The Midlands Essential Entertainment Guide

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Patricia with Miranda... Miranda... with interview inside interview interview inside interview having such fun such having tour in the region the in tour Kiwi comedian on on comedian Kiwi

Rhys Darby Rhys

DIRTY DANCING HIT MUSICAL IN TOWN... JULY 2012 JULY £1.80 £1.80 319 ISSUE .co.uk

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Queen of Reinvention in the Midlands... the in Reinvention of Queen THE DEFINITIVE DEFINITIVE THE GUIDE LISTINGS www. THE MIDLANDS ESSENTIAL ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE ENTERTAINMENT ESSENTIAL MIDLANDS THE Midlands Cover - July_24-7 Cover 25/06/2012 16:41 Page 1 Page 16:41 25/06/2012 Cover - July_24-7 Cover Midlands MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON ISSUE 319 JULY 2012 PART OF MIDLANDS WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE GROUP PUBLICATIONS whatson july - GRAND_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:06 Page 1 Great Theatre at the Grand!

TUES 3 - SAT 7 JULY TUES 10 - SAT 14 JULY SUN 15 JULY

starring Chris Ellison and Tony Adams

A FEELGOOD MUSICAL ROLLERCOASTER FROM THE 50s TO THE 80s!

TUES 17 - SAT 21 JULY MON 23 - SAT 28 JULY MON 17 - TUES 18 SEPT

Starring LIZA GODDARD SUSAN PENHALIGON Starring Colin Baker and Peter Amory GARETH HALE NORMAN PACE

MON 24 - SAT 29 SEPT ALSO BOOKING TUES 9 - SAT 13 OCT

SATURDAYSADLER’S WELLS 15 SEPTEMBER PRESENTS SOUTH STAFFS MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS THE ELVIS YEARS SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER THE CANNON & BALL SHOW FRIDAY 21 - SATURDAY 22 SEPTEMBER ENGLISH YOUTH BALLET SWAN LAKE SUNDAY 23 SEPTEMBER SALLY MORGAN MON 1 OCTOBER AN AMATEUR PRODUCTION THE SENSATIONAL 60s EXPERIENCE TUESDAY 2 - SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER John Godber’s BOUNCERS TUE 30 OCT - SAT 3 NOV 42ND STREET SATURDAY 8 DECEMBER - SUNDAY 20 JANUARY BRING NANNY AND THE KIDS TO THE JACK AND THE BEANSTALK RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN CLASSIC!

Box Office 01902 42 92 12 BOOK ONLINE AT www.grandtheatre.co.uk Contents July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:37 Page 1

July 2012

Editor: FEATURES: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 42nd Street Editorial Assistant: Lauren Wright in Birmingham p27 [email protected] 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Jon Cartwright [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704

Admin/Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Managing Director: Paul Oliver [email protected] Rhys Darby 01743 281711 interview inside p8 Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan [email protected] 01743 281710 P.A. to the CEO: Jo Mercer [email protected] 01743 281701 Graphic Designers: Lisa Wassell Chris Atherton Accounts Administrator Dirty Dancing - Eleanor Bergstein's smash-hit musical arrives in Julia Perry Birmingham this month, page 27 [email protected] 01743 281717 Website Development: Jim Pallett News p4 Patricia Hodge Contributors: TO GET THE VERY interview inside Graham Bostock: Theatre p10 Alev Dervish: Music LATEST LISTING Music p13 James Cameron-Wilson: INFORMATION, Film Godiva Awakes Jessica Matthews: VISIT: Comedy p25 celebrations in the city p61 Features whatsonlive.co.uk Head Office: Theatre p27 4/5 Dogpole, Shrewsbury, INCLUDING Shropshire. SY1 1EN BOOKING ONLINE Tel: 01743 281777 p41 Fax: 01743 281744 The Midlands’ most Film/DVD e-mail: [email protected] comprehensive entertainment website Visual Arts p49 Festivals p55 This publication is Follow What’s On on printed on paper from a sustainable source and is p61 produced without the use Events of elemental chlorine. twitter.com/whatsonlive July 2012 We endorse the recycling p77 of our magazine and Clubbing/Gay MTWTFSS would encourage you to Become a fan 1 pass it on to others to p78 read when you have Books/TV 23456 78 finished with it. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 facebook.com/whatsonlive Eating Out p79 ’ 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 WhatsOn 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

MAGAZINE GROUP All works appearing in this publication are copyright. It is to be assumed that the copyright for material rests with the magazine unless otherwise stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in an electronic system, transmitted in any form or by any 30 31 means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recording or otherwise, without the prior knowledge and consent of the publishers. News july_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:38 Page 1

News A ROUND-UP OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Symphony Hall Director awarded OBE In a year that celebrates both the twenty-first birthday of Birmingham’s Symphony Hall and Her Majesty The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, it’s been announced that Andrew Jowett - Director of both Symphony Hall and Town Hall - has been awarded an OBE for his services to music in The Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Commenting on the news, Andrew said: “I’m immensely proud to receive this honour for leading Town Hall and Symphony Hall Birmingham, and it’s particularly appropriate this year, when Symphony Hall is celebrating its twenty-first anniversary. Running these two world- renowned concert halls is an absolute joy and privilege. In accepting this honour, I do so on behalf of everyone who’s helped make the venues a major force on the national and international music scene, connecting over half a million people to music every year.”

Science museum unveils latest addition... A new addition to Birmingham’s award-winning Thinktank has now opened to the public. The interactive Thinktank Science Garden features forty-two exhibits and fun zones, and provides an imaginative space for families to explore themes of engineering, mechanics and trans-

Andrew Jowett portation. The first project of its kind in the UK, the Science Garden’s inventive features include an eight metre-high clanging ‘Terminus’ machine, a human-sized hamster wheel and an elasticated squirter. The new attraction is hosting a programme of events and activities to Goodbye to a local legend... keep children entertained throughout the forthcoming school holidays. Acclaimed Birmingham-based jazz musician Andy Hamilton died last month at the age of ninety-four. Jamaican-born Hamilton, who Midnight charity walk returns Birmingham museum moved to Birmingham just after the Second This September sees the return of the reopens to the public World War, was a hugely popular figure on the Acorns Midnight Walk, a 10km female-only Midlands’ entertainment scene, and had con- walking event that raises much-needed Birmingham’s acclaimed Soho House re- tinued to perform until shortly before his death. funds for Birmingham’s Acorns Children’s opens its doors to the public this month fol- He was a regular at the Bearwood Corks Club Hospice. Organisers are currently recruiting lowing a major redevelopment. The former and also made frequent appearances at ven- local ladies to take part in the walk, which home of industrialist and Lunar Society ues in the city, including Symphony Hall. starts and finishes in the city’s Victoria founder member Matthew Boulton has had Saxophonist Andy was seventy-two years of Square, taking in the Bullring, the Jewellery several of its rooms restored to their former age before he recorded his first album, and Quarter, St Philips Cathedral and glory, with a few surprises having been was made an MBE in 2008. Brindleyplace along the way. Call: 0844 984 unearthed along the way - including the 0405, or visit: www.acorns.org.uk/midnight- exposure of two previously hidden fire- walk to find out how you can become places. The Soho Sphinxes, which formed involved. part of Matthew Boulton’s original garden designs, have also been returned to the Dickens’ classic at The Alex house for the first time in two hundred years. A new stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations is to show in Birmingham this autumn, prior to a West End run. In a year that celebrates the Victorian author’s bicentenary, Jo Clifford’s new version of the famous novel brings some of soapland’s favourite faces to the Midlands, with Jack Ellis (Coronation Street), Chris Ellison (The Bill) and Paula Wilcox (Emmerdale) heading the cast. Great Expectations runs at the New Alexandra Andy Hamilton Theatre from 9 to 13 October. Soho House

4 www.whatsonlive.co.uk News july_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:38 Page 2

New theatre production to launch Worcester venture The Hive, Europe’s first joint university and public library, officially opens its doors to the public this month. The £60million development will house more than twenty-six thousand records of historic sites and buildings, twelve miles of original documents, a children’s library and creative space, performance areas, conferencing facilities and informal meeting places. Worcestershire-based theatre company Vamos will be the first performers to appear at the venue when they present Offal Tales! (6 and 7 July), a promenade production celebrating not only The Hive but also its history as Worcester’s cattle market. The site will be officially opened by Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh on 11 July.

Cats to feature in new season... Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s acclaimed musical Cats forms part of the Autumn/Winter season line-up at Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre. A fusion of fantasy, drama and romance, Cats is one of the longest-running shows ever to grace the West End stage, and returns to the Grand for the first time in over a decade. Other highlights in the venue’s Autumn/Winter programme include Beverley Callard, Ray Quinn, Joe McGann and Jess Robinson in the Olivier Award-winning comedy Little Voice; former Three Degrees singer Sheila Ferguson and The Hive Loose Women’s Jane McDonald in the disco musical Daddy Cool; Duncan Preston in Alan Ayckbourn’s Haunting Julia; Marti Webb and Dave Willetts in 42nd Street; the Hip Hop musical Some Like It Hot; children’s favourite Angelina Ballerina The Mousical; and Sherrie Lesley Joseph announced for Hewson alongside Keith Harris and Orville in a six-week panto run of Jack And The Hippodrome pantomime Beanstalk. Birmingham Hippodrome has confirmed that Lesley Joseph is to appear in its Interactive exhibition launches mac 2012/13 pantomime, Robinson Crusoe And IN BRIEF The Caribbean Pirates. The Birds Of A Birmingham’s birthday celebrations... Feather actress will star as The Enchantress Former Brookside An interactive installation that draws on mac Birmingham’s history Of The Ocean alongside Hippodrome veter- star to host as an arts and sports centre is set to launch the venue’s fiftieth an Brian Conley, who’ll play Robinson festival finale anniversary celebrations. The Playmaker will be the first in a Crusoe. Solihull-born actress Kathryn This month sees the series of celebratory exhibitions presented at mac in the coming Rooney features as Polly, with Andrew Ryan return of Staffordshire’s months, and is the result of a month-long residency that’s seen assuming the role of Mrs Crusoe. Bertarelli Foundation Japanese artists Kosuge1-16 working with local children. The Lesley recently said of her forthcoming role: Creative Minds resulting work consists of various interactive components which, “Birmingham Hippodrome is the number Festival, an event as the title suggests, one theatre in the UK for pantomime. I was which celebrates the evoke a playful environ- last here in the 1993/94 production of Dick creativity and perform- ment for both children Whittington, and am really excited about ance skills of the and adults to explore. coming back here to perform. It’s going to region’s young people. Puppet versions of mac’s be a great production, and I’m so pleased Drama, film, singing, founders, John English to be working with Brian Conley.” music and visual arts and Mollie Randle, fea- Robinson Crusoe And The Caribbean performances, created ture within the exhibit, Pirates shows at Birmingham Hippodrome by local schools and together with a replica of from 15 December to 27 January 2013. community groups, all a bridge outside the cen- feature in the week- tre and flocks of flying long event. A selection birds and animals. of the best will then be presented in a Gala Awards Night on the Professional Association of Alexander Teachers final evening, hosted by former Brookside Recreational Course in the Alexander Technique star Suzanne Collins Starting Early September 2012 (pictured). The festival runs at Stoke’s Regent If you have had lessons in the Alexander Technique for about a year or Theatre from 3 to 7 attended an Introductory Evening Class, or a module in the Alexander July. Technique at a university or equivalent then you areeligible to join the PAAT Recreational Course. The Recreational Course will offer guidance in deepening your understanding, knowledge and application of the Technique – and you get to do it in company. The 12-week course is held in Birmingham. For an application form, please contact the PAAT Secretary on 01743 241478 or email [email protected] Brian Conley and Lesley Joseph www.paat.org.uk

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 5 Madonna feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:35 Page 1

Madonna Queen of Reinvention in the Midlands...

6 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Madonna feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:35 Page 2

feature...

As famous for her image changes as her music, Madonna’s propensity for reinventing herself - be it to shock, to tantalise, or simply for acceptance into the country set - shows no sign of abating as the one-time Queen of Pop gets set to visit the Midlands for one of only three UK dates on her current MDNA world tour.

When Madonna burst onto the mainstream French politician Marine Lea Pen. Most sixty-year-old cavorting on stage in fishnet music scene in 1984 with Holiday, she lit recently she’s been seen cavorting in the stockings and a thong? There are also her the touch paper for a career in which streets of Florence, sporting leather now-conflicting images to consider. One manipulating the media and courting hotpants and escorted by an army of young minute she’s sipping tea from china cups controversy would be the norm. She may dancers. and decked out in florals to promote her no longer hold the title of Queen of Pop - With headlines and outrage following her children’s books and period films, the next Lady Gaga has seen to that! - but her wherever she goes, it’s tempting to wonder she’s scantily-clad and perched on top of a worthiness for the title Queen of what surprises she’ll have in store when she convertible vintage car, shooting a scene for Reinvention is surely beyond question. And, hits UK shores this month. If the reports her latest video. Surely even Madonna must at the age of fifty-three and with four from Israel, Turkey, Croatia and Italy are occasionally be confused about who she children, two husbands and numerous anything to go by, we should be in for a really is... lovers under her belt, it’s evident that her fun-packed rollercoaster ride... One thing that’s beyond question, though, flame burns as bright as ever. All of that said, is time running out for is her contribution to popular music; a During a recent concert in Istanbul, Madonna when it comes to controversial contribution so massive there’s no Madonna gave her audience a flash of her live performances? Okay, she may just disputing Madonna Louise Ciccone’s status nipple; in Rome, meanwhile, she mooned about cut the mustard in her tiny as one of the true legends of the pop world her audience. During a TV interview in Israel cheerleader costume and plunging bra - a bonafide musical superstar... she flashed a swastika over the face of tops, but will people really want to see a

It’s a fact that Madonna: How well do you know Madonna?

G is still the world’s biggest-selling female artist, Q1 Where Was Madonna born? selling more than three hundred million records worldwide Q2 What was the name of Madonna’s debut album? G has had a record-breaking thirty-seven Top Ten hits Q3 Which mystical tradition does Madonna claim is a huge on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles Chart influence on her life? G is a seven-time Grammy Award-winner Q4 What are the names of Madonna’s children?

G holds the record for the most successful ever tour Q5 What’s the name of Madonna’s entertainment company? by a solo artist Q6 Which producer worked with Madonna on MDNA? G features in the book 100 Most Important Women Of Q7 What was Madonna’s first ever film? The Twentieth Century Q8 When was Madonna inducted into the Rock And G was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Roll Hall Of Fame? in 2008 for ‘influence and significance on rock and roll music’ Q9 Who was Madonna reported to have had a lesbian fling with? G boasts the highest-grossing tour of all time by a solo artist - her Sticky And Sweet tour Q10 What’s the name of Madonna’s debut children’s book? G featured in Time Magazine’s elite list of the ‘25 Q11 Who inspired Madonna’s Hung Up video? Most Powerful Women of the Past Century’ in 2010

G was crowned the Greatest Woman in Music by Q12 Who was Madonna’s song Inside Of Me written about?

10. 10. 11. her mother her

VH1 earlier this year Abba

10. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. The English Roses, English The Bernhard, Sandra 2008, Susan, Seeking Desperately Orbit, William

5. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Answers: Maverick, Mercy, and David Rocco, Lourdes, Kabbulah, Madonna, York, New

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 7 Rhys Darby feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:45 Page 1

Rhys Darby Kiwi comedian bigs up British comedy...

Well known for playing band manager Murray in the acclaimed cult show Flight Of The Conchords, Kiwi comedian Rhys Darby is equally popular as a stand-up comedian. This month, Rhys stops off in the region as part of his debut UK tour. What’s On caught up with him to find out what Midlands’ audiences can expect... You’re probably best known for playing ‘record’, and I immediately came up with What’s your history as a threesome? Murray in Flight Of The Conchords. How this character who said ‘band meeting, roll Well, it really began in Edinburgh in 2003. much of yourself did you bring to the call!’. So I guess that the essence of Murray They’re both from Wellington and I’m from role? is me, but I’m a lot less naive. I like to think Auckland, so our paths never crossed until I brought quite a lot of myself to it, because that I’m just as optimistic and fun-loving, we did Edinburgh. We were the only Kiwis when we first began with Flight Of The and also that I have the wit but that I know doing the fringe, so we helped each other Conchords, it was a radio series for the how to control it. It was important for me out. We’d spent so much money getting BBC. Up in Edinburgh, where we made the that the character was loveable. It was all there, we had nothing left when we arrived. I first edit for it, Jermaine Clement very off the cuff, and it kind of grew from remember having photocopied flyers and approached me and asked me to perform there, but we always kept that improvised handing them out to people to look at, then the role of manager, and we pretty much quality in the band meetings, with each of us taking them back because we couldn’t began recording on a mini-disk player the not knowing what the others were going to afford to get new ones made. Definitely next day. We started on the pilot, pressed say next. difficult times...

08 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Rhys Darby feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:45 Page 2

interview...

Do people expect to see Murray in your about trying to pick up girls, through to comfortable with what was expected. I stand-up shows? where I am now - the father of two think it’s because I love dialogue, and I like No. Since finishing Flight Of The children. seeing how far you can take scenes. Conchords, people have sought me out. There’s a different craft to writing jokes They’ve found me on YouTube and Is it a very honest performance? than to acting. I like them both, but if I checked out my stand-up DVDs, so they Yeah, it’s all true. The first twenty years is really had to choose then it would be know that I’ve been a stand-up for about observational stand-up and is quite acting. Comedy acting, that is. fifteen years. It’s very typical comedy and general, to get the audience warmed up, stuff. I do sound effects and tell stories but after that, all the stories are true. Are there plans for any more Flight Of about a wide variety of things. I’m very The Conchords? much into comedy dialogues within my Have you always wanted to be a Not that I’m aware. They’ve spoken about stand-up, and there’s certainly some performer? one day doing a film, but it’s up to them. Murry-esque moments, which I’m sure they I think so, but probably without realising it I’m certainly available... like. for a long time. I was obsessed with Monty Python when I was about twelve, and I If you weren’t a comedian or an actor, Apart from being a Kiwi, what would you loved comedy - particularly sketch what would you be? say your ‘unique selling point’ is as a comedy. But I guess I always felt that I’d probably be a ranger, a wildlife ranger. I comedian? because I was from New Zealand, it wasn’t love the outdoors, and I actually wanted to I guess it’d be the way that I perform, for me. So I carried on with my life plan work with animals at one stage. I believe I which is by acting out the stories instead and joined the army for three-and-a-half could have gone down that route. of just telling them to the microphone. I years, which in the end I worked out was guess it’s more like a one-man play, where quite inappropriate for me, although it gave Is there an end goal that you have as a I act out the various roles and skip about me some good material for the book. Then comedian? on stage. I also create physical pictures in I went to university, and it was there that I Yeah, my goal at the moment is to write my my stories, and offer a more theatrical style performed on stage for the very first time. I own film, star in it, and hopefully be of stand-up. realised that people had probably been successful with it. laughing at me since school, and that it How much of your show is scripted and was probably a natural thing and that I was Do you have a particular theme in mind how much is ad-lib? actually quite funny, but I never thought I’d for your debut production? It’s all scripted, but with an element of ad- be able to make any money out of it. Yeah, springing back to wanting to be a lib as I work through the night. It has a lot ranger, I’ve created this comedy character of general stand-up in it as well as stories, What’s the best country in the world for who goes on tour with me - well, it’s me, so when I’m performing on the night, I’m comedy? so he doesn’t have a choice! He appears into ad-libbing as much as I can. If I’m Oh, definitely England. on stage as my security guard and goes having fun, I’ll go off on a tangent like any through all the evening’s safety other comedian, and if it works then it Why’s that, then? procedures. He’s a character that I’ve been might form part of the show the following There are three hundred comedy clubs in working on for quite a while, and I keep night. So it all evolves over time. I¹ve done London alone, and they all fill up. People bringing him out, as he’s quite easy to this particular show about twelve times, just love going to live comedy, and in the write for. I want to give him a film. It’s and I’ve got another fifty-six shows to go. UK you can see some fantastic comics something that’s quite close to my heart So who knows where it’ll end up... from all over the world. I spent seven years and something that I’ve been working on in England honing my craft and performing for quite a while. Your new show is called This Way To five nights a week, sometimes three times Spaceship. Where did your inspiration a night. I tell everyone that if they want to Have you given yourself a timescale to come from? earn money doing live comedy, they’ve got get the project off the ground? It all centres around a book I wrote last to head for the UK. There are so many things happening at the year - an autobiography that doubles as a moment, but I think it’s something that I science fiction handbook. It’s based on the Has there been a big shift on the really want to concentrate on next year. At idea that maybe the world might end at the comedy scene in New Zealand? the moment it’s all about the book and the close of 2012, and, if we’re right and the Oh definitely! It’s really come on since I left tour. This is my first UK tour. I lived there calendar runs out, then we’ll all blow up. for the first time back in 2001. We’ve still for so long and appeared at so many I’m guessing that the superpowers will only got one comedy club, but there are a wonderful comedy venues up and down have all the spaceships, and some sort of lot more satellite gigs and more pubs that the country. It’s really exciting being able plan that will allow all the VIPs in the world have comedians performing. We have to do my own show there. It’s quite a big to get on these ships. I wrote the book comedy shows on TV and panel shows in tour, so I’ll be bringing my family along; my when I was living in Beverley Hills last year. which comedians appear. And because six-year-old and two-year-old sons. There I was living the high-life, and we’ve had success with the Conchords, suddenly I thought, ‘Wow! I’ll get on one of the perception here is that we’re coming And what advice would you give to these ships now, but what about my along nicely. I guess it’s a bit like the Irish either of your boys should they wish to friends and family? How will they get on?’ fraternity - people go to the UK and are follow you into the profession? This then forced me to look back at my life quite successful, and when they return I’d say definitely go for it. It’s given me a and consider how I got to where I am. I they get their own TV show. It’s a bit like great excuse to see a lot of the world, and then started writing my autobiography, and that. it’s something that I’ve found very decided to make it into a handbook with rewarding. I enjoy making people laugh - tips on how to get yourself up the ladder. You’ve now got quite a few film credits thinking that someone may have a rough It’s full of ridiculous things, from fashion to your name. What’s your preference - day, a rough month or even a rough year, advice to party conversation tips and even Rhys Darby the actor or Rhys Darby the and that I’ve maybe contributed to making dance methods. I do all of this in the show, comedian? them feel a bit better. It’s a lot of hard and it’s all pretty ridiculous. Then, at the I really love acting, and that’s something work, but my advice would be that if it end of the show, we get to the real reason that comes from watching comedy as a comes naturally to you and you enjoy why I got onto the ship. The show itself child - Peter Sellers, Monty Python, Rowan doing it, then it’s probably the right thing utilises the theatrical method of actually Atkinson. I guess, though, it’s really a split to do. being in a spaceship and the spaceship down the middle. I love doing stand-up, talking to me, flashing back to me doing but I started doing it because it was a way Rhys Darby performs at Birmingham’s stand-up. of me doing comedy acting on my own, Symphony Hall on Wed 18 July where I didn¹t have to be part of a troupe Rhys Darby’s book This Way To Spaceship So every performance is a journey? or anything. So when I finally got an acting is now available from all major book retailers. Exactly! There are stories from my youth role, I found myself feeling really

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 09 Patricia Hodge Feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:41 Page 1

I think it’s nice to bring things into the “ public consciousness that haven’t been over-exploited. We’ve got to be careful not to revive the same comfort blankets all the time.”

Patricia Hodge talks about having fun with Miranda...

10 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Patricia Hodge Feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:41 Page 2

interview...

British actress Patricia Hodge has been gracing both stage and screen for the past forty years, her breakthrough role coming in Bob Fosse’s West End production of Pippin. Patricia soon became a household name, starring in TV series Rumpole Of The Bailey and enjoying great critical acclaim for her performance in The Life And Loves Of A She-Devil. More recently, she’s gained a whole new generation of admirers by playing Penny in the award-winning comedy Miranda. Next month sees Patricia heading to the Midlands, to star in a revival of Arthur Wing Pinero’s 1887 comedy Dandy Dick. What’s On caught up with her to find out more...

Was acting something you’d wanted to do it’s all about choices. You may select what In your opinion, what’s the best change from an early age? you think is the right choice for an opening that’s taken place in theatreland in the Well, I don’t think you know what acting is night performance, then, four weeks down last forty years? until you stumble across it. Because of where the line, you think, “why didn’t I do it this That’s an interesting one, but I’m not sure I grew up, the first thing that I knew about way?”. It goes on and on... that things have changed that much for the being on stage was dancing, as that was the better. one thing that was available to me. I was in So if that comes into play, and time love with dancing and dance performance, permits, do you find yourself adapting What about for the worse? and it wasn’t until I was ten or eleven, and I your performance? Well, I think that the demise of repertory was taken to London to see a show called Oh, absolutely. You can go on and on theatre is a tragedy, because that’s the Where The Rainbow Ends, that I suddenly refining - as long as you don’t do anything training ground for the profession. A lot of realised there was a whole new world out that’s going to alter the structure in your people go to drama school in order to be in there. It was a love affair from that moment performance with the other actors. It films and television, and the craft of theatre on. I was totally blown away by it all, and I depends who you’re working with, but with is not being exported much. Having said also discovered that it was something I could most actors you’ll be okay to approach them that, the craft of musical theatre is amazing. probably do for a living, which hadn’t and say “look, I’d now like to try this...” You We have young people in this cast who are occurred to me before. do have to give them a bit of warning. just dazzling - they sing like a dream, they play instruments and they dance perfectly. When did you get your first big break You mentioned earlier about starting out Musical theatre is what the younger professionally? in TV and preferring stage. Do you feel generation is being fed into, as opposed to I didn’t go to drama school until I was that nowadays it’s easier to criss-cross more classical theatre, which is what we’re twenty-two because everybody said “don’t between the two, or are actors still doing here. There’s a whole raft of classical be silly, you can’t be an actress!”. So I did a pigeonholed? theatre which is vanishing because people degree in teaching. But all the way through, I I think it was certainly a case of people just can’t do it. knew I was on my way to something else. I being pigeonholed when I first left drama had to wait until the right moment came, but school. I’d done some early theatre work in For those not familiar with Dandy Dick, at the time I didn’t even know how to apply the West End, because I had the facility to can you tell us about the storyline and to drama school. There was no blueprint in sing and dance a bit, and that’s where I was your role in the play? my family or where I was brought up. I had given the better work. When you’re at the It’s a farcical comedy based on a racehorse to figure it all out for myself. beginning of your career, you take the best named Dandy Dick. The rub, as it were, in offer that’s available; at the time, it the drama is that Dandy Dick comes into the Was there a performer who you really happened to be in musical theatre. Then I stewardship of a Dean, a very high man of wanted to emulate? got sent for a television job, and they said, the cloth. It’s all about somebody who sets There were a lot of people for different “Oh, you won’t be able to do this, you’re a themselves on the moral high ground but reasons. I think we were all in love with Julie musical actress”. Then, when I did then finds that circumstances mean they Andrews in The Sound Of Music, but when I eventually get a television job - which I did can’t maintain that lofty position. So the was at drama school I saw Joanne for about two or three years - I went back to story centres on the Dean and his estranged Woodward in a film that Paul Newman get a job on the stage and they said, “Oh sister, which is the role I play. The whole directed called Rachel Rachel, and I no, you’re a television actress!”. So if I’ve play is based upon a gamble, and although remember thinking, “gosh, that’s acting!”. made one decision in my career, it’s been to it’s set in Victorian times, it’s very I’ve been a great admirer of Joanne’s ever try and move between the two. Of course, contemporary, because it’s all about since, and her husband was my pin-up. we’re all pigeonholed according to the sponsorship and how sponsorship can Those two really knew what they were doing. physical and sociological type that we transgress your principles. represent, so we can’t step too far out of Looking back over your career, is there line, but you try and create as much variety Is it a play that you were familiar with anything you’d have done differently? as you can within what you’re offered. And previously? Oh, definitely. I’d like to go back and re-do yes, I believe that you can move more easily Only by title and reputation; I’d never read it. every single performance I’ve ever done and between the two nowadays. Funnily enough, my very first big break was make it better. You always want perfection. in 1972, in the West End, in a musical But if there was only one thing I could do Has your criteria for accepting a role directed by Bob Fosse. While we were differently, it would be to come up via the changed over the years? playing at Her Majesty’s, Dandy Dick was classical route. I kept going back to the No. It is, and always has been, the script first running at The Garrick, and that was the last theatre whenever I could, but television was and foremost, because you’re storytelling. time the play was seen in the West End. always a big source of work and a good Also, the role has to engage me, and I have income. I’m not denouncing television in any to feel that my contribution to the whole What do you think about the current way - it has its place - but you learn best in thing is going to be meaningful. resurgence of interest in touring fairly theatre. I’ve done much more theatre in the unknown plays? latter part of my career, and that’s the thing And are you able to be more choosy I think it’s nice to bring things into the public which most engages me. Although both film these days? consciousness that haven’t been over- and television have their own disciplines, and Yes, except that when you get to my age, exploited. We’ve got to be careful not to are equally as challenging in different ways, I the number of offers on the table are nothing revive the same comfort blankets all the think the theatre is where you learn your like they were twenty years ago, because time. I think people are looking for craft. there just aren’t the roles out there. something that’s fresh, but it does involve the audience taking a bit of a gamble. You’ve said that you’d go back and Has there ever been a role that you’ve improve on each performance. Are you turned down and later regretted? What’s the most challenging role you’ve very self-critical? Probably, but I’m not going to tell you what it ever undertaken? Yes! I think you’re always questioning, and is. I couldn’t answer that, because everything’s

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 11 Patricia Hodge Feature_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:42 Page 3

You appear very at home as a comedy life out there that you’re not living. But interview cont... actress... inevitably, our work is what we are, and this I think we all like to make people laugh. They is what I do. It’s too late for me to become a always say that comedy is a serious hairdresser now. a challenge for a different reason. You risk business, and it really is. It’s a high-wire act, your neck in different ways. but that’s what makes it a real challenge. If the roles stopped coming in, what There really is nothing better than audience would you do? What was your initial thought when laughter. Well, I love architecture, and there are so approached to play Penny in Miranda? many creative things out there that I’d really I played her first of all on radio, and I didn’t What’s the best piece of advice you’ve love to do if I had the time. I love music, and know Miranda at all. These scripts came out been given in a professional capacity? there are instruments I’d love to learn to play. of the blue. I read the first script and thought Always take your work seriously, but never I’d love to play the banjo and oboe, for “this is very charming but maybe it’s a bit of take yourself seriously. example. I’d love to learn to paint properly, a stereotype.” Then more scripts came in, and I’d love to sit for hours at the Royal and I found myself laughing out loud. I Is there a particular role that you’d really School of Needlework. thought, this will be a bit of fun, so I’ll give it love to play? a go. I hugely admired the cast; they were That wouldn’t be down to me. It would be So what does Patricia Hodge do to relax? so good that I really felt I had to up my down to whatever anybody thinks I could do. I don’t have any time at the moment. I don’t game. To find yourself working amongst so I don’t think there’s any point in chasing think I’m very good at relaxing, because I many young and extremely talented people rainbows, because unless you’re going to be like to be productive and always like to have was brilliant. Not only Miranda, who is a producer yourself, you’re in the hands of something to show. That said, Test cricket is outstanding, but Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis other people and the way they view you. a great love of mine, mainly because of my and Sally Philips, who are all fantastic. I boys. But even then, I have to watch it always knew it was good, but it wasn’t until So would producing ever be a field that alongside doing something else, like ironing we put it on in front of an audience that I you’d consider moving into? or crocheting... realised it was just magic. I just had the best I think directing’s a wonderful thing, and if time I’d had in years. So when they asked if somebody said to me ‘come along and What’s your all-time favourite stage play? I’d do it for television, I didn’t have to stop direct this’, then I’d love to have a go at it, That’s really hard! I couldn’t say one, I really and think... but there are so many wonderful directors couldn’t. out there that they don’t want another one. Is there any part of Penny that reflects To become a director now, you’ve got to be Do you have a favourite playwright? you personally? your own producer and put the show on; Again, I wouldn’t want to pull one out over With a lot of things, I hope not, but I do like quite frankly, I haven’t got the time or the the others. her energy, her enterprise and her endless energy for that. It also confuses people. quest for things. I always admire spirit, and People ask “what are you, an actress or a What’s the first thing you’ve got planned that’s something that Penny’s definitely got. producer?”. However, I do know two when Dandy Dick finishes? actresses who’ve said that they’re going to Well, we have to finish this leg of Dandy Dick Has being part of Miranda given you a direct from now on, and not act anymore. I’m by September, because I’ve got to film a new certain credibility with a younger full of admiration for them. series of Miranda in the autumn, which will generation? take eight or nine weeks. Then we’ll pick up Definitely. It’s there; it’s manifest. Children Has there ever been a time in your career Dandy Dick early next year, if this part of the chase you down the street, and I find that so when you’ve wished you weren’t an actor? tour proves successful. delightful. To think that there are all these A time when you’ve ever thought about young people who worship the programme - ‘jacking it in’? Patricia Hodge stars in Dandy Dick at and Miranda. I always say to them, “I’m so Yes, but never seriously. I think there’s the pleased, I’ll tell Miranda.” She’s the person New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham odd day when you walk around thinking Tues 21 - Sat 25 August who needs to know; it’s her show. ‘what the hell am I doing?’ There’s another

Patricia with rest of the Miranda cast...

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Lady Antebellum O2 Academy, Birmingham, Tues 17 July Hugely successful country pop group Lady Ante- bellum are regular award-winners, notching up a mammoth thirty-five wins in just four years. Em- barking on a sell-out American tour last year to support the release of third album Own The Night, the group are this summer touring the UK and Eu- rope. Kasey Musgraves supports.

The Low Anthem mac, Birmingham, Tues 20 July Madonna The Low Anthem are an American indie folk band from Rhode Island. Formed in 2006, the five-piece National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, Thurs 19 July made their mark with the re-release of third studio Madonna is back, performing to sell-out audiences across the globe on her 2012 World album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin in 2009. An un- Tour. Kicking off in Tel Aviv, Madge will perform over fifty shows, all of which promise to be conventional group of multi-instrumentalists, they every bit as entertaining, awe-inspiring and controversial as the woman herself. Singer, recorded last album Smart Flesh in an abandoned songwriter, author, actress, entrepreneur and award-winning director, the all-round enter- pasta sauce factory. Working with T Bone Burnett tainer launched her latest comeback at the Super Bowl. While performing Give Me All on a contribution to The Hunger Games sound- Your Luvin from twelfth album MDNA, collaborator MIA famously landed her in a spot of track, the group added a new member to their line- bother when she flipped the bird in front of over a billion people. up last September. Jessie J The Quarry Park, Shrewsbury, Fri 6 July; Warwick Castle, Fri 13 July; LG Arena, Birmingham, Fri 1 March 2013 Since her career breakthrough girl-power anthem Do It Like A Dude stormed the charts in 2010, there’s been absolutely no stopping Jessie J, with worldwide hits like Price Tag and Domino securing her status as one of the twenty-first century’s major music stars. Her appearance as a judge on BBC One’s Saturday night talent show The Voice, allied to her recent contribution to The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations alongside music legends such as Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, offers further evidence that Jessie’s no ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ curiosity. She appears here with a grand total of two-and-a-half million worldwide album sales under her belt, and having become the first UK female solo artist to achieve six top-ten singles from a studio album (her debut offering Who You Are).

Martin Stephenson The Robin, Bilston, Mon 9 July; Cox’s Yard, Strat- ford-upon-Avon, Tues 10 July Heavily influenced by the punk rock era, Martin Stephenson has garnered an enviable reputation as a truly gifted musician, presenting a range of music from rockabilly to show tunes that pay- homage to inspirations as diverse as Frank Zappa and Beefheart. Highly regarded for his brilliant live shows, the free-spirited Stephenson is best known for his work with The Daintees, the busking sensation he formed back in the early 1980s, and with whom he's currently touring in support of new album California Star.

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Music PREVIEWS

The Dhol Foundation Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire, Sat 28 July English rockers Status Quo are back on tour this summer, stopping off in Herefordshire in between playing some of Europe’s biggest stadiums. Holding the records for the most appearances on Top of the Pops and greatest number of UK chart recordings, Quo have sold over one hundred-and-eighteen million records worldwide with hits such as Caroline, Rocking All Over The World, Down Down, Whatever You Want and Rollover Lay Down.

