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Birmingham Cover December 2018.qxp_Birmingham Cover 20/11/2018 17:06 Page 1 MARTINE MCCUTCHEON STARS IN Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands ELF AT GENTING ARENA BIRMINGHAM WHAT’S ON DECEMBER 2018 DECEMBER ON WHAT’S BIRMINGHAM Birmingham ISSUE 396 DECEMBER 2018 ’ WhatFILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTSs I FOOD Onbirminghamwhatson.co.uk PART OF WHAT’S ON MEDIA GROUP GROUP MEDIA ON WHAT’S OF PART TWITTER: @WHATSONBRUM TWITTER: @WHATSONBRUM FACEBOOK: @WHATSONBIRMINGHAM FACEBOOK: BIRMINGHAMWHATSON.CO.UK Mulligans Full December 2018.qxp_Layout 1 21/11/2018 15:35 Page 1 Contents December Birmingham.qxp_Layout 1 20/11/2018 15:46 Page 2 December 2018 Contents Escape to the sun - when Benidorm Live takes to the stage at The Alexandra Theatre... page 31 Jimmy Osmond Lily Allen The Nutcracker the list aiming to ‘hook’ Hippodrome shows No Shame at the city’s festive magic from Your 16-page audiences this Christmas O2 Institute Birmingham Royal Ballet week-by-week listings guide Interview page 8 page 15 page 20 page 51 inside: 4. First Word 11. Food 15. Music 19. Comedy 24. Theatre 37. Film 40. Visual Arts 45. Events @whatsonbrum fb.com/whatsonbirmingham @whatsonmediagroup Birmingham What’s On Magazine Birmingham What’s On Magazine What’s On Media Group Managing Director: Davina Evans [email protected] 01743 281708 ’ Sales & Marketing: Lei Woodhouse [email protected] 01743 281703 Chris Horton [email protected] 01743 281704 WhatsOn Editorial: Lauren Foster [email protected] 01743 281707 Brian O’Faolain [email protected] 01743 281701 MEDIA GROUP Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Steve Adams, Lauren Cole, Nanci Davies, 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 Birmingham December .qxp_Layout 1 21/11/2018 15:24 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region Ian McKellen to celebrate his 80th birthday in Brum Sir Ian McKellen is to celebrate his 80th birthday next year by presenting a new solo show on 80 stages across the UK, including Birmingham Repertory Theatre (on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 June). The Lord Of The Rings star is touring his production to raise money for theatres. Commenting on the news, The REP’s Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Ian to Birmingham next year. This will be a special show and a rare and excellent opportunity to celebrate one of the UK’s greatest actors. We’re deeply grate- ful that Ian is doing this to raise vital funds for REP First, a three-year campaign which aims to raise £1million to ensure that the the- atre can continue to nurture the region's tal- ented young artists, commission exciting new work, welcome new audiences and reach out to the communities of Birmingham and beyond.” Festive films on the big Marvel-ous event returns cludes two concerts and a talk with the com- poser. Commenting on the event, Stephan screen at Brindleyplace to Birmingham in 2019 Meier, Artistic Director of BCMG, said: “Fer- Birmingham’s Brindleyplace is this month neyhough’s music is known for its complex- hosting its first ever Winter Film Festival. ity, but we shouldn’t forget its humanity and Running for four days from 13 to 16 Decem- diversity: the pieces we perform in our Fer- ber, the event will see popular movies being neyhough Day include a conjuring of Icarus’s shown on a big outdoor screen. stunning achievement of flight. As Icarus The festival’s fea- sought to soar ever higher, we push the tured films are boundaries of what’s possible - involving the Gremlins, Elf, Comic book superheroes including Spider- next generation of musicians in partnership Frozen, Home Man, Iron Man, Thor, Black Panther, the with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire to Alone, The Polar Hulk, Black Widow and Doctor Strange will pay tribute to this extraordinary figure in Express and It’s A be smashing their way into Birmingham late contemporary music.” Wonderful Life. next year when Marvel Universe LIVE! re- For further infor- turns to the city with a brand new show. mation about the Taking place at Arena Birmingham from 5 to Sir Elton back on the road film festival, visit 8 December 2019, the production will feature brindleyplace.co cutting-edge special effects, pyrotechnics, 3D Sir Elton John will visit Birmingham in 2020 video projection, aerial stunts, martial arts with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. City art gallery to benefit and daring motorcycle