The Alexandra

★★★★★ Lydia and I headed into the city centre yesterday evening to attend the press night for 101 Dalmatians – a musical version of the classic story, currently being performed at The Alexandra. We went in on the train, as the theatre is just a few buildings away from the back entrance of New Street Station, making it easy to get to via public transport.

I fondly remember reading the original Dodie Smith 1956 novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians, along with the somewhat weirder sequel The Starlight Barking, as a child – we had an omnibus paperback of both stories and I read both of them multiple times. Of course, I also grew up watching the Disney classic animated adaptation, and the live action remake that came out when I was eleven.

★★★★☆ Last night the four of us were invited along to the Press Night for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The Musical, presented by BMOS – Birmingham’s rather fantastic amateur musical theatre company.

Each year they stage a performance at The Alexandra in Birmingham, and this year they are one of the first amateur companies to perform this version of the story.

★★★★★ Last night James and I dropped the girls off with their Granny to enjoy an evening child free at the theatre, as we were invited along to see The 39 Steps at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham city centre. The 39 Steps is a comedic adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller spy movie of the same name, which in turn is based upon the 1915 novel The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan. The parody play has won Tony and Olivier awards for its previous productions, and the 2024 UK tour is a remout of the award-winning West End production directed by Maria Aitken and adapted by Patrick Barlow.