Enjoy some Serious Nonsense at Prescot this summer

Serious nonsense is the order of the day in Prescot next month as part of Knowsley’s Borough of Culture celebrations.

A three-day Serious Nonsense Festival takes over the town and its new Shakespeare North Playhouse to mark the links between Knowsley and the poet and painter Edward Lear.

Michael Rosen, Lemn Sissay and Frank Cottrell Boyce are among the big names taking part in the event which runs from August 19-21.

People can expect live music and comedy, while a special series of readings, performances and talks curated in association with Writing on the Wall will take place at the Playhouse in Prospero Place.

Enjoy story time with Frank Cottrell Boyce, stand-up comedy with Shappi Khorsandi and a conversation with actress Eithne Browne who will be considering the similarities between Shakespeare and soap.

Prescot Town Centre meanwhile will become a giant performance space packed with free entertainment.

Don’t miss the giant birdcage where a tap-dancing canary is chased by two feisty cats, explore the belly of a 50ft sperm whale, mop the brow of a giant hypochondriac hippopotamus or book into the smallest hotel in the world with acrobatic bellboys and chambermaids.

The 13th Earl of Derby was Edward Lear’s patron and friend, and it was on a stay at nearby Knowsley Hall in 1871 that the absurdist poet wrote his famous verse The Owl and the Pussycat to entertain the Earl’s grandchildren.

The Serious Nonsense Festival runs from August 19-21. More details and tickets HERE