Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram round-up

Staring life as a film entitled The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert it is a 1994 Australian comedy-drama film written and directed by Stephan Elliott.

The storyline follows two drag queens played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce and a transgender woman, played by Terence Stamp, as they journey across the Australian Outback from Sydney to Alice Springs in a tour bus that they have named “Priscilla”, along the way encountering various groups and individuals.

It should not however be confused, as it often is, with the comedy entitled To Foo Yong, Thanks for Everything, which has a similar storyline. Priscilla is unique and far more amusing.

It wasn’t long before its potential as a stage musical was recognised and so it premiered in Sydney in 2006 and has played to packed audiences across the world on tour ever since.

From October 15-21st, Stourbridge Amateur Operatic Society will be performing Priscilla at Stourbridge Town Hall, with an array of performance times to choose from.

This heart-warming tale of self-discovery, acceptance and pure fun hosts some of the best loved tunes of the 1970’s and 1980’s including What’s Love Got to Do With It? MacArthur Park, Venus, Don’t Leave Me This Way, Go West, Boogie Wonderland, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Pop Muzik, goodness me, the list is endless and that is not to mention the classics, You Were Always on My Mind and A Fine Romance!

Well known for over the top, glitzy, glamorous costumes, I know that Director/Choreographer, Mike Capri and his team to Triple C Costume Hire will have pulled out all the stops to make sure there isn’t an inch between the feathers and sequins on stage, so it is worth going to see the spectacular spangles alone!

In this production, Leon Davies plays Tick (or Mitzi which is his drag queen name!), a lovely young man who was in denial and therefore married and had a young son before coming out of the closet, with Adam Partridge as the acid-tongued queen, Adam (or Felicia as he is known on stage!) and Mark Horne as transgender superbabe, Bernadette.

This is an extremely talented, strong company who are never afraid to tackle any kind of musical theatre, old or new and so you will be guaranteed the perfect evening’s entertainment.

Priscilla doesn’t pull any punches though and there is a little adult language and themes, so I would suggest you only take teenagers rather than children with you.

Get ready to “Shake Your Groove Thing!” For tickets call 07504 301767 or visit www.stourbridge-operatic.co.uk

Another wonderfully uplifting, fun show is Sister Act, which Hagley Theatre Group’s youth section will be performing at Hagley Community Centre from October 11-14.

When Disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder committed by her married boyfriend, Curtis, it isn’t long before she finds herself on the run, but cop Eddie has the perfect place to hide her; a convent!

Surrounded by nuns and under the ever-watchful eye of the Mother Superior, wayward Deloris is less than thrilled to be there, that is until she is given the job of whipping the convent’s awful choir into shape.

Sister Act is a hilarious musical, packed with original music guaranteed to bring the house down, written by Oscar winner, Alan Mencken it recently toured starring Alexandra Burke as Deloris and was choreographed and directed by Craig Revel Horwood.

Louise Bates will star as Deloris, with Charlie Sharp as Eddie and Chris Rutter as Curtis.

A lovely production with all the energy and excitement that young performers bring.

For tickets, which are £10 each and £8 for concessions, call 07907 457217, call into Hagley’s Paddock Butchers or email hagleytheatregroup@gmail.com

It’s going to be “Fabulous Baby!”

On the drama front over at The Crescent Theatre in Birmingham, you can catch an excellent play. From October 11-14 in The Studio, the Birmingham School of Acting is presenting Holy Day, a murder mystery by Andrew Bovell.

Set against the misunderstood landscape of 19th century Australian outback, suspicion, brutality and lawlessness rear their ugly heads when a husband is murdered and a child goes missing. The chilling words “You and I will be silent about what has passed, for what is not spoken of will eventually fade,” are uttered. Spinetingling!

For tickets for Holy Day and indeed for all other productions at The Crescent Theatre, call 0121 643 5858 or visit www.crescent-theatre.co.uk

An appeal for male singers now. The sixty-strong Lutley Community Voices, who rehearse at Lutley Primary School on Thursday evenings, is keen to swell their ranks with tenor and bass voices to join the 30 altos and20 sopranos they currently have.

Chairman John Rhead said: “We need more male voices. We don’t do auditions and you don’t need to be able to read music, you just need enthusiasm and want to sing!”

Sounds good to me. Musical Director Margaret Jones laughed, “It’s sometimes better to sing the wrong note with conviction and pizazz than the right note without enthusiasm!” So, all you men out there, there is no excuse! Go along and sing your hearts out!

The choir sings a mixture of folk, classical, pop, musical theatre, rock and gospel tunes and so there is something for everyone. Visiting care and special-needs homes and other local venues, they entertain, help and bring people together.

For more information, simply go along to a rehearsal between 7.45pm – 9.15pm, or call Jeanette Greenway on 0121 550 3899 or 0798409 7283.

Finally this week, there’s still a chance to catch my home company’s production of Monty Python’s Spamalot at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from October 10-14.

Call 01902 429212 or visit www.grandtheatre.co.uk for tickets. It’s going to be a hoot!

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