WIN TICKETS whatsonlive.co.uk Roxette to enter LG Arena, Birmingham, Fri 6 July The 1986-formed Swedish pop music duo of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle rose to international stardom when an American exchange student bought their album Look Sharp back Gabrielle Aplin in 1988, took it home and presented it to a Minneapolis radio station. The station started play- HMV Institute, Wed 4 July ing The Look - and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, after seventeen years away from Gabrielle Aplin found fame three years ago British soil, Roxette are embarking on a mammoth UK comeback tour, performing some of while still a schoolgirl, posting first a cover of their chart-busting hits as well as material from new album Charm School. Paramore’s My Heart, and then gaining further recognition with her cover of The Liar including Beautiful South singer Jacqui Ab- UK dates as part of their world tour. Be sure And The Lighter by You Me At Six. She re- bott and The Wire actor Reg E Cathey. The to catch them at their only Midlands show. leased her first acoustic EP in 2010. Still just evening also includes greatest hits from nineteen, Aplin is currently studying Musical Heaton’s Beautiful South and Housemartins Performance, while at the same time fulfilling days. Eliza Carthy her duties as a rising popstar by touring the Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, UK - and perhaps even beyond before the Wed 11 July year is out. De La Soul A familiar name on the folk circuit, Eliza Kasbah, Coventry, Wed 4 July Carthy is the daughter of Norma Waterson Hip-hop trio De La Soul still sound as fresh and Martin Carthy. An extremely talented today as they did twenty-five years ago. Al- singer and multi-instrumentalist (including fid- though changing sounds and evolving their dle, guitar and mandolin), she's been a big style over their eight-album career, they’re still name in folk for a good few years now. best known for the fun wordplay, sampling This Shropshire gig, and witty lyrics of debut album 3 Foot High which forms part of the And Rising. Spawning iconic songs such as Cultural Olympiad pro- Me Myself & I and The Magic Number, their gramme, sees Eliza stomping debut is considered one of the perform The Welcome greatest hip-hop albums of all time. Song, a brand new commission created in celebration of the links between four English towns (Much Wenlock, Jenny O Chipping Campden, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham, Tues 31 July Stoke Mandeville and Based in LA, Jenny O has spent the last year Weymouth) and the touring with acts ranging from Ben Harper to modern Olympics. Jonathan Wilson, and has just finished recording her second album in Connor Oberst’s studio. Self-releasing the Home EP Eve Selis last year, Jenny was signed to Manimal Vinyl, The Robin, Bilston, Wed 4 July and is making numerous festival appear- Americana music queen Eve Selis has been ances this summer, at gigs such as The described as having a ‘lemonade and Magic Loungeabout, Wilderness and Y Not, Garbage whiskey’ voice, and, assisted by her power- to name but a few. Expect to see her reach house band, blends numerous styles of Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, Mon 2 July Warpaint levels of acclaim. American music to create a unique cocktail of Fronted by Shirley Manson, the poster girl for solid rock hooks, soaring pop melodies and ’90s alternative rock, Garbage are back with alt-country twang. Eve’s been busy of late Paul Heaton’s The 8th a new album. Not Your Kind Of People is their being a mom, but is now out on the road with St Paul’s Church, Birmingham, Wed 11 July first such endeavour in seven years, as well a tour to support new album Family Tree, a Former singer with The Beautiful South, Paul as being the first release from their own well-reviewed CD featuring, as one critic eulo- Heaton plays four special shows this month. record label, Stunvolume. Adored by fans for gised, ‘fourteen sturdy tracks drawn from the Performing his 'soul opera’, which is titled songs such as Stupid Girl, Vow and Only dark, rich soil of American music’. The 8th, Heaton is joined by special guests Happy When It Rains, the band play just five

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MusicGIG REVIEWS

For further reviews, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Elton John LG Arena, Birmingham With a career spanning four decades and having collaborated with some of the world’s biggest artists, Sir Elton John in concert is a dead cert for a good night out. As a support act, Elton used two cellists from his main band whose performances of Smooth Criminal and With Or Without You were totally stunning. The man himself then performed an impressive twenty-five songs in Garbage - Civic Hall, Wolverhampton two hours, without leaving the stage once. Goodbye Yellow Brick Coventry WHO'S NEXT Cox's Yard, The Sugarmill, Stoke- Road, Nikita, Rocket Man, Candle In The Wind, Bennie And The Jets, GOSPEL CENTRAL The Stratford-upon-Avon on-Trent Sacrifice, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, Crocodile Rock, Are Jam House, Birming- JESSIE J The Quarry JETHRO 'ALONESTAR' You Ready For Love and Your Song all featured. The audience were ham Park, Shrewsbury SHEERAN The Assembly, relatively controlled until Elton sang Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On GABRIELLE APLIN HMV THE TREVOR BURTON Leamington Spa Institute, Birmingham BAND, THE MAZ THE JACKIE GENERATION Me, at which point everyone surged forward and leapt to their feet! FUTUREPROOF The Ball- MITRENKO TRIO & THE Palace Theatre, Red- As part of his on-stage banter, Elton did a live commentary of the room, Birmingham DEL RAY ROCKETS War- ditch England versus Sweden game in between songs, which pleased his THE SONGS OF NICK wick Cavern JULIAN SMITH Artrix, devoted fans no end. This was a truly inspiring evening in the com- DRAKE Kitchen Garden FUTURES HMV Institute, Bromsgrove pany of a real icon of pop. Eva Easthope IIIII Cafe, Kings Heath, Birmingham THE DESTROYERS & Birmingham FLASH BACK TO THE SHEELANAGIG mac, EIGHTIES The River Birmingham THU 5 JULY Rooms, Stourbridge Blink 182 THE FRENETICS George SUN 8 JULY IV, Lichfield LG Arena THE SEARCHERS Warwick ROY FORBES QUARTET Almost a year later than Cavern Chung Ying Garden, RAMS' POCKET RADIO 02 expected, Blink 182 took YOUR DEMISE Kasbah, Birmingham Academy, Birmingham to the stage of Birming- Coventry RICKY COOL AND THE BREAK ON THROUGH: THE REAL THING The HOOLA BOOLA BOYS The DOORS TRIBUTE The ham’s LG Arena as part of Crown, Corporation St, Robin, Bilston their UK tour. Was it worth Jam House, Birming- ham Birmingham THAT'LL BE THE DAY the wait? Definitely! The DIO TRILOGY The Robin, JAZZBAND VELKE LOSINY Stafford Castle energy and atmosphere Bilston The Barber Institute, FOUR ON THE FLOOR The inside the arena was elec- DANCING QUEEN - THE Birmingham Old Joint Stock Theatre, HITS OF ABBA Stafford MARTINIQUE JAZZ BAND Birmingham tric from the off, fans Mailbox, Birmingham BB SWING Sarehole Mill, crowding around the Gatehouse Theatre SNAKESTRINGS Hunting- TIPITINA Brasshouse, Birmingham stage to better enjoy seeing a band they’d grown up with. It was don Hall, Worcester Birmingham ALAN BARNES QUARTET great to see Blink back where they belonged - and refreshing as well SEMI-CIDE, SEVERED DARYL SHERMAN Hotel The Station, Sutton to see that, after fourteen years of rocking together, they’ve managed TIES, MOODY BOMBER, La Tour, Birmingham Coldfield RICKY COOL AND THE to retain their trademark immaturity! Starting off the set with the clas- DAKOTA RUINS & ONE REMI HARRIS TRIO Cafe Rouge, The Mailbox, HOOLA BOOLA BOYS sic Feeling This, the boys then performed a whole selection of their LIFE LEFT O2 Academy, Birmingham Birmingham Brasshouse, Birming- greatest hits, including The Rock Show, What’s My Age Again? and DIAMOND HEAD The ham All The Small Things. I was a little disappointed not to hear Adam’s Slade Rooms, Wolver- SAT 7 JULY BRIAN NEWTON BIG BAND Song, which, for me, is one of their all-time greats, but it was good to hampton Star City, Birmingham hear some of the new material from sixth studio album Neighbor- ISLAND DELIGHT, MUSI- MAETLOAF The River CAL YOUTH & THE PEAKY hoods, including Up All Night, After Midnight and Hearts All Gone. Rooms, Stourbridge BLINDER Birmingham The night ended with a huge explosion of black-and-white confetti, MR BEN The Jam Botanical Gardens bringing to a conclusion one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to. House, Birmingham ALAN BARNES QUARTET Jon Cartwright IIIII THE ONE TWOS & THE The Lord Clifden, Birm- REGULARS The Slade ingham Rooms, Wolverhampton FROM SABBATH TO HELL The Marr's Bar, Worces- MON 9 JULY STEVE SEVERIN ACCOM- ter Music LISTINGS PANIES VAMPYR Artrix, Diamond Head SQUEEZING SHROPSHIRE Bromsgrove CONCERT Wem Town MARTIN STEPHENSON For full listing information on gigs, TUES 3 JULY Hall, North Shropshire The Robin, Bilston including times and dates, visit FRI 6 JULY REWIND Warwick Cav- ern www.whatsonlive.co.uk THE BOOTLEG SHADOWS NIAMH PARSONS & GRA- SHEELANAGIG Ludlow HAM DUNNE Ludlow As- Tamworth Assembly ARE SAVIOURS & ALL Assembly Rooms, Rooms sembly Rooms, South South Shropshire SUN 1 JULY THOUGHT OUT The Slade Shropshire BJORN AGAIN Ludlow Rooms, Wolverhampton THE DHOL FOUNDATION Castle, South Shrop- PAUL EDWARDS, JANE Lichfield Cathedral shire ADRENALINE MOB 02 BIG UP THE 90'S The Academy, Birmingham LUCAS, JOHN BARBER & WED 4 JULY THE BON JOVI EXPERI- ROBIN TUDOR Artrix, Robin, Bilston ENCE Malvern Theatres BLACK DYKE BAND Sym- MR BEN The Jam phony Hall, Birmingham Bromsgrove THE ESTABLISHMENT EVE SELIS & HER SIX- House, Birmingham Cox's Yard, Stratford- Martin Stephenson THE BOOK OF GENISES PIECE BAND The Robin, ROXETTE LG Arena, The Robin, Bilston upon-Avon MON 2 JULY Bilston Birmingham MERCURY - QUEEN TRIB- BRIAN JONESTOWN MAS- THE LEGENDS OF SWING - COOL BRITANNIA Lich- ARTHUR JEFFES - SUN- TOMMY AND JOHNNY OF UTE Trentham Gardens, SACRE 02 Academy, field Garrick DOG Cathedral Lady Stoke-on-Trent Birmingham THE RAT PACK BOYS The GARBAGE Civic Hall, BUDDY HOLLY'S WINTER Chapel, Lichfield River Rooms, Stour- ALAN BARNES & DAVE BARONESS O2 Academy, Wolverhampton DANCE Belgrade The- LIMEHOUSE LIZZY The NEWTON The Hive, Birmingham bridge LIGHTS 02 Academy, atre, Coventry Assembly, Leamington KYOTO DRIVE, VIOLET, WE Shrewsbury MONDAY WITH MILES The Birmingham DE LA SOUL Kasbah, Spa BRAVE YOUNG BLOOD music of Miles Davis

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HOOLA BOOLA BOYS Dud- ley Zoo Music LISTINGS VAL WISEMAN WITH BRIAN DEE TRIO The Gar- For full listing information on gigs den House, Birming- including, times and dates, visit ham www.whatsonlive.co.uk SAT 14 JULY

performed by Nick De- GRAINGER Hare & TYLA J PALLAS FROM THE whurst & Joris Bolhaar, Hounds, Birmingham DOGS D'AMOUR The George IV, Lichfield DR TEETH BIG BAND The Slade Rooms, Wolver- FLEMING, JURD & JOZWI Jam House, Birming- hampton The Old Joint Stock ham THE RED LEMONS The Theatre, Birmingham ARTHUR BROWN Jam House, Birming- JAZZBAND Colmore ham Square, Birmingham THE LEGENDARY SHACK TUE 10 JULY LAKOTA SIOUX, THE SHAKERS HMV Institute, HEIST, THE GETAWAY Birmingham MARTIN STEPHENSON CLUB, MORNING GLORY & FLASH - A TRIBUTE TO GEORGIA SZYGOWSKA Cox's Yard, Stratford- O2 QUEEN Featuring Scott upon-Avon Academy, Birmingham Maley as Freddie Mer- MATT GOUGH TRIO SHE’KOYOKH Lady The cury, The River Rooms, Chapel, Lichfield Cathe- Old Joint Stock The- Stourbridge dral atre, Birmingham THE UNDERCOCKS War- THE JAZZ RAMBLERS BUDAPEST RAGTIME wick Cavern BAND The Jam House, WITH CHINESE JITTERBUG THE WHISKEY SYNDICATE, SQUAD Victoria Square, Birmingham CROOKED DAWN, BLACK Bellowhead - Lichfield Cathedral RHYS MATTHEWS Cathe- Birmingham RUSSIAN & LIPSHOCK 02 THE BROOMBUSTERS The dral Lady Chapel, Lich- Academy, Birmingham WILL JOHNS GRAVITIES & THE HIDING Robin, Bilston field Red Lion, Erdington, BLUEY WILLIAMS & THE Birmingham Brasshouse, B’ham PLACE The Sugarmill, THE INTENTIONS The HOUSE TRIO FEATURING TOBACCO DOCK BLUES Stoke-on-Trent Jam House, Birming- PERCY PURSGLOVE The BAND Huntingdon Hall, MOORE (OR LESS) - GARY ham Old Joint Stock The- Worcester MON 16 JULY MOORE TRIBUTE Warwick KAST OFF KINKS Artrix, atre, Birmingham FRI 13 JULY LIMEHOUSE LIZZY The Cavern Bromsgrove BROOKS WILLIAMS No 9 Robin, Bilston KAKATSITSI MASTER The Gallery, B’ham MANASAMITRA PRESENT NITE JEWEL 02 Acad- JUNIOR MURVIN AND DRUMMERS Ludlow As- 'NADA NOTES' Symphony emy, Birmingham FRI 20 JULY BAND Hare & Hounds, sembly Rooms, South WED 11 JULY Birmingham Hall, Birmingham HELLS BELLS - AC/DC Shropshire THE RED LEMONS The VICKY JACKSON Tribute MUSIC PICNIC: THE Jam House, Birming- TRIBUTE Cox's Yard, SHARON VAN ETTEN The to Pink & Amy Wine- GYPSY'S TALE Symphony ham Stratford-upon-Avon Glee Club, Birmingham house, Genting Club, Hall, Birmingham THE TOY HEARTS Bridge PAT GIRAUD TRIO The ROGER DEAN SINGS THE Star City, Birmingham ABBA "MAMMA MIA" House Theatre, War- Public, West Bromwich JOHNNY CASH STORY SCHOOL OF SEVEN The PARTY wick 80'S MANIA Theatre Sev- Nailcote Hall, Belgrade Theatre, Slade Rooms, Wolver- DESPERADO Cox's Yard, ern, Shrewsbury Berkswell Coventry hampton Stratford-upon-Avon BACK TO THE 80S Tren- KING PLEASURE & THE THE FORMULA The PERMISSION TO ROCK: JESSIE J Warwick Castle tham Gardens, Stoke- BISCUIT BOYS Stafford Robin, Bilston THE EVERLY BROTHERS & on-Trent THE REUNION The River Gatehouse Theatre WORCESTERSHIRE YOUTH Nite Jewel FRIENDS Tribute Show, BOBBY WOODS QUARTET Rooms, Stourbridge TOO REX - TRIBUTE TO JAZZ ORCHESTRA WITH Palace Theatre, Red- Victoria Square, Birm- THE ESTABLISHMENT MARC BOLAN & T-REX PETE LONG Artrix, ditch ingham Warwick Cavern Cox's Yard, Stratford- Bromsgrove BUDDY HOLLY & THE JULIAN SMITH & LILI TUE 17 JULY FALLEN INQUEST The upon-Avon PAUL HEATON'S THE 8TH CRICKETERS Solihull Arts FENG St Paul’s Church, Sugarmill, Stoke-on- PROFESSOR ELEMENTAL St Paul’s Church, Birm- Birmingham Complex Trent The Hive, Shrewsbury ingham KEVIN FIGES AND THE WHO'S WHO The Robin, THE JAZZ RAMBLERS THE INTENTIONS The FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE KARPENTERS Laurie Bilston Bourneville Village Jam House, Birming- The Jam House, Birm- Briggs and Jason Scott THE LEGENDS OF SWING Green, Birmingham ingham ham recreate the music and Ludlow Assembly VAL WISEMAN AND BRIAN THE BLACKPOOL TOWER LARRY MILLER Cox's magic of The Carpen- Rooms, South Shrop- DEE TRIO AND CAROL SUD SHOW Bedworth Civic Yard, Stratford-upon- ters, Malvern Theatres shire HALTER Chung Ying Hall Avon JOHNNY CASH ROAD- THE ESTABLISHMENT Garden, Birmingham LADY ANTEBELLUM O2 MUSICAL YOUTH Stafford SHOW Malvern Theatres Warwick Cavern JOE LONGTHORNE War- Academy, Birmingham Gatehouse Theatre AFRICA HI-TECH Hare & MAMA - GENISES The wick Cavern BROADWAY & BEYOND Hounds, Birmingham River Rooms, Stour- Ludlow Assembly bridge QUILL Warwick Cavern SUN 15 JULY WED 18 JULY Rooms, South Shrop- THE GET ALONGS WITH I Paul Heaton shire DREAM IN COLOURS, THE MIKE FLETCHER BIG BAND PRETTY GREAT WHITES SOLSTICE, CREDO & GREY BOSS CAINE The Yard- ELIZA CARTHY: THE WEL- Symphony Hall, Birm- AND 3'S A RIOT The Sug- LADY DOWN bird Jazz Club, Birming- COME SONG Much Wen- The Robin, armill, Stoke-on-Trent ham ingham lock, South Shropshire Bilston UTE LEMPER: LAST TANGO FOREVER IN BLUE JEANS CANTERBURY The Flap- WYNTON MARSALIS & BELLOWHEAD Lichfield IN BERLIN Lichfield per & Firkin, Birming- THE JAZZ ORCHESTRA Cathedral The Grand Theatre, Cathedral ham Symphony Hall, Birm- CAIXA CUBO TRIO The Wolverhampton TIPITINA Chung Ying WU LEGENDS FEATURING ORANGE 02 Academy, ingham Old Joint Stock The- Garden, Birmingham METHOD MAN, GHOST- Birmingham SILENT FILTER FEATURING atre, Birmingham SARA COLMAN Sym- DUCKS DELUXE WITH YES SUNSHINE 02 Acad- MAJA SZYMCZYK QUAR- FACE KILLAH, RAEKWON & Quill phony Hall, Birming- GZA SPECIAL GUEST BRINSLEY emy, Birmingham TET Nuvo, Birmingham HMV Institute, Birm- ham SCHWARTZ The Robin, BACKYARD MUSIC BOYS ingham THE ROCKIN BERRIES LABOUR OF LOVE - UB40 BOB BROLLY & FRIENDS Bilston Church Street Square, Palace Theatre, Red- TRIBUTE The River Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birm- ditch Rooms, Stourbridge ingham THU 19 JULY THE LOW ANTHEM mac, MY OWN AGENDA The FOUR ON THE FLOOR The Birmingham Slade Rooms, Wolver- Old Joint Stock The- KENNY BALL & HIS THU 12 JULY THE NAKED BEATLES The hampton atre, Birmingham JAZZMEN Solihull Arts Robin, Bilston THE WORDS The Ball- KING PLEASURE & THE Complex THE LEGENDS OF SWING: room, Birmingham THE TREVOR BURTON BISCUIT BOYS Birming- THE ELO EXPERIENCE TOMMY AND JOHNNY OF ABBA REUNION Trentham BAND, THE MAZ ham Botanical Gardens Malvern Theatres MYJO WITH SPECIAL THE RAT PACK BOYS Gardens, Stoke-on- MITRENKO TRIO & THE WHITESNAKE UK The GUESTS GORDON GOOD- Palace Theatre, Red- Trent DEL RAY ROCKETS War- Sara Colman Robin, Bilston wick Cavern WIN, ERIC MARIENTHAL & ditch THE BACHELORS Palace WAYNE BERGERON Sut- MADONNA'S WORLD TOUR SUN 22 JULY Theatre, Redditch THE BROOMBUSTERS Vic- ton Town Hall, Birming- National Indoor Arena, SAT 21 JULY THE STEVE GIBBONS toria Square, Birming- ham Birmingham THE CARPELS, SWIM BAND The Robin, Bilston ham FIVE JIVE Birmingham CARLOU D Hare & DEEP, TEMPTING ROSIE, ANDREW DUHON & KARA RICKY COOL AND THE Botanical Gardens Hounds, Birmingham KICK UP THE 80'S The POPPY AND THE www.whatsonlive.co.uk 19 Music July PO_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:12 Page 8

20 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Music July PO_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:12 Page 9

Music LISTINGS

For full listing information on gigs including, times and dates, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

JEZEBELS, JAWS, THE FINGERSTYLE COLLECTIVE JACARANDES AND NOT BY DE- Hare & Hounds, Birming- SIGN mac - Midlands Arts ham Centre, Birmingham NIKI KING AND THE ELEMENTS RICHARD DIGANCE Lichfield The Jam House, Birming- Garrick ham PAUL DRAKELEY & THE ALL- ANDY HAMILTON, JACKI GRA- STARS BAND Himley Hall & HAM, ABIGAIL KELLY, MUSI- Park, Dudley CAL YOUTH, SKIBU, JACKIE STOLEN EARTH The Robin, GUY, COUNT PRINCE MILLER Bilston & JIMMY JAMES Symphony ONE BEAT SUNDAY FEATUR- Hall, Birmingham ING THE CARPELS, SWIM GETHIKA The Robin, Bilston DEEP, TEMPTING ROSIE, Nanci Griffith - FRANKIE ROSE O2 Academy, Birmingham Town Hall JAWS, THE JACARANDAS & Birmingham NOT BY DESIGN mac, Birm- ingham ford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon SHADOWS CHASING GHOSTS THU 26 JULY THE SWING COMMANDERS SOLID SOUL The Jam O2 Academy, Birmingham Artrix, Bromsgrove House, Birmingham ABBA THE SHOW Solihull MORAL PANICS The Sug- MON 23 JULY GUNNRUNNER The Robin, Arts Complex armill, Stoke-on-Trent Bilston NATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA THE BREAKFAST CLUB 80'S DEL CAMINO The Jam JAZZ SPECIAL Symphony EXPERIENCE The River FEI COMODO 02 Academy, House, Birmingham Hall, Birmingham Rooms, Stourbridge Birmingham VIPER CENTRAL Hare & DC FONTANA Warwick Cav- Hounds, Birmingham National Youth Orchestra ern AS CITIES BURN The Sug- armill, Stoke-on-Trent SUN 29 JULY WE ARE SAVIOURS, BREAKING TIES AND UNDERSCORED The Ballroom, Birmingham RIVER CITY PORTRAIT The RALPH RIP SHIT The Road- Robin, Bilston house, Birmingham LAZY LESTER Warwick Cav- ern TUE 31 JULY Fei Comodo PURESSENCE The Ballroom, Birmingham TANYA WALKER Ludlow As- GETAWAY CLUB The Robin, sembly Rooms, South Bilston TUE 24 JULY FRI 27 JULY Shropshire KEL & KEL Cox's Yard, Strat- COLD STONE, MESCH, THOSE ford-upon-Avon LONESOME FISHERMEN & JENNY O Hare & Hounds, THAT SUNDAY FEELING 02 MORGUE ORGY, SLAB & EDGE OF REASON 02 Acad- Birmingham Academy, Birmingham PLAGUE OF ANGELS The emy, Birmingham NANCI GRIFFITH Birmingham Roadhouse, Birmingham Jenny O Town Hall SOLEY MOURNING The Slade SAT 28 JULY LERA LYNN HMV Institute, Rooms, Wolverhampton Birmingham DEFINITELY MIGHT BE & ADORED Tribute to Oasis & RICH BATSFORD - MINDFUL- WED 25 JULY The Stone Roses The River NESS Artrix, Bromsgrove Rooms, Stourbridge JEAN GENIE - TRIBUTE TO DC FONTANA Warwick Cav- DAVID BOWIE The Robin, Bil- AS CITIES BURN The Ball- ern ston room, Birmingham KAZABIAN Cox's Yard, Strat- FLEETWOOD BAC Cox's Yard,

Music Venues Box Office

Birmingham NIA THE VARSITY, 01827 709618 0844 338 8000 WOLVERHAMPTON VICTORIA HALL, HANLEY 02 ACADEMY 01902 711166 08444 77 2000 THE RAINBOW 0844 871 7649 0121 772 8174 WULFRUN HALL, STAFFORD GATEHOUSE ADRIAN BOULT HALL WOLVERHAMPTON 0121 331 5901 RED LION FOLK CLUB 01785 254653 0121 441 6941 0870 320 7000 THE ASYLUM 0121 233 1109 THE ROADHOUSE Warwickshire 0121 459 5660 Shropshire THE BALLROOM, DALE END COX’S YARD, STRATFORD 0121 448 0797 SYMPHONY HALL THE EDGE ARTS CENTRE, 01789 404600 MUCH WENLOCK 0121 780 3333 THE ASSEMBLY, LEAMINGTON THE BARBER INSTITUTE 01952 728911 0121 414 7333 THE GLEE CLUB 01926 311311 0871 472 0400 THE HIVE, SHREWSBURY THE KASBAH, COVENTRY BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL 01743 234970 0121 780 3333 THE YARDBIRD 02476 554473 0121 212 2524 THE IRONWORKS, OSWESTRY NAILCOTE HALL, CBSO CENTRE 01691 679123 0121 780 3333 BERKSWELL Black Country THEATRE SEVERN, 02476 46 6174 CUSTARD FACTORY, SHREWSBURY 01743 281281 0121 224 7777 CIVIC HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON STRATFORD CIVIC HALL 0870 320 7000 THE PLACE, OAKENGATES, TELFORD FLAPPER 0121 236 2421 01789 207100 DUDLEY CONCERT HALL 01952 382382 HARE & HOUNDS TAYLOR JOHN’S HOUSE, COVENTRY 01384 815577 WEM TOWN HALL 0121 444 2081 024 7623 0699 NEWHAMPTON ARTS CENTRE 01939 232299 HMV INSTITUTE 01902 572090 Worcestershire 0844 248 5037 THE PUBLIC, WEST BROMWICH Staffordshire HUNTINGDON HALL / SWAN ISLAND BAR 0121 533 7161 LICHFIELD GUILDHALL THEATRE 01905 611427 0121 632 5296 ROBIN 2, BILSTON 01543 262223 MARR’S BAR, WORCESTER THE JAM HOUSE 01902 401211 THE SUGAR MILL, HANLEY 01905 613336 0121 200 3030 STOURBRIDGE TOWN HALL STOKE-ON-TRENT THE RIVER ROOMS, LG ARENA 01384 812812 01159 454 593 STOURBRIDGE 0844 338 8000 TAMWORTH ASSEMBLY ROOMS 01384 397177

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 21 Classical July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:14 Page 1

PREVIEWS Three Choirs Festival Classical Music Various locations in and around Hereford, Sat 21 - Sun 28 July This week-long annual festival rotates Halle Orchestra between three of the region’s cathedral cities - Gloucester, Hereford and Worcester - and delivers a varied programme of events featuring world-class artists and ensembles. This year it’s Hereford’s turn to host the event, with highlights including performances from The King Singers, I Fagiolini, Fretwork, the Dante Quartet and the Hereford Police Male Choir. Emma Johnson, Thomas Trotter and Mark Beb- bington are other artists contributing to the festival. This year also sees the Philharmo- nia Orchestra beginning a three-year residency with the Three Choirs, meaning that the ensemble will also be taking part in the event in Gloucester next year and in Worcester in 2014.

The Halle featuring Alice Coote Lichfield Cathedral, Thurs 5 July Since its first concert under the direction of founder Sir Charles Halle in 1858, the Manchester- based Halle Orchestra has proved a force to be reckoned with, and is renowned for its affinity with English music - particularly the works of Elgar and Delius. Since September 2000, the orchestra has been under the charge of acclaimed conductor Sir Mark Elder, an appointment which has seen a rise in the Halle’s international profile and led to numerous significant awards. This concert - which forms part of the annual Lichfield Festival - sees the orchestra joined by the highly regarded Cheshire-born mezzo-soprano Alice Coote. Emma Johnson

Armonico An Evening With Blake Consort Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 13 July Lichfield Garrick, With three acclaimed international releases and over one million Wed 11 July; album sales under their belt, crossover vocal quartet Blake stop off in Malvern Theatre, the Midlands to showcase their harmonic virtuosity in a repertoire that Tues 17 July fuses pop, classical and West End anthems. Comprising Ollie Baines, As part of a busy Humphrey Berney, Jules Knight and Stephen Bowman, Blake are schedule compris- credited for bringing classical music to the masses - an achievement ing no fewer than cemented when their debut offering won Album of the Year at the fifty concerts, the Classical Brit Awards in 2008. Continuing to enjoy worldwide success, internationally they’re performing in Shrewsbury as part of their biggest UK tour to Kate Valentine acclaimed Armoni- date. co Consort here interprets baroque Last Night Of The Summer music for the twen- Proms ty-first century. Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 14 July Under the director- ship of Christopher As quintessentially English as cucumber Monks, the ensem- sandwiches and Pimms, the ever-popular ble provides a Last Night Of The Summer Proms promis- comic take on a es to provide an evening of uplifting clas- tale of two lovers sics and prom favourites. Works from some which, presented in of the world’s greatest composers - Rossi- English, draws on ni, Suppe, Mascagni, Puccini and Elgar - music from Han- will be played out alongside rousing del’s operas Xerxes, favourites Rule, Britannia!, Land Of Hope Giulio Cesare, And Glory, Nessun Dorma and 633 Rinaldo and Orlan- Squadron. The concert is performed by the do. London Concert Orchestra, together with Thomas Gould on violin, soprano Kate Valentine and tenor Jonathan Stoughton.

22 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Classical July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:14 Page 2

SPIRES YOUTH ORCHES- Shostakovich, Sat 14 Birmingham Town Hall, LISTINGS TRA WITH SYNERGY Fea- Jul, Pershore Abbey, Birmingham Classical Classical turing John James & Worcestershire RAINBOW VOICES: SONGS Colin Touchin (conduc- CHOIR OF NEW COLLEGE AT SUMMERTIME Featur- Box Office For full listing information on classical tors), Tues 10 Jul, Royal OXFORD & OXFORD ing the Drum Voice concerts, including times and dates, Spa Centre, Leaming- PHILOMUSICA A celebra- Orchestra & hosted by ABBEY CHURCH, visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk ton Spa tion of the music of JS Mrs Barbara Nice, Sat SHREWSBURY BEN SAN-LAU: YOUNG Bach, Sat 14 Jul, 21 Jul, Recital Hall, 01743 232723 CARMINA BURANA Pre- Cathedral ARTIST CONCERT Pro- Malvern Theatres Birmingham Conserva- sented by the Lichfield LUDLOW CHORAL SOCIE- gramme to include PERCUSSIONS CLAVIERS toire ADRIAN BOULT HALL, Cathedral Chorus, the TY: CELEBRATION OF THE works by Mozart, Bach, DE LYON Programme THE LEAMINGTON CON- B’HAM Lichfield Cathedral MUSICALS Sat 7 Jul, Heiller, Ravel, includes works by SORT Programme 0121 331 5901 Young Voices, soprano Ludlow Assembly Demessieux & Reubke, Debussy, Gerard includes works by Gib- ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE Rowan Baker, tenor Rooms, South Shrop- Wed 11 Jul, Lichfield Lecointe & Francois bons, Michael East, 01527 577330 Philip Lancaster & con- shire Cathedral Narboni, Sat 14 Jul, Nathaniel Giles & BIRMINGHAM ductor Ben Lamb, Sun HALESOWEN CHORAL LAURENCE CALDECOTE Lichfield Cathedral Tomkins, Sat 21 Jul, All CONSERVATOIRE 1 Jul, Lichfield Garrick SOCIETY: SUMMER MIS- ORGAN RECITAL Wed 11 STRATFORD SYMPHONY Saints’ Church, Victoria 0121 331 5901/2 CELEBRATION JUBILA- CELLANY Programme to Jul, Abbey Church, ORCHESTRA Sun 15 Jul, Terrace, Leamington TION! An evening of include works by Shrewsbury Stratford Civic Hall Spa BIRMINGHAM HIPPO- colourful music pre- Lennon & McCartney ARMONICO CONSORT: TOO LUDWIG STRING TRIO ACOUSTIC TRIANGLE Sun DROME sented by Sutton Cold- and Thomas Arne, Sat HOT TO HANDEL Wed 11 Programme to include 22 Jul, Leasowes Bank 0844 338 5000 field Choirs, Liz Birch & 7 Jul, The Methodist Jul, Lichfield Garrick works by Beethoven, Farm, Ratlinghope, Nr BARBER INSTITUTE, Richard Jeffries (con- Church, Halesowen BIRMINGHAM MUSIC Hindersmith & Mozart, Shrewsbury BIRMINGHAM ductors), Matt Walker & ROYAL LEAMINGTON SPA SERVICE Showcase fea- Mon 16 Jul, New Vic THREE CHOIRS FESTIVAL 0121 414 7333 Chris Hall (accompa- BACH CHOIR Featuring turing a wide range of Theatre, Newcastle- YOUTH CHOIR Pro- BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL nists). Programme Colin Druce (piano) & Music Service Central under-Lyme gramme features a new 0121 780 3333 includes an eclectic Nigel Stark (conductor), Ensembles, Wed 11 - ARMONICO CONSORT: TOO commission by Dobrin- array of works ranging Sat 7 Jul, Town Hall, Thu 12 Jul, Symphony HOT TO HANDEL Tue 17 ka Tabakova, Faure's CBSO CENTRE, from Handel and Eric Leamington Spa Hall, Birmingham Jul, Malvern Theatres Requiem and BIRMINGHAM Whitaker through to LONDON BAROQUE SINFO- RUSSIAN CHAMBER PHIL- ABBEY CHOIR Wed 18 Debussy's Danse 0121 780 3333 modern classics, Sun 1 NIA & BIRMINGHAM BACH HARMONIC Featuring Jul, Abbey Church, sacree et danse pro- COVENTRY CATHEDRAL Jul, Adrian Boult Hall, CHOIR Present Bach’s Juri Gilbo (conductor) Shrewsbury fane with the Orchestra 02476 521200 Birmingham Mass in B minor. Lucy & Michael Gershwin MARK BEBBINGTON PIANO of the Swan, Mon 23 LICHFIELD GARRICK BRANT INTERNATIONAL Crowe (soprano), lestyn (violin). Programme to CONCERT Programme Jul, Hereford Cathedral 01543 412121 PIANO COMPETITION Per- Davies (countertenor), include works by includes works by CONCERT WITH GINNY formances from young John Mark Ainsley Mozart, Britten, Bach, Delius, Ireland, Joubert PEACEFUL (SOPRANO) & ST LAURENCE’S CHURCH, pianists and potential (tenor), Peter Harvey Tsintsadze & Dvorak, & Shropshire’s Charles NIGEL PURSEY (PIANO) LUDLOW stars in the making, (bass) & Paul Spicer Thur 12 Jul, Lichfield Dakin, Wed 18 Jul, Lea- Wed 25 Jul, Abbey 01584 872150 Sun 1 Jul, Birmingham (conductor) also fea- Cathedral sowes Bank Farm, Church, Shrewsbury SYMPHONY HALL, Town Hall ture, Sat 7 Jul, Lichfield JEAN-SELIM ABDEL- Ratlinghope, Nr BARBICAN PIANO TRIO BIRMINGHAM SHROPSHIRE WIND Cathedral MOULA: YOUNG ARTIST Shrewsbury Programme includes 0121 780 3333 ENSEMBLE Wed 4 Jul, PIANO DUETS WITH MARK CONCERT Programme CBSO YOUTH ORCHESTRA works by Schumann & VICTORIA HALL Abbey Church, Shrews- NORTHFIELD & JON includes works by ACADEMY Featuring Schubert, Leasowes STOKE-ON-TRENT bury PAYNE Sat 7 Jul, St Franck & Schubert, Michael Seal (conduc- Bank Farm, Ratling- 0844 871 7649 WISHFUL SINGING Pro- Thomas’ Church, Stour- Thurs 12 Jul, Cathedral tor). Programme hope, Nr Shrewsbury gramme includes bridge Lady Chapel, Lichfield includes works by WARWICK ARTS CENTRE Alessandro Scarlatti’s BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONIC Cathedral Shostakovich, Janacek 02476 524524 Cor mio, deh non lan- WINDS Featuring Keith ESCHER STRING QUARTET & Schubert, Fri 20 Jul, guire, Thomas Morley’s Allen (conductor). Pro- Programme to include Sing We and Chant It, gramme includes works works by Sibelius, Bar- Time Piece by Paul Pat- by Richard Addinsell, tok & Dvorak, Thurs 12 terson and Mister Sand- Philip Sparke, Bill Whe- Jul, Swinfen Hall Hotel, man by Pat Ballard, lan, Martin Ellerby, Lichfield Wed 4 Jul, St Lau- Nigel Hess & a Glenn LICHFIELD CATHEDRAL rence's Church, Ludlow, Miller Medley, Sat 7 Jul, CHAMBER CHOIR: SCHU- South Shropshire CBSO Centre, Birming- BERTIADE BY CANDLE- THE HALLE ORCHESTRA ham LIGHT Fri 13 Jul, Lady Featuring Sir Mark DARIN QUALLS (VIOLIN) & Chapel, Lichfield Cathe- Elder (conductor) and CHIE NAGATANI (PIANO) f anceR dral Alice Coote (mezzo Programme includes AN EVENING WITH BLAKE soprano). Programme works by Tchaikovsky, Fri 13 Jul, Theatre Sev- to include works by Sat 7 Jul, Cathedral ern, Shrewsbury Delius & Elgar, Thurs 5 Lady Chapel, Lichfield PHILIP HIGHAM: YOUNG supOrt Jul, Lichfield Cathedral Cathedral ARTIST CONCERT Pro- CBSO FRIDAY NIGHT ORCHESTRA OF THE gramme includes works CLASSICS: SCI-FI SYM- MUSIC MAKERS Family by Bach & Britten, Fri PHONY III Featuring concert featuring Chan 13 Jul, Cathedral Lady music from Star Wars, Tze Law (conductor). Chapel, Lichfield Cathe- evEy 2001: A Space Programme includes dral Odyssey, Star Trek & works by Watson, LAST NIGHT OF THE SUM- The Planets, Fri 6 Jul, Dukas & Rimsky-Kor- MER PROMS Featuring Symphony Hall, Birm- sakov, Sun 8 Jul, Lich- works from Rossini, st P o ingham field Cathedral Mascagni, Sousa, IN THE SING OF IT! WITH AQUARELLE GUITAR Elgar, Strauss, Vaughan STUART BARR Pro- QUARTET Mon 9 Jul, St Williams, Verdi, Suppe, gramme features an Michael’s Church, Lich- thE way Puccini & Tchaikovsky, eclectic array of works field Sat 14 Jul, Symphony ranging from Handel CHIE NAGATANI PIANO Hall, Birmingham and Parry to Michael CONCERT Programme ORGAN PROM WITH IAN Jackson and Whitney includes works by TRACEY Sat 14 Jul, Vic- Houston via Broadway Chopin, Rachmaninoff toria Hall, Hanley, favourites, Fri 6 Jul, & Prokofiev, Mon 9 Jul, Stoke-on-Trent CBSO Centre, Birming- Lady Chapel, Lichfield COLLEGIUM FEATURING ham Cathedral THOMAS CORNS Pro- BADKE QUARTET Pro- RHYS MATTHEWS: YOUNG gramme includes works gramme includes works ARTIST CONCERT Mon 9 by Elgar & John Rutter, Call the Macmillan team by Mozart, Tomkins, Jul, Cathedral Lady Sat 14 Jul, St Mary’s Maxwell Davies & Chapel, Lichfield Cathe- Church, Warwick free on 0808 808 00 00 Beethoven, Fri 6 Jul, St dral DODICICORDE: GUITAR (Monday to Friday, 9am – 8pm) Michael’s Church, Lich- ST MARY’S SCHOLARS DUET Featuring Danielle field Tues 10 Jul, St Mary’s Saxon Reeves & Mark or visit macmillan.org.uk SEAN SHIBE: YOUNG Church, Warwick Willetts, Sat 14 Jul, St ARTIST CONCERT Pro- IAN BOSTRIDGE (TENOR) Thomas’ Church, Stour- gramme includes works & JULIUS DRAKE (PIANO) bridge by Dowland, Bach, Alb- Programme includes WORCESTERSHIRE SYM- eniz, Britten & Castekn- Schubert’s Winterreise, Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), PHONY ORCHESTRA Pro- Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). uovo-Tedesco, Fri 6 Jul, Tues 10 Jul, Lichfield gramme includes works Lady Chapel, Lichfield Cathedral by Wagner, Prokofiev &

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 23

Comedy July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:27 Page 1

THE EASY WAY TO COMEDY HYPNOTIST STAGE SHOW BOOK 21st & 22nd JULY YOUR TICKETS This Charismatic Performer will have ONLINE you in Hysterics from watching him put the volunteers through their paces during his comedy Hypnotic Show.

