MIDWEEK COLUMN WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2026
- STEVE COOKE AATA
- 1 hour ago
- 8 min read
previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations with Steve Cooke
MIDWEEK COLUMN WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2026
Previews: Sealskin at Heywood Civic plus Free Afternoon Craft - International Women's Day
Reviews: Jim Cartwright’s Road at the Royal Exchange Theatre is a Truly Unique Experience and A Performance by a Living Composer at TLC
Jim Cartwright’s Road at the Royal Exchange Theatre is a Truly Unique Experience
Review by Seamus Kelly
Road, written by Jim Cartwright, is brought to Manchester on its 40th Anniversary as part of the Royal Exchange Theatre’s 50th Anniversary celebrations titled Homecoming.
Road is a powerful indictment of a government or system, led by Margaret Thatcher, that didn’t value the working-class people who were ground down by low wages, unemployment and a lack of hope for the future. Sadly, those same themes feel relevant today.
The audience experience at the Royal Exchange is always special as plays are performed in the round in the stunning Module. For this presentation of Road, the audience get to experience something truly unique as almost the whole building becomes part of the road. The audience are invited to wander through it mixing with actors and props with little unexpected cameo performances. Clever touches such as a chip shop, a dilapidated van and garage, piles of discarded furniture and lots of old televisions displaying the BBC test card, help to create the vibe of a poverty stricken, northern back street in the 1980s.
Once the audience have been invited to take their seats in the Module the performers and set design really shine. Johnny Vegas, as Scullery, opens the action and fills the role of a guide to the road and the people who live there. He portrays a brash and somewhat obnoxious man masking his real, thoughtful and hopeless character behind drink and bluster. Throughout the performance Vegas brings a great range of emotions and lots of energy.
Perhaps the real stars of the show are the three women, Lucy Beaumont, Shobna Gulati and Lesley Joseph who between them portray multiple characters and make each of them feel real and grounded. All three deliver standout moments of humour, sadness, anger and despair with hope emerging in the show’s finale. These women are aware of the harsh realities of their world, and they each have their own ways of handling them with northern grit, humour, tenderness and vulnerability. In our modern times we’d call these women survivors, yet in the broken times forty years ago they’d have been referred to in much more derogatory language.
The play finishes on a note of hope with speeches from the younger generation, one delivered particularly powerfully by Lucy Beaumont, backed by Otis Reading’s Try a Little Tenderness.
The whole cast directed by Selina Cartmell are excellent and the Royal Exchange has created something distinct and memorable.
My only small criticism that the modern audience, far removed from the time and environment portrayed, risk becoming cultural observers, like tourists dropping into a version of the past whilst being insulated from it. That could distract from the themes of the grinding poverty and particularly the lack of hope felt by so many in Thatcher’s Britain.
Having said that the whole experience is powerfully thought provoking and for those of us who remember life in Britain in the eighties there were many recognisable true to life scenes and moments.
Note for those of a sensitive disposition; the play does include lots of very strong language, sexual references and characters smoking and drinking heavily. Also, the heavy use of smoke machines which for some people, including myself, can cause issues.
All performances of Road are currently sold out. Any returned tickets will be released for sale online as they become available.
Road at the Royal Exchange will be a hard act to follow but the 50th Anniversary year celebrations continue with Noel Coward’s Private Lives, running from 27th March to 2nd May, and a further five big productions. Details of all shows can be found on the Royal Exchange Theatre website at www.royalexchange.co.uk
A Performance by a Living Composer at TLC
Review by Dr Joe Dawson
The 1,174th recital since taking over from the council in 2001 was entirely written and performed by a living composer. Born and bred in Cheshire, Adrian Lord studied at the RNCM and the Colchester Institute School of Music. However, his late father was born and bred in Milnrow and attended Rochdale Grammar School, which perhaps grants the son with token Rochdale citizenship? This charming recital, played from memory with genial introductions certainly endeared him to this Rochdale audience at St Mary in the Baum.
Adrian released his debut album, Journey – Twelve Romances for Piano in 2016, followed by Sky Blue Piano (2018), Piano Meditations (2021), Piano Postcards (2023), and Elements was a finalist at the 2025 Art of Piano Education Awards. His piano music is now played on the in-flight entertainment on British Airways, Oman Air and Qatar.
You could say his music has fledged, taken off and is starting to fly!
The first set of pieces in his programme was from his latest album Mosaic. With titles like Eira, Liquid Gold, Iridescence, Starry Night, and Autumn Leaves the overall theme was colour - a mood board of images in sound consisting in crafted miniatures – illusorily easy to play and certainly easy to listen to. We sat back, relaxed and enjoyed the experience. For the player, these condensed, sometimes wistful pieces make charming additions to the intermediate educational repertoire or simply playing for pleasure.
