Polish Film Festival to grace the city

'Play Poland' showcases the best of Polish cinema

One of the country’s longest running  and most prominent film festivals dedicated to Polish cinema is set to arrive at the Midlands Arts Centre in Birmingham next month.

Spread just over a four-week period, Play Poland  combines weekly screenings of award-winning feature length presentations with in-depth Q&A sessions during the Birmingham leg of its national tour.

Organised by Polish Art Europe, the tour is being brought to Birmingham by the Polish Expats Association, a nationally funded arts and cultural development project.

Birmingham Zombies raise hundreds for charity

Birmingham Zombie Walk 2011

Zombies marching through Birmingham may have stopped bemused shoppers in their tracks this weekend but the ‘army of the undead‘ successfully raised nearly £2,000 for one fo the city’s most well known charities.

With over a thousand participants immersed in make-up and fake blood taking to the streets in aid of  Birmingham Children’s Hospital, onlookers got in on the fun once they realised a real-life zombie invasion wasn’t imminent.

‘The Wanted’ announce Birmingham show

The Wanted are are coming to the LG Arena in March, 2012

They went straight in at Number 1 in yesterday’s Official UK Single Chart with their single ‘Glad You Came’ and now The Wanted have confirmed their first UK arena tour, which will see them wowing fans at Birmingham’s LG Arena on 1 March 2012.

The cheeky five-piece burst on to the scene last year with their 2011 BRIT nominated debut single ‘All Time Low’, which gave them their first Number 1. Since then they’ve had two further Top 5 hits with ‘Heart Vacancy’ and Comic Relief single ‘Gold Forever’, and a Top 5 album. Now Jay, Max, Nathan, Siva and Tom will be entertaining thousands of Midlands’ fans in March 2012 when they come to the LG Arena.

Second Helpings for Victoria Wood’s ‘Dinnerladies’

 

The cast of dinnerladies at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham

Top comedienne Victoria Wood’s smash hit comedy Dinnerladies took to the stage last night at the New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham.

Fans of the hit TV series were not disappointed as some of the funniest comic characters and script written for television were brought to life in a live production.

Based on the second television series, the show follows the reluctant love story of Bren and Tony, egged on by Dolly, Jean, Twinkle and Anita. Mix in caretaker Stan’s words of wisdom and coat with regular appearances by Phillippa from Human Resources and Petula, Bren’s dreadful mother and you have a recipe for madness, mirth and twelve rounds of toast!

Birmingham braced for Zombie invasion

Jamie Chapman and Victoria Ann Gould prepare for the Birmingham Zombie Walk

Birmingham’s third annual Zombie Walk is set to take place this month with an army of over a thousand of the ‘walking dead’ expected to descend on the city.

Following a successful march through the city last year in aid of the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, over two thousand people have already signed up to once again don Zombie make-up and attire before taking to the streets in “search of brains”.

Ballroom Birmingham to open on site of old Carling Academy

The Ballroom Birmingham is reopening on the site of the old Birmingham Academy

The old Birmingham Academy is set to, once again, re-open as a live music venue in September 2011, rebranded as The Ballroom Birmingham.

Now under new management, the former Hummingbird and Carling Academy in Dale End hopes to recapture much of the its original charm following numerous revamps over the last few decades.  Currently undergoing an extensive refurbishment plan, the venue has chosen to keep its original name from when it first opened.