Coventry & Warwickshire What's On March 2026

What’s On

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Contributors: Graham Bostock, Diane Parkes, Patsy Moss, Steve Adams, Sue Hull, Reggie White, Sue Jones, Liz Day, Chris Eldon Lee

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News from around the region

‘Day of adventure’ awaits visitors to CountryTastic

Popular countryside & farming festival

CountryTastic is returning to Malvern’s Three Counties Showground this Easter (Thursday 2 April), with organisers promising ‘a full day of adventure’ for all the family.

This year’s show will be celebrating all things equestrian, offering young visitors the chance to enjoy pony rides and interactive activities. To find out more about the event, visit its website at countrytastic.co.uk

Interactive exhibition set to pop up at the Herbert

An interactive pop-up exhibition celebrating South Asian heritage in Coventry will go on display at the city’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum for four days next month (Monday 6 - Thursday 9 April). Visitors are being invited to contribute their own lived experiences to the collection, with a real-time artwork emerging on the walls in response to the stories and objects on display. The show also features talks by guest speakers and live performances by South Asian poets, musicians and storytellers. For further information on Our Stories and Heritage, visit theherbert.org

Tewkesbury Abbey to host popular Midlands choir

The City of Birmingham Choir will be paying a visit to Tewkesbury Abbey this summer to perform a choral concert with brass and organ accompaniment. Featuring a programme including music by, among others, John Rutter, William Walton and Henry Purcell, Blaze Of Glory takes place at the Abbey on Saturday 6 June. For further information and to book tickets, visit citychoir.org.uk

Great Malvern heritage walks return next month

Malvern Civic Society’s regular guided walks of Great Malvern have a new name and a new logo. Great Malvern Heritage Walks take place every Saturday and Monday from Saturday 4 April to Saturday 31 October. Tickets can be booked via the Malvern TIC or online at ticketsource.co.uk

Classic Ibiza back at Ragley Hall in the summer

Hit Burlesque musical heading for the Midlands

Hit West End musical Burlesque is heading out on a UK tour, during which it will visit three Midlands venues - Stoke-on-Trent’s Regent Theatre (25 to 29 August), Birmingham’s The Alexandra (6 to 17 October) and Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre (6 to 10 April, 2027).

Executive-produced by and featuring the music of Christina Aguilera - who co-starred with Cher in the Golden Globe-nominated film on which the musical is based - the show follows the central character of Ali, whose New York City search for her mother leads her into ‘a dazzling underground world of music and dance that will change her life forever’. For tickets visit burlesqueonstage.com

Celebrating 30 years of Cheltenham Jazz Festival

Cheltenham Jazz Festival is this year celebrating its 30th anniversary. The popular event, which brings internationally acclaimed artists and breakthrough talent to venues across the town, runs from Wednesday 29 April to Monday 4 May.

This year’s mega line-up includes Van Morrison, Jessie J, Nigel Kennedy, Mica Paris, Joss Stone, Earth Wind And Fire, Corinne Bailey Rae and Jack Savoretti (pictured). For further information and to book tickets, visit cheltenhamfestivals.org

Classic Ibiza will return to Warwickshire’s Ragley Hall in the summer. Featuring a new chill-out set by Urban Soul Orchestra, fresh DJ sets, and guest vocals from members of London Community Gospel Choir, the event takes place at the venue on Saturday 4 July. Tickets can be booked by visiting the website at classicibiza.co.uk

Demon Barber spending summer in the Midlands

Birmingham Repertory Theatre will this summer present a production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical masterpiece Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. The show, which stars musical theatre favourite Ramin Karimloo in the title role, runs at The Rep from Saturday 4 July to Sunday 9 August. Further information and tickets are available at birmingham-rep.co.uk

Stratford stop for Sister Cookie

Charismatic chanteuse Sister Cookie is making a late-month visit to The Embankment in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The Lagos-born Londoner will be taking her audience ‘on an eclectic excursion into the roots and fruits of black music’ when she performs at the venue on Saturday 28 March.

To find out more and book tickets, visit sistercookie.co.uk

O2 Academy date for Thomas Dolby

Synth pioneer & singersongwriter Thomas Dolby will perform in Birmingham in the late spring as part of a UK tour. Thomas brings his brand-new show, Iconic 80s Recollections, to the city’s O2 Academy on Wednesday 20 May. Tickets can be purchased by visiting thomasdolby.com

Mid-century art at Netherwood

The historic Netherwood Estate at Stoke Bliss in Herefordshire is this spring and early summer hosting an exhibition exploring how the British landscape was represented ‘across multiple media in the mid-20th century’. Taking the title The Countryside Through MidCentury Art, the show is available to view at the venue from Saturday 16 to Monday 25 May, and then again from Friday 5 to Sunday 14 June. Artists whose work is featured in the exhibition include John Piper, Katharine Church, Elisabeth Frink, Rowland Suddaby and Robert Tavener.

RSC to stage Game Of Thrones world premiere

The Royal Shakespeare Company is bringing Game Of Thrones to the stage in Stratford-uponAvon this summer.

Brand-new play The Mad King is a prequel to the original books and HBO’s long-running television series.

Described as ‘a sweeping new stage epic’, the production spans the final years before the events of the original novels, which were written by George RR Martin, who is serving as executive producer on the show.

Commenting on the news, George said: “When I

Lucy Beaumont takes to the road

Comedian Lucy Beaumont will make multiple Midlands stop-offs when she hits the road with a brand-new tour in the autumn.

To find out where and when the Hull-born comic will be performing, visit her website at lucybeaumont.co.uk

first wrote Game Of Thrones, I never imagined that it would be anything other than a book... For me, the RSC was the obvious choice when thinking about putting a Game Of Thrones story on the stage. Shakespeare is the greatest name in English literature, and his plays have been a constant source of inspiration to me and my writing.”

Priority booking will go on sale from Tuesday 14 April, with public booking to be announced next month. For early access, visit rsc.org.uk/join to become an RSC member.

West End hit Heathers a highlight of Coventry theatre’s 2026 programme

West End hit Heathers, a new production of Little Shop Of Horrors, a stage adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful and a 25th-anniversary performance by the awardwinning Ballet Black feature among the highlights of Coventry Belgrade Theatre’s 2026 programme of entertainment.

The line-up of shows also includes a festive-season pantomime production of Beauty And The Beast (Wednesday 18 NovemberSaturday 2 January), written by and starring Belgrade panto veteran Iain Lauchlan.

To check out the full programme of shows and purchase tickets, visit the venue’s website at belgrade.co.uk

Warwick Arts Centre to host Daiga Grantina’s first UK solo exhibition

Coventry’s Warwick Arts Centre will host a first UK solo exhibition by Latvian artist Daiga Grantina in the late spring/early summer (Saturday 2 May - Sunday 28 June).

Daiga creates sculptures which explore how materials meet and react to each other in ways that make the viewer look again at their size, form and meaning.

First Word

The Great Birmingham Run to return in early May

The 2026 AJ Bell Great Birmingham Run event - including a 10k and half-marathon, as well as junior and mini runs - will take place across the first weekend in May (Saturday the 2nd & Sunday the 3rd).

To find out more and sign up to take part, visit greatrun.org

Celebrating local legend Hazel at music museum

Coventry Music Museum’s latest exhibition pays tribute to local legend Hazel O’Connor. Taking the title Being Hazel, the display tells her story and features a collection of her personal items, including stage wear, awards, rare posters and memorabilia.

Commenting on the show, the museum’s curator, Dr Pete Chambers, said: “This is a perfect way to thank one of our own for all the joy her music and acting has brought us. Hazel is of course recovering from illness at the moment, and this is our way of brightening her day and just thanking her and sending our love. The exhibition is like a huge ‘get well soon’ card.”

A new artistic director for Midlands ensemble

Birmingham early-music ensemble Ex Cathedra has announced the appointment of internationally renowned conductor James Burton as its next artistic director. Joining the organisation this year as artistic director designate, James will take over from Ex Cathedra founder Jeffrey Skidmore in Autumn 2027.

Former Bake Off judge at Stratford Literary Festival

Former Great British Bake Off judge & cook Prue Leith, actor & writer Mark Gatiss, BBC

broadcaster Sophie Raworth and writer & presenter Reverend Richard Coles (pictured) are among the wellknown names appearing at the Stratford Literary Festival in May.

The spring edition of the event takes place at various venues within the town, but mainly the Crowne Plaza Hotel, from Thursday the 7th to Sunday the 10th. More information and tickets are available by visiting the event’s official website at stratfordliteraryfestival.co.uk

News from around the region

It’s fun for all at Resonate Summer Festival Day Out

The University of Warwick’s year-round Resonate initiative includes a special event that brings together ‘dazzling performances, fascinating demonstrations and a Summer Science Zone’.

The Resonate Summer Festival Day Out will be held in the university’s Faculty of Arts

Inspired by Shakespeare

Spires Music Coventry

Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus will be finding their inspiration in Shakespeare when they perform at the city’s King Henry VIII School next month (Saturday 11 April).

Sounds And Sweet Airs will feature excerpts from Felix Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet ballet, and George Shearing’s jazzy Songs And Sonnets From Shakespeare. To find out more and book your seat, visit ticketsource.co.uk/spiresmusic

BOA to launch new Level 4 Professional Diploma

Birmingham’s BOA Stage & Screen

Production Academy has launched a Level 4 Professional Diploma in Make Up, Hair & Special Effects. Starting in September, the full-time, one-year programme will include industry-led teaching, hands-on practical

building on Saturday 30 May.

The Resonate programme takes place across Coventry & Warwickshire with the aim of ‘sparking ideas, curiosity and creativity’. To find out more about the initiative and the special Day Out event, visit the official website at resonatefestival.co.uk

projects, and real on-set experience working alongside professional partners. For more information, visit boa-stageandscreen.co.uk

Dippy the dinosaur to stay in Coventry till 2027

The nation’s favourite dinosaur is extending its Coventry residency, three years after arriving in the city.

The Natural History Museum’s iconic Diplodocus cast - better known as Dippywill remain on show at the Herbert Art Gallery & Museum for another year, until Friday 19 February 2027. For more information, visit theherbert.org

First Word

Walk for a Dementia cure

Alzheimer’s Research UK’s Walk For A Cure fundraising event makes a return in the summer, taking place in Worcestershire’s Arrow Valley Country Park on Sunday 7 June. To find out more about the event, visit walk.alzheimersresearchuk.org

In Times Of Dragons...

Tori Amos is performing at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall next month (Friday 10 April) in support of her latest album, In Times Of Dragons. For further information and tickets, visit her website at toriamos.com

Ballet stars to reimagine a controversial classic

The world premiere of Birmingham Royal Ballet Director Carlos Acosta’s The Maiden Of Venice - a groundbreaking reimagining of controversial 19th-century classic La Bayadère - is among the many highlights of the company’s 2026/27 season.

Commenting on his new ballet and La Bayadère - which has often been criticised for its depiction of Indian culture - Carlos said: “Since arriving at BRB five years ago, I have had a vision of re-making La Bayadère. It is such an important ballet - to me personally, but also to the sector and to audiences. I understand why it has become problematic, but I feel passionate about not allowing it to be buried or to be, in effect, cancelled... I am so happy that my company of amazing dancers will have the opportunity to perform this new version.”

To find out more about the 2026/27 programme of productions, visit brb.org.uk

News from around the region

An award-winning photographic project celebrating youth style, fashion and selfexpression opens at Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery & Museum this month.

Available to view from Saturday 7 March to

Magic of Motown night to fundraise for hospice

An event showcasing the magic of Motown and fundraising for Worcester’s St Richard’s Hospice will take place at the city’s Swan Theatre mid-month.

Presented by The Angelettes and celebrating artists including The Supremes, Martha Reeves, The Vandellas, The Marvelettes and Stevie Wonder, the night of feelgood nostalgia is being held at the venue on Friday 13 March. Further information and tickets are available at strichards.org.uk

Free Charterhouse entry for Coventry residents

Coventry residents with a Go CV+ card can now enjoy free entry to the city’s National Trust-run Charterhouse.

A 14th-century former monastery, the venue sits within Coventry’s Heritage Park - one mile from the city centre - and provides a peaceful place in which to explore history and enjoy nature... To find out more about Coventry Charterhouse, visit the website at nationaltrust.org.uk

Monday 4 May, Saturday Town showcases the work of Casey Orr, who has travelled the UK photographing young people in towns and cities on Saturday afternoons. To find out more, visit the website at theherbert.org

Rep company to present a Jane Austen classic

Worcester Repertory Company is to present a new stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s Gothic novel Northanger Abbey at the city’s Commandery this summer.

Running from Thursday 16 to Sunday 19 July, and then again from Thursday the 23rd to Sunday the 26th, the show will be performed in the venue’s gardens. To find out more and book tickets, visit worcestertheatres.co.uk

Worcester exhibition to celebrate women in art

An exhibition exploring the role, impact and legacy of women in art will visit Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum in early 2027. Taking the title Making Her Mark and bringing together more than 50 works by women artists, the exhibition will explore a range of themes, including the power of collaboration, the struggle for recognition and representation, and the significance of the self-portrait for women artists.

To find out more, go to the venue’s websitemuseumsworcestershire.org.uk - and type in the exhibition’s title.

FROM HARRY TO HENRY

Alfred Enoch takes on his biggest stage role to date

By Steve Adams

Actor Alfred Enoch, best known for playing Dean Thomas in the Harry Potter films, takes on his biggest stage role to date when he stars as the titular king in Henry V for the Royal Shakespeare Company this month. It’s not only a fantastic part, he tells What’s On, but also one that comes with a family connection and contemporary resonance...

Alfred Enoch started his acting career young. Very young. At the age of 10 he joined the cast of Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone, going on to appear as Hogwarts pupil (and child wizard) Dean Thomas in seven of the series’ eight movies between 2001 and 2011. The incredible start to his career is even more remarkable given that he initially turned down the chance to audition, as he couldn’t see a role for a young black kid. He was eventually encouraged to try out after a member of the casting department spotted him performing with the National Youth Music Theatre, and the rest is history.

In the 15 years since the last Potter film, he’s earned a degree in Modern Languages from Oxford University and developed a creditable acting CV that includes high-profile roles in TV hits such as How To Get Away With Murder, Miss Austen and recent Harlan Coben adaptation Run Away. His theatre work is arguably even more impressive and features a number of Shakespeare plays, including As You Like It, Romeo And Juliet, King Lear, Coriolanus and a critically acclaimed production of Pericles for the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2024. Henry V sees him reunite with its director, Tamara Harvey, also the RSC’s co-artistic director, who will become the first female in the company’s history to helm a production of the play.

Alfred admits her involvement is one of the main reasons he’s so excited to return.

“I had the best and the richest experience of my professional career working with Tamara on Pericles, so to come back is joyous,” he says. “The possibilities she opens up in the [rehearsal] room are unique in my experience, and I’ve been doing this for a quarter of a century. She’s an extraordinary collaborator and facilitator for the work of others - you’re not sculpting and discarding blocks of granite as you get towards a perfect shape, you’re always exploring and discovering more.

“The amount of possibility is fitting for anything, but especially in Shakespeare, where the text is so plastic - he has a way of writing that gives you so much freedom.”

Alfred concedes that rehearsals have been demanding, and despite insisting he doesn’t seek out challenging work for the sake of it,

he’s been enjoying every minute: “A play of this quality gives you so many possibilities, so many provocations and so many options and avenues to explore. That’s part of its fullness, and the aliveness is what makes it so appealing to me.

“If it was easy, it wouldn’t be so rich, wouldn’t be so satisfying, and wouldn’t be so rewarding,” he adds, noting that despite being a history play with a very specific history - it centres on the Battle of AgincourtHenry V is as much about people and power, and how they are portrayed and perceived, as the precise details of the conflict.

“Theatre is an inherently present medium - it speaks to people in the audience. Something obviously shifts when you get plays printed and you can read them at a distance, but ultimately all theatre makers understand that a play is something you make for your audience. So it seems to me - important caveat - that Shakespeare made theatre to engage with his audience and have dialogue with them, not to get all the history bang on.”

It’s been over a decade since the last RSC production of Henry V, but given recent or ongoing conflicts (Ukraine, Gaza), invasions (Venezuela) and potential invasions (Greenland) in the world, the timing of this year’s production seems sadly prescient.

“We’re living in a political moment where militaries and aggression seem even more pronounced than they have been, though sometimes we make the mistake of imagining [wars] don’t exist because they’re not in our immediate sphere.

“It feels like we in the UK and the West are even less able to sit in our bubbles and think all is well just because all is well for us.”

How and if any contemporary resonances will be represented in the new production is something Alfred won’t be drawn on (“I’m not entirely sure how much I should be sharing”), but he’s rather more forthcoming about his own connections to the play. Not only was it the first stage show he ever saw, he even has cue notes written by his late father, the actor William Russell, which he found scribbled in a copy “appropriated” from his bookshelf.

“I’ve been working through an edition of Henry V that he used, and it’s been fun trying to decipher his little notes. My mum also gave

me a little diary of his from that period - not a proper journal, just little lines and the dates. One said: ‘dried in the chorus speech. Oh dear,’”

The notes stem from the time his father played the King of France opposite Mark Rylance as Henry in a production that was part of the opening season of the recreated Shakespeare’s Globe in 1997. It was eightyear-old Alfie’s first exposure to the theatre, and he was instantly hooked.

“I’d always been interested in his work because my dad was much older [his father was 64 when Alfred was born], and a lot of stuff he’d done was on telly at Easter and Christmas - he was in The Great Escape and had done all sorts of war films in the 50s and 60s.

“All of this was really compelling to me, so of course I wanted to go and see what he was doing. I walked in and stood in the yard, in the groundlings, and it was like going into the past. I loved history, and the play itself was set very much at the time. It absolutely gripped my imagination, so much so that I demanded - or requested politely - that my room be painted blue, in accordance with the King of France, and I wanted a fleur-de-lys round the top.”

The experience obviously didn’t just impact his younger self’s choice of colour scheme, it changed his life - and the adult Alfred still believes live theatre has the power to transform people.

“Going to the theatre is an act of putting yourself into someone else’s shoes and someone else’s story. It’s a fundamentally empathetic act. You come along and say ‘I’m going to give my time and energy to this story - not just to receive it but to put myself into it in an active way.’ By doing that, can you come out the same? I hope the answer’s no. It’s like anything - you go somewhere new, you see something different, you’re changed. That’s what the theatre is.”

Henry V shows at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, from Saturday 14 March to Saturday 25 April

music from across the region...

Malin Lewis

The Tin at The Coal Vaults, Coventry, Sun 22 March

Malin Lewis will be deep-diving into a hypnotic, envisioned world of ancient Scottish folk music in Coventry this monthand doing so not only on fiddle but also with a self-made and newly invented bagpipe. Exploring laments, improvisation, circular melody, jigs and reels, the trans instrument maker & award-winning composer is one of Scotland’s most acclaimed innovators, creating music which finds its inspiration in a variety of places, from European folk traditions and human nature, to queerness and the universe.

Grimm Grimm

Just Dropped In, Coventry, Sat 14 March

Grimm Grimm is the musical project of Tokyoborn, London-based composer Koichi Yamanoha. Using his releases to explore subtle shifts in style, Koichi’s output is firmly rooted in the avant-garde and experimental music scenes - as well as in the worlds of film and video-game soundtracks. Expect an evening of music that blends experimental pop elements with futuristic lyricism... Support on the night comes from art folk/post-rock band Brette Wolfe.

The Bluetones Acoustic

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 1 March; The Marrs Bar, Worcester, Sat 21 March

Fate can sometimes deal a dodgy hand to those aspiring to musical greatness - and so it proved with The Bluetones. A significant name during the Britpop era of the 1990s, the band struggled to build on their initial success. To give them their due, though, they’ve gamely battled on across the ensuing decades - save for one four-year hiatus - and enjoyed modest success on the

Martin Turner ex Wishbone Ash

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Wed 25 March

Wishbone Ash’s founding lead vocalist and key creative force, Martin Turner here performs two very distinct sets of music, representing the pre-1974 and post-1974 lineups of the band.

Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash were long admired for their unique blend of blues, jazz and English folk - but it was the way the guitars played melodic leads together that became their trademark. Classic album releases such as Argus, Pilgrimage, There’s The Rub, New England and Live Dates defined the band’s sound and have touched the hearts of generations of music fans.

Dub Catalyst

Malvern Cube, Sat 14 March

An evening of soul-stirring music is very much on the cards whenever Dub Catalyst hit town. Boasting an electrifying energy, the talented 11-piece infuse the mesmerising rhythms of reggae and dub with the urban pulse of hip-hop, in the process generating a unique and memorable sound.

touring circuit...

Two of their members, Mark Morriss and Adam Devlin, are this month out on the road with a show that should be well worth catching when it visits the Midlands; the boys will be interspersing acoustic performances of the band’s classics with plenty of banter and storytelling from their 30-plus years in the music industry.

Richard Clarke Band

Temperance, Leamington Spa, Sun 22 March

Intricate guitar work and stirring vocals has proved to be a winning combination for Richard Clarke, catapulting him into the blues-music stratosphere. Cutting his teeth in venues on the outskirts of London, Richard began playing professionally at the age of 15. “The guitar spoke to me,” he recalls, “and I was hooked from the moment I picked it up...” He’s been captivating audiences with his signature blend of blues, R&B, soul and pop music ever since. Richard’s later-month gig sees him making his Temperance basement blues bar debut.

Classical music from across the region...

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Thurs 5 March

Music Director Kazuki Yamada and his CBSO head down the road to Coventry early this month to perform two epic works... Alongside Mussorgsky’s Pictures At An Exhibition, the orchestra also embrace the challenge of Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto. They are joined for the endeavour by Canadian pianist Bruce Liu. Although nowadays one of the most famous pieces ever written for piano and orchestra, the concerto was severely criticised when Tchaikovsky first played it; his friend, Nicolai Rubinstein - his superior at the Moscow Conservatory - dealt him a crushing blow.

Orchestra Of The Swan: Four Notes & The Truth

Warwick Hall, Tues 3 March

Orchestra Of The Swan make their third appearance of the season at Warwick Hall, presenting a concert that climaxes with a performance of Beethoven’s Fifth - a composition widely considered to be among the greatest symphonies ever written. The concert takes the title Four Notes And The Truth. The four notes referred to are the four with which Beethoven begins the symphony. Often described as ‘fate knocking at the door’, they are considered to be among the most dramatic and instantly recognisable notes in the whole history of music.

The concert programme also features Holst’s St Paul’s Suite, Peter Maxwell Davies’ Farewell To Stromness, and Elgar’s Cello Concerto. The latter is performed by BBC Radio Three New Generation Artist Sterling Elliott. Andrew Griffiths conducts.

“It appeared that my concerto was worthless,” the composer later wrote, in recalling Rubinstein’s response, “that it was unplayable, that passages were trite, awkward, and so clumsy that it was impossible to put them right, that as a composition it was bad and tawdry... and that there were only two or three pages that could be retained, and that the rest would have to be scrapped or completely revised.” It says much for the ultimately irrefutable quality of the concerto that the critical Rubinstein went on to become one of its biggest champions.

Tan Dun & the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sun 29 March

It’s no exaggeration to say that this is a concert which no self-respecting classical music enthusiast would want to miss. The London Philharmonic are here performing to the baton of Tan Dun, whose CV includes the Academy Award-winning soundtrack to Ang Lee’s year-2000 martialarts film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon... And the concert programme makes this late-afternoon event an even more mouthwatering prospect. Alongside Beethoven’s visionary Ninth Symphony, the orchestra will also perform Tan Dun’s brand-new choral concerto, Nine. A tribute to Beethoven, the work combines ancient poetry from China and Europe, creating an ‘ode to peace’ which has been described as ‘worthy of Beethoven’s Ode To Joy’ (the fourth and final movement of the Ninth Symphony).

Dudok Quartet & Pieter Wispelwey

Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa, Fri 20 March

Masterful practitioners when it comes to playing the core quartet repertoire, Amsterdam-based Dudok aren’t shy of swimming in less familiar waters too. On this occasion, they’re joined by brilliant Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey for a concert which features works by Dowland (Lachrimae or Seven Tears), Mozart (String Quartet No21 in D major, K575 ‘Prussian’) and Schubert (String Quintet in C major, D956).

Armonico Consort: St Matthew Passion

Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire, Tues 24 March; Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, Thurs 26 March

Founded 25 years ago by organist and conductor Christopher Monks, and using authentic period instruments, Warwick-based baroque consort Armonico this month turn their talents to the task of performing St Matthew Passion.

A favourite at Easter, Bach’s dramatic telling of the Passion of Christ continues to be among classical music’s most profound experiences. Christopher Monks takes the reins for both performances.

Birmingham Festival Choral Society: A Sea Symphony

All Saints Church, Leamington Spa, Sat 21 March

Birmingham Festival Choral Society here team up with Leamington Chamber Orchestra to present a performance of Ralph Vaughan Williams’ A Sea Symphony. The concert programme also features Charles Villiers Stanford’s Songs Of The Fleet, a song cycle celebrating Britain’s strong naval tradition.

This show is about overcoming; about resilience. There's so much that I'm sure you don't know about Chaka's life that is just so shocking and incredible. “ “

by Jessica Clixby

A LIVING LEGEND

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical has its world premiere in London this month before visiting Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre in early April. Covering the singer-songwriter’s decadesspanning career, the show stars X Factor winner Alexandra Burke and alternate lead performer Jordan Frazier - who developed the role in a previous iteration of the show, performing in front of Chaka Khan herself! What’s On spoke to Jordan to find out more…

Jordan, after portraying Chaka Khan multiple times over the last few years, have you developed a new appreciation for her and her music?

One hundred percent. I think what a lot of people don’t realise is that she’s gone through a lot of difficult things. We cover 50 years of her life, so you’re seeing a lot of high highs and low lows. She gets really vulnerable - Chaka has been involved [with the show] from the beginning. She was involved with the casting and the storytelling and everything. So these are all things in her life that she’s approved to include, and I think that itself takes a lot of bravery. I feel like vulnerability begets vulnerability, and it helps other people be strong when they hear somebody share their story honestly. When this show was first birthed several years ago, we were workshopping it - I was playing Chaka Khan back then as well - and she came and saw the show. She came and watched all of us live, and watched me portray her. This time around, she’s been involved with the casting process, refining the story and making sure it feels real for her, and honest. She’s been very involved with the entire project and the process.

Has anything surprised you about Chaka, through your performance?

I feel like what’s been most interesting is listening to how she places certain words, and how she places music in her voice. She uses her voice like a true instrument, getting different qualities of sound out and being able to sing all over her range, just effortlessly - from the lowest possible range that a woman could sing to quite high. The thing that’s been really fun is listening to her songs with a different ear - how she’s pronouncing each of the words and how she’s placing it with her distinctive style.

You’re sharing this role with Alexandra Burke - what does that entail for you?

As of now, I’m the first cover and the alternate, all rolled into one. I have my scheduled shows, but also, if she ever goes down, I’m up! I feel super-equipped for it because I covered four different complete roles in Hamilton before this. It’s really fun to sink your teeth into playing somebody who’s still alive. We still have the privilege [of being able] to ask her questions, and get direct answers, rather than trying to find out stuff through hearsay.

Was it nerve-wracking to perform in front of Chaka Khan herself?

