Calamity Jane and Frankenstein among shows coming to stages across region

This is because CHAOS (Cradley Heath Amateur Operatic Society) is presenting the classic musical comedy, Calamity Jane from October 31- November 4, at Stourbridge Town Hall.

Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the movie version of the show, the title role was taken by the incredibly talented and in my opinion underrated Doris Day, with the legendary Howard Keel as Wild Bill Hickock.

Calamity is the ultimate Tomboy and can out-run, out-shoot, and out-do any man! But when love strikes, will she succumb to her feminine feelings and become a lady?

The show oozes with catchy, sing-along tunes including The Windy City, The Black Hills of Dakota, Whip Crack Away and of course the timeless ballad, Secret Love.

In this production, Liz Compton plays Calam and Richard Probert is Bill.

This group is the longest established amateur operatic society in the Black Country, so they certainly know how to entertain. Pistols at the ready!

For tickets, visit seaty.co.uk/calamityjane or call 07835215847.

Halloween is upon us, and Stafford Players have chosen the perfect drama for the spooky season.

They will present the gothic literary classic, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre from October 31-November 4.

Director, Clare Watson said, “This version of Frankenstein is true to Mary Shelley's original novel in showing us the moral struggle of scientist Victor Frankenstein, who has achieved his ultimate ambition of creating life, only to flee from it in revulsion and horror. We also see the pain of his creature being stitched together like a patchwork of human parts. Having been brought into the world as an innocent, he seeks companionship, acceptance, and love. However, he finds the world a cruel place, and mankind to be prejudiced and hateful.”

This dark and thought-provoking adaptation of the novel by Tim Kelly will have audiences on the edge of their seats! For tickets, priced at £15 each and £14 for concessions, visit www.staffordplayers.com or visit the group’s Facebook page, or book via the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre website at https://www.gatehousetheatre.co.uk

Frankenstein features again this week, but this time at Oldbury Rep from November 11-18, in the play A Monster in Paris.

Destroyed in the fire that decimated half of Castle Frankenstein, the monster is no more, but why then have Victor and his family fled the French capital where a series of grisly murders have started to occur?

Set amongst the salons, cemeteries, and forbidden cabaret clubs of Paris, we must ask ourselves is there a connection? For tickets visit www.oldburyrep.org or call 0121 552 2761.

Deep in the Black Country, Dudley Little Theatre and Tipton Community Choir have joined forces to present their Autumn Concert on October 28 at St. Peter’s Church Hall, Netherton.

For an evening of wonderful music from the choir and atmospheric readings by the theatre group, visit www.dudleylittletheatre.org/ or the choir’s Facebook page to book.

Tickets are just £10 each and refreshments and a raffle are available on the evening too.

There will be laughs galore at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton from November 3-4, as Starcross Youth Theatre presents the 1980’s classic, ‘Allo, Allo by Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft.

Following the adventures of the hapless café owner, Rene, and his tone-deaf wife Edith during World War II, this is pure comedy gold.

The pair have stashed a priceless work of art inside a sausage (why not?) in their cellar, where two British airmen are also hiding until The Resistance can rescue them.

Add to that a crazy bed-ridden mother-in-law, two waitresses who are equally in love with Rene, a policeman who really cannot speak French, but thinks he can, and a whole host of other madcap characters and the tears will run down your face from laughing! For tickets, visit www.wlv.ac.uk/arena-theatre/ or call 01902 321321.

Over in the Shropshire area, there is plenty to choose from too.

At Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury from November 15-18, Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company is presenting the West End smash musical, School of Rock!

You will no doubt recall the hit movie starring Jack Black as Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star who decides to earn some easy money by pretending to be a substitute music teacher at a private school.

Before long, Dewey turns a class of straight A students into a mind-blowing rock band and heads with them to The Battle of Bands, but can he succeed without their headmistress and parents finding out?

Andrew Lloyd Webber has written no less than 14 new songs for the show and it features some of the originals from the film too, so it is guaranteed to blow your socks off!

For tickets, visit theatresevern.co.uk or call 01743 281281.

Also at Theatre Severn, but within the Walker Theatre this time, Get Your Wiggle On theatre group is presenting the school edition of the mighty Les Misérables from November 2-4.

Petty thief Jean Valjean is imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his sister’s sick child and serves 19 years.

Finally released, he is an honest man and becomes mayor of his town, but having violated his parole, he is constantly perused by Inspector Javert who is determined to bring Valjean to justice.

With a score which contains some of the most outstanding pieces in musical theatre history, including At the End of the Day, On My Own, I Dreamed a Dream, Do You Hear The People Sing and the unforgettable One Day More, it’s an ambitious musical to take on, but I am sure these young performers will pull it off.

For tickets, visit theatresevern.co.uk or call 01743 281281.

That’s all for this week. Please send me all your show news, and remember to include good quality colour photos too. You can email me at a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk, call me on 01902 319662 or follow me on X (Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.

Break a leg!