Telephone 0843 2086005
www.thelowry.com
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
Twitter@The_Lowry
Facebookwww.facebook.com/TheLowrySalford
2 Press night reminders
Wed 8June BirminghamRoyal Ballet - Coppélia 7.30pm Lyric
Fri 10 June DIGIT – The Rite Of Spring 8pm Quays
Sat 11 June DIGIT – Holotronica 8pm Quays
Sun 12 June DIGIT – New Opera Hero 8pm Quays
Tue 14June Man in the Mirror 7.30pm Lyric
Wed 22 June LipService - Desperate to be Doris 7.30pm Quays
Thu 30 June Tinned Up 8pm Studio
Visit www.thelowry.com/pressnights to see more details online.
3 All the details for Theatre events, Exhibitions & Activities in April
a) In the Theatres
DANCE
Wed 8 - Sat 11 June
BirminghamRoyal Ballet
Coppélia
The internationally acclaimed and award-winning Birmingham Royal Ballet is thrilled to return to The Lowry, its home in the North West, from Wed 8 – Sat 11 June with Peter Wright’s enchanting production of Coppélia.
Coppélia,a firm favourite for all the family, ballet aficionados and first-time attendees to a ballet, promises to delight audiences in Salford when it is performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet for the first time in four years at The Lowry in June.
This production ofCoppélia, one of the most popular classical ballets in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s repertoire, was first performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet on 3 March 1995 at its home theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome. Coppélia, originally created by Marius Petipa, one of the greatest nineteenth century classical choreographers, enjoyed its world premiere in 1870 at the Paris Opera House performed by The Paris Opera Ballet. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s production is by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director Laureate Sir Peter Wright.
Coppéliatells the story of Dr Coppélius, a toymaker who creates the life-like Coppélia doll and wishes for nothing more than to bring her to life. He imagines that his dream has finally come true, but he has merely been caught up in a tiff between red-blooded young lover Franz and his jealous fiancée Swanilda. However, love triumphs over all in this comedy of mistaken identity, with a wild mix of abracadabra, mischievous maidens and a spooky toy shop.
Birmingham Royal Ballet boasts some of the world’s greatest dancers performing the charming, timeless choreography by Marius Petipa, Enrico Cecchetti and Peter Wright. Leo Delibes’ irresistibly melodic and sparkling original score is played by the members of the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, the Orchestra of Birmingham Royal Ballet. Set and costume designs are by Peter Farmer and lighting is by Peter Teigen.
Wed 8 – Sat 11 June
Times: 7.30pm everyday. Matinees on Thurs 9 June and Sat 11 June at 2pm
Tickets £15.50 - £37.50
Lyric Theatre
Sat 18 June
Milapfest presents Rama Vaidyanathan
Akhilam Madhuram
Rama Vaidyanathan is considered one of the best interpreters of the ancient art form of Bharata Natyam. Profound, enchanting, simply unmissable dance!
Times 7pm
Tickets £10
Quays Theatre
For more information about dance events at The Lowry please visit www.thelowry.com/dance
DRAMA
MUSICALS
Tue 14 - Sat 18 June
Man in the Mirror
Man in the Mirrorcelebrates the amazing music of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in a high octane production that spans over three decades starting with the early days of the Jackson Five through to some of the greatest hits in pop history.
Featuring an international cast of world class performers Man in the Mirror features all of his non-stop hits with jaw-dropping special effects, eye-popping multi media displays, breathtaking vocalists and explosive choreography.
With every single number one, this musical anthology includes Bad, Thriller, Beat It, Black or White, Earth Song, Smooth Criminal, Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’, Billie Jean, Man in the Mirror, The Way You Make Me Feel, I’ll Be There, Ain’t No Sunshine, Ben and many more, this truly is the ultimate celebration of the pop music icon who will never be forgotten.
If you like the music of Michael Jackson - you will love this show!
Times Tue - Thu & Sat 7.30pm, Fri 5.30pm & 8.30pm, Sat 2pm
Tickets £14 - £26.50
Lyric Theatre
Tue 14 & Wed 15 June
Sell A Door Productions
Spring Awakening - The Musical
This rock music adaptation of the controversial 1891 German play explores the confusion that ensues when hormones hit children raised by prudish parents.