It’s such a unique experience and very surreal. Having the person you’re acting as walk into the room and watch your performance is probably one of the most intimidating things ever. But she was really kind and really supportive. It’s just a privilege to be in her presence. I mean, she truly is music royalty - she’s worked with everyone under the sun. It’s really nice that I’ve been able to embody the character in the previous iteration, and this is the second chance to go even deeper. We have a little bit more time in the rehearsal process, so I’m really enjoying going in the archives and looking at all the footage online - her interviews when she was really young, all the way to the present day, even recently at the Grammys. I love singing all of her material, and it’s just so fun and empowering. There’s so much joy infused into all of her work.

Speaking of music royalty, Chaka has crossed paths with many famous artists through the years, some of whom are brought to the stage in this production... She’s worked with everyone under the sun. She’s worked with Joni Mitchell, Prince, Stevie Wonder - those are all people we have in the show. She’s worked with Whitney, Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Rick James, Phil

Collins, Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson - who wrote I’m Every WomanQuincy Jones, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Miles Davis… I mean, just icons. The icons that you know about were fangirling over her - Whitney Houston was learning under her wing.

You’re visiting Coventry for just four days - why is this a production not to be missed?

This show is about overcoming; about resilience. There’s so much that I’m sure you don’t know about Chaka’s life that is just so shocking and incredible. We cover all the highs and lows; we’re not sugar-coating anything. That’s the most enthralling part about the show - you really get to find out about her as a human, you know? We get to explore her unwavering passion for civil rights, her defiance in the face of a toxic music industry, the harrowing road through addiction, the unrelenting pressure of being a working mother. Many people can relate to one of those things at least. I just think that it’s going to be a story that everyone will be able to connect with in a really deep way. It really covers some universal concepts of battling with the self, intrusive thoughts and battling with your own demons.

We’re going to have a wonderful time. You're going to be tapping your toes! And, of course, we’re including all of her most iconic songs. All those songs that you’d want to be in the show, we’ve included as many of them as possible. And on top of that, you’re going to get a really riveting story. I’m excited!

I’m Every Woman: The Chaka Khan Musical shows at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre from Wednesday 1 to Saturday 4 April

Comedy previews from across the region...

Jeff Dunham

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Sun 29 March

Walter the grumpy retiree, Bubba J the beerfuelled redneck, and José Jalapeño, the spicy pepper from south of the border, are just some of the characters brought to life by American ventriloquist and stand-up comedian Jeff Dunham.

Then there’s the skeletal fantasist Achmed the dead terrorist, the creation which propelled him to stardom 20 years ago. Sixtysomething Jeff is certainly a talented guy - and he’s very much at ease making fun of the British, too. “When they say drink responsibly,” he gets his sidekick, Walter, to opine, “all they mean is, don’t spill it on the ****ing steering wheel.”

Andy Parsons

Lichfield Garrick, Sat 21 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 26 March; The Brewhouse, Burton-upon-Trent, Thurs 30 April

With complimentary reviews including such observations as 'what he lacks in hair, he more than makes up for in originality,' Andy Parsons is a sharp and topical comedian who's well known from TV shows such as Mock The Week and Live At The Apollo. Jokes include: “If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in tonight’s episode of EastEnders, they must have been acting better than they usually do.”

Joel Dommett

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Fri 13 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 15 April

“I absolutely love performing in small, intimate spaces,” says The Masked Singer presenter Joel Dommett, a man who was once the face of MTV - until he was sacked at the age of 27 for being ‘too old’. “I’d far rather do a small gig in front of 50 people, but be doing new stuff, than do old stuff in front of 5,000 people.”

Henning Wehn

Lichfield Garrick, Sun 15 March; Bedworth Civic Hall, Sat 28 March; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sun 29 March; Walsall Arena, Fri 9 October

Presenting a style of humour that’s been described as ‘Teutonic jolliness at its best’, selfappointed German comedy ambassador Henning Wehn tours to the Midlands this month with his new climate-change-focused show, Acid Wehn.

Samples of his comedy include: “With standup in Britain, what you have to do is bloody swearing. In Germany, we don’t have to swear. Reason being, things work.” There’s also “World War Two was a painful time for my family. My grandfather died in a concentration camp. He got drunk one night and fell out of his guard tower...”

Joel is extremely committed to the business of keeping his act fresh. “I’m working on material pretty much all the time,” explains the one-time Justin Bieber warm-up act. “In fact, I try to put in something new every time I go on stage. If there’s something new in there, it brightens up the whole set and gives it more energy and excitement.”

Geoff Norcott

Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sun 1 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sun 8 March; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 19 March; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Thurs 26 March

One of the sharpest tools in the comedy shed, Geoff Norcott is visiting the Midlands this month with Basic Bloke 2: There’s No Bloke Without Fire, the follow-up offering to, er, Basic Bloke 1, a show described by its official publicity as ‘a kindly and funny stock-take of both Geoff and his fellow man’. And, as with that previous, critically acclaimed Basic Bloke offering, the London-born comedian will be taking a deep-dive into the business of being a fella, to try and find out what makes them tick. Along the way, he’s also promising to tell you what he really thinks, including how much he judges people: bad parents, people who eat too much, anyone who’s still wearing a dressing gown beyond 9am...

LAUGHING & LEARNING

Comedy and science combine in Lieven Scheire’s deep dive into Artificial Intelligence...

Lieven Scheire has sold out venues across Belgium and the Netherlands with his sharp mix of science and comedy. International audiences may know him from BBC’s QI, the hit podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, or from his viral science explainers online. Now, he’s bringing his acclaimed show, Artificial Intelligence, to the UK. What’s On caught up with him to talk about what’s really going on under the bonnet of AI, why humour is the perfect tool to explain tough ideas, and how he sees the future of this rapidly evolving technology...

So, what actually is AI, Lieven?

Well, turns out there is no real definition of that. You could say that the term ‘artificial intelligence’ is mostly clever marketing. It sounds like we’re talking about consciousness. In reality, it’s simply a new kind of software that’s exceptionally good at recognising patterns.

What will your show be about?

I’ll be talking about the possibilities of AI, both now and in the future. But I also want to give the audience a better understanding of what’s going on ‘under the bonnet’ of AI. Research into AI actually began back in 1956, making this field almost 70 years old now. For a long time, artificial intelligence was built on rule-based programming: the typical ‘if this, then that’ rules that you see in programming languages. But today’s wave of AI simulates a neural network in software: it is roughly based on the way a network of brain cells send signals to one another. About 10 years ago, that suddenly started working remarkably well. Tasks that old software and robotics couldn’t automate - like picking fruit or recognising faces - are now being automated by AI.

This technology moves so fast. Has your show changed since you first wrote it?

Absolutely. I follow the newest developments and adapt the show when needed. Every few months, there’s a new breakthrough in AI that changes the conversation.

Your career also seems to stretch far beyond just this show on AI. Can you tell us a bit more?

In Belgium, I develop and host TV shows on science and comedy for national television, and I’ve toured theatres with shows about special relativity, human genetics, and now AI. The concept for all of them is the same: making intriguing but complex topics accessible to a general audience. I also host Nerdland, Belgium’s biggest science podcast, as well as the Nerdland Festival, our yearly science festival that attracts 25,000 visitors. I’ve also worked abroad a bit, doing TV in the Netherlands, and some research as a QI Elf for BBC’s QI. We’ve had international guests on the podcast, such as Dara Ó Briain, Neil deGrasse Tyson, XKCD cartoonist Randall

Munroe, and Walter Isaacson. I’ve also taken my shows from the Edinburgh Fringe to San Francisco, and even to CERN in Geneva. Another highlight for me was when former US president Barack Obama visited Belgium two years ago - my AI talk was the opening act before him. Quite an honour.

How important is comedy in your shows?

I started out as a stand-up comedian, which I often describe as the altitude training of public speaking. On a stand-up stage, there are no excuses. You’ve got nowhere to hide: either the crowd laughs or it doesn’t, and the buck stops with you. That kind of training makes you very aware of an audience’s attention, and makes you aim for the joke when you can. When you’re explaining complicated stuff, it certainly helps to add some lightness.

Chat GPT is also an example of this new kind of automation, this time in the field of creative and intellectual professions... AI is the ‘loom’ of knowledge work. When weaving machines took over manual labour, they brought efficiency gains and sparked massive protests. And yet manual labour clearly hasn’t disappeared. So now the big question is: what happens when we automate brainwork? If AI really creates huge efficiency gains, we could, for example, evolve toward a four-day work week.

Will everyone soon have a robot at home?

At the moment, language models are still the main revolution within AI. Image recognition and other forms of AI are developing as well. But the ultimate goal is the creation of artificial general intelligence (AGI): an AI system that doesn’t just perform one specific task, but can do everything. Many researchers believe we’re getting closer, while others still dismiss it as a pipedream. Still, one thing seems certain: if more computing power becomes available through more efficient methods, it will almost certainly be funnelled into the race toward AGI.

In your show, you quote Yuval Harari:“I’m not afraid of artificial intelligence, but of human stupidity.” I just asked an AI system whether we should fear AI - it quickly turned very dark!

We sometimes forget that these language

models are trained on everything that’s out there on the internet. Their answers echo what the average internet user writes. These language models have no consciousness. We are not even sure if that will ever be possible with this technology. We don’t even know what causes human consciousness. People today also completely misjudge the real risks of AI.

In what way?

We’re fixated on the Terminator idea. As long as we don’t see glowing red eyes, we feel reassured. Meanwhile, AI systems are already being trained to play the stock market, and military drones with facial recognition are already being sold. The real danger probably lies in corners we can’t see yet. The milliondollar question is: where’s the black swan we don’t see coming? The seemingly trivial glitch that ends up having massive consequences? In short: AI is software. It’s not a conscious, evil mastermind secretly plotting its next move. The drive to dominate, to be in control, that’s human. It’s part of our evolution. Software doesn’t have that instinctive aggression. Your PC is not angry when you turn it off.

What does the future look like?

Nobody knows! The newest large language models, like GPT-5, aren’t much better than the previous ones. Is the period of rapid progress over? Or is AGI around the corner, like some tech entrepreneurs believe? We’ll see. But AI is not a fad. Even in its current state, this is a valuable new kind of software with completely new capabilities that will not disappear from our lives and work places anytime soon.

Lieven Scheire brings his new show to the Swan Theatre, Worcester, on Thursday 12 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, on Saturday 14 March; Stafford Gatehouse on Wednesday 18 March; Lichfield Garrick Theatre on Saturday 21 March; and The Brewhouse, Burton upon Trent, on Tuesday 24 March

Comedy previews from across the region...

John Kearns

Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Thurs 5 March; Birmingham Town Hall, Fri 6 March; Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Sat 7 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Thurs 14 May

“When I visit your town, dogs will start barking, as will clergy,” warns Taskmaster alumni and double Edinburgh Comedy Award winner John Kearns. “Your microwave will go haywire. The lights in your vestibule will flicker, and the Bank of England will nervously look at interest rates!...” John is visiting numerous Midlands venues this month with his brandnew show, Tilting At Windmills.

Daniel O’Reilly

Walsall Arena, Sat 21 March; Huntingdon Hall, Worcester, Sat 2 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 26 September

Daniel O’Reilly reckons his life has resembled a rollercoaster ride - and he’s stopping off in the Midlands this month to tell his legion of fans all about it.

The London-born comic originally made his name over a decade ago as the character Dapper Laughs, but an ill-advised joke about rape put the brakes on what had seemed to be a promising career.

The years which followed saw him battling a drug and alcohol addiction - and fighting hard to reestablish himself on the UK comedy scene.

Now he’s out on the road again, performing his latest stand-up show, Let’s Have It, under his own name - and joking that he hopes he gets cancelled, as he could do with a bit of a break.

Tom Davis

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 21 March; Birmingham Hippodrome, Sun 10 May

“I've always thought of myself as an underdog,” reveals funnyman Tom Davis to beyondthejoke.com, “though not necessarily in a negative way. I think that's what’s made me. The bulk of my humour comes from constantly feeling like someone who's had a little bit of a kicking.”

Having left school with no qualifications, Tom’s road to comedy success proved to be a long and winding one: “I'd been working on building sites for 20-odd years. I just wanted to do something for myself. I tried stand-up, and straight away I just thought 'Wow! I feel like I'm actually quite good at something: making other people laugh!'”

Tom visits the Midlands with his current touring show, Spudgun.

Jonny Cole

Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge, Tues 3 - Thurs 5 March; Halesowen Town Hall, Sat 14 & Sun 15 March; Rugeley Rose Theatre, Fri 20 - Sun 22 March; Burton-upon-Trent Town Hall, Fri 27 March; Walsall Arena, Fri 10 & Sat 11 April; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Tues 14 - Wed 15 April; The Civic, Stourport, Thurs 23 - Fri 24 April

“It’s difficult for me to put my brand of comedy into an industry-standard soundbite,” says local comedian Jonny Cole.

“There are a lot of people who love Black Country humour and who’d love to go into a rough & ready Black Country pub just to listen to the banter - and that’s exactly what I do. I’ve absorbed Black Country humour the whole of my life. I take it out of that pubwhere people wouldn’t dare go, in case they got their teeth knocked out - and I put it into a safe, controlled environment where they can enjoy it.”

Alfie Moore

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Thurs 19 March; Artrix, Bromsgrove, Thurs 26 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 12 June; Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-uponTrent, Fri 3 July; Royal Spa Centre, Sat 26 September; Lichfield Garrick, Fri 23 October

Staunch Sheffield socialist Alfie Moore is a master raconteur and a very funny man. He also used to be a police officer... Indeed, back in the days when he was both a comedian and a cop, his website advised that if you wanted to see Alfie ‘live’, you had two options: either catch him at one of his

comedy gigs, or drive to Scunthorpe and park on a double yellow line! With his gag-bag including “I'm in a same-sex marriage... the sex is always the same”, he stops off in Newcastle-under-Lyme this month with latest show Acopalypse Now.

Angela Barnes

The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-uponTrent, Thurs 5 March; Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, North Shropshire, Fri 6 March

When Angela Barnes’ inspirational father died, it proved to be the catalyst for her to follow his advice - finally - and hurl herself into the rough, tough world of stand-up comedy...

And her success since then has proved that she definitely made the right decision.

A BBC New Comedy Awards winner, Angela is this month visiting the region with Angst, a show that ‘mostly features stories of unmitigated failure, a distinct lack of wisdom, a little bit of German and loads of jokes’.

BACK OF THE NET

The Beautiful Game comes under the spotlight at Birmingham Hippodrome this month...

By Jessica Clixby

The National Theatre’s Olivier Award-winning Dear England transfers the high drama of football management from the touchline to the stage - telling the story of Sir Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England boss. Capturing the palpable excitement of the sport - and with more than a few recognisable caricatures thrown into the mix - it also highlights the pressures faced by players when the eyes of the nation are fixed upon them... What’s On sat down with David Sturzaker - who plays Sir Gareth in the show - and fellow cast members Samantha Womack and Jayden Hanley to find out more…

James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning play, Dear England, explores ex-Aston Villa captain Sir Gareth Southgate’s time as manager of the England football team, an eight-year period during which he broke the mould set by previous managers and brought his focus to the squad’s mental wellbeingreplacing conflict with camaraderie.

The show references the weight of responsibility and disappointment Southgate felt as a player following his infamous penalty miss against Germany in the 1996 Euros semi-final. When he steps into the breach as England’s manager some 20 years later, he strives to remove that pressure from his squad and bring back the joy of the game.

Sir Gareth is played by David Sturzaker in the currently touring National Theatre production. So how has David approached the challenge of portraying such a wellknown contemporary figure?

“I was having a preliminary chat with the director,” he says, “and she gave me a bit of advice - to think of it as if I’m playing the character as written by James Graham in the play, not the real Gareth Southgate. That sounds like it’s splitting hairs, but for me it’s been so important… And of course, with that, there’s all the very helpful resources that you can draw on - endless interviews, press conferences, images of Gareth at the touchline, during matches or training...”

In contrast to David’s carefully choreographed character study, former EastEnders favourite Samantha Womack brings life to a figure who is central to the story but, unlike many of the people on stage, not a household name.

“I play Pippa Grange,” she says, “who was brought on board by Gareth Southgate to be a performance psychologist for the players. She says she’s more of a ‘culture coach’, and she helps the players overcome issues to do with fear and shame, finding joy in the game.”

With a well-known cast of characters and a subject that has a broad appeal (Eng-erland!) it’s no surprise that the play has scored a hit with audiences.

“It’s already had these very successful runs at the National Theatre and in the West End,” says David. “Yes, it uses football as a framework, but it’s actually about far more universal things than that. It’s about overcoming adversity, it’s about mental health, it’s about racism, it’s about national identity. I think it’s about people surprising themselves and surprising others - how,

working as a team, you can achieve so much.”

The production has also found an appreciative audience with a younger demographic.

“I’m very moved by the fact that the young adults who are watching it are fiercely attentive,” says Samantha. “It’s what theatre is designed for, I suppose - to provoke thought, to challenge what’s going on, but to do it in a way that unites rather than divides. I look at these youngsters, with James Graham’s writing, and they are the future of theatre goers. They are so involved in what we’re doing and saying. To bring new theatre, particularly straight drama, to visiting theatres around the country - I’m more passionate about that than anything else.”

“We’ve heard from quite a few places that there are people [coming to see the show] who have never stepped into the theatre before,” adds David. “And if those people can leave thinking that they might come back to see something else, for us that would be magic.”

The powerful message of the play - that the young men in the England team benefit from being supported emotionally, as well as from a disciplined approach and being pushed to their physical limits - has also extended to camaraderie among the cast.

“Most of them are my son’s age,” says Samantha. “I have a real pride in their performances, but also the way that they carry themselves as young men. They’re an incredibly supportive cast towards each other. We’ve done workshops about trust and vulnerability, and it’s been really interesting to see them explore those themes. I think that’s part of the success of the play - we’ve united ourselves as a team.”

One of that ‘team’ will be making a triumphant return to Birmingham when the production visits the Hippodrome this month. Brummie born-and-bred Jayden Hanley appears as Manchester United player Marcus Rashford. For Jayden and his castmates, Dear England is no walk in the parkthey fill the stage with finely tuned training exercises and pre-match warm-ups worthy of Wembley.

“It’s such a physically demanding play,” says Jayden. “It’s a lot, but everyone’s supporting each other and helping… The movement director has been brilliant and really got it out of us. I didn’t think I could do it - I didn’t think I could remember all the counts, but he

was so patient with us all, getting us all on the same wavelength. Everyone’s so patient with each other.”

Rashford has made a name for himself not only on the pitch but through charity workusing his platform to combat food poverty, in the face of prejudice.

“A lot of the time with Black footballers, you get negative publicity, negative press,” says Jayden. “But despite all that, he’s managed to be an icon to a lot of people. He’s been able to make a difference in the world, which is something that’s hard to do, not only as a young Black man but just as a person of interest - being a good role model.”

Jayden grew up in Birmingham’s Yardley Wood, and while he’s familiar with the Hippodrome, he’s never appeared on its stage before.

“This will be my first time, which I’m really excited for. I’m a big musical theatre fan, so whenever the musicals go on tour, I see them there. The fondest memory I’ve got of the Hippodrome is my sister being in Les Miserables when it toured there. She played Little Cosette, and she had a little solo on stage. I went and sat with my mum and watched it - it was the proudest day of my life. But I’m so excited to get to perform in Birmingham, at the Hippodrome and on that stage - it makes it so much more special.

“Also, I’m a huge Birmingham City fan,” adds Jayden. “I’ve got a season ticket. Every time I’m home, I make sure I can go to the games. I’ve supported Birmingham for as long as I can remember. Football is my escape; it’s where I go to forget about everything.”

While it might be a strain for a Blues fan to play the part of a footballer who spent a few months at Villa Park - Rashford was on loan there last season - Jayden’s passion for the sport, combined with his passion for the theatre, is what Dear England is all about.

“It’s weird! Obviously Rashford had a little stint at the club down the road… I won’t mention names! But it’s so good to be able to perform in Birmingham. I know who I am, and I know what the team in Birmingham isBlues is the club!”

Dear England shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 March

Theatre previews from around the region

Legally Blonde The Musical

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 31 March - Sat 4 April; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 13 - Sat 17 October; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 17 - Sat 21 November

Based on the hit movie starring Reese Witherspoon, this critically acclaimed musical follows the story of college sweetheart and homecoming queen Elle Woods, a girl who just doesn’t take no for an answer. So when her boyfriend, Warner, announces that he’s dumping her for someone more serious, Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books and heads for Harvard Law School. Amber Davies (Pretty Woman, 9 to 5 The Musical) takes the lead role

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert

Birmingham Hippodrome, Mon 23 - Sat 28 March

Based on the movie of the same name, Priscilla the stage show has wowed both West End and Broadway audiences, picking up a coveted Olivier Award and an equally prestigious Tony Award along its accolade-strewn way. At its heartland is an uplifting story of the friendship shared between three pals, who hop aboard a battered old bus and head off in search of love and romance.

The show originally opened in Australia in 2006 - running there for two years before arriving on the West End stage - and comes complete with a dazzling array of costumes and a glorious selection of dancefloor favourites, including It’s Raining Men, Say A Little Prayer, Go West, Hot Stuff and Always On My Mind... Fascinating Aïda’s Adèle Anderson and Kevin Clifton of Strictly Come Dancing fame take top billing.

in a production directed by Nikolai Foster, the artistic director at Curve, Leicester. Commenting on the show, Nikolai and Curve’s chief executive, Chris Stafford, said: “Legally Blonde is firmly established in the musical theatre repertoire as a contemporary classic. Laurence O’Keefe, Nell Benjamin & Heather Hach’s electrifying musical about empowerment, equality and the folly of judging a book by its cover remains pitch-perfect and as relevant as ever.”

Here & Now: The Steps Musical

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 10 - Sun 15 March

Iconic songs from pop group Steps’ repertoire provide the backdrop for this critically acclaimed musical. A celebration of love and friendship, Here & Now is helmed by former Birmingham Rep Artistic Director Rachel Kavanaugh. The show focuses on four friends - Caz, Vel, Neeta and Robbie - as they steer their way through a summer filled with happiness, heartache, hurt and humour.

“Here & Now is a completely original story with new characters,” says Rachel. “It’s not about Steps, but we use their songs to tell the story. It’s brilliant for people who love Steps, but I think that even if you don’t know the songs, you’ll still enjoy it.”

Theatre previews from around the region

Midsomer Murders: The Killings At Badger’s Drift

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 10 - Sat 14 March

ITV1’s Midsomer Murders has been running for so long now that it’s a wonder there’s anybody left in the county to kill!

With the hugely popular television series not too far away from celebrating its 30th anniversary, the lead character of DCI Barnaby is here being brought to life by Daniel Casey, the actor who played Barnaby’s original assistant, Sargeant Gavin Troy, from 1997 to 2003.

The new theatrical production is based on the original same-named 1987 novel by Caroline Graham and the first-ever episode of the television series.

Noughts & Crosses

The Rep, Birmingham, Tues 24 - Sat 28 March

skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought - a ‘colourless’ member of the underclass, who were once slaves to the Crosses. Friends since childhood they may have been, but when romance blossoms, they suddenly find themselves exposed to a terrible danger...

Sisters 360

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sat 28 March; The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wed 22 - Thurs 23 April; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 23 May

Top Hat The Musical

Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 3 - Sat 7 March

Based on the 1935 film of the same name starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, this Olivier Award-winning stage musical enjoyed a Chichester Festival Theatre revival last year and visits Birmingham this month as part of a UK tour.

When famous American headliner Jerry Travers arrives in London to appear in his first West End show, it isn’t long before he meets the irresistible Dale Tremont. Quickly realising that she’s the girl of his dreams, Jerry determines to follow her across Europe in a desperate attempt to win her heart with his breathtaking song & dance routines... Irving Berlin’s celebrated score features such classics numbers as Cheek To Cheek, Let’s Face The Music And Dance, Isn’t This A Lovely Day? and Top Hat, White Tie And Tails.

listening Americans being duped by the play into believing that Martians had actually invaded the planet.

Exactly how many people in reality fell for the stunt remains a matter of conjecture. What certainly cannot be denied, however, is the impact which media such as radio and, latterly, social media, can have on the way in which people process the stories that they hear.

Stepsisters Fatima and Salima are cool, close, and share a burning ambitionto win the Tiny Is Mighty skateboarding contest. But when they start hearing whispers about their parents planning to live apart - meaning that they too, as stepsisters, will be separated - they realise that their chances of winning competition gold are set to take a turn for the worse...

Talented theatre ensemble Imitating The Dog here make use of miniature environments, model worlds, camera tricks, and projection to create what they’re promising will be an audacious, thrilling and timely retelling of Wells’ 1898 novel.

The Father

Oldbury Rep, Sat 7 - Sat 14 March

This Pilot Theatre adaptation (in association with Northern Stage) of Malorie Blackman’s novel explores what happens when two people living in a world of terrorist violenceand separated by prejudice and distrust - find themselves falling in love.

Sephy is a Cross - a member of the dark-

Bradford writer Asif Khan is the creative talent behind this inspirational story about ‘family, friendship and the importance of following your dreams’.

The War Of The Worlds

The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wed 18 - Sat 21 March

According to legend, Orson Welles’ 1938 radio adaptation of HG Wells’ classic sci-fi novel, The War Of The Worlds, caused mass hysteria when it was broadcast, with

Oldbury Repertory Players turn to Christopher Hampton’s translation of Florian Zeller’s emotionally challenging and thought-provoking play for their next amateur production.

Telling the story of a once-proud old man’s mental degeneration - and his daughter’s attempts to keep him safe as he loses his mind - The Father won the Molière Award for ‘best new play’ in 2015. It was adapted for the cinema five years later, with Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman taking the lead roles and Hopkins picking up an Academy Award for his mesmerising performance.

Theatre previews from around the region

Six The Musical

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Wed 25 - Sat 28 March; Birmingham Hippodrome, Tues 31 March - Sat 11 April

debuting with folk/horror pastiche Gay Witch

Ellen Kent: The Farewell Tour - Madama Butterfly

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sun 1 March; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 7 March

The story of a young geisha girl who marries an American naval officer, only to find that he soon returns home and marries another, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is among the most popular operas of all time.

This particular version, presented by Ukraine’s Opera International Kyiv, is one of three productions visiting venues across the country as part of Ellen Kent’s farewell tour. Ellen has been presenting extravagant opera and ballet productions to appreciative audiences around the UK for more than 30 years, in the process showcasing the talents of some of Europe’s major opera companies. “It’s the most popular opera in the whole world,” says Ellen, in talking about Madama Butterfly. “We’ve got a very good cast. We’ve got a Korean girl, Elena Dee, who’s a class act, playing Cio-Cio-San. A good cast and a slick, beautiful production… For some reason, it seems to be the British favourite.”

From Tudor queens to battling bosswomen, the 2022 Tony Awardwinning Six The Musical sees the wives of Henry VIII take to the stage ‘to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak’ and tell their own versions of their lives... A colourful show that sits somewhere between a Girls Aloud gig and a traditional musical, the one-act production - premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, where it was performed by a group of Cambridge University students - is a loud and proud 80minute celebration of 21st-century girl power. The show sees the cast being ably supported by all-female band The Ladies In Waiting.

Andrew Doherty: Sad Gay Aids Play

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Fri 6 March

Andrew Doherty returns to the region with another Edinburgh Fringe winner, having previously made a significant impact when

Sex Cult. His latest offering finds him both chronicling the HIV pandemic and railing against Arts Council England for being tricky customers when it comes to the business of accessing funding...

