What's On at 53two
TESTING TESTING
With Toby Hadoke
Sunday 30th Novemeber
Tickets £10 INCLUDING A £5 drinks voucher
PWYC Tickets Available
Free Carer Tix - email venue.
DOORS 7pm - SHOW 7:30pm
Presented by Toby Hadoke, top circuit comedians try out their new material in the arches of 53two. Who turns up, you never know but an evening of sheer quality is guaranteed.
With Rob Rouse, Roland Gent, Danny Clives , Daliso Chaponda, Alun Cochrane
Comedy at it's finest beneath the iconic brick arches of 53two.
Grab a pie and a pint before the show for just £10!
Testing, Testing is not quite like other gigs. We do things differently here. The acts have come for a safe, fun space to try their new stuff. They don’t need your “help” - so, thank goodness, you can leave your heckles at home. Also, the gig’s really good - so you don’t need your phone, and we ask you to respect your fellow audience members and the acts by taking any conversation you may wish to engage in outside. Toby’s an affable chap but he has zero tolerance for bad manners : comics like to do this show because he’s made it nice. Don’t be the one to make it not nice. Thank you!
XS MALARKEY
Every Tuesday*
(Check dates to confirm)
Doors: 7:00pm - Show: 8:00pm
Tickets £6
(£3 for members - become a member!)
XS Malarkey is a not-for-profit comedy club, hosted every week by Toby Hadoke, and eagerly maintained by a group of minions who do his bidding on a regular basis.
Despite our low door price, we put on shows with professional comedians and rising stars of the comedy circuit, also giving newcomers a chance to practise their material in front of a supportive and quite frankly fantastic audience, many of whom are just as obsessed with comedy as we are. We feed our audience’s comedy obsession by running a membership scheme charging a ludicrously cheap £3 per ticket. We don’t do group discounts, because to be honest – we’re cheap enough already!
THE THREE LIVES OF LUCIE CABROL
13th -15th November
7:30pm (2:00pm 15th Nov)
“The dead surround the living, and the living are the core of the
dead.”
The Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol is the story of one woman’s extraordinary
resistance in the face of adversity and betrayal. Mocked as the
“cocadrille”, the wild and unruly Lucie is marked from birth and teased
as a child. As she grows up, she is abandoned by her lover Jean and
banished by her own family. But, as one of life’s survivors, Lucie is left
ploughing her own furrow alone on a remote mountainside in a struggle
for her future.
Join us as we journey from early to mid-twentieth century, against a
backdrop of European revolt, World Wars and industrial expansion.
Follow Lucie’s passage from scorned child to middle-aged outcast to her
afterlife beyond the grave. Through her three lives as a peasant in rural
France, Lucie discovers the survival of something beyond mere
existence - the survival of hope and love in the shadows of the past.
Adapted and devised by Complicité from John Berger’s short story, The
Three Lives of Lucie Cabrol weaves ensemble storytelling, physical
theatre and lyrical narration into a boldly theatrical piece. Expect the
unexpected, as everyday objects transform seamlessly into new worlds
where the living and the dead meet.
Run time - 2hrs 20 mins (inc 20 min interval)
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MOTHER DARK
26th November
7:30pm
£3.50-£7
This Mother should be living alone in a caravan on the moors, by herself, and did we mention alone? Fat chance when everyone around her keeps falling apart. Apparently rescuing is 'enabling' and 'helping' is the sunny side of control, but how do we let people go when there's nothing left to catch them?
MOTHER DARK is a blackly comic, wildly cathartic ride through co-dependence, mother rage and recovery. If you love a self help group and a banging 90s tune, if you yearn in these times for a (dark) Mother - this show is for you.
This work-in-progress solo show is the culmination of Rachel Smith's Developing Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England, with mentoring from Ursula Martinez and Annie Siddons.
Content Warning: references to mental health and suicide. There will be an after show discussion and signposting to relevant support organisations.
A part of what makes 53two special is our dedication to supporting grass-roots artists, new companies and start-up creatives whilst striving for a quality of theatre that exceeds expectations.
Sometimes, for new, talented companies and individuals, they first need a platform to explore, play, develop and grow not only themselves but their craft as a Manchester ensemble.
