MIDWEEK COLUMN WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
previews, articles, reviews, interviews, and recommendations with Steve Cooke
MIDWEEK COLUMN WEDNESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2026
Previews: Jane Eyre, The Opera Boys – The Farewell Tour Starring Paul Potts, Othello at HOME, Rochdale Libraries Story Time at Rochdale Town Hall plus Florence Peake: Vitalities at HOME Gallery, Manchester
Review: High Society . The Lowry
High Society . The Lowry
Review by Steve Griffiths
Who would be a modern actor in a musical like High society? You are expected not just to act well but to sing and then to dance. Fortunately the actors in this touring production can act their cotton socks off. They can sing pretty well and as for their dancing; look out for them on Strictly.
The production uses the music and lyrics of Cole Porter, so the audience knows most of the words already . Numbers like You do something to me, I love Paris and , of course, High Society enable us to , quietly , sing along with the cast.
Helen George comes freshly from her stint in Call the midwife to be the centre of a ménage au trois before , of course, returning to her first love. The wonderful cosmopolitan sailor turned ex drunk Dexter , Julian Ovenden, who couples a roguish eye with an upright morality in such high lights as Well did you ever. Nigel Lindsay makes the most of the role of Uncle Willy, the man every family has but wish they didn’t. Happier with a glass of gin than breakfast tea. But able to whip up a storm in Now you have Jazz. The other main actors are all , in their different ways, supportive of the musical .Freddie Fox is a little upstaged by his illustrious predecessor , Frank Sinatra , but will go on do great things Carly Mercedes Dyer has real stage presence specially when she arrives in her hat. Difficult to see how she kept it on with the vigour of her dancing.
Josefina Gabrielle shows how a good actor can make the most of even lesser parts. She shines as the mother of the bride . With a shake of head she demonstrates the art of acting , catching the attention of the audience in a way that flashier performances fail to do.
As always, the cast of smaller parts are played and danced with superb attention to detail. Modern dance at its best. Especially the ensemble production number Lets Misbehave . All scarlet women and ambiguous sexuality The band backs up the cast wonderfully well and deserve a credit to themselves.
The director, Rachel Kavanaugh should be proud of what they have achieved. And the audience agreed with a well-deserved standing ovation.
5 stars
Watch the trailer https://www.thelowry.com/whats-on/high-society-s1w2
To book visit https://www.thelowry.com/whats-on/high-society-s1w2
On until Saturday 3 October, 7.30pm with some 2.pm matinees at The Lowry Theatre, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ
Jane Eyre
Preview by Steve Cooke
A treat for Brontë fans coming to Heywood Civic with Jane Eyre.
The eponymous heroine’s fight for freedom, happiness and a sense of belonging, blazes from the cruelty of her childhood to the creepy corridors of Thornfield Hall, where she discovers passion, dark secrets, and a love that overcomes every obstacle.
Charlotte Brontë’s gothic romance, set against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, with a haunting atmosphere and unforgettable emotion, tells a story of independence, resilience, and the courage to follow one’s heart.
Brought to life in a new staging by Conn Artists Theatre Company, following on from their recent adaptation of Far from the Madding Crowd, and performed with an ensemble cast of five actors with original music and songs.
Watch trailer https://heywoodcivic.co.uk/event/jane-eyre/
£21.00 - £24.15
12+
Content warning: Strobe lighting, haze/smoke, recorded gun shot
Saturday 21 November 7.30-9.20pm at Heywood Civic. LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood, OL10 1LW
The Opera Boys – The Farewell Tour Starring Paul Potts
Preview by Steve Cooke
The powerhouse classical-crossover sensation The Opera Boys have announced their final tour, featuring the world-renowned tenor and very first winner of Britain’s Got Talent, Paul Potts and its coming to the Middleton Arena.
Following years of sold-out performances across the globe, The Opera Boys join forces with the man who captured the world’s heart with his legendary audition of “Nessun Dorma”. This collaboration promises an evening of soaring notes, impeccable harmonies, and the perfect blend of opera, musical theatre, and modern pop classics.
