Birmingham Hippodrome has announced details of the year ahead, which features The Lion King, War Horse and “the world’s biggest pantomime”.
Hippodrome chief executive Stuart Griffiths said, “After a year of major building improvements, I’m delighted that we now have the opportunity to stage some of the very best and most popular productions.
“We’re excited to be working with Disney to bring the West End production of The Lion King to Birmingham and we’re thrilled that the National Theatre’s War Horse will appear here early in its first UK tour.
“Both these productions feature theatrical techniques that exemplify the best that the live theatre experience has to offer—and tickets are selling very quickly.”
The Lion King will be at the Hippodrome for three months, from 29 June until 28 September while War Horse visits Birmingham from 16 October until 9 November.
Musical highlights include Cole Porter’s High Society from 14 until 18 May; Mark Benton as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray from 21 May until 1 June; and Wicked from 6 July until 6 September.
The Hippodrome’s resident company Birmingham Royal Ballet presents Sir Peter Wright’s Coppélia from 4 until 8 June; Galina Samsova’s and David Bintley’s full-length production of Giselle (19-22 June); The Sleeping Beauty (8-12 October); and the return of the Christmas favourite The Nutcracker (22 November to 12 December).
Birmingham Hippodrome is the only venue outside Cardiff where audiences can see Welsh National Opera’s full repertoire, with the current season marking the first for new WNO chief executive and artistic director David Pountney.
This summer the company will celebrate the bicentenary of Wagner’s birth with the first fully-staged performance in the UK of Wagner Dream (12 June), Jonathan Harvey’s fantasy on Wagner’s final days.
The company will also be performing a new production of Wagner’s Lohengrin (13 and 15 June) and Madam Butterfly by Puccini (14 June).
“The UK’s biggest pantomime” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs opens at Birmingham Hippodrome on 19 December and runs until 2 February. Casting will be announced soon.
Further details are available at www.birminghamhippodrome.com.