Event type: Other

BBC COMEDY FESTIVAL – Wednesday Evening Sessions: Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston

Doors: 17:00

17:15 – 17:25 BBC COMEDY FESTIVAL WELCOME

Cue trumpeters! Cue fireworks! Cue dry-ice! Cue dancing beefeaters! A spectacular opening ceremony sees Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy at the BBC, don his traditional garb to welcome everyone to this year’s BBC Comedy Festival, kicking off a packed programme of sessions, screenings and conversations celebrating the very best of UK comedy.

17:25 – 18:15 DIANE MORGAN IN CONVERSATION

Known for her razor sharp wit, deadpan delivery and unmistakable comedic perspective, Diane Morgan – best known for her iconic characters such as Philomena Cunk, Mandy, Liz from Motherland, Kath from After Life, and the voice at the end of the Zoopla ads – is joined by Gavanndra Hodge for a conversation about her creative process, career journey, and the craft of building unforgettable characters.

INTERVAL – 15 Minutes

18:30 – 19:30 ANN DROID EPISODE 1 SCREENING + Q&A with Diane Morgan and Sue Johnston

Take a step two weeks into the future and into the world of Ann Droid with an exclusive first look at Episode 1 of this a brilliantly off beat new comedy created by Diane Morgan, who, if all is going well, will still be on stage from the last session.

After the screening, stick around for a special Q&A with Diane Morgan and co-star/national treasure Sue Johnston as they chat about making the show and building its wonderfully eccentric characters, with a particular focus on how cold it was when they were filming it, and what the great comic actors do to keep warm.

BBC COMEDY FESTIVAL Thursday Evening Session: Alison Steadman and Sir Michael Palin

18:00 – 19:00 ALISON STEADMAN IN CONVERSATION

Alison Steadman has been at the heart of British comedy and
drama for over five decades. From the gloriously awkward genius of Abigail’s
Party to beloved roles in Gavin & Stacey, Nuts in May and
beyond, her performances have helped define the nation’s sense of humour. 
In this special in‑conversation session hosted by Ruth Jones,
Alison reflects on an extraordinary career spanning stage, screen and
radio. Expect candid stories, sharp observations and behind‑the‑scenes
insights – a rare chance to hear from one of the UK’s most cherished
performers. 

15 MINUTE INTERVAL

19:15 – 20:15 SIR MICHAEL PALIN IN CONVERSATION

Monty Python. Ripping Yarns. Time Bandits. The Missionary. Brazil. A Fish Called Wanda. Small Prophets–no one has a comedy CV as long and as illustrious as Sir Michael Palin. Even though he has taken several gap years to go travelling. 

Talking to Sir Michael this evening –it’s The Bishop! John Bishop. Together they’ll delve into Palin’s remarkable career- from his iconic work with Monty to his acclaimed travel documentaries and writing. Expect laughter, insight and, yes, for once, the Spanish Inquisition.

BBC COMEDY FESTIVAL STAND-UP

20:00 – 22:00 BBC COMEDY FESTIVAL STAND-UP.

Join us for an evening of world‑class stand‑up featuring a
line‑up of incredible comedians from across the UK including MC Adam Rowe,
Fatiha El‑Ghorri, Sam Nicoresti, Michael Odewale, Emer Maguire, Eli
Hart, Alana Jackson and Mike Bubbins. 

Line‑up subject to change.

BBC COMEDY FESTIVAL – Thursday Afternoon Session: Holly Walsh, Larry Rickard, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Gbemisola Ikumelo and Lee Mack

Doors: 13:45

14:00 – 14:45 CHARACTERLAND: MAKING COMEDY ENSEMBLES WORK

How many funny characters do you need for a comedy to succeed? One seems the bare minimum; 396 is probably too many-there just aren’t enough names for them all. Somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot, and here to reveal the secrets of making them all funny in a room together are two writers with a strong track record in ensemble comedy: Holly Walsh (Amandaland, Motherland, The Other One) and Larry Rickard (Ghosts, Amandaland, Horrible Histories). They are joined by Amandaland’s Philippa Dunne to explore the creation of comedy characters that people will love, and love laughing at. 

Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon.

15:15–16:00 FROM SKETCHES TO STING OPERATIONS

From sketch comedy roots on Famalam to undercover operations on Black Ops, Akemnji Ndifornyen and Gbemisola Ikumelo are two comic voices who’ve helped push the dial and won BAFTAs in the process. They take to the stage to unpack their comedy journeys so far, discussing building characters, creating their own work, and navigating an industry that increasingly rewards those who make things happen for themselves.

