The Stage

Historic Manchester venue in line for return to live performance

Published Wednesday 24 June 2009 at 14:45 by Lalayn Baluch

Manchester’s oldest surviving performance venue is to get a theatrical revival after 88 years of use as a cinema, bingo hall and nightclub, if proposals by the city’s Library Theatre company are given the green light.

The organisation is to enter into discussions with Manchester City Council next month about the possibility of moving into the 164-year-old Theatre Royal building, which is currently leased by the M-Two bar and nightclub.

The Library Theatre has been based in the former lecture hall of the city’s Central Library since it was established in 1952, but for some years has been exploring the prospect of moving to another site.

The company’s artistic director Chris Honer told The Stage: “Although [the Central Library] is a wonderful venue, we are constricted by the small number of seats, which is only 312. We know our economics would be transformed if we had another 100 or so. Also, it is a great frustration to us that we have nowhere on site to do our community and education workshops.

“The front of house facilities leave a lot to be desired - there is a tiny bar, there is no real space to do corporate entertainment. To me, it feels rather run-down and dowdy by 21st-century standards.”

Honer explained that a number of options had been explored by the company and the city council, including partnerships with educational institutions such as Manchester Metropolitan University and a site in the city’s northern quarter. He said a move to the Theatre Royal was the preferred option.

“There are still a number of hurdles to jump. The strong possibility has emerged that the Theatre Royal might be a new home. It is very near the Library Theatre at the moment and it is right on what is known as Manchester’s cultural corridor. What a great story it would be, turning the theatre back to its theatre use,” Honer added.

He explained the company hopes to be relocated to a new home by 2013 and would stage productions in the Lowry and non-theatre spaces in the city once it moved out of the library building.

The artistic director said it was too early to confirm whether the company would keep the name of Library Theatre following a move. A decision by Manchester City Council on the Theatre Royal plan is due in the autumn.

Manchester’s Grade II-listed Theatre Royal was built in 1845 for drama and opera productions. In 1921, it was reconstructed for cinema use and later in 1972 it was converted into a bingo hall, before becoming a nightclub in the mid-nineties.

Theatres Trust director Mhora Samuel added: “I think it would be wonderful to see the Theatre Royal become the home of the Library Theatre. The Theatres Trust completely supports Chris and his colleagues in their plans. I went round the building a few years ago and it has huge potential.”