Shows at Liverpool theatres during October

It’s the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness…and a whole crop of new and favourite shows coming to Liverpool theatres.

While the city’s venues never really go fully ‘dark’ in the summer months, the autumn season sees an increase in productions and the programme has got into full swing by October.

So there’s plenty to see and enjoy for Liverpool theatre addicts over the 31 days up and until ‘all hallows’.

Several stage shows are continuing as September rolls into October, including the Everyman’s well-received new version of Romeo and Juliet and the Everyman and Playhouse’s co-production with Talawa Theatre Company, Syncopated, which is at the Playhouse Studio – both until October 4.

Meanwhile Ian Salmon’s brace of new plays which are on concurrently a different venues also continue to entertain.

Beatles’ biopic Shake it up Baby! is at the Epstein Theatre until October 11, and his The Derby-Days is pitting Red against Blue at the Royal Court until October 18.

October 18 is also the final date for the outrageous The Book of Mormon, packing them in at the Liverpool Empire as part of a UK tour.

A new month also brings a completely new selection of work, and October also kicks off with the 2025 Liverpool Fringe Festival, taking place in performance spaces all over the city centre and beyond. Full programme details HERE

The Unity is hosting Houma Miura with her surreal and witty one-woman show In The Beginning Was the Sun on October 2, while on the same evening you can catch Jamie McLaughlin’s two-hander Big Potatoes at the Liverpool Arts Bar in Hope Street.

October 2 is also the opening night of Gareth Farr’s powerful and poignant Britannia Waves the Rules, brought to the Hope Street Theatre by Off The Gound Theatre and running for three nights.

Emma Bispham, Lynn Francis and Liam Tobin are among the cast of zombie comedy The Anfield Apocalypse which is being premiered in the Royal Court Studio from October 3-18.

There’s Something About George at the Liverpool Playhouse on October 10-11 as Danny Taylor heads a cast of musicians telling the story of George Harrison, while Frantic Assembly returns to the Williamson Square theatre from October 14-18 with Lost Atoms.

The late Graeme Phillips sadly didn’t live to see his revival of Jean Genet’s The Maids staged at the Unity Theatre, but the venue’s current artistic director Elinor Randle has taken over directing duties to steer its run on October 15-16 instead.

Bindweed – billed as a ‘provocative and unflinching’ dive into the ‘shadowy corners of toxic masculinity, control and systematic failure’ – comes to the Hope Street Theatre from October 16-18.

And on October 17-18, Naughty Corner Productions celebrates the 10^th anniversary of Not The Horse by bringing what is described as “Liverpool’s favourite and most outrageous comedy” to the Epstein for ‘one last ride'.

Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code, coming to the Playhouse from October 21-25, tells the story of genius mathematician Alan Turing and his tragic life.

Above: Breaking the Code. Photo by Manuel Harlan.

And the same week, English National Ballet returns to the Empire, this time with The Sleeping Beauty. It will be staged from October 23-25.

There’s A Different Kind of Normal at the Hope Street Theatre from October 24-26.

Meanwhile Unity hosts two separate shows on October 25 – ArtsGroupie presents Charles Dickens’ powerful and haunting slice of Gothic horror The Signalman while ahead of that, writer and performer Claire Beerjeraz shares Rooted, a ‘darkly comic’ work-in-progress show.

And then on October 28 there’s the chance to relive the golden age of the musical with the return to the stage of Irving Berlin’s Top Hat, a heady romantic cocktail of witty dialogue, stunning choreography and glamorous costumes. It taps its way into the Empire for a four-night stay.

The month comes to a close in suitably spine-tingling fashion over Halloween courtesy of The People’s Players’ Once More….With Screaming at the Royal Court Studio. Catch it on October 31 and November 1.

For more information about all the shows and to book tickets, visit the individual theatre’s websites.