Liverpool Theatre Festival 2021 full line-up revealed

This year's Liverpool Theatre Festival opens on September 1 and organisers have now revealed the final line-up of shows.

The 12-day festival will showcase 16 shows across 23 individual performances at the Bombed Out Church.

The festival opens on September 1 with 2GORGEOUS4U, a new play by Mark Davies Markham which stars Lynne Fitzgerald as beautician and former pop princess Clare who fell out with best mate and fellow singer Wendy back in the 90s. Find out what happens when they’re asked to re-form their duo 2GORGEOUS4U to perform at a festival in their hometown Liverpool.

On September 2 David Knopov presents Perfectly Frank, his acclaimed tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes Frank Sinatra, delivering all those classic numbers alongside his swing quartet.

Poignant award-winning musical The Last Five Years entertains audiences on September 3. The Tread Productions show stars real-life couple Helen Noble and Graham Tudor as the New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of time.

When Another Dragon Roars

Altered Scale and Petit Ullaloom marry puppetry and storytelling in the heart-warming family show When Another Dragon Roars on September 4.

And September 4 also sees two performances of Everyone’s Talking About Musicals, a fabulous evening of musical theatre which stars Marcus Collins, Chloe Taylor, Craig Ryder and Gillian Hardie.

There’s more family entertainment on September 5 with Asa Murphy’s musical adaptation of children’s book Boing…Meow!

Meanwhile A Place For Us Theatre Company presents Electric Dreams, an 80s outdoor musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with shows at 4pm and 8pm.

September 6 sees An Evening Without Kate Bush explore the music and mythology of one of the most influential voices in British music.

An Evening Without Kate Bush

And on September 7, there’s a transfer from Little LTF for its hugely successful Twice Nightly, centred around a 1930s song and dance act. The show is written, directed and starring Michael Alan Bailey and Maria Lovelady and has an original score by Jess Dives.

Andrew Lancel performed Jonathan Harvey’s Swan Song at the inaugural festival last September before taking it on tour. Now he’s back for one night only on September 8.

There’s Opera Beneath the Stars on September 9 featuring tenor Roy Locke, soprano Leigh Rhianon Coggins and mezzo Lilly Papaioannou.

And Trish Duffy’s Broken Biscuits, previously performed in Liverpool and at Edinburgh, takes centre stage on September 10. The cast features Catherine Rice, Leanne Martin and Louise Garcia.

Ellesmere Port’s Boaty Theatre Company sails into Liverpool to present Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on Liverpool Theatre Festival’s eleventh afternoon, and Laughterhouse Comedy Club returns to the festival for a second year with two shows on the evening of September 11, both headlined by Gary Delaney.

Finally, on September 12 family audiences can enjoy magical, mash-up panto Goldilocks and the Fab 4.

And in the evening the festival come to a close with a celebration of ‘the quiet Beatle’ courtesy of Something About George – The George Harrison Story, starring Daniel Taylor.

Festival producer and artistic director Bill Elms said: “With less than three weeks until the curtain rises on the second annual Liverpool Theatre Festival, excitement and anticipation are really kicking in.

“We have a diverse programme offering a fantastic line-up. Many of these shows are being premiered as part of the festival, and for others they are coming to Liverpool for the very first time.

“We’re thrilled to welcome back Swan Song after rave reviews and a successful North West tour, and a return for Twice Nightly after it recently wowed audiences at our sister festival Little LTF. The festival will celebrate the wealth of talent we have to offer in Liverpool and the wider region.”

The festival is being staged with Covid-safe measures in place.

Liverpool Theatre Festival is at the Bombed Out Church from September 1-12. Full details and tickets on the website HERE