Manchester Theatre Guide: Where to Go and What to See

Manchester has one of the strongest theatre scenes of any city outside London. With large-scale touring venues, a celebrated theatre-in-the-round and a growing number of smaller spaces producing ambitious new work, it offers a genuine breadth of choice. Whether you are based in the North West or visiting from elsewhere, here is a guide to the city's key venues and what to expect from each. The Palace Theatre on Oxford Street has been a fixture of Manchester's cultural life since it opened in 1891. With a capacity of around 2,000, it is one of the largest and best-equipped theatres outside the West End and serves as a flagship venue for major touring musicals and plays. If a big West End show goes on a UK tour, there is a good chance it will play the Palace. Productions like The Lion King, Wicked and Hamilton have all featured on touring schedules that include Manchester as a key stop. The Grade II-listed building has a rich history, having hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Judy Garland over the decades. The Palace is centrally located, within walking distance of Manchester Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations, and close to the St Peter's Square Metrolink tram stop. The Royal Exchange is Manchester's most distinctive theatre. Built inside the former Royal Exchange trading hall, it is a theatre-in-the-round with approximately 800 seats arranged over three levels, entirely enclosing the performance space. This design puts every audience member close to the action and gives productions an immediacy that conventional stages cannot easily match. The programme leans towards classic drama, Shakespeare, contemporary new writing and bold reinterpretations of existing work. It also has a 90-seat Studio for smaller-scale and experimental productions. If you are interested in serious theatre beyond the commercial mainstream, the Royal Exchange is where to head. It sits right in the centre of Manchester, close to Market Street and St Ann's Square. The Lowry is a large arts complex at Salford Quays, a short tram ride from Manchester city centre. Its main Lyric Theatre seats 1,730 and has one of the largest stages outside the West End, making it suitable for large-scale touring productions, opera and dance. The smaller Quays Theatre (466 seats) and Aldridge Studio (150 seats) host a varied programme of theatre, comedy and music. The building opened in 2000 and is named after the painter L.S. Lowry, whose work is displayed in the galleries alongside a changing programme of visual art exhibitions. It is a good venue if you want to combine a theatre visit with something else cultural in the same building. The Manchester Opera House, also on Quay Street in the city centre, seats around 1,920 across Stalls, Circle and Gallery. It is a Grade II-listed Edwardian building and, alongside the Palace, is one of the city's two main homes for large touring productions. The programme covers musicals, ballet, concerts and plays. The Opera House and Palace Theatre are operated by the same group, so between them they host the majority of major touring shows that visit Manchester. HOME is Manchester's centre for contemporary theatre, cinema and visual art. It opened on First Street in 2015, bringing together what were previously two separate organisations (the Cornerhouse cinema and the Library Theatre Company). The 500-seat main theatre and 150-seat flexible studio host a programme that ranges from new writing and international work to live art and experimental performances. If you are looking for something more adventurous than a mainstream touring show, HOME is the place. It is also a good cinema and gallery, so there is plenty to browse even if you arrive early. The nearest stations are Deansgate and Oxford Road, with the Deansgate-Castlefield tram stop close by. Tucked away in a converted Grade II-listed cotton mill in Ancoats, Hope Mill Theatre is a 145-seat venue that has built an impressive reputation since opening in 2015. It specialises in musical theatre, including premieres and revivals, and has produced several shows that have gone on to transfer or tour. For anyone who wants to see what is coming next in British musical theatre, it is well worth a visit. From London, the fastest trains run from Euston to Manchester Piccadilly in around two hours via Avanti West Coast, with services running throughout the day. Manchester Piccadilly puts you within walking distance of the Palace Theatre, Royal Exchange and HOME. For The Lowry, the Metrolink tram from the city centre to MediaCityUK is the easiest route. Within the city, most of the central theatres are within 15 minutes' walk of each other, and the Metrolink tram network connects the wider venues. Manchester is a compact city, and getting between theatres is straightforward. Manchester is not simply a stop on the touring circuit. The Royal Exchange has long been one of the country's most respected producing theatres, and venues like Hope Mill and HOME are actively developing new work. The city's combination of large commercial venues, mid-scale producing houses and small experimental spaces gives it a range and depth of theatre that few cities outside London can match. For regular theatre-goers looking to see productions outside the West End, or for anyone visiting the North West and wanting a quality night at the theatre, Manchester delivers reliably well. You can browse touring shows and regional theatre across the UK on BritishTheatre.com, check our full list of venues for more theatre guides, and find tickets for touring productions through tickadoo. For West End shows that have previously toured to Manchester, tickadoo also lists availability for upcoming dates.