The Royal Exchange is a

grade II listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

building in Manchester, England. It is located in the

city centre A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

on the land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Exchange Theatre and the Royal Exchange Shopping Centre. The Royal Exchange was heavily damaged in the Manchester Blitz and in the

1996 Manchester bombing The 1996 Manchester bombing was an attack carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) on Saturday, 15 June 1996. The IRA detonated a lorry bomb on Corporation Street in the centre of Manchester, England. It was the biggest ...

. The current building is the last of several buildings on the site used for

commodities exchange A commodities exchange is an exchange, or market, where various commodities are traded. Most commodity markets around the world trade in agricultural products and other raw materials (like wheat, barley, sugar, maize, cotton, cocoa, coffee, m ...

, primarily but not exclusively of cotton and textiles.

History, 1729 to 1973

The cotton industry in Lancashire was served by the cotton importers and brokers based in Liverpool who supplied Manchester and surrounding towns with the raw material needed to spin yarns and produce finished textiles. The Liverpool Cotton Exchange traded in imported raw cotton. In the 18th century, the trade was part of the slave trade in which African slaves were transported to America where the cotton was grown and then exported to Liverpool where the raw cotton was sold. The raw cotton was processed in Manchester and the surrounding the cotton towns and Manchester Royal Exchange traded in spun yarn and finished goods throughout the world including Africa. Manchester's first exchange opened in 1729 but closed by the end of the century. As the cotton industry boomed, the need for a new exchange was recognised. Baines 1835-Exchange, Manchester

Thomas Harrison designed the new exchange of 1809 at the junction of Market Street and Exchange Street. Harrison designed the exchange in the Classical style. It had two storeys above a basement and was constructed in Runcorn stone. The cost, £20,000, was paid for in advance by 400 members who bought £50 shares and paid £30 each to buy the site. The semi-circular north façade had fluted

Doric Doric may refer to: * Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece ** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians * Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture * Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode * Doric dialect (Scotland) * Doric ...

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s. The exchange room where business was conducted covered 812 square yards. The ground floor also contained the members' library with more than 15,000 books. The basement housed a newsroom lit by a dome and plate-glass windows, its ceiling was supported by a circle of Ionic pillars spaced 15 feet from the walls. The first-floor dining-room was accessed by a geometrical staircase. The exchange opened to celebrate of the birthday of George III in 1809. It also contained other anterooms and offices. As the cotton trade continued to expand, larger premises were required and its extension was completed in 1849. The Exchange was run by a committee of notable Manchester industrialists. From 1855 to 1860 the committee was chaired by Edmund Buckley. The second exchange was replaced by a third designed by Mills & Murgatroyd, constructed between 1867 and 1874.Hartwell, p. 155. It was extended and modified by Bradshaw Gass & Hope between 1914 and 1931 to form the largest trading hall in England.Parkinson-Bailey, p. 142. The trading hall had three domes and was double the size of the current hall. The colonnade parallel to Cross Street marked its centre. On trading days merchants and brokers struck deals which supported the jobs of tens of thousands of textile workers in Manchester and the surrounding towns. Manchester's cotton dealers and manufacturers trading from the Royal Exchange earned the city the name, Cottonopolis. The exchange was seriously damaged during World War II when it took a direct hit from a bomb during a German air raid in the Manchester Blitz at Christmas in 1940. Its interior was rebuilt with a smaller trading area.Parkinson-Bailey, p. 169. The top stages of the clock tower, which had been destroyed, were replaced in a simpler form. Trading ceased in 1968, and the building was threatened with demolition.Parkinson-Bailey, p. 206.

Architecture

The exchange has four storeys and two attic storeys built on a rectangular plan in

Portland stone Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries are cut in beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building sto ...

. It was designed in the Classical style. Its slate roof has three glazed domes and on the ground floor an arcade orientated east to west. It has a central atrium at first-floor level. The ground floor facade has channelled rusticated

piers Piers may refer to: * Pier, a raised structure over a body of water * Pier (architecture), an architectural support * Piers (name), a given name and surname (including lists of people with the name) * Piers baronets, two titles, in the baronetages ...

and the first, second and third floors have Corinthian columns with entablature and a

modillion A modillion is an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel. They are often seen underneath a cornice which it helps to support. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally translated as small teeth). All ...

