Stages Spring 2019

s t a g e s Spring 2019

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issue seven

JAYMI HENSLEY Behind Joseph’s Dressing Room Door

ROSIE KAY DANCE COMPANY’S 10 SOLDIERS SEE P9

ALSO INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

NEWS:

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE:

PLAY YOUR PART:

B-SIDE brings Hip-Hop back to Brum!

Rosie Kay demystifies contemporary dance

Raising the roof at Swan Lake

UNFORGETTABLE PERFORMANCE, POWERED BY YOU

s t a g e s Hello! Welcome to our refreshed stages magazine.

There is so much going on at the moment, with planning for our 120th anniversary celebrations well under way. Here are my top five moments of the last few months; some of which you’ll read more about in this issue.

NEWS

6/7

BEHIND THE SCENES

8

TRY SOMETHING NEW

9

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE

10/11

PLAY YOUR PART

12-15

THE INTERVAL INTERVIEW

16

THEN & NOW

17

IN THE DRESSING ROOM

18-21

A SEASON IN PICTURES

22

WHAT’S NEW

CONTENTS

Welcome to the seventh issue of

4/5

I was lucky enough to go to Havana to see Acosta Danza in performance, and to catch up with Carlos Acosta. Don’t miss them when they perform here in October.

To celebrate the opening of feel-good musical Kinky Boots, we invited all our drag queen friends from the Village to join us for the show and party with the cast afterwards. A blast.

Once again Birmingham Hippodrome partnered with the Chinatown community to produce a huge Chinese New Year celebration, this year reaching more than 35,000 people. I love how a festival brings the whole city together.

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6/7

NEWS B-SIDE BRINGS HIP-HOP BACK

BEHIND THE SCENES NEW PATRICK STUDIO SEASON

Getting to see Les Misérables again confirmed its place as one of the very best musicals in existence. My advice is to book now for its return visit in 2020 - don’t miss out!

Recently I took our new chair, Glenn Howells, to the Olivier Awards at Royal Albert Hall, where we caught up with loads of our west end producer partners, and artists who’ve performed here, too.

17 JOSEPH’S DRESSING ROOM

Do let us know what you think of our new look Stages magazine...

Enjoy!

9 Fiona Allan Artistic Director & Chief Executive

A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Meet The Team Editor in Chief: Laura Smith Editor: Nichole Cooper

With thanks to long-term supporters and print partners

Contributors: Fiona Allan, Samina Beckford, Winston Campbell, Judith Greenburgh, Rosie Kay, Diane Parkes, Eleni Paschou, Amy Stutz, Ben Wooldridge Photography: Jack Spicer Adams, Joe Bailey, Vivienne Bailey, Simon Hadley, Pamela Raith

Front cover: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Birmingham Hippodrome Theatre Trust Ltd, Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham, B5 4TB Tickets & Information 0844 338 5000* Group Bookings 0844 338 7000* Administration 0844 338 5010* Events 0844 338 6500* *Calls cost 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge

birminghamhippodrome.com Registered Charity Number 510842

@brumhippodrome

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NEWSNEWSNEWS

B-SIDE BRINGS HIP-HOP BACK TO BIRMINGHAM B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival is back from Friday 3 Sunday 12 May.

We’re working with festival partners to bring the key elements of Hip-Hop to Birmingham. Break Mission are back with their epic international dance battles and Sweat The Technique workshops, Marso Riviere’s popular KRE8! Labs and battles return, as well as DJ Psykhomantus’s Vision Bombing Game Show. Juice Aleem brings his FluxCon comic convention along with many speakers and performers and once again the Southside streets will be filled with eye-catching live graffiti courtesy of High-Vis Festival.

ZooNation Youth Company Birmingham, one of Birmingham Hippodrome’s Young Companies, will also showcase an exciting piece of contemporary Hip-Hop theatre.

B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival is a Birmingham Hippodrome Project supported by Arts Council England, Southside BID, Bullring & Grand Central and The Arcadian.

