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Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands ISSUE 367 JULY 2016

Shropshire

’ RUSSELL WATSON AT THEATRE WhatFILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTSs I FOOD On shropshirewhatson.co.uk SEVERN

inside:

Yourthe 16-pagelist week by week listings guide LFEST F/P July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 13:01 Page 1 Contents July Region Shropshire/Staffs.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:05 Page 1

July 2016

Contents

Guys And Dolls - gangsters, gamblers and nightclub singers at the Grand page 30

Rebecca Vaughan Patrick Monahan Mamma Mia! the list

talks about her one-woman aiming to break down West End musical continues at Your 16-page shows for Dyad Theatre stereotypes across the region The Hippodrome week-by-week listings guide page 8 page 27 page 28 page 51

inside:

4. First Word 11. Food 14. Music 26. Comedy 28. Theatre 37. Film 40. Visual Arts 43. Events

@whatsonwolves @whatsonstaffs @whatsonshrops Wolverhampton What’s On Magazine Staffordshire What’s On Magazine Shropshire 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 Whats On Matt Rothwell [email protected] 01743 281719 MAGAZINE GROUP Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Ryan Humphreys [email protected] 01743 281722 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Heather Kincaid, Adam Jaremko, David Vincent 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 July Wolves/Staffs Only.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:01 Page 1

First Word

Midlands music industry on the up...

A new report has revealed that the total spend generated by music tourism in the West Midlands last year was £271million - a £7million increase on 2014. The 2016 edition of the Wish You Were Here report, created on behalf of UK Music and its members, also revealed that there was significant growth in the amount spent directly by music tourists in the region, with an 82% increase year on year - the equivalent of £50million. The spend can be attributed to a range of purchases, including tickets, mer- chandise, accommodation, food and drink. Commenting on the report, Emma Gray, Director of Marketing and Communications at Visit Birmingham, said: "The city’s diverse array of festivals combined with world - class venues have created the perfect breeding ground to nurture and promote musical ingenuity. This report con- firms just how much music tourism can boost local employment and stimulate the wider economy.”

Travelling Natural History Civic Hall Showing an Appetite for Museum makes its way to appeal the arts in Stoke Shropshire A one-time resident of A programme of events designed to give peo- Wolverhampton is ple the chance to experience and be inspired A ‘roarsome’ one-day event is set to leave a monster-sized appealing to music lovers by the arts is this summer taking place in footprint on Telford Town Park’s QEII Arena this month. for help in solving a 46- Stoke-on-Trent for a fourth successive year. Taking place on Saturday 16 July, the free-to-attend year-old mystery connect- The Appetite 2016 programme includes The Carnival Of Giants sees the Travelling Natural History ed to Fleetwood Mac. Enchanted Chandelier, an epic outdoor show Museum bringing a huge selection of prehistoric creatures Dave Finely, who now which sees a vast chandelier lifted skywards to Shropshire. lives in Australia, has a to fly trapeze artists, bell ringers, singers, Attractions on the day include a sand dig that contains a T- memory of seeing the percussionists and acrobats through the Rex skeleton, providing children with the chance to uncov- band perform at either night sky. There’s also The Big Feast festival, er fossilised dinosaur bones. the Wolverhampton Civic presenting a weekend of street shows for all The event also features a 500-person parade, numerous or Wulfrun in or around the family to enjoy, from quirky bee installa- sports activities, a dressing-up box, a craft marquee, a 1970. Unfortunately, the tions to ‘hilarious’ dry-land synchronised climbing wall, a market and a mini fair. venues’ records don’t go swimmers and flamboyant marching bands. Commenting on the event, Councillor Liz Clare, cabinet back that far, so Dave’s To check out the full line-up of events, visit member for Culture, Sport, Parks & Green Spaces, said: hoping that a member of appetitestoke.co.uk “Children and adults the general public might alike are going to be be able to confirm his blown away by the recollection for him. sheer size and scale Anyone able to help can of the prehistoric either email creatures on display Wolverhampton Civic - and while the Hall or go to emphasis will be on wolvescivic.co.uk and having fun, I have click on the ‘contact us’ no doubt that every- form to get in touch. one who attends will leave the event knowing a little bit more about dinosaurs then they did before.”

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Entertainment news from around the region

Costumes from The Grand announces Downton on show new season line-up in the Potteries Former James Bond star Sir Roger Moore Downton Abbey may have closed will have a licence to chat when he spends its doors for the last time following an afternoon at the Wolverhampton Grand six hugely successful television Theatre as part of the venue’s series, but fans of the show can this summer check out some of its autumn/winter season of shows. characters’ costumes at the The 88-year-old actor will be reminiscing Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in about a showbusiness career that not only Stoke-on-Trent. included seven Bond movies but also hit A special exhibition running from television series The Saint and The Saturday 2 July to Sunday 2 Persuaders!. October features a selection of out- fits from series one and two of the An Afternoon With Sir Roger Moore takes critically acclaimed ITV drama. place on Thursday 17 November. Costumes on display include an Other autumn/winter highlights at the evening dress worn by Lady Mary Grand include the return of The Fizzogs, and a gown worn by Cora, the Meera Syal’s production of Anita & Me, Countess of Grantham. The exhibi- the acclaimed stage version of David tion is complemented by items from the museum’s collection and Walliams’ Gangsta Granny, Thriller Live - there will be a whirlwind trip A West End celebration of Michael Jackson through the history of the hat on 3 and an audience with Lesley Garrett (pic- July. tured), hosted by Nick Owen. For more information, visit grandtheatre.co.uk

Celebrating The Wedding Singer ready to party the sea in at the New Alexandra Theatre song... The stage version of hit Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie Wombourne & District The Wedding Singer is visiting Birmingham next year. Choral Society is inviting A high-energy homage to the 1980s, the critically acclaimed musi- Midlanders to join them cal stars Jon Robyns, Ray Quinn, Cassie Compton, Roxanne for ‘a night on the ocean Pallett and Ruth Madoc. It runs at the New Alexandra Theatre, waves’. Birmingham, from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 May 2017. To book Locals join The well-established tickets, call 0844 871 3011 or visit www.atgtickets.com/birming- ensemble, a mixed choir ham National Youth of 80 singers, is this Theatre month presenting The Sea! The Sea!, an evening The UK’s leading youth arts organi- Making a Commitment after Corrie of nautical songs and sation has marked its 60th year by Coronation Street’s one-time resident Curly Watts is set to star in readings. accepting six talented new mem- critically acclaimed musical The Commitments when it visits the bers from Birmingham. The concert takes place at Midlands early next year. The National Youth Theatre (NYT) the Beckminster Actor Kevin Kennedy, who played Curly in the ITV1 soap for 20 selected the six from a staggering Methodist Church in Penn 4,750 applicants. years, will take the role of Jimmy’s Da in the stage version of Fields, Wolverhampton, Commenting on NYT, former mem- Roddy Doyle’s bestselling novel. on Saturday 16 July. ber and Doctor Who star Matt Commenting on the news, Kevin said: “After working abroad, I’m Tickets are £10 each, with Smith said: “The National Youth delighted to be returning to Theatre is the reason I’m an actor. children under 16 going such an iconic musical as It’s given me great confidence, free, and can be pur- The Commitments. It will be opportunity and life-long friends. I chased by phoning 01902 a pleasure to travel around got an agent through performing 744447 or at the door on with NYT, and now I’m a profes- the country playing to the night. sional actor who’s working. It com- enthusiastic audiences who pletely transformed my life. No love this show.” understatement.” The Commitments shows at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, from 13 to 18 March. To book tickets, visit atgtickets.com/birmingham

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First Word

Two Midlands dates for award-winning artist An award-winning disabled artist will this month paint a por- trait of pioneering filmmaker John Akomfrah at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (Saturday 16 July), as part of a project celebrating the diversity of common humanity. Tanya Raabe-Webber’s live sitting, fusing digital and traditional drawing and painting techniques, will see the artist in conver- sation with Akomfrah, exploring his life and work and contem- plating the relevance of the artistic process to cultural diversity and contemporary society. Commenting on the live portrait sitting, Tanya said: “As a dis- abled artist, the notion of my own diversity drives my interest in people, the exploration of the human condition and the belief that everyone has the potential to be creative if given the opportunity. I am well known as a painter of people; however, I’ve wanted to develop a way to engage audiences more fully in the subject matter of my work and also within its physicality. I’ve developed this project to enable creativity to be as accessi- ble as possible.” The project, titled Portraits Untold, continues at Stoke City Football Club later in the year where Tanya will paint the club’s ‘biggest fan’, Neil Baldwin (pictured) on 19 September.

A monster of an event Lederhosen Lichfield Festival on track at Donnington Park at the ready... One of train operator London Midland’s newest Class 350 trains has been named after the Lichfield Festival. The selected train was named at a special event at Euston Station last month. “This is the third year we’ve sponsored the festival and we wanted to do something spe- cial to mark our support of this exciting event,” explained London Midland commer- A version of legendary cial director Richard Brooks. “It’s very rare Munich beer festival that London Midland names a train, and Oktoberfest is being held we’re delighted to have named a Class 350 in Birmingham this train ‘Lichfield Festival’ in recognition of us autumn. being the principal partner for the event.” The popular event, This year’s festival runs at venues across returning to the city for a Lichfield from 1 to 10 July. This year’s festi- third year, takes place in val welcomes performances from folkster Cannon Hill Park from 12 Kate Rusby (pictured), comedian Rob Monster trucks are set to go wheel to wheel at speeds of to 16 October. Beckett, and the National Orchestra of 100mph this month when the British Truck Racing “The mood at our event Wales. See our Festivals section for more Championship takes place at Midlands venue Donington is as good as the one in information. Park on 23 & 24 July. Munich,” says Carsten Widely considered to be one of the most exciting forms of Raun, the festival’s direc- motorsport in the world, monster truck racing sees dare- tor. devil drivers at the wheels of highly modified vehicles, “One thing the British pulling out all the stops to reach the finish line before their and the Germans have in competitors. common is the joy of life As well as the heavyweight racing, the event also features with a nice beer, so plenty of off-track family-friendly entertainment to enjoy, Oktoberfest is a perfect with activities for kids including racing simulators, tram- place to meet.” polines, bouncy castles and climbing walls. Lederhosen at the ready, Tickets to the show are available in advance from doning- folks... ton-park.co.uk, with free entry for children aged 13 and younger....

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Entertainment news from around the region

John Barrowman heads panto cast at the Hippodrome Sutton Park One of the Midlands’ favourite panto stars is mak- records, and this year’s pantomime promises plen- to become ing a welcome return to the region this Christmas. ty of laughs, outrageous costumes and special no-man’s land Former Dr Who actor John Barrowman will take effects to amaze all the family.” the title role in Birmingham Hippodrome’s lavish Dick Whittington runs at Birmingham Hippodrome production of Dick Whittington. John will be from Monday 19 December until Sunday 29 joined in the show by comedy duo The Krankies, January. Tickets can be booked on 0844 338 5000 popular funnyman Matt Slack and EastEnders bad- or from birminghamhippodrome.com boy Steve McFadden, who plays Phil Mitchell in the long-running BBC One soap. Commenting on this year’s panto, the Hippodrome’s artistic director and chief executive, A specially commissioned Fiona Allen, said: “It’s never too early to be plan- Birmingham Hippodrome ning Christmas fun. Sales are already set to break production commemorating the centenary of the Great War is being mounted in Sutton Park this month. Furious Folly, taking place On yer bike! Plenty of Shock And Gore at the Electric as night falls ‘in a no-man’s land on the battle front for Bloodwise If you like your cinematic treats to be dark, twisted and spattered in between the two lines’, is an A team of University of blood, be sure to get along to this month’s Shock & Gore festival at open-air collage of sound, Birmingham blood cancer Birmingham’s Electric Cinema. light, pyrotechnics and per- researchers will this month Creepy happenings include the event’s annual party night, this year formance. The production is join 1,000 cyclists for a offering audiences the chance to choose between two cult 1990s hor- being presented on Friday 8 charity ride around the city. ror films - Scream and The Crow. There’s also a Birmingham ghost and Saturday 9 July. The Birmingham Bikeathon tour to enjoy - followed by a series of short films based on the stories takes place on 10 July and of legendary horror writer MR James - and a taste-along-screening of raises funds for blood can- the morbidly romantic Harold & Maude. Young theatre cer charity Bloodwise. With Although running from Friday 15 to Thursday 21 July, the festival is the full support of actually launched on the 9th, with a special interactive screening of tackling big Birmingham City Council, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining at Birmingham's Highbury Hall. issues riders can choose to cycle For more information, visit shockandgore.co.uk one of three routes on offer - 26 miles, 52 miles or 100 miles - starting and finish- South Asian film festival movies to be ing at the city’s Cannon Hill screened at Birmingham cinemas Park. Commenting on the event, Matt Lawley, Head of Two Birmingham cinemas are this month screening movies from Sport at Bloodwise, said: Europe’s largest South Asian film festival. Forty young people are set “We’re delighted that the Cineworld Broad Street and mac Birmingham will present a carefully to perform a challenging Birmingham Bikeathon is curated selection of new Indian and South Asian independent cine- and uplifting play about a returning for a third year. A ma, including feature films and documentaries by both established girl with autism who is lot of research takes place and new filmmakers. diagnosed with terminal in the city - from under- A programme of English and European premieres will show at the two cancer. standing basic principles venues, including Parched - a joyous and inspiring tale of cama- Local theatre ensemble around how blood cancer raderie - at Cineworld on 15 July, and Kannada - an empowering story Stage2 present Lee Hall’s works and affects patients, based on real-life events - at mac on the same day. The festival runs award-winning Spoonface to our groundbreaking clini- from 14 to 24 July. Steinberg at Birmingham’s cal trials programme - so Crescent Theatre from much of the money raised Wednesday 13 to Saturday from this ride will be invest- 16 July. The company pre- ed in projects within the Celebrating the country’s viously performed the play city.” most inspiring musicians to great critical acclaim in To sign up to the event, The UK’s largest youth music festival is being held in Birmingham 2009. Tickets for the show visit bloodwise.org.uk/birm- this month. cost £10. inghambikeathon A five-day celebration of the country’s most inspiring young musi- cians, Music For Youth takes place in three city-centre venues - Symphony Hall, Town Hall and the CBSO Centre - and features more than 400 live performances. The event also includes free pop-up per- formances across the city, a festival tent in Centenary Square and a number of interactive music workshops. For more information, visit mfy.org.uk

whatsonlive.co.uk 7 Dyad theatre DPS.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 18:27 Page 1

FEATURE

THE MANY FACES OF Rebecca Vaughan Dyad Theatre brings three solo shows to Stafford Gatehouse

From Tudor queen to shell-shocked soldier, Re- Christmas Gothic gency heroine to Hollywood icon, Dyad The- atre's Rebecca Vaughan portrays a dazzlingly diverse array of characters in her touring solo shows. A small team comprising just six people and usually only one performer, Dyad focuses on ‘radical’ approaches to familiar stories - radical, according to Vaughan, in its original sense of re- turning to roots. By using only words directly lifted from either fictional texts or the writings of real, historical figures, the company aims to paint honest, intimate pictures of the real and invented characters it takes as its subjects. “We try not to invent or deny anything, but within that you've got worlds that you can play with,” Vaughan explains. “With iconic figures The Unremarkable Death Of like Elizabeth I or Marilyn Monroe, everyone Marilyn Monroe has ideas about who they were, but we often gloss over the more interesting, troubled, vul- nerable parts of their characters. Going back to those and trying to show an honest whole is re- ally interesting - as audiences, we get so used to clichés that it's quite refreshing to challenge them.” This year, Dyad tours three shows to Stafford Gatehouse, two drawn from the same well of in- spiration, the other a reimagining of a more fa- miliar novel. Weaving together several different stories, Fe- male Gothic is the product of Vaughan's raiding of the treasure trove of underrated, under-read and often forgotten gothic tales penned by Vic- Austen’s Women torian women writers. “I'd been reading an MR James collection and in the introduction to this edition, it said that 85 to 90% of all Victorian and Edwardian ghost sto- ries and tales of the macabre were written by women, so I decided to do some research. It's fascinating: loads of the writers we now know for other things, like Gaskell and Edith Whar- ton, were all part of this. Even E Nesbit, who we think of as a children's writer, was far better known for these kinds of tales in her own time. Then there are others like ME Braddon, who was almost as famous as Dickens at one point

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Dalloway Female Gothic I, Elizabeth

but has been mostly forgotten since. She that are really relevant to us now, like mental rect connection she can foster with an audi- wrote about 50 novels and absolutely hun- health and the ways in which we hide our ence - sometimes to a greater extent than dreds of short stories, almost all of which are real selves from the world. The story takes viewers are aware! out of print now.” place on one day and centres on this middle- “I love the fact that the audience are com- Marking something of a departure from aged socialite, Clarissa Dalloway, and Septi- pletely on the journey with you, and I think Dyad's usual style of theatre, the production mus Smith, a soldier returning from the First they enjoy it too, being able to see the whites uses the device of a central narrator figure World War. The two never meet, but through of an actor's eyes. I remember once after a with her own dark story as a framework various events, we see how they each affect show I was standing next to someone in the around which various tales can coalesce. each other. We were really interested in this loos, and she couldn't believe that I recog- Through this character, Vaughan is also able idea that we're all connected on some level, nised her from the audience.” and we thought that having one person play to interpret and comment on the stories. Of course, it's not just important for viewers all of the characters would be an interesting “I wanted to somehow join them all together to connect with a performer. For a piece of way of representing that.” in a bigger world rather than just having sep- theatre to really be effective, an actor must arate tales. Of those I found, some are written If you're thinking that this all sounds in- transcend this, persuading the audience of in first person and some in third person, and sanely ambitious, you're not alone. Even the realness of the characters and allowing lots of them have a kind of narrator figure, so Vaughan herself was far from free of reserva- them to temporarily suspend their disbelief. to create this character, I've compiled mate- tions about performing alone when the idea Naturally, this presents a major challenge for rial from some of the stories that I haven't in- was first suggested to her. a solo performer, but it's one that Vaughan cluded in the show in full.” “I actually started doing this quite recently seems to relish. In turn, Female Gothic led to the develop- within the scheme of my career. I'd been “There are times when it feels like it's going ment of a second show, Christmas Gothic, in doing fairly well as a 'normal' actor, but the to be really hard, particularly when I'm play- which the same central character returns larger the theatres and the egos of some of ing male characters, but you just have to with a whole new set of spooky stories. the performers I was working with became, breathe and let them come through like oil on the more I felt that I was losing sight of why I “One of the things I discovered was that, top of water. One of the things I've learned became an actor in the first place. I'd always whereas we tend to see these tales as being a from Dalloway is the importance not just of loved the tradition of people coming into a very autumnal, Halloweeny thing, the Victo- what a character says but of how they say it. dark room and just listening to a story, and I rians viewed them as something very festive. The words someone uses and even the ca- remember standing in a 1,500-seat theatre If you think of A Christmas Carol, for in- dence of their sentences informs exactly who with an audience who were miles away and stance, it's one of our most famous Christmas they are, and the physicality kind of follows realising that I was looking for something stories, but it's also a ghost story. Christmas on from that. During rehearsals, each one be- else. shows are so popular - people love going to comes very distinct, taking on their own the panto - that I decided there must be a “The following year, I met a producer called vocal palette and physical expression. Of market for this, and that was backed up by Guy Masterton who offered to teach me how course, I never see them, but I've been told the fact that in the original tour, nearly all to produce. He suggested that I do a solo by other people that they forget they're the shows sold out!” show, and at the time it just sounded like the watching me - that they don't even see me or most terrifying thing I could imagine. But the what I'm wearing after a while. So I think if Meanwhile, the third show heading for more we talked about it, the more I got used you ignite an audience's imagination in the Stafford this year is one that places even to the idea, and I started putting together a right way, they will do a lot of the work for greater demands on Vaughan as a solo per- piece called Austen's Women. When I eventu- you.” former. A unique adaptation of Virginia ally came to perform it, once I'd got over that Woolf's classic 1925 novel, Dalloway, sees initial rabbit-in-the-headlights feeling, I im- Vaughan play multiple characters in the mediately fell in love with it. It just felt like same story, all without the help of costume the most intimate, honest theatrical experi- Dyad Theatre perform Dalloway at changes or any supporting cast members. ence I'd been part of for years.” Stafford Gatehouse on 27 September; “Dalloway is one of my favourite things I've Female Gothic on 31 October, and Christ- For Vaughan, the most exciting thing about been in,” she gushes. “I love the novel - it's mas Gothic on 20 December. performing alone in smaller venues is the di- so beautiful, and deals with a lot of issues

whatsonlive.co.uk 9 FOOD new July - SHROPS/STAFFS/WOLVES - Brian.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 18:28 Page 1 3 OF SHREWSBURY’S BEST RESTAURANTS AND BARS

all located opposite the historic and beautiful Shrewsbury Abbey!

Cafe Bar & Restaurant Ramen Noodle Bar Bar & Restaurant www.thepeachtree.co.uk www.momonoki.co.uk www.havanarepublic.co.uk

ALL OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 18-21 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury. SY2 6AE. Tel: 01743 355055 FOOD new July - SHROPS/STAFFS/WOLVES - Brian.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 18:28 Page 2

Food

New owner for The New Inn... Sam and Clare Jenkins, the couple behind Henry New Inn has a great team and we look forward Tudor House, one of Shrewsbury’s most popular to working with them as we build on the pub’s restaurants and live entertainment venues, have good name, carrying out some refurbishment bought well-known Shropshire pub The New work and enhancing the offer even further. Our Inn at Baschurch. The venue is listed in the executive chef, Chris Conde, is also looking for- Good Pub Guide and recommended by a range ward to working with head chef Andrea Birch, of other organisations, including the AA and the combining the skills of her team with those from Campaign For Real Ale. Henry Tudor House.” Commenting on their purchase, Clare said: “The

REVIEW: Avatar, Shrewsbury ing an Indian restaurant. The starter, it was a perfectly pro- menu is split up into sections - duced plate of food. The venison Indian cuisine, a cut above the rest... traditional starters and house was tender and melted in the special starters, fresh seafood mouth, with the other elements dishes, traditional dishes, inno- creating a perfect all-round vative dishes and a vegetarian flavour. section. There’s also a list of My partner chose the Nepalese- homemade breads and sides. style duck (£11.95), again from The menu even states, ‘If you the innovative dishes section - like any dish which is not on the glazed Gressingham duck breast menu, our chef is very happy to cooked with cinnamon, bay leaf, make it for you’. ginger, cardamom and orange Straight away the professional- juice. That, too, was stunning. ism and knowledge of the staff, The chefs here really know how both inside and outside the to cook! We shared a garlic fried kitchen, shone through. rice, a cheese-and-onion naan Every starter from the traditional and a side of tarka dal, all of and house special list sounded which were of a high standard. delicious. Amongst the options The tarka dal was one of the featured were: momo (£3.95) - nicest I’ve ever tasted. chicken, onion, coriander and Avatar is a cut above the rest garam masala steamed when it comes to Indian cuisine - dumplings served with a house from the vast variety of dishes special tomato and sesame seed on offer to the chef’s execution chutney; guinea fowl tikka of them, and from the fantastic (£5.95); monk fish tikka (£6.95); value for money to the excep- piro king prawns (£5.95). Being tional service. Khatri’s previous huge seafood lovers, my partner cooking experience really shows Mardol Head, one of Shrewsbury following the suc- and I opted for the seafood plat- in his dishes, and there wasn’t a Shrewsbury’s most historic cess of his Leicestershire-based ter (£12.95). It consisted of black single thing on the menu that I areas, was once the place to visit restaurant. tiger prawns, chilli-fried squid, wouldn’t have been happy to crab cakes and salmon tikka. All order. Not surprisingly I can’t for a rowdy night out. Nowadays Avatar boasts refined yet creative elements were seasoned careful- wait to return, to sample more of it’s home to an abundance of Nepalese and Indian cuisine, ly, presented beautifully and the exquisite cuisine on offer... popular Indian, Thai and Italian with the menu incorporating cooked to perfection - a very Lauren Foster eateries. It’s also the place where both traditional classic enjoyable start to the evening. Indian & Nepalese fine dining favourites and original new dish- restaurant Avatar opened its es that apply eastern flavours Although tempted by the fresh Food: n n n n n doors to the ‘town of flowers’ with a western twist. seafood section’s lobster balchao Service: n n n n n back in 2014. (£24.95) - lobster spiced with gar- Ambience: n n n n n On arrival, we were met by ALL OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! Owner Sustant Khatri has lic sweet chilli butter and Overall value n n n n n broad, welcoming smiles from matured with dill and grand OVERALL n n n n n worked across both India and all the staff. The friendly greet- marnier liquor - for my main I Nepal with the luxury hotel ing, allied to the crisp, fresh opted for the venison coconut groups Taj and Oberoi, as well as décor, helped create a perfect chilli fry (£12.95) from the inno- in some of London’s most presti- atmosphere. Avatar vative dishes list. This consisted gious Indian restaurants (includ- 22 - 23 Mardol Head We perused the extensive menu ing Cinnamon Club in of strips of venison fillet tossed Shrewsbury over a cold Cobra and some pop- Westminster). He chose to with onion, tomato, ginger and SY1 1PU padoms - a necessity when visit- expand his Avatar brand to spices with coconut. Just like the Tel: 01743 361888/364001

whatsonlive.co.uk 11 FOOD new July - SHROPS/STAFFS/WOLVES - Brian.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 18:28 Page 3

Live Music - June & July

Sat 25th June, 9pm Sat 16th July, 9pm CHRIS QUINN CHRIS QUINN ...... Sat 25th June, 9pm Sat 2nd July, 9pm JORDON SYNERGY BROWN

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Sat 9th July, 9pm ANDY MILLS

LUNCH GRILL NIGHT PIZZA NIGHT EVERY SUNDAY EVERY OUR 2 COURSES EVERY WEDNESDAY FAMOUS FOR THURSDAY Includes one FREE SUNDAY £10 complimentary 2 FOR 1 ROAST MON - SAT drink per couple ON PIZZA 12 - 9pm

Victoria Quay, Victoria Avenue, Shrewsbury, SY1 1HH Tel: 01743 233244 www.visitriverbank.co.uk

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Food

Cooking for victory at Cosford Organisers of this month’s RAF Cosford Food Festival are confident the two-day event will leave its visi- tors ‘flying high’. The popular festival features cook- ery demonstrations, tasty giveaways and a host of independent food and drink suppliers from across Shropshire, Staffordshire and the West Midlands. The event also includes the family-friendly KidzKitchen, encouraging young- sters to roll up their sleeves and join in the Cooking For Victory sessions. The food festival takes place at Cosford on 25 & 26 July.

