Royal Exchange Theatre

Great building with some equally good productions. If I am in Manchester shopping I always try and get in here for a coffee.

Just love the buzz of this architectral wonder. Saterday afternoons are so special - down town feel good !

A great little theatre that shows some top productions with many of them UK premiers.

Perect use of the space. Seen some grea stuff here. have introduced plenty of first timers all of who find it a great theatrical setting and experience.

I’ve been going to the Royal Exchange for years. I was first introduced to the theatre through school, with an uncomfortably long performance (for a teenager anyway) of Macbeth set in a concentration camp. This didn’t put me off and I’ve been going ever since.

The theatre is an experience in itself, with its round stage offering views from every angle. It’s an intimate space with each seat being less than nine metres from the stage, giving a sense of immediacy and involvement. I have to say that it’s not the most comfortable of theatres, especially if you’re located in the top tiers but this doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the performance.

The performances themselves are always superb, often cutting edge and breaking down barriers. It’s a sort of ‘Channel 4’ of the Manchester theatre world.

Other facilities include a bar and craft shop situated in the foyer. And if you’re under 26 or a student, there are lots of special offers to be had. Make sure you subscribe to their newsletter.

This is a wonderful theatre that produces a few different productions each year. One of the things I like most about it is that the stage is in the round, so you get a really great view wherever you’re sat. Their productions have attracted some really big names too, including Brenda Blethyn, Pete Postlethwaite and Maxine Peake.

As well as the main theatre, there’s also a smaller studio to show newer work. In the theatre complex, there is a great bar and craft shop too. So even if you’re not seeing a show, it’s probably worth a visit.

Intimate, breathe taking and a sense of being part of the production…would choose the Royal Exchange over any other theatre…...especially when you can buy tickets at half price on the first three nights of a production. First class!

In the Royal Exchange Theatre you almost feel part of the production due to the seating arrangements and the fact that sometimes the cast draw you in so much. It is very unique in this way and for someone who has only ever experienced the 'traditional’ seating of the majority of theatres, then this can be quite strange and take a little getting used to. Having said that, the productions seen here give something more than the same performance seen at a standard theatre and most people enjoy the nontraditional theatre experience.. Truly enjoyable and well worth visiting and seeing for yourself, in my opinion.

I love this fascinating in the round theatre in the heart of Manchester!

The seating surrounds the stage and is tiered on levels so you maybe face to face with the actors or looking down on them. although this isn’t a bad thing and some of the sets and productions on at the Royal Exchange use this to their advantage and will hoist parts of sets up wards. When I watched Richard II here the prison cell he was placed in hung mid air and was very effective.

The design of the theatre and its seating also makes it a more cosy and intimate theatre experience and I always feel more involved in the plot and emotion of the production here than anywhere else.

Due to its central location it makes for a fantastic night, afternoon or day out. Its close to the Big wheel, food, drink, shops and not forgetting the shops that are within the Royal Exchange (not the theatre though).

This is an excellent theatre and the performances are normally very well done.

Its not the usual kind of theatre which normally makes the performances much more interesting as it is In-The-Round, ie, this is where the stage is round and the audience surrounds it.

Performing in this way can be very taxing and difficult.

The building is fantastic and the overall design of the theatre is very good, even though the “stage” area is of a new design it fits in nicely with the building and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

If you get chance to do the back stage tour then do it, you will not regret the experience.

The Royal Exchange Theare is housed in a spectacular building; the historic Cotton Exchange. Having survived the IRA bomb back in 1996 it has re emerged with a theatre space that I haven’t seen anywhere else. The theatre “space” is suspended from the pillars so you have an amphitheatre effect, it makes the performance intimate and unique. There is also a smaller “studio” which is more intimate still.

If you do much corporate entertaining it is worth looking into the Exchange Club membership as this allows access to a really grand oak panelled room so is great for pre theatre drinks.

the craft shop is worth checking out too!

The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester offers an intimate, cosy venue for watching any show and always has a great range of shows and performance on offer. The seats are comfortable and not unpleasant to sit in for long periods which can not always be said for some theatres. The theatre is situated in a nice area of Manchester which is easily accessible and not a problem for people travelling by public transport. On my last visit to this theatre the staff were very friendly and helpful and I have never had a bad experience at this particular place.

Overall I would give this theatre 5 stars.

This is a totally amazing theatre, that produces some of the best drama outside of London and is very highly regarding in artistic circles. The building itself is worth a visit - housed inside the old cotton exchange, the theatre itself is a 7 sided glass capsule. The theatre is “in the round” so the audience sit, well, all around. You never feel far away from the action and the productions are of a uniformly high standard.

This is a beautiful building and a great venue for theatre productions. You can still see all the reminents of the cotton exchange which make it a marvel.

The plays are also great. I saw Henry V there and it was perfect in the round. The seats are comfy and the prices are reasonable unless you’re at the bar!

You HAVE to go in. Even if not to see a play, just go in, walk round, and marvel at it.

This place is a haven of peace and tranquility in the middle of a busy city.

You can step off the high street, and leave the crowds and the noise behind. The silence hits you the minute you walk in. Due to the way in which the interior is constructed, with it’s glass roof, it is at it’s best viewed on a sunny day. The light floods through the coloured glass to really highlight the beauty of the structure inside.

There is a bar service, restaraunt and craft centre. It is the sort of place you can while away a few hours, and that’s all without even attending a performance.

If you want to get a feel of the exchange as a working theatre, go for a visit on Mon or Tues of the week a new play is about to open. You get to see the cast and crew setting up and rehearsing, which makes this place very unique.

They have a good programme of events, and more recently a free programme calle special fx, where on a Friday evening, you can watch free entertainment in the great hall, with happy hour on the bar. Go see some established and up and coming acts do there thing before the main performance starts.

A truly beautiful space, with an intimate feel during performance, you could almost reach out and touch the performers.

This is so impressive to look at with the grand staircases that are on either side of it.This reopened in 1998 after an ira bomb attack in 1996 and it had like 30million refurbishment.They added a new studio theature and a cafe.The cafe is very reasonabily priced and is worth usingThey also added a bookshop.

Royal Exchange Theatre gets 6 out of 5 stars from me. The building is spectacular and is officially the biggest room in the world! The atmosphere is electric and the theatre (inside the exchange building) is very modern. It is a very intimate theatre which means you can get very close to the stage and feel a part of the show. The plays they have on are often well known and the having very famous actors on stage is not unusual. A great place to go in the day time aswell for a coffee. A must see.

Great for a night out if you like theatre productions. There’s always something interesting on. It’s great just to go in and see the beautiful architecture. A very stunning building.

always has interesting productions in my opion should put on more new productions but if you want to see a good play then look no further.