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GREAT GATSBYING
Jay Gatsby would be older than the oldest verified person ever if he were alive today. So maybe don't revel exactly like him, but have a good old whirl at recreating F. Scott Fitzgerald's Long Island gatherings with the touring party inspired by his book, coming to Brum via Singapore and Zurich. On May 27, tickets are from £26.50. Jeanne Calment made it to 122 years and 64 days by the way. More
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LIFE & DEATH (& DINE)
A new arts festival tackling the entirely uncomplicated subjects of death and dying is in townage from May 8 to 14. Including end-of-life related events, exhibitions and workshops, willow weave a coffin on May 12 if that's your thing. Or maybe join the inimitable Annabel of Conjurer's Kitchen for Death and Dine — a jolly skip through how death relates to food via edible tasters and a cocktail (May 14, £14). Ever cheery, her cakey death statue is pictured. Full programme
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FILM PICK: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2
This is the 15th film in the Marvel cinematic universe and with every passing movie extra layers of plot complexity have been added. Gog 2 (as no one’s calling it) is the exception. There’s no need to know who has which Infinity Stone — or even what an Infinity Stone is — to enjoy this tremendous, but not quite as good as the first, neon-drenched blast of outer space action comedy. The main issues here are those of family. Human space pirate Star-Lord, real name Peter (Chris Pratt), finally meets his dad — who it turns out isn’t human at all, but a god-like ‘Celestial’ fittingly played by Kurt Russell. Fellow Guardian Gamora (Zoe Saldana) is forced to spend time with her sister Nebula (Karen Gillan) who’s trying to kill her. But MVP (again) goes to Dave Bautista whose overly literal Drax comes out with such snort-worthy lines as, “I have famously huge turds.” What? We said “snort-worthy”, not sophisticated. Times
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WIN FEEL GOOD FOOD
The Balcony's new seasonal menu launched last night. And rather than detailing the skinny, it's you doing the hard work on this one. Not all of you, that would be insane. But for one subscriber to our entirely beautiful sister title, Bell & Smokey, there's a three-course meal pour deux, plus a Goji Blush cocktail — think organic berry liqueur, Virtuous vodka, raspberries and Selfridges' fizz. Choose from new, nourish-filled plates like the superfood Detox Jar (£9.50), which we're confident could heal 90% of ailments ever, or get some comfort inside you, with the team's Lake District beef and Applewood cheese burger (£14). And if you're not familiar with the The Balcony's precise location, turn right at Selfridges' really good shoes.
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BREXIT STAGE LEFT
In the days following Brexit, we were at Glastonbury — which was a great decision. Though what some would call a more constructive bunch were on the streets speaking to people aged 9 to 97, to hear their views on our country post-vote. In a series of deeply personal interviews, the team from the National Theatre heard reactions to the ballot that were emotional, funny, honest and extreme. My Country: A Work In Progress brings the words of ordinary people to the stage, with real testimonials spliced between speeches from party leaders, packaged in a chuckle-inducing way. This new play by Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, and director, Rufus Norris, is at The Rep's Studio from May 16 to 20. Tickets are between £10 and £15. Trailer
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Venue: The Distillery, 4 Sheepcote Street, B16 8AE; website
Choice: Lamb Shawarma (£12.50) Chooser: Waitress
Ever tried to stare out a heron? You won't win, but you can now eat happy, oaky plates while you attempt to, from The Distillery's huuuuge, bricky, canalside locale. And be sure to opt for the slow roasted lamb's leg shawarma while you do. Served with house flat bread, garlic yoghurt and a tangy tomato harissa sauce, the lamb is at once charry, pink and mouth meltingly finished, as well as being deceptively filling. If you can work out what the brush which accompanies the dish is for, let us know — we went full on handsy and dippy with the extras, which is totally allowed when it comes to Levantine cuisine. On gin, which is kind of a big deal at what is The Button Factory's sister spot, there's a decent opening list to pick from, but there's also a lot more to come — in the form of a gin school and copper stills from which small batch Roundhouse gin will be produced. And if we're ever persuaded to cheat on Otto, we'll be back to try the sourdough pizzas. Dinner menu
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