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NEVERLAND: FOUND
While acting the man-child is not generally thought to be a good thing, The Rep's created a re-imagining of the boy who wouldn’t grow up, and it's a very good thing. Sacking off the traditional 1906 Kensington Gardens setting, in favour of *checks notes* modern-day Birmingham, Peter Pan seems right up our rue. The entire set of Neverland will be built out of recyclable materials, re-used toys and car parts, harking back to simpler times when we all made forts and castles out of cardboard boxes and coke bottles. Throw in Skull Island, a killer croc and some high-flying wirework and, okay, we’re all in. The man behind it is the almost rudely talented director, Liam Steel, whose more unusual credentials include teaching Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and, probably most impressively, Russell Crowe, to move their feet to the beat in Les Misérables. Until January 19. Tickets (from £10)
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CHRISTMAS COMEDY PICK
The Andy Askins story will warm your festive cockles: the affable Teessider had been a consistently strong club act for years, with the musical comedian’s winning vulnerability proving a big hit. And then, from nowhere, John Bishop hand-selected Andy to appear on his BBC One show, as well as and The John Bishop Christmas Show, both in 2015. Cut to Andy sharing a bill with the likes of Kylie Minogue, Jess Glynne, John Newman and performing to an audience of millions on Saturday night prime time. Askins delivered on both occasions — the breaks would prove career-defining and his diary will be full for the rest of his brilliant career. And you've got multiple chances to catch him as part of some equally prime time pre-Christmas bills at Glee. In town as part of a quadruple bill across five days (18 to 22 December), tickets are £19.50, or add scran from £31.50.
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RAGS AND REVOLUTIONS
Shiny shell suits, Global Hypercolor tees and Grolsch bottle tops on your shoelaces: that’s how we dressed up to go out. Pick anything else from today, back to 1850 and we’d wager it'd be more acceptable. And from Saturday, BMAG'll be backing that up with their new expo. Dressed to the Nines includes everything from a 1958 Dior cocktail dress, to an ex-PM’s court garb, to the boot of Birmingham's Carnival Queen. For something a little less glittery, there are prints, paintings and pics from 19th century poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Godfather of Black British Photography Vanley Burke and pre-Raphaelite bro John Everett Millais. Or, the lads, as we like to call them. Also doing an open, Birmingham Revolutions: Power to the People, which looks at protests and what we can learn from them. Something in the water? From December 7, entry is free.
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