Host of hit shows lined up for Hull in the coming year, including Strictly star, supernatural romance, some whip-crackin’ Western fun and a risqué rock and horror fest

A host of thrilling new shows has been announced for Hull in the next 12 months, from sell-out blockbusters to a first solo tour by one of Strictly’s most-loved professionals.

They are all heading for the Hull New Theatre stage and promise something for everyone, with comedy, music, dance and drama all contained within the mix. One of the newest announcements concerns the return of a favourite with Hull audiences – the Rocky Horror Show.

Ready to thrill with fun and naughty moments is Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical, which is paying a call on the city as part of a new world tour next year. The rather risqué masterpiece will run from July 14 to 19.

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For the uninitiated, Rocky Horror Show concerns two squeaky clean college kids, Brad and his fiancée Janet, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. When their car breaks down outside a creepy mansion, they have a chance encounter with the charismatic Dr Frank’n’Furter and it’s one they are never likely to forget.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, it features timeless classics, including Sweet Transvestite, Dammit it Janet, and the pelvic-thrusting Time Warp. There is little wonder this naughty blockbuster has been seen by more than 35 million theatregoers worldwide and continues to sell out venues across the world.

Also heading for the Hull New stage next summer is the multi award-winning musical Chicago. Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, Chicago is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her.

Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids. Chicago will run from June 30 to July 5.

One for fans of the BBC ’s Strictly Come Dancing will be Midnight Dancer, the first UK solo tour by Strictly sensational Nikita Kuzmin. The professional who placed runner-up with dance partner, Layton Williams, in the most recent series, and went one better by lifting the famous glitter ball on the subsequent Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour in February 2024, is taking to the road with a cast of talented dancers and vocalists in a show like no other.

The show is jam-packed with the hits we all know and love in an evening bursting with happiness, euphoria and of course, world-class dance. Midnight Dancer promises an unforgettable night of entertainment with Celebrity Big Brother star Nikita as you’ve never seen him before, on May 7.

Earlier on in the year, that famous “pottery scene” from the 90’s hit film Ghost will be recreated live on stage when Ghost The Musical wheels into Hull New Theatre, from April 29 to May 3. Based on the Oscar-winning silver screen blockbuster, starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg, the plot follows Sam and Molly, a couple deeply in love, whose lives are shattered one night.

This timeless romantic musical, adapted by Bruce Joel Rubin, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, includes a sumptuous score featuring the iconic The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody alongside amazing songs co-written by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart. Recreating the supernatural thrills of the iconic movie, this show will capture the hearts of all who see it.

Jumping ahead to later next summer, you should prepare with your posse for a whip crackin' musical comedy classic. Calamity Jane is a rollin' on over the plains to Hull New Theatre from July 22 to 26.

Based on the much-loved Doris Day movie, this plumb fancy new production stars the multi-award winning West End actress and singer Carrie Hope Fletcher (Cinderella, Les Misérables) as the fearless, gun slingin' Calamity Jane – biggest mouth in Dakota territory and always up for a fight. With the classic songs The Deadwood Stage (Whip-Crack-Away), The Black Hills of Dakota, Just Blew in from the Windy City, and the Oscar-winning Secret Love, this production is set to be a sure-fire hit.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now. Book at the Hull City Hall Box Office, call 01482 300 306 or visit hulltheatres.co.uk for more information.