The Lowry

I generally find Salford Quays a soulless space despite the added attractions of Media City. The Lowery is its exception for me. An accessible space with enthusiastic staff and volunteers to guide your journey.
I’m used to visiting the Lowery to see grand touring productions of one sort or another but on this visit saw its role in teaching and education. I was invited to the final year Showcase of Arden Colleges Musical Theatre BA course attended by agents, casting directors and a talent spotters. An exciting event in an exciting venue. The bar afterwards was a relaxing experience in a large modern well designed environment that added a tough af after show class.

One of my favourite corners of Manchester — the architecture around here is unrivalled. The Lowry being no exception! I make a point to try and visit a few times a year, most recently this week to watch The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-​Time (which I would also give 5 stars to, in a heartbeat). This venue is just exceptional — great views no matter where you sit, fantastic friendly staff who really go above and beyond, lovely bars and bar areas inside. Even the intervals are well handled with several pop-​up snack bars to accommodate everyone. If you’re interested in local culture head in to their gift shop too — some fab quirky gifts in there!

There is an excellent electronic art exhibition on at the moment, featuring several very talented artist displaying there works in the electronic medium, there are lots of interactive pieces including the ghostly camera one which renders you in black and white silhouettes (check out my pic)
It was loads of fun. Along with this exhibition are the classic Lowry paintings and a chance to create your own interpretation of a classic, check out my fine example, all in all well worth going to and its FREEEEE!!! Anyway got To go I think I hear a call from the Tate modern wanting to display my work…

Register for ticket alerts & snap them up for £10 if you are quick & don’t mind making last minute bookings. This doesn’t always mean you will be sat at the back — I was at Dawn French in Dec ’14 & we were sat in the circle with a perfect view. What a great deal — makes the theatre so much more accessible to people on a budget.

I’m always a bit ashamed at how little time I spend in the vicinity of The Lowry — it’s a nice area of Manchester, with plenty to wander around on a lazy weekend. I’ve recently visited twice and hope that this new trend continues!
The first was to see the BAFTA exhibition ‘Behind the Mask’, which was located upstairs in the changing-​exhibition space, next to the section of the Lowry pieces. It’s a small area, but they do very well with its odd shape; the pictures were very striking and worth seeing if it appears in a gallery near you. I believe the space has now been taken over by some giant ants, which sounds like it has to be seen to be believed…
We’ve also been to see the National Theatre’s production of the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, which was very moving and an amazing example of the power one can create with a simple but interactive set. During the intervals the bars became understandably very busy, though they had additional points where you could buy refreshments, which allowed the crowds to disperse quickly. Staff on the doors were also very good at showing latecomers to their seats without disturbing everyone else in that section.
The taxi rank outside and tram stop a short walk across the bridge means it’s easily accessible by public transport, perfect for us city centre dwellers.

The Lowry Theatre is a fantastic modern theatre on the Salford quays, next to MediaCityUK.
Inside the Lowry there is a few places to buy food and drinks, information on activities that are going on in Salford area and there is a box office to buy tickets to see theatre productions. All the West End productions often make an appearance and Wicked the musical is one of them come in later this year along with Stomp to name but two!

A great theatre facility with several theaters under one roof. The largest is the Lyric Theatre and modern with great acoustics and comfortable seats… Yes comfy seats! Woop woop!!! There is a costa coffee inside and a full bar service. In the neighbouring mall lots of restaurant choice too. Great location with the tram (Metrolink) stop of MediaCityUK on the doorstep.

Nice art but there wasn’t much to look at to be honest. It took me only 15 minutes to admire Lowry’s art (just on one floor) which was disappointing. I expected more and since it was a hot day outside I thought they would switch on the AC but it was soo humid and warm inside.
However, at least it was admission free :)

I’ve been to the Lowry quite a few times since moving to Manchester. It’s a great pace to come and see Comedians, the tickets are usually quite cheap and they always have a wide variety of things going on from plays to exhibitions. Most nights when I’ve been they’ve had multiple events on, due to the amount of theatres they have this causes no problems and there’s enough space for everyone!
Throughout my visits here I think I’ve pretty much sat everywhere within the theatre and I must say I’ve always had a good view no matter what tier and even the floor seats were fine. If you are a little on the short side like myself there is always a risk of getting a tall person/​someone with big hair obstructing your view! but there we go, that’s not the venue’s fault!
My only problem with this venue is during the intermission everyone rushes out to the small bar and you have to wait ages for a drink, given that you may only have 15 minutes, there’s a chance you might not even get served so that’s the only thing really! The drinks are a little expensive also, but they tend to be at venues, it cost us £6ish for a pint and a lemonade.
oh and It’s really easy to get to from the city centre and surrounding areas which is a cheeky bonus!

