hello & welcome
contents January 15 & 16
It is a great pleasure and privilege to present the Arena Theatre’s Spring Brochure 2010. As always, the range of shows is rich, exciting and dynamic and offers the very best in the performing arts. Many of us who work in arts education know the impact that this jewel of a theatre has on those we teach. Not only are our students exposed to a rich and varied menu of performances that gives essential support for the curriculum, but the very nature of the venue itself makes it a perfect place to experience the performing arts. The staff at the Arena are knowledgeable, always welcoming and have a palpable passion for what they do. This allows our students to relax, enjoy, critique and leave enthused by their experience and yearning for more. Those youngsters who have had the pleasure of spending time at the Arena on performance projects come back to our schools with a fire burning for the performing arts. Their new found passion has been fuelled not just because they have been at a professional theatre, but because of the unique experience of working with the Arena’s warm and generous staff. This is something that The King’s School will be replicating for the seventh time when we return with our horror spoof Things That Go Bump In The Night in July. For many of our students their time at the Arena can be truly life changing, giving them new direction and broader horizons. I do hope that you all make the most of the fantastic array of shows that are on offer in the Spring season and that you continue to support the venue that is full of heart at the heart of our city. The Arena Theatre continues to be a unique and very special place that all of us in Wolverhampton should be very proud of. And if you haven’t already, tell your friends what they are missing.
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Aladdin Deeva Productions
22
Liz Carr and Outside Centre 23 & 24
February 1&2
Turnstyle Productions
25
11
Forever in your Debt 12
Screwloose The Village Idiots
26
11
Honk! Junior Foursight Theatre
Christopher Rowley Head of Drama The King’s C.E. School Wolverhampton
10
Grimm Tales Punch Theatre
23 & 24
10
A Handful of Henna UoW Drama Department
19 & 20
9
Signs of a Star Shaped Diva Rasa
17 & 18
9
Bully Graeae and Caroline Parker
12
8
Surdhwani: Vrindavan Theatre Tours International
10 & 11
8
Motion Flow Biru Gautam and Ronu Majumdar
9
7
A Taste of Honey DNA3d Dance
6
7
Romeo and Juliet Love&Madness
4&5
5
Three For A Girl
Love&Madness 2&3
6
Fever MIKS Dance
29
5
Alfie Black Eyed Theatre
28
5
Showstoppers Impulse Productions
26 & 27
4
It Hasn’t Happened Yet
13
Such Is Life Mobius Dance Theatre
13
BUY TICKETS
Must be the same number of tickets for each show. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer - other restrictions may apply
for two or more shows at the same time and get all your tickets for £5 each March 2
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Lotty’s War Giddy Ox
3
Sampad and Arena Theatre 9
April 1
Lip Service 20th Anniversary Tour
19
6&7
20
14 - 16
21
19 & 20
22 23
Unaccommodated 23
Songs from the Stage UoW Musical Theatre Group
24
28
Hypnosis 28
Binary Highway Flexus Dance
29
Annie Junior 30
Coram Boy Central Youth Theatre
21 & 22
27
Little Shop Of Horrors
Reach For The Stage
The Secret Lives of Henry and Alice OPUS Theatre
30 & 1
3
The Nearly Naked Chef MIG Productions
23
20
Move Over Moriarty
Hardeep Singh Kohli 16
July
That’s Entertainment Nobody’s Perfect
31
30 & 1 19
Impulse Productions
MIG Productions
18
28
Slice Of Saturday Night
Impulse Productions 19
Forties to Noughties South Staffs MTC
30
3-5
Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde European Arts
25 - 27
June
27
Hearing Voices Clare Summerskill
28 - 30
26
Th1rt3en Willenhall School and Sports College
25 - 27
18
Beating Berlusconi! Turf Love Productions
23 & 24
16
Top of the World Spike Theatre
19
17
The Beauty Queen of Leenane London Classic Theatre
18
16
Doctor Whom? My Search for Samuel Johnson David Benson and Seabright Productions
16 & 17
15
25
Morecambe Theatre Tours International
14
Babel Stan Won’t Dance
10
15
South Winds - IWW Showcase
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Raspberry Fittings Multimedia Arts
8
The Dept. of Smelling Pistakes Publick Transport
5
14
The World’s Wife Linda Marlowe and Seabright Productions
4
May 6&7
30
Things That Go Bump in the Night The King’s C of E School
31
Dynamic Youth 2010 Guys and Dolls
31
Wednesfield High School
32
Arena Theatre Matinee Series How To Book Access Information At A Glance Calendar How To Find Us
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Other Pages
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Friday 15th at 7pm Saturday 16th January at 3pm and 7pm
Friday 22nd January at 8pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Aladdin
DEEVA PRODUCTIONS
Join this new local company for a magnificent, magical, musical adventure from old Yuk Sung to ancient Egypt and back! Will Aladdin live happily ever after? Will the wicked Abanazer win through? And will Widow Twanky ever develop a respectable dress sense? Come and join in the fun to find out! This is a charity event in aid of Compton Hospice
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Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Liz Carr in
OUTSIDE CENTRE, ARENA THEATRE AND LIZ CARR PRESENT
It Hasn’t Happened Yet
A new comedy about comedy... A stand-up comedian, who can’t stand, discovers what, and who you can laugh at. A series of encounters with the subjects of her jokes, a comedian starts to question her material, her views and the ways of the world. Whilst the audience laughs a few are uneasy: catching up with the comedian after the show they let her know their views of her material.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Saturday 23rd January at 7.30pm Sunday 24th January 4pm and 8pm
Thursday 28th January at 7.30pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Showstoppers 2010
IMPULSE PRODUCTIONS
After the success of Footloose last year, Impulse presents a brand new production not to be missed! This talented company will take you through a spectacular selection of hits from the musicals including Les Miserables, Fame, Blood Brothers, Evita, We Will Rock You, Phantom, Legally Blonde and Oliver! With stunning choreography and superb vocal talents there will be no better way to beat the January blues than a night at the Arena Theatre with Impulse at the helm.
