Director Racky Plews is bringing morally corrupt 80s pop music to the Opera House theatre audience for a night of fine music, drink and depravity. In a story that grapples with the harm that fear and ignorance can spread, Footloose is a strangely layered salute to youth and community. Loosely based on the true story of a small farming town in Oklahoma that banned school dances in 1979, the show focuses on Reverend Shaw Moore (Darren Day) whose stirring speeches and intense religious influence leads a small town to extreme measures. Within the tight-knit neighbourhood, Rev. Moore is able to persuade everyone from the teachers to the police with his protective, father figure presence, that music is a sin. Unfortunately for him, he is unable to relate this message to his teenage daughter Ariel (Lucy Munden), a thrill-seeker who actively despises her typecast role as his doting daughter. In enters Kevin Bacon, or in our case, Joshua Hawkins, doing a respectable American accent. Refreshing the sleepy town with his coiffed hair and unbeatable dance moves, Ren McCormack (Hawkins) moves to the town with his mother from Chicago after his parent’s divorce. As he is new, Ren quickly attracts the attention of Ariel, despite being immediately written off by her father as a troublemaker for reading and appreciating the novel Slaughterhouse-Five . A book that no one in the town has read but can judge from the title is pure evil. Nevertheless, after further ruffling the feathers of his uptight neighbours by being too new, Ren’s not so warm welcome continues at his new school. Footloose the musical has been morphed into more of a comedy than its original film, with the high school filled with cast members performing 80's aerobic choreography whilst playing musical instruments live on stage. Alongside its dance breaks, our lead also raps, shows off his hybrid basketball-dance moves and dons boxing gloves to wildly swing at the air to music. Plews’ prop heavy direction packs a megamix of tracks and allows for a rapid pace of the remixed story. However, after being dragged by the entire town, Ren never has the chance to completely cut loose as he shares the spotlight with a stellar cast who each have their own solo moments. Several fabulous dance tracks play out with Jake Quickenden (playing Willard Hewitt) cathartically dancing out his troubles to the killer 80s track Holding Out For A Hero and original song Mama Says . This demanding production has a surprising number of plates it has to spin, fusing new songs, 80s hits including Kenny Loggins Footloose and Let’s Hear It For The Boy, alongside rotating the spirited dancers/actors/musicians on and off the stage as they perform Matt Cole’s choreography. The moves are definitely a step up from the original film and these kids know how to dance. Despite the live production faithlessly moving its story away from the original 1984 film (including the iconic solo dance extravaganza performed in a dusty warehouse), the show offers welcome updates to its 80s dance routines. A flurry of popping and locking and hoedowns are included in this relaxed production, simply designed to reawaken the audience's joy in dance. The cast, genuinely led by the unknowingly villainous Darren Day deliver the momentum, constantly prancing around the stage, but Footloose’s sympathetic storyline concerning how Reverend Moore’s struggle with grief takes a stranglehold on his community is muffled by the show’s feverish energy. The ensemble also wraps up this expressive 80s-time warp with 80s fashion and a soundtrack that makes this playful production such cheesy fun. Uplifting the sacred original text, this light and hopeful tale remoulds all of the iconic scenes of Footloose live on stage but continues to offer a friendly and rousing adaption. #Footloose OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

Alcina exposes the Lowry audience to the endlessly empty and haunting reality behind its unloved antihero. Having acquired the power to enable people to see whatever she wishes upon them, Alcina (Sky Ingram) chooses to build her own reality on a deserted island that is brought to life with Opera North’s live orchestrations, contemporary costumes and beautiful lyricism. Despite the island’s barren state, Alcina soon transforms the space, swiftly turning any man who washes ashore into a former lover before transforming him into a rock, tree or pet. Yet Alcina’s wonderful spin to weaponize her power is due to the pained reality of her situation, living the life of Medusa as a powerful but perilous woman. As a result, Alcina chooses to lash out her insecurities at the latest man to hit her shore. In blows Bradamante (Mari Askvik), attempting to rescue her