Birmingham Locations – Flatpack Festival

It seems entirely appropriate, considering where my walking tour started, that I make you aware of a number of events that Flatpack festival have organised to celebrate ‘Birmingham on Film.’

The highlights for me, as they all feature along the route of my walking tours, are;

• Privilege (1967), starring Paul Jones of Manfred Mann on 28th September
  Locations featured include St Andrews, New Street, Grand Hotel and the Town Hall.
• Gangsters, Episode 1 (1976), created by Philip Martin on 8th October
  Locations featured include Jewellery Quarter, Snow Hill Station, Broad Street and Gas Street. 
• Take Me High (1974), starring Cliff Richard on 6th October
  Locations featured include Alpha Tower, Council House, Gas Street and Broad Street.

In addition my tour partners at Film Birmingham are joining Flatpack for a behind the scenes look at some of the productions made in Birmingham that will give a greater insight into the world of the location scout in the ‘City of a Thousand Locations event.’

You will find me on the Still Walking curated tour ‘Looking for Kline‘ which also forms part of this festival, as well forming part of a series of walking tours curated by Ben Waddington, as I attempt to increase my own knowledge of the locations used by the TV series Gangsters from walk leader, artist Darryl Georgiou.

There are 22 events in total to check out in this celebration of Birmingham on Film, but book quickly as places will be limited.

Paul Jones in Privilege in a scene filmed at Birmingham Town Hall

Maurice Colbourne plays John Kline in Gangsters, seen here in a scene filmed at the former Snow Hill station.

Cliff Richard in Take Me High in a scene filmed at Gas Street Basin, with Alpha Tower in the background.

 

Free preview screening of Citizen Khan in Birmingham

Registration is open for preview screening of Citizen Khan

Series 4 of Citizen Khan starts Friday 30th October 2015. Image Copyright: BBC

A preview screening of two episodes of BBC One’s award winning, primetime sitcom Citizen Khan is to take place in Birmingham city centre on Tuesday 27 October and the BBC is giving local audiences an opportunity to be part of the event.

Birmingham-born Adil Ray (Mr Khan) along with and co-stars Bhavna Limbachia (Alia Khan), Abdullah Afzal (Amjad Malik), Adlyn Ross (Naani) and Krupa Pattani (Shazia Malik) will be in town for the red carpet screening at Cineworld on Broad Street, and audiences will have the chance to join them for a night of comedy.

Details of how to register for tickets for the event are now live via the BBC Shows and Tours website: bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

Now in its fourth series, Citizen Khan is a sitcom set in the Sparkhill area of Birmingham. The show follows the trials and tribulations of larger-than-life self-appointed community leader Mr Khan and his family. The opening episode to be screened at the preview sees the return of comedy legend Peter Bowles (To The Manor Born) return to our screens.

Adil Ray, creator and lead actor in Citizen Khan, said he’s delighted that the screening will be taking place in his home town.

“I’m very much looking forward to celebrating the new series of Citizen Khan with the people of Birmingham. I owe so much to our great city so it’s only right that we share this moment together. Plus Mr Khan needs to shift a few DVDs. He’s currently flogging VHS copies of Crossroads if anyone’s interested?”

Joe Godwin, Director of BBC Birmingham says: “We’re really pleased to be holding the screening of Citizen Khan on its home turf, Birmingham.

“It’s fantastic to have a major BBC One peak time comedy set here and I look forward to watching our city on the big screen alongside our audiences.”