Worcestershire Cover October 2017 .qxp_Worcestershire Cover 22/09/2017 16:20 Page 1 LOUISE REDKNAPP AT Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands MALVERN THEATRE WORCESTERSHIRE WHAT’S ON OCTOBER 2017 ON OCTOBER WHAT’S WORCESTERSHIRE Worcestershire ISSUE 382 OCTOBER 2017 ’ 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 joinsCATRIN Armonico FINCH Consort at Worcester Cathedral TWITTER: @WHATSONWORCS @WHATSONWORCS TWITTER: fuseACOSTA the old with DANZA the new at Birmingham Hippodrome FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWORCESTER getDISNEY your skates ON on ICEfor a WORCESTERSHIREWHATSON.CO.UK Passport To Adventure Snow Dome F/P October 2017.qxp_Layout 1 22/09/2017 12:49 Page 1 Contents October Warwicks_Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 22/09/2017 12:04 Page 2 October 2017 Contents Motionhouse: Charge - multimedia show explores the role of energy in our lives - more on page 33 Godiva Rocks Catrin Finch Louise Redknapp the list Alan Pollock’s new musical joins Armonico Consort for the life is a Cabaret at Your 16-page makes its Belgrade debut saga of Beowulf Malvern Theatre week-by-week listings guide feature page 8 page 17 page 28 page 53 inside: 4. First Word 11. Food 15. Music 20. Comedy 24. Theatre 39. Film 42. Visual Arts 44. Events fb.com/whatsonwarwickshire fb.com/whatsonworcestershire @whatsonwarwicks @whatsonworcs Warwickshire What’s On Magazine Worcestershire What’s On Magazine Warwickshire What’s On Magazine Worcestershire What’s On Magazine Managing Director: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704 What’sOn Yvonne Kentfield [email protected] 01743 281706 Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 Abi Whitehouse MEDIA GROUP [email protected] 01743 281716 Ryan Humphreys [email protected] 01743 281722 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Heather Kincaid, Katherine Ewing, Lauren Cox, Lauren Cole, Jack Rolfe, Elly Yates-Roberts 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_Worcs October.qxp_Layout 1 22/09/2017 12:00 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region RSC announces its summer season for 2018 Productions of three of Shakespeare’s most popular plays are among the highlights of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2018 summer season. New versions of Macbeth - starring ex-Dr Who Christopher Eccleston - Romeo And Juliet and The Merry Wives Of Windsor all feature in the programme. They are accompanied by Webster’s The Duchess Of Malfi, a revival of a 17th century play by little-known Mary Pix, The Fantastic Follies Of Mrs Rich, and Miss Littlewood, a brand new musical based on the life of theatre revolutionary Joan Littlewood. The Company’s 2016 production of King Lear will join the repertoire for a limited season after an international tour. Wellbeing in the Midlands Hazel O’ Connor came in third with Will You. the Birmingham Hippodrome Tuesday 15 - The Belgrade launched the survey to tie in Saturday 19 May, is being helmed by the The Wellbeing Festival is returning to with its new musical, Godiva Rocks, which Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster. Birmingham’s NEC next month (3 - 5 shows at the venue from 7 to 21 October. “An Officer And A Gentleman delicately November), with the organisation behind the charts the lives of working class, military folk show, Mind Body Spirit, this year celebrating in America in the early 1980s,” explains its 40th anniversary. Light, sound, poetry and Nikolai. “We’re proud to be working The three-day event offers ‘spiritual seekers’ alongside the film's creator to present this a safe place in which to commune and share nature at Compton Verney beautiful and inspiring story.” their ideas, beliefs and philosophies. For more information, visit curveonline.co.uk Attractions at this month’s show include a workshop programme presenting new ideas on relationships, awakening, inspired living, Bedlam in Birmingham! NLP, yoga, meditation, science and angels. New for this year is the Ceremony Space, an Birmingham Repertory Theatre is hosting a area in which visitors can focus on intimate special showcase of theatrical productions as ceremony-based experiences. For more part of this month’s Bedlam Arts & Mental information, visit mindbodyspirit.co.uk Health Festival. Compton Verney Art Gallery & Park is once The Wellbeing Discovery Day (Sunday 22 again presenting its hugely popular light- October) features a range of performances and-sound