LOCAL THEATRES OCTAGON THEATRE, Bolton. Ring Bolton 520661.

PALACE THEATRE, Manchester. Ring 0161 242 2524.

OPERA house, Manchester. Runs until Saturday Nov 11, The Phantom of the Opera. Tel 0161 242 2524.

LIBRARY THEATRE, Manchester. Ring 0161 236 7110.

FORUM THEATRE, Wythenshawe. Ring 0161 445 3599.

ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE, St Ann's Square, Manchester. Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen. A searing assault on the sanctity of marriage and the undermining of the foundations of Victorian social order. Runs from Wednesday September 6 to Saturday October 7. Performances Monday to Friday at 7.30pm, Saturday at 4pm and 8pm, Wednesday at 2.30pm. Tickets £7 to £24. Ring 0161 833 9833.

OLDHAM COLISEUM. Ring 0161 624 2829.

PRESTON GUILD HALL AND CHARTER THEATRE, Lancaster Road, Preston. Ring 01772 258858.

CAPITOL THEATRE, Oxford Road, Manchester. Ring 0161 232 7179.

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE, Water Street, Buxton. The Importance Of Being Earnest, a classic comedy of confusion, disguise and misdemeanours. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £10.50, £11.75 and £13. Runs to Saturday September 2. Also, Sunday September 3, Halfway to Paradise - The Billy Fury Story. Rock 'n' roll sounds performed by Colin Gold and the 70;s Fury's Tornados. Starts 7.30pm. Ticketgs £9.50, £11 and £12.50. Also, Wednesday September 6, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £5.50. Ring 01298 721190.

THE MET ARTS CENTRE, Market Street, Bury. Ring 0161 761 2216.

THE ALBERT HALLS, Victoria Square, Bolton. Ring 334400.

LIBRARY THEATRE, St Peter's Square, Manchester. Resident Allen. In his cramped New York apartment the 91 year old Professor Style muses on life, death, Princess Diana and the century he has witnessed. Runs from September 5 to September 9. Starts 8pm with matinee on Saturday at 3pm. Tickets £7. Ring 0161 236 7110.

BOLTON LITTLE THEATRE, Hanover Street, Bolton.

DARWEN LIBRARY THEATRE, Knott Street, Darwen. Ring 01254 706006.

LIBRARY THEATRE, St Peter's Square, Mcr. Gertrude and Alice, A Likeness To Loving. The story of Gertrude Stein, a pioneering modernist writer and Alice Babette Tokias who was her wife, lover, friend, secretary, housekeeper, gardener and publisher. Starts 8pm each evening and matinee at 3pm. Tickets Wednesday to Friday evening and Saturday matinee £10 and £7 and Saturday evening £12 and £10. Runs to Saturday September 2. Ring 0161 236 7110.

FARNWORTH LITTLE THEATRE, Cross Street, Farnworth. Ring Bolton 527092.

CONTACT THEATRE, Oxford Road, Manchester. Runs to Saturday September 9 Manchester Youth Theatre present its Summer Season. Tonight Airwaves by Christina Katic. Jump cutting from two families and each other's throats to the recent war in the former Yugoslavia. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £5 and £3.50. Tomorrow Queer Contact. An exploration of life's ups and downs, histories and futures for gays and lesbians aged 15 to 25. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £5 and £3.50. Also, tomorrow the Khemtech Dance Company perform a mixture of African and Caribbean rhythms and dance. Starts 6pm. Also, The Capeman by Paul Simon and Derek Walcott. A musical set in early 60's America with African and Caribbean influences and a touch of the Graceland Album set alongside a story of gang culture, love and wisdom. Runs from Monday September 4 to Saturday September 9 with performances at 7.30pm and a matinee performance at 2.30pm on Saturday. Tickets £5 and £3.50. Also, As You Like It by William Shakespeare. A story of love, disuguise, girl-boy confusion presented by Manchester Youth Theatre. Runs from Tuesday September 5 to Saturday September 9. Performances at 2.30pm and 7.30pm (no afternoon performance Friday). Tickets £5 and £3.50. Ring 0161 274 0600.

NORTH PIER THEATRE, Blackpool. Hale & Pace. Starts 8pm Wed to Fri and 7pm Saturday. Also, Roy Chubby Brown. Runs until September 10. Ring 01253 621452.

THE PAVILION THEATRE, Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Running for the season Palladium Nights with Danny La Rue and the Fabulous Tiller Girls. Starts 7.30pm.

THE LOWRY, Salford Quays. Saturday September 9. The CandoCo Dance Company present Beautiful Day featuring disabled non-disabled participats from around the borough. Starts 6pm. Tickets £2.50 and £2. Ring 0161 876 2000.

GRAND THEATRE, Blackpool. Comedy Bonanza 2000, runs until Saturday October 28. John Inman, Billy Pearce, The Nolans, The Bonanza Showgirls and special guest Jimmy Cricket. Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 8pm, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 6.15pm and 8.45pm. Tickets from £7. Ring 01253 290190.

THE TAMESIDE HIPPODROME, Oldham Road, Ashton Under Lyne. Tonight Mamma Mia. A tribute to Abba including famous hits such as Waterloo, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You and Tragedy. Starts 8pm. Tickets £12.50 and £11.50. Ring 0161 308 3223.