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

. The first attic storey has a

balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

d parapet while the second attic storey has a

mansard roof A mansard or mansard roof (also called a French roof or curb roof) is a four-sided gambrel-style hip roof characterised by two slopes on each of its sides, with the lower slope, punctured by dormer windows, at a steeper angle than the upper. The ...

. At the north-west corner is a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

turret and there are domes over other corners. The west side has a massive round-headed entrance arch with wide steps up and the first and second floor windows have round-headed arches. The third floor and first attic storey have mullioned windows.

Theatre

The building remained empty until 1973, when it was used to house a theatre company (69 Theatre Company); the company performed in a temporary theatre but there were plans for a permanent theatre whose cost was then estimated at £400,000. The Royal Exchange Theatre was founded in 1976 by five

artistic director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

s: Michael Elliott, Caspar Wrede, Richard Negri, James Maxwell and Braham Murray. The theatre was opened by

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

on 15 September 1976. In 1979, the artistic directorship was augmented by the appointment of

Gregory Hersov Gregory A. "Greg" Hersov (born 1956) is a British theatre director. Hersov was educated at Bryanston School and Mansfield College, Oxford. Overview Hersov has been associated with the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester since 1979. He became an ...

The building was damaged on 15 June 1996 when an IRA bomb exploded in Corporation Street less than 50 yards away. The blast caused the dome to move, although the main structure was undamaged.Parkinson-Bailey, p. 257. That the adjacent St Ann's Church survived almost unscathed is probably due to the sheltering effect of the stone-built exchange. Repairs, which were undertaken by Birse Group, took over two years and cost £32 million, a sum provided by the National Lottery. While the exchange was rebuilt, the theatre company performed in Castlefield. The theatre was repaired and provided with a second performance space, the Studio, a bookshop, craft shop, restaurant, bars and rooms for corporate hospitality. The theatre's workshops, costume department and rehearsal rooms were moved to Swan Street. The refurbished theatre re-opened on 30 November 1998 by Prince Edward. The opening production, Stanley Houghton's '' Hindle Wakes'' was the play that should have opened the day the bomb was exploded. In 1999, the Royal Exchange was awarded "Theatre of the Year" in the Barclays Theatre Awards, in recognition of its refurbishment and ambitious re-opening season. In 2014

Sarah Frankcom Sarah Frankcom (born 1968) is an English theatre director. She was an artistic director of the Royal Exchange, Manchester, Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester from 2008 to 2019, when she became director of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic ...

was appointed the sole artistic director. In January 2016 the Royal Exchange was awarded Regional Theatre of the Year by '' The Stage''. In announcing the award, ''The Stage'' said: "This was the year that artistic director

really hit her stride at the Royal Exchange. The Manchester theatre in the round's output during 2015 delivered its best year in quite some time." In January 2018, the Royal Exchange Young Company won the "School of the Year" award at The Stage Awards 2018. On 28 March 2019, the Royal Exchange announced that

was stepping down as Artistic Director of the Theatre to take up a new post as Director of the prestigious drama school LAMDA. On 8 July 2019, the theatre announced the appointment of Bryony Shanahan and Roy Alexander Weise as Joint Artistic Directors.

Theatres

The theatre features a seven-sided steel and glass module that squats within the building's Great Hall. It is a pure theatre in the round in which the stage area is surrounded on all sides, and above, by seating. Its unique design conceived by Richard Negri of the

Wimbledon School of Art Wimbledon College of Arts, formerly Wimbledon School of Art, is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London specialising in theatre, screen and performance art. It is located in Wimbledon and Merton Park, South West London. ...

is intended to create a vivid and immediate relationship between actors and audiences. As the floor of the exchange was unable to take the weight of the theatre and its audience, the module is suspended from the four columns carrying the hall's central dome. Only the stage area and ground-level seating rest on the floor. The 150-ton theatre structure opened in 1976 at a cost of £1 million amid some scepticism from Mancunians. The theatre can seat an audience of up to 800 on three levels, making it the largest theatre in the round in The World. There are 400 seats at ground level in a raked configuration, above which are two galleries, each with 150 seats set in two rows. The Studio is a 90-seat studio theatre with no fixed stage area and moveable seats, allowing for a variety of production styles (in the round, thrust etc.) Prior to 2020, the studio acted as host to a programme of visiting touring theatre companies, stand-up comedians and performances for young people.

