In a year when the Royal Exchange Theatre marks its 50th anniversary, Road arrives not simply as a revival but as a declaration of intent: brash, tender, socially soulful and gloriously alive. It feels like a statement about where the theatre stands now and where it intends to go next. Directed by the theatre’s newly-appointed artistic director Selina Cartmell- and her first production at this Manchester institution- Jim Cartwright’s eviscerating yet affectionate ode to northern working-class life feels as relevant now as it was on its debut four decades ago. The themes of community, survival and fragile hope resonate strongly with contemporary audiences, giving the piece a renewed urgency without diminishing its roots.

From the moment the audience is invited to traverse the rumbling thoroughfares of the Royal Exchange itself, through an immersive experience that collapses the usual fourth wall, the production stakes its claim on shared experience. The staging places the audience inside the world of the play, rather than observing it from a safe distance, and this choice proves crucial to its emotional impact. Cartmell harnesses the chaotic lyricism of Cartwright’s script to build a world where possibility and despair intersect on every cracked pavement. The energy never feels forced; instead, it grows organically.

The ensemble, led by a magnificent Johnny Vegas as the irrepressible Scullery, pulses with humour and heartbreak. Vegas navigates the terrain between buffoon and narrator with infectious commitment, grounding the audience in the ragged dreams of the road’s inhabitants. His performance gives shape to the evening, guiding us through its highs and lows with warmth and sharp timing. Standout performances from Lucy Beaumont and Laura Elsworthy, the powerhouse that is Shobna Gulati and the ever-magnetic Lesley Joseph stitch the production together with earnest depth, while Sir Tom Courtenay’s on-film appearance as Jerry adds a poignant, ghostly echo of history and continuity to the evening. Each contribution feels purposeful, creating a rich tapestry of voices and experiences.

Cartmell’s directorial vision is nothing short of revelatory here. She treats Cartwright’s episodic vignettes not as a relic but as a living organism, urging the audience into laughter whilst quiet, confessional moments linger painfully. The tonal shifts are handled with assurance, allowing comedy and tragedy to coexist without undermining one another, leaving the production to feel carefully shaped yet alive in the moment.

Visually and sonically, Road is an immersive triumph. Leslie Travers’ set design evokes the grunge and grit of 1980s northern streets with a tactile authenticity: crumbling walls, flickering signs and the suggestion of smoke-slicked alleys that the audience can actually smell. Travers takes a step back from nostalgia in favour of a raw, lived-in landscape that feels simultaneously dystopian and eerily recognisable. Complementing this, Aideen Malone’s lighting design artfully conjures dusk turning to dawn, bathing scenes in harsh fluorescence or tender glows, painting the night’s moods with restless energy. Meanwhile, Tingying Dong’s sound design is a pulse underneath the play- an often ominous, inescapable thrum. Sound here isn’t simply atmospheric; it’s elemental, underscoring the rhythms of hope and hardship in every exchange. Together, these design elements create an environment that feels both expansive and claustrophobic, mirroring the characters’ inner lives.

What Road captures in abundance is humanity: its absurdity, its generosity, its devastating hope that something better might lie around the next corner. It refuses easy answers, instead presenting lives in all their fragmented messiness and resilience. In opening the Royal Exchange’s landmark season, this production doesn’t just honour the theatre’s history- it propels it forward with energy, wit and unshakeable heart.

Although the run is sold out, there are day tickets available from 12pm each day which audience members can purchase in person from the Royal Exchange Theatre’s box office or on the phone throughout the run. Further information can be found here.

Tickets received in exchange for an honest review. #AD

Photography by Ros Kavanagh.