A new venture Food festival makes its Southwater debut for local chef Telford is hosting a brand new food event at line-up in place, the festival looks set to the end of the month. achieve its organisers’ primary objective - ‘to Shropshire-based restaurant The bring the whole community together to cele- Yockleton Arms, formerly The Pink The memorably named Telfood Feastival hosts over 120 food and craft exhibitors, live music, brate local producers and craftspeople in a Elephant, has recently been taken family-friendly environment’. over by chef Liam Hall. The eatery talks, demonstrations and a host of activities has undergone a complete refur- for children to enjoy, including go-karting, The Telfood Feastival takes place in the QEII bishment, with changes being made crossbar coaching, pottery painting and circus- Arena, Telford Town Park, on 30 & 31 July. to the menu, decor and staff. related fun. With such a varied and imaginative Having not long moved from Shrewsbury venue The Loopy Shrew, Liam’s purchase of The Yockleton Arms sees him fulfilling British gastro event his lifelong ambition to own his own restaurant. is truly Great... The venue boasts a classic British Midlands-based foodies should put a date in menu with chef-inspired twists. their diary to attend this year’s Great British Liam, who prides himself on using Food Festival. local produce, with all lamb and The popular event features over 80 top local beef being sourced within a half- and artisan producers, cookery lessons, chil- mile radius, is aiming ‘to bring dren’s activities, live music and top chef demos high-quality, local British food back from Great British Bake Off finalists Luis to the local community’. Troyano and Miranda Gore-Browne. To book your table,call 01743 For those wishing to show off their baking 821491. skills, the festival hosts a Cake Off competition, while anybody feeling brave enough can take part in various Men vs Food Challenges, avail- able both to men and women throughout the weekend. The Great British Food Festival takes place at the Shugborough Estate in Staffordshire on 9/10 July. For further information visit greatbritishfood- festival.com whatsonlive.co.uk 13 Music - July - Wolves/Staffs/Shrops.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:10 Page 1

Gigs

Lionel Richie Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, Thurs 7 July Boasting in excess of 100 million album sales, a Golden Globe, numerous Grammy Awards and the Crystal Award for Humanitarianism, Lionel Richie is a 24-carat superstar. This latest concert - All The Hits - blends new material with old. Undoubtedly on the playlist will be classics from his extensive and much-loved repertoire, such as Hello, Dancing On The Ceiling and Endless Love, as well as mega-hits from his Commodore days, like Easy, Brickhouse and Three Times A Lady. Last year saw Richie sell out his All The Hits All Night Long tour, as well as playing Glastonbury’s ‘legends’ slot, previously filled by the likes of Dolly Parton and James Brown. Special guest singer-songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae provides support for the evening.

Ash Quantic The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 29 July Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Fri 15 July Quantic is just one name used by talent- ed musician and producer Will Holland. Recording under monikers including The Quantic Soul Orchestra and The Limp Twins, he creates beat-heavy sounds in the ‘soul, Latin and funk’ category. Now onto his 16th studio album - having also released several compilations - this globally renowned musician and vinyl collector uses hand-sourced samples to add an international flavour to his music. Holland stops off in Birmingham as part of a tour to support new album 1000 Northern Irish alternative rock band Ash Watts, recorded with his Flowering Inferno band. formed in 1992 and comprises vocalist and

guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton

and drummer Rick McMurray. The talented

three-piece have had one silver, two gold and Rufus Wainwright two platinum-selling - and chart-topping - Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 15 July studio albums in the UK, as well as 18 songs Blending the deeply personal with sharp in the UK chart’s top 40, including Girl From social commentary, Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of modern music's Mars and Shining Light. Their most recent shining talents. The American-Canadian singer-songwriter has recorded numerous offering, 2015’s Kablammo!, was their first albums, including the Juno Award-winning release in eight years and made the top 50 in Rufus Wainwright (1998) and Poses (2001). He’s also collaborated with a host of A-list both the Irish and UK album charts. artists, including Elton John, Boy George and Joni Mitchell, to name but three.

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Gig previews from around the region

The Dead Daisies The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton, Tues 26 July

The Dead Daisies are an Australian- American rock band and musical col- lective formed in 2012 in Sydney and Los Angeles. Influenced by 1970s and early ’80s hard rock, their sound recalls The Faces, Bad Company and Foreigner, comprising bluesy riffs, Tinariwen international profile with the 2001 release of muscular vocals and powerful The Radio Tisdas Sessions. melodies. Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tues 19 July One of the most exciting and successful Playing ‘Assouf’, or guitar poetry, Tinariwen bands to come out of West Africa, they set is a group of Tuareg-Berber musicians from their message of freedom over struggle, exile the Sahara Desert. Formed in Libyan refugee and rebellion to the sound of rolling, yearn- Hayseed Dixie camps in the late 1970s, the band gained an ing grooves. The Robin, Bilston, Thurs 21 July

The Overtones Sun Kil Moon The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Sat 16 July The Glee Club, Birmingham, Tues 19 July Named after a Korean lightweight boxer, Sun Kil Moon is the primary recording moniker of vocalist and guitarist Mark Kozelek. Previously the founder of Red House Painters, Kozelek started writing Sun Kil Moon material back in 2002, following the delayed release of the Painters’ last Although they’ve produced some album, Old Ramon. The American folk rock pretty unforgettable and comically act have since released eight studio albums. crude songs, including I'm Keeping Your Poop In A Jar and She Was Sun Kil Moon Skinny When I Met Her, Hayseed Dixie are probably best known for their rollicking rockgrass covers. The five fellas who make up highly regarded Co-founder, guitarist and frontman vocal harmony group The Overtones were John Wheeler names Motorhead’s working together as painters and decorators Arijit Singh Ace Of Spades as his favourite, but when they were discovered by a Warner it’s the music of AC/DC with which Brothers scout, who heard them singing Arijit Singh they’re most closely associated. during their tea break. A multi-album deal Kiss, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and was subsequently secured with the record Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, Sat 9 July Queen are others to have received the label. Blending ’50s harmonies with modern Following a sell-out concert at the SSE Hayseed Dixie treatment. pop, their debut offering featured a number Arena, Wembley, last year, Rock On Music Having played over 1,000 gigs in 30- of original tracks which the boys themselves brings award-winning playback singer and plus countries, it’s fair to say they’re had written (including first single Gambling music programmer Arijit Singh to a much-loved act, so bag yourself a Man and title track Good Ol' Fashioned Birmingham. Across his career, Singh has ticket asap. Love). Numerous TV appearances have fol- received in excess of 20 awards for his out- lowed in the ensuing years, with slots on put, the majority for the song Tum Hi Ho, shows such as Dancing On Ice and Britain's which featured in the Indian movie Got More Talent ensuring they’ve remained Aashiqui 2. very much in the public eye.

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Classical Music

BBC National Orchestra Of Wales Lichfield Cathedral, Sat 9 July Lichfield Festival's closing cathedral con- cert is a reflective contemplation on the First World War. Vaughan Williams’ The Lark Ascending and Symphony No 5 both feature, framing a concert that also includes Colin Matthews’ No Man's Land. Premiered to great critical acclaim in 2011, the piece evokes many facets of war, from grim black humour to patriotic songs on a honky-tonk piano... The concert will be recorded for broadcast on BBC Radio Three. Martyn Brabbins (pic- tured) conducts.

Blake Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, Sun 10 July Comprising Ollie Baines, Humphrey Berney and Stephen Bowman, Blake are credited for bringing classical music to the masses - an achievement cemented when their debut offer- ing won Album of the Year at the Classical Brit Awards in 2008. The crossover trio stop off in the Midlands to showcase their harmonic virtuosity in a reper- toire comprising songs from stage and screen. The show includes renditions of, among other well-known numbers, You'll Never Walk Alone, Memory, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, Music Of The Night and Maria. Piano Week Moreton Hall, Weston Rhyn, Sun 17 - Sun 31 July This international festival and summer Summer Classics CBSO: Falstaff school is now in its fourth year - and although it’s called Piano Week, the event Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Fri 22 July Symphony Hall, Birmingham, actually takes place over a period of two Wed 13 July The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra weeks and one day. here present what’s been described as ‘the People are decidedly split on Verdi’s For the second year running, its line-up musical equivalent of a warm summer’s eve’ Falstaff. For some, it’s a warm and features world-renowned concert pianist (an experience that’s sure to be particularly wise comedy; for others, a work that Stephen Kovacevich. Stephen will be clos- welcome if the British weather isn’t playing struggles to make the grade, due ing the festival with a programme compris- ball come the 22nd of the month). mainly to the relative weakness of its ing Berg’s piano sonata, Schubert’s penul- Robert Ziegler is the man with the baton for a source material - Shakespeare’s not timate sonata in A major D959 and concert that’s bathed in the sunshine music altogether universally acclaimed Debussy’s ‘En blanc et noir’ and ‘Prélude à of Gershwin (Summertime), Debussy (Clair de Merry Wives Of Windsor. l’après-midi d’un faune’ for two pianos Lune), Vivaldi (The Four Seasons - Summer), Verdi’s final opera, it was composed (the second of which is played by Mendelssohn (A Midsummer Night's Dream - as a response to the oft-voiced accusa- Samantha Ward). Overture), Tchaikovsky (The Nutcracker - tion that he was no good at writing Waltz Of The Flowers) and Elgar (Salut comedy - hence his decision to place d'amour). Shakespeare’s funniest character at the very heartland of the work. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra are joined for this new pro- duction by the CBSO Chorus and a cast headed by baritone Ambrogio Maestri, who plays Falstaff. Edward Gardner conducts. The opera is sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Robert Ziegler

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Festivals

Godiva Festival War Memorial Park, Coventry, Fri 1 - Sat 3 July Claiming the title of the UK's biggest free music festival, the Coventry Godiva has come a long way from its 17th century origins as a procession in honour of the medieval Countess of Mercia. Though the procession still continues today, the event has snowballed since the early noughties, attracting ever-growing audiences and a diverse array of both veteran performers and emerging acts to play across its three stages. Over the years, festi- val line-ups have covered Britpop bands, up-and-coming indie talents, ’80s electro pop, familiar ska and two-tone favourites, reggae, hip-hop and even international stars. Line-up Includes: The Charlatans, Mystery Jets, Space, The Boomtown Rats, Scouting for Girls, The Subways, The Pigeon Detectives, Luna Kiss, Milburn, D Double E and Yungen

Scouting For Girls The Subways The Boomtown Rats

Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Splendour The Birmingham And Festival Wollaton Park, Nottingham, Sat 23 July Solihull Jazz & Blues Moseley Park, Birmingham, Fri 8 - Sun 10 July Festival Brought to you by the masterminds behind Various locations throughout Birmingham & Solihull, Fri 15 - Sun 24 July Moseley Folk and the Lunar Festival, Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul does exactly what it says Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival has this on the tin. World-class artists come together year teamed up with Solihull Jazz Festival for with the leading lights of the local jazz scene the very first time. in a laid-back, family-friendly event that cel- Like Mostly Jazz and the International Jazz ebrates Birmingham's musical heritage. Like Festival, the Birmingham Jazz & Blues cele- its sister folk festival, it's also located in the brates the city's long-running history with Jess Glynne gorgeous Moseley Park, a stunning wood- the genre, which has maintained a strong land glade tucked away from busy city local following since the 1920s. The success Since its inception in 2008, Splendour streets - a perfect escape from the city centre in previous years of the Solihull event, in Nottingham has assembled an bustle. meanwhile, has offered plenty of evidence impressive range of musical talent, that the town has a huge appetite for jazz Line-up Includes: De La Soul, George Clinton unrestricted by genre or audience. music. Parliament Funkadelic, Average White Band, Centrally located in the heart of the This coming together of the festivals sees Booker T. Jones, Grandmaster Flash, beautiful Wollaton Park, the festival is around 200 performances taking place in Blackalicious, Eska, Craig Charles' Funk & easy to access for locals and visitors more than 40 venues, with both home-grown Soul Show alike, and is well-situated for com- and international artists taking part. bined visits with other local attrac- tions - the Nottingham Natural Line-up Includes: Pepper And The Jellies, History Museum, Nottingham Digby Fairweather And The Chasemen, The Industrial Museum and nearby herds Catfish Kings, The Humors, The Whiskey of red and fallow deer. Brothers, The Busquitos, Walter Trout Band, Remi Harris Trio and the Roy Forbes Trio. Line-up Includes: Jess Glynne, The Human League, UB40, The Darkness, Turin Brakes, Jamie Lawson, The Fratellis, The Rifles, Stiff Little Fingers, Jeremy Loops, Ady Suleiman Grandmaster Flash

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Festivals

Williams, Colin Matthews and Deborah Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain Pritchard, as well as a stunning light show from Luxamuralis, prompt reflections on the war, while exhibitions, talks and cabaret ses- sions take a closer look at life and culture at the time. Film critic Mark Kermode introduces screen- ings of Charlie Chaplin's The Rink (1916) and The Immigrant (1917), while The Foundry Group perform Those Magnificent Men - a play about aviation pioneers Alcock and Brown - and Ballet Cymru present dance adaptations of two Roald Dahl stories, the author having been born in 1916. Elsewhere, expect readings from well-known authors, kathak dance, classic movies, Shakespeare, Mozart, folk music and hands- on, family-friendly fun. Line-up includes: Susan Calman, Rob Beckett, Kate Rusby, Claire Martin, Mark and more, Lichfield Festival this year cele- Lichfield Festival Kermode, Sebastian Faulks, Mona Siddiqui, brates an impressive 35 years. Spanning 10 BBC National Orchestra of Wales and The Various locations in and around Lichfield, days and multiple venues, the 2016 event Fri 1 - Sun 10 July Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain. begins on the 100th anniversary of the Battle Bringing together a diverse array of music of the Somme and takes the First World War with theatre, film, comedy, dance, visual art as a major theme. Compositions by Vaughan

MADE Birmingham MADE... My Night Line-up Includes: Knee Warwick Folk Festival Deep in Sound, Speedy Sonics, Hot Since 82, The Rainbow Venues, Birmingham Davide Squillace, Sidney Charles, Cause & Warwick School, Thurs 21 - Sun 24 July Sat 30 July Effect, Preditah, Friction and Slimzee

Wolvestock 22 Wolverhampton Racecourse, Friday 1 - Sun 3 July Offering (for over 20 years now) a rare chance to enjoy country music in the heart of the West Midlands, the unique Wolvestock The Unthanks Rudimental festival has previously won recognition as the best UK event at the British Country Music Awards, making it an essential date on Attracting some of the folk scene's most sea- From cutting-edge live music and dance to the calendar for any fan of the genre. soned performers as well as scouting out the vibrant street art and design, the Conveniently located at Wolverhampton hottest new talent, Warwick Folk Festival is Metropolitan Arts & Dance Event (MADE Racecourse, the festival features free parking among the best when it comes to traditional Birmingham) compiles the best in contempo- and very affordable tickets, available from music offerings. Conveniently located in the rary urban and underground culture in the the Wolves Civic box office. grounds of Warwick School, with indoor and bustling, creative heart of Britain's second outdoor performance space and plenty of city. Expect dynamic, award-winning per- Line-up includes: indoor facilities, it also boasts one of the best formers, drum and bass, hip-hop, grime, Donna Wylde festival sites around. Folk dance, kids' activi- techno and all-night DJ sets at the biggest (pictured), Lisa ties, a friendly atmosphere and lots of fringe MADE... My Night after-party to date, spread Wright, Katy Jane, acts around the town all contribute to mak- across two separate rooms. Easy to access Dee D & The ing Warwick Folk one of the Midlands' most thanks to its inner-city location, this adults- James Gang Band, all-round enjoyable festival experiences. only festival takes place across various ven- Emma Swindells Line-up Includes: The Unthanks, Show of Donna ues in Birmingham's Digbeth Triangle. Band, Shotgun Hands, Korrontzi, Le Vent du Nord, Michael Annies, The Ash Line-up Includes: Rudimental DJ, Stormzy, McGoldrick & Friends, Jamie Smith's Cooper Band, Andy C, Kano, Dusky, Shy FX, Boddika, MABON, Fay Hield & The Hurricane Party, Narn, Henry Logan Sama, Toddla T, Noisia, Chris Barluath, Will Pound Ceilidh Band and Smith Band, The Lorenzo, Low Steppa and Mike Skinner & Jigdoll (Hannah James) Diabolos Band Murkage present Tonga

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Festivals

Dizzee Rascal all while maintaining a strong sense of com- munity absent from many modern festivals. Even better, it's affordably priced, and absolutely free for under-10s. Music line-up includes: Happy Mondays, Dizzee Rascal, Mystery Jets, Netsky, Wretch 32, Friction, K-Klass, The Sunshine Underground, Sonny Wharton, Graeme Park, The Hunna, Icarus, Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show. Art & Comics line-up includes: Howard Chaykin, Roland Boschi, Goran Parlov, Jason Starr, John Wagner, David Baillie, Dan Berry, Doug Brathwaite, Brox, Andy Diggle and Barry Kitson.

Shrewsbury Fields from it’s previous home - Greenhous West Mid Showground - to the picturesque Quarry Forever Park, with another excitingly diverse line-up. The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, Readily accessible and centrally located, the Fri 15 - Sun 17 July event brings together brilliant breakthrough Shropshire's largest festival of contemporary acts with established music and comedy per- music, electronica, arts and comedy moves formers as well as visual artists and writers, Mystery Jets

Bromsgrove Folk Fuse Festival L Fest Various venues across Bromsgrove, Beacon Park, Lichfield, Fri 8 - Sun 10 July Worcestershire, Thurs 7 - Sun 10 July Uttoxeter Back for 2016, Lichfield's free, family-friendly Racecourse, community music and arts festival promises Staffordshire, Fri 15 - Mon 18 July to be bigger, brighter and better than ever. Expect music, circus and entertainment from Billed as the UK's across the UK and Europe, as well as deli- only lesbian music, cious food and the chance to get hands-on arts and comedy with various creative workshops and com- festival, the multi- Heather Peace munity projects, all in the gorgeous sur- award-winning L roundings of Beacon Park. Fest is a relatively recent venture. It started out just a few years ago when its Director, Rory McLeod Line-up includes: The Indecision, Funke & Cindy Edwards, decided to utilise her experi- the Two Tone Baby, The Roz Bruce Infusion, ence of running a women's football tourna- A small-scale, friendly music festival, Sonic Boom Six, K.O.G. and the Zongo ment to develop what's now turned into Bromsgrove Folk offers a chance to enjoy up- Brigade, Kissin' Kippers Fishin' Club, three major international events. Thanks to close-and-personal, intimate concerts from Sugarthief, Deny All Robots, The Jar Family, its open and inclusive atmosphere, its friend- UK-based folk, roots and acoustic perform- Pearl Handled Revolver and Misty's Big liness and originality, the not-for-profit festi- ers, and this year celebrates its 25th anniver- Adventure. val has already met with huge success, draw- sary. Taking place in the town's Bowling ing in audiences of all ages. Men, straight Green Inn on Shaw Lane, the festival spreads Sonic Boom Six folks and the whole LGBTQI community are across two marquees (one 350-seater and welcome, kids go free, babysitting services one 120-seater), with sessions and sing- are offered and the event has even been arounds inside the pub. recognised for its commitment to improving access for deaf and disabled visitors. Line-up includes: Rory McLeod & The Familiar Strangers, Steve Tilson & Jez Lowe, Line-up includes: Heather Peace, Saffron Anthony John Clarke, Steamchicken, Mad (from Republica), Eva Iglesias and Pink and Jocks & Englishmen, Kristina Olsen, Vicki Amy Winehouse tribute acts. Swan & Jonny Dyer, Steve Turner and Union Jill.

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FEATURE

LEVELLING THE LAND The Levellers' Mark Chadwick talks festivals, folk music, and filming a documentary

In the late 1980s, a bunch of young radicals This summer, the band will be touring sev- on the fringes of the so-called ‘crusty’ trav- eral UK festivals, including the Shrewsbury eller movement emerged onto the booming and Moseley Folk Festivals in the Midlands. indie music scene with a band that took its Earlier in the year, they also performed at name from a 17th century progressive politi- Derbyshire's Bearded Theory. Having begun cal faction. Inspired both by popular punk their career with a big following amongst bands like The Clash and by the folk acts travellers on the free festival scene, and twice they'd been hearing on the live circuit, The gone on to smash records for drawing the Levellers developed a fresh, dynamic sound, biggest ever crowds at Glastonbury's Pyramid combining traditional acoustic instruments and Avalon stages, music festivals have al- with electric base, thumping rhythms and a ways seemed a natural home for The Lev- furious rock energy, as well as unapologeti- ellers. cally politicised lyrics. “They can be really special events,” says In some ways, it's hard to imagine less likely Chadwick. “You never know what you're candidates for mainstream musical success, going to get, and quite a lot of the time, you'll but something about the frustrated, rebel- find there are people there who've never seen lious spirit of the time combined with their you before, which is great. There's always a exhilarating live performances enabled them buzz from that - when you just play your own to build a massive audience. Their first gigs, you're always preaching to the con- album, A Weapon Called The Word (1990), verted, to an extent.” went gold and their second, Levelling The As well as appearing at events across the Land (1991), entered the charts at number 14 country, since 2003, the band have also run and eventually went platinum. Twenty-seven their own non-commercial Beautiful Days years, multiple albums and a documentary Festival in Devon. The proliferation of music ‘‘ film later, The Levellers are still going strong. festivals during the last decade or so might Though it's been a few years since their last have resulted in a rather crowded market studio album, the band have been continu- place, but enthusiasm for them doesn't ap- ally out on tour, releasing several live records pear to have waned. as well as their Greatest Hits. “People don't seem to mind - they're still What's On caught up with Levellers frontman going and it's a big business. We sell our fes- Mark Chadwick. tival out without even advertising it, but “We've been writing and working on new we're in quite a fortunate position there be- songs since November, and we've been trying cause it can be risky. Often people think it's a some of them out live, but we're not in a quick way of making money, but to be hon- hurry to get a new album out,” explains est, it's not really a way of making any money Mark. “We just want to make sure it's some- at all. Not if you do it properly, anyway - if thing special - there's no point in putting out you don't want to treat people horribly and an average record.” have terrible infrastructure and bad food and 24 whatsonlive.co.uk ” The Levellers DPS.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 18:10 Page 2

by Heather Kincaid

rubbish toilets and herd them around. It's not that much. I just find it disappointing. be more expressive and personal, I suppose.” just ripping people off, and long-term that's And surprising, actually, because there's Since recording their last studio album, not a great idea - those kinds of events tend plenty of scope. There's a lot to write about. Static On The Airwaves, in 2012, The Levellers to disappear quite quickly.” We're living in a very scary world with a lot of have been the subject of a documentary film injustices right now, and I don't really under- That being said, while the ranks of independ- directed by Chumbawamba's Dunstan Bruce. stand why people aren't singing about it.” ent festivals have been growing, it's still the Primarily told from the perspective of the larger, better advertised events that tend to The Levellers' belief in the importance of charismatic bassist and album artist Jeremy dominate, something also true in other as- speaking up for ordinary people ties them in Cunningham, it tells the story of the band's pects of the music industry. It's hard to get with a long folk tradition that has historically rise to success from 1988 to ’98. away from the fact that popular music is served to give voice to those who might other- “We thought it was about time, actually! It more managed and manufactured than ever, wise have been silenced. At the 2011 BBC doesn't cover everything of course - it's not which poses the question of whether a Radio Two Folk Awards, they received the like a typical 'rock-u-mentary'. It's got more boundary-pushing, genre-defying, outspoken Roots Award for outstanding contribution to of a narrative to it, which makes it a better band like The Levellers would be able to folk music from a grassroots level upwards. film. Making it was quite easy really. We gave reach as many people if they were starting Though folk is only one aspect of their dis- him complete carte blanche to do whatever out today. tinctive style, which has always resisted easy he wanted. We didn't want to influence it in categorisation, the band have lately been “It is difficult now. I mean, it takes money. I any way - so if he saw us as a horrible bunch, strengthening their connection to the genre, appreciate you can just about do all right on that's how we would’ve come across. Fortu- working with Sean Lakeman to produce their your own with the internet and gigging, but nately, I think we come across pretty well!” albums and collaborating with the likes of to actually reach a wide audience and get re- Bellowhead and Billy Bragg on new versions Today, after more than 25 years in the busi- ally well known does require investment from of their earlier hits. ness, The Levellers continue to inspire new a record company, and they just don't seem listeners with songs that seem just as impor- to do that much now. They'll do it for pop “We love folk music - we always have. Back tant and relevant as ever. During their time music, but they won't really do it for anything in the day it was a dirty word but it's not any together, they've seen a whole generation else.” more. But again, folk music is traditionally grow up with their music, and even begin to the music of protest, a kind of descriptive It's perhaps partly down to this shift that introduce a new one to the fold. narrative of the times, and I do think that's there's been a noticeable decline in the num- missing in folk at the moment. It's all very “It's a very broad church, our audience. As a ber of overtly political and countercultural nicey-nicey.” band I think we're quite unique in that re- acts emerging in recent years, at least spect. We get everyone from eight-year-olds amongst those achieving widespread recog- In 2010, Chadwick also made his solo debut to 80-year-olds coming along to our gigs. It's nition. This is despite the fact that our cur- with All The Pieces, following this up with a really great!” rent political landscape is characterised by a second album, Moment, in 2014. similar polarisation to that which prompted a “I still feel more at home with the band, to be creative backlash in the ’80s and early ’90s. honest, but I like doing solo stuff. It's just dif- The Levellers play Shrewsbury Folk “There's good music, but the lyrical content I ferent. It's great getting to work with different Festival on Monday 29 August and do find generally lacking across the board. musicians after 27 years. And it's freeing - it Moseley Folk Festival on Friday 2 You can find it in some British rap music, but frees me up to write in a different way. I can September.

