Birmingham theatre shows: the ultimate guide to what’s on for summer 2022

Birmingham is going to be alive with shows over the next few months with some specially created shows produced as part of the Commonwealth Games Festival.

There are some old favourites too - including the latest production of Les Miserables, Bugsy Malone and Guys and Dolls - and some exciting outdoor community events and some fabulous new work from Birmingham Royal Ballet.

We have rounded up the top shows coming to the best  theatre’s in Birmingham and beyond.

Birmingham Hippodrome highlights

Singing’ In The Rain at Birmingham Hippodrome

Sam Lips, Charlotte Gooch, Ross McLaren and Jenny Gayner are starring in the 2022 production of Singin’ In The Rain.

Audiences will be transported back to the roaring 1920s where Hollywood star Don Lockwood is living his best life.

The performance includes 14,000 litres of water on stage every night as part of high-energy choreography created by Andrew Wright.

Shows will be running from Monday, June 6 to Saturday June 11.

Tickets start at £28 - book here. 

B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival 2022

This annual festival brings together extraordinary artists and breath-taking acts from across all four elements of Hip-Hop: breakin’, graffiti, DJ’ing and MC’ing.

Presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival. Birmingham Hippodrome in partnership with Bullring & Grand Central

Free events across Southside locations will be running from Saturday 11 June to Sunday 19 June.

For more information click here.

Birmingham Royal Ballet - On Your Marks!

Presented as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival

BRB’s Director Carlos Acosta is bringing together three thrilling works for a triple bill presented as part of Birmingham International Dance Festival 2022. On Your Marks! celebrates the expressive energy and gravity-defying athleticism of the company’s world-class dancers.

From Thursay 23 June to Saturday 25 June.

Tickets are priced from £16. To book and find more information go to here.

Blood, Water, Earth by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre

Presented as part of Birmingham International Dance Festival 2022.

Blood, Water, Earth is an international First Nations womxn’s collaboration, featuring collaborators from Turtle Island (aka North America) and Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Tickets start at £12 and you can book here

We Will Rock You

Since 2002 over 16 million theatregoers in 19 countries have been thrilled by this awe-inspiring production. With 24 of Queen’s biggest hits delivered in a show that boasts the scale and spectacle that marked the bands’ legendary live performances.

From Monday 4 Jul to Saturday 30 Jul 2022

Tickets cost from £31 for more information and to book go here

POPSTARS - The 90’s Musical

Birmingham Hippodrome’s Musical Theatre Youth Programme presents POPSTARS – The 90’s Musical.

It’s boyband vs girlband in this hilarious brand new musical from the team that brought you the global hit Back to the 80’s.

Packed with pop smash hits from the hyper-coloured 1990’s by artists such as The Spice Grils, Backstreet Boys, N*SYNC, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, MC Hammer and many more.

From Tuesday 19 Jul to Wednesday 20 July

Tickets cost from £8 - to book and get more information go here

The Cher Show

Music icon turned Hollywood royalty, the Grammy®, Oscar®, Emmy® and Golden Globe® award-winning Queen of re-invention has conquered it all. It’s now time to turn back time with this fiercely fabulous kick-ass new musical, from the writer of Jersey Boys.

From Tue 2 Aug – Sat 6 Aug

Tickets cost from £27 - to book and get more information go here

Les Miserables

Returning by popular demand following a sell-out run, Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production of Boublil and Schönberg’s musical has been revamped into a brilliant new staging which has taken the world by storm and has been hailed “Les Mis for the 21st Century”. Seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 52 countries and in 22 languages, itis undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals.

From Tuesday 9 August to Saturday 27 August

Tickets cost from £35 - for more information and to book go here

To The Streets!

An outdoor musical show which is part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival produced by A China Plate & Birmingham Hippodrome performed at three locations across the West Midlands.

With an explosive, feel-good score bursting with ska, calypso and rock ‘n’ roll… this is a story of standing up for what you believe in, allyship, and – ultimately – finding joy. Inspired by the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott and performed in the heart of communities across the West Midlands.

Tickets cost from £15

From Fri 19 August to Sunday 28 Aug

Handsworth Park, BirminghamFri 19 Aug 1.45pm & 7.45pmSat 20 Aug 1.45pm & 7.45pmBook your tickets here

Windmill Hill, Warwick Arts CentreWed 24 Aug 7.45pmThu 25 Aug 7.45pmPlease visit the Warwick Arts Centre website to book these dates

West Park, Wolverhampton*Sun 28 Aug 1.45pm & 7.45pm

*Subject to licence

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical

Long before she was Carole King, the chart-topping music legend, she was an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent.

Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.

From Tuesday 30 August to Saturday 3 September

Tickest cost from £27 - to book and find out more information go here

To see the full show schedule at Birmingham Hippodrome this summer go here

The Alexandra Theatre Birmingham highlights

Guys And Dolls at The Alexandra

BMOS Musical Theatre Company are putting their own special twist on the 1950s classic Guys and Dolls.

