’ve found themselves a ‘mother 

hen’... Boasting a live band and backing 

singers, 3 Summers features sixteen Swinging 

’60s-inspired original numbers. 


BROMSGROVE’S THEATRE, CINEMA, 

LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUE 

JUNE 2014 

HIGHLIGHTS 

Wednesday 4th June 

THEA GILMORE 

IN SUPPORT OF HER NEW 

ALBUM REGARDLESS 

Thursday 5th June 

THE NOISE 

NEXT DOOR 

MIND-BLOWING IMPROV 

ANARCHY 

Friday 6th June 

VOODOO ROOM 

FANTASTIC TRIBUTE TO 

JIMI HENDRIX & CREAM 

Tues 17th – 

Sat 21st June 

CRAZY FOR YOU 

POPULAR GERSHWIN 

MUSICAL FROM 

BROMSGROVE OPERATIC 

Saturday 21st June 

WOODEN HORSE 

FANTASTIC MIX OF COUNTRY 

BLUES & AMERICANA 

Tues 24th – 

Sat 28th June 

BLACK ADDER 

GOES FORTH 

ALL & SUNDRY RE-WORKING 

OF THE COMEDY CLASSIC 

FORTHCOMING CINEMA: Calvary (15) // Tracks (12A) 

// We Are The Best (15) // The Love Punch (12A) 

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

For bookings & full details log onto 

www.artrix.co.uk or phone 01527 577330 

Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1PQ Free parking on-site 


Theatre LISTINGS 

For full listing information on theatre 

productions, including times and dates, 


From 

SUN 1 JUNE 

SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN 

Lichfield Garrick Rep 

Company present John 

Godber's semi-autobiographical 

play which is 

loosely based on the 

lives of his own parents, 

until Thurs 5 

June, Lichfield Garrick 

KHANDAN (FAMILY) Birmingham 

Repertory Theatre 

in association with 

The Royal Court presents 

Gurpreet Kaur 

Bhatti's tale of extended 

family life, until Sat 7 

June, The REP, B’ham 

CRAZY FOR YOU The 

Crescent Theatre present 

the story of Bobby 

Childs, a well-to-do 

1930s playboy whose 

dream in life is to 

dance, until Sat 7 June, 

Crescent Theatre, Birmingham 

INHERIT THE WIND 

Jerome Lawrence & 

Robert E Lee's American 

drama, inspired by 

real-life events, until Sat 

14 June, New Vic Theatre, 

Newcastle-under- 

Lyme 

HENRY IV PART’S I & II 

RSC Associate Artist 

Antony Sher returns to 

the Company to play 

the infamous comic 

knight Falstaff, until Sat 

6 Sept, Royal Shakespeare 

Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 

THE ROARING GIRL Jo 

Davies directs Lisa Dillon 

as the dynamic, 

cross-dressing heroine 

in a new version of 

Thomas Middleton & 

Thomas Dekker's 

Jacobean comedy, until 

Tues 30 Sept, The 

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon 

ARDEN OF FAVERSHAM 

Polly Findlay makes her 

RSC debut, directing 

this darkly comic thriller 

which focuses on a 

husband, wife and lover 

who find themselves 

locked within a deadly 

game, until Thurs 2 

Oct, The Swan Theatre, 

Stratford-upon-Avon 

PEPPA PIG'S BIG SPLASH 

All-singing, all-dancing 

adventure for children, 

Sun 1 June, Wolverhampton 

Grand Theatre 

JUNGLE BOOK Indigo 

Moon Theatre bring 

Rudyard Kipling's story 

to life, Sun 1 June, Theatre 


KING LEAR: NATIONAL 

THEATRE LIVE Acclaimed 

actor Simon Beale 

takes the lead role in 

this National Theatre 

production of Shakespeare's 

bloody tale, 

Mon 2 June, Warwick 


THE MOUSETRAP Touring 

production of Agatha 

Christie's famous 

thriller, Mon 2 - Sat 7 


Shrewsbury 

UNDER MILK WOOD A 

new production of 

Dylan Thomas' work of 

genius, Mon 2 - Sat 7 

June, The REP, B’ham 

FAME - THE MUSICAL 

Presented by Bill Kenwright, 

Mon 2 - Sat 7 

June, Belgrade Theatre, 

Coventry 

FOXFINDER Dawn King's 

tense play, set in a 

future where the state 

controls the land, Mon 

2 - Sat 7 June, Highbury 

Theatre Centre, 

Sutton Coldfield 

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS 

Propeller Theatre present 

Shakespeare’s 

most farcical play, Tues 

3 June, New Alexandra 

Theatre, Birmingham 

THE ENERGY SHOW Science 

Museum Live take 

to the road with an 

explosive family theatre 

show for curious minds, 

Tues 3 June, Warwick 


LADIES IN RETIREMENT 

Set in the 1880s and 

based on a famous 

murder that took place 

in a remote country 

house, Tues 3 - Fri 6 

June, Wolverhampton 

Grand Theatre 

THE WITCHES OF EAST- 

WICK Presented by Sutton 

Coldfield Musical 

Theatre Company, Tues 

3 - Sat 7 June, Lichfield 

Garrick 

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG 

Presented by Artz Productions, 

Tues 3 - Sat 7 

June, Stoke Repertory 

Theatre 

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S 

DREAM Propeller Theatre 

present Shakespeare’s 

magical play, 

where love and illusion 

collide, Weds 4 - Thurs 



ALICE BY HEART A new 

rock-musical take on 

Alice In Wonderland, 

from the writers who 

took Spring Awakening: 

The Musical to the London 

stage in 2009, 

Weds 4 - Sat 7 June, 

Stafford Gatehouse 

Theatre 

TONIGHT AT 8.30 Noel 

Coward's collection of 

nine one-act plays, performed 

together - three 

per night - for the first 

time in the UK since 

Coward starred in them 

in 1936, Weds 4 - Sat 7 


THE DREAMBOYS ‘The 

UK’s top male glamour 

show’, Thurs 5 June, 

Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent 

ARTHUR SMITH Thurs 5 


Shrewsbury 

RETURN OF THE GRUMPY 

OLD WOMEN: FIFTY 

SHADES OF BEIGE Thurs 

5 June, Royal Spa Centre, 


SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD 

Eclipse Theatre & 

Young Vic present Athol 

Fugard’s award-winning 

play, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 

June, mac - Midlands 

Arts Centre, B’ham 

THE TAMING OF THE 

SHREW RumDoxy Theatre 

presents its innovative 

interpretation of 

Shakespeare’s tale of 

mistaken identity and 

unrequited love, Thurs 

5 - Sat 7 June, Crescent 

Theatre, B’ham 

FRAGILE Geoff Thompson’s 

semi-autobiographical 

drama which 

charts a broken man’s 

journey through abuse 

to reconciliation and 

redemption, Thurs 5 - 

Sat 7 June, Old Joint 

Stock Theatre, B’ham 

THE MIKADO Presented 

by Blue Orange Arts, 

Thurs 5 - Sat 14 June, 

The Blue Orange Theatre, 

Birmingham 

THE DREAMBOYS ’The 

UK’s top male glamour 

show’, Fri 6 June, 

Crewe Lyceum 

THE RODGERS AND HAM- 

MERSTEIN SONGBOOK 

Fri 6 June, Prince Of 


SING-A-LONG-A GREASE A 

brand new sing-along 

version of the classic 

film starring Olivia Newton-John 

and John Travolta, 

Fri 6 June, Royal 

Spa Centre, Leamington 

Spa 

LEVEL UP WITH ANTHONY 

ANAXAGOROU AND KARIM 

KAMAR Evening of spoken 

word in performance, 

Fri 6 June, The 

REP, Birmingham 

TANGIBLE THINGS A new 

play by Matt Beames 

which explores a man's 

desire for a physical 

achievement in an 

increasingly electronic 

age, Fri 6 - Sat 7 June, 

Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton 


Propeller Theatre present 


most farcical play, Fri 6 

- Sat 7 June, New 

Alexandra Theatre, 

Birmingham 

STAR QUALITY The 

Billesley Players present 

Noel Coward’s 

behind-the-scenes look 

at a theatre company 

putting on a new West 

End production, Fri 6 - 

Sat 7 June, Old Rep, 

Birmingham 

THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS 

IN A 2014 SPACE ODDITY 

A new show promising 

fun for all the family, Sat 

7 June, Regent Theatre, 


TWELFTH NIGHT York 

Shakespeare Project 

present a fast, fun & 

folky approach to the 

bard’s comic masterpiece, 

Sat 7 June, The 

Dell, Stratford-upon- 

Avon 

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF 

THE TAT MAN David Calcutt’s 

one-man show 

features tales of travelling 

folk, blacksmiths, 

devils and talking horses, 

Sat 7 June, Walsall 

Museum 


DREAM Propeller Theatre 


magical play, 

where love and illusion 

collide, Sat 7 June, 

New Alexandra Theatre, 

Birmingham 

THE MERCHANT OF 

VENICE Rain Or Shine 

Theatre present Shakespeare's 

famous work, 

Sun 8 June, Witley 

Court, Worcestershire 

IMMORTAL CHI Fusion of 

jaw-dropping Chinese 

Martial Arts, multimedia 

images and an 

original musical score 

incorporating the Chinese 

Girl Drummers, 

Sun 8 June, Regent 

Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent 

PARKING AROUND 

Rogueplay present 

highly physical theatre 

with a strong but simple 

narrative, Sun 8 

June, Small Heath 

Park, Birmingham 

THE WINTER’S TALE 

Staffordshire University’s 

Drama & Theatre 

Arts graduates present 

an outdoor production 

of Shakespeare’s tragicomedy, 

Sun 8 June, 

The Dell, Stratfordupon-Avon 

From 

MON 9 JUN 

STAY Geese Theatre 

Company present a 

challenging insight into 

one man's cycle of 

abuse, Mon 9 June, 

The REP, Birmingham 

O WHAT A LOVELY WAR 

Presented by Nonentitties, 

Mon 9 - Sat 14 

June, The Rose Theatre, 

Kidderminster 

THE MOUSETRAP Touring 

production of Agatha 

Christie's famous 

thriller, Mon 9 - Sat 14 

June, Crewe Lyceum 

ALL SHOOK UP South 

Staffordshire College 

Performing Arts Department 

present a performance 

inspired by 

and featuring the songs 

of Elvis Presley against 

a new twist on Shakespeare's 

Twelfth Night, 

Tues 10 - Weds 11 

June, Lichfield Garrick 

HAPPY DAYS Tues 10 - 

Sat 14 June, Wolverhampton 

Grand Theatre 

SOUTH PACIFIC Adaptation 

of the Rodgers & 

Hammerstein musical, 


New Alexandra Theatre, 

Birmingham 

LITTLE SHOP OF HOR- 

RORS Presented by 

Queensbridge Musical 

Theatre Society, Tues 

10 - Sat 14 June, Solihull 

Arts Complex 

SHE STOOPS TO CON- 

QUER Creative Cow 

present Oliver Goldsmith's 

comedy, Tues 

10 - Sat 14 June, 


ANYTHING GOES Amateur 

production presented 

by Bourneville Musical 

Theatre Company, Tues 

10 - Sat 14 June, Crescent 


ANNIE GET YOUR GUN 

Major new production 

of the Tony Award-winning 

version of Irving 

Berlin's classic musical, 


Regent Theatre, Stokeon-Trent 

THE TEMPEST A Birmingham 

Ormiston Academy 

Acting Pathway production, 

Weds 11 June, 

The Old Rep, Birmingham 

RUNAWAY BOY Thirty 

young people, many 

from disadvantaged 

backgrounds, retell the 

classic story of Carlo 

Collodi’s Pinocchio, 

Weds 11 June, Royal 

Spa Centre, Leamington 

Spa 

FINDING JOY A comic, 

anarchic, touching and 

heroic full mask adventure 

from Worcesterbased 

theatre company 

Vamos, Weds 11 - 

Thurs 12 June, The 

Swan Theatre, Worcester 

PETER PAN AND THE LOST 

BOYS Heartbreak Productions 

present an 

innovative adaptation of 

JM Barrie’s classic children’s 

tale, Weds 11 - 

Thurs 12 June, Jephson 

Gardens, Leamington 

Spa 

LITTLE SHOP OF HOR- 

RORS Amateur production 

presented by 

Shrewsbury College 

Performing Arts, Weds 

11 - Thurs 12 June, 


Shrewsbury 

GREASE Amateur production 

grom Get Your 

Wigle On, Weds 11 - 

Sat 14 June, Theatre 


PESTS Clean Break, 

Royal Court Theatre 

and Royal Exchange 

Theatre present a searing 

new play from Vivienne 

Franzmann, Weds 

11 - Sat 14 June, The 


THE VALLEY OF ASTON- 

ISHMENT Théâtre des 

Bouffes du Nord present 

the UK premiere of 

Peter Brook and Marie- 

Hélène Estienne's kaleidoscopic 

journey into 

the wonders of the 

human brain, Weds 11 - 

Sat 14 June, Warwick 


HORRIBLE HISTORIES: 

BARMY BRITAIN Presented 

by Birmingham 

Stage Company, Weds 

11 - Sun 15 June, Birmingham 

Town Hall 

THE WORLD'S WORST 

SERIAL KILLER SHOW 

Note that this show 

contains original crime 

scene and victim's photographs, 

many of a 

graphic and explicit 

nature, which some 

people may find disturbing, 

Thurs 12 June, 

The Place, Oakengates 

Theatre, Telford 


DREAM Presented by 

Ormiston Academy Acting 

Pathway, Thurs 12 

June, Old Rep, B’ham 

ANYTHING GOES Amateur 

production of Cole 

Porter's comedy musical 

presented by 

Nuneaton Pantomime 

and Revue Society, 


Bedworth Civic Hall 

AVENUE Q Amateur production 

presented by 

the Old Joint Stock 

Musical Theatre Company, 

Thurs 12 - Sun 22 

June, Old Joint Stock 


MACBETH The Festival 

Players Theatre Company 


bloodiest play, 

Fri 13 June, St John’s 

Church, Bromsgrove 

ROMEO & JULIET Presented 

by Ormiston 

Academy Acting Pathway, 

Fri 13 June, Old 

Rep, Birmingham 


VENICE Rain Or Shine 

Productions present an 

outdoor production of 

Shakespeare famous 

work, Fri 13 June, 

Wightwick Hall, Wolverhampton 

WOMAN IN MIND Alan 

Ayckbourn's poignant 

play about a woman 

slowly unravelling, Fri 

13 - Sat 28 June, The 


THE SOOTY SHOW A 

brand new family show 

featuring Sooty and his 

friends... Sat 14 June, 


Theatre 

SING-A-LONG-A DIRTY 

DANCING Brand new singalong 

screening of the 

classic film starring 

Patrick Swayze and 

Jennifer Grey, Sat 14 

June, Roses Theatre, 

Tewkesbury 

MACBETH The Handlebards 

bring their innovative 

style to Shakespeare’s 

tale of ambition, 

magic and murder, 

Sat 14 June, The Dell, 






narrative, played 

out through circus acts, 

dance and physical theatre 

sequences, Sat 14 

June, Eastside Park, 

Birmingham 



present an 



tale, Sat 14 

June, Birmingham Lord 

Mayor’s Show, Chamberlain 


MONDAY’S CHILD Tutti 

Frutti & York Theatre 

Royal tell a simple 

poetic story of the 

unique bond between a 

grandmother and child, 

Sat 14 June, Warwick 


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

VISIT OUR 

WEBSITE TO 

VIEW MORE 

SHOWS! 

Box Office 01743 281 281 

Book Online www.theatresevern.co.uk 

Frankwell Quay, 

Shrewsbury, Shropshire, 

SY3 8FT 

MONDAY 2 - SATURDAY 7 JUNE 

SUNDAY 15 JUNE 

BEN NORRIS 

MR AMBIGUOUSNESS 

After a fantastic time supporting Ed 

Byrne on his national tour Ben Norris is 

hitting the road on his own 

"A wonderful disgrace of a 

human being" Daniel Kitson 

MONDAY 16 - FRIDAY 20 JUNE 

Comedy Theatre Company present 

CLASSIC ITV COMEDY 

From the producers of the stage 

versions of Victoria Wood's 

dinnerladies and Birds 

of a Feather. 

SATURDAY 21 JUNE 

THE BILLY 

FURY YEARS 

2014 commemorates over 30 years since 

the untimely passing of Billy Fury. However 

it is reassuring to know that his name and 

music is far from forgotten. THE BILLY FURY 

YEARS is quite simply 'The Ultimate Billy 

Fury show to ever hit the stage'. 

SATURDAY 28 JUNE 

A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF 

Michael Ball 

love changes 

everything 

Join Michael Courtney and his live band in this spectacular 

salute to the music of Michael Ball, brought to you 

by one of the UK’s finest singers. 


Theatre LISTINGS 

For full listing information on theatre 

productions, including times and 

dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 

HALFWAY TO PARADISE - 

THE BILLY FURY STORY 

Sat 14 June, Prince Of 


THE TRIALS OF OSCAR 

WILDE European Arts 

present a dramatisation 

of the libel and criminal 

trials of Oscar Wilde, 

Sat 14 June, Theatre 


MACBETH The Festival 

Players Theatre Company 


bloodiest play, 

Sat 14 June, mac-Midlands 

Arts Centre, Birmingham 

TREASURE ISLAND Rain 

Or Shine Productions 

present an outdoor version 

of Robert Louis 

Stevenson’s buccaneering 

adventure, Sat 

14 June, Kinlet Hall, 

Bewdley, Worcester 

RAINBOW OF DREAMS 

Charity event showcasing 

the wealth of talent 

on offer from Worcestershire's 

youth, Sat 14 

- Sun 15 June, The 

Swan Theatre, Worcester 

THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA 

ALBA Federico Garcia 

Lorca's Spanish drama, 

Sat 14 - Sat 21 June, 

Crescent Theatre, Birmingham 

AS YOU LIKE IT Shakespeare's 

popular comedy 

starring John Challis 

stars as Jaques while 

Eric Potts features as 

Touchstone, Sat 14 - 

Sun 22 June, Ludlow, 

South Shropshire 

MIDSUMMER MISCHIEF A 

festival of exciting new 

plays, performed in a 

purpose-built temporary 

studio on the current 

Courtyard Theatre 

stage, Sat 14 June - Sat 

12 July, The Courtyard, 


THE SOOTY SHOW Sun 

15 June, Regent Theatre, 


JACK AND THE 

BEANSTALK Lyngo Theatre 

present a giant of a 

show, adapted & performed 

by Patrick 

Lynch, Sun 15 June, 


Theatre 

OLD MACDONALD HAD A 

FARM Presented by 

People's Theatre Company, 

Sun 15 June, 


Theatre 

A SMALL FAMILY BUSI- 

NESS A National Theatre 

Live screening of 

Alan Ayckbourn’s 

riotous exposure of 

entrepreneurial greed, 

Sun 15 June, Roses 

Theatre, Tewkesbury 





narrative, played 

out through circus acts, 

dance and physical theatre 

sequences, Sun 15 

June, Walkers Heath 



The Handelbards present 

an innovative take 

on Shakespeare’s classic, 

Sun 15 June, The 


Avon 

JESUS CHRIST SUPER- 

STAR Amateur production 

by The Musical 

Theatre Production 

Company, Sun 15 

June, The Place, Oakengates 

Theatre, 

Telford 

PENN & TELLER An 

evening of classic 

magic tricks and niche 

comedy from the American 

duo, Sun 15 - Mon 



Week Commencing 

MON 16 JUN 

IMMORTAL CHI Fusion of 

jaw-dropping Chinese 

Martial Arts, multimedia 

images and an 

original musical score 

incorporating the Chinese 

Girl Drummers, 

Mon 16 June, Wolverhampton 

Grand Theatre 

RISING DAMP The Comedy 

Theatre Company 

present a stage adaptation 

of Eric Chappell's 

acclaimed ’70s sitcom, 

Mon 16 - Fri 20 June, 


Shrewsbury 

ARTHUR & GEORGE 

Adapted by David 

Edgar from the novel 

by Julian Barnes, Mon 

16 - Sat 21 June, Hall 

Green Little Theatre, 

Birmingham 

THE TAMING OF THE 

SHREW Shropshire 

Drama Company present 


timeless story of love, 

surprise and betrayal, 

Mon 16 - Sat 21 June, 

Church Green, Much 

Wenlock, South Shropshire 

THE LADYBOYS OF 

BANGKOK Tues 17 June, 


ACCRINGTON PALS Stoke 

Repertory Players present 

an amateur production 

of Peter Whelan's 

1982 play, Tues 17 - Sat 

21 June, Stoke Repertory 

Theatre 

3 SUMMERS The world 

premiere of Euan 

Rose’s musical, set in 

the psychedelic ’60s, 


Studio Theatre, Library 

of Birmingham 


QUER An amateur production 

of Oliver Goldsmith's 

popular comedy, 


June, Highbury Theatre 

Centre, Sutton Coldfield 

DESIGN FOR MURDER 

Psychological drama 

culminating in a tense, 

chilling climax with a 

bitter twist, Tues 17 - 


Grand Theatre 

CRAZY FOR YOU Amateur 


by Bromsgrove Operatic 

Society, Tues 17 - Sat 

21 June, Artrix, Bromsgrove 

A TASTE OF HONEY Hull 

Truck Theatre present 

Shelagh Delaney's 

touching tale of a 

young girl's journey into 

adulthood. Rebecca 

Ryan (Shameless & 

Waterloo Road) star, 



MOSES AND ARON Welsh 

National Opera present 

Sergio Morabito and 

Jossi Wiesler's highly 

charged production, 

Weds 18 June, Birmingham 

Hippodrome 


DREAM Presented by 

Oddsocks, Weds 18 

June, The Place, Oakengates 

Theatre, 

Telford 

THE EPIC ADVENTURE OF 

NHAMO Tiata Fahodzi in 

association with Watford 

Palace Theatre 

present Denton Chikura's 

madcap farce 

which turns storytelling 

on its head, Weds 18 - 

Sat 21 June, The REP, 

Birmingham 

THE BRIGHT AND BOLD 

DESIGN A production 

about art versus politics, 

presented in association 

with The 

Agency, Weds 18 - Sat 

21 June, Old Rep, 

Birmingham 

CARRIE'S WAR Apollo 

Theatre Company present 

a brand new staging 

of Nina Bawden's 

classic novel, Thurs 19 

- Fri 20 June, Lichfield 

Garrick 

THE FALL OF THE HOUSE 

OF USHER Welsh National 

Opera bring Edgar 

Allan Poe’s macabre 

tale to the operatic 

stage, Fri 20 June, 


WILDE WITHOUT THE BOY 

A dramatisation of De 

Profundis, Oscar 

Wilde’s letter to his 

lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, 

written from his 

prison cell in Reading 

jail, Fri 20 June, 


Theatre 

BRY0NY KIMMINGS: 

CREDIBLE LIKEABLE 

SUPERSTAR ROLE MODEL 

A tale of hopeless protection, 

blind fury, nineyear-old 

brains and taking 

on the world with 

your family, Fri 20 June, 

mac - Midlands Arts 


AROUND THE WORLD IN 

EIGHTY DAYS Fri 20 June 

- Sat 5 July, New Vic 

Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme 

THE SOOTY SHOW Sat 21 

June, New Alexandra 


AN AUDIENCE WITH DES 

O'CONNOR Sat 21 June, 


THE MERRY WIVES OF 

WINDSOR Greater Fool 

present an outdoor production 

of Shakespeare’s 

farcical comedy, 

Sat 21 June, The 


Avon 

FROM RAGS TO RICHES 

The RJ Academy of 

Singing & Dramatic Arts 

presents an evening of 

entertainment based 

around the theme of 

rich and poor, Sat 21 

June, Bedworth Civic 

Hall 

GANDINI JUGGLING: 

