Roundabout: the one of a kind pop-up theatre is coming back to Salford

As part of its Lowry Beyond programme, The Lowry brings the state-of-the-art pop-up theatre Roundabout to Prince’s Park in Irlam, Salford from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th October 2022.

“Roundabout is a very special place – one that we have shared with so many communities across Salford in the last 7 years,” said Matthew Eames, The Lowry’s Head of Theatres (Contemporary and Commissioning)

“They have adored and embraced the stories that have been told within its big yellow dome and we can’t wait for the people of Irlam to experience it too. A huge thank you to Irlam & Cadishead Community Festival and members of our community steering group for supporting Roundabout and making it such a vibrant programme.”

Created by theatre company Paines Plough, Roundabout is the UK’s first ever fully accessible, demountable, and portable plug-and-play theatre. Since 2015, The Lowry has partnered with Paines Plough on Roundabout to bring the thrill of live performance into the heart of Salford communities, showcasing brilliant new theatre.

In its seventh visit to Salford, the space-ship-like theatre space will present comedy, music, free family and community events, and FOUR brand new plays including: Half-Empty Glasses written by Baruwa-Etti and Directed by Kaleya Baxe, A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain written by Sami Ibrahim and Directed by Yasmin Hafesji, The Ultimate Pickle written by Laura Lindow and Directed by Eva Sampson, and Caste-ing written by Nicole Acquah and Nouveau Riche and Directed by Shakira Newton. All plays are £5 and can be booked via The Lowry website or the onsite box office at Prince’s Park.

Also for just £5, audiences can catch some of the very best comedians in the UK at the Roundabout Comedy Club. The Lowry proudly presents Cerys Nelmes, Jonny Awsum and Stephen Bailey. Award winning comedian Jonny Awsum has charmed audiences all around the world with his high energy performance style and unique brand of musical comedy. He is a well-known headliner across the UK comedy circuit and shot to fame on Britain’s Got Talent. Multi-award nominated comedian Stephen Bailey’s indecorous brand of gossipy humour has singled him out as one of the UK’s most sought-after comedy talents; appearing on Live at the Apollo, Would I Lie To You, Richard Osman’s House of Games, Between The Covers and much more. Ringmaster for the evening will be the leading MC on the comedy circuit, Cerys Nelmes. Thu 6 Oct, 8:30pm

The new play by award-winning writer Laura Lindow, The Ultimate Pickle (suitable for children aged 5+) is about the importance of stories, the imagination, and how our little ones deal with grief. Everything is awesome in Dill’s life. But when a little ball of fluff falls from grandad’s book, everything changes forever. Could that be a… wolf!? Join Dill on an adventure through the unexpected surprises in life. Sat 8 Oct, 11.30am (Captioned) / Sun 9 Oct, 11.30am

A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain (suitable for children aged 12+) from award-winning playwright Sami Ibrahim is a poetic fable of an impenetrable immigration system that mirrors our own. Elif shears sheep for a rich landowner. Every other waking hour she spends queuing outside the palace, hoping that the King will let her live within the city walls. She comes from a far-away land. She is searching for sanctuary. And this is what we call a hostile environment. Thu 6 Oct, 7pm / Sat 8 Oct, 7pm / Sun 9 Oct, 2.30pm

Half-Empty Glasses is an empowering new play by Channel 4 bursary winner Dipo Baruwa-Etti about the pressures of being young, gifted and ready to change the world. Toye is preparing for his piano exam to get into a prestigious music school. But when he notices the lack of Black British history in his school’s curriculum, he begins to question himself and the world around him. Is this really his dream, or is he letting these institutions write his story? Sat 8 Oct, 3pm (Captioned) / Sun 9 Oct 5.30pm

Caste-ing explores the experiences of three black actresses using beatboxing, rap, song and spoken word. How can they remain true to their values in an industry seemingly intent on pitting them against each other? What do they do when the pressures become too much? We watch them as they attempt to maintain their sense of self, their faith, friendships and of course, careers. Fri 07 Oct, 7pm

Audiences can enjoy a full community programme including free events and activities from Jane McNulty and Salford Community Theatre, Irlam Stage and Screen, Salford Mad Pride & Arts Let Loose, Irlam Mixed Voice Choir and Irlam and Cadishead Community Festival.

Book tickets for Roundabout shows

The full Roundabout 2022 programme can be found here