Brownhills Musical Theatre Company are Queens of the Desert

Let’s start with one of the biggest and the best!

Brownhills Musical Theatre Company will be presenting the wonderful “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” at the Prince of Wales Theatre in Cannock, from November 7-9.

The show is a hoot of a tale where three drag queens, Tic, Bernadette and Adam, travel across Australia to perform their show and ultimately pay a visit to Tic’s ex-wife and young son, in a pink bus called, of course, Priscilla. On the way they encounter some wild and hilarious adventures, warm welcomes as well as hostility and homophobia, but there is, naturally, a very happy ending.

This larger than life, smash hit comedy jukebox musical features some of the best loved hits of the seventies and eighties, including “It’s Raining Men”, “True Colours”, “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, “Shake Your Groove Thing”, “Go West”, and of course, Gloria Gaynor’s anthem for women the world over, “I Will Survive.” The list is endless and a good time is guaranteed!

Director of the show, Kelly Tye said, “I am absolutely thrilled to bring Priscilla to audiences with the talent of BMTC. Whenever it is performed, the reaction it gets is magical.”

Musical Director, Alex Priestley added, “You will want to join in with songs and dance along and you will almost certainly be jealous of the fabulous costumes!”

I love this show and cannot wait to see it!

For tickets, visit brownhillsmusicaltheatre.co.uk or call the Prince of Wales Theatre, Cannock on 01543 578762

Here in Wolverhampton, Studio 61 Drama Group is presenting “Bleak Expectations” by Mark Evans, which is described as “the story Charles Dickens might have written after drinking too much gin!”

It sounds very interesting, and I presume it is a comedy!

Follow half-orphan Pip's extraordinary exploits with his sisters Pippa and Poppy and best friend Harry Biscuit, as they attempt to escape the calculating clutches of the dastardly

Mr Gently Benevolent, defeat the hideous Hardthrasher siblings, and deflect disaster at every turn!

Will evil be vanquished by virtue? Can love triumph over hate? Pop along to Newhampton Arts Centre, from November 13-15 to find out.

Tickets are just £10 each and are available from newhamptonartscentre.co.uk online, or you can call 01902 572090, or email office@newhamptonarts.co.uk

One of the best comedy series ever written has to be Richard Curtis and Paul Maydew-Archer’s “The Vicar of Dibley.” We have all watched the original and the reruns and laughed out loud, but now you have the opportunity to see it on stage too.

Geraldine Grainger is sent to Dibley following the unfortunate death of the Reverend Pottle. She is jolly and down-to-earth and embraces her posting to the small country village, but she is not quite what Head of the Parish Council, David Horton and the selection of oddball villagers were expecting. She is a woman!

Catherine Tabbener plays Gerandine, with Becky Johnson as her side-kick, Alice and Andrew Potter as David Horton. I bet they have had some fun rehearsing this one!

Tinkers Farm Opera will be performing this iconic play at Chaddesley Corbett Village Hall from October 22-26, but be quick to get your tickets, as the Wednesday to Saturday performances have already sold out!

For tickets, visit tinkersfarmopera.com or email tinkersfarmopera@gmail.com

The popular Lichfield Players Dramatic Society is presenting Gordon Steel’s play “Albert Nobbs” from October 23-26, at The Lichfield Garrick Theatre.

It is 19th-century Ireland and the painfully shy butler Albert Nobbs is hiding an incredible secret: He is really a she.

Terrified that someone will discover her identity, Albert keeps a very low profile, until the arrival of Hubert Page who makes a huge difference in Albert's life. Hubert is also secretly a woman and has managed to find a partner who helps her maintain her masquerade.

In pursuit of a similar happy relationship, Albert begins to woo a hotel maid.

The play is charming and very amusing, yet sad in parts too and is interestingly described as “A Blithe Spirit for the Working Class.” Make of that what you will.

For tickets, visit lichfieldplayers.co.uk or the Lichfield Garrick Theatre at

lichfieldgarrick.com

Over in Shropshire, Dorothy and her chums are heading for The Little Theatre, Donnington, where from October 31-November 2 you can catch a production of “The Wizard of Oz”, presented by the theatre’s resident group.

I really don’t need to recap the story for this one. It is a delight from start to finish, with a host of instantly recognizable characters, including The Scarecrow, The Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion, not to mention a variety of witches, both good and bad!

This is the musical version, and includes the wonderfully uplifting songs “Follow the Yellow Brick Road”, “We’re Off To See The Wizard”, “In The Merry Old Land of Oz” and of course, the iconic “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

Take the kids, in fact take the whole family because you will be guaranteed a wonderful night or afternoon’s entertainment.

For tickets, visit thelittletheatredonnington.co.uk or call 01952 407959.

Finally this week, Abbey Foregate Drama will be presenting Gail Young’s classic play “Cheshire Cats” from October 30 to November 2 at St. Nicholas Hall in Shrewsbury.

This is the story of a group of Cheshire women who set out on the famous Moonlight Walk in London in aid of breast cancer. The walk is conducted with the women wearing their bras over their tops in order to promote their cause and follows the adventures of the group along the way.

It is heart-warming and enjoyable, but the inevitable hint of sadness that the subject matter brings.

For tickets, visit abbeydrama.com or call 07951862881.

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

Break a leg!