Bolton Octagon announces reopening season with plans to 'warm up' from May

Bolton Octagon has unveiled its "warm up" season from May as well as its first main house production for the summer.

The recently refurbished space will welcome audiences back on 26 May with new play See You At the Octagon, penned by Becky Prestwich. Playing until 15 June, the piece is based on the stories of people in and around the town.

On 11 June, a plethora of comedians will take over the space with Justin Moorhouse and Friends, while across the months of May and June the venue's "First Bite" playwriting events will return, featuring texts by Hannah Wilkin, Robert Hudson, Adam Kotwal, Jaclyn Backhaus and Liz Duffy Adams.

On 5 June, Mina Anwar and the Dave Bintley Trio will blend showtunes and jazz in an evening of merriment, while digital work will be created alongside the Muslim Arts and Culture Festival, with three artists – Shamia Chalabi, Shahid Iqbal Khan and Maimuna Memon involved.

The venerated Showstoppers will play for one night only on 19 June, and the theatre will collaborate with new multi venue music and arts festival "Right to Roam" will live music being presented on 16 and 17 July.

Artistic director Lotte Wakeham says today: "It's a joy to finally be able to share the full details of the Octagon's reopening. Our summer Warm Up season promises plenty for audiences of all ages to look forward to with a wide-ranging programme of new writing, comedy, music, play readings and family entertainment.

I'm delighted to announce that our first full production in the reimagined Octagon will be a hilarious adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, in which the classic Sherlock Holmes story will be reimagined as an incredibly funny, fast paced, knockabout comedy."

Playing from 1 July to 7 August, Steven Canny and John Nicholson adapt the piece from Conan Doyle, with casting and creative team to be revealed.

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