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Opera North, The Lowry, Salford, 23rd to 27th February 2010

admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:15:05 +0000

There is some great news for Opera fans as the Leeds based Opera North will perform a series of opera classics at The Lowry, Salford Quays, from 23rd to 27th February 2010.

The Lowry in Salford hosts a wide variety of entertainment including comedy, theatre, concerts and opera. So it was no surprise when we found out that Opera North had chosen The Lowry to perform four classic operas from 23rd to 27th February 2010.

Opera North, is a long established Leeds based award-winning opera company. Their string of awards include the Manchester Evening News theatre award for Opera 2008 for their production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

There will be four different performances, over five consecutive nights (Ruddigore is on twice). The performances are:-

La Bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
Tuesday 23rd February 2010 19:30

Ruddigore (Gilbert & Sullivan)
Wednesday 24th February 2010 19:30

Così fan tutte (Mozart)
Thursday 25th February 2010 19.00

La Bohème (Giacomo Puccini)
Friday 26th February 2010 19:30

Ruddigore (Gilbert & Sullivan)
Saturday 27th February 2010 19:30

With so many great productions on at the same time this might force many opera fans to make some tough decisions……….

Find out more about Opera North here, and you can find out more about the performances at The Lowry in February 2010’s at The Lowry’s own website, here.

Opera North also have a cool, regularly updated blog which will be of interest to arts and opera fans, at operanorth.wordpress.com/

The Sleeping Beauty, Birmingham Royal Ballet, The Lowry, Salford, 30th March to 3rd April 2010

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 19:03:01 +0000

Salford’s The Lowry, will be hosting the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty with seven performances taking place between the 30th March and the 3rd April 2010.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s visit to Salford in March 2010 is sure to be one of the year’s highlights for ballet fans across the North West. The Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty at The Lowry Theatre, in Salford, lasts from Tuesday 30th March to Saturday 3rd April 2010. The Ballet is accompanied by a classical score by Tchaikovsky and this production is by former director Sir Peter Wright.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet website said the following about the 2009 production of The Sleeping Beauty:-

“…………Considered by many to be one of the greatest ballets from Imperial Russia, The Sleeping Beauty, will be performed during March. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production by Peter Wright brings the story to life with lavish sets, over 150 beautiful hand-sewn costumes and a cast of over 80….”

Birmingham Royal Ballet whose director is David Bintley CBE, is quite interesting for another reason – it was formed in 1990, when Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, which had also had a world wide reputation for quality productions, moved to Birmingham.

It may be a while off, but now is the time to try and get the best seats, possible. The Sleeping Beauty performance schedule at The Lowry is as follows:-

There are still many people who have never experienced a ballet performance by an accomplished production company. For people in that position, this performance of The Sleeping Beauty would be a great place to start.

More information about the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production of The Sleeping Beauty is available from their website. Tickets are priced from £18.00 to £37.00 and can be purchased from The Lowrys website, here.

Visit CreativeTourist.com, Manchester’s Newest Arts Website

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:02:19 +0000

One of Manchester’s newest and most interesting website is called Creative Tourist. This entertaining magazine style website focuses on the creative arts in Manchester.

CreativeTourist.com describes itself as ‘Manchester’s guide for the creative tourist’, but I think the website will be just as interesting to Manchester’s own arts and culture loving communities, of which there are many.

The website is split into a number of sections including news, features, art, and city guides. There is also a blog, photo-stories, a section called backstory which explains Manchester’s history and an arts news section.

All together I was particularly impressed at the depth and range of arts covered by the site. The site is developed to a high standard and covers a diverse range of arts media.

The site is edited by journalist Susie Stubbs, who amongst other things, writes the 2008 Manchester Blog Award winning, Travels With My Baby.

Creative Tourist was established by a consortium of 9 museums and galleries who got together to set up a website that promotes Manchester’s creative and artistic soul and its rich historical legacy. The website sums up its aspiration, as follows:-

“”………..We are rightly proud and passionate about this city of ours; we hope that, by reading about some of the things happening here, and finding out more about our outstanding historic collections, you’ll start to feel the same………..”

The nine organisations involved are listed below and they are the most higly respected arts and culture venues in Manchester. They are all well worth including in any visit to the City.

Cornerhouse, Manchester’s centre for contemporary visual arts and film
70 Oxford Street, Manchester, M1 5NH

Imperial War Museum North, The northern venue of this group of museums, located in various parts of England.
The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1TZ

The Lowry, which includes theatres and an art gallery that includes the work of Salford artist L.S. Lowry
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ

Manchester Art Gallery, possibly Manchester’s best known art gallery
Mosley Street, Manchester M2 3JL

The Manchester Museum, A museum that is part of the University of Manchester
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL

Museum of Science & Industry (MOSI), The museum of Manchester’s scientific and industrial past.
Liverpool Road, Castlefield, Manchester, M3 4FP

People’s History Museum, a museum covering the history of working people in Britain, is currently under redevelopment and will reopen in late 2009.

