OCTAGON THEATRE, Bolton. Ring Bolton 520661.

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. The Critic by Richard Brinsley Sheridan and The Dispute by Pierre Marivaux, to Saturday November 11. Ring 0161 833 9833.

OLDHAM COLISEUM. Cleo, Camping Emmanuell and Dick. The story of Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Barbara Windsor from the Carry On films. Tickets £4 to £12.50. Runs until November 4. Ring 0161 624 2829.

PRESTON GUILD HALL AND CHARTER THEATRE, Lancaster Road, Preston. Magic Mirror Theatre presents The Railway Children, Runs until October 28. Charter Theatre, 2pm all showings. Tickets £7. Discounts available. Miss Julie, Runs until October 28. Armstrong Arts' production of Strinberg's erotic shocker. Not suitable for under-16s. Charter Theatre 7.30pm Tickets £8.50, discounts available. Family History Fair, tomorrow . Guild Hall, 10am to 4.30pm. Admission on door £2. October 29, Elvis on Tour, showcasing the vocal talents of Liberty Mounten. Charter Theatre 7.30pm, Tickets £9, £10. Oct 31, Lunchtime Recital, with a light lunch available. Guild Hall 1.05pm. Tickets £3.50. Oct 31, Royal London Philharmonic Orchestra, Libor Pesek conducts. Guild Hall 7.30pm, tickets from £11.50. November 1, top boy band a1 are in Preston for one night only. Guild Hall 7.30pm, tickets £15. Nov 4, The Magic Of The Musicals. A celebration of the very best songs from West End musicals. Guild Hall 7.30pm, tickets from £12.50. Also, Wednesday November 8 to November 11, A Masked Ball. Preston Opera presents Verdi's Opera sung in English. Starts 7.15pm. Tickets £9 and £10. For enquiries ring 01772 258858.

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

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE, Water Street, Buxton. Trainspotting, a tale of youth and drug addiction. Wednesday November 1. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £5.50. Ring 01298 721190.

THE MET ARTS CENTRE, Market Street, Bury. FrontROW Originals. Three short plays by the FrontROW Theatre Company. The first Doctor, Doctor is about a doctor who befriends a blind patient after the murder of her daughter and the question of whether justice can be relied upon. For All I care is about the story of a young married couple bound together by the hatred of one another and Not You, Not Me, Not Ever tells the story of 2 teenagers on their first date together. Starts 8pm. Tickets £4. Ring 0161 761 2216.

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

LIBRARY THEATRE, St Peter's Square, Manchester. 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. Ring 0161 236 7110.

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

CONTACT THEATRE, Oxford Road, Manchester. Pilot Theatre Company present Rumblefish, an adaptation of S.E. Hinton's classic cult novel, also immortalised in Francis Ford Coppola's classic film. Oct 31 at 7.30pm, Nov 1 at 2pm and Nov 2 at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10/ £6 concs. Nov 3 & 4 at 8pm, tickets are £12/ 8 concs. Ring 0161 274 0600.

THE LOWRY, Salford Quays. Almedia Theatre Company, An Inspector Calls, October 31 to November 4. A Doll's House, October 24 to 28, Jesu the Musical October 29 to October 30. 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.

LANCASTER CASTLE, Lancaster. Ring 01524 64998.

CONTACT THEATRE, Oxford Rd, Manchester. Unsuitable Girls with a witty new comedy about a young Asian woman, Chumpa Chameli, who as she finds herself in the mid-twenties, is looking for love and searching for Mr Right in all the wrong circumstances. 10 Nov to 2 Dec. Performance times and ticket prices, 11 Nov 8pm, first 100 tickets only £5. Mon, Tues, Thurs 8pm, £10/£6. Wed 2pm & 8pm, £10/£6. Fri and Sat 8pm, £12/£8. Ring 0161 274 0600.

PALACE THEATRE, Oxford Street, Manchester. Derek Deane's Swan Lake. November 7 to November 11. Also, 42nd Street, starring Ruth Madoc and James Smillie, from Monday November 13 to Saturday November 18. Ring 0161 242 2503.

SALFORD PLAYHOUSE, Salford. An Evening With Dracula. Runs from Thursday November 2 to Saturday November 4. Adults £4, children £3 or £12 for a family ticket. Starts 7.30pm.

OSWALDTWISTLE CIVIC THEATRE. Abba Magic. A tribute to the Swedish band. Wednesday November 1. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets available from Accrington Information Centre. Ring Mr G Boyd on 01474 852937 for further information.

LIBRARY THEATRE, Central Library, St Peter's Square, Manchester. Closer - a love story for the new millennium featuring the lives of loves of four people in a dance of desire. Performances Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm, Friday and Saturday, 8pm and matinees Thursday November 2 and Saturday November 18 and 25 at 3pm. Runs until November 25. Ring 0161 236 7110.

ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE, St Ann's Square, Manchester. The Critic and The Dispute. A double-bill of theatrical make believe. The Critic tells the tale of a media critic's visit to the theatre and The Dispute is a tale of ecstasy and jealousy for four human beings. Tickets £7 to £24. Performances Monday to Friday 7.30pm and Saturday 4pm and 8pm, Wednesday 2.30pm. Runs until November 11. Ring 0161 833 9833.

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE, Water Street, Buxton. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen. Runs until Saturday October 28. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £6.50, £7.50 and £8.50. Also, Monday October 30, Popcorn by Ben elton. Tickets £9.50, £11 and £12.50. Also, Thursday November 2 and Friday November 3, The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. Starts 7.30pm. Tickets £12.50, £19, £22.50 and £26. Ring 01298 72190.

GREEN ROOM, Manchester. Black Love. A tale of loyalty and lust colliding and facing up to the forbidden. Friday October 27. Starts 8pm. Tickets £7 and £4.