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Paul Potts became a household name in 2007, winning the inaugural season of Britain’s Got Talent. Since then, he has released multi-platinum albums, performed over 1,500 shows in 45 countries, and inspired the Hollywood biopic One Chance.
The Opera Boys are a leading classical-crossover group featuring leading men from London’s West End and Broadway. They have performed for Royalty, appeared on national television, and performed to sold out theatres and concert halls worldwide, delivering immaculate four-part harmonies and solo performances, delivered in their inimitable style.
You do not want to miss this final tour, as it really is time to say goodbye!
Watch the trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upBt2aJGJbc
Standard Tickets: £36.00
Concessionary Tickets: £32.00
VIP Meet & Greet Tickets: £70.00
Event start time: 7:30pm, arrival from 7pm, duration: 2h 15m
VIP Meet & Greet to take place 6pm – 6:45pm, arrival from 5:30pm – to include a welcome drink on arrival *VIP Ticket holders only.
Wednesday, 14 October 7:30pm, arrival from 7pm, duration: 2h 15m, Middleton Arena, LCpl Joel Halliwell VC Way, Middleton M24 1AG
Othello at HOME
Preview by Steve Cooke
Director Anthony Almeida's new production at HOME looks afresh at Shakespeare's iconic tragedy – as much about love as it is about hate.
For centuries, Othello has been understood as Shakespeare's great tragedy of jealousy - Director Anthony Almeida believes we've been asking the wrong question...Relocating the action to Britain during the early 1980s, the production finds a society in transition, where institutions still carry immense authority but the world around them is beginning to change.
Against the backdrop of the Falklands War, Cyprus becomes an isolated military outpost where professionalism, appearance and belonging matter deeply, and identity itself becomes a battleground. Love, loyalty, race, class, gender and power are filtered through the everyday performances that allow people to belong - or leave them fatally isolated.
Director Anthony Almeida said…
“I don’t think Othello is really a play about jealousy. Jealousy is the symptom. The tragedy begins much earlier - in the tiny acts of adaptation, restraint and performance we all make in order to belong. I realised Shakespeare hadn’t written a play about jealousy at all. He’d written a play about behaviour. Once we began looking through that lens, everything changed.
Setting the play in Britain during the early 1980s wasn’t about making Shakespeare contemporary. It was about finding a society where appearance, professionalism and belonging carry enormous weight. I became less interested in public politics than private intimacy; less interested in certainty than perception. Four hundred years after Shakespeare wrote it, the questions at the heart of the play still feel astonishingly urgent. They’re questions about who we become when we believe we have to perform in order to be accepted - and what happens when those performances finally collapse.”
19.30 with some matinees at 14.00
Wednesday 30 September - Saturday 10 October
Rochdale Libraries Story Time at Rochdale Town Hall
Preview by Steve Cooke
A great opportunity for pre-school children and their grown-ups on the first Monday of every month between October 2026 and March 2027 for a fun, interactive story session in Rochdale Town Hall’s cosy reading corner.
With 2026 being National Year of Reading. Each month you will be able to explore a different classic picture book or ‘storysack’, with songs, games and other activities.
Cost: £2.10 per child (includes 10p commission fee). Accompanying adults go free.
Booking required: book your tickets through YourTrust at https://www.yourtrustrochdale.co.uk/whats-on/events/rochdale-libraries-story-time/
Time: 11:00 - 12:00
Monday 5 October and subsequent monthly Mondays in Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ
Florence Peake: Vitalities at HOME Gallery, Manchester
Preview by Steve Cooke
HOME Gallery, Manchester has announced a new exhibition of sculptural, and painting works by internationally acclaimed visual artist Florence Peake.
Opening 10 Oct 2026 to 31 Jan 2027, Florence Peake: Vitalities brings together sculpture, drawing and live activation in an immersive installation shaped through collaboration, movement and embodied experience.
Vitalities is Peake’s first solo exhibition in the North West and is the culmination of 3 years of research and site-specific making that brings people together around loss and grief, through sculpture, movement and workshops.
Vitalities has been made in collaboration with LGBTQIA+ communities in and around Manchester. The installation includes a wide of range of work: including works on paper, moulded and poured gypsum plaster, cast concrete, pewter and live performance interventions taking place fortnightly for the duration of the exhibition.
