This is a cracking little theatre that really does not get the credit it deserves. It's well run…read moreand the staff are very friendly. i've seen many productions here and while it's not the west end (it's Chesterfield!) I've enjoyed every one! Give it a go.

I went to see the Pitman Painters here and it was nice to see a play which is about a group of…read moreartists that formed in a small mining town in another small town, felt slightly closer to the source than I would say in central Manchester or London. It's not the most amazing play or production I've ever seen but it was funny and interesting (I did not know anything about the Ashington Group before I went). The theatre is a good size for a small town as it doesn't take too many people to fill it up but there's still a generous staging space. As others have said the staff are very nice and the toilets hilariously small! I'll definitely keep an eye out for more things on here, it's really easy to get to with the tram stops Oldham Mumps and Oldham Central nearby.

Visited the lovely Oldham town centre recently- we had got off the bus at the main station and were…read morelooking for the Coliseum. And no-one knew where it was and I mean, we asked four or five different people. Thank god it was on the bus stop map (and we were headed in the right direction anyway) because none of the other signs thought to point to it until we were almost at the door anyway. We quickly discovered that the only people who visit the Oldham Coliseum, at least for the dark melo-drama that we were viewing, are pensioners. Who probably wouldn't be out at night unless going to a play... The theatre itself is surprisingly big - you see it from the street and imagine it quite cosy inside but it does look quite impressive lit up at night, banners waving in the wind. There are stalls and a circle (almost empty when we went) and an impressively large stage. Let down a little by their little refreshments and programme stand as soon as you walk in and tiny, not very nice toilets. The staff were really friendly as we picked up our tickets, pointing out the aisle for our seats and as we were leaving. All in all, an old school venue for some good old fashioned fun (that could do with a lick of paint).

Last night we attended Labyrinth in concert at the venue. We were in the upper balcony, centre…read morestage. There were two women on the back row being disruptive, loud and one of the women had clearly had a lot to drink. We asked them politely to keep the noise down and this fell on deaf ears (probably because they were too loud to hear it). Their behaviour was ruining our experience so once the show came to the interval, we found two members of staff and alerted them to the situation. At this point another patron came up to us and advised the staff that they were unhappy with the two women's behaviour too, and that a group of people had left because of the two women and that multiple people had already asked to move seats because of the disruption. We were told by the staff that a supervisor was on the way, no supervisor ever materialised. We were told that the two women would be spoken to. We watched as the two staff members went to where the women were sitting but did nothing, the disruptive women were never spoken to. The interval was almost over and our party of four did not want to spend the second half next to the badly behaved women and it was clear that the staff were going to do nothing about them. We were offered to move seats to the end of balcony on the left side of the stage, but we felt this view was restricted and not as good a view as our previous seats. We asked if we could move downstairs where there was multiple four seats available but were told we could only stay in the balcony area. I feel this was astonishingly poor customer care, that we felt penalised for the behaviour of others. We lost better seats, lost half of the performance whilst the women who were causing the disruption were allowed to carry being awful to everyone around them, spoiling people's experience and never being questioned. When we were leaving the venue, I went to retrieve my ticket for my umbrella which had been taken aside by a member of staff. There were no staff around for me to hand my ticket to and then I saw that my umbrella alongside other people's belongings had been left on a table where anyone could take these and walk off with them. I then found a member of staff by the doors and asked her who I could speak to about making a complaint. I was met with a stony faced woman who just said 'there's an email address on the website', no 'I am sorry to hear that' no shred of customer care or anything, just a poor end to a terrible experience. I feel incredibly aggrieved that each ticket for our party cost £48.64 each, we spent a total of £194.55 for a night that was ruined by the behaviour of two people and that the staff were aware that these two women were ruining the show for multiple people yet their response was to move everyone else and leave the offending people to continue to act appallingly with no comeback.

I have been to a number of concerts here and like the venue. There isn't much parkig nearby and…read moreunless you get there early for an event, you have to park quite a way away and walk. The venue is just the right size to be able to get a good view even at the back of the hall. The sound also carries well in there unlike some bigger venues. They seem to attract quite a lot of bands, particularly older bands who can still attract a good crowd. There are numerous bars in the city hall, all of which are quite expensive but no more so than other event venues. There are also icecream sellers. It's also seems that you don't have to queue for the loo for hours unlike at the bigger venues.

