Salford’s refurbished The King’s Arms’ theatre reopens with live music specials, dramas & tribute to a local music icon

Iconic Salford pub The King’s Arms will reopen its cosy in-house theatre this month with a whole series of live music specials planned and a tribute to the late local songwriter Roger Quigley.

The Bloom Street venue saw a considerable refurbishment over lockdown including the impressive dome theatre space set to be used for comedy, live music, drama and everything in between. Tables and chairs have been added to create a cabaret feel along with vintage-style gin bar Cee Cee’s next door serving a range of nostalgic food at intervals.

A new performance area has also been created in honour of Salford-born songwriter Roger Quigley who passed away in August 2020 aged just 51. Roger recorded music as Quigley, under the moniker At Swim Two Birds and was half of duo The Montgolfier Brothers along with Mark Tranmer.

Kicking off the first month of themed Saturday Night Specials, there will be jazz courtesy of Bim Williams Quintet (Saturday 7 August), followed by the folk stylings of Irish band Quare Craic (Saturday 14 August). If funk and soul is your bag head down to the dedicated DJ sets (Saturday 21 August) and the following week the George Grundy Quartet bring more jazz (Saturday 28 August).

Along with the music, the theatre has a number of drama performances lined up in the coming weeks. The College of Deviants Live (Monday 9 August) which will be a free night of scratch theatre featuring independent artists from across the north. A new play from Bernadette Szabo Maybe It’s Life (Thursday 12 and Friday 13 August) explores the concept of the afterlife starring Christopher Wollaton and Hannah MacDonald. Kahlo Theatre company, formed by two graduates of the Manchester School of Theatre, perform The Other Side (Thursday 26-Friday 27 August) with a story set in a dystopian reality where the world has split in two.

Both the theatre and the new Roger Quigley room will be used as performance spaces during the upcoming Greater Manchester Fringe this September. You can find out more about The King’s Arms, all upcoming events and ticket information at their official website.