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Games And After Liverpool was performed in The Northern Oak, The Red Lion and Fylde Common Room on 10th, 11th, 12th June

Cast & Crew

Director: Lilly Bryony Menear
Producer: Jordan Summerfield
Stage Managers: Fiamma Curti & Luca Davies
Assistant Director: Georgia Moore
Assistant Producer: Kyle Andrews
Assistant Stage Manager: Emily Millard 
Shadow Stage Managers: Harry Jay, Helen Tilby ​

A: Ross Buchanan
B: Phoebe Mycroft
C: Daisy Newburne Munn
D: ​Eddie Sophie Edmunds



These two short plays by James Saunders push the limits of narrative and performance. 'After Liverpool' showcased segments of conversations exploring the nature of communication and how rarely we really listen to each other. 'Games' asked what it means to follow orders, what it means to be performing or not performing, and what it takes to make an audience speak up.

​"We never answer each other's questions. Have you noticed? We just add more questions. It's not communication, it's ping-pong"
                                              - A
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Publicity

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​Rehearsal Process


Show Photos


​Review

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Going into LUTG’s production of Games and After Liverpool, two one-act plays written by James Saunders, I was intrigued even before I’d arrived at the venue. Both plays are far from a traditional theatre-going experience, and as such, I wasn’t told the venue in advance. Instead, I had to wait in Alexandra Square with the rest of the audience – during which time I was excited (and somewhat trepidatious) about where I was going to end up – before we were taken to the performance. LUTG had my attention before I’d even stepped foot in the venue and I’m glad to say both plays lived up to the hype, providing entertaining and thought-provoking experiences that stayed with me long after they were over.

The first play, After Liverpool, was my favourite of the two. It explores how people fail to communicate even when they’re talking to each other by focusing on the conversations of two couples. “We never answer each other’s questions. Have you noticed? We add more questions. It’s not communication, it’s ping pong,” says one character, a line that perfectly encapsulates the central theme. The play’s episodic structure allows it to jump between scenarios with ease and ensures not a second is wasted. The decision to keep the characters nameless, combined with the naturalistic dialogue, gave After Liverpool a feeling of authenticity few theatre productions have. It felt less like I was watching actors act, rather watching real couples talking for several minutes without ever actually saying anything, a situation everyone will have found themselves in even if they don’t realise it.

The second play, Games, is a much more complicated affair. On the surface, it’s about a soldier being questioned about his involvement in the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War, but there is much more going on behind the scenes. As this is a group of four theatre students putting on a play about a soldier being questioned, but even that is keeping it simple. It’s a very metadrama experience which has you dealing with fake endings, actors playing fictionalised versions of themselves and, by the end, plays within plays within plays. It took a little while to get used to, but once I did, I found it a fascinating exploration of the rehearsal process, the role of actors in society and how far the boundaries of theatre can be pushed. If anything I wanted the fourth-wall stuff to have been expanded upon further – I was half expecting director Lilly Bryony Menear to show up playing herself – but overall it made for a unique experience.

When Games finished a part of me wondered if it was over, or if the actors were about to burst back onstage and reveal yet another level to this metatheatrical odyssey. Seemingly the rest of the audience agreed as it took for one of the crew to confirm it was over before anyone left. If that isn’t a sign a show has been compelling I don’t know what is.

High praise must go to actors Ross Buchanan, Phoebe Mycroft, Daisy Newburne Munn and Eddie Sophie Edmunds, who are all fantastic across both productions. I have a few minor complaints – some of the monologues in both plays have a habit of spelling out the show’s meaning rather than letting the audience figure it out for themselves – but I was so entertained and left with so much to think about they’re barely an issue: another excellent LUTG production, and congratulations to everyone involved.

- Written by Matthew Mosley


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  • Home
  • About
    • ANNOUNCEMENTS
    • MEMBERSHIP
    • MEET THE EXEC
  • SHOWS
  • ARCHIVE
    • SHOW ARCHIVE >
      • 2015/16 >
        • JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS
        • TOP GIRLS
        • THE GUT GIRLS
        • THE SHADOW BOX
        • CALLBACK
        • BLOOD BROTHERS
        • ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
        • ABIGAIL'S PARTY
        • THE ELEPHANT MAN
        • MY MOTHER SAID I NEVER SHOULD
        • MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
        • ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF AN ANARCHIST
      • 2016/17 >
        • HOUSE WITH A RED DOOR
        • HIS FRIEND ED
        • PARADE
        • BLITHE SPIRIT
        • 1984
        • INCOGNITO
        • THE GLASS HOUSE
        • THE CRUCIBLE
        • SAUCY JACK AND THE SPACE VIXENS
        • PROOF
        • AND THEN THERE WERE NONE
        • THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
      • 2017/18 >
        • CHATROOM
        • THE HISTORY BOYS
        • ARCADIA
        • MACBETH
        • DIOGENES IN A JAR
        • SPRING AWAKENING
        • HERE
        • STATION
        • TWO
        • DUNSINANE
        • HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
        • THE 39 STEPS
      • 2018/19 >
        • LOVE FROM A STRANGER
        • JEKYLL & HYDE: THE MUSICAL
        • STOP!... THE PLAY
        • THE TEMPEST
        • CLICK
        • AN IDEAL HUSBAND
        • BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S
        • DINNER
        • GAMES AND AFTER LIVERPOOL
        • TWELFTH NIGHT
        • METAMORPHOSIS
      • 2019/20 >
        • KATHERINE HOWARD
        • THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE
        • FRANKENSTEIN
        • LEAR
        • DEALER'S CHOICE
        • THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
        • HEDDA GABLER
      • 2021/22 >
        • THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT
        • PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE
        • WOYZECK
        • IN EVENT OF MOONE DISASTER
        • THE VILLAGE
        • THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE
        • GOD OF CARNAGE
        • A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
      • 2022/23 >
        • A CHRISTMAS CAROL
        • BRIEF ENCOUNTER
        • AFTER LIFE
    • SHORTS ARCHIVE >
      • Z IS FOR ZELDA
      • IN THE WHITE
      • SOMETHING SOMETHING
      • HORATIO
      • THE DUMB WAITER
      • BULL
      • THE NEW QUAY PROJECT
      • BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
      • IN THE WHITE (2022)
    • EXTERNAL PROJECTS >
      • LANCASTER OFFSHOOTS >
        • BEATRIX POTTER'S PETER RABBIT AND OTHER TALES
        • HUNCHBACK
        • NEVERLAND
        • DR FAUSTUS 2010
        • SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
        • DR FAUSTUS 2019
      • COLLAB
      • CHARITY SHOWCASES >
        • MOULIN ROUGE
        • CHICAGO
        • WICKED
        • BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
        • MAMMA MIA
        • GREASE
    • EXEC ARCHIVE
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    • FAQ'S
  • Store
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