We saw Lee Evans at this arena and was not that impressed with the facilities or the…read morelayout of the arena itself. The carparking is ample and if needed there is a complex opposite the arena where you can easily walk to and park your car. The staff are very helpful, but the disabled facilities are dire and you have to be able to walk a fair distance from the car park to reach the lift, where you still have to wait until the people let you in, can be over an hour behind people who are not disabled. Apart from that, the usual food is not great, over priced along with the extortionate drinks, but the seating is fine, and the stage is ample.

Over the years, I've seen many events here - the first time I was inside the Arena was for a…read morefurther education fair not long after it opened, but over the years I've seen concerts, ice hockey, a horse show, indoor football, wrestling, trade union conferences and so on under its roof, so its certainly a diverse venue. I'm told by people in the music industry that the acoustics in the building are amongst the best in the country. It always sounds good, and has the added benefit of not being deafeningly loud either. Another thing in its favour is the parking - I've never had any problems finding a spot in the car park or general area, simply by getting there early enough, and getting out again at the end of an even isnt anwhere near the hours long slog you can experience at other venues such as the O2 or Wembley. Sheffield needed a venue like this at the time - the only other real alternative back in the 80s was the City Hall, and that was unsuitable for many of the events you can see at the Arena. Almost 20 years later (!) its still a very well looked after and premium concert and events venue.

The Lantern Theatre is 120 years old and whilst that puts it at being the city's oldest arts venue…read moreit is by no means the shiniest, the biggest or even the best. However what it does have (by the bucket-load) is charm, novelty value (oh yes it does) and a clear cut nod to lovers of late-Victorian architecture. The interior feels like a lazy Goth decorator drunkenly made his mark and, despite it being a tight squeeze, The Lantern possesses a surprisingly alluring ambiance. If you want good quality theatre - fringe, mainstream or otherwise - at an affordable price then give The Lantern a shot. Facilities: Licensed cafe bar bar and drinking area Outdoor drinking area Toilets Disabled facilities (toilets/seating)

Beautiful building, good organisation, reasonable prices- a competent theatre. My only complaint is…read morethat 6 feet of me has some difficulty even fitting into the seats, never mind trying to be comfortable in them. Short of a tidal wave of cash sweeping away the old chairs, I will stand at the back from now on.

I have been a few times to see the pantomime which is on every year. We are going to see the Wizard…read moreof Oz this year and can't wait. Every year there is a different pantomime and the prices are okay. The price of the bar is resonable but in the interviles it can be quite a wait to get served so order before the show starts.

Small and cosy theatre in heart of the village, showcasing local talent. Home of the Honley…read morePlayers, who perform a pantomime and 3 or 4 other plays each year. My favourite (aprt from the hilarious pantomimes) is the Murder Mystery evenings, where the audience, watches a play and then in groups of 6 they work out 'who dunnit' before the cast return to the stage to solve the mystery and award the prizes. Included in the very cheap ticket price is a glass of wine and some nibbles, and you can buy more wine at 50p a glass! Local school children and scouts & guides also perform in the theatre from time to time. Parking right outside the Theatre can be very difficult, but it isn't far from the car parks in the village centre. And of course, you can always walk!

A great place to go and watch live bands…read more The Octagon Centre is part of Sheffield University's Student Union, and plays host to a number of large bands each year. It is easily accesible by, tram, bus or car.

The Octogan Centre is Sheffield University Students Union's largest venue and regularly plays host…read moreto well known bands. In the past few years I have seen bands such as the Manic Street Preachers and Idlewild play at the Octogan. The main arena is quite large and due to it's size the atmosphere is great - but only when it is full. There is also a lounge around one side of the arena which is good if you are not interested in the support acts and want to chat. As well as live music, the Octagon hosts a club night on Friday, however I find that the size of the room has an adverse affect on the atmosphere. As a Student's Union venue drinks are very reasonably priced, even for gigs.