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Comedy

EastEnd Cabaret: Yeti's Demon Dive Bar mac, Birmingham, Tues 19 - Wed 20 July ‘A high-powered Flight Of The Conchords dipped in acid and drenched in smut’ is how Australian website Crikey summed up EastEnd Cabaret. New Zealand’s Theatreview, meanwhile, said the pair were ‘like the mutant child of a Victorian cir- cus, locked away in the Pet Shop Boys’ basement and forced to watch nothing but Eurovision’... You no doubt get the picture. Well, some sort of picture, anyway. EastEnd Cabaret’s description of themselves may further enlighten: ‘a globe- trotting, manbeast-riding, accordion-wielding, filth-mongering musical comedy duo’. Featuring Jennifer Byrne as European chanteuse Bernie and Victoria Falconer-Pritchard as the freakish hermaphrodite Victor Victoria, the award-winning act brings together a winning combination of risqué songs and character comedy. This latest show, debuted last year, features all manner of bizarre new characters, including an overly amorous yeti, a sleazy severed head and the intriguingly named Psychedelic Nuns.

Six of the best...

Mark Just The Tonic Danny Watson The Comedy Loft, Birmingham, Bhoy Fri 29 - Sat 30 July Theatre Severn, Slade Rooms, Shrewsbury, Just The Tonic began in Nottingham over 20 Wolverhampton, Sat Fri 9 July 2 July; The Glee years ago and has now taken over the Club, Birmingham, Well established Jongleurs site in Birmingham. Sun 3 July; Artrix, on the UK come- The popular event this month features the Bromsgrove, Mon 4 July dy circuit, Mark highly rated Markus Birdman, a comedian Watson was born who firmly believes that comedy should There can surely be in Bristol to always be presented live, in a dingy club, no greater pressure Welsh parents and initially delivered his act and to no more than 200 people. for a Scottish comedian than to be consid- with a Welsh accent, claiming he was "more With that kind of attitude, he may find it ered one of the country’s brightest hopes comfortable to be talking in a voice that I tricky to forge ahead with a television career since Billy Connolly. Such is the cross which didn't quite recognise as my own". - but then that’s absolutely fine by Markus. Danny Bhoy is currently having to bear. That A regular contributor to the Edinburgh Markus is joined on the bill by ‘a very special said, Danny is without question an incredi- Fringe, Watson has the curious distinction of guest’ the organisers ‘cannot announce’. And bly talented guy, blending ironic wit, obser- having performed stand-up shows which by Ray Peacock... vational humour and an appealingly laid- have lasted for a period in excess of 24 Although best known as one half of the high- back style to excellent effect. Whether he’s hours. “Comedy is certainly a time-consum- ly rated Peacock & Gamble double-act, Ray’s got what it takes to enjoy a career as long as ing element of my life,” admits Watson, “but no stranger to flying solo as a comedian. He the legendary Mr Connolly’s, only time will then while I’m out touring and on stage, also writes, acts and presents, and lists his tell, but there’s little doubt that he's become there are people at home doing far less glam- passions as The Muppets, Lemony Snicket, one of the most sought-after young comedi- orous things. There have certainly been Star Wars and Les Dawson. ans on the circuit. times when I’ve been very happy to say, ‘Of Completing the line-up is well-established He appears in the Midlands prior to touring course I’d like to stay and help out with that funnyman Luke Toulson, a regular Canada, New Zealand and Australia. plumbing crisis, but Bromsgrove awaits!’” Edinburgh Festival contributor with a refreshingly down-to-earth style of delivery.

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Patrick Monahan Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge, Fri 1 July; Stratford Artshouse, Stratford-upon-Avon, Tues 19 July; David Lloyd, Dudley, Fri 22 July; Brook Street Community Centre, Tipton, Fri 22 July; mac, Birmingham, Thurs 28 July Half-Iranian, half-Irish stand-up comic Patrick Monahan is no slouch when it comes to bringing up the subject of his own ethnicity on stage - after all, he’s got a quality gag about spending all of his holidays in customs and he’s not afraid to use it! “I guess I like to think that maybe I’m breaking down stereo- types,” explains Patrick, who’s eager to make it clear that his comedy isn’t just political. “The comedians I most admire are the ones who can play to everybody. I think it’s important to look for positive stuff in life. Focusing on the bad stuff all the time would mean that the only people who’d come to my shows would be the ones who thought the end of the world was nigh!”

Live At Edinburgh Dane The Civic Comedy Baptiste Brierley Hill Civic Previews Lichfield Garrick, Hall, Sat 16 July Fri 15 July Evesham Arts The Civic is this Centre, With a new sitcom month offering a Fri 15 & Fri 22 July hitting TV screens real ‘Brierley belter’ Enjoy a taste of the last month and this for lovers of stand- Edinburgh Festival touring show enjoy- up comedy to without leaving the ing a positive enjoy. The venue’s Midlands. response from crit- latest laughter-laden live event brings togeth- Across two shows, Evesham Arts Centre pres- ics and audiences alike, it’s fair to say 2016 is er Paul Tonkinson, Doc Brown and The ents four well-regarded comedians busily working out well for Dane Baptiste. Fizzogs. honing their sets en route to the Scottish It’s certainly been a whirlwind couple of Regularly booked by the UK Armed Forces, capital. years for the London-born funnyman. In Tonkinson was the first comic to perform in Former Detective Sergeant Alfie Moore 2014, he became the first ever black comedi- Iraq after the war officially ended. explains how to get away with murder, Chris an to be nominated for the Foster's Best Doc Brown (pictured) is an actor and rapper Stokes (pictured) presents ‘8½ stone of Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, a as well as a comedian who starred in police vegan fury’ as he rails against rudeness (Fri success achieved with his debut solo show, and legal drama Law & Order: UK under his 15), Tom Binns offers an evening of charac- Citizen Dane. real name of Ben Bailey Smith. ter-driven comedy and Will Mars sets out to “This is my second show,” says Baptiste of Black Country favourites The Fizzogs are show why his material often features in lists the currently touring Reasonable Doubt, “so suitably proud of their Midlands roots and of ‘the funniest jokes ever told’ (Fri 22). essentially it’s like my second album. And urge anybody who enjoys a good laugh to get the pressure’s cranked up because the first along to the Civic. show did so well. I’ve pretty much always wanted to be a comic, so there’s no Plan B for me - I’ve got to make sure this goes well...”

For more comedy listings visit whatsonlive.co.uk 27 Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:56 Page 1

Theatre Theatre previews from around the region

Mamma Mia! Birmingham Hippodrome, until Sat 3 September This legendary show is of course a nicely contrived vehicle for the chart-topping music of 1970s Super Troupers Abba. The Swedish Fab Four scored mega-hit after mega-hit with catchy numbers like Waterloo, Dancing Queen, The Name Of The Game, The Winner Takes It All and Take A Chance On Me - all of which are present and correct in this blockbuster offering. Abba boys Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus were both involved in the devel- opment of the show, while Anni-Frid Lyngstad - she’s the dark one - con- tributed in a financial capacity. A 2008 movie version received a thumbs up from many if not most of Mamma Mia!’s adoring fans - despite former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan having been given, rather unwisely, a Licence to Sing...

Much Ado About Nothing separated from one another, find themselves Shakespeare has been reincarnated as a slipping under the control of the mysterious present-day woman. In conversation with Avoncroft, Bromsgrove, Sun 10 July; Prospero. Matters are confused further by the therapist Henry, the now-renamed Mrs mac, Birmingham, Sat 16 July presence of supernatural spirit Ariel and the Shakespeare comes to the conclusion that grotesque man-beast, Caliban... she’s made a total hash of her most famous Presented beneath the stars by Heartbreak play, Hamlet. An entire reworking of the 400- Productions. year-old masterpiece is undertaken by the gender-switching playwright - but not before the play’s less-than-supportive dramatis per- sonae have made their feelings known...

RENT: The Musical Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, Much Ado About Nothing revolves around Tues 26 - Sat 30 July the stumbling romance between Benedick Written by Jonathan Larson and the recipient and Beatrice. Their liaison is strewn with dif- of both a Tony Award for best musical and a ficulties, not least among which is an unwill- Pulitzer Prize for drama, Rent takes its audi- ingness on the part of either to admit a liking ence on an intimate journey through a year for the other... Mrs Shakespeare in the lives of a small circle of friends and Not that the plot of Much Ado is likely to be Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, artists. Busily living out their dreams and overly important in this particular produc- 15 - 16 July; The Bear Pit Theatre, Stratford- upon-Avon, 18 - 23 July battling their demons, the group boldly cele- tion, given the fact that it’s zany funsters brate life on the streets of New York’s East Oddsocks who’re at the helm! Expect plenty Village... Local lad Timothy Gough (pictured) of madcap mayhem and laughter from this takes the lead as Roger. always-value-for-money ensemble.

The Tempest Brueton Park, Solihull, Tues 19 July Shakespeare’s last and most complete play, The Tempest also represents the culmination of his art, bringing together many of the Irene Kelleher is the one and only cast mem- themes that informed his greatest dramas. ber in this critically acclaimed Edinburgh A wild storm forces a royal ship onto the Fringe tragicomedy. The ludicrous-but-fun rocks of an enchanted isle. The castaways, premise of the show is that William

28 For more theatre previews visit whatsonlive.co.uk Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:56 Page 2

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0844 338 5000 birminghamhippodrome.com Calls cost 4.5p per min plus access charge. 5% transaction charge applies excluding cash sales in person. Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:56 Page 3

Theatre Theatre previews from around the region

Guys And Dolls Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tues 19 - Sat 23 July Opening on a Broadway that’s bustling with tourists and chorus girls, this legendary musical finds Nathan Detroit in dire need of some gam- bling money. Luckily for Nathan, he counts among his acquaintances Sky Masterson, one of the greatest gamblers in the country and a man who’ll bet on pretty much anything. “For a close relationship that can last us through all the years of our life,” says Sky, “no doll can take the place of aces back to back.” When Nathan bets Sky he can persuade Sarah Brown of the Save A Soul mission to go to Cuba with him, the stage is set for a warmhearted tale of love and laughter. Expect nifty dancing, high-stakes gambling and some truly fabulous Broadway numbers, includ- ing Luck Be A Lady and Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat.

Those Magnificent Men Singin’ In The Rain The Hired Man Lichfield Garrick, Tues 5 July New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Lichfield Garrick, Fri 29 July - Sat 6 August until Sat 16 July Based on a Melvyn Bragg novel and featur- The behind-the-scenes story of two ing music by award-winning composer singers in the era when the talkies hit Howard Goodall, this stage version of The Tinseltown, the film of Singin’ In The Hired Man sees a cast of local performers Rain is one of the jewels in the collaborating with the Garrick’s professional Hollywood crown. Made in 1952 and production team. The theatre’s artistic direc- starring the irrepressible Gene Kelly, it tor, Tim Ford, is the man at the helm, pre- boasted a raft of unforgettable numbers senting the timeless tale of a young married - most memorably, of course, the title couple struggling to eke out a living from the track itself, a brilliantly choreographed land as the storm clouds of war gather Cardboard, chairs and some left-over props piece which has indelibly imprinted across Europe. are the somewhat modest storytelling tools itself on the collective memory of mod- in this clever and well-reviewed play about ern-day movie-goers. the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight. This latest stage version is a collabora- HMS Pinafore The show presents the thrilling story of tion between the New Vic, Bolton’s British aviation pioneers Alcock and Brown, Octagon Theatre and Salisbury Malvern Theatre, Tues 5 - Sat 9 July; Playhouse. Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, and their daredevil dash across the Atlantic Mon 18 - Wed 20 July in the tiny, open cockpit of a converted Getting wet may never have been more fun. Gilbert and Sullivan’s fourth operatic collab- Vickers biplane. Radio Four regular David oration and their first international sensa- Mounfield stars. tion, HMS Pinafore’s opening run at London’s Opera Comique began in 1878 and lasted for an impressive 571 performances. Dogfight A nautical tale of romance and mistaken Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, identities, the two-act comic opera features Tues 12 - Sat 16 July some of Gilbert’s wittiest characters and This amateur show, a musical adaptation of showcases such songs as I Am The Captain the 1991 film of the same name, finds six Of The Pinafore, When I Was A Lad, A young Marines determined to enjoy them- British Tar and I’m Called Little Buttercup. selves before heading off to the Vietnam War. The Marines engage in a ‘dogfight’, a tradi- tion which sees each of them trying to out- manoeuvre the others by taking along the ugliest girl they can find to a party. But the rules of the game are changed dramatically when Private Eddie Birdlace meets Rose... Photo credit: Richard Davenport 30 whatsonlive.co.uk Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:56 Page 4 Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:56 Page 5

Theatre Theatre previews from around the region

Flames Footloose Arena Theatre, New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Mon 4 - Sat 9 July Fri 29 - Sat 30 July Featuring classic numbers such as ‘Alfred Hitchcock meets Edgar Holding Out For A Hero, Almost Allan Poe’ is how this much- Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy, praised Stephen Dolginoff and of course the title track itself, offering has been described. this remastered show stars Gareth When Meredith visits the grave Gates and Maureen Nolan. A hit both of her fiancée Edmund, who on Broadway and in the West End, it died in a fire a year before, tells the story of city boy Ren’s arrival she’s accompanied by his best in Bomont, and the impact which his friend and work colleague, dancing has on a town held back by Eric. the memory of a tragedy... As Eric returns to their car, another man appears; a man who claims to be Edmund, returned from a grave he never in fact inhabited... The Country Doctor patriotism in a modern England where a new Expect twists, turns and sur- national identity is being forged, Seaton focuses prises in what’s been Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, on an attack against a student that belies the Wed 20 - Fri 22 July described by one hugely notion of community cohesion... admiring critic as ‘a must-see In the freezing depths of the vast Russian tun- Fall Of The Kingdom, Rise Of The Foot Soldier is piece of musical theatre’. dra, a disgraced medical student fleeing prose- being performed in Stratford-upon-Avon as part cution for his crimes happens upon an isolated of Making Mischief, the RSC’s festival of bold Rehearsal pic surgery whose small staff are awaiting the and thought-provoking new plays. arrival of a new head doctor... This brutal, blackly comic farce is inspired by the stories of Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov Chaplin and presented by local theatre company Noctium. Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wed 13 July; New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Thurs 14 July Silent-era movie star Charlie Chaplin died almost 40 years ago at the age of 88. Since that time and not surprisingly, his star has faded considerably. His most famous films, meanwhile Daisy Pulls It Off - made in Hollywood during his halcyon days of The Bear Pit Theatre, the 1920s and ’30s - have all but disappeared Stratford-upon-Avon, Wed 13 - Sat 16 July from television screens. So this new musical play offers a useful reminder of just how talent- This Second Thoughts Drama ed, feted and remarkable Chaplin actually was. Group amateur production of The show follows the London-born actor from Denise Deegan’s play reflects the dark streets of Victorian England to the glitz the uncomplicated innocence and glamour of Tinseltown in the Roaring ’20s. of ‘modern schoolgirl stories’, Steven Arnold, who played Ashley Peacock in made popular by such authors Coronation Street, dons the bowler hat and as Angela Brazil and Enid toothbrush moustache to play the first true Blyton. It tells the tale of British icon of cinema. super-achiever Daisy Meredith, a girl from a poor, elementary- school background who’s des- Fall Of The Kingdom, Rise perate to find acceptance in Of The Foot Soldier the snobby confines of The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, Grangewood School for Young until Wed 27 July - Sat 27 August Ladies. “Subject matters that make us uncomfortable inspire my writing,” reveals Nigerian and Jamaican Londoner Somalia Seaton, “the kind of conversations you’re led to believe it’s best not to have at a party. Those things that need to be talked about so that change can be evoked.” Somalia’s latest work certainly falls into that cat- egory. With protectionism masquerading as

32 whatsonlive.co.uk Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:56 Page 6

theatre for younger audiences...

Brush A Feast Of Bones Losha

Brush in times of war, and the psychological very highest quality. For those unfamiliar responses which those actions induce. with the story, it follows the adventures of a mac, Birmingham, Sun 3 - Tues 5 July “In this play,” explains its writer, Frances 12-year-old girl named Zoe as she attempts to This home-made, eco-friendly production Kay, “we try to show how war might be built keep both herself and her pet rat safe from has been widely praised on its travels and into our very genes, making it almost impos- the ever-menacing Burt of Burt’s Burgers. looks set to win a whole new army of devo- sible to give up our notions of ‘enemies’ and Suitable for children aged seven and older. tees when it stops off in Birmingham. ‘battles’. We don’t talk about the Great War, Presented by Korea’s Brush Theatre, the but you can find it there in the underlying show brings together a collection of ‘weird mood of the play.” The Giant’s Loo Roll and wonderful characters, live music, dance The Place, Oakengates, Telford, Tues 26 July and fanciful puppets’. Paintings are created Peter Pan In Scarlet Children's writer and illustrator Nicholas live on stage, as an oft-told Korean fantasy Allan certainly shows no reticence when it story about a child’s quest for a baby brother New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, comes to publishing kids’ stories inspired by Sat 23 July - Sat 6 August magically unfolds. gentle toilet humour, bathroom habits and With numerous coveted awards evidencing Second star to the right and straight on till bottoms, bottoms, bottoms. His books their success, Brush Theatre are a company morning, that's the way to Neverland. But include The Prince And The Potty, Father operating at the cutting edge of children’s Wendy and the Lost Boys could certainly be Christmas Comes Up Trumps, The Queen’s entertainment and are well worth a look. forgiven if they’d forgotten how to reach the Knickers and Cinderella’s Bum. He also magical island, given that it’s been 20 long wrote Father Christmas Needs A Wee!, a Losha years since their adventures with the boy musical version of which, performed by who wouldn't grow up. When they suddenly TaleGate Theatre Productions, has done Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, find their dreams being infiltrated by visions Tues 5 - Fri 8 July great business both at the Edinburgh Fringe of pirates, mermaids, fairies and crocodiles, and out on tour. This new adaptation of Monkeyshine Theatre’s well-reviewed ‘feast they realise that something is terribly wrong another Allan children’s book is presented for the senses’ blends poetry, dance, shadow and that Peter Pan is in urgent need of their by the selfsame company. It finds the vil- play, puppetry and projection to tell the story help... lagers who live beneath a giant’s house sud- of a magical creature who likes to collect This official sequel to JM Barrie’s classic denly compromised by the arrival in their things. story was written by three-time Whitbread midst of an enormous runaway toilet roll... “A candle holds the magic of a birthday Children’s Book Award winner Geraldine party,” explains the company, “a teddy bear McCaughrean. It’s been adapted for the stage holds a child’s fear of the dark, a grain of by the New Vic’s Theresa Heskins, who also sand carries the freedom of a midnight swim. directs. Danny The Champion Losha is a rich and thoughtful play that cap- Of The World tures the heart and stirs the memory.” The production is presented as part of On Ratburger Dosthill Park, Tamworth, Staffs, Sat 2 July To Danny, life is perfect. He’s the youngest The Edge - a world festival of theatre for Brueton Park, Solihull, Tues 26 - Wed 27 July young audiences. car mechanic around and his dad is ‘the Although Heartbreak Productions are per- most marvellous and exciting father a boy haps best known for their outdoor presenta- ever had’. The pair enjoy a happy existence, A Feast Of Bones tions of Shakespeare plays, the company also but have one dark cloud looming over their tours a selection of other stage works, one of Birmingham Repertory Theatre, lives: Brewery owner Mr Hazell is keen to Thurs 7 - Sat 9 July which is this brand new adaptation of David move Danny and his father off their land. But Walliams’ 2012 bestseller. Heartbreak have Danny’s dad has a secret - the kind of secret Theatre Lovett’s contribution to the On The impressive form when it comes to Walliams’ that can lead to a daring adventure... Edge festival of theatre for young people is a work, having last year presented a critically This is an outdoor production. revenge fantasy set in a Dublin restaurant in acclaimed, under-the-stars version of his 1918. Although the production is ostensibly massively popular Mr Stink - so it’s fair to about a pompous man named Monsieur assume this latest offering will also be of the Renard and a ‘waitress’ who’s far from happy with him, its underlying theme is the acts of desperation which are committed by people For full theatre listings, visit whatsonlive.co.uk

whatsonlive.co.uk 33 Doreen DPS.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 16:23 Page 1

INTERVIEW Doreen Tipton

In early 2012, a five-minute mockumentary written by playwright David Tristram went viral on the internet. The video satirised benefit scroungers and starred actress Gill Jordan as Doreen Tipton, a Black Country-born woman suffering from Lazy Cow Syndrome. Now established as one of the most remarkable comic creations of modern times, Doreen took time off from avoiding work to speak to What’s On...

Have your doctors and consultants given you any hope for the future in terms of your Lazy Cow Syndrome? There's apparently no cure, but I've become an ambassador for a local charity called the LCA - the Lazy Cows Association - and I sometimes get involved in fundraising events. I'm currently in training to watch a half marathon.

Are you benefit free now? All my benefits are free - that's the whole point of them. Besides, it's in my blood.

What are the best and worst bits of being a celebrity? The worst bits are probably being asked to answer stupid questions for magazines. There aren't any best bits.

Tell us about your relationship with Robert Plant? He told me not to tell anybody that I had a relationship with him. He's got a girlfriend.

If you could choose anyone in the Black Country to have a selfie with - dead or alive - who would it be? Probably not the dead one. Although even then they'd probably still smile more than me. I normally get my next-door neighbour Doris to do my selfies for me, because I'm not very good with technology.

You're invited to appear on a reality TV programme of your choice, what would be your first option? I quite like the Jeremy Vile show. Good fam-

34 whatsonlive.co.uk Doreen DPS.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 16:23 Page 2

I wouldn't like to see Brummies and Yam-Yams inter-breeding. ‘‘ It's not right, even though the Government tend to encourage multifunctionalism these days. ”

ily entertainment. And it would be good to fi- keep the Yam-Yams out of Brum, so it's a win- come to the show, if they can get a free ticket. nally get those DNA results. There was a ru- win. I don’t like the idea of the matinees though - mour I was the love-child of a royal scandal. that's my afternoon nap ruined. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. I've just got to concen- Who's your favourite member of the royal trate now on trying to learn my line. What’s your biggest inspiration? family and why? Sleep. I quite like the corgis. Although I am a great admirer of HMV The Queen, or to use her for- Beyond Panto, what does the future hold mal title, Elizabeth Vagina. She is a perfect for Doreen Tipton? Where's your favourite holiday destina- example of how a woman in modern Britain I've just launched an exciting new venture tion? can bring up a family successfully on bene- called Doreen TV - my own online comedy Nowhere foreign. Especially Wales. fits. She's become a sort of rogue model for channel for the Black Country. If I had a me. I think she'll do well. pound for every time somebody said I should We live in interesting political times, be on the telly, I'd probably have about three quid by now, but I got bored waiting for some Doreen. The EU referendum will have What would be the worst things about London bloke in a suit to make his mind up, happened by the time this issue of What's moving to Birmingham? On hits the streets, but our readers would so I started my own. It's loads of bite-sized I think I'd find it tough learning a new lan- no doubt like to know your views on the loffs on video, taken from the shows over the guage at my age. And it's probably changed a EU... years. And new stuff is being added all the bit since I last went there, in 1963. And that time, including spoofs of just about every- I don't normally tend to get involved in poli- was a mistake - I got on the wrong bus. I'm thing from Time Team to Top Gear, and tics, but the EU thing did get me fired up. I not sure if they still have segregation there - footage from the live stage shows - stuff you'll don’t like the idea of being ruled by like they did in South America when Nelson never see on YouTube. I want it to grow and unerected Bureauprats, all being paid loads Mandelson was President - but I wouldn't develop into a unique comedy channel for on some big gravy boat. If we can save £350 like to see Brummies and Yam-Yams inter- the Black Country (including Brummies), so I million a week, I want some of it. breeding. It's not right, even though the Gov- need folk to rally round and support it. A ernment tend to encourage Doreen VIP pass costs just £12 for a whole In your eyes, who's the sexiest Nigel multifunctionalism these days. You'd end up year - less than the price of one live ticket - I Farage or Jeremy Corbin? with loads of Yum-Yums, or Brammies. bet most Black Country folk spend more than that in snuff. You can check it out and sub- Are they members of boy bands? I tend not to scribe on doreen.tv watch X-Factor. Looking back on your life to date, what would you say is your biggest regret?

