Theatre Through the Eyes of a Manc
"Welcome to the wrong side of the tracks". In Brixton, identical twin showgirls, Dora and Nora Chance celebrate their 75th birthday. On the other side of the Thames, in Chelsea, their father Melchior Hazard, the greatest Shakespearean actor of the age turns 100. An invite to their father's birthday party takes the Chances on a... Continue Reading →
"I've got two dads. The only thing the black one gave me was ethnicity". David Judge grew up on the Wythenshawe council estate in Manchester as a mixed race kid with two white parents. SparkPlug is his autobiographical monologue, wherein he moves the narrative up a generation, telling his story from the perspective of his... Continue Reading →
'Who came in the night, while we were asleep? Where are all the children of Red Herring Street?'. The residents of the Bayou ask themselves these questions after something mysterious happens to the unruly children of Red Herring Street. The Bayou is a fictional area of social deprivation, wherein lies the dilapidated tenement block on... Continue Reading →
'I prefer plants to people...', Chanje Kunda declares, reclining on a sofa, surrounded by foliage, sipping a glass of white wine, '...at least they don't talk shit to me'. Kunda's autobiographical spoken word piece, Plant Fetish, makes this lifestyle strangely appealing, as she takes you through the events that led her to discover how plants... Continue Reading →
Sick of hearing about Brexit? I know I am! If you need an escape from hard borders, Irish backstops and this cold weather, how about a trip to the theatre? Here are some of the shows you can watch in Manchester theatres throughout February. Obviously, this is not the only theatre available. Manchester is one of the most exciting places for... Continue Reading →
Welcome to the Living History Museum of Hearts and Minds. Exhibit 091101 has successfully completed the Muslim Realignment Programme and will deliver a series of seminars about how to catch the seeds of dissent before they turn into radical extremism. 'DO NOT TOUCH. FRAGILE EXHIBIT.' In a haunting scenario echoing The Handmaid's Tale or Charlie Brooker's... Continue Reading →
Amidst the chaos of Brexit, it is easy to miss an important debate that happened in parliament this week. Fibromyalgia is a condition with 'too many syllables to be anything other than shite'. It causes excruciating pain, chronic fatigue and forgetfulness (fibro-fog). After a petition attracted over 115,000 signatures, MPs debated this week whether fibromyalgia... Continue Reading →
Learning to Swim on an Ironing Board is a new piece commissioned by HOME theatre in Manchester, as part of their annual Push Festival, aimed at promoting emerging creative talent across the region. I caught up with spoken word artist Conor A. to discuss his new show and the impact fibromyalgia has on his on... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2019! Despite the world seeming stuck in a perpetual purgatory of Brexit, Donald Trump and global warming, there is happiness to be found out there. I get my happiness from going to the theatre, an art form that continues to thrive during these uncertain times. Whether you want escapism, culture,... Continue Reading →
