Theatre Review: Horny Handed Tons Of Soil

Image Source: Unity Theatre

Written By: Scott Gunnion

Format: Play
Genre: Drama
Date: July 13 2017
Location: Unity Theatre, Liverpool, England

L8, L8. It seems I hardly know thee. Not if Horny Handed Tons of Soil is anything to go by.

Ordinarily, a love story usually takes the form of boy-meets-girl, man-meets-woman, or open-minded individual meets gender neutral individual. Not on this occasion. This performance was a love story between geography and biology. Between reason and nostalgia, or a parable on how one struggles to marry the two.

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Omnibus

Image Source: Unity Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Show
Genre: Comedy
Date: June 8 2017
Location: Unity Theatre, Liverpool, England

Omnibus, the show which scooped the inaugural Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize, has just begun its ten-day run in Unity Theatre, and it is also the first show to be playing Unity since its re-opening following extensive redevelopment.

Written by the very talented Katie Mulgrew and directed by Bob Farquhar, Omnibus tells the story of three housemates and their landlord, who are all at home ready for a Sunday dinner (or tea, as the characters remind us). Mark (Joel Parry) and Jess (Eva McKenna) are an item, with Mark supposedly planning to have Jess move in, much to the chagrin of Nell (Gemma Banks), who is the smarter, more logical-thinking housemate, and she particularly dislikes the "sexily-stupid" Jess for playing on her apparent confusion and cuteness to appease Mark and gain sympathy. As for Lauren (Alice Bunker-Whitney): the landlord is clearly a bit drunk, to say the very least, but she is also trying her best to hide the obvious pain suffered from being dumped at the altar, exactly one year prior.

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Unity Youth Theatre performs a new play by Esther Wilson this Saturday in Unity’s Dark Dark Wood

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Unity Theatre

This Saturday, December 17 at 7.30pm & 8.30pm, Unity Youth Theatre will give a special Christmas performance - 'Once There Were Trees' - inspired by the setting of the Dark Dark Wood and written by the members themselves with award winning Liverpool playwright Esther Wilson ('Ten Tiny Toes', 'Tony Teardrop', 'Unprotected').

Esther Wilson is an award-winning Liverpool playwright and screenwriter. She has written for Bafta and Emmy award winning shows The Street and Accused. She has also won an RTS Award for best newcomer for The Street.

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Unity Theatre Goes ‘Out Of Space’ For Spring 2017

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Unity Theatre

Unity Theatre has always had a reputation for sparking debate and challenging the norm. Whether it’s a searing show like Nina: A story about Me and Nina Simone, a festival performance at Homotopia, DadaFest or Physical Fest or the long standing and ever-popular Christmas show with Action Transport Theatre, Unity always programmes work which thinks outside of the box.

In Spring 2017, as Unity Theatre undergoes a £790,000 capital redevelopment, the theatre itself will go outside of its own box, and announces a season that reaches out of the theatre and into the community, with a selection of bold and reactive shows.

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Patrick Dineen performs in Unity Theatre’s Dark Dark Wood

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Unity Theatre

Patrick Dineen, composer for Christmas Show, Little Red and the Big Bad Wolf, performs in Unity Theatre’s Dark Dark Wood

Regular Unity Theatre and Action Transport Theatre Christmas show collaborator, composer Patrick Dineen will use the setting of Dark Dark Wood to continue his own exploration of music inspired by dark fairy tales on Thursday December 15 at 8pm.

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Little Red and The Big Bad Wolf

Image Source: Unity Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Pantomime
Genre: Comedy
Date: December 3 2016
Location: Unity Theatre, Liverpool, England

The fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood is known by virtually everyone, with the target audience obviously being young children. The story has slight differences in some versions, but needless to say, the core elements remain the same, including the relatively short time it takes to tell the tale.

Therefore, Little Red and The Big Bad Wolf was an intriguing prospect. How do you take a story which everybody will know, and which doesn't last too long, and create a theatre show out of it that will maintain interest and provide entertainment for attendees of all ages? Well, anybody who feels that this is an impossible task would be surprised, because Little Red ... ticks all the boxes, whilst adding some unique layers which ensure that it stands out from the classic fairytale.

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The Rise and Fall of The Hamburger Queen

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Show
Genre: Comedy
Date: November 4 2016
Location: Unity Theatre, Liverpool, England

If you are unfamiliar with the term "Hamburger Queen", you may wonder what the title means. Is it a new mascot for a fast food chain? Is it a best-selling Halloween costume at Asda George? Is it a secret character in a Mario Kart videogame? In reality, Hamburger Queen is a unique competition held annually in London; however, for the purpose of this article, Hamburger Queen is of greater relevance in providing the backdrop for Ashleigh Owen to tell a very interesting, and very funny, first-person account of her life story so far.

