After all the hectic glitz and glamour of the Christmas period, you might think that January would be something of a fallow period in the world of the theatre – but that doesn’t seem to be the case. All the local venues are coming out swinging, with their calendars full of enticing plays. Below, is a list of just some of the best…
This classic of Broadway was inspired by the memoires of striptease artiste Gypsy Rose Lee. With lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, it features hits such as Everything’s Coming Up Roses. Melissa James plays the lead, and West End legend Ria Jones is the stage mother from hell.
This festival will showcase some of the best plays that were staged at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2019. Standouts include Woman on Fire, the true story of Edith Rigby (1872 – 1950), a mild-mannered doctor’s wife with a secret identity – that of a militant suffragette.
The award-winning Boaty Theatre Company has re-imagined Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, emphasising the darker aspects of the play. Expect explorations of treachery, mistrust, lost love, and the search for one’s self. It looks like a good production for both newbies and hardened fans of The Bard alike.
This award-winning take on JB Priestley’s classic drama returns after a sell-out London season and American tour. When Inspector Goole arrives unexpectedly at a wealthy family’s home, his investigations shake the very foundations of their lives and challenges us, the audience, to examine our own consciences.
This new LGBTQ+ festival is hosted in collaboration with Superbia – Manchester Pride’s year-round culture programme. There are 11 shows in total, many playing for one night only. Expect drama, comedy, and song. Several of the shows are presented by Mother’s Ruin, a queer performance platform.
This one-two punch of culture begins with La Bohème, the classic tale of Parisian love and loss. The following night, it’s Madame Butterfly, the heart-breaking story of the young Japanese girl who falls in love with an American soldier. Both operas are sung in Italian with English surtitles.
If the above wasn’t enough, right after, The Moscow City Ballet will present their own pair of undisputed masterpieces. First up is a little show called Swan Lake and the next is the family favourite The Nutcracker. Both will be presented in classic Russian style with full orchestra.
This solo performance from Tania Camara draws on the different experiences of black women in European politics. Named after the racial term, the show challenges the idea of changing your character to achieve success, while asking what it means to be authentic to oneself.
When archaeologist Nuala unearths a skeleton, her ordered life starts to unravel. Digging into the mystery of the bones, can she handle the chaos of what she discovers? Based on personal experience, Ladybones is an uplifting story about OCD and being weird but not a weirdo.
This new work is about the Iranian women’s fight for their rights and their defiance against barbaric rules. It was inspired by the Blue Girl: a woman who set herself alight after she was tried for attempting to go to a football match disguised as a man.
Visiting company Up ‘Ere Productions return for two nights of anthology performance. It’s a total of seven pieces of new writing from local creatives and actors. Many topical issues will be explored, such as suicide, mental health, online dating, sex, homelessness and class.
- Words:
- A. James Simpkin
- Published on:
- Sun 5 Jan 2020
From Tudor queens to pop princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales – remixing 16th century heartbreak into of 21st century girl power. A sell-out show, it was nominated for five Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.