All Tickets £8
Fever
MIKS DANCE PRODUCTIONS
7 artists, 5 pieces, 1 song. MIKS Dance Productions present 5 different dance pieces inspired by one song: Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’. This Stunning, Sexy and Slick piece is the brainchild of Anaïs Bouts, Sara Lindström and Ida Uvaas, three of the brightest up-andcoming names in dance.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
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Tuesday 26th January at 7.30pm Wednesday 27th January at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
BLACKEYED THEATRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOUTH HILL PARK ARTS CENTRE
Alfie by Bill Naughton Made famous by movies starring Michael Caine and more recently Jude Law, Alfie is the brilliant, original stage play about a young man with an overwhelming desire for the ladies - the story of a cockney ‘Don Juan’ who swaggers and philosophises his way from conquest to conquest and carefully rejects anyone or anything that might touch him too deeply. Not suitable for young audiences
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Tickets: £9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
“One of the most innovative and critically acclaimed theatre companies on the touring circuit today” The Stage
Friday 29th January at 8pm
Monday 1st February at 7.30pm Tuesday 2nd February at 2.30pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Three For A Girl
TURNSTYLE THEATRE
A brand new Comedy / Drama written by Reece Page and Jimm Rennie How far would you be willing to go to help a friend? Mark and Sarah have been friends for years. Nothing could come between them… or could it? After Mark drunkenly agrees to have a child with her one night, Sarah sees an end to her worrying about never getting to be a mother. But will Mark still feel the same when he has sobered up? Will they still go through with the idea despite their lack of Romantic feelings for one another?
All Tickets £5
Romeo and Juliet
LOVE&MADNESS
by William Shakespeare Shakespeare’s classic story of star-crossed lovers torn apart by bitter rivalry and misplaced honour. Juliet and Romeo are separated by their fathers’ bitter rivalry as they experience a first love that is truly forbidden. In the long hot summer they pray for time alone - away from the blistering passions of masculine honour and the vicious cycle of violence brought on by their families’ ongoing feud. In this cruel adult world of pride, envy and greed, youth and innocence have no place, Romeo and Juliet must take desperate measures to be together. This modern dress production is Owen Horsley’s first for LOVE&MADNESS. After three years with Cheek by Jowl, his recent Edward II got rave reviews in London. The production will include video backdrops to certain scenes filmed on location in Wolverhampton
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
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Tuesday 2nd February at 7.30pm Wednesday 3rd February at 2.30pm
A Taste Of Honey
Thursday 4th and Friday 5th February installation open from 7.30 live performance begins at 8pm
LOVE&MADNESS
by Shelagh Delaney
3 new works by dna3d’s Dennie Wilson - Ian Wallman - Carla Wright
Made famous by the film by Tony Richardson in 1961 starring Dora Bryan and Rita Tushingham, the play chronicles teenager Jo’s relationship with her irresponsible mother, the young Nigerian sailor who leaves her pregnant and the gay art student who moves in to take care of her while she waits for the baby to be born.
Immersive and interactive installations, created by dance, design and digital media artists reconsidering the conventions of traditional performance in relation to new and emerging tools, technologies and lifestyle.
This modern classic is a moving portrayal of life in northern England as the 50s are about to become the 60s, continuing the tradition of gritty realism that characterises the dramas of the time.
