The Lantern Theatre

Waiting for Godot - 3rd and 4th October

A tragicomedy in two acts, Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece celebrated its 60th anniversary this year but its themes are as true today as it was then.

Brought to you by Liverpool’s newest theatre company Big Teeth, this is a rare opportunity to see one of the greatest plays ever written. Since Waiting for Godot, nothing has been the same.

3rd and 4th October

£10.00 Adult £8.00 Conc

Tales That Time Forgot - 19th, 20th and 21st July

It is the year 2093, libraries have become obsolete and books have been forgotten. The human race depends solely on televisions, electric gadgets and computer games to stimulate their minds.

Our young protagonist Roberta Price is desperate for stories, adventure and to rediscover the power of imagination that has long been absent from this future world.

Rejected by her 4D TV loving mother, and her PlayStation 3000, iPhone 64 obsessed friends, Bobby decides today is the day – she will enter the ancient, abandoned, haunted library. Who knows what she might discover?

Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre

19th, 20th and 21st July

£6 Adult and £4 Conccesion

Sam Avery’s Rock and Dole - Thursday 18th July

SAM AVERY wanted to be a rock star.
It nearly happened. Well, sort of . . .

Despite being signed up by BMG Records at the age of 17 (he had to resign from his beloved paper round), and subsequent tours with Mötörhead and Ice-T, the story soon took a familiar turn.
Contracts were annulled, money was stolen and before he knew it he was back at the paper shop asking for his fluorescent bag back.
He had rubbish hair anyway.
Join one of Livepools best loved comedians for an hour of stand up and a chance to preview his long awaited Edinburgh solo show

Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre?ref=hl

Thursday 18th July

£8.00 Adult £6.00 Conc

Cain - Friday 19th July

Municipal Theatre London presents an adaptation of Lord Byron’s classic verse drama: in the wilderness beyond the gates if Eden, Cain, the first born son of Adam and Eve, holds nothing but contempt for the God that expelled his parents from the Garden - until the angel Lucifer appears, offering salvation… at a price.

Edinburgh Fringe Preview

Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre?ref=hl

Friday 19th July

£7.00 Adult £5.00 Conc

Phil Doleman and Ian Emmerson - Saturday 14th September

Bringing together a myriad of jazz, folk and roots styles in their original compositions, Phil (ukulele and guitar) and Ian (ukulele) have built a reputation as entertaining, playful, engaging performers and earned their place amongst the finest ukulele players in the UK.

“Ian and Phil played their ukuleles at a virtuoso level that was often jaw droppingly fast and made you question how fingers that big could move so dextrously on such a tiny instrument.” Edward Stills, The Belper News

“Absolutely incredible… sophisticated, entertaining, amazing” Howard Coleman, promoter ‘Live Acoustic Special’

Saturday 14th September

£10 Adult £8 Conc

Jane and Lizzy - 17th, 18th and 19th October

Exactly 200 hundred years since it was first published,  Jane Austen meets Lizzy Bennet in a quirky new adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. 

The play depicts an imaginary meeting between Jane Austen and Lizzy Bennet who is both the character and the actress playing her.  As Jane enlists Lizzy’s help to recall and reclaim her story, the romantic fantasy we have become used to gives way to the sharp comic irony of the original novel.  Jane uses Lizzy to expose anew her characters’ absurd pretensions……but who is the author here, the writer or the actress, Jane or Lizzy?

17th, 18th and 19th October

£8 Adult £6 Conc

Pornovision - 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th July

PORNOVISION, a new play written by John Maguire and directed by Jennifer Bea.

Meet Bartholomew Younghusband……. Are you ready to see the world through his eyes?Our investigation into this bizarre affair will be conducted via, diaries, private phone call transcripts and letters. All rights have been given by the person’s relations, who consent to this investigation in the pursuit of finding some logic behind the events.

17th,18th, 19th and 20th July

£8.00 Adult £6.00 Conc

Bump (24:7 Theatre Festival Preview) - 16th, 17th and 18th July

‘This place is too big for small talk.’

The empty church drew Louise and Matt in with the promise of calm; a chance to be alone. But sometimes fate has other ideas.
Bump was written during Laura Kate Barrow’s time on the Everyman and Playhouse Young Writers Programme. It is her second full length play following Trolley-Shaped Bruise at Unity Theatre.

