Feeling cultured? What’s on at the theatre this week

Manchester International Festival may have finished but there’s still lots to enjoy at the theatre this week, says Kate Morris…

Hello Manchester Lovers! As you know by now, (especially if you have signed up to our newsletter) we are all about being cool, cultured and cosmopolitan. We like to tip our hats to the best places to grab a cocktail, give you a peak into the newest haunts and keep you in the know about the must attend events.

‘Have you ever seen
a movie and thought,
if only I could see
that in real life?’

We reckon we’ve got the cool and Cosmopolitans – sorry, cosmopolitan – sorted, so now we’re getting a bit more in touch with our cultured side. And in true ILM style, we are going to keep you ahead of the curve with a roundup of what’s happening this week at a theatre near you. #TheatreEnvy London?

The third Manchester Fringe Festival continues with lots of productions at The Kings Arms in Salford. Productions include comedy What It Says On The Tin, and the brutal and thought provoking one woman show Phone Whore.

Sadly, the excellent The Mercury Complex, an autobiographical tragi-comedy recounting the moment five year old Lindsay tells her mother that when she grows up she wants to be Freddie Mercury, has now finished. Do try and catch it elsewhere if you can.

Have you ever seen a movie and thought, if only I could see that in real life? You probably don’t want to see zombies running amok across Manchester but if you don’t mind them in the safety of a theatre, Shaun of the Dead Live, an audience participation stage version of Simon Pegg’s cult comedy is at The Dancehouse (Wed 22^nd-Friday24th).

Up on Oxford Road, the Contact Youth Company is hosting an immersive and interactive journey with The Shrine of Everyday Things. This production is at an off site location and runs from Wednesday 22^nd July to Saturday 25th July.

Coming back to the city centre, The Royal Exchange will be running the critically acclaimed The Skriker staring Maxine Peake until Saturday 1^st August as part of Manchester International Festival. In their other performance space, The Studio, Real Life, written and performed by Ben Kewin, a man who believes he can single-handedly teach us how to live a better life.

The highlight of the week however is the return of 24:7 Theatre Festival, a favourite amongst Manchester theatregoers. The festival was inspired by the Edinburgh Fringe and is a platform for emerging artists. This year the festival has downsized and lasts just a weekend, but rest assured the quality won’t be lost. The weekend includes four main plays Madness Sweet Madness, Gary: A Love Story, The Plant and We are the Multitude, all running from Friday 24^th – Sunday 26^th and performed at the Martin Harris Centre. There is also a free family friendly show The Butterfly’s Adventure at Manchester Museum, Brief Encounters, six free open-air monologues, and collaborative piece Distant Sounds (Saturday 25^t.h – Sunday 26^th)