One of the most iconic films of all time is returning to the big screen in Manchester – but you’ve probably never seen it like this before.
Baz Luhrmann’s acclaimed Romeo + Juliet will be screened at Albert Hall, accompanied by a live choir and musicians.
The event comes from Backyard Cinema, who have been selling out screenings of the film down in London for a whopping 10 years – and now it’s Manchester’s turn.
The team were also behind the pop-up rooftop cinema across town last year, so they’re already well-loved in our city.
Tickets for the Romeo + Juliet screenings are likely to be in hot demand after building such a loyal following down in the capital, but we’ve got some presale intel to help you out with grabbing tickets below.
It will all take place this summer beneath the historic stained glass windows and ornate ceilings of Albert Hall, the former Wesleyan chapel that’s now a gig venue.
Backyard Cinema is taking over the iconic Albert Hall in Manchester for immersive Romeo + Juliet screenings
A pretty dramatic and romantic setting for one of the most dramatic and romantic films of all time…
Here, audiences will see the 1996 cult classic Romeo + Juliet, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s most famous tale.
It’s all set in ‘Verona Beach’ and features a lot more Hawaiian shirts and guns than the original story, but the romance between our young star-crossed lovers and the fierce rivalry between their families remain.
At a Backyard Cinema screening, you’ll walk down a candlelit aisle to see the live choir on stage, ready to perform interpretations of songs from the film’s soundtrack, including Young Hearts, Everybody’s Free, Kissing You and Doves Cry.
In 2022, Backyard Cinema took over the rooftop at Depot Mayfield and turned it into a magical movie landscape, complete with mysterious tunnels, film-grade sets, hidden doors, and (of course) an enormous cinema.
Then when it returned last summer, it had been transformed into Miami Beach, complete with real sand, rows of plush bean bags, palm trees, a jet ski, and loads of pink plastic flamingos and disco balls.
Its next run of events will see it taking over the Albert Hall on Peter Street in Manchester city centre.
Backyard Cinema’s extremely limited run of Manchester shows for Romeo + Juliet will take place between 12 and 19 August 2024, with tickets expected to sell out quickly.
An exclusive event presale is running from 2 April, with general sale from 11 April.
Hit theatre production set at a house party to visit Manchester on UK tour
Daisy Jackson
Alright then, 24 hour party people, we’ve found a theatre production you might like the sound of – it’s called The House Party, and it’s set in (you guessed it) a house party.
This smash hit production by pioneering theatre company Headlong is set to land at HOME in March as part of the arts venue’s 2025 theatre season.
It tells the tale of a wild 18th birthday party, where Christine is trying to pick up the pieces of her best friend, a newly-dumped Julie (who happens to be the birthday girl).
Themes of class, power and privilege are all explored with a raw intensity as the cast on stage plough through shots and dive head-first into a night that will change everything they know.
The House Party, which has received glowing reviews from previous showings, is filled with ‘privilege, desire and destruction’.
When it stops off in Manchester, its cast will include Bridgerton’s Sesley Hope as Christine, Synnøve Karlsen (Miss Austen, Last Night in Soho) as Julie, and Tom Lewis (Gentleman Jack, Patience) as Jon.
The ensemble of Frantic Assembly performers includes Ines Aresti, Oliver Baines, Cal Connor, Micah Corbin-Powell, Rachael Leonce, Jaheem Pinder and Jamie Randall.
The House Party is written by Laura Lomas and is a reimagining of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie for today’s generation.
It’s directed by Headlong’s artistic director Holly Race Roughan, who directed the Royal Shakespeare Company’s world premiere of David Edgar’s major new political play The New Real.
The House Party. Credit: Ikin YumThe production will be at HOME. Credit: Supplied
Movement direction will come from Frantic Assembly’s Scott Graham.
Prior to the UK tour of The House Party, Headlong celebrated its 50 year anniversary, including the hit production of A Raisin in the Sun which played nationwide.
The House Party will be at HOME in Manchester between 25 and 29 March, 2025 – you can get your tickets HERE.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff
Daisy Jackson
If you’re not a handy person, when something breaks, the temptation is often to abandon or bin it straight away.
But that’s just not how we’re gonna do it here in Greater Manchester any more, with the return of the annual Repair Week to help you learn valuable repair skills and save money at the same time.
Whether it’s tinkering with your bicycle, fixing up your small tech items, or having your furniture re-varnished and upcycled, there are so many places and people who are on a mission to help you fall back in love with your belongings.
There are even workshops to help you put flat-pack furniture together.
Taking place between 3 and 9 March, Repair Week will be the chance to learn skills, fix your stuff, gain repair confidence and find local fixers.
Events throughout the week (and beyond) will be hosted by community groups, businesses and plenty more.
You can sharpen knives, fix zips, and un-wobble chairs with a little hand from local repair heroes.
JillyGDesign Jewellery in Heaton Moor will fix up your sentimental and special jewellery items, while Rag Revival will help you turn unusable textiles into new creations with basic sewing skills.
There are repair cafes popping up all over Greater Manchester where you can take your belongings.
Greater Manchester’s annual Repair Week is back to make you fall back in love with your stuff. Credit: Supplied
Repair Week will highlight schemes like the Manchester Library of Things, where you can borrow the tools and equipment you need for those repair jobs at home.
During the week you’ll also be able to take a behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible Renew Hub, the UK’s biggest reuse hub, where donated items are brought back to life.
Similarly, you’ll be able to get inside the textile recycling centre run by homelessness charity Emmaus Bolton, where you can choose your own fabric from the scrap store and turn it into a very handy draught excluder to keep costs down and your heat in.
Recycle for Greater Manchester’s Repair Week will take place between 3 and 9 March, with workshops, events and resources to help you revive your belongings.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd April 2024 
