Birmingham’s own fringe theatre venue, the Old Joint Stock, sits in the heart of the city’s Cathedral Square. Nestled above a pub of the same name - a popular spot for a post-work pint - sits the theatre and its snug private bar. Boasting a studio-style stage, it hosts a huge variety of shows: whether you’re looking for comedy, small scale drama, lavish drag acts and cabaret, or an intimate setting for a musical. The Old Joint Stock has a great selection of shows coming up this spring and summer season, and we’ve picked a few dates to get in the diary…

Cabaret

The cosy venue and pub setting make it the perfect location for a cabaret show. In Bottoms Up! - ‘Birmingham’s bawdy burlesque show’ - The Old Joint Stock presents a unique line-up of acts, and promises “sultry striptease, witty wisecracks and saucy songs, up close and personal”. Corks will be popping at Bottoms Up! on a monthly basis, with summer shows taking place on Saturday 13 July and Saturday 31 August.

If you’d like something a bit more off-the-wall, look to Old Joint Stock regular Tracey Collins as she embodies a selection of weird and wonderful characters, and blends showbiz glamour with the noble pastime of Bingo. Shell Suit Cher swaps her leather for leisurewear to call the numbers on Saturday 15 June, Elvis Lesley hosts Burnin’ Love Bingo on Friday 12 July, and Bingo at Tiffany’s arrives on Friday 30 August with none other than Audrey Heartburn.

Musicals

The intimate venue leans into its potential for a unique musical theatre experience. After a successful in-house production of The Mad Ones in April, The Old Joint Stock Theatre presents the UK premiere of First Date - A Comedy Musical, from Wednesday 7 until Sunday 25 August. An award winning Broadway musical, the story follows a blind date as it unfolds in real time, with the potential lovebirds’ fellow restaurant patrons transforming into their friends and family. 

Drag. Dance. Clowning. and… Katy Perry!? For something completely different, Katherine And Pierre plays on Friday 21 June. Billed as a ‘Katy Perry Drag Musical’, the energetic and genre-defying show from TalkSmall - “a fabulous theatre duo, bringing together the worlds of physical theatre, dance, drag, and mime” - tells a love story built around the musical playlist of Katy Perry, after a successful Edinburgh Fringe debut. 

For anyone who fancies trying out their own vocal skills - with a hefty dollop of nostalgia - James B Partridge presents: Primary School Assembly Bangers Live! The show does what it says on the tin, and has proved to be a big hit: one of his two July dates has already sold out. Book soon to join the singalong on Thursday 4 July - James and his keyboard will be returning to the theatre on Friday 20 September.

LGBTQ+ Stories

Throughout the year, The Old Joint Stock regularly programmes shows which centre and celebrate the voices of the LGBTQ+ community, with a selection of vastly different productions. Aaron Twitchen presents Himbo - an hour of stand up comedy in which Aaron, after making poor choices himself, gives the audience control to tailor the show, featuring jokes about being an ageing millennial, pop culture and dating disasters.

Sauna Boy, a new play written and performed by Dan Ireland-Reeves, dives deep into the steamy world of the south coast’s most successful and infamous gay sauna. Dan navigates “a hidden world of lust, friendship and unorthodox working relationships” in a semi-autobiographical peek behind the curtain into a secret and seductive industry.

Edinburgh Fringe sell-out Voices of Evil - “the horrifying debut show from the award-winning poof prince of puppets” - visits the theatre on the 29th & 30th June. The story sees virginal Lachy set to be sacrificed ‘to help with his self esteem’ by Brew, a small, squishy witch. The show promises paranormal tricks and treats, with a demonic ritual to boot. What could go wrong?

While this is a small sample of the theatre’s 2024 offering, there's plenty more on the horizon. The full programme can be found here, with more information at oldjointstock.co.uk