New 1 Act play produced by Shiny New and the Lantern Theatre first chance to see it previewed before it opens at Manchester’s 24/7 festival one of the country’s best known new writing platforms.

Reviews of Trolley-Shaped Bruise:
‘I could easily have sat for another hour watching these two interesting, multidimensional characters.’ (**** remotegoat)
‘Writing like this is hard to come by.’ (Liverpool50)

16th , 17th and 18th July

£8.00 Adult £6.00 Conc

No Names - 13th, 14th, 15th and 16th July

Two unlikely survivors find themselves trapped together in a house during an undead uprising.

Will Emma’s top ten rules to survive a zombie invasion be enough to get them through the night? Or will their clashing personalities lead to their demise? Zombie comedy drama with apocalyptic laughs.
New writing produced by Shiny New is heading to the Edinburgh Festival this August. See it first at the Lantern Theatre Liverpool.
Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre

13th, 14th, 15th and 16th July

£8 Adult £6 Conc

David Alnwick - 13th and 14th July

Comedian David Alnwick rocks his badass magic show, full of awesome with no f***ing about involved.

(F***ing ninja ginger wizard 5/5- ThreeWeeks) (Alnwick has a confident way- British comedy guide).
Edinburgh preview being shown as part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre

13th and 14th July

£7 Adult £5 Conc

Jollyboat - 17th and 20th July

Award-winning Musical Comedians Jollyboat bring you their best show yet.

All the hits, and a few surprises. “Best of the Free Fringe”
(Independent), *****(Informed Edinburgh), ****½(British Comedy
Guide), ****(Fringe Guru), “Brilliant” (BBC Radio Scotland).

Video at http://www.jollyboat.co.uk/.

Edinburgh preview being shown as part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre

17th and 20th July

£7 Adult £5 Conc

Alastair Clark - Saturday 13th July

Alastair Clark has a degree. He has a certificate to prove it. A candidly honest memoir chronicling the highs, lows and innumerable cock-ups of painfully typical philosophy student.

See how a promising fresh-faced 19-year-old was turned into dole queue fodder in just three years. A real riches to rags story.
Edinburgh preview being shown as part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre

Saturday 13th July

£7 Adult £5 Conc

Pinhole Pictures performed by Salford Arts Theatre young performers company - Friday 19th July

Pinhole Pitcures is the story of how Ethan helps his sister, Ruby, overcome a death in the family. 

With the aid of their childhood friends and a pinhole camera she eventually overcomes her loss.
Follow them on their journey to the duck pond and beyond..

Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre?ref=hl

Friday 19th July

£6.00

The Brief Afterlife of Reginald Tanner - 14th, 15th, 16th and 20th July

Resurrection comes at a price for NHS patients. Just ask test patient Reg Tanner - death’s biggest loser - who is due before the Minister of Mortality this afternoon. Topical comedy from the creator of ‘Saving Grace’ (***** FringeGuru.com) and ‘Excess Baggage’ (**** BroadwayBaby.com) (****Three Weeks)

 

 

New writing produced by Shiny New will is heading to the Edinburgh Festival this August. See it first at the Lantern Theatre Liverpool

Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre?ref=hl

14th, 15th, 16th and 20th July

£8 Adult £6 Conc

MDDC Graduating Live Lounge-  Monday 1st July 2013

This will be singing Performance by our 3rd year Graduating student a “Live Lounge”.

Monday 1st July 2013

£4.00

MAD (Merseyside Academy of Drama) ‘A Life In The Life’-  Wednesday 3rd July 2013

‘A Life In The Life’ takes us on a distorted emotional journey through a dying man’s memories.

Devised and developed by students on the Devising for Performance course at Merseyside Academy of Drama (MAD)
MAD specialises in classes for adults in Acting and Communication.
Our courses are for adults of all ages and from all walks of life, for experienced performers or beginners who wants to learn and have fun.

Wednesday 3rd July 2013

£6

Musicals Spectacular - 19th - 23rd August

Musical Theatre Summer School for ages 7-12 from Take a Hint Theatre Company.

Looking to entertain the kids this summer, why not let them entertain you?

Musicals Spectacular is a week long summer school run by professionally trained Take a Hint Theatre Company.

For just £70 per child for the week, Musicals Spectacular is the perfect opportunity for your little drama kings and queens to develop new skills and make a bunch of new friends.

Children involved will learn professional performance technique, act out scenes and songs from their favourite musicals, write songs of their own and showcase all of their new found skills in an end of week performance to parents.

