Midlands productions

Published: 7 December 2014
Reporter: Steve Orme

Hansel and Gretel in the Studio at Derby Theatre
Cinderella The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre
William Belchambers (Alf), Tunji Kasim (Brisker), Harry Waller (Smith), Oliver Lynes (Liggins) and Sam Alexander (Captain Riley) in The Christmas Truce in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford Credit: Topher McGrillis

A “magical, all-new re-telling of the much-loved fairy tale” The Adventures of Pinocchio is the Christmas production at The Castle, Wellingborough from Monday until Tuesday 30 December.

Glyndebourne Tour, which offers “world-class opera at venues across the UK” presents a new production of Verdi’s La traviata at Stoke’s Regent Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Duckegg Theatre Company presents Peter Pan, a new family musical based on the J M Barrie classic, adapted and directed by Haley Cox with music by Phil Collingwood, at Bonington Theatre, Nottingham on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Red Earth Theatre comes up with a “colourful and creative re-telling” of Hansel and Gretel in the Studio at Derby Theatre from Tuesday until Sunday 28 December.

Hiccup Theatre teams up with children’s writer Michael Rosen for a new version featuring puppets of Pinocchio at Curve, Leicester from Wednesday until Saturday 3 January.

Derby LIVE and Buxton-based theatre company Babbling Vagabonds join together to stage Naughty Meg and the Christmas Elves at the Guildhall Theatre, Derby from Thursday until Sunday 28 December.

Steve Nallon, known for impersonating Margaret Thatcher on ITV's Spitting Image, Joseph Elliott and Josh Little appear in Jack and the Beanstalk at Buxton Opera House from Thursday until Saturday 3 January.

Director Paulette Randall promises there will be a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on in Cinderella The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre from Friday until Saturday 10 January.

The Christmas version of “the UK’s most flamboyant rock ‘n’ roll variety show” That'll Be The Day brings back the good times at Birmingham Town Hall on Saturday.

Uncle Eric’s Christmas Party, a “fantastic night of Christmas comedy and great ‘60s music”, continues at Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre until Saturday.

Intrepid Thumbelina, her adventuring granny and a forest full of animals go on a whirlwind adventure to the big bad city in Thumbelina’s Great Big Adventure which continues at mac, Birmingham until Saturday.

Birmingham Royal Ballet continues to stage Sir Peter Wright's production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday.

Crowd of 2 Theatre performs Russell Kennedy’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol in the Studio Theatre at the Pavilion Arts Centre, Buxton on Saturday and Sunday.

From Rod Campbell, the author of the well-loved book for children Dear Zoo, comes a special treat for Christmas, Dear Santa which continues at The Core at Corby Cube, Northamptonshire until Saturday 20 December.

Coventry writer Nick Walker’s festive comedy thriller Oh No It Isn’t! continues in the B2 auditorium at the city’s Belgrade Theatre until Saturday 27 December.

Kenneth Grahame’s classic children’s tale The Wind in the Willows, adapted by Eric Gracey, takes to the stage at the Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham from Saturday until Saturday 3 January.

CBeebies presenter Alex Winters is Buttons and Goodness Gracious Me’s Kulvinder Ghir plays Baron Hardup in Cinderella, written and directed by Hackney Empire’s artistic director Susie McKenna who hails from Leicester, at the city’s De Montfort Hall from Saturday until Sunday 4 January.

Neil Duffield’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol continues at Derby Theatre until Sunday 4 January.

Joe Pasquale plays Smee in Peter Pan which continues on the Northampton Royal stage until Sunday 4 January.

Arthur Bostrom is Count Dandini de Tartare in Cinderella at Lichfield Garrick which continues until Sunday 4 January.

Northampton’s Royal stage continues as the mythical world of Camelot and Arthurian legends for the world première of Ella Hickson’s Merlin until Sunday 4 January.

Stoke’s “favourite pantomime duo” Jonathan Wilkes and Christian Patterson continue in Dick Whittington at the city’s Regent Theatre until Sunday 4 January.

Former Coronation Street actor Vicky Entwistle continues as Bad Fairy Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty at Mansfield Palace Theatre until Sunday 4 January.

Tall Stories musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo continues at Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry until Sunday 4 January.

Iain Lauchlan continues as Widow Twankey in Coventry Belgrade Theatre’s Aladdin until Saturday 10 January.

Lesley Joseph and Sam Attwater appear Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which continues at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham until Sunday 11 January.

Leicester’s Curve continues to present a new production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The Sound of Music until Saturday 17 January.

Sleeping Beauty, Kenneth Alan Taylor’s 31st panto for Nottingham Playhouse, continues until Saturday 17 January.

Birmingham Stage Company’s Horrible Christmas has added extra performances and continues at the Old Rep Theatre, Station Street, Birmingham until Saturday 17 January.

Julian Clary, Joe Tracini and Niki Evans continue in Cinderella at Wolverhampton Grand until Sunday 18 January.

A new staging of Roald Dahl’s popular children’s book The BFG continues at Birmingham REP until Saturday 24 January.

Mary Norton’s family adventure The Borrowers continues at Newcastle-under-Lyme’s New Vic Theatre until Saturday 31 January.

At the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre The Christmas Truce continues until 31 January (press night Tuesday 9 December) while Love’s Labour’s Lost and Love’s Labour’s Won (Much Ado About Nothing) both continue until 14 March.

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