Entertainment News

Suffolk's St Peter's Brewery is gearing up for the Mindful Drinking Christmas Festival this weekend, a two-day event at Spitalfields, London.

With sales of its two alcohol-free beers now accounting for 15% of its overall sales, St Peter's Brewery is keen to target those looking for high quality alcohol free drinks to enjoy and the Mindful Drinking Christmas Festival is the perfect opportunity.

Organised by Club Soda, the free Mindful Drinking Christmas Festival on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th November provides a platform for the growing quality and diversity of the UK's alcohol-free drinking scene, with a range of zero to 0.5% alcohol craft beers, wines, ciders and sodas all available for tasting, alongside street food, music and entertainment for all the family.

St Peter's will be offering visitors to the event free tastings of its two delicious alcohol-free beers, St Peter's Without Original and Without Gold, selling single bottles and gift packs and hosting a competition which will see one lucky festival-goer winning a year's supply of St Peter's Without Original and Without Gold (45 cases in total!)

St Peter's Brewery launched Without® Original, its first-ever alcohol-free craft beer in August 2016 and it has created a huge buzz in the industry, with the likes of Tesco, Nisa and The Co-Op all giving it national listings. In July the brewery unveiled its second zero-alcohol beer, Without® Gold, a citrusy, slightly malty golden ale to appeal to lager and ale drinkers that is currently sold exclusively through Morissons.

“We are dedicated to providing the highest quality alcohol-free beer,” explains Steve Magnall, CEO at St Peter's Brewery. “Our Without® Original and Without® Gold have been phenomenally successful, proving just how much demand there is for high quality, alcohol-free craft beers that really are as good as their alcoholic counterparts. By supporting the Mindful Drinking Christmas Festival we have a fantastic opportunity to prove how strong the alcohol-free category is becoming and ensure that even more people have a chance to try our fantastic alcohol-free beers,” adds Steve.

A spectacular new light and sound show featuring lasers by renowned artist Chris Levine and original soundscapes from special guest stars will be the highlight of the Eden Project's Christmas celebrations (beginning November 25).

Festival of Light and Sound will see beautiful laser beams projected high above the outdoor gardens and the Mediterranean Biome will be filled with spellbinding patterns of light and 3D immersive sound.

Appearing live at the festival, singer-songwriter Jamie Crowe has completed his new album Elysium part 1 which he will perform with acclaimed Cornish singer Kezia.

Chris Levine will be creating brand new laser treatments to harmonise with the new sound work.

The focus this year is on the interplay between light and Eden's exotic plant life and landscape, with multiple festive-coloured laser beams tracing and highlighting the shapes and forms of the former clay quarry near St Austell in Cornwall.

The experience will begin at the entrance to Eden where visitors can marvel at the intricate patterns of lasers creating a canopy of light over the gardens.

The journey continues to the Mediterranean Biome, which will be filled with brightly coloured beams choreographed to the soundscapes and live performances.

The festival returns to Eden following a spectacular debut last year.

Gordon Seabright, Eden's chief executive, said: “Festival of Light and Sound will see Eden at its most beautiful. The laser show and new compositions are set to combine perfectly and celebrate nature in our Biome and gardens, creating an enchanting experience for all of our visitors.

“We're confident this Christmas at Eden will be our best ever, with the laser and music show appearing alongside our ever-popular Father Christmas experience, family activities and our magical ice rink.”

Festival of Light and Sound features iy_project, a collaboration between the Eden Project, creative partners EdenLAB and internationally-acclaimed artist Chris Levine.

Originally developed at Eden with support from the Arts Council, iy_project employs pioneering laser and 3D spatial sound technology, and has headlined venues and festivals across the world with top sound artists, including the Glastonbury and Wilderness Festivals in the UK and the highly-prestigious Dark Mofo Festival in Tasmania.

At Glastonbury last year, iy_project worked with conductor Charlie Hazlewood and his 45-piece orchestra as part of the festival's official tribute to the life of David Bowie. The piece was performed to an audience of 25,000 on the Park Stage at midnight on the Saturday of the festival and broadcast live by the BBC.

Chris Levine is a pioneer in the field of light art. Incorporating numerous mediums (laser, photography, holograms) across multiple platforms including music, performance, installation, fashion and design, his creativity is manifest in a multitude of projects.