SMASHED Fusion of circus 

and theatre 

inspired by the work of 

Pina Bausch, Sat 21 


Arts Centre, B’ham 


MON 23 JUN 

SALLY MORGAN Mon 23 - 

Tues 24 June, Lichfield 

Garrick 

BUDDY - THE BUDDY 

HOLLY STORY Awardwinning 

musical, Mon 

23 - Sat 28 June, Birmingham 

Hippodrome 

THE RAPE OF LUCRECE 

Mon 23 June - Fri 4 

July, The Swan Theatre, 




present an 



tale, Tues 24 

June, Castle Bromwich 

Hotel, Solihull 

THE PIRATES OF PEN- 

ZANCE Presented by 

The Gilbert & Sullivan 

Opera Company, Tues 

24 - Weds 25 June, 


Theatre 

MACBETH Heartbreak 


outdoor version of 

Shakespeare's bloodiest 

play, Tues 24 - 

Weds 25 June, Jephson 


Spa 


QUER An amateur production 

of Oliver Goldsmith's 

popular comedy, 


June, Highbury Theatre 

Centre, Sutton Coldfield 

BLACKADDER All & 

Sundry present a stage 

version of the popular 

British sitcom, set during 

the Great War of 

1914 - 1918, Tues 24 - 

Sat 28 June, Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

BLOFELD AND BAXTER: 

MEMORIES OF TEST 

MATCH SPECIAL Weds 

25 June, mac - Midlands 


AN IMPROVISED MURDER 

Presented by Foghorn 

Improv, Thurs 26 June, 

Old Joint Stock Theatre, 

Birmingham 

MACBETH Shakespeare's 

Globe screening 

of Shakespeare's 

bloodiest play, Thurs 26 


THE ONLY WAY IS DOWN- 

TON Luke Kempner's 

parody of the muchloved 

period drama, 

Thurs 26 June, Roses 


IOLANTHE Presented by 

the Gilbert & Sullivan 

Opera Company, Thurs 

26 - Fri 27 June, 


Theatre 

CRAZY FOR YOU Amateur 


by the Coventry Musical 

Theatre Society, 



Coventry 

THE DUCHESS OF MALFI 


Old Rep, Birmingham 





play, Fri 27 June, 

Hartelbury Castle, Kidderminster 



present an 



tale, Fri 27 June, 

Merrie Lion, Fenny 

Compton, Warwickshire 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 

Amateur production 

presented by Reach 

Musical Theatre 

School, Fri 27 - Sat 28 

June, Arena Theatre, 

Wolverhampton 

THE SUPERHEROES A 

new piece of playful 

work fusing storytelling, 

song, music, dance, 

physical theatre and 

animation, Fri 27 - Sat 

28 June, mac - Midlands 



VENICE Open-air performance 

presented by 

Billie Shakespeare Travelling 

Co, Fri 27 - Sat 

28 June, St Andrews 

Church Gardens, 

Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire 

THE MIKADO Presented 

by the Gilbert & Sullivan 

Opera Company, 


Grand Theatre 

PEEP! Language Alive 

present theatre for children 

that revolves 

around Uncle's Story 

Shop, a place full of 

exciting objects which 

he uses to make storybags 

for his customers, 

Sat 28 June, The REP, 

Birmingham 

DETENTION! Stage 2 Performing 

Arts Academy 

present a classroom 

drama featuring classic 

songs, Sat 28 June, 


Shrewsbury 

BEHIND THE BLINDS Serrated 

Edge present a 

new show for persons 

aged fourteen-plus 

which weaves together 

lyrically witty and 

sophisticated songs to 

reveal what goes on 

behind the blinds on an 

ordinary-looking suburban 

street, Sat 28 June, 

Artrix, Bromsgrove 

PAISEYAN DI HERA PHERI 

Sat 28 June, The Drum, 

Birmingham 

JAMES AND THE GIANT 

PEACH Company Theatre 

School present 

Roald Dahl’s fruity tale, 

Sat 28 June, The Crescent 

Theatre, B‘ham 

INTO THE WOODS Musical 

weaving together 

the plots from several 

fairytales, Sat 28 - Sun 

29 June, The Place, 


Telford 

ROMEO AND JULIET 

Birdiedoes present an 

outdoor production of 

‘the greatest love story 

ever told’, Sat 28 - Sun 

29 June, The Dell, 




present an 



tale, Sat 28 - 

Sun 29 June, Norman 

Chamberlain Playing 

Fields, Shard End, 

Birmingham 

AT WAR WITH LOVE 

Oxford Actors Company 

present a selection 

of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, 

set against a 

backdrop of World War 

One, Sat 28 - Sun 29 

June, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon 





play, Sun 29 June, 

Shugborough Historic 

Working Estate, 

Stafford 

WE SALUTE YOU Music 

and laughter to celebrate 

Armed Forces 

Day, Sun 29 June, 


CIRCLES Rachel Delahay's 

vivid and powerful 

new play explores violent 

relationships, love, 

trust and friendship, 

Sun 29 June, Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

AS YOU LIKE IT Stafford 

Festival Shakespeare 

presents an outdoor 

production of one of 

Shakespeare's most 

popular musical comedies, 

Sun 29 June - Sat 

12 July, Stafford Castle 


MON 30 JUN 

20TH CENTURY BOY - THE 

MUSICAL Musical based 

on the life of Marc 

Bolan, with Warren Sollars 

leading the cast, 

Mon 30 June - Sat 5 

July, Wolverhampton 

Grand Theatre 

BLACK COFFEE Mon 30 

June - Sat 5 July, Theatre 


ANOTHER COUNTRY A 

Chichester Festival production 

of Julian 

Mitchell's thought-provoking 

drama, which 

follows a company of 

public schoolboys 

through a summer term 

in the early-1930s, Mon 

30 June - Sat 5 July, 


For full theatre listings in the West Midlands, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 35

Theatre REVIEWS 

Below are reviews of theatre 

productions we checked out last 

month. For further theatre reviews, visit 


Lord Of The Flies 


There comes with the work of Matthew Bourne a 

great expectation of extravagance and challenge - 

and a belief that any sign of classical ballet will be 

replaced with something completely unexpected. 

Bourne’s latest work, an adaptation of William 

Golding’s Lord Of The Flies, is partnered with the 

choreographer’s sister company, Re:Bourne, and 

is touring as part of a community-led project that 

aims to increase the popularity of dance among 

boys. And the show certainly does that, inspiring 

youngsters not only to dance but to do so in a professional 

dancing environment. 

There’s no doubt that the community boys featured 

in Lord Of The Flies play equally as large a part as 

the professionals - the show is a once-in-a-lifetime 

opportunity for the chosen twenty-two. 

The production itself is exactly what you’d expect 

from Bourne. The boys are not lost on an island 

but in an abandoned theatre; in this case, the 

Birmingham Hippodrome. The set is striking, offering 

the boys plenty of opportunity to climb, swing 

and run. Multiple entrances and exits are revealed 

throughout the course of the production. 

The piece starts on a high, utilising choreographed 

movement rather than dance to introduce the 

youngsters; the leaders, the bullies and the less 

confrontational. As the interval approaches, large 

choreographed sequences involving drumming 

and chanting convey the fact that things are starting 

to get out of hand. 

The second act steps up the violence and mob-like 

behaviour, both of which are evident in Golding’s 

story. The boys turn on each other and blood is 

shed. Finally, the large metal shutter opens and 

they leave one by one. 

Ballet technique shines through Bourne’s choreography 

- although by comparison with what one 

might expect, there’s a lack of dancing in the production. 

That said, Bourne’s attempt to foster a 

connection between boys and dance should be 

applauded. In so doing, the experience he has 

given the young men appearing in this show is 

priceless. Jamie Ryan ■ ■ ■ 

Protein Dance: Border Tales 

DanceXchange, The Patrick Centre, Birmingham 

Lucu Silvestrini’s Protein Dance Company here 

presented a glimpse of twenty-first century multicultural 

Britain, in the process addressing issues 

such as immigration and racism. The story was 

mainly told through the eyes of Stuart, a man 

caught up in stereotypes and hampered by a lack 

of knowledge about the world around him. 

Significantly, the show was performed in the 

round. This meant that audience members were 

facing one another, so could observe each other’s 

reactions to what was being said on stage, plenty 

of which made for uncomfortable listening given 

the contentious nature of the subject matter. If a 

performer said something that was racist yet 

funny, should you laugh? Should you smile? And 

what would the audience members sitting opposite 

conclude about you if you did? Talk about 

feeling self-concious with regard to one’s reactions! 

Comprising mainly spoken text, the narrative was 

supported by Silvestrini’s wonderful choreography, 

featuring beautiful solos, complex duets and 

plenty of group work. Jamie Ryan ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

Rock Of Ages 

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham 

After a very successful two-year run in the West End, Rock Of Ages is now out on its 

first UK tour, and last month stopped off in Birmingham. 

Set in a run-down bar called the Bourbon Room in a mid-to-late-1990s Los Angeles, 

the boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl story unfolds against a rocking soundtrack that 

includes REO Speedwagon, Bon Jovi and Slade. 

Drew, played by Noel Sullivan (formerly of pop group Hear’Say), works at the Bourbon 

Room. He writes rock songs, dreams of fame and fortune - but mostly spends his time 

putting out the rubbish. Farm girl Sherrie, played by Cordelia Farnworth, arrives in the 

city and, with Drew’s assistance, gets a job at the bar. But the course of true love 

never runs smooth, and life becomes really complicated for Drew and Sherrie when 

drug-fuelled rock god Stacee Jaxx, played by Ben Richards, returns to play at the bar 

when it’s threatened with closure... 

The music throughout the show is extremely loud, as befits a rocking world. Cordelia’s 

voice is lost on the big tracks but beautiful when singing More Than Words, and there 

are some great vocals from both Noel and Ben. The production is very tongue-incheek, 

with some of the performances self-conscious to the point of bordering on 

hammy. It’s a show that craves audience participation, but which sometimes seems 

more of a rock concert than a musical. 

Genuinely funny moments are provided by Stephen Rahman-Hughes, who plays show 

narrator Lonny, and Daniel Fletcher as Dennis Dupree, the rock-hippie proprietor of the 

Theatre Box Office 

Birmingham 

ALEXANDRA THEATRE 

0844 871 3011 

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME 

0844 338 5000 

BIRMINGHAM REP 

0121 236 4455 

THE BLUE ORANGE THEATRE 

0121 212 2643 

CRESCENT THEATRE 

0121 643 5858 

DOVEHOUSE THEATRE 

0121 706 7139 

THE DRUM 0121 333 2444 

HALL GREEN LITTLE THEATRE 

0121 707 1874 

MAC 0121 446 3232 

MIXING BOWL THEATRE 

0121 224 7545 

OLD JOINT STOCK THEATRE 

0121 200 0946 

OLD REP 0121 245 4455 


0121 704 6962 

Black Country 

ARENA THEATRE 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

01902 321321 

BLOXWICH THEATRE 

01922 653183 


01384 812812 

FOREST ARTS CENTRE, WALSALL 

01922 654555 

GRAND THEATRE, 

01902 429212 

NEWHAMPTON ARTS CENTRE 

01902 572090 

OLDBURY REP, OLDBURY 

0121 552 2761 

Shropshire 

THE BELFREY, WELLINGTON 

01952 222277 

THE EDGE, MUCH WENLOCK 

01952 728911 


01743 234970 


ROOMS 01584 878141 

THE PLACE, OAKENGATES, TELFORD 

01952 382382 

THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY 

01743 281281 

WEM TOWN HALL 

01939 232299 

Staffordshire 

LICHFIELD GARRICK 

01543 412121 

NEW VIC 01782 717962 

PRINCE OF WALES 

CENTRE, CANNOCK 

01543 578762 

REGENT THEATRE, STOKE 

0870 060 6649 

RUGELEY ROSE THEATRE 

01889 584036 


01785 254653 

STOKE REPERTORY THEATRE 

01782 209784 

Warwickshire 

BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL 

024 7637 6707 

BELGRADE THEATRE, COVENTRY 

024 7655 3055 

BRIDGE HOUSE THEATRE, WARWICK 

01926 776438 

THE DREAM FACTORY 

01926 419555 

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE 

THEATRE, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON 

0844 800 1110 

ROYAL SPA CENTRE 

LEAMINGTON 01926 334418 

WARWICK ARTS CENTRE, COVENTRY 

02476 524524 


ARTRIX ARTS CENTRE, 

BROMSGROVE 01527 577330 

THE HIVE 

01905 822866 

HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER 

01905 611427 


01684 892277 

NORBURY THEATRE, DROITWICH 

01905 770154 

PALACE THEATRE 

REDDITCH 01527 65203 

ROSE THEATRE, 

01562 743745 

SWAN THEATRE, 

WORCESTER 01905 611427 


Theatre WEST END 

Jeeves role for John Gordon Sinclair 

Olivier Award-winning actor John Gordon Sinclair, best known 

from the 1981 film Gregory’s Girl, is to take over the role of dutiful 

valet Jeeves in Sean Foley’s Perfect Nonsense. Sinclair will join 

the cast at the end of June, along with James Lance (Smack The 

Pony, Teachers, I’m Alan Partridge), who’ll play the bumbling 

Bertie Wooster. Previous actors to have enjoyed great acclaim in 

the award-winning comedy include Stephen Mangan, Matthew 

Macfadyn and, more recently, Robert Webb and Mark Heap. 

Perfect Nonsense is currently booking at Duke of York’s Theatre 

until 20 September, after which it embarks on a UK tour. 

Gina McKee in Shakespeare’s history play 

Gina McKee is to join Martin Freeman in the much-anticipated production 

of Richard III when it opens at Trafalgar Studios next 

month. Best known for her roles in Notting Hill and Our Friends In 

The North, McKee will play Queen Elizabeth 

opposite Freeman’s Duke of Gloucester 

in Shakespeare’s bloodthirsty history 

play. The production’s director, Jamie 

Lloyd, is widely regarded as one of the 

UK’s hottest talents. Lighting design for the 

show is by Charles Balfour, set design by 

the award-winning Soutra Gilmour. 

Richard III shows at Trafalgar Studios Theatre 

from 1 July to 27 September. 

WEST END LISTINGS: 

MUSICALS 

BILLY ELLIOT – 

THE MUSICAL 

Victoria Palace Theatre, 

booking until 16 May 

2015 

BODYGUARD Adelphi 

Theatre, booking until 

30 Aug 2014 

BOOK OF MORMON 

Prince Of Wales Theatre, 

booking until 30 

Aug 2014 

CHARLIE AND THE 

CHOCOLATE FACTORY - 

THE MUSICAL 

Drury Lane Royal, 


2015 

COMMITMENTS 

Victoria Palace Theatre, 

booking until 19 Apr 

2015 

DIRTY ROTTEN 

SCOUNDRELS 

Savoy Theatre, booking 

until 29 Nov 2014 

JERSEY BOYS 

Piccadilly Theatre, 

booking until 15 Feb 

2015 

LES MISÉRABLES 

Queen's Theatre, booking 

until 25 Apr 2015 

LION KING 

Lyceum Theatre, booking 

until 28 Sept 2014 

MADE IN DAGENHAM -THE 

MUSICAL Adelphi Theatre, 

9 Oct 2014 - 28 

Mar 2015 

MAMMA MIA! Novello 


25 Apr 2015 

MATILDA THE MUSICAL 

Cambridge Theatre, 


2015 

MEMPHIS THE MUSICAL 

Shaftesbury Theatre, 9 

Oct 2014 - 28 Mar 2015 

MISS SAIGON Prince 

Edward Theatre,now 

booking until 25 Oct 

2014 

ONCE Phoenix Theatre, 

booking until 4 July 

2015 

PAJAMA GAME 

Shaftesbury Theatre, 

now booking until 13 

Sep 2014 

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 

Her Majesty's Theatre, 


2015 

PORGY AND BESS 

Open Air Theatre, 

Regents Park, 17 Jul - 

23 Aug 2014 

STOMP 

Ambassadors Theatre, 

booking until 21 Dec 

2014 

THRILLER LIVE 

Lyric Theatre, booking 

until 19 Apr 2015 

WICKED 

Apollo Victoria Theatre, 


2015 

DRAMA 

1984 Playhouse Theatre, 


Jul 2014 

ANTONY & CLEOPATRA 

Shakespeare’s Globe 


24 Aug 2014 

BAKERSFIELD MIST- 

Duchess Theatre, booking 

until 30 Aug 2014 

BRING UP THE BODIES 

Aldwych Theatre, booking 

until 6 Sept 2014 

DOCTOR SCROGGY’S WAR 

Shakespeare’s Globe 

Theatre, 12 Sept - 10 

Oct 2014 

FATAL ATTRACTION 

Haymarket Theatre 

Royal, booking until 21 

Jun 2014 

GHOST STORIES 

Arts Theatre, booking 

until 17 Aug 2014 

GOLEM Young Vic 


17 Jan 2015 

HANDBAGGED 

Vaudeville Theatre, 3 

Apr - 2 Aug 2014 

KING LEAR Olivier 

National Theatre, booking 

until 28 May 2014 

OTHER DESERT CITIES 

Old Vic Theatre, booking 

until 24 May 2014 

COMEDY 

39 STEPS Criterion Theatre, 


Oct 2014 

CONFESSIONS OF 

GORDON BROWN Ambassadors 

Theatre, booking 

until 30 July 2014 

RELATIVE VALUES Harold 

Pinter Theatre, booking 

until 21 jun 2014 

TWELFTH KNIGHT 

RE-IMAGINED Open Air 

Theatre, Regent’s Park, 

21 Jun - 12 July 2014 

Extended booking for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 

Jerry Mitchell’s musical adaptation of the movie Dirty Rotten 

Scoundrels has extended its booking period until March 2015. 

The all-star production features Robert Lindsay in the lead, as 

sophisticated conman Lawrence Jameson, and comedian/actor 

Rufus Hound as the larger-than-life Freddy Benson. Based on the 

book by Jeffrey Lane, the story follows the escapades of Jameson 

and Benson as they pursue the affections of millionaire soap 

heiress Christine Colgate, played by Katherine Kingsley. 


Dance 

Flash Mob 

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Thurs 19 June; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 27 June 

Flash Mob is the latest celebrity-driven dance show to grace venues across the UK. Described as celebrating ‘the various emotions that dance 

can bring to an audience’, the show promises to provide an exhilarating night out for all ages, with performances in Latin, locking, Celtic, contemporary, 

jazz and jump-jive all taking their place on the evening’s agenda. Headlined by Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing), the production 

features performances from World Street Dance champions Flawless (pictured), the Olivier-nominated Tommy Franzen (from BBC’s So 

You Think You Can Dance), contemporary duo Alleviate, and Irish fusion duo Brosena (from Sky One’s Got To Dance). 

Birmingham Royal Ballet 

Birmingham Hippodrome, 

Wed 11 - Sun 15 June 

Frederick Ashton’s ever-popular La 

Fille mal gardée, a choreographed 

exploration of rural life, forms one half 

of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s 

Hippodrome offering this month. A firm 

family favourite, the simple and engaging 

story tells of Lise and her mother’s 

attempts to find her a wealthy suitor. 

Described by the Daily Telegraph as 

being ‘as finely wrought an English 

comedy as My Fair Lady or The 

Importance Of Being Earnest’, 

Ashton’s 1960s creation is here programmed 

alongside a triple-bill of his 

earlier works. Darkness And Light (4 to 

7 June) comprises: Les Rendezvous - 

Ashton’s first major ballet for the then- 

Vic-Wells Ballet; Dante Sonata - a simple 

and poignant piece created at the 

height of World War One; and Facade - 

a work of wit based on Edith Sitwell’s 

nonsensical poetry. 

Sonia Sabri Company: Labyrinth 

Glasshouse Arts Centre, Stourbridge, Fri 6 June 

A work of opposites, Labyrinth is a collaboration 

between dance artists Sonia Sabri and Ash 

Mukherjee. Originally inspired by Woody Allen’s 

Death Knocks - a one-act play which formed part of 

Woody’s famous stand-up routine - Labyrinth fuses 

Kathak and Bharatanatyam dance styles through 

solos and duets which take the audience on a journey 

between the classical and contemporary worlds. 

Live music, performed by Sarvar Sabri (SSC Musical 

Director), Shoma Dey and Dan Nicholls, accompanies 

the performance. 


Dance LISTINGS 

For full listing information on dance, 

including times and dates, visit 


DARKNESS AND LIGHT 

Birmingham Royal 

Ballet presents three 

early works from the 

founder choreographer 

of the Royal Ballet 

Companies - master of 

the art form, Frederick 

Ashton, Wed 4 - Sat 7 


Hippodrome 

KARLA SHACKLOCK 

DANCE COMPANY 

Double-bill of works 

including The 

Buttercup - a powerful 

story about hope - and 

The Crutch, an intense 

Beauty And The Beast - Ballet Cymru, 


piece exploring the 

relationship between 

two beings, Wed 4 


Shrewsbury 

A MAGICAL EVENING OF 

DANCE From 

Tewkesbury School & 

Amy Bastin Dance, 

Thurs 5 June, The 


Tewkesbury 

SONIA SABRI COMPANY: 

LABYRINTH Renowned 

Indian classical dancer 

& choreographer Ash 

Mukherjee performs 

with the Sonia Sabri 

Company in a work 

which fuses elements 

of Indian & British culture, 

music, words & 

movement vocabulary, 

Fri 6 June, The 

Glasshouse Arts 

Centre, Stourbridge 

DANCE TO THE MOON 

Showcase of work from 

Happy Steps Dancers, 

raising funds for Acorns 

Children's Hospice, Fri 

6 - Sun 8 June, The 

Swan Theatre 

Worcester 

STREET DANCE TELFORD 

Sun 8 June, The Place, 


Telford 

LA FILLE MAL GARDEE 

Birmingham Royal 

Ballet presents 

Frederick Ashton's choreographed 

exploration 

of rural bliss, Wed 11 - 

Sun 15 June, 

Birmingham 

Hippodrome 


Ballet Cymru present a 

sparkling and refreshing 

ballet based on the 

eternal fairytale, Thurs 

12 June, The Roses 


AN EVENING WITH STARS 

FROM STRICTLY COME 

DANCING Starring Pasha 

Kovalev & Katya 

Virshilas, Sat 14 June, 


Coventry 

RED CROSS DANCE: MAKE 

YOUR MOVE 

COMPETITION The UK’s 

largest charity dance 

competition, Sun 15 


Arts Centre, 

Birmingham 

CONSTELLATIONS Dance, 

puppetry and digital 

visuals are brought 

together in this choreographed 

performance 

suitable for children 

and their families, Tues 

17 June, The Roses 


JALEO FLAMENCO 

Andalusian dance, 

song and guitar, Wed 

18 June, Lichfield 

Garrick 

FLASH MOB Dance 

worlds collide in this 

new show, presenting a 

fusion of different 

dance genres, Thurs 19 

June, Regent Theatre, 



Ballet Cymru present a 

sparkling and refreshing 

ballet based on the 

eternal fairytale, Wed 

25 June, New Vic 

Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme 

AN EVENING WITH STARS 

FROM STRICTLY COME 

DANCING Starring Pasha 

Kovalev & Katya 

Virshilas, Fri 27 June, 

Prince Of Wales Centre, 

Cannock 

FLASH MOB Dance 

worlds collide in this 

new show, featuring a 

fusion of different 

dance genres, Fri 27 

June, New Alexandra 


Jaleo Flamenco, Lichfield Garrick 

Dance Box Office 

ARENA THEATRE, 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

01902 321321 


01527 577330 

BIRMINGHAM 

HIPPODROME 

0844 338 5000 

DOVEHOUSE THEATRE 

0121 706 7139 

LICHFIELD GARRICK 

01543 412121 


ROOMS, SHROPSHIRE 

01584 873229 

MAC, BIRMINGHAM 

0121 446 3232 

NEW ALEXANDRA THEATRE, 

BIRMINGHAM 

0121 230 9082 

ROYAL SPA CENTRE, 

LEAMINGTON SPA 

01926 334418 


0121 704 6962 


THEATRE 

01785 254653 


SHREWSBURY 

01743 281281 

WARWICK ARTS CENTRE, 

COVENTRY 

02476 524524 

For full dance listings, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 39

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Film 

TO 

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

From 

FRI 20 

JUNE 

Jersey Boys CERT 15 (134mins) 

Starring John Lloyd Young, Erich Bergen, Michael Lamenda, Vincent Piazza, Christopher Walken 

Directed by Clint Eastwood (USA) 

Before The Beatles, the most popular rock band of all time was The Four Seasons. With number one hits 

like Sherry, Big Boys Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man and Rag Doll, the group racked up sales of an estimated 

one hundred million records worldwide. The Broadway musical that chronicled their amazing career went on 

to win four Tony awards and, in London, ensnared the Olivier for best new musical. Now Clint Eastwood, at 

a sprightly eighty-four years of age, has brought the musical to the big screen. Eastwood, while best known 

for Westerns and .44 Magnums, is a musical aficionado, having composed the scores for eight of his own 

films and originally intended to be a musician and not an actor (he still loves playing the piano). So, this 

could be a match made in Heaven. 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

TOP 5 

FILM BOX OFFICE 

Godzilla (12a) 

Bad Neighbors (15) 

The Amazing 

Spider-Man 2 (12a) 

The Two Faces 

Of January (12a) 

The Other Woman (12a) 

From 

THU 19 

JUNE 

The Fault In Our Stars CERT 12a (126mins) 

Starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Willem Dafoe Directed by Josh Boone (USA) 

Josh Boone made his directorial debut with last year’s sassy and touching Stuck In Love, so let’s hope this 

is as good. Based on John Green’s critically acclaimed novel of 2012, it tells the story of a witty, unconventional 

young man and woman who fall in love at a cancer support group. The buzz is building, helped by the 

film’s audience-friendly soundtrack, with acts like Ed Sheeran, Birdy and Jake Bugg on board. Filmed in 

Pittsburgh and Amsterdam. 

