Our am dram guru Alison Norton casts her expert eye over the shows that you should be looking out for this week, including a rarely played Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, a murder thriller, war drama and a night of dance.

We’ve all seen the popular Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborations – Carousel, South Pacific or Oklahoma, but one of the loveliest shows they wrote is the little performed State Fair.

Award-winning musical theatre group, Cradley Heath Amateur Operatic Society have decided to give State Fair a whirl at Brierley Hill Civic Hall from November 7-12.

The Frake family visit the Iowa State Fair in 1946, only to have their world turned upside down by love.

The score in delightful with classics such as It’s a Grand Night For Singing and It Might As Well Be Spring, as well more contemporary jazz numbers.

Kay Woodhouse and Paul Murdock star as Melissa and Abel Frake, with Liz Woodhouse and Adam Compton as their children, Margy and Wayne. For tickets, contact the box office on 0121 585 7380 or visit www.chaosoperatics.co.uk

There’s murder most horrid as Stafford Players present The Road Hill House Murder at the Gatehouse Theatre from November 9-12.

This is a true story of the murder of a child which took place in Victorian England, horrifying and shocking the whole country. It was recently adapted for TV in the form of the extremely popular programme The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale.

For tickets priced at £8.50-£7 contact the box office on 01785 254653 or visit www.staffordgatehousetheatre.co.uk

The extraordinarily talented youth group of West Bromwich Operatic Society are presenting The Pajama Game at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre, for one night only on November 9. I have fond memories of this musical when I appeared in it with South Staffs Musical Theatre Company. Although the story is based around the union in a pyjama factory and could be forgiven for being a little dull, the songs are uplifting and the witty script more than makes up for it.

Remember Racing With the Clock, Hey There, I’m Not At All in Love and Steam Heat? Great fun! And how wonderful to see one of my favourite young performers, Roberto Petrucco, taking the lead role of Sid Sorokin. He will be perfect.

For tickets, contact the box office on 0121 353 3531, or visit www.wbos.co.uk and click on the youth theatre.

Dance lovers are in for a treat on October 29 at the Arena Theatre in Wolverhampton. Catch an evening of ballet, tap, and acrobatics, modern, jazz and contemporary dance performed by Brookes Academy of Dance, entitled Let’s Get Loud. For tickets priced at £9-£7, contact 01902 321321.

Over in the Shropshire hills, Telford and District Light Operatic Players is presenting an unusual theatrical experience which combines Shakespeare and musical theatre, entitled A Furnace Man’s Dream, from November 12-13 at Enginuity, Coalbrookdale. The script of this play is taken largely from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest.

A group of industrial workers from the era of the development of the blast furnace relive the great storm of 1801 in a dream. In this fantasy world, a furnace man sees the interference of the supernatural in the lives and loves of this group of ordinary working men.

TADLOP as they are affectionately known, have received great support from the Ironbridge Gorge Museums too, with three of the leading characters visiting Blists Hill to gain firsthand experience of casting molten metal.

For tickets contact Sue Pointon on 01952 404167.

The extremely talented Walsall drama group, The Grange Players, based at The Grange Playhouse, are celebrating their 60th drama season with a series of plays especially chosen to reflect the auspicious nature of the occasion.

From November 9-19, they are presenting Amadeus by Peter Shaffer, the tale of the rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the court composer to the Emperor of Austria, Antonio Salieri. Amadeus is not without its comic moments and of course beautiful music and period costumes, making the whole production an absolute delight.

For tickets, contact Adam Worton at adam.worton@gmail.com or visit www.grangeplayhouse.co.uk

Finally this week, the Oldbury Repertory Theatre presents the heart-wrenching tale, My Boy Jack, by David Haig, at the Barlow Theatre, Langley from November 5-12.

Set in 1913 with the First World War but a stone’s throw away, celebrated author, Rudyard Kipling sends his son to enlist. Despite being declared unfit for duty, Kipling uses his influence to obtain a commission for Jack in the Irish Guards, but when his son is reported missing, while his family experience the devastation known by so many at that time, Kipling himself is also racked with guilt.

Recently adapted for TV and starring Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe in the title role, this is an emotional, poignant piece to remind us that Remembrance Day is just around the corner, lest we forget. For tickets, contact Alan Wood on 01384 832556 or visit www.oldburyrep.org

That’s all for this week. Contact me at a.norton@expressandstar.co.uk or call 01902 319662. Break a leg!