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 BFG

Roald Dahl’s delightful tale, written way back in 1982, is here given the Royal Shakespeare Company Christmas-show treatment. 

The story follows the adventures of a little girl named Sophie, who’s taken to a magical land by the Big Friendly Giant (or BFG, for short). There, he teaches her whizzpopping, shows her his secret collection of dreams, and lets her taste his extraordinary food, the snozzcumber. When it becomes apparent a tribe of man-eating giants are planning to rampage through England, Sophie and the BFG realise they must save the country from unprecedented disaster... 

Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, until Saturday 7 February

---

ROBIN HOOD

As if Robin Hood didn’t already have enough on his plate dealing with the dastardly Sheriff of Nottingham and wooing the beautiful Maid Marion, the festive season also finds Sherwood Forest’s most famous resident getting tangled up in all manner of pantomime traditions (custard pie, anyone?).

Gok Wan, Faye Tozer and Matt Cardle here join Hippodrome panto regular Matt Slack, who’s playing Robin, for ‘the ultimate sheriff-busting pantomime extravaganza’.  Christopher Biggins makes a special appearance as King Richard, with Andrew Ryan and Sandra Marvin completing the high-quality line-up.
Birmingham Hippodrome, 

Birmingham Hippodrome, untiil Sunday 1 February   

---

BLOOD BROTHERS

Genuinely moving, surprisingly funny, and filled with all of Willy Russell’s usual astute observations about the British class system, Blood Brothers tells the story of twins, separated at birth, who spend their lives in contrasting social circumstances but are inextricably drawn together. A musical loved even by theatre-goers who don’t love musicals, the show boasts a raft of memorable songs, including Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged Tell Me It’s Not True. 

Crewe Lyceum Theatre, until Saturday 24 January; Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 January; Lichfield Garrick, Tuesday 19 - Saturday 23 May; Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesdayv 20 October - Saturday 24 October; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 November

---

SIX THE MUSICAL

From Tudor queens to battling boss-women, the 2022 Tony Award-winning Six The Musical sees the wives of Henry VIII take to the stage ‘to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak’ and tell their own versions of their lives... 

A colourful show that sits somewhere between a Girls Aloud gig and a traditional musical, the one-act production - premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, where it was performed by a group of Cambridge University students - is a loud and proud 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power. 
The show sees the cast being ably supported by all-female band The Ladies In Waiting.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, until Saturday 31 January; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Wednesday 25 - Saturday 28 March; Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesday 31 March - Saturday 11 April

---

ALL IS BUT FANTASY

Hailed as a groundbreaking theatrical event, All Is But Fantasy focuses on four Shakespeare characters - Lady Macbeth, Juliet, Emilia and Richard III - and poses the question: can you have ambition and love and still be alive in Act Five? 

Whitney White is the award-winning artist in search of an answer to that particular conundrum, presenting two high-energy gig-theatre performances that bring together rock, soul, pop and gospel music. Whitney is ably assisted in her endeavours by Macbeth’s three witches as backing singers!   

The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, Wednesday 21 January - Saturday 21 February

---

SWEET HENRY V

A script-in-hand concert performance, Sweet Henry V (here pronounced Vee) is described by its publicity in the following way: ‘Imagine if Shakespeare’s history plays donned their lippy and heels and were taken out for a night on the tiles... We’re talking Hamilton meets Braveheart meets Priscilla Queen Of The Desert in this radical reinvention of history that’s pounding with camp Celtic vibes’.

Written by Seiriol Davies - a playwright from ‘ruralest Wales’ who specialises in ‘fierce, camp musicals that attack knotty political questions in a cloud of glitter’ - the production is helmed by The Rep’s artistic director, Joe Murphy.  

The Rep. Birmingham, Friday 23 & Saturday 24 January 

---

THE GUY WHO DIDN'T LIKE MUSICALS

When a meteor hits and causes an alien outbreak, an awful Grinch named Paul teams up with a group of pals to try and save the world from his biggest nightmare… musical theatre! 

Having enjoyed a hit with previous theatrical endeavour The Trail To Oregon, Puzzles Productions here make a welcome return with what they’re billing as a ‘horror comedy’. The show is suitable for audience members aged 13 and older.

Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Friday 23 & Saturday 24 January 

---

SEARCH FOR THE SECOND STAR, REIMAGINED

Described as an immersive adventure through Neverland that’s full of music, play and discovery, this variation on the much-loved story of Peter Pan is presented by the highly regarded Open Theatre. The Coventry-based company, which specialises in non-verbal physical theatre with young people with learning disabilities, uses movement, music and visual storytelling to connect with audiences ‘in ways that go beyond words’.

The Rep, Birmingham, Saturday 24 January

---

PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH

The Coventry Belgrade here teams up with local theatre company China Plate to present an ambitious play which not only shines a light on the criminal justice system but also aims to ask important questions about colonial legacy, contested heritage, and how stories are told. 

Written by former Birmingham Poet Laureate Casey Bailey - who previously made a splash as a playwright with the critically acclaimed Grimeboy - Please Do Not Touch follows the fortunes of committed activist Mason. A young man who finds himself incarcerated, he determines to keep fighting injustice, even as the system against which he rails seeks to shut him down... 

Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome, Thursday 29 - Saturday 31 January

---

DONE TO DEATH, BY JOVE

Fun-loving duo Gavin Robertson and Nicholas Collett blend humour, variety, theatre and dance in a show that pays spoof homage to ‘the great British detective’. 

The production is based around the idea that its cast of six has become a cast of two due to an M6 breakdown of the van carrying the props, the set and four of the performers. 

The intrepid remaining cast members, Messers Robertson and Collett, are therefore left to present the show on their own - an endeavour which, not surprisingly, leads to all manner of mix-ups and mayhem. 

The Edge Arts Centre, Much Wenlock, South Shropshire, Saturday 31 January

---

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... 

The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 January; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 31 March - Saturday 4 April 

---

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.

Lichfield Garrick, Tuesday 3 February; The Swan Theatre, Worcester, Tuesday 24 February 

 

---

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?...

Palace Theatre, Redditch, Thursday 19 February; Brierley Hill Civic, Sunday 24 May; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Saturday 6 June

---

THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD

With millions of copies having been sold in double-quick time after it was published in 1999, it’s fair to say that Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s picture book The Gruffalo captured the hearts and minds of children everywhere. So it was no surprise when the dynamic duo then produced this sequel story five years later... 
Despite her dad’s warning to stay away from the deep, dark wood, the Gruffalo’s child decides it’s time to go and explore, caring not a jot about the legend of the Big Bad Mouse...
Award-winning theatre company Tall Stories, who certainly know a thing or two about adapting Donaldson/Scheffler books for the stage, here present a production that brings together ‘songs, laughs and scary fun for everyone aged three to 103’. 

The Rep, Birmingham, Friday 20 - Sunday 22 February; Lichfield Garrick, Monday 9 & Tuesday 10 March

---

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...  

Lichfield Garrick, Monday 2 - Saturday 7 March; Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Monday 23 - Tuesday 24 March

---

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)! 

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Monday 13 - Saturday 18 April; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Monday 6 - Saturday 11 July

---

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.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tuesday 18 - Saturday 23 May