Member of the audience who whatsonlive.co.uk wish to volunteer can join Acari on stagewhere he proceeds THIS IS ONE to hypnotize them, then issuing SHOW NOT them with instructions on TO BE what he wants them to do. MISSED The most comprehensive what’s on listings website for Birmingham and the West Midlands Tel: 0121 200 0946 www.oldjointstocktheatre.co.uk or on-line at: www.oxboffice.com

24 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Comedy July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:27 Page 2 Comedy

Hardeep Singh Kohli Comedy Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 13 July; The Roses Theatre, Tewksbury, Fri 20 July Box Office Hardeep came to prominence at the ALEXANDRA THEATRE, Edinburgh Fringe, and has made an impres- BIRMINGHAM sive television career for himself via a host of 0844 871 3011 popular shows. His climb up the celebrity lad- ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE der hasn't always been sure-footed, though - 01527 577330 BEDWORTH CIVIC HALL in 2009 he was suspended from his 'roving 02476 376707 reporter' role on BBC's The One Show follow- BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL ing allegations of inappro- 0121 780 3333 priate behaviour from a COX’S YARD female member of staff. 01789 404600 The incident proved to be THE DRUM, BIRMINGHAM 0121 333 2444 a relatively minor setback DUDLEY CONCERT HALL for a man who's way too 01384 815 577 talented to stay down on GLEE CLUB, BIRMINGHAM his luck for long. 0871 4720400 HIGHLIGHT, BIRMINGHAM, 0844 844 0044 HUNTINGDON HALL, WORCESTER, The Boy With Tape 01905 611427 On His Face THE JAM HOUSE, BIRMINGHAM Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 21 July; 0121 200 3030 Artrix, Bromsgrove, Thurs 6 September KITCHEN GARDEN CAFE, Having been described as a modern-day BIRMINGHAM 0121 443 4725 Buster Keaton, and 'a mad scientist of vaude- Miles Jupp: Fibber In Heat LG ARENA, BIRMINGHAM villian pranks', there's no doubt that Sam Wills Lichfield Garrick, Sat 7 July 0844 338 8000 is bringing something that's just a little bit dif- LUDLOW ASSEMBLY ferent to the table. Mime with noise, stand-up The Daily Telegraph has described an evening with Miles Jupp as ROOMS with no talking, and drama being 'a little like watching an Evelyn Waugh character narrate his 01584 878141 hopeless exploits before your very eyes'. That's patently not a bad MAC, BIRMINGHAM with no acting are all pres- 0121 446 3232 thing, mind you, as evidenced by Mr Jupp's hugely successful ent and correct in a show PALACE THEATRE, that draws on a heritage stand-up career! He's no stranger to Televisionland either, having REDDITCH that includes silent film, appeared in, among other shows, The Thick Of It, Mock The Week, 01527 65203 mime, magic, puppetry and Have I Got News For You. Oh, and he's even been a movie star, THE PUBLIC, WEST BROMWICH and Motown. Oh, and the courtesy of a role in Made In Dagenham. An evening of great come- 0121 533 7161 films of Patrick Swayze... dy and equally impressive storytelling awaits... REGENT THEATRE, STOKE- ON-TRENT 0844 871 7649 RICOH ARENA, COVENTRY Live@Highlight, Regent Theatre, Comedy 0844 873 6565 Comedy LISTINGS Birmingham Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent Live@Highlight, THE ROSE THEATRE, PATRICK MONAHAN Sun RHYS DARBY Wed 18 Birmingham KIDDERMINSTER 8 Jul, The Ironworks, Jul, Symphony Hall, LEWIS SCHAFFER IS FREE 01562 743745 For full listing information on comedy Oswestry Birmingham UNTIL FAMOUS Sat 21 ROYAL SPA CENTRE, ROY 'CHUBBY' BROWN JIMMY TARBUCK Thurs Jul, Belgrade Theatre, LEAMINGTON SPA gigs including times and dates visit Wed 11 Jul, Prince Of 19 Jul, The Place, Coventry 01926 334418 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Wales Centre, Cannock Oakengates Theatre, ANDI OSHO AND NATHAN STAFFORD GATEHOUSE KAI HUMPHRIES, PETE Telford CATON Sun 22 Jul, The THEATRE JOHANSSON & JOHNNY KEN DODD 01785 254653 IVAN BRACKENBERRY, IAN KILL FOR A SEAT COMEDY Thurs 19 Jul, River Rooms, CANDON Thurs 12 Jul, Malvern Theatres Stourbridge SOLIHULL ARTS COMPLEX D MONTFORT & WOUTER CLUB Fri 6 Jul, mac, The Glee Club, ROY 'CHUBBY' BROWN SUSAN CALMAN & JEN 0121 704 6962 MEIJS Wed 4 Jul, The Birmingham Birmingham Thurs 19 Jul, Bedworth BRISTER THE SLADE ROOMS, Place, Oakengates FUSE COMEDY NIGHT Wed 25 Jul, PHILL JUPITUS Thurs 12 Civic Hall WOLVERHAMPTON Theatre, Telford HOSTED BY MRS BAR- Memorial Hall, Kings Jul, Lichfield Garrick SOL BERNSTEIN, ANDREA Heath, Birmingham 0870 320 7000 PAUL KERENSA Wed 4 BARA NICE Fri 6 Jul, KAI HUMPHRIES, PETE HUBER & MC CHRISTIAN LUCY PORTER & SHAPPI SYMPHONY HALL, Jul, The Public, West Fuse Festival, Beacon JOHANSSON, JOHNNY STEEL Thurs 19 Jul, The KHORSANDI: EDINBURGH BIRMINGHAM Bromwich Park, Lichfield CANDON & MICKEY George Hotel, Lichfield PREVIEW SHOW Thurs 0121 780 3333 LLOYD LANGFORD Thurs RICHARD SANDLING Fri 6 SHARMA Fri 13 - Sat 14 DANIEL SLOSS & TIM 26 Jul, The Glee Club, TAMWORTH ASSEMBLY 5 Jul, Hare & Hounds, Jul, The Glee Club, Jul, The Glee Club, CLARK Fri 20 - Sat 21 Birmingham ROOMS Birmingham Birmingham 01827 709618 Birmingham Jul, The Glee Club, JAMES ACASTER, RO JETHRO Thurs 5 Jul, The COMEDY AT THE CASTLE MARK OLVER, DAVE Birmingham CAMPBELL & TOM THEATRE SEVERN, Roses Theatre, FEATURING ISY SUTTIE, SHREWSBURY WILLIAMS, ROB DEERING MICKEY D, MARTIN MORE, DEACON Tewksbury ELIS JAMES & JONNY Fri 27 - Sat 28 01743 281281 RAYMOND MEARNS Fri 13 DAN THOMAS & DAVE Jul, The Glee Club, CRAIG HILL, DAVE SWEET Fri 6 Jul, Powis VICTORIA HALL, HANLEY, - Sat 14 Jul, Fosters JOHNS Fri 20 Jul, Birmingham FULTON, LIAM MULLONE Castle, Nr Welshpool, STOKE-ON-TRENT Comedy Fosters Comedy JIM SMALLMAN, ANTHO- & RORY O'HANLON Thurs Powys 0844 871 7649 Live@Highlight, Live@Highlight, B’ham NY KING, STEVE HOF- 5 - Sat 7 Jul, The Glee TOM ALLSOPP & ROBERT WARWICK ARTS CENTRE Birmingham THE BOY WITH TAPE ON STETTER & JUNIOR SIMP- Club, Birmingham HALDEN Fri 6 Jul, 02476 524524 AL MURRAY - THE PUB HIS FACE Sat 21 Jul, SON Fri 27 - Sat 28 Jul, FLANDERS & SWANN Fri Stafford Gatehouse WEST BROMWICH TOWN LANDLORD Tue 17 Jul, Warwick Arts Centre, Fosters Comedy 6 Jul, Malvern Theatres Theatre HALL DUNCAN OAKLEY, RAY ANDY ROBINSON, JOHNNY The Public, West Coventry Live@Highlight, 0121 596 4429 MICKEY D, MARTIN MOR, PEACOCK & JOHN LYNN KATZ, SUSAN MURRAY & Bromwich Birmingham WULFRUN HALL, LAUGH OUT LOUD COME- AVA VIDAL & DAVE JOHNS KEVIN BRIDGES Sat 28 Fri 6 Jul, The Slade GEOFF BOYZ Fri 6 & Sat WOLVERHAMPTON DY CLUB Tues 17 Jul, Sat 21 Jul, Fosters Jul, Artrix, Bromsgrove Rooms, W’hampton 7 Jul, Fosters Comedy 0870 320 7000

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Birmingham Hippodrome, Wed 4 July - Sat 25 August; Regent Theatre, Hanley, Dirty Dancing Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 12 - Sat 30 March Seen by millions across the globe, Eleanor Bergstein's worldwide you've not seen the show before, it's well worth checking out - its smash-hit musical tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two celebrity fans include Sir Ian McKellen, Judy Dench and Joanna Lum- fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come ley... together for what will prove to be the most challenging and tri- Casting for this particular production sees American actress Jill Win- umphant summer of their lives. Hit numbers include Hungry Eyes, ternitz star as Baby, with Nicky Griffiths (Mama Mia, Hairspray) as Hey Baby, Do You Love Me? and I’ve Had The Time Of My Life. If Penny and Paul Michael Jones (Mama Mia, Fame) as Johnny.

42nd Street New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 10 - Sat 14 July; The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tues 30 October - Sat 3 November This classic musical made a real splash when it first landed in 1980, picking up a Tony Award for being the best new show on the block. It's based on the 1933 movie of the same name, which in turn was based on the novel by Bradford Ropes, and tells the inspiring story of small town Peggy Sawyer's rise from chorine to Broadway star. Songs include Lulla- by Of Broadway, We're In The Money, Shuffle Off To Buffalo, Keep Young And Beautiful, I Only Have Eyes For You, and, of course, the spectacular title number itself. West End veterans Dave Willetts and the ever- wonderful Marti Webb ensure that this latest touring version of the hit show is in the very safest of hands.

Dry Rot The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Mon 23 - Sat 28 July An all-star cast and some wonderful writing ensures there's nothing 'rotten' about this latest touring version of Dry Rot, scribed by John Chapman over half a century ago and listed in the National Theatre's top one hundred plays. Liza Goddard, Susan Pen- haligon, Gareth Hale & Norman Pace, Neil Stacy and Derren Nesbitt are all present and correct in a story about a crooked bookie and two accomplices who devise a clever 'get rich quick' scheme. Trouble is, Honest Alf, Flash Harry and Fred have reckoned without the impact of a comatose horse, a blossoming love affair and a bewil- dered French jockey... www.whatsonlive.co.uk 27 Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:16 Page 3 Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:16 Page 4

Theatre PREVIEWS Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, Wed 25 - Sun 29 July You know the score: Disney characters come to town; you take your kids to see them; everybody goes home happy. It's a hugely successful formula, and when better to take advantage of it than in the early throes of a long and hopefully hot school summer holiday! Presented by Mickey Mouse, the show features some of Disney’s biggest stars, including Donald Duck, Goofy, Alice in Won- derland and the Mad Hatter. Disney princess- es Jasmine, Belle, Snow White and Cinderel- la are all present and correct too, not to mention a Fairy Godmother, who'll transform Cinder’s kitchen-girl rags into a beautiful ball gown in the blink of an awestruck child's eye. Much Ado About Nothing The Courtyard, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thurs 26 July - Sat 15 September Much Ado About Nothing is the story of two pairs of lovers. The first, Beatrice and Benedick, are older, though not necessarily wiser, and conduct their courtship through sarcasm and ver- bal sparring. The second, and much younger, couple are Claudio and Hero. The course of their love is cruelly interrupted by the villainous Don John, who falsely accuses Hero of infidelity and wantonness, timing his accusation to coincide with their wedding day. When Hero collapses and appears to be dead, the pressure is on to clear her name and reunite the young lovers. A comic subplot concerns a group of inept watchmen, led by Dogberry, who, inevitably, turn out to hold the key to the mystery. One of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies, its profile was raised by the joyful Kenneth Branagh film version back in the 1990s. This The Gruffalo particular production stars Meera Syal. Birmingham Town Hall, Tues 31 July - Sun 5 August & Sat 22 beauty. Jenny Seagrove leads the cast in a December - Wed 16 January Moscow State Circus story that focuses on the character of recent- With over four million copies of the book Beckett’s Farm, Alcester Rd, Birmingham, ly widowed Adela Shelly, who finds herself Wed 4 - Sun 8 July having been sold, it's fair to say that Julia being seduced by Guy Littleton, a suave visi- Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's award-win- Roll up! Roll up! The circus is back in town! tor to her elegant Caribbean home. But when ning Gruffalo has captured the hearts and Not that the Moscow State Circus is any Guy’s acid-tongued wife Melissa flies in to minds of children everywhere. Presenting common or garden Big Top spectacular, you see off the competition, it isn't long before songs, laughs and scary fun that's ideal for understand; it is, very possibly, the best- tensions begin to erupt, not to mention the children aged three and upwards, the stage known circus in the world, based on over local volcano... One-time Heartbeat favourite version follows Mouse as he heads out on two hundred years of tradition. When ani- Jason Durr co-stars. his journey through the deep dark wood, mals became an unpopular aspect of circus- scaring away hungry animals with tall stories es, the family favourite adapted to survive by of the terrifying Gruffalo. Imagine his sur- moving the emphasis to astonishing displays prise, then, when he suddenly finds himself of human skill and endurance, many of coming face-to-face with the very creature which are evident in the troupe's latest show, that he's imagined! Babushkin Sekret. Based on the legend of 'the twelve chairs', it features 'the queen of Russian circus' Yana Alievia on a revolving ariel chandelier, and the breathtaking Stalkions - a three- man, two-woman ensemble who walk, back-flip and create spectacular pyra- We Happy Few mids thirty feet in the Malvern Theatre, Wed 4 - Sat 7 July air on the high wire. The joys and miseries of a troupe of mainly female actors lies at the heart of this well- regarded play. The Osiris Repertory Compa- Kidnapping Cameron Volcano ny toured Britain during the dark days of Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, World War Two, travelling in converted Rolls Old Rep, Birmingham, Wed 18 - Sat 21 July Mon 2 - Sat 7 July Royce cars and performing Shakespeare, If you're a disillusioned teenager worried that This seems sure to be an absolute twenty- Shaw and Coward in schools, village halls, you have no chance of getting a place at uni- four carat treat of an experience for Noel factories, barracks and anywhere else that versity, a job when you leave school or a Coward fans, being, as it is, the first major an audience could be found... First per- home of your own, what better way to reme- production of a newly discovered gem from formed in 2003, We Happy Few was written dy the situation than by kidnapping the the legendary playwright. Written in 1956 by actress Imogen Stubbs, who's perhaps Prime Minister! Kidnapping Cameron has during his self-exile in Jamaica, the play was equally well known as a result of her now- been commissioned for and developed with inspired by an affair between Coward’s friend ended marriage to former RSC Artistic Direc- members of The Young Rep. Ian Fleming and a plantation-owning society tor Trevor Nunn.

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BROMSGROVE’S THEATRE, CINEMA, JULY LIVE MUSIC AND COMEDY VENUE HIGHLIGHTS

Monday 2nd July Saturday 7th July Monday 9th July VAMPYR - JULIAN SMITH MERRY WAR - STEVEN SEVERIN HIS STYLE OF SAX PLAYING HOTEL TEATRO LIVE IN PERSON, SEVERIN DRAWS FROM CLASSICAL A NEW ADAPTATION OF MUCH PRESENTS A MESMERISING CROSSOVER, LATIN AND EASY ADO ABOUT NOTHING BY SYNTHESIS OF SOUND AND LISTENING LIGHT JAZZ MUSIC. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE IMAGE.

Friday 13th July Saturday 21st July Wednesday 25th July HARDEEP SINGH THE KAST OFF THE TIN VIOLIN - KOHLI - INDIAN KINKS BISHBASHBOSH TAKEAWAY PLAY ALL THE HITS FROM THE PRODUCTIONS THIS MASTERCHEF FINALIST IS 60’S, 70’S & 80’S . FUNNY, TRAGIC AND ON A MISSION TO FIND THE BEST COMPELLING INDIAN TAKEAWAY IN THE UK.

FORTHCOMING CINEMA: Vampyr (PG) // Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (12A) // Once Upon A Time In Anatolia (15) // The Kid With A Bike (12A) // Albert Nobbs(15) // The Adventures Of Tintin (PG) // Moonrise Kingdom (12A) // In Darkness (15) // The Muppets (U) // Prometheus (15)

The new Artrix brochure is available to download on www.artrix.co.uk For bookings & full details log onto www.artrix.co.uk or phone 01527 577330 Artrix, Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove B60 1PQ Free parking on-site

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Theatre PREVIEWS Merry War Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 9 July If you like Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing - that's the one with the warring Beatrice and Benedick - but also enjoy contemporary theatre, then this show should be pretty darned perfect for you. A brand new production, Merry War was commissioned for Spain's internationally renowned Almagro Festival of Classical Theatre, an event which aims to promote the creation of contemporary, innovative work based on classical texts and to showcase emerging international directors. The production is presented by Hotel Teatro, and shows at Artrix prior to heading off on its Spanish adventure. Julius Caesar Bishop Of Hereford Bluecoat School, Hereford, Wed 11 July; Blists Hill, Ironbridge, Sun 15 July; Hall’s Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon, Wed 25 July; Whitbourne Hall, Worcester, Thurs 26 July; Mary Arden Farm, Stratford-upon-Avon, Fri 27 - Sat 28 July This bloody story of conspiracy and murder, of noble intentions and ignoble actions, sees Julius Caesar assassinated on the Capitol by a group of prominent senators. In the aftermath of the slaying, one of Caesar’s staunchest supporters, Mark Antony, manages not only to turn the crowd against the conspirators but also to defeat them in battle... Not that the plot of Shakespeare's famous political tragedy is likely to be overly important in this particular production, however, given the fact that zany funsters Oddsocks are at the helm! Expect plenty of The Complete World Of Sport madcap mayhem and laughter from this always value-for-money ensemble... The Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Tues figure of Prospero and the characters that 3 July; Lichfield Garrick, Tues 10 July inhabit his enchanted island. They include Agnes And Walter: A Little Taking the least possible time to complete the supernatural Ariel - flighty spirit and faith- Love Story their specialist task - like running the hun- ful servant to his lord and master Prospero - Lichfied Garrick, Fri 6 July dred metres as quickly as possible, for and Caliban, grotesque slave and native of Physical and visual performance styles, example - lies at the heart of many an the mystical island. When a royal band of including dance, theatre, clowning and Olympian’s London 2012 ambition. It lies at seafarers are shipwrecked on the island, it music, all feature in a show that’s been the heart of the Reduced Shakespeare Com- isn’t long before strange things begin to hap- described as a delightful flight of fancy. It’s pany’s ambition too, and not just in the year pen... This is an outdoor production present- also been described as ‘a love story of long- 2012! The RSC have been doing things really ed by MDCC Theatre Company. term commitment, daydreaming and a shed’, fast for well over a decade now, and on this and takes its inspiration from The Secret Life occasion have chosen to forsake the dusty Of Walter Mitty. The production is here pre- manuscripts of Stratford’s bountiful bard to sented by the highly talented Smith focus their attention on the world of sport - Dancetheatre. and with the aforementioned London Olympics now looming large, who can blame them? So if you’ve ever wondered whether Encompass 360 darts is really a sport, what NASCAR stands The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, Shrop- for, why Americans insist on calling a contest shire, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 July in which only they compete the ‘World Part of Dancing For The Games, an initiative Series’, or whether baseball or cricket is the inspired by London 2012 which forms part of more boring sport, get your running shoes the Cultural Olympiad in the West Midlands, on and sprint for a ticket asap. Encompass combines live performance and The Final Test a digital installation to create a show in a The Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, huge three hundred-and-sixty-degree digital Tues 17 - Sat 21 July igloo, offering its audience the chance to dis- Ex-Doctor Who Colin Baker here teams up cover dance in a variety of different spaces. with one-time Emmerdale bad boy Peter Amory (he played Chris Tate in the hit ITV1 soap, remember?) to star in a new play that's billed as 'a touching and poignant comedy about marriage, cricket, and the dangerous lure of Bexhill-on-Sea'... Ruth's decision to leave the cricket-mad Peter for her lover has a far-reaching impact on the lives The Tempest of everybody Stowe House Gardens, Lichfield, Sat 7 & Sat involved - including 14 July; Forge Mill Needle Museum, Red- the people who buy ditch, Sat 28 - Sun 29 July; Birmingham the separated cou- Botanical Gardens, Wed 1 - Thurs 2 August ple's home, when An intricate blend of comedy, tragedy and they discover that magic, The Tempest features Shakespeare’s they have an elderly most mature treatment of the key themes of cricket-loving squat- many of his greatest plays. It’s a tale of love ter living in the gar- and politics, revolving around the magical den...

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Wednesday 11th July, 8pm ROY CHUBBY BROWN Get ready for a barn-storming night of jokes, banter and hilarious mickey-taking from Britain’s most outrageous comedian

Sunday 7th October, 7.30pm ANN BREEN Listen to her sing a selection of her hits and with Ann's special blend of magic she will have you singing along to your hearts content.

Friday 19th October, 7.30pm Ballet Theatre UK presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL Join Ballet Theatre UK on a magical journey to the dark and twisting streets of old Dickensian London . Thursday 25th October, 7.30pm HALFWAY TO PARADISE All lip curling, smouldering sexiness, Billy Fury was the British Elvis and the most complete cool cat Rock 'n' Roller ever!

Friday 26th October, 7.30pm THE SEARCHERS This concert includes all their famous hits, plus many of their original album recordings, B- sides and a selection of other well known favourites.

Saturday 27th October, 7.30pm JULIAN SMITH Julian Smith's distinctive soprano saxophone sound has been heard all over the world - Don't miss out on this great evening of music.

Sunday 28th October, 11am & 2pm CHRIS & PUI Meet CBeebies' favourite double-act and have a giggle with them too in their fabulous new packed with fantastic songs, games and a few surprises along the way.

Wednesday 31st October, 7.30pm DOMINIC KIRWAN Don’t miss this fabulous night of music with Dominic, his live band, and all the hits, ‘Live and Personal’ on stage

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Theatre LISTINGS The Royal Shakespeare Theatre’s King John - The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon For full listing information on theatre productions including times and dates visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

marks the end of From Staffordshire’s first-ever SAT 1 JULY country-wide dance programme, Sun 1 Jul, Stafford Castle I, CINNA (THE POET) Tim WENT THE DAY WELL An Crouch directs a new illustrated talk by author version of Shake- and broadcaster speare's Julius Caesar Matthew Sweet on the that aims to encourage secret history of the younger audiences to British film industry, engage with the Bard's Mon 2 Jul, Ludlow writings. This produc- Assembly Rooms, tion has been commis- South Shropshire sioned for the World VOLCANO Jenny Sea- Shakespeare Festival, grove takes the lead in until Fri 6 Jul, The Bill Kenwright's produc- Swan Theatre, Strat- tion of 'Noel Coward's ford-upon-Avon newly discovered gem', MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTH- Mon 2 - Sat 7 Jul, The- ING Shakespeare's atre Severn, Shrews- comedy of love and bury deceit is transposed THE COMPLETE WORLD her acclaimed book BEAUTY & THE BEAST tion of The Bard’s final the modern movie busi- into the twentieth centu- OF SPORTS A whirlwind ry in this outdoor pro- What Did You Do In Amateur production masterpiece, Sat 7 Jul, ness, Mon 9 Jul, Lich- tour through the entire The War Mummy?, presented by Kings Stowe House Gardens, field Garrick duction that - set in history of athletic com- WW2 Britain - explores Wed 4 Jul, Ludlow Heath School, Thurs 5 - Lichfield MADMAN Little Earth- petition, Tue 3 Jul, Assembly Rooms, Sat 7 Jul, Bridge House PRIDE AND PREJUDICE quake present an the differences between Royal Spa Centre, men and women, Sat 1 South Shropshire Theatre, Warwick Chapterhouse Theatre inventive stage version Leamington Spa OUR HOUSE An amateur VINTAGE HITCHCOCK Company present Jane of Gogol's gripping - Sat 7 Jul, Ludlow Cas- A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S tle, South Shropshire production of Tim Stage 27 present a Austen's romantic clas- Diary of a Madman, DREAM The Little Eng- Firth’s play, performed series of live radio sic, Sat 7 Jul, Hagley Mon 9 - Tues 10 Jul, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE lish Theatre Company The Crescent Theatre by arrangement with plays, including The Hall, Stourbridge Lichfield Garrick present an outdoor pro- Josef Weinbeger Limit- Lodger, The Lady Van- THE TEMPEST Madcap COMPLETE WORLD OF Touring Company pres- duction of Shake- ent their version of the ed, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Jul, ishes & The Thirty Nine Theatre Productions SPORTS A whirlwind tour speare’s enchanting Highbury Theatre Cen- Steps, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 present their version of through the entire histo- Jane Austen classic, tale, Tues 3 Jul, The until Sat 7 Jul, Crescent tre, Sutton Coldfield Jul, Fusion Centre, one of The Bard’s best- ry of athletic competi- Rose Theatre, Kidder- TASHI LHUNPO MONKS A South Birmingham Col- loved comedies, Sat 7 tion, Tues 10 Jul, Lich- Theatre, Birmingham minster JULIUS CAESAR Gregory dramatic presentation lege Jul, Artrix, Bromsgrove field Garrick DEAD RINGER Witty of sacred dance, music A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S SIX OF THE BEST Six new A COMEDY DOUBLE BILL Doran brings a contem- thriller starring Chris porary edge to Shake- and prayer, Wed 4 Jul, DREAM The Little Eng- short plays from Mid- STAC present The Ellison, Keith Drinkel The Roses Theatre, lish Theatre Company lands writers, selected Extraordinary Revela- speare's great political and Joanne Heywood, thriller, until Sat 7 Jul, Tewksbury present an outdoor pro- through a BBC Writers’ tions of Ocra the Gold- Tue 3 - Sat 7 Jul, The THE SLIP Royal Shakespeare Re-Action The- duction of Shake- Room competition, Sat fish and Black comedy, Grand Theatre, Wolver- atreMakers fuse chore- speare’s enchanting 7 Jul, Old Joint Stock Tue 10 - Sat 14 Jul, The Theatre, Stratford-upon- hampton Avon ography with a mes- tale, Fri 6 Jul, Ragley Theatre, Birmingham Swan Theatre, Worces- AN EVENING WITH JIMMY merising soundtrack to Hall, Alcester THE PAPER CINEMA ter ROMEO AND JULIET Out- GREAVES An evening of door production of tell the magical story of STREET DANCE ACADEMY Fusion of live music 42ND STREET Dave Wil- anecdotes from a sport- a girl who moves SDA ANNUAL SHOWCASE and animation that’s letts, Marti Webb and Shakespeare's famous ing legend, Tue 3 Jul, tale of passion and between timelines, Wed 2012 Featuring hip hop, part cinema show, part Mark Bramble star in Lichfield Garrick 4 Jul, Forest Arts Cen- locking, popping, slide show and part the Tony Award-winning tragedy, until Sat 14 NEANDERTHAL MAN & Jul, Stafford Castle tre, Walsall house, break dance puppet show, Sat 7 - musical, Tue 10 - Sat 14 THE SEVEN AGES OF WBS DANCE PRESENT and much more... Fri 6 Sun 8 Jul, Lichfield Gar- Jul, New Alexandra A SOLDIER IN EVERY SON WOMAN A devised com- - THE RISE OF THE SUMMERDANCE 2012 - Sat 7 Jul, Crewe rick Theatre, Birmingham edy double-bill per- Performances by local Lyceum A LITTLE OF WHAT YOU YOU'RE ONLY YOUNG AZTECS Roxana Silbert formed by Central directs the first in a trilo- students featuring bal- ROCK THE WORLD A new FANCY A musical adven- TWICE Ian Dickens Pro- Youth Theatre, Tue 3 - let, tap, and a range of show inspired by the ture that spans one ductions present Ron gy of plays that have Wed 4 Jul, Newhamp- been commissioned for contemporary styles, fusion of countries and hundred years to follow Aldridge's touching ton Arts Centre, Wolver- Wed 4 - Thurs 5 Jul, cultures celebrating the the comical and colour- comedy. Melvyn Hayes the World Shakespeare hampton Festival, until Sat 28 The Edge Arts Centre, 2012 Olympics, Fri 6 - ful history of the Music (It Ain’t Half Hot Mum) WE HAPPY FEW Malvern Much Wenlock, Shrop- Sat 7 Jul, Belgrade Hall, Sat 7 - Sat 14 Jul, stars, Tue 10 - Sat 14 Jul, The Swan Theatre, Theatre Players present Stratford-upon-Avon shire Theatre, Coventry Oldbury Rep - Barlow Jul, The Grand Theatre, Imogen Stubbs’ come- MOSCOW STATE CIRCUS: RICHARD III Roxana Sil- OFFAL TALES! Masked Theatre, Langley Wolverhampton dy that follows a group SEKRET Wed 4 - Sun 8 theatre company THAT'LL BE THE DAY THE TRENCH Les Enfants bert directs a contem- of female actors as the porary version of Jul, Beckett’s Farm, Vamos present a new, Rock 'n' roll touring Terribles present a new tour the works of The Alcester Rd, Wythall, promenade perform- show, Sun 8 Jul, play inspired by the Shakespeare's expose Bard across the UK of one of history's most Birmingham ance that celebrates Stafford Castle story of William Hack- during WWII, Wed 4 - PRIVATE LIVES infamous monarchs, Heart- the opening of The MOVE OVER MORIARTY ett, a minor who Sat 7 Jul, Malvern The- break Productions Hive, and its history as The award-winning became entombed in a until Sat 15 Sep, The atres Swan Theatre Stratford- present their version of Worcester's Cattle Mar- LipService present their tunnel during WW1, ANNIE Amateur produc- Noel Coward’s cele- ket, Fri 6 - Sat 7 Jul, highly acclaimed mur- Wed 11 Jul, Lichfield upon-Avon tion presented by The KING JOHN Maria Aberg brated drama, Thurs 5 The Hive, Worcester derous music hall Garrick Palace Youth Theatre, Jul, Bantock House & EXTRAVAGANZA 2012 A melange, Sun 8 Jul, JULIUS CAESAR Odd- direct the RSC in a new Wed 4 - Fri 6 Jul, version of Shake- Park, Wolverhampton sharing of work from Lichfield Garrick socks bring their Palace Theatre, Red- A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S speare's play about the the children of Swan unique theatrical wit to ditch DREAM The Little Eng- Youth Theatre, Fri 6 - one of the most famous medieval monarch's DIRTY DANCING Eleanor Week Commencing political struggle with lish Theatre Company Sat 7 Jul, The Swan political coups in liter- Bergstein's smash-hit present an outdoor pro- Theatre, Worcester MON 9 JULY ary history, Wed 11 Jul, France, until Sat 15 West End musical that Sep, The Swan The- duction of Shake- A FINE BRIGHT DAY Bishop Of Hereford tells the classic love speare’s enchanting TODAY Philip Goulding's Bluecoat School, Here- atre, Stratford-upon- story of Baby and Avon tale, Thurs 5 Jul, Hatton big-hearted play that MERRY WAR A new ford Johnny, Wed 4 Jul - Sat Country World, War- looks at moving on, adaptation of Shake- HAIRSPRAY Amateur BILLY LIAR Amateur pro- 25 Aug, Birmingham ductions presented by wick chance meetings and speare’s Much Ado production presented Hippodrome THE FITZROVIA RADIO Cheshire East Youth middle-aged love, Fri 6 About Nothing, Mon 9 by City of Wolverhamp- A MATTER OF LIFE AND HOUR Theatre Performance Acclaimed pro- - Sat 21 Jul, New Vic Jul, Artrix, Bromsgrove ton College Performing DEATH Broadcaster and duction that recreates Theatre, Newcastle- MARK KERMODE: THE Arts students, Wed 11 - Group, Sun 1 Jul, writer Mavis Nicholson Crewe Lyceum the unique spirit of the under-Lyme GOOD, THE BAD AND THE Fri 13 Jul, Newhampton shares forgotten tales radio plays of the THE TEMPEST MDCC MULTIPLEX The broad- Arts Centre, Wolver- GET DANCING Day-long of women during the dance festival that 1940s, Thurs 5 - Fri 6 Theatre Company pres- caster and writer ques- hampton Second World War from Jul, Lichfield Garrick ent an outdoor productions what’s wrong with GOLDENMIND King's C of

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 33 Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:17 Page 9

@ The Old Rep Station Street, Birmingham, B5 4DY Forests 31 August to Based on texts by William Shakespeare “Let the forest judge” - a new Shakespearean 15 September odyssey imagined by Calixto Bieito Tickets from £8

Part of the World Shakespeare Festival, which is produced by the Royal Shakespeare birmingham-rep.co.uk 0121 236 4455 Company for London 2012 Festival

34 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:17 Page 10

cal wit to one of the most AN EVENING WITH ALAN LISTINGS famous political coups in TITCHMARSH: A DIAMOND Theatre literary history, Sun 15 Jul, JUBILEE CELEBRATION Wed Blists Hill, Ironbridge, 18 Jul, Guy Nelson Hall, For full listing information on theatre pro- Shropshire The Bridge House Theatre, ductions, including times and dates, visit HAMLET MDCC Theatre Warwick www.whatsonlive.co.uk Company present their MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING version of Shakespeare’s Heartbreak Productions tragedy of justice and present their version of BIRMINGHAM’S E School attempt to save present their acclaimed revenge, Sun 15 Jul, Shakespeare’s tale of love the world with their fast- performance that fuses Stowe House Gardens, and deceit, Wed 18 Jul, PREMIER PUB paced production, Wed 11 music with contemporary Lichfield Hill Close Gardens, War- - Fri 13 Jul, Arena Theatre, dance, Fri 13 - Sat 14 Jul, wick THEATRE Wolverhampton Lichfield Garrick ULTIMATE D Presented by CLOSE TO HOME WE DANCE Week Commencing The Bel- Two-day festival The Whiteman Dance grade Community & Edu- featuring a new Olympic- MON 16 JULY Academy of Kenilworth, Thurs 28 June, 8pm cation Company present themed commission that Wed 18 - Thurs 19 Jul, IMPROV EMPORIUM an exploration of the peo- showcases performances Royal Spa Centre, Leam- UPSTAIRS IMPROV present another ple affected by HIV and by local learning disabled BURNT BY THE SUN Central ington Spa AIDS in Coventry, Wed 11 community groups, Fri 13 cornucopia of non-stop games and sketch- Youth Theatre present a KIDNAPPING CAMERON A es and fun - Sat 14 Jul, Belgrade The- - Sat 14 Jul, mac, Birming- tale of jealousy, retribution Young Rep production that atre, Coventry ham and political intrigue that's takes a look at the role WUTHERING HEIGHTS ALI BABA Sat 7 July, 2pm & 8pm Stour- Family show fea- set at the height of the that young people can bridge Theatre Company turing comedy, catchy Russian Revolution in play in democracy and SIX OF THE BEST present their version of songs, music, dance and 1936, Mon 16 - Tue 17 Jul, deciding their own future Cahoots Theatre presents a Emily Bronte’s classic tale, colourful scenery, Sat 14 Arena Theatre, Wolver- in today's uncertain times, programme of New Writing from the Wed 11 - Sat 14 Jul, Him- Jul, Stratford Civic Hall hampton Wed 18 - Sat 21 Jul, Old Midlands BARRICADE ley Hall & Park, Dudley Contemporary THE COMEDY OF ERRORS Rep, Birmingham LES MISERABLES Amateur circus company No Fit Amir Nizar Zuabi directs a PRIVATE LIVES Heartbreak production presented by State bring this year’s new version of Shake- Productions present their JAZZ IN THE BAR Musical Youth Theatre Lichfield Festival to a close speare's joyful comedy of version of Noel Coward’s Stafford, Wed 11 - Sat 14 with a performance that mistaken identity, Mon 16 celebrated drama, Wed 18 8 - 15 July Jul, Stafford Gatehouse blends skilled aerial and Jul - Sat 6 Oct, Royal - Thu 19 Jul, Birmingham Theatre acrobatic acts with come- JOINING IN WITH THE JAZZ Shakespeare Theatre, Botanical Gardens FESTIVAL OJS PRESENTS..... THE BROWNING VERSION & A dy chases and a firework Stratford-upon-Avon THE TEMPEST & TAMING OF TALK IN THE PARK Intimate finale, Sat 14 Jul, Beacon THE PHYSICAL FELLOWSHIP THE SHREW BMAPA pres- Sun 8 July, 1pm Theatre present a double- Park, Lichfield 2012: REVOLUTIONS A four- ent two abridged and THE TEMPEST bill of English tragicomedy MDCC The- day festival featuring phys- adapted versions of FOUR ON THE FLOOR from Terrence Rattigan atre Company present an ical performances from Shakespeare’s works, Mon 9 July, 7.30pm and Alan Ayckbourn, outdoor production of The young people across the Wed 18 - Thurs 19 Jul, The FLEMING / JURD / Thurs 12 Jul, George Bard’s final masterpiece, region, Tues 17 - Fri 20 Old Joint Stock Theatre, Hotel, Lichfield Sat 14 Jul, Stowe House Jul, Belgrade Theatre, Birmingham JOZWIAK TRIO TWELFTH NIGHT David Farr Gardens, Lichfield Coventry OUR HOUSE Amateur pro- COMPLETE WORLD OF Tue 10 July, 7.30pm directs Shakespeare's tale YOU’RE ONLY YOUNG TWICE duction of the Madness SPORTS HOUSE TRIO featuring of mistaken identity, cross- The bad boys of Melvyn Hayes & Katy Man- musical, Wed 18 - Sat 21 dressing and unrequited abridgement are back with ning star in Ron Aldridge’s Jul, Crewe Lyceum PERCY PURSGLOVE love, Thurs 12 Jul - Sat 6 a rollercoaster journey touching play, Tue 17 - Sat THE WIZARD OF OZ Amateur Wed 11 July, 7.30pm Oct, Royal Shakespeare through the world of sport, 21 Jul, Lichfield Garrick production presented by CAIXA CUBO TRIO Theatre, Stratford-upon- Sat 14 Jul, The Roses The- THE FINAL TEST Ian Dickens Get Your Wiggle On, Wed Avon atre, Tewksbury presents the world-pre- 18 - Sat 21 Jul, Theatre Thurs 12 July, 7.30pm THE TEMPEST FOOTLOOSE David Farr Presented by miere of Chris Paling's Severn, Shrewsbury MATT GOUGH TRIO directs a new version of Shrewsbury Young Per- comedy about cricket, LORD OF THE FLIES A Young the Bard's final master- formers Theatre Group, marriage and the danger- Rep production of William Sun 15 July, 1pm piece, Fri 13 Jul - Sun 7 Sat 14 Jul, Theatre Severn, ous lure of Bexhill-on-Sea. Golding’s seminal study FOUR ON THE FLOOR Oct, Royal Shakespeare Shrewsbury Colin Baker, Peter Amory, into the breakdown of the THE WHEELS ON THE BUS Theatre, Stratford-upon- Karen Ford and Nicola established social order, Avon Interactive theatre session Weeks star, Tue 17 - Sat Wed 18 - Sat 21 Jul, Stoke AN EVENING WITH DEREK for the under-fives, Sun 15 21 Jul, The Grand Theatre, Repertory Theatre, Stoke- ALTERNATIVE ACORAH Fri 13 Jul, Victoria Jul, Theatre Severn, Wolverhampton on-Trent SHAKESPEARE Hall Shrewsbury SIR RANULPH FIENNES - ENCOMPASS 360 A dance AN AUDIENCE WITH JACK WHO A DI DON Comedian EVEREST, THE EIGER AND and digital media extrava- FESTIVAL THE RIPPER Murder Squad Oliver Samuels makes his MORE... Interviewed on ganza that makes links 18 - 28 July Detective Trevor Marriott debut as a playwright with stage by acclaimed high across continents while reveals the findings of his a Jamaican comedy altitude mountaineer and wrapping dancing images twenty-first century investi- drama in which he also Wed 18 & Thurs 19 July, 7.30pm photographer cameraman around the audience, BMAPA present two Abridged and gation into the co-directs and stars, Sun Ian Parnell, Sir Ranulph Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Jul, The Adapted versions of Whitechapel Murders of 15 Jul, New Alexandra Fiennes talks about his Edge Arts Centre, Much THE TEMPEST & TAMING 1888, Fri 13 Jul, Hunting- Theatre, Birmingham expeditions to The Eiger Wenlock, Shropshire JULIUS CAESAR OF THE SHREW don Hall, Worcester Oddsocks and to Everest, Wed 18 GREAT EXPECTATIONS Cen- ECHOA Compagnie Arcosm bring their unique theatri- Jul, Malvern Theatres tral Youth Theatre present Fri 20 & Sat 21 July, 7.30pm. their version of one of Sat Mat 2.30pm In a Moment present Unmythable - mac, Birmingham Charles Dickens' most famous novels, Thurs 19 - ROMEO & JULIET Fri 20 Jul, Arena Theatre, FOR ALL TIME Wolverhampton BY FRANK BRAMWELL DISNEY'S BEAUTY & THE BEAST Amateur youth pro- Thurs 26 July, 8pm. duction featuring a live IMPROV SLAM orchestra. A fundraising UPSTAIRS IMPROV present Shakespeare event for the Joe Gilligan with a Twist Trust, Fri 20 Jul, Victoria Hall, Hanley, Stoke-on- Fri 27 & Sat 28 July, 7.30pm. Trent Sat Mat 2pm In a Moment present ALOCLASP Exploration of the vastness of outer- OPHELIA, PRINCESS space and man’s relation- OF DENMARK ship with faith and the real- BY FRANK BRAMWELL ity of nature, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Jul, mac, Birmingham FOLEY A performance of Jo Bannon's new work that’s Tel: 0121 200 0946 part performance, part demonstration and part & 0845 680 1926 thriller... Fri 20 - Sat 21 Jul, email:[email protected]. New Vic Theatre, Newcas- tle-under-Lyme www.oldjointstocktheatre.co.uk ROMEO & JULIET FOR ALL or on-line at: www.oxboffice.com TIME In A Moment present

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 35 Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:17 Page 11

COMING SOON TO THEATRE SEVERN

WEDNESDAY 11 JULY

WITHERING Tue 31st July LOOKS TEA DANCE Doors 1.30pm, Dance 2pm-4.30pm. LipService - Britain's Tickets £4 favourite literary lunatics, are back with their Thurs 23rd - Sat 25th August cult Brontë spoof BACK TO THE 80s 7.30pm, Sat Mat 2.30pm FRIDAY 13 JULY Tickets £9 / £8 concs / £7 child BLAKE: LOVE LIFTS US UP Thurs 13th September RAYMOND FROGGATT IN CONCERT 7.30pm. Tickets £15 / £14 concs

Sat 15th September THERE WAS AN The greatest love songs of all time, in perfect harmony, OLD LADY WHO with Brit-Award winning singers SWALLOWED A FLY 2.30pm. Tickets £7 SATURDAY 14 JULY Thu 20th September PERFORMING OVER 35 THE ULTIMATE CHART TOPPING SMASH-HITS OASIS TRIBUTE LIVE IN CONCERT 7.30pm. Tickets £10 with tributes to Duran Duran, The Human Sat 22nd September League, Kim Wilde, Culture Club, Madonna, TONY LAW: Wham, Nena, Toni Basil, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, MAXIMUM NONSENSE Kraftwerk, Trio, 8pm. Tickets £12 / £10 concs Dead or Alive, Madness and many many more ! Fri 28th September BEE GEES FEVER SUNDAY 15 JULY 7.30pm. Tickets £14 / £12 concs Join Buster the Mon 1st October Big Red Bus THE TIM VINE with all of his friends on their CHAT SHOW magical adven- 8pm. Tickets £17.50 tures, journey- ing through a Wed 3rd October song book loved by all the THE UPBEAT BEATLES family. 7.30pm. Tickets £15 / £13 concs

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO VIEW MORE SHOWS!