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Motion-flow
DNA3D
Tickets: £9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
They are works that explore concepts of interior design, are inspired by sadie plant’s zeros and ones and play with 3 dimensional anaglyph projections where 3d glasses are worn throughout. Motion-flow is performed by 9 dancers featuring in both live and technology generated content. All are graduates of the University of Wolverhampton and Elmhurst School for Dance
All Tickets £5
Saturday 6th February at 7pm
Tuesday 9th February at 7.30pm
Celebrating LGBT History Month
Vrindavan
SURDHWANI AND AMC
Bully
THEATRE TOURS INTERNATIONAL
Written and Performed by Richard Fry
An inspirational Kathak dance and flute recital by Biru Gautam and Ronu Majumdar Ronu Majumdar is India’s ace flautist. He and the Bansuri are literally synonymous. His playing transports you to a zone where divinity reigns supreme and produces a balmy effect thereby taking us on a spiritual journey Bireshwar Gautam, fondly referred to as ‘Biru’ is one of the finest stars of the classical arts in India, maintaining a rare and much cherished connection with that golden period of Indian art. A performing artiste of Kathak Dance and the Tickets: Thumri/Dadra style of singing he has the rare £8 Full Price quality of being both, an ace Kathak dancer and an accomplished semi-classical vocalist; a graded and artiste of AIR and Doordarshan £6 Concessions
Richard Fry wrote Bully drawing on his own experiences of bullies and bigots, fairies and fag hags, big bad boyfriends and youth club slags. The story about one man’s struggle against a life of violence and oppression. Dealing with dark subject matters ranging from homophobia and domestic violence to death and Su Pollard. Writer/Performer Richard Fry grips his audience from the get-go. As his punchy versed story unfolds he has you laughing and crying in the same breath. It is quite simply one of the most engaging hours you will spend in a theatre. A taste for malice haunts the males of his bloodline vampirically passing from grandfather to father to first born son with the exactitude of clockwork but, as the timid younger brother, spanning his life from tragic childhood to tainted adulthood, Fry charts the inner afflictions of a well meaning soul who trys to Tickets: break the cycle by becoming a sufferer... rather than £8 Full Price the bully. A sell out sensation at the 2008 Edinburgh and Fringe, Bully is a mesmerising experience and a £6 Concessions most exemplary and powerful monologue. 9
Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th February at 7.30pm
Friday 12th February at 8pm
“the real fun is in watching Parker adding her hysterical touches to well worn tunes…has the potential to attract a huge following” The Stage
Caroline Parker in
Signs Of A Star Shaped Diva
GRAEAE THEATRE COMPANY
Tammy, the alter-ego of undertaker Sue Graves (played by the wonderful Caroline Parker), has to make a life-changing decision with the help of her most trusted friends - Judy Garland, Dolly Parton, Billie Holiday, Dusty Springfield and Patsy Cline. In a choice between love and fame, will she make the right decision or live to regret the path she takes?
Signs of a Star Shaped Diva takes us on an emotional rollercoaster of signed song, interpreting and telling the stories of songs that have touched a generation of music lovers... but it is Sue’s story that will touch your heart.
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Tickets: Featuring captioned dialogue and signed songs, Signs £8 Full Price of a Diva was originally conceived by Graeae’s Artistic Director, Jenny Sealey and this new production has and been expanded so we can enjoy even more of Sue’s £6 Concessions story and the songs that provide a soundtrack to it.
A Handful Of Henna
RASA PRODUCTIONS
From the writer of Curry Tales, Rani Morthy. Being dragged by her mother back to the family village thousands of miles away is no fun for 13-year-old Nasreen. In the monsoon rain, not being able to text friends, she little expects what will be uncovered on her first visit. But with the mystical power of henna, a secret garden of buried dreams, and more than a little help from the wagging tongues of Aunties, Grandparents and neighbours, she is about to discover some unexpected truths about her mother. Based on real stories from Muslim women this is an evocative and enchanting story of homecoming, adventure, fear and joy for a girl and her mother. Skipping back and forth across time and between lives lived across two cultures; four actresses create a bustling, colourful world bursting with music, dance and family celebration.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Wednesday 17th and Thursday 18th February at 1pm and 7pm
Friday 19th February at 7.30pm Saturday 20th February at 1.30pm & 6.00pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Grimm Tales
Honk! Junior
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DRAMA DEPARTMENT
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, Who in this land is fairest of all?” Grimms fairy tales are familiar to most of us. Our dark and delightful theatre versions come from the poet Carol Ann Duffy. Remember how Snow White met up with those seven dwarves and Rumpelstiltskin was found spinning straw into gold?
PUNCH THEATRE COMPANY
A musical based on one of the world’s favourite fairy-tales, Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling. Ugly is born, of course, as a Duckling but is soon becomes clear that he is no ordinary Duck. Join him on his adventures as he meets a battery of colourful characters as well as finding himself, and love, along the way.
Revisit your childhood memories or experience these special stories for the first time. Entertainment for children big and small.
Tickets: Matinee Shows all tickets £4 Evening Shows £6 Adults and £4 Children
All Tickets £7
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Tuesday 23rd February at 7.30pm and Wednesday 24th February at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
FOURSIGHT THEATRE
Forever In Your Debt A band rolls into town. Teetering on the edge of fiscal failure, their woeful stories of debt and despair weave a cautionary tale that pulls on our heartstrings, pricks our conscience, and prods the old pathos bone. This gang of recession renegades might not be able to pay the bill but they can still top it. Even as the bailiff repossesses their instruments, they’ll play to the last note, sing for their supper and if anyone has a penny to keep the lights on, put it in the meter. Stark, funny, absurd and anarchic, this co-production between the companies that created Thatcher the Musical! and Trevor Goose combines Foursight’s straight-to-the-heart humanity with Talking Birds’ reckless musical abandon. A must-see for anyone who’s had their cash point card cutup in front of them. Post Show Talk on Tuesday 22nd February
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Tickets: £9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
Thursday 25th February at 7.30pm
Screwloose
Friday 26th February at 8pm
THE VILLAGE IDIOTS
Created and Directed by Amanda Wilsher (founder of Trestle Theatre Co.) Struggling to assemble flat-pack furniture, Alan Kee loses more than his marbles. Will the quest to retrieve his vital parts succeed or blast him into orbit? This feisty new mask comedy reveals all! About the Company: The Village Idiots are an inspired company of mask actors and theatre makers, who met and trained in a small village in Hertfordshire. They create highly visual, heart-warming theatre exploiting the frailty of the human condition - in all Tickets: its heart-ache, sorrow and bumbling British £8 Full Price embarrassment. The Idiots plumb the depths of human folly to exploit these lapses of dignity to and their full comic potential. £6 Concessions
Such Is Life
MOBIUS DANCE THEATRE
Such is Life is honest, athletic, rhythmical and all about normal stuff, the happenings of every day, flipped on its head! Mobius Dance Theatre present three distinct pieces that follow five individuals, faced with the trials and tribulations of life and relationships. Boasting some of the best performers on the dance-theatre touring circuit Such is life is experimental, with imaginative use of set and jam-packed with personal revelations and interaction. It will make you smile, remember that you are not so different from everyone else and its intelligent and high-energy choreography will most definitely impress!
