Based on the life of Viv Nicholson and directed by Josh Seymour, this carnivalesque musical comedy is the big-hearted experience everyone needs this festive season.

From rags-to-riches and back again, we follow working-class Yorkshire lass Viv who won a fortune on the Football Pools in 1961 went on lavish spending-sprees, splashing out on furs, cars, champagne and parties – until it all came crashing down around her.

Addicted to excess and seduced by materialism, Viv takes us through the kaleidoscopic and messy journey of her life. From the two-up two-downs of Castleford to the grandeur of Garforth, to new handbags and husbands, Viv faces the ultimate question: after the champagne stops flowing, can money really buy happiness? This carnivalesque musical comedy is the big-hearted experience everyone needs this festive season.

Directed by Josh Seymour and with Rachel Leskovac (nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of the young Viv Nicholson in the original London production) in the leading role, this wildly funny and profoundly moving award-winning musical is an extraordinary rags-to-riches and back again story.

Dedicated to the memory of Steve Brown, who passed away earlier this year.

Please note that banquette tickets for the evening performance on 26 December will be available from 5pm on the day, in person only, due to the building opening later.

 


★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘my goodness, what a treat!’ ‘Rachel Leskovac is an absolute powerhouse’ Manchester Theatres

★ ★ ★ ★’a big, Technicolor celebration of an extraordinary life.’ The Stage

★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Powerful, chastening and yet defiantly upbeat, this is a Yuletide treat’ ‘Galbraith is brilliant as a pugnacious younger Viv’ The Daily Telegraph

★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Spend Spend Spend may not be your traditional festive fare but it sparkles like a Christmas tree in a hall of mirrors.’ The Times

★ ★ ★ ★ ‘…this is a production that has all the fizz and pizazz of freshly popped champagne’ Whatsonstage

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Spend Spend Spend is filled to the brim with humour and relatability this festive season.’ Adventures in Theatreland

‘the Royal Exchange’s offering hits all the right notes and is a perfect way to spend an evening at the theatre at this time of year.’ British Theatre Guide

(Rachel Leskovac) ‘Her performance is full of heart, northern grit and bittersweet nostalgia.’
I Love Manchester