This year, the Birmingham Stage company tours the two Horrible Histories books that got the gory ball rolling for actor-teacher turned publishing phenomenon Terry Deary in 1993: The Terrible Tudors and The Awesome Egyptians. The Egyptians have been upgraded to ‘Awful’: discover the foul facts of death and decay amid the mummies, and get to know some not so great things about Ramesses the Great. In Terrible Tudors, you hear tales of the torturing Tudors, discover the fate of Henry’s headless wives, and survive the Spanish Armada. The BBC has gone big on Horrible Histories for years, but Neal Foster’s productions use 3D-projections and old-fashioned rollicking theatricality to banish any whiff of classroom tedium or screen-dependency.

Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury, May 14-16, 2026; touring to Oct (Storyhouse, Chester); venues include Nottingham Theatre Royal, Bristol Old Vic and His Majesty’s, Aberdeen

Age recommendation: 5+

Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Tickets: https://birminghamstage.com

Matilda the Musical

The Team Relay consists of 5 legs of varying distance

The 44th annual Belfast City Marathon is set to take over the city this Sunday.

Thousands of runners will be putting on their trainers and taking on the mammoth 26.2-mile challenge alongside relay teams splitting up the miles.

Whether you are running for charity, setting yourself a new challenge or taking part for fun, the team relay at Belfast City Marathon is a beloved event for all those involved.

READ MORE: Belfast City Marathon 2026 road closures, route, transport, results, Expo details and more ahead of race dayREAD MORE: Belfast City Marathon Results 2026: Official finish times

The Team Relay consists of 5 legs, of varying distances, with changeover points across the route:

• LEG 1: Stormont Estate – Montgomery Road, 4.2 miles.
• LEG 2: Montgomery Road – Boucher Road, 6.8 miles.
• LEG 3: Boucher Road – Falls Road, 4.5 miles.
• LEG 4: Falls Road – Duncairn Gardens, 5 miles.
• LEG 5: Duncairn Gardens – Ormeau Park 5.7 miles.

Please note that team relay leg distances are approximate and subject to change and may differ as a result of where you changeover with your fellow team mate. Each changeover point could stretch over 0.5 miles.

The Belfast City Marathon has shared exact changeover points along the relay stops which correspond to each relay team numbers.

See the exact points in the post below…

Belfast City Marathon route map

How to get to Belfast City Marathon Relay starting points

A shuttle bus service will run 8:00am – 10:00am from Annadale Embankment at Dunnes Stores to drop runners off at their designated relay changeover point:

• Montgomery Road – 08:00 – 08:30
• Boucher Road – 08:30 – 09:00
• Falls Road – 09:00 – 09:30
• Duncairn Gardens – 09:30 – 10:00

Getting back to Belfast City Centre – a shuttle bus will transport participants from Ormeau Embankment to Belfast City Centre. This service will run from 11:45am – 4:00pm.

Getting back to Stormont – every 3rd shuttle bus leaving Ormeau Embankment will transport spectators back to Stormont

All buses are free to spectators and participants on race day.

Official Belfast Marathon finish times and results will be available here as soon as runners cross the finish line.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

Wannabe Reform UK councillor Stuart Prior has been exposed for a series of horrendous and alarming tweets.

A Reform candidate has launched an appalling racist tirade, even declaring white people “the master race”. Stuart Prior, standing in Essex in next week’s local elections, hit out with a slew of hateful comments just months ago.

The property company director appeared to celebrate Punjabi and Sikh women being raped, suggested black people had smaller brains and branded Muslims “rats”.

His extreme comments, made on a X, previously Twitter, account under his name, was revealed in a joint investigation with the Mirror and anti-racism group Hope Not Hate (HnH).

The 54-year-old was confronted by the Mirror at his detached property in an Essex village with a dossier of evidence, but denied being a racist.

On his “master race” tweet, Prior claimed: “I don’t recall that at all, blimey.” And in reference to his comment about black people’s brains, he said: “Goodness me, that is not me, 100 per cent not.”

And reading back his tweet saying “good” and “reap it” in reference to women being raped, Prior said: “No, this isn’t me.”

Prior’s X account is believed to have been deleted earlier this year. He is standing in Rayleigh West in a bid to win a county council seat, as well as in Sweyne Park and Grange, part of Rochford District Council.

HnH’s director of research Joe Mulhall said: “Of all the racist and extreme Reform candidates we’ve found, Stuart Prior is one of the worst.