16:30 – 17:30 LEE MACK: STILL GOING OUT

Lee Mack is one of Britain’s foremost comedians, known for entertaining the nation in Would I Lie To You? and, of course, his sitcom Not Going Out, which has been running for 20 years this autumn .He talks to Boffola supremo Shane Allen about how he writes Not Going Out, and how he has periodically reinvented it to keep it fresh over two decades.

The Scouse Nativity

Scouse Nativity
by Kevin Fearon

Oh Come ’Ed Ye Faithful

It’s back baby! The daddy of them all is returning for 2026 as we
get the gang together and take on THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD!

 We’ve cut down the curtains for costumes, pinched a donkey
from the zoo and got a loan manger so we’re all set for another Christmas show
packed with silly jokes and amazing live music!

 It’s Bethlehem, 0 AD (or 0 BC, I’m not too clued up on these
things). Terry, a lonely shepherd looks out over the land and sees that all is
good. Apart from that bloody great star. He should probably take a look at
that.

 But Terry’s shepherd mates are lining up the ale at the King
Herod’s Arms and there’s no way he’s missing a night on the lash. Not at
Christmas.

 And so it came to pass (fortunately for The Royal Court)
that Terry, in the pub with his mates, decided to keep a record of that
beautiful star and the events that followed.  2026 years later we have
finally unlocked the secrets of the Gospel according to Saint/Our Terry… The
Scouse Nativity!

 So get the flock down to The Court – Christmas begins right
here!

“A near constant flow of audience laughter” Liverpool
Echo

“A quickfire hoot from start to finish” Liverpool
Confidential

“You’d have to be a dog in a manger not to hail The Scouse
Nativity a great big Christmas hit.” Arts City Liverpool

“Entertaining, hilarious and witty” North West End

Performance Information 

Stalls tickets are available with a meal (served at your table before the show) for an extra £16 for one course and £23 for two courses at evening shows,. If you are dining with us please arrive between 11:45-12:30 for afternoon performances and 17:45-18:30 for evening performances. 

Tickets are available for the show alone in stalls, circle and balcony. 

BSL performances are on Tuesday 1 December and Tuesday 5 January. Audio Described performance is on Wednesday 1 December. To book please contact Box Office on 0151 709 4321 or email lmacauley@liverpoolsroyalcourt.com.

Captioning will be available for performances for the final week of the show. Please contact Box Office for more details. 

Circle and balcony will open at 6.45pm. There are bars in both areas for pre-show and interval drinks. Stalls will be open from 5:45pm.

If you are bringing a large group, every tenth ticket is free. This ticket will be automatically added to your basket on purchase. Meals and building levy must still be paid on your free ticket. 

NO BOOKING FEES ON THIS SHOW 

Please note – the bar will close 15 minutes before the advertised start time. 

Each ticket price includes a £3 donation which is used to help to refurbish the building. 

Please contact Box Office to book if you are a wheelchair user.

Please contact Box Office on 0151 709 4321 to book if you require wheelchair accessible seating as we can only accommodate 5 spaces in our stalls seating area downstairs.

VG&M Late: A Music Celebration

Step into Liverpool 8 after hours for a special late opening that brings the sounds, stories and spirit of Toxteth’s Black music scene to life. The Victoria Gallery & Museum invite you to explore the exhibition “Toxteth: The Harlem of Europe” in a new way — with live music, DJ sets, conversation, and hands-on experiences across the gallery.

In the 1950s and 60s, while Merseybeat defined Liverpool’s global image, another powerful musical movement was thriving in Toxteth. Rooted in soul, jazz and rhythm & blues, Black musicians in Liverpool 8 helped shape the city’s sound — mentoring early Beatles members and introducing American influences that would transform British music forever. Despite facing racial inequalities and barriers to recognition, their legacy is profound, influential, and long overdue for celebration.

What’s on:

  • Live DJ sets in the café from Kerri Ankrah-Lucas (Decks in the City), plus a record fair to dig for vinyl treasures
  • Ramon “Sugar” Deen, L8 music legend and member of The Harlems, sharing first-hand stories from the era
  • A rare chance to work with the Institute of Popular Music Archive (IPM) — explore archive vinyl and help catalogue records
  • A talk from Dr Mike Brocken on jazz pioneer Gordon Stretton for International Jazz Day
  • Music performed from across eras and genres with University music students

Whether you’re into music history, vinyl culture, live performance, or just looking for something different to do in the evening, this VG&M Late is your chance to experience the gallery in a whole new way. Free, drop in, and open to all — especially students and young people.Come for the music, stay for the stories.

