On February 25th 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay became the world heavyweight boxing champion after defeating Sonny Liston. Choosing to celebrate his victory quietly, Ali and friends, Malcolm X, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke headed to the Hampton Hotel in Miami to eat ice cream and converse. One Night in Miami centres around these real events and that unforgettable evening, but while we don’t know the genuine actions that took place, the premise was enough for writer Kemp Powers to develop his stage show. With four iconic men on display at the HOME theatre, Powers chooses to showcase their relaxed conversation in the intimate setting, allowing the idols to share their thoughts and disagreements freely. Although closed doors did nothing to stop these men from speaking their truth to power, the show shines a light on their authentic friendship away from the public eye. Reminding audiences that they were more than entertainers, musicians, athletes and activists. It is not only a chance to see four incredible icons, but to see them removed from their threatening labels. It is a freedom rarely accosted to black masculinity on screen or stage, offering each of them moments of vulnerability and strength. As each fought tirelessly to better themselves and establish equality within their respected fields, the production attempts to glimpse at their differences in approach. Matt Henry (Sam Cooke), Christopher Colquhoun (Malcolm), Miles Yekinni (Jim Brown) and Conor Glean (Cassius Clay) embody the spirit of the gang in a convincing and engaging performance despite their static staging. Their passion is on display, including conversations that explain their political message for social change through music, film and sport. As each shares their impactful contributions to the Civil Rights movement, audiences are reminded that merely sharing their talents in the segregated 60s was a dangerous and personal responsibility. As a result, director Matthew Xia ensures that even the stage is unable to contain their personalities. Breaking out of its boxed hotel environment, to engulf the audience in blinding stage lighting and allowing Cooke to jump down into the audience to offer a soulful serenading to a lucky few. The show looks back at that moment in time to highlight the bigger picture these men could envision, with Henry’s performance of A Change Is Going To Come ringing in the audience's ears from the moment he had finished. The song, released after Cooke’s death in 1964, remains as relevant and haunting to hear in 2019. As the fight for equality continues, One Night In Miami offers a beautiful show shaped by friendship and struggle, that forces audiences to question what we are doing with the legacy of these iconic men. The Oscar nominated One Night In Miami is also available to watch on Prime Video OneNightInMiami #Manchester #HOMEmcr

Cirque Du Soleil’s Toruk offers a wild and mystic journey inspired by James Cameron’s Avatar that brings a love letter to nature wrapped in aerial acrobatics to Manchester’s Arena . Toruk has taken the best bits of Cameron’s abstract world, following a simple message surrounding hope and strength, allowing audiences to shadow the Na’vi people who inhabit the jungle moon of Pandora. While the 2009 sci-fi film addressed a war over resources between the humans and Nav’vi people, Cirque’s fantasy world heads back in time to construct a surreal tale set before any humans discover Pandora. Following a trio on a quest to save the Tree of Souls from a Mountain Banshee, Cirque’s pacier production plays out years before the film's premise. Bringing an old world of enchantment, the circus troupe are able to develop a gripping, unique story with a life of its own. 40 video projectors are used to create Pandora, spanning out into the crowd and immersing you in their world. Alongside Cirque’s unnaturally talented performances, the show takes audiences to Olympic heights with spectacular stunts that play out to live music and is narrated by the last of the Anurai Clan. Fusing puppetry, projections and acrobatics, the show ensemble allows for multitasking artists to bring the theatrics of this passionate community, blending for dance performances, parkour and to operate 16 puppet kites. The original Viperwolves and Direhorses from the Avatar have been recreated, but Cirque has added its own fantastical creatures to the repertoire including Turtapedes and Austrapedes that are controlled by the ever-moving cast. While the production aims to create its own small, private world at Manchester’s Arena , it is centred by its Home tree that sits, looming over the centre of the stage. Hiding many of the cinematic effects that