Outgoing Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom has announced full details of the Royal Exchange Theatre‘s new Autumn/Winter season, which celebrates her tenure as Artistic Director (which comes to an end in October), brings together elements of her work and embraces a strong female narrative throughout.
The season will open with a dark and contemporary new production of MACBETH, directed by Christopher Haydon and starring Lucy Ellinson as Macbeth and Ony Uhiara as Lady Macbeth, followed by Simon Stephens‘ new play, LIGHT FALLS, directed by Sarah Frankcom in her final production as Royal Exchange Theatre Artistic Director. Light Falls will feature original music by Jarvis Cocker.
Other Main Stage productions will include: 24 HOURS OF PEACE, a twenty-four-hour-long performance dedicated to the work of peace taking place on Remembrance Sunday (10 November 2019), created and directed by Neil Bartlett; a new production of the smash hit Broadway musical, GYPSY, directed by Jo Davies; and a powerful and gripping new adaptation of Emily Brontë‘s great novel, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, written by Andrew Sheridan and directed by Bryony Shanahan.
The Studio will see RashDash return with their latest show OH MOTHER, following their sold-out smash-hit, Three Sisters, and Charlene James’ award-winning CUTTIN’ IT, in a new production directed by former Royal Exchange Assistant Director Nickie Miles-Wildin.
Throughout the Autumn, the Royal Exchange is also developing several major new commissions for 2020 and beyond continuing its commitment to supporting a wide range of voices making work for the main stage. Commissions in development include: ROCKETS AND BLUE LIGHTS by Winsome Pinnock, which recently won the Alfred Fagon Award, the leading award for Black British playwrights; a new play by Zodwa Nyoni about the 1945 Pan-African National Congress in Manchester, co-commissioned with Talawa Theatre Company; and a new musical being developed by Maxine Peake and Seiriol Davies. In addition, Testament will join as Channel 4 Playwright in Residence to develop a major new play.
