Spring at the Royal Exchange

Sarah Frankcom returns with two revolutionary Caryl Churchill plays, ESCAPED ALONE and WHAT IF IF ONLY and Natalie Abrahami makes her Exchange debut with Mike Leigh’s iconic contemporary classic ABIGAIL’S PARTY.

Greater Manchester (GM) audiences will be able to access theatre on their doorstep as the Exchange’s pop-up theatre The Den will take up residency in Leigh and Tameside, developing two unique festivals this spring and summer 2025. 

The Royal Exchange continues its partnership with Manchester International Festival with an exciting World Premiere to be announced early next year. 

ESCAPED ALONE and WHAT IF IF ONLY 

By Caryl Churchill 

Directed by Sarah Frankcom 

7 February – 9 March 2025
Press night – Wednesday 12 February – 7.30pm, The Theatre 

A stellar cast are featured in Caryl Churchill’s ESCAPED ALONE and WHAT IF IF ONLY, directed by Sarah Frankcom, which encompasses life in all its beautiful messiness. These two incredible Caryl Churchill short plays are brought together in one evening of theatre at the Royal Exchange. ESCAPED ALONE and WHAT IF IF ONLY are beautifully intricate meditations on life, and these stunningly crafted, complex and funny plays can be seen in the Theatre from 7 February to 9 March. 

Incredible stage and screen actor Annette Badland, who has been seen in some of the most popular and iconic shows of recent times such as HEARTSTOPPER (Netflix), TED LASSO (Apple TV) and DOCTOR WHO (BBC) performs in both ESCAPED ALONE as Vi, and in WHAT IF IF ONLY as Future. Joining her in ESCAPED ALONE as Mrs Jarrett is Maureen Beattie (YERMA, Young Vic; MY FAIR LADY, London Coliseum), who returns to the Exchange following her role in DEATH OF A SALESMAN , Souad Faress (THE ARCHERS, BBC Radio 4; GAME OF THRONES, HBO) as Lena and Margot Leicester (KING CHARLES III, West End/BBC; CORONATION STREET, ITV) as Sally.  

Completing the WHAT IF IF ONLY cast are Bea Glancy (GAME OF THRONES, HBO; THE BOOK THIEF, Octagon Theatre Bolton) as Child, Danielle Henry (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Royal Exchange; TWELFTH NIGHT, RSC) as Someone, and Lamin Touray (WATERLOO ROAD, BBC; A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, UK Tour) as Present.  

Alongside her critically acclaimed production of Caryl Churchill’s THE SKRIKER as part of Manchester International Festival in 2015, Sarah’s recent directing work for the Royal Exchange includes BRIEF ENCOUNTER and BETTY: A SORT OF MUSICAL. 

Eighteen members of our brilliant Elders Company will feature in this production which also sees Elders Producer Andy Barry take on the role of Associate Director. His other directing credits include: ACTS OF LOVE (RET Elders Company). THE LOST SPELLS (UK Tour) and THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES (Hebdon Bridge Arts). The creative team also includes Designer Rose Revitt, Lighting Designer Bethany Gupwell, Sound Designer Nicola T. Chang, Movement Director Sundeep Saini and Birkbeck Assistant Director Elizabeth Laurence. 

ABIGAIL’S PARTY 

By Mike Leigh 

Directed by Natalie Abrahami 

4 April – 17 May 2025
Press night – Wednesday 9 April – 7.30pm, The Theatre 

Mike Leigh’s modern classic ABIGAIL’S PARTY has garnered cult status across the decades and will be seen at the Royal Exchange for the first time in Spring 2025.  Award-winning Director Natalie Abrahami makes her Royal Exchange debut with this ground-breaking tragicomedy classic. In the Exchange’s distinctive space she draws on the unique in-the-round stage to create an intimate party that audiences won’t want to miss.   

At the height of 1970s suburbia, social class and ambition, Beverly Moss, the Hostess with the Mostess, is inviting you to her cocktail party. The latest tracks are on the record player, the drinks are flowing and there’s even a bowl of olives – although it seems that only Laurence likes those. As the night moves on and the party gets thick with sexual tension, Beverly’s exclusive gathering quickly descends into chaos. 

Natalie Abrahami is a theatre, opera and film director. Natalie started out at the Royal Court Theatre as a Graduate Trainee before training with the Young Vic and National Theatre Studio where she met Carrie Cracknell. Two years later they applied as a duo, to run the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, which is where her collaborative practice began. 

As joint Artistic Directors Natalie and Carrie commissioned Tom Basden, Nancy Harris, Sam Holcroft, Lucy Kirkwood, Nick Payne, and Alexandra Wood to pen radical re-interpretations of European classics. During their tenure they were awarded the Paul Hamlyn Breakthrough Fund for Creative Entrepreneurs for their cross-artform dance-theatre work. Natalie went on to become an Associate Director at the Young Vic where she directed Juliet Stevenson in HAPPY DAYS and WINGS, George Mackay in AH, WILDERNESS! and Natalie Dormer in AFTER MISS JULIE. 

Natalie collaborated with playwright Ella Hickson to create SWIVE [ELIZABETH] for the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare’s Globe, and to direct ANNA the immersive binaural sound piece created by sound designers Ben and Max Ringham at the National Theatre. Climate conscious practice sits at the heart of Natalie’s work and was the abiding principle for RUSALKA (Royal Ballet & Opera) and THE TRIALS (Donmar Warehouse). 

Recent projects include: GOOD GRIEF (online), THE MEETING (Chichester Festival Theatre), MACHINAL (Almeida), QUEEN ANNE (Royal Shakespeare Company and Theatre Royal Haymarket). Film credits include MAYDAY, THE ROOF and LIFE’S A PITCH. Natalie is a regular guest lecturer for Birkbeck University’s Master of Fine Arts Directing and was a judge for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2021. 

The creative team for ABIGAIL’S PARTY also includes: Designer Peter Butler, Lighting Designer Jai Morjaria, Sound Designer Melanie Wilson and Movement & Intimacy Director Anna Morrissey. 

Future Projects 

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 shaping the next chapter of this extraordinarily unique space. 

LOCAL EXCHANGE – THE DEN FESTIVAL 

Get ready for The Den, our pop-up mobile theatre space, as it becomes resident in two areas of Greater Manchester in 2025, returning to Tameside and Leigh for two unique festivals bespoke to each community. Building on relationships already established and forging new partnerships, expect brilliant performances, exciting workshops and a whole lot of storytelling fun in both locations. 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. 

The Royal Exchange makes theatre as affordable and accessible as possible with Pay What You Can tickets available on every standard show, Under 30s tickets and the Exchange’s legendary Banquette Seats from £10.   Access performances are also available for productions within our theatre space, including Sensory Adapted (SA), Audio Described (AD), BSL-Interpreted (BSL) and Captioned (C) performances, with all tickets for Sensory Adapted performances from £15.