Artistic Convictions - a new book is out now. Chris Wallis reflects on the work of an artist he first met 60 years ago.

She promptly conjured up the era-defining songs Doin’ the Do and Where Are You Baby? – still thrilling blasts of pure fizzy ...

It is often said that La Bohéme is the perfect ‘first opera’ to see. The Lowry’s website recommends it to seasoned ...

Black Sabbath – The Ballet from Birmingham Royal Ballet brings together classical ballet and the music of Black Sabbath, the pioneering heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1968. It’s an ambitious ...

Ah, autumn! Blackberries picked, apples harvested, Keats consulted, barely-bronzed legs hidden till spring, and folk across the land are surprised and flattened by the forgotten weight of their high ...

There’s a new kid on the block. The meteoric rise of Skof has been a phenomenon in itself. Opened in May 2024, Tom Barnes’ new Manchester gaff has already won a slew of awards. It received a Michelin ...

As a man who, throughout my teens and student years in Manchester, argued passionately that The Who were simply the best live band in the world and that their 70s’ albums were pretty close to perfect ...

And so to the hottest dining ticket in town, Bangkok Diners Club, upstairs in the Edinburgh Castle pub in Manchester’s Ancoats. It’s a new venture from husband and wife team Ben and Bo Humphreys from ...

To misquote Jane Austen: ‘Prizes are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.’ The prose stylist against whom all who have come after must measure ...

I usually write theatre reviews the minute I walk through the door. It’s all still there in my head, sharp and bright, every detail could make it into the copy. This time, however, I had to decompress ...

It’s July 2025, the hottest day of the year, and I’m clearing out my desk in the OperaWatch office at Northern Soul Towers. After 12 years as Northern Soul’s Opera Correspondent, I’m stepping down.

At any time of day or night, the skyline of Media City is shattered by a geometry of lights, lines, and colours. Now, thrusting along the water, its bold shapes find echoes in the vibrant new artwork ...