Oldham Coliseum Does Deathtrap, Menagerie, Moves to Grange

Oldham Coliseum Theatre have announced their new forthcoming season of classic theatre including the thrilling murder mystery Deathtrap, one of Tennessee Williams’ finest works – The Glass Menagerie and Alan Ayckbourn’s chaotic comedy Taking Steps as well as a collection of fantastic tours and one-night events. The new season also includes the start of the company’s temporary move out of the building and taking the Coliseum on the road while some vital work takes place on the theatre.

The season opens with darkly comic thriller – Deathtrap by Ira Levin – an intriguing murder mystery with enough twists to keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the curtain falls.

Tennessee Williams is one of the great Twentieth Century dramatists. Written before his other masterpieces; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie is a compelling portrait of a family in crisis exploring the most fragile of human emotions – hope.

The final Coliseum production of the season is the hilarious Taking Steps directed by Coliseum regular and protégé of Alan Ayckbourn –  Robin Herford, who played Mark in the original 1979 production of Taking Steps.

Taking Steps will be the first Coliseum production staged away from the Fairbottom Street site during the theatre’s refurbishment. The play will be performed in the round – just as originally intended – at the Grange Arts Centre.

During the time out of the building the Coliseum will continue to present plays at the Grange for much of the Spring season before returning to the original theatre in the Autumn. Exciting plans for an open air production in the Summer are in the early planning stages.

As well as the Coliseum productions the season is also hosting some fantastic touring shows including London Classic Theatre’s tour of the classic psycho-drama Equus. The Coliseum have teamed up with Tamasha to co-produce the world debut of their new play Snookered and Rifco Arts will be presenting their high-energy award winning musical Britain’s Got Bangra.

To complement the season a programme of one-night events vary from award winning comic Justin Moorhouse and A Christmas Carol – as told by Jacob Marley to a night of music from the West End and Bernard Wrigley and the Oldham Tinkers.

For more details on the new season, visit the Coliseum website – www.coliseum.org.uk