travel throughout the performance, it is the most significant element of the show and enables the production to surprise its audience with hidden reveals out of its trunk. Replicating the elements of wind, rain and fire with playful lighting and smoke, the productions simplest moments have a wonderous impact, bringing a beautiful sea of fog for its cast to sail on and a stunning rope act that wows the crowd. The exhausting production keeps the main three cast members on onstage for almost the entire show, with challenging costumes that have its members climbing and flipping over plants with overgrown tails running down their backs. Commanding performances from the contortionists and athletes allow the vigilant group no time off stage to breath with even their rest periods forcing background characters to dance, cartwheel around the room or control the puppet creatures. While Avatar has inspired Toruk, the show is an original production that keeps the familiar, nonsensical Sim language that will occasionally have you question what the hell is happening. Here, Cirque’s repertoire expands to offer a mature and entirely immersive visual spectacle that is distinct but uniquely captivating show from beginning to end. CirqueduSoleil #TORUK #Manchester ManchesterArena #CirqueDuSoleil

The incarcerated youth of tomorrow are feeling all the feels at the Verona Institute where they have been deserted by their guardians to bubble over with emotion in a facility designed to suppress their personality. At the Lowry theatre Matthew Bourne’s reimagining of Romeo and Juliet plays with corruption and control, pinning its cast in all white uniforms against a milky set drained of colour. The refreshed narrative addressed issues surrounding mental health, set in an ambiguous future that exchanges Shakespeare’s family rivalries for youths trapped by circumstances beyond their control and surrounded by abuse. Living within Shakespeare’s world, Bourne reshapes the story around Prokofiev’s 1935 score, accentuating the overflowing passion of the love-struck couple. Performed live by the New Adventures Orchestra and conducted by Brett Morris, the revised score magnifies the pent-up energy of its ensemble cast while crafting a new identity of the classic narrative. With a set designed by Lex Brotherston, the story plays out a two-tiered gated community which houses men and women in separate spaces. The entire structure of the institute is set up in a way that invites abuse, with an unchecked guard representing Tybalt (Dan Wright) degrading Juliet while controlling every aspect of the teen's life. While the simplistic, multifunctional set mirrors everything from the teen's cells, to a dance floor and fighting arena, the playful nature of its young cast sees the youth rebel in any way they can. Their personalities shine through the clear set, with exhaustive choreography from the abundance of young talent spilling out onto the stage in support of each other. Inventive sequences that flip the limited resources and space extend the impact of the ensemble as the group feed off each other, frequently moving in packs and pairs. The emotive Juliet (Cordelia Braithwaithe) is given more agency over her life, leading the story, at the forefront of the action and defending herself against the advances of Tybolt. Despite being placed against a downtrodden Romeo (Paris Fitzpatrick) who appears riddled with self-doubt after being deserted by his political parents Senator and Mrs Montague, the essence of youth flows through their duets, including intense choreography that reanimates the classic characters with passionate performances. With the men and women kept apart, the moments between the two lovers bring striking duets and solos, where their quiet scenes of unity are reflected in a darkened set. Three years since the release of his last production, Red Shoes , the unexpected remodel of Romeo and Juliet shapes New Adventures back onto the themes of love in a suppressed space. Dripping in similar themes of separation and the perilous consequences of love, Romeo and Juliet’s new dynamic brings one of the most minimal New Adventures productions to the stage. In finding a way to survive the abuse, Romeo and Juliet grasp onto a sense of community, allowing the ensemble cast to shape many of the couple's connections. The production skilfully plucks the classic moments of the story with a fresh perspective that amalgamates significant acts to see the teens as a collection. Fusing what audience know of the story with moments of uncertainty, Bourne’s beautiful reimagining of Romeo and Juliet bursts with passion but strips back details for audiences to build on their own conclusions. MatthewBourne #RomeoandJuliet #Manchester TheLowry #MatthewBourne

