‘If large arts organisations are the beating heart of a community then fringe theatres are the soul’
Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester has won a top honour at The Stage Awards 2026(Image: Publicity picture)
A Greater Manchester theatre in a Grade II-listed former mill has won a top award. It puts it on the scale of big national venues. On Monday evening (January 12), the winners of the The Stage Awards 2026 – which are now in their 16th year – were unveiled.
Held at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre in London, the ceremony celebrated the best theatres and the unsung heroes behind the scenes.
Joint winners of Theatre of the Year were London’s Royal Court Theatre and Newbury’s Watermill Theatre, while Theatre Building of the Year was given to Soho Theatre. Walthamstow. Producer of the Year went to Wessex Grove, which was behind The Seagull at the Barbican starring Cate Blanchett and the New York transfer of Vanya with Andrew Scott.
The recipient of the Fringe Theatre of the Year award was Hope Mill Theatre, is based in Ancoats. Now in its tenth year, the theatre was founded by Joseph Houston and William Whelton who, with the initial help of just a £10,000 loan, have transformed it into one of the ‘UK’s most dynamic producing houses’.
Joseph Houston and William Whelton opened Hope Mill Theatre in 2015(Image: Publicity picture)
Recent productions held at the theatre have included Young Frankenstein, starring Ore Oduba, as well as FRIENDS! The Musical Parody and a rendition of Macbeth featuring an all female and non-binary cast. They also held The Gap, starring Denise Welch and Matthew Kelly, in 2024.
The theatre, on Pollard Street, has been recognised for its celebration of emerging companies and new writing, as well as hosting its LGBTQ+ festival Turn On Fest. It also launched a degree-level of training alongside the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. They also supported a recent campaign providing 1,500 free theatre tickets to school children at Christmas.
Forthcoming productions on the theatre’s calendar include Sister Act, The Little Shop of Horrors, and The Dolly Show, from world-leading tribute act Kelly O’Brien. There will also be Glorious, starring former Coronation Street star Wendi Peters in the true story of American socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, and solo play Jarman from Mark Farrelly. They also work alongside other theatres on productions.
Cinderella being held at Hope Mill Theatre in 2022(Image: Pamela Raith)
Officially opening its doors in November 2015, the theatre had previously won the Fringe Venue of The Year prize at The Stage Awards back in 2018. Speaking about their 2026 win, Hope Mill Theatre’s co-founders William and Joseph said: “We are thrilled to have been recognised at this year’s The Stage Awards, in the same week as being recognised on the Stage 100 list of most influential people in UK Regional Theatre.
“This sort of recognition from the industry really is an honour and it means even more to be representing Manchester and most importantly Fringe Theatres. This year is our 10th anniversary year of Hope Mill Theatre and we have so much to look forward to including the launch of Hope Mill Theatre Arts, offering a degree in Musical Theatre training, as well as a major production of Disney’s High School Musical at Lowry this summer.”
The co-founders, who moved from London after being inspired by the capital’s breadth of Off West End venues and small production houses, also issued a warning to the theatre industry after accepting their Fringe Theatre win. They said that grassroots venues were at risk of closing if they did not receive enough support.
Denise Welch at Hope Mill Theatre, where she starred in The Gap, alongside Matthew Kelly, in 2024(Image: ABNM Photography)
Joseph and Will said: “We are also so thankful for everyone who has been a part of our story, especially our hardworking team who keep the cogs turning, the many grass roots theatre companies we host, the vibrant community that we support and of course our loyal audiences.
“But talking to our friends in Fringe venues across Manchester and the region it’s clear that many of them are struggling to just keep the lights on and it would be a travesty if we started to lose these cherished venues. Because if large subsidised arts organisations are the beating heart of a community then fringe theatres are the soul. So please keep supporting independent arts venues.”
Summing up the 2026 cohort of winners, The Stage editor Alistair Smith added: “This year’s winners show theatre at its most confident and outward-looking, combining artistic ambition with a clear sense of purpose. From major institutions to independent innovators, they demonstrate how strong leadership, deep community roots and creative risk-taking can deliver real impact on stage and beyond it.”