Times 8pm, Wed 1.30pm
Tickets £14 - £20
Quays Theatre
Wed 22 - Sat 25 June
LipService in association with The Lowry
Desperate to be Doris
Following successful visits with Move Over Moriarty and The Best Bits of LipService, the hilarious duo, currently celebrating 25 years of silliness, are back with their hit show Desperate to be Doris.
This outrageous homage to musical icon Doris Day, features a selection of the diva of the duster’s greatest hits like you’ve never heard them before.
For this musical extravaganza LipService duo Maggie Fox and Sue Ryding have enlisted the services of Darren Southworth, fresh from the West End hit Spamelot, who will become Doris for the Day!
All good musicals traditionally need casts of thousands, so these leading ladies will be backed by a flamboyant chorus specially recruited for this production.
Desperate to be Doris tells the story of Dean, who works as a Buyer for a Mail Order nightwear firm called The Pyjama Game. At home he is a legend in his own living room and sings like Doris Day but will he dare to share his Calamity Jane with an unsuspecting world? When his local operatic society Out of My Range, decides to stage the hit musical, Dean is suddenly thrown in the limelight. Songs include Secret Love, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps, The Deadwood Stage and Que Sera Sera.
‘It's fair to say you haven't lived until you've witnessed Secret Love belted out by a game bunch of volunteers dressed as daffodils.’ The Guardian
Listing information:
Wed 22 – Sat 25 June
Times 7.30pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm
Tickets £17 & £19
Quays Theatre
Signed PerformanceThu 23 June, 7.30pm. Signed by Mavis McCue.
DRAMA IN THE STUDIO
Thu 2 - Sat 4 June
Deborah Freeman
The Song of Deborah
NeverBeenSeen
The Song of Deborahis an unforgettable theatrical exploration of the subjective nature of history and a fantastic story of war and politics.
This contemporary take on the Biblical tale of Deborah, judge, prophetess, and poet, explores how she came to compose the epic poem known as The Song of Deborah and considers war, poetry, love and the way politicians have always tried to manage information.
Directed by Abbey Wright, who has directed at Donmar Warehouse and the Young Vic and was recently Assistant Director for Danny Boyle`s production of Frankenstein at the National Theatre, The Song Of Deborah features a cast of extraordinary characters including Baal ‘God of Storms’, Sisera, Baraq, Yael and Anat ‘Goddess of Battles.
In this thought-provoking and strikingly relevant piece, writer Deborah Freeman not only explores the battle between the Israelites and Canaanites, but also the struggle to record the battle and what happens when a leader attempts to rewrite the reasons for war.
"Manchester playwright Deborah Freeman was no doubt drawn to her Old Testament heroine as a namesake and fellow writer. Indeed, she has the doughty desert judge momentarily longing to be a loving housewife, while struggling with her God-given talents as a war poet.......The dialogue has a metaphysical quality which, coupled with a heightened playing style, makes it timeless."
John Thaxter: The Stage.
Deborah Freeman is a playwright, author, journalist and poet. Freeman grew up in Bristol, and studied Philosophy at Sheffield University. After living in Leeds, then Ashkelon, Israel, Deborah settled in Manchester in 1977. In the 1980s she became a Psychiatric Social Worker. Still working part-time in the area of mental health, she appreciates psycho-social interpretations of literature and theatre.
Times 8pm, Sat 3pm
Tickets £10
Thu 9 June
Jammy Voo Theatre
A Corner of the Ocean
“I was much too far out all my life, and not waving but drowing”
Following the success of their hit show ‘Something Blue’ Jammy Voo return with their ‘hilarious but also deeply moving’ (Total Theatre) take on the world. Puppetry, physical theatre and a live music score reveal the mystery of a diver’s disappearance that ripples through the lives of four women.
Developed with award winning director of ‘Paperweight’ Jamie Wood and musician Gregory Hall, 'A Corner of The Ocean' takes a darkly, comic look at our everyday struggles to keep a head above water.
"The company are a delight to watch, teasing out a tremendous amount of comic and emotive content from the smallest of moments" The Scotsman
Times 8pm
Tickets £12
Wed 15 & Thu 16 June
Les Enfants Terribles
The Infant
From the team that brought you the multi-award winning The Terrible Infants and Ernest and The Pale Moon.