Singer-songwriter Jamie Crowe will be returning to Eden following his residency last Christmas to perform material from his newly completed album, inspired by Eden, on every night of the festival. Jamie is a Cornwall-based singer and guitarist and used to front top bands Rootjoose and Rairbirds.

Other Eden Christmas favourites will also be making a return, refreshed for the 2017 season.

Father Christmas and his elves will once again be taking up residence for the season. Visitors will be able to hear a magical tale brimming with Christmas cheer and sparkle, told around a roaring fire.

Children will get to meet the elves as they make their final preparations for the big day. Then they share an enchanting moment with Father Christmas himself.

Eden's ice rink is open throughout the winter season with sessions available for various ages and abilities. As well as general skating sessions, lessons from expert tutors will be available. Chilly Juniors, fun sessions for children aged six to 12 on Sundays, will also be making a return.

Toddlers can join the fun too with Sunday morning sessions where they can play with a multitude of toys on the ice without having to wear skates.

Father Christmas will be at Eden from November 25 to Christmas Eve and pre-booking is strongly recommended. Festival of Light and Sound opens on November 25 and will be taking place on selected nights until December 30. Eden's ice rink is open until February 18.

Birmingham Royal Ballet, in association with Sadler’s Wells, has announced the first three choreographers and first two composers commissioned as part of Ballet Now – a unique five-year programme of professional development for choreographers, composers and designers funded by Oak Foundation.

Ballet Now will create two new one-act ballets per year for five years, each with a choreographer, composer and designer who are creating their first dance piece for a large company on a large stage. In total 30 artists will collaborate on these new works, helping to grow the pool of artistic talent available to ballet companies world-wide. This not only guarantees ten new ballets for Birmingham Royal Ballet’s dancers to perform, and for the Company’s audiences to see, but it offers those 30 artists an individual mentoring plan, a budget for their work and a level of creative support that they will not previously have experienced.

This ground-breaking initiative has been developed and overseen by a Creative Consortium; a panel of experts drawn from across the world of ballet supporting the selection of creative talent, as well as overseeing mentoring opportunities and the on-going success of the programme.

The Consortium consists of: David Bintley (Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet), Koen Kessels (Music Director, Birmingham Royal Ballet), Alistair Spalding (Sadler’s Wells Artistic Director and Chief Executive), Cassa Pancho (Artistic Director, Ballet Black), Ted Brandsen (Director, Dutch National Ballet), Emma Southworth (Studio Programme Senior Producer, The Royal Ballet), Sally Beamish (Composer), Sally Cavender (Director, Performance Music and Vice-Chairman, Faber Music).

The first three Ballet Now choreographers are George Williamson, Juanjo Arqués and Didy Veldman. The first two Ballet Now composers are Sarah Kirkland Snider (working alongside George Williamson) and Gabriel Prokofiev (working with Didy Veldman). These artists have been selected by the Creative Consortium due to the originality, insight and world-class potential shown in their previous work. Ballet Now will give them the opportunity to challenge their choreographic practice and work on the largest scale, whilst leading a creative process in a major ballet company.

Abigail Reeve, producer of Ballet Now, commented: ‘Ballet Now is a unique programme of development and new work that Birmingham Royal Ballet is delighted to be launching in association with Sadler’s Wells.  Its aim is to develop the next set of creative voices for the dance world. Our first three choreographers commissioned through the programme bring with them fresh outlooks and ideas which will excite audiences across the world.’

The Ballet Now programme will also support one designer per commission; further details will be announced in 2018.

The first Ballet Now commission, choreographed by George Williamson, will be performed as part of the In the Upper Room mixed programme at Sadler’s Wells (15-16 June 2018) and Birmingham Hippodrome (20-23 June 2018).

Opening night of The Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker will be screened live into cinemas around the world on Tuesday 5 December at 7.15pm.

A firm family favourite with Tchaikovsky’s mesmerizing score, a Christmas tree that magically grows, a battle between toy soldiers and an Army of Mice, and the famous role of the Sugar Plum Fairy danced by Royal Ballet Principal Sarah Lamb with her Prince, Principal dancer Steven McRae, this event presented by Darcey Bussell is not to be missed.

Peter Wright’s enchanting production tells the story of Clara, danced by Royal Ballet Principal Francesca Hayward, whose Christmas is transformed by a visit from Drosselmeyer, a mysterious magician and maker of magical toys.  Drosselmeyer longs to break a curse that has turned his nephew, danced by Australian Principal Alexander Campbell, into a nutcracker doll.

