Olivier Award-Winning Gender And Sexuality Play ROTTERDAM Announced At Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Following three critically acclaimed runs in London and a highly successful transfer to New York, Donnacadh O'Briain's Olivier award-winning production of ROTTERDAM will play at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 22 24 April 2019 and is on sale from Friday 1 February with priority booking from Wednesday 30 January.

Written by acclaimed playwright Jon Brittain, co-creator of Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, writer of A Super Happy Story (About Feeling Super Sad) and staff writer on The Crown, ROTTERDAM is a bittersweet comedy about gender, sexuality and being a long way from home.

It's New Year in Rotterdam, and Alice has finally plucked up the courage to email her parents and tell them she's gay. But before she can hit send, her girlfriend Fiona reveals that he has always identified as male and now wants to start living as a man named Adrian. Now, as Adrian confronts the reality of his transition, Alice faces a question she never thought she'd ask... does this mean she's straight?

Hartshorn Hook Productions are committed to ensuring ROTTERDAM has equality and gender diversity among the cast and creatives. The full cast and more venues will be announced in early 2019.

Director Donnacadh O'Briain said, we are delighted to be taking Rotterdam on its first UK tour. It's a privilege to be able to share this funny, moving and beautiful story with audiences around the whole country.

Brittain was inspired to write ROTTERDAM after several of his friends transitioned in the late 2000s. He became aware of the absence of transgender stories in pop culture and wanted to address this on the stage. Through writing this show, he researched and consulted widely including talking to trans people and their partners, conducting a reading for members of trans communities and discussing the show with various organisations, including Trans Media Watch who then endorsed ROTTERDAM, and the charity Gendered Intelligence, who the company dedicated their Olivier award to.

ROTTERDAM was recently co-produced in Los Angeles by Hartshorn Hook Productions and Skylight Theatre where the production won the top award at the Los Angeles Drama Critics' Circle Awards jointly with Hamilton.

Tickets for ROTTERDAM will be on sale exclusively to Friends of the Grand and members on Wednesday 30 January at 11am online and by calling 01902 42 92 12 and at 12pm in person at the Box Office counter. Tickets will be on sale to the public on Friday 1 February at 11am online and by calling 01902 42 92 12 and at 12pm in person at the Box Office counter.

Also going on sale will be:

George Orwell's ANIMAL FARM on Tuesday 21 May. There are problems at Manor Farm and the animals grow restless with talk of rebellion and revolution. Under the advice of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball they vow to eliminate the terrible inequalities of the farmyard. Can the animals learn to cooperate and embrace the ideals of Animalism? What will come of the power vacuum created by the absence of Farmer Jones? Will a new leader arise? And as with any revolution... there will be casualties. This full-length production from Grand Arena Youth Theatre takes George Orwell's classic tale of corruption, tyranny and political power and brings it to life through Peter Hall's adaptation. This production is performed by senior members (aged 14-18) of Grand Arena Youth Theatre.

DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE from 13 15 June is an intrepid exploration across unchartered territories to discover a pre-historic world of astonishing (and remarkably life-like) dinosaurs. With a host of impressive creatures, including every child's favourite flesh-eating giant, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus!

Tickets for ANIMAL FARM and DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE will be on sale exclusively to Friends of The Grand and members on Wednesday 30 January at 11am online and by calling 01902 42 92 12 and at 12pm in person at the Box Office counter. Tickets will be on sale to the public on Friday 1 February at 11am online and by calling 01902 42 92 12 and at 12pm in person at the Box Office counter.

Don't Miss a UK Regional News Story
Sign up for all the news on the Summer season, discounts & more...