THEGAYUK

Tag: Manchester News

Get the latest LGBT+ Manchester news from THEGAYUK. Breaking news, features and interviews from the gay community in Manchester in England, UK.

  • LGBT Campaigners At Odds Over Gay Village Redevelopment Plans

    Local LGBT+ campaigners are today at odds over plans to develop the Portland Street area of Manchester, which forms part of Manchester’s world-renowned Gay Village.

    A local campaign group has launched a petition after Manchester Council published plans for a consultation on the new Portland Street SRF. The petition, which now has over 10,000 signatures, was launched by Manchester Shield and argues that the plans don’t go far enough to protect the heritage of the Gay Village.

    If approved, the proposal would result in the most extensive works to take place around the Village in some time and include the demolition of Yates Bar as well as possible demolition of its neighbour and Village stalwart, Thompson Arms. In addition to Yates Bar, the Coach Station, often used during Manchester Pride’s Big Weekend, would be completely demolished also. The proposal (or SRF – Strategic Redevelopment Framework) details plans for a multi-storey car park, offices, flats and a hotel.

    The plans don’t go as far as proposing demolition of Village mainstay New York, New York but some campaigners fear building work around it would most likely cause a catastrophic decrease in footfall which could also impact other businesses within the Village.

    Speaking to THEGAYUK.com, Loz Kaye, who is a co-author of the petition, argues that “[the SRF] simply is not ready to bring to the public. We’re not saying the area shouldn’t move forward, we are saying we have to get proposals right. LGBT people will not be written out of our own area. Our history, our lives, our deaths are in these streets. Any plans must reflect that.”

    Manchester Shield, an organisation that seeks to ensure the integrity of Manchester’s history, is particularly concerned with the effect on the Pride Parade. However, Manchester Pride, the charity that organises the event, is yet to provide a formal statement on the matter.

    Lack of consideration in the plans for the village

    Manchester Shield also argues that the plans are “typical of a lack of consideration of The Village” and queries why more has not been done to improve the Village as it currently exists. In a statement, Independent Council Candidate Adam Prince argued, “communication failures and noted omission of the LGBTQ community are undeniable in this document. Many consider the erosion of the area to be intentional, as the area has faced a lack of advocacy, a long-term failure in creating or supporting community infrastructure. There has been an unwillingness to protect the area or struggling businesses. Now, this backdoor gentrification property takeover is proposed, hurting this world-famous area”.

    However, Councillor Carl Austin-Behan disagrees that the plans would cause great issue for the Village. Speaking exclusively to THEGAYUK.com, Councillor Austin-Behan, who rose to local fame after becoming Manchester’s first out gay Lord Mayor, felt that the plans were “very positive for the area”. He acknowledged that the SRF had many “silly errors” but felt that plans for hotels and residential buildings could lead to greater footfall and increase visibility for Village businesses.

    Establishing an official authority for the village

    The concern over the matter has also led Councillor Austin-Behan, who is also an ambassador for Manchester Pride, to establish a Friends of Manchester’s Gay Village workgroup. The group will be established as an official authority on all matters regarding the Village. During its first meeting, last week Council Leader Sir Richard Leese attended in an attempt to quell the concerns about the SRF.

    Speaking about the event in his Leader’s Blog, Sir Richard noted he felt that the SRF had been “deliberately misinterpreted” and the petition was “an unexpected bit of controversy” but did go on to admit more needed to be done.

    Three commitments

    “My colleague Councillor Carl Austin-Behan organised a public meeting last week which allowed me to talk to loads of interested people and put the record straight”. Sir Richard went on to concede that more needed to be done for the Village and stated he had given three commitments. He promised to extend the consultation to late March, to ensure a long-term future for Pride “including the identification of a suitable event space” and finally that the Council would “work with businesses, residents, and users of the Gay Village to develop the vision and strategy to ensure it had an undiminished and sustainable future.”

    The Village and it’s future has been a hot topic as of late, with many local groups and bars calling for more policing of the area due to increased crime with 85 violent and sexual offences recorded in August 2017 alone.

    The Village is world renowned as a safe haven for LGBT people and received notoriety in the late 1990s thanks to the hit show Queer as Folk. A survey by The Lesbian and Gay Foundation in 2012 put the LGB population of Manchester at approximately 34,930. In addition to this, a report submitted to Manchester Council in 2013 noted that The Village makes a significant economic contribution to the local economy with an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 visitors each weekend.

