Mrs Doubtfire- Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan
By Grace Hatchell- I likety like.
Birmingham Hippodrome has announced a new wave of shows on sale, including Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, The Full Monty, Jeezus!, Matilda The Musical, Mrs Doubtfire and Origins Festival, alongside new productions in the Patrick Studio.
Birmingham Hippodrome has unveiled a packed new season, with major musicals, family shows and fresh new work all heading to its stages. New productions now on sale include Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, The Full Monty and Jeezus!, while the venue has also spotlighted a bumper summer line-up featuring Matilda The Musical and Mrs Doubtfire, plus a strong programme of emerging work in the Patrick Studio.
Now then, I nearly dropped half the post on the pavement trying to get this lot into me satchel, because Birmingham Hippodrome has not exactly gone small here. This is one of those announcements where you start reading it and think, “Oh, that’s nice,” then realise they’ve quietly gone and stuffed the calendar with big-name tours, family favourites, new musicals, youth productions and a festival for Birmingham artists too.
Among the newly on sale titles is Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella, which returns to Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 9 February to Saturday 13 February 2027. Bourne’s wartime reimagining of the classic fairytale follows Cinderella and a young RAF pilot whose chance meeting unfolds against the backdrop of the Second World War.
Also newly announced is The Full Monty, running from Monday 28 June to Saturday 3 July 2027. And let’s be honest, that title alone still has the power to make half the nation raise an eyebrow and the other half grin like they already know exactly what’s coming. Marking 30 years since the original film, it follows Gaz and his mates as they try to turn their luck around by putting on a show of their own, with all the cheek, heart and 90s spirit that made it such a hit in the first place.
Previously announced main stage highlights are already giving Birmingham plenty to look forward to as well. Back to the Future The Musical arrives from Tuesday 9 March to Saturday 10 April 2027 as part of its first-ever UK tour, which means Marty McFly, Doc Brown and one very famous time machine will be hurtling into the Hippodrome at full speed. Frankly, if Grace spots a courier route involving 1955 and a flying DeLorean, she’s taking it.
Before all that, though, the Hippodrome’s summer season is shaping up to be a proper crowd-pleaser. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical runs from Wednesday 1 July to Sunday 2 August 2026, bringing Roald Dahl’s brilliant young heroine back to the stage with all the bravery, rebellion and wit that audiences adore, plus Tim Minchin’s much-loved songs. Then in August, Mrs. Doubtfire arrives for its touring premiere from Thursday 13 August to Saturday 19 September 2026. Everyone’s favourite chaotic nanny is packing up the frocks, the false teeth and the emotional damage control for Birmingham, in a show full of laughs, heart and big musical numbers.
Over in the Patrick Studio, things get a little smaller in scale but no less ambitious. One Tiny Penguin runs from Saturday 5 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 as the third production in the Hippodrome’s My First Musical series. Created for everyone aged three and over, it follows Lumi, a tiny penguin handed the enormous task of lighting up the Northern Lights. Which, if you ask Grace, is exactly the sort of pressure no small penguin needs just before Christmas. Still, it sounds like a very sweet festive adventure, with Lumi travelling from the North Pole to Chile, South Africa and all the way down to the South Pole in a story about bravery, friendship and finding your courage.
The venue will also present Origins Festival: Celebrating New Work from Monday 11 May to Saturday 16 May 2026. The festival will showcase work from eight Birmingham-based artists and includes workshops, double-bill performances and the chance for audiences to experience brand-new ideas at an early stage. The event marks the culmination of the Hippodrome’s 18-month Origins programme, which has supported artists in developing new work and building creative connections.
August will also see Birmingham Hippodrome partner with National Youth Music Theatre for three productions in the Patrick Studio. West Side Story runs from Thursday 6 August to Saturday 8 August 2026, revisiting the enduring story of young love caught in conflict. Just So follows from Thursday 13 August to Saturday 15 August 2026, bringing together five Rudyard Kipling tales in a story about courage, individuality and friendship. Then Every Day runs from Thursday 20 August to Saturday 22 August 2026, telling the story of ‘A’, who wakes each day in a different teenager’s body until one encounter begins to change everything.
Later that month, British Youth Music Theatre will partner with the Hippodrome on Sea Change, running from Friday 28 August to Sunday 30 August 2026. The new folk musical blends myth and modern Britain in a shanty-inspired retelling of Selkie folklore, exploring young people, community and change.
Then in October, Jeezus! arrives in the Patrick Studio from Wednesday 21 October to Saturday 24 October 2026. Described as a mix of live music, dark humour and Latin heat, the production explores colonialism, religion and queer awakening. It comes to Birmingham after winning the UNTAPPED Award and standing out as a hit at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe.
Jon Gilchrist, Artistic Director and CEO of Birmingham Hippodrome, said the venue has “so much to look forward to,” pointing to the organisation’s first festival celebrating work created in Birmingham, the opening of the first-ever UK tour of Mrs. Doubtfire, and the return of My First Musical as an annual family tradition.
There will also be a range of accessible performances across the season, including Audio Described, Captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances.
Tickets for all newly announced season shows went on sale to Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 16 April at 11am, with general sale opening on Monday 20 April at 11am.
All in all, it is a hefty season announcement with a bit of everything tucked inside it: blockbuster musicals, family theatre, artist development, youth productions and Fringe-born work making its way into Birmingham. Exactly the kind of bundle I likey, — though this one needed a bigger satchel.
There will be a range of Audio Described, Captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances throughout the season, to find out more head to the Hippodrome’s accessible performances web page.
Tickets for all new season shows will go on sale to Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 16 April at 11am and on general sale on Monday 20 April at 11am.
Tickets for all shows can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0121 689 3000.
About the Author
