Re-opened in 1998 by Prince Edward, the refurbished Theatre opened with a production of Stanley Houghton’s Hindle Wakes, the same play that had been running when the bomb went off.
Over the years, the Exchange has welcomed some of the finest actors in the UK to its stage, from Albert Finney, Leo McKern, and Tom Courtenay in the Theatre’s early days through successive generations including Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren and Robert Lindsay, to figures such as Maxine Peake and Cush Jumbo. It has also had a reputation for spotting young actors before they become household names. Both Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant appeared at the Royal Exchange Theatre long before they made it to the silver screen.
