Staffordshire What's On December 2021

Theatre December.qxp_Layout 1 19/11/2021 10:37 Page 1

Theatre

Theatre previews from around the region

Jersey Boys The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 7 December - Sat 1 January; Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 8 - Sat 19 February; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre,

Rockin’ and rollin’ New Jersey boys Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons scored some truly massive hits during the mid-1960s - and this award-

Fagin’s Last Hour Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Wed 22 December

James Hyland’s one-man show catches up with fictional ne’er-do-well Fagin - the famous ‘receiver of stolen goods’ from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist - just 60 short minutes before he faces execution...

James, who founded his theatre company, Brother Wolf, some 23 years ago, has garnered plenty of praise for his unusual interpretations of literary classics - he’s previously dabbled with, among other stories, A Christmas Carol (also showing at the Gatehouse this month), Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.

“If I believe there’s a refreshing way to communicate a story whilst staying true to the source material, I will move forward with the project,” explains James. “From that point on, the characters will often reveal themselves to me, sometimes in a flash of inspiration.

Background research is the key, whether the story is based on a novel, a particular event in 24 whatsonlive.co.uk

winning jukebox musical tells their story.

Taking a documentary-style format, the show is structured as four ‘seasons’, each being narrated by a different member of the band.

Featured hits include Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, Big Girls Don't Cry, Sherry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back To You and December 1963 (Oh, What A Night).

history, or something from your own imagination. It’s important to delve deep and explore thoroughly.”

Beauty And The Beast New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 29 January

Postponed from 2020 for obvious reasons, the New Vic’s retelling of this classic fairytale sees the venue’s artistic director, Theresa Heskins, bringing to bear all of her trademark inventiveness to present a production that promises to breathe new life into an old fable. Expect a show replete with enchanting storytelling, an impressive score and a generous helping of family-friendly humour.

Beauty And The Beast in rehearsal