Category Royal Exchange

Lauryn Redding in BLOODY ELLE at Royal Exchange Theatre. Photo Credit: Pippa Rankin

Best described as part play, part gig, and part musical, BLOODY ELLE is a heart-warming and belly-achingly funny show about falling in love for the very first time

Fifteen months after it closed its doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre finally welcomes back audiences to its intimate in-the-round theatre, opening with a varied first season, including the world premiere of BLOO...

Ria Jones as Rose in GYPSY at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

“Everything’s Coming Up Roses” once again for the Royal Exchange with their wild and magnificent Christmas production of GYPSY

From GUYS AND DOLLS and SWEET CHARITY to THE PRODUCERS, it’s fair to say that Royal Exchange Theatre has a bit of a reputation for redefining Broadway musicals...

The company of LIGHT FALLS at Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. Photo: Manuel Harlan

Funny, emotional and wonderfully performed, LIGHT FALLS is a bittersweet, richly layered play about life in the face of death

After 21 years at the venue including four as Artistic Director, Sarah Frankcom says goodbye to Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre this month with another stunningly staged production about family, community and the fragility of life. 

LIGHT FALLS tells the story of a family, draw...

Lucy Ellinson (Macbeth) in MACBETH at Royal Exchange Theatre. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Despite Lucy Ellinson’s nuanced and edgy performance, Christopher Haydon’s contemporary version of MACBETH ultimately lacks intensity

It’s fair to say that Sarah Frankcom’s tenure at the Royal Exchange has been a success...

Nisa Cole and Katie West in THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT. Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan

Using 21st-century technology, THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT is a vivid and passionate production about the Luddites and how they helped inspire the birth of Manchester’s radical political identity

As with every tale of political unrest, many of the statements feel relevant to our current political climate...

Leanne Rowley & Nik Wood-Jones in WRESTLING THE WALRUS. Photo Credit: Yvonne Roberts Photography

Merging live performance with film, animation, visual art and music, WRESTING THE WALRUS is a playful and poignant piece which will stay with you long after you’ve left the theatre

Following their win of the 2018 Hodgkiss Award, theatre company 154 Collective premiere their new play WRESTLING THE WALRUS this week at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre before transferring to the Yard in London an...

Tony Jayawardena as Hari Hobson in HOBSON’S CHOICE. Photo Credit: Marc Brenner

Tanika Gupta breathes new life into Harold Brighouse’s classic comedy HOBSON’S CHOICE in this sharp and witty Ugandan-Asian adaptation

HOBSON’S CHOICE has become a bit of a fixture in theatrical repertoire. Since its premiere in 1915, the classic comedy has been revived and reimagined many times, with adaptions for film, TV and even a ballet...

Gabriela Garcia and Andy Coxon in WEST SIDE STORY. Photo: Richard Davenport of The Other Richard

Punchy, fresh and more relevant than ever before, Sarah Frankcom’s WEST SIDE STORY brings a whole new energy to the bona fide Broadway classic

Over the past few years, the Royal Exchange has been making a speciality out of reshaping classic musicals. From LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS and SWEET CHARITY to GUYS AND DOLLS and THE PRODUCERS, the theatre has gained somewhat of a reputation for its fresh takes ...

Julius D’Silva (Max Bialystock) & the Ensemble of THE PRODUCERS. Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Combining satire with spectacle, Raz Shaw’s production of Mel Brooks’ THE PRODUCERS is outrageous for all the right reasons

With hits like LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, SWEET CHARITY and GUYS AND DOLLS already under its belt, the Christmas musical at the Royal Exchange is fast becoming a Manchester tradition...

From a sheep farm in Eskdale to a tourist information centre in Whitby, THE MYSTERIES effectively explores the landscapes that surround us but ultimately fails to inspire a dialogue

Whether you live in a big city like Manchester or a small valley like Eskdale, there is something rather special about living in a community. Where we live helps to shape who we are as people, as well as the stories we tell, as Chris Thorpe and Sam Pritchard’s THE MYSTERIES attempts to demonstrate.

Inspired by th...