Lynn Nottage Royal Exchange Theatre Company Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester April 26-May 25, 2024: 2 hours 45 minutes Lynn Nottage’s Sweat, set in the “rust belt” of America in the early years of the present century, sets out to tell a story of working class life as it really was. There’s plenty of gritty realism: the characters seem to endure miserable lives, shout at each other a lot of the time, employ the f-word in almost every other sentence, and are concerned mainly with their own resentments and jealousies. It's not an attractive picture; whether it’s truthful is something I’m not qualified to say. The author spent time in Reading, Pennsylvania, researching it by interviewing steelworkers, business owners, police officers and drug addicts, though her own upbringing was a much more sheltered one in New York. Yet it’s strangely monochrome. Much of the action happens in a bar, so the feuds are drink-fuelled and the reality of having been in the same machinist’s job for 20 or 30 years, or more, can only be talked about, not shown. Structurally, the play is book-ended by a scene in which two of the young generation are trying to put their lives together again after "doing time" for the violence which we see eventually in the main storyline. The first part shows us Cynthia (Carla Henry) and Tracey (Pooky Quesnel) as shop-floor colleagues, aware that something’s going wrong with their previously-secure existence, ending with the news that they’re all to be fired and re-hired on much lower pay. Cynthia puts in for a supervisor’s job in the hope of bettering herself, and gets it. The second part opens with a flash-forward to a time – long after the resulting strike – when both have lost their roles and fallen on hard times, but then retracts to an exposition of the strike and its picket-lines, lock-outs, scabbing and desperation, culminating in a fight scene (beautifully choreographed by Kaitlin Howard) that is rather reminiscent of a saloon brawl in a B-movie Western. In Jade Lewis’s production the time shifts are signified solely by replays of news reports of US civil strife and presidential elections, and the set itself is an unchanging framework of steel railings and shelves mounted on the revolve. Hanging above are what seem to be large cast steel blocks, one of which slips threateningly downwards for a while, but which otherwise are purely symbolic: cold and hard as the people below them. We realise it’s not actually the bar, from time to time, from the dialogue and (once) the sound effects. The strength of the play (and the performance) lies in the characters Nottage created and the vividness with which they’re brought to life in performance. Not all are more than stock models: Jessie (Kate Kennedy), for instance, is the works drunk and serves as a source of comedy; Oscar (Marcello Cruz) is a likeable young immigrant; Stan the barman (Jonathan Kerrigan) is the decent guy who’s seen it all and offers sense and sympathy, and Evan the counsellor (Aaron Cobham) is all uprightness and warmth. But Brucie (Chris Jack, in a multi-faceted portrayal) is an older man on dope and booze who’s wasted his life but still looks on the bright side. His broken marriage to Cynthia and attempts to revive it are a recurrent theme in the story. Pooky Quesnel and Carla Henry have the meat of it, as their former close relationship strains and breaks, while their respective sons, Jason (Lewis Gribben) and Chris (Abdul Sessay) forge a new alliance of the coming generation. This being America, the play is not just about industrial decline and hard times, but race. Cynthia, Chris and Brucie are black, Tracey and Jason are white, Oscar is Hispanic, and their roles are made to typify their origins. If there is a message in the play, it’s a simplistic one of hoping for better times to come, but the lasting impression, to a non-American, is of an entire society rotting from within. More info and tickets here

