MIF13: Masque of Anarchy & Urban Splash
On Sunday Night it was great to see Maxine Peake in the Glass House on Festival Square. She had just wrapped up a performance of Masque of Anarchy, which premiered at MIF to great reviews, and was enjoying, I believe, a glass of Prosecco to celebrate. The Masque of Anarchy is based on the famous poem of the same name by Percy Bysshe Shelley about the Peterloo Massacre, and was interpreted for the stage by director Sarah Frankcom of the Royal Exchange Theatre. The battle that took place at St Peter’s Field, Manchester, is a hugely important part of the City’s history. You can read more about Maxine’s performance here. It was also great to have Tom Bloxham MBE from Urban Splash in the Glass House celebrating his wife Jo’s birthday. Tom is also the Chancellor of the University of Manchester. He and his wife were enjoying our Burger and Sushi combos! We’re nearly at the end of the festival but there are still plenty of events to attend and plenty of time to come down to festival square for food and a drink! View the MIF program here to see what’s on and follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the action at Festival Square....MIF13: Kenneth Branagh in Macbeth
After almost two weeks at Manchester International Festival, after so many dishes, after every requirement that been asked of us, and after the enormous amount of effort the team and I have put into the event (which I don’t mind!), I finally managed to see a couple of events at the festival. It’s good to feel the real heart of the festival, which of course is the shows. I was fortunate enough to be in the front row of Macbeth last night to watch Kenneth Branagh and a whole host of wonderful actors and actresses. The venue is spectacular and the whole play takes place in four inches of mud! I was in such close proximity to the play that I almost felt like I was part of the action. And the evidence was clear to see with my blood and mud-splattered shirt when the final bow was taken. What a wonderful, extraordinary and powerful piece of theatre – considerably more interesting than any West End play I’ve seen. No wonder the tickets are in such demand. My wife and I had started the evening with some casual dinner on Festival Square – Rice Krispy fish fingers with tomatoes, brown rice and green mayonnaise, and Grilled Bream, summer couscous, pepper and tomato sauce were just a couple of the specials on our menu. A pint of Thwaites Wainwright after the show finished the night off. Another early start this morning – an 8 o’clock breakfast for 60 that brought me back to reality. Soft brioche buns with our homemade sausages, tomato and chargrilled mushroom finished with Heathcote’s brown sauce...MIF13: Gary Kasparov vs. The Machine
It was a balmy evening last night and it was nice to see so many people came down to Festival Square to enjoy the warm weather. Many attendees of last night’s Goldfrapp concert visited after the show to sit down with a glass of wine and one of our special Heathcote’s gourmet burgers. Among them was Craig Potter, keyboard player in the Mercury award-winning rock band Elbow. The cast and crew of The Machine also visited. The Machine is a play about chess legend Gary Kasparov’s 1997 defeat to the IBM supercomputer Deep Blue, and it premiered at Manchester International Festival earlier this month. You can read more about it here. They were enjoying glasses of rose whilst dancing away to Rob Da Bank’s DJ set. Other festival-goers last night included a smattering of students who have just graduated from University in Manchester. They seemed to be having a great time! Over the past three weeks we’ve had great support from our brewery, Thwaites, who delivered some wonderful cask ales including the specially brewed Festival Ale that we’ve tapped and vented ready for tomorrow – our last evening on the square. It’s been a fantastic festival. Check our what’s been happening on the MIF programme here. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to keep up with the action at Festival Square....MIF13: Haçienda and Factory Records
Saturday Night on Festival Square was fantastic. Festival goers were treated to an amazing atmosphere with wonderful food and drink and brilliant music. Dave Haslam, the legendary DJ who made his name with over 450 sets at the Haçienda in Manchester, performed in the Pavilion Theatre. Dave told me he loved our Tuna Burger – he’s a Pescetarian – and our selection of Fentiman’s Botanical Beverages, particularly the Lemonade and Ginger Beer. Whilst Dave was DJing, I also managed to speak with Peter Saville, the graphic designer responsible for many of Factory Records CD covers and record sleeves. As we talked about food outside, Dave’s last track, Love Will Tear Us Apart Again by Joy Division, started playing and Peter was dragged into the Pavilion by a crowd of people. Peter designed many of Joy Division’s album and single covers, including the cover for that single. He was pushed next to the stage with Dave and sang along for what seemed like about 10 minutes straight! Dave Haslam is performing again this Saturday – you can find more information here, and you can see a full guide for upcoming events at Manchester International Festival here. Join in our conversations about Manchester International Festival on Twitter and Facebook....10% Student Discount
Students can now enjoy The Olive Press Preston's authentic range of Italian pizzas, pasta and grills for 10% off their usual price. Just book in advance and bring a valid NUS card when you visit us. Terms & conditions apply. See link below for details.