Walking in to the studio at The Lowry to lively Mexican music, letters on our chairs (which we weren’t allowed to open yet) and brightly lit neon cacti seemed to relax everyone straight away. And this was before the shots of Tequila were dished out.
Falling in Love with Frida first previewed at Sick! Festival in Brighton last year. This year the Festival comes to Manchester, aiming to shine a light on urgent issues that are taboo and misunderstood and looking to confront the challenges of life and death.
With a cast of 4 women, Falling in Love with Frida, is a warm, intimate and interactive performance exploring the life, love and legacy of the artist Frida Kahlo. The 50 minute performance is made up of movement, music and spoken word and is led by Australian born Caroline Bowditch, a disabled performance artist and choreographer, who now lives in Glasgow.
Frida Kahlo was severely injured in a road traffic accident as a teenager, recovering from these injuries caused her to become isolated – a feeling which influenced her most famous works, namely self portraits. Caroline Bowditch explores her own experiences, having brittle bone disease and being a performance maker and wonders what mark she will leave on the world. It is apt that the play opens with Bowditch lying on the top of a yellow dining table staring at a reflection of herself in a mirror – the performance is a self portrait of Bowditch.
With seating on 3 sides of the stage, the performance allowed for the audience to really get involved – dancers Welly O’Brien and Nicole Guarino would lock eyes and flash a smile to individuals in the crowd. Bowditch even shared a piece of water melon with one lady as well as passing a small note to another. British Sign Language interpreter, Yvonne Strain was also fully immersed in the movement on stage- skilled choreography made Strain intrinsic to the performance, something that I have never seen before.
As Caroline Bowditch expresses her passion for Frida Kahlo she draws parallels between herself and the painter, using this to reflect on her own life and experiences. Throughout the show I ended up finding out more about Bowditch than I did Kahlo – she gave me a snapshot of her life, her loves, her dreams and explored ideas around legacy and how we might be remembered.
This is the first time Sick! Festival has been launched in Manchester and it has certainly aroused discussion and succeeded in encouraging people to talk and debate subjects which may not have been approached so honestly before.
Here’s our listings of the best theatre and activities taking place during the Easter school holidays.
The Easter holidays run through from Good Friday, the 3rd April until Friday 17th April – for most schools. I say most schools because I don’t want to confuse any already frazzled parents, but some schools (including the one my children go to) only get one week off, so will miss out on some of the good stuff on this list.
The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre, Chorlton
Oxford Playhouse and untied Artists present the world premiere of this brand new family show The Boy Who Bit Picasso at The Edge in Chorlton.
This show promises a lot of interaction as the audience are invited to take part in a variety of art and craft activities. Suitable for ages 4-8, there will be plenty of storytelling and music as the children are introduced to one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists, Pablo Picasso.
The story is inspired by Antony Penrose’s book which follows the story of Tony who becomes friends with Picasso – telling the true story of how Tony spent his childhood with one of the greatest artists ever to have lived.
We would definitely be attending this one if we could (see first para) – for you lucky ones with two weeks off school – this sounds like a good pick for the holidays.
The Boy Who Bit Picasso comes to The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre in Chorlton on Tuesday 14th April 2015 with 2 showings at 11am and 2pm.
TOP TIP: Be sure to wear play clothes because it could get messy
The Lowry
Room on the Broom has always been a big hit in our house and it’s coming to The Lowry this Easter. The story originally penned by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler has been adapted for stage by the wonderful team at Tall Stories.
Room on the Broom tells the story of a witch and her cat flying happily along on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows the witches hat, bow and wand down to the ground. Luckily, the witch meets some new friends who manage to locate all of her belongings. However, can the witches broomstick hold up to carrying her and her cat and a dog, a bird and a frog? I’m sure you know the rest of the story, I’m sure like me you have probably read and enjoyed it more times than you can count.
Suitable for ages 3+ and running at 55 minutes long, this musical production promises to be full of songs and giggles for all of the family.
A slightly different offering from the Waterside in Sale which may appeal to parents and older children alike. The centre is holding an Artful Playground Easter School, which runs for 4 days, from 7th until 10th April. It is suitable for children/teens aged 7-16 years and will be a musical theatre bonanza made up of singing, acting, dancing and most importantly FUN. There will be a final showcase on the Friday for family and friends.
