Midlands productions

Published: 16 December 2012
Reporter: Steve Orme

Natalie Casey and Amy Lennox in 9 to 5: The Musical at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham until Saturday, 5 January
Uncle Ben, a “festive family sitcom” at The Drum, Birmingham from Thursday until Saturday
Puss in Boots at the Bridge House Theatre, Warwick until Monday, 1 January

Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall hosts Vampires Rock Christmas on Monday.

Natalie Casey, Jackie Clune, Bonnie Langford, Amy Lennox and Ben Richards take up residency at the New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham in 9 to 5: The Musical from Monday until Saturday 5 January.

Robert Lloyd Parry delivers his one-man shows based on M R James’s ghost stories Oh Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad and Count Magnus at the Met Studio, Stafford Gatehouse on Wednesday and Thursday and Buxton Pavilion Arts Centre Studio on Friday and Saturday.

All and Sundry presents a family panto, Sinbad the Sailor, at Artrix, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire from Wednesday until Sunday.

Jacqui Scott, Leila Benn Harris, Daniel Boys and Graham Bickley perform numbers from some of the great musicals in A West End Christmas at Nottingham’s Royal Concert Hall on Thursday.

G.R.A.F.T. stages Uncle Ben, a “festive family sitcom” at The Drum, Birmingham from Thursday until Saturday.

Written, directed by and starring Adam Schumacher as Dame Gwendoline Kettlewell-Grind, Puss in Boots is the tenth panto presented by OTFM Productions at the Bridge House Theatre, Warwick; it runs from Thursday until Monday, 1 January.

Mary King, founding director of Playbox Theatre, directs Sleeping Beauty at the Dream Factory, Warwick from Thursday until Tuesday 2 January.

Snow Play, an interactive production for young families, continues at Derby’s Guildhall Theatre until Sunday, 23 December.

Adapted from the book by Jill Tomlinson, The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark continues in Derby Theatre’s Studio until Monday 24 December.

Sleeping Beauty continues at The Castle, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire until Saturday 29 December.

Engine House and Lakeside Arts Centre, Nottingham continue to stage the world premiere of Mike Kenny’s Two Little Boys at Lakeside, Nottingham until Sunday 30 December.

Darren Day continues as Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering, Northamptonshire until Sunday 30 December.

Buxton Opera House is producing Peter Pan, starring Louis Emerick as Captain Hook and Glen Davies as Smee, for the first time; it continues until Tuesday 1 January.

Jonathan Wilkes continues as Buttons in Cinderella at Stoke’s Regent Theatre until Friday, 4 January.

An evening of festive entertainment for grown-ups, Crackers, continues in the B2 auditorium at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre until Saturday 22 December while on the main stage panto stalwart Iain Lauchlan returns in Sleeping Beauty which continues until Saturday 5 January.

Larry Lamb (Captain Hook) and George Sampson (Peter Pan) continue in The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan at Derby’s Assembly Rooms until Sunday 6 January.

Bobby Davro (Buttons) and Denise Welch (Fairy Godmother) continue in Cinderella at Northampton’s Derngate until Sunday 6 January.

Alice in Wonderland continues at Lichfield Garrick until Sunday 6 January.

Neil Duffield's adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol continues in the Royal auditorium at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate until Sunday 6 January.

Tupele Dorgu continues as the Wicked Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Mansfield Palace Theatre until Sunday 6 January.

Derby Theatre and Birmingham Stage Company’s production of E B White’s Charlotte’s Web continues at Derby Theatre until Saturday 12 January.

The rock ‘n’ roll panto Beauty and the Beast continues at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre from Friday until Saturday 12 January.

John Partridge continues as Prince Charming and Sheila Ferguson as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham until Sunday 13 January.

A “playful interactive adventure” that’s “ideal for children”, Humbug! continues in Northampton Royal and Derngate’s Underground venue until Sunday 13 January.

The Tiger who Came to Tea, based on the picture book written and illustrated by Judith Kerr and adapted for the stage with songs and lyrics by David Wood, continues in the studio at Leicester’s Curve until Saturday 5 January while on the main stage Olivier Award winner Janie Dee continues in Hello, Dolly! until Saturday 19 January.

Kenneth Alan Taylor’s 29th panto for Nottingham Playhouse, Robin Hood and the Babes in the Wood, continues until Saturday 19 January.

Birmingham REP’s production of Alan Bennett’s stage adaptation of The Wind in the Willows continues at the Crescent Theatre, Sheepcote Street, Birmingham until Saturday 19 January.

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol continues at the New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme until Saturday 19 January.

Brian Conley continues in “Britain’s biggest pantomime”, Robinson Crusoe and the Caribbean Pirates, at Birmingham Hippodrome until Sunday 27 January.

Roald Dahl's first children's book and one of his most popular stories, James and the Giant Peach continues at Birmingham Old Rep until Saturday 2 February.

The Merry Wives of Windsor featuring Desmond Barrit as Falstaff and Anita Dobson as Mistress Quickly continues in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford until Saturday 12 January alongside the first major stage adaptation of Russell Hoban's book The Mouse and His Child which also runs until 12 January; in the Swan The Orphan of Zhao continues until Thursday 28 March while the world première of Adrian Mitchell’s adaptation of Alexander Pushkin's play Boris Godunov continues until Saturday 30 March.

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