A local Liverpool girl whose carefree ways and innocent naivety are topped only by an outspoken love/hate relationship with her mother and an outrageous sense of humour, Ashleigh Owen uses her conversational personality, musical numbers, eye-catching props, plenty of memorable one-liners and, most importantly, the art of dance - or, as Ashleigh puts it, DANNNCE! - to explain how, inspired by aspects of her late father's own career, she decides to embark on a new path, one which in her mind could make her the next great British dance sensation.

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The Rise and Fall of The Hamburger Queen - A Preview

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Through comedic characterisations, dazzling dance routines, and a show-stopping voice (obviously, she can do it all) taking you on a journey through her life: from rags to riches, from Liverpool to London, from Nabzys to Nandos, Ashleigh Owen announces The Rise and Fall of The Hamburger Queen, a brand new one-woman comedy show which makes its debut at The Unity Theatre as part of Homotopia Festival from Thursday November 3-5. You are invited to join her, so bring along your funny bones, your dancing shoes ... and your inhalers.

The Rise and Fall of The Hamburger Queen is a story that may seem like it treads a familiar path. A one-woman show, a performer struggling to make it in the harsh world of showbiz, life lessons, colourful characters, and the most graphic musical number about childbirth you’re likely to find anywhere.

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Homotopia 2015: Scratch and See

Image Source: Unity Theatre

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Format: Show
Genre: Variety
Date: November 3 2015
Location: Unity Theatre, Liverpool, England

As part of the 2015 Homotopia festival, the Unity Theatre hosted Scratch and See, a variety show of sorts in that there were three very different acts, all with the same message of promoting one's rights to embrace their true personality and desires (some more subtle than others). Each section lasted around 20 minutes apiece, and the three-part showcase covered the entire quality scale.

The evening opened with Freddy & Frida, which was an unusual double act. Apparently hailing from Switzerland, and allegedly influenced by The Gods of Cheese, the two-some were something of a Eurovision parody as they delivered several songs which were either past Eurovision tunes or were similar to those seen at the annual music festival (by that, I mean the lyrics didn't make much sense; not that this is a knock on the likes of past Eurovision performers ABBA and, erm, Jedward). This was accompanied by some deliberately hammy dance moves and facial expressions, and with the performers themselves donning 1970s-style wigs and flamboyant attires. I wasn't quite sure what the underlying message of this act was. A parody, yes, but of what? They did discuss cheese a lot, and I have heard of cheesing (thanks to South Park; look it up, it's quite funny actually), but I'm unclear as to what their purpose was.

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Physical Fest 2015

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Unity Theatre

Just one week until Liverpool's International Physical Theatre Festival returns

It is now just one week until Liverpool’s Tmesis Theatre and Physical Fest return to the city for 2015. This year’s festival runs between Friday May 22–Saturday May 30 and offers an incredibly diverse range of acts and performances that are not to be missed.

As always, Tmesis Theatre will be bringing the very best and most established artists from all corners of the globe, with companies from Italy and Spain joining the UK performers for a truly international Physical Fest.

Physical Fest will launch on Friday May 22 at The Unity Theatre with Pact with Pointlessness, a one woman performance that lies somewhere between stand up and vaudeville. A double act for one from acclaimed choreographer Wendy Houston, who created it to tackle the death of her friend, choreographer and dancer Nigel Charnock - who she performed with in DV8, the show is full of crackling wit and ridiculous movement and is a frank demonstration of how it feels to be knocked sideways by death, renegotiate and carry on.

On Saturday May 23, also at The Unity, Ship of Fools present From the Cradle to the Bin, a hilarious odyssey about being thrown on life’s scrapheap, told through live music, grotesque parody and shocking imagery. Follow Mr Whitey, an affable English gent, as he spends his final days on the edge of a broken care system. Meet inept carers, sneering owners, money hungry family members and a whole host of others who are sure to make Mr. Whitey’s final day a memorable one.

Following on from his fifteen minute debut at Physical Fest 2014, Leebo Luby has had direction from Aitor Basauri (Spymonkey) to create a new absurd and extraordinary show, Faruchio Peru is Extraordinare. On Sunday May 24 at The Bluecoat, self-proclaimed ‘showman’ Faruchio Peru is an enigma wrapped in an ego, surrounded by an unpronounceable name, in this one man clowning show. An extraordinary man in ordinary times? Or a very ordinary man in extraordinarily absurd times? What does he want? What does he mean? Is there anything Farucchio Peru cannot do? He thinks not but is he mistaken?

