Ian Cheeseman celebrates the thrill of theatre in his home city and talks to West End star Adam Strong about villains, festive fun and why Manchester audiences are the best in the business.
As someone who was born in Manchester, I’m a proud Mancunian. It’s my city and it’s the centre of the universe. As a fan of theatre (and Manchester City), I’m blessed with the very best in my home town. Yes, there’s the West End and Broadway, but Manchester has the Opera House and Palace Theatre, which stage some of the finest entertainment you’ll ever see.
I’ve been lucky enough, just in recent years, to attend the very first performances of Back to the Future, &Juliet, Ghost, A Knight’s Tale and 13 Going on 30, just to name a few. All the top shows visit either the Opera House or Palace Theatre — and we also have one of the very best pantomimes anywhere on the planet.
When Jason Manford and Ben Nickless team up on stage, I’d challenge you to name a better pairing. They are hilarious. This year they’ll be joined by one of the biggest stars of the West End, Adam Strong, who I recently saw playing Clopin in the concert version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Prince Edward Theatre. Adam’s voice is amazing.
He’s probably best known for playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show or Jafar in Disney’s Aladdin, but he’s also starred in We Will Rock You, Jesus Christ Superstar and Rock of Ages, to name just a few.
He’s excited about appearing in Robin Hood during the upcoming festive season — not least because it’ll only be a two-hour drive to his home in Sunderland on Christmas Day — but of course, as he told me, that’s far from the only reason he’s looking forward to spending some time at the Opera House.
“Manchester is one of my favourite cities and the producers usually put me in a city down south. My last panto was in Southampton but I still got back for Christmas, even though it was a six-hour drive. I love Robin Hood because my sister was in it as a kid and I became obsessed with the show. I used to say the Sheriff’s lines in the living room to my mother. It’s not the first time I’ve played that part and last year I was the Dame so I just assumed that was what I was doing. In this year’s show I’m playing the villain, like I did as Jafar, so back comes the evil laugh.
“This version of the show is not a reworking of other scripts of Robin Hood, it’s written around the five of us (Jason Manford, Ben Nickless, Landi Oshinowo, Sarah Vaughan and me). When I was in Aladdin I noticed that southern audiences tend to be more reserved. Manchester is going to be the most theatrical experience at Christmas. We’ve got Tina down at the Palace, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Lowry, Young Frankenstein at the Hope Mill, Singing in the Rain at the Royal Exchange and I’ve got friends in everything, which makes it extra special.
“The different styles of venue, like the Opera House versus the Royal Exchange, make it the best place to visit for theatre.”
Adam Strong clearly speaks my language and it sounds like he loves the Manchester theatre scene as much as I do.
Robin Hood is at Manchester Opera House from Saturday 6 December to Sunday 4 January 2026.