Word of Warning — Weekly Warning

After a weirdly truncated August, with the falling of the leaves and the betrothal of a pop icon, Autumn looms large...

This weekend, So La Flair, Night People and Beg, Steal & Borrow's Pleasure Rebellion is at HOME on Fri 29 and Sat 30 Aug. 

Next week (w/c 1 Sep) Lois Weaver's Long Table takes place at Aviva Studios on Tue 2 Sep.
On Fri 5 Sep, Nuua Circus's Meanwhile is at Lowry and there's a discount code: 'CIRCUS8' for £8 tickets (also applies to Art for A Rainy Day's How A Spiral Works on Sun 21 Sep).

Also on Fri 5 Sep, Eggs Collective's Dark Nights is at Bradford's Loading Bay. 

The following week (w/c 8 Sep) sees a triple outing for Darkfield with Arcade at Lowry, Flight at Aviva Studios and Séance at HOME - all running 10-21 Sep. Also at HOME, Houmi Miura's In The Beginning Woman Was The Sun is on Thu 11 Sep. 

In Hebden Bridge, at 11 am on Sunday 14 Sep there's The Alternative Sunday Sermon with Tim Etchells at Wainsgate  Chapel followed by Maya Carroll & Soul Roberts's Sunday Session. 

For a bit of advanced notice, we at Word of Warning are gearing up for our 25th Emergency (Sat 27 Sep at Contact) - including special guests Action Hero with the return of A Western, to mark their 20th anniversary. 

While you have missed the boat applying for Emergency, the call for the November edition of Social Experiment remains open until  Wed 12 Nov 12noon.

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances.

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky | Fb | Insta | X | YT

As August dawns and the summer lull is now upon us, I make no apologies for this week being a shameless plug for tomorrow's Haphazard -  Sat 2 Aug from 1-4pm at Z-arts.

From Frankendiva to Nigel Cabbage, a giant mushroom to a flying witch and a haphazard attempt to find balance, it's another free afternoon of all ages mayhem featuring Aimee Williamson, Madame Zucchini, Orla Collier, Puppetfingers, Shannon Mulvey, the institute for crazy dancing and TurnAround Dance Theatre. Full programme details here.  

Thereafter, for the remainder of August, it looks pretty quiet. Sneaking into the end of the month is So La Flair, Night People and Beg, Steal & Borrow's Pleasure Rebellion at HOME on Fri 29 and Sat 30 Aug. 

This mail is going to take a break until, probably, the first week of September. My indolence in not attempting the usual spreadsheet of Edinburgh picks is vindicated, as the Fringe has turned off that facility, so I couldn't do it anyway - but a list of url's for shows that Edinburgh producers have recommended is on the blog version of this mail.

This is your final call for proposals for Emergency on 27 Sep (deadline 8 Aug); but the November edition of Social Experiment remains open until  Wed 12 Nov 12noon).

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances.

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky | Fb | Insta | X | YT

Information for artists: habmcr.org

WORD OF WARNING PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME 

Sat 2 Aug, 1pm-4pm. FREE | Z-arts

Haphazard 2025

An afternoon for the curious of all ages.
Aimee Williamson | Madame Zucchini | Orla Collier | Puppetfingers | Shannon Mulvey | the institute for crazy dancing | TurnAround Dance Theatre
 

As the Left equivocates inauspiciously over its name, we can only hope their offer will entice 16 + 17 year old's from the grip of the Far(age) Right. 

In artsworld, with the summer lull looming:

This weekend,  as part of Refract Festival 25 (until 27 Jul), Sale Waterside has Levantes Dance Theatre's Hug today Fri 25 Jul and Linden Dance's Caged on Sun 27 Jul. At Contact, MMU's Performance Research Group has PRG Presents - A Sharing of New Work this afternoon, Fri 25 Jul.  Liverpool Biennial has Aroma Cantonese Opera Troupe's Participatory Performance at Pine Court on Fri 25 Jul and Alice Rekab + collaborators' Mythlantics at Bluecoat on Sat 26 Jul. 

Next week (w/c 21 July) for us, it's all about Haphazard on Sat 2 Aug from 1-4pm at Z-arts. From Frankendiva to Nigel Cabbage, it's another free afternoon of all ages mayhem featuring Aimee Williamson, Madame Zucchini, Orla Collier, Puppetfingers, Shannon Mulvey, the institute for crazy dancing and TurnAround Dance Theatre.

Thereafter, as August dawns, things go quiet and all eyes turn to Edinburgh. I'm in two minds about the trip myself, so haven't done my usual trawl through the listings - but have uploaded a list of url's for shows that Edinburgh producers have recommended to the blog version of this mail.

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - plus calls are open for Emergency on 27 Sep (deadline 8 Aug); and the November edition of Social Experiment (deadline Wed 12 Nov 12noon).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky | Fb | Insta | X | YT

Information for artists: habmcr.org

WORD OF WARNING PERFORMANCE PROGRAMME 

Sat 2 Aug, 1pm-4pm. FREE | Z-arts

Haphazard 2025

An afternoon for the curious of all ages.
Aimee Williamson | Madame Zucchini | Orla Collier | Puppetfingers | Shannon Mulvey | the institute for crazy dancing | TurnAround Dance Theatre
 

This weekend, tonight, Fri 18 Jul, as MIF retreats towards the horizon, you can catch Germaine Kruip's A Possibility at RNCM (untl 20 Jul). Elsewhere Sam Danson's Daddy's First Gay Date is at Sale Waterside, tonight Fri 18 Jul. 

In Leeds, Compass has Ling Tan's Leeds' Low Carbon Chinatown at Chapel FM Arts Centre on Sat 19 Jul.

Next week (w/c 21 July) Marcus J Free's Marcus Is Alive is at Manchester Jewish Museum on Thu 24 Jul.
As part of Refract Festival 25 (22-27 Jul), Sale Waterside has Levantes Dance Theatre's Hug on Thu 24 + Fri 25 Jul and Linden Dance's Caged on Sun 27 Jul. At Contact, MMU's Performance Research Group has PRG Presents - A Sharing of New Work on Fri 25 Jul.  Liverpool Biennial has Aroma Cantonese Opera Troupe's Participatory Performance at Pine Court on Fri 25 Jul and Alice Rekab + collaborators' Mythlantics at Bluecoat on Sat 26 Jul. 

The following week (w/c 28 Jul) we launch into our last hurrah for the season when we return to Z-arts for another Haphazard on Sat 2 Aug.

As August dawns, things go quiet and all eyes turn to Edinburgh. I'm in two minds about the trip myself, so haven't done my usual trawl through the listings - but have uploaded a list of url's for shows that Edinburgh producers have recommended below.

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - plus calls are open for Emergency on 27 Sep (deadline 8 Aug); and the November edition of Social Experiment (deadline Wed 12 Nov 12noon).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky  |  Fb  |  Insta |  X  | YT

...Prestwich, I heard you say... As hotels skyrocket and the parkas and bucket hats amass in the north of the city, further south eyes are still fixed on MIF:

This weekend, Blackhaine's And Now I Know What Love Is is ongoing until 19 Jul at Diecast; Fale Sā/Sacred House - Sauniga (Ceremony) at HOME until 12 Jul: and Juliet Ellis's A Symphony of Flesh and Bones at Aviva Studios until 13 Jul. 

On GM Fringe, Paper People Theatre's The Opposite of Distance is at The Kings Arms on Fri 11 + Sat 12 Jul, while Manchester Independents has Andrew Kuwornu's Unveiling the Unspoken canvas Vol.2 exhibition at The Horsfall until 5pm today 11 Jul. In Salford, Amber Cronin's A Weight to Entice Buoyancy is at Gore Street Arch (M3 5FP) on Sat 12 Jul. 

In Liverpool, the Unity has Penguin on Fri 11 Jul and Herz; the Roots of the Potato on Sat 12 Jul. Compass Festival is showing Alisa Oleva's Sounds Like Home - Listening Gardens (open weekly 12 Jul - 9 Aug) at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in Leeds.

Next week (w/c 14 July) As we enter the last week of MIF, we are also entering the fray with another Social Experiment at Contact on Thu 17 Jul - this time with a bit of a spoken word angle, with participating artists Ben Hodge, James Moss, Leah Stone, Rachel Smith, Shahireh Sharif + Xhi Ndubisi. 

MIF adds Germaine Kruip's A Possibility at RNCM (17-20 Jul). Manchester Independents has LINTD's The black impossible at The White Hotel on Thu 17 Jul.

In Leeds, Compass has Ling Tan's Leeds' Low Carbon Chinatown at Chapel FM Arts Centre on Sat 19 Jul.

The following week (w/c 21 Jul) Marcus J Free's Marcus Is Alive is at Manchester Jewish Museum on Thu 24 Jul; Sale Waterside has Levantes Dance Theatre's Hug on Thu 24 + Fri 25 Jul and Linden Dance's Caged on Sun 27 Jul. At Contact, MMU's Performance Research Group has PRG Presents - A Sharing of New Work on Fri 25 Jul.  Liverpool Biennial has Aroma Cantonese Opera Troupe's Participatory Performance at Pine Court on Fri 25 Jul and Alice Rekab + collaborators' Mythlantics at Bluecoat on Sat 26 Jul. 

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - plus last call if you want to apply to perform at the 17 July Social Experiment (next deadline 2 July).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky | Fb | Insta | X | YT

As the day dawns on a new Corbynista party to hold Government reforms (or Reform?) to account, in artsworld festival season is in full swing - with Manchester International Festival (3-20 Jul), with GM Fringe running alongside plus the ongoing Liverpool Biennial. 

This weekend, ongoing at MIF is mainly theatre: Liberation at the Royal Exchange (until 19 Jul) and ballet: Royal Ballet's A Single Man (until 6 Jul) but there's also Michael Beard + Company Chameleon's Experiments in the Lab (Sun 6 Jul then again on 8 + 15 Jul). In less performative mode, MIF has Fale Sā/Sacred House exhibition at HOME (4 Jul-10 Aug); while, showcasing GM artists, Manchester Independents has Andrew Kuwornu's Unveiling the Unspoken canvas Vol.2 exhibition at The Horsfall (3-11 Jul) and Nasima Bee's A love letter for the remaining softness left in brown boys... film, launching at Manchester Museum on Sun 6 Jul. 

Further afield, in Liverpool Izzy Major's The Living Room is at The Adelphi Hotel 2-9 Jul; while in Bradford, Akram Khan with Helen Linsell's Memories of the Future is at the Alhambra on Sat 5 Jul.

Next week (w/c 7 July) MIF sees Balmy Army's Contact Takeover on Wed 9 + Thu 10 Jul; Blackhaine's And Now I Know What Love Is  (9-19 Jul) at Diecast; Fale Sā/Sacred House - Sauniga (Ceremony) at HOME 10-12 Jul: and Juliet Ellis's A Symphony of Flesh and Bones at Aviva Studios (10-13 Jul). In GM Fringe, Paper People Theatre's The Opposite of Distance is at The Kings Arms on Fri 11 + Sat 12 Jul. In Stockport, on Thu 10 Jul there's performative life-drawing: Conversations with Lula and Martha - Performance 1: The basement at the Garrick Theatre.

In Liverpool, the Unity has Penguin on Fri 11 Jul and Herz; the Roots of the Potato on Sat 12 Jul. Compass Festival is showing Alisa Oleva's Sounds Like Home - Listening Gardens (open weekly 12 Jul - 9 Aug) at Meanwood Valley Urban Farm in Leeds.

The following week (w/c 14 Jul) Possibly foolishly, for a bit of MIF come-down, we are entering the fray with another Social Experiment at Contact on Thu 17 Jul - check back next week as we'll actually have programmed it by then! 
MIF adds Germaine Kruip's A Possibility  at RNCM (17-20 Jul). Manchester Independents has LINTD's The black impossible at The White Hotel on Thu 17 Jul.

