Yann Martel’s award-winning tale of survival has made its journey onto the Lowry stage in breathtaking fashion. Bringing to life the imaginative classic with awe-inspiring visuals and an exceptional cast, Life of Pi showcases the power of theatrical magic.     Both visually stunning and emotionally resonant, Life of Pi  follows Tanvi Virmani’s formidable performance as Piscine Patel, self-named Pi. After her parents decide to sell their zoo in India the family sail with their remaining animals to Canada, only to be struck by a storm that sinks their ark and leaves Pi as the only human survivor. Stranded on a lifeboat with their untameable Bengal tiger, Richard Parker as her only companion, Pi is forced to float for months on the unforgiving Pacific Ocean, bringing into question her faith and blurring the lines between reality and fiction.   Director Max Webster brings real power to the mystique of Martel’s storytelling as the tale seamlessly transitions from the zoo in India, to Pi’s hospital bed and the lifeboat adrift at sea. Through the use of minimalist staging and projections shimmering scenery onto the entire Lowry stage, the sense of isolation engulfs Pi throughout her journey and creates an immersive experience for the audience to fall into. Reshaping disaster with moving and comedic moments, alongside scenes of unexpected beauty, the narrative unfolds through Pi's reflective monologues and is carried by Virmani’s graceful performance.  The exceptional puppetry of Richard Parker is masterfully designed by Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes who bring animals to life with captivating realism using puppeteering. The multiple cast members required to masterfully contort Parker infuse him with a lifelike quality that is both awe-inspiring and unsettling alongside Pi in a tiny lifeboat. It adds a layer of magic to the production and allows you to suspend disbelief and fully embrace the fantastical elements of Pi's tale.   As Pi and Parker drift across the vast expanse of the ocean, Pi's faith in God and her determination to live are tested in unimaginable ways. This is a challenging tale to recreate on stage, yet Webster balances the essence of Martel's poetic work while introducing enchanting digital technology and puppetry. Faithfully recapturing the source material and uniquely adapting it to deliver a warm and unforgettable production, Pi leaves you to ponder the themes of faith, survival and the resilience of the human spirit.  Offering an adrenaline-pumping and ambitious piece of theatre, Life of Pi is a poignant reminder of the role storytelling plays in our lives. Whether you're a fan of the 2002 Booker Prize-winning novel or discovering Pi's journey for the first time, this is a phenomenal production that sweeps you into an enigmatic fantasy wrapped in life's unanswerable questions.   LifeOfPi TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Diversity’s 2024 Supernova show bursts onto the Lowry Lyric stage with a tsunami of energy, sweeping the audience in their wake. Despite its story being a departure from the expected Diversity offering, Supernova holds the heart of an Ashley Banjo project, layering relentless performances within a show about living life to its fullest.   Diversity has continually proven themselves to be more than just a stunting group, bringing carefully choreographed performances that push the limits and possibilities of what can be included in dance productions. Past performances of the Britain’s Got Talent  ( BGT ) winners have showcased the troupe's comedic side including mini-me members, while another focused on the Black Lives Matter protests during the 2020 COVID lockdown. The group has a real focus on driving inventive and inspirational ideas.   Through their latest Supernova theme show, Dujon Thompson (Big Scoop) narrates the audiences through the first half of explosive routines where the poetic storytelling is centred on a comatose pop star who crashes his car and is stuck in his hallucinations. While the premise allows your imagination to run wild with ideas, the show remains focused on its theme of connection and Banjo showcases this expansive world through humour, synchronicity and by spotlighting individual talents.   Banjo has a gift for imparting a shared sense of community through his choreography, easing the audience with doors of opportunities that continue to shock and enlighten through dance. The production moves through a variety of ideas, throwing in a toybox of Powderpuff Girls and Power Ranger  punch-ups, sharing their own Magic Mike moves to Usher’s  U Got It Bad and offering a few throwback stunts for any Michael Jackson fans. While Ashley jumps up and down the two-levelled stage like Mario, the production mounts a plethora of technology, and glow-in-the-dark lighting effects to frame the ever-growing group.  