Entertainment News

New research from Vodafone reveals parents will spend up to £1,300 on activities and day trips to keep their children entertained during the summer holidays.  It also suggests that more than half (54%) of parents are worried about keeping their children occupied and 31% are concerned about how much time their children will spend online. 

To help parents keep their children occupied over the summer and educate them on the importance of online safety, Vodafone has partnered with Andersen Press to offer 10,000 free digital copies of Chicken Clicking, Troll Stinks and Old Macdonald Had a Phone, written by author Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Tony Ross. The books explore themes of internet bullying, managing screen time and being mindful of internet predators in fun and engaging stories. 

Film enthusiasts have the chance to enjoy a season of cinema at Millennium Point this summer, as it launches a brand-new partnership with Mockingbird Cinema.

Millennium Point’s Auditorium (formerly the first IMAX cinema in Birmingham), is screening a collection of much-loved classics alongside some of the summer’s latest releases as part of a brand-new ‘Big Screen Film Season’ in partnership with Mockingbird Cinema.

The inimitable one-man party machine, Happy Mondays legend and national treasure Bez makes his vocal debut with ‘Flying Bus’, a new collaboration with the internationally acclaimed house producer and DJ Doorly, with additional ecstatic vocals from Firouzeh. Accompanied by a bonkers animated video featuring bus conductor Bez and bus driver Doorly, the single is out now. 

 
The duo goes back to the open-minded party hedonism of the Second Summer of Love with ‘Flying Bus’, a hypnotic homage to the glory days of acid house. Set to a classic four-to-the-the-floor beat with those distinctive squelchy synths and bleeps, the track features an infectious vocal loop from Bez - his first to ever feature on a record.

A young boy from Scotland has been plucked from obscurity to feature in a major new Indian movie on Netflix.

Mimi is a comedy-drama about a woman who agrees to be a paid surrogate for an American couple, to help fund her pursuit of a Bollywood movie career and Jacob Smith, who was on a family world trip, was spotted in Goa before been casted in a prominent role with Kriti Sanon and Pankaj Tripathi.

Amazon Prime Video have announced that the four-part Amazon Exclusive docuseries about the Paris Saint-Germain football club, PSG Ô Ville Lumière, 50 Ans De Légende, will be available on Prime Video globally, excluding China and Middle-East, on 10^th September 2021.

The four-part docuseries gives fans a never-before-seen look inside the famous Parisian club, following players, coaches and supporters in the heart of the action during the last two seasons, including the club’s challenging journey in Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League.

The Production Exchange, producer of Sutton Coldfield’s forthcoming pantomime Cinderella, has announced a date for this year’s auditions for the Young Ensemble. The production team will be in the Royal Town on Sunday 5th September for auditions at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall.

Director Colin Blumenau said: “We are looking for all-round performers, who can act, sing and dance, all of which are equally important. The young ensemble is an integral part of the show. They are massively important to add their enthusiasm and energy into the mix and are a vital part of the spectacle that is panto!”

ITV has said there are “no current plans” for another series of Simon Cowell’s singing competition.

The statement came following reports in The Sun that Cowell had axed the programme. The newspaper said the reality show was being rested for at least five years.

Mikron Theatre are aiming to score with their next theatrical offering for their 49th year of touring. Just like the great game itself this will be an action-packed play of two halves full of live music fun and laughter with no plans for extra time!

They will be premiering Amanda Whittington's new play Atalanta Forever which looks at the story of the pioneering women in football in 1920. Atalanta Forever will kick off in May and tour by road and river until the 19^th September.

The rise of music streaming means that almost every recording imaginable is only ever a click away - a situation that would’ve been incomprehensible only fifteen years ago. Artists can benefit too, as suddenly songs that wouldn’t reach beyond a domestic market are now available to the world at large.

But it’s a broken and often absurd model. How can artists continue to create when income from streaming is so low? How much is music worth in 2021?