fiancé without being enchanted by Alcina’s rolling arias and joyful solos. As Bradamante and her lover Ruggiero (Patrick Terry) are tested by Alcina’s deceitful spell, the tension of the show is also built around a set that offers a feeling of disorientation and danger. With the reflective story backed by a projected screen of the forest and a few toying rounds of musical chairs being played on stage. Alongside the casts animated vocals there is a startling stillness to the dimly lit set that chooses to portray Alcina’s island as a constantly sinister affair. Director Tim Albery does not build Alcina’s illusions onstage for the audience to oversee but instead envelops the Lowry space with a sense of scale in this hopelessly dark fairytale. However, George Frederick Handel’s 1735 portrayal of a powerful woman and her vulnerabilities are delivered through its charming tracks, of which Opera North’s powerful cast carry gracefully. While Handel’s character driven narrative has been recrafted in a way that demystifies the opera, the light lyrical tones of its mythical tale are lost in sequences that are devoid of colour and a spirit of adventure. Nevertheless, the stars of the show still cast lyrical spells on their audience with the backing of the Opera North’s live orchestration. Ensuring that the small cast dramatically translate Alcina's magic and mystery through a focus on Handel’s lyrics and score. Unlike Opera North’s Carmen and Rigoletto , this production is less of a reinterpretation of Alcina and rather a clear concert of the story’s premise and score. It is a production in which its devastatingly beautiful music and performances are able to shine above the show’s bounded and limited set. #OperaNorth Alcina #TheLowry Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link Available to stream for six months with OperaVision

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's glitzy Bible revival tweaks the tale of Joseph from the Book of Genesis into a flamboyant whirlwind of a musical. As the sweet-toned and merciful Joseph spreads his positivity through the Opera House , we shadow the dreamer as he bears testament to the power of endurance and forgiveness. However, this cartoonish, technicolour marvel isn’t all rainbows and daydreams as we follow Joseph’s journey from his father’s favourite rich kid, to his abrupt fall into slavery. This well-trodden, Tony and Olivier award-winning production was first presented in 1967, but the family-friendly musicals turbulent tale is instantly updated by its large, enthusiastic and established cast. The show is narrated by Alexandra Burke, who flows through the scenes devotedly telling Joseph’s story as if she is a part of an interactive storybook, equipped with everything from fake beard to slide whistle sound effects. As Burke begins to tell the tale around a campfire to a group of multitalented kids, the Opera House audience quickly get sucked into the playful storytelling. There’s a clear favourite in the mix when Burke introduces Jacob and his 12 sons, emphasising with the song Jacob and Son’s that due to Joseph’s (Jac Yarrow) enriching skill to interpret dreams, his father had solidified his love by giving Joseph a technicolour coat. Obviously, his brothers do what brothers do best and swiftly leave Joseph for dead after failing to throw him down a well. Alongside talented newcomer Yarrow and Burke’s expressive commentary, the sinister story is broken down into a colourful collage of sequences that are as dreamlike as Joseph's dreams. Moving its dazzling cast of characters through tap, line dancing and contemporary dance passages via Morgan Large's multilayered set designs, the surreal production ensures that the story of Joseph is stunningly crafted under Laurence Connor’s extravagant direction. Webber and Rice's wacky take on the Joseph fable is the first of the pair's live collaboration and the show sets the bar for their memorable musical partnership. Joseph brings a host of songs including Joseph’s Dreams and Any Dream Will Do , that uplift the production with their memorable tunes and ease the pace of the show. This production also resurrects its former Joseph, Jason Donovan, who has reincarnated in the role of the Pharaoh and gleefully performs the song, Song of the King while giving his best Elvis impersonation. While Joseph’s predicament goes from bad to very bad, the accessible storyline runs through several unexpected turns, redefining the story of Joseph with hymn-like lyrics, gorgeous sets and a variety of musical genres. Moving through futuristic formats and French-accented performances in Those Canaan Days , Joseph’s joyful production fuses multiple musical heavy hitters to move its plot along swiftly. The show's cast are also phenomenal, keeping the energy high as the pregnant Burke dances through scenes alongside her tween cast members and can-can dancing crew. It is clearly a physically demanding show that leaves few moments for its performers to pause or rest. Even after celebrating over 50 years on stage, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat can prophesies a rich future as it continues to platform its hypnotically memorable signature songs whilst redefining the story of Joseph into an undeniably fun and rewatchable musical. JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