Urbis, Manchester’s innovative exhibition centre of city life.
Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M4 3BG

The Whitworth Art Gallery, shows modern and historic collections.
The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER

There is a lot to celebrate about Manchester and the arts and cultural scene may well be the best outside London. So a site picking up the best of Manchester’s scene is long overdue.

Although, Creativetourist.com has only been up and running for a short time, it looks like its doing all of the right things.

If you are from Manchester, don’t be put off visiting because the site has been developed for tourists visiting Manchester. The site has lots to offer regardless of whether you are visiting or local.

Jane Austen’s Emma, Fletcher Moss Gardens, Manchester, July 31st to August 2nd, 2009

admin — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:38:44 +0000

Fletcher Moss Gardens will be home to an exciting outdoor adaptation of Jane Austen’s period drama Emma from July 31st to August 2nd, 2009.

This production, directed by Peter Mimmack, is the perfect introduction to this classic performance. The very special outdoor location simply adds to the the enjoyable experience. And because seating is out doors, remember to bring a low-back chair or rug to sit on.

Fletcher Moss Gardens is on Wilmslow Road, Didsbury, Manchester and is easy to access by public transport.

Show times are as follows:-

Friday 31st July, 2009 7.30pm
Saturday 1st August, 2009 3pm & 7.30pm
Sunday 2nd August 2009 6.30pm

Tickets can be booked on QuayTickets.com and you can find out more about Heartbreak Productions Emma from their website.

Not Part Of, Manchester, various venues, 2nd to 18th July 2009

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:20:41 +0000

Running alongside the Manchester International Festival is the Not Part Of festival which runs in venues around Manchester from 2nd – 18th July.

This is Manchester’s edgier, more down to earth, alternative to the ‘other Festival’ that is on at the same time, and is a celebration of Manchester’s creativity in a whole variety of different fields.

The organisers describe Not Part Of as

………fresh, eclectic, forward-thinking, Mancunian, open; a festival that elicits excellence and provokes thought…..

Looking at the events list you will see that this is certainly true. There are lots of different events on offer. The events programme has loads of opportunities to enjoy arts & crafts, theatrical performances, comedy and theatre – and lots more. Some events are free while others have a relatively modest entry fee.

Venues are mostly in the centre of Manchester and range from such as The Lass O’Gowrie to larger theater venues such as the Great Northern Amphitheater.

Full details of Not Part Of can be found on the festival website NotPartOf.org. You can also find a full listing of all Festival events here, where you will also find a link to download the Festival brochure.

Are you going. Have you been. Why not tell others about it below?

24:7 Theatre Festival, Manchester, 20th to 26th July 2009

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:40:16 +0000

The 24:7 Theatre Festival will be taking place in central Manchester from Monday 20th July until Sunday 26th July 2009.

Manchester has a well deserved reputation for arts and culture in the city. It has exciting range of different theatres and throughout the year Manchester is home to a wide variety of productions – from classical to contemporary. However, the 24:7 Theatre Festival is something exciting and different, and well worth a look.

Launched in 2004, the 24:7 Theatre Festival is an annual festival of new writing for theatre.

Around 20 60 minutes theatre productions are planned to take place during the week long festival which showcases new and original work by talented writers and performers.

Performances will take place in Pure in The Printworks, 27 Withy Grove, Manchester, M4 and at New Century House, Corporation Street, Manchester M60 4ES. Both venues are located near bus and Metrolink stops and a variety of parking options can be found in the area.

A full schedule of events is still being finalised and up to date event details can be found on the festival website, 247theatrefestival.co.uk.

Macbeth, Feelgood Theatre Productions, Heaton Park, Manchester, 15th July to 2nd August 2009

admin — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:07:37 +0000

Manchester’s own site-specific, open air theatre company, Feelgood Theatre Productions, is back in Heaton Park this July with a heart-stopping promenade production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

From 15th July until 2nd August (No performances on 19th, 20th or 27th July) a diverse cast of artists, including members of Zimbabwean company Theatre Under Fire, will be fusing text, a capella singing, drumming and dance into a dynamic and thought-provoking 21st Century production.

This is an amazing theatre production that takes place out of doors, in the park itself. To find out more about the performance visit the Heaton Park website.

The company that brought theatre into Heaton Park, and has enthralled audiences for 15 years with productions such as Dracula-the Blood Count, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Blue Remembered Hills, Romeo and Juliet, Three Musketeers, Arthur-King of the Britons, Robin Hood, the Wizard of Oz and Toad on roller blades (you missed that??) are ready to delight, enchant and amaze once more.

A pulsating heartbeat of African rhythms leads you deep into the woods to witness the witches’ supernatural prophecy and the descent of the Macbeths into madness, as they embark on their crazed journey of ambition and murder. Macbeth is directed by Caroline Clegg.

For more information about Feelgood Theatre visit their website, Feelgood Theatre.co.uk. Tickets can be obtained from quaytickets.com or by calling 0870 428 0785.

Concessions, family tickets and group discounts are available. Not suitable for under 8’s.

If you plan to travel to Heaton Park by public transport, the park is on several bus routes and Heaton Park, on the Bury line, is the nearest Metrolink stop. Heaton Park Metrolink stop is around 10 minutes from central Manchester. For more guidance on getting to Heaton Park visit the guide on the Heaton Park website.

Britain’s Got Talent Live Tour, Manchester MEN Arena, Manchester, Sunday 14th June 2009

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:01:47 +0000

The live tour of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent will be appearing in venues across the country during June 2009 and the Tour reaches Manchester on Sunday 14th June, 2009.

Britains Got Talent is the amazing TV talent show that has already uncovered the raw singing talent of Susan Boyle and child singing sensations Hollie Steel and Shaheen Jafargholi. Viewers have been thrilled and surprised by the wide range of talent competing for the shows prizes, including the opportunity to perform for members of Britain’s Royal Family at the Royal Variety Performance.

Manchester fans of Britains Got Talent are in for a treat when the live tour reaches Manchester on Sunday 14th June 2009. Two shows are scheduled, one at 1:30pm and the other at 7:30pm. At this early stage very little is known about who will be participating but I will try to update when more is known.

Britain’s Got Talent is possibly the best family entertainment around with plenty for a variety of tastes. To find out more about the Britains Got Talent Live Tour at the Manchester Evening News Arena, and to book tickets, visit the Manchester Evening News Arena website.

Please note that the tour starts in Birmingham on 12th June and there will be performances in Sheffield, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Liverpool, Cardiff and Nottingham. The Tour finishes in London’s Wembley Arena on Sunday 21st June 2009.

Queer Up North International Festival, Manchester, May 12th – 25th 2009

admin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 12:36:03 +0000

The Queer Up North International Festival takes place over a two week period in May 2009 at a variety of venues across Manchester.

Queer Up North International Festival started 1992 and is Europe’s leading queer arts festival. The Festival is a now a popular fixture on Manchester’s annual events calendar and, like Manchester Pride later in the year, the popularity of Queer Up North goes beyond just LGBT communities.

Artistic Director Jonathan Best says

“There’s a diverse line up, so whether you’re up for cutting edge European theatre, the finest drag theatre on the planet, or a night of ragingly glamorous cabaret, Queer Up North 2009 has something you’ll enjoy.”

Performances include theatre, music, comedy and cabaret and this year over 100 artists and performers from twelve countries will be taking part in the Festival. The festival line up includes Ursula Martinez, Taylor Mac, Motus, Ronnie Burkett, Boogaloo Stu, Miss High Leg Kick, and many more.

The festival includes two keynote debates –

You Can’t Say That – the culture of offence (Chair: Christopher Cook)
Saturday 16 May, 12.30pm – 1.50pm
Venue: Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount Street, Manchester, M2 5NS

Not For The Likes of Us – untangling art and class (Chair: Libby Purves [Radio 4])
Saturday 23 May, 4.00pm – 5.20pm
Venue: Contact, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6JA

You can find out more about whats on and buy event tickets from the Queer Up North International Festival website.

His Dark Materials, The Lowry, Salford, Thursday 23rd April – Sun 26th Apr 2009

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:59:03 +0000

On 23rd to 26th April 2009, The Lowry, in Salford, will be home to a thrilling stage adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy His Dark Materials.

Phillip Pullman has had a distinguished writing career with a string of popular childrens books in print. Perhaps his best known works is the His Dark Materials trilogy. The novel trilogy His Dark Materials consists of the books Northern Lights (called The Golden Compass, in the US), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. Together they make up an exciting and very popular trilogy series of novels that have become a world wide hit.

The books in the series have also been made into an Academy Award and a BAFTA winning film called The Golden Compass. The smash hit film was called The Golden Compass and the cast included Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, amongst many others.

Now the stage adaptation of His Dark Materials is on at The Lowry, in Salford, and it is likely to be popular with Pullman fans young and old.

The books have been adapted for the stage by British playwright and dramatist Nicholas Wright, who is a former Associate Director at the National Theatre. Both plays are directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and Sarah Esdaile. The plays are performed by actors from the Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company in association with West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass have been made into two separate full length plays – His Dark Materials Part 1 and Part 2. They will be performed at The Lowry, as follows:-

His Dark Materials Part 1, will be performed on Thursday 23rd April at 7:30 pm, Saturday 25th April at 2:00 pm and Sunday 26th April at 2:00 pm.

Part 2 of His Dark Materials, will be performed on Friday 24th April at 7:30 pm, Saturday 25th April at 7:30pm and Sunday 26th April at 7:30 pm.

The show is suitable for ages 12+ and tickets are priced from £14.00 to £20.00 for each performance.

For more information about both the production and for ticket availability, visit the whats on section of The Lowry website.