Five birthdays. Two unhappy marriages. One possessive mother.
It is 1976. Dennis tinkers in his garage, cheerfully indifferent to wife Vera’s impending breakdown. Marjorie hovers in the background, making tea and finding fault. Neil has planned a birthday surprise for his wife, but Pam doesn’t share his enthusiasm, preoccupied by frustrations of her own.
Set in a suburban garage and garden over four successive birthdays beginning in February and ending the following January, playwright Alan Ayckbourn masterfully evokes a world of hidden tensions and suppressed hostility. In perhaps his most emotionally charged play, Ayckbourn skilfully navigates the tightrope between comedy and tragedy, guiding us towards a hilarious, yet chilling finale.
An Olivier and Tony Award winning playwright, Alan Ayckbourn’s ninety plays have been produced worldwide. Notable successes include: The Norman Conquests, Relatively Speaking, Bedroom Farce, A Chorus of Disapproval and Communicating Doors.
Following successful tours of Absent Friends (2015) and Absurd Person Singular (2020-21), Alan Ayckbourn’s 1976 masterclass in suburban comedy and heartbreak will form the centrepiece of London Classic Theatre’s 25th Anniversary celebrations.
Age 14+
Experience the magical tale of redemption this Christmas for yourself with the multi award-winning A Place For Us Theatre. Join Scrooge as he is visited by the three ghosts in this exciting, hour-long adaptation.
With just the right amount of spooky chills, and plenty of festive magic, this is the perfect way to celebrate the season.
Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ Thursday 18th, Friday 19th and Saturday 20th December 2025 Performances at 6:00pm and 7:45pm Norton Priory Museum and Gardens, Runcorn Cheshire
A 6 week ONLINE Course led by Merseyside writer, Helen Jeffery.
This course is aimed at writers who have some prior experience of writing for stage
During the 6 weeks we will cover topics such as: Character development, Exposition, Verbatim, Form, Structure, Theatricality & World Building.
At the end of the 6 weeks, you’ll have time to go away and write and then submit a short piece to me for inclusion in a scratch night in Liverpool during the summer (details TBC!)
NB- If you are a writer who is sober/in recovery and based in Liverpool City region then please do reach out to me via email as I have some funded spots available if finance is a barrier
Come and join us for a fantastic night of new writing brought to you by Sober Scribbles!
Formed by Helen Jeffery in 2024, Sober Scribbles is a safe and supportive community for sober and sober-curious writers to come together in Liverpool and be able to create and share work in alcohol free spaces.
Since the first in-person workshops, several online playwriting courses have run under the banner of ‘Sober Scribbles’ – tonight we are excited to present extracts of work from the emerging playwrights who have attended these.
Set in 1970s America during the festive period we follow head scientist Kimmy who is hired to crack the coded of time travel and help win the ‘time race’ for her country.
However, after tragedy strikes her mission to complete time travel becomes more than just a job as she works to fix her mistakes and save her future…
Christmas 2025. New York City. Zara, a rising social media star and presenter, has recently taken a luxurious job offer and moved from Liverpool to New York City with her “boring” boyfriend Phil. Feeling left out and missing their best mate, Ste and Chrissy have booked their tickets and are ready to light up The Big Apple just in time for Christmas.
After being dragged along to an “influencer” event on the first night of the trip, Ste meets an American girl, Grace. With his holiday romance in full swing, Ste invites Grace out with the gang. Following a few revelations, what was looking to be the perfect Christmas turns into one that will live long in the gangs memory for years to come.
Looking for something a bit different this year, this situational comedy is all about bringing the fun to the audience, aiming to portray an aspect of realism through a comedic lens.
7:30pm & 2:30pm
THE GHOST OF GRAVES END is a perfect post-Christmas not-Panto entertainment. WOMAN IN BLACK meets the high-energy comedic silliness of THE 39 STEPS.
Charles is a penniless poet who takes a position as a tutor to a peculiar orphan boy. The previous tutor left in a hurry, and everyone is reluctant to say why. Afflicted by strange dreams, things that go bump in the night, and increasingly dire circumstance, Charles has to decide whether to stay or get the Hell out of there.
This is a spooky Victorian comedy. Inspired by classic ghost stories of the genre, with its tongue is firmly in its’ cheek, but at the same time, genuinely scary.
Written by Robert Farquhar. Plays include GODS OFFICIAL, INSOMNOBABBLE, BAD JAZZ and THE BIG I AM.
‘A true comic playwright.’ (THE GUARDIAN)
‘Strange, fast and very funny.’ (LIVERPOOL ECHO on INSOMNOBABBLE)
Cast includes Tim Lynskey (Big Wow)
A show that is as much a part of Christmas as turkey, carols and an inexplicable gift from your auntie, we are delighted to welcome Stocking Fillers back to the Studio! Seven brand new ten-minute festive plays to entertain you at the most wonderful time of the year!
A merry mix of comedy and drama, the Stocking Fillers will make you laugh and cry. They might even make you sing and shout. You’ll feel all Christmassy from your head to your mistle-toes.
These short plays have been written by members of the Royal Court’s writing groups and each evening four incredibly talented actors will bring them to life before your very eyes. Stocking Fillers wraps up seven different shows, so there is something for everyone.
So get yourself down to the Royal Court grotto this Christmas and enjoy the show. You’ll be shouting out for myrrh!
What does it take to become a family?
Mat knows what you think about her. About the way she looks. The way she acts. The way she handed her son to a stranger… and didn’t even cry.
But there’s a lot you don’t know about Mat. And there’s a lot she doesn’t know about herself. So when she gets into a car with a man she’s never met before and unlocks a new kind of life, no one could be more surprised than she is about where her story goes next.
Attachment is a powerful new play by Julia Cranney – a heartfelt Liverpool drama about parenthood, hope and adoption, and the ways that relationships can grow. Developed alongside adoptive families from Merseyside, Attachment is often funny, sometimes poignant and always honest. It’s one woman’s tender, bittersweet story about embracing the fragility of love.
The Dinosaur That Pooped: A Rock Show
When Danny and Dino’s favourite rock band are playing their last ever concert, they go on a quest to get the last two tickets. But with a villainous band manager lurking, nothing goes to plan. Will the band perform? Will Danny rock out? Or will Dino’s rumbling tummy save the day?
Adapted from the number 1 best-selling books by Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter, the whole family will have a poopy good time enjoying a brand, new story for the stage. Featuring new songs by Tom and Dougie, a lot of laughs and a whole lot of poo!
