Word of Warning (hÅb)

WEEKLY WARNING: read today’s guide to the bizarre, beautiful, and best new #performance in #manchester + beyond… (Published Fri 15 May at 11am) INCLUDES → @sick_festival at both @contactmcr and @the_lowry (27–30 May) → #evileyes by @nu.melissandre.varin at @contactmcr for #worksahead (28–29 May) 🔗 READ ONLINE at wordofwarning.posthaven.com (link in profile) 📰 READ BELOW… “THIS WEEKEND, Aviva Studios has ENO’s Angel’s Bone until Sat 16 May; and Sale Waterside has Sanjay Lago’s Love Me Like a Chai Tea Latte on Fri 15 May; while on Sat 16 May 53Two has Funeral Teeth; and New Adelphi has VERVE. “NEXT WEEK (w/c 17 May) Contact has Split Ends on Tue 19 and Wed 20 May. “Further afield, Harry Clayton-Wright’s Mr Blackpool has its homecoming gala at Blackpool Grand on Wed 20 May. In Leeds, Toussaint to Move’s Windows of Displacement is at Yorkshire Dance on Fri 22 May; and Bobak Champion’s I’m Muslamic Don’t Panik! is at Slung Low’s Warehouse on Sat 23 May. “THE FOLLOWING WEEK (w/c 24 May) the pace in Mancunia really picks up! Our focus is on the first of two Works Ahead outings: n:u (melissandre varin)’s evil eyes at Contact on Thu 28 + Fri 29 May. Meanwhile, Lowry has Double Bill: Voyage & Hakkõ on Tue 26 and Wed 27 May. HOME has Shechter II’s In The Brain (27 -30 May) and YES YES NO NO’s Nation (28-30 May). SICK! has Krishna Istha + Geetha Shankar’s Second Trimester at Lowry Wed 27 + Thu 28 May; and SICK! has on Fri 29 + Sat 30 May, a screening of Hannah Ballou’s (I) Miss America, and In Bed With My Brother’s Philosophy of the World at Contact. Come on Friday (29th) and you can catch those AND n:u (melissandre varin)’s evil eyes all in one go! Also on Fri 29 + Sat 30 May Le Gateau Chocolat’s Spirituals is at Lowry. “Beyond Mancunia, Leeds Playhouse has Perfect Show for Rachel (28 May - 6 June). “Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @warnmcr for short-notice performances. “NOTES FOR ARTISTS — the cut-off (to apply for) for the next Social Experiment (on 11 June) is Monday 25 May” #weeklywarning

🧿 evil eyes 🧿 a performance-ritual from @nu.melissandre.varin at @contactmcr 📅 28 MAY, 7.30pm / 29 MAY, 6.30pm 🔗 worksahead.org (link in profile) 🎟️ Pay What You Can: £10/£5/£2 (book via @contactmcr ) #evileyes A new work-in-development from n:u (melissandre varin), presented by Word of Warning + Contact for Works Ahead 2026… ‘evil eyes’ directly confronts the power dynamics embedded in gaze. The evil eye is a belief, found across many cultures, that someone can cause harm just by looking at you. Some believe that it is put upon us by others, while some believe that it comes from our own pride. Instead of ignoring or repulsing the energy of the evil eye, this performance-ritual demands its mobilisation and transmutation. Shadows and unprocessed energies are welcomed, acknowledged, and transformed — with both hands. Attuning to ancestral and contemporary rituals around the evil eye, n:u (melissandre varin) traces the contours of emotions and energies that transcend binaries of good and evil. You are invited to enter this performance-ritual experimenting with ancient cosmologies: Vodún figures of the twins, Celtic folklore, and African knowledge systems. ARTIST n:u (melissandre varin) is an atmosphere-maker with a practice rooted in Congolese, Guadeloupean, and Beninese heritages. Building upon (more than) human, cross-border collaborations, they unearth ancestral ceremonies to be with change. They play with unexpected pairings between materials, bodies, and concepts — disrupting colonial binaries and dominant narratives. CREDITS Works Ahead 2026 commissioned by hÅb and Contact; produced by hÅb; supported using public funding by Arts Council England @aceagrams . Project Mentor: Peader Kirk @peaderkirk ‘evil eyes’ Artistic Direction, Concept, Performance, Choreography, Scenography: n:u (melissandre varin) @nu.melissandre.varin Performer: Liz Ord @lizrord Spiritual Advisors: a Seer in Senegal; a Vodún priest in Benin Audio Contributions: Peader Kirk; n:u (melissandre varin) Special thanks to Aïssatou Ciss, Leila Bencharnia. #worksahead2026 #artistdevelopment #contemporaryperformance #liveart.

