Library Theatre Opens MANCHESTER SOUND: THE MASSACRE Tonight

A number of Manchester's most exciting young actors are in the cast for the Library Theatre Company's much-anticipated third and final site-specific production, Manchester Sound: The Massacre, written by Polly Wiseman and directed by Paul Jepson, which runs at a secret city centre venue between tonight 8 June - Saturday 6 July.

Manchester Sound: The Massacre sees the Peterloo Massacre of 1819 collide with the explosion in acid house rave culture in 1988/89, and each actor, some of whom will double up as musicians in the production, plays a character from both historical eras.

The cast comprises Bolton-born Leah Hackett, who as well as playing Tina McQueen in Channel 4's Hollyoaks for two years before being spectacularly killed off in October 2008 is well known in the city for her make-up business in upmarket hairdressing salon Trevor Sorbie alongside fellow actress Sinead Moynihan; Rachel Austin, who starred recently in the Manchester Theatre Award-winning production of Black Roses at the Royal Exchange Theatre; Northern Broadsides regular Simeon Truby, who is also the Musical Director; former professional boxer and rugby league star Adam Fogerty, who played boxer Gorgeous George in Guy Ritchie's Snatch; Pete Ashmore, who appeared in the Library Theatre Company's well-received Grimm Tales in Christmas 2009; Dean Anthony Fagan, who is a jazz-funk DJ in Manchester when he's not acting; Stephen Fewell, who played Second World War code-breaker Alan Turing in English Theatre Frankfurt's 2012 production of Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code; and Janey Lawson, whose appearance in the controversial The Assassination of Paris Hilton in the 2009 Edinburgh Festival hit the headlines.

To recreate the spirit of both 1819 and the rave scene of 1989, audience members will be asked to gather at a given point in the city to be escorted to the venue.

Manchester Sound: The Massacre will be designed by Amanda Stoodley, who won the prestigious Theatrical Management Association/Theatre UK Awards award for Best Design for the Library Theatre Company's production of Jackie Kay's Manchester Lines, the company's second site-specific production, in June 2012; the sound designer is Peter Rice, who was part of the team which won the Manchester Theatre Awards Best Design award in 2012 for Hard Times, the Library Theatre Company's first site-specific production, in June 2011.

Tickets for Manchester Sound: The Massacre are priced as follows: Mon-Wed 7.30pm £22 (concessions £18); Thu 7.30pm, Fri/Sat 6pm £24 (no concessions); Fri/Sat 9pm £26 (no concessions); Preview Monday 10 June all tickets £15 (no concessions); Group rates £1 off six or more tickets (including concessions).

Early booking incentive: book by Monday 22 April and receive £2 off selected first week performances as follows (applicable to concession and full-price tickets): Tue 11/Wed 12 June, 7.30pm £20 (£16 concessions); Thu 13 June, 7.30pm £22; Fri 14 June, 6pm £22; Fri 14 June, 9pm £24; Sat 15 June, 6pm £22; Sat 15 June 8pm, £24.

Please note there is strong language, drug references, and smoking on stage in Manchester Sound: The Massacre.

The production runs Saturday 8 June - Saturday 6 July 2013 in a secret location, Manchester city centre. Box office: 0161 200 1500 or www.librarytheatre.com. Performances: Mon-Thu 7.30pm; Fri/Sat 6pm, 9pm. Access performances: British Sign-Language Wed 19 June, Tue 2 July. Press Night: Tuesday 11 June 2013, 7.30pm.

Library Theatre Company, Cornerhouse, is located at 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH. Find them on Facebook: www.facebook.com/librarytheatrecompany, follow them on Twitter: @librarytheatre, watch and listen on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/LibraryTheatreCo and check out photos on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/librarytheatre.

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