An immersive circus show described as being “breathtakingly beautiful” is coming to Greater Manchester next week.
Set to take over a rarely-seen area of The Lowry building for what is expected to be an “unmissable event”, the all-female Chicago-based circus company, Aloft, will be bringing their critically-acclaimed Brave Spaceshow to Salford for the first time ever.
Known for being “a celebration of female strength and power”, Brave Space is now touring across Europe after it received five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year.
There’s only two UK tour dates in the calendar, and one of those is Salford.
Inspired by the idea of creating trusting communities in trying and dangerous times, Brave Space starts as a puddle of 250-yards of fabric on the floor, and then, with the help of the audience, grows into a massive blanket fort and a “world of hope” that includes everything from interdependent acts of aerial arts, and acrobatics, to juggling, balancing on eight-foot high poles, and more.
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A ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ immersive circus is taking over a rarely-seen area of The Lowry theatre / Credit: The Lowry
Audiences will get to go behind the scenes into a rarely-seen area of theatre building as they experience an innovative circus “like never before”.
Described as being a show that’s “impossible” to perform without an audience, as the audience itself becomes an active part of the show, each act in Brave Space is designed to physically draw spectators into the experience of “putting themselves on the line for the safety and wellbeing of at-risk members of a community”.
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Activities the audience is encouraged to get involved in include helping to raise the tent, holding ropes that keep trapeze artists aloft, and even sometimes standing so close to the performers that you can hear their hearts beating… apparently.
“Brave Space was created as an antidote to the horrors of daily news cycle,” explained Circus Artist and Director, Shayna Swanson.
“It’s not a “safe space,” but, an immersive performance that requires the audience and artists to show up as their best selves, encouraging them to care of themselves and those around them. I wanted to create a show that felt like the opposite of The Handmaid’s Tale – something empowering, and I wanted to create the world I want to live in, even if it only exists for an hour at a time.”
Brave Space will run at The Lowry from Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 July, and you can find out more information and grab tickets here.
Featured Image – The Lowry
Theatre
The Karate Kid – The Musical, inspired by the iconic 80s film, is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Iconic 80s film The Karate Kid has now been reimagined as a stage musical – and it’s coming to Manchester next spring.
The Karate Kid – The Musical will be heading out on its UK premiere tour in 2026, including a run of dates at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The musical follows the same themes as the original, legendary 1984 film, a coming-of-age story that follows the relationship and teachings between Daniel LaRusso and Mr Miyagi.
It’s not just about karate, it’s about resilience, mentorship, and the quiet strength that bridges generations, and on the stage you can expect movement, music, and energetic storytelling too.
The original blockbuster starred Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita and has gone down in history as one of cinema’s greatest films, earning Morita an Academy Award nomination.
It’s become a major global franchise, including three movie sequels, a remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, and a Netflix series (Cobra Kai).
The Karate Kid – The Musical made its world premiere in 2022, selling out theatres and earning rave reviews.
Those iconic cinematic moments are brought to life on the stage by a Tony Award-winning design team.
The Karate Kid – The Musical is heading on a major UK tour before it hits the West End and Broadway.
It’s written by Robert Mark Kamen, screenwriter of the original 1984 movie, with music and lyrics by Drew Gasparini.
Kamen says: “William Goldman said about Hollywood “No one knows anything.” He was right.
“Who knew that 43 years after I wrote the original script for THE KARATE KID, we would see these very same characters acting and singing on the British stage in a story that is as fresh and universally relevant as it was four decades ago.”
The Karate Kid – The Musical is at the Palace Theatre from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 23 May 2026, with tickets on sale now HERE.
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year
Emily Sergeant
Legendary musical CATS will be taking to the stage here in Manchester next year.
A brand-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s global sensation, CATS, will embark on a major UK tour from summer 2026 following an open-air residency at Regent Park in London – including dates at Manchester’s prestigious Palace Theatre in November.
Based on Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, CATS is one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history.
The show originally premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.
Since its world premiere, the musical has been presented in more than 54 countries, translated into 23 languages, and has been seen by more than 77 million people worldwide – collecting a number of awards along the way.
Legendary musical CATS is coming to Manchester on its UK tour next year / Credit: Feast Creative
This new production of CATS is produced by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, with Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, as part of Drew McOnie’s second season as Artistic Director, and it marks the third Andrew Lloyd Webber title produced by the venue in the last decade.
Unfamiliar with the show? CATS tells the story of the Jellicle cats.
From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one.
With a legendary score featuring well-known songs like Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, TheJellicle Ball, and, of course, the chart-topping hit Memory, this brand-new production of CATS is gearing up to be one of the best theatrical events of 2026.
“I am very excited to see a totally new production of CATS back on the stage where it belongs,” creator Andrew Lloyd Webber said on the show’s return. “I can think of no-one better than Drew McOnie to bring a new vision to the world of the Jellicles.”
Casting and the full creative team is set to be announced in due course, as is the on-sale date and link for tickets, so keep your eyes peeled.
Emily Sergeant -
8th July 2024 
