What's On at 53two
'The Gallery'
At 53two we have a small are gallery which is used to display art work from different communities across Greater Manchester. This can be individuals, groups or work from ongoing projects that operate with 53two. Click the link below to see our current display and read about the art, the creatives and when you can come and see it.
TESTING TESTING
With Toby Hadoke
Sunday June 29th
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!
CHRIS TURNER - SPONTANEOUS
2nd June
Doors: 7:30pm
Show: 8:00pm
Tickets £17.60 (Inc. booking fee)
The show that's never the same twice! Join Chris (Cirque Du Soleil, America's Got Talent, TED Talks) for an unmissable live experience where freestyle rap and stand-up comedy combine with jaw-dropping results. Your participation fuels a performance that's unique to the audience, with no script and no limits, just pure, unpredictable entertainment. Repeat viewings encouraged!
'The Fringe holy grail: theatre-grade comedy in an intimate space... mind-bendingly flawless' ***** (EdFestMag).
'Very funny, uniquely appealing... nobody on a Vegas stage does what he does' (Las Vegas Review-Journal)
'Spectacular and hilarious' (Broadway World).
'A virtuoso... a hip-hop machine' (Guardian).
ENDURANCE
5th June
7:30pm
Tickets £9 (Not inc. booking fee)
Theatre of the Senses CIC Presents...
...Endurance: two compelling stories of survival set in some of the world’s harshest
environments and based on real-life experiences. Cold, heat, and dehydration are nothing compared to the isolation the characters must endure. Will they make a positive decision and come through?
Within the theatre action, there will be interjections from a bushcraft expert, presenting basic knowledge that could save your life in an emergency scenario.
Theatre of the Senses is a not-for profit company that works to challenge stigma around
mental health and promote social inclusion. For Endurance, we have brought together an
ensemble of emerging artists and community performers to create an immersive theatre piece about resilience, self-reliance, and the will to survive.
Running time - 1hr45
Age 12+
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SLAY A DRAGON
11th - 20th June
7:30pm
(Sun 15th - 3:30pm)
Tickets £12 (Not inc. booking fee)
PWYC Tickets Available
A new play by Rebekah Harrison, directed by Martha Simon
Produced by Take Back Theatre and 53Two
When delivery driver Billy is asked to take his England flag off the dashboard of his work van, it starts off a chain of events that change his life forever… only this play isn’t just about Billy. It’s about all of us...
NEZLOBIN
21st June
7:30pm
Tickets from £35
24 марта впервые в Манчестере выступит один из первопроходцев жанра stand-up на русском языке Александр Незлобин.
Экс-резидент Comedy Club, продюсер, режиссёр. Незлобин давно закрепился на комедийной сцене благодаря своему узнаваемому стилю.
От бытовых проблем до жизни в США, о чём бы ни говорил Саша, мы узнаём себя!
В концерте специальным гостем выступит стенд-ап комик Игорь Меерсон. У вас будет уникальная возможность стать свидетелями воссоединения легендарного дуэта Бабочки.
AGE RESTRICTED: 18+
SLAMCHESTER
22nd June
7:30pm
Tickets £6
PWYC Available
Slamchester - Where words hit harder.
Let’s get ready to rumble!
This is your chance to witness eight of Manchester’s finest poets go head-to-head in a high-energy battle of words, wit, and raw emotion.
Plus, a very special guest performance from Jardel Rodrigues - one of the most captivating voices in spoken word today.
Hosted by four-time UK Slam finalist Kieren King.
Limited open mic spots are also available! Want to share your words? Step up and sign up on the night in a welcoming, supportive space.
Don’t miss this unforgettable night of poetry, passion, and performance.
Run time - 2.5hrs inc interval
COUGAR
2nd - 5th July
7:30pm
Tickets £12
PWYC Available
“Its hard to rebuild when you know how quickly life can change”
Rebecca and Robbie are looking for love, again.
Spanning the course of 18 months, Cougar explores themes of loss, grief, fear, love, hope and self-discovery.
'Cougar' was Offcut 2024 winner.
VILE
28th June
7:30pm
Tickets £12-£15
“Give us voice; we who blot the margins, the fallen and forgotten, the minimised and maligned.”
Welcome to the court of Henry VIII. The parties are bigger, the cockfights are wilder and there’s more scandal than you can shake a jousting lance at. Frankly, it’s a bloody nightmare. Enter Jane Parker. Minor noble, major worrier. The flash, young brother of Anne Boleyn is being thrust upon her, but Jane would rather retreat to the countryside away from the crowds, pestilence and power-hungry politics of courtly life. Newly entangled with the Boleyns, Jane begins to battle intrusive thoughts that warn of constant danger. It's difficult not to lose your head when you're fighting your own mind. Will Jane crumble in a world of backstabbing and betrayal? Or will she play the game and do whatever it takes to survive?
VILE is a rude and radical re-evaluation of Anne Boleyn’s infamous sister-in-law, celebrating queer and disabled identities in an era where neither were recognised. When marginalised narratives are so often twisted and erased, the question is - does history deserve to be rewritten?
Time & Again Theatre Company present the very first preview of their brand new show VILE in partnership with Cast, the Lowry and OCD UK, and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
This is Time & Again’s latest play with creative integrated access following the multi-award winning EARWIG, which won the Offie Award for Best Show of Edinburgh Fringe 2022 as well as the Birds of Paradise Emerging Talent Award. VILE is directed by Ellie Rose, written by Laura Crow and produced by Courtenay Johnson.
This initial sharing will feature a polished preview of the first act of VILE, which will go onto become a full-length, two-act touring production in 2026.
Praise for previous show EARWIG:
WINNER Offie Award for Best Show of Edinburgh Fringe 2022
WINNER Birds of Paradise Emerging Talent Award 2022
★★★★★ Fringe Biscuit
★★★★★ Neurodiverse Review
★★★★★ Theatre & Arts Reviews
★★★★★ North West End
★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
★★★★★ Get Your Coats On
★★★★★ Broadway Baby
★★★★ Feminist Fringe
★★★★ Edfringereview
★★★★ Sinners Review
Access: there are creative captions throughout the show and integrated audio description.
Run time: 70 mins
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
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.
DOMINO
Supported by 53two
18th 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.