Manchester’s award-winning Hope Mill Theatre was named Fringe Theatre of the Year 2018 at The Stage awards.
Joseph Houston and William Whelton, co-founders of Hope Mill, and producer and co-artistic director Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment collected the award in London.
The award is the latest for the acclaimed 120-seat theatre, which only opened just over two years go after Houston and Whelton found the Ancoats venue on Gumtree and decided to turn it into an independently-run theatre.
Hope Mill scooped the prize following a landmark 2017 that productions of Yank!, Pippin and Little Women, as well as the transfer of Yank! (Charing Cross Theatre) and their 2016 hit Hair (The Vaults, Waterloo) to London—with Pippin to follow to the capital early this year (Southwark Playhouse).