Author: Uncover

By Abbie Billington

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! As the final leaves are falling off the trees and the nights draw in, the colourful lights are starting to go up and the Christmas songs are thawing. Winter in Liverpool is the place to be, with plenty of Christmas shows in Liverpool to sink your teeth into and get you feeling warm and fuzzy and ready to spread the Christmas cheer.

Whether you’re in the mood for a Rock ’n’ Roll panto, an eclectic cabaret or a Scouse take on the classic Christmas Carol, Liverpool has got it all! So grab your hot chocolates and your novelty reindeer horns and brave the weather to see some of Liverpool’s finest festive fables!

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto 2025: Jack and the Beanstalk – Liverpool Everyman (Until 17 January ’26)

Liverpool Everyman are back with their annual panto, this year bringing you their take on the beloved fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk! With some new and some familiar faces, join the Everyman on their musical adventure as Jack battles the greedy giant to grab the gold and save the day. In a show that is part fairy tale, part concert (but 100% fun), this is one for all the family and is bound to get you in the mood for December’s festivities. A must-see addition to the Christmas shows in Liverpool calendar.

The Scouse Christmas Carol – Liverpool’s Royal Court (Until 24 January ’26)

If you thought Charles Dickens couldn’t be improved upon, think again! The creative team who brought you ‘Scouse Red Riding Hood’ last year is back, bringing you another Christmas classic with a distinctive Scouse twist. Barbara Marley is on the warpath to track down who bumped off her husband, and she’s got Ebeneezer Scrooge firmly in her sights. Will Scrooge learn his lesson before Christmas morning? Only one way to find out! The Royal Court pantos are for grownups only, making this one of the most unique Christmas shows in Liverpool for adults.

Royal Court Stocking Fillers – Liverpool’s Royal Court Studio (Until 3 January ’26)

Fancy something a little different this year? Join the Royal Court Studio as they showcase seven brand new ten-minute festive plays to get you in the wintery spirit. These short plays have been written by members of the Royal Court’s writing groups and each evening four talented actors will bring them to life before your eyes. With a mix of comedy and drama, there’s something for everyone!

Timestamp – Hope Street Theatre (4 – 6 December)

If you’re looking for a show set in December, but not wrapped in tinsel and glitter, look no further than the Hope Street Theatre and their show, Timestamp. Set in 1970s America, Kimmy has been hired to crack the code of time travel as her country is being put through their paces in the “time race”. But after tragedy strikes, her mission becomes more than just a job – will she be able to save her future?

Cinderella, Shakespeare North Playhouse (Until 10 January ’26)

Tia Larsen takes on the titular role of Cinderella in this classic fairytale story, with a very special Prescot twist! Helped by her fairy godmother Mandy, Cinderella tries to find her missing mum and win the heart of the handsome prince, in this captivating new adaptation by Nick Lane that brings Cinderella to Merseyside.

Packed with magical moments, your favourite songs and lots of laughter, this new production is the perfect show to warm your hearts in the festive season.

To Be Near a Shooting Star – Unity Theatre (6 – 8 December)

In collaboration with RAWD, Unity plays host to their sparkly, twinkly, candy cane-sweet story, To Be Near A Shooting Star, this Christmas. RAWD has spent over a decade co-creating joyful, inclusive spaces where disabled artists can thrive, and this show will not be one to miss. M + J are going on a quest to find somewhere they can rest. You can expect tinsel, triumph, and three not-so-wise kings as RAWD present their version of a classic.

Beauty & the Beast – The Atkinson (5 -31 December)

The whole of Liverpool is going panto crazy this year, and Southport is no different! At The Atkinson, join KD Theatre as they bring the much-loved fairy tale Beauty & the Beast to life. Will the Beast find love before the final petal falls? And will Belle be the one to break the curse and save the day? A timeless tale of love and transformation, this pantomime is filled with dazzling costumes, hilarious comedy, live music and enough surprises to rival even Santa Claus.

Scousers in America… At Christmas – Hope Street Theatre (11 – 12 December)

Liverpool and New York have always had close ties to one another, and in this festive situational comedy by Sam Jones-Arthur, the two join together once more in a story of romance, Christmas spirit and the perfect sprinkling of hilarity for Scousers In America. When Ste and Chrissy book their tickets for The Big Apple to visit the recently moved-out Zara, they find themselves dragged along to an “influencer” event where Ste meets Grace. Cue a whirlwind romance, a few revelations and a Christmas the gang won’t soon forget.

The Spare Rib: X-Rated Xmas Xtravaganza – Downstairs at the Everyman (12 December)

The Spare Rib Burlesque & Cabaret hosts regular shows across Liverpool with a focus on extravagant entertainment and inclusivity for all. This festive season, they’re inviting you to celebrate the holidays at their final show of the year, Downstairs at the Everyman. Expect classic burlesque alongside unconventional contemporary styles that are sure to heat up your December evening! A bold and brilliant option among the more adult-themed Christmas shows in Liverpool.

Sleep Can Wait! – Unity Theatre (12 – 23 December)

On a snowy winter’s night, with excitement in the air and sleep nowhere to be found, three children open a magical book and are whisked away on adventures far from the comfort of their bedroom. In partnership with Tmesis Theatre, Unity brings you this heart-warming, high-energy journey through myths, legends and imagination in Sleep Can Wait. Known for their incredible physical theatre, Tmesis promises lots of movement and minimal text – making this show neurodiverse-friendly and perfect for all ages.

For more festive and non-festive events visit our What’s On Listings.

By Terry Sweeney

“Where other bands have toured Bowie’s songs extensively since his passing, these songs haven’t been performed the way they were meant to be. The D.A.M. Trilogy remains rock and roll’s best kept secret”.

Carlos Alomar and George Murray, who together with the late drummer Dennis Davis, formed the rhythm section on the celebrated ‘Berlin Trilogy’ of David Bowie albums are on tour for the first time since 1979. Davis, Alomar and Murray, as The D.A.M. Trilogy, played a crucial role in shaping Bowie’s music. Alomar was with Bowie from ‘Fame’, through the Berlin trilogy of albums, up to ‘Reality’ in 2003,

They are celebrating the three iconic albums ‘Low’, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Lodger’, cut in Berlin in the 1970so, and are using the tour to commemorate the lives and music of Dennis Davis and David Bowie.

The tour covers 16 dates, and started, fittingly, in Berlin on November 7th and finishes in Dublin on December 1st.

Alomar. the son of a Puerto Rican minister who grew up in New York, was a teenage guitar prodigy who joined the house band at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre and became their youngest ever guitarist at 17. He played with legends such as James Brown and soon became a go-to session guitarist for RCA studios in New York.  It was at RCA that Alomar met Bowie in 1974 and worked with Bowie on the Young American sessions. He co-wrote Bowie’s ‘Fame’, with Bowie and John Lennon, and worked with Bowie from ‘Young Americans’ through the Berlin Trilogy up to2003 on ‘Reality’. He was recruited by Bowie for the ‘Diamond Dogs’ tour and his ability to play R&B, Philly soul, hard rock and ambient music made him invaluable to Bowie because he could change with Bowie’s chameleon’-like moves from one musical genre to another.   

Dennis Davis played on ten Bowie albums, including six successive studio albums, and George Murray was with Bowie for 5 years. The trio’s final performance with Bowie was on Saturday Night Live in 1979.

The D.A.M. Trilogy also backed Iggy Pop during the recording of ‘The Idiot’ in Berlin.

Alomar was last seen on these shores in ‘The Meaning of Funk’ documentary on BBC TV this year and played Liverpool for the first time since he appeared at the David Bowie Convention in 2024.

The set list includes blockbuster performances of crowd pleasers like ‘Heroes’, ‘Ashes to Ashes’, ‘Boys Keep Swinging’. ‘D.J.’, ‘Golden Years’, ‘Sound and Vision’, and ‘Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)’, as well as other lesser-known tracks like ‘Red Money’ and ‘the Secret Life of Arabia’.

From the opening number ‘Joe the Lion’ the band.  with singer and charismatic lead singer Cunio, prowling and prancing around the stage in his impossibly high stiletto boots, and Kevin Armstrong supplying blistering lead guitar, had the audience pinned back with the power of the performance. They love to play Liverpool. The band, and their predominantly scouse crew, had been together for a month of rehearsal in Berlin before the first gig earlier this month, and the tightness of the performance testifies to the that.

From the opener to the final song,’ Scream Like a Baby’, the band wowed the crowd and had the audience dancing in the aisles until the final notes rang out. 

‘Put on your red shoes, and dance the blues:’

To discover upcoming music events visit lour What’s On Listings.

By John Maguire

In the latest instalment of Buried Treasure by John Maguire of ArtsGroupie CIC, the deep and surprising parallels between Liverpool and New York take centre stage. These long-standing transatlantic ties provide the backdrop for Rotten Apple, a new play that explores a Liverpool woman’s pursuit of possibility across the Atlantic.

It is often said that Liverpool and New York City resemble one another, not just in their architecture but in their spirit: the shared resilience, tenacity, and the sharp, acidic wit of the residents. Both cities were crucial transatlantic ports, serving for centuries as central hubs for trade, cargo, and passenger liners.

Their shared history runs deep:

• The first U.S. consulate was established in Liverpool in 1790, highlighting its early importance in Anglo-American relations.
• Robert Morris, a key signatory of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, known as the “financier of the American Revolution,” was born in Liverpool in 1734.
• The SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, completed its historic journey from Georgia by arriving in Liverpool in 1819.