Birmingham Repertory Theatre is excited to announce the full casting for its 25th anniversary production of East Is East, the classic comic family drama of the British-Asian experience. The cast is led by Tony Jayawardena as George and Sophie Stanton as Ella. The rest of the cast is completed by Amy-Leigh Hickman as Meenah; Irvine Iqbal as Mr Shah/Dr; Adonis Jenieco as Saleem; Rachel Lumberg as Annie; Noah Manzoor as Sajit; Joeravar Sangha as Maneer; Gurjeet Singh as Tariq and Assad Zaman as Abdul.

George Khan wants to raise his family the proper Pakistani way but hasn’t counted on the distractions of 70s Salford. Abdul and Tariq aren’t ready to be married off, Saleem is pushing artistic boundaries, Meenah’s skirt is too short and Sajit just wants to hide in his parka. Can mum Ella keep the family together? Since premiering on The REP’s stage in 1996, East Is East has sold out three London runs, been adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film and become a modern classic of comic-drama.

The smash-hit comedy-drama now returns home for its 25^th anniversary before going onto the National Theatre. The full creative team has also been announced today, with the previously announced Director Iqbal Khan being joined by Bretta Gerecke (Set, Projection and Lighting Design), Susan Kulkarni (Costume Design), Felix Dubs (Composer), Jon Nicholls (Sound Design), Stuart Burt CDG (Casting), Natasha Kathi-Chandra (Associate Director) and Max White (Video Associate). East Is East will play at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from 3-25 September.

In line with current Government regulations, The REP is now open to full capacity, but we continue to take a number of carefully managed steps and precautions to help audiences feel safe and enjoy their chosen performance. The wearing of masks is encouraged throughout the building, additional cleaning will continue and some performances will still have socially distanced seating.

Whitesnake and Foreigner today announce that together they will be hitting the road across the U.K. & Ireland in 2022 alongside very special guests Europe. Tickets go on sale this Friday 30^th July 2021 from 9am at LiveNation.co.uk.  
 
The legendary artists will tour the U.K. & Ireland starting in Dublin on 10 May 2022 before hitting Glasgow, Newcastle, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Birmingham before closing in Cardiff. Together both Whitesnake and Foreigner boast a catalogue that spans the decades with seminal and anthemic hits such as “Here I Go Again”, "Still Of The Night" and “Is This Love” [Whitesnake], “I Want To Know What Love Is”, “Juke Box Hero” and “Cold As Ice” [Foreigner] to name a few. Very special guests Europe will bring their electrifying “The Final Countdown” and more to this eight date U.K. arena tour.
 
One of the most anticipated tours of 2022, even this mega line-up cannot contain their excitement! “After all the extraordinary challenges we’ve been through together over the last year & a half, I am beyond excited to be able to announce our 2022 UK dates!!! I pray every day we can all make this happen & once again, share unforgettable evenings together & celebrate the amazing journey we have been on for almost 50 years!!! Boys & Girls…Whitesnake, Foreigner & Europe…It Doesn’t Get Any Better!!! Let’s Make This Night To Remember…& Let’s Make Some F@ckin’ Noise!!! says David Coverdale of Whitesnake.
 
Mick Jones from Foreigner said “We can’t wait to kick off the summer in the UK & Ireland with a massive tour alongside our friends Whitesnake and Europe. We’re looking forward to playing all our biggest hits for our fans, and rocking across the country”.
 
Europe’s Joey Tempest said “What an explosive start to the summer of 2022 for us! A U.K. & Ireland Arena tour with our friends in Whitesnake and Foreigner! YEAH! An evening of some of the biggest anthems in classic Rock! We are truly honored to be invited as special guests”.
 
On October 29 2021, Whitesnake will release newly remastered and remixed CD and LP deluxe editions of Restless Heart, along with unreleased demos and studio outtakes and a DVD. The DVD includes music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the album with new interviews from David Coverdale. The set comes with a hardbound book filled with rare and unseen photos from the era. Fans can pre-order the album now.
 
Whitesnake, Foreigner and Europe will take fans on a musical journey at this once in a lifetime performance. Combining arguably music’s most celebrated rock legends, this tour will see Whitesnake, Foreigner and Europe perform their formidable musical arsenal.

The Solihull Summer Fest team are promising that this year’s event will be “the Ultimate Feel-Good Music Festival” and a weekend to remember after lockdown life.

