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Whether you’re looking for performance in the open air, the escapism of slapstick or full-on theatre festival fun, our guide has got you covered.
This month, we’re championing the new production of the smash-hit comedy One Man, Two Guvnors: this unmissable co-production is currently playing at Octagon Theatre Bolton, and later Liverpool Playhouse and Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake. First performed in 2011 at the National, this new production has already taken Northern audiences by storm. Don’t miss out.
On now: Written by Ian Kershaw and Clara Darcy, don’t miss the world premiere performance of We Should Definitely Have More Dancing at Oldham Coliseum running until 2 July. Don’t leave it too late to get tickets to this bright and uplifting show.
July marks the start of many theatre festivals too. You’ll find free outdoor dance-circus performances happening alongside superb ticketed events at Trafford’s flagship arts festival, Refract 2022; a brilliant and eclectic mix of emerging performers and shows at Greater Manchester Fringe, and also Liverpool Theatre Festival launching at the end of August.
And we know summer is definitely on its way with the announcement of open air performance. We’ve pulled together a neat guide packed full of outdoor theatre – with everything from children’s shows to Shakespeare under the stars. Dreamy. Do check back as we’ll be adding more shows as we find them.
Read on for even more unmissable performance. It’s all happening in Manchester and across the North over the next few months.
Here are our picks
One Man, Two Guvnors, Until 3 September 2022, from £15.00 - Book now
This hilarious smash-hit comedy explodes into the North West this summer in a brand-new production. Catch it at Bolton Octagon, Liverpool Playhouse and the Theatre by the Lake.
Rock/ Paper/ Scissors at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, City Centre, Until 2 July 2022, from £15.00 - Book now
Chris Bush’s new trilogy of interconnected plays for Sheffield Theatres will use all three theatres – the Crucible, Lyceum and the Studio – as a single cast dash from one stage to the next…
We Should Definitely Have More Dancing at Oldham Coliseum, Manchester, Until 2 July 2022, from £7.00 - Book now
A real-life story and world premiere about a care-free, happily single young woman whose world is turned upside down with the arrival of a fist-sized tumour in her head.
Summer Theatre at HOME at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 1–9 July 2022, from £12.50 - Book now
At a time when theatres ordinarily begin to wind down for the summer, HOME springs to life with three unique shows that demand to be seen.
Romeo and Juliet at Grosvenor Park, Chester, 1 July–28 August 2022, from £28.00 - Book now
Don’t miss one of the greatest love stories ever told when it comes to Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre this summer. Theatre and fresh air. Perfect.
Greater Manchester Fringe 2022 at The Kings Arms, Chapel Street, 1–31 July 2022 - Book now
Greater Manchester Fringe Festival offers a fascinating and diverse programme of performance with ticket prices that won’t break the bank.
Gypsy: A Musical Fable at Buxton Opera House, Buxton, 7–24 July 2022, from £25.00 - Book now
Treat yourself to a taste of Broadway in the picturesque Derbyshire hills this summer.
Much Ado About Nothing at Victoria Baths, Manchester, 7 July 2022, from £14.00 - Book now
Think deck chairs, knotted handkerchiefs, ‘50s style dancing and beautiful vintage costumes for Time & Again Theatre’s adaptation of this Shakespeare comedy.
Viva la Diva at Buxton Opera House, Buxton, 10–23 July 2022, from £25.00 - Book now
Packed with laughs, cross-dressing and cases of mistaken identity, this is a brand-new English version of Donizetti’s comic opera, adapted by renowned screenwriter Kit Hesketh-Harvey.
Refract Festival 2022 at Waterside Arts, Manchester, 21–30 July 2022 - Book now
Now in its fifth year, Trafford’s flagship arts festival returns to Waterside for ten days of experiential performance and cultural delight.
The Den at Ukrainian Cultural Centre, Cheetham Hill, 28 July–6 August 2022 - Book now
An ingenious low carbon and super-light structure – complete with canvas roof and cardboard seats – the Den is a unique travelling performance space. It pops up in Cheetham Hill this summer.
The Book Thief at Octagon Theatre, Bolton, 17 September–15 October 2022, from £15.00 - Book now
Seen on stage for the very first time and opening the Octagon’s autumn/ winter season, don’t miss this world premiere stage show of Markus Zusak’s best-selling novel.
Let The Right One In at Royal Exchange Theatre, City Centre, 22 October–19 November 2022, from £10.00 - Book now
A deeply moving piece of theatre – as enchanting as it is brutal – Let The Right One In tells a chilling and beautiful coming-of-age vampire love story.
The Lion King at Palace Theatre, Manchester, 27 October 2022–19 February 2023, from £20.00 - Book now
The sun may have set over our Manchester theatres during the pandemic – but now “it’s rolling high through the sapphire sky” once again. Hit musical The Lion King has added even more dates to its previously postponed run.
Let’s make the most of early summer, with this month’s selection of brand new art exhibitions from across the North!
There’s plenty of sunshine-drenched reading to immerse yourself in from established names and emerging talent, poets and prose writers alike, both in real life as well as online.
We preview the standout classical music events and venues in Manchester and the north.
Plan for July’s food and drink outings at some of the best restaurants and bars in Manchester and the North.
Get out in the sun this month with tours and activities that will have you engaging positively with the climate, taking the plunge in Salford Quays and getting creative.