Hands up who thinks 2019 might be a bit of a trying year? But don’t be downhearted at the thought of the next 12 months, because some of the funniest names in the comedy business are heading Liverpool’s way to keep the city chortling through the long days and nights ahead. From TV superstars at the newly-named M&S Bank rena to up-and-coming comedy names in the city’s resident clubs, from Edinburgh winners to award-winning writers, cerebral quiz hosts to musical geniuses (that

A new year bring new shows and old favourites to the theatres of Liverpool City Region. Whether it's world-famous musicals, dark comedies, new adaptations, physical theatre, thought-provoking yarns or madcap escapades, the old adage remains true - there's something for everyone over the next 12 months. From Vamos Theatre at the Unity to War Horse at the Empire, The Lady Vanishes at the Floral Pavilion to the ‘Scottish play’ at the Epstein, it’s all happening on a stage near y

Panto has taken over theatres up and down the land, but Chester Storyhouse has opted for a rather different Christmas staple this season. Artistic director Alex Clifton’s The Wizard of Oz is a (mostly) faithful homage to the 1939 Technicolor movie classic, down to the roaring MGM lion beamed on to the curtain at the start of the show and MGM composer Herbert Stothart’s enjoyable score of incidental music – played live here by a 10-piece orchestra under the musical direction o

Jack and the Beanstalk may be the final panto to open its doors ahead of Christmas, but while it’s last, it’s certainly not least. Liverpool’s biggest and most lavish seasonal show delivers a giant dose of entertainment where the good win the day and the bad head for a deserved fall. It’s loud, colourful, and occasionally chaotic – albeit a controlled chaos – as Jack (Alex James-Hatton) and his gang climb the magic beanstalk to battle the CGI-ant and save Princess Apricot (Cl

The Broadway and West End smash hit version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I is on its way to the Liverpool Empire as part of a UK tour. But Lime Street audiences will have to be patient as the Tony Award-winning Lincoln Center Theatre show is not set to reach the city until March 2020. Tickets go on sale to ATG card holders on December 19, and general sale on December 20. News of the tour follows the musical’s soldout record-breaking season at the London Palladium

There’s certainly Christmas cheer aplenty at the Philharmonic Hall this season, from the aroma of mulled wine wafting around the foyer bar to the programme of festive favourites mixed with more unusual pieces. The Phil’s Christmas concert programmes are carefully constructed with a nod to mainstream carols like O Little Town of Bethlehem and O Come, All Ye Faithful, a solid vein of works by the ‘Mr Christmas’ duo of John Rutter and David Willcocks, and pieces either written o

I’m a Celebrity runner-up Emily Atack brings her debut comedy tour to the Epstein Theatre next spring. Talk Thirty to Me comes to the Hanover Street theatre on May 17 and tickets are already selling fast. Atack, daughter of comedienne and singer Kate Robbins, promises a live memoir of anecdotes, impressions and tales of a comedy actor in her twenties. She will unravel today’s anxiety inducing world of scrolling through social media, swiping right, slimming apps and the never-

Hi-jinks on the high seas (Moby Dick), Greek tragedy meets David Bowie spandex (Oedipussy) and a bloody journey through the complete deaths in Shakespeare. Spymonkey’s theatrical tastes and tales may be catholic, but they share one thing. They’re always glorious – and gloriously unpredictable. And so to the comedy quartet’s current production, a unique telling of Dickens’ festive favourite which marries pathos and panto, silliness and sensibility in one irresistible Christmas

Croxteth Hall and its grounds have been turned in to a magical Secret Winter Garden. But you’ll have to hurry if you want to experience the Lantern Company transformation of the North Liverpool site – because the magic is only lasting for 10 days. Venture through a long-forgotten doorway to discover The Secret Winter Garden. Uncover a glowing trail full of giant surprises, hidden pathways, amazing creatures and enchanting characters. Discover time-travelling giant botanists,

Never mind Brexit. For those of a certain age, the real division happened on Saturday mornings and was between Team Swap Shop and Team Tiswas. Michael Chapman – panto writer, director and badass Dame – surely must have been a fan of the dying fly, Bucket of Water Song and Trevor McDonut. In fact, you can picture him flanning captive kids standing screaming in the Tiswas cage and laughing an evil laugh as he did it. Here in 2018, not 1978, Chapman is back as the driving force