Arts Diary: Will Marriott

Shaw has no idea where the box will be placed, although he has been told the location will be somewhere significant to him and he won't be freed until he is found by a member of the public who wins 30,000.

The DJ's spell in solitary confinement will be screened via the internet where he will talk about incidents in his life in the hope of giving a few clues as to where he might be.

With Shaw having lived in Sheffield and Leeds over the years, there's a good chance he could end up in God's own county. Money raised will go to Help For Heroes and for more info visit www.maninbox.com.

Samantha Fox and Mick Fleetwood famously proved just how difficult it can be to host a music awards ceremony, but hopefully Jarvis Cocker will have a smoother ride.

The Sheffield singer, who gatecrashed Michael Jackson's 1996 Brit Awards performance, will present this year's Shockwaves NME Awards at the O2 Brixton Academy later this month, where it's already been announced Paul Weller will receive the Godlike Genius Award.

"I'm quite excited about it," said Cocker. "And, you know, I spoke to various people from the magazine and explained certain things about myself and it didn't put them off, so they know what they're in for." We wait with baited breath.

While the big screen version of The Hobbit is due to be released next year, fans are being given the chance to get an early fix in Bradford next month, when a stage version of JRR Tolkein's tale opens at the Alhambra. Adapted by Glyn Robbins, who has previously turned his hand to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the play, from March 2-6, follows Bilbo Baggins on a quest to reclaim a kingdom and treasure.

The season line-up already features acting royalty and now Prince Edward is to give his seal of approval to the new look Sheffield Crucible.

Sir Ian McKellen has already given his support to the venue, Sir Antony Sher is treading the boards in The Enemy of the People and next week the Earl of Wessex will meet artistic director Daniel Evans before the official opening.

Dan Bates, chief executive for Sheffield Theatres, said: "The re-opening of the Crucible is a major boost for the city and the region. We are absolutely delighted to have the Earl of Wessex with us to celebrate the official re-opening. The theatre will once again be of huge benefit to the public with an excellent set of new facilities and new programme of dynamic and exciting work".

Boredom can be a powerful thing. After their homecoming appearance at last summer's Leeds Festival, Kaiser Chiefs disappeared.

However, according to front man Ricky Wilson the band's break from the music business has done them the power of good. "After a couple of months we got bored," Wilson told the BBC.

"Then I got really bored, then mind-numbingly bored and that's when you start thinking about the fact you want to get up and do something again."

The band are working on a new album in a studio built by drummer Nick Hodgson. "I haven't felt this creative since we first started," added Wilson. "There's no release date – what would be the point? It's funny, I read on the internet people going, 'When is the new album coming out?' Give us a chance!"