Double Oscar nominee, Golden Globe and BAFTA award-winning actress Brenda Blethyn returns to Manchester’s Royal Exchange to star in one of the great roles in American drama – Amanda Wingfield – in The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams from Wednesday 9 April to Saturday 24 May 2008.

With big screen successes including Little Voice (Academy Award nomination), Secrets and Lies (Golden Globe and BAFTA award for Best Actress and Academy Award nomination), Saving Grace and Pride and Prejudice, her previous stage credits for the Royal Exchange include A Doll’s House and An Ideal Husband.

Numerous TV credits include Outside Edge, Grown Ups and Buddah Of Suburbia. Other recent stage work includes Habeas Corpus (Donmar), Mrs Warren’s Profession (Strand Theatre) and Night Mother (New York). She also recently starred in an Australian production of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, directed by Royal Exchange founding Artistic Director Braham Murray who also directs this new production of Tennessee Williams’ classic play. (more…)

Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre has launched the latest of its annual searches for aspiring new talent. Now becoming a regular feature on the cultural calendar, BLUE 6 offers a chance for more flourishing and established live performers based in the North West to showcase their work in The Studio at the Royal Exchange.

Now celebrating its sixth anniversary, previous BLUE showcases have been sell-out successes and contained an eclectic mix of ideas and inventiveness. A variety of different live performance extracts have ranged from dance and comedy to physical theatre and poetry, raising the profile of many of the region’s most imaginative practitioners and catapulting some artists on to award-winning national tours.

BLUE successes include Sonia Hughes, the writer of Peppered Moth, who returned to The Studio in 2006 with her newly developed production of Weeding Cane, which also had a successful UK tour. Performers Angel Club (north), who were part of 2006’s showcase, returned to The Studio later in the year during a national tour of their new show, Obstacles To Coming Home. And this Spring, performer Annie Fitzmaurice, who was part of BLUE 5, returns to The Studio for a 3-night full-production. (more…)

THIS OFFER HAS NOW EXPIRED

The Royal Exchange’s stunning revival of The Children’s Hour has received rave reviews.

It is currently running until 5 April and we have an exclusive offer for whatsonstage.com/manchester readers.

You can book tickets at the bargain price of £10!

THE SHOW:
When a troubled teenager starts to spin a web of deceit, all around her are soon caught up in it, threatening the lives of the teachers that have nurtured her. This brilliant play stars Maxine Peake, Charlotte Emmerson, Jan Ravens and dazzling newcomer Kate O’Flynn.

Powerful and Passionate’ * * * * Manchester Evening News

‘The one to watch is outstanding newcomer Kate O’Flynn…’ The Guardian

‘Maxine Peake – a marvelous stillness…Charlotte Emmerson’s Martha is impressive – superbly played’ The Observer

‘Frankcom’s excellent revival slowly grips and does not let go… incredibly filmic and powerful’ Whatsonstage.com

If you are feeling the pinch after Easter, this offer is just for you. But hurry, as tickets are bound to go quickly! (more…)

This competition is now closed and the answer is Byrony Lavery.

Congratulations to Sheila Thompson & Shirley Mould. Enjoy the play!

Be the first to see Byrony Lavery’s Frozen at the Library Theatre; Manchester’s hidden gem.

This heartbreaking thriller runs from 4-26 April.

We have 2 pairs of tickets up for grabs from our friends at the Library!

THE SHOW:
One sunny evening, 10-year-old Rhona, goes missing. Her mother, Nancy, retreats into a state of frozen hope, but still clings on to the hope that Rhona will be found alive. At the same time, far away in New York, American academic Agnetha, working on her thesis Serial Killing, A Forgivable Act?, is called in to help police draw up a psychological profile of the suspect.

This gripping, psychological drama is set to be a real must-see piece of theatre!

“Frozen is a truly outstanding play” - Daily Telegraph

“Bryony Lavery’s play touches greatness by taking you to the edge of the unimaginable” - The Guardian

THE OFFER:
We have two pairs of tickets for WOS Manchester visitors on Monday 7th April. (more…)

Venue: The Lowry
Date Reviewed: 19th March 2008

Reader Rating: Add/View Rating

Most people remember the iconic TV show, Our Friends In The North for its brave storylines and engaging characters, played by a variety of since, well- known stars, including Gina McGee, Christopher Eccleston and Daniel Craig. But the series began life as a play for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Watching this big, bold tale, you can see why as it incorporates, drama, politics, corruption and welcome bouts of comedy. It is almost four hours long, but it is directed and performed with such passion and urgency, that the time simply flies by.

Northern Stage have done such a fine job bringing Our Friends back, that you feel like you are something fresh and highly original. The great thing about this play is that it is rooted in historical facts; so we travel back in time to a brave new world, on the cusp of change, which draws clever parallels with the eve of the historic 1997 General Election. (more…)