Reliving his pressure-filled years as a junior doctor for the NHS, Adam Kay brings his Jekyll and Hyde experience to the Lowry stage. Plunging through his professional diary that followed him from 2004 until 2010, Kay’s animated talk laying out the hard truths of working in the underfunded, pressure driven world of medicine is back by popular demand. Clearly connecting with a vast number of public sector workers, the stage shows disturbingly funny antidotes from his 2017 book, that are enhanced by live musical segments and audience participation. Through his collection of entertaining stories, songs and audience questions, Kay’s overall production emphases his love for the NHS and the increasingly unsustainable pressure on its staff that play out in his personal and professional descriptions. The handpicked stories from his book blur similar themes that all follow the absurd compromises that the job entails. Keeping him overworked, unbalanced, while sacrificing friends, family and his mental health, the feverish testimony on the erosion of the NHS is given a surprisingly sharp and comical stuffing. Through his six years as a junior doctor Kays’ jaw-dropping exposure to mishaps and misshapen objects retrieved from the body offer a mixture of stories that unearth the gratifying, isolating and transformative qualities of the relentless role. Nine years after quitting medicine, having traded in the stethoscope for a microphone, Kay’s show continues to entertain and fight for the doctors who remain in the system. Staff who are still under fire, defying the routinely challenging work handed to them, alongside the mental pressures to constantly perform. Public sector workers are placed on a pedestal as Kay reveals the traumatising experience that made him leave the profession, with a voyeuristic insight for any audience members unaware of the unseen strains on their practitioners. For any public sector worker, simply hearing Kay verbalised the problems is therapeutic, offering an entertaining outpour of sympathy by one ex-doctor who was able to draw an extensive show (and an upcoming sequel to this book) from his own questionable experiences. As Kay’s amusing history unearths our personal responsibility to ensure the NHS does not endure further cuts and staff shortages, Kay's final diary entry ends with a conversation with the audience, explaining how they can help. Presumably this is the only question that must have accompanied any of his previous Q&A's on tour. So, what can we do? To ensure we don’t lose our universally needed and cherished NHS, we can contact our local MP’s, use the power of social media, or even crowdfund legal challenges. But Kay simply asks for audiences to defend the institution and the people who work tirelessly to keep it afloat. Bringing his detailed and hilarious live show to the Lowry, This is Going to Hurt is a passionate performance piece that continues to fight for the fundamental British institution of the NHS. ThisisGoingtoHurt Manchester #TheLowry

Plunging all their money into a rundown 1750s manor in Sussex, the Harcourt family have packed up their city life and relocated for a chance at country living. Freelance web designer, Ollie (Joe McFadden, Heartbeat and Holby City ), his high-powered solicitor wife, Caro (Rita Simons, EastEnders ) and their sixteen-year-old daughter Jade, discover that their passion project needs more than just TLC when balancing family, work and ghosts becomes a daily challenge. From the moment the Harcourt’s set foot inside their new home, they are inundated with mysterious locals reluctant to reveal the bleak history of the houses previous inhabitants. While their new friends tease out the grim death of its original owners and the ghostly grey lady that has occupied the house ever since, hidden secrets surrounding the locals are also unsurfaced. As the down to earth family tries to rationalise aberrations, the slow-burning narrative finds each of the Harcourt’s refusing to share their personal encounters with the ghostly presence of the grey lady that inhabits their homes. With the manor taking over the entire Opera House stage, its two-tiered set places a looming mirror, arched windows and a sky-high interior window within its space to shape the modern ghost story around classic tropes. Audiences will find their eyes darting around Michael Holts impactful designed set as they attempt to catch a projection or glimpse of a supernatural occurrence. The story that has been adapted from the 2015 novel by bestselling British author Peter James’ leaves many questions unanswered and open for his sequel The Secret of Cold Hill . While the House on Cold Hill is loosely based on James’ own