Sonali Bhattacharyya, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Ishy Din and Alexandra Wood, based on Partition Voices: Untold British Stories by Kavita Puri Tara Theatre and Donmar Warehouse, with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch HOME Manchester April 30-May 4, 2024; 2 hrs 20 mins In the aftermath of World War II, Britain was ready to be begin granting independence to its colonies across the world. The argument for independence for the Indian subcontinent had considerable support in the UK, not just within government circles. The subcontinent’s contribution to the war effort, and its powerful  independence campaigns, headed by traditional politicians and as well as striking individual figureheads such as Mahatma Gandhi, drew attention and empathy from large sectors of the British population. Anyone alive in 1947, the year independence was granted, is now in their late 70s so it is important to make sure participant and observer stories are captured and preserved. Silence supports that by taking these stories to the stage. One of the key questions at the time was whether or not India should be partitioned, establishing two countries: in simplistic terms, one dominated by Muslims and one by Hindus. Strong voices, including Gandhi, spoke against this but other strong voices prevailed, and India and Pakistan were established as separate countries. On partition, a mass migration of people, based on religious allegiance, saw old friends and neighbours turn against one another, accompanied by waves of extreme violence. Silence is adapted from Kavita Puri’s acclaimed book Partition Voices: Untold British Stories in which, 70 years after partition, she documented the voices of British Asians. This production, commissioned to mark the 75th anniversary of partition, is by Tara Theatre, originally co-produced with the Donmar Warehouse. The history is not unknown to UK readers, particularly to an older audience – indeed it has been turned into superb TV - Jewel in the Crown; and Richard Attenborough‘s film Gandhi,among others. The images created in those are pretty much unforgetable, but they are largely seen through the eyes of the former rulers, the British Raj. Kavita Puri documented the voices of direct participants and observers – previous residents of India and Pakistan who now live in the UK. The horror of those times is strongly conveyed by a hard-working cast of six. The first act presents the writer’s quest for first-hand accounts as the framing device, but it is not always clear who the different characters are.  An early story highlights the 70-year memory of a young boy, now an old man, who recalls someone who was a good neighbour in the morning but murdered a neighbur by the evening Silence is described as communal storytelling, and there is a problem inherent in translating this to the stage. There is no dramatic arc; no development, no explanation, and barely any opportunity for survival of spirit, understanding or redemption. The first act is a hard watch; when I saw it a few audience members didn't return after the interval. That was disappointing, because the second act is so much stronger. Characters develop the story in greater depth, so while the whole play lacks dramatic structure, each story becomes a minor drama in itself. Bhaskar Patel brings some light to a developing love story, which eventually brings him to England; to remain Indian and become British, happily negotiating the changing landscape immigrants and their families face. Asif Khan’s 30-minute monologue of a young Sikh boy torn away from his long-term Muslim friend Saleem is one of the best performances I have seen. The monologue shows how simple storytelling can captivate a theatre audience. With great drama, we often find ourselves sitting on the edge of our seat, awaiting the outcome, observing the effect characters have on events. We might do this even when we know the outcome: I still sometimes find myself waiting for Cordelia to open her eyes. In this drama there is no option to change the story of violence, hatred and slaughter. Some of the parts seem to be greater than the sum of the whole. Perhaps there is another piece to be written about how the survivors have buried the horrors and moved forwards in new lives? Perhaps the impact of the piece is greater on the many in the audience who knew little if anything of this history, as well as those whose heritage is close to the events. It is essential that this perspective is added to the story of partition, but when the characters on stage are unable to have an impact on events, the story can lose strength. There is some small drama in the story of how these voices have been captured, but clearly it cannot be allowed to outweigh the horrific real events. An attempt to dramatise and disseminate previously lost voices is a key part of British history. The subject matter here could be better served through a clearer focus on what drama can do. More info and tickets here

Direct from its premiere at the Chichester summer festival, a new production of Coram Boy - adapted from Jamila Gavin's prize-winning novel set in 18th Century England - arrives at The Lowry in Salford in June (21-29). Originally seen at the National Theatre in 2005 before transferring to Broadway, Coram Boy was nominated for several Olivier and Tony Awards and won the Time Out Live Award for best play. At Gloucester Cathedral, Alexander Ashbrook, heir to an aristocratic estate, has his heart set on becoming a composer, but his stern father refuses to listen. His and other stories entwine over several years as two orphans find themselves on parallel adventures and the great composer Handel is at work on the score of Messiah, embodying the hope of love and salvation over evil. Angels and abandoned children, glorious music and murder most foul feature in this colourful tale of 18th century England. More info and tickets here

Internationally-acclaimed theatre company Dante Or Die brings Kiss Marry Kill, an "intimate story of love and redemption", to the deconsecrated Grade II-listed St Peter's church in the centre of Ancoats, Manchester, from May 10-12. Inspired by true events, this dramatic recreation from the award-winning, site-sensitive company reimagines the first same-sex marriage that took place in a UK prison, in 2015. Jay and Paul are both serving life sentences for homophobic murders. They fall in love and seek permission to marry. Co-commissioned by The Lowry Theatre in Salford, the production is touring to chapels around the UK. Daphna Attias and Terry O’Donovan co-direct Dauda Ladejobi as Jay and Graham Mackay Bruce as Paul.  Joining them will be Morgan Archer, UK rapper Lady Lykez, Frank Skully and Dean Statham. The event has immersive sound design and the site-specific production will surround the audience in the private spaces and conversations of a world rarely seen. More info here

