Landing in Birmingham as part of a major new UK tour this July, this new production of Miss Saigon features an international cast of 38 plus 15-piece orchestra – one of the largest currently touring in the UK.

Since its London premiere in 1989, Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s West End and Broadway blockbuster Miss Saigon has become one of the most successful musicals in history. Last seen on the Birmingham Hippodrome stage in 2005, this new UK touring production stars Red Concepcion as ‘The Engineer’, Sooha Kim as ‘Kim’, Ashley Gilmour as ‘Chris’, Zoë Doano as ‘Ellen’, Ryan O’Gorman as ‘John’ and Gerald Santos as ‘Thuy’. At certain performances ‘The Engineer’ will be played by Christian Rey Marbella, and ‘Kim’ will be played by Joreen Bautista. Marsha Songcome will play ‘Gigi’ until 1 August when Na-Young Jeon will take over the role.

Winner of a record-breaking nine Whatsonstage awards including Best show, Miss Saigon tells the story of the last days of the Vietnam War, in which a 17 year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son.

The original Broadway production of Miss Saigon opened on April 11, 1991 with what was the largest advance sale in Broadway history ($37 million).  The show went on to play for nearly ten years and 4,063 performances seen by more than 5.9 million people.

Miss Saigon has been performed in 28 countries, over 300 cities in 15 different languages, has won over 40 awards including 2 Olivier Awards, 3 Tony Awards, and 4 Drama Desk Awards and been seen by over 35 million people worldwide. In March, this production of Miss Saigon opened on Broadway where it plays to nightly ovations.

When the smash-hit run of this production opened in London in May 2014 to record-breaking advance sales and critical acclaim, Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph wrote, “This thrilling new production spills out beyond the theatre and speaks directly to the times we live in”. The show swept the board at the 2015 Whatsonstage.com awards winning a record breaking nine awards, the most awards ever won by a single show in the 15-year history of the awards including: Best West End Show and Best Revival of a Musical.

Miss Saigon runs in Birmingham until Sat 23 September.

Internationally acclaimed baritone Roderick Williams OBE has taken up a new role at Birmingham Conservatoire as Visiting Consultant in Vocal Performance.

London-born Williams, who won the Singer of the Year award in the 2016 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards, enjoys relationships with all the major UK opera companies and is particularly well-known for his notable interpretations of Mozart's leading men.

He has also sung world premieres of operas by composers including Michael van de Aa, Sally Beamish, David Sawer, and Robert Saxton.

The appointment will see Roderick Williams visit Birmingham Conservatoire on a regular basis, where he will give recitals, individual coaching and masterclasses for the students, as they seek to be amongst the next generation of great performers.

Williams has sung concert repertoire with all the BBC orchestras and many other leading ensembles throughout the world. His many festival appearances include the BBC Proms (including the Last Night of the Proms in 2014), Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Aldeburgh and Melbourne in Australia.

In 2015 he sang ‘Christus’ in Peter Sellars’ staging of the St. John Passion with the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

He is also an accomplished recital artist who can be heard at venues and festivals including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, LSO St. Luke's, the Wiener Musikverein in Vienna and on BBC Radio 3, where he is frequently played.

His numerous recordings include Vaughan Williams, Berkeley and Britten operas for Chandos and an extensive repertoire of English song. He was awarded an OBE in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to music.

On his appointment, Roderick Williams OBE said:

“It gives me great pleasure to cement my relationship with Birmingham Conservatoire formally and I am thrilled to be taking up a position as a Visiting Consultant in Vocal Performance, giving me the opportunity to consider alongside these talented students what it actually means to be a performer.

“That this appointment coincides with the Conservatoire’s move to its new home is a happy bonus for me and I look forward to sharing in these exciting times.”

Part of Birmingham City University, the new Birmingham Conservatoire will be a unique contemporary building, incorporating five public performance spaces including a new 500 seat concert hall for orchestral training and performance, private rehearsal and practice rooms, and teaching spaces for musicians from a variety of disciplines.

Furthermore, as the first purpose built conservatoire in the UK since 1987, the £57 million institution will be the only one of its kind in the country designed for the demands of the digital age, when it opens in September this year.

Paul Wingfield, Head of Vocal and Operatic Studies, Birmingham Conservatoire, said:

“We are absolutely thrilled that Roderick will be joining us at this exciting and dynamic time in the history of the Conservatoire. Roderick is already known to many of our students for his inspirational masterclasses and his unwavering commitment to young voices. I am sure that we will all benefit enormously from the wealth of his experience both on the operatic stage and the concert platform.

“His presence at the Conservatoire will help ensure we are at the leading edge of vocal training in the UK.”

Williams’ appointment follows hot on the heels of the Chinese cellist Jian Wang’s arrival as the Conservatoire’s International Chair in Cello beginning in September 2017.

With a history dating back to 1859, Birmingham Conservatoire is one of the leading music academies in the country. Internationally renowned cellist Professor Julian Lloyd Webber took up the role of its Principal in 2015.

