Waxing on a thick layer of 80s nostalgia, Karate Kid the Musical offers a questionable balance of slow-motion karate and drawn-out pacing. Based on writer Robert Mark Karen’s 1984 film, the story follows New Jersey native Daniel LaRusso as he and his mum relocate for her new career selling newfangled computers. After swiftly making enemies with the karate dojo, Cobra Kai, Daniel (Gino Ochello) is forced to defend himself if he wants a shot at dating a Cobra’s ex-girlfriend or if he wishes to walk the streets in peace. With the help of his apartment’s maintenance man, Mr. Miyagi (Adrian Pang), Daniel is offered the training required to enter a local karate tournament to put some respect on his name and square up against his rival. The Palace theatre’s broad stage is put to poor use with this boxy production, making it almost impossible for end and corner seats to see the majority of the show's projections or its final fight scenes. The often blank set obscures its actors with impressive dojo shades, which light up and allow for playful, sliding door set changes, but leaves the largely empty set feeling barren. Unfortunately, the sound quality for the first three songs was too quiet to decipher any lyrics and the soundtrack soon became largely forgettable. Despite featuring all original music and lyrics from Drew Gasparini, including the show-stealing Strike First, Strike Hard. No Mercy performed by the talented and terrifying Matt Mills, there are too many ballads in this action/comedy. As the seventeen-year-old Daniel and his love interest gossip during a house party, he impresses with an insult to a guest “He hasn’t reached puberty, but he thinks he’s Casanova”. It is hard to imagine revisiting any of these songs but the saving grace for this musical is Mr. Miyagi’s excellent casting and the inclusion of what all audiences came to see, his Wax On! Wax Off! song. Pang’s straight-faced, comedic performance is true to the original, but Pang is also given some interesting moments related to his World War II history to refresh this reimagining. The choreographed karate felt slow outside of the Cobra Kai dojo, with those snakes bringing all the best moves. Without the constant threat of the Cobras the show slows down to a snail pace, taking Daniel’s mum away from her computer job to sing the heartfelt, If I Could Take His Pain Away, a sweet song that feels completely undeserved considering how little we see her character and how it is sandwiched between other ballads, including Mr. Miyagi’s WWII tragedy. Karate Kid the Musical prematurely ages itself with a cheesy, generic soundtrack and a bland Casio keyboard-backed score. Designed for centre viewing, this musical brings the worst of both worlds, adding too many forgettable songs and slow-motion choreography that will likely have audiences reaching for the original, its TV show or even the Phoenix Nights episode. #KarateKidTheMusical #PalaceTheatre #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

Spotlighting their 30th anniversary with a reflective, puppet-filled caper, Theatre-Rites’ Return To the Forest is a five-piece fantasy built on collaboration and heritage. The Aviva Studios audience gets to participate in an after-hours visit to a museum of ancient masks, maps and a stolen heart, trapped in place but yearning to break free from their enclosure. As the family-friendly show unearths its five items, director Sue Buckmaster playfully crafts their journey with a multitude of designers who channel the objects’ tales through stunning puppetry, soulful music and magnetic choreography. The production draws on five adventurers set out to recapture these items, restoring and regaining their origins as they travel deeper into the forest. Despite its minimalist staging and small ensemble, this team unify and integrate into the open planned stage. Teele Uustani impressive puppetry allows her to mould herself into several figures, dropped set pieces allow the group to metamorphasise and a little assistance from its younger audience help expand the team. Building on a traditional Niger Gelede mask, reimagined by artist Bunmi Agusto and designed by Alison Duddle, the ensemble are handed the space to channel the Gelede masks ancestral spirits through Gregory Maqoma’s (The Global Playground, Manchester International Festival 2021) choreography. This beautifully collaborative piece showcases the earthy and fantastical mouldings of Theatre-Rites’s work, which moves between magic and nature. With a deceptively simple and natural coconut matted face, the group comes together in a celebration of women and balance to preserve a tradition passed down to future generations. Surrounded by the beautiful vocals of Xolisile Bongwana, the show’s blend of tradition and modernity offers a unique and hauntingly memorable style. Theatre-Rite brings a celebratory atmosphere to its show of reflection that leaves technology behind to showcase the heart of nature. With an appreciation for the simple things in life, these artists breathe new life and recognising new perspectives for these ancient objects. Alongside the meditative music from Bongwana, the calabash plant is used as a bowl, a musical instrument and originally food, to appreciate the joys and necessity of nature. While a ceremonial Ishoba stick is presented as a tool that can be used for healing and brings questions of the varied levels of protection that nature brings. This production also offers audiences a sense of wonder and play as it is partly interactive. Interactive in the sense that you will be standing and moving between two spaces. Factory International is perfect for demonstrating how uniting and responsive live theatre can be in connecting with audiences. There are no social anxiety-producing exchanges included, but like Jean Chan’s Knotted Heart, the show offers a peaceful reunion for the Aviva Studio audience to come together for an event surrounding connection, collaboration and care for the traditions that keep us grounded. Return to the Forest is a thoughtful, dreamlike production, short and sweet in its celebration that reminds us to enjoy nature and community. #ReturnToTheForest #FactoryInternational #Manchester Tickets are available via the Factory International link

Drawing inspiration from the UK’s longest-serving Labour politician’s real-life band, TONY! The Tony Blair Rock Opera looks at Blair’s youthful experience as the frontman of Ugly Rumours and reframes his tenure as Prime Minister through the surreal Harry Hill lens. The show's relentless pace touches on Blair's hippier side, his turbulent 10 years in office and his team-up with Bush on the War on Terror, as well as his successor and his marriage. Only neglecting to ruminate on the most depressing facts around Blair’s most troublesome moments in office, the production's surprisingly informative musical is a piece of pure chaotic joy that glitters over realism. Longtime collaborators Hill and composer/lyricist Steve Brown share how Blair made the move from the defunct bandleader to the Houses of Parliament in a hilarious styling of sketch comedy, stand up and singsong. The quick-moving production spews jokes in the same hybrid mash-up as Harry Hill’s TV Burp, with an experimental blend of comedy tinged with truths, but more focused on the spectacle of the events. The show's lively pace races by due to its high-spirited cast of political characters led by the fantastic Jack Whittle as Blair. Whittle’s physical comedy is surprisingly heavy for a prime minister, answering the phone with a Tyra Banks smize and dancing with everyone within his vicinity. The talented ensemble merge into multiple characters, even when only playing one person on stage, Saddam Hussein (Phil Sealey) does a terrific Groucho Marx and the multiverse approach to the show’s timeline ensures that your memory of the events shown will not align with Hill and Brown’s. With Princess Diana (Emma Jay Thomas), Osama bin Laden (Rosie Strobel) and George W. Bush (Martin Johnston) all making an appearance to entertain the Lowry audience through song, Tony! is a satire that everyone can get behind. Few props are required as the caricature-led show and the eccentric cast offer enough of a sensory overload to push this story forward. Director Peter Rowe places Tony! in the Lowry’s Quay’s theatre, with a more intimate and minimalist set lit up by the star's name above the stage. The set places a live backing band throughout the performance and its cast of multitalented singers are able to dance through life. With such a playful dissection of moments many would rather forget, Hill and Brown’s revisionist take on history doesn’t let the truth get in the way of this absurdly funny musical. TONY! The Tony Blair Rock Opera puts spin doctors to shame, creating a thoroughly entertaining night out reminiscing over Blair’s time in office and offering an inspirational and hilarious production. #Tony!TheTonyBlairRockOpera is playing at the #Lowry Tickets are available via the Lowry link

