Orpheus Descending at the Royal Exchange

Acclaimed actress Imogen Stubbs makes a triumphant return to Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre in a powerful revival of Tennesse Williams’ rarely produced play Orpheus Descending. Last on stage in Manchester as Amanda in the Exchange’s award-winning 2011 production of Private Lives, Stubbs (pictured) now takes on the challenging role of Lady Torrance, a middle-aged woman trapped in a loveless marriage who lives in America’s Deep South – which brings with it all the narrow-minded pettiness of a small town community. Anyone who is different, beware: the lynchmob will be after you – and it’s giving away little to say it will all end in tears. Williams’ plays are often brutal but always poetic, and the Exchange’s artistic director Sarah Frankcom, who directs, captures both perfectly. It’s a first-class production that explores the timeless themes of loneliness, desire, sexuality, repression and the longing for freedom.

Wed 24 Oct – Sat 24 Nov, Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, M2 7DH, Tel: 0161 833 9833, Mon – Fri 7.30pm, Sat 3.30pm & 8pm, Wed 2.30pm, £10 – £35 (conc avail), www.royalexchange.co.uk