‘A Play in the City’ will stage concept restaurants and immersive residencies in the city centre
When I interviewed Sam Buckley from Where The Light Gets In back in July and asked him what plans he had in the near future, he was lively but tightlipped about “something very exciting we’ve got coming up”.
I can now see what he was so excited about.
Where The Light Gets In will be making the trip up the road to Manchester city centre from November to March to stage ‘A Play in the City’, described as "a unique four-act programme that combines food, art, and urban living into an engaging narrative journey."
The programme spans five months, from November 2024 to March 2025, and will feature concept dining, panel discussions, workshops, film screenings and exhibitions, "designed to question our own contributions to the landscapes of the urban and the rural and encourage an open dialogue to reflect on the balance between urban development and environmental resilience."
If you’re still unsure what this entails, here’s a breakdown of the four ‘acts’ and what to expect.
Act 1: "A MAN EATING A LEG OF CHICKEN"
SCENE: A bustling Metropolis.
When: Thursday to Saturday, 21st November to 21st December 2024, 17:00 - 23:00
Where: Altogether Otherwise, NOMA, 6-10 Hanover St, Manchester M4 4BB
What: We raid the cellars of WTLGI to bring you our favourite natural wines from the continent. Gorge on shellfish and whole animals roasted over wood. Weekender takeovers from our favourite labels and record shops. Welcome to your now. Welcome to the city.
How: Free entry, no reservations
ACT 1 events highlights (running alongside):
- Opening night party: Living Room Dance Club 21st November 2024, 17:00 - 00:00
Honest shop. Thursday, Friday & Saturday 12:00 - 16:00.
Act 2: THE LAND OF COCKAIGNE SCENE: A fast food restaurant.
When: Tuesday to Sunday, 7th January - 2nd February 2025. 17:00 – late
Where: The Bungalow at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL
What: A conceptual fast-food diner. Churning out wood-fired burgers, ice cream floats and spritzy grape juice. It’s self-service counters, name tags and sauce udders. Eat in or take away using our automated telephone service. Grab a tray and find a seat, welcome to the future of convenient feeding: fast-paced and unlimited choice.
How: Head to www.exploretock.com/wtlgi/ to reserve your seat, or order a takeaway for collection on our phone line. Open for walk-ins also.
ACT 2 event highlights:
- Film screenings. Altogether Otherwise
- DATE TBC Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint – Q&A with Douglas McMaster & Sam Buckley
- DATE TBC WTLGI X SILO MEAL
- Manchester Utopia - The Modernist walking tour
ACT 3: Une semaine de bonté (A WEEK OF KINDNESS)
SCENE: A pleasant garden; simple and sufficient
When: Tuesday to Sunday, 4th February - 2nd March 2025. 17:00-late
Where: The Bungalow at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL
What: A clean and well-lit restaurant dressed with the beginnings of Spring. We offer a moderate choice of simple dishes carefully prepared with ingredients selected for their freshness and relevance to the time and place. A thoughtful selection of wines from small-scale producers.
How: Head to www.exploretock.com/wtlgi/ to reserve your seat. Open for walk-ins also.
Act 3 event highlights:
- Panel discussion on the history of communal green spaces.
- Open Call for Manchester Chefs: Master Whole Animal Butchery with Samuel Buckley and Marcus of Littlewoods Butchers, followed by a meal for EatWell.
- TRIAGE: A Pickling walk-in centre. Drop in with your veg and we’ll help you to preserve it. 12-2 Friday.
- Film screening: Altogether Otherwise
- Urban Foraging Walk & Litter Picking: A guided exploration of local green spaces, teaching participants to identify and gather wild edibles. Pick a bag of litter, get a glass of wine on us.
Book tables with a stranger - In this act we encourage discussion and conversation around the dinner table. It is often the non-tangible delights that arouse pleasure and satisfaction.
Act 4: LUNCHEON OF THE BOATING PARTY
SCENE: A long wooden table in the middle of a garden.
‘And if one day my wisdom should desert me - ah, it loves to fly away! - then may my pride too fly with my folly’
When: Tuesday to Sunday, 4th March - 30th March 2025. 17:00-late
Where: The Bungalow at Kampus, Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3GL
What: Join us for a banquet to celebrate the finale of our residency in Manchester. Guests will sit at one long table and enjoy an array of dishes designed to eat family-style. Platters of vegetables, meats and fish will adorn the centre of the table. We will share, we will pour wine.
How: Head to www.exploretock.com/wtlgi/ to reserve your seat at the table.
Act 4 events
- Hand-drawn 'fruit maps' that plot the locations of fruit trees and foraging spots, growing on, or overhanging, public space in Manchester.
- Urban Gardening Workshop: Led by Manchester Urban Diggers, participants learn to cultivate their own urban gardens, regardless of space constraints.
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