At the end of June, I was walking past the train station in Birmingham on my way to meet a friend for lunch. Just across the road is the now-iconic Black Sabbath mural, a striking tribute created by the brilliant Daniel Mr Mural. As I glanced over, I noticed a small crowd gathering and photographers.
And then I saw Tony Iommi and Bill Ward.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A Heartfelt Masterpiece!
Today is going to be a good day. And here’s why…
The Olivier, Tony, and Grammy award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen has arrived on stage at The Alexandra Theatre.
With the Book by Steven Levenson, and Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (The Greatest Showman), I have seen the rave reviews and heard the songs a thousand times, and to say I was excited is an understatement.
The story follows Evan Hansen, a socially anxious teenager whose life takes a drastic turn after a misunderstanding leads him to become an unexpected beacon of hope for a grieving family. The musical’s exploration of loneliness, the pressures of social media, and the search for belonging feels achingly relevant in today’s world.
The BMOS Musical Theatre Company – an amateur performing arts group with members of all ages from across the West Midlands – is back on stage at The Alexandra Theatre, this time with a rousing production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Based on the novel by Roald Dahl, the world-famous Willy Wonka is opening the gates to his mysterious factory…but only to a lucky few. Young Charlie Bucket and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of pure imagination including chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels and the great glass elevator, all to be revealed by Wonka’s army of curious Oompa-Loompas.
The whimsical world of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory was brilliantly realised with vibrant colourful stage décor, dynamic use of space and well-crafted stage props that transported us straight into Dahl’s fantastical universe.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, The 39 Steps, hilariously recreated for the stage as the smash-hit Olivier and Tony Award-Winning Comedy, is back out on a UK tour after nearly 10 years in London’s West End, taking Broadway by storm, playing in 39 different countries across the globe, and delighting over 3 million people worldwide with its plucky spirit and dashing sense of fun.
Quintessential Englishman Richard Hannay (Understudy Jacob Daniels) lives a boring life, until he finds himself wrongly accused of murder and on the run after the death of the mysterious Annabelle Schmidt (Safeena Ladha). In an adventure that takes him all the way up to the Scottish Highlands, he must stop an organisation known as ‘The 39 Steps’ from stealing military secrets, much of which while being handcuffed to a woman named Pamela (also Safeena Ladha).
What follows is 100 minutes of chaos as just four actors take on 139 characters, some of them at the same time.
I’ve lived in Birmingham since 2001, and up until last weekend I had never been to Pride, which is one of the biggest of the year.
Actually, that’s not entirely true. About 15 years ago my mum came to visit and travelled down to Birmingham via train. The old New Street Station was small and difficult to navigate, so I asked her to wait in the main arrivals area and I would collect her from there. True to form, mum had other ideas and wandered off, and I eventually found her at the bottom of the ramp (Brummies will know exactly where this is), surrounded by drag queens and having a great time as the Pride Parade was going past.
It has never been a conscious decision not to go – I’ve been invited many times by friends who are gay, straight and otherwise, but I’ve either been busy or broke at the time.
Earlier this year, I was given an invitation to join some of my work friends at this year’s Pride, with brunch in the morning and the concerts in the evening down in Smithfields after the parade had finished. I jumped at the chance, and have been looking forward to it for months.
And what a blast it was!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ A must-see for fans of the movie and musical theatre enthusiasts alike!
Get ready to leave your troubles Far Far Away and embark on an unforgettable adventure filled with laughter, love, and ogre-sized fun as the award-winning Shrek The Musical comes to the Alexandra Theatre stage.
With the Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and Music by Jeanine Tesori, we follow the story of Shrek, a lovable ogre who finds himself on a quest with the quirky and talkative Donkey to rescue Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a fire-breathing dragon.
As part of its 20th anniversary season, British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT) in partnership with Birmingham Hippodrome presents: Animal Farm.
This classic George Orwell novella is far from the obvious choice of texts to be adapted into a musical. Animal Farm, first published in 1945, is a satirical take on the Bolshevik revolution of Russia and the politics of Joseph Stalin – examining themes of power, corruption and equality, posing important questions about how we view certain socio-political ideals, all shown through a group of anthropomorphic farmyard animals.
Directed by Adam Meggio and written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the members of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are back on stage, battling technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes as they attempt to present J.M Barrie’s much-loved tale of Peter Pan. But will they ever make it to Neverland?
Peter Pan Goes Wrong, part of the ever growing Mischief Theatre (which includes the hugely successful The Play That Goes Wrong), has remained one of my favourite productions since I was lucky enough to watch it in February 2020. Would it be just as funny the second time round?
Yes. Yes it was.
I have visited Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill a number of times over the years, and even had the opportunity to interview the man himself back in 2019. I like it – it has always been a place to visit for spectacular views of the city and a nice cocktail in a relaxed atmosphere. I’m a big fan of several of the dishes – my favourite dessert in Birmingham was the Chocolate Mousse from MPW.
However, the prestigious restaurant, situated on Level 25 of the Cube, has recently undergone a refurbishment, and we were offered the chance to have a sneak peak at the new changes and get a taste of the new menu. As I was unable to attend, I sent a friend in my place to have a look…
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ – “An incredible evening of pure nostalgia.”
Based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 Oscar nominated Warner Bros. movie starring Whitney Houstonand Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard tells the story of the complicated relationship between former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer and superstar Rachel Marron, when Farmer is hired to protect her from an unknown stalker.
‘Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love.’
Suzie Speaks 
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