Columbo and Evita in Lowry new season

The Lowry’s 10th anniversary Season promises to appeal to all comers with Columbo, Evita and a show revolving around the concept of Bangra, amongst the many highlights.

Musical fans can watch many classics including Cameron Mackintosh’s blockbuster 25th anniversary production of Les Misèrables (Tue 10 – Sat 21 August) and biblical favourite Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Mon 5 – Sat 10 July). Less traditional but critically acclaimed is the powerfully political 1970s reggae classic The Harder They Come (Tue 22 – Sat 26 June) and Britain’s Got Bhangra (Tue 22 – Sat 26 June), the tale of a washed-up British Bhangra star with dreams of returning to the top.
 
The Lowry is delighted to announce that more musical treats will arrive this Christmas, with the dazzling Peter Pan (Sat 11 December 2010 – Sat 1 January 2011). 

Before Peter Pan flies into The Lowry, however, two TV classics are transferred to the stage as we welcome the world premierè of 50 Years Of Coronation Street Abridged – Live! (Thu 12 – Sat 21 August). This riotous romp through the history of the nation’s favourite street features a script by Corrie’s own writing team. The second TV classic of the season sees former A-Team and Battlestar Galactica actor Dirk Benedict don a brown raincoat to play cult TV detective Columbo in Middleground Theatre Company’s stage adaptation of Columbo’s first case Prescription: Murder (Mon 7 – Sat 12 June). 

Further drama comes in the shape of Northern Broadsides and the New Vic Theatre’s adaptation of The Canterbury Tales (Tue 18 – Sat 22 May), an energetic production of Geoffrey Chaucer’s enduring study of the best and worst of human nature.

The Lowry Partner Companies Opera North and Birmingham Royal Ballet return in June with Opera North staging Puccini’s classic La Bohème (Wed 16 & Fri 18 June), Dvořák’s hauntingly beautiful tale of water nymph Rusalka (Thu 17 June), plus a brand new production of Donzietti’s Maria Stuarda (Sat 19 June); a tale of intrigue, passion and the relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen Of Scots. Birmingham Royal Ballet brings Romeo & Juliet (Wed 30 – Sat 3 July), which combines Kenneth MacMillan’s romantic choreography with Sergei Prokofiev’s sweeping score.

As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations The Lowry has commissioned world-renowned contemporary artist Spencer Tunick to create new work Everyday People (Sat 12 June – Sun 26 September). Tunick’s large scale nude installations have become icons of contemporary art.  

Throughout the season, The Lowry’s studio space will play host to an impressive array of new writing and innovative theatre. Highlights include Kolective Theatre UK’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, The Orchard (Wed 5 – Sat 8 May), a powerful multimedia production combining speech, live music and video as The Identity Project from the Wellcome Trust presents Interior Traces (Fri 14 May), and Les Enfants Terribles’ Ernest And The Pale Moon (Mon 24 May), a story of obsession and murder inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and Alfred Hitchcock.

The weekend of Sat 5 and Sun 6 June sees The Lowry become a playground for children big and small as the Big Family 10th Birthday Party takes over the building with a combination of ticketed and free events. Highlights of the party include Teatro Kismet’s The Mermaid Princess (Wed 2 – Sat 5 June), an extraordinary combination of circus, theatre and film with LaLaLuna (Sat 5 June) and BreakThru Film, Se-Ma-For Studio and Suzie Templeton’s glorious animation of Peter And The Wolf (Sun 6 June), played on the big screen with live accompaniment from the Manchester Camerata.

Among many other highlights for children is the return of Peppa Pig’s Party (Wed 19 & Thu 20 May), which comes to The Lowry’s Lyric Theatre following its recent sell-out success in The Quays.
 
From September to December the season includes the North West premierè of Alan Bennett’s hit new play, direct from The National Theatre, The Habit Of Art (Tue 5 – Sat 9 October), Awakenings (Wed 22 – Fri 24 September), a world-premierè piece from Rambert Dance Company, Bill Kenwright’s production of classic musical Evita (Mon 6 – Sat 18 September) and the street-dance show Blaze (Fri 1 & Sat 2 October), plus The Library Theatre’s new production of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (Fri 3 December 2010 – Sat 8 January, 2011).

The Lowry celebrates its 10th anniversary on 28 April 2010, so look out for announcements via their website.