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SHAKE' IT LIKE A FOLIO DEPICTURE
As 2023 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio, and Birmingham's People's Folio goes on a tour of the city, now is the ideal time to get reacquainted with the big fella. The Royal Shakespeare Company in the Greater Birmingham suburb of Stratford-Upon-Avon (okay, okay, maybe not) is staging Cymbeline, the last play in the entire Folio, April 22 to May 27.
"Without the Folio, we would not have half of Shakespeare’s plays today," says Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director Emeritus, who'll be overseeing his 50th and last production in the role. "Including many of his most famous and loved works.
"I have often wondered why Cymbeline is the last play in the Folio. It is listed under the tragedies, but it could just as easily have been placed in the comedies or even the histories as it is set in Ancient Britain at the time of the Romans. Though its thrilling story threatens to end in tragedy, its astonishing denouement is full of joy. I think the compilers of the Folio put Cymbeline at the end of the book because it defies categories and won’t be pinned down — that is what makes it so exciting."
Peter de Jersey (Holby City, Line of Duty, Doctor Who) plays the eponymous role while Alexandra Gilbreath, widely known for her role as depressed author Lucy Moss in Not Going Out, plays The Queen. Book
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MOVIE PICK: GOD'S CREATURES
God’s Creatures opens with the viewer submerged underwater and struggling for breath, as the waves lap around and the darkness suffocates us. We know from the opening frame that it’s not going to be plain sailing.
The directorial debut of Saela Davis and Anna Rose Holmer focuses on a weather-beaten fishing village in Ireland, where oyster farming means risking your life as you take on the tide. At a resulting funeral, the return of a resident sparks joy, but an accusation of sexual assault follows soon after and, in turn, a series of events which reverberate violently throughout the village.
Normal People’s Paul Mescal stars as the prodigal son, with a mesmerising Emily Watson as the doting mother who instinctively provides an air-tight alibi, only to realise that her friend and colleague (an unforgettable Aisling Franciosi) made the claims. Mescal, sans-Connell chain, sheds the sensitive image that built his career, whilst we study Watson’s face for the tiniest twitch to see how she’s processing what her darling boy has been accused of. Little wonder that the trio were all nominated for British Independent Film Awards, with Best Lead for Watson and Best Support for Mescal and Franciosi. Performances aside, it's the long takes, ominous landscapes and stabbing orchestral strings that lends God’s Creatures a hue of horror that makes it stands apart from similar dramas.
If The Banshees of Inisherin was about men trying to find their place in the universe whilst wrestling with their sense of mortality (which we think it was), then this is about the women who are affected by those men who are all too sure of their place. An uncomfortable watch, absolutely, but vital viewing.
As an aside, what a brilliant thing to have on in Brum. The Mockingbird’s a cinephile’s dream anyway (and it looks lush since the refurb) but what a pleasure to go to a press preview screening without trekking "down there". Out tomorrow
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MAKEPEACE NOT WAR
One of my favourite things about Brumbox, the 100% unofficial fashion line for the city of Birmingham, is the detail. It's all well and good sticking the Bullring bull on a sweater and shifting a few to tourists, but Brumbox go the extra yard. Brumbox makes clothes for Brummies. This tee (there's a hoody too) doffs cap (they should do a cap!) to an easily missed Digbeth ghost sign that sits above a few shops. Only the real Brummies will know about it and that's what makes these items of clothing so spectacularly cool. The nicheness. "We’ve loved this tiled signage at the top of Digbeth High Street for as long as we can remember," say Brumbox. "It's something of a local landmark. The premises has stood tall since 1913 and was owned for many years by G. A. Makepeace, a retailer of second hand clothing. While that business is long gone, the name lives on. With this launch, we pay homage to Birmingham clothiers past and also acknowledge the power of the alternative meaning that can be taken from the sign. We live in turbulent times but this longstanding, seemingly untouchable sign feels like an instruction and an encouragement for those of us who believe in creating a more positive future." From £30
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IVO:
ON TIME?