They have a picture, a picture that could spell the destruction of civilised society, a plan so devastating it would change the World as we know it. They must put a stop to it. They have a suspect, tied to a chair, a hood covering his face. The only problem is the suspect claims the picture was drawn by his four year old son. They have the suspect’s wife, but she claims her son couldn’t have made the picture. Who’s telling the truth? What is the truth? And does the truth really matter any more?
“Razor-sharp theatre group Les Enfants Terribles” (The Telegraph), tour Oliver Lansley’s black comedy ‘The Infant’ - Are we paranoid? Or are they really out to get us?
Oliver Lansley is a published playwright who also works extensively in television co-creating/writing ITV2's 'FM' and numerous other projects including 'Whites' which was shown on BBC2 last Autumn and starred Alan Davies and Katherine Parkinson. He was also recently named one of the ‘Broadcast Hotshot’s’ by Broadcast magazine and won the ‘Multi-talented’ award at Channel 4’s 4-Talent Awards.
Times 8pm
Tickets £12
Fri 17 June
Bish Bash Bosh Productions and Iron Shoes Theatre
Surfing Tommies
Set during and in the aftermath of WWI, this poignant drama follows the lives of three members of the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on an incredible journey from the mines of Cornwall to the fields of Flanders and back home again. Along the way we watch characters fall in and out of love, and befriend the very first surfers in the unlikeliest of surroundings.
Times 8pm
Tickets £10
Sat 18 & Sun 19 June
Bec Applebee
Oh Mary
This one-woman physical theatre show, based on the incredible life story of Mary Bryant; Cornish Highway Woman, Convict, Mother and Maritime adventurer, is the swashbuckling emotional tale of transportation, love, escape, tragedy and redemption that spanned the world between Cornwall and Australia.
Using a unique specially-commissioned soundtrack recorded by Dalla and Radjel, evocative narrative by Anna Murphy (Kneehigh Theatre) and direction by Simon Harvey (O Region), this show is an adventure through the senses.
Times 8pm
Tickets £12
Wed 22 June
Untied Artists
Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto
The 1930’s…while stock markets crashed, war loomed, and the world moved faster than ever before, Al Bowlly was redefining singing into the tender, expressive style that paved the way for pop. An inspiration to generations of singers and artists, his songs have featured in the cult films Amelie, The Shining and Dennis Potter’s seminal Pennies From Heaven.
Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto is produced by Untied Artists, a Birmingham based company run by Jo Carr and Jake Oldershaw. Their previous production Intimate History toured to much acclaim internationally after being showcased by The British Council in Edinburgh. As with Intimate History this new production is driven through-out by live music, and has at it’s heart the basic human desire for intimacy and song. This time the music is arranged and performed by the audaciously talented ‘Gramophone Party’, otherwise known as JC Grimshaw, Angelina Grimshaw and Richard White. Co-directed & scripted by Peter Cann (Pentabus, Welsh National Opera, Teatro Regional Da Serra Do Montemuro) and devised, performed and co-written by Jake Oldershaw (associate artist Stan’s Café,). Nick Tigg (Slot Machine, The People Show) performs alongside Jake as many of his colleagues, co-horts and critics. Jake features as Bowlly and sings each of the songs.
This stylish show tears up the bio-play format and reinvents Bowlly’s story in a way that’s fast paced, funny, charming, and as liberal with the truth as the Bowlly was himself. The production can be accompanied & enhanced by local community tea-dances and post-show, bar-side boogies. We have also worked with a number of the touring venues to find local social dance groups who are willing to dress vintage style and show off their moves on stage in some scenes with the company.
Times 8pm
Tickets £14
Thu 23 - Sat 25 June
Ad Infinitum
The Big Smoke
Inspired by Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath, this poignant story - sung a cappella - tells of a young artist’s struggle to hold on to her sanity.
Times 8pm
Tickets £10
Mon 27 - Wed 29 June
ForeverTwentySeven
After a sell-out run in January, ForeverTwentySeven returns to The Lowry to take audiences on a sensory journey of exploration.
Performed in the dark underbelly of The Lowry, and set backstage on the opening night of a play that hasn’t been staged for fifty years, ForeverTwentySeven is a dark promenade production where nothing is quite as it seems.
The original run was closed due to suspicious circumstances leading to Mia Blackford’s death. The show takes the audience on an unconventional tour of The Lowry’s dark underbelly as the cast and crew prepare for the show.
