More Theatre News
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Full casting announced for Wolverhampton Grand's panto Sleeping Beauty
Posted on Mon 01 Sep
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Review: Stereophonic, Duke of York’s Theatre, London
Posted on Sat 30 Aug
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A home-grown British comedy
Posted on Tue 26 Aug
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...
THE WINTER'S TALE
One of Shakespeare's last plays - and featuring perhaps the quirkiest ever stage direction of 'exit, pursued by a bear'! - The Winter's Tale recounts the tragic story of the jealous King Leontes, whose unfounded belief that his wife, Hermione, has been unfaithful leads to a series of disastrous actions...
Director Yaël Farber makes her RSC debut, having recently helmed acclaimed productions of King Lear and an Olivier-nominated Macbeth for the Almeida Theatre.
“The Winter’s Tale is a beautiful and strange beast,” says Yaël, “a mystery to be solved; a fusion of gritty tragedy and leaps of faith for both the characters and the audience.
“We are in such a stark and brutal time in the world - and this story plunges us into the shadows of human nature from the start. The journey then expands into a space of miracles and wonder.
“I am drawn to stories that explore the shadows - but I am most interested right now in the possibility of redemption. A redemption that is earned.”
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon, Avon, untl Saturday 30 August
THE BOY WITH WINGS
Sir Lenny Henry’s well-received children’s book, about one boy’s interstellar efforts to save the galaxy, is here adapted for the stage. The story’s main protagonist is 12-year-old Tunde, a boy whose life takes numerous unexpected turns when he sprouts giant wings and discovers that his dad is a powerful alien warrior...
The Rep, Birmingham, until Saturday 30 August
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
Little known but lots of fun, The Two Gentlemen Of Verona is one of Shakespeare’s very earliest comedies. It is here being presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company in a version lasting just 80 minutes - a fact which makes it an ideal introduction to the bard for younger members of the family.
The plot centres on the subject of male friendship and betrayal, as lifelong friends Proteus and Valentine fall out over Silvia, the Duke of Milan’s strong-willed daughter. Expect plenty of Elizabethan-style humour, as lovers chase through the woods and Shakespeare’s much-loved device of mistaken identity complicates matters further.
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Sunday 31 August
BE MORE CHILL - THE MUSICAL
Sci-fi musical Be More Chill boasts an impressive online following of faithful fans and has enjoyed outings both in the West End and on Broadway.
The show’s storyline follows the fortunes of high-school student and social outcast Jeremy Heere, who’s desperate not only to become popular with his peer group but also impress the girl of his dreams.
The answer to his problems seems to be the ‘SQUIP’ - a supercomputer pill that tells its user what to do and say. But after swallowing the ‘medication’, Jeremy finds out that trying to be someone you’re not can come at a significant cost...
The show is based on the same-named 2004 novel by Ned Vizzini, a much-heralded young writer who died by suicide at the age of 32.
Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, until Sunday 31 August
FAT HAM
Hot on the heels of its terrific traditional version of Hamlet and an extraordinary Radiohead mashup entitled Hamlet Hail To The Thief, the Royal Shakespeare Company is now presenting the Pulitzer Prize-winning Fat Ham, a hugely imaginative take on the Bard’s most famous tragedy by American playwright James Ijames.
“I’ve just taken the elements and shaken them in a box,” says James. “When I was writing it, reading it in a writers’ group, and even when we were first doing it, I was like ‘I hope people don’t perceive this as a mockery of it’, because I am really leaning into the humour of human folly. It’s not jokes with setups and punchlines; it’s much more than that. It feels in line with how Shakespeare used humour in his plays.”
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Saturday 13 September
THE SIGNALMAN
Charles Dickens’ famous short story tells the tale of a Victorian-age signalman who’s haunted by visions of impending disaster on his isolated stretch of line.
This latest stage adaptation is presented by Middle Ground Theatre Company, who are kickstarting an autumn tour of the show with this late-summer run in Malvern.
