This latest U.K touring production is one of fifteen newly announced shows to join the theatre’s 120th anniversary year programme, with forthcoming highlights already on sale which include the Whatsonstage award-winning comedy The Play That Goes Wrong (Tues 29 April – Sat 3 May), Derren Brown’s hotly anticipated new stage show Infamous (Mon 5 – Sat 10 May), the U.K premiere tour of Happy Days: The Musical (Mon 9 – Sat 14 June) and the world-wide phenomenon Dirty Dancing, which visits the theatre for three weeks this Autumn (Tues 23 Sep – Sat 11 Oct).
Musical Highlights
Direct from its tremendous success in London, winning three Olivier awards for Best New Musical, Best Choreography, Best Costumes and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out, the West-end spectacular Top Hat will be tap-dancing into Wolverhampton for two weeks this Autumn from Tues 21 Oct – Sat 1 November as part of a major new 48-date national tour.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest dance musicals of all time, Top Hat is an uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy celebrating 1930s song, style and romance featuring over 200 beautiful costumes, breathtaking dance and a love story that will set the pulse racing! Packed full of Irving Berlin’s greatest hits including, Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat, White Tie & Tails, Let’s Face the Music & Dance and Puttin’ on the Ritz, tickets for Top Hat go on sale to the public on Tues 11 March at 10am. Demand is expected to be high, so early booking is advisable.
From the golden age of Hollywood glamour to the rebel beats of British Punk, the smash-hit Marc Bolan musical Twentieth Century Boy explodes onto the Grand stage from Mon 30 Jun – Sat 5 July ahead of a major West End run. First premiering at the Belgrade Theatre in 2012, this fascinating glimpse into the life of one of Britain’s foremost rock legends is a glorious celebration of glam-rock at its colourful best and features a electric soundtrack jam-packed with classic T-Rex hits including Get It On, Ride A White Swan, Metal Guru, I Love To Boogie and more.
Drama
Returning to the Grand for a fifth consecutive year, this year’s Summer Play Season incorporates three titles including the nail-biting Victorian melodrama Ladies In Retirement (Tues 3 – Sat 7 July) starring Coronation Street’s Oliver Mellor and iconic television actress Shirley Ann Field, the gripping whodunit Design For Murder and the Dickensian classic Pickwick Papers (Tues 8 – Sat 12 July).
Commemorating the centenary of World War One, the Touring Consortium Theatre Company make their second visit to the Grand theatre in 2014 with a brand new staging of Pat Barker’s Booker-nominated novel Regeneration from Tues 4 – Sat 8 Nov.
Based upon the life experience of soldier and poet Seigfried Sasoon – this powerful new production represents the latest title in a series of dramas examining the themes of ‘Conflict and Community’ at the Grand, with other featured titles already on sale including; Zepplin Dreams Thursday 20 – Saturday 22 March and The Two Worlds of Charlie F from Wed 26 – Sat 29 March, a play about the effects of conflict and in particular injury, created and performed by members of the armed forces and a new staging of the classic British drama; Brassed Off to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike of 1984 from Tues 8 – Sat 12 April.
Family Shows
Arriving just in time for the Summer holidays, children’s TV favourite Scooby Doo makes his first ever visit to Wolverhampton Grand in an all-new spine-tingling family adventure; The Mystery Of The Pyramid from Thurs 17 – Sun 20 July whilst young theatre goers and their families can enjoy a singalong with Old MacDonald on Sun 15 June in a brand new stage production from the People’s Theatre Company whose previous tours include There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly in 2013 and The Elephant Bridesmaid in 2012.
Dance and Amateur Shows
Strictly Come Dancing favourites Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer join forces with the stars of contemporary street dance in West End sensation Flash Mob from Tues 15 – Wed 16 July whilst English Youth Ballet return with their enchanting new staging of Tschaikovsky’s fairytale ballet Sleeping Beauty from Fri 19 – Sat 20 Sept.
Newly announced amateur shows include the Central Youth Theatre Hilarity Charity Gala on Thurs 29th May featuring special guest star Daniel Kitson whilst the Grand theatre’s award-winning Glee Choirs return with a special ‘120th Anniversary’ instalment of musical theatre mash-ups on Sun 31 August.
From the company that always leave you wanting more, South Staffs Musical Theatre Company present the Lionel Bart classic Oliver from Tues 14 – Sat 18 Oct and, fresh from the success of their 2013 Box Office smash-hit Annie, Bilston Operatic Company fly into Wolverhampton from Tues 18 – Sat 22 Nov with an all-new musical production of J.M Barrie’s classic family adventure Peter Pan.
One Night Concerts
Following in the success of her sell-out 2011 UK Tour, Jane McDonald returns for one night only on Wed 17 September with her new one-woman concert show, ‘The Singer of Your Song’, Birmingham’s king of comedy Jasper Carrot returns with another star-studdded night of musical comedy in ‘Stand Up And Rock’ on Tuesday 16th September and celebrating the best of seventies and eighties disco, Soul Legends grooves into town for one night only on Sat 13th September.
For tickets, contact the Box Office on 01902 42 92 12 or visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk.
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