Godzilla 


FilmNEW RELEASES 

Released from Fri 6 June 

Grace Of Monaco CERT PG (103mins) 

Starring Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, Frank 

Langella, Parker Posey, Milo Ventimiglia, 

Derek Jacobi, Paz Vega, Robert Lindsay 

Directed by Olivier Dahan 

(USA/Monaco/France/Belgium/Italy) 

Olivier Dahan’s biopic (slated at Cannes) deals 

with the marital crisis of the former Grace Kelly, 

who went from Hollywood royalty to bona fide 

European sovereignty. Tim Roth, a fine actor, 

seems an odd choice to play Prince Rainier III, 

but then Dahan did help to earn Marion 

Cotillard an Oscar for playing Edith Piaf (in La 

Vie En Rose). 

From 

FRI 13 

JUNE 

22 Jump Street CERT tbc 

Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice 

Cube, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman 

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller (USA) 

21 Jump Street, the film of the 1987-1991 TV 

series, was crass, crude and hugely successful. 

To be fair, Hill and Tatum worked up an engaging 

chemistry and this time they pair up as coproducers. 

The twist 

now is that the overgrown 

kids-cum-cops 

are put on a mission 

to infiltrate college. 

Expect a cameo from 

Brad Pitt. 

Belle CERT 12a (104mins) 

Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tom Wilkinson, 

Miranda Richardson, Penelope Wilton, 

Matthew Goode, Emily Watson 

Directed by Amma Asante (UK) 

Based on true events, this is the story of 

Dido Elizabeth Belle (Mbatha-Raw), a former 

slave who is brought up by her great 

uncle. What is surprising is that Dido is 

mixed race and her uncle was the 1st Earl 

of Mansfield, William Murray (Wilkinson). 

Consequently, Dido is raised as an aristocrat. 

Mbatha-Raw herself was born in 

Oxford and made her film debut opposite 

Tom Hanks in Larry Crowne (2011). 

For full film listings, 

showings 

and booking links 

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk 

View the latest trailers on line 


Fruitvale Station CERT 15 (85mins) 

Starring Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Diaz, 

Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, Chad 

Michael Murray 

Directed by Ryan Coogler (USA) 

Oscar Julius Grant III is not presented as an 

honest man. In fact, he’s a fairly typical product 

of his environment: an ex-con, petty drug dealer, 

doting father and loving son, a streetwise 

African-American brother from Oakland, 

California, who is finding it hard to hold down a 

job. As played by Michael B Jordan, he’s also 

quite a charismatic character with an engaging 

smile - if an occasionally incendiary temper. 

You just don’t dis his mother or his girlfriend… 

Although based on a true incident that 

occurred in the early hours of New Year’s Day 

in 2009, Fruitvale Station is actually a fairly 

leisurely docudrama, a slice-of-life piece focusing 

on a certain corner of America today. What 

makes the film so compelling, though, is 

Jordan’s performance and the authentic voice 

of its debutant director, Ryan Coogler. Coogler 

has managed to pinpoint the dynamic of his 

subject matter with an honesty and integrity 

that draws the viewer into his world, making its 

outcome all the more affecting. 

From 

FRI 

13JUNE 


A Perfect Plan CERT tbc 

Starring Diane Kruger, Dany Boon, Alice Pol, 

Robert Plagnol 

Directed by Pascal Chaumeil (France) 

Isabelle’s family has a very unusual curse: the 

first marriage of every female ends in divorce. 

So, although Isabelle (Kruger) adores her 

boyfriend, Pierre, she 

decides to sidestep 

the jinx by marrying a 

complete stranger 

first… This is the sort 

of French romcom 

that looks as if it were 

made to produce a 

Hollywood remake. 

Watch this space. 

Devil’s Knot CERT 15 (114 mins) 

Starring Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, 

Dane DeHaan, Mireille Enos, Bruce 

Greenwood, Elias Koteas, Alessandro Nivola 

Directed by Atom Egoyan (USA) 

Based on the book by Mara Leveritt, this is the 

true story of three eight-year-old boys who went 

missing in 1993 in 

West Memphis. In the 

event, the boys’ 

naked bodies were 

found horrifically 

beaten and sexually 

mutilated. Colin Firth 

plays the private 

investigator on the 

case. 

Oculus CERT 15 (103mins) 

Starring Karen Gillan, Brenton Thwaites, Rory 

Cochrane, Katee Sackhoff 

Directed by Mike Flanagan (USA) 

Karen Gillan - Amy Pond in Doctor Who - 

makes her American film debut in this slice of 

supernatural horror. She plays Kaylie Russell, 

whose brother is convicted of murdering their 

own father. But Kaylie suspects the killer was 

something entirely less human… These things 

happen. 

The Food Guide To Love CERT tbc 

Starring Richard Coyle, Leonor Watling, 

Lorcan Cranitch, Bronagh Gallagher 

Directed by Dominic Harari and Teresa de 

Pelegri (Spain/Ireland/France) 

The cinema is littered with great films about 

food, not least Babette's Feast, Ratatouille and 

Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman. This romantic 

comedy about a food critic (Coyle) who uses 

his recipes to win the hearts (and bodies) of 

women, looks like a cordon bleu addition to the 

genre. Filmed in Dublin. 

The Young And Prodigious 

T.S. Spivet CERT tbc 

Starring Kyle Catlett, Helena Bonham 

Carter, Judy Davis, Callum Keith Rennie, 

Niamh Wilson Directed by Jean-Pierre 

Jeunet (France/Canada) 

With the films Delicatessen, The City of Lost 

Children, Amélie and Micmacs, Jean-Pierre 

Jeunet has proved to be one of the most 

inventive of modern filmmakers. Here, he 

journeys to Montana to tell the story of a tenyear-old 

cartographer who sets across country 

to receive a prize at the Smithsonian 

Institute for his discovery of a perpetual 

motion machine. Expect vivid characters and 

lashings of charm. In 3D. 


Chinese Puzzle CERT 15 (117mins) 

Starring Romain Duris, Audrey Tautou, Cécile 

De France, Kelly Reilly, Sandrine Holt 

Directed by Cédric Klapisch (France) 

When the mother of his two children moves 

from Paris to New York, Xavier Rousseau 

(Duris) can’t bear to be away from them. So he 

moves to New York, too. What’s not to like? 

Duris is arguably the most charismatic actor 

working in France today, and 

Mlles Tautou, De France and 

Reilly are not to be sniffed at 

either. This completes the 

romantic trilogy that started 

with Pot Luck (2002) and 

Russian Dolls (2005). 

The Art Of The Steal CERT 15 (86mins) 

Starring Kurt Russell, Jay Baruchel, Katheryn 

Winnick, Chris Diamantopoulos, Terence 

Stamp, Matt Dillon 

Directed by Jonathan Sobol (Canada) 

We’re back in the world of art heists, and Kurt 

Russell plays an art thief called Crunch 

Calhoun (no, seriously). After seven years in 

prison he rounds up his old gang for one last 

heist. Is it just us, or does this sound wildly 

familiar? 


3 Days To Kill CERT 12a (117mins) 

Starring Kevin Costner, Amber Heard, Hailee 

Steinfeld, Connie Nielsen, Richard Sammel 

Directed by McG (USA/France) 

As CIA agent Ethan Renner, Kevin Costner is 

running out of time. But before he dies, he 

wants to re-connect with his daughter 

(Steinfeld) from whom he is estranged. Then 

Renner is offered an experimental drug by a 

CIA assassin (Heard), which would help to 

extend his life - albeit at a cost… Amber Heard, 

incidentally, is engaged to Johnny Depp in real 

life. 


Chef CERT 15 (114mins) 

Starring Jon Favreau, Sofía Vergara, John 

Leguizamo, Scarlett Johansson, Oliver Platt, 

Bobby Cannavale, Dustin Hoffman, Robert 

Downey Jr Directed by Jon Favreau (USA) 

More humour and food this month (see the 13 

June release The Food Guide To Love), this 

time from Jon Favreau. Before Favreau went on 

to direct Elf, Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens, 

he made the small, wryly amusing and character-driven 

Made (2001). He now returns to this 

more intimate scenario with this story of a disgraced 

chef (Favreau himself) who starts up his 

own business running an eatery on wheels. 

Camille Claudel 1915 CERT tbc 

Starring Juliette Binoche, Jean-Luc Vincent, 

Robert Leroy, Marion Keller 

Directed by Bruno Dumont (France) 

To this day, there is considerable ambiguity surrounding 

the mental health of the celebrated 

sculptor Camille Claudel. Still best known for 

being the student and lover of Rodin, Camille 

was sectioned by her brother, the poet Paul 

Claudel, in 1913. A year later she was transferred 

to the Montdevergues Asylum in the 

South of France. The French filmmaker Bruno 

Dumont specialises in ambiguity, allowing his 

landscapes and the faces of his actors to provide 

any narrative insight. His coup here is to 

cast Juliette Binoche, an actress who not only 

has a wonderful face but a ferocious intelligence. 

In contrast to the other inmates, her 

Camille is a model of composure, a cultured 

woman naturally disturbed by her incarceration 

- and by the outbursts of her fellow inmates. As 

such, Dumont’s film is an uncomfortable 

tragedy that allows the audience to make up its 

own mind as to the rationale of Camille’s internment. 

An austere and minimalist piece, it is likely 

to alienate the casual viewer, but its currents 

run deep. 

Third Person CERT tbc 

Starring Liam Neeson, Mila Kunis, Adrien 

Brody, Olivia Wilde, James Franco, Maria 

Bello, Kim Basinger Directed by Paul Haggis 

(UK/USA/Germany/Belgium) 

Paul Haggis, who wrote and directed the 

Oscar-winning Crash (2004), is good at the 

multi-narrative. Here, he interweaves three 

love stories set in Paris, New York and Rome. 

From 

FRI 27 

JUNE 

Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie 

CERT tbc 

Starring Brendan O'Carroll, Eilish O'Carroll, 

Nick Nevern, Paddy Houlihan 

Directed by Ben Kellett (Ireland/UK) 

Since the phenomenal success of The 

Inbetweeners Movie, there’s nothing to stop 

the flood of smutty TV series to the big 

screen. This one is a spin-off of Mrs Brown’s 

Boys, in which the Irish writer and comedian 

Brendan O'Carroll played Agnes Brown, 

based on his own books and radio show. 

Here, Mrs Brown’s fruit & veg stall is threatened 

by developers, so she enlists the help 

of a troupe of blind Ninja assassins and a 

barrister with Tourette’s Syndrome. 

Incidentally, O’Carroll’s Agnes Brown [sic] 

was previously played on screen by Anjelica 

Huston. You couldn’t make it up. 

Cold In July CERT tbc 

Starring Michael C. Hall, Sam Shepard, Don 

Johnson, Vinessa Shaw, Nick Damici 

Directed by Jim Mickle (USA) 

With actors like Sam Shepard and Don 

Johnson on board, you sort of know what to 

expect. Set in East Texas in the 1980s, Jim 

Mickle’s crime drama - based on the novel by 

Joe R Lansdale - is 

the story of a man 

blighted by an accidental 

killing. 

Michael C Hall plays 

the latter, an actor 

forever associated 

with the role of the 

serial killer Dexter 

Morgan on TV. But 

now he may not be 

quite so cold-blooded… 


FilmA-Z LISTINGS 

All films are currently on general release 

unless otherwise stated. For full listing 

information, including times and dates, 


12 Years A Slave 15 

Based on the autobiography 

of Soloman Northup, 

who was kidnapped and 

sold into slavery in 1841. 

Chiwetel Ejiofor and 

Michael Fassbender star. 

Showing at Foxlowe Arts 

Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 

10 June, Hereford 

Courtyard Theatre, Sun 15 

June 

Beyond The Edge PG 

Docudrama charting 

Edmund Hilary's historical 

ascent of Mount Everest 

in 1953. Combining 

reconstructions, found 

footage, photographs and 

interviews. Stars Chad 

Moffitt, Sonam Sherpa, 

John Wraight, John Hurt. 

Showing at The Light 

House Media Centre, 

Wolverhampton, Mon 2 - 

Weds 4 June 

Blue Is The Warmest 

Colour 18 

At fifteen years old, Adele 

doesn't question it: girls 

go out with boys. Her 

life is changed forever 

when she meets 

Emma, a young 

woman with blue 

hair who will allow 

her to discover 

desire; to assert 

herself as a woman 

and as an adult. 

Stars Léa Seydoux, 

Adèle Exarchopoulos. 

Showing at The Edge Arts 

Centre, Much Wenlock, 

Mon 2 June 

The Book Thief 12a 

A young girl sent to live 

with a foster family in 

World War Two Germany 

learns to read, with 

encouragement from 

Max, a Jewish refugee 

who they’re hiding under 

the stairs. Showing at 

Warwick Arts Centre, Sun 

1 & Weds 11 June 

The Butler 12a 

Loosely based on real 

events, The Butler in 

question works at the 

White House, and it’s 

through his eyes that we 

see many of the major 

historical episodes of the 

twentieth century. 



Mon 9 June 

Calvary 15 

Brendan Gleeson plays a 

priest - a good one, to 

boot - who is constantly 

disappointed by the 

small-mindedness of his 

flock. He’s then threatened 

during a routine 

confession and finds that 

he must combat a very 

real evil head-on. Also 

stars Chris O’Dowd. 

Showing at Artrix, 

Bromsgrove, until Sun 1 

June; Old Market Hall, 

Shrewsbury, Mon 2 - 

Thurs 5 June; Ludlow 

Assembly Rooms, South 

Shropshire, Fri 6 & Mon 9 

June; Warwick Arts 

Centre, Coventry, Fri 6 - 

Mon 9 June; Hereford 

Courtyard Theatre, Tues 

10 - Weds 11 June; Roses 

Theatre, Tewkesbury, Sun 

22 June 

WATCH 

THE FILM 

TRAILERS AT 


Divergent 12a 

A futuristic Chicago in 

which the populace are 

divided into five distinct 

classes of personality, or 

‘virtues’. But Beatrice 'Tris' 

Prior is a ‘divergent’, 

which means she’s without 

an official virtue - 

which makes her very 

dangerous. But why, she 

wonders? Stars Shailene 

Woodley. Showing at 


Tewkesbury, until Thurs 1 

June 

The Double 15 

Based on the novella by 

Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The 

Double stars Jesse 

Eisenberg as a man gradually 

driven nuts when he 

realises that his life has 

been taken over by his 

double. Showing at 

Hereford Courtyard 

Theatre, Fri 13 - Tues 17 

June; Old Market Hall, 

Shrewsbury, Fri 13 - Tues 

19 June 

East Of Eden PG 

Cal is continuously at war 

with his brother Aron, with 

whom he competes for 

his father’s affection. 

Things come to a head 

when Cal not only falls for 

his brother’s girlfriend but 

also finds out the truth 

about his and Aron’s 

estranged mother. Stars 

James Dean, Raymond 

Massey. Showing at 


Weds 18 - Thurs 19 June 

Eat Drink Man Woman 

PG 

Mr Chu is a widower and 

a master Chinese chef. 

Each Sunday he makes a 

glorious banquet for his 

three daughters, to which 

each daughter brings 

‘announcements’ as they 

negotiate the transition 

from the ‘father knows 

best’ tradition to a new tradition 

which encompasses 

old values in new 

forms. Directed by Ang 

Lee. Showing at The Hive, 

Shrewsbury, Fri 27 June 

Fading Gigolo 15 

A comedy drama about 

a couple of friends who 

set up a gigolo business 

to help the lonely 

women of New York. 

Stars Woody Allen, 

John Turturro. Showing 

at The Light House Media 

Centre, Wolverhampton, 

until Thurs 5 June; 


Coventry, Fri 20 - Sun 22 & 

Weds 25 June 

A Farewell To Arms PG 

A tale of the love between 

ambulance driver Lt 

Henry and Nurse 

Catherine Barkley during 

World War One. The 

action takes place in Italy, 

the two falling in love during 

the war and stopping 

at nothing to be together. 

Stars Gary Cooper, Helen 

Hayes. Showing at 

Malvern Theatres, Thurs 5 


Centre, Fri 6 & Sun 8 June 

Frank 15 

Frank is the lead singer of 

a band called Soronprfbs 

[sic], who wears a large 

papier-mâché mask, not 

only when he performs, 

but when he sleeps and 

showers, too. Jon 

Burroughs is the wannabe 

musician who joins the 

band when they move to 

Ireland to cut an album. 

Stars Michael Fassbender, 

Domhnall Gleeson. 

Showing at Warwick Arts 

Centre, Coventry, Mon 9 - 

Thurs 12 June 

Frozen PG 

Loosely based on Hans 

Christian Andersen’s The 

Snow Queen, in which the 

kingdom of Arendelle is 

turned into an eternal winter 

by the Princess Elsa. 

Showing at Hereford 

Courtyard Theatre, until 

Sun 1 June 

Gentlemen Prefer 

Blondes U 

Two singers, best friends 

Lorelei Lee and Dorothy 

Shaw, travel to Paris, pursued 

by a private detective 

hired by Lorelei’s 

fiancé’s disapproving 

father to keep an eye on 

her, a rich, enamoured old 

man and many other doting 

admirers. Stars Jane 

Russell, Marilyn Monroe. 

Showing at The Light 

House Media Centre, 

Wolverhampton, Sun 8 

June 

Half A Yellow Sun 15 

The film adaptation of 

Chimamanda Ngozi 

Adichie's Orange Prizewinning 

novel, set during 

the Nigerian-Biafran War 

of 1967-1970. Stars 

Thandie Newton, Chiwetel 

Ejiofor. Showing at Ludlow 


Shropshire, Tues 3 - Weds 

4 June; Roses Theatre, 

Tewkesbury, Weds 4 - Sun 

8 June 

Ilo Ilo 12a 

A Philippino nanny arrives 

in Singapore from Ilo Ilo to 

look after Jiale, a spoilt 

and difficult ten-year-old 

boy. The boy tries his best 

to get rid of her, but she 

patiently perseveres, and 

a touching bond develops 

between them. But how 

will his mother react? And 

meanwhile, what exactly is 

his father up to? Showing 

at Warwick Arts Centre, 

Coventry, Mon 2 - Thurs 5 

June; Roses Theatre, 

Tewkesbury, Mon 23 June; 

Ludlow Assembly Rooms, 

South Shropshire, Mon 23 

& Weds 25 June 

Inside Llewyn Davis 15 

Set in Greenwich Village, 

New York, in 1961, and 

loosely based on the 

memoir of folk singer 

Dave Van Ronk. Oscar 

Isaac stars. Directed by 

the Coen brothers. 

Showing at Foxlowe Arts 

Centre, Leek, Staffs, Tues 

24 June 

The Invisible Woman 

12a 

The 

film focuses on Dickens’ 

extra-marital relationship 

with Ellen ‘Nelly’ Ternan. 

Ralph Fiennes & Felicity 

Jones star. Showing at 

Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, 

Staffs, Tues 10 June 

Jimmy’s Hall 12a 

Barry Ward plays the reallife 

political activist Jimmy 

Gralton, who becomes the 

only Irishman ever to be 

deported from Ireland. 

This is the story of the 

dance hall he built. Also 

stars Simone Kirby. 

Showing at Old Market 

Hall, Shrewsbury, Mon 6 - 

Sun 12 June; Warwick Arts 

Centre, Coventry, Mon 13 - 

Sun 19 June 

Julie And Julia 12 

A culinary legend provides 

a frustrated office worker 

with a new recipe for life. 

This is the true story of 

how Julia Child's adventures 

and cookbook 

inspired fledgling writer 

Julie Powell to whip up 

five hundred-and-twentyfour 

recipes in three hundred-and 

sixty-five days, 

introducing a new generation 

to the magic of 

French cooking. Stars 

Amy Adams, Meryl 

Streep. Showing at The 

Hive, Shrewsbury, Sat 28 

June 

The Love Punch 15 

The Love Punch is the 

story of two divorcees. 

Reunited at a wedding, 

the ex-couple decide to 

team up to retrieve the 

retirement money stolen 

from them. Stars Pierce 

Brosnan, Emma 

Thompson. Showing at 


Theatre, until Fri 6 June; 


Tewkesbury, Mon 9 - Weds 

11 June; Ludlow 


Shropshire, Thurs 12 - Fri 

13 June; Old Market Hall, 

Shrewsbury, Fri 13 - Thurs 

19 June 

The Lunchbox PG 

Middle-class housewife Ila 

is trying once again to add 

some spice to her marriage, 

this time through 

her cooking. She hopes 

that this new recipe will 

arouse some kind of reaction 

from her neglectful 

husband. She prepares a 

special lunchbox to be 

delivered to him at work. 

But, unbeknownst to her, 

it’s mistakenly delivered to 

another office worker. 

Stars Irrfan Khan, Nimrat 

Kaur. Showing at Roses 

Theatre, Tewkesbury, Mon 

2 June; Stoke Film 

Theatre, Tues 3 June; 

Wem Town Hall, North 

Shropshire, Weds 4 - 

Thurs 5 June; Hereford 

Courtyard Theatre, Weds 

25 - Fri 27 June 

Mon Oncle U 

Monsieur Hulot visits his 

sister and her family. 

Confused by their futuristic 

and automated world, M 

Hulot finds a kindred spirit 

in his ten-year-old nephew, 

Gerard. Showing at 


Coventry, Sat 7 June 

Muppets Most Wanted 

U 

This 

time the gang are on tour 

in Europe (London, Berlin, 

Madrid) and find themselves 

involved in an international 

crime racket 

headed by Kermit’s double. 

Stars Ricky Gervais, 

Ty Burrell. Showing at 

Malvern Theatres, until Sun 

1 June 

Noah 12a 

Russell Crowe stars as 

Noah, rounding up a formidable 

menagerie of 

species to rescue them 

from the flood. Showing at 


Theatre, Sat 17 - Weds 21 

May; Ludlow Assembly 

Rooms, South Shropshire, 

Sat 24 - Mon 26 May; 


Tewkesbury, until Tues 3 

June 

The Other Woman 12a 

It’s hard to imagine any 

man double-dealing 

Cameron Diaz, but this is 

the case in this revenge 

comedy. Once Amber 

(Diaz) realises that her 

boyfriend is actually married, 

she teams up with his 

wife to plot suitable retribution. 

Also stars Leslie 

Mann. Showing at 


Theatre, Tues 21 - Fri 27 

Jun 

Philomena 12a 

Dame Judi Dench plays 

Philomena Lee, an elderly 

woman who decides to 

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search for the son taken 

from her when she was 

just a teenager. Also stars 

Steve Coogan. Showing at 

Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, 

Thurs 19 June 

Pioneer 15 

A conspiracy thriller set in 

the world of deep sea diving 

at the beginning of the 

Norwegian oil boom. 