For more information visit, birminghamhippodrome.com/bside

BIG NEWS FOR OUR RELAXED PERFORMANCES Our Big Give Christmas Challenge 2018, which took place from 27 November to 4 December, raised more than £24,000 for our Relaxed Performance and Access programme, which included generous donations from IMI Plc Charitable Trust and Darwin Escapes. In 2019 we will continue to expand our work to reach audiences with special needs who may find the theatre challenging. This includes people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability, or sensory and communication disorder, so that more young people and vulnerable adults can enjoy the magic of live theatre with their carers, families and friends.

To find out more about our Relaxed Performances, visit birminghamhippodrome.com/relaxed

JOIN US AT SUMMER IN SOUTHSIDE Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 July

BUILDING A BETTER DANCE SCENE We recently celebrated the laying of the final bricks for Dance Hub Birmingham with a special topping out ceremony.

When you visit the theatre next, be sure to check on our progress if you happen to walk down Thorp Street. We can’t wait to unveil this new home of dance, so watch this space!

“We’re delighted that dance companies across the region are already benefitting from Dance Hub commissions, from ballet, contemporary and Hip-Hop, to South Asian and African, allowing us to continue to grow the capacity and skills in our thriving dance sector.” Peter Knott, Area Director at Arts Council England.

Blast off into space this summer at our yearly free family festival.

Celebrating 50 years since the first moon landing, our theatre and surrounding streets will be transformed into a lunar landscape for a whole weekend. Look out for extra-terrestrial performances, installations and astronomical antics from ‘out of this world’ acts. Don’t miss your chance to get a close-up look at our 7 metre model of the moon or see an aerial performance with an astronaut suspended 20 feet in the air.

FRE E

GLENN HOWELLS TAKES CENTRE STAGE Birmingham Hippodrome has announced Glenn Howells, a Hippodrome Trustee since 2012, as its new Chair.

We are excited that Glenn will continue to be a part of our Hippodrome family and will take on this new exciting challenge. We can’t wait to begin our ambitious plans for the future with Glenn and our amazing team.

Glenn is just as thrilled as us about his new role. He said, “Our vision for the Hippodrome is to build on its huge successes, to widen our artistic programme and to connect to the largest possible audiences. We will do this through new partnerships and investment in our Hippodrome Projects - new artists and programming, expanded education and community programmes, bigger community festivals, and the development of our Southside campus.”

For more information visit, birminghamhippodrome.com/summerinsouthside 5

BEHINDTHESCENES

THEATRE AT ITS MOST INTIMATE THE PATRICK STUDIO You most likely have sat in our impressive 1,800+ seat auditorium many times, enjoying some of the best there is in dance, drama and musical entertainment. But perhaps you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying world-class theatre in our intimate 200 seat Patrick Studio yet?

The Patrick Studio has a growing reputation for presenting innovative, up-close performance featuring a mix of new work from Birmingham Hippodrome Associate Companies and touring shows from the trailblazers in new comedy, dance, family performance and drama.

Ticket prices are set to be flexible and affordable for Patrick Studio productions, giving you the chance to try something new without the risk.

Upcoming highlights include a reimagining of the classic Rite of Spring (14 May) from choreographer Seeta Patel in which East and West combine in an evening that showcases some of the finest Indian classical dance talent from across the globe.

Bravo 22 Company is an award-winning recovery through the arts programme which works with veterans and their families. In their 6

latest new work (13 - 15 June) by writer Kevin Fegan, inspiration is taken from the real stories of contemporary veterans and their loved ones.

Loyal Hippodrome theatre-goers will have seen him gracing the main stage in days gone by as the most faaabulous Dame in Pantoland, this time female impersonator Ceri Dupree returns to the Patrick Studio with The Ladies I Love (5 & 6 June). Expect eye-popping costumes and Ceri’s signature energy, style and showmanship in this fast-paced homage to some of the leading ladies in showbiz.

Choreographer Botis Seva was the winner of Best New Dance Production in this year’s Olivier Awards for his production of Blkdog. This July, Botis collaborates with National Youth Dance Company as Guest Artistic Director, bringing a new work titled MADHEAD (17 July) to Birmingham. Thirty-eight of the UK’s best young dancers will take to the stage in a unique

Ceri Dupree

Rite of Spring

A space that brings you close to the action.

evening fusing contemporary dance, physical theatre and Hip-Hop. Hippodrome Associate Company and Birmingham resident, Rosie Kay is now wellknown both nationally and internationally for her bold and exciting choreography. Last year, Rosie was responsible for choreographing the Handover Ceremony for the Commonwealth Games; now she returns to the Patrick Studio with Fantasia (25 & 26 September). This brandnew work mixes dance and science to explore what it is that makes dance so beautiful to watch and experience.

