Probably my favourite theatre in Manchester! Easy to get to and just has a really good atmosphere. Usually I would see musicals here but last week came to see Neil Warnock and he was absolutely brilliant. Circle and stalls are better seat for me personally and I think its worth paying a bit more to get a better view but overall a lovely venue read more

Real trip down memory lane I guess to a time when there were no multiplexes or glass modern venues. The facilities are a bit too old fashioned but great to visit. read more

Manchester Opera House is one of my favourite places in town for live theatre. In fact it's probably more of an enjoyable experience than going to the Palace, although any visit to see live performing arts is good in my book! We went to see the excellent 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' play starring Robert Lindsay and Rufus Hound. Even though we were in 'the Gods' it was still a really clear view of the stage and tickets were only £20 each. If you do have a fear of heights though, I'd recommend paying a bit more and sitting downstairs as it is a bit like climbing K2 at times. The layout and architecture is fantastic with lovely classic elements such as candy booths, an intermission bar and them coming round selling ice cream at the break. If you want to make a day of it then there's a few options to eat in Spinningfields and on Deansgate - we went for a lovely coffee at Caffeine and Co (1 min walk) beforehand and finished it with a cocktail and beer at Elixir afterwards. A great day was had by all and I look forward to seeing my next play at the Opera House. read more

I adore the Opera House. I went here on Thursday and was reminded of this. I love it. I went to see Aladdin (I cannot recommend it highly enough, go if you can, on until 3rd January 2010) and it was fantastic. The Opera house is a true theatre, as soon as you walk through the doors you're transported to a wonderful place of grandeur and elegance. The excitement in the air is feverish and incredibly contagious, you make your wall down into the beautifully old-fashioned theatre hall and take your seats. I love the moment when curtain goes up and everyone just shuts up. I love the respect this theatre commands. The prices obviously depend on the show but they can be very reasonable and if you shop around you can find some good deals, have a look online. We got our Aladdin tickets for £16 which was beyond good value! Prices whilst you're in the theatre are much cheaper than you'd expect, cinema prices really for drinks and snacks. Definitely worth checking out what's on here if you're visiting Manchester and looking for ideas for things to do. read more

Manchester Opera House - "Website Photo" - Performing Arts Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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A friend's boyfriend once walked out of a production of 'Cats' here - if you can see yourself doing the same, look away now. The Opera House is Manchester's home to musicals; not all of them as light-hearted as Cats but you get the picture. Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance is performing here whilst up the road at the Palace they're more likely to have Les Mis playing. If you're after heavier fare, plenty come up from London including the you-must-see-it-and-cry Blood Brothers by Willy Russell. The prices at this pre- World Wars Quay Street venue are standard theatre prices really (its a Live Nation venue) but there's very few places where you wouldn't get a good view. It had a makeover around five/ six years ago so it should be standing tall for years to come putting on classics like Oliver, Phantom of the Opera (* whispers* and Abba Forever). read more

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We are very lucky to have such great Theatres in Manchester and the Opera House is one of them. I love the grandeur and elegance of the place. It is up there with the top buildings in Manchester. Inside you are transported into this beautiful grade 2 listed building theatre which has had some fantastic touring shows from many musicals to plays which have then transferred to the west end. The seats are a little uncomfortable though and me being 6'4 it can be a bit of a squeeze. I have sat in many places in this theatre. depending on youre budget depends where you sit. the stalls are the most expensive and my personal favourite as you are as close to the actors on the stage then the circle then the cheapest seats are way up in the gods. be aware though that it can be like getting up mount everest up there in the gallery. i have sat up there a few times and really enjoyed the show. but don't intend to go up there if you have vertigo! All the ushers and the people who work here are superb and very friendly and i will be returning to this theatre time and time again to see my favourite musicals or plays which come to this stunning theatre. Just update those uncomfortable seats! read more

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What a beautiful theatre. There aren't a lot of venues of this size and scale in the city, and this one doesn't disappoint. Though, despite the ample seating, a couple of drawbacks include the small lobby where they've tried to cram concessions, souvenirs and tickets making it extremely unpleasant to navigate through. And let's not even mention the lack of toilets-- tip: go before you arrive and don't drink anything. It's also COLD. Bring a cardi. And lastly, the seating in the stalls are obstructed. I would recommend that you sit further back to get a better view of the stage, or in the first mezzanine. That said, the opera house is a sight to be seen-- terrific selection of shows, performances and very efficient service (but, would it hurt to hand out some playbills? Or is that not an England-thing?). read more

