DRAMA PLAYS IN MANCHESTER
DRAMA PLAYS IN MANCHESTER
Most Popular Drama Plays in Manchester
Thu 25 Mar - Fri 21 May 2027
Sat 30 May - Mon 15 Jun 2026
Fri 12 Jun - Sat 4 Jul 2026
Fri 11 Sep - Sat 3 Oct 2026
Midsomer Murders: The Killings at Badger's Drift
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...
Our Public House
Saturday 30 May 2026
Your Round. Your Say. A bighearted and funny new play. With Kit Esuruoso (Tina The Musical), Chaya Gupta (EastEnders), Gabriella Leon (Casualty), Lauren Moakes (Romeo and Juliet), Fergus O Donnell (Downtown Abbey, Holby City) and Bharti Pat...
Even These Things
Saturday 30 May - Monday 15 June 2026
An epic story of Manchester and Ireland by multi award-winning playwright Rory Mullarkey premieres at the Royal Exchange Theatre, 30 years after an IRA bomb devastated the heart of the city. Three centuries. Three moments in time. In 1846...
Spitfire Girls
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 ...
Nation
Saturday 30 May 2026
Written and performed by Sam Ward, Nation is a dark, brutal fable about the political power of stories, about the nation as an act of imagination, about the violence of community and those we choose to let in. Following smash-hit We were p...
The Bench - A Tale from Paradise Heights
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 ...
Philosophy Of The World
Saturday 30 May 2026
In partnership with SICK! Festival 2026, IN BED WITH MY BROTHER take to the stage for their three-act biopic, Philosophy Of The World. Ridiculed then revered, "the best worst band of all time" 1960s American rockers The Shaggs defied cate...
National Theatre Live - Playboy of the Western World (12A)
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...
The Good Life
Monday 1 - Sunday 7 June 2026
Altrincham Garrick's production of Jeremy Sams' stage play, based on the hugely popular sitcom by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, reunites the well-loved characters (not forgetting Geraldine the goat) as they get themselves into and out of scr...
Malory Towers
Tuesday 2 - Saturday 13 June 2026
Nostalgic, naughty, and perfect for now, Enid Blyton's Malory Towers is the original 'Girl Power' story. Get ready for high jinks, high drama and high spirits, all set to sensational live music, as Emma Rice Company's production has been de...
Clothes Swap
Wednesday 3 - Saturday 6 June 2026
Waterside presents its first in-house production - a powerful new play by emerging writer Liam Mansfield, inspired by his work as an LGBTQ+ youth worker. This powerful new play is set inside a youth club, a space of refuge, resistance and r...
Desperate Scousewives
Wednesday 3 June 2026
Get ready for a riotous, fast-paced comedy following the lives of three loud, no-nonsense Liverpool women and one nervous newcomer, all navigating life, love, loyalty, and lipstick on a tightly knit street. Susan, Vanessa and Lily dominate ...
Altrincham Garrick Play Reading Club
Friday 5 June - Friday 4 December 2026
If you like theatre... no, if you love theatre, drama, comedy, musical theatre, play reading, poetry and much more and would relish the opportunity to meet new people, then the new 'Altrincham Garrick Play Reading Club' is for you. Here is ...
Playreading Sessions
Friday 5 June - Friday 4 December 2026
HOME's popular Playreading group meets on the first Friday of most months. The sessions, which are open to all, offer an opportunity to read and discuss plays that are linked to our theatre productions, or discover new plays from local tal...
We Invented The Weekend Festival
Saturday 6 - Sunday 7 June 2026
We Invented the Weekend festival is back for 2026! Across Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2026, Salford Quays and MediaCity will be buzzing with over 200 free activities in the UKs most ambitious, creative, original and fun-filled festival cel...
The Archers - Live at 75
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...
The Jury Experience - Death on the Port Side
Sunday 7 June 2026
You've been called for jury duty. Step into a thrilling courtroom drama where the audience is the jury. Listen to testimonies, analyze evidence, and ultimately decide... guilty or not guilty? On a summer night, the son of a powerful politic...
The Jury Experience - An Immersive Courtroom Case
Sunday 7 June 2026
Step into the heart of a high-stakes trial with The Jury Experience. In this live theatre show, YOU are the jury-the power to deliver justice is entirely in your hands. You'll examine every piece of the puzzle, from witness testimonies to ...
Punk Rock
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
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...
Nell Gwynn
Friday 12 June - Saturday 4 July 2026
London, 1660. The theatres are alive, the monarchy's restored, and women are finally allowed on stage. One woman is about to take it by storm. Orange-seller, wit, trailblazer, Nell Gwynn is a woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid ...
Desperate Scousewives
Friday 12 June 2026
Get ready for a riotous, fast-paced comedy following the lives of three loud, no-nonsense Liverpool women and one nervous newcomer, all navigating life, love, loyalty, and lipstick on a tightly knit street. Susan, Vanessa and Lily dominate ...
Silent Struggles
Sunday 14 June 2026
A play that follows a young Black boy coming out as gay within the Black Christian community. Please note that whilst the drama explores serious and emotional themes, there are also moments of humour throughout. ...
National Theatre Live - Playboy of the Western World (12A)
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...