NEW WORKS AHEAD… three artists commissioned with @contactmcr to develop their work this year are: @nu.melissandre.varin @nathanbirkinshaw @lisaf0rd Our annual sample of new performance returns to Contact with works-in-development from n:u (melissandre varin) in May and Nathan Birkinshaw in June; Lisa Ford is also developing an idea for future presentation… 28 & 29 MAY n:u (melissandre varin) — tickets via @contactmcr 11 JUNE Nathan Birkinshaw — guest appearance in #socialexperiment 🔗 wordofwarning.org (link in profile) 🦺 WORKS AHEAD 2026 ARTISTS n:u (melissandre varin) @nu.melissandre.varin 📷2 A performance-ritual, ‘evil eyes’ directly confronts the power dynamics embedded in gaze. n:u is an atmosphere-maker with a practice rooted in Congolese, Guadeloupean, and Beninese heritages. Building upon (more than) human, cross-border collaborations, they unearth ancestral ceremonies to be with change. They play with unexpected pairings between materials, bodies, and concepts — disrupting colonial binaries and dominant narratives. Nathan Birkinshaw @nathanbirkinshaw 📷3 ‘How To Be Content’ is an exploration of contentment, led by a man brimming with mediocrity. Nathan is a performance artist, comedian, and theatre-maker whose work blends humour with the explorations of being human and the general absurdity of what comes with that responsibility (or lack thereof). With an unhealthy obsession with the internet, you’re just as likely to find him there as well as showing work in theatres, back rooms of pubs, and having work appearing on BBC Radio. Lisa Ford @lisaf0rd 📷4 …is developing ‘Four rows back and on the other side of the aisle’ Lisa is a theatre-maker and dramaturg, she takes threads, some yours, some hers, some found in streets, in shop doorways, or in libraries. Often the threads are words and images or conversations with people, she weaves these together to create a fabric of collective feeling. 🚧 Works Ahead 2026 commissioned by hÅb and Contact; produced by hÅb; supported using public funding by Arts Council England @aceagrams . Project Mentor: Peader Kirk @peaderkirk #worksahead2026 #artistdevelopment #contemporaryperformance #liveart

EXPERIENCE NEW LIVE ART LATER THIS MONTH 🧿 evil eyes directly confronts the power dynamics embedded in gaze… 🧿 A new work-in-development at @contactmcr from @nu.melissandre.varin for Works Ahead 2026. 28 MAY, 7.30pm 29 MAY, 6.30pm 🔗 worksahead.org (link in profile) 🎟️ Pay What You Can: £10/£5/£2 (book via @contactmcr ) EVIL EYES The evil eye is a belief, found across many cultures, that someone can cause harm just by looking at you. Some believe that it is put upon us by others, while some believe that it comes from our own pride. Instead of ignoring or repulsing the energy of the evil eye, this performance-ritual demands its mobilisation and transmutation. Shadows and unprocessed energies are welcomed, acknowledged, and transformed — with both hands. Attuning to ancestral and contemporary rituals around the evil eye, n:u (melissandre varin) traces the contours of emotions and energies that transcend binaries of good and evil. You are invited to enter this performance-ritual experimenting with ancient cosmologies: Vodún figures of the twins, Celtic folklore, and African knowledge systems. ARTIST n:u (melissandre varin) is an atmosphere-maker with a practice rooted in Congolese, Guadeloupean, and Beninese heritages. Building upon (more than) human, cross-border collaborations, they unearth ancestral ceremonies to be with change. They play with unexpected pairings between materials, bodies, and concepts — disrupting colonial binaries and dominant narratives. CREDITS Presented by Word of Warning + Contact for Works Ahead 2026. Works Ahead 2026 commissioned by hÅb and Contact; produced by hÅb; supported using public funding by Arts Council England @aceagrams . Project Mentor: Peader Kirk @peaderkirk ‘evil eyes’ Artistic Direction, Concept, Performance, Choreography, Scenography: n:u (melissandre varin) @nu.melissandre.varin Performer: Liz Ord @lizrord Spiritual Advisors: a Seer in Senegal; a Vodún priest in Benin Audio Contributions: Peader Kirk; n:u (melissandre varin) Special thanks to Aïssatou Ciss, Leila Bencharnia. #evileyes #worksahead2026 #artistdevelopment #contemporaryperformance #liveart.

