One of the best-loved musicals of all time is kicking off its UK tour here in Manchester next year, and tickets are going on sale very soon.
That’s right, you can’t stop the beat… or Hairspray The Musical from heading back to our city.
There’s no denying that Hairspray is known and loved by millions worldwide since it first opened on Broadway all way back in 2002, and has had audiences tapping their feet on the West End and in countless other cities and countries across the globe ever since.
The eight Tony Award wins and the record-breaking 11 Olivier Award nominations prove that all to well, as does the smash-hit success of the 2007 film adaptation too.
But it’s been quite a while now since theatre lovers have been treated to the musical live on stage, and have been anticipating its return since 2017 – but luckily, the long wait is now over, as it’s just been confirmed this week that a new production of Hairspray The Musical is heading out on a major national tour of the UK and Ireland in 2024.
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And what better way to kick things off than right here in Manchester?
In case you’re unfamiliar with the timeless story of Hairspray centres around heroine Tracy Turnblad, who has “big hair, a big heart, and big dreams” and wants to dance her way onto national TV, and into the heart of teen idol Link Larkin.
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When Tracy becomes a local star, she is able to use her newfound fame to fight for liberation, tolerance, and interracial unity in Baltimore.
But the real question is, can she win equality – and Link’s heart -without denting her ’do?
Audiences in Manchester will be the first to hear some of musical theatre’s most well-known songs, including Welcome To The 60s, You Can’t Stop The Beat, and Good Morning Baltimore, before it heads out to other major cites across the country.
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Iconic musical Hairspray to kick-off UK tour in Manchester next year / Credit: Hairspray the Musical
Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Bradford are just a few of the fellow Northern cites where the tour will stop off at in 2024.
The show’s original production team of Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale, and Laurence Myers will be joined by Brenda Edwards – who’s most famous for her appearances on ITV’s Loose Women, but also for having previously played “Motormouth” Maybelle in three tours of Hairspray – on the creative team as director for this new production, alongside Paul Kerryson too.
Choreography for the iconic show will come from Olivier Award winner Drew McOnie, while music is, of course, provided by the Academy Award, Tony, and Emmy-winning duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
The beloved production will take to the Palace Theatre stage next summer / Credit: Hairspray The Musical
Hairspray The Musical will take to the stage at Manchester’s Palace Theatre from 16 – 27 July 2024.
Tickets are going on general sale today at 10am, and although prices haven’t been revealed yet, it’s expected they’ll be available in a range of prices so it’s affordable for everyone looking to make the most of the all-singing-all-dancing experience.
Fast-rising Manc rockers ROLLA announce biggest-ever headline show
Danny Jones
Manchester band ROLLA have announced their biggest-ever headline gig right here in their hometown and it’s set to be a barnstormer.
The local rock and roll outfit are on the up not only amongst the Manc music scene but Britain at large, notching huge nods from the likes of Rolling Stone as well lots of love from us here at Audio North, and now the in-your-face five-piece are set for a landmark show.
Having crossed a number of city centre venues already, ROLLA have now revealed they will be playing none other than New Century Hall for the first time in their career.
Still only a few short years into their journey to stardom (and yes, we do believe they’re going to be that big), this latest date is a huge milestone for the Mancs.
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It was only last month that the ferocious indie rockers put their ever-growing fan base to good use by throwing a sold-out charity gig at Salford Lads’ and Girls’ Club in a successful campaign to save it from closure, and the scenes from the show were unbelievable.
Speaking on what was a momentous night for the band and Greater Manchester as a whole, ROLLA hope it will go down as something “current and future members of the club and our fans can always look back on it as a special moment in time.”
They also detailed how the atmosphere at the gig was so electric that they used a lot of the footage to create the music video for the new single, ‘It Ain’t Easy’, labelling it “the perfect nod to the massive achievement of helping towards keeping the clubs’ doors open.”
And they really did put their money where their mouth was, raising a whopping £8,000 through ticket and merch sales on the night – a huge 24-hour contribution towards the overall £250k target which was finally reached with just a few days to spare last week.
You can hear the track and see the fantastic visuals that go along with it down below:
As far as memorable Manchester gigs, this is just the start for ROLLA.
