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Reviewing Shows In The North of England & The West End
Reviews


REVIEW - QUADROPHENIA – A MOD BALLET | THE LOWRY | 15/07/2025
Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet at The Lowry – A Five-Star Fusion of Grit, Grace and Greatness In 1973, The Who's Pete Townshend gave us...


REVIEW - MATTHEW BOURNE'S THE MIDNIGHT BELL | THE LOWRY | 01/07/2025
Love, Loss and Low Lights – Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell Wows at The Lowry Matthew Bourne is no stranger to reinvention. From Swan...


REVIEW - THE LOWRY 360 | THE LOWRY | 22/05/2025
Step into L.S. Lowry’s world with LOWRY 360 – a stunning free immersive experience at The Lowry in Salford. This short but powerful digital journey brings Going to the Match to life with vibrant visuals, narration by Sophie Willan, and a moving tribute to Northern community spirit.


REVIEW - COME FALL IN LOVE | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | 12/06/2025
Come Fall In Love at Manchester Opera House – A Joyous, Colour-Drenched Celebration of Love and Culture As a lifelong fan of romantic...


REVIEW – PRIDE & PREJUDICE | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 11/06/2025
Pride & Prejudice at Octagon Theatre Bolton – A High-Energy Rom-Com with Regency Flair It’s a truth universally acknowledged that Pride &...


REVIEW - DEAR ENGLAND | THE LOWRY | 01/06/2025
Dear England at The Lowry – A Goal-Scoring Drama For Theatre Fans and Football Skeptics Alike When I heard there was a play about...


REVIEW - OPERATION OUCH! BRAINS, BOGIES AND YOU | MANCHESTER MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY | 22/03 /2025
👋 Let’s Get Gross (and Brilliant)! Before visiting, we hadn’t watched a single episode of Operation Ouch! —but the exhibition’s title...


REVIEW - THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER | 26/05/2025
The Rocky Horror Show at The Palace Theatre Manchester – A Wild, Wicked, Wonderful Night Out! Every time The Rocky Horror Show returns...


REVIEW - CINDERELLA ICE CREAM SELLER | BOLTON MUSEUM & LIBRARY | 27/05/2025
🎭 Cinderella Ice Cream Seller – A Sweet and Sparkly Family Musical 🍦💖 🍦 Welcome to the Parlour! We all know the tale of Cinderella...


REVIEW - THERE'S A MONSTER IN YOUR SHOW | THE LOWRY | 27/05/2025
🎭 A Monster-Sized Treat for Little Theatre Fans! We first saw There’s a Monster in Your Show in 2024 and loved it, so we were thrilled...


REVIEW - THE DETECTIVE DOG | WATERSIDE ARTS, SALE | 24/05/2025
🕵️♀️ The Detective Dog A Paw-some Mystery Adventure for Kids! 📖 Background: A Bookish Favourite Comes to Life It’s no secret that...


REVIEW - THE ULTIMATE BUBBLE SHOW | Z-ARTS MANCHESTER | 17/05/2025
The Ultimate Bubble Show – A Poppin’ Good Time at Z-arts Manchester! On Saturday 17th May 2025, we took our bubble-loving duo, Alice (7)...


REVIEW - DETENTION BY GARY CLARKE COMPANY | THE LOWRY | 14/05/2025
Following the critical acclaim of COAL and Wasteland , Gary Clarke returns with Detention , the final part of his searing dance theatre...


REVIEW - A KNIGHT'S TALE THE MUSICAL | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | 08/05/2025
Heading into A Knight’s Tale: The Musical , I wasn’t sure what to expect. I hadn’t seen the 2001 Columbia Pictures film it’s based on, so...


REVIEW - THE BADDIES | THE LOWRY | 04/05/2025
As a family of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler superfans, we've followed many magical book-to-stage adaptations — from Zog to The...


REVIEW - THE GIANT BALLOON SHOW | Z-ARTS MANCHESTER | 03/05/2025
Big Laughs, Bigger Balloon! We recently took a family trip to Z-arts Manchester to see The Giant Balloon Show , and from the moment we...


REVIEW - MARY POPPINS | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER | 30/04/2025
The world’s most famous nanny has floated into Manchester—and it's a total theatrical treat! Mary Poppins , Disney and Cameron...


REVIEW - NORTH BY NORTHWEST | HOME MANCHESTER | 30/04/2025
“Suitcases, spies and showbiz flair – Hitchcock like you’ve never seen before!” Emma Rice, known for her boundary-breaking theatrical...


REVIEW - DEATH OF A SALESMAN | THE LOWRY | 29/04/2025
Death of a Salesman is widely regarded as one of the most iconic plays of the 20th century. Written by American playwright Arthur Miller...


REVIEW - BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF | THE LOWRY | 22/04/2025
Even if you’ve never seen the original 1982 TV series, Boys from the Blackstuff carries a reputation that precedes it. Created by...


REVIEW - PLANT | WATERSIDE ARTS | 19/04/2025
If you go down to the woods today, who knows what you might find? A very busy squirrel, a lost and curious pigeon… and a beautifully...


REVIEW - THE 39 STEPS | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 17/04/2025
Originally penned by John Buchan in 1915 and famously adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935, The 39 Steps has enjoyed a...


REVIEW - PETER JAMES PICTURE YOU DEAD | THE LOWRY | 16/04/2025
Peter James’ thrilling crime novels have long captivated readers and television audiences alike, and the DSI Roy Grace series continues...


