When: 7.30pm on Sunday 11 November 2012
Where: The Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester M2 7DH

We’re excited to be welcoming Thea Gilmore back to the Royal Exchange.

Oxford-born singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore made her debut album at 18 and has since blazed a fiercely independent path whilst racking up sales, acclaim and admiration from peers such as Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez and Martha Wainwright to name but a few.

The new album, Don’t Stop Singing, is released on 7 November via Island Records and Mighty Village Records. The album brings together Gilmore’s songwriting and arrangements with previously un-scored lyrics penned by folk legend Sandy Denny.

Thea will be supported by Fran Smith, an exceptionally gifted singer-songwriter. Her distinctive voice – with its quietly impassioned northern tones – call to mind folk sirens such as Norma Waterson or Rachel Unthank. This summer Fran released her much-anticipated debut EP, which features the talents of Thea Gilmore’s acclaimed producer and guitarist, Nigel Stonier. Her piano-based songs reference the likes of Antony and the Johnsons and Joanna Newsom, but ultimately leave you feeling like you’ve stumbled upon a completely new, unique and quintessentially English talent.

The Royal Exchange Theatre has existed in one form or another since 1792, including at its current site in St Ann’s Square. The building was seriously damaged during World War II when it took a direct hit from a bomb during a German air raid at Christmas, 1940. The interior was subsequently rebuilt but trading ceased in 1968, and the building was threatened with demolition. It remained empty until 1973 when it was used to temporarily house a theatre company. The Royal Exchange Theatre was founded in 1976, and formally opened by Sir Laurence Olivier.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Royal Exchange Theatre, which seats upwards of 700 people in the round across three tiers, welcomed the likes of John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Loudon Wainwright III, Cowboy Junkies, the Durutti Column, Penguin Cafe and Christy Moore among others. The building was later damaged on 15 June 1996 when the IRA bomb exploded less than 50 yards away in nearby Corporation Street. Repairs took over two years and cost £32m, but the theatre was named ‘Theatre of the Year’ in 1999 and continues to thrive.

This is a co-promotion with Phil Jones for Edge Street Live.

This show is close to selling out so all remaining tickets are only available directly from the Royal Exchange box office (no booking fee for cash payment), Royalexchange.co.uk and on 0161 833 9833. 

Stage-level banquettes have just been released and are available at a very special price – two for £17.50. To book tickets, call the box office number above and quote ‘Hey! Manchester’. 

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