After a small fishing community on the coast of England is rocked by the news of a child dying at sea, all fingers point to the elusive Peter Grimes, who is forced to fight back a wave of accusations in Benjamin Britten’s biting 1945 opera. The Lowry audience is soaked in a tale of tragedy as director Phyllida Lloyd forms a dark and intimate portrait of Peter Grimes (John Findon), offering an insightful opera that examines empathy, ambition and mob mentality. When the reclusive outsider, Grimes and his apprentice fail to both come back from their fishing trip, Grimes is charged with the boy's murder and put on trial. Yet despite being cleared of murder, Grimes finds that the community have poisoned the well, labelling him a traitorous stranger to the village and leaving the audience to question whether or not he was actually at fault. Under the cover of community, the group strikes to hand out vigilante justice, which alongside Lloyd’s mystic set, leads to an intense and all-encompassing production, including sweeping scenes and a towering chorus. As Findon delves into vulnerable and revealing arias from Grimes’s perspective as an unwanted other, the opinionated townspeople come together to reckon with their loss as a piercing, forceful collective or in eerie communal whispers. It is clear that the town does not take well to strangers and at one point in the production, the ensemble aims their cries directly at the audience, which is hard not to take personally. The only empathy for the fisherman comes from his relationship with Ellen Orford (Natalya Romaniw), whose gentle character and thoughtful demeanour lead to her unearthing more of Grimes’s unspoken hopes and desires. Romaniw’s aria Embroidery in Childhood   allows the opera a moment of quiet reflection of a loss of innocence, with Romaniw’s lulling performance and Montagu Slater absorbing lyrics taking a step back from the drama. This production is sung in English, making it the perfect entry to Opera for newcomers. However, this ravenous tale is fuelled by raw and powerful performances that merge Findon’s simmering rage with the explosive judgement of the chorus. As both Grimes and the community feel the constant pressure of living with a perceived threat to their way of life, one side snaps under the pressure with devastating consequences. Conductor Gary Walker and the Opera North orchestra ground the piece in the environment, immediately connecting audiences to the cold, coastal and unforgiving landscape. Alongside the thunderous drums and trumpets, there is no sugar-coating Lloyd’s strikingly atmospheric and minimalist set that leaves Grimes in a cruel solitude, under blue-drenched lighting that blends the ensemble into its scenery. Lloyd keeps the ever-present threat of the chorus by having the tight-knit community emerge onstage united in crowds and forming together under a sea net as a haunting presence. Packed full of turbulent and compelling performances from the ensemble and Findon, Opera North’s Peter Grimes  allows the audience to second guess the authenticity of its protagonist, in a daring allegory around oppression and alienation. #PeterGrimes #Lowry #Manchester OperaNorth Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Opera North is bringing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s cherished tale of schemes, disguises and seduction back to the Lowry. Refreshing a classic so timeless, it consistently ranks in the top 10 operas of all time, this revived rom-com remains full of surprises and irresistible charm. This intrepid new production from Opera North moves the 1786 production outside a Spanish estate and into the contemporary English country home of Count Almavivas (James Newby), who appears to be living the life of luxury with his Countess (Gabriella Reyes). Yet despite soaking up the champagne, the story indulges the audience in copious plot twists as the Count sets out to sleep with his wife’s assistant, bride-to-be, Susanna (Claire Lees). On the day of Susanna’s wedding to fiancée Figaro (Liam James Karai), Figaro also struggles to repay his debt to housekeeper Marcellina (Katherine Broderick), who has lent him money with the promise that if he can’t repay, he will have to marry her. The foundations of Figaro and Susanna’s nuptials are already on shaky grounds but as the heartbroken countess finds herself seduced by the errand boy Cherubino (Hongni Wu), the frenzied characters start leaking secrets like a sieve. Director Louisa Muller’s creative sets, filled with split scenery, shrewd props and extravagantly large backdrops