2024 Upcoming Shows

All Along the M62 Corridor

Happy New Year!

With a new year comes a new set of productions within the local area, so we thought we’d share details of some of the productions which will be coming to the local area in 2024 that we are most excited about.

With a few productions, particularly those at ATG Theatres, the touring productions are on in both Liverpool and Manchester at different times of the year. This means we’re able to look at what dates work best for us, or to see productions multiple times. We’ll list the dates under each of the venues a tour is visiting, but we may only see them at one of the venues listed. We’ve also tried to group the venues based on the city they’re in, starting in Liverpool and moving eastwards to Manchester.

The productions listed below are by no means a complete list of every production that is on. These are simply the ones we are looking forward to trying to see, or that we recommend based on having seen them previously. We’re sure each theatre will also announce new productions throughout the year, which we’ll bring you details of as and when they’re announced.

The list below will jump you to the section about our picks for each theatre, or you can scroll to read through all of the theatres.

Liverpool Empire
Liverpool Playhouse
Liverpool Everyman
Liverpool Royal Court
Shakespeare North Playhouse
The Lowry
Palace Theatre Manchester
Manchester Opera House

Liverpool Empire

As the largest two-tier theatre in the UK, the Liverpool Empire always has some fantastic touring productions. As part of the Ambassador Theatre Group, the theatre often has the same shows as Manchester Palace and Opera House which are also part of the same group.

Edward Scissorhands - 20 to 24 February

Based on Tim Burton’s classic movie, Matthew Bourne has created a dance production that has been wowing audiences since its debut in 2005. As fans of the film, we’d love to see this on the stage.

Come From Away - 12 to 23 March

In the wake of 9/11, some 7,000 air passengers became stranded in Canada. Come From Away tells the real life story of the small Newfoundland community who took in some of the stranded passengers, and the connections that they made which became lasting friendships. A few of our friends are obsessed with this show and claim it is their favourite musical, so we definitely want to see this in 2024.

I Should Be So Lucky - 15 to 20 April

This might be a surprise addition to our list given our review of the production, but we’re willing to give it another shot because Jo is a kid of the 80’s who grew up with Stock Aitkin Waterman music.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie - 22 to 27 April

Based on the documentary of Jamie New, a 16 year old drag queen, the show tells his story from council estate in Sheffield to the spotlight. We had tickets to see this in 2020, but the closure of theatres meant we never got to see it as we couldn’t make the re-arranged date.

Six - 21 to 25 May

Another one which may be a surprise on our list due to our previous review, but whilst we may have issues with the token feminist angles there’s no denying that the songs are infectious and the show makes for a good night out. We’re also curious how the show would work in such a large space.

Wicked - 20 June to 14 July

Based on the book by Gregory Maguire, Wicked tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before she was the evil character portrayed in The Wizard of Oz. This show has won more than 100 awards globally and contains some of Jo’s favourite musical numbers, but Andy has never seen the show!

Hairspray - 19 to 24 August

It’s the 1960’s and Tracy Turnblad is on a mission to fight bigotry in Baltimore, whilst dancing her way to a spot on the TV. We have never seen this on stage, but it’s one that has been on our list for a while.

Sister Act - 30 September to 5 October

Featuring music by Alan Menken, Sister Act is the musical version of the 90’s classic Whoopi Goldberg film. This is a film that holds a lot of childhood memories for Jo, and Alan Menken has created some of the best musical / Disney numbers in history so everything about this says it should be a show we really enjoy.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - 8 to 20 October

The Ian Fleming classic story of the magical flying car, and the adventures that the Potts family go on within him, is a family favourite in our house. The previous tour of this musical was outstanding, so we’re excited to see what this new version has in store.

& Juliet - 28 October to 2 November

The tale of Romeo & Juliet is pretty well known, with more versions than you can shake a stick at. In this version, the story is based on what happens next to Juliet if she decided not to end it all over Romeo. This show debuted in Manchester in 2019 but we never got the chance to see it. The music is all pop classics by Max Martin who is responsible for the majority of pop songs from the last 25 years, working with artists such as Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, Taylor Swift and NSync (he’s the reason Justin Timberlake sounds like he sings “it’s gonna be maaaaay”).

