In this anniversary revival by English National Ballet, full weight is given to the musical enfilade that stands as the composer’s vision to accompany Shakespeare’s tale of the young star-crossed lovers. Full marks must go in this respect to the superb orchestra hidden in the pit whose skill and interpretation of the movement lift the show out of the ordinary into the special.

From the very start we understand this is going to be a very physical, often bawdy, humorous production of Romeo and Juliet, brilliantly marrying street brawling with courtly manners. The production does not shy away from showing us the arbitrary violence which existed in Shakespeare’s time and from which he drew inspiration. Scores are settled suddenly and violently and grief is nonchalantly swept up along with the rest of the day’s street litter.

Rentaro Nakaaki and Julia Conway give dazzling performances as Romeo and Juliet respectively, their pain at being separated slowly morphing into the heartbreaking final scene in which they meet their deaths. The emotional resonance of their performances leaves you in stunned silence at how ballet can so adroitly convey human emotion. However, this is very much a collective production. Also of note in the cast are Henry Dowden as Lord Capulet who refuses to accept the love match between the two teenagers and pays the ultimate sacrifice for his gnawing despair and rage; and Laura Hussey as the nurse bedevilled by both Capulet and Montagues and the butt of their pranks. It is a spirited and jesting performance.

The energy and vibrancy of the set pieces with their inventive choreography, together with the impressive majesty of the set depicting ‘fair Verona’, work to render a timeless tale into a modern saga we can all relate to. A must-see show.

English National Ballet – Romeo & Juliet is at The Palace Theatre Manchester from 21-25 October 2026.

Read our interview with first soloist Daniel McCormick.

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At the curtain call on opening night for musical ‘Sylvia’ at Lowry, Beverley Knight can be seen mouthing to her co-star, “I love Manchester”. We’re in Salford, but that’s splitting hairs because the emotion on show is clear.

Knight has been involved with this musical since its earliest workshop days. To bring it to a theatre a few miles from where the Women’s Social and Political Union was founded feels significant. From the reaction it is obviously important to the cast that this musical is successful with audiences in the city. And the cheers and standing ovation at Lowry were welcomed with visible heartfelt thanks.

Needless to say, this relatively new musical is a crowd-pleaser. If you fought for a ticket to Hamilton, fight just as hard for one to see this. There are many similarities, not least in reimagining an historical, political true story through a modern lens of hip-hop, funk, soul, and R&B music.

Spanning several decades including the Great War the storyline has a lot to pack into an evening’s entertainment. The result is an array of broad-brushed, in some cases caricaturist figures. What carries it above this weakness is Josh Cohen and DJ Walde’s strong score and powerhouse vocals from Beverley Knight as Emmeline and Naomi Katiyo as daughter Sylvia.

Kate Prince, a whirlwind of writer, choreographer and director, injects plenty of visual humour to lighten the heavy topic. ‘Suffrajitsu’, which kicks off Act II, is a joyous anthem to feisty feminism packaged in high energy, street dance attitude.

Prince sets the mother and daughter relationship at the heart of her story. Emmeline gets a less than sympathetic reading, which might put some people off. But it means there is plenty to talk about on the journey home. And if it leads to more people looking up the real history of these women, so much the better.

Sylvia is at Lowry, Salford from 19-24 October 2026.

Read our interview with Beverley Knight.

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The original idea from creator, producer and director Nic Doodson was born over a pint with friends. What if he could capture the camaraderie of a group of ordinary blokes chatting and singing in a traditional pub, creating an experience unique to the time and place and people who were there?

I don’t know in how many traditional pubs you’ll find a man tap dancing across the bar or a group breaking into a tightly choreographed routine, chinking glasses in time to the music. But that’s just being picky, because while these scenes are definite crowd pleasers, it is the inclusiveness of the everyday that makes this show a winner.

The setting is The Jungle, an on-stage pub that the audience is invited to treat as its own local by joining the cast for a drink before the show and at the interval. Once the lights dim, nine men gather around the bar, and for the next couple of hours they sing, drink, tap dance and talk to us. It’s a simple format and one that’s hard to resist. Find me someone who can hear “Da-da da da” from The Proclaimer’s ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ without echoing “Da-da da da” right back?

While there is ongoing debate about audience members singing along to musical theatre, ‘The Choir of Man’ unashamedly encourages it. When we get to second act all inhibitions have gone and everyone is up on their feet belting out Bon Jovi’s ‘Living on a Prayer’ at the top of their lungs. It is exhilarating to be in a crowd joining in with such child-like enthusiasm.

From the energetic opening of Guns N’ Roses ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ it is the music and song that carries the evening, with hits from Queen, Adele, Paul Simon, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Sia reshaped for nine male voices.

The weakness is the story. The characters are broad brushed to be typical of a group of men you might find in any pub – the barman, the romantic, the joker, the bore, and the hard man to name a few. Their stories are narrated by Poet (Mancunian actor Oluwalonimi Owoyemi) who quickly charms the audience. But it feels strange that the other performers can’t speak for themselves. And stranger still when the characters get mixed up with the actor’s real stories and we hear with genuine emotion about how Oluwalonimi saw his first theatre show at Lowry as a kid.

Perhaps the random mix of stories and characters all adds to the general confusion of a night in the pub where conversations flow from one topic to the next with no rhyme or reason. The closest I’ve experienced this was in pubs in rural Ireland where locals all seemed to have their turn, whether it be a poem, a song, a card trick or a tall tale.

Some people know each other, many don’t, but for one night we are a community. The overall feeling we’re left with is one of warmth and on opening night this was magnified 100 fold by the joint performance at the end by several community choirs as part of The Jungle Choir Community Project, an initiative inviting local choirs to take part in the production on opening night in every touring city.

The Choir of Man is at Lowry, Salford from 13-17 October 2026.

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This new co-production between HOME, Northern Stage, the Citizens Theatre, and in association with Royal & Derngate is the director’s first Shakespeare play, and he draws us into each character with an intimate eye.

The result is an overwhelming feeling of claustrophobia and paranoia that eventually become the undoing of Othello. Setting the action in an isolated military outpost during the 1980s Falklands War adds to the pressure cooker feel of uncertainty and simmering violence. It adds an element of modern day to this 400-year-old drama and with it a brutal realism of ongoing social battles with racism, class and misogyny. We recognise soldiers under stress of battle, the testosterone-fuelled environment, the harsh authority of rank and the need to let off steam in Cassio’s drunken scene as squaddies party to crowd-pleaser Dexys Midnight Runners’ ‘Come on Eileen’. Knowingly, Almeida notes: “Othello is full of war, politics and public life. Yet the real damage happens between people who love one another”.

When we first meet Othello (Dwane Walcott) he is sharp and assured in the face of military and personal conflict. The love between him and Desdemona (Phoebe Smyth) feels genuine and joyous, as well as a source of strength for them both.

Maanuv Thiara’s Iago unravels their bond with terrifying ease, as if playing a game. Thiara plays ‘honest Iago’ as the conman hiding in plain sight. He is no pantomime villain, but a snake oil salesman who draws people in despite their better judgement. He is the psychopath whose carefree smile keeps us fascinated in this psychological thriller. It is an engrossing performance.

Natasha Jenkin’s sparse set of caged metal and barbed wire amplifies the cold darkness of the unfolding events. This is layered, to mixed effect, by Erin Guan’s video projections which see Roderigo (Matthiew Sys) filming and magnifying parts of the action on screens behind and overhead. This works well for Cassio’s fight scene but feels distracting in others. The menacing bass soundscape from Matthew Tuckey, also feels an unnecessy addition, being both distracting and uncomfortable in its vibration if you’re sitting close to the speakers.

The cast is excellent all round. However, there are two confident stage debuts that warrant special mention. Smyth brings spark and wit to Desdemona that makes us feel for her as more than a mere pawn caught up in man’s power struggle. Will Stanton as Cassio is reminiscent of watching a young Andrew Garfield. His is an assured performance delivered with exceptional clarity.

As with all Shakespearian tragedies we know we are being led to a bloody end, and Almedia delivers this with unwavering violence that is rightly shocking.

