11 shows to catch in Liverpool this autumn

The summer may still be at its height but given how fast June and July have sped past it won’t be long until the autumn theatre season is upon us.

And there is a packed programme of treats at Liverpool’s many venues this year.

From big budget musicals to intimate dramas, high comedy to high tragedy, local stories to international tales, and classic texts to thought-provoking new work, there’s plenty for lovers of live theatre to choose from between September and Christmas.

Several theatres are offering special homegrown productions while some old favourites are set to return to the Empire including Annie, starring Clare Sweeney as the bitter Miss Hannigan, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Here is my own pick of just 11 of those shows to catch on stages across Liverpool between now and Christmas.

Dirty Dancing – Liverpool Empire

September 1-5

Watermelons are optional, but fans of Dirty Dancing are promised (ahem) the time of their lives when the stage version of the 80s classic returns to the Empire to kickstart the autumn season.

When righteous teenager Frances ‘Baby’ Housman meets rebel dancer Johnny Castle, sparks fly, on and off the dancefloor. But can they overcome prejudice, challenge the conventions of early 60s America and their love emerge victorious? And can Baby shake off the attentions of Neil? Or will there be tears before both bedtime and the final show of the season?

Just remember, nobody puts Baby in the corner!

Book HERE

Waitress – Empire

September 7-12

West End smash hit musical Waitress makes a return booking at the Empire in September to dish up a delicious slice of entertainment after it previously played at the Lime Street theatre in 2022.

Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a little happiness in her life. When a hot new doctor arrives in town, life gets complicated.

The score is from Grammy Award-winning Sarah Bareilles, Carrie Hope Fletcher plays Jenna, Dan Partridge is Doctor Pametter and Liverpool’s own Les Dennis appears as Joe.

Read a review of a previous production of Waitress.

Book HERE

Letter to Brezhnev – Royal Court

September 11-October 17

This new stage version of much-loved Liverpool-based film Letter to Brezhnev, written by original screenwriter Frank Clarke, receives its world premiere at the city’s Royal Court this season.

Theresa and Elaine are young, beautiful and full of life. But they don’t think that will last long, because it’s 1985 and this is Kirby.

Sergei and Peter are fresh off the boat and revelling in being away from the Soviet Union. Liverpool has opened their eyes.

Teresa is looking for sex and a smile, Elaine wants love, romance and the dream of a life far away from the grime of Liverpool. All of them have the chance to forget their lives and live their dreams for one glorious night.

Book HERE

Death of a Salesman – Liverpool Everyman

September 19-October 10

Arthur Miller’s classic tale comes to the Everyman stage in a new production for autumn 2026.

Tomorrow always promised so much for Willy Loman. He’s worked hard, nurtured his dreams, put in the hours and done his best to be well liked. But as the future catches him up, why is he losing himself in yesterday’s memories? And why does tomorrow still seem so far out of reach?

Seamlessly weaving past and present into one of theatre’s most enduring stories, Death of a Salesman reveals a family at breaking point and a man in conflict with his own sense of worth.

Can Willy and those around him survive? Or will their gleaming tomorrow become a tarnished and tragic today?

Book HERE

Unsinkable – Hope Street Theatre

September 30-October 3

J Bruce Ismay was chairman of the White Star Line the night the RMS Titanic struck an iceberg in the Atlantic. Despite most officials sacrificing themselves in the disaster, Ismay found space in the last lifeboat to leave the starboard side.

Drowned with survivor’s guilt, he has returned to shore to discover the weight of the tragedy has only just begun. Should he have got in that lifeboat?

Unsinkable is described as an emotionally charged drama that interrogates the nature of masculinity, hubris and guilt, exploring the blurred line between survival and cowardice.

Finalist of Tip Tray Theatre's What Happens Next, and following a sold-out staged reading in 2025, Unsinkable makes its full-length premiere at the Hope Street Theatre this autumn.