Going to discuss the landmark headline show, the band added: “This is more than just a gig—it’s a defining moment for the band and our fans – a coming together of everything we’ve built so far and we mean to make it special. It’s gonna go off.
“New Century Hall is a proper Manchester institution. It’s been a part of the city’s music scene for decades, and after its recent revival, it’s sounding and looking better than ever. We can’t wait to fill it out with our sound.”
If you’ve not come across their sound before, there are some very noticeable Oasis influences – not just because of some very familiar-looking haircuts and use of sunglasses in their photoshoots either – but, put simply, they deliver some of the punchiest rock riffs around right now.
Music outlet Gigwise has hailed them as “one of the most energetic and full displays of indie rock ‘n’ roll on offer today” and we tend to agree, having also named them on our Manc Bands of the Month just this past October.
With their four-track debut EP set to release on 7 March, two tracks from which we’ve already heard and immediately added to our playlists, they’ll be bringing their tunes and hopefully more new music to the much-loved city centre venue on 3 May 2025.
We have every faith that they will set out the 1,300-capacity New Century Hall thanks to their already die-hard cult following alone, so you best be quick if you want to be there.
You can grab tickets to Rolla’s biggest-ever Manchester gig, not to mention for less than £20 per person, right now via the DICE anti-touting app or directly HERE.
Fawlty Towers – The Play is coming to Manchester Opera House next year
Danny Jones
John Cleese’s much-loved Fawlty Towers – The Play is landing at the Manchester Opera House next year and we cannot wait.
The critically acclaimed theatre adaptation of the iconic sitcom, still revered as one of the greatest UK comedies of all time, first came to fruition back in 2016 and is now set to land here in Manchester city centre for the first time ever.
We’ve been treated to Fawlty Towers The Dining Experience at The Lowry Theatre in Salford before, but this is the first time the smash-hit West End stage production has headed North and judging by the reviews, audiences are about to be belly-laughing all the way to Torquay.
Coming to Manc crowds this time next winter, you can expect this one to be a sell-out.
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Still busy playing a fully booked-up run at London’s Apollo Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue, the twice-extended West End show is packing up its stage for a massive tour across the UK and Ireland.
Announcing dozens of dates next year and well into the summer of 2026, including shows in Leeds, Liverpool, York, Stoke, Sunderland and many more, the show has earned four and five-star reviews from countless publications.
The Arts Desk have hailed it as a “comedy masterpiece [that] makes a seamless transition to the stage”, with actor Adam Jackson-Smith playing the lead role of Basil Fawlty and the entire cast said to leave viewers cackling with some of the best bits from iconic TV series recreated in the flesh.
Speaking on the stage adaptation, John Cleese said: “When we came up with the idea of bringing Fawlty Towers to the stage, I never thought it would get the reception that it has.
“On 23 December it will be 50 years to the day since we recorded the pilot at BBC Television Centre and I’m delighted the audiences we’ve had in the West End still think it’s as funny as ever. The announcement of the tour means many more people will now have the chance to laugh themselves helpless.”
John Cleese, now 85.
Set to hit the road 50 years on from the broadcast of the first episode on BBC Two back in September 1975, before going on to win countless awards including two BAFTAS and even being voted the best British programme of all time as part of a British Film Institute poll, it all feels very full circle.
Brought to life on stage by a creative team consisting of Cleese and fellow writer Connie Booth and directed by Caroline Jay Ranger – best known for her work on Blood Means Nothing (2019), My Week with Maisy (2024), Early Doors: Live (2021) and the Monty Python live show, there’s non-stop talent both on and off the stage.
One of the best part parts about a series that was stretched across just 12 half-hour episodes of TV is that you can just about manage to squeeze in the majority of the most memorable highlights into the approximately 1h50m run-time.
You can see the cast’s recent interview on This MorningHERE and for a short trailer for a better look at what to expect down below:
Fawlty Towers – The Play comes to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 4 November 2025 and will be there until Saturday, 8 November.
General admission is live as we speak, with ticket options starting from £20 and going all the way up to £147.50 for the best premium seats and experience in the house.
Emily Sergeant -
4th October 2023 
