Theatre through the eyes of a Manc
In the words of house Stark, "Winter is coming". The dark evenings are closing in, and it's time to dig out the winter woolies again. The annual Christmas market stalls are springing up around Manchester and the mood is turning festive. What better way to escape the cold winter weather than watching some theatre? With... Continue Reading →
On the first Saturday of every month, three black men go walking in the Peak District. They are part of the Black Men's Walking Group in Sheffield. They walk for their health and wellbeing. They walk in the footsteps of their ancestors. They walk for freedom. "We walk. Though we are written into the landscape,... Continue Reading →
The nights are drawing in and the weather is getting colder. Starbucks are selling pumpkin spiced latte and the local scallies are already setting off fireworks. Autumn is certainly well under way. October is the perfect time of year to watch a play, and there are many excellent shows on offer in Manchester this month.... Continue Reading →
The skylines of Manchester and Salford are littered with towering cranes. Skyscrapers are constantly springing up, consisting of luxury apartments and five star hotels. Affordable housing is becoming increasingly scarce. Whilst regeneration is seen as signifying a city's prosperity, little thought is given to the properties demolished and the local communities destroyed by it. Residents... Continue Reading →
Harold Pinter's No Man's Land is a play in which not very much happens. There's no action, nor an exciting narrative. It is just characters talking and drinking. A lot. Deliberately ambiguous, you never really get to know any of the characters, and Pinter's dialogue is complex; packed full of metaphoric imagery. This is not an easy... Continue Reading →
With parliament suspended, and a no-deal Brexit looking more probable than ever, you could be forgiven for thinking that the country is going to the dogs. Our democracy is under threat. The Amazon Rainforest is on fire, as the effects of climate change are already becoming apparent. These are truly depressing times that we live... Continue Reading →
The Hired Man has been lauded as the best British musical in 40 years. Based on the novel by Melvyn Bragg, it tells the stories of the ordinary, working-class, rural community in Cumbria, during the turn of the 20th Century. The idyllic country life, with whippet racing, hunting, and country fairs, is set in stark... Continue Reading →
Moira Buffini's political satire, Handbagged, invents what happened during the infamous meetings between the Queen and Margaret Thatcher, during her term as Prime Minister from 1979 - 1990. We still feel the ramifications of Thatcher's hugely divisive policies today. The closure of coal mines and the introduction of poll tax devastated working-class families. With strikes... Continue Reading →
At the heart of Barney Norris' play is a beautifully rendered relationship of an ageing couple, Arthur and Edie. Childhood sweethearts, they come to terms with old age as they reminisce over times gone by. Along with a life time of nostalgic memories come regrets and missed opportunities. "I wish I had tried LSD" Arthur... Continue Reading →
