A Monster Calls with The Old Vic

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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A Monster Calls

5-11 June 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Image courtesy of the Old Vic Theatre.
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The Old Vic have started to stream some of their masterpieces for free and it all kicks off with the Olivier Award-winning production of A Monster Calls.

The adaptation of Patrick Ness’s piercing novel A Monster Calls was first seen on stage in 2018. It tells the story of 13-year-old Conor and his mother, who is sick and not getting any better. Then, one night, Conor hears something at his window. A monster has come to call. It has come to tell Conor stories and to make him face his deepest fears head-on.

Beautifully performed and deeply moving, critics and audiences praised the show for its inventive staging and emotional rawness in tackling death and grief.

A stunning examination of identity, loss and hope, A Monster Calls was a best-seller when it was published in 2011. A film version swiftly followed in 2017, before the novel was adapted for the stage.

Suitable for families with children aged 10 and over, this is a courageous and honest production. Authentic, but far from gloomy. Brace yourself for tears.

While you’re here…be sure to check out our full (and frequently updated) guide to the best online things to do in Manchester and the North.

Where to go near A Monster Calls with The Old Vic

Medlock Square
Manchester
Event venue
Medlock Square

£300m entertainment square beside the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live, with Zadie’s, Little Beast, Brickworks Market Hall and the Radisson Blu Medlock hotel.

Zadie's
Manchester
Restaurant
Zadie’s

Italian-Japanese plates and razzle-dazzle glamour high above Medlock Square, with live sax and DJ sets running from 5pm until 1am, Wednesday to Sunday.

Grafton Arms
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Grafton Arms

Grafton Arms has undergone an impressive revamp. The Eagle Inn team have turned this traditional pub into a standout live venue and drinking destination.

Proloco
Manchester
Restaurant
Proloco

Honest Crust’s Richard Carver and Rainy Heart’s Dan Hope join forces at Proloco, a music-led Ancoats restaurant serving 18-inch pizzas and seasonal plates.

City Centre
Restaurant
GiGi Gusto Griglia

GiGi is a lavish Italian restaurant just off Deansgate, with 1950s décor and a menu that sticks to the classics.

Blackburn
Restaurant
Northcote

Northcote’s Michelin-starred restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the Ribble Valley. We get a first look at the new autumnal menu.

Cumbria
Restaurant
Pentonbridge Inn

Pentonbridge Inn is a Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms in north Cumbria. Eight courses of bunkum-free fine dining from head chef Chris Archer.

Manchester
Restaurant
Dahlia Stereo

Dahlia Stereo is a Latin American-inspired open-fire kitchen and bar off the Northern Quarter’s Stevenson Square, with a pitch perfect soundsystem.

Balance Taproom
Manchester
Restaurant
Balance Taproom

Manchester has a glut of taprooms, and Balance Brewing’s is far and away the best. Drinks, decor, service – all a cut above.

Richard Hards ‘Strangeways’
Manchester
Gallery
Moon Grove

A Georgian front room in Rusholme houses Moon Grove, an independent gallery with an unusually ambitious international programme.

In Focus: Chinese Contemporary Art.
Manchester
Gallery
New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery

New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery opened in 2016, providing a permanent space to showcase the University of Salford Art Collection within the New Adelphi School of Arts and Media.

What's on: Families

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