The Artful Playground Easter school runs from 10am-4pm from Tuesday 7th April until Friday 10th April 2015 and costs £80 (with a £10 discount for Musical Theatre Class members).
In addition to this, Waterside Arts Centre are also having film screenings of How to Train Your Dragon II and The Boxtrolls on Tuesday the 14th April. Visit their website for times and prices.
Z- Arts
Where Caterpillars Go is showing at Z Arts over the Easter break. Suitable for under 5’s, the production follows an inquisitive caterpillar’s journey into a beautiful garden. This thoughtful show promises to explore life, growth and loss through live music, movement and fun.
Inspired by the show there will be a free workshop from Tuesday 7th April – Friday 10th April where participants can create their own paper garden and lanterns as well as experiment with clay and printmaking.
Where Caterpillars Go is showing at Z-Arts on Thursday 9th April at 11:30 am and 2:30pm.
Oldham Coliseum
Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play is being welcomed to Oldham Coliseum on the 8th and 9th April.
Ideal for ages 3+ and a running time of 1 hour 15 minutes, the show includes puppets, live action and music based on the books by Lauren Child and the much loved BBC TV show.
Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play is at Oldham Coliseum from Wednesday 8th April until Thursday 9th April, showing at 11:00am and 1:30pm. Tickets are £10.00. Click here to book.
The Palace Theatre, Manchester
The Cat in The Hat joins us this Easter at The Palace Theatre in Manchester to cause mayhem and mischief. As soon as that red and white hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that they are in for a crazy adventure. But will their mum find out when she gets home?
Based on the wonderful novel by Dr Seuss, we reckon that this show would be a great introduction for young children aged 3+ to the theatre.
The Cat in The Hat is at Manchester’s Palace Theatre from Tuesday 7th April – Wednesday 8th April. Please check out the ATG ticket site for prices and times.
The Royal Exchange
For older children, aged 7-11, the Royal Exchange have their Revolting Rhymes Easter Drama Course. The acting, singing and crafting course runs for 3 days from April 13th – April 15th 2015. With a focus on Roald Dahl’s swizzfiggling stories, these sessions are proving to be very popular so we recommend you book early to avoid disappointment.
The service is offering an Easter music course suitable for KS1 children (aged between 5-8 I think) – its a 2 day course taking place on Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th April. Children can attend one or both days and the courses take place at The Claremont Centre in Sale.
Children will be able to take part in singing, ukulele and violin sessions and percussion lessons and the course is suitable for those who can already play an instrument or complete beginners. The course costs £35 per day and runs from 9:00am until 3:30pm. All instruments are provided, all you need to do is provide a packed lunch.
There are only 30 places so if your child is interested I advise that you fill this online form and submit as soon as you can.
Silver Blades Ice Rink
This post would not be complete without a ‘FROZEN” mention now would it? Altrincham Ice Rink (as I nostalgically like to call it) are holding a Frozen Sing-a-long on Thursday 16th April 2015 between 5:30pm and 7:30pm. I think that the ice rink have won the battle of the Frozen Sing-alongs by pulling this one out of the bag!
There will be figure skating demo’s including a Frozen Sing-along show – followed by an opportunity to meet and greet and a free skating session.
Ticket price is £7.00 and to find out more about this event and other events at Silver Blades Ice Rink over Easter please click here.
Upstaged manchester would like to wish you all a happy Easter. Please tweet your mini reviews of any of the shows or activities that you’ve taken part in to us @UpstagedMCR .
On the night of December 16th 2012, a young woman, Jyoti Singh, and her male friend boarded a bus in Delhi. This 23 year old woman was gang raped by six men, beaten and left for dead – her male friend was unable to defend her as he had been beaten unconscious. This attack shocked the whole world. What happened on this night not only changed the lives of the two young people involved but it became a catalyst for action and protests all over the world. People, men and women began to stand up and stand together; they began to break the silence and talk about their experiences.
Jyoti Singh was given the name ‘Nirbhaya’ by the Indian press before her real identity was released. Nirbhaya means ‘Fearless One’ in Hindi.
It feels wrong to be a theatre critic and watch this show with a view to reviewing it and to give it a star rating. So I put my notebook away. This type of production works beyond and outside of the normal constraints of theatre – asking us to question the role of theatre in spreading an important message and how art can bring about change and give people, who have been previously silenced, a voice.