You may remember the comic strip, sixties TV show or multiple animations in which the macabre American family brought their unconventional rituals to your attention. The Addams’ bizarre family dynamic is a satire on American ideals, but their far from frightening presence has developed into a watered-down parody of itself. Yet, despite their numerous reincarnations, the Addams Family musical offers an injection of fabulous performances to offset the familiar. With a family tree of familiar faces to take on Gomez (Cameron Blakely), Morticia (Joanne Clifton), Wednesday (Kingsley Morton), Pugsley, and, Fester (Scott Paige), the production runs through a traditional tale of diversity and difference, enveloping the 84-year-old family. After partying with past family members at the graveyard, Uncle Fester enlists the help of the dead to ensure that Wednesday’s dinner with her muggle boyfriend, Lucas goes according to plan when the two families meet. Predictability ensues. Nevertheless, The Addams Family values are worthy of repeat viewing, with Matthew White’s production presenting a stunning set on the Opera House stage, and Andrew Lippa’s lyrics conjuring up compellingly catchy tracks. The narrative is rightfully nonsensical, offering audiences a character-driven, grounded storyline, teamed with emotionally driven musical numbers that keep the show upbeat and bright. With songs including Trapped , What If? and Happy/Sad fuelling the famous gothic family’s plot, the show feels more reminiscent of the musical Wicked without the bad witch. The families traditional storyline falls in line with its 60’s live action series but offers far more impressive special effects. With director Matthew White infusing the narrative with wonderfully lavish staging and an incredibly talented and likeable cast to turn audiences over to the dark side. Distractions don’t usually save a musical’s material but between the ghostly ancestors’ dance numbers and phenomenal floor to ceiling sets from Diego Pitrach, there are enough surprises to keep the Addams looking refreshed and relevant. The old-school production techniques also gave the show an easy-going, nostalgic feel, making it a delight to watch Wednesday shoot her arrow across the room or witness Festus fly his jetpack to the moon. The Addams Family Musical offers a relaxed and entertaining production with a charming soundtrack attached. The show is enhanced by its high-level production that allows its large ensemble cast to roam around in the background of each performance and ensure there is constantly something happening in its two-tiered haunted house. Blakey as Gomez and Morton as Wednesday deliver fantastic vocal performances that carry the production musically. While Paige and Clifton look completely at ease in their macabre roles, throwing themselves into the lovesick and hunchbacked positions within the comedy. The Addams Family Musical is far from a nightmarish revisiting of its gothic origin as its refreshingly upbeat melodies are unsurprisingly conventional for the family friendly musical. However, this unconventional nuclear family is determined to leave you with a spring in your step and an earworm of its theme tune on the way out. AddamsFamily OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

Michael Harrison and Jonathan Church’s production wheels out the crème de la crème of jukebox musicals that showcase gorgeous costumes, double-layered sets and water sports live on the Opera House stage. Singin’ In The Rain is a top tier musical that demands attention to detail and director, Jonathan Church does not disappoint. Offering versatile set pieces that propel the show forward with transitions from its fake Monumental Pictures indoor film studio to its famously sumptuous outdoor choreography. The stunningly crafted production stays as true to the 1952 classic as it can, weaving strenuous performances from its incredibly talented cast. With the characters swiftly moving from play-fake-acting to singing and tap dancing within its intricate storyline, it is exhausting to watch. Alongside plot devices that include