Staffordshire’s New Vic Theatre have announced that their Autumn season will include the world premiere of uplifting new play, Marvellous, based on local hero Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin’s biography from 1-23 October.

Marvellous is the life-affirming tale of an everyday hero and has been created with Baldwin himself, ready to hit the stage in his hometown of Newcastle-under-Lyme. Originally a BAFTA award-winning film broadcast on BBC Two, and then a book by Neil Baldwin and Malcolm Clarke, Marvellous combines a playful script with plenty of physical comedy and New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins’ inimitable directorial style.

Heskins said: “It’s been quite a while since we started working with Neil Baldwin on staging the story of his inspirational life. During that time his optimistic outlook and talent for happiness has rubbed off on us all. Being able to tell the story of our local hero here, in his hometown, at a time when we all need a bit of magic back in our lives, is a huge privilege.

The venue have also revealed that Beauty and the Beast will receive an enchanting retelling this Christmas from 26 November 2021 – 29 January 2022, reuniting the creative team who created their much-loved productions of The Snow Queen (UK Theatre Best Show For Children and Young People 2017) and The Prince and The Pauper. Returning to the original versions of the tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Heskins’ trademark theatrical invention will breathe new life into the story for a whole new generation.

Heskins continues: “For our version of Beauty and the Beast, which we’ll stage at Christmas, we’ve gone right back to the original story - and found it full of surprising treasures. Its themes about kindness, about love, and about humanity all feel more important than ever. It’s exciting for me as a director to be able to share this ultimately uplifting story with family audiences: it’s so precious to us when families get to enjoy and be inspired by the magic of theatre together.”

Tickets for the upcoming season will be on sale from Wednesday 7 July at midday. Please click here for further information.