Community Post Type: News

Liverpool Theatre School is set to mark its 85th birthday with a year-long programme of events and performances including a student take over at the Leicester Square Theatre in London’s West End and a showcase at the Floral Pavilion Theatre in New Brighton.

During its 85th anniversary year, the centre of excellence is also inviting young performers with a passion for dancing, singing and acting to experience a day in the life of an elite student in a series of taster days. There will also be free musical theatre, dance and acting workshops at local secondary schools and colleges taking place throughout the year.

As one of the city’s longest running stage schools, Liverpool Theatre School boasts an endless list of success stories with graduates going on to appear in shows all over the world. Alumni include Tommy Sherlock, who starred in West End shows such as Matilda and Wicked before joining Tenors of Rock in Las Vegas; Oliver Ormson, who plays Prince Hans in Frozen the Musical; Graham Bickley, who has appeared in West End shows like Les Misérables and Miss Saigon, although he is best known for playing Joey Boswell in the TV sitcom Bread.

Liverpool Theatre School graduates also include Natalie Pilkington, who is currently touring in SIX; Tim Lucas and Josh Capper, who are both touring in Blood Brothers; as well as Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis, actor Sam Kane and renowned choreographer and casting consultant Graeme Pickering.

Speaking about Liverpool Theatre School’s 85th anniversary, Principal Maxine Ellis, said: “As we celebrate reaching such a significant milestone, we’re incredibly proud to have given so many of the city’s talented young performers the opportunity to train professionally, preparing them for success in the industry. We work with some of the best tutors in the business to make elite training, which was once only available in London, accessible to students in Liverpool.

“Our anniversary year is about celebrating the hard work and achievements of everyone who makes up the Liverpool Theatre School family from our current students and graduates to the incredible teachers and support staff who have always made the place so special. We have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline for the next generation of performers and I am looking forward to seeing Liverpool Theatre School continue to thrive as we keep on with our mission to nurture and develop emerging talent. Here’s to the next 85 years!”

This year has already got off to a flying start for Liverpool Theatre School’s Norah Button, who was named in the King’s New Year Honours list for her contribution to dance and her commitment to improving opportunities for young people in the city. Norah, who was Principal at Liverpool Theatre School for more than five decades, will host a special celebration in the spring when she officially receives her British Empire Medal (BEM). The renowned teacher, whose grandmother started Liverpool Theatre School in 1939, also turns 85 this month.

Reflecting on 85 years of Liverpool Theatre School, Norah said: “My gran started Liverpool Theatre School from the basement of her home in Upper Parliament Street by teaching a small group of local children. I’m sure she would be blown away to see the centre of excellence it has become today. I’m thrilled to share my 85th birthday celebrations with Liverpool Theatre School, which has had such a big impact on improving opportunities for many of the city’s young performers.”

Every year, Liverpool Theatre School provides a number of fully funded places and bursaries to make sure no talented student is ever held back by financial circumstances. The Ofsted ‘outstanding’ school, is one of just 15 places in the country, and the only one in Merseyside, to offer the DaDAs (Dance and Drama Awards), designed to support students with the cost of professional training.

Liverpool Theatre School, whose patrons include dance legend Wayne Sleep OBE, as well as actress and musical theatre star Anita Dobson, accepts only the most talented students (aged 16 plus) on its elite training courses, with places awarded through an audition process. Younger performers are invited to attend evening and weekend classes, which are open to anyone with a passion for singing, dancing and acting.

To find out more about Liverpool Theatre School, to register for a taster day or to organise a free workshop for your school or college, please call 0151 728 7800 or visit liverpooltheatreschool.co.uk.

Get your rollers at the ready, as one of St Helens Theatre Royal’s most successful comedy plays is back with a brand-new sequel.  Regal Entertainments will present the follow up to The Salon and will star queen of the airways, Leanne Campbell.

The hilarious new comedy The Salon – The Sequel! by Drew Quayle will premiere at St Helens Theatre Royal from Thursday 3rd to Sunday 13 October 2024 for a limited run of just 13 performances.

The Salon was a hugely popular production which originally played at St Helens Theatre Royal in 2009, it went on to play again 2011 and 2017. It also transferred over to Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre in 2018. Now the producers of The Salon – The Sequel! predict this new version to be a hair-raising success.

The first of the cast to be announced is radio and stage star, Leanne Campbell, Leanne reprises her role as Carol, manager at The Salon. Leanne has played the role of Carol in every mounting of the production and has made the role very much her own. A full supporting cast will be announced soon.

