This is a seven-sided steel and glass module that squats within the Great Hall of the Manchester Royal Exchange. It is a pure theatre in the round in which the stage area is surrounded on all sides, and above, by seating.
The theatre can seat up to 700 people on three levels, making it the largest theatre in the round in Britain. There are 400 seats at ground level in a raked configuration, above which lie two galleries, each with 150 seats set in two rows.
As the floor of the Exchange would not be able to take the great weight of the theatre and its audience, the module is suspended from four massive columns that also carry the hall's central dome. Only the stage area and ground-level seating rest on the floor of the hall itself.
An intimate, flexible performance space with a maximum capacity of 120. It has its own foyer and bar. Sliding walls enable the main Studio space to be enlarged to encompass the foyer at one end and the technical facility at the other. This space acts as host to a programme of visiting touring theatre companies and performances for young people.
For
absolute privacy for a working lunch, an important business meeting, or
simply elegant entertaining, the Corporate Members Lounge and Bar is
stylish and intimate. A private double-height reception with bar and
sweeping staircase leads up to the listed oak-panelled original
Manchester Exchange boardroom.
In a setting unrivalled for its distinctive location overlooking both
St Ann's Square and the Great Hall of the Royal Exchange, offering
striking views of the steel and glass Theatre module and the grandeur
of the former Cotton Exchange . It is accessed via a scenic lift in St
Ann's Square and is self contained with its own toilets and bar.
