DRAMA PLAYS IN MANCHESTER
DRAMA PLAYS IN MANCHESTER
Most Popular Drama Plays in Manchester
Murder Trial Tonight IV Death Of A Landlord
The Bridgewater Hall
Sun 8 - Fri 27 Mar 2026
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Manchester Opera House
Tue 2 - Sat 6 Mar 2027
The Jury Experience - An Immersive Courtroom Case
The Stoller Hall
Fri 13 Mar 2026 - Tue 1 Jan 2030
Return to the Forest
Aviva Studios, Manchester
Thursday 7 - Sunday 10 May 2026
A magical forest comes alive through dance, puppetry and play - inviting us to reflect on what we treasure and how we connect. Step inside a museum where precious treasures are on display. But remember - strictly no touching! Dusk falls and...Troubled
HOME, Manchester
Thursday 7 - Sunday 10 May 2026
It's 1993, Mum won't let Alice go to Funderland because Belfast is burning. 'How about Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves and Chinese chicken balls instead?' Fast forward to 2023, where Alice meets Tim, falling in love (finally) but can she esca...Even These Things
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Friday 15 May - Monday 15 June 2026
'Do you think the city's forgotten?' Three centuries. Three moments in time. An epic story of Manchester and Ireland by multi award-winning playwright Rory Mullarkey comes to the Royal Exchange Theatre 30 years after an IRA bomb devastated ...Split Ends
Contact, Manchester
Tuesday 19 - Wednesday 20 May 2026
Critically acclaimed tragi-comedy SPLIT ENDS (transferring from Brighton, Camden and Edinburgh Fringe) follows the story of a woman who falls in love with a Vacuum. Using physical theatre, puppetry and multi-media, this 'Sarah Kane Rave' ...Bluey's Big Play
Lowry, Salford
Friday 22 - Sunday 31 May 2026
When Dad feels like a little bit of Sunday afternoon time out, Bluey and Bingo have other plans! Join them as they pull out all of the games and cleverness at their disposal to get Dad off that bean bag. Bluey's Big Play is a brand-new thea...Spitfire Girls
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Tuesday 26 - Saturday 30 May 2026
INSPIRED BY REMARKABLE TRUE EVENTS"It's built for us, isn't it? The Spitfire. Built for women." New Year's Eve, 1959. Decades after answering the call, two women separated by the war meet again as the rain hammers down on the windows of ...Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger's Drift
Manchester Opera House, Manchester
Wednesday 27 - Saturday 30 May 2026
Murder comes to the countryside in the theatrical world premiere of the critically acclaimed television favourite Midsomer Murders. When well-loved spinster Emily Simpson is found dead in the picturesque village of Badger's Drift, her frien...The Bench: A Tale from Paradise Heights
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Thursday 28 - Saturday 30 May 2026
'Stephen King meets Jimmy McGovern' Gritty, urban comedy/drama with a rich vein of the supernaturalIt?s just a bench in the park, the one by the war memorial. A thief, a fake clairvoyant, a homeless man, two burglars, a street sweeper, two ...National Theatre Live - Playboy of the Western World
HOME, Manchester
Thursday 28 - Saturday 30 May 2026
Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) joins Eanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge's riveting play of youth and self-discovery. Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when a young m...Barbara
Gullivers, Manchester
Thursday 28 May 2026
An immersive theatrical experience that sensitively explores the subject of dementia through the lens of how we care for those we love and how we care for ourselves. Barbara and Bernard will transport you, their guests, to a bygone era ...The Good Life
Altrincham Garrick, Altrincham
Monday 1 - Sunday 7 June 2026
Remember the Goods - Tom and Barbara, suburban eco-warriors? And their next-door neighbours Margo and Jerry Leadbetter, desperately trying to maintain the Surbiton status quo? Well, they're back - and on stage for the first time in The Good...Malory Towers
HOME, Manchester
Tuesday 2 - Sunday 14 June 2026
Darrell Rivers is starting school with an eager mind and fierce heart. Unfortunately, she also has a quick temper! Can she learn to tolerate the infuriating Gwendoline Lacey, or value the kind-hearted Sally Hope? Can she save the school pla...The Archers - Live at 75
Palace Theatre, Manchester
Sunday 7 June 2026
Don your best hat, dust off your prize-winning jam recipe and join us for an unforgettable celebration of 75 glorious years of BBC Radio 4's The Archers. To mark this extraordinary milestone, The Archers is stepping out of the studio and on...Punk Rock
Altrincham Garrick, Altrincham
Tuesday 9 - Sunday 14 June 2026
From Manchester power-house playwright, Simon Stephens, Punk Rock is a brutal and urgent examination of contemporary adolescence. "I hate normal people. Normal people should be eviscerated." Tucked away in a library in a Stockport grammar s...The Crocodile of Sadness by John Powell Jones
Lowry, Salford
Wednesday 10 June 2026
The Crocodile of Sadness is an experimental performance exploring grief, care and shared responsibility. Presented in Lowry's Studio Theatre, the work invites audiences into an intimate, imaginative space where storytelling, digital media a....jpg)
National Theatre Live - Playboy of the Western World
Altrincham Garrick, Altrincham
