Coventry & Warwickshire Cover May 2019.qxp_Coventry & Warwickshire Cover 18/04/2019 12:58 Page 1 YEARS & YEARSYEARS ATAT Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands BIRMINGHAMHAM PRIDEPRIDE COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE WHAT’S ON MAY 2019 2019 MAY ON WHAT’S WARWICKSHIRE & COVENTRY Coventry & Warwickshire ISSUE 401 MAY 201919 ’ WhatFILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTSs I FOOD On warwickshirewhatson.co.ukco.uk inside: PART OF WHAT’S ON MEDIA GROUP GROUP MEDIA ON WHAT’S OF PART Yourthe 16-pagelist week by week listings guide TOM ALLEN master of camp comedy at the Belgrade Theatre TWITTER: @WHATSONWARWICKS TWITTER: @WHATSONWARWICKS ZOG flies in to entertain younger audiences in Coventry FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWARWICKSHIRE THIS MORNING LIVE plenty on offer as popular show returns to the NEC WARWICKSHIREWHATSON.CO.UK BRB Full May 2019.qxp_Layout 1 17/04/2019 14:24 Page 1 Contents May Warwicks/Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 18/04/2019 09:08 Page 2 May 2019 Contents All Aboard - Samantha Womack stars in The Girl On The Train at the Coventry Belgrade... page 22 Venice Preserved The Guilty Feminist Knight’s Tournament the list gets a contemporary makeover explores 21st century goals at immerse yourself in medieval Your 16-page at the RSC Warwick Arts Centre life at Kenilworth Castle week-by-week listings guide interview page 8 page 21 page 45 page 51 inside: 4. First Word 11. Food 17. Music 20. Comedy 22. Theatre 38. Film 40. Visual Arts 43. 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 Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 MEDIA GROUP Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Steve Adams, Lauren Cole, Nanci Davies, Jack Rolfe, Daisy Sparkle, Steve Taylor, Chris Eldon Lee, Patsy Moss, Tom Silverton 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 Warwicks_Worcs May.qxp_Layout 1 18/04/2019 12:30 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region Coventry hosts its first ever comedy festival Coventry is hosting its first ever comedy festi- val this month. Taking place at various venues across 10 days, the event features a mix of standup, improv, musical and family-friendly comedy. Rob Deering gets the ball rolling on Friday 3 May at The Phoenix, where he’ll be present- ing a work-in-progress version of the show he’s taking to Edinburgh this summer... Award-winning Alasdair Beckett-King (pictured) presents his ‘dimension-hopping’ stand-up show at Coventry’s Catch Twenty Two on 5 May while a grand finale at the Belgrade Theatre on Sunday the 12th - featur- ing Tom Allen as headliner, brings this year’s festival to a close. For more information and details of the full line-up, visit coventrycomedyfestival.com The Bard’s on board... which is being led by Coventry-based writers Vintage vehicles on show Chris O’Connell and Vanessa Oakes. “We’re excited to begin work on City Voices in Stratford-upon-Avon because of both the challenge and the re- A vintage fleet of removal vehicles from wards we’re sure this will bring to Coventry,” across the 20th century will be paraded says Chris. “One of the best parts about work- through Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 25 ing in the heart of a community is the ways in May. which you are both surprised and inspired by Starting at the Crowne Plaza and making its the voices that lie unearthed or hidden in the way alongside the River Avon before turning city.” past Hall’s Croft - the home of Shakespeare’s For more information about the workshop daughter - the parade will include, among A Shakespeare edition of Trivial Pursuit has and future City Voices dates, visit theatreab- other attractions, Victorian Horse Drawn been launched. solute.co.uk Pantechnicons from the 1890s and the only Devised by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust pre-war Guy Vixen van still running. in partnership with games company Winning Moves, the popular boardgame features 600 Nigel Slater’s Toast tours questions across six categories - comedies, to Malvern Theatres More cheese, Gromit? histories, tragedies, characters, biography An interactive experience featuring specially and legacy. As well as questions about created animations, live orchestral accompa- Shakespeare’s life and works, there are oth- niment and Aardman Animations’ much- ers