Theatre in Manchester and the North
Kristy Stott, Theatre EditorAlongside experimental performance, new writing and free arts festivals, we take a first look at some of the Christmas shows happening in the North.
Over the next couple of weeks, Crowded Room and Harriet Madeley bring their Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show Outpatient to The Lowry, a solo autobiographical performance offering a hopeful and highly entertaining perspective on mortality. And over in Manchester city centre, the ever-brilliant Breach Theatre present After the Act at HOME, a brand new protest musical tracing Thatcher’s infamous Section 28 anti-gay legislation, enacted in 1988.
Elsewhere, Compass Festival is back to animate the city of Leeds throughout November. Every two years the festival’s events pop up in public spaces across the city – this year, you’ll find interactive performances and collective listening walks alongside delicious communal feasts, visual art and participatory installations. Most importantly, the festival is super accessible too – with all events either free or pay-what-you-can.
Lovers of everything chaotic and experimental should definitely head to Lancaster Arts to catch Forced Entertainment’s newest performance Signal to Noise. They’ve been tearing up the theatrical rulebook for 40 years and show no sign of slowing down. Expect another brilliantly fragmented performance with music and movement, scenery shuffles and silly wigs.
There’s lots more too – read on for details of award-winning dance from Ballet Black and Matthew Bourne, and our early picks of Christmas theatre at the Royal Exchange Theatre and Liverpool Playhouse.
