Julie Hesmondhalgh to Launch 'Pay It Forward' Campaign for MACBETH at Oldham Coliseum

Actor Julie Hesmondhalgh has launched a 'Pay It Forward' ticket campaign to make sure that local people who could not otherwise afford a theatre ticket can experience Oldham Coliseum Theatre's new production of Macbeth this autumn.

Working with the Friends of the Coliseum, Julie - who is the new Guest Curator at Oldham Coliseum Theatre - is inviting audiences who can afford a ticket to "bring someone with you" by paying for another person's seat. The initiative has already struck a chord: more than £1,000 was donated in its first 24 hours.

A concessionary ticket to Macbeth costs £15. The Pay It Forward campaign is raising money to provide free and pay-what-you-can tickets through community groups across Oldham, removing cost as a barrier to seeing live theatre in the town. Free tickets will be released via a sign-up form on a first come, first served basis, with the form closed once all tickets have been allocated. Anyone who would like to give what they can towards the campaign is warmly invited to donate to the Pay It Forward fund.

Julie Hesmondhalgh spearheaded the 'Save the Coliseum' campaign along with her husband, screenwriter Ian Kershaw three years ago, after the Arts Council withdrew its funding. Now the Oldham Coliseum Theatre are producing shows at a number of sites around the town, including this new production of Macbeth at Liquid & Envy nightclub.  It is the most ambitious work the Coliseum has staged since it began programming in temporary and site-specific venues while restoration continues on its historic home on Fairbottom Street. 

Julie will be back on television screens this autumn as one of the contestants on the second series of the BBC's The Celebrity Traitors, joining a line-up that includes Richard E Grant, Michael Sheen, Bella Ramsey and Miranda Hart, among others, according to the BBC's announced cast. Fans will also be able to see Julie in person at 'Behind the Scenes of The Traitors with Julie Hesmondhalgh', a special event as part of the Coliseum's Autumn/Winter season. But before we see Julie in the castle, she is helping to make sure that Macbeth is a production everyone in Oldham can be part of.

Julie Hesmondhalgh said: "As we launch our new production of Macbeth, we are hoping to enable audience members who cannot afford a ticket to come along. A concessionary ticket is £15, but we are hoping to be able to provide a number of free and pay-what-you-can tickets per performance via community groups within the town.

“So, if you can 'bring someone with you' by donating £15, or even throw a couple of quid in, it would be hugely appreciated."

The campaign is in the spirit of the community-focused work championed by companies including Oldham's Dare to Know Theatre, which has made local engagement central to its practice.

Oldham Coliseum's new production of Macbeth, directed by Creative Director Nick Bagnall, plays at Liquid & Envy in the centre of Oldham from Friday 23 October to Saturday 7 November 2026, with press night on Tuesday 27 October. It stars Andrew Sheridan (Peaky Blinders, Chernobyl, Shameless) as Macbeth and Erin Shanagher (The Bay, Ridley, Peaky Blinders) as Lady Macbeth. The 150-seat staging transforms the working nightclub into the world of Shakespeare's tragedy.

Donate to the Pay It Forward Macbeth campaign: gofundme.com/f/pay-it-forward-tickets