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FILM I COMEDY I THEATRE I GIGS I VISUAL ARTS I EVENTS I FOOD

What’sOnbirminghamwhatson.co.uk

Your FREE essential entertainment guide for the Midlands ISSUE 368 AUGUST 2016

MAMMA MIA!Smash-hit musical continues at the Hippodrome

inside:

thelistYour 16-page week by week listings guide

KERRY GODLIMANINTERVIEW

INSIDE

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Interview with the CBSO’snewest music director page 8

Comedian talks about her newshow, Stick Or Twist

page 27

Summer showcasecontinues at BMAG

page 40

Your 16-page week-by-week listings guide

page 51

Mirga Grazinyte-Tyla Kerry Godliman Inspire 16 the list

inside:

Nikolai Foster - puts a ‘fresh spin’ on The Importance Of Being Earnest. Interview page 8

August 2016

4. First Word 14. Music 26. Comedy 28. Theatre 37. Film 40. Visual Arts 43. Events11. Food

Contents

Contents August Birmingham.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 11:39 Page 1

4 whatsonlive.co.uk

Celebrating 450 yearsof Viennese tradition The Spanish Riding School of Vienna is thisautumn celebrating its 450th anniversary with aseries of exclusive shows in Birmingham andLondon.The shows will be hosted by TV presenter andBritish Dressage Ambassador Nicki Chapman.Commenting on her involvement, Nicki said:“The Spanish Riding School of Vienna tours arerare and exceptional. I’ve witnessed first handthese graceful horses thrilling crowds with theirastonishing combination of elegance andpower. This is an extraordinary, once-in-a-life-time opportunity to witness these world-renowned horses performing in the UK duringthe academy’s momentous 450th anniversaryyear.”The Spanish Riding School of Vienna perform atthe Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham, from 18 to20 November.

Soho Housedoes BollywoodBirmingham’s Soho House is ‘goingBollywood’ this month. The Handsworth-located Birmingham Museums Trust visitorattraction, a restored Georgian house, willhost ‘an atmospheric Indian evening’ onSaturday 13 August. Devised in partnership with the TravellingCinema Company, the adults-only event’sprogramme features al fresco entertainment,including Bollywood dancers, and an open-air showing of Oscar-winning movieSlumdog Millionaire. Commenting on the event, BirminghamMuseums Trust’s Alex Nicholson-Evans said:“There’s nothing better on a summer’sevening than enjoying entertainment out-doors, and this event is going to be great fun.We’ll have deckchairs and picnic blanketsout on the lawn, and each participant will begiven their own set of headphones to enjoythe movie in this unique location. We’ve gotstreet food for sale too, so you can grab abite to eat while catching the movie, so whynot make a night of it!”

JodiePrengerjoinspanto cast Musical theatre starJodie Prenger will bemaking wishes cometrue this Christmaswhen she stars asFairy Bow Bells inBirmingham Hippodrome's pantomime pro-duction of Dick Whittington.Jodie, who found fame on BBC talent showI’d Do Anything, winning the role of Nancyin the West End revival of Lionel Bart’sOliver!, will be joined in the Hippodromepanto by John Barrowman, Steve McFadden,The Krankies and comedian Matt Slack. Commenting on her forthcoming wand-wav-ing role, Jodie said: “I’m so excited to beheading to Birmingham this Christmas andworking with my old I’d Do Anything judgeJohn Barrowman. We’ve been saying foryears we should do another show together,so to get the chance to do panto with him,Steve, The Krankies and Matt is really excit-ing. I can’t wait!” Dick Whittington runs at BirminghamHippodrome from Monday 19 December toSunday 29 January.Tickets are available atbirminghamhippodrome.com

If you’ve missed out, but wish you hadn’t, onall the events marking the 400th anniversaryof Shakespeare’s death, the BirminghamRepertory Theatre is this month providing afurther opportunity to get up close and per-sonal with the works of the bard. There is acatch, though; you have to be between theages of 13 and 25!The REP’s Shakespeare summer school pro-vides participants with the chance torehearse an abridged version of one of hisplays, and then to perform it in a city centrepark for families, friends and passers-by toenjoy. Featuring drama workshops and thechance to collaborate with a professionaldirector to hone your acting skills, the week-long school takes place at The REP from 1 to5 August. For more information, visitbirmingham-rep.co.uk

First Word

Get up close andpersonal with the Bard!

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The Big Yin getson his High HorseLegendary Scottish comedian BillyConnolly is heading forBirmingham as part of an autumntour. Connolly - also known as the BigYin - will bring his High Horseshow to the city’s BarclaycardArena on 2 & 3 November. Earlier this year, he revealed thattouring helps alleviate the symp-toms of his Parkinson’s disease.“It's a miracle,” he said in an inter-view in the US. “I think scienceshould study it. I've gone on stagesick and come off better.” Tickets for Billy’s Birminghamshows are now on general sale viatheticketfactory.com or by calling0844 33 88 222.

Hollywood debutfor BirminghamactorA young Birmingham actor is set toappear alongside former Dr Whofavourite Billie Piper in a brand newBritish movie.Twenty-year-old Antonio Aakeel willstar in the crime thriller City Of TinyLights, directed by the BAFTA-win-ning Pete Travis, whose Hollywoodfilms include Vantage Point andDredd.Discussing his role in the movie,Antonio said: “Coming from aworking-class background, oppor-tunities like this for people like meare few and far between. I’ve had acouple of TV jobs but nothing com-pares to being on an actual filmset.”

whatsonlive.co.uk 5

Entertainment news from around the region

Cirque brings critically acclaimed show to the MidlandsThe internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil is returning to Birmingham in 2017 with its signa-ture production, Varekai. The critically acclaimed show has been updated with acts never beforeseen in the UK. Paying tribute to ‘the nomadic soul’, it tells the story of a young man who findshimself parachuted into ‘a kaleidoscopic world’ inhabited by fantastical creatures. Varekai visits the Genting Arena, Birmingham, from 1 to 5 March as part of a UK tour.

Young personsfestival at theTown HallBirmingham’s Town Hallis hosting a free one-daymusic & arts festival onSaturday 6 August.The festival is part ofProject SoundLounge, anongoing initiative curatedby a team of talentedyoung people between theages of 16 and 25.Commenting on the event,Project SoundLoungeFellow Lucy Mulgrewsaid: “The team haveworked incredibly hard tocreate a festival whichshowcases a variety offresh and unique artistsand performers fromacross Birmingham.Please do join us for anunforgettable day createdby young people foryoung people.”Free tickets for the festivalcan be booked atwww.thsh.co.uk or byphoning the box office on0121 780 3333.

Something for all ages atCannon Hill Park venuePopular arts venue mac birmingham has released details aboutits 2016/17 programme of courses. The Cannon Hill Park-locateddestination is offering more than 200 courses for children, youngpeople and adults, covering a wide range of subject matterincluding music, visual arts, well-being, dance and digital media. The venue’s autumn term com-mences on Monday 12 September.To see the whole range of courseson offer, visitmacbirmingham.co.uk/courses

Theatres join forces in newplaywriting initiativeA year-long playwriting scheme for deaf and disabled writers hasbeen launched in the Midlands. Write To Play is the brainchild of Graeae Theatre Company, anorganisation dedicated to placing deaf and disabled artists centrestage. The scheme is being run in partnership with BirminghamRepertory Theatre, Curve Leicester and Belgrade TheatreCoventry.The 12-month programme includes a crash course in the art ofplaywriting, specialist work-shops, mentoring sessions andopportunities to have shortpieces of work performed infront of an audience.Applications to take part inWrite To Play open on 5September.


6 whatsonlive.co.uk

First Word

Flip Out in theBlack CountryA giant £1million trampolinepark is opening in the BlackCountry early this month.The Flip Out centre inOldbury will feature a multi-level parkour area, a gladia-tor duel beam, a 30m tumbletrack, a huge graffiti wall, aspecial under-fives space,and penalty shoot-out andbasketball areas. It will alsohouse three specialist roomsfor children’s parties and alarge cafe, with a traditionalbig red bus used as a view-ing gallery.For more information, visitflipout.co.uk

Mamma Mia!joins HOYSEquestrian fun combinedwith award-winning musicaltheatre is The Name Of TheGame at Birmingham’s NECthis October, when the WestEnd cast of hit Abba produc-tion Mamma Mia! perform atthe Horse Of The Year Show(HOYS).Horse-loving Mamma Mia!creator and producer JudyCraymer is the inspirationbehind the unusual team-up, which should make for amemorable final night at thepopular five-day event. Commenting on the news,Helena Pettit, managingdirector of GrandstandMedia, which organisesHOYS, said: “Judy had men-tioned Mamma Mia! per-forming at the Horse Of TheYear Show as an opportunitya couple of years ago. For itto come to fruition is hugelyexciting. Mamma Mia! is theperfect accompaniment toour show finale, which cele-brates the champion ofchampions and the culmina-tion of another competitiveyear.”The Horse Of The Year Showruns at the NEC from 5 to 9October, with the MammaMia! cast making their con-tribution on the evening ofSunday the 9th.

RBSA explores the art of printmaking A new festival exploring and celebrating the art of printmaking is beinglaunched in Birmingham this month.Co-ordinated by the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), the eventbegins on 15 August with a series of print workshops led by renowned printmak-ers. The workshops are suitable for everyone, from beginners with an interest inlearning a new skill to advanced printmakers looking to refresh their technique.Numerous other festival events will take place during the autumn. Commenting on the new festival, RBSA Gallery Director Dr Marie Considine said:“We’re excited to launch Birmingham’s first ever printmaking festival and hopethat it will encourage more people to engage with this historic, hands-on artform. Birmingham has such a rich printmaking heritage, with many artists stillpractising the technique in the city today. The festival offers people of all agesand abilities the chance to learn something new, whilst introducing both the artform and the RBSA to a wider audience.” For more information, visit rbsa.org.uk

Lighting upLongbridge

The recently regeneratedLongbridge area of

Birmingham is set to host alight festival this autumn.Featuring a collection of

temporary and permanentoutdoor light & art installa-

tions, the event alsoincludes music, perform-

ance, pop-up theatre, freefamily workshops, outdoor

play, street food and a glow-in-the-dark roller disco.

The Longbridge LightFestival takes place on the

evening of 22 October.For more information, visit

longbridgelightfestival.co.uk

PJ Harvey playsWolverhamptonThe PJ Harvey is stoppingoff in Wolverhampton this

autumn as part of a 17-dateUK and European tour.

The talented singer-song-writer went to the top of the

UK charts earlier this yearwith the release of The

Hope Six DemolitionProject, her first album for

five years. She plays thecity’s Starworks Warehouse

on 4 November.

Fusing music and fire at macA show featuring fire, live and electronic music and glass blowing isbeing presented at mac birmingham in early September.Torcher Chamber Arkestra sees glass artist Carrie Fertig using aprocess of flameworking with fire to make glass instruments. These arethen played by Carrie and participating musicians, together with pre-made instruments, and are combined with electronic and digitallymanipulated sound.“We aim to create a new intersection of craft, music and technology,”explains Carrie. “Torcher Chamber Arkestra combines fire, glass anddigital manipulation of percussive glass instruments to produce adark, theatrical, audiovisual experience. Through ritualistic music andaction, we take the audience to a new sonic interior between realms.”Carrie Fertig: Torcher Chamber Arkestra is presented at mac birming-ham on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 September. There’s an extra ‘relaxedfamily performance’ on the Saturday afternoon.

The future’s bright for ArenacrossThe Monster Energy Arenacross Tour is set to make a welcome returnto Birmingham in early 2017.Bringing indoors all the spectacular elements of Motorcross and set toa pumping soundtrack and laser show, Arenacross sees the world’s topfreestylers taking to the track to present some truly awe-inspiringentertainment.Commenting on the growth and popularity of the event, Matt Bates,the boss of organisers e22 Sports, said: “Who would’ve thought justfour years ago the UK would have the strongest indoor Motocrossseries in Europe, with over 50,000 fans attending? I’m massively proudof what we’ve achieved so far, but all I can say is that this is just thebeginning - I believe wehave an absolutely massivefuture and want to take theentertainment ofArenacross to a whole newlevel.”The 2017 tour visitsGenting Arena,Birmingham, on 21January.


FEATURE

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NIKOLAI FOSTERHeather Kincaid talks to Leicester Curve’s Artistic Director about his

‘fresh and contemporary’ spin on Oscar Wilde’s farcial comedy

In the preface to The Picture Of Dorian Gray,Oscar Wilde writes, “It is the spectator, and notlife, that art really mirrors.” However astutethe observation may have been, it's unlikelythat Wilde would ever have envisaged its literalrealisation in a production of a play of his own.Led by Curve Leicester's Artistic Director, Niko-lai Foster, in co-production with BirminghamREP, a bold new staging of The Importance OfBeing Earnest uses a dazzling mirrored set toprompt reflection on the play's complexthemes.

“One of the very first productions I assisted onwhen I was at drama school was The Impor-tance Of Being Earnest.” explains Foster. “Itwas very traditional, with nice sets and poshfrocks, and I just remember dreaming aboutwhat I'd do with the play if I was ever luckyenough to direct it. What we've come up withis something quite conceptual and expression-istic, which notionally takes place in the1800s, but is set in this environment which isbasically a world of mirrors.”

Developed by Isla Shaw, the production's ar-resting design taps into ideas around identity,deception and the disconnect between appear-ance and reality which are not only central tothis play, but recur time and again in Wilde'swork. Though Wilde was writing over a cen-tury ago, these concepts remain just as rele-vant in today's world of social media andcarefully curated online profiles.

“It's a very witty, intelligent play that uses lan-guage in quite an exciting, subversive way.Wilde writes a lot about the hypocrisy anddouble standards of the times he lived in -Lady Bracknell, for example, wasn't born intothis society, but has married into it and sort ofclawed her way to the top. So I started thinkingabout that and about mirrors, and the questionof whether or not, when you look in a mirror,you actually see a true reflection of yourself.”

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As Algernon would have it, “The truth israrely pure and never simple,” and “To benatural is such a very difficult pose to keepup.” Foster hopes that this high-concept de-sign will offer something “truthful to the pe-riod, but with a contemporary twist.” For hisinitial inspiration, he turned to the world ofhigh fashion - a world bubbling over with thekinds of big ideas, exclusivity, excess and ob-session with appearances that Wilde himselfwould doubtless have found familiar.

“Just by accident, about a year ago, I foundthis image of a fashion shoot in New York onTwitter. It's basically just a box of mirrorswith a table and a door at the back, andclever lighting. Then we found these wonder-ful photographs of fashion now - these sortof country frocks and Dolce and Gabbanasuits that look like they could absolutely befrom Gwendolen's day.”

Composed by Curve Associate Artist DougalIrvine, the score will similarly straddle pastand present to produce something fresh anddynamic, with what Foster describes as avery “Curve feel”.

“Dougal and I talked about a composercalled Steve Reich who creates these kind ofelectropop-synth-classical compositions,and that's the sort of sound we're startingwith. It might be that the play starts with ascene in a nightclub where the lads havebeen the night before and so we have some-thing very aggressively 'now' to get us intothe world of the play, and then we'll havemore of a contemporary-classical crossoversound to link scenes together and underscoreit all. But it will all be tastefully employed tosupport what we're trying to do tonally - wedon't want it to be a barrage of contemporarynonsense for the sake of it.”

For Foster, this is crucial: Wilde's writingspeaks for itself, and there's no intention ofupdating or interfering with the text as writ-ten.

“We're not messing with genius. People whoknow and love the play are going to get avery fine reading of it. Hopefully it's the best

of both worlds: I think young people comingto see it for the first time will love the anar-chy of these young people telling porkies andcreating alter-egos to escape their overbear-ing parents and guardians, and people whoare a bit older and know the play will get tosee something very glamorous and unlikeany production they've ever seen before.”

Alongside major, award-winning talent likeCathy Tyson (Mona Lisa, The Serpent AndThe Rainbow, Priest, Band Of Gold), the castwill also include local actor Sharan Phull,who has previously performed with the CurveCommunity Company.

“At the launch of my very first season, Sha-ran was an usher at the theatre. She'd justcome back from drama school in Londonafter having been in Rent and other commu-nity shows here. I saw her in Bend It LikeBeckham when she was on for the lead rolewhich she'd been understudying, and conse-quently we auditioned her for Cecily and shewas amazing. She absolutely captured thesort of innocence and exuberance of thecharacter.”

In his capacity as Artistic Director, Foster ispassionate about nurturing links with thelocal community, and since taking over fromPaul Kerryson in January last year, he has ac-tively sought to bring new people into thetheatre, both onto the stage and into the au-ditorium. So far, his development work hasbeen hugely successful, with several commu-nity performers going on to be cast in profes-sional productions at Curve and elsewhere.

“Mark Peachy, who played the title role inour Community Company production ofRichard III last year went on to be in A Street-car Named Desire here. We also offered him apart in Breakfast At Tiffany's but he couldn'tdo it because he'll be in Birmingham doingMamma Mia! Nick Read, whose stage name isNicholas Alexander, has been involved withthe young company and then was in A Street-car Named Desire, and he's just got a place atdrama school from September. But it goesboth ways: at the moment we're rehearsing

Bugsy Malone, and one of the kids in thatplayed one of the Adrian Moles, so he's beenin a professional production and has nowcome back to be in a community production.I love that crossover. There's no barrier be-tween professional and amateur here - it's allabout genuinely engaging, and there are somany ways that people do that here, whetherit's being part of a company or just comingin, putting on some music and practisingyour breakdancing in the foyer.”

From a literary classic to a popular musical,Foster goes from The Importance Of BeingEarnest to directing Grease later in the year.Thanks to some last-minute rescheduling,he'll also be working on a National YouthMusic Theatre production of Spring Awaken-ing while Earnest is still in rehearsals.

“I think we really pride ourselves on havingsomething for everybody here at Curve, andas an artist, I do feel like it's important tohave that variety. It keeps you on your toes.One of the things I was worried about when Icame to work in this building was that I'd getcomplacent without the rough and tumble ofmoving around as a freelancer, but we're al-ways so busy and working so hard to chal-lenge ourselves here that it's never going tobecome static.

“There are times when you miss the privacyand the chance to have a break. I have justsaid to myself, you're constantly going to betired and a bit stressed now because there'salways something to worry about - but in agood way. Even after you've had a pressnight, you've got other things to work on,whether it's your learning department or anew communications strategy or looking atthe Arts Council grant. It's a really full-on,full-time job, but I love it.”

The Importance Of Being Earnest is atBirmingham REP from Fri 9 to Sat 24 Sep-tember and at Curve Leicester from Thurs6 October to Sat 5 November

whatsonlive.co.uk 9

by Heather Kincaid

‘‘ ”It’s a very witty and intelligent play that useslanguage in quite an exciting, subversive way.

Nikolai Foster DPS.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 11:40 Page 2

FOOD August - Region Brum .qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 16:27 Page 1

Another week and another newrestaurant opening in Brum. Bistrot Pierre is a smallish chainof French-inspired eaterieswhich sets out to offer good-value cooking in a relaxed andfriendly environment. They’verecently set up shop on GasStreet in the refurbished, GradeII listed, former headquarters ofthe Birmingham CanalCompany. It’s a lovely refit: setover two floors, the diningrooms are packed with original

features, complemented with anairy glass atrium and courtyard.There are cosy alcoves hidden incorners and you can even expe-rience private dining in the oldsafe.Let’s get one thing out of theway immediately, which is thaton the night we visited, the serv-ice was - how to put it - chaotic.Plates flying! Wrong foodbrought to the table not justonce, but twice! And my person-al favourite - being asked if I

wanted my beef stew cookedrare! Anything that could havegone wrong did, but - and it’s abig but - the staff were so friend-ly and apologetic that theydeserve the benefit of the doubt.In a few weeks, with a bit moretraining, they’ll be just fine.So let’s get down to the food. Mystarter of pâté de campagne(£5.75) was skillfully made, stud-ded with green pistachios and acut above the average. Theaforementioned beef stew (thebourguignon maison, £13.95)was the best of its kind that I’veever tasted - and I’ve tasted afew. A hunking great piece ofbeef shin melted into a pool ofdeep, rich, red wine gravy, stud-ded with mushrooms, onionsand bacon. No corners were cutin the making of this dish andthe chef deserves a handshake.The side of potato dauphinoisewas sadly very undercooked andwas replaced with roasted newpotatoes.My partner, greedy as he is,went for the six-course set din-ner (the Soirée gastronomique,£22.95), which is outstandingvalue for money. The onion soupwas full-bodied and deeplysavoury, and the pan-fried scal-

lops were fine. Bavette steakwould have been perfect when itleft the chef, but suffered forbeing left to linger under the hotlamp for too long.But the puddings, oh the pud-dings. Lemon tart came with aproper brûlée crust and a gor-geous curl of raspberry sorbet.The star, though, was the déliceau chocolat (£5.25) - a denseslice of the richest chocolatecake, offset with tart blackcur-rant ice cream and sweet choco-late sauce. This is the stuff thatdreams are made of.Chains can often make you feeldisappointed and a bit rippedoff. Bistrot Pierre felt warm andgood value - and, despite theteething problems, we left well-fed. Definitely worth a visit.Helen Stallard

Food: nnnnn

Service: nnnnn

Ambience: nnnnn

Overall value nnnnn

OVERALL nnnnn

Bistrot Pierre46 Gas StreetBirminghamB1 2JTTel: 0121 616 0730

whatsonlive.co.uk 11

REVIEW: Bistrot Pierre, Gas Street, Birmingham‘Warm and good value’ despite the teething problems...

Omar Allibhoy makesSpanish cooking simple

Coming soon to Birmingham’sfood and drink scene...

Food

The chef and owner of Birmingham’sGrand Central-located eatery, TapasRevolution, is publishing his secondcookbook next month.Omar Allibhoy uses the book,Spanish Made Simple, to introducereaders to home-cooked meals thatare widely enjoyed across Spain.“The dishes I grew up with have leftan indelible mark on my heart,” saysOmar, who hails from Madrid. “Myaim is to convince everyone to addsome of my favourites to their weeklyrepertoire at home.”Spanish Made Simple is published byQuadrille on 22 September.

Birmingham’s ever-growing food & drink scene is set to expandfurther in the forthcoming months, thanks to the addition of anumber of new venues.Popular cocktail bar chain The Alchemist and Italian restau-rant Gusto will both open their doors next month in the GrandHotel on Colmore Row. The venues are part of the LivingVentures group, which also operates The Botanist on the city’sTemple Street.Also opening in Colmore Row - in early 2017 - is a basementrestaurant next to Snow Hill Station. The site of the restaurantfeatures a glass pavilion-style door, a new lift and stairway. It’syet to be announced who will be operating from the venue.Across the road, meanwhile, in the Great Western Arcade,Charter Brands, the company behind Langley’s No 8 Gin, islaunching its first city centre bar in the autumn. The yet-to-be-named venue opens in the wake of numerous pop-up projectscoordinated by the company in recent times.


12 whatsonlive.co.uk


Sweet treats galore atnew Digbeth venueLocated in Digbeth, this latest addi-tion to the city’s ever-growing crop ofdessert parlours showcases a NewYork loft-style cafe experience, withhigh ceilings, exposed brickwork andlots of copper.Pirlo’s serves everything from cakesand sundaes to cookie dough, waf-fles, crepes and gelato, as well as arange of vegan and gluten-freeoptions. It also offers premium coffee- from local business QuarterhorseCoffee - and a range of milkshakes,smoothies and mocktails. There’seven alcohol-free Champagne!To start, myself and my partnerdecided to try a Kinder Bueno and aSnickers milkshake. Both werecreamy and full of flavour withoutbeing too heavy - a very good startindeed.Next up was the milk chocolate cook-ie dough served with chocolateorange sauce and a white FerreroRocher gelato. The cookie dough wasgooey and delicious, the sauce andgelato perfect accompaniments.Pirlo’s boasts 23 gelato flavours,including Maltesers, bubblegum,midnight mint and banana swirl, toname but a few.My partner is a huge fan of waffles,so naturally we chose one as our sec-ond dish - a Pirlo’s Super Specialwith Ferrero Rocher, strawberries,bananas and Nutella sauce, to be pre-cise. It was huge! Pirlo’s certainlydoesn’t skimp on its portion sizes. The waffles were cooked perfectly,extremely tasty, and the ratio ofingredients worked well. Both feeling suitably full, we optedfor just one more dish. As temptingas the red velvet cheesecake was, wewent for the lighter option of themixed berry pavlova - a perfectchoice to end the evening.By the time we left, the majority oftables were taken - a really positivesign, considering it was 9 o’clock on aWednesday evening.If you’ve got a sweet tooth and fancya late-night treat, look no further -Pirlo’s is the place for you...

Check it out!

Pirlo’s Dessert Lounge6 Coventry StreetBirminghamB5 5NHTel: 0121 582 0586

Award-winning chef Tom Aikens will open arestaurant, bar and deli in Birmingham inDecember.Tom’s Kitchen will be located in premierlifestyle and shopping destination TheMailbox. It will serve British favourites andcomfort-food classics in a relaxed and informalsetting.Commenting on the news, Tom said:

“Birmingham is a vibrant and bustling citywith a thriving food scene. There’s already awonderful array of restaurants in the city, and Ibelieve that Tom’s Kitchen will offer an excitingnew option for diners in the Mailbox develop-ment.”The new restaurant will be the first Tom’sKitchen venture outside of London.

Food


Recently expanded Birmingham Jewellery Quarterrestaurant Pasta di Piazza is launching a brand newmonthly eating experience.The venue’s Family Table event is designed to allowparticipants to enjoy food and drink in the company oflots of other people - much like a big family occasion inItaly.Commenting on the initiative, manager Roni Ferro said:“Sometimes we get so caught up in our busy lives thatwe tend to get isolated and stick to our immediategroups. Family Table eating aims to challenge that. Wewant to reinvent the idea of the evening meal as a gath-ering of friends and strangers - essentially a great mix-ing opportunity. It’s social dining - the city gettingtogether - and a perfect way for people to make newconnections.”The first Family Table takes place on Thursday 4 Augustat 8pm. Subsequent events take place on 8 September,6 October, 3 November and 1 December.

This month’s Lichfield Food Festivalis a particularly mouthwateringprospect for lovers of ’80s pop music,with sibling duo Patrick and GregoryKane - aka Hue And Cry - performinga free concert in the grounds ofLichfield Cathedral. Alongside themusic, the free-entry festival featurescookery demos, a huge range of food& drink stalls and street food, a cele-bration of local brews, numerousspecial offers and a birthday bake-off.The event takes place on Saturday 27and Sunday 28 August.

Jewellery Quarter restaurantgets a makeover

Festival showcases thebest of Lichfield foodand drink

Tom’s Kitchen to open in The Mailbox



JulianMarleyO2 Institute,Birmingham,Wed 17 August

This month seesGrammy-nominat-ed reggae superstar Julian Ju JuMarley embark on his first ever UKtour. Son of the legendary BobMarley, Julian firmly secured hisplace in the reggae world with the1996 release of debut album Lion InThe Morning. After a second album(A Time & Place, 2003) and varioustours, he and his Uprising band wereinvited by the Jamaican governmentto represent the country and performat the 2008 Bejing Olympics. His third and most recent release,Awake, was nominated for a Grammyin the Best Reggae Album category.Julian performs with his eleven-pieceband on this highly anticipated tour -a must-see for any reggae fan.

Ernest Ranglin &Soweto Kinch Hockley Flyover, Birmingham, Sat 20 August

Jamaican jazz guitarist and composerErnest Ranglin here joins British jazzalto saxophonist and rapper SowetoKinch. The two perform together aspart of The Flyover Show - a free,one-day event which returns toBirmingham’s Hockley Flyover after afour-year break. The show features inRanglin’s farewell tour schedule,with the 84-year-old having alreadyappeared with Kinch at bothGlastonbury and Montreal JazzFestival this summer. Also featuring in the event’s line-up,among others, are Basil Gabbidon,Eska, Ruben James, Alex Wilson, CallMe Unique and Knox Brown.

Gig previews from around the region

Raghu Dixit O2 Academy, Birmingham, Wed 31 August

Raghu Dixit’s unique brand of infectious,happy music transcends age, genre andeven language.A real ambassador for Indian music, hiscareer highlights include a performance forHM The Queen at the Diamond Jubilee cele-

brations in Windsor, hitting the number onespot seven times on the iTunes World MusicCharts and performing at Glastonbury.He visits Birmingham - accompanied by hisband, Raghu Dixit Project - as part of astring of UK events. The collective are also on the ShrewsburyFolk Festival bill, playing there two daysbefore their Birmingham date.

Carina RoundHare & Hounds, Birmingham, Thurs 4 August

In the summer of 1996, following a base-ment gig in her home town ofWolverhampton, Carina Round was given athree-night support slot at Ronnie Scott’sclub in Birmingham. This led to other suchslots with the likes of Coldplay, AnnieLennox, David Gray and Elbow, to name buta few. The singer-songwriter has since releasedfour critically acclaimed albums - BloodMystery (2001), The Disconnection (2003),Slow Motion Addict (2006) andTigermending (2012). Although she’s beenproducing and performing with the bandPuscifer in recent years, she here appearssolo on what’s sure to be an unforgettablenight of music for rock and indie loversalike.

Good CharlotteO2 Institute, Birmingham, Sat 27 August

Multi-platinum-selling pop punk icons GoodCharlotte rose to fame in 2002 with therelease of second album The Young And TheHopeless, the breakthrough single fromwhich, Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous,topped pop and rock charts around theglobe.Fronted by Joel Madden, the band visitBirmingham in support of sixth albumYouth Authority and ahead of performancesat Reading and Leeds Festivals.

PUPThe Rainbow Venues, Birmingham, Tues 30 August

PUP - said to be the acronym for PatheticUse of Potential - are a punk rock band fromToronto. Following the release of criticallyacclaimed second album The Dream Is Over(the title having being inspired by a directquote from vocalist Stefan Babcock's doctorafter the singer had damaged his vocalchords), the band embark on their biggestever headline tour.

Gigs

PUPGood Charlotte

Soweto Kinch

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For the complete gig guide visit whatsonlive.co.uk 15

Ask any Coventrian about music from thearea, and they'll probably talk to you atlength about the heyday of ska and 2Tone inthe ’80s.

The instrumental role the city played in whatbecame a massive musical movement basedon values of multiculturalism and racial har-mony is almost certainly its proudest claimto fame.

Yet The Specials and The Selecter are farfrom the beginning and end of Coventry'scontribution to British music. From theCoventry Carol to Clint Mansell, PeteWaterman to Panjabi MC, and DeliaDerbyshire to The Enemy, Coventry's connec-tions to performers, innovators and record-ings of national and even internationalrenown have not been insignificant.

Seeking to reclaim this rich heritage asCoventry launches its City of Culture bid is aproject led by Coventry Music Museumfounder Pete Chambers BEM, exploring thecity's sonic history, with an exhibition of 50carefully chosen objects at its heart.

Funded through a Heritage Lottery grant,Articles In Sound is an ambitious multime-dia venture, encompassing a printed guide-book, documentary film, outdoor mural andfree smartphone app as well as physicalexhibits in the museum itself.

The story begins over 400 years ago withJames Hewitt of the Coventry Waits, the firstmusician from the city to be mentioned byname in any surviving written records. It'saround this time that the first object on ourjourney surfaces - the 16th century CoventryCarol, a haunting lullaby to the infants mas-

sacred by Herod in Bethlehem following thebirth of Christ. The song has since become aChristmas staple, with artists ranging fromTori Amos and Annie Lennox to John Denverand Chas’n’Dave recording their own ver-sions.

Among various vinyl records, tickets, tapesand CDs by notable artists, as well as oddsand ends representing major music venues,there's also a fabulous collection of jackets,suits and waistcoats belonging to such locallegends as Frank Ifield, Vince Hill, Taz Singhand The Primitives' Tracy Cattel, along withtwo pairs of custom Dr Martens worn by Kingbass player Tony Wall.

But for any music buff, the real highlightswill be the specialist items made for morethan just show - the things that helpedsecure the success of the musicians whoused and created them. A demo CD featuringearly tracks by The Enemy joins master tapesof Go For It, written by Steve and HeatherTaylor in celebration of Coventry CityFootball Club's 1987 FA Cup win, and of TheSelecter's Kingston Affair - arguably the songthat started 2Tone. Elsewhere, you can catcha glimpse of Neol Davies' original handwrit-ten lyrics for the group's hit, On My Radio, aswell as distinctive instruments like PanjabiMC's tumbi and the hand-made musical ‘jug’used by folk singer Rod Felton. The widerWarwickshire area also gets a look-in, withitems like a harmonica owned by TheShadows' Bedworth-born Brian Locking.

In a section of the museum devoted to DeliaDerbyshire - the electronic music pioneerresponsible for realising the original DoctorWho theme - you'll find Derbyshire's person-

al tape recorder, a favourite exhibit amongvisitors and volunteers alike.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the roomstands a re-creation of the circular benchsurrounding the acorns planted by JohnLennon and Yoko Ono on their first public‘date’ in Coventry, a kind of ‘peace-art per-formance’ drawing on the city's historicalstatus as a symbol of rebirth and reconcilia-tion. The copy of the bench on display fea-tured in a ceremony at Coventry Cathedralwhen Ono returned in 2005. Visitors areinvited to take a seat and write out a ‘peaceleaf’ to be added to the ‘Cofa's tree’ wall dis-play.

Articles In Sound is an accessible startingpoint for anyone interested in learning moreabout music or local history, the optionalguidebook fleshing out the information ondisplay with extra details and quotes fromnumerous fans and experts. Both this andthe accompanying app will be handy for any-one planning a trip around the town to visitsome of the key sites the exhibition toucheson.

The Coventry Music Museum has alreadybeen graced with appearances from variousindustry stars.

Who knows - perhaps Articles In Sound willsee many more music pilgrims willinglysending themselves to Coventry...

Articles In Sound shows at the CoventryMusic Museum. For further informationvisit articlesinsound.co.uk

FEATURE by Heather Kincaid

New project gives an insight into Coventry’s rich musical heritage...

Articles in Sound

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FEATURE


Meet the Music Director

She's been described as ‘mesmerising’, ‘awe-some’, ‘a serious intellect’ and ‘the most ex-citing young conductor to come along sinceGustavo Dudamel’: in taking on the mantleof CBSO Music Director from Andris Nelsons,Lithuanian-born Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla be-comes the latest in a string of bright youngthings to land the role, as well as the only fe-male director of an orchestra in Britain.As she prepares for the launch of an exciting2016-17 season, What's On spoke to her abouther plans for the year ahead and beyond.

“I feel an incredible good will and enthusi-asm from the orchestra and all of our sup-porters to go on this new journey together,”says Gražinytė-Tyla. “It's very impressive,and of course that enthusiasm inspires me togive the same back.”

Still in her 20s, Gražinytė-Tyla follows in thefootsteps of several former rising stars whohave developed names for themselves in therole. Seven years ago, her immediate prede-cessor took up the position aged 28, and hassince gone on to lead the Boston Symphonyand Leipzig Gewandhaus orchestras. Beforethat, a 30-year-old Sakari Oramo took thebaton from the now globally renowned SirSimon Rattle, who led the CBSO for 18 years,beginning at the age of 25. This willingnessto take a chance on relative newcomers islargely the result of an openness and recep-tiveness to fresh ideas which Gražinytė-Tylaidentifies as a distinguishing characteristicof the Birmingham orchestra.

“The spirit of the CBSO breathes opennessand freedom. It is incredible how democratictheir system of working is. The musicians arevery active, not only during rehearsals andconcerts in which they play a direct part, butalso in all the issues which affect the orches-tra. They participate in discussions on allsorts of decisions, and I think it's somethingthat's very special about the CBSO.”

The new director will begin her tenure withan inaugural concert at Symphony Hall on 26

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla on herfirst season with the CBSO

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August, conducting a small selection of verydifferent pieces by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, andthe contemporary Danish composer, HansAbrahamsen.

“At the very beginning of the concert will bethe overture of The Magic Flute.Mozart, along with Haydn and Beethoven, isabsolutely at the core of our Western classi-cal music tradition, and playing their musicis always a huge challenge because it is sosimple and so naked. Every single detail isexposed, which forces musicians to reallyconcentrate on the smallest things. Also, Ifelt that the humanist ideas expressed byMozart would make it a great, symbolicchoice to start with.

“On the other hand, new music has alwaysbeen a crucial part of the CBSO's profile, andis something I wanted to continue with. HansAbrahamsen's piece is incredibly poetic, andwe will be performing it with a wonderfulsinger, Barbara Hannigan, which is very ex-citing for all of us. Finally, I choseTchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony because Andrisdid a lot of Tchaikovsky with the orchestra,and I wanted to follow that focus while alsodoing something different to the pieces hechose.”

Over the coming season, Gražinytė-Tyla willbring two UK premieres to Birmingham, thefirst of which is the “atmospheric, explosive”Fires, written by a contemporary composerfrom her native Lithuania and set to be per-formed in Birmingham in mid-November.

“The composer, Raminta Šerkšyntė, wasoriginally commissioned to write a piece tobe played before Beethoven's 5th Symphonyby the Bavarian Symphony Orchestra. Atfirst, she had trouble, because it had neverbeen her style to use music or even intona-tions by other composers, and she almost re-fused the job, but eventually she createdFires, which became a kind of story of thebirth of the Destiny motif (the famous open-ing notes of Beethoven's 5th Symphony, often

credited with symbolic significance as a rep-resentation of Fate knocking at the door).The whole piece seems to be searching forthis motif and trying to arrive there, and I'mvery glad that we will be presenting this in-teresting composer to the British public.”

The second piece to be performed to UK audi-ences for the first time is an older, but morerecently ‘discovered’ piece from a ballet byMieczysław Weinberg, an under-appreciatedPolish-Jewish composer whose work waslargely ignored by the Soviet establishmentduring his lifetime.

“The suite from The Golden Key will start ourjourney into the work of Weinberg, who al-ready has a following in Britain. There is aBritish musicologist called David Fanningwho has been researching his life and is cur-rently working on a second book about him.Fanning says that once we've discoveredmore of Weinberg's work, there will be noquestion that he was at least the third mostimportant Soviet composer afterShostakovich and Prokofiev, and perhapseven more significant than that. There is stilla huge amount of his work left to discover -he wrote 22 symphonies, seven operas and 17string quartets among many other pieces.”

Unsurprisingly for the daughter of a choirconductor, Gražinytė-Tyla is also passionateabout conducting sung pieces, and amongthe things we can expect to see under herleadership is an increased emphasis onopera and choral music.

“We have quite a few ideas which we will bemainly looking at starting in 2017-18, the sea-son after this one, but for the coming seasonwe will be putting on Idomenio in concert,which, of all Mozart's operas, is the chorusopera. It has so many wonderful numbers forthe chorus and all the different characters, soit will be a huge pleasure to work on it withthe choir led by Simon Halsey.”

Elsewhere, she'll be looking to explore the

theme of ‘The Spirit of England’ through aneclectic programme of concerts and eventsshowcasing a huge diversity of perspectiveson the subject of Englishness - an interestingchoice for someone coming from outside thecountry.

“This sense of British and English spirit issomething I will be taking with me not onlyfor the coming season but across my wholejourney with the CBSO and my time in Birm-ingham. I see it as a wonderful opportunityto gain an inside insight. We are starting withTippet this season, but for later years I thinkit will be one of the most important tasks forme to discover more British music and com-posers.”

Even a cursory glance over the orchestra's2016-17 programme of events reveals plentyto look forward to, and Gražinytė-Tyla can'twait to fully immerse herself in the work ofthe orchestra here. For the time being,though, there are still a few loose ends to tieup: this dynamic young conductor is much indemand.

“There are many exciting projects I am look-ing forward to - I have my calendar markedwith concerts by Ed Gardner and MichaelSeal. But I have to say that during the comingseason, I will still be finishing my engage-ments in Salzburg and Los Angeles, so at themoment, I may not be able to attend every-thing I would really love to. However, once Ihave seen through my contracts to the end oftheir final year, I will be completely dedi-cated to CBSO with a full force, so I'm excitedabout experiencing more in future seasons.”

Mirga Gražinyte-Tyla's welcoming concertis at Symphony Hall on Friday 26 August.The CBSO's full 2016-17 seasonprogramme is now available to viewonline.


by Heather Kincaid

The spirit of the CBSO breathes openness and freedom. It

is incredible how diplomatic their system of working is. ”‘‘

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Festivals August.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 11:51 Page 1

For more festivals visit whatsonlive.co.uk 19

LakefestEastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire,Thurs 11 - Sun 14 August

Priding itself on putting family first andtreating its guests like royalty, Lakefest'sstory began five years ago with a giant ciderfestival at Croft Farm Waterpark. The musicside of things has since expanded massively,though it still retains its friendly, hippie,West Country vibe. This year, the festivalrelocates to Herefordshire's beautiful EastnorCastle with an impressive and varied line-up,ranging from popular indie bands to aneclectic mix of smaller acts. There'll also be aton of fun activities for the kids.

Line-up includes: 3 Daft Monkeys, PrimalScream, We Are Scientists, Molotov Jukebox,Cast, Starsailor, Afro Celt Soundsystem, BigCountry, The Coral, Newton Faulkner, Nahkoand Medicine for the People, Roving Crows,Granny's Attic

Sunshine FestivalFish Meadow, Upton-upon-Severn,Worcestershire, Fri 26 - Sun 28 August

Taking place during the August bank holidayweekend, this multi-stage, family-friendlyfestival brings big-name pop acts and retrofavourites together with family fun and fancydress. Tribute bands take to the SunflowerStage, alongside pop favourites, comedy actsand more on the Main and Variety Stages.Brand new for 2016 is the Little SunshineStage, hosting kids' disco and karaoke ses-sions. This year's optional costume themesare ‘glam rock’, ‘tribute’ and ‘tartan’, onFriday, Saturday and Sunday respectively.Full-on fun and silliness guaranteed.

Line-up includes: Nazareth, MUD, Hello, TheMagoos, Midge Ure, Fine Young Cannibals,Bad Manners, T'Pau, Black Lace, MariWilson, Bay City Rollers, Sister Sledge &Beverley Craven

Brecon Jazz WeekendVarious venues, Brecon Town Centre,Powys, Fri 12 - Sun 14 August

Celebrating 33 years in 2016, BreconJazz reinvents itself with a smaller-scale, more collaborative and commu-nity-led approach. Transforming pastdifficulties into a platform for positivechange, the festival re-emerges asstrong as ever with the proud supportof various local partners and organi-sations. Expect an exciting mix ofheadline performers and emergingacts, social and folk activities, andworkshops, with indoor and outdoorvenues hosting fantastic line-upscurated by the Brecon Jazz Club.There'll also be film screenings and aspecial exhibition on Women in Jazz.

Line-up includes: Teddy Smith BigBand, Tina May & Wales Latin JazzEnsemble, Brownfield Byrne Quintetwith Trish Clowes, Trefor OwenQuartet & Megan Thomas, GeoffEales, Smooth Celtic Jazz, AshleyJohn-Long & Friends and a film andexhibition on women in jazz

Festivals

West Midlands Showground, Shrewsbury,Fri 26 - Mon 29 August

A key date in any folk fan's calendar, this four-day festi-val takes place in the picturesque, historical town ofShrewsbury, where the West Midlands meets the Welshand North West borders - the perfect setting for a festivalfocused on unearthing music from a range of folk tradi-tions. Just don't be fooled into thinking it's all old-fash-ioned: as medieval instruments meet modern tastes andglobal grassroots cultures collide in dynamic fusionstyles, folk is fast becoming one of today’s most innova-tive musical genres. Conveniently coinciding with thebank holiday weekend, Shrewsbury Folk offers some-thing for all the family, with dancing, music workshopsand children's activities alongside the main acts. It's alsobeen known to broadcast performances live online, soeven those at home can join the fun.

Line-up includes: Eliza Carthy & the Wayward Band, TheLevellers, Show of Hands, Treacherous Orchestra, TheWilsons, Lady Maisery, Rosanne Cash & John Leventhal,The Will Pound Band, A Day's Work (a folk opera byMick Ryan) and Nick Lowe, Paul Carrack & AndyFairweather Low

Shrewsbury Folk Festival

Rosanne Cash

Molotov Jukebox Midge Ure


V FestivalWeston Park, Staffordshire,Sat 20 - Sun 21 August

Among the UK's best-known music events,Virgin's V Festival brings together world-class performers in two beautiful parks forone epic cross-country weekend. Born in1996 when Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker put

forward the idea of playing in two outdoorvenues over two days, V Festival is unique intaking place in two separate locations simul-taneously. Chart-topping acts of all genres,along with a host of comedy talent, take tostages in Staffordshire and Chelmsford, visit-ing one on Saturday and the other onSunday.

Line-up includes: Rihanna, Justin Bieber,David Guetta, Sia, Faithless, Kaiser Chiefs,Bastille, Little Mix, Jess Glynne, Jake Bugg,Years & Years, Rita Ora, Katy B, TinieTempah, James Morrison, Craig David's TS5,Travis, Tom Odell, Halsey, Sigma, All Saints,Lethal Bizzle, Rick Astley, Soul II Soul,Lightning Seeds, Corinne Bailey Ray, LauraMvula and Annie Mac.

Comedy line-up includes: Bill Bailey, AdamHills, Josh Widdicombe, Sara Pascoe andKatherine Ryan

The Green Man FestivalGlanusk Park, Powys, Wales,Thurs 18 - Sun 21 August

Now in its 14th year, Wales' largest musicand arts festival has established a strong rep-utation for its ethical, independent businessmodel and quality line-ups. Over the years,Green Man has picked up a whole host ofaccolades, including an OutstandingAchievement Award for its director, FionaStewart. Dubbed one of Britain's top 50coolest brands in 2013/14, Green Man shinesa spotlight on folk, world, indie, electronicand psychedelic music, lending it a hippievibe in keeping with its folkloric name. Inaddition to the main music line-up, there'salso literature, film, comedy, theatre,ceilidhs, all-night bonfires and secret gigs,all surrounded by the breathtaking beauty ofthe Brecon Beacons.

Music Line-up Includes: Belle & Sebastian,James Blake, Laura Marling, Wild Beasts,Grandaddy, Warpaint, Lush, White Denim,Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros,Tindersticks, Battles, The Unthanks, Cate LeBon and Charlotte Church's Late Night PopDungeon

Comedy Line-up includes: The HorneSection, John Shuttleworth, Ivo Graham,David Trent, Rob Deering and Angela Barnes

Films include: A Bigger Splash, High-Rise,Inside Out, Fantastic Planet, Janis: Little GirlBlue, Metropolis (with live piano score fromDmytro Morykit), Where You're Meant To Be(+ Aidan Moffat solo show), Green Room,Expresso Bongo and The Man Who Fell ToEarth

Pershore Jazz FestivalPershore College, Avonbank, Pershore,Worcestershire, Fri 19 - Sun 21 August

Evolving from humble beginnings to gainrenown across the UK jazz scene, PershoreCollege's annual jazz festival showcases for-midable musical talent on local, nationaland even international levels. Though theClub tends to err on the side of the tradition-al, young musicians and audiences areencouraged to come along and share freshideas about the future of jazz. A friendly, not-for-profit event run by a passionate and dedi-cated team.