With this in mind, 53New was born. A platform and initiative, as one of our charitable activities, to provide just that - a theatre space and/or rehearsal room at a reduced rate where those starting out can tread the boards in front of an audience, try their work out and play safely without breaking the bank and in a safe, supportive space.
Runtime - 50 mins
SEXTON & FOWLER
Live in Concert!
28th November
7:30pm
£27.50 (PWYC Tix Available)
Get ready for an unforgettable night of music, chat, chemistry and jaw dropping vocals as Sexton & Fowler return to one of their favourite intimate venues, Manchester's 53TWO on Friday 28th November 2025.
Fresh from the London launch of their new original albume "Then Our Eyes Met", the pair have taken a small break after finishing another Marathon tour of the UK in the smash hit show, Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, and they are now thrilled to be returning to Manchester to greet their loyal Northern fanbase!
The evening will include a host of musical, rock favourites, as well as some of their favourite numbers from their new album.
Don't miss your chance to see Sexton & Fowler live and in person at this intimate venue.
THE ACCRINGTON PALS
4th - 6th December
7:30pm (2:00pm 6th Nov)
£5 (PWYC Tix Available)
“Misinformation, a well-hidden lie, roll up, try your luck on the
coconut shy.
White feathers or glory, while government hacks, are busy
newspapering over the cracks!”
‘The Accrington Pals’ is set on the backdrop of true events from
The First World War. 1,000 brothers, sons, fathers and friends from
Accrington, all in high-spirits enlisted to fight the Germans in 1914.
Lead by Kitchener’s ‘call to arms’ with the promise of excitement,
opportunity and travel with their life long “pals”. Accrington was
the smallest town in England to raise a Pals Battalion, and the
towns women were almost left entirely without their men.
This play, unlike most about “The Great War”, focuses a sharp and
witty lens on the private lives of these working-class Lancashire
women. While they attempt to survive living on hope and ‘official’
misinformation about what was actually happening to their men in
France; These women adapt to new pattens of life, pulling together
in the face of social and sexual depravation and some..look after
themselves.
How much am I for others? - How much am I for myself? How
shall we survive?
We are all crossing no-mans land now.
Peter Whelan
Run time - 2hr 40 mins (inc 20 min interval)
END OF YEAR SCREENING
From Independent Film Community Manchester
7th December
7:00pm
Tickets: £10 - for screening, awards and after party
(£5 Early Bird tickets available until 01 November)
One Night Only!
Support independent film at our End of Year Screening & Film Festival! A mix of creative talent on show in our programme of short films and music videos.
And you can vote for your favourite!
Audience Award - Best Short Film
Audience Award - Best Music Video
& our inaugural Jury Prize!
Over 18s only.
For more information, please email: indiefilm.coop.mcr@gmail.com
53two Christmas Fair
7th December
11am - 4pm
FREE ENTRY!
Join us for a day of festivity at the first ever 53two Christmas Fair! Live Music, DJ, Festive treats, mulled wine, boozy Hot Chocolate, face-painting for the full family and a 'Swop Don't Shop' Exchange and Rag-Wreath Making Workshop! Step in to Christmas & come join us for a fun day of xmas brilliance....for free!
SWOP DON'T SHOP
Got some old clothes? Things you bought but just never wore? Wonr once, never again? Impulse buys? All these things do have a home - we just have to find it! Bring your 'Swops' down to the arches and for every item you bring, get one token to 'spend' on some new-to-you clothing!
RAG WREATH MAKING WORKSHOP
Join the arches on Mrs Claus, Sheila Fallon, as she talks
you through the process of making your own festive wreath,
inspired by 18th Century rug making! Spend a couple of hours
designing your own wreath to take away with you!
LIMITED PLACES - £25/person
Tickets go off-sale on 30th Nov
CHRISTMAS MOVIE NIGHT!
10th & 17th December
6:30pm
Tickets: £5/film (£10 to add a Boozy Hot Choc!)
It's officially time to get festive! We've asked our Social Media family to choose which films they want to watch. The poll will be finalised on Friday 14th November and the films locked in.
