What's On

Tony Walsh plus special guest, Stephen James Smith

Forget what you imagined a poetry night could be and expect belly-laughs, tears and everything in between from this stunning, big-hearted performer who often leaves audiences on their feet, dazzled and breathless.

“Now a national hero” (The Guardian) having “stunned millions of people” (Huffington Post) with his iconic performance in Manchester in May 2017, international audiences are quickly discovering what has been an open secret for well over a decade: an evening with Tony Walsh is a rip-roaring rock and roller-coaster ride from a profoundly inspiring artist at the very top of his game.

Tony’s performance will including brand new and little heard poems from his eagerly awaited new collection, WORK | LIFE | BALANCE alongside some much-loved audience favourites.  Tony’s poems have had over five million views online in 2018 alone.

Tony has worked as a freelance writer and performance poet since 2004, and full-time since 2011. He adopted the professional name ‘Longfella’ for his height (almost 6 feet 5 inches / 1.96 m). Tony has performed widely around the UK and Europe, at festivals and workshops, and for the British Council. He has led workshops in a wide variety of educational institutions, including schools, colleges, universities and prisons.  

In 2011, Tony was Poet in Residence at the Glastonbury Festival. His poems have been published in many anthologies including the recent Common People anthology of working class writers. His acclaimed first collection of verse, Sex & Love & Rock&Roll, was published in 2013. His next book is due to be published early in 2020.

The words of Tony’s famous poem, This is the Place helped bring the people of Greater Manchester together following the Arena bomb attack in 2017 and made headlines around the world. Originally commissioned by the charity, Forever Manchester, This is the Place has more recently been the inspiration for music legend, Noel Gallagher‘s current single.Tony ‘gifted’ This is the Place to the people of Greater Manchester, ensuring any income from licensing would go to the Forever Manchester charity which funds and supports community projects in the region. Proceeds from the poem have so far raised £200,000 for the charity along with the We Love MCR Emergency Fund and The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Homelessness Fund.

Tony’s poem Up ‘Ere was commissioned by BBC North West Tonight and has received 4 million views on Facebook alone. Tony was commissioned by The Lake District National Park Authority to write a poem in 2018:  Reflecting on the Lakes BBC2’s Great British Menu, commissioned Tony to create a poem for their 2019 final, which was performed at Abbey Road Studios to mark 50 years since The Beatles last recorded there. Industry guests including Hooky, Mani, Rag n Bone Man, Andrew Ridgeley and Martin Kemp. To celebrate the BBC’s Blue Peter 60th anniversary, Tony was commissioned to create a special poem for the famous children’s TV programme. He performed a shorter version of the Blue Peter poem live at the Children’s BAFTAs in Nov 2018 and received a standing ovation.Bono sang “See the world in green and blue, with the Longfella right in front of you”  to Beautiful Day when U2 played at the Manchester Arena in October 2018.Tony was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters degree during a ceremony at The Lowry on July 19 in recognition of his services to poetry and Greater Manchester.

Tony will be available for book signings after the show.

“Seriously amazing!” – BBC.co.uk

“…stirring…stunning…” – TIME magazine

Stephen James Smith is a Dublin poet and playwright central to the rise of the vibrant spoken word scene in Ireland today. His poetry videos have amassed over 2.5 million views.

In 2017 he was commissioned by St. Patrick’s festival to write a new poem as a “Celebratory Narrative” of Ireland. The resultant piece ‘My Ireland’ is accompanied by a short film which has been viewed over 300,000 times and was screened at the London film festival.

In 2018 he was commissioned by Dublin stadium sponsor Aviva to write a poem to highlight the recent rugby final between England & Ireland on Paddy’s day. The poem entitled “Bring it Home” chalked up over 750,000 views across the weekend – and Ireland won!

Stephen has performed at high profile events & venues such as Electric Picnic, other voices, The National Concert Hall in Dublin, The Barbican in London, Vicar Street & the London Palladium (alongside Oscar winner Glen Hansard); The Oscar Wilde Awards in Los Angeles, Glastonbury Festival and many more.

