More Theatre News
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Mean Girls The Musical is coming to the Midlands
Posted on Tue 10 Jun
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Review: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe
Posted on Wed 04 Jun
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Review: Cruel Intentions The Musical at Birmingham Hippodrome
Posted on Wed 04 Jun
There’s never a dull month when it comes to theatre in the Midlands. Check out our selection of shows coming to venues across the region during the next few weeks...
TITUS ANDRONICUS
Shakespeare’s early revenge tragedy, Titus Andronicus, is well known for its high level of bloodshed. So if you’re of a delicate disposition, you’d probably be better off finding yourself a nice production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream to enjoy!
A brutal war has cost Roman general Titus Andronicus his two sons. To honour their deaths, he executes the eldest child of his enemies' queen - an action which precipitates further blood-letting...
“We’re not doing it in Elizabethan dress,” says Emma Fielding, who plays the title character’s sister, Marcia. “There’s violence written in the script, but it’s being done slightly differently. It’s not like Reservoir Dogs!”
RSC royalty Simon Russell Beale takes the title role.
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Saturday 7 June
CRUEL INTENTIONS
Inspired by Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Cruel Intentions hit cinema screens just before the Millennium, presenting a world of wealthy New York teenagers in which stories of scandal and seduction were commonplace.
This jukebox-musical version of the film follows the manipulative schemes of lead characters Kathryn and Sebastian, along the way serving up a soundtrack of 90s hits and an array of spaghetti straps, chunky heels, and oblong sunglasses.
With hits by Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, NSYNC and Christina Aguilera, the show’s pop quota is definitely reached - and there are songs from the original film’s alt-rock soundtrack, too; The Verve, Placebo and Counting Crows are among the bands whose music is featured.
Birmingham Hippodrome, until Saturday 7 June
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
This much-loved story from the pen of CS Lewis is rightly regarded as an all-time classic of children’s literature. It sees the lion-god Aslan coming to the aid of four youngsters who’ve accidentally stumbled into his mystical world of Narnia...
Visiting Birmingham this month having last stopped off in the city at The Rep for the Christmas 2023/24 season, the show features ‘magical storytelling, bewitching stagecraft and incredible puppets’.
“We have this epic stage and fantastic imagery,” says the production’s director, Michael Fentiman, “but there’s not a lot of literal depiction of location of the show. Instead, we’re asking the audience to take a leap with us. We work with an illusionist to try and do things that seem impossible. So the way we use magic and lighting and shift-of-focus achieves the possible from the seemingly impossible.”
The show’s Midlands stop-offs come as part of a UK-wide tour to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the novel’s publication.
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, until Saturday 7 June; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 28 October - Saturday 1 November
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO PHOEBE SALT
Forming part of the Arthur Berry 100 and Stoke-on-Trent centenary celebrations, Whatever Happened To Phoebe Salt is here receiving its world premiere, 37 years after unsung local playwright Berry wrote the play. Born and raised in the industrial heartland of Stoke-on-Trent, Phoebe spends her days working in the meat market but desperate to break into showbusiness. Soon enough, opportunity comes knocking. But will a TV appearance help her finally escape the trials and tribulations of her working life?...
“Arthur was writing specifically for our theatre-in-the-round with Phoebe Salt,” explains New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins. “It’s such a privilege to be producing his final play, written for the New Vic but never performed.”
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Saturday 21 June
HAMLET HAIL TO THE THIEF
This ‘dynamic’ new version of Hamlet sees Shakespeare’s words illuminated by seminal Radiohead album Hail To The Thief, with the deconstructed record - reworked by the band’s frontman, Thom Yorke - performed live on stage by a cast of 20 musicians and actors.
Commenting on the unique theatrical initiative, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s co-artistic directors, Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, said: “Hamlet Hail To The Thief is a momentous project for us. To combine the totemic talents of William Shakespeare with Radiohead and Thom Yorke into a thrilling experiential piece of theatre... is a dream. It’s an event that embodies a core strand of our work, which is to be a meeting place for the work of our in-house playwright with the most exciting artists of our time, both nationally and internationally.”
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon, Avon, until Saturday 28 June
THE ELMER ADVENTURE
Suitable for children aged three-plus, this lively production tells the story of a patchwork elephant who determines to hide his ‘true colours’ in an effort to blend in, only to find that he feels happiest when he’s simply being himself.
