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Review: Conteh at Liverpool's Royal Court ****
When Aron Julius first had the idea of embodying Liverpool boxing legend John Conteh on stage, he felt sure there must already be a play out there he could bring to life for a live audience. There wasn’t it seems. So rather than abandon the idea, Julius decided to write his own. Initially conceived as a one-man vehicle, with the boxer directly relating the much-chronicled highs and lows of his life and career, Julius – at that time appearing in the Royal Court’s acclaimed pro
Lourdes of laughs in Cured at Liverpool's Royal Court
Laurence Clark’s new stage comedy Cured is set to be premiered at Liverpool’s Royal Court next month – and it turns out the award-winning writer and comedian drew on his own life when it came to the inspiration for his plot. For some, a pilgrimage to Lourdes is all prayers, candles and proper holy contemplation. For the mad bunch of disabled Scousers in Clark's play, it's bevvies, mucking about and getting off with each other… and definitely no bleeding miracle cures. After c
The Scouse Nativity returns to Liverpool's Royal Court for Christmas 2026
Smash hit seasonal show The Scouse Nativity is set to return to Liverpool’s Royal Court for Christmas 2026. The festive production, penned by Kevin Fearon, was a huge success when it was first staged at the Roe Street theatre in December 2017 . Now the show, which offers a Scouse take on the ‘greatest story ever told’, is returning in an all-new production, running from November 6 to January 16, 2027. Tickets are on sale priced from £19. It's Bethlehem 0 AD (or possibly 0 BC)
Review: Come Together at Liverpool's Royal Court ****1/2
The Beatles juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down, seven decades after it first set off on the road to stardom and immortality. Since Come Together – Tom Connor and Mark Newnham’s homage to Lennon and McCartney - was last staged at the Royal Court two years ago, Ian Leslie’s fab, and unexpectedly moving, book John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs has been published (if you haven’t read it, you really should). Meanwhile, in the last few weeks, Sam Mendes has started filming
Liverpool theatre shows this March
March is upon us. There are daffodils in the parks, chocolate eggs and hot cross buns – both traditional and not-so-traditional – in the shops, the days are getting longer and soon the clocks will ‘spring forward’. The days aren’t just getting longer with daylight at each end, but they are also, dare I say it, getting just that bit warmer too. With the hibernation of winter behind us, now is the ideal time to come out and enjoy everything Liverpool’s theatres have to offer. W
Review: The Peaceful Hour 2 at Liverpool's Royal Court ***1/2
Back in the day, many a Merseysider would make a late-night date with Radio City’s The Peaceful Hour – tuning in to drop off to its soothing musical vibes and the dulcet tones of one Pete Price Esq. It means before anyone even reaches for the radio dial on stage, there’s an immediate layer of nostalgia which underpins The Peaceful Hour 2, playwright Gerry Linford’s amiable, knockabout late night-set sequel to the titular comedy which was premiered at the Royal Court 12 months
Liverpool theatre shows this February
With New Year now in the rear-view mirror, Easter on the far horizon and nights definitely getting just that little bit lighter, it’s the ideal time to squeeze in a trip to the theatre – or three. Liverpool venues have live performance covered in the shortest month of the year with a range of productions from big and bold musicals to intimate storytelling, and from comedy to hard-hitting drama. February kicks off with a return to the Empire stage for Tudor smash hit SIX the M
Kirkby Ski Slope inspires new Royal Court comedy
The real-life story of the infamous Kirkby Ski Slope has inspired a new comedy coming to the Liverpool Royal Court stage next summer. Liverpool playwright Kieran Lynn has written Taking the Piste which will be staged at the Roe Street theatre from June 19 to July 18, 2026. Donald Storm is head of Kirkby Council, and he’s got an eye on creating a new destination for tourists from around the world. And if he can make a few bob in the process, so much the better. Together with h
Brilliant shows heading for Liverpool in 2026
Liverpool venues have lined up a brilliant 12 months of entertainment to see the city’s theatre lovers through 2026 from start to finish. Despite the ongoing financial challenges being faced in the arts – as in the country at large, Liverpool theatre world has if anything upped its game even further with a whole host of must-see productions heading our way between January and December. Whether it’s old friends, first time visitors, acclaimed touring productions, re-visited cl
Review: The Scouse Christmas Carol at Liverpool Royal Court ****1/2
‘Will Charlie Dicko spin so fast in his grave that a sinkhole opens up?’ the Royal Court ponders in the marketing for its entertainingly larky take on the Victorian scribe’s much-loved, much-told Christmas ghost story. I’m not so sure. Because the ghost of Dickens past like a lark himself. Take the ‘lighthearted and frolicksome’ farce, Mr Nightingale’s Diary, which he penned with Punch editor Mark Lemon and performed on stage at the Philharmonic Hall in 1852 with his chums (i
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