REVIEW - ROOM ON THE BROOM | THE LOWRY | 15/04/2025
As long-time fans of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s magical picture books, my daughter Alice (age 7) and I were beyond excited to...


REVIEW - ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND | Z-ARTS | 11/04/2025
“We’re all mad here… mad about this magical immersive experience!” After falling in love with Z-arts' previous immersive hit The 100...


REVIEW - KIM'S CONVENIENCE | HOME MANCHESTER | 09/04/2025
Kim’s Convenience , the award-winning play by Ins Choi that sparked a beloved Netflix series, has returned to its theatrical roots with a...


REVIEW - THE SMARTEST GIANT IN TOWN | WATERSIDE ARTS, SALE | 09/04/2025
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved book The Smartest Giant in Town has long been a bedtime favourite in our house, so when the...


REVIEW - THE KOALA WHO COULD | THE LOWRY | 08/04/2025
Taking my two theatre-loving children—Alice (7) and Leo (5)—to see The Koala Who Could at The Lowry was a long-awaited treat. As fans of...


REVIEW - LITTLE WOMEN | THE LOWRY | 08/04/2025
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has stood the test of time as one of literature’s most beloved coming-of-age stories. Now, in a fresh...


REVIEW - TAMBO & BONES | HOME MANCHESTER | 03/04/2025
Tambo & Bones, written by award-winning poet and playwright Dave Harris, is a bold and provocative satire that takes a deep dive into the...


REVIEW - SO UNFAIR | Z-ARTS MANCHESTER | 29/03/2025
So Unfair – A Fun, Fast-Paced Engineering Adventure How do you make things fair? And what could go hilariously wrong if you don’t? So...


REVIEW - CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90's MUSICAL | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER | 28/03/2025
Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical brings the scandalous world of the cult classic 1999 film to the stage, infused with a soundtrack of...


REVIEW - OF MICE AND MEN | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 27/03/2025
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is a literary classic that has captivated readers for generations with its poignant exploration of...


REVIEW - THE HOUSE PARTY | HOME MANCHESTER | 26/03/2025
Headlong, in collaboration with Chichester Festival Theatre and Frantic Assembly, presents The House Party , a bold reimagining of August...


REVIEW - PIG HEART BOY | THE LOWRY | 26/03/2025
Malorie Blackman’s Pig Heart Boy is a beloved novel that has captivated readers for decades with its thought-provoking exploration of...


REVIEW - PRIDE & PREJUDICE* (*SORT OF) | THE LOWRY | 18/03/2025
There have been countless adaptations of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but few dare to shake up the formula quite like Pride and...


REVIEW - OPERA NORTH's THE MAGIC FLUTE | THE LOWRY | 13/03/2025
Mozart’s The Magic Flute has long been considered one of the most accessible and enchanting operas, combining fairy tale adventure,...


REVIEW - BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET'S CINDERELLA | THE LOWRY | 06/03/2025
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Cinderella, choreographed by Sir David Bintley, has been a beloved part of the company’s repertoire for years....


REVIEW - JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | 04/03/2025
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s earliest collaborations, first performed in...


REVIEW - BAT OUT OF HELL THE MUSICAL | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER |03/03/2025
Bat Out of Hell first roared onto the stage in Manchester in 2017 before taking the world by storm. I had the opportunity to see it...


REVIEW - GHOST STORIES | THE LOWRY | 25/02/2025
Since its debut in 2010, Ghost Stories has been thrilling audiences worldwide with its unique blend of psychological horror and...


REVIEW - BING'S BIRTHDAY | THE LOWRY | 21/02/2025
For over a decade, Bing has been delighting preschoolers with its sweet and relatable stories about life’s little ups and downs. Now,...


REVIEW - THE THREE LITTLE PIGS | HOME MANCHESTER | 18/02/2025
Think you know The Three Little Pigs ? Think again! Stuff and Nonsense Theatre Company put their signature twist on the classic fable,...


REVIEW - ONE PUNCH | HOME MANCHESTER | 13/02/2025
Written by BAFTA winner Jane Thornton and Martha Godber, One Punch is a compelling new drama from the John Godber Company. The play,...


REVIEW - SHIRLEY VALENTINE | OCTAGON THEATRE BOLTON | 12/02/2025
Some stories never lose their sparkle, and Shirley Valentine is one of them. Willy Russell’s iconic one-woman play first graced the...


REVIEW - THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN | THE LOWRY | 11/03/2025
Based on Paula Hawkins' international bestseller, The Girl on the Train has captivated audiences worldwide in both novel and film form....


REVIEW - FLOELLA BENJAMIN'S COMING TO ENGLAND| THE LOWRY | 05/02/2025
Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England is a heartfelt and inspiring story that has touched readers for over 25 years. Originally published...


REVIEW - THE SHARK IS BROKEN | THE LOWRY | 04/02/2025
As Jaws celebrates its 50th anniversary, The Shark Is Broken takes audiences behind the scenes of one of the most iconic films of all...


REVIEW - THE NATIONAL LOTTERY'S BIG NIGHT OF MUSICALS 2025 | AO ARENA MANCHESTER | 27/01/2025
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals at the AO Arena in Manchester was a star-studded celebration of all things theatrical, and...


REVIEW - HOT WHEELS MONSTER TRUCKS LIVE GLOW-N-FIRE | AO ARENA MANCHESTER | 18/01/2025
Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow & Fire – A Roaring, Rolling Family Spectacle at the AO Arena When my two Hot Wheels-obsessed...
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