Overall, the Lowry galleries are a little disappointing and the two sets of visitors I have taken there also seemed underwhelmed, so much so that I probably won’t take anyone else unless it’s for a performance [UPDATE: I saw an operetta here performed by the fabulous Opera della Luna and it was GREAT — really nice staff ushering and at the bar as well].
Two main issues:
1) The collection of Lowry paintings, sketches and other material is outstanding. The works are luminously beautiful. However, the space is pretty terrible. Some of the rooms are particularly awful — cramped, dark red rooms, dark lighting so that you can barely see the paintings/​cast your own shadow over them. They need rooms with higher ceilings, light walls and more space to appreciate each piece, in my opinion. Perhaps there is some curatorial reason for doing it like this but as a uninformed member of the general public I can’t imagine what.
2) The two other exhibitions I’ve seen there have been a bit sub par. I love galleries and am rarely disappointed by any exhibition, however one in particular really lacked interest — it sounded like it was going to be about local music history, which would certainly be a rich subject, but it was really about various random Mancunians reminiscing about this one time they met someone famous. Maybe they were trying to do something different but I did not think it came off well.
All this said, if you like Lowry this is a must see because his paintings are just about the best thing ever.

Never really looked at any Lowry before but I very much enjoyed the ‘Favourites’.
Compelling works with a lovely blend of simplicity, abstractity and precise observation.
Well worth visiting and coming back more than once.

Good for: Living up to it’s ‘Vision is to be the most successful Arts Venue in the world’
Bad for: Living up to it’s ‘Vision is to be the most successful Arts Venue in the world’

Very nice theatre named after the artist Lowry and it seems that the British flock here and admire the artist. Didn’t know that Manchester people love Lowry so much until going here. It’s right across the street from MediaCityUK.

I don’t really know how to write a review on a place like the Lowry, but I’ll try.
The theatres are theatres, but clean with enough leg room. Its a great venue for comedians of which I have seen three here, and also dance shows.
The Lowry exhibit is fab, but the best part of this place is the part next to Lowry’s exhibit which changes every couple of months. Most of the displays I have seen here over the past couple of years have been photographs. And they are free to see but they do ask for donations. Even if you aren’t interested in photographs or art you get a good view over the new Media City across the way. (See not a good review).
The food at the bar is excellent but be warned it gets extremely busy on show nights — obviously.
Salford residents can get a Lowry Card which gets discounts to certain performances and discounts in the bar and coffee shop.

Must be visited. Great and lovely place which offers a big variety of shows! Located near of the quaysnew place very well made!