Matched with exquisite designs and world-famous melodies, this production of The Nutcracker has enthralled audiences for over 30 years since its opening in 1984. It showcases the full energy of the Company, alongside the emerging talent of young dancers from The Royal Ballet School. The stunning costumes, numbering around 600 and dating back to the world-premiere, are revitalized for the show.

An encore screening takes place on Sunday 10 December at 2pm.

The next production in the Royal Opera House’s 2017/18 Live Cinema Season is Verdi’s opera Rigoletto on Tuesday 16 January at 7.15pm.

The Belgrade Theatre is partnering with Junges Theatre from Werftpark, Kiel this November in celebration of the 70^th anniversary of the twinning of Coventry with the German city of Kiel.

On Thurs 9 & Fri 10 Nov, Junges Theatre will perform their show Lost & Found in the Belgrade’s B2 auditorium. This short play, aimed at ages 5+, explores the tools of communication, language and friendship and will be performed for speakers of either English or German.

Astrid Grossgasteiger, Director of Lost & Found said, “As a token of our long lasting friendship we are very excited to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the twinning of Coventry and Kiel with a vividly artistic, cultural and educational exchange for young audiences. Especially with Lost & Found which has a story based on the playfulness of language, the tiny misunderstandings of words and about organising your world within your own system. This invariably leads to children exercising their imaginations leading to new discoveries and finding greater meaning.”

She added, “We hope that our performances bring people together overcoming language barriers and their hesitations to connect to one other and we especially look forward to deepening our understanding of communication and strengthening our cultural exchange by sharing a good time with our audience.”

Astrid Grossgasteiger is also Head of Young Theatre at the Shipyard Park in Kiel and has been responsible for more than 20 productions as a director, including children's classics such as The Little Prince and The Jungle Book and also her own texts.

Kiel has been partnered with Coventry since 1947, following the Second World War when, like Coventry, it was heavily bombed. Mr Williams, a serviceman from Coventry who was based in Kiel during the rebuilding process proposed a friendship link to the city authorities and they have been twinned ever since.

Like the Belgrade Theatre, Junges Theatre Werftpark shares a commitment to producing educational work for children and young people. Each season, the theater in the Werft Park plays around 12 different pieces for the different age groups from kindergarten through elementary school to adolescence and adulthood.

The Belgrade is also known as a pioneer of the ground-breaking Theatre-in-Education movement, which has been adopted by theatre practitioners across the world.

The Belgrade Theatre has announced more shows to be added to its Spring 2018 Season, including the multi-award winning West End comedy The Play That Goes Wrong from Mon 19 to Sat 24 March, back by phenomenal demand following a sold out run earlier this year.

Co-written by members of the Mischief Theatre Company, The Play That Goes Wrong is a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned farce and Buster Keaton inspired slapstick delivered with split-second timing and ambitious daring.

Awarded the 2014 Whatsonstage.com Best New Comedy and the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, The Play That Goes Wrong has also recently enjoyed a fourth year in the West End and has played to an audience of over a quarter of a million worldwide.

The world premiere production of Black Men Walking will take to the B2 stage from Weds 7 to Sat 10 Feb as part of a UK tour presented by Eclipse and the Royal Exchange.

Inspired by a real-life Black men’s walking group based in Sheffield, the piece has been conceived by Eclipse in collaboration with Leeds-based rapper, singer, producer and performer Testament. A rising star in the theatre landscape, Testament was most recently acclaimed for his one-man show about feminism, Woke, which fused powerful first-person narrative with his signature beat-boxing and rapping.

Directed by Dawn Walton, this new work mixes dramatic storytelling with original music written by Testament and performed by a four-person cast.

From Tues 5 to Sat 9 June, the essential Scottish musical Sunshine on Leith returns to the Belgrade Theatre in a brand-new production for the first time since 2010.

Follow the highs and lows of Ally and his friend Davy as they return home to Leith from the army. Families, friendships and life are not plain sailing in this funny and moving story about love and life.

With a soundtrack of Proclaimers songs including I’m Gonna Be (500 miles), Sunshine on Leith, Letter From America, and I’m On My Way this energetic piece of musical theatre is loved by audiences and critics alike.

