Bolton Octagon Theatre reveals 2024 autumn/winter season

The Octagon Theatre has revealed details for its forthcoming autumn/winter season in Bolton.

From 5 to 28 September 2024, the venue will stage Brassed Off, based on the much-loved film about a band of brass-playing miners in Yorkshire who are faced with the closure of their colliery. Adapted by Paul Allen and directed by Liz Stevenson, the play is a co-production with Theatre by the Lake and Stephen Joseph Theatre and will feature live music from local brass bands.

Next up, Rifco Theatre presents the comedy Pali and Jay’s Asian Wedding DJ Roadshow (16 to 19 October), which follows an uncle and nephew duo through the trials and tribulations in the competitive world of wedding DJ’ing. It is written by Viraj Juneja and directed by Ameet Chana.

The Octagon, Barn Theatre and Wiltshire Creative co-production of Stones in His Pocket will be staged from 22 October to 2 November, penned by Marie Jones and directed by her son, Matthew McElhinney. The comedy explores what happens when a Hollywood studio arrives to film the latest historical blockbuster in a small village in rural Ireland.

Over the festive season, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book hits the stage in a family musical adaptation by Andrew Pollard and Ziad Jabero, under the direction of Sarah Punshon. It will run from 22 November to 4 January 2025.

Mina Anwar is set to reprise the titular role in Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine following her critically acclaimed performance in the Octagon’s 2020 production. Lotte Wakeham directs the beloved comedy which follows a bored housewife on a journey of self-discovery during a holiday to Greece from 7 February to 8 March.

Finally, John Steinbeck’s classic Of Mice and Men will run from 26 March until 12 April, directed by Sarah Brigham. Set during the Great Depression, it follows two drifters, Lennie and George, whose hopes of living the American dream come crashing down as their friendship is put to the ultimate test.

Wakeham, the Octagon’s artistic director commented: “Our autumn/winter season is packed with laugh out loud comedies, captivating drama, literary classics, family entertainment and much more – a real mix of top-quality entertainment with something on offer for everyone to enjoy.

“We are taking audiences on a round-the-world trip from the comfort of the Octagon as we transport you from a coal mine in Yorkshire to a beach in sunny Greece to the jungles of India. We cannot wait to welcome audiences to the Octagon for unforgettable experiences and create treasured, ever-lasting memories over the coming season and beyond.”

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