Category Opera House Manchester

Richard Keightley and Matthew Wynn in OF MICE AND MEN. Photo: Scott Rylander

Frankly My Dear UK talks to Matthew Wynn and Richard Keightley about their lead roles as Lennie and George in OF MICE OF MEN

John Steinbeck’s OF MICE AND MEN may be over 80 years old but the American classic is still capable of capturing the hearts and minds of a modern audience as Selladoor Productions latest touring adaption demonstrates.

Set in the trying times of the Great Depression, OF MICE AND MEN follows the...

Richard Keightley as George and Matthew Wynn as Lennie in OF MICE AND MEN. Photo: Scott Rylander

Poignant and powerful, OF MICE AND MEN is a timeless story about friendship, loyalty, compassion and holding on to your dreams

It’s been a while since I’ve read John Steinbeck’s 1937 classic OF MICE AND MEN but it’s always been a favourite of mine...

Big, bold and beautiful, HAIRSPRAY is a fun, lively and light-hearted musical that is sure to put a smile on your face

It’s not often that the atmosphere in the auditorium is electric before a show but it soon becomes apparent why HAIRSPRAY is such a crowd-pleaser. Since its star-studded Hollywood film revival in 2007, HAIRSPRAY has grown to become a firm favourite with musical theatre fans, with a new smash hit production currently on tour in the UK cementing its place in our hearts.

Set in ...

Jodie Prenger and Andrew Flintoff in FAT FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL. Photo Credit: Helen Maybanks

Witty, warm and wonderfully funny, Headingley’s favourite foodie friends make a welcome return in FAT FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL

It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since Kay Mellor’s FAT FRIENDS first hit our TV screens. It feels like only yesterday since the lives and waistlines of the Super Slimmers group captured our hearts, as well as giving Ruth Jones and James Corden their big TV breaks...

The cast of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. Photo Credit: The Other Richard

Alastair Whatley’s revival of THE IMPORTANCE BEING EARNEST is wonderfully witty and deliciously decadent

Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE BEING EARNEST makes a welcome return to Manchester society this week as a new revival by The Original Theatre Company heads to Manchester’s Opera House for a week-long run.

Written by Wilde in 1894, THE IMPORTANCE BEING EARNEST tells the story of two bachelors, Jack and Algernon wh...

Garrett Phillips as Frank Sinatra in THE RAT PACK – LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS. Photo: Betty Zapata

THE RAT PACK – LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS style-over-substance formula entertains but ultimately leaves you wanting more

Few tribute acts can boast the longevity or the popularity of THE RAT PACK. Since its West End premiere back in 2003, the musical production has enjoyed several return engagements, earning an Olivier Award nomination along the way...

Craig Warner strips back Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 thriller STRANGERS ON A TRAIN to focus on the mystery, psychological drama and dark wit of the piece

It takes a brave man to take on an Alfred Hitchcock thriller which is probably why Craig Warner decided to opt for a slightly different approach with his stage adaption of STRANGERS ON A TRAIN.

Reworking Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 novel, Warner’s taut and effective production chooses to draw out the mystery, psychological drama and dark wit o...

This review was originally posted on The Reviews Hub. 

Based on the 1998 hit movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, The Wedding Singer tells the story of Robbie Hart, a wannabe rock-star stuck as a singer on the wedding band circuit. When his fiancée dumps him at the altar, it’s down to the sweet-natured Julia and her best friend Holly to lure Robbie out of the dumpster and bring back into the limelight...

BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL is a revved up and racy Romeo and Juliet story that appeals to not just Meat Loaf fans but musical and theatre lovers alike

Jim Steinman’s rock and roll theatrical fantasy BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL – the inspiration for one of the most iconic albums in history – has burst onto the stage of Manchester Opera House and will hit the London Coliseum later in 2017.

Set in an apocalyptic future where the young mutate and will be forever young, is a father struggling to k...

Poignant and full of energy, ALL OR NOTHING is the bittersweet tale of 60s Mod band The Small Faces

This review was originally written for The Reviews Hub.

Following in the wake of sixties jukebox musicals LET IT BE and SUNNY AFTERNOON, Carol Harrison brings the story of iconic mod band, The Small Faces to the stage.

Told from the perspective of original singer Steve Marriott, ALL OR NOTHING charts The Small Faces brief rise to fame from a gang of East London wannabes to legends of London’s sw...