Much-loved Manc artist Stanley Chow is hosting an exclusive exhibition of his iconic portraits and illustrations of famous faces at a Greater Manchester arts institution.
Stanley Chow, best known for his geometric art that has become a contemporary and instantly recognisable style all of its own, is probably one of the most notable British artists around right now and it goes without saying that he’s a favourite of ours too.
So when we heard that he was displaying an exhibition of some of his most famous works — quite literally, in this case — over in Chorlton, we didn’t hesitate to share the news.
Showcasing illustrations and his trademark minimalist, vector-based portraits at none other than The Edge Theatre and Arts Centre on Manchester Road, some of Stan’s most notable designs will be on show, spotlighting familiar faces and household names from the stage and screen.
The special exhibition in Chorlton will run from Thursday, 15 February to Thursday, 30 May and is built around Chow’s personally curated collection of actors from the stage, film and television.
Including takes on several BAFTA, Emmy, Olivier and Oscar winners, the exhibit will also feature the three patrons of The Edge: Sir Mark Rylance, Julie Hesmondhalgh and John Thomson.
Having been in the business for more than 30 years now, Stan has been involved in many areas within design and illustration, even being
” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>involved with Manchester United’s latest kit launch and player unveilings, but he is undoubtedly best known for his distinctive portraiture of pop stars, actors, sports personalities and more celebrities.
So it’s a good job that’s what’ll be on show at The Edge, isn’t it?
KesX-FilesDorothy in The Wizard of the OzStanley Chow has a permanent exhibition at Hotel Football but this is the first (Credit: Stanley Chow/supplied)
This will be the first time Stan has focused his attention specifically on a collection round stage and screen, stating: “I had a lot of fun looking through my back catalogue to find the images that would work in the lovely space offered to me at The Edge Theatre & Arts Centre and it’ll be the first time my design of Sir Mark Rylance will be shown in public.”
As for the theatre itself, Artistic Director Janine Waters said, “We are thrilled to have such a local legend bringing his work to The Edge, and this exhibition promises to be a very special one.
“We are particularly excited to see Stan’s unique take on our patrons, alongside some other familiar faces. It is a privilege to have his work on show in our building in the heart of Chorlton.”
While tickets for the exclusive opening night preview have now sold out, you can go along to see tickets to see the exhibition from mid-March until the end of May. To hear more about why The Edge has become such a cultural site over the past decade, you can hear Rylance waxing lyrical about it here:
Featured Images — Supplied/Stanley Chow (via Instagram)
Art & Culture
The first-ever Horrible Histories live concert is coming to Manchester
Danny Jones
Any fans of childhood favourite Horrible Histories in the house? Well, you might want to pay attention because the iconic kids’ show is bringing its first-ever live concert to Manchester.
The beloved educational comedy by CBBC was, for many of us, the first time we showed a proper interest in history, and we’ll confess, we still go back and comfort-watch it from time to time.
Running from 2009 until 2014, it featured countless funny faces that went on to become stars in the UK comic scene and even spawned a smash-hit live show, which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.
With that in mind, to help celebrate the milestone, the team behind the cult classic are putting on a special a pretty extensive series of live shows to bring the music of Horrible Histories to domestic audiences, including two right here in Manchester.
Credit: BBC/Supplied
Teaming up with Birmingham Stage Company and Lion Television, the BBC and Horrible Histories crew will soon be playing all the hit songs from the TV programme in the flesh.
Based on the books, CBBC show and the success of the theatre show, this unique music-driven live format is written by the TV series’ writers Ben Ward and Claire Wetton.
Led on stage by the Horrible Histories song master, Richie Webb, himself – who has written all the songs from the smash-hit BBC series – you’re getting the full, authentic experience.
Featuring a live band performing the sensational TV songs, including guest appearances from Charles II, Dick Turpin and a bunch of Vikings that we couldn’t stop barging through the stage door, this is one show you don’t want to miss.
