Rita, Sue and Bob Too at The Lowry

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

Rita, Sue and Bob Too

Lowry, Salford
9-13 April 2019

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

Rita, Sue and Bob Too at The Lowry
Image courtesy of The Other Richard.
Book now

Written by Andrea Dunbar in 1982, Rita Sue and Bob Too comes to The Lowry this spring in a bold production by Out of Joint’s Kate Wasserberg.

Set in the 1980s, Rita, Sue and Bob Too is a semi-autobiographical drama which paints a vivid picture of two teenage girls caught between a brutal childhood and a disheartening future. Living in a run-down part of Bradford, both girls are hungry for adventure.

When best friends Rita and Sue get a lift home from married Bob after babysitting his kids, he offers them both a taste of adult adventure. The three of them start a fling each of them thinks that they can control.

Andrea Dunbar’s frank and gritty play examines a northern female perspective through the misadventures of two fifteen-year-old girls. Rita, Sue and Bob Too tells the story of two funny though sharp best friends and their brave journey to navigate the hardships they face growing up in a Thatcher’s Britain. Dunbar’s work is considered so special in that she introduced a unique working-class voice to the stage. An experience of fearless realism which had rarely been seen before.

Dunbar’s play was considered a groundbreaking work for its time. Rita Sue and Bob Too will be directed by Out of Joint’s Artistic Director Kate Wasserberg and will be co-produced with the Octagon Theatre Bolton and the Royal Court Theatre.

What's on at Lowry

Opera North: Susanna at Lowry
MusicSalford
Opera North: Susanna at Lowry

Opera North joins forces with Phoenix Dance Theatre for Susanna – a bold reimagining of Handel’s oratorio that still feels fiercely relevant today.

From £24.00

Where to go near Rita, Sue and Bob Too at The Lowry

Manchester
Gallery
Irwell Sculpture Trail

The 33-mile trail, which follows the River Irwell from Salford Quays all the way to Bacup in Pennine Lancashire, has been around for over a decade, but it’s recently been restored and expanded.

Manchester
Shopping Centre
Lowry Outlet Mall

The Lowry Outlet Mall in The Quays district of Manchester sits opposite both The Lowry and MediaCityUK, Europe’s largest media hub and the home of BBC North.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Central Bay

Central Bay is a new waterfront dining and drinking destination at Quayside MediaCity, opening summer 2023.

MediaCityUK
Café or Coffee Shop
Blanconero

High-level Italian food in Salford Quays, with no less than seven different lasagnas to choose from.

The Quays
Restaurant
The Alchemist Mediacity

The latest offering from the UK-conquering Alchemist has an energetic vibe similar to others in this highly-regarded chain of restaurants.

Salford
Uswim
at Salford Quays

Jump into waters of dock 9 at Salford Quays with Uswim, they bring the benefits and freedom of open water swimming to the convenience of a central location.

Manchester
Food hall
Kargo MKT

Mighty food hall in Salford Quays, with around twenty street food vendors, serving a huge range of cuisines.

Manchester
Restaurant
11 Central

11 Central is a new bar and microbrewery launched by local brewing legends SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO at the Central Bay site in Salford.

What's on: Theatre

the Gingerbread man stood on a dresser waving
Until
TheatreLeeds
The Gingerbread Man at Carriageworks Theatre

Leeds Children’s Theatre are celebrating their 90th anniversary in 2025, and are delighted to be staging this family favourite tale THE GINGERBREAD MAN onstage at the Carriageworks Theatre in November.

From £13.00
Opera North: Susanna at Lowry
MusicSalford
Opera North: Susanna at Lowry

Opera North joins forces with Phoenix Dance Theatre for Susanna – a bold reimagining of Handel’s oratorio that still feels fiercely relevant today.

From £24.00

Culture Guides

Music in the North

From New York’s experimental underground to the most exciting sounds coming from local scenes, we're lining up a noisy autumn of gigs.

Hofesh Shechter - Theatre of Dreams at Lowry
Theatre in the North

Picks this month include bold visual art, wondrous opera and cinematic dance - plus a touch of ghostly storytelling for the Halloween season.

Poet Helen Mort.
Literature Events in the North

One to add to your TBR pile, our latest round-up is a bumper edition and features some amazing events in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds and beyond...

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

It's busy month across the cinemas of the north as Halloween programming leads into two of the region's biggest film festivals.

A white mattress is burning in a black rocky landscape.
Exhibitions in the North

In galleries around the North this autumn, you'll find tactile sculptures, Treasures with a capital 'T' and plant magic.