Theatre

Richard III (ish)

★★★★★

Covering the second longest Shakespearean play in a family friendly way, in under an hour, and with just one person performing all the parts is bordering on absurd. But only bordering, because Cream-Faced Loons proved that not only can this be done, it can be done brilliantly. The premise of the show is that the Cream-Faced Loons are due to perform an extravagant version of Richard III (even acrobats were mentioned at one point!

My Beautiful Laundrette

★★★★☆

Adapted from the 1985 film of the same name, My Beautiful Laundrette is a sophisticated, heartfelt and painful reminder that the world is still full of inequality. The show is set around Omar (Lucca Chadwick-Patel), a young British Pakistani who is struggling to find work during the height of Thatcher’s Britain. In a bid to give Omar more than just a life on “The Dole”, his Papa (Gordon Warnecke) decides Omar will work for his Uncle, and then go to college.

Richard, My Richard

★★★★★

Richard III is one of the most infamous Kings of England. Known as a tyrant, a usurper, and portrayed by Shakespeare as a hunchback, Richard III is often synonymous with the murder of his nephews, The Princes in the Tower. But what if everything that you think you know about Richard III isn’t actually true? With history written by the victors, what if Richard was actually a loyal brother, a loving husband and a victim of the historical record being incorrect?

Come From Away

★★★★★

Welcome to the Rock, specifically to the town of Gander in Newfoundland, the easternmost province in Canada. The town is small and only has around 10,000 inhabitants, but there is an international airport; a leftover from the days when flying transatlantic involved refuelling mid-flight. Come From Away tells the story of how this small town in Canada welcomed 38 planes full of people (approximately 7,000 people)when the United States airspace was closed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Unfortunate

★★★★☆

So you think Ursula is the villain of The Little Mermaid? How unfortunate, you’re about to discover you have been lied to your entire life! Written by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx, Unfortunate is part origin story, part redemption arc and a whole lot of chaotic, camp brilliance. In a similar way to how Wicked re-wrote the tale of the Wicked Witch, Unfortunate takes audiences through Ursula’s life to show that she isn’t all bad.

Pride and Prejudice

★★★★☆

Imaginarium Theatre are a community arts organisation who deliver educational programmes, schools outreach and free youth theatre classes across the Merseyside region. Every year, their Community Ensemble stage a production in The Cockpit Theatre at Shakespeare North Playhouse. This year’s production was a modern adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by playwright Rob Brannen. The basics of the story remain unchanged; Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy meet and overcome their initial dislike for one another to eventually fall in love after putting their individual preconceptions aside.

2024 Upcoming Shows

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.

Wizard of Oz

★★★☆☆

Flying into Liverpool from sell out performances at the London Palladium, musical classic The Wizard of Oz has been given a contemporary twist complete with additional songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Starring Aston Merrygold of JLS fame as Tin Man and local legend / RuPaul’s Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne as the Wicked Witch of the West, this is a colourful, technological masterpiece with stunning sets and costumes.

Cinderella Rock 'n' Roll Panto

★★★★★

The yearly rock ’n’ roll panto at the Everyman has become an institution of Liverpool in the same way as the Superlambbanana and purple wheelie bins are icons of the city. This year’s panto is Cinderella, but with a clever twist. Written by Luke Barnes and directed by James Baker, the show is a refreshing interpretation of the traditional fairytale. This Cinderella isn’t a damsel in distress, she’s her own comic book hero delivering a message of self-love and how being true to yourself is the most important thing.