Penny Dreadful! Or, Mrs Lovett’s Revenge at Elizabeth Gaskell House

Gemma Gibb, Associate Editor

Book now

Penny Dreadful! Or, Mrs Lovett’s Revenge

9 August 2017

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

The exterior of Elizabeth Gaskell's Hosue
Book now

Be transported to the glee of a Victorian childhood (we believe there was some glee, honest) at 84 Plymouth Grove which was once home to Elizabeth Gaskell’s four children who played in the gardens and throughout the house. This original one-woman show stars Sweeney Todd’s partner in crime, Mrs Lovett. Be appalled by a plethora of other grotesque characters from the cheap and grisly pages of the Victorian era’s penny dreadful papers, in a theatrical comedy suitable for ages 5 plus.

Take the chance to explore together inside this historic house where Elizabeth Gaskell wrote most of her famous novels. Walk in the footsteps of other cultural figures who changed history such as Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, John Ruskin, the American abolitionist and novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe and musician Charles Hallé. Be inspired to craft tales of your own by sitting at Gaskell’s desk as she once did and don’t miss the charming tea room and bookshop.

With a summer programme that involves different artistic adventures every Wednesday and exploration resources and activity baskets especially for families, we love that younger visitors never feel as if they are treading on eggshells in this incredible slice of Mancunian and literary history and are able to get as much joy and inspiration from it as others.

 

 

Where to go near Penny Dreadful! Or, Mrs Lovett’s Revenge at Elizabeth Gaskell House

Manchester
Library
Gaskell Society

These regular talks in both Manchester and Knutsford unpack the meaning and significance of Elizabeth Gaskell’s writing.

Manchester
Gallery
Chuck Gallery

Chuck Gallery is the first private art space in North West England dedicated to the promotion of contemporary African art in Manchester and beyond. Our focus is the provision of a varied collection of high quality, original and exceptional artwork

Pankhurst Centre
Manchester
Museum
The Pankhurst Centre

The Pankhurst Centre houses a small museum and heritage centre that remains as a legacy to the Pankhurst family and the Suffragette movement born in this city.

Much Ado About Nothing at Victoria Baths
Manchester
Event venue
Victoria Baths

Victoria Baths no longer functions as a ‘water palace’ and Turkish Baths, but the Grade II-listed building hosts regular events and is a stunning visit.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Big Hands

Big Hands is the one-time haunt of legendary Manchester band Elbow; it’s shabby, loud and dark, with a jukebox and excellent roof terrace.

The Whitworth
Manchester
Gallery
The Whitworth

This much-loved gallery-in-a-park is open for business, showcasing some of the city’s finest contemporary and historic exhibitions.

Whitworth Park, Manchester
Manchester
Park
Whitworth Park

This 18-acre park opposite the Manchester Royal Infirmary provides a welcome patch of green in an otherwise densely populated and heavily used part of the city.

Manchester
Music venue
Manchester Academy 3

Brilliant venue for catching a touring band on the rise. The boringly titled Academy 3 or more interesting Hop and Grape, as it was once known, is a self contained…

What's on: Families

A Lotherton Summer Holiday image of a child reaching for bunting
Until
Activity
A Lotherton Summer Holiday

Enjoy all things summer at Lotherton this school holiday. With six weeks of summer fun, including a whole host of children’s entertainment, sand pit, tractor trailer rides*, crafts, activities and

From £0.00
Summer at Aviva Studios
Until
ActivityManchester
Summer at Aviva Studios

From global dance and live music to storytelling, skateboarding and football, get ready for a dream summer on the banks of the River Irwell.

Free entry

Culture Guides

Detail of an abstract sculpture, with burned materials and rusty chicken wire at the centre, with rusted metal bars bent around it.
Exhibitions in the North

Chocolate fountains, beautiful batiks and medieval marginalia - this month's supersized Exhibitions Guide has it all.

Literature Events in the North

The autumn leaves might be falling already, but the harvest is plentiful as the live literature scene gets back into the swing of things after a summer break...

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.