Theatre in the North

Creative Tourist

Theatre this month bursts with contrasts – from bold new writing and Black History Month highlights to contemporary arts and reimagined classics.

In Manchester, the thrilling autumn/ winter season launches at the Royal Exchange Theatre with Brian Friel’s Olivier and Tony-winning masterpiece, Dancing at Lughnasa. Meanwhile, over in Liverpool, the Everyman & Playhouse launches its new season with a super-fresh Romeo & Juliet, a strikingly contemporary take on Shakespeare’s most famous love story. And nearby at Shakespeare North Playhouse, The HandleBards bring magic and mayhem with a riotous new staging of The Tempest.

October also sees Black History Month take centre stage. Lowry marks it with Black Power Desk, a powerful exploration of Britain’s Black Power movement.

New writing is everywhere this autumn. Wisteria Theatre Company debuts with Vivienne Franzmann’s Pests at The Kings Arms, Salford. Back under the arches at 53two, JB Shorts returns with six sharp, brand-new plays from top TV and stage writers. Liverpool audiences can catch Graeae’s Bad Lads and Chalk Line’s The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return – both urgent, unflinching and rooted in lived experience.

For contemporary theatre, Emergency 25 transforms Contact into a day-long festival of bold experiments, while Reckless Sleepers bring their mind-bending Binary Opposition to Lowry. At Aviva Studios, performance icon Marina Abramović returns with a major new show. And further afield, Leeds’ Transform Festival opens up unexpected spaces to radical new work, with highlights including Basel Zaraa’s Dear Laila, an intimate one-to-one performance exploring a Palestinian perspective on war and exile.

Scroll down for details of all of these, and even more top picks for the months ahead.

Our top picks

To Kill A Mockingbird at Leeds Playhouse

To Kill A Mockingbird at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, Until 4 October 2025, From £16.50 - Book now

Aaron Sorkin’s riveting, award-winning stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel comes to Leeds this autumn.

Sepia image of a courtroom with the words 'Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird’
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

Everyman & Playhouse: 2025/26 Theatre Season

Everyman and Playhouse: 2025/26 Theatre Season, Until 31 March 2026, From £11.00 - Book now

A busy and brilliant season – expect fresh takes on classic texts, new writing and monstrously dazzling musicals, all happening in Liverpool.

Lost Atoms at Liverpool Everyman: A broken mirror distorting the faces of a man and woman
Image courtesy of Liverpool Everyman/ Frantic Assembly.

Romeo & Juliet at Liverpool Everyman

Romeo & Juliet at Liverpool Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, Until 4 October 2025, From £11.00 - Book now

Heart-wrenching, potent and powerful, director Ellie Hurt takes this Shakespearean classic back to its brilliant basics.

Romeo & Juliet at Liverpool Everyman
Image courtesy of Liverpool Everyman.

JB Shorts 27 at 53two

JB Shorts 27 at 53two, Until 4 October 2025, From £11.00 - Book now

A brand new edition of JB Shorts returns to showcase some of the region’s most well-established and talented performers and scriptwriters.

JB Shorts 27 at 52two
JB SHORTS 25 (103) CREDIT_PULL FOCUS PRODUCTIONS

The Tempest at Shakespeare North Playhouse

The Tempest at Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot, 3–25 October 2025, From £18.36 - Book now

The HandleBards bring their unique brand of pedal-powered theatre to Shakespeare North Playhouse. Expect laughter, music, mayhem and theatrical magic in spades.

The Tempest at Shakespeare North Playhouse
Image courtesy of The Handlesbards/ Shakespeare North Playhouse

Chisato Minamimura: Mark of A Woman at Lowry

Chisato Minamimura: Mark of A Woman at Lowry, Manchester, 4 October 2025, From £12.00 - Book now

Bold, sensory and inclusive, Chisato Minamimura’s solo performance explores women’s histories through tattooing, sound and movement,

Chisato Minamimura: Mark of A Woman at Lowry
Image courtesy of Mark Pickthall.

Reckless Sleepers: Binary Opposition at Lowry

Reckless Sleepers: Binary Opposition at Lowry, Manchester, 7–8 October 2025, From £16 - Book now

Reckless Sleepers are back with a mind-bending piece of visual theatre where rooms mirror each other, logic unravels, and identities blur.

Reckless Sleepers: Binary Opposition at Lowry
Image courtesy of Kara Hughes/ Reckless Sleepers.