The amautuer production is made up of local performers who have put their blood, sweat and tears into this rendition of a classic.

Shows will be running between Tuesday, June 28 and Saturday, July 2.

Tickets start at £18.40 - book here. 

Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em

Hilarious mishaps and DIY disasters are bringing the house down, quite literally, as Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em hits the road with Joe Pasquale (New Faces, I’m a Celebrity, Spamalot, The Producers) as the lovable accident-prone Frank Spencer.

From Tuesday 19 July to Saturday 23 July

Tickets start at £12 - to book and find out more information go here

Fame - Stage Experience

See the stars of the future light up the sky like a flame this summer!

The best in West Midlands talent will take to the stage with a full-scale production of this smash-hit musical, with its bittersweet and uplifting story and a score of unforgettable songs including Out Here On My Own, These Are My Children, Let’s Play A Love Scene and of course the famous theme song Fame.

Based on the 1980 phenomenal pop culture film, the story follows the final class of New York City’s celebrated High School for the Performing Arts through their struggles, fears and triumph as they navigate the worlds of music, drama and dance.

From Wednesday 24 Aug to Sat 27 August

Tickets cost from £19.15 - to book and find out more information go here

To see the full show schedule at The Alexandra Theatre Birmingham this summer go here

Birmingham Rep highlights

The White Card

The UK and European premiere of Claudia Rankine’s first published play, The White Card poses the question: can society progress when whiteness remains invisible? Written in 2019 during an increasingly racially divided America and before the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests rippled across the globe, a wealthy, privileged white couple invite a talented Black artist to dinner.

FromTue 7 Jun–Sat 18 Jun 2022

To book and find out more information go here

Playboy Of The West Indies

The musical is based on the Irish Classic ‘The Playboy of the Western World.’

It includes an infectious score by Clement Ishmael with Caribbean influences.

The joyful production will have audiences tapping their feet and singing along.

Shows will be running between Friday, June 10 and Saturday, July 2.

Tickets start at £21.50 - book here. 

Rep Backstage Tours

For over 100 years, The Rep has transported audiences to new worlds or re-imagined the real world live on stage. Now you can venture backstage and discover how they do it!

Follow in the footsteps of famous faces such as Alan Rickman, David Suchet and Lenny Henry and see the stage as they would. Visit the props room and wardrobe department to see how characters are brought to life. And journey into the paint room and workshop to see how show sets are made from scratch. You may even get to rub shoulders with an actor or two!

From Saturday 18 June to Saturday 13 Aug

For more information and to book go here

Bugsy Malone

Birmingham Rep, Theatre Royal Bath Productionsand Kenny Wax present a brand new production of Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s universally acclaimed revival of Bugsy Malone.

Packed with instantly recognisable songs from Oscar-winner Paul Williams including My Name is Tallulah, You Give A Little Loveand Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, Bugsy Malone is a masterclass of musical comedy with one of the most joyously uplifting finales in musical theatre.

From Wednesday 27 July to Sunday 14 August

For more information and to book go here

Counting and Cracking

This multi-award winning play to is presented by Birmingham 2022 Festival and features a world-class cast of 19 performers hailing from six different countries. Counting and Crackingfollows the journey of one Sri Lankan Australian family over four generations, from 1956 to 2004. In the course of telling this family’s epic story of break up and reunion, the narrative also tells the tale of two countries: Sri Lanka post-independence and Australia as an immigrant nation.

From Friday 19 Aug to Saturday 27 Aug

For more information and to book to tickets go here

To see the full show schedule at The Rep in Birmingham this summer go here

Crescent Theatre Birmingham

The Dark Side of Pink Floyd

More than just an ordinary Pink Floyd tribute band, The Darkside of Pink Floyd entertain audiences with a fantastic light show and passionate performances.

On July 22. For more information and to book go here

Bollywood Dreams - 2022

The Bollywood Dance Company will be returning to the theatre after two years to bring a high energy show.

A Bollywood dance troupe of students will perform classics for the two hour long show.

There are only two showings - 1.30pm and 6pm on Saturday, July 23.

Tickets are £16  - book here. 

To see the full show schedule at Crescent Theatre Birmingham this summer go here

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Derren Brown

The multi award-winning master of mind control and psychological illusion, Derren Brown, is at his very best on stage. His one-man shows have received wide critical acclaim and more Olivier wins and nominations than any other in history!

Now with his first brand new theatre show in six years, Derren Brown returns to astonish and amaze audiences up and down the country. The content of SHOWMAN remains a closely guarded secret, but if you’ve seen him before, you know you’re in for a powerhouse treat!

From21 June to 25 June

For more information and to get tickets go here

Waitress

Jenna the waitress is an excellent pie maker who falls for a doctor who is new to town.

The musical follows Jenna’s ups and downs with love.

It features music from Grammy award-winning Sara Bareilles.

Shows will be running from Tuesday, June 28 to Saturday, July 2.

Tickets start at £19.50 - book here.