We’re thrilled to unveil a stunning new season for 2020 – featuring glam aliens, zombies, fictitious artists and a show that puts the period in period adaptation.
There are world and UK premieres, new HOME commissions, famous names and artists making their breakthroughs. There are works that are thoughtful, immersive, harrowing and funny.
The biggest, glitteriest and most glamorous show of the season is Insane Animals, a modern mythical musical, proudly presented by HOME and Bourgeois & Maurice. This world premiere from the cult cabaret duo is a queer unravelling of past and present, fact and fiction, life and death.
There’s thrilling new work from Hofesh Shechter Company with Double Murder, presenting two distinctly contrasting pieces exploring societal schisms and human kinship. There’ll be UK premieres of two touring shows, the strikingly original and audacious play Amsterdam, Matthew Xia’s first production as Artistic Director of Actors Touring Company, and David Hoyle’s lacerating and riotous Ten Commandments. And HOME favourites Figs in Wigs return with Little Wimmin, a live art feminist adaptation of Louise May Alcott’s novel (spoiler alert: Beth dies)
We have an international first as Atresbandes and Bert & Nasi collaborate for the very first time with the tale of the fictitious artist Patrick Watson It Don’t Worry Me, Mind the Gap and Gecko Theatre’s intricately crafted A Little Space, Ad Infinitum’s powerful Extraordinary Wall of Silence and Cheryl Martin’s immersive and moving One Woman.
Three festivals will showcase the most exciting theatre around, from our annual celebration of the North West’s creative talents, PUSH, to a packed programme for Horizons Festival marking Refugee Week and the very best emerging theatre companies in the country in Incoming Festival.
There’s also a host of shows by touring companies, including many returning favourites. Jessie Cave returns to HOME after a sold-out run earlier this year with Cave Women a work in progress with her sister Bebe, and the long-endured cabaret duo Jinkx Monsoon and Major Scales are Together Again, Again!
Or take your pick from Poltergeist Theatre’s existential comedy caper Art Heist, the technicolour coming-of-age tale Poet in Da Corner, the hilarious homage The Strange Tale of Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin or a love song to George A. Romero, Night of the Living Dead – Remix.
The “magnetic” and “brilliant” Jess Thom, co-founder of Touretteshero, brings Samuel Beckett’s Not I and following a hugely successful Drag Becomes Her last year, Peaches Christ tackles the Addams Family in Addams Apple Family Values.
We’ve appearances from Mark Thomas, Roddy Doyle, Alexei Sayle and Adam Buxton (on sale on Mon 18 Nov), and the Hope and Resistance series continues with editor, critic and broadcaster Ellah Wakatama OBE in conversation with some incredible names, including Christina Lamb, Aminatta Forna and Lindsey Hilsum. And last but not least, Manchester Camerata orchestra will perform alongside award-winning group Kabantu, a group of musicians who are re-inventing global sounds from their multicultural home of Manchester.