Step into the wilderness this summer for tales of the woodland weird, unholy rites and ancient places of cosmic power.
Following two years of sold-out performances of Ghost Stories for Christmas (featured in the New York Times), ArtsGroupie CIC continue to revive the storytelling tradition with a summer solstice slant, performed by local authors John Maguire and David Griffiths at performance gardens across the city.
“Each year we have so much fun writing and performing Ghost Stories for Christmas that we wanted to keep that momentum during the year. It has given us a reason to explore different facets of horror fiction. For this event, we’re taking inspiration from British classics such as The Wicker Man and the nightmare fuel of 70’s kids’ TV Children of the Stones to keep your senses heightened before the nights grow dark again. After all, those rituals around ancient stones and strange songs sung on the village green might just be keeping at bay the horrors that walk in broad daylight. Remember, the shadows might not be as long in the summer, but all that means is…they’re right behind you!” David Griffiths, Writer and Director
Liverpool City Region Dates
Thingwall Community Centre, Wavertree Garden Suburb
Tuesday 11th June at 7pm
Liverpool,
L15 7JX
Tickets
Incredible Edible Knowsley, Court Hey Park
Friday 14th June at 5pm and 7pm
Liverpool,
L16 2LR
Tickets
METAL Culture
Tuesday 18th June at 4pm & 6pm
Metal Culture,
Liverpool,
L7 6ND
Tickets
Shakespeare North Playhouse
Wednesday 19th June at 6:30pm
Prospero Place,
Prescot,
L34 3AB
Tickets
ArtsGroupie CIC
ArtsGroupie CIC is a Liverpool based community interest company that is promoting and providing access to the arts in the North West and beyond. They achieve this through developing their own touring theatre and music productions, and by facilitating educational workshops for both adults and children in creative writing and spoken word. We use our walking tours to help fund our theatre productions and community outreach work. Artsgroupie took their highly acclaimed production of Kitty: Queen of the Washhouse in 2023 on a mini tour and played Shakespeare North Playhouse and London’s Kings Head, Islington. The production has now been staged 32 times.
David Griffiths
David Griffiths is a playwright, director, screenwriter and author from Liverpool. His plays have been staged at fringe festivals in Edinburgh, Buxton and Camden. He recently directed an adaption of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four (“a powerful production” North West End) and is touring his adaption of Charles Dickens’ The Signalman for ArtsGroupie CIC across the north west (“suspenseful” North West End). His latest stageplay, “The Hammer and Helena” will be produced by ArtsGroupie CIC in October 2024.
John Maguire
John Maguire is a playwright, historic walking-tours operator, community activist and Creative Director of ArtsGroupie CIC. John has had nine of my plays staged professionally, including KITTY: Queen of the Washhouse, a play that revisited the life of public washhouse pioneer Catherine Wilkinson. He has written 235 articles for online international magazine Ten Million Hardbacks 10mh.net and published two children’s books, Sophie and the Spider and The Liver Bird. John’s most recent play focuses on Liverpudlian Icon, William Roscoe, A Portrait of William Roscoe, exploring his life in the arts and political activism.