You can join us for just £5 or, add a boozy hot chocolate for just £10 & get right in the festive spirit!
Grab a ticket, pop on your xmas jumper & come support 53two whilst kicking back with a Christmas Classic!
YOU GOOD, BRO?
15th December
8:00pm
Tiered Tickets - £12.50 (Exc Booking Fee)
PWYC Tix Available
You Good, Bro? Live is the first ever live audience version of the podcast 'You Good, Bro?'
A year into releasing the weekly pod about mental health, wellbeing and lifestyle, we've decided to take the pod to the stage for an evening of discussion, games and interesting stories!
Run time - 2hrs
PIANOKE - Christmas Special
18th December
7:00pm
FREE ENTRY
IT'S BACK! Under the magic fingers of Richie, you choose the song & you get to thrash it out in the bar. Grab the mic and show us your Mariah, your Bublé or, if you're feeling brave, maybe even your rendition of that Christmas smasher from The Darkness!!
No catch, just good vibes. Not a singer? No problem - all abilities welcome and every single one of you is encouraged. Or, sit back and revel in some classics whilst you snaffle a cheeky alcholic hot chocolate or mulled wine.
Quizmas with Dr Q - The Christmas Quiz
20th December
5:30pm
£2 per person
Dr Q is BACK! Following on from our Pride Special, Dr Q has been scribbling his questions & is ready to rack your brains, but with some Christmas Sparkle!
Join us for all the usual fun, the same chaos & just a little sprinkling of festive magic. Cash Prizes, Spot Prizes, Fun Games & More!
Teams of up to 6 people. £2 per person.
FUNNYE
31st December
7:30pm (Doors: 7:00pm)
Carriages - 1am
Tickets:
£20.00 - General Admission
£150 - Table of 5 with Champagne
£100 - Table of 4 with Prosecco
PWYC Available
Join us for the third FunNYE - a New Years Eve celebration that gives you everything you need, and more. A line up of QUALITY stand up from some top UK comedians, led by the mighty Toby Hadoke.
This time with the awesome Frankie Monroe, Hannah Platt, Nick Doody followed by disco and dancing until the early hours.
All under one roof, an affordable, full evening of entertainment, in a safe, brilliant venue, in the heart of the city!
Come join us!
DIVINA DE CAMPO - BACK ON THE ROAD
16th January
7:30pm
Drag Race UK star and powerhouse vocalist Divina De Campo joins Ric 'the Piano Guy' Neale for an evening of soaring songs, signature humour, and sparkling cabaret. With effortless vocals, playful chemistry, and a show never the same twice, it's unplanned, unpredictable, and utterly unforgettable.
The Execution of Private Slovik
21st - 24th January 2026
7:30pm / 2:30pm Saturday Matinee
£12
France, 1945. Private Eddie Slovik's life hangs in the balance. In the hours before his execution, a group of senior officers must weigh their orders against their own humanity. Trapped together, loyalties splinter, tempers flare, and every man is forced to confront what justice, duty, and mercy truly mean.
The Execution of Private Slovik is a tense and unflinching play about the human cost of obedience. Inspired by true events, it forces us to ask: when the line between right and wrong blurs, who carries the weight of justice, and who lives with the consequences?
“A powerful achievement… ★★★★” – The Reviews Hub.
Run time - 80 mins
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Origin Story
1st & 2nd February
7:30pm
£7.50 (£4 Conc) - Exc Booking Fee
Three friends, Kurt, Dan, and Emily.
One morning, Kurt brings a gun into the flat and declares he’s bulletproof. He says this is his origin story. Dan, his flatmate and emotional enabler, keeps to the regular routine: banter, dry wit, the usual script. Then Emily arrives with a coffee and realises something’s seriously wrong. Or was it always like this?
As the morning unfolds, secrets emerge. There’s a grief nobody’s processed, a missing person no one’ll mention, and a friendship that’s started to spotlight as a codependent double act. Kurt wants to be someone (something) more interesting than who he is. Dan doesn’t know how to stop playing along. Emily’s tired of being the only one not playing for laughs.
Origin Story is Cups On Strings Productions' first production. Three friends, a gun, and a stolen story: what happens when grief and guilt are turned into spectacle.
