Wolverhampton & Black Country Cover September 2018 .qxp_Wolverhampton & Black Country Cover 20/08/2018 11:37 Page 1 AWFUL AUNTIE COMES Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands TO WOLVERHAMPTON WOLVERHAMPTON & BLACK COUNTRY WHAT’S ON SEPTEMBER 2018 2018 SEPTEMBER ON WHAT’S COUNTRY BLACK & WOLVERHAMPTON Wolverhampton & Black Country ISSUE 393 SEPTEMBER 2018 ’ WhatFILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTSs I FOOD On wolverhamptonwhatson.co.uk inside: PART OF WHAT’S ON MEDIA GROUP GROUP MEDIA ON WHAT’S OF PART Yourthe 16-pagelist week by week listings guide MK ULTRA Rosie Kay’s acclaimed production at Forest Arts... TWITTER: @WHATSONWOLVES @WHATSONWOLVES TWITTER: MILKSHAKE! LIVE singing, dancing and family fun at Wolverhampton Grand FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWOLVERHAMPTON FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWOLVERHAMPTON COLOURS GALORE! rainbow exhibition at WOLVERHAMPTONWHATSON.CO.UK Glasshouse Arts Centre (IFC) Wolverhampton.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2018 15:13 Page 1 Wednesday 26th September at 8.00pm Friday 28th September at 7.30pm and Wednesday 3rd October at 7.30pm Saturday 29th at 1pm & 7.30pm DRAMA DRAMA DRAMA HIJINX THEATRE ARENA THEATRE PRODUCTIONS FUEL THEATRE THE FLOP KUKUNOR / KALAHARI SUMMIT Tickets £12, £10 conc. Tickets £12, £10 conc. £7 mat. Tickets £12, £10 conc. Contents September Wolves_Shrops_Staffs.qxp_Layout 1 17/08/2018 13:47 Page 2 September 2018 Contents Bollywood in the Potteries - Taj Express comes to the Regent Theatre... feature on page 8 Craig Charles Awful Auntie Coracle Champions the list brings his popular Funk & Soul David Walliams’ much-loved major event makes a welcome Your 16-page Club to The Buttermarket tale, on stage at the Grand... return on the River Severn week-by-week listings guide page 15 page 29 page 49 page 51 inside: 4. First Word 11. Food 15. Music 20. Comedy 24. Theatre 39. Film 42. Visual Arts 45. Events @whatsonwolves @whatsonstaffs @whatsonshrops Wolverhampton What’s On Magazine Staffordshire What’s On Magazine Shropshire What’s On Magazine Managing Director: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704 What’sOn Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 MEDIA GROUP Lauren Cole [email protected] 01743 281706 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Heather Kincaid, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Steve Adams, Jack Rolfe, Elly Yates-Roberts, Daisy Sparkle, Steve Taylor, Chris Eldon Lee Publisher and CEO: Martin Monahan Accounts Administrator: Julia Perry [email protected] 01743 281717 This publication is printed on paper from a sustainable source and is produced without the use of elemental chlorine. We endorse the recycling of our magazine and would encourage you to pass it on to others to read when you have finished with it. All works appearing in this publication are copyright. It is to be assumed that the copyright for material rests with the magazine unless otherwise stated. No part of this publication may be reproduced, or stored in an electronic system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recording or otherwise, without the prior knowledge and consent of the publishers. First Word Wolverhampton September.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2018 12:52 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region There ain’t nothing like A Black Country Night Out! This year’s A Black Country Night Out touring show will feature a new cast member - come- dian Wayne Beese. Wayne joins the ensemble as a replacement for longtime contributor Ian ‘Sludge’ Lees, who re- cently passed away following a short illness. Wayne (pictured below) is joined in the line-up by husband-and-wife comedy duo Dandy, co- median Ollie Spencer, resident band The Empty Can (pictured left) and the ukele-playing Joe Thomas. The show is touring to venues across the Midlands. See page 56 for Midlands dates... Gorge on comedy at National Theatre show set album and music video, as well as benefit- ting from extensive media promotion. Ironbridge’s Enginuity to visit Wolverhampton For more information, visit openmicuk.co.uk Ironbridge Gorge Museum is this month host- ing its first ever comedy night, with former Time Out Comedian of the Year Paul Tonkin- BP Portrait Award returns son headlining the event (Enginuity, Friday 7 to Wolverhampton gallery September). Paul will be joined by compere Tony Meresse The prestigious BP Portrait Award is return- and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Jonny ing to Wolverhampton Art Gallery next Awsum (pictured). For further details, call month (Saturday 13 October). 