display this autumn. (including scratch and rehearsed readings), Light artists Luxmuralis have taken poetry family-friendly activities and a marketplace and nature as their inspiration for a series of where visitors can meet and talk to stunning light projections. The display will organisations working in the mental health see the written word ‘brought to life in a rich field. and colourful palette’ projected onto Tutors from mac Birmingham will be on hand Compton Verney’s Georgian facade, while to offer a number of free participatory flora and fauna will be depicted both on a workshops, including yoga, mindfulness and miniature and an epic scale. The light display photo-montage for wellbeing. takes place on the weekends of 28 & 29 The Bedlam Arts & Mental Health Festival The Specials’ Ghost Town October and 4 & 5 November. takes place at various Birmingham venues is top of Coventry’s pops from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 28 October. Ghost Town by The Specials has been named Mids theatre to host new Coventry’s favourite song. The classic 1981 track was selected by the musical of cult ’80s movie public as their number one sound in A Midlands theatre is set to host the world response to a Belgrade Theatre survey. premiere of a musical based on cult 1980s The Specials also took runner-up spot in the movie An Officer And A Gentleman. survey with A Message To You Rudy. The new show, which opens at the Leicester Curve from Friday 6 April before playing at 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Warwickshire_Worcs October.qxp_Layout 1 22/09/2017 12:00 Page 2 First Word Warwick Words History Festival makes a return Historical crime fiction and sto- ries of real-life courage feature among the attractions at this year’s Warwick Words History Festival. Highlights of the 2017 event include Birmingham-born bestselling novelist Lindsey Davis talking about her new book, The Third Nero - the fifth in her Flavia Albia series. Veteran TV journalist and presenter Peter Snow and wife Ann MacMillan also contribute, presenting ‘gripping tales of courage, cunning and compassion’ in War Stories. Warwick Words History Festival runs from Monday 2 to Sunday 8 Bite Size theatre productions at Warwick Arts Centre October. For more information, visit warwickwords.co.uk A new take on Ovid’s Minotaur myth and an innovative jukebox musical featuring the songs of John Bon Jovi are among the varied theatre shows on offer in this year’s Bite Size Festival, returning to Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, on Saturday 7 October. Shakespeare’s Offering an eclectic day-long showcase of new work by theatre makers across the Midlands, Bite Size features performances from well-established companies and emerging artists. Birthplace hosts Commenting on the festival, Paul Warwick, Co-Director of one of its organisers, China Plate, said: new exhibition “Bite Size promises to be a terrific opportunity to see an exciting snapshot of what the Midlands has to offer. The terrific-value day-pass means you can see the work of 16 artists for less than £30.” Shakespeare’s Birthplace in For more information, visit chinaplatetheatre.com Stratford-upon-Avon is hosting a new exhibition telling the complete story of how an 1847 auction saved the venue. The exhibition explains the New men’s It’s time to get Fierce in the Midlands steps that were taken to secure barbers cuts it One of the UK’s most respected festivals of live art is once again set to the Birthplace’s future after the make its mark in Birmingham. Government of the day refused in Solihull Boasting an international reputation for agenda-setting curation, to purchase the house. A fast-growing chain of Fierce Festival embraces theatre, dance, music, installations, activism, Over 31 million people have barbers has opened a new digital practices and parties, with performances taking place in visited Shakespeare’s Birthplace premises in Solihull- since records began in 1852. theatres, galleries and out-of-the-ordinary spaces across the city. based shopping centre The exhibition shows until Commenting on this year’s event, which takes place from 16 to 22 Mell Square. Friday 29 December. October, Artistic Director Aaron Wright said: “Fierce Festival serves up Everyman Barbers is ‘the a wide snapshot of the hugely varied performance being made around home of the modern the world today, from raucous NYC cabaret to hardcore Mexican body man’, where customers Midlands venue art.