MIF25: Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

Liberation

Royal Exchange Theatre, City Centre
27 June-20 July 2025
Date
Time
Session Features
16 Jul 2025
2:30 pm-5:30 pm
17 Jul 2025
7:30 pm-10:30 pm
19 Jul 2025
2:30 pm-5:30 pm
19 Jul 2025
7:30 pm-10:30 pm

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

Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy of Isha Shah Photography.
Book now

Happening as part of this summer’s Manchester International Festival, the Royal Exchange Theatre will stage Liberation – a powerful new play rooted in the city’s radical past. This eagerly anticipated world premiere transports audiences back to 1945 Manchester, when African and Caribbean delegates gathered at Chorlton-on-Medlock Town Hall for the historic Fifth Pan-African Congress – a moment that helped ignite the fight for African independence and reshape the postwar world.

Written by acclaimed playwright Ntombizodwa Nyoni and directed by Monique Touko, winner of the 2022 Stage Debut Award for Best Director, Liberation is a compelling political drama that places personal conflict at the heart of revolution.

Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy of Isha Shah Photography.

Set against a backdrop of seismic political change, the story follows a new wave of African and Caribbean thinkers as they push bold visions for the future. However, Trinidadian activist George Padmore is unsure who should lead the next phase of the fight. Kwame Nkrumah dreams of becoming the first Black president of the Gold Coast; Jamaican social worker Alma La Badie wrestles with the personal cost of revolution; and trailblazer Amy Ashwood Garvey fights to ensure Black women’s voices are heard.

Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy of Isha Shah Photography.

Presented by Factory International and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Liberation takes audiences behind the scenes of the activists who fought to free Africa from colonial rule – revealing their struggles, triumphs and lasting impact. With an original score by Ife Ogunjobi of the Brit Award-winning Ezra Collective, the production promises powerful performances, radical thinking and a sharp focus on a moment when the future of the world was up for grabs. Urgent, moving and still deeply relevant 80 years later – this is a story that demands to be told.

Alongside the production, a free exhibition in the Royal Exchange’s Great Hall – curated with the Race, Roots & Resistance Collective – explores the legacy of the 1945 Congress through archival material and community voices.

Bold, thought-provoking and full of heart, Liberation is set to be one of MIF25’s standout shows.

MIF25: Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre
Image courtesy of Ali ‘Komikamo’ Kamara.

What's on at Royal Exchange Theatre

Where to go near MIF25: Liberation at the Royal Exchange Theatre

CUPRA City Garage DJ Decks
City Centre
Café or Coffee Shop
CUPRA City Garage

Already based in Paris, Mexico City, Sydney and Vienna, CUPRA’s international expansion is driven by culture as much as cars, and Manchester’s creative energy has clearly caught their attention.

St Ann’s Square
City Centre
Park
St Ann’s Square

St Ann’s Square is a quiet little enclave of shops, with Barton’s Arcade set back from it on one side, and St Ann’s Church, which dates back to 1712 and…

Rapha Clubhouse Manchester
City Centre
Shop
Rapha Clubhouse Manchester

AKA cyclist heaven, Rapha is more than just a cycle-wear shop. It’s a place for anyone who loves cycling to congregate and celebrate the sport together.

City Centre
King Street Manchester

King Street is one of the most picturesque parts of Manchester with buildings designed by Alfred Waterhouse and C.R. Cockerell. Once Manchester’s financial epicenter, it’s now home to high-end retail and fine dining.

Manchester
Restaurant
KAI Deansgate

Kai is a Turkish restaurant on Deansgate, set up by the brains behind the well-regarded Zouk restaurant. Expect excellent mezze plates and an open grill that releases wonderful aromas throughout the venue.

City Centre
Restaurant
Lunya Manchester

Lunya is a Spanish and Catalan deli and restaurant in Manchester’s stunning Barton Arcade. The food is reliably fresh and the staff both charming and incredibly knowledgable.

City Centre
Shop
Aston’s Of Manchester

In Royal Exchange Arcade, Aston’s of Manchester is a tobacconist that recently branched out into whisky sales. In their shop you’ll find an interesting selection of bottles to buy, including

What's on: Theatre

Haphazard 2025 at Z-arts
FamiliesManchester
Haphazard 2025 at Z-arts

A free day of bizarre behaviour and exciting live performance at Z-arts. Expect the unexpected. Playful, unpredictable, and not easily forgotten.

Free entry
Amy Webber comedian
Until
ComedyChapel Street
Greater Manchester Fringe 2025

Greater Manchester Fringe Festival 2025 offers a fascinating and diverse programme of performance with ticket prices that won’t break the bank.

From £5.00

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North.
Theatre in the North

From outdoor shows to drama in the dark, our theatre guide celebrates genre-pushing work, new writing and contemporary performance.

Author portrait
Literature Events in the North

Our latest round-up features plenty of one-off live literature events to wrap your ears about, so get those diaries ticking over...

Two women stand next to an orange car.
Cinema in the North

August brings a huge LGBTQ+ film festival, plus a reggae classic and a spotlight on Japanese animation.

Blondshell by Hannah Bon.
Music in the North

From Lyra Pramuk’s sacred synths to the sugar rush of YAANG, our latest music picks bring ritual, rebellion and ridiculous levels of fun.