In Leeds, Compass has Ling Tan's Leeds' Low Carbon Chinatown at Chapel FM Arts Centre on Sat 19 Jul.

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - plus last call if you want to apply to perform at the 17 July Social Experiment (next deadline 2 July).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky | Fb | Insta | X | YT

While Trump plays daddy to NATO, Manchester is about to experience the mother of all festival months... with next week seeing the kick of Manchester International Festival, with GM Fringe running alongside. 

Tonight, Fri 27 June, you can experience Cloudscapes on Castlefield Viaduct; or if you're partial to physical theatre and clowning, there's a double bill of wips by Franciso de Nata + Frau Maga at the Kings Arms. 

Next week (w/c 30 June) it all a bit of a whirl. For a quiet kick-off, there's Bunker Talks: Lena Simic x James Marriott on Tue 1 Jul.  There's also the start of GM Fringe (1-31 Jul).
MIF (3-20 Jul) officially kicks off with The Herds in Manchester City Centre on Thu 3 Jul. Performatively speaking, the first week of MIF is mainly theatre: Liberation at the Royal Exchange (3-19 Jul) and ballet: Royal Ballet's A Single Man (2-6 Jul); but there's also Michael Beard + Company Chameleon's Experiments in the Lab (6, 8 + 15 Jul) - both at Aviva Studios. In less performative mode, MIF has Fale Sā/Sacred House exhibition at HOME (4 Jul-10 Aug); while, showcasing GM artists, Manchester Independents has Andrew Kuwornu's Unveiling the Unspoken canvas Vol.2 exhibition at The Horsfall (3-11 Jul) and Nasima Bee's A love letter for the remaining softness left in brown boys... film, launching at Manchester Museum on Sun 6 Jul. 

Further afield, in Liverpool Izzy Major's The Living Room is at The Adelphi Hotel 2-9 Jul; while in Bradford, Akram Khan with Helen Linsell's Memories of the Future is at the Alhambra on Sat 5 Jul.

The following week (w/c 7 Jul) MIF sees Balmy Army's Contact Takeover on Wed 9 + Thu 10 Jul; Blackhaine's And Now I Know What Love Is  (9-19 Jul) at Diecast; and Juliet Ellis's A Symphony of Flesh and Bones at Aviva Studios (10-13 Jul). In GM Fringe, Paper People Theatre's The Opposite of Distance is at The Kings Arms on Fri 11 + Sat 12 Jul. 

In Liverpool, the Unity has Penguin on Fri 11 Jul and Herz; the Roots of the Potato on Sat 12 Jul. 

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - and last call if you want to apply to perform at the 17 July Social Experiment (next deadline 2 July).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Bsky | Fb | Insta | X | YT

So, finally, an upcoming week when we don't have a show on! We might be off show-alert, but you've basically got a week left to catch work before pre-festival lull sets in; after which you might just have to amuse yourselves with the fall-out from the implosion of the Trusk (or is it DonElon) bromance (sound on) .

This weekend, Lowry has Liz Richardson's Local on Fri 6 Jun; and Upswing's Showdown on Fri 6 + Sat 7 Jun. Miss Brexit is at Contact on  Fri 6 + Sat 7 Jun; Ockham's Razor's Tess is at HOME 5-7 Jun; James Rowland's Piece of Work is at The Edge on Fri 6  + Sat 7 Jun; and Coalesce Dance Theatre's Threads is at Manchester Central Library on Sat 6 Jun.

In Leeds, Northern Contemporary has IDP X Benji Reid's Jump Up In The Air And Stay There on Fri 6 Jun + Emergence Triple Bill on Sat 7 Jun; while Sutara Gayle's The Legends of Them is at Leeds Playhouse (Fri 6 + Sat 7 Jun). 
In Liverpool, Sat 7 Jun sees the start of Liverpool Biennial (until 17 Sep).

Next week (w/c 9 June) things are starting to quieten down in Mancunia, but Thick & Tight's Natural Behaviour is at Lowry on Tue 10 + Wed 11 Jun.

