Theatre and performance in Greater Manchester & other places.
Review of This Town at Contact Theatre, Manchester. With its alleyways, cobbled streets, chippies, and pubs – Rory Aaron’s This Town could be one of many places in post-industrial northern England. Take your pick from “the far-off towns that nobody’s heard of”. Aaron succinctly sets the scene, while also referencing the ghosts of the past [...]
After a break for the last two years, my ‘best of’ list is back! As in previous years, I’ve only focused on productions that either premiered in Greater Manchester or could only be seen here. Which means I’ve not included any shows that were passing through on tour or that were revivals from elsewhere. It [...]
Review of 'While We Were Waiting… Something Changed' at Contact, Manchester. On Oxford Road, a young woman repeatedly emerges from a phone box opposite McDonalds, changing each time into a mind-blowing array of outfits. It’s not a catwalk moment, more a process of development, or in her words “a pilgrimage to find myself”. Although she [...]
Review of 'The Bread We Break' at Contact Theatre, Manchester. To talk of breaking bread with others suggests more than just a communal meal. The phrase also implies a coming-together, making a connection, and perhaps sharing ideas. While not a crumb passes our lips during Miray Sidhom’s new show, her insightful reflections on bread, political [...]
Tamsin Drury talks about Emergency, Word of Warning, Manchester Independents and keeping going. When I catch up with Tamsin Drury, she’s deep into the planning for Emergency, Word of Warning’s annual “taster event of live art & contemporary performance in all its forms”. Anyone who has attended previous versions of the event will know it [...]
Laugh if you like, but this year I’m heading to Manchester International Festival for my summer holidays. Even if I felt inclined to jet off abroad, the traffic light system feels like too much of a lottery and, as a solo traveller, price hikes make even UK destinations unaffordable for now. Meanwhile, there are 'enhanced [...]
1 October 2019. Contact Theatre, Manchester at STUN Studios. What does success look like? Buying a house? Getting married? Having a baby? Contact Young Company's new show Baby Fever grew out of an exploration of the value and relevance of those traditional milestones for a younger generation. How healthy are they as goals to structure [...]
When Leeds Playhouse announced the formation of its first young company in April last year it was a bit of a wake up call for me. The Playhouse were looking to support a group of young people to collaborate in "making and producing bold and socially resonant work", as well providing opportunities for them to [...]
This year I ended up seeing lots of great theatre in Manchester as well as in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Sheffield and, for the first time, Huddersfield. The following are my favourite Manchester shows of 2018. In compiling the list I've restricted my choices to productions that were either premiered in Greater Manchester or could only [...]
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, [...]
Reviewing theatre across the UK
Theatre and performance in Greater Manchester & other places.
Theatre through the eyes of a Manc
Explorating theatre and the arts in the NorthWest
Theatre Criticism
Theatre chat: Caroline Steiner
Theatre and performance reviews in the Greater Manchester area
Circles & Stalls 