Theatre tickets
A chance to win tickets to see 'Allo Allo' at the Lowry's Quay Theatre.
FIND OUT MORESee How They Run
Win tickets for the hilarious festive farce, See How They Run, at the Royal Exchange.
FIND OUT MOREChampagne afternoon
The Calico Cafe Bar is offering one reader a free Champagne Afternoon Tea for two, worth £45.
FIND OUT MOREAspiring entrepreneur?
Chartered Accountants Lucas Reis are offering an hour's free business consultation.
FIND OUT MOREQueer state of art
Art meets smut in queerupnorth 2007 – a fabulous three-week celebration of Manchester’s queer spirit.
Now in its 15th year, queerupnorth is the longest running annual queer arts and culture festival in the world. Encompassing theatre, music, dance, film, cabaret, comedy, visual art and literature from across the UK and around the world, the festival takes over galleries, theatres and other venues across Manchester for three weeks of mayhem. Here are the highlights:
Val McDermid & Patricia Duncker
Two of Manchester’s top literary talents appear together at a jazz club to talk about their work and read excerpts from their books. See interview with Val McDermid on p. 14.
Matt & Phred’s, Tib Street, Northern Quarter, May 8. £7. Tel: 0870 428 0785.
Yippeee!!!
Renowned choreographer Lea Anderson presents a brand new show performed by her acclaimed all-female company, The Cholmondeleys, and all-male company, The Featherstonehaughs. They are joined on stage by Steve Blake’s new band Yum Yum, playing his original electro-squeak groove score.
The Lowry, May 9 – 11. £16. Tel: 0870 787 5793.
Starving Artists: Take Me With You
Sunset Boulevard meets the Book of Revelation as three lonely LA lives intertwine in the latest tour de force from the acclaimed Starving Artists, which looks at the battle lines being drawn between religion and homosexuality in today’s America.
The Studio, The Royal Exchange, May 10 – 12. £9. Tel: 0161 833 9833.
Common Threads: The UK AIDS Memorial Quilt
The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a unique historical document from the period before combination therapy improved the prospects of people living with HIV. Part of a global testament to the human cost of HIV, the quilt serves as a powerful memorial to those who died of the virus by commemorating their lives as remembered by friends, lovers and family members. This is the first time the whole quilt will be seen in over a decade, having been stored lovingly but unceremoniously in a supporter’s garage since 1996.
The 1830 Warehouse, The Museum of Science and Industry, until May 13. Free. Tel: 0161 832 2244.
Edmund White
One of America’s greatest living authors, Edmund White is famous for his frank, poignant and hilarious writing, from his memorable tales of coming out to his vivid depictions of living with HIV. He will put in an appearance at queerupnorth to talk about his life and work, and introduce his new novella, Chaos.
Essential, Bloom Street, May 15. £9. Tel: 0870 428 0785.
Ronnie Burkett: 10 Days on Earth
Ronnie Burkett is the world’s leading exponent of marionette puppet theatre, using elaborately crafted puppets to tell intricate stories. 10 Days on Earth is the fifth production he is bringing to queerupnorth and it is far from children’s theatre. Poignant and affectionate, it tells the story of a middle-aged man with a learning disability, who does not realise that his mother has died and is slowly decomposing in her bedroom of the house they share. For ten days he continues his daily routine of work and daydreaming, talking to her through the bedroom door, before he finally realises what his mother’s silence means.
The Library Theatre, May 11 – 19. £15.50 – £17.50. Tel: 0161 236 7110.
Craig Hill’s Kilty Pleasures
A deliciously wicked evening of gloriously camp comedy and pure, unadulterated fun with Scotland’s best loved comedian.
The Lowry, May 19. £10. Tel: 0870 111 2000.
Taylor Mac
New York performance artist Taylor Mac is a 6ft tall drag queen who sparkles in home-made frocks, while singing funny, tragic songs about life and love.
The Lowry, May 25 & 26. £10. Tel: 0870 111 2000.
Fellow Travellers
A weird and wonderful group exhibition bringing together the work of 15 high-profile LGBT artists, including former Frankie Goes to Hollywood lead singer Holly Johnson and pop artist TradeMark, to celebrate the essence of diversity.
Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Peel Park, Salford until May 27. Free. Tel: 0161 778 0800.
Sadie Lee: And Then He Was a She
Take a walk on the wild side with this extraordinary exhibition, which features ten brand new, large-scale paintings of the legendary drag queen Holly Woodlawn by BT Portrait Award-winning artist Sadie Lee. Born Harold Azjenberg in Puerto Rico, Holly Woodlawn is one of the few surviving members of Andy Warhol’s infamous Factory set and has been immortalised by Lou Reed in ‘Walk on the Wild Side’. The paintings demonstrate the drag queen’s cosmetic transition from ‘Harold’ to ‘Holly’.
Salford Museum and Art Gallery, Peel Park, Salford, until May 27. Free. Tel: 0161 778 0800.
Queerupnorth 2007 runs from May 7 to 27, with over 60 events. For more information call 0161 833 2288 or visit >www.queerupnorth.com.