experiences, the short narrative places contemporary oddities alongside mediums, disconcerting characters and its creepy location to offer a familiar narrative that guides the audience to piece together the motives for the ghostly goings-on. With a story rooted in myth, history and extremely shaky science, director Ian Talbot shifts the delivery of this psychological thriller by concentrating on its modern take, that includes a tech-savvy ghost hijacking an Amazon Alexa . Shaun McKenna’s stage adaption heavily edits out the suspenseful characters that shape the original ghost story, together with any mysteries for the audience to unravel. Its static staging also hinders its action and pacing, placing many of the encounters off stage and forcing the small cast to explain everything. While this production delivers an entertaining mix of humour and jump scares, the classic ghost story loses its sinister connections with a reworked narrative that removes too many personal layers from its characters. This review was originally written for The Review Hub TheHouseonColdHill PeterJames #Manchester #TheOperaHouse

Fuelled by the colourful narrative of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Northern Ballet accompanied by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia have reinterpreted The Great Gatsby into a live picture book. Mesmerising visuals by director David Nixon bring sweeping sets to the Lowry stage, supporting the young and animated cast of characters throughout the moving production. Helping audiences to escape into the summer of 1922, Nixon’s direction sees the characters through the bustling streets of New York, into intimate gatherings and gas stations. Glistening costumes, smarmy personalities and hidden agendas have been playfully transformed through the ballet, which concentrates on the rich details surrounding the mysterious Gatsby. Although motives and characters have been removed, the production plays through Gatsby’s backstory with duelling Gatsby’s in a simple walkthrough of Fitzgerald’s novel. Guiding audiences through the story, the production offers an absorbing and memorable collection of stand out sequences from its brilliant ensemble cast. Bursts of jazz, striking flapper dresses and the seductive lifestyle of the rich are all embraced on the Lowry stage. The slick production that follows Nick Carraways growing friendship with his secretive and extravagant neighbour, Jay Gatsby has been condensed for audiences unfamiliar with the story, but its narrative feels far from underdeveloped. Cutting out much of Gatsby’s shadowy past, the production focuses on the romantic history between its characters, including beautiful duets and choreography from Ashley Dixon (Gatsby), Antoinette Brooks-Daw (Daisy) and Kevin Poeung (Nick), who playfully throw Daisy between themselves in a scene that strips back its detailed set. The ballet is unable to fully unpack Gatsby’s history and motivations surrounding the American Dream, but instead centres the novel around the glamour, glitz and love of the period. As a result, the show is fuelled with excess and keeps the production energetic through its use of live and recorded music by Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. As the restless characters pace from one beautifully crafted scene to another, the shows decision to offer a romanticised reinterpretation steers the story to a simplified finally that still excites and reclaims the best parts of the novel. Tracing Fitzgerald’s imaginative and mysterious storytelling into colourful choreography seems as out of reach as Gatsby’s green light; however, Northern Ballet brings the roaring twenties to life with this fascinating and elegant production of the classic. NorthernBallet #TheGreatGatsby #Manchester TheLowry

The Lowry stage sets the perfectly poised world of Judy and Johnny, whose delicate fifties lifestyle begins to snag after brushing up against the modern world. Trapped in a prison of their own making, Home I’m Darling examines modern values, feminism and contemporary relationships through vintage living. Katherine Parkinson ( IT Crowd and Doc Martin ) stars as the mislaid Judy in this gentle comedy where a woman’s choice to live a hyper-focused Mad Men lifestyle becomes a modern nightmare. As the fragile and romanticised image of the period masks Judy’s anxieties of modern living, her over-reliance on her husband and his needs, allows her to lose parts of herself. The slow-burning story follows Judy as she repurposes her hectic lifestyle as an office manager and transforms into an empowered housewife, with no children. Tied down by fifties traditions, the couples house is renovated with original 1950’s décor that has Johnny flaunting