The Other Neville
Thursday 18 - Saturday 20 June 2026
Imaginatively inspired by England netball legend Tracey Neville, this gripping new one-woman play steps into the shadows of success - where gold medals, grief and game plans quietly collide. It's March 2019. Months after leading the Roses t...
Murder Mystery Evening
Friday 19 June - Friday 18 December 2026
Nothing works up an appetite like exercising those brain cells. So bring your best detective skills and join us for a night of mystery and murder on one of our stunning heritage steam trains. If you love Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes -...
All The Single Ladies
Friday 19 June - Friday 16 October 2026
"All The Single Ladies" is the latest comedy from MaD Theatre Company which explores the modern phenomenon of the 'Sandwich Generation' where people find themselves looking after their adult children as well as their ailing parents. Cath ...
Twelfth Night (by HER Productions)
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 Connections Festival
Thursday 25 - Sunday 28 June 2026
Connections is the National Theatre's annual, nationwide youth theatre festival. The programme is 30 years old and has a history of championing the talent of young people from across the UK. Every year, Connections commissions new plays for...
National Theatre Live - Les Liaisons Dangereuses
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...
Romeo and Juliet (Oddsocks Production)
Friday 26 - Saturday 27 June 2026
A family fued divides the community! Violence stalks the streets. Who can see beyond the hate and dare to follow their heart? A pair of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet! Oddsocks return with their new take on this well-loved classic, f...
Creative Tiny Humans
Friday 26 June 2026 - Friday 26 March 2027
Join us in the Creativity Corner for our baby and toddler group drop in session to enjoy crafts, chats and creativity. Expect making for tiny hands, stories and most importantly PLAY. Join artist and community facilitator Phoebe Foxtrot on ...
Life Out There
Wednesday 1 - Saturday 4 July 2026
Written by Bruntwood Prize-winning playwright Tim Foley and created by Ransack Theatre, Life Out There is a sharp, funny and quietly horrifying new sci-fi drama, exploring the ethics of space exploration, human selfishness, and the fragil...
(you are witnessing) My Villain Era
Thursday 2 - Friday 3 July 2026
The culmination of 5 years of actor training with Dark Horse, one of the UK's most exciting learning disabled led theatre companies. Come on in, pull up a chair. We meet in secret, but you're welcome here. Don't worry, it's just a gam...
National Theatre Live - Playboy of the Western World (12A)
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
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
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...
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
Saturday 11 - Sunday 12 July 2026
Based on Britain's best-loved picture book by Judith Kerr, the Olivier Award nominated smash hit show The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns to the West End. The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it p...
Embrace presented by Glitter Bloke
Tuesday 14 July 2026
Glitter Bloke present Embrace, an intimate, darkly tender exploration of queer connection, where desire gives way to vulnerability, and humour sits alongside unease. Five gay strangers. One orgy. A night that promises everything. They arr...
The Bob Ross Effect
Wednesday 15 July 2026
A happy little show about the big things in life. Artist, animal-lover and unlikely sex symbol Bob Ross brought art to millions through his TV phenomenon, The Joy of Painting. 30 years on from his death, The Bob Ross Effect is a...
All The Single Ladies
Friday 17 July 2026
"All The Single Ladies" is the latest comedy from MaD Theatre Company which explores the modern phenomenon of the 'Sandwich Generation' where people find themselves looking after their adult children as well as their ailing parents. Cath ...
Murder, She Didn't Write
Monday 20 - Tuesday 21 July 2026
Don your deerstalker, grab your magnifying glass and get your 'finger of suspicion' at the ready because Edinburgh Fringe favourites, Degrees of Error, are bringing back their multiple sell-out show for your sleuthing pleasure. They'll crea...
Twelfth Night
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
Wednesday 22 - Saturday 25 July 2026
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 - is brought to life in a thrilling stage adaptation. Starring ...
Tides (An Autism Story)
Thursday 23 July 2026
Dylan Ward is autistic. He has his own way of thinking and his own way of doing things, but no one seems to understand him. How do you navigate a world which operates on a completely different wavelength to the one that you're on? Follow...
National Theatre Live - Les Liaisons Dangereuses
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...
The Jury Experience - Diamonds, Lies and a Dead Man
Friday 24 July 2026
You've been called for jury duty. Step into a thrilling courtroom drama where the audience is the jury. Listen to testimonies, analyze evidence, and ultimately decide... guilty or not guilty? Scandal brews as a disgraced ex-driver stands tr...
House of Life
Saturday 25 July 2026
Join the RaveRend on his mission to make you HAPPY. House of Life is a travelling cult collective with one goal: to get you happy, at any cost. Lead by the glitter-clad Rave-Rend you'll be invited to move to the music, and become part of a ...
The Jury Experience - Death on the Port Side
Sunday 2 August 2026
You've been called for jury duty. Step into a thrilling courtroom drama where the audience is the jury. Listen to testimonies, analyze evidence, and ultimately decide... guilty or not guilty? On a summer night, the son of a powerful politic...
The Trials
Thursday 20 - Saturday 22 August 2026
Set in the near future, The Trials explores a world where the climate emergency has reached a tipping point - and an entire generation is being held to account. In this imagined courtroom, the jurors are teenagers, tasked with deciding resp...
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