Theatre programme

The Royal Exchange gives an average of 350 performances a year of nine professional theatre productions. Performances by the theatre company are occasionally given in London or from a 400-seat mobile theatre. The company performs a varied programme including classic theatre and revivals, contemporary drama and new writing. Shakespeare,

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

and Chekhov have been the mainstay of its repertoire but the theatre has staged classics from other areas of the canon including the British premieres of '' La Ronde'' and ''The Prince of Homburg'' and revivals of '' The Lower Depths'', '' Don Carlos'' and '' The Dybbuk''. American work has also been important – Tennessee Williams,

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...

, Miller, August Wilson – as has new writing, with the world premieres of '' The Dresser'', ''

Amongst Barbarians ''Amongst Barbarians'' is a 1989 play by British playwright Michael Wall, first performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester prior to a transfer to the Hampstead Theatre in London. It was filmed as a made-for-TV movie in 1990, which was s ...

'', ''A Wholly Healthy Glasgow'' and ''Port'' to its name. The Royal Exchange also presents visiting theatre companies in the Studio; folk, jazz and rock concerts; and discussions, readings and literary events. It engages children of all ages in drama activities and groups and has performances including these children and teens. Performances include "The Freedom Bird" and "The Boy Who Ran from the Sea".

Key productions

The company has produced a very wide range of plays from 31 Shakespeare revivals to over 100 premieres; from neglected European classics to adaptations of famous novels. The many critically acclaimed and award-winning productions include: * '' The Rivals'' by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. One of the two opening productions, directed by Braham Murray with Tom Courtenay, Christopher Gable and Patricia Routledge (1976) * '' The Prince of Homburg'' by Heinrich von Kleist. The other opening production, directed by Casper Wrede with Tom Courtenay and Christopher Gable (1976) * '' The Lady from the Sea'' by

. Directed by Michael Elliott with Vanessa Redgrave (1978) * '' The Dresser'' by Ronald Harwood. World premiere directed by Michael Elliott with Tom Courtenay and Freddie Jones (1980) * '' The Duchess of Malfi'' by John Webster. Directed by Adrian Noble with

Helen Mirren Dame Helen Mirren (born Helen Lydia Mironoff; born 26 July 1945) is an English actor. The recipient of numerous accolades, she is the only performer to have achieved the Triple Crown of Acting in both the United States and the United Kingdom. ...

Bob Hoskins Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...

and Pete Postlethwaite (1980) * '' Waiting for Godot'' by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

. Directed by Braham Murray with

Max Wall Max Wall (12 March 1908 – 21 May 1990) was an English actor and comedian whose performing career covered music hall, films, television and theatre. Early years Wall was born Maxwell George Lorimer, son of the successful music hall entert ...

and Trevor Peacock (1980) * '' Hamlet''. Directed by Braham Murray with Robert Lindsay (1983) * '' Moby Dick''. World premiere adapted and directed by Michael Elliott with Brian Cox (1984) * ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

''. Directed by Nicholas Hytner with Janet McTeer (1986) * '' Riddley Walker'' by Russell Hoban. World Premiere directed by Braham Murray with David Threlfall (1986) * ''

Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also called Edward of Caernarfon, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir apparent to t ...

'' by

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

. Directed by Nicholas Hytner with Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage (1986) * '' Don Carlos'' by

Schiller Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller (, short: ; 10 November 17599 May 1805) was a German playwright, poet, and philosopher. During the last seventeen years of his life (1788–1805), Schiller developed a productive, if complicated, friendsh ...

. Directed by Nicholas Hytner with Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage (1987) * ''

All My Sons ''All My Sons'' is a three-act play written in 1946 by Arthur Miller. It opened on Broadway at the Coronet Theatre in New York City on January 29, 1947, closed on November 8, 1949, and ran for 328 performances. It was directed by Elia Kazan (t ...

