THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. CONGRATULATIONS TO PAMELA HAMBY!

Win 2 tickets to see Daniel Boys in the West End Smash hit show, Avenue Q (pictured left) at the Noel Coward Theatre, London.

The Offer:
An all star cast including Daniel Boys star in this great musical at the Noel Coward Theatre. One lucky winner will receive two tickets to see the show for free at any Mon- Thurs show (subject to availability). Please note travel is not provided.

The Pitch:
To celebrate its new cast, the producers of the hit show, Avenue Q are offering a lucky subscriber the chance to see Daniel Boys playing Princeton/Rod in Avenue Q, which has extended until 27 September 2008 at the Noel Coward Theatre. (more…)

Playwright and author Willy Russell addressed an audience of wannabe writers at the Lowry (Studio) on Wednesday evening.

He enlightened the audience about the writing process, amongst many other topics at the show, used to promote North West Playwrights; an organisiation that Russell is proud to be involved with.

During the evening, Russell delivered readings from both Shirley Valentine and his hit novel; The Wrong Boy. He also kept the audience up to date with news of Blood Brothers ….The Movie. Although a screenplay has been written with Alan Parker, the project is currently on hold, as no major studio has come forward with any funding for the 25 million dollar musical. (more…)

Congratulations Phil Newis. You have won a family ticket to see Cinderella @ The Opera House, Manchester on Tuesday 11 December.

Cinderella follows last year’s pantomime Snow White which starred other Coronation Street actors John Savident and Suranne Jones, which broke all box office records at the Opera House. Cinderella is set to do the same with a high quality production featuring dazzling sets, sparkling costumes, lavish song and dance routines and real Shetland ponies.

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The Library Theatre in Manchester enjoys a first-class reputation for the quality of its annual Christmas production, and this year will be no exception, because returning to the Library – with an all-new cast – is the award-winning Tom’s Midnight Garden, which played to packed houses and enjoyed excellent reviews in 2002.

Adapted by David Wood from the best-selling children’s book by Philippa Pearce, Tom’s Midnight Garden tells the story of 12-year-old Tom, who spends the summer at his aunt Gwen and uncle Alan’s house, to allow his brother to recover at home from measles. Bored, Tom ventures downstairs and discovers a previously hidden door behind which lies a secret Victorian world of magic, mystery, and adventure. (more…)

Venue: Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Date Reviewed: 26th November 2007

With Christmas proving such a lucrative time for many regional theatres, this Octagon Theatre production of Charles Dickens’ classic, has the advantage of being one of the first festive productions to open, within the Manchester area.

You may associate this theatre with Roald Dahl, this time of the year, as they have had hits with The BFG, The Twits and James And The Giant Peach. Rather than continue the Dahl trend this year, however, the theatre has wisely chosen this Christmas cracker instead, putting their own unique take on the Dickensian tale of Ebenezer Scrooge and his penchant for money, money, money, whatever the personal cost for his local community. (more…)