Entertainment News

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel –Deborah Moggach’s stage adaptation of her Sunday Times best-selling novel, which inspired one of this century’s most treasured films – will play at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry from 13 – 17 June, with a press night on 13 June.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel takes us on a journey to India with an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life. The luxury residence is far from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in unexpected and life-changing ways.

Africa’s most thrilling and exciting music and entertainment event, FESTAC Africa, will take place at the Arusha International Conference Centre, Tanzania in the next few days. In less than two weeks, FESTAC Africa will be staged in Arusha, Tanzania’s northern tourist city with an array of arts, fashion, music, storytelling, poetry, film, short stories, travel, tourism, hospitality, food and dance through live performances from various countries in Africa and across the world.

The curtains closed on April 30th with another successful staging of Dominica’s Jazz ‘n Creole. With a tropical ambiance following the ‘rainforest fantasy’ theme, the event attracted approximately 1,800 patrons based on preliminary reports. An attractive line-up catered well to a mixed audience of music lovers through the sounds of Black Violin, Island Jazz Collective, Swingin Stars, Phyllisia Ross, Octeto Kanaima and Signal Band.

With excitement building for Wolverhampton Pride’s return to the City on Saturday 10 June, City of Wolverhampton Council is proud to announce that National Express West Midlands has come on board as an official sponsor.

Ian Fegan, Director of Communications and Visitor Experience at City of Wolverhampton Council said: “We are delighted that National Express West Midlands is on board for Wolverhampton Pride 2023.

They were among hundreds of singers from different backgrounds performing for King Charles III alongside famous names like Katy Perry, Freya Ridings and Take That. The Coronation Choir's aim was to represent the diversity of communities across the UK.

Stephanie Horacio, 18, is one of the young people who make up Reggae Roots. She was ready and raring to go. "I've never been someone to shy away from the spotlight, so I was definitely ready for it," she said. Stephanie's honest about the new era of the monarchy, and says she wants to see a change.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre has announced further casting for the spectacular family pantomime, Snow White, with Eternal, Loose Women and Hollyoaks’ Kelle Bryan, CBeebies’ Gyasi Sheppy and X Factor and Blood Brothers’ Niki Colwell Evans. They join the previously announced Evie Pickerill as Snow White, Tam Ryan Muddles and Ian Adams as Nanny Nolly from 2 December 2023 – 7 January 2024.  

Kelle Bryan plays the Good Fairy, Elementa. Kelle is known for being a member of band Eternal – Britain’s most successful R&B group ever.

Birmingham will be celebrating the UK hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine, with a giant FREE party in Centenary Square next month. With a month to go until the Grand Final is broadcast live into fan zones across the country, an exciting programme of free live performances and activities has been announced today (13 April 2023).

The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final will be live streamed from BBC One on a big screen from 8pm, with special effects and surprises along the way including a chance to vote for your favourite act and see how Brum voted alongside the rest of Europe.

Following the success of the inaugural Sky Comedy Rep scheme in 2021/22, the rising stars of the comedy world continue to be show-cased at The Rep with never-before-seen work in Parklife, the second Festival of New Comedy Writing from Sky Comedy Rep from Monday 22 – Saturday 27 May 2023.

This year’s Festival provides fans with a chance to see the premier of a series of eight hilarious one-act plays from the funniest writers across the country. From miscommunication, mayhem, midnight trysts to sworn enemies, un-arranged marriages, an eco-protest, vampires, Karl Marx, fishing AND a whole lot of funny!

EMMY and GRAMMY award-winning multi hyphenate, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, announced that he will embark on a global tour in celebration of the 20th Anniversary of his game-changing debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin’. Produced by Live Nation and presented by Sire Spirits, The Final Lap Tour will make stops across North America and Europe including Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, and London. Additional markets to be announced soon.

Propel Dance, a brand-new professional all wheelchair-user dance company based in Birmingham concluded their short tour of ‘The Snow Queen’ last night, bringing the run of the company’s first ever live performances to a hugely successful close. The company secured investment from Arts Council England National Lottery Project Grants in October 2022 to pilot the tour to three venues in April. Led by an all-female leadership team, the company was instigated and founded by Helen Mason, a Birmingham-based Dance Artist with a track record of making dance for and with disabled people for over twenty years.  

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Theatre Partners announce the Judging panel for the nationwide playwriting competition 37 Plays: an ambitious and ground-breaking new initiative open to anybody from anywhere in the UK. More than 2,000+ plays were submitted and have been read by a panel of 24 readers recruited from across the UK.

Acting Artistic Director of the RSC, Erica Whyman, will chair a panel of 10 judges. The full panel includes theatre-maker and Associate Director of The Unicorn Theatre Rachel Bagshaw, actor and RSC Associate Artist Ray Fearon, Theatre Critic and Associate Editor of The Stage Lyn Gardner, Best-selling author Sharna Jackson, 2018 Ian Charleson Award-winner Bally Gill, award-winning playwrights Mark Ravenhill and Juliet Gilkes Romero and actor/writer and Associate Artist David Threlfall.

Multiplatinum global superstar Jason Derulo is back with his long awaited new single, “Glad U Came,” available now via Atlantic Records at all DSPs and streaming services HERE. Produced by Pink Slip (One OK Rock, Royal & The Serpent), Jakke Erixson (Ava Max, Lauren Spencer Smith), Sam Martin (David Guetta, Maroon 5), Spencer Bastian (Rita Ora, Chromeo), and Tor Eimon (Faouzia, Chloe Tang), the smoothly dynamic track is accompanied by an official lyric video premiering today at YouTube.

Dominica’s 12th Jazz ‘n Creole is now here with everything in place for an enjoyable event. Situated atop the lush Cabrits National Park, the historic Fort Shirley provides incredible views of Prince Rupert Bay and surrounding Portsmouth, making it an ideal venue for a festival of this nature.

Today’s lineup will deliver jazz-and-creole-infused performances with international flair from Black Violin, Swingin Stars, Island Jazz Collective, Phyllisia Ross, Signal Band, and recently added Venezuelan orchestra, Octeto Kanaima.

Indie-rockers, The Bluetones, have announced a run of UK live shows for October. Heading to Exeter, Southampton and Margate this Autumn, the shows will see the band celebrate 25 years since the release of their second album ‘Return To The Last Chance Saloon’.

Certified Gold in 1998, the record spawned four hit singles including “Solomon Bites The Worm”, “If” and “Sleazy Bed Track”. The live shows will see The Bluetones performing ‘Return To The Last Chance Saloon’ in full, plus a set of greatest hits.

“Country-trap iconoclast” (Grammy.com) Willie Jones will release Something To Dance To – his major label debut album – June 16 via Sony Music Nashville in partnership with The Penthouse.

“Something To Dance To personifies me and what I’m really about, which is bringing electricity, positive vibes and celebrating,” said Jones. “Ever since I was a kid, I liked to get the energy up and change the vibration of a room. If we’re gonna show up, let’s show out and have some fun!”

South Asian music fans are flocking to Coachella this year as it offers blockbuster attractions from the community.

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, among the most profitable music events in the world, takes place over two consecutive weekends every April in Indio, California. This year, Indian singer and actor Diljit Singh Dosanjh and Pakistani singer and composer Ali Sethi are among South Asian acts debuting at the festival as they perform alongside international acts like BLACKPINK, Kid Laroi, Charli XCX, Labrinth, Jai Wolf, Joy Crookes, Jai Paul, Frank Ocean and Underworld.