CityLife Seven Days

Events from November 29 to December 5

FRIDAY 29

Music / Fuzzy Sun

Trading in gorgeously melodic, West Coast-tinged synthpop, Stockport quintet Fuzzy Sun scooped CityLife’s prestigious Best Breakthrough Act award earlier this year. Make sure you catch them now before they get way too popular and start headlining massive arenas.

Academy 3 / www.manchesteracademy.net / 0161 832 1111 / Friday, November 29 / 7.30pm / £13.50

Music / Sigrid

Norwegian synthpop singer Sigrid has enjoyed a meteoric start to her career: she won the BBC’s Sound of 2018, scored a Top 5 debut album, and performed at Glastonbury and the Nobel Peace Prize concert. Last seen here supporting George Ezra at Manchester Arena in March, she returns this weekend for two big headline shows at the Academy.

Manchester Academy / www.manchesteracademy.net / 0161 832 1111 / Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30 / 7pm / £23.50

Theatre / How To Be Amazingly Happy!

Responding to society’s perception of older, childless women, Yorkshire theatre maker Victoria Firth has crafted this witty, thought-provoking show combining physical comedy and autobiographical storytelling. First performed to rave reviews at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, the show now arrives at Sale Waterside on its first UK tour.

Waterside, Sale / watersidearts.org / 0161 912 5616 / Friday, November 29 / 8pm / £10

Clubbing / Pooku 4th Birthday

Taking place in a top-secret warehouse location (revealed to ticket holders on the day), techno night Pooku’s fourth birthday party will feature sets from Dan Andrei, JJ Mowbray, AG Union and Flux Groove.

Secret warehouse location, city centre / Friday, November 29 / 9pm-5am / £10

Clubbing / Waev Musik Fundraiser

Dig deep into your pocket and support this special fundraising event in aid of Manchester homelessness charity Barnabus. Curated by the Waev Musik collective, the line-up includes Tim Taylor, Pach, Pyralis, Wheela, Dale Farrell, Paul Maskery and Aitchque.

The Whiskey Jar / www.thewhiskeyjar.com / 0161 237 5686 / Friday, November 29 / 9pm-4am / £5

Preview – Music / BC Camplight

He may have been born and raised in New Jersey, USA, but musician BC Camplight (real name: Brian Christinzio) is a man whose heart firmly belongs to Manchester.

For those who haven’t followed his back-story, Christinzio endured a torrid few years when he fell foul of UK immigration laws and was booted out of the country (and Manchester) back in 2015. Having made Manchester his home, even describing it as “the city which saved him” when he first moved here in 2012 (he’d been battling substance addiction and mental health issues back in America), Christinzio was, understandably, crushed by his deportation.

Thankfully, due to his Italian grandparents, Christinzio, after a long-running battle with the UK Home Office, was able to secure European citizenship – and he’s been back in Manchester making glorious music ever since.

The turbulence of the past few years – and the subsequent toll on his mental well-being – is laid bare on Christinzio’s most recent LP, Deportation Blues, a stirring, cathartic collection of songs whose sonic grandeur brings to mind Phil Spector and Bruce Springsteen.

Taking a break from working on his next album, Christinzio and his band will be ending the year with two special shows at YES this weekend – go along and give him the raucous home-town reception he deserves.

YES / www.yes-manchester.com / Friday, November 29 and Saturday, November 30 / £12.50

SATURDAY 30

Clubbing / Glitterbox x Defected

Global clubbing institutions Glitterbox and Defected are joining forces for a massive festive shindig at O2 Victoria Warehouse. Worth the entrance fee alone, legendary dance doyens Basement Jaxx will headline; they’re joined by Dimitri From Paris, Sam Divine, The Shapeshifter, Teni Tinks, Melvo Baptiste, David Penn and more.

O2 Victoria Warehouse / victoriawarehouse.com / 0161 660 7000 / Saturday, November 30 / 9pm-5am / £25

Literature / Val McDermid and Denise Mina

Two giants of the crime fiction world are teaming up for this special event hosted by the Manchester Literature Festival. Acclaimed author of over 40 books, Val McDermid discusses her latest work, How The Dead Speak; while writer and playwright Denise Mina talks about her new novel, Conviction.

