More Theatre News
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Review: Titus Andronicus at the RSC
Posted on Wed 30 Apr
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National Youth Music Theatre brings three musicals to Birmingham Hippodrome
Posted on Tue 29 Apr
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To be Frank...
Posted on Mon 28 Apr
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...
A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS
Khaled Hosseini’s spiritual sequel to The Kite Runner finds orphaned Laila all alone in an Afghanistan ravaged by war. But then her older neighbour Rasheed takes her as his second wife and makes her pregnant. Rasheed’s decision kickstarts a rivalry between Laila and his first wife, Mariam. However, as the Taliban take over and life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation and brutality, the two women find themselves engaging in an unlikely alliance...
Former Birmingham Rep Artistic Director Roxana Silbert returns to helm the show.
The Rep, Birmingham, until Saturday 3 May
THE POCKET DREAM
Lichfield Garrick’s latest in-house production is this reworking of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Written by Elly Brewer & Sandi Toksvig - and first performed by Nottingham Playhouse more than 30 years ago - The Pocket Dream tells the story of a company of strolling players whose production of the bard’s most popular comedy hangs in the balance. Can a motley crew of makeshift mechanicals possibly save the day?...
The Garrick’s longtime pantomime favourites, Sam Rabone and Ben Thornton - here reuniting far earlier in the year than usual - are joined in the show by Joe Feeney. Joe starred alongside Sam and Ben in last Christmas’ production of Jack And The Beanstalk, playing the character of the ne’er-do-well Luke Backinanger (geddit?).
Lichfield Garrick, until Saturday 3 May
AND JULIET
Premiered in 2019 and featuring a string of hits by Max Martin, & Juliet tells an alternative story of Shakespeare’s famous heroine.
In sharp contrast to the original tale, this one sees Juliet realising that she can survive without Romeo - a revelation that prompts her to set off on her own journey, both in love and life.
The award-winning production, which has proved a massive hit across four continents, visits the Midlands this month with Wanted band member and 2015 Strictly Come Dancing winner Jay McGuiness taking on the role of the Stratford bard himself.
The part of Lance, meanwhile, will be played at the Hippodrome by TV presenter Dr Ranj Singh and at the Regent next month by Steps star Lee Latchford-Evans. Featured pop anthems include Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time and Katy Perry’s Roar, as well as chart toppers Since U Been Gone, It’s My Life and Can’t Stop The Feeling.
Birmingham Hippodrome, until Saturday 3 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Monday 12 - Saturday 17 May
THE POCKET DREAM
Lichfield Garrick’s next in-house production is this reworking of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Written by Elly Brewer & Sandi Toksvig - and first performed by Nottingham Playhouse more than 30 years ago - The Pocket Dream tells the story of a company of strolling players whose production of the bard’s most popular comedy hangs in the balance. Can a motley crew of makeshift mechanicals possibly save the day?...
The Garrick’s longtime pantomime favourites, Sam Rabone and Ben Thornton - here reuniting far earlier in the year than usual - are joined in the show by Joe Feeney. Joe starred alongside Sam and Ben in last Christmas’ production of Jack And The Beanstalk, playing the character of the ne’er-do-well Luke Backinanger (geddit?).
Lichfield Garrick, until Saturday 3 May
JUST BETWEEN OURSELVES
Mention Alan Ayckbourn and a list of brilliant observational comedies springs readily to mind, the most famous among which - think Relatively Speaking, Absurd Person Singular, The Norman Conquests, Bedroom Farce - were penned in the 1960s and 70s. This particular offering sprang from his ever-fertile imagination way back in 1976 and is widely considered to be his most emotionally charged play.
Bringing together five birthdays with two unhappy marriages and one possessive mother, Just Between Ourselves has been hailed a masterclass in suburban comedy and heartbreak. The production is presented by London Classic Theatre and forms part of the company’s 25th-anniversary celebrations.
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Saturday 3 May
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.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, until Saturday 3 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 June
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
The course of true love never runs smooth in one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Beatrice and Benedick conduct their courtship through sarcasm and verbal sparring. The younger Claudio and Hero, meanwhile, find their heady romance cruelly compromised by the villainous Don John, who’s determined to stop them tying the knot...