Malvern Theatres, until Saturday 30 August
A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE
If you’ve previously checked out and loved other stage adaptations of Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s books - think of, for instance, The Gruffalo, Stick Man and Room On The Broom - why not give A Squash And A Squeeze a go?
A Little Angel Theatre and Lowry collaboration - telling the tale of a little old lady and a flappy, scratchy, greedy, noisy crowd of farmyard animals - the show has been created with children aged between three and eight in mind.
Beautiful puppets and enchanting songs are very much the order of the day.
Brierley Hill Civic, Wednesday 27 & Thursday 28 August; Malvern Theatres, Sunday 31 August & Monday 1 September
BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY
Seen by tens of millions of people across the globe, Buddy is an enormously enduring and touchingly affectionate portrayal of one of rock & roll’s earliest and brightest stars. Charting the singer’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune, and following his career through to his very last performance, the show features timeless Buddy classics such as That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy, Rave On and Everyday...
Birmingham Hippodrome, until Saturday 30 August; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 9 - Saturday 13 September; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Friday 19 - Saturday 20 September; Lichfield Garrick, Monday 2 - Saturday 7 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Monday 23 - Tuesday 24 March
INSPECTOR MORSE: HOUSE OF GHOSTS
Author Colin Dexter’s crossword-solving, ale-supping, classical music-loving Oxford detective is back in business, this time on stage.
On the back of a series of well-received novels, Morse became a household name in the 1980s and 90s courtesy of actor John Thaw, who played him in 33 feature-length television episodes. Spin-off shows Lewis and Endeavour followed in the 21st century - and now the cerebral sleuth is making a welcome return in the form of Strictly Come Dancing’s Tom Chambers.
This brand-new stage adaptation, based on an original story, finds Morse investigating the on-stage death of a young actress, and in the process uncovering a connection to sinister events in his own dim and distant past.
The Rep, Birmingham, Thursday 28 August - Sunday 14 September
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
Elegant Georgian settings and wonderful comic characters abound in this stage adaptation of Jane Austen’s famous romantic novel.
The foolish and marriage-obsessed Mrs Bennet is relentless in her pursuit of suitable men for her five daughters to marry. But her increasingly desperate quest generates all manner of muddle and mayhem in the process...
This oft-performed story is here presented by Illyria Theatre. The company - which has garnered an enviable reputation for producing high-quality theatrical fare for performance in the great outdoors - is touring four shows this summer.
Moseley Old Hall, Nr Wolverhampton, Friday 29 August
CHOREOMANIA
Medieval-influenced singing and contemporary electronic dance music combine in this movement-led performance by British Youth Music Theatre.
The show’s story unfolds in 16th-century Strasbourg, a town living on the edge, having recently been through multiple plagues and famines. Religion dominates, but the church cannot solve the muddling mystery of the townspeople who just can’t stop dancing...
Birmingham Hippodrome, Friday 29 - Sunday 31 August
FAIRLIGHT
In the ‘unusual subjects for a musical’ stakes, Fairlight is riding high, examining, as it does, the subject of queer invisibility in the world of tennis.
The production intertwines its numerous songs with accounts of Victorian prosecutions of gay men, demonstrations of the rules of lawn tennis, and interviews with current LGBT+ tennis professionals.
Edgbaston Archery & Lawn Tennis Society, Birmingham, Saturday 30 August
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
Mistresses Page and Ford believe it’s high time the fat knight Sir John Falstaff was taught a lesson. After all, the big fella’s been courting them both, claiming that each is his one and only true love and caring not a jot that they’re both married!
A tale of buck-baskets, frolicsome fairies and men dressed as women, this is Shakespeare at his comic best. Expect your sides to be as near to splitting as they’re ever likely to be when engaging with the works of Stratford’s most famous son. Presented by much-loved outdoor-theatre specialists Illyria.
