Your Midlands and Shropshire am dram guide

Amateur performers rarely get chance to work hand in hand with the people they are portraying, but for the Shrewsbury production of Atlantic Ladies, the actors met Shropshire’s three heroic rowers and followed their progress right across the ocean. On their return, Di Carrington, Sharon McGrath and Elaine Theaker taught actors Jo Cox, Sally Tonge and Christina Cubbins how to row, navigate and even survive a capsize.

The whole remarkable story has been scripted verbatim by author and broadcaster Chris Eldon Lee and the resultant musical play - part comedy, part tragedy - sold out so quickly in the autumn, it’s been snapped up by the Shrewsbury venue, Theatre Severn for next week. It will then go on tour to the Wellington Festival and the Welsh Coast.

How are they going to represent a small boat bobbing about in the middle of the Atlantic? The answer? With three buckets, two dolphins and a big red step ladder!

The Royal Shakespeare’s Company’s reviewer ‘loved it’. Praise indeed.

Catch Atlantic Ladies at Theatre Severn from May 8 to 9, Wellington on May 14, Aberdovey on May 17 and Barmouth on May 18. For tickets, call 01743 281281 or visit www.theatresevern.co.uk

Meanwhile, over at Netherton Art Centre, you can catch a production of Graham Linehan’s hugely popular black comedy, The Ladykillers from May 15-18, presented by local group, Dudley Little Theatre.

Mrs Wilberforce is an eccentric widow who rents out a spare room in her dilapidated house to the sinister Professor Marcus and his amateur string quartet, who apparently wish to use it as a rehearsal space. Little does she know that the supposed musicians are in fact hardened criminals planning a sophisticated robbery at nearby King’s Cross Station.

The gang are convinced they will soon be in the money, but they had not bargained on the seemingly innocent little old lady who scuppers their evil plans.

Based on the Ealing Comedy film starring Alec Guinness, The Lady-killers is a wonderfully light-hearted play, full of laughter and unexpected twists and turns. It would be a crime to miss it!

For tickets visit www.ticketsource.co.uk or Dudley Little Theatre’s Facebook Page.

I love to hear about amateur groups getting together to socialise. It’s such a fulfilling hobby and you are guaranteed to make life-long friends.

Founded in 1949, Codsall Dramatic Society is celebrating 70 years this year. Since its start, the group has presented at least two plays a year and from 1973, a pantomime too. Members from all walks of life join this popular society, bringing with them many skills and talents, all of which have helped the group to grow and progress.

With this mind, they are holding a nostalgic evening of celebration on May 11 for members and patrons both past and present to have an opportunity to come together and share their memories and experiences.

Anyone who is interested in attending, please get in touch via the group’s website which is www.codsalldramaticsociety.co.uk or email codsalldramaticsociety@gmail.com

Oswestry Musical Theatre Company will present their annual concert, entitled Oswest End on May 11, with a 2.30pm matinee performance and an evening performance at 7.30pm.

Join this popular Shropshire group at The Matches School Theatre for an evening of hits from the very best West End Musicals including The Greatest Showman, Hamilton, Wicked, Les Misérables, Mama Mia, and many more.

Tickets are priced at £12.00 for adults and £8.00 for children. Family tickets are also available at £35.00 for a family of four (two adults and two children).

There are additional group discounts for groups of more than 10 too and all tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/omtc or pop into Rowanthorn, 4 Old Chapel Court, Oswestry.

The Birmingham Hippodrome have chosen Bernstein’s classic musical West Side Story as their first home-grown youth project, which will grace the main stage from August 29-31, to mark the theatre’s 120th anniversary.

More than a thousand young performers applied, with just 40 being chosen as the final cast.

Fifteen-year-old Alex Cook from Kingswinford will take the leading role of Tony, alongside Kamilla Fernandes from Coventry as Maria. The adult characters will be played by Birmingham Hippodrome staff members.

Alex told me,” I was in complete shock when I got the email saying that I was playing Tony, as we were auditioned in workshops rather than asking to go for specific parts. I went to the first audition with an open mind, hoping for the best but not expecting anything from it.”

“Throughout the entire audition process, I kept this open mind to make sure I wasn’t upset if I didn’t get in. I feel extremely honoured to play such an iconic role in such an amazing show, and I can’t wait to perform on the Hippodrome’s stage in their first in-house production.”

Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the theatre, Fiona Allan said, ““Our birthday celebrations are headlined with the strapline Then, Now, Always; this production will encompass this message in its entirety. Then being the staging of this classic musical, Now is bringing a new production to our main stage, and Always is the hugely talented cast of young people who are the performers and audience members of our theatre’s future.”

“I can’t wait for the curtain to rise on this brilliant new adventure for our cast, creatives and Birmingham Hippodrome.”

West Side Story plays at Birmingham Hippodrome from August 29 to 31. To book tickets, visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com, or call 0844 338 5000.

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

Break a leg!