Bridget’s six of the best and much more on offer in Lancshire theatre

The first of six chances around the region to catch comedian Bridget Christie’s brand-new show Who Am I, starts at the Lowry in Salford tonight.

After another show there tomorrow she’s at the Dukes in Lancaster on Saturday; Chorley Little Theatre on November 13 and two more appearances at Darwen’s Library Theatre November 25-26.

Who Am I? may be her 13th show to date but there’s been nothing superstitious about her success. Previous shows include A Bic For Her – which won Best Show at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival, a South Bank Sky Arts Award, and became the best-selling show at the Soho Theatre ever. Her Brexit-themed show, Because You Demanded It, was named No 1 Comedy of the Year in 2016 and won a Chortle Award for Best Show. Other nominations and awards include a British Comedy Award for Best Female Comic, a Rose d’Or, a Sony Award, BBC Audio Drama Award, and five more Chortle Awards.

Her BBC Radio 4 series Mortal, an intimate lockdown audio diary recorded at home and in the park, has also been well received. Harry Hill declared it the “funniest, most original thing I’ve heard on the radio for a long time”, and Jon Ronson said: “Bridget is just so constantly unique!”

On TV she’s starred in QI, Ghosts, Cardinal Burns, Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule, Anna and Katy, Have I Got News for You, Room 101 and Kevin Eldon’s It’s Kevin.

Details: thelowry.com dukeslancaster.org chorleytheatre.com bwdvenues.com

The Lowry in Salford has no fewer than five acclaimed dance companies taking to the stage this autumn.

After this week’s Ballet Black: Double Bill, in which The Royal Ballet’s Will Tuckett, blended ballet, poetry and music to explore ideas of home and belonging, on October 22-23, The Lost Happy Endings features an original story by poet Carol Ann Duffy retold through the medium of dance and narrated by Joanna Lumley. Then there’s Agudo Dance Company’s Carmen October 26.

November kick-starts with Dickson Mbi’s Enowate (November 2-3) summoning multiple identities in a solo performance inspired by a life-changing journey.

Details: thelowry.com

Nineteen black and ethnically-diverse writers from across the North of England pen personal letters to be read out live on stage at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, as part of a work exploring moments left unsaid.

My White Best Friend - North invited them to write a series of personal letters exploring the personal and politics we don’t dare say, which are sealed in an envelope, then opened and read by actors for the first time on the night. Performed across venues in Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester, the production is a collaboration between Eclipse Theatre, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse theatres and the Exchange.

On October 23 and then again on the 30th, it’s performed at the Royal Exchange.

This autumn the venue also reframes its Great Hall, with Holding Space, created by Manchester artist Keisha Thompson and designed by Alison Erika Forde. A poem, a performance and an installation invites audiences to move beyond the obvious grandeur to look at the building in a different way.

It will launch on October 21 when Keisha performs her poem live supported by performers from Greater Manchester. That evening the Exchange will unveil Alison’s installation that will remain in place for a year.

Details: https://royalexchange.co.uk

An eerie premiere of Obscura Theatre’s audio walk series soundlandscape opens at Theatre by the Lake in Keswick next week.

The first tale in the series, All the Boggles of Derwentwater, is a free self-guided headphone experience that takes listeners outside and on a supernatural journey through the natural surroundings. A lone wanderer entertains the listener with unearthly folklore conjuring up a spectral presence she did not mean to awaken.

The series will eventually feature a number of tales combining sound design with storytelling, each rehearsed and recorded in site-specific locations.

All the Boggles of Derwentwater is available October 16-31.

It lasts an hour and is advised for ages 12+, with loud noises, outdoor, some unsettling themes and descriptions of violence.

An accessible video alternative will be available to download

The route is wheelchair and pram accessible

Audiences need headphones to listen through and a smartphone to download the audio and map.

Details: https://www.theatrebythelake.com/event/soundlandscape-all-the-boggles-of-derwentwater/

Prolific playwright John Godber returns to Oldham from next Tuesday to October 23 with his latest play, Sunny Side Up.

Written, directed and starring Godber, with Jane Thornton, from West End hit Scary Bikers, Sunny Side Up, at the Coliseum Theatre, is a moving account of a struggling Yorkshire coast bed and breakfast and the people who run it.

Barney, Cath and Tina share stories of awkward clients, snooty relatives and eggs over easy.

It’s all in Godber’s signature style, which blends authenticity and pathos as he addresses the problems of levelling up, it’s all about leaving home and never forgetting where you come from.

Details: https://www.coliseum.org.uk