News

2011 New Season Announced

26th November 2010

Following an outstanding season which saw more than 25,000 theatregoers watch Kim Cattrall and Jeffery Kissoon lead an amazing cast in Janet Suzman's critically acclaimed production of Antony and Cleopatra, Everyman and Playhouse Artistic Director, Gemma Bodinetz, and Executive Director, Deborah Aydon, now announce the theatres' thrilling new season.

The 2011 season at the Playhouse launches in February with Steven Berkoff’s thunderous adaptation of Sophocles’s greatest Greek tragedy, OEDIPUS. This Everyman and Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse co-production, also directed by the great man himself whose previous directing credits include the acclaimed On The Waterfront, Coriolanus, and Salome, OEDIPUS promises a stirring theatrical experience, as one man's blind ambition to appease the angry Gods unearths a hideous secret.

The Everyman continues to put new writing at its heart. A massive hit when it was performed in a rehearsed reading at Everyword in May 2010, our first production at the Everyman next year will be DEAD HEAVY FANTASTIC - a raucous new comedy by Liverpool playwright Robert Farquhar (Bad Jazz, Anthology – A Word Does Not Exist). Directed by Matt Wilde (On Tour, Lost Monsters) the story follows lonely heart Frank as finds himself on one nightmarish rollercoaster of a night out in the city.

In April at the playhouse Roald Dahl’s renowned dark short stories for adults are brought to the stage for the first time by The League of Gentlemen’s Jeremy Dyson, co-writer of the Everyman and Playhouse and Lyric Hammersmith smash-hit Ghost Stories and directed by Polly Findlay winner of the JMK Trust young theatre director award. ROALD DAHL’S TWISTED TALES enters a wonderfully dark and dangerous world where nothing is quite as it seems and every outcome is surprising. An Everyman and Playhouse, Lyric Hammersmith and Northern Stage co-production, this show will also be seen in Hammersmith and Newcastle.

The theatres continue to bring the highest quality theatre companies from around the UK to Liverpool. Paines Plough visit with their Drum Theatre Plymouth co-production LOVE, LOVE, LOVE - Olivier Award winning playwright Mike Bartlett's take on the baby boomer generation as it retires. Hull Truck brings a real treat with their production of Alan Bennett's beautifully observed and sharply intelligent classic, THE LADY IN THE VAN, starring Nichola McAuliffe. Then Out of Joint and Max Stafford-Clark make a very welcome return to Liverpool with their Lyric Hammersmith co-production, THE BIG FELLAH, Richard Bean's brilliantly original, funny and potent political drama, which received amazing reviews when it opened in September 2010.

For the Playhouse and Liverpool's eager dance audiences, the theatres are delighted to be welcoming back Henri Oguike’s world class dance company with BUTTERFLY DREAMING TOUR with a stunning new triple bill performed by five handpicked world-class dancers. Following last season’s critically acclaimed Declarations, which had its world première at the Playhouse, internationally renowned contemporary dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre return to Liverpool with REFLECTED, their latest exciting mixed programme.

At the Everyman THEY CALL HER NATASHA will offer a unique evening where classic songwriting and stunning performance come together as Lou Dagleish’s breathtaking vocals are accompanied by Michael Weston King’s superb guitar-vocals. Fresh Glory Productions’ LILIES ON THE LAND, based on letters and interviews, is a revealing, funny, and moving portrait of four land girls during World War II.

Following its rehearsed reading at Everyword in May 2010, and successful performances at the Latitude and North Wall Festivals, Liverpool playwright Laurence Wilson's (Lost Monsters, Urban Legend) TINY VOLCANOES comes to the Everyman as part of a UK tour produced by Paines Plough in association with the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. Two actors play a host of characters in a fast-paced, hilarious and excoriating inquisition into ‘noble old Blighty’.

Some Liverpool favourites return as World renowned virtuoso of the flamenco guitar, JUAN MARTÍN follows his mesmerising live performance in Cut to the Chase’s 2008 Liverpool Playhouse production, Blood Wedding, with a solo performance for the more intimate Everyman. Fringe First Winner Daniel Kitson makes another very welcome return after previously highly acclaimed We Are Gathered Here, C90, and 66a Church Road, with a new storyshow THE INTERMINABLE SUICIDE OF GREGORY CHURCH. And Sheffield's finest son, John Shuttleworth, brings back his sell-out 2010 Everyman show A MAN WITH NO MORE ROLLS.

The theatres continue their commitment to theatre for everyone with a variety of family shows for February and March. Based on the characters created by Lauren Child, Watershed Productions present the BBC Worldwide and Polka Theatre production of Jonathan Lloyd’s stage adaptation CHARLIE AND LOLA’S BEST BESTEST PLAY at the Everyman. A marvellous mix of puppets, live action and music. The following week John Hegley's double-bill, THE ADVENTURES OF MONSIEUR ROBINET for over 7s, and ANIMAL ALPHABOAT for age 3 and above, gives the whole family the chance to experience and take part in the poet’s unique approach to poetry, dance and song. At the Playhouse in March, Tall Stories Theatre Company follows its sell-out tour and West End success of The Gruffalo with Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s award-winning sequel THE GRUFFALO'S CHILD in another magical, musical adaptation.

The new season for Spring 2011 is currently on sale for Theatre First Members and will go on public sale on Wednesday 1 December.

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