Paula Garfield and Melissa Mostyn Deafinitely Theatre HOME, Manchester April 25-27, 2024: 1 hr 15 mins Deafinitely Theatre, the UK's first professional deaf-launched and -led theatre company, has been working in British Sign Language and spoken English for more than 20 years. The company need have had no qualms about attracting an audience to this show, which was packed out in HOME’s smaller theatre – the majority applauding with “jazz hands” and many clapping their appreciation at the end. The Promise tells the story of Rita, a school head teacher who was a brilliant pioneer in deaf education in her day. Through a series of flashbacks we see how she met her husband, Mike; how their son, Jake, realised he was gay and found the love of his life, and and how Mike could not come to terms with that. Rita never rejected her son, and the one thing he longed for was that she should be at his wedding to his partner, in Amsterdam. The system beat her in the end as she tried to travel on her own, and she never made it. Rita develops dementia after her retirement, and after Mike’s death Jake comes home for a while to do his best to see that she is cared for. Only one care home in England caters for people who use BSL, and that is in the Isle of Wight, and full up. Jake, still torn by his perception that his mother made and didn't keep her promise to see him marry, is up against another system. The show is based on a true story, and in truth the scandal it shows is one that affects the hearing as well as the deaf. The agonies of realising a loved one’s memory is slipping away, having to label everyday things about the house for safety, seeing them repeat themselves over and again, deciding when the time has come to seek for help, negotiating the assessment procedures of social services departments and finding a place within the care system that’s adequate to the task, are common to many. Directed by Deafinitely Theatre’s founder Paula Garfield, the production is straightforward and unpretentious, and the acting excellent. Anna Seymour (Rita) is also a dancer with Candoco Dance Company and beautifully expressive; James Boyle, the first deaf man accepted into RADA, makes his stage debut as Jake; Louis Neethling is Mike; and Erin Hutching is Jane, the heroic good neighbour who has cared for Rita but can’t go on doing it for ever (she and James Boyle also double as other characters). Some dialogue is spoken as well as signed, and some is projected as text alongside evocative visual imagery created by Ben Glover. The bilingual nature of the enterprise means there is a limit to how fast the pace can go, and the story inevitably has a pessimistic ending. But that’s the truth about dementia. More info here

Liverpool-based 4AM Productions has four new stage shows and a film in the pipeline, with May's They Don't Really Care About Us (Hope Street Theatre, May 30-June 1) featuring a cast of 13, chosen from the nearly 100 who auditioned. Inspired by the famous Michael Jackson song, the production focuses on racial injustice, treatment by the police, our justice system, sexism and misogyny in the workplace and society. In Liverpool in 1997, aspiring poet Vanessa is brutally murdered. A young medical student is charged and jailed - but do the police have the right person, or have they judged him on the colour of his skin? The highly-diverse cast ranges from several with previous experience to a dentist who has never acted before. Info and tickets here

Could you be the new Jerwood Resident Designer at Leeds Playhouse? This year-long paid placement, supported by the Jerwood Foundation and run with Leeds-based theatre company Tutti Frutti Productions, is a chance for an early-career, Yorkshire-based theatre designer to take their creativity to the next level. The ideal candidate will be a set and costume designer in the early stages of their career, aged 18 or over and based in West Yorkshire. This is an opportunity for a local artist to be surrounded by expertise; to build relationships, develop skills and create work on a larger scale – and to learn from highly-experienced designers and technicians. This is the third career-changing residency offered by the arts trio: in 2020-21 the resident-designer role was awarded to Bradford-based Warda Abbasi, and last year to West Yorkshire designer Delicia Sorhaindo. The placement begins in July, and the deadline for applications is May 13. Playhouse deputy artistic director Amy Leach said: “We feel blessed to have worked with Delicia and Warda, both brilliant designers who, I have no doubt, will have stellar careers. “We’re thrilled to be working with Jerwood and Tutti Frutti again to support local theatre designers. I'm constantly amazed by the depth and breadth of talent we have in our region.” More info here

