The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

, England. It is located in the

city centre A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the Commerce, commercial, Culture, cultural and often the historical, Politics, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely e ...

on 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 current building is the last of several buildings on the site used for commodities exchange, primarily but not exclusively of cotton and textiles.

History, 1729 to 1973

The cotton industry in

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

was served by the cotton importers and brokers based in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

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 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. 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

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 from the walls. The first-floor dining-room was accessed by a geometrical staircase. The exchange opened to celebrate the birthday of

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland, Ireland from 25 October 1760 until his death in 1820. The Acts of Union 1800 unified Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and ...

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 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

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. 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 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 (architecture), cornice which helps to support them. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally transl ...

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

. The first attic storey has a balustraded

parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an upward extension of a wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/brea ...

while the second attic storey has a mansard roof. At the north-west corner is a

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

turret Turret may refer to: * Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building * Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon * Optical microscope#Objective turret (revolver or revolving nose piece), Objective turre ...

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 directors: Michael Elliott, Caspar Wrede, Richard Negri, James Maxwell and Braham Murray. The theatre was opened by Laurence Olivier on 15 September 1976. In 1979, the artistic directorship was augmented by the appointment of Gregory Hersov. Royal Exchange Arcade

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 Castlefield is an inner-city conservation area in Manchester, North West England. The conservation area which bears its name is bounded by the River Irwell, A34 road, Quay Street, Deansgate and A56 road, Chester Road. It was the site of the Rom ...

. 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 William Stanley Houghton (22 February 1881 – 11 December 1913) was an English playwright. He was a prominent member, together with Allan Monkhouse and Harold Brighouse, of a group known as the Manchester School of dramatists. His best k ...

'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 was appointed the sole artistic director. In January 2016, the Royal Exchange was awarded Regional Theatre of the Year by ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. Founded in 1880, ''The Stage'' contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at thos ...

''. In announcing the award, ''The Stage'' said: "This was the year that artistic director Sarah Frankcom 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 Frankcom 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 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 A black box theater is a performance space, typically a square or rectangular room, with black walls and a black, flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interact ...

with no fixed stage area and moveable seats, allowing for a variety of production styles (in the round,

thrust Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that ...

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 William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

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, Miller, August Wilson – as has new writing, with the world premieres of '' The Dresser'', '' Amongst Barbarians'', ''A Wholly Healthy Glasgow'' and ''Port'' to its name. The Royal Exchange also presents visiting theatre companies in the Studio; folk,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

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 ''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theat ...

'' by John Webster. Directed by Adrian Noble with Helen Mirren, Bob Hoskins and Pete Postlethwaite (1980) * '' Waiting for Godot'' by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

. Directed by Braham Murray with Max Wall and Trevor Peacock (1980) * ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. Directed by Braham Murray with Robert Lindsay (1983) * ''

Moby Dick ''Moby-Dick; or, The Whale'' is an 1851 Epic (genre), epic novel by American writer Herman Melville. The book is centered on the sailor Ishmael (Moby-Dick), Ishmael's narrative of the maniacal quest of Captain Ahab, Ahab, captain of the whaler ...

''. World premiere adapted and directed by Michael Elliott with Brian Cox (1984) * ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, 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 Wil ...

''. 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'' by

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

. Directed by Nicholas Hytner with Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage (1986) * '' Don Carlos'' by Schiller. Directed by Nicholas Hytner with Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage (1987) * '' All My Sons'' by Arthur Miller. Directed by Greg Hersov with John Thaw and Michael Maloney (1988) * ''

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

''. Directed by Braham Murray with David Threlfall and Francis Barber (1988) * '' Arms and the Man'' 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 Wole Soyinka , (born 13 July 1934) is a Nigerian author, best known as a playwright and poet. He has written three novels, ten collections of short stories, seven poetry collections, twenty five plays and five memoirs. He also wrote two transla ...

. 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 ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

''. Directed by Greg Hersov ( TMA Award) with

Michael Sheen Michael Christopher Sheen (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage roles in ''Romeo and Juliet'' (1992), ''Don't Fool wi ...

and Kate Byers (1992) * '' Look Back in Anger'' by John Osborne. Directed by Greg Hersov with

and Claire Skinner (1995) * '' Hindle Wakes'' by

. Directed by Helena Kaut-Howson ( MEN Award) with

Ewan Hooper Ewan Eynon Hooper (23 October 1935 – 6 April 2023) was a Scottish actor who was a graduate from, and later an associate member of RADA. Life and career Hooper was the motivating force in the foundation of the Greenwich Theatre, which opened ...

and Sue Johnston. See IRA bombing above. (1996) and (1998) * ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...

''. Directed by Helena Kaut-Howson ( MEN Award) with Josie Lawrence ( MEN Award), Michael Muller and

( MEN Award) (1997) * ''Poor Superman by'' Brad Fraser. British premiere directed by Marianne Elliott ( MEN Award) with Sam Graham ( MEN Award) and Luke Williams ( MEN Award) (1997) * ''

Peer Gynt ''Peer Gynt'' (, ) is a five-Act (drama), act play in verse written in 1867 by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. It is one of Ibsen's best known and most widely performed plays. ''Peer Gynt'' chronicles the journey of its title character fr ...

