Salford’s Lowry Theatre has announced its autumn season, with an ambitious programme of theatre and performance featuring work from leading contemporary artists.
The season, running from mid-September to late October, brings together new productions, returning collaborations and internationally recognised companies.
Announcing the line-up, Lowry Director of Theatre and Performance Matthew Eames said the programme showcases artists “making work of real urgency and ambition”, reflecting the venue’s continued commitment to bold and relevant performance.
Eames added: “These shows reflect the richness and diversity of contemporary performance and our commitment to work that is bold, relevant and rooted in the world around us.”
Among the highlights is explosive political theatre production Blaze FM: The Big House, which arrives following its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Co-written by grime MC Jammz and playwright James Meteyard. The production blends live music styles including grime, drill and garage with political theatre, creating an 80-minute exploration of systemic injustice.
Lung is to return to the venue with Woodhill, an investigative documentary theatre piece examining deaths in custody at HMP Woodhill. Combining choreography with verbatim testimony, the production centres the voices of families seeking answers, continuing the company’s focus on socially driven work.
International company Ontroerend Goed also feature with Thanks for Being Here, a reflective performance exploring audience connection and shared experience. Wright & Grainger present Selene, a reimagining of Greek myth through music and spoken word.
Elsewhere in the programme, Mane Hamilton’s Madonna On The Rocks offers a darkly comic and personal exploration of motherhood and postnatal depression, accompanied by a soundtrack of pop and punk electronica.
Award-winning, London-based theatre company Rhum and Clay will bring a contemporary take on Dario Fo’s Mistero Buffo, reinterpreting the classic satire through the lens of modern gig economy culture on Friday, 2 October.
</p>
)
The season also includes Bert and Nasi’s L’Addition, an experimental piece that deconstructs a simple scene into a study of power and repetition, and Tom Cassani’s Iterations, which examines the mechanics of sleight-of-hand magic. French Brazilian theatre-maker Gaël Le Comec rounds out the programme with Amazons, a retelling of stories from women in the Amazon rainforest.
Lowry, which welcomes over 900,000 visitors annually, says its plans for the autumn season show a clear willingness to support new and innovative work from developing artists.
The venue said: “The Lowry continues to position itself as a key supporter of new and innovative work through its commissioning and artist development programmes. The Autumn Contemporary season reinforces that role, offering audiences a diverse programme that spans political themes, personal storytelling and experimental performance.”
Tickets are now on sale, with The Lowry members eligible for offers across the season.
