Theatre and performance in Greater Manchester & other places.
18 April 2019. Oldham Coliseum. Two comfortable armchairs in front of the fire. Shelves housing collections of plates, books and china. Prize-winning rosettes proudly pinned to the wall. Family photographs jostling for space on the mantlepiece. A lifetime of memories all out on display. This is Edie and Arthur's home, and it's quickly established that [...]
Oldham Coliseum. 26 February 2019. Summer is on its way out, and rays of sunshine are in short supply in Martin McDonagh's darkly comic play set in a small community on the west coast of Ireland. There's plenty of heat generated by the endless chatter between gravedigger Mick, his assistant Mairtin, stoney-faced neighbour MaryJohnny and [...]
Oldham Coliseum. 25 May 2018. Much has rightly been made of the legacy of Shelagh Delaney's A Taste of Honey, with its influence on new generations of women writers, the pioneering depiction of working class life and its lingering presence in popular culture. What's less clear is how much the play itself has to say [...]
Oldham Coliseum. 9 February 2018. During one of the many Dolly Parton songs we are treated to in Chris Lawson's production of 'The Kitchen Sink', she exclaims "if I had wings I would fly away tomorrow". Wings are in short supply in Withernsea. Tom Wells’ slice of family life is a bittersweet confection - generous [...]
There's no shortage of new shows in Manchester this month. Here are three productions I'm looking forward to, all of which match strong contemporary writing with some amazing acting talent. The Almighty Sometimes Manchester theatre's big news this month is Kendall Feaver's 'The Almighty Sometimes' at the Royal Exchange. The play was a winner of [...]
53two, Manchester. 5 December 2017. On the other side of a brick wall, eight characters are waiting. All we know about them are a few lines on a piece of A4. Clues, glimpses, pointers. Angry and volatile. Jolly hockey sticks. Glory boy. Down on her luck. Searching for a little security. No pitch from the actors, just [...]
Reviewing theatre in Greater Manchester and beyond
Theatre and performance in Greater Manchester & other places.
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