19th - 23rd August

£70

Queertet 2013 - 25th - 27th July

Grin Theatre Productions are proud to present another fizzy, funny and filthy opening act to this years Pride celebrations.

Shortlisted for an award last year, Queertet this year is going to be even better with 4 fabulously decadent plays with an LGBT theme. Something to suit everyone’s taste (or bad taste!). Glamorous, musical, romantic, laugh out loud and uplifting - the list is endless - just come along and see what all the fuss is about - you won’t be disappointed!

25th, 26th and 27th July

£8.50 Adult £6.50 Conc

The Rise and Demise of Kenneth Kennedy-Smythe - 21st and 22nd June

The cult dark comedy from Mike Heath is back with a brand new production.

The Rise and Demise of Kenneth Kennedy-Smythe (winner of Best New Writing and Best Director from 2006 run) is a darkly comic political satire about two characters who have to make serious choices; exploring the power of the media during times of war.

The award winning Elysion Productions return to The Lantern Theatre after the acclaimed national tour of Dev’s Army.

http://www.elysionproductions.co.uk

21st and 22nd June

£8.00 Adult £6.00 Conc

Draw Your Heart Out - Sunday 23rd June

Draw Your Heart Out is a series of Sunday drawing workshops focusing on expressive drawing using live performance, costume and sound in the Lantern Theatre.

The workshop includes guided experiments in mark making and the creation of interesting live ‘stills’ accompanied by music to inspire an imaginative approach to drawing.

Illustrator Gill Smith will collaborate with performers to provide exciting drawing opportunities and a welcoming space for artists, students and first timers.

On Sunday 23rd June, Tmesis Theatre’s Elinor Randle will be our muse! She will perform extracts from Wolf Red, a dark and intriguing physical theatre piece.
Don’t miss this opportunity to witness awe-inspiring performance and a wonderful drawing stimulus.

All materials will be provided but feel free to bring your own.  There will be a bar/café on site or you may want to bring your lunch.

Sunday 23rd June

£30.00 Adult £15.00

Dave Giles, BriBry and Danny Gruff- Saturday 2nd November 2013

Three top singer songwriters make the Liverpool leg of the “ An Englishman, An Irishman and a Welshman tour” at The Lantern Theatre.

The show will be in two halves with each act playing in both halves and plenty of collaborations.

2nd November 2013

£10

Roberto Devereux - Thursday 12th September

An historic love triangle, Donizetti’s opera Roberto Devereux depicts the battle between Queen Elizabeth I, Robert Devereux - Earl of Essex and Sara the Duchess of Nottingham.

While Sara’s husband is plotting the death of Roberto, there is a great web of struggle between the main characters, ending with a tremendous mad scene for Elizabeth before Roberto’s offstage execution.

Considered some of Donizetti’s best vocal writing, this opera is thrilling in both music and drama.

This will be a semi-staged performance sung in Italian with English subtitles.

Thursday 12th September

£15 Adult £10 Concession

True Colours - 8th and 9th November

Albert is a retired miner, Dewsbury born and bred. He feels that his community is changing- and not for the better. Particularly regarding the Asian population- an attitude fuelled by his wife dying of a heart attack after being mugged by an Asian man.

So when his new home care worker, Janade, turns out to be Pakistani, sparks are bound to fly as both men find themselves confronting some very uncomfortable inner truths…
A new play by award-winning writer Adam Hughes, True Colours is a story of ignorance, loneliness, and what it really means to be British in modern society.

8th and 9th November

£10 Adult £8 Conc

The Disappearance of Sadie Jones - 8th and 9th October

The Disappearance of Sadie Jones
A contemporary dream play written and directed by Hannah Silva
Performed by Stephanie Greer, Elizabeth Crarer and Alan Humphreys

Sadie Jones wants to disappear. She walks a tightrope between reality and imagination, a chaos of words and silence. Sadie leads her boyfriend and her sister into the strange landscape of her unconscious; a place where speech sounds like music, buying apples is a lesson in absurdism and she sees words etched into her own skeleton.
The Disappearance of Sadie Jones is a unique blend of language, image and physicality, inspired by the ideas of Strindberg and companies such as Frantic Assembly.
 