If you were an American, would you vote All of it, really. Although as I get older I see Doreen’ brings her Grand Night Out to St for Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? there are compensations, such as winter fuel allowance. George’s Hall, Bewdley on Sat 9 July; I like Donald Trumpet. I especially liked his Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, on Wed idea of building a big wall to keep the for- 13 and Thurs 14 July; Lichfield Garrick on eigners out. If I was Prime Minister the first How will being in panto at The Grand en- Fri 15 July and Highbury Theatre, Sutton thing I'd do is build a wall around the Black hance your Christmas? Coldfield on Sat 16 July. Country to keep out the Brummies. And if Well, for the first time in years I'll be able to Doreen will also star in the Grand any Brummies reading this are offended, see my own kids this Christmas. They're due Theatre’s pantomime, Aladdin, from Sat think of it this way. The same wall would to be released soon and they've promised to 10 Dec 2016 to Sun 22 Jan 2017.

whatsonlive.co.uk 35 Competitions July 2016.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 16:59 Page 1

To enter all competitions go to whatsonlive.co.uk

Win!

Tickets to The Chris and Pui Tickets to the 1940s Weekend Tickets to The Pet Show + Show at Black Country Living Museum Midlands Food & Drink Festival

Closes Friday 8 July Closes Monday 11 July Closes Friday 15 July

Tickets to Guys and Dolls Tickets to That's Entertainment Tickets to Forever In Blue Jeans

Closes Wednesday 13 July Closes Wednesday 13 July Closes Fri 7th July

A Weekend Family Ticket to A meal for two at FIVE Tickets to the Shrewsbury Dubtoberfest restaurants Flower Show + Meet the Artists

Closes Monday 18 July Closes Monday 11 July Closes Friday 29 July

VIP Weekend Tickets to MADE Tickets to Quill and Raymond Tickets to The Two Noble Birmingham Froggatt Kinsmen

Closes Thursday 21 July Closes Friday 8 July Closes Wed 10th Aug

To enter all competitions go to whatsonlive.co.uk also follow us on Twitter for more great competitions 36 whatsonlive.co.uk Film July - GROUP.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:00 Page 2

Film

Finding Dory CERT U (103 mins) With the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Hayden Rolence, Ed O'Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Diane Keaton, Idris Elba, Willem Dafoe Directed by Andrew Stanton (USA) It’s amazing it hasn’t happened sooner. Since it opened in 2003, Finding Nemo has become the sixth highest-grossing cartoon of all time, with a tidy $937 million in the bank. With the additional money from DVD and Blu-Ray sales, broadcasting rights and merchandising, that figure will be humon- gous. So, here is the sequel. Dory is the for- getful Pacific regal blue tang from the first film which, in case you’ve been away, is a fish. She (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres) sud- denly remembers the events of her child- hood and so sets off to find her family – along with the clownfish Nemo (Brooks) and Marlin (Rolence). There will be adventure along the way… The original director, Andrew Stanton, returns. In 3D. Released Fri 29 July

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Film highlights released in July...

Absolutely Fabulous: The Colony CERT 15 (106 mins) The Movie CERT tbc Starring Emma Watson, Daniel Brühl, Michael Nyqvist, Richenda Carey Directed by Florian Starring Jennifer Saunders, Joanna Lumley, Gallenberger (Germany/Luxembourg/France) Julia Sawalha, June Whitfield, Jane Horrocks, Kathy Burke Directed by Mandie Fletcher Set against a backdrop of the Chilean mili- (UK/USA) tary coup, this historical drama explores the Darling, you know everything’s going to be personal repercussions for a young woman, fabulous, if not outrageous. The eternally Lena (Emma Watson), when her husband is youthful Jennifer Saunders and Joanna abducted by Augusto Pinochet's secret Lumley reprise their small-screen roles as Central Intelligence police. The Colony – or Colonia Dignidad – Edina and Patsy and get into awful trouble, of the title was a secret cult from which CERT 12a (108 mins) forcing them to flee to the French Riviera. At nobody ever escaped. We look forward to least the champagne will be good there. And Starring Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson, Emma Watson’s Chilean accent. Amy Ryan, Aaron Paul Directed by let’s just say that Kate Moss is a trouper. Rawson Marshall Thurber (USA) Released Fri 1 July Released Fri 1 July It was probably bound to happen: the unification of Hollywood’s biggest short star with all six-foot four inches of The Rock. The Big Johnson (aka The Rock) plays Bob Stone, a CIA agent who attends his high school reunion and is reunited with Calvin (the five-foot-four inch Kevin Hart), the former ‘big’ man on campus. Calvin is now a mild-man- nered accountant and is reluctantly drawn into Bob’s world of espionage and fire fights. Anyway, that’s the size of it. Released Fri 1 July

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Film

CRITIC’S CHOICE Now You See Me 2 CERT 12a (129 mins) Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman Directed by Jon M. Chu (USA) The magic troupe calling themselves The Four Horsemen are back and, against their will, are enlisted by a high-tech wizard (Daniel Radcliffe) to pull off their most dar- ing heist yet. Filmed in Macau and Middlesex. Released Mon 4 July

Mark Rylance) who kidnaps a little girl The BFG CERT PG (117 mins) (Ruby Barnhill) to help him outwit the Starring Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, man-eating giants that have been plagu- Dame Penelope Wilton, Jemaine Clement, Rebecca Hall, Rafe Spall, Bill Hader ing the human world. Rylance previously Directed by Steven Spielberg (USA) played the Russian spy Rudolf Abel for Spielberg in Bridge Of Spies and walked The last time Steven Spielberg and the off with both a Bafta and an Oscar for his screenwriter Melissa Mathison collaborat- pains (deservedly). Ms Mathison died in ed on a film was on ET The Extra- November of last year. In 3D. Terrestrial, 34 years ago. This one is a live-action adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Released Fri 29 July story of the lonely giant (played here by

The Legend Of Tarzan Maggie’s Plan CERT 15 (99 mins) CERT 12a (110 mins) Starring Greta Gerwig, Ethan Hawke, Bill Starring Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Hader, Maya Rudolph, Travis Fimmel, Julianne Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou Moore Directed by Rebecca Miller (USA) Christoph Waltz, Jim Broadbent, John Hurt Maggie’s plan is to have a baby on her own, Directed by David Yates (USA) courtesy of the seed of a former college col- The director David Yates segues from one league (Fimmel). Then she falls in love with iconic figure (Harry Potter) to another a married man (Hawke)... Rebecca Miller, (Tarzan) in this reboot of the story created by daughter of the playwright Arthur Miller and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Here, John Clayton, wife of Daniel Day-Lewis, previously brought 3rd Viscount Greystoke (Skarsgård), has been us The Ballad Of Jack And Rose and The absorbed into the aristocracy of London Private Lives Of Pippa Lee, so we expect good when he is called back to the jungle as a things. trade emissary for the British government. Released Fri 8 July However, there are Machiavellian forces The Neon Demon behind the mission, forcing the Apeman to CERT 18 (117 mins) bare his impressive physique one more time. Starring Elle Fanning, Karl Glusman, Jena Released Wed 6 July Malone, Bella Heathcote, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (France/Denmark/USA) The talk of this year’s Cannes film festival, The Neon Demon divided critics mightily. Some called it a masterpiece, others an abomination. Set in the world of high fash- ion, the film features extreme gore, graphic nudity and one scene of ‘aberrant sexuality.’ You have been warned. Released Fri 8 July

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Film releases in July

The Wait CERT tbc The Purge: Star Trek Beyond CERT tbc Starring Juliette Binoche, Lou de Laâge, Election Year CERT tbc Starring John Cho, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Giorgio Colangeli, Domenico Diele Reynolds Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Anton Yelchin, Directed by Piero Messina (Italy/France) Starring Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell, Idris Elba Directed by Justin Lin (USA) Mykelti Williamson Anna (Binoche) accidentally bumps into her Directed by James DeMonaco (USA) son’s fiancée at a villa in Sicily and together they wait for his return, although Anna When did The Purge become a trilogy? knows better… Inspired by two works by When the first film grossed almost Luigi Pirandello, The Wait marks the directo- $90million (on a budget of $3m). The rial debut of Piero Messina, a protégé of the original was certainly one of the most Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino (on disturbing and frightening films of whose The Great Beauty he served as assis- 2013 and now comes the supposed tant director). conclusion to the franchise (but we’ll see how much money it makes, first). Released Fri 8 July How many Star Trek films have there been? There is a presidential election afoot Whoops, this is the 13th and the third in the and the front-runner (Mitchell) is seek- rebooted series. Simon Pegg penned the Ghostbusters CERT tbc ing to abolish the Purge, the one night screenplay (in collaboration with Doug Jung) Starring Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate of the year when killing is endorsed by and takes the USS Enterprise into the fur- McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Charles Dance, Chris the government. thest reaches of unchartered space where the Hemsworth, Andy Garcia Released Fri 15 July crew encounters a really nasty piece of work Directed by Paul Feig (USA) (Idris Elba). In 3D. Who you gonna call? Paul Feig, apparently, Released Fri 22 July he who guided Melissa McCarthy to stardom in Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy. Now McCarthy and the girls are replacing the The Commune CERT 15 (112 mins) boys in this distaff remake of the 1984 hit Starring Ulrich Thomsen, Fares Fares, Trine about a motley crew of spectral experts who Dyrholm Directed by Thomas Vinterberg join forces to save the world. The special (Denmark/Sweden/The Netherlands) effects should be considerably more special Thomas Vinterberg (Festen, The Hunt, Far this time round. In 3D. From The Madding Crowd) sets his latest film Released Fri 15 July Summertime in a commune in the ’70s where not every- CERT 15 (105 mins) body sees eye to eye. Trine Dyrholm won the Starring Cécile de France, Izïa Higelin, best actress award at Berlin for her perform- Noémie Lvovsky Directed by Catherine ance. And if Ms Dyrholm looks familiar to Corsini (France/Belgium) you, she starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in Two women from entirely different the delightful Love Is All You Need (2012). worlds – Carole is a militant feminist Released Fri 29 July teaching Spanish in Paris and Delphine is a farmer’s daughter com- mitted to her parents in rural south- west France – fall passionately in love. Jason Bourne CERT tbc The drama, directed by the veteran Starring Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Alicia French filmmaker Catherine Corsini, is Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Tommy Lee Jones, set in 1971. Riz Ahmed Directed by Paul Greengrass (USA) Ice Age: Collision Course Released Fri 15 July Jason Bourne, like Dory (see Finding Dory), is beginning to remember stuff. And so he CERT U (94 mins) sets about trying to uncover the truth about With the voices of Ray Romano, John Keanu CERT 15 (100 mins) who he really is. The good news is that Paul Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Simon Pegg, Greengrass returns as the director of this Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah Directed by Starring Jordan Peele, Keegan-Michael Mike Thurmeier and Galen T. Chu (USA) Key, Method Man, Nia Long, Will Forte, hopelessly addictive franchise (he directed Luis Guzmán Directed by Peter Atencio the best in the series, The Bourne Supremacy It’s all getting a bit serious. When Scrat, the (USA) single-minded sabre-tooth squirrel, leaves and The Bourne Ultimatum). Filmed in Las Jordan Peele is the name to conjure Earth in pursuit of his elusive acorn, he trig- Vegas, Berlin, Tenerife, London, Iceland and with here, an American comedian who gers a series of cosmic events that threaten Rome. wrote, produced and stars in this origi- the future of the planet. So Manny, Sid and Released Fri 29 July nal action comedy. He plays a guy co. have to move home (again) in order to called Rell, who adopts a cat after his preserve their respective species. In case you girlfriend has dumped him, unaware were wondering, this is the fifth in the Ice that it belongs to a Mexican drug car- Age animated franchise. In 3D. tel. He calls the moggie Keanu, Released Fri 15 July although in the drugs’ world it’s known as Iglesias. Released Fri 15 July

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Visual Arts

Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Sat 23 July - Sun 18 September As part of an international tour spanning six continents, this globally renowned exhibition arrives in Wolverhampton on loan from the National History Museum. Launched in 1965, Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, with this year's competition attract- ing over 42,000 entries from 96 different coun- tries. The 100 award-winning photographs will take visitors on a journey across seas, skies and sand dunes, with shots of breathtaking landscapes, fascinating animal behaviour and other awe- inspiring scenes from nature that celebrate the huge diversity of life on planet earth.

Pirates, Pants & Kan Xuan BBC Faces Of Comedy Wellyphants Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Wed 6 July - Sun 11 September Sat 9 July - Sun 2 October Worcester City Art Gallery, Sat 9 July - Sat 3 September Celebrating 60 side-splitting years of the TV sitcom, BBC Faces Of Comedy offers an Best-loved children's illustrator Nick Sharratt exclusive glimpse of some of Britain's great- brings his quirky, colourful characters to est comedians at work - on set, behind the Worcester in this interactive, kid-friendly scenes, deep in script discussions or simply exhibition, part of a Showstoppers national enjoying a well-earned cuppa. Ninety never- tour. Anyone who's ever read Tracy Beaker, before publicly displayed photographs from Eat Your Peas or Shark In The Park will love the BBC's Photo Library have been specially this chance to take a peek at Nick's old selected by some of the nation's best-loved school work, step into a recreation of his stu- contemporary sitcom stars, curating the dio, and find out how it all started. Catch a exhibition in homage to the comedy greats sneaky glimpse of his original sketchbooks, who inspired them. design your own ‘Sharracter’, dress up as From Hancock's Half Hour to Only Fools And your favourites, add your pants to the dis- Presenting her first ever UK exhibition, Horses and from Steptoe And Son to play, or write a postcard to send to Nick him- renowned Chinese artist Kan Xuan brings Miranda, this unique photo exhibition pro- self. Perfect for a family outing! her refreshingly unpretentious and economi- vides an insight into the lives of our comedy cal video art to Ikon, following a screening of legends and the evolution of the sitcom over her seminal film A Happy Girl at the gallery the years. back in 2006. Comprising a wide selection of work ranging from the single-screen pieces of the late 1990s through to her very latest installation, the exhibition exemplifies the artist's pro- foundly philosophical approach to human experience in her attempts to “represent the state of our daily life, set against this crowd- ed and noisy modern world”.

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Bert Hackett: The Gemini Years mac, Birmingham, until Sun 4 September Following the recent passing of Bert Hackett, mac Birmingham presents a timely tribute to the former Birmingham Post cartoonist, whose pro- fessional pseudonym was Gemini. The exhibition of his best-loved drawings follows a major retrospective held at mac in 2013, which cele- brated his 80th birthday. Between 1966 and 2008, Hackett's daily cartoons were well known and respected by readers of the paper. During his 42 years at the Post, the artist worked with over a dozen editors and produced more than 10,000 cartoons, finally departing from the paper shortly before its relocation to Fort Dunlop. Born in Balsall Heath and subsequently a long-term resident in Moseley, Hackett was initially reluctant to take up the daily cartoonist role at the Post, but was eventually persuaded by his business partner and fellow cartoonist Graham Gavin, with whom he coined the Gemini name. The two began by sharing the role, taking it in turns and each producing a cartoon every other day. When Gavin dropped out eight years later, Hackett took on the demanding job full-time. After a four-year battle with prostate cancer, the popular cartoonist died on Friday 8 April this year. Said Birmingham Post Features Editor Sarah Probert: “Bert's enormous contribution to the Birmingham Post will never be forgotten.”

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Events

Antiques For Everyone varieties from more than 100 factories. Curated by Birmingham’s Pen Museum, the exhibition celebrates the NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 21 - Sun 24 July lives of the manufacturers and workers who helped place the city at With more than 200 dealers showcasing their wares, Antiques For the centre of a worldwide trade. The display is presented at Antiques Everyone is one of the largest events of its kind in the UK. For Everyone ahead of next month’s Heritage Lottery-funded This latest show, one of three taking place this year, features an relaunch of the pen museum. exhibition exploring the history of Birmingham’s highly successful As well as the exhibition, other connected highlights include a spe- 19th and early 20th century pen trade. At the height of the trade, the cialist talk focusing on the important place of the pen in the city’s city was producing around 1.5 billion pen nibs in 100,000 different commercial heritage, and a review of the pens featured in Birmingham-based BBC drama series Peaky Blinders (pictured).

Silverstone Classic Latin American The Big Arts Show Silverstone Circuit, Northamptonshire, Festival West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury Fri 29 - Sun 31 July Fri 1 - Sun 3 July The Arcadian, Birmingham, Sun 3 July Birmingham’s Arcadian Centre is prom- ising visitors a sizzling hot welcome early this month when the Latin American Festival makes a welcome return. The free one-day event promises a real feast for the senses, courtesy of an imaginative programme of music and dance. Cuisine, crafts and culture from numerous Latin American nations also Billed as ‘the world’s biggest classic motor- features. Shrewsbury’s Big Arts Show returns for a racing festival’, the Silverstone Classic is a Commenting on the festival, founder third summer (with a second 2016 event real mecca for car enthusiasts, at the same Annie Bazan-De-Fisher said: “Our scheduled to take place in the autumn). time offering top-notch entertainment for event embraces all cultures of the Providing a showcase for a wide variety of families to enjoy. world and is a unique opportunity not artwork, the family-friendly event features Highlights at this year’s event include track only to learn about the Latin American over 150 exhibitors, numerous talks by the parades, infield displays from over 100 car culture but also to share a great day in artists, an area dedicated to the work of new clubs featuring more than 10,000 classic a friendly and happy atmosphere. graduates, a real ale bar, eateries and live cars, interactive driving activities, ‘dynamic’ Everyone is most welcome to join in the music. demonstrations, aerial displays, a vintage festival, which promises to be an unfor- Other attractions and activities for visitors to funfair and a shopping village. gettable event, with lovely music for enjoy include art and craft demonstrations, Live music comes from, among others, The the public to dance to. It’s a wonderful film, photography, animation, puppetry and Boomtown Rats and The Stranglers. event for all the family.” performing artists.

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more events from around the region

Events

Our pick of top places to visit this Summer

Shakespeare Birthplace Trust In the year marking the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, a visit to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust’s Stratford-upon- Avon heritage sites would certainly be well timed. The SBT is an inde- pendent charity which looks after five unique properties: Shakespeare’s birthplace itself; Hall’s Croft, the home of the bard’s daughter, Susanna; Anne Hathaway’s Cottage; Mary Arden’s 1940s Weekend Farm - the childhood home of Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, lesson in St James’ school. Other attractions Shakespeare’s mother; and, from Sat 16 - Sun 17 July include wartime variety shows, austerity- the 1st of this month, The Black Country Living Museum is hosting busting ‘make do and mend’ workshops, Shakespeare's New Place, provid- its largest ever 1940s Weekend this month. fashion shows and street performers. There’s ing visitors with the chance ‘to The event offers visitors the chance to stroll also the chance to experience air-raid scenar- walk in Shakespeare’s footsteps through vintage memorabilia markets, meet ios and listen to some of Churchill’s most stir- and meet the man behind the 1940s characters and prepare for an evacuee ring speeches, performed live by a re-enactor. works’.

Jewellery Quarter Festival The Pet Show Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Fri 22 - Sun 24 July Sat 23 - Sun 24 July With nearly 100,000 people having attended last year’s inaugural event, the decision to host a 2016 edition of the Jewellery Quarter Festival was a real no-brainer. Dudley Canal Trust The three-day presentation is a celebration of Created to protect and preserve the community and craftsmanship, providing vis- famous network of tunnels, the itors with the chance to learn more about Trust runs regular guided boat some of the Quarter’s most creative trades. trips. The excursions are accompa- Other attractions include a free helter skelter, nied by videos, lifelike reconstruc- performances by CircusMASH and a number tions and impressive light and of family trails across the Quarter and its his- music shows. The Trust re-invests toric cemeteries. any trading surplus into the main- Pet Show organisers are promising ‘a fantas- tenance of the tunnels and their tic day out’ for animal-loving visitors to this environment, to ensure that visi- fourth festival of fun, fur and feathers. tors can continue to enjoy and Attractions include animal habitat features, appreciate 420 million years of liv- educational workshops, have-a-go activities, ing history. a wide selection of the latest products, sup- plies and equipment, numerous special guests and meet-and-greet areas. And for those who work up a healthy appetite while enjoying the event, a visit to the Midlands Food & Drink Festival (also taking place at Stoneleigh across the same weekend) should ensure the noise of rumbling stom- achs isn’t added to the Pet Show’s cacophony of animal sounds.

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more events from around the region

Events

Our pick of top places to visit this Summer

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery Highlights of a visit to this well- regarded museum, widely consid- ered to be one of Britain’s best, include the chance to view the world’s greatest collection of Staffordshire ceramics, a World War Two Spitfire and numerous items from the Staffordshire Hoard. There’s also a secret garden - ‘a sensory oasis with plants and fungi to smell and touch’ - a International Craft And Hobby Fair unique collection of artwork by painters including Picasso, Durer NEC, Birmingham, Fri 1 - Sun 3 July ellery-making and beading workshops, and Degas, and the opportunity to papercrafts and cardmarking, and the chance An absolute dream for craft enthusiasts, this explore the wildlife, landscape to learn how to sew. hugely popular event features talks and and geology of The Potteries There’s also the opportunity to gaze in won- demonstrations, new product launches and region. der at a life-sized knitted garden, created plenty of inspiration for the thousands of vis- through a nationwide collaboration between itors who pass through its doors. Attractions hundreds of knitters and crocheters. at the 2016 edition of the show include jew-

Camper Jam Family Festival Weston Park, Shropshire, Fri 1 - Sun 3 July British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Sun 31 July The beautiful grounds of Weston Park pro- Croome Park vide the perfect setting for this popular annu- al event, which is aimed at owners and lovers The legendary Lancelot of the VW Bus in all its models and types. ‘Capability’ Brown was the man One of the most anticipated and highly responsible for designing Croome regarded Volkswagen shows on the calendar, Court and park, a task he under- the weekend-long Camper Jam includes live took at the behest of the sixth Earl bands, hundreds of traders, a ‘tastebud-tan- of Coventry in the mid-18th centu- talising’ food village, numerous children’s ry. It was Brown's first landscape activities, a funfair and the ever-popular design and first major architectur- Cooking In A Camper competition. al project. The chance to enjoy ‘a fun-filled day of art A popular National Trust destina- and science activities based around the great tion, the park features a man- British car’ should ensure an impressive made lake and river, gatehouses, a turnout for this brand new event. The festival church, a grotto, follies and features a wide range of hands-on work- numerous statues and temples. shops, all of which are suitable for children There are also four eye-catching aged three and older. Activities include the buildings - Pirton Castle, chance to create a unique fantasy car using Panorama Tower, Dunstall Castle paper cups and the opportunity to find out and Park Seat. These were strategi- what it was like to drive a bus through the cally built in particular areas of streets of London almost 100 years ago. the park to draw visitors’ eyes There’s also a clay-modelling workshop with towards the wider landscape. expert model makers from Aardman - the cre- ators of Shaun The Sheep and Wallace & Gromit - and live entertainment from local percussionist Richard Grundon, who’ll be creating music by drumming with car parts.

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more events from around the region

Events

Newport Show Our pick of top Chetwynd Deer Park, Newport, Sat 9 July places to visit Shropshire’s Newport Show this year includes a new Festival of Food. this Summer The popular event is introducing a pop-up street food area and a dedicated Little Foodies marquee for children wishing to try their hand at cooking. Birmingham The show’s existing food theatre has been increased in size Botanical and will feature demonstrations from local chefs and Great Gardens British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain. Commenting on the new addition to the annual event, the Opened in 1832, the 15-acre show’s Festival of Food Chairman, Tony Asson, said: “With Birmingham Botanical Gardens Newport Show’s agricultural roots, food production and has changed very little in its local produce has always played an important part in our near-200-year history. The gar- event, to encourage greater understanding of the journey dens feature four glasshouses - from farm to fork. tropical, subtropical, “With the growing popularity in home cooking and healthy Mediterranean and arid - a wet- eating and the brilliant response to our previous food activi- lands enclosure and a seasonal ties, creating the Festival of Food was a natural progression.” butterfly house. The venue also The Newport Show’s 2016 programme also includes a host of boasts in excess of 7,000 differ- family entertainment, a focus on horticulture, a craft fair, a ent types of plant, and is home dog show, and strongly contested livestock and equine com- to the British National Bonsai petitions. Collection and a small number of exotic birds from around the world.

The Shugborough Weekend visitors to Bordesley Abbey can check out a medieval knight's encampment, Country Show settle down to enjoy a spot of medieval story- Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire, telling and find out all about the abbey’s Sat 23 - Sun 24 July masonry. They can also drop into the visitor This firm family favourite returns to centre, an original reconstructed 16th century Shugborough for a sixth year and, as usual, barn housing many of the finds that have offers a weekend’s-worth of lively and imagi- been excavated over the years. native entertainment. Highlights of the 2016 bash include a sheep Blists Hill show, a sure-to-be-impressive contribution Game Fair Victorian Town from the Suffolk Punch Heavy Horse Display Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, Blists Hill’s sights, sounds, Team, birds of prey taking to the skies, a dog Fri 29 - Sat 30 July smells and tastes all play their and duck show, a medieval village, children's Recent times have proved somewhat chal- part in recreating a sense of ‘life entertainment with Devilstick Peat, and arts, lenging for this well-established show, with as it would have been in a crafts, gifts and food marquees. the Country Land & Business Association last Victorian town more than a cen- Sunday visitors to the event can bring along a year announcing that it would no longer be tury ago’. One of Ironbridge canine friend and have a go at the able to run the event. Luckily, new investors Gorge’s many impressive muse- Companion Dog Show, all proceeds from came forward towards the end of 2015, ensur- ums, the town plays host to a which will be donated to Marie Curie Cancer ing the 58th edition of the game fair could go community of Victorian charac- Care. ahead. ters going about their daily busi- The popular show is visiting Ragley for the ness, in so doing providing visi- National Archaeology third time and is expected to attract more tors with a fascinating insight than 100,000 visitors. It features clay shoot- into a bygone world. The high- Weekend ing, archery, gundog scurries, international lights of a trip to the popular Bordesley Abbey / Forge Mill Needle Museum, championships, fishing, falconry, ferreting visitor attraction are numerous, Redditch, Sat 16 - Sun 17 July and equestrian sports. from journeying around the town on a horse and cart and The 2009 discovery of the Staffordshire Hoard Artisan food and drink, shopping opportuni- having fun at the Victorian fair- certainly caught the imagination of the nation ties and hands-on outdoor activities are ground, to dressing up in the and stirred a real interest in the subject of among the event’s other attractions. costumes of the day and sam- archaeology. Little wonder, then, that there Ragley will also host the 60th anniversary pling some traditional, are an increasing number of events such as show in 2018. Victorian-style fish and chips. this one, specifically designed to be educa- tional, entertaining and, above all, family friendly.

