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

Christmas Cracker at Hope Mill Theatre

Andrew Anderson

Hope Mill Theatre’s Big Christmas Cracker at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester 19 — 23 December 2016 Entrance is free

It’s been quite a year for Hope Mill Theatre. The space only opened in autumn 2015 but already they’ve put on several hugely successful shows (including Parade and The Trial), won a Hospital Club award for best UK theatre, and now Lyn Gardner has given them an early Christmas prezzie with a four-star review of their new in-house musical Hair.

Speaking of the festive season, we’ve got high hopes for their Christmas Cracker, which runs from 19-23 December. A glitzy, glittery mix of cabaret, panto, big show tunes and burlesque, it looks like being a sensational (and not too serious) way to sign off a successful year in style. Mince pies and themed cocktails are also on the bill, of course (oh yes they are).

Hope Mill Theatre’s Big Christmas Cracker at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester 19 — 23 December 2016 Entrance is free

Where to go near Christmas Cracker at Hope Mill Theatre

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Le Social Wine Bar

Le Social is a stylish wine bar and tasting room, focusing on exhibitions by local artists as well as natural wines, deli boards and continental plates.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Flawd

Flawd is a neighbourhood wine bar based in Ancoats, from the team behind the wonderful Higher Ground dining experience.

Ancoats
Bar or Pub
Finders Keepers

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

Pollen Bakery
Manchester
Restaurant
Pollen Bakery

Popular bakery in the Ancoats and New Islington area, specialising in sourdough bread and viennoiserie baked goods.

Cask Ancoats
Manchester
Cask Ancoats

Cask in Ancoats opened in November 2018, it is the flashy sister bar to Cask on Liverpool Road.

Stacks of croissants
Ancoats
Café or Coffee Shop
Café Cotton

This café in Ancoats is locally famed for its lunchtime deals and sandwiches

Ancoats
Café or Coffee Shop
Companio Bakery

Started by artisan baker Russell Goodwin, Companio Bakery sells freshly-baked bread from a small unit in Manchester’s Ancoats.

Track Brewing Co Taproom
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Maray x Track

Ahead of its upcoming Manchester launch, acclaimed Liverpool restaurant Maray has teamed up with Track Brewing Co Taproom.

Alcohol Delivery in Manchester
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Cloudwater Brew Co

Cloudwater is a world-renowned brewery in Manchester. Set up in 2014 by Paul Jones and James Campbell, they’re a shining example of the best of modern British beer-makers.

Manchester
Restaurant
Erst

An offshoot of the popular Trove bakery in Ancoats, this new restaurant specialises in perfectly-formed and eye-catching small plates with a focus on environmentally-friendly practices.

See all places

What's on: Theatre

Aakash Odedra - Mehek at The Lowry
DanceThe Quays
Aakash Odedra – Mehek at The Lowry

An enchanting exploration of the human heart masterfully danced by Aakash Odedra and Aditi Mangaldas, the great South Asian dancers of their respective generations.

from £16.50

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.

Festival-goers at Green Island
Music in Manchester and the North

Gazing longingly towards the good times that will accompany the surely imminent sun, we take a look at the best music festivals coming up in Manchester and Salford.

See all guides