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 thought provoking and intense piece of theatre’: What’s being said about Sunrise for the Blind on Twitter?
“Fantastic”, “excellent”, “wicked” – all words that have been used by audiences who have seen Sunrise for the Blind at the Tristan Bates Theatre and have leaped onto social media to share their thoughts about the production. Take a look at the buzz building around the show, then book your tickets for the final few days of the play’s London run.
‘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.
NEWS: Oliver Tompsett & Cassidy Janson are among the new cast members for West End musical & Juliet
The new cast announced for new West End musical & Juliet features Cassidy Janson; Oliver Tompsett; Arun Blair-Mangat; Melanie La Barrie; Jordan Luke Gage and Tim Mahendran.
‘The ignorance & lack of empathy towards the working class is unacceptable’: Lee Lomas tells us about bringing working class story Sunrise for the Blind to London
Lee Lomas comes from the growing breed of performers who is not content to wait for auditions to come around. He’s taken it on himself to step up and create the work he wants to star in and see more of. His latest production, Sunrise for the Blind, comes to Tristan Bates Theatre later this month. Read what he has to say about the show and working class representation on stage in our interview
NEWS: Following acclaim in Manchester, Lee Lomas’ Sunrise for the Blind comes to London’s Tristan Bates Theatre
Described by audiences as “unapologetically honest” and “Shane Meadows-esque” Lee Lomas’ new play, Sunrise for the Blind returns to London at the Tristan Bates Theatre this month. The working-class drama, staged by 1956 Entertainment, plays a limited season from 11-16 February 2019, so get your tickets fast!
NEWS: Miriam-Teak Lee will star in new musical & Juliet featuring the work of songwriter Max Martin
Award-winning Miriam-Teak Lee is to star in the brand new musical & Juliet featuring the music of acclaimed songwriter Max Martin who has written some of the biggest pop anthems of the last 30 years. The production will play a limited season at Manchester Opera House from 10 September to 12 October 2019 before beginning performances at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre on 2 November (press night is 20 November).
‘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.
‘It’s heartwarming to see these tales stand the test of time’: DOCTOR DOLITTLE – Touring ★★★★
Over 50 years since the release of the original 1967 film starring Rex Harrison, Leslie Bricusse’s Doctor Dolittle The Musical receives a major new revival stage revival.
‘Surpassed every expectation’: THE PRODUCERS – Manchester ★★★★★
The Christmas musical at the Royal Exchange is fast becoming a Manchester tradition. After a run of hits, The Producers has a lot to live up to, but even so, it surpasses every expectation. Raz Shaw’s production of this classic and controversial Mel Brooks musical turns the camp, the glitter and the hilarity up to 11.
‘Will leave you thinking & laughing throughout’: JB SHORTS 20 – Manchester
As ever, JB Shorts has a great reputation and never disappoints. With its host of gripping, 15-minute plays by some of TV’s top writers and starring local talent, I would recommend JB Shorts to anyone looking for a great night out for less than £10.
‘Everything that a pantomime should be’: CINDERELLA – Oldham Coliseum ★★★★
With an abundance of laugh out loud moments, Dave Bintley’s lively musical score of sing-along chart-toppers, a sterling cast of seasoned performers and a pleasing price-tag – Cinderella at Oldham Coliseum is the best traditional panto in the North.