Manchester Entertainment
The Manchester Theatre Scene
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Manchester has a long tradition of theatrical production, when the ‘Theatre Royal’ was established in 1775 in Spring Gardens, becoming the city’s first major theatre. Over the coming centuries further venues were built and in 1908 the ‘Gaiety’ became Britain’s first regional repertory theatre, located on the corner of Peter Street and Mount Street. During the early 20th century the ‘Manchester School’ was a term coined to describe a body of playwrights including the likes of Harold Brighouse and Stanley Houghton. These writers where championed by Annie Horniman, daughter of the influential Tea importer Fredrick Horniman, who owned the Gaiety Theatre. However, following the end of the First World War the ‘Gaiety rep company’ was disbanded and the theatre was eventually sold to a cinema company in 1921 before eventually being demolished in 1959. Today, Manchester is alive with theatres, shows and productions. There are 4 main theatres: The Lowry, in Salford Quays, The Opera House, The Palace Theatre and the Royal Exchange and joining them in 2020 is The Factory a permanent home for the MIF. These theatres each host a wealth of touring stage shows as well as providing space for regional and local acting companies to present independent productions.
In 2015 these stalwarts where joined by HOME, a merger of two established Manchester theatres: the Library Theatre and the independent cinema Cornerhouse. This huge purpose built space, on Tony Wilson Street, includes 2 theatres, 5 cinema screens and a large exhibition space, proving beyond doubt that Manchester is still a cultural destination. Further afield venues such as the Bury Met or Sale’s excellent Waterside Arts Centre, have calendar of events that include theatre and music, and again national touring shows and local companies’ productions.
Whereas the wonderful art deco Oldham Coliseum or the glamorous Stockport Plaza take us back to a time when the theatre was where you went to see and be seen. Alongside these titans, Manchester has a strong independent theatre scene, boasting smaller venues such as the Three Minute Theatre (3MT), a 120 seat space in Afflecks, Church Street, or the Hope Street Mill Theatre located in the developing Ancoats area. The community focused Contact Theatre whose aims are to engage with students and young people or the Dance House, a training and production theatre, dedicated to ballet and theatrical dance.