Shakespeare North Playhouse, Knowsley’s world class cultural and arts venue is celebrating its second birthday. And what an amazing two years it has been!
Since opening in July 2022 – a highlight of Knowsley’s year as the Liverpool City Region Borough of Culture – the Playhouse has welcomed more than 220,000 visitors, picked up a string of awards (29 in total) and received 4- and 5-star reviews for its performances.
Inspired by Prescot’s historic connections to William Shakespeare and a real love of storytelling, Shakespeare North Playhouse was built entirely during the pandemic thanks to public funds and donations.
Cllr Graham Morgan Leader of Knowsley Council commented:
“Our ambition to create a vibrant and inclusive cultural venue in Prescot was always a bold one, but one that has really paid off. It’s hard to believe just how far we have come from those initial conversations about celebrating the town’s connection to Elizabethan Theatre – and just look at us now!
Two years on from its breathtaking opening, the Playhouse has welcomed nearly a quarter of a million people, hosted a broad variety of highly acclaimed performances and really made a huge impact in Prescot, in Knowsley and much further afield too.
We always said that we wanted Shakespeare North Playhouse to be a venue for local people and that is what I am most proud of. More than 70% of audiences in these initial two years have been from Knowsley or the Liverpool City Region. With many of those having never visited a theatre before!
It’s been a wonderful two years for Shakespeare North Playhouse and I look forward to many more magical moments to come.”
During its first two years the Shakespeare North Playhouse has hosted a range of shows from traditional Shakespeare to stand-up comedy, music performances and ‘An Evening With’ presented by well-known names like Johnny Vegas and Steve Coogan. There’s also a whole programme of free community events, writing and illustrating workshops and behind the scenes tours of the unique theatre space.
At the heart of the Shakespeare North Playhouse is a traditional 470 seat timber framed Shakespearean theatre, an exhibition gallery, Studio and the Sir Ken Dodd Performance Garden which between them have hosted 3,894 performances and 324 events.
It is the aim of the Playhouse to create an inclusive and welcoming space that the whole community can take ownership of and be part of. Over the past two years, more than 70% of audiences have been from Knowsley and the Liverpool City Region and through the Pay What You Decide scheme, 16,500 tickets were sold to Knowsley residents from as little as £3.
In addition 21,000 school age children from across the region and beyond have attended shows, workshops and engaged in outreach activities.
Max Steinberg, Chair of the Shakespeare North Trust added:
“It has been an overwhelmingly exciting and successful two years for the Shakespeare North Playhouse and I am certain there is more excitement and success to come in the years ahead. Not only has the Playhouse firmly established itself as a valuable and accessible community asset but it has also made its mark at a national level too.
I want to thank all of the staff and volunteers and every single visitor we have welcomed for helping us to have the most wonderful first two years. Here’s to many more!”
Take a look at What’s On at Shakespeare North Playhouse.
