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!
BRIDGEWATER HALL
‘OPENING NIGHT’ CONCERT
Elgar and Rachmaninov
Thursday 25th September
£45, including transport
Coach departs from Knutsford bus station at 6 pm.
Elgar’s Cello Concert and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2
This has all the makings of a very enjoyable evening! Elgar’s cello concerto , written in the aftermath of World War One, is one of his most celebrated and well-loved works,, to be played by acclaimed cellist Truls Mork. It will be followed by Rachmaninov’s exuberant second Symphony which is equally well known. The concert will open with a powerful start – Shostakovich’s Festive Overture, with its grandiose brass fanfare opening full of crashing cymbals. The evening will be conducted by the charismatic new Principal Conductor of the Halle, Kahchun Wong, opening his second year with the orchestra. He is a delight to watch and listen to.
Tickets at £45 each, including transport, can easily be reserved using our On-line Tickets page or by sending a completed booking form together with your cheque, made out to Knutsford u3a, to Margaret Hinde, 1, Warford Hall Drive, Alderley Edge, SK9 7TR. Any remaining tickets will be on sale at the June monthly members’ meeting.
‘BLOOD BROTHERS’
Theatre Clwyd , Mold
Saturday, October 4th, 2.30 pm
£47, including transport
SOLD OUT
Coach departs from Knutsford bus station at 11 am
You may have been vaguely aware that we have not been to the lovely Theatre Clwyd for at least a couple of years – the reason being that it has been closed all that time for a complete redevelopment. Now with enlarged, new theatre spaces and splendid reception , lounge and catering facilities, it is reopening this Autumn. (Incidentally, with the aim of being one of the first high-profile examples of a carbon zero cultural venue in the UK).
‘Blood Brothers’ is their first major production that I thought we might enjoy. So I have booked a Saturday matinee, October 4th, leaving Knutsford early enough to allow for a leisurely lunch and stroll around the new premises.
‘Blood Brothers’ probably needs little introduction. Written by Willy Russell, it tells the captivating and moving tale of two brothers, separated at birth, who grow up on opposite sides of the tracks, only to meet again later with fateful consequences. It ran for more than 10,000 performances in the West End, one of only four musicals ever to achieve that milestone.
5 star reviews call it “Exhilarating – one of best musicals ever written” – Sunday Times
“The show belongs among the greats of British musical theatre” – The Telegraph
For your lunch, I would suggest either using the new first floor restaurant at the theatre, bookable on-line, or booking at Glasfryn, the nearby Brunning and Price pub, 01352 750500.
‘THE MIDNIGHT BELL’
A Ballet By Matthew Bourne
Thursday, July 3rd 2025 at 7.30pm
Cost: £61.00 including transport
SOLD OUT
The Lowry Theare, Salford
Coach departs from Knutsford bus station at 6 pm.
Set in 1930’s smoggy London, this is certainly different from Matthew Bourne’s well known interpretations of classical ballets. Ordinary people emerge from their cheap boarding houses, looking to drown their sorrows and find adventures at the lonely hearts club in their Soho pub , The Midnight Bell.
First performed to huge critical acclaim in the West End in 2011, this touring production is making its first tour around the country, with many of the original cast returning. They dance to a modern score by Terry Davies, which includes a few 1930’s songs.
I have reserved some excellent seats, this time in the circle, which I think is a good way to watch a ballet, so I hope you like it!
‘silky, sexy, Intoxicating’ – the ‘I’
‘Dark theatre at its most compelling’
‘A poignant portrait of love, lust and longing’ – The Guardian
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Thursday 23rd October – ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ by Brian Friel at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. Coach leaving 6 pm.
Sunday 4th December – Afternoon (3 pm) Halle Christmas Carol concert at The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.
Saturday 3rd January – Matinee performance (2 pm) of ‘Singing in the Rain’ at The Royal Exchange, Manchester.
Thursday 22nd January – Evening performance of ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at the Lowry Theatre, Salford.
Tickets for all of the above will be on sale from August/September.