Birmingham Rep's DIRTY GROTTO Offers A Wickedly Funny Alternative Christmas Night Out

As the perfect antidote to the season of enforced merriment, Birmingham Repertory Theatre hosts a series of cabaret nights with a difference throughout December. With a wickedly funny line-up and for six nights only, the Dirty Grotto will titillate even the most bah-humbugs from 10 - 19 December.

Dirty Grotto will be hosted by a different fabulous compere on each night and feature some of the UK's best cabaret, comedy, music and alternative theatre acts. Opening on Thursday 10 December, the first Dirty Grotto features a line-up that includes loveable funny woman,Barbara Nice, the supremely fearless and blisteringly funny double act, Twisted Loaf and comedy duo That Pair with their beautiful skits and bonkers characters.

For those who love to hate Christmas, Christopher Brett Bailey brings an extract from his highly acclaimed show This Is How We Die featuring his trade-mark blend of storytelling, beat-poetry and caustic humour on Friday 11 December, alongside the musical comedy of George Rigden,compere Jonny Freeman, and a 'delightful' Nativity from Lucy McCormick.

Darker and slicker than a BP oil spill, London's award-winning musical cabaret duo stars, Bourgeois & Maurice top the bill on Saturday 12 December with their sharp wit as they merge biting original songs with libellous gossip, social commentary and couture from some of the galaxy's hautest designers. Joining them will be a heart-warming turn from silly man Spencer Jones - a sort of grubby Mr Bean with a hint of Tommy Cooper.

London's most crazy, colourful collective of gender-bending drag queen divas, Sink The Pink, storm up to Birmingham on Friday 18 Decemberwith their high energy dance routines and an abundance of homemade tinsel outfits.

The final of the Dirty Grotto evenings will close with the brilliant alternative comedian Andrew O'Neill and all dancing drag queen, Fabulous Russella on Saturday 19 December.

Other highlights from the Dirty Grotto season include local artists Fran Millican-Slater as Mother Christmas and a tinselled Caroline Horton, comedians Paul Currie and Pippa Evans, theatre maker Hannah Ringham and the all female comedy quintet Figs in Wigs who use puns, fake fruit and pop culture to create a refreshingly surreal and absurdly comic show.

Dirty Grotto is at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on Thu 10, Fri 11, Sat 12, Wed 16, Fri 18 and Sat 19 December. Doors open at 9.30pm, with the cabaret acts at 10pm and party until 1am. Tickets are £20, which includes one free drink, and are available from Box Office: 0121 236 445 / Birmingham-rep.co.uk. NB Dirty Grotto is strictly for over 18s.

Dirty Grotto is curated by The REP's associate company, KILN.