Sunday 14 June 2026
Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) joins Eanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge's riveting play of youth and self-discovery. Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when a young m...Twelfth Night (by HER Productions)
Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Wednesday 24 June - Sunday 5 July 2026
HER Productions return in 2026 with Unseemly Shakespeare, taking on the Bard's ultimate romantic comedy: 'Twelfth Night'. Shipwrecked and separated from her twin, Viola washes ashore in Illyria. Disguising herself as the suave Cesario, she...National Theatre Live - Les Liaisons Dangereuses
HOME, Manchester
Thursday 25 - Saturday 27 June 2026
Marianne Elliott directs Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner in a striking new adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' classic novel. A thrilling game of love, lies and social warfare. Among the glittering salons of the super-rich, patriarchy equal...National Theatre Live - Playboy of the Western World
Stockport Plaza, Stockport
Friday 3 July 2026
Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) joins Eanna Hardwicke (The Sixth Commandment) and Siobhan McSweeney (Derry Girls) in John Millington Synge's riveting play of youth and self-discovery. Pegeen Flaherty's life is turned upside down when a young m...National Theatre Live - Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Altrincham Garrick, Altrincham
Wednesday 8 July 2026
Marianne Elliott directs Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner in a striking new adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' classic novel. A thrilling game of love, lies and social warfare. Among the glittering salons of the super-rich, patriarchy equal...Diane's Deli: A Tale from Paradise Heights
Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Thursday 9 - Saturday 11 July 2026
Following on from the fabulous success of the award winning The Haunting of Blaine Manor and The Bench: A Tale from Paradise Heights, Joe O'Byrne returns with the next tale in his critically acclaimed Supernatural meets Northern Noir ser...Twelfth Night
Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot
Tuesday 21 - Friday 24 July 2026
The brilliantly bold Not Too Tame return with an electrifying production of Twelfth Night, starring Les Dennis as Malvolio. The company that brought you 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' return with their unique brand of high octane theatre in a ...The Spy Who Came in from The Cold
Lowry, Salford
Wednesday 22 - Saturday 25 July 2026
THE SPY NOVEL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. NOW LIVE ON STAGE. For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carre - the undisputed master of the modern spy genre whose works include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager -...National Theatre Live - Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Stockport Plaza, Stockport
Thursday 23 July 2026
Marianne Elliott directs Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner in a striking new adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos' classic novel. A thrilling game of love, lies and social warfare. Among the glittering salons of the super-rich, patriarchy equal...King Lear
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Friday 2 October - Sunday 15 November 2026
David Threlfall returns to the Theatre after 27 years to play Lear 'You see how full of changes his age is' Shakespeare's most elemental tragedy charts a kingdom where power corrupts, families become enemies and prosperity devolves into war...The Silence of the Lambs
Lowry, Salford
Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 October 2026
Dr Hannibal Lecter will see you now... Come face to face with the chilling cultural phenomenon THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS as it makes its world stageplay premiere in 2026. Based on Thomas Harris's gripping literary masterpiece, this e...The Haunting of Hill House
Palace Theatre, Manchester
Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 October 2026
Don't miss this chilling theatrical adaptation of Shirley Jackson's "near perfect" (Stephen King) classic ghost story. From best-selling novel to major hit Netflix series, The Haunting of Hill House now takes to the stage in this gripping n...The Mousetrap
Manchester Opera House, Manchester
Monday 26 - Saturday 31 October 2026
Producer, Brian Fenty, is delighted to announce that Agatha Christie's iconic thriller and the world's longest running play, The Mousetrap will embark on a major UK tour from September 2026 running through to 2027. The tour forms part of wi...A Man for All Seasons
Lowry, Salford
Tuesday 3 - Saturday 7 November 2026
The greatest, most powerful and dangerous figures who shaped English history are brought vividly to life in Robert Bolt's award-winning play. Martin Shaw stars as Sir Thomas More - scholar, ambassador, Lord Chancellor and friend to King Hen...Wilko: Love and Death and Rock 'n' Roll
Lowry, Salford
Thursday 12 - Saturday 14 November 2026
In 2012, Wilko Johnson, the iconic rock star and founder of legendary Essex band Dr Feelgood, was told he had inoperable cancer and a year to live. Refusing all treatment, he decided to spend his last months living meaningfully: seeing the ...