The now proud owner of The Salon, Carol has the world at her feet. With the salon’s beauty therapist Tia promoting the shop on her successful podcast, and her volatile workmate, Sheila, finally tackling her temper with anger-management classes, the salon has never been more popular. So, what could possibly go wrong? An unwanted pregnancy perhaps? The return on the local gangster? In fact, just about everything.

Book online at www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com

 

This February, National Museums Liverpool (NML) are marking LGBTQ+ History Month with a range of events, activities and new online content – exploring the untold stories of LGBTQ+ people across the Liverpool City Region and beyond.

With events ranging from panel discussions on the art of drag, to family pantomime with the fabulous Mama G, National Museums Liverpool aim to highlight key issues and stories from across the community. The Museum of Liverpool will host the fabulous mosaic “Dip into Pride Bath”, first exhibited in the lead up to Pride 2024, in the main entrance.

The LGBT+ Histories hub on the NML website gives visitors the chance to delve into insightful interviews, opinion pieces, art history and hidden stories – from interviews with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Sister Sister, to the hidden history of voguing and how LGBTQ+ people have left their mark on the world of science and technology.

Matt Exley, Participation Producer at National Museums Liverpool, said: “LGBTQ+ History Month gives us a moment every year to stop and consider the incredible history of LGBTQ+ communities. Throughout the month there are times to celebrate our successes, our triumphs, and our amazing contribution to culture, sport, politics and so much more. There are also times to remember the challenges we have faced, the people we have lost, and the work that still needs to be done to create a world that is safe and inclusive for all LGBTQ+ people. Whilst LGBTQ+ history should be marked year-round, February gives us a chance to shine a light on amazing, poignant, and important stories.

National Museums Liverpool’s programme of events for LGBTQ+ History Month is below – for further informational and for online content including pride stories, interviews, past collections and LGBTQ+ stories from across Liverpool, visit liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/lgbt-history.

16 – 24 Print Club: LGBTQ+ History Month  – Walker Art Gallery – 3 Feb, 1-3pm  

​​In this workshop for 16-24 year olds, you’ll be learning how to design and cut out your Lino to create your own unique item to take home with you. This technique can be used to create t-shirts, prints, tote bags and more, so it’s great for personalised items for yourself, or for creating gifts. All materials are included for these sessions, and no previous experience is needed. This session is free of charge, but tickets must be booked in advance.

In Conversation: Mama G and Sister Sister  – Museum of Liverpool – 17 Feb, 1-3pm  

In 2023 story telling events by drag performers were targeted by protestors claiming that it was inappropriate for children. Vast numbers counter protested in what, for many, was seen as a stand for LGBTQ+ rights. In this event we will speak to two performers who utilise elements of drag and dameship within their acts to weave stories and to teach lessons. We will listen to the lived experience of these performers and consider why in 2023 this suddenly became headline-grabbing news.

The Magic Bookmark – Museum of Liverpool – 18 Feb, 2-3pm 

You’re invited to join everyone’s favourite pantomime dame and Britain’s Got Talent semi-finalist Mama G in a brand-new panto adventure for the whole family! It all starts when the evil Book Worm decides that reading gives people too much knowledge and makes all the books from Mama G’s library disappear. Before the world can turn to chaos, Mama G vows to save the day by finding three books that will help make the world a better place. Of course, she can’t do it alone and that’s when she discovers the mysterious and wonderful Magic Bookmark.

The Physics of Life – World Museum – 22 Feb, 11am – 3pm 

Take a journey with Science Communicator Sarah Cosgriff to see the world of biology through the lens of physics. Sarah combines their love of science with their LGBTQIA+ advocacy work to develop diversity within the STEM community. Discover how physics allows us to see microscopic organisms, understand how living things adapt to their environments, and helps astronauts travel to outer space. Where will the combined forces of biology and physics take you?

LGBTQ+ History Month: Youth Engagement Forum and YPAS – Museum of Liverpool – 24 Feb, 1 – 4pm 

Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month at the Museum of Liverpool in our pop-up event hosted by the National Museums Liverpool Youth Engagement Forum. The theme for this year’s LGBTQ+ History Month is medicine and healthcare, both historically and today. For this pop-up event, you’ll get to know some of the LGBTQ+ people who have contributed to medicine, as well as spoken word and poetry.