Central Library / www.manchester.gov.uk/centrallibrary / 0161 234 1983 / Saturday, November 30 / 7pm / £12

Festival / Superbia – Day With(out) Art

In collaboration with Manchester Pride, the Superbia team produce a fantastic year-long programme of LGBTQ-themed arts and culture happenings. Marking World AIDS Day, they’ve assembled a jam-packed weekend of readings, screenings and workshops with contributions from award-winning playwright Nathaniel Hall and Manchester artist Jordan Roberts.

Cotton Club and Cultureplex / Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1 / Full line-up and ticket info at - superbia.org.uk

Art and music / Limbo Live in The Loft

Art, design and music collide at this fabulous new event curated by Manc heroes Limbo Live. Taking place on the top floor of Downtex Mill, aka Hidden, this weekend’s launch party has live music from Evabee, Kahreign and Charlie Boy Manson; an art exhibition featuring work from Luke Passey, Georgia Hardman and Grace Biddle; plus live embroidery by Millie Rose Textiles.

Hidden / hidden.club / Saturday, November 30 / 7pm-11pm / £3/£5/£7

SUNDAY 1

Music / #SocialistSunday

Not one for Boris Johnson supporters, #SocialistSunday sees a host of top UK music acts coming together in support of the Labour Party’s General Election campaign. The defiantly left-leaning line-up includes The Blinders, Cabbage, The Eccentronic Research Council, Scuttlers, The Rhythm Method, Space Monkeys and more.

O2 Ritz / academymusicgroup.com/o2ritzmanchester / 0161 714 4140 / Sunday, December 1 / 2pm / £10

Comedy / Prestwich Comedy Club

Four top-notch comedy acts for a fiver – festive bargains don’t come much better than this latest instalment of Prestwich Comedy Club. Slick Radio 4 regular and Mock The Week star Nathan Caton headlines, with support from Ste Armstrong, Sam Serrano and Tom Taylor.

Prestwich Liberal Club / www.prestwichliberalclub.co.uk / 0161 773 3518 / Sunday, December 1 / 7.30pm / £5

MONDAY 2

Theatre / FLIM Nite

Bonkers, unpredictable and fabulously entertaining, the monthly FLIM Nite sees a host of theatre-makers/comedians/musicians ‘re-imagining’ a classic film for our amusement. In honour of the festive season, this month’s film is Tim Burton’s 1994 animated classic The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Gullivers / gulliversnq.info / 0161 819 2970 / Monday, December 2 / 7.30pm / £4

Theatre / Hung Theatre Double Bill

Passionate supporters of fresh, original writing, Manchester newcomers Hung Theatre return with a double bill of premières at Salford’s King’s Arms. Lewis Woodward’s Sirens is a scathing satire about society’s social media dependency, while Eleanor Cartmill’s Rotting tells the story of two girls working in a seedy Blackpool pub.

King’s Arms, Salford / www.kingsarmssalford.com / 0161 832 3605 / Monday, December 2, Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 / £8.50

TUESDAY 3

Music / Giggs

UK grime owes a huge debt to Peckham rapper Nathaniel Thompson, aka Giggs. From having his concerts shut down by the Met Police early on in his career, to now, enjoying Top 3-charting mainstream success, Giggs has clearly played a massive part in bringing grime music to a wider audience.

O2 Victoria Warehouse / victoriawarehouse.com / 0161 660 7000 / Tuesday December 3, 7pm / £21.25

Comedy / The Secret Policeman’s Tour

Raising funds for Amnesty International, the massively revered Secret Policeman’s Tour arrives in Manchester for its third and final stop this year. Hosted by Guilty Feminist founder Deborah Frances-White, the jaw-droppingly brilliant line-up includes Nish Kumar, Juliet Stevenson. Suzi Ruffell, Shappi Khorsandi, Tiff Stevenson, Jackie Hagan, Bridget Christie and Johnny Cochrane.

Palace Theatre / www.atgtickets.com / 0844 871 3019 / Tuesday, December 3 / 7.30pm / £16.90

Theatre / Six

Nominated for five Olivier awards, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ hit musical retells the story of Henry VIII’s six wives with sassy contemporary pop songs.

Hugely acclaimed when it played at The Lowry last year, the show now returns for an extended run over the festive season.