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
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Tuesday 2nd March at 7.30pm
GIDDY OX
Lotty’s War By Giuliano Crispini Thrust into the dilemmas of the German Occupation, striving to be loyal to her friends and family, Lotty finds herself having to succumb to the requirements of an occupying force, particularly those of the General billeted with her. Based on true events, this ‘gem of a play’ is a ‘fascinating examination of how relationships and personalities change in the quest for survival’. With Britain currently occupying two countries, Lotty’s war is a relevant and fresh look at the dilemmas faced by British people under occupation in their own very recent history. Celebrating International Women’s Week
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Tickets: £9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
Wednesday 3rd March at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Thursday 4th March at 7.30pm
Celebrating International Women’s Week
“A hilarious caricature of the stifling formalities and hierarchies of office life, channelling Reggie Perrin, Kafka, Beckett and the Goons.” Venue Magazine
The World’s Wife
LINDA MARLOWE
Adapted from the poems of Carol Ann Duffy. Performed by Linda Marlowe. Directed by Di Sherlock. A new stage version of the acclaimed poetry collection by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, imagining the wives’ perspective of famous men through the ages. From Mrs Faust and Frau Freud to Queen Kong and Mrs Midas, this delightful show slices through history and myth, whilst also casting an astute glance over the modern world. Laced with dark humour and acerbic wit, this passionate exposé will enthral lovers of Duffy’s poems and newcomers alike. Linda Marlowe has enjoyed great acclaim for her previous solo work including Berkoff’s Women, which toured internationally and played West End seasons.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
The Department Of Smelling Pistakes
PUBLICK TRANSPORT
Mining its trademark vein of absurdist humour and taking inspiration from Gogol and Bulgakov, Publick Transport presents this new comedy set in a Russian governmental office where two civil servants jostle for power, one a puffed up bureaucrat in search of a job description, the other an unidentified inspector, the purpose of whose visit remains frighteningly vague. Reluctant to commit to specific thought for fear of showing ignorance of the party line - which changes hourly - they make idle conversation out of which is extrapolated the deepest meaning, while their attempts at political correctness Tickets: only result in grammatical incorrectness. £8 Full Price The show is performed by Angus Barr (Gonzo Moose, Ridiculusmus) and Toby W. Davies (Plain Clothes, High Wing).
and £6 Concessions
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Friday 5th March at 7.30pm
Wednesday 10th March at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Celebrating International Women’s Week
South Winds
SAMPAD AND ARENA THEATRE
Doctor Whom? My Search For Samuel Johnson
DAVID BENSON AND SEABRIGHT PRODUCTIONS
Experience an evening of classical music and dance from South India. The first part of the evening is filled with the devotional movement of classical dance form Kuchipudi. Traditionally presented at temples and only by men, the dance was revolutionised in the 15th century and is now defined by its female performers. Arunima Kumar, one of India’s most versatile leading young Kuchipudi dancers, performs tonight, her energetic dance-renditions combining perfect technique, rhythmic precision, riveting facial expressions and enormous grace.
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The second part of the evening is led by Dr Jyotsna Srikanth, an Indian classical violinist of many talents who Tickets: has appeared at WOMAD, on BBC Radio 3 and £8 Full Price at the Cleveland Music Festival USA. Her remarkable range includes classical solo and performances, Indian jazz and world fusion. £6 Concessions
Written and performed by David Benson David Benson’s new show digs into the life and work of Doctor Samuel Johnson 300 years since his birth, and celebrates the undiminished power of his extraordinary writings and reflections. Whether you love Johnson’s work or only know him from the Blackadder sketches, this show brings a fascinating character to life. Following a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe as well as performances at Johnson’s House in London, the British Library, and Johnson’s alma mater (Pembroke College, Oxford), award-winning Tickets: performer Benson is now touring this his tenth show. ‘This will stimulate your mind, help soothe your soul and fire your passions. A superb piece of work that is not to be missed.’ ★★★★★ Daily Mirror
£8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Tuesday 9th March at 7.30pm
STAN WON’T DANCE
Babel Our tower of Babel is here. It stretches above us to pierce the sky, and we better notice now, or else, when it collapses we will be left asking ... How? What happened? And above all ... Why? Choreographic mavericks Liam Steel and Robert Tannion return with a provocative new work. Collaborating with acclaimed writer Patrick Neate, the company combines explosive choreography with words of mass destruction to create the ultimate act of dance terrorism. Nothing and no-one is safe, as an all-male cast composed of some of this country’s finest physical theatre performers fly straight into the face of convention to ask fundamental questions about the Britain in which we live. Written entirely in dynamic street verse, the piece places a lost voice back in the mouths of a strangled population.