Hanbury Hall, Droitwich, Worcestershire, Saturday 30 August
NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM: 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 from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Taking audiences on a fun- and fact-filled journey, the show is suitable for children aged three-plus.
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Sunday 31 August; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 September; Albany Theatre, Coventry, Saturday 27 September
CONSUMED
Winner of the Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2022, Consumed is a black comedy that sees four generations of Northern Irish women begrudgingly reunited for a 90th birthday party. It’s a get-together that beautifully highlights how national identity, dysfunctional family dynamics and generational trauma can manifest themselves in emotional and mental-health issues.
“I don’t want to depress anyone!” says the play’s writer, Karis Kelly. “My style is very much dark comedy, and I love making people laugh. I think that’s a very specifically Northern Irish experience - finding humour in even the darkest of moments and making people laugh, because otherwise you might cry. That’s very much the style of the piece. It’s dealing with heavy themes but in a way that keeps the audience laughing - and I hope the ending is sufficiently uplifting.”
Age recommendation 14+
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Wednesday 3 - Saturday 6 September
THE PINK LIST
The Second World War came to an end in 1945, but the persecution of gay people in Germany continued well beyond the Nazi party’s reign of terror; into the decades which followed, in fact.
To make matters worse, the post-war prosecutions of homosexuals were based on information which had been gathered by the Nazis - the so-called Pink Lists...
This little-known real-life story is the subject of Michael Trauffer’s one-man musical, this month showing in Birmingham on the back of a hugely successful run in Edinburgh during the summer.
Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Saturday 6 September
CALAMITY JANE
Boasting songs such as The Deadwood Stage, Black Hills Of Dakota, Windy City and Secret Love, Calamity Jane tells the story of the Wild West’s most notorious female outlaw, along the way offering an all-in combination of music, comedy, drama and dance.
The famous 1953 film version, starring Doris Day and Howard Keel, remains one of the best-regarded Hollywood musicals of its era.
Multi-award-winning West End performer Carrie Hope Fletcher takes the title role for this stage version.
“Calamity is one of those parts that has everything,” says Carrie. “She’s got a love story; she’s comedic; she’s the action hero; she gets incredible songs. There are so few roles that do everything and manage to tick all of those boxes.”
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 September
AUSTENTATIOUS
Taking the subtitle ‘an improvised Jane Austen novel’, Austentatious visits the Midlands having garnered plenty of praise on its previous visits.
Lighthearted and delightfully throwaway, the show sees the performers utilising audience suggestions to develop a play that not only pays homage to Austen but also generates plenty of laughter along the way.
Performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment, the production is described by its publicity as ‘a riotous, razor-sharp show where swooning is guaranteed’. Great fun’s a certainty - and who doesn’t love a bit of a swoon?
Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Saturday 13 September
THE GRAND BABYLON HOTEL
This new adaptation of the Arnold Bennett novel of the same name is being described by its producers as a ‘rollicking’ comedy thriller.
Written by the Potteries-born author in the early 20th century, the story focuses on the mysterious disappearance of a German prince...
“I’ve been itching to adapt The Grand Babylon Hotel for ages,” says award-winning playwright Deborah McAndrew, who has indeed scripted this stage version of the novel. “It’s a fast-paced story, with vivid, likeable characters, plenty of good jokes, and lots of twists and turns along the way. I’m looking forward to seeing it come to life.”
The New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Saturday 13 September - Saturday 4 October
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
The darkest of Shakespeare’s comedies, Measure For Measure is usually considered a problem play, which basically means that it asks more questions than it answers.
The structure is simple enough. Poor old Angelo is left in charge of an anarchic Vienna, whilst the Duke pretends that he has work overseas. Instead, he uses the opportunity to spy on his diligent though misguided deputy, waits for a mistake, then reappears to make Angelo a convenient scapegoat for Vienna’s woes.
A stitch-up, or just judicial authority? No wonder politicians of all parties quote Shakespeare to justify their dark deeds...
