Fancy an arts and culture reawakening? Well you’re in luck, because some of the biggest theatre shows in the world are set to grace the Manchester stages this spring – and that front row seat most definitely has our name on it. From reimagined classics to some of the biggest stage shows of all time, with some new material sprinkled in, here are some of the best theatre shows coming to Manchester this autumn.
1. Burlesque − October 3 − November 2, Manchester Opera House
Discover a club like no other… a place beneath the city lights where the sequins sparkle, seduction shimmers, and a life can change in the flick of a feather boa.
When Ali heads to New York in search of her mother, she finds herself drawn into a dazzling underground world where the beat of the music and the heat of the dance moves will change her life forever. Among this unlikely family of misfits, dreamers and schemers, Ali will unwittingly find her real voice, discover her talent, and find where she really, truly belongs.
Following an unprecedented sold-out season at Manchester Opera House in June, Burlesque the Musical has returned to Manchester for autumn 2024, all produced by none other than original Ali, Christina Aguilera herself.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
2. CHICAGO − November 4 − 9, Palace Theatre Manchester
CHICAGO comes to Manchester in November for one week only starring Coronation Street‘s Faye Brookes (Dancing On Ice, Grease, Legally Blonde) as Roxie Hart, West End and TV stars Brenda Edwards (Loose Women, Chicago, The X Factor) as Matron ‘Mama’ Morton and Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as Billy Flynn.
Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
3. The Haunting of Blaine Manor − November 5 & 6, The Lowry
Take spooky season into November with The Haunting of Blaine Manor at The Lowry. England, 1953. Renowned American parapsychologist Doctor Roy Earle, famous for discrediting hauntings and exposing fake mediums, is invited to attend a seance in Blaine Manor, said to be the most haunted building in England. However, Earle’s arrival awakes something horrific within the manor’s walls. As a raging storm closes them off from the outside world, Earle and his companions find that what is waiting within the manor is not nearly as horrific as what has entered with them.
🎟️ Book tickets here.
4. Outpatient − November 6-9, The Lowry
Olive has just found out she’s going to die. Which is weird. She thought death was for other people. She’s got it figured out though. She’s going to sever all ties with her partner, throw herself into her work and audition for a reality singing competition, all in the name of freedom and making an impact. But is this freedom? It’s not clear.
Harriet Madeley’s award-winning solo show comes to the Lowry off the back of a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival. Get ready to laugh, cry and contemplate life itself…
🎟️ Book here.
5. The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria − November 8 & 9, The Lowry
Award-winning Out Of The Forest Theatre’s irreverent comedy – featuring live music inspired by Bulgarian and Jewish folk tunes – tells the incredible true story that the world forgot. The year is 1943 and Bulgaria has just told Hitler where to stick it. Europe’s major powers are at war and King Boris III must choose a side or be swept away. A raucous and poignant tale in which a bunch of underdogs use every trick in the book to outwit the Nazis and save nearly 50,000 Jewish lives.
Fresh from a run in New York, the Edinburgh Fringe smash hit and Off West End award-winner is now heading to The Lowry!
🎟️ Grab tickets here.
6. An Audience with Lucy Worsley on Jane Austen − November 9, The Lowry
Following her sold-out Agatha Christie tour, acclaimed historian Lucy Worsley leads us into the life of one of English literature‘s most cherished figures. For these live, beautifully-illustrated talks, Lucy invites audiences to step into the world of Jane Austen, the beloved author of timeless classics such as Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion.
Through the houses, places and possessions which mattered to her, Lucy takes a fascinating look at what home meant to Jane and to the women like her who populate her novels. Austen famously lived a ‘life without incident’, but with new research and insights Lucy reveals a passionate woman who fought for her freedom. A woman who, far from being a lonely spinster, in fact had at least five marriage prospects, but in the end refused to settle for anything less than Mr Darcy.
🎟️ Find any remaining tickets here.
7. Nativity the Musical − November 9 & 10, Contact Manchester
Drama MOB students perform this hilarious and family-friendly musical about a primary school’s attempt to put on a Christmas nativity musical and make a child’s Christmas wish come true. Expect thrills, spills, and of course, chaos, as this modern festive classic is brought to the Manchester stage.
🎟️ Get tickets here.
8. Only Fools and Horses The Musical – November 11 – 23, Manchester Opera House
Stick a pony in your pocket – The Trotters are back and coming to the Manchester Opera House! The smash hit show Only Fools and Horses The Musical – direct from a record-breaking sold-out four-year run in London’s West End – featuring Del Boy, Rodney, Grandad, Cassandra, Raquel, Boycie, Marlene, Trigger, Denzil, Mickey Pearce, Mike the Barman, the Driscoll Brothers and all the gang, is hitting the road in 2024 and 2025 for a major tour of the UK and Dublin, coming to Manchester from November 11−23, 2024.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
9. Elf The Musical − November 12 – 17, Palace Theatre Manchester
Based on the cherished 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf follows Buddy, a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list, and his step-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
🎟️ Find any remaining tickets here.
10. Wonder Boy − November 12 – 16, The Lowry
Wonder Boy is a heart-warming and inspiring story about the power of communication. Sonny is twelve. He stammers and is finding his way in a world ruled by vicious vowels, confusing consonants, and let’s not forget the biggest beast of them all – small talk.
Sonny’s only friend is Captain Chatter, a comic book hero of his own creation, but in the real world, language is power and Sonny must find a way to be heard. When cast in the school production of Hamlet by the headteacher, he finds the real heroes are closer than he thinks. Packed with playful humour, dazzling visuals and thrilling original music this innovative production includes live creative captioning on stage throughout, perfect for families.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
11. Opera North − November 13 – 15, The Lowry
Step into a world of opera at The Lowry with this series of Opera North productions. Whether it’s Mischievous schemes and magic potions in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, crime and curses in Ruddigore or sorcerers and queens in The Magic Flute, there’s something for every taste. With classic operas and those adapted to become one, there are plenty of interesting and nuances productions happening across Opera North.
🎟️ Browse Opera North productions here.
12. Blood Brothers − November 19 – 30, Palace Theatre Manchester
Written by the iconic Willy Russell, the legendary Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving tale of twins who, separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again with fateful consequences. The play is right at home in the North West and there’s no better place to see such a legendary piece of work than Manchester’s Palace Theatre.
🎟️ Book here.
13. Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake − November 19 – 30, The Lowry
Matthew Bourne’s audacious, rule-breaking reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago. It has now become the most successful dance theatre production of all time, creating new audiences and inspiring generations of young dancers. In celebration of that ongoing impact, Swan Lake will take flight once more in a major new revival for the next generation of dancers, and for audiences who will experience it for the very first time.
Thrilling, bold, witty and emotive, this genre-defining event is still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turning tradition on its head.
🎟️ Get tickets here.
14. Spend Spend Spend − November 23 – January 11, Royal Exchange Manchester
🎟️ Find tickets here.
15. Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival 2024 − November 26 – 28, Contact Manchester
Coram Shakespeare Schools Foundation is proud to present the world’s largest youth drama festival at Contact this November. An exhilarating evening of live theatre, the festival will feature a series of unique abridged Shakespeare productions by local schools. See Shakespeare’s timeless stories brought to life like never before, and support young people from your community as they take to the stage.
🎟️ Grab tickets here.
Theatre shows in Manchester to look out for this year:
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Wicked – December 3, 2024 – January 12, 2025, Palace Theatre
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A Christmas Carol – December 6, 2024 – January 4, 2025, The Lowry