The greatly admired Tall Stories - much-loved for their stage adaptations of The Gruffalo and Room On The Broom - are the company behind this latest stage presentation of David McKee's much-loved creation.
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Thursday 5 - Saturday 7 June; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 June
YOU CHOOSE
The highly rated Nonsense Room have plenty of form when it comes to providing top-quality theatre experiences for youngsters to enjoy - their touring productions of Shark In The Park and Hairy Maclary have been met with pretty much universal acclaim wherever they’ve visited.
The company’s latest venture, You Choose, is an interactive musical based on the same-named picture book by Pippa Goodhart and Shark In The Park author Nick Sharratt. Using the book as inspiration, and via a series of games and challenges, Nonsense Room promise that each show will be a unique experience, ‘featuring different locations, costumes and much more every time!’
Halesowen Town Hall, Friday 6 June
THE WORST PRINCESS
As stereotypical princesses go, Sue is pretty rubbish. Her ‘handsome prince’ isn’t much cop either. So it’s no wonder she’s more interested in having adventures, causing mischief and making unusual friends - including a larger-than-life dragon!...
Anna Kemp’s much-loved picture book is here brought to life by the talented creatives at Full House Theatre, whose 55-minute production brings together ‘laugh-out-loud comedy, cool puppets and singalong pop anthems’.
Lichfield Garrick, Saturday 7 & Sunday 8 June
THE CROFT
Two women arrive at a former crofter’s hut in the deserted village of Coillie Ghille. The remote Scottish Highlands seems the perfect place to get away from it all - until, that is, the two friends find themselves enveloped by The Croft’s dark and dangerous history...
Written by Ali Milles and based on a true highland story, the show stars Gray O’Brien (Coronation Street), Caroline Harker (A Touch Of Frost -pictured) and, topping the bill, veteran television actor Liza Goddard (Doctor Who and Bergerac).
“I think audiences will enjoy The Croft,” says Liza. “I think they’ll have a good time, find it intriguing, and maybe a little bit scary!”
The show is being presented by long-established Bury St Edmunds company Original Theatre, which recently toured to the region with its critically acclaimed adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ epic World War One novel, Birdsong.
The Rep, Birmingham, Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 June
BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF
Television viewers of a certain vintage might well remember Boys From The Blackstuff and the impact that it made.
Alan Bleasdale’s bleak, Liverpool-located, award-winning seminal drama series from 1982 followed the trials and tribulations of five out-of-work tarmac layers struggling to make ends meet in an era of high unemployment. The series made a star of actor Bernard Hill, whose portrayal of mentally disintegrating headbutter Yosser Hughes - complete with his catchphrase of “Gizza job. Go on, gizza job. I can do that” - captured the nation’s imagination...
This powerful new stage adaptation of Bleasdale’s iconic masterpiece is visiting the region direct from the National Theatre and London West End.
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 June; Theatr Clwyd, Mold, Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 July
SPOT'S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Steve the Monkey, Tom the Crocodile and Helen the Hippo are poised to party with birthday boy Spot the Dog in this theatrical adaptation of Eric Hill’s classic book, Happy Birthday Spot.
Coming complete with singing, dancing and lots of interactive party games, the show is suitable for children aged two-plus.
Stourbridge Town Hall, Tuesday 10 June; Lichfield Garrick, Tuesday 1 & Wednesday 2 July; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 19 July
PENGUIN
Disabled artist Hamzeh Al Hussien - who moved from Syria to Gateshead as part of the UK's Syrian Resettlement Programme - here recounts the story of his life. The production is captioned in both English and Arabic.
The set has 2 screens on stage – the English subtitles are on the left (as you look at the stage) the Arabic on the right.
Age recommendation 11 plus
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wednesday 11 & Thursday 12 June
AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH
With Kate Bush less than enthusiastic about performing live, cabaret stalwart Sarah-Louise Young has stepped into the breach to present this lively stand-in offering. It’s not a tribute show in the conventional sense of the word, but it certainly has more than enough for Bush lovers to enjoy, including impressive renditions of their idol’s greatest hits.
The Rep, Birmingham, Friday 13 - Saturday 14 June
LITTLE WOMEN
Here given a makeover by well-regarded Shropshire theatre company Hotbuckle, Louisa May Alcott’s famous tale focuses on four sisters - Jo, Beth, Meg and Amy - as they experience passion, romance, heartache and hardship during the brutal and challenging years of the American Civil War.
