Castlefield Follies at Castlefield Basin

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Castlefield Follies
Image courtesy of Joe Armitage.

30 — 31 July 2022 Entrance is free — Visit now

Roll up, roll up…for a fabulous and free weekend of street theatre taking place across Castlefield.

Following a pandemic-induced three-year hiatus, Streets Ahead are back with Castlefield Follies, a two-day festival featuring all manner of performance.

A fabulous and free weekend of street theatre

From the sublime to the wonderfully ridiculous, Castlefield is set to be flooded with creativity, street theatre…and other entertaining goings-on. Refreshing and eccentric, Castlefield Follies is just the sort of festival we love.

The event is completely free, with events taking place in the Roman Fort, Castlefield Bowl and all around the Castlefield Basin.

You’ll find traditional street theatre, contemporary dance and puppetry (with a gruesome twist) alongside plenty of food and drink stalls, and even a Castlefield Gymkhana.

Festival-goers will get the chance to enjoy much-delayed work from Manchester favourites Avanti Display who will bring their classic show Full Circle. Mischievous, experimental and comic, Full Circle aims to blur the boundaries between the performer and the audience.

Castlefield Follies
Image courtesy of Avanti Display.

An action-packed and brilliantly bizarre line-up of street theatre

Kapow Dance Circus Theatre will present Mayfly, a powerful outdoor work that harnesses the power of water to tell a story of female empowerment and the ephemeral cycle of life. Meanwhile, Frolicked Outdoor Theatre will perform Seeing Red, a modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a mini mob of original puppet characters and a sprinkling of feminism.

Castlefield Follies
Image courtesy of Andy Delaney.

Using circus physicality, comedy and feats of strength, Strong Lady Productions will present Strong Enough, an inspiring show celebrating the ability to find courage when we least expect to. There will also be music from the Merlin Shepherd Klezmer Quartet, featuring “Britain’s finest klezmer Clarinetist”.

The action-packed and brilliantly bizarre line-up of street theatre is further bolstered by a giant wolf and an even bigger lobster, and Altered States’ The Invisible Man. Featured companies at the festival include Whalley Range All Stars, Artizani and Madame Zucchini & her amazing Vegetable Entertainment.

Enchanting and intriguing, Castlefield Follies offers a full weekend of free entertainment. Try something different this summer.

30 — 31 July 2022 Entrance is free Visit now

Where to go near Castlefield Follies at Castlefield Basin

Manchester
Restaurant
New Wave Ramen

New Wave Ramen is a stylish, friendly Japanese ramen bar and restaurant on Tib Lane in the heart of Manchester.

caprismcr - restaurant
City Centre
Restaurant
Capri’s Cucina Italiana

The King Street area isn’t short of popular Italian restaurants, but none strike quite the same note as Capri’s, where you’ll be greeted like family and served some of the most authentic Neapolitan food in Manchester.

The Feel Good Club exterior
Manchester
Event venue
Feel Good Club

Our flagship Feel Good Club in Manchester, open 7 days a week, providing a beautiful friendly environment for coffee, brunch, lunch, cocktails and beers with an amazing selection of non alcoholic beverages too.

Ancoats
Bar or Pub
Finders Keepers

Welcoming waterside bar in New Islington Marina, serving a wide array of carefully-curated cocktails.

City Centre
Restaurant
Climat

Highly-regarded wine-led, French-leaning wine bar and rooftop restaurant in the city centre.

Image licensed with iStock.
Stockport
Library
Stockport Central Library

Stockport Central Library is a Carnegie library, built 1913–15 in the Edwardian Baroque style. It continues to serve as Stockport’s largest library.

The Edge exterior
Wigan
Event venue
The Edge, Wigan

Opened in September 2017, The Edge Arena is Wigan’s performance, conference and event venue.

What's on: Theatre

A scene from the stage adaptation of Jungle Book featuring 5 performers in costume
Until
FamiliesManchester
Jungle Book at Aviva Studios

Brought to the stage by visionary director Robert Wilson, this spellbinding production is like no version of Jungle Book we’ve seen before.

from £10.00
Hedda at Contact
TheatreManchester
Hedda at Contact

Ibsen’s complex tale of power, jealousy and manipulation has been reimagined by the Shropshire-based theatre company Here to There Productions.

from £20.00

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in Manchester and the North

Affecting contemporary performances and fresh, relevant takes on enduring classics, we pick out shows that help us scrutinise the world we live in.

Teenage Dads
Music in Manchester and the North

Fresh concert seasons, forward-thinking festivals and a revolving door of amazing gigs. Things are looking bright as spring comes into view.