ForeverTwentySeven asks you to keep your wits about you as you enter a world where perceptions may not be truth. What you think, feel and do are all determined by what you see, hear and smell. You are a welcomed voyeur in a moment of distraction.
“We are thrilled that The Lowry have asked Insignia back to reprise ForeverTwentySeven” Said Insignia Media’s Mike Lee. “The public and critical response was incredible, and we’re excited about the development of the project” Mike continued.
Insignia is a relatively new theatre company building a reputation for intriguing and innovative theatre. “We want to create interesting theatre in an ever commercialised world. We want audiences to leave feeling exhilarated and excited, not hiding in the shadows of the stalls or the circle” Mike concluded. Insignia are working with The Lowry on future projects.
Many questions need to be answered: Who been playing who? What’s happening with the lead actress? And perhaps most importantly: Will she be Forever Twenty Seven?
Times Mon 2pm, 2.45pm, 3.30pm, 4.30pm, 5.15pm, Tue & Wed 6.30pm, 7.15pm, 8pm, 8.45pm & 9pm
Tickets £7.50
*Max 5 people per show.
Thu 30 June - Sat 2 July
Shred Productions in development with The Lowry
Tinned Up
NeverBeenSeen
Shirley Parkin has lived at number ten Brook Street, Langworthy, all her life. And she isn’t going anywhere. A sixty-three-year-old spinster and the life and soul of Salford, she has defied the council for years, refusing to move out of her modest two-up-two-down terrace. Beryl, a fouled mouth friend, Joy, an unhappy single mother and Daz, a thirty-year-old stoner have been campaigning alongside Shirely to keep their local park from the cold grasp of profit hungry developers.
Times 8pm, Sat 3pm
Tickets £10
FAMILY
Fri 3 & Sat 4 June
Mark Rind for Gingerbee Productions Ltd presents The National Black Light Theatre of Prague
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
Locked in an asylum for telling lies, Baron Munchausen knows only one way to escape - his imagination - and so his stories begin....
Get swept away with the Baron’s amazing tales full of love, intrigue, battles and lots of laughter, and dive into a world of fantasy where you will meet giants, sea monsters and flying people all cleverly created without wires live on stage!
Direct from a world tour, the UK première of the award-winning National Black Light Theatre of Prague brings fantasy to reality with mesmerising theatrical illusions, incredible tricks and large screen projections in this laugh-out-loud comedy for all the family.
The National Black Light Theatre of Prague is an international touring company established in Prague during the communist regime. Using the medium of black light theatre, founder Pavel Marek, created a theatre which enabled a release from the grey reality - a release into a fantastical world where anything and everything is possible. The National Black Light Theatre of Prague are the leading innovators in Czech Black Light Theatre using patented technology to create black light tricks and illusions whilst constantly delivering engaging storytelling. Their international collaborations (most recently with semina theatre designer Michael Curry) have enabled the company to be at the cutting edge of
international black light theatre innovation.
Recommended for all ages, this dynamic and enchanting show is a unique opportunity toexperience the magic of the world’s leading Black Light Theatre Company.
‘Heavenly perfection.’«««««Edinburgh Evening News
Times 7pm, Sat 2.30pm
Tickets Children £10, Adults £15
Quays Theatre
Sat 4 June
Post Show Talk 2.30pm
Free to ticket holders.
FAMILY SHOWS IN THE STUDIO
Sun 19 June
Theatre Rotto
Forestof Fables
Is the North Wind or the Sun the stronger? These ancient tales from Aesop are performed with the use of puppets, music and your incredible imagination.
Suitable for ages 3-7.
Times 12pm & 2pm
Tickets Children £5.50, Adults £8.50
The Studio
Sun 26 June
Sparkle & Dark’s Travelling Players
The Clock Master
This magical modern fable about a stubborn young girl and a clockwork trinket is performed with live music, ensemble storytelling and moments of mild puppet peril!
Suitable for ages 5+.
Times 12pm & 3pm
Tickets Children £5.50, Adults £8.50
The Studio
For more information about events in The Lowry’s Studio please visit www.thelowry.com/studio
BURLESQUE
Fri 17 June
Ministry of Burlesque
High Tease
Back by popular demand, this uproarious revue showcases the best of true burlesque - a provocative blend of new variety, historical chic and contemporary.
Suitable for ages 16+.
