Carmel ThomasonCritically-acclaimed Manchester dance company, Company Chameleon is giving home audiences a chance to view its new work, Amaranthine for free, in a trio of pop-up street performances in September. The company are known for combining a rich mix of...
Manchester 2018 is celebrating the year of the giant bee and the city is buzzing on it. Across the region more than 230 colourful sculptures are waiting to bee discovered and at Quays Life we are loving the hunt. Each sculpture on the trail is...
Following the success of World War I drama The Accrington Pals last year, it’s good to see director James Dacre return to the Royal Exchange, this time with his equally immersive interpretation of a classic play, Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer prize...
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a musical that audiences never tire of seeing, no matter how many times it tours, and I count myself in that. There’s good reason for its enduring popularity – the story, taken from the Bible’s book of...
It’s hard to imagine that the first ever production of Swan Lake was panned by critics for its poor choreography. More than 135 years later, it is now the world’s most popular ballet and its swan maidens have become iconic representations of the...
If ever you need reminding of the joy of live entertainment, take a child to see In the Night Garden Live, the staged version of the CBeebies children’s TV show. As a first experience of theatre for little ones, it is a wonderful introduction. And...
In the past 30 years Cirque du Soleil has changed the face of circus worldwide, from a fun family show to a sophisticated art form, packed with thrills and feats of acrobatics far and beyond what appear humanly possible. A big top tent is...
It is easy to pre-judge 20th Century Boy as a jukebox musical that offers little more than a nostalgia trip to the glam rock era of the early 1970s, but you’d be missing a treat if you do. I admit, initially I fell into that cynical camp. I’ve sat...
JB Shorts was initially staged in 2009 as a one-off event of six bite-sized 15 minute new plays by established writers, who work mainly in TV. Now in its 11th season, the format is as fresh and popular as ever, and the team has remained faithful to...
When I think of tap dancing, I picture Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, smart suits, romance, maybe top hats and a cane. Apparently, tap dancing has come a long way since then. And in Tap Factory there is none of the usual gloss of American entertainment...