the lowry

  • I have to admit there have been times when commuting, I’d have longed to be put out of my misery. But that’s not for now, that’s for my local rail service feedback form. I’m a so-called Agatha Christie fan. I say so-called because in all these years, I’ve not read this book and I’ve not

    Read more →

  • Jesus Christ Superstar indeed. I loved it. Absolutely loved it. Hoping for a more sophisticated, somewhat less basic lead in to a blog post review of my theatrical experience of a production in the Greater Manchester area? I choose childlike exuberance on this occasion. My regular reader will be more than au fait with the

    Read more →

  • Years, I’ve been in a state of tension. For many reasons, granted. But akin to a reality TV show fan, nervously scrolling through online forums, terrified to uncover some spoiler from the latest episode before they’ve had chance to catch up (I say all that like that’s also not me), I’ve spent years, years, avoiding

    Read more →

  • The boardgame Cluedo had a special place in my family’s hearts growing up. Once I’d got everything I could from Rings on your Fingers, Matching Pairs and Ludo, it was time to graduate to the heady heights of Monopoly and Cluedo. And given my maiden name is Peacock, we of course found it oh so

    Read more →

  • Yes, that’s right. It’s actually THE Sleeping Beauty. I did not realise that, but there you go, big moment for me. The Sleeping Beauty. Do you know, reader, there are times when I wish I could sleep for 100 years… (That’s got that obvious quip out of the way). Cursed by a wicked fairy, a

    Read more →

  • Life of Pi – The Lowry

    I’ve done it. I’ve completed the holy trinity of moving, animal-based theatre. A triptych, if you like, of creature tear-jerkers which, for those who know me, will also know that that is my Everest. It all started with Watership Down, with a stop along the way to Born Free, with frequent accidental visits to Attenborough’s

    Read more →

  • I know that Simon Nye is known for more than More Behaving Badly, but I really hope he’ll forgive me for bringing it up in the first sentence of this blog post (Neil Morrissey? consider this your 5 minute warning…). A 90s teenager, Men Behaving Badly (cough, the BBC years) was indeed a jewel in

    Read more →

  • I live oppositeish The Lowry Theatre and from my apartment I have been able to see the big red foreboding (not sure why foreboding – I guess it’s the redness of it all, the slightly off way the words are configured, the specific word bones itself?) billboard poster from my apartment for some weeks now.

    Read more →

  • I have a few stock phrases I’m only too conscious that I find myself rolling out time and time again. You see, I’m a bit funny with texture (context:food)I don’t like how it tastes of wet (context:also food)I’m not really into fantasy(context books, film, tv, theatre…) Just me. But I’ve realised I was when I

    Read more →

  • It’s a good job the theatre recently became my new neighbour when I moved to Salford Quays in the summer, as I’ve rarely been away from the place recently. Back Wednesday night and I’ll be honest, I would kill for a 100 year nap right now. No sympathy here, my love. So the Christmas trees

    Read more →

  • As Opera North say, La Traviata is perfect for opera newbies as well as diehard opera fans. And I would wholly support this. I guess I would be placed in the middle lane in that I really do enjoy opera, have seen a respectable number of different productions but have yet to reach double figures.

    Read more →

  • Monday evening saw bucketfuls of rain in Salford but more importantly, press night of The Shawshank Redemption at The Lowry Theatre… Produced by Bill Kenwright and starring Joe Absolom and Ben Onwukwe, the title will score high recognition points, I’m sure, but not necessarily in this medium. Whilst starting life as Rita Hayworth and The

    Read more →

  • It’s 1934 in the heartland of America and we meet a group of wayward souls who cross paths in a time-weathered guesthouse. Standing at a turning point in their lives, they realize nothing is what it seems. But as they search for a future, and hide from the past, they find themselves facing unspoken truths

    Read more →

  • My partner and I moved recently. From suburbia to ‘urbia’. From a house to an apartment. I think like a lot of people about a lot of life choices, a penny dropped, at some point, over the pandemic. I won’t speak for my partner, Actual Manc, but have sought his blessing to light-touch invade his

    Read more →

  • Straightaway, my takeaway on this play is how there are some incredibly talented actors in this country and there is largely a huge disconnect between talent and plaudits. Much of this, of course, as in life, is to do with how commercially viable a vehicle is. And I get that. Not everything is for consumption

    Read more →

  • I didn’t know what to do expect from this production. I mean I was aware of the story – it’s all love and hate and death and windy moors. But the description of this production told me it was… Shot through with music, dance, passion and hope… and I was admittedly reticent. This could be

    Read more →

  • There was a certain excitement stroke cockiness as I strode, yes strode into the Lowry last night. I’ve been to the Lowry before. I’ve seen Nigel Havers on stage before. I’ve seen Nigel Havers in a play at the Lowry before. I’ve seen a production of Private Lives in Manchester before. But never had all

    Read more →

  • I’ve been tussling with this. I’ve been going back and forth. The grown up writer in me (it’s there somewhere) tells me to not be so obvious, cliched and obvious again. The forever child in me behind the blog reminds me that I’m here to document my experiences, thoughts, feelings, passions, obsessions and delectations. Yes

    Read more →

  • Last night was just what I needed. Never have I seen such a happy, smiley post-show foyer. Ok everyone was masked up (well done everyone) but the eyes and laughter had it. In a world where we’ve entered plan B, plan A was to head to press night of The Lion, the Witch and the

    Read more →

  • Everybody’s talking about Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. It’s being recommended to me, I’ve been asked if I’ve seen it, asked if I recommend it… Yes In short. In long, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, is an award-winning ‘feel good musical sensation,’ which debuted in the West End and has opened its UK tour at The Lowry.

    Read more →