The award-winning Liverpool Theatre Festival has confirmed it is to return later this year.
The popular event, which showcases many of the city's eclectic and entertaining creatives, will be back at the much-loved St Luke's Bombed Out Church this autumn, for a third consecutive year.
Organisers of the award-winning Liverpool Theatre Festival have also confirmed Little LTF, the festival’s sister event to showcase new works, will return for a second year in spring 2022.
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Liverpool Theatre Festival was first staged in September 2020 with the intention of boosting the city's live performance and creative arts sectors in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and its deep, far reaching impact on the industry. Theatres and live entertainment venues were ordered to close immediately under the Government’s first national lockdown guidelines, introduced back in March 2020.
After a hugely successful inaugural year, the event returned in 2021 welcoming 2,700 festival-goers across 12 days, with a programme featuring 23 performances of 16 shows.
Last year also saw the introduction of fringe event Little LTF, a seven day mini festival to champion and showcase new works and talent, which attracted more than 1,000 festival-goers in its debut year.
Now, the dates for this year's two events have been announced by organisers.
Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022 will take place between Wednesday, August 31 and Sunday, September 11 2022. Little LTF - Liverpool Theatre Festival Of New Works - will take place from Monday, May 2 to Sunday, May 8 2022.
Both events will once again take place at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church in Liverpool's thriving city centre - the marquee as the backdrop for Little LTF, with the main festival taking place outdoors.
The festival has been praised for its diverse range and inclusive genre of live performance pieces, which each year have featured works of comedy, musicals, drama, opera, dance, LGBTQ+, and children’s productions.
Liverpool Theatre Festival was created by Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms, who has worked in the theatre industry for more than 30 years.
In lockdown, it was Bill’s mission to reinvigorate and boost the city’s live performance and creative arts sector, offering a lifeline when it was needed most, with Liverpool Theatre Festival being created in a matter of weeks.
Due to its ongoing success and continuing growth, Bill has been nominated for a Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Award for a second consecutive year.
Producer and artistic director Bill Elms said: "We are incredibly excited to announce the return of Liverpool Theatre Festival for a third consecutive year, and Little LTF is back for a second year. When the pandemic struck, the creative arts and live performance sector of Liverpool City Region was hit hard. Live theatre has been my passion for more than 30 years and I just had to do something to help.
"Given the support we’ve received since we announced the first festival in August 2020, you can really feel just how much live performance and entertainment means to people. People were desperate to experience that thrill once again. And now we’re back with a main festival for established work and performers, and a fringe event to showcase and celebrate new work.
"The festival has already established itself as a staple in the city’s annual theatre calendar. Success stories are now being created as a direct result of the festival, with a number of shows now going on to achieve greater success in regional venues and touring the UK.
"Theatre is back, join us on the next exciting adventure of Liverpool Theatre Festival."
Shows for the main Liverpool Theatre Festival will be announced in the coming months. Creatives are now invited to submit new works for Little LTF. The deadline is Friday, March 18 2022. For more information, click here.
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