    Manchester Pride’s 2017 annual review also published figures for its 2017 Big Weekend, estimating gate interactions at around 167,000 people.

    Whilst Sir Richard did commit to an extension of the consultation to Late March, the Council’s official website still states all comments must be received by Friday 23rd February 2018.

    THEGAYUK.com has reached out to Stephenson Studio, who put forward the proposal but are yet to receive a response.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | ELF: The Musical, Lowry Theatre, Salford

    ★★★★★ | ELF: The Musical

    Tuesday Night was a star-studded affair as the North West’s celebs walked down the red carpet at The Lowry Theatre adorned with a large red sleigh. Everyone from Corrie’s Kym Marsh and Brooke Vincent, Real Housewives of Cheshire Lauren Simon and even X Factor star-turned-gay pin-up Lloyd Daniels (yes, he’s just as gorgeous up close) were in attendance. The reason? ELF: The Musical.

    To sum it up in one word would be an injustice but if had to do it’d be: transcendent. I entered the theatre with slight apprehension that one of my favourite Christmas films would be turned into a mushy pantomime but I am thrilled to say I was wrong. A script scattered with hilarious jokes (though some more New York-based one-liners didn’t quite resonate with a Salford audience) about everything from Donald Trump to the recent news headlines about certain “physical misconduct” were paired with amazing feats of physical comedy.

    The show’s star, Ben Forster, is a tour de force channelling his inner Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf. Everything from his mannerisms to his body movements had all the audience members in hysterics and you couldn’t help but feel his pure joy. Ben remained high energy throughout, hitting you even harder during his low points. Joe McGann is divine as Walter Hobbs, Buddy’s Dad, a workaholic who has no time for Christmas nor his family and is backed up ably by the fantastic Jessica Martin as wife Emily and a confident turn by the young Lochlan White as his son Michael. A personal highlight for me was Liz McClarnon in the role of Jovie, Buddy’s girlfriend. The ex-Atomic Kitten star sounded amazing and watching her turn from jaded New Yorker to a Believer was thrilling at every turn.

    I could also write endlessly about the extremely talented supporting cast and the high energy and very game ensemble but I have to single out Lori Haley Fox as Deb, Walter’s hapless secretary. Rare have I seen such amazing comedy timing. Reminiscent of Julie Walters, Lori’s slapstick movements and characterisation remained high-energy throughout the entire show and was pure comedy from the start. Every appearance she made was met with pure joy from the audience and, deservedly, received huge applause at the end. I felt, in that moment, I was watching a star.

    The songs themselves were not particularly memorable but I enjoyed every single one. Unlike many other musicals, Elf doesn’t seek to impart any larger metaphorical wisdom with its songs instead allowing every number to play a vital part in moving the story along. Highlights include ‘World’s Greatest Dad’ where we get a feel for Buddy’s enthusiasm and desire to have a present and caring Father which makes it even more crushing during the reprise, when Buddy begins to lose hope. Then there’s the call-to-Christmas-arms barnstormer ‘Sparklejollytwinklejingley’ (complete with impossible-to-imitate hand-ography). ‘A Christmas Song’ invites us all to simply sing to get into the Christmas Spirit whilst Act Two’s ‘Never Fall In Love With An Elf’ is a hilarious listicle of why dating an Elf may be a bad idea. However, as much as the choreography and energy of each number was comparable to the best and brightest of Music Theatre, the songs themselves failed to provide any sort of earworm. Shows like Wicked have their anchor numbers like ‘Defying Gravity‘, Elf was missing that big song you can’t get out of your head.

    The show went all out and the investment was clear. The entire cast acted and sang with all their heart and their hard work showed on the stage. It was a balls-to-the-wall feast of glee. The lighting and special effects were world class, complete with in-theatre snow and a flying sleigh. Elf did not leave you feeling that it was missing anything and I defy anyone to watch the show and not be excited for Christmas. The show is also very inclusive, with a diverse ensemble which included two gay characters, one of whom is told by Buddy that you can “never have too many boyfriends”.

    I can not recommend this show enough. Whilst the ticket pricing is a little steep if you’re a larger family, it is worth going if you can or I fear you will risk missing possibly the best musical to come to Manchester to date.

  • Man jailed for the historic rape of six-year-old boy in the 80s

    A man has been jailed for the rape of a six-year-old boy in the 1980s in Trafford.

