Following on from Birmingham Rep’s open call for proposals from early-career and emerging artists and theatre-makers to be part of its new youth Rep Rising 26 festival.

The venue has today announced a selection of six new productions to join the jam-packed two weeks of programming alongside artists from The Rep’s Young Rep and Rep Pathways programmes.

In March, The Rep announced an open call for submissions inviting proposals to be part of Rep Rising 26. These proposals were for scratch performances, sharings, works-in-progress or full productions from Birmingham, West Midlands and other local theatre-makers and creatives. From this open call, six productions were selected to kick off a fizzing, fearless and combustible mix of experimentation and Talent Development in the venue’s most intimate performance space with 133 seats.

Opening the season of Rep Rising 26’s The Door programming will be The Anatomy of Evil on Thursday 9 July - a visceral reimagining of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde from Cotswold based Sparkhouse Ensemble in collaboration with Box House Theatre Company. Created by post A-Level students and university graduates returning to the Cotswolds, The Anatomy of Evil is a blend of physical theatre, gothic horror and visually bold and intense theatrical techniques restructuring Stevenson’s iconic gothic horror chronologically to expose the full descent of Dr Henry Jekyll into the obsession, paranoia, and self-destruction of Mr Hyde. Supported by Edward Bennett, this production is perfect for audiences aged 12+ and offers an introduction to stylised and experimental performance making.

Following this, will be a gripping solo performance from Black Country based Actor/Theatre-Maker, Jessica Mabel in a staged work-in-progress of POINT-SCORING on Friday 10 July. First created and performed at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2024, this piece of striking and topical piece of political theatre is inspired by conversations with claimants and appointees of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from the Midlands. The show follows ‘E’, a mother of two young boys who has previously applied and failed for PIP. With the help of her husband, ‘E’ takes on the process of trying again while battling with her own real time struggles, including every parent’s dread… hosting your child’s birthday party! The show fuses real research, projections, soundscapes, and fun props to create a deeply touching and profoundly necessary multimedia experience, interrogating the world of benefits for individuals with psychiatric conditions in the Midlands.

Closing the week’s Rep Rising programming is Birmingham-born actor, writer and director Stefan Davis’ script-in-hand sharing of the first act of his brand-new production, Benji’s Boutique on Saturday 11 July. At the centre is Benji, a loud, charismatic frontman who thrives on image, status, and presence. Running the business behind the scenes is his sister Shaneen, the sharp, strategic mind keeping everything afloat while rarely receiving the credit. Alongside them are Kimberly and Alexis, each bringing their own perspective, humour, and tension into the space. Fuelled by early to mid-2000s UK garage, fashion and the shift from high street culture into a new digital era, Benji’s Boutique is a pressure cooker of a show, where humour and conflict collide into a vibrant insight into a modern Black British family full of big personalities, sharp dialogue, and playful confrontation.

The following week sees Birmingham-based artist CJ Lloyd Webley bring his immersive and explosive original piece of ensemble theatre, Lyndhurst Memories, on Thursday 16 July. Originally commissioned by  Midlands Arts Centre in 2025, this project draws on lived experiences, oral history and CJ’s own personal reflection of the changing social landscape of the former Lyndhurst Estate (now Abbeyfields) in Erdington. Blending humour, warmth and moments of tension, Lyndhurst Memories captures the energy, contradictions and resilience of growing up on the estate through naturalistic dialogue, stylised movement, and an ensemble of interconnected and occasionally overlapping voices.

On Friday 17 July, four Birmingham students will be put to the test as they attempt to remove a  domesticated, common, and definitely terrified pigeon from their upstairs bathroom. Based on a true story, There’s a Pigeon in My Bathroom follows four students. One pigeon. And absolutely zero common sense. From fire extinguishers to a custard cream, chaos ensues as the friendship between Ben, Emma, Katie and Hugo (and their deposit!) is well and truly tested in this hour-long sitcom-like-play described as being somewhere between Derry Girls and The Inbetweeners.

The final of the six productions will be All The World's A Stage: The Shakespeare/Eurovision Mashup on Saturday 18 July - a Eurovision style concert show with a twist as all the acts are modern versions of Shakespearean characters representing the country setting of the play. These heroes, villains, lovers and comedians of literature are transformed into K Pop style bands, arrogant rappers, pop-tastic divas and tragic rockstars – all competing for the winning title. With a historical host, an interactive audience vote and songs that’ll get you well and truly ready for the weekend, All The World’s A Stage shines a literal spotlight on some of Shakespeare‘s most iconic characters in a brand new, unique and subtly educational way.

Priority booking for Gold & Silver Friends, Patrons and Access Register opens Tuesday 19 May at 12 noon. Priority booking for Bronze Friends & 16-25 members opens Thursday 21 May at 12 noon. Public booking opens Friday 22 May at 12 noon. To book, visit birmingham-rep.co.uk