Land, Sea and Music in Ipswich This Autumn

The New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich believes in challenging its audience to try something new. It’s a formula which seems to work for all members of the community. So this autumn kicks off on 10 September with the new musical It’s a Wonderful Life, as previously reported on WoS. It runs until 3 October with an evening captioned performance on 1 October and an audio-described matinée on 3 October.

From Southampton’s Nuffield Theatre in association with Headlong Theatre and Schtanhaus Shakespeare‘s The Winter’s Tale directed by Simon Godwin. There are evening performances on 5 to 7 October only, with a matinée on the last day. That sea I promised you breaks in from 8 to 10 October when Spymonkey presents a co-production with Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatres when plays havoc with the epic novel Moby Dick. Prepare to have a whale of a time, though not perhaps quite as Heman Melville intended.

Another new musical comedy arrives on 14 October in the shape of Desperate to be Doris. It’s by Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding for LipService and features some of Doris Day‘s greatest hits worked into a story about a mail-order firm buyer with a passion for musicals. This is basically confined to his living-room, until the local am-dram society decide to stage Calaity Jane… The run ends on 17 October.

Children will meet Stick Man from the Julia Donaldson book on 20 and 21 October; this is the Watford Palace Theatre and Scamp co-production. For adults only is Company FZ’s We Can Be Heroes on 29 October. it’s a psychological thriller directed by Flick Ferdinando.

English Touring Theatre have a fine reputation which should be upheld by their new production of Molière‘s Le malade imaginaire englishd by Roger McGough as The Hypochondriac. It’s directed by Gemma Bodinetz and designed by Mike Britton and the cast includes Simon Coates, Clive Francis and Lucinda Raikes. Leave your aches and pains at home between 3 and 7 November.

Hot Mikado seems to be something of the flavour of the year. There was an interesting new production in Hornchurch this spring and now the Watermill Theatre presentation jazzes its way east from Berkshire. This is a revival of the successful 2006 production and you can enjoy it from 10 to 14 November; the last peformance is a captioned one.

Not one but two Christmas shows this year. As well as the wok’n’roll pantomime in the main house from 26 November to 30 January with BSL signed, audio-described and captioned performances in January there’s a special show for the very youngest theatre-goers. This is The Enormous Turnip and plays in the New Wolsey Studio, St George’s Street from 9 December to 2 January with mornig and afternoon performances. It’s from Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company and offer puppets, comedy and musical carrots.

Go on. Take a bite. You know you really want to.