By Grace Stokoe
Liverpool’s creative scene is ever-evolving, and The Studio Beyond is a testament to that.
Following their success with The Studio Below, Sharon Colpman and her team launched their second venue in March this year. Upgrading to a more central location on Wood Street, The Studio Beyond boasts a 50 seater theatre space, rehearsal room, podcast suite and bar, as well as their on-site Red Book Casting Agency, run by Sinead Renaye.
Colpman, Co-Founder of The Studio Beyond and Make it Write Productions, explains, “if you stay still it doesn’t work, we have to keep moving forward”. Having started out as a science teacher, Colpman realised she was something of a wordsmith when asked to write a play for her village’s millennium celebration, working alongside Forest Forge Theatre Company. Moving to Liverpool, she was keen to showcase her plays locally, resulting in the birth of Make It Write Productions.
Co-founded with James Gaskin, Make it Write is a community interest company (CIC) supporting writers, actors, directors and the like to take their work to the next level. Now, with both studios at their disposal, Colpman’s dedicated team are not only using the spaces to mentor, but have stepped up as one of the city’s most affordable venues, without sacrificing professionalism or high quality tech. She presents The Studio Beyond as “a great place to experiment. Blake is really good with people who haven’t done a tech run before – he can see their vision, paint a picture of the night in his head and just make it happen!”
Al Donohoe from The Atom Improv describes it as “a conveniently priced fringe venue that young theatre makers have been lacking in the city centre.” Atom’s fortnightly Harold Night and monthly improv jam both take place there, providing a safe space for improv lovers old and new to get up on stage.
Toeing the line of theatre and stand up, Donohoe and twoprov partner, Mike Burton, hope to give their audience “a sense of alternative comedy, proving how great improv can be”. Rejecting the working man’s club style of humour in favour of something more unpredictable, they build their shows around the crowd, asking audience members to share their own hilarious stories as prompts.
With roughly 90% of their spectators being return customers, the joy and loyalty within Liverpool’s improv scene is clear to see. “Sometimes people will quote our own show back to us, which is funny,” says Donohoe, “they’re very supportive, fun and willing to get involved”.
The Atom Improv took it one step further as students returned to the city this September, kicking off the academic year with a Freshers Week Extravaganza. With show tickets starting from just £3, The Studio Beyond consistently ensures that the arts are accessible on a budget, meaning you can spend a little and laugh a lot!
Notably, the venue’s commitment to inclusivity goes much further than finance. Creative spaces are often seen as a safe haven for the LGBT+ community, and The Studio Beyond is no exception. Abbie Caskie, co-founder of Bunny Boiler Productions, produced They’re Just Roommates back in July, as part of Grin Theatre’s Pride Double Bill – a night built for queer joy. Drawn to the venue through word of mouth within Liverpool’s creative community, her experience working with them was positive from first rehearsal right through to curtain.
Caskie wrote and directed her “modern day lesbian adaptation of Pride and Prejudice” as a celebration of queer relationships. Representing a lesbian love story without questioning sexuality, her show attracted likeminded audience members of all ages. Describing the team as “supportive and engaged with the show”, she felt they were “all collaborating to make the night a success”. Now, having successfully trialed her work as a 30 minute piece, the theatre-maker hopes to develop it into a full length show. “The point is to be inclusive and we will welcome you,” expresses Colpman. Regretfully, the building is not currently accessible, due to its listed status.
As committed as they are to their work at The Studio Beyond, the team prove to be talented creatives themselves. Theatre Manager, Molly Farquhar, recently returned from Edinburgh Fringe Festival with a five star review from The Scotsman. Her award winning show, Hairy B*stard, previewed at the venue before heading off to The Fringe.
Hairy B*stard – a show about self love, self loathing, and how expensive razors are – is a semi-autobiographical show based around Farquhar’s experience with PCOS and hirsutism. Having previewed at The Studio Beyond, she had a full house to work with. “Hearing people laugh, cry and connect was wonderful,” she reflects.
Farquhar describes her workplace as “a welcoming, warm space that provided me with a platform to tell my story. As a working class creative, I strongly believe in championing local voices and giving them a chance to shine. Without places like Beyond, this just wouldn’t happen.” Enabling her to test new sections of the show and work on audience interaction, the preview was vital in preparing her for Edinburgh Fringe.
It’s never a dull day as part of The Studio Beyond’s team, getting stuck in and wearing many hats. Farquhar loves to mentor, teach and network with local artists on top of her managerial duties. She adds, “every single one of us works our socks off to make sure we can provide a community space for creatives. We’re approachable, problem solvers, and most importantly – we care.”
Colpman shares her hopes to open The Studio Beyond’s hidden roof terrace ready for summer 2026, as well as investing in air conditioning for the hot-yoga-studio turned-theatre. With Liverpool Fringe 2025 just around the corner, they will debut as a Fringe venue for local practitioners, along with hosting the official awards evening on 12 October. “Having that live experience is something that’s dying out, to come here and have connection with real live people,” she highlights.
Other upcoming shows include their Fringe Bangs Film Festival and Studio Beyond The Grave open mic this October, followed by Christmas festivities, Weird Fest, Queer Words and much more in store for 2026. “We all share boundless energy and passion for the arts,” says Colpman, “some nights we crawl to the kebab house because we’re so tired, but seeing happy faces after you’ve been running around behind the scenes makes you realise why you’re doing it”.
For further information on The Studio Beyond, visit studiobelow.co.uk or follow @studio_below_and_beyond on Instagram.