Theatre and Concert Visits
Contact: Margaret Hinde
Tel: 01565 872643
Email: info@knutsfordu3a.co.uk
BOOKINGS FOR THEATRE AND CONCERT VISITS – Clarification of Procedure
The preferred method of booking is by Credit / Debit card or PayPal on our On-line Tickets page. It is very easy to use and you will get email confirmation of your booking.
Alternatively bookings can be made by using a bookings form and a cheque made payable to Knutsford u3a. PLEASE use a separate booking form and a separate cheque (with the name of the performance on the back of the cheque) for each event and send to Margaret Hinde, 1 Warford Hall Drive, Great Warford, Alderley Edge, SK9 7TR. If you want confirmation that you have the places you want, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope. Usually your cheque will not be paid in until two weeks before the event. If an outing is fully booked when we receive your cheque you will be informed and placed on the waiting list.
Places on u3a trips and outings can only be booked for full or associate members of Knutsford u3a. If you need to bring a companion/carer to enable you to take part in a trip or visit please see our Accessibility Policy.
We hope to take bookings for the current performances at our general meetings but cannot guarantee the availability at the time of the meeting. In other words please book early to be sure of a place!
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE 1936
Adapted from William Shakespeare
Thursday, 27th February 2025
Cost, including transport, £42
The Quays theatre at the Lowry, Salford
Coach departs 6pm promptly
I watched this clever production earlier this year. My friends and I all enjoyed it so much I feel I can confidently recommend it to you. It is a striking adaptation of Shakespeare’s play, set in 1930s East London, during the rise of the fascist Oswald Mosley and his antisemitic ‘blackshirts’, which led to the battle of Cable Street in 1936.
Tracy-Ann Oberman (Noises Off; Doctor Who; East Enders) stars as Shylock in a strong passionate performance, which gives the play a memorable relevance for today. Equally unforgettable, for me, was the projection of chilling newsreel footage from the Thirties as a backdrop to the troubles.
The production transferred from Manchester to the West End for the summer, where it gained excellent reviews and became a sell-out. It will be performed in the smaller Quays Theatre at the Lowry, which will add to its impact I think. I am delighted to have the opportunity to watch it again!
Tickets for this performance can easily be booked using our On-line Tickets page or alternatively by sending a cheque, made out to Knutsford u3a, together with a booking form, to Margaret Hinde, 1 Warford Hall Drive, Alderley Edge, SK9 7TR. Tel 01565 872643.
‘COME FROM AWAY’
A Musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Friday, 3rd January 2025, 8.00pm.
SOLD OUT
The Lowry Theare, Salford
Coach departs from Knutsford bus station at 6.30 pm
Recently, I have had several requests to take a coach trip to ‘Come From Away’, a new musical which will have a six week run over Christmas at The Lowry. Their comments have been that it is ‘so enjoyable’; ‘a real feel good evening’ and ‘well worth a visit’. What better recommendation could there be? So, for our Christmas theatre visit this year, I have booked, as usual, for the first week in January. Hopefully, a cheerful way to start the New Year?
‘Come From Away’ is based on the true story of 38 plane loads of traumatised passengers, who were grounded on the small Canadian island of Newfoundland after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and were subsequently welcomed into the home of this small community. It is a joyous story, told with soaring music, which has won four Olivier awards and had good national reviews. The Guardian called it ‘powerful and profoundly amusing’.
HALLÉ CHRISTMAS CAROL CONCERT
Hallé Choir; Hallé Youth Choir; and Hallé Children’s Choir
Sunday, 15th December
SOLD OUT
Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Coach departs from Knutsford Bus Station, 1.30 pm prompt
You probably don’t want to think about Christmas just yet, but this is a special Sunday afternoon treat and needs answering quickly, please.
The annual Christmas concert at the Bridgewater Hall has been popular for many years, with all three of the Hallé choirs performing – the children are a particular delight.
‘SWAN LAKE’
A Matthew Bourne Production – a Reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece
Tuesday, 26th November, 7.30 pm
SOLD OUT
The Lowry Theatre, Salford
Coach departs from Knutsford Bus Station, 6 pm prompt.
If you are aware of Matthew Bourne’s inspiring, rule-breaking work, then you will know to expect something different here. First staged in London in 1995, I know many of us will have seen this production, but to my mind, it’s so exciting its well worth another visit. Still best known for replacing the female corps de ballet with a menacing male ensemble, it has become the longest running full length dance classic in both the West End and Broadway.
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Thursday, July 3rd 2025 – ‘The Midnight Bell’, a Matthew Bourne ballet, at the Lowry