Express & Star

Jamiroquai, Lee Nelson, Kaleo, Rob Brydon and Jinkx Monsoon: What's on this weekend in the Midlands and Shropshire

From comedy shows, to performances from symphony orchestras, operas, theatre, rock and pop concerts and tribute acts - there's loads to get up to this weekend in the Midlands and Shropshire.

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Below, we have hand-picked the very best of the events taking place.

FRIDAY

Lee Nelson - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton

Lee Nelson

Comedian Simon Brodkin brings character Lee Nelson to Wolverhampton this weekend as part of his Serious Joker tour.

Lee hit the headlines earlier this year for handing Theresa May a P45 during her speech at the Tory conference. He also interrupted a performance on The X Factor back in 2014 and invaded the stage at Glastonbury in 2015 during Kayne West's headline performance.

Tickets cost £22.

Doors open at 6.45pm.

For more information, click here

Star Wars, CBSO - Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Enjoy the music of Star Wars this Friday, as the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is set to bring to life the legendary scores by John Williams.

Expect songs such as Anakin's Theme, Battle of The Heroes, The Forest Battle, March of The Resistance, The Imperial March and more.

Tickets cost between £13 and £52.

Show starts at 7.30pm.

For more information, click here

Finding Joy - Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Finding Joy

This co-production by Vamos Theatre, The Hereford Courtyard and JABADAO tells the tale of Joy, who has just turned 83.

She’s funny, loves to dance, and is losing her memory. Her grandson Danny is rebellious, bright and always getting into trouble. When Danny decides to look after Joy, they discover a shared playfulness and a mutual affection. But is that enough to take on the challenges ahead?

See a trailer for the show here:

Tickets cost £16.

Show starts at 8pm.

For more information, click here

Fleetwood Bac - Robin 2, Bilston

Fleetwood Mac fans will be treated to a tribute show this Friday, focussing primarily on the Rumours era of the band.

It will also feature some of Peter Green's biggest hits, as well as a range of Stevie Nick's solo songs.

This will be a theatrical two-hour show, with costume changes and an acoustic session.

Expect hits such as The Chain, Dreams, Go Your Own Way and Edge of Seventeen.

Tickets cost £12 in advance or £13 on the door.

Show starts at 9pm.

For more information, click here

Beyond The Barricade - Oakengates Theatre, Telford

Beyond the Barricade

This musical will feature songs from movies such as The Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Blood Brothers, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and many others.

Starring in the two-hour show will be Andy Reiss, David Fawcett, Katie Leeming and Rebecca Vere, who are all past principal performers from Les Miserables.

Tickets cost £22.50.

Show starts at 7.30pm.

For more information, click here

Welsh National Opera's Eugene Onegin - Birmingham Hippodrome

Eugene Onegin

The Welsh National Opera will bring to life the tale of Eugene Onegin, a story surrounding the battle between the yearnings of the heart and social convention.

Tatyana is a young country girl convinced that the dashing Onegin is the man of her dreams. When she declares her devotion to him via a love letter, he rejects and humiliates her. Onegin then flirts with Tatyana’s older, engaged sister setting off a tragic chain of events – a tale of how unrequited love and the ways of high society can catastrophically collide.

See a trailer for the show here:

Tickets priced from £18.

This Tchaikovsky opera will be sung in Russian with English subtitles.

Show starts at 7pm.

For more information, click here

SATURDAY

Kaleo - O2 Academy, Birmingham

Kaleo

Icelandic blues and rock band Kaleo will entertain fans in Birmingham this Saturday as part of the group's Express Tour.

Expect hits such as Way Down We Go, I Can't Go On Without You and No Good.

They will be supported by Judah & The Lion.

Doors open at 7pm.

Over 14s only.

Tickets priced from £24.

For more information, click here

Jamiroquai - Arena Birmingham

Jamiroquai

Electro funk outfit Jamiroquai will play for fans in Birmingham this weekend, with support from electro act Purple Disco Machine.

Expect hits such as Virtual Insanity, Cosmic Girl and Space Cowboy.

