Contact Theatre Announces Autumn Season

Back with a new look, Contact continues to be forward-looking, ambitious and diverse. It's where young people transform their lives through the arts, and where audiences of all ages experience fearless original shows.

Contact's Autumn 2017 programme is no exception: it's big, bold, and as ever includes new ContACT Productions alongside outstanding touring shows. It's especially exciting that young people from our city have chosen much of what we present - for everyone.

The season kicks off literally with We're Not Really Here, a new Contact show about the beautiful game, performed by the most important people in football - the fans themselves (50 Manchester City Football supporters). Other new Contact supported productions include transgender artist Kate O'Donnell's story of transition You've Changed, choreographer Aakash Odedra's exploration of migration #JeSuis, and Jackie Hagan's new show about class, Jumble Soul.

There's half-term fun from Le Gateau Chocolat exploring alternative family units, comedy from hot new names Mawaan Rizwan and Desiree Burch, and international performance in Real Magic from regular Contact collaborators Forced Entertainment. We're also delighted that RuPaul's Drag Race superstar Jinkx Monsoon is back in two brilliant new shows including a the UK premiere of Hocum Pokem - a drag tribute to Disney's Hocus Pocus. We finish the season by re-staging last year's incredibly successful sell-out show The Siege of Christmas with Slung Low and Contact Young Company - an interactive family adventure that takes place all around our castle-y building. Come and explore!

Contact continues to be a creative powerhouse with commissioned shows I told my mum I was going on an R.E. trip... 20 Stories High and Get Around, Eggs Collective both being filmed for the BBC as part of Performance Live. Riding on the successes of last season and charging forward with this new ambitious autumn, Contact is riding high with a major building redesign on the horizon.

Contact's autumn 2017 season will go on sale at 10am on Friday 7 July in person, by phone on 0161 274 0600 or online via a brand new website contactmcr.com. Please see below for the full list of theatre, spoken word, visual art, music, stand-up and dance events from the autumn season of Manchester's theatre of the future.

Contact's Artistic Director, Matt Fenton, said "Contact's world-renowned model of engaging young people to help decide our programme ensures our shows are relevant, diverse and entertaining. The resulting programme is for absolutely everyone, no matter what your age or background. And you see that reflected in our audiences - a genuine celebration of Manchester's many wonderful and diverse communities. Our Autumn 2017 continues that radical 20-year tradition."