Wednesday June 19 2013
Theatre
Are You Being Served?
Theatre
All & Sundry, the Bromsgrove theatrical group, presents Are You Being Served? on June 20 at Rowney Green Peace Hall and June 25–29 at Artrix, Bromsgrove.
More details at http://www.allandsundry.org
Facing the Music
Music
Part of Bromsgrove Festival, Facing the Music takes place on Friday May 3 at Artrix at 7.45pm.
Starring Patricia Routledge in conversation with Edward Seckersen.
Patricia speaks on her life in musical theatre on both sides of the Atlantic. She is better known as an actress but was also trained as a singer, and the evening is illustrated with rare recordings.
Bookings may be made by post to Bromsgrove Festival Office, The Oaks, Rowney Green, Alvechurch B48 7QR, via answer phone to 07824 859572
or by email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Messages can also be left on answer phone on 01527 876504
Tickets are available at the Artrix box office either in person, by telephone (01527 577330) or at http://www.artrix.co.uk
Patrons and subscribers will be given priority
Further details may be found at http://www.bromsgrovefestival.co.uk
For further information call 01527 878326
Have a Wilde time with Dramatic Society
Theatre
Alvechurch Dramatic Society presents The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde at Alvechurch Village Hall on April 25, 26 and 27, all at 7.30pm.
For the first time in the group’s 65-year history, they will perform Wilde’s classic ‘trivial comedy for serious people’.
“How we’ve managed to miss out on this comedy masterpiece for all these years is anyone’s guess, but we’re happy to be rectifying the situation!” says Chris Davies.
The play follows the misadventures of Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who must deal with the Gorgon that is Lady Bracknell as they court their sweethearts Gwendolen and Cecily, both of whom seem to think they are engaged to someone named Ernest…
“The first act is ingenious, the second beautiful, the third abominably clever”, said Wilde himself with characteristic modesty.
Featuring all of his famous wit, farcical comedy and sparkling dialogue – plus some cucumber sandwiches and a very well known handbag – the show has deservedly won its place among the classics!
Tickets £6 (£5 conc), available from Alvechurch Post Office, The Joshua Tree, or on 0121 447 7071.
The Gondoliers
Theatre
Astwood Bank Operatic Society presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Gondoliers at the Palace Theatre, Redditch, from Tues March 5 to Sat March 9 (7.30pm nightly plus a 2.30pm Sat matinee).
The show is directed by Steve Skinner with Tom Porter as musical director. The talented cast includes David Steele as Marco, Ian Walton as Giuseppe, Michael Hawkins as Don Alhambra and Melanie Hart as the Duchess.
ABOS also welcomes back Janna Mutton (as Giannetta), Helen Hastings (Casilda) and Mandy Goddard (Tessa), plus newcomer David Coulson as the Duke.
The Duke and Duchess of Plaza-Torp come to Venice in search of the heir to the throne of Barataria, inconveniently mislaid at birth but betrothed to their daughter.
Two candidates are gondoliers, by nature republicans, but far more interested in parties than politics and already just married! It needs the help of an old nursemaid to untangle the knots.
Dance a Cachuca, Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes and When a Merry Maiden Marries are just some of the popular songs in this operetta.
The Gondoliers will be the best in theatrical entertainment with orchestra, full chorus, costumes scenery and wonderful music– not to be missed!
Tickets £13 (£12 conc) from 01527 63319 or the box office on 01527 65203.
Tale of the Red Dragon
Theatre
M.A.D.S present The Tale of the Red Dragon, a pantomime, at Mappleborough Green Village Hall on Dec 7 and 8.
Doors open 7pm, show begins 7.30.
Tickets from John Crumpton on 01527 528626 (concessions for families and children).
Bar and free parking.
A Night in Venice
Theatre
Tinkers Farm Opera presents an updated version of Johann Strauss’ A Night in Venice at Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre from Tues Oct 30 to Sat Nov 3.
