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Christmas panto Dick Whittington and his Amazing Cat is coming to Manchester’s iconic Contact Theatre
Manchester’s ‘proper panto’ is back for the first time in four years…
In its first Christmas in four years, Manchester’s historic Contact Theatre will be hosting a one-of-a-kind rendition of Dick Whittington and His Amazing Cat.
After reopening its doors back in September following a huge £6m building transformation, the iconic Contact Theatre boasts a whole host of exciting new facilities, such as new and improved performance spaces, a purpose-built recording studio for young people’s music projects, new offices for artists and cultural organisations to hire, a new and improved public bar and free work and social spaces.
And, of course, the historic theatre has reopened with a whole host of exciting and contemporary performances on the bill, including the festive Panto residency, Eight-Freestyle’s take on the classic Dick Whittington and his Amazing Cat.
Contact Theatre
This upbeat and modern production of the classic rags-to-riches story tells the tale of young Dick Whittington and his loyal cat Scratch on their exciting quest for fame, fortune, and gold-lined London streets that simply do not exist (sorry, Dick).
Can Dick defeat evil King Rat and his rat hordes? Can he win the love of the beautiful Alice Fitzwarren? Can he survive shipwrecks, magic, pirates, ghosts, sharks and Freda the Cook’s terrible pies? These will be just a few of the many adventures experienced throughout this dynamic take on the traditional pantomime.
The show comes courtesy of local production company Eight-Freestyle, and prides itself on being the city’s ‘proper local panto’ with no ‘wooden reality-TV stars’.
Contact Theatre
Showings of Contact Theatre’s Dick Whittington and his Amazing Cat will begin this Saturday, December 11th, and will run all the way through the festive period until Monday, January 3rd.
There will be a British Sign Language (BSL) performance on Wednesday December 29th at 12pm by interpreter Kate Labno as well as a socially distanced performance on Wednesday December 22nd at 7pm.
For tickets and more information, head over to the Contact Theatre website.
What's On
Barton Aerodrome announces McFly, JLS and UB40 open-air shows this summer
Make sure you don’t miss these!
Three brand new shows have been announced at Manchester’s Barton Aerodrome this September, adding to the summer gigs already confirmed.
Barton LIVE, a unique concert series set against the backdrop of the aerodrome’s runway, has already confirmed The Jacksons LIVE, 90s Baby Festival and Boogietown North are taking place this summer.
Now McFly, JLS, and UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell will take the stage this September, joining the already bumper lineup.
Barton LIVE
McFly, known for their infectious pop-rock anthems and high-energy performances, with hits like ‘Five Colours in Her Hair’, ‘All About You’, and ‘Obviously’, are heading to the aerodrome on Thursday September 12th.
Then on Saturday September 14th JLS will be gracing the stage with chart-topping hits like ‘Beat Again’, ‘Everybody in Love’, and ‘She Makes Me Wanna’.
Finally, legendary reggae band UB40 featuring Ali Campbell will perform classics like ‘Red Red Wine’, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, and ‘Kingston Town’ on Sunday September 15th.
Barton LIVE
New Barton LIVE shows:
- Thursday 12th September – McFly
- Saturday 14th September – JLS
- Sunday 15th September – UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell
Tickets will be available this Friday, April 26th, at 9AM – signing up is essential for access to tickets, sign up HERE.
Barton LIVE full summer series:
- Friday 19th July – The Jacksons LIVE
- Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st July – 90s Baby Festival
- Saturday 27th July – Boogietown North
- Thursday 12th September – McFly
- Saturday 14th September – JLS
- Sunday 15th September – UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell
What's On
Hot Wheels interactive experience hosting its first-ever European event in Trafford
This will be mint!
A Hot Wheels interactive experience is coming to Trafford Park this summer, the first time the event has ever taken place in Europe.
Coming from Live Nation, BeFUN, and Mattel, the Hot Wheels City Experience is heading to the B.E.C Arena in Trafford Park this August, making its European debut as it brings the legendary toy cars to life.
Spanning a series of immersive stations and interactive activities, the event will have something for families and devoted collectors alike.
Hot Wheels City Experience
The 6,000 square metre experience will let fans step through a nostalgic and educational journey consisting of 10 stations, including a design centre, immersive museum, playground, gamer zone and Hot Wheels Lab.
Fans will go on a journey through the colourful world of Hot Wheels, starting with an introductory video which will take a deep dive into the history and culture of the brand.
Luís França / Hot Wheels City Experience
The next station features an immersive museum and expo where visitors will get to see the best of the Hot Wheels collections – including graphics with the history of Hot Wheels, classic arts of the brand, and the Hot Wheels legendary life-sized cars.
There’s also the Gamer Zone, where gamers can show off their skills, the Design Centre, where the latest technology is used to introduce colour and graphic projection onto virtual cars, and a Digital ‘build your car’ and painting workshop where fans can create and have their work emailed to them or projected on the walls.
Hot Wheels City Experience
Lastly, the Hot Wheels Lab will let guests play with the most popular Hot Wheels toys, including giant tracks and pre-built racecourses – with the opportunity to win prizes.
The Hot Wheels City Experience opens its doors on August 13th and runs until September 12th 2024, with presale tickets launching at 10am next Wednesday, April 24th – sign up for pre-sale HERE.
On-sale tickets will be available at 10am on April 26th, starting from £27.50 for adults and £22.50 for children – head here for more info.
What's On
Epic indoor inflatable park reopens with huge new ball pit filled with nearly half a million balls
Take advantage of the discount while it’s still available
A Greater Manchester indoor inflatable park has reopened after a revamp revealing the addition of a huge new ball pit filled with nearly half a million balls.
Inflata Nation has reopened its doors in Trafford Park after undergoing a renovation, revealing some exciting new features for visitors to enjoy.
If you’re wondering what you can do to keep the kids entertained, why not take them to this newly upgraded indoor park?
An incredible blue ball pit filled with 418,000 balls looks like an ocean as it floods the open space. Other new features include the epic double tipping slide, a ballcano, ball pit blasters and obstacle courses.
The park has also upgraded its mini arena, which is exclusively for children under four.
Packed with ball pits and engaging soft play activities, this area offers sensory stimulation and opportunities for cognitive development, tailored specifically for the little ones, the park says.
Since opening back in 2017, the site has attracted thousands of visitors looking for fun-packed family days out.
Visitors have jumped into its ball pits, bounced on its inflatables and dived down its slides, where they’ve enjoyed plenty of fun and laughter that has brought them back time and time again.
Tickets for Inflata Nation Manchester cost £13.99 for visitors aged four and above and £6.99 for under fours. You can add an extra hour for £8.50 and £3.50 respectively. The park is also offering 15% discount of all visits when booked in advance online until April 17th.
To get the discount simply head to the booking panel on the website, choose the location, complete your details and enter the correct discount code at checkout. For Manchester use the code: EASTERMANC. For discount on bookings and more information, click HERE.
Inflata Nation Manchester is located on Textilose Road, Trafford Park, Manchester, M17 1WA.
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