Sutton Coldfield Heritage – Royal Variety Show

With grateful thanks from Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network to Sutton Coldfield Charitable Trust for funding, the whole event went extremely well and audience and exhibitor / performer feedback was fantastic. Grea atmosphere, high quality performances, amazing variety, small but interesting creative and literary arts’ exhibition, and ‘a great night out’.

The Town’s Mayor said a couple of times he ‘hadn’t expected it to be as good as this!’ and the Mayoress said ‘fabulous’ quite a few times but particularly about the Queen medley finale played by Central England Concert Band with all performers and exhibitors on the stage happily waving and swaying!

The small but packing-a-punch exhibition showcased the excellent work of local artists including Misccreate Art School, Bold Writers literary arts, Maggie Taylor artist, Sutton Coldfield Local History Research Group, and Sutton Coldfield Heritage Network.

Following this diverse display of local visual and literary arts, King Henry VIII’s own composition ‘Pastime in Good Company’ played by the skilful Central England Concert Band, narrated by The Lady of the Manor, Lauren Jones, and supported by Henry VIII and Bishop Vesey in the flesh (incredible!) opened the concert in medieval style. Henry’s Choir continued the 1500s theme with Arabesque Silver Swans Chitty Chitty Bang Bang ballet moving the audience forward through time bringing Truly Scrumptious to life in Sutton Coldfield. Preserving young people’s opportunities to play great film music, the New Streetly Youth Orchestra started the second half with a variety of John Williams’ epic film themes, and continuing the youth theme, Sing ‘N Tonic Choir took us through almost every Disney film tune you could think of. The very first performance of Lads, Dads & Granddads Pop-Up Male Voice Choir got off the ground with Baba Yetu sung in Swahili (well done, chaps) and the audience fully understood why Premier Dance Company are World Champions given the quality of contemporary dance on display. Central England Concert Band, in its first major Sutton Coldfield concert and under the direction of local resident Martin Sleaford, threw in a James Bond medley along the way and led the Queen finale given both Roger Moore and Roger Taylor’s residential and business ties to the Town.

Along with increasing the numbers of stage hands for next year’s event to minimise delays, a call for 2026 performers and exhibitors will be out during next month.

The dignitaries photo – left to right: Stella Thebridge MBE, Event Director; Lauren Jones, The Lady of the Manor creative narrator; Colin Ingley, King Henry VIII; Councillor John Perks, the Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield; Mrs Sarah Perks, the Mayoress of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield; Chris Kettel, Bishop Vesey; Martin Sleaford, Event Artistic Director

The Silver Swans letter from Queen Camilla, herself a Silver Swan ballet dancer, reluctantly declining an invite to watch Arabesque Swans’ performance on Saturday night. Lleft-to-right: Donna, Arabesque School of Dance Silver Swan; Councillor John Perks, the Mayor of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield; Mrs Sarah Perks, the Mayoress of the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield;

The auditorium set out for concert at Bishop Vesey Grammar School