Doherty is an undoubted talent, but Sad Gay Aids Play has faired less well with the critics than his previous effort. That said, there’s nevertheless plenty to appreciate here - so if you caught and enjoyed him last time around, this latest show will undoubtedly be well worth an hour of your time.

The Invisible Man

Malvern Theatres, Mon 30 March - Wed 1 April; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Thurs 9 April; The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Fri 10 April; The Regal Theatre, Tenbury Wells, Thurs 16 April; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wed 27 May; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Sat 30 May; The Henrician, Evesham, Thurs 4 June

An evening of tongue-in-cheek fun is being promised by the producers of this stage adaptation of HG Wells’ famous story... But will the title character put in an appearance, we wonder?!...

Expect quick and silly costume changes, prop manipulations and whacky imaginings, as

three energetic actors from Our Star Theatre Company take on the challenge of playing 15 characters... The show enjoyed a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe a couple of years back.

The Hound Of The Baskervilles

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 14 March

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is one of literature’s most enduring characters, The Hound Of The Baskervilles his most famous adventure. Yet no matter how many actors don the deerstalker and solve the mystery of the monstrous moorland beast, the story remains a popular choice for both stage and screen adaptation.

This New Vic Theatre version brings a welcome dose of humour to the lonely wasteland of the desolate moors...

IN THE PINK

Legally Blonde: The Musical visits the Midlands

Originally a book, then a film starring Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde tells the story of plucky, positive and pink-obsessed Elle Woods as she turns from sorority sister to Harvard Law School starand busts plenty of stereotypes along the way. The stage adaptation of the story, Legally Blonde: The Musical, is now touring the nation, with ex-Love Islander Amber Davies in the lead role. Amber - and cast-mates George Crawford and Karen Mavundukure - here explain to What’s On what it takes to bring Elle’s uplifting story to the stage...

Legally Blonde: The Musical has taken audiences by storm since first hitting the stage in 2007. This month sees a brand-new touring production making its way to Birmingham’s The Alexandra, with Amber Davies, George Crawford and Karen Mavundukure taking on the roles of Elle, Emmett and Paulette respectively.

Amber, who was born and raised in Denbigh, North Wales, and moved to London at the age of 16, would sing along to the Legally Blonde: The Musical cast album any chance she got. Now, she’s stepping into the fashionable shoes of Elle Woods...

“I feel like the role has come into my life at a good time,” she says. “You need stamina and life knowledge for a part like this, so now is the perfect time for me to play her. If it had come any earlier, I would have been too young.”

Now 29, the former Love Island star-turnedactress and Strictly Come Dancing contestant is thrilled to be taking on what she calls ‘one of the biggest female roles in musical theatre’. She's adding Elle to an acting roster that includes Judy Bernly in 9 To 5: The Musical, Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman: The Musical and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby.

“[Elle is] a force to be reckoned with,” says Amber. “She's beautiful, but she's also intelligent - and women can be both things at the same time. She's a firecracker.”

Like Amanda Brown's novel of the same name, and the iconic 2001 film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon, the show follows Elle's transformation from 'It Girl' fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School.

Asked if it's daunting following in the footsteps of Witherspoon in the movie, and the likes of Sheridan Smith in the musical, Amber sees it as more of an honour and a challenge: “It's inspiring to follow in their footsteps, but while I’ve seen so many different versions of Elle and loved every single one, I'm thinking, 'What can I do differently to put my own stamp on it?’”

Legally Blonde is the ultimate feelgood show, but Amber says there's a strong, powerful message amidst all the fun: “It's as simple as 'Don't judge a book by its cover.’ It's such a

funny story, but it's got heart too, and I really want audiences to feel for Elle when they come to see it.”

At Harvard, Elle meets third-year student & teaching assistant Emmett, who is as helpful towards her as most of her classmates are dismissive. George Crawford plays Emmett in the show

“He sees that there's so much more to her than meets the eye,” says George. “He sees the strength in her honesty and bubbliness, and eventually a relationship blossoms… He's a lot more laid-back and introverted than the pink energy that surrounds him. “Emmett has always been played as writtenwhich is quirky and a nice guy - but he sings about having grown up in the Roxbury slums, which is one of the most crime-heavy and rundown parts of America. He's worked so hard - from having nothing, to being at the most prestigious law school in the country. He's put in the graft, and it's interesting to explore that side of him. For Emmett, it's about pushing through class barriers. For Elle, it's about pushing through prejudice. They really help one another.”

The production puts a new spin on Legally Blonde, by setting it in the present day rather than in the early 2000s when the film came out.

“It's still the Legally Blonde that everyone knows and expects,” George says, “but it has a more contemporary feel to it. That's done through the fantastic sets and costumes, as well as little touches like Elle using Apple Pay instead of cash.”

George played Mr McKee and covered for Nick in The Great Gatsby - so Legally Blonde marks a reunion for him and Amber.

“We've already got good chemistry from working together in that show,” he says, “so working opposite each other again just feels natural. That really helps with the story arc that both of these characters go through together. It feels organic.”

On the other hand, for Karen Mavundukure, Legally Blonde is a sharp pivot from her recent stint in the Stranger Things: The First Shadow stage play. She plays Paulette, the hair-salon owner who supports Elle when she contemplates switching from being a

blonde to a brunette. Sassy and straighttalking, Paulette encourages Elle to be her authentic self.

"I've gone from darkness to a world of pink," Karen says, in talking about taking on the part famously played in the film by Jennifer Coolidge. “It's an honour, because it really is one of the best and most captivating of musicals… Paulette’s the comedy relief whenever things get a bit serious - but she also mirrors Elle's journey towards selfconfidence. There's a commonality to their struggles. Paulette has just come out of a toxic relationship, but she's still pushing ahead with her dreams. She encourages Elle to keep going because she believes Elle can achieve her dreams, too.

“This is nothing like I've ever done before. With Paulette, the challenge is that she's such a well-known character from the movie and previous stage versions, so I want to bring out the elements of her that you don't really see at first glance. In this production, as in a few before, she's an African American, and she has a history that's informed the way she now attacks life head on.”

Karen’s time in the role would be incomplete without the addition of the legendary and flirtatious move that Elle teaches Paulette: Bend... and Snap! Given that this is a musical, the move not surprisingly gets its very own number...

“It's so much fun!” Karen beams. “When we first rehearsed it, we spent the whole day in fits of laughter. I'm a bend-and-snap professional now!”

Legally Blonde: The Musical visits Birmingham’s The Alexandra from Tuesday 31 March to Saturday 4 April. The production then returns to the Midlands in the autumn, showing at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 October, and the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 November

Theatre previews from around the region

The Signalman

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Thurs 26 - Sat 28 March

Middle Ground Theatre Company is the hugely talented ensemble behind this stage adaptation of Charles Dickens’ atmospheric ghost story. Written in 1866, it focuses on the character of a Victorian-age signalman who’s haunted by visions of impending disaster on his isolated stretch of line.

and following a sold-out

The Battle

Theatre

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story

Lichfield Garrick, Mon 2 - Sat 7 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 23 & Tues 24 March

Thirty-seven years old and seen by over 23 million people across the globe, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is an enormously enduring and touchingly affectionate portrayal of one of rock & roll’s earliest and brightest stars. Charting the Texas-born singer’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune, and following his career through to his very last performance - given in the hours before the plane crash that claimed his life at the age of just 22 - the show features timeless classics such as That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Rave On and Everyday.

and thou-ing in your general direction, then this is the show for you!

All of Shakespeare’s 37 plays are here covered in the blink of an eye, allowing you not only to become very learned very quickly, but also to get down the pub well before last orders!

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

Malvern Theatres, Wed 18 - Sat 21 March; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 30 JuneSat 4 July

The recently screened secondseries television adaptation of The Night Manager has once again brought to the fore the name of the original novel’s author: John le Carré. Thirty years before he wrote The Night Manager, le Carré penned The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. His third book, it became an international bestseller and established the former MI5 and MI6 employee as a major name in the spy-novel genre.

Not only written but also set during the Cold War era, its story focuses on the character of British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, who is persuaded to undertake one final, dangerous, deceptive and deeply personal mission...

This acclaimed stage production visits the Midlands this month direct from the West End

The Rep, Birmingham, until Sat 7 March Brand-new play The Battle has its roots in the gloriously hot summer of 1995, when one of the main items on the British media’s agenda was the red-hot race between Britpop bands Blur and Oasis to reach the top of the charts.

“I was there in February 1995,” recalls the play’s writer, John Niven, “and I remember Damon Albarn holding up the Brit Award for Best British Group and saying it should be shared with Oasis, with much love and respect to them. I also found an interview with Noel Gallagher from the same night where he said: ‘It’s us and Blur against the world now.’ But then, in August, you have Noel saying he wanted them to get AIDS and die!... That’s quite a dramatic arc in the course of five months! How do you get from one to the other? It was quite fun unpicking how it happened.”

Gavin & Stacey’s Mathew Horne stars.

The Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (abridged)

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tues 10 March; The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Fri 13 & Sat 14 March; Lichfield Garrick, Wed 8 - Sat 11 April Now, if you feel that you really should pay attention to the works of the world’s greatestever playwright, but don’t fancy hour upon hour of serious-sounding thespians thee-ing

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sat 28 March

As extraordinary true-life stories go, the tale of William Kamkwamba takes some beating. Born to a family of farmers in the village of Wimbe in Malawi, he single-handedly saved his community from starvation by building a windmill to power the village’s broken water pump. The budding inventor used scrap materials from the local junkyard and parts from the family bicycle - the only one in the village, and their only real asset - which he convinced his relatives he needed to dismantle. And all at the age of just 13! Based on Kamkwamba’s bestselling memoir and a movie adaptation written & directed by well-known actor Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s first musical since Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey took over as co-artistic directors.

Theatre for younger audiences

Brainiac Live!

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 31 March; The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Sat 20 June

First visiting theatres in 2008, Brainiac Live! provides plenty of family fun - with a few bangs, wallops and flashes thrown in for good measure!

“When we’re developing the show,” explains the production’s creative director, Andy Joyce, “what we’re looking for is a ‘Wow!’ moment; something that either makes a noise, has a huge effect, or creates a bang. It needs to have that pay-off, but it also has to be interesting.

“We learn about something from the scientists and then put our little spin on it. So my role has been about being in laboratories, watching things go whizz bang bok, and then asking the scientists: how big can we go on stage with this in a way that’s safe?”

Tales From Acorn Wood

Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome, Thurs 26 - Sun 29 March

Stage adaptations of children’s books by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler invariably offer oodles of theatrical magic, so this is definitely a show that’s well worth catching.

Bringing together clever puppetry and toetapping songs, the production provides youngsters with an hour of lively entertainment, including the chance to join Pig and Hen for a game of hide & seek. The show is suitable for children aged oneplus.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tues 17 & Wed 18 March; Midands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Sat 4 - Sun 5 April

In a career stretching back to the mid-1960s, the late Eric Carle illustrated more than 70 books - writing most of them, too. None have been more famous or successful than his 1969 story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The popular picture book has been translated into more than 60 languages, selling in excess of 52 million copies.

This interactive stage version of Carle’s much-loved tale - presented alongside three more of his stories - features no fewer than 75 handcrafted puppets, has a running time of one hour, and shows twice on each day, once in the morning and then again in the afternoon.

Exciting Science

Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa, Tues 31 March; Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, Wed 8 April

Designed to enlighten, educate and entertain children aged four and older, Exciting Science promises plenty of ‘wiz, bang, pop and splurt’, as the show’s scientists carry out all manner of fun and

Theatre

The Wiggles: Tree Of Wisdom Spectacular!

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Mon 30 March

This year celebrating their 35th anniversary, Australian children’s music group The Wiggles are eagerly anticipating their Birmingham stop-off at the end of the month. “We love touring the UK,” says founding Wiggle Anthony Field. “We’re all looking forward to seeing our old friends, as well as meeting some new ones.”

Expect to get wiggling to classic hits such as Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Fruit Salad Yummy Yummy and Hot Potato.

fact-filled live experiments.

So if you think your kids would enjoy seeing some boffins create a volcanic eruption, turn a vacuum cleaner into a missile launcher, and take careful aim with a smoke blaster, then this is definitely the show to check out.

The Gruffalo’s Child

Lichfield Garrick, Mon 9 & Tues 10 March; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sat 28 November - Sun 27 December

Tall Stories’ delightful adaptation of the same-named and much-loved Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler book finds the Gruffalo and his youngster caught up in an exciting adventure... Despite her dad's warning to stay away from the deep, dark wood, the Gruffalo's Child decides it's time to go and explore, unworried by the legend of The Big Bad Mouse...

Rude Science

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Mon 30 March

BBC Gastronaut

Stefan Gates is pretty darned certain that his Rude Science production is the most revolting show of its kind in the whole wide world. And he could well be right, given that it involves enormous bottoms, pee-powered fireworks, fabulous fart machines and vast whoopee cushions! Science stunts and spectacular experiments abound in a show that promises to be both entertaining and educational. Suitable for children aged five and older.

Light entertainment from around the region

Game Of Crones

The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Sat 7 March; Rother Street Arts, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thurs 26 March

and win actual prizes! Oh, and there are murderous goings-on too, as ‘Mr Razzle Dazzle’ himself, Bertie Bingo, ‘hosts an evening of dabbers, Droopy Drawers… and death...’ Great fun seems a guarantee...

Lieven Scheire

Theatre

Swan Theatre, Worcester, Thurs 12 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 14 March; Stafford Gatehouse, Wed 18 March; Lichfield Garrick Theatre, Sat 21 March; The Brewhouse, Burton upon Trent, Tues 24 March

“Brits, I’m coming your way!”

So exclaims talented science communicator & comedian Lieven Scheire - ‘the secret Belgian love child of Stephen Fry and Dara Ó Briain’, according to his website. “This month I’ll be touring my science comedy show on artificial intelligence in the UK. This is the show I’ve been touring in Belgium and the Netherlands for the past two years. Over 175,000 people have already seen it, so it’s time to take it abroad!

“Everybody talks about artifical intelligence, but few people really understand what’s going on under the bonnet. Come join me on one of these nights for an entertaining and accessible introduction to the world of AI!”

Dead Ringers

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Mon 23 March

Abigail Dooley and Emma Joy Edwardsotherwise known as A&E Comedy - are the talented creatives behind this ‘riotous celebration of women in their prime’. The show is a follow-up to their 2018 offering, Enter The Dragons, in which the Brightonbased pair ‘slayed the beast of midlife with fearless buffoonery’. Now, eight years later, they’re marching into the perilous lands of the ‘third age’, determined to prove that they remain ‘warriors who will not go gentle into the bingo night’... The production is suitable for audience members aged 18-plus and has a running time of 70 minutes.

Eyes Down

SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle, Shropshire, Thurs 12 March; Dawley Town Hall, Telford, Fri 13 March; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Sat 14 March; Thimblemill Library, Sandwell, Sun 15 March; Wednesbury Library, Thurs 19 March; Tibberton Village Hall, Droitwich, Sat 21 March; Feckenham Village Hall, Redditch, Sun 22 March

Eyes down for a full house... Manchesterbased Just Some Theatre’s brand-new interactive comedy thriller comes complete with an additional attraction: a chance for the audience to play actual games of bingo

Queenz:

Drag Me To The Disco

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 6 March; Lichfield Garrick, Sun 8 March; Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent, Sat 28 March

Loved and adored by celebrities including Gary Barlow and Dawn French, Queenz is described as ‘a trailblazing, life-affirming drag extravaganza that’s currently taking the UK by storm’.

This latest show sees a selection of dazzling divas performing the biggest disco hits of all time. And if their previous production is anything to go by, there won’t be a lip-sync in sight!

Shoot From The Hip

Birmingham Town Hall, Sun 22 March & Saturday 30 May

An evening of ‘chaotic games, epic scenes, and ever-so-slightly unhinged performances’. That’s the promise being made to Midlands theatre-goers by Shoot From The Hip, an award-winning, TikTok-viral, all-male improv quartet whose shows have been described as unscripted, unpredictable and unforgettable. If improvised comedy is your thing, check these fellas out - they picked up plenty of plaudits and five-star reviews in Edinburgh last summer.

Topical satire show Dead Ringers has been delighting BBC Radio Four audiences for the last quarter century with its veritable smorgasbord of uncannily accurate and routinely amusing comedy impressions. To celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary, longstanding cast members Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod and Duncan Wisbey have hit the road with a first-ever UK tour.

Foil Arms & Hog: Skittish

Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sat 28 March

Irish funsters Foil Arms & Hog (Sean ‘Foil’ Finegan, Conor ‘Arms’ McKenna and Sean ‘Hog’ Flanagan) arrive in the Midlands boasting numerous celebrity fans - Woody Harrelson and Emma Thompson includedand upwards of one billion views online. Cleverly combining sketch comedy and humorous songs with improvisation and audience participation, the trio have been peddling their laughter-worthy wares since 2008, having bonded over a shared love of Channel Four sitcom Father Ted while studying at University College Dublin.

Dance showing in the region

Sampad: Asian Spring

Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Sun 22 March

Sampad South Asian Arts & Heritage make a welcome return with the 2026 edition of Asian Spring, an annual showcase for talented performers from across the region. Running for two hours, the event is being publicised as having something for everyone, from the intricate footwork and expressive storytelling of Kathak, to the lively, high-energy moves of Bhangra.

Ascension Dance: Early Weaves

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Sun 29 March

Ascension Dance’s latest show, Early Weaves - a non-verbal introduction to dance theatre for early-years children - is a ‘heartwarming tale of friendship, curiosity and play’. Running for 35 minutes, it tells the story of two friends as they embark on a journey of connection and companionship. The show is followed by a 15-minute stay & play session.

2Faced Dance: Tomorrow

Malvern Theatres, Tues 10 March

As part of the journey towards its stated aim of becoming ‘a worldwide leader in the production of breathtaking, physical and inspirational dance’, the Herefordshirebased and all-male 2Faced Dance Company here presents Tomorrow, a production exploring the subject of ‘the future’.

Choreographed by Tamsin Fitzgerald, the show features a newly commissioned score by Ivor Novello-nominated composer Thomas Haines.

English Youth Ballet

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Fri 20 & Sat 21 March

Founded in 1998, the award-winning English Youth Ballet offers young people who’re interested in dance the opportunity to perform classical ballet alongside professional dancers and tutors. This month sees the company returning to the region to present Coppelia, a show that brings together Leo Delibes’ dazzling score with some impressive choreography... When Dr Coppelius’s mannequin, Coppelia, is left on the workshop balcony, she causes quite a stir - not only in the heart of the redblooded Franz but also in the mind of his jealous fiancee, Swanilda, who foolishly mistakes her for a flesh-and-blood rival...

James Wilton Dance

Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tues 17 March

The award-winning James Wilton’s choreography is always distinctive, his productions powered by an energy the audience can almost reach out and touch. James’ in-demand ensemble here make a welcome return with Bach Reimagined, a work which explores everything from JS

Motionhouse: Hidden

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Fri 20 March

“Our show Hidden is an emotional response to the current state of the world,” explains Kevin Finnan, co-founder & artistic director of Leamington-located Motionhouse, who are once again touring their critically acclaimed show. “There’s the impact of the internet and social media, which everybody hoped would bring us all closer together. Sometimes it can, but it also seems to do equally well at tearing us apart… We seem to be facing a lot of conflict. We face conflict between ourselves - with people arguing endlessly - while on a wider scale, global conflicts have emerged around us.”

Bach’s means of composition as a form of divine worship, to the scientific advancements achieved by the composer’s contemporary, Sir Isaac Newton.

The production sees the company teaming up with acclaimed Canadian cellist Raphael Weinroth Browne.

Tribhangi Dance Theatre: Ubuntu

The Core Theatre, Solihull, Tues 24 March; The Rep, Birmingham, Sat 28 March

The strong physicality of African dance is combined with the grace of classical Indian Bharatanatyam whenever Tribhangi Dance Theatre take to the stage.

Incorporating colourful Afro-fusion and contemporary styles, the Johannesburgbased award winners are visiting the region with Ubuntu (Humanity Towards Others), a high-energy celebration of global cultures.

IF THE SHOE FITS…

Sir Matthew Bourne’s sumptuous adaptation of The Red Shoes visits Birmingham this month...

By Jessica Clixby

A Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, The Red Shoes revolves around a pair of alluring shoes which, once worn, force their wearer to keep dancing forever… Sir Matthew Bourne’s hit ballet version of the story - which is also based on the same-named 1948 film - is a love letter to golden-age entertainment and comes complete with a visually stunning theatrical setting. In preparation for The Red Shoes’ mid-month visit to Birmingham - its only Midlands stop-off - What’s On sat down with two of the show’s performers, Isabella Chandler and Andy Monaghan, to find out more…

The Red Shoes - a story of love and ambitionhas been recreated on stage and screen many times since the original fairytale was penned by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845.

Sir Matthew Bourne’s acclaimed ballet adaptation - also based on the 1948 film, and produced by his company, New Adventuresexplores stories hidden within stories and features a stage within a stage… Set around 1950, it concerns a production created by ballet impresario Boris Lermontov and his young stars - ballerina Vicky Page and composer Julian Craster. Lermontov commissions a new ballet version of The Red Shoes tale, in which a magical pair of shoes force the wearer to dance until they die. But then life starts to imitate art, as love and obsession cause a rift between the trio... Andy Monaghan has danced with the production since its premiere a decade ago. On this occasion he’s taking the role of Lermontov. The production also features New Adventures’ emerging artist Isabella (Bella) Chandler, making her professional debut.

“We first did the show in 2016, and I was lucky to be part of the original cast,” says Andy. “It’s really nice coming back to it for a third time. I think there’s something about this one that is so cinematic, that really hooks people in. Even if it’s not between dance and love, everyone can relate to being torn between two different things.”

The production alludes to the golden age of Hollywood and classical ballet, with an opulent visual style to match. One of the most striking elements of the set is a huge theatrical curtain, which physically moves around the stage - changing the perspective of the audience, making hidden moments visible, and hinting at the tension between the characters, both on- and off-stage.

“The curtain is kind of like another character,” Andy explains. “That really helps to make you feel swept up in it. All of the scene changes are so quick. It’s so pacey, but it’s also so well focused.”

“We actually had the curtain in rehearsal with us, for our last week of rehearsals,” adds Bella. “We would all sit in the auditorium and just watch the curtain move around. Like Andy said, it’s kind of like another character in the show. It’s quite exciting! This is my first job, and I’ve never been in anything that involves something

that’s so big - it adds something else for us, as well as for the audience.”

“Logistically, we rehearse a lot,” Andy continues. “When we had the curtain for that final week, we did those big scenes - where it moves a lot - over and over again, just to make sure everyone felt confident. Especially when you add in the light - sometimes you can’t see, but you know it’s moving. You’ve just got to get into that muscle memory, but also keep your wits about you.”

As many of the New Adventures ensemble also play ballet dancers on stage - and as the production revolves around a pair of irresistible red ballet shoes - this is a show which has a particular resonance for its cast, considering what dancers might need to sacrifice for their art.

“As a dancer, you definitely have to give up a lot of things,” says Bella. “It’s an art form that you have to fully commit to. You can’t really half-commit if you want to go down that path. So I think it’s quite relatable in that sense. [For instance] I was away from home from a young age, so I didn’t really see my family that much. You definitely have to make some sacrifices.”

“It’s not as intense for us as it is for Vicky in the show,” adds Andy, “but if you’re trying to navigate finding a partner, all of that - trying to get someone who understands this schedule, or is willing to understand this schedule - it’s really hard. You see it over the years, when it works and when it doesn’t. It’s a real thing. In this show, that’s something which is brought into focus, I suppose. But Matt [Matthew Bourne] isn’t as intense as Lermontov is, so that helps!”

Boris Lermontov, played by Andy, is the ballet-company owner of the story, who becomes jealous and obsessive as Vicky and Julian become closer. But Vicky herself is drawn back to the success and glamour of Lermontov and his company.

“This is quite a different part for me,” says Andy. “I’ve been lucky to do a lot of romantic roles in Matt’s shows before - a lot of the duets - but this is very different. I have to find those connections with people, but I couldn’t lean on stuff that I knew. So trying to navigate that was interesting - and being cross for a really long time feels really intense!”

The show’s visit to Birmingham will see both

dancers making a fond return to the regionand to the Hippodrome...

“I grew up in Coventry,” says Andy, “and then we moved to South Yardley when I was 16. I’ve had many, many trips to the Hippodrome. It’s so nice to go back there, and I love that the venue is always on our tour schedule. The audiences are always fantastic, because they’re so used to danceBirmingham Royal Ballet [BRB] obviously cultivates that. When we go to the Hippodrome, it’s so nice, and the crew there are fantastic. I’ve been with New Adventures for 13 years now, and it’s so nice to be able to keep touring around and doing these incredible shows. It feels really nice to come back to something that’s so established. The team is so good, and everyone’s at the top of their game.”

“I trained at Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham for six years, from when I was 11 until I was 17,” explains Bella. “We always used to go, as a school, to watch the productions at the Hippodrome. So I actually watched New Adventures’ Swan Lake at the Hippodrome. We went as a school, because [Elmhurst graduate] James Lovell was in it, so we all went to watch him when he first joined. I’ve kind of grown up in Birmingham and seen a lot of BRB. And I worked with BRB, too, and briefly performed at the Hippodrome: I was in the company’s Cinderella when I was 11. I don’t really know the theatre, but I’m excited to go back and see it as an adult now.”

Bella has been spotlighted as New Adventures’ Emerging Artist of the 2025/26 season.

“The Emerging Artists programme has really helped my journey from being a student to the professional world,” she says. “I had so much support from the New Adventures team and learned a bit of the material before we started. It definitely felt a lot smoother than it would have if I hadn’t had that - it was really nice. It feels like a big family, this companyit’s definitely been very exciting.”

New Adventures’ The Red Shoes shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 17 to Saturday 21 March

Hoppers

CERT U (105 mins)

With the voices of Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, Jon Hamm, Dave Franco, Meryl Streep, Nichole Sakura

Directed by Daniel Chong

Released Fri 13 March Film highlights in March...

“We have assembled a legendary cast for Hoppers,” say the movie’s director, Daniel Chong, and producer, Nicole Paradis Grindle, “and the voice talent really gave the film all they had. Be it uproarious humour, heartfelt emotion or crazy animal noises, they delivered beyond our expectations!”

With no less a luminary than the legendary Meryl Streep providing her services in the role of Insect Queen, Hoppers follows the fortunes of lead character Mabel, a young student who uses new technology to transfer her consciousness into a lifelike robotic beaver and thwart a construction company’s plot to destroy the local animal habitat.

Released Fri 6 March

The Bride!

CERT 15 (126 mins)

Starring Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Penélope Cruz, Julianne Hough, Annette Bening

Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal

Maggie Gyllenhaal here takes the helm - for the first time since making her directorial debut with 2021’s Oscar-nominated The Lost Daughter - to present what The Bride!’s publicity describes as ‘a bold, iconoclastic take on one of the world’s most compelling stories.’

Frankenstein’s undead creature (Christian Bale) travels to 1930s Chicago to ask groundbreaking scientist Dr Euphronious (Annette Bening) to save him from his loneliness by creating a companion for him. The two revive a murdered young woman, The Bride (Jessie Buckley), and in so doing set the scene for what proves to be a wild and combustible romance.