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Saturday 13 September - Saturday 25 October
IDEAL: JONNY VEGAS
Comedian Johnny Vegas makes a one-night-only stop-off in Shrewsbury, to star in a stage adaptation of his same-named noughties TV comedy series.
The storyline follows the misadventures of Moz, a small-time, Manchester-based cannabis dealer who needs to dispose of a dead body. But when he and gangsters Psycho Paul and Cartoon Head discover priceless diamonds inside the corpse, the situation spins dangerously out of control...
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Monday 15 September
THE RIPPER FILES
The Ripper in question here is Jack, not ‘The Yorkshire’ - and as this ‘spine-tingling whodunnit’ has been making its way around the country, it’s been met with mixed reviews.
The ‘action’ - taking place some 13 years after Jack’s ‘autumn of terror’ in Victorian-era Whitechapel - finds two policemen and a music-hall star touring a show in which they revisit the Ripper murders for audiences still fascinated by the macabre killings...
There’s certainly plenty to admire here, but critics have complained that there’s way too much exposition - and maybe a little less drama than a theatre production focusing on Jack the Ripper should provide.
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Tuesday 16 September
MURDER AT MIDNIGHT
According to its producers, ‘deliciously twisted crime caper’ Murder At Midnight will keep its audience guessing until the very end - which is pretty much what you’re looking for from a high-quality murder-mystery.
The show stars four well-known television faces in Jason Durr (Heartbeat), Susie Blake (Victoria Wood’s As Seen On TV, Coronation Street), Max Bowden (Ben Mitchell in EastEnders) and Katie McGlynn (Waterloo Road, Coronation Street). It also comes complete with a cast of intriguing characters: a notorious gangster, his glamorous wife, his trigger-happy sidekick, his mother - who’s seeing things - her somewhat jittery carer, a vicar with something to hide, and a nervous burglar dressed as a clown.
Throw in a suitcase full of cash, a stash of deadly weapons, one infamous unsolved murder, and ask yourself the question: what could possibly go wrong?...
The award-winning Original Theatre is the talented company behind this latest offering from acclaimed playwright Torben Betts.
The Rep, Birmingham, Tuesday 16 - Saturday 20 September
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.
The Albany Theatre, Coventry, Saturday 20 September
AMERICAN CANDY STUDIO
While many are legitimate businesses, some American candy stores here in the UK have been the subject of investigation, with claims being made that they may be connected to numerous questionable practices; think, tax evasion, money laundering and the selling of counterfeit goods.
As such, they make an ideal setting for Tom Murray’s dark comedy about capitalism and corruption...
Candy-store employees Zaynab and Connor want to close up the shop for the night, but one customer refuses to leave. Ten minutes later, her unconscious body is in the basement - and what Zaynab and Connor uncover from there has a profound effect on the course of their lives...
“The American candy store is a perfect metaphor,” playwright Tom is quoted as saying by broadwayworld.com. “A shop no one asked for, no one visits, and whose real purpose remains unknown - a ‘front’, not unlike the artificial roles many of us play in today’s economy.”
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Saturday 20 September
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 from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
Taking audiences on a fun- and fact-filled journey, the show is suitable for children aged three-plus.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 20 & Sunday 21 September; Albany Theatre, Coventry, Saturday 27 September
JULIET & ROMEO
Shakespeare’s famous teenage lovers, Romeo and Juliet, didn’t die in a tragic misunderstanding. Instead, they lived into middle age, with at least one of them then succumbing to a midlife crisis...
That’s the scenario being explored in this interesting play from Lost Dog, a company whose productions brilliantly blend dance, theatre and comedy.
This latest show has certainly gone down well with the critics. Its Olivier Award-nominated director, Ben Duke, has been roundly praised for his smart and inventive writing and beautifully assured handling of the material.