'' by

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

. 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 (2001) * '' The Homecoming'' by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

. Directed by Greg Hersov with Pete Postlethwaite ( MEN Award) (2002) * '' Othello''. Directed by Braham Murray with Paterson Joseph and Andy Serkis (2002) * ''Port by'' Simon Stephens ( Pearson Award). World premiere directed by Marianne Elliott with Emma Lowndes ( MEN Award) and Andrew Sheridan (2002) * '' Hobson's Choice'' by Harold Brighouse. Directed by Braham Murray with Trevor Peacock, John Thomson and Joanna Riding (2003) * '' Antony and Cleopatra''. Directed by Braham Murray with Josette Bushell-Mingo, Tom Mannion and Terence Wilton (2005) * '' On the Shore of the Wide World'' by Simon Stephens ( Olivier Award). World premiere directed by Sarah Frankcom 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 A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...

'' by Arnold Wesker. Directed by Jo Combes with Claire Brown and Denise Black ( MEN Award) (2008) * '' The Children's Hour'' by

Lillian Hellman Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, Prose, prose writer, Memoir, memoirist, and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway as well as her communist views and political activism. She was black ...

. Directed by Sarah Frankcom with Maxine Peake ( MEN Award), Charlotte Emmerson and Kate O'Flynn ( TMA Award) (2008) * '' The Glass Menagerie'' by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Braham Murray with Brenda Blethyn ( TMA Award) (2008) * ''

Punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

'' by Simon Stephens ( MEN Award). World premiere directed by Sarah Frankcom ( MEN Award) with Jessica Raine ( MEN Award) and Tom Sturridge ( MEN Award and Critics' Circle Award)( 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'' by

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

. Directed by Greg Hersov with Cush Jumbo, Simon Robson, 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) * '' A View From The Bridge'' by Arthur Miller. Directed by Sarah Frankcom 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 ( ; born Louis 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 th ...

( 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 Johan August Strindberg (; ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist, and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than 60 pla ...

. Directed by Sarah Frankcom with Maxine Peake ( Manchester Theatre Awards), Liam Gerrard, Joe Armstrong and Carla Henry (2012) * '' The Accrington Pals'' by Peter Whelan. Directed by James Dacre with Emma Lowndes, Sarah Ridgeway, Robin Morrissey and Gerard Kearns. UK Theatre Award for best design (2013) * ''

A Doll's House ''A Doll's House'' (Danish language, Danish and ; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Danish Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 De ...

'' 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 (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

. Co-production with West Yorkshire Playhouse directed by James Brining with David Birrell as Sweeney Todd and Gillian Bevan as Mrs Lovett (2013) * ''The Last Days of Troy'' by Simon Armitage. Directed by Nick Bagnall with Gillian Bevan, David Birrell, Richard Bremner and Lily Cole (2014) * ''Billy Liar'' by

Keith Waterhouse Keith Spencer Waterhouse Order of British Empire, CBE (6 February 1929 – 4 September 2009) was a British novelist and newspaper columnist and the writer of many television series. He was also a noted arbiter of newspaper style and journalisti ...

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) * ''

''. Directed by Sarah Frankcom 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, Dimitri Gripari and Geraldine Alexander (2016) * '' Sweet Charity'': Book by

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He received three ...

, 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, to Ashkenazi, Eastern European Jewish parents, an ...

and Lyrics by

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote more than 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include " The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (193 ...

( 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 The Manchester International Festival is a biennial international arts festival, with a specific focus on original new work, held in the English city of Manchester and run by Factory International. The festival is a biennial event, first takin ...

2007. In 2008 the Exchange and Bruntwood ran a second competition. Judges included Brenda Blethyn,

, Roger Michell 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) * Marianne Elliott (1998–2002) * Matthew Lloyd (1998–2001) * Sarah Frankcom (2008–2019) * Bryony Shanahan (2019–2023) * Roy Alexander Weise (2019–2023) In 2014 Sarah Frankcom 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 and Richard Wilson. The company is renowned for its innovative designers, composers and choreographers which include Lez Brotherston, Johanna Bryant, Chris Monks, Alan Price,

Jeremy Sams Jeremy Sams (born 12 January 1957) is a British theatre director, composer, and lyricist. Early life and education Sams is the son of the Shakespearean scholar and musicologist Eric Sams. He read music, French, and German at Magdalene Colleg ...

, 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, Brenda Blethyn, Tom Courtenay, Amanda Donohoe, Gabrielle Drake, Lindsay Duncan, Ray Fearon, Michael Feast, Robert Glenister,

Derek Griffiths Derek Griffiths (born 15 July 1946) is a British actor, singer and voice artist who appeared in numerous British children's television series in the 1970s to present and has more recently played parts in television drama. Career Griffiths was ...

, Dilys Hamlett, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Claire Higgins, 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 Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964) is a British actor. He played Executive ADA List of Law & Order characters#Michael Cutter, Michael Cutter in the NBC dramas ''Law & Order'' (2008–2010) and ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2011 ...

, David Schofield, Andy Serkis,

, Andrew Sheridan, David Threlfall and Don Warrington. Other notable actors have appeared at the theatre and these include Brian Cox, Albert Finney, Alex Jennings, Ben Kingsley,

Leo McKern Reginald "Leo" McKern (16 March 1920 – 23 July 2002) was an Australian actor who appeared in numerous British, Australian and American television programmes and films, and in more than 200 stage roles. His notable roles include Clang in ...

, Helen Mirren, 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. Primarily known for her roles as headstrong and complicated women in independent films, particularly period dramas, she has received numerous accolades, including an Ac ...

, Hugh Grant,

David Tennant David John Tennant (; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He is best known for portraying the Tenth Doctor, tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, fourteenth incarnations of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the science fiction series ''Docto ...

, Andrew Garfield and most recently Gabriel Clark 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