“In the local elections, Reform are hoping to do well in Essex, the county in which Nigel Farage is an MP, and have been projected to win the Council. Reform’s decision to select Stuart Prior shows, however, that the people of Essex deserve far better.”

Prior’s tweets mark the latest blow for Farage’s party and its vetting standards. Last month, the Mirror exposed a series of Reform candidates’ views including one for being a fan of notorious fascist leader Oswald Mosley.

In response to a tweet questioning whether white women should be allowed to wear braids, Prior wrote in December: “As the master race, they can do as they please.”

In October, Your Party MP Zarah Sultana tweeted referring to a woman of Punjabi heritage being raped in a racist attack and a Sikh woman suffering the same fate, adding: “These horrifying attacks show how racism and misogyny feed each other – fuelled by the rise of fascism and hate.” Prior reposted the tweet, writing: “good.reap it”.

In November he suggested white people had bigger brains than black people. A user shared pictures of white athletes on the floor next to their black counterparts standing, writing: “But how did they manage to colonize us?”

In response, Prior wrote: “Larger brains. Google which race has the smallest brain…. Then, once you have that answer, Google whether brain size dictates intelligence in humans.”

The same month, Prior declared: “There cannot be a genocide against Muslims. It’s only ever self defence against those rats.” Reacting to a video of a black man apparently being disruptive on a tube train, in October Prior used a racial slur.

In response to a tweet referencing the Huntingdon knife attack, Prior wrote in November: “If this was caused by another third world invader, then this country needs a purge. From North to South and from East to West.”

When put to him by the Mirror that he had identified his house by sharing a picture of his dog by the window, Prior confirmed he had one of the animals, adding: “I don’t recall these tweets…”

Another image he posted of a Union flag shows part of his property. Read a tweet in which he had referred to immigrants as a “cancer”, Prior said: “This looks likely something that’s been kind of created against me.” Reform said it was “looking into” Prior’s posts.

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Charlie and Laura Haynes banged on Stacey Blackman’s front door in Folkestone, Kent, and then ambushed her with the weapon, before launching a prolonged assault that left her jaw fractured and teeth missing

A mum and son have been jailed for a combined 10 and a half years after a “vicious” and “unprovoked” hammer attack on a former friend.

Charlie and Laura Haynes banged on Stacey Blackman’s front door in Folkestone, Kent, and then ambushed her with the weapon, before launching a prolonged assault that left her jaw fractured and teeth missing.

When their former friend curled into a ball, the duo dragged her into the bathroom and forced her head underwater, causing her to fear drowning.

Charlie, who was 19 at the time of the attack, then repeatedly punched Ms Blackman’s face as she tried resting her head on the toilet seat inside her blood-splattered bathroom.

Following their arrest the next day, the pair denied their actions, but a jury unanimously convicted them of grievous bodily harm with intent in February following a trial at Canterbury Crown Court.

Ms Blackman was left with horrific injuries, including a fracture to her left upper jaw, eight missing teeth, bruising and wounds to her mouth. Following the assault on the morning of June 1, 2024 mum and son fled and took the hammer with them, washed it, before stashing it in a cupboard under the sink.

The prosecution said the attack was a revenge one, although the motivations were unclear.

One suggestion was an incident where Laura’s windows were smashed by stones. Another was that the attack was over a missing phone.

Prosecutor Allister Walker described how the mum gave her son instructions as he beat Ms Blackman, and made comments such as, “Where’s your boyfriend now?”

He read the court a statement written by Ms Blackman, in which she said: “I used to feel safe in my home. I’m still physically suffering due to the attack. I was beaten so badly that eight teeth were knocked out of my mouth, and I need further dental treatment.

“This treatment isn’t covered by the NHS, and I am told it will cost £20,000, including bone grafts. Sometimes, I get phantom pain where my teeth were. It has impacted my self-confidence. I hate looking in the mirror as the scars are a reminder of the assault.

“I am not the same person I was before this happened.”

She said that she no longer goes out before 9pm, as that’s when the mum and son’s police enforced curfew began. Ms Blackman also says she could not use her own bathtub for months after the assault.

She added: “Laura was my friend. This was not a random attack.”

Mr Walker said that there was “a significant degree of planning and premeditation” by the pair.

Defending both Charlie, now 22, and Laura, Nicholas Hamblin said they both were of previous good character.

He told the court: “Laura, aged 40, has a caution or reprimand when she was considerably younger for an offence of a completely different nature. She has caring responsibility not only for her 14-year-old twins, but also for her mother, who unfortunately is subject to early-onset dementia.

