The Gap

The Gap

Review of The Gap at Hope Mill Theatre. From teenage bedroom to a communal lounge in sheltered housing, Jim Cartwright’s The Gap follows two friends across half a century of ups and downs. It’s quite a coup for Hope Mill Theatre - not just bagging the premiere of a new Cartwright play, but also securing [...]

Lizzie

Lizzie

Review of Lizzie at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester. Lizzie Borden’s home is no ordinary place. There is no fairy twirling inside the music box that can be glimpsed in the show’s opening moments – just an axe slowly revolving. Tensions abound, with family members living in separate parts of the home, a lock on every [...]

Animal

Animal

Review of Animal at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester. David is a 25 year old gay man with a lot of sexual urges – he also has a wheelchair and round-the-clock care support. David’s domestic set up doesn’t exactly lend itself to spontaneous casual encounters. When flatmate Jill isn’t around, care assistant Derek is on hand [...]

Danny and the Deep Blue Sea

Danny and the Deep Blue Sea

10 September 2019. Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester. When Danny and Roberta meet, two troubled souls collide. Their chance encounter in a Bronx neighbourhood bar is more beer-fueled brawl than romantic spark. He's all angry and covered in bruises, while she's one step away from boiling over. Play With Fire know how to pick an interesting [...]

The Forest of Forgotten Discos!

The Forest of Forgotten Discos!

Hope Mill Theatre. Commissioned by Contact. 13 December 2018. When children head into the woods in traditional fairy stories and pantomimes they often find themselves lost in a dark and scary place. Contact's Christmas show is having none of that. We're led into the Forest of Forgotten Discos by friendly and sparkly 'virtual assistant' Alexa, [...]

Little Women – The Musical

Little Women – The Musical

Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester. 15 & 21 November 2017. Manchester's musical mill is warming up another revival for a surely inevitable transfer to London. This time they're hosting the European premiere of 'Little Women - The Musical'. The musical version of Louisa May Alcott’s novel, premiered on Broadway back in 2005, views the lives of [...]

Pippin

Pippin

Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester. 29 August 2017. Building on its reputation as Manchester's hotbed of musical theatre Hope Mill Theatre plays host to a revival of Stephen Schwartz's 1970s musical 'Pippin'. A sort of play within a play, acted out by a wandering troupe of performers, it tells the story of a young prince (named [...]