With the sun beginning to set far earlier than we’re used to, it is becoming difficult to pretend that summer hasn’t reached its end. Autumn is swiftly taking hold, and for many people, this means the end of sunny weather and the beginning of back-to-school season. Fear not Brummies – the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) has just released a wonderful programme of Autumn events, which will run over the coming months and will hopefully chase your blues away.
Performances:
AUTIN DANCE THEATRE: PARADE – THE GIANT WHEEL
First up, we have a thrilling performance from the Autin Dance Theatre. ‘Parade: The Giant Wheel’ is rolling into the MAC on Saturday 2nd September. With a combination of music, choreography and incredible skill, the dance theatre will manoeuvre with a twelve-foot giant wheel.
This gravity-defying performance is based on the passage of time, navigating life’s highs and lows. The final performance comes after a series of workshops run by the dance theatre, encouraging members of the community to get involved. We can’t wait to see this group of local performers take to the stage in what is sure to be an unmissable visual spectacle.
SUDHA BHUCHAR: EVENING CONVERSATIONS
Up next is a warm-hearted and engaging extended monologue from Sudha Bhuchar, the acclaimed Tanzanian-born actor, playwright, and co-founder of the Tamasha Theatre Company. Middle-class, middle-aged, and the multicultural mother of millennial sons, Sudha lives a ‘squeezed middle’ life in Wimbledon. Her sons, though dual heritage (Hindu/Indian and Muslim/Pakistani), are fiercely British and monolingual. Faced with a return to India as a non-resident, and pondering questions about her career and her family, Sudha encourages her sons to ‘crack open a cold one’ and share their views on life, as she considers her own sense of home and place in the world.
‘So, what is ‘Evening Conversations’? It might be easier to start with what it isn’t. This isn’t a comedy. Shoot me if it turns into a misery memoir. This isn’t a story with a compelling narrative and high stakes, although the stakes are quite high in my life right now. Solvency and sanity’.
‘Maybe offloading some of the noise in my head will help my sanity? Or there’s always yoga and white wine.’
Sudha Bhuchar, on ‘Evening Conversations’
Delightfully truthful and warmly likeable, Sudha’s deeply personal and sometimes humorous exploration of family between generations comes to the MAC on Thursday 28th September.
RHUM & CLAY: PROJECT DICTATOR
‘Project Dictator, Or: Why Democracy is Overrated and I Don’t Miss It At All’, is a refreshingly unique exploration of the perils of authoritarian regimes… told by two clowns. Created in collaboration with international artists living under totalitarianism, Rhum & Clay unpack what it actually means to produce art in an oppressive society. Their choice? To die onstage – or off it. Bonkers and beautiful, ‘Project Dictator’ is a meta-theatrical must-see, coming to the MAC on Wednesday 18th October.
LAMPHOUSE THEATRE: WAR OF THE WORLDS
Well… ‘War of the Worlds: On A Budget’. The utterly bonkers theatre continues with Lamphouse Theatre’s one-man show, deviating only a little from the original H. G. Wells novel with one clown, a loop pedal, a ukulele, lots of cardboard, many, many hats and several absolutely terrifying (definitely not made out of paper) tripod puppets.
With a successful UK preview tour and Edinburgh Fringe Festival run, ‘War of The Worlds: On A Budget’ is a well-reviewed stroke of genius, or madness… Can one man truly play twenty-five characters, untangle himself from a microphone cable, stop for a tea break and save the world in just sixty minutes? Find out for yourselves, as the DIY musical lands at the MAC on Thursday 19th October.
REVEREND RICHARD COLES: BORDERLINE NATIONAL TRINKET
The final performance on the agenda comes from ‘Britain’s most famous vicar’. Revered Richard Coles is a household name, being the only British vicar to have a number-one hit single, and to have appeared on Strictly Come Dancing. He is a Sunday Times bestselling author, a hugely popular radio broadcaster, and a Twitter celebrity. As a former member of The Communards and a retired openly gay vicar, Rev. Richard Coles is certainly a fascinating man.
It is near-impossible to summarise Rev. Richard’s life in a short description, and we wonder if he’ll manage to accomplish it in his nearly two-hour special. He promises to lift the lid on his life and experiences as a jack-of-all-trades, and we can’t wait to hear what he has to say. For a warm, witty evening of gossip, comedy and chat, join Revered Richard Coles at the MAC on Friday 27th October 2023.