As major ports, both cities were key destinations and transit points for waves of immigrants from across Europe, contributing to a diverse and multicultural heritage. This strong connection led to Liverpool being nicknamed the “New York of Europe” during its 19th-century peak.

The connections extend to culture and urban design:

• Both cities have a rich and influential musical history. Liverpool is famous as the birthplace of The Beatles, while New York became home to John Lennon later in his life, featuring the dedicated “Strawberry Fields” memorial in Central Park.
• Central Park in New York City was explicitly modelled on Birkenhead Park (located across the Mersey from Liverpool) after the American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted was inspired by its design during a 1850 visit. He was amazed by this “People’s Garden” where “the poorest British peasant is as free to enjoy it in all its parts as the British Queen.” 
• In a physical link, the sandstone used for the cladding of the iconic Empire State Building was quarried in the Wirral.

Architecturally, Liverpool’s similarities to U.S. cities—including the use of reinforced steel and concrete in the iconic Liver Buildings—mean it is often used as a filming location to double for New York City. Production crews frequently add yellow taxis and CGI skyscrapers to complete the illusion.

Examples include:

• Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, which used Liverpool’s Water Street and the Cunard and Liver Buildings to create 1940s New York street scenes.
• The remake of the movie Alfie (2004), starring Jude Law, which features scenes filmed at a flower shop on Brunswick Street and Formby beach (doubling as an out-of-Manhattan location).

American authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne (who served as U.S. Consul in Liverpool) and Herman Melville had connections to the city. Melville’s novel Redburn, which features a voyage from New York to Liverpool, was discussed in a previous article.

A Modern Exploration: “Rotten Apple”

These transatlantic ties continue to inspire contemporary art. In December, a new piece of writing, Rotten Apple by Liverpool Playwright, premieres at Unity Theatre. It explores this dynamic further. Set in New York City in the 1990s—amidst rooftop parties, yellow taxis, and jazz bars humming till dawn—it follows a young Liverpool woman hungry for more than her beginnings could offer. The city’s glittering promise feels like everything she has ever wanted, but when dreams sour and illusions crack, the play explores what remains of love, ambition, and identity.

This is the opening chapter in Helena Rand’s Watching Windows/Windows of a Woman trilogy, a modern exploration of love, mental health, longing, and the search for self. A Liverpool girl. A New York dream—and the moment glitter turns to rot.

Helena Rand, Rotten Apple’s playwright, said: “As a Liverpool woman, I grew up with a restless heart – always believing that life had to be bigger, brighter, somewhere else. In the 90s, that dream felt oceans away. Rotten Apple is the story of chasing that dream across the Atlantic to New York, a city that dazzles you with possibility and then dares you to hold onto it. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt the pull of somewhere else, who’s ever asked, ‘What if?’ and still might.”

After working and studying in New York City, Helena Rand returned to Liverpool to complete her training at LIPA and John Moores University, later embarking on a 20-year teaching career. Alongside motherhood, she acted, directed, and founded a theatre company for adults with learning difficulties that continues to perform worldwide.

Her career has spanned teaching, directing, acting, and lecturing in community theatre at the City of Liverpool Community College and LIPA, where she inspired students to use performance as a tool for social change. More recently, she has focused on acting, teaching, and leading a charity dedicated to creative writing and communication, exploring how storytelling empowers and connects communities.

This lifelong exploration of theatre and identity has now led to her debut trilogy, Watching Windows/Windows of a Woman. Rotten Apple is its first chapter: personal, poetic, and profoundly resonant.

Rotten Apple
Unity Theatre
3-4 December
Tickets

 

By Terry Sweeney

ABC launched their breakthrough album, the Trevor Horn produced Lexicon in Love, in 1982. The much-loved album had top 20 hits in the UK with Poison Arrow, Tears are not Enough, the Look of Love and All of my Heart. The album peaked at Number 1 in the UK and reached number 24 in the US charts and stayed in the UK charts for 50 weeks.

On 17th November singer Martin Fry brought his band and a full orchestra to perform the ‘ABC songbook’ and the complete Lexicon of Love album to a packed Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

The Lexicon Orchestra were conducted by Anne Dudley, original arranger on the album.

After the orchestra had played the overture, they were joined onstage by the ABC band and then Martin Fry, immaculately dressed in a black and white dinner suite, to play Set 1, the ABC songbook, opening with ‘When Smokey Sings’ from their 4th album Alphabet City. The orchestra and band belted out the opener, and Martin Fry was in great voice as he hit the stage.

The first part of the show had a great mix of old and some new songs, and included crowd favourites like ‘Viva Love’, and ‘The Night They Murdered Love’.  The mix of love songs and ‘songs of lust’ such as Flames of Desire, went down a storm and people in the audience were already dancing when the first half of the show closed.