Othello is at Home Manchester from 30 September to 10 October 2026 before continuing on tour.

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I mention this because those with modern tastes might feel a musical this old is of no relevance. But Cole Porter’s timeless songs have never gone out of fashion. This Barbican Theatre production doesn’t reach the rarefied heights of the 2021 Anything Goes (also by Porter) but then nothing could. High Society still makes for a fabulous night of escapism.

Helen George (from Call the Midwife) leads a 28 strong cast as glamorous socialite Tracy Lord, joined by musical stalwarts Nigel Lindsay (Kiss Me Kate), Julian Ovenden (South Pacific), and Carly Mercedez Dyer (who made a strong impression in Singing in the Rain at the Royal Exchange a few years ago, and is similarly excellent here). You could write the plot on the back of a champagne coaster: as plans for the society wedding of the year slowly descend into chaos, where old and new flames jostle for attention. All the while, a sharp eyed tabloid reporter sneakily hunts for a scandalous expose at this opulent, waterfront mansion.  

High Society has always been a prestige affair. Its origins go back to the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story – which starred Cary Grant, James Stewart and Katherine Hepburn – widely regarded as one of the best of the so called ‘screwball comedies’ (which were characterized by sexual politics, and fast paced dialogue). The original play was by Philip Barry, and this touring adaptation is by the late Arthur Kopit, for whom I will always have a soft spot, mostly because he wrote Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Momma’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feeling So Sad (that was eventually turned into a movie, and featured famed screwball actress Rosalind Russell). The 1956 High Society starred Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong.

All of this pop culture trivia might be squishing your head. The point being that these performers cast a long shadow but director Rachel Kavanaugh isn’t easily fazed. Helen George has been in Call the Midwife since 2012, so there’s an element of letting loose in her performance, after years of being constrained by a signature role. She’s a strong singer and dancer, and brings a smart, controlled physicality to the part which put me in mind of a zany flamingo, if one can imagine such a thing. Freddie Fox has the best name in showbiz is rather good as newspaper snoop Mike Connor. Some directors try and conceal non musical performers in shows like this, sticking them at the back of the chorus to hide their left feet but Fox proves a nifty mover (and ‘You’re Sensational’ is one of the highlight numbers). As Dexter, Tracy’s ex, Julian Ovenden is smoother than a Cointreau latte. And as is usually the case with golden age musicals, the supporting players threaten to steal each scene – Nigel Lindsay almost getting away with daylight robbery as flamboyant Uncle Willie.

The flaw in High Society lies in the script. There’s no escaping the fact Tracy’s fiancé George Kittredge is an underwritten role; he exists as a foil, a living breathing reaction rather than a three dimensional person. David Seadon-Young has drawn the short straw here (though his wedding telegram scene is adroitly played). Ultimately, High Society is a love triangle with one side missing, and that translates into zero dramatic tension.

But everyone is here for the songs, and Porter saved his best for High Society: You Do Something To Me, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. Be A Clown, Well Did You Evah, Just One of Those Things, I’ve Got You Under My Skin – one banger after another. Act Two’s Let’s Misbehave justifies admission alone, a perfect synthesis of music, movement and costume (designer Jon Morrell goes above and beyond for this one). The highest praise a critic can give a show is that they would happily watch it twice. Enough said.

High Society is at Lowry, Salford from 22 September to 3 October 2026 before continuing on tour.

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He recreates the experience with brutal underscoring, inviting us to imagine incarceration and the daily privations which work to grind down the prisoner, particularly one who thinks art can challenge authority. His detention was a scolding reminder of the power of the state and a corrective to the fanciful Western ideal of artistic freedom.

Sewing a Button is both a literal and a figurative recreation of Ai Weiwei’s arbitrary arrest and imprisonment. We see the cramped conditions of his cell, bed hushed up against the wall, one easy chair, a desk a sop to the idea of being able to carry out work, a bathroom where he can only relieve himself watched out over by two doleful guards and where his toothbrush is manacled to the tap.

