Shropshire Star

The magic of the stage this February

RICHARD HERRING

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The Russian State Ballet is coming to the Midlands

TOWN HALL, BILSTON – Feb 1

Stand-up Richard Herring will make a welcome return to the Black Country tonight when he headlines Bilston Town Hall. As one half of the prolific comedy duo Lee & Herring, Richard enjoyed phenomenal cult success as a writer and performer with shows such as Fist of Fun (BBC2) and This Morning with Richard Not Judy (BBC2). Soon after, he completed a 94-date nationwide tour of his critically-acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show, Christ On A Bike: The Second Coming. In 2010 he also published his book, ‘How Not To Grow Up’, and released ‘Hitler Moustache’ – his acclaimed stand up show – on DVD. Herring was named in Ents24’s top 20 hardest-working comedians 2017 and 2015. Herring will be appearing as part of the Wolverhampton Literature Festival. Herring is also known as The Podfather, after pioneering his successful podcast. And he’s been blogging since 2002, which means he has to write every day. “In stand-up there are things that I take months to build up the courage to talk about, but with the blog you have to make that decision right away. It’s made me think I should be more honest in the blog. The only worry is those slightly mental people who become a bit obsessed. The blog gives them the idea that they’re your friend, that they’re in your life. But the blog was really helpful. If I hadn’t done it, my life and career would have turned out a lot differently.”

BLUE ORANGE

THE REP, BIRMINGHAM – Feb 1-16

A new production of Joe Penhall’s critically-acclaimed play, Blue Orange opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre tonight. Directed by Daniel Bailey, the cast will feature Richard Lintern, Thomas Coombes and Ivan Oyik. Blue Orange is a vital and darkly funny dissection of institutional racism and mental health in modern Britain. It tells the story of Christopher, who is sectioned and admitted to a psychiatric hospital. As his doctor and senior consultant debate the cause of his psychosis, he makes the startling revelation that he’s the son of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin. The two specialists are divided in their diagnosis and fiercely defend their opposing positions. Their power struggle escalates into an exchange over racism, ideology, prejudice and egotism. With each new revelation, all three find their layers are peeled back to reveal increasingly uncomfortable truths within themselves. Joe Penhall’s play premiered at the National Theatre in 2000, transferred to the West End and won the Olivier Award, a Critic’s Circle Award and the Evening Standard Award for Best play. In this new production Daniel Bailey, associate director at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, draws out the contemporary relevance of the play’s themes. He said: “Joe Penhall’s exquisitely sharp ‘state of the nation’ classic is a searing dissection of institutional racism and mental health in modern Britain. It’s a fantastic, funny, fierce play and I can’t wait to share it with audiences in Birmingham.”

PAUL FOOT

THEATRE SEVERN, SHREWSBURY – Feb 2

Funnyman Paul Foot will return to the West Midlands when he plays a sell-out show at Shrewsbury’s 250-seat Walker Theatre, at Theatre Severn. He’s looking forward to the gig. Foot said: “Greetings. I am one of the world’s comedians and I’m here to tell ye about my show. Have you ever considered the unique predicament of the soft-shell crab? Well I have. That animal is absolutely ridiculous. What about the many, MANY problems that occur when organising a suburban orgy? The catering, for example. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg, which incidentally is a terrible type of lettuce.” Foot is a BBC New Comedy Award and Daily Telegraph Open Mic winner, has been nominated twice for a Barry at The Melbourne International Comedy Festival and was voted Best of The Fest and Best International Act at the 2013 Sydney and Perth Comedy Festivals respectively.

THE RUSSIAN STATE BALLET

GRAND THEATRE, WOLVERHAMPTON

– Feb 10, 11, 12

The Russian State Ballet is among the world’s most popular ballet companies. And it will perform three family favourites when it visits Wolverhampton to headline the Grand Theatre later this month.

First up is Cinderella, which will feature on February 10.

Grand spokesman Scott Bird said: “Cinderella is the world’s favourite rags to riches fairy tale. It is a production where dreams can come true with the magical mix of Prokofiev’s energetic score, lively choreography and colourful costumes.

“Whilst her mad/bad stepmother and her ill-mannered daughters prepare for the Royal Ball, graceful Cinderella can only dream of dancing with the dashing Prince. Later that evening, her rags become a glittering gown and she is swept magically to the ball. From that very moment the Prince is smitten, midnight strikes and one lost crystal slipper later, he must now embark on a journey to find his lost love.”

The Russian State Ballet will perform The Nutcracker on February 11. This most famous of fantasy ballets begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. As snowflakes fall outside, the warm glow of the open fire sends flickering shadows across the boughs of the Christmas tree and all the presents beneath. When midnight strikes we are swept away to a fairy tale world where nothing is quite as it seems, toy dolls spring to life literally off the set, the Mouseking and his mouse-army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins. The three-night run will conclude on February 12 when the company performs Swan Lake. The greatest romantic ballet of all time will be brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score. From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moon-lit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, the compelling tale of tragic romance has it all. From Odile, the temptress in black tutu as she seduces the Prince by spinning with captivating precision to the spellbound purity of the swan queen, Odette as she flutters with emotional intensity, the dual role of Odette/Odile is one of ballet’s most unmissable technical challenges.

ADAM KAY

THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE,

BIRMINGHAM – 6 FEB

Award-winning comedian Adam Kay will share entries from his diaries as a junior doctor in an ‘electrifying’ (Guardian) evening of stand-up and music. The show was an absolute sell-out at Edinburgh Fringe in 2016, 2017 and 2018, at the Soho Theatre in 2017 and during a UK tour last year. And his accompanying book, This is Going to Hurt, became a Sunday Times bestseller and is being turned into an 8-part BBC series. Copies will be available to purchase and for signature after the performance.

Kay’s show earned a five-star review from the Mail on Sunday, which said it ‘intersperses horror stories from the NHS frontline with a catalogue of sublimely silly spoof songs, and some blissfully brilliant wordplay’.

Kay said he wanted to get his message across by writing the book: “It was the idea of getting a message across. You’re obliged to make a record as a junior doctor; you keep a log of how many operations you’ve done that day and any reflective learning, and I also included anything interesting that happened that day that might have been funny, sad or mundane. When I left medicine, my diaries sat in the bottom of a drawer, but when junior doctors came under fire, I thought I’ve got something to say now.

“The Government was promoting the message that the junior doctors were being greedy, which was a dagger to my heart, because they really weren’t – they were worried about working conditions and patient safety. Everything is confusing about the junior doctor story, even the term ‘junior doctor’, as it means that people can actually be highly qualified and not junior at all.”