Event type: Theatre

Three actors were cooped up together during lockdown. Fuelled by cabin fever and with a bookshelf full of Shakespeare, they did what they do best and created an unhinged and bonkers, laugh-out-loud version of Romeo and Juliet.

With music, mayhem and more costume changes than you can shake a spear at, expect the HandleBards usual charming, hilarious bicycle-powered style to come bursting into Shakespeare North Playhouse’s Performance Garden.

Forget the tears and tragedy, and get ready for some live and wired Shakespeare as you’ve never seen it before.

It’s all kicking off in the woods!

Two warring fairies are willing to destroy the world after a barney over a little lad, and four chaotic kids are off on a drug induced love mission – Welcome to the party!

Join Not Too Tame for a riotous ride through the forest at night, for a tale of wild weddings, mistaken identity and a staging of Shakespeare’s best known comedy where not everything is as rosy as it seems. When dreams merge with reality it’s not always clear who’s who and what’s what – so keep your wits about you!

With more merriment than you can shake your ruff at, a big dose of bewilderment and a dash of disaster, this is a Midsummer Night’s Dream not to be watched, but experienced. Pick up your petticoat and fasten your corsets, there’s a donkey on the loose.

William Shakespeare is “unwell” – and he hasn’t finished his new play for King James!

Now, it’s up to his trusty scribe, Benjamin, to save the day. With the help of the audience, Ben and his makeshift troupe must finish the show – or it’s off with their heads!

This is a completely improvised Shakespeare play with your chance to take part. Interactive, family-friendly, and suitable for all ages.

Photo Credit -Mark Lycett

As You Write It is a collaboration between Shakespeare North Playhouse and BBC’s The One Show. A national writing competition for 7 – 16 year olds, found three young winners who’s short stories are now brought to life on the Shakespeare North Playhouse Stage.

Working with professional writers and actors including Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the plays were selected from thousands of entries and developed with the brilliant young people that wrote them.

This show puts young female writers and their characters centre stage and gives us a refreshing take on identity and being who you want to be.

Act 1: All the World’s a Stage by Ruby, aged 15, from Lancashire – a comedy set in modern-day Liverpool. It’s a story about the relationship between a schoolgirl and her imaginary friend – William Shakespeare! Act 2: Nectarine by Ana, 17, from Brighton – a powerful story of friendships, family and finding yourself. A warm hug of a story that stands up for LGBTQ+ people; a party and a protest that you’re all invited to. Act 3: Telling Tales by Rosie, aged 11 from Ayrshire – Who pushed Jack down the hill? Our best loved nursery rhymes have been turned on their head to create a mystery that needs to be solved, and fast!

As You Write It is unashamedly theatrical, like opening a toy box full of joy. These are bold, generous and confident plays that we think you’ll love.

Thanks to Mr N Yanniv for his support.

Grab a drink, and let Unseemly Women transport you on a wild journey of whispers, banter, plots and schemes.

The war is over. Pedro Prince of Aragon visits Leonato, Duke of Messina, with his followers Benedick and Claudio.  Claudio falls in love with Leonato’s daughter, Hero, and their marriage is agreed. But Don John has other, malicious plans.

Beatrice and Benedick despise love and they’re not sure they even like each other. But the others plot to make them fall in love… will they succeed?

Following their highly successful All Female ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ in 2021, Unseemly Shakespeare bring their fourth annual production here to Shakespeare North Playhouse. This is Shakespeare’s Much Ado, but with an Unseemly twist.

Slapstick Picnic invite you to its summer tea party in Shakespeare North Playhouse’s Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden, where marvellous feats of performance and culinary capers await.

Over tea and cucumber sandwiches, prepare to witness the impossible – the entirety of Oscar Wilde’s classic play of manners, affairs and handbags being performed by just two, rather dashing, entertainers.

From the creators of The HandleBards comes a fantastically wild(e) new production, ripping up the recipe book and celebrating silliness.

With Slapstick Picnic, you can have your cake and eat it!

William Shakespeare is stuck. Like, really stuck.

Blank parchment stuck. He is trying to write a new masterpiece, and he has the weight of his company’s eager return to the stage on his shoulders. What’s more, on top of making the best sourdough bread ever, his rival Ben Jonson has a new play in the works… Not to worry, the Bard has an idea already!

Since he might need a bit more than that, he has decided to pick your brains and make sure this new show is the smash hit it is promising to be. Join the Bard for this solo show ‘delivered to perfection’ (Telegraph), for an ‘unforgettable theatrical experience’ (Dame Helen Mirren, Patron) made up of classic monologues and plague quarantine travails.

Help Shakespeare write King Leonardo in this “irresistible*”, “funny and moving, not to mention, immersive**” new play.

(*The Guardian), (**The Telegraph).

Liverpool Theatre Festival returns in five weeks for its third consecutive year – and it’s back boasting its biggest programme yet bursting with talent, exciting new shows, and plenty of music, glamour, and comedy.

Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022 will take place at outdoors within the walls of the historic St Luke’s Bombed Out Church in Liverpool city centre between Wednesday 31 August and Sunday 11 September 2022.

The programme for the Autumn event features comedy, drama, musicals, drag, family shows, and opera.

The line-up currently features 14 shows on sale, including three hugely popular shows which continually wow Edinburgh Festival Fringe audiences – they are coming direct to Liverpool for the very first time.

Now added to the programme are I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical; Fear And Misery Of The Third Reich; Not Drunk But Disorderly; Holy Moly Cabaret; The Wind In The Willows; and Venus Rising. 

Organisers are delighted to add three shows which all won rave reviews at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical opens the festival on Wednesday 31 August; while Julie Madly Deeply and Looking For Me Friend – The Music Of Victoria Wood close the event on Sunday 11 September. They will come direct from the Scottish capital to debut at Liverpool Theatre Festival.

While Drunk But Not Disorderly returns after its successful premiere at Little LTF (Liverpool Theatre Festival Of New Works) earlier this year – organisers have now invited the production to be part of the main event. It joins the previously announced 97+ – A Drama Based On The 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, which also premiered at Little LTF and is now included in the main programme.

Also, celebrated Liverpool writer Ian Salmon (Girls Don’t Play Guitars, The Comeback Special, and Those Two Weeks) is back with a brand new version of one of his first successful plays. Venus Rising is a very modern love story about loss, regret, the decisions we make, and finding out what we actually need.

Liverpool Theatre Festival is also launching a brand new night featuring the finest and quirkiest cabaret acts from across the region including comedy, burlesque, music, and circus. Holy Moly Cabaret is hosted by the super talented Nana Funk and stars include Liverpool’s very own glamour queen, Millie Dollar.

Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022 also includes Laughterhouse Comedy; Ma Joyce’s Tales From The Parlour; Opera Beneath The Stars; Dame Fanny & The Starlets – A Family Friendly Drag Show; Drag Me To Church – Dragstravaganza; Julie Madly Deeply; and Looking For Me Friend – The Music Of Victoria Wood.

The full programme will be announced shortly. Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com for the latest news updates. 

Photo Credit: David Munn