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FEATURE

Banged Up! in shrewsbury

For the last year, a well-known Shrewsbury landmark, former HM to work or educate yourselves; no time for slackers here - and remem- Prison Shrewsbury - or the Dana, as it’s affectionately known - has ber that rehabilitation is not sweet, and neither is the prison food. been home to more than a few hair-raising events. For those of a more daring disposition, A Night In The Dana - an With over 200 years of service, The Dana closed its doors in February overnight custodial under the watchful eye of the prison guards - may 2013. be the experience for you. You and your friends also get the Night After much speculation about the building’s future, the cobwebs Walk, a haunting tour of the prison... were dusted off, the hinges oiled, and history & heritage tour compa- Adventure and thrills await those with the cunning and nerve to ny Jailhouse Tours took active possession of the decommissioned breach prison security. Join the Prison Escape and try your luck hid- gaol. ing, bribing and sneaking your way to freedom. The opportunity to visit a building usually out of bounds has proved Promising the ultimate in immersive fun is the return of the popular a great attraction, with tens of thousands of people crossing the Zombie Lockdown. Carnage and mayhem will ensue as Jailhouse threshold since the first tour took place last July - including former Tours and Immersive Events promise an adrenaline-fuelled experi- prisoners and their families! ence featuring more than 80 actors, most of whom want to eat you! Educational and informative, the tours are led by ex-prison officers, With tour dates yet to be confirmed, check the Facebook page for reg- many of whom spent their working life inside those very walls - so ular updates - facebook.com/jailhousetours expect authentic tales both dark and humourous that offer a fascinat- ing insight into prison life. The tours take approximately two hours and cover most of the prison site. For those curious to see more, ‘top- Prison Tours and Top Up Tours throughout July - £15 up’ tours are also available and allow access to rarely seen prison A Day in the Life Of A Prisoner, Sat 30 to Sun 31 July - £45 secrets. A Night In The Dana: Prison Sleepover - Fri 22 to Sat 23 July - £45 Jailhouse Tours has teamed up with Immersive Events to provide a Prison Escape, Sat 16 to Sun 17 July & Sat 27 & Sun 28 Aug - £45 realistic presentation of life behind bars. Experience, for example, A For more information, and to book tickets, visit Day In The Life Of A Prisoner, and leave the world and all your per- jailhousetours.com sonal belongings behind. You and your fellow felons will be required

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Your week to week listings guide July 2016 thelist James Bay at Cannock Chase Forest, Staffordshire - Friday 8 July 8 Friday - Staffordshire Forest, Chase Cannock at Bay James

Music I Comedy I Theatre I Dance I Film I Events I Visual Arts I and more!

What’s On Fri 1 to Sun 10 July Mon 11 to Sun 17 July Mon 18 to Sun 24 July Mon 25 to Sun 31 July

Rhythm of the Dance at Dinosaurs Awaken at National Festival of Black Country Vechiles Telfood Feastival at Southwater, The Place, Oakengates Theatre Forest Adventure Farm at Black Country Living Museum QEII Arena, Telford Thurs 7 July Sat 16 July - Sun 4 September Sun 24 July Sat 30 - Sun 31 July

whatsonlive.co.uk 51 The List 1 - 10 July - Wolves/Shrops & Staffs ONLY VERSION MM.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:07 Page 1

thelist Wednesday 1 - Sunday 10 July THROUGHOUT JULY Gigs Sat 9 July - Sun 4 Sept Visual Arts ELVIS TRIBUTE NIGHT Shrewsbury Museum & Art Fri 1 July, Irish Centre, Gallery Bilston Craft Gallery Birmingham I DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE A MANCHESTER CAMERATA TWO TYRES An exhibition celebrating new exhibition that celebrates the Fri 1 July, Lichfield Wolverhampton's relationship with nostalgia of a traditional weekend by Cathedral cycling, until Sat 23 July the sea, until Sun 28 Aug WOLVESTOCK 22 Dudley Museum & Art Gallery Weston Park Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, NEW MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU NEW ANDREW NAYLOR & TIM ROYALL Wolverhampton Private collection of everything Star Show dedicated to interpretations of Racecourse Wars that Lego can produce, Sat 9 Capability Brown’s work, Fri 1 - Sun ROCKET Fri 1 - Sat 2 July - Sat 10 Sept 31 July July, The Jam House, James Bay - Cannock Chase Forest Birmingham Light House Media Centre Symphony Hall, B’ham TOTALLY TINA Fri 8 July, The Willow Art Gallery, The Robin, Bilston Wolverhampton Oswestry HEIDI BROWNE SEYES Sun 3 July, Fri 1 July, Havana The Robin, Bilston DURAN: THE TRIBUTE NEW THE AVERAGE HUMAN Interactive Fri NEW SQUARING UP' TO OSWESTRY Two Republic, Shrewsbury 8 July, Route 44, exhibition to discover whether peo- groups, ConText and Chimera, are THE JAYS Sun 3 July SOME GUYS HAVE ALL Birmingham ple get enough sleep, eat too much exhibiting together for the first time Tamworth Castle, THE LUCK Fri 1 July, sugar or do enough exercise, Thurs since their foundation six years ago, Staffordshire JAMES BAY Fri 8 July, The Place, Oakengates 14 July - Wed 31 Aug Fri 1 - Sat 30 July JUST FLOYD Sun 3 July, Cannock Chase Forest Theatre, Shropshire The Robin, Bilston B'SPOKE Fri 8 - Sat 9 Museum of Cannock Chase Wolverhampton Art Gallery THE SPRINGSTEEN LYNNE HANSON & July, The Jam House, CANNOCK CHASE OPEN ART: SESSIONS - BRUCE NEW WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE AMANDA PEARCY Birmingham CELEBRATING STAFFORDSHIRE SPRINGSTEEN TRIBUTE YEAR Take in some of the world’s Mon 4 July, The Hive HOT GINGER'S SUMMER Exhibition of works inspired by the Fri 1 July, The Robin, most astonishing sights and see Shrewsbury SMACKDOWN Sat 9 July, county, its people, places and indus- nature at its most staggering, Sat 23 Bilston PAWS & THE SPOOK Hare & Hounds, B’ham tries, until Sun 14 Aug July - Sun 18 Sept THE NAKED BEATLES SCHOOL Mon 4 July, DJ LUCK AND MC NEAT Fri 1 July, The River New Art Gallery - Walsall NEW IN FINE STYLE: THE DANCEHALL Hare & Hounds, Sat 9 July, Hare & ART OF WILFRED LIMONIOUS (1949-99) Rooms, Stourbridge THE HUMBLE VESSEL Artists include: Birmingham Hounds, Birmingham One of Jamaica’s most prolific THE UNDA-VYBES Eric Ravilious, William Scott, Sarah THE JEEPS Tues 5 July, ARIJIT SINGH Sat 9 July, graphic artists, Limonious produced Sat 2 July, The Taylor Silverwood, Dayanita Singh The Jam House, Barclaycard Arena, a significant body of work for the Rainbow Venues, and Bob & Roberta Smith, until Sun Birmingham Birmingham island’s music industry, as well as Digbeth, Birmingham 24 July ELECTUS Wed 6 July, LOU WHATLING Sat 9 working as a cartoonist for the UNDERGROUND EMPIRE LAND, SEA AND AIR Artists include The Robin, Bilston July, Havana Republic, national newspapers, until 17 July Sat 2 July, O2 Frank Bowling, Tiffany Chung, Agnes Shrewsbury Other VISUAL ARTS Acacemy, Birmingham LYNNE HANSON & Denes, Tania Kovats and Cornelia AMANDA PEARCY BUNNY WAILER & MAX STAR WARS & BEYOND - Parker, until Sun 4 Sept FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD Open Exhibition Wed 6 July, Kitchen ROMEO Sat 9 July, O2 A SPACE SPECTACULAR on the theme of food, until Sat 2 Garden Cafe, B’ham Academy, Birmingham Potteries Museum & Art July, VAN Gallery, Shrewsbury Sat 2 July, Symphony Gallery - Stoke-On-Trent Hall, Birmingham PIONEERS OF THE PAUL CARRACK Sat 9 JOHN MYATT - GENUINE FAKES PLUS SYNTHESISERS Thurs 7 July, The Robin, Bilston BEATRIX'S ANIMALS Celebration of the KATE RUSBY Sat 2 July, MYATT ORIGINALS, until Sat 23 July, July, The Robin, Bilston 150th anniversary of the birth of THE BILLY FURY YEARS Festival Drayton Centre, Market Lichfield Garrick Beatrix Potter, until Sat 24 Sept MILLBROOK Thurs 7 Sat 9 July, Prince Of Drayton, North Shropshire IS IT Sat 2 July, July, Hare & Hounds, Wales Centre, Cannock ANGLO-SAXON KINGDOM OF MERCIA Leasowes Bank Farm, SOME YOU JUST MIGHT LIKE Exhibition Birmingham Featuring pieces from the TOM GREEN SEPTET Sat of artwork old and new by Phil Ratlinghope, Church Staffordshire Hoard, until Sat 1 Oct LIONEL RICHIE Thurs 7 9 July, The Hive, Sedgley, until Sun 4 Sept, Himley Stretton, South July, Barclaycard Shrewsbury FIRST WORLD WAR REPLICA TRENCH Hall & Park, Dudley Shropshire Arena, Birmingham until Sun 11 Nov 2018 DAN PAGE PAUL HEATON & JACQUI A BRUSH FOR LIFE Exhibition by Sat 2 July, RHYTHM OF THE DANCE ABBOT Sat 9 July, ROLL MODELS Exhibition for transport Wolverhampton-born illustrator and Havana Republic, Thurs 7 July, The Cannock Chase Forest model enthusiasts and families alike fine artist Rebecca Cresswell. Shrewsbury Place, Oakengates - includes fantasy vehicles from fami- Rebecca specialises in ‘art in health- PURE PURPLE & MOTHER POPCORN Sat 9 Theatre, Shropshire ly TV shows, until Sun 4 Sept care’ and pet portraits, until Sun 4 LOVEHUNTER Sat 2 July, July, Irish Centre, AND FINALLY... PHIL COSTUMES FROM DOWNTON Special Sept, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley The Robin, Bilston Birmingham COLLINS Thurs 7 July, exhibition featuring a selection of EMPIRES OF EMPTINESS - FORTRESSES FULLY LOADED Sat 2 ENDORPHINMACHINE: Theatre Severn, costumes from series 1 and 2 of the OF THE SAHARA AND THE STEPPE July, Route 44, B‘ham PRINCE TRIBUTE Sat 9 Shrewsbury July, The Roadhouse, ITV drama Downton Abbey, Sat 2 Photographic exhibition by Alain THE HURLING BOYS OMAR Thurs 7 July, Birmingham July - Sun 2 Oct Sèbe which concentrates on two Sat 2 July, Irish Centre, colonial conquests in arid environ- The Jam House, B’ham Qube Gallery, Oswestry Birmingham THE MANFREDS Sat 9 ments, until Wed 21 Sept, Jackfield IVORY WAVE Fri 8 July July, Ludlow Assembly KICK UP THE 80'S INSPIRED Exhibition of art by a group Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Shropshire The Slade Rooms, Rooms, South Sat 2 July, The of professional artist makers working DESIGN AND DESIRE: THE GREAT Wolverhampton Shropshire in the fields of contemporary fibre, Roadhouse, Kings EXHIBITION OF 1851 Objects and MOSTLY JAZZ FESTIVAL THE COOPERS Sun 10 art and stitch in North Wales, until Norton, Birmingham images, including prints and paint- AFTERPARTY Fri 8 July, July, The Night Owl, Mon 1 Aug BRIDGEFEST Sun 3 July, ings from the Elton Collection, tell Hare & Hounds, B’ham Birmingham The River Rooms, the story of how the Great Exhibition Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge NIBBS & EDDY Fri 8 July, MICK FLAVIN Sun 10 became one of the most influential Stourbridge Havana Republic, July, Irish Centre, and renowned events of the 19th BLAKE AND BRAZIL Shrewsbury Birmingham LET'S CELEBRATE Exhibition celebrat- century, until Fri 24 Feb 2017, Sun 3 July, Irish ing the Lace Guild's 40th anniversary, Coalbrookdale Gallery, Telford Centre, Birmingham LEGEND - LEGENDS OF KAISER CHIEFS Sun 10 Wed 29 June - Sun 17 July ROCK Fri 8 July, The July, Cannock Chase SHROPSHIRE ART SOCIETY - SUMMER SUNDAY CLASSICS River Rooms, Forest EXHIBITION Exhibition featuring works Sun 3 July, The Shire Hall Gallery - Stafford Stourbridge by amateur and professional artists, Spotted Dog, Digbeth, BLAKE Sun 10 July, NEW COAST An exhibition of paint- until Sat 16 July, St Mary's Church, Birmingham SOUNDS OF THE SIXTIES Theatre Severn, ings, photographs, textiles, glass Fri 8 July, The Shrewsbury Shrewsbury HEART Sun 3 July, and ceramics inspired by the coast, Roadhouse, B’ham

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Wednesday 1 - Sunday 10 July

TY: A TASTE OF VIENNA Sat 9 July, St ANDREW LAWRENCE Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon George’s Church, Edgbaston, Fri 8 July, The Classical Music Glee Club, Birmingham MAMMA MIA! The smash-hit musical Birmingham LLOYD GRIFFITH, ADDY BORGH, arrives in Brum as part of its first MANCHESTER CAMERATA Featuring SHROPSHIRE LIGHT ORCHESTRA: STEPHEN BAILEY & SPECIAL GUEST ever UK tour, until Sat 3 Sept, soloists Ailish Tynan (soprano), MUSIC THROUGH THE AGES Concert THAT CANNOT BE ANNOUNCED! Sat 9 Birmingham Hippodrome Stephen Gadd (baritone) & Tine to celebrate 800 years of Cound July, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham CYMBELINE Melly Still directs Thing Helseth (trumpet), Fri 1 July, Church, Sat 9 July, The Church of MATT REED, THE NOISE NEXT DOOR & Shakespeare's rarely performed Lichfield Garrick St Peter, Cound, Shropshire MARTIN MOR & STUART MITCHELL Sat 9 play, until Sat 15 Oct, Royal 2016 INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETI- BLAKE Sun 10 July, Theatre Severn, July, The Glee Club, Birmingham Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford- TION: THE FINAL Sat 2 July, Town Shrewsbury ZOE LYONS Sat 9 July, The Old Rep upon-Avon Hall, Birmingham Theatre, Birmingham WEST END STORY Celebrity Big JOO YEON SIR Programme includes MARK WATSON Sat 9 July, Theatre Brother winner Alex Reid comperes works by J.S Bach, Eugene Ysaye, Severn, Shrewsbury an evening which promises to take Deborah Pritchard, Niccolo audiences on a 'magical journey' ANDREW BIRD, ROB MULHOLLAND, through the world of musical the- Paganini & Fritz Kreisler, Sat 2 July, Comedy Gigs HOWARD READ & DAN NIGHTINGALE Wade Street Church, Lichfield atre, Fri 1 July, Theatre Severn, Sun 10 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury STAR WARS & BEYOND: A SPACE SPEC- ADAM BLOOM, MIKE NEWALL, LIZ MIELE Shrewsbury TACULAR Music, lights, lasers, fire- SALAAM Sonia Sabri Company pres- & PETE OTWAY Fri 1 July, The Comedy ents a double bill of works which works... Programme includes works Loft, Birmingham by John Williams, Holst & Strauss, cleverly weave a dialogue between HARDEEP SINGH KOHLI Fri 1 July, mac, Sat 2 July, Symphony Hall, B’ham live music and Kathak dance to cel- Birmingham ebrate harmony, inner stillness and CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHOIR: FOLK PATRICK MONAHAN, BARRY DODDS & the simple bliss of being alive, Fri 1 SONGS & FINZI Featuring Adrian ANDREW MCBURNEY July, Lichfield Garrick Lucas (conductor), Hannah Grove Fri 1 July, Katie MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING The Lord (soprano) & William Clements Fitzgerald's, Stourbridge Chamberlain’s Men present an out- (bass), Sun 3 July, Bramall Hall, STAND UP COMEDY SHOWCASE Fri 1 - Sat 2 July, mac, Birmingham door production of Shakespeare’s Birmingham University battle-of-the-sexes comedy, Fri 1 ADAM BLOOM, MIKE NEWALL, LIZ MIELE GALA CONCERT SERIES Sun 3 - Wed 6 July, Ludlow Millennium Green, & PETE OTWAY Sat 2 July, The JOE LYCETT Sun 10 July, New July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Ludlow, South Shropshire Comedy Loft, Birmingham Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham MUSIC FOR LUNCH: SUMMER ORGAN THE BEST THING Vamos Theatre DANNY BHOY Sat 2 July, The Slade FESTIVAL Featuring John Hosking, present a fully masked performance Rooms, Wolverhampton Mon 4 July, Birmingham Cathedral of a Swinging ’60s story of uncondi- DANNY BHOY Sun 3 July, The Glee tional love, Fri 1 - Sat 2 July, I FAGIOLINI Featuring Anna Markland Club, Birmingham Lichfield Garrick (piano), Mon 4 July, Lichfield Theatre Cathedral THE NOISE NEXT DOOR, JARRED CHRISTMAS, JONNY COLE & FREDDY CHETHAM’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC QUINNE Sun 3 July, The Station, REHEARSAL FOR MURDER Bill Featuring Harriet Butterworth Cannock Kenwright presents a new produc- (cello), Lia Tang (violin) & Brenda tion of a classic thriller, until Sat 2 ROB BECKETT Blewett (piano). Programme Mon 4 July, Lichfield July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Garrick includes works by Beethoven, SWAP! New comedy directed by Schumann, Mozart & Tchaikovsky, CHEEKY MONKEY COMEDY Tues 5 - Fri Return Of The Saint star Ian Ogilvy, Mon 4 July, Wade Street Church, 8 July, The Dark Horse, Moseley, until Sat 2 July, Wolverhampton Lichfield Birmingham Grand Theatre ORGAN RECITAL WITH CHRISTOPHER LUCY PORTER, CAREY MARX Wed 6 GANGSTA GRANNY Birmingham Stage BRAGG Programme includes works July, The Glee Club, Birmingham Company bring a production of JUST LIKE THAT! Critically acclaimed by Faure, J.S Bach, Jean Langlais RETURN OF THE GRUMPY OLD WOMEN David Walliams' best-selling book to tribute show - a must-see for fans of & Henri Nibelle, Tues 5 July, St Wed 6 July, Lichfield Garrick the stage, until Sat 2 July, New the late, great Tommy Cooper, Fri 1 - Sat 2 July, Ludlow Assembly Mary’s Church, Lichfield MATT REED, THE NOISE NEXT DOOR & Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham Rooms, South Shropshire HEATH QUARTET Programme includes COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY CAPTURED The story of Isaac and works by Mozart, Bartok & ROBINSON Thurs 7 July, The Glee Sophie, of photographer and sub- STAR WARS & BEYOND - A SPACE Beethoven, Tues 5 July, Swinfen Club, Birmingham ject, of perception and reality, until SPECTACULAR For lovers of all things space, Sat 2 July, Symphony Hall, Hall Hotel, Lichfield EDDY BRIMSON, WANYE BEESE PLUS Sat 2 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham Birmingham YENTING WANG Programme includes COMIC TBC Thurs 7 July, The Stile Inn, THE MARIAN CONSORT Exploration of works by Haydn, Deborah Pritchard Wolverhampton OTHELLO Shakespeare’s tragic tale Carlo Gesualdo's strange world and & Chopin, Wed 6 July, Wade Street PETE OTWAY, SEAN PERCIVAL, JO DARCY of lost handkerchiefs, ruined reputa- his extraordinary music, the latter Church, Lichfield & EDDIE BRIMSON Thurs 7 July, The tions and mistreated wives, until Sat brought to life by the singers of The Red Lion, Wolverhampton 9 July, Stafford Castle LUNCHTIME CONCERT SERIES With Marian Consort and lutenist Jamie bass baritone Tom Considine, Wed PAUL SINHA, JEFF INNOCENT, ANDY SINGIN' IN THE RAIN New production Akers, Sat 2 July, St Chad's Church, 6 July, St George’s Church, STEADMAN & DANNY WARD based on the classic Metro- Lichfield Thurs 7 Edgbaston, Birmingham Goldwyn-Mayer film, until Sat 16 July, The George Hotel, Lichfield July, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle- DANNY CHAMPION OF THE WORLD SUSAN CALMAN - WORK IN PROGRESS JOHN ROBERTS OBOE RECITAL under-Lyme Illyria present an outdoor produc- Programme includes works by tion of Roald Dahl’s funny and Thurs 7 July, Lichfield Garrick DOCTOR FAUSTUS Maria Aberg Ravel, Thurs 7 July, Wade Street MANILLA ROAD COMEDY heart-warming tale, Sat 2 July, Thurs 7 July, returns to the RSC to direct Church, Lichfield oria, Birmingham Dotshill Park, Tamworth The Vict Marlowe's notorious tale of vanity, BARBICAN STRING QUARTET ANDY WHITE, SIMON MOORE & OKSE greed & damnation, until Thurs 4 MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Madcap Programme includes works by Thurs 7 July, Stourbridge Town Hall Aug, The Swan Theatre, Stratford- Theatre Productions present an out- door production of Shakespeare’s Duttilleaux, Deborah Pritchard & LLOYD GRIFFITH, ADDY BORGH, TOM upon-Avon battle-of-the-sexes comedy, Sat 2 Ravel, Fri 8 July, Wade Street LUCY & VERY SPECIAL GUEST THAT THE ALCHEMIST Polly Findlay directs July, The Mary Stevens Hospice, Church, Lichfield CANNOT BE ANNOUNCED! Fri 8 July, Ben Jonson's comedy about human Stourbridge BBC NATIONAL ORCHESTRA OF WALES The Comedy Loft, Birmingham folly, until Sat 6 Aug, The Swan AUSTERITY GAMES Tell Tale Theatre Sat 9 July, Lichfield Cathedral THE NOISE NEXT DOOR, MATT REED, Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon use improvisation, physical story- STUART MITCHELL & MARTIN MOR Fri 8 FLUTE, VIOLA, HARP Chamber music HAMLET Simon Godwin directs telling and a healthy dose of audi- July, The Glee Club, Birmingham to mark the Easter Rising, Sat 9 Paapa Essiedu as Hamlet in ence participation to tell the story of July, St Michael’s Church, Lichfield BEN HANLIN Fri 8 July, The Old Rep Shakespeare's searing tragedy, until Martha Gritt and her Dickensian- Sat 13 Aug, Royal Shakespeare BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIE- Theatre, Birmingham inspired journey through time to