Marina Abramović: Balkan Erotic Epic at Aviva Studios

Marina Abramovic: Balkan Erotic Epic at Aviva Studios, Manchester, 9–19 October 2025, From £10.00 - Book now

Marina Abramović brings her most ambitious work yet – a raw, ritualistic epic exploring desire, mortality and sacred eroticism.

Marina Abramovic: Balkan Erotic Epic at Aviva Studios
Women Massaging Breasts from the series Balkan Erotic Epic C-Print 2005, Serbia, Marina Abramović. Courtesy of the Marina Abramović Archives.

Dancing at Lughnasa at the Royal Exchange Theatre

Dancing at Lughnasa at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, 10 October–8 November 2025, From £12.00 - Book now

Sheffield Theatres and the Royal Exchange Theatre join forces to revive Friel’s extraordinary play in a major new co-production, directed by Elizabeth Newman.

Dancing at Lughnasa at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy Michael Wharley.

Lost Atoms at Liverpool Playhouse

Lost Atoms at Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool, 14–18 October 2025, From £11.00 - Book now

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.

Lost Atoms at Liverpool Everyman: A broken mirror distorting the faces of a man and woman
Image courtesy of Liverpool Everyman/ Frantic Assembly.

Quarantine: Telescope at Manchester Museum

Quarantine: Telescope at Manchester Museum, Manchester, 16–19 October 2025, Free entry - Find Out More

The Manchester-based artist collective bring Telescope, a live performance that turns personal belongings into a window on memory, value and belonging.

A view across a field with a hill in the background. A person stands in the distance.
Alan Ward

Black Power Desk at Lowry

Black Power Desk at Lowry, Manchester, 16–18 October 2025, From £16.00 - Book now

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

Black Power Desk at Lowry
Image courtesy of Helen Murray.

blackmilk at Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre

blackmilk at Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds, 21 October 2025, Free entry - Find Out More

Happening as part of Transform 25, Tiran Willemse’s blackmilk is an intense solo exploring identity and stereotypes.

blackmilk at Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre: A black man is pictured in motion with his profile central to the image, he is visible only from the waist up. The room is brightly lit and has white industrial features. He has short, dark, afro hair and is wearing an oversized black t-shirt. His right arm extends out in front of him, bending at the elbow, his hand reaches around, resting on the nape of his neck.
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

ENO: Albert Herring at Lowry

ENO: Albert Herring at Lowry, Manchester, 21–22 October 2025, From £22.00 - Book now

Ahead of their permanent move to Greater Manchester in 2029, ENO bring their witty new staging of Benjamin Britten’s comic opera to Salford.

ENO: Albert Herring at Lowry
Image courtesy of ENO.

Transform Festival 2025

Transform Festival 2025 at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 21–25 October 2025, Free entry - Find Out More

Leeds’ Transform Festival is an engine room of powerful, urgent and trailblazing performance, visual arts, dance, conversations and adventure.

Transform 25 in Leeds
Amrita Hepi with Mish Grigor, Rinse. Photo: Zan Wimberley

Breaking the Code at Liverpool Playhouse

Breaking the Code at Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool, 21–25 October 2025, From £11.00 - Book now

From cracking the Enigma code to confronting injustice, Alan Turing’s extraordinary life is brought vividly to the stage this autumn.

Breaking the Code at Liverpool Playhouse
Image courtesy of Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.

Dear Laila at Leeds Kirkgate Market

Dear Laila at Leeds Kirkgate Market, Leeds, 23–25 October 2025, Pay-What-You-Can - Book now

Happening as part of Transform 25, this is an intimate one-to-one performance sharing the Palestinian experience of displacement and resistance.

Dear Laila at Leeds Kirkgate Market: A Palestinian man sits with his back to the camera, leaning forward against a wooden desk. With only his arm is visible, as he sits in darkness, he is holding a black and white photograph comprising of several people of mixed ages and genders. The desk rests against an wall covered in ornate pink and cream wallpaper. On top of the desk sits a metal lamp and a decorative wooden box.
Image supplied by Leeds Inspired

Pests at The Kings Arms

Pests at The Kings Arms, Manchester, 3–5 November 2025, From £5.00 - Book now

Wisteria Theatre Company bring a punch-packing debut to Salford. Vivienne Franzmann’s raw, claustrophobic drama about sisterhood and survival.

Pests at The Kings Arms
Image courtesy of Wisteria Theatre Company.