After the intermission, with Anne Dudley resplendent in a gold lame jacket and Martin Fry in an electric blue suit, the band played Set 2, the full Lexicon of Love album, which is chock full of great tracks.

Fry told us how they made the album, ‘in a small studio in a basement in Brick Lane’. The band went from wannabe pop stars rubbing shoulders with other up and coming bands like Def Leppard and The Human League in the pubs in Sheffield, to Top of the Pops and chart success within a few weeks.

The Set 2 song list was ‘Show Me’, a raucous ‘Poison Arrow’, ‘Many Happy Returns’, the audience were up and dancing by ‘Tears are Not Enough’; and stayed up throughout the rest of the set of ‘Valentine’s Day’,  ‘The Look of Love (Part I)’, ‘Date Stamp’, ‘4 Ever 2 Gether’ and ‘All of My Heart’.

The encore of ‘The Look of Love (Part IV) nearly took the roof off, and the band reprised it as a second encore to bring a fantastic set to a close and send the audience home happy after a wonderful night.

This was the second time we’ve seen ABC with an orchestra playing the album, after they toured in 2022 on the 40th Anniversary of the release of The Lexicon of Love album, and, if anything, this was a better performance than last time.

For upcoming events visit our What’s On listings.

By Molly Thirlwall

As the cobwebs of Halloween (both real and decorative!) are blown away, pantomime season is fast approaching. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best Pantos in Liverpool for you to check out this Winter.

From fun for all the family to adults-only-extravaganzas, there’s certainly something here for everyone to enjoy. And before you say ‘oh no there isn’t!’ check out this list for some festive fun!

The Scouse Christmas Carol, Liverpool’s Royal Court (7 November 2025- 17 January 2026)

Adults deserve a Christmas treat too, so round up your 18+ friends for this exciting Scouse reimagining of A Christmas Carol. Claiming to make Charles Dickens spin so fast in his grave that a sinkhole opens up, this show is sure to have you laughing the night away. 

Alongside this performance is the opportunity for dinner and a show. Liverpool’s Royal Court is offering one and two course meals throughout this performance run, so be sure to book your tickets quickly for the chance to share in the festive treats. 

Jack and the Beanstalk, Everyman Theatre (15 November 2025- 17 January 2026)

Returning once again for 2025 is the Everyman’s legendary Rock ‘N’ Roll Panto. This year they are putting their festive twist on another classic, Jack and the Beanstalk. Part fairy tale and part concert, Chloë Moss’ retelling is sure to provide fun for all the family.

If this new spin on the classic fairytale isn’t enough excitement, the Everyman are also creating Picnic Boxes to add onto your ticket to accompany the magical theatre experience. These include snacks for the show and are available for both kids and adults- so no one is left out!

Cinderella, Shakespeare North Playhouse (21 November 2025- 10 January 2026)

Tia Larsen takes on the titular role of Cinderella in this classic fairytale story, with a very special Prescot twist! Helped by her fairy godmother Mandy, Cinderella tries to find her missing mum and win the heart of the handsome prince, in this captivating new adaptation by Nick Lane that brings Cinderella to Merseyside. 

Packed with magical moments, your favourite songs and lots of laughter, this new production is the perfect show to warm your hearts in the festive season. 

Matilda The Musical, Liverpool Empire (2 December 2025- 4 January 2026)

The beloved story by Roald Dahl has been stealing audience’s hearts on the stage for 15 years and is in Liverpool for the first time this Christmas. Matilda The Musical has won over 100 global awards and is coming to the largest two-tier theatre in the UK, the Liverpool Empire Theatre.

Bring the whole family along (Revolting Children included!) to be inspired by the story of one extraordinary girl, with one extraordinary mind.

Beauty & The Beast, The Atkinson (5-31 December 2025)

KD Theatre Productions brings the classic love story of Beauty and the Beast to the stage at The Atkinson theatre, for their most charming pantomime yet. Step into the dazzling winter wonderland and let the timeless tale of love and transformation wow you. There’ll be laughter, song, dance, and everything you love about The Atkinson pantomime. Dazzling costumes, live music, and jaw-dropping sets just to name a few!

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: M&S Bank Arena (12-28 December 2025)

Stepping into the magical world of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs this Christmas is a star-studded cast. Starring Coronation Street’s Helen Flanagan as the Wicked Queen, comedy star Bippo as Muddles, the hilarious Andy Brennan as Dame Dolly, X Factor’s Sean Smith as The Prince, singing sensation Ellis Lloyd as Snow White and local favorite Rebecca Lake as The Fairy. There is also the opportunity to meet this dazzling cast with meet and greet packages available. Join Snow White and her seven friends to see if they get their happily ever after in this truly wicked pantomime!