New Spring season launches at the Rep
The Birmingham Rep is set to usher in its Spring programme, including the beguiling wonder tale of Blue Beard and the electrifying sci-fi thriller Minority Report.
This adaptation of Phillip K. Dick’s iconic sci-fi thriller will run from Friday 22 March to Saturday 6 April 2024, and will take audiences on an action-packed race against time.
Full of stellar visual effects, this production is set to challenge our beliefs about justice and freewill that blurs the lines between science fiction and our current reality.
Other The House highlights include: the brand new theatre adaptation of British-cinema cult-classic, Withnail and I (Fri 3 – Sat 25 May), directed by The Rep’s own artistic director, Sean Foley; an inventive adaptation of the fable Blue Beard (Tue 9 – Sat 20 Apr); and back by popular demand, Cassa Pancho‘s Ballet Black (Thu 13 – Fri 14 Jun); and the incredible musical journey, RUSH (Tue 25 – Fri 28 Jun) returns to The Rep.
Sean Foley, artistic director at The Rep, said; “Our three stages are full of original, exciting theatre for everyone over the coming weeks, including a new stage version of iconic British tragi-comedy Withnail and I.
“It’s a personal thrill to be in a position to direct this production, which the film’s writer Bruce Robinson is adapting from his original script.
“Joining the line-up for our largest theatre space, The House, are two productions inspired by works of literature set in the past and the future.
“Emma Rice’s production of Blue Beard is her beguiling take on the classic fable, while David Haig’s Minority Report breathes new life into sci-fi writer Philip K Dick’s futuristic story.
We also have an incredible line up of shows in our most intimate space, The Door, curated by Associate Director Madeleine Kludje - including a World Premiere co-production with Deafinitely Theatre, The Promise (Fri 5 – Sat 13 April).
“We look forward to welcoming audiences to enjoy the experience of live theatre.”
The Studio space will host Tara Theatre’s powerful production SILENCE (Tue 23 – Sat 27 Apr) originally directed by Abdul Shayek, in a new version by The Rep’s Associate Director Iqbal Khan and adapted from Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories.
Iqbal Khan, associate director at The Rep said: “I saw a version of this piece at the Donmar and was struck then with the power and ambition of Abdul’s initiative. He was a generous and radical artist, a leader keen to find new ways to embrace the unacknowledged or excluded.
“His being taken from us is a terrible rupture, both personally and to the new community of artists and audiences he was engaging. It is a great privilege be asked by Tara Theatre to attempt to continue this work on SILENCE and make it all he hoped it could be as a production and urgent testimony.”
As well as drama, The Studio will stage side-splitting, one-night-only comedy shows including: Live at The Rep on Saturday 6 April, featuring the incredible line-up of Josh Pugh (Live at the Apollo, Mock the Week); Sukh Ojla (Mock the Week, Life Sukhs, BBC); The Raymond & Mr Timpkins Revue (UK Comedy Awards & Comedian of the Year award Winners) and Ignacio Lopez (Live at the Apollo, BBC SESH).
With Sukh Ojla returning to The Studio on Saturday 25 May on her comedy tour: The Aunty Years.
Pictured: An image from SILENCE
