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There’s still time to catch Handbagged – Moira Buffini’s satire – which has opened to rave reviews at Oldham Coliseum. Funny and theatrical, it imagines what could have happened at the Queen and Margaret Thatcher’s weekly meetings.
We’re also counting down to another bank holiday this weekend – do check out our full listings for the long weekend. In terms of theatre, we’re championing Brian Lobel’s BINGE at HOME – a free one-to-one performance experience. Elsewhere, hop on board IOU’s open-top bus – The Storytelling Bus – and experience the historic town of Halifax.
The Lowry can always be relied upon to bring top-notch dance shows to Salford – we recommend catching Russell Maliphant’s Silent Lines and the legendary Matthew Bourne’s stunning choreography in Romeo and Juliet.
Check out our full theatre guide for all the best performances happening right now, and the ones that you should book ahead for.
There’s plenty to enjoy!
Here are our picks
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1. Handbagged at Oldham Coliseum
Oldham Coliseum Theatre Handbagged at Oldham Coliseum, Manchester, 14 May–1 June 2019, from £17.00 - Book now
Written by Moira Buffini, Handbagged is the sparklingly entertaining tale of the Queen’s infamous weekly meetings with Margaret Thatcher.
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2. Brian Lobel: BINGE at HOME
Image courtesy of Carys Levin Brian Lobel: BINGE at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 24–26 May 2019, free entry - Find Out More
A new intimate one-to-one performance installation curated by Brian Lobel based around our favourite box sets.
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3. The Storytelling Bus at Square Chapel
Courtesy IOU The Storytelling Bus at Square Chapel Arts Centre, 25 May–7 July 2019, from £5 - Book now
Hop on board The Storytelling Bus to experience historic Halifax like never before.
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4. All I See is You at Hope Mill Theatre
All I See is You at Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester, 27 May–1 June 2019, from £10.00 - Book now
You’ve got another chance to catch this National Octagon prize-winner. A powerful two-hander inspired by real accounts of queer life 50 years ago.
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5. Russell Maliphant’s Silent Lines at The Lowry
Russell Maliphant -
6. Hobson’s Choice at the Royal Exchange
Image courtesy of the Royal Exchange Hobson's Choice at Royal Exchange Theatre, City Centre, 31 May–6 July 2019, from £18.50 - Book now
This brilliantly fresh adaptation by award-winning writer, Tanika Gupta finds Hobson set up shop in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
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7. Contact Young Company + Young Identity: Old Tools >New Masters ≠New Futures at Manchester Art Gallery
theApeNinja Contact Young Co + Young Identity: Old Tools > New Masters ≠ New Futures at Manchester Art Gallery, Chinatown, 12 June 2019, from £10.00 - Book now
Tunde Adefioye joins forces with the Contact Young Company and Young Identity to explore the decolonisation of public culture.
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8. MIF19: Tree at Upper Campfield Market Hall
Marc Brenner Tree at Upper Campfield Market Hall, Castlefield, 29 June–10 July 2019, from £30 - Book now
Created by Idris Elba and Kwame Kwei-Armah, Tree will take its audience on a wondrous journey in search of the soul and spirit of present-day South Africa.
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9. BE FESTIVAL at Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Image courtesy of Alex Brenner Be Festival at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, 2–6 July 2019 - Book now
A daring and innovative creative programme – blurring borders and exploding boundaries – BE FESTIVAL features a genre-bending feast of European theatre, live music, performance and visual arts.
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10. MIF19: Invisible Cities at Mayfield
Photo: Jason Bell Invisible Cities at Mayfield at Mayfield, Manchester, 4–14 July 2019, from £10 - Book now
Offering an enchanting recipe of theatre, choreography, music, architectural design and project mapping, this groundbreaking performance will bring a fascinating series of imaginative and extraordinary cities to life.
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11. Twelfth Night at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Mark Carline Twelfth Night at Grosvenor Park, 5 July–24 August 2019, from £19.50 - Book now
Don’t miss Shakespeare’s most outrageous romantic comedy Twelfth Night when it comes to Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre this summer.
