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There’s all manner of live theatre, performance, dance and comedy happening in Manchester and further afield this October.
PUSH Festival continues at HOME with Jenni Jackson’s Endurance, a brand new performance that fuses dance, theatre and sport to examine gender politics and audience complicity, and Emmanuela Yogolelo’s unique commission exploring the traditions and culture of the Congo Basin.
The Royal Exchange serves up two superb pieces of writing too. Bruntwood Judges Prize-winner Glee & Me, a witty, dark comedy about a teen who is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour, plays in rep with Katori Hall’s Olivier Award-winning The Mountaintop – which imagines a conversation between Dr Martin Luther King and a maid in his Memphis motel, the night before his assassination in 1968.
Contact’s phenomenal reopening season launches too with a dynamic performance from the Contact Young Company. And a world premiere performance heads to Hope Mill Theatre for Black History Month – Forgotten Voices reveals the remarkable real-life story of Eva Moorhead Kadalie, the widow of South Africa’s first national black trade union leader.
At Storyhouse in Chester, Sophocles’ Antigone has been adapted for a modern-day audience by the acclaimed poet Hollie McNish. Tackling subjects like gender equality and democracy, the play is still startlingly relevant for a contemporary audience.
Elsewhere, dance lovers should take a look at the Stanley and Audrey Burton Theatre’s Season of Dance and Matthew Bourne’s captivating 1930s production of The Midnight Bell when it visits Liverpool Playhouse this month.
Read on for more live theatre and performance happening in Manchester and right across the North.
Here are our picks
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1. The Mountaintop at the Royal Exchange
Image courtesy of Marc Brenner. The Mountaintop at Royal Exchange Theatre, City Centre, Until 27 October 2021, from £7.00 - Book now
Roy Alexander Weise makes his Royal Exchange debut with a brand-new production of this stunning and incisive play, set on the eve of Dr Martin Luther King’s assassination.
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2. PUSH Festival 2021 at HOME
Image courtesy of HOME Manchester. Push Festival 2021 at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 31 December 2021 - Book now
Thrilling and challenging, HOME’s extended edition of its annual festival is a glimmering reminder that new performance continues to be developed, despite ‘you-know-what’.
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3. Glee & Me at the Royal Exchange
Image courtesy of Helen Murray. Glee & Me at Royal Exchange Theatre, City Centre, Until 30 October 2021, from £10.00 - Book now
This Bruntwood Judges Prize-winning dark comedy offers audiences a surprisingly optimistic portrayal of love even in the darkest times.
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4. Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre: Season of Dance
Image courtesy of Chris Nash. Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre: Season of Dance at Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds, Until 23 December 2021, from £5 - Book now
The spectacular season of dance includes DeNada Dance Theatre, Northern Ballet, Ballet Cymru and Humanoove, alongside free performances happening as part of Light Night Leeds 2021.
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5. Synagogue Nights at Manchester Jewish Museum
Image courtesy of Noga Ritter. Synagogue Nights at Manchester Jewish Museum, Cheetham Hill, Until 2 December 2021, from £6.00 - Book now
An intimate series of evening events taking place in the atmospheric and beautiful surroundings of Manchester Jewish Museum. Step out and experience something new.
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6. Black Gold Arts Festival 2021 with Contact
Image courtesy of Graham Clayton-Chance. Black Gold Arts Festival at Contact Theatre, Manchester, Until 29 October 2021, from £5.00 - Book now
An outstanding festival line-up of Black-led art, performance and film which includes a live premiere of mandla rae’s as british as a watermelon.
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7. The Cat and the Canary at Manchester Opera House
Image courtesy of The Cat and the Canary/ ATG The Cat and The Canary at Manchester Opera House, City Centre, 25–30 October 2021, from £13.00 - Book now
Set in a creaking mansion, this creepy whodunnit makes its way into Manchester just in time for Halloween.