Graeae: Bad Lads at Unity Theatre

Bad Lads | Graeae at Unity Theatre, Liverpool, Liverpool, 5–6 November 2025, From £6.00 - Book now

Graeae’s new performance tells the devastating true story of the boys held at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre, County Durham in the 1980s.

Graeae: Bad Lads at Unity Theatre
Image courtesy of Unity Theatre/ Graeae.

Opera North: La bohème at Lowry

Opera North: La bohème at Lowry, Manchester, 12–15 November 2025, From £24.00 - Book now

Opera North bring three productions to The Lowry this November – La bohème, Susanna and the family-friendly Big Opera Mystery.

Opera North: La bohème at Lowry
Jeremy Peaker as Alcindoro and Samantha Clarke as Musetta © Richard H. Smith

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return at Unity Theatre

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return at Unity Theatre, Liverpool, Liverpool, 20 November 2025, From £7.00 - Book now

It was a sell-out success at Edinburgh Fringe – Chalk Line’s new show brings laughter, energy and youthful friendship to Liverpool this autumn.

The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return at Unity Theatre
Image courtesy of Unity Theatre.

Freaky Friday at HOME

Freaky Friday at HOME Manchester, Manchester and online, 27 November–31 December 2025, From £27.70 - Book now

HOME’s Christmas show Freaky Friday makes its UK stage premiere. A funny, heartfelt Disney musical offering a ‘body-swappingly’ brilliant alternative to panto.

Freaky Friday at HOME
Image supplied by Home MCR

More Theatre

JB Shorts 27 at 52two
Until
TheatreManchester
JB Shorts 27 at 53two

A brand new edition of JB Shorts returns to showcase some of the region’s most well-established and talented performers and scriptwriters.

From £11.00
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

Experiences

View all
Walking Stock Image
TourManchester
Bombed and Besieged: Manchester at War

Marking the anniversary of the Christmas Blitz, this walking tour explores Manchester’s...

Tickets from £20.00
Photo of the John Rylands Library from outside
TourCity Centre
Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in Manchester

Explore the ways in which Manchester helped shape and reinforce the ideas...

Tickets from £20.00
Salford Lads Club Exterior
TourManchester
Salford Lads Club Tour

Salford Lads Club shot to global fame as the iconic backdrop on...

Tickets from £20.00
Elizabeth Gaskell's House
TourManchester
The Manchester Literary Tour

On the eve of Elizabeth Gaskell’s birthday, join Jonathan Schofield Tours for...

Tickets from £20.00
Walking Tour Stock imagery
Until
ActivityCity Centre
The Manchester Music Walkabout

Manchester’s famous musical legacy comes to life in this walking tour around...

Tickets from £25.00

Explore Theatre by city

  • Theatres in Leeds
    Theatres in Leeds

    From family-friendly fun to unique productions, there's something for everyone in Leeds. Check out our guide to the best theatres in Leeds.

  • The Alhambra
    Theatres in Bradford

    As the birthplace of J.B. Priestly and the home of the Alhambra, the city's longstanding thespian tradition ensures there are no lack of theatres in Bradford.

Hotel guides

  • Photo of the exterior of the Palace Hotel
    Hotels in Manchester

    To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to Manchester's best hotels.

  • The Nadler Hotel exterior
    Hotels in Liverpool

    There’s no shortage of hotels in Liverpool, but you don’t have to go far to find something a bit more stylish than a Travelodge. Here’s our guide.

  • Hotels in Leeds.
    Hotels in Leeds

    Leeds has plenty of new types of accommodation, from sleek, modern luxury to affordable art hostels and grand accommodation in green space.

  • Great Victoria Hotel
    Hotels in Bradford

    For a weekend break in a private apartment or an overnight stay in high luxury, we've rounded up the best places to stay in Bradford, Ilkley and Saltaire.

Recently covered restaurants

Chinatown
Restaurant
Pho Cue

Family-run Vietnamese restaurant in Chinatown. Prepare to queue for Pho Cue.

Manchester
Restaurant
Vermilion

Vermilion isn’t a shy, retiring type of restaurant – it’s bold, glam and sometimes silly.

Peak District
Restaurant
The Chequers Inn

The Chequers Inn is a 16th century, family-run, traditional country inn with an impressive dining space. The Peak District at its best.

Rogan and co exterior
Cumbria
Restaurant
Rogan & Company

Sister restaurant to Simon Rogan’s two Michellin starred L’Enclume – more low key but just as tasty.

Spotlight on

Food and Drink in the North

Take some eating-out tips from our October guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

Take me there