‘This brave and powerful play confirms Hannah Silva as a truly original voice’
**** Exeunt Magazine
‘She uses techniques like cut-up and collage, sound poetry and physical theatre to create something that’s unique but nods to older forms like shamanism, pre-religious ceremonies, Dadaism, and the kind of games that children play with language’. 
 The Verb, Radio 3
http://hannahsilva.wordpress.com
@HannahSilvaUK
The Disappearance of Sadie Jones is supported by the Jerwood Charitable Foundation and using public funding by Arts Council England. It was developed through residencies at CPT, the Bike Shed Theatre and Beaford Arts.

8th and 9th October

£10.00 Adult £7 Conc

We Will Be Free Tolpuddle Martyrs Story - 19th 20th and 21st September

WE WILL BE FREE!
TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS STORY
A new play by Neil Gore
Directed by Louise Townsend & Richard Stone
Music directed by John Kirkpatrick
Designed by Fine Time Fontayne

WE WILL BE FREE!
TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS STORY
A new play by Neil Gore
Directed by Louise Townsend & Richard Stone
Music directed by John Kirkpatrick
Designed by Fine Time Fontayne

Following the hit sell-out production of THE RAGGED TROUSERED PHILANTHROPISTS,
Towns End Productions presents WE WILL BE FREE!, a new drama set in 1834 about the Tolpuddle Martyrs that follows the extraordinary true story of George and Betsy Loveless. He was a Methodist preacher and the leader of the six Dorsetshire farm labourers who were tried, convicted and condemned to harsh transportation by an oppressive Government for having the temerity to swear a secret oath and form a union to fight against a succession of wage cuts inflicted by the local landowner.

This vitally important story is told using the entertaining theatrical style developed through our production of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists; through Andy Vine’s powerful political cartoons and animation; through puppetry and the exquisite musical arrangements by revered folk singer and squeezebox player John Kirkpatrick, of the songs and rallying hymns of the Dorset labouring classes that resound down the years.

Reviews for ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’ tour 2012/2013

Ken Loach, Film Director.
“A strong and robust show
that brings the characters,
humour and inspirational
ideas of this great book to life.
It is needed now more than
ever. You’ll leave the theatre
and join the struggle!”

****
“...tremendous…delivered
with brio, humour and some
great songs.”
The Times

10/10
“Sensational…the achievement of
this production is nothing short of
breathtaking.”  Liverpool Echo

****
“A highly entertaining evening”
Whatsonstage

*****
“For depth of character, for
representation of text, for use of
space and movement it is quite
literally awesome.”
LoveShrewsbury.com

19th, 20th and 21st September

£10 Adult £8 Conc

Up4aMeet - Monday 29th July - Thursday 1st August

Starring X Factor heart-trob LLOYD DANIELS and Big Brother legend NIKKI GRAHAME.

Love in the 21st century is a complicated affair, particularly when you’re meeting guys through an app on your phone. Grant has never had much luck with men - until he swaps phones with a sexy Spanish naturist.  Then there’s Julian.  Slightly old, slightly bitter… Time to get creative with his profile.

But who is the mysterious CheekyLad?  Why is having sex like ordering a pizza?  And who ends up wrapped in cling film? 

Up4aMeet is an outrageous gay comedy, full of killer one-liners, hilarious characters and more gratuitous nudity than is decent.

http://www.up4ameetontour.com

29th, 30th, 31st July and 1st August

£16.00

Miss Julie - 11th October

Following last year’s production of Death and The Maiden, The Hyde Festival Theatre return to the Lantern Theatre with a brand new English version of Miss Julie adapted by Rob Johnston the writer of Einstein’s Daughter.

“Destroy me if you like. I deserve it. I’m shameful. I disgust myself.
But please, please help me get away.” 

Northern England. 1951.
The Festival of Britain is in full swing.
Post-war austerity is losing its bite and things are starting to change.
But for Miss Julie, they aren’t changing fast enough.

Friday 11th October

£8.00 Adult £6 Conc

Extreme Withdrawal Is Manifest- 12th July

‘Some patients experience hallucinations, often of voices ridiculing them and may have delusions
that they have been responsible for a horrific catastrophe’.

How can we understand the intricacies of
a clinically unstable mind, when we ourselves are volatile and unbalanced? This intense play follows the
traumatic experiences of a mother left drowning in the wake of her daughter’s disappearance. An original and
innovative play devised and performed by this exciting, new duo. This gripping performance encompasses
an unusual use of multi-role and multi-media to create a thrilling and fast-paced drama.

http://www.facebook.com/ScrunchieTheatreCompany
http://www.twitter.com/ScrunchieT

Part of the Shiny New Festival 2013 https://www.facebook.com/ShinyNewTheatre?ref=hl

12th July

£7 Adult and £4 Conccesion

Performance Space @ The Lantern

Want to perform your piece at The Lantern?

