Marcus’s Brig Issue

The Brig Society had a further 33 dates added during March and April, bringing it to Chorley, Salford and Lancaster next Thursday, Friday and Saturday

The entertainer’s talent was noted early on in his career in 1996 when he won the BBC New Comedian Award at the Edinburgh Festival. He is now regarded as a major comedy, writing and acting talent, performing stand up nationally to sell out audiences around the UK and globally at international comedy festivals.

BBC Radio 4 has also become something of a second home to him.

Meanwhile political scandal, economic incompetence, religious hypocrisy and simple human stupidity won’t escape his observations on 21st century living in The Brig Society.

Box office: 01257 264 362 or www.chorleylittletheatre.com/chorleytheatre or 0843 2086000 or www.thelowry.com or 01524 64695 or www.lancastergrand.co.uk

A new play, The Thing About Psychopaths, is at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre next Thursday and Friday and the Lowry in Salford the following week.

It’s from Scottish-Ghanaian writer Ben Tagoe, and explores how empathy is being squeezed out of society.

Noel’s from a decent background. He’s grown up comfortably, but he’s ambitious. When Ray, a senior trader at the financial institution they both work for, persuades him he could have more, he decides the chance is his for the taking. The cast includes Shaun Cowlishaw, Babajide Fado, William Fox and Kyla Goodey.

Tagoe was born and brought up in Perth, and received a BBC bursary for his radio script Keeping it up with the Joneses and has written numerous theatre scripts. In 2011, he was one of only eight writers selected from over 500 applicants for the BBC Writers Academy.

Box office: 01204 520661 or www.octagonbolton.co.uk or 0843 208 6000 or www.thelowry.com


140 Characters is a new drama directed by Rosie Stuart and Elisa Amesbury and devised and presented by The norfox Young People’s Theatre Company in Manchester.

The company, part of the city’s Library Theatre, gives young people aged between 15-18 the chance to gain valuable experience in developing their skills in a professional theatre environment.

140 Characters explores the darkness, delights, and mysteries of the world at young people’s fingertips and audience members can even assist shaping the production on Twitter by submitting stories - in no more than 140 characters, of course - using the hashtag #StoriesGoViral. The directors will be using some of the submitted stories to develop the production.

Catch it at the Capitol Theatre, Manchester Metropolitan University, next Friday and Saturday. Both performances will be captioned. Box office: 0161 200 1500 or www.librarytheatre.com

The final performances of charity variety show, Raising The Roof, go ahead tonight and tomorrow at Preston Playhouse, the theatre they are aimed at saving.

The show, with acts put togther by all six of the amateur companies which use the Market Street West theatre, are part of a drive to raise £50,000 for roof repairs, without which the theatre must close.