Toxic at HOME

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

Toxic

HOME Manchester, Manchester
18-28 October 2023
Date
Time
Session Features
18 Oct 2023
7:45 pm-9:15 pm
19 Oct 2023
7:45 pm-9:15 pm
20 Oct 2023
7:45 pm-9:15 pm
21 Oct 2023
2:15 pm-3:45 pm
21 Oct 2023
7:45 pm-9:15 pm

See website for more sessions

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

Toxic at HOME
Image courtesy of Lee Baxter.
Book now

Beautiful, explosive and layered with wit, Nathaniel J Hall and Dibby Theatre return to the stage with a brand-new semi-autobiographical play, Toxic.

Blending storytelling, movement, visual projections and an original soundtrack, Toxic pulls back the “glittery curtain of pride” to explore narratives around “gay shame”: generational homophobia, racism, toxic gender norms and HIV stigma. Layered with humour and hope, Toxic celebrates survival and the resilience of the queer spirit. The show is inspired by writer and performer Nathaniel J Hall’s own real-life experiences, as well as those of others.

Set in Manchester in 2016, the two-hander focuses on the relationship between two queer people: how they meet, fall in love and then, mess everything up.

Two damaged hearts meet head-on in the middle of a hot and sweaty queer warehouse party. Born during the Aids epidemic and growing up in the hangover of Section 28, one is HIV+ and drowning in shame, while the other is one microaggression away from a full-on breakdown. Powerful and passionate, the two form a trauma bond so tight they can survive anything. However, survival also means knowing when to walk away.

With a phenomenal creative team, Toxic is written by Nathaniel J Hall (First Time, It’s a Sin), who also performs in the show alongside Joshua-Susan Enright. Set to a pumping soundtrack by SHAR, with direction by Scott Le Crass and movement by Manchester-based Plaster Cast Theatre alongside design by Lu Herbert and visual projections by ././ dede (Dee Dixon), Toxic looks to be a hot ticket this autumn.

Accessibility

  • British Sign Language
  • Relaxed

What's on at HOME Manchester

Two young women dance in a nightclub, smiling next to each other.
CinemaManchester
The Last Days of Disco + Q&A at HOME

Director Whit Stillman presents a 35mm screenings of one of the best films of the nineties, as a group of twenty-somethings navigate The Last Days of Disco.

From £7.95

Where to go near Toxic at HOME

Manchester
Restaurant
Indian Tiffin Room, Manchester

Indian Tiffin Room is a restaurant specialising in Indian street food, with branches in Cheadle and Manchester. This is the information for the Manchester venue.

The Ritz Manchester live music venue
Manchester
Music venue
The Ritz

The Ritz was originally a dance hall, built in 1928, has hosted The Beatles, Frank Sinatra and The Smiths and is still going strong as a gig venue now.

Homeground
Manchester
Event venue
Homeground

Homeground is HOME’s brand new outdoor venue, providing an open-air space for theatre, food, film, music, comedy and more.

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Burgess Cafe Bar
at IABF

Small but perfectly-formed café – which also serves as the in-house bookstore, stocking all manner of Burgess-related works, along with recordings of his music. It’s a welcoming space, with huge glass windows making for a bright, welcoming atmosphere.

Rain Bar pub in Manchester
City Centre
Bar or Pub
Rain Bar

This huge three-floor pub, formerly a Victorian warehouse, then an umbrella factory (hence the name), has one of the city centre’s largest beer gardens. The two-tier terrace overlooks the Rochdale canal and what used to be the back of the Hacienda, providing an unusual, historic view of the city.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
The Briton’s Protection

Standing on the corner of a junction opposite The Bridgewater Hall, The Briton’s Protection is Manchester’s oldest pub. It has occupied the same spot since 1795, going under the equally

Castlefield Gallery, Manchester
Castlefield
Gallery
Castlefield Gallery

The influential Castlefield Gallery sits at the edge of Manchester’s exciting Castlefield district, an ideal home for thought-provoking contemporary art.

What's on: Theatre

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Cloudwater Production One
Tours and Activities in the North

Go forth with wild abandon to dance the pavements, dabble with the paint and down the pints in this month's tours and activities guide.

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Harry Baker
Literature Events in the North

From environmental to experimental, our poetry and prose picks from around the North are focused on the unusual and the fun.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.