Entertainment News

Outkast’s André Benjamin stars as Jimi Hendrix in this revealing biopic from Academy Award-winning writer-director John Ridley (12 Years a Slave). Covering a year in Hendrix’s life from 1966 to 1967 as an unknown back-up guitarist playing New York’s Cheetah Club to making his mark in London’s music scene up until his Monterey Pop triumph, the film presents an intimate portrait of the sensitive young musician on the verge of becoming a rock legend.

Join on a road trip through the heart of Africa extraordinary story of three Rwandan children who walk 3000 miles to the Soccer World Cup in South Africa in this Rhidian Brook written adventure. Using a sack load of ingenuity and sass (and a World Cup wall chart for a map), our pint-sized protagonists set off through the endless horizons of Africa in pursuit of an unlikely dream. And as they walk they gather a tribe - a ragamuffin team - of broken and brilliant characters who help them negotiate a way through a series of glorious, dangerous, hilarious and often bizarre situations.

Captured at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, King Lear played to sell out theatre crowds during its run, winning 4 and 5 star reviews across the board and was described by the Guardian as 'as close to definitive as can be'.
The original 'intelligent and theatrical' (Guardian) stage production was directed by Michael Buffong (A Raisin in the Sun, Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, All My Sons) and was a co-production between Talawa Theatre Company and the Royal Exchange Theatre in association with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Birmingham's first young poetry collective, Bellows will be putting on an immersive theatre style experience touching on themes of identity, compassion and history. Expect poetry, installations and emotive storytelling. A collision of poetic expression, Bellows range from classical page poetry through to poly-vocal performances drawing on influences from as wide as Hip-Hop, baking to Shakespeare.

Talented young artists are being given the chance to have their work on show in Wolverhampton Art Gallery alongside its masterpieces. The gallery has invited students from the City of Wolverhampton College and city schools to submit their best pieces for show in a series of regular exhibitions. Dedicated space in the sculpture gallery and popular café has been made available for the students’ artworks.

Empire Road was the first serious attempt at a long-running drama on British television addressing Britain's growing multi-racial society. Where sitcoms such as The Fosters (ITV, 1976-77), Love Thy Neighbour (1972-76) and Mixed Blessings (1978-80) played it strictly for laughs, Empire Road sought, like soap operas such as Coronation Street (ITV, 1960-), accurately to depict reality with a combination of drama, comedy and tragedy.

Playing a part of his Black History Month UK Tour Michael Kiwanuka will is very pleased to announce a full tour of the UK. The shows will follow the release of the young British musician’s second album, Love & Hate, released on the 27th May. Michael has announced his return with the Hiro Murai directed video for first single, Black Man In A White World to widespread acclaim.

Lovers Rock icons Janet Kay, Carroll Thompson and Victor Romero Evans come together to celebrate its golden years. Celebrating Black History Month 2016, Punch Records present three living legends who transformed the sound of UK reggae. Following a three-year successful run, the hit show LOVER’S ROCK MONOLOGUES brings the sound and stories of timeless music from the 80’s into your local theatre for one night only.

Visitors to the Eden Project will be spellbound by spooky illusions, magic shows and bubble wizardry as the spirit of the circus haunts Halloweden this half-term. There will be pop-up performances, puppetry and ringmaster training as well as bewitching owls and pumpkin carving. One of the big attractions will be the bubbleologist and magician the Bubble Wizard who will thrill audiences with his breath-taking bubble sculptures.

Following overwhelming demand for tickets after the success of the first ever UK shows in Nottingham and London, the spectacular live-action family arena production, Marvel Universe LIVE! Super Heroes Assemble, is giving fans in Birmingham an early festive treat by adding extra shows to its UK tour that touches down in the city this December.

This Autumn, the Birmingham Hippodrome sees the triumphant return of the international smash hit musical, Blood Brothers, with Lyn Paul re-taking her iconic role of Mrs Johnstone, which she first played in 1997 at then at the Phoenix Theatre in the West End in 2012. Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving story of twin boys separated at birth, only to be reunited by a twist of fate and a mother’s haunting secret.

A Sandwell project which created a garden of 1,200 hand-made ceramic flowers has won a top award from the Royal Horticultural Society. Success has come in the Society’s Britain in Bloom Award for the It’s Your Neighbourhood category. The project has achieved a Level 3 award. Council-run Creative Arts, which provides day opportunities for people with disabilities, led the project with support from Creative Black Country.

As the UK prepares for a weekend of thrills and chills this Halloween, Original Murder Mystery Weekend is hosting two weekend breaks for those wanting to get in the ghostly spirit. The Halloween weekends will take place in the characterful and historic Ettington Chase and Horwood House hotels, situated in Warwickshire and Buckinghamshire respectively. Invented in 1981 by Joy Swift MBE, the Original Murder Mystery Weekend has satisfied more than 150,000 guests and celebrates its 35th birthday this Halloween.