warnmcr: frosty the Wo(W)man...


So as we shiver our way into 2017, things that we have learned to date in the baltic, 10º WoW office: knitting is your best friend and the temperature rises 2º for every extra body added. Nevertheless we are keeping warm by gearing up for another year of performative shenanigans which will see us host our 80th event...

Word of Warning's Spring 2017 kicks off on 25 Jan with a peculiarly David Lynch twist on an 80's classic; continuing in Feb with a warholian take on the ultimate torch song. In March we blow the whistle and lift the skirt of politics - then cap it all off with an April Fool of small-people proportions.

Before all that, THIS weekend, unusually in this normal January bastion of panto, the rest of the world is starting to wake up, with the Royal Exchange stealing a march on all the rest.  So if you're feeling performance starved, check out Daniel Bye's Going Viral at the Royal Exchange, tonight Fri 6 + tomorrow Sat 7 Jan.

Next week (w/c 9 Jan) not wanting to be left behind, HOME is also getting a move on with the PUSH Festival (14-28 Jan), though you might also want to pop across to Live Art Bistro in Leeds for Sohail Khan's O.P.L.A on Fri 13 Jan.

The following week (w/c 16 Jan) is mainly PUSH-dominated, though the Royal Exchange also has Project O or, further afield, Josh Coates is in Liverpool.  Alternatively for the theatrically-minded Bowie fan, From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads is at The Met, Bury and the HUB, Leeds.

To end, sadly, on a personal note, all of us at WoW were deeply shocked and saddened by the death of Deyika Nzeribe, Co-Chair of our partner, STUN. He will be sorely missed, read STUN’s tribute here.
 
best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habmcr.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

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WORD OF WARNING
Performance Programme Spring 2017

Wed 25 Jan, 8pm. Pay What You Decide | Part of WTF at The Lowry
CASTLE ROCK
Massive Owl

Thu 16 Feb, 6-9pm. Free | Thursday Lates at the Whitworth during Queer Contact 2017
(I COULD GO ON SINGING) OVER THE RAINBOW
FK Alexander

Wed 1 Mar, 8pm. Pay What You Decide | Part of WTF at The Lowry
A MACHINE THEY'RE SECRETLY BUILDING
Proto-type Theater

Thu 16 — Sat 18 Mar, 7.30pm. £12/10 | Studio at the Royal Exchange Theatre
COCK AND BULL
Nic Green
Sat 1 Apr, 12noon-4pm. Free | Z-arts

HAPHAZARD 2017
A free day out for the curious of all ages with an April Fool's twist.

warnmcr: fossil fuels and the pre-panto push...


Ok, so yes I'm reaching for subject lines but Word of Warning is reeling just a touch from the tour de force that was Greg Wohead's Comeback Special, which marked the end of our fifth (yes fifth - wood anniversary apparently) year of programme; and I'm still discombobulated by the frantic show-seeking motorway-fest of the last couple of weeks, which has seen me plough through snow, inundation and pestilence - not to mention an awful lot of traffic...

This weekend (Sat 19 + Sun 20 Nov) you could check out the very physical Tmesis Theatre's Happy Hour at the Lowry, tonight Fri 25 Nov - or further afield, in Sheffield, Powder Keg's Morale is High (Since We Gave Up Hope) at Theatre Delicatessen (Fri 25 + Sat 26 Nov) or in Leeds, Panic Lab's The Fox & The Hound at Live Art Bistro on Sat 26 Nov.

Next week (w/c 28 Nov) sees Company Chameleon's Witness at the Lowry on Tue 29 + Wed 30 Nov; while Igor and Moreno's Idiot-Syncrasy is at Lancaster Arts on Wed 30 Nov. Barrel Organ's Some People Talk About Violence is at Theatre Delicatessen, Sheffield (30 Nov-3 Dec) and Franko B's Milk and Blood is at East Street Arts, in Leeds on Thu 1 Dec.
Over in Liverpool, DaDaFest enters its final week with 3 pieces at the Bluecoat: Jo Bannon's Alba on Tue 29 Nov; Joey Hateley's DiRTY on Wed 30 Nov; and Tim Jeeves's The Kindness of Strangers on Thu 1 Dec.

