All I Want for Christmas with the Royal Exchange

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Visit now

All I Want for Christmas

1-25 December 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

All I Want for Christmas with the Royal Exchange
Image courtesy of the Royal Exchange.
Book now

Although the Royal Exchange are unable to offer their Christmas musical this year, the venue has found an imaginative and celebratory way to engage their audiences. All I Want for Christmas is a series of stories set on different streets in Greater Manchester.

From the tower blocks of City Centre Manchester to Gigg Lane in Bury, the performance takes the form of a digital advent calendar on the theatre’s website. Every day, behind an advent calendar door, a short section of the story is revealed.

All I Want for Christmas is a series of stories set on different streets in Greater Manchester.

The project brings together 50 of the most inspiring artists from, and connected to, Greater Manchester alongside freelance creatives and theatre staff. Performers include Kate O’Donnell, Maxine Peake and Don Warrington as well as members of the theatre’s Young and Elders companies.

The show is free to watch through the theatre’s website – just wait for the door to open and the story will begin. The series consists of six short films across 24 days, with a special performance on Christmas day. The action is set across Greater Manchester on streets in Cheetham Hill, Bury, Leigh, Beswick, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester City Centre.

Bringing hope, joy and a glimmer of Christmas magic to audiences this year.

Known for its phenomenal in-the-round Christmas productions, the Royal Exchange are among the many arts venues to have undergone a painful redundancy process this year. We commend and stand with the theatre as they come together to create this wonderful project during such an adverse and uncertain time. Although we’ll have to wait a little longer for the alchemy to happen on stage, All I Want for Christmas is certain to bring hope, joy and a glimmer of Christmas magic to audiences this year.

Where to go near All I Want for Christmas with the Royal Exchange

The Engine Room Notice Board
Southport
Event venue
The Engine Room

The Engine Room is a creative community hub in Southport’s Wayfarers Arcade, offering co-working space, cultural events and collaborative opportunities for artists, freelancers and educators.

Leeds
Gallery
The Mill Gallery

The Mill Gallery is an artist-run space in Leeds, supporting emerging artists to develop and showcase their work authentically.

Church congregation at St George's Church in Leeds
Leeds
Place of worship
St George’s Church

St George’s is a lively city centre church in Leeds with three services every Sunday and a midweek programme that includes groups, courses and events. We’re here to help people

Picante
Liverpool
Restaurant
Picante

Picante is a sun-soaked Mexican restaurant at the trailblazing Cains Brewery Village in Liverpool.

Miru Mill
Manchester
Event venue
Miru Mill

Miru Mill is an event space and micro-factory based at Churchgate Mill in Stockport.

Spa
iglu sauna

An authentic and affordable sauna and cold plunge experience in Hebden Bridge, in a beautiful outdoor setting amongst the trees.

Salford
Restaurant
Kallos Cafe & Wine Bar

Kallos is a Greek restaurant and wine bar in Salford, serving up exquisite dishes throughout the day and evening.

Symmetry Room
City Centre
Museum
Museum of Illusions

Museum of Illusions Manchester is part of the global Museum of Illusions Group, the largest and fastest-growing chain of private museums in the world.

What's on: Theatre

Pride in Trafford
Until
FestivalsManchester
Pride in Trafford 2025

Trafford’s six-day celebration of LGBTQ+ arts is back with performance, comedy, conversation and family fun across Sale and Altrincham.

From £0.00
Free Activity at Aviva Studios
Until
ComedyManchester
Free Activity at Aviva Studios

From comedy nights to drop-in family craft sessions, Factory International bring an accessible and inclusive programme of events this spring – the best thing, it’s all free.

Free entry
Myra's Story at Lowry
TheatreSalford
Myra’s Story at Lowry

Direct from London’s West End, a critically acclaimed play shining a light on homelessness, addiction and resilience through one woman’s unforgettable story.  

From £28.50

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.

Laura Ellen Bacon, Into Being, 2025. Photo © India Hobson, courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Exhibitions in the North

Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month

portrait of Lorsung in a dark shirt with dark hair and dark round glasses
Literature Events in the North

We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.

Sextile
Music in the North

Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring. 

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.