01952 433 424 or visit ironbridge.org.uk Now in its 39th year, the free-to-view exhibi- tion showcases outstanding and innovative new portraits from around the world. Visit wolverhampton.gov.uk for more information. The National Theatre’s (NT) Macbeth will tour to the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre next spring. Helmed by NT Artistic Director Rufus Norris and designed by War Horse’s Rae Smith, the production propels Shakespeare’s classic tragedy into a post-apocalyptic world of anar- chy and uncertainty. Michael Nardon and Kirsty Besterman (both pictured, above) star. Macbeth runs at the Grand from 12 to 16 Seventy years and still March. To book tickets, ring 01902 42 92 12 or galloping along... visit grandtheatre.co.uk. The Horse Of The Year Show will next month be celebrating its 70th anniversary at Birm- Open Mic auditions ingham’s NEC (Wednesday 3 to Sunday 7 Oc- Open Mic UK, the country’s premier music tober). competition for unsigned acts, is this month A firm favourite on the showjumping calen- holding auditions at Birmingham’s NEC (Sat- dar, the five-day event hosts a range of na- urday 22 September). Singers, songwriters, tional and international showjumping rappers and vocal groups of all ages are en- classes, and will this year also be presenting couraged to enter, and can do so by register- four entertainment displays for visitors to ing at Open Mic UK for £5. The competition enjoy. For more information, visit hoys.co.uk winner will get the chance to record a debut 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Wolverhampton September.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2018 12:52 Page 2 First Word John Partridge to star in Edgar Wallace thriller One-time EastEnders favourite John Partridge is next month starring in a spine-chilling murder-mystery at the Lich- field Garrick Theatre. Partridge, who played the character of Christian Clarke in the long-running BBC TV series, will take the role of In- spector Tanner in the Classic Thriller Company’s produc- tion of Edgar Wallace’s The Case Of The Frightened Lady. The show runs at the Garrick from Monday 15 to Saturday 20 October. To book tickets, call 01543 412121 or visit lich- Day Of The Dead returns to Shrewsbury’s Buttermarket fieldgarrick.com Mexico’s legendary Day Of The Dead event is coming to Shrewsbury’s Buttermarket venue. The famous festival, which sees the deceased being prayed for by their family and friends, is well known for its colourful, celebratory tone - and Shrewsbury’s version certainly intends to follow suit. Contributors to the event include live percussionists and a host of international DJs, with huge con- fetti blasts, candy skull face-painting, stage flames and fire breathing shows also featuring. Day Of The Dead takes place at The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury, on Friday 2 November. For more information, visit thebuttermarket.co.uk Tyler Moon to Atlantic Ladies sail into Shrewsbury charm Telford A play telling the ‘oar-some’ story of three Shropshire women who made a record-breaking row across the Atlantic ocean is showing in Shrewsbury late this month. Local playwright Chris Eldon Lee’s Staffs venue full Atlantic Ladies follows the extraordinary voyage of daredevil three- of enchantment some Sharon, Di and Elaine, whose 60-day adventure on the high Weston Park is this Christmas seas finally came to an end when they made landfall in the inviting visitors to enter ‘a Caribbean. The production shows at the town’s Wightman Theatre magical winter wonderland of from 26 to 29 September; Market Drayton Festival Centre, 4 October illumination’ (Friday 14 - Sat- and Sir John Bayley Club, Wellington, Fri 5 October. urday 22 December). Set within the grounds of the Former EastEnders actor celebrated estate, located on Tony Discipline will star as Ironbridge venue to host silent disco the Shropshire/Staffordshire Prince Charming in Oaken- Popular Ironbridge Gorge visitor attraction Enginuity is set to host its border, Enchanted Weston gates Theatre@The Place’s first ever silent disco next month. will transform the Capability pantomime production of Featuring in a series of nighttime events called Ironbridge Lates, the Brown pleasure ground of Cinderella this Christmas. disco takes place on 5 October and is suitable for people aged 18 and Temple Wood into a magical Tony, who played the char- older. For more information, visit ironbridge.org.uk after-dark illuminated trail. acter of Tyler Moon in the For further information, visit long-running BBC TV se- weston-park.com. ries, will be joined in pan- Two long-lost Hancocks in Stourbridge toland by pop singer Lolly Two long-lost 1950s radio scripts written for Midlands-born comedy and Joe Chambers, best legend Tony Hancock are set to be performed this month. known from popular Cbee- The scripts from the series Vacant Lot focus on life in the fictional bies show The Rhyme seaside town of Churdley Bay, where the blundering and pompous Rocket. Hancock is hoping to better his situation.