Emma Knights From vibrant musicals to classical ballet and Shakespearean comedy and tragedy, Norwich Theatre Royal has revealed an impressive line up of shows for its coming season.

Emma Knights

From vibrant musicals to classical ballet and Shakespearean comedy and tragedy, Norwich Theatre Royal has revealed an impressive line up of shows for its coming season.

The theatre has created a colourful mix of productions for all ages, with a lot of special treats for musical fans especially.

Flashdance The Musical takes to the stage in March, choreographed by Arlene Phillips, and with a cast of well-known faces including Bruno Langley (Todd in Coronation Street) and Noel Sullivan from the reality TV pop group Hearsay.

But before that, 1980s show Footloose The Musical arrives direct from the West End in December, David Essex will appear in All the Fun of the Fair in February, and the previously announced UK tour of The Witches of Eastwick starring Wet Wet Wet's Marti Pellow premieres at the theatre in August.

Oscar-nominated actress Brenda Blethyn, who appeared in Atonement and Little Voice, will also grace the Norwich stage in the Tennessee Williams play The Glass Menagerie in September.

Fans of the Bard will be able to enjoy a new production of Romeo and Juliet by the Royal Shakespeare Company in November, and the all-male company Propeller will visit in February with its productions of the comedies A Midsummer Night's Dream and The Merchant of Venice.

One of Russia's most acclaimed companies, St Petersburg Ballet Theatre will present their version of Swan Lake in January, while there will be some family fun with the world premiere of Scooby Doo and the Pirate Ghost in February.

John Bultitude, Theatre Royal press officer, said: “There are plenty of shows for everyone and we have especially pulled out all the stops with the musicals this season.

“There is so much variety with everything from opera and ballet to the big musicals and of course the panto Snow White.”

The theatre is also hosting lots of one-night shows including comedy from Jimmy Carr in February, Hot Chocolate frontman Errol Brown's farewell tour in also in February, and an appearance by music great Dionne Warwick in November and entertainer Pam Ayres in March.

The new shows announced join an already popular line-up of shows including Oscar Wilde classic An Ideal Husband, Matthew Bourne's dance adaptation of Dorian Gray, Disney's Beauty and the Beast and world-class circus-style artistes performing a theatrical spectacle in Le Grand Cirque.

For more information on the shows visit www.EDP24.co.uk/dailylinks

The theatre's box office number is 01603 630000.