Alongside the show's rapid-fire choreography is the production's fondness for fire, smoke and water   that blanket all the elements around the audience and keep the visuals as stimulating as the movement. Between routines, selections of pre-recorded video are used to mix elements of memory, fears and outer space   that all flow to highlight features that give Diversity  their energy and focus.   Diversity presents Supernova seamlessly blends a variety of dance styles from the concise ensemble and showcases everything from acrobatics and breakdance to contemporary ballet. Despite the London-based group forming in 2007, Diversity continues to push the envelope with mind-boggling stunts that balance the group's humour, effortlessly synchronised routines and personality with each performance. This latest offering is an intense statement piece that pays off and is guaranteed to keep audiences enthralled with the continued spectacle coming from the UK’s finest street dancers.   # D iversity Supernova TheLowry #Manchester

Lynn Nottage’s hard-hitting, Pulitzer Prize-winning play dives into the forgotten lives of factory workers in a poor town in Pennsylvania. Despite spotlighting America’s plights and premiering in 2015, the show's universal themes of friendship, loyalty and the harsh realities of being working class allow audiences to reshape the tale with Manchester’s industrial worker bees in mind.    Recognising how financial uncertainty can quickly test a person's morals, Nottage weaves together the personal lives of seven factory floor workers whose decade-long friendships are tested when job cuts promise to leave some stripped of their identity and self-esteem. Economic uncertainty and social unrest bubble its characters to breaking point, with the distinctive space between the haves and have-nots playing out in a pub where its locals bear all.  Sweats frank dialogue also comes from ex-offenders, Jason (Lewis Gribben) and Chris (Abdul Sessay) as their parole officer Evan (Aaron Cobham) reflects on how stumbling over personal hurdles had the domino effect of knocking their families and community down. With the eight characters stories arranged into bite-size chunks, the snapshots of their lives softly wash over you as the characters openly lay out their struggles and plans to better themselves. However, Nottage’s story is split into two timelines, starting in the 2000 Britney Spears / NCYNC era and ending with the 2008 economic crisis.   Aaron Corban and Abdul Sessay on the set of Sweat. Photograph: Helen Murry Within the round of the Royal Exchange, director Jade Lewis’s metal-framed design sees the cast encircle the audience, drawing you into their personal space. You may not require a crystal ball to predict their futures, but the fast-paced production’s chronicling of each person’s steep decline and the swirling set that walls in its cast will force you to confront their relentlessly rising tensions and dwarfed world.    American Dreamer, Cynthia (Carla Henry) and the disillusioned Tracey (Pooky Quesnel) grapple as their reality and desires are shifted by powers outside of their control. Despite their clashing personalities, Henry and Quesnel bring genuine ease to the sharp and hilarious dialogue that sees one given a raise and the other let go. Both are sincere and sympathetic characters who you can empathise with regardless of whether you buy into their reasoning.   Abdul Sessay and Lewis Gribben on the set of Sweat. Photograph: Helen Murry Audiences are in for a rude awakening as Sweat challenges the nostalgic ideas we hold around our country, our identity and the invisible safety nets we believe are in place when we fall. The show's alcohol-fuelled conversations address issues of racism, addiction, and the decline of homegrown manufacturing to offer a brutal commentary on the real cost of economic inequality.   Sweat is a gritty story, carried by its grounded characters and fantastic ensemble cast. Looking at breaking the self-fulfilling prophecy that poverty and shame bring, Cobham’s compelling performance helps bridge the gap between shame and community support. While Nottage’s timeless tale remains unresolved, the show offers an intense sense of hope.  SweatTheRoyalExchange #Manchester Tickets are available via the TheRoyalExchange Link