There’s plenty more to experience within the walls of the Patrick Studio in 2019. Make this the year to explore and try something different in a space that brings you close to the action.

Fantasia

Tickets are available at birminghamhippodrome.com/ patrickstudio 7

TRYSOMETHINGNEW A TASTY TREAT FROM OUR MENU...

ORANGE AND ALMOND CAKE

Winston Campbell, Chef De Partie at Birmingham Hippodrome

Method

You too can create delicious deserts like our in-house chefs with this simple recipe. This sweet treat comes from Winston Campbell, Chef De Partie at our award-winning Circle Restaurant.

Ingredients 3 large oranges 7 whole eggs 300g caster sugar 300g ground almonds 2tsp baking powder 1tsp ground ginger 1tsp ground Cinnamon

First, you need to boil the oranges for between one to two hours dependant on size.

Once they are soft, remove from the water and allow them to cool.

You then need to cut them in half and remove all the seeds. Then transfer all the oranges into a blender and blend to a pulp.

Take 450g of the pulp and combine it with the sugar, almonds, baking powder, ginger and cinnamon.

You then need to add the eggs one by one while constantly mixing until the batter comes together nicely.

WHAT’S NEW...

HAVE YOU SEEN OUR NEW BAR?

(

Next time your pay a visit to our theatre pop down to our level 1 bar which has had a stylish make-over. We’ll also be serving up a range of new premium drinks to wet your whistle. See you soon!

Then carefully transfer the mixture to a non-stick baking tin and bake for 60 to 80 minutes at 150°C. Once cooked, slice into generous portions and serve with fresh fruits.

Why not try some new, delicious food courtesy of Winston and the team? We have a new menu for each show so there’ll always be something different to discover.

To book your table visit, birminghamhippodrome.com/ food

ABEGINNER’SGUIDE...

TO CONTEMPORARY DANCE

How would you describe contemporary dance?

approach. We play with how the body moves - the weight of the body, the sound of the body, and we are less bound by any rules in fact, we like to break the rules! ................................................

The best way to describe contemporary dance is to compare it to modern art Will the show follow a contemporary dance can be storyline? conceptual, abstract or narrative, Some shows will and some but is focused on the body and shows will not. 10 SOLDIERS has how dance can make you look a narrative, told through the body and think in different ways.

Contemporary dance is led by the and the relationships of the characters. Because this is based vision of the choreographer - and on a real subject matter, and real we are often trying to push the observations of soldiers and their art form - we try to be inventive, experiences of war, the work is challenging, and I particularly very understandable; you follow want to relate to the world in the journey of these 10 young which we live. people and you care about them. ................................................

I want to get the military details How does right, so soldiers will know that the work is authentic, but I also contemporary dance want people who have never had differ from other any experience of the army or of dance pieces? war to feel what it feels like to be Ballet has its own history and a soldier. highly polished physical ................................................ technique and was formed to How should you create stories and spectacle for approach watching kings and queens and royal courts. Contemporary dance has contemporary dance? some roots in ballet, for example, I think it’s important not to feel we all have some ballet training intimidated by dance - I’m often but what we are trying to say and told by people that they are how we dance is more modern in scared that they might not ‘get it’.

Hippodrome Associate Artist Rosie Kay of Rosie Kay Dance Company, responsible for the choreography of the Commonwealth Games Handover ceremony and 10 SOLDIERS, talks to us about what you can expect when coming to see a piece of contemporary dance.

However you see it, and whatever you think about it is valid and good - people interpret dance their own way. You need to sit and let your eyes and mind adjust and enjoy it! We’ve converted a lot of people with our shows they might not know what to expect, but they always come away having had an exhilarating and mind-blowing experience. ................................................

COMPETITION!

PICTURED: ROSIE KAY

DINNER & TICKETS! We want to give you the chance to try something new by entering our competition.You could win dinner in our award-winning restaurant and tickets to see 10 SOLDIERS.

Simply email your answer to competitions@birminghamhippodrome.com by 15 May 2019.

