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An evening with Mary Berry at Birmingham Town Hall
Mary Berry is the grand dame of British cookery. The star of the Great British Bake Off, and a face in British television cookery since the 1970s, she is a real icon, has loved for her fashion sense as she is for her slightly naughty personality (soggy bottoms anyone!). Last Thursday a packed Birmingham Town Hall sat enthralled as Mary talked all things cooking and family in her own inimitable way. Here are some of the highlights of a fascinating evening with the woman rightly described as ‘one of the most important voices in food in this century and the last century.’ On the National Television Awards I didn’t think…
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What the Ladybird heard at Birmingham Town Hall
Every year at Christmas, Birmingham Town Hall stages a family show that is based on a children’s classic story. In the past this has seen great adaptations of ‘The Tiger Who Came To Tea’ and ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.’ This year they have turned their attention to Julia Donaldson with a dramatisation of ‘What the Ladybird Heard’. And whilst it is bright and colourful, and generally good fun, I don’t think it has the same appeal as recent productions. The main reason for this is the star of the show, the ladybird. My eight year old Joe said, I think the ladybird should’ve been much bigger, maybe someone…
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‘We’re going on a bear hunt’ is a joy at Birmingham Town Hall
If you are looking for some fun, family entertainment for the remainder of the Christmas break, or to take you into January with a bang, then look no further than the festive family fare that is currently delighting younger audiences at Birmingham Town Hall. To put it quite simply ‘we’re going on a bear hunt, we’re going to catch a big one, what a beautiful day, we’re not scared…’Although actually, maybe we are, just a little. We’re going on a bear hunt is a children’s classic that celebrated 25 years since publishing in 2014. Written by Michael Rosen and with famous watercolour illustrations by Helen Oxenbury, the story of a…
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Fun and Laughter from The Three Little pigs in Birmingham
It started with an X Factor style intro, and ended with a good old singalong between the sworn enemies the pigs and the wolf, and it was total fun and laughter in between. I’m talking about the fun new reworking of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ that has been playing at Birmingham Town Hall this week, with a star turn by Birmingham’s own Simon Webbe. We all know the story, but it is fun seeing it bought to life by the an engaging and talented cast. The piggies show their charactors early on, Daniel Buckley is clever and kind, Leanne Jones is concerned with the environment, whilst Taofique Folarin is strong…
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Simon Webbe Breathes Life into The Big Bad Wolf in ‘The Three Little Pigs’
If you are looking for a highly original, family friendly show to watch this Summer, then you need to check out Stiles and Drewe’s ‘The Three Little Pigs’. Starring Birmingham’s own Simon Webbe as the Big Bad Wolf, the ‘Three Little Pigs’ promises to be a new spin on the story, with jokes and songs, and a chance to find out a little more about the snouty faced creatures who somehow manage to outfox the wolf. As well as Simon, who I had the pleasure to grab a few words with earlier this year when he was in town for the Strictly Come Dancing Live shows, the cast is full…
