December - 2022

Archive

Review: Jack and the Beanstalk at Hope Street Theatre ****

Fe fi fo fum, something seasonally silly this way comes. There are tall stories, and then there’s Jack and the Beanstalk, the improbable yarn in which a simple (Scouse) lad climbs a runaway runner bean to do battle with a hungry giant in the clouds, all to save the girl he loves. Oh yes he does. This Just Entertainment production of the panto favourite may be low on the kind of glitz, gizmos and general razzmatazz on tap at larger venues, but while the set (a rudimentary fold

Review: Spirit of Christmas at Philharmonic Hall ****1/2

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen may not be on the programme for 2022, but the RLPO’s Spirit of Christmas concerts certainly spread comfort and joy. Even the most Grinch-like Christmas curmudgeon must surely melt a little listening to beautiful seasonal music performed with love and attention by the massed choirs and orchestra? While it includes a number of perennial favourites - the vocal cord-killing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come, All Ye Faithful (remember, only two note

Review: Goldilocks and the Three Bears at Epstein Theatre ****

Panto season is packed with fairy godmothers, sleeping princesses, diminutive miners, magic carpets and improbable runaway vegetation. So basing a Christmas show (loosely) on the more unusual Goldilocks fable immediately means it stands out from the crowd. This re-working of the porridge thief fairytale was a big hit for St Helens Theatre Royal last season, and its production team has transferred it pretty much lock, stock and big top to the Epstein for 2022. In Reece Sibbald

23 shows to catch in Liverpool in 2023

Liverpool is lucky to have such a wide range of theatres and performance spaces, all presenting exciting and thought-provoking theatre – and there’s certainly plenty to entertain in the 2023 season. Big budget musicals, Shakespearean tragedy, fascinating Liverpool stories, panto silliness, whimsical characters and even a spot of prize-winning bingo are all on the cards over the next 12 months. And that’s before we talk about theatrical celebrations for Eurovision. Whether it’

Review: White Christmas at Liverpool Empire ****

It’s usually snow which throws plans into disarray – but it’s the lack of the cold, fluffy stuff which causes the biggest headache for the characters in White Christmas. The stage musical version of the 1954 film, packed with its delightful roster of tunes from Irving Berlin, was last at the Empire for Christmas 2011 and has returned (in the form of a well-received production out of Leicester Curve) for another festive season of bonhomie and big song-and-dance numbers. Nikola

Live Comedy coming to Liverpool venues in 2023

Liverpool’s been called a capital of comedy and has certainly punched above its weight when it comes to giving the world funnymen and women. So it’s perhaps no surprise we love having a laugh – and that comedians from across the country – and beyond – bring their live shows to the city’s many venues. Along with bespoke comedy hot spots like Laughterhouse, Hot Water Comedy Club and Liverpool Comedy Club, star names and rising talents also perform at mainstream locations like t

Exhibitions to enjoy in Liverpool during 2023

Liverpool is blessed to have a wide range of galleries showcasing exciting, provocative and intriguing works in a variety of different media. From paintings at the Walker and Tate Liverpool to photography at the waterfront Open Eye Gallery, digital media at FACT to historic artefacts at the World Museum and fascinating installations and displays at the Bluecoat, there’s something to interest everyone from a casual visitor to those passionate about the visual arts. And the maj

Review: Cinderella at the Floral Pavilion ***1/2

Is there anything more evocative of (and peculiarly distinctive about) a British Christmas than a theatre full of children screaming ‘oh no you’re not’ at a pair of men in Marie Antoinette wigs and outrageous outfits? Hard-working Ugly Sisters double act Jamie Morris (Melody) and Tarot Joseph (Harmony) certainly get their fair share of boos during the course of this cheerful version of ‘the greatest fairytale of them all’ at the Floral Pavilion. The New Brighton theatre has c

Bridgerton star to play Richard III at Liverpool Playhouse in 2023

Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh will take on the role of the ‘hunchback’ king in Shakespeare’s Richard III which comes to the Liverpool Playhouse stage this April. Andoh, who previously staged Richard II at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre at Shakespeare’s Globe, will direct the new production as well as playing the last Yorkist monarch who is painted by the playwright as an arch villain. This original staging strips the text back to question: is Richard as wicked as Shakespeare portrays h

Father Christmas storytelling in the Imaginarium big top

Father Christmas has returned to the Imaginarium Roundhouse in Prescot for some special seasonal storytelling. Santa’s storytelling magic is spreading Christmas cheer among young audiences and their families every weekend until December 24 – with more shows added for Christmas week itself. The 45-minute shows take place at 12.30pm, 2pm and 4pm each Saturday and Sunday, with a relaxed performance on Sunday, December 18. Tickets are £10 per person and little ones under the age