What we mainly see is Weiwei exercising (the mind as well as the body presumably) by traversing his cell floor back and forth, back and forth, flanked by Chinese soldiers, one either side, Weiwei in sliders and joggers, the soldiers in fatigues and army boots. The crushing power of the state lies in its ability to reduce life (and art) to a monotonous exercise where time is stripped of its function as a marker of activity. Occasionally the artist will hold up a hand, a signal that he requires a drink of water. This, though, he cannot get for himself – rather, it is brought to him by a soldier and his every gulp is fastidiously watched over before it is taken off him and he returns to pacing the cell.

Occasionally, glimpses of muffled conversation between Ai Weiwei and his guards can be heard, and he is not spared the ignominy of interrogation. It is in this section that Weiwei is allowed the space to define art, its historical and political function, his words noted down by functionaries of the state. Personal art, he says, can’t change history or push it forward, but it is capable of reflecting changes in society.

Watching such activity as a ‘spectator’ is simultaneously soporific and chilling, the boredom of the daily exercise and watchful guards a stark contrast to the power of the state machine to exercise control over a person. As we watch Weiwei recreate imprisonment in a 24-hour live performance, projected onto a screen above the stage are different viewpoints of the cell which the audience can imagine themselves in. Surveillance does not end with the guards but is aided and abetted by CCTV cameras.

Lots of artists have been imprisoned for their work, and lots have memorably detailed their experiences, but perhaps none more so in a way which displays the banality of state terror and how ultimately it points to a failure of power rather than its imposition.

Ai Weiwei: Sewing A Button is a 24 hour performance at Aviva Studios on 4 July 2026. You can watch a live broadcast online. This installation is a companion piece to Weiwei’s major new exhibition Button Up! in which the artist explores how historic systems of trade, empire and exploitation resonate in today’s humanitarian and political crises. The exhibition runs until 6 September 2026.

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Shipwrecked and separated from her twin, Viola (a savvy performance from Hannah Ellis Ryan) washes ashore in Ilyria. Disguising herself as the suave Cesario, she enters the service of Count Orsino (Angela Heenan), who pines for the aloof Olivia (Jessica Mannion). But as Viola navigates tangled desires and mistaken identities, love blossoms in unexpected places.   

Hawkins and Crowther are clearly fans of Blackpool. Ilyria might be an island but here it’s one with its share of seaside tat, including vending carts selling oversized sunglasses, and cuddly toys. When Malvolio is imprisoned, it’s not in a dungeon but what appears to be an abandoned theme park. The boozy party atmosphere continues with the choice of music, mostly 90’s dance: Dee-Lite, Venga Boys, SNAP, N-Trance, and Alice Deejay (no Whigfield, sadly). The simple traffic light set up at the rear of the stage adds atmosphere during the musical numbers, expertly performed by Feste (Channique Sterling-Brown, who soap fans may recall as Dee Dee Bailey in Coronation Street). Hannah Bracegirdle’s inventive sound design adds another layer of detail, as does the work of movement director, Lisi Perry. Credit where its due, Act 2 opens with a choreographed, slow motion piece where the cast move through a series of stylized freezes, set to a Kelsey Lu cover of 10cc’s ‘I’m Not In Love.’ Genius.    

After Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night is perhaps the bard’s most accessible work. Of course in Shakespeare’s day, all roles were played by men, so an all female cast is no big deal. Why do I even mention this? Those unfamiliar with the story might be confused by the fact some male characters – like Toby Belch – wear dresses. This is a minor quibble, hopefully one which doesn’t detract from the narrative arc. Belch (Beth Vyse) and Aguecheek (Kassie Jay Ellis) are a classic duo, a drunkard and a fop, who appear to care for nothing but their own pleasure. Carrying around her own Vodka optic, Vyse is hilarious, like an entertaining lush, convinced of her genius, and gamely stepping up to perform at a chaotic Wetherspoons’ talent night. These amusing grotesques threaten to hijack the production but are smartly counterbalanced by the calmer energies of Jessica Mannion, and especially Lucie Browne as Sebastian; the latter gives an effortlessly nuanced performance, one that hits every stress of the bard’s famed rhythmic language.