Howard Ashman, Alan Menken Bolton Octagon, New Wolsey Theatre, Theatre by the Lake, Hull Truck Theatre co-production Bolton Octagon April 24-May 18, 2024 (also Hull Truck, May 22-June 8) One of the advantages of being a reviewer is that you get to see plays you missed. Menken and Ashman's 1982 Little Shop of Horrors had passed me by until this production. And it's a great surprise: funny, with wonderful lyrics and an exuberant cast, led by Oliver Mawdsley as a nerdy flower shop assistant who discovers a talent for growing people-eating, alien plants. Which, as this is set in capitalist, sensation-seeking America, inevitably leads to a massive expansion of the shop's clientele... In line with the tradition (eg Guys and Dolls) the other assistant, Audrey (Laura Jane Mathewson), realises her passion for sadistic dentist Orin (Mathew Ganley), is wrong-headed, and the only way to achieve her suburban nirvana is to embrace a man who can manage to calm Audrey II, the flesh-eating plant. As it's a US-set musical, the dentist is an arrogant, rich misogynist with a talent for embellishing his girl friend's face – and not with better teeth. Those who remember the dentist in the movie Marathon Man will recognise the rusty drill that is almost used to good/bad effect. And for those who remember the music of the 1950/60s, it leads to one of the funniest lines: "I'm the leader of the plaque" (note for younger readers - look up the Shangri-Las). The music is led by a trio with appropriate names – Chiffon, Crystal and Ronnette (all names of US girl groups of the past). They are talented, if a little overpowering in the intimate setting of the renovated Octagon. As the audience is close to the action, with every seat having a great view, director Lotte Wakeham needs to sometimes moderate their enthusiasm. But that’s a small fault in a great bit of ensemble playing, with drumming and singing of a very high order. In the puppet plant – the star of the show – it's difficult to differentiate the puppeteer (Mathew Heywood) and the voice (Anton Stephans). The voice is wonderful, dark and earthy, as befits a plant, but the puppet itself is wonderful as it grows on its varied diet of nerdy blood and, even better, bits of dentist. I will look at my unnamed fern in our smallest room with new respect... This is great fun, and the audience responded with not-unwarranted shouts for more. Go and have a great time. More info and tickets here

Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre has appointed award-winning theatre maker Selina Cartmell as its first creative director. The new role is part of an extensive reorganisation of the theatre's management structure, part of which has involved the scrapping of artistic directors. Cartmell will take up her role in August, with her first programme beginning in 2026 for the theatre’s 50th anniversary year. Selina Cartmell grew up in Cumbria. She studied drama and history of art at Trinity College in Dublin and Glasgow University and graduated with an MA from Central School of Speech and Drama in advanced theatre directing. From 2016-2022 she was artistic director of the Gate Theatre in Dublin, where she programmed and commissioned productions with leading Irish and International talent and grew audiences. As a freelance director her work has included Shakespeare, classic revivals, new writing, musical theatre and opera for venues including the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court in London, the Unicorn, Curve Theatre in Leicester, the Lyric Belfast and the Abbey Theatre. She said: "I am thrilled to be joining the Royal Exchange at such an important and exciting time. As a teenager, I vividly remember the first time I sat in its unique and immersive auditorium and experienced the power of its artist-audience relationship. "My ambition for the Royal Exchange is for it to be an inclusive home that attracts the best of emerging and established talent to connect and inspire audiences and communities old and new." Royal Exchange Theatre chief executive Steve Freeman said: "I am excited about Selina’s appointment. She brings a wealth of experience and her inspiring vision excited us. She demonstrated a deep understanding and respect for the extraordinary artistic legacy of the Royal Exchange Theatre and is passionate about the theatre’s relationship with audiences." More info here

The Dukes award-winning outdoor walkabout theatre show returns to Lancaster’s Williamson Park (July 19-August 25), with a new version of Alice In Wonderland. Set against the backdrop of the spectacular park, which has views out across Morecambe Bay, the annual summer show is for audiences of all ages, and follows Alice through the park landscape, through a topsy-turvy wonderland featuring the mischievous Cheshire Cat, tyrannical Queen of Hearts and the rest of the Wonderland characters. The Dukes' new CEO, Chris Lawson (formerly artistic director and CEO of Oldham Coliseum), said: “We have a fantastic creative team working on this production and we're excited to present what will be a show full of fantastic family fun. "This will be my first time working with the Dukes team on the Play in the Park, but I'm excited to see what we create. These shows always sell fast!" More info and tickets here

Opera North and Leeds Playhouse's "loverly" cast for their production of classic musical My Fair Lady will be headed by John Hopkins (Masters Of The Air, Poldark, Midsummer Murders) as Professor Henry Higgins and soprano Katie Bird as Eliza Dolittle. Katie steps up from Opera North’s acclaimed chorus to sing some of the most popular songs in musical theatre, including Wouldn’t It Be Loverly? and I Could Have Danced All Night. The much-anticipated revival is at the Playhouse from May 31-June 29. James Brining, Playhouse artistic director and director of My Fair Lady, said: "I'm delighted with the talent we have brought together to retell this well-loved story. Our collaboration with Opera North should be a sumptuous feast for the senses." The musical follows Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform Eliza into his idea of a “proper lady”. But who is really being transformed? The production features the chorus and orchestra of Opera North, with additional guest artists performing classic songs including Get Me to the Church on Time, On the Street Where You Live and I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face. Recent musical theatre collaborations between Leeds Playhouse and Opera North include critically-acclaimed revivals of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods (2016) and A Little Night Music (2021/22).

