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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
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?
ADVERTISEMENT
“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.
ADVERTISEMENT
“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.
Musical comedian Morgan Jay is coming to Manchester on his biggest ever UK tour
Danny Jones
Viral music-driven comedian Morgan Jay is returning to Manchester and the UK for his biggest ever transatlantic tour.
The crowd work specialist and social media star is coming back to our fair city once again early next year, having not long ago performed for a maiden Manc crowd.
That’s right: the bloke best known for performing silly improv songs on a ukulele for the majority of the set, not to mention being a little bit cheeky with his audience throughout, is coming to the AO Arena.
Entitled La Dolce Vita, this new tour – set to be the follow-up to his ongoing ‘Goofy Guy’ show – will be just his second performance here in 0161.
Have already got his current tour underway across North America, with more gigs coming up across Asia and Oceania later this year.
As for his next European leg, it kicks off early next year, and do you want to guess where he’s coming first? Yep, straight to us.
We’re almost certain he’ll be bringing that tiny little guitar and a healthy dose of autotune along with him, but you never quite know what you’re going to get…
Can you believe he grabbed her neck like that in public? not going to lie I kind of liked it. The Nashville show went crazy people were horny and having a good time. Tour dates below. 6/5 – Atlanta, GA 6/6 – Hollywood, FL 6/12 – Milwaukee, WI 6/14 – Prior Lake, MN 6/19 – Cherokee, NC 6/20 – Charleston, SC 7/2 – Ledyard, CT 9/12 – Los Angeles 9/17 – Los Angeles 9/25 – Maui 9/26 – Oahu October 3 – Tokyo October 5 – Taipei October 8 – Hong Kong October 11 – Abu Dhabi October 14 – Manila, PH October 17 – Sydney October 21- Auckland, NZ October 25 – Melbourne, AU October 29 – Brisbane, AU November 1- Adelaide, AU November 6 – Perth, AU November 11 – Jakarta, ID November 13 – Singapore, SG November 18 – Kuala Lumpur, MY November 21- Bangkok, TH November 27 – Mumbai, IN November 29 – Bengaluru, IN
You can see his full list of upcoming dates over here down below.
Morgan Jay UK tour dates – 2027
Thu 25 Feb – Manchester, AO Arena Sat 27 Feb – London, OVO Arena Wembley Sat 27 Mar – Glasgow, SEC Armadillo Thu 1 Apr – Birmingham, Utilita Arena Birmingham Sat 3 Apr – Cardiff, Utilita Arena Cardiff
As you can see, there’s only a handful of dates across Great Britain and Ireland, so we’ll consider it an honour not only to be on the schedule but to be first on the call sheet.
Tickets will be available for pre-sale starting on Wednesday, 27 May at 10am; meanwhile, general admission goes live this coming Friday, 29 May, also at 10am BST. You can get ready to grab yours HERE.
If you’ve not come across him before and you’re wondering whether his stuff is your cup of tea, you can watch his special shot in LA, among others, for free on YouTube.
Featured Images — Press shots (supplied via Live Nation)
Affiliate
Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
One of the 2020’s leading female artists, Doja Cat, is heading to the UK for a stop on her newest tour and has chosen to host it at Co-op Live in Manchester.
American recording artist Doja Cat is making her long-awaited return to Manchester and an arena debut, with this artist’s first and only visit to the city being back in 2024, headlining Parklife.
Heading to the UK as part of her Ma Vie World Tour, the California-born star is recognised for her spellbinding performances, extravagant outfits and array of UK Top 40 hits.
Not afraid to blend genres, Amala Dlamini, better known by artist moniker Doja Cat, has lent her voice to rap, hip-hop, pop, R’n’B, and now 80’s synths on her newest LP, Vie.
Gig guide | Doja Cat at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doja Cat is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester for one night of her Ma Vie Tour / Credit: Publicity Picture (Supplied)
Doja Cat UK tour dates
Sat 23 May – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tues 26 May – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Fri 29 May – London, UK – The O2
Are there any tickets left for Doja Cat at Co-op Live?
Do you ‘Need to Know’ about grabbing tickets to see this multi-hyphenate performer live? Well, you’re in luck…
After seeing this iconic ‘Woman’ live on stage in Manchester? Well, if I’ve got your ‘Attention’, you can find tickets and more info HERE.
All you ‘Need to Know’ about Doja Cat’s Ma Vie World Tour in Manchester / Credit: Greg Swales (Supplied) / The Manc Group
Doja Cat setlist for 2026 UK tour
Lipstain
Cards
Get Into It (Yuh)
Kiss Me More
Gorgeous
Couples Therapy
Take Me Dancing
Woman
Acts of Service
Agora Hills
Make It Up
All Mine
Ain’t Sh*t
Paint the Town Red
Silly! Fun!
Juicy
Need to Know
Streets
Wet Vagina
WYM Freestyle
Demons
Tia Tamera
AAAHH MEN!
Boss B*tch
Stranger
Happy
One More Time
Say So
Jealous Type
What are the stage times for Doja Cat in Manchester?
Doors for Doja Cat’s Ma Vie Tour at Co-op Live in Manchester are set to open from 6:30pm with a kick-off time of 7pm from one very good warm-up act.
Supporting the rapper and performer on her UK and EU leg of the tour is alternative-r&b artist Naomi Sharon with singles like ‘Better Days’ and ‘Bittersweet’.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live.
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
ADVERTISEMENT
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd March 2023 
