Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester is to become a registered charity, with Russell T Davies and Denise Welch joining Tracie Bennett as patrons.
The venue, founded by William Whelton and Joseph Houston in 2015, will see the charity—A Factory of Creativity—take over the operating of the venue, with Whelton and Houston continuing as executive director and artistic director. A board of trustees, made up of individuals who have supported the venue since it opened, will help support and guide the charity.
Since opening its doors, Hope Mill has won acclaim for its in-house productions premièring in Manchester—musicals Parade, Hair, Yank!, Spring Awakening, Aspects of Love and Rags—many of which have transferred to London or gone on tour. In-house dramas Proof and The Exonerated were also well-received. The theatre’s latest production, Mame, starring Tracie Bennett and Harriet Thorpe, has just opened.