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Beloved comedy stage play The Full Monty to return to Manchester for iconic film’s 30th anniversary

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Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 26th February 2026

Beloved comedy stage play The Full Monty is heading on a UK tour next year, and will be stopping off here in Manchester.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the iconic British film of the same name, which was released to the world back in 1997, a major national tour of The Full Monty will kick off next year, and will be taking to one of Manchester‘s most famous stages in the spring.

Described as being ‘fast-paced and irresistibly funny’, Simon Beaufoy’s heartfelt play tells the story of an ordinary group of men who are striving to reclaim their dignity and pride.

The film may be turning 30 years old next year, but the play remains as strikingly relevant today as it ever has, especially resonating powerfully in an era that is marked, once again, by an unfortunate cost of living crisis.

Audiences will get to watch as Gaz and his mates find themselves down on their luck, cast aside, and underestimated, but ultimately determined to fight back… even if it means revealing more about themselves than they ever imagined (wink wink).

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“A lot has changed in Britain since The Full Monty appeared thirty years ago,” Oscar-winning screenwriter Simon Beaufoy said.

“What hasn’t changed is our need for laughter, compassion and dignity. I’m so delighted the Monty Men are back on the road with all their flaws, jokes and wobbly bits, bringing a bit of much-needed joy to audiences once again.”

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So, what can audiences expect? Well, the production will deliver a ‘rollercoaster of laughter and heartbreak’, as crowds are invited to relive the iconic music of the 90s cheering on this unforgettable group of lads as they prepare to put on the show of their lives.

The Full Monty will take to the iconic Manchester Opera House stage from Monday 5 through to Saturday 10 April 2027, as well as dates in other northern cities like Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool, York, and Glasgow, alongside many more major UK locations.

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Casting is set to be announced soon so keep your eyes peeled.

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But in the meantime, tickets are set to go on sale in March – with pre-sales starting on Wednesday 11 March, and general sale starting the day after (Thursday 12 March), both at 10am, and you can get your hands on them here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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Wigan favourites Stanleys release first single ahead of debut album next year

Danny Jones Danny Jones Stanleys bands from Wigan new single Pass The Time

Fast-rising Wigan band Stanleys have dropped the lead single from their debut album, which is finally on its way and will be coming sometime next year.

Entitled ‘Pass The Time’, the Stanleys’ latest outing arrived on Friday, 20 February, and while there’s still no specific release date for the first-ever full-length LP, we do know it’s coming at some point in 2027.

To simply label it as more catchy indie would be a disservice to the craft and graft these lads have put in: this is definitely a step forward and in a slightly different direction, with an even more guitar-driven feel and an extra bit of gruff about it compared to previous Stanleys material.

Our only minor complaint is that we wish it lasted a little longer – we want MORE.

An energetic two-and-a-half-minute track that we can already see becoming a fan favourite, it’s one we’re looking forward to hearing in the flesh.

We’ve caught the Stanleys boys live a few times now, both here in Manchester city centre and at their sold-out show in Wigan as part of The Monaco relaunch, as well as at the likes of Kendal Calling festival in recent years.

Safe to say, they never disappoint, and neither do their growing crowd of die-hards.

With lyrics touching on not just the passing of time but also that sense of youthful ambition and how it fluctuates with age, it feels like one of those defiant indie rallying cries we grew up listening to in our own adolescence, and it definitely has plenty of energy to it.

Both The Manc and our wider Audio North team had the pleasure of chatting with them back in November 2024, and you can tell they have big plans to take on not just the local music scene but the UK and beyond.

The release of ‘Pass The Time’ comes almost a year on from their last song, ‘Out the Door’: a similarly fast-run song, albeit with a different vibe.

Positioned as part of Wigan’s next generation of new bands and artists, Stanleys are clearly looking to keep developing as musicians, and if tunes like these are anything to go by, then we can’t wait for their first full record.

They’re also going to be playing a night here in Manchester city centre and beloved grassroots venue, Night and Day, this April; you can grab tickets HERE.

So get adding it to your Spotify playlists, watching the music video, and maybe we’ll see you at the gig.

That cover art alone definitely has that Northern feel. (Credit: Thomas Edwards Photography)

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Featured Images — Thomas Edwards Photography (supplied)

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New stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House to arrive in Manchester this Halloween

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

A brand-new stage adaptation of a bestselling horror novel and TV series is coming to Manchester this Halloween.

Following the critically acclaimed Netflix hit series that introduced a new generation to the eerie masterpiece, author Shirley Jackson’s famous The Haunting of Hill House is being turned into a brand-new stage adaptation later this year, and will be taking to one of Manchester’s most iconic stages at the spookiest season of all.

Written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith, and directed by Martin Constantine, the new production is set to conjure the iconic supernatural thriller on stage.

It will be making its world premiere with a UK tour this autumn, stopping off in several major towns and cities along the way.

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Haunting of Hill House follows a group of daring investigators who take on the mystery of Hill House, before their curiosity quickly descends into fear.

A new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House is coming to Manchester this Halloween / Credit: Supplied

“The Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last hundred years and to have the chance to adapt it for the stage is a true privilege,” explained writer Stef Smith, as the UK tour was announced this week.

“I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching.

“I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House. From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”

The brand-new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House will arrive in Manchester and take to the stage at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 27 October right through to Halloween itself (Saturday 31 October 2026).

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The full cast and creative team for the new production is set to be announced shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.

Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow at 10am, before general sale begins on Friday (20 February), again at 10am, and you book your place here.

Featured Image – Supplied

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