Mac Rating: 5.00 | Votes: 1 | Date: 20/06/2026 18:27:00

Built into Grade II*-listed Victorian railway arches beneath the Manchester Central convention centre, 53two is an independent fringe theatre and arts venue with a flexible black-box auditorium seating around 150. A registered charity, it grew out of the Manchester Actors Platform, staging its first show in 2016 before developing into a full theatre and events space. The company began in a former car showroom on Albion Street, moved through temporary premises, and signed a long lease on two arches on Watson Street, opening there in 2021 after a fundraising effort that survived delays caused by the pandemic. A later donation funded retractable seating, new lighting and climate control, turning the arches into a space able to host theatre, weddings and corporate events alike. An accessible cafe-bar helps fund the charitable work. 53two was founded to bridge the gap between Manchester's small fringe rooms and its large producing theatres, with affordable ticket prices and a strong emphasis on access: step-free routes, accessible toilets and BSL-interpreted performances feature in its programme. It belongs to the Greater Manchester Small Venues Network alongside houses such as Hope Mill and the King's Arms. Programming runs to new writing, experimental work, comedy, spoken word and live music, with the stage and seating reconfigured to suit each show. Sitting in the Castlefield arches beside Manchester Central and the Deansgate stations, it is well placed for a city-centre audience and has become a regular home for emerging local artists. The Watson Street fit-out, carried out on a fifteen-year lease, was entered into the 2022 Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, reflecting the care taken in converting the listed arches. The venue shares the regenerated stretch beneath Manchester Central with Manchester Gin's distillery and its Three Little Words bar and restaurant, part of a wider effort to bring arts and nightlife to a previously unused run of railway arches. As a charity, 53two reinvests its bar income into its programme, supporting new writers and underserved communities alongside its public performances.