Tickets: £9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
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Tuesday 16th March at 7.30pm Wednesday 17th March at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Thursday 18th March at 7.30pm
The Beauty Queen Of Leenane
Top Of The World
Set in the mountains of Connemara, County Galway, The Beauty Queen of Leenane tells the sardonic tale of Maureen Folan, a plain, lonely woman in her early forties, and Mag, her manipulative, ageing mother, whose interference in Maureen’s first and possibly final chance of a loving relationship sets in motion a train of events that leads inexorably towards the play’s terrifying denouement.
In 1953 beekeeper Edmund Hillary and porter Tenzing Norgay began a gruelling and treacherous ascent to conquer the summit of the world’s highest mountain - Everest.
LONDON CLASSIC THEATRE
The Beauty Queen of Leenane was first presented as a Druid Theatre/Royal Court Theatre co-production in January 1996. It opened on Broadway in 1998, and was nominated for six Tony Awards. Not suitable for young audiences Contains Strong Language “…wildly funny, deeply affecting and grotesquely macabre…an absolute cracker…” 18
Daily Telegraph
Tickets: £9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
SPIKE THEATRE
Taking inspiration from Hillary and Norgay’s biographies and the Oscar nominated documentary - The Conquest of Everest - Spike will re-tell the story behind one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century. Incorporating projected animation, puppetry, and a whole load of snow, two heroic performers will bring to life this epic tale of adventure, bravery and international fame. “Spike are talented, refreshingly different and well worth seeing.” BBC Radio
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Friday 19th March at 8pm
Thursday 25th March to Saturday 27th March at 7.30pm Including Matinee on 27th March at 2.30pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Beating Berlusconi!
TURF LOVE THEATRE
BEATING BERLUSCONI! is based on the true story of a Liverpool fan who ended up sitting next to Silvio Berlusconi at the Attaturk Stadium. Despite threats from his wife and bank manager, middle-aged Kenny Noonan travels to Istanbul to watch Liverpool play AC Milan in the Champions’ League final. He carries the scars of thirty years as a Red and of living in a city which has been demonised. Fresh from ecstatic reviews and huge word-of-mouth in 2009, Paul Duckworth and his forty characters take to the road again in this hilarious, lump in your throat comedy. Not suitable for young audiences
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Forties to Noughties
SOUTH STAFFS MUSICAL THEATRE COMPANY
For the first time at the Arena Theatre, South Staffs Musical Theatre company present a journey through musical theatre from the1940s to the present day. Featuring over 40 songs, a live band and a highly talented cast you’re guaranteed a great night, with great music and some surprises too!
All Tickets £10
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Tuesday 23rd March at 7.30pm Wednesday 24th March at 2.30pm
EUROPEAN ARTS
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Expose your dark side with a thrilling, gripping and highly entertaining reinvention of this classic tale. Set in a Whitechapel tavern in 1888, a versatile cast of 4 actors will tell the gruesome story of Dr Jekyll and his charismatic alter-ego using only the things you would find in a pub. Therefore, barrels, tankards, darts, brasses, bar stools, soda siphons, billiard cues, yards of ale and even Aunt Sally are used to create the physical world of Victorian London with great ingenuity and imagination. Set against the background of the Whitechapel murders explore weird Victorian science in a highly physical, accessible and entertaining show.
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Tickets: ÂŁ9 Full Price and ÂŁ7 Concessions
Tuesday 30th March at 7.30pm
Wednesday 31st March at 7.30pm
Celebrating International Women’s Week.
That’s Entertainment
NOBODY’S PERFECT
A double bill of back-stage comedies by Phil Preece Mr Blue Sky They say if you can remember the sixties you weren’t there. Well ageing rocker Vince Meager was. And it’s true - he can’t. Or the seventies. Actually the eighties are a bit of a blur, and as for the nineties... He’s still doing the rounds playing the old hits after nearly forty years, but when a young fan comes backstage to see him after the show he finds she’s looking for more than an autograph. That’s Entertainment Joe and Lee are national TV stars at the very top of their game. It’s Awards Night, and the entertainment industry has come out in force to honour their prime-time success. But behind the scenes not everything is rosy in TV land. Because backstage Joe and Lee are locked in a battle their audience would never suspect.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Move Over Moriarty
LIP SERVICE THEATRE
For your delectation and delight, Lip Service go all music hall! The lovely ladies of Lip Service have raided their Greatest Hits backcatalogue to reprise Move over Moriarty for their 20th Anniversary Tour When Death stalks the boards of the Strand Theatre, who better to call in to investigate than Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson … The brilliant, violin-playing, French-knitting master sleuth - only hindered a little by his smaller sidekick - investigates the Garibaldi Biscuit Affair. In this murderous music hall melange - impenetrable as a London pea-souper they come face-to-face with male impersonator Vesta Curry, DeathDefying Dan and his whelk-infested Tank of Terror, the Musical Motherless Twins and lots more alliterations - truly a three-pipe problem. Tickets: Multi-award winners Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding play an array of characters, moving effortlessly (well, almost) from frock-to-frock coat in their inimitable style.
