The best: Theatre shows to book now in Manchester

Narrated by Richard Armitage, audiences are invited to experience the thrill of launch, the challenges of life in space and cutting-edge NASA tech in this spectacular dome show at the iconic UNESCO heritage site, Jodrell Bank, throughout January.

West End star Amber Davies takes on the iconic role of Elle Woods in a new touring production of the hit musical comedy, based on the seminal movie that transformed a stuffy courtroom into a haute couture runway.

When her boyfriend leaves her for a more conventionally serious future, Elle follows him to Harvard Law School, where she sets about proving that intelligence and ambition come in many shades. The show features the familiar score, including ‘Omigod You Guys’, ‘Bend and Snap’ and ‘So Much Better’.

Following a sold-out, extended West End run, the all-new theatrical adaptation of the cult horror franchise Paranormal Activity embarks on its first UK and Ireland tour, bringing the nerve-shredding atmosphere to the stage in a story devised to intrigue and unsettle in equal measure. With tension mounting as the boundaries between the ordinary and the inexplicable begin to blur, the production promises a gripping night of live, immersive scares throughout.

James and Lou move from Chicago to London in a bid to escape their past, but their fresh start soon takes a sinister turn. As the couple settle into their new surroundings, strange events begin to suggest that the source of their troubles may be closer than they think, in a chilling production built around the creeping dread of the unseen.

The Big Tiny returns to Contact for another home-grown festive production, following last year’s Rumpelstiltskin, with a fresh take on the familiar fairy tale. Expect the company’s characteristically northern humour, irreverent storytelling and a generous helping of pantomime mischief, as the story of a cursed princess gets a distinctly Mancunian rework. The run includes relaxed and BSL-interpreted performances, alongside an adults-only evening.

The Octagon joins forces with Derby Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre for a new staging of Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece, following two young lovers caught between rival families and a city shaped by a violent, perpetual vendetta.

The production places the familiar story of forbidden romance in a recognisably modern world, yet one where old grievances still dictate the lives of a new generation, and the consequences of a chance encounter at a party escalates towards inevitable catastrophe.

Elsewhere in February, Ben Nickless’ new comedy drama unpacks fertility, fatherhood and the pursuit of fame in a combustible production at Hope Mill Theatre.

Best friends Will and Marc have each found themselves envying the other’s circumstances: one is a television actor desperate to become a father, while the other is a comedian juggling family life and ambitions of a bigger break. The stellar cast includes Lee Latchford-Evans, Janice Connolly and Steve Royle.

Renowned contemporary dance company Rambert has announced a major new dance work inspired by the award-winning Channel 4 series, It’s A Sin, in partnership with Factory International, set to make its premiere at Aviva Studios in the new year. The show sees original series creator Russell T Davies (Queer As Folk, Doctor Who) serving as Executive Producer, alongside legendary pop duo Pet Shop Boys and Glyn Fussell (Sink the Pink, Mighty Hoopla festival).

Lowry has announced that as part of a landmark partnership with the National Theatre, a brand-new production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, will come to Saford in February 2027, following a run at the National Theatre in London.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will be the first National Theatre production to tour as part of NT Nationwide, supported by funding from Arts Council England. Jim Cartwright’s modern classic, which will be directed by Deputy Artistic Director, Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge), is a joyful, tender and bittersweet celebration of music, ambition and the courage it takes to be heard featuring iconic music from the likes of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and more.

Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel returns to the stage in a new touring production, following 15-year-old Christopher Boone as he investigates the death of a neighbour’s dog in an intricate whodunnit with a stirring coming-of-age story at its core.

What begins as a local mystery soon opens up a more complicated picture of family, trust and independence, as Christopher’s determination to uncover the truth takes him beyond the familiar boundaries of his world.

Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown brings one of the most acclaimed musicals of recent years to Lowry as part of its first UK and Ireland tour.

Blending folk, blues, pop and New Orleans-inspired jazz, the Tony and Grammy Award-winning smash-hit intertwines two ancient love stories, following dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice into the underworld alongside Hades and Persephone. Romantic, mythic and defiantly hopeful, Hadestown asks what we might risk for love and whether hope can survive against impossible odds.

Winner of the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical on Broadway, the West End smash-hit Operation Mincemeat returns to Lowry with its dynamic and razor-sharp recount of the impossible mission that secured victory in the Second World War.

Described as Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, the breakneck story of cloak-and-dagger espionage and inspiring courage unfolds in 1943, where the flagging allied forces face an unimaginable defeat. With a last-ditch gamble on a stolen corpse, a fake love letter and the help of Ian Fleming, they unleash a chain of hilarious mayhem that wrong-foots the Fuhrer and saves the free world.

Next June, the ultimate summer romance takes over the Palace Theatre in a triumphantly entertaining affair, with the story of Baby and Johnny unfolding against the backdrop of a 1960s holiday resort.

The show features the film’s familiar songs, including ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the Oscar-winning ‘(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life’, alongside the dance routines that elevated the original movie into a timeless classic.

The Chichester Festival Theatre, Stage Entertainment and Sheffield Theatres smash-hit production of Singin’ in the Rain will come to Lowry as part of a major new tour and following a summer season at Sadler’s Wells in London.

Journey back to the glamour of Hollywood in the roaring 20’s with high-energy choreography and sumptuous set designs (including over 14,000 litres of water on stage), combined with all the romance and wit of one of the world’s best- loved films.