What's on this week?

Gala Concert - Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (20:00 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:00:00 +0100

Rossini - William Tell Overture Beethoven - Romance Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending Gershwin - Rhapsody In Blue Interval Tchaikovsky - Rococo Variations Mozart/Verdi/Puccini - Operatic Arias Conductor: Philip Ellis Soloists: Peter Donohoe, Lesley Garrett, Tasmin Little, Julian Lloyd-Webber The Concert Series reaches a climax with a star-studded gala featuring many old friends who return to the Arts Centre with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, making this an extraordinary evening in the company of some of the UK's most talented artists. Tonight's gala performance assembles a number of our best-loved performers in a programme that includes some of the most popular music in the classical repertoire. Lesley Garrett is on hand to sing operatic arias by Verdi and Mozart, and Tasmin Little joins the orchestra to perform music by Beethoven and Vaughan Williams. The Lark Ascending for violin and orchestra dates from 1914 and was inspired by a poem by George Meredith. The score carries a quotation from the poem which speaks of the lark: "ever winging up and up, Our valley is his golden cup, And he the wine which overflows To lift us with him as he goes. The music begins with a long, improvisatory section for the soloist, in which much of the ensuing thematic material is hinted at. New themes are introduced along the way, with the violin always portraying the movement and song of the lark as it pursues its flight. Tchaikovsky paid tribute to the attractive elegance of the rococo in his endearing set of variations for cello and orchestra. The theme is irresistible, and the clarity of line in each of the variations enhanced by a deftness of orchestration of which his hero Mozart would have been proud. George Gershwin made the enormous jump from songwriter to composer of symphonic music in his epoch-making Rhapsody in Blue for piano and orchestra, first performed in a jazz-band version (with the composer himself at the piano) in 1924. In the later version for full orchestra it has become the quintessentially American score, its fusion of New York jazz, Broadway melody and romantic concerto representing a milestone in the history of cross-over music. Concert Series Subscription Booking opens Friday 11 May 2007 Download a subscription form This concert is not part of the Subscription Series. Concessions are not available. Available to book now for Concert Series Subscribers. General Booking opens Monday 13 August. To book a subscription package please contact the Box Office on 024 7652 4524 or use the form linked to above.

Gao Xingjian (20:00 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:00:00 +0100

Gao Xingjian defies simplistic definitions of the 'Chinese writer-intellectual' in contemporary times. He wrote the first Chinese absurdist play and was instrumental in shaping the Chinese cultural landscape in the early 1980s. In 1986, the Chinese authorities banned performances of his works, and not long after he left China and settled in Paris as a political refugee. In 2000, he became the first writer in Chinese to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. Gao's profound reflections on life and the human soul transcend linguistic, political or cultural boundaries. Gao Xingjian will be talkng about the art of theatre, which he considers the ultimate art form. He will be speaking in Chinese and Dr Red Chan from the Centre for Translation Studies will translate for him into English. On the morning of Thursday 15 May there will be an exclusive film screening of Gao's Silhouette/Shadow at the Teaching Grid, 2/F, Warwick Library. All Warwick staff and students are welcome. Gao will deliver a follow-up workshop at 11.15am. Places are limited, please email Dr Red Chan at red.chan@warwick.ac.uk if you wish to join. Take part in our literature survey

Anna Bolena (19:30 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:30:00 +0100

sung in Italian with English surtitles At the heart of Anna Bolena is the cruelty of the Tudor King Henry VIII. Having set on the throne his great love Anne Boleyn, he now desires her lady in waiting, Jane Seymour. As her thousand days as queen draw to a close, Anne is still fighting - until she meets again the man she loved before Henry. Donizetti's bel canto thriller has it all - beautiful arias, powerful orchestration and stirring choruses. Directed by ETO General Director James Conway, with Julie Unwin (ETO's acclaimed Tosca) and Brazilian tenor Luciano Botelho. Click here for trailers of the performance and English Touring Opera's website. ETO returns with a red-blooded trio of operatic masterworks: Donizetti's thrillingly romantic opera about the doomed Anne Boleyn; Mozart's darkly comic tale of the legendary Don Juan; and the UK professional premiere of a beautiful American lyric opera, Floyd's Susannah. Save 15% when booking for two operas, or 25% when booking for all three operas in the same transaction. To take up this offer call Box Office on 024 7652 4524.

