Everyman and Playhouse reveals world premiere and new season shows

Jonathan Larkin’s new play Cherry Jezebel will be given its world premiere at the Liverpool Everyman next spring.

The production by the playwright and Hollyoaks screenwriter is part of a new season of shows announced for the Everyman and Playhouse in 2022.

They include a return for Liverpool favourites Northern Broadsides, a new stage production of Dan Brown’s bestseller The Da Vinci Code starring Nigel Harman, Jim Cartwright’s The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, and Animal Farm, adapted and directed by Robert Icke.

There will also be a new version of Tim Firth’s Neville’s Island, retitled Sheila’s Island and putting a cast of women centre stage.

And the new season also includes a host of one-night shows and appearances from performers and household names including Roger McGough, Craig Revel Horwood, Nina Conti, Reginald D Hunter, John Shuttleworth and Count Arthur Strong.

Jonathan Larkin is a long-term collaborator with the Liverpool Everyman.

His Cherry Jezebel received a series of rehearsed readings earlier this year and returns as a full production from March 8-26, 2022. The cast will include northern, non-binary and Trans talent.

Northern Broadsides returns to the Playhouse with Shakespeare's As You Like It

The reality of growing up Queer in Liverpool is tough.

Legendary queens Cherry Brandy and Heidi Handjob have spent years on the drag scene and Cherry carries the scars to prove it. Walking art-kid Pearl Reckless is the new queen on the block and searching for connection.

Cherry has Heidi to rely on to join her at 3am on a sticky dancefloor, but what happens when you want to keep on dancing and the music’s stopped? As the queer family Cherry has forged slips through her fingers, who can our Queens turn to to keep the party going?

Larkin says: “I started writing Cherry Jezebel about four years ago and it has evolved from a celebration of older queer voices to a piece about trauma, family and the lengths outsiders will go to find a safe space in a violent straight white world.

“I’m looking forward to posing tough questions about how queer people are treated in Liverpool and beyond – but also showing how resilient and fabulous we are.”

For the full season details visit the website HERE