a jaunty Fedora and Judy flouncing in ruffled swing dresses. Besides their malfunctioning fridge, her damaged ideals of what fifties living encompasses bring alarming undertones that naturally leads to Judy undervaluing herself. Her personal tale develops into a gripping narrative, with a beautifully controlled performance by Parkinson, that plays out Judy’s well-honed persona slowly unravelling to the Lowry audience. The dangers of idealising the past are brought to light through her close connections of friends and family who offer more insight into how Jane’s choices affect others and limit her own. While her make-up artist bestie attempts to head down a similar fifties route with her handsy, old-fashioned husband, her mother Sylvia (Susan Brown) is always at hand to remind her of her responsibilities in the real world. Reminding the audience that “nostalgia, ain't what it used to be”, Sylvia is the older voice of reason that prompts viewers into reliving the stifling, racist, sexist and homophobic fifties that has been swiftly whitewashed by Judy. Written by Laura Wade and directed by Tamara Harvey, the production speaks on feminism and the need to stay vigilant. Framed in Judy’s small world, the push for future generations of women to look outside their bubble and continue to progress despite setbacks, makes this nostalgic narrative a timeless and motivational triumph. HomeImDarling #NationalTheatre #Manchester TheLowry

Hey, you guys! There’s no green screen on display at the Bridgewater Hall as The Goonies plays alongside a live orchestra, taking audiences on a trip all the way to Cannon Beach. Implementing every instrument but a slide whistle, the action-packed classic is driven by its live orchestra in a celebration of the original, juvenile comedy. Continuing the adventure with new and old audiences alike, Stephen Spielberg’s 1985 comedy is given a new lease of life with a flourishing musical upgrade made to accompany the slapstick footage of Brandon and friends. The Goonies fantastical storyline and amazing stunt work are wrapped around our favourite child actors Sean Astin (Brandon), Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Cohen (Chunk) in their search for One-Eyed Willie’s treasure. Alongside the fast-paced musical interludes created by Academy Award and ten-time Grammy Award winner Dave Grusin, the 80’s classic cranks the nostalgia level up to eleven with memorable moments including Chunks confession, the truffle shuffle, and basically any scene involvign Cohen. If your wish is to oversee the entire orchestra as they play along to the movie, the Bridgewater Hall holds the cult classic on a cinema size screen which is best viewed in any of the circle seats. As theatres and orchestras reach out to larger audiences, you can expect more spectacular collaborations of classic movies and live orchestral music. See the link below for more outstanding merging of live music and cinematic experiences below. TheGoonies #Film BridgewaterHall

Harkening back to her soulful roots, the pioneering female artist Gabrielle is in Manchester with the release of her new album Under My Skin . 26 years since debuting her chart-topping single Dreams (1993), the Hackney born songstress has mixed her smooth vocals to build an eclectic album collection that is uncovered during her latest tour. With 80’s pop influences including Culture Club , Duran Duran and Wham ! serving to shape the Platinum-selling singer’s creativity, Gabrielle’s long-spanning career hooks audiences with her own classic soul collection of timeless tracks. Original and ambitious with her music and image, Louisa Gabrielle Bobb’s sixth studio album is delivered 11 years from the release of her fifth, with a break that the Mobo and Brit award winner has used to reflect on. The new album includes relatable songs Thank You , Show Me and Every Step , that weaves a similar connecting message to her debut, Find Your Way (1993). Focusing on themes of love, life and encouragement, the minimalist production places emphasis on the artist's lyrical storytelling that pauses for mini interludes of information regarding the making of the tracks and her gratitude to the packed crowd. Despite a decade passing, the emotional draw of Gabrielle’s music still holds her fans, making the intimate Bridgewater Hall concert the perfect stop off for the tours handpicked section of songs. Played alongside a live four-piece band and accompanied by two female backing vocalists, Gabrielle mixes her classics with unexpected pop and R&B supporting acts. The young 2012 X-Factor runner up, Jahméne Douglas complemented Gabrielle’s R&B style with a note-holding selection of tracks. After opening with the pop artist AMiR, whose Michael