ROAD FAQs

Our entrances are at St Ann’s Square (step-free access, with a lift directly to the Great Hall), and on Cross Street. 

Our doors to the Great Hall will open 30 minutes before the show start time. 

Our Box Office is open Monday to Saturday, 12noon until 6pm, accessible from the St Ann’s Square entrance. 

We are surrounded by all the major train stations, bus stations and tram stops, so the easiest/quickest way to get to the Royal Exchange is to use public transport. 

You may find it helpful to use the TfGM Website to plan your journey. 

IMPORTANT TRAVEL INFORMATION 

Manchester Piccadilly station will be closed from Saturday 14 – Sunday 22 February 2026. Rail replacement buses will operate during this time. We advise you to plan ahead and check National Rail Enquiries or train operator websites for specific journey alterations during this period. 

Metrolink tram and bee network bus services are expected to operate, but roads may be busier. 

The first part of the show is a journey through the building. You’re welcome to explore, eat, drink, and soak up the atmosphere, before following the action as the road and its community come to life around you. 

• Evening Performances start at 7pm, doors from 6.30pm
• Matinee Performances start at 2pm, doors from 1.30pm
• Sunday performances start at 3pm, doors from 2.30pm 

The experience lasts approximately 2 hours 40 minutes, which includes a 20-minute interval 

Evening performances are expected to finish around 9.45pm 

Matinee performances are expected to finish around 4.45pm 

Sunday performances are expected to finish around 5.45pm 

Yes, during the first 20 minutes and again during the interval.

During these sections you can follow the performers and explore all spaces in any order, moving around as much or as little as you like. Once the performance moves into the theatre module, the rest of the performance is seated.

If you need help finding your way around, you can pick up a map from one of our ‘Roadworkers’ – dressed in black boiler suits with high-visibility sashes – who will be happy to assist you.

If you have any concerns about accessibility during the opening section, have a look at the information about access provisions or contact our visitor experience team.

You are welcome to take your seat in the theatre module as soon as it opens. There will be a limited amount of seating available in Great Hall.  

Our bars and café will be open pre-show and during the interval.

Show Day Opening Times 

Tuesday–Friday (evening performances)
12noon–5.30pm
Reopens for pre-show at 6.30pm 

Wednesdays & Saturdays (matinee days)
1.30pm–5.30pm
Reopens for evening pre-show at 6.30pm 

Sunday
Opens at 2.30pm 

Due to the unique experience of this production, we’ve worked closely with local suppliers to create a food and drink offer inspired by the period. 

Before the show, enjoy a selection of pub classics, including award-winning pork pies from John Mettrick’s Butchers, Scotch eggs from Mr Murray’s, alongside classic sandwiches and warming soups. 

We’ve also partnered with Blackjack Brewery to serve Millstone Edition cask ales in our renamed Rivals Bar – The Millstone Pub. 

You can save time by pre-ordering food and drink packages – just order online and then collect from The Millstone pub when you arrive. Click here to order. 

Food & Drink in the Theatre Module 

Hot drinks are not permitted. Cold drinks may be transferred into our reusable eco-friendly cups (please return them after use). For safety reasons, glassware, ceramic mugs or plates, and hot food are not allowed in the theatre module 

We kindly ask that photography and filming are not permitted inside the building, helping to maintain the world of the show and prevent moments being shared that could spoil the experience for other audiences. 

As the story takes you back to 1986 – a time before mobile phones – we invite you to step fully into that world with us. Please switch off or silence your mobile phone and refrain from using it at any point during the performance.

Yes. For £5, you can buy a programme packed with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes insights from the cast and creatives, available from our Box Office, Bars, or Visitor Experience team.

You can pre-order your programme in advance here and collect from our Box Office when you arrive – click here to order

The show is suitable for ages 14+.

Children under 16 will not be admitted without an adult. 

If at any point during the show you need to step out, take a break, or would like space for prayer or reflection, please speak to a member of our Visitor Experience team, who will be happy to assist you.

Road explores a range of experiences and emotions that some audiences may find upsetting.  

It contains strong language and themes reflective of some of the attitudes of the period, with references to domestic conflict, mental health, disordered eating, alcohol use, and aspects of life in a struggling community.  

The production contains smoking (herbal cigarettes), sudden loud noises, flashing lights and images, and haze across all spaces. There is a live dog in the production, who appears during the opening section and in Act 2. For more information, please contact our Box Office team. 

We offer a cloakroom for bags and coats at £1 per item (card payments only). Due to the nature of the production, we ask that large bags (over A4) are left in the cloakroom. Please be aware that our security team may carry out bag checks. 

Physical access information: 

There is step-free access to all the areas the audience visit during the opening section – the Great Hall, the Studio and the Millstone Pub – the space usually known as the Rivals Bar. The Millstone Pub has a very shiny, reflective floor.

There is limited seating in the areas used during the opening section and interval –  there are benches with backs in the Great Hall. Overall, there will be less seating in the Great Hall and our bars than there usually is before a performance. There is no seating in the Studio or The Millstone Pub.

There will be props and scenery in the areas used for the opening section. In the Great Hall, there are several large piles of props on the floor. These will be lit by ‘streetlamps’, and there will be clear pathways to go around them.  

If you need any help finding your way around or into the different spaces, our Visitor Experience team will be happy to help. For ROAD, they will be wearing black boiler suits with hi-vis sashes.

Sensory access information: 

The lighting in the Great Hall during the opening section and interval will be different than usual. Overall, the lighting is lower. There are streetlamps lighting each pile of props. At some points there are bright strips of LED-style lights overhead.

There is low, blue lighting in the Studio. It is quite smoky and hazy in this space.

There is colourful lighting and a spinning disco ball in The Millstone Pub. The walls are decorated with reflective coloured streamers. This space also has a shiny, reflective floor.

Two characters use props with bright lights attached, during the opening section and the interval.

There is loud disco music and coloured lighting in the theatre module for part of the interval.

Further information for Access Performances: 

We are continuing to make special arrangements for our access performances in collaboration with access providers. Further details will be shared closer to the performance date. 

Sensory Adapted Performance – Tuesday 3 March, 6.00pm 

BSL Performance – Wednesday 4 March, 7.00pm with Ali Gordon

Captioned Performance – Sunday 7 March, 2.00pm & 7.00pm by Claire McIntyre 

Audio Described Performance – Thursday 12 March, 7.00pm by Mind’s Eye Description Services 

Check out our Visiting Us FAQs for info around coming to the building, toilets and other facilities.