February - 2023

Archive

Royal Court comedy hopes for a full house

Eyes down and dabbers at the ready for the Royal Court’s latest show which promises cash prizes along with the comedy. Bingo Star, written by the theatre’s Iain Christie and starring Alan Stocks, runs at the Roe Street venue until April 8. And each performance will include a live bingo game with the audience vying to win one of three £50 prizes. Arthur (Stocks) has been running Bingo Star for the last 50 years. People might talk about change, but he likes things just as they

International Women's Day show at Liverpool Arts Bar

A special free pop-up exhibition featuring the work of five female artists is taking place at Liverpool Arts Bar to mark International Women’s Day. The March 8 event is part of a wider programme of exhibitions planned in the Hope Street venue this spring and summer. It will showcase the work of Katie Pinch, Katie Gerrard, Sarah Armstrong, Eileen Nicholson and Steph Jones, and will be followed in the evening by live performances from a range of talented female musicians who ha

Ukraine Peace Monument coming to Strawberry Field for Eurovision

A new 22ft tall monument to hope and peace will be unveiled at Strawberry Field in Liverpool to coincide with the city hosting Eurovision this May. The Ukraine Peace Monument sculpture, commissioned from 16-year-old Mexican artist Osbelit Garcia-Morales by the California-based Global Peace Initiative, will eventually make its way to the conflict-riven country as soon as it is safe. Cast in aluminium, the monument features a book, dove and Ukrainian flag held in a man’s outstr

Review: The King and I at Liverpool Empire ****

A lot has happened since the Lincoln Center Theater’s lavish-looking production of The King and I last swept on to the stage at the Empire in early March 2020. Then, we were (unknowingly), just days away from a lockdown which brought the country – and with it live performance – to a juddering halt. And there were times when some of us probably wondered if we would ever sit in the dark in carefree enjoyment again. But three years on, here we all are, and what a pleasure to wel

Tate Liverpool mobile museum takes masterpieces to communities

Tate Liverpool is going on the road with a special mobile museum to help sharing its passion for art with audiences around the entire city region. The Royal Albert Dock gallery has teamed up with Art Explora, an international foundation which aims to inspire new encounters between art and audiences, and MuMo to run the initiative – a UK first. The Art Explora Mobile Museum is on ‘tour’ until April 29, visiting communities across Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral, St Helens, Knowsley

Liverpool Improvisation Festival comes to Unity Theatre this spring

The inaugural Liverpool Improvisation Festival will be held in the city this April promising two days of the best established and emerging artists and companies. The event, taking place at the Unity Theatre on April 21-22, will include two world premieres along with 10 other shows and four workshops. The work will showcase a number of artform influences including comedy, music, puppetry, clowning, storytelling and theatre. The festival opens on Friday, April 21 with The Fly –

NML Music Sessions return showcasing rising talent

Rising star musicians from across the city region have recorded special sets in the stunning surroundings of Liverpool’s museums and galleries. National Museums Liverpool’s Music Sessions will showcase some of the best and brightest talent in an exclusive online series of performances on NML’s YouTube channel. This is the second season of sessions, and the featured artists this spring are Astles, Blue Saint, Mickey Callisto, Martha Goddard, Niki Kand and Ni Maxine. They recor

Review: Mozart's Requiem at Philharmonic Hall ****1/2

In recent years the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic has applied itself to highlighting and celebrating talented women composers whose work has too often been sidelined thanks to historical patriarchy. They include Lili Boulanger, Amy Beach, Clara Schumann and – later this season – Florence Price, as well as some of the best and brightest modern female composers like Joan Tower, Vivian Fung, Caroline Shaw and Grace-Evangeline Mason. And, thanks to support from the Sirens programm

FACT celebrates its 20th anniversary with packed programme of events

Liverpool’s FACT is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a bumper programme of exhibitions, events, performances and activities at its Wood Street site. The 2023 programme kicks off on April 20 by celebrating Eurovision with award-winning immersive artist Darren Emerson’s In Pursuit of Repetitive Beats. Emerson’s euphoric VR interactive adventure will transport its audience into the heart of the Acid house movement as it invites people to search for an illegal rave over one

Liverpool Empire date for Pretty Woman musical

Pretty Woman: The Musical is embarking on its first UK tour – and it’s heading for Liverpool to kickstart 2024. The show, based on the 1990 cinematic favourite, will arrive at the Liverpool Empire on January 23 for a 12-night stay. Tickets are on sale now. It's Beverly Hills in the late 1980s. Free spirited prostitute Vivian Ward meets wealthy businessman Edward Lewis and her life changes forever. The production, which is currently being staged in the West End where it stars