Whatever else is going on in the world, there are thankfully some constants in life – one of them being the Everyman rock ‘n’ roll panto. And here it is, launching Liverpool’s helter skelter rush towards Christmas with its colourful mix of feisty heroines, hapless heroes, a spike-heeled female baddie, Technicolor fairies, a lavish amount of double entendres, and thumping music played live by the cast. Regular writers Mark Chatterton and Sarah A Nixon have taken the classic Sl

Half a century after he released his debut album, Sir Elton Hercules John is having a moment – driven by the success of flamboyant big screen biopic Rocket Man and an imminent ‘farewell’ tour. And Rocket Man the song was one of 22 numbers featured in this buoyant celebration from GRB Concerts (conductor/orchestrator Richard Balcombe and Liverpool singer/actor Graham Bickley) in collaboration with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. With a back catalogue featuring more than 120

Tony Maudsley is coming full circle this Christmas, returning to spend the festive season at the Empire – more than 40 years after he saw his first panto at the Lime Street theatre. Then it was Cilla Black as the principal boy, while another year Rod Hull and Emu trod the boards. “Rod Hull and Emu – how exciting was that?!” he laughs. “I was desperate to meet Emu, desperate. But I was on a school trip so I was ferried straight back on to the bus.” Even then, the youngster fro

It’s been a long time – 40 years to be exact – since Glyndebourne last performed live opera in Liverpool. So this three-day visit to the Empire as part of a UK tour is a welcome return to the city stage, and part of a wider coordinated plan to present more performances for opera lovers in the region; a plan that is shared by other leading UK companies like the WNO and Scottish Opera. The company, with award-winning 25-year-old Ben Glassberg conducting in the pit, opened its b

The Book of Mormon is on its way to Liverpool for the first time. The multi-award winning show, from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez, will come to the Liverpool Empire in July next year. It will open on July 14 and run until August 8. The Book of Mormon follows a pair of Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s a long way from their home in Salt Lake City. Since its world premiere at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre in 2011,

Lots of people have a favourite outfit – and Warren Donnelly is no exception. It’s just that his is a favourite panto coat, which audiences at the Epstein Theatre will be able to enjoy in all its gold-trimmed glory this Christmas. “Every time I’ve done a pantomime for Regal Entertainments, I’ve always ended up wearing this jacket and I really like it. It helps me overact and gurn,” explains the actor, deadpanning. “I’d wear it in the pub! “I think I’d attract a lot of female

An evening at the Philharmonic Hall generally involves a good spread of musical morsels to satisfy the audience’s appetite. The menu for this inclement Thursday in Hope Street was more a musical sandwich than a full banquet – Shostakovich proving a pared down filling between doorstep slices of big melody from Wagner and Tchaikovsky. It’s always diverting to play musical six degrees of separation, but you don’t have to work back very far to find a direct connection between Dan

Christmas is coming to Church Alley in Liverpool city centre with a stunning light canopy and accompanying festive soundtrack. Liverpool BID’s Light Spectacular is a 50metre tunnel which will connect Church Street and the historic Bluecoat in School Lane from this Friday November 15 until January 5. Shoppers and visitors will be treated to a 10-minute light and sound show every hour from 4.30-7.30pm until Boxing Day. The playlist of yuletide songs and Liverpool anthems will f

Two centuries after it was published, the story of Frankenstein and his ‘monster’ continues to resonate in the public consciousness. Although rather like that other 19th century tale of science clashing with nature – The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde – it’s possibly more through its myriad depictions and cultural references than the reading of the book itself. As Dr Frankenstein himself would appreciate, the question for contemporary storytellers thus becomes how to b

The first wave of casting for Jonathan Harvey’s Our Lady of Blundellsands – receiving its world premiere at the Everyman in March – has been revealed. The play, which had its first reading at the Everyword festival back in 2016, will be directed by Everyman and Playhouse associate director Nick Bagnall. Olivier Award nominated Annette Badland will play Garnet, the weary sister of troubled central character Sylvie Domingo. Badland, who last appeared at the Everyman in Alan Ble