Prison breaks, Ford V8s and vigilante justice are spread across the murderous musical retelling of Bonnie and Clyde. Highlighting the couple’s separate stories from their humble beginnings, exploring how the lawless Barrow Gang was formed and spotlighting how the infamous duo pushed their luck too far.   Offering a surprisingly informative musical, director Nick Winston   shapes the story from its 1930s Great Depression setting, holding mostly blacked-out staging that layers dilapidated hideouts and a bullet-ridden backdrop on the outskirts of the Palace Theatre stage. To give more context to the time, images including a tattered American flag, real news clippings and the self-taken and comically incriminating photos of Bonnie and Clyde are projected onto the centre stage throughout the show.  Winston underscores how the charismatic couple were not only in a world of their own during the Dust Bowl era but were promoted in times of foreclosures and famine as the trendy underdogs fighting the system. Bonnie and Clyde’s path follows a story driven by self-righteous revenge, but Winston’s production also plays up their positive perception by including a blend of catchy blues, gospel and rock songs that focus on the relatable criminal's dreams and desires. Katie   Tonkinson as Bonnie has a wonderful, belting voice and her opening   track Picture Show immediately presents her as an independent, poetry-writing daydreamer who is later only matched by the witty, one-liner   slinger Alex James-Hatton   as Clyde .   The vivacity and charm of James-Hatton and Tonkinson power this production, keeping this fast-paced, high-stakes story immensely enjoyable. Despite outgunning the cops and leaving behind candid photos of themselves posing with cigar and guns in hand, the doomed lovers are troublingly easy to sympathise with. Philip Witcomb’s   costume design ensures that the criminals make a life of crime look glamorous and Ivan Menchell’s   story is less about the secret, shady underworld of robbers and instead leans heavily on being a family affair. Shaped around class, the media and the law, Bonnie and Clyde’s rebellious chemistry is seen to have slowly driven them into a life of crime.   Looking to escape poverty and get revenge on the prison that turned him from a petty criminal into a murderous killer, the tale moves into fulfilling Clyde’s revenge fantasy and showcases the unreachable American Dream for most during the Great Depression. Yet violent acts are scarcely seen and the show includes more ballads that slow the pace of the show, than honest scenes that reveal why this couple really became famous. With the help of his brother, Buck (Sam Ferriday) and side characters like The Preacher (Aj Lewis)   helping to deliver the message of righteousness and absolution, the soundtrack does deliver some fantastic hits. Performing the gospel track God’s Arms Are Always Open , Lewis’s striking voice breaks up the folk-heavy playlist of songs like, You’re Goin’ Back To Jail .  Bonnie and Clyde the Musical  opens and closes with a bang. The stellar performances blended with the outrageous drama of this true crime tale offers a guilty pleasure that’s hard to resist and whether you side with or against them, the inseparable outlaws will definitely leave a permanent impression.  #Bonnie&Clyde PalaceTheatre #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link This review was originally written for

Bringing the story of protest and sacrifice to the Lowry theatre, Jesus Christ Superstar (JCS)  is back with a fresh revival that turns the story of crucifixion into a sacrilegious reimagining framed around fame, sex and rock and roll.   By opening the biblical tale up to musical lovers, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber strike all the right notes as they aim for your heartstrings and ear drums. Whether you’re in it for the unorthodox take on the religious tale or you’re a lover of its pop-rock album, the show stands alone as a timely narrative that focuses on celebrity and its consequences.   Following the final weeks of Jesus’s (Ian McIntosh) life, the show pulls into perspective his disciple, Judas (Shem Omari James), and their tumultuous relationship as he recounts why their friendship soured. In a humanising and grounded reimagining, the tale allows James to shine as a desperate and devoted believer in Jesus’s cause. Opening with the track Heaven On Their Minds , James sympathetically belts out his concerns about Jesus as a messiah and the power of Roman patrols against their lowly status.   