Make the most of it as the following week (w/c 5 Dec) sees the start of the Xmas slow-down. The most WoW-friendly event is Sashkia Myers + Jamal Harewood at Live Art Bistro in Leeds on Thu 8 Dec; whilst also of interest in Manchester are Gary Clarke's COAL at Contact on Wed 7 + Thu 8 Dec (sold-out, check for returns); and Metis's World Factory at HOME (7-10 Dec).  A little further ahead, if you're after something more seasonal, there's Contact + Slung Low's The Siege of Christmas (15-22 Dec)

Unless something unmissable pops-up, this mail is going to go into panto-hibernation for a few weeks, but will be back in early January with news of Word of Warning's sixth year of programme. Have a good end of year break and see you with frosty new print in 2017!
 
best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

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warnmcr: are you lonetwin tonight..?

So, this week's Tales of the M62 sees your dogged writer battle her way once more through the furthest reaches of north Manchester in a vain attempt to bypass the clogged artery of the north in search of great art...

This weekend (Sat 19 + Sun 20 Nov) sees the climax of Compass Festival in Leeds, including free citywide work by Stan's Cafe, Playing Up, Jordan Mackenzie, Tim Shaw, Felicity Barrow, Stephen Hodge, Rhiannon Armstrong plus the premiere of Lone Twin's Last Act of Rebellion.  In Liverpool, DaDaFest is underway (17 Nov-3 Dec).  Tonight, Fri 18 Nov, you can catch Liz Carr's Assisted Suicide: the Musical at the Unity; while over the weekend Martin O'Brien + Sheree Rose's The Viewing is at the Bluecoat (24 hr durational from 7pm on Sat 19 Nov. You can visit in person throughout, or watch online at midnight on Saturday via livestream).

Next week (w/c 21 Nov) in Mancunia, Word of Warning is back with our final show of the season, Greg Wohead's Comeback Special at Contact (Tue 22-Thu 24 Nov) while, for something more physical, Tmesis Theatre's Happy Hour is at the Lowry on Thu 24 + Fri 25 Nov.
Further afield, DaDaFest is ongoing in Liverpool with Project O's Swagga on Mon 21 Nov, Claire Cunningham's Give Me A Reason To Live on Wed 23 Nov and Sue Maclaine's Can I Start Again Please on Thu 24 Nov, all at the Unity.   Elsewhere, Annie Siddons's How (Not) To Live in Suburbia is at the Media Factory, Preston on Wed 23 Nov and Josh Coates's Get Yourself Together is at Theatre Delicatessen, Sheffield on Thu 24 Nov. 

The following week (w/c 28 Nov) sees Company Chameleon at the Lowry; Igor and Moreno in Lancaster; and Barrel Organ in Sheffield.

I meanwhile am attempting the unfeasible - to see 2 shows (Lone Twin and The Viewing) in 2 cities, 100 miles apart in 1 evening... If I achieve/survive that, I look forward to seeing you at Contact next week to get all shook-up by the lovely Greg Wohead!

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

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Word of Warning

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]

warnmcr: points of the compass...


This weekend sees the start of a spell of M62 east versus west culture-festing... Head east to Leeds for Compass Festival (11-20 Nov) starting tonight, Fri 11 Nov with Deborah Pearson's History, History, History and continuing over the weekend with Rosana Cade's Walking:Holding, Etheridge + Persighetti's Personal Shopper and Bethany Wells's WARMTH: a mobile sauna.  Alternatively, go west to Liverpool for Homotopia featuring  David Hoyle at on Sat 12 Nov.  Alternatively if you're staying in the middle and after a bit of dance, there's Kapow Dance's Triple Bill at New Adelphi Studio at Salford Uni on Fri 11 Nov (tickets here).

Next week (w/c 14 Nov) there's a real Wednesday/Thursday hotspot: in Mancunia, on Wed 16 Nov there's dance from Candoco at Contact or Fallen Angels Dance Theatre's Upon Awakening at the Lowry; the Royal Exchange has Barrel Organ's Some People Talk About Violence (17-19 Nov) and, in more WoW style, Katy Baird's Workshy at Sale Waterside on Thu 17 Nov.

Further afield there's Reckless Sleepers' Negative Space at Lancaster Arts on Wed 16 + Thu 17 Nov; Fighting Fit's Strictly Sickly at the Capstone, Liverpool on Wed 16 Nov; Jamal Gerald's FaDoubleGot on Thu 17 Nov and Katy Baird's Workshy on Sat 19 Nov both at Theatre Delicatessen, Sheffield; *also* on Thu 17 Nov there's Josh Coates's Get Yourself Together at the Continental, Preston and Mandy Romero's Scandinavia Has Been Good To Me at St Helens Library.