are all the better for helping characters pull focus for spying, clashing, confronting and not-so-private confessions. The staging is fantastically framed for embracing Lorenzo da Ponte’s exquisite libretto as the story visually blurs the lines of class and power within its scenes. The Marriage of Figaro  is a playful production full of seduction and sabotage, but Opera North’s ensemble delivers warmth and vibrancy to Mozart’s score, keeping the choreographed chaos constantly in motion and endlessly entertaining. The live orchestra conducted by Valentina Peleggi shape the music to the mayhem, building characters through simple arias and emotional duets that result in a rollercoaster of emotions throughout this production. Claire Lees playful aria, Deh vieni, non tardar and Reyes earnest arias pull on the heartstrings and play on the touching, passionate nature of the show. Offering the women moments of comedy and vulnerability while revealing the class and power dynamics these women are in, playing in a perilous game of cat and mouse built to benefit the powerful. However, Karai’s humour shines throughout this production and Newby’s manipulative charisma is larger than the stage, setting a high bar for opera as it balances the romance and drama to deliver a timeless and compelling piece. The Marriage of Figaro  finds a sweet spot between the chaos and comedy to form an opera of irresistible charm. Opera North’s elegantly reimagined production has a cast with the chemistry to build a world teaming with energy, passion and wall-to-wall heated performances. This 240-year-old opera does not age, it evolves with the times with Muller bringing the grandeur and pace for any fan of music to join in the celebration. #TheMarriageOfFigaro #Lowry #Manchester OperaNorth Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Armed with a bed-leg, a wooden horse and a faithful servant, Don Quixote breaks out of the page to dance in the streets of Spain with the help of Birmingham Royal’s free-spirited revival. Streamlining the sprawling 1605 novel into a quirky side-quest, the ballet follows an unwanted love triangle between the charismatic Kitri (Beatrice Parma), her playful boyfriend Basilio (Enrique Belgravia Vidal) and the wealthy Gamache  (Jonathan Payn) injected into the mix by Kitri’s father. While the storyline puts The Don in a timeout, this theatrical production overflows with impressive characters, stunning choreography and beautiful set pieces that build Don Quixote  into rich and enchanting world you want to explore. After the wannabe knight, Don Quixote (Dominic Antonucci) kits himself and his trusted squire, Sancho (Alfie-Lee Hall), out for a new adventure, the two ride through Barcelona hoping to rescue Don’s imagined lover. As the large ensemble cast pantomime and pose as villagers, original choreographer Marius Petipa and revival choreographer Carlos Acosta combine forces to bring the colourful and bustling Spanish marketplace to the Lowry audience. Birmingham Royal’s production is enriched by the strong personalities of its ensemble cast, dancing in the street with performances from a group of matadors, a kidnapped Sancho and a bewitching fan dance from Kitri. Despite bringing communal festivities and a relaxed atmosphere to this fun and flirty ballet, Act One is drawn together with deceptively effortless, athletic performances. A leaping Basilio and twirling Kitri alongside the pirouettes and castanets of the side characters are all performed under The Royal Ballet Sinfonia, with original music from Ludwig Minkus that draws you into the action. After the penniless Basilio fails to convince Kitri’s father, Lorenzo  (Rory MacKay) that he and Kitri are rich in love, Lorenzo brings in a wealthy match for his daughter to marry. Forcing the couple to escape the watchful eye of her father and escape into the woods for a second act of disguises, rebellion and impressive projected set pieces. The production’s darker Act 2 delves into Don’s dream sequence, giving us a glimpse into his mind, his love and his fight for justice that leads him to confront a giant/windmill on stage. This fantastically creative revival displays all the tricks and showcases the grandeur you would expect from a Birmingham Royal production. Miguel de Cervantes  1869 classic has been reworked into an enthralling ballet production, with a finale act that blends traditional techniques with a contemporary eye for style. Acosta’s ambitious choreography brings an explosive finale that rewards Don’s journey