After the success of Joseph’s Technicolor Dreamcoat , Rice and Webber followed up their 1968 hit with another religious reimagining. But JCS’s  darker, modern take reflects a more complex look at faith and pulls inspiration from Bob Dylan’s  With God On Our Side  to offer an intimate and personal profile. The show's simplicity allows the musical performances to soar and the cast's emotional pleas resonate through spotlit solos. As a result, the ensemble cast are given weighty moments to make their mark and infuse the score with different styles. The smooth singing Mary Magdalene (Hannah Richardson) adds a vulnerability and warmth with her soulful rendition of I Don’t Know How to Love Him and McIntosh is given countless high-pitched numbers throughout his impressive performance .   Originally crafted as a concept album, the score that carries the story forward is a dramatic, nonstop barrage of catchy hits. Alongside its spirited choreography, guitar riffing Jesus and leather jacket-wearing Judas, the show ensures there is a lot of light pageantry to offset its hard-hitting, religious inspiration. As there is no spoken dialogue, director Timothy Sheader   opts to deliver a divine spectacle that plays like a concert, placing a live band front and centre amongst the action. Its set places towering black structures that depict Jerusalem as its shadowy backdrop, while intense lighting and projections are used to bring depth to the prop-light stage.  JCS  makes a triumphant transition to the stage with a powerful production that is constantly in flux. The show has an infectious energy that delivers countless compelling and uplifting performances with swift pacing that keeps you bouncing between the serious and self-referential moments. Having first opened in 1971 , JCS  continues to evolve. Despite being crafted on faith, audiences will be praising the heavens that this fast and thorny tale of faith, betrayal, and redemption continues to be resurrected.   # J esusChristSuperstar TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Elena Dee carries Ellen Kent’s pressure filled production of Madama Butterfly  with a charged performance that shoulders every scene of Puccini’s iconic 1904 opera.    Disowned by her family for rejecting her community and religion, Cio-Cio-San also known as Butterfly, envisions a better life as a devoted wife to an American naval officer through an arranged marriage.     The Opera House audience is transported into the 15-year-old, Butterfly’s world as the geisha is swallowed by an elaborate set design and antique kimonos. The accessible opera leads with its visuals and the emotional draw of Puccini’s story resonates through Ellen Kent’s sprawling set that artfully recreates traditional Japanese architecture alongside delicate cherry blossoms as its picturesque backdrop.     Fueled by the fantasy of a life with her American lover, Cio-Cio-San marries and moves in with Lieutenant Pinkerton (Georgi Meladze) and her maid Suzuki, played by the soulful Natalia Matveeva. Walking into their marital home with only a handful of objects, her unabashed husband knows little about his wife's sacrifices as Meladze convincingly showcases his disregard through condescending scenes and forceful performance.     Needless to say, the honeymoon is short-lived lived and Pinkerton heads back to American leaving his Butterfly alone for three years to sing beautiful arias as she defiantly drifts around her house. The Humming Chorus , performed as Cio-Cio-San waits, poised and eager to welcome home her absent husband, is heightened by Ellen Kent’s cinematic production. The parade of cherry blossoms and the captivating water garden build her quiet moments of loneliness in paradise into an endless, haunting dream. The beauty of the staging also helps bring you into her doomed fantasy as Dee balances her innocence and self-assured performance in a heart-wrenching manner.     The immersive live orchestration and the sharp lighting effects used throughout the production merge to symbolise dawn and the idea of a new beginning. However, as the beautifully bedecked set of blossoms are plucked around Cio-Cio-San, it is clear that her self-sacrifice will only take her so far.     120 years after its release, Madama Butterfly  stands as one of the most enduring and vibrant operas ever performed. Due to its powerful soundtrack, melodramatic take and atmospheric visuals the underlying stereotypes of the docile and subservient Asian woman that were reworked into its musical adaptation Miss Saigon , remains open to a larger conversation. The show's themes have all the trappings of American exceptionalism and a healthy dose of salt is needed to view this as a story based on real events as it has all the nuance of  Diana the Musical .     However, Ellen Kent’s production is built to impress and shock, allowing audiences to embrace Cio-Cio-San's journey, from her initial euphoria of falling in love to her devastating betrayal. Any newcomer to the opera will be compelled by Dee’s compassionate performance as she holds the audience’s attention alongside Puccini’s timeless score and that breathtaking score ensures that Madama Butterfly  continues to stand the test of time.  MadamaButterfly OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link This review was originally written for