Times 8pm
Tickets Table Seats £16, Seats £12
Quays Theatre
Sun 26 June
Seabright Productions
Cabaret Whore
Following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, this brilliant character comedy introduces a sparkling string of desperate divas from around the globe.
Suitable for ages 14+.
Times 8pm
Tickets £12
The Studio
COMEDY
Wed 8 June
Greg Davies: Firing Cheeseballs At A Dog
Greg Davies’ hotly anticipated debut stand-up show was a critically lauded sell-out hit at the 2010 Edinburgh Festival. Come and see why!
Times 8pm
Tickets £15
Quays Theatre
Wed 8 June
Rob Rouse: The Great Escape
As seen on The Friday Night Project, 8 Out of 10 Cats and more, expert faffer Rob and his family recently left London for the tranquility of the Peak District…
Times 8pm
Tickets £12
The Studio
Thu 9 June
Slaughterhouse Live
The Comedy Store’s hilarious award-winning character-cabaret team return to The Lowry with an explosive mix of brand new and classic creations.
Times 8pm
Tickets £13
Quays Theatre
Sun 26 June
Three Bonzos and a Piano
Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater and Sam Spoons team up with super-pianist Dave Glasson to create more diabolical mayhem and music.
Times 8pm
Tickets £17.50
Quays Theatre
For more information about comedy events at The Lowry please visit www.thelowry.com/comedy
MUSIC
Sun 5 June
Wine, Women and Song
Now on their third UK tour together, Suzy Bogguss, Gretchen Peters and Matraca Berg promise an evening brimming with music, conversation and laughter.
Times 8pm
Tickets £19
Quays Theatre
Sun 12 June
One Night of the Proms
In honour of the Royal Wedding, The National Symphony Orchestra and singers bring all the ‘pomp and circumstance’ of the famous television concerts to the theatre.
Times 7.30pm
Tickets £20 - £35
Lyric Theatre
Sun 19 June
Alan Price
From the Animals’ House of the Rising Sun to Rosetta with Georgie Fame, Alan Price has created some of the most memorable songs of the last 40 years.
Times 8pm
Tickets £20
Quays Theatre
For more information about music events at The Lowry please visit www.thelowry.com/music
SPOKEN WORD
Thu 2 June
Roger McGough - That Awkward Age
In his perceptive and playful new collection of poems, McGough seeks love in the launderette, perspires in the Foreign Legion and jives in Macca’s trousers.
Followed by book signing.
Suitable for ages 14+.
Times 8pm
Tickets £16
Quays Theatre
FESTIVAL
Fri 10 – Sun 12 June
DIGIT
The Lowry’s exciting feast of groundbreaking music, dance, performance and visual art DIGIT takes place on the Fri 10, Sat 11 and Sun 12 June, welcoming the very best local and national digital artists to The Lowry for three days of performance, workshops and more.
DIGIT is The Lowry’s contribution to the mygames programme, connecting young people to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Alongside other mygames programme partners The National Trust, The Terrence Higgins Trust, The Eden Project and Great Ormond Street Hospital, The Lowry will capitalise on the excitement and goodwill surrounding the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to make a lasting difference to the lives of young people throughout the UK.
Friday 10 June – Dance
The Rites Of Spring
By Igor Stravinsky – Staging by Roger Bernat based on choreography by Pina Bausch
Members of the audience are given three-channel headphones and welcomed into the performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite Of Spring. Several voices can be heard – different ones on each channel – voices in parallel that diverge and overlap. Spectators play the leading role in this immersive show that is both a game and choreography.
8pm – 8.45pm & 9pm – 9.45pm
Tickets £16 (Under 25s £5)
Quays Theatre
Other events that day
Bridget Fiske & CAT students
2pm – 3pm, 4pm – 5pm & 6pm – 7pm, the Studio
Dora Cruz & The Northern Lights Painters
2pm – 3pm, 4pm – 5pm & 6pm – 7pm, the Studio
Company Chameleon & Phil Tune
12pm – 1.30pm, 2.30pm – 3pm, 4pm – 5.30pm – the Studio
The Surreal World of Edmond Tahl
12pm – 7pm, around The Lowry
The Richard Goodall Gallery: Digital Dreams
Exhibition, the Hexagon Room
Saturday 11th - Music
Holotronica
Live Audio Visual Show
Holotronica is a groundbreaking AV project which involves the combining of live electronic music with real-time visual synthesis delivered using the latest Holographic and 3D technologies. With 3D glasses noticeably absent, the audience will experience an immersive 3D club environment complete with mind-blowing special effects that you will want to reach out and touch.