The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0343 208 6000 / Tuesday, December 3 to Saturday, January 11 / £21.50

Theatre / Peter Pan Goes Wrong

London’s Mischief Theatre earned rave reviews and an Olivier award for their farcical meta-comedy The Play That Goes Wrong in 2014. Their follow-up show, Peter Pan Goes Wrong – arriving at Salford Quays next week – promises plenty more mirth and mayhem, but this time with a festive panto-inspired twist.

The Lowry / thelowry.com / 0343 208 6000 / Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 December / £17

WEDNESDAY 4

Music / Idles

With songs tackling toxic masculinity, bereavement, immigration, the class system and the NHS, there’s arguably no better British band addressing society’s failings right now than Bristol punk-rockers Idles. Capping a memorable year – one which saw them crowned the Best Breakthrough Act at the Kerrang! Awards – the band return for their biggest UK tour to date.

Manchester Academy / manchesteracademy.net / 0161 832 1111 / Wednesday, December 4 / 7pm / £25

Comedy / Barking Tales

For their final show of 2019, CityLife award winners Barking Tales – Manchester’s only comedy/storytelling night devoted to mental health matters – have assembled a stellar line-up featuring Dai Davies, Tony Wright, Rich Wilson and regular host Harriet Dyer.

Zombie Shack / www.manchesteracademy.net / 0161 236 6071 / Wednesday, December 4 / 7pm / Free

THURSDAY 5

Comedy / The Midnight Beast

Musical comedy trio The Midnight Beast first found fame with their hilarious spoof of Ke$ha’s Tik Tok in 2009. Now celebrating a decade of impressive achievements – their own E4 sitcom, three iTunes chart-topping albums, appearances at Glastonbury – the boys are hitting the road for a special tenth anniversary tour.

Academy 3 / www.manchesteracademy.net / 0161 832 1111 / Thursday, December 5 / 7.30pm / £12

Literature / Nadiya Hussain

Launching her impressive new memoir Finding My Voice, Great British Bake Off 2015 winner Nadiya Hussain sits down to talk identity, immigration and, of course, cake.

HOME / homemcr.org / 0161 200 1500 / Thursday, December 5 / 7.30pm / £16-£25

Film / Magical Christmas Movie Experience

Guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit, this Christmas-themed pop-up cinema makes a welcome return to Manchester following last year’s successful debut outing. Featuring a bumper crop of festive movie classics – including Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone, The Holiday and Santa Claus: The Movie – plus plenty of tasty food and drink, the whole thing will take place in a secret city centre location to be disclosed nearer the time.

Secret city centre location / Thursday, December 5 to Sunday 8 / £16.99, more info at – magicalchristmasmovieexperience.com

Preview – Theatre / The Manchester Project at Christmas

If you’ve been seeking a Christmas theatre show which doesn’t involve sugary fairy-tales or “he’s behind you” chants, then make sure you get down to HOME next week – as the excellent Manchester Project makes a welcome return to the city.

Conceived by local company Monkeywood Theatre, The Manchester Project first debuted at 2018’s Push Festival to rave reviews. Consisting of 19 “micro plays”, all from Mancunian writers, the project set out to – as the title suggests – capture the spirit of Manchester and its people with short, snappy pieces of drama.

Now, with the festive season in full swing, the Monkeywood team are donning their Santa hats and returning with a special Christmas-themed edition of the Manchester Project. Taking place inside a specially built pop-up theatre in HOME’s gallery space, this glorious celebration of Manchester – and Christmas – will comprise 12 plays from writers and performers including Sarah McDonald Hughes, Cynthia Emeagi, Ian Kershaw, Reuben Johnson, Chris Thorpe, Keisha Thompson, Curtis Cole, Samantha Siddall and more.

As a bonus Christmas treat, each performance will be followed by an hour of comedy or drag, depending on the day. For those attending on December 9/10/11/16/17/18, you can expect HOME’s Ho Ho Holiday Comedy Hour with brilliant stand-up from the likes of Mrs Barbara Nice, Josh Jones, Nina Gilligan, Lukas Kirby, Allyson June Smith and more. And for visitors on December 5/6/7/12/14/19/20/21, the evening concludes with Miss Blair’s Christmas TV special, full of quizzes, dance numbers and all-around camp bonhomie.

HOME / homemcr.org / 0161 200 1500 / Thursday, December 5 to Saturday 21 / £20