If there’s a flaw in Twelfth Night, it concerns the character of Malvolio, the Count’s steward, and whose only crime is being a pompous dullard. The prank letter sent by Belch, Aguecheek and Maria (Maya Dhokia) seems cruelly disproportionate. But Frankie Gold is so great in the role, we end up rooting for Malvolio rather than the plotters – particularly when she dons a ludicrous line dancing outfit as a love declaration to Olivia. Only a romantic fool would do such a thing, but as Duke Orsino says early on, uttering the play’s most famous line – ‘If music be the food of love, play on.’  Highly recommended.

Twelfth Night is at Hope Mill Theatre from 24 June to 5 July 2026 before touring to Rochdale Heywood Civic on 9 and 1 July and Lawrence Batley Theatre on 14 and 15 July. Age recommendation 14+

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There is a pantomime feel to this riotous new musical comedy, but this is just a nod to the many theatrical genres it both reveres and mocks in equal measure. Indeed, there are so many theatrical references it is hard to keep up – and whatever your tastes there is something in this expert mash-up of a show to keep you entertained. For musical fans, think ‘Schmigadoon!’ but 100 times better.

The bigger question is not why are they staging this show, but what took them so long?

‘Something Rotten’ has already been a runaway hit on Broadway, premiering in 2015 where it received 10 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. Yet aside from a concert version in 2023, this new production is the first time it has been staged in the UK.

Conceived by brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick it tells the story of Nick Bottom (Manford) and his younger brother Nigel (Cassius Hackforth) whose writing partnership is forever in the shadows of the rock star poet of their day, William Shakespeare.

Desperate for a winning idea to keep the debt collectors at bay Nick visits a soothsayer he believes to be Nostradamus to find out what Shakespeare’s next great hit will be so he can steal the idea. Nostradamus, a brilliantly eccentric performance from Cory English, turns out to be the famous astrologer’s nephew who foretells a confused future of musicals and omelette. You can imagine the madcap chaos that follows.

Actress and singer Marisha Wallace who performed in the Broadway production joins the cast as leading lady, Bea, wife of the hapless Nick. It is a powerhouse performance where her American accent becomes just another of the oddities of this version of Elizabethan England.

Hackforth brings a tender vulnerability to Nigel, while Manford is as warm and entertaining as ever.

Richard Fleeshman plays the Bard as a leather clad superstar of his day. Whatever your version of a rock and pop hero might be – Elvis, George Michael or Harry Styles – he channels them with confidence, charisma and a knowing wit. It is a phenomenal performance, putting Fleeshman at the top of his game.

The show runs in Manchester until 19 July. Catch it while you can.

Something Rotten is at the Opera House, Manchester from 16 June -19 July 2026.

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In fact, the Foley Sound FX could really be viewed as extra members of the cast, called upon as they are to stand in for a variety of sonic deliveries during the show’s leap from scene to scene. 

The action takes place in a BBC radio in 1959, its cramped interior standing in for a murder mystery set in America’s rural heartland. Commentary of sorts comes from the studio gallery but otherwise Keirl and Babbage are left to follow the madcap plot with the sort of energy that could cut fuel bills instantly for the entire nation. 

Director Caroline Leslie has taken the bold step of seamlessly marrying sound and action so that the aural dimensions of the show are just as important as its visual ones. The move plays off handsomely and makes for memorable comic moments – and more than one audience intervention. 

Keirl has the most onerous task of the show in playing al 13 suspects for the murder of crime novelist Arthur Whitney, which includes his wife, a shrieking harridan channelling the spirit of Katherine Hepburn. Babbage takes the role of local cop Marcus Moscowicz who thinks this is the case which can make his name in the ranks of the police and impress his chief. Other characters include a German psychoanalyst modelling Freud’s persona, members of a boys’ choir, a French ballet dancer who pirouettes effortlessly round the stage, and a masters student whose dissertation is on – you’ve got it – unsolved murder mysteries. 

The musical numbers in the show zip along at a fantastic pace and Babbage and Kierl display amazing virtuosity in handling the piano and switchovers. The pace at which such numbers come along can make it has to keep up, but it’s all part of the fun of the show – it’s probably not meant to make sense, just to be thrillingly funny, which it succeeds in doing in spades. 

