Smash-hit musical Dear Evan Hansen is heading out on a UK tour for the first time ever, and it’ll be making a stop off here Manchester.
Known for being one of the most beloved new musicals of the last decade, having scooped up dozens of coveted awards after it first debuted on Broadway back in 2016 and then went on to take the West End by storm in 2019, a new production of Dear Evan Hansen is about to embark on its first ever tour of the UK from next autumn onwards.
And luckily for musical fans in Manchester, the show will be capturing the hearts of audiences in our city as part of that long-awaited tour.
The multi-award-winning production will be gracing the Palace Theatre stage in February 2025.
It’s official. 💙 #DearEvanHansen will embark on our first ever UK tour from Autumn 2024 – with tickets on sale in most venues this week. YES, REALLY!!!
Unfamiliar with the show? Dear Evan Hansen tells the story of Evan – an anxious high school kid who wants nothing more than to fit in, but the only thing is, on his way to fitting in, he didn’t tell the whole truth, and now must give up on a life he never dreamt he’d have.
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As events spiral and the truth comes out, Evan faces a reckoning with himself and everyone around him.
Packed with some of the biggest musical theatre songs of this century from a score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul – who are the Oscar-winning composers for The Greatest Showman – the original production of Dear Evan Hansen took home the Tony Award for Best Musical, the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Score.
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And this new touring iteration sounds set to be just as successful, as it’s directed by Adam Penford with a book by Steven Levenson.
Dear Evan Hansen is coming to Manchester on its first ever UK tour / Credit: Matthew Murphy (via Dear Evan Hansen UK)
“Dear Evan Hansen has thrilled audiences on both sides of the Atlantic since it first premiered in 2015,” commented director Adam Penford on the announcement that the production is heading out on a tour of the UK and Ireland.
“Evan’s powerful story grips and moves people, told through a captivating script and musical score, and this first new and exciting UK production offers the opportunity to reexamine some of its contemporary themes.
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“I’m excited to begin the search for our Evan very soon.”
The beloved musical will take to the Palace Theatre stage in February 2025 / Credit: Supplied
Dear Evan Hansen will take to the stage at the Palace Theatre Manchester from Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 February 2025, with tickets set to go on general sale this Friday (17 November) at 10am.
Given how popular the production has been in the past, how well-loved it is among musical theatre fans, and the fact this is the first UK tour, it’s expected that tickets will be snapped up quick, so you’ll want to make sure you act fast to get your hands on them.
Featured Image – Matthew Murphy (via Dear Evan Hansen UK)
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There’s a big listening party for Taylor Swift’s new album happening in Manchester this week
Emily Sergeant
One of the biggest, if not the biggest, popstars in the world right now will be releasing a brand-new album this Friday, and there’s a dedicated listening party happening in Manchester especially for the occasion.
In case you aren’t a Swiftie, or you just generally weren’t aware, Taylor Swift announced back in early February that she would be unleashing her eleventh studio album, titled The Tortured Poets Department, on the world on 19 April.
Just like anything the 34-year-old singer-songwriter does, the surprise announcement of the new album – which is a follow-up to her 2022 critically-acclaimed and GRAMMY award-winning album, Midnights – pretty much broke the internet when it happened, and her dedicated fans have been counting down the days ever since.
Now, after months of eagerly waiting, the big day is finally happening this Friday, and in a bid to properly mark what a massive day it will be, one popular Manchester venue has decided to host a dedicated listening party, so that Swifties can unite under one roof and celebrate the special occasion together.
Fairfield Social Club (FSC) which has recently opened its doors in the heart of Manchester city centre, is inviting fans to “gather with your closest Swifties” and head on down to its Green Quarter venue this Friday for a night that’s “dedicated to Tay Tay and her legacy”.
Not only will you get to hear The Tortured Poets Department in full from start to finish surrounded by dozens of fellow fans, but there’ll also be a bunch of other Swift-themed activities too.
There’s a big Taylor Swift new album listening party happening in Manchester this week / Credit: FSC
These include a Taylor Swift pub quiz with questions to all about her life and groundbreaking career to test your knowledge, friendship bracelet-making sessions, and just the chance to share the love and swap stories with other Swifties.
If all of that didn’t sound brilliant enough as it is, there’s also set to be a selection of themed cocktails to sip whilst you spend time ruminating on what Taylor meant in the lyrics of her songs only released a few hours prior.
Oh, and the best bit? FSC promises there “won’t be a Scooter Braun in sight” on the night.
The Tortured Poets Department Listening Party is taking over Fairfield Social Club this Friday 19 April from 7pm right through until 10pm – with tickets now on sale setting you back just £6 each, and already selling fast.
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots starring Strictly’s Johannes Radebe is coming to Manchester next year
Emily Sergeant
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots is heading out on a tour of the UK next year, and the talented cast will be stopping off here in Manchester.
The Broadway and West End phenomenon, which is based on a true story and is an adaptation of a 2005 film of the same name, has become known and loved by musical theatre fans all across the globe since its stage debut back in 2012, and has scooped up several Tonys, Olivier Awards, and GRAMMYs along the way.
And now, it’s set for a revival starring Strictly Come Dancing‘s Johannes Radebe, and the production will be touring the UK and Ireland from January 2025.
Kinky Boots The Musical features a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein, and this new production will be directed by Artistic Director, Nikolai Foster – who has famously helmed productions of The Wizard of Oz and Billy Elliot, to name a few – as well as starring the fan-favourite Strictly pro as Lola, alongside and rising star Dan Partridge as Charlie Price.
Smash-hit musical Kinky Boots starring Strictly’s Johannes Radebe is coming to Manchester / Credit: Ollies Rosser (via Supplied)
In case you’re unfamiliar with the Kinky Boots story, here’s brief rundown.
After inheriting his family’s failing shoe factory and with a relationship on the rocks, life is proving to be very challenging for Charlie Price, but that is until he meets Lola – a drag queen whose “sparkle and unsteady heels” might just hold the answer to saving the struggling business.
The 2025 revival production is already being billed as “guaranteed to raise you up” and “celebrate everybody’s individuality” when it arrives here in Manchester next February.
👢 On sale to ATG+ members 👢
Kinky Boots The Musical, is strutting back to Manchester in a new production starring Strictly Come Dancing’s Johannes Radebe and rising star Dan Partridge.
“Kinky Boots is one of the things I’m proudest of in my career,” commented Cyndi Lauper, on the musicals return to the road across the UK.
“I’m so excited that audiences will get to see it again, in a new production, as it’s like a happy pill, and we could all use some of that right now, so I can’t think of a better time or place to relaunch this special show in its place of origin.”
Emily Sergeant -
13th November 2023 