Frankwell Quay, Box Office 01743 281 281 Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Book Online www.theatresevern.co.uk SY3 8FT

36 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:17 Page 12

EMMA Chapterhouse Ophelia, Princess of Denmark - The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham LISTINGS Theatre present an out- Theatre door production of Jane Austen's classic For full listing information on theatre tale of matchmaking, productions, including times and dates, marriage and merri- visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk ment, Wed 25 Jul, Birmingham Botanical Gardens Frank Bramwell’s haligon, Gareth Hale & JULIUS CAESAR Odd- acclaimed retelling of Norman Pace, Neil socks bring their Shakespeare’s classic Stacy & Derren Nesbitt, unique theatrical wit to love story, Fri 20 - Sat Mon 23 - Sat 28 Jul, one of the most famous 21 Jul, The Old Joint The Grand Theatre, political coups in liter- Stock Theatre, Birming- Wolverhampton ary history, Wed 25 Jul, ham THE SCHOOL FOR SCAN- Hall's Croft, Stratford- ROMEO & JULIET Chap- DAL Maggie Steed stars upon-Avon terhouse Theatre pres- in Richard Brinsley FORGOTTEN SPORTING ent an outdoor produc- Sheridan’s romp HEROES A double-bill of tion of Shakespeare's through the lives and solo performances romantic tale, Sat 21 loves of the upper about two heroic men Jul, Coughton Court, classes in eighteenth who capture the JULIUS CAESAR Odd- PRIVATE LIVES Heart- Town Hall Warwickshire century London, Mon Olympic spirit, Wed 25 BLOWERS & BAXTER: socks bring their break Productions ME AND MY GIRL 23 - Sat 28 Jul, Malvern Jul, The Roses Theatre, MEMORIES OF TEST unique theatrical wit to present their version of Worcester Operatic and Theatres Tewksbury MATCH SPECIAL one of the most famous Noel Coward’s cele- Dramatic Society Youth Sat 21 UNMYTHABLE Edinburgh JULIUS CAESAR Odd- political coups in liter- brated drama, Sun 29 Section (WODYS) cele- Jul, Birmingham Town preview show that socks bring their ary history, Fri 27 - Sat Jul, Twycross Zoo, brate their thirtieth Hall takes its audience on a unique theatrical wit to BSS SHOWBIZ SUMMER 28 Jul, Mary Arden Warwickshire anniversary with a per- whistle-stop tour one of the most famous CONCERT Farm, Stratford-upon- formance of the award- Summer through the greatest political coups in liter- Avon winning musical, Tue showcase from one of Greek myths ever told, ary history, Thurs 26 Week Commencing OPHELIA, PRINCESS OF 31 Jul - Sat 4 Aug, The the Midlands’ leading Tues 24 - Wed 25 Jul, Jul, Whitbourne Hall, DENMARK In A Moment MON 30 JULY Swan Theatre, Worces- part time stage mac, Birmingham Worcester present Frank ter schools, Sat 21 Jul, TIN VIOLIN Bish Bash SWORD IN THE STONE Bramwell’s latest THE CEMETERY CLUB Birmingham Town Hall Bosh Theatre present a Cambridge Touring THE CARAVAN SHOW Shakespeare adapta- THE RAILWAY CHILDREN Starring Anita Harris, The tragic, funny and com- Theatre present what tion, Fri 27 - Sat 28 Heartbreak Productions Shirley-Anne Field, Bone Ensemble pres- pelling play that promises to be a robust Jul, The Old Joint present their award- Karen Ford and Debbie ent a family participato- explores identity, and comic musical per- Stock Theatre, Birm- winning adaptation of E Norman, Tue 31 Jul - ry show that promises belonging and place, formance of King Arthur ingham Nesbitt’s classic Edwar- Sat 4 Aug, Malvern to take its audience on Wed 25 Jul, Artrix, And The Sword In The THE TEMPEST MDCC dian tale, Tue 31 Jul, Theatres a journey of discovery, Bromsgrove Stone, Thurs 26 Jul, Theatre Company Brueton Park, Solihull SLEEPING BEAUTY Chap- Sat 21 Jul, mac, Birm- PAPER WINGS Rhubarb Weston Park, Stafford- present an outdoor THE GRUFFALO Tall Sto- terhouse Theatre pres- ingham Theatre Company pres- shire production of Shake- ries present their adap- ent an outdoor produc- ent a colourful show for IMPROV SLAM Shake- speare’s final master- tation of Julia Donald- tion of the much-loved Week Commencing children that aims to speare with a twist... piece, Sat 28 - Sun 29 son's magical tale for fairytale, Tue 31 Jul, take its audience Thurs 26 Jul, The Old Jul, Forge Mill Needle children, Tue 31 Jul - Hampton Court Castle, MON 23 JULY through a rollercoaster Joint Stock Theatre, Museum, Redditch Sun 5 Aug, Birmingham Leominster of emotions, Wed 25 Birmingham Jul, The Public, West MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTH- AMUSEMENTS Edin- Bromwich ING Comedian and burgh preview show DISNEY LIVE! MICKEY'S actress Meera Syal from last year’s BE Fes- MAGIC SHOW Join some stars in the RSC’s tival winners, the of Disney's biggest vibrant new production UK/Spanish live-art stars as they take to the that transposes Shake- group Sleepwalk Col- stage at Birmingham's speare's tale of love lective, Mon 23 Jul, National Indoor Arena and deceit to an Indian mac, Birmingham to assist Mickey and setting, Thurs 26 Jul - DRY ROT Physical come- Minnie in various magic Sat 15 Sep, The Court- dy featuring an all-star tricks, Wed 25 - Sun 29 yard, Stratford-upon- cast, including Liza Jul, National Indoor Avon Goddard, Susan Pen- Arena, Birmingham

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www.whatsonlive.co.uk 37 Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:17 Page 13

Dracula: The Music And Theatre REVIEWS Film Symphony Hall, Birmingham Here are a few of the theatre Iconic composer Philip Glass isn't the productions we reviewed from last first person you’d associate with popu- month. For further theatre reviews, visit, lar horror, but in 1998 he was asked to www.whatsonlive.co.uk write a score for Universal Studios' 1931 movie version of Dracula, the film which I Dreamed A Dream established many of the cobwebbed conventions of Bram Stoker’s supernat- Birmingham Hippodrome ural chiller. As part of its twenty-first Many of us will remember Susan Boyle taking birthday celebrations, Symphony Hall to the stage in ITV1’s Britain’s Got Talent and last month screened the movie with live declaring she wanted to be a singer like Elaine accompaniment by Glass himself, per- Page. The majority of us will no doubt also forming alongside longstanding collab- remember that we didn’t imagine she had a cat cil estate in West Lothian. A slamming door orators Michael Reisman and the Kro- in hell’s chance of achieving her ambition... acts as a stark reminder of the misfortune and nos Quartet. If Glass’s trademark style But then, of course, she began to sing - and heartache, while a jukebox spinning familiar perfectly conveyed the insistent her stunning rendition of I Dreamed A Dream tracks from the 1970s lifts the atmosphere and (blood)lust of the Count and the eerie became the first step on a journey that would brings everything back on track... grandeur of the Transylvanian ruins, change her life forever. The fortysomething It’s a while before Elaine delivers her first note, then the calm of the musicians on stage ‘never been kissed’ virgin from Scotland and while she’s no Elaine Paige - nor, for that also served to emphasise the on-screen became an overnight star, as SuBo fever matter, a Susan Boyle - she can hold a note mania. The film may have one foot in gripped the nation and, before long, the well enough to keep the audience engaged. the coffin of the silent movie era, but world... Less than three years later, the interna- Indeed, the scene where she takes to the stu- this invigorating multimedia perform- tional singing sensation is laying bare her form- dio to sing Wild Horses sends shivers down the ance brought a real lightness and ener- ative years. We’ve all read about the bullying, spine. The high spot among high spots, how- gy to what is undoubtedly a twentieth the loneliness and the loss in Susan’s life - and ever, came when Susan herself made a special century cinema classic. yes, they’re all there in I Dreamed A Dream. But appearance on stage at the end of the evening. Note: Michael Nyman performs his as well as the heartbreak - it’s said that Susan The entire audience rose to their feet, the hairs score for Eisenstein's Battleship had to walk away from rehearsals when she on the back of my neck stood on end, and the Potemkin at Symphony Hall on saw the initial scenes involving her father’s woman next to me took out her hankie and 30 September. David Barron IIIII death - there’s also evidence of a loving and began to weep. As Susan sang the first note of protective family, a special friendship, and even I Dreamed A Dream, the audience burst into a love interest. rapturous applause. It’s not only because SuBo Wonderful Town Rab C Nesbitt actress Elaine C Smith bears an sings this song so perfectly that we applaud, Birmingham Hippodrome almost uncanny resemblance to Susan, and it’s also the fact that, as a nation, we love the Perhaps it’s the popularity of Mad Men, delivers a perfect performance, narrating the Susan Boyle story, and everything that it repre- or the continuing trend towards vintage highs and many lows of SuBo’s life on a coun- sents. Patsy Moss IIIII clothes and retro interiors, but musicals of the mid-twentieth century have enjoyed a real revival in recent years, Doctor In The House with Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town being the latest to be resurrected. Wolverhampton Grand Theatre At its centre are sisters Ruth (played by Popular funnyman Joe Pasquale conducts a How Do You Solve A Problem Like spot of rib-tickling surgery to help bring this Maria? winner Connie Fisher), a writer, 1950s medical comedy up to date. Some of the and Eileen, an aspiring actress, who humour in the story, written by Richard Gordon leave behind small-town life for the and Ted Willis, is inevitably a shade dated, par- bright lights of 1930s Greenwich Vil- ticularly the sketch where trainee doctor Simon lage, New York, only to be greeted by a Sparrow (Phillip Longhorne) is so desperately less-than-wonderful initial experience. shy with his latest girlfriend. Former King of the Wonderful Town, unlike Bernstein’s Jungle Joe, starring as medical student Tony timeless West Side Story, does, unfortu- Grimsdyke, plays himself at times. He chats to nately, feel very much ‘of its era’, with the audience before curtain up and later, and role as pompous hospital chief surgeon Sir the main characters overtly stereotyped. while kissing shapely girlfriend Vera (Emma Lancelot Spratt, who thinks he’s stumbled on Set in the thirties but written in the Barton) turns to the auditorium with a grin and an orgy when he turns up during the students' fifties, the show is a little lost between says, "I love this bit". The device works well. rehearsal for a Christmas play. Paul Marston the two decades - and kitting out the Robert Powell, meanwhile, is convincing in his III II dancers in pedal pushers did little to help. But in this comedy of errors there were still laughs to be had, the highlight The Just Price Of Flowers being the burly Irish police force burst- AE Harris Building, Birmingham ing into traditional song and dance to impress Eileen. What really made the The Just Price Of Flowers has the feel of a musical a worthwhile watch, however, framed Dutch painting in monochrome, with were the lead performers. Connie Fish- origami ruffs and tulips. It’s not often that a er proved herself to be an entertaining review starts by giving a round of applause for actress, while the solos delivered by the lighting, but Simon Bond makes the staging other leads, most notably Ruth’s love picture-perfect. Everything about the produc- interest Bob Baker, did, on occasion, tion is slick and just right. The story of how the have the power to make one’s hairs speculative buying and selling of tulips in sev- stand on end. Claire Lloyd III II enteenth century Holland leads to the financial ruin of many, the show takes its audience on a romp around the Netherlands that includes a great scene in which a banker has his cake that the world has failed to learn from history, and eats it. The scenes are held together by and that nothing is new. the narrator, who references the current finan- While this production offers no clues as to cial crisis, using everyday modern tragedies - whether a quick economic recovery is on the names we might know of people who have lost cards, it certainly provides an evening of great IIIII their homes - to illustrate the all-too-evident fact entertainment. Jan Watts

38 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Theatre July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 17:17 Page 14

Theatre WEST END Charlie to bring his Chocolate Factory to the West End Warner Bros Theatre Adventures is bringing its production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory to the West End next year. Directed by the award-winning Sam Mendes, the new stage musical will feature songs from Marc Shaiman and Scott

Wittman, choreog- Sam Mendes raphy by Peter Darling and set and costume design by Mark Thompson. Cast- ing has yet to be made public for the production, which will open at the London Palla- dium in June 2013.

Tickets for The Bodyguard now

on sale... Emi Wokoma as Tina Turner A stage musical based on The Bodyguard, the iconic 1990s movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, is to open at the Ike And Tina Turner musical announced for Savoy Theatre Adelphi Theatre this autumn. Directed by the Tina Turner’s tumultuous relationship with The Little Shop Of Horrors - will star as Tina, award-winning Thea Sharrock (Equus, After her husband and one-time musical partner with Chris Tummings (The Harder They The Dance), the new musical will see Gram- Ike is to be laid bare on the West End stage Come) playing Ike. Featuring a host of clas- my Award-winning artist Heather Headley in a brand new musical. Soul Sister follows sic hits, including Simply The Best, What’s making her stage debut as Rachel, while the highs and lows of the famous couple’s Love Got To Do With It, Proud Mary, Private British actor Lloyd Owen will star as Frank relationship, and charts how their rise to Dancer and River Deep Mountain High, Soul Farmer. The Bodyguard opens at The Adel- fame and fortune resulted in the breakdown Sister runs at The Savoy Theatre from 20 phi on 6 November and will run until 27 April of their marriage. Emi Wokoma - whose pre- August to 29 September. 2013. vious theatre credits include Hairspray and

WIZARD OF OZ London PHILADELPHIA, HERE I Theatre Royal, booking WEST END LISTINGS: Palladium Theatre, COME! Donmar Ware- COMEDY 1 Oct - 20 Oct 2012 booking until 2 Sept house, 26 July 2012 - 22 SUNSHINE BOYS Savoy 2012 Sept 2012 39 STEPS Criterion The- Theatre, until 28 July MAMMA MIA! Prince Of PHYSICISTS Donmar atre, booking until 30 2012 MUSICALS Wales Theatre, booking Warehouse, booking Mar 2013 until 1 Sept 2012 DRAMA TWELFTH NIGHT Apollo AMERICAN IDIOT Ham- until 21 July 2012 ABIGAIL’S PARTY Wynd- Theatre, 2 Nov 2012 - 3 MATILDA THE MUSICAL mersmith Apollo The- TEN BILLION Royal court ham’s Theatre, booking Feb 2013 Cambridge Theatre, CHILDREN’S CHILDREN atre, 3 Dec - 16 Dec Theatre, 12 July 2012 - until 1 Sept 2012 booking until 17 Feb Almeida Theatre, book- WALK ON PART A: THE 2012 11 aug 2012 DERREN BROWN: SVEN- 2013 ing until 30 June 2012 FALL OF NEW LABOUR BILLY ELLIOT – THE MUSI- TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA GALI Novello Theatre, Arts Theatre, until 14 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA CHARIOTS OF FIRE CAL Victoria Palace Lyric Theatre, 4 July 12 July 2012 - 11 Aug July 2012 Theatre, booking until Her Majesty's Theatre, Gielgud Theatre, book- 2012 ing until 10 Nov 2012 2012 - 2 Sept 2012 WHAT THE BUTLER SAW 21 Dec 2013 booking until 27 Apr ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS 2013 CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE WAR HORSE New Lon- Vaudeville Theatre, BLOOD BROTHERS don Theatre, booking Haymarket Theatre booking until - 25 Aug ROCK OF AGES Shaftes- DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME Phoenix Theatre book- until 26 Oct 2013 Royal, booking until 12 2012 ing until 24 Nov 2012 bury Theatre, booking Cottesloe National The- Jan 2013 until 13 Jan 2013 atre, 24 July 2012 - 27 WOMAN IN BLACK For- YES, PRIME MINISTER BODYGUARD Adelphi PAUL MERTON: OUT OF Trafalger Studios, book- SHREK THE MUSICAL Oct 2012 tune Theatre, booking Theatre 6 Nov 2012 - until 15 Dec 2012 MY HEAD Vaudeville ing until- 12 Jan 2013 27 Apr 2013 Drury Lane, Theatre DEMOCRACY Old VicThe- Royal, booking until 31 atre, booking until 14 CABARET Savoy Theatre Mar 2013 July 2012 3 Oct 2012 - 19 Jan Phantom Of The Opera - Her Majesty’s Theatre 2013 SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN DOCTORS DILEMMA Lyttel- ton National Theatre, 17 CHICAGO Garrick The- PalaceTheatre, booking July 2012 - 12 Sept 2012 atre booking until 26 until 23 Feb 2013 Jan 2013 STOMP Ambassadors DOLLS HOUSE Young Vic DREAMBOATS & PETTI- Theatre, booking until Theatre, booking until 26 COATS Playhouse The- 15 Dec 2012 July 2012 atre, booking until 24 SWEENEY TODD - THE GATZ Noel Coward The- Nov 2012 DEMON BARBER OF FLEET atre,booking until 15 July GHOST THE MUSICAL Pic- STREET 2012 cadilly Theatre, booking Adelphi Theatre,booking HENRY V Shakespeare until 13 Apr 2013 until 22 Sept 2012 Globe Theatre, booking JERSEY BOYS Prince THRILLER LIVE Lyric The- until 26 Aug 2012 Edward Theatre, book- atre, booking until 3 HORRIBLE HISTORIES - ing until 17 Feb 2013 March 2013 BARMY BRITAIN Garrick LES MISÉRABLES Queen's TOP HAT Aldwych The- Theatre, booking until 1 Theatre booking until 27 atre, booking until 26 Sept 2012 Apr 2013 Jan 2013 LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO LET IT BE Prince Of Wales WE WILL ROCK YOU NIGHT Apollo Theatre, Theatre 14 Sept 2012 - Dominion Theatre, book- booking until 18 Aug 19 Jan 2013 ing until 20 Oct 2012 2012 LION KING Lyceum The- WICKED Apollo Victoria MOUSETRAP St Martins atre, booking until 6 Jan Theatre, booking until Theatre, booking until 15 2013 27 Apr 2013 Dec 2012

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www.whatsonlive.co.uk £1.80 ISSUE 319 JULY 2012 DIRTY DANCING THE DEFINITIVE LISTINGS GUIDE HIT MUSICAL IN TOWN...

INSIDE Rhys Darby Kiwi comedian brings UK tour to the region interview inside Patricia Hodge having such fun with Miranda... interview inside

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’ whatsonlive DOBBY IN THE MIDLANDS Paterson THE DEFINITIVE ALEGRIA FEBRUARY 2012 www. INTERVIEW INSIDE... LISTINGS GUIDE CIRQUE DU SOLEIL BACK £1.80sOn ISSUE 314 OLLY MURS Joseph IN THE MIDLANDS .co.uk from Peep Show Whatwww.whatsonlive ESSEX BOY IN BRUM www.whatsonlive .co.uk £1.80 ISSUE 315 to Shakespeare MARCH 2012 INSIDE interview inside INSIDE: OLIVER WEST END MUS Elaine C Smith The Voyage Patrick Robinson IN BIRMINGHAM portrays Susan Boyle INSIDE:INSIDE interview inside launching the Waiting For Godot Stuart SamanthaGriffiths Olympics... Steve Hughes at the Old Rep on InternationalWomack Dance Aussie comedian bigs interview inside Ali Bastian up British comedy interview inside Festivalfrom Birmingham Walford to Birmingham South Pacific interview inside Maverick Sabre interview inside Singer/songwriter Pride interview inside in the city... Matthew Bournes Neil Hannon on why Nutcracker ha interview inside celebrating diversity... .. moves into musical theatre stood the test of time. interview inside interview inside

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Film TO WATCH THE LATEST MOVIE TRAILERS, VISIT: www.whatsonlive.co.uk

From FRI 20 JULY

The Dark Knight Rises CERT tbc TOP 5 Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Matthew Modine Directed by Christopher Nolan (USA/UK) FILM BOX OFFICE Probably the most eagerly awaited movie of the year, The Dark Knight Rises supposedly completes the Christopher Nolan Batman cycle. Still, let’s see how much money this edition makes - the last one (The Prometheus 3D (15) Dark Knight) was the third highest grossing movie of all time, until Avengers Assemble knocked it into 1 fourth place. This one has the added advantage of two great villains: the London-born Tom Hardy as the ruthless, unstoppable Bane, and Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle - aka Catwoman. Boasting a budget of Rock Of Ages (12a) $250million, the movie was shot in India, Scotland, New York, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, London, Romania, 2 Middlesex and Nottingham. The Amazing 3 Men In Black 3D (PG)

Spider-Man CERT 12a Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Snow White And The Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, 4 Huntsman (12a) Sally Field, Campbell Scott, Embeth Davidtz Directed by Marc Webb (USA) There’s a lot of positive buzz surround- The Pact (15) ing this reboot of the Spider-Man fran- 5 chise. In the tradition of recent super- heroes such as Batman, Superman, Mad Max and, er Kick-Ass, the creepy- crawly will be played by a Brit (at least, Garfield was raised in Surrey). Director Marc Webb ((500) Days Of Summer) takes us back to the roots - the web? - From of Peter Parker as he attends high TUE 3 school, gets the arachnid itch and tries JULY to find out what happened to his par- Prometheus 3D ents. You’ll believe a man can swing...

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 41 Film July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:23 Page 3

FilmNEW RELEASES

Released from Wed 4 July

God Bless America CERT 15 (105 mins) Starring Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr, Mackenzie Brooke Smith Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait (USA) Bobcat Goldthwait found fame as a stand-up comedian - and played Zed in the Police Academy films - but more recently has emerged into a rather interesting director. His latest (very) black comedy is a political satire about an insurance salesman (Murray, broth- er of Bill) who becomes so incensed by the state of modern society that he embarks on a homicidal path, assisted by a sixteen-year- old kindred spirit.

Katy Perry: Part of Me

Strawberry Fields CERT 15 (87 mins) Katy Perry: Part of Me Starring Anna Madeley, Christine Bottomley, CERT tbc Emun Elliott, Philip Martin Brown Directed by Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz Directed by Frances Lea (UK) (USA) Set in the Kent countryside, this is a low-bud- The former gospel singer, current pop get British melodrama charting the conflict princess Kate Perry is pretty in-your-face between two very different already, but imagine her in 3D! This 3D sisters. Interestingly, it’s a documentary records scenes from her last fresh spin on Tennessee world tour, California Dreams, as well as Williams’ A Streetcar trawling through her whole life (she’s twen- Named Desire and has ty-seven), and even touches on her divorce been praised for its per- from Russell Brand. But who will play her in God Bless America formances. Strawberry Fields the film biog? Joke.

42 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Film July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:23 Page 4

Released from Fri 6 July

7 Days In Havana CERT tbc Starring Josh Hutcherson, Daniel Brühl, Emir Kusturica, Elia Suleiman Directed by Julio Médem, Laurent Cantet, Juan Carlos Tabío, Benicio del Toro, Gaspar Noé, Pablo Trapero, Elia Suleiman (Spain/France/Cuba) Like the compilation films Paris, je t’aime and New York, I Love You, this is an omnibus exploration of the dramatic, romantic and erotic vicissitudes of the Cuban capital. But unlike the former films, this is just seven stories, each one set on a different day of the week.

7 Days In Havana

The Players CERT 18 (107 mins) Starring Jean Dujardin, Gilles Lellouche, Guillaume Canet, Sandrine Kiberlain, Mathilda May Directed by Emmanuelle Bercot, Fred Cavayé, Alexandre Courtès, Jean Dujardin, Michel Hazanavicius, Eric Lartigau, Gilles Lellouche (France) Another anthology film, this one from France, in which a series of comic shorts address the subject of infidelity. Dujardin, who won this Magic Mike CERT 15 (110 mins) Released from Fri 13 July year’s best actor Oscar for The Artist, plays Starring Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, five different roles and directs one episode. Matthew McConaughey, Cody Horn, Olivia Munn Directed by Steven Soderbergh (USA) Ice Age: Continental Drift CERT U (93 mins) The director Steven Soderbergh exploded Featuring the voices of Ray Romano, John onto the scene in 1989 with his Palme d'Or- Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, winning Sex, Lies, And Videotape. Since then Seann William Scott, Jennifer Lopez he’s gone on to make such notable movies Directed by Steve Martino and Mike as Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Ocean’s Thurmeier (USA) Eleven, but returns to the world of sleaze The fourth instalment of the Ice Age fran- with this story of a male stripper (Tatum). The chise is again in 3D and sees the return of latter, Magic Mike, is something of a veteran Manny the woolly mammoth, Sid the in the field of disrobement and hands on the ground sloth, Diego the sabre-toothed tiger baton to a new kid on the block (the and, of course, Scrat, the sabre-toothed The Players Stevenage-born Pettyfer). Of course, one can squirrel. JLo voices a sabre-toothed cat. see the commercial appeal. shadowy biotech company in the US, and The Woman On The 6th Floor Martin David (Dafoe) is not a man who asks CERT 12a (106 mins) too many questions… Dafoe’s ravaged fea- Starring Fabrice Luchini, Sandrine Kiberlain, tures are nicely balanced by the spectacular Natalia Verbeke, Carmen Maura wilderness of the Tasmanian rainforest, a Directed by Philippe le Guay (France) beautiful corner of the world seldom seen on Fabrice Luchini is one of the funniest actors the cinema screen. Indeed, The Hunter is a working in the cinema today. Here, in 1960s film to bask in, to claw at the clues drip-fed Paris, he plays a conservative stockbroker us and to marvel at the contrasts of nature in who befriends his demonstrative Spanish all its unruliness. Whether or not Martin actu- maid (the delightful Natalia Verbeke) - to ally comes alive as a character is another unexpected consequences. The critics loved Magic Mike thing, although the two children he befriends it. supply much of the film’s human ballast. The Hunter CERT 15 (102 mins) Starring Willem Dafoe, Frances O’Connor, Sam Neill, Morgana Davies Directed by Daniel Nettheim (Australia) Films about hitmen are two a penny but The Hunter is a most unusual one. Based on the 1999 novel by Julia Leigh, it is throbbing with psychological subtext and is set in the wilds of Tasmania, while the target of the assassin is the Tasmanian tiger, “the rarest, most elu- sive creature on the planet.” The DNA of the The Woman On The 6th Floor creature would prove to be priceless to a The Hunter

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Wh t ’ O

Film July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:23 Page 6

Released from Fri 27 July

Dr Seuss’ The Lorax CERT U (86 mins) Featuring the voices of Danny DeVito, Zac Efron, Ed Helms, Taylor Swift, Betty White Directed by Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda (USA) This was a massive hit in the US, where they can’t get enough of Dr Seuss. He’s the children’s author who brought us The Grinch and The Cat In The Hat, so you know what to expect. Dr Seuss’ The Lorax is a 3D comput- er-animated version of the writer’s 1972 book, which was set in a parallel world and had a strong environmental message. The Lorax himself is an orange, grumpy eco-warrior.

Seeking a Friend for the End of Released from Fri 20 July Dr Seuss’ The Lorax the World CERT 15 (101 mins) Starring Steve Carell, Keira Knightley, Adam CERT 15 (81 mins) Brody, Derek Luke, William Petersen, In Your Hands Offender CERT tbc Melanie Lynskey Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Pio Marmaï, Starring Kimberley Nixon, Shaun Dooley, Joe Directed by Lorene Scafaria (USA) Jean-Philippe Écoffey Cole, Tyson Oba, Vas Blackwood, Ruth Directed by Lola Doillon (France) The end of the world is an odd subject for Gemmell Directed by Ron Scalpello (UK) a romantic comedy. But then Lorene Stockholm syndrome is a well-documented Think offender and think of a young offend- Scafaria’s directorial debut strains for origi- symptom in which a hostage forms an ers’ institute. And while you’re at it, think of nality at every turn. Steve Carell plays a attachment to his or her kidnapper. In this brutality, revenge and the failure of the British morose insurance broker whose wife French thriller, Kristin Scott Thomas (she who justice system. It sounds like an update of leaves him after the earth is given three can do no wrong) plays a Parisian surgeon Alan Clarke’s hard-hitting Scum (1979). weeks before its collision with an asteroid who’s abducted by a patient’s husband and called Matilda. A pragmatic soul, Dodge then becomes fixated on him. We can’t wait. Petersen (Carell) returns to work while Los Angeles descends into violence and anarchy. However, after befriending his neigh- bour, Penny (Keira), he finds himself on a road trip where anything can happen. After the initial quota of laughs, the film settles down but fails to be either profound or touching. There are just too many gim- micks (Keira lugging around an armful of vinyl LPs) for the film to feel anything but contrived – and it’s way too sugary. Offender In Your Hands Tortoise In Love CERT 12a (84 mins) Starring Tom Mitchelson, Alice Zawadzki, Tom Released from Fri 20 July Yates Directed by Guy Browning (UK) Shock And Gore Some films are so misconceived and awful Festival 2012 Love Bite CERT tbc that it’s kinder not to write about them. This The Electric Cinema & The Custard Factory, one purports to be a charming British come- Starring Luke Pasqualino, Ed Speleers, Birmingham, Fri 6 - Thurs 12 July dy set in a backwater of Oxfordshire that no Jessica Szohr, Timothy Spall, Kierston Wareing Directed by Andy De Emmony (UK) longer exists. The tortoise of the title is Tom, If you like your cinematic treats to be dark, a Hugh Grant wannabe (in manner) and gar- The title lets us into the secret: this is a twisted and spattered in blood, then this dener who is so shy that he’s barely able to romantic werewolf film. Being British, it’s set month’s Shock & Gore festival at make eye contact with the opposite sex. He’s in a desolate Birmingham’s Electric Cinema is not an a vacant, miserable leading man, only mar- seaside town event to ignore. Creepy happenings include ginally less annoying than the music that (called sneak previews, live comedy, exclusive drowns out the dialogue and generally Rainmouth), Q&As, videogaming on the big screen, a destroys the mood with glucose poisoning. where our hero gathering of horror authors and a series of Tortoise In Love, though, is of historical inter- (Speleers, the unique events celebrating the video nasty. est, as it’s the first film to be thought up and star of 2006's Oh, and there’s even a Hammer Horror wine mounted by an English village, one largely Eragon) hooks tasting event scheduled. Go easy on the red made up of pensioners and members of the up with an exotic stuff, mind. After all, given the festival’s focus Women’s Institute. It’s a damned good try, American tourist on blood-letting, can you really be sure it’s although it’s rather like watching an old-fash- (Szohr, from TV’s just wine you’ll be drinking?... Screenings at ioned porn film without the porn or the Gossip Girl). But this year’s event includes Tod Browning’s humour. Szohr is not all Freaks, Dawn Of The Dead, Coraline, and she seems… Love Bite the cinematic classic Theatre Of Blood. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 45 Film July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:23 Page 7

Warwick Arts Centre, Paris in WWII, concern- Showing at mac, The Royal, Leamington Coventry, until Mon 2 ing an Algerian immi- Birmingham, Mon 30 Spa, until Thurs 5 July; FilmA-Z LISTINGS July grant and his friendship July - Thurs 2 Aug Warwick Arts Centre, with a Jewish man. Coventry, Fri 20 - Wed 25 All films are currently on general release The Best Exotic Showing at mac, J. Edgar 15 July unless otherwise stated. For full listing Marigold Hotel 12a Birmingham, until Mon 2 Leonardo DiCaprio stars Judi Dench, Maggie July in Clint Eastwood’s Le Havre PG information, including times and dates, Smith, Penelope Wilton biopic of J Edward French drama that fol- visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk and Celia Imrie star as a Friends With Kids 15 Hoover that unveils both lows the story of a fateful group of retired Brits Jennifer Westfeldt the public and private meeting between a 2 Days In New York 15 Belgian reporter Tintin who descend on a hotel directs and stars in a life of one of the most young African refugee Sequel to the acclaimed and his brainy canine in Udaipur, only to dis- poignant comedy that powerful and controver- and a well-spoken Two Days In Paris. sidekick Snowy. cover that it’s not as concerns a circle of sial figures of the twenti- Bohemian shoe-shiner. Starring Julie Delpy and Showing at Artrix, they’d been led to friends embarking on eth century. Showing at Showing at Light House Chris Rock. Showing at Bromsgrove, Mon 23 - believe. Showing at parenthood. Showing at Stoke Film Theatre, Mon Media Centre, Warwick Arts Centre, Thurs 26 July Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wed Warwick Arts Centre, 9 July Wolverhampton, Mon 16 Coventry, Tues 3 - Thurs 5 - Fri 6 July; Warwick Coventry, Fri 13 - Thurs - Thurs 19 July Albert Nobbs 15 The Kid With A Bike 5 July Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 19 July Glenn Close stars as a 13 - Mon 16 July; Light Award-winning French Marina Abramovic: The A Fantastic Fear Of woman who, in order to House Media Centre, God Bless America 15 drama that delves into Artist Is Present Everything 18 scrape together a living Wolverhampton, Fri 20 - Bobcat Goldthwaite the emotional life of a Documentary that fol- Dark comedy that sees in nineteenth century Mon 23 July; mac, directs a dark and funny troubled eleven-year- lows the Serbian per- Simon Pegg star as a Ireland, poses as a male Birmingham, Fri 20 - comedy that centres on old, abandoned in a formance artist as she children’s author turned waiter. Based on the Tues 24 July the dumbing-down of state-run youth farm. prepares for what may crime novelist. Showing short story by Irish novel- society. Showing at Showing at Stoke Film be the most important at Light House Media ist George Moore. Cosmopolis 15 Warwick Arts Centre, Theatre, Fri 13 - Sat 14 moment of her life - a Centre, Wolverhampton, Showing at The Royal, Robert Pattinson, Jay Coventry, Mon 30 July - July; Artrix, Bromsgrove, major new retrospective until Thurs 5 July Leamington Spa, Fri 6 - Baruchel and Juliette Thurs 2 Aug Wed 18 - Thurs 19 July at the Museum of Thurs 12 July; Artrix, Binoche star in David Modern Art. Showing at All In Good Time 12a Bromsgrove, Fri 20 & Cronenberg’s dark In Darkness 15 Killer Joe 18 Light House Media Funny, tender-hearted Sun 22 July comic odyssey that’s A dramatisation of one Matthew McConaughey Centre, Wolverhampton, portrait of family strife based on the novel by man’s rescue of Jewish and Emile Hirsch star in Mon 30 July - Thurs 2 from East Is East writer Don DeLillo. Showing at refugees in the Nazi- a crime thriller that’s Aug Ayub Khan-Din. Warwick Arts Centre, occupied Polish city of helmed by Academy Showing at OMH, Coventry, Fri 6 - Wed 11 Lvov - a film nominated Award-winning director Matthew Bourne’s Shrewsbury, Fri 6 - July at the Academy Awards William Friedkin. Swan Lake 3D PG Sat 7 July WATCH for Best Foreign Showing at mac, Screening of Matthew The Cruel Sea PG Language Film. Showing Birmingham, Fri 27 - Tue Bourne’s modern-day A Royal Affair 15 THE FILM British military drama at Artrix, Bromsgrove, 31 July interpretation, which has Historical romantic set in WWII. Thurs 26 & Sun 29 July become the longest run- drama concerning Denholm Elliot and Kosmos 12a ning ballet in the West the relationship TRAILERS AT Virginia McKenna The Discreet Charm Of Subtitled drama that End and on Broadway. between an insane star. Showing at Light The Bourgeoisie 15 concerns a mysterious Showing at OMH, king, his young wife whatsonlive.co.uk House Media Centre, French social satire and man hailed as a miracle Shrewsbury, Mon 2 - and her physician. Wolverhampton, Tues 17 Oscar winner for Best worker when he saves a Thurs 5 July Showing at Light House July Foreign Film in 1972. young boy from drown- Media Centre, Showing at Warwick Arts ing. Showing at mac, Midnight In Paris 12a Wolverhampton, until Dark Shadows 12a Centre, Coventry, Fri 13 - Birmingham, Tues 24 - Woody Allen sitcom that Tues 3 July; mac, Johnny Depp, Michelle Mon 16 July Wed 25 July sees Owen Wilson cut- Birmingham, Fri 6 - The Angel’s Share 12a Pfeiffer and Helena ting it up with Carla The Fairy PG The Last Projectionist Thurs 12 July; OMH, Comedy drama that Bonham Carter star in Bruni on the boulevards French comic drama 12a Shrewsbury, Fri 20 - Sat sees acclaimed British Tim Burton’s acclaimed of the city of lights. that follows a hotel clerk Documentary that charts 21 July; Warwick Arts director Ken Loach tack- comic fantasy. Showing Showing at mac, as she searches for the the history of independ- Centre, Coventry, le Scotland’s under- at Stoke Film Theatre, Birmingham, Wed 4 - fairy who made two of ent cinema in the UK. Fri 27 - Sun 29 July class. Showing at OMH, Thurs 12 July Thurs 5 July Shrewsbury, Mon 9 - her three wishes come Showing at Light House A Thousand Kisses Thurs 12 July; The Delicacy 18 true before disappear- Media Centre, Moneyball 12a Deep 15 Royal, Leamington Spa Audrey Tautou stars as a ing. Showing at Warwick Wolverhampton, Tues 17 Acclaimed sporting Jodie Whittaker, Emilia woman learning to love Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri - Wed 18 July; mac, drama staring Brad Pitt Fox and Dougray Scott The Apartment PG again after the death of 13 - Mon 16 July Birmingham, Sun 22 - as the manager of a star in a British drama Bill Wilder directs Jack her husband. Showing Mon 23 July baseball team who pro- The Ghost 15 that tells the story of Mia, Lemmon and Shirley at Stoke Film Theatre, Fri pels his team up the Ewan McGregor stars as Late September 15 a young woman whose MacLaine in a classic 6 - Sat 7 July league by adopting con- a ghost writer in a politi- Drama featuring Anna destructive past relation- romantic comedy. troversial tactics. The Five Year cal satire that’s based on Mottram and Bob ship with a troubled Showing at Light House Showing at Wem Town Engagement 15 Robert Harris’ novel. Goody that takes place musician leads her to Media Centre, Hall, North Shropshire, Jason Segel, Emily Pierce Brosnan stars as over a twenty-four-hour travel back in time in an Wolverhampton, Wed 25 Thurs 7 July Blunt, Chris Pratt and an exiled British ex-Prime period. Showing at mac, attempt to change the - Thurs 26 July Rhys Ifans star in a Minister. Showing at Birmingham, Fri 6 - Mon Monsieur Lazhar 12a present. Showing at The Beloved 15 quirky comedy that fol- Stoke Film Theatre, Mon 9 July Comedy drama that’s Warwick Arts Centre, Real-life mother and lows a couple through 2 July set in a Montreal public Coventry, until Mon 2 daughter Chiara their drawn-out engage- Lay The Favourite 15 grade school. Showing July Mastroianni and ment. Showing at The Giants 15 Rebecca Hall, Vince at Stoke Film Theatre, The Adventures Of Tin Catherine Deneuve star Warwick Arts Centre, Subtitled Belgium drama Vaughan and Bruce Thurs 5 July; Warwick Tin: The Secret Of The in a romantic drama that Coventry, Fri 6 - Wed 11 that follows teenage Willis star in a fast-paced Arts Centre, Coventry, brothers Zac and Seth comic tale that depicts a Unicorn PG follows the loves and July Mon 30 - Tues 31 July after they’re abandoned world of big money and Steven Spielberg’s losses of a mother and Free Men 12a at their late grandfather’s big stakes, where there Moonrise Kingdom PG acclaimed animation that daughter over a forty- French drama, set in house for the summer. are no rules. Showing at Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, follows the adventures of year period. Showing at

