The Magic Bookmark at 53Two

Shekina Rose, Families Editor

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The Magic Bookmark

22 February 2025

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

Petite Pantos
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Join Mama G for a delightful panto experience, The Magic Bookmark at 53Two, Manchester this February half term.

Coming direct from New York and heading straight to Manchester, The Magic Bookmark is an award-winning adventure starring ‘everyone’s favourite pantomime dame!’ (Metro), Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, Mama G. Interactive, fabulous, and totally, utterly FUN, this show is a must-see for children and grown-ups too. 

Trouble is brewing in Mama G’s library. The dastardly Book Worm doesn’t see the point of books and steals them all! With the world on the brink of literary chaos, Mama G enlists the help of the Magic Bookmark, and YOU, audience members, to save the day. Join Mama G on an adventure across the globe to find three special books that might convince the mischievous Book Worm of the importance of stories. 

While sitting in a theatre in Manchester, you’ll travel to Australia, the Caribbean, and a London library. You’ll experience tales of kindness, empathy, bravery, and self-acceptance, with stories like the The Bear Who Had Nothing to Wear by Jeanne Willis and You Need to Chill by Juno Dawson.

The simplicity of this show adds to what makes it so great. On the stage is a bookcase, a red beanbag, a mini inflatable paddling pool (all will be revealed on the day!) and a flatscreen TV where the sneaky Book Worm appears in animated form.

In true pantomime style, children (and their grownups), will love shouting “he’s behind you,” booing the baddie, and joining in with the on stage action. And while the show may have a few technical surprises, Mama G’s storytelling skills ensure a smooth and hilarious ride from start to finish.

So get ready for an awesome adventure on 22 February as The Magic Bookmark celebrates one of the best things in life – books!  

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