Belgrade Theatre Announces Autumn Season: THE PRODIGALS, CHARLIE PEACE & More!

This autumn Coventry's Belgrade Theatre is producing four new shows, including The Prodigals: A Man Had Two Sons, Charlie Peace: His Amazing Life and Astounding Legend, its annual pantomime, which this year is Jack and the Beanstalk and its new B2 Xmas Show Oh No It Isn't! The theatre is also restaging its Coventry Blitz play One Night in November.

Following an acclaimed workshop production at the Edinburgh Festival in 2011, the Belgrade will open its autumn season with a full scale version of new musical The Prodigals, which will run on the Main Stage from Fri 30 Aug to Sat 14 Sept.

With its roots in the biblical tale of the Prodigal Son, the story follows Colonel Luke Gibson as he tries to balance his love for his two very different sons. One has been fighting for Queen and country in Afghanistan, whilst the other has hit rock bottom after touring the country with his drug fuelled band.

After directing the Belgrade's acclaimed production of Strindberg's The Father last year, Joe Harmston will return to direct The Prodigals, which he co-wrote with creative producer Ray Goudie. Leading the cast is acclaimed musical theatre actor Simon Bowman, who has numerous West End shows to his name, including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera.

This will be followed by the fourth incarnation of Alan Pollock's hit Coventry Blitz play One Night in November. Directed by Hamish Glen, the show will run on the Main Stage from Sat 28 Sept to Sat 19 Oct.

The Belgrade is teaming up with Nottingham Playhouse to co-produce Michael Eaton's new drama

Charlie Peace: His Amazing Life and Astounding Legend, which tells the story of the greatest celebrity villain of the Victorian age. A master of disguise, an accomplished musician and irresistibly attractive to women, Charlie Peace was a charismatic scoundrel and this play charts the criminal antics which led to his capture and trial in 1847.

Directed by Giles Croft, the production will open at Nottingham Playhouse from Fri 4 Oct to Sat 19 Oct, before transferring to the Belgrade's B2 auditorium from Sat 26 Oct to Sat 16 Nov.

Christmas time sees the return of the Belgrade's traditional pantomime as Jack and the Beanstalk takes to the Main Stage from Weds 27 Nov to Sun 5 Jan. Iain Lauchlan, the creator of the BBC children's show The Tweenies, has written the production and he will also be directing and playing Dame.

There's festive fun for grown ups with the Belgrade's new B2 Xmas Show, Oh No It Isn't!, in B2 from Sat 7 to Sat 28 Dec. This yuletide whodunit has been written and directed by Coventry writer, Nick Walker, formerly of Talking Birds theatre company.

Looking ahead to the spring 2014 season, the Belgrade and Riding Lights Theatre Company will be co-producing Ben Jonson's classic comedy The Alchemist, which will play in B2 from Sat 1 to Sat 22 Feb.

The Belgrade is also teaming up with London's Arcola Theatre and Bath Theatre Royal to co-produce three brand new translations of rarely performed plays from The Spanish Golden Age. The productions, Don Gil of the Green Breeches by Tirso de Molina, Punishment Without Revenge and The Lady of Little Sense by Lope De Vega, will open at Bath's Ustinov Studio, where they will run from Thurs 12 Sept to Sat 21 Dec. They will then transfer to the Arcola w/c 6 Jan to 15 March 2014 and the Belgrade from Weds 26 March to Sat 26 April 2014.