The Blue Orange Theatre

17/06/2026

The next show announced for Birmingham Fest 2026.

ForeFront Theatre Company presents The Great Gatsby - as you’ve never seen it before.

This daring reimagining dives beneath the glittering surface of the Jazz Age to reveal the raw, beating heart of Fitzgerald’s iconic story. Performed by a cast of emerging local talent, the production asks timeless questions about love, obsession, and the cost of chasing the American Dream.

Told through a dynamic ensemble, the show blends the classic narrative and beloved characters with physical theatre and inventive staging. The performers themselves become the engine of the piece, creating an immersive, visceral experience that breathes new life into a story we all think we know.

Who is Gatsby, really? Can obsession — and love — destroy?

Sun 19th July, The Blue Orange Theatre, 3pm.
(link in comments).

Forefront is a division of Central Youth Theatre.

17/06/2026

PREVIEW SHOWS FOR EDINBURGH FRINGE COMING TO BLUE ORANGE THEATRE IN JULY!

We are thrilled to announce preview shows for THE SIGNALMAN 👻and SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE SPECKLED BAND 🫆are ON SALE NOW!

THE SIGNALMAN 👻

Charles Dickens’ classic ghost story. When a traveller chances upon a solitary railway signalman he is drawn into a tale of ghostly premonitions, tragic occurrences and human solitude that echoes the contrasting Victorian feelings towards the nascent railway system.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE SPECKLED BAND 🫆

“Oh my God. It was the band. The specked band!”

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are back in one of their darkest cases. Who or what is The Speckled Band?

Following a sell-out run in 2023, The Speckled Band is back for 2026.

“… captivating and engaging … the brilliant acting on stage allows for an incredible watch.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
The Student

“A faithful in spirit and entertaining adaptation … an excellent play that is perfect for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and does justice to this classic story.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Edinburgh Reviews

“… a masterclass in doing more with less”.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Reviews Hub

Adapted by JAMES NICHOLAS

📍The Blue Orange Theatre, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham
📆 18th July - 2.00pm and 7.45pm

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

sherlockholmes

https://blueorangetheatre.co.uk/project/the-speckled-band-the-signalman-edinburgh-preview-18th-july/

16/06/2026

📣📣EARLY BIRD TICKETS SELLING FAST!!📣📣
Have you got your tickets for our ghostly Christmas show yet?

Tickets are now on sale for our chilling double bill of Gjost Stories for Christmas 👻🌲

Blue Orange Arts Presents - The Tell-Tale Heart & The Screaming Skull – Double Bill (11th – 23rd December)

THE TELL-TALE HEART ❤️ 🗡️by Edgar Allan Poe

A lone narrator draws us into the shadowed recesses of an obsessive mind, in this new working of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale of tension and paranoia.

THE SCREAMING SKULL 💀😱 by F. Marion Crawford

Set within the walls of a brooding seaside house, where memory and superstition intertwine, F. Marion Crawford’s seldom-staged masterpiece unfolds as a chamber-piece of psychological unease.

📆 11th - 23rd December
📍The Blue Orange Theatre, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham B18 6AD

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – The first 10 tickets of each performance are available for just £13!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

https://blueorangetheatre.co.uk/project/the-tell-tale-heart-the-screaming-skull-double-bill-11th-23rd-december/

15/06/2026

Thrilled to be taking our show THE HANGED MAN’S BRIDE 👰👻 to the amazing Shakespeare North Playhouse Shakespeare North Playhouse in July as part of the Heading North Festival!

INTRODUCING ACTOR & WRITER JAMES NICHOLAS!!

James is a northern-born actor and writer. Recent theatre includes Fettes in The Body Snatcher, Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles and Clown in Dr Faustus (for Blue Orange Arts); Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (Electric Press Productions); and 18 Victoria (Root &. Branch Productions). He wrote the award-winning play Can’t Stop Carrying On which debuted at Edinburgh Fringe in 2023.

The Hanged Man’s Bride is adapted from one of Dickens’ lesser known ghost stories and one that appealed not only for its creepy atmosphere but also for some of its darker themes. Weave in Dickens himself (who claimed to have been visited by the ghost of a real-life Chorley murderer, hanged in Lancaster, and seemingly the inspiration for the story), and a visit to a supposedly haunted inn, and the stage is set for a spooky Dickensian tale.

