The incredible theatre group proving age is just a number

ExEl, the independent theatre group invited me to join them for a glimpse behind the scenes of how their performances come to life.

Meeting every other week under the iconic railway arches of Deansgate at 53two in Manchester, the thespians have teamed up the venue to use their theatre space for rehearsals.

The exclusive group are not your typical theatre company. ExEl is made up entirely of over sixties who have graduated from the Royal Exchange Elders programme, a year long theatre skills course.

ExEl

The independent theatre company formed after the Elders graduated from the course. These ex-Elders, wanted to pursue their passions and develop and host their own performances, but found there wasn’t much of a demand for older performers in other theatre companies.

So what do you do? You start your own theatre company! And with a little help from their friends –  The Royal Exchange and 53Two, they’ve created ExEl. They started this group pre-covid but the formal group began in 2022 and have been writing, directing and acting ever since. They are now hosting three performances and multiple hands on writing and directing workshops throughout the year.

As ExEl is entirely volunteer run and receives minimal funding from arts charities, they keep going from donations received by generous people and this money goes towards helping promote their shows and fund outside support from directors and other industry professionals.

ExEl are in the process of writing a set of six short plays to be shown at their next performance, and the members have been tasked with writing scenes with three to six characters in each. They hope to travel with the plays to events and festivals all over the UK.

Age Without Limits Festival

They also hope to return to the Age Without Limits festival which they performed at in 2024 with support from the Age Without Limits anti-agism charity. The performances aim to challenge the stereotypes of aging and growing older, and by writing and performing their own plays that draw on the lived experiences of the writers and members of ExEl, who have all has very colourful lives so far, they have many topics to choose from.

One of the first things the group talked about was how they don’t like to use nostalgia in their work, you won’t find any scenes set in ‘the good old days’ here. While each of the members have lived through at least six decades and have members in their 80’s, who have fond memories of years gone by, they want to remind people that they are still alive and kicking today. They’re experiencing 2025 with the rest of the world, and just because they are older doesn’t mean they are stuck in the past, and constantly looking back.

Gill Bassam, Sandy Parkinson and Ne’lle Black

As the group has grown they have developed their own committee to help keep them organised. The group are lead by Gill Bassam, Sandy Parkinson, Ne’lle Black and a number of other members, including honorary Elder, Simon Naylor who is the Creative Director at 53Two and he also helps by hosting the groups workshops and performances.

“Friendship, creativity and opportunity”

When I asked Gill, a committee member and publicity manager what ExEl has given her she said: “Friendship, creativity and opportunity”, and you can see all of these characteristics in their meetings. The group acquire new members each year after the Elders graduate from the Royal Exchange and the newer members are welcomed into the group like old friends.

New and established members are encouraged to write and perform the plays to the group to test out new scenes and material to see what sticks. Committee member Ne’elle was one of the first of the group to pitch his newest piece. Set at a dining table in two separate houses, his scene explores the themes of losing a loved one and the pressures to ‘move on’ and start online dating again. Once the scene ended and the ExEl members picked to act out the piece sat down, the group began brainstorming ideas on how to improve the play, giving constructive criticism and words of encouragement to Ne’lle.

Transforming lives through theatre

Another lady, Martha, popped her hand up and asked the group to perform a piece she’d written the night before, and within minutes the quiet nattering of the group had turned into complete silence as they sat, watched and analysed their friend’s work. What struck me was the ability of the actors, they had the skills to absolutely transform the empty theatre space by simply reading from a sheet of A4 paper with some lines and directions scrawled on it. They took their friend’s work and made the scenes come to life in front of your eyes, I can only imagine how compelling and immersive the scenes will be with the right lighting, costumes and backdrops.

It’s easy to see how ExEl has transformed these people’s lives and given them a fresh outlook on life. One male member of the group mentioned how much his confidence had grown when asked how the group has helped him, he said he didn’t recognise who he was before ExEl. Taking the Elders course, graduating and becoming part of the ExEl theatre company has transformed his life.

About 52two

53Two is a venue that has it all, and welcomes everybody. They are an inclusive events space as well as a charity, they have ample room to host parties, weddings and theatre shows. The unique space is home to a full 120 seat theatre, with retractable and cabaret style seating as well as a relaxing lounge area with board games and a full bar serving hot and cold drinks. Open to members of the public daily, you can go in and enjoy a relaxing after work drink, a coffee before you start your day, or catch one of the many shows hosted there, including comedy nights and live theatre performances.

53Two is the only independent theatre in England that has a Changing Places bathroom, complete with hoists and ample room to accommodate for wheelchairs and carers. They also have gender neutral toliets housed in cubicles and are they are a fully inclusive venue, they even allow dogs and have a resident pooch named Albion, who will follow you in as you arrive.

If you would like to find out how you can support 53Two and ExEl, you can contact the venue directly to find out more.