drop-down screens and dream sequences, the sharp show does well to keep up with its timeless film. But while a few of the film's memorable dance routines have been forfeited, the heart-pounding choreography of Andrew Wright ensures that Adam Cooper (Don), Charlotte Gooch (Kathy) and Ross McLaren (Cosmo) run rings around each other in an attempt to keep up with the legacy of memories that Gene Kelly has left behind. Yet, despite such a sizeable shadow, the show adapts comfortably to its fresh, live format with a captivating revival that will continue to Make Em Laugh . The narrative follows four blindsided actors who struggle to adapt from silent pictures to performing in the emerging talkies. Set in the 1920s, the show takes songs famous from the era, such as The Fit as a Fiddle , Good Morning and of course Singin‘ In the Rain , before adapting them with spellbinding choreography. With a reincarnation of its title song overspilling into the audience, it is advised that the stalls first four rows purchase a souvenir umbrella or raincoat before the show begins. The charming recreation of Don, played wonderfully by Cooper, lifts the show's rich plot and is merely one of the numerous standout cast performances. The exaggerated comedy stylings of Jenny Gayner (Lina Lamont) truly help to sell the studio's struggle to adapt as the shrill screen icon's voice threatens to leave her behind in the silent era. Played against her fresh-faced rival Kathy, who carries Jenny’s beautiful backup vocals, the whole cast band together to keep the story relevant. Church also smartly used the ensemble cast to fill in for what would be a solo moment, replacing one wall flipping talent for a multiplayer of moves. Full of humour, lovable characters, impressive sets and awe-inspiring routines, Singin‘ In The Rain is the greatest movie musical of all time and holds a firm space live on stage. The old-school romantic comedy brings lavish costumes and choreography that encapsulate the period and feels true to the original, but the tremendous showmanship of its entire production makes this live show a thrill to watch. SinginInTheRain OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

The look of love is descending onto the Opera House audience as Roger and Hammerstein’s impactful soundtrack crafted around World War II continues to hit home 73 years after its premiere. The distinctive classic’s candid look at love and race splits its story between nurse Nellie (Gina Beck) and Lieutenant Cable (Rob Houchen), both stationed by the army on a beautiful island in the Pacific. While the younger naïve Nellie falls head over heels with a worldly French planter, Cable finds his love at first sight with a local on the mystical neighbouring islands of Bali Ha'I. Bali Ha'I is so dreamy it gets its own song sung by the island's entrepreneur Bloody Mary (Joanna Ampik) who reminds audiences of South Pacific’s magic and its personal issues surrounding race. Roger and Hammerstein's catchy Tony award-winning songs are never going out of style. However, the 1949 progressive and compassionate take on racism is a road paved with good intent and distorted Polynesian representation. Here, Bloody Mary’s broken English and daughter pimping role has been improved to give both women space to speak for themselves, with Ann Yee’s choreography transcending any language barrier. But the Pulitzer Prize winning musicals longevity is a testament to its overall memorable melodies and the storytellings uncompromising look at racism in which the song, You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught hammers home the musicals overall intent to recognise and fix our own intolerant attitudes. Director Daniel Evans heartfelt production sings through despite the harsh environment. The shows choreography alongside the classic hits feel natural, with the song I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Out Of My Hair bringing contagious joy as the Navy’s ladies jubilantly bubble up the Opera House stage. Comforting the effervescent Nellie as she gets over her heartbreak with her girlfriends help, this shows intelligent staging is powered by fantastic choreography. Projections layered over sheet metal and a rotating stage move this production away from the warm and colourful collage of love that its film projects. The show also slows and alters the orchestrations of Happy Talk to focus its tone on the war, layering the danger as a constant in the characters lives. The show's dismantled set design does allow Evans to pack the stage with a huge ensemble and in spots, nods to the vibrant, colour-blocking that covered the screen of its 1958 film. But as the live show focuses in on realism, it’s second act opens