The iconic theatre has confirmed its 50th anniversary programme including a ‘bold new play’ that takes place in three timeframes including the day the IRA bomb exploded
(Image: The Royal Exchange)
It’s one of Manchester’s most well-known cultural institutions and now as it prepares to mark its 50th anniversary, the Royal Exchange has revealed one of its most ‘celebratory’ programmes to date.
Last night (September 15), announcing her first season of work on the 49th birthday of the Theatre, Selina Cartmell, Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, welcomed Sir Tom Courtenay, after 24 years, back to the theatre to celebrate its iconic history.
Alongside a brilliant group of other artists connected to the Exchange, last night saw the launch of ‘A Homecoming’ – a season that ‘celebrates the theatres past and re-defines its future’.
The bold and ambitious 50th anniversary season launches the next chapter of the Royal Exchange, inviting artistic alumni to return ‘home’ to share stories that resonate and celebrate the unique connection between artists and audiences in its distinctive, democratic in-the-round arena.
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It’s anniversary programme will span two world premieres, two musicals and three reimagined classics shape Cartmell’s anniversary programme, and includes returning artists and friends such as Sir Tom Courtenay, Jim Cartwright, Shobna Gulati, Matthew Dunster and David Threlfall.
Selina Cartmell, Artistic Director of the Royal (Image: Agata Stoinska )
New creative collaborators will include Johnny Vegas, Shobna Gulati, and debut writer Tolu Okanlawon.
Selina Cartmell commented: “There is no theatre like the Royal Exchange anywhere in the world. Its pioneering architecture and visceral relationship between artist and audience has shaped fifty exceptional years of this northern theatrical powerhouse and underpins my vision for the future.
“I am thrilled to finally get to share A Homecoming, our 50th anniversary season that takes in Shakespeare and Sondheim, contemporary classics and two world premieres.
Former Coronation Steet star Shobna Gulati(Image: Getty Images)
“Central to this vision are audiences, both old and new, and I invite them to become active collaborators in this ambitious and eclectic season.”
Boasting seven ambitious productions, the first commission will be a contemporary revival of ‘Road’, which marks the 40th anniversary of Jim Cartwright’s iconic play, and his fifth production at the theatre.
For her first production for the Royal Exchange, Cartmell has gathered together an ensemble of extraordinary actors including Lucy Beaumont and Shobna Gulati, who returns to the Exchange stage for the third time and Johnny Vegas who makes his debut as Scullery.
Sir Tom Courtenay will make a special appearance on film as Jerry, his seventeenth time performing at the Exchange since its opening in 1976. The production will runs from 13 February to 14 March 2026.
Sir Tom Courtenay reads a poem close to the memorial stone to poet Philip Larkin after it was unveiled in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey(Image: PA)
Following this, a new production of Private Lives, a vitriol-laced classic directed by award-winning director Blanche McIntyre, who makes a welcome return to the Exchange following her production of The Birthday Part in 2013.
The programme will also encompass the world premiere of Rory Mullarkey’s original and moving play Even These Things.
Directed by James Macdonald, this bold new play takes place in three unique timeframes of Manchester’s history, including the day the IRA bomb exploded in the city-centre.
It will run from 15 May, and its final performance will take place on 15 June 2026, 30 years to the day when the bomb exploded.
There will also be a regional premiere marking the 20th anniversary of Alison Bechdel’s iconic graphic novel, ‘Fun Home’, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by Lisa Kron.
Comedienne Lucy Beaumont
Later in the season, David Threlfall returns to the Royal Exchange Theatre after 27 years to play Lear in a reimagining of Shakespeare’s masterwork, adapted and directed by Matthew Dunster in a unique and emotionally charged take on one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Returning to the Exchange for the sixth time, Matthew Dunster’s latest engagement for the Theatre will run from 2 October to 15 November 2026.
Meanwhile, Selina Cartmell directs Sondheim’s breathtaking classic ‘A Little Night Music’, which is the Exchange’s Christmas production for 2026.
This life-affirming fairy-tale for adults is packed with stunning musical numbers such as Send in The Clowns and Night Waltz. Perfect for all the family, this beautiful musical runs from 5 December 2026 to 30 January 2027.
Running into 2027, debut writer and 2025 Bruntwood Prize winner, Tolu Okanlawon’s propulsive new play Shooters completes the season and is an epic exploration of authenticity, masculinity and representation as it examines a true event in mid-century New York.
Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre(Image: Manchester Evening News)
The Royal Exchange Theatre was founded by a group of international and pioneering artists in 1976. The theatre has said that Cartmell will continue this legacy by placing artists’ and theatrical exchange at the centre of her programme.
Selina added: “In this anniversary year we renew our commitment to being a world-class theatre here in the heart of Manchester and an artistic engine room for talent development in the North.
“I am excited to commission and create universal stories that speak both to and from our home, shaping a fiercely distinctive artistic future that is local, national and international in ambition.
“Essential to our future is a robust eco-system for emerging and established artists. Through nurturing these sustainable collaborations, the Royal Exchange will be a space for a Manchester canon of new plays and productions, and to achieve this, we are forging exciting plans to re-open our 90-seat studio space, which has been closed since 2020.
“I cannot launch this season without acknowledging the incredible vision of our founding artistic directors and the generations of artists who followed.
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“This anniversary programme sees artists return to the stage and others make their debuts to share transformative stories with diverse perspectives.
“I am excited to lead this pioneering theatre into its next chapter, and I hope that ‘A Homecoming’ is a statement of intent of the adventure ahead.”