Art & Culture

A giant tiger sculpture has appeared in Manchester city centre for Chinese New Year

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 31st January 2022

An enormous sculpture of a tiger has taken shape in the heart of Manchester this week.

The massive beast has been installed at St Ann’s Square as part of the city’s Chinese New Year celebrations.

The tiger is surrounded by red lanterns that have been hung in the trees around the square.

Manchester city centre will be filled with celebrations between 1 and 6 February as we ring in the Lunar New Year.

This year is the Year of the Tiger, and according to the Chinese zodiac, people born in this year are predicted to be brave, competitive, unpredictable, and confident.

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The huge tiger sculpture in Manchester city centre. Credit: The Manc Group

The sculpture itself has been commissioned by Manchester BID and created by Decordia Events, and is brand new for 2022.

The installation is a structural take on the traditional tiger, made from wood and recycled corrugated plastic.

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Its origami-like structure creates an illusion for passers-by – it looks fragile and weak but actually stands strong and towers overhead – even withstanding the battering from Storm Corrie this week,

The tiger’s inner structure also matches the stripes and markings of a real tiger, casting shadows at night with surrounding lights.

Read more: All the celebrations lined up for Chinese New Year 2022 in Manchester

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You can see the huge beast now at St Ann’s Square in Manchester city centre.

Elsewhere in the city there’ll be live performances, workshops, street food, stalls, a funfair, traditional lion dances, exhibitions, Chinese acrobatics, singing, poem reading, and Kung Fu across the city.

The heart of the action will, of course, be Manchester’s beautiful Chinatown.

You can read our full guide to Chinatown here.

Featured image: Fabio De Paola/PA Wire

Art & Culture

ENB’s Romeo & Juliet at Palace Theatre Manchester – the world’s most famous story expertly reimagined | Review

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Outside the Palace Theatre Manchester

Every now and then you experience a bit of a full circle moment… and for me, this was one of them.

Back in 2011, when I was a dance-obsessed 14-year-old, taking and assisting classes countless times a week, I became enamoured by a BBC documentary series called Agony & Ecstasy: A Year with English National Ballet. As one of the country’s premier ballet companies – celebrating its 60th anniversary at the time of the documentary – ENB allowed cameras behind the scenes, from the rehearsal room to backstage, giving audiences a previously unseen inside look on what it takes to stage some of the most spectacular productions your eyes will ever meet.

One of the ballets being staged in the year the BBC followed the company was Romeo & Juliet.

Based on a story known around the world and with an unmistakable score by Prokofiev, it’s a ballet I was already fond of prior to the documentary, but seeing the work that went into making the show a reality, up close like never before, it turned into one of my favourites.

Over the years, I have been fortunate enough to see several different dance stagings of Romeo & Juliet – but last night, at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, was the first time I got to sit in the audience and see English National Ballet’s production live with my own eyes.

And it was just as magical as I was hoping it would be.

ENB’s Romeo & Juliet is now on stage at Manchester Palace Theatre / Credit: Laurent Liotardo

Right off the bat, I’m just going to presume you already have somewhat of a grasp on the story of Romeo & Juliet, right? Given the fact it’s arguably Shakespeare’s most famous work and one of the most iconic plays of all time.

And you’ll be pleased to know, even if you’re not seasoned in watching ballet, that the story we all know and love remains largely intact for this production, therefore making it easy for audiences of all ages and interests to follow along and admire.

The two title characters, the star-crossed lovers themselves, were embodied expertly by Rentaro Nakaaki and Julia Conway as Romeo and Juliet, who had the audience captivated from the second they entered the stage – with undeniable chemistry and enviable technique.

Fabian Reimair took on the role of Tybalt with ease, Noam Durand was Mercutio, and Rodrigo Pinto was Benvolio, all while Elvis Nudo and Minju Kang stepped into the shoes of Paris and Rosaline.

But the lead roles are nothing without the wider cast of supporting dancers and character actors, who really help transport you to 14th century Verona and help bring the authenticity a production as epic as this requires.

The world’s most famous story has been expertly reimagined / Credit: Bill Cooper | Laurent Liotardo

Aside from the dancing, it would be remiss not to praise the expert sets and costuming here from Ezio Frigero and Franca Squarciapino.

And I suppose I should also give a shoutout to little-known name, Rudolf Nureyev, who choreographed this version of Romeo & Juliet all the way back in 1977. Something tells me he would’ve had a great career… I could be wrong, though.

Romeo & Juliet really is one of the most tragic love stories of all time, and the power of that is not lost through dance. It’s still as raw and heartbreaking in this production as it always is.

And that is truly a credit to every single person forming part of it – both on the stage and off.

Read more:

ENB’s Romeo & Juliet is now on stage at Manchester Palace Theatre until Sunday 25 October, and you can book your last-minute tickets here.

Featured Image – The Manc Group

Art & Culture

Tickets officially go on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Tickets have now officially gone on sale for rare 70mm IMAX screenings of Dune: Part Three in Manchester.

Arriving on screens from 18 December and gearing up to be one of the most anticipated films of the year, Dune: Part Three – which is the third and final instalment in director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise – will be screening in IMAX 70mm at Vue Manchester Printworks, one of only three venues to show it in this format nationwide.

There are only 40 other venues across the globe showing the film in IMAX 70mm, and Manchester is the only city outside of London to screen the blockbuster this way too.

Based on the novels of Frank Herbert and set nearly two decades after the previous film, Dune: Part Three features an ensemble cast of all-star names led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.

Alongside them will be Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, Robert Pattinson, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin.

After seats for a special early screening of the film in IMAX sold out in less than 30 minutes last month, the IMAX 70mm showings – which officially went live today (20 October) – are expected to be snapped up fast by film fans in Manchester.

“A decade in the making, Denis Villeneuve’s epic Dune trilogy is reaching its dramatic conclusion this December,” explained Dean Cross, who is the Senior Screen Content Manager at Vue.

“As the only venue outside of London to be screening Dune: Part Three in IMAX 70mm, it’s a privilege for us to offer this unique way to experience the film.”

Read more:

Dune: Part Three is coming to Vue Manchester Printworks on 18 December, and you can book your tickets here.

Featured Image – Warner Bros.

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