to a variety performance including the song Honey Bun that plays alongside the cancan-canning nurses and the grass skirt wearing officer. Officer Luther Douggie McMeekin is the show's comic relief, filling one-liners in between the declarations of love. The love struck show admits to playing with cliches but subverts many of them as Nellie is asked to spy on her boyfriend Julian for Navy purposes. Delving into his life she soon discovers a few, new couple secrets including the classics, I killed a man and I have two mixed-race children. South Pacific delivers a positive message wrapped in beautiful performances that highlights everyday prejudice that continues to prevail in our society. Its story is crafted around tackling the rigid ideas of racism, that doesn’t just come from a man in a white hood, but instead forces its enthusiastic and likeable characters to admit their own hypocrisy whilst challenging the idea of love being truly colour blind. SouthPacific OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

Playwright Conor McPherson’s sweet and honest journey through a guest house in Duluth follows a group of solo travellers sheltering from a storm. With the backing of Bob Dylan’s catalogue bringing warmth to the shadowy characters, Girl From The North explores community and hope in times of deepest hardship. Set in 1934 with a stage shrouded in darkness, the Lowry audience is introduced to a 19-strong cast. This beautiful production follows owner Nick Laine (Colin Connor), his wife Elizabeth (Frances McNamee) and their two children who include a son and an adopted daughter. While much of the family float through life, struggling with dementia, an unwed teenage pregnancy and alcoholism, their spiral of despair is interrupted by the introduction of two newcomers staying at their residency. Despite being set during the Great Depression and narrated by a doctor, McPherson’s production voices an optimistic tale that allows audiences to wander through Laine’s house of music which revisits Dylan’s lyrics through the eyes of a community living on a knife edge. With an open house setting, transparent walls and an onstage band, most of the cast unite to perform each track, allowing the characters and the music to merge into its rustic scenery. After ex-boxer Jungle Joe Scott (Joshua C Jackson) and an opportunistic Reverent/Bible salesman named Marlowe (Eli James) decide to stay, the group’s personal stories begin to unfold, while new relationships develop. As three of the cast members also double as musicians on the minimalist stage, the assortment of tracks offered are a wonderful acoustic reworking of Dylan’s songs. The soundtrack offers memorable remixes that shift throughout the show, with Joshua and Frances offering standout, passionate performances that pull on the heartstrings. Several of Dylan's songs have been made famous by other artists including Jimi Hendrix ( All Along The Watchtower ) and Adele ( Make You Feel My Love ), but Girl From The North continues that tradition, bringing a folksy and soulful catalogue of Dylan’s music that helps elicit the sorrow and emotions of its huge cast of characters. Including the song Slow Train and Licence to Kill, the injection of music and McPherson’s dark humour resonates a compulsive message of community and an obligation to serve it, despite his guarded and worn characterisations. While the story pokes fun at the land of the free, with the realities of ill health, malice and pure bad luck, the performances gradually move into group sequences that allow director McPherson to keep the pace and the mood moving in a positive momentum despite the dark journey. Girl From The North offers gripping storytelling through its music and messaging, underlined by Dylan’s powerful and impactful lyrics and Macpherson’s vision to offer light in the bleakest of tunnels. It is a fantastic show and a reminder that there should always be a space for shelter and recovery. GirlFromTheNorthCountry TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Fat Sam’s speakeasy has plenty to entertain the Opera House audience as the gangster spoof full of showgirls, hoodlums and slapstick offers a feel-good evening of childish fun. Placing audiences in the 1929 New York prohibition era, writer Alan Parker’s youthful musical plays out a rivalry between Fat Sam (Abbie Snelson) and Dandy Dan (Desmond Cole), as Dan attempts to bring down Sam’s organisation. While its child cast set this 1976 comedy film apart, audiences will relish in name’s production that boasts live musical performances, tireless choreography and a glamorous set. Director Sean Holmes faithfully transfers the film to the stage as the show begins, narrated by shrewd, mobster