Liverpool Playhouse Archives - North West End UK

21Mar

By Brian MaddenNo Comments

North West

Waiting for Godot – Liverpool Playhouse

Dominic Hill’s revival of Waiting for Godot, seen here at Everyman Theatre, reminds you why this play still divides audiences' decades after its premiere. Samuel Beckett’s writing can feel elusive and, at times, deliberately opaque - but in the right hands, it becomes something quietly powerful. The production opens on a stark, desolate set designed by Jean Chan. A fractured landscape stretches across the stage, dominated by the familiar solitary tree, here emerging from the wreckage of an abandoned car. It’s a world that feels worn down and forgotten, reinforcing the sense that time has stalled completely. At the centre are Vladimir and Estragon, played by George Costigan and Matthew Kelly. Their performances carry the production. There’s an ease between them that never feels theatr...

11Mar

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

The Constant Wife – Liverpool Playhouse

Take a step back into the 1920s with the Constant Wife which is based on the original play by W. Somerset Maugham and has been creatively adapted and revived by award winning Laura Wade and directed by Tamara Harvey. Despite being written nearly a century ago, Wade has beautifully written the play to maintain its original class, themes and sophistication; however, the play still feels surprisingly modern. An exploration of marriage, independence, and social hypocrisy. Meet Constance Middleton (Kara Tointon), well kept, organised, controlled, poised and who glides around stage with grace. The perfect wife and mother. However, all is not what it seems. Be prepared for a brilliant and comedic tale filled with surprise, wit, laughter, intrigue and an array of characters with wonderfully con...

5Mar

By Kevin EcclestonNo Comments

North West

War of the Worlds – Liverpool Playhouse

At Liverpool Playhouse, War of the Worlds is not presented as a conventional science-fiction spectacle. Instead, the innovative theatre company imitating the Dog transforms The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells into a striking exploration of storytelling itself. The result is a production that feels urgent, intelligent and technically daring. From the outset, the audience is made aware that they are watching a story being constructed. The stage resembles a film studio as much as a theatrical set: cameras are visible, miniature buildings sit on tables, and projected backdrops loom across large screens. Rather than hiding the mechanics, the company places them centre stage. This transparency becomes one of the production’s greatest strengths. As scenes of invasion and destruction unfold, w...

The Woman in Black – Liverpool Playhouse

25Feb

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

The Woman in Black – Liverpool Playhouse

Step back in time with one of the most popular and spine-tingling tales in the history of London’s West End, 'The Woman in Black' by Susan Hill. Currently touring the UK after its successful long reign in London, I had the absolute pleasure of witnessing last night’s production in Liverpool’s very own Playhouse. The playwright for this production was Stephen Mallatratt and it was directed by Robin Herford. The tale of the Woman in Black has had audiences gripped for over 30 years, it’s legacy and accomplishments have led it to become an equally prosperous film franchise starring Daniel Radcliffe. A macabre tale of one Mr Arthur Kripps (Philip Stewart), a young and carefree solicitor who has his future mapped out with his soon-to-be-wife, is sent to an unsettling and ominous estate to fi...

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts – Liverpool Playhouse

14Jan

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts – Liverpool Playhouse

Twists, turns, murder and mystery sound like your kind of evening? If so, join the dynamic cast of characters in Inspector Morse at the Liverpool Playhouse from 13th to 17th January 2026. The staging is set, the lights are low and you are plunged into an intriguingly immersive scene. A murder! Who killed sweet or troubled Rebecca? (Eliza Teale) Our main man, the likeable and quirky Inspector Morse (Tom Chambers) takes to the stage, accompanied by his more stable and rule following partner Lewis (Tachia Newall). Both dive into a shady past of wealth of characters from calm and composed Ellen (Teresa Banham), the wild and rough Freddy (James Gladdon), unstable and erratic Justin (Spin Glancy) and the messy and divaesc Verity (Charlotte Randle). Special mentions to Josh Katembela ...

Young Frankenstein – Liverpool Playhouse

5Dec

By Emma LambeNo Comments

North West

Young Frankenstein – Liverpool Playhouse

Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein has tickled the funny bone of many over the years. It's no wonder it works so well on stage in this fantastic musical adaptation. The show was packed with energy from all of the cast, right down to the versatile ensemble who played a range of different characters. Each actor brought the silly comedy you expect from a piece like this. The songs were all witty and gave great context for each scene and character. I cannot begin to express how special this cast was. There was no weak unit at all. Coronation Street's star Daniel Brocklebank leads the cast as Dr Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced Frankensteen) He keeps the memento going from start to finish and sets the tone of each scene. Jessica Martin is brilliant as Frau Blucher. The scene where she steps...

6Nov

By Anna SmithNo Comments

North West

Little Women – Liverpool Playhouse

Louisa May Alcott's classic heartwarming story is one of my favourites and centres around the coming of age of the March Sisters and is adapted by Anne-Marie Casey for the stage and directed by Loveday Ingram. The American Civil War is the backdrop and follows the lives of the four March sisters Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth as they navigate their way through life dealing with love, loss, their different ambitions and the transformation they each go through. Ruari Murchison's clever set is simple but so effective. The bare tree trunks on the stage work so well letting us imagine the outdoors and there is even a gentle falling of snow. The clever use of Matthew Buggs atmospheric music helps capture the mood and completely suits the period Li...

23Oct

By Johanna RobertsNo Comments

North West

Breaking the Code – Liverpool Playhouse

Occasionally, a production comes along that is so remarkable on so many levels you know it is going to stay with you for a very long time, and the current production of Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code fits that bill. I say ‘current production’, as I first saw this in London with Derek Jacobi, so my expectations were understandably high. However, this revived production surpassed all those expectations and then some. While the central element of Turing’s life is his work at Bletchley Park in breaking the Enigma code, the play reaches back into his boyhood and afterwards to his life as an academic to explore what inspired his brilliance at mathematics and cyphers and how society’s attitude towards his homosexuality drove him to suicide. The first two scenes, where the action jumps f...

26Sep

By Carole BaldockNo Comments

North West

Syncopated – Liverpool Playhouse

The meaning of syncopated is explained at the end, tho perhaps more sensible if used to introduce the play, the simplest definition being ‘a variety of rhythms’. There is also a question of balance: between a present day brief encounter and the story of the Southern Syncopated Orchestra, who brought jazz from America to the UK back in 1919. And it is a fascinating story; they enjoyed remarkable success, playing all over the country, including Buckingham Palace. But… Boy meets girl, boy annoys the hell out of girl (he’s a Londoner apart from anything else… boy asks for her help to compose a musical. Unfortunately, rather a contrived framing, not helped by being delivered in epistolatory style: after Frank from the Orchestra meets Liver Bird Penny, he sends her letters describing events - bu...

24Sep

By Lou SteggalsNo Comments

North West

The Last Laugh – Liverpool Playhouse

Paul Hendy’s The Last Laugh arrives at the Liverpool Playhouse as both tribute and portrait of three of Britain’s most iconic comedians – Tommy Cooper (Damian Williams), Eric Morecambe (Bob Golding) and Bob Monkhouse (Simon Cartwright) with an imagined meeting of the three in a slightly dilapidated dressing room of an unknown theatre. It’s a warm-hearted evening and our trio of actors are clearly accomplished mimics. However, with a sense that the show is a bit of an excuse to show off these talents, the show occasionally struggles as it slips uneasily between original theatre, greatest-hits homage and meandering biographical lecture. Each actor has an expert ear for the vocal cadence and physical timing of our comedians, honed through their own solo tribute shows, making the imper...