The National Theatre’s unmissable war epic has returned to The Lowry to showcase a production brimming with gentle beauty and anchored by war.  Michael Morpurgo’s stunningly adapted novel spotlights courage, faith and community as a treacherous mission to bring home a beloved family friend plays across the eruption of World War One. Driven by an unbreakable bond, Morpurgo’s narrative highlights the horrors of the Great War while offering a stirring tribute to the people and horses who lost their lives.   After Albert’s (Tom Sturgess) family horse, Joey is sold to the British Cavalry, the pair embark on separate journeys of survival and connection. As Joey encounters the Western Front, the defiant Albert, being too young to enlist in the army, plans to head to the battlefields of France to find Joey and bring him home. Playing in the shadows of a stark set, the story quickly pulls you into their reality through their sincere performances.  Tom Morris’s direction guides the Lowry audience through the sweeping story that utilises a smorgasbord of puppets to balance the serene and nestled farmlands of Devon, to the ravaged trenches of WWI France. The masterfully crafted Joey is brought to the stage through the magic of multiple puppeteers and their committed performance immediately captures your imagination. The Handspring Puppet Company ensemble gracefully build on the story's tension using vivid and ingenious mechanisms that would leave the life-sized Joey deflated without them.   War Horse  offers the best use of puppeteering since Avenue Q , with intense performances amplified by live folk singer Sally Swanson. Rianna Ash, Chris Milford and Thomas Goodridge breathe life into Joey, motioning everything from his lively gallop to the tiny swish of his tail. Their subtlety captures his essence and helps form the emotional core of the production, which relies on you believing in Joey’s strength and perseverance. Sturgess’s performance is equally compelling as Albert, as his sheltered life is quickly tested during his relentless search. Rae Smith's minimalist set design pulls focus on Sturgess’s heartfelt performance and keeps the saga utterly grounded. Battling through the brutality and futility of war, Smith’s effective use of lighting and projections that spread the landscape across a shredded background, homes in on the pair’s personal, splintered journeys as their narratives weave apart.    Without the use of complex visuals and multiple props, War Horse serves a poignant and gripping journey. Despite premiering in 2007, the emotional pull of Albert and the Handspring Company has made this unique production an enduring success. It is a show with so much heart and its deeply moving storytelling will ensure that audiences will always remain anxious to reconnect with Joey.  #WarHorse TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Ivan Michael Blackstock is an Olivier award-winning choreographer whose political and self-empowering projects have seen him collaborate with the likes of Nike and Beyoncé on the film Black is King  and the Grammy-winning video Brown Skin Girl . Now at Aviva Studio’s, Blackstock’s latest work, Traplord  showcases the barriers that must be broken to offer fresh perspectives.  Going down the rabbit hole and exploring the darker stereotypes surrounding what it means to be Black, Blackstock unpacks masculinity, race and mental health alongside a powerful ensemble of performers. Stereotypes exist for a reason, but breaking away from the prejudices surrounding race, gender and their impact on the self is a journey that Blackstock reveals through Traplord . The multifaceted production passionately infuses spoken word, live music, dance and absorbing visuals to draw the Aviva Studio audience into the shadowy world of its characters and offers a rallying cry for compassion and freedom of expression.  