girlfriend, Tallulah and stunningly staged inside Fat Sam’s Grand Slam club. Bringing its 20s flair to the lavish costumes of its dancers and performers, the production is bolstered by its boisterous cast whose one-liners and shenanigans keep the laughs flowing throughout the entire evening. Between the charming Gabriel Payne, playing happy-go-lucky Bugsy and the industry ladies, Blousey (Delilah Bennet-Cardy) and Tallulah (Faith Ifil) struggling to find their showbiz spot and keep their place, the scenes offer a mixture of music, drama and violent pie-throwing for a guaranteed crowd-pleasing production. With Dan’s ongoing quest to take over Sam’s turf, it doesn’t take long for the gangster’s goons to mob the Opera House audience as they compete at being the very best Bad Guys . Holmes’s striking production brings boundless creative energy to the musical as the multitalented ensemble cast give their all to the comedy, throwing double-crossing tricks, pratfalls and a pedal car into the mix. The set's levitating props, rippable set pieces and impressive choreography all add to the short but sweet show. After Sam discovers his rival's advantage is an impressive, automatic pie gun, the show gears up for an all-out war with scenes bouncing straight off the screen and onto the Opera House stage. Organised crime has never tasted so good, and anyone in the first row of the audience should consider themselves lucky that they aren’t considered to be in enemy territory. This is a live re-enactment that relishes crossing the line and it ensures that audiences get a taste of the action. Bugsy Malone is the perfect film to stage musical, thanks to its fantastic cast, tap dancing choreography and instantly recognisable soundtrack. It is a must-see musical comedy that doesn’t disappoint its film fans as its story remains a riot of fun, whilst bringing its own level of giddy joy to its live audience. BugsyMalone #OperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via the ATG link

The Lowry audience should come prepared to lose themselves to a new love. La traviata may be the most performed opera to date, but Opera North’s passionate production ensures you will fall for the heartbreaking and tender tale all over again. Adapted from The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers writer, Alexandre Dumas’s original play Violeta . The Parisian setting and scandalous storyline of forbidden love and devastating sacrifice offer up a familiar Dumas staple. With a history of fanciful, stoic tales surrounding a character's fight for justice, you can expect La traviata to be a well-packed paradox of hypocritical and moralistic moves. Giuseppe Verdi’s soulful opera layers the tale of true love with a memorable soundtrack, in which the character's secrets and mistrust have made it a rewatchable classic. La traviata is a simple story that follows the independent and charismatic courtesan, Violetta’s (Máire Flavin) experiences. As she playfully opens the production at a lavish, self-celebratory party to revel in her recent recovery from a debilitating illness. The impulsive and empowered woman suddenly finds herself gripped by Alfredo’s (Oliver Johnston) quiet flair as he drifts through the crowd to uplift the Lowry audience with the enchanting performance of Brindisi (aka The Drinking Song) . After giving in to her impulses, Violetta chooses to follow her heart and leave behind her wealth and status for a humble life in the country with her true love. Alessandro Talevi’s direction and Madeleine Boyd’s eye-catching set and costume design keep the focus and colour on Violetta and the immense ensemble cast. The Lowry stage is flooded with astoundingly vibrant characters who pop against the bleaker backdrop that consumes the cast. As Violetta and Alfredo’s relationship fades away from the glamour, the heartfelt music shines and offers an intimate world, where alongside the live orchestrations the spotlight remains on the painfully honest performances. The show’s second and third acts break any dream of a simple country life as tension rise between Alfredo's father, Giorgio (Damiano Salerno) and Violetta. Shattering her tranquil union with a stunning duet that reveals Violetta’s shameful secret and the threat of a ruined reputation. Salerno gives a gripping performance that breaks the peace and forces Violetta to sacrifice her love to protect her lover. Opera North’s La traviata is a slick and darkly glamorous production that keeps the tension high and allows audiences to step straight into Violetta’s dizzying world. Its merry-go-sorry storyline, stunning arias and emotionally charged production are full of confrontation and heartbreak, welcoming new and familiar opera-goers alike. OperaNorth #LaTraviata #TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link