Stephen facilitates poetry workshops in schools around Ireland and is artist in residence with Dunamaise arts centre & Laois arts office. His poetry is included on the syllabus at Western Connecticut State University and his work has been translated into multiple languages.

His debut collection “Fear Not”, published by Arlen House, was launched in September 2018 in Dublin at Poetry Ireland on Parnell Square.

Thursday 24 October, 7.30pm (doors 7pm)

Tickets £14

16+ only. Adult themes/humour and strong language.

Sometimes, Always, Never

Elegant, offbeat comedy-drama, written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and directed by  Carl Hunter.  Bill Nighy brings a droll sprightliness and deadpan wit as Alan, a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits, but shows how these mannerisms mask emotional pain.  He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of scrabble.Sam Riley is Alan’s long-suffering youngest son, Peter. Alan is obsessed with Scrabble, hustling unsuspecting players he meets in B&Bs – a funny and unexpected interlude with a couple played by Tim McInnerny and Jenny Agutter. But while staying with Peter, his wife Sue (Alice Lowe) and their withdrawn teen son Jack (Louis Healy), things reach a crisis. Playing Scrabble online, Alan encounters a virtual opponent whose style he recognises. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son Peter and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.

25 October, 7.30pm (doors 7pm)

Tickets £5 OTD

Certificate 12A Find more details here…

Rosa & Roberto

Rosa Campos -Fernandez (clarinets) and Roberto Carillo-Garcia (double bass and guitar)  – two musicians on four instruments. Hallé members Rosa and Roberto bring Spanish flair and virtuosity to a programme with a Latin flavour, including music by Piazzolla and Villa-Lobos.

Rosa Campos Fernandez was born in Vigo (Spain) and has been Co-Principal E flat Clarinet with the Hallé since 2004.

In addition to this position, Rosa has performed with other orchestras and ensembles including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Orquesta de Cadaqués, the Real Filarmonía de Galicia (Santiago de Compostela) and the Moonwinds Ensemble.

She studied clarinet and piano at the Conservatorio Superior de Musica de Vigo, graduating in 1998, and joined the Birmingham Conservatoire in 2000 to study clarinet and bass clarinet with Anthony Pay, Joan Enric Lluna and Michael Harris. She graduated in 2003 with DPS (Diploma of Professional Studies) with distinction.

Rosa maintains a busy life as a soloist and chamber musician, playing concerts in Taiwan, Sweden, Italy, Spain and England. Her most recent project is with pianist Paul Janes. Alongside her role at the RNCM she is also a visiting teacher of clarinet at Chetham´s School of Music.

Roberto Carillo-Garcia was born on the Island of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands, where music plays a very important role. There are two symphony orchestras, conservatories and international music festivals giving music lovers plenty of things to do. He studied the classical guitar and then the double bass at the Conservatorio Superior de Mœsica in Santa Cruz, the capital of the island.

He served as principal double bass with Northern Sinfonia, before taking his post as principal bass with the Hallé in 2001. While working day to day as a bassist with the Hallé, Roberto continues to enjoy playing the guitar as a soloist.

3 November, 7.30pm (doors 7pm)

Tickets £15/12

Dales Craft Fair

Our friends return  for their first fair of the year, with more wonderful hand-crafted items.

26-27 October, 10-4.30pm

Free Admission.

NT Live: Hansard

by Simon Wood

Hansard; noun
The official report of all parliamentary debates.

See two-time Olivier Award winners, Lindsay Duncan (Birdman, About Time) and Alex Jennings (The Lady in the Van, The Queen), in this brand-new play by Simon Wood, broadcast live from the National Theatre in London.

It’s a summer’s morning in 1988 and Tory politician Robin Hesketh has returned home to the idyllic Cotswold house he shares with his wife of 30 years, Diana. But all is not as blissful as it seems. Diana has a stinking hangover, a fox is destroying the garden, and secrets are being dug up all over the place. As the day draws on, what starts as gentle ribbing and the familiar rhythms of marital scrapping quickly turns to blood-sport.

