Playhouse Theatre

I was lucky enough to be invited to the press night of the new in-​house production of Willy Russell’s classic ‘Educating Rita’ at the Playhouse last Tuesday. What a great night.
As ever the artistic and technical teams have produced a superb show; a stunning cast in Con O’Neill and Leanne Best, brilliant direction from Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinetz and a beautifully evocative set and lighting design. The original music is also stunning.
The ‘Playhouse Experience’ is quite a different theatre experience to any other in the city. Tucked away in a not particularly ‘arty’ part of Liverpool (unlike its sister theatre The Everyman, situated on Hope Street in the Georgian Quarter), one doesn’t expect to find it hiding beneath the shadows of Radio City Tower and the behemoth that is St John’s Market. Add to this the rather uninspiring 70s style entrance and one can feel somewhat underwhelmed at first sight. But once one enters the building and is greeted by the always helpful and friendly Front of House Staff and makes one’s way up the stairs that starts to change…
The main Circle lobby is light, spacious and comfortable and a great spot for people watching in Williamson Square while you enjoy a pre-​show drink. The bar offers good choice and is reasonably priced and again the staff are very friendly.
The best bit though is when you walk through the doors from lobby to auditorium and finally see this gorgeous example of Victorian theatre design. Complete with ornate proscenium arch over the stage and proper ‘Royal Box’ style boxes on either side (now used to house stage lights rather than VIPs) the stage and auditorium themselves are a feast for the eyes. Like a beautifully iced birthday cake. Even before the curtain comes up to reveal the set design of whatever play you’re attending you’ve been given a visual treat.
Obviously some areas of the auditorium have better sight lines than others and leg room can be an issue for taller theatre goers but whether you are sitting in the stalls, circle or gallery you are going to get a fabulous view.
The only negatives for me are that they could do with more toilets as on busy nights like last Tuesday there are huge queues before curtain up and in the interval plus parking is not the easiest round there. But the theatre is only a hop, skip and a jump from Queen’s Square bus station and Lime Street (overground and Metro) is about a 5−10min walk away.
All in all though, I find attending the Playhouse hugely enjoyable and something that I would encourage both residents and out of towners alike to experience.

We went to the Playhouse to see Beautiful Thing. The theatre is in the heart of Liverpool with cheap car parking only round the corner.
The Playhouse is only a small theatre but it is very cosy, some of the seating are quite close together but still comfortable.
They have a small bar but the prices are very reasonable along with the prices of the sundries which is unusual as normally theatres add at least 10% on for these things.

I must confess, the Playhouse has never been my favourite theatre in Liverpool, I much prefer the Empire which holds a much larger audience, can host much larger and louder performances, and is just more glamorous and exciting. However, the small scale of the Playhouse can make for a very intimate show; the stories are better told, with real focus on the actor rather than a large orchestra, bright lights and stage dress; the Playhouse takes it back to basics.
The last show I went to see was Spike Milligan’s ‘Adolf Hitler: My part in his downfall’ which was brilliant; it was a very entertaining show and lived up to my high expectations. My family and I visited the café for pre-​show drinks and were, as usual, satisfied with the service and standard of the café.
I have managed to get tickets for Anthony and Cleopatra starring Kim Cattrall this October and cannot wait!

The Playhouse theatre was a bit of a hidden gem for me and something I only discovered when I accidentally found myself on Williamson square on a foray into Liverpool city centre. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found as the building was tucked away and the aesthetics on the outside were very pleasing to the eye indeed. Now there are many theatres in Liverpool so there is lots of competition in this particular area but the playhouse holds its own admirably I believe.
There is obviously a number of quality shows to go and view and the quality throughout Liverpool just keeps on coming really.
This place is great because of its central location to town and as such makes for a great all round night.
On the whole worth a go.