'' by Arthur Miller. Directed by Greg Hersov with John Thaw and

Michael Maloney Michael Maloney (born 19 June 1957) is an English actor. Life and career Born in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, Maloney's first television appearance was as Peter Barkworth's teenage son in the 1979 drama series ''Telford's Change''. He made his ...

(1988) * ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

''. Directed by Braham Murray with David Threlfall and

Francis Barber Francis Barber ( – 13 January 1801), born Quashey, was the Jamaican manservant of Samuel Johnson in London from 1752 until Johnson's death in 1784. Johnson made him his residual heir, with £70 () a year to be given him by Trustees, express ...

(1988) * ''

Arms and the Man ''Arms and the Man'' is a comedy by George Bernard Shaw, whose title comes from the opening words of Virgil's ''Aeneid'', in Latin: ''Arma virumque cano'' ("Of arms and the man I sing"). The play was first produced on 21 April 1894 at the Aven ...

'' by Bernard Shaw with Catherine Russell and Adrian Lukis (1988/89) * ''Donny Boy'' by Robert Glendinning ( TMA Award for best new play).World premiere directed by Casper Wrede (1990) * '' Death and the King's Horseman'' by Wole Soyinka. World premiere directed by Phyllida Lloyd with George Harris and Claire Benedict (1990) * ''Your Home in the West by Rod Wooden''. World premiere directed by Braham Murray with David Threlfall, Lorraine Ashbourne and Andy Serkis (1991) * ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

''. Directed by Greg Hersov ( TMA Award) with Michael Sheen and Kate Byers (1992) * '' Look Back in Anger'' by

John Osborne John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...

. Directed by Greg Hersov with Michael Sheen and Claire Skinner (1995) * '' Hindle Wakes'' by Stanley Houghton. Directed by Helena Kaut-Howson ( MEN Award) with Ewan Hooper and

Sue Johnston Susan Johnston OBE (née Wright; born 7 December 1943) is an English actress. She is known for portraying Sheila Grant in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'' (1982–1990), Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy ''The Royle Family'' (1998–2000, ...

. See IRA bombing above. (1996) and (1998) * '' Much Ado About Nothing''. Directed by Helena Kaut-Howson ( MEN Award) with Josie Lawrence ( MEN Award), Michael Muller and Ewan Hooper ( MEN Award) (1997) * ''Poor Superman by'' Brad Fraser. British premiere directed by

Marianne Elliott Marianne Phoebe Elliott (born 27 December 1966) is a British theatre director and producer who works on the West End and Broadway. She has received numerous accolades including three Laurence Olivier Awards and four Tony Awards. Initially ...

( MEN Award) with Sam Graham ( MEN Award) and Luke Williams ( MEN Award) (1997) * ''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five- act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen published in 1876. Written in Norwegian, it is one of the most widely performed Norwegian plays. Ibsen believed ''Per Gynt'', the Norwegian fairy tale on wh ...

'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

. Directed by Braham Murray with David Threlfall (1999) * ''Snake in Fridge'' by Brad Fraser ( MEN Award). World premiere directed by Braham Murray ( MEN Award) with Adam Sims ( MEN Award) and Kellie Bright (2000) * '' Hedda Gabler'' by

. Directed by Braham Murray with Amanda Donohoe ( MEN Award), Terence Wilton and

Simon Robson Simon Robson is a British actor, director and writer. As an actor, he has appeared in '' Doctors'', ''Tom & Viv'', ''Bodywork'', ''Trial and Retribution'' and '' EastEnders'', playing Graham Stone. Simon Robson studied Philosophy and Social a ...

(2001) * '' The Homecoming'' by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

. Directed by Greg Hersov with Pete Postlethwaite ( MEN Award) (2002) * ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

''. Directed by Braham Murray with Paterson Joseph and Andy Serkis (2002) * ''Port by'' Simon Stephens ( Pearson Award). World premiere directed by

with

Emma Lowndes Emma Lowndes (born 1975) is an English actress, known for portraying Bella Gregson in '' Cranford'', Mary Rivers in ''Jane Eyre'' and Margie Drewe in ''Downton Abbey''. Background Brought up in Irlam, near Manchester, Lowndes attended Irlam Pri ...

