Plays appeal to drama fans in the region

Studio 61, based at the Bradmore Arms in Wolverhampton, is a popular group who has been entertaining West Midlands audiences for over 20 years, offering quality drama and comedy performances of everything from farce to Shakespeare.

This wide variety of styles has led to their popularity and support from the local area.

Their latest offering is the dramatic piece, “The Children” by Lucy Kirkwood.

Married couple Robin and Hazel live in a remote cottage on the British coastline. Both former nuclear physicists, they live a modest life in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

When a former colleague, Rose arrives after a gap of no less than 38 years however, her presence disrupts their lives when she unveils a proposal which threatens their world.

“The Children” is a thought-provoking piece of theatre and certainly relevant in today’s world.

The play is a three-hander and stars local performers Jane Fosbrook as Hazel, Richard Corser as Robin, and Suzanne Smith as Rose.

Catch “The Children” at Newhampton Arts Centre from March 22-24, with performances at 7.30pm evenings and a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Sunday.

For tickets, priced at just £10 each visit newhamptonarts.co.uk or call 01902 572090.

The resident group at Dudley Little Theatre is presenting “Gaslight” by Patrick Hamilton from March 21-24.

It easy to be cruel to those closest to us it would seem. Jack Manningham is very slowly driving his wife Bella to insanity. He almost succeeds in his evil quest, but help arrives in the unlikely form of a former detective, ex-Inspector Rough, who not only suspects Manningham to be a manipulator, but a thief and a murderer too.

Rough steps in to gather the vital evidence needed to save poor Bella, but is he able to do so in time, and what is the significance of the gaslight that dims in their drawing room without any apparent reason?

If this dark, suspenseful tale sounds intriguing, why not pop along to see the play at St. Peter’s Church in Netherton. Performances are at 7.30pm nightly with a matinee performance on the Sunday too.

For tickets, visit dudleylittletheatre.org or call  01902 566077.

Meanwhile over in Birmingham, The Crescent Youth Theatre is presenting “Find Me” by Olwen Wymark from March 21-23 in the Ron Barber Studio within the venue.

This is another dark tale and one which is perfect for those of you who enjoy a thriller oozing mind games and conspiracy.

Aged just 20, Verity was committed to Broadmoor with no hope of discharge following a relatively harmless incident in a mental hospital where she was a patient.

“Find Me” seeks to delve into the personality of this young woman and at the same time, explores the effects of her behaviour on others around her. It’s a challenging yet fascinating watch.

Tickets are £12 each, available from crescent-theatre.co.uk or by calling 0121 643 5858.

Over in Shropshire, Horsehay Amateur Dramatic Society who are based in Telford and who perform at Horsehay Village Hall, is presenting “Lillies on the Land” a wartime drama based on the experiences of four ladies who sign up to be part of the Women’s Land Army during World War II.

One hundred and fifty letters and interviews were used to produce this play, describing the personal journeys of the Land Girls as they were affectionately known. These “Lillies of the Land” worked tirelessly on farms across Great Britain to ensure there was food and livestock for the war effort.

From all different walks of life, different classes, and different areas, they came together as one.

With the slogan “In a war fought by men, women hold the front line!” it just serves to remind us that girl power was around even then!

For tickets, visit horsehayamdram.co.uk or call 01952 610555.

Finally this week, although this page has been all about the drama, I just couldn’t resist a musical theatre moment!

Shrewsbury Musical Theatre Company is seeking some incredibly special performers for their next production, the Carole King musical, “Beautiful,” which they will perform at Theatre Severn later this year.

Could you portray a member of The Drifters, The Shirelles or appear as the iconic Little Eva?

If so, this group would love to hear from you1

For more information, visit shrewsmusicals.co.uk, or the group’s Facebook page where you can scan their QR code

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

Break a leg!