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Your Go-To Theatre Blog For Reviews, News, And Insights On West End Shows,
Regional Theatre, Exhibitions, And Family Days Out.
Reviews


REVIEW - MYRA'S STORY | THE LOWRY | 20/10/2025
Review: Myra’s Story – A Raw, Riveting Reflection on Humanity at The Lowry After sold-out runs across Ireland and Scotland, Myra’s Story has brought its powerful one-woman performance to The Lowry in Salford. Written by Derry playwright Brian Foster, the show has been a West End success and an Edinburgh Fringe favourite, resonating deeply with audiences for its unflinching yet compassionate portrayal of homelessness and addiction. At the centre of the production is Fíonna H


REVIEW - SUNNY AFTERNOON | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER | 17/10/2025
Sunny Afternoon The Kinks Musical at the Palace Theatre Manchester – A Bright and Nostalgic Celebration Few bands captured the sound and soul of 1960s Britain quite like The Kinks. With hits such as You Really Got Me , Waterloo Sunset and Lola , their sharp lyrics and rebellious spirit became the soundtrack to a generation. Written by Joe Penhall and developed alongside The Kinks’ frontman Ray Davies, Sunny Afternoon brings their story to the stage — from the band’s modest


REVIEW - YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN THE MUSICAL | HOPE MILL THEATRE, MANCHESTER | 15/10/2025
Young Frankenstein The Musical Brings Electrifying Laughter to Hope Mill Theatre To celebrate its 10th anniversary, Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre has pulled out all the stops with the regional premiere of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein The Musical . Known for its bold programming and boundary-pushing productions, the theatre’s latest offering is a glorious homage to classic horror, vaudeville comedy, and golden-age musical theatre. Directed and choreographed by Nick Winston,


REVIEW - SNAKE IN THE GRASS | OCTAGON THEATRE, BOLTON | 15/10/2025
Snake in the Grass – A Hauntingly Good Night of Twists, Secrets and Supernatural Thrills Snake in the Grass slithered its way into the Octagon Theatre Bolton this autumn, just in time for spooky season, bringing with it an intoxicating mix of dark humour, ghostly intrigue, and human frailty. Directed by Francesca Goodridge and co-produced with Theatr Clwyd , this chilling three-hander grips its audience from the first rustle of leaves to the final, breath-stealing blackou


REVIEW - 13 GOING ON 30 THE MUSICAL | MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE | 08/10/2025
13 Going On 30 The Musical at Manchester Opera House – A Nostalgic, Feel-Good Hit Full of Sparkle and Heart It’s hard to believe it’s...


REVIEW - BLACK SABBATH – THE BALLET | BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET | THE LOWRY | 09/10/2025
BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET's BLACK SABBATH – THE BALLET IS A BOLD FUSION OF METAL AND MOVEMENT Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Black Sabbath -...


REVIEW - THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION | HOME MANCHESTER | 08/10/2025
The Shawshank Redemption at HOME Manchester – A Powerful Tale of Hope and Humanity It’s not often that a story holds such an enduring...


REVIEW - DEATH ON THE NILE | THE LOWRY | 01/10/2025
Death on the Nile at The Lowry: A Glamorous Cruise of Murder and Mystery Agatha Christie’s Death on the Nile has long been one of her...


REVIEW - BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY | THE LOWRY | 22/09/2025
Oh Boy! Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story Rocks The Lowry Since its debut in 1989, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has been delighting...


REVIEW - MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL | PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER | 16/09/2025
MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL – A Confetti-Filled Whirlwind at the Palace Theatre Manchester TheatreFollowing smash-hit runs on Broadway and...


REVIEW - HERE & NOW THE STEPS MUSICAL – MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE 10/09/2025
Here & Now The Steps Musical: A Glittering Night of Pop, Camp & Heart Here & Now – The Steps Musical brings the iconic hits of Steps to...


REVIEW - PRIVATE LIVES | OCTAGON THEATRE, BOLTON | 11/09/2025
Private Lives at the Octagon – When Love and Wit Collide, Sparks Fly Noël Coward’s Private Lives first premiered in 1930 and has...


REVIEW - CBEEBIES HOUSE PARTY LIVE | THE LOWRY | 28/08/2025
🌈 Streamers, Songs & Smiles: CBeebies House Party Live! at The Lowry 🎬 Setting the Scene On Thursday 28th August, we headed to The...


REVIEW - THE DIANA MIXTAPE | THE LOWRY | 19/08/2025
The Diana Mixtape – A Riotous, Glittering Celebration of Princess Diana From the team behind Death Drop comes something bigger, brasher...


REVIEW - THE ADDAMS FAMILY MUSICAL | THE LOWRY | 13/08/2025
The Addams Family Musical – Creepy, Kooky, and Full of Gothic Fun The Addams Family have been a pop culture favourite for decades,...


REVIEW - BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT | THE LOWRY | 06/08/2025
By Royal Appointment at The Lowry – A Warm and Witty Tale Sewn with Heart Setting the Scene: A Royal Comedy Begins Daisy Goodwin, best...


REVIEW - A SQUASH AND A SQUEEZE | THE LOWRY | 05/08/2025
🚪 A Squash and a Squeeze at The Lowry – From Bedtime Favourite to Stage Delight! As big fans of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, A...


REVIEW - PAW PATROL LIVE: THE GREAT PIRATE ADVENTURE | AO ARENA MANCHESTER | 20/07/2025
🐾 PAW Patrol Live: The Great Pirate Adventure – A Paws-Up Family Spectacle at AO Arena Manchester 🏴☠️ Ahoy there, pup fans! This...


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...
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