that link him to popular culture such as loved characters Wallace & Gromit is heading the Harry Potter film series and TV shows Dr to the Midlands. Who and Upstart Crow. Wallace & Gromit's Musical Marvels sees Wal- lace preparing to perform his musical master- piece, My Concerto In Ee Lad, with help from Theatre on the lookout for A new play based on food journalist Nigel faithful canine companion Gromit. What Coventry storytellers Slater’s award-winning autobiography is vis- could possibly go wrong?... The event also features a screening of the A free-to-attend workshop aiming to bring iting Malvern Theatres in the autumn. Academy Award-winning movie, Wallace & people together to share their stories is tak- Vividly recreating suburban England in the Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, with the sound- ing place at Broad Street Meeting Hall in 1960s, Toast tells the story of Nigel’s child- track being performed by the orchestra live Coventry on Saturday 4 May. hood through the tastes and smells with on stage. The two-hour get-together is part of City which he grew up. The production stops off Wallace & Gromit's Musical Marvels visits Voices - a brand new project by Theatre Ab- in Malvern from Monday 30 September to Sat- Birmingham Symphony Hall on Wednesday solute and the Coventry City of Culture Trust - urday 5 October. For more information, visit malvern-theatres.co.uk 29 May. 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Warwicks_Worcs May.qxp_Layout 1 18/04/2019 12:30 Page 2 First Word A Pint Of Science in Leamington... Public science festival Pint Of Science is this year visiting Leamington for the first time. The popular event, which also takes place in Coventry, will feature talks by experts from local universities on a wide variety of subjects, including Martians, DNA, electricity & magnetism, football, dyslexia, pollution, soil, cells, plastic and paramedics. Commenting on the event, which takes place at various venues from Thursday 20 to Saturday 22 May, Alison Phillips, public engagement coordinator at the University of Warwick, said: “It’s great to Midlanders hungry to enjoy The Wizard’s Brunch bring Pint Of Science back to Get ready to experience all the magic of a critically acclaimed immersive dining experience... the region this year and to be After huge sell-out success in Australia and Canada, The Wizard's Brunch is coming to Birmingham running events in Leamington on Saturday 7 September, complete with ‘a fantastic feast’ and ‘wonderful entertainment’, including for the first time. The festival illusionists, fortune-tellers and living statues. is an exciting opportunity for The event will take place at the city's Great Hall in the University Of Birmingham. The brunch is fam- researchers from Warwick and ily-friendly, with under-18s requiring a parent/guardian in attendance. Each ticket includes a meal Coventry to tell their research and all entertainment. Fancy dress is encouraged but guests are welcome to wear whatever they story to a local audience. wish. To find out more about ticket availability, visit designmynight.com There’s some incredible work going on at both universities which will have an impact on Coventry’s Chace people’s lives, so come along to hear about some world- Hotel gets Laura class research developments Ashley rebrand straight from the scientists Laura Ashley Hotels is expand- themselves, and perhaps over ing its portfolio with the addi- a pint and a packet of crisps!” tion of The Chace Hotel in Full listings for Pint Of Sci- Coventry. ence events are available at: The 66-bedroom hotel is under- pintofscience.co.uk/events/co going a major refurbishment to ventry bring it into line with Laura Ashley-brand standards. The interiors will showcase the Dance festival a Laura Ashley Home range and first for Stourport its high-quality inherently Stourport venue The Civic will British fabrics and furnishings. Car fans revved up for Motor Show host its debut dance festival Car enthusiasts are getting revved up for the Ragley Hall Motor next month. Show 2019, which takes place on Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May. The event takes place on Sun- Up to 1,000 vehicles are expected to be on display at the event, in- day 16 June and will feature cluding American muscle, kit and custom cars, classic motorcy- dance groups from within the cles and commercial vehicles.