I stopped by the Opera House to see a stage production of East is East in February. While the play was fantastic the theatre itself could have been the star. The grand, old decor and winding corridors and staircases of this classic theatre really enhance the atmosphere and feeling of any live performance. Although if you have mobility issues seats on the higher levels would not be recommended, same for those with any height issues. Saying that, even in the Gods view of the stage was good and the acoustics excellent. The only two criticisms I would have are if you are sat in the first couple of rows in the top sections the balcony barriers can block your view. Also,as is common with most old fashioned theatres, personal space and leg room is non existent as seats are crammed very close together. I'd recommend an aisle seat if you have long legs, or a weak bladder! read more

Very helpfull staff. I took my mum to see a show and we was sat at the top of the theatre in the gallery. I didnt realise there was no lift when i booked the tickets. My mum broke her ankle 2 months ago and she cannot walk up and down that may stair. I would not have booked these ticket if I would have known there was no lift. I just presumed there was. I spoken to a member of staff and she got us seats in the circle where my mum only had 2 steps to go down to her seat. I was so great full for there help. We really enjoyed the show read more

Manchester Opera House - Performing Arts Near Me - Manchester, XGM

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The Manchester Opera House can, in my opinion, often get given the cold shoulder, thanks to the higher profile of its big sister, The Palace. The Opera House is wonderful. No discussion needed. It is another feather in the cap of Manchester's fantastic theatre scene, and provides an enormous range of programming, from plays, to musicals and comedy - in fact, a wider range of performances than the Palace, and the nearby Royal Exchange. The Opera House offers you the best of both worlds. I have only ever had good experiences at The Opera House, and I try to go as much as I can. Admittedly, location wise, the Opera House, is not the most central place to get to in Manchester, although, when you arrive there, it is most definitely worth the journey. The façade of the building is very attractive - more so than the other theatres in Manchester, and looks very traditional - setting the standard for the evening ahead. The auditorium is smaller than that of the Palace, and the steep raked seats can be a bit difficult to get your head around if you are not a lover of heights, but the venue is undoubtedly more intimate than the Palace, which works in its favour. The venue has several full bars, as one would expect of a large theatre, and a fairly wide range of seating. Toilets are a bit on the few side, although, sadly, with theatres, that is somewhat expected. The Opera House's profile is ever rising, and this year will receive the current touring production of Hairspray, straight from the West End. Hopefully it will mark the beginning of a successful decade for the theatre. Discounted tickets are available, and information on these can be found either on the theatre's website, or in the theatre's brochure. Discounts depend on the production. read more

I've had many enjoyable evenings at the Opera House over the years, and sat in all parts of the theatre. To give you an idea of the sort of production you might see here, I've seen The Pirates of Penzance, Evita, Never Forget, Zorro, Dame Edna Everage, and on this occasion Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The Opera House is a beautiful old theatre with bars and toilets on every level. One word of caution, if you have Gallery seats it is very high up with very steep steps. There's a clear view of the stage but the Gallery seats are very small and not comfortable for anyone of above average height or width! read more

Taking in a show. Is there anything that evokes a trip out to the city more? Sibling of Oxford Road's Palace Theatre, the Opera House on nearby Quay Street is a grand old building that houses many a pantomime and musical. With 1,920 seats and a Grade II listing status it's nothing if not breathtaking. Having opened in 1912 it's a real slice of traditional Manchester culture, and while family shows are its forte you can catch the likes of successful stand-up comedians here too, as well as ballets and concerts. Now the postmodernists would call that a blurring of high and low culture. I'd call it a successful business and be tempted to start kicking my old textbooks for not having a sense of fun. Blummin' philosophers. A bit of Opera House history for you... the thoroughly Mancunian Take That have a musical based on their discography entitled Never Forget - this show debuted here and was also filmed at this location for the DVD. As a result, the tours always premiere at the Opera House. Speaking of premieres, it's seen a fair few, including the European West Side Story debut in 1958 and that Lloyd Webber classic The Phantom of the Opera back in 1993... which was pretty tenacious, running for two entire years. But if musicals aren't quite your thing, you can catch some exceptional music shows instead. Damon Albarn's cartoon outfit Gorillaz performed their mindblowing stage show Demon Days Live at this ornate, epic venue. I was lucky enough to take in a particularly physical comedian here, the Geordie randomist Ross Noble. A big venue for a little man, but he didn't disappoint, making excellent use of the stage with a well-designed backdrop as well as running about with more energy than an athlete. At Christmas time a theatre like this is bound to banish your inner Scrooge, so gather up your kidlings or younger relatives and get yourself to a pantomime. The electric atmosphere will have you shouting 'it's behind you!' faster than you can say 'Coronation Street actor'. I've also seen Dylan Moran here, with my ma. Natch. read more

