The days are getting lighter, the daffodils bursting into bloom, the weather warming up – and what better time than spring to start planning your festive season… right?
Well like it or not, panto season is shaping up nicely already, with comedy legend Jason Manford lined up to star in this year’s Jack and the Beanstalk at the Manchester Opera House.
The Salford comedian is reuniting with Ben Nickless on stage, with additional dates added due to popular demand.
The announcement yesterday confirmed the return of the beloved theatre’s huge pantomime season, which will kick off from Saturday 2 December 2023.
Jason Manford will star as Jack, while panto favourite Ben will take on the role of Silly Simon. This will be their second year performing together.
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Jason began his career in 1999, working at the Buzz Comedy Club in Chorlton, and since then has regularly packed-out theatres and arenas up and down the country with his award-winning comedy.
Jason Manford as Captain Hook in last year’s panto. Credit: Publicity picture
He’s a familiar face on TV too, presenting shows like Unbeatable, Sunday Night at The Palladium and The Royal Variety Performance, and on stages in the West End and across the UK.
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His previous theatre roles have included Sweeney Todd, The Producers, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Guys and Dolls, and Curtains.
On his return to panto after a triumphant year as Captain Hook in The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan, Jason Manford said: “I know I joked about Peter Pan being my ‘farewell debut’ in Panto, but in truth I had such a wonderful time last Christmas that I was itching to do it again.
“So, to be invited back to the Opera House in Manchester with such a fun and collaborative company and alongside my new best mate, the hilarious Ben Nickless, well, how could I say no?
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“This Christmas I’ll be putting down the hook and stepping into the title role in Jack and the Beanstalk, and I’m very much looking forward to playing the nice guy!
“The Manchester audiences are second to none, so I’m really honoured to be part of your Christmas panto tradition once again.”
Britain’s Got Talent finalist and Rochdale native Ben Nickless started his working life playing the comedy clubs in the North-West and his career took off in 2006 when he performed his own style of comedy and impressions on the BBC television series Let Me Entertain You alongside Brian Conley and Christine Bleakley, winning his episode.
Ben, who returns to the Opera House for his fifth consecutive year, said: “I’m delighted to be coming back to Manchester for my fifth pantomime at the Opera House and especially convincing Jason to come back with me (didn’t take much… a caramel latte, 2 steak bakes and a yum yum from Greggs). Jason and I had such a great time working and laughing together last year, we thought we should do one more together and I can’t wait to get started on some new routines for the amazing Manchester audiences.
Michael Harrison, chief executive of the UK’s biggest pantomime producer Crossroads Pantomimes said: “Jason was such a hit last year in Manchester that it was a no brainer to ask him back for another season, he is a comedic legend and together with Opera House favourite Ben Nickless the show has all the ingredients to delight comedy lovers looking for a great time this Christmas.
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“I’m thrilled to have them both back for the gigantic adventure of Jack and the Beanstalk this Christmas at The Opera House.”
Robin Hawkes, theatre director of the Palace Theatre and Opera House said: “Last year was our most successful pantomime to date, with thousands of visitors relishing what quickly became a showstopping partnership between Jason and Ben.
“The entire show was a runaway success, and we are therefore thrilled these two titans of comedy will be reunited on our stage later this year. Our pantomimes are a well-loved festive staple for many, and we’re excited to welcome current and first-time theatregoers to experience what is sure to be a gigantic success for both the Opera House and Manchester’s ever-growing cultural scene.”
Jack and the Beanstalk replaces the originally announced production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and will now run from Saturday 2 December through to New Year’s Eve, with the addition of eight more shows due to popular demand.
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.
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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.”
Daisy Jackson -
2nd March 2023 
