Leonard Cohen: Opera House, Manchester

MORE THAN 15 YEARS have passed since Leonard Cohen last graced a British stage, but the 73-year-old poet-turned-crooner was on suave form at the start of a four-night stint at the Manchester International Festival on Tuesday night. Dressed in the full Guys and Dolls outfit of grey fedora and outsized double-breasted suit, the singer looked frail and thin, but he performed for more than two hours with wit, humility and twinkle-eyed charm.