The Exchange's big musical is back for Christmas 2025!
The Royal Exchange Theatre is thrilled to announce that Raz Shaw, director of the sold-out musical THE PRODUCERS, is returning to the theatre to stage another iconic musical. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN, a captivating musical tracing the shift from silent movies to ‘the talkies’, is full of wit, charm and famous song and dance routines. This dazzling and ambitious production will transform the Exchange’s unique in-the-round stage for Christmas 2025.
This renowned musical completes the 2025 season alongside the World Premiere of Ntombizodwa Nyoni’s powerful new play LIBERATION, and the Exchange’s first co-production with Sheffield Theatres sees Brian Friel’s Olivier and Tony award-winning play DANCING AT LUGHNASA staged for the first time in the theatre’s history. Outside of the Exchange’s city centre home, the theatre’s pop-up space The Den will bring incredible theatre to the doorsteps of communities in Tameside and Leigh, Atherton & Tyldesley throughout spring and summer.
- Due to popular demand, the Royal Exchange is delighted to announce an extension for its major new revival of Mike Leigh’s modern classic ABIGAIL’S PARTY, relocated to Manchester. Kym Marsh leads an incredible ensemble in this cult-classic dark comedy set in 1970s suburbia. The play will now run until Saturday 24 May.
- Creating exceptional new work is the bedrock of the Royal Exchange’s longstanding partnership with Manchester International Festival. For summer 2025 the Royal Exchange Theatre’s commission of LIBERATION, an extraordinary new play from Ntombizodwa Nyoni, will have its World Premiere as part of the festival celebrations. Directed by Monique Touko the play explores the 1945 Pan-African Congress, 80 years after its residency in Manchester, and how it changed the world forever. The show runs from 27 June – 26 July.
- DANCING AT LUGHNASA is Brian Friel’s Olivier and Tony award-winning play which astonished audiences and critics alike when it premiered in 1990. This stunning and evocative play which beautifully depicts the complexities of family life in rural Ireland, is directed by Elizabeth Newman and is the first co-production between the Exchange and Sheffield Theatres and runs at the Exchange from 10 October – 8 November.
- A timeless masterpiece, and perhaps one of the greatest musicals ever made SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN is the Exchange’s must-see show for Christmas 2025. Having raised the roof off the theatre with his smash-hit production THE PRODUCERS, Director Raz Shaw returns with his thrilling new version of this glorious musical inspired by the classic Hollywood film. This brand-new production runs from 29 November 2025 – 18 January 2026.
On Stage
ABIGAIL'S PARTY
By Mike Leigh
Directed by Natalie Abrahami
4 April – Extended until 24 May 2025
The Royal Exchange are thrilled to announce that due to popular demand its major production of Mike Leigh’s ABIGAIL’S PARTY has been extended until Saturday 24 May. This brilliant ensemble led by actor, presenter and singer Kym Marsh as Beverly Moss can now be seen for additional performances. The cast also includes Graeme Hawley as Beverly’s husband Laurence, Tupele Dorgu as Susan, Kyle Rowe as Tony and Yasmin Taheri as Angela.
Award-winning Director Natalie Abrahami embraces the Exchange’s unique stage space to create an intimate party, bringing this modern cult-classic to life in-the-round.
LIBERATION
By Ntombizodwa Nyoni
Directed by Monique Touko
Commissioned by the Royal Exchange Theatre
Produced by the Royal Exchange Theatre and Factory International, Manchester
WORLD PREMIERE
27 June – 26 July 2025
How does a revolution begin and who keeps it going?
Inspired by true events in Black British history, LIBERATION is a powerful new play from writer Ntombizodwa Nyoni (THE DARKEST PART OF THE NIGHT, Kiln Theatre; ODE TO LEEDS, Leeds Playhouse) and director Monique Touko (G, Royal Court; SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY, Lyric Hammersmith), tracing the private lives of activists who fought to liberate Africa. The production includes original music by Ife Ogunjobi from the Mercury Prize-winning Ezra Collective. The show runs at the Exchange from 27 June – 26 July as part of Manchester International Festival.
It’s 15 October 1945, Manchester. Africa’s freedom and future is in the hands of her descendants at the fifth Pan-African Congress.
This groundbreaking play developed 80 years after the Congress introduces the people behind the movement, demonstrating how our future is built, how our leaders are made, and how dreams are realised. With generational shifts and gender politics added to swirling power dynamics, LIBERATION asks timeless questions about revolution, freedom, and what it means to be an activist.
The creative team also includes Set Designer Paul Wills, Costume Designer Sunny Dolat, Lighting Designer Matt Haskins, Sound Designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, Movement Director Kloé Dean and Casting Director Sophie Parrott CDG.