This forgotten gem is full of favourite Strauss tunes, including the Radetsky March, Thunder and Lightning Polka, and Roses from the South, and abounds in waltzes, marches and chorus scenes punctuated with humour.
The original plot has been updated to modern-day Italy, with a Prime Minister holding one of his notorious parties during Venice’s famous Carnival… satirising the Berlusconi regime, it involves mistaken identity, seduction and scandal.
Tinkers Farm Opera will have a strong cast including two professional performers – Richard Lloyd-Owen and John Clay – with known Birmingham performers Rose Rowley, Susan Bushby, Diane Geater, Julian Bissell and Geoff Evans. The production team is made up of director Janet Phillips and musical director Peter Bushby.
Tickets cost £14 (£12 concessions) and £7 for children throughout the week. To book, call 01384 373670 or 0121 643 5858, or visit http://www.crescent-theatre.co.uk
Annie Get Your Gun
Theatre
Bromsgrove Operatic Society proudly presents Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun at Artrix (Slideslow Drive, Bromsgrove, B60 1PQ) from May 14–19.
This magnificent Broadway show is based on a captivating true story. Annie Oakley, an outspoken, happy country girl and sharpshooter, becomes the star of a Wild West show, falling for Rifleman Frank Butler in the process.
The production promises to be a spectacle full of colour and vibrancy, enhanced by music from one of the incomparable Irving Berlin’s most memorable scores, including Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly, The Girl That I Marry, You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun, They Say It’s Wonderful, My Defences Are Down, Anything You Can Do and There’s No Business Like Show Business.
An exhilarating show for the whole family. Tickets £12 (Mon), £13 (Tues-Wed), £14 (Thurs-Sat) available from http://www.artrix-tickets.co.uk or the box office on 01527 577330.
Whitehall farce promises lots of laughs
Theatre
Alvechurch Dramatic Society presents Look No Hans, the hilarious Whitehall farce by John Chapman and Michael Pertwee, from April 26–28 in Alvechurch Village Hall.
Set in Berlin in the 1960s, the play introduces the inept Peter Fisher who runs a British car dealership trying to sell cars to the Germans.
Cadwallader, a British Security agent, wishes to use Peter’s flat for a top secret operation – but Fisher’s wife, girlfriend and a visiting stripper add to the confusion. Will anyone lose their trousers before the curtains close?
Performances start at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £6 (£5 concessions) and are available from the Post Office or The Joshua Tree in Alvechurch, or by calling 0121 447 7071.
Let them entertain you
Theatre
Rowney Green Players present variety show Let Us Entertain You at Rowney Green Village Hall at 7.30pm on April 27 and 28.
With cabaret-style seating and a bar, the evening builds on the sell-out success of last year’s event. A combination of well-known and original comedy sketches with some songs thrown in, all washed down with a drink or two, will give you and your friends a memorable evening of laughter.
Dragon’s Den and Countdown are just two of the popular TV programmes that receive a comedy makeover from the Players.
Tickets £8 (no concessions) on 0121 445 1562. Bar open from 6.45pm.
Pools Paradise
Theatre
Rubery Drama Group, celebrating its Diamond Jubilee this year, presents Pools Paradise, a farce by Philip King, at the Beacon Church Centre on Whetty Lane on April 26, 27 and 28.
This is the group’s 116th production and was last performed by them in 1965 – four members of the original cast are still active in the group.
Set in the mid-60s, it concerns the vicar of a village church who disapproves of gambling, but his wife looks set to share in a large football pools win…
Performances start at 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) and tickets are available on the door or in advance by calling 0121 445 2323.
The group meets every Weds, 7.30 for 7.45pm, at Beacon Church Centre.
Top dance production at Artrix
Theatre
Earthfall Dance bring their award-winning production of At Swim Two Boys to Artrix on March 15 at 8pm.
The play, staged entirely in water and set against the backdrop of the Easter Rising in Ireland, coincides with the 10th anniversary of the source novel by Jamie O’Neill.
