Oldham Coliseum Theatre Announces Spring/Summer Season 

Oldham Born. World Bound. 

We’re delighted to announce Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s Spring/Summer season – a bold, borough-wide programme that puts Oldham’s people, stories and creativity right at its centre. 

While refurbishment continues at our Fairbottom Street home, the Coliseum is very much alive. This Spring and Summer, our work reaches far beyond a single building and into the places where life already happens: studios and schools, galleries and libraries, chapels, shopping centres, community rooms and outdoor spaces across Oldham. 

This season marks a new chapter for the Coliseum. It’s a programme shaped with the town, not just presented to it. Alongside theatre, comedy and live music, you’ll find workshops, pop-ups, conversations and community gatherings – moments where audiences, artists and neighbours come together to make culture collectively. 

Martina Murphy, Chief Executive Officer of Oldham Coliseum Theatre, says: 

“This Spring and Summer, we open our arms wide – inviting you into a Coliseum that’s shifting, growing, and slowly revealing the shape of its future. Creativity lives beyond the walls of any-one building, and this season is about artists, neighbours and audiences meeting in shared spaces across the borough. This isn’t just a season – it’s the warm-up to the future.” 

What’s on this Spring and Summer? 

The season includes the return of the sell-out Oldham Comedy Club, bringing top stand-up talent back to the town, alongside powerful visiting work such as Census by award-winning duo Malandra Jacks – a funny, intimate and defiant love letter to working-class communities. 

We’re proud to showcase work rooted in Oldham too. ÌLỌ́YÁ … Let the Journey Begin, written and performed by Oldham-based Nigerian artist Oluwasegun Lafup Ogundipe, explores migration, identity and belonging through music, drumming and storytelling. New writing also takes centre stage in Smoke & Mirrors, while Craft Brew offers audiences a first look at brand-new performance ideas from emerging Oldham artists.  

We’re excited to kick off our first partnership with Manchester Jazz Festival, bringing boundary-pushing, inclusive jazz to Oldham. The season opens with Leeds-born quartet Vipertime, whose fierce blend of jazz, afrobeat, and post-punk will ignite Whittles. Next up is a dynamic double bill: Lullaby Sonic Cradle, weaving ethereal, experimental soundscapes, and Her Revolution, a bold, politically charged ensemble blending improvisation with storytelling. Expect two unforgettable nights of innovation, energy, and fresh talent spotlighted in the heart of Oldham’s music scene. 

Families are warmly welcomed this season, with joyful pop-up performances including Khooghi, a magical music and storytelling experience and a taste of what’s to come as we build towards Khushi Festival 2026. 

Alongside the shows, we continue our commitment to artist development and creative exchange. Events like Culture & Chips, participatory projects such as Tentacles, and workshops alongside performances invite audiences to step inside the creative process and help shape the future of their theatre. 

Every conversation, workshop and shared experience feeds directly into our long-term vision for the Coliseum’s return to Fairbottom Street – as a reimagined producing house that is brave, open, accessible and deeply rooted in the life of Oldham. 

This Spring/Summer season is a bridge: from the Coliseum that was, to the Coliseum we’re building together. 

Our Spring/Summer programme takes place across venues throughout the borough. 👉 Explore the full season and book tickets at coliseum.org.uk/whats-on/