As the season begins to change, Birmingham Rep has a jam-packed schedule of shows for fans of all kinds of theatre. From gripping and haunting thriller, The Croft; a spellbinding and award-winning tribute act, An Evening Without Kate Bush; to world premiere productions highlighting the very best of the Midlands like You Know My Mum and our co-production with Lyric Hammersmith, Marriage Material.
Following the success of The Rep’s last original drama, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Repwill be holding the Midlands Premiere of Marriage Material (Wednesday 25 June – Saturday 5 July) written by Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, based on multi-award winning Wolverhampton-born novelist and journalist Sathnam Sanghera‘s novel of the same name, and directed by The Rep’s own Associate Director, Iqbal Khan (East Is East, Of Mice and Men, Tartuffe and SILENCE).
Set against the backdrop of a changing 20th century, The Bains’ corner shop in Wolverhampton has been at the centre of the family for three generations. Mrs Bains is balancing running the business, caring for her ailing husband and the demands of her two headstrong daughters, who each have their eye on a different kind of future.
Fast forward to the present day, a family tragedy pulls Arjan Bains back from a life in London. The shop represents everything he was trying to escape, but with his mother insisting it remain open, how long can he stay away?
For audiences looking for something chilling to cool them down in the summer heat, horror-thriller The Croft from the minds behind the acclaimed Birdsong will be arriving to The Rep’s main stage from Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 June. Based on a true story, two women arrive at a former Crofters Hut in the deserted village in the remote Scottish Highlands. Cut off from the modern world, Laura and Suzanne find themselves drawn into the dark history of the Croft and the terrifying truth lurking in the darkness.
Later in the month, Spitfire Girls will also be soaring onto the main stage (Monday 16 – Saturday 21 June). Inspired by the extraordinary true stories of the women who dared to fly during WWII, this is the untold story of strength, courage and loss.
The Rep will also be celebrating the very best of small-scale emerging work with a massive impact in their intimate The Studio performance space:
An Evening Without Kate Bush (Friday 13 & Saturday 14 June) – following its sold-out, smash-hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, London seasons, UK and Australian tours this glorious homage to the music, fans, and mythology of one of the most influential voices in British music; Kate Bush.
National Theatre Live: A Streetcar Named Desire (Monday 16June) – A Streetcar Named Desire returns to the big screen giving audiences new and old another chance to see Tennessee Williams‘ masterpiece, starring Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby, and Ben Foster performance of the Young Vic’s sold-out run, on the silver screen in all its glory.
Jah Makin It Happen (Friday 20 & Saturday 21 June) – Just in time to celebrate Windrush Day, this inspiring show tells one family’s story from Jamaica to the UK during the Windrush era. Told through the vibrant sounds of reggae, the musical portrays the challenges, resilience, and eventual triumphs as they adapt to British life.
And for those looking for a good laugh, The Rep will be hosting two comedy events in their most intimate theatrical space, The Door, to bookend the months festivities:
Fun! with Barbara Nice (Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 June) – Edinburgh Festival regular, Queen of the comedy circuit headliner Barbara Nice will be bringing her laugh-out-loud comedy get-together to The Rep. Suitable for anyone aged from fourteen to four score & ten, this show is guaranteed to lift the spirits and put a spring in your step this summer.
You Know My Mum (Friday 27 & Saturday 28 June) – a poignant stage show devised and performed by disabled and neurodivergent actors will see EGO Arts, a local inclusive theatre company perform in Birmingham as part of its debut national tour. All shows have been designed with accessibility in mind, with every show being captioned, featuring a BSL Interpreter in the cast and Audio Description headsets being available on request.
And following shortly after in July, The Young Rep Youth Festival returns for the third time with Home and Horizons. The Rep’s annual celebration of the city’s brilliant young talent. Featuring more than 400 performers across 15 shows, Home and Horizons aims to give voice to the next generation as they explore adventure, community and self-discovery. Multiple community groups from across the Midlands will be performing as part of the festival such as The Iranian Community Theatre of Birmingham and The Thimblemill Creatives, along with headline productions: Summer & Smoke by Tennesee Williams (Friday 11 & Saturday 12 July); Medeaby Euripides and adapted by Ben Power (Sunday 13 & Tuesday 15 July); Alice by Laura Wade (Thursday 17 & Friday 18 July); and Jekyll & Hyde (Saturday 19 & Sun 20 July).