Half a century of Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre ….. the exhibition

Yesterday I dropped into the major new exhibition celebrating fifty years of storytelling through costume, craft and performance at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

It’s a sobering thought that I have pretty much lived almost all those 50 years.

It’s a place I have proudly shown off to family and friends, as well as dining in its restaurants and of course watched a heap of performances ranging from Shakespeare to musicals and on one wonderful occasion saw our Josh perform in a youth production.

And over the years has been the backdrop to meet ups and quite solitary moments so I had to slide along and enjoy this new exhibition which is entitled “Mythic Reinvention celebrating fifty years of storytelling through costume, craft and performance at the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Responding to the unique architecture of our Victorian Great Hall, the exhibition transforms the art of storytelling into an immersive space where the mythic and modern collide.

 Curated from our extensive costume archive that is home to over 25,000 individual pieces, past productions will echo into the present and reveal how stories continue to reflect societal change and deeper human truths through a new lens.

Explore up close the craft of designing and making theatre costumes, where threads of character and stories connect across five decades, through different genres and generations. 

Step inside the inner workings of the theatre’s costume department and hear from the artists who created some of the Exchange’s most iconic productions. Each costume reveals a story of imagination, skill and collaboration, offering a rare glimpse into the artistry that has shaped the Royal Exchange Theatre.

Part exhibition, part installation, Mythic Reinvention invites audiences to immerse themselves in the evolving mythology of storytelling, exploring how costume reimagines stories across time and how those stories continue to define, reflect and shape who we are today.

Mythic Reinvention: An exhibition celebrating 50 Years of Costume and Craft is open from 16 September until 15 November 2026”.

But be careful as “opening hours will vary throughout the exhibition due to other performances and events taking place in the theatre".

I turned up just a little before the doors opened at midday, but the bonus was a conversation with two people from north Manchester also waiting to go in and that is always a bonus.

Location; Mythic Reinvention, Royal Exchange, St Ann’s Square

Pictures; from the collection of Andrew Simpson, 2026

*Mythic Reinvention, Royal Exchange https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/event/mythic-reinvention-exhibition/