previews, reviews, interviews, and recommendations with Steve Cooke
WEEKEND COLUMN SATURDAY 04 JANUARY 2025
HOME's 2025 theatre season offers us a diverse mix of world-class productions and exciting new work.
Preview by Steve Cooke
Running from Wed 8 Jan – Sat 7 Jun, we can look forward to a thrilling line-up featuring a global smash hit, a riotously funny reimagining of a Hitchcock classic, and a fantastically spooky new musical based on an iconic novel. Plus, the return of PUSH Festival, HOME’s annual celebration of North West creative talent.
Upcoming performances and events include the hilarious and heart-warming drama Kim’s Convenience, theatre legend Emma Rice’s brand-new live adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest, the exhilarating, funny and provocative Tambo & Bones, Coraline – A Musical – a fantastically spooky new musical adapted from the beloved novel, LOOKING FOR ME FRIEND: The Music of Victoria Wood – a celebration of cherished comedy icon Victoria Wood, and Edinburgh Fringe favourite FAMEHUNGRY.
FAMEHUNGRY
Thu 27 Feb – Fri 28 Feb
FAMEHUNGRY is a helter-skelter nose-dive into the TikTok universe and the attention economy, asking what it means to be an artist now. Fusing performance art and very real and very live TikTok Experiences, join award-winning performance artist Louise Orwin as she cosplays as a TikToker in a real life experiment hunting for fame and fortune to consider a very personal question… how can performance art compete in the digital age?
Made in collaboration with an actual Famous TikToker, The Almighty Algorithm, and a host of TikTok-Famous Faces, FAMEHUNGRY asks what the future looks like if all roads lead to TikTok.
Awards: Sit Up Award, Lustrum Award.
Tambo & Bones
Tue 1 Apr – Sat 5 Apr
Winner of 2019 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting and UK Theatre Awards.
Tambo and Bones are stuck in a minstrel show.
It’s hard to know what’s real when you’re stuck in a minstrel show.
Their escape plan: get out, get rich, get even.
In this exhilarating, funny and provocative satire, Tambo & Bones journey from comedy double-act to hip-hop superstars, to activists in a future America, contending with the alarming repercussions of a nation torn apart by race.
Spanning 500 years of history, Tambo & Bones laughs through our past, blows the roof off our present and imagines an explosive future for our world and for theatre.
North by Northwest
Tue 29 Apr – Sat 10 May
It would be strange, would it not, if, in a city of seven million people, one man were never mistaken for another…
But that is exactly what happens to Roger Thornhill, reluctant hero of North by Northwest, when a mistimed phone call to his mother lands him smack bang in the middle of a Cold War conspiracy. Now he’s on the run, dodging spies, airplanes and a femme fatale who might not be all she seems.
Theatre legend Emma Rice takes on film legend Alfred Hitchcock in this riotously funny reworking that turns the original thriller on its head. With just six shape-shifting performers, a fabulous ‘50s soundtrack and a LOT of hats, this dazzling production plays with the heart, mind and soul. A night of glamour, romance, jeopardy and a liberal sprinkling of tender truths.
Coraline – A Musical
Thu 15 May – Sat 7 Jun
A fantastically spooky new musical
There is something not quite right about the house Coraline and her parents have moved into. The roof leaks, the wallpaper is peeling off the walls, the new neighbours are a little eccentric and her parents are so busy they hardly notice her at all.
As Coraline explores her new home, she discovers a mysterious door, an entrance to a parallel world where all seems perfect. But not everything is as it seems – and everyone has buttons for eyes!
A beautiful new musical about acceptance and finding yourself, adapted by acclaimed writer Zinnie Harris (101 Dalmatians, Regent’s Park; The Duchess (of Malfi), West End with Jodie Whittaker) and composer Louis Barabbas, in a show that reunites Director James Brining and Designer Colin Richmond following the five-star success of Oliver!
A brand new musical, adapted from the novel by Neil Gaiman.
