Award-winning solo show A Manchester Anthem returns to the stage this summer, with Tom Claxton reprising their acclaimed role as Tommy. Written by Nick Dawkins and directed by Izzy Edwards, the production captures the bittersweet excitement of leaving home and the unforgettable energy of a final night out in Manchester.
Following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and VAULT Festival, the show now heads to Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester and Riverside Studios in London. With humour, heart, and a banging soundtrack, it’s a coming-of-age story that resonates with audiences of all backgrounds.
A Manchester Anthem runs at Hope Mill Theatre from 29 July to 2 August, and at Riverside Studios from 19 August to 13 September. Book tickets for Manchester or London.
You’re starring in A Manchester Anthem at Hope Mill Theatre and Riverside Studios – what can you tell us about the show?
A Manchester Anthem is an hour-long solo show that follows the character of Tommy, an 18-year-old who’s just been accepted into university. It all takes place on his last day and night before he leaves home—so it all happens in the last 24 hours. It’s really fast-paced, there are 13 characters, and I think it’s a really beautiful and fun coming-of-age story.
Tommy is such a vivid character – what drew you to this role, and what’s it like stepping back into their shoes?
I love Tommy. When Nick wrote A Manchester Anthem, he very generously wrote it with me in mind, so I think there’s a lot of overlap between him and me. My favourite thing about him is that he’s got so much grit and fight and determination, but he’s also flawed and a bit stubborn. He’s at that stage of his life where he’s trying to work out who he is and what he stands for, whilst having this massive chip on his shoulder about the world and how it operates and how he doesn’t think it’s fair.
It’s always interesting stepping back into the character of Tommy. We had a gap between Vault Festival and the Fringe—and it felt so fresh. We discovered a lot of new things in the room after that break, and it felt like there was almost a different shade to Tommy as a character. I’m really excited to see how he changes now that we’ve had an even bigger gap before this run, and just getting back into that text again.
The show explores themes of identity, change, and leaving home. How do you personally connect with those ideas?
I think these are ideas that a lot of people connect to, especially from the north, and especially people from lower income households, like Tommy in the show. I’m the first one in my immediate family to go to university, and now I’m down in London having done a master’s degree at drama school. Now I’m an actor, which is a bit mental—I don’t think I’d have ever believed it growing up because I was so unaware that it was a possibility for me. Acting was never a dream for me, because in order for it to have been a dream, it had to have seemed like somewhat of a possibility.
Even now, talking about identity, I feel like I’m in a constant battle with imposter syndrome—like at some point I’ll be found out to be a fraud. It’s something I’m constantly trying to reevaluate and correct, something I battled with whilst being at drama school, and especially now getting into the industry. It’s something I’m constantly trying to check with every job I do. I often wonder what younger me—what little Tom—would think of myself now, and I don’t know if he would be either absolutely ecstatic or completely appalled.
This production has had a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe and VAULT Festival – how has the audience response shaped your performance?
I was really surprised at how much audience response has shaped the performances. The play is such a conversation between Tommy and the audience, and whilst rehearsing, it’s always been at the forefront of our discussions in the room—who the audience is and who they are to Tommy, when he needs them and why, when he pushes them away, and how that dynamic changes over the course of the story.
When an audience is so present and really wants to go on that journey, it just makes the show something else. I’ll always remember, randomly on the final Tuesday of the Edinburgh Fringe, we had an audience who were just brilliant. Their energy was so palpable from the very start, and the show just felt electric. Honestly, that show might be my favourite experience I’ve ever had performing, and that’s entirely down to the audience and how brilliant they were.
What’s it been like working with director Izzy Edwards and playwright Nick Dawkins on this project?
Honestly, it’s been an absolute dream. The whole team working on the project is an absolute force to be reckoned with. It’s so rare to get a team of creatives on a project who are first so incredibly talented at what they all do, and they’re also your best mates, and you also work effortlessly with them. They’re all fantastic collaborators.
It’s just been so easy. The rehearsal rooms for the show have been such a held and safe and playful rehearsal room, but also one where we can challenge each other and push each other to make the show the best that it possibly can be. The work has always been at the absolute centre, and everything is always done for the love of the show and the love of what we’re doing. It’s just the best.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see A Manchester Anthem?
I’d say do it—book it. It’s a brilliant story. It’s incredibly relatable. It’s loads of fun, both performing it and watching it and going on that journey. The design is wicked, the music’s quality, it’s high energy. It’ll hopefully make you laugh, maybe even have a bit of a sniffle, and it’ll get you very ready for a night out.
