Theatre and performance in Greater Manchester & other places.
Review of 42 Balloons at The Lowry, Salford. On seeing an online video of Larry Walters flying in a lawn chair over Los Angeles held aloft by a load of balloons, Jack Godfrey didn’t just think OMG - his overriding thought was “THIS IS A MUSICAL!” Six years later, Godfrey has written that dream into [...]
Review of A Taste Of Honey at Royal Exchange, Manchester. “Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.” At times, director Emma Baggott’s sure-footed revival of A Taste of Honey feels as if it is summoning up the ghosts of Shelagh Delaney’s Salford. In its opening moments, Nishla Smith’s stylish jazz singer [...]
Review of In The Time of Dragons at The Edge. For its new musical In the Time of Dragons, The Edge artfully creates a sixties nightclub vibe - with a dressing room in one corner, piano in the other, lamplit cabaret tables along one side, and big neon sign. The Blue Angel obviously doesn’t like [...]
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 [...]
Welcome to my best of Manchester theatre list for 2023! As in previous years, I have 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 may seem an odd [...]
Review of Brief Encounter at Royal Exchange, Manchester. The sound of passing trains may rattle around the auditorium, but a relaxing glow emanates from Milford Junction’s refreshment room. Overhead, designer Rose Revitt’s elegant metal arches and solid station clock set the scene nicely for the Royal Exchange’s new production for Brief Encounter. Polished wooden flooring [...]
Review of Around the World in 80 Days at Bolton Octagon. Continuous squiggly lines adorn Bolton Octagon’s walls and floors, drawing the eye ever deeper into the building. All routes lead to the auditorium where the irregular twists and curves continue - splashing across the walls, forming dangling neon clouds overhead and weaving across the [...]
Review of Romeo and Juliet at Royal Exchange, Manchester. Jettisoning fair Verona in favour of somewhere “just beyond Cheetham Hill”, director Nicholai La Barrie relocates Romeo and Juliet, while also bringing Shakespeare’s tale of “star-crossed lovers” bang up to date. High street fashions, Mancunian accents, and youthful swagger offer some reassuringly familiar reference points for [...]
Review of Free Your Mind at Aviva Studios, Manchester. When Neo chooses the red pill in The Matrix, and Cypher cryptically advises, “buckle your seat belt Dorothy, because Kansas is going bye-bye”, I’m not sure Neo expected to eventually end up in Manchester. Yet that is exactly where he pops up - as part of [...]
Review of Pornography at 53two, Manchester. Heading to 53two, Deansgate is busy with people - out for a drink, glued to their phones, rushing for a train. And that’s where Red Brick’s production begins – with characters striding purposefully across the stage, passing by those around them, but never acknowledging their existence. The anonymity of [...]
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 