The curtains will rise once again.
Lockdown has been hard on all of us, however the entertainment industry, including theatres, has been hit pretty hard by the pandemic, but things appear to be on the up. Closed for almost 500 days, Birmingham theatre The Alexandra has announced that it will be reopening its doors this month.
From July 20, audiences will be welcomed back with a dazzling reopening season, which also celebrates the 120th birthday of the iconic Birmingham venue. A star-studded programme of sensational shows are in the pipeline for The Alexandra, which was built back in 1901.
The Alexandra will open with Strictly favourites Anton & Giovanni on July 20, starting a series of one-night performances, including sold-out Frank Skinner (July 22-23), followed by a live podcast episode of Shagged, Married, Annoyed with Chris and Rose Ramsey on September 19. Drama is calling as The Cat and the Canary pays a visit from 3 – 7 August before must-see, sensational musicals take to the stage throughout the remainder of the year.
Among these are Birmingham premieres Heathers and Bedknobs & Broomsticks, as well as Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – the cast of which were at The Alexandra and set to go on stage when the first national lockdown was imposed. Plus, the theatre will host plenty of tribute shows to much-loved artists and musicians such as David Bowi, Cher, Queen, Robbie Williams and George Michael.
Also returning to the theatre are musical favourites; The Rocky Horror Show, Grease, Dirty Dancing and 9 to 5 The Musical. The festive season will see Jersey Boys, followed by The Addams Family and Chicago arriving in January 2022.
The reopening of one of Birmingham’s top theatres comes as the government announced that England will be entering the final stage of the roadmap out of lockdown from July 19. To celebrate its 120th year, The Alexandra has announced that it will be giving away 120 prizes across its social channels throughout the remainder of the year.
To find out the full programme arriving at The Alexandra and to book tickets, head to the website here.