The Hired Man with Oldham Coliseum

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Visit now

The Hired Man

Oldham Coliseum, Manchester
15-21 June 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Hired Man with Oldham Coliseum. Credit: Mark Sepple
Image courtesy of Mark Sepple
Book now

We were thrilled to hear that Oldham Coliseum, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Hull Truck Theatre will be streaming their epic and landmark 2019 revival of The Hired Man this June.

Based on Melvin Bragg’s literary work, The Hired Man is an award-winning musical – an epic and heroic tale of love, betrayal and loyalty, set against a backdrop of working-class ritual and English tradition. When this major and much-loved revival played at Oldham last year, it was met with acclaim from both audiences and critics alike. The production went on to secure three Offie Award nominations and Lauryn Redding a well-deserved finalist for Best Female Performance in a Musical.

Set during the first part of the twentieth century, The Hired Man is a tale of Cumbrian rural and industrial working life. Think ritual-whippet racing, hiring fairs, drinking bouts and union meetings. This musical revisits that cavalcade of British history which swept us into the twentieth century and into a war to end all wars.

Foot-stomping rhythms, soaring choruses and a phenomenal musical score

With foot-stomping rhythms, soaring choruses and a phenomenal musical score, some audience members have dubbed it the best British musical in the last 40 years. We’re absolutely looking forward to experiencing this fabulous musical performance again from the comfort of our own homes.

The streaming hopes to raise vital funds for Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Hull Truck Theatre’s current and future creative projects, which together reach over 380,000 people a year, while their theatres are closed to the public.

Where to go near The Hired Man with Oldham Coliseum

Oldham
Event venue
Hack Oldham

Hack Oldham is an event space that also offers co-working, community groups and crafting in the heart of Oldham.

Gallery Oldham, in Oldham Cultural Quarter
Manchester
Museum
Gallery Oldham

Gallery Oldham provides a wide range of exhibitions and activities targeted at different audiences of all ages within Oldham and the surrounding area.

Interior of George St Chapel
Manchester
Event venue
George Street Chapel

This beautifully restored former Independent Methodist Chapel in the heart of Oldham is as much a creative hub as a heritage landmark.

The Yoga Seed Oldham
Manchester
The Yoga Seed Oldham

The Yoga Seed is an intimate studio just outside of Oldham town centre. Run by Sharon it offers small classes including a men only class.

1853 gallery 1
Manchester
Gallery
1853 Studios

1853 Studios and Gallery is a Creative Studios and community of creative professionals occupying the 3rd floors of Osborne Mill, Oldham.

Manchester
Gallery
Gwafu Vegan
at Bridge 5 Mill

Cameroonian chef Ngwafu Tansie brings allotment-grown, plant-based cooking to Bridge 5 Mill’s solar-powered Ancoats venue, pairing bobolo with cabbage parcels and live vinyl.

Chadderton Town Hall
Manchester
Event venue
Chadderton Town Hall

Chadderton Town Hall is a magnificent example of Edwardian architecture . Built in 1912/13 in the style of ‘English Renaissance’ and recently restored maintaining its traditional features in regal reds

Liverpool
Hotel
Epic Apart Hotel

The Epic Apart Hotel offers 14 serviced apartments – and right righin the middle of the Ropewalks district, right behind FACT.

What's on: Theatre

Until
FestivalsChester
Storyhouse in the Park

Four open-air productions, films under the stars and frozen cocktails in the park – Chester’s doing summer right.

Free entry
Image courtesy of 53two
TheatreManchester
Maria at 53two

The UK premiere of a lesser-known Simon Stephens play explores love, isolation and the search for human connection.

From £15.00
Encounter Festival 2026
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Preston comes alive with outdoor theatre, live music, dance and family-friendly creativity in one of the North West’s most joyful festivals.

Free entry
Mrs Dalloway at HOME
TheatreManchester
Mrs Dalloway at HOME

Jen Heyes and Kit Green breathe thrilling new life into Virginia Woolf’s modernist classic with an inventive theatrical reimagining.

From £16.20

Culture Guides

Exhibitions

Summer isn’t usually a high point in the exhibitions calendar, but Greater Manchester’s small galleries seem to have made a pact to change that this year.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre

From intimate dramas to spectacular outdoor festivals, discover the North West performances worth adding to your diary.

“the ripple” artwork by Crowns & Owls courtesy of Good Machine.
Music

From post-industrial romance to experimental country, here's a hot new batch of weird gigs in small venues.

Food and Drink in the North

It's summertime, and the dining choices are easy, thanks to our expert guide to food and drink in Manchester and the North.

Emily Lloyd-Saini as Grace in Space and Harrie Hayes as Lieutenant Strong in Horrible Science
Family things to do in the North

Whether you’re after storybook theatre, museum wanderings or illusion-bending play spaces, there’s plenty to keep curiosity ticking through winter and beyond.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Cinema in the North

There's no shortage of great films out at the moment, whether you're looking for the latest blockbuster, that hot arthouse flick fresh from Cannes or a cosy classic.