Worcestershire Cover October Davina 2019.qxp_Worcestershire Cover 20/09/2019 14:01 Page 1 LAUGHS APLENTY WITH Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands JIMEOIN IN REDDITCH & MALVERN WORCESTERSHIRE WHAT’S ON OCTOBER 2019 OCTOBER ON WHAT’S WORCESTERSHIRE Worcestershire ISSUE 406 OCTOBER 2019 ’ WhatFILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTSs I FOOD On worcestershirewhatson.co.uk PART OF WHAT’S ON MEDIA GROUP GROUP MEDIA ON WHAT’S OF PART inside: Yourthe 16-pagelist week by week listings guide GRANNY’S ATTIC traditional English folk music at Huntingdon Hall TWITTER: @WHATSONWORCS @WHATSONWORCS TWITTER: NAVARRA STRING QUARTET return to Bromsgrove’s Artrix FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWORCESTERSHIRE PUMPKIN WORCESTERSHIREWHATSON.CO.UK MEERKATS at West Midlands Safari Park IFC Worcestershire.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2019 18:14 Page 1 Molton Browm DPS October 2019.qxp_Layout 1 17/09/2019 14:53 Page 2 Belgrade Theatre Full October 2019.qxp_Layout 1 18/09/2019 14:56 Page 1 Contents October Warwicks/Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2019 14:26 Page 2 October 2019 Contents The Entertainer - Shane Richie takes the lead in John Osborne classic page 26 10 reasons to visit... Daliso Chaponda Change Festival the list broaden your horizons at brings Blah Blah Blacklist tour new Warwick Arts Centre event Your 16-page Compton Verney this autumn to the Midlands imagines a more positive future week-by-week listings guide feature page 12 page 23 page 45 page 51 inside: 4. First Word 17. Gigs 19. Dance 22. Comedy 24. Theatre 37. Visual Arts 39. Film 43. Events fb.com/whatsonwarwickshire fb.com/whatsonworcestershire @whatsonwarwicks @whatsonworcs Warwickshire What’s On Worcestershire What’s On Warwickshire What’s On Worcestershire What’s On Managing Director: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704 What’sOn Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Lauren Cole [email protected] 01743 281733 MEDIA GROUP Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Nanci Davies, Patsy Moss Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan Accounts Administrator: Julia Perry [email protected] 01743 281717 This publication is printed on paper from a sustainable source and is produced without the use of elemental chlorine. We endorse the recycling of our magazine and would encourage you to pass it on to others to read when you have finished with it. All works appearing in this publication are copyright. It is to be assumed that the copyright for material rests with the magazine unless otherwise stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in an electronic system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recording or otherwise, without the prior knowledge and consent of the publishers. First Word Warwickshire_Worc Davina October.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2019 17:27 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region Gothic masterpiece at the Belgrade Theatre A new version of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein will put the author herself at the centre of the action when it shows in the Midlands this month. Rona Munro’s imaginative adaptation of the Gothic masterpiece sees Shelley wrestling not only with her grotesque creation but also with ‘the stark realities facing revolutionary young women, then and now’. Frankenstein runs at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre from Wednesday 2 to Saturday 12 October. For more information and to book tickets, visit belgrade.co.uk Celebrating innovation visitors for many a year and sells thousands Four Boys In The Dress... of pumpkins in all shapes, sizes and colours at Malvern festival across 50 different varieties. A Halloween Four youngsters will share the lead role when The Malvern Festival Of Innovation returns shop and on-site café also feature. The venue a stage adaptation of David Walliams’ heart- warming comedy, The Boy In The Dress, runs for an eighth consecutive year this month. stays open until 31 October. An event celebrating science, technology and at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) in business innovation, the six-day get-together Stratford-upon-Avon across the Christmas features speakers and exhibitors, schools Comic Con returns to period. outreach events, technology and business- Leamington Spa Oliver Crouch, Jackson Laing, Tom Lomas themed symposia, a formal dinner and a and Toby Mocrei will take turns playing Leamington Spa’s independently run comic special family day. The 2019 edition of the fashion-loving footballer Dennis in the RSC’s book convention, Leam Comic Con, takes festival also includes a series of filmed festive family show. place for a fifth year on Saturday 5 October at innovation shorts in the world's smallest The Boy In The Dress shows in Stratford from the town’s All Saints Parish Church. theatre and a science comedy night. 