    Gary Mottershead (22/05/1967) of Norris Road, Sale, has today, Friday 17 November 2017, been sentenced to six years in prison for rape of a child and five counts of indecency with a child at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

    The court heard how the first incident happened in 1981, when Mottershead indecently assaulted a six-year-old boy. This would go on to happen a number of times between 1981 and 1983.

    The attacks were reported to police on Friday 21 August 2015 and Mottershead was subsequently arrested.

    Detective Constable Paul Walls of GMP’s Trafford Borough, said,

    “Mottershead’s behaviour was a complete abuse of trust and shows his depravity as a sex offender.

    “The way he acted with a six-year-old boy is absolutely disgraceful and I am so grateful to the victim that he bravely reported Mottershead’s actions so that we could bring him to justice.

    “Today’s sentence shows that no matter how long it has been since a sexual offence occurred, we take every report seriously and work tirelessly to ensure those responsible face the consequences of their actions.

    “Mottershead will now be spending the next six years in prison, giving him nothing but time to reflect on his unacceptable behaviour and keep him safely behind bars.”

  • Police are searching for “man in a dress” after he robbed a shop in Hulme

    Police are searching for a man who wore a dress to rob a shop in the Manchester area.

    Police are search for "man in a dress" after he robbed a shop in Hulme

    Police are investigating a robbery in which one of the alleged assailants was wearing a black dress and a yellow and purple silk scarf.

    At around 9.30pm on Monday 25 September 2017, police were called to reports of a robbery on Stretford Road.

    Two men had entered the McColls shop and threatened three assistants with a knife.

    They forced the staff to open the safe, taking money from inside before emptying the cash registers in the shop.

    The offenders have then fled the shop through the back door.

    Black Dress and Yellow And A Silk Scarf

    One of the offenders is described as a black man of a medium build, around 5ft6in tall wearing a black dress and a yellow and purple silk scarf, which he used to cover his face.

    The other man is described as an athletic black man, around 6ft tall, wearing a grey hoody, grey tracksuit bottoms and red trainers.

    Detective Inspector Gary Smith of GMP’s City of Manchester Borough, said, “These men showed a complete disregard for the people who were simply doing their job, when they used knives to threaten and steal money from the shop.

    “It must have been a terrifying experience for them to be met by these two men who set out to take the money using whatever means they could.

    “I’m urging anyone who recognises the description of the two men, or saw something that could help with our enquiries, to please get in touch and share what you know.”

    Anyone with information should contact police on 0161 856 4402 or 101, quoting incident number 2215 of 25/09/17. This can also be done anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

  • 52 guys got completely starkers to raise money for testicular cancer in this calendar

    Praise be!

    The Naked Rugby Players calendar is here and it contains 52 nekkid mens!

    Six LGBT rugby clubs around Britain got starkers earlier this year to raise awareness for both inclusive rugby and the importance for guys to check their tackle for lumps and bumps, in partnership with the Balls To Cancer charity.

    From Edinburgh to London, Swansea to Manchester, Northampton to Newcastle, the teams braved the cold, the driving rain (and the rare occasion of sunshine) to bare all on the pitch, locker rooms and showers. Money raised from the sales of calendars help support the clubs involved and the Balls To Cancer charity.

    Photographer Monty McKinnen said,
    “Turning up to each club was a challenge as we didn’t know who the players would be, or how comfortable they’d be when we asked them to strip and get up close to pose with each other. It turned out in the end they didn’t need much encouragement to derobe. In fact at one club we turned around to find them all stood there naked on the pitch before I’d even got the camera out!

    “I have so much admiration for these guys who bared all for charity. 200,000 men are diagnosed with cancer every year. 80,000 of those will die from their cancer. It’s time we got to grips and get a hand on the situation. I hope this calendar empowers guys to check their packages more often and to feel comfortable talking about male cancers.”

    One in two men will suffer cancer in the UK during their lifetimes. Cancers which are detected early, such as testicular cancer, are beatable – but only if the message gets through that men should check their equipment regularly, which is why the Calendar features a cheeky monthly reminder.

    In total 52 guys of all shapes and sizes got completely naked for the calendar, which the organisers hope will bring much needed attention to testicular cancer and the importance of LGBT+ inclusive sports in the UK.

    The calendar is available to purchase directly from the Naked Rugby Players’ website or from Amazon

  • Homophobic bullying doubles in Manchester schools in two years

    There has been a shocking surge in homophobic bullying in Manchester’s secondary schools.

