If you’ve never been to the Plaza, you may well have spotted the gorgeous art deco style neon sign from the A6 as you head through Stockport town centre.

It’s a hell of a place bursting with history and nostalgia. 

The tall, narrow super cinema and variety theatre was built into the red sandstone of the town back in 1932. Because it was built into the rockface, with the stage area underground, many theatregoers considered it one of the safest places to be during the war. 

We might not be under threat of an air raid these days, but it still feels like we’re in safe hands when we walk through the doors.

And it’s beautiful. Despite being turned into a Bingo and Social club in the late 60s, many of the original features were preserved and restored including the fabulous organ which rises up in front of the stage to keep everyone entertained before the show. 

Add to that the fact that the theatre was saved as a result of a campaign by the local community back in 2000, and is staffed – in part – by a very dedicated band of volunteers, and it’s easy to see why the Plaza means such a lot to so many people.

Given it’s history, it’s the perfect place for a bit of good old fashioned panto fun. This year Extravaganza Productions brings us Sleeping Beauty. I hate a stereotype, but I’ll be honest I was wondering how princess dresses and an old fashioned love story would go down with two footy mad little lads in tow, but they loved it, as did friends we bumped into there too who also had a gaggle of boys with them.

Star of the show for our two was cheeky chappy Jangles the Jester played by Scott Gallagher whose “Alriiiiiiiight Stockport” catchphrase was delivered in an accent which sounded like a cross between Liam Gallagher and Justin Moorhouse. The kids (and grown ups) loved it and gave it back in Stockport spades …. “Alriiiiiiiight Jangles”. 

Scott has a great rapport with the audience weaving in edgy, up-to-the-minute gags for the adults as well as the latest kid-speak for the young ‘uns. The boys were in tucks when he said the princes would be coming to “rizz up”  the princess at the ball.

They also loved the obligatory “he’s behind you,” moments and the visual humour provided by a family of mice living in an oversized comedy cake. 

Josh Dixon is the great panto dame, Queen Hermione, donning a series of gorgeously gaudy hooped frocks and wonderful wigs including a rather fetching set of Princess Leia ear buns.

And for the soap fans, The Wicked Fairy Carabosse is played by Wendi Peters, who is probably best known to telly audiences as the long suffering Cilla Battersby Brown from Coronation Street.

A total glamour puss, decked head to foot in sequins and with a sinister cut glass accent, it is a world away from Wendi’s dour character on the cobbles and a real demonstration of just how versatile she is as an artist.

This panto has it all, the visual gags, Haribo treats pelt into the crowd with a vintage tennis bat, a huge slack-jawed dragon draws gasps as it looms out of the darkness, and there’s even a bit of pyrotechnic action to complete the Christmas sparkle.

It’s on until January 5, so catch it if you can. 

True to its history in variety, the Plaza hosts a really eclectic collection of shows and events. If you fancy a visit in the New Year, I can highly recommend the Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour in March. Shown on the cinema screen, it’s a series of beautiful, breathtaking, inspiring, life affirming and original short documentary films about interesting characters exploring stunning and captivating places across the globe. 

Sleeping Beauty is at Stockport Plaza from 6 December 2024 until 5 January 2025.

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He’s watched a good bit of theatre over the years, but I don’t think I’ve seen him so completely captivated and mesmerised for a long time. As we left, he told me he thought the production was “outstanding” and “top-notch”.
I couldn’t agree more.

Alane Menken’s brilliant music was delivered with aplomb. The solo performances were great, and the many layered harmonies in the crowd scenes were an absolute joy.
The sepia-toned, pared back set and projections were beautifully evocative, with aged pages of books adorning the sky, walls, furniture, and gas lamps which transported us back to Dickensian times viewed through the eyes of the joyless Scrooge. It worked as the perfect backdrop and helped highlight the subtle costume detail, such as the barely perceptible touch of sparkle in the scarves of the characters who embody love and life.

Now about Scrooge…..while there was much that was very traditional about this production, Scrooge wasn’t one of them.

Directors Joseph Houston and William Whelton took the decision to have their Scrooge as a woman after reading about females in history who became infamous because of their miserliness. I was intrigued to see how this would work with such an iconic, traditionally male role.

Claire Moore’s “Evelina Scrooge” was great..as horribly heartless as we’ve all come to expect of Scrooge and with a giddy glee on Christmas morning that the great Alastair Sim would have been proud of. And her transformation was as seamless as the revolutions of the hands on the giant clock projected onto the set.

The directors chose this version of the famous Dickens’ story because of its “splash of Broadway pizzazz and dusting of Sondheim-esque storytelling.” It worked brilliantly.
One of our favourite comic scenes was when the charity collectors from the “Hope Foundation” asked the stingy Scrooge for a donation. The barbershop style harmonies were brilliant and the shocked faces of the collectors when she turned them down were hilarious.

It feels unfair to pick and choose from such a great show packed with amazing talent, but space it tight.

James Hume gave us a cheeky, larger than life cabaret style Christmas Present/Mother Goose, who together with his Moulin Rouge-style cabaret chorus line, literally lit up the stage in a sparkly play within a play scene. The baffled face of Scrooge as she was pushed to look out on to the audience was a picture.

And Barry Keenan’s Marley was just the right side of scary with his arresting Beetlejuice style hair and make-up.

The young cast members did a brilliant job too and there were some lovely poignant and humorous moments thanks to these up-and-coming stars.
A Christmas Carol is one of my favourite stories, and I’m quite precious about how it’s treated, but this Hope Mill Theatre production was an absolute triumph.

