Sea Change, performed by the British Youth Music Theatre, was reviewed at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ Both large in scale and intricate in its storytelling.
Tag Archives | Birmingham Hippodrome
National Youth Music Theatre – West Side Story
West Side Story was performed by members of the National Youth Music Theatre at the Birmingham Hippodrome. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A spectacular new take on West Side Story which would surely make its late creators proud.
Regional news round-up – Fame, Back to the Future, Waitress, Little Shop of Horrors and more
Angela Thomas rounds up all the latest news in regional and touring theatre in the UK and Ireland.
Mrs Doubtfire tour cast confirmed
The full cast has been confirmed for this summer’s first UK and Ireland tour for the hit West End and Broadway comedy Mrs Doubtfire.
Blaze of Glory – Birmingham Hippodrome
Blaze of Glory was reviewed at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The Welsh National Opera production continues touring until 22 May 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Witty and infectious, Blaze of Glory from Welsh National Opera is a joyful celebration of Wales, the ‘Land of Song’.
Stage musical version of wrestling film Fighting With My Family in development
A major new musical based on Stephen Merchant’s cult British wrestling film Fighting With My Family is in development.
London encore season for MTR Award-winning Hot Mess
Multi-award-winning musical Hot Mess will return to London this summer for a strictly limited season at The Other Palace.
Botanical Gardens launch for Birmingham’s No Such Things As Wolves
Members of the cast and creative team for No Such Thing As Wolves headed for Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens to launch the new musical adventure ahead of its debut at the Birmingham Hippodrome this Christmas.
Hot Mess – Southwark Playhouse Elephant
Hot Mess continues at the Southwark Playhouse Elephant, London until 8 November 2025. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The winner of Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is making its London debut.
MTR Award winner Hot Mess is London-bound
Following its acclaimed world premiere run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the winner of this year’s Musical Theatre Review Best Musical Award, Hot Mess is heading for London to play a transfer season at Southwark Playhouse.
Hot Mess wins Musical Theatre Review Best Musical Award at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
Hot Mess, playing at Pleasance Two at Pleasance Courtyard, has won Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
Nominees are announced for Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025
The 10 shortlisted Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025 shows contending for Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award have been announced.
National Youth Music Theatre – Fame
Fame was performed at the Patrick Studio, Birmingham Hippodrome. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ It’s hugely encouraging to see such young talent on the first steps of their potential careers.
British Youth Music Theatre – Unbound
Unbound, performed by the British Youth Music Theatre, was reviewed at the Birmingham Hippodrome. The show’s strength is in its music and its strong female focus, if it can hone the tone of the writing and give the story its own identity rather than highlighting its influences quite so strongly, Harvey could be onto something spell-binding.
BEAM2025 pitch days and venues announced
Musical Theatre Network (MTN) and Mercury Musical Developments (MMD) have announced the dates and venues for the 21 pitching days aimed at finding new musicals to feature in the musical theatre showcase BEAM2025.
The Lion King – Birmingham Hippodrome and Touring
The Lion King continues at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 16 September 2023 before moving on to Dublin where it runs until 11 November 2023. Further tour dates are expected to be announced.
In-house musical theatre department to launch at Birmingham Hippodrome
The Birmingham Hippodrome will become the first UK venue with an in-house musical theatre department dedicated to the development of new musicals in the West Midlands.
The SpongeBob Musical – Birmingham Hippodrome and Touring
The SpongeBob Musical was reviewed at the Birmingham Hippodrome (playing until 15 April 2023). The tour continues until 9 September 2023. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
The Color Purple – Birmingham Hippodrome and Touring
The Color Purple was reviewed at Birmingham Hippodrome and continues touring until 5 November 2022. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The Color Purple. A heart-pounding story that began as a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, transformed into a Steven Spielberg award-winning movie, to then take the Broadway stage by storm, winning Tony Awards […]
Cast for The Color Purple tour
Me’Sha Bryan will lead the cast of Leicester’s Curve Theatre and Birmingham Hippodrome’s hit production of The Color Purple as it hits the road for the first time across England and Wales this autumn. Bryan (Romantics Anonymous, Bristol Old Vic, Caroline, or Change, The Playhouse Theatre) will play Celie alongside Bree Smith (The Wiz, Hope […]
Locations for performances of To The Streets!