On the M62 trajectory, meanwhile, Thu 17 Nov sees the start of DaDaFest in Liverpool (17 Nov-3 Dec) including Liz Carr's Assisted Suicide: the Musical at the Unity on Thu 17 + Fri 18 Nov; and Martin O'Brien + Sheree Rose's The Viewing at the Bluecoat (24 hr durational 19/20 Nov).  Compass Festival also continues in Leeds over the weekend of Sat 19 + Sun 20 Nov, including Stan's Cafe, Playing Up, Jordan Mackenzie, Tim Shaw. Felicity Barrow, Stephen Hodge, Rhiannon Armstrong and Lone Twin's Last Act of Rebellion.

The following week (w/c 21 Nov) Annie Siddons is in Preston; Josh Coates in Sheffield; Tmesis Theatre at the Lowry; DaDaFest is ongoing with Project O, Claire Cunningham and Sue Maclaine; and, of course, WoW also hip-swivels back into action for an Elvis-inspired Greg Wohead-shaped, final flourish of the year!

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

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Word of Warning

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]
 

warnmcr: man to the power of two...

So, after our excursion to parts south and east, here we are back to the chilly-dark, firework-fuggy days of a Manchester November, gearing up, not only for the next bargain Word of Warning outing but for the panoply of northern festival activity about to land...

This weekend, you can still catch Action Hero's Wrecking Ball at the Royal Exchange; Andy Field's Lookout (City Tower, courtesy of Contact) and Volker Girling's Portraits in Motion at HOME (all running until Sat 5 Nov); plus, on Saturday only, Bridget Fiske & Co After Hours in the Galleries at the Lowry.

Next week (w/c 7 Nov) obviously in parts Mancunian the only place to be is be with Word of Warning at Two Destination Language's Manpower at the Lowry on Thu 10 Nov (£5 TICKET OFFER: Manpower5).
If that doesn't sate your appetite, then it's time to hit the road.  On Wed 9 Nov The Continental, Preston has Louise Orwin's A Girl and a Gun and Theatre Delicatessen, Sheffield has Forest Sounds Theatre's The Church of Jim; and on Thu 10 Nov, Lancaster Arts has Hetain Patel's American Man. 

It's also Autumn Festival time:
In Liverpool, Homotopia has Penny Arcade on Thu 10 Nov; David Hoyle on Sat 12 Nov and Mandy Romero in St Helens on Thu 17 Nov.

In Leeds Compass Festival (11-20 Nov) will be my destination, starting on Fri 11 Nov with Deborah Pearson's History, History, History, continuing over the weekend with Rosana Cade's Walking:Holding, Etheridge + Persighetti's Personal Shopper and Bethany Wells's WARMTH: a mobile sauna.  The second week includes Stan's Cafe, Playing Up, Jordan Mackenzie, Tim Hodge Felicity Barrow, Stephen Hodge, Rhiannon Armstorng and Lone Twin.

Back to Liverpool, the following weekend also sees the start of DaDaFest (17 Nov - 3 Dec) including Liz Carr, Martin O'Brien + Sheree Rose, Project O, Claire Cunningham, Jo Bannon and Tim Jeeves.

Beyond the festivals, the week commencing 14 Nov sees Candoco at Contact; Katy Baird at Sale Waterside; and Barrel Organ at the Royal Exchange.  Further afield there's Reckless Sleepers in Lancaster; Jamal Gerald and Katy Baird in Sheffield; and Josh Coates and Tin Can People in Preston.

I'm off now for a little lunchtime Lookout and hope to see lots of you next week at Two Destination Language's manifesto of maleness in a post-Brexit milieu!

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

Spread the word that #CultureMatters | Watch and share the new ACE video

Word of Warning
Performance Programme Autumn/Winter 2016
Thu 10 Nov, 8pm. £12/10 | The Lowry
MANPOWER
Two Destination Language

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]
 

warnmcr: spooky time travel...

As the hour prepares to change and to plunge us deep into the dark of Hallowe'en, I find myself writing from the mystic depths of East Anglia.  Well, actually an overcrowded 'family room' in Ipswich... (guess who's "Mum", grrr!)

Anyway, for those of you not at the diagonally opposite end of the country... tonight, Fri 28 Oct, you can still catch dance courtesy of Soul's Paths at the Wonder Inn, Clay at STUN or Lola Maury's Figurines + Two To Tune at Theatre in the Mill, Bradford.  Still in a dance vein, in Leeds, Yorkshire Dance's Juncture festival is ongoing to 30 Oct and looks well worth a visit.  Alternatively, for the more interactive amongst you, there's Playfuel's Downpour at Manchester Science Festival on Sat 29 Oct (and Sat 5 Nov).

