Featuring offbeat Shakespeare adaptations, global smash-hit tours, time-travelling musical odysseys, piercing Tudor satire and more, Manchester’s summer theatre schedule delivers another spectacular summer calendar of productions guaranteed to delight drama-lovers of all tastes and experiences.
From Fri 21-Sat 29 Jun, the Olivier-and-Tony-nominated production of Coram Boy brings a whirlwind story of angels, orphans and deadly deeds to The Lowry, backed by a soaring score featuring breathtaking classical arrangements.
Based on the award-winning novel by Jamila Gavin, Helen Edmundson’s globally celebrated adaptation brings to life the smog-filled alleys and riotous pageantry of 18th century London, as parallel stories collide in a whirlwind of musical destiny, heinous evil-doers and courageous young urban adventurers, alongside an emerging new masterpiece by the legendary Handel.
Set to the timelessly magical score from the original movie, the enchanting Broadway and West End production of Aladdin continues its run at the Palace Theatre until Sun 7 Jul.
Ideal for children and grown-ups alike, the sand-swept Disney tale follows the intrepid young street urchin who discovers an ancient, irreverent genie inside a magic lamp and, armed with three wishes and endless possibilities, embarks on an action-packed journey to win the heart of Princess Jasmine and thwart the sinister sorcerer Jafar, as the talented cast perform film favourites like Prince Ali, Friend Like Me and A Whole New World.
Winner of five Olivier Awards and hailed as an undisputed masterpiece on Broadway and the West End, Life Of Pi returns to The Lowry for a brief July stint following an immensely successful residency in Salford over Christmas.
Based on the best-selling Man Booker Prize-winning book by Yann Martel, the five-star phenomenon blends jaw-dropping visuals with world-class puppetry to deliver an unmissable stage spectacle that has left critics and audiences in amazement since its debut.
The profound seafaring epic follows young Indian boy Pi who, after a huge storm in the Pacific Ocean, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with four other survivors – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a fully grown Royal Bengal tiger, igniting a poignant and visually breathtaking story of endurance and hope.
Led by the irresistibly charismatic Shelley-Davina and her staggering vocal range, Diva of the Decades brings a night of mesmerising musical time travel to Manchester with a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ riot of iconic hits from history’s harmonic heroines.
Backed by a team of fabulously flamboyant dancers, Shelley-Davina and her singing partners cover everything from Aretha to Tina in a hysterical celebration of ‘music, empowerment, and the indomitable spirit of legendary artists’.
Returning to Manchester following a marquee 25th anniversary tour in 2022, Michael Flatley’s intergenerational smash-hit show brings yet more creative genius and choreographical magic to the Palace Theatre stage with a revamped format and brand new sequences this August.
Known around the world as the most successful dance-led theatre show in history, Lord of the Dance promises to captivate theatre-goers and dance-lovers across a brief but memorable run in the city.
- Words:
- Wolf McFarlane
- Published on:
- Wed 12 Jun 2024
Returning with their 6th annual subversive Shakespeare show, Unseemly Women take over Waterside Arts with a cabaret curveball take on the definitive comedy, led by an all-female and non-binary cast.
When a drunken patron wakes from a wild night of burlesque and debauchery, the Unseemly Women spin a devilish yarn to convince him that he is a high-flown Lord of immense wealth and stature, before recounting the tale of a wealthy merchant of Padua and his two daughters, one of whom is too sharp-tongued and insolent – ‘shrewish’ – to marry, and that the other cannot be wed until the other finds a willing husband.