Now re-scheduled to Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 September 2021, Olly Murs is headlining on Saturday 11 September with his full 90-minute concert set. Having leapt to fame on The X Factor in 2009, he has now sold over 10 million records worldwide. His first single, ‘Please Don’t Let Me Go’, went straight to Number One, and his self-titled debut album, ‘Olly Murs’, went Double-Platinum. His appearance follows a busy year in which he captained England in this year's Soccer Aid and is a much-loved judge on The Voice UK.

Saturday will also feature the voice of Wet Wet Wet, Marti Pellow.  A BRIT and Ivor Novello award-winning singer-songwriter who has had consistent chart-topping multi-Platinum albums and more than 25 chart hits including having a record for the 2^nd-longest Number One in UK chart history ever, plus one of the four all-time biggest-selling songs in the UK.

Other artists appearing on the Main Stage on Saturday include Alexandra Burke, The Brand New Heavies, Louisa Johnson, Artful Dodger & The Blow Monkeys.

Tony Hadley is headlining on the Sunday night. He was the voice and founder of Spandau Ballet, guiding the New Romantic act to global success with a string of smash hits such as ‘Gold’, ‘True, ‘To Cut a Long Story Short’, ‘Through the Barricades’, ‘Only When You Leave’ and many more.

Sunday features another outstanding line up with 80s’ favourites, Kim Wilde, ABC, Nik Kershaw and From The Jam who feature original The Jam bassist & backing vocalist, Bruce Foxton, plus a supporting DJ Set from Pat Sharp.

Throughout the weekend, the Second Stage will be hosted by Heritage Presents with an historic and educational journey through the world of quality dance music from the golden US/UK era of the 1990's. This will involve an amazing line up of DJ’s including K-Klass, Allister Whitehead, Jim Shaft Ryan, Brandon Block, Phil Gifford and Heritage resident DJs.

Organiser, Ian Rogers, said: “After a very challenging 17 months for our industry our team are completely focused and passionate about delivering the best-ever Solihull Summer Fest. We are very excited to have secured Olly Murs to headline our Saturday and the support and response to our September line up has been nothing short of overwhelming. We are fully on course to sell out.”

“We are working closely with Public Health England and Solihull Borough Council and cannot wait to welcome everyone to a safe, fun, incredible weekend of much needed live music and entertainment.” Tickets, including VIP options, are currently for sale.

Over the course of four recent singles which preview their upcoming second album (‘On Our Way’, ‘Dreams’, ‘Dolores’ and ‘Gold’), The Wandering Hearts have emerged as one of Britain's brightest rising bands. Blending timeless folk-rock melodies with a modern pop edge, their positive and inspirational songwriting captures the energy of Jade Bird with the songcraft of Fleetwood Mac.

The result is a record that celebrates life, new beginnings, and striving to shine through a darkening world. It’s an approach that has attracted a community of influential collaborators and supporters such as legendary DJ Bob Harris, producers Simone Felice and David Baron (The Lumineers), and country icons Marty Stuart and Connie Smith.
 
Now The Wandering Hearts can confirm details of their biggest headline tour to date, the ‘On Our Way UK Tour 2022’ commences in May 2022. It culminates with what are sure to be two unforgettable nights: their biggest headline gig to date at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and a closing show at Brighton’s Concorde 2.
 
The Wandering Hearts’ songs take on a new power within the communal experience of the live arena, a talent that resulted in them becoming the first British band to make their US debut at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium and then play the Grand Ole Opry in the same week.
 
“It’s a dream of ours to play Shepherd's Bush Empire! We cannot believe, after the year we have all had, that it’s actually happening and we get to play our new album live, with our full band, from Glasgow down to Brighton!  Forever grateful. It’s gonna be one hell of a tour!!!” says Chess.
 
Fans who pre-order the new album will receive access to a pre-sale for the tour that opens at 10am tomorrow (Wednesday, July 28^th). It remains live until Thursday 29th July at 3pm.

