The Birmingham Post from Birmingham, West Midlands, England • 16

The Birmingham Post EDITED BY TERRY GRIMLEY ARTS ENTERTAINMENT 1 6 WEDNESDAY October 29 1997 ON Cultural palace for the people THEATRE Alexandra Theatre Birmingham 0121 643 1231: Summer Holiday Darren Day stars in a stage version of the 1962 Cliff Richard film musical Until Dec 13 (730pm mats WedsSat 230pm) Birmingham Repertory Theatre 0121 236 4455: Julius Caesar Until Nov 22 (730pm mats Thur 230pm) Studio Soulfires A triiogy of plays exploring race and gender Playland by Athol Fugard Dutchman by Amiri Baraka and Rape by Robbie McCauley open on con-secitive nights from Thursday to Saturday then run in rep until November 19 Grand Theatre Wolverhampton 01902 29212: Elood Brothers Another chance to see Willy Russell's Scouse musical tragedy (until Nov 8) Arena Theatre Wulfruna St Wolverhampton 01902 322380: Dead on the Ground (today 730pm) Rejects Revenge Dusty Fruit (Thurs 730pm) Warwick Arts Centre Coventry 01203 524524: Fiction Factory House of America Ed play also now a feature film about a brother and sister who escape their deadend Welsh town to recreate Jack On the Road (Thurs-Sat 730pm) DANCE Today: MAC Cannon Hill Park 0121 440 3838: Oblique Asian dance plus music by jazz saxophonist lain Ballamy jointly comissioned by SAMPAD and Birmingham jazz 8pm COMEDY Touay: Warwick Arts Centre 01203 524524: Julian Clary 8pm Thursday: Giee Club Arcadian Centre Hurst St 0121 622 7486: Tony BurgessPhil DaveyMark HurstAdam Bloom 8pm GAG Club Heroes Thorp St 0121 246 7737: John Fothergill 9pm Friday: Glee Club Arcadian Centre Hurst St 0121 622 7486: Sean MeoTony BurgessAdam BloomMark Hurst 8pm Snappy words: Unveiling a model of the ambitious arts centre are Sylvia King chief executive of Jubilee Arts with Midlands Arts and Nigel Summers chief executive of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Bob Southgate chairman of West Unlike Bilbao's new Guggenheim Museum an example of cultural regeneration which is being programmed from America cPLEX has been conceived for and in collaboration with local people At yesterday's announcement Bob Southgate chair of West Midlands Arts said he thought it was just the soil of project the lottery should be used to fund will provide training jobs and the participation in active creativity which must be the key to our success in the next he said demonstrates absolutely unequivocally that the arts can and should be at the heart of community and economic life It is about the future not about the Describing it as an exciting and innovative community arts project Prue Skene added: considering this bid we felt that cPLEX had the potential to be a flagship project in the area of arts and new technology forging an interesting link between the arts and science emergence of new technology and multi-media has made a significant Terry Grimley looks at plans for a revolutionary new arts complex in West Bromwich Ambitious plans to build a £47 million high-tech arts and media centre in West Bromwich took a major step forward yesterday with the announcement of a grant from the Arts Lottery But when the revolutionary development cPLLX opens its doors in four years' time it may bear little resemblance to the model proudly displayed at yesterday's press conference The announcement made in person by Prue Skene chair of the Arts Lottery Board was of a 118 million to take development of the pro ject to the next design stage But this was the crucial green light which means that barring unforeseen developments the scheme will now go ahead Sylvia King director of Jubilee Arts and the leading figure in building an impressive public and private sector consensus behind the project summed it up: was the difficult decision for the Arts Council The next decision be as difficult even though it will involve a lot more It is estimated that the Arts contribution to the scheme could be in the order of £28 million making cPLLX the single largest beneficiary in the region After announcement Prue Skene said: are not committing ourselves to any long-term figure We would not be putting money in if we didn't have faith in the project but it's such a new idea and it still needs a lot of further work with the partners" The project which builds upon Jubilee Arts' experience of linking community arts to state-of-the-art technology wall bring together various components including workshop and training facilities a four-screen cinema high-tech art gallery and a hotel on a seven acre brown field site in the centre of the town It is estimated that it will