Manchester's oldest surviving theatre — the Grade II-listed Theatre Royal on Peter Street — has stood empty for almost 20 years, and campaigners say they are increasingly worried about its future.

Opened in 1845, the building later became a cinema, bingo hall and, from 1978, the Discotheque Royale nightclub, known to many as Royales. Take That made an early TV appearance there on The Hitman and Her in 1990. The club finally closed in 2009 after later stints as Infinity, M-Two and Coliseum.

Land Registry records show it was bought for £4.2m in December 2013 by Edwardian Theatre Royal Ltd, a subsidiary of Edwardian Hotels, which also owns the hotel in the former Free Trade Hall next door. The company has previously said it was developing plans, but the Manchester Evening News said recent approaches for comment went unanswered.

The building is understood to be used as storage and a workshop. A council inspection last year is said to have found deterioration and possible water ingress.

SAVE Britain's Heritage said it is time for an "encore" and that the venue has potential as a performance space. The Theatres Trust, which placed it on its Theatres at Risk Register in 2013, said several organisations have expressed interest in acquiring it for entertainment use and that it continues to seek talks with Edwardian Hotels London or a future owner.

Manchester City Council said the Grade II-listed building is privately owned and that it works with owners to ensure sensitive redevelopment and to prevent deterioration while plans come forward.

Sources: the Manchester Evening News; Theatres Trust; SAVE Britain's Heritage; Manchester City Council. This article was produced with the help of AI tools and checked against the sources above.