8pm – 9pm, DJ 9pm – 10pm
Tickets £16 (Under 25s £5)
Quays Theatre
Other events that day
Shlomo
Tickets £8 (Under 25s & Concs £3)
Times 4.30pm, The Studio
Demdike Stare
Tickets £8 (Under 25s & Concs £3)
Times 6.30pm, the Studio
Unity Radio – Radio Presenting Workshops
1pm - 7pm, the Studio
The Richard Goodall Gallery: Digital Dreams
Exhibition, the Hexagon Room
Sunday 12 June – Visual Arts
New Opera Hero
Composed of musicians and artists who blend music, visuals and performance in one concert installation that flows between different art forms, this full sensory experience mixes live visual art installations, holographic video pieces, video projection, circus skills and storytelling.
Other events that day
Me and The Machine
Times 12pm – 7pm, Compass Room
DIGIT.Interact
The School of Computer Science, University of Manchester
Times 12pm – 7pm, the Studio
Rank (A Tale From Paradise Heights) plus…
I am Frank Morgan & The Watcher (short films)
Tickets £12 (Under 25s & Concs £5)
Times 3pm & 8pm, the Studio
The Richard Goodall Gallery: Digital Dreams
Exhibition, the Hexagon Room
More information to follow
3b) In the Galleries
Queer To Stay: 21 Years Of Manchester Pride
Sat 4th June to Sun 16th October
Manchester Pride turns 21 this summer and is marking the milestone with a commemorative exhibition, Queer To Stay: 21 Years Of Manchester Pride. This comprehensive collection of images, memorabillia stories and more, at The Lowry, from Sat 4th June to Sun 16th October will document the festival’s rich history and explore the impact the Festival has had on individuals, community groups and charities in the region.
From its humble beginnings as a collection of bring-and-buy stalls outside the Rembrandt Pub in 1991 to its current inception as one of Europe’s largest and liveliest celebrations, Manchester Pride has grown and developed with its audience to become a key date in the UK’s Festival calendar.
Queer To Stay: 21 Years Of Manchester Prideaims to chart the history of this historic festival through archive images, stories and memorabilia. Festival organisers are asking Pride goers to come forward with Pride posters, t-shirts, videos, brochures, tickets from throughout the Festival’s 21-year history. Organisers are also encouraging people to come forward with any interesting facts and firsts from previous years.
This exhibition also aims to explore the impact Pride has on LGBT communities in and around Manchester. Since 2003 Manchester Pride has raised £895,000 for LGBT and HIV charities, the most raised by any Pride event in Europe. Queer To Stay: 21 Years Of Manchester Pride will look at the many charities and individuals who have benefited from monies raised by Pride in its 21 years, exploring the important legacy of a festival often just seen as a weekend of hedonistic fun.
Jackie Crozier, festival director of Manchester Pride, said: “I’m really excited about this exhibition and having the chance to document the last 21 years of Pride is just wonderful. I would encourage people who have anything special stored away from previous Pride’s to get in touch. We’re particularly interested in those who attended the very first Pride in 1991 outside the Rembrandt pub.”
Michael Simpson, Head of Visual Art and Engagement at The Lowry comments ‘Pride has been such an important part of people’s lives for 21 years now. We hope this exhibition will be a comprehensive exploration of the impact Pride has had, both as a life-affirming annual celebration and a life-saving year-round charity.’
Warhol and the Diva
Sat 25 June – Sun 25 September 2011
Exhibition at The Lowry, Salford Quays
"It would be very glamorous to be reincarnated as a great big ring on Liz Taylor's finger." Andy Warhol
This newly curated exhibition by The Lowry presents an unprecedented collection of some of Andy Warhol’s most iconic works, focusing on the most alluring Divas of his time. As well as presenting the stars he admired, the exhibition will focus on Warhol’s transformation into his own glamorous alter ego, within his self portrait in drag photographs.
The term Diva, meaning ‘Goddess’ was originally attributed to the ‘prima donna’ or first lady of opera (an art form Warhol had the greatest respect for), whose voice and inimitable talent could not be done without. They were revered characters, often with inflated egos and irritable temperaments.
