The Lowry

This is the outlet at the Lowry. We hadn't been here in a few years certainly long before wu flu struck.

I'd guess it's now half empty store wise. Key shops like M&S Clothing, Black & Decker, Tefal and many more all long gone. Harry Ramsden's fish & chips still there along with subway. A chicken shack of sorts, an independent Indian and a BK. The Indian has most food pre cooked and heated on order so no thanks. When there's a Harry's I'm afraid this sort of competition has no chance with me.

They used to have a spud u like but it's gone as has an ice cream parlour. The Cadbury alleged chocolate shop is still there but prices are rip off with supermarkets offering identical products much cheaper.

Costa coffee is still there and they are now advertising the fact that they are selling M&S food so at least that's quality food.

I'm not sure I'd make another trip back here but they still do the artisan market days so that would bring me back.

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.

A wonderful modern theatre in Salford at the Lowry Centre. The Lyric Theatre is the biggest of the two theatres inside of the huge Lowry Centre. It hosts many amazing plays, musicals and many other entertainment options.

I have been to see two National Theatre productions here which include the amazing War Horse and recently the Curious incident of the dog in the nighttime. It also has a couple of restaurants and cafes and amazing views to go with it. I have sat in many places in the Lyric theatre and there really isn't one bad seat plus the seats are really comfortable!

All the staff who work here are really friendly and they seem to love there job. So take a look at the Lowry website to see if theres a show coming your way soon. Even if you're not sure that you might like the theatre, give it a go you may love it!

The Lowry also hosts many art exhibitions which currently has Behind the Mask, the biggest collection of BAFTA-winning actor portraiture ever assembled, which has come to The Lowry for its first time out of London which is worth the trip out of town alone! You can easily get to the Lowry from the city centre of Manchester on one of the Metrolink trams which head towards Media City UK!

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.

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 cafe-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.

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!

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!

What a truly wonderful tribute to one of Salford's great heroes, is the Lowry Gallery. Located upstairs, within the Arts complex, it's a real pleasure to visit. From the moment you arrive, the staff are superbly welcoming and helpful. Their knowledge and enthusiasm continues throughout the rooms.


Enter the galleries dedicated to LS Lowry and you're in for a few surprises and a genuine treat. I hadn't realised quite how much I loved his work until I spent time enraptured here, recently. Far from limited to his renowned matchstick men; when you explore here, you'll relish - as I did - how much more there was to his work and the depth of his talents.


The Favourites rooms display the versatility of his talent - from his portraits to the scenes of the (local) places he loved and the lighter, brighter seascapes he created in an attempt to win over his mother. The stunning simplicity of his work shines through from pencil drawings to oils; the titles of his work tell it like it is. There is often great humour in his work too; curious touches of androgyny and recurrent themes of style and colour.


The exhibition has been brilliantly curated, from the way the paintings are grouped, to the (slightly quirky) seating areas provided. Especially in the uniquely inclusive touches, encouraging the visitor to select and comment on their favourite picture. Selected visitor (celebrity and general public) quotes appear by many works; the children's comments are particularly charming and endearing. Children are also encouraged to pick-up a free Activity Book and pencil, then to take inspiration from the artworks by sketching-away.


If you are anywhere nearby, or planning a trip to Manchester, a visit to the Lowry is an absolute must!

"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 facade 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 cafe 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'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!