Dear Evan Hansen - 12 to 16 November

Evan Hansen just wants to fit in. Unfortunately, he wasn’t entirely honest with the truth and now he’s about to lose everything as the truth comes out. Another musical we have never seen, but one that a few of the songs from are already on rotation within our house.

Aladdin - 11 December to 5 January 2025

The musical version of the classic Disney film. We’re unashamedly Disney adults and have seen quite a few stage versions of individual songs at various Disney theme parks, but we’ve never seen the full musical on stage.

Tickets for shows at the Liverpool Empire can be bought via the ATG website.

Liverpool Playhouse

The Liverpool Playhouse is one of our favourite venues in Liverpool. The venue is much smaller than the Liverpool Empire, so performances feel much more intimate.

Unfortunate - 5 to 9 March

A musical parody based on The Little Mermaid, but telling the tale of Ursula and how she wasn’t really the bad guy that the Disney film would have you believe. Combining adult humour and Disney had us sold, but the cast and the entire thing being a parody means this is a must see production for us.

My Beautiful Laundrette - 26 to 30 March

Set during the Thatcher era and exploring inequality, fascism and love, this is a musical adaptation of the 1985 film. The musical features original songs by the Pet Shop Boys, alongside 80s music and culture. We have a feeling that this might be as spectacular as I, Daniel Blake and likely leave us feeling in a similar way.

Frankenstein - 17 to 20 April

Imitating the Dog’s version of Macbeth was one of our theatre highlights for 2023. Out of the three versions of Macbeth we saw last year, their’s was the most innovative and compelling. When we saw that they will be touring with a version of Frankenstein, there was no doubt that we would be including it in our must do list for 2024.

The Kite Runner - 23 to 27 April

Based on Khaled Hosseini’s novel, this is a highly regarded piece of theatre that has been on Broadway and the West End with outstanding reviews. We’re sure this will be another piece of thought provoking drama.

Tim Rice My Life in Musicals - 2 May

Tim Rice is the man behind some of the most beautiful lyrics in musicals. For one night only, he is sharing anecdotes from behind the scenes of the creation of these musical numbers, as well as featuring a selection of West End performers singing some of the classic pieces. This is every musical theatre lovers dream, and with our top 10 musicals list featuring a lot of Tim Rice’s work, we’re sure to enjoy this.

Showstopper The Improvised Musical - 9 to 11 May

A new musical not only performed, but created right before your eyes? That’s what Showstopper promises and delivers. We absolutely loved our previous watching of their work (and still sing some of the randomly created songs!) so we’re sure that these performances will be amazing. We’re at Eurovision when the show is on in Liverpool, but we’ll definitely be seeing it in 2024 in some way!

Wonder Boy - 25 to 28 September

Winner of the 2023 Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play, Wonder Boy is the story of 12 year old Sonny and his quest to communicate with a world that doesn’t always hear him due to his stammer. The production promises creative captioning on stage, which we think would be similar to High Times and Dirty Monsters which was a production we enjoyed last year, and the marketing material we have seen so far has us very intrigued!

Play On! - 15 to 19 October

As you may have gathered by the amount of Shakespeare that we watch, we are big fans of anything to do with The Bard. Play On! is a jazz musical based on Twelfth Night, and from the synopsis looks to be right up our street!

The Rocky Horror Show - 3 December to 4 January 2025

Announced 22 February, this years Christmas season at the Playhouse is Rocky Horror. This is without doubt Jo’s favourite musical. We’ve won competitions for Rocky Horror inspired outfits, gone to more sing-a-longs and showings of the show than you can imagine, and Jo even had a Rocky Horror inspired hen-do! This is very much a non-negotiable watch for Jo, so will definitely feature in our 2024 viewings!

Tickets for shows at the Liverpool Playhouse can be bought via their website.