Pitchford Hall, Shropshire, Friday 13 June; Ironbridge Gorge Museums, Shropshire, Sunday 15 June; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Monday 23 & Tuesday 24 June
BING'S BIRTHDAY
Bing’s Birthday’s promoters are confident that their brand-new show is a perfect ‘first theatre trip’ for pre-schoolers and their families. And why wouldn’t they be, given that the production is awash with fun, laughter, music, puppetry and dressing-up?... Based on the animated CBeebies television series, the production runs for 70 minutes, including an interval.
Birmingham Town Hall, Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 1 & Wednesday 2 July
IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE
If your little ones are big fans of the much-loved CBeebies television series, they’re certain to adore this live version as well.
And it’s not only the kids who’re in love with the stage shows. According to audience surveys and parents' reviews, nine out of 10 adults consider In The Night Garden Live to be a five-star theatrical experience.
The show lasts for 60 interval-free minutes, sees Igglepiggle looking for his friends in the Night Garden (by following their funny sounds), and features a very special visit from ‘the amazing flying Pinky Ponk’.
Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Saturday 14 & Sunday 15 June; The Rep, Birmingham, Saturday 2 - Wednesday 6 August
CIRQUE DE CELINE
Circus meets melody in this gravity-defying show, in which acrobats and aerialists dance to the rhythm of Celine Dion’s biggest hits - including The Power Of Love, It’s All Coming Back To Me Now and My Heart Will Go On.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 14 June; The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Saturday 20 September
TOM GATES EPIC STAGE SHOW
This brand-new show pays loving tribute to author & illustrator Liz Pichon’s award-winning Tom Gates stories. Liz’s series of books about the character have been translated into 47 languages, selling more than four million copies worldwide.
“I wanted to fill the books with all the things I loved doing when I was a kid,” says Liz. “It's just the best feeling ever to know that children are enjoying reading the books, because I love making them. So thank you so much for choosing Tom Gates, and keep reading and doodling!”
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sunday 15 June; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 20 July; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wednesday 23 July; Malvern Theatre, Wednesday 30 July
THE FAMILY MAGIC SHOW
Those unfamiliar with The Great Baldini are advised to imagine an amalgamation of arch Bond villain Ernst Blofeld and legendary magician/comedian Tommy Cooper.
The self-proclaimed - presumably with his tongue firmly in his cheek - ‘emperor of illusion, prince of prestidigitation and maharajah of mystery’ is stopping off in the region this month to tell the story of his partnership with his faithful companion, Baldwin The Magical Dog...
Bristol-based Baldini comes complete with a host of five-star reviews and is a firm family favourite, so be sure to check him out before he disappears in the proverbial puff of smoke...
Mitchell Arts Centre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 15 June; Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham, Sunday 22 June; Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Saturday 25 October
SPITFIRE GIRLS
As war shook their land, they took to the skies...
The real life but rarely acknowledged war-effort contribution of the women of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) is joyously celebrated in this heartwarming new play from Tilted Wig.
Paying tribute to the pioneering pilots who took to the skies during the Second World War to ferry warplanes between factories, maintenance units and front-line squadrons, the show has been developed and produced with support from the National Theatre’s Generate Programme.
Recommended ages 10+
The Rep, Birmingham, Monday 16 - Saturday 21 June
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Accessible language, likeable characters and a series of comic capers with an ass combine to make A Midsummer Night’s Dream one of Shakespeare’s most popular works.
Lysander and Demetrius both fancy Hermia, Helena’s sitting on the shelf, Titania and Oberon are up to no good, and Puck’s got his finger in more pies than Mr Kipling...
Not that the plot is likely to be overly important in this particular production, given the fact that it’s zany funsters Oddsocks who’re at the helm! Expect plenty of madcap mayhem and knockabout fun from this always-value-for-money ensemble.
Age recommendation 7+
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Monday 16 - Wednesday 18 June; Victoria Gardens, Tewkesbury, Thursday 26 June; Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Saturday 5 July; Avoncroft Museum, Bromsgrove, Sunday 6 July; Bowring Park, Telford, Thursday 10 July; Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Friday 11 July
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen makes a welcome return this month.
