Manchester Royal Exchange:

 40th Anniversary Announcement:
THE FUTURE AT 40: THE ROYAL EXCHANGE SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT

THIS September the Royal Exchange Theatre celebrates 40 years of a remarkable exchange with its audiences. Since 1976 the Company has produced unforgettable drama made for a unique theatre in Manchester’s city centre. In 2016 the theatre was named Regional Theatre of the Year, and under the artistic leadership of Sarah Frankcom the Exchange looks towards a dynamic future. This summer Mark Dobson joins as the new Executive Director and a new brand identity marks the next stage for the theatre. An impassioned team of directors, designers, outstanding writers and formidable performers will deliver an ambitious mix of provocative theatre and new plays for an incredibly special year. 

• Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom and Associate Artist Maxine Peake continue their long-term collaboration as they explore the dark world of Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams’ unsettling drama A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE from 8 Sept – 15 Oct in The Theatre. 

• Katherine Soper’s 2015 Bruntwood Prize winning play WISH LIST explores life at the bottom of the pile and the helpless uncertainty of zero-hours contracts. A collaboration with the Royal Court Theatre WISH LIST is directed by Exchange Associate Artistic Director Matthew Xia from 24 Sept – 15 Oct in The Studio.

• A global festival of theatre and debate B!RTH takes place from 19 – 22 Oct. Seven new plays by seven female writers from across the world have been commissioned to provoke challenging debate. Developed with The Oglesby Charitable Trust and supported by the University of Manchester B!RTH is part of Manchester’s year as European City of Science.

• The dazzling mind of logician Alan Turing is explored in the city where he worked and died. Director Robert Hastie directs BAFTA winner Daniel Rigby in a major revival of Hugh Whitemore’s BREAKING THE CODE from 28 Oct – 19 Nov in The Theatre.

• Derek Bond returns to the Exchange this Christmas (following his smash-hit LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS) with full-scale musical SWEET CHARITY. This Broadway classic, filled with huge musical hits (Big Spender, Rhythm of Life) and incredible dance numbers choreographed by Aletta Collins, runs from 3 Dec – 21 Jan.

• With accessibility at its heart the Exchange team up with Graeae Theatre Company for Jenny Sealey’s production of THE HOUSE OF BERNADA ALBA with a central performance from the incredible Kathryn Hunter. This translation of Federico García Lorca’s heated tale of family fragility sees Jo Clifford make a welcome return to the theatre and runs from 2 – 25 Feb 2017.

• After talking to 1,580 people YOU, THE AUDIENCE continues with a celebratory event that shares both what audiences have said and what the theater has learnt. The YOU, THE AUDIENCE Manifesto will be launched in the Great Hall on 18 Nov shaping the theatre’s future with audiences.

• OPEN EXCHANGE moves into its second year with 600 members signed up to this ever-growing scheme. Artists from across the North are invited to use the theatre as a networking opportunity, to develop new ideas and to share work. This years supported artists are Mighty Heart Theatre and Testament. 

• Original theatre makers from across the UK present work in the Studio. This season we are joined by Rachel Mars, Action Hero, Soho Theatre & Francesca Moody, Barrel Organ with Lulu Racza, Puppet State Theatre Company, Daniel Bye, Cardboard Citizens and Project O.

Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom said:

40 years ago a group of artists were inspired to take hold of an imposing public building and build a unique theatre in the centre of it. They created a space for Manchester that would present the very best drama it could, with passion and without compromise.

Today, with these strong foundations, we make theatre for a great night out that is contemporary, thought-provoking and will spark conversations which continue long after the show has finished. As we talk to our audience we find out what they want from us and in response we’re creating a theatre that is diverse and inventive, that brings the city together and that reflects its passions as much as our own.

This season I cannot wait to get back into a rehearsal room with Maxine Peake as we explore the complexities of Blanche DuBois in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Tennessee Williams paints beautiful characters but his plays also explode the notion of what theatre can be which is so exciting for our space. I’m thrilled to welcome Rob Hastie to the Exchange with his interpretation of a Manchester story in BREAKING THE CODE. Our seven new commissions for B!RTH have already started an international debate about inequality in healthcare and at Christmas SWEET CHARITY will push the boundaries of our physical space as we bring Broadway to Manchester.  In our first co-production with Graeae, THE HOUSE OF BERNADA ALBA, we create theatre in-the-round which is innovative in its accessibility; The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting has unearthed some phenomenal voices and continues to be an invaluable platform for new playwrights to reflect the modern world, in our Studio Matthew Xia directs Katherine Soper’s debut play WISH LIST our 2015 Bruntwood Prize winner.

This season we continue to grow Open Exchange for emerging artists, we launch a new membership scheme and reinvent our volunteering programme so our audiences can be more involved. Our Young and Elders Companies continue to inspire us and the work we do in communities across Manchester is expanding as we cement relationships and develop new partnerships. 

We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Royal Exchange this season.