After captivating audiences in London and South Wales, Mari Lloyd’s coming-of-age play STILL HERE is making its local debut at Hope Street Theatre on 11–12 September 2025. Developed through research and readings in Merseyside, the play explores the complexities of family, communication, and generational anger against the backdrop of a post-industrial Welsh town. Blending humour with emotional depth, Lloyd’s work reflects her own roots in the Rhondda Valley while remaining universally relatable—and now, it comes full circle, returning to the community that helped shape it.
STILL HERE is returning to Liverpool for its local debut at Hope Street Theatre. What does it mean to you to bring the play “full circle” to the place where it was developed?
I’m absolutely thrilled to present my coming-of-age play STILL HERE in Liverpool. After doing the research and development on Merseyside, it was always my intention to bring it back.
The two protagonists in the play clash in their local boxing gym, so as part of my research, I joined 12 Quays boxing gym in Wallasey. After a week of development, in Liverpool, we did one of our readings at the boxing gym for the boxers, and for staff from the Birkenhead branch of the mental health charity MIND. I felt it was important to reach the people that I was writing about and to get their feedback.
After performing in London and South Wales, people have been asking me when they can see it in Liverpool.
The story is set in a small Welsh ex-mining town, which echoes your own upbringing in the Rhondda Valley. How much of your own life and community experiences have filtered into the characters and setting?
I still have family living in Wales and the play was born out of a frustration about people and places that have been ‘disappeared’. It’s the legacy of de industrialisation.
There are individuals in society that are often disappeared, for example people in care homes or people with a mental illness; but in a post-industrial landscape whole communities feel they are not seen and have lost their voice. This has happened all over Britain, not just the Rhondda. The anger left behind can create a void and a people looking for someone to blame.
The play explores the gap between parents and children—the things left unsaid and misunderstood. Why did you want to put that generational disconnect at the heart of the story?
Communication and anger are major themes in the play. And let’s face it, the younger generation have a lot to be angry about in the world today. The two characters in the play cope with their anger in different ways. But unfocused anger is destructive and blights a meaningful conversation, which is what they both need to have with their parents.
I am fascinated by communication. It’s often not through words. There’s often subtext, hidden meanings and metaphors. We do this all the time in storytelling.
True communication requires understanding and empathy which are more important than words or information which can be weaponized. I believe that all plays are about empathy at the end of the day.
STILL HERE blends humour and emotional depth in a very human way. Was it important to you to balance the heavy themes with moments of levity?
Heavy themes and levity are important to balance. I believe that all stories, however sad, will have some humour. It’s how we, as human beings, deal with situations and make sense of the world. And it’s universal. It was funny because in South Wales they thought that the humour was very ‘valleys’ and they asked me if the people in London understood it!
The staging is described as minimalistic but immersive—how did you and director Julia Stubbs approach creating an atmosphere that keeps the audience emotionally close to the story?
I love minimalistic staging. It’s cheaper for a start. But seriously I think that a minimalistic set can keep things focused and can be quite intense. Everything has a meaning and a purpose. We had brilliant lighting, sound and set designers working with us and, because the play is in multiple locations, everything was designed to follow and amplify the emotion of the play rather than reflecting place or time.
You’ve spoken about theatre being rooted in community—what role do you think locally made, socially engaged theatre plays in Liverpool’s cultural life?
I believe locally made, socially engaged theatre is immensely important, and I wish we had more of it. It’s what Liverpool theatres were famous for. Some of the historically famous groups no longer exist, such as The Theatre of the Left, Network Theatre, Burjesta Theatre; others have changed for commercial viability. We need to protect and support our small local theatres. I have huge respect for the community theatres such as The Valley Theatre that do such good work.
Community, at the end of the day, is vital to wellbeing. Which is why, after researching in a boxing gym, I never left. Huge thanks to Mickey Allen at 12 Quays. I’m trying to persuade the boxers that a play is very similar in dramatic content to a boxing match. I hope some of them come along. I’m working on it.
Don’t miss STILL HERE at The Hope Street Theatre from 11 – 12 September. Tickets are available now.