Line-up includes: The Festival Orchestra (dir.Keith Nichols), Richard Leach's 7 Stars ofJazz, Ivory & Gold, JB Jazz & Blues, JeffBarnhart's Tribute to Fats Waller, AndyLegget & Chris Pearce's Sopranos,Magnificent 7, Remi Harris Trio with AlanBarnes, TJ Johnson Band and the WorcesterYouth Jazz Orchestra

BeermageddonStoke Prior Country Club, Bromsgrove,Worcestershire, Fri 26 - Sun 28 August

Billed as the best-kept secret in British metal,Beermageddon returns after four successivesold-out years to showcase the rising stars ofthe UK's alternative music scene. The musicmight be hard and heavy, but the set-up iscomfortable and civilised, with indoor stagesand facilities, hot food, affordable beers andfree entry for under-14s with any payingadult.

Line-up includes: Gehtika, Def-Con-One,Annihilated, Eradikator, Kambrium, Solitary,Garganjua, Demons of Old Metal, Cambion,Old Corpse Road, Outright Resistance andThe Dead XIII


Festivals

Justin BieberRihanna

Katherine Ryan

Belle & Sebastian


CreamfieldsDaresbury Estate, Halton, Cheshire,Thurs 25 - Sun 28 August

A hedonistic four-day dance party packedfull of cutting-edge live acts and world-classDJs, Creamfields lets loose the relentless

energy of Cream's Liverpool club nights onthe wide open space of Halton's DaresburyEstate. Originally held at Winchester'sMatterley Bowl, Creamfields has gone on tobecome a huge, international phenomenon,spawning events in multiple countriesaround the world. Made for the trailblazers,

ravers, experimenters and anyone lookingfor music to move to, this 12-stage event haspreviously earned the title of the UK's bestdance festival.

Music line-up includes: Chase & Status,Calvin Harris, Annie Mac, Fatboy Slim,Groove Armada, Eric Prydz, Pete Tong,Gorgon City, Above & Beyond, AVICII, AndyC, Wilkinson, Alesso, Knife Party, RobinSchulz, Kurupt FM, DJ EZ, Mistajam, CharlieSloth, Axwell & Ingrosso and DVBBS

Towersey FestivalThame, Oxfordshire, Fri 26 - Mon 29 August

Billed as the original independent festival,Towersey began as a single-day village eventin 1965. Folk music and folk movements goright to its roots: in the ’60s, the village cametogether to purchase a field from a family ofwealthy landowners nearby, raising funds todrain, plough and reseed the area. Today,Towersey has built a reputation as a majorfolk festival, attracting some of the biggestnames in the genre. In honour of its origins,part of the profits are paid back into main-taining the village and its facilities, and partdonated to local charities. This year's eventfeatures multiple Radio Two Folk Award win-ners, as well as some well-known indie acts.

Line-up includes: Billy Bragg, Kate Rusby,Midge Ure, The Wonder Stuff, UkuleleOrchestra of Great Britain, Edward the

Second, Nell Bryden, Nizlopi, Andy Kershaw,9Bach, Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker,Lynched, Nancy Kerr & James Fagan, TheYoung'uns and Brighde Chaimbeul

The Big FeastivalKingham, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire,Fri 26 - Sun 28 August

Taking place on the idyllic Cotswold farmowned by Blur's Alex James, The BigFeastival gets its name from its focus com-bining great food with great music. Co-runby Jamie Oliver, the festival boasts an entic-ing array of feasts and banquets, cookingand healthy-eating workshops, deliciousstreet food, market stalls, boutique bars, a‘cheese hub’, hands-on kids' activities anddemonstrations, and Q&A sessions from sev-eral world-class chefs. In addition to big-name music acts, the entertainment alsoincludes performances from kids’ TV starsJustin Fletcher and Dick ’n’ Dom, a ‘familyOlympics’, vintage funfair, farm park, a‘lifestyle village’ and a range of fitness class-es in the Action Station. This is dinner and ashow like you've never experienced before!

Line-up includes: Mark Ronson, TinieTempah, Kaiser Chiefs, Roisin Murphy, EllaHenderson, Foxes, DJ Fresh, Reef, TheProclaimers, Stereo MCs, Reverend & theMakers, DJ Yoda, Norman Jay, Roland Gift (of

Fine Young Cannibals) and Toots & theMaytals.

Chefs include: Jamie Oliver, Tom Kerridge,Raymond Blanc, Thomasina Miers, GizziErskine, Nadiya Hussain, Cyrus Todiwala,Nathan Outlaw, Olia Hercules, GennaroContaldo, Ashley Palmer-Watts, NeilBorthwick, DJ BBQ, Fabulous Baker Brothersand The Skinny Jean Gardeners.


Festivals

Annie Mac

Roisin Murphy

Jamie Oliver

The Young’uns

Chase & Status


INTERVIEW


by Lauren Foster

Your third and most recent album, TheHeart Speaks In Whispers, is your firstcollection of new material for six years.Why have we had to wait so long?

It was a really long process because I wasproducing it myself. I really wanted to getthe songs right, and I built a studio myselfin Leeds too, and that took a long time. I re-ally wanted to work somewhere where Icould be independent and do it whenever Ifelt like it; that was really important. I wasjust making the right conditions.

How does the album differ from yourprevious two?

It’s different because it’s quite an experi-mental record; it’s really joyous. I was usingquite a lot of subconscious ideas - it all justcame to me in a really natural way. I wouldsit and play my guitar and see what hap-pened. I made a lot of it in my studio inLeeds, but then we went over to CapitalRecords in LA. It was really amazing to workwith some of my heroes, like James Gadson -who used to play with Bill Withers and Mar-vin Gaye - and Pino Palladino, who playedwith D’Angelo. There were lots of musiciansaround that scene who I really wanted tohook up with, but I also wanted to meet newpeople like Moses Sumney and Thundercat.There’s a really amazing scene in LA; it’skind of underground, electronic, soul, hip-

hop. Kendrick Lamar and all his crew, Ka-masi Washington, Flying Lotus - they’re allout of that particular part of LA, so it was re-ally nice to be there. We went over there forseven weeks and ended up staying for sevenmonths, just because it was so productiveand creative and so much fun.

Can you see yourself moving to LApermanently?

I really like moving around quite a lot. I feellike being a nomad, you know? I’ve recentlyfound out what ‘nomad’ actually means,and it doesn’t mean just wandering fromplace to place aimlessly. It means you visitknown homes. I feel like we have a fewknown places we can go to where we feel re-ally at home. I love being at home in the UK,but I also loved spending time in LA, I lovespending time in New York, I love being inJamaica - and I’m very happy to keep on acircuit around those places. Thankfully,through touring, you end up doing exactlythat.

You’ve just finished supporting LionelRichie on his All The Hits UK tour. Howwas that experience for you?

It was amazing. The main thing for me wasplaying in these huge venues that I’ve neverplayed in before, like the O2 Arena and

Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena. We alsoplayed at the Eden Project down in Cornwalland lots of rugby stadiums. It was amazingto play outdoors and indoors in these hugeplaces and really feel like you have to tryand capture the room. It was a really goodtrial for me because everyone’s there to seeLionel Richie, but it was great because Ithink his audience were open to whateverwas going to happen. I signed my record inthe break and there would always be 100people waiting to have their copy of thealbum signed - that was always really amaz-ing and I really enjoyed that experience.Also, hanging out with Lionel - he’s a reallyfun person, a really fun character with a lotof great stories.

Your first headline show for over fiveyears sold out in less than 60 minutes.Were you expecting such a great re-sponse?

No, I wasn’t actually. It was amazing. I thinkthe New York show went in 10 minutes andeverything else went really fast. We deliber-ately did an intimate tour of the US whenthe album first came out, and that was so re-warding for me. People would stay after theshow to say hi. At one of the gigs, I think theentire audience stayed. There were a lot ofreally young people who’d liked me in 2006when they were seven or something and

CORINNE BAILEY RAELauren Foster chats to the Grammy Award-winning singer songwriter ahead of her performance at this month’s V Festival

Corinne Bailey Rae DPS MM.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 16:25 Page 1

their mum had got them into me. They usedto listen to me on the way to school and stuff.I really loved that tour.

If you could collaborate with anyone inthe industry - dead or alive - who would itbe?

The people who’ve gone before. I really likePrince and got to spend a good bit of timewith him when we were touring. He was a re-ally good supporter. We met up in Abu Dhabiand went back to his hotel room and hungout for hours, ending up having breakfastthere the next morning. That was a reallynice time with him. I love Marvin Gaye too; Ithink he’s got an incredible voice. I would’veloved to have done some work with him. I’vebeen really lucky, though. I got to performwith Al Green on a record, and I was on aHerbie Hancock record doing a Joni Mitchellsong. I feel like I’ve been really lucky to haveworked with some of my heroes. I performedwith Paul McCartney at an event at the WhiteHouse, did a tribute to him and it gotrecorded. And we did a tribute to FatsDomino when we were in New Orleans. So Ifeel really lucky that music has brought meface-to-face with so many of the people I’veadmired for a long time.

You’re playing V Festival this month. Doyou prefer playing to audiences of thatsize or doing smaller, more intimateshows?

I like them all, I really like them all. I love in-timate shows, where it’s 500 people and youcan see everyone. You feel like you’re all in ittogether. Someone can shout out a song andit can totally change the environment,change the feeling of the place. I also likeplaying at festivals. We played Glastonbury,and it’s amazing when it’s going well. Yousee more and more people arriving where themusic is. Hopefully V Festival will be the

same. I quite like playing a festival becauseyou feel like you’ve got something to prove.People might be wandering past who don’tnecessarily know who they’re listening to,and you get a chance to show those peoplewhat you’re about, which is always a reallygood thing.

Has singing been a passion from a youngage?

I always loved singing but I never felt I couldsing. I was brought up in a school where themusic education was really quite conserva-tive. It was all about singing Andrew LloydWebber songs. It had the type of choir whereeveryone has an angelic voice. I never felt myvoice fitted into that. I’d always felt that I hadmore texture to my voice, and I felt like Icouldn’t sing really high like that. Two thingsopened me up to the idea that there are lotsof different types of voice. One was gettinginto Billy Holiday, the other was hearing KurtCobain sing. That’s what got me into believ-ing in my own voice.

Who were your musical influences grow-ing up?

I loved Nirvana, Radiohead, Bjork, ErykahBadu, Portishead - they were really big influ-ences on me. I guess it was that early ’90smusic which I felt was really independent -stuff like Tori Amos and PJ Harvey. The alter-native became the mainstream. It was a re-ally exciting time because it meant peoplewho were kids who weren’t just cool and oncool blogs and whatever would be exposedto this unusual music. That was a reallygood time to grow up.

You formed indie group Helen before youbegan working on solo material. Wasthere any reason why you decided tosteer towards a soulful sound?

It’s funny because Helen was always anindie, noisy band but also had really soulfulsongs. I wrote Like A Star when I was inHelen and we used to play that song. I likedRadiohead and Portishead, and I likeddreamy, soulful music but also aggressivedrums. So we always tried to match thosetwo things. I guess I got more into soulmusic when I started working in a jazz clubwhile I was at university. I loved hearingthat kind of harmony and finding that sub-tlety. I guess to cut through loud electric gui-tars I’d always had this shouty, loud kind ofstyle, but it was nice to be able to sing qui-etly and more conversationally. We wererecording in a basement underneath an artshop, so I couldn’t have a whole band pile inthere. So I guess that’s why it turned outmore mellow, because a lot of the time itwould be just me and my guitar.

And finally, what does the future hold forCorinne Bailey Rae?

I really want to write some music for film, domore writing for TV, do more records andguest on people’s songs. I’ve been sent quitea few things since the record came out. It’snice when people who have a completelydifferent style like my voice or whatever.That’s been a good thing in the past fewweeks - just thinking about which of thoseprojects I’m going to do. I’d love to be in afilm doing some singing - that would beamazing - and I’d like to write more stuff.I’m going to be touring for the next 12months - South East Asia, Europe, LatinAmerica. I’m really looking forward to that.

Corinne Bailey Rae plays V Festival atWeston Park, Staffordshire on Saturday20 August and brings her headline tourto the O2 Institute, Birmingham, on Friday 4 November.


‘‘

”

I feel really lucky that mymusic has brought meface-to-face with so manypeople I’ve admired for along time.

Corinne Bailey Rae DPS MM.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 16:25 Page 2


Josh WiddicombeRoses Theatre, Tewkesbury, Fri 5 August;Palace Theatre, Redditch, Thurs 23 August;Evesham Arts Centre, Fri 26 August

Peddling a nice line in exasperated, self-dep-recating humour when performing live,Devon-born funnyman Josh Widdicombe fan-cies himself the Speedy Gonzales of the com-edy circuit, pumping out well-crafted gags atthe kind of pace you'd maybe expect from aman who's worried he might miss the lastbus home. He’s become an extremely famil-iar face thanks to TV shows like Mock TheWeek and looks set to score a significant hitwith comedy-loving audiences for many ayear to come.Josh visits the Midlands this month as part ofthe second leg of a national tour.

JarredChristmasHenry Tudor House,Shrewsbury,Wed 17 August; TheGlee Club, Birmingham,Thurs 18 - Sat 20August

Kiwi comedian JarredChristmas is delighted with the warm recep-tion he receives from UK audiences. “I thinkit’s the charming and ‘sixy’ New Zealandaccent that does it,” he jokes. “I think Britsare also great at laughing at themselves, sodon’t mind Johnny Foreigner making jokesabout British stuff. In fact, they seem to loveit.” Jarred is joined for this Shrewsbury gigby fellow funnyman Andrew Bird. Residenthost Mark Olver comperes - and as a com-pere himself, Jarred has some hard-hittingviews about the business of being an MC. “Alot of comperes just don’t get it,” heobserves. “They seem to forget that, alongwith keeping the show moving and warmingup the audience, they still have to be funny.If they’re not funny, then they should get the**** off the stage.” Best gags at the ready, then, Mr Olver...

Dana AlexanderThe Comedy Loft, Birmingham,Fri 5 - Sat 6 August

Tomboy comedian Dana Alexander was oncebilled as the only black female comic on theCanadian comedy circuit. Now she’s here inthe UK, peddling an outspoken, irreverentand ballsy style of humour that’s ofteninspired by her diverse lifestyle, her gayfriends and her crazy Jamaican family. When it comes to the delivery of material notdirectly connected to Dana’s own life, how-ever, there’s plenty of room for improvement,both in terms of the content and her style ofpresentation. If she can work out how betterto engage with this more general subjectmatter, there’s every chance she could quick-ly become one of the UK comedy scene’smost cutting-edge performers.

Three of the best...

Comedy

Sarah Millican:Outsider Symphony Hall, Birmingham,Mon 29 - Tues 30 August

One of the brightest comediansaround, Sarah Millican enjoyeda sell-out success with her veryfirst tour, with bums on allavailable seats on no fewer than120 laughter-filled nights. Italmost goes without saying thatshe’s not looked back since.She returns to the Midlandswith touring show Outside, inwhich she focuses on her recentswitch from town to country liv-ing. Out on the road since lastyear and the recipient of plentyof positive reviews, the show isawash with Millican’s trademarksmut and flatulence gags, ensur-ing her long-term admirers getexactly the sort of eveningthey’ve come to expect from her.

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For more comedy listings visit whatsonlive.co.uk 27

KerryGodlimanYou may remember comedian andactress Kerry Godliman from such TVshows as Ricky Gervais’ Derek (where sheplayed ultra-caring care worker Hannah),Miranda, Our Girl and Extras. She’s alsohad her own Radio Four show, Kerry’sList. Like a breath of fresh, post-summer air,Kerry will be bringing her rapier wit toOctober’s BIrmingham Comedy Festival.What’s On caught up with her as she pre-pared to head out on tour...

Kerry Godliman’s new touring show, Stick OrTwist, zeroes in on why people take certaindecisions and make particular choices -especially when it comes to that potentiallylife-transforming (or ruining) moment whenthey start to think about moving house, cityor country.

“I was prompted by whether I should moveout of London with my family,” explainsKerry, “but it opens up beyond that to whypeople live where they live: some peoplechoose it, others are forced to stay wherethey are or forced to move. Whether I’mhappy where I live is the 64 million dollarquestion.”

As Kerry acknowledges, this is an age wherewe’re constantly being encouraged to con-sider alternatives to everything, but nowhereis this more prevalent than with regard todecisions about where we permanently layour hats and put down our roots.“Generations ago, people were born some-where and lived there and died there,whereas now, people go on Rightmove on adaily basis to find out what they can get fortheir house. It just seems as though we’re 24-hour consumers considering alternativelifestyles all the time.”

While Kerry began work on her show aroundthis central theme, she soon found herselfwandering into some familiar areas of con-cern. “It was originally about consideringmoving and then questioning why and howwhere you live influences all other parts ofyour life, such as your friendships and par-enting choices. But it then seemed to openout into things that I’ve covered before.

When you do a few shows, you do noticethat you revisit things. Parenting is an ongo-ing subject, where you look back on your

baby jokes with nostalgia. As they grow up,your material also changes with them.”

And so in Stick Or Twist, Kerry will reflecton why she’s kept her own children’s babyteeth in a box. “I didn’t keep them on pur-pose, I just did the tooth fairy thing andthrew them in a box which I then stumbledupon recently and thought, ‘What am Igoing to do with that?’ I mean, they’re justteeth at the bottom of a box, which is a littlebit macabre and sort of voodoo. They’requite pristine. They haven’t gone rotten,which I think is a measure of my good par-enting. That routine is about sentimentalityand about why we keep every memento oftheir childhood, their hair and every birth-day card they’ve been given, and take mil-lions of photos of them. But to what end?”

Friendship is still an area which Kerrybelieves provides a great source of material,particularly the ever-evolving (and occasion-ally warped) nature of companionship inthis technologically centred age. “That’s allchanged because of social media, and theway we conduct our friendships has becomequite administrative. I do Twitter but I’vehad to step away from Facebook. People justknow everything about everyone else nowand it’s killed conversation. We can’t doexposition anymore. You can have a debatewith someone about spurious facts and thensomebody will google it and you suddenlyhave actual knowledge, Can’t we just mean-der around with half-knowledge?”

Part of Kerry’s stage persona is to be con-stantly bewildered at the stuff life throws ather. It turns out that in the real world, she’sjust as perplexed. For now, she’s shocked bypolitics and the rise of divisive figures like

Donald Trump (“it’s like they’ve gotYosemite Sam to lead the RepublicanParty”); she’s confused about the TV showsthat get made over others which only reachpilot episode stage (she’s been there); andshe’s also quite befuddled by the modernteaching methods that enter her home nowthat she has school-age offspring: “I’mbewildered about my children’s homework.Phonics bewilders me, but that’s how theydo it. My husband went to a phonics work-shop the other day and that was bewilder-ing.”

Bewildered or not, 2016 is proving to be abig year for Kerry. As well as taking a stand-up show across the country (her second fullUK tour, after 2014’s Face Time), her exten-sive acting CV is set be enhanced with amajor role in Mascots, the new mockumen-tary film by Christopher Guest (This IsSpinal Tap, Best In Show) which is sched-uled to appear on Netflix.

“I do love acting and going to work with dif-ferent people and playing in an ensembleset-up, where you don’t have to worry aboutthe lines because someone else has writtenthem. But when I go back to stand-up, it’ssuch a creative opportunity to say all thestuff I want to say about things like politicsand parenting. And that’s amazing - therearen’t many jobs where you can just sayexactly what you like.”

Kerry Godliman plays Artrix, Bromsgroveon Sat 8 October and The Glee Club,Birmingham (as part of the ComedyFestival) on Fri 14 October.

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Mamma Mia!Birmingham Hippodrome,until Sat 3 September

This legendary show is of course a nicelycontrived vehicle for the chart-toppingmusic of 1970s Super Troupers Abba. TheSwedish Fab Four scored mega-hit aftermega-hit with catchy numbers likeWaterloo, Dancing Queen, The Name OfThe Game, The Winner Takes It All andTake A Chance On Me - all of which arepresent and correct in this blockbusteroffering.Abba boys Benny Andersson and BjörnUlvaeus were both involved in the devel-opment of the show, while Anni-FridLyngstad - she’s the dark one - con-tributed in a financial capacity.A 2008 movie version received a thumbsup from many if not most of MammaMia!’s adoring fans - despite former JamesBond star Pierce Brosnan having beengiven, rather unwisely, a Licence to Sing...

The Glenn Miller Story New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham,Tues 23 - Sat 27 August

Ever-popular song-and-dance man TommySteele takes top billing in this homage to leg-endary band leader Glenn Miller.Featuring classic numbers such as In TheMood, Chattanooga Choo Choo, MoonlightSerenade and Tuxedo Junction, the showexplores Miller’s extraordinary life andcareer - from his two-decades’-long effort tocreate a unique sound, through to his disap-pearance in mysterious circumstances overthe English Channel in December 1944.

Urinetown The MusicalOld Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham,until Sat 6 August

Social and political satire Urinetown is set ina fictional future where water is scarce. Withthe government having imposed a ban on allprivate toilets in order to control water con-sumption, spending a penny proves to besomewhat problematic...

The Old Joint Stock Theatre Company are thetalented ensemble behind this latest versionof the, er, flushed-with-success West Endmusical, which made its debut off Broadwayin 2001.

Sonia Sabri Company:Salaam Artrix, Bromsgrove, Fri 5 August

A double bill celebrating ‘harmony, inner-stillness and the simple bliss of being alive’,Salaam (meaning ‘peace’) is the latest workfrom British-born dancer-choreographerSonia Sabri and her dynamic ensemble.Sonia describes Salaam as “a response tounrest around the world that aims to refocuson and reminisce about all that is good”.Over the years, her highly rated company hasestablished an international reputation forits presentation of Kathak dance in a con-temporary context.

MavERICk New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme,Tues 30 August - Sat 10 September

New Vic favourite Eric Smith here makes awelcome return to the stage, saddling up hishorse and heading for the Wild West town ofDead End Gulch. Set in the 1860s and featur-ing music from the 1960s, the show is beingpublicised as ‘the best night out you’ll havethis summer’ - and there are plenty of dedi-cated Eric fans who’ll be only too happy tolend their support to that claim. So howabout moseying on over to the New Vic an’findin’ out fer yerself, pardner...

Murder On TheChurchill Express Lichfield Garrick, Fri 26 - Sat 27 August

All aboard for any theatre lovers who enjoyan immersive, interactive experience... A classic whodunnit story is here combinedwith plenty of ‘fun and laughter’ as eccentricAustrian inventor Professor Kildorf is shotwhile awaiting the departure of his train. Thequestion is, who perpetrated this mostheinous of crimes? The professor’s brainboxassistant, Heidi Heibrau, is one possible sus-pect - but then so is the RAF wing command-er with the peculiar limp and the bushymoustache...

