MIF17: Last and First Men at The Bridgewater Hall

Tom Grieve, Cinema Editor

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MIF17: Last and First Men at The Bridgewater Hall

The Bridgewater Hall, City Centre
6 July 2017

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

© Donald Christie
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There are few performers who project a more otherworldly presence than British actress Tilda Swinton. So, it comes as no surprise to find her on narration duties for Jóhann Jóhannsson’s new multimedia adaptation of Olaf Stapledon’s epic sci-fi novel, Last and First Men. Jóhannsson – the Oscar-nominated Icelandic composer behind the scores for Arrival, Sicario and the upcoming Blade Runner 2049 – combines music, film and Swinton’s elegiac narration for what has been billed as a “poetic meditation on memory, loss and the idea of Utopia”.

Manchester International Festival will present the world premiere of the new work, which promises beautifully desolate futuristic landscape imagery, filmed in 16mm black and white in the former Yugoslav republics. Stapledon’s cult novel is vast, heady sci-fi that projects terrifying, apocalyptic futures for humanity, and this new adaptation, performed as a world exclusive by BBC Philharmonic at The Bridgewater Hall, takes on an equally bleak air as it documents the breathtaking end of the last human species in civilization.

What's on at The Bridgewater Hall

Walking Tour Stock imagery
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ActivityCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around the city, which will take you from the 1960s to the present day.

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Where to go near MIF17: Last and First Men at The Bridgewater Hall

City Centre
Hotel
The Midland Hotel

With 312 luxurious bedrooms, the Grade II-listed Midland Hotel occupies one of the most beautiful and storied buildings in Manchester.

Manchester
Restaurant
Midland Tea Room

Dating back to 1903, Manchester’s stately Midland Hotel now has its own dedicated tea room. Expect traditional offerings in elegant surroundings.

Society Manchester
City Centre
Society Manchester

Society Manchester is a glorious indoor and outdoor space in the very heart of the city, with five street food vendors to choose from and a range of high-quality drinks.

Manchester
Restaurant
Friska

Latest branch of Friska, the independent healthy fast food chain.

Manchester
Restaurant
Don Giovanni

Traditional Italian restaurant, serving everything from pizza to steak. All this in a large modern venue with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Haunt MCR
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Haunt MCR

Haunt MCR is a speciality coffee shop and wine bar located on Manchester’s bustling Peter Street.

Manchester
Restaurant
Jaan

Serving up exceptional Persian cuisine, this new food concept from the team behind Another Hand is a must-try.

Manchester
Restaurant
Exhibition

Exhibition hosts three of the city’s most celebrated independent kitchens: Osma, Baratxuri, and Jaan by Another Hand.

City Centre
Restaurant
ONDA Pasta Bar

ONDA is a treat for the tastebuds. Long dark wood tables are shared by eager diners, as tapas-style plates of fresh pasta and other Italian dishes are ferried around the restaurant.

City Centre
Restaurant
Nudo Sushi Box

Nudo Sushi Box on Manchester’s Oxford Road specialises in freshly-prepared boxes of – you guessed it – sushi.

What's on:

Bradford on Foot
Until
ActivityBradford
Bradford on Foot

Bradford on Foot is a rich collection of 25 themed walks and tours around 2025’s UK City of Culture and the surrounding wild.

Free entry
Black Power Desk at Lowry
TheatreMediaCityUK
Black Power Desk at Lowry

Following a sell-out premiere at Brixton House, this bold new musical brings the hidden history of Britain’s Black Power movement to Salford.

From £16.00
Lost Atoms at Liverpool Everyman: A broken mirror distorting the faces of a man and woman
Until
TheatreCity Centre
Lost Atoms at Liverpool Playhouse

Frantic Assembly join with award-winning writer Anna Jordan for Lost Atoms, a gripping 2025/26 premiere tour and 30th anniversary performance, exploring memory and love.

From £11.00
Overmono at The Warehouse Project
MusicManchester
WHP25: Overmono at Depot Mayfield

Electronic powerhouse duo Overmono return to The Warehouse Project to curate a show featuring a huge line-up of pals at the top of their game.

From £49.50

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