More Theatre News
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Theatrical first for a Solihull performing arts school
Posted on Thu 10 Jul
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Fringe Week arts festival at Rugby Theatre
Posted on Tue 08 Jul
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Full casting announced for The Red Shoes at Birmingham Hippodrome
Posted on Wed 02 Jul
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...
BIG BIG SKY
A heart-warming story about family relationships, friendship, love and loss, Tom Wells’ Big Big Sky focuses on events which unfold at Angie’s café, a venue which serves as a haven for hungry birdwatchers and tourists. As the birds begin to fly south and the team start to pack up for the end of the season, one final visitor arrives - an individual who is about to ruffle their feathers in the most life-changing of ways...
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, untl Thursday 24 July
MUCH ADO ABOUT FALSTAFF
One of Shakespeare’s greatest and most enduring comic creations is here returning to the stage in a brand-new show.
The famously vain, gluttonous and ale-supping Sir John Falstaff appears in three of the bard’s plays, originally as a companion to Prince Hal in Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, and then as a philandering buffoon in The Merry Wives Of Windsor...
Telling a tale that revolves around Falstaff being chased by creditors demanding payment, GSP theatre company’s new production is being advertised as ‘an evening of jollity, frivolity, a definite lack of coequality, and more Shakespearean insults than ever previously heard on a theatrical stage’. Sounds like fun.
Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 July
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
Accessible language, likeable characters and a series of comic capers with an ass combine to make A Midsummer Night’s Dream one of Shakespeare’s most popular works.
Lysander and Demetrius both fancy Hermia, Helena’s sitting on the shelf, Titania and Oberon are up to no good, and Puck’s got his finger in more pies than Mr Kipling...
Not that the plot is likely to be overly important in this particular production, given the fact that it’s zany funsters Oddsocks who’re at the helm! Expect plenty of madcap mayhem and knockabout fun from this always-value-for-money ensemble.
Age recommendation 7+
Bowring Park, Telford, Thursday 10 July; Compton Verney, Warwickshire, Friday 11 July
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
If you’re up for an evening in the company of a kooky collection of freaks, weirdos and goofballs, then this is the show for you!
The all-grown-up-now princess of darkness, Wednesday Addams, has fallen in love with a sweet young man from a respectable family. Wednesday’s dad, Gomez, knows about the romance, but mom Morticia remains blissfully unaware of the situation. And that’s very much the way it needs to stay - at least until the dinner at which the two families will finally meet. Needless to say, not everything goes according to plan...
Offering a lightheartedly spinetingling evening of music and laughter, this latest visit to the gloomy old mansion at 0001 Cemetery Lane sees Alexandra Burke top-billing in the to-die-for role of Morticia, with Birds Of A Feather favourite Lesley Joseph appearing as Grandma.
Birmingham Hippodrome, Thursday 10 - Saturday 12 July
WAR HORSE
War Horse was described as the theatrical event of the decade when it opened in the West End in 2009, since which time it has won numerous coveted awards and continued to garner great praise. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s hugely popular 1982 novel and presented by the National Theatre, the show is best known for its life-sized horses, which are operated to astonishing effect by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company.
The story revolves around the character of a young man named Albert and his horse, Joey, who is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France at the beginning of the First World War. Joey’s subsequent adventures lead to him finding himself alone in No Man’s Land. But Albert is in no mood to give up on his beloved companion, and sets out to find him and take him home to Devon...
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Thursday 10 - Saturday 19 July
4:48 PSYCHOSIS
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is teaming up with the Royal Court Theatre to present 4.48 Psychosis, the final play written by Sarah Kane before she committed suicide in 1999 at the age of 28.
Plunging the audience into the mind of an unnamed protagonist grappling with severe depression, the play reunites the original cast, which included Daniel Evans, who is now co-artistic director of the RSC.
The final performance has been scheduled to take place at 4.48am on the morning of Sunday 27 July. It will be followed by a post-show discussion with the cast and creative team over breakfast.
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, Thursday 10 - Sunday 27 July
SHOWSTOPPER: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL
If ever there was a show worth seeing more than once, this is it - and not only because it’s an Olivier Award winner. Showstopper! is exactly what it says on the tin, a musical that’s improvised - meaning that no two nights are ever the same. The rotating cast of quick-witted performers take audience suggestions and then spin a brand-new comedy musical out of thin air, complete with tunes, lyrics, dances and harmonies.
It’s clever stuff, performed by clever people. And if previous audience reaction is anything to go by, you can expect to be well and truly gobsmacked.
Lichfield Garrick, Friday 11 July
SPLAT!
Of The Jackel is the theatre company behind this family-friendly physical comedy.
The show turns the spotlight on two artists, one neat, the other messy, as they attempt to cover the history of art, an endeavour that leads to chaotic consequences.
Exploring the themes of ‘collaboration, play, dedication, spontaneity and letting go’, the production ‘features no language’, is accessible for deaf audiences, and has been created with children aged between three and six in mind.