“Charlie has, in the pre-sentence report, spoken of regret for attending the home and what happened thereafter. He was 19 at the time, so an immature young man.”

Mr Hamblin also said Charlie has suffered from considerable anxiety, to the extent that a referral to mental health services was considered.

He said that as a single mother, Laura’s two girls would have to be rehoused, and her pets rehomed. He added: “A friend of over 25 years describes her as a devoted mother and a kind and compassionate person. She is sincerely sorry for how things unfolded, and said it was the biggest mistake of her life. It’s my submission that there is every hope this young man and his mother will never trouble the court again.”

The pair, from Folkestone at the time of the assault but more recently living in Ashford, were sentenced yesterday at Canterbury Crown Court. Recorder Michael Turner described the attack as “vicious, unprovoked and sustained”.

Jailing Charlie for five years and Laura for five-and-a-half, he said: “It’s difficult to see your motivation for such an out-of-control, violent assault, and it’s unsurprising that, as said in the impact statement, Ms Blackman has continued to suffer not only physical injuries but also from the psychological impacts of them.

“Ms Blackman was a victim who was obviously vulnerable due to her personal circumstances.

“I have taken into account your respective caregiving responsibilities, which in each case are significant, Laura, in particular, the twins for whom you are the sole carer. At the end of the day, this was an extremely serious assault that was completely unprovoked, on a defenceless, vulnerable woman early in the morning.”

The pair will each have to pay a victim surcharge of £228 and are subject to a restraining order preventing them from contacting Ms Blackman for five years.

They will be required to serve at least two-thirds of their sentences behind bars before being released on licence.

It’s revision season. If you’re a student preparing for upcoming exams, you might be tempted to put aside sport or other physical activity for a while in order to dedicate more time to learning.

But exercise is extremely important for academic success. Make time to be active. It may well help you revise better.

Doing some physical activity improves our ability to think and process information. My research with colleagues has shown this to be true for both primary school and secondary school pupils.

In fact, when we consider the different types of cognition, such as perception, memory and attention, the domain where physical activity has the greatest benefit is executive function. This is our ability to carry out complex, higher-level thinking. It’s the domain that is linked to academic performance.

Research has found that the beneficial effects of physical activity on cognition last for around 45 minutes. This means it is important to have regular activity breaks to maximise the boost exercise gives to revision.

You could try scheduling your revision in hour-long blocks: 45 minutes of work followed by 10-15 minutes of physical activity. This could be walking, running, body weight exercises such as squats, or even some stretching.

Perhaps most importantly, though, find an activity that you like. You’ll then be more likely to incorporate it into your revision routine. So this could be a ten-minute walk after an hour of revision, a quick five-minute break for some squats or press-ups every half hour – or a morning swim or lunchtime run.

If you can, try to go outside for these breaks. My colleagues and I have recently carried out research showing that outdoor physical activity is more beneficial than indoor physical activity for cognition.

This was true for attention, memory and executive function, which we assessed using a battery of computerised tests. So, get up, take a break, get outside, get active and boost your revision.

You can also use the boost that exercise gives you on exam days. Perhaps take a pre-exam walk – it might help calm any nerves, too.

There are many possible reasons why physical activity can boost your revision. For example, it can increase blood flow to the brain and cause the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters – the tiny signalling molecules which help our brains work more effectively.

It’s vital that schools keep in mind how important physical activity is during exam season, too. One challenge here is that, in many schools, the sports hall also becomes the exam hall. This is understandable given space requirements.

Rather than limiting opportunities for PE, though, it could seen as an opportunity to take school physical activity outside, and for teachers to find innovative ways to help their students get the extra cognition boost that comes from being outdoors.

It’s key that schools, parents and students themselves don’t stop prioritising keeping active, even when there’s so much revision to cram in. Of course, there is always a balance to be found, but physical activity boosts our cognition, revision and learning. Why would we not want to make the most of this?

I often use the term “unleashing the power of physical activity”. I encourage you to do just this during revision and exam season. Whether you (or your child, your class, or any young people you know) are revising for GCSEs, A levels, university exams or any other tests, the same applies – stay smart, and stay active.

Looking to capitalise on any slip-up from the Tractor Boys is third-place Millwall, who host relegated Oxford as they look to book their place in the Premier League for the very first time. A point behind them is Middlesbrough, on the road at Wrexham with a tough task to end a top-tier exile that has lasted for almost a decade. Only one of those teams can go up this afternoon, with the other two having to pick themselves up quickly for the lottery of the play-offs, where Southampton are already guaranteed a place.

