53two has grown from the acting school Manchester Actors' Platform (MAP), now known as 53two Studio. The school was established to provide affordable, professional services for actors as so many others were unobtainable, inaccessible or unaffordable.
After producing our first show under the banner MAP Productions in 2016, a whole new tier of the company was born, 53two. The team were approached by a property developer to take over one of their empty spaces, the old Bauer Millet Garage, Albion St. It was a big ask in the damp, well-loved and almost unworkable spaces but, 53two was born. In just a few months we transformed two arches into two of the most exciting spaces in Manchester for new theatre, events and private parties. We weren't water-tight but we knew how to make theatre.
Describe your image
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Fun fact: Albion, our resident dog, takes his name from our original home on Albion St!
Its flexibility as a space was what made it perfect - we could house pretty much anything and this quickly became adopted in our slogan; 'From weddings to wrestling'. If you had it, we could house it and we thrived on the challenge of using our blank canvas to create the perfect venue for events. It was at these arches we began to recognise the need for and lack of accessible venues, spaces and theatres in our city. So, combining this with our passion to provide theatre and space for everyone, it made sense to become a registered charity. Our aims were no longer just to provide affordable professional services and performances, but also to provide those for EVERYONE, no matter what might have previously held them back. We began work to ensure that the whole space was accessible and very quickly the space became THE theatre to host your event, because of its accessibility. Ramps, disabled toilets, BSL interpretation, captioning were all a part of our fabric. We also recognised that even with physical access, it was
important to make sure our shows were affordable and so 'Unwaged Tickets' were made available for every performance; tickets for those on income support and/or those that couldn't afford full price.
WE'RE THE ONLY INDEPENDENT THEATRE IN THE UK TO HAVE A CHANGING PLACES TOILET!
In 2019 we moved out of our first home into temporary, accessible studios to await our move into our new arches just 50 yards away, beneath Manchester Central Convention Centre. Despite COVID delaying and costing us money, we were able to raise enough money to begin work on Phase 1 - the arts café/bar hub. On January 4th 2019, we signed a 15-year lease and began work on developing the 150-year-old, Grade II* listed arches into a brand new, fully accessible hideaway for creatives.
Since opening in our new arches on Watson Street in 2021, 53two has grown and grown and with a generous donation from the Baker Family Charitable Trust in 2024, we have been able to install new electrics, lighting, air-conditioning, heating and our showpiece retractable seating. This has created a space that is capable of hosting weddings, corporate events parties and fully-formed evenings of theatre - a far cry from the space that
opened on Albion Street. This donation has also afforded the creation of a working green room for performers; many early performances involved changing under a gazebo to shelter from the leaking roof.
Simon Naylor - Artistic Director / Founder
Alex Maxwell - Venue Producer / Co-Founder
Andre Baron - Co-Director / Trustee
Lawrence Evans - Trustee
Tamsin Stanley - Trustee
Nicola Miles-Wildin - Trustee
Krissi Bohn - 53two Studio Coordinator
Will Huntington - Bar Manager
Josh Mason - Assistant Bar Manager
George Miller - Technician
Kelsea Knox - Technician & Design
Albion - Guard Dog / Concierge
53two is a registered charity; all of the profits that we make on the bar and in the theatre are returned to the charity and enable us to continue offering support and training to performers who may have access needs, come from disadvantaged backgrounds or are entering the profession from non-traditional routes. It also allows us to champion access to productions for those that may not normally be able to afford to visit the theatre.
In 2024 we became the only independent theatre in the UK to house a Changing Places toilet. Not only ensuring that our space truly is available to everyone but also providing a valuable asset to the City.
We are the regular home of TripleC Community and Youth groups for Deaf, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent creatives, we house, support and mentor our Exel Elders group and continue to provide a safe space for those who visit our arches.