Remaining tickets go on general sale from 10am on Friday, July 30th. The On Our Way UK Tour dates are:
 
MAY 2022 - NEW DATES
15th - Glasgow, St. Luke’s
16th - Newcastle, Riverside
17th - Leeds, The Wardrobe
18th - Manchester, Academy 2
20th - Liverpool, O2 Academy 2
21st - Norwich, Waterfront
22nd - Birmingham, O2 Institute 2
24th - Bristol, Trinity Centre
25th - London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
27th - Brighton, Concorde 2
 
In the meantime, The Wandering Hearts are excited to hit the road next month for their first tour in approximately two years. This summer’s  ‘In Harmony: An Intimate Tour’ is almost entirely sold-out and calls at the following venues:
 
AUGUST 2021
21st - Colchester, Little Rabbit Barn (SOLD OUT)
22nd - Milton Keynes, The Stables (SOLD OUT)     
23rd - Southampton, The Brook (SOLD OUT)
24th - Tunbridge Wells, The Forum (SOLD OUT)
26th - London, Nell’s (SOLD OUT)
27th - Guildford, Boileroom (SOLD OUT)
28th - Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach (SOLD OUT)
29th - Cottingham, Civic Hall (SOLD OUT)
31st - Pocklington, Arts Centre (SOLD OUT)
 
SEPTEMBER 2021
2nd - Stockton-On-Tees, The Georgian Theatre (SOLD OUT)
3rd - Kendal, The Brewery Arts Centre (SOLD OUT)
4th - Gateshead, Sage 2 (matinee)
4th - Gateshead, Sage 2 (SOLD OUT)
6th - Edinburgh, Summerhall
7th - Stirling, Tolbooth (SOLD OUT)
8th - Aberdeen,  Lemon Tree
9th - Dunfermline, PJ Molloys
14th - Poole, Lighthouse (SOLD OUT)
15th - Oxford, The Bullingdon

International icon Tom Jones has announced his epic return to the arena stage in 2021 with the Surrounded By Time Tour. Kicking off in Glasgow at The SSE Hydro on 5 December before travelling to Birmingham’s Utilita Arena  and Manchester’s AO Arena before closing at The O2 Arena, London on 9 December. Tickets for Tom Jones’ Surrounded By Time tour will go on sale 9am on Friday 30^th July at LiveNation.co.uk.
 
Hot on the heels of Tom Jones’ intimate performance in London this week and following the release of his critically acclaimed number 1 album, a year of many milestones will be taken to new heights with the announcement of the Surround By Time Tour. A discography spanning the decades which has trophied 100 million record sales and countless Grammy, Ivor Novello and Brit Awards – the Surround By Time Tour will be a show not to miss!
 
See the infamous Tom Jones live this December!

Amazon Prime Video and Sony Pictures Television revealed the teaser poster for the upcoming Amazon Original fantasy series The Wheel of Time. The teaser poster was first revealed during the show’s Comic-Con@Home panel, where showrunner Rafe Judkins’ (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hemlock Grove) also confirmed that the series will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide in November 2021. The full panel can now be seen on SDCC’s official YouTube channel.

The Wheel of Time is one of the most popular and enduring fantasy series of all-time, with over 90 million books sold. Set in a sprawling, epic world where magic exists and only certain women are allowed to access it, the story follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a member of the incredibly powerful all-female organisation called the Aes Sedai, as she arrives in the small town of Two Rivers. There, she embarks on a dangerous, world-spanning journey with five young men and women, one of whom is prophesied to be the Dragon Reborn, who will either save or destroy humanity.   

Based on Robert Jordan’s best-selling fantasy novels, The Wheel of Time was adapted for television by executive producer/showrunner Rafe Judkins (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Hemlock Grove). Larry Mondragon and Rick Selvage of Red Eagle Entertainment, Mike Weber (Jumanji: The Next Level), Ted Field of Radar Pictures (Jumanji: The Next Level), Darren Lemke (Shazam!, Goosebumps), Marigo Kehoe and Uta Briesewitz will also serve as executive producers, with Briesewitz set to direct the first two episodes. Rosamund Pike will serve as Producer and Harriet McDougal and Brandon Sanderson as consulting producers. The Wheel of Time is co-produced by Amazon Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

Australia's most arresting and revealing new pop artist Gretta Ray cuts straight to the heart with her third double-single release of 2021, Cherish/The Brink (Duology Three): the latest ravishing studio creations in her bold, innovative and hook-laden Duologies series lifted from her forthcoming debut album, ‘Begin To Look Around’ which will be released on August 27 and available to pre-order now.   