( MEN Award) and Andrew Sheridan (2002) * ''

Hobson's Choice A Hobson's choice is a free choice in which only one thing is actually offered. The term is often used to describe an illusion that multiple choices are available. The most well known Hobson's choice is "I'll give you a choice: take it or leave ...

'' by Harold Brighouse. Directed by Braham Murray with Trevor Peacock, John Thomson and

Joanna Riding Joanna Riding (born Joanne Riding; 9 November 1967) is an English actress. For her work in West End musicals, she has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, and has been nominated for three others. Early life Riding was born in Preston, Lancashire ...

(2003) * ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

''. Directed by Braham Murray with

Josette Bushell-Mingo Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE (born 16 February 1964) is a Sweden-based English theatre actress and director of African descent, who was born in London and has been living and working in Sweden for many years. In February 2021, the Royal Central Scho ...

, Tom Mannion and Terence Wilton (2005) * '' On the Shore of the Wide World'' by Simon Stephens ( Olivier Award). World premiere directed by

with Nicholas Gleaves, Siobhan Finneran ( MEN Award) and Eileen O'Brien (2005) * '' Henry V''. Directed by Jonathon Munby with Elliot Cowan ( MEN Award) (2007) * '' Roots'' by Arnold Wesker. Directed by Jo Combes with Claire Brown and Denise Black ( MEN Award) (2008) * '' The Children's Hour'' by Lillian Hellman. Directed by

with Maxine Peake ( MEN Award), Charlotte Emmerson and

Kate O'Flynn Kate O'Flynn is a British actress. She is known for her performance in Royal National Theatre, National Theatre's production of ''Port'' for which she received a Critics' Circle Theatre Award in 2013, as well as starring roles in plays ''A Taste ...

( TMA Award) (2008) * '' The Glass Menagerie'' by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Braham Murray with

Brenda Blethyn Brenda Blethyn (''née'' Bottle; 20 February 1946) is an English actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, and two Academy Award nominations. Blethyn ...

( TMA Award) (2008) * '' Punk rock'' by Simon Stephens ( MEN Award). World premiere directed by

( MEN Award) with Jessica Raine ( MEN Award) and Tom Sturridge ( MEN Award and

Critics' Circle Award The Critics' Circle Theatre Awards, originally called ''Drama'' Theatre Awards up to 1990, are British theatrical awards presented annually for the closing year's theatrical achievements. The winners, from theatre throughout the United Kingdom, ar ...

)( 2009) * '' A Raisin in the Sun'' by Lorraine Hansberry. Directed by Michael Buffong ( MEN Award) with Ray Fearon ( MEN Award), Starletta DuPois( MEN Award) and Jenny Jules ( MEN Award) (2010).MEN Awards

'' City Life (magazine), City Life'', 10 February 2011. * ''

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

'' by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Greg Hersov with Cush Jumbo,

, Terence Wilton and Ian Bartholomew ( MEN Award) (2010) * ''Mogadishu'' by Vivienne Franzmann. World premiere directed by Matthew Dunster with Ian Bartholomew, Malachi Kirby and Shannon Tarbet ( Manchester Theatre Awards) (2011)Theatre Awards.
/ref> * ''

A View From The Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...

'' by Arthur Miller. Directed by

with Con O'Neill ( Manchester Theatre Awards) and Ian Redford (2011) *

. Directed by Greg Hersov with Cush Jumbo ( Ian Charleson Award), Ben Batt, Kelly Hotten, Ian Bartholomew, Terence Wilton and James Clyde (2011) * '' Wonderful Town'' by

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

( Manchester Theatre Awards).Produced in partnership with the Hallé Orchestra and The Lowry with Connie Fisher, Lucy van Gasse and Michael Xavier. The orchestra was conducted by Mark Elder. The production was the last one directed by Braham Murray as artistic director of the Royal Exchange (2012) * Miss Julie by August Strindberg. Directed by

with Maxine Peake ( Manchester Theatre Awards), Liam Gerrard, Joe Armstrong and Carla Henry (2012) * ''

The Accrington Pals The Accrington Pals, officially the 11th (Service) Battalion (Accrington), East Lancashire Regiment, was a pals battalion of Kitchener's Army raised in and around the town of Accrington during the First World War. History Recruiting was initi ...