In Bradford, Testo's Wet Mess is at the Loading Bay on Wed 11 + Thu 12 Jun. In Warrington there's a Pride Scratch Night at the Parr Hall on on Thu 12 Jun.
Victoria Firth's Batty! is at the Drama Studio, Sheffield on Thu 12 + Fri 13 Jun; while Liz Richardson's Local is at The Dukes, Lancaster on Fri 13 Jun.

The remainder of June is looking really quiet. On Fri 20 Jun,  Avanti Display's Crow is at Birch Community Centre, Fallowfield.

In Bradford, Language: no problem is at the Loading Bay on Tue 17 Jun; and on Fri 20 Jun Penguin is at the Beacon and Eggs Collective's Dark Nights is at the Loading Bay.

In the light of how quiet everything is, this mail is going to take a couple of week's break and will be back at the end of the month, in time to talk about the upcoming summer festival frenzy.

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - and click here if you want to apply to perform at the 17 July Social Experiment (next deadline 2 July).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Facebook · Insta · X (Twitter) · YouTube

As we emerge from Fabiola Santana's show last night, we roll straight on into the scholarly exploration(?!) that is Social Experiment: Student Edition at Contact next Thursday. But before that...

This weekend, Benji Reid's Find Your Eyes concludes tonight, Fri 30 May at Aviva Studios; and PINK in Stockport has The Same Deep Water As You on Sat 31 May.

Elsewhere, Ockhams Razor's Tess is at Leeds Playhouse (until 31 May) while James Rowland Dies At The End Of The Show is at Sheffield Theatres on Fri 30 May. Yorkshire Dance has Collective Encounters over the weekend, including AURA's Trans*Performativity on Fri 30 May, and on Sat 31 May Ghetto Fabulous's Catwalk Extravaganza (there's also a screening of Graham Clayton-Chance's Last Dance at the Sundance Stompede).

Next week (w/c 2 June) Word of Warning's 4 week run concludes with: Social Experiment: Student Edition at Contact on Thu 5 June. Curated + produced (under my watchful eye) by The Producing Group, from MMU's MA Performance Degree Programme, it features 5 pieces by current or graduating students: Amelia Grace, Dana Potter, GIN Niemtus, Isla Webster & Gabrielle Kaufman, Oscar Dickson, Will Oliver.

Beyond that, things are busy: Lowry has Becky Namgauds's The Heat on Tue 3 June; Liz Richardson's Local on Fri 6 Jun; and Upswing's Showdown on Fri 6 + Sat 7 Jun.
Miss Brexit is at Contact on  Fri 6 + Sat 7 Jun; Ockham's Razor's Tess is at HOME 5-7 Jun; James Rowland's Piece of Work is at The Edge on Fri 6  + Sat 7 Jun; and Coalesce Dance Theatre's Threads is at Manchester Central Library on Sat 6 Jun.

In Bradford Tavaziva Dance's Greed is at The Beacon, Bowling Park on Thu 5 Jun.
In Leeds, Northern Contemporary has IDP X Benji Reid's Jump Up In The Air And Stay There on Fri 6 Jun + Emergence Triple Bill on Sat 7 Jun; while Sutara Gayle's The Legends of Them is at Leeds Playhouse (Fri 6 + Sat 7 Jun). 
In Liverpool, on Thu 5 Jun Phoenix Dance Theatre's Inside Giovanni's Room is at Liverpool Playhouse while 7 Jun sees the start of Liverpool Biennial (until 17 Sep).

The following week (w/c 9 June) Thick & Tight's Natural Behaviour is at Lowry on Tue 10 + Wed 11 Jun.

In Bradford, Testo's Wet Mess is at the Loading Bay on Wed 11 + Thu 12 Jun. Victoria Firth's Batty! is at the Drama Studio, Sheffield on Thu 12 + Fri 13 Jun; while Liz Richardson's Local is at The Dukes, Lancaster on Fri 13 Jun.

Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @WarnMcr on Twitter (X if you must) for short-notice performances - and click here if you want to apply to perform at the 17 July Social Experiment (next deadline 2 July).

Best

Tamsin

@WarnMcr: Facebook · Insta · X (Twitter) · YouTube