What's On at 53two
TESTING TESTING
With Toby Hadoke
Sunday July 27th
Tickets £10 INCLUDING A £5 drinks voucher
PWYC Tickets Available
DOORS 7pm - SHOW 7:30pm
Presented by Toby Hadoke, top circuit comedians try out their new material in the arches of 53two. Who turns up, you never know but an evening of sheer quality is guaranteed.
Comedy at it's finest beneath the iconic brick arches of 53two.
Grab a pie and a pint before the show for just £10!
Testing, Testing is not quite like other gigs. We do things differently here. The acts have come for a safe, fun space to try their new stuff. They don’t need your “help” - so, thank goodness, you can leave your heckles at home. Also, the gig’s really good - so you don’t need your phone, and we ask you to respect your fellow audience members and the acts by taking any conversation you may wish to engage in outside. Toby’s an affable chap but he has zero tolerance for bad manners : comics like to do this show because he’s made it nice. Don’t be the one to make it not nice. Thank you!
XS MALARKEY
Every Tuesday*
(Check dates to confirm)
Doors: 7:00pm - Show: 8:00pm
Tickets £6
(£3 for members - become a member!)
XS Malarkey is a not-for-profit comedy club, hosted every week by Toby Hadoke, and eagerly maintained by a group of minions who do his bidding on a regular basis.
Despite our low door price, we put on shows with professional comedians and rising stars of the comedy circuit, also giving newcomers a chance to practise their material in front of a supportive and quite frankly fantastic audience, many of whom are just as obsessed with comedy as we are. We feed our audience’s comedy obsession by running a membership scheme charging a ludicrously cheap £3 per ticket. We don’t do group discounts, because to be honest – we’re cheap enough already!
SOME MASTERCHEF SH*T
10th - 11th July
7:30pm
Tickets £10 (£8 Conc)
PWYC Available
Some Masterchef Sh*t by Liam High was the winning new writing entry at Off Cut Manchester 2023. With a premiere production of the full length play at 53two in 2024, G&J Productions are taking Some Masterchef Sh*t to the Edinburgh Fringe in August. This new adaptation is a preview before the team head to Scotland.
Man-meat meets mental health in this dark comedy. In a dark corner of the internet, two men find each other. They meet in a coffee shop, chat, make plans... Think you know where this story is going? Think again.
Using a queer lens to reimagine one of the most shocking crimes in modern memory, Some Masterchef Sh*t eats taboo for dinner (literally!) as it examines the idea of living life by default in a fast, funny and tender story between two men, struggling to exist.
‘Delightfully unpredictable and darkly hilarious’ (ILoveManchester.com).
***** (NorthWestEnd.co.uk).
O R I G I N A L !
WINK
Sunday 13th, Wednesday 16th & Thursday 17th July
8:00pm
Tickets £14 (Not including booking fee)
"I feel for the first time in ages like going for a really, really long run and running so hard my mouth tastes like acid."
Mark, a lonely and chronically online 16 year old is fixated on John, his insecure and chauvinistic French teacher. In an age of unmoderated technology and carefully curated profiles, the life Mark really wants is only a click away, but what if that life already belongs to John?
WINK examines two lives veering dangerously close to collision as the truth distorts into something completely beyond recognition.
Content warnings: Strong language, misogyny, discussions of violence, sexual violence and rape, discussions of pornography, references to alcohol, discussions of death of a parent, discussions of eating disorders, flashing lights.
Run time: 90 minutes
Extra Ordinary
14th July
7:30pm
Tickets £12 (£10 Conc) Not inc. booking fee
PWYC Tix Available
Rachel and Max are an ordinary couple, living ordinary lives until something extraordinary turns everything upside down. Now they have the single most important decision of their life to make.
They piece together their thoughts, bit by bit, good and bad, speaking the things you shouldn’t say and contemplating the never ending ‘What ifs’.
Extra Ordinary follows Max and Rachel as they consider the news that their unborn baby will be born with Down’s syndrome. They are faced with many life-changing decisions -- how will their lives change, what complexities will their child have, will they be able to support their child? The list goes on.
Extra Ordinary is an emotional rollercoaster, exploring the differing perspectives of a mother and father. As they debate, reflect, and consider all the possibilities, the question remains, will they reach a conclusion?
This piece of new writing examines the effects of genetic testing and the impact this has on the diversity of our society. Extra Ordinary is a powerful, thought-provoking experience that will leave you pondering, what you would do in their position?
Run time - 55mins
Age restriction - 10+
OFFCUT FESTIVAL 2025
23rd July - 3rd August
7:30pm (Sunday 3rd @ 1pm & 5pm)
Tickets £10
PWYC Available
2 Weeks...
20 Plays...
5 Finalists...
1 Winner!
OFFCUT IS BACK!!!