In addition, Earthfall will be running an evening workshop for beginners age 16+ or those with some movement experience in the studio on March 8, 5.30–7pm.
There is a special combined price of £20 (£17 conc) for the workshop and the performance. Tickets cost £14 (£12) for the performance only, or £10 for the workshop only.
To book, visit http://www.artrix.co.uk or call 01527 577330.
Scarecrow returns
Theatre
Mappleborough Green Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S) presents its second performance of The Scatterbrained Scarecrow of Oz at Tanworth-in-Arden Village Hall from Feb 16–18.
Tickets cost £3.50 for children and £7 for adults, and are available from John Pearson on 01564 742726.
Pirates at the Palace
Theatre
Astwood Bank Operatic Society will perform the hilarious Broadway version of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance at the Palace Theatre in Redditch from March 6–10.
This version combines the words and lyrics of the original with exciting new musical arrangements and completely over-the-top characters. And as 2012 is a leap year, this is the most appropriate of shows as the leap year theme is very much to the fore.
Performances will take place at 7.30pm, plus a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets cost £12.50 for evening performances and £11 for the matinee, and are available from the Society’s hotline: 01527 546569 (until Feb 19) and the theatre box office: 01527 65203.
So whether you are a seasoned Gilbert & Sullivan fan or just love musical comedy, don’t miss this wonderfully colourful production with a full orchestra, costumed characters, scenery and vibrant singing – guaranteed fun for all the family.
Arsenic & Old Lace
Theatre
All & Sundry presents farcical black comedy Arsenic and Old Lace at the Palace Theatre in Redditch from March 28–31 (suitable for age 12+).
Evening performances 7.30pm; Sat matinee 2.30pm. Tickets £11/£10 (Tues, Weds,Thurs eve and Sat mat) or £12/£11 (Fri and Sat eve). Buy one get one free on Weds and matinee.
Tickets from the Palace box office on 01527 65203; more info at http://www.allandsundry.org
Begin your Christmas with a visit to Oz
Theatre
Mappleborough Green Amateur Dramatic Society (M.A.D.S) presents The Scatterbrained Scarecrow of Oz on December 1, 2 and 3 at Mappleborough Green Village Hall (B80 7BT).
In this sequel to The Wizard of Oz, by Alfred Bradley, Dorothy and Toto return to Oz to help Queen Scarecrow find her brains which have been stolen by the Wicked Witch. Assisted by her old friends the Tinman and the Lion, she travels to the Witch’s castle, overcoming many hazards on the way and meeting many new characters on the journey.
This wonderful play for children of all ages involves music and special effects.The production is directed by Robert Wilkes with Charlotte Fitohelt, Margaret Lee, John Perrins and Jules Caulwell and Mary Field in principal roles.
The Thursday performance will begin early – at 7pm – to accommodate youngsters, with the Friday and Saturday shows taking place at 7.30pm. There will be a bar on Friday and Saturday.
Tickets cost £7 for adults (all days) and £3.50 for children on Fri and Sat, while children’s tickets are £3 on Thurs. Group tickets are available for Thurs only, costing £30 based on 10 children and 1 adult.
For tickets contact John Crumpton on 01527 528626, or buy on the door – and begin your Christmas with a visit to the magical time!
Hilarious spoof of murder mystery genre
Theatre
Alvechurch Dramatic Society will perform Murdered to Death, by Peter Gordon, at the end of November. This hilarious spoof of the Agatha Christie genre is set in a country manor house in the 1930s, with an assembled cast of characters guaranteed to delight.
The play introduces the inept and bungling Inspector Pratt, who battles against the odds and his own incompetence to solve the murder of the house’s owner.
It soon becomes clear that the murderer isn’t finished yet, but will the miscreant be unmasked before everyone else has met their doom, or will the audience die laughing first?
The play runs from Thurs Nov 24 to Sat Nov 26 in Alvechurch Village Hall, with all performances at 7.30pm.