Hope Mill Theatre has won lots of awards since it began back in 2015 and it’s easy to see why. Normally performances take place in the Grade II listed former textile mill in Ancoats. This is the first show to be created and produced for another venue, with plans for more.
Aside from all the charity does to support young and up-and-coming talent, the quality of the stagecraft is such that we’d be happy to watch one of their productions anywhere they decide to take it.

A Christmas Carol: The Musical a Hope Mill Theatre Production is at Lowry, Salford from 14 December 2024 to 5 January 2025 Age guidance 6+

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We could tell by the amount of elf hats, Christmas sparkles and Elf merch adorning the crowds outside the Palace, that this show has a serious following.

Having not seen the musical before, my nine-year-old and I did wonder how, and if, a stage musical could live up to the blockbuster movie starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the orphan brought up by elves after climbing into Santa’s sack as a baby.

We weren’t disappointed. And judging from the enthusiastic crowd reaction, neither were the Elf aficionados.

The work of producers Steve Sheen, and father and son team Jon and Jordan Conway, it was a luxurious festive feast for the eyes… like the theatrical equivalent of a box of Quality Street.

Framed with giant candy canes, the stage was alive with colour from the uber-cool, beautifully stylish, and often sequin-bejewelled outfits of the non-elf cast, to the giant five foot golden baubles and the gorgeous New York art deco home of Buddy’s grouchy workaholic dad, Walter Hobbs. The sets were also enhanced by CGI and animated backdrops including dancing Santas, a mock TV appearance and the New York skyline, created and developed by Jordan Conway, who – as well as co-producing the show – also takes the leading role as the irrepressible elf-man Buddy.

Bursting with firecracker energy, Jordan brings the effervescent naivety, humour and fun demanded by the role in bucketloads and he’s not shy of a little audience interaction too, so watch out if you’re in the front row, you might find yourself taking on a small, if not rather energetic, cameo role.

Jordan’s supported by a great and very versatile cast who revel in the many word play and visual gags, dance routines and songs which are woven throughout the show.
My personal favourite was Natalie Gray as Debs, Walter Hobbs’ ditzy, flame-haired secretary who had the role down to a tee. Dafydd Lansley, also brought a panto-sized dollop of visual humour with his portrayal of bespectacled geek, Matthews, whose suit gets stuck in the office shredder. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.

The young uns’ favourite was Joe Speare whose snake hips were on top form in his portrayal of both the toy shop store manager and one of the chorus of neglected New York Santas.

I’m not sure whether it was the singing, dance moves, visual gags about Santa getting “the sack” from his job, or the little giggle explosion Joe had to stifle at one point, which impressed my son the most, but he was clear in his top pick.

The vocals of Kelly Banlaki as Buddy’s love interest Jovie and Charlotte Dalton as Emily Hobbs were accomplished, and the music, by Matthew Sklar ticked all the boxes.

Not just a musical though, the show also managed to incorporate panto elements with a, “he’s behind you” moment for the kids, cheesy gags, and the odd risqué in-joke for the parents. The audience also got to take part in the snowball scene too, giving wriggly bottoms the chance to move – something any parent will tell you is always welcome no matter how engaging the performances are.

And if that wasn’t enough to keep us entertained and engaged on all fronts, there were also some impressive circus elements too, which I suppose shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise given director/producer Jon Conway was born into the circus. The aerial hoop and roller skate daring of Romy Bauer and Joe Hatton was graceful, exciting and impressive as was the aerial ropework of Buddy and his love interest Jovie, played by Kelly Banlaki – who also comes from a circus family.

All in all this show was a real crowd pleaser. True to the film, but incorporating some fantastic live elements, it was a mixture of musical, CGI, panto and circus, and a great way to get us in the mood for Christmas. In the much loved, often quoted words of elf-man Buddy, “the best way to spread Christmas cheer, is singing loud for all to hear.”

Elf The Musical is at The Palace Theatre, Manchester from 12-17 November 2024.

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Barb and Dolly bring the Cinderella story bang-up-to-date, blaming the media for their portrayal as evil caricatures and joking about Insta, Twitter and Love Island.
In this re-imagining of the story, Cinders is conspicuous by her absence from the hairdressers where she used to work with her two sisters before she ran off with the prince.

This time, the two sisters are the stars of the show, regaling us with tales of events on the night of the ball, the stresses and strains of running their own business, sibling rivalry and the rift with their little sister.

Lucy Rafton and Daisy Ann Fletcher are a great comedy duo who kept us laughing and were very convincing as Dolly the romantic and Barb the cynic – the chalk and cheese pair looking for their happy ever after.

Quite a few of the gags were aimed at the parents and older children so went over the heads of our six-year-old and his pals. But the littles loved the physical theatre and were particularly tickled by Daisy Ann Fletcher’s portrayal of the pompous, handsome prince, using only her acting skills and a black plastic hair comb masquerading as a moustache.

And we all loved the sparkly, light bedecked salon where the storytelling takes place, with witty songs and gorgeous harmonies bringing the show alive. Speaking of which, if you’re a fan of a good singalong, make sure you pick up a programme which has the lyrics of the show songs inside, including, Mariah’s Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You, a festive finale guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit as you prepare to head home after a great night out.

The Not So Ugly Sisters is at Waterside Arts, Sale from 24 November 2021 to 1 January 2022.

Postman Pat Exhibition at Waterside Arts:

If you’re planning a trip to the show it’s well worth going a little early so you can also check out the exhibition space which is currently home to sets from the much-loved Postman Pat series.

We had a great time marvelling at the sheer detail of the beautifully crafted scenes.
There’s so much to see, from Pat and his van, the lighthouse, town square and market to the children preparing for Halloween in school at the fictional village of Greendale where the series was set.

It was great fun spotting and pointing out the tiny props and really interesting to see some of the early storyboard plans. Even if you’ve no Postman Pat fans in your group, it’s still well worth a visit.

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