Hire Out Information

The Lantern Theatre is an open plan, modular space that can be used for a variety of different events, theatre, music and comedy.  Its current configuration is for theatre but can easily be changed to suit the needs of your event.  The size and shape of the venue gives a level of intimacy that audience members will love.

The performance space is roughly 6.5 x 6.5 meter with two sets of curtains at the rear of the space to enable crossovers
The lighting facilities in the theatre are limited due to the size of the space and are rigged at the front and sides only.  Our technicians will also be on hand to make any slight adjustments, dependent on your needs.  The space does have some height restriction and can not support sets in excess of 2.45 meters, we therefore strongly advise that you view the venue before making a booking.

The back stage and dressing room area is relatively compact but can easily accommodate a cast of 10 - 15 but there may be queue for the mirror.

The Lantern Theatre has a fully licensed bar serving drinks, snacks and ice cream before, during the interval and after the performances.  The bar will be staffed by employees of The Lantern Theatre at all times and can also be used as the box office for members of the public who wish to purchase their tickets on the day of the performance. Audience members are advised to arrive 15 - 30 minutes before the event begins.

The venue has a capacity of no more than 100 people.  Staff and cast members are included in this and should be factored into the production.  The configuration of seating that you currently see in the plan has the capacity for an audience of 73, an extra row of seats at the front would give a capacity of 85. For special events like music or comedy nights the seating can be moved to allow for tables and chairs and a small stage.

In the event of a fire, the staff members have been trained to assist the safe and orderly egress from the building through the exits shown on the plan by the red arrows.  There is a goods lift at the rear of the building.  Use must be staff

Technical Information

The Lantern Theatre has a warm, intimate and friendly atmosphere with a small control area at the rear left hand side of the audience which is not enclosed.

Stage Dimensions

Total Stage Area - 42m (6.5 x 6.5)

Working Depth - 4m (80 audience) - 6.5m (70 audience, no crossover)

Working Height - 2.4m

Working Width - 6.5m

Control Area

Lighting

Control Desk - Euro Light LC 2412

3 x 12 2.5kW Dimmers

Control of Smoke Machine

Control of House Lights

We have several fresnels, profiles and floods

Sound

A full sound system is provided and designed for each hire.  This can be discussed with the technical staff before the event.

2 x Peavy 4670 Speakers

2 x Foldback Speakers

2 x Sony Mini Disc

2 x CD Player

Additional Equipment (Can be hired for special events please ask for details)

1 x Shure Drum Mics Set

6 x Shure SM58 Mics

6 x Shure SM57 Mic

Various Stands

3 x Projectors and Screens

Speakers are hung at the rear of the performance space but can be moved if required.

Venue Hire Costs

£150 + Vat (Based upon a performance running for no more than two hours starting at 7.30pm and finishing before 9.30pm)

Cost includes

  * Get in at 4pm
  * Tech support from 5.30pm till 7.30pm
  * Lighting & sound engineer for your performance (7.30pm till 9.30pm)
  * Lantern Theatre staff for your event
  * Fully licensed bar that will be open for the duration of the event

Other Services Included

  * On-line bookings via The Lantern Theatre website
  * Box Office Management @ The Lantern Theatre
  * Event information on website
  * Event advertised in all local free listings
  * Small article in our monthly newsletter
  * Listing in our events guide outside the venue
  * Marketing on Facebook
  * Press release sent out to all local media

Extra Costs

  * Technician £10 per hour for technical rehearsals if required
  * Rehearsal space £40 per day (10am-4pm) Monday to Friday only (Subject to availability) Saturday & Sunday are not available for rehearsals
  * For performances that go beyond 9.30pm there will be an additional fee of £25 per half an hour to cover staffing costs incurred.

Additional Information

Please note that The Lantern Theatre does not have full disabled access.  If have any questions do not hesitate to call us if you require any further information
£50 booking deposit is required to conform your booking. 
The Lantern Theatre requires atleast 28 days notice to cancel an event or your deposit will not be refunded.

Book your event in advance - 0151 703 0000

Download: Theatre Plan & Specifications PDF