Tickets cost £6 (£5 concessions) from Alvechurch Post Office or The Joshua Tree in Alvechurch or by calling 0121 447 7071.
Week of Disney-themed activities
Theatre
Local theatre school The Star Project is offering a fabulous week of fun for children during half-term this autumn – a Disney Performance and Activity Week!
Running from Monday October 24 to Friday October 28 at the Barnt Green Parish Centre, the programme is open to children aged from four to 12 years old and of all abilities.
Participants will explore the world of Disney in a fun-filled week of games, activities and musical theatre, leading to a Cabaret performance for parents and families on the Friday evening.
The activities include learning Disney songs and dances, arts and crafts such as “make your own Disney character”, a fashion show, a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and a Neverland Treasure Hunt.
Sessions run from 10am–3pm daily except Friday, when it’s 12noon–6pm. The cost is just £99 per child, and places are limited so make sure you book now to avoid disappointment!
Call Jo on 07917 197024 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Half term fun
Theatre
The Lounge in Alvechurch has organised a special half term event on Weds Oct 26, taking place at the Baptist Church Hall.
From 10am–4pm, youngsters aged 11–15 can take part in a Drama Workshop with Jestaminute Community Theatre, at a cost of just £5 per child.
Please call 0121 445 5512 for more information or to book a place (limited availability).
Chase Me, Comrade
Theatre
Rowney Green Players present the Ray Cooney farce Chase Me, Comrade at Redditch’s Palace Theatre, from Weds Oct 19 - Sat Oct 22 (all performances 7.30pm)
The year is 1964. A Russian male ballet dancer has defected to the west and has hot-footed it from performing Swan Lake with beautiful dancer Alicia to hide with her friends in the country.
Complications set in at once: the house where he is concealed belongs to a naval commander whose duty it would be to hand him over to the authorities. So the commander’s daughter Nancy and her fiancé get involved in a hilarious game of hide and seek in which everybody is pretending to be everybody else.
This play is a delicious, crazy farce so come and feast on a riot of fun – you won’t be disappointed. Tickets £11.50/£10.50 from the box office on 01527 66203.
Cat on the Fiddle
Theatre
Mappleborough Green Amateur Dramatic Society (MADS) present Cat on the Fiddle at Mappleborough Green Village Hall (B80 7BT) on July 8 and 9 at 7.30pm.
This very funny farce is the story of a young newlywed couple who get involved with a jewel theft and Italian gangsters. When the husband invites his Italian pen friend to visit, “Mario” turns out to be “Maria” – causing all kinds of problems.
Tickets £7 (children half-price) on 01527 528626. MADS can assure you of an evening of laughter and fun!
Rubery Drama Group
Theatre
Rubery Drama Group meets every Wednesday, 7.30 for 7.45pm, at Beacon Church Centre in Rubery.
Further details on 0121 445 2323.
Nights at the Opera
Music
Welsh National Opera presents two very different tales of passion at Birmingham Hippodrome from June 8–11.
Turandot is on Jun 8 and 10, as WNO’s Music Director Lothar Koenigs conducts a spectacular production of Puccini’s final opera. Set in the 20th century, this interpretation creates a portrait of a society where those who fail in their quest for love pay with their lives.
Così fan tutte is on Jun 9 and 11, as director Benjamin Davis invites the audience to pack up their buckets and spades and head off to the 1950s British seaside in his first new production for the Company.
All performances 7.15pm. Tickets from £15, available on 0844 338 5000 or at http://www.birminghamhippodrometickets.com
The Fairies are landing!
Theatre
Bromsgrove Operatic Society, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, presents Gilbert & Sullivan’s fanciful comedy Iolanthe at Artrix from Mon May 9 to Sat May 14.
Tickets £9 Mon, £11 Tues, Wed & Thurs, and £13 Fri and Sat. Book on 01527 577330 or http://www.artrix-tIckets.co.uk
What's On Listing