REVIEW: Sylvia at The Lowry | A Fantastic Night at the Theatre
Our Trip To See Sylvia At The Lowry
On Monday 19 October 2026, Lawrence and I headed to The Lowry to see Sylvia, a musical telling the story of suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst. We'd been invited along to the press night, and I was really looking forward to seeing it, particularly as it was a musical neither of us had seen before.
The performance was due to start at 7.30pm, and my dad kindly gave us a lift, dropping us off opposite the Imperial War Museum North. From there, we walked across the bridge to The Lowry, arriving at around 7.05pm.
Once inside, we headed straight to the Lowry Bar, where the press desk was located, to collect our tickets and programme. With everything collected, we decided to have a look at the merchandise before heading into the auditorium.
Sylvia Merchandise At The Lowry
There was quite a good selection of Sylvia merchandise available, including clothing, accessories, souvenirs and music.
Suffrajitsu T-shirt (S–XXL): £30
Make Some Noise cap: £25
Tote bag: £25
Rebellion water bottle: £22
Quotes badge set: £12
Sylvia pin: £9
Make Some Noise pin: £9
Women Count magnet: £12
Acrylic Sylvia logo magnet: £10
Sylvia poster: £12
Sylvia lyric book: £12.99
Sylvia CD soundtrack: £15.99
Sylvia vinyl soundtrack: £39.99
I love collecting magnets from the shows we see, so of course I couldn't resist adding another one to my collection!
It was also lovely to see that a portion of the proceeds from selected merchandise went to the Centenary Action campaign.
Our Seats & View At The Lowry
After looking at the merchandise, we made our way into the auditorium and found our seats in the stalls, Row M, seats 32 and 33.
Our seats were towards the side of the auditorium, so we had a slightly side-on view of the stage. However, there weren't any parts of the production that we couldn't see and, overall, I thought they were good seats.
We settled in ready for the 7.30pm performance, excited to see what Sylvia had in store for us.
The Story & My Thoughts
Sylvia tells the story of Sylvia Pankhurst, the daughter of famous suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst, and her involvement in the fight for women's right to vote. However, the musical isn't just about the suffragette movement. It also explores the complicated relationships within the Pankhurst family and how Sylvia's political beliefs increasingly differed from those of her mother and older sister, Christabel.
Before seeing the show, I knew about Emmeline Pankhurst and her involvement in the suffragette movement, but I knew very little about Sylvia herself. I found it fascinating to discover more about her life and how she believed that the fight for equality should extend beyond women's voting rights to include working-class communities and wider social issues.
One of the things that surprised me most was just how difficult the relationship between Sylvia and her mother became. Although I admired Emmeline's determination and everything she was fighting for, I found it quite upsetting that she was willing to put her political beliefs before her relationship with her daughter. As a mum myself, I found that particularly difficult to understand, as my children will always come first.
The musical also explores some of the darker aspects of the suffragette movement, including the imprisonment of protesters, hunger strikes and force-feeding. These moments are quite difficult to watch, but they really bring home just how much these women were prepared to sacrifice in their fight for equality.
What I particularly liked was that the story wasn't presented as a straightforward celebration of the suffragettes. Instead, it showed how people who were ultimately fighting for the same cause could have very different opinions about how to achieve their goals.
I'm not usually a huge fan of sung-through musicals, and I did initially find the format a little difficult to get into. However, I soon adjusted to it, and because I found Sylvia's story so interesting, I had no trouble following what was happening. In fact, I became increasingly absorbed in the story as the first act progressed.
The first act lasted approximately 1 hour and 17 minutes, and by the time the interval arrived, I was thoroughly enjoying the show.
During the 20-minute interval, Lawrence and I headed back to the Lowry Bar, where we each got a glass of water and sat discussing what we'd seen so far.
One of the things we talked about was how lovely it was to see a musical that was completely new to us. We've been fortunate enough to see so many musicals over the years, but that also means we often end up watching the same productions again and again. Don't get me wrong, I love revisiting my favourites, but there's something particularly exciting about discovering a new musical, especially when it turns out to be as good as Sylvia!
After our drinks, we headed back into the auditorium for the second act, which lasted approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
I thought the second act was just as enjoyable as the first, with the story becoming increasingly emotional as Sylvia continued to follow her own beliefs, even when doing so meant challenging those closest to her.
Despite dealing with some quite serious subjects, the musical also has plenty of humour, and I loved how it managed to balance the more emotional moments with energetic musical numbers.
Set, Lighting, Costumes, Choreography & Performances
One of the things that impressed me most about Sylvia at the Lowry was how visually spectacular the production was, especially considering how relatively simple the set was.
The stage featured a large rectangular frame with a stepped structure at the back, while projections and lighting were used to create different locations and atmospheres. I thought this worked brilliantly, as it allowed the scenes to flow naturally without lots of complicated scenery changes.
The lighting was absolutely stunning, with powerful beams of light creating some spectacular effects during the larger musical numbers. I also loved the projections, particularly when words such as 'MARCH' and 'VOTES FOR WOMEN' appeared across the backdrop. They really helped create the feeling of a political demonstration.
The costumes were also interesting, with the suffragettes initially wearing quite dark, structured outfits. As Sylvia became more involved with the working-class communities of East London, the costumes became noticeably more colourful, which I thought was a clever way of showing the differences between the groups.
However, the thing that really stood out for me was the choreography.
Created and choreographed by Kate Prince, Sylvia combines hip-hop and contemporary dance with an incredibly varied soundtrack featuring rap, soul, funk and musical theatre.
