REVIEW - FUN HOME | THE ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE, MANCHESTER | 09/07/2026
- Sarah Monaghan
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
FUN HOME AT THE ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE, MANCHESTER IS A MUSICAL THAT STAYS WITH YOU
Five-time Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home arrives at the Royal Exchange Theatre as part of the venue's 50th anniversary Homecoming season, bringing with it one of the most moving, honest and emotionally powerful productions currently playing in Manchester.
Based on Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir, this regional premiere combines exceptional performances, intelligent storytelling and a beautifully crafted score to create a production that feels perfectly suited to the intimacy of the Royal Exchange's unique in-the-round space.
Originally published in 2006, Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir Fun Home explored her childhood growing up above her family's funeral home in Pennsylvania, her relationship with her father Bruce and her own journey towards understanding her identity.
The musical adaptation, featuring a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori, premiered in New York before going on to win five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and has since become one of the defining musicals of the last two decades.
Former Royal Exchange Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom returns to direct this production, and her understanding of both the material and the venue is evident throughout.
Rather than telling Alison's story in chronological order, Fun Home unfolds through memories as Adult Alison looks back on her childhood and attempts to understand both her younger self and her father.
Three versions of Alison share the stage throughout the evening — Small Alison, Medium Alison and Adult Alison — creating a structure that allows the audience to experience different periods of her life simultaneously.
The show explores family relationships, sexuality, identity, grief and memory with remarkable honesty, examining both Alison's journey of self-discovery and her father's experience of living as a gay man in a very different time.
One of the production's greatest strengths is its refusal to offer easy answers. Bruce is never presented simply as a hero or villain, while Alison's own journey of self-discovery feels authentic and deeply personal.
Despite dealing with difficult themes, the musical is often surprisingly funny. The wonderfully chaotic funeral home commercial sequence is a particular highlight and proved to be one of the audience favourites on press night.
Few productions manage the shift from laugh-out-loud comedy to complete silence quite as effortlessly as Fun Home. One moment the audience were roaring with laughter, the next the Royal Exchange auditorium fell completely silent as some of the show's most emotional moments unfolded.
Ultimately, Fun Home is a story about family and understanding both ourselves and the people closest to us, themes that feel every bit as relevant today as when Bechdel first wrote her memoir.
The Royal Exchange Theatre feels like the ideal home for this production.
Peter Butler's set design makes excellent use of the theatre's in-the-round staging, with Alison's drawing desk sitting at the centre of the action as memories unfold around her.
A simple revolve, carefully selected furniture and fluid transitions allow scenes to move effortlessly between different locations and time periods without ever slowing the pace of the storytelling.
Above the stage hangs an intricate canopy of suspended lights and metalwork which helps define the visual identity of the production while making full use of the height and scale of the Exchange auditorium. Combined with the revolve and minimalist staging, the design creates a production that feels intimate whilst still making full use of the unique space.
Bethany Gupwell's lighting design is equally impressive, shifting effortlessly between warm family moments and darker, more reflective scenes whilst helping audiences navigate the changing timelines and memories that shape the story.
Peter Butler's costume design quietly charts the passage of time, particularly across the three Alisons, whilst maintaining the production's naturalistic feel and allowing the characters to remain grounded and believable throughout.
Jeanine Tesori's score is rich, intelligent and emotionally driven, favouring character and storytelling over traditional musical theatre spectacle. Songs emerge naturally from the action rather than interrupting it, creating an almost continuous flow throughout the evening.
Highlights include the joyous awkwardness of Changing My Major, the emotional power of Helen's Etude and the beautifully observed Ring of Keys, which received one of the biggest audience reactions of the evening.
Matthew Malone's musical supervision, alongside an outstanding band, ensures every lyric and orchestral detail is heard with complete clarity.
The success of Fun Home relies entirely on its cast, and the Royal Exchange has assembled an exceptional company.
Nigel Harman delivers an outstanding performance as Bruce Bechdel, capturing both the warmth and frustrations of a man living with secrets he feels unable to share. His performance never asks the audience to excuse Bruce's actions, but it does allow them to understand him.
Jodie McNee provides the emotional centre of the production as Adult Alison, guiding audiences through memories with warmth, humour and reflection whilst remaining a constant presence throughout the evening.
Alice Audrey O'Hanlon is superb as Medium Alison, perfectly capturing the excitement, awkwardness and uncertainty of early adulthood. Her performance of Changing My Major is one of the musical highlights of the evening and earned one of the loudest rounds of applause on press night.
Alex Young brings considerable emotional depth to Helen, particularly during some of the production's most heartbreaking moments, while Natasha Cottriall makes an immediate impression as Joan.
Special praise must also go to the young company.
On the performance attended, Harriet O'Shea, Reuben Shepherd and Theo Wake delivered remarkable performances that never once felt overshadowed by their adult counterparts. Harriet O'Shea's Small Alison is particularly memorable, bringing warmth, humour and emotional maturity to the role whilst delivering a stunning rendition of Ring of Keys that left the audience captivated.
The chemistry across the entire company is exceptional, creating a believable family dynamic that gives the production much of its emotional impact.
Fun Home at the Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester is an extraordinary piece of musical theatre and a fitting addition to the theatre's Homecoming season.
Sarah Frankcom's assured direction, a remarkable cast and a score filled with emotional depth combine to create a production that is funny, heartbreaking and profoundly human.
As the audience rose to its feet for a standing ovation at the final bows, it was clear that this story had connected with people in very different ways.
Whether audiences come for the music, the performances or the story itself, they will leave having experienced something genuinely special.
Fun Home is one of those rare productions that reminds us that some of the most powerful stories are often the most personal.
Funny, heartbreaking and profoundly human theatre at its finest.
Fun Home is booking at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester until Saturday 1st August 2026. Tickets are available via the link below.
Photo Credit - Johan Persson
*Our tickets for this show were kindly gifted in exchange for an honest review.
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