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8. The Nobodies at The Edge
Lidia Crisafulli The Nobodies at The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre, Chorlton, 29–30 October 2021, from £12.00 - Book now
Exciting and terrifying in equal measure, with a good dash of humour, this award-winning play asks what does it take to enact real change? And what would you sacrifice to keep it?
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9. Château Ghoul at The Lowry
Image courtesy of LipService Theatre. -
10. Ergon: The Wicked Problem at Contact
Image courtesy of Drew Forsyth. Ergon: The Wicked Problem at Contact Theatre, Manchester, 3–6 November 2021, from £5.00 - Book now
For this immersive and urgent performance, audience members will take the part of the jury on the first-ever trial to decide the fate of an individual who has broken a climate law.
More in Theatre
Flecky Bennett’s Ghost Walks
Meet, Flecky Bennet, your guide through the dark and demonic side of the city as he takes you on one of Manchester’s award winning ghost walks.
Shiverpool: Ghost and History Tours
Expect chilling street theatre and immersive thrills as the award winning Shiverpool return to Liverpool’s streets.
The Edge Reopening Season
Live theatre returns to The Edge this September and the opening season promises to be one to remember when its doors open for the first time in 18 months, and to a completely refurbished building.
Contact Reopening Season
Following the extensive transformation of their iconic Oxford Road venue, Contact has announced a vibrant and progressive reopening programme. Read our preview of the upcoming season.
Halloween at the Old Hall: The Lost Crystal at Tatton Park
Looking for a family-friendly Halloween adventure? Join Rusticus Arts for a magical quest around Tatton Park’s Medieval Old Hall.
Tales from the Congo Basin at HOME
Join storyteller and musician Emmanuela Yogolelo for a session exploring the traditions of songs and storytelling in the Congo Basin, Africa.
First Dibs: The Assembly at HOME
Witness five brand-new plays written by LGBTQ+ playwrights and supported by Dibby Theatre. Featured playwrights include: mandla rae, Alma Renée Lipari, Susan Kerr, Elizabeth Gibson and Rebekka Platt.
A Jewish Love Story at Manchester Jewish Museum
A work-in-progress performance telling the story of one woman’s flight from the Polish pogroms and the impact of her experience on the generations that follow.
Good Grief at HOME
Expect a high-energy blend of clowning, movement, verbatim and techno tracks in this unique performance by theatre-makers Ugly Bucket.
Culture Guides
Cinema in Manchester and the North
Black History Month, spooky screenings and the return of film festivals all feature in this month’s cinema guide.
Exhibitions
Fear not as we head into the darkness of winter; a brand-new arrival to Manchester’s festival scene is filling the city with light.
Literature
Events for readers meet events for writers, with plenty of book launches, open mics, literature festivals, writing conferences and poetry showcases to pop into your diary for the rest of October and onwards into November, both online and in person.
Classical Music in Manchester and the North
We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
A guide to Food and Drink in Manchester and the North, including plenty of new bars and restaurants and exciting new menus from old favourites.
Tours and Activities
Resist the urge to hibernate this autumn; our latest selection of tours and activities will have you out and about, making the most of what’s on offer in Manchester and the North.
Destination Guides
Related Guides
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
A guide to Food and Drink in Manchester and the North, including plenty of new bars and restaurants and exciting new menus from old favourites.
Exhibitions
Fear not as we head into the darkness of winter; a brand-new arrival to Manchester’s festival scene is filling the city with light.
Vegetarian Food in Manchester
We’ve gathered together a handpicked list of some of our favourite vegetarian places in Manchester – meaning you need never suffer a stuffed pepper ever again.
Theatres in Manchester
If you’re looking for theatre in Manchester, these are our top places to explore.
Theatres in Liverpool
You’ll find a varied programme across our guide to Liverpool’s best theatres.
Families
From science-filled fun to spooky halloween adventures, we round-up the best family events taking place in Manchester and the North in the next few weeks.
Things to do right now
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