The choreography was absolutely phenomenal! I was particularly impressed by just how perfectly synchronised the ensemble was. Every movement seemed to happen at exactly the same time, and watching such a large group of performers dance with that level of precision was mesmerising.
I also loved how the choreography helped tell the story rather than simply providing entertainment between the songs. One particularly powerful moment involved the women repeatedly being knocked to the ground before getting back up again, showing their determination to continue fighting despite everything they faced.
Another highlight was Suffrajitsu, which opens the second act and incorporates martial arts-inspired movements. It was such a fun and energetic number, and I thought the choreography was brilliant.
The music was equally impressive, with so many different styles incorporated into the production. Two of my favourite songs were March Women March and Be The Change, which come towards the end of the first act. I thought they worked beautifully together, with one providing a spectacular ensemble number and the other bringing a more emotional end to the act.
The cast were also fantastic.
Naomi Katiyo was phenomenal as Sylvia Pankhurst. I thought she captured Sylvia's determination and vulnerability beautifully, and her performance made it easy to sympathise with the character, particularly as her relationship with her family became increasingly strained.
Beverley Knight was simply outstanding as Emmeline Pankhurst. Her vocals were absolutely incredible, and she had such a commanding stage presence. I also thought she portrayed Emmeline's more difficult personality traits brilliantly, making her a character I could admire for her achievements while also feeling frustrated by some of her decisions.
The scenes between Naomi Katiyo and Beverley Knight were among the most emotional moments of the production, and I thought they worked wonderfully together.
The supporting cast were excellent too, particularly Ellena Vincent as Christabel Pankhurst, Kirstie Skivington as Adela Pankhurst and Tachia Newall as Keir Hardie. There were also some wonderfully funny moments involving Winston Churchill, played by Castell Parker.
The entire ensemble deserve a special mention because their energy, commitment and incredible dancing really helped make the production so enjoyable.
By the time we left The Lowry, it was around 10.28pm. My dad was picking us up, so we walked back across the bridge towards the Imperial War Museum North. While we waited, Lawrence and I carried on chatting about how much we'd enjoyed the show. We both agreed that it was lovely to have discovered another musical that we hadn't seen before, especially one that was so good!
Final Thoughts On Sylvia At The Lowry
I absolutely loved Sylvia, and I think it's a fantastic musical that manages to be educational, entertaining, funny and deeply moving all at the same time.
The performances were outstanding, the music was incredible, and Kate Prince's choreography was some of the most impressive I've seen. I was completely mesmerised by the ensemble's synchronisation, and the staging, lighting and projections all worked together beautifully.
However, what made the evening particularly memorable was discovering Sylvia Pankhurst's story. Although I was familiar with Emmeline Pankhurst, I hadn't realised just how different Sylvia's beliefs were from those of her mother or how much conflict this caused within their family.
I came away feeling that I'd not only seen a brilliant musical but had also learnt something new about an important part of British history.
It's always exciting to discover a musical that we haven't seen before, and Sylvia certainly didn't disappoint. I would definitely recommend seeing it if you get the opportunity during its UK tour!
More Information About Sylvia At The Lowry
Sylvia is at The Lowry until Saturday 24 October 2026 before continuing its UK tour.
For tickets, further tour dates and information about the production, visit the official show or theatre website.
Watch Our Theatre Trip In The Weekly Vlog
You can also see more from our evening at The Lowry in our weekly family vlog, including our arrival, a look at the merchandise and our theatre trip to see Sylvia.
Sylvia At The Lowry – At A Glance
📍 Venue: The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ
🎭 Theatre: Lyric Theatre
📅 Lowry Run: Monday 19th – Saturday 24th October 2026
⏱️ Runtime: Act One – 1 hour 17 minutes | Interval – 20 minutes | Act Two – 1 hour 10 minutes (approximately 2 hours 47 minutes in total)
☕ Interval: Approximately 20 minutes
👤 Age Recommendation: 10+
🎭 Genre: Musical Theatre / Historical Drama / Hip-Hop Musical
⚠️ Content Guidance: The production explores imprisonment, hunger strikes, force-feeding, violence against protesters and political conflict. See The Lowry's official content warning for full details.
💺 Our Seats: Lyric Theatre Stalls, Row M, Seats 32 & 33
👀 Seat View: Towards the side of the auditorium, giving us a slightly side-on view of the stage. However, we could see everything clearly, and I thought they were good seats.
📖 Programme Available: Yes – £6. We collected ours from the press desk as part of our invitation.
🛍️ Merchandise Available: T-shirts, caps, tote bags, water bottles, badges, pins, magnets, posters, lyric books, CDs and vinyl soundtracks. I bought a magnet for my collection.
🚋 Getting There: The Lowry is in Salford Quays and can be reached by tram, bus or car. We were dropped off opposite the Imperial War Museum North and walked across the bridge to the theatre.
🚊 Closest Tram Stops: MediaCityUK and Imperial War Museum
♿ Accessible Performances: Audio Described by Caroline Burn on Thursday 22nd October at 2.00pm, with a Touch Tour at 1.00pm. BSL-interpreted by Emma Jane Mansfield on Thursday 22nd October at 7.30pm.
🌍 Further Tour Dates: Sylvia continues its UK tour after its Salford run.
🎟️ Booking: Tickets for the Lowry performances are available through the Lowry website, with standard tickets advertised from £24 and concessions from £21.
🌐 Official Website: Visit the official Sylvia website for production information and UK tour dates.
Our tickets for this performance were kindly gifted for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Comments