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You can recreate the iconic apartments from Friends with this new LEGO set

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 12th May 2021

LEGO is gearing up for the launch of a brand-new set inspired by the iconic apartments from Friends next month.

Following the earlier release of a similarly-intricate Central Perk set – which proved extremely popular among fans of the much-loved 90s sitcom and LEGO alike, and is now classed as ‘hard to find’ by the manufacturer online – LEGO’s The Friends Apartment set arrives after word of a follow-up set first emerged all the way back in January.

Rumours then began trickling down the grapevine in the months following to suggest it would be based on Monica and Rachel’s apartment.

And now, those rumours have turned out to be true.

As it turns out though, there’s far more to this Friends Apartments set than was initially expected, as alongside the famous purple walls of Monica and Rachel’s apartment, the whopping 2,048-piece set also gives you the chance to build a replica of Joey and Chandler’s apartment and even an adjoining slice of hallway too – which means it doubles the size and footprint of previous sitcom-inspired sets.

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What’s more, is that each set comes complete with seven minifigures of each of the characters, all wearing some of their most notable outfits from throughout all ten series, which add to the collection of references scattered throughout both apartments.

LEGO
LEGO

Speaking ahead of the launch of the new LEOG set, designer Anderson Ward Grubb said: “Following the success of the LEGO Ideas Central Perk set, we wanted to develop another tribute to this iconic TV show with a focus on the famous apartments [so] we worked directly from production photos of the set as well as watching and re-watching a lot of episodes to capture as many iconic moments as possible.

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“One fun challenge was figuring out how to represent some aspects that change over the course of the show that appear in some episodes and not in others.

“I’m looking forward to seeing if the eagle-eyed fans will spot them”.

LEGO’s The Friends Apartments set is available to get your hands on from 1st June, will set you back £134.99, and is ready to pre-order online via the LEGO website here.

Featured Image – LEGO

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Drama Call opening first-ever flagship shop in Manchester

Danny Jones Danny Jones Drama Call new shop Manchester city centre

Streetwear superstars Drama Call are opening their new flagship store and first-ever permanent site in Manchester city centre this weekend.

Expect massive queues and lots turning up wearing the increasingly recognisable starry logo.

Already a much-loved brand not just here in 0161 but across the nation at large, the native independent business turned street-style favourites and UK fashion phenomenon are no strangers to HUGE pop-ups in their hometown.

However, they’ve never had a mainstay location anywhere in the country, let alone Greater Manchester – well, until now, that is…

drama call permanent store
drama call manchester city centre
drama call north
drama call mcr
Credit: Press shots (supplied)

Debuting in the Northern Quarter this Sunday, the venue located on Tib Street will effectively serve as Drama Call‘s new HQ.

The local label has done everything from popping up vans with Manc rapper Aitch to collaborating with Man United for multiple limited edition collections, so it only felt like a matter of time before they’d make a big brick-and-mortar splash in our fair city.

Most notably, they’re also taking over the same unit as the Sheep Shop, a former skate shop and legendary urban clothing tastemaker of the 90s; they were one of the first places in Britain to stock famous names like Stüssy, Supreme, Carhartt, The North Face and many more.

With that in mind, it feels only fitting that they carry on the trendsetting tradition from the same premises, and just spitting distance from the likes of Note, as well.

And that’s not all, either: before the full launch, they’ll also be holding an exclusive cash-only shirt swap event, where a limited number of certain collector’s items will be sold for as little as £10.

Other things to note are the additions of signed vinyls by homegrown artists such as the aforementioned Aitch and even The Smiths.

In fact, the store will also feature strictly Mancunian exclusives, too.

Everything from polo shirts and tees to branded mugs, matchboxes and other accessories will be available in-store only.

NQ is bound to be buzzing across launch weekend, with doors officially opening to the public on Sunday, and we wouldn’t be surprised if you see people camping outside the front well ahead of time.

