Father's loyalty tested in glory-inspired show

Coliseum poster for the production of new musical Meat Pie, Sausage Roll

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OLDHAM Coliseum's spring and summer 2017 season takes in classics, a Latics musical, a glittering Bollywood show... and a return for former boss Kenneth Alan Taylor

The season opens on March 3 with a new look into Oldham's past from local writers Cathy Crabb and Lindsay Williams and composer Carol Donaldson - the creative team behind 2015's hit musical, Dreamers.

"Meat Pie, Sausage Roll" is a heart-warming new musical about family and loyalty in the year of Oldham Athletic's memorable 1990-1991 season, when Joe Royle took his men into the First Division with a last gasp win against Sheffield Wednesday.

For central character Mick, nothing matters more than Latics' promotion run but things start to go wrong when he realises the final game of the season is also his daughter's wedding day!

"Dreamers was a great night out and a story about everyday local people that really connected with our audiences," said Coliseum artistic director Kevin Shaw. "This one will continue that idea and we're excited to start working on another show made in Oldham for Oldham."

The musical is followed (April 13-29) by Bolton playwright Bill Naughton's comedy-drama "Spring and Port Wine", set in the early Sixties, in which a strict father's insistence on his daughter eating her breakfast leads to family disharmony.

The third production features Charles Dickens as you've never seen his work before: May 19-June 3 brings Stephen Jeffreys' fast-moving adaptation of "Hard Times".

Actor, director and former Coliseum artistic director Kenneth Alan Taylor makes a return to the Coliseum from June 16-July 1 in "The Father".

Written by exciting French playwright Florian Zeller, the play - which more than any before it helps an audience to understand the impact of dementia on a man and his family - has won awards in London's West End in recent times.

Kenneth Alan Taylor said: "Of all the plays I've appeared in, I think this is the most exciting. This play has everything."

Elsewhere in the season London Classic Theatre returns with its production of hilarious farce "Hysteria" (in which Sigmund Freud meets Salvador Dali) from May 2-6; while the theatre welcomes contemporary dance company Phyzzical's romantic comedy musical "Bring on The Bollywood" in July.

The theatre has also scheduled performances by the Houghton Weavers, comedians Justin Moorhouse and Dave Spikey and award-winning singer Clare Teal.