The Everyman & Playhouse will spread Liverpool’s cultural name beyond the city region again this year with a series of major collaborations. Working with Shakespeare’s Globe to mark the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, the theatres will co-produce The Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Associate Nick Bagnall which tours nationally and internationally before dates at the Everyman. Alumnus Jonathan Pryce leads the cast of The Globe’s The Merchant of Venice at the Playhouse ahead of a world tour. The theatres will also co-produce Frank McGuinness’s Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme with Headlong, Abbey Theatre, Dublin and Citizens Theatre, Glasgow at the Playhouse in June ahead of a national tour.

With the nation celebrating the global impact of William Shakespeare this year the Everyman & Playhouse will present its own mini season. They are partnering with Shakespeare’s Globe on a new production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. After rehearsing in Liverpool the production tours before arriving back at the Everyman in October. In July at the Playhouse, Everyman alumnus Jonathan Pryce returns to the city along with daughter Phoebe Pryce in The Globe’s hit production of The Merchant of Venice. The theatres will also be host venues for the series of short films The Complete Walk on 23rd and 24th April, including the Henry VI trilogy and Titus Andronicus directed by Nick Bagnall. The season of Shakespearean work also includes Northern Broadsides with The Merry Wives and Spymonkey who will be endeavouring to put all 74 Shakespearean deaths into one show with The Complete Deaths.

At the Playhouse in June, Headlong Artistic Director Jeremy Herrin (People Places and Things, The Nether, Wolf Hall) directs Frank McGuinness’s (The Matchbox) iconic war play Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme. The play marks the 100th anniversary one of the bloodiest battles in human history: The Battle of the Somme. This modern classic is presented by the Everyman & Playhouse in a major co-production with the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and Headlong. Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme is supported by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce.

Everyman & Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinetz said, “The second half of our spring season sees us collaborating with major national and international companies and artists to produce work that will carry our name around the world. We join the nation in our mini season celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare, we will also commemorate the significant centenary of the Battle of the Somme and the launch of a new piece by the phenomenal Daniel Kitson. From the global to the bespoke, we feel this is one of our most ambitious and exciting seasons yet.”

The Everyman has always been a crucible for powerful stories, whether that’s with a large ensemble or an individual tale. This summer we welcome back two favourites of the Liverpool stage with singular voices. Daniel Kitson presents his brand new show, Mouse – The Persistence of an Unlikely Thought and Shon Dale Jones, perhaps better known as Hugh Hughes will tour The Duke to the Hope Street venue. Our new theatre festival Everyword presents… takes centre stage for one week, a festival of new plays and new theatre-making, of stories, experiments and new ideas. The festival, Stories from the City, features a series of new plays-in-progress from writers including Jonathan Harvey and Michael Wynne, inspiring talks and workshops that are sure to delight, surprise and transform your views of the city.

The theatres continue to play a part in the city’s extensive cultural offer. In addition to The Complete Walk, Nick Bagnall and his company of actors bring their rehearsals for The Two Gentlemen of Verona to the Hornby Library on Saturday 23rd April as part of the St George’s Festival. The Everyman will once again be a hive of activity during Light Night thanks to an interactive family exhibition from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and a light and a sound installation by Carlos Bernal commissioned by Open Culture, while Everyword takes over the main stage for a special event. At The Playhouse Spymonkey’s The Complete Deaths will be one of the standout pieces in this year’s Physical Fest

Access to theatre for people from all backgrounds is a cornerstone of the Everyman & Playhouse and this season includes work that puts disabled artists and audiences centre stage. The national tour of The Government Inspector by the Ramps on the Moon consortium will be at the Everyman in June and the theatre will once again host Young DaDaFest’s annual showcase for young disabled performers. Young Everyman Playhouse will burst on to the main stage again with another devised piece by the company with Quantum. YEP explore time and space, molecules and atoms, time travel and whether or not Doctor Who is true. 20 Stories High’s young company celebrates its 10th Birthday with The Elasticated Sound-System, a brand new contemporary Musical Mash-Up where urgent political stories are re-mixed with personal heart rending tales.

The theatres are excited to bring a full scale opera to the Playhouse for the first time thanks to a collaboration by The Royal Opera House, Aldeburgh Music and Opera North. Pleasure, a new work by Liverpool composer Mark Simpson, is a family tragedy played out against the backdrop of a gay nightclub and features Lesley Garrett in the company. Dance will also be at the Playhouse courtesy of Atomos by cutting-edge contemporary choreographer Wayne McGregor which was nominated for the South Bank Sky Arts Award for Dance. The season also includes the tour of National Theatre of Scotland’s Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour as part of the company’s 10th Birthday celebrations. Funny, sad and raucously rude the creative team includes director Vicky Featherstone, Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall, and music arranger and supervisor Martin Lowe (Once).

Details:

Co-commissioned and co-produced by The Royal Opera House, Aldeburgh Music and Opera North

PLEASURE

Composer Mark Simpson

Librettist Melanie Challenger

Conductor Nicholas Kok

Director Tim Albery

At Liverpool Playhouse on 4th May

 

Higgledy Piggledy Enterprises, in association with Everyman & Playhouse

MOUSE – The Persistence of an Unlikely Thought

A new show by Daniel Kitson

At Liverpool Everyman from 17th to 28th May

 

Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow and Headlong present

OBSERVE THE SONS OF ULSTER MARCHING TOWARDS THE SOMME

Supported by the British Irish Chamber of Commerce

By Frank McGuinness

Directed by Jeremy Herrin

At Liverpool Playhouse from 8th to 25th June

 

Shakespeare’s Globe Present

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE

Directed by Jonathan Munby

At Liverpool Playhouse from 9th to 16th July

PRESS NIGHT: Liverpool Playhouse, Monday 11 July at 7:30pm

 

Everyman & Playhouse and Shakespeare’s Globe present

THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA

Directed by Nick Bagnall

At Liverpool Everyman from 5th to 29th October