Ian Ashpitel & Jonty Stephens as Eric & Ern
Stockport Plaza, Stockport
Monday 16 November 2026
From the Olivier Nominated duo behind the hugely celebrated and critically acclaimed West End Hit. This is a show for all the family from 8 to 108! A brilliant homage crammed full Morecambe & Wise's most loved routines, songs and sketches a...Paranormal Activity
Lowry, Salford
Tuesday 17 - Saturday 21 November 2026
The chilling theatrical experience will give audiences a chance to witness the haunting phenomenon that has taken the West End by storm. The tour news news follows the recent announcement that, following phenomenal demand, Paranormal Activi...Christmas Carol
Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prescot
Friday 20 November - Thursday 31 December 2026
Festive lights twinkle outside 'The Counting House 'pub but inside Manager Bob Cratchit is struggling to keep the spirit of Christmas alive as Landlord Scrooge does all he can to squash it - no music, no laughter and definitely no bar credi...Census
HOME, Manchester
Friday 20 - Saturday 21 November 2026
Award-winning duo Malandra Jacks introduce you to what happens when a working-class community tells its own story. A bus ride. A bingo card. A memory you didn't know you shared. This is our neighbourhood, not the one in the media, but the o...Ordinary Decent Criminal
HOME, Manchester
Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 November 2026
A brand new play from the writer of the Fringe First winning England & Son and A Political History of Smack & Crack, Ed Edwards reunites with renowned political comedian Mark Thomas to tell a tale of freedom, revolution and messy love. Se...A Shoddy Detective and The Art of Deception
Lowry, Salford
Monday 1 - Wednesday 3 February 2027
DIRECT FROM THE WEST END! A laugh-out-loud comedy whodunnit featuring four actors, a dozen characters and a whole load of chaos. When a priceless painting vanishes at a manor auction, Detective Stuart Pidcock and his unlikely ally must in...Shooters
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Friday 12 February - Saturday 13 March 2027
Harlem, New York, 1948. The war is over, but another one is brewing 'These are memories frozen in time, for all eternity.' African American photojournalist, Gordon Parks is on the precipice of international renown as he attempts to document...The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Manchester Opera House, Manchester
Tuesday 2 - Saturday 6 March 2027
Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep will co-produce a brand-new staging of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, based on the internationally celebrated novel that captivated 10 million readers and inspired a groundbreaking National...The Full Monty
Manchester Opera House, Manchester
Monday 5 - Saturday 10 April 2027
TICKETS TO GO ON GENERAL SALE ON THU 12 MARCH AT 10AMCelebrating the 30th Anniversary of the iconic film, The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham And Buxton Opera House in association with Mark Goucher And David Pugh Present The Full Monty. Back b...Locomotive For Murder - The Improvised Whodunnit
Stockport Plaza, Stockport
Saturday 15 May 2027
★★★★★ - "A first class improvised murder mystery with hilarious performances"- The Reviews Hub Mesdames and Messieurs, may I take your tickets please? Pinch Punch welcome you aboard Locomotive for Murder: The Improvised Whodu...The Jury Experience - An Immersive Courtroom Case