Whilst the Manchester Opera House can sometimes feel as though it's in the shadow of the Palace Theatre, to me at least, it is a real bobby dazzler of a venue. I remember being taken to see 'Cats' here with school when I was thirteen, and fell in love with the place at first site. It just seemed to be suffused with an old world glamour, with everything from the faded red velvet seats to the girls serving ice cream from trolleys hung around their necks speaking of a beautiful bygone era. Each chair even has its own binoculars, so you can peer out at the performers and pretend that you're the Queen. Despite the name, it very rarely puts on opera. What it does have though is a wide variety of different theatrical and musical performances from many of the big names in the industry. Numerous stand up comics also perform here, and their end of year pantomimes really cannot be beat. With its sumptuous interior, distinctive facade and brilliant array of performances, the Manchester Opera House truly is the jewel in the crown of the Mancunian theatre scene. read more

Forgive me while I fawn. The Opera House is a cracking venue which is a real Hollywood stunner, which really looks and feels like a theatre (if you know what I mean). The decor is really sumptuous and the big space inside makes you aware of the thousands of plays which have been hosted there in the past. One really lovely touch is the binoculars which sit on the back of the chairs. The acoustics are great and the auditorium is very comfortable (surprisingly spacious seats for a theatre, it has to be said). The variety of shows put on here is great. There's a lot of shows for children, as well as stand-up comics (from all ends of the spectrum), not to mention mental performance artists. The main draw, I suppose like any theatre, is the touring musicals which appear frequently at the wonderful, glorious Opera House. This is a must-visit place. It is a smashing place, it really is. read more

I went to the opera house on Monday with 5 friends to Not Dead Enough, it was the worst theatre experience I've ever had. Not only was the acting very poor ( I've seen much better from my local AMDRAM group). I think the actors were as embarrassed as we all were, the sound levels were very bad at least 3 of my party could only hear snatches of the dialogue, I couldn't hear everything ( I am told my hearing is very good), the other 2 said they had to concentrate on listening to the actors and so this distracted from the play. I heard this comment from other people around us. I have not given any stars to this performance as it certainly didn't deserve any. I look forward to your reply and have given you my email address for you to do this. It seems I have to give a star rating to post this review so I have given it 5 stars, where one is excellent and five is the poorest it could be. Regards Sue Legerton sue.legerton@gmail.com read more

Lovely theatre but the chairs are slightly uncomfortable.

Worst customer service , no-one picks up the 7p a minute phone and the website is so clumsy ! Fuming!

A very grand auditorium and smart inside but seats don't have much room. It's also small in the entrance so not much room to get stuff

Looks like a real theatre with it's old school, ornate, darling looks, which I kind of like and certainly acts like a theatre such are it's fine internal becomings. A spacious, wide auditorium with good acoustics and comfortable, theatre seats (unlike the Royal Exchange seats) provide the visitor with a good 'base' in which to view the ensuing entertainment. Many differing shows have passed and are about to pass through the doors of the Opera House and there's usually something for everyone's taste (or distaste) here. From Noddy (yup...I was drafted in to see Noddy with my daughter once) to performance artist Matthew Barney's show for the Manchester International Festival last year (featuring the bull, the car and the ladies...). Footloose the Musical (what else?!) is on in November but I'm afraid the Take That fans (Take Thatties?) will have to wait till April next for 'Never Forget' the take that musical. read more

This was my first visit to M O H. I went to see lord of the dance with my wife two weeks ago , don't normally go for that kind of thing but found it to be entertaining. as for the venue its got a bar and snack kiosk on each level, circle is best view , seats are like cinema's not much legroom, it was also very warm no jumpers required . read more

Having visited the Opera House in Manchester for over twenty years to see a variety of productions, I have never yet experienced a bad night and have thoroughly enjoyed my evening at the theatre. The atmosphere has always been good and the performances have always been of a high standard. Parking in Manchester isn't too bad, but it can get busy and so make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to travel, park and get to your seats, as often there are many people queuing to get inside the theatre and you want to enjoy your theatre evening and not be in a constant rush. read more

Manchester Opera house was everything I hoped for and more. I had seen Cecilia Bartoli previously at a much larger venue and had been disappointed with the sound quality in the hall. In Manchester it was a different story. You could hear a pin drop in that hall, and Cecilia's voice carried beautifully all the way to the back of the room. I did not have to strain to hear, and I could relax and enjoy the evening. It's also a tremendously beautiful building, and I spent the intermission wandering around soaking it all in. I would love to go back and see another recital there. read more

The Opera House needs to accept, that since it was built (turn of Century I think?) people are just bigger these days, so to assure people return again and again, the venue urgently need to replace the very narrow and uncomfortable seating urgently with wider seats. I appreciate this may reduce the venue's capacity, but may ensure fuller shows. read more

the opera house is the sister venue to the palace theatre, it is an ornate theatre with a capacity of 2,000. as well as musicals, ballet & dramas there are also one off events from comedians, singers etc. i have been many times, most recently to see russell brand & its always a great night. read more