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Theatre in Manchester and the North

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Our theatre guide is as eclectic as ever. You’ll find a Bollywood musical and scratch night alongside anarchic Shakespeare and a cult horror adaptation.

All the flavour of British Bollywood comes to HOME this spring when Rifco bring their ambitious new musical, Frankie Goes to Bollywood. Expect big beats, spectacular dance, vibrant costume and a gripping storyline in this all-singing-all-dancing show.

Meanwhile, over in Liverpool, the Everyman is gearing up for its 60th birthday celebrations – and what better way to mark the occasion than with three top-notch homegrown productions. The first, The Legend of Ned Ludd, is an innovative and daring work offering a unique and unpredictable performance experience at every show. Intrigued? Hit the link for the full preview.

In contrast, Not Too Tame return to Shakespeare North Playhouse with their high-octane take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Always brilliant and bold, this time the team inject the timeless comedy with riffs, ruffs and riotous partying; did we mention that Liverpudlian legend Les Dennis stars as Malvolio? Sold.

What else? Well, we’ve got Synagogue Scratch, a series of work-in-progress performances in the stunning Manchester Jewish Museum synagogue; Robin/Red/Breast, a chilling adaptation of a cult horror classic, starring Maxine Peake, at Aviva Studios and a provocative new theatre show from Dante or Die imagining the first same-sex wedding in a UK prison.

Read on for details of these and so much more.

Our top picks

Frankenstein at Liverpool Playhouse

Frankenstein at Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool, Until 20 April 2024, from £11.00 - Book now

The award-winning experimental theatre company imitating the dog present a gripping two-hander inspired by Mary Shelley’s classic novel.

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Frankenstein at Liverpool Playhouse
Image courtesy of Ed Waring

Rambert – Death Trap at The Lowry

Rambert - Death Trap at The Lowry, Manchester, 18–20 April 2024, from £18.00 - Book now

Hot off the heels of their knock-out Peaky Blinders show, the electrifying Rambert are back at The Lowry with two darkly delicious dance-theatre pieces by Ben Duke.

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Cast Photo
Rambert

The Legend of Ned Ludd at Liverpool Everyman Theatre

The Legend of Ned Ludd at Liverpool Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, 20 April–11 May 2024, from £11.00 - Book now

Live theatre, innovative storytelling and bold themes, this daring and unique new play has the full house. The first of three homegrown productions to mark the Everyman’s 60th birthday.

Find out more
The Legend of Ned Ludd at Liverpool Everyman Theatre
Image courtesy of Liverpool Everyman.

The Kite Runner at Liverpool Playhouse

The Kite Runner at Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool, 23–27 April 2024, from £11.00 - Book now

Direct from Broadway and with two hugely successful West End seasons, The Kite Runner flies into Liverpool Playhouse this April.

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The Kite Runner at Liverpool Playhouse
Image courtesy of Joan Marcus.

Black Is The Color Of My Voice at Leeds Playhouse

Black Is the Color of My Voice at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 24–25 April 2024, from £25.00 - Book now

A vibrant show packed with soul, inspired by the life of Nina Simone and featuring many of her iconic songs performed live.

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A person singing and smiling. The background is black.
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

High Steaks at The Lowry

High Steaks at The Lowry, Manchester, 27 April 2024, 0.00 -Pay-What-You-Decide - Book now

Eloina Haines’ one-woman show is a contemporary and deeply affecting performance about labia-shaming and cosmetic surgery.

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A white woman with long brown hair sits naked on a table with her legs open. A silhouette of somebody’s head is blocking her breasts, stomach & vulva. She is looking down. Beef steaks that look like labia hang on either side of her.
Image courtesy of Eloina Haines.

The Accountants at Aviva Studios

The Accountants at Aviva Studios, Manchester, 4–11 May 2024, from £10.00 - Book now

Explosive global dance and state-of-the-art visuals battle it out when the cultural superpowers of China and India go head-to-head in this vibrant world premiere performance.

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Two people in suits jumping in the air on a lit-up background
Image courtesy of yeahnice.design.

Kiss Marry Kill at Hallé St Peter’s

Kiss Marry Kill at Hallé St Peter’s, Manchester, 10–12 May 2024, from £12.00 - Book now

Dante or Die’s latest offsite production is a provocative work that imagines the first same-sex wedding in a UK prison.