Liverpool Everyman

The Everyman Theatre is one of the most influential Liverpool theatres, having played a part in the careers of people such as Dame Julie Walters, Pete Postlethwaite, Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale to name but a few. The theatre continues to champion local talent.

The Legend of Ned Ludd - 20 April to 11 May

This is described as a powerful play about automation, but the part that interests us the most is that there are 256 possible versions of the play written and rehearsed. The actual production on the night is decided by The Machine live at the performance. That uncertainty for the performers, and the general theme of the play, have more the spiked our curiosity.

Tell Me How It Ends - 12 to 22 June

Set in Liverpool during the AIDS crisis of the 1980’s, Tell Me How It Ends is a platonic love story of two people brought together by this crisis. This is the world premiere of the piece, and we’re sure it is going to be an emotional rollercoaster. We really believe theatre should educate and challenge you, and this is a topic that we know woefully little about as we were both only born in the 80’s which is why we want to make sure that we see this.

The Lieutenant of Inishmore - 21 September to 12 October

Olivier Award winner for Best Comedy, and from the writer behind In Bruges is enough for us to want to see this show. The synopsis details that the show is a blood-splattered tale of revenge and sadistically funny which also seems to be right up our street!

Rapunzel The Rock n Roll Panto - 16 November to 18 January 2025

The 2023 panto Cinderella was a fantastic show, so of course we want to see what the team can do with Rapunzel. The rock n roll panto is the ideal way to get into the festive spirit, so this production will definitely be a feature of our 2024 plans!

Tickets for shows at the Liverpool Everyman can be bought via their website.

Liverpool Royal Court

The Royal Court is the home of locally produced comedy shows that often parody Liverpool life, as well as hard hitting productions showing the reality of life in Liverpool, particularly in the 1980’s. The theatre stalls are set out cabaret style, with pre-show dining part of the Royal Court experience.

Boys From The Blackstuff - 19 April to 11 May

Adapted from Alan Bleasdale’s TV series of the same name, the play is an insight into the desperation of the unemployed in 80’s Liverpool. This show completely sold out in 2023 so we weren’t able to see it. We’re hoping we get a chance in 2024 before the production transfers to the National Theatre in London.

The Netherley Hillbillies - 24 May to 22 June

A rags-to-riches tale based on the Beverley Hillbillies, except the family move from Netherley to Formby. This is the type of skit show that the Royal Court excels at, and the type of show that our wider family also love, so we’re fairly sure that we’ll be watching this.

Sisters of Mersey - 5 July to 3 August

Twins, nuns, gangsters, and 1980’s music. The synopsis makes us think of the films Nuns on the Run, the Parent Trap and Sister Act mixed in with a bit of Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. Individually, those would be enough to tempt us to watch but in combination we feel like we can’t miss this show.

Girls Don’t Play guitars - 27 September to 26 October

The untold true story of The Liverbirds, this show was a massive hit in 2019 and one that we were disappointed that we didn’t get to see. Hopefully, we’ll be able to see the show in 2024.

Tickets for shows (including the dinner and show offers) at the Liverpool Royal Court can be bought via their website.

Shakespeare North Playhouse

A stunning, versatile, theatre space that often has productions in the round. This is the home of Shakespeare in the North, but also shows much more than just The Bard’s work.

Pride and Prejudice - 9 to 10 February

Imaginarium Theatre have created a modern re-imaging of Pride and Prejudice set in a Northern town. We’ve heard a lot of good things about Imaginarium Theatre’s productions, so we’re hoping we’ll be able to catch this one.

Richard, My Richard - 8 to 30 March

Written by Philippa Gregory, this is a play about Richard III and the way history has remembered him. Shakespeare North Playhouse’s description of the play is more than enough for us to want to watch the show, however, with how much we enjoyed The Book of Will at the theatre in 2023 we will genuinely watch any production that they put on.

Richard III (ish) - 30 March

Cream-faced Loons Theatre Company are performing their own version of Richard III. We always enjoy this type of production, so we will definitely be checking out their performance.

