The Rep have announced the first four productions to play in the city centre venue’s most intimate venue, The Door, since closing to live performance due to the global pandemic in March 2020.

Each production is a personal exploration of identity and coming of age relevant to the communities which make Birmingham a rich and diverse city.

The series of four productions includes the rescheduling of two performances which were previously cancelled due to the national shut down of theatre spaces in 2020; Yours Sincerely (2 to 5 March) and LAVA (13 to 14 May).

Launching later this year, The Door will become a dedicated space for artists to develop new work, apply research and development and present scratch performances. This new era for The Door will be led by The Rep’s Associate Director, Madeleine Kludje with more to be announced later this year.

Madeleine Kludje said; “It is really encouraging to see live performance returning to our most intimate space after an absence of what will be approaching two years.

“Looking forward, this space will become a place where artists from Birmingham and beyond can develop their craft and their work, a venue where audiences can enjoy and explore emerging work and discover the hit productions of the future and a space that reflects stories of the city. More details will be announced later this year and we look forward to further collaborating with artists to fulfil our ambition of making The Door a dedicated space for artists and their work.”

Performances showing at The Door include:

Yours Sincerely (2 - 5 March) Written and performed by Will Jackson and presented by Quick Duck Theatre. Storytelling and lipsync cabaret collide in this queer coming-of-age comedy about the complications of 21st-century communication. Yours Sincerely is based on real life correspondences.

Black Is The Color Of My Voice (28 - 29 Mar) is inspired by the life of Nina Simone, featuring many of her most iconic songs performed live. Apphia Campbell’s acclaimed play follows a successful singer and civil rights activist as she seeks redemption after the untimely death of her father. She reflects on the journey that took her from a young piano prodigy destined for a life in the service of the church, to a renowned jazz vocalist at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Riot Act (12 May) takes audiences on a wild ride through six decades of queer history. A solo verbatim show, the play is created entirely, word for word, out of interviews with three key-players in the history of the LGBTQ+ rights movement; Michael Anthony Nozzi, a survivor of the Stonewall Riots; Lavina Co-op, an alternative ‘70s drag artist; and Paul Burston, ‘90s London AIDS activist. 

LAVA (13-14 May) is a play for the moment from award-winning playwright James Fritz and is described as funny, tender and moving story about friendship and reconnection in the aftermath of catastrophe. 

These newly announced productions are joined by comedian Sukh Ojla’s Life Sukhs (18 Feb) and Grimeboy (14-18 Apr). The latter is an unmissable new play from Casey Bailey, the Birmingham Poet Laureate and winner of the Greater Birmingham Future Face of Arts and Culture 2020 and is directed by The Rep’s Associate Director Madeleine Kludje with set design by Ebrahim Nazier.  

Priority booking begins from today. Tickets go on general sale from Tue 18 Jan, visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk or call 0121 236 4455.