Lantern Theatre Liverpool’s annual Shiny New Festival returns this July for its fifth year acting as the theatres final in house production at their Blundell Street venue.
Family run theatre “The Lantern” has been lighting up The Baltic Triangle with their passion and commitment to grassroots performing arts, comedy and music. Which makes it all the more tragic that there will be no encore. Next month they will be sadly closing the doors and returning the keys for good. But rather than mourn, they want you to help them go out with a bang. The Lantern is owned and managed by Margaret, Daniel and Siobhan – a lethal trio of Mother, Brother and Sister. Mum of the family Margaret led the way with the family’s passion for theatre and the performing arts; she studied Community Theatre at university and eventually became a lecturer in Drama at Liverpool Hope University. This love was passed down to her children who both fondly remember being part of the Playhouse Youth Theatre as kids which sparked a long love affair with the performing arts.
The festival will run for an extended length of 10 days this year from 15th – 24th July due to an increase in applications from theatre companies and comedians keen to showcase their work ahead of August’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Since launching in 2011 Shiny New Festival has acted as a platform for companies to try out new work whilst also offering audiences an eclectic mix of new writing and comedy. The format of the festival will change slightly in what organisers promise will be their best festival to date. The first five days of the festival will be dedicated to comedy with headline acts including Andrew Hunter Murray of award-winning QI podcast ‘No Such Thing As Fish’, Fern Brady, as seen on Channel 4’s, 8 Out of 10 Cats. Headline comics will be joined by local acts including the Lantern’s in house compere Alastair Clarke as well as Foxdog Studios, Harriet Dyer, Kris Foster and Frank Foucault.
Theatre audiences can catch three performances per night from the 20th – 24th July. Opening the festival is Hotel from Art Groupie a company who have enjoyed acclaim in previous years of the festival with both ‘Weave” and ‘Pornovision’. Also included in the lineup performances from SeeGold Productions, Teatro Pomodoro, The Off Off Off Broadway Company, Holly and Ted and many more. Closing the festival is new writing from festival favourites Naughty Corner Productions with their new play Dirty Glitter, this self proclaimed ‘neon noir’ comedy thriller received acclaim following its April preview at the Unity Theatre and is previewing one last time in Liverpool ahead of a run at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The festivals final performance will be followed by a closing party for the venue, which will close its doors on 31st July following the sale of the building to developers. The Lantern’s owners Margaret Connell, Siobhan Noble and Daniel Noble are currently looking for a new venue following the forced closure of their current space. The team is currently fundraising to cover costs that will inevitably be incurred in relocation and are encouraging audience members to join them at Shiny New Festival for a celebration of their time at the venue.
Festival tickets are on sale now starting at £5. For full line up and ticket information visit here.