£9 Full Price and £7 Concessions
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Thursday 1st April at 8pm
Hardeep Singh Kohli is The Nearly Naked Chef Grab a seat and tuck in, as a guest of Hardeep Singh Kohli. This celebrated broadcaster, raconteur, writer and cook combines comedy with inventive cuisine in a wonderfully funny, laid back evening’s entertainment. Just think Ready Steady Cook but with great cooking (Hardeep was runner-up on the first series of Celebrity Masterchef) and funny anecdotes, all delivered by Glaswegian Hardeep in his own unique, articulate and utterly charming way. Having debuted at the 2009 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where the show played to sell-out audiences, this is an extended, two-course version of The Nearly Naked Chef, combining more of Hardeep’s winning talents and recipes. ‘Singh Kohli is a generous performer who includes everyone in the process of filling the room with fun.’ ★★★★ Three Weeks
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Tickets £12.50 Full Price and £10 Concessions
Friday 16th April at 8pm
Friday 23rd April at 8pm
The Secret Lives of Henry And Alice
Unaccommodated
For Henry Smith, actor, comedian, raconteur, sporting hero, leading socialite, business tycoon, secret agent, Casanova and acting President of the United States, life was rarely dull.
A Double bill two one act plays. Unaccommodated tells the story of Norman Hollinshead, Managing Director of Hollinshead Wine Merchants, who plans to retire to the golf course and divide his brewery empire between his three daughters. On the same day his warehouse man Colin also takes early retirement due to ill health. However, things do not go to plan and the daughters’ scheming plans cause family feuds. Can Norman cope?
MIG THEATRE
For Alice Smith, Housewife, life was really dull! Michel is a French waiter, tall, dark and available. Exactly what happened next, no-one’s quite sure. Except that it involved a rotting melon, a deck-chair and a bottle of neck-rub. Fantasy blurs into reality. And two worlds which seemed a million miles apart are suddenly on a collision course. It could only happen to Henry and Alice. and only their pet goldfish, Orca, and you, will never know the true story.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
OPUS THEATRE COMPANY
The second play is Say Something Happened? by Alan Bennett. Mam and Dad Rhodes live alone and are visited by Council official June Potter, because the council are concerned about their welfare should something happen. Tickets: This delightful, light-hearted, well observed £8 Full Price piece from the master author is sure to put a and smile on your face!
£6 Concessions
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Friday 30th April and Saturday 1st May at 7.30pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Songs Of The Stage
UOW MUSICAL THEATRE ENSEMBLE
Come, support and enjoy the University of Wolverhampton Musical Theatre Ensemble in our Annual Concert at the Arena Theatre. Showcasing a multitude of Musical Theatre greats, featuring performances from Little Shop of Horrors, Fame, Hairspray, Spring Awakening and more performed by University of Wolverhampton Music Students.
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All Tickets ÂŁ7
Thursday 6th May at 7.30pm Friday 7th May at 1pm
FITTINGS MULTIMEDIA ARTS
Raspberry In a small wee town where tin was shaped and forged, a blacksmith had a daughter just like him. And just like her Dad, Rita was a bit different. Now as far as the blacksmith was concerned this was a cosmic joke too far, so he set about changing things. Coz tin was his game, within which he’d achieved a modicum of fame, he tried to bend and shape her like a Uri Geller spoon. And that’s how it would have gone on if Spasticus and Ray and their band of dirty angels hadn’t come along and changed just about everything... Inspired by the life and songs of Ian Dury, Raspberry is a juicily gothic piece of music theatre that muses on the idea of perfection and perfectability. Written by the super award winning playwright, actor and director Garry Robson and directed by the marvellous Gordon Dougall with music by the lovely Leigh Stirling, arrangements by the divine Sally Clay and produced in its first incarnation by the magical combination of Fittings, Sounds of Progress and Oran Mor.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
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Saturday 8th May at 7.30pm
THEATRE TOURS INTERNATIONAL
“Golding’s is a tour-de-force tribute to Eric Morecambe.”
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Tickets: £10 Full Price and £8 Concessions
Friday 14th May at 7.30pm
Friday 28th - Sunday 30th May Slice Of Saturday Night Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th June Little Shop
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Th1rt3en
Impulse Productions Present
WILLENHALL SCHOOL AND SPORTS COLLEGE
A Dance Showcase of 6th Form Students’ work ranging from Abstract Contemporary to Urban Street. As part of their BTEC Course students have to organise a performance from booking the venue, selling the tickets to performing in the show. Students have been preparing for the show over the two years and have selected the Dance pieces to be performed.
Tickets: £6 Full Price and £4 Concessions
Slice Of Saturday Night and Little Shop Of Horrors
SLICE OF SATURDAY NIGHT The time’s around 1964. A year either side though, it could be more. Where the hems were high, and the fringes low. It’s Saturday night at the provincial "Club A-Go-Go" and the blokes and birds are on the pull. Impulse productions are proud to present this swinging 60s musical and look forward to you joining us at the “Club A-Go-Go” for a night out you wont forget! LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS Tickets: Impulse productions bring their second show of the £12 Full Price season to the Arena with Little shop of Horrors! this and affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become £10 Concessions a cult hit! Charming, tuneful and hilarious, with 27 tongue firmly planted in cheek, it never fails to entertain.
