Actor David Threlfall, best known for his unflinching portrayal of Frank Gallagher in Channel 4’s Shameless, is set to return to the stage in 2026 to tackle one of Shakespeare’s most demanding roles: King Lear.
The production will headline the Royal Exchange Theatre’s 50th anniversary season in Manchester, marking both a dramatic homecoming for Threlfall and a milestone celebration for the landmark venue.
The Manchester-born actor, now 71, was once one of the Exchange’s leading men and even served as associate artistic director during the 1980s and 90s.
He appeared there in numerous productions, including Macbeth and King Lear (as Edgar opposite Sir Laurence Olivier in a 1983 TV adaptation filmed at Granada’s Manchester studio). But he hasn’t tread the Exchange’s unique in-the-round stage since 1999, following a falling-out over staging Uncle Vanya for the theatre’s 25th anniversary.
His return will see him embody Shakespeare’s troubled monarch in September and October 2026, in what is expected to be one of the theatrical highlights of the year. Threlfall’s stage credentials stretch far beyond his television fame: he won an Olivier Award in 1980 and has been nominated twice for Broadway’s Tony Awards.
A star-studded anniversary season at the Royal Exchange Theatre
The Exchange’s golden anniversary will open with Jim Cartwright’s seminal 1986 play Road, featuring Johnny Vegas, Lucy Beaumont, and Shobna Gulati. It will also welcome back another of the theatre’s stalwarts, Sir Tom Courtenay, now 88, who returns in a pre-recorded screen role – his 17th appearance for the venue.
Beyond King Lear, the 2026 programme reflects both bold new writing and classic revivals. Highlights include:
- Even These Things by Rory Mullarkey, which spans three moments in Manchester’s history, including the IRA bombing of 1996 that seriously damaged the Royal Exchange building.
- Shooters, the winning play of this year’s Bruntwood Prize by Tolu Okanlawon, inspired by the life of African-American photojournalist Gordon Parks.
- The Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home.
- Revivals of Noël Coward’s Private Lives and Stephen Sondheim’s A Little Night Music.
Revival of the Royal Exchange post-pandemic
The season also comes at a time of renewal for the Exchange, which has faced significant challenges in recent years. Like many theatres, it was badly hit by the pandemic, and in 2024 it became embroiled in controversy after cancelling a planned production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, sparking a censorship debate and leading to its chief executive’s resignation.
Despite this, the venue remains one of the UK’s best supported, ranking just behind the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company in terms of Arts Council England funding. With a mix of household names, daring new plays, and Threlfall’s long-awaited return, the Royal Exchange is aiming to reassert its place as one of the country’s most vital stages.
