Our Theatre has a seating capacity of 225 and is our main performance area. With the seating in place, the stage area is a generous 10.5m x 14.9m and includes ample backstage space and dressing rooms suitable for approx 10 cast (dressing room and loo/shower are accessible), with an extra green room available for a small cost, if needed.

The seating can be retracted to accommodate 50 cabaret style or 300 standing.  A popular performance venue in Manchester, our theatre has been used as a venue for Manchester Comedy Festival, Manchester Literature Festival, BBC Question Time and Insight Film Festival as well as a space for many theatre and dance performances. This versatile space also provides the perfect environment for conferences and networking events.

• Suitable for: performances, concerts, conferences, talks, and seminars
• Capacity: 225 with raked seating bank, 300 standing (seating retracted)
• Basic Theatre Performance Package: £1100 +VAT
• Basic Theatre Performance Package for registered charities: £1000 +VAT

Our Basic Theatre Package includes:

• 10 hours’ access to the theatre (including get-in, set-up, tech run, dress run, performance, and get-out time – the latest get-out time for this package is 22:00 without incurring additional charges)
• Use of all standard theatre equipment (including PA system and lighting)
• 1 Technician for 10 hours to operate lighting (this includes general cover and 2 specials only) and sound for rehearsal and simple performance (Short comfort breaks must be factored into this time)
• 4 Z-arts stewards (who are H&S and fire trained) to staff the performance (based on maximum performance time of 3 hours including interval)
• Dressing area for a small cast of up to 10 approx (larger casts will be required to hire additional space)

All tickets MUST be managed by Z-arts Box Office. Z-arts will charge a booking fee on top of tickets to cover processing fees  All events must be ticketed.

*Please note that some shows may require us to charge for extra technicians, adding a charge of up to £20 plus VAT per hour per technician.

Additional charges:

• Any extra lighting (including staffing), i.e. lighting plan, pre-rig, or post-rig
• Additional tech staffing
• Additional rehearsal and tech time (if required)
• Heavy duty cleaning
• Any applicable PRS fees will be added to the invoice
• Professional security staff
• Additional stewarding hours
• Additional time for get-in/get-out
• Extra holding space for performers, cast, or crew

If you’re interested in hiring our theatre please fill in this form and our Bookings Team will get back to you. Please note that when booking the theatre, you will need to arrange a meeting with our Technical Manager to discuss your requirements and any possible additional costs.

Theatre Drinks at Z-café

Z-Café transforms into a fully stocked bar for evening events. We also have an upper bar area situated on the first floor, which is a vibrant spot for pre-theatre and interval drinks.