Birmingham is jam-packed with theatrical venues, from the huge stages of The Hippodrome and The Alexandra, to smaller venues like the Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and the Old Joint Stock Pub and Theatre. Whether you’re looking for serious theatre, pantomime fun or amateur drama, there will be something for everyone at one of Birmingham’s arts institutions. Here’s a run down of some of the best productions running in the second city this month.
Blood Brothers
Birmingham Hippodrome, Tuesday 30th April – Saturday 4th May 2024
Willy Russell’s legendary musical, ‘Blood Brothers’, lands at the Hippodrome on Tuesday 30th April, and runs until Saturday, giving you just a few days to catch this iconic production in Birmingham. One of only three musicals to surpass ten thousand performances in London’s West End, Bill Kenwright’s production has been dubbed the ‘Standing Ovation Musical’ for continually bringing cheering audiences to their feet.
Set in the 1960s, the play follows twin boys, Mickey and Edward, who are separated at birth and brought up in two completely different environments. Mickey, alongside his seven older siblings, is brought up by his mother, Mrs Johnstone, who is struggling to make ends meet working as a cleaner for the wealthy Lyons family. Edward is brought up as the only child of the Lyons’ family, and when the pair bump into one another aged seven, they quickly become best friends and ‘blood brothers’.
Tested by their different backgrounds, the people around them, and the fact that they are both in love with the same girl, the pair find that their relationship splinters. With a stunning soundtrack and a heart wrenching tale of friendship, family and class, this is a genuinely beautiful, and oftentimes funny British classic. You can grab your tickets for ‘Blood Brothers’ here. Captioned, BSL interpreted, and audio described performances are available.
Withnail and I
Birmingham Rep, Friday 3rd May – Saturday 25th May 2024
Regarded as one of the finest films ever made, ‘Withnail and I’ follows two young, unemployed actors, praying for a job from the squalor of their Camden Town flat. In this original Rep comedy, written by the film’s creator, the legendary Bruce Robinson, and directed by double Olivier award-winner, Sean Foley, the sixties are in full swing, on stage.
Starring Robert Sheehan (The Umbrella Academy, Misfits) as the boozy and flamboyant Withnail, and Adonis Siddique as the shy and contemplative Marwood, the play follows the flatmates as they begin to tire of their lives. Their only visitor is their drug dealer, their only outing is to the local pub, and their only friends are each other. Desperately needing a break from the state of their acting careers, they decide to borrow the cottage owned by Withnail’s wealthy Uncle Monty. Will this escape to the country reinvigorate their stagnant careers?
A comedy like no other, Withnail and I is a hugely exciting debut from the Rep, with an impressive cast and a complete dedication to the insanity and hilarity of the much-loved classic. Tickets are selling quickly, but are available here.
To Move in Time
Birmingham Rep, Thursday 23rd May – Friday 24th May 2024
Have you ever thought about what you would do, if you suddenly found yourself able to time travel? Would you go forwards, to see if One Direction ever reunite, and to meet your grandchildren? Or would you go backwards, to walk amongst the dinosaurs or relive the 1966 World Cup?
Written by Tim Etchells, performed by Tyrone Higgins, this monologue follows an unnamed protagonist as he speculates playfully about exactly what he would do were he able to travel forwards and backwards in time. With fantasies of getting rich and changing history, the pervading question of the play is ‘what if’, in an extended and delightfully conversational tone, paired with spiralling logic and existentialism.
This one has a very brief run at the Rep, so book in your tickets quickly while they last! They are still available, here.
The Rotting Hart
Old Joint Stock, Thursday 23rd May – Friday 24th May 2024
A busy couple of days for Birmingham theatre – with the same run as ‘To Move in Time’, you’ll have to alternative viewings with this new queer horror, landing at the Old Joint Stock pub and theatre this May.
Tackling the history of homophobia in Spain, and the overwhelming tendency to internalise this enduring hate, the show follows a young man who has spent years in isolation with his father, when a tall, proud stranger bursts into their lives. Something begins to stir inside our protagonist, and in this mesmerising blend of theatre, choreography and storytelling, we see him begin to wonder whether the stranger’s proud neck would fit neatly between his growing canines.
The Crested Fools present a cautionary tale of ignorance and hatred turning men into wild beasts, this production arrives in Birmingham after a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We are going to catch the Friday production, and cannot wait to see it! Expect a full review over the coming weeks.
This venue is much smaller than the others on this list, and as such, tickets are limited. While they last, they can be procured here.
Sister Act
Birmingham Hippodrome, Thursday 13th May – Saturday 18th May 2024
It’s back! The habit is returning to the Hippodrome this May, offering theatre-goers a rare second chance to catch the brand new production of the Broadway and UK award-winning musical, ‘Sister Act’, direct from London.
With a star studded cast, including Coronation Street legend Sue Cleaver as Mother Superior, and Deloris, everyone’s favourite nun on the run, played by West End legend Landi Oshinowo!
Deloris’ life takes a surprising turn when she happens to witness a murder. Put under protective police custody, she is hidden in the only place she shouldn’t be found – a convent! Taken under the wing of her fellow sisters, and encouraged to help their struggling choir, she helps the nuns to find their true voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.
With original music by eight-time Oscar award-winner Alan Menken (Disney’s Aladdin, Enchanted), and songs inspired by Motown, soul, disco and funk, this is a heavenly joyous musical. You can grab your tickets here for the show of the season.
Generations
Crescent Theatre, Friday 3rd May – Tuesday 7th May 2024
We’ve also got an exciting lineup at the Crescent Theatre this month. First up, in the Ron Barber Studio, is ‘Generations’, a Black British themed Spoken Word Poetry Theatre piece. Written by Ryan Dre Sinclair, this production explores expectations, trauma, identity, culture and family differences, across generations.
As a father longs to right his young adult wrongs in his family relationships, a son tries to live up to his father’s heavy expectations, honouring his mother’s memory and avoiding generational trauma. A lady, searching for more than her Mother ever had, wishes not to end up alone, forgotten and abused by the system.
Starring Neil Reidman as Beres, Jordan Laidley as Jerome, and Jada-Li Warrican as Karis, this emotional performance runs in Birmingham before moving to the East Midlands for a showing at Nottingham Arts Theatre. There are only two showings of this powerful and moving piece, on Friday 3rd May and Tuesday 7th May, so you’ve not got long to catch this production at the Crescent. Grab your tickets here.
Gypsy
Crescent Theatre, Saturday 11th May – Saturday 18th May 2024
Considered by many as the first musical ever created, Gypsy tells the tale of an ambitious stage mother, fighting furiously for the success of her daughter, while secretly longing for her own. Loosely based on the real life and memoir of Gypsy Rose Lee, one of America’s most famous Burlesque strip artists, Arthur Laurents’ production is staged in 1920s and 1930s America, during the death of vaudeville and the birth of burlesque, exploring the world of two-bit business.
With a celebrated score by Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim, including epic hits like ‘Everything’s Coming Up Roses’ and ‘Let Me Entertain You’, this iconic production will have you singing, laughing and hanging off the front of your seat.
The play promises thirty different settings, which means stagecraft and scene changes galore. It is often listed as the best American musical, and we’re very excited to see what Birmingham’s Crescent Theatre are able to do with such an exciting and iconic script.
You can pick up tickets for the production here, while they last. There’s a bit of a longer run on this one, so absolutely no excuse to miss it!
There is plenty to keep you entertained this month in Birmingham, and if these don’t sound like your cup of tea, fear not! We’ll update this list every month, to bring the best of Brummie theatre to your fingertips.