To enter answer the question:

What date does Rosie Kay Dance Company’s 10 SOLDIERS première at Birmingham Hippodrome?

A. 1 May B. 21 May C. 21 Sep 9

PLAYYOURPART

ONE MILLION HIPPODROME MOMENTS

WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S FRE E A WAY!

We’re delighted to announce that the Garfield Weston Foundation has donated £150,000 towards our ambition of creating ‘One Million Hippodrome Moments’.

If you’re thinking of writing your Will or are keen on updating an existing one, you can do it easily here at our monthly surgeries.

This is a fantastic three-year commitment from one of the UK’s largest grant-making charities and follows on from The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation’s grant of £200,000 in 2018.

Both funders are enabling us to achieve ‘One Million Hippodrome Moments’ - our long term vision to diversify arts and cultural experiences for people in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The sessions are FREE, but we do ask for a suggested donation of £50, which help fund our growing Hippodrome Projects - a programme of creative learning for children and young people, community festivals and artistic investment. To date, the partnership has raised an incredible £8,000.

The lovely Clare Mac of Wills & Legal Services, who delivers those sessions, “believes making a Will is one of the best things you can do to ensure your future is protected.”

Children from a Hippodrome Education Network (HEN) school during a tour of the theatre

Some of the ways we’re achieving this are through our Associate Companies, Festivals and Community events, our Hippodrome Education Network (HEN) of schools and Relaxed Performances.

We have many exciting projects lined up to celebrate our 120th anniversary so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival takeover in Bullring & Grand Central

If you would like to find out how you can support our ‘One Million Hippodrome Moments’ or other projects, contact the Fundraising Team on 0121 689 3068 or email fundraising@birminghamhippodrome.com

To book, contact the Fundraising Team on 0121 689 3068, email fundraising@birminghamhippodrome.com or visit birminghamhippodrome.com/freewills

RAISING THE ROOF When a Matthew Bourne show comes to town, we really ‘go to town’ and the recent run of his iconic Swan Lake was no exception.

Gala Evenings ahead of the amazing show welcomed 150 guests across two fantastic nights which raised over £5,000 for our Curtain Raiser programme. They enjoyed showstopping hospitality and specially designed Laurent-Perrier cocktails made by our friends at The Edgbaston Boutique Hotel and Cocktail Lounge. Other highlights included live musical entertainment during dinner and a meet and greet with cast members.

The special Curtain Raiser performance featured 22 young dancers who worked with Re:Bourne, the education arm of Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, to create an original piece of dance. The beautiful number was performed to a full house and to great acclaim before the main show.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Curtain Raiser and the third consecutive year of sponsorship from Tilney Group. Our particular thanks go to Dr Adam Park and Martin King for their continued support of the project.

WELCOME on board!

We’re pleased to announce a number of new and renewing corporate partnerships and donations with Birmingham Hippodrome.

GOOD COMPANY CLUB Lambert Smith Hampton PERFORMANCE PARTNER PwC LEADING LADIES Consulting Rooms Birmingham Linda McBride Cure Leukaemia - Jackie Kelly Freeths LLP - Kirsty Gallagher PROJECT PARTNERS The Forum

To find out more about our corporate partnerships, email judithgreenburgh @birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0121 689 3082.

Join our supporting cast!

There has never been a better time to become a Hippodrome Patron. As it’s our 120th anniversary year we’re offering a 10% discount on Supporting Cast Memberships for a limited time only!

We were also delighted to be approached by The Ivy Temple Row who made a donation in support of our Curtain Raiser. Taking inspiration from Swan Lake, the popular restaurant also transformed their entrance way, complete with a stunning costume piece from the show, kindly loaned from New Adventures. A special dessert and cocktail were also created which was sampled by cast members Will Bozier and Megan Cameron who paid a visit to The Ivy during rehearsals.

Join us next time at one of our popular Gala Evenings or find out how your company can donate to one of our Hippodrome Projects by calling Judith on 0121 689 3082.

If you are inspired by our Hippodrome Projects and LOVE our theatre, why not become a Patron? You will enjoy a closer relationship with us alongside fantastic discounts, priority booking and invitations to exclusive events and receptions. Your membership directly supports our community, learning and artistic programmes to reach young people, communities and vulnerable adults across the region.

