Award-winning Solihull Theatre Company are taking to the stage - and the skies - with The Witches of Eastwick at Solihull Arts Complex this May.

Set to a fantastic musical score and based on the acclaimed Hollywood film, the story centres around three female protagonists, the 'Witches' Alexandra Jane and Sukie. Frustrated and bored by their mundane lives in the small and squeaky clean town of Eastwick, a shared longing and desire for ‘all manner of man in one man’ comes to life in the form of a charismatic stranger, the devil-like character, Darryl Van Horne.

This witty, dark and risqué production will leave audiences hot under the collar and in amazement as the three witches soar above audiences at Solihull Arts Complex from 12 to 16 May.

For more information about the production click here. Alternatively, if you would like to book tickets visit Solihull Arts Complex website here or call the box office on 0121 704 6962.

Find STC on Facebook here.
Find STC on Twitter here. 

Here is our top 15 theatre picks for May (we couldn't narrow it down to 10!). From amateur to professional, get your diaries at the ready to pop some of the most important dates in...

5 to 9 May
Sister Act
The Arcadians at Crescent Theatre
Click here

9 May
I Love You Because
Starbuck Theatre Company at Ruddock Performing Arts Centre, Birmingham
Click here

12 to 16 May
Hairspray
Trinity Players at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall
Click here

12 to 16 May
Bad Girls 
Mellow Dramatics at The Brewhouse Arts Centre
Click here

12 to 16 May
Kiss Me, Kate 
Bournville Musical Theatre Company at Crescent Theatre
Click here

12 to 16 May
The Witches Of Eastwick
Solihull Theatre Company at Solihull Arts Complex
Click here

13 to 16 May
Ghost The Musical
WBOS at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre
Click here

15 to 30 May
The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Click here

21 to 23 May
Oliver! 
Coventry Musical Theatre Society at Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Click here

21 to 23 May
Judy - The Songbook Of Judy Garland
New Alexandra Theatre
Click here

22 to 23 May
Thrill Me 
Old Rep Theatre
Click here

26 May to 6 June
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Birmingham Hippodrome
Click here

27 to 30 May
Wuthering Heights 
SSA Drama at The Edge
Click here

27 to 30 May
Hot Mikado
SSC Performing Arts at Lichfield Garrick
Click here

28 to 30 May
Into The Woods
Backstreet Theatre Company at Prince of Wales Centre, Cannock
Click here

Award-winning theatre group Union Theatre, are looking for new cast members to join them in their next production - William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

The auditions will be open to all ages and you don’t need any experience to take part. It will be very informal and will mainly consist of a read through of the play with other cast members

Auditions are taking place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 28 April 2015  in the Mayflower Room, Christ Church, Union Road, Solihull (see map below). 

For further details, please contact the director Mark Firmstone on 0121 705 1033 or 07931 218116.

There is still time to be part of the Solihull premiere of Sister Act, presented by St. Augustine’s Musical Theatre Company (click here to see the original cast announcement).

The group are on the lookout for a number of men and also a woman to fill the remaining roles and auditions take place on Sunday 26 April, starting at 7pm. There are six principal male roles to be filled, all of which require strong vocal, good movement ability and good comic timing. 

Please see the character breakdown as follows:

CURTIS SHANK
A club owner, notorious gangster, and Deloris's boyfriend. Smooth and calculating.  Cocky and controlling, always on the verge of violence. Strong vocal required.
Male, 30-40 yrs old 
Range: A2 - Ab4 (Tenor/Baritone)
Audition Song: When I Find My Baby

EDDIE SOUTHER
The desk chief at the Philadelphia police station and a high school classmate of Deloris who helps get her into hiding. A sweet guy who dreams of being confident, but faces a lot of nerves when under pressure, causing him to sweat profusely. He still yearns for Deloris after all these years, and dreams of being her hero. 
Male, 25-35 yrs old 
Range: Ab2 - B4 (Tenor, with falsetto)
Audition Song: I Could Be That Guy

PABLO
One of Curtis's thugs. A natural follower, constantly speaks in Spanish.  Thinks he’s something of a ‘love-God’!  Good vocals (Soul and R’n’B) and movement required. Good comic timing.
Male, 25-40 yrs old 
Range: C4 - F5 (Tenor, with falsetto)
Audition Song: Lady in the Long Black Dress (sing all solo lines from the beginning)

