Top Picks
Guides
What’s on
Where to go
See all

Blue Now at Aviva Studios

Creative Tourist

Book now

Blue Now

Aviva Studios, Manchester
8 December 2024

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

From £10.00
Blue Now at Aviva Studios: Silhoutte of a figure stood infront of a blue light.
Blue Now. Image courtesy of Factory International.
Book now

Happening as part of the Factory International Weekend of Film and Music is BLUE NOW, a live performance by Neil Bartlett as he reimagines artist, filmmaker and activist Derek Jarman’s seminal 1993 film, Blue. Finished just months before his death from AIDS-related illnesses, Jarman’s film consists of a shot of unchanging blue, accompanied by a monologue as the filmmaker considers his illness and its effect on his vision, mortality and lost loved ones. It is widely considered one of his crowning achievements.

BLUE NOW gathers stars Travis Alabanza, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Jay Bernard and Joelle Taylor who will perform Jarman’s text (originally voiced by Jarman alongside Nigel Terry, John Quentin and Tilda Swinton) in Manchester. There is also a new score which is to be performed live by original composer Simon Fisher Turner who will collaborate with cellist and composer Lucy Railton.

 

Accessibility

  • British Sign Language

What's on at Aviva Studios
MusicManchester
Fat Dog at Aviva Studios

On the Day of the Dead, South London’s Fat Dog bring their wired, theatrical electro-punk to their biggest stage yet.

From £25

Where to go near Blue Now at Aviva Studios

Castlefield
Event venue
Old Granada Studios

Manchester’s old Granada Studios is an iconic piece of the city’s history and home to Sidney Bernstein’s television empire.

Manchester Opera House by Phil Tragen
City Centre
Theatre
Manchester Opera House

A commercial touring theatre, the Manchester Opera House is reopening in August 2021, all set to host the city’s finest mainstream theatrical productions, music gigs, opera and ballet.

City Centre
Music venue
Low Four Studio

Old Granada Studios has announced Low Four: a new studio and music project that will stream and archive live music performance as part of a new generation of music TV programming. The inclusion of a viewing balcony also means that these recordings, along with special events and concerts, will be made open to a few […]

Manchester
Restaurant
20 Stories

High-end restaurant and cocktail bar, with stunning views of the Manchester skyline.

Manchester
Gallery
Smolensky Gallery

This appointment-only gallery is a hidden gem in Manchester. Art lovers and collectors can browse many high quality pieces.

See all places

What's on: Cinema

Culture Guides

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

Galleries in the North are far from spooky this October - instead you'll find tactile sculptures, plant magic and curatorial experiments.

Cinema in the North

A host of Halloween horrors, experimental shorts, plus pioneering black British cinema make our October Cinema Guide.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...

Music in the North

From New York’s experimental underground to the most exciting sounds coming from local scenes, we're lining up a noisy autumn of gigs.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Theatre this month bursts with contrasts - from bold new writing and Black History Month highlights to contemporary arts and reimagined classics.

See all guides