For more information contact the Fundraising Team on 0121 689 3068 or email fundraising @birminghamhippodrome.com 11

THEINTERVALINTERVIEW

120 YEARS Birmingham Hippodromethis year celebrates its 120th birthday- and it has ambitious plans for 2019 and beyond.

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Fiona Allan, Artistic Director & Chief Executive

Having joined in October 2015 and developed the theatre’s festival strategy, youth programme and series of free activities in the theatre building, Fiona Allan, CEO and Artistic Director, says it is now time to ensure the Hippodrome continues to develop for the next 120 years.

The theatre opened on October 9, 1899 as The Tower of Varieties performing circus but was a resounding disaster, shutting its doors just weeks later. However the seed was sown and it reopened as the Tivoli a few months later, focussing on variety shows. By 1903 it was renamed the Hippodrome… and the rest is history.

Today the Hippodrome is one of the UK’s leading theatres, hosting top international musicals, dance, opera, theatre and comedy while attracting huge stars to its pantomime, the biggest outside London.

But, Fiona says, the team are certainly not sitting on their laurels and 2019 will see new shows, new

developments and some big announcements.

“One hundred and twenty years of any cultural organisation existing seems almost miraculous.

It’s something to remind ourselves of here in Birmingham and the region - what amazing assets we have,” Fiona says.

“The focus of the year is ‘THEN, NOW, ALWAYS’ so it is not just about looking backwards but very much about moving forwards into the future,” says Artistic Director and Chief Executive Fiona Allan.

“But it’s not just about maintaining what we are doing well. It’s also looking at how the social landscape and city’s demographic is changing, and what we should be doing now to make sure our future is secure, independent and relevant.”

For Fiona, who joined the Hippodrome from Leicester’s Curve Theatre, it’s imperative the theatre extends its reach.

“The Hippodrome is best known for being an incredible auditorium which sells hundreds of thousands of tickets,” she says. “The evolution I’m now trying to make is almost back to the idea of a ‘people’s palace’ - where we look at how the Hippodrome can be relevant to everybody.

“Something I wanted to focus on from the beginning was how we open up the doors and encourage greater access to the Hippodrome so it’s not just used by the people who have bought a ticket to come and see a show in the evening.

“So how can we have more free performance here, more activities, make it more accessible, have a food and drink offer which people would come to during the day.”

This year will also see the theatre take huge strides forward in terms of encouraging new

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audiences to enjoy live performance - both in the theatre and in festivals across the region.

“There are two projects I’m personally very excited about because I’ve wanted to do them since I got here, so this birthday celebration is a good year for it,” says Fiona.

“The first is The Color Purple in July which is a co-production with Leicester Curve so it’s our first co-production for the main stage. If you want to change the people who come to the theatre you need to change the stories you are telling on stage and the people performing on stage and this is doing just that.

“The second is our youth theatre production of West Side Story in August. The Hippodrome has never done a major community piece but now we have our own youth performance companies, a main stage youth show.”

This spring sees the opening of Dance Hub in the Hippodrome building, above Birmingham Royal Ballet which will be a world-class centre for dance.

“The Hippodrome is a campus which houses different organisations and offers a range of opportunities,” says Fiona. “The Dance Hub will be part of that. It’s a new extension of the building, with new dance studios and it will house a development agency called One Dance UK, who are relocating from London to Birmingham.”

And the Hippodrome has been keen to foster different forms of dance - including launching and developing the Hip-Hop festival B-SIDE which takes place in May, this time with a special 120-inspired graffiti installation.

DANCE

HUB

“This is our fourth B-SIDE festival this year. That was something I was really keen on starting when I came here because whilst we had a lot of HipHop here before, it was always us importing artists from London.

“We’ve home-grown that festival and it has now become a significant one in Europe. People travel from across Europe and New York for it. It’s a fantastic and growing festival and it turns the building and the locale over to an audience who aren’t here the rest of the year.”

The anniversary of the founding of the theatre will also be marked.

“We’ll have a birthday party in October - a big free open day. We are planning for it to coincide with Circus 1903 - which works so well, as the Hippodrome originally opened as a circus and variety theatre. And circus appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds - exactly what we want the Hippodrome to do.”