8 November to 8 March. For tickets, visit The 2019 show features writers and artists The Malvern Festival Of Innovation takes rsc.org.uk who’ve worked on Britain’s cult sci-fi comic, place at various venues in Great Malvern 2000AD, first writer of comic book series from 7 to 12 October. For more information, Hellblazer - Jamie Delano - and Hannah Boudica at the Herbert visit festival-innovation.com Berry, the UK’s current and first Comics An event showcasing music’s best up-and- Laureate. For more information and to book coming womxn (a word used to express tickets, visit leamcomiccon.co.uk gender fluidity and inclusivity) and non- binary artists is this month returning for a third year to Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & On the jazz in Coventry Museum (Saturday 19 October). A new jazz-inspired festival launches at The Boudica Festival features specially cu- Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre (WAC) in rated live music across three stages, a num- November. ber of local-artist stalls and numerous music From The Source is headlined by British workshops. Visit theherbert.org for more Indian musician, producer and composer details. Nitin Sawhney, who performs a stripped-back concert of music from his back catalogue on the 8th of the month. The following evening Pumpkins R Us reopens sees WAC hosting the world premiere of in Kenilworth Pascal Gabriel’s solo project, Stubbleman... Other contributors to the festival include Judi Kenilworth’s hugely popular Halloween farm, Jackson, Debris Stevenson and Alice Pumpkins R Us, reopens on Saturday 5 Zawadzki. An exploration of the power of October, complete with spooky interactive protest songs brings the three-day event to an displays. end on Sunday the 10th... For more informa- The family-run farm has been popular with tion, visit warwickartscentre.co.uk 6 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Warwickshire_Worc Davina October.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2019 17:27 Page 2 First Word Choc-tastic event returns to Warwick The fifth annual Warwick Chocolate Festival takes place on 6 October. The popular show this year includes around 40 stalls, a street food area featuring vendors such as Beki’s Brownies, Wicked Cookies and Flying Cows, a range of children’s entertainment and all manner of chocolate prod- ucts to sample and buy, from artisan chocolate and dipping chocolate to chocolate cake and even chocolate beer! For more information, visit sketts.co.uk A Moroccan festive feast at Birmingham’s NEC Birmingham’s NEC is hosting ‘the ultimate show, indoor fairground rides, casino tables and Christmas party experience’ this festive season. fairground stalls. Moroccan Fire Nights fuses ‘incredible entertain- The parties take place from 30 November to 22 ment with a delicious festive feast and a spectac- December. ularly themed environment’. For more information and to book tickets, visit A tale of twin Late-night highlights include an ‘epic’ stage birminghamchristmasparties.com cities at the Albany Theatre Coventry’s Albany Theatre is Warwickshire A celebration of mind, body and spirit this month marking the city’s proves a hit Birmingham’s Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Festival is back next month. 75 years of friendship with its on Instagram Featuring motivational speakers, musicians, artists and performers from across the globe, the event showcases exhibitors, therapies, Russian twin, Volgograd, by Tourist hotspots in wellbeing & health products, organic food and holistic retreats. Free presenting a special produc- Warwickshire are bring- experiences at the festival include the Live Stage, the Wellbeing Studio, tion. The venue’s celebration ing a new generation of a pop-up temple, ceremony space, silent disco, wellbeing spa and a features performances of visitors to the region - sanctuary of peace & calm. Russian folk and ballet by after being featured in a The event runs at Birmingham’s NEC from 1 to 3 November. For more children’s dance company list of the most insta- information and to purchase tickets, visit Volzhanochka. The show grammable historic birmingham.mindbodyspirit.co.uk takes place on the afternoon towns in the UK. of Sunday 27 October. Following research by For more information and to HometoGo - the world’s purchase tickets, visit al- largest holiday rental banytheatre.co.uk search engine - Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon have both made it into the top-25 list, with Warwick coming in at number 19 and Stratford at 24. To find out more about the county, visit shake- speares-england.co.uk whatsonlive.co.uk 7 First Word Warwickshire_Worc Davina October.qxp_Layout 1 20/09/2019 17:27 Page 3 First Word Leamington Dinosaurs sent to Coventry music venue Two corten steel dinosaurs, each measuring reopens..