TJ
Curtis’s nephew and one of his thugs. Deft and cognisant of the fact, but constantly in a state of ignorant bliss. 
Male, 16-30 yrs old 
Range: Db3 - Eb5 (Tenor/Baritone, with strong falsetto)
Audition Song: Lady in the Long Black Dress (sing all solo lines from the beginning)

JOEY
One of Curtis's thugs. Believes himself to be quite the ladies' man. Wants to please Curtis and be dangerous, but isn’t quite capable of it.  Good vocals and movement required.
Male, 25-40 yrs old 
Range: Bb2 - Eb5 (Baritone)
Audition Song: Lady in the Long Black Dress (sing all solo lines from the beginning)

MONSIGNOR O’HARA
One of the heads of the convent. A gentle, kind man who is a bored, uninspired preacher. Constantly concerned with financial matters, though soul music surprisingly puts him in a different mood. 
Male, 45-60 yrs old 
Range: E3 - G4 (Baritone)
Audition Song: Sunday Morning Fever (opening section)

St. Augustine’s Musical Theatre Company are also still to cast the fantastic role of Sister Mary Patrick, a scatty, larger-than-life nun. Her character breakdown is as follows: 

SISTER MARY PATRICK
A nun of the convent. Fun and enjoys every minute of life.  A larger-than-life character. Consistently perky, perpetually enthusiastic, easily excitable and open and willing to embrace all the changes Deloris brings to the convent. Excellent vocal and good movement required. Good comic timing.
Female, 30-50 yrs old 
Range: G3-E6 (Alto/Mezzo Soprano but with some Soprano capability)
Audition Song: Sunday Morning Fever (opening section)

The auditions will be held on Sunday 26 April at Mill Lodge Primary School (see map below), beginning at 7pm. If you would like to audition, please email us at mail@stagsmtc.co.uk, or ring Producer, Veronica Walsh, on 0121 705 3914.

The show runs at Solihull Arts Complex from 17 to 21 November. For more information about the show and St. Augustines MTC click here.

You can find St Augustines MTC on Facebook here.
You can find St Augustines MTC on Twitter here.

Award-winning theatre group, Union Theatre, will be performing a powerful version of Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons at St Edburgha's Church in Yardley from 23 - 25 April. 

Concentrating on the last seven years of Thomas More’s life, the play examines the struggle between Thomas and his King, Henry VIII. Henry is determined to break with Rome so he can divorce his current wife and wed again, while good Catholic More struggles with his inability to go along with such heresy.

The play is even more poignant due to the direct links that Yardley and its church have with the story.  The North Wall of the church is adorned with a carved door to celebrate the first wedding of Catherine of Aragon to Henry’s brother Prince Arthur. The door is beautifully carved and depicts the Pomegranate of Catherine of Aragon and the Tudor Rose. The parish of Yardley was also given to Catherine as part of her divorce settlement from Henry when their marriage ended. 

Director, John Seeley, said:
"It is wonderful to be performing in a setting such as St Edburgha's but the links that the church has with the story make it all the more real and the cast are really getting into their various characters."

The play is running from the 23 - 25 April at St Edburgha’s Church, Yardley and tickets are available by calling 0121 784 4067. For more information click here. 

Find Union Theatre on Facebook here.
Find Union Theatre on Twitter here. 

Star Workshops in Solihull is a group dedicated to 6-16 year olds interested in learning more about theatre. From acting, singing and dancing on stage, to learning about all the work that goes into creating a show, Star Workshops is the perfect introduction to all things theatre. 

The group is ran by local award-winning theatre group, Union Theatre, and this allows all the young performers to take part in 1 or 2 full-scale productions with the Union Theatre company each year. Along with this, the workshops run during term time and culminates in an end of term presentation that is completely free for friends and family to attend.

Star Workshops is currently on the look-out for new members to join them from Saturday 25 April where the group will be focusing on Shakespeare's As You Like It. Not only will these workshops provide an excellent introduction to Shakespeare for young performers, there will also be the chance to participate in Union Theatre's full-scale production of As You Like It in July. No prior experience of theatre is needed and anyone is welcome to come along. 