28 For more theatre previews visit whatsonlive.co.uk

Theatre previews from around the regionTheatre

Theatre August New.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 12:06 Page 1


Theatre

King LearRoyal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Sat 20 August - Sat 15 October

Greed, betrayal, cruelty and lust for powercombine to make King Lear one of the mostdeeply moving and violent of Shakespeare'stragedies. Lear is an elderly monarch whodecides to divide his kingdom between histhree daughters - as long as each of them firstdeclares their love for him. But when the loyalCordelia fails to satisfy his demand - sayingonly that she has no words to describe howmuch she loves her father - Lear disowns her.In so doing, he sets in motion a train of eventsthat will lead to tragic consequences for allconcerned... Sir Antony Sher makes a welcome return toStratford to take the title role. The RSC’s artisticdirector, Gregory Doran, is the man at thehelm.

Much Ado About NothingArtrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 6 August

Much Ado AboutNothing revolvesaround the stum-bling romancebetween Benedickand Beatrice.Their liaison isstrewn with diffi-culties - not least among which is an unwill-ingness on the part of either to admit a likingfor the other...Not that the plot of Much Ado is likely to beoverly important in this particular produc-tion, given that it’s zany funsters MadcapTheatre who’re at the helm! Expect plenty ofmayhem and laughter from this Bromsgrove-based ensemble.

Loserville: A New MusicalStafford Gatehouse Theatre,Wed 10 - Sat 13 August

Co-written by Busted and Son Of Dork starJames Bourne, first performed in 2009 andset in 1971, Loserville tells the story of com-puter geek Michael Dork and his science fic-tion-obsessed friends and social misfitsLucas, Francis and Marvin. Between the fourof them, they’ve hatched a plan to changethe course of history, fashion and dating -particularly the dating...This new version of Loserville is the productof this year’s Stafford Gatehouse summerschool. It’s being presented by young per-formers between the ages of seven and 21.

Fast WomanSwan Theatre, Worcester, Sat 13 August

Nude photographic model, dancer at theCasino de Paris, enthusiastic downhill skierand convention-busting Grand Prix motorracing driver - Helle Nice was no ordinarywoman. Roaring her way through theRoaring 20s, Helle lived life in the fast lane,augmenting her aforementioned activitieswith numerous other daredevil undertak-ings, including high-wire acts, mountaineer-ing and speed-record attempts.Sandra Hunt is joined for this celebration ofa truly remarkable 20th century woman byFine Time Fontayne, who accompanies onacoustic guitar to evoke a sense of Francebetween the wars.

JoanneThe Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon,Thurs 11 - Fri 12 August

Clean Break, the company behind this hour-long collection of monologues, have spentthe last 37 years working with women inprison and exploring issues connected tocrime and justice...One of the company’s two current produc-tions, Joanne debuted to critical acclaim lastyear. The title character is absent from pro-ceedings. The five monologues, written byfive writers, are given by female characterswho’ve had a brief involvement with Joanne.In so doing, they’ve profoundly shaped thevulnerable young woman’s destiny... OlivierAward-nominated Tanya Moodie stars in thisthought-provoking one-woman show.

Theatre previews from around the region

Present LaughterMalvern Theatre, Mon 15 - Sat 20 August

Womaniser, idol and suavely sophisti-cated theatrical Gary Essendine lives ina world of hopeful actors, star-struckteenagers and adoring fans. His anticsand casual love affairs require the mostdelicate handling by his manager andsecretary - and although he pretends tobe harassed to the brink of a nervousbreakdown, he secretly welcomes theadulation...RSC actor Samuel West stars alongsideDownton Abbey’s Phyllis Logan in thisstylish Noel Coward offering, directedby Stephen Unwin.


Theatre


Big Wooden Horsemac, Birmingham, Sun 21 August

Having created a whole world of whackyinventions and incredible monsters, younginventor Monty doesn’t know what to do withthem all...The creators of Aliens Love Underpants makea welcome return with this brand new and‘monster-ously good show’, which comescomplete with original music and plenty ofaudience participation.

The Smartest GiantIn TownBiddulph Grange Garden, Staffordshire, Sat 6August; Martineau Gardens, Birmingham, Wed10 August; Bishops Wood Garden Centre,Thurs 11 August; Wightwick Manor,Wolverhampton, Sat 13 August

The wise old owls at Folksy Theatre know asmart move when they come across one -and presenting a stage adaptation of a JuliaDonaldson book is just about as clever as atheatre company can be when it comes toattracting a young audience.Donaldson’s Smartest Giant, George, decideshis scruffy days are a thing of the past andbuys himself some oversized clothes. Butwhen he encounters various animals need-ing his assistance - and, more particularly,his newly purchased items of clothing -George soon realises that it isn’t clothes thatmaketh the giant but rather a gargantuansense of generosity and a colossal warmheart...

Peter Pan In ScarletNew Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme,until Sat 6 August

Second star to the right and straight on tillmorning, that's the way to Neverland. ButWendy and the Lost Boys could certainly beforgiven if they’d forgotten how to reach themagical island, given that it’s been 20 longyears since their adventures with the boywho wouldn't grow up. When they suddenlyfind their dreams being infiltrated by visionsof pirates, mermaids, fairies and crocodiles,they realise that something is terribly wrongand that Peter Pan is in urgent need of theirhelp...This official sequel to JM Barrie’s classicstory was written by three-time WhitbreadChildren’s Book Award winner GeraldineMcCaughrean. It’s been adapted for the stageby the New Vic’s Theresa Heskins.

RatburgerShugborough Historic Working Estate,Staffordshire, Thurs 11 August; St John’sHouse Museum, Warwick, Tues 16 August

Although Heartbreak Productions are per-haps best known for their outdoor presenta-tions of Shakespeare plays, the company alsotours a selection of other stage works, one ofwhich is this brand new adaptation of DavidWalliams’ 2012 bestseller. Heartbreak haveimpressive form when it comes to Walliams’work, having last year presented a criticallyacclaimed, under-the-stars version of hismassively popular Mr Stink - so it’s fair toassume this latest offering will also be of the very highest quality. For those unfamiliarwith the story, it follows the adventures of a12-year-old girl named Zoe as she attempts tokeep both herself and her pet rat safe fromthe ever-menacing Burt of Burt’s Burgers. The show is suitable for children aged sevenand older.

LazyTown LiveThe Core, Solihull, Fri 5 August; RegentTheatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 6 - Mon 8 August

This brand new show looks sure to be amajor hit with its young audience, blendinglaugh-out-loud fun and plenty of singalongsongs with not a little dancing in the aisles.When the pink-haired Stephanie arrives inLazyTown, it isn’t long before she meets theworld’s laziest super-villain, Robbie Rotten,and slightly-above-average hero Sportacus,who somehow always manages to save theday...

Hairy Maclary & FriendsArtrix, Bromsgrove, Thurs 4 August

Music and singing lie at the heart of this feel-good show that’s based around the famouscharacter of Hairy Maclary from Donaldson'sDairy. It features numerous much-loved char-acters from the Hairy Maclary universe,including Hercules Morse, as big as a horse;Bottomley Potts, covered in spots; Schnitzelvon Krumm, with the very low tum; andScarface Claw, the toughest tomcat in town.Nonsense Room Productions are the ensem-ble behind this highly recommended presen-tation.

for younger audiences...

For full theatre listings, visit whatsonlive.co.uk

Big Wooden Horse Peter Pan In Scarlet LazyTown Live



Tickets to the ShrewsburyFlower Show + Meet the Artists

Closes Friday 5 August

Family day ticket toSolihull Summer Fest

Closes Wednesday 17 August

Tickets to The Two NobleKinsmen

Closes Wednesday 10 August

Tickets to Sister Act

Closes Friday 2 September

Tickets to Prison Escape atThe Dana Prison, Shrewsbury

Closes Friday 19 August

Tickets to The Three Degrees atThe Old Rep

Closes Monday 12 September

Tickets to That'll Be The Day!


Tickets to Summer NightsFilm Festival

Closes Thursday 1 September

Tickets to Jimmy Osmondand his band


Tickets to Bowie Experience

Closes Wednesday 7 September

Tickets to Daniel Koek‘My West End Story'

Closes Friday 2 September

Tickets to The ShawshankRedemption


To enter all competitions go to whatsonlive.co.uk

To enter all competitions go to whatsonlive.co.ukalso follow us on Twitter for more great competitions

Win!

Film August - GROUP.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 16:23 Page 1

Suicide Squad CERT 15 (123 mins)Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, JoelKinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, JayHernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, IkeBarinholtz, Scott Eastwood, Cara Delevingne, BenAffleck, CommonDirected by David Ayer (USA)

Comic-book fans have been waiting way too longfor this. But here it is, with Will Smith heading anall-star cast as the masterful marksman Deadshot.For those in the not-know, this is the third instal-ment in the so-called DC Extended Universe inwhich superheroes of various stripes share the bigscreen. Viewers will be familiar with The Joker,here played by the rock star and Oscar-winningactor Jared Leto, and with Batman, courtesy of BenAffleck. They’re all actually more anti-heroic thansuperheroes and have been granted clemencyshould they muster their awesome black-op abili-ties to combat an unknown menace threateningthe very future of the planet. We’re particularlylooking forward to Margot Robbie’s psychoticHarley Quinn, a funny-sexy-terrifying combo. Shepreviously starred opposite Will Smith in lastyear’s crime romance Focus. In 3D.

Released Fri 5 August

Mike And Dave NeedWedding Dates CERT 15 (98 mins)Starring Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, AdamDeVine, Aubrey Plaza, Stephen Root Directedby Jake Szymanski (USA)

Zac Efron continues the backlash against hisformerly squeaky-clean persona, this timeplaying the outrageous Dave Strangle, whohas a habit of destroying family get-togeth-ers. However, when his sister is to be marriedin Hawaii, their parents insist that he and hisbrother Mike (DeVine) find appropriate datesfor the occasion. So they advertise them-selves on television…

Released Wed 10 August

Pete’s DragonCERT tbc (100 mins)Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley,Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Robert RedfordDirected by David Lowery (USA/New Zealand)

You can’t keep a good dragon down. Aremake of Disney’s very own film of thesame name of 1977, this is the tale of a younglad with a dragon for a pet. This time,though, there will be no musical numbers. In3D.


Film highlights released in August...

Nerve CERT 15 (96 mins)Starring Emma Roberts, Dave Franco,Juliette Lewis, Emily Meade Directed byHenry Joost and Ariel Schulman (USA)

Nerve is what you need to play theInternet game of the same name, a sortof ‘truth or dare’ without the truth. Thefilm suggests that the world is dividedbetween ‘watchers’ and ‘players’ andbaits the gullible with financialrewards. But once you start to play… A clean cinematic leap from last year’sUnfriended to David Fincher’s TheGame (1997), Nerve is a slick, kineticexploration of the dangers of andaddiction to the World Wide Web. Hangon to your mobiles.

Released Thurs 11 August

CRITIC’S CHOICE

Film



Film


Up For Love CERT 12a (98 mins)Starring Jean Dujardin, Virginie Efira,Cédric Kahn Directed by Laurent Tirard(France/Belgium)

Following a flaming row with her ex,Diane Duchêne (Efira) leaves her phonebehind at a restaurant. Not long after-wards a stranger rings her at her apart-ment and, with a bit of coaxing, per-suades her to meet for lunch the follow-ing day. Not knowing what to expect,Diane is more surprised than she couldhave imagined: the man who rescued herphone (Dujardin) is suave, charming,funny, handsome and fabulouslywealthy. And 4’7”… The French have ahabit of producing delightful romantic

comedies with a twist, which more oftenthan not end up being remade byHollywood. The difference here is thatLaurent Tirard’s effortlessly Gallic andengaging comedy is a remake of a 2013Argentine film. Although technically aromcom, Up For Love is more than justtouching and funny, although it is cer-tainly both those things. Ultimately,though, it is about prejudice, in whateverform it occurs, and in spite of his enor-mous success, Dujardin’s Alexandre doeshave his shortcomings - but only becauseof the preconceptions of other people.It’s a small film, but an enchanting, wittyand poignant one.


Wiener-Dog CERT tbc (90 mins)Starring Ellen Burstyn, Kieran Culkin, JulieDelpy, Danny DeVito, Greta Gerwig, TracyLetts Directed by Todd Solondz (USA)

Taking the template of François Girard’sremarkable film The Red Violin (1998) - inwhich a violin passed through innumerablehands explored the diversity of mankind -Todd Solondz has replaced the fiddle with adachshund, or wiener-dog. Here, though, thepooch’s ‘owners’ are all rather dysfunctionaland are dramatically changed by the tenureof the dog.

Released Fri 12 August Nine Lives CERT 12a (87 mins)Starring Kevin Spacey, Jennifer Garner,Christopher Walken, Malina Weissman, CherylHines Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld(France/China)

Like so many workaholics, business tycoonTom Brand (Kevin Spacey) has put his workbefore his family. So, when’s he turned into acat, he has to reconcile with his youngdaughter before he can think about beinghuman again. The director previouslybrought us The Addams Family, Get Shortyand Men In Black.

Released Wed 17 August

David Brent: Life OnThe Road CERT 15 (96 mins)Starring Ricky Gervais, Doc Brown, AndyBurrows, Tom Basden, Nina SosanyaDirected by Ricky Gervais (UK)

David Brent, you will remember, is the char-acter that Ricky Gervais played in the mocku-mentary sitcom The Office (2001-7). Now, 15years later, Brent fancies himself a rock starand is followed up and down the country bya camera crew. However, Brent’s delusions ofgrandeur sit uneasily in the real world…


The ShallowsCERT 15 (86 mins)

Starring Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada,Brett Cullen Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (USA)

Just when you thought it was safe… A surferon a secluded beach in Mexico finds herselfthe prey of a great white shark, even thoughshe is only 200 yards from the beach. Fromthe director of House Of Wax, Orphan andNon-Stop.

Released Fri 12 AugustCRITIC’S CHOICE


Lights Out CERT 15 (81 mins)Starring Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, BillyBurke, Maria Bello Directed by David F Sandberg (USA)

After lights out, the dark takes on an entirelymore menacing aspect. Having believed thatshe has rid herself of a supernatural entitythat once haunted her, Rebecca (Palmer) dis-covers that the ‘being’ is now picking on herlittle brother. Based on David F Sandberg’sshort film of the same name.


Swallows And AmazonsCERT tbc Starring Rafe Spall, Andrew Scott, KellyMacdonald, Jessica Hynes, Harry EnfieldDirected by Philippa Lowthorpe (UK)

Can’t remember the last time we had aremake, but this one goes back to ArthurRansome’s original 1930 book about a child-hood summer in the Lake District, last filmedin 1974. Two groups of children - in theirdinghies Amazon and Swallow - play piratesin between the camping and fishing trips.Let’s just hope the new film retains the oldinnocence and nostalgia.


Bad Moms CERT tbcStarring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, KathrynHahn, Annie Mumolo, Jada Pinkett Smith,Christina Applegate Directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (USA)

We’ve had bad teachers, bad neighbours, abad Santa and, now, Heaven forbid, somewanton mamas. When Amy Mitchell (Kunis)reaches the end of her tether, she decides totake off with another couple of over-stressedmoms to find a bit of fun, freedom and fastliving. Could this be the mother of all come-dies?


The Purge: Election YearCERT tbc (90 mins)

Starring Frank Grillo, Elizabeth Mitchell,Mykelti Williamson Directed by James DeMonaco (USA)

When did The Purge become a trilogy? Whenthe first film grossed almost $90million (on abudget of $3m). The original was certainlyone of the most disturbing and frighteningfilms of 2013, and now comes the supposedconclusion to the franchise (but we’ll seehow much money it makes, first). There is apresidential election afoot and the front-run-ner (Mitchell) is seeking to abolish the Purge,the one night of the year when killing isendorsed by the government.


War Dogs CERT tbc (120 mins)Starring Jonah Hill, Miles Teller, Ana de Armas,Bradley Cooper Directed by Todd Phillips (USA)

From the director of The Hangover films, thisis the true story of David Packouz and EfraimDiveroli, two arms dealers who were given$300million by the US government to pro-vide weapons for the country’s allies inAfghanistan. You couldn’t make it up.


Hell Or High WaterCERT tbc (102 mins)

Starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, BenFoster, Gil Birmingham Directed by David Mackenzie (USA)

Chris Pine has already been throughhell and high water this year (in thewaterlogged Finest Hours), but herethe title proves to be a little moremetaphorical. He plays a Texan farmerwhose business is facing foreclosure,so he and his brother, an ex-con, setabout acquiring some major cash bysomewhat unorthodox means.


Mechanic: Resurrection CERT tbc

Starring Jason Statham, Jessica Alba,Tommy Lee Jones, Michelle Yeoh, SamHazeldine Directed by Dennis Gansel (USA)

Jason Statham, 48, has been no slouchwhen it comes to sequels and here heresurrects his role as Arthur Bishop, anassassin who disguises his hits as acci-dents. Although now retired, he’sforced to go back into business whenhis girlfriend is kidnapped. Filmed in Thailand, Bulgaria, Braziland Australia.


Popstar: Never StopNever Stopping CERT 15 (87 mins)

Starring Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer,Jorma Taccone, Sarah Silverman, TimMeadows, Imogen PootsDirected by Akiva Schaffer and JormaTaccone (USA)

A musical mockumentary, Popstar fol-lows the privileged life ofConner4Real(Samberg), a singer whobecomes quite desperate when his sec-ond album fails to make the grade.Expect lots of star cameos.


Film releases in August




Britain In The FiftiesCompton Verney, Warwickshire,until Sun 2 October

Objects as diverse as a Vespa scooter andoriginal illustrations for a celebratedLadybird book take pride of place in thisengaging exhibition exploring the history ofpost-war design in Britain. The show looks atall aspects of design during the 1950s, adecade which saw the country rediscoveringits reputation for innovation following yearsof austerity and rationing.Other ’50s design items under the spotlightinclude Lucienne Day’s furnishing fabrics,Robert Welch’s cutlery, Ken Wood’s KenwoodChef, Enid Seeney’s ‘Homemaker’ ceramicsand Alec Issigonis’ Mini.

CoastShire Hall Gallery, Stafford,until Sun 4 September

Nostalgic beach scenes, atmosphericseascapes and an installation of 600 ceramicsardine tins are included in this multimediaselling exhibition inspired by and celebrat-ing ‘the coast’. Comprising paintings, photo-graphs, textiles, glass and ceramics, the dis-play features jewellery by Jasmine Bowden,metalwork by Sharon McSwiney and textilesby Jo Hill. A range of rock pool glass bowlsby Loco Glass and ceramics by RoseDickinson and Caroline Barnes are alsoincluded.

Wildlife PhotographerOf The YearWolverhampton Art Gallery,until Sun 18 September

As part of an international tour spanning sixcontinents, this globally renowned exhibi-tion arrives in Wolverhampton on loan fromthe National History Museum. Launched in 1965, Wildlife Photographer OfThe Year is the most prestigious photographyevent of its kind, with this year's competitionattracting over 42,000 entries from 96 differ-ent countries. The 100 award-winning photographs willtake visitors on a journey across seas, skiesand sand dunes, with shots of breathtakinglandscapes, fascinating animal behaviourand other awe-inspiring scenes from natureall featuring.

Visual Arts

Inspire 16: The YoungCreatives Of BirminghamBirmingham Museum & Art Gallery, until Sat 17 September

This summer showcase celebrates thediversity and creativity of local youngartists. Included in the presentation aresculptural models designed byBirmingham schoolchildren and a selec-tion of high-quality entries from an onlineyouth arts competition. The show alsoencourages visitors to get ‘hands on’ via adedicated programme of creative activitiesfor youngsters. Arts masterclasses, per-formances, spoken word events, story-telling and a ‘crafty kids’ session all fea-ture. First-prize recipient Sonia Tam’smixed media piece, Essence (pictured), isinspired by the atmosphere and texturesof an old fishing village, Tai O, at her fami-ly home in Hong Kong.

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Jesse BrutonIkon Gallery, Birmingham,until Sun 11 September

One of the founding artists of Ikon,Jesse Bruton took landscape - in partic-ular the Welsh mountains and thePembrokeshire coast - as a startingpoint for his highly praised abstractpaintings.Created using a stringent palette ofblack and white, his artworks reflect hisinterest in “the way things work, thingslike valleys, rock formations andrivers”. The paintings depict the landscape interms of how it appears when a vieweris actually passing through it on a carjourney.Bruton stopped producing artwork inthe early 1970s in favour of a career inpicture conservation.

Common Culture Cabaretmac, Birmingham, until Sun 11 September

The public fascination with celebrity takes centre stage in this brand newpresentation by collaborative artists' group Common Culture. Featuring avideo installation specially commissioned for mac, the show combinesthe use of ventriloquism and impersonation to explore television viewers’appetite for the often cruel spectacle of TV talent shows.

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FEATURE


10 GREATREASONS TO VISIT SHREWSBURY FLOWER SHOWOne of the country’s premier horticultural events, the an-nual Shrewsbury Flower Show delivers a diverse pro-gramme of attractions and entertainment for all the familyto enjoy. This year it’s the Red Hot Chilli Pipers (Friday)and ’80s chart-toppers The Christians (Saturday) who’ll be

taking the headline spots on the main stage. If you’ve not already checked out what Shrewsbury FlowerShow has to offer this summer, here are 10 ‘blooming’ goodreasons to add this prestigious event to your holiday list ofplaces to visit...

Floral attractionsThese include: the Quarry Mar-quee, featuring two floralarrangements designed and cre-ated to mark the 90th birthdayof Her Majesty The Queen; theSevern Marquee, packed to the

rafters with vegetables, cut flowers, hangingbaskets, pot plants and alpines; the DingleMarquee, showcasing the artistic talents ofamateur exhibitors; ten Show Gardens in-spired by the theme Hope & Glory; a LectureTheatre featuring talks and demonstrationsby experts.

Gardening exhibitorsInspirational and passionatebroadcaster, journalist, publicspeaker and teacher SarahRaven is the celebrity gardener

at this year’s show. Sarah speaks on a variety of subjects, in-cluding gardening, flower arranging andcooking. She also delivers an in-depth and

personal account of the life, history and gar-dens of Sissinghurst in Kent - regarded asone of the most inspirational gardens in theworld.

Craft MarqueeFrom unique papercut cardsand Slip Trailed Ceramics tobespoke upholstery and silkclothing from France andItaly, the marquee features an

impressive array of artisan crafts, with morethan 66 exhibitors showcasing their wares.

Attractions forthe youngThis year’s show features anarray of themed activitiesbased around Beatrix Potterand Roald Dahl, for whom

2016 is a special anniversary year. Mr Boom,Malcolm Malan and Jack the Jester all pres-ent new shows and circus workshops, whileDavid Hatfield hosts a series of children’splanting sessions and workshops in whichyoungsters can decorate their own plantpots.

Food and drinkThere are gastronomic delightsfor all tastes and pockets at thisyear’s Shrewsbury FlowerShow, with more than 30 ex-hibitors showcasing artisan

products from across the region and furtherafield. From sweet pies and pastries, TurkishDelight and Baklava to all things garlic fromthe Isle of Wight, there’s plenty to tantaliseyour tastebuds...

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Main arena attractionsAs always, there’s plenty ofmain arena activity takingplace at Shrewsbury Flower

Show. Renowned for its show jumpingclasses, the event has in the past attractedbig names including Tim Stockdale andGeoff Billington.Other main arena highlights include per-formances from The Household CavalryMounted Regiment Musical Ride, an ArmySection and Forge Falconry display.

Food Exhibitors

Celebrity chefGizzi Erskineis making herfair share offestival ap-pearancesover the summer months. She stops off inShrewsbury on both days of the show toshare her knowledge of the UK food scene.Gizzi was one of the first to back the pop-uprestaurant trend and has opened numerouspop-ups over the past 14 years. She was alsoone of the first to introduce Korean streetfood to the UK.