with a plethora of showboating and tricks from the ensemble cast partnering as Kitri and Basilio’s guests. Performing a technically demanding fandango, the focused and fiery storyline ends with the guests of honour’s pas de deux that commands attention from their show-stopping chemistry and precision. Don may find himself taking a backseat in his own production, but this charming ballet is a romantic journey, in which you will want to retrace your steps. Offering audiences a fresh angle on the classic that results in a sweet and hilarious quest, Birmingham Royal’s Don Quixote  is all about glamour and valour. #BirminghamRoyalBallet #DonQuixote # TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Operation Mincemeat  is a masterful musical that turns a twice-adapted historical drama into a boundary-pushing, high-stakes comedy. With an unstoppable cast and pulsating pacing, this production delivers a refreshing, laugh-out-loud reimagining around the World War II book, The Man Who Never Was (1953) . Bringing a bout of espionage to the Lowry audience, Operation Mincemeat  delves into a real-life deception used by MI5. Following the discerning Charles Cholmondeley (Seán Carey) and the self-assured Ewen Montagu (Holly Sumpton), the small team of agent's hatch a plan to circulate misinformation into German hands. Taking the body of Glyndwr Michael, a homeless man planted on Spanish shores with fake documents and fabricated plans about an Allied invasion, the cast shape-shift into a multitude of roles to showcase the elaborate bluff and their precision planning. Created by the SplitLip  comedy troupe, the five members each spin their performances into a handful of roles, switching genders, accents and costumes in rapid transitions. The versatile cast are extremely impressive and the irreverent show has a waltzing pace that rarely stops for breath. Despite having the same ingredients as its 1956 and 2021 film adaptations, this character-driven story has been hilariously revamped, weaving together the bold and familiar to offer a quintessentially British operation. The devoted team, directed by Robert Hastie includes planner Hester (Christian Andrews), new recruit Jean Leslie (Charlotte Hanna-Williams) and their boss Johnny Bevan (Jamie-Rose Monk), who round out the charismatic cast with their uppity energy. The group’s vivid, fast-paced storytelling provides a genre-clashing, catchy soundtrack, which includes the plucky Making A Hero , the shenanigans of the far-right German track Das Übermensch   and the surprisingly moving love letter Dear Bill . While some songs like Das Übermensch feel  shoehorned in, the Six  and Hamilton -inspired score ensures there is something for every audience member to enjoy. The production’s 1940s setting is mostly based in the team’s MI5 London office. With a deceptively simple set that peels away to show secret panels, passages and revelations from its graph-paper patterned walls. With a few props and a portrait of Churchill moving between the scenes, this remarkable true story is left for the cast to do the heavy-lifting. The shows strongest suit is its nuanced performances that allow its cast to flow through scenes, switching gendered performances. It is extremely effective and hits on a combination of topics that layer class, war and gender into the mix quite effortlessly. The cast dial up the pacing of this production with Hanna-Williams taking on the under-appreciated women in service and Andrews stunning wit taking effect as the Bernard Spilsbury and Hester. Carey and Sumpton also play polar opposites of each other, but their precarious plans hinge on their unflappable shoulders and watching the pair clash forms much of the traditional British humour. Operation Mincemeat  is a mashup of old-school and new, focused on the weighty topic of war whilst offering a fantastic level of intimacy from its tight-knit cast and personal storytelling. The show crafts all the magic of a classic comedy and hopefully everyone can discover this unique piece of British history, given a confident and colourful spin. #OperationMincemeat # TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

