Blackpool Grand new season includes Little Voice & Hair with Gates

The Blackpool Grand new season opened with PW Productions’ An Inspector Calls, The National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s classic thriller and this classic vein continues with English Touring Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe’s production of Anne Boleyn which follows in March. The new season also features new productions of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Hair starring former pop star Gareth Gates.

Marketing Manager Andrew Howard added “The Grand Theatre is investing in quality productions in all genres Dance to Drama, Musicals to Magic, we are covering it all. I think 2012 is going to be a very exciting year for The Grand; some of the best touring productions have been programmed to appear. I hope everyone will make a New Year resolution to try something new at The Grand.”

Last year The Grand was pleased to join The Touring Consortium, and the 2012 Touring Consortium and York Theatre Royal production, Diary of Anne Frank, will be at the theatre from Monday 16th to Saturday 21st April. Starring Christopher Timothy as Otto Frank this beautifully tender and powerful account of hope, courage, survival and loss marks the 60th anniversary of the diary’s publication in English.

Allan Bennett has a very unusual neighbor. Parked at the bottom of his garden is a van. With a lady living in it. Hull Truck presents The Lady in the Van, by one of the nation’s favourite playwrights, Alan Bennett. Starring Nicola McAuliffe (Surgical Spirit), The Lady and the Van is at The Grand from Tuesday 15th to Saturday 19th May.

The award-winning 2Faced Dance present In The Dust a triple bill of darkly explosive new work on Sunday 3rd June. In The Dust showcases the versatility, skill and unique style of this outstanding company and the work of choreographers Tom Dale, Place Prize nominee Freddie Oppiku-Addaie and 2Faced artistic director Tamsin Fitzgerald.

Musicals are always enjoyed by Grand Theatre audiences and this season they have some classics. Direct from the West End, Dreamboats and Petticoats, featuring some of the greatest hits of the Rock ‘n’ Roll era jives into the theatre from tonight – Monday 23rd to Saturday 28th January. Blackpool Operatic Players will return with the Tony Award winning Titanic the Musical from Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th April, 100 years after the liner sank on her maiden voyage. They are also delighted to announce that an action packed musical adventure, Swallows and Amazons, will be sailing into The Grand on Tuesday 8th May to Saturday 12th May.

Presented by the company behind last year’s hit Billy Elliot, West Side Story, set in post 9/11 New York, is at the theatre from Tuesday 5th to Saturday 9th June. Save the Last Dance For Me, from the team behind Dreamboats and Petticoats, takes you back to the ‘music and magic’ of the early 60’s from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd June.

West End star and Pop Idol finalist, Gareth Gates stars in an all new production of the legendary musical, HAIR! Fresh from a sell-out European arena tour this unforgettable spectacular captures the mood of 1960’s New York at The Grand from Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th July. HAIR! also stars fellow Pop Idol Zoe Birkett (Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Thriller-Live) and Amy Diamond (Over the Rainbow).

The Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, 42nd Street will be dancing into The Grand from Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th July. Starring Dave Willetts, and directed by Broadway director Mark Bramble the show features the stunning sets and costumes from the US production.

Gareth Gates returns to The Grand in November, along with Beverley Callard (Coronation Street) in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice. Featuring songs from the world’s most iconic divas; Marilyn Monroe, Shirley Bassey; Judy Garland and many more this heartwarming northern fairytale is at the theatre from Monday 19th to Saturday 24th November.

All the family can enjoy theatre with a host of children’s productions including Peppa Pig and her friends. They’re going on a treasure hunt and need your help! Peppa Pig’s Treasure Hunt visits the theatre on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22ndJanuary; Fireman Sam, the brave and friendly hero next door is back on Sunday 19th February. Horse + Bamboo present a gorgeously rendered re-telling of the classic girl-and-the-wolf tale with Red Riding Hood on Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th March.

Scamp Theatre (Friend Or Foe, Private Peaceful) return to The Grand with Tiddler and other Terrific Tales on Tuesday 3rd April. This brand new show is adapted from the best-selling books by Children’s Laureate Julie Davidson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler.

The course of true love never did run smooth in All the Single Ladies. Starring Men Behaving Badly’s Leslie Ash and Brooke Kinsella (EastEnders) this is described as a feel good evening – with a marathon punch! It’s at The Grand from Thursday 1st March to Saturday 3rd March.

One actor, one city, forty characters – laughter and tears! Fresh from ecstatic reviews and a huge word of mouth following Paul Duckworth is back with Beating Berlusconi on Sunday 4th March.

The girls are from one of BBC television’s most popular and fondly remembered sitcoms comes to the stage with all three of its original cast members, Pauline Quirke, Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph. Birds of a Feather is staged from Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th April. This is a rare chance to see the original cast re-united on stage for the very first time.

Fresh from playing the Wicked Queen in 2011’s record-breaking pantomime Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Vicky Entwistle is swapping boos for laughter in Mike Stott’s multi-award winning comedy classic Funny Peculiar. Starring alongside her Coronation Street co-star, Craig Gazey with soap favourites Gemma Bissix (EastEnders, Hollyoaks) and Stephen Blakeley (Heartbeat) Vicky returns to The Grand in this Bill Kenwright production on Monday 28th May until Saturday 2nd June.

Showzam! is back from 10th to 19th February. Circus Shorts, a two day ‘festival within a festival’, takes place Wednesday 15th to Thursday 16th February. Hand-picked by Professor Vanessa Toulmin the show highlights the very best in modern circus acts. On Christmas Eve, in 1899, under the watchful eyes of a packed house in a local music hall, the impossible happened! Star of Wonder features international magician Paul Dabek and is in the Lawrence House Studio Tuesday 14th February to Thursday 16th February. Friday 17th February sees Ida Barr’s Variety Parade take to the stage.  A full announcement of our week’s presentations will be coming soon.

Added to this is the usual line up of music acts, variety and comedy. Further details are available at the Blackpool Grand website.