Steam LocomotiveA brand new attraction for 2016.Railway enthusiasts young andold can delight in the arrival ofa steam engine from the Ffestin-iog and Welsh Highland Rail-way. It will operate close to theriver side of the Quarry site.

FireworksPeople flock from all overto bag a good vantagepoint from which to wit-ness the skies aboveShrewsbury being lit upby a magnificent py-

rotechnic display. The finale to both days’activities, the firework display is regarded bymany locals as a signal that summer is draw-ing to a close.

Shrewsbury Flower Show takes place atThe Quarry Park, Shrewsbury on Friday12 and Saturday 13 August

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10Live MusicMain stage acts are always areal crowd-puller at Shrews-bury Flower Show. This year’sline-up features When Will IBe Famous winners The Red

Hot Chilli Pipers - taking to the stage on theFriday evening - and ’80s soul sensationsThe Christians (Ideal World, Harvest ForThe World and Forgotten Town), who prom-ise to wow audiences on the Saturdayevening.

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Events August Dav (1).qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 11:46 Page 1

Insomnia58NEC, Birmingham. Fri 26 - Sun 29 August

The UK’s biggest gaming festival has recently relocated toBirmingham’s NEC, having outgrown its previous home at the RicohArena in Coventry.Insomnia58 is a four-day, round-the-clock event ‘combining all thebest bits of video-gaming’. The show features LAN gaming halls, a

huge exhibition hall, special guests ‘doing cool interactive content’,large-scale eSports tournaments and a wide selection of activities tai-lored to gamers of all ages.Commenting on the event, Craig Fletcher, founder and CEO ofMultiplay, the company which runs Insomnia, said: “The festival hasenjoyed an incredible journey in recent times. Ticket sales havesoared in the last four years and we’re expecting to welcome a totalof over 100,000 visitors through our doors in 2016.”

Events

Donington ClassicMotorcycle FestivalDonington Park, Derby, Fri 5 - Sun 7 August

The legendary Steve Baker makes a headlineappearance at this year’s get-together, almost40 years after he became the first Americanmotorcycle racer to win a road racing worldchampionship (the Formula 750, on a factoryYamaha in 1977).“I’m very excited to return to England andthe Donington Classic,” says Steve, who, inthat same Formula 750-winning season, alsotriumphed in the prestigious Daytona 200race and finished second to Barry Sheene inthe 500cc World Championship. “It’s like adream come true to ride at Donington and bewith old friends and the best racing fans inthe world.” As well as star appearances by Steve, JimRedman and Steve Parrish, this year’s festi-val also features 50 races throughout theweekend, huge display areas, parades andnumerous activities to keep younger mem-bers of the family entertained.

Spy SchoolThe REP, Birmingham,Mon 8 - Fri 12 August

If your youngster loves James Bond, thisweek-long event is one that they really won’twant to miss. Children between the ages of seven and 12get the chance to work with professionaltheatre directors, participate in games,improvisations and drama workshops, andtake part in a story about spies, secrets andall things espionage. They can follow sus-pects, bug telephones and create secretidentities too, not to mention cut eye-holesin a newspaper so that they can pretendthey’re reading when they’re actually spy-ing. All in all, then, an event that’s only a‘vodka martini shaken not stirred’ awayfrom being the full spy experience!

Digital DaysEnginuity Museum, Ironbridge,Shropshire, Mon 1 - Thurs 18 August

How to use LEGO, construct a program-mable robot and tell stories via anima-tion are among the workshops beingoffered in this new series of entertain-ing and educational teacher-led activi-ty days. There’s also the opportunityfor youngsters to explore, play and dis-cover the world of Minecraft within asafe and secure digital environment.Suitable for children aged between sixand 15, all workshops need to bebooked and paid for in advance. Formore information, visitironbridge.org.uk/shop



Art In The ParkJephson Gardens, Royal Leamington Spa,Sat 6 - Sun 7 August

Leamington’s Art In The Park festival isexpected to attract in excess of 5,000 visitorswhen it makes a welcome return this month. The 2016 edition of the event features exhibi-tions of paintings, ceramics, textiles andsculpture, a dozen bands presenting a feastof blues, jazz and soul music, and numerousworkshops ranging from upcycling tobespoke T-shirt designing and a pottery‘throw down’.Local ensemble Motionhouse perform physi-cal dance piece Lost, while the PaulineQuirke Academy and Stagecoach TheatreSchool also make contributions. Commenting on the festival, organiser CaroleSleight said: “With the range of art and activ-ities on offer, we know that visitors will get ahuge amount of value from the weekend andleave with many great memories, new skillsand inspirational ideas.”

SpectacularScience ShowThe Core Theatre, Solihull, Thurs 25 August

TV astronomer and author Mark Thompson isthe man behind this brand new show, whichhas been designed with the very definiteintention of dispelling the popular myth thatscience is boring. “This is science like you’ve never seenbefore,” says Mark. “The Spectacular ScienceShow explores the strange and magical prop-erties of matter, with exploding elephant’stoothpaste, vortex-generating dustbins, danc-ing paste, vanishing beakers and evenexploding Pringle tubes!”The show is suitable for children aged sixand older.

Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire,Tues 9 - Sun 14 August

The British Showjumping NationalChampionships this month come toWarwickshire for the third time. The event isone of the summer highlights on the Britishshowjumping calendar and features the pres-tigious International Stairway League final(Sunday 14 August), at the end of which theBritish Showjumping National Champion will

be crowned. A new addition to the calendarlast year and returning in 2016 is theStoneleigh Horse Show, running in conjunc-tion with the championships and sure onceagain to make a big impression. The event also offers plenty of competitions,indoor performances, hospitality and shop-ping opportunities for visitors to enjoy. Andjust to make the day even more appealing,entry to the show is free.

Events

Coventry TransportMuseumA journey through the recentlyrelaunched museum begins with alook at the transport industry'shistory and includes the chance tohop inside a Coventry-made blacktaxi to enjoy a video tour of thecity.Visitors can then check out numer-ous work & leisure vehicles -including unique items like a SkyBlues tour bus - and stop off in theInnovation & Future area, offeringglimpses of modern car construc-tion and a state-of-the-art driver-less model.Other attractions include theSupersonic section - complete withthree simulations to enjoy - andthe glittering Jaguar room, thebright lights and sparkling floorsof which complement the gleam-ing surfaces of the new F-Type andC-X75.

British MotorMuseumThe British Motor Museum, for-merly known as the HeritageMotor Centre, recently reopenedfollowing a £1.1million refurbish-ment. The museum features animmersive display of British motor-ing history and a new CollectionsCentre. The centre allows membersof the general public access to anextra 250 cars from the reserve col-lections of the British MotorIndustry Heritage Trust and theJaguar Heritage Trust. As well asone of the top car collections inthe world, the museum also boastsa comprehensive archive and pic-ture library, runs education andlearning programmes, and hostsnumerous specialist motoringevents, clubs and rallies through-out the year.

British Showjumping National Championships

Our pick of topplaces to visitthis Summer



more events from around the region


Lockdown at The DanaThe Dana Prison, Shrewsbury,Thurs 11 - Sat 13 August

After over 200 years of service, former HMPrison Shrewsbury - or the Dana, as it’s affec-tionately known - closed its doors in 2013.Following much speculation about the build-ing’s future, the cobwebs were dusted off, thehinges oiled, and history & heritage tourcompany Jailhouse Tours took active posses-sion of the decommissioned gaol...One of the company’s August attractions atthe Dana is Lockdown, a prison-basedZombie-chase event which its organisers sayis the first of its kind in the UK (perhaps notsurprisingly, given its curious nature). The governor of the prison has lost controland the inmates are not only revolting,they’re clawing, scratching and biting - them-selves as well as the prison officers. Escape isthe only option - but where are the keys tothe front gate? Visitors will certainly need toget a wriggle on if they want to stay one stepahead of the undead...Jailhouse Tours are keen to make it knownthat this isn’t a suitable event for anybodywho is affected by strobe lighting, in poorhealth, has a heart condition or is unable toclimb stairs and cover one mile at a briskpace.

Gypsy WeddingBlists Hill Victorian Town, Shropshire,Sat 27 - Mon 29 August

The chance to view a traditional gypsy wed-ding is one of the highlights of a bank holi-day weekend of entertainment at Blists HillVictorian Town. Visitors to the popular attrac-tion can check out the elaborate gypsy wag-ons on the Green before settling down towatch the recreated marriage ceremony, afterwhich they can join in with the post-weddingfun and merriment. Other activities taking place at Blists Hillacross the weekend include candle-dippingworkshops, a lesson in the school house, aride on a horse-drawn bus and a singalong inthe pub.

Black Country Living Museum, Sat 13 August

An evening of old-fashioned fun is on offer atthe Black Country Living Museum this monthas Family Night returns. Featuring a jam-packed line-up of activities, the seventhincarnation of this annual event bringsgames, Punch & Judy shows, storytellings,

face painting and singalong songs to themuseum’s cobbled streets. There’s also thechance to enjoy a birds of prey show and goface-to-face with a variety of creepy crawlies.This year’s get-together celebrates the 100thanniversary of the birth of children’s authorRoald Dahl.

ThinktankThinktank science museum offersplenty for children to see and dothroughout the summer holidays,from unlocking Birmingham’sindustrial heritage to uncoveringthe secrets of the science that’s allaround them - in the city, in thewild and even in their own bodies.There’s the chance to explore theouter reaches of space too, and toget to grips with innovative inven-tions and contemplate scientists’predictions for the future.Other activities include arts &crafts and daily Planetariumshows, while Birmingham’s‘Spitfire story’ is recounted in theSpitfire Gallery. New for 2016 is the Marine WorldsGallery, featuring the ThinktankIchthyosaur, a giant sea monsterfrom the dinosaur era that’s beingdisplayed in full for the first time. The outdoor Science Garden,meanwhile - complete with giant-sized exhibits - is open daily andfree to enter after 3pm.

Jackfield TileMuseumIronbridge Gorge’s popular muse-um provides visitors with theopportunity to learn about the his-tory of the tile-making industry, aswell as to design and create aunique tile of their own. Thevenue’s attractions include thechance to walk through anEdwardian tube station, a pub, achildren's hospital ward and theoriginal gas-lit trade show room.Visitors can also discover tile-dec-orating techniques, see the CravenDunnill factory in operation (oncertain days) and enjoy an enter-taining and educational factorytour, taking place everyWednesday at 11am.

Family Night



Festival Of QuiltsNEC, Birmingham, Thurs 11 - Sun 14 August

Bringing together a unique blend ofexhibitors, galleries, practical workshops andin-depth lectures, the Festival Of Quilts isEurope’s largest celebration of patchwork andquilting. Commenting on the show, Jonathan Burton,Portfolio Director, said: “The festival offers atruly inspirational showcase of quilt-making,with the finest skills on display. It’s a placefor beginners through to professionals toshare ideas, learn new skills and meet withothers who’re equally passionate about theworld of patchwork and quilting.”

Enchancted CircusKenilworth Castle, WarwickshireThurs 4 - Sun 7 August

The circus is coming to town - and what’smore, it’s an enchanted one. Visitors whostep inside the big-top tent located within thecastle walls will find themselves transported‘deep into a forest, past a robber’s hideoutand right to the edge of the sea’. Ancient sto-ries are brought to life in a fairytale worldilluminated by ‘glittering’ visual effects.

There’s plenty of music to enjoy too, and ‘eye-swivelling’ acrobatics to (hopefully) make yougasp - not to mention a different story everyday, recounting the adventures of princes andmaidens, donkeys and roosters, enchantedfish and forest-dwelling wild men. Each show has been designed to appeal topeople of all ages and lasts for approximately75 minutes.

The Big Read:Animal Story TimeSoho House, Birmingham, Sat 13 August

Birmingham children’s author BB Taylor takesher writing inspiration from her love of ani-mals, enjoys making magic come to lifethrough the power of words, and here sharessome of the tricks of her trade. An interactive workshop in which BB teachesparticipants how to write their own stories,the event has been designed for children agedbetween five and 10.

Tamworth CastleFrom Norman fort to stately hometo 21st century museum,Tamworth Castle stands as a phys-ical record of almost a millenni-um's worth of history.The castle is currently home tounique artefacts from theStaffordshire Hoard and offerssome fascinating insights into theAnglo-Saxon era from which theydate. Summer holiday visitors to thevenue this month can learn aboutweaponry, armour and battle tac-tics from the Saxon, Medieval,Tudor and English Civil War peri-ods (4 August), and about the his-tory of toys and games, fromMedieval times to the SecondWorld War (9 - 11 August). There’salso a Tudor Living History Day(well, three actually - 16 to 18August) and the chance to followa ‘magical trail’ through the castlefrom the 22nd to the 26th of themonth. August’s programme of family-friendly events is rounded off onBank Holiday Monday (the 29th)with a storytelling session, includ-ing sure-to-be-enchanting tales ofcastles, knights, dragons andprincesses.

Coventry Sky RideCoventry City Centre, Sun 7 August

The West Midlands’ only Sky Ride event is once againtaking place in Coventry this year.Sky Ride provides participants with the chance toenjoy the experience of cycling around a traffic-freecity. Attractions and activities to enjoy along this year’sroute include the Extreme Mountain Bike Show,British Cycling’s Go Ride children’s obstacle course,quiz-show games and face painting.“We want more people to enjoy riding a bike,” saysSky Ride ambassador Sir Chris Hoy. “That’s why Skyand British Cycling have teamed up to bring you SkyRide. We’ve made it easier than ever to get out onyour bike and spend quality time with your familyand friends.“Sky Rides close towns and cities for big bike eventsso you can ride safely on traffic-free streets. With ahuge festival atmosphere and loads to do, they’regreat fun and a great way to get on your bike.”

more events from around the region

Events





BirminghamASTON HALL This 17th century red-brick mansionhosts many family activities throughout the season,Aston, Birmingham, B6 6JD

BBC BIRMINGHAM Go behind the scenes of some ofyour favourite TV shows with informative and enter-taining tours, The Mailbox, Birmingham, B1 1RF

BECKETT’S FARM Hosts a number of family eventsthroughout the year, including cookery classes foryoung and old, with a farm shop and restaurant onsite, Wythall, Birmingham B47 6AJ

BIRMINGHAM BACK TO BACKS Restored 19th-centurycourtyard of working people’s houses, Hurst Street,Birmingham, B5 4TE

BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS Spanning 15acres, with four glasshouses hosting a variety of cli-mates, from tropical rainforest to arid desert, Edg-baston, Birmingham, B15 3TR

BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Explore over40 galleries displaying various eras of art, with a di-verse exhibition programme on offer, ChamberlainSquare, Birmingham, B3 3DH

BLAKESLEY HALL Discover a fine Tudor house andbeautiful gardens just a few miles from the heart ofthe city, Yardley, Birmingham, B25 8RN

CADBURY WORLD Discover the origins of everyone’sfavourite sweet treat, from the cocoa beans in theAztec jungle to the making of Cadbury confec-tionery today, Bournville, Birmingham, B30 2LU

CANNON HILL PARK Opened in 1873, the park ismade up of 80 acres of formal parkland and 120acres of conservation and woodland plantation,Moseley, Birmingham, B12 9QH

EASTSIDE PARK Birmingham’s first central city parkin over 130 years, situated only a stone’s throwfrom the Bullring Shopping Centre and New StreetStation, Birmingham City Centre, B4 7AP

LIBRARY OF BIRMINGHAM A major cultural destina-tion, providing a dynamic mix of events, activitiesand performances, resources and access to experthelp for learning, information and culture, Cente-nary Square, Birmingham, B1 2ND

LICKEY HILLS COUNTRY PARK Covering 524 acres, thepark is a place for family fun, whether that be walk-ing the dog, cycling, horse riding, or maybe just forthe views and a cup of tea, Rednal, Birmingham,B45 8ER

MAC A huge range of theatre, music, comedy, playsfor children, dance, creative and craft courses, fam-ily shows, film and free exhibitions on offer, CannonHill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH

MUSEUM OF THE JEWELLERY QUARTER The museumtells the story of Birmingham’s renowned jewelleryand metalworking heritage, Hockley, Birmingham,B18 6HA

NATIONAL SEA LIFE CENTRE Featuring over 1,000creatures and 60-plus displays, including a million-litre underwater tropical tank, Nemo's Kingdom, tur-tle breeding and much more, Brindleyplace,Birmingham, B1 2HL

RESORTS WORLD Boasting the largest casino in theUK, a shopping mall, restaurants and cinemas,Birmingham, B40 1NT

SAREHOLE MILL A 250-year-old working watermill fa-mous for its association with Lord Of The Rings au-thor JRR Tolkien, Hall Green, Birmingham, B130BD

THINKTANK SCIENCE MUSEUM Over 200 interactive ex-hibits on science and discovery, including a pro-gramme of workshops, shows and demonstrations,and a digital Planetarium, Millennium Point, Birm-ingham, B4 7XG

ShropshireATTINGHAM PARK An elegant 18th century mansionhouse with Regency interiors. Set within an expan-sive deer park, there are riverside walks, a wood-land sculpture trail and family events to enjoy.Shrewsbury, SY4 4TP

CARDING MILL VALLEY Covering almost 5,000 acres,with stunning views of the Shropshire and Welshhills. An important place for wildlife, geology andarchaeology. Church Stretton, SY6 6JG

CHOLMONDELEY CASTLE A Gothic castle - a productof the early 19th century - that stands on a high riseabove a lake. The castle is surrounded by lawns, avariety of mature trees and gardens. Whitchurch,SY14 8AH

IRONBRIDGE GORGE MUSEUMS The Shropshire site ofthe birth of the Industrial Revolution has been des-ignated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, with 10award-winning museums. Ironbridge, TF8 7DQ

RAF COSFORD The museum houses one of thelargest aviation collections in the UK. Over 70 his-

toric aircraft are displayed in three wartime hangarson an active airfield. Shifnal, TF11 8UP

SEVERN VALLEY COUNTRY PARK An oasis of calm andbeauty on the banks of the River Severn, thisaward-winning, 51-hectare country park is a placefor quiet enjoyment of the countryside. Bridgnorth,WV15 6NG

SHREWSBURY MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Housedwithin the town’s grade II Victorian Music Hall andone of the country’s rare 13th century mansions,featuring a broad range of artefacts alongside arolling programme of contemporary art. Shrews-bury, SY1 1LH

TELFORD STEAM RAILWAY A heritage railway locatedat Horsehay and formed in 1976. The railway is op-erated by volunteers on Sundays and Bank Holi-days. Telford, TF4 2NF

THE BRITISH IRONWORK CENTRE Boasting a variedcollection of beautifully decorative metal items,some of which are faithful reproductions of iron-work no longer seen today. There’s also a collec-tion of animal sculptures to admire. Oswestry, SY114JH

THE QUARRY PARK Shrewsbury’s 29-acre parklandhosts numerous events throughout the year, includ-ing the Shrewsbury Flower Show 12-13 August,SY1 1RN

StaffordshireAERIAL EXTREME Ever fancied swinging about, highup in the trees? Now's your chance with Aerial Ex-treme’s tree-mendous course at the Trentham Es-tate. All ages are guaranteed a bucketload of fun.How much can you handle? Trentham, ST12 9HR

ALTON TOWERS Enjoy a mind-blowing mix of fantas-tic rides and attractions, offering unlimited fun forkids of all ages, families and thrill-seekers. Alton,ST10 4DB

BIDDULPH GRANGE COUNTRY PARK Originally part of alarger Biddulph Grange Estate, this is a 73-acrewooded hillside site with a large lake, ponds andmeadows, Stoke-on-Trent, ST8 7TA

CENTRAL FOREST PARK Located in the heart of Stoke,Central Forest Park is a green space providing fa-cilities for walking, cycling, dog walking, informalsports and skateboarding. Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 6BB

CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY Take a journey back to

Placesito visit

The Midlands is home to an abundance of enjoyable and exciting places to visit, catering for peopleof all ages and from all walks of life. Whatever you’re looking for to keep the kids entertained thissummer, you’re sure to find somewhere and something that fits the bill.

Our What’s On directory features just a small handful of some of the best places to visit across theregion this summer. Check out whatsonlive.co.uk for more details...

Enjoy the great Thinktank, Birmingham Blists Hill, Ironbridge Drayton Manor Theme Park

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the classic days of railway travel on a rural line thatpasses through beautiful countryside known asStaffordshire's ‘Little Switzerland’. Froghall, ST102HA

DRAYTON MANOR THEME PARK A definite stop-offvenue for thrill-seekers, featuring, as it does, allmanner of white-knuckle rides. Also offers a rangeof rides that are somewhat less challenging.Andwith a zoo on site, it’s a venue that’s got plenty forkids and adults of all ages to enjoy. Tamworth, B783TW

HANLEY PARK Hanley Park and the adjacentCauldon Grounds are open to the public. Featuresinclude three play areas: toddler, sensory and ad-venture (including aerial slide). Shelton, ST1 4DX

PEAK WILDLIFE PARK Large walk-throughs allow youto come face to face with exotic and endangeredanimals from across three continents. Leek, ST137QR

THE POTTERIES MUSEUM & ART GALLERY Exhibits in-clude the world’s greatest collection of Stafford-shire ceramics, a World War Two Spitfire,decorative arts and natural history, along with itemsfrom the Staffordshire Hoard. Hanley, ST1 3DW

THE WEDGWOOD MUSEUM The home of one of themost interesting ceramic collections in the world.The galleries tell the story of Josiah Wedgwood, hisfamily, and the company he founded over two cen-turies ago. Stoke-on-Trent, ST12 9ER

WarwickshireBADDESLEY CLINTON A secluded estate set in theheart of the Forest of Arden. With guided talks,walks through the gardens and activities for chil-dren such as pond dipping and garden trails. War-wick, B93 ODQ

BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM The museum features theworld's greatest collection of classic, vintage andveteran British cars. Gaydon, CV35 0BJ

CHARLECOTE PARK This grand 16th century countryhouse comes complete with deer park and is aproperty of the National Trust. Warwick, CV35 9ER

COTSWOLD WILDLIFE PARK Set in 160 acres of park-land and gardens, Cotswold Wildlife Park now hasone of the UK’s largest zoological collections. Bur-ford, OX18 4JP

COVENTRY MUSIC MUSEUM Activities to interest anddelight youngsters, and a studio in which visitorscan try their hand at composing and music-mak-ing. CV2 4ED

COVENTRY TRANSPORT MUSEUM The museumhouses the largest publicly owned collection ofBritish vehicles in the world. Now fully open after a£9.5million redevelopment programme. CV1 1JD

HATTON ADVENTURE WORLD An attraction for familieswith children up to the age of 12. Hatton, CV35 8XA

HERBERT ART GALLERY & MUSEUM A family-friendlymuseum, with activities that run throughout theschool holidays. Coventry, CV1 5QP

KENILWORTH CASTLE A vast complex of ruined fortifi-cations and palatial apartments spanning over fivecenturies,CV8 1NE

RAGLEY HALL Family entertainment, with an adven-ture playground, 3D maze, boating and a wood-land walk. Alcester, B49 5NJ

SHAKESPEARE BIRTHPLACE TRUST Six unique proper-ties - Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Harvard House,Hall’s Croft, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, MaryArden’s Farm & Shakespeare’s New Place.

