Theaters

The Royal Exchange is the sort of place that’s worth visiting even if it isn’t for a theatre event itself. Describing itself as a ‘seven-sided, glass walled capsule, literally suspended from huge marble pillars’ gives you some idea of the somewhat extraordinary nature of this theatre.

Housed in the Victorian cotton exchange buildings, the unusual design doesn’t make it particularly conducive to filling it with seats, though this is all the more beneficial to theatre goers; the result being that all seats are less than 9 metres from the stage. To say that this means events take on a more intimate feel is an understatement as it can sometimes seem as if it’s a personal showing!

I find the building fascinating, and it’s a much more enjoyable experience to watch a show here than at one of the larger theatres, though it’s more modest size does mean that some of the bigger shows have to overlook this venue by necessity.

The Exchange goes out of its way to generate a relaxed informal vibe, inviting people to drop in and relax over a coffee and cake with no obligation to attend the latest production. There is also a restaurant and bar, and the range of events on offer has increased, now providing workshops and music events, resulting in it becoming less strictly theatre and more upmarket community centre-esque.

One of the longest running music venues, and also one of the best, is the Ritz. Situated across the road from Oxford Road train station, The Palace Hotel, The Palace Theatre and The Cornerhouse galleries and smack bang between two behemoth apartment buildings, shows the strength this building has to survive the apartment boom of the 90′s in Manchester.

You are met by its beautiful original 1920′s Art Deco frontage, which shows it is no recreation. And thanks to a facelift in 2011, the venue is still going strong.

It is a midsize venue with a capacity of around 1500, which gives you a really great vantage point from most places. There is a balcony, an amazing place to watch the bands and crowd if you are not feeling that energetic to keep up with the mosh pit. If you do feel like taking advantage of the downstairs crowd, you will definitely notice the famous spring loaded dance floor. On a trip to Manchester this is definitely worth a go.

This venue feels like it has more soul than a lot of the other venues in Manchester due to its history, and it shows it has the capability to withstand competition with so many venues around the city. The ticket prices are very reasonable which start at around £ 10.00.

Named after the late Mancunian artist LS Lowry, this modern waterfront, glass-fronted building houses two main theatres, a smaller studio for musical and dance productions, and a gallery where many of Lowry’s paintings are permanently resident.

Approximately fifteen minutes by tram from Manchester city centre, over in Salford Quays, the Lowry opened in 2000 as part of the regeneration of this area. Being a multi-purpose venue it plays hosts to a diverse selection of events in addition to traditional theatre – dancing, singing and comedy, as well as talks and exhibitions to accompany Lowry’s permanent display.

The theatres are smaller than most of the city centre theatres, affording them a more intimate feel – this being particularly conducive to making events more interactive and personal.

The Lowry also houses a café/ bar providing much needed sustenance after what guarantees to be a culture-crammed day or evening with an undoubtedly eclectic mixture of sensory stimulation!

I always keep an eye on their calendar of events as there are often first class acts performing, yet these are seemingly overlooked by some in favour of the sometimes bigger and often brasher city centre shows. This has meant that I’ve been able to bag myself some fairly last minute tickets to events as disparate as a show by comedian Dave Gorman, a talk by mountaineer Sir Ranulph Fiennes and a Christmas pantomime!