The manosphere may tell you that real men don’t cry and silence should be celebrated, but here the physical performances in Traplord  are pure, raw emotion. Building from the show's themes of masculinity and suppression, the performances become ever more explosive. From mirrored krumping freestyles to popping in sync and melding together.  There is a pull and an allure to the playful aesthetics that Traplord  offers. Running against a digital backdrop of an estate, Aviva’s wide, blacked-out stage displays the Trap Hero as he competes against computer game visuals of a puppeteering, pig-faced boss. Overshadowed, his warped world looks inescapable and the illusions surrounding money and power all feel gamified amongst the bedazzled guns and showy cars. With the ensemble's lonely surroundings making group performances intimidating and competitive, Traplord  looks inwards for an honest perspective on what it means to break out of these ideals. Magero’s sharp, spoken word commentary used between the action packs a punch. Picking up and playing with the stereotypes used to make visible, the self-destructive and rigid portrayals of black people.  Traplord  premiered in 2022 and its universal themes will never stop being relevant. The impressive ensemble of creatives put their foot on the gas to question our ideas of masculinity, reshape themes of depression and spin them into stunning scenes of visual art and dance. Taken in segments, its overarching ideas showcase what a restrictive outlook on life can lead to and what can happen when you open yourself up to new ways of thinking.  Tickets for Traplord are available through the Factory International link

Set in 2020 during the Covid quarantine, Here You Come Again  is a gentle jukebox musical that strikes a balance between a Dolly Parton tribute and an original storyline centred around perseverance. As the flamboyant Parton injects her music, humour and advice to offer chicken soup for the soul, the audience are taken on a journey through her curated hits that explore themes of love and self-acceptance.    The unexpected tale follows struggling comic Kevin (Steven Webb) as he is forced into isolation during the Covid pandemic. Hugging the poverty line and unravelling in his parent’s basement, the realities of a broken relationship, failing career and prolonged seclusion settle in as Kevin has nothing but time to daydream.   Gabriel Barre’s set spreads a treasure trove of abandoned trinkets amongst the immersive Lowry stage. Amidst the impressive time capsule of Monopoly and multipacks of toilet paper is Kevin’s record player, a horde of Parton vinyl and a life-size poster of his idol. The show's collective fever dream then allows the audience and our die-hard Dolly fan to see Parton in the flesh, ready to delicately guide Kevin through his troubles with style, wit and a timeless soundtrack.   Dreamed up by a cacophony of comedy writers including director Barre, Emmy award-winning Bruce Vilach and Gimme, Gimme, Gimme’s Jonathan Harvey, the show propels a fantasy of Parton through actress Tricia Paoluccio, whose warm and rich tone is easy to embrace. Paoluccio impressively captures Parton’s unique voice and spirit in a sweet and comedic performance that audiences can tip their cowboy hats to. As Kevin’s optimistic fairy godmother, she commands attention in a multitude of rhinestone-encrusted ensembles and hilarious one-liners, but the pair's direct dynamic is what drives the production forward. Webb’s fantastic physical performance alongside the pop-up backing dancers sustains a party atmosphere. As Kevin free falls into the warm embrace of Dolly, Parton is quick to offer an anecdote or song to help him out of his funk.  Within the meta-musical, the show directly involves the audience and the show's sitcom approach makes the pace fly by. The show is packed with earworms as Paoluccio alongside her on-stage band performs a selection of Parton’s most iconic songs, including Jolene , 9 to 5 , Coat of Many Colors  and, I Will Always Love You . Parton’s dense country songs lend themselves perfectly to a musical and Paoluccio’s strong vocals deliver a touching tribute to the Queen of Country.    Here You Come Again  is a nicely packaged musical, that gives audiences the best of both worlds. Barre’s closed-off and cosy set offers an intimate Dolly tribute that allows fans to be absorbed by her art and sent off with a finale that leaves you on a sweet sing-along high. While audiences less familiar with Parton’s work are able to discover it through a feel-good Covid case we all wish we’d lived through.   #HereYouComeAgain TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Opera North’s otherworldly adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream  catches the audience in multiple love triangles and moulds Shakespeare's 1596 classic into a magical, musical soiree.  After defying her father/the ruler of Athens' wishes to marry Demetrive, Hermia (Katie Bray) chooses to hide out in the woods with her lover Lysander (Joel Williams) as the couple plot to elope. Shadowed by her unwanted fiancé Demetrive (James Newby) and Lysander’s crush Helena (Camilla Harris), the foursome pick a bad time to play in the woods as they get in the middle of the Fairy King and Queen’s tiff who only help to wreak havoc on the lover's lives.  Shakespeare’s knotty play has been injected with colourful pizzazz and given a modern twist by director Martin Duncan. Styled in 60s costumes and placed on a sterile stage, the production lays focus on Benjamin Britten’s whimsical music and the shows alluring cast of characters. Duncan’s direction blurs the forest fantasy with futuristic staging to reflect the time Britten’s opera was formed and the mind-bending substances that were on offer. Opera North’s youth ensemble   whose creepy, black-winged, blonde Bowcut fairies, complete with blank stares swarm the Lowry stage, mirror the children from sci-fi horror, Village of the Damned  (1960). With British influences popping up throughout the three Act production to add to the dreamlike quality that flows throughout the show.  The eclectic score is performed by Opera North’s live orchestra, headed by conductor Garry Walker, with lyrics that play with the natural rhythms of Shakespeare’s language. Throughout the emotional rollercoaster of the plot, Britten’s harmonious libretto helps to build on the ensemble’s spirited performances with heartfelt music that complements the original text. Personalised theme songs distinguish each cast of characters in Britten’s dark remixing of the Bard’s words, slicing the score between terrestrial and foreign.  In the forest alongside the disorientated lovers is a rehearsing theatre group, led by an overenthusiastic actor named Bottom (Henry Waddington). After being given the face of an ass by the meddling fairy Puck, Waddington’s exaggerated delivery plays between the impassioned speeches of Puck, the somewhat sinister fairies and the shenanigans of the lovers in the forest. Duncan’s fast-paced production presents plenty of surprises for those familiar with Shakespeare’s work and will win over new audiences willing to open themselves to the dazzling experience that opera has to offer.  Opera North’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream  immerses its cast in Perspex and bubbles, showcasing a psychedelic and ethereal atmosphere in an accessible production that reshapes Shakespeare’s work for modern audiences. Adding some fairy dust to Shakespeare’s timeless classic, Britten wraps the story in an enchanting score that brilliantly captures the chaos and magic of love.  #AMidsummerNightsDream TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Trumpeting community and compassion, Come From Away  is a layered, people-powered production that morphs the tragedy of September 11 into a remarkably uplifting musical.  Immediately after the 2001 September 11 attacks, 38 planes were abruptly forced to land in the small town of Gander in Canada. With 7,000 stranded passengers floating through the town, the residents took it upon themselves to open their doors to their unexpected visitors to showcase true hospitality.   Placed between the folksy music and lyrics of Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away  crisscrosses between multiple characters played by a 12-strong cast of exceedingly talented performers. The razor-sharp ensemble pivots between multiple accents and roles as they celebrate real heroes, including the town's mayor, a journalist and a police officer who worked to support the stranded plane people of Newfoundland.   Contained on the Lowry stage with a hands-off approach that lets the performances sing, wooden chairs and tables sit along the wooded staging used to morph the set into a plane and bar. As the story conveys the different cultures and backgrounds from around the world, the show's minimalist approach, placed alongside director Christopher Ashley’s grounded group choreography beautifully and modestly reflects on community. With its cast fluidly weaving back and forth to showcase its festive characters, the dramedies interconnected themes of unity and resilience shine through.   