The cast dressed in black make their way from out of the audience to a barely lit stage, one arm raised, to each tell their stories. Shrouded in white, Singh hands each of the women a prop with which to tell their story – her brutal experience and its coverage around the world has helped other women to come forward and break their silence. They are stories that are unimaginable and stories that really should not be true.
“I want to pull my tongue out from my mouth, like a tree, I want to destroy its roots.”
By taking Singh’s story as a starting point, writer and director Yael Farber, explores the problem of sexual violence against women. Farber makes it perfectly clear that this is not just a problem in India but all over the world, as Pamela Sinha, tells the story of the horrific attack that happened to her while she was living in Canada.
Sneha Jawale recounts the shocking abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband – a dowry bride, she endured horrific experiences of domestic abuse which included being doused in kerosene and set alight. Her tears, real tears, falling down her scarred face – the emotion is raw, it is there for us to see and to hear – she is prepared to speak out and break her silence. Still choked with her tears she makes her way back to the ensemble.
“My body is not mine. My spirit is still intact.”
This catalogue of stories need to be told. They demand words. This is a brave, real and haunting piece of work which stops you in your tracks, leaving you speechless.
-Kristy Stott
Nirbhaya is showing at the Contact on 15 March 2015 at 8pm as part of Sick! Festival
Forever Young is a musical and a black comedy set in a nursing home where the residents are all retired actors. The play is based around each of the characters and their own quirks and traits – it’s rather like a collection of musical numbers punctuated by short comedy sketches.
Ironically, the play opens very quietly, the only noise being a clinical looking Sister George (Georgina White) who whistles the Kill Bill tune while slapping rubber gloves against her thighs and spraying air freshener around the residents lounge. Slowly each of the ageing thespians are revealed to us as they make their comical entries onto the stage. First up is MrBednarczyk, who is the musical director as well as a resident at the home – he reluctantly takes his seat at the grand piano to provide the soundtrack for the other characters to make their ceremonial entries on to the stage.
The cast are all superb, under the careful direction of Giles Croftand the clever choreography of Adele Parry, they all stagger to life and deliver some cracking numbers once Sister George exits the stage and closes the door. Mr Frater’s gait and word finding difficulties are highly convincing and Ms Little’s confused stare and disinhibited outbursts are all believable traits of somebody with dementia. When a conflict breaks out between Mr Frater and Mr Elkington, beside from being the slowest fight in history, it is the greatest source of humour for the audience – they roared with laughter on the night that I attended.
Musical comedy highlights are a plenty – the two romantics Ms Darcy and Mr Superville sing a sweet version of I Got You Babe as well as trying to recreate Torvill and Dean’s 1984 Olympic winning Bolero. Tiara and lace clad Ms Little also sends up a version of Aqua’s Barbie Girl with a prosthetic limb and uses her fox stole as an air guitar for an entertaining version of I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll.
The play also harbours some tender moments between the characters – when Ms Little passes a tissue to Mr Frater we can only imagine that he is thinking about lost youth and love. Ms Darcy’s version of the Nirvana classic, Smells Like Teen Spirit, also reminds us of the loneliness associated with getting older.
The production is loaded with plenty of highly amusing comic sequences and characters that you could watch all day – however, there isn’t much of a plot to push it along and so it does feel like it drags at times. Nevertheless this didn’t appear to hinder the audiences enjoyment judging by their applause and squeals of laughter.
Forever Young celebrates the lives and loves of older adults and blows the assumption that people in nursing homes are just waiting for their final curtain call. As well as being a musical comedy on the surface – this play actually makes a valid commentary on the way that we treat and view older people. This talented cast of seven certainly prove that old age can be a laughing matter.
-Kristy Stott
Forever Young runs at Oldham Coliseum until Saturday March 21st 2015
The Birmingham Royal Ballet are back at The Lowry with an enchanting production of Coppélia. As David Bintley CBE celebrates his twentieth year as director of the company, there really is no ballet more apt for this occasion than the story of Coppélia, packed full of mischievous humour, triumph and joy.
As the Royal Ballet Sinfonia begin to play and the gauze raises to reveal Peter Farmer‘s impressive leafy set, we are transported to a village somewhere in Eastern Europe where Dr Coppélius, an eccentric toy maker wheels out his latest mechanical creation on to his workshop balcony. His only wish is to bring this wind-up doll, Coppélia, to life. Michael O’Hare tells the story of the funny doctor well and looks the part with his puzzled facial expressions and his frazzled white hair.
