GREATER MANCHESTER FRINGE 1-31

Greater Manchester Fringe returns 1-31 July 2023 with tickets on sale for more than 100 shows at a wide variety of venues around the region, with more still being added to the packed programme.

This open access arts festival provides a launch pad for new talent and new writing from around the world, hosts touring shows, and provides warm-up slots for shows heading to Edinburgh Fringe - while still offering reasonably priced tickets.

The Pride of Pripyat: Tales from Chernobyl (1-2 July at International Anthony Burgess Foundation) is a genre-bending blend of cabaret and opera and features soprano Erin Brittain, who was born in Manhattan in the same hospital where John Lennon passed away. Her great-grandfather Frederick Brittain was a cornet player in a ship’s band travelling between Liverpool and New York in the 1920s.

Germany-based Latin band Yerba Colorá bring their energetic live music 26-30 July with shows at The Fitzgerald and the King’s Arms. Meanwhile gospel singer Blossom Cherry brings new interpretations to Beyonce, Rhianna, and Jessie J, after battling schizophrenia and PTSD to The Fitzgerald and Sonata Piano and Cabaret Lounge 9-18 July.

Enough is a new two-woman play in the wake of the Sarah Everard murder, about misogyny, sexism and predatory behaviour towards members of the public and female colleagues persists across many UK police forces (11-12 July, King’s Arms in Salford).

Wrier and actress Emily Hunter has appeared on ITV’s Coronation Street.

What Happened to Connie Converse? (24-26 July, King’s Arms) speculates on the events leading up to the real-life disappearance of aspiring singersongwriter Connie Converse in 1970s America. This new play features LGBTQ+ and mental health issues - and live music.

Transparency at 53two (7 July) Salford Arts Theatre (8 July) explores the every day life of a transgender male through the eyes of a northern working class family. Jaden Adams is a transgender actor and plays all the roles in the family.

Outside In (25-26 July Gullivers Lounge) is written and performed by Ilaria Passer, who has recently published Tales of a Confused Life. Producer Micheál Jacob is a former creative head of mainstream comedy at BBC Television.

Making It Up (One Playwright to Another) is an online digital production, 1-31 July, directed by Dora Mavor Moore Award-winner Lesley Ballantyne; and recorded by national festival award-winning filmmaker John Bertram. It won the Bring Your Own Digital Venue Award at Hamilton Fringe.

Where do you go when your idols let you down? Award-winning stand-up comedian Sian Davies, from Liverpool, presents This Charming Man (15 July, King’s Arms) taking a journey through her love affair with The Smiths, masculinity and gender identity, via Salford Lads Club. Sian won the Edinburgh Festival comedy Awards Panel Prize 2022 for Best in Class and the Best Debut Show at Leicester Comedy Festival 2020.

As seen on BBC1 and NextUp Comedy, neurodivergent performer Rachel Creeger is the Ultimate Jewish Mother in her interactive comedy show, 3-4 July at the Garrick in Whitefield. Rachel co-hosts international chat show podcast “Jew Talkin’ To Me?”, and Neighbours podcast “Leaving Erinsborough”.

Award-winning Stephen Catling presents Beehavioural Problems (21-22 July, King’s Arms) on his previous job in animal testing as an autistic person, with sketches on a panda game show host, a religious dog, a scientifically accurate rendition of the little mermaid, and a sexy bee.

John Hewer returns to Greater Manchester Fringe by popular demand with Just Like That! The Tommy Cooper Show at 3pm on Saturday 22 July, The Squad House in the historic Pear Mill in Stockport, supported by the Museum of Comedy and Tommy Cooper’s family.

Spoken word shows include Rant in Iambic Pentameter from award-winning podcaster and poet Daniel J McLoughlin (The Out Crowd, The Northern Agenda, The Menopod) on 3 July at The Fitzgerald.

Michelle Eagleton presents An Audience with Stars of Stage and Screen, featuring Coronation Street and West End Star Jodie Prenger; BAFTA awardwinning writer and co-creator of BBC’s Early Doors, Phil Mealey; Rita, Sue & Bob Too and Goodnight Sweetheart actress Michelle Holmes on 6 July at Sonata Piano and Cabaret Lounge. All proceeds will be donated to Prevent Breast Cancer.

Family shows include Ahoy! Balled of the Time Kraken (28-29 July, Salford Arts Theatre). Rocket Whip previously presented Communism The Musical. Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist, dame Mama G presents a Saturday matinee of her family show The Magic Bookmark on Sunday 16 July at Salford Arts Theatre.

For more details and tickets visit: www.greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk