New play marks 40 years since Aston Villa became European champions
A play about Aston Villa's journey to becoming European Cup champions will debut at Birmingham Rep as part of its 50th anniversary season.
Would You Bet Against Us? comes to the Birmingham theatre on May 19 for its world premiere, marking the 40th anniversary of the historic event for Birmingham football.
The production from associate company Told by an Idiot celebrates the biggest night in Villa's history - which fans still remember reverently today.
Pioneering company Ramps On The Moon is also bringing a production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing to Birmingham Rep from October 4-8.
Ramps On The Moon is an initiative committed to putting deaf and disabled artists and audiences at the centre of their work; their production will use creative sign language, audio description, and captioning.
Also playing at the renowned theatre this year is the acclaimed RSC production of Moliere's classic play, Tartuffe, directed by Iqbal Khan.
Adapted by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto, the play transports the classic story to Birmingham's Stratford Road and will play at the Rep from October 14 - November 5.
The Rep is also presenting several shows in conjunction with the Birmingham 2022 Festival, a six month celebration of culture surrounding the Commonwealth Games.
One of these productions is the critically acclaimed Australian show, Counting and Cracking, coming to the Rep from August 19-27.
The Rep is one of only two UK venues to host the epic story.
The other Birmingham 2022 productions are the stage adaptation of Floella Benjamin's award-winning book, Coming to England, and a new musical set in the Caribbean called Playboy of the West Indies - The Musical.
Coming to England is at the Rep from March 31 to April 16, while Playboy of the West Indies is running from June 10 to July 2.
Artistic Director, Sean Foley said: “To have been able to programme and deliver a whole year of shows for The Rep in its 50th year in its ‘new’ theatre on Centenary Square has been a privilege; that it has also coincided with such an important year for the City is an incredible honour.
“Birmingham is on the move: the world’s most important super-diverse City has the Commonwealth Games in its sights, and The Rep does too.
"These shows celebrate and interrogate how the legacy of Commonwealth has enriched our shared culture."
The Rep will also hold a symposium about comedy on April 1 in conjunction with the University of Birmingham, entitled Serious About Comedy.
To book tickets for the above shows, visit Birmingham-rep.co.uk or call 0121 236 4455.
