Event type: Performance

The Chosen Haram

A heady mix of love, drugs and Islam – The Chosen Haram is a unique and complex take on circus, coming to Liverpool as part of the Homotopia festival on Thursday 16 November 2023.

Performed entirely on two Chinese Poles, The Chosen Haram tells the story of two gay men and their chance meeting through a dating app. It details the highs and lows of their relationship and the social and cultural barriers they must overcome to find happiness and personal fulfillment – the word “Haram” refers to something that is forbidden in Islam.

Taking over Invisible Wind Factory with gravity-defying tricks and extraordinary movement, the show explores sexuality, faith, addiction and connection – an exploration into the personal struggles faced by many people whose upbringing contradicts their personal truths. The Chosen Haram is based on a combination of lead artist Sadiq Ali’s personal experience, as well as interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community who identify as (ex) Muslim.

Alice Holland, Festival Programmer, said: “The Chosen Haram is outstanding as an extremely skilled piece of circus theatre, and as a truly moving story that speaks to body, heart and soul. The play is thoughtful, impressive, romantic, inventive and sexy, and a real treat for audiences in Liverpool.”

The shows forms part of an exciting and varied programme of events for the 2023 Homotopia Festival, which is celebrating its 20th year at the forefront of Queer art and activism.

The festival kicks off with a show-stopping evening of drag cabaret and pro-wrestling on 11 November in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle. Other highlights include The Ten Commandments, a new show by Queer legend and performance artist David Hoyle, music and spoken word by Liv Wynter, and a range of visual art and performances from 11 November until 2 December.

A full list of events is available at homotopia.net.

How To Catch A Pig

How To Catch A Pig, is a sell out night created by artist and activist Liv Wynter as a celebration of creatives who also organise against the state, with a focus on queer and trans performers. Their band press.release are residents, alongside resident artists Toby and Aidy Evans Jesra, and DJ’s Sad Queers Club and Basura.

Liv Wynter is a trans and working class grassroots organiser and performer, who has just launched their new self titled solo project ft music from Piglet. They have a published poetry collection, ‘Don’t Let It Go To Your Head’, and have 2 sold out theatre production runs (‘Rise of the Refrain’ 2021 Stanley Arts, ‘And So The Choir Gathers’ 2019 The Bunker).

They are gay bar and festival regulars with DJ MC double act Dance Mums, and spent 2022 touring stadiums with Queer House Party, playing Secret Garden Party, Boomtown, Wilderness, Latitude and Sziget, and being banned from the Southbank Centre for decapitating the queen. Liv is a dedicated abolitionist organiser, and stands in solidarity with all collectives organising against any systemic oppression.

Part of Homotopia 2023

Aladdin Love

Step into a whole new world of enchantment and laughter with Young Homotopia’s dazzling twist on the classic pantomime, Aladdin.

Prepare to be spellbound as we take you on a journey through the bustling streets of Agrabah, where love knows no boundaries and the power of self-acceptance reigns supreme.

Ten Commandments

The living legend, queer icon, and performance art maestro David Hoyle brings his critically-acclaimed live show ‘The Ten Commandments’ to Liverpool for a one-night-only performance at The Unity for Homotopia Festival.

Survivor of a shame-inducing religious upbringing, David revisits his Biblical initiation with his very own version of The Ten Commandments designed to spark a revolution in human consciousness. This is a live experience that will wash all of your sins away and then some. Dark comedy meets righteous anger meets queer revolution as only David Hoyle themselves can conjure…

They welcome the congregation to liberate themselves and others in a thermonuclear explosion of love and also hope for what remains of the 21st century.

Part of Homotopia 2023

Grayson Perry

What makes you, you? Is there a part deep inside of you that no one understands? Have you found your tribe or are you a unique human being? Or is it more complicated than that? In the last few decades a combination of individualism, the internet and the culture war has, for many of us, brought our feelings about our own and other people’s identity to the fore.

Grayson Perry, white, male, heterosexual, able bodied, English, southerner, baby boomer and member of the establishment, takes a mischievous look at the nature of identity in his new show that will make you laugh, shudder, and reassess who you really are.