The show takes us back to the heydays of radio and studio sound effects and to corny Hollywood detective stories which make Columbo look like Dostoyevsky, and underpins the truism that with a little imagination and a lot of props a whole world can be created for an audience. 

Murder for Two is at Octagon Theatre, Bolton from 5 to 27 June 2026

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Thankfully, my estate was not as harsh and unforgiving as Paradise Heights, the creation of writer, actor, director, Joe O’Byrne. There are currently five episodes of O’Byrne’s series, ‘Tales from Paradise Heights’. One of them, ‘The Bench’, is playing in the studio theatre at Bolton’s Octagon.

On a simple set – a war memorial, a litter bin, and the eponymous bench – O’Byrne and the five other members of his troupe play out a series of scenes (some stand alone, some interlinked) which offer a satisfying range of characters, moods and emotions.

It is night. ‘Little Rabbit’ (Jeni Williams) sits alone on the bench. Underneath her dark raincoat, she wears only stockings and sexy red underwear. She is about to be subjected to a “surprise attack” by Mr Wolf (Peter Slater). Unfortunately, Mr Wolf can’t quite play his part well enough to arouse…well…his part, no matter how willing the spirit might be. Enter the hapless, homeless Eric (Joe O’Byrne). Can he really be Little Rabbit’s secret lover, now confronted by an irate Wolf? Might jealousy (even manufactured jealousy) prove to be the missing ingredient for Wolf and Rabbit?

And so, we’re off on a journey of discovery (or, for loyal followers of ‘Tales from Paradise Heights’, rediscovery) of the characters who populate this deprived locale.

Lennie (Peter Slater) and Archie (Hector Macduff) are two elderly veterans laying a wreath at the war memorial in honour of fallen comrades. They discuss Archie’s world war memorabilia, that he’s planning to sell (no doubt to make ends meet). It’s a low key, sobering tale of how a country can fall short in its duty to those who serve.

Unfortunately, the villainous and menacing Matty (Peter Slater), with assistance from his mouthy toy-boy Jake (Jack Vardy), plans to steal Archie’s treasures and sell them himself.

Meanwhile, the intimidating Matty is underpaying needy shoplifter, Gabrielle (Abbie Richardson) for a designer handbag she’s stolen to order. A talented but untutored artist, Gabrielle needs a champion. Could the doting Eric be hiding shining armour under his shabby overcoat?

Trainee angel, Corny (Hector Macduff) can’t quite let go of the place where he grew up. His mentor, Shirley (Abbie Richardson) seems to promise him a very particular kind of heaven, if only he can refrain from interfering and just be a watcher of the affairs of the living, as he’s meant to be.

Heavenly (though slightly naughty) angels or earthly devils, everybody knows well enough to give the psychotic gangster, Frank Morgan (Joe O’Byrne) a wide berth. Well, almost everybody. Kev (Hector Macduff) might be just out of prison, but seems to be too firmly in the grip of his despicable urges to avoid crossing paths with Frank. He might not live to regret it…

And so it goes; theft and threat, love and laughter. And violence, of course. There’s no lack of that on Paradise Heights.

O’Byrne’s skills in storytelling, dialogue and character offer his ensemble plenty to get their teeth into, and they don’t hold back. The pace is relentless without ever being frenetic. You’re not gripped by this story? Don’t fret. There’ll be another one along in a few minutes.

At two hours plus running time, ‘The Bench’ certainly gives value for money. The moods swing from funny to romantic, to pitiable, to coldhearted and downright terrifying. You will surely have your own favourite scene.

Mine is the first encounter between nervous, chirpy street sweeper, Colin (Peter Slater) and the fragile Janice (still grieving for, and indeed talking to, her late husband, Barry). Colin and Janice flirt via corny/clever jokes about ice cream and brushes. Slater and Williams lap up the dialogue and each plays off the other with relish and skill. Together they create one of the most witty, charming and moving love scenes I have ever seen on stage.

Judging by the closing ovation, I think it’s safe to say a good time was had by all.

The Bench: A Tale from Paradise Heights is at the Octagon Theatre Bolton from 28-30 May 2026

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