Anyone who was present for Ivo Graham's last Birmingham stand-up visit, at the Glee in December 2019, witnessed a masterclass of comedy. Ivo arrived late, exhausted from sprinting to the venue after the trains screwed him. It was astonishing to see someone clearly flustered and breathless immediately start getting hard laughs out of the scenario. Not for Ivo slipping into his routine, no way. He managed to squeeze about ten minutes of lol-age out of his catastrophic start, before getting underway in earnest, proving the man has funny bones, down to the marrow. That time the audience were involved, of course they were, but for his latest tour, Organised Fun, which lands at the Old Rep on September 29, the crowd is absolutely pivotal being roped into chaotic against-the-clock quizzes, tangents and fluster. After dismantling a barge, doxxing himself in the Doubletree, and blanking on the 1992 Ipswich Town crest, Ivo is lining up a show with more risk than ever before (NB: previous shows have broadly been quite low risk). The reason, perhaps, why Ivo resonates so strongly with a Brummie audience is his mastery of self-deprecation. He comes highly recommended and at £17.50 still a total steal. Book
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THE CHAMP'S CHAMP
Following a horror ankle injury last year Birmingham-based mixologists have rallied round to keep drinks legend Amanjot Singh Johal's iconic JQ gin bar, 40 St Paul's, open while he recovers. After bar takeovers from The Gintleman and The Anchor's Julian Rose-Gibbs, former Crazy Pedros drinksmith John Warner will takeover this Thurs to Sat, reviving some classic cocktails from the venue's past, including the Champion Cobbler: Slingsby gin, bergamot, fino sherry, vetiver, grapefruit and bubbly, served up in a trophy. Next week (April 6 to 8) a mystery guest will takeover the speakeasy-style bar followed by former The Edgbaston and Grand Hotel barman Toby Heap (April 13 to 15), who has pledged to serve drinks inexplicably dressed in hot pants and high heels. Toby's drinks (and legs) are out of this world. A modern tiki bar will land April 20 to 22, then a representative from the ace Passing Fancies will draw the takeovers to a close, April 27 to 29. "Having barely survived the pandemic," says Aman "My ankle never healed properly and I’m about to have another operation, meaning 8 weeks in a wheelchair. As a small bar I would never have come back from it, so I reached out to the hospitality community who are giving up their time to keep me open and pay the bills. It’s especially touching given it's an industry that has been battered by so many of the challenges recently." Follow 40 St Pauls for more.
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VAN THE
MAN
Celebrated British Jamaican photographer and Brummie artist, Vanley Burke, launches his first outdoor sound installation, Reactivating sounds of Blackness, in Handsworth Park on Sunday (April 2). Working with artist Gary Stewart and community interest company, Museum X, Reactivating sounds of Blackness takes people on a journey through a fusion of layered sounds and conversations exploring Black culture and intangible heritage in Britain. The free outdoor experience also explores the changing culture within Black communities, particularly in Brum. Witnessed as a sonic trail through the park, it includes recordings of interviews by Burke, as well as everyday sounds of Blackness and intangible heritage designed to activate memories and emotions from the listener. Gary Stewart is known for his innovative site-specific works creating art that can be encountered in public spaces drawn from popular culture, everyday ephemera, archives, history, and mythology. Vanley said: “I’m known for my photographic work, but exploring and collecting sounds is something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m interested in the unique sounds we make; be that washing clothes, cooking, or going to church. So I started to document it.” A mixture of physical and recorded sound pieces will be installed at the bandstand, The Sunken Garden, and in the trees within Handsworth Park and will run until summer.
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TEQUILA FEST
"Tequila," sang 90s rock poets Terrorvision, "it makes me happy." Yep, where gin makes you blue, tequila makes you cheery. It's science. And thinking there might be something in that, Digbeth's beautiful new look Rainbow pub is putting on a festival dedicated to Mexico's favourite mountain dew. If you're a fan of tequila and agave products already then shuffle over for heavily discounted earlybird tickets and, if you're only experience of tequila is immediately regrettable shots of the bad stuff, then consider opening your mind to it as a spicy sipping drink and hero cocktail ingredient. Book now to save £11.30
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