“It’s great to be working with people in Manchester in this project where our experiences of grief can be worked with creatively, ritualistically and communally. I am interested in exploring queer grief - giving presence to experiences so often overlooked in mainstream society.” - Florence Peake
Curator Clarissa Corfe, explained why she was excited to launch Vitalities at HOME:
“Peake has collaborated with individuals exploring queer grief - a subject often hidden or unacknowledged - on sculptures that form key tenets throughout. One of the most difficult and complex life experiences, this work deals with the vitality of what passes, what is left behind, reconciliation and resignation with the passage of time.”
To find out more visit https://www.homemcr.org/whats-on/florence-peake-vitalities-nccp
RECOMMENDED
Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have - Students from Chetham’s School of Music 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
St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane/St Mary's Gate, Rochdale OL16 1DZ
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm - 1.30pm
Thursday, 1 October 2026
Bookstart Baby and Bear Club - Balderstone Library
Every other Thursday during term time. Join Amy and Bookstart Bear for a free fun session.
For babies and toddlers up to pre-school age and their parents or carers.
Booking required: please book a ticket for every baby and/or child who is to attend. Accompanying adults will not need a ticket. See available sessions and book tickets through Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/rochdale-borough-libraries-10695506106
When you and your child come along to their first session of Bookstart Baby and Bear Club, they will receive their very own Bookstart passport for you to get stamped each time they come along to a session or visit the library. For every 6 stamps they get in their passport, they'll receive a certificate. Don't worry, if you or your child are not library members already, you can join when you come along to Bookstart Bear Club.
Contact: balderstone.library@rochdale.gov.uk
1.30pm - 2.15pm
Balderstone Library, Balderstone Park, Platting Lane, Rochdale OL11 2HD
Thursday, 1 October 2026
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 Free, Children (aged 4-15) £6, Seniors £6, Students £6, Adults £8, Family (4 people) £24.
Phone: Fireground 01706 341219
Visit: https://www.fireground.org.uk/ Thursday, Friday & Saturday from 10am - 4pm
Thursday, 1 October 2026
Middleton Lego Club - Middleton Library
Build what you like in this fun and free session.
First Thursday of every month. Come and join our Middleton Lego Club, build your own Lego creations in our themed sessions. Duplo is also available for younger siblings.
For children aged 5–12 and their parents or carers.
No need to book, you can just come along.
Contact: middleton.library@rochdale.gov.uk
3.30pm - 5pm
Middleton Library, Long Street, Middleton M24 6DU
Thursday, 1 October 2026
Thursday Reading Group - Spotland Library
First Thursday of every month. Read, share and discuss a range of fiction and non-fiction chosen from our extensive list of book titles in a relaxed and friendly group.
Free
For adults.
No booking required, you can just turn up.
Contact: spotland.library@rochdale.gov.uk
2pm - 3pm
Spotland Library, Ings Lane, Rochdale OL12 7AL
Friday, 2 October 2026
Singing Group - Heywood Library
First Friday of every month. Join us in our wheelchair-accessible community room. Refreshments will be provided.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a good singer. It’s all about having fun and meeting new friends in a relaxed atmosphere.
Songs sung include everyday pop favourites from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s as well as show tunes.
For adults.
No need to book you can just come along.
Contact: heywood.library@rochdale.gov.uk
Free
Join us in our wheelchair-accessible community room. Refreshments will be provided.
11am - 12pm
Heywood Library, LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood OL10 1LW
Friday, 2 October 2026
Lego Club - Alkrington Library
First and third Friday of every month. Alkrington Lego Club is back with 2 themed monthly sessions.
For children aged from 5–12 years.
In each session the children will be given a theme, followed by half an hour to let their imaginations run wild and build. All creations are shown and displayed in the library until the next Lego Club.
Booking required: Places are limited so booking is essential. To book your place, you can:
Phone 0161 643 7799
Visit the library and speak to a member of staff.
Free
3.45pm - 4.45pm
Alkrington Library, Kirkway, Middleton M24 1LW
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