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Guides
What's on
Where to go
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Manchester’s season of Shakespeare

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

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Manchester's Season of Shakespeare

10 September-19 October 2019

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

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RSC: The Taming of the Shrew at The Lowry
Image courtesy of Ikin Yum Photography.
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Shakespeare retellings and adaptations are popping up all over Manchester this autumn. We’ve got a musical take on the ‘star-crossed lovers’, a trio of outstanding performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company and a critically acclaimed production of Macbeth at the Royal Exchange.

& Juliet is a brand new contemporary musical that remixes the story of Romeo and Juliet. Less Romeo and more Juliet. Fresh, fast and with all of your favourite pop anthems, it imagines how Juliet’s life may have panned out if she hadn’t reached for the dagger. Glittering and fabulous.

In a satisfying contrast, Lucy Ellinson takes on the iconic role of Macbeth at the Royal Exchange. Directed by Christopher Haydon, this is an action-packed contemporary version of the bloodthirsty tragedy. With great reviews from the critics and a truly phenomenal cast, this promises to be an unmissable performance.

This season The Lowry will host three of The Bard’s most celebrated plays. Straight from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, the Royal Shakespeare Company will present As You Like It, Measure for Measure and The Taming of the Shrew. Get your Shakespeare fix – this is a brilliant opportunity to see the Royal Shakespeare Company on The Lowry stage.

Where to go near Manchester’s season of Shakespeare

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.

Cumbria
Restaurant
1863 Restaurant

1863 offers a seven-course Lake District tasting menu that overdelivers at every turn. Cumbrian ingredients, clever ideas and classical cooking techniques.

City Centre
Bar or Pub
Schofield’s Bar

Schofield’s could be Manchester’s most grown-up bar. Very precise drinks in an upmarket city centre venue. It’s not cheap, hey, but true class costs.

See all places

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Halloween at HOME

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LOVE**WORK at Lowry

Anonymous stories gathered across continents ask how love and work shape each other, through performance, music and live art.

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