Scrubs funny-man Zach Braff breaks records with his new comedy show 'All New People' at the Manchester Opera House

By Stephen Sumner

Scrubs star Zach Braff’s new dark comedy All New People has smashed Box Office records upon its UK premiere at the Manchester Opera House. 

The hit comedy, written by and starring Zach Braff, has become the highest-grossing drama of all time across ATG’s two Manchester venues, the Palace Theatre and Opera House.

The show was on from Wednesday to Saturday and sold out each time, echoing the success it experienced in the US. It begins a 10-week run at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London next week.

All New People received its UK premiere at the Opera House as part of Manchester Gets It First, the Ambassador Theatre Group’s (ATG) commitment to making Manchester the UK's official city for launching theatre's biggest and best new productions, a scheme which has won the backing of the city council.

The play tells the tale of Charlie, a man whose attempt at suicide is interrupted by a series of individuals who take it upon themselves to convince him his life is worth living.

Adam Speers, Executive Producer for ATG said: “This is an absolutely fantastic result for our venues in Manchester and for the cast and crew of All New People and it demonstrates that audiences are always on the lookout for new and exciting theatre with fresh talent and innovative storytelling.”

Sarah Bleasdale,  General Manager of the Manchester Opera House, said: “We were delighted to welcome Zach Braff and the whole team of All New People to the Opera House for the UK premiere of this exciting play.

“A landmark production for us, it was a smash hit and proved a great follow up to Ghost the Musical for Manchester Gets it First.”

The next production to reach the stages under the Manchester Gets it First banner is ATG’s brand new Austin Powers-style musical, Monkee Business, which pays homage to the music of The Monkees. It premieres at the Manchester Opera House on 29 March and runs until 14 April.