Historic Kings Theatre promising its "biggest year" yet.

The Kings Theatre Portsmouth is gearing up for its biggest year ever with a spectacular host of in-house productions, major West End touring shows, and its widest ever variety of live entertainment, music and family fun.
Moscow City BalletMoscow City Ballet
Moscow City Ballet

Spokesman Gregor Cubie said: "Kicking off the party is Avenue Q the uproarious and wickedly subversive coming-of-age puppet musical which opens its UK tour at The Kings Theatre on 25 January - 2 February.

"Other major homegrown and touring shows include a Southern stop on the premiere tour of The House on Cold Hill - Peter James’ chilling new contemporary supernatural thriller starring Joe McFadden and Rita Simons (25 Feb – 02 March), the return of the wildly popular Portsmouth Players with Grease (5-9 March), and They Think it’s All Over and Room 101 star Nick Hancock’s hilarious new farce Octopus Soup, which follows a bungled burglary attempt on the house of a neurotic insurance salesman and his Diva actress wife (19-23 March).

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"April sees a new revival, presented by The Kings Theatre and Jack Edwards (the Portsmouth legend recently seen as the villainous Dame in the Kings’ Cinderella panto), ofBugsy Malone: the beloved musical story of a pair of star-crossed lovers trying to find their way in a town run by child mobsters. This new production will be performed entirely by a cast of local kids (17 – 20 April). Then another musical theatre classic, Blood Brothers, Willy Russel’s legendary tome about twins separated at birth only to be reunited later in life with earth-shattering results (30 April – 04 May).

"Other world class live entertainment hitting The Kings Theatre’s legendary stage includes a double header from The Moscow City Ballet of Romeo & Juliet and Sleeping Beauty (8-10 Feb), Joe Black’s House of Burlesque (16 Feb), and Circus of Horrors’ amazing amalgamation of bizarre & fantastic circus acts all woven into a sensational new shock ‘n’ roll horror story, Psycho Asylum (17 Feb).

"The following week there’s a change of scene: an evening with broadcasting legend and national treasure Sir Michael Parkinson (21 Feb), before March sees Strictly… star Giovanni Pernice hit town with Dance is Life (11 March), and The Barricade Boys with their world renowned performance of the music of Les Miserables live in concert (16 March).

"Musical tributes include a Valentine’s Day spectacular celebrating the life and music of Rod Stewart: Some Guys Have All The Luck, the A-Z(iggy) of the Thin White Duke with the Bowie Experience (15 Feb), Genesis Connected – bringing together the art rock legends’ greatest hits with those of its members; Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and Mike & The Mechanics (22 Feb), Aretha Franklin in Respect (24 Feb), Sweet Caroline – A Tribute to Neil Diamond (14 March), Rock ‘n’ Roll variety show That’ll Be The Day ( 15 March), Swing extravaganza Sinatra, Sequins and Swing (17 March), The Spice Girls in Spice (24 March) and The Everly Brothers in Walk Right Back (4 April).

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"Family entertainment includes Tom Gates a brand-new theatrical adaptation of Liz Pichon’s cult books from the producers of Gangsta Granny and Horrible Histories (27-31 March), and a classic in the making which has now been seen by over 1 million people, CBBC’s In the Night Garden Live (13-14 April).

"As well as home to this whole universe of outstanding live performance The Kings Theatre – a beautiful Grade II-listed Edwardian edifice - is a true local landmark and community hub whose story blazes a trail through the history of arts and popular culture in the UK, making it truly one of the nation’s great theatres."

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