Make Some Noise This Half Term With The Unstoppable Smash-Hit STOMP At Birmingham Hippodrome

With the promise of another great British summertime on its way, here at the Hippodromewe're unleashing our inner-child with a fun-packed programme of live theatre guaranteed to keep the whole family entertained, whatever the weather!

Building on our existing programme, the Hippodrome is delighted to be expanding its family-friendly offer with an exciting summer season of shows on the Main Stage; from the multi award-winning Matilda The Musical to the explosive smash-hit Stomp by way of farmyard favourite What The Ladybird Heard.

Once again, this will be accompanied by a growing programme of free and paid-for foyer workshops, pre-show craft activities and outdoor festivals ensuring that even more families feel welcome at Birmingham Hippodrome this great British summertime and beyond!

Shaking up the international dance scene since 1991, the unstoppable smash-hit Stomp explodes onto the Hippodrome main stage for one week this Half Term from 29 May - 2 June.

A whirlwind of dance, comedy and music, Stomp takes everday objects like newspapers, bins, plastic bags and even the kitchen sink, and uses them to create a universal language of rhythm and movement that's playful, thrilling and exploding with energy.

From its humble beginnings in Brighton in 1991, Stomp has grown into a truly global phenomenon that will set toes tapping and pulses racing.

Running alongside Stomp on the Main Stage, Birmingham Hippodrome is once delighted to present a series of fun and interactive workshops running from Tues 29 May - Fri 1 June inspired by rhythm, instruments and music-making!

On Tue 29 May (10am - 12 noon or 2 - 4pm) families are invited to join visiting artist Charles Craggs - who was last seen at the Hippodrome starring as Mockingbird in The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel - for an interactive play session exploring sound through different percussion instruments.

This will be followed by a live samba workshop with students from Birmingham Conservatoire inspired by the infectious beats of sunny Brazil!

On Thurs 31 May (10am - 12 noon or 2 - 4pm), join artist Sophie Handy for a chance to craft your very own musical instrument. This will be followed by a chance to try out your own self-made instrument with the multi-talented Daz Dolczech.

Completing the workshop programme on Fri 1 June (10am - 12noon), participants from across the week are invited to join Daz Dolczech and Bongo Damo to be part of the Hippodrome's very first 'Live and Legendary One Day Orchestra' featuring a special end-of-week performance plus special guests from the cast of Stomp.

All workshops are free to attend and no advanced booking is required. Simply pop along on the day and register at the Information and Sales desk to join in the fun.

Looking ahead, families are invited to join Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len for an all-new musical adaptation of Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks' award-winning picture book, What The Ladybird Heard, which visits Birmingham Hippodrome from Tue 12 - Wed 13 Jun.

Featuring original music, puppetry, plenty of audience participation and a host of colourful characters, this delightful stage show for ages 3+ was described by The Guardian as 'a total delight' and is the perfect introduction to theatre for pre-schoolers and their families!

Join the Hippodrome for Open Doors, a series of exciting, new family fun activities in the theatre's foyers. There's a wide range of activities to keep your little ones entertained, like B'Opera - First Songs with Zoë Challenor on Mondays (suitable for 0-4 years). B'Opera creates beautiful music for tiny ears through interactive performances for babies, toddlers and their grown-ups. In these classes, you will explore how you can all use rhythm, movement, sound and singing voices to bring a story to life.

There's also Baby Bhangra with Sohan Kailey on Tuesdays (suitable for 1-5years). Get ready to strut your stuff, wiggle, giggle and dance to Bhangra and Bollywood beats, meet Bhangra Bunny, jump on board the Bhangra train and play fun musical instruments.

On Thursdays at the Hippodrome, the foyers once again come alive with Theatre Fun with David Eden (suitable for 2-4years). In this creative workshop, children will work on drama activities - with a little help from the grown-ups! David will unlock their imagination using movement, mime, and storytelling, and discover a whole new world of play. These classes will teach your little ones to improvise, imagine, listen, build their confidence and, of course, have fun!

Last but not least, Drama Adventures with Toni Midlane takes place on Fridays (suitable for 2-4 years). This energetic and interactive drama workshop is for pre-school children and includes movement, music, imaginative play and crafts.

This year, Summer in Southside - a Birmingham Hippodrome Project - heads back to the carefree days of childhood with a programme full of free fun for kids of all ages.

On 14-15 July, the streets around Birmingham Hippodrome will be transformed into a summer playground, where you can enjoy traditional funfair rides, retro games, independent food stalls, face-painting, craft workshops, family activities plus pop-up performances from visiting artists including The Fabularium, Bostin Brass and Osadia.

Further details of this year's Summer in Southside programme will be announced shortly via the Birmingham Hippodrome website.

Following news that the multi award-winning Matilda The Musical will visit Birmingham Hippodrome from Tues 3 July - Sat 8 Sep, the theatre is delighted to confirm that we are working with theRSC to offer thefirst ever Relaxed Performance of the hit stage show on tour here in Birmingham on Thu 19 July at 2pm.

This specially adapted performance has been designed to create a more calming atmosphere for audience members with an Autism Spectrum Condition, sensory and communication disorders or a learning disability.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Matilda The Musical has now been seen by more than 7.7 million people worldwide, having played in over 60 cities with more than 5500 performances in the West End, on Broadway, across North America and in Australia and New Zealand.

To book tickets for the Relaxed Performance please call Ticket Sales on 0844 338 5000† or visit the theatre in person. This performance is not available to book online.

For further information on all of the events listed above and to book tickets, call 0844 338 5000 or visit www.birminghamhippodrome.com.

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