Originally produced by the National Theatre and Complicité, A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer explores a new way to talk and think about illness, by Bryony Kimmings and visits the Belgrade’s Main Stage from Weds 14 to Sat 17 Feb.

This funny and moving show will look behind the poster campaigns and pink ribbons at the reality of cancer: newfound friendships, pain and death, mundane treatment cycles, hairlessness and scars…with songs.

Noël Coward’s most popular and enduring stage comedy, Private Lives, where strong passions and stronger personalities set the stage for a classic battle of the sexes from Thurs 19 to Sat 21 April.

Full of razor-sharp wit and quick-fire dialogue, Private Lives first opened at London’s Phoenix Theatre in August 1930 to packed houses. Since then, this charming comedy of manners has retained its remarkable appeal, captivating audiences all over the world.

There’s also plenty on offer for families next spring, with the return of Horrible Histories’ More Best of Barmy Britain from Weds 30 May to Sat 2 June, bringing even more of history’s most famous figures back to life on stage in a fun and educational treat for families.

Find out why the Romans were revolting! Could you survive the vicious Vikings? Can evil Elizabeth entertain England? Would you party with the Puritans? Clap along with crazy King Charles! Vomit with the vile Victorians and prepare to do battle in the frightful First World War!

During the Easter holidays, ages 2 – 7 will enjoy the interactive, sing-along show Easter Bunny’s Eggs Factor on Fri 13 & Sat 14 April from the creators of Marty MacDonald’s Farm and Santa’s Christmas Wish. This 40 minute show will be followed by a meet and greet with the Easter Bunny and special gift for every child.

Also for families, Dear Zoo – Live on Stage will visit the Belgrade on Fri 6 & Sat 7 April, based on the classic children’s lift-the-flap book by Rod Campbell. Celebrating 35 years in 2017, Dear Zoo is the story of a child who writes to the zoo asking them to send a pet and continues to delight each new generation featuring puppets, original music and lots of audience interaction.

All these shows will form part of the Spring 2018 Season at the Belgrade, which also includes previously announced shows The Sound of Music, Son of a Preacher Man, Awful Auntie, Thriller Live and more. The full Spring 2018 Season will be announced later in the year.

Internationally renowned conductor Paul Spicer celebrates 25 years leading Birmingham Bach Choir with a special anniversary concert on Thursday 30 November 2017, at Birmingham Town Hall.

Fittingly, for a choir named in honour of Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach, Paul has chosen Bach's masterful Mass In B Minor for the performance.

"Bach's B minor Mass is quite simply one of the greatest creations of the human mind," says Paul. "It has been central to my musical career ever since Birmingham Bach Choir's previous musical director, Richard Butt, brought back a full score of the work from Leipzig as a gift for me back in 1988.

“Since then I have conducted the work many times, a lot of those with Birmingham Bach Choir. There is a whole world of experience and emotion in this Mass. As I have said before, I feel that Bach is the only universal composer."

Completed in 1749, a year before JS Bach's death, Mass In B minor (BWV 232) revisits previously composed passages and was only performed publically, in full, a century later. Today, it’s regarded as one of the greatest musical compositions of all time.

Since becoming Birmingham Bach Choir's Musical Director in 1992, Paul has steered the choir through a myriad of successes, extending the their repertoire to cover both contemporary and centuries old lesser known works alongside more popular, well known choral pieces.

During his fruitful tenure, specific highlights have been numerous but must include The Deciduous Cross, a work based on five poems by RS Thomas commissioned for Paul's 10th anniversary as conductor; the much acclaimed recording of Easter Oratorio; and the world premiere of Unfinished Remembering, a major choral symphony commemorating the centenary of the first World War, performed at Symphony Hall, Birmingham in 2014.

For the 25th anniversary concert Birmingham Bach Choir are joined by the London Baroque Sinfonia, with Sarah Fox (soprano), James Laing (countertenor), Robert Murray (tenor) and Ashley Riches (bass).

Sarah has worked with many of the world's leading orchestras, including the Berlin Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, and the Halle. A former judge on BBC TV's The Choir: Sing While You Work, she also appears regularly with John Wilson and his Orchestra. James’ operatic engagements include performances for the Royal Opera, English National Opera, English Touring Opera, Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Opera North. A former member of King's College Choir, Cambridge, Ashley is presently a member of the 2017/ 2108 BBC New Generation Artist scheme.

