Audiences have been raving about the 5* Christmas fairytale with a “sassy spin” since it arrived at Sale’s flagship arts centre last month.
And there’s not long left now to grab tickets to see it for yourself.
In case you hadn’t heard, towards the end of November, the previously-unloved and ill-fated ugly sisters arrived at Waterside in Sale to “sing some songs, right some wrongs, and tell it how it is” in a brand-new musical play.
The play is titled The Not So Ugly Sisters, and it’s inspired by everybody’s favourite fairytale, Cinderella.
Presented by award-winning children’s theatre makers, Wrongsemble – in a co-production with Leeds Playhouse and Red Ladder – audiences lucky enough to have already see it have been calling The Not So Ugly Sisters a “funny, fast-paced family show”.
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We're still open and our fabulously festive family show, The Not So Ugly Sisters is still running! So don't be sad if your Christmas show at another venue got cancelled, cos we've got just the ticket to cheer you up (from £12)https://t.co/EFSR5CfiJvpic.twitter.com/LIuPA4pEkF
According to an overview for the jam-packed show, the action centres around Dolly and Barb in their hairdressing salon on the day of their sister Cindy’s wedding to Prince Smarming. Thinking that they have not been invited to the so-called event of the year, the sisters gather to share their story and wash their woes right out of their hair.
With the salon phone only ringing for customers to cancel their blow-dry appointments, it’s time for the sisters to tell the much-loved story from their perspective.
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“Hell hath no fury like a hairdresser scorned.”
Waterside says the family-friendly show runs at just under an hour with no interval, and is filled with “up-tempo original songs, puppetry, and funky moves.”
The Not So Ugly Sisters is inspired by everybody’s favourite fairytale – Cinderella / Credit: Waterside / Wrongsemble
Older children and adults are also bound to love the sassy spin on this classic fairytale, with plenty of references to Love Island, cancel culture, and cracking tunes.
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It’s been dubbed the perfect family outing this festive season in a COVID-secure environment.
Giving a little more insight into the show’s stay at Waterside Sale, Elvi Piper – Artistic Director at Wrongsemble – said: “We’ve been waiting for two years to entertain the good people of Manchester with this ultimate family feel-good festive feast of a show – which has something in it for everyone.
“Live theatre is well and truly back with a fairytale bang.”
The Not So Ugly Sisters runs at Waterside until Saturday 1 January 2022, and a range of different tickets and ticket packages are still on sale.
Tickets start from just £12, and milk and cookie packs are also available to pre-order.
From drone shows to free ice lollies – what went down at Parklife 2025
Daisy Jackson
It’s been a few days since Parklife 2025 wrapped up, and now that we’ve all caught up on sleep we’re looking back on some of the highlights you might’ve missed.
With such a stacked line-up of live music, it would be impossible to have seen everything – from that sizzling final set from Charli XCX to Morgan Seatree’s emotional hometown show, plus viral sensation Interplanetary Criminal filling Matinee and D.O.D. getting the whole Big Top dancing.
One moment that you couldn’t possibly have missed if you were on the ground at Parklife festival was a surprise drone show which dazzled overhead on Saturday night.
As rap legend 50 Cent wrapped up his huge headline set on The Valley stage, and The Hangar came alive to the sound of Pawsa, fans got an extra special treat way up in the skies.
Hundreds of drones came together in an impressive, illuminated aerial display, starting with a 10-second countdown that stopped festival-goers in their tracks.
The drones then flew in formation to create iconic shapes like a yellow JD Sports duffle bag, an adidas shoebox, and the shape of a slowly-rotating Climacool trainer – and what a trainer it is.
The adidas drone show on Saturday nightadidas handed out Climacool-branded lollies and slushies50 Cent on The Valley stageadidas handed out Climacool-branded lollies and slushies
That wasn’t the only bit of attention the Climacool footwear got at Parklife either – thankful fans were treated to free Climacool branded ice lollies and slushies on their way into the festival on Saturday.
As the sun beat down on Heaton Park (bar the odd brief downpour, classic Manchester), adidas and JD Sports arrived in an ice cream truck with the coolest drop at the festival.
There was a helping hand from social media sensation Yombo to hype up the crowd before the festival had even got started.
The Climacool has a textile lining and upper work, with a perforated midsole to allow airflow and keep your feet fresh – perfect for any city adventure (and pretty perfect for a day at Parklife, we discovered).
If the Climacool trainers have caught your eye – either in the sky, at the Climacool ice cream truck, or on social media – then the good news is you can now shop them for yourselves.
Manchester bar announces huge giveaway of margaritas to celebrate first birthday
Daisy Jackson
A cocktail and shuffleboard bar in Manchester city centre is throwing a weekend-long party to celebrate its first birthday, and there are free cocktails up for grabs.
Electric Shuffle is kindly offering to give all of us presents for its birthday, with an epic free margarita giveaway.
That’s alongside an almighty party that includes resident DJs, live music performances, giveaways, exclusive offers, a cracking happy hour and a free photobooth.
The Deansgate activity bar, which has 15 interactive high-tech shuffleboards to play, each one loaded with different game modes, is celebrating one year in the city centre between Friday 20 and Sunday 22 June.
They’re throwing a three-day-long celebration, kicking off at 5pm on Friday with a giveaway of margaritas for the first 250 guests through the doors.
Then there’ll be an Electric Shuffle birthday prize game, where each slide of the puck could unlock prizes like bar tabs, brunch tickets, branded merch, cocktails, pizzas and more.
Singer-songwriter Luke McColl will be playing live during the evening, and you’ll be able to dive into a free photobooth all evening.
Electric Shuffle ManchesterFood and drink at the premium gaming barElectric Shuffle Manchester turns one
Moving on to Saturday’s celebrations – expect happy hour deals all day long, like £4 pins and £7 Sarti Spritzes, complimentary shuffleboard hire (you need to pre-book HERE), a special late brunch session between 5pm and 7pm, and more prize giveaways.
This part of the birthday party will be soundtracked by resident DJs and a live set from Elle Graham.
And if you thought that was the end of the party, you’re mistaken.
On Sunday, Electric Shuffle will host free shuffleboard all day long.
All summer, there’ll be a Margs and Margs deal, where you can get two margarita cocktails and a margarita pizza for just £25.
Electric Shuffle’s first birthday celebrations take place between 20 and 22 June.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd December 2021 
