Theatre Picks in Bath
A quick round up of some the productions in Bath this May – including Relatively Speaking by Alan Ayckbourn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare and Blood Wedding at The Egg.
Egg Theatre
Sat 2-Sun 3 May. All in a Wonderous Night. Presented by Goofus Theatre. Lucy needs to know a secret from a strange paper friend and Mr Drake dreams of rockets and space, so settle down and come with us on two fantastical adventures told with puppetry, music and mischief. Details on the Theatre Royal Bath website.
Fri 8-Sat 9 May. Katzenmusik. Performed by Bath Theatre Academy Students. A dark, comic story about social inequality and upheaval, katzenmusik questions how we fight for justice when those most at risk fall through the cracks. Details on the Theatre Royal Bath website.
Fri 8-Sat 9 May. Replica. Performed by Bath Theatre Academy Students. Replica is a mystery exploring friendship, the nature of truth, and humanity. Details on the Theatre Royal Bath website.
Thu 14- Sat 16 May. Blood Wedding. Performed by Bath Theatre Academy Students. Details on the Theatre Royal Bath website.
Thu 21- Sat 23 May. Urinetown: The Musical. Performed by Bath Theatre Academy Students. A grand, mischievous love letter to the conventions of musical theatre, this Tony Award-winning musical comedy is packed with outrageous characters, catchy songs, and laugh-out-loud chaos. Details on the Theatre Royal Bath website.
Thu 28-Sat 30 May. Alice in Wonderland. The Let’s All Dance Ballet Company returns with this fabulous family favourite. Stunning dancing, much loved characters and super costumes bring the famous tale to life in this magical production. Details on the Theatre Royal Bath website.
Mission Theatre
Wed 6-Sat 9 May. Relatively Speaking. 7:30pm. Next Stage Theatre Company presents Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s sparkling comedy. A witty tangle of misunderstandings and mistaken identities with Hayley Fitton‑Cook, Mike Stevens, Jonathan Taft, and Liz Wilson. See the theatre’s website for more.
Thu, May 14. Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi. Tessitoura presents the opera with an English translation by Natalia Macfarren at 7:30pm. Reduced orchestration by Arne Kovac. Rigoletto is one of Verdi’s most thrilling and emotionally charged operas. Set in a world of power, cruelty, and hidden tenderness, Verdi’s score lays bare the cost of corruption and the devastating consequences of love twisted by fear and control. See the theatre’s website for more.
Sat 23 May. The Migratory Bird. Presented by Melika Radmand. 7pm. A Solo Performance Exploring Migration, Identity and the Space. See the theatre’s website for more.
Rondo Theatre
Wed 29 Apr-Sat 2 May. A Midsummer Night’s Dream: By William Shakespeare. The Managing Directors of the Athenian and Amazonian factories look to mark their marriage and the merger of their two companies with a night of celebration. A group of factory workers (rude mechanicals) rehearse their play for this very night. Four lovers steal away to escape the judgement of their overbearing elders. All the while, the King and Queen of fairyland fight for control in the surrounding streets. Bath Drama presents a fun reimagining of one of Shakespeare’s most fantastical works, full of fairies, romance, magic, comedy and mayhem, transposed from the medieval Athens and the surrounding forest to a 1980’s factory and the dark, winding streets. 7:30pm • Full £15 Concs £13 • Community Theatre.
Thu 14-Sat 16 May. Judgement Day. By Ödön von Horváth, adapted by Ed Viney. The obedient and dutiful stationmaster, Thomas Hudetz, fails to change the railway signal in time. In the aftermath of an accident that has killed 18 people, the whole town support Hudetz until it becomes clear he is the guilty one.Freely adapted from Der jüngste Tag by Ödön von Horváth, Judgment Day is a thrilling examination of individual and collective responsibility, and how one kiss can change everything. Join Bath Spa University’s cast of third-year BA Acting students, in collaboration with Theatre, Festival and Event Production students, in this production presented by Bath Spa Productions, adapted and directed by Ed Viney. Recommended for ages 16+ due to its intellectual, psychological, and social dramatic nature that explores complex moral dilemmas. 7:30pm • Sat Matinee 2:30pm • Full £8 Concs £6 • Community Theatre.
Tue 19 – Fri 22 May. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & ¾ – The Musical. 7.30pm • Admission £15 • Community Theatre. A joyous new musical adaptation of Sue Townsend’s much-loved book. Adrian Mole is one of the most enduring comedy characters of all time, he’s the hapless, hilarious, spotty teenager who captured the zeitgeist of 1980s Britain.
Theatre Royal Bath Main House
Fri 1-Sat 9 May. Malory Towers. From the novels by Enid Blyton and directed by Emma Rice. Darrell Rivers is starting school with an eager mind and fierce heart. Unfortunately she also has a quick temper! Can she learn to tolerate the infuriating Gwendoline Lacey, or value the kind-hearted Sally Hope? Can she save the school play and rescue terrified Mary Lou from the grip of a raging storm? Evenings 7.30pm. Except Thursday 7 May 7pm and Friday 8 May 6.30pm. Matinees Thursday 2pm & Saturday (week two) 2.30pm.
Mon 11 – Sat 16 May. The Constant Wife. 1927. Constance is a very unhappy woman. She is the perfect wife and mother, and her husband is as devoted to her as he is to his mistress, who just happens to be her best friend. Adapted from Somerset Maugham’s comedy.
Tue 19 – Sat 23 May. Single White Female. Based on the 90’s psychological thriller, this is a bold and modern reimagining of the best-selling book and hit movie, that coined a phrase and led a generation to fear a stiletto heel!
Tue 26 – Sat 30. Thespians. 534 BC. Greece’s smallest island is battling to avoid defeat in a nationwide prayer competition set up by a thin-skinned tyrant – where the loser is put to death. All is going dreadfully until Thespis accidentally invents acting, leading to the world’s first play and the origins of theatre as we know it! A comedy musical.
Theatre Picks outside Bath
Bristol Old Vic Theatre
Wed 10-Sat 20 Jun. An Ideal Husband. This contemporary re-interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s play. Present day. London. Sir Robert Chiltern got it all: the house, the wife, the style. Tickets from £13 | 7.30pm & 2.30pm (Thu/Sat mat) / 6.30pm (Tue 16 Jun. Running time 2hrs (incl. interval). Age 12+ www.bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/an-ideal-husband
Wardrobe Theatre, Bristol
Sat 27th Jun. Kid Carpet & The Noisy Garden Centre. The latest Kid Carpet & The Noisy Animals show for ages 3-10 and their families, featuring their signature relaxed performance style of catchy songs, lo-fi puppetry, video magic and audience participation. Kid Carpet is a brilliant performer and a highly creative actor and singer.
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