SHAUN LOWTHORPE Music and dance form the core of Norwich Theatre Royal's new season.

SHAUN LOWTHORPE

Music and dance form the core of Norwich Theatre Royal's new season, which is unveiled today.

Former newsreader Angela Rippon proved she could dance in the iconic Morecambe and Wise sketch.

And she is back on stage alongside former Brookside star Michael Starke in the Cole Porter musical Anything Goes (April 24-29).

Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Starlight Express runs from May 30 to June 24.

Stage performances include Festen - the award-winning drama based on the cult Danish movie, which saw the start of the Dogme movement (Feb 21-25); See How they Run (Mar 14-18) and the Long and the Short and the Tall (Mar 28-Apr 1). The Reduced Shakespeare Company performs Completely Hollywood (Dec 6-7).

The Theatre Royal is also playing host to the controversial show Jerry Springer the Opera (May 8-13), and there are performances of The Marriage of Figaro (May 3-6), Puccini's La Rondine and Kurt Weil's satirical operetta Arms and the Cow.

Dance events include St Petersburg Ballet Company's production of Swan Lake (Jan 30-Feb 4) and the dance spectacular Simply Ballroom, hosted by Lionel Blair

There is also comedy - with the return of pub landlord Al Murray (Dec 5), and performances by Jethro (Mar 23-24), Dara O'Briain (May 14), Dylan Moran (May 21) and the Chuckle Brothers (April 23).

For the younger audience there's Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Sep 19-30), a stage version of Edward Scissorhands (Feb 28-Mar 4), and the Horrible Histories featuring the Terrible Tudors and the Vile Victorians (Feb 15-18).

Easter sees the arrival of Hi-5 (Apr 4), Kensuke's Kingdom (April 5-6) and Fireman Sam (April 11-13).

One-night shows include Elkie Brookes (April 19), Rentaghost the Musical (Mar 25), A Feast of Gilbert and Sullivan (Mar 19) and the Meatloaf Story (June 25).

Jane Walsh, the Theatre Royal's programming manager, said: "We are really pleased to be able to bring a good selection of new, top quality shows to Norwich."

Box office: 01603 630000.

www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk