Express & Star

Jimmy Carr, Shane Richie in The Entertainer, Fame and more: Wolverhampton Grand Theatre announces new season

A brand new season has been announced at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre.

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Jimmy Carr

Highlights include everything from Jimmy Carr, Shane Richie in The Entertainer, Jodie Prenger in A Taste of Honey, Fame and Miloš Karadaglić.

The Old God Club Live comes to the Lichfield Street theatre on June 7. The show sees the weekly multi-platform podcast and television show that features a different former Wolves player interviewed about their career at Molineux brought to the stage for the first time..

Supreme Queen returns on July 19, paying homage to one o the world's greatest rock bands, Queen. Scott Maley’s ivocal and visual resemblance to Freddie Mercury has seen Supreme Queen become one of the most respected bands of their genre anywhere on earth.

Jimmy Carr’s brand new show, Terribly Funny, comes to the venue on July 20, Terribly Funny, contains jokes about all kinds of terrible things. Terrible things that might have affected you or people you know and love. But they’re just jokes – they are not the terrible things.

One Night Only on September 8 is a musical theatre, comedy, drama and dance concert celebrating over 80 years of South Staffs Musical Theatre Company who have been entertaining audiences at the Grand Theatre with their popular musical theatre performances.

One Night Only

The show is full of musical theatre classics, as well as excerpts from new, up and coming shows, this evening of spectacular entertainment will appeal to all age groups and preferences from Rodgers and Hammerstein to new shows just transferring from Broadway, and hilarious comedy selections to special guest, Britain’s Got Talent star, Donchez Dacres.

If you love the Dancing Grannies, head to Back In Our Day. The show is a comedy charting the friendship of three remarkable Black Country women and how they met through their love of dance. Follow their lives from the 1940’s through the decades from Pam’s People to the present day on September 9.

A Celebration Of Opera on September 11 is full of passion, drama, humour, singing, elegant costumes and set pieces featuring London Festival Opera who have a considerable reputation and features distinguished singers from the Royal Opera, English National Opera and Glyndebourne with outstanding young artists.

On September 22 Miloš Karadaglić comes to the Grand Theatre with Voice of the Guitar. Miloš uses the classical guitar and its unique voice as a vehicle through the works and musicians that defined it.

More familiar composers will reflect Miloš’s classical training at the Royal Academy of Music, other pieces will link to his training in Montenegro and the Mediterranean where he grew up. To conclude, Miloš showcases his latest project the music of The Beatles.

Miloš Karadaglić

West Bromwich Operatic Society present The Wizard of Oz from October 1 to 5. Join Dorothy Gale and her faithful dog, Toto as they are whisked over the rainbow to the magical land of Oz. In her quest to find her way back home Dorothy encounters a host of enchanting characters, and finds new friends, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. They follow the Yellow Brick Road, mercilessly pursued by the Wicked Witch of the West, to the magical Emerald City in search of the mysterious and almighty, Wizard of Oz.

Featuring the iconic songs, Over The Rainbow, Follow the Yellow Brick Road and We’re Off To See The Wizard by arrangement with MusicScope and Stage Musicals Limited of New York.

Starring Shane Richie, The Entertainer comes to the venue from October 7 to 12. The show takes us back to 1982 – Shane Richie stars as Archie Rice, a washed-up entertainer playing a summer season. As his soldier son sails with the Task Force to liberate the Falklands, his daughter Jean returns from campaigning against the war, and Archie’s professional and personal lives collide with devastating consequences.

The National Theatre brings Shelagh Delaney’s career defining play A Taste Of Honey to Wolverhampton from November 5 to 9. Directed by Bijan Sheibani and featuring Jodie Prenger (Oliver!, One Man, Two Guvnors, Abigail’s Party UK tour) as Helen, this British classic is an exhilarating depiction of working-class life in post-war Salford. When her mother Helen runs off with a car salesman, feisty teenager Jo takes up with Jimmy, a sailor who promises to marry her, before he heads for the seas leaving her pregnant and alone. Art student Geoff moves in and assumes the role of surrogate parent until, misguidedly, he sends for Helen and their unconventional set-up unravels.

Jodie Prenger

International smash hit musical Fame comes to the Grand Theatre from November 19 to 23. The show follows the lives of students at New York’s High School For The Performing Arts as they navigate their way through the highs and lows, the romances and the heartbreaks and the ultimate elation of life. This bittersweet but uplifting triumph of a show explores the issues that confront many young people today.

Featuring the Oscar-winning title song and a cast of outstanding dancers, singers, musicians and rappers as they transform from star struck pupils to superstars, this definitive 30th anniversary tour comes from Selladoor Productions, critically acclaimed producers of Flashdance The Musical, Avenue Q and American Idiot.

When the Grand Theatre opened on December 10, 1894, the first performance was given by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company. 125 years later, to celebrate the theatre’s anniversary they return with their current company with Gilbert and Sullivan A La Carte on November 26.

D'Oyly Carte opened the Grand Theatre with a performance of Utopia Limited, and this concert will feature music from this opera as a celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the theatre.

The rest of the evening is a miscellany of music by Gilbert and Sullivan with musical numbers performed by five singers famous for their work with D'Oyly Carte, accompanied by a full orchestra.

The musical numbers are laced together by contemporary reviews, diary entries and anecdotal reference to tell the tempestuous story of Gilbert and Sullivan's relationship with each other and their producer, Richard D'Oyly Carte. From Poor Wand'ring One to Take a Pair of Sparkling Eyes, the evening contains musical numbers from 10 of their operettas.

The Sensational 60s Experience returns on February 23, 2020, featuring Mike Pender, The Trems, The Fortunes, The Swinging Blue Jeans and The Dakotas bring you three hours of 60s classics including Needles and Pins, Silence Is Golden, Storm In A Teacup, Hippy Hippy Shake, Little Children and many more.

Shane Richie

Booking for the new season opens to Friends of the Grand and members from 11am on March 12.

Tickets are on sale to the public from 11am on Friday, March 15 in person at the Box Office, by calling 01902 42 92 12 or online at grandtheatre.co.uk.