Now in its 70th anniversary year, Agatha Christie’s timeless tale is back at the Opera House to play out a satisfying whodunnit, full of eccentric characters, witty dialogue and outrageous plot twists. Audiences are snowed in at the Monkswell Manor alongside the guesthouses two owners and five guests. As we are drip-fed facts surrounding the suspicious death of Maureen Lyon through radio broadcasts, audiences are asked to don their monocle and twirl their Poirot moustache as we all play detective to the crime afoot. After serving a short sentence in prison for mistreating her three foster children, Maureen was subsequently strangled on the day of her release. Audiences are asked to decipher who and why this crime was committed as the queen of murder mysteries welcomes you to solve the caper alongside the detective Sgt. Trotter. But once you have, be sure to keep it to yourself as this deceptively simple story has been misdirecting audiences since it first opened in the West End in 1952. The world record-breaking play was originally commissioned by the BBC as a radio short story and its staging remains a strangely stalled production that builds its tension through rapid-fire conversations and its sublime production design. Framing the stage in the lobby of the manor, Ian Talbot and Denise Silvey’s direction plays with a staircase and multiple mysterious doors that blind the audience with numerous unknown obscurities taking place off stage. Subverting expectations, Christie’s skilful writing ensures that this conventional show retains its influence despite multiple viewings. Alongside the anticipation of solving a bona fide whodunnit, the live production is a powerful piece of eye candy, from its rich costumes and props to its statuesque cast who often sit in scenes set out like a charming family portrait. However, behind the glamour of each guest is a guarded, darker past and each cast member offers a memorable and absorbing performance. The show’s distinct and eccentric characters give the production serious dimensions, changing the tone through suspenseful, hilarious and quieter members amongst the group of strangers. The diverse personalities range from the quintessentially English Mrs Boyle (Gwyneth Strong) to the thick Italian accented foreigner Mr Paravicini (John Altman). But all the ensemble cast deliver the goods, with wonderful performances that swiftly shift your perspective with their surprising delivery and subtle glances. The Mousetrap is the show that keeps on giving, with each new ensemble cast offering the classic an additional boost of energy. Regaling the audience with their sordid tale of murder most foul, the show's combination of opulence and comedy, alongside its voyeuristic murder mystery makes it easy to see how Agatha Christie’s tale continues to last the test of time. TheMousetrap AgathaChristie #TheOperaHouse #Manchester Tickets are available via ATG link

Celebrating The Matrix’s revolutionary visual effects, mind-blowing storyline and iconic action sequences, Free Your Mind is a sprawling adaptation with its own iconic imagery that flows through the three-room Aviva Studios space. Offering a new perspective to the classic tale of technological takeover, director Danny Boyle (2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony and Trainspotting ) reframes the story with an award-winning blend of hip-hop dance, sculptural art and imposing costume design for a wholly unexpected piece of theatre. The 1999 concept of a computer-generated dream world designed to keep humans enslaved has been integrated into a stunning live production with a tremendous sense of community. Tapping into the Wachowski’s fantasy with captivating group choreography that mirrors breaking out of the all-consuming world of technology, the show utilises an ensemble of 50 dancers in a brutal commodity of movement. Kenrick ‘H20’ Sandy’s choreography intricately tells the story of our ever-changing relationship with technology as the cast grasps together for sharp and connected scenes that replicate the flips, fights and realisation that you are living in the Matrix. Due to the vast labyrinth of space at Aviva Studios, the production is aesthetically able to reframe The Matrix’s themes and its multi-layered story with unsettling and impactful references that uniquely capture the mood of the film. But the experience is wholly communal as Act Two allows you to see your fellow theatregoers on the opposite side of the humongous Warehouse stage. Alongside staring up at the oppressive, faceless costumes of designer Gareth Pugh that wander the crowd in a room drained of colour, the