Behind the arras, reviews of professional and amateur theatre

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The lights are being turned on again as theatres are slowly coming back to life. We are not quite out of the woods yet but at least we can see a clearing in the distance. Theatres will do all they can to keep audiences safe and will rely on audiences to play their part by following whatever has been put in place for their protection.

Theatres need audiences, bums on seats, to recover, some to even survive, but, if you are still hesitant about going to the theatre at the moment, for whatever reason, you can still help by booking for shows later in the year or even next year to keep box offices ticking over.

The latest listings are here

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AMATEUR REVIEWS A-Z Index of affiliate reviews Reviews listed by affiliates Nell Gwynn, Highbury Players, Highbury Theatre Centre Underneath the Lintel, Criterian Theatre, Coventry The Wind in The Willows,, The Loft Theatre, Leamington Spa. Something Classical, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. A Slice of Life, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. Fright Night, The Nonentities, The Rose Theatre, Kidderminster Lockdown in Little Grimley, Highbury Theatre Centre Talking Heads, The Nonentities, Rose Theatre, Kidderminster. Pre-lockdowns Edith in The Dark, Hall Green Little Theatre The Dixie Swim Club,The Grange Players, The Grange Playhouse, Walsall Yes, Prime Minister, Swan Theatre Amateur Company Directory of leading amateur companies. If you want details about becoming an affiliate contact Sue Clarke. sue.clarke@behindthearras.com NEWS ARCHIVE Past reviews The Late John Slim's FINAL THOUGHTS SMALL THOUGHTS			THEATRE REVIEWS Reviews by title Reviews by theatre (If an older review is not found try Other reviews) LATEST REVIEWS Fashion Spies, Assembly Festival Gardens, Coventry Edifying Eddy, The Hub, Lichfield Everybody’s Talking About Jamie The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham The Play That Goes Wrong, Coventry Belgrade East is East, Birmingham Rep Rock of Ages, Birmingham Alexandra The Cat and The Canary, Derby Theatre Romeo + Juliet, Birmingham Hippodrome Bloody Mary LIVE!, The Treehouse Bar, Assembly Festival Gardens, Coventry Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Birmingham Hippodrome Looking Good Dead, Malvern Theatres Charlie & Stan, Malvern Theatres The Woman in Black, Malvern Theatres Don Pasquale, Midland Arts Centre Four Quartets, Malvern Theatres Oleanna, Malvern Theatres Miss Julie, Coventry Belgrade Mrs Churchill - My Life with Winston, The Coach House Theatre, Malvern. Copenhagen, Malvern Theatres Elsie and Norm's Macbeth, Worcester Rep Absurd Person Singular, Malvern Theatres Absurd Person Singular, Coventry Belgrade Tell me on a Sunday, Malvern Theatres ARCHIVE Coming soon WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND will be starting a new term in September when Dewey Finn welcomes new pupils into his class for School of Rock - The Musical. More Strictly star Johannes Radebe will be bringing his Freedom tour to the Alexandra Theatre next year with dance and music from around the world. More Performing arts Performing Arts Archive 1 2 NEWS HGHBURY PLAYERS will be heading back in time on Tuesday when they delve into the life of orange seller, actress and mistress Nell Gwynn in Jessica Swales Olivier winning comedy. More ROCK OF AGES rocked Birmingham Alexandra Theatre three years ago and next week it is back as sexy and raunchy as ever loaded with rock anthems that have stood the test of time. More The Birmingham Hippodrome's CEO and artistic director, Sydney-born Fiona Allan is set to return home in autumn to take over as chief executive of Opera Australia. More The Alexandra Theatre is in for a snowbound March as The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe bring the icy, maystical world of Narnia to Birmingham. More The Alexandra Theatre is back in business, after 491 days of enforced closure, and not only has a new progremme but also a new theatre director. More THSH: A new name and a new look as Town Hall and Symphony Hall open up for live music again with a programme of international and home grown stars. More Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the Disney classic film, 50 years old this year, takes to the stage in August in a world premiere musical which will be bringing its magic to the Alaxandra and the Grand. More Town Hall and Symphony Hall will be swinging to the beat this summer with the return of the Jazzlines Summer School from Performances Birmingham Limited, a free weeklong course for aspiring jazz musicians aged 11-19 all running alongside the city's Jazz FM sponsored Jazz Festival. More Birmingham Royal Ballet has appointed Ballet Master and former Principal Dancer Dominic Antonucci as its new Assistant Director. More FEATURES BIDF: After falling victim to Covid lockdowns last year Birmingham International Dance Festival is back with an on-line June festival and a full blown live encore in September. More DARK THOUGHTS With theatres closed and dark, reviewers turn their thoughts to things theatrical The £1.57bn Government funding is a welcome boost to the Arts but many of the problems facing the cultural sector still remain. The cash is much needed help but is not a cure. More The Arts from bands in small venues to grand opera and symphony orchestras is in trouble. Theatres will remain closed, companies will fold, all consumed by coronavirus without a financial lifeline from the Government. More The Scottish Play and other mysteries of the superstitions of theatre explored . . . carefully . . . More Contact roger_clarke@behindthearras.com