Tickets are priced from £42.99.

For more information, click here

Step Back into The Shadows - Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Into The Shadows

Fans of The Shadows will be treated to an evening of all the band's greatest hits at this tribute evening.

Expect classics such as Apache, Wonderful Land, Guitar Tango, Dance On and more, plus songs performed alongside Cliff Richard. This year's show will feature many new numbers too, including Cavatina and Don't Cry For Me Argentina.

Tickets cost £16.50.

Show starts at 8pm.

For more information, click here

Joe Brown - Birmingham Town Hall

Joe Brown

Joe Brown will bring his 'Just Joe' show to Birmingham this Saturday, with Joe talking about his early days, growing up in a pub in London’s East End, discovering Skiffle, becoming a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer and touring with the likes of Eddie Cochran, Billy Fury and Gene Vincent, before headlining shows with The Beatles as opening act.

This show will not only be stories and anecdotes, however; it will feature a lot of music, aided and abetted by Joe's friend Henry Gross.

Fans can expect hits such as I'll See You In My Dreams, Bruvvers, Sea of Heartbreak and Tickle My Heart.

Tickets priced between £31.50 and £33.50.

Show starts at 8pm.

For more information, click here

The Counterfeit Stones - Robin 2, Bilston

This Rolling Stones tribute act will entertain Black Country fans this Saturday.

The band, which formed back in 1991, have shared stages with Joe Cocker, Iggy Pop, Blur, ZZ Top and Bryan Ferry.

Tickets cost £13 in advance or £15 on the door.

Show starts at 9pm.

For more information, click here

SUNDAY

Martin Barre Band - Robin 2, Bilston

Martin Barre

Grammy Award-winning former Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre will entertain rock fans this weekend.

Alongside his success with prog rockers Jethro Tull, Martin has also worked with the likes of Paul McCartney, Phil Collins, Gary Moore, Jo Bonamassa and Chris Thompson and has shared a stage with such legends as Hendrix, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin.

Expect all the biggest hits from Tull, such as Thick As A Brick, Aqualung, Locomotive Breath, Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll and Bouree.

Tickets cost £17.50 in advance and £19.50 on the door.

Show starts at 8.30pm.

For more information, click here

Rob Brydon - Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Rob Brydon

Stand-up comic Rob Brydon will tickle fans' funnybones when his I Am Standing Up tour comes to the second city this Sunday.

Rob is best known for his roles in Gavin and Stacey, Would I Lie To You? and The Trip, as well as Marion and Geoff, Human Remains, Little Britain, The Rob Brydon Show, Best of Men, Gangster Granny and Q.I. His film work includes The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Cinderella and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

Tickets priced between £30.50 and £33.

Show starts at 8pm.

For more information, click here

The Vaudevillians: Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales - Gatehouse Theatre, Stafford

The Vaudevillians

RuPaul's Drag Race star - and winner of season five - will perform for fans in Stafford this Sunday, alongside writer and composer Major Scales in their vintage cabaret The Vaudevillians.

See a trailer for the show here:

In 2013 Jinkx Monsoon appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race season five alongside the likes of Alaska, Alyssa Edwards, Detox and Roxxxy Andrews.

Picked out as the underdog of the season as her style of drag was frequently undermined by other contestants, Jinkx monsoon rose from the ashes and was crowned the next drag superstar as she won the season.

Tickets cost £17.

For more information, click here

Severn Jesters #55 - Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

Severn Jesters

Presented by MC Danny McLoughlin, this show will star comedians Nige, Josh Pugh and Tanya Lee Davis.

Tickets cost £9 in advance, or £10 on the door.

Show starts at 8pm.

For more information, click here

Grimethorpe Colliery Band - Oakengates Theatre, Telford

Grimethorpe Colliery Band

The world-renowned stars of hit movie Brassed Off, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, will play for Telford crowds this weekend on their centenary tour.

Tickets cost £22 for adults and £6 for under 12s.

Show starts at 3pm.

For more information, click here