Emma Cann

The colossal touring production of Miss Saigon takes up residency at Birmingham Hippodrome for an extended run as the theatre's annual summer musical. A potentially unusual choice in a slot usually filled by a more family-friendly musical, it is a treat to see the Hippodrome's huge stage filled by the vast and technically complex set. 

It's hard to find something to say about the National's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time that hasn't been repeatedly mentioned already. The touring production at the Birmingham Hippodrome is entirely deserving of the rave 5 star reviews which this show garners at every turn. It is intelligent, intricate and human, moving the audience both to laughter and to tears.

With a burst of passionate tango and an iconic 'click click', everyone's favourite kooky family has taken up residence at the Birmingham Hippodrome this week, the latest tour venue hosting the UK premiere of The Addams Family musical. A cult fan favourite, thanks to the wildly popular Nineties movies, The Addams Family step into the footlights for the first time.

Fellini's La Strada is an exploration of post-war Italy; a time before industrial boom made Italy a desirable, fashionable destination, when rural swathes of the country were still run on a 'peasant economy'. The desperate situation of many rural families is reflected Gelsomina's mother's willingness to sell her oldest surviving daughter to travelling strongman Zampano. 

The heady teenage world of the 1950s, with its bobby socks, flouncy skirts and drainpipe jeans, is brought to life in Dreamboats & Petticoats at the New Alexandra Theatre. Early rock 'n' roll is the soundtrack for this jukebox musical, with Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Eddie Cochran all featuring in this trip back through the decades. 

Condensing the political and military strife of ten years into a tightly concentrated 3 hours, Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra is a beguiling, overwhelming mixture of tragedy, history, comedy and romance. Although the political machinations, battles and titular romance are all historically accurate, the majority of the action takes place off stage, and the play focuses on the passion, pride and greed which drive Mark Anthony, Octavius Caesar and Cleopatra, queen of Egypt. 

Birmingham Repertory Theatre presents the world premiere production of One Love: The Bob Marley Musical. Written and directed by Kwame Kwei Armah, this brand new musical is so much more than a juke-box style tribute act. Set across a dramatic period in the music legend's life, we see Bob Marley caught in the cross-fire between opposing political parties, as his beloved homeland of Jamaica is on the brink of civil war. Torn between his family, religion and the duty he feels to unite his people with his music and his message, One Love is Bob Marley's coming of age story. 

Known for his strong female characters, from Educating Rita to Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine stands head and shoulders above his other work as an in depth exploration of what it was really like to be a woman in the 1980s. Transporting the audience from her kitchen in Liverpool to a beautiful beach in Corfu, 42 year old Shirley Bradshaw's life is thrown out of balance by an unexpected holiday, causing her to question the mundane, limiting life she finds herself leading.

Snow in Midsummer is a modern retelling of an ancient Chinese drama, which marks the start of an ambitious cultural project translating Eastern classics into English, and Shakespeare into Chinese. The original 13th century play, by Guan Hanqing, bears all the hallmarks of traditional Chinese drama, with sung arias, mime and acrobatic feats. The RSC's new version, written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, is transported to a contemporary setting. 

It's 1922, and young Millie Dillmount arrives in New York from a small town in Kansas, ready to take control of her destiny and make her fortune by marrying well. After all, the modern marriage is a business affair. Skirts get shorter, heels get higher and hair is bobbed flapper style, making Millie the most up to date "modern" the Big Apple has to offer. However, Millie's plans to marry her boss and get rich quick are thrown awry by a surprise love affair and, rather implausibly, the discovery of a secret white slavery ring. 

Based on the 1948 film of the same name, starring Moira Shearer, Matthew Bourne's production of The Red Shoes tells the story of ballerina Victoria Page and her tragic struggle between love and duty. Both the film and Matthew Bourne's production are inspired by Han Christian Andersen's fairytale of a young girl who defies conservative values by wearing her red shoes to church. These devilish shoes betray their owner, forcing her to dance to her death.

Set in a trendy warehouse flat in Peckham, What's In A Name follows the ups and downs of a friendly dinner party. Ill-timed jokes, secrets long hidden and a clash of ideologies take place amidst the backdrop of a familiar setting of cheap rose and the cries of children interrupting adult conversation. 

Although Christmas may be over, the last of decorations swept away and life returning to normality, Birmingham holds onto the festive spirit for a little while longer. The Birmingham Repertory Theatre's beloved production of The Snowman delights audiences for a nineteenth successive year. 

The New Alexandra's 2017 season kicks off with Gaslight by Patrick Hamilton. A psychological thriller, in the tradition of the famous Victorian melodramas, Gaslight follows Bella Manningham, who believes she is becoming mentally unstable until she receives a visit from Inspector Rough. The inspector reveals that, twenty years ago, a murder took place in Bella's house and that her husband is the inspector's prime suspect. 

Following the recent Royal Academy of Dance's Genee International Ballet Competition, Emma Cann catches up with young British dancer Hamish Scott, who was awarded a bronze medal at the hotly contested final in Sydney. Tell us about you - where you're from, why you started dancing and where you're training now.  I'm 19 years old and from Harlow in Essex. I have studied at Elmhurst Ballet School since year 8 and this final graduate year is my 7th year. I started dancing because my sister went to ballet lessons and I always wanted to join in. I have always been exposed to dance as my father works in The Royal Ballet Sinfonia and I was fortunate enough to have seen many performances.

If there is one sure sign that Christmas has truly arrived, it's the inescapable onslaught of the pantomime season. Theatres across the country ring to the shouts of 'he's behind you', the boos and hisses, and the singalong family favourites. Often acclaimed as the UK's biggest pantomime, Birmingham Hippodrome present a first class production every single year, and 2016 is no exception. The magical pantomime adventure Dick Whittington stars John Barrowman as the eponymous hero, alongside Steve McFadden (King Rat), Jodie Prenger (Fairy Bowbells) and The Krankies. 

In a welcome break from the usual steady stream of pantomimes and children's productions, the New Alexandra Theatre takes a trip back to the Roaring Twenties this Christmas with Chicago. However, similar to many pantos, this production features a star-studded cast, including Hayley Tamaddon, John Partridge and popstar Mica Paris. 

Originally commissioned by the National Theatre two years ago, Bryony Lavery's adaptation of Treasure Island swings into the Birmingham Rep for a lengthy Christmas run. This classic tale of adventure, buried treasure and dastardly pirates follows Jim Hawkins on a voyage to find the lost treasure of Captain Flint, with her friends Doctor Livesey and Squire Trelawney. When the unwitting squire hires a crew of undercover pirates, led by Long John Silver, the treasure hunt becomes a fight for survival. 

Whilst Simon Russell Beale's return to the Royal Shakespeare Company after a twenty year long absence has been met with justified excitement, the most hotly anticipated aspect of Gregory Doran's new production of The Tempest is the innovative use of digital technology. 

Former Birmingham Royal Ballet and Rambert dancer Alexander Whitley continues an ongoing investigation into relationship between dance and modern technology with Pattern Recognition, seen at Dance Xchange in Birmingham. Performed by two dancers, Julia Sanz Fernandez and David Ledger, Pattern Recognition explores light, shadow and memory.