“It’s like Bonnie and Clyde,” says Buckley, in talking about her character’s relationship with Frankenstein’s creature, “but ours has petrol in its skin and we’re holding a match to it!”

Released Fri 6 March

How To Make A Killing

CERT 12a (105 mins)

Starring Glen Powell, Margaret Qualley, Ed Harris, Topher Grace, Jessica Henwick, Zach Woods Directed by John Patton Ford

A ‘raucously entertaining revenge thriller’, the inspiration for which comes from Ealing Studio’s 1949 British crime classic, Kind Hearts And Coronets, How To Make A Killing is centred around the character of the bluecollar Becket Redfellow.

Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, Becket will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way. Matters are complicated for him by the need to navigate his relationship with girlfriend Ruth - a woman who has no interest in money - and the increasing attentions of Julia - a flirtatious old flame who most definitely does...

The Land Of Sometimes

CERT U (93 mins)

With the voices of Helena Bonham Carter, Mel Brooks, Ewan McGregor, Asa Butterfield, Jessica Henwick, Alisha Weir

Directed by Leon Joosen

On Christmas Eve, twins Alfie and Elise wish for things beyond their reach. Their father is missing at war, and the twins seek their own ways to avoid the harshness of life: Elise wants to escape from the world; Alfie wants to hide away from it. Just before bedtime, their mother presents them with a watch. Left by their father as a Christmas gift, the watch is a very special watch: a Wish Watch. The twins are then visited by The Wish Collector, an enigmatic character who transports them to a strange and magical world called The Land Of Sometimes. It’s there, in a place populated by unusual and charismatic characters, that Alfie and Elise’s adventure really begins...

Released Fri 20 March

The Magic Faraway Tree

CERT U (110 mins)

Starring Andrew Garfield, Claire Foy, Nicola Coughlan, Jessica Gunning, Rebecca Ferguson, Nonso Anozie Directed by Ben Gregor

Based on Enid Blyton’s bestselling children’s classic, The Magic Faraway Tree follows the story of Polly and Tim and their children, Beth, Joe and Fran - a modern family who find themselves forced to relocate to the remote English countryside.

Soon after their arrival in their new home, the children come across a magical tree. The discovery leads to them meeting a host of extraordinary and eccentric characters - including Moonface, Silky, Dame Washalot and Saucepan Man - and experiencing exciting adventures in strange and magical lands...

Featuring Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man) and Claire Foy (The Crown) as Polly and Tim, this long-anticipated film adaptation of Blyton’s novel also features star turns from, among others, Lenny Henry, Michael Palin, Simon Russell Beale and Jennifer Saunders.

Released Fri 27 March

Midwinter Break

CERT 12a (90 mins)

Starring Lesley Manville, Ciarán Hinds, Julie Lamberton, Ed Sayer, Niamh Cusack, Leila Laaraj Directed by Polly Findlay

Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Northern Irish writer Bernard MacLavertyand described by its publicity as a stirring meditation on faith, commitment, and the enduring power of love - Midwinter Break finds retired couple Stella (Lesley Manville) and Gerry (Ciarán Hinds) flying to Amsterdam for what they hope will be a refreshing and relaxing holiday. Instead, they find their relationship unravelling, as painful memories from their past re-emerge...

Commenting on the film, Dave Bishop, CEO of Protagonist Pictures, the company handling Midwinter Break, told The Hollywood Reporter: “Lesley and Ciarán are [among] the top talents of their generation and the perfect pair to bring this emotionally intricate exploration of universal relationship dynamics to life.”

Released Fri 20 March

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come

CERT tbc (108 mins)

Starring Shawn Hatosy, Nestor Carbonell, Elijah Wood, Samara Weaving, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kevin Durand

Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

With 2019’s Ready Or Not having earned $57 million on just a $6million budget, a sequel movie was always on the cards - and seven years later, here it is...

The original comedy/horror saw young bride Grace MacCaullay finding herself involved in a Devil-worshipping wedding-night ritual in which she was hunted by her eccentric new in-laws. Now, the sole survivor, Grace discovers that she’s reached the next level of the nightmarish ‘game’ - and that this time she must battle to keep her estranged sister Faith alive...

Released Fri 20 March

Project Hail Mary

CERT 12a (156 mins)

Starring Ryan Gosling, Ken Leung, Milana Vayntrub, Sandra Hüller, Liz Kingsman, Lionel Boyce Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Andy Weir’s novel Project Hail Mary became an instant bestseller when it was released in 2021, so it’s little wonder that his story has now been given the cinematic treatment. When science teacher Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) wakes up on a spaceship light years from home, he initially has no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: to solve the riddle of a mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. To do so, he must call on both his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction. But an unexpected friendship means that he may not have to face the seemingly impossible challenge alone...

Released Fri 20 March

HEADING DOWN UNDER...

Kevin Clifton stars as Tick and Mitzi in a new touring production of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert

Best known for his years as a professional dancer on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, Kevin Clifton grew up as a competitive ballroom and Latin dancer. Post-Strictly, he’s been crossing off his dream roles in musicals, like Cosmo Brown in Singin’ In The Rain, and delighting his goth-era younger self by performing in Rock Of Ages. Most recently, he’s been touring with 2:22 A Ghost Story with his partner and Strictly co-champion, Stacey Dooley. Now, he’s taking on the role of Tick, and drag alter-ego Mitzi, for the 30th anniversary tour of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert. What’s On recently caught up with him to chat about his time in musical theatre and his latest role...

Were musicals a big part of your life growing up, Kevin?

Yeah, massively. I remember early on, when me and my sister were kids, we went on a trip from Grimsby to London when Mum and Dad took us to see Cats. It felt like this massive thing. Apart from pantos, I think that was the first big musical theatre show I’d seen. My mind was blown. I couldn’t believe what was happening. The flamboyance of it all, with the cats coming through the audience. I wanted the book of all the lyrics to the songs and the soundtrack. I just wanted more of it. The next one was Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It felt like the whole country was talking about it, and I remember falling in love with it.

What did you love about musicals?

For me, everything was about ballroom and Latin competitions. My mum and dad were dancers, so they were training us when we were kids. My dad would talk a lot about the technique and stuff you have to practise, but he would always drill into us that the most important thing is that you have to affect people emotionally. That’s the whole point of what we do. It’s not just a display of technique. You’ve got to go out and make people excited, or make them want to cry, inspire them or entertain them. His way of demonstrating that to us was to take us to musicals. He’d say ‘How do you feel when you’re watching this, when you’re carried away with a character and a story or a dance?’ So that’s always been how I approached my dancing.

How did that translate to Strictly?

I used to say to my celebrity partners, I’ll take any technical mistakes, it’s not going to be perfect. But we’ve got to tell a story. We’ve got to create a piece that’s going to affect people in some way. So we’d always dive into every number like it was a musical, thinking about our characters and the story we were telling. And then ‘musicals’ week, honestly, that was

always my favourite week.

You’ve been stacking up musicals over the last few years, with Singin’ In The Rain, Cabaret and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. What’s the best thing about performing in them?

I love being part of a team. In a competition, you’re against each other; you have to be as good as you can be, and you have to be better than the person next to you. What I love about musicals and theatre is that you go out as a team to do something together, and you’re helping each other out, playing off each other.

What’s the trick to keeping up momentum and stamina when you’re on tour?

I’ve sort of been on tour my whole life. Once Minnie was born, it got harder. I really miss her and Stacey. But you hear stories about people living rock & roll lifestyles on tour. That’s not me! I’m very nerdy about looking after my voice and my energy, so I’m a bit of a hermit. Tea and honey, all that stuff.

What drew you to Priscilla?

When my agent first asked if I was interested in auditioning, I didn’t know whether I was the right person for it. But then they sent me the scene where my character, Tick, is talking to his son and he doesn’t know how he’s going to be received. He’s worried about how he’s gonna be judged by his own son. I think that scene they have together is really beautiful, because kids are not jaded by divisiveness or politics. They just see what’s in front of them. And I thought, I’d love to play this part.

Then we did the photo shoot, in the whole drag get-up as Mitzi, and I showed a picture to my daughter, who’s two. The picture was the three of us, me, Nick [Hayes] and Adèle [Anderson], and Minnie pointed straight to me and went, ‘That’s you, Dad!’ I thought I looked completely different in this costume and makeup. But I said ‘That’s right, yeah,

what do you think?’ and she went, ‘You look brilliant, Dad.’ No judgement, just, ‘I like your hair.’

Priscilla is a story of resilience against transphobia and homophobia. Why are you proud to be a part of the show?

I think we need it more than ever. There’s so much divisiveness now. I can’t open Instagram without some politician having a go at some minority, whether it’s trans people or immigrants. It does my head in. On a more personal level, my uncle, who’s no longer with us, was gay, and I think it’s something he always struggled with and had demons about. I can’t relate to what it’s like to be judged for your sexuality, but we can all relate to being an outsider. I grew up in Grimsby and my thing was ballroom dancing. I had to wear bottled fake tan for competitions, and I’d come into school with an orange neck. Everyone knew that while they were all hanging out and playing footie on the weekend, I was doing ballroom dancing with my sister. She was a bit taller than me, so I had to have a perm to make myself look taller. I was that kid! It was that feeling of being different and being laughed at.

I’ve never been the most confident person. Being on stage is the safe bit. So I relate to Tick when he, as his drag character Mitzi, can be anything he wants to be, whereas he’s got all this conflict when he’s just himself. I’ve always felt for people who feel they’re on the outside. I hate the attack on the trans community. Priscilla is not my story, but if I can play any part in this story, then yeah, I’m proud of that.

Priscilla Queen Of The Desert shows at Birmingham Hippodrome from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 March

Visual Arts previews from around the region

Troublemakers And Prophets

Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Sat 28 March - Mon 31 August

Described as an exploration of ‘art, isolation and extraordinary vision’, Troublemakers And Prophets is primarily a celebration of the output of Elizabeth Allen, a seamstress who lived in a small corrugated-iron shack in a wood in Kent for many a year (until her death in 1967).

Known by her childhood nickname of ‘Queen’, Elizabeth created colourful, symbolic and made-from-fabric artworks which focused on a wide variety of subject matter, from biblical prophecies concerning the end of the world, to quirky comments on aspects of modern life.

Alongside Elizabeth’s absurd, darkly funny and strikingly prophetic creations, the exhibition also features artworks produced by numerous other ‘visionary artists’.

Visual Arts

Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora: Fractured Landscapes And How We Heal

New Art Gallery, Walsall, Sat 28 March - Sun 21 June

New photographic work by Jaskirt Dhaliwal-Boora lies at the heart of this thought-provoking exhibition.

A senior lecturer and researcher at Birmingham City University, Jaskirt is a visual artist with a socially engaged practice, working with local communities on a variety of global issues.

The exhibition focuses on the role that

David Birtwhistle: A Retrospective

Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, until Sun 31 May

One of Worcester’s most respected artists, David Birtwhistle produces paintings which explore historic buildings and the landscapes around them. In the process, he captures the character, beauty and gradual change of familiar places... David will be at the venue on Saturday 14 March to give a special talk, during which he will provide an insight into his artistic practice.

nature and creativity can play in healing from trauma, particularly in the context of domestic violence and abuse against women and girls.

Featured alongside Jaskirt’s photographs are works created by women from four refuges across the country, each of whom collaborated with a lead artist during the creative process.

Joy Labinjo: A Place Of Our Own

Wolverhampton Arts Gallery, until Mon 4 May

British Nigerian artist Joy Labinjo is clear about her purpose with new exhibition A Place Of Our Own; she is reclaiming the nude, and celebrating identity, belonging, and Black womanhood through the presentation of bold, intimate portraits. Marked by muted tones and simplified backgrounds, the paintings are explorations of the complexities of sexuality, reflecting on how Black women’s bodies are often hypersexualised in mainstream media.

I Photograph Comedians!

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, until Sun 31 May

If you love a laugh, you should get along to Andy Hollingworth’s new exhibition.

As its title makes clear in a refreshingly straightforward manner, Andy photographs comedians - and it’s a selection of his images of some of the UK’s best-loved comics that forms the basis of this Gas Hall-located display.

Photographs of Ken Dodd, Sarah Millican, Victoria Wood, Rik Mayall and Rhod Gilbert all feature, as do pics of such Midlands masters and mistresses of mirth as Jasper Carrott, Stewart Lee, Lenny Henry, Joe Lycett, Jo Enright and Shazia Mirza. The images of the latter four in that list are brand new and have never before been exhibited. The display also features numerous items connected to particular comedians, including a jacket worn by Lenny Henry during his 1984 tour, a signed pair of Rik Mayall’s underpants, and Joe Lycett’s teddy suit, as worn in the advertisement for series two of Late Night Lycett.

Craftspace: 40 Objects for 40 Years

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, until Sun 12 April

Graphic storyteller

Stewart Francis Easton’s new textile mural invites viewers to explore Craftspace’s 40year story through 40 objects.

The exhibit links in to MAC’s Made In The Middle presentation, which showcases contemporary crafts created across the Midlands region.

The current exhibition draws together ceramics, textiles, jewellery, metalwork and sculptural works by 37 artists, ranging in age from 22 to 82.

Events previews from around the region

AGBO Rally

Weston Park, Shropshire, Sun 22 March

Owen Motoring Club’s flagship event, the AGBO Rally zooms back into Weston Park late this month. Eighty rally cars from all vintages and eras will be taking on the stages around Weston, one of which is the iconic and muchloved watersplash.

National Homebuilding & Renovating Show

NEC, Birmingham, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 March

Renovation experts, leading brands, and self-build & property specialists are this month coming together at the National Homebuilding & Renovating Show.

From small plots to big builds, visitors can discover the latest products, understand

how to maximise budgets, go through planning successfully, or seek an architect’s opinion.

Impartial one-to-one advice, courtesy of a free 15-minute consultation, is also available.

Creative Craft Show

Explore hundreds of stalls, packed with everything from knitting and stitching supplies to card making and felting, at this month’s Creative Craft Show.

Alongside an ‘unbeatable’ shopping experience, visitors can also take part in fun hands-on workshops designed to spark inspiration and help them master new skills.

The show also features live demonstrations and exclusive discounts.

To make the experience even more appealing, a ticket to the event also provides access to sister shows Sewing For Pleasure and Fashion & Embroidery, both of which will be taking place at the NEC across the same weekend.

YONEX All England Open Badminton Championships

Utilita Arena Birmingham, Tues 3 - Sun 8 March

The long-established YONEX Championships return with six days of high-octane, worldclass badminton for fans of the sport to enjoy. Across the week, there will be action on four courts, from early in the morning to late into the evening. The tournament reaches its climax on Sunday the 8th, when finals across all five disciplines will be contested on one show court.

Bluey Character Visit

Severn Valley Railway, Worcestershire, Sat 28 & Sun 29 March

Wackadoo! Take a heritage train ride out into the countryside to see children’s favourite Bluey at The Engine House Visitor Centre in Highley. Once there, you can enjoy listening to tales of her adventures during special storytime sessions. Additional family-focused activities take place throughout the day, all of which are included in the ticket price. There’s also the chance for youngsters to get hands-on with interactive exhibits and take advantage of an outdoor play area.

Events previews from around the region

Spitfire Weekend

Celebrate Birmingham’s iconic aviation history with a weekend of interactive activities suitable for all ages. Visitors can step back in time with World War Two reenactors Up An’ At ‘Em! History, who will be bringing stories of the Spitfire to life through uniform, equipment and

demonstrations. There are hands-on creative junk-modelling workshops to enjoy too, during which families can design and build their very own aircraft-inspired creations. The weekend also features special guided tours exploring the city’s unique role in Spitfire production and aviation innovation.

Photography & Video Show

If visual storytelling is your thing, then this month’s Photography & Video Show at the NEC is a must-attend event.

The four-day get-together showcases the latest camera kit and accessories - with more than 250 top brands featured - and offers

Get 20% off tickets See page 44

NEC, Birmingham, Sat 14 - Tues 17 March

bags of inspiration.

An immersive creator playground, inspiring galleries, a line-up of top speakers, the Photo Live stage, and sessions for beginners and professionals alike further add to the show’s appeal.

Events

Peaky Blinders Night

Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, Sat 14 March

Journey into the gritty industrial landscape of the 1920s, where shadowy gangs once ruled the cobblestone streets, as the ever-popular Peaky Blinders Night makes a welcome return at the Black Country Living Museum. Dress to impress in your finest threads and frocks, walk in the footsteps of the show’s much-loved stars, and explore Charlie’s Yard and other historic streets that made up one of the series’ most important sets.

The Gruffalo Visits!

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway, Sat 28 & Sun 29 March

Departing from Llanfair Caereinion Station, take a five-mile steam-train journey through the scenic Mid Wales countryside, then head back to where The Gruffalo and Gruffalo’s Child will be waiting to meet families and pose for photos.

Plus, every child will receive a complimentary storybook, activity sheet, crayon, biscuit and juice to enjoy during the journey.

Lichfield Literature Festival

Various venues across Lichfield, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 March

Celebrating its 20th year in 2026, Lichfield Literature Festival features a star-studded line-up of award-winning writers from the worlds of history, politics, science, the arts, current affairs and fiction.

Festival favourites Tracy Borman and Alison Weir return, while broadcaster John Suchet and comedians Rob Newman and Pierre Novellie all make their debut at the event.

MIDSOMER PROMOTION

Actor Daniel Casey returns to Midsomer Murders, and he’s been promoted to the role of DCI Barnaby!

Set in the fictional English county of Midsomer (which surely must have the highest death toll per village green in the country), Midsomer Murders is one of ITV’s biggest crime-drama hits. Fans will recall its very first episode - The Killings At Badger's Drift, broadcast in 1997 - which starred John Nettles as DCI Tom Barnaby and Daniel Casey as his trusty sidekick, DS Gavin Troy... With a stage adaptation of the same case now travelling to theatres around the countr y, Daniel has taken on the role of his one-time boss. Here, he explains to What’s On what it’s like to step into Barnaby’s shoes...

Daniel Casey has been promoted.

After playing DS Gavin Troy in ITV’s Midsomer Murders, he's now back in the UK's most dangerous county (fictionally speaking, at least), appearing as DCI Tom Barnaby in a stage adaptation of The Killings At Badger's Drift.

“It's a massive promotion, going from a detective sergeant to a chief inspector,” says Daniel. “I've certainly earned my spurs!”

The dedicated and methodical Barnaby was played on TV for 13 series by John Nettles, accompanied for the first seven by Daniel as his trusty DS.

“Barnaby and Troy had an almost father/son, mentor/pupil relationship,” says Daniel, “and that’s very much like my relationship with John. When he learned I was taking on the role in this stage version, he said, ‘Well, he's learned at the feet of the master!’ That’s certainly true… John’s advice to me has always been ‘Be true to yourself,’ so that’s how I’ve approached playing Barnaby.”

The pair starred together in the hugely successful murder-mystery show from the pilot episode, which aired in March 1997, through to Daniel's departure in 2003.

“I spent all those years standing next to John, watching and listening, so hopefully I‘ve absorbed a bit of his magic. It's a bit daunting, because his are big shoes to fill, but I'm really excited about doing it. I think it’s important not to do an impression, so I will be bringing my own ideas to the role.”

Published in 1987, The Killings At Badger's Drift was the first of Caroline Graham's Chief Inspector Barnaby books and formed the basis of the very first TV episode of Midsomer Murders. Adapted for the stage and directed by Guy Unsworth, the play revolves around the death of well-loved spinster Emily Simpson. Her friend Lucy Bellringer refuses to accept that Emily's death was an accident, so DCI Barnaby and DS Troy are called in to investigate. In so doing, they uncover a world of hidden passions, long-buried secrets and

deadly rivalries.

The play, Daniel promises, offers “a night of murder and mystery, full of theatricality and intrigue, with the central partnership of Barnaby and Troy, a whole host of English eccentrics, and this really dark undercurrent of secrets and lies going on.”

“I had such a happy time playing Troy from when I was 24 to when I was 31,” Daniel adds. “It was a fantastic time in my career, but when I made the decision to leave to pursue other things, I thought that was that.”

A guest appearance in the 11th series in 2008 aside, that was indeed that - but when Unsworth called Daniel to say that he was adapting The Killings At Badger's Drift, everything fell into place.

“Sitting down and reading Barnaby out loud, it just felt right. I'm about the same age as John was when we made that original episode, and it brought back so many memories from a really lovely part of my career.”

Like millions of TV viewers, Daniel is also a fan of the Barnaby character: “He's a very straight-up-and-down family man with a good moral compass. He's a good cop, he's watchful and he's thoughtful… Family is so important to me too, and I think I've got a pretty good moral compass. I'm the fourth of five children. As a kid I couldn't get a word in, so I've always been watchful.”

One of ITV's most popular shows, Midsomer Murders is syndicated in over 200 territories worldwide. Daniel has a theory about the show’s enduring success: “It's set in the modern day yet it has a kind of 1940s or 1950s feel to it. It's a wonderful form of escapism. Apparently a lot of clerics like it because it’s like a modern-day morality tale - it's good versus evil, right versus wrong. And it has such cross-generational appeal, where kids watch it with their grandparents. The beautiful countryside is another part of its appeal, and it's full of eccentrics, which British actors play so well.”

Daniel was born in Stockton-on-Tees. At the age of 14, he went along to the local youth theatre, walked into the room and knew immediately that acting was the path he wanted to take. He soon landed the lead in Bugsy Malone.

“It was amazing! The week after we finished, I was walking through town with my mate when a girl walking towards us screamed and went, ‘Oh my God, it's him!’ I knew there and then that this was the job for me!”

Daniel has plenty of TV credits under his belt, but he’s also no stranger to the stage, having toured in Abigail’s Party in 2019 and Cluedo in 2022.

“I love being part of a company of actors. When touring, the challenge is to keep something fresh, real and immediate every night, and I like that challenge. There are different entrances and exits, different sizes of venue, so you've got to be nimble and you've got to be on your toes.”

When the Badger's Drift tour calls at Birmingham theatre The Alexandra, Daniel will no doubt be recalling a particularly memorable previous job in the city.

“I was at Birmingham Rep when my son Rafferty was born. He started to arrive on press night. I did the show, then went straight home. He was a long time cominghe was supposed to come during rehearsals!and was born in the middle of the night. I was there to greet him, then dashed back for the next day's show.”

Hopefully, during this month’s Birmingham visit, the dramatic scenes will be confined to the stage…

Midsomer Murders: The Killings At Badger’s Drift shows at The Alexandra, Birmingham, from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 March

Places to visit across the region

The Black Country Living Museum

Tipton Rd, Dudley, DY1 4SQ. Adults £27.95, Children (aged three - 15) £15.50 (pre-booked online)

Get stuck into some good old-fashioned fun at this award-winning venue, as you experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the Black Country through rebuilt, replica or recreated shops, houses and industrial workshops.

British Motor Museum

Banbury Rd, Gaydon, CV35 0BJ. Adults £18, Children £9 (pre-booked online)

The museum features the world’s greatest collection of classic, vintage and veteran British cars, with over 400 vehicles on display. Free tours and hands-on family activities provide an opportunity to learn about the stories behind the collection.

British Ironwork Centre

Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 4JH.

Adult & 1 free child (under 12s) £14. Additional child (under 12) £5

This award-winning, family-run destination is the UK’s leading metal sculpture park and home to the nation’s largest collection of decorative metalwork. Visitors can enjoy shopping, national projects, dining, inspiring sculptures and art from around the world.

The Commandery

Sidbury, Worcester, WR1 2HU. Adults £10, Children (aged five - 16) £5, Under-fives free. The past comes to life in The Commandery, a beautiful building boasting an 800-year-long history. Located in the heart of historic Worcester, The Commandery is most famous for being the Royalist headquarters during the deciding battle of the English Civil War: the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Coventry Transport Museum

Millennium Place, Hales Street, CV1 1JD. Adults £15, Children £8 (pre-booked online)

This popular museum not only houses the largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles on the planet, it also tells the story of a city which changed the world through transport. There are 14 fully accessible galleries to enjoy at the venue, featuringamong other attractions - pioneering bicycles, transport champions, innovative, memorable and luxurious vehicles from the last 200 years, and the world’s fastest cars.

Exotic Zoo Telford

Hinkshay Rd, Dawley, Telford, TF4 3GZ. Adults £12, Children (aged two - 15) £9.96 (pre-booked online)

Nestled in the heart of Telford Town Park, Exotic Zoo Telford is a small zoo that provides visitors with the chance to enjoy close-up animal interactions. Explore the rainforest, desert, nocturnal and farmyard zones, then step back in time in the Natural History Museum, home to real dinosaur skeletons, a T-rex skull, a sabre-tooth tiger skull, an ichthyosaur, and even an elephant bird egg.

National Forest Adventure Farm

Tatenhill, Burton Upon Trent, DE13 9SJ. £12.50 per person, Under-twos go free

This family-run attraction provides 40 acres of outdoor space and comes complete with a nine-acre maze. Year-round attractions include tractor rides, a giant jumping pillow, and indoor play areas. An animal barn filled with goats, chickens, pigs, horses, cows, rabbits and guinea pigs also features.

Severn Valley Railway

Station Dr, Kidderminster, DY10 1QX; Hollybush Rd, Bridgnorth, WV16 4AX. Freedom of the Line ticket - Adults £26 - £33, Children (aged four - 17) £17.50 - £22

Operating mainly steam-hauled passenger trains between Bridgnorth, Bewdley and Kidderminster, this much-loved heritage railway transports visitors on a route of about 16 miles along the beautiful Severn Valley.

Days Out

Sudeley Castle

Winchcombe, Cheltenham, GL54 5JD. Adults £24, Children (aged three - 15) £10.50

Walk in the footsteps of notable characters from the mists of time at Sudeley Castle. Boasting a fascinating history stretching back over 1,000 years, the castle is surrounded by 10 award-winning gardens. There’s also an adventure playground and a fun fort for younger visitors to enjoy.

Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

Millennium Point, Curzon St, Birmingham, B4 7XG. Adults £15.50 - £21.50, Children (aged three - 15) £7.50 - £13.50

From steam engines and talking robots to gurgling guts and a chocolate-wrapping machine, Thinktank features more than 200 hands-on science & technology displays.

West Midlands Police Museum

Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham, B4 6BJ. Adults £10, Children (aged three - 15) £6 Located in a Victorian lock-up, the West Midlands Police Museum showcases an unrivalled collection of police artefacts, explores more than 200 years of policing history, and offers visitors the chance to enjoy a selection of hands-on activities.

Weston Park

Weston-under-Lizard, Shifnal, TF11 8LE. Adults £11.70, Children £6.30 (pre-booked online)

Weston Park house is set in 1,000 acres of beautiful Capability Brown-landscaped parkland. The venue is home to a nationally important art collection, with other attractions including a restaurant, a woodland adventure playground, a miniature railway, a deer park and holiday cottages.

thelist

VISUAL ARTS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

CHRISTOPHER SAMUEL: WATCH US LEAD

Through 9 newly recorded interviews, Watch Us Lead highlights the experiences of disabled people of colour in Birmingham, combining these stories with stained glass and drawings by the artist.

