Theatre in the North

Creative Tourist

In theatres around the North West, January trades tinsel for teeth – solo portraits of radical lives, testimony-driven storytelling shaped by real experience, and big productions that explore injustice, power and responsibility.

Mark Farrelly’s Jarman brings Derek Jarman’s uncompromising life and ideas to Hope Mill, while A Grain of Sand at Leeds Playhouse uses testimony from children in Gaza to insist on the political power of listening. I, Daniel Blake returns to HOME nearly a decade on, a reminder that the story Ken Loach told never became history. Bolton Octagon’s The Memory of Water turns to family, grief and the stories we inherit, while The Fire Raisers arrives at Hope Mill with Max Frisch’s darkly comic warning about complacency and moral collapse.

Our top picks

Obscura at HOME

Obscura at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 6 February 2026 - Book now

Company Chameleon return with Obscura, a physically demanding double-bill exploring the hidden corners of self and society.

Image supplied by Home MCR

Jarman at Hope Mill Theatre

Jarman at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, 25 January 2026, From £14.50 - Book now

Mark Farrelly channels Derek Jarman in a vivid solo performance about risk, creativity and living without compromise.

Textured portrait image of Jarman
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

Small Island at Leeds Playhouse

Small Island at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 11–28 March 2026, From £16.50 - Book now

Journey from the sun-drenched shores of Jamaica to the cold, grey streets of 1940s London in Small Island, presented by Leeds Playhouse.

Small Island
Leeds Playhouse

Leila Navabi: Relay at Carriageworks Theatre

Leila Navabi: Relay at Carriageworks Theatre, Leeds, 18 April 2026, From £16.50 - Book now

This April, Leeds’ Carriageworks Theatre welcomes Relay to the stage. A riotous collision of stand-up comedy, electro-pop songs and hand-drawn animation, it’s a show that refuses to sit still.

A woman poses as if she's about to start a race.
Leila Nevabi

Please Do Not Touch at Leeds Playhouse

Please Do Not Touch at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 12–13 March 2026, From £15.00 - Book now

Please Do Not Touch, a powerful and emotional one-man show at Leeds Playhouse. Tackling contested artefacts, justice and free speech.

A man in a prison cell is stood holding a phone to his ear.
Nicola Young Photography

A Grain of Sand at Leeds Playhouse

A Grain of Sand at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 6–7 February 2026, From £17.00 - Book now

Set in Gaza and shaped by real testimonies from children, one-woman show A Grain of Sand insists on one simple principle: that children’s voices matter, and that listening to them is a political act.

Two hands covered in sand are uncovering a piece of red fabric woven with flowers and a black and red repeating geometric pattern which is buried in the sand.
Good Chance

I, Daniel Blake at HOME

I, Daniel Blake at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 21–25 April 2026 - Book now

I, Daniel Blake returns to HOME nearly a decade on from Ken Loach’s 2016 film, depicting conditions that remain an everyday reality for millions across the UK.

Three actors performing on stage, carrying black bin bags.
Pamela Raith

The Memory Of Water at The Octagon Theatre

The Memory Of Water at Octagon Theatre, Bolton, 29 January–21 February 2026, From £15.00 - Book now

A play about families, grief, and the unreliable narratives we inherit. Directed by Bolton Octagon Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham. Starring Vicky Binns, Victoria Brazier, Helen Flannagan and Polly Lister.

Text reads The Memory of Water. A image of three women in black sitting by a coffin, two with cups of tea, one in the middle raising a wineglass
Bolton Octagon

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch at Lowry

Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch at Lowry, Manchester, Until 11 January 2026, From £19.50 - Book now

One of Disney’s most iconic villains gets the star treatment at Lowry this festive season as Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch returns to the stage.

Unfortunate at Lowry - Press Image
Lowry

The fire raisers at Hope Mill Theatre

The fire raisers at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, 10–15 March 2026, From £15.00 - Book now

Max Frisch’s darkly comic play The Fire Raisers arrives at Hope Mill, courtesy of new Manchester company We Merry Dancers in co-production with HER Productions.

We merry dancers and HER productions.

To Kill A Mockingbird at Lowry

To Kill A Mockingbird at Lowry, Manchester, 13–24 January 2026, From £22.50 - Book now

Hailed “unmissable and unforgettable” by Rolling Stone, Aaron Sorkin’s award-winning stage adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird comes to Salford.

A Christmas Carol at Octagon Theatre Bolton

A Christmas Carol at Octagon Theatre, Bolton, Until 10 January 2026, From £15.00 - Book now

A heartwarming festive treat for all ages, this brand-new musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol brings Bolton’s stage to life with music, magic and Dickensian spirit.

A Christmas Carol at Octagon Theatre Bolton. A person in a long coat and top hat walks alone down a cobblestone street at night, surrounded by colorful holiday lights and softly falling snow. The scene glows warmly from shop windows and string lights, creating a festive and mysterious atmosphere.
Octagon Bolton

Murder at Midnight at Lowry

Murder at Midnight at Lowry, Manchester, 19–24 January 2026, From £25.00 - Book now

On New Year’s Eve in a quiet corner of Kent, in a single house, secrets inevitably bubble to the surface and a killer lies in wait.

Katie McGlynn, Max Bowden, Jason Durr, Peter Moreton in Murder at Midnight_Pamela Raith Photography
Pamela Raith

Aviva Studios

Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M3 3JQ - Visit now

Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, is a landmark new cultural space in the heart of Manchester, hosting some of the city’s most unique gigs.

Fiona Finchett.

More Theatre

Textured portrait image of Jarman
TheatreManchester
Jarman at Hope Mill Theatre

Mark Farrelly channels Derek Jarman in a vivid solo performance about risk, creativity and living without compromise.

From £14.50

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Walking Stock Image
Until
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John Rylands External Copyright of The University of Manchester, 2015
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2025-06-21-Jonathan-Schofield-MCR-Music-Walking-Tour-(©FionaFinchett)-30-L
Until
ActivityCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout

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