When Coppélia is left out on the doctors workshop balcony she arrouses attention from flirtatious Franz and the green eye of jealousy from his wife-to-be Swanilda, with neither of the pair realising that she is only a doll.
When the two lovers, separately and unknowingly decide to enter Dr Coppélius’ strange workshop comic chaos is unleashed. Swanilda and her friends pull off the dusty red drapes in the doctors spooky workshop to reveal more of his mechanical dolls. Peter Wright‘s choreography succeeds in bringing all of the humour in the story to the fore, not an opportunity is missed and the world class dancers deliver with energy and sparkle.
Elisha Willis as Swanilda is as an amazing storyteller as she is a dancer – with impeccable timing she conveys humour while delivering complex ballet sequences with ease. Chi Cao as Franz shows a lightness of movement in his solo pieces – turning effortlessly as he appears to float in mid air. Again, a good actor, performing with a good hint of arrogance as the flighty Franz. Following the two striking female soloists in Act III, Celine Gittens and Delia Mathews, the pas de deux between the two main dancers appears to lack a little confidence though.
Peter Farmer‘s intricate, striking set design frames the dancing perfectly, the leafy forrest and Dr Coppélius’ workshop through to the grand drapes and garlands during the Festival of the Bell.
This joyous and witty ballet is a light hearted and humorous celebration of love, suitable for seasoned dance lovers or those who are making their first trip to the ballet. I took Thing 1 (aged 9) and he found it easy to follow and found the story very amusing. With Delibes wonderful musical score, stunningly pretty costumes and Peter Wright’s impressive choreography, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Coppélia really is a magical feast for the senses.
-Kristy Stott
Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Coppélia continues at the Lowry until Saturday March 7th.
With First Steps: A Child’s Coppélia on Friday March 6 at 1pm.
Remember that feeling of loss when you reached the end of the final episode of season five of Breaking Bad? One show which had taken on a permanent place of residence in our hearts – we loved the characters, we felt like we actually knew them and we had taken them into our lives. I don’t know about you, but I really struggled when I reached the end of Breaking Bad. I tried to replace Walt with Dexter but it just wasn’t the same – I was attached to Heisenberg and Jesse Pinkman.
Well there is good news for anyone still suffering with withdrawal symptoms from the Emmy award-winning TV drama – Miles Allen, has brought his One Man Breaking Bad parody show to the UK for a full tour. Throughout the performance time of 80 minutes, Allen manages to condense all five seasons of Breaking Bad and take on the challenge of impersonating all of the lead characters,
Talented impersonator Allen uses our favourite meth head Jesse Pinkman as a narrator for the story, sticking closely to the original narrative, he manages to put his own spin on the action, using relevant cultural references to the NHS and the UK government as well as squeezing in some hilarious impressions of Peter Griffin, Homer Simpson and Gollum.
Miles Allen’s impression of Skyler is particularly entertaining – as he throws the blond synthetic wig haphazardly on to his head and dulls his voice to her low patronising tone. Allen really is a skilled performer, taking on pretty much every character in the series convincingly, as well as performing Breaking Bad dance moves (Better Call Saul and Die like Jane) and fashioning Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball as a strange parody with Walt Jr taking the limelight.
The show is interactive and high energy and Allen encourages the audience to join in wherever possible – whether it be chanting key lines from the show or picking participants from the audience to re-enact the ‘pizza on the roof’ scene.
One Man Breaking Bad is a light hearted and skilled stand up show which taps into a shared love of one of the best TV shows ever made. What did confuse me, however, was the number of people who raised their hands, at the top of the show, when Miles Allen asked, “Who hasn’t watched Breaking Bad?” Aside from the mass plot spoilers, I was puzzled they they had even bought a ticket.
This show is for those people who watched, lived and loved Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad and in Allen’s own words it is “a love letter for all of the fans who lived through the blood, meth and tears of the greatest TV show ever made”. If this review has whet your appetite and you fancy revisiting the world of Walter White and co, One Man Breaking Bad will definitely get you your fix.
-Kristy Stott
One Man Breaking Bad continues its UK tour at The Severn Arts Centre in Shrewsbury tonight.
Our pick of the best Manchester Theatre this month
Rather like the Mancunian weather at the moment – we’ve got an eclectic month of theatre planned for March. It’s a lucky dip of cultural goodness – so feast your eyes on our top picks for this month.