    Homophobic bullying doubles in Manchester schools in two years

    A report released by Liberal Democrat, John Leech shows a shocking increase in homophobic and transphobic bullying in Manchester’s high schools. Nearly 700 incidents were recorded in the last six years. John Leech called the increase “upsetting”.

    The report also highlights that there were just 8 reports of homophobic bullying in 2010/11 to 160 in 2015/16.

    The former Manchester MP of ten years submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) enquiry to every high school in the city and has said it is “depressingly clear” that homophobic and transphobic bullying is here to stay.

    Of the 42 high schools in Manchester, 36 responded to the legal request. Mr Leech also raised concerns at the number of schools who had reported zero incidents in the last five years, saying that schools may be too worried to come forward with the real numbers.

    Of the 25 schools that did respond, a worrying trend showed incidents doubling in the last two years, from 76 in 2012-13 to a staggering 160 in 2015-16.

    Reports of bullying ranged from name-calling to physical assault.

    John Leech, who led the successful campaign to pardon war hero Alan Turing, said: “Bullying of any kind is completely unacceptable but to still have homophobia and transphobia rife in Manchester’s schools is deplorable.

    “I have fought for LGBTQ+ rights my whole life and these numbers are really, really upsetting to see.”

    Leech designed the Bill and led the campaign to pardon Alan Turing, whom he said was a “hero”, and whose conviction for homosexuality he slammed as “utterly disgusting and ultimately just embarrassing”. He went on to secure the pardon for the 50,000+ other men convicted of similar offences and led the campaign to outlaw homophobic chanting at football matches.

    Now Mr Leech has turned his attention to what appears to be a concerning spike and consistent rise in teenage bullying. In 2010-11 there were just 8 reports but continued to rise steadily to 160 in 2015-16.

    The reports highlights the staggering increase in the number of reports of homophobic and transphobic bullying in Manchester’s secondary schools.

    The information for the year 2016-17 only covers until January but there were already 134 incidents making it set to be the worst year yet. In total there were 666 reported incidents of homophobic and transphobic bullying in Manchester’s high schools from 2010-17.

    But that doesn’t cover the full story. 17 schools either refused to answer the FOI Request or reported zero incidents – something Mr Leech raises significant doubt over: “Whilst this is concerning, it is much better that schools are transparent with their reports. Schools that came back with 0 reports can only be misleading in what is clearly a worrying trend across the city. We have to be realistic about the issue here and sweeping it under the carpet helps no one.”

    In an emotional speech at the Liberal Democrats conference in Bournemouth the former MP added: “We have absolutely no right to claim we live in a decent society when this kind of behaviour is still rife in our schools.”

    Mr Leech pledged to work with schools, LGBTQ+ groups and local communities to further promote equal rights and said that he would commit himself and his party to “virtually anything” to tackle the growing problem in Manchester’s schools.

  • Convicted murderer from the 80s, jailed for second attempted murder of lover

    A convicted murderer has been jailed for the attempted murder of ANOTHER MAN after dating app hook up goes hideously wrong.

    • Peter Lund was originally convicted of a murder of man in 1980.

    • He was released in 2015.

    • Now he has been jailed for the attempted murder of another man he found on a dating app.

    Peter James Lund (09/01/1954) of Pett Level Road, Winchelsea Beach, East Sussex has been jailed for attempted murder after being found guilty at an earlier hearing.

    Dating App Meeting Gone Wrong

    In December 2016, Lund travelled to Manchester to see a man he met on a dating app and spent the evening with him, after taking him to a Chinese takeaway in his silver Jaguar.

    A few days later, Lund and the man spent the evening together watching television and making plans for New Year’s Eve before going to sleep.

    At around 6.15am the next morning, Wednesday 21 December, the man awoke to an extremely sharp pain in the right of his neck.

    He opened his eyes to see Lund standing over him holding a knife and, when he asked him in disbelief what he was doing, Lund professed it was his sharp fingernails that had caused the pain.

    The victim panicked, shouting at Lund to get off him and pushed him away but, as he did so, his neck was slashed and a struggle ensued with Lund grabbing the man’s shoulder before reaching into his mouth and pulling at his teeth with force.

    The struggle reached the kitchen area where Lund took a knife while the man fled to the bathroom to mop his wounds with a towel.

    Covered in blood

    With them both covered in blood and unclothed, the fight spilled out into the communal corridor with Lund brandishing the large serrated knife and chasing the man as he ran up and down, banging on other doors trying to escape the attack.