Fresh from his tenure as artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, Michael Longhurst takes the helm of this imaginative new version of the bard’s oft-performed romcom.
Its action is relocated to the world of top-flight football and celebrity culture, ‘where scandal-filled rivalries are the hottest new thing, and lads and WAGs collide’.
Freema Agyeman (Doctor Who) and Nick Blood (Day Of The Jackal, Slow Horses) top-bill as Beatrice and Benedick.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Saturday 24 May
A SHODDY DETECTIVE AND THE ART OF DECEPTION
If slapstick is the name of your game comedy-wise, then bag yourself a seat for this high-energy show from the well-regarded Shoddy Theatre.
A small group of one-time East 15 Acting School students, the ensemble have previously made a significant splash at the Edinburgh Fringe, where they were nominated for three Offie Awards for their coming-of-age comedy The Olive Boy.
They’re visiting two Midlands venues this month with the first show they ever produced, a lively whodunnit that sees four actors taking on the challenge of playing a dozen characters.
Regal, Tenbury Wells, Thursday 1 - Friday 2 May; The Courtyard, Hereford, Thursday 15 May; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Friday 23 - Saturday 24 May; Lichfield Garrick, Tuesday 27 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wednesday 28 May
JAMAICA LOVE
The 77th anniversary of Windrush is marked via this critically acclaimed show, which was nominated in the Best Musical Production category at the Black British Theatre Awards.
Reflecting on the deep and intertwined history of Britain and Jamaica, the production brings together singers John McLean and Celia Wickham-Anderson (of Black Voices fame) for a journey through Jamaica’s rich musical heritage, from ska and rocksteady, to reggae, dub and dancehall.
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 4 May
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.
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Monday 5 - Saturday 10 May; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Monday 22 - Saturday 27 September
AN INSPECTOR CALLS
When Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on the prosperous Birling family, his startling revelations not only shatter the foundations of their lives but also challenge them to examine their consciences...
Anybody who’s seen a production of JB Priestley’s classic 1945 play will have no trouble understanding why it’s been such a long-time worldwide hit.
Presented by the National Theatre, Stephen Daldry’s epic production has won 19 major awards and been seen by more than five million theatregoers worldwide.
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 May
SHOWDOWN
Exploring the concept of ‘healthy competition’ via six fearless contestants pushed to their limits in a no-holds-barred race to the top, Showdown brings together comedy and audience interaction with a bold mix of circus, spoken word, UK hip-hop, grime and Afrobeat.
The show is presented by local contemporary circus company Upswing.
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Thursday 8 - Saturday 10 May
DANNY LEE GREW: 24K MAGIC
Danny Lee Grew’s publicity advises would-be audience members to expect their jaws to do some serious dropping during 24K Magic, a ‘spellbinding’ production awash with ‘illusion, laughs, gasps, and stunning sleight-of-hand sorcery’. With celebrities including David Beckham, James Corden, Stormzy, Pink and Chris Hemsworth rumoured to be among his biggest fans, Danny will be hoping to impress a whole new generation with this latest show - a family-friendly offering that’s suitable for youngsters aged eight and older.
Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Friday 9 May
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO WIDOWHOOD
With her husband having passed away, Suria takes her children on holiday and finds herself facing plenty of challenges - from the turbulent dynamics of a newly fractured family, to dealing with sympathetic head tilts and the use of the dreaded ‘W’ word...
A one-woman show, A Beginner’s Guide To Widowhood explores the experiences of young, widowed women as they deal with the loss of their loved one. In the process, the play asks the question: why does society find it so hard to talk about death?
Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Friday 9 May
ONE MAN POE
Paying homage to the works of Edgar Alan Poe, Stephen Smith directs himself in a one-man presentation which not only completely sold out during its run in Edinburgh last summer but also picked up the Fringe’s Spookies Award for Best Horror Solo Show.
Featuring Poe’s original text, the production includes four of the legendary author’s most famous stories: The Tell-Tale Heart; The Pit And The Pendulum; The Raven; and The Black Cat...
Suitable for audience members aged 12-plus.
Albany Theatre, Coventry, Saturday 10 May
THERE'S A MONSTER IN YOUR SHOW
Children’s author Tom Fletcher’s critically acclaimed Who’s In Your Book? series here makes the leap from page to stage.
