Worcestershire Cover April 2019.qxp_Worcestershire Cover 21/03/2019 16:32 Page 1 HAIR THE MUSICAL COMES Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands TO THE MIDLANDS WORCESTERSHIRE WHAT’S ON APRIL 2019 APRIL ON WHAT’S WORCESTERSHIRE Worcestershire ISSUE 400 APRIL 2019 ’ WhatFILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTSs I FOOD On worcestershirewhatson.co.uk PART OF WHAT’S ON MEDIA GROUP GROUP MEDIA ON WHAT’S OF PART inside: Yourthe 16-pagelist week by week listings guide MOTIONHOUSE brings its acclaimed multimedia show to Malvern TWITTER: @WHATSONWORCS @WHATSONWORCS TWITTER: THE LEYLINES festival favourites play The Marr’s Bar... FACEBOOK: @WHATSONWORCESTERSHIRE DEAR ZOO LIVE! puppetry, music and audience WORCESTERSHIREWHATSON.CO.UK participation at Artrix (IFC) Worcestershire.qxp_Layout 1 22/03/2019 14:19 Page 1 Contents April Warwicks/Worcs.qxp_Layout 1 21/03/2019 15:44 Page 2 April 2019 Contents The Worst Witch - family-friendly magic and mayhem at the Coventry Belgrade... page 31 Mott The Hoople Motionhouse Birthday Bard the list Midlander Ian Hunter brings the back out on tour with acclaimed Shakespeare celebrations in Your 16-page Class of ’74 to Leamington multimedia production Charge Stratford-upon-Avon week-by-week listings guide interview page 16 page 35 page 47 page 51 inside: 4. First Word 11. Food 18. Music 20. Comedy 24. Theatre 37. Film 40. Visual Arts 43. Events fb.com/whatsonwarwickshire fb.com/whatsonworcestershire @whatsonwarwicks @whatsonworcs Warwickshire What’s On Magazine Worcestershire What’s On Magazine Warwickshire What’s On Magazine Worcestershire 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 Abi Whitehouse [email protected] 01743 281716 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 MEDIA GROUP Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Steve Adams, Lauren Cole, Nanci Davies, Jack Rolfe, Daisy Sparkle, Steve Taylor, Chris Eldon Lee, Patsy Moss, Tom Silverton 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 Warwicks_Worcs April.qxp_Layout 1 22/03/2019 15:18 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region Organisers hoping Robot Day will go international The organisers of the recent Robot Day at Coventry Transport Museum are planning to grow the event both locally and internation- ally in the build-up to Coventry’s City of Culture year in 2021. As well as featuring a range of demonstra- tions, Robot Day also provided visitors with the chance to enjoy a series of special per- formances by Imagineer Productions’ 10- metre high Lady Godiva in association with the Urban Astronaut and the Hummingbird drone. Event organiser Stephen Powley said: “Our ambition is to build to an internationally significant celebration of robotics in 2021, when Coventry is UK City of Culture. The quality of the Transport Museum event and the number of people it attracted has shown us the potential for doing that.” Spend an evening with ment of four volunteer community evalua- 12 May, the main attraction for visitors is un- tors, who will have the task of monitoring the doubtedly the opening weekend’s line-up of Jack The Ripper... progress and impact of the City of Culture entertainment. Highlights include a water year. cure reenactment and family fun day in Pri- Commenting on the award, Spirit Of 2012 ory Park, a donkey parade, musical events Chief Executive Debbie Lye said: “We’re really and a health & wellbeing fair. excited by Coventry’s vision for 2021: an arts For more information, check out visitthe- & culture programme made for and by every- malverns.org/wellandwaterfest. one in the city. Coventry’s drive to represent, include and excite a modern, diverse and youthful Britain chimes with our own fund- New venue for popular ing mission, and we’re delighted to be on board from the start of what promises to be a Worcester Comic Festival thrilling journey.” A day-long event celebrating comics and the people who produce them will take place at Worcester Arts Workshop in the summer. An interactive ‘Jack The Ripper evening’ Malvern hosts Well Organisers of the Worcester Comic Festival takes place at Stratford-upon-Avon museum are promising a day of fun, frivolity and ‘all Tudor World this month (Friday 19 April). Dressing & Water Festival things comics’ on Saturday 17 August. The first of its kind, the event recreates the For more information, visit worcester- Ripper’s crime scenes, re-examines the sus- artsworkshop.org.uk