Central Library’s exhibition space on the Lower Ground Floor has been completely transformed!
Stunning new display cabinets sit alongside traditional display boards and video screens to create a more expansive display space, better utilising the large area directly beneath the grand Shakespeare Hall main entrance.
The first free exhibition in the transformed space showcases items from our unique, and rarely seen, Manchester Theatres archive. It includes playbills, programmes, posters and other memorabilia, dating from the 18th century to the present day, documenting the vibrant history of theatre in Manchester.
It’s the ideal accompaniment to our Library Theatre plaque, which commemorates Manchester’s theatrical past, and which you can find just outside the new space, close to the old entrance to the Library Theatre, home to the Library Theatre Company till 2010.
Drop in to Central Library and visit the new space during our usual venue opening times – exhibition runs till 31 January 2025. Visit Library Live, our listings site, where you can find lots more cultural activity in Central Library.
Free exhibition – just drop in. Please make a donation to support our Library Live cultural programme at one of our cash or contactless donation boxes or online