The next phase of shows for the fourth annual Liverpool Theatre Festival have been announced and include a tribute to music powerhouse Gladys Knight, a comedy murder mystery, and a William Shakespeare play for children.
Liverpool Theatre Festival takes place this Summer, running for 11 days during the school holidays between Thursday 20 July and Sunday 30 July 2023. Once again, it will take place at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church in Liverpool city centre.
This is a new date for Liverpool Theatre Festival which usually takes place in September. The festival’s new works and fringe event Little LTF will go ahead in October 2023 instead of Spring. The changes ensure there is no clash with the city’s Eurovision celebrations.
Plus the new Summer dates for the main LTF mean that an exciting programme of daytime family shows can be included in the programme.
The six new shows are Gladys Knight…The Story, Locomotive For Murder: The Improvised Whodunnit, Mama G in The Magic Bookmark, The Monkey With No Bum, The Tempest By William Shakespeare, and The Oogy Boogy Man.
The new shows have been added to the programme announced recently, which already features Sober Companion starring Joe McGann and Jake Norton, Fred The Musical, Viva Tenori – A Celebration Of The Three Tenors, Whatever Happened To Billy Kenny, Perfectly Frank, and Magic Gareth: Level Up.
All 12 shows for Liverpool Theatre Festival are now on sale. More shows will be announced shortly.
This year’s festival partners are Edge Hill University, Morecrofts Solicitors, Bill Elms Associates and Ticket Quarter.
This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as the lead authority. Along with Liverpool City Council and Culture Liverpool.
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 and vision 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.
Since its inaugural staging in Autumn 2020, it has gone on to win 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.
Last year the festival boasted its biggest and most diverse programme to date featuring variety and cabaret, comedy, opera, drama, musicals, family shows, and drag acts. Now organisers are continuing to build on the extensive choice of shows.
Fringe event Little LTF – Liverpool Theatre Festival Of New Works will take place in the Autumn, running between Tuesday 3 October and Sunday 8 October 2023. Performances will be staged within the more intimate marquee at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church. Further details about submitting work will be announced soon.
Producer and artistic director Bill Elms commented: “With less than three months until the return of Liverpool Theatre Festival, this is a pivotal time in planning and we can announce further new shows. Last year’s event was our biggest and most diverse yet – and this year we are continuing to build on that success.
“As the festival takes place during the school Summer holidays, there is a strong and deliberate emphasis on children’s shows. This is the perfect introduction for youngsters to experience live performance – it’s outside, most shows are one hour, and most importantly we’ve tried to make the shows affordable in this current climate. The final programme will be announced shortly.”
Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com for the latest news updates.