Book HERE

Stuffed – Unity Theatre

October 2-3

Multi-award-winners Ugly Bucket return to the Unity this October to present what is billed as “a blazing inferno of physicality, electronica, and uncompromising personal testimony from the frontlines of the UK’s food banks”.

As phones ring, guts spill, and sparks ignite faster than they can be extinguished, five clowns search for hope and community in the face of helplessness.

Created in association with the Unity Theatre, Stuffed is “a roaring call to action amidst the wreckage of a desecrated system.”

All performances are captioned and will be accompanied by a free community meal and local food donation drive.

Book HERE

Pride and Prejudice (*Sort Of) – Liverpool Playhouse

October 13-17

It’s Jane Austen as you’ve never seen her before. Or perhaps you caught this brilliant and larky show when it came to New Brighton last spring?

If not, now’s your chance to immerse yourself in an evening of warmth and wit courtesy of an Olivier Award-winning production which enjoyed a smash hit West End season.

Men, money and microphones are fought over in this irreverent but affectionate adaptation of the classic novel, where the stakes couldn’t be higher when it comes to romance. The acclaimed production features a string of pop classics including Young Hearts Run Free, Will You Love Me Tomorrow and You’re So Vain.

Read a review of a previous production.

Book HERE

Present Laughter – Liverpool Playhouse

October 20-24

Tracy-Ann Oberman stars as ‘Geri’ Essendine in this new production of Noel Coward’s celebrated and hilarious portrayal of the temptations and pitfalls of theatrical celebrity.

Geri Essendine is a hugely successful actress (who has been 39 for the best part of a decade). Her personality, wit and charm have earned her a legion of devoted fans, young and old, and a coterie of friends, acquaintances and hangers-on.

Just as she is about to depart for a tour of Africa, Geri finds herself besieged by a bevvy of would-be lovers, not to mention her long-suffering secretary, estranged husband and an obsessed young playwright.

Will she ever disentangle herself from their tightening clutches and incessant demands? And deep down, does she really want to…?

The production also features the brilliant James Dreyfus and Adrian Lukis.

Book HERE

Off-Key – Unity Theatre

November 3-4

At a Birmingham grammar school bursting with overachievers, political meltdowns, and teenage delusion, best friends Sabrin and Ruqqiyah are free-falling to their futures.

Sabrin secretly prepares for a life-changing music audition, while Ruqqiyah orchestrates a symphony of her own- conducting the fall of a problematic teacher. Between Paramore, panic attacks, and increasingly chaotic schemes, the girls’ clashing priorities reach a crescendo that unveils a growingly strained bond.

Quick-witted and deeply heartfelt, award-winning collective Side eYe’s Off-Key is a coming-of-age drama about Black girlhood, ambition, friendship and what happens when the person who knows you best, becomes someone you no longer recognise.

Book HERE

Under the Mersey Moon – Epstein Theatre

November 11-13

Following its success at the Floral Pavilion, Country musical Under the Mersey Moon crosses the river to entertain Liverpool audiences this November.

The show, which features 13 original songs written by Jimmy Rae and Pete Davies, tells the uplifting story of one man’s determination to follow his dream, and the enduring power of love, home and family.

Inspired by his ailing grandfather, Danny Rogers – a struggling country musician from Liverpool – embarks on a make-or-break pilgrimage to Nashville, hoping to be discovered at last.

Will he fulfil his dream? Or will it prove a very different journey of discovery?

Book HERE

Mamma Mia! – Liverpool Empire

December 8-January 3 2027

Here they go again, my my, how can you resist it? The Empire rounds off the year by welcoming the smash-hit stage musical Mamma Mia! for Christmas 2026.

When Sophie, about to get married on the Greek island where she was brought up, embarks on a quest to discover the father she’s never known it brings her mother Donna face to face with three men from her distant romantic past on the eve of a wedding they’ll never forget.

But which one of the three (if any) is Sophie’s father? And will there be more than one happily ever after?

Book HERE