Into the Woods (19:45 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 19:45:00 +0100

by Stephen Sondheim Once Upon a Time... there was a childless Baker and his wife, cursed by the witch who lived next door. The Baker and his wife head out on a quest to reverse the curse and cross paths with Jack (bound for beanstalk-climbing fame), Cinderella, two Prince Charmings, Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Rapunzel and a menagerie of other fairytale characters. The stories all seem familiar at first, but here nothing is quite as it seems. A magical kingdom far far away suddenly becomes a lot closer to home as Into the Woods deals with the consequences that traditional fairytales conveniently ignore. What can you do with a dead giant in the back yard? Does marrying a prince really lead to a happy and fulfilling life? Is the witch always wrong? What if what you really want lies off the path? What happens AFTER their Happily Ever After? Clever, satirical and expertly playing with both light and very dark comedy, Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical Into the Woods is a fairytale adventure that's definitely not for kids.

Juno (12A) (16:00 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:00:00 +0100

Dir: Jason Reitman USA 2007 96mins Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman With a darkly humorous Napoleon Dynamite type plot this undeniably cool film by Jason Reitman (director of Thank you for Not Smoking) won the top prize at the Rome film festival recently. After a bout of awkward sex with her dorky on/off boyfriend Bleeker (Cera), Juno (Page), finds herself pregnant at sixteen and decides to shoulder the full responsibilities of her iffy situation. Endowed by Diablo Cody's effusive script with a hipster lexicon as large as her swelling stomach, Juno - with a worrying lack of emotion - quickly decides to put her unwanted newborn up for adoption. Official website

Thieves (15) (18:30 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 18:30:00 +0100

Dir: Jaime Marques Olarreaga Spain 2007 105mins subtitled Cast: Juan Jose Ballesta, Maria Valverde Brought up in a children's home, Alex finds employment at a hairdressers, but trust is not easy to find when faced with the prejudices that accompany who he is and where he's come from. As such, when temptation comes knocking he is unable to resist. Searching for his mother he perfects the tricks of the pick-pocketing trade. Then he meets Sara and a new relationship is forged as they move away from his habitual haunts to bigger and more dangerous propositions. Marques' debut feature avoids the gritty language of realism in crafting a dreamlike, at times almost balletic, reflection on the politics of belonging.

Juno (12A) (20:45 Wednesday, 14th May)

Wed, 14 May 2008 20:45:00 +0100

Music Centre Lunchtime Concerts (13:10 Thursday, 15th May)

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:10:00 +0100

24 April Marylebone Trio 1 May Piano Competition Winners 8 May Consort 1700 15 May Chamber Music Society 22 May Johannes Moller, guitar 29 May Music Scholars 5 June University of Warwick Piano Trio 12 June Roman Rudnytsky, piano 19 June Murray McLachlan, piano 26 June Music Centre Students

Susannah (19:30 Thursday, 15th May)

Thu, 15 May 2008 19:30:00 +0100

UK professional touring premiere This timeless American masterpiece has soaring arias, heart-wrenching lullabies and rousing choruses. Susannah is a musical landmark, telling the story of Susannah Polk - a high spirited young girl whose dreams of leaving her Tennessee valley home are shattered when she is falsely accused of immorality. Susannah enjoys a place amongst the finest works of 20th century American lyric theatre alongside audience favourites such as Porgy and Bess, Vanessa, Candide and West Side Story. It is a stirring night of music with a cast of some of the best singers working in Britain today. T. Pre-show talk Thu 15 May 6.30pm Conference Room FREE (tickets must be booked through Box Office) Click here for trailers of the performance and English Touring Opera's website. ETO returns with a red-blooded trio of operatic masterworks: Donizetti's thrillingly romantic opera about the doomed Anne Boleyn; Mozart's darkly comic tale of the legendary Don Juan; and the UK professional premiere of a beautiful American lyric opera, Floyd's Susannah. Save 15% when booking for two operas, or 25% when booking for all three operas in the same transaction. To take up this offer call Box Office on 024 7652 4524.

Into the Woods (19:45 Thursday, 15th May)

Thu, 15 May 2008 19:45:00 +0100

Juno (12A) (18:30 Thursday, 15th May)

Thu, 15 May 2008 18:30:00 +0100

Buenos Aires 1977 (15) (20:30 Thursday, 15th May)

Thu, 15 May 2008 20:30:00 +0100

Dir: Adrian Caetano Argentina 2006 103mins subtitled Cast: Rodrigo De La Serna, Pablo Echarri A 'perverse thriller' that recounts the true story of four young men 'disappeared' in 1977 under Argentina's military dictatorship. Locked up in the 'Sere Mansion', they were tortured for their left wing ideals. After four months of hell, they escaped naked into storm-soaked fields, into the unknown, and into their only hope of a future. Official website

Anna Bolena (19:30 Friday, 16th May)