STONELEIGH ABBEY Visitors to the Abbey can learnabout the house's history through a guided tour ofthe West Wing, CV8 2LF

STRATFORD BUTTERFLY FARM A unique opportunity towatch hundreds of the world's most spectacularbutterflies flying around. Stratford-upon-Avon,CV37 7LS

WARWICK CASTLE Experience over 1,000 years ofhistory at Warwick Castle. Aside from visiting thecastle itself and looking at the battlements, towers,turrets and interiors, there are also jousting shows,the Horrible History show and Time Tower to keepyou entertained. CV34 4QU

Wolverhampton& Black CountryBANTOCK HOUSE MUSEUM Restored to its Edwardianglory, Bantock House sits within 43 acres of park-land, with activities for all ages, Wolverhampton,WV3 9LQ

BILSTON CRAFT GALLERY A lively programme ofchanging exhibitions featuring the best of contem-porary ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles, metal,woodwork and more, Wolverhampton, WV14 7LU

BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM A tribute to the tra-ditional skills and enterprise of the people thatonce lived in the heart of industrial Britain, Dudley,DY1 4SQ

DUDLEY CANAL TUNNEL TRUST Guided boat tripsthrough the tunnels, accompanied by videos, life-like reconstructions and stunning music and lightshows, Dudley, DY1 4SB

DUDLEY CASTLE AND ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS Home tomore than 1,300 animals, with up to 200 species.At the heart of the site sits the ruins of an 11th cen-tury castle, Dudley, DY1 4QF

HIMLEY HALL & PARK An 18th century building set in180 acres of Capability Brown-landscaped park-land, Dudley, DY3 4DF

RED HOUSE GLASS CONE A heritage site with 225years of glass, industrial and social history withinits walls, Stourbridge, DY8 4AZ

SANDWELL PARK FARM A fully restored working Vic-torian farm with grazing meadows, a traditionalfarmyard, walled kitchen gardens, Grade II listedbuildings, a small museum and award-winning tearooms, West Bromwich, B71 4BG

WIGHTWICK MANOR & GARDENS A manor house filled

with an important collection of Pre-Raphaelite andArts & Crafts pictures and furnishings, Wolver-hampton, WV6 8EE

WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY Explore more than300 years of art, including regular world class tour-ing exhibitions, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DU

WorcestershireAVONCROFT MUSEUM A fascinating museum of his-toric buildings spanning seven centuries, rescuedfrom imminent destruction and carefully rebuilt, tim-ber by timber or brick by brick, on a beautiful open-air site in the north of Worcestershire, Bromsgrove,B60 4JR

BERRINGTON HALL Created by architect Henry Hol-land, the hall is one of a small number of his build-ings to survive intact. As well as being able toexplore the family rooms and servant quarters,guests can take part in activities or relax by thelake, Nr Leominster, HR6 0DW

BROCKHAMPTON ESTATE Set in 1,700 acres of estate,the romantic Manor House dates back to the late14th century and is accessible via a small gate-house and over a moat, Nr Bromyard, WR6 5TB

CROFT CASTLE Located deep in the heart of theHerefordshire countryside, surrounded by 1,500acres of historic woodland, farm and parkland.Home to the Croft family for nearly 1,000 years, thiscastle has many intriguing stories to uncover.Yarpole, Nr Leominster, HR6 9PW

CROOME PARK Explore what remains of a secretwartime air base and discover how thousands ofpeople lived and worked there during the 1940s.Worcester, WR8 9DW

EASTNOR CASTLE DEER PARK Set within the dramaticbeauty of the Malvern Hills and surrounded by abeautiful deer park, arboretum and lake. LedburyHR8 1RL

HAMPTON COURT CASTLE Originally formed by themerging of two manors, Hampton Court was re-modelled in the 1830s/’40s. The castle andgrounds offer a great location for adventure andevents, Leominster, HR6 0PN

HARTLEBURY CASTLE A Grade I listed building whichwas built in the mid-13th century as a fortifiedmanor house. Kidderminster, DY11 7XZ

SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY A full-size standard-gaugerailway line which runs regular steam-hauled pas-senger trains, for tourists and enthusiasts alike, be-tween Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, a distance of16 miles, Bewdley, DY12 1BG

THE MALVERN HILLS A wide variety of walks, fromshort and gently graded slopes to more strenuousoptions, WR14 3EY

WITLEY COURT One hundred years ago, Witley Courtwas one of England’s great country houses, host-ing many extravagant parties. Today, it’s a spectac-ular ruin, the result of a disastrous fire in 1937.Great Witley, WR6 6JT

outdoors this August!Coventry Transport Museum

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley

Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove

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Your week to week listings guide

August 2016thelist

Music I Comedy I Theatre I Dance I Film I Events I Visual Arts I and more!

The Color R

un at NEC, B

irmingham

- Saturday 20 A

ugust

What’s OnMon 1 to Sun 7 August Mon 8 to Sun 14 August Mon 15 to Sun 21 August Mon 22 to Wed 31 August

A Midsummer Night’s Dreamat Packwood House, Solihull

Sat 6 August

Quill at O2 Institute,Birmingham

Sat 13 August

Kissing Frogs at mac,Birmingham

Fri 12 - Sat 13 August

Solihull Summer Festival atTudor Grange Park

Sat 26 - Sun 27 August

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Visual ArtsArtifex Gallery, SuttonColdfieldNEW MATHÉ SHEPHEARD Showcasingworks in watercolour, mixed mediaand ink, Sat 30 July - Wed 31 Aug

Birmingham Museum &Art GalleryABBEYFIELD'S GOLDEN GALLERY: ART &SOUL Pioneering new exhibition high-lighting the therapeutic benefits thatart brings to older people - particular-ly those living with dementia andother medical conditions, until Fri 14Oct

FAITH IN BIRMINGHAM, Exploring howdifferent faiths have influenced andshaped the city, until Sun 3 Feb 2019

Grand UnionLAURA OLDFIELD FORD SOLOEXHIBITION A new body of work fol-lowing six weeks in residence at theGrand Union, until Fri 5 Aug

Ikon GalleryKAN XUAN The first UK exhibition ofwork by renowned Chinese artistKan Xuan, until Sun 11 Sept

PATRICK KILLORAN Public space andthe role of participation in contempo-rary art informed by social practiceare essential elements of Killoran’swork, until Sun 11 Sept

The Library of BirminghamOUR SHAKESPEARE The Library ofBirmingham joins forces with theBritish Library to stage a free andcolourful exhibition, until Sat 3 Sept

RBSA GalleryNEW DAVID WALTON RBSA Portraits,drawn from life, in graphite or ink,Mon 15 Aug - Sat 1 Oct

NEW CHRIS SALMON ARBSA:RETROSPECTIVE Original prints, paint-ings, and drawings. Chris will also bedemonstrating on Sat 27 Aug, Mon22 Aug - Sat 3 Sept

NEW DRAWN An exhibition of draw-ings by members and associates ofthe RBSA which show the variety ofskills involved within the discipline ofdrawing, Mon 22 Aug - Sat 3 Sept

NEW JASMINA AJZENKOL ARBSA Soloshow of clay sculptures inspired bymarine forms and the patterns creat-ed by wind blowing across the sand,Mon 29 Aug - Sat 8 Oct

The Barber InstituteCURIOUS BEAUTY Display showcasingEnnemond-Alexandre Petitot'seccentric, neoclassical drawings forornamental vases, engraved byBenigno Bossi (1727-1792), until Sun4 Sept

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE Marking the400th anniversary of the death ofWilliam Shakespeare, until Sun 25Sept

TALES OF THE CITY A display of prints

and drawings capturing the expan-sion of European cities from the 17thto 19th century, until Sun 2 Oct

BURIED TREASURES Exhibition explor-ing coin hoards, telling the stories oftheir deposition and discovery, untilSun 26 Feb 2017

mac, BirminghamBERT HACKETT: THE GEMINI YEARS Atimely tribute to the formerBirmingham Post cartoonist, display-ing a selection of his best-loveddrawings, until Sun 4 Sept

MADE AT MAC: LIFE OF A SONGInteractive exhibition allowing audi-ence members to listen to the differ-ent song stages while observing thesongwriting process. Get involved bystrumming, pushing buttons and lis-tening, until Sun 11 Sept

COMMON CULTURE: CABARET Exhibitionfeaturing new work made inresponse to the unruly traditions ofcomedy and popular entertainment,until Sun 11 Sept

BOM (B’ham Open Media)ART IN CRISIS - DIGITAL STORIES TheBOM Fellows have been collaborat-ing with Crisis members to producedigital stories using photography andsound, to explore relationships withthe urban environment, until Sat 6Aug

Museum of The JewelleryQuarterCOLLECTING BIRMINGHAM: STORIESTHAT SHOULD BE SHARED The first in aseries of four exhibitions showcasingobjects collected from local people,telling their stories of life inBirmingham, until Sat 31 Dec

OtherSOHO AT 21 Exhibition celebrating 21years since Soho House opened asa museum, until Sun 7 Aug, SohoHouse, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM BIG ART PROJECTExhibition presenting five shortlistedartists’ proposals, commissioned byBirmingham Big Art Foundation, toimagine a major new work of publicart for the city of Birmingham, to becompleted in 2018, until Wed 31Aug, Millennium Point & EastsidePark

NEW BRITAIN FROM THE AIRBirmingham is hosting a prestigiousstreet photography exhibition withover 100 giant aerial photographs ondisplay, Sat 30 July - Wed 31 Aug,Birmingham City Centre

WELLCOME IMAGE AWARDS EXHIBITIONuntil Sun 23 Oct, Thinktank atMillennium Point, Birmingham

NEW SUMMER EXHIBITION Work from16 contemporary artists in a range ofmediums, genres and subject matter-are are on display, Sat 30 July - Sun28 Aug, Castle Fine Art in TheInternational Convention Centre,Birmingham


thelist Monday 1 - Sun 7 August

GigsDON BROCO Mon 1 Aug,O2 Institute, B’ham

LOCK & KEY Tues 2 Aug,Sunflower Lounge,Birmingham

IMARHAN Wed 3 Aug, Hare & Hounds, B’ham

HONKY TONK ROSE Wed3 Aug, The Jam House,Birmingham

TROUBLEMAKER - OLLYMURS TRIBUTE Wed 3Aug, The Robin, Bilston

PHUNDO ART Wed 3Aug, SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

LISA STANLEY AND HERBAND Thurs 4 Aug, The Robin, Bilston

BEGGAR & CO Thurs 4Aug, The Jam House,Birmingham

CARINA ROUND Thurs 4Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

THE WEST COAST EAGLESFri 5 Aug, The River

Rooms, Stourbridge

MENTALLICA Fri 5 Aug,The Roadhouse,Birmingham

BAZAAR PRESENTS ANEVENING OF LIVE MUSIC,COMEDY & MORE... Fri 5Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

RELAPSE Fri 5 Aug,Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

URBAN INTRO Fri 5 - Sat6 Aug, The Jam House,Birmingham

THE NAKED BEATLESFri 5 Aug, The Robin,Bilston

FRED ZEPPELIN Fri 5Aug, Route 44,Birmingham

MARAUDIOLOGY Sat 6Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

BERES HAMMOND Sat 6Aug, O2 Academy,Birmingham

GREEN CIRCLES Sat 6Aug, The Irish Centre,Birmingham

STRAIGHT FOR THE SUN

Sat 6 Aug, O2 Institute,Birmingham

ZOE GREEN BAND Sat 6Aug, Route 44, B’ham

BRUK UP WITH EVM 128& LORD BYRON Sat 6Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

GIN ANNIE BAND Sat 6Aug, The Robin, Bilston

THE WRONG UNS Sat 6Aug, SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

DEVIL RED Sat 6 Aug, The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

KILLERSTREAM Sat 6Aug, The River Rooms,Stourbridge

BAD MANNERS Sat 6Aug, Assembly Rooms,Leamington Spa

CREEDENCE CLEARWATERREVIEW Sat 6 Aug, TheRoadhouse, B’ham

PURE/DC Sun 7 Aug, The Robin, Bilston

IRENE & TOM Sun 7Aug, The Irish Centre,Birmingham

THROUGHOUT AUGUST

Beres Hammond - O2 Academy, Birmingham

Bad Manners - Assembly Rooms, Leamington Spa

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Classical MusicNATIONAL YOUTH ORCHESTRA OF GREATBRITAIN Conducted by EdwardGardner. Programme comprisesStrauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra,33’; Holst’s The Planet, 49’ & Isir terSchiphort’s Gravitational Waves, 6’,Fri 5 Aug, Symphony Hall,Birmingham

SUNDAY CLASSICS Presenting a rangeof young stars of the future from theclassical world, ranging from operasingers to violinists to harpists at thevery start of their careers…, Sun 7Aug, The Spotted Dog, Birmingham

Comedy GigsJQ COMEDY Tues 2 Aug, Rose VillaTavern, Birmingham

MANILLA ROAD COMEDY Thurs 4 Aug,The Victoria, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL FEAT. ANDY ROBIN-SON, JUNIOR SIMPSON & COMIC TBCThurs 4 Aug, The Glee Club,Birmingham

ROB ROUSE, NOEL JAMES, PETER COLE& MC DAVE WILLIAMS Thurs 4 Aug,The George Hotel, Lichfield

BIRMINGHAM IS FUNNY: YOU, ME &MONKEY: ABSURDLY FABULOUS - THEIMPROVISED EPISODE Fri 5 Aug, mac,Birmingham

TREVOR CROOK, NOEL JAMES, JUNIORSIMPSON & COMIC TBC Fri 5 - Sat 6Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. KEVIN GILDEA,STEVE SHANYASKI, DANA ALEXANDER &DAN NIGHTINGALE Fri 5 Aug, TheComedy Loft, Birmingham

JASON MANFORD Sun 7 Aug, Artrix,Bromsgrove

TheatreDOCTOR FAUSTUS Maria Aberg returnsto the RSC to direct Marlowe's notori-ous tale of vanity, greed and damna-tion, until Thurs 4 Aug, The SwanTheatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE ALCHEMIST Polly Findlay directsBen Jonson's comedy about humanfolly, until Sat 6 Aug, The SwanTheatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

THE HIRED MAN A cast of talentedlocal performers join the theatre'sprofessional production team to

present Melvyn Bragg and HowardGoodall's award-winning British musi-cal, until Sat 6 Aug, Lichfield Garrick

URINETOWN THE MUSICAL The OldJoint Stock Musical TheatreCompany presents its version of theaward-winning tale of greed, love,revolution (and musicals), in a timewhen water was worth its weight ingold, until Sat 6 Aug, Old Joint StockTheatre, Birmingham

CYMBELINE Melly Still directsShakespeare's rarely performedromance, until Sat 16 Oct, RoyalShakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

HAMLET Simon Godwin directs PaapaEssiedu as Hamlet in Shakespeare'ssearing tragedy, until Sat 13 Aug,Royal Shakespeare Theatre,Stratford-upon-Avon

ALWAYS ORANGE Fraser Grace pres-ents a tragicomic exploration of howto be human in a world always onedge, until Sat 27 Aug, StudioTheatre @ The Other Place,Stratford-upon-Avon

MAMMA MIA! The smash-hit musicalcontinues to show in Brum as part ofits first ever UK tour, until Sat 3 Sept,Birmingham Hippodrome

REVOLT. SHE SAID. REVOLT AGAIN Playby Alice Birch which examines thelanguage, behaviour and forces thatshape women in the 21st century.Note: this production contains stronglanguage and scenes of a sexualnature, Tues 2 - Sat 13 Aug, StudioTheatre @ The Other Place,Stratford-upon-Avon

THE HOLLYWOOD SPECIAL EFFECTSSHOW Interactive and explosive familyshow which goes behind the scenesof famous films to discover the sci-ence and secrets of creating moviemagic, Tues 2 - Wed 3 Aug, Artrix,Bromsgrove

LES MISERABLES Worcester Operatic& Dramatic Society Youth Sectionpresent an amateur staging of Boubil& Schonberg’s world famous musi-cal, Tues 2 - Sat 6 Aug, SwanTheatre, Worcester

TREASURE ISLAND A family musicalshow featuring sea shanty songs andplenty of audience participation,Thurs 4 Aug, The Core Theatre,Solihull

HAIRY MACLARY & FRIENDS Stageadaptation of Lynley Dodd’s much-loved Hairy Maclary children’s books,Thurs 4 Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove

AS YOU LIKE IT Folksy Theatre presentan outdoor production ofShakespeare's pastoral comedy, Fri 5Aug, Martineau Gardens,Birmingham

LAZYTOWN LIVE A nonstop, highlyinteractive show, jam-packed withsinging, dancing, acrobatics, musicand original tracks from the hit chil-dren's TV show, Fri 5 Aug, The CoreTheatre, Solihull

BIRMINGHAM IS FUNNY: YOU, ME &MONKEY: ABSURDLY FABULOUS - THEIMPROVISED EPISODE Feature-lengthshow inspired by the hit ’90s sitcom,Fri 5 Aug, mac, Birmingham

SALAAM Sonia Sabri Company craftsa stunningly intricate dialoguebetween Kathak dance and livemusic that celebrates harmony andthe finding of peace within the simplepleasures of being alive, Fri 5 Aug,Artrix, Bromsgrove

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING MadcapTheatre Productions present a fast-paced version of Shakespeare’ssparkling battle of the sexes, Sat 6Aug, Artrix, Bromsgrove

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAMChapterhouse Theatre Companypresent Shakespeare's best-lovedromantic comedy, Sat 6 Aug,Packwood House, Solihull

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA Sun& Moon Theatre present an outdoorstaging of one of Shakespeare’s firstand most underrated plays, Sat 6Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon

AS YOU LIKE IT The King’s Troupereturn to The Dell along with aRomanian inter-generational theatregroup they helped establish, theLondon Taiko Drum School andactors from a Halifax centre forrefugees, Sun 7 Aug, The Dell,Stratford-upon-Avon

FilmINDEPENDENT LISTINGS:

MA MA (12a) In the aftermath of atragedy, a woman, Magda, reacts ina way that engulfs her circle of familyand friends. Stars Penélope Cruz &Luis Tosar. Foreign language, subti-tled. mac, Birmingham, until Thurs 4Aug

JASON BOURNE (12a) Jason Bourne isbeginning to remember stuff. And sohe sets about trying to uncover thetruth about who he really is. Thegood news is that Paul Greengrassreturns as the director of this hope-lessly addictive franchise (he direct-ed the best in the series, The BourneSupremacy and The BourneUltimatum). Stars Matt Damon &Julia Stiles. The Electric Cinema,Birmingham, until Thurs 11 Aug

HOME (U) There’s no place like…Actually, the loveable extraterrestrialOh is very far from home when heescapes to Earth to evade an alienrace. He then teams up with ateenage girl, Tip (voiced by Rihanna),

and they both find themselves on therun. mac, Birmingham, Wed 3 –Thurs 4 Aug

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (15)Some time in the ’80s, trucker JackBurton arrives in a small town todeliver his cargo and win a fewbucks playing cards with the localsdown at the Chinese market.Practically bankrupting nearly all ofhis opponents, he’s challenged to agame of ‘double or nothing’. TheMockingbird, Birmingham, Thurs 4Aug

ELVIS AND NIXON (18) The mostrequested photo from the USNational Archives is of Richard MNixon shaking the hand of Elvis APresley. The occasion was on 21December 1970, in the Oval Office,and the official notes of the meetingreveal the King’s interest inCommunist brainwashing and a dis-taste for The Beatles. MichaelShannon plays Elvis and KevinSpacey is Nixon. Artrix, Bromsgrove,Thurs 4 Aug

ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS(PG) Like Superman and Marty McFly(and others), Alice is forced to travelback in time in order to alter the out-come of events. You see, when shereturns to Underland she finds theMad Hatter (Johnny Depp) in a terri-ble state and decides to dabble in abit of quantum physics. But wouldLewis Carroll approve? Also starsAnne Hathaway & Mia Wasikowska.mac, Birmingham, Fri 5 Aug

THE SWIMMER (PG) A wealthy, middle-aged advertising man embarks on arevelatory journey through suburbanConnecticut, slowly making his wayto his split-level home by travellingfrom swimming pool to swimmingpool. At each stop he faces an inci-dent from his past. Stars BurtLancaster & Janet Landgard. mac,Birmingham, Fri 5 Aug

FANTASTIC MR FOX (PG) Mr and MrsFox live an idyllic home life but after12 years of quiet domesticity, thebucolic existence proves too muchfor Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts.Director Wes Anderson's adaptationof a beloved children's novel byRoald Dahl. With the voices ofGeorge Clooney & Willem Dafoe.mac, Birmingham, Sat 6 Aug

THE WITCHES (PG) Based on the clas-sic book by Roald Dahl. A young boystumbles onto a witch conventionand must stop them, even after he’sbeen turned into a mouse. StarsAnjelica Huston & Rowan Atkinson.Artrix, Bromsgrove, Sat 6 Aug

MOUNTAIN BIKING: THE UNTOLD BRITISHSTORY Mountain biking is now in itsfourth decade and has come a longway from its beginnings in the hills ofthe West Coast USA. But that’s onlypart of the story. The UK MTB scenegrew in parallel to the US’s and thisdocumentary tells its unique history.Followed by Q&A. mac, Birmingham,Sat 6 Aug

DISTANT NORTH - HIDING THEKUNGSLEDEN Four friends set off on a440km journey through the largestremaining wilderness in Europe. This

Monday 1 - Sun 7 August



documentary charts their journey,beginning in the northern most sec-tion of the trail in Abisko. It’s a stren-uous 30-day hike over impressivemountains and down through glacialcarved valleys abundant with rein-deer. Followed by Q&A. mac,Birmingham, Sun 7 Aug

MEN & CHICKEN (15) Gabriel and Eliasare two very different brothers. Theirfather is dead. Things take a turnwhen the brothers learn through avideotape recorded by their now latefather that he wasn't, in fact, their bio-logical father... Stars David Dencik &Mads Mikkelsen. Foreign language,subtitled. mac, Birmingham, Sun 7 -Thurs 11 Aug

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE:Released from Fri 5 Aug, showing atselected cinemas

BOBBY SANDS: 66 DAYS (15)

SID AND NANCY (18)

SUICIDE SQUAD (tbc)

SWEET BEAN (PG)

UP FOR LOVE (12a)

EventsCHILDREN'S ACTIVITIES Be inspired bythe colours of nature with a range ofactivities for children, until Tues 2Aug, Moseley Old Hall,Wolverhampton

2-DAY ROBOTICS PROJECT Design, 3Dprint and programme your very ownrobot over two days, until Wed 3Aug, Enginuity Museum, Ironbridge,Shropshire

BOOKBENCH SUMMER CRAFT ACTIVITIESJoin in a family craft activity inspiredby a different children's story eachweek of the summer holidays, untilTues 23 Aug, Blakesley Hall,Birmingham

HISTORY DETECTIVE THURSDAYSBecome a History Detective for theday and enter Blakesley Hall to com-plete the history mystery trail, untilThurs 25 Aug, Blakesley Hall,Birmingham

SAFARI SUMMER SCHOOL Three differ-ent clubs on offer, all tailored towardsdifferent age groups and all offeringhands-on animal experiences andknowledge of the natural world, untilSat 27 Aug, West Midland Safari andLeisure Park, Worcestershire

PLAY DAY WEDNESDAYS Enjoy tradi-

tional garden games, includingquoits, giant jenga and croquet, untilWed 31 Aug, Blakesley Hall,Birmingham

ZOO CLUB An opportunity for animal-loving eight-to-12-year-olds to takepart in a range of exciting activities atDrayton Manor Zoo, Mon 1 - Wed 3Aug, Drayton Manor Theme Park,Tamworth

BLOOD, GUTS AND GORE Join formerRSC Head of Wigs and Make-upBrenda Leedham as she talks aboutthe tricks of the trade and how bruis-es, cuts and scars are created, Tues2 Aug, Royal Shakespeare Theatre,Stratford-upon-Avon

