Liverpool Theatre Festival is returning this year with a host of LGBTQ+ visibility.
The 11-day festival, which takes place annually at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, will coincide with the city’s annual Pride celebrations. The event is set to feature 18 shows spanning 24 performances throughout the week starting Monday, July 24.
Genres include comedy, drama, music, opera, musical theatre and drag - with the organisers claiming it has the “strongest family line-up to date” since the festival launched in 2020.
READ MORE: Liverpool's Pride Month is upon us and this is what it means to me and the city
Producer and artistic director, Bill Elms, told the ECHO: "Liverpool Theatre Festival (LTF) has always been proud to feature a diverse and inclusive programme and every festival to date has had a strong LGBTQ+ presence. This year we overlap with Pride in Liverpool festival which enabled us to programme some great live entertainment over the weekend.
"This is the fourth staging of the festival and it’s something we are incredibly proud of – the festival was created in a matter of weeks in the midst of the pandemic to give a glimmer of hope, inspiration, and escapism to creatives and audiences alike. And we’re still continuing to do just that."
With Liverpool City Region’s Pride Festival taking place between Friday, July 28 and Sunday, July 30, LTF shows have been specifically programmed on these dates to complement the weekend celebration.
Laughterhouse Comedy
LGBTQ+ stand-up comedians are flocking to the city to deliver a night of laughter.
The Laughterhouse Comedy group is returning once again with some of their most popular acts ready to wow audiences. The evening’s MC is Jonathan Major who will be joined by Bethany Black, a comedian who has been performing for more than 20 years thanks to her sharp tongue and desire to overshare.
Rounding off the line-up is Welshman Morgen Hugely who is known for his routine of one-liners, rolling stories and observations.
Laughterhouse Comedy’s Pride special is on Friday, July 28 with two performances at 6 pm and 8.30 pm and is suitable for those aged 16 and over. Tickets cost either £18 or £20 depending on which show you book.
Shout! The Mod Musical
Shout! The Mod Musical is said to boast a “blend of hip-swivelling hits, eye-popping fashions, and outrageous dance moves” as it follows five girls as they come of age during the glorious days that made England swing.
The show, performed by Edge Hill University musical theatre students, aims to transport audiences back to the music, style, and freedom Shout! follows five groovy gals as they come of age during those glorious days that made England swing.
Travelling in time from 1960 to 1970, it chronicles the dawning liberation of women – from the rise of Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark and Cilla Black as independent women with major careers, to their American counterparts, redefining themselves in the face of changing attitudes about gender.
Shout! The Mod Musical is on Saturday, July 20, with two performances at 2.30 pm and 7.30 pm. This performance is suitable for those aged 10 and over. Tickets cost £18.
Dame Fanny and her fabulous friends
Dame Fanny is “delighted” to be returning to LTF after how her performance was received at last year’s event.
This time, however, she is accompanied by two friends including Liverpool performer, Violet Period Pain, who has been on the Pride Quarter scene for six years. Rounding off the trio is Superstar Boudoir DJ, Debs.
Dame Fanny and her fabulous friends is on Sunday, July 30 at 12 pm and is suitable for those aged six and above. Tickets cost £12 for adults and £10 for children.
The Magic Bookmark with Mama G
Families are encouraged to join pantomime dame, Mama G, as she presents a "new adventure". The show starts when a bookworm decides reading gives too much knowledge and makes all the books from Mama G's library disappear. Before the world turns to chaos, Mama G vows to save the day by finding three books but needs the help of those in the audience.
The panto is said to be "full of fun, interaction, song dance and puppetry." The Magic Bookmark with Mama G is on Monday, July 12 at 1:30 pm and is suitable for those aged four and over.