Petter is a veteran deep 

sea diver; it’s dangerous 

work, but following a tragic 

accident, Petter finds himself 

in far more dangerous 

territory - as a whistleblower 

in a situation where 

the stakes are very high… 

Stars Aksel Hennie. 

Showing at mac, 

Birmingham, Mon 9 - 

Thurs 12 June; Ludlow 

Arts Centre, Thurs 19 - Fri 


Tewkesbury, Mon 30 June 

Pulp tbc 

A documentary following 

the Sheffield rock group 

Pulp on the day of their 

homecoming gig at the 

MotorPoint Arena on 

December 8, 2012. 

Showing at Warwick Arts 

Centre, Coventry, Sat 7 

June 

The Railway Man 15 

Based on the autobiography 

of Eric Lomax who, as 

a POW for the Japanese, 

helped build the Thai- 

Burma Railway. Colin Firth 

and Nicole Kidman star. 



Mon 16 June 

The Sea 12a 

The story of Max, recently 

widowed and struggling 

with grief. He revisits the 

remote Irish seaside village 

where he spent his 

childhood summers, and 

finds himself engulfed in 

memories, both of his 

recent loss, and of the 

long-ago summer of 1955 

when he was twelve years 

old. Stars Bonnie Wright, 

Ciarán Hinds. Showing at 


South Shropshire, Tues 17 

- Weds 18 June; Roses 

Theatre, Tewkesbury, 

Thurs 19 June 

The Shawshank 

Redemption 15 

Andy Dufresne is convicted 

of the murder of his 

wife and her lover, and 

sent to Shawshank Prison 

to serve two consecutive 

life sentences. While 

inside, he befriends fellow 

lifer Red, and together 

they battle to survive the 

evils of prison life, under 

the watchful eyes of corrupt 

prison warden 

Norton. Stars Tim 

Robbins, Morgan 

Freeman. Showing at 


Coventry, Weds 25 - Thurs 

26 June 

Sunshine On Leith PG 

Inspired by the album of 

the same name by The 

Proclaimers, Sunshine On 

Leith went from vinyl to 

CD to stage musical. The 

film version follows the 

story of two soldiers 

returning from 

Afghanistan who have to 

adjust to civilian life in 

Edinburgh. Showing at 

Forest Arts Centre, Walsall, 

Fri 6 June 

Tracks 12a 

Director John Curran 

brings to the screen the 

1980 memoir by Robyn 

Davidson, which chronicles 

her 1,700-mile trek 

across the Australian 

Outback with just a dog, 

four camels and the 

National Geographic photographer 

Rick Smolan. 

Stars Mia Wasikowska. 

Showing at Stoke Film 

Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 

6 - Sat 7 June; Ludlow 


Shropshire, Sat 14 & Mon 


Tewkesbury, Fri 20 - Tues 

24 June 

Transcendence 12a 

Not content to be a brilliant 

scientist, Dr Will 

Caster downloads his 

mind onto a computer. It’s 

not ethical and there are 

people out to stop him. 

Meanwhile, Dr Caster is 

gaining unprecedented 

power… Stars Johnny 

Depp, Morgan Freeman. 

Showing at Hereford 

Courtyard Theatre, until 

Tues 3 June 

The Two Faces Of 

January 12a 

The ubiquitous Oscar 

Isaac (Inside Llewyn 

Davis) is back in this 

thriller based on the novel 

by Patricia Highsmith. He 

plays Rydal, a tour guide 

who shows an American 

couple around the 

Acropolis of Athens. But 

Rydal is not all he seems - 

and neither, for that matter, 

is his new friend Chester 

MacFarland... Also stars 

Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten 

Dunst. Showing at The 

Light House Media 

Centre, Wolverhampton, 

until Thurs 5 June; 

Malvern Theatre, until 

Thurs 5 June; Electric 

Cinema, Birmingham, until 

Thurs 5 June; Warwick 

Arts Centre, Coventry, until 

Thurs 5th June; Ludlow 


Shropshire, Thurs 26 - 

Mon 30 June 

Under The Skin U 

This science fiction thriller 

stars Scarlett Johansson 

as an alien who preys on 

hitchhikers in Scotland. 

Showing at Ludlow 


Shropshire, Mon 2 June 

Venus In Fur 15 

Having adapted Leopold 

von Sacher- Masoch’s ode 

to sadomasochism, Venus 

In Furs, playwright Thomas 

is struggling to find an 

actress for the role of 

Vanda. When a boisterous 

fortysomething called 

Vanda waltzes into the theatre, 

Thomas has no 

choice but to audition her. 

As they read through the 

script, what follows is a battle 

of wits which is in turns 

seductive and unnerving. 

Directed by Roman 

Polanski. Showing at 


Coventry, Fri 20 - Thurs 26 

June 

Volver 15 

A Pedro Almodovar film 

about three generations of 

women and how they deal 

with death and the rich culture 

that surrounds it in the 

region of La Mancha. Stars 

Penélope Cruz, Carmen 

Maura. Showing at The 

Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 6 

June 

We Are The Best 15 

Three thirteen-year-old girls 

roam the streets: brave and 

tough, strong and weak, 

confused and weird. Taking 

care of themselves way too 

early, they find joy in starting 

a punk band without 

any instruments, even 

though everybody says 

that punk is dead. Stars Liv 

LeMoyne, Mads Korsgaard, 

Mira Grosin. Showing at 

Stoke Film Theatre, Stokeon-Trent, 

Thurs 5 June; 


South Shropshire, Tues 10 

- Weds 11 June 

The Wind Rises PG 

Hayao Miyazaki is one of 

the leading talents in animation 

today, having won 

countless awards and even 

an Oscar (for his peerless 

2001 fantasy Spirited 

Away). Here, he’s adapted 

his own manga comic, a 

fictionalised biography of 

the aircraft designer Jiro 

Horikoshi. Showing at 

Electric Cinema, 

Birmingham, until Thurs 5 


Centre, Coventry, Fri 13 - 

Sun 15 June 

The Wolf Of Wall Street 

18 

Over its three-hour running 

time, there’s so much bad 

behaviour, so much profanity, 

so much cocaine, and 

so many hookers and parties 

that it’s like The 

Hangover that swallowed 

Wall Street. Leonardo 

DiCaprio stars. Showing at 

The Edge Arts Centre, 

Much Wenlock, Mon 23 

June 

The Yes Men 15 

The story follows Andy and 

Mike and their tasteless 

parody of the WTO website. 

Some site visitors don't 

notice it’s a fake and send 

speaking invitations. Mike 

and Andy play along and 

soon find themselves 

attending functions as WTO 

representatives. Showing 

at Foxlowe Arts Centre, 

Leek, Staffs, Weds 4 June 

For full listings visit: 


DVD NEW RELEASES 

The Rocket 12a 

The Rocket explores the 

displacement of a rural Lao 

community as a new dam 

is constructed. The central 

character is Ahlo, a tenyear-old 

boy believed to 

bring bad luck wherever he 

goes. Nonetheless, Ahlo is 

filled with a sense of adventure 

and mischief. 

Released 2 June 

Cuban Fury 15 

Bruce is a loser who’s got 

a crush on his beautiful 

boss, Julia. Then he discovers 

she has a secret 

passion: salsa. And many, 

many years ago, Bruce 

was something of a child 

prodigy of the Latin 

dance… Stars Nick 

Frost, Rashida Jones. 


Last Vegas 12a 

Three sixtysomething 

friends take a break from 

their day-to-day lives to 

throw a bachelor party in 

Las Vegas for their last 

remaining single pal. 

Stars Robert De Niro. 

Released 12 May 

Lone Survivor 15 

Adapted from Marcus 

Luttrell's book of the same 

name, this is the true story 

of four SEAL soldiers who, 

in 2005, attempt to capture 

and/or kill the Taliban leader 

Ahmad Shahd. Starring 

Mark Wahlberg. 


Robocop 12a 

Here, the law-enforcing 

cyborg is played by the 

Swedish-American actor 

Joel Kinnaman, who 

starred in the American 

remake of the cult Danish 

TV series The Killing. Let 

the killing commence… 


The Monuments Men 

12a 

Based on the book by 

Robert M Edsel, this is 

the true story of a group 

of art historians and curators 

who’re conscripted 

to infiltrate Nazi Germany 

in order to track down 

invaluable works of art by 

Leonardo Da Vinci and 

Michelangelo, amongst 

others. Stars George 

Clooney. 


Exhibition 15 

Tom Hiddleston is becoming 

this year’s James 

Franco (as a constant presence 

on our screens). 

Here, he plays an estate 

agent, but the central characters 

are an artistic couple 

whose lifestyle is threatened 

when their London 

home is put up for sale. 

Also stars Liam Gillick. 


Her 15 

As it happens, ‘Her’ 

(voiced by Scarlett 

Johansson) is invisible 

both to us and our protagonist, 

Theo Twombly 

(Joaquin Phoenix). In the 

not-too-distant future, 

Theo, who is going 

through a divorce, downloads 

a voice-activated 

operating system. 

Choosing a female identity 

for his new programme, 

Theo finds himself 

becoming totally reliant on 

‘Her’, both practically and 

emotionally. 


Non-Stop 12a 

Liam Neeson is back as an 

air marshal who’s sent a 

text announcing that a passenger 

will die every twenty 

minutes unless $150million 

is transferred to a secret 

bank account. 




Festivals 

Lunar Festival 

Umberslade Estate, Tanworth-in-Arden, 

Warwickshire, Fri 6 - Sun 8 June 

After a successful debut in 2013, Lunar returns to 

Umberslade Estate for the second time. Set in the 

spiritual home of Nick Drake and based on sister 

festival Moseley Folk, this three-day event prides 

itself on creating a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. 

A variety of dance and craft workshops can 

be enjoyed throughout each day, as well as a kids’ 

climbing wall and a separate family camping area. 

Musically, the line-up boasts a strong collection of 

alternative rock, indie and folk bands - British Sea 

Power (headliners), Tim Burgess, Lanterns On The 

Lake and Crazy World Of Arthur Brown, to name 

but a few. The arrival of evening finds the festival 

offering more of a clubbing environment, with the 

main bar becoming the centre stage for household 

DJs to keep Lunar alive into the early hours. 

Holi One Colour Festival 

The Rainbow Arena, Digbeth, Birmingham, 

Sat 28 June 

This over-eighteens event is said to be inspired by 

the original Indian Holi fest - but rather than promoting 

religious aspects, it’s instead promoting 

the ideas of togetherness and the colour of everyday 

life. Every hour, on the hour, natural, non-toxic, 

coloured powder will be thrown in celebration. 

International DJs including Florian Kunicke, 

Richard Grey, Eddy Karmona and Mauro Pierotti 

present throughout the day, ensuring the arches of 

Digbeth are filled not only with brightly coloured 

powder but also the sounds of house, electro, 

funk, hip-hop, breaks and plenty more. 

Food and drink are available to purchase on site. 

Attendees are encouraged to wear white clothing. 

Ludlow Arts Festival 

Ludlow Caste, Ludlow Square, Shropshire 

Sat 28 June - Sun 6 July 

Having been running now for over fifty years, 

Ludlow Arts has arguably earned itself a reputation 

as one of Shropshire’s most prestigious events. 

This year’s festival, as always, features an impressive 

line-up of drama, comedy, music and family 

entertainment. 

Eleven-piece contemporary folk ensemble 

Bellowhead headline on 5 July, with ’70s legends 

David Essex, Showaddywaddy and The Bay City 

Rollers taking their place in the outdoor concert 

line-up on the 6th. Multi-award-winning comedian 

Milton Jones and master ventriloquist Paul Zerdin 

also appear (2 July), with family favourite The 

Sooty Show kicking things off on the festival’s 

penultimate day (5 July). 

Bellowhead 

Call me unique 

BASS14 Festival Various Birmingham venues, Sun 1 - Sat 14 June 

‘Made In Britain’ provides the theme for BASS14, two weeks of celebrations which 

highlight the quality of Black arts, music and entertainment in the Midlands. 

Award-winning record producer Curtis Lynch kicks off the festival with his challenge to 

produce the BASS14 theme tune in a twelve-hour period and using only local talent. 

Curtis’ aim is to go live on air with his Made In Britain theme song by 8pm. Fingers 

crossed! 

BASS14 programming includes: The Bass Informs sessions, providing a platform for 

young artists to learn from some of the biggest names in the industry (2 June); a 

screening of ’80s movie Babylon, followed by a Q&A session with Aswad frontman 

Brinsley Forde (4 June); an evening of laughter from Drum regulars and two of Britain’s 

‘finest’ comedians, Curtis Walker and John Simmitt (6 June); and visual art with a difference, 

when Birmingham-based artist Sweaty Eskimo is tasked with creating a largescale 

painting in just seven hours at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (10 June). 

Musical contributions to the festival come courtesy of Grime Unplugged. 

Demonstrating the versatility and range of the music and artists, BASS14 is also going 

acoustic with some of the biggest artists in the genre, including Ghetts, Blizzard and 

Eyez... For full details of all festival events, visit, www.bass14.co.uk 

Download Festival 

Donington Park, Castle Donington, Derby, Fri 13 - Sun 15 June 

Aerosmith 

Seen as the spiritual home of rock, Donington Park has played host to this major festival 

for more than ten years. Organised by Live Nation, Download regularly attracts the 

creme de la creme of rock, heavy metal and punk, with more than one hundred-andforty 

acts this year scheduled to appear across three days and five stages. 

American rock takes top billing, with Avenged Sevenfold headlining the main stage on 

the Friday. Linkin Park take centre-stage on the Saturday, while Aerosmith close the festival 

on the Sunday. Fall Out Boy, Status Quo, Alter Bridge, Trivium, The Pretty 

Reckless, The Offspring and Twisted Sister also feature in an impressive line-up. 


Festivals Listings 

For full listing information on festivals, 

including dates and line-up, visit 


JUNE 

BASS FESTIVAL 

Featuring Ghetts, 

Harleigh Blu, Brinsley 

Forde & Call Me 

Unique, Sun 1st - Sat 

14 June, various venues 

around 

Birmingham 

ENGLISH HAYDN FESTI- 

VAL Featuring The 

Chiaroscuro String 

Quartet, The Salomon 

String Quartet, The 

Barbican Piano Trio, 

The English Hayden 

Orchestra, Tues 3 - Sun 

8 June, Various locations 

around Bridgnorth 

SOUTHWELL FOLK FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Feast Of 

Fiddles, The Kennedys, 

The Henry Girls & The 

Poozies, Thurs 5 - Sun 

8 June, The 

Workhouse, 

Nottinghamshire 

WELFEST ON THE MEAD- 

OW Featuring Medicine 

Head, SO2F, Jazz 

Morley & Wes Finch, 

Sat 7 June, Synder 

Meadow, Stratford 

Upon Avon 

DETONATE FESTIVAL 

Featuring Bonobo, 

David Rodigan, LTJ 

Bukem & Bad 

Company, Sat 7 June, 

Nottingham 

Racecourse 

NO TOMORROW FESTIVAL 

Featuring London 

Grammar, Sam Smith, 

Clean Bandit, Duke 

Dumont, Sat 7 June, 

Wollaton Park, 

Nottingham 

MUCH WENLOCK FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Ceilidh & 

Male Voice Choir, Sat 7 

- Sat 21 June, Various 

locations around Much 

Wenlock 

Roots Manuva- Nozstock, Bromyard 

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 

Featuring Linkin Park, 

Aerosmith, Avenged 

Sevenfold & Killswitch 

Engaged, Fri 13 - Sun 

15 June, Donington 

Park, Derby 

FOLK ON THE PARK 

Featuring Jinski, 

Jonathan Day Trio, 

Keith Donnelly & 

Sunjay Brayne, Fri 13 - 

Sun 15 June, Lower 

Lacon Caravan Park, 

Shropshire 

GREGYNOG FESTIVAL 

Featuring BBC National 

Orchestra Wales, The 

Nash Ensemble, 

Flemish Radio Choir & 

Alamire, Fri 13 - Sun 29 

June, Powys 

LEAMINGTON PEACE FES- 

TIVAL Featuring 

Amapola Latin Band, 

Babal, Becky Syson & 

Ben River, Sat 14 - Sun 

15 June, Pump Room 


Spa 

LUDLOW FRINGE FESTI- 

VAL Packed programme 

of genre-crossing 

events, including performances 

from Remi 

Harris & the Gypsy Jazz 

Project, Martin & Eliza 

Carthy, comedians 

Andrew Lawrence & 

Carl Donnelly & an 

ElectroSwing DJ Music 

Night, Sat 14 June - 

Sun 6 July, various 

locations around 

Ludlow, South 

Shropshire 

LINTON MUSIC FESTIVAL 

Featuring Walter Trout, 

Vintage Trouble, Geno 

Washington, Pat 

McManus, Fri 20 - Sun 

22 June, The Alma Inn, 

Hertfordshire 

LAINFEST Featuring 

Young Kato, I Am I 

Love, The Other Tribe, 

Jaws, Fri 20 - Sun 22 

June, Gopsall Hall 

Farm, Leicestershire 

FOXTON LOCKS FESTIVAL 

Featuring Stevie Jones 

Band, Halfcut Theater, 

John Fryer & Daz 

Lynch, Sat 21 - Sun 22 

June, Foxton Locks, 

Leicestershire 

KINETON MUSIC FESTIVAL 

Featuring Bad Janet, 

Battered Soul, Nik 

Lowe, Klasside, Sat 21 

June, Kineton Sports 

and Social Club, 

Warwickshire 

EXILE MUSIC FESTIVAL 

Featuring Blue 

Wallpaper Incorporated, 

The Cats Charis, Rita 

Payne, The Lucky 

Stikes, Fri 27 - Sun 29 

June, Sabine Hay, 

Derbyshire 

HOLI ONE FESTIVAL BIRM- 

INGHAM Featuring Piloy, 

Hard Rock Sofa, 

Goodluck, Florian 

Kunicke, Sat 28 June, 

The Rainbow Venues, 

Digbeth, Birmingham 

LUDLOW ARTS FESTIVAL 

Featuring music from 

Bellowhead, David 

Essex, The Bay City 

Rollers & 

Showaddywaddy. 

Comedy from 

Facinating Aida, Milton 

Jones & Paul Zerdin, 

Sat 28 June - Sun 6 

July, Ludlow Castle, 


JULY 

LICHFIELD FESTIVAL 

2014 line-up includes; 

Brodsky, Catrin Finch & 

Seckou Keita, Benjamin 

Baker & Aquarelle 

String Quartet , Fri 4 - 

Sat 13 July, Various 

venues around Lichfield 

NATIONAL FOREST FOLK 

FESTIVAL Featuring 

Steeleye Span, 

Shoolenifty, The Mighty 

Doonans, The Shee, Fri 

4 - Sun 6 July, Conkers, 


GODIVA FESTIVAL 

Featuring Happy 

Mondays, Funeral For A 

Friend, We Are 

Scientists & Buzzcocks, 

Fri 4 - Sun 6 July, 

Memorial Park, 

Coventry 

WIRELESS FESTIVAL 

Featuring Kayne West, 

Outkast, Bruno Mars, 

Drake, Fri 4 - Sun 6 

July, Perry Park, 

Birmingham 

BLUES AT THE FOLD 

Featuring Steve 

Morrison, Mumbo- 

Jumbo, Wily Bo Walker 

and the Mescal Canyon 

Troubadours & The 

Blues Duo featuring 

Tommy Allen and 

Johnny Hewit, Sat 5 

July, The Fold, 

Worcester 

2000TRESS FESTIVAL 

Featuring Frightened 

Rabbit, The Bronx, Kids 

In Glass Houses, Blood 

Red Shoes, Thurs 10 - 

Sat 12 July, Upcote 

Farm, Cheltenham, 

Gloucestershire 

NAPTON FESTIVAL 

Featuring Grace Solero, 

Voodoo Vegas, Nina 

Baker & The Fallows, 

Fri 11 - Sat 12 July, 

Napton Village Hall 

Grounds, Warwickshire 

MOSTLY JAZZ, FUNK & 

SOUL FESTIVAL 

Featuring Mavis 

Staples, Earth Wind & 

Fire Experience featuring 

Al McKay, Fun 

Lovin’ Criminals & 

Omar Souleyman, Fri 

11 - Sun 13 July, 

Moseley Park, B’ham 

BROMSGROVE FOLK FES- 

TIVAL Featuring Dougie 

Mclean, Richard 

Digance, Anthony John 

Clarke & Mike Silver, Fri 

11 - Sun 13 July, The 

Bowling Green, 

Bromsgrove, 


WORKHOUSE FESTIVAL 

Featuring Ash 

Mandrake, Bleedin 

Noses, Soul Preachers 

& The Misty Blue Trio, 

Fri 11 - Mon 14 July, 

Llanfyllin, Powys 

BIRMINGHAM FEST 2014 

line-up to be 

announced, Fri 11 - 

Sun 27 July, Various 

locations throughout 

Birmingham 

NOISILY FESTIVAL 

Featuring Max Cooper, 

Slam, Gaudi & 

Symphonix, Fri 11 - 

Sun 13 May, Coney 

Woods, Leicestershire 

THE ROCK AND BIKE FEST 

Featuring White Coast 

Rebels, Chase The Ace, 

Snakecharmer & Evil 

Scarecrow, Thurs 17 - 

Sun 20 July, Carnfield 

Hall, Derby 

BIRMINGHAM INTERNA- 

TIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES 

FESTIVAL 2014 line-up 

to be announced, Fri 18 

- Sun 27 July, Various 

locations throughout 

Birmingham 

L FEST Featuring Erin 

McKeown, Never The 

Bride, D’lys, Jenny 

Lockyer & Sounds Of 

Sirens, Fri 18 - Mon 21 

June, Uttoxeter 

Racecourse, 

Staffordshire 

HOLE IN THE WALL Blind 

Lemon, The Bookends, 

Mummy Mia! & The 

Quo AKA Four Rossis, 


Hopton Court, 

Kidderminster 

ALIVE AT DELAPRE PARK 

Featuring Simple 

Minds, Boyzone, 

Bananarama & Rick 

Astley, Fri 18 - Sun 20 

July, Delapre Park, 

Northamptonshire 

SPLENDOUR Featuring 

Tom Odell, Happy 

Mondays, Boomtown 

Rats & Reverend And 

The Makers, Sat 19 

July, Wollaton Park, 

Nottingham 

FOLK BY THE OAK 

Featuring Seth 

Lakeman, Kathryn 

Tickell & The Side, 

Josienne Clarke & Ben 

Walker, Sun 20 July, 

various venues around 

Nottingham 

SIMMER DOWN FESTIVAL 

Featuring Steel Pulse, 

Apache Indian, Reggae 

Revolution & Musical 

Youth, Sun 20 July, 

Handsworth Park, 

Birmingham 

ROCK AND BLUES OLD 

SCHOOL WEEKENDER 

Featuring Toseland, 

Eddie and the Hot 

Rods, Pig Iron & 

Slaveout, Thurs 24 - Sat 

26 July, Coney Grey 

Showground, 

Derbyshire 

WARWICK FOLK FESTIVAL 

Featuring Habadekuk, 

John Tams and Barry 

Coope, Gordie 

MacKeeman and his 

Rhythm Boys & 

Breabach, Thurs 24 - 

Sun 27 July, various 

venues around 

Warwickshire 

GLOBAL GATHERING 

Featuring Prodigy, 

Chase & Status, David 

Guetta & Knife Party, Fri 

25 - Sat 26 July, Long 

Marston Airfield, 

Stratford upon Avon 

DEERSTOCK Featuring 

This Wicked Tongue, 

Cadets, Parasite, 

Bongolistic Intent, Fri 

25 - Sun 27 July, 

Newton, Nottingham 

SINGING STICKS FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Los 

Monkeys Musica, Inta 

Africa, Dub Didge & 

Super Roo, Fri 25 - Sun 

27 July, The Overstone 

Scout Camp, 


INDIETRACKS MUSIC FES- 

TIVAL Featuring Gruff 

Rhys, Allo Darlin’, Dean 

Wareham & Spearmint, 


Butterley Station, 

Derbyshire 

BAREFOOT FESTIVAL 

Featuring SuperEvolver, 

DC Fontana & Laurel 

Canyons, Fri 25 - Mon 

28 July, Prestwold Hall, 


LEICESTER MUSIC FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Professor 

Green, Tinie Tempah, 

Kool & The Gang, 

Labrinth, Fri 25 - Sat 26 

July, Welford Road 

Stadium, Leicestershire 

CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Van 

Morrison, Sinead 

O’Connor, Newton 

Faulkner & Ladysmith 

Black Mambazo, Thurs 

31 - Sun 3 Aug, Cherry 

Hinton Hall Ground, 

Cambridge 

AUGUST 

Y-NOT Featuring Dizzee 

Rascal, White Lies, 

Frank Turner and The 

Sleeping Souls & The 

Fratellis, Fri 1 Aug - Sun 

3 Aug, Mouldrige Lane, 

Derbyshire 

CARFEST NORTH 

Featuring Jools 

Holland, Seasick Steve, 

Erasure & Eliza 

Doolittle, Fri 1 - Sun 3 

Aug, Oulton Park Race 

Circuit, Cheshire 

NOZSTOCK Featuring 

Roots Manuva, The 

Heavy, The Skints & 

Molotov Jukebox, Fri 1 

- Sun 3 Aug, The Farm, 

Bromyard, 


LOUNGE ON THE FARM 

Featuring Fun Lovin’ 

