Theatre in the North
Kristy Stott, Theatre EditorTheatre this month brings bold visual art, wondrous opera and cinematic dance – plus a touch of ghostly storytelling for Halloween.
At Aviva Studios, performance icon Marina Abramović returns with Balkan Erotic Epic, a striking large-scale performance exploring ancient ritual, spirituality and fertility rites. Over at Manchester Museum, artist collective Quarantine unveil Telescope – a live exhibition that turns personal belongings into a window on memory, value and belonging.
On stage in-the-round, the Royal Exchange Theatre launch their autumn/winter season with Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa, a masterful portrait of sisterhood and fleeting joy. Plus, opera lovers can look forward to ENO’s witty Albert Herring this month, followed by Opera North’s brilliant November season at Lowry, spanning La bohème, Susanna and The Big Opera Mystery – an adventure for families.
Elsewhere, Shakespeare North Playhouse turns down the lights for Ghost Stories by Candlelight. And the team at Oldham Coliseum keep theatre alive across the borough with an inventive off-site programme ahead of the building’s 2026 reopening.
Scroll down for details of all of these, and even more top picks for the months ahead.
