Worcestershire Cover February 2020.qxp_Worcestershire Cover 22/01/2020 14:54 Page 1 Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands DANE BAPTISTE AT ARTRIX WORCESTERSHIRE WHAT’S ON FEBRUARY 2020 FEBRUARY ON WHAT’S WORCESTERSHIRE Worcestershire ISSUE 410 FEBRUARY 2020 ’ 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 THE RED SHOES Matthew Bourne’s iconic show returns to the Midlands TWITTER: @WHATSONWORCS @WHATSONWORCS TWITTER: JACQUI & CHARLIE celebrate a century of song at Huntingdon Hall FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWORCESTERSHIRE LYNGO THEATRE romp through the universe WORCESTERSHIREWHATSON.CO.UK at Bromsgrove venue Warwick Castle Full February 2020.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2020 14:16 Page 1 Contents February Warwicks/Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2020 15:35 Page 2 February 2020 Contents Once The Musical - West End and Broadway hit visits Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre - page 24 Kacy & Clayton Reanimating History The Red Shoes the list Carrying On at Coventry’s provocative new play opens at Matthew Bourne’s iconic show Your 16-page Tin Music & Arts Stratford’s Swan Theatre returns to the Midlands week-by-week listings guide page 15 feature page 16 feature page 32 page 51 inside: 4. First Word 11. Food 15. Gigs 22. Comedy 26. Theatre 37. Film 40. Visual Arts 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 Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Nanci Davies, Patsy Moss, Sue Jones 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 February.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2020 16:24 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region New location for Warwick’s folk fest Warwick Folk Festival is this year moving closer to the town centre, taking place at Castle Park (a loca- tion adjacent to Warwick Castle) from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 July. Bringing together the local community for ‘a celebration of folk history, dance and general revelry’, the 2020 edition of the event will feature Will Pound and his band, the now-four-piece Show Of Hands, Canadian feelgood folk courtesy of Le Vent du Nord, Nancy Kerr, Seth Lakeman, and the three-time BBC Two Folk Award winners, The Young’uns. Major financial boost for take up its new name on 15 April. Utilita has a The event, which runs at venues across the growing presence in the UK live events indus- town from 1 to 5 May, also features, among Historic Coventry Trust try, having partnered with a number of major others, Trio Shaham Erez Wallfisch, the Sac- Plans to restore three of Coventry’s prime music festivals in recent years. coni String Quartet with Tom Poster, Ensem- historic buildings have received a major ble 360 with James Gilchrist and violinist financial boost. Tamsin Little accompanied by Russian Historic Coventry Trust - the organisation pianist Andrey Gugnin (pictured). which will be responsible for restoring three The festival is this year celebrating the 250th timber-framed cottages in the city’s Priory anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Row - has been awarded funding by the Architectural Heritage Fund. The AHF has given the Trust £500,000 as part of a cam- paign to regenerate and renew high streets and town centres in England. Kinky Boots taking a walk from stage to screen Hit stage show Kinky Boots The Musical is to be screened in more than 600 cinemas across the UK and Ireland on Tuesday 4 and Sunday 9 February. The stage production was filmed live for the cinema screen at the Adelphi The- atre, London, in November 2018 by Broad- wayHD, the US-based streaming service for live theatre. For more information and to Dates revealed for 2020 book tickets, visit KinkyBootsCinema.com Stratford River Festival Free family event the Stratford River Festival New name for Midlands makes a welcome return on 4 & 5 July. entertainment venue Programme announced Taking place on the town centre’s Recreation Arena Birmingham is set to be renamed for Leamington festival Ground, the 2020 edition of the popular Utilita Arena Birmingham as part of a major get-together features live music, dance, an Tasmin Little and Roderick Williams are new partnership with ‘Britain’s leading artisan craft market and, on the Saturday among the talented musicmakers who’ll be Smart Pay As You Go (PAYG) Energy evening, a spectacular firework display. For contributing to the 2020 Leamington Music provider’. The iconic city centre venue will more information, visit stratforward.co.uk Festival. 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Warwickshire February.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2020 16:24 Page 2 First Word Harry Potter illustrator at The Albany... Award-winning Harry Potter illustrator Levi Pinfold will be talking about his art at a special event at Coventry’s Albany Theatre on Wednes- day 5 February. Revealing s ecrets hiding within the illus- trations and the fascinating stories behind them, Levi will be doing a live chat and on- stage drawing session, taking questions from the audience and participating in a post- show meet-and-greet. Birmingham Royal Ballet all loved up at Coventry venue A brand new love affair gets under way this Saturday 15 February. Valentine’s weekend when Carlos Acosta makes Carlos will take to the stage in conversation with Stand up for his first public appearances as Birmingham This Morning’s doctor-in-residence Ranj Singh. Royal Ballet’s Director. The company and its internationally acclaimed women at Artrix BRB and the man selected to replace David Bint- orchestra, the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, will then Popular Birmingham come- ley look like a match made in heaven and come present A Valentine’s Celebration Of Music And dian Barbara Nice this month together at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, on Dance. takes top billing in a celebra- tion of International Women’s Day. Taking place at Artrix in A Midsummer Bromsgrove on Wednesday 26 Night’s Tease... February, Stand Up For Sassy and seductive inter- Women is hosted by Maureen national showgirl Ivy Paige, Younger and also features best known for her appear- Mercedes Benson and Kate ance on television’s The McCabe. To book tickets, visit Voice - is top-billing a artrix.co.uk ‘Valentine’s variety extrava- ganza’ in Stratford-upon- Avon this month. Featuring comedy, magic, burlesque, hula-hooping, singing and Fresh Air February at Compton Verney boylesque, A Midsummer Wrap up warm, pack a picnic and head to Compton Verney for two Night’s Tease - Valentine special open weekends this month (Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 and Sat- Special takes place at the urday 22 & Sunday 23 February). The venue’s Fresh Air February town’s Welcombe Hotel on Weekends feature family-friendly outdoor activities at the Forest Saturday 15 February. School and playground. There’s also the opportunity to try out a new history trail. Visit comptonverney.org.uk for more information. whatsonlive.co.uk 5 First Word Warwickshire February.qxp_Layout 1 22/01/2020 16:25 Page 3 First Word Worcester theatre company tackling carbon emissions The UK’s leading mask theatre company has col- laborated with conservation charity Trees For Life to set up a tree grove in the Scottish Highlands. Worcester-based Vamos’ aim is to offset the car- bon emissions from the 23-venue tour of its new theatre production, Dead Good. The trees will help to re-wild the Caledonian For- est. Commenting on the initiative, Vamos’ Artistic Di- rector, Rachael Savage, said: “This particular pro- ject is something we are doing whilst we work on more long-term sustainability for the company. This isn’t a quick solution; we are fully aware trees take up to 20 years to mature, but this is a positive springboard for us. This interim move in- vests in a better future and supports invaluable reforestation in the Scottish Highlands.” Worcestershire Worcestershire celebrating the 400th Elgar Festival town to host two anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage back in the spring new festivals... Worcestershire is this year hosting a series of events to mark the 400th The city of Worcester’s annual Forty-eight bands are set to anniversary of the transatlantic voyage of the Mayflower, the ship celebration of its most famous play in 48 hours as part of two which took the Pilgrim Fathers to America.