honorary manc

Rounding up some happening highlights from Manchester and Salford over the next month

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unTaPped 2026 at Lowry

This contemporary theatre festival at Lowry is crafted by the Theatre and Performance Third Years, and is a platform for the next generation of up-and-coming theatre-makers, allowing them to push boundaries of performance, unleash their creativity in new and exciting ways and to develop their voices.

Featuring ten emerging artists, eight performances, the festival takes place over two days with a variety of different works with contemporary themes and personal narratives, told in experimental and individually unique styles. With performances priced at only £5, this is a fantastic opportunity to tap into fresh talent and stars of the future.

To find out more and book tickets, visit unTaPped ‘25 | Lowry

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Long Day’s Journey Into Night at The Empty Space

Acclaimed award-winning, Northern Theatre Company – Elysium – is thrilled to be marking the 70^th Anniversary of Eugine O’Neill’s seminal autobiographical masterpiece – Long Days Journey Into Night at the Empty Space, Salford, on 22 May. The play, published posthumously in 1956, is widely regarded as O’Neill’s magnum opus. It premiered in Sweden in February 1956, followed by Broadway the same year winning the Tony Award for Best Play. It was last staged in the UK in London in 2024, starring Brian Cox but until the rights became available, it has seldom been possible to tour regionally until now.

Elysium Theatre Company is no stranger to  Manchester, having played at the Lowry (‘The Moth’ and ‘The Island’), Hope Mill (‘Miss Julie’), HOME (‘Jesus Hopped The A Train’) and 53two (‘Days Of Wine And Roses’). They return to the Empty Space in Salford with ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ after performing there with ‘Playland’ in 2019.

For further details and tickets, visit LONG DAYS JOURNEY INTO NIGHT by Eugene ONeill at The Empty Space, Salford on 22nd May, 2026

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Daliso Chaponda at Lowry

Comedian and satirist Daliso is hitting Salford on 24 May, and best known for reaching the final of Britain’s Got Talent, where his audition went viral with over 10 million views, and he has since become a familiar face on television and radio, including QI, The Royal Variety Performance, The Now Show, and his own acclaimed Radio 4 series Citizen of Nowhere. Most recently, he won an episode of Celebrity Mastermind (Jan 2025) and appeared in the BBC Two documentary series Pilgrimage: The Road Through the Alps (April 2025).

Topical Storm is Daliso’s sharp, funny take on the state of modern journalism, asking whether the reporting of events has become part of the chaos rather than the solution. The show looks at journalists, bloggers, fake news and the way we’re all consuming information now. From algorithms that reinforce what we already think, to the blurring lines between entertainment, ideology and truth, it’s ultimately about how we navigate a world where everyone claims to know what’s really going on.

For more details and tickets visit Daliso Chaponda: Topical Storm | Lowry

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The Archers: Live at 75 at Palace Theatre

The Archers: Live at 75 is a brand-new live theatre show bringing The Archers out of the studio and onto the stage, offering audiences a chance to experience Ambridge in a way that’s never been seen – or heard – before. Set within a playful reimagining of the “Ambridge Flower & Produce Show”, the evening combines behind-the-scenes insight, archive material, quizzes and a look at how the programme’s distinctive sound world is created in real time with specially written episodes acted out on stage.

Appearing in the show at Manchester’s Palace Theatre on 7 June 2026, will be Charles Collingwood (who plays Brian Aldridge), Ryan Kelly (who plays Jazzer McCreary), Susie Riddell (who plays Tracy Horrobin) and Sunny Ormonde (who plays Lillian Bellamy), alongside the programme’s live sound effects specialist Vanessa Nuttall, with hosting from comedian Angela Barnes.

For more information and tickets, visit The Archers: Live at 75 Tickets | Palace Theatre Manchester in Manchester | ATG Tickets

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For the full programme, visit We Invented The Weekend