Liverpool Empire announces reopening date after 18 months' closure

The Liverpool Empire will finally reopen its doors tomorrow after being dark for almost 18 months.

The Lime Street landmark, part of commercial theatre giants ATG, has been shut since the first lockdown was announced in March 2020.

It is promising a ‘season of show-stopping entertainment’ for city theatregoers which, along with new shows, includes many productions which have been postponed and rescheduled from earlier programmes because of the ongoing pandemic.

Frank Skinner will reopen the venue on Thursday, August 5 with his tour Showbiz, while the first major show set to take to the Empire’s massive stage will be the hotly anticipated Heathers The Musical which will play from August 17-28.

Family favourite Hairspray, starring Brenda Edwards as Motormouth Maybelle and Norman Pace as Wilbur Turnblad, will follow from August 30-September 4.

And other major touring shows heading for the theatre over the autumn include Magic Goes Wrong – the latest from Mischief Theatre (The Play That Goes Wrong) – from September 7-11, Rock of Ages (September 14-18), Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (September 23-October 16), The Addams Family (October 19-23) and West End smash hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (November 23-27).

This year’s Christmas show is Dreamgirls which opens on December 14.

Above: Everybody's Talking About Jamie. Top: Liverpool Empire - photo by Phil Tragen

Empire Theatre director Diane Belding said: “We're over the moon to announce our re-opening plans.

"We’ve missed live theatre and our audiences immensely. Our whole team have been touched by the support we've received from our community over the past few months.

“We’ve seen how much live theatre has been missed in the region and can't wait to give the people of Merseyside some much needed entertainment in the safest way possible.”

For more details on the full programme and booking visit the website HERE