Fri, 16 May 2008 19:30:00 +0100

Into the Woods (19:45 Friday, 16th May)

Fri, 16 May 2008 19:45:00 +0100

Persepolis (12A) (18:30 Friday, 16th May)

Fri, 16 May 2008 18:30:00 +0100

Dir: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud France 2007 95mins subtitled Cast: Gabrielle Lopes, Chiara Mastoianni, Catherine Deneuve Persepolis is the much-anticipated animated adaptation of Marjane Satrapi's acclaimed series of autobiographical novels. Satrapi's darkly humorous take on her experiences as a spirited young Muslim woman coming of age in Tehran - during the rule of the Shah, the Islamic Revolution and the gruelling Iran-Iraq War - makes for a bracingly original story. Following the misadventures of Marjane from mischievous little girl in Iran to rebellious teenager, the film then charts the young woman's heavy-hearted return to Iran and finally her emigration to Paris. Marjane's story presents the bloody history of her homeland over the last quarter of a century in microcosm. Persepolis maintains a refreshing levity as each gritty, haunting real-world event is balanced with a flight of fancy, courtesy of its charming animation style - bold, graphic, simple yet forcefully stylised. Mon 19 May - Post Screening Discussion Official website

The Other Boleyn Girl (12A) (20:30 Friday, 16th May)

Fri, 16 May 2008 20:30:00 +0100

Dir: Justin Chadwick UK/US 2008 115mins Cast: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana Based on the best selling novel by Phillippa Gregory, The Other Boleyn Girl is an engrossing and sensual tale of intrigue, romance and betrayal set against the backdrop of a defining moment in history. Two sisters, Anne (Natalie Portman) and Mary (Scarlett Johansson) Boleyn, are driven by their ambitious father and uncle to advance the family's power and status by courting the affections of the King of England (Eric Bana). Leaving behind the simplicity of country life, the girls are thrust into the dangerous and thrilling world of court life - and what began as a bid to help their family develops into a ruthless rivalry between Anne and Mary for the love of the King. As the Boleyn girls battle for the love of a King - one driven by ambition, the other by true affection - England is torn apart. Despite the dramatic consequence, the Boleyn girls ultimately find strength and loyalty in each other, and they remain forever connected by their bond as sisters. Official website

Don Giovanni (19:30 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:30:00 +0100

sung in English Don Giovanni is one of the greatest operas ever written - a dark comedy tracking the last day and night in the life of the infamous Don Juan. Determined to add the names of more women to his already extensive list of conquests, the great philanderer meets his match - with hellish consequences. From the first, fatal notes of the overture to the shocking final scene, it remains an audience favourite, blending dramatic storytelling with some of opera's most beautiful music. Roland Wood (ETO's Onegin) leads a cast of distinguished soloists, directed by acclaimed director Jonathan Munby (RSC, West End). Click here for trailers of the performance and English Touring Opera's website. ETO returns with a red-blooded trio of operatic masterworks: Donizetti's thrillingly romantic opera about the doomed Anne Boleyn; Mozart's darkly comic tale of the legendary Don Juan; and the UK professional premiere of a beautiful American lyric opera, Floyd's Susannah. Save 15% when booking for two operas, or 25% when booking for all three operas in the same transaction. To take up this offer call Box Office on 024 7652 4524.

Into the Woods (19:45 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 19:45:00 +0100

Paul Merton's Impro Chums (20:00 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 20:00:00 +0100

Paul Merton and his highly talented Impro Chums are wonders of nature. Impro Chums take audience suggestions and create cascades of fantastic tumbling laughter. Most of the time. Impro Chums are mainly the delightful Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson and Suki Webster. "These are masters of their craft and there wasn't a dull moment. Terrific fun." Manchester Evening News "The best ad-lib ensemble in the UK." London Evening Standard "What happens when a bunch of the world's most hilarious comedians come to town? Uproar, of course." Bangalore Times Official website

Children's Saturday Art Club (12:00 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 12:00:00 +0100

Every Sat 12pm - 2pm between Sat 10 May and Sat 7 Jun Maximum places: 25 (book early!) Tickets available in advance or on the day from Box Office on 024 7652 4524. Families are more than welcome, children must be accompanied by an adult. Sat 10 May - Jigsaw Art Ages: 6+ Come along and decorate your own jigsaw piece to create on big picture! Also make your own jigsaw to take home. Sat 17 May - Crazy Creatures & Story Telling Ages: 6+ Join us to create your very own crazy creature from wire and junk! Then work together to think about where they would live, what their names are and what they do? Sat 24 May - Creative Ceramics Ages: 7+ Come along and use clay to make objects inspired by each other and your own ideas! Sat 31 May - Colour Explosion Ages: 0-5 yrs Work together to create a big swirly picture. You will create your very own colour, this will stand for you and you can trace whatever you add to the canvas! Sat 7 Jun - Someone Else's Dream Ages: 7+ We will be using video and printmaking to explore the myths and concepts behind the exhibition Double Agent. For further details please contact Mead Gallery assistants on 024 7652 2589 (12pm-9pm, Mon-Sat) or visit our website at www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

