It seems like a good idea—to tell the story of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of the servants, all women, and to jolly things along with a little karaoke and lots of naughty words that never entered the Austen rectory. The result is girls behaving badly, characters who speak in Cor Blimey accents, jokes like riding… Continue reading Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)
Month: June 2023
La Bamba! gets into Latin stride
La Bamba!—a new dance musical featuring a soundtrack of Latin pop anthems, and starring Pasha Kovalev (Strictly Come Dancing) and Siva Kaneswaran (The Wanted)—will be at The Lowry in Salford this summer from August 17–19. The show will then head to London’s Peacock Theatre, Sadler’s Wells West End theatre, for a limited season on August… Continue reading La Bamba! gets into Latin stride
Cymbeline
It’s been around two decades since I last saw any Shakespeare (said in my best ‘old Rose from Titanic’ voice). In my defence, I spent most of my teens studying and watching it, so I had earned my hiatus. But, if ever there were to be a triumphant reintroduction to the Bard himself, then Cymbeline at the RSC… Continue reading Cymbeline
Kids get creative at Lowry
The winners of The Lowry’s first annual Creative Writing Challenge were presented by Manchester-based actor, writer and director Carla Henry, with performances by poet Tony Walsh. The 16 shortlisted entries performed on the Quays stage at The Lowry, Salford. Open to children aged 7–11 (Key Stage 2) from across Salford and Greater Manchester, the judges… Continue reading Kids get creative at Lowry
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
It’s back. Buddy is in the house and packing them in… again. A perennial favourite, Alan Janes’s 30+-year-old just-shy-of-a-jukebox-musical, docudrama charts the gangly, bespectacled maverick’s iron-clad self-belief, his meteoric rise to fame, ground-breaking Apollo Theatre appearance and his far few months in the limelight. With Thomas Mitchells (The Offensive’s Theo Clinton; Friendsical; Carmen 1808) ubiquitous as Narrator,… Continue reading Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
Manchester seeking cultural nominees
Manchester’s Culture Awards nominations have opened. They were launched in 2018 by the city council to recognise the best of culture, creativity, and the arts in the city—from the grassroots up. Last year, the competition to win one of the coveted awards saw nominations top 466 across 12 different categories—the highest number since the awards… Continue reading Manchester seeking cultural nominees
False Accounts: Exposing the Post Office Cover Up
What counts for business is the money it makes. Growth is what counts. Changes in organisation and technology must deliver that growth. If people get in the way then they are often sacrificed. In 1999, the Post Office brought the Fujitsu computer system Horizon to all its branches. Unfortunately, it didn’t function properly and the… Continue reading False Accounts: Exposing the Post Office Cover Up
Creativity Corner at HOME
HOME in Manchester launches a new Creativity Corner and hosts a series of space themed family–friendly events for May half term. Located on the ground floor, this new and free creative space invites visitors to make a self-celebration mask, create a story or have a portrait drawn by community artist and storyteller Phoebe Foxtrot. Acclaimed dance company… Continue reading Creativity Corner at HOME
I, Daniel Blake
The film I Daniel Blake made seven years ago is now a stage play set to go on a national tour. Dave Johns, cast in the lead role, adapted Paul Laverty’s multi-award-winning Ken Loach film. He did not want purely to bring the film to stage but to update it, however he found the story is still… Continue reading I, Daniel Blake
Have a Break with new dark comedy
A new dark comedy from Switch_MCR comes to Manchester’s 53two June 14–24. Have A Break, Have A KitKat follows a year in the life of two cousins manoeuvring grief for the first time. It’s hard to be a 20-something when the world is changing, your Nanna’s obsessed with the Queen and a lettuce is outliving the… Continue reading Have a Break with new dark comedy