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Arts and Culture
Creative Spotlight: In Conversation – Jon Barraclough
“To teach is to learn.” The artistic journey of Jon Barraclough is remarkably diverse – spanning drawing, photography, film, teaching, and research. Born in Bradford, he has lived and worked in numerous cities, including Newcastle, London, New York, Manchester, and now Liverpool and North Yorkshire. He has held significant positions, such as the Director of The Liverpool School of Art, and have been instrumental in initiatives like Drawing Paper UK and the Drawing(Paper)Show. His current…
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Arts and Culture
In Conversation – Professor Stephen Davismoon (Angel Field Festival Director)
At Liverpool Hope University’s Creative Campus in Everton, the Angel Field Festival brings a vibrant blend of international and local artistry to life. Building on the esteemed Cornerstone Festival, Angel Field offers a rich tapestry of music, theatre, dance, film, and visual art. Beyond the campus, the festival weaves its way through Liverpool, partnering with cultural institutions to share its diverse program. With a warm welcome, Angel Field strives to make exceptional arts accessible to…
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Theatre in Liverpool
A Play Within A Play, Within A Dying Moment: ‘Dead Mom Play’ at Unity Theatre
Dead Mom Play, at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre, dared to confront the raw, uncomfortable edges of grief and artistic creation, and did so with a surprising blend of dark humour and theatrical self-awareness. What initially seemed a straightforward narrative of a young playwright facing his mother’s impending death quickly unfurled into a meta- theatrical exploration of the very act of storytelling and creative performance. The premise, a young playwright grappling with his dying mother and the…
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Arts and Culture
In Conversation – Lisa Allen, CEO & Creative Director of Shakespeare North Playhouse
When Lisa Allen took the reins as CEO & Creative Director of Shakespeare North Playhouse in September 2024, she stepped into a venue with a strong foundation and a passionate community behind it. With a deep appreciation for the theatre’s role in both artistic excellence and local engagement, Lisa is leading the Playhouse into an exciting new chapter. In this interview, we discuss her first impressions of the venue and the town’s rich history of…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake At The Empire Theatre
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, a groundbreaking reimagining of the classic ballet, continues to resonate decades after its debut as we saw tonight at the Liverpool Empire. This 30th-anniversary production of Swan Lake, while perhaps less shocking than its 1995 premiere, retains its anarchic spirit and emotional core, offering a potent exploration of family dynamics, repressed desire, and the search for identity. Bourne’s genius lies in his ability to blend the familiar narrative with a fresh,…
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Theatre in Liverpool
In Conversation – Ben Blais And Griffin Bellah, Dead Mom Play
Have you ever experienced a play that made you laugh and cry in equal measure? Dead Mom Play, a dark comedy about a young man confronting his mother’s death, has resonated with audiences and critics alike. With reviews highlighting its “funny and moving” nature (Edinburgh Festival Fringe) it’s a play that promises to stay in the mind for a long time. You are highly recommended to catch a performance at the Unity Theatre on Saturday…
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Arts and Culture
Creative Spotlight: In Conversation – Ruth Dillon
Ruth Dillon is a multi-disciplinary artist working across photography, film, stop motion animation, and 3D installation. Her concept-driven work explores collective and living community memories, often addressing social issues. Beginning her career in photography and videography, including documenting the first National Aids Day event on Merseyside, she quickly became involved in socially engaged projects. She honed her film and darkroom skills, even contributing to the UK’s first Mobile studio for communities. A short film she…
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Music
In Conversation – Luce Mawdsley
Liverpool-based composer and guitarist Luce Mawdsley (they/them) crafts sonic tapestries woven from progressive experimentation and poetic inspiration. An autistic, nonbinary artist, Mawdsley’s work fearlessly explores the intersections of neurodivergence, mental health, and queerness, transmuting personal experience into subversive narratives of gender, sexuality, place, and identity. Their creative process is a journey of discovery, allowing the music to organically emerge as a landscape shaped by curiosity and intuitive intention. Mawdsley’s latest offering, Northwest & Nebulous, released…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: The Merchant of Venice 1936 At The Playhouse Theatre
A single candle flickers, a fragile point of light against the encroaching darkness. Hebrew prayers, ancient and resonant, murmur through the air, a whisper of tradition in a world about to be torn apart. Then, the illusion shatters. This is not the gilded cage of Shakespeare’s Venice, but the grimy reality of London’s East End, 1936. This production of The Merchant of Venice, a bold and unsettling reimagining, is a theatrical time machine, transporting us…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: OutHaus – Tenderfoot Theatre Company At Edge Hill University Arts Centre
