Birmingham Hippodrome is preparing to welcome hundreds of artists from across the globe to its stage in the remainder of 2014.
The Hippodrome’s chief executive Stuart Griffiths says, “This season provides us with many opportunities to present some of the very best international companies and performers across dance, musical theatre and opera.
“We hope that a season containing Birmingham’s fourth International Dance Festival, Cape Town Opera and the Mariinsky Opera will entice audiences to try some new theatre experiences alongside our more familiar programme of the very best in home-grown dance, opera and musical theatre.“
International Dance Festival Birmingham will feature Canada’s Kidd Pivot performing Tempest Replica on 2 and 3 May, the only dates outside London, the only UK dates of 6,000 Miles Away by French dance superstar Sylvie Guillem on 6 and 7 May and Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s collaboration with a cast of Argentinian dancers in Milonga on 23 and 24 May.
The IDFB festival will be produced for the fourth time by the Hippodrome and DanceXchange. There will be performances in venues and outdoor spaces across the city. Full details are available at the International Dance Festival Birmingham web site.
South Africa’s premier opera company Cape Town Opera will perform its production of Show Boat from 2 until 5 July.
The Hippodrome will present Wagner’s epic Ring Cycle, with the Mariinsky Opera from St Petersburg making their Hippodrome debut. The company will perform all four operas between 5 and 9 November.
Continuing the international theme, the Hippodrome will start the 20th anniversary tour of Slava’s Snowshow from 12 until 16 November.
The Hippodrome has been chosen as the only venue outside Cardiff to present Welsh National Opera’s new production of The Fall of the House of Usher (20 June), based on the story by Edgar Allen Poe.
Gary Wilmot, ventriloquist Paul Zerdin and comedian Matt Slack will return to the theatre in Jack and the Beanstalk from 19 December until 1 February.