Liverpool Theatre Festival Announces Line-Up of Shows for 2022

Liverpool Theatre Festival has today revealed the exciting line-up of shows set to be premiered at Little LTF, its festival of new works when it returns to Liverpool City Centre next month. The second annual Little LTF will be staged at St Luke's Bombed Out Church from Tuesday 3 May to Sunday 8 May 2022.

The festival, a sister event to the main Liverpool Theatre Festival which returns this August for a third year, was founded by award-winning Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms and is dedicated to nurturing up-and-coming talent and showcasing new works for the first time. Last year the inaugural Little LTF attracted 1,200 festivalgoers. Now 12 new productions will be premiered over six days in an intimate marquee setting at St Luke's Bombed Out Church. Tickets go on sale today at 12pm.

The new productions were chosen from more than 30 entries by an experienced panel of industry professionals. Media and industry professionals will be invited to see the shows first-hand at the festival and accolades will also be given to outstanding productions in specific categories.

The 2022 festival opens on Tuesday 3 May with Megan Hindley and Beth Amos' murder-mystery comedy Not Drunk But Disorderly, followed on Wednesday 4 May with Grandmother, a heart-warming musical play by Asa Murphy.

It continues on Thursday 5 May with comedy Keeping Mum, written by Karl Voden, and Mark Heller's drama Killing Mice, while on Friday 6 May festivalgoers can enjoy Paul Daley's saucy, warm-hearted romantic comedy It Must Be Love, being brought to the stage by Pampas Plays, and get up close and personal with the star of Angie Waller and Claire Jones' cabaret show An Evening With Nana Funk.

A busy weekend of shows opens on Saturday 7 May with Murder, Mayhem and Magic, a children's show from Kate Allerston and A Place for Us CIC Theatre, followed by drama Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly by writer Rebekah McLoughlin and presented by Crew of Patches Theatre Company, and Sh*t Faced Santa, an outrageous festive comedy by All Day Breakfast Theatre Company.

And the festival concludes on Sunday 8 May with writer and director Victoria Evaristo's disability arts drama Just Aretha, Rebecca Casey and company's musical theatre extravaganza Bigger Than Broadway, and powerful Hillsborough play 97+ by Tom Cain.

The selection panel was made up of LTF Festival Director Bill Elms; theatre director and producer James Baker; Francesca Peschier, Head of New Works at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse; arts marketing professional Anthony Proctor; freelance arts consultant Sue Williams and national theatre booker David Fry.

Producer and artistic director Bill, who recently won the title of Covid-19 Creative Response (Individual) at the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards, said: "When we launched Little LTF last year, we were overwhelmed by the response both from creatives and from our audiences who flocked to see the fantastic range of new work staged at the Bombed-Out Church.

"That has continued this year with an incredibly high standard of submissions across the board. The ambition, creativity and talent on show means the panel has had a really tough time choosing just 12 shows to premiere at next month's festival.

"I can't wait to see them staged for the first time and I know our audiences are going to be just as inspired and entertained by what they see."

Genres represented in the diverse and inclusive programme include cabaret, comedy, disability arts, drama, family entertainment, LGBTQ and musical theatre.

Shows run between 50 minutes and 75 minutes (see individual show listings on the website), and there are no intervals. The festival will adhere to any Covid-19 guidelines required at the time.

Tickets for all the shows go on sale from 12 noon on Thursday 7 April here. Little LTF is supported by The Granada Foundation, sponsored by Falconer Chester Hall architects and partners include Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, Epstein Theatre, St Luke's Bombed Out Church and dBS Solutions.

Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com for the latest news updates.

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LITTLE LTF SHOW LISTINGS

LITTLE LTF - LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS

Tue 3 - Sun 8 May 2022

St Luke's Bombed Out Church, Leece Street, Liverpool, L1 2TR

Tickets for all the shows go on sale from 12noon on Thursday 7 April at www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com

NOT DRUNK BUT DISORDERLY

Date: Tuesday, 3 May

Time: 8pm

Tickets: £14

GRANDMOTHER

Date: Wednesday, 4 May

Time: 8pm

Tickets: £14

KEEPING MUM

Date: Thursday, 5 May

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £14

KILLING MICE

Date: Thursday, 5 May

Time: 9pm

Tickets: £14

IT MUST BE LOVE

Date: Friday, 6 May

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £14

AN EVENING WITH NANA FUNK

Date: Friday, 6 May

Time: 9pm

Tickets: £14

MURDER, MAYHEM & MAGIC

Date: Saturday, 7 May

Time: 2.30pm

Tickets: £14 (child discount available)

AROUND THE WORLD IN 72 DAYS: THE STORY OF NELLIE BLY

Date: Saturday, 7 May

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £14

SH*T FACED SANTA

Date: Saturday, 7 May

Time: 9pm

Tickets: £14

JUST ARETHA

Date: Sunday, 2 7May

Time: 2pm

Tickets: £14

BIGGER THAN BROADWAY

Date: Sunday, 8 May

Time: 5pm

Tickets: £14

97+

Date: Sunday, 8 May

Time: 8pm

Tickets: £14

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