Fun Home at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Emily B
Fun Home continues a fantastic run of productions in 2026 as part of the theatre’s 50th Anniversary A Homecoming series. February kicked off the season with the sublimely immersive production of The Road, starring Johnny Vegas, which transported us back to 1980s Lancashire. This was followed by a wickedly funny staging of Private Lives with Jill Halfpenny, which ran from March to May. As a regular patron of the Royal Exchange, Fun Home was my third visit this year and, although I hadn’t heard of the musical before, I was confident that it would not disappoint.
Fun Home has been a fixture of mainstream theatre for 10 years, having made its debut on Broadway in 2015 and going on to win five Tony Awards that same year. It is based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir, and I was fascinated to see how this would translate to the stage. Add to this the fact that Alison grew up in rural Pennsylvania in a (fun)eral home, and I couldn’t wait to see how the story would resonate with Manchester’s urban, multicultural, and LGBTQ+ inclusive community.
Described as “a coming-of-age musical about memory, family, identity, and the complicated relationship between a daughter and her father”, the story unfolds across three stages of Alison’s life, with each Alison played by a different actor. Older Alison (Jodie McNee) is a constant presence on stage: observing, commenting, reacting, and interacting with the younger and Medium Alison as memories from the past are revisited. These memories meander back and forth between young Alison’s experiences of a strained family life in the Fun Home and the adorably awkward Medium Alison’s college years, during which she embraces her true self.
Both timelines are surprisingly humorous given the highly complex and dark subject matter: mortality, family tensions, constrictive gender norms, and suicide (trigger warning). There are laughs aplenty, particularly throughout the first half of the play, thanks to sharp comedic lines and wonderfully upbeat musical numbers such as Come to the Fun Home, which received a standing ovation.
While Alison is the protagonist of the musical, her father, Bruce, is inextricably linked to her journey as she escapes oppressive gender norms and embraces a new identity. Alison is initially preoccupied with not being like her father, yet by the end of the play our understanding of his character unearths parallels that we didn’t expect. As the play nears its conclusion, Alison reflects that her beginning would be his end. Regardless of your own experiences or sexual identity, their journeys are deeply emotional, and you will definitely want a pack of tissues.
Bruce—an ex-military, sexually repressed, tyrannical father and funeral director (such complexity!)—is played by Nigel Harman of EastEnders, Downton Abbey, and impressive stage fame. In the opening scene, his performance felt slightly uncomfortable and a touch stiff, but this was soon forgotten. On reflection, perhaps this was merely Bruce’s discomfort in the closet, contrasting with the liberation of the later stages of his story, of which we were not yet aware. Bruce’s final song, Edges of the World, is performed stunningly by Harman and was, for me, the most powerful scene in the production.
The entire cast of Fun Home is outstanding, with performers bringing impressive credentials and immense talent to the stage. Each played their role with such natural ease that you often forgot you were watching actors. The shining star for me was Harriet O’Shea in the role of Young Alison. Her talent at such a young age was astonishing.
In addition to the unique setting of theatre-in-the-round, the stage design retained the circular revolving stage previously used in Private Lives. This served as a visual representation of the passing of time, distance travelled, and the interior spaces of the Bechdel funeral home and New York apartment, while also acting as a metaphor for the thematic cycles, and constraints of closeted homosexuality. It is difficult to imagine how the play would feel on a vast, remote stage such as Broadway, and I believe the Royal Exchange is the most perfect home for Fun Home.
When the play concluded, I knew I wouldn’t be able to fully capture just how brilliant this musical—and Sarah Frankcom’s production in particular—is. I hope, however, that I have managed to convey its beautiful complexity and, most importantly, persuade you that this is a show you have to go and see.
Fun Home runs from Friday 3rd July to Saturday 1st August at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The running time is 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval.
Rating: 5/5
Ticket prices start from £12 plus £2 transaction fee per order
Purchase yours at www.royalexchange.co.uk or by contact the Box Office: 0161 833 9833
Royal Exchange Theatre, St Ann’s Square, Manchester, M2 7DH
Fun Home