King Lear and The Merchant of Venice will be staged in Liverpool this summer, with support from the Royal Shakespeare Company and Stephen Fry, as the city’s PurpleCoat Productions stage a huge double-bill to celebrate their fifth year.

One ensemble from Liverpool will present both shows, which includes two of Shakespeare’s greatest and most challenging plays. The newly built Dome in Liverpool One will present The Merchant of Venice, while the iconic “Bombed-Out Church”, St. Luke’s, will play host to Shakespeare’s epic tragedy, King Lear.