TRE, WOLVERHAMPTON 0871 224 4007 Warwickshire Worcestershire CINEMA Box Office 01902 716055 OAKENGATES PICTURE ODEON, COVENTRY ARTRIX, BROMSGROVE ODEON MERRY HILL, HOUSE 0871 224 4007 01527 577330 DUDLEY 0871 22 44007 01952 615607 Birmingham LIBRARY THEATRE ODEON, NUNEATON MALVERN THEATRE 0121 303 2868 SHOWCASE, DUDLEY WEM TOWN HALL AMC Broadway Plaza, Five 0871 224 4007 0845 287 2146 0871 220 1000 01939 232299 Ways 0121 450 6800 MAC 0121 446 3232 SHOWCASE, WALSALL SHOWCASE, COVENTRY WAREHOUSE, ODEON 0871 224 4007 CINEWORLD Broad St, B’ham 0871 220 1000 Staffordshire 0871 220 1000 KIDDERMINSTER 0871 200 2000 REEL Quinton 0121 421 01562 747773 APOLLO, STAFFORD APOLLO 4, LEAMINGTON CINEWORLD Solihull 5316 Shropshire 0871 220 6000 SPA 01926 427 448 VUE, WORCESTER 0871 200 2000 SHOWCASE 0871 220 1000 OMH SHREWSBURY CINEWORLD, BURTON- ROYAL, LEAMINGTON SPA 0871 224 0240 ELECTRIC, B’ham VUE CINEMA Star City 08712 01743 281281 UPON-TRENT 0871 200 2000 01926 334418 Visit whatsonlive.co.uk 0121 643 7879 240 240 CINEWORLD, SHREWSBURY STOKE FILM THEATRE, WARWICK ARTS CENTRE for venue website EMPIRE 0871 471 4714 0871 200 2000 01782 411188 Black Country COVENTRY 02476 524524 details THE GIANT SCREEN AT MAJESTIC, BRIDGNORTH ODEON TAMWORTH MILLENNIUM POINT CINEWORLD WOLVERHAMP- 01746 761815 0871 224 4007 0121 202 2222 TON 0871 200 2000 ODEON TELFORD For full listing information, including times and dates, LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CEN- visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk

46 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Film July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:24 Page 8

Edward Norton, Tilda Atacama desert, follows Scott’s acclaimed sci-fi Salmon Fishing In The that tells the story of the upside-down when they Swinton and Harvey a group of astronomers horror.Showing at Artrix, Yemen 12a world’s best long-dis- hire a new Spanish Keitel star in Wes as they look for answers Bromsgrove, Mon 30 - Romantic drama star- tance runners, who hail maid and are intro- Anderson’s latest tale of concerning the origins Tues 31 July ring Ewan McGregor from a small town in duced to an alternative small-town characters of life. Showing at Light Ethiopia. Showing at way of life. Showing at Quatermass And The Pit and Emily Blunt. who come together in House Media Centre, Showing at OMH, Light House Media mac, Birmingham, Fri 27 15 the form of a search Wolverhampton, Fri 27 Shrewsbury, Mon 2 - Centre, Wolverhampton, - Tues 31 July Classic Hammer Horror party convened to look July - Tues 2 Aug Thurs 5 July; mac, Fri 27 - Mon 30 July in which an ancient Where Do We Go for a pair of young lovers Birmingham, Fri 13 - Once Upon A Time In Martian spaceship is The Tree12a Now? 12a who have eloped in Tues 17 July; Warwick Anatolia15 unearthed in London. Charlotte Gainsborough Uplifting Lebanese 1960s’ New England. Arts Centre, Coventry, Acclaimed crime drama Showing at mac, and Morgana Davies drama that follows the Showing at mac, Fri 20 - Sun 22 July Birmingham, until Fri 6 that’s based on the real- Birmingham, Tues 3 July star in a romantic com- antics of a group of life experiences of one of Sing Your Song12a edy that concerns an women, desperate to July; Light House Media The Raid18 Centre, Wolverhampton, its writers. Showing at Biopic of the American eight-year-old girl who’s keep peace in their Action thriller about a Fri 6 - Thurs 12 July; Stoke Film Theatre, Tues singer, songwriter and convinced that her late community. Showing at SWAT team who Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon 3 July; Artrix, actor Harry Belafonte father is whispering to Warwick Arts Centre, become trapped in a ten- 23 - Tues 24 July; Bromsgrove, Mon 16 - that unearths his signifi- her through the leaves Coventry, Tues 17 - ement run by a ruthless Warwick Arts Centre, Tues 17 July cant contribution to the of a tree. Showing at Thurs 19 July mobster and his army of Coventry, Mon 27 - Wed leadership of the Civil Wem Town Hall, North Personal Best15 killer thugs. Showing at Woody Allen: A 29 July Rights movement. Shropshire, Thurs 19 Mariel Hemingway stars Light House Media Documentary15 Showing at Light House July in the 1982 sporting Centre, Wolverhampton, An insightful documen- Much Ado About Media Centre, drama that follows a Fri 6 - Sun 8 July The Turin Horse15 tary that maps out NothingPG Wolverhampton, Mon 9 - group of American Subtitled Hungarian Woody Allen’s life and Kenneth Branagh and Red Tails12a Thurs 12 July; mac, Emma Thompson fea- women and their drama that observes career - from a teenage Cuba Gooding Jnr stars Birmingham, Tues 17 - ture in Shakespeare’s attempts to make it to the day-to-day life of an stand-up right through in an action-adventure Thurs 19 July rousing comedy. the 1980 Olympics. isolated rural family with to recent commercial that’s based on the true Showing at Light House Showing at mac, Silent Souls15 a bedraggled horse. and critical successes. story of the Second Media Centre, Birmingham, Tues 10 - Acclaimed Russian Showing at Stoke Film Showing at mac, World War’s first African Wolverhampton, Tues 31 Thurs 12 July drama nominated for Theatre, Tues 10 July Birmingham, Wed 4- American fighter July the Golden Lion at the Thurs 5 July; Warwick Polisse15 squadron. Showing at The Well Digger’s sixty-seventh Venice Arts Centre, Coventry, Gritty French drama that OMH, Shrewsbury, Mon DaughterPG The MuppetsU Film Festival. Showing Sat 14 - Sun 15 July follows a close-knit team 23 - Thurs 26 July French drama concern- Acclaimed family drama at mac, Birmingham, of men and women ing a father in pre-World Your Sister’s Sister15 that sees The Muppets Rock Of Ages12a Fri 13 - Mon 16 July reunited in a bid to save working in the Child War I France who’s torn Emily Blunt, Rosemarie Tom Cruise stars in a film their theatre from being Protection Unit of the Theatre Of Blood15 between his sense of DeWitt and Mark version of the hit destroyed by an oil Parisian Police.Showing Classic 1973 chiller honour and deep love Duplass star in a comic Broadway musical that prospector. Jason Segel, at Warwick Arts Centre, starring Vincent Price for his daughter, drama that follows an sees a small town girl Amy Adams & Chris Coventry, Mon 23 - Wed as a stage actor who Showing at Wem Town escalating chain of and a city boy meet on Cooper star.Showing at 25 July hatches a plan to get Hall, Thurs 26 July events as they gather a the Sunset Strip, while Artrix, Bromsgrove, Mon back at his critics, credible comic momen- Prometheus15 pursuing their Hollywood The Woman On The 30 July - Wed 1 Aug Showing at Electric tum that is both fresh An all-star cast - includ- dreams. Russell Brand Sixth Floor12a Cinema, Birmingham, and funny. Showing at ing Noomi Rapace, and Catherine Zeta- Subtitled French drama Nostalgia For The Light Fri 6 - Sat 7 July OMH, Shrewsbury, Fri 13 Spanish documentary Michael Fassbender, Jones also star. Showing that follows a conserva- - Thurs 19 July that, set in Chile’s Charlize Theron and Idris at OMH, Shrewsbury, Fri Town Of RunnersPG tive husband and wife Elba - feature in Ridley 27 - Thurs 2 Aug Feature documentary whose lives are turned

DVD NEW RELEASES

This Means War 12 Rampart 15 Action-comedy starring A taut modern-day Chris Pine and Tom thriller written by James Hardy as two of the Ellroy, centred on a world’s most skilled CIA career best performance operatives, who fall out from Woody Harrelson. when they find they’re Released 9 July dating the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). 21 Jump Street 15 Released 2 July Fast-paced feature following the adventures of a team of young police officers sent undercover into schools to tackle youth crime. Channing Tatum stars. Released 9 July

John Carter 12 Sci-fi adventure based on the novel A Princess Of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Willem Dafoe and Dominic West star. Bel Ami 15 Contraband 15 Wild Bill 12a when he becomes Released 2 July We Bought A Zoo 15 Robert Pattinson, Mark Wahlberg stars as A directorial debut by involved with a local Matt Damon stars as a Christina Ricci, Uma a one-time professional Dexter Fletcher that tells triad leader. young father who Thurman and Kristin criminal in an action the funny, bittersweet Released 30 July Scott Thomas star in a thriller that’s set in the and dramatic story of a moves his family to the Mirror Mirror PG costume drama that’s cut-throat world of inter- father and his two sons countryside in Southern Julia Roberts and Lily based on the 1885 national smuggling. in London’s East End. California to renovate Collins star in the latest French novel by Guy Kate Beckinsale and Released 23 July and re-open a strug- irreverent take on a tradi- de Maupassant. Ben Foster also star. gling zoo. tional fairytale. Released 16 July Released 23 July Released 16 July Shanghai 15 John Cusack stars as a Released 30 July The Devil Inside 15 US Naval Intelligence Project X 18 Low-budget documen- agent who poses as a Low-budget teen sex tary-style indie horror journalist and travels to comedy produced by that concerns a young Shanghai to investigate Todd Phillips that’s shot woman trying to clear the death of his friend. entirely on hand-held her mother’s name. He soon finds himself in cameras. Released 16 July over his head, though, Released 2 July

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 47 Visual Arts July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:34 Page 1

Exhibitions

Mark Power: Black Country Stories 20 July - 15 September 2012 In Conversation Sunday 8 September, 2pm Join Mark Power, Emma Chetcuti and Deborah Robinson for an informal tour of the exhibition. Book your free place in advance on 01922 654400. Street 20 July - 15 September 2012 Eric Bainbridge: Collage Until 21 July 2012 Good Sport Until 1 September 2012 Portfolio Until 1 September 2012 Artists’ Studio Power and Beauty Until 11 August 2012

Garman Ryan Collection and Exhibitions Garman Ryan Collection on display all year round Isabel Rawsthorne: Moving Bodies Until 8 September 2012 In Conversation Saturday 21 July, 2pm Curator Carol Jacobi talks about the life and art of Isabel Rawsthorne. Book your free place in advance on 01922 654400. Make Room2 Interventions into the Garman Ryan Collection Until 22 September 2012 Free Regular Family Workshops

Baby Palace Friday 20 July, 10.30-11.30am, 12-1pm, 2-3pm Free Regular Family Workshops

Bronze Banner Day Wednesday 25 July, 1-3pm

Silver Race Day Thursday 26 July, 1-3pm

Gold T-Shirt Day Friday 27 July, 1-3pm Events Young People’s Days: Supercollage Saturday 7 July, 11am-4pm Free, no need to book, just drop in!

48 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Visual Arts July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:34 Page 2 Visual Arts

Flight And The Artistic Imagination Compton Verney Gallery, Warwickshire, until Sun 30 September The history of man’s obsession with flight is here explored through paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, prints and video. From classical flight and the fall of Icarus through to the Wright Brothers and space travel, this major exhibition brings together works from The Imperial War Museum, the British Museum, the Arts Council Collection and the National Galleries of Scotland. Artworks from Leonardo da Vinci, Henri Matisse, Paul Nash, Peter Lanyon and Hiraki Sawa all feature. Wolverhampton Riots One Year On Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Sat 28 July - Fri 19 October Images from CCTV, newspapers and social media have provided the basis for this latest exhibition by Sally Payen, a British artist renowned for her ability to document anarchy and unrest. This social commentary charts the disorder that erupt- ed on Wolverhampton's streets during the summer of 2011. Dinosaurs Uncovered Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry, Sat 21 July - Sun 6 January 2013 Featuring lifesize models and replica fossils, Dinosaurs Uncovered invites visitors to travel back two hundred-and-fifty million years to come face- to-face with some of the most fearsome creatures Pharaoh: King Of Egypt ever to have walked the earth. Covering the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, Sat 14 July - Sun 14 October Triassic period (the time when dinosaurs first Featuring a range of artefacts never before displayed outside London, this major touring appeared) through to their extinction at the end of exhibition from the British Museum includes some of the finest examples of sculpture, the Cretaceous period, this interactive exhibition jewellery, papyri and Egyptian burial-related items ever to have been showcased in the promises to provide both entertainment and edu- UK. A charged exhibition, Pharaoh: King Of Egypt explores the myths and realities of cational value for visitors of all ages. Springwatch being a king in ancient Egypt, and is supported by various Egyptian-themed family presenter and wildlife expert Chris Packham activities throughout the school summer holidays. makes an appearance in holographic form. Facing The Music The Barber Institute, Birmingham, until Tues 28 August Comprising of almost thirty portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, Facing The Music celebrates classical music in Britain. The first in a series of partnership shows to take place at The Barber during the coming months, this innovative exhibition features images of various composers from the late nineteenth century - including Edward Elgar, Frank Bridge and John Ireland - through to more recent composers such as Mark-Anthony Turnage, Thomas Ades and James MacMillan (pictured right, by Barry Marden).

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 49 Visual Arts July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:35 Page 3

BLOOD AND BONES FIGURES, FACES TEDDY BEARS PICNIC PATRICIA NIEMANN & PLACES @ BROADFIELD UNTIL 5 AUGUST KEITH TURLEY FRI 27 JULY, 12noon-4pm Under fives family day. Glass, jewellery, textiles and SAT 9 JUNE - SUN 8 JULY Bring a picnic, a blanket drawings inspired by the A collection of works in and your favourite teddy. human body, funeral acrylics and oils featuring Crafts, storytelling archaeology and the wild portraiture,figure painting, and trails. landscapes of Scotland and local scenes. FREE

BACK TO THE FUTURE INTERNATIONAL DISCOVER GLASS FROM SAT 18 AUGUST FESTIVAL OF SUMMER SCHOOL New pieces inspired by TUES 7 AUGUST GLASS Glass painting, glass engraving and glass fusing work from the Museum’s FRI 24 - MON 27 AUGUST world-renowned collection Exhibitions, events, ECO CRAFTS SUMMER SCHOOL: created by West Midlands workshops, family Make recycled art glass artists for the activities, fun for all ages. WED 8 AUGUST International Festival www.ifg.org.uk Both summer school sessions of Glass 9.30am – 3.30pm, ages 8 – 12, Simon Bruntnell £20 per child. 01384 815571

50 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Visual Arts July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:35 Page 4

told through historic Thurs 30 Aug, Jamie paintings and a con- Leigh Fine Art Gallery, VisualArts PREVIEWS VisualArts LISTINGS temporary artwork by Rubery acclaimed artist Uriel For full listing information on Visual Art CRAFTSENSE Exhibition Orlow, until Sat 14 July, that celebrates the Ongoing exhibitions exhibitions, including times and dates, Worcester City Art links between eigh- visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk Gallery & Museum teenth century industry ERIC BAINBRIDGE: COL- and modern craft prac- Isabel Rawsthorne: FROM HIGHFIELD ROAD The Drum, Birmingham LAGES Exhibition that tices, until Sat 1 Sep, TO WEMBLEY... consists of more than Bilston Craft Gallery Moving Bodies YTO BARRADA: RIFFS forty small-scale col- Collection of photogra- Photographs, films, GOOD SPORT Paintings, New Art Gallery, Walsall, phy, film and memora- lages realised from photographs, memora- publications, installa- images culled and cut until Sat 8 September bilia that celebrates tions and sculptures all bilia and installations one of the most memo- from fashion maga- are here brought Well known within London’s bohemian set of feature in this, the first zines, until Sat 21 July, rable FA Cup Finals UK solo exhibition by together in a display the 1930s and ’40s, artist Isabel Rawsthorne (1987) in history, until New Art Gallery, that celebrates the pas- Moroccan artist Yto Walsall developed firm friendships with many artists Sun 1 Jul, Herbert Art Barrada, until Sun 8 sion and sense of com- of the day, including Jacob Epstein, Alberto Gallery Museum, July, Ikon Gallery, WONDERFUL WATER- munity often associat- Giacometti and, later, Francis Bacon. Coventry Birmingham COLOURS: VIEWS OF ed with sport, until Sat COVENTRY & WARWICK- 1 Sep, The New art However, it was Isabel’s friendships with NEW ART FOR A NEW FACES & PLACES A col- AGE: OPTIMISM IN POST SHIRE Showcase of Gallery, Walsall prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn, Antoinette lection of works by some of the gallery’s Sibley and Rudolph Nureyev that influenced WAR BRITISH ABSTRAC- Keith Turley in acrylics SUMMER SHOWCASE TION Exhibition featur- watercolour collection - Featuring vibrant jew- much of her figura- and oils featuring por- including works by ing abstract painting traiture and figure paint- ellery by Michael Petit tive work. Very often and sculpture from Paul Sandby, David and bold ceramics by ing, until Sun 8 Jul, Red Cox & Thomas Girtin, she would sit and around 1960 made by House Glass Cone, Maria Wojdat, until Sat artists working in both until Sun 22 July, 1 Sep, Bilston Craft paint the dancers as Stourbridge Herbert Art Gallery & they rehearsed at London and St. Ives, Gallery until Sun 1 July, The BEDWYR WILLIAMS A Museum, Coventry FORMER GLORY The Covent Garden, and Royal Pump Rooms, wide range of media, THE NAKED AMBITION OF grandeur of buildings, her works are as Leamington Spa including performance, ART Various mediums, sculpture, painting and the faded beauty of much portraits as INSPIRED BY NIGHT An including cast glass, clothing and personal they are an explo- photography, all fea- woodcarving, charcoal exhibition of poetry and ture in this exhibition, items is the source of ration of dance and short stories penned by drawings and sculp- inspiration for this considered to be ture, are here used in movement. talented night-time visi- Williams' most compre- group of artists, work- tors to the 'All the story works that turn every- ing in textiles, film and hensive presentation to day objects into three- of the night told over' date, until Sun 8 Jul, mixed media, until Sun event at the Birthplace, dimensional parodies 2 Sep, Himley Hall & Ikon Gallery, of life, until Sat 28 July, International Garden until Sun 1 Jul, Birmingham Park, Dudley Shakespeare’s Bilston Craft Gallery STYLE AFRICA Exhibition Photographer Of The Year Birthplace, Stratford- A BEAUTIFUL CATASTRO- BLOOD AND BONES Solo PHE Magnum photogra- that explores the Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge, upon-Avon exhibition by Patricia pher Bruce Gilden cel- changing traditions of Shropshire, Wed 18 July - Sat 1 September GARY HUME: FLASHBACK Niemann that features woven, embroidered, ebrates his trademark work in precious met- The fourth event of its kind, the International Exhibition by one of style with abandon, printed and dyed cloth- Britain’s most celebrat- als, glass, textiles and Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition capturing New York ing and textiles, from ed contemporary artists, drawings, all of which the early twentieth cen- offers visitors the City street life from are inspired by the until Sat 7 July, 1981 to 2001, until Fri tury through to 2011, opportunity to view Wolverhampton Art human body, archaeol- until Sun 2 Sept, 13 July, Light House ogy and wild land- the work of this Gallery Media Centre, Birmingham Museum & scapes, until Sun 5 Art Gallery year's winning and CLOUD NYLON Wolverhampton Aug, Broadfield House, finalist photogra- Retrospective exhibition STREET PHOTOGRAPHS Dudley ISABEL RAWSTHORNE: phers, and includes that showcases intricate BY MAX KNIGHT MOVING BODIES Series jewellery & headpieces POWER & BEAUTY of abstract portraits images of gardens, Photographic exhibition Exploration of the Black created by Nora Fok, that showcases a part that explore dance and plants, flowers and until Sat 7 July, Bilston Country through pho- movement, many of of London's West End tography and film, until botany. Craft Gallery that's often overlooked which were painted in Sat 11 Aug, The New the rehearsal rooms at STAFFORDSHIRE OPEN by the casual observer, Art Gallery, Walsall ART Annual show that until Fri 13 July, Light Covent Garden, until Boyd And Evans: Views allows all artists living, House Media Centre, Sat 8 Sep, The New arts Gallery, Walsall Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, working, studying or Wolverhampton COMPOSING CHARAC- Wed 18 July - Sun 9 September born in Staffordshire - ART IN THE DANCEHALL TERS Edmond Xavier GROWING UP IN THE to submit their latest Kapp's caricature por- NEW AGE During a partnership that’s spanned more Featuring rare cover art work for inclusion in the from Limonious, Jamal traits of twentieth cen- Autobiographical proj- than forty years, artistic duo Fionnuala Boyd region's Open Art com- Pete and Tony tury composers that ect by Marjolaine and Les Evans have adopted various strate- petition, until Sun 8 McDermott, until Fri 13 complement The Ryley that explores the gies to bring a degree of surrealism to their July, Shire Hall Gallery, July, The Drum, Barber's loan exhibition alternative world of paintings. Influenced both by their extensive Stafford Birmingham Facing The Music, until free school education Sun 26 Aug, The and counter-culture, travel experiences and their obsession with JASKIRT DHALIWAL: ROYAL JOURNEYS An EVERYDAY OLYMPIAN Barber Institute, until Sat 8 Sept, landscape, the British-born artists’ work pres- exhibition that brings Exhibition that explores Birmingham Wolverhampton Art ents scenes ranging from middle-class together stories of Gallery the commitment and royal obsessions, NEIL BUCHANAN’S BACK leisure in 1970s Britain to photographic land- participation of people escapes, command- STREET GAMES Brand MAN OF NOTE Exhibition scapes of the American Southwest. This is in local community ments and freedoms, new collection of limit- that celebrates Harry Boyd and Evans’ first major survey exhibition sports, until Sun 8 Jul, ed edition fine art, until Eccleston's legacy as and tracks their work from 1968 to the present day. 01384 812745 STAFFORDSHIRE MUSEUM, Museums & Art Galleries DUDLEY MUSEUM SHUGBOROUGH & ART GALLERY 01889 881388 Birmingham NUMBER NINE THE GALLERY 01384 815575 Warwickshire 0121 643 9099 LIGHT HOUSE MEDIA CENTRE ARTIFEX Sutton Coldfield COMPTON VERNEY GALLERY WOLVERHAMPTON 0121 323 3776 RBSA GALLERY 0121236 01926 645500 4353 01902 716055 BARBER INSTITUTE HERBERT ART GALLERY THREE WHITE WALLS THE NEW ART GALLERY 0121 414 7333 COVENTRY 02476 832386 GALLERY WALSALL 01922 654400 BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & MEAD GALLERY WARWICK 0121 643 0078 RED HOUSE GLASS CONE ART GALLERY 0121 303 02476 524524 2834 01384 812750 ROYAL PUMP ROOMS Black Country WOLVERHAMPTON ART THE BURROWS GALLERY, 01926 742700 THE CUSTARD FACTORY BANTOCK HOUSE GALLERY 01902 552055 0121 224 7344 WOLVERHAMPTON Worcestershire 01902 552195 Staffordshire CASTLE GALLERIES WORCESTER CITY ART 0121 633 0015 BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & GALLERY 01905 25371 IKON GALLERY 01902 552507 ART GALLERY 01782 232323 0121 248 0708 BROADFIELD HOUSE GLASS SHIREHALL GALLERY Visit whatsonlive.co.uk MUSEUM, DUDLEY STAFFORD 01785 278345 for venue website details

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 51 Visual Arts July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:35 Page 5

Way of the Warrior Samurai exhibition

This exhibition tells the story of these Japanese warriors and incorporates hands on exhibits and Samurai artefacts as well as featuring armour, weapons and Oscar nominated costumes from the Tom Cruise blockbuster, ‘The Last Samurai’. SAT 21 JULY – MON 3 SEPT Mon – Fri 11.00 – 4.30 Sat & Sun 11.00 – 4.00

Sunday 29 July Drop in origami Make Samurai hats and boxes, a fun family activity. Sunday 5 August origami StorieS 11.30am, 1.00pm, 2.30pm Discover a Japanese story through Origami These events tie in with our exhibition 'The Way of the Warrior - The Samurai'.

Forge Mill neeDle muSeum Bordesley Abbey viSitor centre

For more information visit www.forgemill.org.uk or call us on 01527 62509 Forge mill needle museum, needle mill lane, riverside, redditch B98 8HY

52 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Visual Arts July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 14:35 Page 6

Archives, until Sun 7 Place, Stratford-upon- gold, silver and bronze, opportunity to find out VisualArts LISTINGS Oct, Birmingham Avon Sat 14 July - Sun 9 about the world famous Museum & Art Gallery THE STORIES OF SHAKE- Sept, Shire Hall Gallery, discovery, Sat 21 July - PEDALS TO MEDALS A SPEARE Joint exhibition Stafford Sun 1 Sep, The For full listing information on Visual Art Potteries Museum & Art exhibitions, including times and dates, new exhibition that cel- from the Royal OUR GAMES STORY ebrates the history and Shakespeare Theatre Exhibition that cele- Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk heroes of all kinds of & the Shakespeare brates Staffordshire WAY OF THE WARRIOR: competitive cycling, Birthplace Trust, until Olympians of the past, SAMURAI EXHIBITION an artist and printmak- exhibition commis- until Sun 14 Oct, Mon 31 Dec, Royal present and future, Sat Hands-on exhibits and er, until Sat 8 Sept, sioned for the World Coventry Transport Shakespeare Theatre, 14 July - Sun 9 Sept, Samurai artefacts pro- Wolverhampton Art Shakespeare Festival, Museum Stratford-upon-Avon Shire Hall Gallery, vide an insight into the Gallery until Sun 9 Sept, Royal GRAND DESIGNS A DEAR SHAKESPEARE Stafford world of the revered OUR SPORTING LIFE: THE Shakespeare Theatre, chance to view some of New display that show- EXHIBITION BY BRONIA Japanese warriors, Sat SCIENCE OF SPORT EXHI- Stratford-upon-Avon the museum’s rarely cases a small but rare SAWYER Carefully craft- 21 July - Mon 3 Sept, BITION Exhibition that MARION RICHARDSON seen masterpieces, collection of letters writ- ed works made from Forge Mill Needle focuses on the rela- EXHIBITION The former until Sat 20 Oct, Dudley ten by famous authors, paper that explore the Museum, Redditch tionship between sci- Dudley Girl’s School art Museum & Art Gallery from Oscar Wilde to artist’s struggle with CLOUD NYLON ence & sport, in partic- mistress showcases CELEBRATION A display Bram Stoker, until Mon dyslexia and her Retrospective exhibition ular how technological some of the outstand- of costumes in the 31 Dec, Nash’s House obsession with being featuring works by Nora advancements have ing work that she’s pro- Servants' Quarters & New Place, Stratford- creative, Mon 16 July - Fok, Sat 21 Jul - Wed 5 shaped achievements duced with children Costume Gallery, until upon-Avon Sat 1 Sept, Solihull Arts Sep, Worcester City Art and performance in over the years, until Sat Sun 28 Oct, KOSUGE1-16 Debut exhi- Complex Gallery & Museum the elite sporting 22 Sep, Dudley Shugborough Historic bition from Japanese MARK POWER: BLACK DRAWN TO CRAFT world, until Sun 9 Museum & Art Gallery Working Estate, artists Kosuge1-16 COUNTRY STORIES Multi- Exhibition that show- Sept, Enginuity, CORE - A DIGITAL ART Stafford which draws on mac's story exhibition that cases how the drawn Ironbridge, Shropshire INSTALLATION Kurt ANTONY DONALDSON history to create an questions perceptions line has inspired con- GODS, GREEKS AND GOR- Hentschlager’s instal- Exhibition featuring interactive exhibition of beauty and the temporary craftspeople, GONS Discover some of lation provides an early works from the that fuses sculpture importance of looking Sat 21 July - Sat 22 the greatest stories insight into a weight- '60s & '70s alongside and puppetry, Sat 7 Jul good, Thurs 19 July - Sept, Bilston Craft ever told in an exhibi- less world of virtual more recent works, - Sun 9 Sept, mac, Sat 15 Sept, The New Gallery tion that explores how aquariums, until Sun until Sat 3 Nov, Birmingham Art Gallery, Walsall A JUDITH KERR RETRO- different societies 30 Sep, Enginuity, Wolverhampton Art GOING FOR GOLD: STREET Exhibition that SPECTIVE Exhibition of interpret Greek cul- Ironbridge, Shropshire Gallery CELEBRATING LOCAL provides a glimpse into original artwork from tures, until Sun 9 Sept, CITYSCAPES An exhibi- SPORTING LIFE An exhibi- the darker side of the The Tiger Who Came The Potteries Museum MUSCLES, BALLS & tion of the world in BOWLS Exhibition that tion to mark the London urban environment, Fri To Tea, Sat 21 July - & Art Gallery, Stoke- miniature featuring 2012 Olympic and 20 July - Sat 15 Sept, Sat 29 Sept, on-Trent explores the history of items from the most cir- sport in Shakespeare’s Paralympic Games, The New Art Gallery, Wolverhampton Art CURIOUS VISITORS: THE culated art medium - time, until Sun 4 Nov, Thurs 12 July - Sun 7 Walsall Gallery ARTS COUNCIL COLLEC- coins and medals, until Nash’s House & New Oct, The Royal Pump STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD: TRANSIENT NATURE TION Featuring contem- Sun 6 Oct, The Barber Place, Stratford-upon- Rooms, Leamington DARK AGE DISCOVERY Exhibition inspired by porary sculpture, Institute, Birmingham Avon Spa This exhibition, featur- the British environment paintings and photog- JAMAICA 50 A partner- GOLD, SILVER & BRONZE ing over one hundred & the natural world, raphy, until Sun 9 THE DIG! Exhibition ship between the showcasing archaeo- Exhibition featuring an specially chosen arte- Mon 23 July - Sat 15 Sept, Aston Hall, Birmingham Kingsway array of works in a vari- facts from the Sept, Willow Gallery, Birmingham logical finds uncovered Project, the Drum Arts so far, until Mon 31 Dec, ety of materials, all Staffordshire Hoard, Oswestry, Shropshire LIVING WALLS New Centre and Birmingham Nash’s House & New inspired by the colours provides a unique

DRAWN TO CRAFT BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY 21 JULY - 22 SEPTEMBER 2012 MOUNT PLEASANT, BILSTON, WEST MIDLANDS WV14 7LU [email protected] WWW.WOLVERHAMPTONART.ORG.UK/BILSTON

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 53 Festivals July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:31 Page 1

54 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Festivals July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:31 Page 2 Festivals

Fuse Festival Beacon Park, Lichfield, Fri 6 - Sun 8 July Organised by Lichfield Arts (the team behind the ever-popular Lichfield Folk Festival), this annual community event brings together people from the Lichfield area - and visitors - to enjoy a wide variety of arts-based activities. Since its debut more than ten years ago, Fuse has grown to become one of the largest free community arts festivals in the Midlands, attracting thousands of people to Beacon Park to witness a diverse range of music performances, theatre skills and storytelling sessions, as well as to take part in numerous workshops and browse the Fuse market’s many and varied stalls. This Barbara Nice year’s festival wel- comes the addition of a Fuse Comedy Night, which, hosted by Barbara Nice, features performances from Ben Hutchinson, Danny Sutcliffe, Will Duggan and Katie Mulgrew.

Global Gathering Eddie Reader Long Marston Airfield, Stratford-upon-Avon, Fri 27 - Sat 28 July English rapper Tinie Tempah returns to the Warwick Folk Festival Midlands this month to head up the main stage at Warwick School, Warwick, Thurs 26 - Sun 29 July this year’s Global Gathering - the annual dance Considered to be one of the best events in the folk arts calendar, the Warwick Folk music festival that’s become a worldwide brand Festival this year celebrates its thirty-third birthday. The event has certainly grown in since it first debuted in Long Marston back in size and stature in the three decades-plus since it launched way back in 1979, and now 2001. The two-day festival attracts thousands of attracts fans from as far away as the United States and Australia. With an impressive music aficionados to Shakespeare’s birthplace, line-up headed by Eddie Reader, fans of both traditional and contemporary folk can and features over one hundred artists performing expect four days of top-class musical entertainment from the likes of Edward II, across sixteen stages, arenas and terraces. Breabach, Faustus, Jim Moray and Michael McGoldrick. An array of theatre and dance Producer extraordi- events, workshops, crafts and ceilidhs take place both on and off-site. naire Guiseppe Ottaviani makes his debut at this year’s Cheltenham International festival, performing alongside a host of Music Festival well-known artists, Various locations throughout Cheltenham, including Afrojack, Wed 4 - Sun 15 July Maverick Sabre, One of the Cheltenham Festivals, the Annie Mac, Zane International Music Festival brings Lowe, Armin Van together a wide range of performers, Buuren and Ms performances and talks, with the inten- Dynamite. Tinie Tempah tion of providing something for everyone. Taking place hot on the heels of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the 2012 Simmer Down Festival event celebrates the richness of Britain's Handsworth Park, Birmingham, Sun 22 July musical heritage, from Elgar, Delius, This annual free afternoon of entertainment in Holst and Vaughan Williams to today's Birmingham’s Handsworth Park this year cele- leading composers. Festival highlights brates fifty years of Jamaican independence by include Nigel Kennedy performing the paying tribute to the city’s reggae history and its 1918 concert, Jean Efflam-Bavouzet pre- role in transforming communities both in senting a Debussy spectacular, the Birmingham and around the world. Acclaimed reg- return of Cheltenham favourite Milos gae band Aswad take centre-stage on what prom- Karadaglic (this year playing with the ises to be a fun day out for people of all ages. Carducci Quartet), Singapore’s Performances from an array of local bands, dance Orchestra of the Music Makers (with activities, arts and education workshops, and food pianist Melvyn Tan), and early music and craft stalls also feature. gems from Trio Medieval and Florilegium's Bolivian Baroque project. Nigel Kennedy

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2012

SATURDAY, 4th AUGUST Elton, nr. Ludlow, SY8 2HQ CAMPING AVAILABLE

Firefly is a glorious small festival near Ludlow with campfires, enchanting woods, hidden dingles and a natural amphitheater. And a pub, serving local ales! The lineup is carefully hand picked. Check our website for the line up and info. Music in a field with friends. We rest our case. www.fireflyfestival.co.uk Tickets:www.fireflyfestival.co.uk/tickets  www.facebook.com/fireflyfestival

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Festival PREVIEWS

BE Festival AE Harris Building, Birmingham, Mon 2 - Sun 8 July; mac, Birmingham, Mon 2 - Tues 3 July Birmingham’s annual festival of European theatre returns to the city this month, kicking off with a full-length version of last year’s award-winning presentation by Basque company, The Sleepwalk Collective. The festival provides an opportunity for audiences to discover the people and cultures associated with creating various artistic mediums abroad. Sixteen companies contribute to an eclectic programme of events, a highlight of which is sure to be a new piece entitled L’Autruche (The Ostrich), performed by acclaimed British troupe The Plasticine Men.