One of the UK’s most successful platforms for undiscovered writing, acting and directing talent found a new home in at 53two in January 2019. Prior to this, the Off Cut Festival had been one of London’s biggest springboards for many new careers and working relationships, all born in the spirit of collaboration, camaraderie and friendly competition. And always with an emphasis on audience engagement.
FROM DOWN UNDER TO DOWNING STREET
9th August
7:30pm
Tickets £15 - £25 (Not Inc. Booking Fee)
Hot off of the high heels of a successful farewell tour in New Zealand. The iconic Drag Race Down Under star, Ivanna Drink, has arrived and is ready to take the UK by storm.
Presenting ‘Ivanna Drink: From Down Under to Downing Street’.
Join Ivanna for a one hour spectacular cabaret show inspired by the journey of her drag career that’s shaped her into the drag legend on Auckland’s K Road that we all know and love today. There’ll be laughs, chats, meet and greets available and of course drag shows!
Run time - 1hr-1hr 30mins
PETERLOO IN ROCK
16th August
3pm & 8pm
Tickets £15 (£5 Conc.)
PWYC TIX AVAILABLE
‘It started with a song about the Peterloo Massacre in 1819, the song grew, more songs in the same vein were written, they came together and became Peterloo in Rock. It was as if it was always meant to be.’
The Reformers of Peterloo aim to tell the world what happened at one of Britains most brutal atrocities and how it fuelled the determination of the working classes for fairness, democracy and universal suffrage
Peterloo, The Rock Musical. to be performed on the 206th anniversary of the massacre at St Petersfield in Manchester
Running time - 2hrs exc interval
THE NAKED NEDS
5th September
7:30pm
£16.26 - £18.43 (Inc Booking Fee)
Hot off the heels of their sold-out 2024 tour, The Naked Neds are back! Get ready for a rollercoaster of laughter, tears, and maybe a few awkward moments with Paul, Jamie, Tony, Harry, and Bev!
‘The Naked Neds’ follows a group of Glasgow lads as they navigate the turbulent aftermath of their best friend’s suicide. In a world where politicians’ expenses seem to matter more than NHS waiting lists, they decide to take matters into their own hands. After a string of failed fundraising attempts and just when their lives couldn’t get any more complicated, one of the boys finds a lump, throwing their plans - and everything else - into a whole new perspective and they realise there’s only one thing they can do; take their clothes off!
Please note: Strictly 18+. All ticket sales are final. We do not offer refunds for any reason, including but not limited to personal circumstances, weather conditions, or transportation issues. Refunds will only be given in the event of a show cancellation. The cast of The Naked Neds is subject to change without prior notice. While we strive to maintain a consistent cast, unforeseen circumstances may require substitutions. Refunds will not be issued due to cast changes.
CAN'T COMPLAIN - World Premiere
6th September
8pm
Tickets £10 (Exc. Booking Fee)
In England’s green and pleasant land, the blossoming romance between Tom and Joanna, two shy, aimless, post-school pre-university teens, is rocked by the sudden suicide of Joanna's father. Together, along with newly widowed mother Helen, they must keep calm and carry on by any means necessary whilst hamstrung by innate stoicism, solitude and silence.
Can't Complain is a brand new electropop audiodrama musical that captures a yearlong exploration of grief and loss, love and light, isolation and community seen through the eyes of a makeshift family unit living in the leafy but lifeless British countryside.
Join us under the arches of Deansgate for the second of two world premiere in person playback events celebrating the show’s global release.
For further updates, follow @cantcomplainmusical.
The Cambridge Footlights International Tour Show 2025
8th September
8pm
Tickets £10-£15 (Exc. Booking Fee)
PWYC Available
Our show is a 1-hour, student-written and performed, sketch comedy show.
DOMINO
Supported by 53two
19th September
8pm
Tickets £12
(All ticket sales donated to charities supporting the homeless).
BthechangeTheatre creates theatre that inspires awareness, empathy, and a commitment to supporting those in need.
Our Mission
We aim to foster a sense of community and unity by highlighting our shared humanity. We believe that collective accomplishments are possible when individuals come together to make a difference. Our goal is to encourage people to reflect on their own contributions and pledge to create a more equitable world.
Supporting a Good Cause
All earnings from the play ‘Domino’ ticket sales will be donated to the charitable organisations that have supported John's journey. These organisations provide vital services to those in need.
THE MAGIC MOD
19th October
8pm
Rock ‘n’ roll’s favourite magician, The Magic Mod performs a magic show like no other.
Expect to see a modern take on Tommy Cooper and Paul Daniels’ iconic magic tricks performed by a fella who wouldn’t look out of place in the best rock ‘n’ roll band in the world.