Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ incredible Tudor girl band wow a jam-packed audience at The Lowry.
Six the musical, created by a budding pair of Cambridge students back in 2017, is now a world-conquering smash hit, with productions springing up all over the world.
From Broadway to South Korea, the West End to Australia and eventually The Lowry in Salford, it’s a slick 80-minute musical that is unlike any you have seen before.
Styled like a pop concert, Six the musical is concise and tight – with every wife having their own turn in the spotlight.
I’m not going to spoil it for you, because that would simply be unfair, but what I will say is the cast is bursting at the seams with raw talent.
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From the opening introductory number to the confessional balled that takes place in the middle, there is no weak link throughout the entire performance.
The six powerhouses dance together in their bedazzled boots throughout, consistently in time and always reacting to the witty remarks taking place on stage.
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The live band on stage adds to the electric concert atmosphere and encourages the audience to interact as if they were catching their favourite set at Glastonbury.
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At one point, some audience members couldn’t resist standing up and dancing to the epic tunes that the historic girl band were harmonising effortlessly before our eyes.
A stand out moment was Catherine Parr’s soulful plea to the audience, where for the first time during the evening you couldn’t hear a ‘woo’ or cheer serenade through the auditorium.
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Overall, Six the musical rewrites your GCSE history books in the best way possible, encouraging young women to consider Henry VIIII’s iconic story in a different light.
Six is playing at The Lowry up until Sunday 1 September, and you can get your tickets here.
New stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House to arrive in Manchester this Halloween
Emily Sergeant
A brand-new stage adaptation of a bestselling horror novel and TV series is coming to Manchester this Halloween.
Following the critically acclaimed Netflix hit series that introduced a new generation to the eerie masterpiece, author Shirley Jackson’s famous The Haunting of Hill House is being turned into a brand-new stage adaptation later this year, and will be taking to one of Manchester’s most iconic stages at the spookiest season of all.
Written by Olivier and BAFTA award-winner Stef Smith, and directed by Martin Constantine, the new production is set to conjure the iconic supernatural thriller on stage.
It will be making its world premiere with a UK tour this autumn, stopping off in several major towns and cities along the way.
If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Haunting of Hill House follows a group of daring investigators who take on the mystery of Hill House, before their curiosity quickly descends into fear.
A new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House is coming to Manchester this Halloween / Credit: Supplied
“The Haunting of Hill House is one of the greatest supernatural novels of the last hundred years and to have the chance to adapt it for the stage is a true privilege,” explained writer Stef Smith, as the UK tour was announced this week.
“I find Shirley Jackson’s world intoxicating, thrilling and gut-wrenching.
“I believe there is something so deeply theatrical at the heart of Hill House. From the spooky, to the surreal, through heartache and hope. I hope that our cast of characters will take the audience along for a ride quite unlike anything else. Above all we will examine that the biggest horrors are usually human.”
The brand-new stage adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House will arrive in Manchester and take to the stage at Manchester Palace Theatre from Tuesday 27 October right through to Halloween itself (Saturday 31 October 2026).
The full cast and creative team for the new production is set to be announced shortly, so keep your eyes peeled.
Tickets go on pre-sale tomorrow at 10am, before general sale begins on Friday (20 February), again at 10am, and you book your place here.
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Theatre
Multi award-winning musical Back to the Future returns to Manchester next summer
Emily Sergeant
Nearly six years after making its world premiere here in Manchester, Back to The Future The Musical is returning to our city next summer.
The multi award-winning musical – based off the beloved 1985 film of the same name – held its world premiere at the Manchester Opera House back 2020, but unfortunately, as you can probably guess, its run was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now, flash forward to 2027, the production is returning to ‘settle some unfinished business’.
Lead producer Colin Ingram, together with Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the creators of the Back To The Future film trilogy, have announced that the musical will return to Manchester as part of its first-ever UK tour.
Directed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando, alongside a multi Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team, Back to the Future The Musical has a book by Bob Gale, and new music and lyrics by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard.
Multi award-winning musical Back to the Future is returning to Manchester / Credit: Supplied
Additional hit songs from the film, including ‘The Power of Love’ and ‘Johnny B. Goode’, are also included in the production, making it a real trip down memory lane for fans.
The show will run at Manchester Opera House from 13 July through to 21 August 2027, following its run in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre, where it’s currently in its fifth year, having broken box office records and being seen by more than 2.3 million people.
“Speaking for the entire creative team, we are beyond thrilled to be returning to the Manchester Opera House, which we consider the birthplace of Back to the Future The Musical and one of the UK’s best venues,” commented co-creator Bob Gale.
“No city has ever given us a better reception and the incredible audience response we received in 2020 helped shape the show creatively in myriad ways.”
Back to the Future The Musical will take to the Manchester Opera House stage from 13 July – 21 August 2027, and tickets officially go on general sale tomorrow (18 February) at 10am.
Clementine Hall -
14th August 2024 