OZZY OSBOURNE: WORKING CLASS

HERO A celebration of the solo achievements and global awards of rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, and the album art of the original Black Sabbath line-up to coincide with their historic homecoming concert, until Sun 27 September

Compton Verney, Warwickshire

COMMODITIES: SCULPTURE AND CERAMICS BY RENEE SO Hong Kongborn artist Renee So creates darkly playful ceramic sculptures, exploring how perceptions of history can be distorted, re-fashioned and changed, until Sun 8 March

MODERN MASTERPIECES: PAINTINGS FROM THE BARBER INSTITUTE OF FINE

ARTS An intimate display of six exceptional paintings by major modern artists, including Vincent van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Édouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard, until Sun 6 September

BRUEGEL TO REMBRANDT: DRAWING LIFE, SKETCHING WONDER Explore the wonders of Dutch and Flemish drawing in an exhibition featuring 60 works from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, many never before seen in the UK, Sat 14 MarchSun 28 June

Coventry Music Museum

WE'LL LIVE AND DIE IN THESE TOWNS A temporary exhibition, partially based on the anthemic song recorded by Coventry trio The Enemy, but also exploring how football, music and Coventry all combine.

OUR TOWN A tribute to This Town through the eyes of a supporting artist, including memorabilia and costumes. The museum also features a tributes to The Specials’ Terry Hall and Roddy ‘Radiation’ Byers.

BEING HAZEL Showcasing rare memorabilia from Hazel O’Connor’s Breaking Glass era alongside dispays and clips celebrating the Coventry-born artist.

The Exchange, Centenary Square, Birmingham

HELIOS BY LUKE JERRAM Stunning illuminated sculpture by acclaimed British artist Luke Jerram. An immersive and rare opportunity to gaze at our closest star, Sat 21 March - Sun 1 November

Herbert Museum & Art Gallery, Coventry

CASE: COVENTRY ART SOCIETIES

EXHIBITION A ‘diverse and inspiring’ collection of artworks created by members of art societies and art groups across Coventry & Warwickshire, until Sun 19 April

STORIES THAT MADE US: ROOTS, RESILIENCE, REPRESENTATION Dynamic new exhibition showcasing the lived experiences of a South Asian family in Coventry from 1968 to 2010, drawing on Coventry Archives’ Virk Collection and curator & artist

Hardish Virk’s Stories That Made Us collection, until Mon 25 May

SATURDAY TOWN Award-winning photographic project featuring a popup portrait studio and celebrating youth style, fashion and selfexpression, Sat 7 March - Mon 4 May

Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

ANGELA DE LA CRUZ: UPRIGHT Major exhibition of rarely seen works, including key sculptures, installations and paintings that explore de la Cruz’s deep concern with the human body, vulnerability and the physical realities of everyday survival, Wed 25 March - Sun 6 September

BREAK THE MOULD Final exhibition in a trilogy exploring craft, art school pedagogies and contemporary art practice, Wed 25 March - Sun 6 September

Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum

LEAMINGTON OPEN 2026 Exhibition of shortlisted works by West Midlands artists, until Sun 3 May

Mead Gallery, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

TAKURO KUWATA: TEA BOWL PUNK The first UK solo exhibition of the internationally celebrated Japanese ceramic artist, fusing traditional Japanese pottery techniques with bold and experimental sculptural processes, until Sun 15 March

Midlands Arts Centre, Edgbaston, Birmingham

MADE IN THE MIDDLE: A CRAFTSPACE

TOURING EXHIBITION A showcase of exceptional contemporary craftsincluding ceramics, textiles, jewellery, metalwork and sculptural worksbeing made currently across the Midlands, until Sun 12 April

HOSPITAL ROOMS: BALANCING ACTS A special project by arts and mental health charity Hospital Rooms, exploring how artists, young people and NHS staff have worked together to re-imagine what a mental health hospital can look and feel like, until Sun 26 April

MADE AT MAC: CREATIVE FAMILY SHOWCASE Mixed-media exhibition showcasing the work created by children, young people and families on MAC's creative courses, until Sun 28 June

New Art Gallery, Walsall BETWEEN HERE AND THERE: ART & DESIGN STAFF FROM WALSALL COLLEGE Featuring a variety of work in a broad range of media, until Sun 8 March

IMPRESSIONS A selection of contemporary prints from the gallery’s collections which testify to the breadth and richness of printmaking across a range of subject matter and techniques, until Sun 12 April

STUDIO PRINTS: CELEBRATING THE BALAKJIAN COLLECTION Major exhibition featuring artworks acquired for the Gallery’s permanent collection from the archive of London-based Studio Prints. The show includes prints by, among others, Frank Auerbach, Marc Balakjian, Lucian Freud and Dorothea Wight, until Sun 12 April

HANNAH MAYBANK: UN-STILL With her practice having been heavily influenced by access to the Garman Ryan Collection, Hannah has created a brand-new painting featuring chrysanthemum flowers, as a gift for the Gallery’s 25th birthday, until Sun 17 May

RBSA Gallery, Birmingham

RBSA PRINT PRIZE 2026 Show celebrating the diversity of printmaking whilst also introducing the public to a myriad of modern-day printing techniques, until Sat 28 March

COLOUR: SHADES, TINTS, AND HUES, ARTWORKS FROM THE RBSA PERMANENT COLLECTION An exploration of the works held in the RBSA Permanent Collection, each chosen because they feature one dominant colour, until Sat 28 March

SOLO EXHIBITION: ED ISAACS, PRBSA A survey of highly representational recent sketch works, Tues 31 MarchSat 11 April

Rugby Art Gallery

TRIPONTIUM: FINDS FROM THE STORES Exhibition of archaeological finds from a small Roman settlement about four miles north-east of present-day Rugby, permanently donated to the museum, until Sat 11 April

UNVEILED: THE RUGBY ART COLLECTION IN FULL Every artwork from the extensive Rugby Collection is brought together, presenting over 250 works spanning eight decades of modern and contemporary British art, until Sat 6 June

Wolverhampton Art Gallery

GRAYSON PERRY: THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE VIRGIN DEAL A four-metre-long tapestry - part of The Vanity Of Small Differences series - telling the story of Tim Rakewell, a fictional 21st-century software developer who climbs the social and economic ladder from his working-class roots, until Sun 12 April

Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum

JOHN SINGER SARGENT: AN AMERICAN IN WORCESTERSHIRE Showcase of works by one of the most celebrated portrait painters of his time. Sargent’s summers spent in the county saw the American artist break free from the conventions of Salon-style studio painting, to experiment with Impressionism and work ‘en plein air’, until Sun 14 June

Elsewhere:

IAN MOOD: FROM STAGE TO CANVAS Collection of work by award-winning local artist Ian Mood, who joined last year’s The Little Mermaid company as the New Vic’s artist-in-residence, until Sat 14 March, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

THE LIGHT BETWEEN Exhibition featuring landscape paintings by Stephanie Eufemia, created over the past year and exploring moments of transition, stillness and presence, until Thurs 26 March, The Rose Paterson Art Gallery, Weston Park

THE ART OF JOHN BLUNDALL Exhibition highlighting the creative legacy of Birmingham-born puppeteer John Blundall, whose innovative blend of international influences transformed British puppet theatre, until Sun 19 April, Bantock House Museum, Wolverhampton

WHAT ARE THE ODDS? IKON CREATIVE HEALTH Exhibition exploring the role of art in supporting health and care systems, bringing together into an immersive display three years of Ikon Gallery’s collaborative research, until Sat 27 June, Library of Birmingham BENJAMIN ZEPHANIAH FUTURE WRITERS

TRAIL Eighteen beautiful poems from the winners of Birmingham City University’s 2025 Benjamin Zephaniah Future Writers competition will be nestled within the Gardens, Tues 3 March - Sun 17 May, Birmingham Botanical Gardens

THE CITY THAT SHAPED US

Photography exhibition showcasing the best of Birmingham, combined on Saturday 21 March with a concert of newly composed music, Wed 11 Mar - Sat 28 Mar, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Gigs

NAPALM DEATH + WHIPLASH + VARUKER + DOPELORD Sun 1 Mar, O2 Institute, B’ham

ASH SHEEHAN Sun 1 Mar, Jo Jo Jims, Birmingham

THE GARRY ALLCOCK TRIO Sun 1 Mar, Tower of Song, B’ham

PETE HYDE & THE VIEILLARDS Sun 1 Mar, The Brasshouse, Birmingham

DECREPIT YOUTHS Sun 1 Mar, Subside Bar, Birmingham

SKA TRAIN Sun 1 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

THE BLUETONES ACOUSTIC Sun 1 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

CABLEFEST 4 Sun 1 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stoke-on-Trent

TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF RAY CHARLES & STEVIE WONDER Sun 1 Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

RICH PARSONS Sun 1 Mar, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

LINDISFARNE Sun 1 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

JORDAN DAVIS + AVERY ANNA + SOLON HOLT Sun 1 - Mon 2 Mar, O2 Academy, B’ham

RBC JAZZ ORCHESTRA Mon 2 Mar, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

EILEEN ALISTER + JOLINA

LOUISE Tues 3 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

FREYA SKYE Tues 3 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THEO VANDENHOFF Tues 3 Mar, Dead Wax, Digbeth, Birmingham

SAMANTHA FISH Tues 3 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

LILY ALLEN Thurs 5 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

LUCY ROSE Thurs 5 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

PAUL DUNMALL INVITES TOM CHALLENGER, GEORGE CROWLEY, OLIE BRICE AND WILL GLASER Thurs 5 Mar, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

CHOP SUEY + SLIP-NOT Thurs 5 Mar, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

ZACKARY LUCKY Thurs 5 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stoke-onTrent

MADELINE BELL & IAN SHAW

Thurs 5 Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK, JOHN MCCUSKER & JOHN DOYLE

Thurs 5 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

CAITLIN Tues 3 Mar, The Robin, Bilston

NEON FIELDS Wed 4 Mar, The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham

TVAM PLUS + THE SICK MAN OF EUROPE Wed 4 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

CONGRATULATIONS Wed 4 Mar, Hare & Hounds, B’ham

IAGO BANET Wed 4 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

HARRIET ROSE Wed 4 Mar, Dead Wax, Digbeth, B’ham

VO FLETCHER + LOZ KINGSLEY + ANDY BROWNLIE Wed 4 Mar, Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham

RICH BENNETT’S HOT TAMALES Wed 4 Mar, Boldmere Sports and Social Club, Sutton Coldfield

VONA VELLA Wed 4 Mar, Just Dropped In, Coventry

FEAST OF FIDDLES Wed 4 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

HUEY MORGAN Wed 4 Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

BEXBLU + PAUL STEPHAN Thurs 5 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

KID CONGO & THE PINK

MONKEY BIRDS + BLACK

MEKON Thurs 5 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

TAFF RAPIDS Thurs 5 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

BIG SHIP ALLIANCE Thurs 5

Mar, The Jam House, B’ham

KEO Thurs 5 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE ALARM Thurs 5 Mar, The Flapper, Birmingham

BUZZSAW RADIO + THE CAROLINE BOMB Thurs 5 Mar, The Victoria, Birmingham

Arena & Arts Centre

ROB LAMBERTI PRESENTS

PERFECTLY GEORGE Fri 6 Mar, Dudley Town Hall

HIGHWAY Fri 6 Mar, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

RAJ MAHAL & THE BEATROOTS + ANNE-MARIE ALLEN Fri 6

Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stokeon-Trent

JESSES DIVIDE + OLD GLORY & THE BLACK RIVIERA + ATHENAS REVENGE + OUT OF THE ASHES Fri 6 Mar, The Underground, Stoke-on-Trent

ERASURED Fri 6 Mar, The Station, Cannock

THE BAR-STEWARD SONS OF VAL DOONICAN Fri 6 Mar, Lichfield Guildhall

ROB LAMBERTI PRESENTS

PERFECTLY GEORGE MICHAEL Thurs 5 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

SABRINA FUNG + TONI + THEA REGAN Fri 6 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

ALI GILBERT Fri 6 Mar, The Sunflower Lounge, B’ham

FRANZ FERDINAND + HOME

COUNTIES Fri 6 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

INKIBUS SUKKUBUS Fri 6 Mar, Dead Wax, Digbeth, B’ham

FASTLOVE: THE TRIBUTE TO GEORGE MICHAEL Fri 6 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

BEATLEMANIA Fri 6 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

OPAL OCEAN Fri 6 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

FRONT ROW Fri 6 Mar, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

VIRGINIAS WOLVES + LE HEV

HEV + INFERNO Fri 6 Mar, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

LIMEHOUSE LIZZY Fri 6 Mar, hmv Empire, Coventry

MICHAEL MCGOLDRICK, JOHN MCCUSKER & JOHN DOYLE Fri 6 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

BREAKER + CRUCIBLE + BRAZEN Fri 6 Mar, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

THE SOUNDS OF SIMON Fri 6 Mar, The Benn Hall, Rugby

GIVE ME MOORE - GARY MOORE

TRIBUTE Fri 6 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

THE BON JOVI EXPERIENCE Fri 6 Mar, Swan Theatre, Worcester

OASISH Fri 6 Mar, Walsall

Worcester

THE LEGEND OF MEAT LOAF Sat 7 Mar, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

CELINE EXPERIENCE Sat 7 Mar, Dudley Town Hall

THE DUBLIN LEGENDS Sat 7 Mar, Halesowen Town Hall

AIRTIGHT 80S Sat 7 Mar, The Robin, Bilston

NICK PARKER Sat 7 Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

BAZ WARNE Sat 7 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

RAT HOLE + BROKEN 3 WAYS Sat 7 Mar, Dive, W’hampton

SOFIE ANNÉ Sat 7 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

QUO CONNECTION Fri 6 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

HIGH FADE Fri 6 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

LUKE JACKSON Fri 6 Mar, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire

CHRISTINA ALDEN AND ALEX PATTERSON Fri 6 Mar, Bill’s Kitchen, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

CALUM BOWIE Sat 7 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE VACCINES Sat 7 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

EVIL BLIZZARD Sat 7 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

A’BEAR + SUNNK + CRIES FROM THE LTN Sat 7 Mar, Centrala, Birmingham

THE GRUNGE ADDICTION Sat 7 Mar, The Flapper, B’ham

NATIONAL YOUTH JAZZ

ORCHESTRA: MASADA Sat 7 Mar, Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

NEARLY DAN - THE SOUND OF STEELY DAN Sat 7 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

BOOTLEG ABBA Sat 7 Mar, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

FLESHLICKER + DEAN LLOYD

ROBINSON Sat 7 Mar, The Tin

At The Coal Vaults, Coventry TOPKY + PAWEŁ STASIAK Sat 7 Mar, hmv Empire, Coventry

CONSTANT SMILES Sat 7 Mar, Just Dropped In, Coventry

THE MUMFORD & SONS STORY Sat 7 Mar, Rother Street Arts, Stratford-upon-Avon

NOT RADIOHEAD Sat 7 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

THE JULIE JULY BAND Sat 7 Mar, Huntingdon Hall,

THE NEIL DIAMOND TRIBUTE Sat 7 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

KINGS OF HONG KONG + TITS UP + THE TWO STEP GOODBYES Sat 7 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stoke-on-Trent

SEA FEVER Sat 7 Mar, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs SOUNDS OF SEATTLE Sat 7 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

THE ALEX VOYSEY BLUES BAND Sat 7 Mar, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire

MAMAS GUN Sun 8 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

TRAPPIST AFTERLAND + THE GENTLE GOOD + HENRY PARKER Sun 8 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

POPPY + OCEAN GROVE + FOX LAKE Sun 8 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

KYLE HUME Sun 8 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

REGGAE FEST BIRMINGHAM Sun 8 Mar, Tower of Song, Birmingham

KAMIL BEDNAREK Sun 8 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS Sun 8 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham

KAVIRAJ SINGH Sun 8 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SPECIAL FRIEND + HUM DRUM + MT MYSERY Sun 8 Mar, Just Dropped In, Coventry

AMY LOU Sun 8 Mar, Brierley Hill Civic

BOYZLIFE Sun 8 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

BLAZIN’ FIDDLES Sun 8 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

BAYLISS & SEAL Sun 8 Mar, The Hive, Shrewsbury

thelist

Classical Music

OLIVER MATTHEWS PIANO RECITAL Sun

1 Mar, Wylde Green United Reform Church, Sutton Coldfield

LEAMINGTON CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Featuring Anita D’Attellis (piano) & Richard Laing (conductor). Programme includes works by Dvořák, Carwithen & Beethoven, Sun 1 Mar, Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa

CLAVICHORD RECITAL FEAT. STEVEN DEVINE Programme includes works by Haydn, Sun 1 Mar, Pitchford Hall, Shropshire

RBC LUNCHTIME CONCERT Featuring Matthew Pandya (baritone) & Bianca Vancea (piano), Mon 2 Mar, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

CBSO CENTRE STAGE: AMERICAN COUNTERPOINT Featuring Helen Benson (piccolo), Oliver Janes (clarinet) & Adrian Spillett (percussion). Programme includes works by Reich, Muczynski & Harrison, Tues 3 Mar, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

ORCHESTRA OF THE SWAN: FOUR NOTES AND THE TRUTH Featuring Sterling Elliott (cello). Programme includes works by Holst, Elgar, PM Davies & Beethoven, Tues 3 Mar, Warwick Hall

CBSO BENEVOLENT FUND CONCERT Featuring Kazuki Yamada (conductor) & Steven Osborne (piano). Programme includes works by Berlioz, Mozart & Rimsky-Korsakov, Wed 4 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham

JAMES MORLEY CELLO RECITAL Programme includes works by Sciarrino, Colombi, Ligeti & more..., Wed 4 Mar, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

TETZLAFF QUARTET Programme includes works by Dvořák & Schubert, Wed 4 Mar, Elgar Concert Hall, Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA: TCHAIKOVSKY & MUSSORGSKY Featuring Kazuki Yamada (conductor) & Bruce Liu (piano), Thurs 5 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SPRING LUNCHTIME RECITAL Featuring Alexis Hutchinson (alto), Thurs 5 Mar, Worcester Cathedral

JILL CROSSLAND PIANO RECITAL Programme includes works by Bach, Beethoven & Chopin, Thurs 5 Mar, The Gateway, Shropshire

RBC SPRING OPERA: OFFENBACH’S ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD

Featuring Paul Wingfield (conductor) & Rebecca Meltzer (director), Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Mar, Gas Street Central, Birmingham

BEN BLOOR ORGAN RECITAL Fri 6 Mar, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

CONCERTS IN THE ROUND Featuring Students from Chetham’s School of Music, Fri 6 Mar, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

CARDUCCI STRING QUARTET Featuring Matthew Denton & Michelle Fleming (violins), Eoin Schmidt-Martin (viola) & Emma Denton (cello). Programme includes works by Mozart, Glass & Shostakovich, Fri 6 Mar, Shrewsbury School

OTIUM SAXOPHONE QUARTET Featuring Florence Ryan (soprano sax), Hannah Kermode (alto sax), Evie Cooper (tenor sax) & Tom Winter (baritone sax), Sat 7 Mar, Library of Birmingham

SOLIHULL SCHOOL CHAMBER CONCERT Programme includes works by Haydn, Moszkowski, Neruda & Schubert, Sat 7 Mar, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

PAUL CARR ORGAN CONCERT Programme includes works by Handel, JS Bach, Holst & more..., Sat 7 Mar, St Benedict Biscop Church, Wombourne

MIDLAND SINFONIA Programme includes works by Bach, Grieg, J Denver & Rutter, Sat 7 Mar, Feckenham Village Hall, Redditch

CHORAL SCHOLARS OF ALL SAINTS Sun 8 Mar, All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

ENSEMBLE 360: THE STORM WHALE

Featuring John Webb (narrator), Sun 8 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

ENSEMBLE 360 Featuring Robert Plane (clarinet), Naomi Atherton (horn), Benjamin Nabarro (violin), Rachel Roberts (viola), Gemma Rosefield (cello) & Tim Horton (piano). Programme includes works by Suk, Tate, Martinů & Dohnányi, Sun 8 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

CHANDOS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Featuring Sabrina Ko (conductor), Shulah Oliver-Smith (violin) & Tim Stidwill (horn). Programme includes works by R Gipps, E Smyth & Prokofiev, Sun 8 Mar, York Hall, Malvern

NIKITA LUKINOV PIANO RECITAL Programme includes works by Tchaikovsky, Liadov, Stanchinsky & more..., Sun 8 Mar, Festival Drayton Centre, North Shropshire

WILLIAM POON PIANO RECITAL Sun 8 Mar, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury

Comedy

RUSSELL HICKS Sun 1 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BARBARA NICE Sun 1 Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

ROSIE JONES Sun 1 Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

SHAPARAK KHORSANDI Sun 1 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

GEOFF NORCOTT Sun 1 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

CHLOE PETTS Sun 1 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

MARK SIMMONS Mon 2 Mar, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

BEN HARRINGTON, ANDREW BIRD, ED ACZEL, EMILY MCDERMOTT, MATT RICHARDSON & MYCHELLE COLLEARY

Mon 2 Mar, The Royal Pug, Leamington Spa

STEVIE MARTIN Tues 3 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JONNY COLE Tues 3 - Thurs 5 Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

RANDY FELTFACE Wed 4 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

ALI WOODS & HAMISH SHEPHERD Wed 4 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DANIEL FOXX Wed 4 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

BOB MILLS, BRENNAN REECE, TAL DAVIES & FREDDY QUINNE Wed 4 Mar, Herberts Yard, Birmingham

THOMAS GREEN Thurs 5 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, PAUL MCCAFFREY & ELEANOR TIERNAN Thurs 5 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DAVID EAGLE & COMICS TBC Thurs 5 Mar, Cherry Reds, Birmingham

JACK GLEADOW, PHIL WALKER, DAWN BAILEY, CHRIS RICHMOND & DAVE

TWENTYMAN Thurs 5 Mar, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

ANGELA BARNES Thurs 5 Mar, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

CHRIS MCCAUSLAND Thurs 5 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

MATT PARKER Thurs 5 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

JOHN KEARNS Thurs 5 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

RAY O’LEARY Fri 6 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JOHN KEARNS Fri 6 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

DAMIAN CLARK, TOM TOWELLING, PAUL MCCAFFREY, ELEANOR TIERNAN & SAM

SEE Fri 6 Mar, The Glee Club, B’ham

MO GILLIGAN Fri 6 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

TADIWA MAHLUNGE, DAVE TWENTYMAN & ALEX HYLTON Fri 6 Mar, Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

ANGELA BARNES Fri 6 Mar, Festival Drayton Centre, Market Drayton, North Shropshire

JUSTIN MOORHOUSE Fri 6 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

CHRIS RAMSEY Sat 7 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

SEAN PERCIVAL, DOM MCGOVERN, RICKY

BALSHAW & BARRY DODDS Sat 7 Mar, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

DAMIAN CLARK, TOM TOWELLING, PAUL MCCAFFREY & ELEANOR TIERNAN Sat 7 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JOHN TOTHILL Sat 7 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JIMEOIN Sat 7 Mar, The Halls Wolverhampton

SCOTT BENNETT Sat 7 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

JOHN KEARNS Sat 7 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

JAMES ACASTER Sat 7 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

RIONA O’CONNOR & OLGA THOMPSON Sun 8 Mar, The Glee Club, B’ham

TAL DAVIES, JO ENRIGHT & DESIREE

BURCH Sun 8 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DAN TIERNAN Sun 8 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GEOFF NORCOTT Sun 8 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE T*TS COMEDY Sun 8 Mar, Rother Street Arts House, Stratford-UponAvon

ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING Sun 8 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Theatre

THE BATTLE A ‘wickedly funny’ dive into one of the greatest rivalries in rock history: Blur vs Oasis. Mathew Horne stars, until Sat 7 Mar, The Rep, Birmingham

DOUBT: A PARABLE Amateur version of John Patrick Shanley’s provocative drama, set in a convent in New York’s Bronx, until Sat 7 Mar, The Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES

Acclaimed reinvention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous Sherlock Holmes story - ‘a fast-paced comedy caper that promises to leave you howling’, until Sat 14 Mar, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND New musical telling the true story of William Kamkwamba - a boy who

hopes ‘to produce the gift of power and give hope for tomorrow’, until Sat 28 Mar, Swan Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

ELLEN KENT: THE FAREWELL TOURMADAMA BUTTERFLY A new production of Puccini’s heart-breaking story of a young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenantwith dramatic consequences, Sun 1 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

ALICE Centrestage School of Speech & Drama’s new show follows Alice as she escapes her bedroom to find adventure in a topsy-turvy world, Sun 1 Mar, The Old Rep, Birmingham

CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT A clubland coming-of-age story, Mon 2 - Tues 3 Mar, The Rep, Birmingham MEET FRED Hijinx Theatre’s ‘darkly hilarious’ production follows a cloth puppet (Fred) as he tries to live an ordinary life by getting a job, finding love and becoming part of society, Mon 2 - Tues 3 Mar, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Award-winning West End show charting Buddy’s rise to international stardom and his legendary final performance at the age of just 22, Mon 2 - Sat 7 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

COUGAR Rose Lewenstein’s play about love, lust, hypocrisy, pride, ‘and what might happen if we fail to care of the people and things we love’, Tues 3 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE SIGN OF FOUR One-man show in which Jonathan Goodwin plays various larger-than-life characters, Tues 3 Mar, The Pavillion Club, Wolverhampton

THE ANIMALS Worcester Theatre Performance Hub present Sean Buckley’s new play, taking a look at education within the youth-custody system, Tues 3 Mar, Swan Theatre, Worcester

TOP HAT THE MUSICAL Romantic musical packed with iconic Irving Berlin songs, including Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face The Music And Dance, Top Hat White Tie And Tails and Puttin’ On The Ritz, Tues 3 - Sat 7 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome MURDER AT MIDNIGHT Torben Betts’ gripping murder-mystery, starring Jason Durr, Susie Blake, Max Bowden and Katie McGlynn, Tues 3Sat 7 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

SUNNY AFTERNOON Award-winning musical telling a story of friendship, fame and rock history, Tues 3 - Sat 7 Mar, Malvern Theatres

DORIAN GRAY Jonathan Goodwin plays Oscar Wilde in a one-man performance, Sat 7 Mar, Oscars, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

SHAKESPEARE’S SCHOOL FESTIVAL 2026

Evening of live theatre featuring a series of abridged Shakespeare productions by local schools, Wed 4 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry THAT’S NOT MY NAME Stand-up, spoken word and schizophasia combine in a 75-minute show that calls out the insanity of psychiatry and the personality disorder diagnosis, Wed 4 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

MEET FRED Hijinx Theatre’s ‘darkly hilarious’ production follows a cloth puppet (Fred) as he tries to live an ordinary life by getting a job, finding love and becoming part of society, Wed 4 - Thurs 5 Mar, The Rep, Birmingham

NELL GWYNNE Stafford Players present an amateur version of Jessica Swale’s play concerning one of the ‘most celebrated female performers in Restoration England’, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

BONNIE & CLYDE THE MUSICAL Aspire Theatre makes its debut with a reallife tale of crime, passion and rebellion, Wed 4 - Sat 7 Mar, The Crown Wharf Theatre, Stone WATSON: THE FINAL PROBLEM A journey through one man’s memories, regrets and revelations, Thurs 5 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham VOICES IN THE DARKNESS Shakespeare Young Company present an immersive experience that draws on Elizabethan and Jacobean texts, Thurs 5 Mar, The Crypt of St Mary’s Church, Warwick

