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I’m as guilty as the next person at taking our streets of Manchester and Salford for granted. Focused squarely on not tripping over my own feet (the great tumble of St Annes Square of 2003 – never forget), or striking out straight into the path of a tram, I, alongside many residents, workers and visitors…
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2020 heralds 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi death-camps. On Monday 27 January, Manchester Jewish Museum will mark Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD), with two premieres of musical and theatrical performances, staged at Manchester Central Library. Songs of Arrival During the afternoon, music by acclaimed Israeli composer Na’ama Zisser,the first to introduce cantorial music into…
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I’m cough years old but a good pantomime won’t fail to touch even the most jaded, cynical, grown up of adults. And this was no exception. In fact, and at the risk of over-exuberance (although at the time of writing I’ve had a 12 hour cooling off period) I’d say this was the bar by which pantomimes…
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I love a good kick-start to the festive season. For some it’s a trip to Dunham Massey’s ever popular lights extravaganza, some a performance of The Nutcracker, for some the appearance of the ‘red cups’ or even seeing Zippy being put together outside the Town Hall (Rest in Peace). This year I spring-boarded into the…
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I’m currently trying my hand at screenwriting (under the excellent tutorage of Scriptwriting North), love a regular visit to HOME and dip my toe in the world of film both here and over at What the Projectionist Saw So battling my way through a frankly annoying barrage of emails in my inbox about Black Friday,…
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Will Self has written his memoir, Will, and we should all rejoice. Almost as much as I rejoiced when he took part in the Geordie Jumpers sketch on Shooting Stars. Yes I know his incredible back catalogue of daring and original writing and I bring Geordie Jumpers into it (oh just Google it and thank…
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Some years ago, I visited the site where Julius Caesar was said to meet his maker. The Curia in the Theatre Of Pompey is not only a place of significant historical importance but much to my total and utter glee, a colony for feral cats. Cat lovers this is your Mecca, cat not-lovers probably give…
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October is about Hallowe’en and Hallowe’en is basically about films. Keep your costumes and candy (yes I know we’re British but the whole trick or treating is increasingly of the USA and essentially it was good alliteration. Last year’s FilmFear brought us many cinematic sensations but most of all Nicolas Cage being more Nicolas Cage…
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It probably won’t have escaped your notice that I wasn’t born and bred in Manchester (and surrounding areas). I mean, the clue’s in the name. Growing up on the Fylde Coast until moving to Manchester in 2000, I was excited to find my two worlds colliding in the form of a fabulous fish restaurant. Marple…
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One of my favourite sketches, amongst thousands (which, incidentally, does not include the bloody parrot one), is Monty Python’s irreverent (could it be anything else) look at working class life: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2q1ojy Turning matters on their head, whilst t’father in ‘is rolled up sleeves, braces and britches, sweats over his work as an award-winning playwright in…
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If like me (I do miss Denis Norden – I interviewed him by fax once…) you are obsessed with all things West Wing (including The West Wing), you’ll be fascinated by the upcoming book by BBC North America Editor, Jon Sopel, A Year at the Circus. Not only that, you’ll be fascinated to get a…
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An extraordinary collection of drawings and prints by Paul Cézanne (1839 – 1906) are to be exhibited at The Whitworth, Manchester, from 24 August 2019 to 1 March 2020. Gifted and place on long-term loan to the Whitworth by gallerist, collector, author and publisher Karsten Schubert, this means that the Whitworth now impressively holds the…
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Last year I shared my immense joy at what was an evening of entertainment, enlightenment, education and laughter (I couldn’t find a synonym for lolz beginning with ‘e’, ok?): Penguin Pride – less a review, more a tribute Well it’s back and I’ll be there and you should be too. And I’ll tell you for…
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Last summer I spent a very happy evening wandering round Heaton Park, not lost (although I’ve done that too), but at Romeo and Juliet – a production that took its audience to different locations round the park giving depth and reality to the oft told tale. So this year I’m thrilled that I’ll get to…
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It’s a topic that is never far from our minds (or sight) in Manchester: homelessness. Indeed it was only Sunday that I attended the play ‘Frozen Peas in an Old Tin Can’, about three rough sleepers – Review: Frozen Peas in an Old Tin Can (Greater Manchester Fringe) – raising both money and awareness of the issue.…
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I won’t repeat my love for fringe theatre all over again (I’ll just casually leave this here – Review – Talk to Yourself at The Kings Arms and actually probably will repeat it in this review anyway). One reason for my love of fringe theatre which I’m not going on about again (am) is the…
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A funny and frank autobiographical solo-show, First Time (from Dibby Theatre) is written and performed by theatre-maker and HIV activist, Nathaniel Hall and returned to Sale Waterside Centre as part of Refract Festival. Diagnosed just two weeks after his 17th birthday and only months after coming out as gay to his family, Nathaniel kept his HIV…
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There are many times I’ve been to the theatre (literally and conceptually – not all plays take place on the stage), when I’ve thought ‘what a brilliant production, what a great story, what an excellent ‘play’ this is.’ And then there are times when I’ve left the idea that I’m at a play far behind…
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I’ve documented my love for fringe theatre before. On the one hand you get to see experimental, exciting, no-holds barred productions and on the other hand, you get to see theatre which feels real, familiar, gritty, passionate… Our Kid, written by and starring Taran Knight, falls into the latter category and is all these things…
honorary manc 