Review: The Brown Suite at Opera House Manchester

“…a fabulous show…many were on their feet and dancing…”

The Brown Suite, Opera House Manchester

By Amanda Steel

The Brown Suite transports the audience back to 1970s New York, even for those of us who weren’t born yet and have never set foot in New York. It felt like I was there as I watched the seamless dance moves that accompanied each of the 17 songs. Most of us are still familiar with these today. They included some all-time favourites by James Brown, Etta James and Sam Cooke. Those that I personally loved were Night Train (James Brown) and At Last (Etta James). Music speaks to us in a way that tells a story and this production uses this concept to explore themes such as friendship, desire and celebration, leaving the audience to interpret the narrative only through dance and music.

We’re shown a group of friends as they move from their apartments, the streets and finally to the titular Brown Suite for a night out. Their group and individual relationships change throughout the night, while tension and jealousy put them to the test. I felt invested in the characters and needed to keep watching to find out if and how they might come back together.

The show itself felt as much of a character as the cast. It was a place that brought people together through music and provided a feeling of belonging, as well as an escape from the outside world – especially as this was set during a time when so many other premier clubs were strictly whites-only.

One of the things that added to the authenticity was the costumes, designed by Maybelle Laye. These were a well-balanced mix of colourful and laid-back, and looked like they were easy to move around in, while still capturing the feel of the time and place. It’s evident that a lot of thought and research went into deciding on and creating these.

Although relatively short, The Brown Suite makes up for this with the cast’s energetic performances. I found it mesmerising to watch modern dance combined with hints of ballet. So, I wasn’t surprised to learn that their backgrounds include ballet, choreographic work, and dance theatre.

The cast is made up of Lukas Hunt as Marcus, Leila Wright as Denise, Hugo Bragg as Julian, Darius Drooh as Ray, Monique Jonas as Angela, Marie Astrid Mence as Angela/Denise, Nahum McLean as Victor and Joshi Martina as Mr New York. Between them, they made clearly complicated choreography look easy. They were, quite simply, amazing. However, it’s worth mentioning that the large team behind the scenes all played a part in making it a fabulous show and transforming it from the original one-act idea into the show it has eventually become.

The audience were fully immersed in the songs for the entire show, but particularly towards the end when many were on their feet and dancing. It felt clear that a lot of work had gone into the rehearsals to make everything look so graceful.

The show continues at towns and cities across the UK, such as Bradford and York, or Fareham and Hackney, if you’re willing to travel further afield. So, there’s still time to see it if you missed it in Manchester.

The Brown Suite plays at Opera House Manchester on Friday, 23 October 2026.

Amanda Steel is an author, poet, and podcaster. Her recent novels include ‘Death to All Men’ and ‘Killing Tommy’, both written as Amanda Nicholson. She has also just published her pamphlet, ‘Before and After the Storm’. Amanda’s poetry has been broadcast on BBC Radio Manchester, and she won the Bradford Cares 2023 Competition. She has a Creative Writing MA, and has articles published by Ask.com, Harlequin and Stylist, among others. You can find her on Facebook here or her Substack here.