Craft at the Museum: LGBTQ+ History Month – Museum of Liverpool, 14-17 Feb, various times 

Come along and create something special to take home with you, as part of our series of LGBTQ+ History Month events. Drop in, no tickets required. Opportunities to join in on 14, 15, 16 and 17 February between 11am and 12noon and from 1:30pm until 4pm.

Created by Wirral engineer Tom Hardiment, and tested by his partner Cat, the Groovetube is a new prototype plasma synthesizer. The instrument makes wild and crazy sounds with fluorescent tubes, and can be controlled with a magnet.

Lit fluorescent tubes are filled with plasma – a low pressure electrified gas that can make oscillations at audible frequencies. With suitable control over the plasma in the tube, they found this instability could make an amazing range of sounds… that could also be controlled with a magnet! (Listen to their videos with headphones, to hear details of the sound).

Playing with sound created in a glowing tube is tactile, surprising and absorbing, and they decided to develop a new kind of electronic instrument.

Groovetube

A prototype was demonstrated and a first-generation machine made available for pre-order on Kickstarter for people to try out a new way to make noise – an experimental machine to be experimented with! This has helped support its development into a proper synthesiser, which is now complete – the first batch of instruments will be built and delivered over the next few weeks.

It is a plasmaphone, and so an electronic instrument. It is also a bit like an acoustic wind instrument in having sound produced by waves in a tube, although they are different kinds of wave. Some of the noises do sound like wind instruments and even rushing air.

How does it work? Plasma is excited in the tube using a low-power RF generator. The machine is basically a valve preamp with electrical current sourced from the plasma tube, which introduces noise to affect the character of the sound. The nature of the plasma noise is controlled by regulating the amount of plasma in the tube and level of current passed through the tube. The magnet effect works because magnetic fields bend electron paths, making them more efficient in the plasma. At locations along the tube this has a different effect on the discharge as a whole, and so the sound.

About the developers

Tom and Cat share a passion for electronic and experimental music. Cat has tested the machine’s performance throughout its initial development, making her a pioneer voyager in plasma sound, while Tom has been responsible for creative vision and engineering. They live with their family in the Northwest of England.

 

A singer and musician from Liverpool is holding a ‘Youth Opera Boot Camp’ in the city this half-term, looking to inspire a new generation of artists and make vocal and theatre training accessible to everyone.

Rachel Harland is creative director of RHOK Create, as part of which she runs RHOK Show, directing singing groups, workshops and pop up events. Her aim with the boot camp is to introduce what she calls ‘the magical world of opera’ to young people in the Liverpool City Region.

The five-day programme is designed to be an enjoyable and stimulating experience, involving various elements of preparing for a performance, which then helps the children develop transferable skills such as team building, cooperation and self discipline.

Speaking about the boot camp and her own musical journey in Liverpool, Rachel said: “So many elements go into singing on stage: voice training; musicianship; stage craft; creative imagination; movement and language, to name but a few. We incorporate all of these skills in our five-day Youth Opera Boot Camp, which leads to a public performance on the final day.

As a child growing up in Liverpool in the 80s and 90s, I benefited from a thriving Liverpool music support service. In the current climate, I am acutely aware of the cut backs in music for young people across the board. Having returned to the city after nearly 20 years, I am extremely passionate about sharing the skills and knowledge I’ve picked up during my time studying, performing and teaching around the world. I know how transformative having a musical focus in your life can be.”

Anyone between the ages of 11 and 18 looking to build their confidence and skills, as well as forge new friendships, is welcome to join the Boot Camp and no specific skills or previous experience is required.

Rachel also runs RHOK Crêpes in the city – a food van stationed at the University of Liverpool that has fostered a loyal following over the last year – alongside her partner Roland Keogh.

“Our aim is to self finance our cultural interests of art and music, through our passion for food and creative education.” Rachel added. “RHOK Create’s vision is to make culture more accessible to more people.”

The Youth Opera Boot Camp will take place at Belvedere Academy in Liverpool, L8 3TF from 12th to 16th February. Places can be booked for £150 for all 5 days with a £50 sibling discount. For more information and to book your child’s place, head to rachelharland.net/youthoperabootcamp or call Rachel on 07540 740107.

We are pleased to announce the return of the Liverpool Improvisation Festival and building on from the successful launch last year, LIF 2024 will be even bigger, with more performances, a film competition and an additional day dedicated to workshops.

The festival is supported and hosted by the Unity Theatre, Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU). Liverpool is a great city to visit with lots to do and was recently rated the 7th best in the world by Timeout. 