Thimblemill Library, Smethwick, Sunday 21 September; Wolverhampton Arts Centre, Tuesday 23 September; Glasshouse Arts Centre, Stourbridge, Wednesday 24 September
THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
The Crown’s Ed McVey and EastEnders actor and Strictly Come Dancing finalist Maisie Smith star as Ripley and Marge respectively in this first-ever UK tour of The Talented Mr Ripley.
Adapted for the stage from the famous Patricia Highsmith novel - which is this year celebrating its 70th anniversary - it tells a tale of deception, desire, deadly ambition, lies, identity theft, and murder. The show’s producers are promising a production boasting razor-sharp dialogue, simmering tension, and a dangerously charismatic anti-hero.
The Rep, Birmingham, Monday 22 - Saturday 27 September
2:22 A GHOST STORY
Husband & wife Jenny and Sam are divided. Jenny believes their new home is haunted; Sam isn’t having any of it. But something certainly feels strange and frightening. Determined to find out the truth once and for all, they decide to stay up until 2:22 - at which time, all will be revealed. Or not...
2.22 A Ghost Story premiered in the West End back in 2021, not only becoming a major hit but also providing both Lily Allen and Cheryl with an opportunity to tread the boards. This latest touring version of the show stars real-life couple Kevin Clifton and Stacey Dooley alongside Grant Kilburn and Shvorne Marks, pictured.
Malvern Theatres, Monday 22 - Saturday 27 September; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Monday 29 September - Saturday 4 October; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Monday 13 - Saturday 18 October; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 18 - Saturday 23 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 Midlands! 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 Damn It Janet, Sweet Transvestite, 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)!
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Monday 22 - Saturday 27 September; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Monday 13 - Saturday 18 April; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Monday 6 - Saturday 11 July
HORRIBLE HISTORIES
If you love the Horrible Histories series - and why the heck wouldn’t you?! - then this two-for-one presentation is a show well worth catching. Featuring both Gorgeous Georgians and Vile Victorians, the production asks such searching questions as: Are you ready to swing with a Georgian king? Dare you dance the Tyburn jig? And does the Duke of Wellington get the boot?
All will be revealed in a show that advertises itself as ‘a horrible history of Britain, with all the nasty bits left in!’.
Albany Theatre, Coventry, Tuesday 23 & Wednesday 24 September
SURINDERELLA
Christmas is coming early to Wolverhampton this year, courtesy of this British South Asian pantomime, co-produced by the city’s Grand Theatre and Rifco Theatre Company.
Fusing the British tradition of panto with ‘a spectacular Desi vibe’, the show offers a delightfully fresh, all-singing, all-dancing take on the much-loved fairytale of, yes, you guessed it (the clue’s in the title!), Cinderella.
Expect a fabulous Devi Godmother, ‘a cow with more attitude than a desi girl’, two selfie-obsessed, Insta-vlogging stepsisters, and all the glitz and glamour of a Bollywood Ball.
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 September
BLOOD BROTHERS
Although it’s effectively a class-driven ‘scouse melodrama’, to describe Blood Brothers as such is to greatly underestimate the emotional response it produces within its audience.
The show features adult actors playing children, a narrator who wanders through the scenes with warnings of impending doom, a good helping of sharp social awareness to counteract the sticky sentimentality, and a raft of much-loved musical numbers, including Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe, and the emotionally charged Tell Me It’s Not True.
Musical theatre veteran Vivienne Carlyle stars as Mrs Johnstone.
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tuesday 23 - Saturday 27 September; Crewe Lyceum Theatre, Tuesday 20 - Saturday 24 January; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 January
DIANE'S DELI
If you’ve seen and enjoyed The Haunting Of Blaine Manor, which toured to the region not so long ago, Diane’s Deli could well be for you - it’s been written (and directed) by the same fella: Joe O’Byrne.
Telling a story of madness and murder, its action unfolds in a quiet café in Paradise Heights, where a burnt-out and bitter cop has quiet and unassuming café owner Sean Ginty under surveillance. Sean is a father figure to both his staff: Jake, a literary student, and Gabrielle, an artist and scarred survivor of a horrific fire that left her orphaned.