The poll predicts that a Reform breakthrough and a Scottish Green surge could push Labour into fourth place.

The SNP is set for a majority at the upcoming Holyrood election while Labour and the Tories are set to suffer historic collapses, according to a new poll.

The MRP poll for the Herald, conducted by the company which most accurately predicted the results of the 2024 general election, predicts the Scottish Greens could push Anas Sarwar’s Labour into fourth place with Reform UK in second.

First Minister John Swinney and the SNP has argued that winning an outright majority would, in effect, deliver a mandate for a new referendum on independence.

In its final model the polling firm Stonehaven has the SNP on course to win 66 seats, just above the 65-seat threshold needed for a majority.

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Reform UK would end up in second place with 21 seats, the Scottish Greens on 14 in third and Scottish Labour on 13 in fourth, according to the poll. If the polling is correct then the two pro-independence parties would have 62 per cent of all MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. Russell Findlay’s Scottish Tories would lose out considerably by returning just seven MSPs – down from 31 in 2021.

The Scottish Conservatives are forecast to return just seven MSPs, down significantly on the 31 won in 2021. The Lib Dems would have eight MSPs.

The model is based on interviews with 3379 people, carried out in seven rounds of polling between early February and late April 2026, with the most recent figures coming from 1289 people surveyed between April 16 and 21.

Keith Brown, the SNP’s depute leader, said: “The SNP is the only party focused on people’s priorities – putting in place a cap on the cost of essential food items, delivering a £2 bus fare cap and rolling out GP walk-in centres across the country. Meanwhile, Labour have nothing positive to say and are fighting it out in fourth place.

“They want people to vote for an opposition to stop things happening, I am asking people to vote for an SNP Government to get things done. “

A Reform spokesperson said: “This shows support for Reform UK is continuing to surge while Labour and the Tories are now irrelevant. If you want to beat the SNP and the extremist Greens vote Reform UK.”

A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said: “This poll highlights the very real threat of an SNP majority, which John Swinney has repeatedly said he will use to push for another referendum.

“But pro-UK voters can prevent that constitutional chaos by backing the Scottish Conservatives on their peach ballot. It’s the tried and tested way to stop an SNP majority.”

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Steven Spielberg’s 1991 adventure film Hook starring Robin Williams has been praised as “one of the greatest childhood films ever made”

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A classic film hailed as a “masterpiece” by audiences is showing today.

Boasting a truly impressive cast, led by the late Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Dame Maggie Smith and Bob Hoskins, Hook mesmerised audiences when it first premiered in 1991.

The film, helmed by Steven Spielberg, follows the famous Captain James Hook as he abducts Peter’s children, forcing the now adult lawyer (Robin), who has forgotten all recollection of his past, to return to Neverland and the Lost Boys to reclaim his youthful essence and confront his former enemy.

Roberts led the cast as Peter Pan, Bob played the part of Smee, while Dame Maggie gave a profoundly touching portrayal as Granny Wendy, following her childhood adventures with Peter.

The cast also featured music legend Phil Collins, Caroline Goodall and Dante Basco as the beloved Rufio, leader of the Lost Boys, reports the Mirror.

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Surprisingly, upon its debut, Hook struggled to win over (adult) reviewers and received a 29% score from professional critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reviewers pointed to its unevenness and “terrible child roles”, yet audiences score it almost 50% higher, at 76%. Numerous devotees have condemned the programme’s poor rating, maintaining that the beloved film is a “masterpiece.”

One audience member posted on Reddit: “I think the critic rating was abysmally wrong. Imo this movie is a masterpiece. I think Spielberg hated it because it hits too close to home.

“Sometimes as artists we make things that we don’t understand or embrace until much later, where unintended meaning slips through.”

They went on: “His biggest complaint and his thoughts on changing it – adding green screen/mocap – are wild to read about when to me the overt set reinforces the hallucination/dream framing of the entire movie. Hook with a green screen would be terrible.”

Another remarked: “I was well into my twenties before I even realized that this movie was widely disliked. It was always a classic in my mind, and still is.”

A third viewer praised on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, “This is truly one of the greatest childhood movies. I just introduced my 4and5 year-old to this movie this evening and they were engrossed from the second it started.

“even cried a few times with pure happiness for the memories it brought back,.”