Fans have welcomed enhanced security arrangements introduced at the City of Wolverhampton Council's Civic and Wulfrun Halls entertainment venues last week.

To strengthen security and public safety inside and outside both venues a number of temporary measures are now in operation, including road closures around the Civic and Wulfrun Halls on show nights.

There is also enhanced security measures outside and in the buildings, with searches taking place prior to people entering the venues and concrete barriers installed outside for the safety of pedestrians.

The new arrangements were put into place for the first time on Friday night (20 October) for a sell-out performance by W.A.S.P, with over 1,100 fans descending on the Wulfrun Hall to see the 80s metal icons in action.

Councillor John Reynolds, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: "The enhanced security measures were well received by concert goers.

“Our staff spoke to a number of customers who, in light of recent terrorist attacks in other parts of the country and around the world, were slightly nervous about coming to a gig and who found it reassuring that they would have to be searched on entry.

"I would like to thank people for heeding our warnings to allow themselves extra time to pass through security, and it was pleasing that we managed to keep queues to a minimum even though this was a sell-out performance."

In her review of W.A.S.P's gig, Express & Star group online entertainments editor Kirsten Rawlins noted: "As we went through the searches and barriers it admittedly felt a little like we were heading into a festival than a gig, but the additional checks were very welcome and reassuring.

"Though it’s unfortunate the City has had to bring in these measures and senses are clearly heightened, it was good to know we were being looked after."

Commenting on the Wolverhampton Today Facebook page, one individual wrote: "Smart moves, Wolverhampton Council. Well done." Another added: "Sad but sensible... a sign of the times."

With more big names coming to the Civic and Wulfrun Halls in the coming weeks, including comedians Jimmy Carr, Henning Wehn, Lee Nelson and Rich Hall, and 8,000 people expected at the Civic Hall on Saturday and Sunday for the 10^th anniversary of the ever-popular West Midlands Vegan Festival, fans are urged to familiarise themselves with the enhanced security measures.

These include road closures for major events, with Red Lion Street, Mitre Fold and North Street shut to all traffic when shows are taking place. This will mean that people wishing to park at the Civic Centre will need to access the car park via Wulfruna Street.

Alternative car parks, all within a 10-minute walk of the Civic and Wulfrun Halls, will be open as usual, including Broad Street, Fryer Street, School Street, Fold Street, Peel Street and Temple Street. The pedestrian route to the Civic Hall from the Civic Centre car park will remain open.

Searches prior to entry will take place in covered areas outside the Civic and Wulfrun Halls. No bags over the size of an A4 sheet of paper will be allowed into either venue, and no bottles will be permitted.

After claiming a fourth number 1 album with ‘Concrete and Gold’ in September, rock giants Foo Fighters have continued their colossal 2017 by selling out their 3 UK stadium dates in under 4 hours, including two dates at London Stadium June 22nd and 23rd.

Waking up to the news Dave said – “Hey UK.... what better way to wake up than a hot, black coffee and 3 sold out stadiums. Unreal! You've always made us feel so at home there. Now it's our turn to give it back. We're gonna light those m********ers up.... See you there, Dave”

Chis York from the band UK promoters SJM said, "Incredible sales for Foo Fighters 2018 tour. Shows the depth and passion of their brilliant fan base in the UK and a reflection of how amazing the band are live. Looking forward to what will be an unbelievable run of shows. Congratulations to the band and everyone involved with making this such a phenomenal success. Once again!"

Foo Fighters Play:

June 2018 Tues 19th MANCHESTER Etihad Stadium SOLD OUT Fri 22nd LONDON Stadium SOLD OUT Sat 23rd LONDON Stadium SOLD OUT

Their continued domination of the UK charts has seen Foo Fighters hit Number 1 in the Official UK Charts for the fourth time in their career with acclaimed album ‘Concrete and Gold’, selling in excess of 100,000 copies to date.

It was 1990 when Angelica Houston, Rowan Atkinson and Jane Horrocks starred in a dark fantasy that saw a convention of witches staying in a seaside hotel whilst hatching an evil plot to kill children by turning them into mice. The hero of the hour is a young boy who, despite being turned into a mouse, manages to turn the tables on the monstrous hags. Like him they are changed into rodents but, whilst he is spared to live happily ever after, they are slaughtered in a frenzy of mouse-bashing led by the hotel manager.

