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?