Theatre and performance in Greater Manchester & other places.
Review of Road at Royal Exchange, Manchester. Telegraph poles have sprouted within the Royal Exchange’s Great Hall, a van sits abandoned near the toilets, and a chippie awaits around the corner. Selina Cartmell’s revival of Jim Cartwright’s Road pulls you into its chaotic, clammy embrace as soon as you step through the main doors. Gradually [...]
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 [...]
Review of Road at Oldham Coliseum. Road, Jim Cartwright’s scabrous slice of 1980s Lancashire life still has the power to knock you sideways. It comes on strong with promises of a riotous night out, all good times and laughs. Only to repeatedly dissolve into the dark dead ends of Thatcher’s Britain – no jobs, no [...]
Circles & Stalls 