What a moment the Manc shopping scene is having right now.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Pear)

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An innovative new Macbeth stage production is being put on at an unlikely venue in Oldham

Danny Jones Danny Jones

A brand-new innovative take on Macbeth is coming to a rather surprising venue in Oldham as part of a new production by the Coliseum.

It may be BY Oldham Coliseum Theatre, but this new stage show is taking place at a rather different kind of location entirely.

Teaming up with North West actor Nick Bagnall and director, who has already served in an associate role at the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, this will be his very first production, and unlike most other Shakespeare performances you will have come across.

With his various plays serving as ever-perfect pairings for adaptation, his version of arguably the world’s most famous tragedy is coming to an iconic site in its own right, which just so happens to be a nightclub.

Yes, Nick Bagnall and Oldham Coliseum Theatre‘s twist on Macbeth will be coming to none other than Liquid and Envy on Retiro Street.

A legendary local institution known for more late-night entertainment, the native artist is using it as a staging ground for a very unique interpretation.

While this version will still revolve around the same themes of ambition, masculinity, power and identity, it will instead be set against a late-1970s backdrop, in a world filled with gangsters, casinos and similarly shifting social codes.

Perhaps not as contemporary as current modern-day (we’ve seen plenty of that even in the past couple of decades alone), but it still looks set to be a creative take on the timeless tale; a retelling of Romeo and Juliet is also part of their autumn/winter programme.

Speaking ahead of the debut, Nick said picking Macbeth was a no-brainer. “Macbeth asks profound questions about power, identity and what it means to be a man,” he said. “Those questions feel urgent in a proud industrial town like Oldham that is navigating huge social and economic change.

“I want to blow the dust off Shakespeare. This isn’t about putting the play on a pedestal; it’s about creating an experience that grabs people by the throat, whether they have seen Macbeth ten times or never encountered it before.

“We want people who have never set foot in a theatre to walk into Liquid & Envy and feel this story belongs to them. Staging Macbeth inside a working Oldham nightclub creates its own intrigue.”

Martina Murphy, Chief Executive of Oldham Coliseum Theatre, went on to add: “This is a huge moment for the Coliseum. Nick’s Macbeth is uncompromising, thrilling and unmistakably of this place, and it announces exactly the kind of theatre we intend to make.

“As we continue our journey back to Fairbottom Street, we are determined to keep creating ambitious work that surprises audiences and reaches people wherever they are. Macbeth demonstrates that the Coliseum isn’t waiting for its building to return before making theatre of national significance.”

Check out the full list of scheduled performances set to arrive later this year:

Macbeth at Liquid and Envy in Oldham – 2026 dates

October

  • Friday 23 – 1:30pm (preview)
  • Saturday 24 – 1:30pm and 6:30pm (previews)
  • Monday 26 – 7pm (preview)
  • Tuesday 27 – 7pm (press night)
  • Wednesday 28 – 7pm
  • Thursday 29 – 1:30pm and 7pm
  • Friday 30 – 6:30pm
  • Saturday 31 – 1:30pm and 6:30pm

November

  • Monday 2 – 7pm
  • Tuesday, 3 – 1:30pm and 7pm
  • Wednesday, 4 – 7pm
  • Thursday, 5 – 1:30pm and 7pm
  • Friday, 6 – 6:30pm
  • Saturday, 7 – 6:30pm

It’s also worth noting that these shows have been put together with accessibility in mind, with the two-week season including a relaxed performance, an audio-described version, a fully captioned version, as well as two interpreted with British Sign Language. Things we love to hear.

The Coliseum’s new Creative Director has also ensured that tickets remain affordable, with £15 concessions and preview passes costing just £20, as well as a discount for Oldham locals.

You can see the full list of ticket options and find out more information about this exciting production right HERE.

Safe to say that we can’t wait to see how this thing turns out. It’s not the only inventive theatrical take on a classic that’s coming to Greater Manchester later this year, either; find out more down below.

A new stage adaptation of a Virginia Woolf classic is coming to Manchester
It’s already visited the Storyhouse in Chester, and now it’s coming to Manchester’s First Street.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE

Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied/Nick Bagnall (via Instagram)

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