LOOKING FOR ME FRIEND: The Music of Victoria Wood
Thu 5 Jun – Fri 6 Jun
“The most feel-good show in town” (The Daily Mail) has spread nostalgia and laughter throughout the UK and has the seal of approval from Victoria’s very own school-chums and colleagues.
Featuring the star of BBC1’s ‘All Together Now’, Paulus The Cabaret Geek “King of Cabaret” (The Stage) with Michael Roulston (Fascinating Aïda) on piano, it is an evening of pure joy filled with Victoria’s best-loved songs, including the iconic ‘Ballad of Barry & Freda’ (Let’s Do It) and the classic ‘It Would Never Have Worked’.
This show is for fans of Victoria and for those yet to discover her, to come together and relish her breath-taking wizardry with words. In telling Victoria’s story, Paulus unfolds his own. A relatable story of a 1970s childhood and what it really means to find your tribe. So, pair your stilettos with an oven glove, zip up your cocktail slacks and get booking!
There was no room at the inn for Jonathan Scott’s Christmas Organ Concert
Review by Dr Joe Dawson
Packed out and sold out several weeks previously, it was a case of no room at the inn at Jonathan Scott’s Christmas Organ Concert. The newly restored Great Hall was packed with eager organ aficionados. And they were not disappointed.
Over one hundred years ago this magnificent instrument by James Jepson Binns (donated by Alderman Sir Samuel Turner JP) made its debut on the visit of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary, 9th July 1913. Paying tribute to it, the soloist commented that it was an outstanding instrument in an equally outstanding building.
Trained at Chetham’s and the RNCM, USA and the Netherlands, Jonathan, now Associated Artist at the Bridgewater Hall also gave a live organ solo BBC Prom in August 2024 at The Royal Albert Hall.
Jonathan is one of those rare performers who has consummate ability and a popular touch able to engage readily with an audience. He skillfully introduced and guided us through the varied orchestral sounds and combinations at his disposal. He has played the Binns instrument many times. He affectionately remembered as a young student paying 50p per hour to practice and later notably made a definitive video recording of playing it just before the pandemic.
We started straight in with Jonathan’s Festival Overture on Christmas Themes. This whetted our appetites as he ran the gamut of registrations and sounds.
The refined and effective Echo Noel by Daquin was followed by the famous Winter concerto from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, all the more dramatic in Jonathan’s organ transcription.
Stephen Adams’ The Holy City was beautifully phrased. Rimsky-Korsakov’ Polonaise from the opera Christmas Eve, Waldteufel’s Skaters’ Waltz, Yon’s Gesu Bambino all highlighted the orchestral qualities of our civic instrument.
The masterful arrangements by Jonathan culminated in another of his own compositions, Christmas Celebration, a seasonal delight.
By way of an encore Jonathan was joined by his brother Tom (himself a distinguished pianist and composer) dressed as an elf. He filmed the performance so it could be seen on their YouTube (their Scott Brother Duo videos have achieved more than 85 million views, some of the most watched in the world!)
They treated us to the bonus of a Musical Christmas Crackers game, where Jonathan played a well-known classical work which then acted as an accompaniment or counterpoint to a carol – audience members had to name both. The hilarity and fun belied the considerable skill of the organist to combine these themes convincingly.
For organ and music lovers, there could not have been a better Christmas gift.
More information at www.jonathanscott.co.uk
Jonathan is also the Honorary President of ORTOA (Oldham, Rochdale and Tameside Organists’ Association founded 1908). They will resume their mission to promote organ music and the town hall instrument in 2025 beginning with:
Saturday Jan 25th at 3 pm GORDON STEWART Concert organist
Saturday Feb 22nd at 3 pm PAUL HALE Concert organist, consultant, ex Southwell Minster
RECOIMMENDED
Monday 06 January 2025
Norden and District Local History Society
Iain Bowden – The History Hare Hill House, Littleborough.
Non-members welcome.
£2.50 members, non-members £3.50
7pm
Norden Bowling Club, Trinity Street, Norden OL12 7RD
Tuesday 07 January 2025
Rochdale & District Camera Club - What's coming up and Lens discussion
Session: What's coming up and Lens discussion.