Tuesday 25th to Thursday 27th May TBC
Saturday 19th June at 8pm
Hearing Voices
Hypnosis
PERFORMED BY CLARE SUMMERSKILL AND HER COMPANY ARTEMIS
What really goes on behind the locked doors of a psychiatric hospital? After a suicide attempt Clare Summerskill spent two months in such a place. This is her personal account of life on an NHS ward, combined with testimonies she gathered from other mental health service users who were in hospital with her. A courageous and extraordinary account of how people are treated once they enter the ward of a mental hospital. Unless you have survived this system yourself (in which case you will recognise it as all too truthful) this will challenge every assumption you ever had. A one-off theatrical experience written and performed by Clare Summerskill herself with members of her theatre company Artemis, (of “Gateway To Heaven” renown)
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All Tickets £5
MIG THEATRE
Three egos. One Masterplan. Who’s in control? The Great Gordo, an alcoholic stage hypnotist in the twilight of his career, randomly chooses Alan Briggs as his next stooge. Briggs, a mild-mannered policeman, is a good sport, the audience laughs, and everyone goes home. For Gordo, it’s just the end of another show, and time for a drink or three before bed. But someone out there has other ideas. The mind games begin, the stakes are raised, and we sense there can only be one winner. But who?
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
DATES THROUGHOUT SPRING AND SUMMER 2010
Wednesday 30th June and Thursday 1st July at 7.30pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Surdhwani Spring Raga Festival In association with Asian Music Circuit and Arena Theatre
See www.surdhwani.org.uk for further details.
Binary Highway
FLEXUS DANCE COMPANY
Through contemporary dance and Physical Theatre, Binary Highway makes an intimate exploration on the impact of social networking and the internet on today’s society. As the Global village shrinks, human contact is lost in a world of wired connections. Also performing will be Fidget Dance Company and Flexus Boys Youth.
Tickets: £7 Full Price and £5 Concessions
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Saturday 3rd July at 2pm and 7pm
Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th July at 7.30pm
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Annie
Coram Boy
(Junior Version)
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UOW MUSICAL THEATRE ENSEMBLE
Based on the popular comic strip, Annie Junior tells of a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents, who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. In adventure after funfilled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, befriends President Franklin Roosevelt and finds a new family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks and his personal secretary, Grace. Its upbeat plot and flamboyant characters have made Annie one of the most beloved musicals in history. Reach for the Stage Musical Theatre School are delighted to present this classic musical production. We are proud to showcase some of Wolverhampton’s most talented young performers. Tickets: Don’t miss it! For more information about £8 Full Price becoming part of the company visit and www.reachforthestage.co.uk £6 Concessions
CENTRAL YOUTH THEATRE
Adapted for the stage by Helen Edmundson Based on the Whitbread Award-winning novel by Jamila Gavin Set in 18th Century England Coram Boy is a rich and almost gothic drama, full of dastardly villains, cold-hearted aristocrats, devoted friends and passionate lovers, set against a background of cruelty, music and murder. The production promises to be a visual feast by a strong ensemble cast of young people. Wolverhampton’s Central Youth Theatre provides performing arts opportuntities for young people between the ages of 8-25yrs. The group performs not only in Wolverhampton but also at international festivals across Europe.
Tickets: £8 Full Price and £6 Concessions
Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th July at 7.30pm
Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th July
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Things That Go Bump In The Night
Dynamic Youth 2010
THE KING’S C OF E SCHOOL
Have you ever been lost on a moor, at the mercy of the elements, listening in horror as the creatures of the night sing your fate at the pale moonlight? No? Well, you should get out more. And what better way is there to spend an evening than a visit to the Arena Theatre watching The King’s School’s wacky horror-filled tales of terror. A truly spine-tingling performance that weaves dance, drama, and music into chilling and comic yarns about monsters, vampires and …things that go bump in the night. If you like your stakes well done, you know where to come.
Tickets: £5 Full Price and £3 Concessions
FLEXUS DANCE COMPANY
After a very succesful year in 2009, ‘Dynamic Youth’ returns to the Arena. Over two evenings 13 Youth Dance Companies from around the region will come together to share and perform their work, displaying the exceptionally high standards of Youth Dance in the West Midlands.
Tickets: £7 Full Price and £5 Concessions
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Wolverhampton WEDNESDAYS
Wednesday 21st July at 7.30pm Thursday 22nd July at 1pm and 7.30pm
As part of Wolverhampton Wednesdays we are delighted to present the Arena Theatre Autumn Matinee Series. All shows start at 2.30pm. There’s a selection of great shows for you to come and enjoy and, get home before the Rush Hour starts. Remember if you book for two or more shows you get all your tickets for £5 each.
Wednesday 27th January at 2.30pm
Alfie BLACKEYED THEATRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOUTH HILL PARK ARTS CENTRE
An Independent Promotion. Standard concessions may not apply.
Guys And Dolls
Wednesday 3rd February at 2.30pm
A Taste Of Honey
WEDNESFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
LOVE AND MADNESS
Wednesday 23rd February at 2.30pm
Forever In Your Debt FOURSIGHT THEATRE
Wednesday 23rd February at 2.30pm
New York in the 40s: small time gambler Nathan Detroit bets his big time pal Sky Masterson that he can’t make the next woman he sees fall in love with him. When the next doll happens to be the neighbourhood missionary Sarah Brown, the stage is set for an unforgettable evening’s entertainment. Bursting with classic hits such as Luck Be A Lady, Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat and Guys and Dolls this is one show not to miss!
The World’s Wife LINDA MARLOWE
Wednesday 10th March at 2.30pm
Doctor Whom? My Search For Samuel Johnson DAVID BENSON AND SEABRIGHT PRODUCTIONS Wednesday 17th March at 2.30pm
Beauty Queen of Leenane LONDON CLASSIC THEATRE
Wednesday 24th March at 2.30pm
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All Tickets £3
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde EUROPEAN ARTS All shows start at 2.30pm. Book for 2 or more shows and get all tickets for £5 each.
Arena Access
How to book
The Arena Theatre is fully accessible for all users and participants. However, to optimize your experience please advise the Box Office of your individual requirements in advance.
IN PERSON
A seating policy is available from the Box Office upon request and visitors who need to be accompanied are entitled to one complimentary ticket for their companion.
• •
• • • •
Lift providing access to all levels. Sennheiser Infra Red Enhanced Hearing is available headsets can be worn with or without a hearing aid. Please reserve your headset at the Box Office when you book your ticket. For Minicom bookings please call (01902) 321 327. Guide Dogs are welcome. All areas and rooms signed in grade 2 Braille.
Audio CD and Large Print Brochures are available on request from the Box Office.
YOUR COMMENTS WELCOMED! We are always interested in your views about the Arena Theatre and our shows. Please feel free to chat to members of staff when you visit, write to us at Arena Theatre, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SE or email: arena@wlv.ac.uk. Theatre Manager Marketing Manager Front Of House Technical Manager
Kevin O’Sullivan Andrew Ridal Andrew Jemmett Stephen Payne
At the Box Office (10am - 5pm Monday to Friday and one hour before the start of evening and weekend performances) where you can pay with cash, cheque or with most major credit and debit cards (excluding American Express).
BY TELEPHONE You can book tickets over the phone using any major credit or debit card (except Electron and American Express cards). Unfortunately, we are unable to reserve seats without a payment to guarantee the booking.
BOOK ONLINE You can now book your tickets online for all of our shows 24 hours a day. It’s simple and secure. Just visit www.arenatheatre.info and click ‘Online Booking’.
CONCESSIONS Unless otherwise stated, concessions are available if you are under 16, a senior citizen over 60, a student in full-time education, registered unwaged, a Friend of the Grand Theatre or hold a Wolverhampton Leisure Card. Please provide proof of eligibility. PLEASE NOTE
For independent promotions the above concessions and discounts may vary. We reserve the right to make discounted ticket offers to selected customers at any time.
GROUP BOOKINGS One free ticket for every ten tickets purchased. Please call the Box Office on (01902) 321 321 for more information on our group booking services.
REFUNDS We regret that, under normal circumstances, we are unable to offer refunds. However, tickets may be exchanged subject to availability.
Arena Theatre Interns: James Clayton, Michelle Cox, Ruth Johnstone and Maria Kavalieros 33
Calendar
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Book Online at www.arenatheatre.info
January
February
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
ALADDIN
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DANCE DEPARTMENT
IT HASN’T HAPPENED YET SHOWSTOPPPERS
ALFIE FEVER THREE FOR A GIRL
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN
March LOVE&MADNESS ROMEO AND JULIET / TASTE OF HONEY
MOTION FLOW SURDHWANI
BULLY SIGNS OF A STAR-SHAPED DIVA HANDFUL OF HENNA
GRIMM TALES
HONK! JUNIOR
FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT SCREWLOOSE SUCH IS LIFE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED
LOTTY’S WAR THE WORLD’S WIFE THE DEPT. OF SMELLING PISTAKES SOUTH WINDS - IWW SHOWCASE
BABEL MY SEARCH FOR SAMUEL JOHNSTON
THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE TOP OF THE WORLD BEATING BERLUSCONI!
STRANGE CASE OF JECKYLL AND HYDE FORTIES TO NOUGHTIES
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT MOVE OVER MORIARTY
Calendar April 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI
Book Online at www.arenatheatre.info
May THE NEARLY NAKED CHEF
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DRAMA DEPARTMENT THE SECRET LIVES OF HENRY AND ALICE
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DRAMA DEPARTMENT UNACCOMMODATED
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DRAMA DEPARTMENT SONGS FROM THE STAGE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON
SONGS FROM THE STAGE
RASPBERRY MORCAMBE
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DANCE DEPARTMENT
TH1RT3EN
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON DANCE DEPARTMENT
HEARING VOICES
SLICE OF SATURDAY NIGHT
June
July
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
AIM HIGHER WEEK
AIM HIGHER WEEK
HYPNOSIS
AIM HIGHER WEEK
BINARY HIGHWAY
THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT
BINARY HIGHWAY
ANNIE JUNIOR
CORAM BOY
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
DYNAMIC YOUTH 2010
GUYS AND DOLLS
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HOW TO FIND US By Road The Arena Theatre is easily accessible by road, situated right in the heart of the city centre.
Car Parking Street parking is available outside and around the theatre on Wulfruna Street. The Civic Centre car park (adjacent to the University) is usually open until 10.30pm (please check on arrival). The nearest NCP car park to the theatre is Broad Street.
Public Transport The Arena Theatre is a 5-minute walk from the Railway, Bus and Metro stations. Wolverhampton has main line Network Rail links to Birmingham, Stafford and beyond. In addition, Bus companies provide links to all the surrounding towns in the area.
ARENA THEATRE Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1SE. Box Office 01902 321 321 (Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm) Facsimile 01902 322 599 Minicom 01902 321 327 E-mail arena@wlv.ac.uk Website www.arenatheatre.info