Shows opens on Friday the 19th of April (1:15pm) and runs through till late on Saturday the 20th of April (10pm). On Sunday the 21st there is a whole day of workshops hosted by LJMU. The three-day festival includes 13 shows (five world premieres), a film competition in which improvisers from across the world can participate in and four workshops from leading national and international practitioners.

All the work is improvised and draws upon numerous art forms including clown, comedy, dance, drag, musical theatre, opera, storytelling, and theatre.

​The festival encourages innovation; risk taking and are inspired by those that do. Our aim is to create opportunity for those who create, perform and teach improvised live performance at whatever stage of their career and across multiple art forms. In doing so we aim to educate, inspire and develop future audiences and performers of improvisation. 

Liverpool has a long history of developing or hosting improvised work – Ken Campbell, Improbable theatre, HOOF!, The Improvathon, Showstoppers, Austentatious and MC Hammersmith, the list goes on. LiF aims to build annually on this proud legacy bringing the very best local, regional, national, and international improvised work to Liverpool audiences. 

Day one (Friday) 

• The festival launches in Unity One with the world premiere of Freeing myself with the Pole a durational improvised pole dance performed over four hours by Rowena Gander. Rowena has recently performed the world-famous Skeleton and the Nude by performance artist Marina Abramović at the Royal College of Art. 
• This is followed upstairs in Unity Two by another world premiere from Wigan based Casino Improv who are encouraging the audience to release their inner Von Trapp in the show The Children of Captain Von Trapp Wish to say Goodnight an interactive and playful experience for all. 
• Again, in Unity Two we have Open Heart theatre who are bringing from Sheffield their show Old Haunts. The company draw theatrical inspiration from a buildings history and this influence enables them to create a show which reflects the stories of both the past and the present. 
• Again, in Unity Two we have local Liverpool favourites Jen Hardy and Becky Webb in Murder at the Museum an improvised comedy crime caper. 
• Again, in Unity Two we have the award winning Your Flaws the Musical (Leicester Comedy Improv Award – 2023) in which your personal flaws are turned into a brand-new musical. 
• Closing the first day in Unity One we have the brilliant Murder Inc. who bring their own brand of interactive comedic murder mystery all the way from Manchester. 

Day two (Saturday) 

• Saturday opens in Unity One with the world premiere from the masters of silly stories Rob Bond and Lee Hithersay in The Story Forge: Making a Myth, an interactive and family friendly (6+) show in which the audience become the main characters. 
• Following from this upstairs in Unity Two we have The Oickers a team drawn from across the Northwest who will perform their short form (games based) improv show Fruit Smoothie. 
• Again, in Unity Two we have Dereks Mojo all the way from London who will perform their funny and feminist inspired show Questionable Behaviour.
• Again, in Unity Two we have another world premiere called A Wake an improvised funeral wake in which an audience members life will be reflected back to them through the memories of others.
• Again, in Unity Two we have international solo artist VUJO perform their improvised musical show, Like Father. Improvised drag king musical about manhood. 
• Again, in Unity Two we have another world premiere from international company Pairentheses with their show Shades of Emotion. Experienced improvisers Conrad and Simone ask for an emotion and a character’s story is explored from this starting point. 
• Back down in Unity One and to close the festival (shows) we have local Liverpool favourites Rubbish Shakespeare who will be performing their full-length version of Improvised Rubbish Shakespeare – The Incomplete Works. This was commissioned and opened last year at the festival and has recently played at the Edinburgh Fringe festival. 

Day three (Sunday) 

Moves next door from the Unity theatre into the Joe H Makin Drama centre (LJMU). The focus shifts from shows to workshops exploring how improvisation works and skills development. This is an integral part of the festival, and we are pleased to bring four renowned national and international workshop leaders to share their knowledge with participants in how to expand and build their skills in improvisation. 

• Mark Phoenix – Improvising a play using Meisner technique (10-1pm)
• Jodyanne FR – Stagecraft for Improvisation (10-1pm)
• Simone Ellul – Be (a) Present! (1:45pm-3:45pm)
• Owen Scrivens – Death, Dying and Improv (1:45pm-3:45pm)

See their website for full details and tickets

National Museums Liverpool (NML) is giving audiences new ways to experience art and culture in 2024, with a range of digital series aimed at uncovering untold stories and exploring Liverpool’s rich cultural world with fresh perspectives.

