Mayflower, Southampton announce Spring Programme

Hot on the heels of two triumphant West End seasons and four hugely successful tours Footloose – The Dance Musical cuts loose onto the stage from Monday 31 January – Saturday 5 February 2011. Starring Matt Willis, Steve Pinder and Max Millner this fast-paced show is packed full of amazing dance and classic 80s anthems, including ‘Holding Out For A Hero’, ‘Let’s Hear It For The Boy’ and of course the unforgettable hit title track ‘Footloose!’

The world’s premiere theatrical ice skating company, The Imperial Ice Stars return with a dynamic new interpretation of their award-winning masterpiece Swan Lake on Ice, from 8 – 12 February 2011. The 26 World, European and National Championship skaters, who between them hold more than 250 competition medals, take contemporary ice dance to a new level in the intimate setting of a frozen theatre stage.

After several smash-hit years on the international touring circuit, for the first time since 2001, the legendary Original Tribute to The Blues Brothers is back from 14 – 19 February 2011. This ‘all-new’ tour presents all of the classic moments from the original hit West End production and more!

Family favourite Annie returns for the half term holiday from 22 – 26 February and stars the irrepressible Su Pollard. The heart-warming rags-to-riches tale of little orphan Annie has been enjoyed by audiences of all ages across the globe.

Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece To Kill a Mockingbird runs from 28 Feb – 5 March, starring Duncan Preston as Atticus Finch.

Stand Up and Be Counted! arrives the following week 7 – 12 March, and is a brand new play about the world of stand up comedy written by Jim Davidson. The play promises to pull no punches and provide a look inside the minds of these troubled entertainers.

Yes, Prime Minister, fresh from a smash hit West End plays from 15 – 19 March. The original writers of the classic series have reunited for this anniversary production and now the Prime Minister Jim Hacker, his Cabinet Secretary Sir Humphrey Appleby and his Principal Private Secretary Bernard Woolley are all back, in a brand new play.

Renowned opera director John Copley returns to Welsh National Opera with a stylish new production of Strauss’ Die Fledermaus and WNO’s Spring Season 2011 also sees the return of Verdi’s brooding tale of vengeance Il trovatore from 23 – 26 March.

Wet Wet Wet’s Marti Pellow, returns to musical theatre in the Broadway hit Jekyll and Hyde from 28 March –2 April. Pellow stars as the brilliant but obsessive scientist whose sadistic alter ego wreaks havoc across Victorian London in a dark tale of love, redemption and the seductive power of evil.

Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace, stars of BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing have created their own live show, Midnight Tango, bringing to life all the drama, sensuality and elegance of this most exciting of dance forms from 5 – 9 April 2011.

After nearly five years of mischief, bad behaviour and political incorrectness, London’s funniest show comes to The Mayflower from 12 – 16 April. The Tony Award-winning AVENUE Q is an ‘irresistibly charming’ musical about the lovably hopeless characters on a downtown New York street trying to make sense of life’s burning issues: love, work, relationships and, above all, just how are you supposed to pay the bills with a BA in English?

Finally Queen and Ben Elton’s musical, We Will Rock You will be heading to Southampton for the first time ever from 20 April – 28 May 2011, for a ‘rocking’ six week run starring Noel Sullivan, Rhydian, Ian Reddington and Leon Lopez.