Step inside our pop-up theatre space in HOME’s gallery for a Christmas evening in which award-winning Mancunian company Monkeywood Theatre presents 12 micro-plays of Christmas (and a couple for the new year) by a stellar line-up of writers and actors from across Manchester.
Each play is based in or inspired by an area of Greater Manchester – Middleton, Chorlton, Timperley, Shaw, Crumpsall, Little Hulton, Strangeways, Wythenshawe, Whalley Range, Old Trafford, Cheetham Hill, Hulme, Moss Side, and First Street, home to HOME itself.
If you saw The Manchester Project (HOME’s Push Festival 2018 and the National Theatre’s RiverStage 2018) you’ll enjoy this feast of new and returning writers and performers including Sarah McDonald Hughes, Cynthia Emeagi, Ian Kershaw, Reuben Johnson, Curtis Cole, Chris Thorpe, Louise Wallwein, Keisha Thompson, Samantha Siddall, Gurjeet Singh, Chanje Kunda, Andrew Sheridan, Eve Steele, Cathy Crabb, Furquan Akhtar, and Chris Hoyle.
Following the performance, the night is followed by a special selection box of comedy or drag, with either HOME’s Ho Ho Holiday Comedy Hour or Miss Blair’s TV Special, depending on the night you book.
HOME’s Ho Ho Holiday Comedy Hour features the likes of Mrs Barbara Nice, Josh Jones, Nina Gilligan, Lukas Kirby, Allyson June Smith, Danny Sutcliff, Amy Gledhill, and Silky. It does come with a warning – may contain swearwords and reference to body parts that need a rinse now and then…
Alternatively, join Manchester drag queen and hostess Miss Blair in her sitting room for a good old-fashioned knees-up to celebrate our favourite British TV icons at Christmas, from Deirdre Barlow to Hyacinth Bucket, Mrs Slocombe to Patsy Stone, Elizabeth II to Lynda La Hughes! Featuring spot quizzes, lip-synch dance numbers, stocking-filler prizes, and a sticky drinks cabinet, this will be a silly, sultry and pine-scented night of laughs.
The Manchester Project at Christmas is a Christmas cracking celebration of Manchester talent – what better way to celebrate the start of the festive period?
“HOME’s ground-floor art gallery works perfectly for this type of show… [There are] some good laughs and some heart-warming stories that are certainly from the city and its surrounding areas, even if they don’t necessarily explicitly refer to it… But there are many more stories to tell, so roll on the nehttps://homemcr.org/logout/?_wpnonce=47e2b324ddxt Manchester Project.” – British Theatre Guide
★★★★★ “The writing is rich and filled with insight and symmetry… To hear such authentic voices on stage is a real treat… The Manchester Project at Christmas is one present that you will enjoy unwrapping and proves that, for showcasing local talent, there really is no place like HOME.” – I Love Manchester
[Monkeywood] ask the questions and this piece of theatre does a pretty good job of answering them… Give yourself the early gift of Manchester with The Manchester Project.” – Honorary Manc
“Creating a piece of theatre that will hold together and make an impact within just a few minutes is a tough ask, but the writers and performers behind The Manchester Project at Christmas manage to do that successfully not just once but many times throughout the evening… A lively, engaging and refreshing alternative to the usual festive fare.” – Circles and Stalls
★★★★ “14 shorts; however, at no stage do these offerings seem rushed or contrived… The defining thread throughout all these shorts is Christmas and more specifically Christmas in Manchester… They are a celebration of its roots and its diversity writ large, and provide an aspect of familiarity for all who are lucky enough to see this collection.” – Quays Life
★★★★ “[The Manchester Project at Christmas is] 14 stories celebrating friendship, family and love, which will more than warm your cockles on a typically cold, wet, wintery Manchester evening… Each story feels fresh, with none of the stories outstaying their welcome.” – The Reviews Hub
★★★★½ “Fourteen micros plays that are wonderfully about the kind of people that live in this part of the world. This isn’t just a show about the people that have written it, it is about you and me.” – The Grouchy Critic
“A polished set of well written short plays… The actors made me feel as though I was actually walking around different parts of Manchester with a hidden camera, documenting everyday life rather than sat comfortably in the theatre.” – The State of the Arts
★★★★★ “The Manchester Project at Christmas encapsulates everything great about Manchester… Brilliantly captures the spirit of the city, showcasing the incredible wealth of creative talent that we have.” – The Play’s The Thing
“The writing is insightful and incisive; the acting is sincere and moving… An authentic ‘theatrical map’ of Manchester at Christmastime… I left beaming and brimming with the Christmas spirit… The perfect evening of local theatre and festive cheer.” – FUSE FM
“Thoroughly entertaining.” – Reviewer Number 9
The Manchester Project + Miss Blair’s Christmas TV Special
Fri 6 Dec / Sat 7 Dec (m) / Sat 7 Dec
Thu 12 Dec / Sat 14 Dec (m) / Sat 14 Dec
Thu 19 Dec / Fri 20 Dec / Sat 21 Dec (m) / Sat 21 Dec
The Manchester Project + Home’s Ho Ho Holiday Comedy Hour
Mon 9 Dec: Kate McCabe, Josh Jones, Nina Gilligan
Tue 10 Dec: Lukas Kirkby, Josh Jones, Allyson June Smith
Wed 11 Dec: Kate McCabe, Lukas Kirkby, Nina Gilligan
Mon 16 Dec: Mrs Barbara Nice, Danny Sutcliffe, Silky
Tue 17 Dec: Kate McCabe, Danny Sutcliffe, Allyson June Smith
Wed 18 Dec: Lukas Kirkby, Amy Gledhill, Nina Gilligan