'The Witches' remains one of Roald Dahl's most popular books and the film, in which The Headland becomes the Hotel Excelsior, has similarly achieved classic status. In a foodie tribute to the terrifying tale, Executive Chef Christopher Archambault and his team have devised a dastardly teatime spread.

“There'll be pumpkin scones with lashings of jam and cream, chocolate witches' hats, eyeballs, a spooky children's mocktail and of course plenty of delicious mice,” said Chris, with a frightening kind of cackle. “We've got other surprises up our sleeves too.”

The Witches tea will be available from Friday 20 October to Sunday 5 November from 3pm to 6pm.

Sydney shines when it comes to outstanding art exhibitions and premiere musicals, and with a jam-packed calendar of inspiring, upcoming events, there's no better time to visit the Harbour City for a culture-infused holiday.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall said “Sydney is renowned for its glimmering Harbour, stunning beaches and iconic landmarks and, increasingly, it's our blockbuster musicals, fine art, heritage tours and live performances that are attracting visitors from around the world.

“In YE June 2017, there were 7.3 million international and domestic overnight visitors in NSW who participated in cultural activities during their trip, especially from our key in-bound markets of China, the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

“Aussies also showed their love of art and culture with a whopping 36 per cent of domestic overnight visitors to NSW attending at least one of our many world-class museums or art galleries.

“Over the Summer months, Sydney will play host to a calendar of cultural events which proves again that our Harbour City is Australia's capital of major events and entertainment, so it's time to start planning a visit now,” said Mr Marshall.

To help plan an exciting trip to Sydney full of art and culture, Destination NSW has curated a list of upcoming highlights:

1. Do the Locomotion at the Sydney Lyric Theatre and see the Australian premiere of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, playing until 4 February

King's hits include You've Got a Friend, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, It's Too Late, Locomotion, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move, along with chartbusting Mann/Weil tunes You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, On Broadway and Uptown.

2. See exquisite sculptures alongside Sydney's world-famous beaches at Sculpture by the Sea, from 19 October to 5 November

3. Walk through a forest of hanging lights, and get lost in a maze of floating fabric at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, from 1 November to 18 February

Pipilotti Rist: Sip my Ocean presents the spectrum of Rist's practice, from her early single-channel videos of the 1980s to her large-scale audio-visual installations and recent immersive environments, in one groundbreaking exhibition. Her work is an ode to the heart and the intellect, to the big emotions that sustain us as human beings and to the beauty of the world and the universe around us.

4. Be captivated by world-class Ballet Under the Stars in beautiful surrounds in Penrith, on Saturday 4 November

5. Admire Dutch masterpieces at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, from 11 November to 18 February

6. Marvel at Mammoths! Giants of the Ice Age at the Australian Museum, from 18 November to 13 May

Once considered mythical giants, this exhibition explores not only how these Ice Age creatures lived, forming herds similar in social structure to those of modern elephants, but also how they became extinct, including the impact of climate change, human predation and other factors.

7. Catch up with your two new best friends Muriel and Rhonda in Muriel's Wedding the Musical, from 18 November at the Roslyn Packer Theatre

Muriel's Wedding the Musical is produced by Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures (Strictly Ballroom The Musical and Walking With Dinosaurs) and features an all-star cast including Maggie McKenna as Muriel, Madeleine Jones as Rhonda, Gary Sweet as Bill and Justine Clarke as the long-suffering Betty.

8. Get festive at the exuberant, exciting and forever effervescent Sydney Festival, from 6-28 January

They are known as two of the biggest stars ever to emerge from the hit show Strictly Come Dancing, becoming household names in their own right with audiences captivated by the couple’s relationship, and now James and Ola Jordan will embark on a nationwide tour telling their own love story – 18 years to the month that they first met!

Featuring a full cast of dancers and all styles of dance, the autobiographical production is full of passion, intensity and high-octane routines, the tour will begin in Blackpool on March 3rd 2018 - a town that of course holds a lot of history for James and Ola.

Both James and Ola come from a competitive dancing background, and met in 2000 when both needed new partners. James,  flew to Poland to try-out with Ola, and a month later she moved to England not able to speak a single word of English! Within six months of meeting they entered their first competition together and after this amazing partnership was formed they went onto compete all over the world, winning many championships and representing England in the World Championships.

It wasn’t long before their relationship blossomed both on and off the dance floor and in 2003 the couple married, and their competitive careers went from strength to strength until they joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2006.

