/SEVEN DAYS
TUESDAY Theatre / Thoroughly Modern Millie Adapted from the 1967 film starring Julie Andrews, this feel-good musical, set in Prohibition-era New York, follows naive ingenue Millie Dillmount and her attempts to bag herself a wealthy businessman as a husband (this passed for feminism at the time, apparently). Joanne Clifton, best known as one of the professional dancers from Strictly Come Dancing, takes on the titular role of Millie.
Palace Theatre / atgtickets.com / 0844 847 2275 / Tuesday, May 23 to Saturday, May 27 / £17.50 to £55. Music / Simple Minds If you’ve ever wondered what those bombastic, thunderous Simple Minds songs – Alive and Kicking, Don’t You (Forget About Me), et al - would sound like if played in stripped-back, low-key style, your answer has arrived. For the first time in their 30 year history, Jim Kerr and co are embarking on an acoustic tour, including a big date at the Bridgewater Hall.
Bridgewater Hall / bridgewaterhall.co.uk / 0161 907 9000 / Tuesday, May 23, 7pm / £38-£58 Comedy / Rory Bremner As General Election Day draws ever nearer, who better to cast a critical eye over proceedings than Mr Rory Bremner? After a year of Brexit, Trump and Labour Party meltdown, the veteran comedian-impersonator should have plenty to sink his satirical teeth into.
Waterside Arts Centre, Sale / watersideartscentre.co.uk / 0161 912 5616 / Tuesday, May 23, 8pm / £20 Theatre / Scotch Inspired by recent court cases, this multi-award winning play from Prime Cut Productions is a story of first love through the eyes of a gender-curious teen, and examines how the human premiere in 1999, there’s also no denying the play’s topicality in 2017. Against the backdrop of the current refugee crisis in Europe, America closing its doors to refugees, and with nationalism and xenophobia resurgent across the globe, Martin Sherman’s piece seems frighteningly prescient. An enduring piece of writing and a hugely enduring stage legend – Rose promises to be a pure theatrical gold.
HOME / homemcr.org / 0161 200 1500 / Thursday 25 May to Saturday 10 June / £10-£26.5 story often gets lost amidst the headlines.
Contact / contactmcr.com / 0161 274 0600 / Tuesday, May 23 to Friday, May 26 / £11/£6 concs THURSDAY Comedy / Katy Brand The title of Katy Brand’s new show says it all: ‘I Was a Teenage Christian’. The comic, a joyful presence on the telly since the mid-2000s, spills the beans on her teenage years as a fundamentalist Christian, and her subsequent denouncement of religion.
The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0843 Theatre / Persuasion Jane Austen’s last novel is a sombre affair, full of disappointed hopes and thwarted romance. For this Royal Exchange world premiere, director Jeff James - one of the UK’s most original young theatre makers – is promising a ‘startling modern vision’, whilst retaining the sharp observation and quick wit of Austen’s original.
Royal Exchange Theatre / royalexchange.co.uk / 0161 833 9833 / Thursday, May 25 to Saturday, June 24 / £16.50