Monday May 25 sees a night of work in development extracts at The Joe H Makin Centre, LJMU. In a double bill of exciting new physical work, Animikii Theatre present biblical tale Cain and Abel, exploring the theme of brotherhood through reimagined mythology, weaving vocal and movement languages with striking imagery and powerful music.

Then Yorgos Karamalegos presents some initial ideas from a two week workshop exploring the idea of Home and feelings of alienation with his core team, dramaturge Despina Sidiropolou and actor Tatiana Spivakova. Using the story of Medea as an entry point to their research as well as a personal study of the psychological triangle of mother, father and child.

Monday May 25 and Tuesday Ma 26 also feature Wild Trio, a site specific dance performance at 45-61 Duke Street, providing a refuge from capitalism in the heart of Liverpool 1. The Wild Trio have assembled and prepared, rigorously shedding social skins for the arrival of unexplainable phenomena. Site specific performance with dance artist Laura Doehler, Cathy Walsh and Genevieve Say.

Also on Tuesday May 26 at The Unity, Animal Religion present a stunning contemporary circus performance which brings out the inner animal in us all. In a grotesque parody of the modern human and the differences between the sexes, the stage is transformed into an “animalarium”; with acrobatics, heels, a spoon in the nose, rooster fight and ritual dances. It questions what is animal and what is human and includes a post show Q & A.

Friday May 29 sees the return of the annual Fest Live  at The Unity, an international showcase for the most exciting new physical and visual work from both emerging and established artists internationally which is carefully selected by a panel of the UK festival directors. With styles ranging from clown to dance theatre and hosted by a very special comic guest compares, Fest Live is an entertaining evening not to be missed.

Following the success of last year’s first draft of his hilarious clown show at last year’s festival, Jamie Wood returns with Oh No! to bring in the end of the festival on Saturday May 20. The new version of the show has been polished, trimmed, tucked and battered. When John Lennon fell in love with Yoko Ono the world was shocked. When they claimed there love was politics and art, the world squirmed. When Lennon was assassinated the world mourned. Playing amongst the enigmatic instructions of Yoko Ono's art works, in the shadow of Lennon's death, Oh No! is a psychedelic ride - a wonky homage to the woman damned for destroying the Beatles and a show about reckless optimism, high art and what we might yet have to learn from the hippies.

And if this line up wasn’t enough, The Unity Theatre also comes alive before and after the show. Come early to see intimate performances, pop up street theatre and have a bite to eat.

Squash Nutrition are serving delicious, locally gown food at every Unity Theatre show from 6pm. Buy two courses for just £5 with your ticket! Or just turn up and choose from a different seasonal menu every night.

Tmesis Theatre Graduate Company present Honky Tonk Hideaway before every show. A strange saloon, some deadly sins all add up to a physically immersive 15-minute experience. Presented at Unity 2, every night before and after the main Fest show at The Unity.

And as a final preshow warm up go on a solo trip into the bizarre beyond; Solotoria invites participants to step into the only seat in the house to view a repertory of shows including ballet and opera- totally immersive experiences in less than three and a half minutes. This is theatre for one, a miniature personal entertainment that has charmed and delighted all ages. Pop by and smile between 6-8pm before all of the Unity Theatre shows.

There will as ever, be a wide selection of participatory workshops and classes to take part in and full details of these can be found at www.physicalfest.com.

Physical Fest has become one of the international key events in Liverpool’s cultural programme, bringing the world's best local, national and international movement and physical theatre artists to Liverpool in an exciting 9 day programme of events, workshops, taster classes and performances. With an exciting and diverse line up, 2015 promises to deliver the exceptional class of entertainment this festival has become renowned for.

Liverpool's International Physical Theatre Festival returns

Written By: Mark Armstrong

Provided By: Tmesis Theatre/Physical Fest

Liverpool’s Tmesis Theatre and Physical Fest are back for 2015 with a line up that will be bigger and better than ever.

This year’s festival runs between Friday May 22–Saturday May 30, and for those who can't wait that long, there is a special festival warm-up weekend for young people with Young Physical Fest on Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3.

As always, Tmesis Theatre will be bringing the very best and most established artists from all corners of the globe, with companies from Italy and Spain joining the UK performers for a truly international Physical Fest.

Physical Fest will launch on Friday May 22 at The Unity Theatre with Pact with Pointlessness, a one-woman performance that lies somewhere between stand-up and vaudeville. Created to tackle the death of her friend, choreographer and dancer Nigel Charnock (with whom she performed with in DV8), the show is full of crackling wit and ridiculous movement and is a frank demonstration of how it feels to be knocked sideways by death, renegotiate and carry on.

