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# SPOTLIGHT ON: Theatre Royal Brighton’s winter season, from Ruby Wax’s journey to find peace to Liza with a Z and THE Dame Joan Collins
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/spotlight-on-theatre-royal-brightons-winter-season-from-ruby-waxs-journey-to-find-peace-to-liza-with-a-z-and-the-dame-joan-collins/
- Published: 2023-08-17T13:41:39.000Z
- Updated: 2023-08-17T13:41:39.000Z
- Description: Brian Butler finds poltergeists galore, a teenage drag artist and Royal rock stars at Theatre Royal Brighton
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Arts, atg, Ivano Turco, Ruby Wax, Theatre Royal Brighton

If you don’t know who **Percy Gibson** is, or which of **Henry VIII**’s wives were divorced, beheaded or survived, you need to study **Theatre Royal Brighton**’s winter season.

Comedian and mental health campaigner **Ruby Wax** gives us the aptly titled ***I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was*** for one night on **14 September**, which is her story of the journey to find peace and happiness – with a lot of laughs along the way.

On **16 September**, **Christina Bianco** presents ***Liza with a Z and more***! Full of **Liza Minelli**’s songs and backed by the 28-piece jazz orchestra, the **London Gay Big Band**, it has choreography by David Allwood, re-creating the legendary moves of **Bob Fosse**. The show elebrates 50 years of the album of the same name.

Explosive new musical ***La Bamba*** bursts on to the stage **19-23 September**. *Strictly* star **Pasha Kovalev**, and **The Wanted**’s **Siva Kaneswaran** are joined by **Inez Fernandez**. It’s the story of how the power of music can transform a generation and celebrate a community. Full of Latin, R & B and rock/pop it’s about a young girl with a big voice. Choreography is by *Strictly*’s **Graziano Di Prima**.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/bloodbrothers_title_1920x1080-e1692279502893.webp)

Iconic musical ***Blood Brothers*** by **Willy Russell** is staged **3-7 October**. Twins, separated at birth, grow up in Liverpool on opposite sides of the tracks until their fateful reunion. Worth it to hear T*ell Me It’s Not True* alone.

It’s followed **9 -14 October** by ***Greatest Days*** – the official **Take That** musical. It includes 15 of their hits, alongside a story of love and laughter by **Tim Firth**, creator of *The Calendar Girls*. It stars *Brookside*’s **Jennifer Ellison**. For one night only, on 16 October, a talented cast of mimics re-create the 1950s hit radio series *Hancock’s Half Hour*. **James Hurn** plays the hapless Hancock, resident of 23 Railway Cuttings, East Cheam, with **Colin Elmer** playing the equally fabulous Kenneth Williams. The show comprises three of the series’ favourite episodes.

The stage will be full of Hollywood glitter on **21 October** when Dame **Joan Collins** presents her show ***Behind The Shoulder Pads***, based on her new memoir. Appearing with husband **Percy Gibson**, she’ll field questions from the audience and show footage across her seven decades of entertaining us.

***2:22 A Ghost Story*** is a funny, adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear. Dare you discover the truth? It features TV stars **Joe Absolom**, **Charlene Boyd**, **Nathaniel Curtis** and **Louisa Lytton**. It’s written by **Danny Robins**, who created *The Battersea Poltergeist*. It runs **24-28 October**.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/etaj_brighton_title_1920x1080-e1692279455584.jpg)

If you’re up for some queer heart-warming musical moments, then the award-winning ***Everybody’s Talking About Jamie*** is up your street. Following record-breaking West End residence and UK tour, it comes back to the Theatre Royal from **31 October – 11 November**. It’s the story of a 16-year-old Sheffield council estate boy who dreams of stardom as a drag artist. It stars the amazing **Ivano Turco**, who I was blown away by when he played the Prince in **Andrew Lloyd Webber**’s ill-fated musical *Cinderella*. *EastEnders* star **John Partridge** plays drag queen Loco Chanelle, who becomes Jamie’s mentor.

We’re back to the ghosts and ghoulies from **14-18 November** for ***The Enfield Haunting*** *,* which stars *Dr Who* and *Queen of Oz* star **Catherine Tate** and *Funny Woman*’s **David Threlfall**. It’s a world premiere from the pen of **Paul Unwin**, co-creator of TV’s *Casualty*. Based on real-life, it features one night in 1978 when events come to a climax. And you’ve no settee to hide behind.

***Twelve Angry Men*** (**20-25 November**), is a classic courtroom thriller, where a young delinquent, accused of murdering his father, finds his fate is in the hands of a jury, who turn every which way until the stunning finale. It stars *Dallas* legend **Patrick Duffy**.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/six_prod5_1920x1080-e1692279473473.jpg)

**Tony Award**\-winning rock musical ***Six*** storms back to Brighton from **19 December – 6 January 2024**. From Tudor queens to pop princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales – and Henry doesn’t come off well. Smart, sassy, loud and glorious.

If you fancy seeing behind the scenes then Saturdays from **30 September – 25 November** are for you. You get to see the secrets of one of the UK’s oldest working theatres – its nooks, crannies, ghost – you’ll see it all – well maybe not the ghost.

**More information, [CLICK HERE](http://atgtickets.com/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**