«You wot? You want to walk to the Lowry from here? Nah mate. Get on the tram! It’s too far. Not to mention it’s Salford.»
«Here» was the Manchester Cathedral, where this passer-​by saw me studying my handwritten directions to The Lowry. I had my DSLR in my hands, and his comments were to the effect that it wouldn’t be in my hands much longer had I continued on my way, especially as his intonations for «Salford» was as if I was about to head into Mordor.
But if there’s anything I learned from living in New York for 1.5 years, it’s to walk with purpose and look like you know exactly where you’re going, even if you have no bloody idea. No one will screw with you. Granted, this scheme so far in Manchester has instead prompted pedestrians and drivers alike to ask *me* for directions, so maybe looking confused and up at buildings while holding a giant map in my hands is a better strategy after all.
ANYWAY (sorry), I contentedly ignored the concerned Mancunian’s advice and marched into Salford in quest of The Lowry. After many detours due to road closures which had me backtrack a number of times and walk through a whole collection of council estates, I finally reached the Salford Quays and soon stood in front of The Lowry itself.
Architecturally, I appreciated its steel façade and odd assortment of shapes, curves, and angles. A very tame, much less fluid version of the Guggenheim in Bilbao, so to speak. Inside, however, the place was a bit more underwhelming. Part of my march down to the Quays was specifically to catch the Warhol exhibit since I’d seen it advertised all over town, but the galleries were obviously not the focus of this venue. The theatre was, but even the entrances to that didn’t seem designed too well. Where one should go once entering the building wasn’t all that intuitive or well marked. I did eventually find the galleries up the escalators, however, and enjoyed the three exhibits:
1) Nadav Kandar’s celebrity portraits were a great intro to the galleries. Really well done portraitures of David Lynch, Spike Jonze, Morrissey, Ian McKellen, etc. And, on a cultural education front, from this exhibit I also learned that Take That are back! (granted most other visitors seemed much more enthused about their portraits than I was — apparently being from the States I’m missing something here).
2) Warhol & The Diva — Great series of Warhol’s works, mostly on loan from the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
3) The L.S. Lowry exhibit — Honestly, I knew absolutely nothing about L.S. Lowry before coming to Manchester. But going through this exhibit I’ve definitely become a admirer of his work. His style with the sketches and paintings, the stories behind them, and all their ties to his life in Manchester were pretty fascinating. As a newcomer, it definitely gave me an interesting creative perspective on the city’s past, especially as what I observed walking around the Salford Quays was anything *but* the past.
Afterwards, I was feeling hungry (having walked through Salford after all) so I looked at the offerings of the Lowry’s café as well as its restaurant. Neither menu looked all that inspiring, so I left to hunt for a meal elsewhere. And as I walked out, two photographers with loads of equipment set up were standing in the courtyard in front of me. I apparently walked into a wedding photo shoot, as all the wedding guests were whooping and clapping on the balcony over my head, and the bride and groom were patiently standing behind me, smiling and waiting for my internal light bulb to go off so I’d discreetly walk away. Whoops!
All in all, I’ll give the Lowry 3.5 stars but I’ll round up higher for now. Not sure yet if collectively what’s offered inside (including a lot of purple) matches the potential of what you’d think is in there, but the galleries were definitely bright spots and I’d recommend them to others. Would I go back to check out the theatre and catch a show? Probably. But I’ve got a lot of Manchester to explore ahead of me, so who knows when that’ll happen.
4 Stars (including my walk through Salford)

I love the Lowry for several reasons.
Firstly, it is a fantastic theatre. Located outside the city centre in Salford Quays, it doesn’t quite get all the big commercial productions and musicals but it does have some absolutely fantastic productions, some of which I have been incredibly lucky to see and always at a great place. The theatre is blackbox style so it lends itself to any production, it’s very modern and has very comfortable seating too. Prices are very reasonable and transport from the city centre is very easy via the Metrolink tram. They also have a huge amount of parking based just accross the pavillion at the Lowry Designer Outlet.
Obviously the Lowry is predominantly an art gallery, not something I’m hugely interested in myself but I have recommended it to people who are and they’ve always said good things.
The other thing about the Lowry is that is also an event space too. I went to a charity ball here last year and it was absolutely amazing. We started with a champagne reception in one of the galleries which was very unique before moving upstairs to our suite which was at the top of the iconic building, overlooking the quays on a beautiful summer evening. The wall to wall windows made it so you had panoramic views as the sun went down, it was spectacular. The service provided was fantastic, the food was great and we raised a ton of money for charity so it really was a great night. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking to host an event/​special occasion in the city, it suits all needs.

#Memories, light the corners of my miiiind…#
Sorry, I’m getting all nostalgic today. And Meet the Fockers made Barbra Streisand extremely cool so don’t mock me. Come on, she played a character who wrote a book called ‘Is Your Vagina Happy?‘
I’ve had many life-​affirming moments in the Lowry Theatre over on Salford Quays. I’m not a giant fan of the Quays themselves, as apart from the Imperial War Museum there doesn’t seem to be very much to get excited about, but this space station of a building is very dapper and despite the strange, childrens’ television-​esque colour scheme inside, chances are you’ll see a great production in here.
My mother and I went to watch The Duchess of Malfi, a play by one of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Christopher Marlowe. Conspiracy theorists mull over whether or not they were the same person, and if Marlowe is real, that’s distinctly unfair as the poor chap has been eclipsed by Will throughout history (that said, the fact that I typed ‘if he is real’ kind of stamps all over my point). It’s a superb play, absolutely heartbreaking and tragic, the kind that stays with you for a long time. This adaptation was spot on, slightly modernised and made excellent use of the theatre space and the lighting.
I also got to walk the stage myself when I graduated. Graduating’s a weird anti-​climactic experience, when you think of how stressful university can actually be, then you have your degree under your belt and it’s kind of… unnerving. But it was a spectacular venue in which to wear my cap and gown, and my grinning little face clutching my first class honours certificate says plenty about the pleasant day I had — they set the whole thing up for us stunningly.
My third venture to the theatre takes us in a completely different direction. I went to see the outstanding Mighty Boosh live show here, a pantomime-​style performance utilising bizarre costumes and superb effects… sheesh, I thought, you could almost take kids to watch it. In fact some folks seemed to have taken that advice literally as my Irish housemate was sat next to a ‘wee lad’ and almost wanted to cover his ears when the Hitcher character started his potty-​mouthed tirade about what he wanted to do with the severed heads of Vince and Howard. Errrr, perhaps not quite a kids’ show then… just because there’s a talking gorilla doesn’t mean it will suit young ears.
I do think this is a great theatre though, and if a show I like the look of comes to this particular venue I won’t think twice about booking it. The staff are friendly and can point you in the right direction, which is handy as all those primary colours start to blur into one incomprehensible Magic Eye painting after a while. And that’s not because of booze, let me tell you. A glass of champers was £6 at my graduation. How very dare they! I got a hard-​earned first! They should have been paying ME to drink THEIR champagne by the bottle-​load.

