Manchester Royal Exchange announces autumn 2017 season

Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre has announced its autumn/winter season for 2017.

It opens with Sarah Frankcom's production of Our Town, Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play. The piece will be performed in-the-round, and updates the 20th century play to reflect modern Manchester. It runs from 14 September to 14 October.

In a co-production with the Bush Theatre, James Fritz's new play Parliament Square will run from 18 to 28 October. Jude Christian directs the piece which is about the power of political protest. Fritz was selected for a Judges Award in the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015, and last year's Critics' Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright.

From 2 to 18 November, the theatre will stage the world premiere of Jubilee, Chris Goode’s stage adaptation of Derek Jarman’s 1978 film. Original cast member from the film Toyah Willcox will front the production, which is updated for the political and social scene of 2017.

This year's Christmas production will be Guys and Dolls, produced with Talawa Theatre Company. Director Michael Buffong will set the musical on the streets of Harlem during one of New York City’s 'most significant cultural awakenings'. It will feature the original music from composer and lyricist Frank Loesser, and run from 2 December to 27 January 2018.

In February 2018, Katy Rudd will direct Kendall Feaver’s professional debut The Almighty Sometimes. Also a winner of a Judges Award at the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting, The Almighty Sometimes is about a young woman and her protective mother.

The Studio space will host a play by poet and stand-up Jackie Hagan about a working-class North-West town in September 2017 (Cosmic Scallies), and a new play about the trails of the Peak District National Park by rapper Testament in January 2018 (Black Men Walking).