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thelist Wednesday 1 - Sunday 10 July Vincent Simone & Flavia Cacase, Toulouse Lautrec’s iconic posters, Tues 5 - Wed 6 July, Regent Thurs 7 - Sat 9 July, The REP, Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent Birmingham HEAL THE WORLD Great Barr School WHY DO HYENAS HAVE SHORTER BACK present a brand new musical LEGS THAN FRONT LEGS AND WHY DO inspired by the music of Michael MONKEYS HAVE BARE BOTTOMS? A Jackson, Tues 5 - Wed 6 July, popular tale from Burkina Faso Crescent Theatre, Birmingham about authority, cunning, conceited- LOSHA Monkeyshine Theatre’s well- ness and consequences. Set reviewed ‘feast for the senses, Tues against a fantastical and comic 5 - Fri 8 July, The Blue Orange backdrop, the story denounces Theatre, Birmingham greed and lying in relationships between people. Suitable for ages HEARTBEAT ITV’s popular Sunday four-plus. Fri 8 - Sat 9 July, mac, night, ’60s-set police drama comes Birmingham to the stage, starring members of the TV cast, Tues 5 - Sat 9 July, THE RATTLER Mahogany Opera Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Group present a new interactive retelling of Rumpelstiltskin as part BUGSY MALONE Musical Youth of Lichfield Festival, Sat 9 July, Theatre Stafford present an amateur Lichfield Garrick staging of the gangster musical, Wed 6 - Sat 9 July, Stafford PEACE CABARET WITH JESSICA Gatehouse Theatre WALKER Sat 9 July, Lichfield Garrick FLIRT OFF A brand new open mic THE SITCOM TRIALS Situation come- story featuring true tales about dat- dy showcase suitable for ages 12- ing and holiday relationships, Wed plus, Sat 9 July, mac, Birmingham 6 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, SECOND SOPRANO A poignant tale Madcap Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing - The Mary Stevens Hospice, Stourbridge Birmingham presented by a virtuosic comedy discover the true meaning of the as they wait for Santa to arrive on NELSON: THE SAILOR’S STORY One- duo and a piano, Sat 9 July, Old Olympic Spirit, Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, the most magical night of the year man touring production exploring Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham The Sitting Room, Ludlow, South in this enchanting tale from the life of 'inspirational hero - flawed DINOSAUR PARK An award-winning, Shropshire Travelling Light Theatre. Sun 3 - maverick, tactical genius and rebel', laugh-out-loud spin on Spielberg's HAMLET The Malachites present Tues 5 July, mac, Birmingham Horatio Nelson, Wed 6 July, classic Jurassic Park, Sat 9 July, their international touring produc- RHYTHM OF THE DANCE Celebrating Lichfield Garrick Lichfield Garrick tion of Shakespeare's most famous the rich history of Ireland and the GRUMPY OLD WOMEN - FIFTY SHADES AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Mark play, Sun 3 July, Lichfield Guildhall art of Irish dance, Mon 4 July, OF BEIGE Three rather furious Brown’s adaptation of one of the LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD & THREE Wolverhampton Grand Theatre females take to the stage for an greatest adventure stories of all LITTLE PIGS The award-winning OUR KYLIE'S HAVIN' A BAB Stripped orgy of middle-aged mayhem, Wed time, Sat 9 - Sun 19 July, Castle Ballet Wales present a double bill of Down Theatre are good to their 6 July, Lichfield Garrick Bromwich Hall Gardens, B’ham Roald Dahl classics, Sun 3 July, name with this latest presentation, RHYTHM OF THE DANCE Celebrating Lichfield Garrick which ‘lays bare’ the altogether the rich history of Ireland and the MIMIKA THEATRE: SMALL WORLDS challenging business of having a art of Irish dance, Thurs 7 July, The Described as one of the most origi- family, Mon 4 July, Crescent Place, Oakengates, Telford, nal theatre companies in Europe, Theatre, Birmingham Shropshire Talks Mimika Theatre here presents its NOSFERATU Presented by unconven- DAHL IN A DAY Join the students special dome tent show, featuring tional French creatives Bob Theatre, from Christchurch Primary School, TRACY BORMAN Author of the best- music, lights, puppetry and no Mon 4 - Tues 5 July, The Patrick Chadsmead Primary Academy, selling biography of Thomas words at all, performed as part of Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome Lichfield Cathedral School and St Cromwell, Tracy Borman returns to Lichfield Festival 2016, Sun 3 - Mon BROKE ’N' BEAT COLLECTIVE Mash-up Joseph's RC Primary School for an Lichfield Festival to take audiences 4 July, Lichfield Garrick of hip-hop, beatboxing, spoken evening of classic stories and behind the scenes to reveal the inti- PIM & THEO Immersive theatre show word and puppetry, Mon 4 - Wed 6 frogscottling theatre. Part of mate secrets of the Tudor court, Sat about culture, identity, life, rules and July, The Old Rep Theatre, Lichfield Festival 2016, Thurs 7 July, 2 July, Lichfield Garrick Lichfield Garrick tolerance, Sun 3 - Tues 5 July, The Birmingham THE HISTORY WARDROBE: GREAT WAR REP, Birmingham FOOTLOOSE Brand new tour of the MURDER ON THE TERRACE Heartbreak FASHION Join author and costume OUT OF THE BLUE Perfect introduction explosive Rock 'n' Roll musical Productions present David Kerby- historian Lucy Adlington for this to live theatre, full of captivating based on the 1980s screen sensa- Kendall’s part farce, part romp, mur- inspiring insight into the lives and images and intriguing sounds. Part tion of the same name, Mon 4 - Sat der-mystery, Thurs 7 July, aspirations of women in the First of On The Edge - The World 9 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Shugborough Estate, Staffordshire World War, as revealed through Festival Of Theatre For Young Birmingham WOT? NO FISH!! The true story of a their clothes, Sun 3 July, Lichfield Audiences, Sun 3 - Tues 5 July, HITCH Mary Bijou Cabaret & Social Jewish family living in 20th century Garrick Birmingham City University Club present a cabaret which, London, Thurs 7 - Fri 8 July, The MONA SIDDIQUI OBE: CONFLICTS, THE CURIOUS SCRAPBOOK OF based on the work of Alfred REP, Birmingham BORDERS & RETHINKING HOSPITALITY JOSEPHINE BEAN Award-winning chil- Hitchcock, treads a thin line A SLICE OF SATURDAY NIGHT A musi- In the third of Lichfield Festival's dren’s show where a scrapbook between hilarity and horror, Tues 5 cal pastiche which celebrates the Peace Lecture series, academic, becomes a window into a secret July, Lichfield Garrick Swinging ’60s, Thurs 7 - Sat 9 July, writer and BBC Radio 4 Thought world where a curious life unfolds. THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN The The Belfry, Wellington, Shropshire For the Day contributor Mona Part of On The Edge - The World Foundry Group present a brand REINRAUMRAUS Puppeteer & actress Siddiqui talks about the role that Festival Of Theatre For Young new staging of the hit play about Myriam Rossbach breathes new life religion has to play in the pulling Audiences, Sun 3 - Tues 5 July, The British aviation pioneers Alcock and into the kitchen by using utensils in apart of civilisations, Mon 4 Juy, REP, Birmingham Brown, Tues 5 July, Lichfield Garrick unconventional ways, Thurs 7 - Sat Wade Street Church, Lichfield BRUSH Inventive family show, direct THE HAMILTON COMPLEX Lies 9 July, mac, Birmingham STORYTELLING WALK: SEEING THINGS from Korea, telling a bewitching tale Pauwel’s physical, visual and philo- A FEAST OF BONES A dark musical DIFFERENTLY Join storyteller Fiona and featuring weird and wonderful sophical view on those moments in fable from Theatre Lovett, set in the Eadie as she guides her audience characters, live music, dance, fanci- life when things begin to change. shadows of World War One, Thurs 7 on a gentle walk around the city of ful puppets and a company of Performed by 13 teenage girls and - Sat 9 July, The REP, Birmingham Lichfield, interspersed with a story, engaging performers. Suitable for or two, Wed 6 July, Lichfield a bodybuilder, Tues 5 - Wed 6 July, CRAZY JANE Birds Of Paradise ages four-plus. Sun 3 - Tues 5 July, The REP, Birmingham SEBASTIAN FAULKS: WHERE MY HEART mac, Birmingham Theatre Company present the story THE LAST TANGO New choreo- of Jane Avril, star of the Moulin USED TO BEAT The bestselling author BOING! Join brothers Wilkie & Joel graphed show from Strictly stars Rouge and immortalised in of Birdsong and Engleby makes his

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Wednesday 1 - Sunday 10 July

first visit to Lichfield Festival to dis- July, The Cuban Embassy, Moseley, PARROT SHOW Sun 3 July, (MEMBERS ONLY) Sat 9 July, Black cuss his award-winning career and Birmingham Staffordshire County Showground Country Living Museum, Dudley newest novel, Thurs 7 July, Lichfield SHREWSBURY MORRIS 40 YEARS UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE JEWELLERY QUARTER HERITAGE WALK Garrick YOUNG Celebrating 40 years of SCENES TOUR A glimpse into the Sat 9 July, Museum of the Jewellery dancing and merrymaking, Sat 2 workings of a 21st century stately Quarter, Birmingham July, The Square, Shrewsbury home, Sun 3 July, Weston Park, WILLOW BASKET WEAVING Learn Film HANDSWORTH HERITAGE WALK Staffordshire about the techniques and traditions Admire fine Georgian and Victorian BATTLE OF THE SOMME GUIDED WALK of willow weaving, Sat 9 July, Black architecture, a convent designed by Taking place every Sunday, Sun 3 Country Living Museum, Dudley NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE Augustus Pugin, a church that was July - Sun 20 Nov, National THE GREAT BRITISH FOOD FESTIVAL built nearly 1,000 years ago, Sat 2 Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire Showcasing a range of delicious Released from Fri 1 July, showing at July, Soho House, Birmingham GUIDED BAT WALKS The perfect local and regional products, Sat 9 - selected cinemas FORDHALL - BEHIND THE SCENES Sat opportunity to come and meet Sun 10 July, Shugborough Historic ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS: THE MOVIE (15) 2 July, Fordhall Organic Farm, Chirk Castle's bat population, Tues Working Estate, Stafford CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (12a) Market Drayton, North Shropshire 5 July, Chirk Castle, Wrexham WIMBLEDON FINALS ON THE BIG FROM AFAR (15) NIMROD TOURS Climb on board the TUESDAY TILE DECORATING SCREEN Sat 9 - Sun 10 July, Nimrod and learn about its intelli- WORKSHOPS by using Brindleyplace, Birmingham THE COLONY (12a) Get creative gence-gathering role in the Royal the tube lining technique to pro- BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016 NOTES ON BLINDNESS Sat 9 - Air Force, Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, RAF duce your very own tile to take Sun 10 July, Birmingham City QUEEN OF EARTH (15) Cosford, Shropshire home. Activities vary from day to Centre day, Tues 5 July, Jackfield Tile NOW YOU SEE ME 2 (12a) CHASE QUILT AND EMBROIDERY FESTI- CADBURY CHARACTER WEEKEND Sat 9 VAL View beautiful quilts and pur- Museum, Ironbridge THE LEGEND OF TARZAN (12a) - Sun 10 July, Cadbury World, chase quilting fabrics and haber- PADDLES INTO THE PAST Unique guid- Bournville, Birmingham BAYOU MAHARAJAH dashery, Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, ed historical river tours of the MAGGIE'S PLAN (15) Museum of Cannock Chase Severn loop around Shrewsbury, NEWCOMEN ENGINE IN STEAM Sat 9 - Sun 10 July, Black Country Living THE NEON DEMON (18) THE SOOTY SHOW: SOOTY IN SPACE Wed 6 July, Shrewsbury Town Centre Museum, Dudley THE WAIT (TBC) Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, Cadbury World, Bournville, Birmingham EID - DANCE, MUSIC AND FOOD CELE- BUGS & MINIBEASTS WEEKEND WEINER (15) Activities include bug hunts, the TEENAGE MARKET Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, BRATION Thurs 7 July, Birmingham GHOSTBUSTERS (TBC) Botanical Gardens chance to help build a bug hotel, Red House Glass Cone, and insect-themed crafts, Sat 9 - Stourbridge LONGTON BEER FESTIVAL With live Sun 10 July, Lower Drayton Farm, COAL MINING HERITAGE WEEKEND music and a huge range of beers Stafford Illustrated talks, a guided walk and and ciders, Thurs 7 July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent BEGINNERS BLACKWORK WORKSHOP Events a self-led trail, Sat 2 - Sun 3 July, Sat 9 - Sun 10 July, Moseley Old Severn Valley Country Park, FRIDAY TWILIGHT - MURDER AT THE Hall, Wolverhampton Bridgnorth, South Shropshire HALL Join Mow Cop Players for this NIMROD TOURS Climb on board the HIS MASTERS PLAN A serial killer is murder-mystery evening, Fri 8 July, STEP BACK TO THE 1940S A selection Nimrod and learn about its intelli- on the loose, and it’s up to you to The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, of daytime attractions up and down gence-gathering role in the Royal survive his games, Thurs 30 June - Stoke-on-Trent the line, with costumed re-enactors Air Force, Sat 9 - Sun 10 July, RAF Sat 2 July, The Dana Prison, at the stations and on the trains COLMORE FOOD FESTIVAL Fri 8 - Sat 9 Cosford, Shropshire Shrewsbury helping to tell the wartime story, Sat July, Victoria Square, Birmingham MULTI-PERIOD WEEKEND See soldiers WOLVESTOCK 22 Fri 1 - Sun 3 July, 2 - Sun 3 July, Severn Valley RAIL ALE TRAIL Fri 8 - Sun 10 July, and civilians from Roman times Wolverhampton Racecourse Railway, Kidderminster Churnet Valley Railway, through to WWII, demonstrating life STAFFORDSHIRE CYCLING FESTIVAL A BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016 Sat 2 - Staffordshire in authentic camps and on cam- three-day event incorporating Sun 3 July, Birmingham City Centre BLACK COUNTRY DAY AY IT! Live paign. Romans, Vikings, RideStaffs GP on Friday evening, CHETWYND MEDIEVAL FAIR Sat 2 - music, comedians, magic shows, Roundheads, Redcoats, Tommies RideStaffs Kermesse on the Sun 3 July, Shropshire Lavender competitions, dog shows and much and WWII Staffords, Sat 9 - Sun 10 Saturday evening, a mass-participa- Wellbank Farm, Newport more, Sat 9 July, Manor House July, The Staffordshire Regiment tion cycle ride on the Sunday, plus MISS ELIZABETH BOAT TRIPS Take a Museum, West Bromwich Museum, Lichfield cycling activities for all the family gentle cruise along the Capability CYCLO-CROSS The UK’s top cyclo- EXOTIC ANIMALS WEEKEND Natural throughout the weekend, Fri 1 - Sun Brown-designed lake. Enjoy breath- cross riders ride modern bikes History Presentations make an 3 July, Shugborough Historic taking views of the woodlands and through Blists Hill Victorian Town as appearance with an array of exotic Working Estate, Staffordshire gardens on the ecologically friendly, part of a challenging cycling event. animals, including owls, lizards and CAMPER JAM Fri 1 - Sun 3 July, electrically powered, 42-seat cata- Sat 9 July, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, a meerkat, Sat 9 - Sun 10 July, Weston Park, Shropshire maran, Sat 2 July - Tues 6 Sept, Shropshire Trentham Monkey Forest, THE STITCHING, SEWING & Trentham Estate, Staffordshire ARTS AND CRAFT MARKET Made In Staffordshire HOBBYCRAFT SHOW Fri 1 - Sun 3 CLASSIC CARS AT DUDMASTON West Shropshire is a collaboration of SENTINEL - MULTI-PERIOD EVENT July, NEC, Birmingham Midlands Classic Car Club make an artists, designer makers and food Tutbury Castle brings to life history THE BIG ARTS SHOW Fri 1 - Sun 3 appearance, Sun 3 July, producers who live or work in the from the past 1000 years, Sat 9 - July, West Midland Showground, Dudmaston Estate, Shropshire county, Sat 9 July, The Square, Sun 10 July, Tutbury Castle, Shropshire DELICIOUSLY DOWNTON: THE Shrewsbury Staffordshire GARDEN TRAIL Can you find the IMPORTANCE OF HATS IN THE NEWPORT SHOW Featuring Great MX5 MEETING at Dudmaston, Sun 10 flower pots hiding around the site?, EDWARDIAN ERA A whirlwind trip British Bake Off winner Nadiya July, Dudmaston Estate, Shropshire Fri 1 July - Wed 31 Aug, Gladstone through the enchanting history of Hussain, Sat 9 July, Chetwynd Park, CHIRK CASTLE MEDIEVAL HALF Pottery Museum, Stoke-on-Trent the hat, Sun 3 July, The Potteries Newport MARATHON Sun 10 July, Chirk Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke-on- GARDEN TOURS Fri 1 July - Fri 30 BEGINNERS’ BOBBIN LACE MAKING DAY Castle, Wrexham Trent Sep, Moseley Old Hall, COURSE Sat 9 July, Black Country BUBBLE SHOW WITH MILKSHAKE MUSEUM ANNUAL OPEN AND RUNNING Wolverhampton Living Museum, Dudley Performed by Bubble Laboratory, DAY Sun 10 July, Aston Manor Road DINOSAUR COVE Step into the late an international touring company ROUNDHOUSE UN-TOUR A chance to Transport Museum, Walsall Cretaceous period - when who’ve performed to over a million experience a tour of the WALLED GARDEN WALK Sun 10 July, dinosaurs roamed the earth - with people worldwide since 2011, Sat 2 Roundhouse Birmingham with a dif- Attingham Park, Shrewsbury intrepid dinosaur expert Chris ference. The 'Un-Tour' is history but - Sun 3 July, Ludlow Assembly BIRMINGHAM BIKEATHON Sun 10 July, Jarvis, an education officer at the not as you know it, with a twist Rooms, South Shropshire Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham Oxford University Museum of where you get to teach the tour Natural History, Sat 2 July, Wade TREE TRAIL Walk around the guide, Sat 9 July, Birmingham Back TEDDY BEAR PICNIC Including a prize Street Church, Lichfield grounds, Sun 3 July, Himley Hall & to Backs for the best dressed teddy bear, Park, Dudley Sun 10 July, Hoo Farm Animal BIRMINGHAM RUM FESTIVAL Sat 2 THE TALE OF THE RABBITS' PICNIC Kingdom, Telford

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thelist Monday 11 - Sunday 17 July SOL BERNSTIEN, IAN COPPINGER, BRYAN Classical Music LACEY & JIM CAMPBELL Sat 16 Jul, Gigs The Glee Club, Birmingham MUSIC FOR LUNCH: SUMMER ORGAN DOC BROWN, PAUL TONKINSON, THE MIKE HERON & FESTIVAL Featuring organist FIZZOGS & WAYNE BEESE Sat 16 Jul, TREMBLING BELLS Mon Nicholas Morris, Mon 11 July, Brierley Hill Civic Hall 11 July, Hare & Birmingham Cathedral Hounds, Birmingham ED GAMBLE Sat 16 Jul, The Old Rep CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY Theatre, Birmingham WALSALL JAZZ ORCHESTRA: FALSTAFF Featuring KEN DODD Sat 16 - Sun 17 Jul, ORCHESTRA Mon 11 Edward Gardner (conductor), the July, Forest Arts Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury CBSO Chorus & Ambrogio Maestri Centre, Walsall LOL COMEDY CLUB Sat 16 Jul, Regent as Falstaff, Wed 13 July, Symphony Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent MATT CARDLE Mon 11 Hall, Birmingham July, The Glee Club, EX CATHEDRA: NEW JERUSALEM Birmingham Featuring works by Parry, Judith REEDBASS Tues 12 July, Weir, Howells & James MacMillan, The Jam House, B’ham Wed 13 July, Tewkesbury Abbey Theatre SCOTT MATTHEWS CBSO COMMUNITY CHOIR SHOWCASE Tues 12 July, The Glee Sat 16 July, Birmingham Town Hall Club, Birmingham AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Mark WOMBOURNE & DISTRICT CHORAL AS SIRENS FALL Wed 13 Brown’s adaptation of one of the SOCIETY: THE SEA! THE SEA! Evening July, The Flapper, greatest adventure stories of all of nautical songs & readings, Sat Birmingham time, Tues 12 - Wed 13 July, Selly 16 July, Beckminster Methodist Manor, Birmingham FEDERAL CHARM Thurs Church, Penn Fields, DOGFIGHT Theatre1 Productions 14 July, The Slade Wolverhampton Rooms, Wolves present Pasek and Paul’s musical Kaiser Chiefs - Cannock Chase Forest adaptation of the 1991 film of the BACK TO BACHARACH same name, which follows six Thurs 14 July, Lichfield Stourbridge Irish Centre, B’ham young Marines on one final wild Garrick ROCKABILLY BIG BASH STARVIN' RASCALS Sat night of debauchery before their STEVE CLAYTON Thurs WEEKEND Fri 15 - Sat 16 16 July, Katie Comedy Gigs deployment to Vietnam, Tues 12 - 14 July, Katie July, Irish Centre, Fitzgerald's, Sat 16 July, Stafford Gatehouse Fitzgerald's, Birmingham Stourbridge Theatre LOUDEEMY SOUP COMEDY NIGHT Mon Stourbridge QUANTIC LIVE Fri 15 SALLY BARKER Sat 16 11 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, SENSE & SENSIBILITY Chapterhouse TRACEY K. HOUSTON July, Hare & Hounds, July, The Brewhouse Birmingham Theatre present an outdoor produc- Thurs 14 July, The Birmingham Arts Centre, Burton- tion of Jane Austen’s Regency clas- CHEEKY MONKEY COMEDY Tues 12 River Rooms, upon-Trent sic, Wed 13 July, Birmingham CATAPULT CLUB FEAT. July, The Dark Horse, Moseley, Stourbridge Botanical Gardens XILLA Fri 15 July, O2 GEOFF RODGERS Sat 16 B’ham HILLFOLK NOIR Thurs 14 Academy, Birmingham July, Havana Republic BOA YEAR 10 MUSICAL THEATRE ZOE LYONS Wed 13 July, Kitchen July, Kitchen Garden Bar and Restaurant, SHOWCASE Year 10 pupils studying ROCK 'N' ROLL BACK THE Garden Cafe, Birmingham Cafe, Birmingham YEARS Fri 15 July, Shrewsbury on the acclaimed Musical Theatre TOM BINNS Thurs 14 July, Station KRS-ONE Thurs 14 July Theatre Severn, RAHMA ROSE AND Pathway at Birmingham Ormiston O2 Institute, B’ham Shrewsbury ILKACASE Sat 16 July, Academy (the sister institution to the BRIT School in London) make HANNAH & BRIAN O2 Institute, B’ham THE DRIFTERS Thurs 14 Fri 15 their debut at The Old Rep in a THE OVERTONES July, Theatre Severn, July, Havana Republic Sat 16 showcase which highlights their Shrewsbury Bar and Restaurant, July, The Buttermarket, achievements during their first year Shrewsbury Shrewsbury FRISCO Thurs 14 July of study at the academy, Wed 13 - The Rainbow Venues, WHO'S WHO Fri 15 July, FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS Thurs 14 July, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham The Robin, Bilston Sat 16 July, Birmingham Wolverhampton Grand UK FEDS Thurs 14 July, OCEAN COLOUR SCENE DOREEN'S GRAND NIGHT OUT Doreen Theatre Hare & Hounds, B’ham Fri 15 July, Moseley returns with a brand new live, Wed IVOR & LYNN'S CLASSIC 1-EYE REGGAE REVIEW Park, Birmingham 13 - Thurs 14 July, Wolverhampton ROCK NIGHT Sat 16 July, Pub, Sutton Coldfield Thurs 14 July, The Jam THE BON JOVI Grand Theatre Route 44, Birmingham LLOYD LANGFORD, PETER BRUSH Thurs House, Birmingham EXPERIENCE Fri 15 July, SPOONFACE STEINBERG Stage2 pres- The River Rooms, THE COMMANDMENTS 14 July, mac, Birmingham EVE SELIS Thurs 14 ents Lee Hall’s story of a young Stourbridge Sat 16 July, The River STEVE ROYLE, JAMES SHERWOOD, July, The Robin, autistic Jewish girl who, learning Rooms, Stourbridge JONNY PELHAM & BARRY BODDS Thurs Bilston CHOIR WITH NO NAME she is terminally ill, contemplates BLACK PEAKS 14 July, Sadler’s Brewhouse, the meaning of life, Wed 13 - Sat 16 LIMEHOUSE LIZZY Fri 15 July, mac, B’ham Sat 16 July, The Asylum, Stourbridge July, Crescent Theatre, Birmingham Thurs 14 July, Foxlowe MOTOWN AND SOUL Birmingham SOL BERNSTEIN, IAN COPPINGER & Arts Centre, Leek, NIGHT WITH DJ PAUL MEET TOMMY ATKINS A new one-man COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY Staffs KELLY Fri 15 July, Irish OCEAN COLOUR SCENE play which takes a look at the reali- Centre, Birmingham Sat 16 July, Moseley ROBINSON Thurs 14 July, The Glee ty of war through the eyes of BASEMENT Fri 15 July, Club, Birmingham Tommy Atkins, a young soldier who QUANTIC Fri 15 July Park, Birmingham The Slade Rooms, fought in Ypres, Passendale, Loos Hare & Hounds, B’ham WILD WILLY BARRETT'S PAUL MCCAFFREY, ROB ROUSE, PIERRE Wolverhampton and on the Somme, Thurs 14 July, FRENCH CONNECTION HOLLINS & SCOTT BENNETT Fri 15 July, OCCOEUR + THIS SOLID SOUL Fri 15 - Sat The Comedy Loft, Birmingham Old Joint Stock Theatre, B’ham ELEGANT CHAOS + 16 July, The Jam Sat 16 July, Birchmeadow Centre, SOL BERNSTEIN, IAN COPPINGER, BRIAN CHAPLIN: THE CHARLIE CHAPLIN ICEFIRE Fri 15 July, House, Birmingham Broseley, Shropshire LACEY & JIM CAMPBELL Fri 15 Jul, The STORY Steven Arnold (Coronation Route 44, Birmingham RUFUS WAINWRIGHT Street) stars as Charlie Chaplin in a THE STONES Sat 16 July, Glee Club, Birmingham THE PIRAGONS Fri 15 Fri 15 July, Symphony heartwarming and powerful musical The Roadhouse, B’ham SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED July, The Roadhouse, Hall, Birmingham tale of the first true British icon of MUSICAL Fri 15 Jul, mac, Birmingham Birmingham QUILL Fri 15 July, JEAN GENIE - TRIBUTE TO cinema, Thurs 14 July, New DAVID BOWIE DANE BAPTISTE, JOHNNY PELHAM & AFLA SACKEY & AFRIK Wolverhampton Grand Sat 16 Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham July, The Robin, Bilston GEORGE RIGDEN Fri 15 Jul, Lichfield BAWANTU Fri 15 July, Theatre THE MUSICALS Thurs 14 - Sat 16 Garrick mac, Birmingham BRINDLEY-HUNT Sat 16 July, The Place, Oakengates SEAN PERCIVAL, CRAIG MURRAY, PIERRE DRAG & BETHAN AND THE July, Tamworth Castle Theatre, Telford, Shropshire HOLLINS & SCOTT BENNETT MORGANS Fri 15 July, FRONT ROW Sat 16 July Sat 16 Jul, LES MISERABLES: SCHOOLS EDITION Katie Fitzgerald's, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham Get Your Wigle On Teen Musical 56 whatsonlive.co.uk The List 11 - 17 July - Wolves/Shrops/Staffs Only VERSION.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:04 Page 2

