From Les Misérables to We Will Rock You, some of the country's top West End shows are heading east in 2020 with tour dates at Norwich Theatre Royal.
1. Blithe Spirit
February 24 to 29
You're in for an Absolutely Fabulous night as comedy actress Jennifer Saunders stars in a new adaptation of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit and theatre fans in Norwich are in for a treat as it is only heading to six venues across the UK, before opening at the Duke of Yorks Theatre in London.
The comedy actress will revive the role of eccentric medium Madame Arcati in the classic play and she received critical acclaim when she starred in the production at Theatre Royal Bath in summer 2019.
Blithe Spirit tells the story of novelist Charles Condomine and his second wife Ruth who find their lives change after a séance. Madame Arcati conjures up the ghost of Charles' first wife and when she appears, and is visible only to him, she sets out to sabotage his current marriage and things begin to get complicated.
2. Les Misérables
March 4 to April 4
The West End's longest-running musical, which had played in London since 1985, is here for a month next year and although there may be Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, there will certainly be no empty seats.
Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed production tells the story of former convict Jean Valjean, who spends his life seeking redemption for his crimes, and is set in 19th century France in the aftermath of the French revolution as he is haunted by Inspector Javert.
The show has now been seen by over 120 million people in 52 countries and 22 languages and the score includes I Dreamed A Dream, Bring Him Home and One Day More.
3. We Will Rock You
May 4 to 9 2020
Get ready to rock as the West End smash-hit is heading to the Theatre Royal and features Queen's hits as you have never seen them before.
The musical by Queen and Ben Elton delivers the scale and spectacle of the band's legendary live performances with their biggest songs, including We Are The Champions, I Want To Break Free, Don't Stop Me Now, Bohemian Rhapsody and Another One Bites The Dust.
Since 2002, over 16 million theatre-goers in 19 countries have been thrilled by this production and you're bound to be dancing in the aisles.
4. A Monster Calls
April 21 to 25
Based on Patrick Ness's piercing novel, it sees 13-year-old Conor and his mum coping with life after his dad moves away and you can see it in the city before it goes to London's Old Vic in July.
As his mum gets ill, his grandmother starts interfering and his schoolmates will not look him in the eye and one night Conor is woken by a monster knocking at his window.
The play is directed by Sally Cookson, who also directed Jane Eyre which came to Norwich in 2017, and this new production aims to offer an insight into love, life and healing.
5. Everybody's Talking About Jamie
June 1 to 6
Layton Williams (Bad Education, Matthew Bourne's Lord of the Flies) and Shane Richie (Alfie Moon in EastEnders) reprise their roles from the hit West End production of the show which tells the story of sixteen-year-old Jamie New who doesn't quite fit into life on a council estate in Sheffield.
He does not like being there and is terrified about the future, but by overcoming prejudice and beating the bullies he comes out of the darkness and into the spotlight in this funny and fabulous musical for all ages.
Also announced for the UK tour cast is Britain's Got Talent 2008 winner George Sampson, who wowed the nation with his Singing in the Rain dance on the show, and Coronation Street's Shobna Gulati, who played Sunita Alahan in the soap.
6. SIX
July 14 to 19
SIX returns to the city where it first premiered before it became an international musical phenomenon and the sassy and stylish history lesson with attitude sees Tudor queens turn into pop princesses.
It is currently running at the Arts Theatre in London and is also touring the UK, which includes a homecoming date at the Theatre Royal two years after its Norwich debut in July 2018.
The show sees the six wives of Henry VIII taking to the microphone Spice Girls-style to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st Century girl power.
7. Billionaire Boy
July 22 to 25
The highly-anticipated stage production of the David Walliams book Billionaire Boy arrives in Norwich over the summer holidays and tells the story of the mega-rich 12-year-old Joe Spud who has everything he could want in life apart from friends.
This new production comes from The Birmingham Stage Company who created the award-winning stage versions of Gangsta Granny and Horrible Histories.
The show is heading on tour after a West End premiere over Christmas at the Bloomsbury Theatre and there was also a popular BBC film adaptation of the book, which broadcast on New Year's Day in 2016.
You can purchase tickets to Norwich Theatre Royal shows online at theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk, by phone on 01603 630000 or in person at the box office.
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