The Unity will also play host to mini performances Honky Tonk Hideaway (a 15-minute immersive experience) and Solotoria, a show for one audience member in less than three and a half minutes. Both will be performed before the main shows at The Unity throughout the Festival.

On Saturday May 23. also at the Unity Theatre, Ship of Fools present From the Cradle to the Bin, a hilarious odyssey about being thrown on life’s scrapheap, told through live music, grotesque parody and shocking imagery. Follow Mr Whitey, an affable English gent, as he spends his final days on the edge of a broken care system.

Following on from his fifteen minute debut at Physical Fest 2014, Leebo Luby has had direction from Aitor Basauri (Spymonkey) to create a new absurd and extraordinary show, Faruchio Peru is Extraordinare.

On Sunday May 24 at The Bluecoat, self-proclaimed ‘showman’ Faruchio Peru is an enigma wrapped in an ego, surrounded by an unpronounceable name, in this one-man clowning show.

Monday May 25 sees a night of work in development extracts at The Joe H Makin Centre, LJMU. In a double bill of exciting new physical work, Animikii Theatre presents the biblical tale Cain and Abel, exploring the theme of brotherhood through reimagined mythology, weaving vocal and movement languages with striking imagery and powerful music.

Then, Yorgos Karamalegos presents initial ideas from a two-week workshop exploring the idea of Home and feelings of alienation, using the story of Medea as an entry point.

Monday May 25 and Tuesday May 26 also features Wild Trio, a site specific dance performance providing a refuge from capitalism in the heart of Liverpool ONE.

Also on Tuesday 26 May at The Unity, Animal Religion present a stunning contemporary circus performance bringing out the animal in us all. In a grotesque parody of the modern human and the differences between the sexes, the stage is transformed into an “animalarium”; with acrobatics, heels, a spoon in the nose, rooster fight and ritual dances.

Friday 29 May sees the return of the annual ‘Fest Live’ at The Unity, an international showcase of the most exciting new physical and visual work from both emerging and established artists, which is carefully selected by a panel of UK festival directors.

Following its UK Premiere at last year’s festival, Jamie Wood returns with Oh No! to bring in the end of the festival on Saturday May 30. Playing amongst the enigmatic instructions of Yoko Ono's art works, in the shadow of Lennon's death, Oh No! is a psychedelic ride, a wonky homage to the woman damned for destroying the Beatles and a show about reckless optimism, high art and what we might yet have to learn from the hippies.

There will also be a fantastic selection of Street Theatre set loose upon the public, taking place at various locations across the city including performances from Boom Booms, Eggmen and Conflux.

As always, the festival will also include a series of interactive workshops with sessions available in clowning, improvisation and physical theatre from top names in physical theatre including Anna-Helena McLean, a former member of Poland’s Gardzienice Centre for Theatre Practices; Yorgos Karamalegos; Jamie Wood; Italian company Instabili Vaganti; Vivien Wood; and Spanish company Animal Religion. Workshops will take place at The Bluecoat; full details on how to book a place can be found at www.physicalfest.com.

Ahead of the main festival, Physical Fest presents a weekend of free workshops and shows between Saturday May 2-Sunday May 3 at The Bluecoat. Aimed at young people and families, the special programme of events will feature workshops and performances suitable for all ages, including Parkour performance with The Urban Playground Team, life-sized Punch & Judy from Foolsize Theatre, plus puppet making, stage combat, circus skills and theatre games. There will also be performances inspired by The Bluecoat itself performed by local youth groups, and a show exploring life as a 17-year-old in a collaboration between Young Everyman Playhouse and Off the Ground.

Elinor Randle, artistic director of Physical Fest, commented: “Last year was a milestone for Tmesis Theatre and Physical Fest with it being the 10th Anniversary; it was an incredible achievement and testament to the artists and everyone involved, and of course for the people of Liverpool that have supported us and made it possible for us to come back year after year. This year, we have been working harder than ever to ensure a fantastic programme of events. There is more performance than ever, with something to do every night, food and festival club at the Unity, street theatre, as well as a developed and packed weekend for young people in early May.”

Physical Fest has become one of the international key events in Liverpool’s cultural programme, bringing the world's best local, national and international movement and physical theatre artists to Liverpool in an exciting nine-day programme of events, workshops, taster classes and performances. With an exciting and diverse line up, 2015 promises to deliver the exceptional class of entertainment this festival has become renowned for.