Midlands productions

Published: 21 May 2017
Reporter: Steve Orme

Nicholas Woodeson, Geff Francis and Mitchell Mullen in Death of a Salesman at Malvern Theatres Credit: Manuel Harlan
David Acton (Mr Kipps) and Matthew Spencer (the actor) in The Woman in Black at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton
Jodie Prenger as Shirley Valentine at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham Credit: Manuel Harlan

Thibault Delferiere, a performer and painter who has cerebral palsy, and New Perspectives’ artistic director Jack McNamara collaborate on a new performance inspired by the Greek myth of Sisyphus which will be premièred as a pay-what-you-decide event at Surface Gallery, Sneinton, Nottingham on Monday.

BOLDtext Playwrights presents Double Bill, two plays in progress—Liz John’s World War 3 and Unfollow Me by Julia Wright—in The Door at Birmingham REP on Monday while on the main stage, the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich and Ramps on the Moon presentation of The Who’s Tommy continues until Saturday.

Nottingham-based 2Magpies Theatre’s Ventoux, a restaging of the “dramatic” battle between Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani in the Tour de France 2000 on Mont Ventoux, pedals into Nottingham Lakeside Arts on Monday and Tuesday.

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel The Woman in Black, featuring David Acton as Mr Kipps and Matthew Spencer as the actor, tours to the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton from Monday until Saturday.

Jodie Prenger is Shirley Valentine in Willy Russell’s play, which visits the Theatre Royal, Nottingham from Monday until Saturday.

Tom Parker of The Wanted makes his musical theatre debut as Danny Zuko, Danielle Hope is Sandy and Louisa Lytton plays Rizzo in Grease at the Regent Theatre, Stoke from Monday until Saturday.

Mother Tongues from Farther Lands by Sajeela Kershi, a spoken word theatre show “full of fascinating, fearless and funny stories from south Asian women whose voices are too often forgotten”, told by Shobu Kapoor, Shobna Gulati, Shyama Perera and Sajeela Kershi, visits Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

“The UK’s number one rock and roll variety production” That’ll Be The Day returns to Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In its 14th year, Sadler’s Wells’ festival of hip hop dance theatre Breakin’ Convention takes over Leicester’s Curve on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nicholas Woodeson plays Willy Loman in the Northampton Royal and Derngate revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at Malvern Theatres from Tuesday until Saturday.

Adapted for the stage by Samuel Adamson and featuring life-sized puppets, Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo dashes into Derngate, Northampton from Tuesday until Saturday.

In a “better-late-than-never nod to the Bard’s 400th anniversary”, the Reduced Shakespeare Company includes all Will’s greatest characters and plots in William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged) at Derby Theatre on Wednesday.

Featuring “a menagerie of 75 enchanting puppets during a magical 60-minute show”, The Very Hungry Caterpillar wriggles into Malvern Theatres on Wednesday and Thursday.

Based on real-life events, the historical drama Twenty-One Pounds, written by Gloucestershire playwright Martin Lytton and following the story of a Gloucestershire slave and her owners, runs in the Studio Theatre at Cheltenham Everyman from Wednesday until Saturday while on the main stage Showstopper! The Improvised Musical promises “drama, dazzling dance routines and catchy melodies” from Thursday until Saturday.

Northampton Royal plays host to Edward Fox who celebrates the life and career of John Betjeman in Sand in the Sandwiches from Thursday until Saturday.

A “seductive and fascinating exploration of tango”, Milonga dances into Birmingham Hippodrome on Friday and Saturday.

Based on real-life accounts collected from Syrian refugees, aid workers, activists and journalists, Rob Johnston’s Spring Reign transforms the Neville Studio at Nottingham Playhouse into the besieged city of Aleppo on Saturday.

David Wood’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches works its magic at the Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham from Saturday until Saturday 3 June.

At the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Antony and Cleopatra continues until Thursday 7 September and Julius Caesar until Saturday 9 September while in the Swan Theatre Phil Porter’s new play Vice Versa (or the Decline and Fall of General Braggadocio at the hands of his canny servant Dexter and Terence the monkey) continues until Saturday 9 September.

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