The musical revamp of the cult classic teen comedy Heathers is wowing sold-out audiences at the Palace Theatre.
We’ve all seen the classic 1988 high school flick where Winona Ryder leads a world where cliques rule and jocks dominate, with all the ‘popular’ girls being called Heather.
And of course, the musical adaptation that rose to fame in 2018 does not disappoint.
A delightful combination of crunchy, bright, catchy songs alongside a morbid, melancholy plot line – the musical is nothing short of mesmerising.
Following two smash hit West End seasons and a record-breaking run at The Other Palace, Heathers the Musical is in the midst of a national tour and luckily for us, they’ll be in Manchester until Saturday 12 August.
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Following the journey of protagonist and teenage misfit Veronica Sawyer, the musical perfectly depicts high school life and all its challenges.
The talented ensemble include all the stereotypes, the ‘stoner’, the ‘nerd’, the ‘theatre geek’ and of course the macho jocks clad in baseball jackets and six packs.
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From the offset you are catapulted into high school life, with lockers lining the stage walls and students dancing joyously with cafeteria trays above their heads.
We are introduced to ‘The Heathers’, three leaders of the pack all dressed in primary colours and knee high socks with the school wrapped around their manicured fingers.
Heather Chandler, played by Verity Thompson, was an absolute power house, with vocals that shone to the upper tier of the auditorium leaving audience members stunned and applauding merrily.
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We follow Veronica as she becomes a Heather herself, sporting an electric blue blazer and fake smile to try fit in with the ‘cool kids’.
She meets JD, a morbid troubled teen who leads her down a garden path to revenge, rebellion and inevitably murder.
Both Veronica and JD, played by Jenna Innes and Jacob Fowler, produced stand-out performances which had audience members chatting of their brilliance in the foyer throughout the interval.
We intently followed their love story, and accepted it with all its quirks, as they eliminated class mates who have wronged them one by one.
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But although the plot line had moments of morbidity, the overall feeling was one of charm, pride and elation.
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Heathers the Musical shrieks with joy throughout, and is an absolute explosion of a theatrical experience which will leave you wanting more and more.
Heathers the Musical is playing at The Palace Theatre until Saturday 12 August and you can get your tickets here, which we absolutely urge you to do so.
There’s a non-alcoholic pairing dinner coming to Manchester this Dry Jan
Thomas Melia
A one-night-only pairing of two dining out staples from the food and drink world is coming to Manchester next month, and it also happens to be non-alcoholic for anyone doing Dry January.
Taking place at the wonderful Maray over on Lincoln Square, each dish served throughout the night will be expertly paired with a non-alcoholic drink from zero-per cent experts, Lucky Saint.
This Middle Eastern eatery is always surprising its diners, last September they made their infamous roasts free for one day only, and this upcoming event is sure to be as exciting with its unique tastings.
Lucky Saint came to fruition after partnering with a historical brewery in Bavaria who’ve produced beer for over 400 years, creating a non alcoholic alternative which greeted UK drinkers in 2020.
Lucky Saint will be readily available and paired with every meal.Diners can expect some sensational food as always from Maray. Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Titled ‘The Official Beer Of Dry January’, supplying IPAs and lagers to a host of stockists, not only are their products fully non-alcoholic but they’re also entirely plant-based – meaning they’re the perfect tie-in with Veganuary.
If their website is anything to go by, diners are set to enjoy refreshments such as their unfiltered lager and a 0.5% ‘Hazy’ IPA which contains juicy tropical notes. Don’t mind if we do.
Although it’s hard to say what the food offerings may be, it’s guaranteed that anyone who attends is in for a treat as this site has even served famous faces like Dua Lipa back in 2022 while she was on tour.
Their vegan menu features some meat free feasts like a falafel sharer and a delicious oyster mushroom shwarma, it’s a well-loved restaurant.
Vegans are certainly catered for at this event as it’s not only the free-flowing drinks that contain no animal products, there will also be an entirely vegan menu on hand.
Maray have multiple locations but anyone who couldn’t get enough of the flavours the first time in Manchester can attend their Liverpool pairing dinner which is happening the very next day.
The Maray x Lucky Saint Dry January Pairing Dinner is coming to Manchester on Wednesday, 15 January from 7-9:30pm with tickets live HERE.
And if you’re looking for other places to enjoy a guilt-free drink in the city centre this month, we’ve got a few suggestions for you:
Doing #DryJan doesn't have to mean staying in or saying goodbye to the pub. 🍹
US comedian Shane Gillis is coming to Manchester very soon
Danny Jones
Popular comedian, writer, producer and actor Shane Gillis is coming back to Manchester for one of his biggest UK shows ever as he prepares to play Co-op Live.
Known for his acclaimed stand-up shows Live In Austin and Beautiful Dogs, as well as sketches on Saturday Night Live and cult-hit Netflix comedy, Tires, he is currently selling out stadiums and huge rooms all across the US – and it won’t be long before he crosses the Atlantic.
The last time the Manc comedy scene saw Shane Gillis’ name on a dressing room door was back in March 2022 when he was playing the second-largest room at the Manchester Academy. Fast forward to this coming spring and he’s now set to sell out the city’s and one of Europe’s biggest indoor arenas.
As mentioned, his latest tour – simply entitled, Shane Gillis Live – is not just selling out all over North America but is even breaking attendance records at storied venues, surpassing the likes of U2 for most tickets sold and countless other regional feats.
The 37-year-old from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (yes, that’s actually what it’s called) has become one of the hottest comics on the planet in recent times, returning to SNL to write several popular skits in 2024 – including doing his infamous Donald Trump impression in costume.
Still considered a controversial figure on the circuit for some of his early routines, having initially been fired as a writer on the show for comments made on his podcast back in 2019, his ‘edgy’ brand of stand-up definitely pushes up against the boundaries of what many label ‘offensive’ comedy.
Nevertheless, he remains one of the most highly-rated contemporary performers in the live stand-up genre, appearing as a guest on the Kill Tony live comedy podcast on multiple occasions and seeing his original sitcom, Tires, renewed for a second season.
The first clip from the latest series, teasing a celebrity guest appearance, dropped in December.
Fans won’t have to wait long either as Gillis arrives at Co-op Live on Thursday, 20 March, almost three years on from his last visit to Manchester.
General admission tickets go live this Friday, 10 January at 10am, but official Co-op members can access the exclusive pre-sale window from 12 noon on Wednesday (8 Jan).
If you fancy going along to the show, you can grab tours HERE.
Clementine Hall -
9th August 2023 
