British Theatre Guide

News, reviews, features and podcast on theatre across the UK

Midlands

Reviews

Nico Darmanin (Ernesto) and Andrew Shore (Don Pasquale)

Don Pasquale

Gaetano Donizetti (adapted)

Welsh National Opera

Oxford Playhouse

18 June 2019

Miles Yekinni (Jim Brown), Matt Henry (Sam Cooke), Conor Glean (Cassius Clay) and Christopher Colquhoun (Malcolm X)

One Night In Miami...

Kemp Powers

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company

Nottingham Playhouse

7 to 22 June 2019

Michael Grady-Hall (Jaffeir) and Jodie McNee (Belvidera)—powerful elements but inert chemistry

Venice Preserved

Thomas Otway

Royal Shakespeare Company

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

24 May to 7 September 2019

Samantha Womack (Rachel Watson) and Adam Jackson-Smith (Tom Watson)

The Girl on the Train

Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, based on the novel by Paula Hawki...

Simon Friend, Amblin Partners and Josh Andrews

Theatre Royal, Nottingham

20 to 25 May 2019

Beth Cordingly (Mary) and Nicholas Bailey (Mike)

The Memory of Water

Shelagh Stephenson

Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company

Nottingham Playhouse

3 to 18 May 2019

Jonathan Slinger (Sir John) and Alexandra Gilbreath (Lady Brute)

The Provoked Wife

John Vanbrugh

Royal Shakespeare Company

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon

2 May to 7 September 2019

Ayikodans company

Reflections

Jeanguy Saintus

Ayikodans

Leicester Cathedral

29 April 2019

News

Coventry City of Culture Trust creative director Chenine Bhathena, Balisha Karra, Corey Campbell, Belgrade deputy artistic director Justine Themen and artistic director Hamish Glen

Coventry team chosen to oversee programme for UK City of Culture

Corey Campbell, Balisha Karra and Justine Themen will oversee the Belgrade Theatre’s artistic programme during Coventry’s year as UK City of Culture 2021.

Novelist Alex Wheatle, adapter Emteaz Hussain and directors of Crongton Knights Corey Campbell and Esther Richardson

Consortium picks Crongton Knights as second co-production

Pilot Theatre is to stage in 2021 the world première of Emteaz Hussain’s adaptation of Alex Wheatle’s Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize winner, Crongton Knights.

The Lady Vanishes at Lichfield Garrick

What's on in the Midlands

Theatre productions in the Midlands for the week beginning Monday 17 June.

David O’Reilly will play Francis Henshall

O’Reilly to play Henshall in Derby’s One Man, Two Guvnors

David O’Reilly has bagged the central role of Francis Henshall in the Derby Theatre and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production of Richard Bean’s farce One Man, Two Guvnors.

Dome in a Day is to set up in Coventry

Good chance to see Calais jungle camp dome in Coventry

Almost four years after building its first Theatre of Hope in the Calais jungle camp, charity Good Chance is to hold a free, day-long arts extravaganza in Coventry.

Sam Bailey in Beauty and the Beast at De Montfort Hall in 2017

Sam not blue about returning to Leicester panto

Leicester’s The X Factor winner Sam Bailey is to appear in panto at the city’s De Montfort Hall for the fourth consecutive year.

Photographer Fraser McGee

Photography exhibition goes backstage at Birmingham REP

A Birmingham photographer who spent a month backstage at Birmingham REP taking hundreds of pictures is to have an exhibition of his work in the city.

Lesley Joseph will be the Wicked Queen

Lesley signs up for Birmingham Hippodrome’s Snow White

Lesley Joseph will play the Wicked Queen in Birmingham Hippodrome’s 2019 panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Alex Kingston and Sarah Hadland in Admissions at Malvern Theatres

What's on in the Midlands

Theatre productions in the Midlands for the week beginning Monday 10 June.

Buxton Arts Centre Studio: one of the Underground venues at the 2019 Buxton Fringe

Going Underground at Buxton Festival Fringe

Fringe venue group Underground—the largest venue at Buxton Fringe—has announced its line-up for the 2019 festival.

A previous backstage tour at the REP

Discover what goes on behind the scenes at Birmingham REP

Birmingham REP is to give visitors a chance to see the workings of a producing theatre when it hosts a free discovery day with activities for all interests and ages.

Moving forward: Ruth Brill

Next Brill step for Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer

Birmingham Royal Ballet first artist Ruth Brill is to leave the company at the end of the 2019 season to concentrate on her choreography career.

Michael Sherwin (Farquhar) and Andrew Ryan (Styler) in Mindgame at Malvern Theatres

What's on in the Midlands

Theatre productions in the Midlands for the week beginning Monday 3 June.

“Over-excited”: Katya Jones

Strictly winner Katya to make panto debut in Peterborough

Strictly Come Dancing winner Katya Jones is to make her pantomime debut in Peterborough New Theatre’s 2019 show The Wizard of Oz.

Matt Henry (Sam Cooke), Conor Glean (Cassius Clay), Miles Yekinni (Jim Brown) and Christopher Colquhoun (Malcolm X) in rehearsal for One Night in Miami…

One Night in Miami’s regional première in Nottingham

Nottingham Playhouse artistic director Adam Penford will continue his programming of politically charged productions that address societal issues of race and class with Kemp Power’s One Night in Miami….

Pepter Lunkuse (Marie-Clare) and Michelle Asante (Sister Evangelique) in Our Lady of Kibeho which is to transfer to the Theatre Royal Stratford East

Fourth Northampton show gets London transfer

A fourth show from Northampton Royal and Derngate’s 2018–19 Made in Northampton season is to transfer to London.

Kinky Boots in the Theatre Royal, Nottingham

What's on in the Midlands

Theatre productions in the Midlands for the week beginning Monday 27 May.

New adaptation: Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre

Prince and the Pauper to be New Vic Christmas show

A new production of Mark Twain’s The Prince and The Pauper is to be the Christmas 2019 show at the New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Constant challenges: Heartbreak’s artistic director Peter Mimmack

Heartbreak Productions planning biggest outdoor season

A Midlands touring company is preparing for its busiest season, presenting no fewer than 255 outdoor shows over three months.

Jacqui Garbett in The Power Behind the Crone

Fringe benefits for established companies at Buxton

Theatre will be well represented at the 2019 Buxton Fringe, with a number of established companies having already signed up for the festival.

In need of refurbishment: the Belgrade Theatre

Belgrade asks for financial help for redevelopment

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre is asking audiences and supporters to Play Your Part and help raise £600,000 towards a £4.8 million target for a major redevelopment.