You can find all the 32 ‘Horrible Histories: Live (And Dead)! – The Concert’ UK tour dates down below:
Early 2026
Spring 2026
– Fri 23 January, Darlington Hippodrome – Sat 24 January, Darlington Hippodrome – Fri 30 January, Bristol Beacon – Sat 31 January, Bristol Beacon – Sun 1 February, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre – Fri 6 February, Manchester Opera House – Sat 7 February, Manchester Opera House – Fri 13 February, Liverpool Empire – Sat 14 February, Liverpool Empire – Tues 17 February London Royal Festival Hall – Fri 20 February, Birmingham Alexandra – Sat 21 February, Birmingham Alexandra – Fri 27 February, Milton Keynes Theatre – Sat 28 February, Milton Keynes Theatre – Sun 1 March, Cambridge Corn Exchange – Sun 8 March, Sheffield City Hall – Fri 13 March, Edinburgh Festival Theatre – Sat 14 March, Edinburgh Festival Theatre – Sun 15 March, Edinburgh Festival Theatre – Fri 20 March, Glasgow Theatre Royal
– Sat 21 March, Glasgow Theatre Royal – Sun 29 March, Nottingham Concert Hall – Thur 2 April, Southampton Mayflower – Fri 3 April, Southampton Mayflower – Sat 4 April, Southampton Mayflower – Mon 6 April, York Barbican – Tues 7 April, York Barbican – Thur 9 April, Brighton Concert Hall – Fri 10 April, Brighton Concert Hall – Sat 11 April, Brighton Concert Hall – Fri 17 April, Sunderland Empire – Sat 18 April, Sunderland Empire
Coming to the city centre and the storied Manchester Opera House for two evenings early next year, if you’re a fan of the series or the live theatre act, this one has to be on your list.
The whole cast for the tour is yet to be fully confirmed, but you can expect plenty of humour and talent from start to finish.
ATG+ presale has just gone live, and general admission will be available from Friday, 11 July, with prices starting from £18 and school tickets costing just £13.50
Castlefield Viaduct ‘sky park’ receives £2.75m funding towards major extension
Emily Sergeant
The National Trust has today announced an exciting development in the transformation of Manchester’s Castlefield Viaduct.
The New York-inspired elevated urban park on the giant Grade II-listed Victorian viaduct in the heart of the city centre officially opened to the public back in July 2022, and has been an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life ever since… but now, it’s time for the next phase of the journey, and a significant proportion of the funding needed for this project has been secured.
National Highway’s Historical Railways Estate Team, working in partnership with the National Trust has committed £2.4 million to fund a significant part of the structural and foundation work for ‘Phase 2’ of the project.
The funding will go towards increasing the scale of the current ‘sky park’ experience and turning it into a nature-rich through route, including the addition of The WaterAid Garden – a gold medal-winning garden from last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Other supporters and funders are now being urged to donate to cover the remaining amount needed to ‘green up’ the extension.
As it stands, current visitors to the viaduct can walk through a series of spaces and gardens before coming to an untouched and overgrown section of the structure beyond a glass wall, and it’s this untouched section where the Phase 2 transformation will take place to extend the viaduct experience for visitors from 150-metres to more than 350-metres.
The current state of the site at Castlefield Viaduct that’s set to be transformed as part of Phase 2 / Credit: Paul Harris (via National Trust)
Plans include winding paths through planted areas to encourage people to take time out from the busy city below and connect with nature.
A second entry and exit point will also be added to the west side of Mancunian Way via a lift and stairway, turning it into a through route for the very-first time, and making it more accessible for people with limited mobility.
A longer-term masterplan could see the viaduct join up to other areas of the city, increasing access towards Salford and Trafford, and taking the benefits way beyond the physical structure of the viaduct in Castlefield.
The CGIs of how the space on the viaduct will look once it has been transformed / Credit: Twelve Architects (via National Trust)
“This funding is brilliant news for Castlefield – a hugely inspiring project to bring nature and green space to communities across Manchester,” commented Hilary McGrady, who is the Director-General of the National Trust.
“Its popularity over the past few years demonstrates how residents and visitors to the city value access to the outdoors and experiencing nature up-close in an innovative industrial heritage setting.
“This is something we want to continue and do more and more of in the years to come, and that is why this funding is so important.
“Our aim over the next 10 years is to ensure more people have access to nature particularly in our towns and cities, and to bring nature to people’s doorsteps wherever they live.”
Danny Jones -
31st January 2024 