The hit musical sees Little Monster being joined by friends Dragon, Alien and Unicorn for 50 minutes of comedy, chaos and high-energy fun.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 May
THERE'S A MONSTER IN YOUR SHOW
Tom Fletcher’s interactive adventures for big imaginations.
Children’s author Tom Fletcher’s critically acclaimed Who’s In Your Book? series here makes the leap from page to stage.
The hit musical sees Little Monster being joined by friends Dragon, Alien and Unicorn for 50 minutes of comedy, chaos and high-energy fun.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 10 & Sunday 11 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 13 & Wednesday 14 May
...EARNEST?
“When I pitch it to my non-theatre friends,” explains Simon Paris, the director & co-writer of …Earnest?, “I say we’re putting on a very traditional, classical play [Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest], and it’s all going well until the lead actor doesn’t show up. The director comes out, apologises, and says ‘It’s okay, because one of you is going to do it.’ We then find the best person in the audience to play this role, and they do it.”
What could possibly go wrong? Well, in common with shows such as Noises Off, the answer is, pretty much everything, with the desperate director (of the play within the play) doing his best to keep the production on track as more and more audience members are drafted in to replace an ever-thinning cast...
A fun evening is definitely in prospect - particularly if you have aspirations to tread the boards yourself!
Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Monday 12 - Tuesday 13 May; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Saturday 17 May; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 May
PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF)
A unique and audacious retelling of Jane Austen’s most iconic love story, Pride And Prejudice*(*sort of) has proved a winner with critics and audiences alike. Indeed, celebrity fan Sir Stephen Fry has described it as an evening of “hilarity, romance, madness and utter theatrical joy”.
Alongside the raucously irreverent but admirably affectionate retelling of Austen’s rollercoaster romance, the 2022 Olivier Award winner also boasts a host of pop classics, including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You’re So Vain.
Lichfield Garrick, Tuesday 13 - Saturday 17 May
THE WIGGLES
“We love touring the UK,” says founding Wiggle Anthony Field. “We’re all looking forward to seeing our old friends, as well as meeting some new ones.”
Bringing their signature mix of entertainment and education to Birmingham, the fun-loving Australian music group will be joined by all their Wiggly friends, including Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, Captain Feathersword and TikTok sensation The Tree of Wisdom.
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Wednesday 14 May
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.
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wednesday 14 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 1 June; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Wednesday 5 November
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?...
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 17 May; Albany Theatre, Coventry, Friday 30 May; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 20 July; Malvern Theatres, Saturday 25 October; Lichfield Garrick, Wednesday 29 October
LITTLE WOMEN
Adapted for the stage by Anne-Marie Casey, Louisa May Alcott’s famous tale was written in the 19th century and is widely considered to be the first US children's novel to become an enduring classic.
The story 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.
The Rep, Birmingham, Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 May
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.
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 May; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 May; The Rep, Birmingham, Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 June
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
Joseph was Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first foray into the world of musical theatre, paving the way for later offerings Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.
Fabulously fun and frothy, the show offers great entertainment for anybody who fancies the kind of night out that lets you leave your brain at home.
Joseph sees the future in dreams, and tells his 11 brothers that he’s had a vision in which he’s seen them all bowing down to him. Not surprisingly, the lads are a tad annoyed with him about this - and then feel even more aggrieved when their dad gives him a coat of many colours...
Much-loved Hippodrome panto favourite Matt Slack stars as Pharaoh.
Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesday 20 May - Sunday 1 June
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+
Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 May; The Rep, Birmingham, Monday 16 - Saturday 21 June
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.
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 May; Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 July; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 July; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 22 - Saturday 26 July
BOSIE
Making a welcome return some eight years after its critically acclaimed debut, Rik Barnett’s one-man play - here produced by Northern Rep Theatre and starring Barnett himself - focuses the spotlight on Oscar Wilde’s beau, Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas - otherwise known as Bosie.
As Wilde’s scandalous story unfolds prior to his sensational trial, the privileged and petulant Bosie ruminates on his own sexuality and prowess, his hunger for position and status - and the part he has played in the very public downfall of his celebrated lover...
