Theatre

Whether it’s contemporary theatre led by young people or traditional art deco interiors, Oxford Road is home to many of Manchester’s iconic theatre and performance spaces.

From Laurel and Hardy and Judy Garland in the early 1900’s to more recent notable performances such as the Book of Mormon and Les Miserables, The Palace Theatre is the city’s largest theatre space. 

A short distance away is The Dancehouse, which held the world’s first twin cinema. In 2015 HOME opened its doors to the public, merging the former Cornerhouse with the Library Theatre Company to provide performance, exhibition, cinema and education spaces, alongside digital facilities, a café bar, restaurant and bookshop. 

Contact brings game-changing theatre and multidisciplinary art to Oxford Road. Seeking to enable young people to change their lives through the arts, the venue presents a diverse and accessible artistic programme of exciting new shows for audiences of all ages. A leading national theatre and arts venue, Contact places young people at the heart of its mission. Company members aged 13-30 work alongside staff in deciding the artistic programme and making staff appointments, as well as acting as full Board members. The result is a unique and diverse programme of art that challenges and inspires, working to change the face of UK culture.

Grosvenor East Theatre at Manchester Metropolitan University is a fully equipped and flexible theatre space that seats 180 audience members in several configurations including thrust, flat floor and in the round. Manchester School of Theatre was originally established to provide acting lessons for opera singers at the Royal Northern College of Music but is now rightly recognised as one of the elite drama schools in the UK and one of only 20 classical conservatoire-style acting schools. It also sits among a community of artists, writers, filmmakers and other creatives within Manchester Metropolitan’s Arts and Humanities faculty.

Upcoming Shows

theatre Sister Act
Palace Theatre | 18 – 30 March 2024

Based on the 1992 American comedy, the Broadway and UK smash-hit musical Sister Act returns to Manchester’s Palace Theatre in 2024.

theatre In Conversation with Dave Moutrey
HOME | 20 March 2024

Join HOME Artistic Director
and CEO Dave Moutrey, one of the UK’s major cultural leaders, in conversation with Nick Ahad.

performance No More Mr Nice Guy
HOME | 21 – 23 March 2024

No More Mr Nice Guy is a new experimental gig-theatre chronicling the life of a British Caribbean Music Teacher caught in a love cube.

theatre Hedda
Contact | 2 – 6 April 2024

Experience a brand new version of Henrik Ibsen’s classic Hedda Gabler written by Here to There’s Artistic Director, Andrew Whittle.

performance Rewind
HOME | 10 – 11 April 2024

Rewind is a multi-award-winning show inspired by recurring facts from human rights abuse in Latin America.

performance We’re All Just Wasps in Glass Houses
HOME | 19 – 20 April 2024

We’re All Just Wasps in Glass Houses, is a thought-provoking journey into Manchester’s apocalyptic streets, where you will laugh, cry, riot and even dance.

theatre Alasdair Beckett-King
HOME | 21 April 2024

Join the award-winning comedian Alasdair Beckett-King on a ramshackle jaunt through a multiverse of wonders.

theatre The Wizard of Oz
Palace Theatre | 24 April – 5 May 2024

The sensational new production of one of the world’s most beloved musicals, The Wizard of Oz, comes to Manchester.

performance The Promise
HOME | 25 – 27 April 2024

This striking world première is inspired by the extraordinary experiences of deaf people living with dementia.

performance Tender
HOME | 9 – 11 May 2024

Drawing on the personal narratives of its company of refugee actors, Tender explores the true cost of the migration journey for young people.

theatre Frankie Goes to Bollywood
HOME | 15 – 25 May 2024

HOME is excited to announce a brand new co-production musical Frankie Goes to Bollywood, coming to Manchester in Summer 2024.

performance From England with Love
HOME | 6 – 8 June 2024

Playful and poignant, full of pride and paradox, From England with Love plays like a ‘Dear John’ letter… a farewell note to old England

theatre Wicked
Palace Theatre | 3 December 2024 – 12 January 2025

Wicked the smash-hit theatre show is coming to Manchester’s Palace Theatre in November 2024 as part of a UK tour.

See what’s on