A PERFORMANCE. A RITUAL. AN INVITATION… #evileyes by @nu.melissandre.varin at @contactmcr 28 MAY, 7.30pm 29 MAY, 6.30pm 🧿 A new work-in-development from n:u (melissandre varin), evil eyes directly confronts the power dynamics embedded in gaze. 🔗 worksahead.org (link in profile) 🎟️ Pay What You Can: £10/£5/£2 (book via @contactmcr ) … The evil eye is a belief, found across many cultures, that someone can cause harm just by looking at you. Some believe that it is put upon us by others, while some believe that it comes from our own pride. Instead of ignoring or repulsing the energy of the evil eye, this performance-ritual demands its mobilisation and transmutation. Shadows and unprocessed energies are welcomed, acknowledged, and transformed — with both hands. Attuning to ancestral and contemporary rituals around the evil eye, n:u (melissandre varin) traces the contours of emotions and energies that transcend binaries of good and evil. You are invited to enter this performance-ritual experimenting with ancient cosmologies: Vodún figures of the twins, Celtic folklore, and African knowledge systems. … n:u (melissandre varin) is an atmosphere-maker with a practice rooted in Congolese, Guadeloupean, and Beninese heritages. Building upon (more than) human, cross-border collaborations, they unearth ancestral ceremonies to be with change. They play with unexpected pairings between materials, bodies, and concepts — disrupting colonial binaries and dominant narratives. CREDITS Presented by Word of Warning + Contact for Works Ahead 2026. Works Ahead 2026 commissioned by hÅb and Contact; produced by hÅb; supported using public funding by Arts Council England @aceagrams . Project Mentor: Peader Kirk @peaderkirk ‘evil eyes’ Artistic Direction, Concept, Performance, Choreography, Scenography: n:u (melissandre varin) @nu.melissandre.varin Performer: Liz Ord @lizrord Spiritual Advisors: a Seer in Senegal; a Vodún priest in Benin Audio Contributions: Peader Kirk; n:u (melissandre varin) Special thanks to Aïssatou Ciss, Leila Bencharnia. #worksahead2026 #artistdevelopment #contemporaryperformance #liveart.

WEEKLY WARNING: read today’s guide to the bizarre, beautiful, and best new #performance in #manchester + beyond… (Published Fri 8 May at 11am) 🔗 READ ONLINE at wordofwarning.posthaven.com (link in profile) 📰 READ BELOW… “THIS WEEKEND, at Lowry is Nine Sixteenths on Fri 8 May (and at Slung Low, Leeds on Sat 9 May) and Period Drama on Sat 9 May. Also on Sat 9 May Manchester Collective x Thick & Tight’s Papillons is at RNCM; while Chorlton Arts Festival (9-21 May) kicks off including The Potato War at The Royal Oak. “Elsewhere it’s still all dance with Phoenix Dance’s Interplay at Liverpool Playhouse on Fri 8 May; Emergence’s Triple Bill at The Dukes, Lancaster on Sat 9 May; LEAP has a Takeover: Scratch at Shakespeare North on Sat 9 May, and Hofesh Schechter’s In The Brain is at the Riley Theatre, Leeds on Sun 10 May. “NEXT WEEK (w/c 11 May) focus seems to be on Greater Manchester: Aviva Studios has ENO’s Angel’s Bone 12-16 May; Oldham Coliseum has P Burton Morgan’s Running Commentary at George St Chapel on Wed 13 May; Sale Waterside has Johnny Woo’s Suburbia on Thu 14 May and Sanjay Lago’s Love Me Like a Chai Tea Latte on Fri 15 May; while 53Two has Funeral Teeth on Sat 16 May. “THE FOLLOWING WEEK (w/c 17 May) Contact has Split Ends on Tue 19 and Wed 20 May. “Further afield, Harry Clayton-Wright’s Mr Blackpool has its homecoming gala at Blackpool Grand on Wed 20 May. In Leeds, Toussaint to Move’s Windows of Displacement is at Yorkshire Dance on Fri 22 May, and Bobak Champion’s I’m Muslamic Don’t Panik! is at Slung Low’s Warehouse on Sat 23 May. “Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @warnmcr for short-notice performances. “NOTES FOR ARTISTS — the call for Haphazard, all ages Live Art at Z-arts in July, is open (deadline 5pm today, Friday 8 May) — and the rolling call for Social Experiment (next edition 11 June, deadline Monday 25 May) remains open” #weeklywarning