In May the theatre will launch a new book 120 Years of Birmingham Hippodrome in as many Short Tales, written by Hippodrome Board member and Birmingham City University Professor of English David Roberts.

“He has researched 120 little moments in the Hippodrome’s history, and each of these he has told in 120 words! It’s a lovely book that you can return to and ‘dip-into’ time and time again, featuring old snapshots, programmes, stories of people who’ve performed here, and pithy anecdotes from 1899 right to the modern day.

Really, it’s also a social history of Birmingham.” says Fiona.

Throughout 2019 the Hippodrome will also be announcing a series of other events and promotions.

“This birthday year is about how we broaden our reach, appeal to young people, take our brand outside the building and build the festivals offer for the city. That’s the trajectory we are on. We are a great theatre - but we are actually way more than a theatre.”

Marking 120 years of unforgettable performance in the heart of Birmingham.

120 YEARS OF

We look forward to celebrating with you….

“This spring sees the opening of Dance Hub in the Hippodrome building, above Birmingham Royal Ballet which will be a world-class centre for dance.”

THEN&NOW

Then...

Our heritage volunteer Sophie Lewis delves into our past looking at our fascinating history and what was filling our seats and keeping our audiences entertained over our incredible 120 year history.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1 MAY 1949

Following an unprecedented amount of postal bookings, the Hippodrome took the decision to only accept bookings made in person for when Danny Kaye made his visit here in June 1949.

The Box Office opened up on Sunday 1 May, much to the consternation of the Lord’s Day Observance Society, who were against the idea of anyone giving up their Sunday, which should be used for worship. This didn’t diminish the 10,000 strong queue of people vying for the chance to see their idol.

The queue started forming on the Saturday morning, and eventually wound its way around the side of the Hippodrome down Inge Street, Essex Street, Horse Fair and Thorp Street before heading down Ladywell Walk, up and back down Wrottesley Street back onto Ladywell Walk, along Bath Passage heading to St. Martin’s Church and then on to the Bullring.

Danny Kaye with the Birmingham Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress in 1949

Many people in the queue brought along camp beds, thermos flasks, bedding, picnics and some even had tents and mattresses!

Half of the tickets of the 24,000 tickets for Danny’s week of shows at the Hippodrome were sold in that one day and unfortunately many people waiting had to go home emptyhanded.

Now...

In the dressing room...

Let’s go behind closed doors and take a look in Jaymi’s dressing room ahead of him starring in Joseph and The Technicolor Dreamcoat here in July.

. with..

Y E L S N E H I M Y JA

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ASEASONINPICTURES

Kinky Boots street food and sass!

Our Kinky Boots Gala Evening saw guests get dressed to the nines for an evening of street food and sass! A fabulous time was had by all and money raised on the night will go towards our growing Hippodrome Projects.

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Why not become a Friend or Patron and get exclusive invites to these events?

Visit... birminghamhippodrome.com/ memberships

Back Row: Carmen Watson, Eileen Schofield, Louise O’Reilly Front Row: Karen Horsfield, Anne Brookes, Jenny Loynton

Katie Trout, Fiona Allan, Glenn Howells

The Hon Mrs Justice Geraldine Andrews, Jayne Higgins, Glenn Howells, Chris Loughran

Glamorous Gala Evening at Swan Lake Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake made a triumphant return to our theatre and as usual we celebrated in style with a glamorous Gala Evening. Ava Event Styling provided the decadent surroundings while our talented in-house catering team served up a delicious dinner.

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ASEASONINPICTURES

The Pepperland Van brings flower power to Brum To celebrate Mark Morris Dance Group’s Pepperland hitting our stage we drove a 1960s Volkswagen Campervan into Birmingham city centre where passersby were given free flowers and the chance to win tickets to the show.

