The third annual Liverpool Theatre Festival takes place between Wednesday 31 August and Sunday 11 September 2022, with shows daily performed outdoors within the walls of the historic St Luke’s Bombed Out Church in Liverpool city centre.
The festival boasts its biggest programme yet featuring variety and cabaret, comedy, opera, drama, musicals, family shows, and drag acts.
The three final additions to complete the programme are The Crown Duels – Gangs Of Hope; Stop The World, We’re Getting Off; and The Forgotten Forest.
The full programme also includes I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical; Fear And Misery Of The Third Reich; Laughterhouse Comedy; Not Drunk But Disorderly; Holy Moly Cabaret; The Wind In The Willows; Ma Joyce’s Tales From The Parlour; Venus Rising; Opera Beneath The Stars; 97+ – A Drama Based On The 1989 Hillsborough Disaster; Dame Fanny & The Starlets – A Family Friendly Drag Show; Drag Me To Church – Dragstravaganza; Julie Madly Deeply; and Looking For Me Friend – The Music Of Victoria Wood.
The line-up includes three shows which have already wowed audiences at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival – all three are coming to Liverpool for the very first time. I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical opens the festival on Wednesday 31 August; while Julie Madly Deeply and Looking For Me Friend – The Music Of Victoria Wood close the event on Sunday 11 September. They will come direct from the Scottish capital to debut at Liverpool Theatre Festival.
Drunk But Not Disorderly returns after its successful premiere at Little LTF (Liverpool Theatre Festival Of New Works) earlier this year – organisers have now invited the production to be part of the main event. It joins the previously announced 97+ – A Drama Based On The 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, which also premiered at Little LTF this year and is now included in the main programme. The Forgotten Forest makes a welcome return after a successful premiere at the inaugural Little LTF in 2021.
As part of the event, Liverpool Theatre Festival is launching a brand new night featuring the finest and quirkiest cabaret acts from across the region including comedy, burlesque, music, and circus. Holy Moly Cabaret is hosted by the super talented Nana Funk, and will feature Liverpool’s very own glamour queen Millie Dollar and award-winning comedy musicians Jollyboat.
Producer and artistic director Bill Elms commented:“We’re excited and thrilled to announce the final programme for Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022. From the very beginning, it was our mission to create a diverse festival to showcase new and developing works on an exciting platform for the talent which thrives so strong in our city and region. We are very proud of this year’s programme – and feel that the variety and cabaret elements will really strengthen our offer and appeal. So join us for 12 days of fun, laughter, drama, and uplifting live entertainment.”
Liverpool Theatre Festival was created by Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms, who has worked in the theatre industry for more than 30 years. Theatres and live entertainment venues were ordered to close immediately under the Government’s first national Covid-19 lockdown guidelines in March 2020.
It was Bill’s mission to reinvigorate and boost the city’s live performance and creative arts sector, offering a lifeline when it was needed most. Liverpool Theatre Festival was created in a matter of weeks. Its inaugural staging won praise from audiences and critics alike, as well as winning many awards along the way.
Liverpool Theatre Festival is committed to supporting local artists, creatives, and theatre companies. During the two events in 2021, a total of 30 local and regional diverse theatrical productions were staged – resulting in almost 200 performers, musicians and creatives involved and working as the pandemic continued.
Liverpool-based children’s charity KIND is this year’s official charity partner, which includes bucket collections at show performances. Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022 is dedicated to the memory of Baby Michael James who would have been celebrating his 21st Birthday this September.
LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL 2022
Wednesday 31 August – Sunday 11 September 2022
St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, Leece Street, Liverpool, L1 2TR
FEAR AND MISERY OF THE THIRD REICH
Date: Thursday 1 September
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: £20
Genre / Audience: Theatre | 12+
LAUGHTERHOUSE COMEDY
Date: Friday 2 September
Times: 6pm / 8.30pm
Tickets: £22
Genre / Audience: Comedy | 16+
NOT DRUNK BUT DISORDERLY
Date: Saturday 3 September
Times: 5pm
Tickets: £18
Genre / Audience: Comedy | 16+
HOLY MOLY CABARET
Date: Saturday 3 September
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: £20
Genre / Audience: Cabaret | 16+
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Date: Sunday 4 September
Times: 12pm
Tickets: £14 / Children £10
Genre / Audience: Family | 3+
MA JOYCE’S TALES FROM THE PARLOUR
Date: Sunday 4 September
Time: 3pm
Tickets: £18
Genre / Audience: Black Arts | 12+
VENUS RISING
Date: Monday 5 September
Times: 6pm / 8.30pm
Tickets: £22
Genre / Audience: Drama | 14+
THE CROWN DUELS – GANGS OF HOPE
Date: Tuesday 6 September
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: £18
Genre / Audience: Interactive | 16+
STOP THE WORLD, WE’RE GETTING OFF
Date: Wednesday 7 September
Times: 8pm
Tickets: £18
Genre / Audience: Drama | 14+
OPERA BENEATH THE STARS
Date: Thursday 8 September
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £28
Genre / Audience: Music | 12+
97+ – A DRAMA BASED ON THE 1989 HILLSBOROUGH DISASTER
Date: Friday 9 September
Time: 6pm / 8.30pm
Tickets: £20
Genre / Audience: Drama | 16+
THE FORGOTTEN FOREST
Date: Saturday 10 September
Times: 12pm
Tickets: £12 / Children £10
Genre / Audience: Family | 3+
DAME FANNY & THE STARLETS – A FAMILY FRIENDLY DRAG SHOW
Date: Saturday 10 September
Time: 4pm
Tickets: £15 / Children £12.50
Genre / Audience: LGBT+ Arts Family | 8+
DRAG ME TO CHURCH – DAME FANNY DE FAUX’S DRAGSTRAVAGANZA
Date: Saturday 10 September
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £18
Genre / Audience: LGBT+ Arts | 18+
JULIE MADLY DEEPLY
Date: Sunday 11 September
Time: 3pm
Tickets: £20
Genre / Audience: Musical | 8+
LOOKING FOR ME FRIEND – THE MUSIC OF VICTORIA WOOD
Date: Sunday 11 September
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £20
Genre / Audience: Musical | 12+
Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com to book your tickets.