Packed with some of the biggest musical theatre songs of the last decade, and here presented by Nottingham Playhouse, the hit show focuses on title character and high-school student Evan, a young man struggling with social anxiety disorder, who has a therapeutic and self-intended letter stolen by classmate Connor Murphy.
When Connor later dies by suicide, Evan inserts himself into the boy’s past - a decision that soon leads to a series of lies and confrontational events...
“Ultimately, Dear Evan Hansen is about hope,” says Ryan Kopel, who plays the title character. “No matter what you’re going through, its message is that there is always someone to talk to and reasons why you should go on. That’s what I’d like people to take away from the show.”
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 17 - Saturday 25 June
TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
This celebration of the late, great Tina Turner visits Birmingham as part of its first-ever UK tour and tells the story of one of the brightest stars in the musical firmament.
Taking audiences on a journey from Tina’s humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, the musical was fully endorsed by the rock & roll legend prior to her death. “It’s really important to me to have the chance to share my full story,” said Tina. “This musical is not about my stardom. It is about the journey I took to get there. Each night, I want audiences to take away from the theatre that you can turn poison into medicine.”
Expect a pulse-pounding soundtrack of Tina’s iconic hits, including The Best, What’s Love Got To Do With It?, Private Dancer and River Deep, Mountain High.
The show has been written by Olivier Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall (The Mountaintop) and is helmed by the internationally acclaimed Phyllida Lloyd, who’s best known for directing Mamma Mia!.
Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesday 17 - Saturday 28 June
CALAMITY JANE
Calamity Jane, telling the story of the Wild West’s most notorious female outlaw, is best known from its 1953 film version, starring Doris Day and Howard Keel. In common with the movie, the stage show boasts comedy, drama, dance and music, with its playlist including such much-loved numbers as The Deadwood Stage, Black Hills Of Dakota, Windy City and Secret Love.
“The show is so wholesome,” says West End star Carrie Hope Fletcher, who takes the title role. “It’s such a wonderful, nostalgic story. People are going to come and be immersed in the world of Deadwood City, be transported away for a while and not have to think about the state of the world right now.
“Calamity Jane is a really fun, feelgood time, and I think our audiences will be leaving the theatre slapping their thighs and singing. That’s what we hope, anyway!”
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 17 - Sat 21 June; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 September
THE POLDARK SHOW: HYPNOSIS & MAGIC
A soaraway success at Artrix last year, stage hypnotist Poldark here makes a welcome return to the venue with another evening of how-did-he-do-that?! trickery. Magician, mentalist and YouTube sensation Cavan Booth kickstarts the evening’s entertainment.
Artrix, Bromsgrove, Thursday 19 June
DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING (ALONG)?
The Old Joint Stock Theatre is this month providing musical theatre fans with the chance to sing along to some of their favourite showstoppers.
Taking the subtitle Musical Crowd-Pleasers, Do You Hear The People Sing (Along)? is being publicised as a show in which ‘you can defy gravity, and dance through life without fear of an usher’s dreaded flashlight stopping the fun’.
Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Thursday 19 - Sunday 22 June
ROOH: WITHIN HER
Stories from the distant past are brought together with narratives from recent history in this one-woman show from Urja Desai Thakore. Urja’s aim is to explore ‘narratives in quiet, everyday heroism’ drawn from across two millennia. In the process, she hones in not only on mythical and literary female figures but also inspirational individuals from within her own immediate family. The production has a running time of 65 minutes.
Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Friday 20 June
VELMA CELLI: SHOW QUEEN
Award-winning cabaret star Velma Celli is inviting audience members to grease up their voice boxes and head to Theatreland for this bright and breezy celebration of West End and Broadway musicals.
Expect numbers from shows including Cabaret, Wicked, Funny Girl, Les Miserables, Cats, Six and Mamma Mia!.
Dudley Town Hall, Friday 20 June
CELTIC THRONE: PSALTER OF IRELAND
Psalter Of Ireland is a show with plenty going on. Indeed, its performers, Celtic Throne, are promising far more than a traditional Irish dance production...
Alongside the fancy footwork, formidable stomping, innovative choreography, elaborate sets, dramatic lighting and impressive special effects that audiences have come to expect from this kind of well-established entertainment, the production also features cinematic video storytelling and high-energy displays of acrobatics and martial arts... With a score by award-winning composer Brian Byrne, the show traces the history of sixth-century BC Irish sage & legislator Ollav Fola.