LIVING HISTORY - WEAPONRY Anopportunity for visitors to learn aboutweaponry, armour and battle tacticsthrough history, Tues 2 - Thurs 4Aug, Tamworth Castle, Staffordshire

SPEAKING SHAKESPEARE A chance toperform some of Shakespeare'sspeeches, Wed 3 Aug, CloreLearning Centre, Stratford-upon-Avon

STORYTELLING IN THE COURTYARD Heara variety of old folktales from Britainand beyond - tales of dragons, trolls,giant cats and magical mermaids,Wed 3 Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham

FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY: PUPPETMAKING Turn your hand to puppet-making and create colourful charac-ters to ignite your imagination, Wed 3Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham

TEDDY BEAR ZIP WIRE Make a cape foryour teddy and fly him/her down thezipwire, Wed 3 Aug, Blakesley Hall,Birmingham

BUILD AND PROGRAMME WITHMINECRAFT Learn how to build andprogramme virtual working machinesin Minecraft using a range ofadvanced blocks, includingRedstone, Thurs 4 Aug, EnginuityMuseum, Ironbridge, Shropshire

COLLAGE PORTRAITS: INSPIRED BY VANDYCK Be inspired by 400 years ofportraits to create your own portraitwith feathers, sequins and more,Thurs 4 Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham

ACTIVE STORYTELLING Become anactor and tell Shakespeare’s stories,Thurs 4 Aug, Clore Learning Centre,Stratford-upon-Avon

ENCHANTED CIRCUS Follow the for-tunes of princes and maidens andsee their adventures come to life viaeye-swivelling acrobatics, Thurs 4 -Sun 7 Aug, Kenilworth Castle

CRAFTY KIDS WORKSHOP Thurs 4 -Thurs 25 Aug, Museum of theJewellery Quarter, Birmingham

BUILD AND PROGRAMME WITH LEGOWE-DO Using motorised WeDo kits,learn how to solve problems using avariety of sensors, Fri 5 Aug,Enginuity Museum, Ironbridge,Shropshire

DIGBETH FIRST FRIDAY Exhibitions,late-night openings, special events,culture in unexpected spaces, livemusic, street food and more, Fri 5Aug, Digbeth, Birmingham

CONDENSED HISTORIES: ANCIENTWARRIOR SHOWS Greg Chapmanuses juggling, unicycling and other

variety skills to perform shows aboutthe gladiators of Ancient Rome, war-rior queen Boudicca and theSpartans, Fri 5 Aug, Forge MillNeedle Museum, Redditch

DONINGTON CLASSIC MOTORCYCLEFESTIVAL Featuring a massive line-upof hundreds of racing machines,huge off-track displays and numer-ous stars of the sport, Fri 5 - Sun 7Aug, Donington Park Racing Circuit,Derby

ULTIMATE STREET CAR Europe’sbiggest modified car festival, Fri 5 -Sun 7 Aug, Santa Pod Raceway,Northants

HANDSWORTH HERITAGE WALK Admirefine Georgian and Victorian architec-ture, a convent designed byAugustus Pugin, a church that wasbuilt nearly one thousand years ago,Sat 6 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham

THE BIG READ: GAVIN YOUNG Sat 6Aug, Soho House, Birmingham

BIG BULL BARN DAY Dig out your oldcowboy boots and handkerchiefs forBirmingham's only barn party, Sat 6Aug, The Big Bulls Head,Birmingham

BECKETT’S LITERATURE FESTIVAL Sat 6Aug, Beckett's Farm, Birmingham

KINGS HEATH FARMERS MARKET Sat 6Aug, All Saints' Church, Kings Heath,Birmingham

BUCKINGHAM’S RETINUE: MEDIEVALWEEKEND Sat 6 - Sun 7 Aug,Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove,Worcestershire

WWI/EDWARDIAN WEEKEND Featuringthe soldiers of the Empire, the gallantFrench allies, the ladies of the

Suffragette movement and Mr CharlieChaplin, Sat 6 - Sun 7 Aug, TheStaffordshire Regiment Museum,Lichfield

BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016Beginning in the commercial heart ofthe city at the end of Colmore Row,this live guided tour takes in all of thecity’s major buildings of architecturalinterest including St Philip’s and StChad’s Cathedrals, the Victoria LawCourts, the Town Hall, the CouncilHouse, Birmingham Museum & ArtGallery and Library, Sat 6 - Sun 7Aug, Birmingham City Centre

ART IN THE PARK More than 120 artistsfrom Leamington’s vibrant creativescene showcase their talent, Sat 6 -Sun 7 Aug, Jephson Gardens,Leamington Spa

THE BADDESLEY BOOK FAIR 2016 Sat 6- Sun 14 Aug, Baddesley Clinton,Solihull

RARE PLANT FAIR Sun 7 Aug, CastleBromwich Hall Gardens, Birmingham

CLASSIC VAN AND PICK UP SHOWFeaturing the best light commercialvehicles from yesteryear, includingvans, pick-ups, campers and policevehicles, Sun 7 Aug, British MotorMuseum, Gaydon, Warwickshire

MAC CONTEMPORARY CRAFT MARKETSSun 7 Aug, mac, Birmingham

THE CLASSIC CAR AND TRANSPORTSHOW Featuring over 1,000 exhibits,including classic cars, American, kit& custom, motorcycles, commercialand club stands, Sun 7 Aug,Shugborough Historic WorkingEstate, Staffordshire

thelist Monday 1 - Sun 7 August


Digbeth First FridaysDigbeth, Birmingham, Fri 5 August

The ‘First Friday’ of the title refers to the first Friday of every month,when Digbeth comes alive with ‘exhibitions, late-night openings,special events, culture in unexpected spaces, live music, street foodand more’. The ‘first Friday’ concept isn’t unique to Birmingham, butthere’s no question that the city has taken the event to its heart. “Byshowing off once a month,” explain the organisers, “we can create acritical mass of events and make it easy for audiences to cross overbetween venues, shops, pubs, clubs, galleries and eateries.”Digbeth First Friday runs from 6pm till late. Event times vary, so it’sstrongly recommended that visitors check the listings in advance toensure they make the most of their evening.



Classical MusicTHE REALLY BIG CHORUS Programmecomprises Mendelssohn’s Elijah, Sat13 Aug, Birmingham Town Hall

Comedy GigsLOUDEEMY SOUP COMEDY NIGHTFeaturing new and established acts,Mon 8 Aug, The Blue OrangeTheatre, Birmingham

MY COMEDY FEAT. MAUREEN YOUNGERWed 10 Aug, Kitchen Garden Cafe,Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL FEAT. ANDY ROBIN-SON, MARK OLVER & MICK FERRY Thurs11 Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. PAUL TONKINSON,WES ZAHARUK, ANDY ROBINSON & MATTREED Fri 12 Aug, The Comedy Loft,Birmingham

CHRIS KENT, ROB HUGHES, MARK OLVER& COMIC TBC Fri 12 - Sat 13 Aug, TheGlee Club, Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. SIMON BLIGH,DOUGIE DUNLOP & MATT REED Sun 13Aug, The Comedy Loft, Birmingham

THE LAUGHING SOLE COMEDY FOR KIDSCompered by Mrs Barbara Nice, thecomedy club is specifically for chil-dren and their families, bringingtogether some of the best acts onthe circuit performing family friendlyjokes. Recommended age 5 plus,Sun 14 Aug, mac, B’ham

TheatreTHE SMARTEST GIANT IN TOWN FolksyTheatre present an outdoor perform-ance of Julia Donaldson & AlexScheffler's story of a giant who givesaway his clothes to those who needthem more than he does, Wed 10Aug, Martineau Gardens,Birmingham

AS YOU LIKE IT Folksy Theatre presentan outdoor production ofShakespeare's pastoral comedy,Thurs 11 - Fri 12 Aug, WightwickManor, Wolverhampton

JOANNE One-woman show performedby the Olivier Award-nominatedTanya Moodie, Thurs 11 - Fri 12 Aug,Studio Theatre @ The Other Place,Stratford-upon-Avon

KISSING FROGS A journey of love, lossand self-discovery set against a

backdrop of classic hits from the1980s, Fri 12 - Sat 13 Aug, mac,Birmingham

THE SMARTEST GIANT IN TOWN FolksyTheatre present an outdoor perform-ance of Julia Donaldson & AlexScheffler's story of a giant who givesaway his clothes to those who needthem more than he does, Sat 13Aug, Wightwick Manor,Wolverhampton

THE WIZARD OF OZ Immersion Theatrepresent an outdoor re-telling of theclassic children's tale, Sat 13 Aug,Anne Hathaway's Cottage &Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon

TWELFTH NIGHT Fathom TheatreCompany present an outdoor pro-duction of Shakespeare’s identity-swapping comedy, Sat 13 Aug, TheDell, Stratford-upon-Avon

RICHARD II Everyman Youth Theatrepresents an outdoor staging ofShakespeare’s tale of justice, power,identity and loyalty, Sun 14 Aug, TheDell, Stratford-upon-Avon


FANTASTIC MR FOX (PG) Mr and MrsFox live an idyllic home life but after12 years of quiet domesticity, thebucolic existence proves too muchfor Mr Fox’s wild animal instincts.Director Wes Anderson's adaptationof a beloved children's novel byRoald Dahl. With the voices ofGeorge Clooney & Willem Dafoe.Artrix, Bromsgrove, Wed 10 Aug

ELVIS AND NIXON (18) The mostrequested photo from the USNational Archives is of Richard MNixon shaking the hand of Elvis APresley. The occasion was on 21December 1970, in the Oval Office,and the official notes of the meetingreveal the King’s interest inCommunist brainwashing and a dis-taste for The Beatles. MichaelShannon plays Elvis and Kevin

thelist Monday 8 - Sunday 14 August

GigsSHOW ME THE BODYMon 8 Aug, Hare &Hounds, Birmingham

DAG NASTY Mon 8 Aug,O2 Academy, B’ham

SARABETH & GLENMITCHELL Tue 9 Aug, The Robin, Bilston

BIG D AND THE KIDSTABLE Wed 10 Aug, O2 Academy, B’ham

GOSPEL CENTRAL Wed10 Aug, The JamHouse, Birmingham

JOHN VERITY BANDThurs 11 Aug, TheRobin, Bilston

DEATH SPELLS Thurs 11Aug, O2 Academy,Birmingham

APOLLO SOUL Thurs 11Aug, The Jam House,Birmingham

FLAMINGO FLAME Thurs11 Aug, Hare &

Hounds, Kings Heath,Birmingham

CLAY & RISCAS Thurs 11Aug, SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

THE TIDE Fri 12 Aug, O2 Institute, B’ham

BENTLEY RHYTHM ACEFri 12 Aug, Hare &Hounds, Birmingham

FRAN THE MAN Fri 12Aug, The Irish Centre,Birmingham

LEVELLERS Fri 12 Aug,The Empire, Coventry

SKABUCKS Fri 12 Aug,The Roadhouse,Birmingham

DETROIT SOUL Fri 12 -Sat 13 Aug, The JamHouse, Birmingham

MAGIC - A KIND OFQUEEN Fri 12 Aug, The Robin, Bilston

VON KRYSATI ROXZ & MRAPOLLO Fri 12 Aug,Route 44, Birmingham

UB4T Sat 13 Aug, The

Robin, Bilston

THE JAM’D Sat 13 Aug,The Roadhouse,Birmingham

THE REPEAT OFFENDERZSat 13 Aug, Route 44,Birmingham

BLACK BOMBERS Sat 13Aug, Hare & Hounds,Kings Heath, B’ham

BRITISH SEA POWER Sat13 Aug, Hare &Hounds, Birmingham

SWIM WITH SHARKS Sat13 Aug, The IrishCentre, Birmingham

QUILL Sat 13 Aug,Artrix, Bromsgrove

THE SEX PISTOLSEXPERIENCE Sat 13 Aug,The Slade Rooms,Wolverhampton

THE HARTS Sat 13 Aug,Sunflower Lounge,Birmingham

BLAKE & BRAZIL Sun 14Aug, The Irish Centre,Birmingham

Clay - Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

British Sea Power - Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

Paul Tonkinson

The List 8 - 14 Aug - Birmingham Only VERSION.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 11:43 Page 1



Spacey is Nixon. Artrix, Bromsgrove,Thurs 11 Aug

THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS (U) It’s adog’s life for a terrier called Maxwhen his owner adopts a mongrelfrom a dog pound. But this problemseems small fry when the poochesuncover a nefarious conspiracyaimed at pets from human homes.With the voices of Louis CK, EricStonestreet. mac, Birmingham, Sat13 Aug

THE CONFESSION (15) From supportingthe Bosnian Mujahideen to beingimprisoned in Bagram andGuantanamo, from the rebel trainingcamps in Syria to the prison cells ofBelmarsh in Britain, Moazzam Begghas experienced a generation of con-flict. This is his first-hand account, achronicle of the rise of modern jihad,its descent into terror and the disas-trous reaction of the West. Followedby Q&A. mac, Birmingham, Fri 12Aug

HAIRSPRAY (PG)Sundown Cinemareturns to mac'sOutdoor Arenawith this popularmusical comedystarring JohnTravolta andMichelle Pfeiffer.mac, Birmingham,Fri 12 Aug

TERMINATOR (15) Classic cult sci-fistarring Arnold Schwarzenegger &Linda Hamilton. This is an 18+event. The Mockingbird,Birmingham, Fri 12 Aug

BORN TO BE BLUE (15) In the 1950s,Chet Baker was one of the mostfamous trumpeters in the world,renowned as both a pioneer of theWest Coast jazz scene and an iconof cool. By the 1960s, he was all butwashed up, his career and personallife in shambles due to years ofaddiction. Stars Ethan Hawke &Carmen Ejogo. mac, Birmingham, Fri12 - Sat 13 Aug

SUMMERTIME (15) Two women fromentirely different worlds - Carole is amilitant feminist teaching Spanish inParis and Delphine is a farmer’sdaughter committed to her parents inrural southwest France - fall passion-ately in love. Stars Cécile de France& Izïa Higelin. mac, Birmingham, Sat13 - Tues 16 Aug

ROCKY (12) Sundown Cinema atmac's Outdoor Arena presents therags-to-riches American Dream storyof Rocky Balboa, an uneducated butkind-hearted Italian-American boxerworking as a debt collector for a loanshark in the slums of Philadelphia.Rocky starts out as a small-time clubfighter, and later gets a shot at theworld heavyweight championship.Stars Sylvester Stallone & Talia Shire.mac, Birmingham, Fri 12 - Thurs 18Aug

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (U) Anorphan with terrible aunts forguardians befriends human-like bugswho live inside a giant peach. StarsPaul Terry & Joanna Lumley. Artrix,Bromsgrove, Sat 13 Aug

NEW FILMS ON GENERAL RELEASE:Released from Fri 12 Aug, showingat selected cinemas

BOBBY SANDS: 66 DAYS (15)

SID AND NANCY (18)

SUICIDE SQUAD (tbc)

SWEET BEAN (PG)

UP FOR LOVE (12a)

EventsCONDENSED HISTORIES: ANCIENTWARRIOR SHOWS Greg Chapmanuses juggling, unicycling and othervariety skills to perform shows aboutthe gladiators of Ancient Rome, war-rior queen Boudicca and theSpartans, Mon 8 Aug, Forge MillNeedle Museum, Worcestershire

KNIGHTS AND PRINCESSES ACADEMYAn academy for budding knights andprincesses, with hands-on medievalfun. Transform yourself into a courtlylord or lady, with tips on everythingfrom curtsies to combat, Mon 8 - Fri12 Aug, Kenilworth Castle

LIVING HISTORY - TOYS THROUGH TIMETues 9 - Thurs 11 Aug, TamworthCastle, Staffordshire

BRITISH SHOWJUMPING NATIONALCHAMPIONSHIPS AND STONELEIGHHORSE SHOW Tues 9 - Sun 14 Aug,Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire

FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY: MONSTERMASKS Make your very own monstermask, inspired by the grotesqueswho decorate the Great DiningRoom’s ceiling, Wed 10 Aug, AstonHall, Birmingham

HONDA RON HASLAM RACE SCHOOLExperience riding on the DoningtonPark GP Circuit, Wed 10 Aug,Donington Park Racing Circuit, Derby

HANDSWORTH HERITAGE WALK Admirefine Georgian and Victorian architec-ture, a convent designed byAugustus Pugin, a church that wasbuilt nearly 1,000 years ago, Wed 10Aug, Soho House, Birmingham

LOCKDOWN The UK's first ever prison-based Zombie chase event. Set inHMP Shrewsbury (the Dana), a 4.5-acre site which until recently was afully populated and functioningprison, Thurs 11 - Sat 13 Aug, TheDana Prison, Shrewsbury

THE FESTIVAL OF QUILTS Celebratingpatchwork and quilting in all itsforms, Thurs 11 - Sun 14 Aug, NEC,Birmingham

FAMILY NIGHT An evening of games,crafts and laugh-out-loud entertain-ment, Sat 13 Aug, Black CountryLiving Museum, Dudley

KINGS NORTON FARMERS MARKET Sat13 Aug, The Green, Kings Norton,Birmingham

RAGLEY HALL BATTLE PROMS The finalnight of the UK’s premier picnic con-cert series, Sat 13 Aug, Ragley Hall,Warwickshire

JEWELLERY QUARTER HERITAGE WALKSat 13 Aug, Museum of the Jewellery

Quarter, Birmingham

AN INDIAN SUMMER NIGHT See page 4for details, Sat 13 Aug, Soho House,Birmingham

THE BIG READ: ANIMAL STORY-TIMEHear tales about author BB Taylor'sfavourite animals and meet them inreal life, Sat 13 Aug, Soho House,Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016Beginning in the commercial heart ofthe city at the end of Colmore Row,

this live guided tour takes in all of thecity’s major buildings of architecturalinterest including St Philip’s and StChad’s Cathedrals, the Victoria LawCourts, the Town Hall, the CouncilHouse, Birmingham Museum & ArtGallery and Library, Sat 13 - Sun 14Aug, Birmingham City Centre

BONSAI DEMO Demonstration of bestcare and practice for Bonsai trees,Sun 14 Aug, Birmingham BotanicalGardens

Jewellery Quarter Heritage WalkThe Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, Sat 13 August

The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is offering visitors the chanceto step back in time this month, by taking part in the latest in itsseries of popular two-hour walks.The walk is designed to provide participants with an opportunity toexplore the themes, people and places that once upon a time madethe area the largest centre of jewellery production in the world.“Although the heritage walk focuses on the jewellery trade,”explained Birmingham Museum Trust’s Oliver Buckley in launchingthe series, “it also encompasses the many other aspects of theQuarter’s rich history that placed Birmingham firmly on the nationaland international map.”

Condensed Histories: Ancient Warriors - Forge Mill Needle Musuem, Redditch


Classical MusicNATIONAL CHILDREN’S ORCHESTRA OFGREAT BRITAIN Programme includesworks by Verdi, Curtis, Tchaikovsky,Gershwinn arr. Rose & Badelt arr.Ricketts, Sat 20 Aug, BirminghamTown Hall

SUNDAY CLASSICS Presenting a rangeof young stars of the future from theclassical world, ranging from operasingers to violinists to harpists at thevery start of their careers…, Sun 21Aug, The Spotted Dog, Birmingham

Comedy GigsTOADALLY FREE COMEDY! Members ofBox of Frogs present their own inim-itable brand of high-octane impro-vised nonsense from audience sug-gestions, Mon 15 Aug, The BlueOrange Theatre, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL FEAT. ANDY ROBIN-SON, CRAIG MURRAY & JARRED CHRIST-MAS Thurs 18 Aug, The Glee Club,Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. OTIZ CANNELLONI,JULIAN DEANE, QUINCY & DAVID MOR-GAN Fri 19 Aug, The Comedy Loft,Birmingham

JOHN FOTHERGILL, ANDREW STANLEY,CRAIG MURRAY & JARRED CHRISTMASFri 19 - Sat 20 Aug, The Glee Club,Birmingham

UPFRONT COMEDY’S SUMMER JAMFeaturing Slim, Judi Love, JamieHoward & John Simmit, Sat 20 Aug,mac, Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. OTIZ CANNELLONI,JULIAN DEANE, ROB HEENEY & DAVIDMORGAN Sat 20 Aug, The ComedyLoft, Birmingham

TheatreTHE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN Based onChaucer's The Knight's Tale, The TwoNoble Kinsmen is attributed to JohnFletcher and William Shakespeareand is best described as a tragicome-dy exploring the intoxication andstrangeness of love, Wed 17 Aug -Tues 7 Feb 2017, The Swan Theatre,Stratford-upon-Avon

GREASE: STAGE EXPERIENCE Featuringsome of the West Midlands’ most tal-ented young performers, hungry for a

taste of life in professional musicaltheatre, Wed 17 - Sat 20 Aug, NewAlexandra Theatre, Birmingham

THE TAMING OF THE SHREW The ALPspresent a Commedia dell’arte versionof Shakespeare’s romantic comedy,Sun 21 Aug, The Dell, Stratford-upon-Avon

HAMLET Festival Players TheatreCompany present an outdoor produc-tion of the Bard's most famous play,Sun 21 Aug, Hall's Croft, Stratford-upon-Avon

MONSTERSAURUS Brand new chil-dren’s show from the creators ofAliens Love Underpants, Sun 21 Aug,mac, Birmingham


DAVID BOWIE IS (PG) The Victoria &Albert Museum presents David BowieIs Happening Now, a nationwide cine-ma event screened live from DavidBowie Is, as the finale to the muse-um’s enormously successful exhibi-tion. This unique event is the lastopportunity to view the V&A’s exhibi-tion before it goes on internationaltour. mac, Birmingham, Tues 16 Aug

WEINER (15) Documentary about USpolitician Anthony Weiner's failedattempt to run for Mayor of New YorkCity in 2013. Many politicians haveseen their careers slip off the tracks,but few have had their failure so inci-sively and painfully recorded. mac,Birmingham, Tues 16 - Wed 17 Aug

WE ARE MANY (12a) A documentaryabout the protest movement againstthe invasion of Iraq in 2003. Directedby Amir Amirani. Followed by Q&A.mac, Birmingham, Tues 16 - Wed 17Aug

BARRY LYNDON (12a) In this adaptationof William Makepeace Thackeray’snovel about the exploits of an 18thcentury Irish adventurer, Ryan O’Nealstars as Redmond Barry (later BarryLyndon) and Marisa Berenson is LadyLyndon. mac, Birmingham, Fri 19 Aug

MAD MAX (15) Sundown Cinema atmac's Outdoor Arena presents MelGibson as a vengeance-bent cop inthe near-future dystopian Australianoutback. Also stars Joanne Samuel &Steve Bisley. mac, Birmingham, Fri 19Aug

ASTERIX AND OBELIX: MANSION OF THEGODS (U) The setting is 50 BC. Theentire territory of Gaul is occupied bythe Romans... Or is it? mac,Birmingham, Fri 19 - Thurs 25 Aug

AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (15)This John Landis landmark depictsthe story of two college yanks wan-dering the English moors on vaca-tion. When David (David Naughton)and Jack (Griffin Dunne) happenupon a quaint pub, they’re warnednot to leave the road when walkingafter dark. Needless to say, theyignore the advice... This is an 18+event. The Mockingbird, Birmingham,Sat 20 Aug



GigsMARTHA REEVES & VAN-DELLAS Mon 15 Aug,The Robin, Bilston

ANNA AND ELIZABETHMon 15 Aug, KitchenGarden Cafe, B’ham

GRYPHON Tues 16 Aug, The Robin, Bilston

JULIAN JU JU MARLEYWed 17 Aug, O2Institute, Birmingham

THE BIG WOLF BANDWed 17 Aug, The JamHouse, Birmingham

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTSWed 17 Aug, O2Academy, Birmingham

