Little Miss Sunshine brightened the entire room’s spirits on opening night at the Lowry, bringing just as much charm and character to the stage as it did on the big screen.

On the eve of the release of their second album, Charly Bliss played a giddy and joyous set in Manchester’s Night People, making the small venue their own.

Spider-like and wretched, Tom Mothersdale’s Richard III practically crawls across the stage. Every body movement signals his grotesque nature.

When a gobby hairdresser, Rita, enrols on an open university course and is assigned to an initially less than willing tutor, Frank, the pair are clueless as to the lessons they are destined to teach each other.

Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage opened at Manchester’s Palace Theatre – delivering on its promise of ‘sensationally sexy dancing’, with the rest of the show offering an entertaining mix of theatre, dance and comedy.

As an avid fan of the 1990 Academy Award-winning film starring Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze, the bar of expectation was set pretty high for Ghost the Musical at the Palace Theatre, Manchester.

The stars aligned for Barcelona last night as they were victorious on both the stage and the football field: Lionel Messi and co defeating Man Utd 1-0 while the city’s leading theatre company tore up the rulebook, captivating the audience at HOME with their ambitious live spectacle Kingdom.

Mike Leigh’s 1977 play about a disastrous drinks party in a repressive suburbia has been faithfully recreated by Sarah Esdaile, adding a layer of nostalgia to the much-loved comedy of manners.

The world is currently looking upon the UK with a mixture of bewilderment and bemusement.

“We hope you have enjoyed the show”, musician Clinton Curtis sung to all those present at The Lowry on Friday, concluding this innovative take on one of The Beatles’ masterpieces with a homage to the timeless title track on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Chris Sievey’s art teacher once wrote about him that “he has talent, but his fantasy is not always a success.”