There’s an exciting line-up of shows coming to the Theatre Royal, in Bury St Edmunds, this coming spring.

Opening the new season in January is Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong, marking the 100^th anniversary of the final year of the First World War. A mesmerising story of love and courage, set both before and during the Great War. Having already been seen by over 200,000 people on its previous national tours, this is your chance to experience this stunning piece of theatre live on stage (Wed 31 Jan – Sat 3 Feb).

Theatre Royal’s Young Company will be presenting an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island in April, the classic swashbuckling tale of pirates, hidden treasure and high-seas adventure will be brought to life featuring original music from David Lewington (Thu 5 – Sat 7 Apr).

Featuring huge hits of the 1950s performed by an on-stage live band, Teddy is a punchy new musical that races through the dark and damaged world of post-war London (Mon 19 – Sat 24 Feb).

For fans of the great Charles Dickens there will be a new production of Great Expectations from the team who have previously delighted Theatre Royal audiences with Travels with my Aunt and Our Man in Havana (Tue 6 – Sat 10 Mar). Also returning are The Classic Thriller Theatre Company with The Case of the Frightened Lady by Edgar Wallace, a chilling, captivating and complex thriller (Mon 30 Jul – Sat 4 Aug).

Fans of comedy will be well catered for this spring with Michael McIntyre treating you to his latest Work in Progress show (Wed 7 – Thu 8 Feb), Richard Herring in Oh Frig I’m 50! (Wed 9 May) and Angus Deayton in Radio Active (Thu 10 May).

In play form, the double BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning partnership of John Godber and Jane Thornton star in John’s new comedy, The Scary Bikers (Mon 19 – Wed 21 Mar) and LAMDA graduates will present their outrageous production of Noël Coward’s Hay Fever (Wed 18 – Sat 21 Apr).

Not forgetting the musical repertoire, Swansea City Opera present a revival of The Barber of Seville (Sat 3 Mar), Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri will sing from their new album ‘A Place Where I Can Go’ (Sat 14 Apr), Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons are immortalised in Walk Like a Man (Sat 28 Apr) and with a tribute to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Islands in the Stream (Fri 11 May).

For dance fans, Ballet Theatre UK present the fantastic world of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with stunning original choreography to the iconic Mendelssohn score (Thu 1 – Fri 2 Mar) and in Ballet Central 2018 a mixed bill, including new takes on ‘Black Swan’ and Matthew Bourne’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ (Mon 9 Apr).

The Theatre Royal will play host to a wide range of drama too, Northern Broadsides return with their production of Dickens’ Hard Times (Wed 16 – Sat 19 May), a touch of darkness in Anthony Horowitz’s mind-bending psychological thriller Mindgame (Thu 22 – Sat 24 Mar) and Black Theatre Live present the extraordinary story of the women behind the famous Manchester restaurant Sweet Mandarin, featuring live cooking on stage, Mountains: The Dreams of Lily Kwok (Tue 24 – Wed 25 Apr).

For something special there are a few very exciting visits; Britain’s Got Talent 2016 finalist Christian Lee tops a line-up of the country’s finest magic and variety acts in Britain’s Got Magic (Thu 31 May), Award-winning Vamos Theatre with their trademark wordless, full mask style in A Brave Face (Mon 23 Apr) and the mighty Christopher Biggins hosts another of our popular Call My Bluff events (Thu 22 Feb).

TheatreTrain Bury St Edmunds is on stage with Here We Are Now (Sun 25 Feb) and TheatreTrain Sudbury with Entertain Us (Sun 4 Mar).

Irving Stage Company return with their take on Mel Brooks’ The Producers (Tue 13 – Sat 17 Mar) and Bury St Edmunds Amateur Operatic & Dramatic Society will present The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Tue 1 – Sat 5 May). Bury Theatre Workshop are staging a murder mystery with The Hollow (Wed 27 – Sat 30 Jun) and Suffolk Young People’s Theatre return with a fully staged version of Footloose: The Musical (Wed 25 – Sat 28 Jul).

