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Birmingham Cover Online.qxp_Birmingham Cover 23/09/2015 11:35 Page 1 THE MIDLANDS ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE BIRMINGHAM ’ Whatwww.whatsonlive.co.uk sOnISSUE 358 OCTOBER 2015 JASON DONOVAN BACK IN PRISCILLA more inside... GRAND DESIGNS contemporary home show at the NEC THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE THE WORLD’S BIGGEST POP ACT Lewis Carroll classic at The REP RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND Festive Guide inside... INSIDE: FILM COMEDY THEATRE LIVE MUSIC VISUAL ARTS EVENTS FOOD & DRINK & MUCH MORE! REP (FP) OCT 2015.qxp_Layout 1 21/09/2015 10:32 Page 1 Contents October Region 1 .qxp_Layout 1 21/09/2015 21:49 Page 1 October 2015 Strictly Nasty Craig Revel Horwood dresses for Annie Read the interview on page 42 Jason Donovan Moira Buffini Grand Designs stars in Priscilla Queen Of The talks about Handbagged Kevin McCloud back at the NEC Desert page 27 interview page 11 page 69 INSIDE: 4. News 11. Music 24. Comedy 27. Theatre 44. Dance 51. Film 63. Visual Arts 67. Days Out 81. Food @whatsonbrum @whatsonwarwicks @whatsonworcs Birmingham What’s On Magazine Warwickshire What’s On Magazine Worcestershire What’s On Magazine Publishing + Online Editor: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 ’ Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704 WhatsOn Editorial: Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 MAGAZINE GROUP Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Chris Eldon Lee, Heather Kincaid, Katherine Ewing, Helen Stallard Offices: Wynner House, Managing Director: Paul Oliver Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan Graphic Designers: Lisa Wassell Chris Atherton Bromsgrove St, Accounts Administrator: Julia Perry [email protected] 01743 281717 Birmingham B5 6RG This publication is printed on paper from a sustainable source and is produced without the use of elemental chlorine. and 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. 13-14 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE 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 October Region One.qxp_Layout 1 21/09/2015 21:57 Page 1 News A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS Whitby Jet amongst highlights at Winter Fair This popular event, which makes a welcome return to the venue next month for its Winter Fair, is famed for its pottery, porcelain and glass. The recent addition of twentieth centu- ry and contemporary specialists has encour- aged a more diverse range of buyers and designers. Among the Winter Fair highlights is a Whitby Jet exhibition. The display tells the story of the world’s largest fashioned and rough Jet specimen collection of over two hundred pieces, most of which are being shown in public for the first time. Antiques For Everyone’s Winter Fair takes place at the NEC from 19 to 22 November. 25 Years Of Costume showcased in Brum As part of its twenty-fifth anniversary celebrations, Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is exhibit- ing a selection of costumes worn by its dancers during its quarter-century residency in the New venue for gaming event city. The UK’s biggest gaming festival is relocat- The intimate exhibition has been designed to provide members of the general public with the ing to Birmingham’s NEC, having outgrown chance to find out how the costumes are made, from initial sketches through to finished its current home at the Ricoh Arena in product. Coventry. Insomnia Gaming Festival is a Commenting on the exhibition, BRB’s Head of Costume, Elaine Garlick, said; “This is an twenty-four-hour event ‘combining all the extraordinary opportunity to display the time, effort and craftsmanship that goes into each best bits of video-gaming’. It takes its NEC and every costume that we put on stage.” bow in December. Birmingham Royal Ballet: 25 Years Of Costume runs at House of Fraser, Birmingham, until 11 Commenting on the relocation, the founder October. Admission is free. and CEO of Multiplay, Craig Fletcher, said: “The Insomnia Gaming Festival has enjoyed an incredible journey in recent years. Ticket The programme has been designed to pro- World premieres feature in sales have soared in the last three years and vide pupils and students with immersive we’re expecting to welcome a total of over opportunities not available in school class- new concert season one hundred thousand visitors through our rooms. A work of classical music based on Samuel doors in 2015.” Commenting on the new programme, Taylor Coleridge’s epic