intermission sees you guided by a man-size bunny through the theatre and into a room full of interactive living art. Characters appear handicapped by technology with even fluid freestyle dance defined by a sea of ensemble faces lit up by their handheld screens. Drones and AI also make an appearance however, the show's use of technology elevates the space. Sandy’s choreography combines hip-hop, martial arts, wirework and balletic movements to create a stunning visual spectacle, while writer Sabrina Mahfouz arranges the story only loosely around Neo, Trinity and the agents as the show is more focused on the dreamlike spaces it creates. The living simulation reflected back at the audience above the stage on a digital screen the width of a runway. You can’t view the whole screen without cranking your neck, it is colossus. But the impressive set is an enormous reminder of the influence that technology has over us and the elegant contradictions that come with it. Free Your Mind presents the iconic imagery and themes of The Matrix in a staggering production that is sparked the moment you walk through the Aviva Studio doors. Decades after the film's initial release, Aviva Studio’s first live production echoes the same dangers of convenience, our inherent reliance on technology and our lack of human connection as a result. It is a timeless tale but Free Your Mind ushers a new audience to take the red pill with a painfully relevant and pulsating production that is not to be missed. #FreeYourMind #FactoryInternational #Manchester Tickets are available via the Factory International link

A Chorus Line  follows seventeen desperate auditionees as they dance battle it out for a shot at taking one of eight slots available in a new Broadway musical.   Giving the audience a glimpse into the lives of these performers and their choreographer, a stripped theatre set pulls all focus onto its phenomenal cast as each member showcases their passion with insight into how dance shaped their lives. Using real-life testimonials from professional dancers, the show gives each starving artist their moment in the spotlight and bridges a connection between the competitors. Through its use of relentless, unifying choreography and uniquely aspiring performances, A Chorus Line  lays out the personal sacrifices that make your favourite live productions possible.  Elevating the unnamed, everyday dreamers who keep the industry afloat, Nikolai Foster’s charmingly simplistic direction wraps around the intense and exposing audition process that offers no intermission to the Lowry audience. Under the watchful eye of their omnipotent choreographer Zack (Adam Cooper), the slick production lures you in with stunning ensemble numbers. Including the artfully synchronised One and the beautifully rendered opening number, I Hope You Get It, which showcases the power of the ensemble cast. Ellen Kane’s choreography leaves no room for error and expands the stark mirrored stage by capturing the raw emotion and originality of the immense chorus.   A Chorus Line was an instant classic when it first premiered in 1975 and remains beloved almost five decades later due to its emotive monologues, stellar choreography and enduring score. The Pulitzer Prize and Tony award-winning story sweeps its audience into the fantasy and drama of its characters as you sit and connect with the lives and dreams of the talented auditionees. Manuel Pacific’s (Paul) revealing monologue is a powerhouse performance placed alongside countless standout moments. As A Chorus Line’s  ability to showcase gay, straight, old, young, Black and Latino stories within its characters ensures the show feels universal. The magnificent casts desperate, unyielding love for their craft is tangible and the sheer number of dancers keeps the pace of the show spinning.  Jocasta Almgill and the ensembles radiant rendition of What I Did for Love  is touching and poignant, allowing the dancers to truly shine in the emotional piece. Cassie’s (Carly Mercedes Dyer) solo, The Music and the Mirror echoes the universal themes of ambition and sacrifice that the show intensely hits on, and the up-tempo finale is a classic you wish you could watch on repeat. Performing alongside live musicians, Marvin Hamlisch score and Edward Kleban’s lyrics remain timeless and blends the humour, heartache and passion of its well-rehearsed hopefuls.  Putting fame and fortune aside, A Chorus Line  is a truly innovative production and an exhilarating tribute to the unsung heroes who make theatre possible. It is a must-see for lovers of art and a reminder of how fortunate we are that Manchester is a hub for live theatre.  AChorusLine TheLowry #Manchester Tickets are available via the Lowry link