Professor Julian Lloyd Webber, Principal, Birmingham Conservatoire, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Roderick Williams to Birmingham Conservatoire’s vocal team as our new Visiting Consultant. Roderick is one of the finest baritones on the international scene and already his work with our students has produced outstanding results. We look forward to seeing him in our wonderful new Conservatoire!”

A leading member of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) executive committee is taking a major role in the response to the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

Aftab Chughtai (pictured), an ABCC executive committee member for more than ten years, has been named by the government as one of four members of a taskforce that will oversee and support the local council’s long-term recovery plan in the aftermath of the disaster.

More than 80 people lost their lives in the fire, which ripped through the West London high-rise building on the evening of 14 June.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has said that the independent Grenfell Recovery Taskforce that has been set up will support the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) in the development and implementation of a plan to help the survivors of the fire.

Mr Javid said the taskforce would provide him with the assurance that RBKC had the capacity and capability to deliver an effective plan for the Grenfell residents, taking into account their views.

Joining Mr Chughtai – also chairman of the West Midlands Police Independent Advisory Group – on the taskforce is another well-known Birmingham figure, Javed Khan, formerly assistant director of education in the city.

Mr Khan is now chief executive of Barnardo’s. The other two members of the taskforce are Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire Council and Chris Wood, a partner at Altair housing consultancy, and former director of housing for three London boroughs.

The government said that the taskforce members had a wealth of experience in local government, housing and the voluntary sector, as well as a track record of effectively engaging local communities in key projects.

The taskforce has been asked to look at whether RBKC has the proper arrangements in place to engage with the local community and ensure that all the immediate housing needs resulting from the fire are fully and promptly addressed.

Additionally, the taskforce will support the council to significantly improve its housing management, including addressing weaknesses in the tenant management organisation.

Aftab Chughtai said: "I am pleased to be appointed to the Grenfell Recovery Taskforce which will have a vital role ensuring that the right support and plans are in place to help the local community move on from this terrible tragedy.

"Getting the relations between the local community and Council right is key and I hope to use my experience in community engagement in the West Midlands to make a real difference in Kensington and Chelsea. I look forward to working with my fellow taskforce members and the Council and starting this important work."

Sajid Javid said: "I am determined that everything possible is done to support the local community following the disaster. This includes ensuring an effective recovery plan is developed that takes into account the views of the local community.

"The new taskforce has extensive experience in this area and will provide the council with the expertise needed to deliver this important work."

Mr Chughtai runs a department store in East Birmingham. He received an MBE in this year’s New Year honours list, which was awarded in recognition of his services to business and community relations in Birmingham.

He sits on the board of many community-based organisations, including Saltley Business Association (of which he is vice-chairman) and Birmingham Muslim Burial Council.

He is also a trustee of Washwood Heath Multi Academy Trust and chairman of Birmingham East Independent Advisory Group, West Midlands Police.

ABCC director Anjum Khan said: “The creation of this taskforce is hugely important in helping the council deal with the aftermath of the fire and re-establish trust with the local community.

“The work being carried out will be done under scrutiny from the whole nation, so it is clear that the government has opted to choose the best people it can possibly find to form the taskforce.

“It is a huge honour for both Aftab and the ABCC for him to be part of the taskforce and the important work that it will be carrying out.”

There was a royal visit, to London, as former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and The Ooni of Ife, was at the Excel Arena to unite nationals from the Diaspora from both home and abroad.

Addressing a combined crusade of the Cherubim & Seraphim Worldwide and Celestial Church of Christ he marked his presence by preaching the undying love of God which brings communities together and how people must show love to each other.

Quoting the passage 1st Corinthians 13: 13, he read: “And now these three remain; Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is love.”

Listing a number of attributes that he claimed God does not share with human beings, including: Omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience and eternity, he said: “These are great attributes of God which he keeps to himself.”

Chief Obasanjo added that there were attributes of God that he shared with human beings. These, according to him, include righteousness, kindness, compassion, love and “the greatest of these attributes is love,” which brought enormous cheers from the crowded ICC Hall. “Faith is the foundation and content of God’s message,” he said. “If you have no faith, you can’t believe in God, if you have no faith, you can’t even believe in yourself. To believe is to have faith.

Hope is the attitude and focus. Love is the action from one to another. God himself is love, as we have in 1st John, Chapter 4 Verse 8. Love is the attribute of God that he shares with us. Love is the only attribute that can change human beings, community, society; love can change the world. No matter what is happening to you, or happening within our nation, our continent, our world, the only way to bring about change is through love.”

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And in closing, he concluded: “This joint revival has been brought about by love. If we must make progress in our life, we must love. Hatred kills.”

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi also spoke at the event tagged ‘Comfort the Comforter Crusade stating, “What you are doing today is very good. Both Cherubim & Seraphim church and the Celestial Church that are having a joint revival were established in Africa by black men. I don’t believe in the saying that nothing good comes out of Africa. If we don’t acknowledge our own, who will do it for us?