The iconic McCallister house is looking even grander projected above a live orchestra on the Bridgewater Hall stage. With the symphony performing John William’s nostalgic score, Home Alone in Concert brings the allure of live music to the perfectly crafted Christmas film. After eight-year-old Kevin McCallister’s (Macaulay Culkin) family forgets to take him on their trip to France, Kevin is forced to defend himself and his home from two fumbling burglars played by Joe Pesci (Harry) and Daniel Stern (Marv). While his four siblings, extended family and mum (Catherine O'Hara) fight to get a flight back home, Kevin’s grinchy Christmas turns into an impressive home improvement project that sees the kid make more changes than an episode of DIY SOS . Between the discombobulated break-ins, wickedly funny insults thrown at children and a hypnotic score, this much-loved Christmas classic has been blended into a new atmospheric experience. Home Alone  is flush with famous and familiar Christmas tracks and unwrapping this holiday gift with a live orchestra and choir turns Chris Columbus’s 1990 film into an irresistible revival. With Christmas fast approaching, the whimsical tracks, Somewhere in My Memory, We Wish You a Merry Christmas  and O Holy Night  make it feel like the cosiest indulgence. For anyone who keeps Home Alone  high on their Christmas film totem pole, this impeccable, supersized production is a true seasonal treat. The booby-trapped McCallister house is being brought to a new generation, as the orchestra pores over the movie and breathes new life into William’s already rich score. The warming, communal experience is clearly a family affair as the Bridgewater’s sold-out show showcases a crowd of all ages, with many dressed in a Christmas jumper for the occasion. Live film concerts don’t just frame a story alongside an orchestra, these shows celebrate the classics, delivering to boost the charm and nostalgia of a 35-year-old film that never gets old. Some things do not need to be modernised and this film’s phenomenal score, the energy of a live audience and the story of an accidentally forgotten child are key examples. #HomeAlone #Film # TheBridgewaterHall #Manchester #FilmConcertsLive Tickets for live cinema events are available through TheBridgewaterHall and Ticketmaster

Aslan is back at the Lowry for a musical revival of C.S. Lewis’s beloved classic. Tapping into a wardrobe full of wonder, this stunning adaptation transforms the 1950s story with ingenious staging and stunning puppetry that keep the childlike wonder alive. While the Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are evading the Blitz in a Professor’s old countryside manor, Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe) discovers a snowy new realm through a wardrobe. Within its land are desperate citizens, including a faun, Mr Tumnus (Alfie Richards), who are closed off in the ephemeral world of Narnia, courtesy of the frosty unofficial ruler, the White Witch. The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe  unleashes an arsenal of visual effects, majestic puppetry and terrifying Turkish Delight to showcase the world beyond the wardrobe. Elevating the White Witch to impressive heights, director Michael Fentiman’s production manages to be both intimate in its silhouetted staging of the Pevensie family and sprawling in the world of Narnia, where the intimidating presence of Katy Stephens takes over the stage with a carriage and a cloak. The path between good and evil is led by   Lucy and Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor), as Edmund is swept up in the charming treats of the chilling villain and Lucy by the story of the rightful, banished leader of Narnia, Aslan. The mythic lion Aslan is intricately puppeteered by two actors, giving him a large sense of power and beauty despite his delicate frame. Aslan is also voiced by Stanton Wright, who follows him onstage to give the spirit animal a wider presence and a greater sense of awe. Fentiman’s direction is a faithful condensed retelling, with Stephens bringing her glittering and dominating presence alongside Aslan’s stunning design. The White Witch’s icy costume is pure grandeur and illuminates the entire set, but the Pevensie children, Mangombe and Osadolor ground C.S. Lewis’s story with their sweet and playful performances. When the ensemble step back into the reality of 1940s wartime Britain, you see the parallels of the worlds, with the cast switching from being woodland creatures to the teachers and evacuees of the Blitz. Songs including We’ll Meet Again  build on the collaborative nature of the tale, but the show’s music is not its main focus. Bringing a visual prowess to the timeless story, Fentiman’s production will linger in your memory for its stunning design, putting you in the Christmas spirit with its wintery world of wonder. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe  is a bewitching rendition of a warming classic, offering an immersive world of dazzling costumes and compelling performances. Hopefully, this production will be around to remind audiences of the power of unity, forgiveness and Turkish Delight for years to come. #TheLionTheWitchAndTheWardrobe #TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Opera North’s standout production of Susanna is a tug of war between sincerity and a double dose of deception. Built to strike a nerve, it comes across as storybook horror that plunges the Lowry audience into a familiar battle of his word against hers. This powerful reimagining of Hansel’s 1749 oratorio follows the tranquil life of Sussana (Anna Dennis), who, whilst minding her married business, has her life interrupted by two men hoping to take advantage of her whilst her husband is away for work. Despite rejecting the men, she quickly finds that they are more than happy to throw dirt on her name, labelling her as an adulterer for sleeping with another man in town. Helping to bring the community together to plan out her destruction, Susanna is a tale of holding your head up when it is about to be knocked off. Set and costume designer Zahra Mansouri’s brings a misleadingly serene design that allows the cast to glide on two levels alongside Marcus Jarrell Willis’s choreography. Director Olivia Fichs’s unobstructed storytelling is engrossing told with sign language, subtitles and an integration of dance that runs as an extension of the cast throughout the production. Intensifying the emotive tale in a beautiful and compelling fashion, the show draws you in both visually and lyrically for a chilling message of resilience. Hansel’s poetic lyrics bring an alluring sensitivity to Susanna’s injustice, spotlighting her strength and integrity with lulling arias that highlight her innocence amongst the chaos. Dennis and James Hall’s (Joacim) incredibly sweet vocals are full of runs, riffs and trills, blending to perfection and sinking you deeper into Hansel’s tale. Dennis delivers a stunning performance, finding herself in court for a heart-wrenching scene of confrontation between her conspirators, Elder (Karl Huml) and Elder (Colin Judson). Conductor Johanna Soller balances the intimate moments of Susanna’s fears and pleas, alongside the chorus whose public accusations against Sussana are sung in fiery unison. By adding a rotating cast of dancers, performers and opera singers, Opera North and Phoenix Dance Theatre production have reshaped Susanna into an enduring, modern parable. Its fluid choreography and softened natural aesthetics craft the bittersweet tale into a seamless, necessary revival. Despite leaving audiences to reflect on how little has changed since its debut, Susanna is worth the heartache, offering a beautifully gritty opera with magnetic performances. #OperaNorth #PhoenixDanceTheatre #Susanna TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Opera North offers a moody revival of Giacomo Puccini’s gritty story, which asks if an abundance of love can overcome an absence of money and status. Puccini’s romantic opera plunges the Lowry audience into an all-consuming love story of the youthful, destitute bohemians of Paris as we follow a group of struggling artists, freezing in a garret on Christmas Eve. In the group’s faded and dusty attic, painter Marcello (Yuriy Yurchuk), poet Rodolfo (Anthony Ciaramitaro) and philosopher Colline (Han Kim) work on burning Rodolfo’s words for warmth. Revival director, James Hurley’s laid-back, shadowy staging highlights the optimistic artist's work against their streaked walls and faded lighting which reflects the precarious lives of the creatives. But a candlelit evening is also the perfect time to fall in love and Rodolfo stumbles into the arms of embroider Mimi (Isabela Diaz), who is also in need of some warmth. Hurley’s revival puts Warhol and Monroe references amongst the cast's casual clothes and winter mittens, but there are only a few levels of modernity added to the story. Being broke is still hard work and Puccini’s 1896 opera remains as powerful and relevant as when it first premiered. With music that encapsulates the raw beauty of love, the story is set against the cracked and decaying world the group live in, where the men grapple with a lack of opportunities and the women a lack of prospects. Torn between flower embroidery or finding a wealthy husband, Diaz brings a wealth of emotions to Mimi, a woman who balances her quiet strength with an exuberance of love. The gorgeous