ALRA North - Turner Street
ALRA North - The drama school in the heartbeat of the Northwest
ALRA North is our new centre located in Wigan, Lancashire. Shortly after opening, ALRA was nominated for a TMA Award for 'Special Achievement in Regional Theatre' for its inception.
Location
ALRA North is five minutes from the main high street - Standishgate - with its shops, bars, clubs and the Grand Arcade, a new shopping centre carrying all the major brands. Wigan Wallgate and Wigan North Western Stations is a 15 minute walk away.
The award-winning Bolton Octagon Theatre is 20 minutes away by train, Manchester and Liverpool 50 minutes; both are centres of theatrical excellence, with the Royal Exchange, Contact, the Everyman and the Liverpool Playhouse all producing their own work. Other Liverpool and Manchester theatres showcase the best large-scale touring and musical theatre.
There is strong national drama output from BBC Radio Manchester and Granada TV studios. Increasingly, agents and casting directors are choosing to base themselves in Manchester and the surrounding area.
Visitors Information Pack (pdf)
Living
Students from the local area often choose to commute, others live together in shared houses which can be found within walking distance and are readily available.
You can expect to pay around £60 a week, excluding bills, for a room in a shared house in Wigan. A major part of the reasoning behind ALRA North was that the cost of living is much less than in London. This brings down ALRA’s overheads and this is reflected in the lower fees we offer ALRA North students.
Visitor Accommodation
The Oak Hotel www.wigan-oak-hotel-wigan.com is just across the road from ALRA North, and if you mention ALRA at the time of booking they will offer you a preferential rate.
We are also linked with the Bellingham Hotel, Wigan for all B&B requirements. For more details please view their website : www.bellingham-hotel.co.uk
Access
The ALRA North has excellent access for people with disabilities and we welcome applications from those with access needs. The Theatre, Cafe, TV and Radio facilities are all on the ground floor, as are accessible toilets and showers.