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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 outdoor performances alongside online works and 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.
As restrictions are gradually lifted and we crawl cautiously out of the nth lockdown, many organisations and venues are taking their performances outside. HOME have recently announced performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland at a whopping new temporary outdoor venue next to their existing building on First Street. Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre in Chester are gearing up for a summer season of Covid-safe open air performance too – The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Jungle Book and Pride and Prejudice will play in the wonderful surroundings of Grosvenor Park.
In the meantime, there’s a wealth of online performance available to experience at home too. Sound Stage offers a unique online in-theatre experience and Oldham Coliseum have created a nifty murder mystery for audiences to enjoy at home. Additionally, our friends at SICK! Festival have developed MINDSCAPES, a collection of five brand new commissions that can be experienced online and around Manchester for free.
Do check back soon – we’re updating our guide to theatre in Manchester and the North frequently, and while you’re here be sure to cast your eyes over our guide to open air theatre in the North too.
Here are our picks
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1. Hidden Winter
Image courtesy of SBC Theatre. -
2. PUSH Festival 2021 at HOME
Image courtesy of HOME Manchester. Push Festival 2020 at HOME Manchester, Manchester, Until 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’.
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3. Sound Stage
Image courtesy of Naked Productions. -
4. Whodunnit at the Coliseum?
Graphic design by Ria Barnes. -
5. MINDSCAPES: //OUTSIDEIN// – Theater DEGASTEN
Image courtesy of Theater DEGASTEN/SICK! Festival. -
6. Queer Contact Festival 2021
Image courtesy of Drew Forsyth. 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.
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7. Queer Contact 2021: An Evening with Cheddar Gorgeous and Friends
Image courtesy of Contact Theatre. Queer Contact 2021: An Evening with Cheddar Gorgeous and Friends at Contact Theatre, Manchester and online, 1 May 2021, from £5.50 - Book now
For one night only, join drag legend Cheddar Gorgeous and some guest stars for a special evening of cabaret and live conversation.
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8. Open Air Theatre in Manchester and the North
Image courtesy of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre. Open Air Theatre in Manchester and the North, 18 May–12 August 2021
Open air theatre shows are happening across the north over the next few months – we’ve collated our top picks into a neat guide for you.
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9. One In, One Out: Leeds’ Smallest Gay Bar at Wharf Street
Image courtesy of Lizzie Coombes/ Compass Festival. One in, One Out: Leeds’s Smallest Gay Bar, 28–30 May 2021, free entry - Find Out More
Created by artist Lucy Hayhoe, One In, One Out: Leeds’ Smallest Gay Bar is a playful installation for an audience of one. Happening as part of Compass Festival 2021.
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10. A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Homeground
Image courtesy of Tristram Kenton. A Midsummer Night’s Dream at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 3–26 June 2021 - Book now
Experience this riotous reworking of the Shakespearean comedy at HOME’s new brilliant outdoor cultural venue.
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11. The Merry Wives of Windsor at Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre
Image courtesy of Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre Merry Wives of Windsor at Grosvenor Park, Chester, 4 June–30 August 2021, from £30 - Book now
Enjoy the Shakespearean comedy in the wonderful open-air surroundings of Grosvenor Park.
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12. Northern Ballet: Swan Lake at Leeds Grand Theatre
Image courtesy of Lauren Godfrey. Northern Ballet's Swan Lake at Leeds Grand Theatre, Leeds, 17–26 June 2021, from £20.00 - Book now
Set to Tchaikovsky’s electrifying score, Swan Lake is ballet’s greatest love story and adored by audiences all over the world.
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13. The Great Gatsby at Walkden Gardens
Image courtesy of Heartbreak Productions. The Great Gatsby at Walkden Gardens, Manchester, 20 June 2021, from £13 - Book now
Open-air theatre aficionados Heartbreak Productions bring a live performance of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic to Sale this summer.
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14. MIF21: The Walk
Image courtesy of Bevan Ross/ MIF21. 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.
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15. Pride and Prejudice at Sheffield Botanical Gardens
Image courtesy of The Pantaloons/ Ipswich Regent. Pride and Prejudice at Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Broomhill and Crookes, 12 August 2021, from £8.50 - Book now
Join The Pantaloons for a comic adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic in the beautiful open-air surroundings of Sheffield Botanical Gardens.
More in Theatre
Homemakers
NOW EXTENDED: HOME have invited theatre and live art makers to create new works at home, for an audience who are also at home.
Everything that rises must dance with HOME
Produced by Complicité for Homemakers: Join a virtual gathering of women for an online dance project celebrating female movement throughout history.
Hamilton – Streaming on Disney Plus
Politically charged with a hip-hop soundtrack, there is no doubt that this filmed performance is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of 2020.
Don’t Touch My Hair with HOME
Fearless social activism meets unapologetic hip hop. A concentrated dose of Hot Brown Honey is just what we all need right now.
Closed Hands with HOME
An interactive, experimental and political video game exploring the complex effects of extremism and radicalisation.
The Earth Asleep at HOME, Manchester
The Earth Asleep, a new film and original live score from creative duo Clara Casian and Robin Richards, premieres this spring at HOME.
MINDSCAPES
Created by SICK! Festival, MINDSCAPES is a collection of five inspirational brand-new artworks and online events happening in Manchester for free this spring.
POSTPONED: Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever
It’s Peppa’s Best Day Ever! Join Peppa Pig and all her friends and family on as they embark on fun-filled day long adventure. With all the familiar faces, and plenty of chuckles, chortles and trademark snorts this show will have your little ones captivated.
Nathaniel Hall – My Life, My Story Workshop
As part of Queer Contact Nathaniel Hall will be leading a workshop about telling your own story in written and performative contexts.
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A floating festival, an LSD-inspired journey across space and time, an exhibition curated by GCHQ – there’s plenty to look forward to this month.
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