Birmingham Jazz musicians entertain stars of The Peaky Blinders - with video
A series of Birmingham musicians entertained the stars of Peaky Blinders during the launch of season five of the hit BBC drama.
Last week the city's Town Hall hosted the exclusive launch of the hotly anticipated fifth series of BAFTA-award-winning Peaky Blinders, the epic gangster series set in 1920s’ Birmingham.
Home to many a historical drama in its near-200-year history, the venue greeted the series’ stars and fans with a spectacular red carpet event organised by BBC Birmingham and BBC One, and music provided by Jazzlines musicians playing jazz repetorie from the 1920s onwards.
Jasmine, a 17-year-old musician from Birmingham who performed with the Jazzlines Ensemble at the launch said: “Jazzlines Ensembles is brilliant to be a part of, not only for this once in a lifetime experience at the Peaky Blinders premiere but for my long term musical education.”
Mary Wakelam Sloan, jazz programme manager, said: “Alongside our year round talent development programme we are delighted to be able to offer unique performance opportunities like this for talented young musicians from Birmingham.”
Series five of Peaky Blinders finds the world thrown into turmoil by the financial crash of 1929. Opportunity and misfortune are everywhere. When Tommy Shelby MP, played by Cillian Murphy, is approached by a charismatic politician with a bold vision for Britain, he realises that his response will affect not just his family’s future but that of the entire nation.
Peaky Blinders’ fans watched the season premiere before anyone else, saw their show favourites, and put questions to the cast and creators during a special question and answer panel straight after the first episode.
Creator Steven Knight, said: “Birmingham is of course my first choice for the world premiere, the cast and crew love it here. Birmingham is the epicentre for the show and it means so much to me to come back here year after year and start the series with a bang.
“This year we’re at the Town Hall, which is a great venue, with more fans than ever before able to see the programme.”
