Blue Man Group at The Lowry – odd, creative, entertaining and legendary

The Blue Man Group is a weird show.

It’s weird to watch three men painted blue stare wide-eyed and wordless into an audience.

It’s weird that the blue men then make entire acts out of catching marshmallows in their mouths, or spewing UV paint from holes in the chests of their sweatshirts, or staging a silent blind date between two audience members.

The way they creep around the stage, pigeon-toed and wild-eyed, twitching nervously at every audience noise, is weird.

The way they never speak or smile or break character, even for a split second, is weird.

And it’s weird that this very weird formula has been captivating audiences for 37 years – until, that is, you see it for yourself.

Because every bit of oddness of a Blue Man Group show, including the Bluevolution World Tour currently at The Lowry, is balanced with brilliant comedic timing, genuine percussive talent, and ever-changing stage design.

At points during their show they make music from a drainpipe that they turn into a sort of drum-trombone hybrid.

They make music from cereal boxes and fake smartphone screens, and art from gumball machines and even an audience member.

The Blue Man Group warms up the crowd by displaying birthday messages or words of congratulations to specific audience members, like an Olympic gold medallist sat in the stalls, encouraging everyone to join in.

They fire out so many coloured streamer ribbons at one point that a child who’s walking down an aisle ends up entangled like a mummy on its way to a 90s rave.

They’re helped along throughout the show by a small, video game-like drumming presence in a sort of blue dreadlocked bob wig, who – to sound very Gen Z – gives me the ick.

There’s a fair amount of audience participation and if you don’t like the thought of a blue man staring at you (even when you try your hardest to look anywhere but back at him) it might not be the one for you.

And there are moments where it all gets a bit too weird for my tastes, like when an entire segment is made from the sound of them stuffing Cap’n Crunch cereal into their mouths or whipping neon aerials around.

It’s impressive but it doesn’t actually SOUND good. (See also: beatboxing. Yes it’s very impressive that you can make a trumpet noise at the same time as drumming with your lips but shall we just not).

Still, with 37 years of sell-out success across the planet, The Blue Man Group is a creative and entertaining way to spend an evening.

And honestly, everyone should see this legendary piece of live entertainment at least once.

The Blue Man Group Bluevolution World Tour is on at The Lowry until Sunday 6 October – get your tickets HERE.

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