Today, the term Diva is used far more readily within the spheres of popular and entertainment culture to describe any powerful, glamorous, tempestuous and often egotistical male and female performers. Catapulted into stardom by their voice, their temperament or both, these characters are identified as true icons and are admired and adored as such.
The selection of silkscreen, Polaroid and film works within this exhibition will bring to life the essence of The Diva as we know it today, showcasing some of the world’s most iconic performance figures of the 20th century immortalized by Warhol for generations to come.
The exhibition presents some of Warhol’s most instantly recognisable subjects, including Marilyn Monroe, Liza Minnelli, Mick Jagger and Debbie Harry, alongside some rarely exhibited works such as Pia Zadora and Jane Fonda.
Kate Farrell, The Lowry’s Curator of Special Exhibitions explains, “We are honoured to be presenting the work of one of most of the most celebrated artists of the 20th Century. Exploring Warhol's fascination with the most revered performers of his generation within the context of The Lowry is a perfect match, allowing us to present internationally renowned artwork with an emphasis on the theatrical. Warhol admired and adored the subjects he depicted in his work, immersing himself in their lifestyle and living and breathing the glamour of their existence which offers an incredible body of material for the exhibition. I hope our visitors will be as excited by this fascinating collection of works as we are to show it off".
Warhol’s work will be on loan to The Lowry primarily from The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh as well as other private and institutional collections. Final content is still being confirmed but the exhibition will feature over 20 original screen prints and numerous polaroid works and supporting material.
This exhibition is presented as part of The Lowry’s performance related visual art programme, which explores performance practice in its broadest sense.
Media enquiries:
Catharine Braithwaite on 07947 644 110 or cat@we-r-lethal.com
To date, images available for press use for the specific purposes of illustrating this exhibition are:
Judy Garland
Debbie Harry
Jane Fonda
Liza Minelli
Marilyn Monroe
Nadav Kander: Selected Portraits, 1999 – 2011
Until Sun 4 September 2011
The Lowry has curated a new exhibition from award winning, internationally renowned photographer Nadav Kander, featuring work that has never been exhibited before, including striking images of Eric Cantona and Cheryl Cole. Other works exhibited for the first time include photographs that were part of a sensational shoot with Tinie Tempah for The Observer magazine this February, and head shots of Take That for their latest album, Progress.
Londonbased Kander is celebrated for his portraiture and landscape works, many of which exist within National collections such as the National Portrait Gallery and The V&A Museum.
His images are readily seen within high end editorial press as well as in contemporary art galleries and museums across the world, capturing subjects as diverse as Barack Obama's administration, and life alongside the epic Yangtze River in China.
Also featured are internationally acclaimed actors such as Sir Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee, as well as David Lynch and Spike Jonze, who make performances come to life behind the camera. The photographic portraits included in this show are a selection from Nadav Kander’s extensive collection dating from 1999 to present day. It includes singers Lily Allen, Michael Stipe, Nick Cave, Richard Ashcroft and Boy George. Nadav comments, “My main intention when photographing celebrities is making work that is unique and personal to that human being, even when the person in front of you has a fixed idea of how he or she wants to be portrayed.”
Kander manages to capture a well known face in a new, and often vulnerable light, using the lens to peer into the soul of the subjects he photographs, as well as his own. The remarkable effect of this process is displayed within this unmissable exhibition.
He comments, “My portraits are about how I respond to an individual and how I express my perception of a person through my portraiture, how we interact and how they present themselves to me will always have an influence on the final photograph; the shot becomes a photographic dialogue between the sitter and myself. Which ultimately extends to the viewer.”
KateFarrell, The Lowry’s Curator of Special Exhibitions, comments: “We are really excited to work with Nadav Kander on this newly curated exhibition. We have carefully selected photographs from his vast archive of intriguing portraits of actors, directors and musicians; subjects that we are all familiar with, shot in a truly unique, and subtly beautiful way.”
Ongoing
Lowry Favourites
Lowry Favourites includes new loans to coincide with the 35th anniversary since LS Lowry’s death (23 Feb 1976). Ongoing LS Lowry displays bring the Galleries to life with photographs, sound and film, telling you more about LS Lowry and his work than ever before. As well as a rich variety of paintings and drawings from The Lowry Collection, there are new loans from public and private collections around the country.