Next week (w/c 31 Oct) in parts Mancunian, on Mon 31 Oct the Lowry has Flexer & Sandiland's Disappaearing Acts and, on Sat 5 Nov Bridget Fiske & Co After Hours in the Galleries. HOME has the intriguing, flipbook-based Volker Girling's Portraits in Motion (3-5 Nov).  On Fri 4 and Sat 5 Nov there's Action Hero's Wrecking Ball at the Royal Exchange and Andy Field's Lookout (sited, courtesy of Contact).  Over in Leeds, on Thu 3 Nov, you can also catch Action Hero's Wrecking Ball at Live Art Bistro; alongside Mark Thomas's The Red Shed at West Yorkshire Playhouse (2-5 Nov).

The following week (w/c 7 Nov) take a deep breath and get ready to hit the road/railtrack...  The big event is Compass Festival in Leeds (11-20 Nov) but you can also catch Louise Orwin in Preston, The Church of Jim in Sheffield; Homotopia with Penny Arcade and David Hoyle in Liverpool and Hetain Patel in Lancaster.  But, for something more local (cue shameless plug) Word of Warning leaps back into action with Two Destination Language's Manpower at the Lowry on Thu 10 Nov!

Don't forget to put your clocks back this weekend!

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

Spread the word that #CultureMatters | Watch and share the new ACE video

Word of Warning
Performance Programme Autumn/Winter 2016
Thu 10 Nov, 8pm. £12/10 | The Lowry
MANPOWER
Two Destination Language

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]
 

warnmcr: heading for a spill...

As we at WoW peruse the hefty tome that is next week's Spill brochure, this weekend you can still catch Gecko's Institute at HOME and Thick Richard's Swear School at Waterside, Sale (both until 22 Oct); Keisha Thompson's Man on the Moon at STUN, tonight Fri 21 Oct (technically sold out but check for returns); and Unlimited Theatre's Am I Dead Yet? at the Lowry on Sat 22 Oct.  Beyond Mancunia there's also Katy Baird's Workshy, tonight Fri 21 Oct at Live Art Bistro in Leeds... and for younger viewers Lone Twin's Beastie (til 22 Oct) at Unity, Liverpool.

Next week (w/c 24 Oct) sees Manchester with art-activism at Manchester Art Gallery in the form of Proud & Loud's Cells on Thu 27 Oct; dance, courtesy of Soul's Paths at the Wonder Inn and Clay at STUN (both Fri 28 Oct); and street gaming through Playfuel's Downpour at Manchester Science Festival on Sat 29 Oct. If wanderlust is kicking in, further afield there's Nasi Voutsas + Bertrand Lesca's Eurohouse at the LBT in Huddersfield on Mon 24 Oct, Jamal Harewood's Word at the Unity, Liverpool on Tue 25 Oct, Action Hero's Wrecking Ball at Axis, Crewe on 27 Oct (also coming to the Royal Exchange the following week); and Lola Maury's Figurines + Two To Touch at Theatre in the Mill, Bradford on Fri 29 Oct.  Leeds is also a destination with Yorkshire Dance's Juncture festival (performances 27-30 Oct, including Lucy Suggate, immigrants + animals and Quarantine).  Or you could really push the envelope and join us on the long journey to Ipswich for Spill Festival...

The following week (w/c 31 Oct) seems to be a tale of two cities - in Manchester there's Action Hero, Andy Field, Flexer & Sandiland and Volker Girling; while in Leeds Action Hero pop up again, alongside Mark Thomas

We, meanwhile, are gearing up for the forthcoming Manpower at the Lowry, but, in the meantime, if you've been to a Word of Warning event recently and would like to give us a hand, please complete our online survey - a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency to learn about national audiences for live art.

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

Spread the word that #CultureMatters | Watch and share the new ACE video

Word of Warning
Performance Programme Autumn/Winter 2016
Thu 10 Nov, 8pm. £12/10 | The Lowry
MANPOWER
Two Destination Language

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]
 

warnmcr: bring in the clowns...

As October races by, the world gets increasingly surreal - the pound is worth less than the Euro, an unthinkable US election looms and 'creepy clowns' are taking over everywhere... coincidental? Time for the legitimate Clown Army to reclaim their turf perhaps?