    Lund tried to drag him back into the flat but he was disarmed by the man who quickly got into a lift and ran to a nearby petrol station to raise the alarm.

    Lund ran back inside, cleaned himself up and fled around three minutes later in his Jaguar towards Great Yarmouth where he was arrested by officers, after a short manhunt, on suspicion of attempted murder.

    When under arrest, an officer told Lund, ‘I’m not saying you have done it, it’s just on suspicion,’ Lund quickly interjected and admitted the attack, saying ‘I’ve done it!’

    Previous murder

    Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, heard Lund had spent a large amount of his life in prison, having been convicted of murder in 1980 after he bludgeoned another man to death in his bed.

    He has today, Wednesday 30 August 2017, been jailed for 27 years.

    Harrowing

    Detective Constable Tom Munnery of GMP’s City of Manchester team said,

    “This vicious and savage attack on a sleeping man is absolutely stomach-turning with the only consolation being Lund will be in prison for a considerable time.

    “In what was clearly a harrowing situation, the victim thought fast to raise the alarm and ensure Lund was found and put behind bars.

    “Having to relive these events through the court case has been no mean feat but the bravery and strength shown by the victim is truly commendable. My thanks goes to him for his courage and my thoughts will remain with him as he recovers from the emotional and physical scars he has had to endure.”

    Extra reporting: Greater Manchester Police

  • Man who stabbed his boyfriend in the neck as he slept is jailed

    A convicted murderer has been jailed for the attempted murder of ANOTHER MAN after dating app hook up goes hideously wrong.

    Peter Lund was originally convicted of a murder of man in 1980.

    He was released in 2015.

    Now he has been jailed for the attempted murder of another man he found on a dating app.

     

    Peter James Lund (09/01/1954) of Pett Level Road, Winchelsea Beach, East Sussex has been jailed for attempted murder after being found guilty at an earlier hearing.

    Dating App Meeting Gone Wrong

    In December 2016, Lund travelled to Manchester to see a man he met on a dating app and spent the evening with him, after taking him to a Chinese takeaway in his silver Jaguar.

    A few days later, Lund and the man spent the evening together watching television and making plans for New Year’s Eve before going to sleep.

    At around 6.15am the next morning, Wednesday 21 December, the man awoke to an extremely sharp pain in the right of his neck.

    He opened his eyes to see Lund standing over him holding a knife and, when he asked him in disbelief what he was doing, Lund professed it was his sharp fingernails that had caused the pain.

    The victim panicked, shouting at Lund to get off him and pushed him away but, as he did so, his neck was slashed and a struggle ensued with Lund grabbing the man’s shoulder before reaching into his mouth and pulling at his teeth with force.

    The struggle reached the kitchen area where Lund took a knife while the man fled to the bathroom to mop his wounds with a towel.

    Covered in blood

    With them both covered in blood and unclothed, the fight spilled out into the communal corridor with Lund brandishing the large serrated knife and chasing the man as he ran up and down, banging on other doors trying to escape the attack.

    Lund tried to drag him back into the flat but he was disarmed by the man who quickly got into a lift and ran to a nearby petrol station to raise the alarm.

    Lund ran back inside, cleaned himself up and fled around three minutes later in his Jaguar towards Great Yarmouth where he was arrested by officers, after a short manhunt, on suspicion of attempted murder.

    When under arrest, an officer told Lund, ‘I’m not saying you have done it, it’s just on suspicion,’ Lund quickly interjected and admitted the attack, saying ‘I’ve done it!’

    Previous murder

    Manchester Crown Court, Crown Square, heard Lund had spent a large amount of his life in prison, having been convicted of murder in 1980 after he bludgeoned another man to death in his bed.

    He has today, Wednesday 30 August 2017, been jailed for 27 years.

    Harrowing

    Detective Constable Tom Munnery of GMP’s City of Manchester team said,

    “This vicious and savage attack on a sleeping man is absolutely stomach-turning with the only consolation being Lund will be in prison for a considerable time.

    “In what was clearly a harrowing situation, the victim thought fast to raise the alarm and ensure Lund was found and put behind bars.

    “Having to relive these events through the court case has been no mean feat but the bravery and strength shown by the victim is truly commendable. My thanks goes to him for his courage and my thoughts will remain with him as he recovers from the emotional and physical scars he has had to endure.”