OutHaus, a work-in-progress production by Tenderfoot Theatre Company, embodies a raw, exhilarating energy that belies its developmental status. This isn’t your typical tentative workshop performance, fraught with nervous glances and hesitant line deliveries. Instead, this 90-minute theatrical romp pulsates with a vibrant, infectious enthusiasm, grabbing the audience from the first moment and refusing to let go. It’s a testament to the company’s commitment to dynamic storytelling and a clear passion for the themes they explore.…
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Culture in Liverpool
Creative Spotlight: In Conversation – EB Lauren
Liverpool and Merseyside has a rich history of being a vibrant hub of creativity, home to artists whose work reflects the region’s rich culture and diversity. This new monthly column celebrates local talent by featuring a creative artist whose journey and craft has inspired and captivated across the region and internationally. Each article will explore the personal stories that shape their artistic style, uncovering how their background, experiences, and influences contribute to their unique vision.…
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Culture in Liverpool
In Conversation – Ethan Leyland
Up and coming Merseyside Fashion Designer Ethan Leyland takes time out to speak to Steve Kinrade about how he became interested in fashion and design, his influences, and the challenges of a young working-class student navigating the demands of an intensive degree course in the fast moving fashion industry. Liverpool Noise: Can you remember how old you were when you first took an interest in clothes and fashion? Ethan: I would say that my interest…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: Woman | Women At The Shakespeare North Playhouse
The press release to Rowena Gander’s Woman | Women boldly promises it to be a show that challenges traditional, normative ideas of lesbian relationships through a mixture of physical theatre and comedy. A show that will take a deep dive into the themes of pace, compatibility, attachment and internalized homophobia, showcasing how these issues resonate differently across individuals. This is a labour of love for Ms Gander, the culmination of experience gained over many years…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Review: ‘Giselle’ At Liverpool Empire Theatre
Witnessing the English National Ballet’s revival of their 1971 Giselle was an experience to savour, one that elevated the standard for this beloved classic to new heights. The company executed each element to near perfection—Mary Skeaping’s renowned choreography and direction, the meticulous recreation of David Walker’s original set, the evocative lighting and costumes, and the orchestra’s powerful score under Gavin Sutherland’s expert direction. Together, these components coalesced into a afternoon matinee performance of extraordinary intensity…
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Theatre in Liverpool
Theatre Review: Twelfth Night at Shakespeare North Playhouse
Warrington’s theatre company, Not Too Tame, have provided the Prescot venue with a real marmite of a production. Some of you are going to love it, whilst others, not so. But what can’t be doubted is the level of commitment that the ensemble of the cast bring to their performance. The play’s setting shifts from Illyria to one of a musical industry setting, one which seems to dwindle in importance as the play progresses. But…
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Music
New Noise March 2024 Music Roundup
Check out the latest releases from the Liverpool music scene. Spring is now officially just round the corner and what better way to usher in the seasonal positivity than a track from that Scouser in exile, Lewis Evans. Only The Strong is a nicely laid back track which Lewis channels his inner Clint Mansell of Nineties funsters PWEI with the help of French rappers LBLK. Evans should be applauded from the house tops for ploughing…
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Music
New Noise February 2024 Music Roundup
January doesn’t seem to be the longest month anymore, and as life seems to get quicker, the first month of the year seems to disappear in a flash. But the second month of 2024 gifts some great local musical releases to our ears… First up we have The Guize, who never ever disappoint. Bardo House, their new single, is full of great tune-age and riff-age, delivered with a huge dollop of Guize campness. This would…
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Music
New Noise January 2024 Music Roundup
As 2024 kicks off, here’s our roundup of releases for a notoriously quiet month. First up is Zenith, with their heavy heavy Bodycount. And I love this track, for many reasons, ok, well four. Number one, it starts a lot like Deep Purple’s Highway Star, with a very similar Blackmorian guitar tone. Secondly, this track isn’t produced to within an inch of its life. Its gritty, fuzzy and at times it sounds they are playing…
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Music
New Noise December 2023 Music Roundup
Well another year has slipped effortlessly through our collective grasp, and to signal the end of the old and in with the new, here at Liverpool Noise we welcome the collective efforts of our local musicians to add their artistic perspective to this transition. So first up is Centerfold with their second single Changing World, whose press release assures us that they are a “modern rock band”. However, that’s where the relationship with modernity ends,…
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Music
Helen Maw Releases Reflective Instrumental Piece ‘After Hours’
Helen Maw’s latest release could be seen as a brave move – being that it is an instrumental piece – but it is one that pays off in a handsome fashion. Indeed, it highlights Maw’s musical strengths away from the singer-songwriter genre. Sonically, After Hours is most interesting, as it manipulates not only melody but depth of sound. The low bass notes that signals the sound of the piece is a constant throughout, which reminds…