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Friday 23 & Saturday 24 May
LITTLE BULB: FOUR SEASONS
Olivier Award-winning Little Bulb bring together puppetry, physical theatre and clowning fun for yet another of their enchanting and innovative theatre shows. This one catches up with an intrepid team of magical gardeners as they tend to a marvellous menagerie of flora and fauna across the seasons of the year.
The action unfolds against a score of seasonally inspired tracks - including, as might be expected given the production’s title, Vivaldi’s iconic violin concerti, The Four Seasons.
Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham, Sunday 25 May
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...
The Civic, Brierley Hill, Monday 26 May; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Wednesday 28 May; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 29 July
PIRATES LOVE UNDERPANTS
Claire Freedman certainly knows a thing or two about writing for children. And she’s no slouch on the subject of underpants either, with her picture books including Aliens Love Underpants, Aliens Love Panta Claus and Aliens In Underpants Save The World... It turns out pirates are pretty keen on underpants too, as evidenced by this stage adaptation of yet another of her publications. Theatre Severn’s legendary pantomime Dame, Brad Fitt, has written the show, which features a winning combination of ‘music, puppetry and glittering pants of gold’.
Crewe Lyceum, Monday 26 - Tuesday 27 May
JARMAN
“Audiences can expect dynamism, inspiration and spontaneity,” explains Mark Farrelly, who has written and performs this one-man tribute to filmmaker Derek Jarman. “Derek was a wondrous polymath; a writer, painter, gardener, filmmaker and activist. He lived a life without boundaries or convention and is a beacon for anyone who wants to express themselves without restriction. He also showed tremendous, heart-breaking courage in dealing with and dying from Aids. So, in this show, you get a thrilling, funny and authentic encounter with this man, who still has so much to teach us.”
Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 May
MARIE & ROSETTA
Wolverhampton’s very own Beverley Knight returns to her home city to star as African American singer-songwriter Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Sister Rosetta’s distinctive gospel recordings - blending spiritual lyrics with the sound of the electric guitar - saw her scoring a major hit with mid-20th-century rhythm & blues and rock & roll audiences.
Set in Mississippi in 1946, the story catches up with her at a time when her nightclub performances have seen her shunned by straitlaced church folk. Having persuaded a saintly singer named Marie Knight to join her on a tour of the segregated southern states, Rosetta must first of all convert the younger woman’s pure Sunday sound into something that has just a little more swing…
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 May
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!’
Brewhouse Arts Centre, Burton upon Trent, Tuesday 27 & Wednesday 28 May; Halesowen Town Hall, Friday 6 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, this month, next month, and in the autumn, come as part of a UK-wide tour to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the novel’s publication.
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 May; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 June; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 28 October - Saturday 1 November
CINDERELLA ICE CREAM SELLER
Cinderella Ice Cream Seller’s producers - Little Seeds Music company - are promising that their imaginative retelling of the classic fairytale will capture children’s hearts and tickle their tastebuds. And well it might, courtesy of its sure-to-be-potent blend of thoughtful storytelling, ‘stunning live music and theatrical magic’.
The show has been written and composed by Little Seeds Music’s artistic director, Dave Gibb.
Macready Theatre, Rugby, Thursday 29 & Friday 30 May
AN ANT CALLED AMY
“Amy the ant is missing her brother, Andy,” explains Julie Sharkey, the playwright behind this well-reviewed 40-minute touring show. “This is a gentle tale. It’s entertaining and fun. It’s not going to uncover an awful truth or discuss serious illness. Simply, we meet this little ant Amy, who is working to forget - until her supposed arch enemy, the Brown Spider, gently nudges her to find Andy in the everyday...”
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Friday 30 & Saturday 31 May
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, Saturday 31 May - Saturday 21 June
THE BADDIES
Here’s yet another stage adaptation of a Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler story. And just like all the others, it’s proving to be hugely popular with its young target audience.
The company behind The Baddies is Freckle Productions, who’ve got plenty of form when it comes to brilliant stage adaptations of Donaldson’s terrific tales. This one focuses on a witch, a troll and an ancient ghost who love nothing more than being very, very bad... Expect your kids to laugh out loud.
The Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tuesday 3 - Wednesday 4 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
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
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
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
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
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