Criminals, Peter Hook 

and the Light, DJ Yoda 

& Courtney Pine, Sat 2 

May, Merton Farm, 

Barkby, Nr Leciester 

BULLDOG BASH 

Featuring Dirty DC, 

Aynt Skynyrd, The 

Kommitments, Half 

Deaf Clatch, Thurs 7 - 

Sun 10 Aug, 

Shakespeare County 

Raceway, Stratford 

Upon Avon 

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR 

Featuring Megadeth, 

Down, Emperor & 

Carcass, Thurs 7 - Sun 

10 Aug, Catton Park, 

Derbyshire 

STRAWBERRY FIELDS 


Reverend And The 

Makers, Steve Lawler, 

The Rifles & Catfish and 

the Bottlemen, Fri 8 - 

Sun 10 Aug, Cattow 

Farm, Leicester 

FARMER PHIL’S FESTIVAL 

Featuring The Orb, The 

Blockheads, Ferocious 

Dog & The Delray 

Rockets, Fri 8 - Sun 10 

Aug, Gatten Farm, 

Shrewsbury 

JUNCTION 16 Featuring 

Katherine Jenkins, Fri 8 

- Sun 10 Aug, Betley 

Court Farm, Crewe, 

Cheshire 

LAKEFEST Featuring The 

Bad Shepherds, 

Buzzcocks, Shed 

Seven, Lightning 

Seeds, Fri 8 - Sun 10 

Aug, Croft Farm 

Waterpark, Tewkesbury 

RUGBY MUSIC FESTIVAL 

Featuring Dead 

Frequency, White Men 

Can’t Funk, Soul 

Rhymaz & Paper Street, 

Sat 9 Aug, Whitehall 

Recreational Grounds, 

Rugby, Warwickshire 

THE GREEN MAN FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Beirut, 

First Aid Kit, Neutral 

Milk Hotel & The 

Waterboys, Mon 11 - 

Sun 17 Aug, Glanusk 

Park, Powys 

V FESTIVAL Featuring 

Justin Timberlake, The 

Killers, Ed Sheeran & 

Paolo Nutini, Sat 16 - 

Sun 17 Aug, Weston 

Park, Staffordshire 


Festivals Listings 

For full listing information on festivals, 

including dates and line-up, visit 


ALT-FEST Featuring The 

Cult, Gary Numan, 

Cradle Of Filth & Arch 

Enemy, Fri 15 - Sun 17 

Aug, Boughton House, 


THE JUST SO FESTIVAL 

Featuring Gabby Young 

and Other Animals, 

Perhaps Contraption, 

Mr Wilson’s Second 

Liners & Kidnap Alice, 

Fri 15 - Sun 17 Aug, 

Rode Hall Parkland, 

Cheshire 

PERSHORE JAZZ FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Adrian 

Cox Quartet, Alan 

Barnes, Bohem 

Ragtime Jazz Band, 

Midland Youth Jazz 

Orchestra & Craig 

Milverton, Fri 15 - Sun 

17 Aug, Pershore 

College, Worcestershire 

THE MOIRA FURNACE 

FOLK FESTIVAL 

Featuring Blackbeard’s 

Tea Party, Other Roads, 

Lucy Ward, Something 

Nasty In The 

Woodshed, Fri 15 - Sun 

17 Aug, Moira Furnace 

Museum and 

Monument Site, 

Derbyshire 

BAKEWELL MUSIC FESTI- 

VAL Featuring Chas 

Hodge’s Band, John 

Coghlan’s Quo, Lucy 

Ward & George 

Borowski, Fri 15 - Sun 

17 Aug, The 

Showground, 

Derbyshire 

LICHFIELD FAKE FESTIVAL 

Featuring Supreme 

Queen, Oasish & 

Coldplace, Sat 16 Aug, 

Beacon Park, Lichfield, 

Staffordshire 

SHAMBALA FESTIVAL 

Featuring Mulatu 

Astatke, Collie Buddz, 

Public Service 

Broadcasting, Cumbria 

All Stars, By The Rivers 

& Babyhead, Thur 21 - 

Sun 24, Secret location 

in The Midlands 

CREAMFIELDS Featuring 

Avicii, Deadmau5, 

Fatboy Slim & Above 

and Beyond, Fri 22 - 

Sun 24 Aug, Daresbury, 

Cheshire 

THE SUMMER RETREAT 

2014 line-up to be 

announced, Sat 23 - 

Sun 24 Aug, The 

Overstone, 


BEERMAGEDDON 

Featuring Lawnmower 

Deth, Skreamer, The 

Starry Wisdom Cult & 

Kambrium, Fri 22 - Sun 

24 Aug, Stoke Prior 

Country Club, 

Bromsgrove 

SHREWSURY FOLK FESTI- 

VAL Featuring 

Bellowhead, Seth 

Lakeman, Blackie and 

the Rodeo Kings, The 

Dhol Foundation & Lau, 

Fri 22 - Mon 25 Aug, 

West Midland 

Showground, 

Shrewsbury 

MOSELEY FOLK FESTIVAL 

Featuring Johnny Marr, 

The Waterboys, 

Richard Thompson & 

Lau, Fri 29 - Sun 31 

Aug, Moseley Park, 

Birmingham 

WORCESTER MUSIC FES- 

TIVAL 2014 line-up to be 


Sun 31, Various locations 

around Worcester 

OFF THE TRACKS SUM- 

MER FESTIVAL Featuring 

The Orb, Ozric 

Tentacles & 

Treacherous Orchestra, 

Fri 29 - Sun 31 Aug, 

Donington Park 

Farmhouse, Derbyshire 

REWIND FESTIVAL 

Featuring Billy Ocean, 

Boomtown Rats, Holly 

Johnson & Hall and 

Oates, Fri 29 - Sun 31 

Aug, Capesthorne Hall, 

Cheshire 

FUSION FESTIVAL 

Featuring Jessie J, 

Pitbull, Lawson & 

Dizzee Rascal, Sat 30 - 

Sun 31 Aug, Cofton 


Tinie Tempah - Shrewsbury Fields Forever, Shrewsbury 

SEPTEMBER 

FESTIVAL NO.6 Featuring 

Pet Shop Boys, Beck, 

London Grammar, 

Bonobo & Martha and 

the Vandellas, Fri 5 - 

Sun 7 Sept, 

Portmeirion, North 

Wales 

ONBOARD THE CRAFT 

FESTIVAL Featuring Pre- 

Mad, Moulettes, 

Leatheratm Harvey 

Bainbridge & 

Flutatious, Fri 5 - Sat 6 

Sept, Stoke Prior 

Country Club, 

Bromsgrove 

WHITWELL FESTIVAL OF 

MUSIC Featuring Doctor 

and the Medics, James 

Warner Prophecies, 

Dirtbox Disco & I Set 

The Sea On Fire, Fri 5 - 

Sun 7 Sept, Community 

Centre, Whitwell, 

Derbyshire 

STOURBRIDGE FOLK FES- 

TIVAL 2014 line-up to be 

announced, Fri 5 - Sun 

7 Sept, Red House 

Glass Cone, 

Stourbridge 

ZOO PROJECT Featuring 

Groove Armada, Mr 

Scruff, Ten Walls & Ben 

UFO, Fri 12 - Sun 14 

Sept, Donington Park, 

Derbyshire 

SHREWSBURY FIELDS 

FOREVER FESTIVAL 

Featuring Tinie 

Tempah, Shed Seven 

and more to be 


Sun 14 Sept, West 

Midland Showground, 

Shrewsbury 

ROCK AND METAL CIRCUS 


Voodoo Six, Exit State, 

Gehtika & Triaxis, Fri 12 

- Sun 14 Sept, Sywell 

Aerodome, 


BROMYARD FOLK FESTI- 

VAL Featuring 

Oysterband, Vin 

Garbutt, The Old Dance 

School & Whapweasel, 

Fri 12 - Sun 14 Sept, 

Various locations 

around Bromyard 

SNODFEST 2014 line-up 

to be announced, Sat 

13 Sept, The Park, 


OCTOBER 

DERBY FOLK FESTIVAL 

Featuring David Gibb, 

Elly Lucas & Cardboard 

Fox, Fri 3 - Sun 5 Oct, 


Market Place, Derby 

For full festival listings, both UK and international, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk 51


Visual Arts 

Daniel Meadows: 

Early Photographic Works 

Library of Birmingham, until Sun 17 August 

One of the most influential figures to emerge from 

the new wave of British independent photography 

in the 1970s, Daniel Meadows is best known for 

his landmark Free Photographic Omnibus project. 

The project saw Meadows convert a double decker 

bus into a darkroom and living space and head 

out on a ten thousand-mile odyssey across 

Britain, during the course of which he photographed 

almost one thousand people from 

twenty-two towns. The result was an astonishing 

record of urban society in the UK, with Meadows 

further adding to his project’s relevance by interviewing 

and writing about his subjects. 

Alongside examples from his Omnibus project, 

the exhibition also features Butlins At Filey and 

June Street, two other renowned bodies of work 

by Meadows. 

The Library of Birmingham is currently in the 

process of acquiring Meadows’ entire photography 

archive. 

100 Days: The Rwandan 

Genocide Twenty Years Later 

Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, 

until Thurs 30 April, 2015 

The statistics connected to the atrocities which 

took place in Rwanda two decades ago make for 

shocking reading. During the one hundred-day 

conflict in 1994, precipitated by the shooting 

down of a plane carrying the Rwandan and 

Burundian president, eight hundred thousand 

people were murdered and five hundred thousand 

women raped. As a result of the rapes, an estimated 

twenty thousand children were born. 

This stark and sobering exhibition explores the 

origins, duration and aftermath of one of the darkest 

periods in Africa’s history, addressing the subject 

of sexual violence by examining concepts of 

survival, bravery, acceptance and empowerment. 

The display makes use of photographic, digital 

and installation works from a selection of international 

contemporary artists to give voice to the 

women who lived through the conflict. 

Image credit: Saida in Green, 2000 by Hassan Hajjaj © the artist / Victoria & Albert Museum, London. 

Art Fund Collection of Middle Eastern Photography at the V&A and the British Museum. 

True To Life? New Photography From The Middle East 

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Sat 7 June - Sun 2 November 

The question of authenticity lies at the heart of this new exhibition by photographers from 

the Middle East, with viewers invited to explore the issue of what’s real, what’s staged 

and what’s imaginary in the photos on display. Works on show are by both established 

and emerging photographers, and include a selection of loaned photos from the British 

and Victoria & Albert museums, as well as from Birmingham’s own collection. 

Commenting on the exhibition, Rebecca Bridgman, Curator of Islamic & South Asian Art 

at Birmingham Museums, said: “We’re delighted to be displaying this incredible collection 

of photography to our visitors. The exhibition showcases one of the most exciting 

artistic mediums emerging from the Middle East, providing an insight into the region’s 

rapidly-evolving social and political landscapes.” 

Lasting Impressions: 20th Century Portrait Prints 

The Barber Institute, Birmingham, Fri 6 June - Sun 28 September 

Printmaking as an artform has had a chequered past. Although once highly regarded, by 

the early twentieth century technological changes had severely compromised its status - 

so much so, in fact, that it was viewed merely as a 

process of reproduction rather than as art. 

In response to this situation, numerous artists revived 

the discipline’s traditional techniques, with later-twentieth 

century work becoming ever more experimental 

and unorthodox, often with dramatic results. 

Featuring everything from etchings to a plasticine 

print, Lasting Impressions brings together works that 

document the renaissance of the portrait print, from 

the early twentieth century to the present day. Along 

the way, the exhibition takes a look at how artists have 

used different print processes to convey the personalities 

and circumstances of such colourful sitters as 

Quentin Crisp, Lucian Freud, Frank Bruno, Robert 

Plant - and even an entire House of Commons! 


VisualArts PREVIEWS 

Further exhibitions 

Ikon Icons: Ian Emes 

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, until Sun 22 June 

Handsworth-born animator Ian Emes is the 

1970s representative of Ikon Gallery’s Ikon 

Icons series, which sees the return of five key 

British artists from an exhibition programme 

starting in 1965. John Salt (1960s), Cornelia 

Parker (1980s), Yinka Shonibare (1990s) and 

Julian Opie (2000s) are the others. 

The venue is displaying Emes’ 1972 masterpiece, 

French Windows. A visualisation of the 

Pink Floyd track One Of These Days, the 

work features animated ballet dancers moving 

through three dimensions that stream 

with architectural geometry and lattice 

arrangements of clocks, window frames and 

boxes. After its original stay in Ikon back in 

the 1970s, the work was screened on the 

BBC television programme The Old Grey 

Whistle Test and came to the attention of 

Pink Floyd. The band then invited Emes to 

make animated back-projections 

for use during concert 

performances of The Dark 

Side Of The Moon. Since 

that 1970s breakthrough 

undertaking, Emes has also 

worked with, amongst others, 

Wings, Mike Oldfield 

and Duran Duran. 

A Viking’s Guide To Deadly 

Dragons 

Wolverhampton Art Gallery, 

Sat 14 June - Sat 30 August 

Parents who recall their young children 

enjoying Wolverhampton Art Gallery’s The 

Tiger Who Came To Tea exhibition a couple 

of years back might well be interested in paying 

a return visit to the venue to see this latest 

exhibition - presented, as it is, by the very 

same team. A Viking's Guide To Deadly 

Dragons is a lighthearted and engaging 

exploration of the ways in which Viking history, 

legend and dragonlore inspired Cressida 

Cowell's delightful series of How To Train 

Your Dragon books. Cressida's hero, Hiccup 

Horrendous Haddock the Third, takes 

responsibility for guiding visitors though the 

exhibition, transporting sure-to-be-enchanted 

youngsters to a time when dragons could be 

spoken to in Dragonese and going to school 

meant learning how to be a Viking pirate. 

The exhibition also sheds light on Cowell's 

creative process through the inclusion of her 

original sketches, story plans, notes and 

manuscripts. 

Crossing The Bridge 

Various venues, Birmingham City Centre, 

Mon 23 June - Sat 23 August 

Bringing sculpture by a range of RBSA artists 

into the public realm, Crossing The Bridge is 

a city centre trail that not only aims to raise 

the profile of the Royal Birmingham Society 

of Artists but also to showcase sculpture as 

‘an exciting art medium’. The route for the 

trail is from Birmingham Cathedral (St. 

Philip’s), down Church Street, across the 

footbridge, up Ludgate Hill, through St Paul’s 

Square to the RBSA Gallery in Brook Street. 

VisualArts LISTINGS 

For full listing information on Visual Art 

exhibitions, including times and dates, 


NADIA KISSELEVA: DOCU- 

MENT Featuring a series 

of portraits of people 

imprisoned during the 

Stalinist era in the former 

Soviet Union, until 

Sun 1 June, mac, 

Birmingham 

MANDELA27 Exhibition 

which looks at the cultural 

changes that took 

place in Europe and 

South Africa during 

Nelson Mandela’s 

imprisonment on 

Robben Island, until 


Herbert Museum & Art 

Gallery, Coventry 

BARBARIANS: THE AGE OF 

IRON Showcasing new 

research, artefacts and 

prehistoric skeletons 

which tell the story of 

Worcestershire over two 

thousand years ago, 

until Sat 7 Jun, 

Worcester City Art 

Gallery & Museum 

CHROMA COLLECTIVE 

Exhibition featuring 

works from four contemporary 

jewellers with a 

shared goal of raising 

awareness of the craft 

within Birmingham’s 

Jewellery Quarter, until 

Sat 7 June, Museum of 

the Jewellery Quarter, 

Birmingham 

NEXT WAVE EXHIBITION 

Works by emerging 

artists at the RBSA, until 

Sat 7 June, RBSA 

Gallery, Birmingham 

TIM SHAW: RA BLACK 

SMOKE RISING The first 

solo exhibition from 

Belfast-born sculptor 

Tim Shaw, who grapples 

with contemporary 

and political realities 

whilst evoking the mythical 

and metaphysical, 

until Sun 8 Jun, mac - 

Midlands Arts Centre, 

Birmingham 

MIDLAND PAINTING 

GROUP EXHIBITION until 

Sun 8 June, Haden Hill 

House, Cradley Heath 

BUILDING BRIDGES A collection 

of work which 

focuses on the architectural 

transition into the 

present of the industrialised 

city centre of the 

past, until Sun 8 June, 

Artrix, Bromsgrove 

BILL DRUMMOND: THE 25 

PAINTINGS Unique exhibition 

marking the 

beginning of a ten-year 

journey which, starting 

off beneath Spaghetti 

Junction, will see 

Drummond tour twelve 

cities across the world, 

until Sat 14 June, 

Eastside Projects, 

Birmingham 

CHINESE LIVES IN BIRM- 

INGHAM A display which 

demonstrates the origins 

and rich culture of 

Birmingham's diverse 

Chinese community, 

until Sun 18 June, The 

Barber Institute, 

Birmingham 

A BIG BANG: THE ORIGINS 

OF POP ART COLLECTION 

The first in a two-part 

display exploring some 

of the biggest names in 

the Pop Art industry, 

until Sat 21 June, 

Wolverhampton Art 

Gallery 

MUSIC, ART AND BEER An 

exhibition of new visual 

works by five local 

artists, until Sat 21 June, 


Gallery 

ALL THAT IS SOLID MELTS 

INTO AIR Hayward 

Touring Exhibition curated 

by Jeremy Deller, 

until Sat 21 June, The 

Mead Gallery, Warwick 


RICHARD LONG: PRINTS 

1970 - 2013 Exhibition 

which brings together 

all of the artist’s prints, 

made over a forty-year 

period, until Sun 22 

June, The New Art 

Gallery, Walsall 

MICHAEL FRANCOIS 

Sculpture, film, paintings, 

prints and photography 

are brought 

together in this, the 

most comprehensive 

exhibition to date of 

work by Belgium artist 

Michel Francois, until 

Sun 22 June, Ikon 


ROMANTIC RUINS 

Featuring paintings 

from the museum’s collection, 

until Sat 28 

June, Dudley Museum 

& Art Gallery 

FOR THE RECORD 

Exploring themes of 

preservation and 

recording in the work of 

female artists, until Sun 

29 June, Birmingham 

Museum & Art Gallery 

50 YEARS ON: THE CEN- 

TRE OF CONTEMPORARY 

CULTURAL STUDIES 

Featuring the work of 

eminent artists including 

Trevor Appleson 

and David Batchelor, 

until Sun 29 June, mac, 

Birmingham 

40 YEARS OF WOMEN 

ARTISTS The strong 

female characters in the 

Garman Epstein family 

and their circle of 

friends are captured in 

this exhibition of works 

from the gallery's permanent 

collection, until 

Sun 29 Jun, The New 

Art Gallery, Walsall 

SKYLIGHT LANDSCAPE BY 

PAUL NASH & DAVID 

PRENTICE until Sat 5 

July, Worcester City Art 


STAFFORDSHIRE OPEN 

ART Annual showcase 

for the region’s artistic 

talent, until Sun 6 July, 

Shire Hall Gallery, 

Stafford 

RICHARD LONG: SPRING 

CIRCLE, 1992 until Wed 9 

July, The New Art 

Gallery, Walsall 

ARTISTS’ STUDIO: SARAH 

TAYLOR SILVERWOOD 

Exhibition from 

Birmingham-based 

artist Sarah Taylor 

Silverwood, whose 

practice is grounded in 

drawing, narrative and 

landscape, until Sun 20 

July, New Art Gallery, 

Walsall 

LARISSA SANSOUR 

Palestinian artist Larissa 

Sansour presents an 

iconic take on the political 

situation in Israel 

and Palestine, until Sat 

26 July, Wolverhampton 

Art Gallery 

VAL PITCHFORD: ADVEN- 

TURES IN PAINT Large 

collection of paintings 

featuring both landscape 

& still life subject 

matter, until Thurs 31 

July, Artifex Gallery, 

Sutton Coldfield 

WE WORKED AT THE 

PORCELAIN Photographic 

exhibition focusing on 

some of Royal 

Worcester’s many 

craftsmen and women, 

until Fri 1 Aug, The 

Museum of Royal 

Worcester 

A TRIO OF ARTISTS An 

exhibition featuring the 

work of artists Anne 

Hackett, Chris Tarplee 

and Claire Sherwin, 

until Sun 3 Aug, Red 

House Glass Cone, 

Stourbridge 

HOME AWAY FROM HOME 

Photographs, artefacts 

and oral history come 

together in this exhibition, 

which captures the 

experiences of women 

migrating from Mirpur to 

Birmingham in the 

1950s, ’60s and ’70s, 

until Sun 3 Aug, 

Birmingham Museum & 

Art Gallery 

SUMMER SHOWCASE 

Featuring textiles, 

ceramics, homewares 

and delicate paper jewellery, 

until Sat 16 Aug, 

Bilston Craft Gallery 

A FIRST CLASS WATERING 

PLACE: 200 YEARS OF THE 

ROYAL PUMP ROOMS 

Celebrating the bicentenary 

of the Royal Pump 

Rooms, until Mon 25 

Aug, Royal Pump 

Rooms, Leamington 

Spa 

400 YEARS OF THE SELFIE 

Exploring how the modern 

portrait developed 

in England, from the 

Elizabethans to photographs 

taken by Martin 

Parr in Sandwell in 

2010, until Sat 30 Aug, 

Wednesbury Museum & 

Art Gallery 

MOORE RODIN Works 

from two major players 

in the world of modern 

sculpture feature in this 

exhibition in celebration 

of Compton Verney’s 

tenth anniversary, until 

Sun 31 Aug, Compton 

Verney Gallery, 

Warwickshire 

YOU - THE 12TH PLINTH 

Stand on the empty 

12th plinth, strike a 

pose and create a living 

sculpture by becoming 

an artist’s model, inspiring 

a composition for a 

new sculpture, until 

Sun 31 Aug, Compton 

Verney, Warwickshire 

MADE AT MAC - CERAM- 

ICS Led by tutors Sue 

Dyer and Wendy 

Tournay, the exhibition 

puts a spotlight on 

ceramics and is set to 

inspire audiences and 

students alike, until Sun 

31 Aug, mac, 

Birmingham 

ROMAN EMPIRE: POWER 

& PEOPLE The largest 

ever UK exhibition of 

Roman artefacts on 

loan from the British 

Museum, until Sun 31 

Aug, The Herbert 

Museum & Art Gallery, 

Coventry 

IN STITCHES: A CELEBRA- 

TION OF RSC COSTUME 

until Mon 1 Sep, Royal 

Shakespeare Theatre, 


COME CREATE Exhibition 

to inspire visitors to 

explore and demonstrate 

their creativity 

through displays, 

hands-on interactives 

and fun activities, until 

Sun 7 Sept, Thinktank, 

Birmingham 

EIGHT CENTURIES OF HIS- 

TORY Exhibition looking 

at the life and times of 

the Earls of Dudley, 

who lived at Himley 

Hall, until Sun 7 Sept, 

Himley Hall & Park, 

Dudley 

CERAMIC EMPIRE: THE 

TRADE IN STAFFORDSHIRE 

POTTERY Exhibition 

exploring the supply 

and representation of 

the Empire in 

Staffordshire pottery 

which coincides with 

MP Tristram Hunt’s new 

book on the cities of the 

Empire, until Sun 7 

Sept, The Potteries 



40 YEARS OF WATCHING 

PAINT DRY Featuring the 

work of fine artist, cartoonist 

and comedy 

writer Geoff Tristram, 

until Sun 7 Sept, Himley 

Park & Hall, Dudley 

SECRET GARDEN CRAFT 

EXHIBITION Collection of 

jewellery, textiles and 

ceramics exploring 

fairytales and narratives, 

until Sat 13 Sep, RBSA 


MARVELLOUS MACHINES: 