displays. Commenting on the announcement, Sir Elton For more information, visit marvel.com said: “The tour will take us to many places from Arts Council funding that have meant a lot to me over the last 50 The Arts Council is to invest more than years, but these UK shows will be incredibly £1.5million in four arts and cultural venues BCMG concert celebrates special. The UK is home, and where my heart in the West Midlands, with Ikon in Birming- will always be. To celebrate some of the in- ham being one of the beneficiaries. Midlands composer credible moments we’ve shared with my The other venues are The Courtyard in Here- Birmingham Contemporary Music Group British fans over the years will be wonderful. ford, Compton Verney in Warwickshire and (BCMG) and the Royal Birmingham Conserva- These homecoming shows will be very emo- Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum. toire are this month linking up to celebrate tional and a lot of fun.” The cash injection will also finance an instru- the work of Coventry-born composer Brian The Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour stops off ment truck for the City of Birmingham Sym- Ferneyhough, on the occasion of his 75th at Arena Birmingham on 9 November 2020 phony Orchestra. birthday. Taking place at the Conservatoire and then at Resorts World Arena two days on Sunday 9 December, Ferneyhough Day in- later, on the 11th. 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Birmingham December .qxp_Layout 1 21/11/2018 15:24 Page 2 First Word And the Strictly judges are... All four of Strictly Come Danc- ing’s television judges will take part in the 2019 live UK arena tour of the show. Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bus- sell and Bruno Tonioli will star alongside head TV judge Shirley Ballas in 29 supersized shows at the start of the new year. The 2019 tour kicks off at Birmingham Arena, from Fri- day 18 to Monday 21 January. For more information and tickets, visit strictlycomedanc- inglive.com Once upon a pantomime time at Birmingham Hippodrome A new exhibition celebrating the magic of panto opens at Birmingham Hippodrome this month. Featuring artwork by Craig Earp and Danny Lloyd, Once Upon A Time: A Visual History Of Pan- tomime is a response to the theatre’s archive collection of photographs, posters and programmes. The exhibition is on display in gallery spaces off the theatre’s foyers from Tuesday 4 December to Tuesday 5 February. Alison to do the Time Warp in Birmingham TV presenter Alison Hammond, comedians Dom Joly and Steve Punt, and actors Beverley Callard Romance and and Philip Franks will all appear as the charac- magic with the ter of The Narrator during the 2019 UK tour of King of Waltz The Rocky Horror Show. The five stars take to the stage to perform the iconic role at various points Violin superstar André Rieu throughout the tour. visits Birmingham this month Alison Hammond will play the part when the to present a concert featuring show visits Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre a selection of Christmas car- from 13 to 25 May. ols. Andre will be performing with his Johann Strauss Or- chestra and promises ‘a grand show including romantic mo- Symphony Hall’s new performance space revealed ments and witty twists’. He Birmingham’s Symphony Hall has released a showcase their work, supporting our ambition to appears at Arena Birmingham video offering a glimpse of its new performance be a truly inclusive organisation. Symphony Hall on Thursday 13 December. For space, which forms part of a major project to re- is already a national icon: this project will en- more information, visit the develop the venue’s public areas. sure that the youth, diversity and creativity of venue’s website. The project - named Making An Entrance - will our wonderful city and region becomes an em- open the building onto a regenerated Centenary bedded part of our story.” Square and ‘reinforce Symphony Hall’s place in Birmingham’s city life’. Commenting on the project, Anita Bhalla, Town Hall Symphony Hall’s Chair of the Board, said: “We believe that this project will not only future- proof the business but will also give our local communities more flexible spaces in which to whatsonlive.co.uk 5 First Word Birmingham December .qxp_Layout 1 21/11/2018 15:24 Page 3 First Word A feast of Christmas shows at Brum’s Symphony Hall Birmingham’s Symphony Hall looks to have Christ- mas covered this month, presenting a programme of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.