Don’t miss this witty and devastating portrait of the governing class, directed by Simon Godwin (NT Live: Antony & Cleopatra, Twelfth Night) and part of National Theatre Live’s 10^th birthday season.

For more information, email ntlive@nationaltheatre.org.uk

7 November 7pm (doors 6.15pm)

Running time 100 minutes. There is no interval.

Certificate 12A

Tickets £14

Booksmart

Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school peers. But on the eve of graduation, the best friends suddenly realise that they may have missed out on the special moments of their teenage years. Determined to make up for lost time, the girls decide to cram four years of not-to-be missed fun into one night — a chaotic adventure that no amount of book smarts could prepare them for.Told from a wildly original modern perspective, Booksmart is an unfiltered comedy about high school best friends and the bonds we create that last a lifetime. Capturing the spirit of our times, Booksmart is a coming of age story for anew generation.

15 November 7.30pm (doors 7pm)

Tickets £5 OTD

Certificate 15 for strong language and sex references. More details here…

The Current War

Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse — the greatest inventors of the industrial age — engage in a battle of technology and ideas that will determine whose electrical system will power the new century. Backed by J.P. Morgan, Edison dazzles the world by lighting Manhattan. But Westinghouse, aided by Nikola Tesla, sees fatal flaws in Edison’s direct current design. Westinghouse and Tesla bet everything on risky and dangerous alternating current. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon and written by Michael Mitnick, also stars Katherine Waterston, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland, Matthew Macfadyen, and Tuppence Middleton.

22 November 7.30pm (doors 7pm)

Tickets £5 OTD.

Certification 12A. More details here…

Present Laughter

by Noël Coward

Matthew Warchus directs Andrew Scott (BBC’s Sherlock, Fleabag) in Noël Coward’s provocative comedy Present Laughter.

As he prepares to embark on an overseas tour, star actor Garry Essendine’s colourful life is in danger of spiralling out of control. Engulfed by an escalating identity crisis as his many and various relationships compete for his attention, Garry’s few remaining days at home are a chaotic whirlwind of love, sex, panic and soul-searching.

Captured live from The Old Vic in London, Present Laughter is a giddy and surprisingly modern reflection on fame, desire and loneliness.

For more information, email ntlive@nationaltheatre.org.uk

28 November, 7pm (doors 6.15pm)

Tickets £14

ABBA Sensation

Widely considered to be one of the best ever ABBA Tribute Acts, they play to packed theatres and festivals throughout Europe. A stunning stage show, which combines costume changes, lighting effects and a faithful reproduction of the ABBA sound.

A great evening’s entertainment is guaranteed for all age ranges.
The band love audience participation, so you can sing along, clap or even get up and dance.

27 March 7.30pm (doors 7pm)

TICKETS £13.50

01629 810152

Simon Evans: The Work of the Devil

Simon Evans’ last show, Genius 2.0 (***** “A Masterclass” The Scotsman) provided an hilarious analysis of the departure of any visible sign of intelligence from modern life. But his new show raises the stakes, with his usual excoriating views of a world on fire given a perspective shift from personal revelations that turned his world upside down this year.

“A gripping and, ultimately heart-warming tale… rich with Evans’ wit and caustic observation.” (**** The Scotsman)

“You expect a high standard of stand-up from this veteran performer. But in sharing something so deeply personal, he’s exceeded what seemed to be his full potential… I’d expect it to get even better when it goes out on tour. Outstanding stuff.” ( **** ½ Chortle)

Simon Evans is the star of Live at the Apollo, Mock The Week, BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth & Simon Evans Goes To Market. Simon has made appearances on This Week, Question Time, Celebrity Mastermind, Pointless Celebrities and Mastermind The Professionals.

10 April, 8pm (doors 7.15pm)

Tickets £15/13