Katie JohnsonMusic is all about connection as Katie Johnson discovers when she talks to Manchester Collective’s CEO Adam Szabo and cellist Abel Selaocoe about their latest collaboration, The Oracle Manchester Collective are aligning once again with South...
Carmel ThomasonTim Foley won the 2017 Bruntwood Prize Judges’ Award with his sci-fi comedy, Electric Rosary. Ahead of the play’s world premiere on the Royal Exchange main stage he talks to Carmel Thomason about writing, coffee and robotic nuns Writer Tim...
Sarah AntonieAre you looking to travel on a budget and see the world? Backpacking is a great way to do just that. But before you hit the road, there is planning to be done. From choosing your destination to packing your bag, here are some tips to get you...
The intimacy of Oldham Coliseum theatre makes it the perfect venue for family theatre. So, it is surprising that The Jungle Book is the first family show the Coliseum has produced outside of the festive season for over a decade. Perhaps the growing...
The tale may be as old as time, but this brand-new production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is ever a surprise. Imagine an enchanted castle where you’re served dinner by dancing plates, entertained by a quick-fire candlestick, warmed by a mumsy...
Niamh MelodyI love a good show celebrating women, especially when they’re so rarely done. Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World is a new musical directed by Amy Hodge and based on the picture book by Kate Pankhurst (who is, in fact, a very distant...
The Quays Duck Race returns this Easter to raise money for children’s health charity MedEquip4Kids. We talk to the charity’s Hayden Cowap to find out more: Great to hear the duck race is back after a two year gap. For those who haven’t been...
Do you hear the people sing? Yes, I do. And I hear them cry – there are even nose-blowing sobs to the left of me. I also hear the roar of approval with thunderous applause that sees the whole auditorium on its feet as soon the stage goes black. This...
Paul ThomasonIt may have been going for more than five decades but you will not see a more vibrant show this year than the current touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Given its popularity and longevity it is hard now to imagine...
Martin ThomassonIt was a very smart move of Tim Firth to adapt his 1998 TV comedy, Neville’s Island, for the stage in 2013. It has rarely – if ever – been out of production since. It looks like being another smart move for him to realise (or be...