Word of Warning — Weekly Warning

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

As we emerge blinking into the sunlight from the dark of Works Ahead production week, terrifyingly we are already gearing up for next week's Social Experiment. What fool thought consecutive weeks was a good idea?! Before that though:

This weekend, tonight (Fri 16 May) is your last chance to catch Works Ahead at Contact featuring Adèle Le Gallez and Martha Pailing (Pay What You Decide starting at £0)
Also finishing this weekend is Hamlet Hail to The Thief at Aviva Studios (until 18 May); while those partial to clowning can see third floor theatre's non (In French) at The Edge on Sun 18 May.

In Leeds, Chris Thorpe's Talking About The Fire is at Slung Low's Warehouse on Sat 17 May.

Next week (w/c 19 May) for us it's all about the second Social Experiment on Thu 22 May at Contact - featuring Ben Hodge, Joely Mae Greally & Jasmine Naila Burt, Lizzy Owen, Secret Location Theatre Company, Bitterroot, Paper People Theatre and Julie Burrow. Come and join us  from 6-9pm - it's completely free!

Meanwhile Lowry has Kontemporary Korea's HAM:BETH on Tue 20 May and Ali Chahrour's The Love Behind My Eyes on Sat 24 May. Emergence Dance are at Waterside, Sale on Thu 22 May; Avanti Display's Crow is at the Vale on Sat 24 May and Benji Reid's Find Your Eyes is at Aviva Studios (25-30 May).

Further afield,  the Drama Studio, Sheffield has still hungry/Bryony Kimmings's Show Pony on Mon 19 May and Joseph Mercier's Pop Odyssey on Fri 23 May. Gary Clarke's Detention is at LBT in Huddersfield on Wed 21 + Thu 22 May. On Thu 22 May Unity, Liverpool has the All Things Considered Scratch; and the Dukes Lancaster has Blast Fest; while Verve are at Leeds Playhouse.

The following week (w/c 26 May) we move locations to Company Chameleon for Fabíola Santana's We're Here Because They Were on Thu 29 May.
Otherwise, things are a touch quiet in Mancunia but you might want to check out PINK in Stockport which has The Same Deep Water As You on Sat 31 May.

Elsewhere, Ockhams Razor's Tess is at Leeds Playhouse (28-31 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).

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

Information for artists: habmcr.org

 

Word of Warning Performance Programme 2025

Thu 15 + Fri 16 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Contact

WORKS AHEAD 2025

A sample of new performance.
Adèle Le Gallez | Martha Pailing

Thu 22 May, 6pm-9pm. FREE | Contact

SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

A new gathering for Live Art and contemporary performance.

Thu 29 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Company Chameleon

WE'RE HERE BECAUSE THEY WERE

Fabíola Santana

(PWYD are Pay What You Decide events.)

 

As the mini-heatwave softens to a more Mancunian cloudy calm, maybe it will also allow for some buyers' remorse on the overnight electoral farago...

This weekend,  HOME has Daniel Bye's Imaginary Friends until 3 May and, continuing until 10 May: Wise Children's North by North West; while at Aviva Studios Hamlet Hail to The Thief continues until 18 May).

Further afield, Now Northwich takes place on Sat 3 May; while the same day, in Liverpool, LEAP has Digital Moves at the Unity; and in Leeds, the Riley Theatre has Equilibrio Dinamico's Through Her Eyes - 3 Female Voices.

Next week (w/c 5 May) Lowry has Aakash Odedra's Songs of the Bulbul on Tue 6 May and Gandini Juggling's Heka on Sun 11 May.

In Liverpool, Jasmin Vardimon's Now is at the Playhouse on Wed 7 + Thu 8 May and LEAP's New Dance Works is at the Unity on Fri 9 May.

The following week (w/c 12 May) Gary Clarke Company's Detention is on Wed 14+ Thu 15 May at Lowry, while we are back at Contact with this year's Works Ahead on Thu 15 + Fri 16 May.

In Chester, Storyhouse has Theatre Re's Birth on Tue 13 + Wed 14 May; while in Leeds, Chris Thorpe's Talking About The Fire is at Slung Low's Warehouse on Sat 17 May.

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 next Social Experiment (next deadline 8 May).

Best

Tamsin

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

Information for artists: habmcr.org

 

Word of Warning Performance Programme 2025

Thu 15 + Fri 16 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Contact

WORKS AHEAD 2025

A sample of new performance.
Adèle Le Gallez | Martha Pailing

Thu 22 May, 6pm-9pm. FREE | Contact

SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

A new gathering for Live Art and contemporary performance.

Thu 29 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Company Chameleon

WE'RE HERE BECAUSE THEY WERE

Fabíola Santana

(PWYD are Pay What You Decide events.)

Disregarding the creep in the Whitehouse, as Mayday approaches, the year is creeping inexorably past us, and, on Sunday, Factory International's Radiohead-inspired opus dawns Hamlet Hail to The Thief at Aviva Studios (27 Apr - 18 May).

