Trompe l’Oeil musical to run in Manchester in 2026

Trompe l’Oeil, the new musical by Henry Parkman Biggs, will run at Contact, Manchester next spring.

The production arrives following a sold-out run in St Louis and will be presented in a 70-minute version that draws on its earlier off-Broadway and London stagings.

The show reimagines The Wizard of Oz through a 2015/16 American lens, with a narrative centred on a drag queen navigating a shifting political and cultural landscape. The musical includes circus elements and features lyrics with embedded messages that expand on the story’s themes.

Biggs, who also co-composed the music with Preston Joshu, spoke about the forthcoming run, highlighting the evolution of the piece since its last outing and the addition of new circus sequences. Casting is to be announced in early 2026, with the show running from 18 April to 2 May 2026.

The creative team includes Blair Anderson and Thomas Ashton as choreographers, Sarah-Jane Price as casting director, and producers Funky Tickle Productions, Michael Silverman, Scott and Staci Valley, Steve Sonnette and Henry Parkman Biggs.

Tickets are on sale through the Contact Manchester website and the show’s official site.