China Plate and Birmingham Hippodrome have unveiled the West Midland locations for the summer performances of new concert musical To The Streets! Planned as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival, the special shows will take place at Handsworth Park in Birmingham (19 August 1.45pm and 7.45pm, 20 August 1.45pm and 7.45pm), Windmill Hill in Coventry […]
UK Musical Theatre Conference to return for first time in three years
After a pandemic-enforced three-year hiatus the UK Musical Theatre Conference will return on 16 May 2022. Produced by Musical Theatre Network and Mercury Musical Developments in association with host venue the Birmingham Hippodrome, this year’s event will focus on key areas in modern musical theatre. There will be discussions on staging prospects, approaches to inclusivity, […]
New concert musical To The Streets! to be centrepiece of Birmingham 2022 Festival season
Birmingham Hippodrome and China Plate’s new concert musical To The Streets! will be performed in parks across the West Midlands this summer as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival. Written by Roy Williams and Tim Sutton and inspired by the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott, a pivotal moment in the UK’s civil rights history, the concert […]
Tour planned for Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome’s The Color Purple
Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome’s hit production of The Color Purple will visit seven venues across England and Wales this autumn. Directed by Tinuke Craig and originally staged in 2019, the award-winning production which was also re-worked as a concert presentation and successful online event during lockdown will take to the road from 13 September […]
Cast for An Evening With The Good Enough Mums Club
Casting has been confirmed for The Good Enough Mums Club’s upcoming UK tour of concert presentation An Evening With The Good Enough Mums Club. Launched at the Birmingham Hippodrome on 18 and 19 November, the production stars Keisher Downie (Tina The Musical West End), Emma Odell (Mamma Mia! UK and international tour, Kinky Boots, West […]
Trio of female-led musical theatre companies join Birmingham Hippodrome Associates Programme
Female-led musical theatre companies Burnt Lemon, The Good Enough Mums Club and Fat Rascal are the latest additions to the Birmingham Hippodrome’s Associates Programme. Announcing the latest theatre-makers to join the initiative designed to support and develop work, Chris Sudworth, director of artistic programme at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We are delighted to welcome these fantastic […]
Cast for Burnt Lemon’s new production of Tokyo Rose
West End actress Kanako Nakano (Miss Saigon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert) will head the all-female cast for this autumn’s touring production of Burnt Lemon’s award-winning Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Tokyo Rose. Nakano will be joined by three of the stars of the original New Diorama and Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Maya Britto (Arabian Nights, […]
Southwark Playhouse run for Burnt Lemon’s Tokyo Rose
Burnt Lemon’s award-winning Edinburgh Festival Fringe hit Tokyo Rose will follow its run at the Mayflower MAST Studios in Southampton by returning to London to play the Southwark Playhouse in September. Presented by Burnt Lemon in association with MAST Mayflower and the Birmingham Hippodrome, the new production of the pop, rock and hip-hop musical inspired by […]
Curve announces extended run for The Color Purple – at Home
Leicester Curve has announced an extension to the hit online run of The Color Purple – at Home. Produced in association with Birmingham Hippodrome, the concert re-working of the hit 2019 production will now stream online until 16 March 2021. The concert version of the first co-production between Birmingham Hippodrome and Curve which had been […]
The Color Purple – at Home – Curve Leicester
The Color Purple at Home is streaming from Curve Leicester until 7 March 2021. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ If the cynics are right, if musical theatre is indeed all jazz hands and pomp and fluff – a medium incapable of supporting the weight of “important” stories – then this musical […]
Six’s Alexia McIntosh launches Birmingham Hippodrome digital masterclass series
Six queen Alexia McIntosh has added a little West End star power to a new series of online workshops launched by the Birmingham Hippodrome. The Birmingham actress who has played Anne Of Cleves in the hit show in London and on tour has returned home to front the first of 25 digital masterclasses aimed at […]
Curve to reunite with Birmingham Hippodrome for The Color Purple – At Home
Leicester Curve will follow its critically-acclaimed Sunset Boulevard – at Home by reuniting with Birmingham Hippodrome to stream The Color Purple – at Home, a concert reworking of their hit 2019 production. The concert version of the first co-production between Birmingham Hippodrome and Curve had been due to be part of Curve’s reopening season, but […]
Theatre industry welcomes Government’s £1.57 billion support package
Arts venues, organisations and high-profile industry figures have welcomed the Government’s announcement of a £1.57 billion rescue package for the arts, culture and heritage industries in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis. Commenting on the package which includes emergency loans and investments in infrastructure, Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “This news is truly welcome at a […]
On Your Feet! – Birmingham Hippodrome and Touring
On Your Feet! was reviewed at Birmingham Hippodrome and continues to tour until May 2020. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Those much-fêted Cuban-American musicians Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio seem an ideal subject for a new musical. Fresh from Cuba and scarcely 18, Gloria’s voice and charisma astounded her future […]
The Color Purple – Leicester Curve
The Color Purple continues at Leicester Curve until 13 July 2019, then 16-20 July at Birmingham Hippodrome. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ The Color Purple is a good shade on any audience, and this Leicester Curve gathering is no different. Alice Walker’s landmark tale of abuse, incest, race and sexuality is as relevant […]
T’Shan Williams is cast as Celie in The Color Purple
First images have been released of T’Shan Williams in the pivotal role of Celie in the Leicester Curve and the Birmingham Hippodrome’s major new co-production of the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Williams (Heathers The Musical, Theatre Royal, Haymarket/The Other Palace, The Life, Southwark Playhouse) has joined the cast as the […]
Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome to co-produce The Color Purple
Leicester Curve and the Birmingham Hippodrome have revealed plans for a major new co-production of the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker’s best seller The Color Purple. Directed by award-winning Tinuke Craig (2014 Genesis Future Directors Award), the production which will be the first UK presentation of the award-winning show outside of London, will play Curve […]
Miss Saigon – Birmingham Hippodrome and Touring
Miss Saigon continues at Birmingham Hippodrome until 23 September and then tours the UK until March 2018. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ After the whirlwind of the 25th anniversary and Broadway transfer, Miss Saigon – our favourite Madam Butterfly-inspired grand operetta is back – and touring the UK. Right now it’s […]
Hairspray the tour
Hairspray, a touring production, reviewed at the Hippodrome, Birmingham (21 May-1 June). If Hairspray has become one of the UK’s biggest hit musicals of the past three years, it’s because it deserves all the accolades showered upon it. It has everything. The story and lyrics, devised by a prodigiously talented team of four (librettists Mark O’Donnell […]
