Theatre News

New Uncle Vanya and Annie Baker revival announced in latest HOME season

The UK tour of Duncan Macmillan’s ”People, Places and Things” will also commence at the Manchester venue

Cast of People, Places and Things
London cast of People, Places and Things
© Johan Persson

HOME in Manchester has announced its new season, with highlights including a new production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker's Circle Mirror
Transformation
.

The season begins in August with This is Human, which will see the venue's spaces taken over by a series of events inspired by the four main areas of the brain. The work, which is produced and commissioned by a collective of 18 of Manchester's emerging creatives, runs from 3 to 31 August.

This is followed by a co-commission from physical theatre company Gecko. Running from 12 to 16 September, The Wedding is an exploration of personal and political marriage. Headlong will then kick off their UK tour of Duncan Macmillan's critically acclaimed play People, Places and Things from 22 September to 7 October. And from 3 to 25 November, the theatre's artistic director Walter Meierjohann will direct Andrew Upton's new adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, which promises 'a bold visual design and live music'.

Christmas at the venue sees the return of Little Angel Theatre who present Red Riding Hood and the Wolf from 7 to 30 December, as well as appearances from cabaret acts Meow Meow and Tiger Lillies. Australian company Briefs Factory will present Hot Brown Honey from 12 to 23 December.

In 2018, Hofesh Shechter Company will present Grand Finale (31 January to 3 February), a new piece featuring ten dancers and design by Tom Scutt, which sees the company return to live music, played on stage by a band of six musicians. In March, Bijan Sheibani will direct the first major UK revival of Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker's Circle Mirror Transformation. The play, which premiered at the Royal Court in 2013, is set in a small US town and tells of five strangers who come together in their community centre for a creative drama class for adults.

The venue has three festivals taking place during their next season, starting with Orbit 2017 which runs from 28 September to 15 October and features a line-up including Scottee, Lemn Sissay and The Paper Birds. Celebrating the creative talent of refugee and asylum seeker artists, ArtReach's Journeys Festival International returns for a second year from 2 to 15 October. And PUSH 2018 will showcase film, theatre and visual arts from the north west from 13 to 27 January.

Other productions taking place at HOME in the coming months include: Letters to Morrissey by Gary McNair (12 to 17 September), Charge by Motionhouse (17 and 18 October), Underground by Babel Theatre (23 to 25 November), Forced Entertainment's Real Magic (29 November to 1 December), and the Actors Touring Company and Orange Tree Theatre production of Winter Solstice (13 to 17 February).