The Playhouse strikes a bold shadow in Williamson Square, I’ve seen many a good play here, from Arthur Miller’s The Price and more recently, Ghost Stories (a cross between The League of Gentlemen and Derren Brown) with numbers scrawled over the walls, sifting into your subconscious and a true psychological horror.
On at the moment is a classic performance of The Woman in Black and it has to be said that the range of plays performed at The Playhouse is outstanding. A real old-​style theatre you can really enter into the atmosphere and enjoy the imaginative experience.
If you’re a bit short on cash and can’t afford tickets at full price or on the last minute, try going down on the day (preferably early!) as they sell any remaining tickets for a fiver. Cheaper than the cinema and a little more cultural!

The Playhouse is Liverpool’s flagship theatre bridging the much more commercial, popular musical production found at The Empire or Royal Court Theatre and the more fringe, experimental productions seen at The Everyman and Unity Theatre.
The Playhouse has a grand tradition as it has been the venue for many great productions and performances by Scouse playwrites and actors. It still produces new plays often by more familiar names but will tend to put on revivals of modern/​20^th century plays such as Jonathon Pryce’s performance in Harold Pinter’s The Caretaker.
The venue has a good mix of the new and traditional as the theatre is still a very old fashioned space and if you happen to be up near the roof as I was for a standup performance you can feel like you are hanging precariously over the stage. The bar, however, is a bright and modern part of the venue which has benefitted from the various donations and sponsorships that some of the city’s notable cultural venues have been awarded in recent years.

Liverpool Playhouse in Williamson Square is the UK’s oldest established repertory theatre with excellent performances throughout the year.
The Playhouse relates to creative excellence, artistic adventure and audience involvement. It has become the venue for numerous acclaimed new productions mainly of old plays, in contrast to its partner theatre, the Everyman, which has focused on new works. Although it is a small theatre, it is a classic gem of a building, not to be too underestimated by its size and caliber.
I would recommend a visit to this venue, certainly if you’re into theatre. As they say, laughter is the best medicine and that is exactly what you will get here!

The Playhouse is one of a few theatres in Liverpool, however it does have an air of difference about it. It is pretty traditional with the white walls and big heavy red curtains, however it has been recently refurbished allowing a modern twist to the buidling. I do feel a little sorry for the Playhouse as it is always sitting in the shadow of the Everyman. The two theatres have come together since 2004 to create an integrated programme under Artistic Director, Gemma Bodinetz.
The theatre has shown some brilliant productions, including The Woman in Black which is due to start soon and Antony and Cleopatra which starts in October of this year.

To say the Playhouse is my second favourite theatre in Liverpool is not to denigrate the place, I have seen some fantastic productions here it’s just that the city also boasts the Everyman which is by far my favourite theatre in the country.
The theatre has been here for some time and while the fascia and theatre itself are fairly traditional — whitewashed, cornice studded walls and heavy red curtains are the order of the day — the reception and bar areas have both received a bit of a facelift. This combination of the traditional and the modern is indicative of the sort of work that the Playhouse plays host to. Recently I have seen a fantastic production of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales which was excellent and demonstrated the versatility that an apron theatre space still has, given a skilled production team and set of actors.
The Woman in Black will be playing here very soon having had an immensely successful run in London and this is demonstrative of the sort of production and acting talent that the Playhouse can attract. Very, very highly recommended.

I am delighted that the historic Liverpool Playhouse was saved from closure about 10 years ago. It did go dark for a while, but miracles have been worked, and the present management of the theatre are doing a splendid job. The quality of productions — which mostly tends to be straight drama and comedy, rather than big shows (go to the Liverpool Empire for West End transfers and such) — is extremely high. Though it no longer has its own repertory company, per se, it is home to regular local productions. All My Sons, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Billy Liar are just a few of the excellent plays I’ve seen there in recent years.

great atmosphere, and very comfy
It is one of the oldest theatre around and seats 640 people so its a nice atmosphere. the playhouse is also embracing liverpool capital of culture and putting lots of plays on about liverpool history worth a lookin for anyone who wants to learn something new in a fun way.

Great theatre, excellent plays and events
Nice seats and good layout, Good view of stage from any seats
Nice atmosphere