Twelfth Night - 7 to 29 June

A contemporary revamp of Twelfth Night starring Les Dennis as Malvolio? Yes please! The show is a collaboration with Not Too Tame and will feature music from Trinifold Management’s archives (The Who, UB40, Jimmy Paige amongst others). This sounds like exactly the type of show we look for!

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - 16 to 20 July

The Handlebards are back on their bikes and back to deliver more renditions of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We enjoyed this show in 2023, and it was one of the few outdoor productions that we didn’t get soaked at! This time, they’re in The Cockpit Theatre so it will be interesting to see how the work with more space and whether the show is changed at all. Also, it wouldn’t be Summer without at least one viewing of Midsummer Night’s Dream!

A Caravan Named Desire - 30 July to 1 August

Taking the description directly from Shakespeare North Playhouse, “A Caravan Named Desire is a two-hander, performed by married couple Alexander and Helen Millington who are trying to produce a play depicting the relationship between a sex worker and client.” This sounds like an absolute riot!

Alice in Wonderland - 22 November to 5 January 2025

Following on from the success of The Wind in the Willows in 2023 (a production we had tickets for but couldn’t use due to Andy being in hospital), the Christmas season production at Shakespeare North Playhouse will be Alice in Wonderland. There’s something special about the theatre at Christmas, so we’ll be incorporating this into our Christmas shopping plans!

Tickets for shows at the Shakespeare North Playhouse can be bought via their website.

The Lowry

Situated at Media City in Salford, The Lowry has multiple theatre spaces within the venue and covers everything from big touring musical productions to stand-up comedy.

Unfortunate - 22 February to 2 March

Twelve Angry Men - 27 February to 2 March

An adaption of the film of the same name, the play shows 12 members of a jury deciding if a boy is guilty of killing his father or not. A version of this show was on tour in 2015, but we didn’t get to see it. We love a play with an unreliable narrator / prejudices that the audience discovers as a play progresses, so this is sure to be one that we’d enjoy.

Frankenstein - 12 to 14 March

Cluedo 2 - 2 to 6 April

Opting to try and see a sequel without having seen the first may seem like an odd choice, but a comedy whodunnit couldn’t be more perfect for us! Add in that this is directed by Mark Bell who directed The Play That Goes Wrong and we’re pretty sure this will have us hurting from laughing.

The Mousetrap - 8 to 13 April

We’ve seen The Mousetrap before, we know the secrets, but we also know it is a fantastic show that we will always opt to see when given the opportunity!

42 Balloons - 18 April to 19 May

A new musical from the producers of Six, The Lowry will be holding the world premiere. Based on the real life story of Larry, an American truck driver, who used 42 weather balloons tied to a deck chair to fly above LA in the 80’s. We’ve no idea what to expect from this, but we’re always curious about new musicals!

The Kite Runner - 7 to 11 May

The Syndicate - 17 to 19 May

Based on the TV series by Kay Mellor, and directed by her daughter Gaynor Faye, this is another world debut at The Lowry. The play is based on the first season of the TV show and is about a syndicate winning the lottery. Kay Mellor has written some extraordinary television and transformed them into plays, so we’re sure that this will be no exception.

Jesus Christ Superstar - 21 to 25 May

Another of Jo’s favourite musicals, one viewing of Jesus Christ Superstar wasn’t enough, so with an opportunity to watch the production again we have to take it!

Showstopper The Improvised Musical - 28 to 29 June

Life of Pi - 2 to 6 July

This is a bit of a mixed one for us. On one hand, the visuals of the piece look stunning and the show has been a huge hit on Broadway and the West End. On the other hand, there’s a puppet and as some readers may be aware Jo isn’t the biggest fan of puppets (she blames Goosebumps books as a child!), so will a fairly large puppet of a tiger be too much of a turn off for us to actually see this show?

A Chorus Line - 23 to 27 July

One, singular sensation that completely changed Broadway to show the real stories behind the talented people who make up the chorus. This is a musical that has been on Jo’s wish list to watch for years.

Six - 13 August to 1 September

Murder on the Orient Express - 6 to 14 September

We love Agatha Christie plays (and also her books and most film adaptations!), but we have never seen Murder on the Orient Express performed on stage. This is possibly one of Andy’s favourite Agatha Christie’s so we will be making sure we see this one.