create nearly 3000 jobs attract 500000 visitors a year and up to £138 million into the local economy over the next ten years With a new public square and a footbridge linking to Dartmouth Park the complex will have a strong regenerative impact on the town centre It is being promoted by the Sandwell Regeneration Partnership with more than £6 million private sector support already promised by BT Sony and the West Bromwich Building Society Brothers 1 AMATEUR THEATRE By JOHN SUM There is not much brotherly love in evidence at Sutton Arts Theatre this week Making his first appearance there Tony verbal fisticuffs with brother Ken are the linchpin of Hilary Dorman's production of The Caine Mutiny Court Martial Hennan stage version of the film which starred Humphrey Bogart as the marble-clicking Cdr Queeg in its tense court martial scene At Sutton Coldfield Cdr Queeg is played by Ken Mackey and it falls to Tony to break dow his defences in his role as the lieutenant whose job is to conduct the prosecution of the officer who relieved Queeg of his responsibilities as ship's captain when he was going to pieces in the heat of battle The sparks fly convincingly and Tony is thoroughly enjoying the opportunity he was given after asking whether he could have a piece of the action He told me: have always loved the Bogart film As soon as I heard that Sutton Arts Theatre was doing the play I knew 1 had to have a go at taking part I didn't really mind which part I got and I was delighted to get any part at all' The fact that the part he was given involves metaphorically turning his brother to pieces makes no difference architects Rivington Street Studio With input from other designers and potential users the finished product could look significantly different from the existing model and Sylvia King said she hoped it would he more adventurous It will also now be possible to start negotiating with potential independent operators of the managed work spaces the cinema and hotel impact on all areas of arts practice but as yet the general public has not been given easy access to the technology From the plans for cPLEX it is evident that this situation will be remedied by providing excellent facilities together with an ambitious educational The next stage will be to further develop designs for the complex in collaboration with London-based CINEMAS ABC Quinton 0121 422 25622252: Hercules (U) The Peacemaker (15) Free Willy 3 (U) The Full Monty (15) A Life Less Ordinary (15) ABC Redditch 01527 62572: Hercules (U) My Best Friend's Wedding (12) Men in Black (PG) Peacemaker (15) Electric Cinema 0121 643 7277: Tierra (18) until Thurs 420pm 845pm: Swingers (15) until Thur only 445pm830pm plus Twin Town (18) 640pm Kings West Bromwich 0121 553 0192: Shooting Fish (12) Peacemaker (15) Hercules (U) Lighthouse Wolverhampton 01902 716055: Hercules (U) A Life Less Ordinary (15) The Full Monty (15) Bean (PG) today only MAC Cannon Hill Park 0121 440 3838: The Full Monty (15) today 830pm Thu 6pm The Swan Princess (U) until Thu 2pm Con Air (15) today 6pm Thu 830pm Gdeon Birmingham 0121 643 2040: A Life Less Ordinary (15) Hercules (U) Trainspotting (18) The Peacemaker (15) The Full Monty (15) Shooting Fish (12) A Confidential (18) A Simple Wish (U) The Game (15) Free Willy 3 (U) My Best Wedding (12) Event Horizon (18) Volcano (12) Nil by Mouth (18) Face (18) Picture House Stratford-upon-Avon 01789 415500: Hercules (U) The Peacemaker (15) Bean (PG) Men in Black (PG) Virgin Cinema Arcadian Centre 0121 622 3323: The Peacemaker (15) Shooting Fish (15) The Game (15) Hercules (U) The Full Monty (15) My Best Friend's Wedding (12) Volcano (12) Dancehall Oueen (15) Men in Black (PG) Free Willy 3 (U) Spawn (12) Face (18) Bean (PG) Booty Call (18) One Day Only: Palookaville (15) Special Preview: A Confidential (18) Thur only Showcase Walsall 01922 22120: The Peacemaker (15) A Life Less Ordinary (15) Free Willy 3 (U) Men In Black (PG) Shooting Fish (12) The Game (15) Contact (PG) A Simple Wish (U) Showcase Birmingham 0121 382 9779: The Peacemaker (15) A Life Less Ordinary (15) A Simple Wish (U) Men In Black (PG) Shooting Fish (12) Hercules (U) My Best Wedding (12) UCI Tamworth 01327 66702: The Peacemaker (15) A Lite Less Ordinary (15) The Full Monty (15) Hercules (U) Shooting Fish (12) My Best Wedding (12) ASimple Wish (U) Free Willy 3 (U) Air Force One (15) The Game (15) Bean (PG) Volcano (12) Contact (PG) Austin Powers (15) Lost World (PG) UCI Merry Hiii 01384 3282: The Peacemaker (15) Shooting Fish (12) Hercules (U) The Game (15) Free Willy 3 (U) Bean (PG) Austin Powers (15) The Lost World (PG) A Life Less Ordinary (15) The Full Monty (15) My Best Wedding (12) Volcano (12) A Simple Wish (U) Contact (PG) Air Force One (15)' Odeon Worcester 01905 21656: The Peacemaker (15) A Life Less Ordinary (15) Hercules iU) Shooting Fish (12) Free Willy 3 (U) The Game (15) Volcano (12) My Best Friend's Wedding (12) Bean (PG) The Full Monty (15) Warwick Arts Centre 01203 524524: Career Girls (15) today 9pm Nil by Mouth (18) today 630pm Thurs 9pm take up arms in Court Martial Arts ouncil sent a huge assessment to look at all the separate elements and check whether they all stacked up and we had a very complimentary report about the work that had been done so Sylvia King said we have to work tip ail these many elements in detail and in just over 12 months we should be on site The target date for opening is 200 1 and though that may slip a little at the moment were still on schedule for grant to cPLEX was the 200th from the Arts Lottery to come to the West Midlands This is the highest figure of any region outside London and together they have been worth £875 million Forty-three other grants totalling £146 million were also announced yesterday of which two others also came to the West Midlands Wolverhampton -based Fours ight Theatre received £42047 to buy a vehicle video and office equipment and Birmingham festival Choral Society received £5808 ham Midland Operatic Society Hippodrome (to Saturday) Faust Midland Music Makers Crescent Theatre Birmingham (to Saturday) The Marriage of Figaro Malvern Hills Opera Rogers Theatre Malvern College (to Saturday) Natural Causes Company of the Curtain Water Ortpn Parish Hal! (to Saturday) How the Other Half Loves Rubery Drama Group Beacon Church Centre Rubery (to Saturday) The Haunting of Hill House St Johns Players Worcester Arts Workshop (to Saturday) Angeis in Love Theatre 28 Solihull Library Theatre (to Saturday) Carousel Cradley Heath Amateur Operatic Society Brierley Hill Civic Hall (Nov 3-8) My Fair Lady Lichfield Operatic Society Lichfield Civic Theatre (Nov 3-8) The Grand Duchess of Geroi-stein Tinkers Farm Opera Crescent Theatre Birmingham (Nov 4-8) The Exorcism Highbury Little Theatre Sutton Coldfield (Nov 4-15) The Odd Couple (Female Version) Moorpool Players Moorpool Hall Harborne (Nov 4-8) The Sunshine Boys Giange Players Grange Playhouse Walsall (Nov 6-15) Bye Bye Birdie Coventry Youth Operetta Group Coventry College (Nov 8-15) The Writing Game Oldbury Rep Barlow theatre Langley (Nov 8-15) Meeting by design: Alex Vann who has designed a new logo for Startime Variety with some of the group's members you get on the stage you just think of the character You try to be inside the character I see Cdr Queeg and i really think of him as my brother when 1 am attacking Tony is 59 and a retired teacher Ken is a retired bank manager who has been a prominent acting member of the neighbouring Highbury Little Theatre for some of the 20 years which Ken has been with Sutton Arts Theatre Their mother now aged 90 and their late father were also involved on the amateur stage with a group based on the Abbey parish at Frdington I here's a metamorphosis for Mephistopholes in Ylidland Music production of Faust opening tonight at Crescent Theatre In a production which has taken the opera out of the Edwardian era and into wartime Paris in the 1940s the old devil appears as a Gestapo officer and Faust is a rocket scientist who is contemplating suicide because he is worried about the future of his work under the Germans The show runs until Saturday with performances starting at 715prn in an effort to avoid some of the traffic heading for other theatres in the city centre and to overcome the delays in Broad Street Startime Variety of Halesowen went looking for somebody to design a new logo for the group to celebrate its 30th birthday and came up with Alex Vann Alex who graduated from Wolverhampton University with a first class honours degree in graphic design has recently launched his own design company with the help of a EXHIBITIONS Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery 0121 235 2834: Prints in Focus Until Nov 30 (Mon-ThurSat 10am-5pm Fri 1030am-5pm Sun 1230pm-5pm) MAC Cannon Hill Park 0121 440 3838: Alan Davie: Drawings 1939-1996 Fusion: Work by students and staff on the Birmingham School of Jewellery's MA course A Few Illusions: Photographs by Renee Daru Collotypes from Leipzig Until Nov 9 Timco Gallery 23 Paton Grove (off School Rd) Moseley: Howling in Public Prints collages and paintings by Roger Howling Until Nov 8 (Mon-Fri 7pm-9pm