Blood Brothers (Palace Theatre)
Written by Willy Russell, Blood Brothers tells the moving story of twins who were separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences.
This smash hit musical sees multi-platinum selling artist and my favourite crooner, Marti Pellow take the role of narrator and the critically acclaimed Maureen Nolan play Mrs Johnstone.
Featuring a superb musical score, which includes Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged Tell Me It’s Not True, the show has been affectionately named the Standing Ovation Musical.
Blood Brothers runs at the Palace Theatre, Manchester from 2nd March 2015 until 14th March 2015.
Sham Bodie (Kraak, Northern Quarter) – 5th March
Sham Bodie is a monthly night held at Kraak in the NQ. Essentially, it’s like lots of the best nights out rolled into one package. There is stand-up and live comedy sketches, from new and established acts, as well as live music from some really good bands. This month features BBC New Comedy Award finalist Tom Little, Fab Radio’s Nina Gilligan and Michael J Dolan. There is also music from garage blues two-piece, Dirty Heels. Sham Bodie only costs a fiver! And this month, in honour of St Patrick’s Day on the 17th, they have teamed up with their pals at Jameson to bring you free whisky. Yes, I said FREE WHISKY…go on, go on, go on….
SICK! Festival
Launched in 2013, SICK! Festival is the first of its kind in the UK, dedicated to revealing, debating and exploring the physical, mental and social challenges of life and death.
SICK! isn’t for the faint hearted or those who fancy a bit of frivolous escapism- the festival explores a variety of issues such as rape and mental health, amongst others, through a variety of different mediums – art installations, film and performance. The festival runs through most of March and events are taking place all over Manchester and Salford. Please take a look at the program of events.
Anna Karenina (The Royal Exchange)
Ony Uhiara, takes the title role of Anna, a dutiful wife and a loving mother. When she meets Count Vronsky it turns her world on its head, putting everything that she has ever known at risk. In a parallel story, Levin is trying to live justly in a social system built on injustice. Spurned on by the woman he loves, he turns his back on wealthy society and heads for his country estate, determined to refashion it into a vision of a fairer world. Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece, set against the backdrop of imperial Russia, explores what happens when two very different couples grapple with the strongest emotion we humans are capable of feeling – love.
Olivier-nominated director Ellen McDougall makes her Royal Exchange debut in this contemporary version of the Leo Tolstoy classic.
Anna Karenina runs at the Royal Exchange Theatre from 19th March 2015 until 2nd May 2015.
BRINK (The Studio, The Royal Exchange)
This promises to be an interesting world premiere by The Royal Exchange Theatre Young Company and written by Jackie Kay (one of my favourite writers – love Red Dust Road).
The production explores the idea of being on the ‘brink’ – what brings you to the brink? When you are close to the edge – do you push forward or do you step back? Everything is possible when you are so close to the brink.
BRINK is running in The Studio at the Royal Exchange from 26th March 2015 until 29th March 2015.
Maxine Peake as Hamlet (The Cornerhouse)
For those of you, like myself, who didn’t manage to catch Maxine Peake as Hamlet the first time round at The Royal Exchange – this film screening of Hamlet at Manchester’s Cornerhouse may be for you.
Hamlet is possibly Shakespeare’s most iconic work, exploring ideas of love and betrayal and themes of murder and madness.
This groundbreaking version of Hamlet, directed by Sarah Frankcom, was the Royal Exchange’s fastest selling show of the last decade. It had a complete sell out run in the theatre and Maxine Peake’s Hamlet was described as “delicately ferocious” by The Guardian and “a milestone Hamlet” by the Manchester Evening News.
I’m definitely going to catch it this time round.
Cornerhouse have 3 showings of this unmissable performance.
Mon 23 March: Doors 19:15, Starts at 19:30 Sun 29 March: Doors 14:45, Starts at 15:00 Thu 2 April: Doors 19:15, Starts at 19:30
Birmingham Royal Ballet – Coppélia (The Lowry)
And finally, something for the little ones – Birmingham Royal Ballet are visiting The Lowry with Coppélia, it runs from March 4th until March 7th.
But more importantly, the Birmingham Royal Ballet are also presenting First Steps – A Child’s Coppélia on Friday 6th March at 1pm.
In this hour long version, the delightful story has been specially adapted to suit children aged from 3-7.