Having become two of the most recognisable personalities amongst the professional dancers on the show, both James and Ola left in 2013 and 2015 respectively, going on to explore other roles in TV. James has been a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, and the All-Star version of the show earlier this year, and Ola took part in the ITV show I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2016.

Now, 18 years after they became dance partners and Ola moved to the England, the couple will tour the UK for the first time together, telling their story in their own unique way in a show that’s fun for all the family.

James and Ola said:

“It’s great to be able to do our own tour, our way, and to offer something totally different to any other dance show. We want to perform a sexy, edgy interpretation of our life story, whilst still having all the sparkle and fun people expect from us - and the best part is that we get to dance together again, we cannot wait! ”

Birmingham Comedy Festival and The Glee Club have announced Kai Samra as the recipient of the festival’s Breaking Talent Award 2017.

The young comic picked up his prize at a packed Glee Club on Friday night (6 October 2017), where he was presented with his award by BBCWM’s Richard Wilford.

The Handsworth-born comedian, whose family later moved to Warwick, has been performing stand-up for just 18 months, but impressed the judging panel with is confident and relaxed delivery, and exploration of such topics as the difficulties of tackling gun and knife crime, class and race, family, and the challenges of finding suitable attire for fancy dress parties.

“It means a lot to me,” said Kai of his award. The only Birmingham-born comic on the bill, he added: “The other competitors where really amazing and it was nice to be nominated and represent Birmingham.”

As former member of Warwickshire’s indie hopefully Paris Pickpockets, Kai looked set to make his name in music. But despite signing to The Arctic Monkeys’ management company and supporting The Libertines, he’s since turned his attention to writing and performing comedy.

Describing his style of stand-up, he said: “It’s observational, political. I try to do stuff that other people don’t, to take a fresh perspective on subjects like race, politics.”

Recently moving to Kilburn, London, Kai is developing several writing and interview-based projects, including his own sitcom, The 27 Club - a reference to a long list of stars who all died tragically at the age of 27, including Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain.

“I wrote it before I started stand-up,” explained Kai, who is also 27 years-old. “We’re going to do a pilot ourselves and try and sell it to a production company.”

Discussing his future plans, he added: “I love writing things, I love filming things … my aim is to work as hard as possible.”

Kai faced stiff competition from four other West Midland acts:  Staffordshire’s Eric Rushton, who parodied PM Teresa May’s Conservative Party Conference disaster with a cough and a P45; the dark and unexpected Rob Kemp from Wednesbury; Alex Black, who treated audiences to a music skit on social media based around the greatest hits of The Police; and Gemma Layton, aka Black Country cabaret singer/ stalker Beverley Vegas.

A spokesperson for the festival said: “All the acts were incredibly strong and all very different, which really demonstrates the richness and strength of the West Midlands comedy scene, but in the end the judges decided that Kai was the stand-out performer. We wish him all the best and are confident we’ll be seeing more from Kai in the very near future.”

A collaboration between the award-winning festival and The Glee Club, and sponsored by Edinburgh Gin, the Birmingham Comedy Festival Breaking Talent Award aims to recognise and support emerging comedic talent from the city and wider West Midlands.

2017’s festival kicked off on Friday 6 October and continues at various venues across the city until Sunday 15 October. Highlights include appearances from Greg Davies, Henning Wehn, Comedy Central’s Impractical Jokers, Matt Lucas, The Fast Show’s Simon Day, and two Free Half-Dayers featuring 16 free comedy shows spread over successive Sunday afternoons at two city centre venues (Cherry Reds, The Victoria, 8 and 15 October).

Making unique alternative music events accessible to budget-conscious travellers from around the world, low-cost airline WOW air has sponsored new multimedia festival Norður og Niður, offering 10% off travel to and from Iceland.

Taking place between Christmas and New Year from 27-30 December at Reykjavik's renowned Harpa concert hall, the arts event is ideally timed to keep the fun and festivities of the holiday season going. Iconic Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós - best known for their hit "Hoppípolla" - will also be making a comeback at the festival, marking their first show in Iceland in more than five years.

Alongside Sigur Rós, the event's world-class line-up features big names from a multitude of genres such as Jarvis Cocker, Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Alexis Taylor from Hot Chip and Mammút to name a few, with many more acts still to be confirmed.