Monday 11 - Sunday 17 July

Theatre Group return with a fresh WHAT THE DICKENS? Fast-moving, new cast to perform this musical audience-led, made-up comedy masterpiece, Thurs 14 - Sun 17 romp which explores the sumptu- July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury ous drawing rooms, murky streets DEREK ACORAH: THE SOUL REUNION and smoky taverns of Victorian TOUR Evening of psychic entertain- Britain, Sun 17 July, The Crescent ment, Fri 15 July, Ludlow Theatre, Birmingham Assembly Rooms, South WINNERS Fred Theatre present Shropshire Abigail Rahman’s exploration of ROCK ’N' ROLL BACK THE YEARS the precarious relationship Legendary DJ and broadcaster between love, money and happi- David Hamilton invites audiences ness, Sun 17 - Wed 19 July, The to join him on a journey back in Crescent Theatre, Birmingham time to the era of bee hives, miniskirts and hot pants, Fri 15 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury DOREEN'S GRAND NIGHT OUT Doreen Talks returns with a brand new live show, Fri 15 July, Lichfield Garrick Q&A WITH HIP HOPS KRS1 Join MRS SHAKESPEARE An entertaining Lawrence Krishna Parker aka one-woman comedy where KRS1 for an intimate Q&A where William Shakespeare finds himself KRS1 navigates his pioneering life reincarnated in the present day as which included the legendary a woman, Fri 15 - Sat 16 July, Old Boogie Down Productions and his Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham personal involvement in the Stop The Violence Campaign, Thurs 14 THE CHRIS AND PUI SHOW New July, The Old Rep Theatre, stage show with the toys and char- Birmingham acters from the hit TV programme, Sat 16 July, Lichfield Garrick FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS Celebrating 21 years on the road, Sat 16 July, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Film INDEPENDENT LISTINGS:

PILLOW TALK (PG) Doris Day and Rock Hudson play Jan and Brad, two single New Yorkers who have nothing in common - except a shared phone line! Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 12 July ROOM (15) Held captive for years in RECKLESS ABANDON 4Front Theatre an enclosed space, a woman (Brie present a feature-length stage Larson) and her young son (Jacob adaptation of an incredible true Tremblay) finally gain their freedom, story, Sat 16 July, Crescent allowing the boy to experience the Theatre, Birmingham outside world for the first time. PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS Non-sexual Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, show that features full-frontal male Staffordshire, Tues 12 July nudity. Suitable for adults only! Sat DEEP RED (18) One night, musician 16 July, New Alexandra Theatre, Marcus Daly, looking up from the Birmingham street below, witnesses the brutal HMS PINAFORE Ludlow Choral axe murder of a woman in her Society present Gilbert & apartment. Racing to the scene, Sullivan’s 1878 comic opera, Sat Marcus just manages to miss the 16 July, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, perpetrator... or does he? Stars South Shropshire David Hemmings. The Electric AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS Cinema, Birmingham, Fri 15 July Mark Brown’s adaptation of one of I SAW THE LIGHT (15) Tom Hiddleston the greatest adventure stories of takes on the mantle of legendary all time, Sat 16 - Sun 17 July, country & blues singer Hank Harvington Hall, Kidderminster Williams, from whose famous MACBETH Oddsocks present a gospel song the film takes its title. musical version of Shakespeare's Williams’ life was tragically short- famous tragedy, Sun 17 July, mac, lived, but his influence was consid- Birmingham erable, as is his musical legacy. Also stars Elizabeth Olsen. Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury, Fri 15 - Mon 19 July ELVIS AND NIXON (18) The most requested photo from the US National Archives is of Richard M Nixon shaking the hand of Elvis A Presley. The occasion was on 21 December 1970, in the Oval Office, and the official notes of the meeting reveal the King’s interest in Communist brainwashing and a dis-

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Monday 11 - Sunday 17 July

top car park to the tea room, Sat 16 family trail to see which characters July, Carding Mill Valley & The can be found at Croft and collect a Shropshire Hills, Church Stretton prize at the end, Sat 16 July - Thurs COILED POT MAKING Sat 16 July, 4 Sept, Croft Castle, Leominster Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke- GENIUS LOCI - TELLING THE WATERS on-Trent Environmental artists Red Earth 1940S EVENING Featuring popular bring to life Capability Brown's final wartime trio The D-Day Darlings landscape with a series of outdoor and other live bands, Sat 16 July, installations in the park, Sat 16 July Black Country Living Museum, - Sun 7 Aug, Berrington Hall, Dudley Leominster WILDLIFE WATCH GROUP: INSECTS DINOSAURS AWAKEN MAIZE MAZE Look for dragonflies, damselflies, Navigate the 10-acre maize maze in bees and butterflies in a beautiful the shape of a huge T-Rex skeleton. wild flower meadow, Sat 16 July, Collect T-Rex bones as you go, Sat National Memorial Arboretum, 16 July - Sun 4 Sep, National Forest Staffordshire Adventure Farm, Burton-upon-Trent SHROPSHIRE PRODUCE SUMMER FAIR DESIGN YOUR OWN LANDSCAPE TRAIL MARKET Sat 16 July, The Square, Follow the family trail to discover Shrewsbury some of Capability Brown's top tips and collect a prize at the end, Sat PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES A unique 16 July - Mon 5 Sep, Berrington insight into what goes on through- Hall, Leominster out the year to keep the railway run- ning - volunteer and paid staff work- TEDDY BEARS' PICNIC Bring your ted- ing together, Sat 16 July, Severn dies and a picnic. Stories and Valley Railway, Kidderminster music with Shake, Rattle & Groove, Heritage Weekend - Cadbury World, Bournville, Birmingham Sun 17 July, Dudmaston Estate, CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY CAKES AND Bridgnorth, Shropshire taste for The Beatles. Michael PARTY TREATS WITH MILLY REES Have fun learning how to bake and deco- BIKE WITH MIKE Join Ranger Mike on Shannon plays Elvis and Kevin a bike ride through Comer Wood, Spacey is Nixon. Light House Media Events rate simple but delicious birthday party cakes and fun treats for family Sun 17 July, Dudmaston Estate, Centre, Wolverhampton, Fri 15 - Bridgnorth, Shropshire Thurs 21 July celebrations, Sat 16 July, GUIDED BAT WALKS Tues 12 July, Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME FILM GOLDEN YEARS (12a) Fate, the pen- Chirk Castle, Wrexham Craven Arms, South Shropshire SCREENING Imperial War Museumss sions crisis and a steadfast refusal to TUESDAY TILE DECORATING VINTAGE TRANSPORT RALLY Sat 16 UNESCO-listed film screening, Sun accept the injustice of old age con- WORKSHOPS Tues 12 July, Jackfield 17 July, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham trive to force law-abiding retired cou- July, The British Ironwork Centre, Tile Museum, Ironbridge, IES ple Arthur and Martha into a life of Oswestry, North Shropshire DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFL Shropshire WALK crime. Refusing to take the loss of ROUNDHOUSE UN-TOUR A chance to A chance to see these beauti- their pensions lying down, they BRINDLEYPLACE FILM FESTIVAL Tues experience a tour of the ful creatures up close, plus a dip in decide to take back what was theirs 12 - Thurs 21 July, Brindleyplace, Roundhouse Birmingham, but with the pond to see what else dwells in the first place. They decide to start Birmingham a difference. The 'Un-Tour' is history there, Sun 17 July, Attingham Park, robbing banks. Stars Bernard Hill & BLACK COUNTRY DAY Thurs 14 July, but not as you know it, with a twist Shropshire Simon Callow. Old Market Hall, Red House Glass Cone, Dudley where you get to teach the tour CLASSIC MOTOR DAY This year also Shrewsbury, Fri 15 - Thurs 21 July SIDBURY MEDIEVAL VILLAGE WALK guide, Sat 16 - Sun 17 July, including classic motorbikes, Sun THE WIND RISES (PG) Jiro dreams of Thurs 14 July, Severn Valley Birmingham Back to Backs 17 July, Apley Farm Shop, Shifnal, flying and designing beautiful air- Country Park, Bridgnorth, SVARTLAND VIKING WEEKEND Shropshire planes, inspired by the famous Italian Shropshire Experience the life of a Viking Sat BONSAI DEMO Demonstrations of aeronautical designer Caproni. JAGUAR DRIVERS' CLUB at 16 - Sun 17 July, Bodenham best care and practice for Bonsai Nearsighted and unable to be a pilot, Dudmaston, Sun 14 July, Arboretum, Kidderminster Trees, Sun 17 July, Birmingham he becomes one of the world's most Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, DRAGON QUEST - PUPPET SHOW IN Botanical Gardens accomplished airplane designers Shropshire THE GARDENS Meet the dragons of CLIMB LORD HILL'S COLUMN Sun 17 instead, experiencing key historical Wye Ten, and hear tales of their July, Shrewsbury Town Centre events in an epic tale of love, perse- VII PRO WRESTLING: SUMMER adventures, Sat 16 - Sun 17 July, BREADMAKING WORKSHOP Sun 17 verance and the challenges of living BLOWOUT Fri 15 July, Dawley Town Chirk Castle, Wrexham July, Fordhall Organic Farm, Market and making choices in a turbulent Hall, Telford IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS Drayton, North Shropshire world. mac, Birmingham, Sat 16 July; BRUM VEGAN BEER & FOOD FESTIVAL TODAY... Join in with fairy and elf- The Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Fri 15 - Sat 16 July, Gunmakers GREENWOOD WORKING COURSE themed activities, Sat 16 - Sun 17 Sun 17 July Arms, Birmingham Explore basic tools used in green- July, Moseley Old Hall, wood working, Sun 17 July, THE PASSENGER (12) Jack Nicholson REAL ALE AND JAZZ FESTIVAL 2016 Fri Wolverhampton Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre, stars as David Locke, a world-weary 15 - Sat 16 July, National Brewery TAE KWON DO INTERNATIONAL WORLD Craven Arms, South Shropshire reporter who takes on a dead man’s Centre, Burton-upon-Trent CHAMPIONSHIPS Sat 16 - Sun 17 identity to discover what’s on ‘the CAPABILITY BROWN TOUR Sun 17 POEMS AND PAINTS FOR CHILDREN July, Barclaycard Arena, other side of the window.’ The July, Trentham Gardens, Maureen Taylor reads poems and Birmingham Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Sun 17 tells stories to children, after which Staffordshire July they can draw the characters in the BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016 Sat 16 UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE stories and take their drawings - Sun 17 July, Birmingham City SCENES TOUR Glimpse into the work- home, Sat 16 July, Chedhams Yard, Centre ings of a 21st century stately home, Stratford-upon-Avon 1940S WEEKEND Vintage entertain- Sun 17 July, Weston Park, NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE: HOO FARM BIRTHDAY PARTY Sat 16 ment, food and fashion, Sat 16 - Shropshire Released Fri 15 July, showing at July, Hoo Farm Animal Kingdom, Sun 17 July, Black Country Living selected cinemas Telford, Shropshire Museum, Dudley THE HARD STOP (tbc) FORGE EXPERIENCE DAY Hands-on SUMMER STEAM GALA Sat 16 - Sun ICE AGE: COLLISION COURSE (tbc) experience of blacksmithing, Sat 16 17 July, Foxfield Railway, Stoke-on- Trent MEN AND CHICKEN (15) July, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley HERITAGE WEEKEND AT CADBURY PRECIOUS CARGO (15) SHROPSHIRE BEDLAMS AND MARTHA WORLD Sat 16 - Sun 17 July, THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (tbc) RHODEN'S TUPPENNY DISH! See the Cadbury World, Bournville, SUMMERTIME (15) traditional Border Morris dancing as Birmingham they make their way down from the BEATRIX POTTER TRAIL Follow the Weston Park

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Tuesday 26th July THE GIANT’S LOO ROLL Time: 2.00pm

Friday 9th September PURPLE ZEPPELIN Time: 7.30pm

Friday 16th September ALEXANDER O’NEAL Time: 7.30pm

Thurs 22nd & Fri 23rd September ROSS NOBLE - BRAIN DUMP WARM UP Time: 8.00pm

Saturday 24th September ONE NIGHT OF QUEEN Time: 7.30pm

Monday 26th September PSYCHIC SALLY Time: 7.30pm

Thursday 29th September BRINGING ON BACK THE 60S Time: 7.30pm

Friday 30th September THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE Time: 7.30pm

Wednesday 5th October THE UNIQUE KOMEDY UKULELE ORCHESTRA Time: 7.30pm

TWC GP 01047

whatsonlive.co.uk 59 The List 18 - 24 July - Wolves/Staffs/Shrops ONLY VERSION.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:06 Page 1

thelist Monday 18 - Sunday 24 July COMEDY IN THE MET Sat 23 July, Classical Music Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

MUSIC FOR LUNCH: SUMMER ORGAN FESTIVAL Featuring Marcus Huxley, Mon 18 July, Birmingham Cathedral Theatre RUSSELL WATSON Thurs 21 - Fri 22 July, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury HMS PINAFORE Sasha Regan's all- male version of one of Gilbert & CBSO SUMMER CLASSICS Featuring Sullivan's most popular operas, Mon Robert Ziegler (conductor). 18 - Wed 20 July, Theatre Severn, Programme includes works by Shrewsbury Berlioz, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Vivaldi, Bizet, Rimsky-Korsakov & FANNY: A NEW MUSIC HALL New play Mendelssohn, Fri 22 July, by Carolyn Scott Jeffs, set against Symphony Hall, Birmingham the backdrop of the infamous Joe Seager - Havana Republic, Shrewsbury Contagious Diseases Acts of the CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA ACADEMY 1860s, Tues 19 July, The Crescent JOKERS Thurs 21 July, GEORGE MICHAEL Sat 23 Programme includes works by Theatre, Birmingham Britten, Bridge, Maxwell Davies & Gigs The Robin, Bilston July, The Robin, Bilston CHESHIRE CATS Comedy by Gail Beethoven, Sun 24 July, Ruddock ORANMORE Fri 22 July, THE FATHER TEDS Sat 23 Young, presented by the Lichfield Performing Arts Centre, Birmingham Irish Centre, B’ham July, Irish Centre, Players. The Cheshire Cats team THE URBAN PIONEERS BUCK AND EVANS Fri 22 Birmingham speed-walk their way to fundraising Mon 18 July, Kitchen July, The Asylum, SASS AND FRIENDS Sat success in the London moonwalk, Garden Cafe, B’ham Birmingham 23 July, Hare & Tues 19 - Sat 23 July, Lichfield Garrick SUN KIL MOON Tues 19 THE WHITE BUFFALO Hounds, Birmingham Comedy Gigs July, The Glee Club, Fri 22 July, O2 Institute, ADAM PHILLIPS Sat 23 GUYS AND DOLLS Sizzling New York Birmingham Birmingham July, Havana Republic tale of gamblers, gangsters and TOADALLY FREE COMEDY! nightclub singers, direct from the TINARIWEN Tues 19 DEFINITELY MIGHT BE + Bar and Restaurant, Mon 18 July, The Blue Orange Theatre, West End, Tues 19 - Sat 23 July, July, Theatre Severn, ADORED Fri 22 July, Shrewsbury Birmingham Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Shrewsbury The Robin, Bilston EXPOSURE OF THE 6 Sat YETI'S DEMON DIVE BAR Tues 19 - Wed THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT Musical the- THE GINGER WILDHEART LIVE AND PICKING Fri 22 23 July, O2 Academy, BAND Tues 19 July, The Birmingham 20 July, mac, Birmingham atre favourite Ruthie Henshall stars July, Newhampton Arts in this brand new song & dance pro- Slade Rooms, THE SEARCHERS IN CHEEKY MONKEY COMEDY Tues 19 July, Centre, duction, Tues 19 - Sat 23 July, New Wolverhampton CONCERT The Dark Horse, Moseley, Wolverhampton Sat 23 - Sun Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham JESSARAE Tues 19 July, 24 July, Festival Birmingham JOE SEAGAR Fri 22 July, THE RAILWAY CHILDREN O2 Academy, B’ham Drayton Centre, Market GAVIN WEBSTER, JOLLYBOAT Thurs 21 Havana Republic Bar Chapterhouse Theatre Company Drayton, Shropshire July, mac, Birmingham SETH FAERGOLZIA Tues and Restaurant, present an outdoor production of 19 July, Kitchen Shrewsbury THE WEST COAST this heartwarming story, Wed 20 Garden Cafe, B’ham RATTLESNAKE JAKE Fri EAGLES Sat 23 July, July, Birmingham Botanical Gardens The Roadhouse, PETE KENT Tues 19 July, 22 July, Katie Birmingham LEARNED FRIENDS Prosecution and The Robin, Bilston Fitzgerald's, defence employ all the tricks of the Stourbridge THE STARVING RASCALS JOYCE MOHOLOAGAE trade in the trial of a high-profile Sat 23 July, The River Wed 20 July, mac, MOON DUO Fri 22 July, football manager - but who will win?, Rooms, Stourbridge Birmingham Hare & Hounds, B’ham Thurs 21 July, Blue Orange Theatre, THE BEE GEES STORY - FEWS (TRICKY DISCO) BACK:N:BLACK Fri 22 Birmingham NIGHTS ON BROADWAY Wed 20 July, Hare & July, The River Rooms, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HOUND Sat 23 July, Theatre Hounds, Birmingham Stourbridge OF THE BASKERVILLES Chapterhouse Severn, Shrewsbury GOSPEL CENTRAL Wed INTO THE SHADOWS Theatre attempt to solve the greatest MAZ MITRENKO BAND 20 July, The Jam Fri 22 July, Prince Of mystery of all time in a new staging Sat 23 July, Katie House, Birmingham Wales Centre, of Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous Cannock Fitzgerald's, JIMMY MCGHIE, JASON JOHN detective story, Fri 22 July, Powis WALTER TROUT Wed 20 Stourbridge Castle and Garden, Powys, Mid THE SUBTERRANEANS WHITEHEAD & COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH July, The Robin, Bilston Wales Fri 22 - Sat 23 July, MULTI STORY Sun 24 ANDY ROBINSON Thurs 21 July, The RAGING SPEEDHORN The Jam House, July, The Robin, Bilston Glee Club, Birmingham WHACK IT SMACK IT A thought-pro- Wed 20 July, O2 Birmingham LITTLE JIMMY Sun 24 LEE NELSON Thurs 21 July, The voking performance including musi- Academy, Birmingham cianship, recycling, creativity, multi- A FOREIGNERS JOURNEY July, Irish Centre, Comedy Loft, Birmingham JOHN POWER Thurs 21 culturalism and ‘buckets of fun’. Fri 22 July, The Birmingham THE NOISE NEXT DOOR, KEVIN GILDEA, July, The Night Owl, Think Stomp with melodies and Roadhouse, B’ham MOTOWN'S GREATEST ELEANOR TIERNAN & SAM AVERY Fri 22 Birmingham audience participation, Fri 22 July, SSEX PISTOLSS Sat 23 HITS: HOW SWEET IT IS July, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham KID CREOLE & THE Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury July, Route 44, B’ham Sun 24 July, New JIMMY MCGHIE, JASON JOHN COCONUTS Thurs 21 THE VOICES IN MY HEAD MADE ME DO Alexandra Theatre, WHITEHEAD, JIM SMALLMAN & DALISO July, The Jam House, ANDREW BROWNING AS IT Gemma Layton introduces her Birmingham CHAPONDA Fri 22 July, The Glee Club, Birmingham second dark and quirky character Birmingham SCOTTY T'S WORLD comedy show with video and songs, CHRISTIAN REILLY, PATRICK MONAHAN, TOUR Thurs 21 July, Fri 22 July, Old Joint Stock Theatre, ROGER SWIFT, STEPHEN DODD & FREDDY O2 Academy, B’ham Birmingham QUINNE Fri 22 July, Brook Street VENTOUX 2Magpies chart the parallel ANNETTE GREGORY Community Centre, Dudley SINGS & CELEBRATES lives of Lance Armstrong and Marco BARBARA NICE'S SUMMER SPECIAL Sat ELLA FITZGERALD Pantani as they embark on the 23 July, mac, Birmingham SONGBOOK Thurs 21 greatest cycle race ever witnessed - July, Old Joint Stock THE NOISE NEXT DOOR, KEVIN GILDEA, a drug-fuelled ascent of the most Theatre, Birmingham ELEANOR TIERNAN & SAM AVERY fearsome mountain encountered on Sat 23 the Tour de France, Fri 22 July, mac, RUSSELL WATSON July, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham Birmingham Thurs 21 - Fri 22 July, JIMMY MCGHIE, JASON JOHN Theatre Severn, WHITEHEAD, JIM SMALLMAN & DALISO DICK BARTON: THE TANGO OF TERROR A Shrewsbury CHAPONDA Sat 23 July, The Glee ‘hilarious adventure’ with everyone's Club, Birmingham favourite special agent and his faith- HAYSEED DIXIE + THE The Starving Rascals - The River Rooms ful sidekicks, Snowy and Jock, Fri

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whatsonlive.co.uk 61 The List 18 - 24 July - Wolves/Staffs/Shrops ONLY VERSION.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 17:07 Page 3

