The North West of England has one of the country’s richest theatre scenes, but its strength is not only found in the major Manchester and Liverpool venues. Beyond the Royal Exchange, HOME, The Lowry, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and Liverpool Empire, the region is full of theatres that give towns, coastal communities and rural areas their own cultural heartbeat. Storyhouse in Chester, Shakespeare North Playhouse in Prescot, The Dukes in Lancaster, Theatre by the Lake in Keswick, Blackpool Grand Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Crewe Lyceum, Oldham Coliseum, The Brindley in Runcorn and The Atkinson in Southport all help show the scale and variety of theatre across the North West. These venues bring together touring drama, comedy, musicals, new writing, family shows, community work and local storytelling, making theatre feel less like something reserved for the big cities and more like something woven through the region itself. From seaside grandeur to small-town stages, the North West proves that brilliant theatre does not need to shout from the capital to be heard.
Grace says: North West theatre has everything — Manchester swagger, Liverpool heart, Blackpool sparkle, and at least one venue where you’ll come out humming, crying, or wondering how you’ve ended up buying a fridge magnet.