WHAT’S ON...
October
RACHEL PARRIS: POISE
October 11 • St George’s Hall
Best known for her viral satirical segments on The Mash Report and Late Night Mash, which have had over 100 million views, Rachel Parris is also a regular on TV comedy shows like Would I Lie To You, Mock the Week, QI, and Live At The Apollo. Now the BAFTA-nominated comedian is back on the road with her biggest tour yet, presenting her signature stand-up and songs.
THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE
Until October 12 • Everyman Theatre
From Martin McDonagh, the writing genius behind big screen hits In Bruges, The Pillowman and The Banshees of Inisherin, this Olivier Award-winning black comedy is brutal and fabulously bizarre. It revolves around the main character, Mad Padraic, who returns home to Inishmore off the west coast of Ireland hell-bent on confrontation after hearing his beloved cat has been killed.
LACES OUT! TRAINER FESTIVAL
October 13 • Camp and Furnace
Laces Out!, the UK's largest celebration of trainers, fashion and lifestyle returns to its original home at Camp and Furnace in the Baltic Triangle as it marks its 10th anniversary. This is a must-go event for anyone who really loves sneakers, attracting fans from across the world to browse and buy rare and exclusive footwear, fashion, vintage, dead stock and collectables.
THE LIBERTINES
October 19 • Mountford Hall
The original unlikely lads, Carl Barat, Pete Doherty, John Hassall and Gary Powell, have regrouped from around the UK and Europe for a 16-date UK & Ireland tour which comes to Liverpool University's venue this autumn. Live dates come on the back of the release of Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, The Libertines’ first album in nine years, bringing back Carl and Pete’s legendary chemistry.
November
COMIC CON
November 9-10 • Exhibition Centre
Comic Con has become one of the biggest events in Europe for fans of film, TV, gaming, comics, and anime. Their latest event in Liverpool has already announced a raft of famous names lined up for meet and greets, including Harry Potter star Rupert Grint on Saturday 9th November. There will also be props, set builds, collectables, and talks, as well as lots of fantasy cosplay.
November 12-16 • Liverpool Empire
This magical musical is an Olivier, Grammy and Tony award-winner, which is about the best set of credentials any theatre production can get so its week-long Liverpool run is likely to be a special one. Evan is an anxious high school kid who wants nothing more than to fit in but he’s so keen to do that he hasn’t told the whole truth and now everything’s under threat.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN
From concerts to comedy tours, Liverpool is home to a bursting selection of events over the next three months.
December
LUCY BEAUMONT
November 27 • Philharmonic Hall
Hull’s finest, comedian Lucy Beaumont is probably best known for her fly-on-the-wall mockumentary Meet The Richardsons with (now separated) husband and fellow comedian Jon Richardson. She’s also brilliantly funny live and she brings her standup show to the Phil for one night, revealing all the ups and downs and some very weird incidents in her hapless rollercoaster life off-screen.
GRAEME PARK
November 29 • Sefton Park Palm House
Legendary DJ Graeme Park, who was a major player in pioneering the UK house music scene as a resident at Manchester’s Hacienda club for almost a decade, shifts his set to the beautiful Grade II listed surroundings of the Palm House in Sefton Park. Expect three very special hours of music underneath the palm trees in a unique and intimate setting.
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Through December to January 5 • Shakespeare North Playhouse
Follow the White Rabbit in the run-up to Christmas and you’ll end up at the incredible Cockpit Theatre at Shakespeare North, a stunning reconstruction of Inigo Jones’ historic Cockpit-in-Court theatre. Caught up in the madness of last-minute Christmas shopping, Alice catches sight of a flash of white fur which lures her back into a familiar land of adventure.
ROYAL BALLET & OPERA PRESENT CINDERELLA
December 10 • Plaza Cinema, Crosby
The Plaza is a landmark in its own right, a lovely old community cinema that’s been lovingly restored, so it’s the perfect place to watch a pre-Christmas classic screening. Royal Ballet & Opera present a spectacular performance of the timeless tale of Cinderella, who’s transported to a dazzling world where pumpkins turn into carriages and she finds true love.