'' by Peter Whelan. Directed by James Dacre with

, Sarah Ridgeway, Robin Morrissey and Gerard Kearns. UK Theatre Award for best design (2013) * '' A Doll's House'' by

. Directed by Greg Hersov with Cush Jumbo ( Manchester Theatre Awards)( Theatre Awards UK), David Sturzaker, Kelly Hotten, Jack Tarlton and Jamie De Courcey (2013) * '' Sweeney Todd'' by

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...

. Co-production with

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

directed by James Brining with David Birrell as Sweeney Todd and Gillian Bevan as

Mrs Lovett Mrs. Lovett is a fictional character appearing in many adaptations of the story ''Sweeney Todd''. Her first name is most commonly referred to as Nellie, although she has also been referred to as Amelia, Margery, Maggie, Sarah, Shirley, Wilhelmina ...

(2013) * ''The Last Days of Troy'' by Simon Armitage. Directed by Nick Bagnall with Gillian Bevan, David Birrell, Richard Bremner and

Lily Cole Lily Luahana Cole (born 27 December 1987)"Autobiography"
, lilycole.com. is a B ...

(2014) * ''Billy Liar'' by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. Directed by Sam Yates with Harry McEntire ( Manchester Theatre Awards), Emily Barber( Manchester Theatre Awards), Jack Deam, Rebekah Hinds, Lisa Millett (2014) * '' Hamlet''. Directed by

with Maxine Peake, John Shrapnel, Barbara Marten, Gillian Bevan ( Manchester Theatre Awards) and Claire Benedict (2014) * '' Breaking the Code'' by Hugh Whitemore ( Manchester Theatre Award). Directed by Robert Hastie with Daniel Rigby ( Manchester Theatre Award),Natalie Dew( Manchester Theatre Award) Phil Cheadle, Dmitri Gripari and Geraldine Alexander (2016) * ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on ...

'': Book by Neil Simon, music by

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, United States, to Eastern European Jewish parents ...

and Lyrics by Dorothy Fields ( Manchester Theatre Award) . Directed by Derek Bond with Kaisa Hammarlund, Daniel Crossley ( Manchester Theatre Award), Bob Harms and Josie Benson (2016)

The Bruntwood Prize

In 2005, the Royal Exchange Theatre launched the Bruntwood Playwriting Competition to encourage a new generation of playwrights from the UK and Ireland. The competition had its roots in two regional competitions called WRITE which attracted over 400 entries. The first two competitions resulted in three festivals of new writing which showcased eight new writers, one of whom, Nick Leather, became writer in residence. The theatre produced his script, ''All the Ordinary Angels'', in October 2005. In 2006, 1,800 scripts were submitted for consideration. The winning entry was Ben Musgrave's ''Pretend You Have Big Buildings'' for which he received a prize of £15,000 and his play was performed as part of the Manchester International Festival 2007. In 2008 the Exchange and Bruntwood ran a second competition. Judges included

, Michael Sheen,

Roger Michell Roger Michell (5 June 1956 – 22 September 2021) was a South African-born British theatre, television and film director. He was best known for directing films such as ''Notting Hill (film), Notting Hill'' and ''Venus (2006 film), Venus'', as ...

and actor/director Richard Wilson. The £40,000 prize fund was split equally between Vivienne Franzmann for ''Mogadishu'' (main house and Lyric Hammersmith 2011), Fiona Peek for ''Salt'' (The Studio 2010), Andrew Sheridan for ''Winterlong'' (The Studio, 2011) and Naylah Ahmed for ''Butcher Boys''.