Another said it was ‘the best childhood film of all time’. One insisted: “Hook is a masterpiece of film. There is nothing more to say. It’s perfect,”

Meanwhile another fans added: “This defined my childhood. I was completely enthralled by this movie. I watched it for the first time in 25 years this past weekend and it was just as perfect as it was then.”

Hook airs on Channel 5 at 2.45pm on Saturday, May 2

When our descendants look back upon the genre that has most governed the British TV-watching public’s tastes, they could very likely land upon the crime thriller.

It’s gritty, it’s darkly humoured, it’s occasionally bleak – what could be better suited to our national sensibilities?

Thanks to some robust commercial partnerships (wait, don’t fall asleep), there is an embarrassment of riches when you stumble upon Netflix‘s binge-worthy British crime shows. They literally have an entire genre category for it.

Whether it’s hard-boiled coppers, cunning criminals or even citizen detectives, these criminally-minded thrillers have something for everyone. 

So here are our top picks of the good cops from the bad ones, over on Netflix this very moment.

Peaky Blinders

Obviously! The breadth and scale of Peaky Blinders warranted a franchise of TV and film content that is still going.

The Shelby dynasty is among Birmingham’s biggest cultural exports. Just look at the impact it’s had on David Beckham’s wardrobe.

Cillian Murphy shot to fame as swaggering Tommy Shelby, who heads up his family’s criminal syndicate in the wake of World War I.

The Gentlemen

Guy Ritchie’s first return to form in some time came with this TV remake/spin-off of his 2019 film of the same name.

It’s bold, brash and distinctly British. 

It was also his first decent female protagonist (despite the show’s title). Kaya Scodelario’s aloof Susie Glass heads up a series of underground marijuana plants, hidden on the enormous estates of our landed gentry.

This one’s heavy on crime and light on the coppers. It’s also incredibly good fun. Season two, coming soon.

Top Boy

We have another criminal enterprise in Top Boy.

Netflix was instrumental in the survival of the show, after it ended its run on Channel 4. 

Ronan Bennett’s saga has been touted as a hugely realistic portrayal of life on a crime-ridden Hackney council estate with ‘shotting’ (selling), ‘food’ (drugs) and ‘Ps’ (cash) in the mix.

As gritty as it is heartbreaking, of everything on the list, this probably best tackles what desperate people can be driven to in order to survive.

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The Serpent

The Serpent takes on the true crime story of the icy serial killer and fraudster Charles Sobhraj, played by Tahar Rahim. It even manages to do so with some sensitivity.

Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman plays his inscrutable girlfriend Marie-Andrée Leclerc.

The show, originally on the BBC, is mostly set in Asia in the mid-’70s as Sobhraj drugs and kills Western travellers, hiding behind the absence of any joined-up international communication at the time.

Dept Q

Setting a dusty cold case file in front of a crack team of coppers isn’t reinventing the TV wheel. Making the detective in charge of said team the most disliked man in the police precinct is also nothing new.

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But Dept Q is further proof that when it comes to bad-tempered, trauma-laden crime shows, the limit does not exist.

This one benefits from a violently unhinged baddie, who it’s impossible to look away from.

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A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder

A bit of a different kettle of fish with this mystery thriller for young adults. AGGGTM follows teen citizen detective Pip (Emma Myers) and is set in a sleepy English town you’ll want to move to.

Alongside some boundless summer activities, Pip decides to take on the disappearance of schoolmate Andie Bell and crack the case.

It can be a bit ludicrous in parts (such as the fact that this is touted as part of her sixth form studies) but you’ll want to stick around to see whodunnit.

The Fall

This psychological thriller was the talk of British TV when it first hit screens, with avid discussion over whether it was glorifying its criminal.

Jamie Dornan stars as the perfectly detached Belfast killer of women in their thirties, who, to observers, is a regular-degular happily married dad of two.

Gillian Anderson is parachuted in from the Met to hunt the killer out, in what is a brilliant, creepy two-hander. 

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Line of Duty

To many, this will be the apex of the crime thriller. Jed Mercurio’s masterwork captivated the nation for years.

Now, with more on the way, this ultimate cop show needs to prove it can do it all over again. 

Starring the trio of Vicky McClure, Martin Compston and Adrian Dunbar, the show revolves around the anti-corruption police unit AC-12 as they try to root out sinister forces within the police and politics. 

Expect tense interrogation scenes, jaw-dropping twists and high-octane action – maybe all you can ask from a thriller.

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