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Birmingham Hippodrome celebrates International Women’s Day We kicked off celebrations with an engaging chat with New York Times bestselling author Angie Thomas about her novel On The Come Up - a story about Hip-Hop and freedom of speech. Another highlight was the opening of our exhibition - Once Upon A Time: Women who Dared to Dream we held a sparkling VIP reception.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2019/20 THU 2 MAY Gala Evening at Les Misérables TUE 14 MAY Street Food Comedy Night at Michael McIntyre THU 21 MAY Leading Ladies at Rosie Kay’s 10 SOLDIERS 28 MAY - 8 JUN Gin Garden with Masons Yorkshire Gin THU 6 JUN Leading Ladies at Calendar Girls sponsored by Cure Leukaemia

2020 THU 6 FEB Street Food Comedy Night at Rob Beckett THU 12 FEB Leading Ladies at Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes THU 23 APR Let’s Rock! A Gala Night at We Will Rock You THU 14 MAY Leading Ladies at Mamma Mia!

THU 20 JUN ‘Mixed Doubles’ at Birmingham Tennis Classic THU 18 JUL Leading Ladies at The Colour Purple TUE 10 SEP Leading Ladies at Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet TUE 10 SEP Music Quiz with Elegant Entertaining in partnership with Cure Leukaemia THU 12 SEP Gala Evening at Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet THU 17 OCT - TBC Wine Tasting Dinner THU 14 NOV Champagne Tasting Dinner FRI 15 NOV Street Food Comedy Night at Tim Minchin THU 14 NOV Champagne Tasting Dinner with Laurent-Perrier

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WHAT’SNEW

THIS SEASON GARY BARLOW & TIM FIRTH CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL

ON SALE NOW

ZYC BRUM PRESENTS… THE B-SIDE SAT 4 MAY

TUE 28 MAY - SAT 8 JUN

Our Hippodrome Young Company, ZYC Brum present an energetic Hip-Hop dance piece set to creative beats that will make you move your feet. The lively dance production will premiere in the Patrick Studio during B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival.

Calendar Girls The Musical, from Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, tells the true story of a group of ladies who pose nude for a Women’s Institute calendar.

You’ll laugh until you cry or cry until you laugh during this uplifting take on the British comedy classic.

THE SUN WILL COME OUT THIS SUMMER TUE 23 JUL - SUN 11 AUG

You can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll love this fantastic West End hit. With a Tony® award-winning book and score, including the unforgettable songs It’s The Hard-Knock Life and Easy Street, we’ll have you singing all the way home.

B’OPERA BEAUTIFUL MUSIC FOR TINY EARS

MIXED DOUBLES AT BIRMINGHAM TENNIS CLASSIC

MONDAYS (TERM TIME)

THU 20 JUN

Musician Zoe Challenor brings the beautiful sounds of Opera to little ones and their parents. Come and join Zoe on this musical adventure in our foyers for just £2 per child.

We’ve teamed up with the LTA to create ‘Mixed Doubles’ a special event at one of Birmingham’s most prestigious sporting tournaments. Swap centre stage for centre court for a day of world class tennis and first class hospitality.

120 SOLDIERS TUE 21 MAY

Ahead of the world première of Rosie Kay Dance Company’s 10 SOLDIERS, come and see a unique pop-up performance in our foyer. The piece will see 120 amateur dancers from the local community performing a routine inspired by the main stage show.

FRE E

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To see what else is new this season, visit our website birminghamhippodrome.com/whatson

And finally a big round of applause to...

Major Gifts Mrs A Cole • Racheal & Adrian Jessop • Mrs T Justham • Mr & Mrs Mosedale • Mark & Amanda Smith • Peter Tod • Mr J. Weston • Anonymous Donors

Hippodrome Circle Patrons from £3,000+ Mark Hopton • Maureen & Roy Kirby Chris & Jane Loughran • Mrs & Mrs Mosedale Mark & Amanda Smith • Simon & Kath Winner

Headline Act Patrons

Leading Role Patrons

from £1,400

Jim & Birdie Ceaser • John & Heather Clemson • Sara & Tim Fowler Anthony & Daisy Great Wyrley • Averil Green • Andy & Rebecca Hammond Steve & Laura Kearney • Debbie & Mark Lilburne • Michael & Cerys Luckman Jeremy & Harjinder Millington • Tony & Julie Phillips • Helen Thompson Steve & Suzie Whittern • Neil & Polly Wilson • Phillip Wright • David & Janine Young