Notable people

Directors

The company has been run by a group of artistic directors since its inception. According to Braham Murray: -"Although the names have changed we have remained a team of like-minded individuals sharing a common vision of the purpose and potency of theatre."The Royal Exchange Theatre Company Words & Pictures 1976–1998, p. 62. These individuals includeThe Royal Exchange Theatre Company Words & Pictures 1976–1998.Braham Murray. * Michael Elliott (1976–1984) * James Maxwell (1976–1995) * Braham Murray (1976–2012) * Richard Negri (1976–1986) * Caspar Wrede (1976–1990) * Greg Hersov (1987– 2014) *

(1998–2002) * Matthew Lloyd (1998–2001) *

(2008–2019) *

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(2019– ) *

Roy Alexander Weise Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise to ...

(2019– ) In 2014

became the sole artistic director. Associate Artistic Directors include:- Nicholas Hytner (1985–1989), Ian McDiarmid (1986–1988) and Phyllida Lloyd (1990–1991). Many other directors have worked at the Royal Exchange amongst them Lucy Bailey, Michael Buffong, Robert Delamere, Jacob Murray, Adrian Noble,

Steven Pimlott Steven Charles Pimlott (18 April 1953 – 14 February 2007) was an English opera and theatre director, whose obituary in ''The Times'' hailed him as "one of the most versatile and inventive theatre directors of his generation". His output ran the ...

and Richard Wilson. The company is renowned for its innovative designers, composers and choreographers which include Lez Brotherston, Johanna Bryant, Chris Monks,

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a m ...

, Jeremy Sams, Rae Smith and Mark Thomas.

Actors

Throughout its history the theatre has attracted great actors and a number of them have taken on many roles over the years. Actors who have been particularly associated with the Exchange and have appeared in several different productions include : -Braham Murray. Lorraine Ashbourne,

, Tom Courtenay, Amanda Donohoe, Gabrielle Drake, Lindsay Duncan, Ray Fearon, Michael Feast, Robert Glenister, Derek Griffiths, Dilys Hamlett,

Julie Hesmondhalgh Julie Claire Hesmondhalgh (born 25 February 1970) is an English actress and narrator. She is known for her role as Hayley Cropper in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' between 1998 and 2014. For this role, she won Best Serial Drama Perfor ...

Claire Higgins Clare Frances Elizabeth Higgins (born 10 November 1955) is an English actress. Her film appearances include ''Hellraiser'' (1987), '' The Worst Witch'' (2017 - 2020) '' Hellbound: Hellraiser II'' (1988), ''Small Faces'' (1996) and '' The Golde ...

, Paterson Joseph, Cush Jumbo, Ben Keaton, Robert Lindsay, Ian McDiarmid, Tim McInnerny, Janet McTeer, Patrick O'Kane, Daragh O'Malley Trevor Peacock, Maxine Peake, Pete Postlethwaite, Linus Roache, David Schofield, Andy Serkis, Michael Sheen, Andrew Sheridan, David Threlfall and Don Warrington. Other notable actors have appeared at the theatre and these include Brian Cox,

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...

, Alex Jennings, Ben Kingsley, Leo McKern,

, David Morrissey, Gary Oldman, Vanessa Redgrave, Imogen Stubbs, John Thaw, Harriet Walter, Julie Walters and Sam West. The company has always had a reputation for spotting young actors before they became famous.

Kate Winslet Kate Elizabeth Winslet (; born 5 October 1975) is an English actress. Known for her work in independent films, particularly period dramas, and for her portrayals of headstrong and complicated women, she has received numerous accolades, incl ...

, Hugh Grant, David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Andrew Garfield and most recently

Gabriel Clark Gabriel Clark Doctor of Divinity, D.D., was an England, English Anglican priest in the 17th century. Clark was born in Hertfordshire and educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He held Living (Christianity), livings at Middleton Stoney and Elwick, ...

all appeared at the Royal Exchange long before starring in film and television.

References

Bibliography

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External links

1874 – Royal Exchange, Manchester, Lancashire

Royal Exchange Manchester

The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition 2008

The Bruntwood Playwriting Competition 2008 Blog
{{Coord, 53.4825, -2.2444, display=title 1921 establishments in England Bradshaw, Gass & Hope buildings Commercial buildings completed in 1914 Grade II listed buildings in Manchester Producing theatres in England Shopping centres in Manchester Theatres in Manchester