WHEN WE SEE OURSELVES Altered Skin tell the story of Vanessa and Aravindan, who reflect on an unexpected romance beset by cultural differences, Thurs 5 Mar, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON Don’t Go Into The Cellar present an original adaptation of the HG Wells classic, Thurs 5 Mar, Script Haven, Worcester ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD Offenbach’s enduring opera concerning an ill-fitting couple who traverse heaven and hell in the company of gods. Sung in French with English surtitles, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Mar, Gas Street Central, Birmingham RUDDIGORE The Birmingham Savoyards present Gilbert & Sullivan’s satire of Victorian gothic melodrama, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Mar, The Old Rep, Birmingham INTO THE WOODS Musical Theatre

Warwick present an amateur version of Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale musical, Thurs 5 - Sat 7 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

ANDREW DOHERTY: SAD GAY AIDS PLAY

‘A wickedly funny satire that throws the book at Aids and asks the Arts Council to pick it up’, Fri 6 Mar,

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham

FOR THEIR SAFETY Abhishek Passi’s short play, blending social drama with dark humour, Sat 7 Mar, The Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham I’LL BE BACK An ‘action-packed 60 minutes of apocalyptic devastation, robotic transformation, emotional reunion, and how a plan formed in the Brierley Hill Blockbusters came to save the world’, Sat 7 Mar, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE DEATH AND LIFE A ‘wryly humorous’ one-man tale of murder, mystery and the occult, Sat 7 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

ELLEN KENT: THE FAREWELL TOURMADAMA BUTTERFLY A new production of Puccini’s heart-breaking story about a young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American naval lieutenant - with dramatic consequences, Sat 7 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

THE FATHER Amateur version of Florian Zeller’s award-winning psychological drama, Sat 7 - Sat 14 Mar, Oldbury Rep

THE STRANGER Amateur version of Agatha Christie’s psychological thriller, Sat 7 - Sat 14 Mar, Rugby Theatre

Kids Theatre

TALES FROM ACORN WOOD Theatre for younger audiences based on muchloved stories by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Sat 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

TOM GATES: THE SHOW New stage show bringing Liz Pichon’s bestselling book to life via performance, illustrations and music, Sun 1 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

DEAR ZOO Rod Campbell’s children’s classic is brought to life using puppetry, music and audience participation, Sun 1 Mar, Malvern Theatres

RAPUNZEL Wrongensemble Theatre fuse ‘music, magic and madcap scenes’ in a new version of the classic fairytale, Sun 1 Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

BLUEY’S BIG PLAY Puppetry, music, laughter and family fun combine in a live stage show based on the awardwinning children’s television series, Wed 4 - Sun 8 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

MISS RACHEL - FUN FOR LITTLE ONESTRIBUTE TOUR Singing, dancing, giggles and non-stop fun are promised in a high-energy interactive performance for younger audiences, Thurs 5 Mar, The Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

ELEANOR THE ADVENTURER The story of a brave explorer and her plucky

sidekick, who attempt to prevent allout war in a strange and distant land. Presented by KRYPT Junior Company, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster

Dance

THE NUTCRACKER Varna International Ballet present ‘the most famous of fantasy ballets’, Mon 3 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

SWAN LAKE Presented by Varna International Ballet and featuring Tchaikovsky’s haunting score, Tues 4 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

ODYSSEY The graduate year at Elmhurst Ballet present a mixed programme of classical and contemporary dance, Fri 6 & Sat 7 Mar, Elmhurst Ballet School, B’ham

ALICE IN WONDERLAND A Midland Youth Ballet performance based on Lewis Carroll’s classic story, Sat 7 Mar, The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-upon-Trent

NRITHYAM’S ARUVI Choreographed performance using a blend of Indian dance forms to showcase the transition through different phases of life and the diverse experiences of women, Sun 8 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

Light Entertainment

UNCANNY: FEAR OF THE DARK Danny Robins’ paranormal stage show, featuring ‘new and terrifying real-life stories and witness accounts that promise to have audiences utterly gripped’, Sun 1 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome

TEENAGER IN LOVE SHOW Nostalgia, romance and laughter combine in a show featuring melodies from a bygone era, Sun 1 Mar, Halesowen Town Hall

OCEANS LIVE IN CONCERT Experience a live screening of the stunning nature documentary, featuring narration by David Attenborough, while a full

thelist

symphony orchestra gives a live performance of Oscar-winning composer Steven Price’s evocative score, Sun 1 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

IRELAND THE SHOW Featuring the Keltic Storm band and the world champion Gael Force Irish dancers, Tues 3 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

AN EVENING WITH THE TELE The Hospital Show present ‘an evening of fun and laughter that takes a sideways look at the television’, Wed 4 Mar, Stoke Repertory Theatre

SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS - THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS ‘Ultimate feelgood Irish show’, Wed 4 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch

BIFF TO THE FUTURE Joseph Maudsley’s one-man parody, in which Biff, the iconic villain of hit 80s movie Back To The Future, takes centre stage, Wed 4 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

AN EVENING WITH THE TAP CHAPS A ‘high-octane celebration’ of rhythm, style and fast footwork, Wed 4 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT Thurs 5 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

IRELAND THE SHOW Featuring the Keltic Storm band and the world champion Gael Force Irish dancers, Thurs 5 Mar, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

MATT PARKER: GETTING TRIGGY WITH IT

Unique show fusing comedy and maths, Thurs 5 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

THE MUSIC OF LUTHER VANDROS BY CANDLELIGHT Thurs 5 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

BANFF MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL

Experience ‘thrilling adventure on the big screen’, Thurs 5 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

RAVE ON - THE ULTIMATE 50S & 60S EXPERIENCE Nostalgic show charting the meteoric rise of rock & roll, Fri 6 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

AN EVENING WITH GUY CHAMBERS An evening of stories and songs with one of the UK’s most successful living songwriters, Fri 6 Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

IRELAND THE SHOW Featuring the Keltic Storm band and the world champion Gael Force Irish dancers, Fri 6 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

100 YEARS OF LAUREL & HARDY Expert

Neil Brand provides a unique insight into Laurel & Hardy and the birth of

the cinema industry, Fri 6 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

COUNTRY BY CANDLELIGHT Direct from London’s West End, Fri 6 Mar, Worcester Cathedral

BAZ WARNE: CONVIVIAL TOUR Intimate evening of music and storytelling in celebration of Baz’s new memoir, No Grass Grows On A Busy Street, Sat 7 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

BEYOND THE BARRICADE Showcasing the best of Broadway and the West End, with hits from The Phantom Of The Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, The Lion King and more..., Sat 7 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

GAME OF CRONES A ‘riotous’ celebration of women in their prime. A show described as ‘funny, feral, and gloriously unapologetic’, Sat 7 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

IRELAND THE SHOW Featuring the Keltic Storm band and the world champion Gael Force Irish dancers, Sat 7 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

ATTENTION ALL SHIPPING: A CELEBRATION OF THE SHIPPING

FORECAST Charlie Connelly brings the shipping forecast vividly to life, Sat 7 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

IBIZA IN SYMPHONY ‘The ultimate Ibiza party live on stage’, Sat 7 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS - THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS Ultimate feelgood Irish show, Sun 8 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

QUEENZ: DRAG ME TO THE DISCO A live vocal drag-extravaganza celebrating pop royalty through the decades, Sun 8 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

CELTIC ILLUSION Tradition meets contemporary in a fusion of Irish dance and ‘mind-blowing’ magic, Sun 8 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

Talks & Spoken Word

AN EVENING WITH PROFESSOR ALICE ROBERTS Join the author as she attempts to establish who spread christianity, how and why, Sun 1 Mar, Malvern Theatres

WEST BROM LEGENDS Jonas Olsson, Chris Brunt, Zoltan Gera and Jonathan Greening share stories and anecdotes from their football careers, Mon 2 Mar, The Alexandra, B’ham

LEO HOULDING - EXPOSED Join the legendary mountaineer for stories, visuals and film from the world’s wildest places, Tues 3 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

WHAT NOT TO WEAR Evening talk

Sunday 1 - Sunday 8 March

about personal adornment and grooming in the prehistory and Roman periods, Thurs 5 Mar, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery

POETRY JAM LIVE! A showcase for poets who are starting out, seasoned veterans, and anyone else with a story to tell, Thurs 5 Mar, Justham Family Room & Jane How Room, Symphony Hall, Birmingham STRATFORD LITERARY FESTIVAL WITH ROBERT MACFARLANE Join the celebrated nature writer, academic & performer as he asks a perspectiveshifting question: is a river alive?, Fri 6 Mar, Rother Streets Arts, Stratfordupon-Avon

AN EVENING WITH SIR DAVID JASON

David will be joined by BBC Breakfast presenter Mike Bushall for an evening of ‘fun, laughter, and never-beforeheard stories’, Sun 8 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome

Events

THE NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW

Showcasing hundreds of top wedding suppliers, Sat 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

THE NATIONAL EQUINE SHOW Featuring hundreds of equestrian brands, Sat 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar, NEC, Birmingha

BRANCHLINE WEEKEND Event

celebrating 35 years since the arrival of the first DMU on the Severn Valley Railway, Sat 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar, Severn Valley Railway, nr Kidderminster

GO DIVING Featuring interactive displays and demonstrations, Sat 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar, NAEC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire

MIDLANDS GARDEN RAIL SHOW Event offering visitors the chance to see layouts in the larger gauges and scales, including Gauge 1, O Gauge, G Scale and more, Sat 28 Feb - Sun 1 Mar, Warwickshire Event Centre, Leamington Spa

MUSEUM DETECTIVES FAMILY TRAIL

Help find the missing eight items in the museum, until Fri 27 Mar, Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum

CASTLE QUEST: IMAGINATION

PLAYGROUND ‘A magical hands-on experience for children, where creativity reigns supreme’, until Sat 11 Apr, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery

DRAWING COMEDIANS WITH MILAN

TOPALOVIC Practise portraiture by drawing your favourite comedian, Sun 1 Mar, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

NATIONAL BRICK EVENTS Featuring Lego stalls, activities and displays, Sun 1 Mar, Telford International Centre, Shropshire

WOMEN IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR

Discover the powerful stories of women who played vital roles during the Second World War, from the factory floor to the cockpit, Wed 4Sun 8 Mar, RAF Museum Midlands, Cosford

WORLD BOOK DAY: MINI MUSEUM

ENGINEERS ON TOUR AT THE HERBERT Experiment with a variety of building materials and have a go at various construction challenges, Thurs 5 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

WORLD BOOK DAY: THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA Immersive sensory experience exploring colour, sound and song, Thurs 5 Mar, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, Coventry

TUDOR WOMEN GUIDED TOUR Learn about Tudor Women to mark International Women’s Day, Thurs 5 Mar, Blakesley Hall, Birmingham CRUFTS The ultimate day out for dog lovers of all ages, Thurs 5 - Sun 8 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM’S VICTORIAN MURDER MILE Join crime & policing historian Adam Wood for a walking tour and hear gruesome tales of Birmingham’s Victorian past, Fri 6 Mar, West Midlands Police Museum, B’ham BOOGIE LIGHTS EXPRESS A ‘one of a kind’ experience, blending ‘dazzling lights, pulse-pounding music and nonstop energy’, Fri 6 - Sat 7 Mar, Severn Valley Railway, nr Kidderminster

CINEMA UNDER THE STARS Step into the planetarium for a cinema-style screening, Sat 7 Mar, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

LOMBARD RALLY Featuring full-throttle on-track action and ‘nostalgia in the air’, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, Weston Park, Shropshire

SPITFIRE WEEKEND Celebrate Birmingham’s iconic aviation history with interactive activities for all ages, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS Discover the untold stories of women who’ve shaped the world, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove

SPECTACLE OF STEAM Featuring one of the largest collections of rare, unique and historic locomotives, Sat 7 - Sun 8 Mar, Statfold Country Park, Tamworth

thelist

Gigs

RUSTAGE + SHWABADI + CONNOR QUEST! + THE STUPENDIUM! Tues 10 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

HOLLY CLARKE Tues 10 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

CONSTANT SMILES + BRNSWCK + JESS SAADE Tues 10 Mar, The Victoria, Birmingham

MGK + JULIA WOLF Tues 10 Mar, Utilita Arena Birmingham

THE DUBLIN LEGENDS Tues 10 Mar, The Core Theatre, Solihull

ANDY FAIRWEATHER LOW Tues 10 & Wed 11 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

BEANS ON TOAST Wed 11 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE EGYPTIAN LOVER Wed 11 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE BROTHERS GILLESPIE Wed 11 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

ALABAMA 3 Wed 11 Mar, The Jam House, B’ham

MOULD Wed 11 Mar, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

HOT MULLIGAN + DELTA

SLEEP + OVERSIZE Wed 11 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

LAUREN ASH Wed 11 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

49TH & MAIN Wed 11 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

VONA VELLA Wed 11 Mar, Dead Wax, B’ham

REMEMBER SPORTS Wed 11 Mar, Dead Wax, Digbeth, Birmingham

SPECIAL FRIEND Wed 11 Mar, The Victoria, Birmingham

PHIL BEER Wed 11 Mar, Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham

THE SWAPS + C BONE + ED BLUNT Wed 11 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

EAST STREET SPANKERS Wed 11 Mar, Boldmere Sports and Social Club, Sutton Coldfield

STEVE KNIGHTLEY Wed 11 Mar, Huntingdon

Hall, Worcester

ANTONY SZMIEREK Wed 11 Mar, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

NORTHERN SOUL

ORCHESTRATED Wed 11

Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

SCUSTIN Thurs 12 Mar, Hare & Hounds, B’ham

KILLOWEN Thurs 12 Mar, Hare & Hounds, B’ham

BELLA HARDY Thurs 12 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

THE HEART OF NEW ORLEANS Thurs 12 Mar, The Jam House, B’ham

FROGLORD Thurs 12 Mar, Dead Wax, B’ham

ALEX JAMES’ BRITPOP

CLASSICAL Thurs 12 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

TUNDE Thurs 12 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall ROOTS AND REELS - RBC

MUSICIANS Thurs 12 Mar, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

MICE IN A MATCHBOX Thurs 12 Mar, Catshill Club, Bromsgrove

THE SONGS OF TOM WAITS Thurs 12 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

ROSA ANSCHÜTZ + MOONYA Thurs 12 Mar, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

SUNGRASS Thurs 12 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

TRANSMISSION - THE SOUND OF JOY DIVISION Thurs 12 Mar, The Robin, Bilston

PRIMAL FEAR + RONNIE

ROMERO Thurs 12 Mar, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

THE GUILTY MEN Thurs 12 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stoke-on-Trent

HOPE & SOCIAL Thurs 12 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ARTHUR COATES & KERRAN COTTERELL Thurs 12 Mar, The Anstice, Madeley, Telford, Shropshire

SAMBROSO ALLSTARS

PERFORM THE BUENA

VISTA Fri 13 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

PHOEBE KATIS Fri 13 Mar, The Sunflower

Lounge, Birmingham

THE TERRYS Fri 13 Mar, O2 Institute, B’ham

SOMBR + CHARLOTTE

LAWRENCE Fri 13 Mar, O2 Academy, B’ham

THE MELVIN HANCOX

BAND Fri 13 Mar, Jo Jo Jims, Birmingham

TONY BRAZIER SEXTET Fri 13 Mar, 1000 Trades, Birmingham

SANCTUM SANCTORIUM Fri 13 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

SAVAGE GA$P + KAMAARA + GRIM SALVO Fri 13 Mar, Dead Wax, Digbeth, Birmingham

BODYSNATCHER + INGESTED + BIG ASS

TRUCK Fri 13 Mar, The Asylum, Birmingham

IGLU & HARTLY Fri 13

Mar, The Flapper, Birmingham

THE PAINTING Fri 13 Mar, The Victoria, B’ham

ALINA BZHEZHINSKA Fri 13 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

MAN IN THE MIRROR Fri 13 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

DAVE Fri 13 Mar, Utilita

Arena Birmingham

INTRUSIVE + THE N.S.O + LOST + THE ALTERNATIVES Fri 13 Mar, The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham

DECLAN NERNEY Fri 13 Mar, The Core Theatre, Solihull

THE SPECIALS LTD Fri 13 Mar, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

LEAMINGTON BLUES

MAFIA Fri 13 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

JUST RADIOHEAD Fri 13 Mar, hmv Empire, Coventry

HAEMA + FERRUX + KHARMA + FACE OF A STRANGER Fri 13 Mar, Arches Venue, Coventry

THE TAKE THAT EXPERIENCE Fri 13 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

KEROZENE + THE FLANEURS + OLE

COUGHIN DODGERZ + GENERAL JACK Fri 13 Mar, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

KOZMIC PEARL Fri 13

Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIEW Fri 13 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch

ROB LAMBERTI PRESENTS PERFECTLY GEORGE Fri 13 Mar, Malvern Theatres

THE BARRY MANILOW SHOW Fri 13 Mar, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

THE PIANO MAN ONE NIGHT OF BILLY JOEL Fri 13 Mar, Dudley Town Hall

MOSHTALGIA Fri 13 Mar, The River Rooms, Stourbridge VOODOO ROOM Fri 13 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

TAYLOR MORE SWIFTLY + BOOM BOOM WOMB + FIGHTS AND FIRES Fri 13 Mar, Dive, W’hampton

SEX PISTOLS EXPOSE + STUNTFACE Fri 13 Mar, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

THE SNUTS Fri 13 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent

MARA LIDDLE + ANGEL B VALENTINE + EMIDORA Fri 13 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stoke-on-Trent

BATHED IN SIN + LIGHTS OUT + SMOTHER + PROZPEKT + INVASION Fri 13 Mar, The Underground, Stokeon-Trent

DAVE BOULTON & THE BARMY PENGUINS Fri 13 Mar, Fenton Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

UK BJORN Fri 13 Mar, Rugeley Rose Theatre

CHASING MUMFORD Fri 13 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

COLLIDER SKIES + CHASING AUGUST Fri 13 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

JOSIENNE CLARKE SINGS THE SONGS OF SANDY

DENNY Fri 13 Mar, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shrops

THOMAS ATLAS X BONNYLOU Sat 14 Mar, The Jam House, B’ham

BLEED FROM WITHIN + DISEMBODIED TYRANT + BAEST Sat 14 Mar, O2

Institute, Birmingham

AUDREY HOBERT Sat 14

Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

SCOUTING FOR GIRLS Sat 14 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

KILLERSTREAM Sat 14

Mar, Jo Jo Jims, B’ham

JIM BOB + INTERROBANG Sat 14 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

FALLING AND LAUGHING + SUNSET CINEMA CLUB + WIIINCE + HEY ALAMO Sat 14 Mar, Centrala, Birmingham

METAL TO THE MASSES

HEAT 4 Sat 14 Mar, The Flapper, Birmingham

NATHAN CARTER Sat 14

Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

NU-CASTLE Sat 14 Mar, The Rainbow, Digbeth, Birmingham

ELIZA CARTHY Sat 14

Mar, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham

JIMMY REGAL AND THE ROYALS Sat 14 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

GO YOUR OWN WAY - THE FLEETWOOD MAC LEGACY Sat 14 Mar, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

CHARLES DEXTER WARD & THE IMAGINEERS + TELLEMAHOOKAH + WHAT ABOUT ERIC? Sat 14 Mar, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

ASTORIA Sat 14 Mar, FarGo Village, Coventry

GRIMM GRIMM Sat 14 Mar, Just Dropped In, Coventry

FLINT FIRE + PRETENDULUM Sat 14 Mar, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

BRAIN OF J Sat 14 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

TUBULAR BELLS LIVE Sat 14 Mar, Malvern Theatres

A TRIBUTE TO STING & THE POLICE Sat 14 Mar, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

WATERLOO A TRIBUTE TO ABBA Sat 14 Mar, Brierley Hill Civic NORTHERN SOUL ORCHESTRATED Sat 14 Mar, The Halls Wolverhampton

THE CLONE ROSES +

OAS-IS + THE SMITHS

LTD Sat 14 Mar, The Halls Wolverhampton

THE AMY EXPERIENCE Sat 14 Mar, The Sugarmill, Stoke-onTrent

THE JOHN STREET

REVIVAL Sat 14 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stoke-onTrent

ALL THE YOUNG Sat 14 Mar, The Rigger, Newcastle-Under-Lyme

DISCHARGE + RETSU Sat 14 Mar, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

MARK LOCKHEART

SHAPESHIFTER TRIO Sat 14 Mar, The Hive, Shrewsbury

DEVIL IN THE WHISKEY Sat 14 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

LOS PACAMINOS FT. PAUL YOUNG Sun 15 Mar, Hare & Hounds, B’ham

GEORGE BOOMSMA Sun 15 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

SAM SCHERDEL Sun 15 Mar, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

DEL WATER GAP Sun 15 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

TAXI FOR JESUS Sun 15 Mar, The Brasshouse, Birmingham

NORTHERN SOUL ORCHESTRATED Sun 15 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

BENSON BOONE Sun 15 Mar, Utilita Arena Birmingham

MERRY HELL Sun 15 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

KATHRYN ROBERTS & SEAN LAKEMAN Sun 15 Mar, Birchmeadow Centre, Broseley, Shropshire

STEVE CRADOCK Sun 15

Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

THE MUSIC OF FRANKIE VALLI AND THE FOUR SEASONS Sun 15 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

Classical Music

LUNCHTIME ORGAN CONCERT WITH THOMAS TROTTER Programme includes works by Price, Marsh, Leach & more..., Mon 9 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

SHOSTAKOVICH CHAMBER MUSIC

Featuring Oliver Heath, Jemima Soper & Erin Lawson-Smith (violins), Erin Vinter (viola), Joachim Lim (piano), Emily Hill & Jiaowen Liu (cellos), Tues 10 Mar, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

MATTHIAS HAVINGA ORGAN RECITAL

Tues 10 Mar, Organ Studio, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

THE CHOIR OF ROYAL HOLLOWAY: THE KING, THE ARCHBISHOP, A SPY, AND THE ENGLISH EXILES Featuring Rupert Gough (director). Programme includes works by Byrd, Bull, Dering & Philips, Tues 10 Mar, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

LUNCHTIME CONCERT Featuring Enhao Zhang (violin) & Fei Pu (cello), Tues 10 Mar, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury

RED BRICK BRASS QUINTET Featuring Samuel Jones & Alex Godridge (trumpets), Eleanor Dierckx (french horn), Nathan Tempest (trombone) & Jack Woodhouse (tuba), Wed 11 Mar, Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-uponAvon

SPRING CHAMBER CHOIR CONCERT

Featuring Julian Wilkins (conductor) & George Moloney (organ). Programme includes works by Britten, Byrd, I Holst & More..., Thurs 12 Mar, St Alban the Martyr, Highgate, Birmingham

KNIBBS & HOWARD PRESENT: ETHEL SMYTH, THE STORMY PETREL Featuring Melissa Morris (piano), Margarida Vaz Neto (soprano), Mikolaj Piszczorowicz (cello), Teresa Howard (libretto & narration), Chloe Knibbs & Ethel Smyth (composers), Thurs 12 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

LONDON CHAMBER ENSEMBLE TRIO Featuring Madeleine Mitchell (violin), Kirsten Jenson (cello) & Julian Milford (piano). Programme includes works by Ireland, C Schumann & Brahms, Thurs 12 Mar, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

ASHLEY WAGNER ORGAN RECITAL Fri 13 Mar, St Philip’s Cathedral, B’ham

EILIDH HARRIS ORGAN RECITAL Fri 13 Mar, St Hilda’s Parish Church, Smethwick

SIMONE DAMIANI PIANO RECITAL Fri 13 Mar, The Alexandra Theatre, B’ham BAND OF THE WEST MIDLANDS FIRE SERVICE Featuring Hannah Hill (clarinet), Fri 13 Mar, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

CANTORAS UPPER VOICES CHAMBER

CHOIR: STABAT MATER Programme includes works by Kim Andre Arnesen & Sarah Quartel, Fri 13 Mar, St Paul's Church, Birmingham

BACH'S MAGNIFICAT Featuring University of Warwick Chamber Choir and Orchestra, Suzzie Vango & Nat Morley (conductors), Fri 13 Mar, All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

PHILIP RUSHFORTH ORGAN RECITAL Fri 13 Mar, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

CHORUS AT THE CBSO CENTRE

Featuring Simon Halsey CBE (conductor), CBSO Chorus & CBSO Youth Chorus. Programme includes works by Britten, Brahms & Barber, Sat 14 Mar, CBSO Centre, B’ham

BIRMINGHAM BACH CHOIR: SACRED

MUSIC Programme includes works by Byrd, Gesualdo, Gibbons & more..., Sat 14 Mar, St Chad’s Cathedral, Birmingham

MIDLAND CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: VIVALDI’S GLORIA Programme also includes Haydn’s ‘Surprise’ symphony, Sat 14 Mar, St George's Church, Birmingham

WARWICKSHIRE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Richard Jenkinson (conductor) & Callum Smart (violin). Programme includes works by Copland, Rimsky-Korsakov, Brahms & Beethoven, Sat 14 Mar, All Saints' Church, Leamington Spa

WORCESTER PHILHARMONIC

ORCHESTRA Featuring Suzie Purkis (mezzo-soprano), Dan Watson (conductor) & Graham Longfils (leader). Programme includes works by Grieg, Elgar & Dvořák, Sat 14 Mar, Pershore Abbey

WOMBOURNE & DISTRICT CHORAL

SOCIETY: COME & SING! Sing Fauré’s Requiem with WDCS singers, Sat 14 Mar, Springdale Methodist Church, Wolverhampton

WYRE FOREST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Gill & Jonathan Pendrous (soloists). Programme includes works by Mozart & Beethoven, Sat 14 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA AND STRING ORCHESTRA Featuring Daniele Rosina, Barnaby Eddy & Evie Ghauri (conductors). Programme includes works by Grieg, Sibelius, Mozart & Fauré, Sun 15 Mar, Elgar Concert Hall, University of Birmingham

UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA & CHORUS: TITANS Programme includes works by Mahler & Katy Lavinia Cooper, Sun 15 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DORIC STRING QUARTET Featuring Maia Cabeza & Ying Xue (violins), Emma Wernig (viola) & John Myerscough (cello). Programme includes works by Mendelssohn, Janáček, & Beethoven, Sun 15 Mar, Malvern Theatres

Comedy

ZOLTAN KASZAS Thurs 12 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, MICHAEL AKADIRI & COMIC TBC Thurs 12 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DANNY CLIVES & PAUL HILLEARD Thurs 12 Mar, Cherry Reds, Birmingham

JO ENRIGHT, SCOTT CAPURRO, MICHAEL AKADIRI, LOU TAYLOR & ALEX EGAN Fri 13 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JORDAN GRAY Fri 13 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

RUSSELL HOWARD Fri 13 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

JOEL DOMMETT Fri 13 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

MATT PRICE, BENNY SHAKES, EDDY BRIMSON & JON PEARSON Sat 14 Mar, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

JO ENRIGHT, SCOTT CAPURRO, MICHAEL AKADIRI & COMIC TBC Sat 14 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ANDY ZALTZMAN Sat 14 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SUE PERKINS Sat 14 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JONNY COLE Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar, Halesowen Town Hall

CHRIS MCCAUSLAND Sun 15 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

HENNING WEHN Sun 15 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

PIERRE NOVELLIE Sun 15 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

ED PATRICK Sun 15 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Theatre

BLOOD AND DESIRE Warwick Chinese Society present a double-bill exploring the boundaries of sacrifice

and self-discovery, Tues 10 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SCOTLAND YARD INVESTIGATIONS Don’t Go Into The Cellar present stage adaptations of infamous true-life 19th-century crimes - including the Thames Torso Murders and The Lambeth Poisoner, Tues 10 Mar, Middleport Pottery, Stoke-on-Trent

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) The Reduced Shakespeare Company take a rollercoaster ride through all 37 of the Bard’s plays, Tues 10 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

MONA LOSER New musical inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and set to a high-energy pop score, Tues 10Sat 14 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome DEAR ENGLAND National Theatre production of James Graham’s award-winning play, telling the uplifting story of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England manager, Tues 10 - Sat 14 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome

MIDSOMER MURDERS: THE KILLINGS OF BADGER’S DRIFT Inspector Tom Barnaby investigates a murder in England’s deadliest county. Daniel Casey stars, Tues 10 - Sat 14 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF MUSICAL North Staffs Operatic Society present an amateur version of the hit musical comedy based on the much-loved TV show, Tues 10 - Sat 14 Mar, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent HERE & NOW - THE STEPS MUSICAL New musical based on the songs of pop favourites Steps, Tues 10 - Sun 15 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

NOISES OFF Highbury Players present an amateur version of Michael Frayn’s classic farce, Tues 10 - Sat 21 Mar, Highbury Theatre, Sutton Coldfield

NIGHT AT THE OPERA RBC musicians celebrate opera in all its ‘drama,

emotion and fun’, Wed 11 Mar, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

FRANKENSTEIN A new staging of Mary Shelley’s Gothic tale, performed by The Albany’s in-house theatre company, Wed 11, Thurs 12 & Sat 14 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry YEOMAN OF THE GUARD Atswood Bank Operatic Society present an amateur version of the Gilbert & Sullivan opera, Wed 11 - Sat 14 Mar, The Norbury Theatre, Droitwich

WE WILL ROCK YOU Get Your Wigle On present an amateur version of Ben Elton’s smash-hit musical, Wed 11Sat 14 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

MY FAIR LADY Cabaret Theatre Company present an amateur version of a musical theatre favourite, Wed 11 - Sat 14 Mar, The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-upon-Trent

BEHOLD YE RAMBLERS Neil Gore’s one-hander takes a lighthearted look at an important piece of social history, Thurs 12 Mar, Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek, Staffs

EYES DOWN Interactive comedy thriller where the audience play actual games of bingo - with real prizes!