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Sunday 22 June
CHICAGO
Coming complete with formation dancing and a healthy supply of fishnets, Tony and Olivier Award-winning Broadway and West End hit Chicago delves into the dark underbelly of the Windy City during the Jazz Age.
Kander & Ebb’s legendary musical is based on real-life events in the Roaring 20s and centres on the character of Roxie Hart, a nightclub singer who’s arrested and imprisoned for shooting her lover. Together with her cell-block rival, double-murderess Velma Kelly, Roxie fights to stay off Death Row with the help of smooth-talking lawyer Billy Flynn...
Strictly Come Dancing favourite Janette Manrara takes a break from everything else she’s doing nowadays to play Roxy, with Darren Day making a welcome return in the role of Billy Flynn.
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Monday 23 - Saturday 28 June
PETER JAMES: PICTURE YOU DEAD
Bestselling crime writer Peter James has scored major successes on stage as well as in print and on TV, with adaptations of his novels having played to appreciative audiences at venues across the UK.
This latest offering sees Detective Superintendent Roy Grace - the Brighton-based policeman who’s headed up murder investigations in a number of James’ most popular works - investigating a cold case that leads him into the secretive world of fine art... Casualty’s George Rainsford returns in the role of Grace, with Peter Ash (Coronation Street) and Fiona Wade (Emmerdale) also featuring in the cast.
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 June
HAMLET
This year’s Stafford Shakespeare show is a somewhat more conventional version of Hamlet than the Radiohead-inspired production being presented at the RSC.
Benedict Shaw is the man who is here tasked with taking the perilous voyage into his own psyche - a journey which any actor grappling with the role of Hamlet must surely make. Expect madness, murder, mayhem, and many a famous quote.
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Tuesday 24 June - Saturday 5 July
YOU KNOW MY MUM
Marketed as ‘a cheeky comedy about life and death for all the family’, You Know My Mum is presented by Ego Arts and features a baby bird named Bluey and a 25-year-old woman with Down’s syndrome, who is struggling to come to terms with the death of her mother.
While Bluey learns about fried chicken factories and joins a boot camp for birds, Alex battles Harry Potter monsters and dreams about life after death. As her wild imagination comes to life, she begins to realise that the love which she thought she had lost is actually all around her...
The Rep, Birmingham, Fri 27 & Sat 28 June
THE HAUNTING OF BLAINE MANOR
When Doctor Roy Earle, a renowned American parapsychologist famous for discrediting hauntings and exposing fake mediums, accepts an invitation to attend a seance at ‘the most haunted building in England’ - the Blaine Manor of the title - he finds himself, along with his companions for the evening, temporarily cut off from the outside world by a raging storm... And as every lover of the ghost story/horror genre very well knows, where there’s a raging storm and a haunted house, there are also, inevitably, things that go bump in the night...
An award-winning love letter to both the Golden Age of Hollywood and the era of Hammer Horror movies here in the UK, The Haunting Of Blaine Manor is described by its publicity as the new Woman In Black - only scarier...
Lichfield Garrick, Friday 27 June; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre,Saturday 11 October; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Saturday 25 October
SPY MOVIE: THE PLAY
Garrick audiences here get the opportunity to check out The Greatest Spy Movie (n)Ever Made! Well, that’s according to the production team behind this family-friendly homage to the James Bond franchise and fringe theatre. A big hit at Edinburgh last year, the production churns out gags at breakneck speed and is sure to delight fans of slapstick comedy. If you’ve previously enjoyed shows such as The Play That Goes Wrong and The 39 Steps, this is a theatrical experience that’s well worth catching.
Lichfield Garrick, Saturday 28 & Sunday 29 June
BAT OUT OF HELL
A loose retelling of Peter Pan, this Jim Steinman/Meat Loaf extravaganza unfolds in a Manhattan of the future - one which has been turned into a desolate wasteland and is lorded over by a ruthless dictator named Falco. The evil tyrant is determined to rebuild the city by destroying disused tunnels and subways which have become residential areas for the homeless community. But a group of kids whose DNA is permanently frozen - meaning they will be 18 years of age forever - are equally determined to thwart his dastardly plans...