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC), Birmingham, Saturday 12 July; Lichfield Garrick, Tuesday 22 & Wednesday 23 July
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, Saturday 12 July - Saturday 30 August
BAT OUT OF HELL
A loose retelling of Peter Pan, this Jim Steinman/Meat Loaf extravaganza unfolds in a Manhattan of the future - one which has been turned into a desolate wasteland and is lorded over by a ruthless dictator named Falco. The evil tyrant is determined to rebuild the city by destroying disused tunnels and subways which have become residential areas for the homeless community. But a group of kids whose DNA is permanently frozen - meaning they will be 18 years of age forever - are equally determined to thwart his dastardly plans...
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Monday 14 - Saturday 19 July
GHOST STORIES
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.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Tuesday 15 - Saturday 19 July; Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 22 - Saturday 26 July
THE NAG'S HEAD
After inheriting a failing pub from their father, three estranged siblings discover an unnerving painting which he'd kept hidden from them for years - and not without good reason...
A play performed at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn but set in the county’s spookiest pub, comedy-horror offering The Nag’s Head is described by its performers, the London-based Make It Beautiful theatre company, as ‘an ode to the great British pub culture, to things that go bump in the night, and to Shropshire’.
The play features original music and ‘real paranormal accounts’.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Wednesday 16 - Friday 18 July
MARY POPPINS
Everybody’s favourite magical nanny is opening her umbrella and flying back into the Midlands!
PL Travers’ popular fictional character has been a global superstar since Julie Andrews brought her to life in Walt Disney’s hugely successful 1964 movie. Not surprisingly, the success of the film led to a stage version - albeit some 40 years later - and Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s award-winning musical has been doing great business in theatres across the world ever since.
Acclaimed Australian stars, Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers reprise their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert, having both received critical acclaim and nightly standing ovations for their performances in the recent Australian production.
The show’s timeless score includes the songs Jolly Holiday, Step In Time, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Feed The Birds. New songs and additional music & lyrics are provided by the Olivier Award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
Birmingham Hippodrome, Wednesday 16 July - Saturday 23 August
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 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.
Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, Saturday 19 July
TOM GATES EPIC STAGE SHOW
This brand-new show pays loving tribute to author & illustrator Liz Pichon’s award-winning Tom Gates stories. Liz’s series of books about the character have been translated into 47 languages, selling more than four million copies worldwide.
“I wanted to fill the books with all the things I loved doing when I was a kid,” says Liz. “It's just the best feeling ever to know that children are enjoying reading the books, because I love making them. So thank you so much for choosing Tom Gates, and keep reading and doodling!”
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunday 20 July; Swan Theatre, Worcester, Wednesday 23 July; Malvern Theatre, Wednesday 30 July
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?...
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Sunday 20 July; Malvern Theatres, Saturday 25 October; Lichfield Garrick, Wednesday 29 October
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
THE LAST LAUGH
“I’ve written a play that imagines Eric Morecambe, Tommy Cooper and Bob Monkhouse sitting in a dressing room discussing life, death, comedy, and what it means to be funny,” explains Paul Hendy, the one-time television presenter who’s not only written The Last Laugh but is also producing and directing it. “Anybody who likes comedy and has an interest in the history of comedy - or, to be honest, just wants a good laugh - will enjoy this show, because ultimately it explores what it means to be funny, even if you don’t know these actual comedians. Last year at Edinburgh, we had a lot of comedians come to see it, and they responded so positively because it was all so relevant to them.”
The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tuesday 22 - Saturday 26 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
THE KOALA WHO COULD
Here’s a fascinating fact about Claudia Winkleman that many of her admirers may not know: she’s in love with Kevin the Koala from Rachel Bright & Jim Field’s award-winning picture book The Koala Who Could.
And given that she’s waxed lyrical about the much-loved bestseller, which was published back in 2016, the Strictly Come Dancing and Traitors presenter would surely also adore this acclaimed stage adaptation!
The 55-minute, interval-free show is suitable for kids aged two-plus and features plenty of catchy songs to get your youngsters up and dancing.
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Thursday 24 - Saturday 26 July
HOT MESS
“The climate crisis is such an overwhelming issue, and talking about it can often feel really paralysing,” say Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote, the team behind Hot Mess, which this month shows in the Patrick Studio prior to heading north to the Edinburgh Fringe. “We wanted to create a musical that reminds us of the urgency of this issue, but in a way that is also entertaining, relatable, and sometimes ridiculous.
“Hot Mess is really a romcom about Earth and Humanity - an unlikely romance between an entire species and an entire planet - who have spent 200,000 years just trying to make their relationship work. We hope audiences will fall in love with these characters and want to root for them, even in their darkest moments.”
The show has been produced by Birmingham Hippodrome’s in-house New Musical Theatre Department.
Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome, Thursday 24 & Friday 25 July
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...
Malvern Theatres, Tuesday 29 July
IN THE NIGHT GARDEN LIVE
If your little ones are big fans of the much-loved CBeebies television series, they’re certain to adore this live version as well.
And it’s not only the kids who’re in love with the stage shows. According to audience surveys and parents' reviews, nine out of 10 adults consider In The Night Garden Live to be a five-star theatrical experience.
The show lasts for 60 interval-free minutes, sees Igglepiggle looking for his friends in the Night Garden (by following their funny sounds), and features a very special visit from ‘the amazing flying Pinky Ponk’.
The Rep, Birmingham, Saturday 2 - Wednesday 6 August
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!”
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 9 - Sat 13 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
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.
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, Monday 22 - Saturday 27 September
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 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