WHAT’S ON

There are lots of fabulous musicals and shows in the city’s theatres and venues to help us close the summer season and welcome in the autumn. Amazing shows like Everybody’s Talking About Jamie make a return, revivals of productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar light up the stage again and there is no shortage of brand-new shows, including Crown Jewels starring Al Murray at The Lowry and Derren Brown’s Unbelievable at the Palace.

Musicals

Everybody’s talking about Jamie

The Lowry / 7-17 September

Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, sold-out UK and Ireland tour and Amazon Studios awardwinning film, the smash-hit and critically acclaimed musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie returns to The Lowry. It’s a fun, moving, fabulous musical set to an original score of catchy pop tunes written by Dan Gillespie Sells (lead singersongwriter of The Feeling) and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who) and choregraphed by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince (Into The Hoods, Some Like It Hip Hop).

Jesus Christ Superstar

Palace Theatre / 11-23 September

Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) directs this mesmerizing new production of the iconic global phenomenon Jesus Christ Superstar, starring Julian Clary as Herod, Ian McIntosh as Jesus, Shem Omari James as Judas and Hannah Richardson as Mary. Originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, this reimagined production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.

INNIT Musical

The Lowry / 13-23 September

Based on the autobiographical story of actor and writer Micky Dacks, Innit is about an 18-year-old boy who falls in love and finds redemption from his troubled past through music.

Following its previously sold-out runs, critically acclaimed Innit Musical returns to The Lowry with a brand-new team, a visually striking production design along with an eclectic array of original songs, spanning every genre from ska to pop and hip-hop to rock ’n’ roll, there’s something for everyone.

Annie

Manchester Opera House

18-30 September

The smash-hit West End production of Annie comes to Manchester for two weeks only staring Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood (Mon-Fri performances) and Jodie Prenger (Saturday performances) as the tyrannical Miss Hannigan.

Set in 1930’s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Her luck soon changes when she's chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire Oliver Warbucks.

Tony!

The Tony Blair Rock Musical

The Lowry / 2-7 October

An uproarious musical of political intrigue, religion, power and romance, this new show by Harry Hill and Steve Brown received critical acclaim following a sold-out run at the Park Theatre in London. This story of how one man went from peace-loving, long-haired hippy and would-be pop star to warmongering multimillionaire in just a couple of decades. Throw in a stellar cast of larger-than-life characters – Cherie Blair, Princess Diana, John Prescott, Peter Mandelson, Alastair Campbell, Osama bin Laden, George W Bush, Saddam Hussein and Gordon Brown – it’s Yes, Minister meets The Rocky Horror Show!

Drama

Great Expectations

Royal Exchange

8 September / 7 October

Pooja Ghai directs Tanika Gupta’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, which uses the familiar Dickens framework, but it comes with a twist. Pipli moves from his home in Rajshahi to the bustling streets of Calcutta. With an open heart he navigates unforgiving darkness and unsettling friendships in his search for a better future. For Pipli, dharma – the right way of living – is never far away.

The

Crown Jewels

The Lowry / 19-23 September

The Crown Jewels is the brand-new comedy based on the most unbelievable royal caper in British history. Charismatic and unpredictable Colonel Blood, along with a trio of misfits, is planning the greatest heist of all time: stealing the Crown Jewels in plain sight.

With a brilliant star-studded cast, including Al Murray and Mel Giedroyc, the production also stars Joe Thomas, Neil Morrissey and Carrie Hope Fletcher and is written by BAFTA Award-winning Simon Nye (creator of The Durrells and Men Behaving Badly) and directed by multi-Olivier Award winner Sean Foley.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Lowry / 4-7 October

Following a phenomenal four weeks in December, the National Theatre‘s major new stage adaptation The Ocean at the End of the Lane returns to The Lowry for one week only this October due to overwhelming demand.

From the imagination of Neil Gaiman, best-selling author of Coraline, Good Omens and The Sandman, comes this thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship, a five-star spectacular that blends magic with memory in a tourde-force of storytelling and takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten.

Family

Andy & The Odd Socks Tour

The Lowry / Sunday 24 September

Any fan of CBeebies will know them as the greatest sock and roll band in the world… and now they are on tour. Don’t miss the chance to see Andy and the band live on stage.

Dance

Eun Me Ahn – Dragons

The Lowry / 26-27 September

Eun-Me Ahn is one of the most important artists in South Korea. Founded in 1988, her contemporary dance company has performed at 11 major international festivals, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Eun-Me Ahn and her company of seven South Korean performers interact with stunning performer holograms on stage in a joyful riot of dance, music and non-stop movement. Vivid and colourful projections bring forests and clouded skies to life, while an evocative soundtrack seamlessly blends contemporary pop and electronic music with a traditional score.

Comedy

Jack Whitehall – Settle Down

The Lowry / Thursday 28 September

Jon Richardson – The Knitwit

The Lowry / 29-30 September

Entertainment

Derren Brown’s Unbelievable

Palace Theatre / 29 August – 2 September

Words: Catherine Reed

Mrs

Brown’s Boys – Mrs Brown Rides Again

Manchester Opera House

30 August – 2 September

The multi-award-winning Brendan O’Carroll and Mrs. Brown’s Boys are back with their much-loved classic play Mrs. Brown Rides Again for the first time in 10 years.

Written by and starring Brendan O’Carroll as the beloved ‘Mammy’, the classic Mrs. Brown Rides Again follows Agnes Brown and her dysfunctional family romp their way through what seems to be the Mammy’s last days at home.

Derren Brown, with his long-time collaborators Andy Nyman and Andrew O’Connor, has created a new show starring a multi-talented cast of seven who will perform magic like you have never seen. Derren's one-man shows have won two Olivier Awards and played to sold-out houses on tour across the UK, both in the West End and on Broadway. He doesn’t appear in this show, but his creative involvement surely makes it an unmissable show!

Lost in Music

Bridgewater Hall / Saturday 2 September

Boasting a sensational live band and an incredibly talented cast, Lost In Music is a magical journey straight to the heart of disco; a feel-good celebration of some of the greatest songs of all time from artists such as Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Chic, Sister Sledge and Earth, Wind & Fire.

I’ve never got away with summing up a car in a one-word headline before but hear me out – this one’s a corker. We re cently had the pleasure of borrowing the new Hyundai IONIQ 6 for a family camping weekend and one of the things our entire group was most excited about was the ability to power our portable fridge straight from the car. It kept all our milk and beer cool for the whole weekend without so much as a twitch on the battery gauge!

That alone justifies the headline – but it’s not the only thing that makes this car, well, cooler.

First of all, the aesthetic is bang on-trend. Regular readers will know I’m a sucker for the four-door coupe look – or “streamliner” as Hyundai is billing it. I owned a MercedesBenz CLS for four years, mainly because I couldn’t quit that jaw-dropping long wheelbase aero silhouette and it turns out I wasn’t alone as it’s become quite a pop ular body style. But unlike the CLS at almost twice the price, this IONIQ 6 be longs to the new generation with its 100%-electrified powertrain, mindful