This morning Gretta captured hearts and minds alike when she performed on Triple J’s Like A Version her latest single Cherish, alongside a stunning rendition of Gang Of Youths’ Deepest Sighs. Covering one of her favourite Gang Of Youths’songs felt like the most natural choice to Gretta given the budding creative partnership developing between Gretta and the band: David Le'aupepe sings backing vocals on one of Gretta’s yet to be released album tracks, Worldy-wise, which also features additional production by Gang Of Youths.  

“Worldly-wise is one of the songs on the record that sings of a regained sense of independence, found in your surroundings. It’s written like a letter of encouragement to myself I suppose. Having Gang Of Youths involved in the song felt perfect, because while writing the album, a lot of the times that I felt like I was finding myself in the world I was on tour with that band.” 

"Cherish and The Brink are probably the most closely linked in the Duologies story because I wrote them a week apart," the Melbourne singer-songwriter confides. "And obviously something happened that week. Something pretty large." 

In the soul-bearing tradition of the greatest pop songs, both tracks mine her immediate experience with unflinching truthfulness and the creative empathy of co-writer/ producers Dylan Nash (Dean Lewis) and Chris Collins (Skeggs, Ruby Fields).

"I was having a bit of a rough time in my personal life," she reveals. "I went out and had this terrible night and this crap argument and I was just so tired of arguing... I got into the studio the next day and Dylan was like, 'How are you?' I put my head in my notebook and when I pulled it away from my face it had water all over the pages."

The session that followed yielded the tender flesh and bones of Cherish, "sort of a crying-in-the-club song," Gretta says; an intimate internal dialogue driven by a slow-building dance undertow. "At the time I was really mad. I think I just needed it for my pride. But when I went to finish it with [producer] Robby De Sa, I heard it as more sad; bittersweet."

One week later, brittle turned to broken in Gretta's personal life and sessions with Chris Collins felt even more raw and dangerous. "The Brink was the first song where I really felt like, oh, music is holding me right now. This is my safety net," she says. "Chris had these piano chords and we wrote the song in maybe four hours." Later that night, he sent a demo that felt like emotion made sound, from back-sliding intro to a chorus that balances lost innocence with a looming fear of the unknown. Gretta was stunned. "That sounds like how my heart feels right now," she told him. "That sounds like my anxiety." 

‘Begin To Look Around’ boasts an A-list team of creatives working together to bring Gretta’s Duologies to life. Primarily produced by Robby De Sa (MAY-A, The Veronicas), Dylan Nash (Dean Lewis, Fergus James, Azure Ryder), Kyran Daniel (G-Flip) and mixed by Dan Grech-Marguerat (Halsey, Lana Del Ray, Troye Sivan) and Rich Cooper (Banks, The Temper Trap), the album will feature a series of Duologies: two songs joined in theme but creatively distinct; written from differing perspectives, released as a pair.

A wonderous and empowering coming of age record, BEGIN TO LOOK AROUND chronicles the journey of a young artist navigating the winding lanes of womanhood, romance, heartbreak, travel and friendship.

“This record is a documentation and celebration of the lessons I have learned about love, life and my unremitting passion for music as I’ve stepped into my early twenties. It is beautiful how much you change your mind throughout those formative years; things can always be seen from a different perspective, and when you’re immersed in incredible opportunities that see you travelling the world, falling in and out of love, and losing your sense of independence only for it to return stronger than ever before, it is only natural that your view of yourself and the world will be refined when you wake up, and begin to look around.” Says Gretta of her debut collection.

At just 18, Gretta famously won Triple J Unearthed High and the prestigious Vanda & Young Songwriting Award for her high-rotation hit, Drive. Two EPs, Elsewhere (2016) and Here and Now (2018) have taken her from Falls and Splendour to her first shows in the UK and USA opening for artists such as Mumford & Sons, Gang of Youths, Lianne La Havas and James Bay. Now, at 23, her story truly begins.