More promisingly, this weekend you can still see Sleepwalk Collective's Domestica (Sat 15 Oct); Jamal Gerald's FADoubleGOT (tonight Fri 14 Oct at Live Art Bistro, Leeds) or Vincent Gambini's This Is Not A Magic Show at Winsford Library (Sat 15 Oct) and Great Budsworth Vilage Hall (Sun 16 Oct).

Next week (w/c 17 Oct) is generally pretty full-on out there... In parts mancunian, there's Gecko's Institute at HOME (19-22 Oct); Michael Clark Company at the Lowry on Wed 19 Oct (£15 ticket offer);  Keisha Thompson's Man on the Moon at STUN on Fri 21 Oct; Thick Richard's Swear School at Waterside, Sale (20-22 Oct); and Unlimited Theatre's Am I Dead Yet? at the Lowry on Sat 22 Oct.

Further afield, things really get busy with Sleepwalk Collective's Domestica on Tue 18 Oct at Axis, Crewe; Gary Clarke's Coal (18 + 19 Oct) at LBT, Huddersfield (also coming to Contact in December); Christoper Brett-Bailey's Kissing the Shotgun Goodnight (19+20 Oct) at Theatre in the Mill, Bradford; Katy Baird's Workshy on Fri 21 Oct at Live Art Bistro in Leeds... and for younger viewers Lone Twin's Beastie (20-22 Oct) at Unity, Liverpool!

The following week (w/c 24 Oct) there's Eurohouse in Huddersfield, Jamal Harewood in Liverpool, Action Hero in Crewe; Lola Maury in Bradford and Playfuel in Manchester.  Meanwhile, the travelling livearterati will be looking east - way, way east for the biennial Spill Festival...

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

Spread the word that #CultureMatters | Watch and share the new ACE video

Word of Warning
Performance Programme Autumn/Winter 2016
Thu 10 Nov, 8pm. £12/10 | The Lowry
MANPOWER
Two Destination Language

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]

warnmcr: still reeling...

So, while we at WoW stagger out of our utterly unfeasible run of 33 different shows and cower reeling from the shock, there's no rest out there if you want to go and see stuff...

This weekend Leeds seems to be the destination with Live Art Bistro hosting both Nicola Hunter's Lost Bodies on Fri 7 Oct, and Panic Lab's Swan Lake II: Dark Waters on Sat 8 Oct.

Next week (w/c 10 Oct) Contact has Belarus Free Theatre's Burning Doors (10-12 Oct); while HOME's Orbit Festival has RashDash's Two Man Show (11-13 Oct) and Sleepwalk Collective's Domestica (14+15 Oct) and Sale Waterside has Mark Thomas's The Red Shed on Thu 13 Oct.  Further afield, in Cheshire you can catch Igor and Moreno's Idiot-Syncrasy  on Tue 11 Oct, Flexer & Sandiland's Disappearing Acts on Thu 13 Oct - both at Axis, Crewe while Vincent Gambini's This Is Not A Magic Show is touring to Winsford Library (Sat 15 Oct) and Great Budsworth Vilage Hall (Sun 16 Oct).  Meanwhile, on Fri 14 Oct, Live Art Bistro, Leeds has Jamal Gerald's FADoubleGOT.

The following week (w/c 17 Oct) hold your breath as there's Gecko at HOME and Keisha Thompson at STUN; Thick Richard in Sale; Rachael Young and Christoper Brett-Bailey in Bradford; Gary Clarke in Huddersfield; Sleepwalk Collective in Crewe; Katy Baird in Leeds... and for younger viewers Lone Twin in Liverpool!

I'd say I was off to lie down in a darkened room, while in reality it's a couple of meetings and contemplating the M62 to Leeds!

best

Tamsin

facebook/WarnMcr | @WarnMcr | Word of Warning Google calendar
Information for artists: www.habarts.org
Been to one of our events recently? Please help us by taking a few minutes to fill out our online survey, a joint project with Live Art UK & The Audience Agency learning about national audiences for live art.

Spread the word that #CultureMatters | Watch and share the new ACE video

Word of Warning
Performance Programme Autumn/Winter 2016
Thu 10 Nov, 8pm. £12/10 | The Lowry
MANPOWER
Two Destination Language

Tue 22 — Thu 24 Nov, 8pm. £13/7 | Contact
COMEBACK SPECIAL
Greg Wohead [post-show Q&A Tue 22]