previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations with Steve Cooke
ESCAPED ALONE and WHAT IF IF ONLY at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Preview by Steve Cooke
It's not yet Spring but at the Royal Exchange it's the height of Summer. Join the extraordinary actors of ESCAPED ALONE and WHAT IF IF ONLY as their conversation moves from family to friendships, politics to climate change, with a little bit of baking...
These incredible plays by Caryl Churchill have been described by actor Maureen Beattie as...'[...] a sponge that you buy and it’s very, very small and dry and thin, like cardboard, and when you put in water, and it goes [mimes whooshy expansion]. But it travels light, it travels small. It’s so concentrated and specific. I think it’s like a jewel.'
Rachel Clements, Lecturer in Drama, Theatre and Performance added...
'What happens to and in the plays when they meet the roundness of the Exchange – where the performance space is surrounded, almost contained, by the audience – will be curious to see.’
Director Sarah Frankcom returns to the Exchange with these two short plays brought together in one evening of theatre.
Escaped Alone
“I’m walking down the street and there’s a door in the fence open and inside there are three women I’ve seen before.”
Three old friends and a neighbour. A summer of afternoons in the back yard. Tea and catastrophe.
What If If Only
“Make me happen”
Your partner’s died, could things have been different?
Director Sarah Frankcom said…
“I’m thrilled to be stepping into the worlds of these extraordinary plays in which Churchill so brilliantly explodes the domestic and the apocalyptic. It shouldn’t feel radical to put female characters over seventy years old centre stage, but it still does. Churchill’s ESCAPED ALONE celebrates the emotional and intellectual dexterity that only older actresses can bring to live performance. WHAT IF IF ONLY is epic in its ideas and audaciously distilled in its form – a brilliant challenge for any director. I can’t wait to get started.”
Watch trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTe1p54KM5A
Age guidance 14+
Content warnings - Escaped Alone contains strong language, mature themes, sexual references and references to domestic violence. What If If Only contains mature themes and references to suicide.
Until Sat 8 Mar 2025
Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH
Phone: 0161 833 9833
Coming soon … Only the best - ORTOA Celebrity recitals at the Rochdale Town Hall organ
Preview by Dr Joe Dawson
Sat 22 February 2025 at 3 pm - distinguished organ expert Paul Hale
ORTOA (Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Organists’ Association, est. 1908) are back at the town hall with their organ recital series.
Following the excellent first concert last month by Scottish organ virtuoso, Gordon Stewart, will be the distinguished organist and expert Paul Hale. He knows Rochdale’s JJ Binns instrument equally well, having been a consultant for Rochdale Development Agency about its care during the Town Hall restoration process.
Starting out as Organ Scholar of New College, Oxford, Paul was Organist and Choirmaster at Southwell Minster for twenty-seven years (for which the Archbishop of Canterbury granted him a special award in recognition of his “outstanding contribution to church music in Southwell and beyond.”)
Conductor of the Nottingham Bach Choir for 29 years, Diploma Examiner for the Royal College of Organists, and chair, secretary or president of countless organ bodies, are just a few areas in which he is well known and respected.
Paul is also in national demand as an independent organ consultant, with restoration or rebuilding projects such as here at the Town Hall. All this alongside giving organ concerts and lectures all over the world and for his teaching and writings on the organ.
This is his third Organ Recital at the Town Hall, and he is ‘absolutely delighted to be back’.
His wide-ranging programme promises to put the JJ Binns instrument at the town hall through its paces with War March of the Priests by Mendelssohn, followed by Alcock, Dubois, Rachmaninov, César Franck, Noel Rawsthorne, Denis Bédard and the rollicking Knightsbridge March by Eric Coates arr. John Catling. This should appeal to organ enthusiasts and a wider audience alike.
ORTOA 2025 forthcoming events
Tuesday May 20th at 1 pm KEITH HEARNSHAW Concert organist
Tuesday June 17th at 1 pm EDWARD TAYLOR (from Carlisle Cathedral)
Tuesday July 15th at 1 pm LEE LONGDEN Cinema Organist
Tuesday Sept 16th at 1 pm ALEX FISHBURN (from Liverpool Cathedral)
Admission £10 (concessions £8) concerts last one hour. Card or cash at the door or visit www.rochdaletownhall.co.uk/events or iao.org.uk/ortoa.
Classical acoustic guitar at TLC
Review by Dr Joe Dawson
The prospect of a classical acoustic guitar playing in the enormous space of St Mary in the Baum might worry some people. However, with the opening phrases of a lively arrangement of Two Bucks of Oranmore, this proved unjustified. In the hands of accomplished player Sam Rodwell, the cathedral-like acoustics worked with the intimate instrument rather than against it.
Sam graduated first class and completed a master’s with distinction at the RNCM and was made an ‘Associate Guitar Teacher’. He also won the Strings Salon Prize (the first guitarist to do so for 30 years) and was a finalist in the Gold Medal competition.
He performs across the UK as a soloist, forming duos with other guitars, harp, violin or saxophone, and with ensembles including the Manchester Camerata.
Sam’s virtuoso playing was framed by confident and engaging introductions to the instrument and the music.
His recital continued with Le Départ, a dramatic fantasy by French guitarist composer Napoléon Coste, which Sam skilfully contrasted with the vocal style of Revoir Paris after the famous French singer Charles Trenet, arranged by Roland Dyens.
Leaving France for Spain required some nifty retuning for Asturias by Albeniz and back to normal tuning for the same composer’s Sevilla. Nothing can instantly evoke these Iberian pictures in glorious technicolour better than unaccompanied acoustic guitar.
