A new Covid-secure, drive-in theatre is set to open at the Trafford Centre next year, which could create up to 1,000 jobs.
The DriveINSIDE Theatre, created by Beyond Theatre, has a venue capacity of 800, it said, with each vehicle having a dedicated parking space under a 68,000 sq ft marquee.
The theatre, which has been approved to operate while tier 3 restrictions are in place, plans to host more than 30 productions during a four-week run starting in March.
Paul Levin, who created the venue, said: “We are really an immersive theatre production company, but when COVID shut down our productions we started thinking about how we could put on live performances again.
“The DriveINSIDE Theatre is our answer, and we cannot wait to bring the thrill and excitement of live events back to the people of Manchester.
“Our industry has suffered terribly throughout the pandemic. The vast majority of people working in theatre are contract based and usually supplement their income in slow periods by working in hospitality.
“With both industries being hit so hard we are absolutely thrilled to be able to offer the lifeline of some real work for around 1,000 industry people in Manchester next March.”
Organisers said its first location will be at the Trafford Centre, before it moves around the country, including to London, Glasgow and Birmingham.
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Mr Levin added: “We’ve all turned to the arts to keep us going during this crisis, whether by watching films and tv, listening to music, reading books or getting involved in creative hobbies, so it should be clear to everyone how important the arts is to us all.
“We hope that people in Manchester will be as excited as we are about the fantastic shows we will be bringing to the city and that they will come out and support the industry.”
Details of forthcoming shows will be revealed over the next few weeks, it said.