This season Birmingham Repertory Theatre is reflecting the increasingly turbulent times we live in with stories that explore this extraordinary era.
Following its sell-out run at the National Theatre, James Graham’s darkly funny This House is a searing look at British politics. Truth is a spellbinding fusion of song, choreography and testimonies about the post-truth world, created by two extraordinary artists, Helen Chadwick and Stephen Hoggart.
West End smash, The Kite Runner highlights a friendship in a country on the verge of war and, Terence Rattigan’s masterpiece, The Winslow Boy, offers a compelling investigation of the fallout on one family of a very different war in a very different time.
New times call for new ways of presenting stories and visionary director Calixto Bieito returns with his ambitious new work, The String Quartet’s Guide To Sex And Anxiety which promises to be an unmissable montage of melody and madness with incredible live music provided by The Heath Quartet. The brilliant Josette Bushell-Mingo weaves her own life story with Nina Simone’s through her music in Nina. I am thrilled to welcome back two playwrights who have been important to The REP’s history. Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s powerful new play about family dynamics, Elephant, opens here at The REP. David Edgar has not only written but will make his stage debut in the autobiographical Trying It On which looks at how the changing times have influenced his work.
Of course, we also offer an escape from the pressures of the real world! We have Kneehigh’s life-affirming production of the iconic romantic tale, Brief Encounter and you can join the legendary Barbara Nice for a delightful night out with her Raffle or experience Napoleon like never before with the absurdly funny Napoleon Disrobed. We also continue to represent all aspects of our wonderful local community both on and off stage.
We have worked with a hundred talented local performers to create a striking new production of Woyzeck. Our Country’s Good embraces a creative use of audio description, captioning and British Sign Language so that more people than ever can enjoy this epic story of survival.
Plus, there’s plenty for younger audiences to enjoy from the delightful true story Penguins through to children’s classics such as Tom Thumb and The Little Red Hen. And hot off the press! The REP has announced that its 2018 Christmas production is to be a spectacular new staging of the musical The Wizard of Oz! There’ll be no place like The REP as Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion skip down the Yellow Brick Road, across the Poppy Field and into the Emerald City in search of the wonderful Wizard of Oz. Directed by Liam Steel, this epic stage version features your favourite songs and characters from the classic film with an added sprinkle of REP magic.
Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of The REP says -“The Wizard of Oz, which opens on 24 November 2018 and runs until 13 January 2019, is such a great show that’s perfect for fans of the film and musicals alike. With a glorious cast of characters including a wicked witch and a tailwagging Toto, a stunning setting, fabulous music and a sprinkling of REP magic, it’s got all the vital ingredients for a wonderful Christmas show for everyone.”
Find out more at at at at www.birmingham-rep.co.uk or call the box office, on 0121 236 4455.
