SOME HIGHLIGHTS...
Collab - MIKE GARRY
SAT 27 JUNE 19:30-21:00 £17.50 DIDSBURY BAPTIST CHURCH £17.50/£14.00 CONC.
Mike Garry is a renowned Manchester poet. He has toured the world with John Cooper Clarke for over 15 years, written four books and delivered his unique style of poetry workshops in thousands of schools, colleges and prisons. He is a qualified librarian and a Doctor of Education and loves reading poetry to people who don't like poetry.
His collaborations with Philip Glass, New Order and Orbital have seen poetry and music brought together in a completely new way, whilst his sold-out performance at DAF 2023 with The Cassia String Quartet was described by Mike Joyce of The Smiths as "Breathtaking". With all this in mind, Mike returns for DAF2026 with this unique event unveiling brand new works composed and performed in collaboration with some special guest musicians... It promises to be a night to remember!
Trouble, Struggle, Bubble and Squeak - VICTORIA MELODY
THU 2 JUL 19:30-20:30 DIDSBURY BAPTIST CHURCH £14/£10 CONC.
Award-winning theatre maker and “Fringe legend” (Time Out), Victoria Melody joined a historical re-enactment society… because we all deal with divorce differently! What started as a personal search for happiness turned into a quest to find the radicals of today. She didn't expect to find them far from the battlefield, right on her doorstep.
Blending storytelling and stand-up, past and present collide in this tale of high jinks and resistance. Directed by Mark Thomas, this celebrates the ordinary people still shaping history.
A joyful testament to people power ★★★★The Guardian, A moving and inspirational comic call to arms ★★★★The List
Handle with Care - ONTROEREND GOED
SUN 28 JUN 17:30-18:45 ST CATHERINES COMMUNITY CENTRE £12/£8 CONC.
A theatre performance in a box. No actors, no technicians. Just a box. And you. The instructions are clear: Invite a group of people, on a specific night, at a specific time. Let the audience take their seats. Place the box at the centre of the stage. The audience is waiting. An audience member stands up and opens the box. The show has started.
From the Hong Kong Arts Festival to the Milan Triennale and Wow Festival San Diego, this Belgian theatrical composition has been wowing audiences across the world since it premiered in November 2025. Now it’s Didsbury’s turn…
Inner Voices - MANCHESTER COLLECTIVE
THU 2 JUL 19:15-21:15 BROOMCROFT HALL, FORD LANE £22.50
A unique chance to experience Manchester Collective's distinctive programme which crosses borders, bringing together ways of making music that are not usually seen or heard together. At this one-off event, Artistic Director, Rakhi Singh explores what she hears as the inner voices of the music.
The Collective quartet will be joined by poet, John McAuliffe, reading poems which share the Collective's interest in surfacing what might otherwise be invisible, in the act of close listening. You're invited to enjoy the lovely Broomcroft Hall gardens and to picnic on the lawn, before the performance. Drinks/refreshments available. Gates open 5pm. Doors open 6.30pm.
MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL ROOTS ORCHESTRA
FRI 3 JUL 20:00-21:30 EMMANUEL CHURCH £16/£12 CONC.
A wonderful musical journey around the world, with Eastern Europe Roma, Kurdish, Egyptian, Iranian, Indian music and more. The Manchester International Roots Orchestra (MIRO) is a unique ensemble of musicians with roots from across the world including refugee musicians.
This live show will include diverse musical influences, from haunting Eastern European melodies to the delicate textures of Middle Eastern percussion and vocals; through to soulful Sufi chants of South Asia and joyful African gospel – embracing rap, hip-hop, classical music and jazz along the way.
A Citizens' Assembly - ANDY SMITH
TUE 30 JUN 19:30-20:50 DIDSBURY BAPTIST CHURCH £12/£8 CONC.
We are the citizens! This is our assembly! We are the actors in this story! What are we doing about the climate emergency? What are we not doing? What more should we be doing? Be part of the story and join the debate with A CITIZENS' ASSEMBLY, by acclaimed theatre maker Andy Smith created in collaboration with applied arts practitioner Lynsey O’Sullivan.
‘Smith’s optimism is infectious’ Total Theatre.
Developed with the support of The Dukes Theatre Lancaster, The Social Responsibility Fund and The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at The University of Manchester.
Visibly Speaking - CHRIS JAM hosts
MON 29 JUN 19:30-21:00 THE ALBERT CLUB, WEST DIDSBURY £10/£8 CONC.
Hosted by poet, radio presenter and DJ Chris Jam, long term pillar of Manchester’s spoken word scene, this stella showcase features four distinct voices. Lauren Foster blends humour and high-energy storytelling proving poetry’s accessibility to all. Anthony Briscoe delivers sardonic, absurdist performance poetry complete with dad jokes and rogue moments. Completing the lineup, Jenny Pilkington explores sexuality and small-town life with grounded, self-deprecating wit.
Together, they offer an inclusive, light-hearted, and eclectic journey through the power of the spoken word.
Breakages - CHRISTINE ENTWISLE + Manchester Community Choir
SUN 5 JUL 19:30-21:30 DIDSBURY BAPTIST CHURCH £12/£8 CONC.
Darkly funny and delicately observed, Breakages weaves three related monologues into a portrait of middle aged women navigating obsession, loss and invisibility. A lanyard worn to bed, the wreckage of cherished things, the growth of strange new body parts: award-winning playwright Christine Entwisle captures lives both absurd and painfully real.
Breakages will feature a local mystery guest in the third monologue.
The evening will end with a short concert by Manchester Community Choir, a diverse group of acapella singers who love singing a mix of songs, reflecting their respect for all people, and a belief in freedom, fairness and peace.
Building of Spines - QUARANTINE
SAT 27 JUN – SAT 4 JUL OPENING TIMES DIDSBURY LIBRARY FREE
Over the week in Didsbury library, Quarantine artist Kate Daley will hand make a book based on conversations with people in the library. The text is shaped by local writer Teresa Brayshaw. The finished book then enters the library’s collection for future readers. A beautiful object, carefully made, the book is an alternative portrait of the library, the people who use it and the knowledge it holds.
This is a project by internationally acclaimed Manchester-based artists Quarantine, whose work across performance and other forms deals with the politics and aesthetics of contemporary experience and how we relate to one another.
