
Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
Located on New Cathedral Street in Manchester’s bustling city centre, the Royal Exchange building houses a theatre and shopping arcade. Whilst the building has stood on this site since the late 18th century, it has only been used as a theatre since the 1970s. Built in the Georgian era and upgraded in Victorian times, the Royal Exchange building formed the heart of Manchester’s commercial district, and was the venue for the trading of textiles manufactured in the city’s famous cotton mills. By 1931, the main hall was the largest trading room in the country. The building’s heyday as a trading centre was brought to an abrupt end by the Blitz, when the trading hall was badly damaged. The building was left empty after World War 2.
Facing possible demolition, the Royal Exchange was saved and converted into a theatre and shopping centre. The Royal Exchange Theatre was opened in 1976 by Sir Laurence Olivier. The main theatre space is designed ‘in the round’, meaning that the stage and performers are completely surrounded by the audience. It is the largest theatre in the round in the UK, and hosts up to 350 productions each year. The bulk of the theatre’s schedule is built around stage classics from Shakespeare and Chekhov, although touring foreign theatre groups and musicians play there regularly. The theatre has a box office, contained within the Exchange building.
Facing possible demolition, the Royal Exchange was saved and converted into a theatre and shopping centre. The Royal Exchange Theatre was opened in 1976 by Sir Laurence Olivier. The main theatre space is designed ‘in the round’, meaning that the stage and performers are completely surrounded by the audience. It is the largest theatre in the round in the UK, and hosts up to 350 productions each year. The bulk of the theatre’s schedule is built around stage classics from Shakespeare and Chekhov, although touring foreign theatre groups and musicians play there regularly. The theatre has a box office, contained within the Exchange building.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Manchester. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Royal Exchange Theatre on Map
Sight Name: Royal Exchange Theatre
Sight Location: Manchester, England (See walking tours in Manchester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Manchester, England (See walking tours in Manchester)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Manchester, England
Create Your Own Walk in Manchester
Creating your own self-guided walk in Manchester is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Manchester Historical Architecture Tour
Manchester’s architectural scene is rich in style variety. Throughout centuries, the city has evolved in phases, each of which left its own peculiar imprint on its tapestry. There are medieval red-brick buildings in Manchester coexisting with concrete-and-glass structures from the modern era. On this self-guided walk you will visit some of the most important historical architecture in the city.
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Manchester Introduction Walking Tour
The seventh most populated city in England, Manchester is an important cultural, industrial and historic center.
The recorded history of Manchester began with the civilian settlement associated with the Roman fort established circa 79 AD on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Having been a manorial township throughout the Middle Ages, Manchester enjoyed rapid... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
The recorded history of Manchester began with the civilian settlement associated with the Roman fort established circa 79 AD on a sandstone bluff near the confluence of the rivers Medlock and Irwell. Having been a manorial township throughout the Middle Ages, Manchester enjoyed rapid... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.5 Km or 1.6 Miles
Edwardian Architecture Tour
A product of the Industrial Revolution, Manchester is noted for its warehouses, railway viaducts, cotton mills and canals, reflecting the most ambitious and exciting phase of its past. Much of the city's architecture developed during the reign of King Edward VII, 1901-1910, which gave birth to the Edwardian architectural style so much popular in the United Kingdom at the turn of the 20th... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles
Useful Travel Guides for Planning Your Trip
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