Get Living and Hope Mill Theatre are teaming up to bring an award-winning interactive stage play celebrating Mancunian friendship and community to New Maker Yards.
Normally you’d find the actors of Ancoats’ very-own Hope Mill Theatre company appearing in packed-out productions of an all-female Shakespeare, or even starring in an acclaimed musical such as RENT or the upcoming revival of The Wiz – but their newest immersive play has a very different setting.
The play is taking place across three apartments at New Maker Yards, in Middlewood Locks – a neighbourhood that’s between Salford and Manchester city centres.
To celebrate the launch of a further 500 homes for rent at New Maker Yards, Get Living – the neighbourhood operator – is inviting Mancunians and Salfordians to experience its newest living spaces like never before, where audience members will begin their interactive theatre experience at apartment 114, and will be welcomed into the lives of three friends to explore the bonds of friendship.
Titled ‘Mates’, the play will celebrate the cities’ culture and lifestyle, and feature immersive mediations, spoken word recitals, and a house party complete with live music and a photo booth.
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After the performance, audiences will also be able to enjoy a free pint or burger at Seven Bro7thers beerhouse in the neighbourhood.
The play is celebrating the launch of a further 500 homes for rent at New Maker Yards / Credit: Get Living
Speaking ahead of the play’s arrival next week, Eoin Thomas – Community and Events Lead at Get Living – said: “New Maker Yards’ has such a distinctive, vibrant community, and with 500 more new homes available to rent this autumn, we wanted to showcase what living at New Maker Yards is all about.
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“We’re delighted to be working with the incredible Hope Mill Theatre to take this immersive play out of the theatre and into our living rooms.”
Joseph Houston – Co-Founder and Artistic Director at Hope Mill Theatre – added: “We love creating art, and specifically, art that resonates so strongly with the local community [so] this immersive theatre show at Get Living’s New Maker Yards neighbourhood is so special as we get to celebrate Manchester and the people who live here in a way that lets us connect with both residents and those living nearby.”
‘Mates’ is running between 13 – 21 November 2021, and you can grab tickets for free here.
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For more information on the new, fully-furnished homes available to rent with Get Living – with no deposits, no fees, and WiFi included – the New Maker Yards website here, or call 0161 826 5961 to speak to a member of the team.
Featured Image – Get Living
Things To Do
Gladiators Live Tour to make ‘triumphant’ return to Manchester on UK arena tour
Emily Sergeant
The Gladiators Live Tour will make a triumphant return in 2026.
Following its explosive debut in 2025 and overwhelming fan demand, the Gladiators Live Tour is set to head out on a UK tour later this year, bringing the iconic phenomenon back to arenas nationwide for an electrifying new run of shows, and making a stop off in Manchester, of course.
Audiences will, once again, have the chance to experience the action-packed spectacle featuring the stars of the hit BBC reboot series on an epic scale.
The 2025 live tour thrilled audiences nationwide, selling over 200,000 tickets and proving the arena spectacular is ‘bigger, bolder, and more electrifying’ than ever, and that energy is only set to continue this year when the show returns to Manchester’s popular AO Arena.
GLADIATORS, READY!
Following its epic debut in 2025 the triumphant live show brings the energy to Manchester on 14 & 15 Nov!
This adrenaline-fuelled event sees the legendary Gladiators storm back into the arena to face fearless contenders in a heart-pounding live adaptation of the smash-hit television phenomenon.
Expect iconic fan-favourite events, breathtaking stunts, epic head-to-head battles and the unforgettable Eliminator finale.
Featuring stars from the hit BBC series, audiences are being told to expect a truly immersive, high-octane experience, as arenas are transformed into modern gladiatorial battlegrounds complete with purpose-built sets, spectacular lighting, and cinematic staging.
The Gladiators Live Tour 2026 kicks off in Aberdeen on 10 October, before heading to other major cities like Glasgow, London, and Birmingham, as well as northern locations like Leeds and Newcastle, and of course, Manchester’s AO Arena for two nights on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November.
Tickets officially go on sale this Friday 27 March, with two shows per day available, and you can grab them when they go live here.
Featured Image – Supplied
Things To Do
An official and completely FREE Manchester Marathon fan zone is returning for 2026
Danny Jones
Yes, last year’s newest and official Manchester Marathon fan zone is returning for 2026, promising more positive pre- and post-race vibes than the first time around.
Here’s hoping for some lovely sunshine to go along with the atmosphere on 19 April.
Set to host the city centre’s runners and spectators for just the second time, Circle Square’s Symphony Park will be home to the 2026 Manc Marathon fan park, complete with independent pop-ups, big screens to watch all the action on, plus plenty more.
Best of all, it’s completely free to enter all day long for participants and those of you cheering your loved ones along, as well as being an ideal all-ages spot for families to relax and enjoy.
Located just moments from the finish line, just outside the University of Manchester along Oxford Road Corridor, you simply follow it down towards the tall Vita Group and Bruntwood SciTech buildings.
Circle Square itself hosts many events and activities all throughout the year, and they couldn’t resist getting back in on the raceday party once again, as more legends are set to take part than ever.
For context, 2025 saw more than 35,000 sign-ups, but this April is expected to see a whopping sold-out crowd exceeding 42,000 – a record number for the annual event.
With that in mind, finding a place to fit all of them and the countless fans who come along to cheer them on from the sidelines is paramount, so it’s a good job the Symphony Park x MCR Marathon fan zone will be open from 9am on the day.
Here are some more scenes from the last edition:
Credit: Jody Hartley (supplied)
Although more are set to be revealed nearer the time, visitors can expect “a lively schedule of entertainment, food and drink pop-ups, family-friendly activities and special offers from our community of independent businesses and brands.”
Set to close around 5pm as the hordes of runners will doubt either head home for a long bath, leg rub or straight to the pub for their victory pints, we can assure you lots of time will be spent on the square.
Emily Sergeant -
4th November 2021 