pects & victims and provides its guests with the chance to do some detective work of their own. The evening is the brainchild of Ripper- ologist Steve Mitchell, who runs a similar evening at Tutbury Castle in Staffordshire. The 2019 edition of Great Malvern’s Well Dressing & Water Festival takes place next Spirit of 2012 awards City month. of Culture £200,000 A celebration of Malvern spring water, an- London 2012 legacy charity Spirit has cient pagan traditions and the Victorian awarded £200,000 to the Coventry City of Water Cure, the event is taking the theme of Culture Trust. Year of Flight and will feature 60 wells The grant will fund four associate-producer dressed by local community groups. roles, as well as the training and develop- Although the festival officially runs from 4 to 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Warwicks_Worcs April.qxp_Layout 1 22/03/2019 15:18 Page 2 First Word Giant Knife Angel sculpture on show in Coventry Visitors to Coventry Cathedral between now and Easter week- end will be able to check out a huge sculpture made of 100,000 confiscated knives. The 27-feet-high Knife Angel, commissioned by the British Ironwork Centre in Oswestry, was created by artist Alfie Bradley in response to the grow- ing issue of knife crime in cities across the UK. Commenting on the sculpture, The Reverend Kathryn Fleming of Coventry Cathedral said: “In making something beautiful from the ugliness and violence Talking balls at the Coventry Belgrade Theatre... of the knives, Alfie follows a pattern that is part of the Cathe- Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has teamed up with the Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust dral’s own DNA - using the pain initiative, It Takes Balls To Talk, to highlight the current crisis in men’s mental health. of the past to build something The theatre will this season be presenting a number of shows connected to the issue - in particular brighter and stronger; a peace- Nick Ahad’s Glory (pictured above, 10 - 13 April) - in the hope of educating and informing audiences ful future.” about the problem. Commenting on the news, Alex Cotton, Mental Health Nurse and Founder of It Takes Balls To Talk, said: “It can be difficult to talk about mental health, so we hope that the campaign will help men un- derstand it’s important not to keep their feelings to themselves. It Takes Balls To Talk is about reach- ing out to men, and the people who care about them, to promote positive mental health. We want people to have positive conversations about mental health, inspired by this campaign.” A trip back to the At the double! Two iconic musicals to ’80s for Nuneaton return to Birmingham Hippodrome Carnival 2019 Tickets will this month go on sale for blockbuster musicals Mamma Mia! and We Will Rock You (pictured), both of which will The Mudnificent be visiting Birmingham Hippodrome next year. 7 is back! “The arrival of these two major musical juggernauts in 2020 con- tinues Birmingham Hippodrome’s reputation for bringing the Mud, mud, glorious mud! very best in live entertainment to Midlands audiences,” said ‘Ultimate obstacle race’ The Mudnificent 7 will once again Fiona Allan, the theatre’s artistic director & chief executive. take place at Heart Park in “Both We Will Rock You and Mamma Mia! have enjoyed sell-out Coventry on Saturday 17 August. success here in previous years, and I have no doubt that return- The 7km mud-run is raising ing audience members, or those visiting for the very first time, funds for Bowel & Cancer Re- will be up on their feet at the conclusion of these two blockbuster search and consists of seven productions.” For more information and to book tickets (from themed zones. Organisers of Nuneaton Carni- Tuesday 2 April onwards), visit birminghamhippodrome.com The event has sold out for each val have announced that this of the past five years, so early year’s theme will be ‘back to booking is advised. the 80s’. The town’s biggest annual event will take place on 16 June. Applications are currently open for floats, procession walkers and stalls. For stall applications, email [email protected] For processions, contact mart- [email protected]. whatsonlive.co.uk 5 First Word Warwicks_Worcs April.qxp_Layout 1 22/03/2019 15:18 Page 3 First Word State-of-the-art marine rescue facility opens at the National Sea Life Centre visitor attraction The National Sea Life Centre in Birming- experience.