BUZZ D'ANGELO BANDThurs 18 Aug, The JamHouse, B’ham

MINISTRY Thurs 18Aug, O2 Institute,Birmingham

THE FLYNNTONES Thurs18 Aug, TheRoadhouse, B’ham

ATOMIC KITTEN Thurs 18Aug, Kasbah, Coventry

MOTION CITYSOUNDTRACK Thurs 18Aug, O2 Institute,Birmingham

DIAMOND HEADHEAVY METAL BANDThurs 18 Aug, The Robin, Bilstonr

MOON SUGAR Fri 19Aug, O2 Institute,Birmingham

BOW WOW WOW Fri 19Aug, O2 Institute,Birmingham

MR C Fri 19 Aug, Hare& Hounds, Kings

Heath, Birmingham

MOTOWN & SOUL NIGHTWITH DJ PAUL KELLY Fri19 Aug, The IrishCentre, Birmingham

BON GIOVI Fri 19 Aug, The Robin, Bilston

SKIT FEST Fri 19 Aug,Hare & Hounds, KingsHeath, Birmingham

THE HANDSOME BEASTSFri 19 Aug, Route 44,Birmingham

MR BEN Fri 19 - Sat 20Aug, The Jam House,Birmingham

THE FLYOVER SHOW FEATSOWETO KINCH Sat 20Aug, Hockley Flyover,Birmingham

TROPICAL SPECIAL WITHALTERNATIVE DUBSTEPORCHESTRA Sat 20 Aug,Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

THE GLAMOPHONES Sat20 Aug, TamworthCastle

IVOR & LYNN’S CLASSICROCK NIGHT Sat 20

Aug, Route 44,Birmingham

STAR OF THE SEA Sat 20Aug, The Irish Centre,Birmingham

NIRVANA UK Sat 20Aug, The Roadhouse,Birmingham

SOUL JUNCTION Sat 20Aug, The Robin,Bilston

THE MIGHTY YOUNG Sat20 Aug, Hare &Hounds, Birmingham

TEMPLETON PEK Sat 20Aug, O2 Academy,Birmingham

GOLDIE + MORE Sat 20Aug, The RainbowVenues, Birmingham

NIK TURNERS INNER CITYUNIT Sun 21 Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

PAT JORDAN & FINIANSRAINBOW Sun 21 Aug,The Irish Centre,Birmingham

Atomic Kitten - Kasbah, Coventry

Templeton Pek - O2 Academy, Birmingham

Jarred Christmas

The List 15 - 21 August - Birmingham ONLY VERSION.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2016 16:22 Page 1


THE COMMUNE (15) ThomasVinterberg (Festen, The Hunt, FarFrom The Madding Crowd) sets hislatest film in a commune in the ’70swhere not everybody sees eye toeye. Trine Dyrholm won the bestactress award at Berlin for her per-formance. And if Ms Dyrholm looksfamiliar to you, she starred oppositePierce Brosnan in the delightful LoveIs All You Need (2012). mac,Birmingham, Sun 21 - Thurs 25 Aug


400 DAYS (tbc)

ALMOST HOLY (PG)

ASTERIX AND OBELIX - MANSION OF THEGODS (U)

BEHEMOTH (tbc)

COSMOS (tbc)

DAVID BRENT: LIFE ON THE ROAD (15)

LIGHTS OUT (15)

SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS (tbc)

EventsSUMMER HOLIDAY TILE DECORATINGWORKSHOPS Create your own ceram-ic tiles at family drop-in tile decorat-ing workshops running Monday toFriday during the summer schoolholidays, Mon 15 - Fri 19 Aug,Jackfield Tile Museum, Ironbridge,Shropshire

CIRCUSMASH WORKSHOPS Circusworkshops and masterclasses for theBirmingham community, Mon 15 - Fri19 Aug, Circusmash, Birmingham

MEDIEVAL FUN & GAMES Hands-onactivities, Mon 15 - Fri 19 Aug,Kenilworth Castle

DISCOVER AND EXPLORE WITHMINECRAFT Explore, play and discov-er the world of Minecraft within a safeand secure digital environment. Tues16 Aug, Enginuity Museum,Ironbridge, Shropshire

BUILD YOUR FAVOURITE BRITISH CARBuild your favourite British car withLEGO, Tues 16 - Thurs 18 Aug,British Motor Museum, Gaydon,Warwickshire

LEGO MINDSTORMS ROBOTS Work withLEGO MindStorms to build and pro-gramme a robot to solve a variety ofproblems, Wed 17 Aug, Enginuity

Monday 15 - Sunday 21 August

CircusMASH WorkshopsCircusmash, Kings Heath, Birmingham, Mon 15 - Fri 19 August

Specialising in the development of circus in the West Midlands, six-year-old company CircusMASH is inviting children and young peopleaged between eight and 17 to take part in its summer youth show,Elemento. Participants get to try out a selection of circus skills beforefocusing on one particular discipline, which then forms part of afinal-day show for friends and family to enjoy.Check out the company’s website - circusmash.co.uk - for furtherdetails about how to take part.



thelistMuseum, Ironbridge, Shropshire

FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY: SILHOUETTESTAGES Get crafty and creative asyou make your own puppet theatre,complete with silhouette props, Wed17 Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham

PEPPA PIG See Peppa Pig andGeorge in the gardens, Wed 17 Aug,Birmingham Botanical Gardens

CLAYMATION - STORY TELLINGTHROUGH ANIMATION Create back-drops, figures and objects that canbe used to tell a story through ani-mation, Thurs 18 Aug, EnginuityMuseum, Ironbridge, Shropshire

PRINTED PORTRAITS: INSPIRED BY VANDYCK Try out polytile printing andmake your own portrait in a beautifulframe, Thurs 18 Aug, Aston Hall,Birmingham

THE COLOR RUN Unique 5km run cele-brating healthiness, happiness,friendship and having the time ofyour life, Sat 20 Aug, NEC, B’ham

ROUNDHOUSE UN-TOUR Tour of theRoundhouse Birmingham with a dif-ference, Sat 20 Aug, BirminghamBack to Backs

THE BIG READ: BEATFREEKS One-hourcreative writing session for youngpeople, Sat 20 Aug, Soho House,Birmingham

BECKETTS VINTAGE FAIR Sat 20 Aug,

Beckett's Farm, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016 Sat 20 -Sun 21 Aug, Birmingham City Centre

BLISTS HILL IN STEAM Collection ofsteam machines in their full workingsplendour, plus visiting miniatureengines brought by steam enthusi-asts, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Aug, Blists Hill,Ironbridge, Shropshire

MECCANO EVENT See some amazingworking Meccano models and findout more about the versatile buildingsystem with the Telford MeccanoSociety, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Aug, BlistsHill, Ironbridge, Shropshire

RUN WHAT YA BRUNG Take your car ormotorcycle out on the famous quar-ter-mile dragstrip and test its per-formance limits in a safe and legalenvironment, Sat 20 - Sun 21 Aug,Santa Pod Raceway, Northants

VINTAGE CAR RALLY Featuring 100 vin-tage cars from 1900 to 1975, Sun 21Aug, Charlecote Park, Warwickshire

BUSES FESTIVAL Featuring up to 100restored, vintage and modern busesand coaches, Sun 21 Aug, BritishMotor Museum, Gaydon,Warwickshire

MONSTER TRUCK NATIONALS The battleto find the ultimate Monster TruckNational Champion, Sun 21 Aug,Santa Pod Raceway, Northants

Monday 15 - Sunday 21 August

A Day Out With Peppa Pig Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Wed 17 August

Peppa Pig and George make a welcome return to BirminghamBotanical Gardens this month to delight and excite their legion ofyoung fans.And there’s plenty more besides to enjoy at this always-popular visi-tor attraction. Opened in 1832, the 15-acre venue has changed very lit-tle in its near-200-year history. The gardens feature four glasshouses -tropical, subtropical, Mediterranean and arid - a wetlands enclosure,a seasonal butterfly house and 7,000-plus types of plant. It’s alsohome to the British National Bonsai Collection and a small number ofexotic birds from around the world.Plenty to see and do for visitors of all ages, then...



Birmingham@WHATSONBRU

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Wolverhampton@WHATSONWOL

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Shropshire@WHATSONSHR

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staffordshire@WHATSONSTA

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Worcestershire@WHATSONWOR

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warwickshire@WHATSONWAR

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Classical MusicCBSO: WELCOMING MIRGA GRAZINYTE-TYLA Introducing the City ofBirmingham Symphony Orchestra’snew Music Director. Programmeincludes works by Mozart,Abrahamsen & Tchaikovsky, Fri 26Aug, Symphony Hall, Birmingham.Read our interview with Mirga onpage 16

Comedy GigsCOMEDY CAROUSEL FEAT. ANDY ROBIN-SON, DAVID HADINGHAM & COMIC TBCThurs 25 Aug, The Glee Club,Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. DALISO CHAPON-DA, JOSH HOWIE, JOHN FOTHERGILL &BILLY KIRKWOOD Fri 26 Aug, TheComedy Loft, Birmingham

TIM CLARK, ANDY WHITE, DAVID HAD-INGHAM & COMIC TBC Fri 26 - Sat 27Aug, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CHARITY COMEDY NIGHT FEAT. ANDYWHITE In aid of Alzheimer’s Society,Sun 28 Aug, The Glee Club,Birmingham

JUST THE TONIC FEAT. DALISO CHAPON-DA, JOSH HOWIE, JOHN FOTHERGILL &BILLY KIRKWOOD Mon 29 Aug, TheComedy Loft, Birmingham

SARAH MILLICAN: OUTSIDER Mon 29Aug, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

FAT PENGUIN COMEDY Wed 31 Aug,The Patrick Kavanagh, Birmingham

TheatreTHE GLENN MILLER STORY TommySteele stars as America’s mostfamous big band leader, Tues 23 -Sat 27 Aug, New Alexandra Theatre,Birmingham

MURDER ON THE CHURCHILL EXPRESSAn interactive, immersive evening offun centred around the murder ofeccentric Austrian inventor,Professor Kildorf, Fri 26 - Sat 27Aug, Lichfield Garrick

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Thesame company of actors presenttwo one-act versions of plays linkedby the dangerous power of magic,Sat 27 - Sun 28 Aug, The Dell,Stratford-upon-Avon

JOE PASQUALE Royal Variety Showfavourite Joe Pasquale contem-plates an array of subjects, including‘Why is an orange called an orangewhen a carrot is more orange thanan orange?’, Wed 31 Aug, LichfieldGarrick


SID & NANCY (18) Morbid biographicalstory of Sid Vicious, bassist withBritish punk group the Sex Pistols,and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen.Stars Gary Oldman & Chloe Webb.mac, Birmingham, Mon 22 - Tues 23Aug

PAN (PG) Fantasy action adventure inwhich Peter Pan is kidnapped andtaken to Neverland by the pirates,where he has to confront their dan-gerous leader, Blackbeard. StarsHugh Jackman & Garrett Hedlund.mac, Birmingham, Fri 26 Aug

PSYCHO (15) Marion Crane (JanetLeigh) goes on the run after stealing$40,000 from one of her employer'sclients. Taking a wrong turn in astorm, she arrives at the isolatedBates Motel, run by the twitchyNorman (Anthony Perkins). mac,Birmingham, Fri 26 Aug

THE BFG (PG) The last time StevenSpielberg and the screenwriterMelissa Mathison collaborated on afilm was on ET The Extra-Terrestrial,34 years ago. This one is a live-actionadaptation of Roald Dahl’s story ofthe lonely giant (played here by MarkRylance) who kidnaps a little girl(Ruby Barnhill) to help him outwit theman-eating giants that have beenplaguing the human world. Also starsRuby Barnhill & Dame PenelopeWilton. mac, Birmingham, Fri 26 Aug- Wed 31 Aug

STRANGE MAGIC (U) A madcap fairytalemusical inspired by A MidsummerNight's Dream. Popular songs fromthe past six decades help tell the taleof a colourful cast of goblins, elves,fairies and imps, and their hilariousmisadventures sparked by the battle

thelist Monday 22 - Wednesday 31 August

GigsWHITNEY Tues 23 Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

BEACH SLANG Tues 23Aug, The SunflowerLounge, Birmingham

CELEBRATE - KOOL ASTHE GANG Wed 24 Aug,The Jam House,Birmingham

ETHAN JOHNS Wed 24Aug, Hare & Hounds,Kings Heath, B’ham

PHOENIX RISING Wed14 Aug, The Robin,Bilston

DEAD! Wed 24 Aug,The Asylum, B’ham

KEVIN MORBY Thurs 25Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

THE PRETTY THINGSThurs 25 Aug, TheRobin, Bilston

DEL CAMINO Thurs 25Aug, The Jam House,Birmingham

DOING YOUR OWN DANGFri 26 Aug, Hare &Hounds, Kings Heath,Birmingham

UP4 THE DOWNSTROKE

Fri 26 - Sat 27 Aug,The Jam House,Birmingham

THE SCOPYONS Fri 26Aug, The Roadhouse,Birmingham

KRIS DREVER & IANCARR Fri 26 Aug,Kitchen Garden Cafe,Birmingham

THE HURLING BOYS Sat27 Aug, The IrishCentre, Birmingham

GOOD CHARLOTTE Sat27 Aug, O2 Institute,Birmingham

OZZY OZZSPAWN Sat 27Aug, The Roadhouse,B’ham

DIRTY JANE Sat 27 Aug,O2 Academy,Birmingham

T-REXTACY Sat 27 Aug,The Robin, Bilston

OUR WORLD BELOW Sat27 Aug, O2 Academy,Birmingham

SUBHUMAN RACE Sat27 Aug, Route 44,Birmingham

SOLIHULL SUMMERFESTIVAL FeaturingUB40, Scouting ForGirls & LucySpraggan, Sat 27 -Sun 28 Aug, Tudor

Grange Park, Solihull

SUMMER CHAPTERSat 27 - Sun 28 Aug,The Rainbow Venues,Birmingham

CLUB A GO GO Sun 28Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

THE GARDEN Sun 28Aug, Hare & Hounds,Birmingham

NORTHERN SOUL SPE-CIAL Sun 28 Aug, TheRobin, Bilston

NOVACROW Sat 28Aug, The SladeRooms,Wolverhampton

LIQUIDBRASS Sun 28Aug, Tamworth Castle

TONT KEARNEY Sun 28Aug, The Irish Centre,Birmingham

RAGHU DIXIT Wed 31Aug, O2 Academy,Birmingham

THE ACOUSTICSESSIONS Wed 31 Aug,The Jam House,Birmingham

HOODIE ALLEN- Unsigned Americanhip-hop artist and rap-per, Wed 31 Aug, O2Institute, B’ham

Our World Below - O2 Institute, Birmingham

Lucy Spraggan - Solihull Summer Festival


Andy White - The Glee Club

Joe Pascquale - Lichfield Garrick



over a powerful potion.. mac,Birmingham, Sat 27 Aug

SHAFT (15) Sundown Cinema atmac's Outdoor Arena presents JohnShaft, a black private eye with asmall office near Times Square. StarsRichard Roundtree & Moses Gunn.mac, Birmingham, Sat 27 Aug

CALAMITY JANE (U) Sundown Cinemaat mac's Outdoor Arena presentsCalamity Jane, the classic mucicalstarring Doris Day & Howard Keel.mac, Birmingham, Sun 28 Aug

GOOSEBUMPS (U) An adventure horrorabout a boy who has to save histown when hundreds of monsters areunleashed from his neighbour's bookcollection. Stars Jack Black & DylanMinnette. mac, Birmingham, Mon 29Aug


BAD MOMS (tbc)

CELL (PG)

JULIETA (15)

KIDS IN LOVE (15)

THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR (TBC)

WAR DOGS (TBC)

EventsCONDENSED HISTORIES: ANCIENTWARRIOR SHOWS Greg Chapmanuses juggling, unicycling and othervariety skills to perform shows aboutthe gladiators of Ancient Rome, war-

rior queen Boudicca and theSpartans, Mon 22 Aug, Forge MillNeedle Museum, Redditch,Worcestershire

SIEGE THE DAY! A week-long eventpreparing for the great siege ofKenilworth. Would-be young castledefenders can practise their tre-buchet skills and hear tales aboutthe terrifying siege, Mon 22 - Fri 26Aug, Kenilworth Castle

ENCHANTED CASTLE Aimed at anyonewho likes knights, dragons andfairies. Follow the magical trailthrough the Castle, Mon 22 - Fri 26Aug, Tamworth Castle

SUPERHEROES TO THE RESCUE! Makeyour own mask and cape, and useyour special powers to create a utilitybelt, Tues 23 Aug, Selly Manor,Birmingham

SUMMER WORKSHOP - ILLUSTRATIONAND FOLD-OUR STORY BOOKS Beinspired by Selly Manor and learn funways to draw and translate storiesand characters into a hand-madepicture book, Wed 24 Aug, SellyManor, Birmingham

TEDDY BEARS PICNIC Featuring gameson the lawn, a bouncy castle, a chil-dren’s entertainer, arts and crafts andactivity trails, Wed 24 Aug,Birmingham Botanical Gardens

FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY: CRAFTYCASTLES Take inspiration from themagnificent architecture of Aston Hallto create a crafty castle and becomethe lord or lady of your own make-believe world, Wed 24 Aug, AstonHall, Birmingham

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE YUCKYInteractive family show which findsthe Mrs History team trying to out-gross each other with nasty objectsfrom the past, Wed 24 Aug, AstonHall, Birmingham

SUMMER WORKSHOP - EDWARDIAN TOYMAKING Get toy tinkering and makeyour own peg doll, Jacob’s ladderand spinning tops, Thurs 25 Aug,Selly Manor, Birmingham

BRINDLEYPLACE SUMMER MARKETS Fri26 Aug, Brindleyplace, B’ham

INSOMNIA58 The UK’s biggest gam-ing festival, Fri 26 - Mon 29 Aug,NEC, Birmingham

MOSELEY ARTS MARKET Sat 27 Aug,Victoria Parade, Moseley, B’ham

SUTTON RECORD FAIR Sat 27 Aug, TheCarpenter’s Arms, Sutton Coldfield,Birmingham

THE BIG READ: STORY-TIME TRAILExplore Soho with Stories By Jo.Make your own story by collectingitems through the story time trail, Sat27 Aug, Soho House, Birmingham

MOTORCYCLE RIDER SKILLS WORKSHOPImprove your riding skills, knowledge

and hazard awareness, Sat 27 Aug,British Motor Museum, Gaydon,Warwickshire

BIRMINGHAM BUS TOURS 2016Beginning in the commercial heart ofthe city at the end of Colmore Row,this live guided tour takes in all of thecity’s major buildings of architecturalinterest including St Philip’s and StChad’s Cathedrals, the Victoria LawCourts, the Town Hall, the CouncilHouse, Birmingham Museum & Art

Monday 22 - Wednesday 31 August

DrawnRBSA Gallery, Birmingham, Mon 22 August - Sun 3 September

The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) here displays arange of artworks by its members and associates with the intentionof showcasing the variety of skills involved within the discipline ofdrawing. The exhibition also seeks to illustrate the numerous waysin which drawings can be used - as a form of visual research, for thepurpose of planning and design, or as drafts for final pieces of art-work.The pieces on show are available to buy, with the RBSA offering aninterest-free loan on purchases of between £100 and £2,000. For fur-ther details, enquire at the gallery or visit www.rbsa.org.uk

Goosebumps

THE DINNER CLUB (EST 86)A RECIPE FOR FINE FOOD AND GOOD COMPANYA RECIPE FOR FINE FOOD AND GOOD COMPANY

For the more discerning unattached person, age 40+

Events weekly include dining out, dinner dances, black tieballs, theatre, parties, weekends away and holidays abroad.

01244 677030 (Day)/ 01244 548816 (Eve/W-end)

SINGLE?

For the more discerning unattached person, age 40+

Events weekly include dining out, dinner dances, black tieballs, theatre, parties, weekends away and holidays abroad.

NOT A DATING AGENCY

01244 677030 (Day)/ 01244 548816 (Eve/W-end)

www.thedinnerclubuk.com

MEETING POINT:corner of Colmore Row &

Waterloo Street, Victoria SquareTOUR TIMES:

10.30am, 12.30pm & 2.30pm

CONTACT: 0121 427 2555 / 07805 115 [email protected]

AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE HIRE THROUGHOUT



thelistGallery and Library,Sat 27 - Sun 28Aug, Birmingham City Centre

BECKETTS BANK HOLIDAY FAMILYWEEKEND A weekend of family fun,with fairground rides, inflatables, andplenty for the whole family to seeand do, Sat 27 - Mon 29 Aug,Beckett's Farm, Birmingham

THE SIEGE OF KENILWORTH CASTLEMark 750 years since the Kenilworthsiege with a weekend of live-actionre-enactments, Sun 28 - Mon 29Aug, Kenilworth Castle

STORYTELLING WITH RUBY Visitors areinvited to come along dressed intheir favourite costumes and listen tostories of knights, dragons, princess-es and castle-related themes, Mon29 Aug, Tamworth Castle

SUMMER WORKSHOP - DINOSAURDESIGNS Stomp along to Selly Manorand construct your very own terrificT-Rex or brilliant brachio using recy-cled materials, Tues 30 Aug, SellyManor, B’ham

MAKE A CODE BREAKER Make yourvery own code breaker to help youwrite messages in code, Tues 30Aug, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

CIRCUS WORKSHOPS Plate spinning,juggling, clowns and more, Tues 30 -Wed 31 Aug, Birmingham BotanicalGardens

HANDS ON HISTORY - SIEGE! Get set fora summer packed with time-travellingfun, Tues 30 - Wed 31 Aug,Kenilworth Castle

GREAT FIRE OF LONDON WEEKCommemorate 350 years since theGreat Fire of London, with themedcrafts, garden and house trails,quizzes and performances based onthe Great Fire, Tues 30 Aug - Sun 4Sep, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham

FAMILY CRAFT ACTIVITY: HAND PRINTBEASTS Aston Hall is filled with mythi-cal and legendary beasts hiddenwithin the architecture. Find as manyas you can and then get hands-on asyou create your own colourful crea-ture, Wed 31 Aug, Aston Hall,Birmingham

STORYTELLING IN THE COURTYARD Heara variety of old folktales from Britain,and beyond; tales of dragons, trolls,giant cats and magical mermaids,Wed 31 Aug, Aston Hall, Birmingham

SUMMER WORKSHOP - ANIMATION ANDOLDSKOOL CINEMA Learn about arange of inventors and animatorswho’ve worked with early forms ofcinema, then create your own minitheatres and shadow puppets, Wed31 Aug, Selly Manor, Birmingham

BEHIND THE SCENES AT HIMLEY HALLWed 31 Aug, Himley Hall & Park,Dudley

Monday 22 - Wednesday 31 August

Solihull Summer FestivalTudor Grange, Solihull, Sat 27 - Sun 28 August

Birmingham band UB40 headline this live music festival to raisemoney for Help Harry Help Others, a local cancer charity set up inmemory of the late schoolboy Harry Moseley, who died five yearsago aged 11.The longstanding Midlands favourites will conclude their Europeanfestival tour at the event, the first of its kind in Solihull. Other artiststaking part include Kevin Simm (winner of The Voice UK 2016),Scouting For Girls, The Hoosiers, The Wonder Stuff, Five, S ClubParty and The Blow Monkeys.

Scouting For Girls


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