Manchester City Centre Theatres

St Ann's Square/Cross Street, Manchester M2 7DH .
Box Office Tel: 0161-833 9833.

The Theatre inside the original Royal Exchange building.
Photo © courtesy of Andrew C Theokas

A novel and exciting solution to the problem of what to do with an old historic building which has outlived its function - build a theatre inside!
The Royal Exchange Theatre is a futuristic metal and glass hi-tech structure sitting inside what was described as "the biggest room in the world" - the Great Hall of Manchester's old Cotton Exchange, which ceased trading in December 1968.
It seats around 800 and is the world's largest theatre in-the-round. The theatre company produces plays 48 weeks a year, attracting top billing names from British and international theatre circuits, as well as hosting regular midday concerts, literary and other special events. It also offers a good café, exhibition space, theatre bookshop and Craft Shop.
In June 1996, the Exchange was virtually at the epicentre of a terrorist lorry bombing which severely damaged it, as with other buildings around. Although Marks & Spencers and the Royal Insurance buildings opposite had to be demolished, fortunately the old Exchange's massive strength withstood the impact, though it sustained considerable damage.
Meanwhile the theatre troupe moved into temporary quarters at the old market hall in Liverpool Road, Castlefield. Reopening of the Royal Exchange building took place earlier in the year 2000, along with extensive other inner city developments which have been made in the former bomb zone.

Manchester IRA Bombing
Manchester's Great Buildings

Entrance to the Royal Exchange
Theatre in Manchester

University of Manchester
Contact Theatre

Library Theatre beneath the
Central Reference Library in Manchester

Palace Theatre, Manchester

Manchester Opera House

Contact Theatre Company

Devas Street/Oxford Road, Manchester M13
Box Office Number: 0161-274 600. General: 0161-274 3434. Website: http://www.contact-theatre.org.
Attached to Manchester University, and totally renovated in 1999, this is one of the most innovative of theatres, staging mostly modern works for young audiences. Parking nearby. Disabled access and toilet facilities, Café on site, special facilities for the hearing impaired, party groups catered for (by prior arrangement please). Guide dogs admitted.

Library Theatre

Currently Closed for Theatre Refurbishment
Central Reference Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M2. Tel: 0161-236 7110.
A well established theatre with high reputation dealing with all types of dramatic production from Shakespeare to modern masters. The only theatre housed within a library in the United Kingdom. Many premieres begin life here before moving on to London. Owned by Manchester City Council.

Palace Theatre

Oxford Street, Manchester M1. Tel Bookings: 0870 401 3000. Stage door: 0161-245 6600
A major venue for the big West End musical ("Les Miserables", "Cats", "Miss Saigon", etc), with notoriously long and successful runs. The Palace made its grand opening on 18th May 1891 to a capacity audience who were treated to the ballet "Cleopatra" - however, its initial 'highbrow' presentations failed to gain popular support and it struggled to make a profit for several years. Then, bowing to the inevitable economic pressures, it introduced a less elitist repertoire and broadened its scope to include more popular performers, which was a resounding success.
During the earlier part of the 20th century it presented artists such as Danny Kaye, Gracie Fields, Charles Laughton, Judy Garland, Noel Coward and Laurel & Hardy. In the 1970s, it suffered a nationwide depression, like the nearby Opera House, failing to attract audiences as television spread into most people's homes.
Constantly threatened with closure, the Palace and the Opera House were saved in 1979 by Raymond Slater's company Norwest Holst, who carried out considerable internal refurbishment and created an enlarged stage facility. Then the Arts Council began to back productions in the 1980s. The charitable trust, Norwest Holdings, runs it today. It is now one of the best equipped and popular theatres outside London.
The Palace is a well established Manchester venue, and tickets need advance booking - for popular shows several months ahead is recommended. It also produces Christmas Pantomimes, (a Great British tradition), with famous television personalities in leading roles, and also invites major celebrities to present shows (the likes of Victoria Wood, Les Dawson and Morecambe & Wise have appeared there). It also stages operatic and ballet performances.

The Green Room

54-56 Whitworth Street West, Manchester M1 5WW. Telephone Booking Line: 0161-615 0500.
Website: http://www.greenroomarts.org. Hire Email: john@greenroomarts.org.
A major experimental theatre established in 1983 to develop and present local, national and international performance at venues across Manchester. Situated an old converted railway arch in the city centre beneath Oxford Road Railway Station, the Green Room has a growing international reputation for the difficult, weird and more marginal plays.
The securing of a major capital award via the National Lottery in 1995 has led to a fundamental refurbishment of the premises to now seat an audience of 166 and full extension into the next door arch and the addition of extra 'workspace' for rehearsal, project development and visual installations.
The Green Room has a long, creative association with numerous Manchester events and festivals including "Queer Up North", Manchester International Arts, Manchester Poetry Festival, Commonwealth Film Festival, the Manchester Jazz Festival and others.
The Green Room offers special children's activities and adult workshops - visit their website for details and to see what's on currently. There is a café bar offering light refreshments.

The Opera House

Quay Street, Manchester. Opera House booking line: 0870 401 9000. Stage door line: 0161-828 1700.
One of Manchester's biggest venues for large theatrical productions, opera, dance and modern West End musicals. This is a very elegant old building, seating 2000. Disabled facilities.
Initially it was named the 'New Theatre' when it opened on Boxing Day in 1912, and after 5 years being known as the 'New Queens', it took on its present title in the 1930s under new ownership. It was always a celebrated theatre. In its time, its shows featured such great actors as Sir John Geilgud, Peter Ustinov, Vivienne Leigh and Sir Alec Guinness.
It has hosted such shows as "Oklahoma!", "Kiss Me Kate", "South Pacific", and "My Fair Lady", as well as Gilbert & Sullivan operettas, and in more recent times Andrew Lloyd Webber's record-breaking musical "Phantom of the Opera". Suffering a similar fate to many theatres and cinemas, its audiences declined in the 1970s, preferring to stay at home to watch television.
Fortunately, a renaissance in interest and a great deal of petitioning to save the Palace Theatre from a similar fate resulted in both the Palace and the Opera House being saved in 1979 by Raymond Slater's company Norwest Holst, who carried out considerable internal refurbishment and created an enlarged stage facility. Then the Arts Council began to back productions in the 1980s. The charitable trust, Norwest Holdings, runs it today and thanks to a lively and commercial business approach, it is a most successful theatre.

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