The Other Boleyn Girl (12A) (16:00 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 16:00:00 +0100

The Other Boleyn Girl (12A) (18:30 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 18:30:00 +0100

Persepolis (12A) (21:00 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 21:00:00 +0100

Into the Woods (14:30 Saturday, 17th May)

Sat, 17 May 2008 14:30:00 +0100

The Comedy Club 4 Kids (15:00 Sunday, 18th May)

Sun, 18 May 2008 15:00:00 +0100

Ages: 6+ Join us for an afternoon of comedy where the best comedians do their stuff without the swearing or rude bits. For anyone who likes fantastic alternative comedy without the rude words. Acts in the past have included Ed Byrne, Stewart Lee and Brendon Burns. A wonderful show, suitable for the entire family. "The perfect way to keep the whole family happy." Three Weeks

Lucy Porter (19:45 Sunday, 18th May)

Sun, 18 May 2008 19:45:00 +0100

Straight from her sell-out run in Edinburgh, Lucy invites you to her Love-in where we'll examine every aspect of that crazy little thing called love. Is romantic love more important than familial love, platonic love or religious love? The ancient Greeks had many words for different types of love (eros, philia, agape, storge etc.) But then the ancient Greeks also invented anal sex, central heating and the hula-hoop, so they clearly had plenty of time on their hands. "It's impossible not to be charmed by Porter's mischievous comedy" The Sunday Times "The diminutive but perfectly charming and twisted comedian will seduce you in an instant." Scotland on Sunday Official website

The Other Boleyn Girl (12A) (16:00 Sunday, 18th May)

Sun, 18 May 2008 16:00:00 +0100

Persepolis (12A) (19:30 Sunday, 18th May)

Sun, 18 May 2008 19:30:00 +0100

Coull Quartet (20:00 Monday, 19th May)

Mon, 19 May 2008 20:00:00 +0100

Mozart - Quartet in F, K.590 Bridge - 3 Idylls Schubert - Quintet in C, D.956 (with David Smith, cello) In celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Coull Quartet's residency at Warwick Arts Centre, this season has featured some of the performers with whom they have been associated in past performances and recordings. Allan Schiller is the pianist on the Quartet's acclaimed recording of Frank Bridge's splendid D minor Quintet (7 May). A work clearly indebted to the music of Faur�, but with big, rhapsodic tunes and impassioned climaxes with a character that is entirely Bridge's own. Also featuring in the summer programme are Bridge's lovely 3 Idylls (19 May), the Coull's recording of which was voted Record of the Year by BBC Music Magazine. As a student Roger Coull took part in an ad-hoc performance of the lovely Schubert Quintet (19 May), but recalls that the experience was enough to convince him that he should follow a career as a quartet player. David Smith of the Alberni Quartet takes second cello in this performance - devotees of late Schubert can also enjoy the astonishing and ever-popular G major Quartet (7 May). Coull Quartet 7 May Official website

Security (19:45 Monday, 19th May)

Mon, 19 May 2008 19:45:00 +0100

As performer and writer, powerful and charismatic Zena Edwards fuses movement, poetry and song in this newly commissioned piece for theatre taking storytelling into the 21st century. This comical and moving tale of unexpected friendship confronts the issues of security and identity. Set within the beating heart of London, the chaotic stories of five characters in crisis are exposed through the eye of a camera. What happens when one generation collides with another and cultural expectations clash? Does the flash of a blade in broad daylight mean the end or the beginning of security? Find out when age and youth battle, as Palestine meets Peckham. "Zena Edwards is a mesmerising performer of deeply lyrical, musical, streetwise poetry." The Verb - BBC Radio 3 Written and performed by Zena Edwards Directed by Anthony Shrubsall Commissioned by Birmingham Rep in association with BAC. Produced by Talita Moffat and Apples and Snakes Poetry Organisation. MySpace

Persepolis (12A) (18:30 Monday, 19th May)

Mon, 19 May 2008 18:30:00 +0100

The Other Boleyn Girl (12A) (20:30 Monday, 19th May)

Mon, 19 May 2008 20:30:00 +0100