Ventoux at Waterside Arts Centre

Andrew Anderson
© Julian Hughes

Ventoux at Waterside, Manchester 20 April 2017 Tickets from £10.00

There have been few more turbulent lives in modern times than that of Lance Armstrong, whose descent from God-like legend to dishonoured demon was even faster than the ones he used to make down mountainsides on his bike. Ventoux, a new play that comes to Sale Waterside Arts Centre this April, takes just 60 minutes of that life and turns it into a theatrical tour de force (or Tour de France, if you will).

On 13 July, 2000 Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani cycled side by side up Mount Ventoux, the most fabled – and most feared – ascent in the Tour de France. At the time it was celebrated as one of the great duals of the sport; the tough Texan against the charismatic Italian. First one would get ahead, then the other, before Pantani finally pulled away to win the stage. But within four years of that victory Pantani was dead from a cocaine overdose, and eight years after that Armstrong was stripped of his seven Tour titles for cheating.

Ventoux gives an already compelling story of determination and deceit the full theatrical treatment, which means that even though I already know the outcome I for one can’t wait to watch.

Ventoux at Waterside, Manchester 20 April 2017 Tickets from £10.00

What's on at Waterside

Until
ActivitySale
Prism: Light Trail

This winter you can see a series of light installations through Sale Town Centre, designed by children and young people from the borough.

free entry

Where to go near Ventoux at Waterside Arts Centre

Manchester
Café or Coffee Shop
Bean and Brush Art Café

Bean & Brush is a family art café in Sale which serves simple, tasty food with ingredients sourced from local suppliers. The bonus for parents is the arts and crafts studio which keeps the kids busy being creative while they can join in or relax with a coffee.

Manchester
Park
Grosvenor Square

Grosvenor Square is one of the few open spaces along Oxford Road Manchester; on sunny days, students from the nearby Manchester School of Art come out to bask.

Manchester
Park
Walkden Gardens

Walkden Gardens in the Manchester suburbs has all the makings of a fairy tale garden. As a venue, it’s hard to imagine a more magical gateway, a wonderful escape only a short(ish) stroll from the Brooklands Metrolink stop..

Sale
Restaurant
Meze & More

An intimate supper club in Sale, South Manchester, with a specialist focus on Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine.

Beech Road, Chorlton
Restaurant
Mish Mash

Cocktails and craft beer along side a menu of British food ‘with a twist’. Mish Mash is currently closed for a refurb.

longford park ben williams
Manchester
Park
Longford Park

Longford Park in Stretford was created in the grounds of Longford Hall, the grand entrance steps of which remain.

What's on: Theatre

Culture in South Lakes
Until
ExhibitionsCumbria
Culture in South Lakes

Not only one of Britain’s most picturesque national parks, the Lake District is also brimming with culture. Here’s what’s on over the next few months.

free entry
Homotopia Festival 2023
Until
TheatreLiverpool
Homotopia Festival 2023

Performances, screenings, workshops, live music and conversation, Liverpool’s longest-running LGBTQ+ arts festival is back to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

from £8.00
Hamilton at the Palace Theatre
Until
TheatreManchester
Hamilton at the Palace Theatre

Politically charged, with outstanding performances and a hip-hop soundtrack, there is no doubt Hamilton is one of the most eagerly anticipated shows to visit Manchester this year.

from £13.00

Culture Guides

Music in Manchester and the North

Spotlighting global artists who all, in one way or another, break the mould, we preview the best gigs happening this side of Christmas and beyond.