No Fit State Lichfield Festival Various locations throughout Lichfield, Wed 4 - Sun 15 July L’Autruche - The Plasticine Men Comprising music, film, theatre, literary and associated arts events, the thirty-first Lichfield Festival celebrates Olympic year with an opening performance entitled Anthem, presented in Birmingham International Jazz the city’s magnificent cathedral. This evening-time event showcases new anthems composed by Lichfield schoolchildren in collaboration with their peers from far-flung lands. Other high- And Blues Festival lights during the twelve-day festival include performances from the Halle (with Sir Mark Elder Various locations in and around Birmingham, and Alice Coote), bhangra favourites The Dhol Foundation, Miles Jupp, Bellowhead, The Fri 6 - Sun 15 July Reduced Shakespeare Company, Phill Jupitus and Echoa. The festival finale is provided by Now in its twenty-eighth year, the one of Europe’s best contemporary circus companies, No Fit State, who’ll give an outdoor Birmingham International Jazz And Blues performance in Beacon Park of their new show Barricade. Festival returns once again to brighten up all manner of nooks, crannies, shuts and pas- sages in and around the city centre. With over two hundred performers taking part, the festival attracts thousands of visitors to Birmingham every year, and features impromptu performances hosted at various venues throughout the city. This year’s line- up includes appearances from Musical Youth, Tipitina, Ricky Cool And The Hoola Boola Boys, Dr Teeth Big Band, Arthur Brown Jazz Band and Musical Youth (pictured). Stratford Poetry Festival Various locations in and around Stratford- upon-Avon, Wed 4 July - Fri 6 August A feast of words, wit and wisdom awaits visitors to Stratford this month, as the town’s annual poetry festival gets under way. Charles Dickens’ bicentenary year provides a focus for the 2012 event, which includes a showing of David Lean’s 1946 version of Buxton Festival Great Expectations and a lighthearted cele- Various locations in around Buxton, Derbyshire, Sat 7 - Wed 25 July bration of the author’s life and works. Derbyshire’s biggest summer arts event is thirty-four years old in 2012, and as usual features London 2012 is also celebrated, courtesy of a wealth of opera, music and literary attractions. With an international reputation for showcas- a collection of poems from many of the ing high calibre performances - and delivering rarely-seen opera pieces - the festival this year Olympic nations and featuring contributions includes presentations of Handel’s Jephtha, Strauss’ Intermezzo, Vivaldi’s L’Olimpiade and from international writers TJ Dema and Kosal Benjamin Britten’s The Return Of The Screw. Michael Morpurgo, Joanna Lumley and Edwina Khiev. Other festival events include Poetry Currie are among the celebrities who’ll be turning up in Buxton during the course of the nine- For Amnesty, featuring recitals from Jack teen-day-long event. Music-wise, the festival features performances from The Russian Mapanje and Jane Lapotaire, and a Poetry Chamber Philharmonic St Petersburg, soprano Claire Rutter, the Northern Chamber Orchestra Antipasti with Wendy Freeman. and Indian-Western supergroup Svara-Kanti (pictured).

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WARWICK SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL

21st June – 7th July

Concerts of choral, chamber and orchestral music in St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Warwick Including performances by David Briggs, Ksynia and Jan Loeffler, Armonico Consort and the Choirs of St Mary’s Collegiate Church Tickets available from St Mary’s Church Gift Shop or on the door See festival brochure for further details

www.stmaryswarwick.org.uk

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Festival PREVIEWS

Festival At The Edge Much Wenlock, Shropshire, Fri 20 - Sun 22 July The beautiful setting of Shropshire’s Wenlock Edge provides a perfect backdrop for this annual weekend of storytelling and music that brings together artists from across the globe. Recognised as one of the oldest of its kind in England, Festival At The Edge is seen as a platform on which to launch major new storytelling performances. Each year the event commissions a new piece, with 2012’s offering being devised and developed by Irish storyteller Kate Corkery. A family-friendly event, Festival At The Edge also features a children’s festival, which runs alongside the main event, and includes appearances from specially booked children’s performers. Kyla La Grange Firefly Festival Elton Hall, Ludlow, Nr South Shropshire, Sat 4 August Created when a group of friends decided to transform their annual gatherings into ‘a punchy little music festival’, Firefly takes place in the beautiful South Shropshire countryside and brings together DJs and live bands - including young local talent - in a laid-back atmosphere. Acclaimed songstress Kyla La Grange headlines at this year’s event, and is certain to entertain the crowds with songs from her debut album Ashes. The 2012 line-up also features Bruno Charles, Gentle Mystics, Carousel, The Wild Mercury, The Colour Movement and The Night.

Jul, Buxton Opera WOLVESTOCK Country WILDERNESS Line-up and the Machine, Fri 24 Festivals Listings House music festival, Sat 21 - includes, Rodrigo y - Sun 26 Aug, LUNANZA Family fun fes- Sun 22 Jul, East Park, Gabriela, Wilco, Bramham Park, Leeds tival, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Jul, Birmingham Spiritualized, Cloud READING Line-up The West Midland SPLENDOUR Highlights Control & Lianne La Foo Fighters, The Cure, For full listing information on festivals, Showground, include Dizzee Rascal, Havas, Fri 10 - Sun 12 Kasabian, The Black including dates and line-up, visit Shropshire Katy B, Razorlight and Aug, Cornbury Park, Keys & Florence and www.whatsonlive.co.uk BLUES AT THE FOLD Line- The Levellers, Sat 21 Oxfordshire the Machine, Fri 24 - up includes Earl Green Jul, Wollaton Park, FARMER PHILS Line-up Sun 26 Aug, Richfield Bleeding Hearts & & The Right Of Time, Nottingham includes Dreadzone, Avenue, Reading Kaleidoscope, Fri 6 - Sat 7 Jul, The Fold, CHURCH STRETTON ARTS The Undercover Hippy SHREWSBURY JULY Sun 8 Jul, Beacon Worcestershire FESTIVAL A two-week & Rodney Branigan, Fri INTERNATIONAL STREET Park, Lichfield THE ROCK & BIKE FEST celebration of the arts, 10 - Sun 12 Aug, THEATRE Fri 31 August - WAKESTOCK Line-up Line-up includes Killerz, Sat 22 July - Sat 4 Aug, Rattlinghope, Sun 2 Sep, Shrewsbury CHELTENHAM includes Calvin Harris, Church Stretton, South Shrewsbury Town Centre INTERNATIONAL MUSIC The Quireboys & Dizzee Rascal & Ed Shropshire V FESTIVAL Highlights Highlights include Nigel Pendulum DJ Set, OFF THE TRACKS Sheeran, Fri 6 - Sun 8 include The Stone Kennedy & Benjamin Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Jul, WARWICK FOLK Line-up SUMMER Line-up Jul, Cardigan Bay, Roses, The Killers, Noel Grosvenor, Wed 4 - Sun Elvaston Castle includes Eddi Reader, includes Peatbog South Wales Gallagher's High Flying 15 Jul, Various loca- Showground, Derby Tickled Pink, Edward II Faeries, The Selecter, BIRMINGHAM INTERNA- Birds & Snow Patrol, tions throughout LATITUDE Line-up & Michael McGoldrick, Dhol Fountain & Martin TIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Sat 18 - Sun 19 Aug, Cheltenham includes Bon Iver, Thu 26 - Sun 29 Jul, Carthy, Fri 31 Aug - Line-up includes Warwick Weston Park, Sun 2 Sep, Donnington LICHFIELD FESTIVAL Wed Elbow, Paul Weller & Tipitina, Will Johns, Staffordshire Park Farmhouse, 4 - Sun 15 Jul, Various Metronomy, Thurs 12 - OFF THE CUFF Fri 27 - Musical Youth & King SHREWSBURY FOLK Donnington locations throughout Sun 15 Jul, Henham Sun 29 Jul, The Highlights include KT Lichfield Pleasure and the Park, Suffolk Flapper, Birmingham MOSELEY FOLK Line-up Biscuit Boys, Fri 6 - NOZSTOCK Line-up Tunstall, Richard includes Steeleye NAPTON MUSIC Line-up BREWOOD MUSIC FESTI- Sun 15 Jul, various Thompson, & Show of Span, Roy Harper, includes Toploader, VAL Thurs 12 - Sun 15 includes The locations in and around Hands, Fri 24 - Mon 27 Echo & The Bunnymen Guns2Roses & Total Jul, various locations in Futureheads, The Aug, West Midland & Julian Cope, Fri 31 Stone Roses, Fri 6 - Sat Birmingham Brewood, Staffordshire Proclaimers & Showground, Aug - Sun 2 Sep, 7 Jul, Napton on the BUXTON Line-up BROMSGROVE FOLK Line- Dreadzone, Fri 27 - Sun Shrewsbury Moseley Park & Pool, Hill Centre, includes Piano 4 up includes Jez Lowe 29 Jul, Bromyard, CREAMFIELDS Line-up Birmingham Warwickshire Hands, Flanders and and the Big Bad Hereford includes Avicii, David Swann, Give Me Your Pennies, Josh Tams GLOBAL GATHERING FUSE Line-up includes Guetta & Example, Fri Hand & The Fairey and Barry Coupe, Mike Highlights include Tinie State Of Undress, 24 - Sun 26 Aug, SEPTEMBER Band, Sat 7 - Wed 25 Silver and Jonny Tempah, AfroJack & Daresbury, Cheshire Coppin and many Labrinth, Fri 27 - Sat 28 more, Fri 13 - Sun 15 Jul, Long Marston BRIDGNORTH MUSIC & Jul, The Bowling Airfield, Stratford-upon- ARTS Fri 24 Aug - Sun 2 BROMYARD FOLK Line-up Green, Shaw Lane, Avon Sep, Various Locations includes Spiers & Bromsgrove, in Bridgnorth, Boden, The Mighty Worcestershire Shropshire Doonans & Vin Garbutt, Fri 7 - Sun 9 Sep, HOLE IN THE WALL Line- AUGUST UPTON INTERNATIONAL Bromyard, up includes Counterfeit MUSIC Line-up includes Herefordshire Stones, T-Rextacy & The Stylistics, The Drifters, The Selecter & SHREWSBURY FIELDS Are You Experienced, BLUES FESTIVAL Line-up The Beat, Fri 24 - Sun FOREVER Line-up fea- Sat 14 - Sun 15 Jul, includes Ricky Cool 26 Aug, Upton tures The Wombats, Ms Hopton Court, between and the Hoola Boola Waterside, Upton-on- Dynamite & The Clock Ludlow & Kidderminster Boys, TBelly, Mojo Severn, Worcestershire Tower, Fri 14 - Sat 16 L FEST Fri 13 - Mon 16 Hooker, Steiny's Blues Sep, West Mid Jul, West Midland & Mumbo-Jumbo, Sat 4 LEEDS Line-up includes The Foo Fighters, The Showground, Showground, Aug, The Jinney Ring Shrewsbury Shrewsbury Craft Centre, Redditch Cure, Kasabian, The The Proclaimers Black Keys & Florence

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Godiva Awakes University Square, Coventry, Sat 28 July Forming part of London 2012, Coventry’s Godiva Awakes celebration images and text that tells the story of the rich history of sees the famous historical figure being ‘awoken’ for the first time in the West Midlands. The free concert, on 28 July, pre- one thousand years. In reality, the event features the unveiling of a cedes the city’s carnival on the 29th, during which the new Godiva world-class piece of public art, based on the character of Lady artwork will board her Cyclopedia and begin a journey to London, Godiva and created by mechanics, artists, theatre-makers, pup- where she’ll present The Book Of Intent to the people of the capital. peteers and engineers. The book contains messages from some of the Midlands region’s Godiva’s unveiling is celebrated with a concert featuring the Godiva youngsters, declaring their intent to make the world a fairer place. Choir, dancers, actors, aerialists, musicians, pyrotechnicians, and two Godiva’s Cyclopedia will be powered by one hundred local cyclists, hundred-and-twenty young people. The new work of art will initially and, together with a cavalcade, will make its way to London along be wearing a transparent shift dress designed by Zandra Rhodes, but the A5 via Rugby, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Luton, Hatfield and will then be dressed in a spectacular handcrafted coat - adorned with Waltham Abbey, arriving at its destination in Waltham on 5 August.

Six Summer Saturdays Antiques For Everyone Various locations in and around Birmingham NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 July City Centre, Sat 7 - Sat 25 August With more than three hundred dealers Birmingham Hippodrome’s annual outdoor ini- descending on Birmingham for this annual tiative kicks off this month, showcasing works summer event, Antiques For Everyone con- from an eclectic mix of artists who’ll be roam- tinues to be branded as one of the country’s ing around Birmingham’s Southside and city largest and most popular fairs of its kind. centre areas. Acts for 2012 are as yet to be Featuring a huge array of items - ranging confirmed but will be announced on from kitchenalia through to fine works of art www.birminghamhippodrome.com when worth in excess of £20,000 - there’s sure to available. be something to interest all tastes and Image of Non Fit State Circus from budgets. This year’s event includes the Six Summer Saturdays 2011 unveiling of never-before-seen items from the Museum of Royal Worcester. The Museum (previously called the Worcester Pottery Museum) will be launching its new identity at the fair and exhibiting previously unseen pattern books, film and archive material, journals and designs. Past Royal WIN Worcester artists, gilders and printmakers TICKETS whatsonlive.co.uk will also be at the show, demonstrating their to enter skills.

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Events PREVIEWS Oswestry Food And Drink Festival Various locations in and around Oswestry, North Shropshire, Sat 7 - Sun 8 July Now in its sixth year, this family-friendly festival brings together some of the region’s best food producers and chefs to showcase their skills. For two days, the historic market town of Oswestry will be awash with numerous exhibitors selling an array of gourmet wares. New for 2012 is the Chef’s Showcase, where chefs from the Oswestry and Welsh Borders demonstrate their culinary skills. Duncan Glendinning - artisan baker and founder of The Thoughtful Bread Co - will be on hand to demonstrate and talk about his passion for breadmaking. The event also provides an opportunity for visitors to sample a selection of breads, accompanied by cheese and wine. Staffordshire Bike Show Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent, Sun 22 July Returning for a third year and promising to be bigger and better than ever, the Staffordshire Bike Show has quickly established itself as one of the largest free bike events in the country. Last year’s show attracted crowds in excess of fifteen thousand, and it’s hoped that, with British motorcycle racer Guy Martin appearing as this year’s special guest, 2012 will attract record attendances. Guy will be available for signings and photo opportunities throughout the day, while other noteable attractions include the Steve Colley Stunt Display, the Inspire BMX Show, the Wall of Death, BikeSafe rideout assessments and live music. Meanwhile, younger visitors are sure to be entertained by kiddy quads, simulators, wheelie machines and a gyroscope.

post-war Zephyrs, Zodiacs and Granadas, there’s plenty on offer to excite enthusiasts. Classic Nostalgia The rally also hosts numerous activities to Shelsley Walsh, Worcestershire, Sat 28 - Sun 29 July entertain families in the Indoor Bazaar and Alice’s Adventures In Curio And Craft Show. There’s also the This two-day event, set in the beautiful chance to win a Giant Retro Space Hopper Worcestershire countryside, marks various Wonderland in the Space Hopper Hoopla Game. milestones in motoring history. Offering what Blists Hill Victorian Town, Ironbridge, promises to be a great day out for motoring Shropshire, Sat 21 - Sun 22 July enthusiasts, the 2012 Shelsley Walsh Classic This month sees many of Lewis Carroll’s Nostalgia celebrates fifty years of the MGB much-loved children’s characters come to and showcases the Luffield MG life at the award-winning Blists Hill Victorian Championship on the Saturday. Sunday’s Museum. Visitors are invited to dress as proceedings recognise one hundred years of Alice - or one of the story’s other characters - the classic Sunbeam. Fifty years of the AC and take part in some of the numerous Cobra is marked on both days. Displays of themed activities taking place throughout the pre-war vehi- day. These include a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, cles from the playing croquet with The Queen of Hearts, 1920s and and following a clue-led trail to find the ’30s, pre-1980 Cheshire Cat. Shelsley Specials, the Bert Hadley Championship and a Large Model Aircraft Rally Concours RAF Museum, Cosford, Wolverhampton, Sat 28 - Sun 29 July D’Elegance also feature. A perfect event for aviation enthusiasts, this Large Model Aircraft Rally sees hundreds of scale models of iconic aircraft take to the skies above the award-winning museum. British Trampoline, Tumbling Now in its twentieth year at RAF Cosford, this family-friendly event features sufficient side- And DMT Championships line attractions to keep everyone happy National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, throughout the Sat 7 - Sun 8 July day, including a Some of the nation’s finest gymnasts Old Ford Rally children’s area, descend on Birmingham this month to take trade and food Heritage Motor Museum, Gaydon, part in a prestige event showcasing an array Sun 22 July stalls (selling of high quality somersaults, twists and syn- everything from The UK’s largest rally for old Fords takes chronised performances. With trampolining modelling place in the Midlands this month, when vehi- represented at the forthcoming Olympics, equipment to cles from the world’s biggest motoring man- the championships allow spectators the burgers) and ufacturer gather at Gaydon’s Heritage Motor chance to cheer the female Team GB repre- access to the Museum. From pre-war cars and agricultural, sentative ahead of the biggest challenge of RAF museum commercial and military vehicles through to her sporting career. itself.

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Events PREVIEWS Newport Show Chetwynd Park, Newport, Sat 14 July Newport’s delightful Chetwynd Deer Park provides the perfect setting for this annual show. And, with main arena entertainment coming courtesy of Jason Smyth’s Adrenaline Tour Motorcycle Stunts, numerous Village Green events, a dog show and a cookery theatre, there’s certainly plenty to occupy visitors’ attention. For those in need of a bit of retail therapy, the show features more than one hundred stalls, selling everything from seeds to wellies, whilst the indoor shopping arcade has an array of arts and crafts for sale.

Silverstone Classic Silverstone Racecourse, Northampton, Fri 20 - Sun 22 July One-time Star Trek star Sir Patrick Stewart is lined-up to join fellow personalities from the worlds of sport, showbiz, TV and music in this year’s special Celebrity Challenge race, which forms part of the annual three-day Silverstone Classic. The Hollywood actor will be joined on the starting grid by award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal, lifestyle guru Jo Wood, AC/DC rocker Brian Johnson and Strictly Come Dancing’s Brendan Cole in a bid to raise funds for Birmingham’s Children’s Hospital. Recognised as the largest classic motoring festival in the UK, this prestigious event features an eclectic array of features, including live motor racing, aerial displays, auctions, a wall of death, helicopter flights and a funfair, to name but a few. Camper Jam And as the sun goes down on the Friday evening, visitors can enjoy Mike And The Weston Park, Staffordshire, Fri 6 - Sun 8 July Mechanics, Roy G Hemmings’ Motown Show and the Taking Care Of Elvis Show. Adam Ant Now in its fifth year, this three-day event headlines on the Saturday evening. brings together WV enthusiasts of all ages to enjoy a weekend festival of ‘friendship and small animal displays. Music from The fun’. As well as showcasing some wonderful Warrior Gold Strictly Swing Band and a fundraising specimens of WM buses, the family-friendly The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, Stoke- Companion Dog Show also feature. festival hosts a wide range of activities and on-Trent, Sat 21 July live music. And, with Cooking In A Camper Helping to celebrate the arrival of Dark Age competitions, a funfair, trampolines, quad Discovery, the new Staffordshire Hoard exhi- bikes, archery, a K9 Dog Show and a tradi- bition, Stoke’s Potteries Museum & Art tional Olympic sports day, there’s certainly Gallery has devised an accompanying range plenty to keep visitors entertained. Owners of of activities to both entertain and educate. the iconic WV vehicles will also get a chance The one-day event features re-enactors from to show off their prized possession in the the Poor Knights of St Chad as they demon- Show And Shine on Sunday. strate life in Anglo Saxon Britain, while skilled craftspeople showcase the art of leather and wood-working, as well as demonstrating how to carve bone and antlers. Storyteller Julie Cooper will also be on hand, fuelling the imagination as she fuses historical facts and legend in tales of action and adventure from around the time that the Hoard was buried. Birmingham Food Festival Various locations in and around Birmingham, Shugborough County Show Fri 13 - Thursday 19 July Shugborough Historic Working Estate, Birmingham’s week-long celebration of all Staffordshire, Sat 28 - Sun 29 July things culinary features an interesting array This two-day family event is promising to of main and fringe events - from demonstra- offer something for everyone, and features tions, tastings and workshops through to the colourful Knights Of The Damned, who, walks and live music. On Saturday 14 July, Myth And Magic as well as showcasing their jousting prowess Glynn Purnell and David Colcome, together through various choreographed stunts, will Weston Park, Staffordshire, Thurs 26 July with some of the city’s other top chefs, pres- also demonstrate how life was lived hun- ent a programme of live cookery demonstra- This ‘mystical’ afternoon of fantasy and dreds of years ago, courtesy of their tions in Victoria Square, while the fun-filled magic promises to enthral visitors to medieval re-enactment village. Birmingham Chilli Festival returns to Staffordshire’s prestigious stately home. Other highlights during the weekend include Brindleyplace for a second year. As well as Cambridge Touring Youth Theatre present a a performance by the Nuneaton Dog Display hosting a range of gastro events, the Chilli brand new, fully interactive outdoor perform- Team, birds of prey and falconry displays, Festival is set to raise temperatures with a ance of the story of King Arthur and Merlin. terrier racing, willow sculpture and an programme of tango performances and Packed with new songs, dance and slap- appearance from the iButho Anglo-Zulu War street entertainment. Its finale is the much- stick, the performance is preceded by a History Group. For those with culinary inter- anticipated chilli-eating competition, in which forty-five-minute workshop, during which ests, there’s the Events Show Kitchen to contestants battle it out to be crowned the children can explore the story of The Sword enjoy, while younger visitors are certain to be 2012 Chilli Conqueror. For information on In The Stone, take part in knightly adven- entertained by a traditional Punch and Judy how to register, email ailsa.raine@brindley- tures and meet characters from the play... show, bouncy castle, fairground rides and place.com

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17th Century Stately Home Woodland Adventure Playground Miniature Railway Farm Shop and Art Gallery and much more...

OPen nOW until Sun 2nd SePt

Weston Park, Shropshire, TF11 8LE 01952 852100 www.weston-park.com

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CONSERVATION TOUR OF LISTINGS THE STAFFORDSHIRE Events HOARD Wed 4 Jul, Birmingham Museum & For full listing information on Events Art Gallery including times and dates visit, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON POETRY FESTIVAL www.whatsonlive.co.uk Various events taking part in and around event celebrating Shakespeare’s home Britain's transport histo- Week Commencing town, Wed 4 Jul - Wed ry. The event is sup- 8 Aug, Stratford-upon- SUN 1 JULY ported by a craft fair in Avon the castle's Great Hall, CELLAR TOURS Guided TITANIC TRAIL Follow the Sun 1 Jul, tours, Wed 4 Jul, Aston Titanic trail around the Worcestershire County Hall, Birmingham museum and discover Museum GUIDED TOUR OF the city's links with the IT’S A KNOCKOUT Annual BORDESLEY ABBEY Learn doomed ocean liner, charity event in aid of more about the history until Mon 31 Dec, The Hope House Hospice, and destruction of Potteries Museum & Art Sun 1 Jul, The Quarry Bordesley Abbey, Thurs Gallery Park, Shrewsbury 5 Jul, Forge Mill Needle THE WITCHES OF LONDON 2012 TORCH Museum, Redditch WARWICK Morbid spells RELAY OVERNIGHT STOP ADULT CRAFT WORK- and the darkest witch- Sun 1 Jul, Coventry SHOP: LOG CABIN PATCH- craft games create an City Centre WORK Create your own atmosphere to chill ANTIQUE AND piece of patchwork in even the most sea- COLLECTORS FAIR Sun 1 Tudor Living History - Avoncroft, Bromsgrove the traditional log cabin soned scaremongers, Jul, The Three Counties style, Thur 5 Jul, theme, Sat 7 Jul, Royal until Mon 31 Dec, Showground, Malvern HERITAGE WEEKEND Sat strates how to take Walsall Museum Birmingham Society Of Warwick Castle GAYDON MINI FESTIVAL 7 - Sun 8 Jul, Cadbury inspiration from every- LONGTON BEER FESTIVAL Artists, Birmingham WEB OF LIFE A rare Featuring children's World, Birmingham day surroundings and Large selection of HISTORICAL TOUR Sat 7 opportunity to see pre- activities, the Heritage TRAMPOLINE & create routines, Sun 8 beers and ciders, and Jul, Shrewsbury Library viously hidden treas- run and access to the TUMBLING Jul, Dudley entertainment from the KNITTING WORKSHOP A FAIRY DAY ures from the muse- museum’s new Sci-Fi CHAMPIONSHIPS The Sun 8 Jul, band Grace, Thurs 5 - one-day craft event that um’s collections, until exhibition, Sun 1 Jul, World Age Group Hoo Farm Animal Sat 7 Jul, Gladstone enables beginners to Mon 31 Dec, Nash's Heritage Motor Centre, Championships will see Kingdom, Telford, Pottery Museum, familiarise themselves House & New Place, Gaydon, Warwickshire the best up-and-com- Shropshire Stoke-on-Trent with the basics of knit- SUNDAY SCHOOL Stratford-upon-Avon SUMMER FETE Sun 1 ing young gymnasts OSWESTRY GAMES Nine- ting and pattern read- DIG FOR SHAKESPEARE Jul, Sunnycroft, from around the world ANNIVERSARY A tradi- day festival packed with ing, Sat 7 Jul, The Watch archaeologists Wellington, Shropshire compete for the presti- tional Sunday School local sport and arts Roses Theatre, as they unearth exciting FREEDOM MARCH gious title, Sat 7 - Sun anniversary service in events, Fri 6 - Sun 15 Tewksbury relics, and try your Mercian regiment free- 8 Jul, National Indoor the museum’s 1837 Jul, Various Locations CULTURAL DIVERSITY DAY hand at helping sieve dom of the borough Arena, Birmingham Darby Hand Chapel, around Oswestry, North Sat 7 Jul, The Square, the spoils in the onsite march, Sun 1 Jul, LUNANZA FESTIVAL Sun 8 Jul, Black Shropshire Shrewsbury marquees, until Sun 4 Dudley Town Centre Family festival featuring Country Living 2012 FORMULA 1 PELSALL CARNIVAL & Nov, Nash's House & CLASSIC CAR RALLY Sun medieval reenactments, Museum, Dudley SANTANDER BRITISH FUNFAIR Sat 7 Jul, RUN WHAT YA BRUNG New Place, Stratford- 1 Jul, Gregynog Hall, funfair, dog show, fire- GRAND PRIX The most Pelsall Common, PUBLIC TRACK DAY upon-Avon Nr Welshpool, Powys eater, live music and a Sun prestigious event in the Walsall THROCKMORTON FAMILY RETRO SHOW A multi- visit from Peppa Pig, 8 Jul, Santa Pod motor racing calendar, ADULT RING-MAKING GARDENS ROSE FESTIVAL marque event for fans Sat 7 - Sun 8 Jul, West Raceway, Northampton Fri 6 - Sun 8 Jul, WORKSHOP: STYLISH SIL- QUEEN’S DIAMOND Fri 1 - Sun 8 Jul, of retro vehicles, Sun 1 Mid Showground, Silverstone Circuit, VER Join designer JUBILEE PICNIC IN THE Coughton Court, Jul, Santa Pod Shrewsbury Northampton Louise Mary to make a PARK Warwickshire Raceway, Northampton TREASURE DAYS A spe- Sun 8 Jul, CAMPER JAM Camper stylish contemporary CHARLES DICKENS BRITISH ARMED FORCES cial weekend to admire Blackwood Park, and Commercial silver ring using simple CELEBRATION Readings DAY Sun 1 Jul, Himley some of Walsall Magazine's very own techniques, Sat 7 Jul, ANTIQUE & COLLECTORS and performances to Hall & Park, Dudley Shugborough's most show, aimed at owners Museum of the FAIR mark the two hun- TRIATHLON A day of special hidden treas- Sun 8 Jul, The and lovers of the VW Jewellery Quarter, dredth anniversary of races, Sun 1 Jul, ures, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Jul, Flash Leisure Centre, Bus in all its models Birmingham Dickens' birth, Sat 1 Trentham Gardens, Shugborough Historic Welshpool, Powys and types, Fri 6 - Sun 8 VICTORIAN PASTIMES Jul, Blists Hill, Stoke-on-Trent Working Estate, Jul, Weston Park, Watch as the grand- Ironbridge, Shropshire BIKE 4 LIFE SUMMER RUN Staffordshire ShrewsburyWeek Commencing Staffordshire scale Victorian toy the- DANCE WEEKEND Sat 1 Start at the M6 Toll OSWESTRY FOOD & SMART ART Sat 7 Jul, atre is brought to life, MON 9 JULY Jul, Cadbury World, headquarters and ride DRINK FESTIVAL Annual Soho House, Sat 7 Jul, Gladstone Birmingham out to RAF Cosford, festival that features the Birmingham Pottery Museum, STEP BACK TO THE 1940S where a rock band, fun- very best food & drink GREEN FAIR Annual Stoke-on-Trent SIR RANULPH FIENNES: Featuring costumed re- fair and BBQ awaits, from the region’s event for local organi- STICKY SATURDAY EVEREST, THE EIGER AND enactors, battle re- Sun 1 Jul, RAF exhibitors, Sat 7 - Sun sations to showcase Creative sessions for MORE... enactments with Cosford, Staffordshire 8 Jul, Various Locations Talk from one of their ‘green’ creden- families, Sat 7 Jul, pyrotechnics, a 1940s LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC around Oswestry, North the world's most intrep- tials. Event features up- Dudley Museum & Art wedding, replica RAF TORCH RELAY Sun 1 Jul, Shropshire id explorers, Mon 9 Jul, cycle demonstrations, Gallery operations room and Warwick Castle CHETWYND MEDIEVAL Theatre Severn, local craft and eco FETE & FUNDAY Sat 7 much more... Sat 1 BREATHE THE BEAT FAIR Featuring living Shrewsbury stalls, a mini farmers Jul, The Severn Centre, PAINTING EN PLEIN AIR Jul, Severn Valley ROADSHOW Renowned history camp, falconry market, live folk band Highley, Nr Bridgnorth, Railway, Bewdley, Nr international hip-hop display, medieval Indoor watercolour and children's musical Shropshire Kidderminster artist Salah demon- dancers, roving musi- workshops with Alan instruments workshop, AVONCROFT'S GOLDEN UK MOTORHOME strates how to take cians, hog roast and Tyers, Mon 9 Jul, Sat 7 Jul, Shropshire JUBILEE: TUDOR LIVING SUMMER FAIR Sat 1 Jul, inspiration from every- craft stalls, Sat 7 - Sun Herbert Art Gallery & Wildlife Trust, Abbey HISTORY Enjoy interac- West Midland day surroundings and 8 Jul, Pickstock, Nr Museum Foregate, Shrewsbury tive demonstrations in DANCE AT 8 Showground, create routines, Sun 1 Newport, Shropshire Workshop LEATHER CARVING WORK- the Merchant's House, Shrewsbury Jul, Stafford Castle 1940S WEEKEND that teaches dance to a SHOP A chance to learn have-a-go archery, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON SIR RANULPH FIENNES: Featuring wartime high standard in a wide intricate skilling authentic music work- RIVER FESTIVAL EVEREST, THE EIGER AND music, drama, history, variety of styles for involved in carving shops, dancing, chil- The waterways and MORE... Talk from one of food and costume, Sat adults of all ages, Tue leather, Sat 7 Jul, dren's drill and tradi- banks of Stratford will the world's most intrep- 7 - Sun 8 Jul, 10 Jul, Bredon Village Walsall Leather tional games, Sat 7 - be packed for the id explorers, Mon 2 Jul, Attingham Park, Hall, Tewksbury Museum Sun 8 Jul, Avoncroft CERAMIC GALLERY TALKS annual River Festival. Birmingham Town Hall Shrewsbury COALBROOKDALE CRAFT Museum, Bromsgrove The event brings DANCE AT 8 Workshop WENLOCK OLYMPIAN Two short talks by & GIFT FAIR Sat 7 Jul, STRATFORD CARNIVAL together the boating that teaches dance to a GAMES Annual event members of the Coalbrookdale Sat 7 Jul, Stratford- fraternity and local high standard in a wide that attracts competi- Northern Ceramic Community Centre, upon-Avon community to enjoy variety of styles for tors from all over the Society, Tue 10 Jul, The Coalbrookdale, Telford ROCK AND FOSSIL IDEN- river-based entertain- adults of all ages, Tue 3 UK, Sun 8 - Sat 21 Jul, Potteries Museum & Art ARTIST WORKSHOP WITH TIFICATION Take along ment and activities, Sat Jul, Bredon Village Hall, Various venues Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent DAVID PAUL GLEESON your rock and fossil 3D ENAMELS FOR THE 1 Jul, Stratford-Upon- Tewksbury throughout Much David will be in the finds and have them HOME OR GARDEN Avon Recreation DRIFT WHAT YA BRUNG Wenlock, Shropshire gallery to demonstrate identified by resident Ground PUBLIC DRIFT DAY Wed BREATHE THE BEAT Workshop where visi- how he composes his experts, Sat 7 Jul, A FESTIVAL OF 4 Jul, Santa Pod ROADSHOW Renowned tors can make items pastel and chalk stud- Dudley Museum & Art TRANSPORT One-day Raceway, Northampton international hip-hop from copper foil to ies with a sporting Gallery artist Salah demon- brighten up their home

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THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Warrior Gold Meet Anglo-Saxon warriors from the Poor Cnights of St Chad as they search for the Staffordshire Hoard. See their weapons of war and listen to tales of action and adventure. Saturday 21 July 10.30am - 4pm Bethesda Street, City Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 3DW Telephone 01782 232323. www.stoke.gov.uk/museum