A Lizzy Bennet moment ✨ @hclaytonwright Mr Blackpool is in the building (in multiple forms)! Don’t miss out on Salford’s best bank holiday night out with Mr Blackpool at Lowry tomorrow! Tickets going fast 🏃

WEEKLY WARNING: read today’s guide to the bizarre, beautiful, and best #performance in #manchester + beyond… (Published Fri 1 May at 11am) INCLUDES → @hclaytonwright ’s Mr Blackpool at @the_lowry on Saturday (2 May) → @leapdancefestival across #liverpool City Region (to 9 May) 🔗 READ ONLINE at wordofwarning.posthaven.com (link in profile) 📰 READ BELOW… “THIS WEEKEND, for us it’s all about the extraordinary Harry Clayton-Wright’s Mr Blackpool at Lowry on 2 May — ‘cabaret, magic, dance, and drag, this is cultural archaeology and satire at its campiest, presented in lurid technicolor and garish seaside spectacle’. “Further afield, in Liverpool LEAP has Queer Moves on 1 May and Akeim Toussaint Buck’s Windows of Displacement on 2 May, all at Unity. Also in Liverpool Roy Claire Potter’s Comms Fail is at Bluecoat on 2 May. Much further afield GIFT is in Gateshead 1-3 May. “NEXT WEEK (w/c 4 May) SICK! has Dan Dawes’s Exxy at Lowry on 6+7 May. Also at Lowry is Nine Sixteenths on 8 May (and at Slung Low, Leeds on 9 May) and Period Drama on 9 May. Also on 9 May Manchester Collective x Thick & Tight’s Papillons is at RNCM; while Chorlton Arts Festival (9-21 May) kicks off including The Potato War at The Royal Oak. “Elsewhere it’s all dance: Verve’s Triple Bill at Leeds Playhouse on 6 May; Phoenix Dance’s Interplay at Liverpool Playhouse on 8 May; Emergence’s Triple Bill at The Dukes, Lancaster on 9 May; LEAP has a Takeover: Scratch at Shakespeare North on 9 May; Hofesh Schechter’s In The Brain is at the Riley Theatre, Leeds on 10 May. “FOLLOWING WEEK (w/c 11 May) focus seems to be on Greater Mcr: Aviva Studios has ENO’s Angel’s Bone 12-16 May; Oldham Coliseum has P Burton Morgan at George St Chapel on 13 May; Sale Waterside Arts has Johnny Woo on 14 May and Sanjay Lago on 15 May; while 53Two has Funeral Teeth on 16 May. “Keep checking our News + Information page for more pointers to opportunities and show videos online, and @warnmcr for short-notice performances “NOTES FOR ARTISTS — the call for Haphazard, all ages Live Art at Z-arts in July, is open (D/L 8 May) — and the rolling call for Social Experiment (next edition 11 June) remains open” #weeklywarning

