There are many stories that have an element of shock value, but few that are so deeply shocking they stay with you a lifetime. William Golding’s novel, Lord of the Flies is one of them. It is decades since I read the novel as a young teenager yet I...
There is clearly a lot of dramatic opportunity in any story about the Queen and Margaret Thatcher. But to find the real humour in it – that is the genius of Moira Buffini’s play, Handbagged. Of course the sharp one-liners are all the work of the...
It is a testament to the size of Manchester’s theatre going public that many big shows are now making their way to the region not once, but twice on a national tour. Last year Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Barnum played at the Palace Theatre...
As someone who travels a lot by train, the idea of a play about travelling 21000 miles of rail naturally appealed. I think that the concept will attract a lot of people. Writer and performer Hannah Butterfield has come up with a gem of an idea, but...
In Palestine, dabke is a dance often enjoyed at weddings and other big celebrations. It is a cross between a circle dance and line dancing, with people joining with arms around each other and kicking out their legs. It is something all cultures can...
There’s something for everyone at The Lowry this Christmas, and for little ones the show of choice is We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. My two-year-old nephew had spotted the posters, and although it wasn’t a story I was familiar with, he recognised it...
Although a performer for almost 20 years, Theo Clinkard’s dance company is relatively new on the contemporary dance scene. A resident artist at Greenwich Dance and an associate artist at Dance4, Clinkard established his own company in 2012, and Of...
Carmel Thomason