Discover an exhibition in the Great Hall about the history of the Pan African Congress in 1945. The exhibition is in partnership with the Race, Roots & Resistance Collective’s Emerging Scholars Programme with support from Dr Kerry Pimblott and the AHRC project, ‘Grassroots Struggles, Global Visions: British Black Power, 1964-1985’.
DANCING AT LUGHNASA
By Brian Friel
Directed by Elizabeth Newman
A co-production between the Royal Exchange Theatre and Sheffield Theatres
10 October – 8 November 2025
“I want to dance, Kate. It’s the festival of Lughnasa. I’m only thirty-five. I want to dance.”
On the outskirts of Bellybeg, County Donegal, the five Mundy sisters’ lives are bound by responsibilities and social expectations. When influences from a wider, more modern world creep into their home, the sisters are swept along in a sea of change and suddenly the life they know is gone for good.
Brian Friel’s multi-award-winning drama is a powerful and moving exploration of reflection, memory and how the future will arrive no matter how much we resist. Following its run at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield this ambitious and epic production comes to the Royal Exchange from 10 October – 8 November, directed by Elizabeth Newman in her inaugural season at Sheffield Theatres. Experience the work of renowned Irish playwright Brian Friel on the Exchange’s unique stage for the first time ever.
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Screenplay by Songs by
BETTY COMDEN and ADOLPH GREEN NACIO HERB BROWN and ARTHUR FREED
Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Inc.
Music Published by EMI, all rights administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
(Original Movie Choreography by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen)
Produced by Arrangement with Maurice Rosenfield, Lois F. Rosenfield and Cindy Pritzker, Inc.
Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International
Directed by Raz Shaw
29 November 2025 – 18 January 2026
A charismatic, tap-dancing extravaganza SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN is the much-loved story of the highs and lows of Hollywood as a radical move is made from silent movies to the ‘talkies’ and all told through the eyes of the infamous Don Lockwood, Lina Lamont, Cosmo Brown and Kathy Selden.
Director Raz Shaw returns to the Exchange following his productions of THE PRODUCERS; THE GREATEST PLAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD and WIT, with a musical that is packed with iconic songs such as Make ‘em laugh, Good Morning, Moses Supposes and of course the iconic title tune Singin’ In The Rain. Seamlessly blending song and dance audiences will find themselves in the heart of the action of this much-loved musical on the Exchange’s iconic in-the-round stage.
BAND ON THE WALL
This summer we are delighted to revive our partnership with the brilliant Band On The Wall to present intimate musical gigs that will bring audiences closer than ever to some extraordinary musical talent. Full details can be found here.
FUTURE PROJECTS: 50TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMME
Selina Cartmell, the Royal Exchange Theatre’s new Creative Director is currently developing her first programme of work to mark the Theatre’s 50th anniversary in 2026. Her exciting new season will launch in Autumn 2025, celebrating the phenomenal history of the theatre and shape the next chapter of this extraordinarily unique space.
Off Stage
THE DEN IN GREATER MANCHESTER
Off-stage and out in the communities of Greater Manchester, The Den makes a welcome return to Stalybridge Civic Hall, Tameside, revisiting the venue which housed the beautiful, eco-friendly pop-up theatre for the very first time in 2019. This festival will be bigger than ever stretching across four weekends in May. In August 2025 the Den will arrive in its second home of the year in Leigh, returning once again to a community that has developed a long and exciting relationship with the Theatre. These two incredible festivals are filled with theatre, workshops, drop-in sessions and much more.
THE DEN FESTIVAL: EXCHANGING CULTURE, COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY IN TAMESIDE
Local Exchange
Weekends across 9 May until 1 June 2025
The Royal Exchange’s pop-up mobile theatre space The Den returns to Stalybridge Civic Hall in Tameside, every weekend from 9 May until 1 June 2025.
The Den Festival: Exchanging Culture, Community and Creativity in Tameside will be full of joy, surprises and celebrations, where audiences can expect drama, music, workshops, shows, comedy and dance. Festival highlights include NO SUCH THING AS ORDINARY, a beautifully crafted play about Tameside created from the stories of the people who live there by writer Rachel McMurray. BEST MATES, TOP BINS & VENGA VENGA, the Royal Exchange’s collaboration with Tameside schools and local writers Lekhani Chirwa and Lauren-Nicole Mayes, and HER Productions are remounting their highly successful rendition of one of Shakespeare’s most polarising comedies, THE TAMING OF THE “SHREW”.
THE DEN FESTIVAL – LEIGH, ATHERTON and TYLDESLEY
The Den will also return to Leigh, Atherton and Tyldesley in August 2025, with further details to be announced. The festivals are produced as part of Local Exchange, a programme of work that has access to theatre out in the communities at its heart.
