# Hope Mill Theatre

The Hope Mill Theatre is an independent theatre in Ancoats, Manchester, England that performs original and revival plays, musicals and other events. The theatre is located in the Hope Mill building, a Grade II* listed converted textile mill. It won Fringe Venue of The Year at The Stage awards in 2018. Hope Mill Theatre is the main work of the registered charity A Factory of Creativity.

## History

Joseph Houston and William Whelton built on their training in London theatre to create a theatre modelled on the Off West End Theatres which dominate the London theatre scene. They created a small producing venue in Manchester and opened Hope Mill Theatre in November, 2015.
Whelton and Houston serve as respectively Executive and Artistic director of the theatre. In 2016 they won the Hospital Club Award for their contribution in Theatre and Performance and in 2017 they were also awarded a Special Achievement Award at the Manchester Theatre Awards.
Katy Lipson, founder of Aria Entertainment, was the artistic director at the Hope Mill for several years, also producing many of the show staged at the venue, from Rags to Mame.
The Hope Mill Theatre is now a registered charity, under the name "A Factory of Creativity", but continues being called with its original name. Whelton and Houston remain in their directors' roles and a board of trustees has also been appointed, to help support and guide the charity.
Since 2020 the venue also hosts the "Turn on Fest", a LGBTQIA+ theatre festival, every year for two weeks, with live performances. The festival is usually run in collaboration with Superbia, Manchester Pride’s year-round programme of arts and culture. Every year the festival showcases different work and local queer theatre companies (in 2021 the full programme was held online).
* In 2020 - Qweerdog Theatre presented ‘Absolute Certainty?’, revived for the festival after performing at the Great Manchester Fringe.
* In 2021 - the festival was held online and events were mostly discussions with various artists, including Divina De Campo.
* 2022 - "The Regulars", a musical produced and developed by Hope Mill Theatre in collaboration with Trans Creative
* 2023 - headline event was "A Conversation with Jill Nalder: Actor, Activist, Author and inspiration behind Russell t Davies’ critically acclaimed drama It’s a Sin".

## Values

The mission of the Hope Mill Theatre is to "enrich, educate and entertain the community by providing a uniquely superior theatre experience; allowing both audiences and artists alike to be inspired, ambitious and to share stories and enlighten lives through the power of theatre."

## Hope Mill team

The Hope Mill Theatre is supported by volunteers who cover both front of house and back of house roles in the venue. Front of house volunteers welcome guests, check tickets and show ticket holders to their seats.
The venue also hosts yearly work experience high school and university students who are looking to pursue a career in the arts.

## Production history

Notable productions at the theater :
| Opening year | Name |
| 2024 | A Christmas Carol (at The Quays Theatre) |
| 2024 | The Gap |
| 2024 | Gypsy: In Concert (at the Opera House) |
| 2023 | LIZZIE |
| 2023 | To Wong Foo: The Musical |
| 2023 | Head over Heels |
| 2022 | Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella |
| 2022 | Passion |
| 2021 | The Wiz |
| 2020 | RENT (2020, closed due to COVID-19, August 2021) |
| 2020 | Godspell: 50th Anniversary Concert (online) |
| 2020 | Zorro: The Musical |
| 2019 | The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit |
| 2019 | Mame |
| 2019 | Rags |
| 2019 | Club Mex |
| 2018 | The Return of the Soldier |
| 2018 | Putting It Together |
| 2018 | Aspects of Love |
| 2018 | Closets |
| 2018 | Spring Awakening |
| 2018 | The ToyBoy Diaries |
| 2017 | Little Women |
| 2017 | Pippin |
| 2017 | YANK! |
| 2016 | Hair, 50th Anniversary |
| 2016 | Parade |

## Awards

| Year | Award | Category | Result |
| 2016 | The Hospital Club Awards | Theatre and Performance | Won |
| 2017 | Manchester Theatre Awards | Special Achievement | Won |
| 2017 | Manchester Theatre Awards | Best Fringe Production (for Moth) | Won |
| 2017 | Peter Brook Award | Empty Space Peter Brook Award | Nominated |
| 2017 | The Stage Awards | Fringe Theatre of the Year | Nominated |
| 2018 | The Stage Awards | Fringe Theatre of the Year | Won |
| 2023 | Whatsonstage Awards | Best Regional Production, for To Wong Foo The Musical | Nominated |