While the future of a permanent theatre building for Oldham continues to be debated - will it be a new building, or will the original historic Oldham Coliseum in Fairbottom Street be rescued? - the team keeping the flame alive is bringing a 160-seat, pop-up theatre to the town centre this summer with a free welcome weekend this Saturday /Sunday, April 27-28 (10am-4pm, both days). Coliseum at the Roundabout, in the car park of the town centre's Queen Elizabeth Hall, will be home to a variety of live events and an artistic programme focusing on work made in Oldham. Free events this weekend include a drumming workshop, Mr Bubbles and a beatbox workshop. Over the coming months there will be opportunities for local community groups to use the space. Exisiting Coliseum groups, including Full Circle for the over 50s, Culture and Chips (an open group for discussions about arts and culture), and Roma Connections Ia project for Roma women), will also meet there. Cultivate, the Coliseum's week-long festival for anyone keen to get into the different areas of theatre, will be held and local theatremakers will be given a small budget to develop and showcase their work through Crafted at the Coliseum. August will see the return of the Khushi Festival. Named after the Urdu word for happiness, Khushi is an annual festival showcasing work by Oldham’s South Asian communities. More info here

Joan Littlewood Blackeyed Theatre Company Theatr Clwyd, The Mix April 23-27, 2024, 2 hrs This production is a timely revival to mark 60 years since Joan Littlewood's iconic production, which actually celebrated its 60th anniversary last year - the show has been touring since last September. The original Oh What a Lovely War aimed to capture the futility of warfare in World War I - waged by generals with little clue what they wanted to achieve and how it would affect the millions of volunteer and conscripted soldiers being manipulated by them. "Lions led by donkeys" was the famous phrase. This production did this admirably, yet was less successful in capturing the blind devotion to King and country that saw millions take the King's shilling merely because everyone else was doing so. The cast - Tom Benjamin, Tom Crabtree, Harry Curley, Alice E Mayer, Ghioma Uma and Euan Wilson, each playing multiple roles - is excellent. They are full of energy and enthusiasm and demonstrate copious talent, moving seamlessly from acting to playing various instruments. The team shows great imagination and sensitivity, interacting strongly with the audience. Stand out moments include the rendition of Keep the Home Fires Burning by Gioma Uma, and the ramping-up of tension as the show tells the events of the famed football match in the trenches between opposing forces in 1914. It helps if you have a working knowledge of the events of World War 1. The action is so fast-paced at times that some of it is hard to follow, and while the statistics, cleverly displayed at the entrance to a trench, are shocking, sometimes they are hard to read. The roots of this production lie in the original production, improvised by Littlewood and her famous company Theatre Workshop. The action here captures the not-terribly-subtle satire of the original, with the same clown costumes, make-up and end-of-the-pier-show style that was still popular in the 1960s, and the same nostalgic songs - It’s a Long Way to Tipperary and I Don’t Want to be a Soldier among them - to increase the pathos. Even if you don't pick up every last nuance, this play is an excellent watch, no less effective at highlighting the savagery of war and the seemingly inconsiderate attitudes of the powers that be than it was 60 years ago. It leaves the audience in no doubt about its intentions. More info and tickets here

A new UK tour of musical Judy & Liza opens for a week-long run at Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre (May 28-June 2), ahead of visits to Wales, Runcorn, the North East, New Brighton, Leeds and venues wider afield. Charting the careers and relationship between Hollywood mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, the production tells the turbulent tale of the stars against the backdrop of their infamous 1964 London Palladium concert, an emotional rollercoaster as they reveal the uncanny parallels between some of their most iconic songs and their personal lives. The show is created and written by Emma Dears, who also plays Liza. Liverpool-born Emma’s acting career began when she was nine, touring the UK in the title role of Annie. Her West End roles have included Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Oliver. Helen Sheals - widely known for her roles in Coronation Street and Downton Abbey - is no stranger to portraying Judy Garland, having previously played the title role in the West End musical Judy!. Her extensive theatre includes Merry Wives and King Lear for Northern Broadsides; The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Shirley Valentine, as well as many TV roles. Producer Bill Elms said: “It’s a show very close to my heart; I worked on the first run 12 years ago. We can promise audiences an entertaining and memorable experience with some fantastic music." “The show is full of love, heartache and passion," said Emma. "Helen and I have worked to make sure we get every tiny detail right." More info and tickets here