Winter is truly over as Milton Keynes Theatre announces its sizzling summer season

The ground breaking West Side Story, voted the number one greatest musical of all time in the Times’ Top 50 Musicals last year, returns to MK along with another firm favourite Singin’ in the Rain.

The brand new production of Fame, which recently had a stint at Aylesbury’s Waterside theatre, high kicks off the legwarmers to bring classic feel-good favourite bang up to date, but if you’re missing a bit of 80s nostalgia don’t worry as you can always check out smash-hit Rock of Ages with Ben Richards and Noel Sullivan.

Recall the Happy Days of the 1950s as the new musical based on the hit TV series rolls into town with Ben Freeman, Cheryl Baker and Sugababe Heidi Range, or take a trip further down memory lane to the golden age of Hollywood for Top Hat which returns from the West End after it’s world premier at the theatre in 2011.

If you are looking for laughs there’s plenty to be had with the holiday hi-jinks of Keith Barron, Gwen Taylor, Neil Stacy and Carol Royle in comedy drama Last of the Duty Free reuniting the stars of one of the UK’s best loved sitcoms or for more drama enjoy a major revival of one of the best-loved plays of the 20th century of Pygmalion with Rula Lenska and Alistair McGowan.

Dance fans can look forward to Northern Ballet’s beautiful adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, experience the passion and feel the rhythm in Rhythm of the Dance or enjoy Dance til Dawn, a classic love story from Strictly Come Dancing starring Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace.

Kevin Clifton and Karen Hauer also bring Flash Mob with Flawless and other acts from Britain’s Got Talent, So You Think You Can Dance and Got To Dance to the stage.

There’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy with a performance of Three Little Pigs from the Northern Ballet and a visit from Peppa Pig.

You can even catch local talented youngsters taking to the stage themselves in this summer’s stage experience performance in The Wiz – a dazzling, lively mix of rock, gospel and soul.

Some fabulous one-night shows tie up the season with music from Elvis Presley on Stage, The Drifters, That’ll be the Day, the Rat Pack Vegas Spectacular, Motown’s Greatest Hits, and One Night of Queen.

For the perfect girl’s night out, there’s the hunky Dreamboys or for those who are fans of the Chinese martial arts, there’s the Immortal Chi Warrior’s Quest for Harmony.

Heading towards Autumn, Dirty Dancing returns along with Glyndebourne on Tour, the English National Ballet’s annual visit, the brand new Calamity Jane, the return of The Mousetrap and much more.

If you’re thinking about Christmas, there’s the theatre’s annual pantomime in the form of Peter Pan, for which tickets are on sale already.

Book tickets through the Milton Keynes Theatre box office on 0844 871 7652 or on the website here.