Unity Theatre reveals busy new autumn programme

Liverpool’s Unity Theatre has revealed its first season of shows and events under its new artistic director.

Eli Randle took the reins at the Hope Place venue earlier this year after the departure of former artistic director Gordon Millar.

And special ‘housewarming’ was held in April where people were invited to say what they would like to see in the theatre’s programming.

The Unity’s autumn season of 45 events and workshops will include appearances from All Things Considered, 20 Stories High, Box of Tricks and Red Ladder Theatre Company along with shows by Luma Creations, Kaya Herstad, Dora Colquhoun and Rowena Gander.

And there will also be the return of the Unity Christmas show with Teatro Pomodoro and Theatre Porto’s magical Star of Wonder being staged from December 17-21.

The season opens on September 13-14 with All Things Considered Theatre’s 8 Hours There and Back, a fusion of theatre, dance and projections which has been inspired by real-life testimonies of children and young people with a parent in prison.

It is followed from September 19-21 by the return of 20 Stories High with writer and director Ameera Conrad’s Who the F-K is Shakespeare? which features the stories of Lady Macbeth, Cleopatra, Ophelia and Viola but told as you’ll never have heard them before.

Conrad explains: “It’s a mash-up of original text, slam poetry and rap, taking the stores and turning them on their heads.”

On October 25, Red Ladder Theatre Company presents Sanctuary, a new musical with book, music and lyrics by Sarah Woods and Boff Whalley. Woods is an award-winning playwright and writer and composer Whalley, formerly of the band Chumbawamba, is the man behind Homebaked the Musical which was staged at Liverpool Royal Court in 2021.

Sanctuary, which is being staged in collaboration with Theatre Royal Wakefield and CAPA College, was inspired by Woods and Whalley’s work with a Cardiff refugee and asylum centre.

Above: Sanctuary is at the Unity Theatre on October 25

And Box of Tricks brings Danesha, a new coming-of-age story ‘exploring black culture, queer joy and finding and loving your authentic self’ on October 26.

Meanwhile on September 28, Unity 2 will be turned into a Monster Disco (for theatregoers both young and young at heart) courtesy of Headstrung.

And Luma Creations marks the Day of Indigenous Resistance and Cultural Diversity (known to others elsewhere as Columbus Day) on October 12 with Latinx, a Latin American showcase of live music, dance, poetry and storytelling.

Solo shows include Garry Starr’s acclaimed Edinburgh Fringe show Classic Penguins on September 27 (in which Starr performs every Classic Penguin novel in an hour wearing mostly just a tail coat and yellow flippers), Kaya Herstad’s heartfelt Scrambled Eggs on September 28, and Natalie Bellingham’s Look After Your Knees and Dora Colquhoun’s The Lodger, both on October 4-5.

Kate Kerrigan asks Am I Irish Yet? on October 16, while Lucy Hopkins presents Dark Mother on October 17, Fool Size Theatre brings Women Who Wank to the venue on October 19, and Side Eye presents Desperate Times on October 31.

Above: Monster Disco.

November sees a visit from Liverpool’s Arts Groupie CIC with Hammer & Helena on November 16, and Rowena Gander presents Woman | Woman on November 17 which ‘takes an academic deep dive into the fast-paced nature of lesbian relationships’.

Then the OBJECTproject promises ‘unhinged puppetry for adults’ in it’s the Ballad of The Underwater Daughter on November 20.

The programme also includes monthly scratch nights and a number of creative workshops throughout the autumn.

Eli Randle says: “I’m extremely proud to be taking the artistic direction of Unity, a very special venue to me and to the city. I’m also really excited to launch a season which has a rich, bold and diverse mix of homegrown work and premiers, festivals and acclaimed national and international artists with a mix of theatre, dance, puppetry, clown, family work and a range of opportunities for our local artist community.

“It is difficult financial times for everyone in the arts, so please come to our beautiful venue and expect a warm welcome!”

Full details of the season, and booking, from the Unity website HERE