Thurs 12 Mar, SpArC Theatre, Bishops Castle, South Shropshire

THE RAVEN RBC Actors present an original production inspired by the life and work of Edgar Allen Poe, Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham

THE WIZARD OF OZ ADULT PANTO

Starring Jimmy Burton-Iles in the lead role of Dorothy, Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Mar, Tamworth Assembly Rooms

CONSENT Law, love and loyalty collide in Nina Raine’s ‘powerful, painful and funny’ play. Performed by RBC actors, Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Mar, The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF MUSICAL Comic Theatre Company present an amateur version of the musical comedy based on the much-loved TV show of the same name, Thurs 12Sat 14 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

THE RAVEN RBC actors present an original production inspired by the life and work of Edgar Allen Poe, Thurs 12 - Sat 14 Mar, The Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham

TRULY, JACK THE RIPPER Awardwinning actor Jonathan Goodwin plays different characters in an exploration of the murders and

myths surrounding the infamous Victorian serial killer, Fri 13 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

EYES DOWN Interactive comedy thriller during which the audience play actual games of bingo - with real prizes! Fri 13 Mar, Dawley Town Hall

THE WOLVES OF WILLOUGHBY CHASE

High-stakes survival thriller performed by the Gatehouse Youth Theatre, Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) The Reduced Shakespeare Company take a rollercoaster ride through all 37 of the Bard’s plays, Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

WHITE LIARS/BLACK COMEDY Two Peter Shaffer one-act plays exploring deception, Fri 13 - Sat 21 Mar, The Bear Pitt Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon

THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE SHOW

Watch as a brand-new Shakespeare play is developed live on stage, Sat 14 Mar, Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

EYES DOWN Interactive comedy thriller during which the audience play actual games of bingo - with real

prizes! Sat 14 Mar, Wem Town Hall, South Shropshire

THE PANDEMONIUM OF POE Jonathan Goodwin hosts a show in which the audience gets to choose which Edgar Allan Poe tales are performed, Sat 14 Mar, The Theatre of Small Convenience, Malvern

HENRY V Alfred Enoch takes the title role, Sat 14 Mar - Sat 25 Apr, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratfordupon-Avon

MYRA’S STORY Acclaimed one-hander telling the story of Myra, who, having fallen on hard times, ends up homeless and living on the streets of Dublin. Fionna Hewitt-Twamley plays 15 ‘larger than life’ characters, Sun 15 Mar, The Rep, Birmingham

EYES DOWN Interactive comedy thriller during which the audience play actual games of bingo - with real prizes! Sun 15 Mar, Thimblemill Library, Smethwick

Kids Theatre

THE GRUFFALO’S CHILD Stage version of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s award-winning story, Mon 9 - Tues 10 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

THE GRUFALLO, THE WITCH AND THE WARTHOG WITH JULIA DONALDSON Julia Donaldson and four actors bring six of her stories to life, Fri 13 - Sun 15 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

HAY! Puppetry, music, clowning, song and dance combine in an ‘inclusive and uplifting’ tale for younger audiences, Sun 15 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

Dance

2FACED DANCE: TOMORROW New work from Tamsin Fitzgerald offering a physical response to ‘the things we struggle to say with words’, Tues 10 Mar, Malvern Theatres

Light Entertainment

BOX OF FROGS Birmingham’s premiere improv group present an evening of high-octane improvised comedy nonsense, based entirely on audience suggestions, Wed 11 Mar, 1000 Trades, Birmingham

INSIDE VOICES PLS! An International Women’s Month event showcasing female-identifying experiences around the theme of resilience, Wed 11 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

BEYOND THE BARRICADE Musical theatre concert featuring iconic scores from The Phantom Of The Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, West Side Story, The Lion King, Blood Brothers, Miss Saigon, Hamilton and more... Wed 11 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS - THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS Ultimate feelgood Irish show, Wed 11 - Thurs 12 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

LIEVEN SCHEIRE SCIENCE AND SIDE SPLITTING COMEDY ‘Mind-expanding insights’ and comedy combine in ‘a unique show that makes the mysteries of science entertaining and

accessible’, Thurs 12 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

THE DAZZLING DIAMONDS - COMEDY DRAG VARIETY SHOW Thurs 12 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

THE MOZART GROUP An evening of classical compositions and comedy, Thurs 12 Mar, Malvern Theatres

JAWDANCE X UNISLAM Apples And Snakes present a showcase of ‘performance poetry, rhythm and truth’, Fri 13 Mar, The Rep, B’ham

PETE FIRMAN: TRICKS & GIGGLES

Brand-new show from ‘one of magic’s most exciting performers’, Fri 13 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

DOMINIC FRISBY: AN EVENING OF COMEDY, SONGS AND SATIRE Fri 13 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING Musical tribute to hit TV series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Fri 13 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

THE ALLURE SPEAKEASY ‘Steamy striptease and daring drag’ feature in a show combining ‘jaw-dropping entertainment, chaotic comedy and utter fabulousness’, Sat 14 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

LIEVEN SCHEIRE SCIENCE AND SIDE SPLITTING COMEDY ‘Mind-expanding insights’ and comedy combine in ‘a unique show that makes the mysteries of science entertaining and accessible’, Sat 14 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

SING-A-LONG THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

Fancy dress is strongly encouraged and full audience participation essential! Sat 14 Mar, Crewe Lyceum Theatre

THE PARODY OF THE RINGS Expect ‘comedy, chaos and utter nonsense’ as a team of hapless ushers attempt to create an epic tale of hobbits, elves and orcs, Sat 14 Mar, Rother Street Arts, Stratford-upon-Avon

Talks & Spoken

POETRY SLAM 2026 Hosted by former Birmingham Poet Laureate SPOZ, Wed 11 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch

SIR GEOFF HURST: LAST MAN STANDING FAREWELL TOUR Join the West Ham & England icon as he shares stories

Monday 9 - Sunday 15 March

from his illustrious career, Wed 11 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

HARRY BAKER: TENDER World Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker ‘brings wit and wonder to new parenthood’, Fri 13 Mar, The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

JOHN POWER - THE CAST, THE LA’S, AND ME ‘An intimate show that mixes John’s best-loved songs with wild, funny and tender stories’, Fri 13 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

GARTH MARENGHI - THIS BUSTED EARTH BOOK TOUR Sat 14 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY INTO MIDDLE EARTH Join Ash Bayliss as he explores the links between Birmingham and Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Sat 14 Mar, Rother Street Arts, Stratford-upon-Avon

Events

CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW Explore hundreds of stalls packed with everything from knitting and stitching supplies to card making and felting, Thurs 12 - Sun 15 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

SEWING FOR PLEASURE / FASHION & EMBROIDERY Browse inspiring stands, discover the latest tools and machines, and pick up expert tips from industry professionals, Thurs 12 - Sun 15 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

COMEDY IN FOCUS: BEAN Combined exhibition & film celebration of British comedy, Fri 13 Mar, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

CASTLE CEILIDH Evening of music and dance with a live Ceilidh band, Fri 13 Mar, Warwick Castle

BOOGIE LIGHTS EXPRESS A ‘one of a kind’ experience, blending ‘dazzling lights, pulse-pounding music and nonstop energy’, Fri 13 - Sat 14 Mar, Severn Valley Railway, nr Kidderminster

ARTISAN AND REENACTORS MARKET

Event combining a love of history and traditional skills & crafts, Fri 13 - Sun 15 Mar, Warwickshire Event Centre, Coventry

ASK ME ANYTHING: MEET THE EXPERTS AT THINKTANK Relaxed, family-friendly event ‘where no question is too big, too small, or too strange’, Sat 14 Mar, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

BONGO’S BINGO - ST PATRICK’S DAY

SPECIAL The original bingo rave sensation, Sat 14 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury DEMYSTIFYING AI: THINKTANK LATE Adults-only event showing how AI works, exploring its ethics and imagining its future, Sat 14 Mar, Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum

THEATRE TOUR A unique insight into

one of the most historic theatres in the West Midlands, Sat 14 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham PEAKY BLINDERS NIGHT Journey into the gritty industrial landscape of the 1920s, Sat 14 Mar, Black Country Living Museum, Dudley THE SPRING COLLECTION VINTAGE FAIR Vintage shopping experience, with genuine originals from the 1920s, 30s, 40s and 50s, Sat 14 Mar, Himley Hall and Park, Dudley 00S SILENT DISCO Sat 14 Mar, Coventry Cathedral

MIDLANDS GRAND NATIONAL 2026

Action-packed day of top-tier racing and entertainment, Sat 14 Mar, Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire

THE FAMILY HISTORY SHOW Put your research questions to an expert, enjoy a free talk, and make contact with a local society, archive or genealogical supplier, Sat 14 Mar, Three Counties Showground, Malvern

CORBET RE-ENACTMENT GROUP The medieval reenactment group ‘bring their energy and enthusiasm for history to the museum’, Sat 14 Mar, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery

THE MURDER OF THE GROOM Immersive murder-mystery evening, Sat 14 Mar, West Midlands Police Museum, Birmingham

ALTON AFTER DARK Experience the twists and turns of the venue’s rollercoasters at night, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar, Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire

WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS Discover the untold stories of women who’ve shaped the world, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar, Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND Enjoy blossom filled garden walks and hear inspiring short talks about ‘ultimate mother figure’ Katherine Parr, Sat 14Sun 15 Mar, Sudeley Castle, Cheltenham

MARCH MADNESS Meet the friendly engines, ride the themed attractions, and experience the magical world of Thomas the Tank Engine, Sat 14Sun 15 Mar, Drayton Manor Resort, Staffordshire

DREAM EXTREME ALLSTAR CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Featuring ‘high-flying stunts, flipping tumbles, and incredible dances on three different competition floors’, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar, bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham

SPRING GIFT FAYRE Featuring a whole host of suppliers selling local and hand-made goods, Sat 14 - Sun 15 Mar, Severn Valley Railway, nr Kidderminster

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTORS FAIR

Featuring traders from across the UK selling a wide range of items from yesteryear, Sun 15 Mar, Himley Hall & Park, Dudley

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Gigs

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT

LIGHT + ARIANA & THE ROSE Mon 16 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

WINTER MOUNTAIN Mon 16 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

SIGRID + ETTA MARCUS Mon 16 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

VITAMIN STRING QUARTET

Mon 16 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

GREEN GARDENS Tues 17 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

WATERPARKS Tues 17 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

DIRT ROAD BAND Wed 18 Mar, The Jam House, Birmingham

THRICE + LYSISTRATA Wed 18 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

BOOM SLANG Wed 18 Mar, Dead Wax, B’ham

STONESTHROW + GEOFF

FROST & ANDY CLAPHAM Wed 18 Mar, Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham

DAOIRI FARRELL Wed 18 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

CYGNET QUARTET Wed 18 Mar, Boldmere

Sports and Social Club, Sutton Coldfield

THE CHER COLLECTION Wed 18 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

DAME AREA Thurs 19 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

JONNY MORGAN & THE MORAL SUPPORT Thurs 19 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

RAY HEART Fri 20 Mar, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

SAMM HENSHAW Fri 20 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

CHESNEY HAWKES + LAURA ASTON Fri 20 Mar, O2 Academy, B’ham

STIFF LITTLE FINGERS Fri 20 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE SCHEMERS Fri 20 Mar, Jo Jo Jims, B’ham

MARK LOCKHEART Fri 20 Mar, 1000 Trades, Birmingham

WITCH FEVER Fri 20 Mar, Dead Wax, B’ham

ODYSSEY Thurs 19 Mar, The Jam House, Birmingham

HYPERREAL + MISERY KIDS + HOLLYWOOD

BROWN Thurs 19 Mar, The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham

ARI ABDUL Thurs 19 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

POLITE BUREAUX Thurs 19 Mar, The Victoria, Birmingham

MELA GUITAR QUARTET Thurs 19 Mar, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

MOTHER HEROIC: A CELEBRATION OF BJÖRK’S MUSIC Thurs 19 Mar, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

THE TINA TURNER EXPERIENCE Thurs 19 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

ERIC BIBB Thurs 19 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DAOIRÍ FARRELL Thurs 19 Mar, Regal, Tenbury Wells

ESSENTIALLY CHER Thurs 19 Mar, Brierley Hill Civic

ZIGGY POP & CULT FICTION Thurs 19 Mar, The Robin, Bilston

KESHA Thurs 19 Mar, The Halls Wolverhampton

THE OGRETONES Thurs 19 Mar, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

WILLE & THE BANDITS Thurs 19 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

THE ATLANTIC PLAYERS + SWAMPMEAT FAMILY

BAND Fri 20 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

20 Mar, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

THE MACC LADS Fri 20 Mar, The Robin, Bilston

DAN OWEN Fri 20 Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

MASON HILL + DEFENCES Fri 20 Mar, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

THE BLACK CHARADE Fri 20 Mar, The Sugarmill, Stoke-on-Trent

ZIPSTYLE + THE DIRT + UNCLE DAD Fri 20 Mar, The Artisan Tap, Stokeon-Trent

THE OGRETONES Fri 20 Mar, The Asylum, Birmingham

METAL TO THE MASSES

HEAT 5 Fri 20 Mar, The Flapper, Birmingham

10CC Fri 20 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham FLEETWOOD UNCHAINED Fri 20 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

OASISH Fri 20 Mar, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

SAINT SENARA + YOUNG MARTYRS Fri 20 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

PROMISES AND LIESTHE UB40 YEARS Fri 20 Mar, Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

THE QUAD ROX Fri 20 Mar, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

BANOFFEE + PERMANENT DAYLIGHT + REISS PINDER + THE ILLUSION Fri 20 Mar, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

JILTED GENERATION Fri 20 Mar, hmv Empire, Coventry

RADIO GAGA Fri 20 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

ELLES BAILEY Fri 20 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE JAM UK Fri 20 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

MOMENTS OF PLEASUREA TRIBUTE TO KATE BUSH Fri 20 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

THE MERSEY BEATLES Fri 20 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch

UNDER THE COVERS Fri

Leamington Spa

ERROL LINTON BAND Sat 21 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

AC30S Sat 21 Mar, The Rhodehouse, Sutton Coldfield

R&B ORCHESTRA Sat 21 Mar, hmv Empire, Coventry

SHANGHAI HOSTAGE + THE GENES + ALFRESCO

LOVE SOUNDS + THOSE

FINE STRANGERS Sat 21 Mar, FarGo Village, Coventry

MIDDING + RY-GUY Sat 21 Mar, Just Dropped In, Coventry

THE MOUSE OUTFIT Fri 20 Mar, The Underground, Stokeon-Trent

THE ANT HILL MOB Fri 20 Mar, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

MACBUSTED Fri 20 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

TV PINS + IF THE DRESS DON’T FIT Fri 20 Mar, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

DAMIEN DEMPSEY Sat 21 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

LUNA MARBLE + BELTANE MOON Sat 21 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE FEELING Sat 21 Mar, O2 Institute, B’ham

ASH XO + SUPA D + COLDSTEPS + TERMINAL 4 Sat 21 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

EKOH Sat 21 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

PAUL DRAPER Sat 21 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

THE ROLLIN’ STONED Sat 21 Mar, Jo Jo Jims, Birmingham

STEVE IGNORANT BAND PERFORMING CRASS + CLUB BRAT Sat 21 Mar, Castle & Falcon, B’ham

QUEENERGY Sat 21 Mar, The Dovehouse, Solihull

SMALL CHANGES Sat 21 Mar, Bromsgrove Arts @ Fairfield Village Hall, Fairfield

FEARLESSLY TAYLOR Sat 21 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

CHASING MUMFORD Sat 21 Mar, The Assembly,

KING PLEASURE & THE BISCUIT BOYS Sat 21 Mar, Lichfield Guildhall

AUDIO JUNKIES Sat 21 Mar, The Feathers Inn, Lichfield

ELKIE BROOKS Sat 21 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ASHLEY CAMPBELL Sat 21 Mar, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury

MARK HARRISON BAND Sat 21 Mar, Eaton Constantine Village Hall, Shropshire

DON’T STOPFLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE Sun 22 Mar, Kitchen Garden, B’ham

THE SKALECTRICS Sat 21

Mar, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

THE BLUETONES Sat 21 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

CODA - A TRIBUTE TO LED

ZEPPELIN Sat 21 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

LINKWELLS Sat 21 Mar, West Malvern Social Club

MADE IN TENNESSEE Sat 21 Mar, Brierley Hill Civic

NORTHERN LIVE Sat 21

Mar, Dudley Town Hall

ALEX HART Sat 21 Mar, Stourbridge Town Hall

MAET LIVE & THE NEVER NEVERLAND EXPRESS Sat 21 Mar, The River Rooms, Stourbridge

NICK HARPER Sat 21

Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

DAN BYRNE + MUDDIBROOKE + KIT

TRIGG Sat 21 Mar, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

SKYE CONSORT & EMMA BJÖRLING Sat 21 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

SCOPYONS + TWIN LIZZY Sat 21 Mar, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Sat 21 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent

ONE NIGHT IN NASHVILLE FT MARIA JORDAN Sat 21

Mar, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

SLEEP BROKEN Sat 21

Mar, The Station, Cannock

ANTHONY JOHN CLARKE Sun 22 Mar, Kitchen Garden, Birmingham

REMY BOND Sun 22 Mar, O2 Institute, B’ham

CRYSTAL TIDES + LUNA BAY + THE PUBLICS Sun 22 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

THE CRIBS + COURTING Sun 22 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

CRYSTAL LAKE + MISS MAY I + GREAT AMERICAN GHOST + DIESECT Sun 22 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham MAZ MITRENKO BAND Sun 22 Mar, The Brasshouse, B’ham GORILLAZ + OMAR SOULEYMAN Sun 22 Mar, bp pulse LIVE, Birmingham TAYLORMANIA Sun 22 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

CAITLIN KRISKO AND THE BROADCAST Sun 22 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MALIN LEWIS Sun 22 Mar, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

BOYZLIFE Sun 22 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JOHN POWER Sun 22 Mar, The Robin, Bilston HONEY BOX Sun 22 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

EVE GOODMAN + SERA Sun 22 Mar, The Hive, Shrewsbury

FEROCIOUS DOG Sun 22 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

Monday 16 - Sunday 22

Classical Music

RBC LUNCHTIME MUSIC Featuring Lucy Kerby (flute), Joanne Sealey (piano) & Phoebe Curcher (soprano). Programme includes works by KargElert, Mon 16 Mar, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

EX CATHEDRA: THE GARDEN OF LOVE

Featuring Jeffrey Skidmore (conductor) & Ex Cathedra Scholars Ensemble. Programme includes works by Daniel-Lesur, Le Jeune, Palestrina & Whitacre, Tues 17 Mar, CBSO Centre, Birmingham

LUNCHTIME CONCERT Featuring Dominic Downs (piano), Tues 17 Mar, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury

KIDDERMINSTER MALE CHOIR Tues 17 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

PEI-YU CHU PIANO RECITAL Wed 18 Mar, Holy Trinity Church, Stratfordupon-Avon

MELA GUITAR QUARTET Featuring Matthew Robinson, George Tarlton, Michael Butten & Zahrah Hutton (guitars). Programme includes new works by RBC composers, Thurs 19 Mar, The Lab, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

PETER KING ORGAN RECITAL Thurs 19 Mar, Worcester Cathedral

RBC WIND ORCHESTRA Featuring Dougie Mitchell (conductor), Ella Michell (flute) & Matthew Osborne (trumpet). Programme includes works by Arrieu & Böhme, Fri 20 Mar, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

OLIVER HANCOCK ORGAN RECITAL Fri 20 Mar, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

DUDOK STRING QUARTET Featuring Judith Van Driel & Marleen Wester (violins), Marie-Louise de Jong (viola), David Faber & Pieter Wispelwey (cello). Programme includes works by Dowland, Mozart & Schubert, Fri 20 Mar, Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa THE SHREWSBURY BAROQUE ORCHESTRA Featuring Conor Gricmanis. Programme comprises Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Fri 20 Mar, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury

KELL WIND TRIO Fri 20 Mar, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

BIRMINGHAM FESTIVAL CHORAL

SOCIETY: VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, A SEA SYMPHONY Featuring David Wynne (conductor), Kevin Gill (piano & organ), Jamie Hall (baritone), CarrieAnne Williams (soprano) & Leamington Chamber Orchestra, Sat 21 Mar, All Saints Church, Leamington Spa

WORCESTER FESTIVAL CHORAL SOCIETY: MENDELSSOHN’S ELIJAH Featuring Meridian Sinfonia, Sarah Fox (soprano), Jeanette Ager (mezzo soprano), Dominic Lee (tenor) & Edward Grint (bass baritone), Sat 21

Mar, Worcester Cathedral

WOLVERHAMPTON SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA Featuring Peter Morris (conductor) & Ros Rayner (leader). Programme includes works by Arnold, Prokofiev & Elgar, Sat 21 Mar, Wolverhampton Grammar School

JS BACH: ST JOHN PASSION Featuring The Phoenix Singers of Shrewsbury, Noxwode Baroque, Conor Gricmanis (leader) & David Thomas (conductor), Sat 21 Mar, Shrewsbury Abbey

CANTORAS UPPER VOICES CHAMBER

CHOIR: STABAT MATER Programme includes works by Kim Andre Arnesen & Sarah Quartel, Sat 21 Mar, St Peter’s Collegiate Church, Wolverhampton

KARL JENKINS’ THE ARMED MAN: A MASS FOR PEACE Featuring Gig

Caritas Chorus & Orchestra, Keith Horsfall (conductor) & Alex Lindsay (baritone). Programme also includes Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, Sat 21 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

GERMAN ROMANCE Featuring Juan Ortuno (conductor) & Sophia Rosa (soloist). Programme includes works by Weber, Mendelssohn & Bruckner, Sat 21 Mar, St John Fisher Catholic College, Newcastle-under-Lyme

STAFFORD SINFONIA Featuring Jack Lovell-Huckle (musical director) & Dr Richard Jenkinson (cello). Programme includes works by Fauré, Tchaikovsky & Beethoven, Sat 21 Mar, Rising Brook Community Church, Stafford

RICHARD STRAUSS SPECTACULAR

Featuring Keith Slade (conductor) & Kimichi Symphony Orchestra, Sun 22 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

UNIVERSITY PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

Featuring Daniele Rosina (conductor). Programme includes works by R Bennett, Ravel, R Latimer & Stravinsky, Sun 22 Mar, Elgar Concert Hall, Bramall Music Building, University of Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM CONTEMPORARY MUSIC GROUP: CHERRY BLOSSOM 2026

Programme includes works by Reich, Lewis & Loevendie, Sun 22 Mar, Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham

STRATFORD-UPON-AVON SYMPHONY

ORCHESTRA Featuring Dan Watson (conductor), Tim Bugg (leader) & Alexander Boukikov (horn). Programme includes works by Brahms, Dvořák, Mozart & Glazunov, Sun 22 Mar, Grieg Hall, Alcester

ANIMALTASTIC FAMILY CONCERT

Featuring Halesowen Orchestra, Lee Armstrong (conductor) & Claire Thompson (leader). Programme includes works by Rossini, SaintSaëns, Stravinsky & more..., Sun 22 Mar, The Salvation Army Church & Communtiy Hub, Cradley Heath

Comedy

RADU ISAC Tues 17 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

CHRIS KENT, ELEANOR TIERNAN, FREDDY QUINNE & COMIC TBC Wed 18 Mar, Herbert’s Yard, Birmingham

SHANE TODD Wed 18 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

LIEVEN SCHEIRE Wed 18 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

ROSS NOBLE Thurs 19 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

IAN STONE Thurs 19 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, JIN HAO LI & DANA ALEXANDER Thurs 19 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

GREG WINFIELD Thurs 19 Mar, Cherry Reds, Birmingham

ALFIE MOORE Thurs 19 Mar, New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

MARCUS BRIGSTOCKE Thurs 19 Mar, Bretforton Grange Theatre-barn, Worcester

GEOFF NORCOTT Thurs 19 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

WILL DUGGAN, ASHISH SURI, JIN HAO LI, DANA ALEXANDER & LUKE NIXON Fri 20 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

DARREN WALSH Fri 20 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

JONNY AWSUM, JACK CAMPBELL, ALEX

CAHILL & PAUL RICKETTS Fri 20 Mar, Bedworth Civic Hall

RAY BRADSHAW Fri 20 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

ANGELOS EPITHEMIOU, OLIVIA LEE, BEN TRELOAR & ANDY ROACH Sat 21 Mar, Rosies Nightclub, Birmingham

WILL DUGGAN, ASHISH SURI, JIN HAO LI & DANA ALEXANDER Sat 21 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

PAUL MCCAFFREY Sat 21 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ED BYRNE Sat 21 Mar, The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent

ANDY PARSONS Sat 21 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

DANIEL O’REILLY Sat 21 Mar, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

TOM ROSENTHAL Sat 21 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

SCOTT BENNETT Sat 21 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

TOM DAVIS Sat 21 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

JEN BRISTER Sun 22 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

AURIE STYLA Sun 22 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

Theatre

THE WITCHES Scarlet Theatre present

an amateur version of Roald Dahl’s much-loved story, Mon 16 - Wed 18 Mar, Stoke Repertory Theatre, Stokeon-Trent

