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Elio Pace – The Lowry, Salford

Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★☆☆ Elio Pace opens his concert with a mission statement set to music. ‘Oh So Tight’, as well as paying tribute to his rock’n’roll heroes, welcomes the audience and sets out his objective of delivering the maximum entertainment possible. If the final goal is only partly achieved it is because it is [...]

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Laura Veirs – The Lowry, Salford

Band: Alex Guy (keyboards and violin/viola) and Tim Young (guitars) Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★☆ This is the first time that Laura Veirs has played a gig in Salford and the accent is something of a barrier. ‘Don’t be fooled’ a local calls out in response to her observation about the cleanliness of the area. ‘ [...]

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Stephen Venables: The Legend of Eric Shipton – The Lowry, Salford

Writer: Stephen Venables Reviewer: Jo Beggs The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★½☆ What makes men (and occasionally women) climb mountains? Internationally acclaimed mountaineer, writer and broadcaster Stephen Venables doesn’t attempt to answer this question, but it’s one that plays on my mind throughout his excellent illustrated talk. Most of the audience don’t need to ask – a fair proportion of [...]

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Simon Munnery: Hats off to the 101er’s – The Lowry, Salford

Writer and performer: Simon Munnery Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★☆☆ Simon Munnery starts off his new show in the way he does not intend to go on. A show made up of lengthy monologues and songs opens with a series of short and marvellously surreal one-liners. Munnery enters wearing a stovepipe hat from which bubbles [...]

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Beowulf The Dragon Slayer – The Lowry, Salford

Reviewer: Dave Cunningham The Public Reviews Rating: ★★☆☆☆ Although ‘Beowulf the Dragon Slayer’ is promoted as suitable for ages from seven few concessions are made for the attention span of such an audience. The tale of Beowulf is enacted by a single performer using wooden puppets carved in the style of engravings from the period. No effort is [...]

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Hugh Cornwell – The Lowry, Salford

Reviewer: Iain Sykes The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★★★   This is Hugh Cornwell’s first ever visit to The Lowry and he’s impressed. “Nice place” he says as he looks around from the stage of the Quays Theatre, the complex’s smaller theatre, “spacious yet intimate”. In fact, the perfect space for the former Stranglers frontman to play on this tour [...]

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Re:play Festival 2012: The Rainbow Connection – The Lowry, Salford

Writer: Joanne Sherryden Director: Adam Zane Reviewer: Elisa Jones The Public Reviews Rating: ★★☆☆☆ The Rainbow Connection is a love story between a gay man and a straight woman who attempt to cure one another of their respective emotional issues using predominantly booze and vulgar humour. The play has the distinct feel of a British attempt at ‘Will and [...]

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Stalin’s Favourite – Lowry Theatre, Salford

Adapted from the novel ‘The Whisperer’ by Orlando Figes Director: Peter Symonds Reviewer: Clare Boswell The Public Reviews Rating: ★★★½☆ Direct from the National Theatre, this latest offering from Theatre Unlimited entitled ‘Stalin’s favourite’ sits quite comfortably somewhere between a play and a history lecture. Centred on poet Konstantin Simonov, it tells the story of how his poem ‘Wait [...]

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