Website: VG&M Late: A Music Celebration – Victoria Gallery & Museum – University of Liverpool

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding Place and Community – TRAINING

Do you use creative practices to enliven and animate specific places or spaces?

The Understanding Place and Community masterclass will use accessible creative techniques and critical exercises to give you new tools for asking questions about how power works in your neighbourhood and the spaces around you, and how this may affect your place-based cultural work.

This workshop is for artists, creative practitioners and cultural producers who are working at a place-based or hyper-local level and are looking to develop new tools to support communities they work with and build a more equitable practice.

You might be working with practices such as outdoor arts, site-specific theatre, community-based practice, environmental or ecological art, urban or rural public art and placemaking initiatives.

Attendees will gain an understanding of –

  • How place and space are socially constructed at the intersections of power.
  • Conceptual mapping tools to better understand place at a hyper-local level.
  • Asset-based approaches to understanding place and community.
  • The potential of mobilising community knowledge in place-based creative work to enact community-led change.

Booking details: This training will take place online, via Zoom. It is 3 hours in total. Due to the participatory nature of this training it will not be recorded.

Ticket Cost:

  • For attendees supported by their organisations the full price of a ticket is £40.00
  • For freelancers and non-regularly funded organisations, the price of a ticket is £30.00
  • For those on low income the ticket price is £18.00

We also have a small number of bursary places available for those with limited funds.

Access: This event will use live transcription. If you require BSL interpretation, please get in touch no later than two weeks in advance of the training.

Kindling Farm’s Bird Walk: Nesting Season

Join us for a guided walk around the farm to explore the changing songs and habits of birds as they enter the nesting season. 

Birdsong fills every corner of the farm – Spring has arrived! It is the perfect time to discover the many species of birds we have here and witness their phenomenal dawn chorus. You will be guided through our fields by ecologist and long term volunteer at Kindling Farm, Andrea Sarkissian, who has been carrying out regular bird surveys here and will share her wealth of knowledge about the activity and habitats she has discovered. 

Please bring binoculars if you have them and a small notebook to write down your findings (we will have some here for people to use).

This activity is aimed at beginners and can be suitable for all ages. However, please be mindful that it does involve walking across uneven ground for over an hour and being quite quiet so that we don’t scare the birds away, so it might not suit everyone! 

The walk will start promptly at 8am. Join us from the earlier time of 7.30am for tea & coffee! This event is free of charge. 

Booking is essential, please veisit our website to register your place. If you have any problems booking, please get in touch with us by emailing farm@kindling.org.uk.

 

World Bee Day at Kindling Farm

Join us for fun-filled day of family-friendly activities for World Bee Day 2026.

Bees are one of our pollinator superheroes, we couldn’t grow all our fruit & veg on the farm without them – this day is about celebrating their hard work and helping protect them for years to come!

Help our bees to survive and thrive by building new habitas to take home or join us at our Seed Bomb Station to create your own wildflower mix; plant it at home to make sure bees can find food in your outdoor space. 

Booking is essential, head to our website to register your place. If you have any problems booking, please get in touch with us by emailing farm@kindling.org.uk. 

 

Dawn Chorus Walk at Kindling Farm

Identify the sights and sounds of the birds we have at the farm by taking part in this blissful dawn chorus walk.

Join us for a guided walk around the farm to explore the changing songs and habits of birds during the nesting season. This event will take place early in the morning when the calm, early morning air helps birdsong travel further – it is a beautiful experince! The walk will be guided by ecologist and long term volunteer at Kindling Farm, Andrea Sarkissian who has been carrying out regular bird surveys here at the farm and will share her wealth of knowledge about the activity she has discovered and how our sustainable farming methods are helping birds thrive.

Please bring binoculars if you have them and a small notebook to write down your findings (we will have some here for people to use).

This activity is aimed at beginners and can be suitable for all ages. However, please be mindful that it does involve walking across uneven ground for over an hour and being quite quiet so that we don’t scare the birds away, so it might not suit everyone! 

We’ll be serving coffee and sweet breakfast treats from 7.30am, the walk starts promptly at 8am. 

The cost for this event is £5 including breakfast – kids eat half price!

Booking is essential, please visit our website to register your place. If you have any problems booking, please get in touch with us by emailing farm@kindling.org.uk.