THE DIARY.
AUTUMN AT THE REP
OCTOBER Horse of the Year
3rd – 7th October at Genting Arena As one of the longest standing horse shows, running consecutively for 70 years, this year Horse of the Year Show (HOYS) is delighted to share such a memorable occasion with its loyal and supportive fan base as well as encouraging new fans to come and join the party!
Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre recently announced plans for the theatre’s 2018 Autumn and Winter season. Speaking of the forthcoming programme, Roxana said: “New work is the life blood of theatre and The REP is honoured to be working with the best writers of their generation with 11 new plays across our three stages of which six will be premièred at The REP”. The first world première of the season is Rebus: Long Shadows, the latest story in Ian Rankin’s legendary detective series which will be told exclusively on stage. A brand new staging of The Messiah starring Hugh Dennis, Lesley Garrett and John Marquez will be produced and opened by The REP, ahead of a UK tour and West End run. Other highlights include, Pop Music,. a euphoric, nostalgic theatre party for anyone who has ever been a d*ck on the dance floor. All You Need Is LSD, an exhilarating and original comedy by one of the UK’s finest playwrights, Leo Butler. Find yourself trapped amongst objects and clutter in the world premiere of Stuff, a play created through interviews with self-identified hoarders, Elsewhere in the season are Bryony Lavery’s adaptation of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones and the festive spectacular The Wizard of Oz for the festive season! January 2019 sees the return of the enchanting live stage show of The Snowman 25 years after it first came to life at The REP. Productions visiting The REP include Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s The Wipers Times which tells the true story of a satirical newspaper created in the mud and mayhem of the Great War. Birmingham writer / performer Selina Thompson’s solo show about ancestry, home and colonialism, Salt visits The REP, as does Oladipo Agboluage’s play New Nigerians. And Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop– a sharp and intimate play about Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s last days. Complementing the autumn theatre programme, The REP plays host to a comedy season of one-night stands from Iain Stirling, Chris Ramsey, Juliette Burton, Kai Samra and Ahir Shar plus a number of shows as part of the Birmingham Improv Festival.
Cirque Du Soleil: OVO
3rd – 7th October at Arena Birmingham Having thrilled more than five million people worldwide since the show premiered in Montreal in 2009 as a Big Top show, OVO embarks on a journey, offering the same captivating production as the Big Top performances, but on a larger scale!
Birmingham Comedy Festival
5th-14th October The Birmingham Comedy Festival has been drawing attention to the city’s vibrant (and often unsung) comedy scene since 2001 when the debut festival hit the road running thanks to appearances from Peter Kay and Sean Lock. Since then, the festival has grown into one of the largest independent arts festival in the region.
The Wiper Times
8th – 13th October @ Birmingham Repertory Theatre The Wipers Times tells the true and extraordinary story of the satirical newspaper created in the mud and mayhem of the Somme and comes to The REP direct from a record-breaking West End season.
Bravo 22 Company presents Unspoken
8th & 9th October @ Patrick Studio
Joanna Lumley, It’s All About Me!
9th October at Symphony Hall 54 dluxe-magazine.co.uk
Joanna will take audiences through her hilarious and interesting adventures, recounting some never heard before stories. She will also be joined on stage by friend and producer Clive Tulloh, who will put to Joanna questions from the audience that they’ve always wanted to ask, making the show a unique and hilarious night to remember.
From the team who brought you the winner of the Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award for the ground-breaking The Two Worlds of Charlie F, Bravo 22 Company’s new drama Unspoken brings to light the lives interrupted and forever changed by war, on a heart-wrenching and hilarious journey of love, loss, loneliness and hope, performed by ex-Service personnel.