LIVE AT CHRISTMAS
December 6 • M&S Bank Arena
After a stand-out set at Glastonbury, with a surprise appearance from fellow former Housemartin Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim), Paul Heaton is back out almost on his own but with the return of special guest singer Rianne Downey. He’ll be performing so many hits from his entire career including The Housemartins and Beautiful South, with Liverpool’s own The Zutons supporting.
December 14 • The Olympia
8 out of 10 Cats and Live at the Apollo regular, Sara Pascoe heads up a stellar line-up of some of the country’s best comedians, getting together to spread festive laughs in the countdown to the big day. The all-star festive show also features the incomparable Tim Key, who’ll be familiar to Alan Partridge fans, Josh Pugh, Steen Raskopoulos and Taskmaster champ Sophie Duker.
PAUL HEATON
Vegan restaurants, or at least dedicated menus, are having a moment.
Thanks to nothing short of a culinary revolution over the past couple of years, more and more people are switching to a plant-based lifestyle and veganism is now at an alltime high.
The vegan restaurant scene is booming and Liverpool has a great selection as well as lots of the city’s most popular restaurants introducing vegan menus.
Titanic Hotel’s own Stanley’s Bar and Grill restaurant has a vegan selection, including a special version of our guest favourite Afternoon Tea, which is a real savoury and sweet treat without any compromise.
With World Vegan Month in November, here are The Navigator’s picks for the best places to eat vegan in Liverpool.
THE BASE CAFÉ
The unique design of The Spine in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter makes it one of the north west’s healthiest buildings, with a major focus on wellbeing, and that filters through to menus at its ground floor sustainable café, The Base. You’ll find a wide choice of plant-based dishes for breakfast and lunch, and even the snacks are super-healthy as well as tasty.
DOWN THE HATCH
Downstairs on Duke Street, Down the Hatch is a plant-based kitchen that doesn’t skimp on the good stuff so expect 100% delicious stacked build-yourown burgers and wraps, fries and noodles on the menu, and up to 80% of dishes are gluten-free too. It’s also the city centre home of Woo Tan Scran, serving Liverpool’s finest plant-based chippy tea.
THE VIBE
Nearly all of Liverpool’s vegan eateries are little Indies, and The Vibe café on Paradise Street is a perfect example – it’s a family-run business with chefs who are passionate about creating totally plant-powered food and drink from scratch with love. The buffalo cauliflower burger, shroom gyros and broccoli mac and cheese rank at the top for regulars.
MARAY
With two sites – the original on Bold Street and a second at Royal Albert Dock – Maray has long been a champion of veggie and vegan Middle Eastern small plates. A dedicated vegan menu has its alltime favourite Disco Cauliflower on it, as well as the signature falafel, which originally inspired the restaurant owners, and the sweet potato fries with tahini are a must-share.
INDIAN TIFFIN ROOM
The Indian Tiffin Room on Duke Street specialises in street food, inspired by the bustling streets of India, and tiffin which is typically a breakfast, lunch or teatime meal served on the go or at home. Its dedicated vegan menu has a choice of street food perfect for grazing or starters, kebabs cooked in the tandoori oven and dosas, thin savoury crepes with spicy fillings.
THE CALEDONIA
The Cali, in the Georgian Quarter behind Hope Street, is a proper traditional pub where the welcome’s always friendly (including for furry friends) and the prices are reasonable. Alongside a choice of real ales, it’s got a fully vegan kitchen serving a range of burgers and a long list of fries, a gorgeous Sunday roast, salt and pepper boxes, sides and wings.
EGG CAFÉ
Way before being vegetarian or vegan was popular, the Egg Café upstairs in an old warehouse building on Newington just off Renshaw Street was creating brilliant home-cooked meat-free dishes in a place one customer described as ‘the most bohemian place on earth.’ All-day favourites include homemade hummus with pitta and must-try flavour-of-the-day quiche.