Discuss the syllabus for the next few months. Alan S.
Discussion around Prime lenses vs zoom lenses. John C.
Reminder that we need new pictures for the Littleborough exhibition
We meet every Tuesday at 8pm at Syke Methodist Church Hall.
You are more than welcome to come down to one of our club nights to see if you would enjoy joining the club.
Visit the link below for the 2025 syllabus.
New members very Welcome to join us.
Phone: Pete Williams 07967 969136
8pm
Syke Methodist Church Hall, Syke Road, Rochdale OL12 9TF
Wednesday 08 January 2025
Tea Dances with Prima Dance
Join us as we waltz back into a cherished tradition and let the rhythm of sequence dancing sweep you off your feet.
The Tea Dance will fill the Grand Hall every first Wednesday of the month. Immerse yourself in an afternoon of joy and connection, as friends old and new come together to enjoy the magic of dance.
Prima Dance invites you to glide in harmony with your fellow dancers while executing the same routines, moving gracefully in an anticlockwise direction around the room. Each step you take offers a chance to bond with others, making memories that linger long after the last note fades.
Whether you're a seasoned dancer or just looking to try something new, we warmly welcome all skill levels.
Mark your calendars and prepare for an enchanting mix of rhythm, relaxation, and reconnecting. We can't wait to see you back on the dance floor at Rochdale Town Hall.
£6.50 including refreshments
Phone: 01706 924797
1pm - 3pm
Rochdale Town Hall, The Esplanade, Rochdale OL16 1AZ
Wednesday 08 January 2025
Rochdale Antiques Society - Putting the House to Bed - Simon Feingold
Expert on antique furniture & Stately Homes will tell us some behind the scenes tasks.
Visitors are very welcome at our meetings, just turn up on the night. There is no limit on the number of meetings that visitors can attend.
Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Meetings run from September to May.
Visitors charge - £5
Phone: Society Secretary, Ann Lord 01706 844026
7.30pm
St Vincent's Community Centre, Caldershaw Road, Norden OL12 7QL
(Sat Nav: OL12 7QR)
Wednesday 08 January 2025
Whitworth Historical Society
“Barging in Holland” by Jo & Janna May.
(note: - this will be held at the Hallfold URC schoolroom) The Netherlands and the Low Countries are well known for their network of rivers and canals which were once the ‘domain’ of merchants for the transport of goods from inland factories to Holland’s major seaports. Today, whilst commerce remains very much in evidence, these waterways have become more used to holiday cruises and leisure activities. Jo & Janna tell us of their experiences whilst travelling Holland’s watery roadways
Please note - Please check the venue for this meeting before you attend using the website link below or by contacting the Secretary. Some meetings will be held in the Hallfold URC schoolroom as it has a far greater capacity than the museum.
Whitworth Historical Society have a programme of monthly lectures, which are usually held on the first Wednesday in every month, between the months of October and June, at 7.30pm.
Visit the link below for a list of upcoming talks/lectures.
Free but donations welcome
Phone: Secretary 07816 911 556
7.30pm start
Whitworth Heritage Museum, North Street, Whitworth OL12 8RA
Wednesday 08 January 2025
Toad Lane Concerts - Rochdale's Weekly Music at Lunchtime
This week we have - Voci voices Elizabeth Ambrose, Margaret Ferguson sopranos, Eric Cymbir tenor, Mackenzie Paget baritone and Jonathan Ellis piano.
The concert series has been held at St Mary’s since 2001 and was granted the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020… during the pandemic!
Running every Wednesday, Music at Lunchtime is a weekly live classical music concert series that has been going since the 1960s. The sessions were initially run at the old Rochdale Art Gallery by the local authority, but since May 2001 have been run by volunteer-enthusiasts and artistic director, Dr Joe Dawson.
£6
Phone: Dr Joe Dawson 01706 648872
Doors open 12noon, concert starts 12.30pm - 1.30pm
St Mary in the Baum, Toad Lane/St Mary's Gate, Rochdale OL16 1DZ
celebrating creative arts and artists - an oasis of positivity supporting individual and community wellbeing.