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Events LISTINGS

For full listing information on Events including times and dates visit, www.whatsonlive.co.uk

environment. Pre-book- at the gates of Ludlow ing essential! Tues 10 Castle before meander- Jul, Herbert Art Gallery ing through Shropshire & Museum, Coventry and Herefordshire THE W FACTOR 2012! The countryside and finish- culmination of weeks of ing off at the Ludlow auditions and Assembly Rooms, Sat rehearsals for talented 14 Jul, Ludlow, South William Brookes School Shropshire students, Wed 11 Jul, WILLOW WORKSHOP The Edge Arts Centre, Relaxing one-day work- Much Wenlock, South shop for adults, Sat 14 Shropshire Jul, The Roses Theatre, TODDLER THURSDAY Tewksbury Crafty creation time BLACK COUNTRY ATELIER and storytelling for FUN DAY Drop-in fun youngsters, Thurs 12 day where visitors can Jul, Gladstone Pottery explore the possibilities Birmingham Chilli Festival - brindleyplace Museum, Stoke-on- of 3D printing, Sat 14 Trent Jul, The Jewellery SUMMER CRAFT & FOOD Staffordshire Old Joint Stock FESTIVAL Touted as the SHROPSHIRE DIAMOND Quarter, Birmingham FAIR Sat 14 - Sun 15 DIG IT! Event to cele- Theatre, Birmingham biggest and best VW JUBILEE PAGEANT In the FLAMENCO WORKSHOP July, Attingham Park, brate the British Festival CREATIVE SKETCHBOOK festival. Event features presence of Her Learn the basics of the Shrewsbury of Archaeology, Sun 15 WORKSHOP Chance to VW drag racing, RWYB, Majesty The Queen and wonderful Spanish art DRAGSTALGIA A week- Jul, Soho House, experiment with array of live music, a His Royal Highness form, Sat 14 Jul, The end event dedicated to Birmingham papers, imagery and funfair, show’n’shine, The Duke Of Roses Theatre, race cars, bikes and CHILDREN’S CUPCAKE text to create a person- comedy and trade vil- Edinburgh, Thur 12 Jul, Tewksbury hot rods from a bygone DECORATING EXPERIENCE alised sketchbook, Wed lage, Fri 20 - Sun 22 RAF Cosford, STICKY SATURDAY era, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Sun 15 Jul, Del Villagio, 18 Jul, Royal Jul, Santa Pod Staffordshire Creative sessions for Jul, Santa Pod The Bullring, Birmingham Society Of Raceway, Northampton COLLECTORS CLUB DAYS families, Sat 14 Jul, Raceway, Northampton Birmingham Artists DEER STUDY Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Jul, Dudley Museum & Art IRONBRIDGE GORGE RACE FOR LIFE A 5km ANTIQUES FOR EVERYONE PHOTOGRAPHY Emma Bridgewater Gallery BRASS BAND FESTIVAL run in aid of Cancer Britain’s premier dedi- WORKSHOP Join Jenny Factory, Stoke-on-Trent BREATHE THE BEAT Sat 14 - Sun 15 Jul, Research UK, Sun 15 cated antiques event, Morgan from PEAK PERFORMANCE ROADSHOW Renowned Coalbrookdale Museum Jul, Himley Hall & Park, Wed 18 - Sun 22 Jul, Gentleshaws Wildlife TEST & TUNE DAY RWYB international hip-hop of Iron, Ironbridge, Dudley NEC, Birmingham Sanctuary and Bird of with maximum track artist Salah demon- Shropshire WARWICK THAI FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT Chance to Prey Hospital for a day- time and fully prepped strates how to take MERCHANT'S HOUSE Chance to experience put your own personal long photography track for serious enthu- inspiration from every LIVING HISTORY authentic Thai culture objects under the spot- workshop featuring siasts, Fri 13 Jul, Santa day surroundings and WEEKEND Featuring with a fusion of Thai light, Wed 18 Jul, owls and raptors, Sat Pod Raceway, create routines, Sat 14 interactive demonstra- dancing, puppet Birmingham Museum & 21 Jul, Trentham Northampton Jul, Tudor Grange tions, Sat 14 - Sun 15 shows, handicrafts and Art Gallery Gardens, Stoke-on- FOOD & WINE MATCHING Leisure Centre, Solihull Jul, Avoncroft Museum, entertainment, Sun 15 DRY POINT ETCHING Trent WORKSHOP Fri 13 Jul, EDIBLE EASTSIDE FORAGE Bromsgrove Jul, Warwick WORKSHOP Create your DRAGON DAY Free family Old Joint Stock WALK Family event. Pre- CITY OF 1000 TASTES Racecourse own drypoint etching workshop with local Theatre, Birmingham booking essential, Sat WALKING TOUR Ninety- BRITISH STONE SKIM- by learning how to cre- artist Kate Brookes, Sat WARWICK LIONS CLUB 14 Jul, Rear of 122 minute walk that follows MING CHAMPIONSHIPS ate a design, etch into 21 Jul, Worcester City BEER FESTIVAL Fri 13 - Fazeley Street, Birmingham’s culinary Featuring ex-England a printing plate, ink it Art Gallery & Museum Sat 14 Jul, Warwick Eastside, Birmingham trail, Sat 14 - Sun 15 cricketer Derek Randall up and print it onto EVENING SCENIC Racecourse WENLOCK OLYMPIAN Jul. For further informa- as guest skimmer, Sun paper, Thurs 19 Jul, SPECIALS Sat 21 Jul, BIRMINGHAM CHILLI FES- GAMES CELEBRATION A tion visit www.oxbof- 15 Jul, Walcot Lake, Royal Birmingham Severn Valley Railway, TIVAL Featuring cooking new one-day event to fice.com Lydbury North, Society Of Artists Bewdley, Nr demonstrations, live celebrate Much CELEBRATING THE Shropshire HIDDEN WIGHTWICK: THE Kidderminster music, and stalls selling Wenlock's Olympian TERCENTENARY OF THE COMMUNITY GAMES LIFE & WORKS OF LIZZIE FASCINATORS AND HEAD chilli-related produce, heritage. Street mar- NEWCOMEN ENGINE Sat Sports & crafts that SIDDAL Return of the DECORATIONS Fri 13 - Sat 14 Jul, kets, entertainment and 14 - Sun 15 Jul, Black form part of the London popular talks & tour, WORKSHOP Create your BrindleyPlace, exhibitions all feature Country Living 2012 Community Thurs 19 Jul, Wightwick own decorative head- Birmingham around the beautiful Museum, Dudley Games, Sun15 Jul, Manor, Wolverhampton wear and learn how to CBD FOOD FESTIVAL Fri market town, Sat 14 LET THE GAMES BEGIN Aston Hall, Birmingham EXPLORE FICTION make an original piece 13 - Sat 14 Jul, Jul, Various venues WEEKEND Sat 14 - Sun WRITING Workshop with for any occasion, Sat Colmore Business throughout Much 15 Jul, Cadbury World, Week Commencing practitioner Sue 21 Jul, Royal District, Birmingham Wenlock, Shropshire Birmingham Johnson, Thurs 19 Jul, Birmingham Society Of L FEST All-inclusive fes- WORKSHOP WITH HEINKE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY MON 16 JULY The Roses Theatre, Artists tival featuring music, JENKINS Heinke talks DAY A day of fun Tewksbury COMMUNITY GAMES comedy, cinema, arts, about her linocut print- archaeology-themed WHERE GARDENING Inspired by London sports & games, Fri 13 ing techniques... Sat 14 activities for all the fam- CURIOUS ABOUT THE BEGAN AND INTO THE 2012, Sat 21 Jul, Soho - Mon 16 Jul, West Jul, Royal Birmingham ily to enjoy, Sun 15 Jul, CASTLE? One-day event FUTURE Illustrated talk House, Birmingham Midland Showground, Society Of Artists, Forge Mill Needle that forms part of the with Carol Smith, Thurs KAKATSITSI DRUMMING & Shrewsbury Birmingham Museum, Redditch Festival of British 19 Jul, Tudor House, DANCE WORKSHOPS Sat EVENING SCENIC SPECIAL EDIBLE EASTSIDE BREAD FRIENDS ART FAIR Artists Archaeology, Tue 17 Friar Street, Worcester 21 Jul, Ludlow Sat 14 Jul, Severn MAKING Great event for from all over the West Jul, Worcestershire MIXED MEDIA WORKSHOP Assembly Rooms, Valley Railway, all those who’ve ever Midlands come togeth- County Museum Have fun with mixed South Shropshire Bewdley, Kidderminster wanted to eat home er to showcase an BRITISH FESTIVAL OF media and create your WARRIOR GOLD Meet SAMPAD ARTS MEDIA A baked wood fired array of works covering ARCHAEOLOGY TALK: ANI- own artwork, Fri 20 Jul, Anglo-Saxon warriors taste of Asia featuring a bread hot from the various genres and MAL BONES IN ARCHAE- Royal Birmingham as they search for the range of entertainment, oven. Pre-booking mediums, Sun 15 Jul, OLOGY Practical hands- Society Of Artists Staffordshire Hoard. workshops and Indian essential, Sat 14 Jul, Birmingham Botanical on talk with the muse- RAG RUG WORKSHOP See their weapons of food, Sat 14 Jul, Arena Rear of 122 Fazeley Gardens um’s Keeper of Learn the history of this war and listen to tales Theatre, Street, Eastside, BONSAI DEMONSTRATION Collections Paul craft with specialist of action and adven- Wolverhampton Birmingham Sun 15 Jul, Thompson, Tues 17 Jessie Lindon, Fri 20 ture, Sat 21 Jul, The COUGHTON VILLAGE WILD WEEKEND WITH Birmingham Botanical Jul, Herbert Art Gallery Jul, Birmingham Back Potteries Museum & Art FETE Traditional village- STAFFORDSHIRE Gardens & Museum, Coventry to Backs Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent style fete complete with WILDLIFE TRUST UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS VICTORIAN PASTIMES Sat BRITISH VOLKSWAGEN PARTY IN THE PARK One- old-fashioned games, Featuring a variety of TOUR A behind-the- 17 July, Gladstone FESTIVAL Event run by a day music event featur- village stalls and activities, including scenes tour that affords Pottery Museum, dedicated team of vol- ing various local bands, refreshments, Sat 14 nature-inspired crafts visitors a chance to Stoke-on-Trent unteer VW enthusiasts, Sat 21 Jul, Bishops Jul, Coughton Court, and bug and scavenger view parts of the house INTRODUCTION TO WINE Fri 20 - Sun 22 Jul, The Castle Playing Fields, Warwickshire hunts!, Sat 14 - Sun 15 not usually on the pub- Presented by Three Counties Bishops Castle, LUDLOW CHALLENGE Jul, Trentham Gardens, lic route, Sun 15 Jul, Birmingham Wine Showground, Malvern Shropshire WALK A walk that starts Stoke-on-Trent Weston Park, School, Tues 17 Jul, BUG JAM 26 - VW BREATHE THE BEAT

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70 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Events July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:27 Page 12

Birmingham The 2012 Yonex Badminton Bonanza - National Indoor Arena, Birmingham SUMMER HOLIDAY FUN Events LISTINGS Daily family activities to entertain throughout the school holidays, For full listing information on Events Sat 21 Jul - Sun 2 Sep, including times and dates visit, Shugborough Historic www.whatsonlive.co.uk Working Estate, Staffordshire ROADSHOW Renowned its heritage trains run- MARVELLOUS international hip-hop ning, Sat 21 - Sun 22 MECHANISMS! SUMMER artist Salah demon- Jul, Severn Valley HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES strates how to take Railway, Bewdley, Nr Follow the family dis- inspiration from every- Kidderminster covery trail around the day surroundings and OLYMPIC THEMED WEEK- museum and explore create routines, Sat 21 END Fun and themed some of history’s great- Jul, Telford Town Park, games ahead of est mechanisms, Sat 21 Shropshire London 2012, Sat 21 - Jul - Sun 2 Sep, Black 1940S EVENING The Sun 22 Jul, Country Living Museum's village will Shugborough Historic Museum, Dudley be full of 40s spirit, Working Estate, SPACE RACE Holiday street performers and Stafford activities where visitors musical entertainment, ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN can design and build a Sat 21 Jul, Black WONDERLAND See char- vehicle to navigate a Country Living acters in costume per- rugged 'Martian' land- Museum, Dudley form scenes from Lewis scape, as well as enjoy Church Stretton, South favourite Ancient Greek 25 Jul, The New Art THE DIRECTOR TALKS An Carroll’s much-loved interactive shows all Shropshire god onto a tile and Gallery, Walsall onstage event that book, Sat 21 - Sun 22 about space, Sat 21 Jul paint, Tue 24 Jul, SPOT THE EGG Summer offers visitors an insight Jul, Blists Hill, - Sun 2 Sep, Enginuity, Week Commencing Gladstone Pottery activities for children into the process of cre- Ironbridge, Shropshire Ironbridge, Shropshire Museum, Stoke-on- under three, Wed 25 ating a performance, RALLY IN THE VALLEY SUMMER HOLIDAY MON 23 JULY Trent Jul, Brownhills Library, Sat 21 Jul, Royal Fifth annual steam and GAMES & ENCHANTED CASTLES & Walsall Shakespeare Theatre, vintage rally, Sat 21 - ENTERTAINMENT Sat 21 MYTHICAL BEASTS Clay LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC Stratford-upon-Avon Sun 22 Jul, Bridgnorth Jul - Sun 2 Sep, ARTISTS' OPEN DAY An workshop with Jon ‘the FOOTBALL MATCH: ENG- STUART FUND DAY Travel Severn Park, Cadbury World, opportunity for painters potter’ Williams, Tues LAND WOMEN’S X 2 Wed back to a time of Bridgnorth, Shropshire Birmingham to capture the beauty of 24 Jul, Worcester City 25 Jul, Ricoh Arena, baroque music, lace GRAND MEDIEVAL JOUST LONDON 2012 TRAIL Free Anne Hathaway's Art Gallery & Museum Coventry collars and musket fire, Experience the sporty craft activities Cottage through the LIVING SHAKESPEARE THE LUDLOW PUDDING Sat 21 Jul, Powis pageantry of a and trails for the school seasons, Mon 23 Jul, Four-day course that EXPERIENCE Promising a Castle, Welshpool, medieval joust, togeth- summer holidays, Sat Anne Hathaway's explores The Bard’s great day out for food- Powys er with falconry dis- 21 Jul - Tues 4 Sep, Cottage, Stratford- King John, Richard III ies!, Wed 25 Jul, UNWRAPPED On-stage plays, dance, entertain- Broadfield House Glass upon-Avon and Twelfth Night Ludlow Assembly discussion and practi- ment from a jester and Museum, Kingswinford; THE 2012 YONEX through lectures, per- Rooms, South cal demonstration that music from the Dudley Museum & Art BIRMINGHAM BADMINTON formance and discus- Shropshire takes a peek into the medieval minstrels, Sat Gallery & Red House BONANZA Open bad- sion, Tue 24 - Fri 27 Jul, ANIMALMANIA Handling rehearsal room, with 21 - Sun 22 Jul, Glass Cone, minton event aimed at Shakespeare's sessions with experts members of the acting Kenilworth Castle Stourbridge social players who play Birthplace, Stratford- Animalmania, Wed 25 company and creative ANNUAL SWEET PEA BREATHE THE BEAT for fun but would like a upon-Avon July, Birmingham team all on hand to SHOW Sat 21 - Sun 22 ROADSHOW Renowned chance to play and GREEK POTS WORKSHOP Museum & Art Gallery share their knowledge, Jul, Wem, North international hip-hop meet different people, Make and decorate a GLADIATOR TRAINING Sat 21 Jul, Royal Shropshire artist Salah demon- and low to medium- clay Greek pot, Tue 24 - Fun workshop where Shakespeare Theatre, BARTON GATE STEAM strates how to take level league players, Fri 27 Jul, The Potteries visitors can learn how Stratford-upon-Avon CHARITY RALLY Charity inspiration from every- Mon 23 - Tue 24 Jul, Museum & Art Gallery, to become a Roman STICKY SATURDAY event with all proceeds day surroundings and National Indoor Arena, Stoke-on-Trent gladiator, Wed 25 - Creative sessions for going to the Midlands create routines, Sun 22 Birmingham TILE DECORATION Thurs 26 Jul, Avoncroft families, Sat 21 Jul, Air Ambulance, Sat 21 - Jul, Handsworth Park, CERAMIC DROP-IN WORKSHOP Use the Museum, Bromsgrove Dudley Museum & Art Sun 22 Jul, Needwood Birmingham WORKSHOPS Take inspi- tried and tested tube CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL Gallery Rise Farm, Barton BONSAI SHOW Miniature ration from your garden lining technique to pro- Wed 25 Jul - Sun 5 WALLED GARDEN SUM- Under Needwood, magic from South and paint a scene on a duce a 6x6-inch tile of Aug, Tamworth MER BBQ An evening of Staffs Staffs Bonsai Society, mug or model a plant your own design and Assembly Rooms feasting on locally STRATFORD GHOST FES- Sun 22 Jul, marker out of clay, Mon choice of colours, Tue SILVER RACE DAY Make a sourced produce, Sat TIVAL Sat 21 - Sun 22 Birmingham Botanical 23 Jul - Fri 31 Aug, 24 - Fri 27 Jul, Jackfield face for the Olympic 21 Jul, Attingham Park, Jul, The Falstaff Gardens Coalport China Tile Museum, cheering crowd and Shrewsbury Experience, Stratford- WARFARE & VIOLENCE: Museum, Ironbridge, Ironbridge, Shropshire join in the games of ink ORIGINS OF MIDDLE upon-Avon THE MAKING OF MERCIA Shropshire MAUD & THE DRAGON blowing, wheel prints EARTH GUIDED WALK Sat OWL WEEK A range of A talk on the historical SPORTING FIGURES IN Various themed activi- and marble prints, 21 Jul, Sarehole Mill, activities, including ani- background to the PRINT WORKSHOP Using ties for the school holi- Thurs 26 Jul, The New Birmingham mal handling and feed- Staffordshire Hoard by sporting figures as a days, Tues 24 Jul - Sat Art Gallery, Walsall DRAGON DAY! Join local ing, pony rides, indoor Dr Morn Capper, Sun starting point, partici- 22 Sep, Worcester City OLYMPIC FAMILY DROP-IN artist Kate Brookes to and outdoor pedal go 22 Jul, Birmingham pants can explore the Art Gallery Create your own spec- make a very special karts, electric tractors Museum print medium through SUMMER WEDNESDAYS A tacular Olympic flag monstrous dragon for and cars, rifle range STAFFORDSHIRE BIKE drypoint, lino-cut, colla- full day of activities for with Ruth Radcliffe, the new gallery space and a bouncy farm, Sat SHOW 2012 Featuring an graph and monoprint, all the family, including Thur 26 Jul, Walsall in the old Library, Sat 21 - Fri 27 Jul, Hoo appearance by special Mon 23 - Tue 24 Jul, guided tours, have-a-go Leather Museum 21 Jul, Worcester City Farm Animal Kingdom, guest Guy Martin, dis- Royal Birmingham archery, living history SUMMER THURSDAY'S Art Gallery Telford, Shropshire plays from the Steve Society Of Artists tent, birds of prey and Featuring a full day of ADINKRA PRINTING TRAILBLAZERS CHAMPI- Colley Motorcycle Stunt CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY flying displays, Wed 25 activities for all the fam- WORKSHOP Led by artist ONSHIPS 2012 Team, live music, kiddy DAYS: GREAT GAMES Jul, Ludlow Castle, ily to enjoy, including Matthew Krishanu, Sat Equestrian event open quads, simulators and Traditional outdoor & South Shropshire castle tours, short sto- 21 July, Birmingham to all dressage, com- much more... Sun 22 indoor games for all to MEDALS: A WIDER VIEW rytelling, medieval Museum & Art Gallery bined training and Jul, Britannia Stadium, enjoy, Mon 23 - Wed 25 Take inspiration from games and castle ZUMBATOMIC - ZUMBA showjumping, Sat 21 - Stoke-on-Trent Jul, Dudmaston, Nr the Olympics and crafts, Thurs 26 Jul, FOR KIDS Fun fitness Sun 29 Jul, Stoneleigh OLD FORD RALLY Bridgnorth, Shropshire explore the medal as a Ludlow Castle, South class for children, Sat Park, Warwickshire Celebrating one hun- SUMMER HOLIDAYS fine art object, Wed 25 Shropshire 21 Jul, The Public, BRITAIN'S ULTIMATE dred years of Ford in FAMILY DROP-IN WORK- Jul, Royal Birmingham THE BUG ZOO Join the West Bromwich SUMMER Featuring the UK, Sun 22 Jul, SHOPS AND TRAILS Mon Society Of Artists experts to find out more MERCHANT'S HOUSE joustings performances Heritage Motor Centre, 23 Jul - Fri 31 Aug, DIG FOR HISTORY! about the exotic mini- LIVING HISTORY twice daily, Sat 21 Jul - Gaydon, Warwickshire Museum of Cannock Uncover the past with a beasts from Hatton Bug WEEKEND Featuring Sun 2 Sep, Warwick CHURCH STRETTON ARTS Chase hands-on archaeologi- Zoo, Thurs 26 July, interactive demonstra- Castle FESTIVAL A two-week SHARE A STORY: MAD cal family fun day, Wed Birmingham Museum & tions, Sat 21 - Sun 22 TIMMY TIME Fun activi- celebration of music ABOUT MINIBEASTS Story 25 Jul, Aston Hall, Art Gallery Jul, Avoncroft Museum, ties - including quiz and arts with classical sessions for children Birmingham LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC Bromsgrove trails, arts and crafts concerts, celebrity lec- under three, Tues 24 BRONZE BANNER DAY FOOTBALL MATCH: ENG- PEEP BEHIND THE and a model building tures, drama, jazz and Jul, Pelsall Library, Make your own bronze LAND MENS Thurs 26 SCENES AT SEVERN VAL- competition - with a showcase of local Walsall medal and create a tex- Jul, City of Coventry LEY An insight into the CBeebies Timmy, Sat youth talent, Sun 22 Jul GREEK GODS - TILE tile flag or banner to Stadium hard work involved in 21 Jul - Sun 2 Sep, - Sat 4 Aug, Various PAINTING WORKSHOP celebrate the opening DYNAMIC REALISM: keeping the SVR and Sealife Centre, locations in and around Copy a design of your of London 2012, Wed CONTEMPORARY AND www.whatsonlive.co.uk 71 Events July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:27 Page 13

SATURDAY 14th JULY NEWPORT SHOW CHETWYND DEER PARK, NEWPORT a great day out for all the family Early Bird Ticket Discount Enjoy up to 20% off gate prices

G Jason Smyth Adrenaline Tour Motorcycle Stunts G Giant Food Hall G Shopping Extravaganza G Village Green Entertainment G Cookery Theatre G Livestock G Horses G Dog Show G Horticultural Show & much more!

Call the ticket hotline on 0845 467 1889 Weekdays 9.30am - 2.30pm or buy online www.newportshow.co.uk

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Fri 3 Aug, Hoo Farm CLASSIC CAR RALLY Sun 29 LISTINGS Animal Kingdom, Telford, Jul, Three Counties What’s On in Walsall Events Shropshire Showground, Malvern BRITISH FOOD FORTNIGHT For full listing information on Events Celebrating the very best Week Commencing including times and dates visit, of British food, complete MON 30 JULY www.whatsonlive.co.uk with plenty of sampling Walsall opportunities, Sat 28 Jul - CLASSICAL DRAWING Avon Sun 12 Aug, Weston Park, Leather TECHNIQUES WORKSHOP WILLENHALL SOUNDS OF Staffordshire ANIMALMANIA Handling GODIVA AWAKES Thu 26 - Fri 27 Jul, Royal SUMMER Free family festi- Imagineer sessions with experts Birmingham Society Of val, Sat 28 Jul, Willenhall Productions present a per- Animalmania, Mon 30 July, Museum Artists Memorial Park formance featuring Birmingham Museum & Art 19TH MOPAR EURO GLASS CRAFTS TASTER SES- dancers, actors, aerialists, Gallery NATIONALS The ultimate SIONS Workshops where musicians, pyrotechni- TIME TRAVELLERS American muscle car show you can try your hand at cians, carnivalists and two GO...ROGUES & VILLAINS with RWYB, burnout com- glass painting, engraving hundred-and-twenty Take part in a musket drill, petition and live evening and kiln fusing, Sat 28 Jul, young people in a proces- listen to the myths and entertainment, Fri 27 - Sun Red House Glass Cone, sion, Sat 28 - Mon 30 Jul, legends surrounding terri- 29 Jul, Santa Pod Stourbridge Coventry City Centre fying rogues, and plan LOVE STOURBRIDGE Raceway, Northampton LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC Family your own ambush, Mon 30 BONNETS UP DAY An oppor- FOOTBALL MATCH: ENGLAND event featuring live music, Jul - Fri 3 Aug, Kenilworth tunity for technically mind- WOMEN’S X 2 Sat 28 Jul, amusements, inflatables, Castle ed types to get under the Ricoh Arena, Coventry free beauty treatments, ARTISTS BOOKS WORKSHOP bonnets of three of the ADULT KILN FUSED JEW- face painting and craft Create your own 'artist Heritage Motor Centre's ELLERY WORKSHOP Learn activities, Sat 28 Jul, Mary book' using a range of cars, Fri 27 Jul, Heritage about kiln fusing and Stevens Park, Stourbridge printmaking and binding GODIVA CARNIVAL Motor Centre, Gaydon, make your own jewellery Sun 29 techniques, Mon 30 Jul - Warwickshire pieces to take home, Sat Jul, Coventry Wed 1 Aug, Royal MUSEUM FAMILY DAY GOLD T-SHIRT DAY Take 28 Jul, Red House Glass Sun Birmingham Society Of back your bronze and sil- Cone, Stourbridge 29 Jul, Museum of Artists ver medals and make a COMMUNITY GAMES Cannock Chase CHILDREN’S ACTIVITY DAYS: A WORKING MUSEUM GARDEN PARTY gold medal for a complete Celebrating London 2012, Featuring TREMENDOUS TREES Follow DEMONSTRATIONS set and claim a free t-shirt Sat 28 - Sun 29 Jul, Blists garden fun and games, the themed trail around Sun 29 Jul, Jinney Ring the garden, Mon 30 July - ATTRACTIVE GARDENS to decorate, Fri 27 Jul, The Hill, Ironbridge, Shropshire & PICNIC AREA New Art Gallery, Walsall WILDERNESS SURVIVAL Craft Centre, Bromsgrove Wed 1 Aug, Dudmaston TEDDY BEAR’S PICNIC SKILLS WORKSHOP Sat 28 - DROP IN ORIGAMI Estate, Bridgnorth, SADDLE ROOM CAFÉ WORKSHOP Family day featuring crafts, Sun 29 Jul, Trentham Make your own Shropshire LEATHERGOODS SHOP storytelling and a trail Gardens, Stoke-on-Trent samurai hats and boxes, HORRID HISTORIES SUMMER around the museum, Fri SHUGBOROUGH COUNTRY Sun 29 Jul, Forge Mill WORKSHOP Drama summer COMING SOON 27 Jul, Broadfield House SHOW Sat 28 - Sun 29 Jul, Needle Museum, Redditch school, Mon 30 Jul - Fri 3 PRINT A SPRINT! ...... Glass Museum Shugborough Historic Be Aug, Newhampton Arts inspired by this year's Centre, Wolverhampton WALK TEN Sponsored 10K Working Estate, 7 July walk in aid of Marie Curie, Staffordshire Olympics and, by taking a TILE DECORATION 10.30am – 3.30pm Fri 27 Jul, Weston Park, RE-ENACTMENT HISTORY sprinter as your subject, WORKSHOP Use the tried Staffordshire WEEKEND The House of learn how to use stensils, and tested tube lining Leather Carving VESSELS FOR A NARROW Blackstar re-visit various folding and printing tech- technique to produce a Workshop for Adults SHELF WORKSHOP Use a periods in history, includ- niques to create your own 6x6-inch tile of your own £15.00 - ( all materials and equipment mixture of hand-building ing Roman, Medieval, artistic version of a race, design and choice of provided) - booking essential methods to construct a Victorian and WWII, Sat 28 Sun 29 Jul, Royal colours, Tue 31 Jul - Fri 3 slim vessel suited to your - Sun 29 Jul, Whittington Birmingham Society of Aug, Jackfield Tile 25 July, 1st, 8th, 15th home, Sat 28 Jul, Royal Castle, Oswestry, North Artists Museum, Ironbridge, & 22nd August FESTIVAL OF THE BLACK Birmingham Society Of Shropshire Shropshire 10.30am – 12.30pm (5-7’s) COUNTRY Artists ROMANS V CELTS Take a Watch on as WILDLIFE RANGERS Get & 1.30pm - 3.30pm (8-12’s) THE STORY GARDEN Fun walk through the muse- cars, motorcycles and hands-on and learn what it On Your Marks.... and lively introduction to um’s encampments to see commercial vehicles built takes to be a wildlife Olympic Fun at our children’s in the Black Country ranger, Tue 31 Jul, Witley holiday Wednesday club Shakespeare, Sat 28 Jul, how our ancestors lived Activities Royal Shakespeare and worked, Sat 28 - Sun parade around the muse- Court, Worcestershire um site, Sun 29 Jul, Black TIME TRAVELLERS £1.50 per session. Theatre, Stratford-upon- 29 Jul, Avoncroft Museum, Booking Essential. Children under 8 Avon Bromsgrove Country Living Museum, GO...ROMANS Prepare for must be accompanied EVENING SCENIC SPECIALS LARGE MODEL AIRCRAFT Dudley action by taking part in a GODIVA AWAKES PROCES- Sat 28 Jul, Severn Valley RALLY Sat 28 - Sun 29 Jul, variety of Roman-themed 28 July SION LEAVES COVENTRY FOR Railway, Bewdley, Nr RAF Cosford, Staffordshire activities, including a drill 10.30am – 12.30pm LONDON Kidderminster PIG WEEK Featuring a Sun 29 Jul, to see if you've got what it & 1.30pm - 3.30pm THE DIRECTOR TALKS An range of activities, includ- Coventry City Centre takes to be a Roman sol- Olympic Family Drop-Ins WALSALL CLASSIC CAR & onstage event that offers ing animal handling and dier, Tue 31 Jul - Wed 1 Wave Your Flag feeding, pony rides, indoor TRANSPORT SHOW Annual Aug, Wroxeter Roman City, visitors an insight into the Create your own spectacular and outdoor pedal go- showcase featuring more Nr Shrewsbury process of creating a per- Olympic Flag to wave your karts, electric tractors and than five hundred-and-fifty SUMMER LIVING HISTORY formance, Sat 28 Jul, heroes to glory Royal Shakespeare cars, a rifle range and a vehicles, Sun 29 Jul, Tue 31 Jul, Tamworth Theatre, Stratford-upon- bouncy farm, Sat 28 Jul - Walsall Arboretum Castle FREE - no need to book SAXON SOLDIERS WORKSHOP Make a Saxon 18 August peg doll to take home... 10.30am – 12.30pm & 1.30pm - 3.30pm Tue 31 Jul - Fri 3 Aug, The Potteries Museum & Art You Deserve Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent A Medal NATIONAL FLAGS WORKSHOP Inspired by the clever pattern Cut out and colour your create your own medal favourite national flag, and fly it on a model flag staff, FREE - no need to book Tue 31 Jul, Gladstone Pottery Museum, Stoke- on-Trent FREE ENTRY HISTORY HUNTERS Various activities throughout the summer school holidays Tel: 01922 721153 that enable visitors to www.whatsonwalsall.co.uk uncover and learn about a Open Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm variety of things associated with The Herbert's cur- Walsall Leather Museum rent Dinosaurs Uncovered Littleton Street West, Walsall exhibition, Tues 31 July - Fri 24 Aug, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

Time Travellers Go... Romans - Wroxeter Roman City, Nr Shrewsbury

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 73 Events July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:27 Page 15

Variety is the Life Of Spice..

Come out to play with a huge network of new friends. A warm welcome awaits you!

Wouldn’t you love to be invited to places you’ve always wanted to go. Get your FREE comprehensive join a thriving club of 3000 friends Events take place at locations information pack today call: in the West Midlands (and 15,000 across the West Midlands. Lots of our members are single and come 0121 353 6161 (24 hours) nationally!) who really know how along on there own, but we also email [email protected] to enjoy themselves? welcome couples and groups of or visit www.spicebham.com friends. There’s no hidden agenda Well here’s your chance. We’re a – we’re just one happy family of friendly, local action, adventure and friends. Members are all ages social group offering a wide variety (18–80!) and from all walks of life. of opportunities for our members to have fun together. The one unifying factor of anyone joining Spice is that they want to live There’s literally something for life to the full. everyone; be it the latest adrenaline pumping outdoor activities… Membership is equivalent to the weekends & holidays… sports nights… workshops on fascinating cost of just a pint of beer a week. subjects… or social nights including In fact, our money back promise So what will theatre, parties and ‘behind the means that satisfaction is you be doing scenes’ visits to all sorts of unusual guaranteed. tomorrow?

“It’s an opportunity to get to do lots of things you wouldn’t otherwise do Events July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 16:27 Page 16

What our members are up to in July 2012 Sunday 1st July I Leamington Spa + Offchurch I Indoor Shooting Easy Ramble I I Alton Towers Visit New Members Easy Walking Weekend I I I Beginners Horse Trek Sailing - 5 Day Competent Crew or Oxford and Blenheim Palace Day Skipper Course Social Weekend I Birmingham Museum - Pre-Raphaelite preview! I Segway Intro and Woodland Race I Scottish Walking Week - Isle of Arran at Garlands I I Charity Spice Cake Club South West Cotswolds - I Walking Weekend I Crown Green Bowling Afternoon TV Drama Props/ SFX Experience I I I Experienced Riders Fun Morning Thriller Dance Experience! Spice Hits Town at the Jam House .. I Hatton Docks and Warwick - Monday 9th July Saturday 21st July Moderate Ramble I Cooking Demo and Dining at The Venue I Abseiling for the Terrified I Kettlewell and Great Whernside I Spice Book Club I Alexandra Theatre Backstage Tour I Llangollen Canals Experience Day I Bridgnorth Moderate Cycle Ride I Tuesday 10th July Olympic Torch and Easy Ramble I Canadian Canoe Adventure I I Alrewas and Fradley Evening Ramble The Big Abseil - 200 Feet Straight Down I Criminal Birmingham Walk I I Dirty Dancing Walk with Wolves - Bedford I Cupcake Decorating Workshop I Solihull Pub Night Monday 2nd July I Great Ridge Ramble Wednesday 11th July I I Gliding Evening at Needwood Hippodrome Back Stage Tour I Badminton For Fun - Coventry I Pride and Prejudice Tuesday 3rd July I Badminton For Fun - Wolverhampton I Sailing Taster Day on the Solent I Knowle Evening Stroll I Badminton at NIA I Surfing Beginners Lesson I Preview Evening (MAC) I Crazy Golf Adventure at Star City! at Scarborough I Ten Pin Bowling (Broadway Plaza) I Sutton Pub Night Sunday 22nd July Wednesday 4th July Thursday 12th July I Adventure Trekking Day I Badminton For Fun - Coventry I Indoor Climbing at Redpoint I Braunston Moderate Ramble I Badminton For Fun - Wolverhampton I Unihoc (Mixed Indoor Hockey) I Flying Lesson I Badminton at NIA I Go Ape in Cannock Friday 13th July I Botanical Gardens Tour I Harry Potter Studios by Coach I Curry and Quiz - Sutton Coldfield I Newton Abbot, South Devon I Tanworth In Arden Easy Ramble I Drumming Experience for Beginners Walking Weekend I Tamworth and Lichfield Pub Night I Sailing Weekend around the Solent Tuesday 24th July I Welsh Ridge Walking Weekend - Thursday 5th July I Lichfield Evening Walk Rhinogs and Cadair I BBC Birmingham Behind the Scenes Wednesday 25th July I Saturday 14th July Halesowen and Quinton Pub Night I Badminton For Fun - Wolverhampton I I Lapworth + Packwood House Pizza Making and Meal at The Radisson I Badminton at NIA I Easy Ramble The Real Thing at the Jam House I Quiz I Pole Dancing with Pure Joy Friday 6th July I Quad and Honda Pilot Racing Thursday 26th July I Barn Dance and Supper I Rock Climbing for the Terrified I Belly Dancing for Fun! I Berwyn + Arran Mountains I Summer Ball 2012 I Brinklow Evening Ramble Walking Weekend Sunday 15th July Friday 27th July I Birds of Prey Weekend I Dorset Electric Easy Biking Weekend I Calke Abbey and Staunton Easy Ramble I Ben Nevis (via CMD) Walking Weekend I Fly Fishing Weekend I Golf - Learn to Play in a Day I Olympics Opening Ceremony Evening I Masham Beer and BBQ Overnighter (Warwickshire) I Sailing Weekend around the Solent I I Private Dining Experience Hangliding - Tandem Experience Saturday 28th July with a Celebrity Chef by Air Tow I Afternoon Tea at Althorp I Spice WaterFest Camping I Microlighting Experience Flight I Birmingham Oratory Visit I Spice WaterFest Party Break I Paragliding - Tandem Experience I Digital Photography for Beginners with Sunday Walk I Paragliding Day Course I White Water Kayaks I Sugarloaf Ramble Saturday 7th July I Discover Manchester Paddling Weekend Monday 16th July I Blists Hill Victorian Town - I White Water Rafting Behind the Scenes I Bromsgrove Pub Night I Yoga for Beginners on the Rooftop! I I Climbing the Longstone Pinnacle The Undertaker's Story Sunday 29th July I Field Archery Day Tuesday 17th July I Alcester + the Arden Way Ramble I Kingsbury Water Park Easy Ramble I Gliding Evening at Stratford I Birmingham Museum Tea + Tour - I Off Road Driving Day at Wrexham I Kings Heath Pub Night BMAG Stories I Owl Prowl / Dusk Walk I Preview Evening (Sutton) I Croquet Party I Scuba Taster Morning Experience I Fly with a Spitfire I Spice WaterFest - Wednesday 18th July I Golf - Learn to Play in a Day the Spice Watersports Day I Badminton For Fun - Wolverhampton (Staffordshire) I Spice WaterFest Camping I Badminton at NIA I Harvington Easy/Moderate Ramble I Western Style Rifle Shooting Afternoon Thursday 19th July I Quad Bike Trekking at Garlands Sunday 8th July I Lichfield Treasure Hunt, Quiz + Supper I Bushcraft Day in the Forest I Warwick / Leamington Pub Night I Glass Art Workshop Friday 20th July For future listings visit: I Helicopter Lesson www.spicebham.com I Far Eastern Lakes Walking Weekend

...and meet lots of people you wouldn’t otherwise meet”. Jamie, Spice member Classifieds - July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:21 Page 1 classifieds

To adverTise on The Classified page Call: Chris horton on 01743 281704 [email protected] or: Jon Cartwright on 01743 281703 [email protected] it’s probably less than you think!

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76 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Clubbing Gay - July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 18:00 Page 1 Gay

BIRMINGHAM AIR Heath Mill Lane, Digbeth, B9 4AL. Tel: 0121 766 6646 BAMBU Kottwall House, Wrottesley Street, B5 4BN Tel: 0121 6224124 BUSHWACKERS 103 Edmund St, B3 2HZ Tel: 0121 236 4994 FLARES NIGHTCLUB 55 Broad St, B15 1AY Tel: 0121 252 3100 GATECRASHER 183 Broad St, B15 1DA Tel: 0121 525 1300 02 ACADEMY 16-18 Horsefair, Bristol St, B1 1DB Tel: 0121 622 8250 OCEANA BIRMINGHAM Hurst St, B4 4EH Tel: 0845 4025390 REFLEX 36-37 Broad St, B1 2DY Tel: 0121 643 0444 SNOBS NIGHTCLUB 29 Paradise Circus, Queensway, B1 2BJ Tel: 0121 643 5551 BLACK COUNTRY INSOMNIA NIGHTCLUB 2 Bradford Place, Walsall WS1 1PL Tel: 01922 614300 OCEANA WOLVERHAMPTON Bilston Rd, The L Project Wolverhampton Tel: 0845 402 5290 SHROPSHIRE L Fest C:21 NIGHTCLUB 21 Abbey Foregate, West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, Fri 13 - Mon 16 July Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE Tel: 01743 271821 Despite other festivals around the country either seeing a decline in sales or being cancelled altogether, BUTTERMARKET Howard Street, L Fest women’s festival seems to be thriving. Festival-goers can expect to see some great acts gracing Shrewsbury Tel: 01743 281712 the Arena Stage, including The L Project - with their anti-LGBT bullying anthem It Does Get Better - VELVET 13 Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury Christina Novelli, Heads Hearts, Grey Matter, Laura Catlow, Faye Bagley and Jill Jackson, to name but a SY1 2DJ Tel: 01743 281712 few. If you fancy something more arty over the weekend, then take a trip to the Arts Pavilion, where you FEVER 19 - 21 Hills Lane, Shrewsbury can enjoy book readings by authors such as Stella Duffy and VG Lee. SY1 1QU Tel: 01743 247508 New for 2012 is a Tipping The Velvet Masked Ball, thrown in honour of Sarah Waters, who will also be THE OFFICE 27a Market Street, making an appearance at the festival. Oakengates TF2 6EN Tel:01952 616536 Returning favourites include the Lesbian Cinema, in conjunction with The Rainbow Film Festival, river- ONYX & BLU Raven Meadows, Shrewsbury SY1 1PL. Tel: 01743 289063 boat cruises, outdoor games, a market area, and everybody’s favourite comedy gang, The Laughing Cows. Tickets for L Fest are currently on sale and cost £9 for an all-inclusive weekend camping ticket. PUSSYCATS NIGHT CLUB 17 Tan Bank, Wellington, TF2 6EJ Tel: 01952 224260 One-day tickets are available for £45. SPIRIT NIGHTCLUB 18 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE Tel: 01743 355055 GAY NIGHTCLUBS STAFFORDSHIRE Clubbing COURTURE & NOIRE ET BLANC 139 BIRMINGHAM Newport Rd, Stafford, ST16 2EZ Tel: 01785 Ace And Vis CLUB CHIC 28 Horsefair, B1 1DD. 244755 Tel: 0121 666 6808 LIQUID Brunswick St, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 THE CORE Sherlock Street, B5 6NB Tel: 0121 622 2797 1DR Tel: 01782 284333 THE NIGHTINGALE Kent St, B5 6RD REFLEX 3-5 Brockley Square, Stoke-on- Tel: 0121 622 1718 Trent ST1 5LY Tel: 01782 206170 THE VILLAGE INN & UNDERGROUND TRINITY NIGHTCLUB Spinning School 152 Hurst St, B5 6RY Tel: 0121 622 4742 Lane, Tamworth,ST1 1DR Tel: 01827 58772 BLACK COUNTRY WARWICKSHIRE THE LION Birchills St, Walsall, WS2 8NG CAREYS NIGHTCLUB Hereford Place, Tel: 01922 610977 Coventry CV1 3JZ Tel: 02476 227 397 GORGEOUS Salop St Wolverhampton, WV3 0SR Tel: 0844 357 8570 EVOLVE NIGHTCLUB 2 Spencer Street, Leamington Spa, Coventry CV31 3NF Tel: SHROPSHIRE 01926 435310 C21 18-21 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury. JJ’S Skydome Leisure Park, Croft Rd, SY2 6AE Tel: 01743 271821 (MON ONLY) Coventry CV1 3AZ. Tel: 02476 555913 SPIRIT 22 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, LIQUID & ENVY Leicester Road, SY2 6AE Tel: 01743 355055 (MON ONLY) Nuneaton CV11 4B. Tel: 02476 344216 STAFFORDSHIRE REFLEX Church St, Nuneaton, CV11 4BW THE FACTORY Bryan St, Hanley, Stoke- Tel: 02476 344216 Ace And Vis On-Trent, ST1 2AA Tel: 01782 478799 WORCESTERSHIRE The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, Fri 13 July WARWICKSHIRE BUSHWACKERS Trinity St, Worcester Radio 1Xtra troublemakers Ace and Vis are certain to make RAINBOWS Short St, Coventry CV1. WR1 2PW Tel: 01905 26878 mischief when they make their debut at Shrewsbury’s Tel: 02476 551738 TRAMPS Angel Place, Worcester WR1 Buttermarket this month. The Sony Radio Academy Award- 3QN Tel: 019905 26936 winning duo are renowned for their entertaining antics on WORCESTERSHIRE VELVET LOUNGE Angel Place, Worcester their drive time show and will appear here with fellowBoney BBC M VELVET CLUB Angel Row, Worcester, WR1 3QN Tel: 01905 20218 WR1 3QN. Tel: 01905 619966 Radio1Xtra DJs CJ Beatz and TKO. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 77 Books-TV July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:12 Page 1 Books TV

Marilyn At Rainbow’s End By Darwin Porter This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of actress and model turned major sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe. Within thirty minutes of her body being discovered, theories of conspiracy and conflicting testimonies began to flood the public landscape. Here, acclaimed celebrity biographer Darwin Porter

explores the demise of the David Tennant Love Goddess, unveiling new evidence refuting the authori- ties’ verdict of suicide. All-star cast announced for BBC’s new Porter’s personal opinion on political drama the matter is that it was ‘cold- The BBC has announced that David Tennant and Emily Watson blooded murder that killed the are to team up as husband and wife in a compelling new drama movie star who knew too by Paula Milne that centres around marriage, power and poli- much.’ tics. A bookend for the multi-award-winning The Politician’s Wife, The Politician’s Husband follows Aiden Hoynes (Tennant) and Freya Gardner (Watson), two rising stars in the corridors of Survivor Westminster. But when Hoynes’ influence begins to dwindle and his wife’s role as a Junior Minister appears to have more By Faitma Whitbread resonance, the shift in power starts to impact on the couple’s marriage. The stellar cast also includes Ed Stoppard (Upstairs This candid autobiography reflects on how Downstairs), Jack Shepherd (The Nativity, Wycliffe), Roger abandonment as a baby and ensuing Allam (The Queen) and Oscar Kennedy (Toast, Great spells in various children’s homes spurred Expectations). Fatima Whitbread to channel all her ener- gies into athletics. A very frank account of a life dogged by horrendous experiences, Contemporary drama commissioned by ITV Survivor tells of childhood abuse, betrayal, Award-winning actor Andrew Scott is to star alongside Miss spiralling debts and experiences with IVF. Marple actress Julia McKenzie and a host of other well-known In a more upbeat mode, it also tells of a life names in a new sixty-minute drama entitled The Town. The first in athletics, Olympic glory, the honour of television series from Olivier being awarded an MBE, and how, more Award-winning playwright Mike recently, Fatima rose like a ‘phoenix from Bartlett, The Town follows thirty- the ashes’ - surviving twenty days in the year-old Mark Nicholas (Scott) Australian heat - to become Queen Of The Jungle in I’m A Celebrity...Get as he returns to his family home Me Out Of Here! in Renton following a shocking incident. As Mark struggles to decide where his future lies, he begins to reflect on the life he Reggae Going International left behind a decade earlier. 1967 To 1976 TOP 5 Currently filming on location in Wycombe, The Town also stars By Noel Hawks & Jah Floyd BOOKS Charlotte Riley, Gerard Kearns, Andrew Scott In a year that celebrates Jamaica’s half- Kelly Adams and Martin Clunes. century of independence, Reggae Going International 1967 To 1976 explores the Fifty Shades Darker Jamaican music scene over the past four 1 EL James Funny Fortnight for Channel Four decades, and, in particular, one of the Thirty hours of comedy programming have been promised by industry’s most influential figures - Bunny Kill Alex Cross Channel Four as part of a new initiative. During two weeks in ‘Striker’ Lee. 2 James Patterson August, the channel will screen a number of brand new shows. Bunny started producing records in 1967, Highlights of Four’s Funny Fortnight include: Toast Of London, a striking a deal with Island Records the fol- The Stranger’s Child new sitcom written by Arthur Mathews (Father Ted) and Matt lowing year. He was one of the first 3 Alan Hollinghurst Berry; Lucky Sexy Winners, which will see Vic Reeves and Bob Jamaican producers to break into the Mortimer showcase a new quiz and panel show format; The national charts, and scored a major hit Blood Line Boyle Variety performance, starring - yes, you’ve guessed it - with Stick By Me. Lynda La Plante Frankie Boyle; Just Around The Corner, a comedy devised by This celebratory account features numer- 4 Outnumbered co-creators Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton; and ous never-before-seen photographs from Gok Cooks Chinese Bad Sugar, a comedy starring OIivia Colman, Julia Davies and Striker’s personal collection, as well as a 5 Gok Wan Sharon Horgan. twenty-two-track CD showcasing his A countdown of the channel’s thirty greatest comedy shows will greatest hits. also feature.