Then Toccata by Joaquín Rodrigo took the essentially folk style to another level that required true technical virtuosity; before calming with a soothing Yesterday by Lennon and McCartney arranged by Takemitsu.
For the finale, Sunburst by Andrew York lived up to its title in a blaze of notes and energetic riffs. The argument for live, acoustic playing won over plastic amplification.
The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts are every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade-1 listed St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. No refreshments available. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.
RECOMMENDED
Wednesday 12 February 2025
Rochdale Photographic Society
Tonight's session - Mersea Island Photographic Society Challenge. Judge Keith Barber FIScT CPAGB LRPS
If you would like to see the club for yourself and meet our members, you are welcome to attend as our guest for up to 3 weeks before committing to membership. Annual subscription is £36 for single or £46 for joint membership.
A weekly room fee of £2.50 is also payable on arrival at the meeting. Refreshments are 50p.
Visit the link below for a full 2024 syllabus.
7.30pm prompt (doors open from 7.15pm). The door is kept locked so please ring the bell on arrival.
Rochdale Unitarian Church, Clover Street, Rochdale OL12 6TP
Wednesday 12 February 2025
Rochdale Antiques Society - Gem Mill & Engineering Museums of Lancashire.
Anthony Pilling.
Visitors are very welcome at our meetings, just turn up on the night. There is no limit on the number of meetings that visitors can attend.
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Meetings run from September to May.
Visitors charge - £5
Phone: Society Secretary, Ann Lord 01706 844026
7.30pm
St Vincent's Community Centre, Caldershaw Road, Norden OL12 7Q (Sat Nav: OL12 7QR)
Wednesday 12 February 2025
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
Johanna Leung clarinet (Hong Kong & RNCM)
Henry Page piano (Manchester University & RNCM)
The concert series has been held at St Mary’s since 2001 and was granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020… during the pandemic!
Running every Wednesday, Music at Lunchtime is a weekly live classical music concert series that has been going since the 1960s. The sessions were initially run at the old Rochdale Art Gallery by the local authority, but since May 2001 have been run by volunteer-enthusiasts and artistic director, Dr Joe Dawson.
£6
Phone: Dr Joe Dawson 01706 648872
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm - 1.30pm
St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane/St Mary's Gate, Rochdale OL16 1DZ
Thursday 13 February 2025
Littleborough Historical & Archaeological Society
Nursing in World War One by Carol Davies
Light refreshments are served on arrival, and non-members are very welcome to attend.
There is a small charge of £3.50 for non-members and £2.50 for members.
Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 8.00pm (doors open at 7.30pm) in the fully accessible (via the station ramp) History Centre on Platform 2 of Littleborough Train Station.
Free parking is available locally within the town centre and nearby streets.
Phone: 01706 377685
Doors open 7.30pm, 8pm start
History Centre, Platform 2, Littleborough Railway Station, Railway Street, Littleborough OL15 8AF
Thursday 13 February 2025 - Saturday 15 February 2025
Visit Fireground Museum
Join us at Fireground this week to discover Greater Manchester's firefighting story.
Fire museum attractions are on show inside the museum including our collection of historic firefighting artefacts from the 18th century to present day, plus home-made refreshments in the new Fireground Café, and souvenirs from our fantastic new gift shop! We have a wide choice ranging from toddler to collector.
Under 4s are free, Children (aged 4-15) and Concessions £5, Adults £7 and Family (4 people) £20.
Phone: Fireground 01706 341219
Open Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 10am - 4pm
Fireground, Maclure Road, Rochdale OL11 1DN
Friday 14 February 2025
Castleton Literary and Scientific Society
Number One Writers.
A new topical performance from Val Chapman and members of the writing group.
Entry fee: Annual Membership £25; Visitors welcome £3 per meeting
Phone: Barry Hobson 07724 135099
7pm.
Castleton Community Centre, Manchester Road, Castleton, Rochdale OL11 3AF
Saturday 15 February 2025
Luther Live
The world’s premier show in celebration of ‘The Velvet Voice’ – experience all the hits from Luther Vandross’ amazing career, culminating in over 40 million album sales and eight Grammy awards and including many of the greatest dance anthems and love songs ever written. Fronted by international Luther Vandross tribute Harry Cambridge and his 10-piece band.
Including Never Too Much, Here and Now , Give Me the Reason, I Really Didn’t Mean It, Stop to Love, So Amazing, The Best Things in Life Are Free, Always and Forever, Endless Love, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now, Your Secret Love, Shine, The Closer I Get To You, Love The One You’re With, Any Love, Superstar, Until You Come Back to Me, Dance with My Father and many many more.
From £27.50
7:30pm Doors open: 6.45pm
Middleton Arena, Lance Corporal Joel Halliwell VC Way, Middleton, Manchester M24 1AG
Saturday 15 February 2025
Hallelujah! Classic Manchester and indie dance party
After a long absence, our hugely popular Classic Manchester Nights return... Join us with three of Manchester's top DJ's as we party into the night with all of the absolute bangers from finest music the world has ever seen!
Clint Boon - Inspiral Carpets & Manchester DJ
Dave Sweetmore - Manchester's number one host
DJ Laura Beth - radio presenter and festival host/DJ
Tickets available now. Please note, this is an intimate, exclusive event and capacity is limited. Early purchase is advised.
Tickets available on the link below or from Just Lovely (Heywood Market) or Carousel Cards and Party (Norden).
£8 advance / £10 on the door
Phone: Ruby 07537 665712
7pm
St Paul's Hall, Blackpits Road, Norden, Rochdale OL11 5NG
celebrating creative arts and artists - an oasis of positivity supporting individual and community wellbeing.
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