For family fun, timeless children’s classic book Dear Zoo makes its stage premiere (Sat 17 – Sun 18 Feb), Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s Tiddler and other Terrific Tales (Fri 1 – Sun 3 Jun), Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns (Thu 29 – Fri 30 Mar) and of course the return of Theatre Royal’s Once Upon A Festival season with Ballet Cymru’s innovative version of Cinderella (Mon 11 – Tue 12 Jun), the nonsense world of Edward Lear in The Owl and The Pussycat (Fri 15 – Sat 16 Jun) and hugely popular The Gruffalo’s Child (Fri 22 – Sun 24 Jun).

To book visit www.theatreroyal.org and log in to book online, call the Box Office on 01284 769505, or stop by and say hello in person.

FULL LISTING

JANUARY

The Good Person of Szechwan (Tue 23 – Sat 27 Jan)
Birdsong (Wed 31 Jan – Sat 3 Feb)

FEBRUARY

Lunchtime Concert: Sam Phia & Louise Garner (Mon 5 Feb)
Michael McIntyre: Work In Progress (Wed 7 – Thu 8 Feb)
Judy & Liza (Fri 9 – Sat 10 Feb)
The Jungle Book (Sun 11 – Mon 12 Feb)
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads (Tue 13 Feb)
Whose Story is it Anyway? (Wed 14 Feb)
Fall Out (Thu 15 Feb)
More Stars Than in the Heavens (Fri 16 Feb)
Dear Zoo (Sat 17 – Sun 18 Feb)
Teddy (Mon 19 – Sat 24 Feb)
Call My Bluff with Christopher Biggins (Thu 22 Feb)
Here We Are Now (Sun 25 Feb)
Teechers (Mon 26 – Wed 28 Feb)

MARCH

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Thu 1 – Fri 2 Mar)
The Barber of Seville (Sat 3 Mar)
Entertain Us (Sun 4 Mar)
Great Expectations (Tue 6 – Sat 10 Mar)
Lunchtime Concert: Tale Dolce Musical (Mon 12 Mar)
The Producers (Tue 13 – Sat 17 Mar)
The Scary Bikers (Mon 19 – Wed 21 Mar)
Mindgame (Thu 22 – Sat 24 Mar)
Incognito (Tue 27 Mar)
I Believe in Unicorns (Thu 29 – Fri 30 Mar)
Thank You For The Music (Sat 31 Mar)

APRIL

Golf Day (Thu 5 Apr)
Treasure Island (Thu 5 – Sat 7 Apr)

Paul Gambaccini (Sun 18 Apr)

Ballet Central 2018 (Mon 9 Apr)

We are Lions, Mr Manager! (Tue 10 Apr)

Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri (Sat 14 Apr)

Clare College Choir (Tue 17 Apr)

Hay Fever (Wed 18 – Sat 21 Apr)

A Brave Face (Mon 23 Apr)

Mountains – The Dreams of Lily Kwok (Tue 24 – Wed 25 Apr)

Walk Like a Man (Sat 28 Apr)

MAY

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Tue 1 – Sat 5 May)

Lunchtime Concert: James Recknell (Thu 3 May)

Richard Herring: Oh Frig, I’m 50! (Wed 9 May)

Radio Active (Thu 10 May)

Islands in the Stream (Fri 11 May)

Sounds of the Glenn Miller Era (Sat 12 May)

Hard Times (Wed 16 – Sat 19 May)

Psychic Sally – Kisses To Heaven (Fri 25 May)

Simon & Garfunkel: Through the Years (Wed 30 May)

Britain’s Got Magic (Thu 31 May)

JUNE

Tiddler and Other Terrific Tales (Fri 1 – Sun 3 Jun)

Whisky Galore (Tue 5 – Sat 9 Jun)

Cinderella (Mon 11 – Tue 12 Jun)

The Owl and The Pussycat (Fri 15 – Sat 16 Jun)

Rhythm of the Dance (Wed 20 Jun)
The Gruffalo’s Child (Fri 22 – Sun 24 Jun)

The Hollow (Wed 27 – Sat 30 Jun)

JULY

Footloose: The Musical (Wed 25 – Sat 28 Jul)

The Case of the Frightened Lady (Mon 30 Jul – Sat 4 Aug)