Act 1 arias, Che gelida manina  and Si, with Ciaramitaro offer a sweet-toned rollercoaster of emotions before the show swiftly moves between lighthearted camaraderie to the devastating reality of poverty. Countering the lovebirds are Marcello and his ex-Musetta (Elin Pritchard), a singer who is the life of the party, knows her worth and is unwilling to compromise love for a fabulously lavish life. Between Pritchard’s bold presentation and Jeremy Peaker’s Marilyn Monroe styling, there is plenty of comic relief and scene-stealing performances. Also adding to the group's optimism and Yurchuk’s passionate frustrations is Phyllida Lloyd and revival director Hurley’s cheerful Christmas scenery. Selling the audience a dream of a better life with a chorus of choreographed children and saxophone-playing Santas, the impressive ensemble brings a sweet sense of love and intimacy to their overcrowded and weathered living arrangements. Conductor Garry Walker delivers the passion and heightens the intensity of Opera North’s production, making La Bohème the perfect entry point for anyone interested in testing the opera waters. Puccini draws you in with an honest and timeless tale of loss and youth, but Opera North’s engrossing cast made it a beautiful farewell to love. #LaBoheme #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Surging onto the Arena stage, the Grammy award-winning powerhouse returns to Manchester with an evening of chart-topping hits. Celebrating her first UK tour in 13 years, the original live-action genie dazzles her fans with a collection of enduring, decade hopping tracks. With loyal fans who have followed her from her Disney debut to her Dirrty reinvention, Aguilera takes it back to basics, performing favourites from her original 1999, self-titled album before travelling through her eight-album catalogue. Rising to fame with Genie in a Bottle (from the album that turns 20 this year), the long-haul success that has followed Aguilera has led to a cacophony of memorable hits hitting the diverse Manchester Arena crowd. Performed with power and presenting a bold cabaret focusing on female empowerment, Aguilera plays out the majority of her quadruple-platinum album Stripped to entertain with a new rendition of Beautiful launched alongside the unstoppable, Can't Hold Us Down . However, like Dr Who , Aguilera is not afraid of time jumping through the decades, jumping to fan favourites Candyman and Feel This Moment with sumptuous performances that focus on her active messaging of self-empowered and love, rather than with any smooth theme. Fresh from her Las Vegas residency, the international artist imports her remarkably designed production of rapid costume changes and brilliant backing dancers, for the Arenas animated roll out of her music. Flaunting an inclusive deep dive that shakes up twenty years of her tracks, the quality of the X Tour sees Aguilera flipping between a red and black leather-clad costume, knee-high boots and a beret for Ain’t No Other Man before slipping straight into an airy kimono for Beautiful . With performances that balance a fresh revival of her classics, the show finds time to input a few of her successful collaborations. Ensuring all the accessories are included and everyone gets to hear their favourite Aguilera high notes, Lady Marmalade without P!NK, Mýa and Lil Kim and Moves Like Jagger enter the show. Kicking off the X Tour with supporting act ALMA, the crowd are warmed up with a familiar fix of pop from the Helsinki based artist's playlist. After placing fifth on the seventh season of the Finish singing competition Idols , ALMA has collaborated with Charli XCX and Miley Cyrus, alongside featuring on the new Charlies Angels soundtrack under the dance track, How It’s Done . Offering similar messaging that resonates with Aguilera’s audience, ALMA performs a medley of songs that follow the singer/songwriter’s sexuality and devotion. Her electro-pop single tracks Dye My Hair , Chasing Highs and All Stars helps to frame the themes of the X Tour with honest artistry and love of otherness that is seen in Aguilera’s tracks. The X Tour offers a score of highlights, favouring a prideful mashup of classics from the hitmaker who certainly deserves to take a victory lap for her energy and scope. Taking her time to incorporate her famous ad-libs and one-liners in between beautiful vocals, the X Tour definitely highlights the fighter within Aguilera and showcases her gritty pop stardom to Manchester Arena. ChristinaAguilera ManchesterArena #Manchester