Birmingham Rep returns to Shakespeare with Dream
Release Date: 04/28/2026
Clive Rowe sings From The Heart with words by Don Black
British Theatre Guide podcast
The work of multi-award-winning lyricist Don Black spanning more than five decades is to be celebrated in From The Heart, which had a short, sold-out run last year and returns to London’s Garrick Theatre this October. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Clive Rowe, who stars in the production alongside Caroline O’Connor and Michael D Xavier, about performing these famous songs and a few new ones with music by composers including Gary Barlow, Natasha Bedingfield, David Arnold, Debbie Wiseman and Mike Batt. He also spoke about how being backstage at an amateur theatre as a young lad in...
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Cal McCrystal brings 39 Steps to Derby and Hull
British Theatre Guide podcast
“Alfred Hitchcock meets Monty Python in a fast-paced comedy spy thriller packed with theatrical magic”. That’s how Derby Theatre and Hull Truck are describing their co-production of The 39 Steps which is inspired by John Buchan’s classic novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s film. BTG Midlands Editor Steve Orme spoke to director Cal McCrystal, “the country's finest comedy director”, as well as two of the cast, Ryan Starling and Sophie Bloor. The 39 Steps will run at from Tuesday 29 September until Saturday 17 October before transferring to from Wednesday 21 October until...
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Anthony Almeida's '80s Othello is not about Jealousy
British Theatre Guide podcast
Anthony Almeida, the only person to have received both the Royal Theatrical Support Trust Sir Peter Hall Director Award and the European Opera Director Prize, is directing his first Shakespeare play, Othello, for a co-production between Northern Stage in Newcastle, HOME Manchester and Citizens Theatre in Glasgow in association with Royal and Derngate in Northampton. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Anthony about his concept for the play, the motivations and contemporary resonances of its characters and events and its 1980s setting. Othello will run at 11–26 September 2026 then tour to ...
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Edinburgh 2026: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui brings Ihsane to EIF
British Theatre Guide podcast
Ihsane from Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève and Eastman by double Olivier Award-winning Belgian choreographer and dancer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, drawing on his Moroccan heritage, will be performed as part of the 2026 . BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Sidi before the Festival about the creation of the show, looking back on life after turning 50, his changing views on the attitudes of his late father, who died 30 years ago, as he has got older, blinkered, stereotypical attitides towards Arab men and queer men in society and much more. Ihsane will be performed at the Edinburgh Festival...
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Edinburgh's Kings Theatre reopens
British Theatre Guide podcast
The King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, originally built in 1906, closed after the 2022 Edinburgh festivals for a major refurbishment project, and is to reopen in time for the 2026 festival season. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Fiona Gibson, CEO of Capital Theatres, the company that owns the King’s as well as the Edinburgh Festival Theatre and the Studio Theatre, about the refurbishment, the new and upgraded facilities, the support they have received from government, arts organisations and the public and the final preparations currently taking place for opening the doors to the public on...
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Something Rotten at Manchester's Opera House
British Theatre Guide podcast
Tim Jackson is a British director, choreographer, musical director, music arranger and performer who recently received his first Tony nomination for directing the musical Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York). Tim has directed and choreographed a revival of the musical Something Rotten, with music and lyrics by Wayne and Karey Kirkpatrick and a book by John O’Farrell, which has just opened for previews at the Opera House in Manchester starring Jason Manford, Richard Fleeshman and Marisha Wallace. Tim spoke to BTG Editor David Chadderton about his current show, as well as about his...
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Pitlochry's 75th anniversary season is Alan Cumming's first
British Theatre Guide podcast
Pitlochry Festival Theatre in Scotland, is about to open its 75th anniversary season, its first since star of stage and screen Alan Cumming took over as Artistic Director. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Sam Hardie, Associate Director at the theatre, who is directing a revival of Iain Heggie’s Wiping My Mother’s Arse, and to playwright Douglas Maxwell, whose new play Inexperience will open in June, about the new season and the ways in which the new artistic director and his predecessor, Elizabeth Newman, changed the theatre’s focus. Douglas also shares the best piece of advice he...
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Unity celebrates a century of radical theatre in Liverpool
British Theatre Guide podcast
Liverpool’s Unity Theatre is the last surviving member of the Unity Theatre movement formed from left-wing workers’ drama groups in the 1930s. The theatre is to present a series of events under the name A Radical Reimagining to celebrate a century of radical theatre in Liverpool, a project conceived by Artistic Director Eli Randle. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Eli about the project, the theatre’s history and the changing face of political theatre. Eli also paid tribute to Graeme Phillips, Artistic Director of the Unity for more than thirty years, who died last year. The various...
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Birmingham Rep returns to Shakespeare with Dream
British Theatre Guide podcast
Birmingham Rep is to present its first Shakespeare play for ten years. Joe Murphy who became artistic director 12 months ago is directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream along with deputy artistic director Madeleine Kludje. BTG Midlands editor Steve Orme spoke to Joe and Madeleine about their take on the play before chatting to three of the cast, Evie Ward-Drummond, Isabel Adomakoh Young and Charlotte Wallis. A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run at Birmingham Rep from Saturday 25 April until Sunday 24 May 2026. (Pictured from left: Charlotte Wallis (Helena), Isabel Adomakoh Young (Hermia),...
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Bryony Kimmings on Bog Witch and autobiographical theatre
British Theatre Guide podcast
Bryony Kimmings has been creating and performing shows based closely on events in her own life since her award-winning Sex Idiot in 2010. Her latest solo show, Bog Witch, about her difficult move from the city to the countryside and growing awareness of environmental issues, is currently on a tour of the UK and Ireland. BTG Editor David Chadderton spoke to Bryony about the show, her creative process, how she began creating this type of theatre, the role of a dramaturg, her surprise at finding she was influenced by Brecht and doing audience participation the correct way. Bog Witch has been...
info_outlineBirmingham Rep is to present its first Shakespeare play for ten years. Joe Murphy who became artistic director 12 months ago is directing A Midsummer Night’s Dream along with deputy artistic director Madeleine Kludje.
BTG Midlands editor Steve Orme spoke to Joe and Madeleine about their take on the play before chatting to three of the cast, Evie Ward-Drummond, Isabel Adomakoh Young and Charlotte Wallis.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run at Birmingham Rep from Saturday 25 April until Sunday 24 May 2026.
(Pictured from left: Charlotte Wallis (Helena), Isabel Adomakoh Young (Hermia), Evie Ward-Drummond (Lysandra), deputy artistic director Madeleine Kuldje and artistic director Joe Murphy.)