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A play about ‘Purple Aki’ is coming to Greater Manchester next month
Tickets will set you back £10
A play about the bodybuilder known as ‘Purple Aki’ is coming to a Greater Manchester venue next month.
Now, many of us love to switch off after a long week at work and tune in to streaming channels such as Netflix where we can choose from a whole host of true and fictional crime stories.
We may fancy ourselves a bit of a sofa detective as we try to solve a murder without moving from the living room as we guess who the killer is before they are revealed.
The Art of Crime / The Crime of Art: Being Purple Aki – A Play is coming to The White Hotel on Thursday September 21st.
The website synopsis says: “She’s got the time, the curiosity, the resources – and a thirst for true crime. Meet AKI BROWNE – online sleuth like no other…
“A one-act play, featuring the hunt for a real-life bogeyman/racist caricature, this is an absurd journey into the obsessive world of a digital detective.
“In the wake of the reappearance of Madeleine McCann and the Nicola Bulley tragedy, it seems something inside of us loves to dig for clues. But at what cost?
“Romantic paranoia, surrealism, possession, human frailty and the desperately real need for personal reinvention. It’s all in the being. People in dreams are closer than we think.”
Michael Nath author of The Treatment says about the play: “Being Purple Aki is a supercharged drama of love, pursuit and that idea which our culture has done its best to empty of meaning, namely, ‘identity’; Collings restores meaning, fiercely, wisely, and above all, with heart.
“It made me think of an ultra-concentrated Moby Dick. The rendering of voices is magnificent and right: this is how the real world sounds! Unlike most writers in this land, Austin Collings is not in breach of the Weeds Act (1959).”
Mark Hodkinson, author of No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy, says about the play: “A bombardment of barbed wire ideas, crackpot and profound, all stirred up in a gooey mess of ectoplasm, leaving us disturbed and reassured: how’s that possible?
“In short, all that Art should ever be, always.” Starring Lucie Browne and Written & Directed by Austin Collings, this play is sure to have you gripped on the edge of your seat.
Akinwale Arobieke was born in Crumpsall, North Manchester in 1961, but achieved notoriety in Merseyside after several convictions for indecent assault.
Across the North West, Arobieke became a racist caricature known as ‘Purple Aki’ as well as an internet sensation — who asked to feel the muscles of men working out at the gym.
In 2006 his criminal activities were originally ruled as sexually motivated, but in 2016 a court order that curtailed his activities was lifted. Arobieke made a public apology for his actions and insisted they were not sexually motivated.
The Art of Crime / The Crime of Art: Being Purple Aki – A Play starts from 7pm and runs until late on Thursday September 21st. Tickets cost £10. To purchase a ticket click HERE.
The White Hotel, Salford M3 7LW.
What's On
The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Get in the festive spirit!
Get in the festive spirit with a brand new FREE Christmas makers night market, with over 40 traders and small businesses from across the region.
Brought to you by Renaker, the Manchester Made Christmas night market is coming to New Jackson, Deansgate Square from Friday December 6th to Sunday December 8th.
Following on from a successful summer market in May, the Manchester Made Market is returning bigger and better than before but with a Christmassy twist.
Manchester Made Market
Expect a ‘cosy and magical’ Christmas night market experience, with food, drink, live music and even a grotto for visits to Father Christmas.
There’ll be Christmas trees galore, glittering with lighting, with one huge show-stopping tree taking centre stage.
Bringing together over 40 artisanal traders and small businesses from across the region, the three-day event will showcase a plethora of food produce, homewares, crafts and creations.
Manchester Made Market
Visitors will be sure to find unique Christmas gifts that support local businesses, including from The Cole Men and their award winning sauces, Moon & Sixpence’s handmade jewellery, and fine art photography by Craig Barker.
There’ll be live music from a 20-piece choir, playing Christmas classics, cocktails from Manchester Gin and Gooey’s sweet treats.
The experts from Millington Hall Farm in Altrincham will be bringing a taste of their Wild Grill experience, including live sausage making demonstrations and an array of German sausages served from a festive BBQ trailer.
Manchester Made Market
Families with children can visit the Christmas grotto, where Father Christmas himself will be waiting in a cosy tipi – kids will get a gift from Santa, and bookings can be made online for £8.50 per child.
Manchester Made Market will be open from 4pm to 9pm on Friday December 6th, and 1pm to 9pm on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th – pre-register for a free guest list ticket and 50% off a hot chocolate HERE, or book the Christmas grotto HERE.
What's On
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Get in the festive spirit in Stockport!
Stockport’s free, one-day Christmas festival is returning this festive season, with 200 performers and more than 50 shows.
Spectacular Sunday will return to the town on November 17th at various sites and venues.
Following the success of last year’s event, hundreds of performers will take over Stockport, with everything from giant roller-skating presents to a living snow globe and roaming Christmas dolls.
There will also be street theatre, including grumpy Christmas grandads, a gigantic balloon man and water show.
Matthew Nichol Photography
Produced by carnival arts organisation Global Grooves and organised by Stockport Council, Totally Stockport, Merseyway and Stockport Market, the town centre will be buzzing with Christmas excitement.
Events will be happening in iconic Stockport locations like Market Place, Underbanks, Merseyway, Redrock and Suffragette Square.
A grand finale in Merseyway will bring together the brass bands of Stockport, ending the day with a huge flash mob and rendition of All You Need Is Love.
Cirq Delight
Cllr Singleton, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Sport, said: “We’re so excited to bring this event back after last year’s amazing success.
“It’s such a fun way to get everyone in the festive spirit and really shows off what makes Stockport special – our sense of community and joy.
“With loads of free performances and activities, plus a chance to enjoy the newly improved areas of Merseyway, it’s a perfect day out for families.
“Stockport’s Spectacular Sunday is all about having fun, making memories, and starting the holiday season in style.”
Spectacular Sunday is happening from 11am to 5pm on Sunday November 17th – find out more HERE.
The prestigious Manchester Art Fair is back in town for its 16th year next month, bringing with it a vibrant gallery space showcasing thousands of works from over 500 artists.
One of the biggest and most significant events in the UK art world calendar, it’ll take over Manchester Central for three days, from Friday November 15th to 17th.
The city will be flooded with art from all corners of the world, championing everything from local heroes to new emerging talent, as well as international artists with worldwide acclaim.
Manchester Art Fair
A wide range of artistic disciplines will be represented at the event, from painters, illustrators, and sculptors to graffiti artists and everything in between.
Expect exhibitions, workshops, Q&A sessions, demos, book signings and parties happening across the event.
Tickets include free access to art workshops and talks from leading artists and cultural experts, and are on sale now.
You can grab them HERE.
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The new FREE Christmas night market with over 40 traders from across our region
Free one-day Christmas festival returning to Stockport to kick off festive season
Simmons Bar opens first Northern site in Manchester with free drinks at launch party
The prestigious Manchester Art Fair is back in town for its 16th year
