THESE I LOVE at the Octagon, Bolton 2024

Julie Hesmondhalgh

one-woman show

THESE I LOVE at the Octagon February 2024

review by Steve Cooke

Sidetracks and Detours have previously featured the great work undertaken by Julie Hesmondhalgh in both the commercial and community sector of theatre. Now all across the arts, courtesy of Steve Cooke, has told us that Julie, one of Britain’s finest actors, last month presented a special intimate performance of her auto-biographical one-woman show at Bolton’s Octagon Theatre.

Recently on TV screens starring in the ITV drama, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Julie swapped the small screen for the Octagon stage when appearing in Bolton for just 4 performances from Monday 12 – Friday 16 February. She then made a subsequent appearance at Live Theatre Newcastle on Friday 1 & Saturday 2 March.

Returning to her Lancashire roots, These I Love, is a beautiful journey of discovery – a hymn to Julie’s own working-class childhood in Accrington, to her wonderful dad, and to the healing power of daftness.

Following each of the March performances there was also a Q&A with Julie on stage followed by a book signing.

Julie is a passionate supporter of regional theatre and is generously contributed her show to support the Octagon, which is a registered charity.

The award-winning actor has had a distinguished and acclaimed career spanning over 4 decades. Julie starred as the beloved character Hayley Cropper in ITV’s Coronation Street for 16 years. Since then, she has appeared on some of the UK’s biggest TV shows including Happy Valley (BBC), Broadchurch (ITV), Doctor Who (BBC) and is currently receiving huge praise for her role in ITV’s Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

She also has an extensive list of theatre credits and is no stranger to the northern stage, previously treading the boards at some of the top UK northern theatres including Royal Exchange, Oldham Coliseum, Liverpool Playhouse and Leeds Playhouse and now she makes her Octagon debut.

photo 1 Julie Hesmondhalgh said: “I was incredibly excited to be performing at the Octagon Theatre. I have been an avid attender at the Octagon for many years, so to bring my own show here and support the venue was truly wonderful and I loved sharing this story with audiences.”

Octagon Artistic Director, Lotte Wakeham added: “I was absolutely thrilled to welcome Julie to the Octagon to perform ‘These I Love’, which is a beautiful piece of writing, celebrating her Dad and her experiences of growing up in Lancashire. Like most people, I watched Julie’s incredible performance in ‘Mr Bates Vs The Post Office’ on television this January and was delighted our audiences could witness her brilliant acting and writing skills live on stage in our intimate auditorium this February. It remains a challenging time for regional theatres, so her support of the Octagon means the world to us.