SatSun 12 noon-7pm) Walsall Museum Art Gallery 01922 6531 16: Glow New art works featuring light to complement Walsall Illuminations: Laurie Lea: new light installation Until Nov 2 (Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Sun 2pm-5pm) Wolverhampton Art Gallery 01902 312032: Body Politic Ambitious exhibition which explores the use of the human form in political art spanning 200 years from Joshua Reynolds to Helen Chadwick via Francis Bacon Until Nov 29 (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm) (FAME) have until the end of November to do so Entry forms are available from festival officer Jane Gareev (telephone 0121 777 1151) FAME will be held for the first time at Birmingham's Crescent Theatre from March 1 6-2 Litis part of the first round of the All-England Theatre Festival and there are no fewer than 32 trophies on offer in the various categories WHATS ON The Caine Mutiny Sutton Arts Theatre Sutton Coldfield (to Saturday) Anything Goes Brownills Bloxwich Musical Theatre Company Brownhills Community School (to Saturday) The Sound of Music Birming Youth Business Trust grant and loan He also runs art craft and music workshops for children in local schools and plays lead guitar in a local band Jo Carroll for Startime Variety said the new logo is part of a move to update the image This has included launching its own polo shirts and baseball caps with all profits going to charity to add to the £40 000-pl us which members have raised so far Oldbury Rep may be able to help out any group contemplating Cinderella but short of a coach Stage director John Upton tells me: have one that is available for hire if anyone cares to ring me on 012 1 552 3909 or telephone the theatre 0121 552 2761 on Monday Just a reminder that groups intending to enter Festival of Acting and Musical Entertainment heart POST REVIEW Birthday warms the Live Music Now! Adrian Boult Hall MUSIC CLASSICAL Today: Birmingham Conservatoire 0121 331 5908: Jazz and improvisations commuter concert 6prn Crescent Theatre Birmingham 0121 744 7250: Midland Music Makers (Faust) 715pm: Symphony Halt Birmingham 0121 212 3333 CBSO and Chorus soloists Shaw (Elijah) 730pm: Guesten Hall Avoncroft Museum Bromsgrove 01527 874163: Lvnc Quartet Andrew West (piano) 8pm ROCKPOP Today: NEC Arena 0121 780 4133: Lisa Stansfield 730pm Jug of Ale Moseley 0121 449 1082: Glasshouse 830pm Hare Hounds Kings Heath 0121 444 2081: Dream City Film Club 8 30pm: Club Millennium Merry Hill 01384 79999: GeezerMothseecl 9pm JAZZBLUES -Today: MAC Cannon Hill Park 0121 440 3838: Oblique Asian dance plus ky la'n Ballamy commisoned by SAMPAD and Birmingham Jazz 8pm Fiddle Bone Sheepcote St 0121 200 2223 Vic tvans Trio 8pm (free) Ronnie Scott's Broad St 0121 643 4525 The Jazz Crusaders 9pml ipm FOLKROOTSWORLD Today: Oakengates theatre Telford 01952 619020: New Bushbury Mountain Daredevils 8pm concert presented by the Midlands branch celebrated the occasion with sample performances showcasing several of the current participants all of them with onservatoire connections and charmingly led by old-stager C'aird himself Headed by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham a distinguished guest-list included many of client recipients all enjoying what proved to he a wonderfully warm heartening occasion I abla-playing from Harjit Singh ushered us in to hear offerings from the Maskarade Clarinet Quartet the Chameleon Wind Quintet and Stephen Watkins accompanying remarkable vocalist Wendy Nieper Nieper's rapt plaintive slightly jazz-inflected and beautifully controlled Rachmaninov ocalise was a show -stopping highlight but we also treasure the memory of George C'aird snipping a drinking-straw progressively shorter as he played illustrating how length governs pitch Christopher Morley then a thick came waddling pronounced a student voice and Professor George C'aird principal of Birmingham Conservatoire and one of the most illustrious oboists walked round to the front of the piano playing the famous oboe theme from Peter and the Wolf He proceeded to explain how he must have played that piece scores of times during his service as a young member of Five Music Now! an organisation conceived by Yehudi Menuhin and supported by the Prince of Wales which aims to bring music out into (he community sending youthful musicians to perform to those in rest-homes special schools hospices and hospitals village halls and prisons C'aird was one of the earliest participants Now the charity is 20 years old and yesterday's lunchtime Musical education: The Maskarade Clarinet Quartet.