THE WONDERFUL WORLD 

OF ROWLAND EMETT The 

largest ever display of 

Emett’s work, telling the 

story of the innovator’s 

life in Birmingham, until 

Sun 21 Sept, 

Birmingham Museum & 

Art Gallery 

IS THIS A DAGGER? AN 


VisualArts LISTINGS 

For full listing information on Visual Art 

exhibitions, including times and dates, 


EXPLORATION OF RSC 

PROPS New exhibition 

from Bristol-based 

Stand & Stare 

Collective which 

explores the secrets 

behind twelve props 

from the RSC's fascinating 

prop store, until Sun 

21 Sep, Royal 

Shakespeare Theatre, 


TOM, FRANK AND MAY 

Original material, uniforms, 

handling activities 

and a short film 

which demonstrates the 

role played by the 

Merry family during 

World War One, until 

Sun 2 Nov, Blakesley 


SYMMETRY IN SCULP- 

TURE Focusing on the 

recent work of one of 

the UK’s most exciting 

British Asian artists, 

Zarah Hussain, until 

Sun 2 Nov, Birmingham 

Museum & Art Gallery 

BACK TO FRONT: 40 PER- 

MANENT COLLECTION 

GEMS Exhibition which 

celebrates the fortieth 

anniversary of the 

gallery’s Garman Ryan 

collection, until Sat 16 

Nov, New Art Gallery, 

Walsall 

FAITH AND FORTUNE 

Exhibition exploring the 

early histories of two of 

the world’s great religions, 

until Sun 30 Nov, 

The Barber Institute, 

Birmingham 

THE JEWELLERY QUARTER 

DURING THE FIRST 

WORLD WAR Exhibition 

of artefacts, images and 

oral histories relating to 

the recruitment of soldiers 

from the Jewellery 

Quarter, until Sun 14 

Dec, Museum of the 

Jewellery Quarter, 

Birmingham 

TRACED Permanent exhibition 

tracing the success 

of art & design in 

Wolverhampton, and 

bringing together works 

by local artists from the 

museum’s collection, 

until Wed 31 Dec, 


Gallery 

CRAFTSENSE Featuring 

over one hundred of the 

world-renowned Bilston 

enamels, until Wed 31 

Dec, Bilston Craft 

Gallery 

SENSING SCULPTURE 

Featuring new sculptures 

alongside old 

favourites, until Wed 31 

Dec, Wolverhampton 

Art Gallery 

JENNY RYRIE: WHITE 

WATER, WHITE LIGHT A 

display of abstract paintings 

in water-based 

media that respond to 

the natural and mystical 

energies of the sea and 

coastline, Mon 2 June - 

Sat 26 July, RBSA 


WALSALL’S GREAT WAR 

Exhibition marking the 

centenary of WWI and 

the impact of the Home 

Front on Walsall, Tues 3 

June - Sat 29 Nov, 

Walsall Local History 

Centre 

COVENTRY OPEN 2014 

Sat 7 - Sun 15 June, 

Herbert Museum & Art 

Gallery, Coventry 

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH 

IT Works on paper from 

the Barber’s collection, 

Fri 13 June - Sun 26 

Oct, The Barber 

Institute, Birmingham 

CONVERSATIONS A display 

which spans four 

centuries of printmaking 

and features works by 

Rembrandt, Goya, 

Cezanne & Picasso, Fri 

13 June - Sun 5 Oct, 

The Barber Institute, 

Birmingham 

THE GREAT WAR COM- 

MEMORATIVE EXHIBITION 

Exhibition by the 

Cheshire Artist Network, 

Sun 15 June - Fri 18 

July, RAF Museum, 

Cosford 

SENSATIONAL CLAY ‘Fun 

and thought-provoking 

exhibition for all the 

family’, Mon 16 June - 

Sat 1 Nov, Worcester 

City Art Gallery & 

Museum 

RICHARD MCLLWRAITH: 

ABSTRACT PAINTINGS 

2012-14 Wed 18 June - 

Sun 13 July, Artrix, 

Bromsgrove 

THE BEST IS NOT TOO 

GOOD FOR YOU 

Showcase of Pop Art 

and ceramics, Sat 28 

June - Sat 30 Aug, 

Museums & Art Galleries 

Birmingham 

ARTIFEX Sutton Coldfield 

0121 323 3776 

BARBER INSTITUTE 

0121 414 7333 

BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & 

ART GALLERY 0121 303 

2834 

CASTLE GALLERIES 

0121 248 8484 

GRAND UNION 

0121 643 9079 

IKON GALLERY 

0121 248 0708 

NUMBER NINE THE GALLERY 

0121 643 9099 

RBSA GALLERY 

0121 2364353 

STRYX GALLERY, DIGBETH 

stryxarts@gmail.com 

THREE WHITE WALLS 

GALLERY 

0121 200 3328 

Black Country 

BANTOCK HOUSE 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

01902 552195 

BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY 

01902 552507 

BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS 

MUSEUM, DUDLEY 

01384 812745 

DUDLEY MUSEUM & ART 

GALLERY 

01384 815575 

LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CENTRE 

WOLVERHAMPTON 

01902 716055 

THE NEW ART GALLERY 

WALSALL 01922 654400 

RED HOUSE GLASS CONE 

01384 812750 

WOLVERHAMPTON ART 

GALLERY 01902 552055 

Shropshire 

BEAR STEPS GALLERY, 

SHREWSBURY 

01743 344994 

SHREWSBURY MUSEUM & 

ART GALLERY 

01743 258885 

TWENTY TWENTY GALLERY, 

MUCH WENLOCK 

01952 727952 

THE WILLOW GALLERY, 

OSWESTRY 

01691 657575 

Rugby Museum & Art 

Gallery 

PHOENIX: THE STORY OF 

THE BRITISH HEAT RESIST- 

ING GLASS COMPANY 

Showcase of works celebrating 

Bilston-based 

Phoenix company, Sat 

28 June - Sat 30 Aug, 

Bilston Craft Gallery 

Staffordshire 

NEWCASTLE BOROUGH 

MUSEUM & ART GALLERY 

01782 232323 

THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & 

ART GALLERY, STOKE-ON- 

TRENT 01782 232323 

SHIRE HALL GALLERY 

STAFFORD 01785 278345 

STAFFORDSHIRE MUSEUM, 

SHUGBOROUGH 

01889 881388 

Warwickshire 

COMPTON VERNEY GALLERY 

01926 645500 

HERBERT ART GALLERY 

COVENTRY 02476 832386 

MEAD GALLERY WARWICK 

02476 524524 

ROYAL PUMP ROOMS 

01926 742700 

RUGBY MUSEUM & ART 

GALLERY 01788 533201 


WORCESTER CITY ART 

GALLERY 01905 25371 

Visit whatsonlive.co.uk 

for venue website details 

For more visual arts listings, visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk 55

Events 

Ana Ivanovic 

Aegon Classic Edgbaston Priory, Birmingham, Mon 9 - Sun 15 June 

One of the top Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) events in the 

world, the Aegon Classic brings together some of the best female 

players in the game to compete ahead of Wimbledon. A major event 

on the Midlands sporting calendar, the Classic features both players 

at the top of their game and some of the sport’s rising stars. 

Serbia’s former world number one, Jelena Jankovic, is the latest A-lister 

confirmed to play, joining a line-up that already includes fellow 

Serbian Ana Ivanovic, Germany’s Sabine Lisicki and Slovakia’s 

Daniela Hantuchova. Two up-and-coming US players, Sloane 

Stephens and Eugenie Bouchard, also feature in what’s being 

described by organisers as ‘the most exciting line-up the tournament 

has ever seen’. 

BBC Good Food Show 

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 12 - Sun 15 June 

Brimming with inspiration, tips and advice on 

how to create the perfect summer menu, the 

BBC Good Food Show returns to the NEC to 

provide a food experience 'like no other'. 

In addition to the host of celebrities who’re on 

hand to share their knowledge - Mary Berry, 

Tom Kerridge, James Martin and Paul 

Hollywood included - the four-day show offers 

an abundance of events, demonstrations, tastings, 

book signings and shopping experiences 

for visitors to enjoy. As well as live 

cookery demonstrations, the Supertheatre 

sees Michelin-starred chefs going head to 

head in the Michelin Star Challenge, while 

new features include the Summer Kitchen - 

hosted by Lisa Faulkner - and the BBC Good 

Food Kitchen, where signature dishes from 

the BBC Good Food collection are matched 

with wine options in a fine-dining setting. 

Elsewhere, the show’s ultimate shopping 

experience features 

plenty of well-known 

brands, kitchen appliances 

and gadgets, a 

Producers’ Village and 

a Good Food Bakes & 

Cakes Village. 

Tickets to the show 

also provide access to 

the BBC Gardeners’ 

World Live event. 

Sainsbury’s British Championships 

Birmingham Alexander Stadium, Fri 27 - Sun 29 June 

Having received a makeover for 2014, Sainsbury’s British Championships sees the country’s 

best athletes battling it out for the hugely prestigious title. As well as providing world-class 

athletics, the three-day event also boasts a real festival feel, courtesy of live music, DJs and 

a fairground. The championships also feature the Icon Museum - celebrating the achievements 

of British athletes from yesteryear; the Athletics Agility Arena, in which visitors can 

test their athletic skills; the Game Zone, an interactive gaming area; Glamping - offering 

overnight stays in luxury ‘glamping’ tents; and Sainsbury’s Try Trucks - with try trucks on 

site and partner MG also having a stall. Street performers, a Picnic al Fresco area, a bar 

area and various other types of on-site catering also feature. 

To find out more or to purchase tickets, visit www.britishathletics.org.uk 


Events PREVIEWS 

Belgrade Mela 

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 21 June 

South Asian arts, artists and art organisations 

are here celebrated with a diverse programme 

of events and activities. The oneday, 

open-to-all event features yoga, workshops 

in Giddah and Bhangra dancing, 

Bollywood dancing and an opportunity to 

learn how to play the dhol. An abundance of 

artisan crafts stalls, food stalls and activities 

for children also feature, as does an art exhibition 

exploring the journey of South Asian 

communities who came to Coventry in the 

1940s and ’50s. In 

Nafees 

the evening, some 

of Coventry’s finest 

South Asian talent 

takes to the stage 

in the theatre’s 

main arena for a 

two-hour showcase 

that features special 

guest Nafees 

and dhol drummers 

Masterclass. 

Droitwich Spa Festival 

Various locations, Droitwich Spa, 

Worcestershire, Fri 20 June - Sun 6 July 

Building on the success of its 2013 debut, 

this year’s Droitwich Spa Festival promises 

another ‘fantastic’ programme of gastronomic 

offerings, as well as music and arts events. 

The ecclectic offer ranges from a food and 

drink festival featuring demonstrations, stalls, 

entertainment and Great Junior Bake Off in 

the town centre (21 June). Historic tour and 

afternoon tea at the Chateau Impney Hotel, a 

Live Music Showcase and Cheese and Cider 

Festival (28 June), and Friar Street Festival of 

Culture and Music - a carnival style event 

featuring dance, music and much more - at 

the Old Cock Inn (29 June). For a full itinerary 

of what¹s happening throughout the seventeen-day 

event, visit www.droitwichspafestival.co.uk 

Upton Food And 

Beer Festival 

Upton-upon-Severn, Fri 27 - Sun 29 June 

Imagine being able to eat and drink your 

way around the Three Counties without having 

to travel the distance... 

Well, that’s pretty much what you can do at 

the brand new Upton Food And Beer 

Festival (FAB). With plenty to tantalise the 

tastebuds, the three-day event features 

more than one hundred artisan stalls selling 

an abundance of mouthwatering delights. 

There’s also a Master Class marquee featuring 

tastings and talks, an interactive cookery 

workshop in the Eckington School, a FAB 

Bake Off organised by the Women’s 

Institute, and a chilli-eating competition run 

by the Clifton Chilli Club. If the latter is up 

your street, then chances are you’ll also be 

looking for some liquid refreshment - and 

what better way to find it than by sampling 

the beer-tasting sessions and tutorials on 

offer from international beer judge and 

expert Melissa Cole. 

A programme of entertainment over two 

stages, a tug-of-war competition, crafts, face 

painting and a Punch & Judy show for the 

kids means this debuting festival has the 

makings of a great family day out. 

Medieval entertainers the Knights Of Middle 

England this year provide one of the highlights 

at Warwickshire’s biggest one-day 

agricultural event. Comprising professional 

horsemen, stunt riders and performers, the 

Knights bring the historic sport of jousting 

into the twenty-first century with a professionally 

compered, action-packed show that 

comes complete with a ‘rocking’ soundtrack. 

Other attractions at the 2014 event include a 

Countryside Area, featuring birds of prey displays, 

gun dog scurry and trials, a have-a-go 

clay shoot, air rifle shooting and archery sessions. 

The Sheep Show, meanwhile, promises 

to provide humorous educational entertainment 

with a difference, courtesy of dancing 

sheep! Other attractions include displays 

of farm machinery and classic cars, rural 

crafts, a shopping area, information about 

bee-keeping, trade stands and an abundance 

of children’s amusements. 

World Of Park 

And Leisure Homes 

Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, 

Fri 6 - Sun 8 June 

If you’ve ever dreamed of having your very 

own little bolthole to which to escape, or the 

freedom to travel whenever you want, World 

Of Park And Leisure Homes is well worth a 

visit. A dedicated show for park homes and 

holiday lifestyle, the three-day event features 

the latest models and designs from most of 

the UK’s major manufacturers, caters for a 

variety of budgets and is free to attend. The 

show also provides information on hundreds 

of parks across the UK and beyond. 

Kenilworth Show 

Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Sat 7 June 

Jousting Day 

Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove, 

Sat 14 - Sun 15 June 

All the thrills and excitement of a traditional 

jousting tournament will be present and correct 

at Bromsgrove’s award-winning Living 

History Museum this month. In addition to 

experiencing the site’s static attractions, 

which span seven hundred years of history, 

visitors can also tour the camps and meet 

the knights, the ladies and the soldiers, not 

to mention the odd miscreant or two... 

The Bus Stop Over 

Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire, 

Fri 13 - Sun 15 June 

An established event on the VW calendar, 

The Bus Stop Over offers three days of highquality 

entertainment both on and off the 

track. Resident DJs from Retro 

Discos/Weluv80s will be playing throughout 

the weekend, while live bands catering for all 

musical tastes feature in the site’s main hall. 

Acoustic sessions in the bar area are a new 

addition for 2014 - and to ensure football 

fans don’t miss out on World Cup action, the 

Premier Bar will be showing the England vs 

Italy game on its large screen. On-track 

action includes the sure-to-be-fun Wacky 

Races, with the event also featuring plenty 

for youngsters to enjoy. 


Events LISTINGS 

For full listing information on Events, 



from 

SUN 1 JUNE 

MAY HALF-TERM FAMILY 

FUN until Sun 1 June, 

Heritage Motor Centre, 

Gaydon, Warwickshire 

WORDS, WORDS, WORDS 

Do you know your 

Shakespeare from your 

Shelley? Test your 

knowledge with the 

site's quizzical quotes, 

until Sun 1 June, 

Shakespeare's 

Birthplace, Stratfordupon-Avon 

MASQUE MAKING Be 

inspired and decorate 

your very own theatrical 

Shakespearian masque 

to take home with you, 


Nash's House & New 

Place, Stratford-upon- 

Avon 

SPRING TO LIFE Search 

the walled garden and 

hunt for the animals 

that appear in 

Shakespeare's springtime 

poems, until Sun 1 

June Hall's Croft, 


LEMUR WEEK Themed 

talks and activities to 

highlight the park's 

conservation work to 

save species such as 

the Great Bamboo 

Lemur and Sifaka from 

extinction, until Sun 1 

June Cotswold Wildlife 

Park 

FAMILY FUN DAYS Get 

outside, explore the 

gardens and estate at 

Baddesley and see 

how many of the ‘fifty 

things to do before 

you're eleven-andthree-quarters’ 

you can 

tick off your list, until 

Sun 1 June, Baddesley 

Clinton, Warwickshire 

SWEET AND TREAT See 

the relaunch of the 

sweet-shop boiler and 

try your hand at traditional 

board and street 

games, until Sun 1 

June, Black Country 

Living Museum, Dudley 

WILDLIFE TRACKER 

CHALLENGE A chance to 

tap into your inner naturalist, 

until Sun 1 

June, Brockhampton 

Estate, Worcester 

FAMILY DROP-IN 

ACTIVITIES Dip your own 

colourful candles, play 

with Victorian games 

and toys, and colour 

old-fashioned pictures, 

until Sun 1 June, Blists 

Hill, Ironbridge, 

Shropshire 

Half Term Family 

TIME LORD FAMILY TRAIL 


Broadfield House Glass 

Museum, Kingswinford 

WOOLLY WEEK Get 

involved with all things 

woolly and enjoy the 

farm's exciting sheepdog 

trials, until Sun 1 

June Mary Arden 

House, Stratford-upon- 

Avon 

STRATFORD FOOD 

FESTIVAL AT THE RACES 

until Sun 1 June 

Stratford Racecourse 

SPORTS & SALOON CAR 

RACES until Sun 1 June 


DAIMLER AND 

LANCHESTER OWNERS 

Sun 1 June, Heritage 

Motor Centre, Gaydon, 

Warwickshire 

MIDLAND BONSAI SOCIE- 

TY SHOW Sun 1 June, 

Birmingham Botanical 

Gardens 

CLASSIC FORD SHOW Old 

school modding and 

classic-style festival 

with massive autojumble, 

club displays, blue 

oval traders and competitions, 

Sun 1 June, 

Santa Pod Raceway, 

Northampton 

MG'S IN THE PARK 

Featuring a variety of 

models and historic MG 

motor car marque, 

ranging from TAs, 

MGAs, Midgets and 

MGB/Cs through to a 

fabulous turn-out of the 

newer MGF/TF convertibles 

and the various Z 

range saloons, including 

the ZT260s, Sun 1 

June Cotswold Wildlife 

Park 

HERITAGE OPEN DAY 

Event organised by the 

Redditch Local History 

Society, Sun 1 June, 

Forge Mill Needle 

Museum, Redditch 

TOLKIEN AND TUDORS - 

BIG BRUM OPEN-TOP BUZ 

TOUR Visit Sarehole Mill 

and Blakesley Hall, Sun 

1 June, Victoria Square, 

Birmingham 

KNIGHTS' SCHOOL & 

JUNIOR JOUSTING Learn 

how to joust in the 

mini-tiltyard, try on real 

armour made especially 

for children, hear 

tales of medieval chivalry 

and finally take up 

arms as you clash 

swords and join in a 

fun and frantic 

medieval battle, Sun 1 

June, Eastnor Castle 

Deer Park, Ledbury, 

Herefordshire 

BROCKHAMPTON 

BOWMAN ARCHERY 

SESSIONS Join the 

Brockhampton 

Bowmen and put your 

archery skills to the 

test. Discover various 

bows and find out how 

they were used, Sun 1 

June, Brockhampton 

Estate, Worcester 

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: 

BEHIND THE SCENES 

TOUR Find out what 

goes on behind the 

scenes of a stately 

home with a unique 

tour which takes in 

some of the estate’s 

twenty-eight bedrooms, 

Sun 1 June, Weston 


AN EVENING WITH TONY 

STOCKWELL Tue 3 June, 

Wulfrun Hall, 

Wolverhampton 

RHYS CHATHAM IN CON- 

VERSATION WITH ED 

MCKEON Ahead of the 

UK première of A 

Secret Rose For 100 

Guitars, Rhys Chatham 

is joined by Frontiers 

Festival curator Ed 

McKeon to discuss a 

range of topics, from 

Downtown to guitars 

and minimalist music to 

rock’n’roll, Tue 3 June, 

Library Of Birmingham 

VALUATION DAY Tue 3 

June, The Herbert 


Coventry 

LUNCHTIME TALK: ALL 

THAT GLISTERS Frank 

Sharman gives an illustrated 

talk about the 

history of steel jewellery, 

Tues 3 June, 

Bantock House 

Museum 

DISCOVER THE 

COLLECTION Meet the 

conservation team, 

who'll tell you about 

interesting items in the 

collection and demonstrate 

how they're 

looked after, Tue 3 

June, Moseley Old Hall, 

Wolverhampton 

WARWICK WORDS 

SUMMER Annual festival 

of literature and spoken 

word, featuring various 

events across Warwick. 

For full details, visit 

www.warwickwords.co. 

uk, Wed 4 - Sun 8 

June, Various venues 

around Warwick 

DOWNTOWN NEW YORK 

JAZZ: A ONE-DAY 

SYMPOSIUM An event 

forming part of the second 

phase of the 

city's Frontiers Festival 

and featuring discussions 

of beat poetry, 

experimental film and 

artist-run spaces, Thurs 

5 June, Library Of 

Birmingham 

AN EVENING WITH CAROL 

ANN DUFFY Intimate 

evening of poetry and 

music with the National 

Poet Laureate, Thurs 5 

June, The Hive, 

Worcester 

CHURCH STRETTON 

WALKING FESTIVAL Four 

days of walks around 

the beautiful South 

Shropshire countryside, 

Thurs 5 - Sun 8 June, 

Booking essential - visit 

www.churchstrettonwalkingfestival.co.uk 

CHAMPIONSHIP DOG 

SHOW Thurs 5 - Sun 8 

June, Three Counties 

Showground, Malvern 

D-DAY LANDING 70TH 

ANNIVERSARY SERVICE 

Fri 6 June, National 

Memorial Arboretum 

UNDERSTANDING ART 

TALKS: IN THE 

FOOTSTEPS OF 

CARAVAGGIO Professor 

Lorenzo Pericolo from 

the University of 

Warwick explores how 

Caravaggio’s model 

was perpetuated well 

into the 1640s, Fri 6 

June Compton Verney 

Gallery, Warwickshire 

PUTTING ON THE RITZ An 

evening of jazz with 

Edward d’Arcy Hatton 

and Tim Motteshead, 

Fri 6 June, Upton 

House & Gardens, 

Warwickshire 

THE WOMEN 

CHAINMAKERS' FESTIVAL 

A two day event celebrating 

an historic 

strike by women chainmakers, 

Fri 6 - Sat 7 

June, Bearmore Park, 

Cradley Heath 

THE WORLD OF PARK & 

LEISURE HOMES SHOW 

Fri 6 - Sun 8 June, 

Stoneleigh Park, 

Warwickshire 

VMCC TRAINING DAY A 

training day to give visitors 

a chance to ride 

veteran & vintage 

motorcycles in a safe 

'off road' environment, 

with tuition from the 

owners, Sat 7 June, 



ASTON MARTIN RACES 

Sat 7 June, Donington 

Park 

ENAMELLING DAY 

COURSE An opportunity 

for beginners or those 

with some experience 

to create at least four 

pieces of work using a 

variety of techniques, 

Sat 7 June, Black 

Country Living 

Museum, Dudley 

KENILWORTH SHOW 

Organised by the 

Kenilworth & District 

Agricultural Society. 

