The Lowry in Salford Quays has had a bit of TLC with one of its biggest theatre spaces undergoing a pretty significant refurb this past month.
Following a well-deserved grant distributed via the Biffa Award, a multi-million-pound fund that helps to build communities and transform lives through community and environmental projects across the UK, the legendary local theatre received nearly £75k last year.
As a result, all 440 seats and various other aspects of The Lowry‘s Quays Theatre have now been renovated and refurbished.
The short story is, she looks more gorgeous than ever – see for yourself:
Being initially handed over in March 2024, The Lowry was awarded a total of £74,816 to reupholster seating in the venue’s Quays Theatre with new padding and fabric.
After almost 25 years of constant use as one of the most popular theatres in the North, the seats in the Quays Theatre were much in need of a refurb, and with work completed in December, Lowry visitors can now enjoy watching the venue’s wide range of theatre, dance, comedy and drama in comfort.
The work was actually carried out between July and December, with seats being carefully removed in batches and reupholstered off-site.
This was made possible due to the Biffa Award’s most recent ‘Cultural Facilities’ theme, which aims to improve recreation, interest and education, drawing funds from the UK government’s wider Landfill Communities Fund.
The old fabric and padding were disposed of sustainably, with lots of it being repurposed where possible to minimise waste and all the new materials used meet current guidance for safety and quality.
The Lowry’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Development, Gwen Oakden, said of the long overdue update:“It is so important that our audiences are able to enjoy our world-class performing arts programme in a comfortable and welcoming space.
“For many visitors to the Quays Theatre, this is their first experience of live performance – often to see a family show or as part of a school trip. We really want it to be the best experience possible, and for them to begin a lifelong relationship with Lowry.
“As a registered charity, without the generous support of this Biffa Award, for which we’re hugely grateful, we couldn’t have carried out this important work for our audiences.
As we head into our 25th Anniversary year, we are delighted to be able to welcome audiences and visitors can enjoy the beautiful and revived Quays Theatre.”
As for the Biffa side of things, Grants Manager Rachel Maidment added: “We are delighted to have supported The Lowry in refurbishing the Quays Theatre seating, ensuring audiences can continue to enjoy performances in comfort.
“Through Biffa’s Cultural Facilities theme, we fund projects that provide engaging and inspiring spaces for communities. The Lowry is a key cultural venue, and we’re proud that our funding, made possible through the government Fund, has helped enhance the experience for visitors for years to come.”
Like most Mancs, we love The Lowry, so here’s to hosting countless more theatregoers in the most comfortable seats possible for generations to come.
We’ve been to some brilliant performances around here of late.
Iconic musical Annie is returning to the stage in Manchester next summer
Emily Sergeant
One of the most iconic musical productions of the 21st century will be heading out on a tour of the UK and Ireland next year.
And of course, an iconic musical will be taking to an iconic Manchester stage.
Renowned theatre producers Michael Harrison and David Ian are ‘delighted’ to announce that their smash-hit production of the musical Annie is being revived for 2026 and 2027, and will be embarking on a huge UK-wide tour, stopping off at some major cities in the process.
Unfamiliar with the musical Annie? Yet to see it on stage? Or haven’t been able to watch the beloved 1982 film of the same name? Let us fill you in.
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage – but her luck soon changes when she’s chosen to spend a fairytale Christmas with famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks.
Meanwhile, spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search for her true family.
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The smash hit West End production of ANNIE, the world’s favourite family musical, returns to Manchester for 2 weeks only.
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Based on the 1924 comic strip, Little Orphan Annie by Harold Grey – which, in turn, was inspired from the poem, Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley – Annie the musical originally debuted on Broadway in 1977 where it ran for nearly six years, before eventually spawning numerous productions in countless other countries, as well as national tours.
Over the last four decades, Annie the musical has won seven Tony Awards, including for Best Musical, and a wide variety of other accolades.
The songs ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’ are among its most popular and well-known musical numbers.
Annie the musical will be taking to the Manchester Palace Theatre stage from Tuesday 9 – Saturday 20 June 2026, with the tour continuing right through to mid-March 2027, and even more locations yet to be announced.
Tickets for the show are officially now on sale, and you can get your hands on them here.
Featured Image – Matt Crockett (Supplied)
Theatre
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions to take place inside shipping containers across Greater Manchester
Emily Sergeant
A pioneering production company is bringing immersive theatre inside shipping containers to Greater Manchester.
DARKFIELD has announced their first shows in Greater Manchester for seven years, and will present their three most critically-acclaimed experiences at iconic venues across the region as part of an ‘exciting’ collaboration.
Keen audiences will be able to head to The Lowry, Aviva Studios, and HOME this month to see theatre like they’ve never seen it before.
Renowned for their trademark shipping containers popping up across the UK and internationally, bringing mysterious and exciting experiences across the country, DARKFIELD will present SÉANCE, FLIGHT and ARCADE so crowds can find themselves immersed in the supernatural, boarding a new airline, or navigating a war torn world.
Fresh from sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, BFI London Film Festival, and an extended residency at Shoreditch Town Hall, ARCADE will arrive at The Lowry – which is the company’s newest production.
‘Pioneering’ immersive theatre productions inside shipping containers will be happening across Greater Manchester / Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic | Fiona Rita Blyth
Aviva Studios will welcome one of DARKFIELD’s most popular and critically-acclaimed experiences, FLIGHT.
Over 30 minutes in total darkness, FLIGHT explores the Many-Worlds Interpretation of quantum mechanics, taking audience members through two worlds, two realities, and two possible outcomes to their journey.
And then over at HOME, the company’s first shipping container experience, SÉANCE, will be on show.
The interior of a 24ft container will be transformed into a Victorian séance room, and asks audiences to believe not only what is happening inside the container, but also in what might be conjured up into the room with them.
“We are delighted to be returning to Greater Manchester to present our shows in collaboration with three incredible venues,” commented DARKFIELD, ahead of their arrival in our region.
“We can’t wait to welcome audiences across the region to experience the strange worlds we’ve created.”
Danny Jones -
27th February 2025 