CALLING LIVE ARTISTS: we’re seeking engaging, playful, quirky ideas with @z.artsmcr for #haphazard2026 — a free afternoon of #liveart for all ages on Saturday 11 July 🔗 INFO via wordofwarning.org (link in profile) ✴️ PROPOSAL DEADLINE: Friday 8 May, 5pm 🟨 Haphazard is our frequent foray into ‘all ages’ Live Art, with intriguing images and offbeat oddities dotted around and about Hulme’s historic Z-arts building. 🟨 Artists are now invited to submit Haphazard 2026 proposals: this is not Live Art for children, but Live Art for ALL AGES — and we mean from tot to timeworn, 8 months to 80 years — so work should have appeal for adults and children alike (even if the kids need to explain it to the adults!) 🟨 From experience, what works best are big surreal images, interesting repetitive movement, and nothing too text heavy. We have access to a number of spaces within Z-arts, and work immediately outside the building may also be possible. Durational, intervention, and ‘come and go’ work seems to work the best — we’re not really looking for sit-down theatre shows. 🟨 Haphazard 2026 presented by Word of Warning + Z-arts; produced by hÅb with Z-arts; supported using public funding by Arts Council England, and by Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority. @warnmcr @z.artsmcr @aceagrams @manchestercitycouncil @greatermcr 📷 images from Haphazard 2025 at Z-arts: Puppetfingers @puppetfingers Shannon Mulvey @smperformanceart Madame Zucchini @madamezucchini Orla Collier @orla.collier Aimee Williamson & TurnAround Dance Theatre @aimeelilywilliamson @turnarounddance #liveartforallages #allagesliveart #artsopps

THEATRICAL EXTRAVAGANZA — see @hclaytonwright ’s new show on Saturday night at @the_lowry 🗼 Mr Blackpool is an end of the pier show at the end of the world from multi-award winning theatre maker Harry Clayton-Wright. ℹ️ Saturday 2 May, 8pm at Lowry 🎟️ book via @the_lowry (link in profile) 🔗 wordofwarning.org (link in profile) 🟪 CREDITS Presented by Lowry + Word of Warning on 2 May. A new show from Harry Clayton-Wright. @hclaytonwright Performed by Harry Clayton-Wright, Aysh de Belle, Sam de Belle, and Blake Rainey. @aysh.de.belle @samdbelle @blakeyrainey Created in collaboration with Oliver Gregory, aka Miss Titty Kaka, with Aysh de Belle and Sam de Belle, and with contributions from Blake Rainey. @legsatsea @titty_kaka Costume Design: Ryan Dawson Laight @laightyboyy Sound Design: Oliver Gregory @legsatsea Lighting Design: Simon Booth @si_booth Stage Management: Noah Sumptions @noah_sumptions Movement Direction & Dramaturgy: Darren Pritchard @darrenpritcharddance Dramaturgy: Scottee, Ursula Martinez @scotteeisfat @ursulamartinez Rehearsal Producer: Catherine Mugonyi @microwavedrama Magic Consultant: Scott Penrose @scottpenrosemagician Sign Writing: Lisa Wigham @two_am_press Featuring Interview Contribution by Millie Bracewell aka Millie B @mtothebmusic Produced by Sally Rose with Lee Smith for Marlborough Productions @sallychar @producerlee23 @marlboroughproductions Executive Producers: David Sheppeard and Harry Clayton-Wright @sheppearddavid Commissioned by Marlborough Productions and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. @marlboroughproductions @attenboroughctr Supported using public funding by Arts Council England. @aceagrams Initial research and development supported by Marlborough Productions, Shoreditch Town Hall, Homotopia, Cambridge Junction, The Old Electric, and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. @shoreditchth @homotopiafest @cambridgejunction @theoldelectric Images: Matt Crockett 📷 @mrmattcrockett #cabaret #magic #dance #drag #satire.