Music and Poetry

Kunst Site presents the third instalment of its Music and Poetry event, a cosy evening filled with live music and spoken word performances by various local artists, this time with artwork and projection mapping additionally displayed in the room.

Located at Quarry, the event will be held indoors with plenty of seating opportunities.

Ker-Pow! How Science Superheroes Crush...

Find out about science superheroes, dress up as a bogey and meet a world-leading scientist!

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) Museum is delighted to welcome RCP censor and world-leading scientist, Professor Tom Solomon CBE to perform his fantastic family show about COVID-19 at the RCP at the Spine in Liverpool.

The show features five comic book “science superheroes” tussling with their nemesis, Corry the Coronavirus, on a stage dressed with a massive mouth. During the show the audience learns why viruses emerge, what happens in a pandemic, and how we can beat such threats in the future. In the highly interactive show, children play Jason and the R-Go-Noughts to understand how viruses are passed on and dress up as bogeys to see how the body fights infection!

‘Clear, accessible, moving…amazing’

– Guardian

‘One of the Top Ten Kids’ Shows at the 2022 Fringe’

– Time Out

The show is aimed at 7 – 11 year olds, all children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, light refreshments will be provided.

The show is supported by the Pandemic Institute.

As The World Tipped

EXPERIENCE THE BIGGEST AND BEST BOROUGH OF CULTURE EVENT YET!

As The World Tipped is the largest and regarded as one of the finest large-scale outdoor shows to be produced by a UK company. (Xtrax)

Combining dramatic film and visuals with breath-taking aerial performance, this ambitious and extraordinary piece of aerial theatre tells a powerful tale of an ecological crisis.

Written and directed by Nigel Jamieson, one of the world’s leading creators of outdoor spectacle having overseen the Sydney Olympics and Liverpool Capital of Culture, the 45-minute family-friendly show is part of St Helens Borough of Culture 2023 celebrations, and also aims to raise awareness of St Helens Borough Council’s net zero by 2040 ambitions in recognition of the threat posed by rising temperatures across the world.

AS THE WORLD TIPPED
Saturday, 21st October 2023
6.30PM
Birchley Street Car Park
St Helens
FREE

Commenting on bringing As The World Tipped to her hometown, Artistic Director Wendy Hesketh-Ogilvie, who started her career in dance as a student at St Helens College, says:

“Bringing ‘As The World Tipped’ to my hometown of St Helens fills me with joy: I can’t wait to put on this amazing performance in a place that is so close to my heart. The show is a reminder of how art can bring our community together, spark conversations, and make a real impact. Let’s tip the scales of imagination and creativity right here in our hometown, to address one of the most important issues of our time and change the world together.”

The Eve ‘N’ Stephen Show

Saint Vespaluus and The Queen of Heartbreak are wrong ‘uns, of that there is no doubt. Their alter egos – Stephen Porter and Eve Howlett are just plainly lovely. Of that there is no doubter.

Spoken word for grownups.

18+ age restriction

Date: Thursday 12th October

Time: 8pm

Venue: The Excelsior, Dale Street, Liverpool

Approximate running time 1hr 30mins

Tickets available from www.saintvespaluus.co.uk

Hosted by The New Mersey Poets

Black History Month 23: Patrick And Th...

The WoW super squad is back in action and ready to defeat those pesky Book Worms at Toxteth Library. As part of Black History Month they’re celebrating with live performances and readings promoting and celebrating diverse characters and stories in children’s literature.

Have you ever wondered what your superpower would be? Want to see more characters in books that look and act like you and me? Their heroes will be live and reading from their Diverse Stories for a Diverse World book for children and young people, so come down, grab a copy, join the squad and show us your super powers!

BEWARE, once you read their book you may soon realise you are in fact a Super Hero too!

Joining the Super Heroes, will be Patrick Graham, author of The Three Little Jamaicans: English Adventure.

Event

Born of Jamaican parentage, Patrick Graham is a Liverpool-based poet, writer, actor and journalist. Patrick has performed at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre, The Unity Theatre and Community Centres in educational and historical plays and was recently a finalist in WOW’s Pulp Idol novel-writing contest.