King Arthur - 24 to 28 September

Comedic re-tellings are one of our favourite types of performances to watch. This one is based around Arthurian legends, with trailer images that have a Spamalot feel which we’re super curious about.

Wonder Boy - 12 to 16 November

Come From Away - 3 December to 5 January 2025

Tickets for shows at The Lowry can be bought via their website.

Palace Theatre Manchester

The Palace Theatre. - *Image Credit: Ambassador Theatre Group*

Arguably the main theatre space in Manchester, The Palace and it’s sister theatre the Opera House form part of ATG’s commitment to ‘Manchester Gets It First’, their plan to launch new productions in the city before anywhere else. The result is a range of big productions prior to transferring to the West End or touring the UK. The theatre often has the same shows as the Liverpool Empire which is also part of the same group.

Macbeth - 8 March

The Scottish Play is one of our favourite Shakespeare plays, and one of our favourite productions to watch given how many different ways the piece can be performed. Even after watching Macbeth three times in 2023, we still have room for more!

Sister Act - 18 to 30 March

The Wizard of Oz - 24 April to 5 May

We have seen this production in Liverpool, and enjoyed it, but the Manchester cast includes Jason Manford as the Lion so we’d like to see how the production changes as we feel like he would bring a totally different energy and style to the role.

Bonnie & Clyde - 7 to 11 May

This has quickly become a cult classic, and was the winner of the Best New Musical award in the 2023 WhatsOnStage Awards. We would love to see this, but unfortunately the show is only in on Manchester when we will be at Eurovision. A lot of our friends recommend the show though, so we’ve included it in our list and will have to hope for an extended run or a showing in Liverpool in 2025!

Aladdin - 22 May to 7 July

Hairspray - 16 to 27 July

The Book of Mormon - 11 September to 5 October

Hello! One of our favourite musicals is heading back to Manchester. We may have seen this show 7 times already, but we believe that we’ll be seeing it again!

Wicked - 3 December to 12 January 2025

Tickets for shows at the Palace Theatre can be bought via the ATG website.

Manchester Opera House

Sister theatre to The Palace, the Opera House tends to show more ballets, plays and smaller musicals than it’s counterpart. This theatre is also part of the ‘Manchester Gets It First’ initiative, and often has the same shows as the Liverpool Empire which is also part of the same group.

Buffy Revamped - 23 February

This is a must for any fans of the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. We had tickets to watch this, but Andy was ill so Jo had to go on her own which feels like the perfect excuse for Jo to watch it again! You can read our review of the show here.

Player Kings - 14 to 23 March

This promises to be something special, as Sir Ian McKellen takes on the role of Falstaff in an adaptation of Henry IV. The play combines Henry IV parts 1 and 2, and has a substantial run time but how many chances to see McKellen do Shakespeare in Manchester are there ever likely to be?

Peter Pan Goes Wrong - 26 to 31 March

We’re big fans of Mischief Theatre, but we have only ever seen Peter Pan Goes Wrong on the TV. This is the only production we’re missing to be able to say we’ve seen all of their work on stage, so hopefully we get the chance to watch this in 2024.

& Juliet - 8 to 20 July

Burlesque - 3 October to 2 November

Based on the film, this new musical promises to be iconic. Featuring music from Christina Aguilera and Sia, plus additional music by Todrick Hall who is also starring in the show, this production is actually on in June initially, but that first run is completely sold out, so additional shows have been added in October. With an extended run, we’re hoping to be able to see this.

Cinderella Panto - 14 December to 5 January 2025

We love panto (oh yes we do!), and any excuse for some festive fun. We haven’t been to a panto in Manchester together (Jo thinks she went to a few at the Opera House as a child), but there’s always a first time!

Tickets for shows at the Manchester Opera House can be bought via the ATG website.

This article was updated 22 February 2024 following the announcement of the Christmas season at the Liverpool Playhouse

Originally posted: January 1, 2024