A canalside bar in Manchester city centre is going BIG for National Burger Day, launching an eating challenge that’s not for the faint of heart.
The award-winning Roby 1844 is challenging Mancs to tuck into Big Bird’s Big Sister, a tower of meat and fillings that also includes waffles.
If you can polish it off in 20 minutes or less, you’ll get the full thing for free and a t-shirt to celebrate your achievement.
Roby 1844 is situated right on the canal on Aytoun Street, with a two-storey waterside terrace and outdoor bar area.
Its day-to-day menu, which has just had a revamp, features small plates, burgers, salads and pizzas, plus cocktails, beer, wine and soft drinks.
But to mark National Burger Day, there’s a new beast in town.
The Roby 1855 Eating Challenge is set to take place on Monday 27 May (a day ahead of National Burger Day) with Big Bird’s Big Sister served up.
On your plate will be two coated chicken breasts, two waffles with maple syrup, one beef patty with cheese, a brioche bun, salad, and bacon, three onion rings and two portions of Roby rub fries, washed down with a pint of coke or lemonade.
Roby 1844’s burger challenge. Credit: The Vain Photography, Carl SukonikRoby 1844’s outside two-storey waterside terrace. Credit: The Vain Photography, Carl Sukonik
If you can’t get it finished within 20 minutes, the cost of the meal is £30.
Steve Julian, general manager at The Holiday Inn, said: “We wanted to do something fun this Bank Holiday and everyone loves a bit of competition so we’re excited to see who takes on this challenge and wins!
“Big Bird’s Big Sister is not for the faint hearted but if you have a big appetite, you might just be able to do it.
“As an outdoor dining venue, burgers are a popular dish on our menu but let’s see who can actually finish this one!”
To find out more about Roby 1844 or to sign-up for the eating challenge, click here.
Here & Now – The Steps Musical is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A musical inspired by pop band Steps is coming to Manchester this year, and the principal cast for Here & Now has now been confirmed.
The musical features Steps’ most beloved hit songs, including Tragedy, Heartbeat, Stomp, the One For Sorrow, Better Best Forgotten, 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart, Chain Reaction, and many more.
The story is set in seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles.
But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…?
Here & Now has an original book by Shaun Kitchener and is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award-winning Matt Cole and Matt Spencer-Smith as musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger.
The show is produced by Steps themselves, ROYO, and pop legend Pete Waterman.
Producers have now confirmed that Rebecca Lock will star as Caz, returning from the original run in Birmingham.
Here & Now – The Steps Musical is coming to Manchester
Finty Williams will play Patricia, Blake Patrick Anderson will be Robbie, River Medway (fan favourite on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, BBC) is Jem, Edward Baker Duly (The King and I) as Max and John Stacey as Lesley.
There are new cast members joining the principal cast too, including Jacqui Dubois (Ghost The Musical UK tour) as Vel, Chris Grahamson (NOW That’s What I Call A Musical UK and Ireland tour) as Gareth and Rosie Singha (& Juliet UK and Ireland tour) as Neeta.
Set design by Tom Rogers, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs, hair and makeup design by Sam Cox, casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting, Music Technology by Phij Adams with Production Management by Setting Line.
Steps are one of the biggest pop bands of a generation, made up of Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee.
In their career they achieved 14 top five singles, four number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams and 11 sold-out national arena tours.
Steps’ 2017 comeback tour was one of the biggest pop tours of that year, with 300,000 tickets sold, and they’ve continued to release new music.
You can find out more about Here & Now and book tickets HERE.
All the talented winners of this year’s Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting
Daisy Jackson
The winners of this year’s Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting have been announced, as the major award continues to elevate new voices.
This year’s overall winner is British-Nigerian writer Tolu Okanlawon, with his debut play SHOOTERS, which follows African American photojournalist Gordon Parks as he documents the lives of a group of teenage boys in 1940s Harlem for Life Magazine.
In his play, Tolu focuses on the question of who has the right to tell another person’s story, delving into themes of power, vulnerability and accurate representation.
Tolu has received a £20,000 award at the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, with the winners announced at a glittering ceremony at the Royal Exchange Theatre last Monday.
Previous winners of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting have included Phoebe Eclair-Powell, Duncan Macmillan, Alistair McDowall, Janice Okoh, Nathan Queeley-Dennis and Katherine Soper.
This is a landmark year for the Prize, which is marking its 20th anniversary and celebrating the long-standing collaboration between Bruntwood (one of the UK’s leading commercial property developers), The Oglesby Charitable Trust, and the renowned Royal Exchange Theatre.
Also announced at the ceremony are the winners of this year’s Prize categories, which champion writers across the globe and at all stages of their playwriting careers.
The Judges Award, and a £10,000 prize, went to Przewalski’s Horses by Silva Semerciyan, which follows a woman fleeing war-torn Kyiv as she seeks refuge with her estranged grandmother in the radioactive wilderness of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
She has previously been shortlisted for the Bruntwood Prize, and for the Off West End Awards.
Jesús I. Valles, a queer Mexican immigrant writer-performer from Texas, won The International Award with SPREAD, which follows a group of boys in 9th grade as they navigate the balance of childhood and the ever-present push of adult pressures.
R Lady’s by Daisy Miles received the North-West Original New Voice Award and Residency.
The Stockport-born writer is currently training with the Royal Exchange Theatre’s Young Company of Writers, and R Lady’s is her first full-length play.
The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting event at the Royal Exchange Theatre
For the first time, a special commendation has also been awarded as part of the North-West Original New Voice Award, to disabled, hard of hearing, neurodivergent writer and actor Terri Jade Donovan, who was recognised for their play DOG DOG DOG – an unpredictable exploration of the impact of childhood trauma and neglect.
Terri was awarded a £5,000 grant.
Selina Cartmell, Artistic Director at the Royal Exchange Theatre and judge for the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, said: “As a judge for this prize in its landmark 20th year, I’ve had the extraordinary privilege of reading work that has challenged, surprised, and moved me in equal measure.
“Our 15 shortlisted writers represent something remarkable – the courage to imagine different worlds, to ask uncomfortable questions, and to trust us with their most profound creative insights.
“Each script on our shortlist offers a unique window into who we are as a society, and more importantly, who we might become. SHOOTERS is an extraordinary play beautifully crafted by Tolu Okanlawon, a huge congratulations to him, to our other winners and to every writer who has shared their bold visions with us.
“None of this would be possible without the remarkable partnership between the Royal Exchange Theatre, the Oglesby Charitable Trust, and Bruntwood. So, let’s celebrate our shortlisted writers, honour our partnerships, and look forward to a future filled with the stories we haven’t yet imagined.”
Chris Oglesby, CEO of Bruntwood, added: “The Bruntwood Prize was born out of a deeply held passion that my parents had for theatre, in particular the Royal Exchange, and their recognition that a vital part of its ecology was new writing.
“20 years later, we are still uncovering incredible new stories and brilliantly talented new writers. The success of this Prize is testament to the wonderful partnership both the Oglesby Charitable Trust and Bruntwood have with the Exchange and is proof that philanthropy is about so much more than making a donation.
“Together we have created a Prize that now has international reach, putting Manchester on the map as a home for phenomenal new writing.
“The Prize has continued to champion and recognise the hard work of writers and the impact that plays can have on those who watch them. Today, we get to celebrate more winning writers, and I cannot wait to see what they do next.”
You can find out more and see all the winners HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
23rd May 2024 