Family Events:
BIG GREEN WEEKENDER
This month, don’t miss the MAC’s Big Green Weekender. On Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September, the wonderful family-friendly festival comes to the MAC, featuring creative workshops, short films, inspiring talks, live music and more. Entry to the festival is free, and the event seeks to encourage local action through sustainable projects. Events will take place in the MAC and across Cannon Hill Park, so there will be plenty to do and see.
PIPPI LONGSTOCKING
A figurehead of our youth, Pippi Longstocking’s adventures captured the attention of children and adults of all ages. Now she’s back, with a captivating storytelling performance from Astrid Lindgren’s classic novel. In this interactive family performance, children have the chance to help Pippi become the ‘strongest girl in the world’, on Sunday 1st October.
MORGAN AND WEST’S MASSIVE SHOW FOR KIDS
On Tuesday 8th October, Morgan and West present their Massive Show for Kids, suitable for all ages, and guaranteed to draw gasps and giggles from everyone, whether you are 5, 105 or somewhere in between!
The duo are self-proclaimed time-travelling magicians, unbelievable scientists, and all round spiffing chaps. More specifically, they are a pair performers who create shows ranging from magic shows, to shows about science, and even their own takes on literary classics. They then pack these shows up in a van and tour them to theatres all over the UK (and sometimes further afield too). Their brand-new roadshow promises sixty minutes of whimsical mayhem and is not to be missed.
Cinema:
SQUARE EYES TV FESTIVAL
The third instalment of the Square Eyes TV Festival is returning to the MAC from Friday 4th – Sunday 13th November. With 10 days of exclusive screenings, networking events, Q&As, panels and workshops alongside the best of Midlands-based talent. Whether you’re looking to get a foot in the TV door, or are already a seasoned expert, join producer David Baldwin on his mission to highlight the opportunities in the industry.
REEL & MEAL: JURASSIC PARK – 30TH ANNIVERSARY
On Friday 22nd September, you can take a step back to the nineties… or even further, back to the Jurassic period with Reel & Meal. Tuck in to a delicious three-course meal in the KILN, with some deliciously Devilled Dilophosaurus Eggs, or a choice of Roasted Leg of Velociraptor or Triceratops Truffle Tagliatelle, before tussling with the Isla Nublar Ginger Ice Cream for dessert. Comfortably full, head to the cinema for a proper throwback, with one of the most iconic movies of all time, thirty years after its era-defining cinema release. There are plenty of reel and meal events over the coming months, so keep an eye on the MAC website for the full running schedule.
Exhibitions:
MICHAEL PINKSY: POLLUTION PODS
In this exciting and brand-new free exhibition, Michael Pinsky has created a biome of five interconnected pods, each containing a unique recipe of natural gas to mimic the environmental conditions of cities all over the world. Located in Edgbaston Stadium Piazza, from Thursday 14th – Sunday 24th September, the event runs as part of the MAC’s Art, Nature and Wellbeing season. Pinsky takes visitors on an atmospheric tour of Norway, London, New Delhi, San Paolo and Beijing, all while staying in the second city.
ARTIST TALK WITH ROWENA HARRIS
On Saturday 30th September, artist-in-residence Rowena Harris offers an insight into one half of the Watershed exhibition. This talk includes an exclusive screening of their commission piece, ‘A Crip Body of Water’ (2023). The event will run from 3pm to 5pm, and is chaired by Roma Piotrowska, curator at the MAC.
The MAC is a registered charity, and a wonderful asset to the city, so supporting its events is incredibly important! With a fabulous and reasonably priced café, a lovely shop, a quirky cinema and a whole series of courses, workshops, and events running all year round, the MAC is a must-visit destination if you find yourself in the vicinity of Canon Hill Park. The park itself ought to be a draw, as it made it onto our ‘Most Picturesque Parks in Birmingham’ list, which you can check out here.
With this exciting programme of events on offer, the MAC is a beacon of sunshine as the summer begins to slip away. We can’t wait to check out all of these events, and they are set to be extremely popular, so get your tickets while they last! Head over to the What’s On page of the MAC website for the full Autumn itinerary, and to grab your tickets.
