Entertainment News

In celebration of the February half term, Victorian Arcade will be hosting a very special event for Harry Potter fans on Saturday 18th February. Shoppers and their families are invited to join a Professor Snape look-a-like from 11am until 4pm when he will be hosting a free exclusive potions masterclass. Visitors will get the opportunity to follow ‘Snape’ as he leads an interactive workshop where youngsters can create their very own ‘magical’ potions.

As choirs from across the globe plan their descent on Cornwall for its 2017 International Male Choral Festival, the Hall for Cornwall has announced the ticket launch for what is now the largest event of its kind in the World. Sixty choirs of all ages and nationalities will be converging on Cornwall – with more than 50 concerts and celebrations in 40 venues across the county running from April 27 – May 1 2017. This year's Festival will also see the largest Choir Competition in the biennial event's fourteen year history.

Thirteen local arts and community organisations will receive arts grants totalling £500,000 to deliver projects in Aston and Newtown during 2017-18, it was announced yesterday. Beneficiaries from these projects will include a wide range of young residents (including early years), budding creative entrepreneurs and producers, and community elders not usually engaged in arts activities.

A family member has announced that the star of classic British hit East is East, has died in Mumbai early today. Reports say that he suffered a heart attack at his home. Om Puri was awarded an honorary OBE for his contribution to the British Film Industry in 2004. Also known for his Hollywood, Pakistani, Indian and British film roles, it was international fame that was found for his roles in British and American films, especially comedy East is East, where he played a Pakistani immigrant adjusting to life in the north of England.

The Birmingham rock legend widely credited with inventing heavy metal music has written a moving acoustic arrangement for Birmingham Cathedral after he wanted to ‘give something back’ to his home city. Black Sabbath lead guitarist Tony Iommi worked with his friend the Dean of Birmingham, the Very Reverend Catherine Ogle, on the five-minute arrangement, which celebrates peace, harmony and the Cathedral’s role in the heart of the city.

Discover the real 'Behind the Scenes' at Blenheim Palace, in a fascinating limited edition new tour for 2017. 'Restoration & Conservation' will be the theme of the guided tours which will begin in the New Year as part of the extended opening season experience offered to visitors at the Oxford World Heritage Site. The 'Restoration & Conservation' tour will be exclusively available from 9 January – 8 February 2017, running twice per day excluding Sundays. The new tours will tie in to the annual deep clean of Blenheim Palace which will now be on full to visitors during this period.

Singer and actress Janet Jackson welcomed her first child with Wissam Al Mana, her husband of four years, with a spokesperson for the singer confirming; “Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana are thrilled to welcome their new son Eissa Al Mana into the world. Janet had a stress-free healthy delivery and is resting comfortably.” Rumors of the seven-time Grammy award-winning soulstress being pregnant first surfaced when she postponed her “Unbreakable” tour telling fans “there’s been a sudden change.”

Tennis great Serena Williams and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian are engaged. A spokesperson for Ohanian confirmed that he popped the question while the two were vacationing in Rome. Williams first announced the news herself in a Reddit post on its "r/isaidyes" forum. "I came home/A little late/Someone had a bag packed for me/And a carriage awaited" Williams said in her Reddit post, which was written like a poem and had a cartoon of the couple at the top.

Guidelines designed to encourage responsible busking and street entertainment in Birmingham city centre have been formally adopted following a period of extensive public consultation. The aims and principles are captured in a document, which has been drawn up by Birmingham City Council in conjunction with Equity, Keep Streets Live and the Musicians’ Union.

Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing for your New Years Eve celebrations, we hope you have a great time, and stay safe!

It has been announced that Rachael Wooding will guest star as Alice in the 2017 UK tour of WONDERLAND in Wolverhampton from Monday 31 July – Saturday 5 August. Rachael is one of musical theatre’s most impressive talents. In May this year she wowed the nation on Britain’s Got Talent with Simon Cowell proclaiming her rendition of ‘With You’ from Ghost was “the most beautiful version of the song” he had ever heard.

Austria's Metal on the Hill Festival with its most unique location of the "Kasemattenbühne" at the picturesque Schloßberg in Graz, welcomes another exciting opening act for 2017: PAIN IS! Founded in 2002, followed by numerous shows all over Europe and 4 studio records later, Austria's PAIN IS already left a stamp with their individual style of music called 'Paincore', characterized by heavy rocking guitars, stomping drums, booming bass and melodic hard vocals and screams.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is celebrating a record-breaking year in 2016, the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, as it welcomed around 825,000 visitors to the five historic Shakespeare houses in Stratford-upon-Avon – a six per cent increase from 2015. This beats the previous record of 820,000 visitors in 2014 during Shakespeare’s 450^th birthday celebrations, and many millions more people of all ages from across the globe connected with the Trust through its education programmes and digital channels.

This Christmas an estimated 120,000 children will be homeless, marking an eight-year high. Many of them will be living in temporary accommodation until something more permanent can be found.  Now, a new play at Birmingham Repertory Theatre gives a timely reflection on this hidden crisis. LOVE by Alexander Zeldin opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from Thursday 26 January until Saturday 11 February following a critically-acclaimed run at the National Theatre.

Shoppers at Bullring turned out in full force to take advantage of discounts of up to 70% at the Birmingham shopping centre, which houses more than 160 stores. With Boxing Day marking the start of the traditional sales for many retailers, bargain hunting at the local shopping centre is an annual ritual for many shoppers throughout the UK. This year, over 210,000 shoppers are expected to descend on Bullring in search of reduced-rate electronics, fashion and homewares, and a further 185,000 expected today.

The Royal Shakespeare Company continues its commitment to creating live theatre for young audiences with its First Encounters with Shakespeare production of The Tempest – Shakespeare’s magical last play of fun, fantasy and sorcery.  Directed by Aileen Gonsalves, and aimed at 8-13 year olds, the production will open in January 2017 in Midlands schools and the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, before embarking on a seven week UK tour of schools and regional theatres.