Summer Celebration

A sizzling taste of Shakespeare, Noël Coward and Olympic dreams

THE GRAND TOUR
All aboard for the roaring 20s! Setting out for Europe, our heroine, a doughty American spinster, can't believe her luck when she embarks on her cruise and finds herself in the company of a feast of famous faces. However, it turns out that Noël Coward, Gertrude Stein and George Bernard Shaw, to name but a few, aren't necessarily the friendliest of shipmates. Add stowaways and a rather handsome Chief Steward into the mix and things might get a little... complicated.

Choreographer of many films and hit Broadway shows, American Joe Layton's The Grand Tour is a genuinely funny take on the eccentric celebrities that populated England's stages, screens and newspapers in the 1920s. Accompanied by unique orchestral renditions of Noël Coward songs, the critically-acclaimed The Grand Tour makes a long-overdue return to the stage.


FASTER
A ballet inspired by the Olympic motto, Faster, Higher, Stronger
A brand-new ballet from the award-winning team behind E=mc². After winning the last ever South Bank Show Dance award in 2010 with E=mc², Company Director David Bintley embarks on a second collaboration with renowned Australian composer Matthew Hindson. This ballet of speed, power and athleticism will be a fitting creation for the lead-up to London 2012.

'Bursts on us with tremendous excitement'
The Sunday Times on E=mc²

'Pins you to your seat'
The Independent on E=mc²

'This is a dance masterpiece'
The Stage on E=mc²


THE DREAM
The course of true love never did run smooth... certainly not if a group of mischievous fairies have anything to do with it!

In Frederick Ashton's The Dream, having argued with beautiful Titania, Oberon, king of the fairies, seeks a suitable revenge. He orders the fairy Puck to transform a dopey local peasant into a donkey and cause Titania to fall in love with it. This he does, but things soon get out of hand - over-use of the love potion pits friend against friend and hilariously embroils four poor mortals in the fairies' games.

Felix Mendelsson's tuneful and instantly recognisable music to A Midsummer Night's Dream becomes the basis for Ashton's elfin comedy, as he shows his mastery of dance, theatre and humour, weaving and unravelling an other-worldly web of mischief.

'One of the happiest treats in the Ashton catalogue'
The Times

'A masterpiece of clarity'
The Guardian

'Very funny'
Manchester City Life

Birmingham Far from the Madding Crowd and Summer Celebration leaflet

PLEASE NOTE:
On Saturday 30th June, the Olympic Torch will be passing through Birmingham City Centre, via Suffolk Street Queensway from 6-7pm. This area and surrounds may be extremely busy and the procession may disrupt traffic coming to the theatre. Please set off early to ensure you arrive at the theatre in time for the performance.