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Dante or Die's Kiss Marry Kill. Image courtesy of Greta Zabulyte.
Image courtesy of Dante or Die

Frankie Goes to Bollywood at HOME

Frankie Goes to Bollywood at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 15 May 2024, from £22.20 - Book now

Dazzling costumes, extravagant choreography and pulsating British Bollywood pop, Rifco’s ambitious new musical comes to Manchester this May.

Find out more
Frankie Goes to Bollywood at HOME
Image courtesy of Rifco/ HOME.

Robin/Red/Breast at Aviva Studios

Robin/Red/Breast at Aviva Studios, Manchester, 15–26 May 2024, from £10 - Book now

Maxine Peake, Sarah Frankcom and Imogen Knight will join forces once again to present Robin/Red/Breast, a chilling adaptation of a cult horror classic.

Find out more
Image courtesy of Aviva Studios.

Synagogue Scratch at Manchester Jewish Museum

Synagogue Scratch 2024 at Manchester Jewish Museum, Manchester, 9–30 May 2024, from £9.00 - Book now

Manchester Jewish Museum return with a thought-provoking series of evening performances celebrating new and experimental Jewish works-in-progress.

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Stained glass window in Manchester Jewish Museum's 150 year old Spanish and Portuguese synagogue.
Stained glass window in Manchester Jewish Museum's Spanish and Portuguese synagogue. Image courtesy of Joel Chester Fildes.

Twelfth Night at Shakespeare North Playhouse

Twelfth Night at Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot, 7–29 June 2024, from £14.72 - Book now

Not Too Tame return with an exhilarating and anarchic version of Shakespeare’s outlandish comedy, starring Liverpudlian legend Les Dennis.

Find out more
Twelfth Night at Shakespeare North Playhouse: Les Dennis hanging from a chandelier
Image courtesy of Patch Dolan.

Alice in Wonderland at Williamson Park

Alice in Wonderland at The Dukes, Lancashire, 19 July–25 August 2024, from £16.50 - Book now

The Duke’s award-winning outdoor walkabout theatre is back with another super madcap family adventure. Summer is on its way.

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Alice in Wonderland in Williamson Park
Image courtesy of Gabi Dawkins.

A Raisin in the Sun at Leeds Playhouse

A Raisin in the Sun at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 13–28 September 2024, from £15.00 - Book now

Director Tinuke Craig joins forces with leading theatre company Headlong for a fresh new production of A Raisin in the Sun.

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A Raisin in the Sun at Leeds Playhouse
Artwork for the production. Image courtesy of Leeds Inspired.

Chicago at the Palace Theatre

Chicago at Palace Theatre, Manchester, 4–9 November 2024, from £15.00 - Book now

Sassy, sexy and packed with show-stopping numbers, the shimmy-shaking musical makes a dazzling return to Manchester.

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Chicago at the Palace Theatre
Image courtesy of Tristram Kenton.

Dear Evan Hansen at Leeds Grand Theatre

Dear Evan Hansen at Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds, 5–9 November 2024, from £31.00 - Book now

A new production of the multi award-winning musical is set to tour the UK from autumn 2024, venues include Leeds Grand Theatre, Liverpool Empire and Palace Theatre Manchester.

Find out more
Dear Evan Hansen at Leeds Grand Theatre
Image courtesy of ATG Tickets.

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Theatre in Manchester and the North

Manchester
Park
Platt Fields Park

Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield is steeped in history, the land having been acquired by the Platt family in 1225.

HOME Manchester
Manchester
Theatre
HOME Manchester

Now back open with a packed schedule of events and things to do, HOME Manchester is one of the city’s leading hubs for arts and culture.

The MerseyMade building in Liverpool
Liverpool
Shop
MerseyMade

In the MerseyMade shop you’ll find bottled gin from the likes of Turncoat Gin, Anfield Gin, Albert Dock Gin and Three Graces Gin. Yep, Liverpool REALLY likes its gin.

The Hepworth Wakefield
Wakefield
Gallery
The Hepworth Wakefield

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Cumbria
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Penrith Old Fire Station

Main venue for Eden Arts, an artist-led organisation based in Eden in Cumbria creating projects around mass participation, local distinctiveness and digital engagement, from Picnic Cinema to The Winter Droving.

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