Theatre FEBRUARY.qxp_Layout 1 20/01/2022 09:35 Page 1
Theatre
Theatre previews from around the region
9 To 5 The Musical Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 22 - Sat 26 February
Taking its Broadway bow back in 2009, Dolly Parton’s 9 To 5 The Musical is a well-established show that hits the ground running and provides exactly the kind of frothy entertainment you might expect. As with the original 1980 movie and subsequent spin-off TV series, the stage production centres around the story of three office workers who
Vampire’s Rock: Ghost Train The Place, Telford, Thurs 3 February; The Alexandra, Birmingham, Tues 15 February
Steve Steinman’s cult rock show focuses on the exceedingly evil doings of undead creature of the night Baron Von Rockula, malevolent owner of the Live And Let Die club. When the ill-fated venue burns to the ground, the baron and his band of blood-sucking vampires take refuge in the Ghost Train - an old, abandoned fairground ride - and hatch a dastardly plan to lure victims into a world of rock’n’roll hell... Expect classic anthems aplenty, including We Will Rock You, Bat Out Of Hell and Sweet Child Of Mine.
24 whatsonlive.co.uk
turn the tables on their sexist bigot of a boss. The show is awash with Dolly’s music, as you might expect, and there’s no getting away from her overall influence on the production she even takes on the role of narrator, appearing in a huge clock face to move the story forward! 9 To 5’s Potteries stop-off sees former Brookside favourite and longtime West End star Claire Sweeney heading the cast.
Jersey Boys
Six The Musical
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tues 8 - Sat 19 February; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 7 - Sat 18 March 2023
Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Tues 1 - Sat 5 February
Rockin’ and rollin’ New Jersey boys Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons scored some truly massive hits during the mid-1960s - and this award-winning jukebox musical tells their story. Taking a documentary-style format, the show is structured as four ‘seasons’, each being narrated by a different member of the band. Featured hits include Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, Big Girls Don't Cry, Sherry, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back To You and December 1963 (Oh, What A Night).
From Tudor queens to battling boss-women, Six The Musical sees the wives of Henry VIII take to the stage to tell their own versions of their lives. The one-act production, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, was enjoying a runaway success until Covid put the brakes on - but being a show that sits somewhere between a Girls Aloud gig and a traditional musical, it’s having no trouble whatsoever re-finding its momentum. A loud and colourful celebration of girl power, the production sees the cast being ably supported by all-female band The Ladies In Waiting.