FAWLTY TOWERS - THE PLAY Join Basil, the Major and Polly as they bring to life favourite moments from the hit 1970s sitcom. Danny Bayne, Paul Nicholas and Joanne Clifton star, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

OPERATION MINCEMEAT Olivier Awardwinning musical, described as ‘Singin’ In The Rain meets Strangers On A Train’, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

WE WILL ROCK YOU Rooftop Studios present an amateur version of the hit Ben Elton musical, featuring Queen’s greatest hits, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, The Crown Wharf Theatre, Stone ME AND MY GIRL Knowle Musical Society present an amateur version of the rags-to-riches story of Bill Snibson, a cheeky cockney who suddenly discovers he’s the long-lost heir to an aristocratic fortune, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, The Core Theatre, Solihull

THE WAR OF THE WORLDS New version of HG Wells’ apocalyptic tale, Wed 18 - Sat 21 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

THIRD CLASS One-man theatre show based on the life of Titanic survivor Edward Dorking, Thurs 19 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham EYES DOWN Interactive comedy thriller during which the audience play actual games of bingo - with real prizes! Thurs 19 Mar, Wednesbury Library

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Amateur version presented by Curtain Call Studios, Thurs 19 - Sat 21 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

BRIEF ENCOUNTER Amateur version of Emma Rice’s adaptation of Noel Coward’s classic drama, Thurs 19Sun 22 Mar, Dudley Little Theatre

PIXIEMATOSIS Sqwonky puppets, oddautomata and a slew of charity-shop rejects feature in this story of ‘greed and the existential madness of it all’, Fri 20 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

LITTLE WOMEN - THE BROADWAY

MUSICAL Louisa May Alcott’s classic tale of love, family and resistance, brought to life in a production set to music. Performed by RBC actors, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Mar, The Crescent Theatre, Birmingham

1984 Box Tale Soup present a new version of George Orwell’s dystopian classic, Sat 21 Mar, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

THE IMMORTAL SAGA OF THE WARRIORS OF SWARAJYA ‘An emotional experience where history speaks through words, and powerful thoughts are brought to life through

thelist

voice’, Sat 21 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

WILDE ABOUT OSCAR Jonathan Goodwin plays Oscar Wilde in a ‘sparkling and sprightly’ one-man show, Sat 21 Mar, Earlsdon Carnegie Library, Coventry

THE UNFRIEND Amateur version of the Stephen Moffat farce exploring middle-class England’s perennial struggle to keep up appearances, Sat 21 - Sat 28 Mar, Criterion Theatre, Coventry

MADAMA BUTTERFLY Ukraine’s Dnipro Opera present Puccini’s tale of innocent love crushed between two cultures, Sun 22 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Kids Theatre

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW Puppetry, music and storytelling combine to bring four of Eric Carle’s magical stories to life, Tues 17 - Wed 18 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester OUT OF THE BOX A family-friendly circus comedy show featuring nonverbal clowning, Sat 21 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

Light Entertainment

LIEVEN SCHEIRE SCIENCE AND SIDE SPLITTING COMEDY ‘Mind-expanding insights’ and comedy combine in ‘a unique show that makes the mysteries of science entertaining and accessible’, Wed 18 Mar, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre

MOTHER HEROIC: A CELEBRATION OF BJÖRK’S MUSIC A journey through Björk’s ever-changing and critically acclaimed discography, Thurs 19 Mar, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

WEST END CROONERS Step back in time to the golden age of swing in a show featuring hits from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, Thurs 19 Mar, Halesowen Town Hall

BEN FOGLE: WILD Join the broadcaster & adventurer for an evening of stories about his encounters with the natural world, Thurs 19 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent LOOKING FOR ME FRIEND: THE MUSIC OF VICTORIA WOOD Paulus The Cabaret

Geek pays homage to the comedy icon. Accompanied by Michael Roulston (Fascinating Aida) on piano, Thurs 19 Mar, The Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton-upon-Trent

BIFF TO THE FUTURE Joseph Maudsley’s one-man parody in which Biff, the iconic villain from hit 80s movie Back To The Future, takes centre stage, Thurs 19 Mar, Royal Spa Centre, Leamington Spa

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG - THE STORY OF 2TONE & BEYOND! Theatrical experience exploring the birth of ska in Jamaica and its British revival in the late 1970s and 80s, Thurs 19 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch & Fri 20 Mar, Walsall Arena

PROF. BRIAN COX: EMERGENCE Preview show ahead of a new world tour, Fri 20 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

DREAMCOAT STARS Musical theatre’s greatest hits, performed by stars of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Fri 20 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

BOTTOMS UP: BURLESQUE & CABARET

The ‘creme de la creme of the cabaret world’ take to the stage to surprise and delight with ‘sultry striptease, witty wisecracks and saucy songs’, Sat 21 Mar, The Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham

THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW Sat 21 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

NORTHERN LIVE: DO I LOVE YOU

Featuring original sounds from the underground movement that started on dancefloors in the north and eventually swept the nation, Sat 21 Mar, Dudley Town Hall

TAYLOR SWIFT TRIBUTE BY MYSTERY

ENSEMBLE Sat 21 Mar, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

THE 80S SHOW ‘Authentic, high-energy performance capturing the true essence of the era’, Sat 21 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

LIEVEN SCHEIRE SCIENCE AND SIDE

SPLITTING COMEDY ‘Mind-expanding insights’ and comedy combine in ‘a unique show that makes the mysteries of science entertaining and accessible’, Sat 21 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

TIM KEY: LOGANBERRY Brand-new show (with poems), Sun 22 Mar, The Rep, Birmingham

BEN FOGLE: WILD Join the broadcaster & adventurer for an evening of stories about his encounters with the natural

Monday 16 - Sunday 22 March

world, Sun 22 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Dance

BACH REIMAGINED A co-production between James Wilton Dance and Canadian cellist Raphael WeinrothBrowne that explores Bach’s means of composition as a form of divine worship, and the scientific advancements of his contemporary Sir Isaac Newton, Tues 17 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

THE RED SHOES Sir Matthew Bourne’s award-winning production, telling a powerful tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world, Tues 17 - Sat 21 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome

ME DANCE COMPANY: FURNACE CONTEMPORARY DANCE PERFORMANCE

Triple bill of new work created by Marcia Edwards, Emily Cox and former De Montfort University students, Wed 18 Mar, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

MOTIONHOUSE: HIDDEN Dance-circus production that explores how, in an increasingly divided world, light can come out of darkness in times of crisis, Fri 20 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

COPPELIA English Youth Ballet tell the story of inventor Dr Coppelius and his creation - a lifelike mechanical doll, Fri 20 - Sat 21 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

IV BY SERAFINE 1369 Four dancers engage in a detailed, meditative and expansive practice of ‘constant movement, energetic tuning and impossible stillness’, Sat 21 Mar, Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome

ASIAN SPRING Annual celebration of South Asian dance, showcasing talented performers from across the region, Sun 22 Mar, The Bradshaw Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

Talks & Spoken

Word

MONTY DON: A JOURNEY THROUGH BRITISH GARDENS Britain’s best-loved gardener hosts a brand-new show celebrating his landmark book and BBC Two series, British Gardens, Sun 15 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stoke-onTrent

AN EVENING WITH BIRMINGHAM CITY LEGENDS Join Clinton Morrison and Michael Johnson for first-hand accounts of all things Birmingham City, Wed 18 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

SIR GEOFF HURST: LAST MAN STANDING FAREWELL TOUR Join the West Ham &

England icon as he shares stories from his illustrious career, Fri 20 Mar, Stourbridge Town Hall

AN EVENING WITH DR JOHN COOPER CLARKE Fri 20 Mar, Kidderminster Town Hall

UNDERCOVER DETECTIVE: THE MAKINGS OF A MURDERER A true-crime event.

Peter Bleksley reveals the harrowing reality behind solving murders and battling the criminal underworld, Sat 21 Mar, Stourbridge Town Hall

UNDERCOVER DETECTIVE: THE MAKINGS OF A MURDERER A true-crime event.

Peter Bleksley reveals the harrowing reality behind solving murders and battling the criminal underworld, Sun 22 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

Events

LICHFIELD LITERATURE FESTIVAL

Celebration of the written word, with a plethora of leading authors addressing a wide range of topics, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Mar, venues across Lichfield

NATIONAL HOMEBUILDING & RENOVATING SHOW Access expert advice, discover innovative products, and benefit from hands-on guidance, Thurs 19 - Sun 22 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM’S VICTORIAN MURDER

MILE Join crime & policing historian Adam Wood for a walking tour and hear gruesome tales of Birmingham’s Victorian past, Fri 20 Mar, West Midlands Police Museum, B’ham

PRACTICAL CLASSICS CLASSIC CAR & RESTORATION SHOW Featuring more than 1,300 classics, 160-plus car clubs and 250-plus exhibitors, Fri 20Sun 22 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

CRAFTSPACE’S 40TH BIRTHDAY

CELEBRATION

Craft a birthday gift to take away, Sat 21 - Sun 22 Mar, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham VINTAGE TRACTOR RUN Vintage tractors will be on show in and around the Bridgnorth area, Sun 22 Mar, Apley Farm Shop, Bridgnorth, South Shropshire

AGBO RALLY Eighty rally cars from all vintages and eras take on the stages around Weston, including the iconic watersplash, Sun 22 Mar, Weston Park, Shropshire

Monday 23 - Tuesday 31

Gigs

MADRA SALACH Mon 23 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL

STORY Mon 23 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

MARK HUMMEL AND BOB HALL Mon 23 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

MAN Tues 24 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

MAN AT SEA Tues 24 Mar, Kitchen Garden, B’ham

ODEAL Tues 24 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

HOLLY HUMBERSTONE Tues 24 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

HELL HOTEL + THE THROWAWAY SCENE Tues 24 Mar, Subside Bar, Birmingham

CHLOE JESSICA + ISSY & REEE + INSIDE PEOPLE + BETH BAYLISS Tues 24 Mar, The Rainbow, Birmingham

BEN HOLDER & JAMIE

BROWNFIELD PRESENT Tues 24 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

GONG Wed 25 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

JOAN SHELLEY Wed 25 Mar, Castle & Falcon, B’ham

KINGS HEATHENS + DEBORAH ROSE Wed 25

Mar, Red Lion Folk Club, Birmingham

TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND Wed 25 Mar, Katie Fitzgerald’s, Stourbridge

A TRIBUTE TO THE CARPENTERS Wed 25 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

RONNIE SCOTT’S JAZZ CLUB Wed 25 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

JACK GOODALL + HANNAH

BROWN Thurs 26 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

THE SONGS OF JONI

MITCHELL Thurs 26 Mar, Kitchen Garden, B’ham

ASTON MERRYGOLD Thurs 26 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

LEON THOMAS Thurs 26 Mar, O2 Academy, B’ham

KOFI STONE Thurs 26 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

KENNY THOMAS Thurs 26 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

URBAN FOLK QUARTET

Thurs 26 Mar, Catshill Club, Bromsgrove

ROMARNA CAMPBELL TRIO

Thurs 26 Mar, Marrs Bar, Worcester

EMPLOYED TO SERVE + CAGE FIGHT Thurs 26 Mar,

KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

LEGEND: THE MUSIC OF BOB

MARLEY Thurs 26 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent

DALE STORR Thurs 26 Mar, Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire

DOM MARTIN Thurs 26 - Fri

27 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

POPSCENE - BLUR! TRIBUTE Fri 27 Mar, Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

CON JOVI Fri 27 Mar, Actress & Bishop, B’ham

MOBB DEEP Fri 27 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

OCTOBER LONDON Fri 27 Mar, O2 Academy, B’ham

RISKEE AND THE RIDICULE + DEAD WET THINGS Fri 27 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

THE 9075 Fri 27 Mar, The Asylum, Birmingham

CHOP SUEY + SLIP-NOT Fri 27 Mar, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

WESTLIFE EXPERIENCE Fri 27 Mar, Dudley Town Hall

THE BRAND NEW HEAVIES Fri 27 Mar, The Halls Wolverhampton

THE CHRIS STAPLETON EXPERIENCE Fri 27 Mar, Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent

HOLLIE MCNISH Fri 27 Mar, The Hub at St Mary’s, Lichfield

TASHA LEAPER AS MADONNA Fri 27 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

THE WATCH PLAYS GENESIS Fri 27 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

BAND ON THE EDGE & THE ORCHESTRA OF FOLK Fri 27 Mar, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire

ULTIMATE COLDPLAY Fri 27Sat 28 Mar, The Station, Cannock

THE MURDERBURGERS + DEAD BARS + OH THE HUMANITY + BACK TEETH Sat 28 Mar, The Dark Horse, Moseley, B’ham

CALLUM BEATTIE + TOM

SPEIGHT Sat 28 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

FEROCIOUS DOG Sat 28 Mar, O2 Academy, B’ham

ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN Sat 28 Mar, O2 Academy, Birmingham

ENJOY THE SILENCE UK Sat 28 Mar, Castle & Falcon, Birmingham

AYNUR DOĞAN Sat 28 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

AIRTIGHT 80S Sat 28 Mar, The Assembly, Leamington Spa

KEVIN DEMPSEY + TU-KAY AND RYAN Sat 28 Mar, Temperance, Leamington Spa

SISTER COOKIE Sat 28 Mar, The Embankment, Stratford-Upon-Avon

THE LEAF LIBRARY + SILVER

BIPLANES Sat 28 Mar, Just Dropped In, Coventry

CYDONIA KNIGHTS Sat 28 Mar, Queens Hall, Nuneaton

CHOP SUEY + SLIP-NOT + THE VIOLENT INZIDENT Sat

28 Mar, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

MILES HUNT Sat 28 Mar, Wolverhampton Arts Centre

WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT Sat 28 Mar, The Halls Wolverhampton

THE BLOW MONKEYS Sat 28 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

AWEN ENSEMBLE + PEIRIANT Sat 28 Mar, St Alkmund’s Church, Shrewsbury

THE HOUSE OF LOVE Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, The Tin At The Coal Vaults, Coventry

INFECTED RAIN + BUTCHER BABIES + BLACK SPIKES Sun 29 Mar, O2 Institute, Birmingham

UK PINK FLOYD EXPERIENCE Sun 29 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

LUKE COMBS UK Sun 29 Mar, The Buttermarket, Shrewsbury

GUTTERSNIPE Sun 29 Mar, Albert’s Shed, Shrewsbury

5 SECONDS OF SUMMER Tues 31 Mar, Utilita Arena Birmingham

THE VAN MORRISON ALUMNI

BAND Tues 31 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

MISHRA Tues 31 Mar, The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shrops

Classical Music

THOMAS TROTTER: FAURÉ REQUIEM

Featuring Adrian Partington (conductor) & the Gloucester Cathedral Choir. Programme also includes Vaughan Williams’ Five Mystical Songs, Mon 23 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

PAINTED TIDES Featuring various chamber ensembles performing works with themes of the sea and waterscapes, Mon 23 Mar, Recital Hall, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire

ARMONICO CONSORT: JS BACH, ST MATTHEW’S PASSION Featuring Christopher Monks (director), Nathan Vale (Evangelist) & Alex Jones (Christus), Tues 24 Mar, Malvern Theatres

ZOE TAN PIANO CONCERT Wed 25 Mar, Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon

SHREWSBURY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Featuring Galin Ganchev (soloist). Programme includes works by Bacewicz, Dvořák & Shostakovich, Wed 25 Mar, Shrewsbury School

ARMONICO CONSORT: JS BACH, ST MATTHEW’S PASSION Featuring Christopher Monks (director), Nathan Vale (Evangelist) & Alex Jones (Christus), Thurs 26 Mar, St Mary’s Church, Warwick

EIRA LYNN JONES HARP RECITAL Fri 27 Mar, St Chad’s Church, Shrewsbury

BBC PHILHARMONIC Featuring Lucie LeGuay (conductor) & Senja Rummukainen (soloist). Programme includes works by Debussy, Dvořák & Mozart, Fri 27 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-onTrent

BIRMINGHAM CHORAL UNION: A SPRING CONCERT Featuring Colin Baines (conductor), Darren Hogg (organ), Ed Harrison (tenor), Hannah Devereux (soprano) & Sonare Wind Ensemble. Programme includes works by Dvořák & Chilcott, Sat 28 Mar, St George’s Church, Edgbaston, Birmingham

PHOENIX SINGERS: SPRING SERENADE Sat 28 Mar, St John's and St Peter's Church Ladywood ARC, Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM GAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: STONE TO SKY

Featuring Neavan Lobban (conductor) & Andrew Woolcock (soloist). Programme includes works by Beethoven, Ney Rosauro & Sibelius, Sat 28 Mar, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham TELFORD ORCHESTRA Programme includes works by Borodin,

Dvořák & Tchaikovsky, Sat 28 Mar, St Michael’s Church, Telford, Shropshire

KARL JENKINS’ THE ARMED MAN: A MASS FOR PEACE Featuring Barnt Green Choral, Sat 28 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

TAN DUN & THE LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Featuring Elizabeth Watts (soprano), Hongni Wu (mezzosoprano), John Findon (tenor), Dingle Yandell (bass), London Philharmonic Choir & London Chinese Philharmonic Choir, Sun 29 Mar, Symphony Hall, B’ham

LUMAS WIND QUINTET Programme includes works by Zemlinsky, JS Bach, Bernstein & more..., Sun 29 Mar, Huntingdon Hall, Worcester

Comedy

ALASDAIR BECKETT-KING Wed 25 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ESHAAN AKBAR, RACHEL FAIRBURN, IGNACIO LOPEZ & DANNY

MCLOUGHLIN Wed 25 Mar, St Mary’s Church, Shrewsbury

GEOFF NORCOTT Wed 25 Mar, The Core Theatre, Solihull

RUSSELL KANE & COMICS TBC Wed 25 Mar, Palace Theatre, Redditch

COMEDY CAROUSEL WITH ANDY ROBINSON, DAVE LONGLEY & EVA

BINDEMAN Thurs 26 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

ANDY PARSONS Thurs 26 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ALFIE MOORE Thurs 26 Mar, Artrix, Bromsgrove

GEOFF NORCOTT Thurs 26 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

ALISON SPITTLE Fri 27 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham MRS SMITH Fri 27 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

ASHWYN SINGH Sat 28 Mar, The Glee Club, Birmingham

MILTON JONES & COMICS TBC Sat 28 Mar, Malvern Theatres

JEFF DUNHAM Sun 29 Mar, Utilita Arena Birmingham

HENNING WEHN Sun 29 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Theatre

BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY Award-winning West End show charting Buddy’s rise to international stardom and his legendary final performance at the age of just 22, Mon 23 - Tues 24 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

A GRAIN OF SAND One-woman show taking an intimate look at

thelist

war through the eyes of a child, blending Palestinian folklore with real-life testimonies from children in contemporary Gaza, Mon 23 - Wed 25 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT

Thirtieth anniversary production of the iconic musical that follows three friends on a heartwarming road trip across the Australian outback, Mon 23 - Sat 28 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome

REVISION ON TOUR DR JEKYLL & MR HYDE Dickens Theatre Company’s staging of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic thriller, Tues 24 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SIGN OF FOUR Radio play performed live on stage and starring Colin Baker (Doctor Who/The Brothers) and Terry Molloy (The Archers/Doctor Who), Tues 24 Mar, The Swan Theatre, Worcester

AS YOU LIKE IT Amateur version presented by Shropshire Youth Theatre (SYT), Tues 24 - Thurs 26 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

NOUGHTS & CROSSES Malorie Blackman’s drama about ‘love, revolution, and what it means to grow up in a divided world’, Tues 24 - Sat 28 Mar, The Rep, Birmingham

FAME THE MUSICAL Presented by Lichfield Musical Youth Theatre, Wed 25 - Sat 28 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

SIX THE MUSICAL The six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power, Wed 25 - Sat 28 Mar, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

PEPPER AND HONEY Timely play focusing on ‘the journey of change, cultural differences, and the conflict between upholding traditions and embracing the new’, Thurs 26 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

THE SIGNALMAN Middle Ground Theatre Company present Charles Dickens’ ghostly short story, Thurs 26 - Sat 28 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

ELLEN KENT: THE FAREWELL TOUR - LA TRAVIATA Verdi’s tragic tale, telling the story of the life and loves of consumptive courtesan Violetta, Fri 27 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

OLIVE BRANCH Vanhulle Dance Theatre fuse physical theatre and martial arts to tell a feelgood tale of friendship, Fri 27 Mar, Glasshouse Arts Centre, Stourbridge

JEKYLL AND HYDE One-man version of a Victorian classic, Fri 27 Mar, Anglican Chapel, Coventry

ELLEN KENT: THE FAREWELL TOURCARMEN Bizet’s tale of passion, sexual jealousy and death, Sat 28 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham

ROMEO & JULIET (RUBBISH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY) Sixty minutes of ‘ludicrous action featuring clowning, slapstick, and mischievous storytelling’, Sat 28 Mar, Rother Street Arts, Stratford-upon-Avon

SISTERS 360 Inspirational story about family, friendship, and the importance of following your dreams, Sat 28 Mar, Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), B’ham

RAPUNZEL Immersion Theatre present a retelling of the famous fairytale, complete with music, humour and audience interaction, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

RIDE OR DIE Florence Espeut-Nickless’ fast-paced new play about family, loyalty and risk-taking, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, The Ballroom, Fenton Town Hall, Stoke-on-Trent

JUDE SIMPSON: A NOISE ANNOYS ‘A poetry show for the senses’, featuring rhymes, noises, songs, surprises and audience interaction, Sun 29 Mar, The Wakes, Oakengates, Shropshire

CATS: YOUNG ACTORS EDITION

Presented by Get Your Wigle On juniors, Mon 30 - Tues 31 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

MEAN GIRLS Faye Tozer stars alongside Emily Lane and Vivian Panka in a new version of the smashhit musical comedy, Mon 30 Mar - Sat 4 Apr, Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

LEGALLY BLONDE Strictly runner-up

Amber Davies stars as Elle Woods in a new version of the rom-com musical, Tues 31 Mar - Sat 4 Apr, The Alexandra, Birmingham

SIX THE MUSICAL The six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power, Tues 31 Mar - Sat 11 Apr, Birmingham Hippodrome

Kids Theatre

TALES FROM ACORN WOOD Theatre for younger audiences based on muchloved stories by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Tues 26 - Sun 29 Mar, Birmingham Hippodrome

RUDE SCIENCE Stefan Gates’ explosive show, featuring enormous bottoms, fart machines, snot cocktails, vast whoopee cushions and pee-powered fireworks, Mon 30 Mar, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

THE WIGGLES: TREE OF WISDOM

SPECTACULAR! ‘High-energy family extravaganza featuring timeless hits and singalong moments’, Mon 30 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

BRAINIAC LIVE Award-winning family science show packed with explosive experiments that promise to ‘blow your mind’, Tues 31 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Monday 23 - Tuesday 31 March

Dance

THE STRICTLY EXPERIENCE Fundraising event in which 20 contestants and their professional dance partners each showcase two dazzling routines, Sat 28 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

ASCENSION DANCE: EARLY WEAVES

Non-verbal performance telling a heartwarming tale of friendship, curiosity and play. A ‘perfect introduction to dance theatre for younger audiences’, Sun 29 Mar, Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Light

Entertainment

DEAD RINGERS; THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY

TOUR Topical satire show featuring Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod & Duncan Wisbey, Mon 23 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

THAT’LL BE THE DAY: 40TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW A ‘unique blend’ of rock & roll, pop and comedy, featuring timeless hits from the 1950s through to the 80s, Tues 24 Mar, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

SEVEN DRUNKEN NIGHTS - THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS Ultimate feelgood Irish show, Wed 25 Mar, The Alexandra, Birmingham GAME OF CRONES A ‘riotous celebration’ of women in their prime. A show described as ‘funny, feral, and gloriously unapologetic’, Thurs 26 Mar, Rother Street Arts, Stratfordupon-Avon

ONE NIGHT IN DUBLIN Brand-new production promising laughter, music and mischief. Danny Muldoon stars, Fri 27 Mar, Walsall Arena & Arts Centre

FEMINEM Tracey Collins (Elvis Lesley, Shell Suit Cher) stars in a one-woman musical comedy ‘extravaganza’. Expect Eminem bangers, pop mashups, crisp-fuelled audience games, dance-offs, singalongs and the legendary Rap God Hokey Cokey, Fri 27 Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry

A JAMES BOND CONCERT SPECTACULAR

Caroline Bliss (Miss Moneypenny) comperes, sharing stories about her experiences making the Timothy Dalton James Bond films, Fri 27 Mar, The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

BEV BEVAN & DES TONG: THE HISTORY OF BIRMINGHAM ROCK MUSIC Featuring stories and personal memories of ‘nightclubs, pubs and places’... Fri 27 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

TOO MUCH TOO YOUNG - THE STORY OF 2TONE & BEYOND! Theatrical experience exploring the birth of ska in Jamaica and its British revival in the late 1970s and 80s, Fri 27 - Sat 28

Mar, The Albany Theatre, Coventry FOIL ARMS & HOG: SKITTISH An evening of comedy, audience participation and improvisation from the much-loved sketch group, Sat 28 Mar, Symphony Hall, Birmingham

QUEENZ: DRAG ME TO THE DISCO A live vocal drag ‘extravaganza’ celebrating pop royalty through the decades, Sat 28 Mar, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent THE GLAM ROCK SHOW Celebrating the golden age of glitter, guitars and anthems, Sun 29 Mar, Lichfield Garrick

Talks & Spoken Word

AN EVENING WITH JASON FOX Join Jason to hear never-before-told stories from some of the most hostile outposts on Earth, Wed 25 Mar, Birmingham Town Hall

Events

EASTER EGGSPERIENCE Featuring an Easter egg hunt, the chance to meet Easter Rabbit, and an opportunity to learn more about the lifesaving Midlands Air Ambulance service, Sat 28 Mar, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity Airbase, Shifnal

SAUSAGE AND CIDER FESTIVAL RACEDAY

Sample a wide range of gourmet sausages and seasonal ciders, available across the racecourse, Sat 28 Mar, Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire

MEGACON LIVE The ultimate popular culture show, Sat 28 - Sun 29 Mar, NEC, Birmingham

BLUEY CHARACTER VISIT Take a heritage train ride out into the countryside to see Bluey, Sat 28Sun 29 Mar, Severn Valley Railway, nr Kidderminster

EASTER SPRING TRAIL Hunt for hidden treasures, learn fascinating facts and complete fun challenges, Sat 28 Mar - Sat 11 Apr, Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery

EASTER ADVENTURES Enjoy Easterthemed activities, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 12 Apr, Sudeley Castle, Cheltenham

EASTER QUEST Follow the Easter trail, hunt for eggs and answer questions along the way, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 19 Apr, Witley Court & Gardens, Worcestershire

EASTER QUEST Follow the Easter trail, hunt for eggs and answer questions along the way, Sat 28 Mar - Sun 19 Apr, Kenilworth Castle

NOISE MAKER MARKET The newest effects and guitar show for independent builders from across the UK, Sun 29 Mar, Centrala, Digbeth, Birmingham