This October, Valley Community Theatre presents a striking double bill of theatre that blends history, activism and raw contemporary storytelling. On Monday 6 October (Valley Theatre, Childwall Valley Road) and Tuesday 7 October (The Studio Beyond, Wood Street), audiences can experience The Ballad of Crooked Lane and Wake – two works that promise to challenge, move and inspire.
At the heart of the evening is The Ballad of Crooked Lane, a new play that shines a light on one of Liverpool’s overlooked radicals. On the day of a painful operation to restore his sight, blind poet and fierce anti-slavery campaigner Edward Rushton reflects on the defining moments of his life.
Through conversation with his biographer, William Shepherd – minister of the Unitarian chapel in Gateacre – Rushton revisits the struggles, passions and principles that made him one of the city’s most compelling voices for justice. His story is full of grit and drama, yet carries a resonance that feels urgent and relevant today.
Sharing the stage is Wake, written and directed by Day Sheehan. While details of the piece are being kept close to the chest, audiences can expect an equally bold and thought-provoking work that sits in dialogue with Rushton’s story – unearthing questions of identity, loss, and what it means to fight for change in turbulent times.
This double bill is the latest offering from Valley Community Theatre, a registered charity rooted in Netherley, Liverpool. For over 30 years, Valley has been much more than a theatre – it’s been a hub of creativity, inclusion and wellbeing for local residents.
Backed by Liverpool City Council and the National Lottery Fund, the company’s work has ranged from youth arts programmes rolled out city-wide, to NHS-commissioned pieces tackling issues from dermatology services to human trafficking. Their projects have been shared nationally and internationally, with a reputation for innovation and authentic community engagement.
The upcoming productions carry this same ethos: using performance not only as entertainment, but as a spark for dialogue and connection. By pairing a vital piece of local history with contemporary theatre-making, Valley invites audiences to reflect on the past while confronting the present.
Tickets are available now via Make it Write. Don’t miss the chance to see two distinctive works that showcase theatre’s power to illuminate, provoke and bring people together.