Further afield, Figs in Wigs' Little Wimmin is at the Loading Bay in Bradford, tonight Fri 25 Apr. and Liverpool Improvisation Festival is at the Unity, Liverpool (until 26 Apr)

Next week (w/c 28 Apr) HOME has Wise Children's North by North West (29 Apr - 10 May) and Daniel Bye's Imaginary Friends (1-3 May).

Elsewhere, Rhiannon Faith's Lay Down Your Burden is at the Beacon, Wibsey Park, Bradford on Tue 29 + Wed 30 Apr. Lancaster Arts has Jean Daniel Broussé's (le) Pain on Thu 1 May.  Now Northwich takes place on Sat 3 May; while the same day, in Leeds, the Riley Theatre has Equilibrio Dinamico's Through Her Eyes - 3 Female Voices.

The following week (w/c 5 May) added to the ongoings at Aviva Studios and HOME, Lowry has Aakash Odedra's Songs of the Bulbul on Tue 6 May and Gandini Juggling's Heka on Sun 11 May.

In Liverpool, Jasmin Vardimon's Now is at the Playhouse on Wed 7 + Thu 8 May and LEAP's New Dance Works is at the Unity on Fri 9 May.

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 next Social Experiment (next deadlin 8 May).

Best

Tamsin

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

Information for artists: habmcr.org
 

Word of Warning Performance Programme 2025

Thu 15 + Fri 16 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Contact

WORKS AHEAD 2025

A sample of new performance.
Adèle Le Gallez | Martha Pailing
Thu 22 May, 6pm-9pm. FREE | Contact

Amid global meltdown, the Government's cool calm head has been proven... to make the relationship just that bit less special... meanwhile closer to home we're keeping calm 'til after the Easter lull.

Between now and Easter: Dibby Theatre's Toxic is holding the fort - with performances at the LBT, Huddersfield tonight, Fri 11 Apr and at Lowry (16-19 Apr).

Meanwhile in Prescot, Ali Matthews Mushroom Language is at Shakespeare North on Tue 15 + Wed 16 Apr; and in Bradford Vince Virr's Pop! is at The Beacon, Wibsey Park on Sat 19 Apr.

Following Easter (w/c 21 Apr) at Aviva Studios, Jonathan McGrath's Where It Happened (sold-out) runs 24-26 Apr, then Hamlet Hail to The Thief takes over (27 Apr - 18 May). The next week HOME has Wise Children's North by North West (29 Apr - 10 May) and Daniel Bye's Imaginary Friends (1-3 May).

Elsewhere, Turn Prize recipient Fabiola Santana's We're Here Because They Were (w-i-p) is at Unity, Liverpool (ahead of its performance at Company Chameleon in May). Bradford has Figs in Wigs' Little Wimmin on Thu 24 + Fri 25 Apr at the Loading Bay and Rhiannon Faith's Lay Down Your Burden at the Beacon, Wibsey Park on Tue 29 + Wed 30 Apr. Lancaster Arts has Jean Daniel Broussé's (le) Pain on Thu 1 May.  Now Northwich takes place on Sat 3 May; while the same day, in Leeds, the Riley Theatre has Equilibrio Dinamico's Through Her Eyes - 3 Female Voices.

This mailer is going to take a week off for Easter, but will be back on 25 Apr.
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 next Social Experiment.

Best

Tamsin

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

Information for artists: habmcr.org
 

Word of Warning Performance Programme 2025

Thu 15 + Fri 16 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Contact

WORKS AHEAD 2025

A sample of new performance.
Adèle Le Gallez | Martha Pailing

Thu 22 May, 6pm-9pm. FREE | Contact

SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

A new gathering for Live Art and contemporary performance.

Thu 29 May, 7.30pm. PWYD | Company Chameleon

WE'RE HERE BECAUSE THEY WERE

Fabíola Santana

(PWYD are Pay What You Decide events.)

As the trans-atlantic tangerine tyrant puts a curious spin on the UK's reaction to his trade war, closer to home we have our own take on the pirouette:

This weekend: tonight, Fri 4 April, it's all about Turn 2025 at Contact is now sold out. If you're joining us you'll see 8 pieces from Dais Leach, Emmy Lahouel (Meraki Collective), JP Hon, KUDERA + MPEARSONATER, Maelstrom Theatre, Néa Synergy, Rachel Yan Ting Li, UMAMI‑i!‑MOVEMENT - full programme here.

Next week (w/c 7 Apr) Platform 4's The Alice Project is at Lowry on Wed 9 Apr and Ridiculusmus's Alas! Poor Yorick is at The Met, Bury on Thu 10 Apr.

In Bradford Cie Moost's Palette(s)  is at The Beacon, Wibsey Park (7-9 Apr) and Nathaniel J Hall/Dibby Theatre's Toxic is at Loading Bay, on Wed 9 Apr (also at the LBT, Huddersfield on Fri 11 Apr).

The following week (w/c 14 Apr) sees Easter itself and the traditional lull but Dibby Theatre's Toxic is at Lowry (16-19 Apr).

In Prescot, Ali Matthews Mushroom Language is at Shakespeare North on Tue 15 + Wed 16 Apr; and in Bradford Vince Virr's Pop! is at The Beacon, Wibsey Park on Sat 19 Apr.

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 next Social Experiment.

Best

Tamsin

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