The countdown to Christmas has begun at Salford Quays as Francis House opens the bidding on its fundraising Festival of Trees. This year 40 decorated trees and gifts have been donated by individuals, groups and businesses in the region. Francis...
Think of 80s music and first to my mind is Duran Duran. In the school yard it felt almost like a forerunner to the 90s Blur vs Oasis Brit Pop battle. Girls were either obsessed with Wham or Duran Duran. Decades later, I love both bands. But back...
Ailey 2, the second company of New York’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, arrives at The Lowry mid-way through its first UK tour in over a decade. The company, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is renowned for giving exceptional young...
The Drifters formed in 1953 and the band is still going strong, with another UK tour this year. How do they do it? Well, the Drifters’ Girl, whose story is told in this new musical, holds the key. The Drifters’ Girl refers to the late, Faye...
Shalisha James-Davis, who plays Nurse Paige Allcott in BBC 1 drama, Casualty, is making her Royal Exchange stage debut in a fiery retelling of Shakespeare’s tragic love story. She talks to Quays Life about what it’s like to recreate one of the...
Drag fans are in for a ball this Christmas at Contact with not one but two Manchester drag queens taking centre stage in this year’s pantomime. But will there be room for Cinderella herself in all this fabulousness? Carmel Thomason meets Lady...
Whether you are going on a long-haul flight, a night at the grandparents or out for a meal, a trip is always more fun for the kids if there is a game involved. We tried out three pocket-sized travel games that are small in size but big on...
Whether it has been artists looking forward or looking back, the year 2000 has always held fascination as a turning point in our psyche. Eun-Me Ahn Dragons emerged from an idea to capture the experience of young dancers from across the Asian...
Comedian Harry Hill and composer Steve Brown have joined forces to create a new musical from Britain’s Britpop era. Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] arrives at The Lowry in October. So, what can we expect? Harry: “We’ve tried to make it...
Some stories are so strange you couldn’t make them up, and others, like the seventeenth century tale of the crown jewels heist, become even more absurd with time. Simon Nye’s comedy revolves around the unlikely but true story of an attempt to steal...