Birmingham
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Dion Kitson Rue Britannia At The Ikon Gallery
Dion Kitson recently reached the news headlines, after it was revealed that he, not Banksy, was the artist responsible for the ‘Dorothy’ art work that suddenly appeared on a wall in Birmingham’s Gay Quarter. The work had been commissioned to be part of Joe Lycett’s ‘Late Night Lycett’ programme’s ‘fake news segment’, and had clearly had the desired effect, and had got people asking ‘Who is Dion Kitson?’. The answer is that he is a local Midlands artist, hailing from Dudley, and that you can currently see some of his most iconic pieces in a new exhibition ‘Rue Britannia’ which is currently on display at Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery. Kitson’s work…
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Emma Rice’s Bluebeard – Bold, Brave And Brilliant
A new show opened at The Rep Birmingham last night that was stylish, shocking and utterly spellbinding. Emma Rice’s retelling of Bluebeard was described by The Guardian as a ‘fairy tale’ but for me it is more like a horror story told in the style of a Wiemar Republic cabaret, complete with seductive songs and performances. This is a show that has it all, a murderous central story, a charismatic villain, beautiful heroines in red shoes, magic tricks and a kick ass nuns. But it also has a modern day story to run alongside the Bluebeard legend, a tale of a talented singer who never made it home after a…
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Victorian Radicals At Birmingham Museum And Art Gallery
A truly fabulous exhibition is currently taking place in the Gas Hall of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Victorian Radicals is possibly the finest exhibition of the works of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, as well as works by local contemporary artists. Birmingham has always had an enviable collection of Pre-Raphaelite art, with pieces by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Ford Maddox Brown, as well as many pieces related to the exquisite designs of the William Morris studio. Now the collection has been carefully curated to create this stunning exhibition, one that should not be missed. The exhibition is wonderful in that it showcases objects across…
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Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty
The Birmingham Royal Ballet returned to its home city this week with a spellbinding performance of Sleeping Beauty. Transforming the Birmingham Hippodrome stage into a Georgian setting fit for royalty, the dancers of the BRB created a magical and enthralling fairy tale that had just the right amount of menace and spice. We all know the story of the Princess Aurora, gifted every one of life’s advantages by a stream of beautiful fairies. This was represented in a series of solo dances representing modesty, honour, joy, and, of course, beauty. The mood is bright and beautiful, full of sparkle and light. Unfortunately, no one invited the dark Fairy, Carabosse, and…
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The Old Rep Has A Hit On Its Hands With Peter Pan
Visitors to Birmingham’s wonderful Old Rep Theatre are in for a treat this Christmas, with a sparkling, classic retelling of the JM Barrie eternal favourite tale of childhood ‘Peter Pan’. This show features a lovely mix of theatre professionals, and young stars of BOA Stage and Screen, and it certainly enthralled a packed audience, who happily joined in with the songs, and cheered on the protagonists, especially during the famous ‘I believe in fairies’ moment. Peter Pan is a classic tale of lost children, and those who never want to grow up, and it gets off to a stunning start in the nursery of the Darling Children, with a brilliant…