Frequent visitors and new audiences alike can look forward to the relaunch of the NML podcast from 1 February, which will take a behind the scenes look at some of Liverpool’s best-known cultural institutions. Popular YouTube music series Museum Sessions returns from 8 February to showcase a range of local talent performing in awe-inspiring NML venues, and 15 February will see the return of What Artists Wear, delving into the wardrobes of artists from across the North West – also on the NML YouTube channel.

The NML podcast gets underway with the story of legendary Liverpool music venue Eric’s – founder Ken Testi discusses how it became a key venue on the international touring circuit in the 1970’s, and the musicians who worked with some of Liverpool’s greatest musical exports. Future episodes will explore the cultural renaissance of the Bombed Out Church, a growing sub-culture of women fans in football, the importance of biodiversity in Liverpool and a look inside the Wirral fantasy world, Ron’s Place.

NML’s YouTube music show Museum Sessions returns for its third series – with musicians from across the Liverpool City Region giving intimate performances in NML venues. The series begins with Disco in Sochi performing at the Walker Art Gallery, with future episodes coming from Lily Almond in the cellars of Maritime Museum, Kingfast at the Museum of Liverpool, Ruby J at the Walker Art Gallery, Ex-Easter Island Head in the Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Building – and a performance from Edgar Jones on board the Edmund Gardner pilot ship in the Docks.

What Artists Wear sees NML explore the fashion and style of local creatives, and how these outfits align with their creative identity. For series two, performer Meme Gold, artist Mollie Balshaw, painter Jasmine Gardner, DJ and poet PJ Smith, musician Mickey Callisto and fashion designer Drew Kent talk viewers through their eclectic styles and how their fashion informs their art.

David Lally, Digital Content Lead at National Museums Liverpool, said: “Our museums and galleries are at the heart of the city’s cultural offering, but we never want to be confined solely to our bricks and mortar institutions

“These digital series’ give us the opportunity to step outside the museum walls, bringing a flavour of what we do direct to our audiences digitally. It’s really important for us to support and promote the artists, venues and organisations that make Liverpool and the surrounding areas a vibrant hub for creativity.”

The first episode of the NML podcast will be released on 1 February, with Museum Sessions following on 8 February and What Artists Wear premiering on YouTube from 15 February. Find out more at liverpoolmuseums.org.uk and tune in on the NML YouTube channel – youtube.com/nationalmuseumsliverpool.

Liverpool’s acoustically-optimised concert hall, The Tung Auditorium, has announced their Spring-Summer 2024 season, now on sale. Part of the University of Liverpool, the auditorium is part of the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre on Oxford Street.

Acclaimed Performers
Experience live music up close with brilliant performers from across the genres. Arguably the original folk-rock band, Fairport Convention coming to Liverpool soon (10 February), Sarah Jane Morris and her band will return with The Sisterhood Project (8 March), and later in the spring, award-winning Northumbrian roots musician Kathryn Tickell & The Darkening (28 April).

Classical
The Tung are presenting a varied and exciting range of classical concerts, including bass-baritone Davóne Tines’ unique perspective on liturgical performance (6 February), and countertenor Reginald Mobley exploring a different vision of the English Baroque with the Academy of Ancient Music (28 May). Liverpool Mozart Orchestra return with three fantastic programmes and Liverpool piano legends John Gough and Tom Kimmance will be joining forces to play both of the Tung’s Steinways (7 March).

Jazz
The Tung’s jazz concerts continue, from the timeless Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concert (26 April) to the contemporary brilliance of the guitarist Tom Ollendorff’s Trio (6 March) with one of the jazz world’s great piano players, Aaron Parks.

Spoken Word
There are a number of fascinating talks coming up, starting with Dame Patricia Routledge (23 March) in conversation with Edward Seckerson. Beatles fans won’t want to miss the BBC’s Bob Harris and author/music journalist Colin Hall as they discuss a lesser-known side to the Fab Four: the Songs The Beatles Gave Away (25 May).

Free Lunchtime Concert Series
If you’re not familiar with the artists, programme, or even the genre, we dare you to take a risk on a Wednesday lunchtime concert at The Tung Auditorium! Frequently cited as the highlight of the audience’s week, this is an opportunity to enjoy something magical completely free on a Wednesday lunchtime. This season the auditorium will be welcoming artists in partnership with Liverpool Philharmonic (Trio Volant), Africa Oyé (Jali Bakary Konteh) and Milap (Debasmita Bhattacharya and Kousic Sen).

Check out the full programme at thetungauditorium.com.