The Dickens Foundation • Matthew & Jennie Hammond Dr & Mrs George Harrison • Marc & Michelle Messer Emma & Peter Neads • Mr & Mrs J Quinn Janette Rutter • Paul Twose

from £700

Supporting Cast Patrons from £250 Mark, Liz & Holly Abrol • Fiona Allan • Christine Bachelor • Simon Bashford • Bridget Blow • Simon & Amanda Boardman-Weston • Beverley & Wade Bostock • Richard Burke • Andrew & Sarah Connors Teresa Cook • Adrian Cox • John & Diana Crabtree • Marcus & Linda Daly • Eileen Doyle • Anna & Nick East • Patricia Edwards • Patricia & Ronald Etchells • Nicola Fleet-Milne • Mark Forty • Katie Fraser Neil & Jackie Frettsome • David & Beryl Glanfield • Jill & Jeremy Griffin • Martin & Roni Guest • Claire & Mark Hales • Pauline Hancock & Simon Derby • Joseph Hassett • Ivan Heard • Dorothy Hobson Brian & Diana Hughes • Justine & Paul Irish • David Jackson • Victoria J T Jenkins & George Constance • John Jeremy & Pamela Buckley • Rodney & Alyson Kettel • Martin & Joanne King • Andy Le Marr Martin Levermore & Michele Taylor • Maureen Levermore • Lynne Myers • Ralph & Linden Osborn • Win Palmer & Lola Ralph • Mrs Jill Parker • John & Sandra Phenix • John & Jill Queenan Dr & Mrs Reynolds • David & Jane Richardson • Emma Rowley • Don & Diane Scriven • Mary Shaw • Sukhvinder Singh • Wendy Smith & Family • Dr N & Mrs C Speak • Christine Spittle • Gwen Stephens Glynis Troth • Mrs Ann Wailing & Mrs Vanessa Ottley • Richard & Maggie Waller

1899 Club Frederick Anderson • Wendy Barnard • Maureen Booth • James Clews • Kirsty Davies • Mr & Mrs P Davies • Colette Jones • Rob Macpherson • Rachael Magson • Rosie Milsom • Jackie Newport John & Teresa Purser • Roger Rivett • Alistair M Smith • Ann Tonks • Mr J Weston • Adam T Wilkinson

Trusts & Grants Alan Woodfield Trust • Arts Connect WM • Baron Davenport’s Charity • The Bernard Piggott Trust • Birmingham Bodenham Trust • Bishop of Birmingham Charitable Trust • Children and the Arts David Solomans Charitable Trust • The D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust • The Dumbreck Charity • Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust • Esmée Fairbairn Foundation • The Eveson Charitable Trust The George Fentham Trust • George Henry Collins Trust • GJW Turner Trust • The Grimmitt Trust • Groundworks UK • Heritage Lottery • HSBC Community Fund • The John Feeney Charitable Trust The Mackintosh Foundation • The Norton Foundation • Oakley Charitable Trust • The Patrick Trust • Property for Kids • Quayle Trust • Sir Robert Gooch Charitable Trust Roger and Douglas Turner Charitable Trust • The Saintbury Trust • The Thousandth Man – Richard Burns Charitable Trust • The Uncle Bill Trust • The W E Dunn Trust • William A Cadbury Trust

A Specialist Paralegal Law Firm

Development Partners

Performance Partners

Associate Partners

An elite group recognising the importance of cultural life in the city.

Influential names proud to demonstrate their CSR credentials.

Good Company Club Like-minded business people who enjoy first class networking.

The Edgbaston EY GM Treble Ltd Lambert Smith Hampton Lorica Insurance Brokers Professional Polishing Services Ltd Squire Patton Boggs

Hippodrome Projects Partners Welcome to our World, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and St Bernadette’s Primary School

Curtain Raiser 2019

Chinese New Year 2019 Assisted Performances

Relaxed Performance

Summer in Southside

Print Partner

Event Partners

Leading Ladies AVA Events Styling • Barques • Benussi & Co • Biddle & Webb • Vivienne Bailey Photography • Suzanne Barnes Design Partnership Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust • Consulting Rooms Birmingham • Cure Leukaemia • FBC Manby Bowdler • Freeths LLP • Holiday Inn • HSBC Leonard Curtis Business Solutions • Messam & Rider Ltd • Joanne Malin • Northwood Solihull • Smith Cooper • Park Regis Birmingham • The Travel Genius • Wills & Legal Services

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