Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram round-up

This fun show follows the adventures of Elle Woods who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back, encountering many hurdles along the way, but of course Elle wins the day.

It’s a feminine, fluffy, funny, fabulous show with some great songs and laugh out loud moments, as well as being heart-warming and at times very thought-provoking. Although on the surface, it is one for the girls, I know a few gentlemen who love it too!

The group is hoping to raise around £500 for the charity.

Rebecca Lowe, spokesperson for BMTC said: “We are really looking forward to our “wear it pink” opening night and to some pre-show fundraising activities to raise lots of money for a cause that is particularly close to our hearts. The vital research undertaken by Breast Cancer Now will help put a stop to women - mums, sisters, grandmas and best friends – dying of breast cancer in the future.”

She continued: “The theatre will be dressed for the occasion and the show, Legally Blonde, for which rehearsals are now well underway, promises to leave our audience in good spirits and to dig deep and donate whatever they can afford. We really hope that our ‘wear it pink’ event will gain lots of support and bring us a full house to help us make a significant donation.”

Lottie Barnden, Senior Fundraising Products Manager at Breast Cancer Now, said: “We are so grateful for BMTC’s wonderful support. We hope their “wear it pink” opening night event will be a big success, whilst raising much-needed funds for breast cancer research.”

“Right now, breast cancer is at a tipping point,” she said. “Every year in the UK around 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer, and sadly around 11,500 women and 80 men will lose their lives to the disease.”

Shocking statistics I am sure you will agree, but with the help of groups like BMTC, amateur performers who continue to support charities like this, hopefully one day we will beat this hateful disease.

More about Legally Blonde nearer the time, but for now, well done BMTC, keep us “abreast” of your final figure.

Meantime, panto continues to make us all laugh!

From February 6-10, CLOC Musical Theatre Company, who perform at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall, will be presenting one of the lesser known pantos, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, with evening performances at 7.30pm and 12 noon and 5pm performances on the Saturday.

Ali Baba stumbles upon the infamous forty thieves secret cave, stashed with treasures. Asbad, The King of the Thieves, plots to find and kill Ali Baba to keep the secret of the cave safe.

Will Ali Baba, assisted by the slave girl, Marjan, the village simpleton, Mustafa Screwloose, and Dame Fatima Fandango thwart his plans?

Go and see for yourselves! For tickets visit www.cloc.org.uk or call 07873192715

This group is also seeking a director for their forthcoming production of the Dolly Parton musical 9 to 5, which they will present in October 2018.

Having done 9 to 5 myself quite recently, I know that the director needs to be able to bring out the comedy element of this hit Broadway show, so it requires an experienced comedic talent.

If you are interested in taking on the job, call 0121 244 7475 or visit www.cloc.org.uk

As I mentioned last week, one group who has been affected by the temporary closure of the Grange Playhouse in Walsall is The Fellowship Players. Their production of Arnold Ridley’s classic play The Ghost Train was due to take place in October but last year, but had to be rescheduled.

It will now be performed from February 8-17 at Blue Coat C of E Academy in Walsall.

On a wet and windy night, a group of strangers are stranded at an isolated railway station, after one of the travellers pulls the emergency brake.

Whilst trying to solve their predicament, the long-standing station master treats them to a ghost story. Local hearsay dictates that he is reluctant to stay at the station overnight and so he leaves our travellers alone in the cold waiting room to wonder whether or not they are in for a peaceful or a disturbed night!

It’s spooky stuff from the pen of one of the best-loved actors from the cast of the hit BBC TV comedy, Dad’s Army.

For tickets call 01922 630495 or visit www.fellowshipplayers.files.wordpress.com

Finally this week, over at The Rose Theatre in Kidderminster, things are getting a little racy, as the resident group The Nonentities present No Sex Please, We’re British!

This riotous, comedy farce was first performed in 1971 and went on to notch up a staggering successful sixteen year run in the West End. I personally am not a lover of farce, but even I have to admit it must be a good one by those statistics!

The play surrounds an assistant bank manager, Peter Hunter, who lives in a flat above his bank with his new bride Frances. When Frances innocently sends a mail order off for some Scandinavian glassware what actually comes back is Scandinavian pornography.

The couple, along with the bank's frantic chief cashier Brian Runnicles, must decide what to do with the veritable flood of pornography, photographs, books, films and eventually girls that threaten to engulf this happy couple.

Peter's boss, his snobbish mother and a prim, respectable bank inspector become inextricably entangled in the hilarious and manic events that follow.

Performed by The Nonentities at the Rose Theatre, Kidderminster January 29 – February 3, there are performances at 7.30pm nightly.

For tickets, contact 01562 743745 or book on line at www.rosetheatre.co.uk but remember, don’t take the kids!

That’s all for this week. Send you news and good quality photos to a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk, call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on Twitter @AlisonNorton

Break a leg!