The Lowry is one of the flagship venues of the city of Salford and its very modern, angular design sits nicely alongside the Imperial War Museum and soon to be accompanied by BBC’s MediaCity to make this area a centre of cultural excellence.
Although I had seen one theatrical performance here a couple of years ago, I was here only last week for my graduation ceremony so got to enjoy the food on offer at the restaurant found on the ground floor over looking the water front.
The venue is massive although if you are up on the top gallery it’s a bit of a steep view overlooking the stage. The food in the restaurant was very nice –sounds bad doesn’t it, nice. But it was, the lamb was a little over cooked for my personal taste but was very delicious while the Nicoise salad was very tasty, a good portion of Tuna steak and delicious dressing.

In third year I was totally pov’d, and had to hand out flyers to pay for my fags and gin. On one such flyering trip, I had to hand out flyers for the Opera, outside the Lowry, because there was a performance of the Russian Kirov Ballet’s Don Quixote on, and obvio, ballet people are opera people.
Standing on the huge concrete forecourt, bothering people with my shiny pieces of card, I was deeply jealous of the ballet-​goers. Then I handed a flyer to a lovely woman and her flamboyant young friend.
Me: La Boheme at the Oper House?
She: OOOOH, fantastic!
He: Oh I love the opera!
Me: (caught up in the gayness of it all) Me too!
She: Well, are you coming to the ballet?
Me: Oh I wish!
He: But dahhhhling, remember, we have that extra tiiicket because you got a press-​pahhhhhss!
She: Oh! You must come with us!
Me: I am the happiest I have ever been. Thank you, wonderful people.
It was a truly wonderful night. The ballet was incredible, and the Lowry was the perfect venue.
I think… I thiiiiink, I have experienced every performance space here. I have certainly been in the big one, the medium one and the really tiny one. Are there more? I’m not sure. I’m recalling another space, but I might just have been on a different level of the big one…
Anyway, all the spaces are comfortably seated, with great views throughout. Strangely, I have managed more than once to get the best seats in the house, for Simon Amstell, the tickets for which I booked verrry late, and for Patrick Wolf, where we were standing at the back as we’d gotten guest list for street-​teaming for support act Lightspeed Champion, and we noticed some EXCELLENT seats going begging. I enjoyed Mr Wolf singing a heartbreaking rendition of Joni’s ‘River’ from what was almost a Royal Box.
The Lowry books a wide and varied variety of acts and performances, from niche amateur dramatics (from the Uni, par example) to large scale productions of Calendar Girls etc. Some of it will not be to your taste, but I embrace the excellently varied programme of events. There’s something for everyone here.
As well as performances, The Lowry has a great gallery space and a programme of events. Plus, you can join a club and be a Friend, and support this excellent arts venue.

Matchstick men
Matchstick women
Cobbled streets
Coal mines
Factories
& Industrial buildings
These are some of the themes that you’re likely to see if you wander around the Lowry Art Gallery. An impressive space above The Lowry’s café-​bar and theatres, it includes a permanent space devoted to the drawings and paintings of renowned local artist TS Lowry. As well as 350 pieces of work, there’s a specially commissioned film screened every day and short guided talks at 12am and 2pm.
Until the end of January, there’s also a great exhibition featuring Maggi Hambling’s wild and wonderful paintings of the North Sea. Having seen some of these exhibited in Kendal last year, they really have to be seen to be believed. We’re talking big crashing waves in intense blues, greys and greens on giant canvases.
Even better, admission to both exhibitions is free and if you go out of school hours you probably won’t have to queue either.