The Lowry are also holding a Family Fun Day on Saturday 7th March from 12-1:30pm, which is free to all matinee ticket holders.
Just as the submission window opens for The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015 – Manchester receives the world premiere of the 2013 winning entry written by Anna Jordan.
Yen is the tale of two neglected teenage brothers, Hench, 16 and Bobbie, 13. They live alone with their dog, Taliban who spends his days locked in their old bedroom because he once ‘bit someone on the estate’. Sometimes their alcoholic and diabetic mum descends on them, usually when she wants something, but they don’t get along with ‘minge-face Alan’ the man that she has shacked up with. The two brothers spend most of their days playing Call of Duty, watching pornography and drinking and smoking whatever they have managed to get their hands on. Hench (Alex Austin) dropped out of school and Bobbie (Jake Davies) has ADHD and quit his place at ‘The Unit’.
The two brothers have no ambition, no hope, they share a sofa bed and a t-shirt that they nicked from the charity shop. It is a well carved out, well layered story of lost childhood, love and violence – it is a commentary on the state of society.
But, it is not only this – Yen is vivid, it gets right under your skin, it is unsettling, but in a brilliant way. Anna Jordan’s writing is witty and terse, the dialogue is filthy but hilarious. It is amazing that a play which was based on a local news story about two neglected and abandoned brothers who commit a heinous crime, can produce such laughs from the audience, but it does.
All four members of the cast give remarkable performances during their debut appearances at the Royal Exchange Theatre. The two brothers Hench and Bobbie are loaded with testosterone, reminding us of caged monkeys as we take our seats in the studio, they climb the scaffolding and swing from ropes, making the most of Georgia Lowe‘s sparce but highly effective set design.
The energy between the two brothers is quite profound, tousling with each other constantly, Bobbie is loud mouthed and vulgar with a deep attachment to his hopeless mother (SianBreckin) while Hench seems shy, suspicious and afraid of the outside world. When Jenny (Annes Elwy) barges into their flat venting concern for Taliban’s welfare, Hench is given a small glint of the world outside and a small window of hope and love.
By the end of the play my mind was doing somersaults, the characters were racing around in my head, they had stuck. Rather like Ned Bennett‘s clever cyclical direction, Hench and Bobby were trapped in a system and a way of life.
Anna Jordan’s Yen is phenomenal. It is no wonder that it won The Bruntwood Prize in 2013. Get a ticket while you still can.
Yen is running until the 7th March 2015 in The Studio at the Royal Exchange, Manchester
I Believe in Unicorns is a captivating and expressive story penned by one of our greatest storytellers, Children’s Laureate and writer of War Horse, Michael Morpurgo. In this adaptation for the stage, Theatre Alibi unpack the experiences of Tomas and his family in an inventive and visually stunning way. Using live music, puppetry and powerful physical theatre sequences, the moving story is brought to life completely for the audience. I even had a tear in my eye by the end and Thing 1 (9 years old) whispered in my ear, “I feel very sad for them.”
“The Little Match Girl puppet made me feel sad. Some people in the world are poor and some people are rich”
Tomas didn’t like books or stories. He was happier clambering in the mountains like a goat or tobogganing with his Dad. One afternoon, Tomas’ mum suggests going to the library. Tomas is reluctant until he arrives at the library and meets the Unicorn Lady who has a wonderful talent for storytelling, opening the pages and setting the magic free. Tomas’ world becomes so much bigger as he reveals the wonder of stories, the importance of books and the power of his imagination.
“He pulled funny faces, like me, when his mum was taking him to the library.”
There isn’t a weak link in the cast of three, Ben Worth‘s Tomas is animated and well paced, he leads us fluidly from the fun of physical theatre through to scenes loaded with emotion. Derek Flood and Cerianne Roberts are skilled in playing several different characters with ease; a change of voice and posture and a new prop is all that the younger members of the audience need to understand this. The atmospheric lighting design by Dominic Jeffery and live music by Thomas Johnson really help to pace the whole show, aiding the depth and meaning of the story.
I Believe in Unicorns is billed as being suitable for ages six and over, although I would take this with caution. The backdrop to the immediate domestic action is war torn Europe. To Tomas, the war always seems so far away until one day it reaches his village and he experiences first hand the devastation and sadness of war. It is possible that a younger child may well struggle with understanding some of the context here, given that the story is extremely well-crafted with plenty of different strands explored during its running time of sixty minutes.
