Carmel ThomasonComedian and playwright, Jackie Hagan has written a brand-new Christmas show, The Forest of Forgotten Discos, that innovatively integrates sign-language and visual storytelling into all its performances. She talks to Quays Life about improving...
The Oldham Coliseum has set the bar high for family theatre during the festive season. Their Christmas show is always a fun-filled, traditional pantomime. But sticking to the traditions doesn’t mean sticking to the past, and it is this fusion of old...
The true story of the Calendar Girls is now almost as deep a part of British culture as the Women’s Institute from which it arose. Just like a prized WI cake competition, the drama has all the right ingredients – love, loss, friendship, community...
The north west’s favourite pantomime dame, Fine Time Fontayne returns for his 11th Christmas season at Oldham Coliseum. And this year he’s joined by another of the theatre’s much-loved faces, Sue Devaney as the Wicked Stepmother. Taking a break from...
Over a cuppa with the cast of ‘Calendar Girls the Musical’ Vicky Edwards discovers that Ruth Madoc is ‘perky,’ Fern Britton’s intuition sometimes malfunctions and Gary Barlow and Tim Firth are to musical comedy what Mary Berry is to baking. If...
Life is a Dream sees contemporary dance company, Rambert present its first full length narrative dance work in almost 40 years. David Jays talks to choreographer, Kim Brandstrup and Costume Designer, Holly Waddington about their inspiration behind...
In Bouquets and Brickbats, comedian Stephen K Amos looks at life as a two-sided coin and finds something to smile about whichever way it lands. He talks to Brian Donaldson about the extremes of politics, personal loss, and the positive boost he gets...
This autumn is a good one for comedian, Geoff Norcott. He’s become a regular correspondent on BBC2’s Mash Report, is making his debut on Mock the Week and has extended his UK tour. So why are some people calling him ‘a dinosaur’? He talks to Quays...
In a social media driven world people are increasingly divided into more and more unpleasant categories of evil – Snowflake, Nazi, Remoaner, Trot, Libtard, Brextremist, Feminazi, Piers Morgan… But is life really that bad? Marcus Brigstocke is...
How did Hollywood’s Alec Baldwin find himself in the same casting bracket as Coronation Street’s Curly Watts? It’s a question those who’ve seen the 2012 movie Rock of Ages might well ask on seeing the cast list for the stage musical’s UK tour. It’s...