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Monday 30 June - Saturday 5 July; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Monday 14 - Saturday 19 July
GHOST STORY
After a couple of years spent giving London West End theatre-goers the heebie jeebies, Ghost Stories is After a couple of years spent giving London West End theatre-goers the heebie jeebies, Ghost Stories is this month spooking audiences in the Midlands!
The brainchild of Andy Nyman - co-creator of Derren Brown’s television and stage productions - and The League Of Gentlemen’s Jeremy Dyson, the show focuses on the character of Professor Goodman, a ‘man of reason’ who’s determined to debunk the paranormal. But when he embarks on an investigation into three apparent hauntings, as recounted by a night-watchman, a teenage boy, and a businessman awaiting his first child, the professor finds himself at the outer limits of rationality - and fast running out of plausible explanations for what he’s experiencing... Clive Mantle, Eddie Loodmer-Elliot, David Cardy and Dan Tetsall, star.
Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 July; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 July; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 22 - Saturday 26 July
THE DINOSAUR THAT POOPED: A ROCK SHOW
Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter are promising their brand-new production will come complete with new songs, a lot of laughs and (not surprisingly given the show’s title) a whole load of poo!
Based on Tom and Dougie’s bestselling children’s books, The Dinosaur That Pooped follows Danny and Dino as they try to get hold of the last two tickets to their favourite rock band’s last-ever concert. But with a villainous band manager lurking, nothing goes to plan... Will the band perform? Will Danny rock out? Or will Dino’s rumbling tummy save the day?...
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 20 July; Malvern Theatres, Saturday 25 October; Lichfield Garrick, Wednesday 29 October
RUDE SCIENCE
As science shows go, BBC Gastronaut Stefan Gates is pretty darned certain that his Rude Science production is the most revolting in the whole wide world. And he could well be right, given that it involves enormous bottoms, pee-powered fireworks, fabulous fart machines and vast whoopee cushions! Science stunts and spectacular experiments abound in a show that promises to be both entertaining and educational.
Suitable for children aged five and older.
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Monday 21 July
DINOSAURS LIVE
Dinosaurs are once again roaming the region this year, thanks to this interactive show for all the family to enjoy.
Presented by the Natural History Museum in association with Mark Thompson Productions, Dinosaurs Live! provides youngsters with the chance to meet a host of impressive prehistoric creatures on a fun- and fact-filled journey through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
The show is suitable for children aged three-plus.
Lichfield Garrick, Wed 23 July; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sun 31 August; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Sat 20 & Sun 21 September
MILKSHAKE! LIVE ON HOLIDAY
The Milkshake! pals are heading off on holiday - and Midlands-based families are invited to join them for a fun-packed new adventure...
If you’ve watched the TV series and/or been to a previous live production, you’ll already know what to expect from a Milkshake! show. If not, get ready for an event that promises lots of laughter, bucketloads of family fun, bags of audience participation and plenty of singing and dancing...
Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 29 July
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
Hook up your fishnets, tighten your corsets and prepare to ‘do The Time Warp again’ - The Rocky Horror Show is returning to the region!
Richard O Brien’s cult production tells the tale of the straight-laced Brad and the deliciously corruptible Janet, who arrive at the castle of the alien transvestite Frank N Furter and witness the birth of the monster, Rocky.
Along the way, they take the audience through a selection of love-’em-or-loathe-’em musical numbers, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn It Janet and The Time Warp. Great fun’s a guarantee - particularly if you get into the spirit of things and attend the show dressed in your very best stockings & suspenders (as many patrons do)!
Motherland star Jackie Clune - she played school receptionist Irene Lamb in the hit BBC TV comedy series - takes on the role of the Narrator at the Regent.
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Monday 22 - Saturday 27 September
MURDER SHE DIDN'T WRITE
Improvised shows are seemingly all the rage nowadays - and this one has certainly got plenty to recommend it...
First and foremost, it was a multiple-sell-out hit at the Edinburgh Fringe...
Secondly, it’s presented by a critically acclaimed company - Degrees Of Error - who are past masters of the improv genre...
Thirdly, the show is a real hoot. An Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnit, it features a classic murder-mystery which is created ‘on the spot’. Audience members are then encouraged to don their deerstalkers (if they’ve brought them along), grab a magnifying glass and make sure their ‘finger of suspicion’ is ‘at the ready’... The show runs for two hours, including an interval.
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Wednesday 5 November