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	Latest
	WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND will be starting a new term in September when Dewey Finn welcomes new pupils into his class for School of Rock - The Musical. More THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE is in for a snowbound March as The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe bring the icy, maystical world of Narnia to Birmingham. More HIGHBURY THEATRE CENTRE has a reunion to celebrate this month when the four members of Little Grimley Amateur Dramatic Society return after 14 years in David Tristram's fourth play in the comedy series, Lockdown in Little Grimley. More. THE NONENTITIES in Kidderminster are back on the boards this month with the first of four separate productions of monologues up to the end of July. More BRB's Cinderella had a ball with her prince in the splendid ballroom at the newly reopened Grand Hotel. More ALEXANDRA THEATRE: Strictly star Johannes Radebe will be bringing his Freedom tour to the Alex next year with dance and music from around the world. More TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL, PLUS THE SPOTTED DOG have announced more details of the lineup for Jazz Fest, Birmingham's new Jazz Festival in August. More THE JERSEY BOYS are on the road again and will be spending Christmas and New Year at the ALexandra Theatre from 7 December to 1 January 2022. More THEATRE IS BACK: The lights are turning back on stages across the land as theatre prepares to return from enforced hibernation this month, and what ges and treats they have in store for us. More Rosie Kay Dance Company launch two world premieres this year with Adult Female Dancer as part of Rosie Kay's one woman triple bill, Absolute Solo II at Birmingham Rep next month and Romeo + Juliet at Birmingham Hippodrome in September. More
		Actor Samuel West makes a heartfelt plea to save funding for theatres - More
	News and features
	HGHBURY PLAYERS will be heading back in time on Tuesday when they delve into the life of orange seller, actress and mistress Nell Gwynn in Jessica Swales Olivier winning comedy. More
	ROCK OF AGES rocked Birmingham Alexandra Theatre three years ago and next week it is back as sexy and raunchy as ever loaded with rock anthems that have stood the test of time. More
	THE BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME'S CEO and artistic director, Sydney-born Fiona Allan is set to return home in autumn to take over as chief executive of Opera Australia. More
	The Alexandra Theatre is back in business, after 491 days of enforced closure, and not only has a new progremme but also a new theatre director. More
	THSH: A new name and a new look as Town Hall and Symphony Hall open up for live music again with a programme of international and home grown stars. More
	Birmingham Royal Ballet is heading back to its home stage of Birmingham Hippodrome in October and has announced its programme from Romeo and Juliet to the festive Nutcracker. More
	Bedknobs and Broomsticks, the Disney classic film, 50 years old this year, takes to the stage in August in a world premiere musical which will be bringing its magic to the Alaxandra and the Grand. More
	Elmhurst Ballet School was hit by Covid both in its academic role and as a school of performing arts but recovery is underway with pupils returning to the stage for an engaging summer bill to showcase their talents. More
	BIDF: After falling victim to Covid lockdowns last year Birmingham International Dance Festival is back with an on-line June festivaland a full blown live encore in September. More
	Town Hall and Symphony Hall will be swinging to the beat this summer with the return of the Jazzlines Summer School from Performances Birmingham Limited, a free weeklong course for aspiring jazz musicians aged 11-19 all running alongside the city's Jazz FM sponsored Jazz Festival. More
	Birmingham Hippodrome is helping to give emerging talent a helping hand with live streams of TEDxYouth@Brum and UniSlam this month. More
	Birmingham Royal Ballet has appointed Ballet Master and former Principal Dancer Dominic Antonucci as its new Assistant Director. More
	Elmhurst Ballet School ends a tumultuous year and its Principal, Jessica Wheeler talks about the problems faced by her and her staff protecting and teaching pupils form around the world. More
	Birmingham Royal Ballet's Marion Tait is to step down as assistant director at the end of the year. More
	Midland Theatres given a share of the Government's £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund More
	Malvern Theatres has dipped a toe in the water and opened for live theatre again under Covid conditions with its own production of Mooney and his caravans - so, what was it like? More
	Birmingham Royal Ballet are back on stage, albeit the paved terrace of Rowheath Pavilion with a special performance of ballet class and dance along with the city's Sampad company, More
	Stan's Cafe head into the world of call centres from living rooms and back bedrooms in For Quality Purposes, online More
	Rosie Kay's Dance Company was to perform again at the Edinburgh Festival but with the festival forced to move on-line the Birmingham company will be joining up again with Army@TheFringe for a first streaming of 10 Soldiers on 12 August. More
	The £1.57bn Government funding is a welcome boost to the Arts but many of the problems facing the cultural sector still remain. The cash is much needed help but is not a cure. More
	Theatre and the arts facing financial meltdown with the prospect of theatre and venue closures and even orchestras folding without Government help. More
	Wolverhampton Grand has been awarded an Arts Council grant to assist in its community programmes More
	Birmingham theatre company Stan's Cafe will be serving up a virtual menu from the end of June with a sort of takeaway theatre in Stan's Internet Cafe. More
	Lichfield Garrick will be holding auditions by video for youngsters to join the cast of this year's panto, Peter Pan, which is scheduled to open on 26 November this year. More
	BE FESTIVAL: To BE or not to BE has been decided. It will BE and Birmingham's popular European performance and arts festival will be going ahead, online next month. More
	Elmhurst Ballet School and English National Ballet School are continuing to teach with lessons and classes on line with a video produced by students to show them practising at home. More
	Elmhurst Ballet School: Teacher and choreographer Sander Blommaert is keeping dancers on their toes with free ballet classes every morning streamed live on Instagram More
	Elmhurst Ballet School: Sixth form student Lydia Brayshaw has started her own fashion business and has opened with a fire sale with a difference, all in aid of the bushfire affected animals of Australia. More
	For more information, comments or views about the site you can contact us on roger.clarke@behindthearras.com

WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND will be starting a new term in September when Dewey Finn welcomes new pupils into his class for School of Rock - The Musical. More

THE ALEXANDRA THEATRE is in for a snowbound March as The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe bring the icy, maystical world of Narnia to Birmingham. More

HIGHBURY THEATRE CENTRE has a reunion to celebrate this month when the four members of Little Grimley Amateur Dramatic Society return after 14 years in David Tristram's fourth play in the comedy series, Lockdown in Little Grimley. More.

THE NONENTITIES in Kidderminster are back on the boards this month with the first of four separate productions of monologues up to the end of July. More

BRB's Cinderella had a ball with her prince in the splendid ballroom at the newly reopened Grand Hotel. More

ALEXANDRA THEATRE: Strictly star Johannes Radebe will be bringing his Freedom tour to the Alex next year with dance and music from around the world. More

TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL, PLUS THE SPOTTED DOG have announced more details of the lineup for Jazz Fest, Birmingham's new Jazz Festival in August. More

THE JERSEY BOYS are on the road again and will be spending Christmas and New Year at the ALexandra Theatre from 7 December to 1 January 2022. More

THEATRE IS BACK: The lights are turning back on stages across the land as theatre prepares to return from enforced hibernation this month, and what ges and treats they have in store for us. More

Rosie Kay Dance Company launch two world premieres this year with Adult Female Dancer as part of Rosie Kay's one woman triple bill, Absolute Solo II at Birmingham Rep next month and Romeo + Juliet at Birmingham Hippodrome in September. More