Usher’s Island

Usher’s Island sees the coming together of five of the most acclaimed and influential names in Irish traditional music.

The event is held Philharmonic Music Room, 27 November, 2.30pm and 8pm. See here for tickets.

The band features Andy Irvine and Donal Lunny, both members of Planxty; Paddy Glackin, a founding member of The Bothy Band; the ubiquitous Michael McGoldrick, formerly of Lunasa and Capercaillie; and John Doyle, who has played with many of the greatest names in Irish music, including Solas, Liz Carroll, Eileen Ivers & Mary Black, not to mention driving the rhythm section of the hugely popular Transatlantic Sessions.

Talented soloists in their own right, each member of Usher’s Island offer a blend of old and young and of vocal and instrumental talents, that results in exceptional music and dynamic live performances.

The evening performance will consist of two sets with an interval. The 2.30pm performance will consist of one set.

Black Hole – End of Time

Floating in space is a black hole, visible only by the absence of light. Looking like a flat 2D disc from every angle, this light-absorbing celestial object confuses your sense of space and depth. And don’t get too close, because black holes eat anything and everything that cross their event horizon.

The event is held Old Christ Church, Waterloo, 27 November, starting 4pm. See here for tickets.

Black Hole – End of Time is a 30 minute, four segment performance set in Old Christ Church. With lighting and laser effects illuminating the architecture, the black hole draws you in and starts to eat your time, bursting into life with lasers to a distorted and foreboding soundtrack. But not before you’ve experienced walking on clouds and looking up to a star-filled sky.

A totally unique and immersive experience, the like of which you will have never seen or heard before. Liverpool has had the Moon and the Earth, but now’s the time for a Black Hole!

The performance runs every 30 minutes and tickets are issued on a 30 minute time slot. For health and safety reasons, at certain points in the performance, audience may be held outside until the next cycle and audience within the venue will have their movements restricted for a short period of time.

The performance uses lasers, strobe lighting, haze and smoke effects and loud music. Cameras, photography, selfies and sharing to social media are very welcome but the organisers accept no responsibility for camera damage from the lasers. Lasers love to be photographed but they don’t like camera pixels!

The event is ticketed and free but it is being run in support of two charities, for which donations will be very welcome.

Charity 1: #WeMakeEvents (Company No. 12854590)

Founded by the Professional Lighting & Sound Association (PLASA) #WeMakeEvents is a charity set up to support the technical events industry during Covid, when the live events industry was brought to a halt and to raise awareness of the UK’s 1,000,000 highly skilled industry professionals; all the technicians, designers, operators – the behind the scenes people who make live events happen.

#WeMakeEvents raises awareness and vital funds for hardworking industry professionals and their families in times of financial hardship and ill health. For more information, visit their website above.

Charity 2: Friends of Old Christ Church (The Churches Conservation Trust Registered Charity No. 258612)

Old Christ Church is a volunteer-run community venue (saved from demolition in 1999), providing a space for everything from exercise classes and functions to beer festivals and model railway exhibitions. During Covid, it, like many other venues has been unable to open and host events and yet still has bills to pay and fund repairs to the building. For more information, visit: https://www.visitchurches.org.uk

All donations will be split equally between the two charities.

COVID-19

At the time of these tickets going on sale, almost all Covid restrictions have been lifted for live events in England. However, should restrictions be brought in prior to the event, they ask for your understanding if the event schedule changes or numbers become more limited.

Irrespective of restrictions, they recognise that face coverings are currently optional and but they kindly request that face coverings are worn inside the venue and social distancing respected. The venue has NHS Track & Trace app barcodes for those who wish to check-in and hand sanitiser will be made available.

One ticket per person and please present your ticket at the door – no ticket, no entry.

The Bunker (Halloween edition)

Wing It is pleased to announce the most thrilling, live storytelling event in Merseyside. Six original stories will be told in the intimate setting of The Bunker, located deep below the Liverpool Arts Bar based on Hope St.

The event is held 29-31 October, shows start 7pm, 8.30pm and 10pm. See here for tickets.

The space has been transformed for this site-specific event and will create a distinct and unique atmosphere for audiences.

A bare stage transforms into a visual, verbal and musical feast as our storytellers and foley artist (live sound effects) transport the audience into an alternative Halloween night of creeps, chills and things that go bump in the night. This truly promises to be one Hell of a night!

This is the first piece of work brought to you by Wing It created and run by former Artistic Director of Spike Theatre – Mark Smith (The Games, Hoof!, Sink or Swim et al). Mark is a multi-award-winning director and will be working with regional story tellers, Angie Waller (AKA Nana Funk)  Eavan Seasman, Emma Reilly, Mark Smith, Munro Scott, Paul Skinner (Tmesis Theatre, Spike Theatre) and Trevor Fleming (Impropriety).

Wing It have numerous other projects lined up for 2021-2022 including more story events in unusual places,  a new improvised show called Honesty! created in association with immersive artist Sarah Hogarth and a festival of improvisation; the first to be held in Liverpool.

The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Ho...

BenDeLaCreme  and Jinkx Monsoon are taking the stage once again in a post-apocalypse-mas extravaganza certain to make this yuletide gayer than ever!

The event is held Liverpool Playhouse, 13 November, 8pm. See here for tickets.

That’s right… After a year of doom, gloom, and zoom, the Queens of Christmas have risen from the rubble to unearth your favourite holiday tradition.

The wildly successful, internationally acclaimed Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show is back with its signature whip-smart comedy, brand new songs, and a few perennial favourites.

You better watch out, you better not cry, because Jinkx and DeLa are coming back to YOUR town… LIVE!!

Eric & Ern

For all the family from 8 to 108, Eric and Ern is a brilliant homage to Morecambe and Wise crammed full of those famous comedy sketches, from Grieg’s Piano ConcertoMister Mr Memory Arsenal, to the paper bag trick!

The event is held Liverpool Playhouse 18-20 November, 7.30pm. See here for tickets.

From the Olivier Award nominated duo Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens, this nostalgic show evokes memories of a time when whole families would huddle around the telly on Sunday evenings.

Bringing you sunshine, this show is full of Morecambe and Wise’s most loved routines, songs and sketches and of course a musical guest.  This show hits all the right notes!

Henry Normal

An evening of pure escape with stories, jokes and poems from writer, poet and TV and film producer Henry Normal, featuring all your favourite poems from his BBC Radio 4 series and his seven poetry collections.

The event is held Philharmonic Music Room, 19 November, 8pm. See here for tickets.

Henry is a writer, poet, TV and film producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature festival) and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival.

Henry co-wrote and script-edited the multi-award winning The Mrs Merton Show and the spin off series Mrs Merton and Malcolm. He also co-wrote the first series of The Royle Family and the BAFTA award-winning Paul and Pauline Calf Video Diaries, Coogan’s Run, Tony Ferrino, Doctor Terrible, all three of Steve Coogan’s live tours and the film The Parole Officer.

Spoken Word featuring Beija Flo

We sit late, watching the dark slowly unfold:
No clock counts this.
When kisses are repeated and the arms hold
There is no telling where time is.
‘September’ – Ted Hughes

Our Spoken Word event for September will feature Beija Flo, Louise Evans, Saint Vespaluus, Jennifer Lee Tsai and Mark J.

Spoken Word events encompass a huge variety of writing and performance styles, from the intimately personal and heart-breaking to the uproariously funny and celebratory. Poetry in all its forms will be the main feature, along with memoirs, stories, monologues and any number of almost-indefinable types of prose!

We recommend this event for adults 18+. Doors 6pm. This is event will be held indoors.The Mansion House is wheelchair accessible, for access enquiries please contact us at tickets@thereader.org.uk.

Storytelling, songs & activities ...

Enjoy a fun hour of storytelling, songs and activities with Og the Giant.

This event is part of Bluecoat’s summer family events programme which has been chosen by children from Holy Cross School in Liverpool.

For four weeks throughout the summer holidays, you and the family can enjoy FREE storytelling, music, comedy for kids, designed to engage children of all ages.

Just drop by at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm on Wed 11th August.

For more information visit thebluecoat.org.uk/whats-on/storytelling-with-og

QueerCore Showcase

The Everyman & Playhouse and the UK’s longest running LGBTQIA festival Homotopia, are teaming up to present two days of brand-new cutting-edge queer performances, joyously exploring queer identities in two delightful showcases of excerpts.

The event is held Playhouse Studio, 12 November, 7pm and 13 November, 2.30pm. See here for tickets.

Homotopia will queer the Playhouse for two days. Expect to be moved. Expect to be engaged. Expect to eat pastries and drink coffee. Expect to think about queerness and art.

QueerCore is Homotopia’s formal artist development programme, which supports emerging queer artists in the Liverpool City Region.

The Saturday showcase will include the presentation and sharing of The Homotopia Writers’ Award, chosen from the Everyman and Playhouse Script Submission window

QueerCore Artists:

Mo Svendsen

Dan Chan

Ciaran Hodgers

FlOOD Theatre

Laughterhouse Comedy Club at Liverpool...

Liverpool’s Laughterhouse Comedy Club has signed up for a return to the city’s outdoor live entertainment festival in September. 

A line-up boasting some of Laughterhouse Comedy’s most popular acts is sure to wow audiences at Liverpool Theatre Festival. 

The second annual Liverpool Theatre Festival takes place at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, in Liverpool city centre, between Wednesday 1 September and Sunday 12 September 2021.

Two Laughterhouse Comedy shows will be staged back-to-back as a Saturday night double bill on 11 September, with performances at 6pm and 8.30pm. Tickets are £22 per show and are on sale now.

Laughterhouse are Liverpool’s longest running comedy club. They have been bringing the very best in live comedy to audiences across the UK for 15 years. They know exactly what makes a perfect evening of stand-up and have built their business as comedy fans, knowing that live stand-up is the most powerful and exciting evening to experience.

The 6pm show features MC Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Mick Miller, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue. 

The line-up for the 8.30pm show is MC Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Andy Askins, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue.