Theatre April Region 2.qxp_Layout 1 23/03/2015 17:32 Page 4
Theatre PREVIEWS The Ghost Train Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 7 - Sat 11 April
To generations of fans, Arnold Ridley is best remembered as Private Godfrey in Dad’s Army. But decades before he joined Captain Mainwaring and the Home Guard, Ridley penned this classic comedy thriller about a group of travellers stranded in the waiting room of an isolated railway station on a dark and stormy night. Their plight isn’t helped by the station master’s spinetingling warning that death will claim anyone who sets eyes on the ghostly train that haunts the line. Hi-de-Hi!’s Jeffrey Holland top-bills alongside his real-life wife, Judy Buxton.
The Producers New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Mon 20 - Sat 25 April
Cell Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Wed 15 April; Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Fri 17 April
Smoking Apples and Little Cauliflower are the companies behind this thoughtful exploration of one man’s experience of living with motor neurone disease. When Ted is diagnosed with MND, he determines to embark on the trip of a lifetime and takes his pet fish along with him. Smoking Apples and Little Cauliflower both specialise in visual storytelling and here present Ted’s story via the use of a puppet. “Different members of the team looked at different aspects of MND,” explains Matthew Lloyd, co-artistic director at Smoking Apples. “I went to Putney and spoke to Helen Patterson, a speech and language therapist who works with people living with the condition. That experience, plus speaking to and skyping people living with MND, was a revelation. It meant we were able to give the puppet a range of movements which were as true as possible to the symptoms of the disease.
Jason Manford and Phil Jupitus are among the big-name stars heading up the cast in this latest touring version of Mel Brooks’ hit Broadway musical. When down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock and his hapless accountant Leo Bloom stage a theatrical show called Springtime For Hitler, they’re assuming it will be a great big flop, leaving the two of them to share out all the money they’ve raised to mount the production. Sadly for Max and Leo, things don’t turn out quite as they’d expected... “I’m basically Judy Garland - that’s who Leo Bloom is,” explains Jason Manford about his character. “He’s brand new to showbusiness and is having his eyes opened very quickly to a lot of things he’s never experienced before. My favourite line of his is, “Stop the world, I want to get on”. It’s a really big moment for him, and you could just imagine a young Judy Garland saying it off camera, with a little glint in her eye...” Louie Spence, David Bedella and Cory English also star.
The Ladykillers
Feed The Beast
New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Fri 10 April - Sat 2 May
The REP, Birmingham, Thurs 16 April - Sat 2 May
This classic black comedy may be best known as a 1950s Ealing film, but its stage adaptation has nonetheless garnered plenty of praise too, enjoying a sell-out season in the London West End. For those unfamiliar with the legendary Alec Guinness film, it tells the story of a sweet old lady, alone in her house, who finds herself pitted against a gang of criminal misfits intent on pulling off a brilliantly conceived heist... This new adaptation is brought to the stage by the New Vic and Hull Truck Theatre.
Award-winning Sherlock and Doctor Who writer Stephen Thompson is the man behind this brand new political comedy. It focuses on the character of Michael, who, as the newly elected Prime Minister, is determined to avoid all media charm offensives in favour of concentrating on the real business of making the world a better place. Trouble is, his family’s private life looks set to be the next big story. And when Michael is advised by a press secretary to “feed the beast before it turns on you”, he finds himself wondering whether his lofty principles are set to take a serious tumble...
The Picture Of Dorian Gray Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton, Sat 18 April
Back Down Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Wed 1 April; Wem Town Hall, North Shropshire, Fri 17 April
The author of this brand new coming-of-age play is Steven Camden, otherwise known as award-winning performance poet Polarbear. It tells the story of three pals who decide to enjoy one final adventure together before one of them heads off to university. The adventure in question involves conquering Snowdon, an endeavour that sees them having to confront not only the challenges posed by the mountain but also the real reason they needed to make the trip... A Birmingham Repertory Theatre production presented in association with Roundhouse.
The highly rated European Arts Company celebrate the one hundred-and-twenty-fifth anniversary of Oscar Wilde’s one and only novel with this brand new adaptation. In the decadent world of Victorian London, the beautiful Dorian Gray is painted in oil by the artist Basil Hallward, who then introduces the young man to Lord Henry Wotton. Impressed by the aristocrat’s hedonism, Dorian enters into a Faustian pact which allows him to remain young while his painting grows old. But as he engages in a life of amoral experiences, every one of his soulcorrupting sins is recorded in his ageing portrait... This new stage version has been adapted by John O'Connor and Oscar Wilde's grandson, Merlin Holland. www.whatsonlive.co.uk 27