Theatre is about so much more than Shakespeare or panto. There is a huge range of talent performing weekly throughout the city.
Whether you’re staying in our student accommodation in Marybone 1, Marybone 2, Marybone 3 or on Grenville Street by the Baltic Triangle, you won’t be far from a show!
Some of the best Liverpool plays and theatres include:
The Liverpool Playhouse Theatre is in Williamson Square near Lime Street Station. It’s a central location convenient for home and class and within walking distance of everywhere.
It’s a historic building that was formerly a music hall so has great acoustics and atmosphere. That makes it a great night out for just about anyone.
Performances include everything from soul to comedy, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel to The Beekeeper of Aleppo. The repertoire is wide and very varied, offering the perfect excuse to widen your exposure to all kinds of acts.
Prices vary depending on what’s on but most shows are student-friendly.
Liverpool Empire Theatre is on Lime Street, again in the city centre. It’s a convenient position, minutes from the Playhouse and the University of Liverpool.
This is another older building that’s perfect as a theatre. It’s huge inside with double-height seating and a large stage making it ideal for big performances.
The Liverpool Empire Theatre plays host to shows as diverse as The Bodyguard to The Matt Goss Experience, The Commitments to A Country Night in Nashville.
If you’re into signature plays in Liverpool or want to see some big names, this is usually where you come.
Prices vary a lot depending on the performance but none are overly expensive.
Royal Court Theatre on Roe Street in Liverpool is another central location close to Sanctuary Student’s accommodation.
The Royal Court Theatre is another impressive building with plenty of space, great acoustics, a café, bar and the usual side benefits.
The theatre plays host to an eclectic range of performances, from bingo to lunch clubs, scouse panto to film clubs, to alternative cabarets. If it can be shown on stage, the Royal Court Theatre will show it.
This isn’t the place to come for big names or superstar performances but it’s the place to come if you want a little something different.
Unity Theatre on Hope Place is on the edge of the Knowledge Quarter, an area you’ll get to know well if you decide to study in Liverpool. It’s close to the University of Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University and Sanctuary Students Grenville Street student accommodation, so it’s convenient for everything.
Unity Theatre has a niche market of alternative, LGBTQ+ and edgy artists. It’s not the mainstream but that doesn’t detract even slightly from the quality of the performers or the experience.
If you like your entertainment on the edge then this is the place to be. The building has a modern twist amongst more historic architecture yet still manages to fit in.
Pricing is entirely dependent on what’s on but the majority will be well within a student budget.
Everyman Theatre is on Hope Street, just down the road from Unity. It’s a central location convenient for the city centre and class, so is easy to pop into on the off chance something is on.
The theatre shows a little of everything from panto to musicals, movies to children’s story time. There’s also a strong community element to the theatre with talks, podcasts, workshops and events.
The theatre also works to develop new talent. Whether that’s writers, actors, singers or anything performance, there will be a mentor or workshop to help. If you have dreams of treading the boards to take your mind off your studies, Everyman Theatre could be for you.
There’s also a cool café where you can grab a bite before a performance and sensible pricing across the board so the theatre is accessible to everyone.
Epstein Theatre is on Hanover Road in the city centre, close to Popworld. It’s a great position in the centre of things and easy to get to from wherever you might be.
The Epstein is an older building, from around 1913 and has lots of character. The auditorium is large and seems to have more legroom between rows than other theatres, a small but important benefit for the taller among you.
Shows include theatre classics, musicals, comedy, interviews, music, drag, panto and anything you can think of. There’s an amazing variety here and some well-known names, which is why it’s so popular.
The bar has a pre-ordering system which you’ll need to know before the show. You order before and collect during the interval which is an interesting way of working. Otherwise, it’s a theatre like any other that works like any other.
Theatre in Liverpool is alive and well and despite the challenges most of the country has seen over the past few years, seems to be thriving too.
Theatre is about way more than Shakespeare or panto. There’s a whole variety of performances included within most theatre’s repertoire. It’s also about way more than being terribly serious about acting or portraying one of the many theatre stereotypes. You may not think theatre is for you but go see a comedian or a musical and it would be only the most stoic student that won’t be laughing out loud or singing along!
If you’re studying at the University of Liverpool or Liverpool John Moores University, each of these theatres are just a few minutes walk from class or from our Liverpool student accommodation.
With bars or cafes in most theatres, reasonably priced tickets and easy access, there’s no reason not to try a theatre in Liverpool while you’re here. We thoroughly recommend it!