It is easy to lose yourself in Alice Walker’s 1982 Pulitzer Prize winning novel as she masterfully injects colour, humour and connection into see Celie’s lifeless world.

Cirque du Soleil has brought its procession of performers with a slew of talents to Manchester, and they are dedicated to constructing a slice of heaven on earth.

Playwright Conor McPherson’s sweet and honest journey through a guest house in Duluth follows a group of solo travellers sheltering from a storm.