Content Warnings: The piece includes sensitive topics such as depression, mental health struggles, and suicide.
Runtime: 1hr 30 mins - Interval: 15 mins
The Em Show: Tales From A Little Laughing Lesbian
5th March 2026
7:30pm
£14.00 / £12.00 Conc. (Exc Booking Fee)
PWYC Available
Tales from a Little Laughing Lesbian is an electrifying one woman show packed with stand-up, improv, and clowning, all delivered through Em’s signature energy and joy. From therapy to parenting, marriage to motorbikes—no topic is off-limits in this hilarious journey of self-discovery. Uplifting, bold, and wildly funny, this is a show for everyone (yes, even non-lesbians!). So, are you ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe even see yourself in a whole new way?
Em Stroud is The Comic Coach. She’s an entrepreneur, performer, clown, speaker, emcee, best-selling author and two times TEDx speaker - having done one dressed as a banana! Produced by Manchester based artist Charlie Ayers this evening promises to be a night of laughter and joy.
Run time - 60 mins
Holmes & Watson; The Curious Case of The Masked Magician
8th April 2026
2:30pm
£15.00 / £12.00 Conc.
Family - £45 (Exc Booking Fee)
When (mid-show) the Masked Magician disappears, completely, magically and seemingly forever, Sherlock Holmes (with Watson in tow) plunges into a secret world of Edwardian Magic to solve the mystery of the missing Magi. A brand new Holmes and Watson adventure for all the family filled with Mayhem, Mirth, Mystery and…Magic!
"TELL ME EVERYTHING, HOLMES"
1t’s 1906 - the Golden Age of Magic. The Masked Magician, bestrides London’s world of Magic like a colossus, UNTIL..one night, mid-performance, the Magician vanishes. Dead? Kidnapped? In hiding?
After a month Scotland Yard is completely baffled (obviously) and calls in Sherlock Holmes to help solve the mystery of the Masked Magician’s disappearance. Holmes, with an excitable Watson in tow, plunges into the secret world of Edwardian Magic only to find that the Masked Magician’s identity is Magic's best kept secret.
As they meet, and question, the Magician‘s peers (seeing a lot of Magic), the mystery of his identity and fate deepens. As they unravel clue after clue, Holmes comes to share Watson’s wonder and discovers that it can sit alongside his logical outlook.
Run Time: 70 mins
Funeral Teeth
16th May
7:30pm
£12 (£10 Concession) Not inc. Booking Fee
PWYC Tix Available
Maybe you’ve lost your marbles… Or maybe you’ve found the most transformative piece of theatre that you’ll see this year. Probably both. Nominated for a London Pub Theatres award in 2025 and debuted to rave reviews, the Succulent girlies are making waves on the scene with 'Funeral Teeth'.
What and who are we allowed to grieve? And does that really matter?
Loss is the only truly universal experience. Whether it’s coming to terms with the passing of a loved one, tucking the first tooth you’ve lost under your pillow, or realising that you have no idea where your wallet is after spending a blurry night boozing at the pub - we’ve all been there. What’s more, we’re going to keep coming face to face with loss. Lose yourself (geddit?) in the latest piece by Succulent Theatre, unpacking what loss looks like to them, what it looks like to you, and what it could look like for all of us.
Following the success of their debut show ‘NASTY: ‘Big’ girls being gross, mean and sexy’, the Succulent team bring another queer, autobiographical, confessional piece of theatre that’s gut-busting and gut-wrenching in equal measure.
Death, grief and loss can be scary to talk about, but if we don’t - we just feel alone. And grief already makes you feel alone. It’s not all doom and gloom, though. This feel-good tragicomedy will remind you that life is a celebration and every loss you experience is an opportunity for you to grow. Drugs, sex, love, family and friendship are at the centre of this contemplative work which really puts the ‘fun’ in funeral.
The stories shared are painfully true, often painfully funny, and will hold a mirror up to your own experiences in a way that you might not expect. In their signature style, Succulent dexterously guides you through their losses from cradle to grave. Come watch them pick at a brand new scab and see what comes oozing out.
Run time - 70 mins