Birmingham
-
Dating Ideas for Culture Vultures
Dating used to be so simple. You would meet someone, in a pub, or a club, maybe even at High School and you would go on a series of dates and decide whether you liked the person enough to make it a more permanent attachment. Maybe you would meet that special person at work, or on a train traveling to work and a relationship would develop. These days, things are very different and one of the main ways to meet someone is through online dating sites. This is for a range of reasons, with the rise in divorce meaning there are more over 50s dating, the sort of people who…
-
The Crucible at the New Alex Theatre – Powerful and Brilliant
The 1950s were strange times in America. The Second World War was over, but a Cold War emerged, and with it an aura of paranoia and hysteria that saw the country turning on itself, trying to weed out anyone who was a Communist, and therefore, un-American. Senator Joe McCarthy started his witch-hunts, which saw innocent people jailed, destroyed, their lives ruined by (often) false accusations, with people encouraged to name names. It was against this backdrop that America’s celebrated playwright Arthur Miller wrote his masterpiece ‘The Crucible’. a savage indictment of the modern day witch hunts played out through the Salem Witch hunts of the 17th Century. Last night, the…
-
Dirty Dancing At The New Alex Theatre
Top five chick flicks of all time? If you ask anyone who was a teenager in 1987 they will surely have Dirty Dancing as their number one choice. The coming of age story of Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, an idealistic young woman who finds her beliefs and hopes tested when she takes a Summer holiday at Kellermans family resort. However she also meets the enigmatic, sexy Johnny Castle when she has to cover for his pregnant dancing partner Penny. They fall in love, but Johnny is certainly from the wrong side of the tracks and is not going to be the choice of her doctor father. Dirty Dancing is one of…
-
Imelda May at Birmingham Symphony Hall
She has the most incredible voice, which is capable of singing anything, from blues tinged numbers, Nashville inspired melodies to belting grunge style rock numbers, and last night Imelda May wowed Birmingham once again with a combination of her brilliant song book and a self deprecating sense of humour that explained the stories behind the songs in brilliant style. Starting her set in torch singer style with the bluesy ‘Call Me’ and then continuing with ‘When it’s my time’, Imelda showed that her style has moved on from the rockabilly essence of her earlier albums. Now it seems like she has been listening to a lot of Janis Joplin and…
-
Reviewed – Tommy at the Birmingham Rep
The musical Tommy arrived at the Birmingham Rep last night, in a new production by the inclusive theatre project Ramps on the Moon. This version of the iconic rock opera from The Who featured the epoymous lead, the ‘deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball’ being played by an actor who also happens to be deaf, the excellent William Grint, and the use of Grint, and other actors who have disabilities, added a new power and poignancy to what is a classic piece of musical theatre. A new opening scene, featuring news footage, showing how people with disabilities are facing additional cuts to benefits and support…
