From producing theatres to touring venues, Birmingham's got the lot, whether large and city based or localised and intimate. 

Here's our featured list of theatres.  Take the links for more information on each, view them all together on our cultural map of Birmingham's Gems or take the web links provided.

 

Birmingham City Centre

Birmingham Repertory Theatre

Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2EP

The Birmingham Rep, as it is commonly known, moved into its now home in Centenary Square in 1971. Since then it has seen a number of refurbishments and extensions as the Square has developed. 

The Rep website

 

The Alexandra Theatre

Suffolk Street, Queensway, Birmingham B5 4DS

The Alexandra is a theatre on Suffolk Street Queensway in Birmingham. Originally built in 1900-01. 

Alexandra Theatre website 

 

The Birmingham Hippodrome

Hurst Street, Southside, Birmingham, B5 4TB

The Birmingham Hippodrome is the main theatre in the City, located on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter (Southside BID). It is the home theatre of the Birmingham Royal Ballet. 

Birmingham Hippodrome website

 

The Old REP Theatre

45 Station Street, Birmingham B5 4DY

The Birmingham Repertory Theatre was founded at Station Street, by Sir Barry Jackson and opened in 1913. It remained at this location until 1971 (when they moved to a new building at what is now Centenary Square, near Broad Street). After that time it became The Old Rep Theatre.

The Old REP Theatre website

 

The Electric

47-49 Station Street, Birmingham, B5 4DY

The oldest working cinema in the country opened back in 1909. Originally a silent cinema, it went through many name and owner changes over the years. The most recent owner took it over from January 2022.

The Electric Cinema website

 

The Crescent Theatre

20 Sheepcote Street, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B16 8AE

The Crescent is one of the oldest theatre companies in the City Centre, having been founded back in 1924. They have had three theatre locations, first at The Crescent, Cambridge Street (1932 - 1964), then on Cumberland Street (1964 - 1998), and finally at their current home on Sheepcote Street (1998 to present).

The Crescent Theatre website

 

The Old Joint Stock

4 Temple Row West, Birmingham, B2 5NY

The Old Joint Stock was originally built as a library in 1864 from designs by the architect J A Chatwin. It was later taken over by the  Birmingham Joint Stock Bank. After a period as a Lloyds Bank, it was converted into a pub in 1997, with a theatre added in 2006.

The Old Joint Stock website

 

ODEON Birmingham New Street

139 New Street, Birmingham, B2 4NU

Opened as the Paramount Theatre in 1937, it was later sold to ODEON in 1942. In the 1960's and 1970's the venue was used for live concerts, such as by The Beatles. It is now a 9 screen cinema, with a Costa Coffee. The rear of the cinema faces Birmingham New Street Station.

ODEON Birmingham New Street website

 

The Blue Orange Theatre

118 Great Hampton Street, Hockley, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, B18 6AD

The Blue Orange Theatre is one of Birmingham's newest theatre's having opened in April 2011.

The Blue Orange Theatre website

 

Suburban Birmingham

 

Midlands Arts Centre

Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B12 9QH

The MAC was established in 1962, at Cannon Hill Park.  It hosts plays, concerts, film shows,  and holds art exhibitions, music classes and workshops. It was refurbished from 2008 to 2010, and again more recently from 2020 to 2021.

Midlands Arts Centre website

 

Hall Green Little Theatre

Pemberley Road, Fox Hollies, Acocks Green, Birmingham, B27 7RY

Founded in 1950, Hall Green Little Theatre is one of Birmingham's oldest amateur theatre companies. It is near Curtis Gardens.

Hall Green Little Theatre website

 

Sutton Arts Theatre

South Parade, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, B72 1QU

Sutton Arts Theatre in the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, run by volunteers. It was founded in the mid 1940s.

Sutton Arts Theatre website

 

Empire Cinemas Sutton Coldfield

 Maney Corner, Birmingham Road, Sutton Coldfield, B72 1QL

Empire Cinemas opened in 1936 as the 42nd Odeon of Oscar Deutsch's Odeon Theatres Ltd chain. A Grade II listed Art Deco building. It has been operating as Empire Cinemas since 2006. But they closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic, but as of 2022 have yet to reopen, as the building needs a full refurbishment first.

Empire Cinemas Sutton Coldfield website

 

Birmingham Theatre and Dance Schools

Moseley Dance Centre and Hazelle Stage School

572-574 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, B12 9AA

Moseley Dance Centre and Hazelle Stage School is housed at the former Moseley & Balsall Heath Institute building dating to 1879. Today the building is host to Hazelle Stage School and First Act Workshops. The stage school teaches Ballet, Tap, Acrobatics and Modern dance, while the workshop makes short films, put on shows and get their members cast in major TV, film and theatre productions.

Moseley Dance Centre website

Hazelle Stage School website

 

The Birmingham Theatre School

The Old Fire Station, 285 - 287 Moseley Road, Highgate, Birmingham, B12 0DX

The Birmingham Theatre School was founded by Sir Barry Jackson in the theatre he built (now The Old REP). The school has been based at The Old Fire Station in Highgate since at least 1990 (or earlier). The school has trained thousands of part time students over a wide variety of production bases courses. He has continued the legacy of the original founders.

Birmingham Theatre School website

 

Other theatres in the West Midlands

Belgrade Theatre

Belgrade Square, Corporation Street, Coventry, CV1 1GS

The Belgrade was the first civic theatre to be built in the UK after the end of the Second World War. It opened in 1958, and is now a Grade II listed building. The theatre and square gets it's name from the City of Belgrade in Serbia (formerly part of Yugoslavia). The Cities of Coventry and Belgrade were twinned in 1952.

Belgrade Theatre website

 

Grand Theatre

Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1DE

The Grand is a theatre in the City of Wolverhampton, dating back to 1894, designed by the architect Charles J. Phipps. They produce in-house plays, as well as host to touring West End productions and Pantos. It is next to the Britannia Hotel (originally the Victoria Hotel).

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre website

 

Lichfield Garrick Theatre

Castle Dyke, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6HR

The Lichfield Garrick Theatre opened in 2003 and was named after the 18th century actor David Garrick who grew up in the City. It is next to Three Spires shopping centre.

Lichfield Garrick Theatre website

 

Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6BB

The original Shakespeare Memorial Theatre opened on the banks of the Avon in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1879, but was gutted by a fire in 1926, and a new theatre opened next to it of the same name by 1932. The rebuilt original theatre later became the Swan Theatre. The Royal Shakspeare Company was founded in 1961, and in 1962, the theatre was renamed to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The whole building was refurbished from 2007 to 2010, and was reopened in 2011.

Royal Shakespeare Company - Royal Shakespeare Theatre website

 

The Other Place

22 Southern Lane, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6BH

The Other Place opened as a tin shed rehearsal room from 1974. It was closed in 1989 for two years rebuilding and reopened its doors in 1991 with a permanent brick building. The building closed in 2005 to be adapted as a foyer to The Courtyard Theatre (in use from 2006 to 2010 while the Royal Shakespeare and Swan theatres were closed for redevelopment). The RSC (Royal Shakespeare Theatre) kept the shell of The Courtyard Theatre's auditorium and used it to create a new The Other Place in 2016.

The Other Place - Royal Shakespeare Company website