Notes to Editors:
Gallery Information
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
Information & Box Office Telephone 0843 2086005
www.thelowry.com
Gallery Opening Times:
Galleries open everyday 11am – 5pm (10am – 5pm on Saturdays)
Admission to the Galleries is FREE. On arrival, visitors need an admission ticket from the Galleries Desk.
For more information about exhibitions at The Lowry please visit www.thelowry.com/exhibitions
3c) ACTIVITIES
Wed 1, Thu 2 & Fri 3 June
Art Zone - Super Sculptures
Back by popular demand! This is your chance to make your very own work of art to take home. We’ll be constructing a different style of sculpture every day, so you could even make your own trail like the Unlocking Salford Quays one!
Times 11am - 12.30pm
Tickets £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
Wed 1 & Thu 2 June
Drama Zone - Family Games
Indulge in a fun feast of drama games for all the family. From ‘Grandma's Footsteps' to ‘Stuck in the Mud’, expect timeless classics with a modern twist.
Capacity 20 per session
Times 11am - 12.30pm
Tickets £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
Fri 10 June
Under 5s Doodle Tots
Explore art, sound, texture and materials whilst having fun getting message in this colourful workshop designed especially for toddlers and their parents/carers.
Suitable for ages 2½ - 4½.
Times 10am - 10.45am & 11.15am - 12pm
Tickets £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
Sat 11 & 25 June
Saturday Playhouse - Make Your Own Art
These colourful workshops will encourage budding artists to develop new skills and stretch their imagination using a variety or art and craft ideasTo see what’s on the menu, check www.thelowry.com/family
Times 11am - 12.30pm
Tickets £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
Fri 17 June
Under 5s First Steps
Explore your creativity through movement. Help design a dance, wiggle like a worm, balance in a shape and count to the music. This fun dance session encourages physical awareness that energizes and educates too!
Suitable for ages 2½ - 4½.
Times 10am - 10.45am & 11am - 11.45am
Tickets £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
Sat 18 & Sun 19 June
An Introduction to Screen Printing
Join artist Tracey Webster for a relaxing and creative weekend where you’ll be introduced to the world of screen printing. Over two days you’ll explore and experiment with a range of techniques and processes, from the traditional to the more unusual, and discover how interesting results can be achieved very quickly with a few simple tricks of the trade.
Suitable for beginners aged 18+.
Times 11am - 4pm
Tickets £50 for the weekend including materials (£40 Salford residents & concessions)
Fri 24 June
Under 5s Story Time - Tiny Tot Tales
Take your toddler on an imaginative journey of stories and songs, in this inspiring workshop where each month, a different artwork or theme will be brought to life!
Suitable for ages 2½ - 4½.
Times 10.15am - 11am
Tickets £3.50 (£1.75 Salford residents)
Sun 26 June
Free Family Sunday
Join us in the Galleries on the last Sunday of every month where you’ll discover fun art and drama activities inspired by our current exhibitions. Check www.thelowry.com/family for details of each month’s activity.
Drop in 11am - 3pm
FREE
Media enquiries:
Michelle Bowey, Head of Media Relations, The Lowry
Tel: 0161 876 2037 or Email: michelle@thelowry.com
or
Marie-Claire Daly, Media Relations Executive, The Lowry
Tel: 0161 876 2024 or Email: marie-claire.daly@thelowry.com
Pictures:
For high resolution images, please go to The Lowry’s image library www.thelowryimages.com
New users need to register by clicking on ‘register’ on the left hand side of the page, fill in the required information (which includes creating your own password) and click ‘create account’. You will then receive an email from images@thelowry.com stating that a request has been sent for approval. After approval has been granted, you will receive another email confirming activation of your account. You will then have access to images via the log-in page.
Notes to Editors:
The Lowry celebrated its 10th anniversary on 28 April 2010 and has spent 10
years delighting, engaging and challenging both local and national audiences with the very best in visual art and performance. The Lowry Centre Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation and registered charity (no. 1053962). All income supports our world-class Theatres and Galleries programme, the care and display of the LS Lowry Collection and our life-changing Community and Education work. The Lowry’s Chief Executive, Julia Fawcett (www.thelowry.com/juliafawcett) was awarded an OBE for services to the Arts in the Queen’s 2010 New Year Honours list.