Midlands Rainbow recommends: 2026 Shows
- midlandsrainbow
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
2026 is fast approaching, and with it comes a new year of great productions in Birmingham and across the Midlands. We've picked just a few of our favourites in theatre, dance, musicals, drag and cabaret that would make great Christmas gifts or, of course, a treat for yourself.
★ Fiddler on the Roof at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (9th December 2025 - 3rd January 2026) “Completely sold out at the Barbican in London, this is a rare opportunity to catch this critically acclaimed production direct from the West End.”
★ Sherlock Holmes and The 12 Days of Christmas at The Rep, Birmingham (14th November 2025 – 18thJanuary 2026) A festive comedy whodunnit written by, The Penny Dreadfuls’ Humphrey Ker and David Reed, with brand new songs by legendary musical theatre duo Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
★ Six at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (20th-31st January), Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (25th -28th March), Birmingham Hippodrome (31st March - 11th April), Nottingham Theatre Royal (28th April - 9th May) & Northampton Royal and Dergate Theatre (12th-16th May). "From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red."
★ Sweet Henry at The Rep, Birmingham (23rd-24th January). "Imagine if Shakespeare’s History Plays donned their lippy and heels and were taken out for a night on the tiles. We’re talking Hamilton meets Braveheart meets Priscilla Queen of the Desert in this radical reinvention of history that’s pounding with camp Celtic vibes."
★ All is But Fantasy at RSC, Stratford-Upon-Avon (28th January - 21st February). "A groundbreaking theatrical event of two high-energy gig-theatre performances that revisit the stories of four of Shakespeare’s most famous characters catalysed by a red-hot soundtrack."
★ Send In the Clowns: Unpopular at The Rep, Birmingham (29th January - 31st January). "Making its debut at The Rep, Send In The Clowns is a raucous and tantalizing drag revue that promises an unforgettably wild evening packed with outrageous comedy, spine-tingling live vocals, camp cabaret, and audience sing-alongs!"
★ Here & Now at Wolverhampton Grand (10th-15th March) and Leicester Curve (28th April - 3rd May) Given it's world premiere at Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre, Here & Now is the the hilarious and heart-warming new musical based on the songs of the multi-million-selling pop phenomenon, Steps. Find out what Midlands Rainbow thought of the production in our review!
★ Legally Blonde at Leicester Curve (7th-21st February), The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (31st March - 4th April), Nottingham Theatre Royal (19th-23rd May), Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (13th-17th October), and Stoke-on-Trent's Regent Theatre (17th-21st November). "This ultimate feel-good rom-com, based on the award-winning film starring Reese Witherspoon, follows Elle Woods on her transformation from It Girl fashionista to legal ace at Harvard Law School, all in the name of love."
★ Operation Mincemeat at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (17th-21st March), Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (27th April - 2nd May),The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (11th-16th May), Royal & Derngate, Northampton (13th-18th July), and Theatre Royal, Nottingham (20th July - 1st August). "Singin' in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler?"
★ Waitress: The Musical at Birmingham Hippodrome (28th April - 2nd May), Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (1st - 6th June), Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (6th-11th July), Leicester Curve (20th-25th July), and Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (10th-15th August). "Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of some happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated. With the support of her workmates Becky and Dawn, Jenna overcomes the challenges she faces and finds that laughter, love and friendship can provide the perfect recipe for happiness."
★ Mean Girls at Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (30th March - 4th April), Leicester Curve (5th-9th May), Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (23rd-27th June), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (3rd-7th November), and The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (14th December - 2nd January 2027).
★ Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at The Rep, Birmingham (4th July - 9th August). "A razor-sharp story of retribution, this darkly comic and dramatic musical is a must-see in this new version by Rep Artistic Director, Joe Murphy."
★ Sylvia at The Hippodrome, Birmingham (6th - 10th October). Wolverhampton-born singer, songwriter and performer, Beverley Knight MBE (Sister Act, The Drifters Girl, Memphis The Musical, Marie & Rosetta) will reprise her Olivier Award-winning role as Emmeline Pankhurst, alongside alongside Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Motown, Beautiful: The Carol King Musical) as the title character, Sylvia Pankhurst in the touring production of the Olivier-nominated musical, Sylvia.
★ Birmingham Drag and Burlesque Festival acorss various venues (6th - 8th November). "Produced by ‘Birmingham’s Queen of Burlesque’, Dominus Von Vexo, founder of House of Allure. The festival will be a sparkling, scintillating, steamy cocktail of shows and workshops in the bull’s eye of the city. Sizzling showgirls, daring drag, comedic clowning, bawdy burlesque is but a tease of what is to come; across various venues that contribute and define the creative heartbeat of the city."
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