Spring Season And Studio Birthday Celebrations Announced At The Albany Theatre

With the announcement of a spring and summer season packed full of drama, dance, music and comedy, the Albany are also taking time to celebrate the first birthday of their studio space.

The Studio has given the theatre an ideal opportunity to complement their programme with smaller, more intimate performances in the flexible space that has seen shows and events that are funny, uplifting, challenging and informative - and often a combination of all these! - for children, music club performances, fringe shows and new writing from both local and national talent.

The Studio season includes a return from acclaimed London Fringe company, Proforça with their production of FEEL on Sunday 3 March | 7.30pm.

FEEL, written by James Lewis and directed by Coventry born David Brady, tells a story about the search for fulfilment, second-hand love, the hope of one day becoming something better, following your heart and giving it away to someone else. David Brady is excited to be bringing this back:

"It's such a great play: relatable characters that you can really invest in telling a universal human story. There's been a fantastic response from national audiences but I'm excited about bringing the play back to my home city - there's something really satisfying about bringing new writing into Coventry's newest theatre space."

In a Studio first, Captain Krankypants will be presenting a highly energetic and entertaining talk about overcoming PTSD and depression on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 March | 7.30pm. The evening promises both laughter and tears as he describes how he has refused to allow the conditions to control him.

The Studio programme will also see laughs-aplenty! Nunsense running from Wednesday 20 - Saturday 23 March with matinee and evening performances, is an hilarious, madcap musical comedy about the Little Sisters of Hoboken who are raising money to bury the sisters who have been accidently poisoned by the convent cook! This is an international award-winning show full of unholy antics in an interactive and upbeat performance.

Four Minutes 12 Seconds sees another return: Mark Topping who played Smee in the Albany's Christmas show, Peter Pan and also appeared in Armistice: The Long Road to Peace is back in this humorous, intense, unsettlingly real and uncomfortably funny thriller that strikes a disturbing chord in the time of selfies and sexting. With twist after twist and shock after shock, this morally terrifying drama shines a light on consent and consequences in the #metoo era. The show is on for one night only, Saturday 30 March | 7.30pm.

These studio shows run alongside the theatre's programme of music, comedy, children's events, classic drama and barn-storming, foot-stomping, sing-a-long tributes to both the Spice Girls and Take That to get the Coventry music party started. Tickets for these and the rest of the season's programme can be booked online at www.albanytheatre.co.uk, via the box office on 02476 99 89 64 or in person at the theatre on Albany Road, Coventry.