Midlands Cover - March_Mids Cover - August 25/02/2013 14:33 Page 1 MIDLANDS WHAT’S MIDLANDS ON WHAT’S THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE ISSUE 327 MARCH MARCH 2013 www.whatsonlive.co.uk £1.80 ISSUE 327 MARCH 2013 PAM A INSIDE AUSTRALIANN COMEDIANN Sean Lock LANDS IN BIRMINGHAM back on the road interview inside THE DEFINITIVE Earl Carpenter LISTINGS GUIDE talks Phantom... interview inside Priscilla West End musical on tour... preview inside PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS GROUP MAGAZINE ON WHAT’S MIDLANDS OF PART What’sOn MAGAZINE GROUP ISSN 1462-7035 Breakeven in Brum... grand_whatson FP march_Layout 1 25/02/2013 10:19 Page 1 Great Theatre at the Grand! WED 6 - SAT 9 MARCH TUES 12 - SAT 16 MARCH TUES 19 - SAT 30 MARCH WORLD PREMIERE DANCING IS NOT A CRIME; TO MISS FOOTLOOSE WOULD BE An amateur production TUES 2 - WED 3 APRIL TUES 9 - SAT 13 APRIL MON 15 - TUES 16 APRIL MON TUES COsì fan sIMón tuttE BOCCanEgRa WRITTEN BY JULIE COOMBE AND JOHN McISSAC MOZaRt VERDI Sung in English Sung in Italian starring DON WARRINGTON and GWEN TAYLOR MON 29 APRIL - SAT 4 MAY ALSO BOOKING TUES 7 - SAT 11 MAY SAT 6 APRIL JIM DAVIDSON DIRECT FROM THE SUN 7 APRIL WEST END! THE SOLID SILVER 60s SHOW MON 8 APRIL THE CHUCKLE BROTHERS SUN 14 APRIL SHAOLIN WARRIORS THURS 18 APRIL ##### ##### BEYOND THE BARRICADE WONDERFUL TERRIFIC EVENING SUNDAY FRI 19 APRIL STANDARD EXPRESS HOW SWEET IT IS MOTOWN’S GREATEST HITS SAT 20 APRIL REDUCED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY Best New Comedy TUES 23 - SAT 27 APRIL WhatsOnStage WBOS CRAZY FOR YOU awards Follow us on @WolvesGrand Like us on Facebook: Wolverhampton Grand Box Office 01902 42 92 12 BOOK ONLINE AT www.grandtheatre.co.uk Contents March_Layout 1 25/02/2013 11:01 Page 1 March 2013 Editor: INSIDE: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 Cats Editorial Assistants: Brian O’Faolain Lloyd Webber musical [email protected] 01743 281707 in the Midlands p10 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Sales & Marketing: Jon Cartwright [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704 Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Managing Director: Paul Oliver [email protected] 01743 281711 Priscilla Queen Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan of the Desert [email protected] 01743 281710 out on tour p33 Graphic Designers: Lisa Wassell Chris Atherton Sean Lock - back on the road. Interview page 8 Accounts Administrator Julia Perry [email protected] 01743 281717 Website Development: TO GET THE VERY Jim Pallett LATEST LISTING News p4 Contributors: Graham Bostock: Theatre INFORMATION, Earl Carpenter James Cameron-Wilson: Music p13 Film; Anita Champaneri: VISIT: talks about Phantom... p6 Eating Out; whatsonlive.co.uk Alev Dervish: Music Comedy p28 Eva Easthope, Kate INCLUDING Evans, Jessica Matthews, BOOKING ONLINE Patsy Moss, Jack Rolfe, Theatre p31 Jan Watts, Reggie White The Midlands’ most Head Office: comprehensive 4/5 Dogpole, Shrewsbury, entertainment website Dance p44 Shropshire. SY1 1EN Tel: 01743 281777 Fax: 01743 281744 Film/DVD p47 e-mail: info@whatson- live.co.uk Visual Arts p55 This publication is Follow What’s On... printed on paper from a sustainable source and is Events p59 produced without the use of elemental chlorine. twitter.com/whatsonlive March 2013 We endorse the recycling Clubbing/Gay p77 of our magazine and MTWTFSS would encourage you to Like us on... 1 2 3 pass it on to others to p78 read when you have Books/TV 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 finished with it. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 facebook.com/whatsonlive Eating Out p79 ’ 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 WhatsOn 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MAGAZINE GROUP 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. News March_Layout 1 25/02/2013 14:48 Page 1 News A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS The Window Collective: Window Dressing - Tracey Beaker star in Stoke various locations around Birmingham Hanley’s Regent Theatre has announced that Dani Harmer is to take the role of Janet in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show when it stops off at the venue in May. Dani - who found fame in CBBC’s Tracey Beaker, and who more recently impressed the nation with her moves on Strictly Come Dancing - will be joined by stage and TV actor Sam Attwater in the fortieth anniversary production. Since its 1973 premiere at the Royal Court Theatre, The Rocky Horror Show has been performed in over thirty countries across every continent, and has been translated into more than twenty lan- guages. Midlands audiences to get Theatre Fever Some of the best theatre the West Midlands has to offer is this