SANSKRUTI
This is a Liverpool hidden gem - an Indian veggie and vegan restaurant in the business district in a building you could blink and miss. Fans know exactly where it is though, and they head there for authentic Punjabi, Gujarati and Rajasthani dishes, street food and desserts including brownies served on a hot sizzler plate and vanilla cheesecake with coconut ice cream.
The build-up to the festive season is one of the brightest, busiest times in Liverpool and there’s no shortage of events to get you in the mood for all of the activities ahead.
From the return of River of Light, which illuminates Liverpool's waterfront, to classics such as A Christmas Carol, there's plenty to mark in the calendar this year.
Most of the city’s venues have a programme of seasonal shows and there are the Christmas markets for gift shopping with added Glühwein!
To make sure you pack out your winter diary with fantastic cultural events, here are The Navigator’s five top picks.
ENCHANTED AT KNOWSLEY SAFARI
From 30 November to 23 December, Knowsley Safari’s Enchanted is back with a dazzling family-friendly Christmas lights wonderland. Visitors can head off on a spectacular night-time adventure on the foot safari, following Enchanted’s animal trail and forest lights, spotting illuminated hippos submerged in the natural water features, exploring an Enchanted woodland and strolling through the sparkling light tunnel. As an added attraction this year, there’ll be new illuminated animals, including giraffes and a male lion and cub, as well as a Santa Panto. Visitors will be able to tuck into festive foodie treats and have a chance to toast marshmallows by the fire.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT ST GEORGE’S HALL
St George’s Hall is part of the fabric of Liverpool’s history, celebrating its 170th anniversary this year, and one of its most famous links is with author Charles Dickens. Dickens visited Liverpool lots of times and was inspired and influenced by the city, mentioning in his novels more times than anywhere else outside of London. He was especially fond of George’s Hall, calling it “The most perfect hall in the world”, so there’s no better place to see one of his classics: A Christmas Carol. From December 14 to 30, join Scrooge at the Hall as it hosts a stage adaption that’s true to the book, brought to life by a talented cast of actors.
RIVER OF LIGHT
One of the most popular free family events of the year returns, lighting up the waterfront from 25 October 25 to 5 November with an illuminated outdoor gallery. The theme of this year’s River of Light is Play, which will inspire the works of local, national and international artists creating 12 large-scale installations dotted along the Mersey. The artworks make up a 3k trail that’s free to see, including the memorable musical experience of Piano Walk – a huge floor piano, designed by critically acclaimed Australian artists Amigo & Amigo, which will be at the Pier Head. Remember the giant piano from the Tom Hanks film Big? Now’s your chance to try out some keyboard footwork by jumping on 40 interactive keys and piano hammers to compose a unique tune! Look out too for Impulse, 15 interactive see-saws at the Pier Head created by French-Canadian artists, and LAPS, a giant egg timer which will take over part of The Strand near Salthouse Dock and can be controlled by a steering wheel operated by members of the public.
FESTIVE FILMS IN CONCERT AT THE PHILHARMONIC HALL
There are plenty of festive film screenings to choose from in Liverpool around Christmas time, but none more special than the ones at the Phil, which come with a full live orchestra playing the score. On 2nd December, the big screen belongs to Richard Curtis’s star-packed rom-com Love Actually, which follows 10 different but interlinked love stories blossoming and crashing around the festive period. Then, in the limbo between Christmas and New Year on 28th and 29th December, it’s the boy wizard’s turn to cast a spell, with an in-concert screening of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while the RLPO performs John Williams’ unforgettable music.
SHERLOCK HOLMES CHRISTMAS CASEBOOK AT SPEKE HALL
Fancy a whodunnit in one of Liverpool’s most historic buildings? Amateur sleuths can try to unravel all the twists and turns of a mystery when Don’t Go Into The Cellar presents Sherlock Holmes’ Christmas Casebook at Speke Hall on 7th December. You can step onto a snowy Baker Street and join award-winning actor Jonathan Goodwin as the world’s greatest detective, using all his famous powers of deduction. It promises to be a unique one-person theatre experience where you’ll get to crack all the mysteries and get a few seasonal surprises, alongside Sherlock himself.
Pic: David Monteith-Hodge Photographise
It’s not far off 40 years since Frank Skinner took a £400 punt and booked a room at the Edinburgh Fringe to try out stand-up comedy as a side hustle to his English lecturing day job.
Since then, he’s had so many successful careers it’s hard to keep up. From numerous TV and radio appearances to live-stand up shows and writing gigs - even hosting an award-winning poetry podcast.
And, as every England fan knows only too well, he’s also had a succession of chart stints with David Baddiel and the Three Lions footy anthem, twice in 1996, a remake in 1998, again in 2018 during the World Cup, Euro 2020 and most recently the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar. * still no trophy.
After a sell-out UK and Ireland spring tour earlier this year, and after announcing a third run in London’s West End at The Gielgud Theatre, he’s added extra autumn tour dates for his critically acclaimed new stand-up show, 30 Years of Dirt.
Ahead of his gig at Liverpool Empire on Sunday November 24, The Navigator chatted to Frank about his enduring love for comedy, his affinity with Liverpool and what audiences can expect from this show …
You’ll have done three dates in Liverpool by the end of this year, we must really love you
It’s mutual, and I’ve always had cracking times in Liverpool. There are some places where you think they need to unbutton a bit and you never feel that with Liverpool. You’re totally unbuttoned, I don’t know if you’ve even got buttons! I think maybe there is an element of, ‘well we could do this if we wanted to but we’re having a night off so we’ll let someone else do it’.
What’s been your stand-out experience of Liverpool so far?
I remember I went to see Paul McCartney at the dock, a long time ago, with my partner who I’m still with now. I hadn’t realised it was an outdoor gig so I was just in a short-sleeved shirt. When I realised I thought, I’m going to freeze tonight and I was really cold, we both were, and then these two fleeces appeared from nowhere. Someone had heard us saying we were cold and it had gone round the crowd and someone had passed us a couple of fleeces to wear for the gig. When I think of Liverpool that’s what I think of. I don’t think there’s many places where that would have happened.
When you’re not touring do you miss it?
I’ve already started writing the next one. I’ve got to do something with my days, so I actually sit writing jokes. The bottom line is I still really really like doing it, that hasn’t diminished at all, so as long as I like doing it, I’ll keep doing it and the day I think, actually I’ve had enough of this that’ll be it.
What’s the gender split of your audience?
I wrote an autobiography and when I wrote a second one the publisher said to me ‘you’re the kind of person that women buy it for their bloke’. In order to get women to buy it in the first place they said, ‘would you mind holding a flower on the cover?’
So I actually did it, that’s the cover of my second autobiography. I get a lot of couples, I don’t know if it’s the woman who wants to see me and she’s dragged the bloke along or vice versa, but genderwise it’s actually pretty balanced.
Do you treat your writing days as work days?
Yes I do because what I’d like to do all day is watch cricket on the telly, I’m actually brilliant at doing nothing, but because of that I know I need a timetable so I am quite strict on myself. When I start touring I’ve written the show but I’ll keep changing, messing and hopefully improving. One of the problems with writing the next tour is I’ll think, oh that would fit in tonight and before I know all the stuff that’s supposed to be on the next tour is on this one. But the great joy of this is it isn’t a proper job and I don’t want to make it one. I value it too much for that.
Give us an idea what you talk about on this tour?
When it started back in Edinburgh it was one of my cleanest shows but as I’ve gone away from the South East and Edinburgh and gone on tour I’ve been dragged down a bit! I’ve gone a bit ruder. It’s a constant battle with me, I usually start off with a fairly clean show but because the audience are essentially my editors, if they laugh it stays in and if they only laugh a little bit it goes. You end up with the dirty jokes getting on top. At the moment, there’s definitely more filth than there was at the beginning of the tour.
That’s quite a contrast to poetry?
