Birmingham Cover January 2020.qxp_Birmingham Cover 13/12/2019 12:05 Page 1 GET READY TO OPEN Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands THE BOOK OF MORMON... BIRMINGHAM WHAT’S ON JANUARY 2020 JANUARY ON WHAT’S BIRMINGHAM Birmingham ISSUE 409 JANUARY 2020 ’ 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 @WHATSONBRUM TWITTER: FACEBOOK: @WHATSONBIRMINGHAM FACEBOOK: INSTAGRAM: @WHATSONBRUM @WHATSONBRUM INSTAGRAM: BIRMINGHAMWHATSON.CO.UK BIRMINGHAMWHATSON.CO.UK Winchcombe Park Full January 2020.qxp_Layout 1 12/12/2019 17:27 Page 1 Contents January Birmingham.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 16:22 Page 2 January 2020 Contents The Book Of Mormon - smash-hit musical comedy heading for the Hippodrome feature on page 26 Asking For It Ed Byrne Gino D’Acampo the list a story of sexual consent takes the master of observational TV chef talks about his new Your 16-page centre stage at The REP comedy visits the Town Hall restaurant in Birmingham week-by-week listings guide feature page 8 page 25 page 40 page 53 inside: 4. First Word 10. Food 17. Gigs 24. Comedy 30. Theatre 43. Film 46. Visual Arts 49. Events @whatsonbrum fb.com/whatsonbirmingham @whatsonbrum Birmingham What’s On Birmingham What’s On What’s On Birmingham 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 Lauren Cole [email protected] 01743 281733 Sue Jones [email protected] 01743 281705 Subscriptions: Adrian Parker [email protected] 01743 281714 Contributors: Graham Bostock, James Cameron-Wilson, Katherine Ewing, Jenny Ell, Nanci Davies, Patsy Moss 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 January.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 16:23 Page 1 Entertainment news from around the region Sea Life Centre to become home to rare Alaskan otters In a UK first, two Alaskan sea otters will soon become residents at Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre. The otters will travel more than 5,000 miles by land and air to reach the Centre, where they will set up home in a new multi-million pound marine mammal rescue facility. The facility is part of a pioneering education & conservation project in partnership with the Sea Life Trust and Alaska Wildlife. Mind your Table Manners Applications welcomed Director of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: “As part of our inclusive approach to audi- at Birmingham Town Hall for STEM learning grants ences, we will do all that we can to ensure A grant funding pot of more than £400,000 is that serving personnel, veterans and their now open to schools, charities and not-for- families have every chance to participate in profit organisations across the West Midlands the services we provide.” as part of a major Science, Technology, Engi- neering and Maths (STEM) education initia- tive. The Millennium Point Charitable Trust has opened its latest Small Grants Programme for applications, with up to £20,000 available for individual applicants. Applications are set to close on Friday 14 February. To apply for a Millennium Point small grant, visit millenni- umpoint.org.uk/grants A hit podcast featuring singer-songwriter & philanthropist Jessie Ware and her mum, Lennie, is heading out on a live tour - starting Robbie’s heading home with a Saturday 28 March performance at Robbie Williams will this summer perform a Town Hall Birmingham. special show at Port Vale Football Club's Vale Table Manners sees Jessie and her chef ex- Park Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent. traordinaire mother chatting over a three- Local lad and Vale supporter Robbie will take course meal with guests from the worlds of to the stage on 20 June for a concert in aid of music, culture and politics. Celebrities three charities - the Donna Louise Hospice for who’ve popped round for a natter and a bite Children & Young People, Unicef UK and The to eat include Sam Smith, Sadiq Khan, Kiefer Hubb Foundation. Sutherland, Nigella Lawson and Ed Sheeran. Duo commissioned for City museum shows its Colmore district artwork support for Armed Forces Birmingham Museums Trust has shown its A Birmingham-based creative partnership support for the armed forces community by has been chosen as preferred artists to com- officially signing the Armed Forces Covenant plete a large-format artwork intended to en- and outlining its pledges to those serving in hance Livery Street in the city’s Colmore the military. Business District. The Covenant is a promise from the nation E.L Thrush and Anna Davies will complete that those who serve or have served in the the artwork on behalf of Colmore BID, the armed forces, and their families, are treated Business Improvement District for the city fairly. centre commercial quarter. The artwork will Commenting on the news, Dr Ellen McAdam, be in place for at least five years. 