poem, The Rime Of Insomnia Gaming Festival takes place at the Andrew Fowles, the Trust’s Learning The Ancient Mariner, is one of no fewer than NEC from 11 to 14 December. Manager, said: “All of our activities have thirteen world premieres being presented by been designed to support the National Birmingham Contemporary Music Group in Curriculum. We can’t wait to welcome school its 2015/16 season. groups to our stunning attractions to be The verses of Shakespeare and AE inspired by science, art and history.” Housman - author of A Shropshire Lad - will also be set to music and performed by the highly rated ensemble. New sporting event aims BCMG kicked-off their season at the end of to inspire youngsters last month with a performance of new piece Requiem To Let at Birmingham Weekender, The Sports Show, taking place at the NEC the city’s free arts festival. from 24 to 26 June, has been created to inspire youngsters ‘to play sport, love sport and live sport’. The event will bring together a wide range of sports activities under one Museum Trust launches roof, with a number of former and current new education programme sports stars also on hand to offer their advice and expertise. The chance to take ‘a magical journey’ Commenting on the new event, Sports Show through the starry night sky and enjoy some Director Ed Rusling said: “The show is going hair-raising fun experimenting with static and to be a playground of fun for kids across the current electricity are just two of the activities country. We’ll be taking over most of the featured in Birmingham Museums Trust’s NEC and plan to pack every inch with as 2015/16 education programme. many different sports as we can.” 4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk News October Region One.qxp_Layout 1 21/09/2015 15:07 Page 2 Going Dutch... Renowned Netherlands band The Busquitos are this month presenting a ‘unique, one- off’ show in Birmingham. The band are real flag-wavers for Netherlands music and have appeared on international promotion tours of South Korea, Italy and Turkey. They’re scheduled to tour Malaysia, South Korea and Suriname during 2016. They perform at El Borracho de Oro in Edgbaston, Birmingham, on Tuesday 27 October. Get Inked in Leamington Celebrating children’s theatre in Coventry A Midlands art gallery and UK tattoo blog The Coventry Belgrade is this month hosting a festival of theatre for children and young peo- are collaborating to host a tattoo art exhibi- ple (19 - 31 October). tion in Leamington Spa this month. The festival is part of a year-long fiftieth anniversary celebration of the birth of Theatre In Inked Palette is a collaboration between Education (TiE) at the Belgrade. Deasil Art Gallery and Inkluded To tie in with the children’s festival, the venue is also presenting a special two-day conference (inkluded.co.uk) which showcases the work on 21 and 22 October. The conference brings together policy makers, teachers, young peo- of tattoo artists through different mediums. ple, academics and theatre educators to discuss the vital role of drama and theatre in schools Commenting on the show, contributor and the marginalisation of the arts in the national curriculum. The event includes a range of Shaun Von Sleaze said: “It’s nice for there activities and discussions as well as an opportunity to see some of the work produced as part to be a physical place where the general of the TiE celebration. public can have access to the work we can create. Art is art, regardless of place- ment, and it would Take a trip down Abbey Road - in Brum... be nice to show that we’re artists, not A live re-staging of The Beatles at Abbey Road studios will visit Birmingham’s Barclaycard what an outdated Arena next May as part of a UK tour. stereotype likes to Part blockbuster stage show, part access-all-areas musical documentary, The Sessions is set portray.” in a state-of-the-art reproduction of the iconic Abbey Road Inked Palette shows studio. The show features new live renditions of the time- at Deasil Art Gallery, less albums which The Beatles recorded there. Leamington Spa, Commenting on the production, Show Director Kim Gavin from 3 to 20 said: “It’s really exciting to bring to life some of The October. Beatles’ most iconic recording sessions, and offer the audience a unique glimpse into the band’s creative process.” A star-spangled adventure The Sessions shows at Barclaycard Arena on 13 May. One of Birmingham’s newest visitor attrac- tions is set to become distinctly ‘star-span- IN BRIEF RSC commemorative season announced gled’ this half-term holiday.