Like the yew tree at its centre, A Monster Calls is a story that twists and turns, with multiple layers of fantasy and reality; its roots stretching deep into the pain of grief. The original idea came from author, Siobhan Dowd who died from breast...
As the Oliver-award-winning A Monster Calls arrives at The Lowry, Holly Williams chats to author, Patrick Ness and director, Sally Cookson to find out more about the inspiration behind the magical story. Sometimes, a story feels like it belongs to...
Comedian Paul McCaffrey self-depreciatingly describes himself as ‘an absolute lemon’. He is also very funny. He talks to Bruce Dessau about his new show, ‘Lemon’ in which he struggles to get to grips with being spied on by the Chinese through his...
British sitar player and composer, Jasdeep Singh Degun talks to Quays Life about his new sitar concerto, Arya, for the orchestra of Opera North, ahead of its premiere at the Royal Northern College of Music in March. “Arya is a Sanskrit word meaning...
Comedian Sam Avery aka The Learner Parent and dad of twins talks to Quays Life about his new show Toddlergeddon. Tell us a bit about your new show, Toddlergeddon. What’s it about and how did you go about writing it?Sam: “It’s 90 mins of...
We are giving away a pair of tickets to see Berlin’s Max Raabe & Palast Orchester at the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester on Friday 6 March 2020. In just three weeks, million selling crooner Max Raabe and the hugely talented Palast Orchester...
From villainous Sally Spode in Emmerdale to Tim Metcalfe’s long-forgotten wife, Charlie Wood Coronation Street, actress Sian Reeves shakes things up wherever she goes, and her new stage role is no exception. While her character is causing chaos on...
Writers Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson tell Quays Life about their shared love of horror, giving audiences a trick and a treat, and keeping the secrets of spooky stage hit Ghost Stories. Supernatural stage scarefest Ghost Stories is something of a...
It’s a cold, dark night on the moors in director, Bryony Shanahan’s new production of Wuthering Heights at The Royal Exchange. Adapting Emily Brontë’s sweeping 19th century novel for the stage is always ambitious, not only because of the scale of...
Since winning an Arvon Foundation bursary in 2007 Manchester writer, Gemma Langford has written stories for stage, screen and video games with work including Ghost Town Games’ Overcooked 2 and episodes for BBC’s Dr Who. Last year she was...