When a woman turns up late in the café one night, a chain of events is set in motion that will have a devastating effect on the lives of all of them...
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wednesday 24 September
2FACED DANCE: FISH BOY
As part of the journey towards their stated aim of becoming ‘a worldwide leader in the production of breathtaking, physical and inspirational dance’, Herefordshire-based 2Faced Dance Company here present the story of Tommy Minton, a young fella who’s determined to discover where his best friend ‘fish’ has gone.
Bringing together dance and circus - and based on real stories - the show has been co-created with 115 primary school children from across Herefordshire.
Malvern Theatres, Wednesday 24 September; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 14 October
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 well-regarded 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, Saturday 27 September
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Edmond Rostand’s famous 1897 play tells the tale of the French poet and soldier of the title, Cyrano de Bergerac, who is desperate to win the love of the beautiful Lady Roxane.
His efforts to do so, however, are somewhat complicated by the fact that he’s got a proboscis that’s almost as big as the Eiffel Tower (that’s an exaggeration for effect, obviously, but you get the idea).
Making the situation even trickier for the big-hootered Cyrano is the fact that Roxane has fallen for the ever-so-handsome Christian.
But wait... the course of true love never runs smooth, and Christian has a major problem of his own. He gets tongue-tied, and knows he needs to woo Roxane with poetic words.
Enter, the magnificently verbose Cyrano, with a clever plan to save the young man’s bacon... Birmingham-born actor Adrian Lester takes top billing in the title role.
Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, Saturday 27 September - Sunday 15 November
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.
Shrewsbury 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’.
Swan Theatre, Worcester, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September; Dudley Town Hall, Wednesday 15 October; Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Saturday 18 & Sunday 19 October; Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, Tuesday 28 - Wednesday 29 October
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN (ABRIDGED)
Now, if you feel you really should pay more attention to the works of one of the world’s greatest-ever romantic-fiction writers, but you really don’t fancy ploughing your way through her brilliant but weighty tomes, then this is definitely the show for you!
All of Jane Austen’s beloved heroines, friends, and love interests are here presented by ‘three nimble actors’. And the talented trio do so pretty much in the blink of an eye, too - allowing you not only to become very knowledgable very quickly about Austen’s canon of work, but also to get down the pub in time for last orders...
Seriously, what’s not to like?
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Monday 29 - Tuesday 30 September
THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the same-named Susan Hill novel, The Woman In Black is a classic ghost story first performed in 1989. It has since become one of the West End’s most successful plays, and was memorably made into a film starring Daniel Radcliffe in 2012.
Solicitor Arthur Kipp believes that his family have somehow been cursed by a mysterious woman in black. In an attempt to tell his story, and to exorcise the evil curse which he’s convinced hangs over him, he hires a young actor to assist him in recounting his experiences...
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 30 September - Saturday 4 October; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 January; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 31 March - Saturday 4 April
CHOPPED LIVER & UNIONS
If you’ve never heard of Sara Wesker, you’re not alone - but her largely forgotten story is a truly remarkable one.
Born in 1901, the tiny yet larger-than-life Sara - the aunt of acclaimed playwright Sir Arnold Wesker - became a real trailblazer in the trade union movement, leading ‘the singing strikers of 1928’, battling fascists at Cable Street, and helping to shape the radical politics of her age.
Paying loving tribute to her, this one-woman Blue Fire Theatre Company production is visiting Ludlow having played to sold-out audiences ‘from New York to Edinburgh’.
Courtyard Theatre, Hereford, Wednesday 8 October
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...
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre,Saturday 11 October; Palace Theatre, Redditch, Saturday 25 October
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...
Ludlow Assembly Rooms, South Shropshire, Saturday 25 October
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?...
Malvern Theatres, Saturday 25 October; Lichfield Garrick, Wednesday 29 October
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.
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 28 October - Saturday 1 November
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