month being showcased in a spe- cial festival. Theatre Fever comprises more than thirty shows in Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull and Coventry, included amongst which are eight special commissions from some of the region’s most impressive talent. The Arts Council England-supported two-week event includes sev- eral new works, including Soul City Arts’ If Walls Could Speak - a story of how the Birmingham ward of Sparkbrook has been a gateway into the city for generations of migrants. Coventry-based Talking Birds also make a rare return to a theatre auditorium when they present We’re Only Here Best documentary nomination Today, while Theatre Absolute’s Always is a ten-minute piece made for just fifteen audience mem- bers at a time... For more information about what’s on where, including numerous shows being for Shropshire film presented in such unusual places as Black Country public houses and, er, the Co-op car park in A short film which uses archive footage and Stirchley(!), visit theatrefever.co.uk animation to reveal the truth behind a notori- ous photograph of a ghost at Wem Town Hall has been nominated for a coveted gong rooted love of theatre and the arts, has a at the forthcoming First Light Awards cere- Young at art... background in running successful local and mony. Ghost Girl, a collaboration production Birmingham Children’s Hospital is celebrat- international companies. between a group of twenty young people ing its one hundredth-and-fiftieth birthday in Commenting on the move, Adrian Jackson, from two Shropshire schools, is up for the 2013. To mark the occasion, the hospital Lichfield Garrick’s Chief Executive and Best Documentary Award at the 19 March tasked patients with painting what they Artistic Director, said: “Becoming a trust will event in Odeon Leicester Square. thought might make their hospital brilliant - allow the theatre to develop to even greater Known as the Little Oscars, the First Light and the results are little short of outstanding. levels and offer a wonderful facility to every- Awards will be judged by a host of high-pro- Eighteen-month-old Eleana, who’s only one. As a non-profit-making independent file actors, including Martin Freeman, Matt spent two weeks at home since her birth, organisation, we will continue in our dedica- Smith, Freddie Fox and Ralf Little. came up with the tion to offer a mix of live, entertaining and accompanying picture. thought-provoking performances.” This, together with Warwickshire venue numerous other pieces, will be auctioned off at Festival line-up announced... nominated for Industry award Birmingham Museum & Performance poet Benjamin Zephaniah is The stunning stately home of Ragley Hall Art Gallery on 16 amongst thirty top names confirmed to has been nominated for a Cool Venue award March. All proceeds will appear at Wenlock Poetry Festival next by Prestige Events Magazine. The popular go directly to month. Now in its fourth year, the ever- venue, which nestles in the heart of the Birmingham Children’s expanding literary event draws large crowds Warwickshire countryside, is up against Hospital. to the beautiful south Shropshire market some stiff opposition in the Country House town. Joining Benjamin at the three-day festi- category of the val (5 - 7 April) will be Ian McMillan, former awards, with Trust status allows theatre MP Martin Bell OBE Gleneagles, and prize-winning poet Waddesdon to develop and editor Fiona Manor, Brocket A recent decision to make Lichfield Garrick a Sampson. Hall and Downton Charitable Theatre Trust has been welcomed For full details of Abbey location by Lichfield District Council. Heading up the what’s happening Highclere Castle Lichfield Garrick Theatre Trust Board of where at the festival, also in the run- eleven members will be Chairman James visit, www.wenlockpo- Benjamin ning. Leavesley, who, as well as having a deep- etryfestival.org Zephaniah 4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk News March_Layout 1 25/02/2013 14:48 Page 2 Happy anniversary, Ikon! Celebrations have been announced to mark Ikon Gallery’s fifteen years at Brindleyplace. The gallery - which opened its doors at the former Oozells Street School in 1998 - formed a major part of the redevelopment of Brindleyplace estate following the opening of the ICC in 1991. Recognised for show- casing innovative works from a vast array of international artists - as well as for its educa- tional and community strands - Ikon is recognising the landmark anniversary with a special 21 March event entitled Brindleyplace: A Changing Landscape. Reflecting on the redevelopment of the area, historian Dr Chris Upton and Altitude Real Estate Executive Director Gary Taylor will talk about the changing landscape around Ikon’s current home.