4 whatsonlive.co.uk First Word Birmingham January.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 16:23 Page 2 First Word Showcasing new works at the Blue Orange Theatre Birmingham’s Blue Orange Theatre is this month hosting a weekend festival of new pro- jects and plays. Now & Next: The New Works Festival takes place on 17 & 18 January and provides aspiring creatives with the chance to pitch their work to industry guests and producers at a public performance. Birmingham and Oxford become artistic partners The University of Birmingham has agreed a partnership deal which will see some of Eu- rope’s finest singers perform- ing in the city. The university has entered into collaboration with Oxford Lieder - an initiative aimed at re-establishing an apprecia- Bat Out Of Hell flying into Birmingham in the autumn tion of song. The team-up will Hit stage show Bat Out Of Hell-The Musical will hits, the show takes its inspiration from the leg- see artists participating in the stop off at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre endary album of the same name, which has sold long-established lunchtime from 29 September to 10 October as part of a UK more than 50 million copies worldwide. concert series at the Barber tour. For more information, Institute of Fine Arts. Featuring Jim Steinman and Meatloaf’s greatest visit BatOutOfHellMusical.com Don’t forget to Michael Bolton’s Greatest Hits... Treecycle! Michael Bolton will return to the Midlands in the autumn with his Remember that you can Love Songs Greatest Hits tour. The Grammy Award-winning super- take the hassle out of star, who has sold in excess of 65 million albums and singles recycling your Christmas during a stellar career, visits Birmingham Resorts World Arena on tree this New Year by Saturday 17 October. To purchase tickets, visit gigsandtours.com allowing a local hospice to or ticketmaster.co.uk. take it away for you. St Mary’s Hospice’s Treecycling campaign will Strictly Ballroom on tour see volunteers collect The fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood is to direct a thousands of used 2020/21 UK and Ireland tour of Baz Luhrmann's Christmas trees from smash-hit musical, Strictly Ballroom. properties across The all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza stops Birmingham, Sandwell and off at two Midlands venues during the tour and Solihull, in return for a comes complete with a selection of hit songs, in- donation to the Hospice. cluding Love Is In The Air, Perhaps Perhaps The initiative takes place Perhaps and Time After Time. on Saturday 11 and Sunday The show foxtrots into the region at the Wolver- 12 January. For more hampton Grand from 5 to 10 October, and then information, visit Birmingham Hippodrome, from 10 to 15 May birminghamhospice.org.uk 2021. whatsonlive.co.uk 5 First Word Birmingham January.qxp_Layout 1 13/12/2019 16:24 Page 3 First Word As bold as brass A stellar line-up of interna- tional brass players this month takes over Royal Birmingham Conservatoire for two full days of concerts, horn-hangouts, masterclasses and participa- tory events. The Great Birming- ham Brass Fest’s line-up of artists includes the City of Birmingham Symphony Or- chestra’s Principal Trumpet, Alan Thomas, and Principal Tuba, Graham Sibley. The Royal Birmingham Conser- vatoire Brass Band also fea- tures. Theatre extends New DanceXchange season features Everything (But The Girl) dementia services A formidable new triple bill from 2Faced Dance collaboration between Scottish Dance Theatre’s Wolverhampton Grand Theatre Company features among the spring-season Fleur Darkin and US writer David Foster-Wallace. has announced plans to extend highlights at Birmingham Hippodrome-based The piece sees four dancers bring to life the latter’s services for those living in the DanceXchange. ground-breaking study of tennis player Micheal local community and sur- Everything (But The Girl) features two works Joyce.