“The cloth that we wear was first worn by Oduduwa Ateworo. Oduduwa was the first to wear cloth in the entire world. We blacks were the first to produce iron; that is why they call us blacksmith. Today, they use iron for every good thing – cars, aeroplane, houses, even this mighty hall, where we are, cannot stand without iron.”

Nominations for the twentieth edition of the UK Coaching Awards are now open.

Do you know a coach who goes above and beyond the line of duty? Have they transformed someone’s life or had a significant impact on their local community? Now is the time to show your appreciation for all they do and nominate them for the UK Coaching Awards.

Hosted by UK Coaching, the showpiece annual event is seen as one of the most prestigious within the coaching community and this year will be held at The HAC, City of London on Thursday 30 November.

The principle of Awards is to recognise the contribution coaches make in transforming lives across the UK. Previous winners include coaches making a huge difference in their community as well as the greats of sports coaching across a wide variety of sports.

Chief Executive Officer at UK Coaching, Mark Gannon, said:

“I’m very pleased to announce nominations for this year’s awards open.

“This is a particularly special year for the Awards, as we celebrate its twentieth birthday and its first under our new remit of UK Coaching.

“The awards are a unique opportunity for us to recognise and reward the work of excellent coaching at all levels across sport and physical activity, from community to high performance and I have high-expectations that the coaching community in its entirety will be out in force to nominate this year.”

Eddie Van Hoof MBE, Head National Coach for Men's Artistic Gymnastics and current UK Coach of the Year, said:

“I was honoured to have been named UK Coach of the Year at the 2016 UK Coaching Awards. To have your work recognised beyond your sport is truly gratifying and a great feeling.

“The Awards are quite unique in the sense they showcase an entire spectrum of coaching. It really is a pleasure to go to the event and hear stories of the amazing work other coaches are undertaking to aid the needs of their participants and help transform lives."

Sunil Birdy, current Community Coach of the Year, said:

“Winning Community Coach of the Year in 2016 was a fantastic personal achievement for me, and one of the highlights of my career so far. A lot of work goes in to making sure there are adequate opportunities for disabled people in my local community.

“All athletes start somewhere, and I know so many brilliant coaches and individuals across the country who continue to do incredible work, enriching, contributing and providing opportunities to their communities, despite facing numerous barriers. I was delighted for myself and the people that support me at PACE, to receive this recognition and confirmation that we’re doing a great job engaging people in sport.”

In line with UK Coaching’s recent rebrand to include a wider definition of coaching – acknowledging its impact on physical and mental well-being, as well as individual, economic and social and development – it is stressed that nominations on behalf of coaches, instructors, leaders, teachers, trainers and others who support people to achieve their sport and activity goals are all welcome.

There are 12 award categories in total, eight for coaches, three in support of coaches and an overall UK Coach of the Year award.

The Awards for Coaches are given to individual coaches who have excelled and shown outstanding commitment in a certain area, or to an individual and/or group over the last 12 months. They are:

• Community Coach of the Year
• Children’s Coach of the Year
• Disability Coach of the Year
• Heather Crouch Young Coach of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Performance Development Coach of the Year
• High Performance Coach of the Year
• And the Coaching Chain, which recognises contributions made by individual coaches throughout an elite athlete’s life in helping achieve their potential.

• Coach Developer of the Year
• Coaching Culture Organisation of the Year
• Coaching Intervention of the Year

Brits look in the fridge or food cupboard 23 times per day, according to new research.

A survey of homeowners carried out by leading household appliances retailer, AppliancesDirect.co.uk, revealed Brits look in the fridge 14 times and the cupboards 9 times per day on average, despite eating or drinking something from them just 6 times.

The research, which looked in to the eating habits on the nation, found that women looked in the fridge or cupboard 25 times per day compared to men who looked just 21 times.

When quizzed on their behaviors in the kitchen, just 22% of respondents say they look because they are hungry while 35% say they do it because it’s habit and they don’t have any intention of actually eating anything.

The data also revealed the go to snacks for fridge raiders in the UK. Cheese came in first place, as 35% of those surveyed say they will regularly snack on this, followed by cold meats (33%).

Chocolate came in third place for 29% of fridge raiding Brits, while healthier options such as fruit (27%), and vegetables (22%) came in fourth and fifth place.

Mark Kelly, marketing manager at AppliancesDirect.co.uk comments: “The data revealed some interesting findings about the nation’s snacking practices, especially the number of times people look in the fridge and cupboards just out of habit.

“Everyone has that one family member or friend who looks in the fridge or cupboard for a snack whenever they visit, and we’re all guilty of doing it at other people’s homes, but it’s not that often we actually take something out and eat it.

“That said, it’s interesting to see that when we do snack, it seems to be the savory options that are the nations firm fridge raiding favorites.”