thelist Monday 18 - Sunday 24 July 22 - Sat 30 July, Hall Green Little Hines’ novel, A Kestrel For A Knave, NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE Museum of Cannock Chase Theatre, Birmingham this classic British coming-of-age tale CULTURAL DIVERSITY MUSIC DAY IN OUR KYLIE’S GETTIN’ WED Stripped focuses on a troubled teenager from Released from Fri 22 July, showing at THE SQUARE Sat 23 July, The Down Theatre perform Paul Fellows’ a northern mining town who finds a selected cinemas Square, Shrewsbury new purpose in life when he adopts comedy about the trials and tribula- THE BFG (PG) BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016 Sat 23 tions of family weddings, Sat 23 a baby kestrel. Stars David Bradley & Lynne Perrie. Light House Media MING OF HARLEM (tbc) - Sun 24 July, Birmingham City July, The Crescent Theatre, Centre Birmingham Centre, Wolverhampton, Wed 20 July STAR TREK BEYOND (tbc) CRITTERISH ALLSORTS Hands-on ani- WIND IN THE WILLOWS Munchkins & CAESAR MUST DIE (12) Inside Rome’s maximum security prison, the mal sessions, Sat 23 - Sun 24 July, Monsters use puppets, interactive Trentham Gardens, Staffordshire sets, songs and dance in their inmates perform their version of adaptation of the Kenneth Grahme Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. An '50 THINGS' WOODLAND CAMP Join classic, Sat 23 July, Blue Orange intriguing drama - part fiction, part Events bushcraft expert Mick Cowles and Theatre, Birmingham documentary, and part a unique mix the Rangers for some wild camping of the two. The Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri in Dudmaston's woodland, Sat 23 - PETER PAN IN SCARLET New Vic 22 July Sun 24 July, Dudmaston Estate, SIDBURY MEDIEVAL VILLAGE WALK Artistic Director Theresa Heskins Bridgnorth, Shropshire has stamped her trademark all- THE BFG (PG) Stephen Spielberg Mon 18 July, Severn Valley Country action style on this brand new stag- directs the captivating adaptation of Park, Bridgnorth CIVIL WAR FIREARMS WEEKEND Sat Roald Dahl’s children’s classic. 23 - Sun 24 July, Chirk Castle, Nr ing of the official sequel to JM SUMMER HOLIDAY CANDLE-DIPPING Starring Mark Rylance as the Big Oswestry Barrie's Peter Pan, Sat 23 July - Sat WORKSHOPS Mon 18 July - Tues 6 Friendly Giant and introducing Ruby 6 Aug, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle- Sep, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, SEALED KNOT - CIVIL WAR RE-ENACT- Barnhill as Sophie, the film follows under-Lyme Shropshire MENT Sat 23 - Sun 24 July, the adventures of a young girl and Hampton Court Castle, Leominster IN-NOCENTES National Youth Dance the kindhearted BFG, who is consid- GUIDED BAT WALKS Tues 19 July, Theatre Company (NYDC) perform ered an outcast by the other giants Chirk Castle, Wrexham SHUGBOROUGH COUNTRY SHOW All- a new work by critically acclaimed day entertainment, including the because, unlike them, he refuses to TUESDAY TILE DECORATING Sadler's Wells Associate Artist Sheep Show, the Suffolk Punch eat children. Warwick Arts Centre, WORKSHOPS Tues 19 July, Jackfield Michael Keegan-Dolan. Set to Heavy Horse Display Team, birds of from Fri 22 July; Light House Media Tile Museum, Ironbridge, Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Dolan's prey and much more, Sat 23 - Sun Centre, Wolverhampton, Fri 22 - Shropshire show utilises the clarity, integrity Thurs 28 Jul; Old Market Hall, 24 July, Shugborough Historic LAVENDER WEEK A week of and power of 42 young dancers Shrewsbury, from Fri 22 July Working Estate, Staffordshire Lavender-themed activities, Tues 19 moving through space with a STOKESAY STORIES: THE TUDORS Be LEARNING TO DRIVE (15) When her - Sun 24 July, Blakesley Hall, shared intention, Sat 23 July, mac, transported back to the golden age Birmingham husband leaves her, Manhattan writer Birmingham Wendy Shields (Clarkson) decides to of Elizabeth I as the castle comes SCOTTY T'S WORLD TOUR Thurs 21 PETER PAN Chapterhouse Theatre capitalise on her independence by alive with the sights, sounds, and July, O2 Academy, Birmingham present an outdoor staging of JM learning to drive. Her instructor, an smells of Tudor England, Sat 23 - Barrie’s story of the boy who would- Indian Sikh (Kingsley), is facing a BIRMINGHAM BEER BASH Thurs 21 - Sun 24 July, Stokesay Castle, n’t grow up, Sat 23 July, National very different nuptial prospect: an Sat 23 July, The Bond Complex, Ludlow, South Shropshire Trust Erdigg, Wrexham arranged marriage. They’re as differ- Birmingham COSFORD FOOD FESTIVAL A tasty line- BOLLYWOOD DANCE SHOWCASE Aaja ent as chalk and paneer, but they ANTIQUES FOR EVERYONE SUMMER up of over 80 local producers, Sat Nachle Let's Dance present their form a very special bond over the FAIR Thurs 21 - Sun 24 July, NEC, 23 - Sun 24 July, RAF Cosford, fourth annual Bollywood Dance wheel. Light House Media Centre, Birmingham Shropshire Showcase, Sun 24 July, mac, Wolverhampton, Fri 22 - Thurs 28 Jul CRONKHILL OPEN DAY See a major SELF-LED DINOSAUR TRAIL Follow the Birmingham THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA (U) restoration project in action, Fri 22 clues around the park and solve the SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE HOUND OF Found inside a shining stalk of bam- July, Attingham Park, Shropshire puzzle for a small prize, Sat 23 July THE BASKERVILLES Chapterhouse - Sun 4 Sept, Severn Valley Country boo by an old bamboo cutter and his A NIGHT IN THE DANA Insight into the Theatre attempt to solve the great- wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an Park, Bridgnorth nightlife of a 200-year-old prison, Fri est mystery of all time in a new exquisite young lady. The mysterious 22 - Sat 23 July, The Dana Prison, SEVEN SECRET DOORS Each of the staging of Arthur Conan Doyle’s young princess enthrals all who Shrewsbury seven doors, leading to a magical famous detective story, Sun 24 July, encounter her - but ultimately she place in the gardens, has some- SEASIDE WEEKEND Bring a deckchair mac, Birmingham must confront her fate, the punish- thing different and spellbinding and relax while the kids build a ment for her crime. mac, behind it, Sat 23 July - Sun 4 Sept, sandcastle. Ice creams and fish & Birmingham, Sat 23 July; The Shugborough Historic Working chips are also available and, to top Electric Cinema, Birmingham, Sun 24 Estate, Staffordshire July it all, a Middle Of Nowhere Music Festival takes place across the MAISY’S MAIZE MAZE Explore the ENTER THE DRAGON (18) Talks Recruited by weekend, Fri 22 - Sun 24 July, labyrinth of pathways, Sat 23 July - an intelligence agency, outstanding Lower Drayton Farm, Stafford Fri 30 Sept, Park Hall Farm, martial arts student Bruce Lee partici- Oswestry MODIFYING HUMANS: WHERE DOES pates in a brutal karate tournament THE OPEN ROAD: STORY OF BLACK GENETICS STOP? Professor Robert hosted by the evil Han (Kien Shih). COUNTRY VEHICLES Sat 23 July, CRONKHILL OPEN DAY See a major Winston explores and details the Along with champions Roper (John Black Country Living Museum, restoration project in action, Sun 24 advances in gene technology, Tues Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly), Lee Dudley July, Attingham Park, Shropshire 19 July, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, uncovers Han's white slavery and ROUNDHOUSE UN-TOUR A chance to WORLD WAR ONE HISTORY BUS South Shropshire drug trafficking ring, located on a experience a tour of the Discover Birmingham’s contribution secret island fortress. The Electric Roundhouse Birmingham, but with to the Great War, Sun 24 July, Cinema, Birmingham, Sun 24 July a difference. The 'Un-Tour' is history Birmingham City Centre JAWS (12a) Based on a pulpy best- but not as you know it, with a twist FESTIVAL OF BLACK COUNTRY seller by Peter Benchley, Jaws is a where you get to teach the tour VEHICLES Sun 24 July, Black Film masterfully constructed thriller about guide, Sat 23 July, Birmingham Country Living Museum, Dudley Back to Backs NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE: three disparate men - a cop (Roy CLASSIC VEHICLE DAY Different vehi- Scheider), a scientist (Richard ROLL UP! ROLL UP! VICTORIAN DAY AT cles will be on display at each sta- Dreyfuss) and a sea dog (Robert ASTON HALL Sat 23 July, Aston Hall, SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER! Short tion, Sun 24 July, Severn Valley Shaw) - setting out in a boat to cap- Birmingham sequences of archival footage explor- Railway, Kidderminster ture a shark that’s terrorising swim- ing the different activities and hob- ARCHERY WORKSHOPS Join FINDING DUDMASTON WITH FESTIVAL mers off the coast of Martha’s bies we used to pursue in the sum- Bowbrook Archers and try your OF ARCHAEOLOGY 2016 Vineyard. The Electric Cinema, Discover mer holidays - trips to the seaside, hand on the archery range. Find Birmingham, Sun 24 July more about the history and archae- playing in the park and summer fairs! them in the paddock, just off the ology of the Shropshire estate, Sun Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, Mile Walk, Sat 23 July, Attingham 24 - Sun 31 July, Dudmaston Mon 18 July Park, Shropshire Estate, Bridgnorth, Shropshire KES (PG) Based on the late Barry ARCHAEOLOGY FOR ALL Sat 23 July,

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Friday 29th & Saturday 30th July 7.30pm

AJM Productions in association with Arena Theatre FLAMES

One year ago, Edmond died in a fire. He took with him the dreams of his fiancée, Meredith, the trust of his best friend, Eric, and the answers to the burning ques- tions that still linger about his death and the terrible crime he committed.

But on a stormy night at the cemetery where he rests, the secrets from his past will finally refuse to stay buried; and those he left behind will refuse to stay

Tickets: £12, £8 conc.

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thelist Monday 25 - Sun 31 July July, Katie Fitzgerald's, TRU GROOVE Fri 29 - Sat SHANDAAR 2016 Dance showcase Gigs Stourbridge 30 July, The Jam Theatre celebrating the very best Bollywood LE VENT DU NORD Thurs House, Birmingham hits of recent years, Sat 30 - Sun 31 28 July, Ludlow JOHN O'DOWD Sat 30 July, The Crescent Theatre, THE KENTUCKY HEAD GIRL A dark comedy set in the Assembly Rooms, July, Irish Centre, Birmingham HEADHUNTERS Mon 25 sixth form of an all-girls private South Shropshire Birmingham CRAZY TOWN The Pauline Quirk July, The Robin, Bilston school, Mon 25 - Wed 27 July, Blue DAPZ ON THE MAP Thurs TSB Sat 30 July, Academy Of Performing Arts, KOSHIRO, GUILT CITY Orange Theatre, Birmingham 28 July, O2 Acacemy, Havana Republic Bar Solihull, presents a low-tech Mon 25 July, The THE GIANT'S LOO ROLL Adaptation of Birmingham and Restaurant, evening of comedy which takes Flapper, Birmingham Nicholas Allan's much-loved chil- audiences on a tour of a messed- THE LEGENDS OF Shrewsbury THE ACOUSTIC SESSIONS dren's book, Tues 26 July, The up town in America. Suitable for MOTOWN Fri 29 July, STONE BROKEN Sat 30 Tues 26 July The Jam Place, Oakengates Theatre, Telford, audiences aged 12-plus, Sat 30 - Crescent Theatre, July, O2 Academy, House, Birmingham Shropshire Sun 31 July, mac, Birmingham Birmingham Birmingham THE DEAD DAISIES AWAY FROM HOME Gritty Theatre TIME WALK: THE STORY OF THE EARTH BLUE BUS - DOORS PERMAGEDDON Sat 30 Tues 26 July, The present an edgy, witty, moving and IN A THOUSAND PACES Feet First the- TRIBUTE Fri 29 July, July, The River Rooms, Slade Rooms, subversively political piece that atre’s cosmic guides lead audi- Route 44, Birmingham Stourbridge Wolverhampton tackles football’s last taboo: homo- ences on a one-kilometre walk FEMI & THE INRHYTHMS THE SMITH UTD, TRUE phobia, Tues 26 July, The Crescent through beautiful landscapes, bring- GUITAR HEROES WITH Fri 29 July, mac, B’ham ORDER & TRANSMISSION Theatre, Birmingham ing alive the story of evolution, Sun PHIL WALKER & HIS Sat 30 July, The 31 July, Carding Mill Valley, Church BAND Wed 27 July, The NICETRAXUK RELEASE RENT Jonathan Larson's story of Robin, Bilston Stretton, Shropshire Robin, Bilston PARTY Fri 29 July, Hare love, friendship and a fight to sur- & Hounds, Birmingham JOANNA EDEN Sun 31 vive, Tues 26 - Sat 30 July, The Old THE LAUNCH PAD Wed July, Kitchen Garden Rep Theatre, Birmingham 27 July, The Jam THE NIGHTINGALES Fri Cafe, Birmingham House, Birmingham 29 July, The Slade PETER PAN Chapterhouse Theatre Rooms, HACIENDA CLASSICAL present an outdoor staging of JM CONYA DOSS Wed 27 Wolverhampton Sun 31 July, The Barrie’s story of the boy who would- Talks July, Hare & Hounds, Rainbow Venues, n’t grow up, Wed 27 July, Birmingham BOOGIE NIGHTS - 70'S & 80'S MUSIC WITH DJ ROB Birmingham Birmingham Botanical Gardens LUISA OMIELAN With readings from HUMDRUM EXPRESS Fri 29 July, Irish DON BROCO Sun 31 July URINETOWN THE MUSICAL The Old her book and a live Q&A, Luisa will Thurs 28 July, Katie Centre, Birmingham - Mon 1 Aug, O2 Joint Stock Musical Theatre show you how there is no situation Fitzgerald's, Institute, Birmingham Company (OJSMTC) presents its in which Beyonce can't save the Stourbridge HEIDI BROWNE Fri 29 July, Havana Republic version of the award-winning tale of day, Tues 26 July, The Crescent AREA 11 Thurs 28 July, Bar and Restaurant, greed, love, revolution (and musi- Theatre, Birmingham The Slade Rooms, Shrewsbury cals) in a time when water was Wolverhampton worth its weight in gold, Thurs 28 UB40 - LABOUR OF LOVE GUNS 2 ROSES Thurs 28 July - Sat 6 Aug, Old Joint Stock Fri 29 July, The River July, The Robin, Bilston Theatre, Birmingham Rooms, Stourbridge Film DEL CAMINO Thurs 28 THE TAMING OF THE SHREW U2-2 Fri 29 July, The July, The Jam House, Presented by Little Arden Theatre NOTES ON BLINDNESS (tbc) In the sum- Robin, Bilston Birmingham THE BEAUTIFUL SOUND - Company, Fri 29 July, The Crescent mer of 1983, just days before the MAHALIA Fri 29 July, TRIBUTE TO THE Theatre, Birmingham birth of his first son, writer and the- THE ELECTRIC SWING The Glee Club, B’ham BEAUTIFUL SOUTH Sun ologian John Hull went blind. To CIRCUS Thurs 28 July, ARNOLD’S BIG ADVENTURE A fusion of 31 July, The Robin, make sense of this change, he mac, Birmingham THE HAIR ROCK shadow puppetry, original music EXPERIENCE Fri 29 July, Bilston and ‘thrilling surprises’ are prom- began keeping a diary on audio-cas- DAN WALSH Thurs 28 The Roadhouse, B’ham ised in this children’s theatre pro- sette. The film gives exclusive access duction by Tessa Bide, Fri 29 July, to these original recordings that Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire encompass dreams, memory and imagining life, excavating the interior THE HIRED MAN A cast of talented world of blindness. Light House local performers join the theatre's Pub, Sutton Coldfield Media Centre, Wolverhampton, Mon professional production team to 25 - Thurs 28 July Classical Music RAY PEACOCK, MARKUS BIRDMAN, LUKE present Melvyn Bragg and Howard TOULSON & VERY SPECIAL GUEST THAT Goodall's award-winning British JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (U) An MUSIC FOR LUNCH: SUMMER ORGAN CANNOT BE ANNOUNCED! Fri 29 July, musical, Fri 29 July - Sat 6 Aug, orphan with terrible aunts for guardians befriends human-like bugs FESTIVAL Featuring Steven McIntyre, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham Lichfield Garrick who live inside a giant peach. Stars Mon 25 July, Birmingham Cathedral STEVE HARRIS, DANIEL TOWNES, MARK FLAMES New musical thriller by Paul Terry & Joanna Lumley. mac, PALESTINE YOUTH ORCHESTRA MAIER & LAURA LEXX Fri 29 July, The Stephen Dolginoff, the author/com- Birmingham, Wed 27 July Featuring Arabic songs from Egypt Glee Club, Birmingham poser of award-winning musical SHAUN THE SHEEP MOVIE (U) When alongside contemporary British THE NOISE NEXT DOOR Thrill Me, Fri 29 - Sat 30 July, Arena Sat 30 July, Theatre, Wolverhampton Shaun decides to take the day off music and works by Beethoven & and have some fun, he gets a little mac, Birmingham EMBRACED BURLESQUE: TATTOO GIRLS Mussorgsky, Fri 29 July, RAY PEACOCK, MARKUS BIRDMAN, LUKE more action than he bargained for... SPECIAL Birmingham Town Hall TOULSON & VERY SPECIAL GUEST THAT Sat 30 July, Newhampton Expect some gastric gas. mac, Arts Centre, Wolverhampton CANNOT BE ANNOUNCED! Sat 30 July, Birmingham, Thurs 28 July; The The Comedy Loft, Birmingham TRES, TRES CABARET Stafford's very Hive, Shrewsbury, Fri 29 July STEVE HARRIS, DANIEL TOWNES, MARK own burlesque and cabaret night. SUFFRAGETTE (12) Suffragette focuses Strictly over-18s only, Sat 30 July, MAIER & LAURA LEXX Sat 30 July, The on the working women who fought Comedy Gigs Stafford Gatehouse Theatre Glee Club, Birmingham for equal rights for their sex in the ARNOLD’S BIG ADVENTURE A fusion of early part of the 20th century. CHEEKY MONKEY COMEDY Tue 26 July, shadow puppetry, original music Starting off in 1912, the film takes a The Dark Horse, Moseley, B’ham and ‘thrilling surprises’ are prom- fictitious wife and mother, Maud FAT PENGUIN COMEDY Wed 27 July, ised in this children’s theatre pro- Watts, and charts her involvement The Patrick Kavanagh, Birmingham duction by Tessa Bide, Sat 30 July, with key figures in the movement. Carding Mill Valley, Church Stretton, Stars Carey Mulligan & Helena PATRICK MONAHAN, EDDY BRIMSON South Shropshire Bonham Carter. Light House Media Thurs 28 July, mac, Birmingham DANNY CHAMPION OF THE WORLD Centre, Wolverhampton, from Fri 29 STEVE HARRIS, DANIEL TOWNES & Illyria present an outdoor produc- July COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY tion of Roald Dahl’s funny and GHOSTBUSTERS (PG) Thirty years after ROBINSON Thurs 28 July, The Glee heartwarming tale, Sat 30 July, Ghostbusters took the world by Club, Birmingham Attingham Park, Shrewsbury storm, the beloved franchise makes ADAM BLOOM Thurs 28 July, Station its long-awaited return. Director Paul

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JULY HIGHLIGHTS

FRI 1 & SAT 2 JULY 7.30PM THE BEST THING Vamos Theatre in a co-com- mission with London International Mime Festival A swinging sixties story of unconditional love from the UK’s leading full mask theatre company. £16 , £13 Students 12+

WED 6 JULY, 7.45PM NELSON Inspirational hero - flawed maverick. Tactical genius. Rebel. A surgeon, a midshipman, a gunner and a powder monkey aboard HMS Victory strive to destroy the Combined Fleet of France and Spain. £15

THU 14 JULY, 7.30PM BACK TO BACHARACH 10 Musicians, 3 West End Vocalists, 1 Great Performance. Celebrating the magical music of Burt Bacharach, one of the most accom- plished popular com- posers of the 20th Century. £22.50 , £21 Students

FRI 15 JULY, 7.30PM DOREEN'S GRAND NIGHT OUT Doreen returns in the Summer with a brand new live show at the poshest venue she's ever seen in her life.

£14, £11.50 Students 16+

SAT 16 JULY 2+ 11AM & 2PM THE CHRIS AND PUI SHOW New stage show with the toys & characters from their hit TV programme. With songs, comedy sketches, a dash of magic £12, £10 Child, and heaps of joining in, a £40 Family family show for children aged 2 to 102. TUES 19 - SAT 23 JULY, 7.45PM LICHFIELD PLAYERS PRES- ENTS CHESHIRE CATS Follow the Cheshire Cats team as they power walk their way on an emotional journey to fundraising suc- cess in the London Moonwalk! £12 , £10 Students

FRI 29 JULY - SAT 6 AUG, 7.30PM, SAT MATS 2.30PM LICHFIELD GARRICK COM- MUNITY MUSICAL 2016 THE HIRED MAN Set against the backdrop of the Cumbrian Lakes, The Hired Man follows the timeless story of a young married couple and their £15 , £12 Students struggle to carve a living from the land. BOX OFFICE: 01543 412 121 www.lichfieldgarrick.com LICHFIELD GARRICK, CASTLE DYKE, LICHFIELD, STAFFS, WS13 6HR

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thelist Monday 25 - Sun 31 July the style of a king or queen as you Railway, Staffordshire make a fairytale carriage photo KAPOW! Meet Batman and other frame, Wed 27 July, Aston Hall, characters from your favourite Birmingham comic books and TV shows, Sat 30 THE GAME OF GNOMES A group of July, The Potteries Museum & Art gnomes on an epic adventure Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent through Himley Park have become BONE CHINA FLOWER MAKING WORK- lost. Follow the clues to find them, SHOP Sat 30 July, Gladstone Pottery Wed 27 July, Himley Hall & Park, Museum, Stoke-on-Trent Dudley AN INTRODUCTION TO BEEKEEPING POND DIPPING Come and see what’s Join Colin and Ian from the hiding in the ponds, Wed 27 July, Bournville Beekeepers for an after- Carding Mill Valley & The noon learning about urban bee- Shropshire Hills, Church Stretton, keeping, Sat 30 July, Selly Manor, South Shropshire Birmingham PLAY DAY WEDNESDAYS Enjoy tradi- THE BIG READ: BB TAYLOR Author BB tional garden games, including Taylor presents an interactive work- quoits, giant jenga and croquet, shop about how to write stories, Sat Wed 27 July - Wed 31 Aug, 30 July, Soho House, Birmingham Blakesley Hall, Birmingham TELFOOD FEASTIVAL Featuring more WILDLIFE DAY Presented by the than 100 local, homegrown Staffordshire Wildlife Trust team, exhibitors, displaying the best of Thurs 28 July, Gladstone Pottery what the area has to offer, Sat 30 - Museum, Stoke-on-Trent Sun 31 July, Telford Town Park, The Country Fair - Blists Hill, Ironbridge BIG BIRTHDAY PICNIC Celebration of Shropshire the 150th anniversary of Beatrix THE COUNTRY FAIR Join Blists Hill’s Feig brings his fresh take to the send smoke signals, Mon 25 - Fri Potter, with readings from local supernatural comedy which features 29 July, Shropshire Hills Discovery residents on the Green at this new authors, Thurs 28 July, Hoo Farm event, based on a Victorian country the familiar faces of Bill Murray and Centre, Craven Arms, South Animal Kingdom, Telford Sigourney Weaver. Forest Arts Shropshire fair. See country craft demonstra- Centre, Walsall, Thurs 28 July CAPABILITY BROWN SUMMER WALK To tions, working horses and have a ENCHANTED CASTLE Aimed at anyone celebrate the 300th anniversary of go at horse driving, Sat 30 - Sun 31 WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE (U) When who likes knights, dragons and the birth of Capability Brown, Head July, Blists Hill, Ironbridge, shy, artistic Anna moves to the sea- fairies... follow a magical trail Gardener Martin Gee leads four Shropshire side to live with her aunt and uncle, through the castle, Mon 25 - Fri 29 seasonal guided walks across the BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016 Sat 30 she stumbles upon an old mansion July, Tamworth Castle estate to reveal Brown’s legacy in surrounded by marshes, and the July - Mon 1 Aug, Birmingham City HANDS-ON HISTORY: MEDIEVAL Mon all its glory, Thurs 28 July, Weston Centre mysterious young girl, Marnie, who 25 - Sun 31 July, Stokesay Castle, Park, Shropshire lives there... mac, Birmingham, Fri 29 Ludlow, South Shropshire TIME WALK - THE STORY OF THE - Sun 31 July HISTORY DETECTIVE THURSDAYS EARTH IN A THOUSAND PACES Sun 31 CHILDREN'S SUMMER HOLIDAY Become a History Detective for the July, Carding Mill Valley & The JAWS (12a) Based on a pulpy best- ACTIVITY DAYS Challenging trails and day and complete a history-mystery seller by Peter Benchley, Jaws is a Shropshire Hills, Church Stretton, craft activities with a different theme trail, Thurs 28 July - Thurs 25 Aug, South Shropshire masterfully constructed thriller about every week, every Monday and Blakesley Hall, Birmingham three disparate men - a cop (Roy AFTERNOON TEA WITH THE Wednesday throughout the school BUTTERFLY BONANZA Learn all about Scheider), a scientist (Richard holidays, Mon 25 July - Wed 31 EDWARDIAN BUTLER Enjoy a home- Dreyfuss) and a sea dog (Robert these lovely insects. Track their life made afternoon tea with ‘Meakin’, Aug, Dudmaston Estate, cycle, use butterfly nets to see if Shaw) - setting out in a boat to cap- Bridgnorth, South Shropshire the Edwardian Butler, Sun 31 July, ture a shark that’s terrorising swim- you can catch one, and make your The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, mers off the coast of Martha’s TUESDAY TILE DECORATING own feeder, Fri 29 July, Severn Stoke-on-Trent WORKSHOPS Tues 26 July, Jackfield Valley Country Park , Bridgnorth, Vineyard. The Electric Cinema, MODEL TRAIN TOY AND COLLECTORS Birmingham, Sun 31 July Tile Museum, Ironbridge, South Shropshire Shropshire FAIR A great range of stalls featuring ARNOLD'S BIG ADVENTURE Arnold the die cast and collectable toys, model FABRIC FLOWER POWER Try rag rug- Acorn is about to drop from his tree railways and more, Sun 31 July, NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE ging techniques in a drop-in work- and begin an amazing adventure, National Brewery Centre, Burton- shop and make a shabby chic as he searches for somewhere to upon-Trent organza flower brooch or hair slide put down his roots, Sat 30 July, Released from Fri 29 July, showing UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS: BEHIND THE at selected cinemas to take home with you, Tues 26 Carding Mill Valley & The July, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Shropshire Hills, Church Stretton SCENES TOUR A glimpse into the AUTHOR: THE JT LEROY STORY (tbc) workings of a 21st century stately Stoke-on-Trent 4X4 IN THE FOREST Join the rangers BARRY LYNDON (PG) home, Sun 31 July, Weston Park, BEEP BEEP! Make a hat inspired by in your 4x4 to explore Cannock Shropshire FINDING DORY (tbc) your favourite vehicle from the exhi- Chase. Meet at Birches Valley JASON BOURNE (tbc) bition, Tues 26 - Thurs 28 July, The Forest Centre, Sat 30 July, Cannock Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Chase Forest, Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent BECKETT’S FARM SUMMER CRAFT FAIR BOOKBENCH SUMMER CRAFT Stalls, entertainment and plenty to ACTIVITIES Join in a family craft see for the whole family, Sat 30 Events activity inspired by a different chil- July, Beckett's Farm, Birmingham dren's story each week of the sum- INSANE CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING mer holidays, Tues 26 July - Tues Sat 30 July, O2 Institute, SUMMER FAMILY FUN From croquet 23 Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham Birmingham to washtub activities, Mon 25 July, CHILDREN'S SUMMER HOLIDAY ACTIVI- FARMHOUSE BLUES FESTIVAL Sat 30 Sunnycroft, Wellington TIES - DISCOVERING DUDMASTON Join July, Wheat Hill Court Farm, DISCOVERY DAY Guided tour of the the archaeology trail to see if you Bridgnorth, South Shropshire can locate and identify all of the extraordinary World War One trench BARNEY BUFFERS SUMMER FAMILY system, Mon 25 July, The hidden objects. Make and take away your very own ancient fossil in FUN Take a ride behind Churnet Staffordshire Regiment Museum, Valley's friendly engine, Barney Lichfield the activities tent, Wed 27 July, Dudmaston Estate, Bridgnorth, Buffers, on the Toyland Express, FAMILY WORKSHOP - NATIVE INDIANS South Shropshire with balloonists on board to create Make a dreamcatcher to hang your favourite shapes and animals, above your bed and learn how to FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY: ROYAL Sat 30 - Sun 31 July, Churnet Valley Telfood Feastival- Southwater, Telford CARRIAGE PHOTO FRAMES Travel in 66 whatsonlive.co.uk p67 (IBC) R2.qxp_Layout 1 22/06/2016 12:56 Page 1 The Overtones (FP- June 16).qxp_Layout 1 23/05/2016 17:53 Page 1