As part of MIF (Manchester International Festival), that aims to bring artists from different art forms to create forward thinking innovative work, Maxine Peake stars in the world premiere of The Nico Project as 60s icon of the same name.
Mates blogger: Kristy Stott
Kristy Stott is one of over 45 theatre bloggers who are part of the MyTheatreMates collective. This page features Kristy's posts on MyTheatreMates. Take a look at our full list of theatre bloggers and our aggregated feed of all our Mates' posts. We’re always looking for new theatre bloggers. Could that be you? Learn about how to join us.
Kristy Stott, editor of Upstaged Manchester, is an entertainment journalist, theatre critic and general arts lover. Kristy has been an avid follower of the Manchester theatre scene for as long as she can remember and has written for WhatsOnStage, the Library Theatre Company and Cornerhouse Manchester. Kristy is also news editor and presenter for Trafford Sound community radio.
The latest from Kristy on MyTheatreMates
‘Lively & refreshing’: THE HIRED MAN – Oldham ★★★★
The Hired Man is a lively and refreshing Northern musical which offers us an insight into the life of rural communities at the beginning of the 20th century.
‘Digs convincingly into the psychology of the characters’: MISS JULIE – Manchester ★★★
This production of Miss Julie, by the Durham-based Elysium Theatre Company, keeps things simple and focused on the complex subtext of Strindberg’s work (here in a proficient translation by Michael Meyer).
‘A beautiful reinterpretation of the Shakespearean classic’: MATTHEW BOURNE’S ROMEO & JULIET – Touring ★★★★★
A beautiful reinterpretation of the Shakespearean classic, Matthew Bourne’s Romeo & Juliet at The Lowry modernises the tale of doomed love for a new audience.
‘Broadens the thematic reach of the play’: HOBSON’S CHOICE – Manchester ★★★
The Royal Exchange’s latest offering is an adaptation of Harold Brighouse’s 1916 play Hobson’s Choice, with the action updated from Victorian-era Salford to Ancoats in the 1980s.
‘Hauntingly hypnotic’: SILENT LINES – Touring ★★★★
Whether you’re a contemporary-dance-curious newcomer or a die-hard fan of Maliphant’s exquisite vision and choreography, Silent Lines is a beautifully serene though sharply executed performance.
‘Plants the play firmly in a different era’: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING – Touring ★★★★
It may be Shakespeare but thanks to the ensemble cast and their excellent interpretation this production of Much Ado About Nothing could not be described as stuffy, taking the audience from high comedy to moments of dramatic tension in minutes.
‘Authentic & invigorating production’: HAMLET – Manchester ★★★★
This production of Hamlet asserts itself as the authentic, entertaining and thrilling rendition that it consciously aims to be.
‘Nothing short of a complete triumph’: WEST SIDE STORY – Manchester ★★★★★
West Side Story is Sarah Frankcom’s first major musical production at the Royal Exchange, Manchester and it is nothing short of a complete triumph.
‘More captivating than ever’: BEAUTY & THE BEAST – Touring ★★★★
Beauty & the Beast is certainly a ‘tale as old as time’, and in this beautiful interpretation by Birmingham Royal Ballet the magical relationship between Belle and the Beast appears more captivating than ever.
‘A breath of fresh air’: FAT BLOKES – Manchester ★★★★★
Fat Blokes is not your typical dance show. It’s witty, queer, honest, and uncomfortable in all the right places. It’s nothing you expect it to be, but everything that it should be.
‘No ordinary night at the theatre’: FROM SHORE TO SHORE – Manchester ★★★★
Walking up the steps of Yang Sing, a restaurant on the edge of Chinatown, it is easy to see that From Shore to Shore will be no ordinary night at the theatre. (Indeed, it’s not at the theatre at all.)
‘Life-affirming & vivid’: BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES – Touring ★★★★★
Barber Shop Chronicles is a hugely impressive production. Life-affirming and vivid. Putting lives on stage which have not been seen there before.
‘The paring of the two is an inspired choice’: THE RITE OF SPRING & GIANNI SCHICCHI – Touring ★★★★
Opera North’s The Rite of Spring/Gianni Schicchi is an uneven pairing but a thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable evening nonetheless. Both works serve as great entry points to their respective mediums.
‘Brings out the fantastical elements’: THE MAGIC FLUTE – Touring ★★★
Opera North’s new production of Mozart’s The Magic Flute takes the composer’s final opera and brings out the fantastical and often comedic elements of what can at times be a dark story – several characters contemplate suicide on stage, but this version avoids ever feeling bogged down in these darker moments.
‘An explosion of sheer theatrical joy’: WISE CHILDREN – Touring ★★★★★
Wise Children is the ultimate love letter to theatre. Complete with stars, spotlights, showgirls and Shakespeare – this is a spectacle to behold.
‘Honest & gritty autobiographical work’: SPARKPLUG – Touring ★★★
Manchester-based Box of Tricks Theatre Company has spent two years developing SparkPlug with dual heritage writer/performer David Judge.
‘Family-friendly frolic at its best’: BILLIONAIRE BOY – Touring ★★★★★
Billionaire Boy captures the spirit of David Walliams’ novel perfectly. There is humour, warmth, disgust, friendship, minor audience participation, a bit of Fortnite and love. And did I mention humour?
‘A deliciously dark gem of a show’: THE ANIMALS & CHILDREN TOOK TO THE STREETS – Manchester & Lyric Hammersmith ★★★★★
1927’s The Animals & Children Took to the Streets is a deliciously dark gem of a show. With a running time of just 70 minutes, you might assume that the action would be rushed. Instead, the three performers take their time, wringing every last drop of twisted humour out of each rhyming couplet.
‘A complete triumph’: THE BAND – Touring ★★★★
The Band is not just a musical for Take That groupies – it’s a musical for anybody who grew up with a boyband. This is a musical which celebrates the music of Take That and so much more besides.