Jackson inspired moves to his track Stolen brought an unexpected layer of charm to the concert, Jahméne continued with his belting vocals. Performing his singles Forever and Eternity and Love from his second album, Love Never Fails (2013) alongside covers of Saving All My Love For You and At Last , the supporting acts kept the atmosphere relaxed and upbeat, until it was time for the main event. After warming up the crowd Gabrielle performed her hits Out of Reach , that was used in the film Bridget Jones Diary, Dreams and Sunshine. The British staple shows a powerful vulnerability with a natural ease to her performance. Under My Skin continues to bring audiences the quiet, underestimated hits that Gabrielle is known for. With a universal appeal, her unguarded songwriting will definitely have the audience resurface her body of work when then they get home. GabrielleUnderMySkinTour #Manchester BridgewaterHall

The imaginative, operatic world of The Magic Flute originally begins in the middle of a chase following the character Tamino as he is tailed through a forest by an oversized serpent. Here, director James Brining has opted to open the production at a dinner party where we watch an uninvited child play her own recording of The Magic Flute in her bedroom. While her parents bicker with their party guests, she falls asleep exposing a dreamlike production that staggers the party guests as characters within her dream. An extra in her own fairy-tale or possible nightmare, she perches as an observer throughout the story. After settling into the surreal world inhabited by blood-soaked, sword-wielding servants who take on the giant serpent chasing Tamino, we follow his journey across this new landscape that transforms the Lowry stage with layers of decayed and diseased scenery. Tree roots hanging from the ceiling and enormous Tetris style set pieces tower above the characters, slotting into new placements. Director Brining has modernised Mozart’s 1791 production which embody the rituals and wonder of the original story while integrating sharp projection to engulf the audience into the action. Shrouded with mysterious characters, what first appears to be a fairy-tale journey for Tamino to rescue the Queen of the Night’s daughter from the sorcerous Priest of the Sun, Sarastra becomes a journey of self-discovery for enlightenment. The deceitful world that Tamino navigates sends him on a quest for wisdom and love that incorporates a balance of silence, fire and water. The show grapples with multiple characters, sets and the trials which are assembled in groups of three. Tamino wrestles with the temples of reason, wisdom and nature, merging with Mozart's personal history of Freemasonry. With plans to restore the world's balance through rational and love, the experience gathers a diverse group of characters who seek power, love and vengeance. The laid back and entertaining bird catcher, Papageno (Gavan Ring) is a reluctant follower who adds a layer of comedy and charm to the story. Alongside love interest Pamina (Vuvu Mpofu) who embodies the fairy-tale element of the quest, the opera's main ordeal is its large cast of characters that are led to an abrupt end. With a wonderful mix of identities, conductor Robert Howorth allows the varied musical styles to ascend in this spirited production. Pitted against Mpofu’s and Kang Wang’s (Tamino) wonderfully sweet tones, Samantha Hay brings the finest parts of evil to the stage, effortlessly hitting the high F as the ferocious Queen of the Night in the second acts aria. With the partly sung and partly spoken opera delivered in English, Opera North brings an entirely accessible production to a wide-ranging audience. The show highlights the darker themes of Mozart's work while staying relatable and modern through its new direction. While some of the added elements feel unresolved, the overall productions stunning costumes, visuals and music will keep the long-running opera a memorable experience to old and new audiences. This review was originally written for The Review Hub #OperaNorth TheMagicFlute #Manchester TheLowry