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12. Red Dust Road at HOME
Image courtesy of HOME Red Dust Road at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 11–21 September 2019, from £10.00 - Book now
Balancing warmth with a straight-talking honesty, Jackie Kay’s Red Dust Road receives its world premiere in a new stage adaptation by Tanika Gupta.
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13. Beryl at Bolton Library Theatre
Image courtesy of Bolton Octagon Beryl at Octagon Theatre, Manchester, 19 September–19 October 2019, from £14.00 - Book now
The true story of one of the world’s greatest unsung sporting heroes will be brought to life in the intimate setting of Bolton’s Library Theatre.
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14. Trojan Horse at Leeds Playhouse
Image courtesy of Graeme Braidwood Trojan Horse at Leeds Playhouse, Leeds, 3–5 October 2019, from £14 - Book now
In this vital verbatim show, using real-life testimonies, LUNG examine the damage caused to Birmingham communities following the 2014 government inquiry.
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15. 24 Hours of Peace at the Royal Exchange
Neil Bartlett 24 Hours of Peace at Royal Exchange Theatre, City Centre, 10–11 November 2019, free entry - Find Out More
What do you get if you add 24 hours to 48 performers and two hundred thousand words? Neil Bartlett’s extraordinary new national public artwork.
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16. Back To The Future The Musical at Manchester Opera House
Image courtesy of ATG Back To The Future The Musical at Manchester Opera House, City Centre, 20 February–17 May 2020, from £19.95 - Book now
Turn your flux capacitor on and set your destination to the Manchester Opera House in the year 2020. Your future depends on it.
More in Theatre
Royal Exchange Backstage Tour
Join one of the Royal Exchange’s passionate volunteers as they take you through the underbelly of this working theatre. Experience first hand the hard work and amount of people that go into putting on one of the theatre’s productions as well as seeing the props and costumes from some of your favourite shows.
Contact In The City Part Three
Contact In The City Part Three – is a radical city-wide programme of performance taking place whilst Contact’s theatre undergoes an exciting transformation. Read our preview of the upcoming season.
Oldham Coliseum Spring Season
Oldham Coliseum’s new programme for Spring/ Summer 2019 celebrates Northern voices and tackles universal issues faced by families and communities.
The Goose Who Flew at Waterside
A heartfelt story about compassion, community and understanding.
Jack and the Beanstalk at The Met
Fee Fi Fo Fum! It’s a giant of a show.Patrick Lynch (from Cbeebies) tells the gripping story of Jack who sells his cow for five magic beans and finds himself in the land above the clouds.
When Trolls Try To Eat Your Goldfish at Waterside
In the middle of the night there is a noise – a snuffling and a shuffling and a splintering of wood.
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly at The Met
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly. I don’t know why she swallowed a fly…
But The People’s Theatre Company do!
And now you can too as they bring one of the world’s best loved nursery rhymes to life just in time to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Pam Adams’ best selling book.
This magical show has been written especially for grown ups to enjoy with their children, so relive the delights of this most charming of tales complete with a feast of sing along songs, colourful animal characters and heart warming family fun.
It’s the perfect treat for anyone aged 2 to 102.
Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at The Lowry
Follow two young lovers as they risk everything to be together in Matthew Bourne’s vital and contemporary reimagining of Romeo and Juliet.
Soapbox at Parliament Square, Oldham
Poets, writers, musicians and groupsexplore the themes of Protest, Democracy and Freedom.
Culture Guides
Exhibitions
Like the 58th Venice Biennale which opened earlier this May, our latest pick of exhibitions across the north also has a strong ecological bent.
Literature
We’re mixing international and local on the poetry and prose scene right now – from Africa to Altrincham, and from America to your imagination, guest readers have all your literature needs covered.
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
Discover the best food and drink that the North has to offer in our expert guide to food and drink in Manchester and beyond.
Tours and Activities
Try something different in May with our round up of the month’s alternative Tours and Activities in Manchester.
Related Guides
Food and Drink in Manchester and the North
Discover the best food and drink that the North has to offer in our expert guide to food and drink in Manchester and beyond.
Exhibitions
Like the 58th Venice Biennale which opened earlier this May, our latest pick of exhibitions across the north also has a strong ecological bent.
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
Spectacular tightrope walks, Transylvanian twirling and Manchester Day’s 10th birthday bash. It’s all here.