Featuring classic cars, 

children’s amusements, 

carriage driving, rural 

crafts and much more, 

Sat 7 June, Stoneleigh 

Park, Warwickshire 

EVENING SCENIC 

SPECIALS A scenic 

evening ride with the 

added option of a traditional 

fish and chip 

supper, Sat 7 June, 

Severn Valley Railway, 

Kidderminster 

RUN WHAT YA BRUNG 

The chance to take 

your car or motorcycle 

out on the famous 

quarter-mile dragstrip 

and test its performance 

limits in a safe 

and legal environment, 

Sat 7 June, Santa Pod 

Raceway, Northampton 

BEGINNERS' BOBBIN 

LACE-MAKING DAY 

COURSE Learn basic 

techniques of traditional 

bobbin lace-making, 




PAPERWEIGHT DAY Sat 7 

June, Broadfield House 

Glass Museum, 

Stourbridge 

BIG BRUM OPEN TOP BUZ 

SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 7 

- Sun 8 June, Victoria 


EXCALIBUR COMPUTER 

FAIR Sat 7 June, 

National Motorcycle 

Museum, Solihull 

MEET DANIEL MEADOWS 

Artist Daniel Meadows 

discusses his exhibition, 

Daniel Meadows: 

Early Photographic 

Living Live - Uttoxeter Racecourse 

Works, Sat 7 June, 


THE BIG MATCH: CHEESE 

AND WINE International 

contest to find a champion 

cheese and wine 

pairing. Visitors can 

sample a range of specially 

selected wines 

and cheeses from 

around the world 

before voting to decide 

the overall winner, Sat 7 

June, Library Of 

Birmingham 

THE INTERNATIONAL 

ASTRONOMY SHOW The 

UK's largest astro show, 


Warwickshire Exhibition 

Centre 

BROCKHAMPTON 



Brockhampton 





they were used, Sat 7 - 

Sun 8 June, 

Brockhampton Estate, 

Worcester 

NEWCOMEN IN STEAM 

The only full-sized 

working replica of the 

world's first steam 

engine can be seen in 

action, Sat 7 - Sun 8 



MUCH WENLOCK FESTI- 

VAL Featuring a broad 

ranging programme of 

family days, theatre and 

open-air music, Sat 7 - 

Sat 21 June, Various 

locations around Much 

Wenlock, South 

Shropshire 

PERFORMANCE 

VAUXHALL SHOW New, 

old, modified, road, 

rally, and race 

Vauxhalls get together 

with trade, clubs and 

autojumble for the ultimate 

Vauxhall show of 

the summer, Sun 8 

June, Santa Pod 


THE COIN AND BANKNOTE 

FAIR Sun 8 June, 



RECORD FAIR Sun 8 

June, National 

Motorcycle Museum, 

Solihull 

BANBURY RUN Featuring 

over six hundred veteran 

and vintage 

machines, Sun 8 June, 



RAF COSFORD AIR SHOW 

The Midlands’ premier 

air event, with displays 

from a variety of aircraft; 

plus, exhibits, 

stalls, trade stands, military 

demonstrations 

and children's entertainment, 

Sun 8 June, RAF 

Cosford, Nr 

Wolverhampton 

MORGAN SPORTS CAR 

RACES Sun 8 June 


SUMMER SUNDAY FUN 

Whizz over the Valley 

Lawn on the castle zip 

wire and take part in 

garden games, Sun 8 



Herefordshire 

OPEN FARM SUNDAY Find 

out what goes on at 

Warren Farm. Learn 

about the farm calendar 

and how the seasons 

blend together. Suitable 

for all ages, Sun 8 June 


Worcester 

GLASS CRAFTS - DAD'S 

KEY RING Sun 8 June, 


Museum, Stourbridge 

JUNE FILM CLUB: THE 

ADVENTURES OF PRINCE 

ACHMED Monthly film 

club presented by 

Flatpack Film Festival, 

Sun 8 June, Library Of 

Birmingham 

CHARITY ABSEIL 

Supporting Little Hearts 

Matter & Edward’s 

Trust, Sun 8 June, 

Brindleyplace, 

Birmingham 

SPIRITUAL BIRMINGHAM 

HOLISTIC EVENT 

Featuring exhibitors 

offering a diverse range 

of complimentary therapies 

& healing, retail 

stands, professional 

readers & free talks, 

Sun 8 June, Quality 

Hotel, Birmingham 

70S SUNDAY Featuring a 

vintage craft fair and a 

chance to get down to 

the sounds of the ’70s, 

Sun 8 June, Avoncroft 

Museum, Bromsgrove 


MON 9 JUN 

AEGON CLASSIC Mon 9 - 

Sun 15 June, 

Edgbaston Priory Club, 

Birmingham 

DISCOVER THE 

COLLECTION Meet the 

conservation team, 


MEETING POINT: 

corner of Colmore Row & 

Waterloo Street, Victoria Square 

TOUR TIMES: 

10.30am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm 

CONTACT: 

0121 427 2555 / 

07805 115 998 

enquiries@birmingham-tours.co.uk 

AVAILABLE FOR 

PRIVATE HIRE 

THROUGHOUT 

THE YEAR 






who'll tell you about 

interesting items in the 

collection and demonstrate 

how they're 

looked after, Tue 10 


Wolverhampton 

RIDE WITH THE RANGER 

Enjoy a tour of the 

estate in a purposebuilt 

trailer, Tue 10 

June, Charleston Park, 

Warwickshire 

TRACTOR TOURS Enjoy a 

40-minute ride around 

the park, Tue 10 June, 

Charlecote Park, 

Warwickshire 

PHOTOGRAPHY IN 1970S 

AND 1980S BRITAIN 

Professor Ian 

Grosvenor, University of 

Birmingham, explores 

Daniel Meadows’ work 

in the context of the 

emergence of community 

photography and 

the radical political 

activism of the 1970s 

and ’80s, Tue 10 June, 


INTERMEDIATE DIGITAL 

SLR PHOTOGRAPHY 

Expand on your current 

knowledge of basic 

photography principles, 

including DSLR camera 

settings, composition, 

tips and techniques. 

Using the Compton 

Verney Grounds for 

inspiration, local photographer 

Sally Crane 

will assist and guide 

you, Wed 11 June, 



ETHICS IN CONSERVATION 

DAY COURSE Wed 11 



BARNARDO’S BIG TODDLE 

Sponsored walk for 

toddlers, Wed 11 - 

Thurs 12 June, Dudley 

Zoo & Gardens 

ENSEMBLE 1685 Join the 

singing group for an 

exploration of the 

Roman Empire exhibition, 

Thurs 12 June, 

The Herbert Museum & 

Art Gallery, Coventry 

BBC GOOD FOOD SHOW 

SUMMER! Brimming with 

inspiration, tips and 

advice on how to create 

the perfect summer 

menu, the BBC Good 

Food Show returns to 

the NEC to provide a 

food experience 'like no 

other’, Thurs 12 - Sun 

15 June, NEC, 

Birmingham 

BBC GARDENERS' WORLD 

LIVE Gardening experts 

Monty Don and 

Diarmuid Gavin make a 

welcome return to the 

Midlands this month to 

dish out tips and advice 

at the region’s top 

event for green fingered 

types, Thurs 12 - 

Sun 15 June, NEC, 

Birmingham 

FOOD AND FLORA Watch 

the sun set over the 

park, followed by a 

meal in the restaurant, 

Fri 13 June, Charlecote 


BWM RALLY Featuring 

live bands and DJs, a 

custom show, Run 

What Ya Brung, a ride 

out, club camping, a jet 

car, funfair rides & 

amusements, traders, 

caterers and much 

more, all on one site. 

The event for scooterists, 

mods, skinheads, 

casuals and ska fans, 



Northampton 

ROYAL THREE COUNTIES 

SHOW Showcasing the 

best of the British farming 

world & countryside, 

Fri 13 - Sun 15 

June, Three Counties 


CHOLMONDELEY 

PAGEANT OF POWER The 

UK's biggest celebration 

of power and 

speed, featuring more 

than one hundred-andtwenty 

valuable cars 

and bikes competing 

on track. Autocar 

Supercar Paddock and 

trade village with 

lifestyle pavillion, Fri 13 

- Sun 15 June, 

Cholmondeley Castle, 

Cheshire 

INTERNATIONAL MODEL 

AIR SHOW Bringing 

together some of the 

country’s top model aircraft 

pilots to demonstrate 

their skills, Fri 13 

- Sun 15 June, Weston 


WEAVER'S HOUSE OPEN 

DAY The Weaver’s 

House shows visitors 

what life as a medieval 

weaver would have 

been like. Regular talks 

will be held inside the 

Weaver’s house, as 

well as spinning 

demonstrations, Sat 14 

June, The Weaver's 

House, Coventry 

PATCHWORK CUSHION 

COVERS COURSE Textile 

artist Ruth Singer hosts 

an afternoon workshop 

where participants can 

make their very own 

cushion cover to take 

home, Sat 14 June, 

Black Country Living 


ST BASILS ANNUAL WALK 

Charity walk challenge, 

Sat 14 June, 


Birmingham 

SKETCH & STITCH WORK- 

SHOP Sat 14 June, 

Ragley Hall, Alcester 

LORDS OF DUDLEY AND A 

LICENCE TO CRENELLATE 

Historical day school 

celebrating the 750th 

anniversary of the 

Battle of Lewes, Sat 14 

June, Weoley Castle, 

Birmingham 

BLACKSMITH EXPERIENCE 

DAY A taster session 

providing an introduction 

to the forge, the 

basic tools, and how to 

use them, Sat 14 June, 



STICKY SATURDAY: PAPER 

CRAFT Free drop-in sessions 

for children aged 

four-plus, Sat 14 June, 

Dudley Museum & Art 

Gallery 

MEDIEVAL DANCING 

Discover how medieval 

people entertained 

themselves dancing in 

Greyfriars’ lovely garden, 

Sat 14 June, 

Greyfriars, Worcester 

VIKINGS & DRAGONS 

FAMILY DAY Meet reallife 

Vikings in a funfilled 

family day to celebrate 

the opening of 

the museum’s latest 

exhibition, Sat 14 June, 


Gallery 

ENAMELLING WORKSHOP 

Experiment using a 

sgraffito technique and 

liquid enamel ‘painting’ 

effects, before creating 

a final piece using your 

newly developed skills, 

Sat 14 June, Bilston 

Craft Gallery 

GLASS HAND CASTING 

WITH ALLISTER 

MALCOLM Sat 14 June, 


Museum, Stourbridge 

CLASSIC AND VINTAGE 

COMMERCIAL SHOW A 

colourful two-day show 

featuring a diverse 

selection of classic and 

vintage lorries and vehicles, 

pre-1985, Sat 14 - 

Sun 15 June, Heritage 


Warwickshire 

JOUST! A traditional 

jousting tournament & 

chance to tour the 

camps around the site 

and meet the knights, 

ladies and soldiers, Sat 

14 - Sun 15 June, 

Avoncroft, Bromsgrove 

GROUNDS WEEKEND 

Explore everything 

Compton's fabulous 

grounds have got to 

offer. Take part in some 

of the forest school and 

art and craft activities, 




MEDIEVAL WEEKEND 

Experience medieval 

life in the knights’ 

encampment! Witness 

the drill and arming of 

military men and see 

the medieval world 

come to life, Sat 14 - 

Sun 15 June, Forge Mill 

Needle Museum, 

Redditch 

LUNT ROMAN FESTIVAL 


The Herbert Museum & 

Art Gallery, Coventry 

BROCKHAMPTON 



Brockhampton 





they were used, Sat 14 



Worcester 

A KNIGHT’S TALE Living 

History event featuring 

lots of interactive 

medieval fun, Sat 14 - 

Sun 15 June, Forge Mill 

Needle Museum, 

Redditch 


SIGHTSEEING TOUR Sat 

14 - Sun 15 June, 

Victoria Square, 

Birmingham 

FATHER'S DAY ACTIVITIES 

Free admission for 

dads and grandads 

when they visit with 

their family to enjoy the 

numerous activities on 

offer, Sun 15 June, 



WARWICK UNIVERSITY 

BAND Bring a picnic 

and enjoy an afternoon 

of swing music, Sun 15 

June, Upton House & 

Gardens, Warwickshire 

PRE 1940 TRIUMPH 

MOTOR CLUB View over 

30 pre-war motor cars, 

Sun 15 June, Upton 

House & Gardens, 

Warwickshire 

ARMS AND MILITARIA 




FATHER’S DAY Event with 

Elizabethan dancing. 

Free tours for fathers 

when accompanied by 

one or more offspring, 

Sun 15 June, 

Harvington Hall, 

Kidderminster 

FATHER’S DAY HELITRIPS 

See the Follies from 

above in a special helicopter 

ride, Sun 15 

June, The Follies, 

Hawkstone Park 

MEET THE HORSES 

Special event which 

demonstrates the 

importance of horses in 

everyday life over a 

hundred years ago, 

Sun 15 June, Blists Hill 

Victorian Town, 

Ironbridge, Shropshire 

DADS GO FREE Walk the 

gardens, see the working 

brewhouse, enjoy 

lunch & homemade 

cakes in the tearoom 

Every dad accompanied 

by another paying 

adult gets in for free, 

Sun 15 June, 



Stafford 

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: 

BEHIND THE SCENES 

TOUR Sun 15 June, 

Weston Park, 

Staffordshire 

FALCONRY DAY Meet 

spectacular birds of 

prey and see them take 

to the air in fabulous 

flying displays, Sun 15 

June, Blakesley Hall, 

Birmingham 

CLASSIC CAR AND 

TRANSPORT SHOW 

Featuring over 1000 

vintage & classic vehicles, 

commercial, 

motorcycles, autojumble/tradestands, 

as well 

as 50 car clubs and the 

'piston rings' motorcycle 

display team. Plus 

all of Trentham's superb 

attractions. Sun 15 

June, Trentham 

Gardens, Stoke-on- 

Trent 

BONSAI DEMONSTRATION 

Sun 15 June, 

Birmingham Botanical 

Gardens 

TRANSPORT FESTIVAL 

Featuring over one 

thousand classic, contemporary 

and rare 

cars on display, Sun 15 

June, Trentham Estate, 


FATHER’S DAY: CAPTAIN 

GEOFFREY’S DISCOVERY 

DAY Featuring demonstrations 

from Feather 

Perfect Falconry, havea-go 

archery sessions 

and classic car & bike 

displays, Sun 15 June, 

Dudmaston Estate, 

Bridgnorth, Shropshire 

FATHER’S DAY LUNCH - 

MEET THE CASTLE’S RESI- 

DENT KNIGHT Sun 15 

June, Warwick Castle 


MON 16 JUN 

WALK WITH THE 

GARDENER Opportunity 

to discover more about 

the estate and ask 

questions, Tue 17 June, 


Warwickshire 

HERBERT ILLUMINATION: 

HOW THE ROMANS CON- 

QUERED THE WORLD 

WITH DORMICE Dominic 

Russell leads a talk on 

Roman Imperialism, 

Herbert Art Gallery & 

Museum, Coventry 

BARNARDO’S BIG TODDLE 

Sponsored walk for 

toddlers, Tues 17 June, 

Dudley Zoo & Gardens 

WALK WITH THE GARDEN- 

ER Enjoy a guided tour 

through the grounds, 

Tues 17 June, 


Warwickshire 

DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG 

Chance to practise 

drifting in safe and 

legal conditions on 

some of the Pod's thirty 

acres of open tarmac, 

where there are beginners, 

intermediate and 

advanced tracks open 

at the same time each 

DWYB day, Wed 18 

June, Santa Pod 


SIR RANULPH FIENNES: 

LIVING DANGEROUSLY 

Wed 18 June, 

Birmingham Town Hall 

DRESSING THE QUEEN 

See history brought to 

life and meet 

Kenilworth's authentically 

costumed Queen 

Elizabeth I. Every 

month, visitors will have 

the opportunity to 

watch 'Elizabeth' being 

dressed, from undergarments 

to the finishing 

touches, Wed 18 

June, Kenilworth 

Castle, Warwickshire 

NEWCOMEN IN STEAM 

The only full-sized 

working replica of the 

world's first steam 

engine can here be 

seen in action. Due to 

the unpredictable 

nature of the 

Newcomen, please 

check running details 

with the museum prior 

to travelling to avoid 

disappointment, Thurs 

19 - Sun 22 June, Black 



AN EVENING WITH 

CHARLIE WAITE One of 

the world's leading 

landscape photographers, 

Charlie Waite, 

here provides an 

insight into his world 

and his method, Fri 20 

June, The Swan 

Theatre, Worcester 

FAWN CHECK Fri 20 

June, Charlecote Park, 

Warwickshire 

SAXONS VS DANES: THE 

BATTLE OF WODENSFIELD 

Simon Hamilton and 

local historian Ray 

Fellows talk about the 

famous battle between 

the Anglo-Saxons and 

the Danes on nearby 

land, and how it helped 

change the course of 

British history, Fri 20 

June, Wolverhampton 

Art Gallery 

WORCESTERSHIRE LITER- 

ARY FESTIVAL Featuring 

spoken-word performances, 

seminars, workshops, 

poetry slams, 

competitions & more, 


various locations 

around Worcestershire 

ESCORT RS TURBO 30TH 

ANNIVERSARY RALLY Sat 

21 June, Heritage 


Warwickshire 

NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHS 

Storytelling & poetry 

workshop with Ruth 

Stacey, Sat 21 June, 

Worcester City Art 


AN EVENING ON THE 

HOME FRONT 1940s nostalgia 

featuring entertainment 

of the day, Sat 

21 June, Blists Hill 

Victorian Town, 

Ironbridge, Shropshire 


MUSIC An evening of 

show and movie music, 

performed by 

Avonbank Brass Band, 

Sat 21 June, 


Warwickshire 

CANAL CRAFTS DAY 

COURSE Learn about the 

culture and craft traditions 

of the Black 

Country, Sat 21 June, 



IMPROVERS' WILLOW 

BASKET WEAVING Learn 

about the techniques 

and traditions of willow 

weaving and create a 

unique willow basket, 




BELGRADE MELA A celebration 

of South Asian 

arts featuring stalls selling 

traditional products, 

samples of Asian food, 

workshops and performances 

of classical 

Indian dances, all of 

which culminate in an 

evening performance of 

music and dance on 

the Belgrade's main 

stage Sat 21 June, 


Coventry 

STORYTELLING FESTIVAL 






Featuring story trails, 

live music, dance and 

crafts, Sat 21 June, 

Martineau Gardens, 

Birmingham 

ALDRIDGE FAYRE 

Featuring arena events, 

trade stalls, charity 

stalls, a car boot sale 

and much more... Sat 

21 June, Anchor 

Meadow, Walsall 

ASTON HERITAGE DAY Sat 

21 June, Aston Hall, 

Birmingham 

DANCE 4 MARGOT & 

FRIENDS A charity event 

aimed at raising funds 

and awareness for 

Team Margo and Delete 

Blood Cancer UK, Sat 

21 June, The Slade 

Rooms, 

Wolverhampton 

RUN WHAT YA BRUNG 

The chance to take 

your car or motorcycle 

out on the famous 

quarter-mile dragstrip 

and test its performance 

limits in a safe 

and legal environment, 

Sat 21 June, Santa Pod 


EXCALIBUR COMPUTER 

FAIR Sat 21 June, 



NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE 

RACES Sat 21 - Sun 22 

June, Donington Park 

Brockhampton 



21 - Sun 22 June, 


Birmingham 



Brockhampton 








Worcester 

OPEN DAY OF THE EARL 

OF DUDLEY’S MEMORIAL 

GARDEN Sat 21 - Sun 22 

June, St Michael & All 

Angels Church, Himley, 

Dudley 

WEST MIDLANDS GAME 

AND COUNTRY FAIR 

Promising two actionpacked 

days of family 

fun & activities, including 

arena displays, 

demos by TV's Chris 

Green, a beagle show, 

ferret displays, BASC 

Gundog events, fun 

dog shows, children's 

quad bikes, a funfair & 

pony rides, Sat 21 - 

Sun 22 June 



Stafford 

PLAYING AROUND Big 

Frog Productions present 

two plays for children 

aged four to nine, 


Jinney Ring Craft 

Centre, Redditch 

LIVING LIVE 2014 The 

'largest lifestyle show in 

Staffordshire’ Sat 21 - 

Sun 22 June, 

Uttoxeter Racecourse, 

Stafford 

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE 

WOODS TODAY... Chance 

to make a kite to take 

home, Sat 21 - Sun 22 


Wolverhampton 

MIDSUMMER MADNESS 

Celebrate the longest 

day of the year, Sat 21 - 

Sun 22, Mary Arden’s 

House, Stratford Upon 

Avon 

HERITAGE RALLY A noncompetitive 

social rally 

for all classic cars; 

starting and finishing at 

the Heritage Motor 

Centre, with a midway 

stop at the Cotswold 

Wildlife Park, Sun 22 

June, Heritage Motor 

Centre, Gaydon, 

Warwickshire 

RETRO SHOW The multimarque 

event for fans 

of retro vehicles, both 

four and two wheels, 

Sun 22 June, Santa 

Pod Raceway, 

Northampton 

PLANT HUNTERS FAIR 

Sun 22 June, 

Whittington Castle, 

Oswestry, North 

Shropshire 

SOS DAY A day of family 

fun and rescue displays 

from local emergency 

services. Get up close 

to the fire engines and 

see rescue boats, 4x4 

response group vehicles 

and more! Sun 22 



Herefordshire 

SEVERN HOSPICE 

DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL 

Sun 22 June, Pengwern 

Boat Club, Shrewsbury 

GUIDED TOUR Sun 22 

June, Stokesay Court, 


BETFRED FAMILY FUN DAY 

Featuring appearances 

from Moshi Monsters 

Katsuma & Poppet, Sun 

22 June, Worcester 

Racecourse 

GARDEN PARTY Sun 22 

June, Blakesley Hall, 

Birmingham 

FAWN CHECK Sun 22 

June, Charlecote Park, 

Warwickshire 

THE ORIGINS OF MIDDLE- 

EARTH WALK Sun 22 

June, Sarehole Mill, 

Birmingham 


MON 23 JUN 

WATCH WIMBLEDON 

Watch the action in 

Central Square, Mon 23 

June, Brindleyplace, 

Birmingham 

TRACTOR TOURS Enjoy a 

40-minute ride around 

the park, Tue 24 June, 


Dragonboat Festival - Brindleyplace, Birmingham 

Warwickshire 

ROSE FESTIVAL TOURS 

Join head gardener 

Sam Tippens for a 

guided tour around the 

gardens, Wed 25 June - 

Sun 6 July, Coughton 

Court, Warwickshire 

VALUATION DAY: FINE 

ARTS & ANTIQUES 

Fieldings Auctioneers 

will be on hand to value 

ceramics, jewellery, collectables, 

clocks, 

watches, books etc... 

Thurs 26 June, Bantock 

House Museum, 

Wolverhampton 

PEAK PERFORMANCE 

TEST & TUNE DAY RWYB 

with maximum track 

time for serious enthusiasts. 

