Oldham Coliseum Theatre has temporarily decamped to the town’s last working nightclub, Liquid and Envy, to stage a gritty, 1970s-inspired production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Directed by Nick Bagnall, the 19-performance run runs from October 23 to November 7, 2026, while the historic Fairbottom Street venue undergoes restoration.
Oldham Coliseum Takes Shakespeare to Liquid and Envy Nightclub
While the Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s doors remain closed during its major revamp, the creative team has found a new home outside the box when deciding where to temporarily decamp. They have chosen the last remaining nightclub in the Greater Manchester town to stage William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
I want to blow the dust off Shakespeare,
said the Coliseum’s new creative director Nick Bagnall.
“This isn’t about putting the play on a pedestal, it’s about creating an experience that grabs people by the throat, whether they have seen Macbeth 10 times or never encountered it before. We want people who have never set foot in a theatre to walk into Liquid and Envy and feel this story belongs to them. Staging Macbeth inside a working Oldham nightclub creates its own intrigue.”
Nick Bagnall, Creative Director for Oldham Coliseum Theatre
This is Bagnall’s first production as creative director for the theatre, and it moves the actors from a traditional stage to a once sticky dancefloor covered in spilled drinks. The production features a 19-performance run beginning on Friday, October 23, and concluding on Saturday, November 7, with a press night scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.
Andrew Sheridan and Erin Shanagher Lead a North West Cast
Award-winning actor and writer Andrew Sheridan and The Bay star Erin Shanagher will play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Sheridan has previously appeared in HBO’s Industry as well as Channel 4’s The Couple Next Door.
They are joined by Reuben Johnson as Macduff, Darren Kuppen as Malcolm, Dean Boodaghians-Nolan as Banquo, and Gurmej Virk as Duncan. The cast also features Amy Bent, Mary Puzey, and Amy Drake as the three witches, Sam O’Donnell as Fleance, Fletcher Davies Rushton as Young Siward, Martha Ritchie as Ross, and Ben Thomas-Harris as Seyton. Bent, Puzey, O’Donnell, Rushton, Ritchie, and Thomas-Harris have all worked with Oldham Theatre Workshop.
“Casting this production has been an extraordinary process because I wanted to create a cast that could really inhabit this world together.”
Nick Bagnall, Creative Director
Gangsters, Casinos, and 1970s Oldham Shifting Social Codes
The production relocates the tragedy to a gritty late-1970s world of gangsters, casinos, and shifting social codes. Audiences can choose between standing and seated tickets, with viewers seated in the booths and stools to watch the show.
According to the Coliseum, the aim was to create a performance that feels closer to a night out than a night at the theatre, without losing the force of Shakespeare’s language.
“I think it’s really important for Oldham to set such an important play that is so famous in an iconic venue in this town. It’s so accessible to everyone.”
Andy Sheridan, actor playing Macbeth
Refurbishment of the Historic Fairbottom Street Home
Oldham’s Coliseum Theatre is currently being refurbished after a long campaign to save the venue, which was backed by former Coronation Street actor Julie Hesmondhalgh. The theatre is expected to reopen in 2027 after securing an extra £7m grant to clear the asbestos and fix structural defects beneath a staircase.
Martina Murphy, the Coliseum’s chief executive, emphasized that the temporary relocation is part of a plan to keep programming work across the town.
“This is a huge moment for the Coliseum. Nick’s Macbeth is uncompromising, thrilling and unmistakably of this place, and it announces exactly the kind of theatre we intend to make. As we continue our journey back to Fairbottom Street, we are determined to keep creating ambitious work that surprises audiences and reaches people wherever they are.”
Martina Murphy, Coliseum Chief Executive