    Extra reporting: Greater Manchester Police

  • Man given lifetime ban from entering Manchester’s Gay Village

    A man who robbed and left his victims unconscious has been slapped with a lifetime ban from entering Manchester’s gay village and handed a long jail sentence.

    A man who targetted victims in Manchester’s gay village has been jailed today after pleading guilty to six counts of robbery and one count of theft from a person at an earlier hearing.

    Mason Shaw (01/07/1996) of Sharples Hall Street, Oldham was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months with an extended licence of 4 years and 3 months. at Manchester Crown Court.

    Shaw has also been given a lifetime Criminal Behavioural Order, preventing him from entering Manchester’s gay village.

    In September 2016, police received their first report that Shaw had robbed a man in Oldham.

    Between this incident in September and 10 December 2016, Shaw has committed a further six robberies, targeting people predominately around Manchester’s gay village.

    The court heard how Shaw would seek out people from this area, isolating them from the crowd, before strangling them until they lost consciousness.

    At this point he would rob them before leaving his victims to come around.

    Detective Constable Jonathan Barnett of GMP’s City of Manchester borough, said,

    “Shaw has committed a number of robberies, clearly targeting members of the gay community, brutally taking their possessions from them.

    “I cannot imagine what Shaw’s victims must have gone through, being robbed and abandoned in such a terrifying way.

    “Given the nature of these robberies, I am grateful that we’ve been able to secure such a long sentence for his heinous crimes.

    “Today’s result hopefully goes some way to reinforce that violent crime, of any kind, will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester.”

    This article has been amended. A previous version noted a different address and a different extended license.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    ★★★ | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    Set in the 1960’s, Frances “Baby” Houseman goes to Kellerman’s holiday camp with her family. She befriends the staff of the camp and develops a crush on charismatic dance teacher, Johnny Castle. When Johnny’s dance partner cannot perform at a show at a local hotel, Baby steps in to ensure that they do not lose their jobs. But as Johnny and Baby rehearse, they fall in love and learn more from each other than just the dance moves.

    THEATRE REVIEW | Dirty Dancing, Palace Theatre Manchester

    Based on the hugely popular film of the same name, Dirty Dancing hits the stage with a show which follows the story of the film very closely, with the bulk of the script being comfortingly recognisable from the film. There are some additional scenes thrown in, which mainly expand on the political changes in the 60’s and some which flesh out the relationship between Baby and Johnny; whilst the show’s music came from a combination of both live and pre-recorded tracks, including “Hungry Eyes”, “Love Man” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”

    Katie Eccles and Robert Colvin took the lead roles of Baby and Johnny, and had some chemistry between them; and they were supported by a broadly competent cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Unsurprisingly, the dancing was better than the acting, but given that the show’s main focus is the musical numbers it doesn’t cause too much of a problem.

    The show has been given a major overhaul and is all the better for it. This production has a vibrant lighting design and has ushered in a luxurious, well designed and thoroughly detailed set which transform smoothly without ever interrupting the story; whilst the show has been sexed up a little with a few more bare chests and muscular arms on display. Overall, the production values here are very high and very impressive.

    But where the show really succeeds is in its ability to bring the movie to life and recreating it on stage. All of the familiar lines, plot points, dance routines and songs are there and there is something very comforting about watching such a faithful recreation of the movie. For those who have not seen the film, the show is a good introduction to the world of Kellerman’s. For established fans of the film, the show will be hard to beat.

    Dirty Dancing is playing at the Palace Theatre Manchester until 22nd July 2017

    • Review taken from the Sheffield Theatre production

  • Mother of Martyn Hett has been trolled since his death

    The mother of a man who was killed in the Manchester Bombing has spoken about she has been trolled since the death of her son.

    Speaking to LBC the mother of Martyn Hett, Figen Murray, has spoken about how she and Martyn’s stepfather, Stuart Murray, have been trolled by online cyber bullies since the death of her son. Ms Murray told LBC’s James O’Brien that they had received messages via social media questioning whether she was actually grieving the loss of her son because she didn’t appear to be more angry in public. She said that despite that she was seen smiling in public, her “heart is bleeding” over the death of her son.

    Last week she appeared at a memorial for Martyn and told the crowds that her son was an  “iconic diva”. She also thanked everyone for their messages of love and support since his death. She also called the family’s liaison officers “absolute angels”.

    She said that she was never going to go down the route of hate or anger for whoever was responsible and the goodness that she’s seen since his death had “by far outweighed the darkness”.