The last set of his concert included some of his ‘greatest hits.’ The jaunty upbeat take on the mediaeval carol Gaudete shook us out of our revery for a while; then Discovery (from Sky Blue Piano) which was voted the most streamed piece on Spotify; and Evermore (from Piano Meditations), which was aired during the Pandemic when he won new followers through twice-weekly Facebook Lives (described as a “must-watch” online piano performance by Pianist magazine).
Adrian’s final piece, Time to Remember (from Journey - Twelve Romances for Piano) brought him round to his beginnings and was dedicated to mum!
A kind of ‘Knutsford Einaudi,’ Adrian proved as approachable and engaging as his music proved accessible, as several people stayed to chat, peruse and purchase his books, CDs … and vinyl.
The Queen’s Award-winning Toad Lane Concerts every Wednesday at 12.30pm at the Grade 1 listed church of St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1DZ. Entrance fee is £6. Contact 01706 648872 for further information.
Sealskin at Heywood Civic
Preview by Steve Cooke
Coming up at the impressively refurbished Heywood civic is Sealskin, an old selkie tale of the sea.
Every full moon the Selkies appear, peeling away their seal skin, dancing freely in the moonlight. One night a fisherman discovers their secret, and we see the betrayal and consequences that follow.
Exploring ideas of belonging, otherness and home, SealSkin combines Tmesis’ trademark playful and highly skilled physicality, puppetry, storytelling, incredible projection design and live original music from acoustic duo Me and Deboe.
Watch trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZKa5dVPu6I&t=14s
Friday 13 March - 7.30pm
Tickets: £13.65 / £15.75 / £17.85
You can find Heywood Civic on Peine Square in the centre of Heywood, near Heywood Library. As well as having a small car park for visitors, Heywood Civic is also close to several bus routes linking to Rochdale, Bolton, Bury, Middleton and Manchester city centre.
Free Afternoon Craft - International Women's Day
Preview by Steve Cooke
Get along to the Learning Loft at the Pioneers Museum to take part in a craft activity for families to mark this year's International Women's Day. You will be making postcards to send to any and all women that you admire, past and present, inspired by the banners from the Women's Guild.
Children are always free, but for this session accompanying adults do not need to pay the museum entry fee.
You won’t need to book this session, but you may need to wait to take part if we are busy (please don't arrive before the start of the session) - and children must be accompanied by an adult while on site.
This offer is part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund's 'Open Week' from the 7th to 15th of March as a way to say 'thank you' to National Lottery Players. The museum has received funding in the past to renovate the building in 2012, to support working with young people and also to help preserve documents in their archive.
There is parking in the NCP opposite Toad Lane and a space to leave pushchairs.
If you are visiting Rochdale for the day, you can also visit the partners in Rochdale Local Studies Centre on Norman Road (OL11 4HS) between 10:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 15:00 as a free drop in to find out more about houses, streets and neighbourhoods in the town and what it was like to live in them.
The centre is a 13 minute walk from the museum.
Organised by the Co-operative Heritage Trust
Free / Pay What You Want
14:00
Saturday 7 March 2026
Rochdale Pioneers Museum, 31 Toad Lane, Rochdale, Greater Manchester, OL12 0NU
RECOMMENDED
Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Heywood Scribblers - Heywood Library
First Wednesday of every month. Free, friendly creative writing sessions. Poetry and story-writing workshops. All abilities welcome, whether you're new to writing or a seasoned writer.
For adults, families and teenagers.
No need to book, you can just drop in.
Free
1.15pm - 3.15pm
Heywood Library, LCpl Stephen Shaw MC Way, Heywood OL10 1LW
Wednesday, 4 March 2026
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have - Students from Chetham’s School of Music
The concert series has been held at St Mary’s since 2001 and was granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020.
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, 5 March 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, 5 March 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.
For adults.
No booking required, you can just turn up.
Free
2pm - 3pm
Spotland Library, Ings Lane, Rochdale OL12 7AL
Saturday, 7 March 2026
Lego Club - Rochdale Central Library
Every other Saturday. Get creative with Lego and join our free club, suitable for all the family. There's Duplo available for younger siblings.
For families with children aged 2 and over, and teenagers.
No need to book, you can just turn up.
Free
12pm - 1pm
Rochdale Central Library, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU
celebrating creative arts and artists - an oasis of positivity supporting individual and community wellbeing.
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