Despite the story being in the midst of a tragedy, the focal point of Come From Away  is on community, putting the spotlight on people's similarities with a moving production that represents the best of us. Bonding over new friendships as opposed to a retelling of the events of 9/11, this intimate production is a rich character study that holds detailed and joyous performances.  Sara Poyzer’s wholesome solo of Me and the Sky tells the story of the first female captain to fly for American Airlines, offering a triumphant and personal ode to reflect on the history of one of the grounded pilots. However, the soundtrack favours ensemble performances and platforms them at the heart of the show. With its live musicians entertaining from the sideline allowing its unified soundtrack to place more value in the company regardless of its long line-up of talented performers.  Come From Away  is committed to comforting audiences with a real-life miracle performed for the Lowry audience just in time for the holidays. The Lowry’s feel-good festive treat is a magnetic production that allows you to be wowed by its cast and their cathartic performances.   Sankoff and Hein’s   Celtic   soundtrack is a touching reminder of the importance of real connections in times of tragedy and joy.   ComeFromAway TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

A Christmas Carol the Musical  takes a trip down memory lane, highlighting the good, the bad and the ugly of one of the nation's favourite curmudgeons.  The unscrupulous Scrooge is hitting the Quays stage with the help of Hope Mill Theatre and writer, Mike Ockrent and Lynn Ahrens's musical reworking of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella. Allowing Claire Moore (Evelina Scrooge) to don the top hat and mumble a “bah humbug” to the delight of the Lowry audience, this faithful reimagining is a charming and timeless hit.   Directors, Joseph Houston and William Whelton’s production is guaranteed to get audiences into the Christmas spirit as the beloved story of greed and transformation has been inventively recreated for the stage. Otherworldly Victorian aesthetics are showcased alongside smoke-filled sets, eye-watering performances and enviable costumes. Tailoring Moore under shimmering paper-filled sets and striking projected   surroundings.   Scrooge’s journey of redemption has been infused with a contemporary score, using lyrics that morph her bitter words into haunting songs. Performed alongside an under-stage band, composer Alan Menken, who has scored the best Disney musical to date ( Beauty And The Beast ) has teamed up with songwriter Lynn Ahrens ( Ragtime and Seussical ) to carry lush orchestrations alongside a catchy soundtrack. The songs range from the heart-warming addition of  God Bless Us Everyone  to the hilarious two-part performance of Nothing To Do With Me  sung by the talented Moore ( The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables ).   Allowing Moore to take on the comically grumpy moniker in a production that offers the perfect blend of nostalgia with a modern twist, this Christmas classic remains a traditional retelling whilst playfully subverting some character expectations. With no intermission to slow down the pace of the show, the soundtrack bounces between the eerie Link By Link  sung by the ghost of Jacob Marley (Barry Keenan), to the permanently uplifting ensembles,  Jolly Good Time.  While the poised ensemble counters Moore’s humbugging with jolly and heartfelt songs, the stage is consumed by her flair, as Moore clearly enjoys grumping it up on stage.   Hoping to correct all of Scrooge's wrongs in one night, the ghosts of Christmas Past (Mari McGinlay), Present (James Hume) and Future (Josie Benson) appear to show her the error of her selfish ways. Transforming the strikingly shadowy contracts that surround the set with gorgeous lighting that spotlights the sinful Scrooge and offers some heart-pounding reveals. The apparitions also arrive with their own unmistakable style and 5-minute choreographed routines.  Full of festive cheer,  A Christmas Carol The Musical  encapsulates all the joy required for the holiday. The seasonal favourite confronts the consequences of greed with a timeless reflection of community and giving. Despite being set in the cold, dark streets of Victorian London, Hope Mill Theatre’s cast shine brightly with tremendous musical performances. Alongside a host of colourful characters, Moore is masterful as Evelina Scrooge with a performance that leaves a haunting reminder of how wonderful this reworked classic really is.  AChristmasCarolTheMusical TheLowry HopeMillTheatre #Manchester Tickets are available via the TheLowry