Workshops take place from 10am to 11am every Saturday at Christ Church URC (see map below) and each workshop costs just £4. For more information, visit the Star Workshops website by clicking here, or email starworkshops@rocketmail.com. 

SSA Drama are looking a 17-25 year old petite girl to play the role of Catherine Earnshaw in their May production of Wuthering Heights. The show will be running from the 27 - 30 May and important rehearsals will also be held on the 24 and 26 May, for which attendance is crucial. 

Rehearsals take place on a Monday and Thursday evening at Alderbrook School from 7:30pm.

If you are interested, please get in contact with Charlie Smith, the director, at ssadrama@gmail.com or call her on 07929 359 124.

Find SSA Drama on Facebook here.
Find SSA Drama on Twitter here.

Here is our top 10 theatre picks for April. From amateur to professional, get your diaries at the ready to pop some of the most important dates in...

31 March to 26 April
Shrek The Musical
Birmingham Hippodrome
Click here

1 to 3 April 
Rent
South Staffs Musical Theatre Company at Wolverhampton Grammar School
Click here

7 to 11 April
Sweeney Todd
Tamworth Arts Club at Landau Forte Sixth Form Centre
Click here

8 to 11 April
A View From The Bridge
Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
Click here

14 to 18 April
42nd Street
Peterbrook Players at Solihull Arts Complex
Click here

21 April to 2 May
The Bodyguard
Wolverhampton Grand
Click here

21 to 25 April 
The Producers
Studley Operatic Society at Redditch Palace Theatre
Click here

23 to 25 April 
A Man For All Seasons
Union Theatre at St Edburgha’s Church, Yardley
Click here

27 April to 2 May
Rebecca
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Click here

28 April to 2 May
Our House
Solihull On Stage at Solihull Arts Complex
Click here

Solihull On Stage are bringing the infectious Madness musical, Our House, to Solihull Arts Complex from 28 April to 2 May.  

Madness’ greatest hits come to Solihull, as the award-winning Solihull on Stage presents Tim Firth’s fantastic musical. Marking a Solihull Arts Complex premiere, the cast will be performing the triple Olivier award-winning musical, featuring some of Madness’s greatest songs including Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, It Must be Love and, of course, the title song Our House. 

The story follows Camden lad Joe Casey who, on the night of his 16th birthday, makes a decision that will change his life. To impress Sarah, the girl of his dreams, Joe breaks into a building development, but things take a turn for the worse when the police turn up. Joe’s life splits into two; the Good Joe who stays and gives himself up and Bad Joe who flees, leaving Sarah to run from the police. 

Our House follows the two paths that Joe’s life could take after that fateful night. Over a period of seven years, and two alternative lives, Joe deals with the consequences of that night. All this is watched by Joe’s deceased father, who pulls the two stories together. 

Set in London this new classic musical will have the audience on the edge of their seats and roaring with laughter as the songs of the 80s are given a life of their own. Fizzing with energetic numbers and humour, this show is a must for Madness fans and musical goers alike.

Solihull On Stage present Our House at Solihull Arts Complex from 28 April to 2 May. For more information and to book tickets click here.

Find Solihull On Stage on Facebook here.
Find Solihull On Stage on Twitter here.

The NODA award-winning St. Augustine’s Musical Theatre Company have just announced the cast for their November production of Sister Act, which will also be the Solihull premiere of this infectious musical treat.

Loretta Parnell will be leading the cast, in the vocally demanding role of Deloris van Cartier - the part made famous by Whoopi Goldberg in the film version of Sister Act. This will be Loretta's debut with the company and she brings extensive stage experience to the role. Loretta will be joined by St. Augustine’s MTC regular Rachel Pattinson as Mother Superior, whilst Sister Mary Robert will be played by Alice White, Sister Mary Lazarus by Sarah Furmage, Sister Mary Theresa by Alison Tumber and Sister Mary Martin-of-Tours by Dianne Bennett.  Deloris’s backing singers, Michelle and Tina, will be played by Laura White and Charlotte Costello.

Produced and directed by Veronica Walsh, with musical direction from Stephen Powell and choreography by Liane Hughes, this show promises to be an absolute delight. 

The show runs at Solihull Arts Complex from 17 to 21 November. For more information about the show and St. Augustines MTC click here.

You can find St Augustines MTC on Facebook here.
You can find St Augustines MTC on Twitter here.