However, for those older children, over the age of 8, who are able to follow the narrative and appreciate the emotion of the production, I Believe in Unicorns is a rare treat for an age group who are so often overlooked in quality children’s theatre.
“It made me feel like I was lucky.”
Thing 1 went straight home and dug out my old weather beaten copy of The Little Match Girl and began to read.
I Believe in Unicorns is at The Lowry until Sunday 22nd February and then tours nationally through Spring and Summer 2015.
It seems as if we have only just got back to normal after the Christmas holidays and already the February half term break is upon us.
The half term week runs through from Monday 16th February until Friday 20th February and don’t forget that it is Pancake Day on the Tuesday. I’m a traditional sugar and lemon girl, what pancake toppings do you like?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love spending time with the little treasures but I just find it easier and more enjoyable if I have already planned out what we are doing and where we are going.
Here are our picks of some of the best and varied, priced and free entertainment and activities for families in Manchester over the February half term holidays…
The Lowry
The Lowry offer Little Actors and Little Artists over the half term holidays. The activities run every day during half term from 11:00am until 12:30pm.
Little Actors have Frozen themed activities to bring Elsa, Anna and co to life in this fun and interactive drama workshop. Little Artists will be doing junk modelling around the theme of Michael Morpurgo’s I Believe in Unicorns. We have been to the Little Artists session before and both children really enjoyed – we made a Dorothy and a Toto. The sessions are recommended suitable for ages 5-11 and cost £3.50 per child (or £1.75 for Salford residents).
The Lowry also have I Believe in Unicorns and Singalong Frozen on in the theatres during February. Check out the website for more information.
Sale Waterside
Now, I should warn that there is a little bit of a Frozen theme to this post. Well, the children (and some of the parents…ahem) love it, so why not!
Following the same theme then, the Waterside are holding a Frozen Day on Thursday 19th February – there will be craft activities (running as part of the family club) and a singalong Frozen. The day starts at 10am and costs £5.00 to join in with the singalong version of the film. Pre-booking is advised and there will be prizes for the best Frozen themed costume. Check out Sale Waterside Family Club for more information.
Also running in the theatre is Goldilocks and The Three Bears, running at just 60 mins long and suitable for age 2 and over. Interested? For prices and times – click here.
Museum of Science and Industry
Steam, Sweat and Sewers runs daily from 14th February until 22nd February. Experience the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian Manchester. There are lots of gross but informative FREE workshops and creative sessions. Open 10am until 5pm each day.
The activities are FREE (yipee) but make sure that you have a little bit of change on you (or well-briefed and behaved children) for the Victorian fairground rides.
Imperial War Museum
War at Sea – Jump aboard for the whole family to get creative and make something inspired by the IWM’s collections. See how far you can gaze with your very own telescope, as you design a message in a bottle. Discover which animals sailed the seas and learn some sailor slang in interactive storytelling sessions.
All of the activities at IWM are FREE but you are encouraged to make a donation.
Nicobobinus – suitable for children aged 6+. When Nicobobinus is magically turned to gold, he and his friend Rosie embark on a musical adventure to the Land of Dragons…
Duck in the Truck – suitable for 3-7’s. Join duck and his friends in this happy new adventure with puppetry, sing-a-long-songs and plenty of opportunities to join in along the way.
Puss in Boots – suitable for ages 4+. Patrick Lynch from Cbeebies brings this classic fairytale to life.
Salford Museum and Art Gallery
Don’t forget Chinese New Year next week…There are a few free events around the city to celebrate the year of The Ram.
On February 18th Salford Museum and Art Gallery would like to celebrate with you by making a colourful, fire breathing, dancing dragon puppet. The event is FREE andruns on 18th February from 10:30am until 2:30pm.
Z-Arts
Popular family friendly arts venue, Z-Arts are showing Emergency Story Penguin during half term. Suitable for ages 5+ and a running time of 1 hour.
I didn’t get to see the last show by the same company, 59 minutes to Save Christmas, but reliable sources reported that it was a real cracker and not to be missed.
See the trailer For Emergency Story Penguin here:
Shows are on 18th – 22nd February at 11am, 2pm and 4pm. On Wednesday 18th February there will be a FREE Penguin Fun Day. All activities through the day will be free, however tickets for the show will still need to be paid for and booked in advance.
Enjoy your half term, stay arty, stay sane and don’t forget pancake day…
