World Premiere of Coronation Street Musical takes place during Manchester Irish Festival

The Manchester Irish Festival is delighted that the world premiere of ‘Street of Dreams’ - a major live musical event in celebration of Coronation Street will be taking place alongside the festival this year. The spectacular event will feature faces from the street, past and present, with host Paul O’Grady.

Street of Dreams will debut at Manchester's Manchester Arena on Wednesday 21 March with the world premiere on Thursday 22 March. Tickets, priced from £25.00 - £60.00, go on sale at 9.00am Friday 9 December.

Lawrence Hennigan from the Manchester Irish Festival website said “The festival is delighted to see a world premiere for such a prestigious show being staged alongside the festival. Coronation Street has always had its fair share of Irish Mancunians and it is great to see one of our favourite Irish sons - Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) playing a major role in it. I remember Kevin opening up one of Manchester’s biggest Irish nightclub’s – The Palace in Levenshulme, when he was a singer with Irish band ‘Borderline’. The Irish community is really looking forward to seeing him perform at the 21,000 capacity Arena. The venue has staged some major Irish shows during the 17 years of the festival with Lord of the Dance, Riverdance, Oasis and Boyzone all having played shows there. It is great to have such a prestigious venue as one of our fifty five official venues.”

The Manchester Irish Festival is now in its 17th year and is already one of Europe’s biggest Irish Festival. The 17 days of Irish Culture officially start on Friday 2 March and run to Sunday 18 March, but there are a number of pre and post festival events like the ‘Street of Dreams’. The two week spectacular has over eighty venues staging just over 200 events involving Art, Comedy, Culture, Dance, Music, Theatre and Sport. Other highlights include a four day city centre outdoor Irish market and entertainment marquee, the annual 3 hour St Patrick’s Day Parade and the two week Tradfest in South Manchester.

After more than fifty years on air, Britain’s best-loved soap has a glorious heritage of unforgettable stories and iconic characters which have been handpicked and now carefully crafted into this brilliant musical event by award-winning musical writer, composer and lyricist, Trisha Ward.
Paul O’Grady will feature as the star host, guiding us through momentous events in Corrie’s history in his own inimitable style. He will bump into well-loved characters, old and new, with guest stars paying homage to famous roles, as he leads the show to a dramatic finale.
Julie Goodyear will be making a highly anticipated return to play the one and only Bet Lynch, complete with her trademark beehive, big earrings and penchant for leopard-skin. Corrie and Manchester Irish Festival favourite Kevin Kennedy, a singing star who has made a critically lauded name for himself on the West End stage since his departure from the cobbles, will return to his role as loveable intellectual stargazer Curly Watts. The effortlessly brilliant Brian Capron will resurrect renowned serial killer Richard Hillman from the dead.

Stars from the current cast, including William Roache (Ken Barlow) and Katy Cavanagh (Julie Carp), will appear alongside their former neighbours as they take a trip down memory lane, encapsulating unforgettable Weatherfield moments through 90 minutes of spectacular song and dance routines, supported by a West End cast.

The show is based upon the critically acclaimed album Coronation Street - Rogues, Angels Heroes & Fools which was released last Christmas for Coronation Street’s 50th Anniversary featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and crafted by Street of Dreams writer Trisha Ward.
Songs included in the show are Tony Warren’s iconic Opening Episode featuring Ena Sharples, Elsie Tanner & Annie Walker, Woman Stanley Woman - Hilda & Stan’s posh second honeymoon at the Savoy Hotel, He’s My Man - a catfight on the cobbles between love rivals Elsie Tanner & Bet Lynch, Norman Bates With A Briefcase - featuring serial killer Richard Hillman. Cunning Clever Crafty - Jack & Vera’s “blind date” with Jack as the suave ‘Vince Fontaine’ and spectacular Moulin Rouge homage and Sweet Butterfly featuring love-lorn knicker factory worker Sean Tully.

BAFTA winning film and stage director John Stephenson (5 Children & IT and Animal Farm), will direct the live musical tribute, which is to be staged on an ambitious scale with a spectacular set and special visual effects. A 25 piece orchestra, a West End cast and choreography from Olivier award winning Stephen Mear will complete the dazzling production which has been co-scripted by Damon Rochefort (Coronation Street and Birds of a Feather). The show will be executive produced by Kieran Roberts for ITV Studios and John Ward for Reckless Entertainment.

Paul O’Grady said: “I’m a great fan of the street! I’ve watched it for most of my life! Chunks of script from 30 years ago are engraved in my memory so to relive it all alongside unforgettable characters and talent on the stage, revisiting such iconic scenes from across the years, is just brilliant. I can’t wait to watch it all come together and the reaction it receives.”