Moulded by differing opinions shaped by age, culture and language, Barber Shop Chronicles travels across six cities where we witness open and ongoing conversations ranging from relationships, football and the use of the n-word. The community cultivated in these spaces offer an opportunity for black men to express themselves free from a society that has built its rigid image of black masculinity around tough, macho men. From the first scene the show layers common stereotypes depicting the first customer, Wallace (Demmy Ladipo) as a thief who is in need of a haircut but unable to pay. However, familiar themes of black men who are portrayed as threatening and untrustworthy are circumvented within its twelve-person cast as their overlapping stories develop each of the men into much more than a label. While travelling through London, Accra, Lagos, Kampala, Harare and Johannesburg, Barber Shop Chronicles works to break stigmas around mental health and the archetypes surrounding black men. Within the cities, an honest conversation moves between barbers and clients where the audience is granted a personal seat in their private space. The story breaks the men from a monolithic group, redefining black masculinity by simply showing and acknowledging difference. The universal stories shared, travel between languages and traditions, positioning the barbers as councillors to their community in which the men can speak uncensored. It’s a beautifully simplistic idea in which the audience are voyeurs, able to empathise with the unguarded and authentic emotions that are rarely depicted on stage or screen. In a 2016 Ted Talk writer Inua Ellams highlighted the problems surrounding stereotypes and the struggle to break through expected traits of black masculinity. Basing the work on a pilot project that intended to teach barbers counselling skills, Ellams has reimagined the initial reasoning for the project. Statistically black men in the UK are 17 times more likely than a white man to be diagnosed with a mental health issue and the way in which we relate and depict groups and minorities can have a devastating effect. Despite the overwhelming foundations in which the story was built, Barber Shop Chronicles takes the issue and carries its audience with optimistic and joyfully comical scenes. Director Bijan Sheibani and musical director Gareth Fry move the audience from city to city by merging choral singing, dance breaks and a metal globe that hovers in the centre of the stage, lighting up the city we are visiting. Bringing a relaxed atmosphere to the sharply paced show, the cast spin their barber chairs on and off the stage, sitting along the edges of the circular set with the audience. Bringing a long overdue conversation to the forefront, Barber Shop Chronicles normalises differences by leading discussions of friendship and fatherhood to the Royal Exchange theatre. Including powerful and real depictions of the black experience that help alter audiences’ expectations of an underrepresented group, audiences will instantly feel a part of the community. As soon as you enter the theatre, the cast are running out into the audience to introduce themselves, encouraging you on stage to get your hair cut or cut a rug to Cameo . BarberShopChronicles #Manchester TheRoyalExchange

The light bulb moment that sparked Pixar’s creation in 1979 continues to radiate joy in young and old audiences alike. Teaming sixteen of the studio’s iconic films, the Novella orchestra alongside conductor/presenter David Mahoney are taking over the Bridgewater Hall to form a concert that showcases the companies finest work. Underscoring the heart-breaking animation of Up (2009), Finding Nemo (2003) and Wall-E (2008) on a cinema-sized screen projected above the stage, the Novella orchestra plays through the distinctive tracks and music cues, together with highlights of the film. Revealing the intense relationship music plays within the movies, the show displays slimline walkthroughs of each film for audiences to relive as the orchestras atmospheric music plays over the animation. Emphasising the power in Pixar’s distinctive scores to improve the filmic experience, set the tone and pulls at the heartstrings, the catalogue of hits including composer Michael Giacchino’s 2007 soundtrack to Ratatouille , the song The Glory Days from The Incredibles (2004) and Mike and Sully’s theme tune from Monsters Inc (2001) are lovingly performed. The team execute tracks from the world’s first computer-animated film, (1995) and its sequel, in conjunction with the popular follow-ups, Finding Dory (2016) and Cars 2 (2011), with a pleather of tracks to choose from. Pixar With fifteen Academy Awards, nine Golden Globes and eleven Grammys under their belt, brings to light the magical combination of fantastical storytelling and memorable music that the studios twenty feature films have developed in their short history. As the Novella orchestra surrounds the films musical elements with a powerful production that do far more than compliment the animation, the orchestra conveys the momentum behind the moving images. From the subtle Remember Me lullaby in Coco (2017) to the distinctive You’ve Got a Friend In Me, from Toy Story, Pixar in Concert combines the movies identifying moments with their essence front and centre on stage. PixarinConcert #Disney #Manchester BridgewaterHall