Theatre Hire

Our Theatre has a seating capacity of 225 and is our main performance area. With the seating in place, the stage area is a generous 10.5m x 14.9m and includes ample backstage space and dressing rooms suitable for approx 10 cast (dressing room and loo/shower are accessible), with an extra green room available for a small cost, if needed.

The seating can be retracted to accommodate 50 cabaret style or 300 standing.  A popular performance venue in Manchester, our theatre has been used as a venue for Manchester Comedy Festival, Manchester Literature Festival, BBC Question Time and Insight Film Festival as well as a space for many theatre and dance performances. This versatile space also provides the perfect environment for conferences and networking events.

  • Suitable for: performances, concerts, conferences, talks, and seminars
  • Capacity: 225 with raked seating bank, 300 standing (seating retracted)
  • Basic Theatre Performance Package: £800 +VAT
  • Basic Theatre Performance Package for registered charities: £700 +VAT

Our Basic Theatre Package includes:

  • 10 hours’ access to the theatre (including get-in, set-up, tech run, dress run, performance, and get-out time – the latest get-out time for this package is 22:00 without incurring additional charges)
  • Use of all standard theatre equipment (including PA system and lighting)
  • 1 Technician for 10 hours to operate lighting (this includes general cover and 2 specials only) and sound for rehearsal and simple performance (Short comfort breaks must be factored into this time)
  • 4 Z-arts stewards (who are H&S and fire trained) to staff the performance (based on maximum performance time of 3 hours including interval)
  • Dressing area for a small cast of up to 10 approx (larger casts will be required to hire additional space)

All tickets MUST be managed by Z-arts Box Office, with Z-arts taking a 10% of total box office takings to cover admin and staffing costs. No external ticketing is permitted. All events must be ticketed, for free events there will be a £20 charge to cover Z-arts’ printing and admin costs.

*Please note that some shows may require us to charge for extra technicians, adding a charge of up to £160 plus VAT per person.

Additional charges:

  • Use of portable projector in theatre
  • Any extra lighting (including staffing), i.e. lighting plan, pre-rig, or post-rig
  • Additional tech staffing
  • Additional rehearsal and tech time (if required)
  • Heavy duty cleaning
  • Any applicable PRS fees will be added to the invoice
  • Professional security staff
  • Additional stewarding hours
  • Additional time for get-in/get-out
  • Extra holding space for performers, cast, or crew

All enquiries can be sent to our Bookings Team on bookings@z-arts.org. Please note that when booking the theatre, you will need to arrange a meeting with our Technical Manager to discuss your requirements and any possible additional costs.

Please download our Theatre’s Technical Specification here

Theatre Drinks at Z-café

Z-Café transforms into a fully stocked bar for evening events. We also have an upper bar area situated on the first floor, which is a vibrant spot for pre-theatre and interval drinks.