Iain Lauchlan News

With just 71 sleeps to go until Christmas, it's time to set your alarm and get ready for the nation's dreamiest panto as Sleeping Beauty heads to Coventry this Christmas.

Calling all poets! As part of its 60th birthday celebrations this year, the Belgrade Theatre is launching a one-off poetry competition, with the winning entry to be featured as part of its forthcoming Diamond Anniversary Gala today 15 September.

Christmas has come early for a group of talented Coventry kids this year with the news that they'll be starring in the Belgrade Theatre's hugely popular Christmas pantomime.

Calling all poets! As part of its 60th birthday celebrations this year, the Belgrade Theatre is launching a one-off poetry competition, with the winning entry to be featured as part of its forthcoming Diamond Anniversary Gala on Saturday 15 September.

The sun might still be blazing outside, but with just 161 sleeps left till Christmas and only 127 until Sleeping Beauty opens, the Belgrade Theatre has already begun the annual search for its panto Junior Chorus!

Sun-soaked summer musical Club Tropicana and kids' comedy Billionaire Boy headline a hot new line-up of shows heading to the Belgrade Theatre for 2018-19. Joining an already exciting programme for the coming months, the newly announced shows also include two Christmas productions and the world premiere tour of Leo Butler's All You Need Is LSD.

This festive season, a fantastical new Christmas show for children up to the age of 6 comes to The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry as Santa's Mixed Up Martian crash-lands on stage from Thursday 7 Sunday 24 December.

Cinderella must be the most performed of all the pantomimes in the UK, and is probably the most well-loved. Experienced writer for Imagine Theatre, Iain Lauchlan returns once again to write, direct and star in the show; this year as Ugly Sister Dyspepsia. Also in similar fashion to previous years, Mark Walters brings his glitzy set and costume design to the Belgrade Main House.

Christmas is coming, and along with the lists of food to buy and presents to wrap, there's the traditional conundrum about which Christmas show to go and see. Fear not - BroadwayWorld has been checking out what's on around the Midlands this festive season. Hint: Cinderella is *really* popular this year.

The Belgrade Theatre is hoping to spread the festive cheer even further this Christmas by giving away over 600 tickets for its pantomime Cinderella to local families in need as part of its Making Memories campaign.

Lock up your sons the Ugly Sisters are on the hunt for boyfriends in Coventry this Christmas in the Belgrade Theatre pantomime, Cinderella, running on the Main Stage from Weds 22 Nov 2017 Sat 13 Jan 2018.

With Christmas less than 7 weeks away, the Belgrade Theatre has announced the cast for this year's glittering pantomime, Cinderella, including legendary children's TV presenter and panto dame, Iain Lauchlan.

The Belgrade Theatre has announced its full line-up for the autumn 2017 season, including the must-see Coventry musical Godiva Rocks making its world premiere on the Main Stage in October, from the creative team behind the smash-hit Coventry Blitz play One Night in November.

Autumn 2017 will mark the 10th Anniversary of the Belgrade Theatre's B2 Auditorium with a landmark production of Faithful Ruslan - The Story of a Guard Dog co-produced with the Glasgow's Citizen's Theatre and directed by the internationally renowned Helena Kaut-Howson.

The Belgrade Theatre in Coventry has teamed up again with Imagine Theatre and panto veteran Iain Lauchlan this year to create a brand new production of Dick Whittington - a very popular title choice in the Midlands this year it seems! Remarkably busy for a school night, there was a very good mixture of adults and children alike making up last night's audience - all of whom were able to find plenty of elements to entertain them across the three-hour production.

Following the success of last year's Making Memories campaign, the Belgrade Theatre is once again raising money to offer families in need with the opportunity to experience the magic of pantomime.

Actor Craig Hollingsworth has spent his last five Christmases entertaining families in the Belgrade Theatre pantomime.

Budding performers from across Coventry and Warwickshire are once again being given the chance to audition for the Belgrade's annual family pantomime on Sunday 4th September which could see them land a role in the panto chorus.

Coventry's Belgrade Theatre has today announced full details of the shows to feature in its Autumn 2016 Season which include a brand new production of original British rock 'n' roll musical, Roll Over Beethoven from the director of Three Minute Heroes, the UK premiere of Ostrich Boys in B2, based on the award-winning novel by Keith Gray and the return of Birmingham comedy-legend Jasper Carrott and award-winning impressionist Alistair McGowan to the Midlands from Tues 14 - Thurs 16 Mar 2017.

Last night featured my first pantomime of this year's festive season, the unconventional Beauty and the Beast at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry. There is the usual rotation of pantomimes that many theatres alternate; most commonly Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty and Dick Whittington with a few other options for good measure. Beauty and the Beast is one that I personally haven't seen in a pantomime format before and did it work? I think so!