Veg out with The Daft Turnip!

Pulse’s Sammy Jones takes us through marvellous May’s stage attractions in the ‘fampton…

Sometimes less is more, and a case in point is the upcoming production of Treasure Island at the Royal (May 2 & 3) which delivers Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale with just a cast of four.

The show is a version the likes of which you won’t have seen before; laced with a host of contemporary comedic twists, including an unusual motley crew of pirates, a parrot called Alexa and a mermaid you will never forget.

You have leading physical comedy company La Navet Bete (aka The Daft Turnip) to thank for this, and thank the Devon-based crew you will. It’s a family friendly show – suitable for ages seven years and up.

Sir Tim Rice has enjoyed an illustrious career and the man seated at the heart of musical theatre visits the Derngate with My Life in Musicals, I Know Him So Well (May 2) to reflect on his life in music, with anecdotes, stories and live performances of some of the many songs associated with his name.

There have been more than a few: Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, Any Dream Will Do, A Whole New World, Can You Feel The Love Tonight, Circle of Life, Chess, I Know Him So Well and One Night In Bangkok among them.

MC Hammersmith (Underground, May 3) is ‘the world’s leading freestyle rapper to emerge from the ghetto of middle class West London’. That made us giggle. He’s accrued 100 million views online, but for his visit here he will be cutting loose improvised comedy raps based on your suggestions. Check our music pages for more with him.

There’s a lot more comedy heading your way this month: Kane Brown with Don’t Listen To Me (May 9, Royal), Richard Herring’s Can I Have My Ball Back (May 10, Royal) and Ahir Shah has Ends (May 10, Underground).

Rob Beckett sticks his neck out with Giraffe (May 15, Derngate) and Shoot From The Hip bring their award-winning improvised comedy to the Royal (May 16). Unscripted, unpredictable and unforgettable is the promise for that.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s second company, BRB2 visits the Derngate as part of its third tour with Carlos Acosta’s Ballet Celebration (Derngate, May 17) while at the Royal on the same evening, Levison Wood will delve into the philosophy of exploration, giving ticket-holders the chance to to experience the world through the eyes of one of our most intrepid adventurers.

Pig Heart Boy (May 21-24, Royal) asks, ‘Is it better to have a pig’s heart that works … than a human heart that doesn’t?’
‘Cameron is thirteen, and all he wants is to be normal – have friends, go to school, and dive to the bottom of his local swimming pool. But he desperately needs a heart transplant and time is running out. When he’s finally offered a new heart, Cameron must choose how far he’ll go to get his life back.’

Nick Mohammed is Mr Swallow in Show Pony (May 23, Dergate) and if anyone has an address for him, we’d love you to share – we’ve got a bill for botox to try to hide the laughter lines on our face that he is responsible for!

Nathan Caton (May 24, Underground) brings My Big Fat Blasian Wedding to the stage, and the naughtiest, funniest, most revolting science show in the world, aka Rude Science (May 28, Derngate) follows.

Last up, Sally-Anne Hayward (May 31, Underground) shares Egg Shortage. Sally is hitting a certain age, which means that getting sweaty in the early hours no longer means that someone else has to be there…

Comedy features over at The Old Savoy too, with Andrew Lawrence (May 9) Still on the Naughty Step.
We might live in a ‘cancel culture’ but Andrew ain’t fussed – he’s been through that process. Twice.

Both times, the man described as a ‘political provocateur’ has come back stronger, and the viral YouTube phenomenon has two decades of comedy circuit touring and plenty of awards tucked away to prove his staying power.

Spirit of the Blitz (May 15) is a chance to head back to the 40s with a tribute to stars including Vera Lynn, George Formby, Max Miller, Arthur Askey, Anne Shelton and Gracie Fields.

A sentimental journey to the time when great melodies and good clean comedy came as standard.
Last up, Dinosaurs Live! (May 31) will take you on a prehistoric journey together to the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods where you’ll watch life-like dinosaurs come alive. This is the first time since 1881 that the Natural History Museum has been on tour. We reckon it’ll be pure Dino-mite!

> Book tickets:
Royal & Derngate: royalandderngate.co.uk
The Old Savoy: theoldsavoy.co.uk