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This month we bring our picks of the best theatre happening in Manchester and across the North. You’ll find a selection of online performance alongside some of the live shows we’re most looking forward to.
Although Greater Manchester theatres remain closed at this time, many venues are continuing to adapt to the ongoing pandemic – pulling out all the stops to deliver a theatrical experience for audiences to enjoy at home. And we remain hopeful that theatre will return soon – the pathway to live performance is glimmering on the horizon.
Sound Stage is an exciting audio-digital project that pricked our ears up. Created by the fabulous Manchester-based audio-production company Naked Productions, in collaboration with Pitlochry Festival Theatre and the Royal Lyceum, the project aims to recreate the social experience of a trip to the theatre.
HOME continues to deliver high-quality and innovative works and experiences that audiences can enjoy at home. The Homemakers series has been extended until the summer and PUSH Festival, featuring six brand-new commissions and an experimental video game, will run throughout 2021, allowing work to be presented both digitally and live (we’ve got everything crossed).
We’re thrilled that Queer Contact Festival will run online this spring. Highlights include screenwriting legend Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, It’s a Sin) in conversation with Nathaniel Hall (First Time). Always a highlight in the theatre calendar – be sure to check out the full Queer Contact 2021 programme.
We’re looking forward to those lighter nights and live performance at some point in the not too distant future. Do check back often for more great performance – we’re updating our guide to theatre in Manchester and the North frequently.
Here are our picks
Don’t Touch My Hair at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 1 August 2021 - Book now
Fearless social activism meets unapologetic hip hop. A concentrated dose of Hot Brown Honey is just what we all need right now.
Push Festival 2020 at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 5 March–31 December 2021 - Book now
Thrilling and challenging, HOME’s annual festival is a glimmering reminder that new performance continues to be developed, despite ‘you-know-what’.
Turn On Fest at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester and online, 17–28 March 2021 - Book now
Following the success of the first-ever Turn On Fest in 2020, an online edition of the festival will return this spring.
Queer Contact Festival 2021 at Contact Theatre, Manchester and online, 29 April–1 May 2021 - Book now
Bringing an online celebration of art and creativity in the LGBTQ+ community, we’re thrilled that Queer Contact Festival will return for 2021.
Queer Contact 2021: Russell T Davies in conversation with Nathaniel Hall, online, 30 April 2021, from £5.00 - Book now
In this first event for Queer Contact 2021, screenwriting legend Russell T Davies will join award-winning theatre-maker Nathaniel Hall to discuss depictions of HIV and AIDS on stage and screen.
The Walk - Venue TBC, 4 July 2021, free entry - Find Out More
An epic and extraordinary travelling artwork will set off from the Turkish – Syrian border for Manchester this April. Adventurous and inventive, this is the first event to be announced for MIF21.
Online film festivals, brand new streaming film and a Titanic watch-a-long feature in our latest cinema guide.
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