NEXT SATURDAY experience @hclaytonwright ’s tongue-in-cheek theatrical extravaganza at @the_lowry ‘Mr Blackpool’ 2 MAY, 8pm at Lowry An end of the pier show at the end of the world from multi-award winning theatre maker Harry Clayton-Wright. 🔗 wordofwarning.org (link in profile) 🎟️ book tickets via @the_lowry (link in profile) 🟪 CREDITS Presented by Lowry + Word of Warning on 2 May. A new show from Harry Clayton-Wright. @hclaytonwright Performed by Harry Clayton-Wright, Aysh de Belle, Sam de Belle, and Blake Rainey. @aysh.de.belle @samdbelle @blakeyrainey Created in collaboration with Oliver Gregory, aka Miss Titty Kaka, with Aysh de Belle and Sam de Belle, and with contributions from Blake Rainey. @legsatsea @titty_kaka Costume Design: Ryan Dawson Laight @laightyboyy Sound Design: Oliver Gregory @legsatsea Lighting Design: Simon Booth @si_booth Stage Management: Noah Sumptions @noah_sumptions Movement Direction & Dramaturgy: Darren Pritchard @darrenpritcharddance Dramaturgy: Scottee, Ursula Martinez @scotteeisfat @ursulamartinez Rehearsal Producer: Catherine Mugonyi @microwavedrama Magic Consultant: Scott Penrose @scottpenrosemagician Sign Writing: Lisa Wigham @two_am_press Featuring Interview Contribution by Millie Bracewell aka Millie B @mtothebmusic Produced by Sally Rose with Lee Smith for Marlborough Productions @sallychar @producerlee23 @marlboroughproductions Executive Producers: David Sheppeard and Harry Clayton-Wright @sheppearddavid Commissioned by Marlborough Productions and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. @marlboroughproductions @attenboroughctr Supported using public funding by Arts Council England. @aceagrams Initial research and development supported by Marlborough Productions, Shoreditch Town Hall, Homotopia, Cambridge Junction, The Old Electric, and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. @shoreditchth @homotopiafest @cambridgejunction @theoldelectric Image: Matt Crockett 📷 @mrmattcrockett #cabaret #magic #dance #drag #satire.

NEXT SATURDAY experience @hclaytonwright ’s tongue-in-cheek theatrical extravaganza at @the_lowry ‘Mr Blackpool’ 2 MAY, 8pm at Lowry An end of the pier show at the end of the world from multi-award winning theatre maker Harry Clayton-Wright. 🔗 wordofwarning.org (link in profile) 🎟️ book tickets via @the_lowry (link in profile) 🟪 CREDITS Presented by Lowry + Word of Warning on 2 May. A new show from Harry Clayton-Wright. @hclaytonwright Performed by Harry Clayton-Wright, Aysh de Belle, Sam de Belle, and Blake Rainey. @aysh.de.belle @samdbelle @blakeyrainey Created in collaboration with Oliver Gregory, aka Miss Titty Kaka, with Aysh de Belle and Sam de Belle, and with contributions from Blake Rainey. @legsatsea @titty_kaka Costume Design: Ryan Dawson Laight @laightyboyy Sound Design: Oliver Gregory @legsatsea Lighting Design: Simon Booth @si_booth Stage Management: Noah Sumptions @noah_sumptions Movement Direction & Dramaturgy: Darren Pritchard @darrenpritcharddance Dramaturgy: Scottee, Ursula Martinez @scotteeisfat @ursulamartinez Rehearsal Producer: Catherine Mugonyi @microwavedrama Magic Consultant: Scott Penrose @scottpenrosemagician Sign Writing: Lisa Wigham @two_am_press Featuring Interview Contribution by Millie Bracewell aka Millie B @mtothebmusic Produced by Sally Rose with Lee Smith for Marlborough Productions @sallychar @producerlee23 @marlboroughproductions Executive Producers: David Sheppeard and Harry Clayton-Wright @sheppearddavid Commissioned by Marlborough Productions and Attenborough Centre for the Creative Arts. @marlboroughproductions @attenboroughctr Supported using public funding by Arts Council England. @aceagrams Initial research and development supported by Marlborough Productions, Shoreditch Town Hall, Homotopia, Cambridge Junction, The Old Electric, and using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. @shoreditchth @homotopiafest @cambridgejunction @theoldelectric Image: Matt Crockett 📷 @mrmattcrockett #cabaret #magic #dance #drag #satire.