78 www.whatsonlive.co.uk Eating Out July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:28 Page 1 Eating Out New appointment at Solihull venue... Hogarth’s hotel and restaurant in Solihull has announced the appointment of Martin Blunos as its Culinary Director. Having appeared on count- less TV shows - including Saturday Kitchen, Market Kitchen and MasterChef Australia - Martin is currently playing a key role in the design of Hogarth’s as-yet-unnamed fine dining restaurant, which, upon completion in September, promises to offer an ‘upbeat yet intimate atmosphere’.

Martin Blunos

Birmingham Airport on the lookout for signature dish Birmingham Airport is on a quest to find a curry A shining star in Eastside that best represents the UK’s second city, and is inviting restaurants from around the region to ‘put REVIEW appetites, we ordered our drink that I’d urge every- their best dish forward’. The competition culmi- starters of smoked beet- one to try. Desserts of trea- nates in a ‘cook off final’ on 13 July, with the win- root and goats curd salad cle tart and gingerbread Situated within Hotel La (£6.50) and mulligatawny apple crumble were served ning dish then being announced at Birmingham Tour, the city’s newest and Food Fest’s Chilli Festival in Brindleyplace. The (£6), which was presented with clotted cream and most cosmopolitan hotel, with a Madfish Reisling. custard. dish will be recreated around the world, and Aalto is the latest offering served to delegates at major conferences in Abu The salad was a medley of Cleverly eschewing the from celebrity chef Marcus complementary flavours, term ‘modern British’ and Dhabi, Mumbai, Malaysia, Las Vegas and Wareing, who, as well as Chicago. Interested in entering the competition? whilst the warm spice of instead being described as having created the menu, the light but full-flavoured ‘a modern twist on English If so, visit www.birminghamairport.co.uk for fur- is on hand to guide and ther information. mulligatawny was the best classics’, the menu is advise talented young chef I’ve ever tasted, and was exactly that. Even with Alex Penhaligon. finely matched to the crisp such serious foodie cre- Culinary Oscar for Warwick chef Walk through the entrance, wine. dentials, the meal sur- past the check-in Rob Hartwell, Head Chef of the Rose & Crown in The mains of tweed kettle passed all expectations. machines and up the spi- (£14) and sea bass (£16) Aalto is a shining star in Warwick, has been awarded the prestigious title ralling staircase and you of Pub Restaurant Chef of the Year at the 2012 were a delight, and were up-and-coming Eastside. find yourself in the bar, a paired with an Albarino Get there before the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards. After receiving his modern, comfortable and award at a recent ceremony at Wembley Bodegas Castro Martin. secret’s out and be among relaxed place in which to The sea bass was accom- the first to find out all Stadium, Rob said: “This is the title that every unwind. With an al fresco chef wants to win. Winning opens so many panied by mustardy about this diamond in the terrace and lounge to one creamed leeks and fresh rough. Alev Dervish doors, and you get to take your place in a truly side and the restaurant on inspirational hall of fame. I’m over the moon to mussels; the tweed kettle, the other, the layout Food: IIIII have won the award.” meanwhile, had a punchy ensures that drinkers, din- fennel kick that lifted it out Service: IIIII ers and loungers alike can of the ordinary. Side orders Ambience: IIII I all reside peacefully. of chips, buttered carrots Overall value IIII I Starting with a gin and and new potatoes were OVERALL IIII I slimline tonic, we were pre- generously sized. sented with an iPad wine Despite being full to burst- Aalto Restaurant list. Instead of struggling to ing, we had to try the piece Hotel La Tour decide, we left it to the de resistance - the Pedro Albert Street professionals. With a bowl Ximenez Sherry. Served Birmingham of smoked butter and over ice, this thick caramel B5 5JT cracked black pepper pop- and sultana-flavoured Tel: 0121 718 8000 corn whetting our Rob Hartwell syrup was a grown-up iced

www.whatsonlive.co.uk 79 Eating Out July_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:28 Page 2

Restaurant REVIEWS Restaurant LISTINGS For full listing information on Italian gem in Shrewsbury restaurants, including opening times We’ve all got a hit list of shops, boutique and type of cuisine, visit: cafes and restaurants that we intend to visit www.whatsonlive.co.uk but never quite manage to. Shrewsbury’s La Dolce Vita - a small, Italian, family-run busi- THE CHAMELEON Birmingham 1 Victoria Square, B1 ness - has been on my personal list for 1BD years, so we decided it was finally time to were equally delicious. 0121 643 2233 While my partner was discussing with the AALTO RESTAURANT make that visit. The restaurant’s simple, CHEZ JULES 5a Ethel staff the trials and tribulations of deciding Hotel La Tour, Albert unassuming decor didn’t make much of a Street, Birmingham B5 St, B2 4BG 0121 633 first impression; it was definitely the staff - all which football team to support at Euro 2012 5JT 0121 718 8000 4664 gorgeous and Italian-speaking - that painted - England or Italy - I was happily sipping my AL FRASH 186 CHI 61 Newhall St, B3 the picture for us. The menu had an array of wine and smelling the topping of our crème Ladypool Road, 3RB 0121 233 3150 authentic Italian starters, pastas, main cours- brulee being caramelised as we waited. We Sparkbrook, B12 8JS CHUNG YING 16-18 0121 753 3120 es and sides, including some very appetis- also had a homemade trio of vanilla, choco- Wrottersley Street, B5 ing vegetarian options. We settled on the late and toffee ice cream to finish. THE ASQUITH 11 4RT 0121 622 5669 The main thing I’ll say in conclusion about Newhall Street, CHUNG YING platter of cold meats, spiced carrots, crostini Birmingham, B3 3NY GARDEN 17 Thorpe St, La Dolce Vita is that the restaurant really is 0121 200 1588 and olives. Accompanied by a small glass of B5 4AT 0121 666 6622 the house Montepulcciano, it was an ideal all about the food. The ingredients, the qual- ASHA’S 12-22 Newhall ity, the menu, the way it’s served, the por- CITY CAFE GRILL way to start the meal. Street, B3 3LX 0121 200 Hylton Garden Inn, My partner then followed with fillet of beef tions, the accompaniments all take pride of 2767 1 Brunswick Square, with textured onions and red wine jus. I place in the establishment’s list of priorities. AZZARI TOO 204 Brindleyplace, B1 2HW opted for the home-salted cod fillet cooked So if you’re looking for a reliable place to Lightwoods Rd, B67 5AZ 0121 643 1003 0121 429 6621 with tomatoes, capers and black olives, have an excellent meal that’s less about the CIELO 6 Oozells BANK 4 Brindleyplace, served with mixed peppers. Having just fuss and more about the flavour, La Dolce Square, Brindleyplace, B1 2JB 0121 633 4466 B1 2JB 0121 632 6882 come back from a foodie holiday on the Vita will bring your search to a satisfactory BAR EPERNAY 171- Mediterranean coast, we were bracing our- end. Jessica Matthews COFFEE ROOM BAR 172 Wharfside Street, & BISTRO Hurst St, B5 selves for disappointment, as it’s so often The Mailbox, B1 1RL 4TD 0121 605 4343 the case that restaurants falter on the main Food: IIIII 0121 632 1430 IIIII COTE The Mailbox, B1 course. Well, I’m pleased to say that my Service: BAR ESTILO 10-114 1RX 0121 631 1587 IIII I Wharfside St, The cynicism was entirely unwarranted! Both the Ambience: RABBEAN 17 Thorp IIII I Mailbox, B11RF beef and the cod were the fattest, juiciest, Overall value 0121 643 3443 Street, B5 4AT most perfectly cooked fillets we could have IIII I 0121 622 5573 OVERALL BARNT GREEN INN wished for, with accompanying flavours that Kendal End Rd, Rednal CUCINA RUSTICA 24 were fresh, exciting and perfectly balanced. La Dolce Vita, 35 Hills Lane B45 8PZ 0121 445 4949 Ludgate Hill, B3 1DX We also had some carrot and courgette Shrewsbury, SY1 1QU BARAJEE 265 Broad 0121 233 2277 cakes and crunchy fried potatoes, which Tel: 01743 249126 St, B1 2DS DEOLALI BAR 0121 643 6700 RESTAURANT BELLA ITALIA 102 New 23A St Mary's Row, St, B2 4HQ Moseley B13 8HW which the menu describes as being tender 0121 6431548 0121 442 2222 Land of the Rising Sun chicken wings glazed with BBQ sauce. Ours THE BERLOIZ DEL VILLAGGIO were more on the crunchy side. Burlington Arcade, Unit 528, Middle Mall cuisine a real hit... For the mains, I opted for my personal New St, B2 4JQ The Bullring B5 4BE 0121 633 1737 0121 643 1400 favourite, the ginger chicken udon. This is a Any cuisine from the Far East is fine by me. DUET CUISINE lovely dish of soft teppan-fried udon noodles BLUE MANGO Indian, Punjabi, Cantonese or Thai are all Regency Wharf, Broad Unit 1, Fort Dunlop firm favourites in my book. Japanese dishes, with chicken, egg, beansprouts, red and St, B1 2DS B24 9FD. 0121 748 not so much; sushi from the Land of the spring onions, mangetout and chilli, gar- 0121 633 4422 1234 Rising Sun never quite gelled with me. nished with pickled ginger and coriander. BLUE GINGER 32 EDMUNDS 6 Brindley place, B1 2 JB 0121 However, there is one exception; the I’ve had this dish many times, but this one Poplar Road, Kings Heath, B14 7AD 633 4944 Wagamama brand. was spicier and tastier than usual - a real 0121 444 0999 HARJEES SPICES Maybe it’s the ethos of casual and quick din- winner. I thought I’d be adventurous and go for the new sparkling ginger and lemongrass BLUU Fleet St, Summer 512 Stratford Road, ing in a clean and crisp atmosphere that’s Row, B3 1JH Sparkhill, Birmingham, the attraction, or perhaps the big portions of bottled drink, but it wasn’t for me - far too 0121 236 9013 B11 4AH hard on the palate - so I ordered another tasty, spicy food, or the super-fast service. BUONISSIMO 1 Albany 0121 773 6130 drink. This time, an amazingly refreshing fruit Whatever the reason, it was great to hear Rd, Harborne, B17 9JX THE HORSESHOE that a second branch of Wagamama was drink of apple and lime juice landed on my 0121 426 2444 BAR & RESTAURANT opening in Brindleyplace. The new branch of table. BRANDED BULL 1214 Stratford Road, this popular noodle chain is next to the My hubby enjoyed his yaki soba ( £7.55), a STEAKHOUSE B28 9BH 0121 777 2340 175 Broad Street, B15 Pitcher And Piano, but the main dining area great big dish of teppan-fried whole wheat ITIHAAS 18 Fleet St, 1DT. 0121 643 5968 B3 1JL 0121 212 3383 is housed on the first floor. Very minimalistic, noodles with egg, beansprouts, peppers, white and spring onions, mushrooms and BYZANTIUM 11 York JAMIES ITALIAN with big tables and benches, it looked good, Road, Kings Heath, B14 Middle Mall but not as cosy as I’d have liked. garlic, garnished with fried shallots, pickled 7SA 0121 444 5444 ginger, sesame seeds and coriander vinegar. Bullring Shopping The staff are very polite, friendly and accom- CAFE IKON 1 Oozells Centre, B5 4BE modating; they definitely made us feel wel- All in all, a very pleasant and filling lunch. Square, Brindleyplace, 0121 270 3610 come. We ordered the kids’ meals first, as Anita Champaneri B1 2HS 0121 248 3226 THE JUNCTION hungry little mouths wait for no-one! The CAFE ROUGE 212 High Street, Food: IIII I boys both had grilled chicken noodles that Brindleyplace, Broad Harborne, B17 9PT Service: IIII I Street, B1 2HJ 0121 643 0121 428 2635 were swiftly polished off. III II 6556 We shared some starters, including the ebi Ambience: JUJU’S IIII I CAFE SOYA Unit 2, Canal Square, B16 8EH gyoza (£5.45) - five deep-fried prawn and Overall value IIII I Upper Dean Street B5 0121 456 3384 vegetable dumplings, served with a spicy cit- OVERALL 4SG 0121 622 3888 JIMMY SPICES rus ponzu dipping sauce. We loved the chilli Waters Edge CARLUCCIO’S Regency Wharf, Broad squid (£5.55). The deep-fried squid had a The Water’s Edge 66 Broad Street St, B1 2DS 0121643 great texture, was perfectly seasoned with Brindleyplace B1 2HP 2111 Birmingham 0121 633 9262 sea salt and shichimi, and served with a B1 2HL JIMMY SPICES 64-66 chilli and coriander dipping sauce. Our final CELEBRITY INDIAN Station Rd, Solihull, Tel: 0121 643 7656 44 Broad St, B1 2HP starter was the chicken tebasaki (£5.45), B91 3RX 0121 709 0121 643 8969 2111

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KINNAREE THAI PUSHKAR 245 Broad 22 Waterfront Walk, B1 St, B1 2HQ. 0121 643 1SN. 0121 665 6568 7978 LA BASTILLE 220 THE RECTORY 50-54 Corporation St, B4 6QB St Paul’s Sq, B3 1QS 0121 236 1171 0121 605 1001 LASAN 3-4 Dakota RED PEPPERS 117 Buildings James St, St Wharfside St, B1 1RF Paul’s Square, B3 1SD 0121 643 4202 0121 212 3664 ROSE MURREE 94 -96 LAS IGUANAS Hagley Rd, Edgbaston, Arcadian Centre, Hurst B16 8LU 0121 456 4500 St, B5 4TD 0121 622 SABAI SABAI 25 4466 Woodbridge Rd, LA TASCA Regency Moseley, B13 8EH Wharf, B1 2DS 0121 0121 4494498 643 9888 SAFFRON 909 THE LOFT LOUNGE Wolverhampton Road, 143 Bromsgrove St, Oldbury B69 4RR B5 6RG 0121 622 2444 0121 552 1752 LOVES The SAN CARLO 4 Temple Glasshouse, Browning St, B2 5BN 0121 633 St, B16 8FL 0121 454 0251 5151 SHAH’S Unit 16, 1160 MANIC ORGANIC Warwick Road, Acocks 46 Poplar Road, B14 Green B27 6BP. 0121 7AG 0121 441 3802 707 8297 MAHARAJA 23/25 SHIMLA PINKS Loves, Birmingham Hurst St, B5 4AS 215 Broad St, B15 1AY 0121 622 2641 0121 633 0366 GOLDEN MOMENTS CASA NARANJO THE INN AT MECHU 47 - 59 SHOGUN Black Country 2-3 Ablewell St, Walsall Barracks Passage, GRINSHILL The High Summer Row, B3 1JJ TEPPANYAKI The WS1 2EQ 01922 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury Street, Grinshill, 0121 212 1661 Mailbox, 27 - 29 BELLA 82 Chapel Ash, 640363 SY1 01743 588165 Shrewsbury, SY4 3BL Wolverhampton, 01902 Wharfside St, B1 1RD KAMRAN BALTI’S 34 CASA RUIZ 45 High 01939 220410 METRO BAR 7 GRILL 427555 73 Cornwall St, B3 2 DF 0121 632 1253 High Street, Lye, Stour- Street, Bridgnorth, THE HAYWARDS at 0121 200 1911 SIMPSONS, 20 BILASH 2 Cheapside, bridge DY9 8LF WV16 4DX 01746 218 The Lion Hotel, Wyle Wolverhampton, WV1 MILLER & CARTER Highfield Rd, 01384 893030 084 Cop, Shrewsbury SY1 1TU 01902 427762 178-180 Wharfside St, Edgbaston B13 3DU MADE IN THAI CHEZ MAW Best 1UY 0121 454 3434 The Mailbox, B1 1RN THE BLUE BRICK Darlington St, Western Valley Hotel, 01743 353107 Broad Gauge Way, 0121 643 7738 SPICE EXCHANGE, Wolverhampton WV1 Buildwas Rd, KING & THAI Avenue Wolverhampton WV1 1845 Pershore Rd 4HW 01902 312512 Ironbridge, TF8 7DW Rd, Broseley, Telford MINT Yew Tree Retail 1AA 01902 875301 Park, Stoney Lane Kings Norton, B30 3DJ 01952 432247 TF12 5DL 01952 0121 451 1007 BRAVACCIOUS MALABAR 7 Anchor Yardley, B25 8YP CORNHOUSE 59a 882004 4 Upper Green, Rd, Walsall WS9 8PT Tel: 0121 789 8908 STRADA 109-111 Wyle Cop, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton WV6 01922 944 482 LA BÉCASSE 17 Corve Wharfside St, The SY1 1XY 01743 MIRAGE FUSION 8QQ 01902 756052 THE PIE FACTORY 50 St, Ludlow, SY8 1DA Broadway Casino, Mailbox B1 1XL 231991 01584 872 325 0121 643 7279 CAFE CHAMPAGNE Hurst Lane, Tipton DY4 Broadway Plaza 9AB 0121 557 1402 CROMWELLS 11 LA DOLCE VITA 35 Ladywood Middleway, SYRIANA 253-255 Bilston Road, Wolverhampton WV2 Dogpole, Shrewsbury Hills Lane, Shrewsbury B16 8LP. 0121 456 5557 1 Constitution Hill, B19 RED FORT Fold St, SY1 1EN 2JN 01902 458024 Wolverhampton, WV1 SY1 1QU 01743 249126 MOUNT FUJI The 3LG 0121 2369444 01743 361440 CATELLANI’S 6 School 4LP 01902 424440 LA LANTERNA Bullring, B5 4BH THAI EDGE 7 Oozells St, Wolverhampton, WV1 THE COTTAGE Tern 0121 633 9853 Sq, B1 2HL 0121 643 RISTORANTE The Old Vestry, St 4LR 01902 428928 Hill, Market Drayton Julian's Church, OLD SPECKLED HEN 3993 ROMAGNA 4 Upper TF9 3PX 01630 638984 THE COWSHED Shrewsbury SY1 1UH Mere Green Road, TIN TIN CANTONESE, Green, Tettenhall, Clive Farm Clive Rd, DA VINCI’S 26 High St, 01743 233552 Sutton Coldfield. B75 The Waters Edge, Wolverhampton WV6 Pattingham, WV6 7EN Ironbridge, TF8 7AD LION & PHEASANT 5BL 0121 308 9410 Brindleyplace, B1 2HL 8QQ 01902 756052 01902 701888 01952 432250 50 Wyle Cop 0121 633 0888 THE SPRINGHILL OLD JOINTSTOCK CINNAMON COURT DRAPERS 10 St Mary’s Shrewsbury SY1 1XJ PUB 4 Temple Row, B2 THE VAULTS Newhall Warstones Rd, Penn, Bentley Mill Way, Walsall St Shrewsbury, SY1 01743 770345 5NY 0121 200 1892 Place, Newhall Hill, B1 Wolverhampton WV4 WS2 0BP 1DZ 01743 344679 MAD JACKS 15 St 3JH 0121 212 9837 4LB 01902 342530 OPUS 54 Cornwall St, 0121 568 6664 Mary’s St, Shrewsbury, SIMON’S 520 Chester FENNELS 8 Market B3 2DE 0121 200 2323 VMF - ASTON VILLA THE DITCH 1 Town Hill, SY1 1EQ 01743 358870 FOOTBALL CLUB Villa Rd, Aldridge, Walsall, Place, Shifnall TF11 THE ORIENTAL The Walsall, WS1 2EU 01922 9AZ 01952 463020 THE MALTHOUSE Mailbox, 128-130 Park, Trinity Rd, B6 643215 WS9 0PU 0121 580 6HE 0121 326 1570 9293 THE FEATHERS The Wharfage, Wharfside St, B1 1RQ FARADAYS The Ironbridge TF8 7NH. 0121 633 9988 ULYSSES 42a Bristol THE SUMMERHOUSE Brockton, Much Waterfront, Brierley Hill, Wenlock TF13 6JR 01902 433712 Street, B5 7AA 0121 Dudley, DY5 1UR 92 Gospel End Rd, PASTA DE PIAZZA 11 01746 785202 THE MEADOW INN Brook Street, St Paul’s 622 3159 01384 482 882 Dudley DY3 4AN 01902 Buildwas Road, Square, B3 1SA THE WAREHOUSE 676 102 THE FOX INN 46 High THE FAIRLAWNS AT St, Much Wenlock TF13 Ironbridge TF8 7BJ 0121 236 5858 CAFE 54-57 Allison ALDRIDGE 178 Little THORNESCROFT 6AD 01952 727292 01952 433193 PEACHY KEENS 1741 Street, Digbeth, B5 Aston Road, Aldridge, Bridgnorth Rd, Coventry Road, Yardley 5TH Walsall WS9 0NU 01922 Wolverhampton, WV6 FRANK CAFE BAR MINH’S CHINESE B26 1DS. 0121 764 0121 633 0261 455122 7EQ 01902 700 253 165-167 Frankwell, 20 Bradford St, Shifnal Shrewsbury SY3 8LG TF11 8AU 01952 5519 WING WAH 278 FIVE RIVERS Vicarage THE WOODMAN 01743 354422 463323 PENNY BLACKS The Thimblemill Lane, B7 Place, Walsall WS1 3NA Claverley, Staffordshire, 5HD 0121 327 7879 Mailbox,132-134 01922 646164 Wolverhampton WV5 THE GOLDEN CROSS MR UNDERHILLS Wharfside St, B1 1XL WOKTASTIC Paradise FOUR STONES 7DG 01746 710 553 14 Princess St, Dinham Weir, Ludlow 0121 632 1460 Place, B3 3HJ 0121 Adam’s Hill,Clint, Shrewsbury, SY1 1LP Shropshire SY8 1EH 01584 874431 PICCOLINO 9 236 3130 Stourbridge, DY9 9PS 01743 362507 Brindleyplace, B1 2HS WONGS 5-11 Fleet St, 01562 883260 Shropshire THE GOLDEN MORGANS 0121 634 3055 B3 1JP 0121 212 1888 FRANZLS 151 Milcote MOMENTS 50 Broad 1 Bellstone,Shrewsbury PONTE DI LEGNO 44- YO! SUSHI Bullring, Rd, Smethwick, B67 5BN St, Ludlow SY8 1NH SY1 1HU 01743 239114 44a Woodbridge Rd, Birmingham B5 4BP. 0121 429 7920 AFTAB 25 High St, Tel:01584 878488 THE MYTTON & Moseley, B13 8EJ 0121 600 6712 FRENCH Ironbridge TF8 7AD GRANARY BAR & MERMAID 01952 432055 0121 449 8064 ZIZZI 183 High St, CONNECTION GRILL Weston Park, Atcham, Shrewsbury, PUNJABI HAVELI 1558 Harborne B17 9QE 3 Coventry St, ALBRIGHT HUSSEY Weston-under-Lizard, SY5 6QG 01743 Stratford Rd, Hall 0121 428 4228 also at Stourbridge DY8 1EP Ellesmere Rd, Nr Shifnal, TF11 8LE 761220 01384 390940 Green, B28 9HA The Mailbox B1 1RL Shrewsbury, SY4 3AF 01952 852107 THE OLD ORLETON 0121 745 3636 0121 632 1333. FRENCH HEN 01939 290 523 HADLEY PARK INN Holyhead Rd, PURNELL’S 55 10 Poplar Rd, Solihull, Bromsgrove Rd, Clent, BUTLERS Park St, HOUSE Hadley Park, Wellington, TF1 2HA Cornwall St, B3 2DH. B91 3AB 0121 704 Stourbridge DY9 9PY Shifnal, TF11 9BA Telford TF1 6QJ 01952 255011 0121 212 9799 5030 01562 883040 01952 460662 01952 677269

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CARLUCCIOS 13 LISTINGS Waterside, Stratford- Restaurant Upon-Avon CV37 6BA 01789 267424 THE OLD RECTORY LA DOLCE VITA 19 CASTLE BALTI 11-13 HOTEL & Stafford St, Stone ST15 St. Johns, Warwick RESTAURANT Lowe 8QW 01785 817 985 CV34 4NE 01926 Hill Road, Wem, LODGE BALTI 71 493007 Shropshire SY4 5UA Birmingham Road, 01939 233233 Lichfield WS14 0LQ CATALAN 6 Jury St , PARKWAY Unit 6 Corve 01543 483334 Warwick CV34 4EW 01926 498 930 St, Ludlow SY8 2PG MALABAR 1-2 Water 01584 873 130 Street, Stafford, ST16 THE CHURCH THE PEACH TREE 21 2AG 01785 227 500/600 STREET TOWN- Abbey Foregate, MARLOES 13 London HOUSE Shrewsbury, SY2 6AE Road, Newcastle under 16 Church Street, 01743 355055 Lyme, ST4 1LQ 01782 Stratford-upon-Avon 661983 CV37 6HB 01789 THE POUND AT LEE- 262222 BOTWOOD THE MILL 1 Mill St, Leebotwood, Nr Church Stone, ST15 8BA 01785 EGO 29 The Square, Stretton SY6 6ND 818456 Kenilworth, CV8 1EF 01694 751477 THE NAVIGATION INN 01926 864463 FIVE RIVERS 20-22 RENAISSANCE, 29a Newport Road, Gnosall, Princess Stafford ST20 0BN Victoria Terrace, St,Shrewsbury, SY11LW 01785 822327 Leamington Spa, 01743 354289 CV31 3AB 01926 OLD VICARAGE 2 Main 431999 ROMOLO Victoria St, Branston, Burton, Avenue, shrewsbury DE14 3EX GEORGETOWN SY1 1HH 01743 233244 01283 533222 23 Sheep St, Stratford- PASTICHE BISTRO Upon-Avon, CV37 6EF Zizzi, Shrewsbury ROYAL BENGAL 01789 204445 TANDOORI 32-34 The 1 - 2 Mill Street, Stafford, Broadway, Shifnal TF11 ST16 2AJ 01782 263 THE GRANVILLE ROOFTOP THE BEAR AND MUG HOUSE Claines 8AZ 01952 460522 737 52, Wellesbourne Rd, RESTAURANT RAGGED STAFF Station Lane, Worcester WR3 THE PEARL18 Market Barford, CV35 8DS Royal Shakespeare Rd, Worcester WR6 5JH 7RN 01905 456649 SARACENS 01886 833399 St, Kidsgrove, ST7 4AB 01926 624236 Theatre, Waterside, OLD RECTIFYING Shrewsbury Rd, SY4 Stratford-upon-Avon, 01782 788887 THE LORD LEYCES- BINDLES 55 Sidbury, HOUSE North Parade, 4AG 01939 210877 CV37 6BB TER 17-19 Jury St, Worcester WR1 2HU Worcester WR1 3NN SEBASTIANS 45 THE PEAR TREE 01789 403449 Swinfen, Nr. Lichfield, Warwick, CV34 4EJ 01905 611120 01905 619622 Willow St, Oswestry WS14 9QR 01543 SAFFRON GOLD BRAMBLINGS Hither SY11 1AQ 01691 01926 491481 THE OLD RECTORY 481807 Market St, Westgate Green Lane, Redditch, Ipsley, Redditch, B98 655444 MERCHANTS Swan House, Warwick CV34 B98 9BE 01527 406600 PORTOFINO 38-40 0AP 01527 517003 Street, Warwick CV34 4DE 01926 402061 TIN TINS Wellington Marsh St Stoke-On-Trent, BROWNS 24 Quay St, Road, Telford TF2 8AJ 4BJ 01926 403833 PUCCINI'S, 12 Friar St, ST1 1JD THE SAXON MILL Worcester WR1 2JJ Worcester WR12LZ 01952 608688 Tel: 01782 209444 NAILCOTE HALL Coventry Rd, Guys 01905 26263 Nailcote Lane, 01905 27770 TRAITORS GATE Cliffe, Warwick CV34 CHESTERS 51 New St, THE RED ROOM Berkswell, Coventry, RILEY’S The Castle St, Water Lane, 5YN 01926 492 255 Worcester, WR1 2DL 7 Newcastle Road, CV7 7DE 02476 Quadrant, Redditch ShrewsburySY1 2BX Congleton CW12 4HN SIGNATURES AT THE 01905 611638 01743 249152 466174 B98 8AE 01527 60544 01260 297871 BELGRADE CROWN & SANDYS NICOLINIS 14 The ROSADOS’S 2 Finstall THE WALLS Welsh THE SWAN HOTEL Belgrade Theatre, Main Rd, Ombersley, Rd, Aston Fields, Walls, Oswestry SY11 46 Greengate Street, Parade, Leamington Belgrade Square, WR9 0EW 01905 Bromsgrove. B60 2DZ 1AW 01691 670970 Stafford ST16 2JA Spa, CV32 4DW 01926 Coventry, CV1 1GS 620252 01527 889948 01785 258142 421620 02476 846762 FARTHINGS Bransford, THORNBURY HALL, QUEANS RESTAU- TAILORS 22 Market Gt Malvern WR6 5JD ROSEANNAS St. Staffordshire RASOI Lockwood Rd, RANT 15 Dormer Place, Warwick CV34 01886 833551 Andrews Drive, Droitwich, WR9 8AL Kingsley Holt, Stafford Place, Leamington Spa 4SL 01926 410590 THE FIG TREE 99 01905 779677 NO 5 Gaol Mews, ST10 2DH 01538 750831 CV32 5AA THAI ELEPHANT Church Street, Gt Stafford ST16 3AN WOLSELEY ARMS 01926 315522 20 Regent St, Malvern WR14 2AE SAFFRONS 15 New 01785 22 9900 Wolseley Bridge, Stafford THE ONE ELM 1 Guild Leamington Spa, 01684 569909 St, Worcester WR1 BELLA ITALIA 20 ST17 0XS St, Stratford-Upon- Warwick CV32 5HQ FOUR SEASONS 61 2DP 01905 610505 Greengate St, 01889 883179 Avon, CV37 6QZ 01926 886882 Lowesmoor, Worcester SINGAPORE 29 Friar Stafford,ST16 2HS 01789 404919 THE TREVELYAN WR1 2RS 01905 2702 St, Worcester WR1 01785 211968 OSCARS 39 Chandos Warwick Rd, Stratford- FUSION BRASSERIE 2NA 01905 613005 CURRY KUTEER Warwickshire St, Leamington Spa, upon-Avon, CV37 ONR Hawbridge, Stoulton, SPICE CUISINE 39-41 31 Greengate Street, CV324RL 01926 01789 295252 Worcester WR7 4RJ Bromyard Terrace, 01905 840647 Stafford ST16 2HY BLUE BISTRO 452807 WARWICK SPICE 24 Worcester WR2 5BW 01785 253279 21 Spon St, Coventry, THE INN AT STONE- 01905 429786 PEEL’S Hampton Smith St, Warwick CV1 3BA 024 7622 HALL Stonehall CHANDLERS Manor, Hampton-in- CV34 4HS 01926 SPICE FUSION 17 St 9274 Common, Worcester, Corn Exchange, Arden, Solihull, B92 491736 Andrews St, Droitwich, 7 SQUARE 7 Old WR5 3QG 01905 Conduit St, Lichfield, 0EN 01675 446080 THE VINE INN 86 - 88 WR9 8DY 01905 Square, Warwick CV34 820462 WS13 6JU 01543 West St, Warwick CV34 794188 416688 4RA 01926 411 755 PREZZO 1-3 High St, KING CHARLES II Warwick CV34 4AP 6AW THAI GALLERY 26-32 NO. 9 CHURCH 07873 219005 King Charles House, THE CORNER HOUSE 01926 475867 New St, Worcester WR1 Friar St, Worcester Second Avenue, STREET WR1 2LZ 01905 25451 Stratford upon Avon, RAFFLES 57 Warwick ZIZZI 29 The Square, 2D 01905 22449 Burton-On-Trent DE14 Kenilworth, CV8 1EF Warwickshire CV37 Rd, Kenilworth, CV8 LITTLE VENICE 1 - 3 VALENTINO’S 43 2WF 01926 852980 Foregate St, Worcester 01283 542321 6HB 01789 415522 1HN 01926 864 300 St Nicholas St, Worcester WR1 1UW WR1 1EE 01905 ESSENCE OF THE ART KITCHEN 7 Swan THE RED LION Station 617773 St, Warwick CV34 4BJ 01905 726126 ORIENT 27 Broad Eye, Rd, Warwick CV35 Worcestershire 01926 494303 8PE MASSALLA LOUNGE THE WILDMOOR OAK Stafford ST16 2QB Top Road, Wildmoor, AUBERGINE 32 Smith 01926 842291 35 Broad St, Worcester 01785 229988 Bromsgrove B61 0RB St, Warwick CV34 4HS ANAKARI 47 The WR1 3NH 01905 FOUR SEASONS RESTAURANT 23 Tythings, Worcester. WR1 729955 0121 453 2696 01926 400 086 34 Hamilton Terrace, Swinfen Hall Lichfield, 1JT 01905 21412 MONSOON 35 WYCH WAY INN WS14 9RE 01543 THE ALMANACK Holly Walk Leamington Abbey End North, ANGEL CHEF 1 Angel Foregate St, Worcester, Worcester Rd, 481494 Spa, CV32 4LY 01926 WR1 1EE 01905 Wychbold, WR9 7PA Kenilworth CV8 1QJ 422422 St, Worcester WR1 3QT THE GREEN ROOM 01926 353637 01905 731131 726333 01527 860130 Castle Dyke, Lichfield ROBBIES 74 Smith St, WS13 6HR 01543 THE BLUEBELL 93 Warwick CV34 4HU ASHLEYS 11 The 412121 High Street, Henley-in- 01926 400470 Tything, Worcester WR1 Arden, Warwickshire, 1HD 01905 611747 To get your restaurant listed here JASMINE PEKING ROSE & CROWN 30 B95 5AT 01564 793049 BENEDICTOS 34 e: [email protected] 21 High St, Eccleshall, Market Place, Warwick Stafford ST21 6BW BROWNS Earl St, Sidbury, Worcester WR1 or call Jon Cartwright Coventry CV1 5RU CV34 4SH 01926 01785 851200 2HZ 01905 21444 0247 622 1100 411117 on 01743 281703

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Cucina Rustica THE DINNER CLUB (Est 86) SINGLE? Tel: 0121 233 2277 For the more discerning unattached person, age 30-45 or 45+ Events weekly include dining out, dinner dances, black tie balls, theatre, parties, weekends away and holidays abroad. NOT A DATING AGENCY 01244 677030 (Day) / 01244 548816 (Eve/W-end) www.thedinnerclubuk.com

I APERITIVO... the Italian happy hour now in LOOKING FOR A RESTAURANT Birmingham (T&C apply) ON YOUR DOORSTEP? I Sign up on our website for spring rewards to our loyal customers I 2 COURSE LUNCH MENU available Monday to Friday, 12noon - 5pm only £12.00 p.p VISIT I Deciding where to go to add that special touch to whatsonlive.co.uk family events, business meetings or social parties will no longer be a difficult decision. The most comprehensive Midlands listings website Saint Paul's Square, 24 Ludgate Hill, Birmingham, B3 1DX for Birmingham and the West Midlands Email: [email protected] web: www.cucinarustica.co.uk Antiques for Everyone (FP-June)_Layout 1 25/06/2012 13:05 Page 1