Category Theatre Reviews

With standout performances and impressive choreography, Timothy Sheader’s 2024 reimagining of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is a dark, symbol-rich, and emotionally intense production.

Following its opening at Manchester’s Palace Theatre last year, Timothy Sheader’s bold reinterpretation of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR has finally arrived at Salford’s The Lowry as part of its UK tour.

First staged on Broadway in 1971, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR explores the final weeks of Jesus Christ’s life...

Image courtesy of Wenjun Miakoda Liang.

Featuring a haunting and fractured score and a powerful performance from Maxine Peake, ROBIN/RED/BREAST is a powerful, disturbing, and provoking piece of theatre.

The early 1970s in Great Britain saw a resurgence in the folk horror genre with John Bowen’s BBC play ROBIN REDBREAST, now regarded as a cult classic and a precursor to the famed WICKER MAN in the cult lineage...

The cast of KAY MELLOR’S THE SYNDICATE. Photo Credit: Craig Sugden

Kay Mellor’s final stage play, THE SYNDICATE, is a well-executed adaptation with strong performances and plenty of Northern humour.

Following the success of her other stage adaptations, BAND OF GOLD and FAT FRIENDS, Kay Mellor’s final stage play, THE SYNDICATE, makes its world premiere at Salford’s The Lowry this week as part of a new UK tour.

Based on the hit BBC TV show, THE SYNDICATE follows the fortunes of five supermarket e...

Henry Lewis in MIND MANGLER: MEMBER OF THE TRAGIC CIRCLE. Photo: Pamela Raith Photography

Blending magic, mentalism, and audience participation, MIND MANGLER: MEMBER OF THE TRAGIC CIRCLE is a hilariously executed comedy that masterfully balances planned chaos and improvisation.

Mischief Theatre returns with another brilliantly funny, wonderfully executed comedy in the form of MIND MANGLER: MEMBER OF THE TRAGIC CIRCLE.

Renowned for their signature brand of slapstick, often ‘stupid’ comedy stylin...

The cast of THE KITE RUNNER. Photo: Barry Rivett / Hotshot Photography

With its stellar cast performance, minimalist staging, and powerful soundscape, Khaled Hosseini’s powerful tale of heartbreak and betrayal is brought to life in THE KITE RUNNER.

THE KITE RUNNER Khaled Hosseini’s gripping tale of heartbreak and betrayal comes to life on The Lowry’s Lyric stage...

Katie Tonkinson and Alex James-Hatton in BONNIE & CLYDE. Photo: Richard Davenport

Powered by stellar performances, a catchy score, and striking visuals, BONNIE & CLYDE is a thrilling musical retelling of the infamous outlaws’ rise and fall.

Prison breaks, Ford V8s, and vigilante justice are spread across this murderous musical retelling of BONNIE & CLYDE...

The cast of 42 BALLOONS. Photo Credit: Pamela Raith

With its vibrant direction, inventive staging, and 80s-inspired soundtrack, 42 BALLOONS delivers an uplifting and captivating musical experience.

Six years in the making, 42 BALLOONS finally makes its world premiere at Salford’s The Lowry this month, with a journey that echoes Larry Walters’ astonishing true story.

Set in 1980s America, 42 BALLOONS follows Larry, a truck driver with a lifelong dream to defy gravity...

An unforgettable evening of Shakespeare unlike anything you’ve ever seen before, YOU’RE BARD is an expert masterclass in the art of improvisation.

As effervescent as a glass of Alka Seltzer, the cast of You’re Bard, gave Sale an expert masterclass in the use of improvisation throughout 90 minutes of hilarious comedy.

Take four actors and one compere, throw in audience participation in the form of Britney Spears and the themes come thick and fast, ricocheting like verbal ping pong...

Dancing in the face of convention, David Hoyle’s STILL GOT IT..!? immerses the audience in a variety show like no other.

For the past three weeks, the colourful, unapologetic, LGBTQ+ figure that is David Hoyle has descended on Factory Internationals’ Aviva Hall with a fully immersive exhibition that showcases Hoyle’s thoughts, work and career to date. 

The event will exhibit never-before-seen artworks by the Manchester man himself, together with screenings of his television work and stage per...

Featuring stellar performances and clever callbacks, Comedy Sportz’s TOTALLY IMPROVISED MUSICAL is a masterclass of improvised entertainment.

Improv comedy group Comedy Sportz is bringing their monthly comedy show, TOTALLY IMPROVISED MUSICAL, to Waterside Arts. The show is exactly what it sounds like—an improvised musical. The audience and cast turn up, the audience suggests musical titles that they want to see, and Comedy Sportz improvises an entire musical based on the chosen title...