📆 1st - 2nd July 2026
📍Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot

“… perfectly captures the Dickensian method of horror …”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Theatre & Tonic
“Tantalisingly creepy”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Curtain Call Reviews
“If you are a fan of old horror stories of ghosts, amurder and revenge then this is definitely a show for you.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️North West End UK
“… James Nicholas’ passionate performance captivated the audience … a worthwhile experience for established fans of one-man shows and Dickens enthusiasts.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Edinburgh Reviews

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM THE SHAKESPEARE NORTH WEBSITE!

https://shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk/event/charles-dickens-the-hanged-mans-bride/

14/06/2026

📣📣NEW SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT FOR BIRMINGHAM FEST📣📣

ForeFront Theatre Company presents –

THE GREAT GATSBY

As Part of Birmingham Fest

The Great Gatsby – as you’ve never seen it before.


This daring reimagining dives beneath the glittering surface of the Jazz Age to reveal the raw, beating heart of Fitzgerald’s iconic story. Performed by a cast of emerging local talent, the production asks timeless questions about love, obsession, and the cost of chasing the American Dream.



Told through a dynamic ensemble, the show blends the classic narrative and beloved characters with physical theatre and inventive staging. The performers themselves become the engine of the piece, creating an immersive, visceral experience that breathes new life into a story we all think we know.



Who is Gatsby, really? Can obsession – and love – destroy?



website/social media:

www.centralyouththeatre.org

on IG & Facebook



Dates and time of show:

Sunday 19th July – 3.00pm



Running Time

Approximately 120 minutes including an interval



Ticket price:

Standard tickets: £10.00

Concession tickets: £8.00

https://blueorangetheatre.co.uk/project/the-great-gatsby-19th-july/

10/06/2026

📣📣GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS!📣📣
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – The first 10 tickets of each performance are available for just £13! - THESE ARE SELLING FAST, GET THEM WHILE YOU CAN!!! 👻🌲

Blue Orange Arts Presents - The Tell-Tale Heart & The Screaming Skull – Double Bill (11th – 23rd December)

THE TELL-TALE HEART ❤️ 🗡️by Edgar Allan Poe
A lone narrator draws us into the shadowed recesses of an obsessive mind, in this new working of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale of tension and paranoia.
THE SCREAMING SKULL 💀😱 by F. Marion Crawford
Set within the walls of a brooding seaside house, where memory and superstition intertwine, F. Marion Crawford’s seldom-staged masterpiece unfolds as a chamber-piece of psychological unease.
📆 11th - 23rd December
📍The Blue Orange Theatre, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham B18 6AD

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
https://blueorangetheatre.co.uk/.../the-tell-tale-heart.../
— with The Jewellery Quarter and MyJQ.

Blue Orange Arts presents – Ghost Stories for Christmas A double bill of plays   The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe A lone narrator draws us into the shadowed recesses of an obsessive mind…

10/06/2026

The next show announced for Birmingham Fest 2026.

Boundless by Embedded Theatre.

“We thought the cave was safe. That’s what we told each other when we saw the mouth of it yawning open in the cliffside. Somewhere we could be free to be ourselves”

It’s 2052, and five people have found their way to a refuge hidden in the rocks, each with their own reason for fleeing the oppression of the city. Their rural communal life seems idyllic, until one day Ezekiel suddenly disappears, shattering the trust that has bound them and testing how much of what they tried to escape they have really left behind.

Boundless is a dynamic piece of devised theatre reflecting on the fragility of freedom, by a new generation of makers.

Sat 25th & Sun 26th July, The Blue Orange Theatre, 3pm.

Link in comments.

07/06/2026

THE SPECKLED BAND IS RETURNING TO EDINBURGH FRINGE

“Oh my God. It was the band. The specked band!”

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are back in one of their darkest cases. Who or what is The Speckled Band?

Following a sell-out run in 2023, The Speckled Band is back for 2026.

“… captivating and engaging … the brilliant acting on stage allows for an incredible watch.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Student

“A faithful in spirit and entertaining adaptation … an excellent play that is perfect for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and does justice to this classic story.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Edinburgh Reviews

“… a masterclass in doing more with less”.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Reviews Hub

📍Space 2 at theSpace on the Mile
📆 21 - 29 August

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2026/sherlock-holmes-the-speckled-band

06/06/2026

HENRY V 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿👑Showing Edinburgh Festival Fringe theSpaceUK this August with exclusive previews at The Blue Orange Theatre in Birmingham
This one-man take on Henry V focuses on the man behind the crown. Prince Hal steps out of his past and into leadership, in a fast-moving, physical performance that brings Shakespeare’s words to life with clarity, energy, and heart.

📍Space 2 at theSpace on the Mile
📆 7 - 18 August

TICKETS ON SALE NOW - https://www.thespaceuk.com/shows/2026/henry-v

PREVIEW SHOWS AT BLUE ORANGE THEATRE - 15TH - 17TH JULY