Car clubs, performance 

specialists 

and individuals all welcome, 

Fri 27 June, 


Northampton 

RILEY REGISTER - 80TH 

ANNIVERSARY OF LE 

MANS Car Club Display 

celebrating the 80th 

anniversary of Rileys' 

win at Le Mans, Fri 27 

June, Coventry 

Transport Museum 

KIDS UNDER 5’S DAY Five 

hours of entertainment, 

including a petting zoo, 

funfair and storytellers, 

Fri 27 June, Himley 

Hall, Dudley 

COLD ENAMELLING Fri 27 

June, Broadfield House 

Glass Museum, 

Stourbridge 

THE SAINSBURY’S 

BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS 

The country's best athletes 

battle it out for the 

prestigious honour of 

being crowned British 

champion, Fri 27 - Sun 

29 June, Alexander 

Stadium, Birmingham 

UPTON FOOD AND BEER 

FESTIVAL Fri 27 - Sun 

29 June, various venues 

Upton-upon- 

Severn, Worcestershire 

MEMORIAL ABORETUM 

ARMED FORCES DAY Sat 

28 June, RAF Cosford, 

Nr Wolverhampton 

JAGUAR SUPER 

SATURDAY Featuring up 

to fifty classic 

Swallow/SS/Daimler 

and Jaguar cars, on 

display on Millennium 

Place, Sat 28 June, 

Coventry Transport 

Museum 

BIG WILD NIGHT 

Featuring children’s 

crafts, wildlife spotting, 

pond dipping, nature 

trails and much more, 

Sat 28 June, Brueton 


ENAMELLING WORKSHOP 

Experiment using a 

sgraffito technique and 

liquid enamel ‘painting’ 

effects, before creating 

a final piece using your 

newly developed skills, 

Sat 28 June, Bilston 

Craft Gallery 

THE DESIGN PROCESS OF 

MUSEUM OF ROYAL 

WORCESTER Meet Harry 

Frost, Worcester 

Porcelain expert, former 

curator and former 

designer for Royal 

Worcester, Sat 28 June, 

Museum of Royal 

Worcester 

VINTAGE GARDEN PARTY 

Featuring live music, 

vintage teas, and stalls 

selling vintage clothing, 

homeware & accessories, 

Sat 28 June, 

Bantock House 

Museum 

STONE MASONRY DAY 

COURSE Introduction of 

the conservation, repair 

and restoration of natural 

stone buildings, as 

well as the construction 

of new masonry structures, 

and an understanding 

of the wide 

range of stone types 

and how they react to 

various conditions, Sat 

28 June, Black Country 


GO COMPOSE! 

Composing project for 

fourteen-to-eighteenyear-olds, 

Sat 28 June, 

Coventry PAS - Chase 

Studio Centre 

MARVELLOUS MAMMALS 

Follow the clues to see 

if you can identify the 

different mammals living 

in the Severn Valley, 

Sat 28 June, Severn 

Valley Country Park, 

Alveley, Shropshire 

MONOPRINTING WITH 

LEICESTER PRINT 

WORKSHOP Adult workshop 

where participants 

can work with artist 

Kate Da’Casto, from 

Leicester Print 

Workshop, to experiment 

with monoprinting 

and create vibrant, oneoff 

prints, Sat 28 June, 



QUEEN VICTORIA CYCLO 

CROSS Described as 

‘Britain’s craziest bike 

race’, Sat 28 June, 

Blists Hill Victorian 

Town, Ironbridge, 

Shropshire 

JEWELLERY QUARTER 

HERITAGE WALK Sat 28 

June, Jewellery 

Quarter, Birmingham 

DRAGONBOAT FESTIVAL 

Annual fundraising 

event, Sat 28 June, 


Birmingham 

CELESTIAL COMMISSATO 

An evening of decadence 

and deities, Sat 

28 June, The Herbert 


Coventry 

SUMMER NATIONALS 

National Drag Racing 

Championships, including 

MSA 200mph Pro 

Mods, drag bikes, a jet 

car plus nostalgia 

classes, Sat 28 - Sun 

29 June, Santa Pod 




28 - Sun 29 June, 


Birmingham 

FOLK & CRAFT WEEKEND 

Featuring have-a-go 

craft sessions and a 

performance from 

award-winning folk 

group The Roving 

Crows, Sat 28 - Sun 29 

June, Jinney Ring Craft 

Centre, Redditch 

#SHROPSHIREUNSIGNED 

In conjunction with 

Shrewsbury Food 

Festival, this two-night 

music event features 

local acts who’re hoping 

to raise their profile. 

Line-up yet to be 

announced... Sat 28 - 


Buttermarket, 

Shrewsbury 

MOTORCYCLE 

ENDURANCE RACES Sat 

28 - Sun 29 June, 


MUD RUNNER OBLIVION A 

supreme test of fitness! 

Participants will complete 

a gruelling sixishmile 

cross-country 

course and ten different 

tests of strength, 

endurance and co-ordination, 

Sat 28 - Sun 29 



Herefordshire 

BROCKHAMPTON 

BOWMAN ARCHERY SES- 

SIONS Join the 

Brockhampton 








Worcester 

STEP BACK TO THE 1940S 

Popular event taking a 

lighthearted journey 

back to wartime Britain. 

Attractions include costumed 

re-enactments, 

1940s Blackout Fair, 

displays of historic civilian 

& military vehicles, 

a wartime operations 

room and stands featuring 

period memorabilia, 

Sat 28 - Sun 29 

June, Severn Valley 

Railway, Kidderminster 

SHREWSBURY FOOD FES- 

TIVAL Featuring over 

two hundred food, 

drink & craft exhibitors, 

free talks & demos, live 

music & kids’ entertainment, 

Sat 28 - Sun 29 

June, The Quarry Park, 

Shrewsbury 

LUDLOW ARTS FESTIVAL 

Fusion of theatre, 

music, comedy & children’s 

entertainment, 

Sat 28 June - Sun 6 

July, Ludlow Castle, 


SUTTON COLDFIELD CAR- 

NIVAL Sun 29 June, 

Meadow Platt, Sutton 

Coldfield 

TOY COLLECTORS FAIR 

Sun 29 June, Three 

Counties Showground, 

Malvern 

BRITISH ARMED FORCES 

DAY A free, fun-filled 

family day to celebrate 

the Armed Forces and 

commemorate the centenary 

of the start of 

World War One. 

Children's activities, a 

military vehicle exhibition 

and a youth marching 

band competition 

all feature, Sun 29 

June, Himley Hall & 

Park, Dudley 

ANTIQUE & COLLECTORS 


Three Counties 


AUSTIN DAY Celebrating 

local motoring heritage 

with vintage and classic 

cars from the 1900s to 

the 1940s, Sun 29 

June, Avoncroft 

Museum, Bromsgrove 

WORCESTERSHIRE BIKE 

RIDE Featuring three 

routes, Sun 29 June, 

Sixways Stadium, 

Worcester 


Eating Out 

Marco Pierre’s 

flagship not so White... 

Marco Pierre White’s flagship Birmingham restaurant 

received a zero rating for hygiene in a recent 

inspection by local environmental health officers. 

The restaurant, which opened in December 2011, 

was informed in March that its FSA rating would 

plummet to and remain at zero until its next programmed 

inspection - which could be anything 

up to eighteen months away. The news will come 

as a shock to diners, who pay around £50 per 

head at the swanky restaurant on the twenty-fifth 

floor of The Cube. 

Marco Pierre White’s was not the only restaurant 

to be caught out, with Chaophraya on Spiceal 

Street and Malmaison in The Mailbox also receiving 

zero ratings. 

Top award for Indian fine dining 

Birmingham’s fine dining restaurant Pushkar 

Cocktail Bar & Dining has beaten off stiff competition 

to be named the Asian Business Awards’ 

Midlands Restaurant Of The Year. Pushkar’s 

Creative Director, Rai Singh, received the award 

from Leicester MP Keith Vaz at a recent gala 

award ceremony at Edgbaston Stadium. 

Rai Singh with his award 

Alfresco dining on the menu 

A taste of summer is on offer at Birmingham’s 

Hotel du Vin, courtesy of a new Al Fresco menu. 

Fresh, seasonal ingredients feature in a mouthwatering 

selection of dishes, including watermelon, 

feta and red onion salad, and chargrilled, 

corn-fed chicken with citrus and watercress 

salad. 

Sweet-toothed diners can indulge themselves 

with baked vanilla cheesecake or Scottish strawberries 

with crème chantilly. 

Summer-inspired drinks on the Hotel du Vin’s 

menu include Hendricks summer punch, ginger 

brewski and a selection of international craft and 

fruit beers. 

Caribbean joy at Turtle Bay... 

REVIEW 

Tucked away behind 

Birmingham’s New 

Alexandra Theatre on 

John Bright Street is Turtle 

Bay; not the Hawaiian 

resort, but the city’s 

newest Caribbean eatery. 

Impossible to miss thanks 

to its bright exterior, it’s 

just as colourful inside, 

with the addition of some 

of the warmest and friendliest 

staff around. 

Following our waitress 

onto the veranda, we 

began our Caribbean culinary 

adventure by perusing 

an overwhelming 

cocktail list. We were definitely 

off to a good start! It 

would’ve been a crime not 

to try the rum punch, so I 

went for the Passion Rum 

Punch. My companion 

chose a non-alcoholic 

Watermelon Cooler. The 

punch was ridiculously 

drinkable; the Cooler, icy 

and refreshing. 

We then ordered the 

pulled jerk pork and jerk 

pit prawns from the 

Cutters section of the 

menu inspired by ‘beach 

shacks & street hawkers’. 

The hot pork with the 

sweet orange and spicy 

rocket was perfect. The 

prawns were fresh, plentiful 

and chargrilled. 

Next up was the Trinidad 

curry chicken and Mo’ Bay 

chicken. The former was 

simply delicious; a onepot 

wonder of rich-yet-mild 

chicken curry, infused with 

a promise of the islands - 

coconut, sweet potato and 

mango. 

The Mo’ Bay was a single 

piece of chicken smothered 

in a creamy sauce - 

to offset the jerk - and presented 

alongside the 

crispiest sweet potato fries 

around. Some fabulous 

fried plantain topped it off. 

With nutty, crunchy Trini 

chickpeas on the side, this 

was both a street food and 

a home-style feast. 

And no feast is complete 

without dessert! The BBQ 

pineapple, with its sweet, 

sugary rum sauce, was 

just the thing to round off 

a spicy meal. 

Buzzing with a holiday 

atmosphere, Turtle Bay is 

perfect for parties or simply 

to liven up an otherwise 

drab day. With a 

huge menu from which to 

choose and cocktails 

aplenty to enjoy, it offers a 

taste of the Caribbean 

that’s well worth sampling. 

Alev Dervish 

Food: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

Service: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

Ambience: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

Overall value ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

OVERALL ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ 

Turtle Bay 

81-91 John Bright Street 

Birmingham 

B1 1BL 

Tel: 0121 643 1303 


Restaurant LISTINGS 

For full listing information on restaurants, 

including opening times and 

type of cuisine, visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk 

Birmingham 

AALTO RESTAURANT Hotel 

La Tour, Albert Street, 

Birmingham B5 5JT 

0121 718 8000 

AIR RESTAURANT LG 

Arena, Bickenhill Rd, 

0844 338 0333 

BANK 4 Brindleyplace, 

B1 2JB 0121 633 4466 

BAR ESTILO 10-114 

Wharfside St, The 

Mailbox, B1 1RF 0121 

643 3443 

BARAJEE 265 Broad 

Street, B1 2DS 0121 643 

6699 

BELLA ITALIA 102 New 

Street, B2 4HQ 0121 

643 1548 

BERLIOZ Burlington 

Arcade, New St, B2 4JQ 

0121 633 1737 

BLUE MANGO Regency 

Wharf, Broad St, B1 2DS 

0121 633 4422 

BLUE PIANO RESTAURANT 

AND BAR 24-26 Harborne 

Rd, B15 3AA 0121 454 

6877 

BUONISSIMO 1 Albany 

Rd, Harborne, B17 9JX 

0121 426 2444 

CAFE OPUS 1 Oozells 

Square, Brindleyplace, 

B1 2HS 0121 248 3226 

CARLUCCIO’S The Water’s 

Edge, Brindleyplace 

B1 2HP 0121 633 9262 

CENTENARY BAR & 

BRASSERIE Broad Street, 

B1 2EP 0121 245 2080 

CHI BAR & GRILL 61 

Newhall Street, B3 3RB 

0121 233 3150 

CHUNG YING 

16-18 Wrottersley Street, 

B5 4RT 0121 622 5669 

CHUNG YING GARDEN 17 

Thorpe St, B5 4AT 

0121 666 6622 

CIELO 6 Oozells Square, 

Brindleyplace, B1 2JB 

0121 632 6882 

COAST TO COAST 9 

Brindleyplace, Broad 

Street, B1 2HJ 

COTE The Mailbox, 

B1 1RX 0121 631 1587 

CUCINA RUSTICA 24 

Ludgate Hill, B3 1DX 

0121 233 2277 

DEL VILLAGGIO 

Unit 528, Middle Mall, 

The Bullring. B5 4BE 

0121 643 1400 

EDMUNDS 6 Brindley 

place, B1 2JB 0121 633 

4944 

FLEET STREET KITCHEN 

Fleet Street, Islington 

Gates, B3 1JH 0121 236 

0100 

ITIHAAS 18 Fleet St, B3 

1JL 0121 212 3383 

JAMIE’S ITALIAN Middle 

Mall, Bullring Shopping 

Centre, B5 4BE 

0121 270 3610 

JIMMY SPICES Regency 

Wharf, Broad St, B1 2DS 

0121 643 2111 

LAS IGUANAS Arcadian 

Centre, Hurst St, B5 4TD 

0121 622 4466 

LASAN 3-4 Dakota 

Buildings, James St, St 

Paul’s Square, B3 1SD 

0121 212 3664 

THE LOFT LOUNGE 

143 Bromsgrove St, 

B5 6RG 0121 622 2444 

THE LOST & FOUND 

8 Bennetts Hill, B2 5RS 

0121 643 9293 

LOVES The Glasshouse, 

Browning St, B16 8FL 

0121 454 5151 

MECHU 47 - 59 Summer 

Row, B3 1JJ 0121 212 

1661 

METRO BAR & GRILL 73 

Cornwall St B3 2DF 

0121 200 1911 

MINT Yew Tree Retail 

Park, Stoney Lane 

Yardley, B25 8YP 

0121 789 8908 

MOUNT FUJI The Bullring, 

B5 4BH 0121 633 9853 

NUVO BAR 11 Brindley 

Place, B1 2LP 0121 631 

1600 

OPUS 54 Cornwall St, 

B3 2DE 0121 200 2323 

THE ORIENTAL The 

Mailbox, 128-130 

Wharfside St, B1 1RQ 

0121 633 9988 

PEACHYKEENS 1741 

Coventry Road, B26 

1DS 0121 764 5519 

PENNY BLACKS 

SINGLE? 

The Mailbox, 132-134 

Wharfside St, B1 1XL 

0121 632 1460 

PICCOLINO 

9 Brindleyplace B1 2HS 

0121 634 3055 

PITCHER & PIANO 

Brindleyplace, B1 2HP 

0121 643 0214 

POPPY RED Arcadian 

Centre, Birmingham B5 

4TD 0121 687 1200 

PURNELL’S 55 Cornwall 

St, B3 2DH 0121 212 

9799 

PURNELL’SBISTOR & GIN- 

GER’S BAR 11 Newhall 

Street, B3 3NY, 0121 

2000 1588 

THE RECTORY 50-54 St 

Paul’s Sq, B3 1QS 

0121 605 1001 

RED PEPPERS 117 

Wharfside St, B1 1RF 

0121 643 4202 

SAN CARLO 4 Temple St, 

B2 5BN 0121 633 0251 

SHIMLA PINKS 215 Broad 

St, B15 1AY 0121 633 

0366 

SIMPSONS, 20 Highfield 

Rd, Edgbaston B13 3DU 

0121 454 3434 

THE SLUG AND LETTUCE, 

Brindley Place, 

Birmingham B1 2HL 

0121 633 3049 

STRADA 109-111 

Wharfside St, The 

Mailbox B1 1XL 

0121 643 7279 

TGI FRIDAYS 180 Hagley 

Road, Edgbaston, B16 

9NY 0121 454 1930 

THAI EDGE 7 Oozells Sq, 

B1 2HL 0121 643 3993 

THE VAULTS Newhall 

Place, Newhall Hill, 

B1 3JH 0121 212 9837 

WAGAMAMA Brindley 

Place, birmingham B1 

Warwickshire 

7 SQUARE 7 Old Square, 

Warwick CV34 4RA 

01926 411 755 

NO. 9 CHURCH STREET 

Stratford upon Avon, 

Warwickshire CV37 6HB 

01789 415522 

AGRA PLACE 12 Abbey 

Green, Nuneaton, CV11 

5DR 024 7635 0515 

THE ALMANAK Abbey End 

North, Kenilworth, CV8 

1QJ 01926 353 637 

AUBERGINE 32 Smith St, 

Warwick CV34 4HS 

01926 400 086 

THE ALMANACK Abbey 

UK’s leading social events club are holding their 

Summer Ball, Sat 5th July 

at Cottons Hotel, Manchester Road, Knutsford, Cheshire 

8pm Drinks Reception, 3 Course meal & all drinks 

Events weekly include dining out, dinner dances, black tie 

balls, theatre, parties, weekends away and holidays abroad. 

(01244) 677030 w/days or 548816 eve/weekends 

www.thedinnerclubuk.com 

£68 

accom also 

available 

End North, Kenilworth 

CV8 1QJ 01926 353637 

BLUE BISTRO 21 Spon St, 

Coventry, CV1 3BA 024 

7622 9274 

BROWNS Earl St, Coventry 

CV1 5RU 0247 622 1100 

CARLUCCIOS 13 Waterside, 

Stratford-Upon-Avon 

CV37 6BA 

01789 267424 

CASTLES 6 Castle Street, 

CV34 4QU 01926 495421 

CATALAN 6 Jury St , 

Warwick CV34 4EW 

01926 498 930 

THE CHURCH STREET 

TOWNHOUSE 16 Church 

Street, Stratford-upon- 

Avon CV37 6HB 01789 

262222 

COOMBE ABBEY Brinklow 

Road, Coventry, CV3 2AB 

024 7645 0450 

CROSSED KHUKRIS GURKHA 

115 Abbey Street, 

Nuneaton, CV11 5BX 024 

7634 4488 

EDWARD MOON 9 Chapel 

Street, Stratford-upon- 

Avon, CV37 6EP 01789 

267069 

EGO 29 The Square, 

Kenilworth, CV8 1EF 

01926 864463 

THE ENCORE 

Bridge Street Stratford 

upon Avon CV37 6AB 

01789 269462 

FINEST CATCH B’ham Rd, 

Henley in Arden. B95 

5QR 01564 793783 

FIVE RIVERS 20-22 Victoria 

Terrace, 

Leamington Spa, CV31 

3AB 01926 431999 

GEORGETOWN 23 Sheep 

St, Stratford-Upon-Avon, 

CV37 6EF 01789 204445 

GRANTS OF SHEEP ST 21- 

23 Sheep Street, 

Stratford-upon-Avon, 

CV37 6EF 01789 290 008 

HIGH PAVEMENT BAR & DIN- 

ING 3 High Street, CV34 

4AP 01926 494725 

HELP OUT MILL Heather 

Rd, Shakerstone, 

Nuneaton. CV13 0BT 

01530 260666 

INDIA RED 25 Abbey 

Street, Nuneaton, CV11 

5BX 024 7634 2090 

JIMMY SPICES 64-66 

Station Rd, Solihull, B91 

3RX 0121 709 2111 

LE BISTRO PIERRE Swans 

Nest, Bridgford, Stratford 

upon Avon. CV37 7LT 

01789 264804 

MALLORY COURT Harbury 

Lane, Leamington Spa, 

CV33 9QB, 01926 330214 

MATRICARDIS 97 High St, 

Henley in Arden. B95 5AT 

01564 792735 

MERCHANTS Swan Street, 

Warwick CV34 4BJ 01926 

403833 

NICOLINIS 14 The Parade, 

Leamington Spa, CV32 

4DW 01926 421620 

ONE ELM 1 Guild St, 

Stratford-Upon-Avon, 

CV37 6QZ 01789 404919 

PREZZO 1-3 High St, 

Warwick CV34 4AP 

01926 475867 

RESTAURANT 23 

34 Hamilton Terrace, Holly 

Walk Leamington Spa, 

CV32 4LY 01926 422422 

RISTORANTE DA VINCI 50 

Earlsdon Street, Coventry, 

CV5 6EJ 024 7671 3554 

ROBBIE’S RESTAURANT 74 

Smith Street, CV34 4HU 

Balcony Brasserie, Selfridges, Birmingham 

01926 400470 

ROOFTOP RESTAURANT 

@ The RST, Waterside, 

Stratford-upon-Avon, 

CV37 6BB 01789 403449 

SAFFRON GOLD Market St, 

Westgate House, 

Warwick CV34 4DE 

01926 402061 

THE SAXON MILL 

Coventry Rd, Guys Cliffe, 

Warwick CV34 5YN 

01926 492 255 

SIGNATURES @ The 


Coventry, CV1 1GS 

02476 846762 

TAILORS 22 Market Place, 

Warwick CV34 4SL 

01926 410590 

THE TREVELYAN Warwick 

Rd, Stratford-upon-Avon, 

CV37 ONR 

01789 295252 

THE VINE INN 86 - 88 West 

St, Warwick CV34 6AW 

07873 219005 

WARWICK SPICE 24 Smith 

Street, CV34 4HS 01926 

491736 

ZIZZI 85-87 Regent 

Square House, Parade, 

Leamington Spa CV 32 

4NL 01926 432532 


ANAKARI 47 The Tythings, 

Worcester. WR1 1JT 

01905 21412 

ANGEL CHEF 1 Angel St, 

Worcester WR1 3QT 

01905 731131 

ANUPAM 85 Church 

Street, Malvern. WR14 

2AE 01684 573814 

BACCHUS 44 Worcester 

Road, Bromsgrove B61 

0TA 01527 877557 

BENEDICTOS 34 Sidbury, 

Worcester WR1 2HZ 

01905 21444 

BINDLES BAR & BRASSERIE 

55 Sidbury, WR1 2HU 

01905 611120 

BRAMBLINGS Hither Green 

Lane, Redditch, B98 9BE 

01527 406600 

BRIDGE INN Plough Road, 

Droitwich WR9 7NQ 

01905 345874 

BROWNS 24 Quay St, 

Worcester WR1 2JJ 

01905 26263 

CHADDESLEY RESTAURANT 

Brockencote Hall Hotel, 

Kidderminster DY10 4PY 

01562 777876 

THE CHASE INN Chase Rd, 

Upper Colwall, Malvern. 

WR13 6DQ 01684 

540276 

CHESTERS 51 New St, 

Worcester, WR1 2DL 

01905 611638 

CROWN & SANDYS 

Main Rd, Ombersley, 

WR9 0EW 01905 62025 

EWE AND LAMB Hanbury 

Road, Bromsgrove B60 

4DN 01527 871 929 

THE FIG TREE 99 Church 

Street, Gt Malvern, WR14 

2AE 01684 569909 

FOUR SEASONS 61 

Lowesmoor, Worcester 

WR1 2RS 01905 27026 

FUSION BRASSERIE 

Hawbridge, Stoulton, 

Worcester WR7 4RJ 

01905 840647 

THE INN AT STONEHALL 

Stonehall Common, 

Worcester, WR5 3QG 

01905820462 

KING CHARLES II King 

Charles House, New St, 

Worcester WR1 2D 

01905 22449 

L’AMUSE BOUCHE 51 

Graham Rd, Malvern. 

WR14 2HU 01684 

572427 

LANGTREYS 89a High St, 

Bromsgrove. B61 8AQ 

01527 878242 

LITTLE VENICE 1 - 3 St 

Nicholas St, Worcester 

WR1 1UW 01905 

726126 

LOTUS HOUSE 33 

Ombersley St East, 

Droitwich, WR9 8QX 

01905 770079 

MAEKONG THAI 12 

Worcester Road, 

Bromsgrove B61 7AE 

01527 578888 

MASSALLA LOUNGE 35 

Broad St, Worcester 

WR1 3NH 01905 

729955 

MUG HOUSE Claines 

Lane, Worcester WR3 

7RN 01905 456649 

ON THE ROCKS 44 

Worcester Road, 

Bromsgrove, B61 7AE 

01527 882412 

PORTOFINO, 6 Worcester 

Rd, Droitwich. WR9 8AD 

01905 794799 

PORTWAY ITALIAN, 

Alcester Rd, Redditch. 

B48 7HT 01564 824794 

PUCCINI'S, 12 Friar St, 

Worcester WR12LZ 

01905 27770 

RAJDOOT Cutnall Green, 

Droitwich. WR9 0PW 

01299 851000 

ROSADOS’S 2 Finstall Rd, 

Aston Fields, 

Bromsgrove. B60 2DZ 

01527 889948 

SAFFRON BISTRO 15 New 

St, Worcester WR1 2DP 

01905 610505 

For full Restaurant listings 

visit: www.whatsonlive.co.uk 


For full Restaurant listings 

visit: whatsonlive.co.uk 

Read the reviews online

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