On the poetry podcast I’ve never even sworn. Teachers got in touch with me and said they played it to their class so I didn’t want to be encouraging kids to swear. It is a weird combination but I think that’s true of most people. I’ve got a couple of English degrees and I read poetry but when I’m on stage the rougher side of me tends to go up to 10.
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A NEW SHOW APARTMENT AT STANLEY DOCK’S LANDMARK
Located opposite the Titanic Hotel, the new waterfront neighbourhood of 550 New York warehouse-style homes is at the heart of Liverpool Docks’ waterfront regeneration.
TITANIC HOTEL GUESTS GAZING OUT ACROSS THE STILL WATERS OF STANLEY DOCK CAN’T FAIL TO BE AWESTRUCK BY ANOTHER LANDMARK BUILDING, THE MAGNIFICENT TOBACCO WAREHOUSE.
One of the most important buildings on Liverpool’s historic docks, its extraordinary architecture and quayside spot puts it at the heart of the city’s £14 billion regeneration boom, in which the historic docklands have a key role.
When it was built at the turn of the 20th century, as a tobacco warehouse and store for goods shipped from across the globe, Tobacco Warehouse became the largest brick building in the world, at an aweinspiring 14 storeys and with a floor area of more than 1.6 million sq. ft. Now meticulously restored and boldly reimagined, the iconic Grade II Listed building is being transformed into Liverpool’s hottest address, in a scheme of 550 warehouse-style duplex apartments and penthouses.
The homes’ interiors are a carefully balanced blend of Victorian industrial hallmarks such as bare-faced brickwork, huge multi-paned windows and cast-iron floor to ceiling columns with inspirational open-plan layouts and sleek luxurious contemporary kitchens and bathrooms.
Tobacco Warehouse’s residents have been witness to the exciting regeneration of this Merseyside hot spot and the wider city beyond, making it one of Europe’s most dynamic and exciting places to live, a true centre of cultural life, with Liverpool Biennial, the UK’s largest
free festival of contemporary visual art, taking up a six month residency last summer in the dock side commercial space.
Next door, the Ten Streets creative district is set to see historic industrial buildings transformed into eateries, bars and venues (joining existing residents like the Ten Streets Social and Invisible Wind Factory), and on the ever-evolving Liverpool skyline, the £500m Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is taking shape.
There’s always a stir, then, when a new show apartment is unveiled at Tobacco Warehouse, and the latest – interior designed by home-grown talent
Natalie Holden, Founder of Natalie Holden Interiors –has even had a global showcase: it was handpicked by BBC producers as the backdrop for some of last year’s Eurovision contestants’ interviews.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,650 sq. ft. duplex, which offers striking views across the Stanley Dock to the Grade II* Listed Titanic Hotel, features an openplan kitchen and dining area framed theatrically by floor-to-ceiling black pillars on its upper floor. Down the elegant stairway, lined by a metal-spindled balustrade, a dramatic double-height space allows for living and entertaining on a grand scale; a huge bank of metal-framed windows allows light to pour in.
When it came to dreaming up the interiors scheme, Holden was inspired by both the building’s jawdropping Victorian architecture, its rich colours, textures and detailing, and her own childhood in the city.
“As a Liverpool local, I have driven past Tobacco Warehouse countless times, and dreamed of having the chance to design a home within it,” she says. “My team and I have paired industrial design inspiration with eclectic, contemporary furnishings and accessories, with a colour palette reflective of the building’s materials and surroundings. We’ve used a mix of heritage and earthy matt tones with finishes such as rust, ochre and teal. Luxurious materials adorn the spaces, including travertine, wood, bold velvets and textured bouclé.”
Holden has styled the upper floor to have two seating areas, with dark wood and leather vintagestyle furniture, and has introduced towering modular shelving downstairs to display books, paintings and ceramics. Abstract art on the walls and huge house plants provide pops of colour and organic elements.
This multi-layered apartment has appealed to both home-hunters at Tobacco Warehouse and existing residents, who have sought Holden’s advice on how to style their own properties. It’s a testament to her success in showcasing an inviting and comfortable space for living, working, relaxing and socialising in this destination waterfront address.
The show apartment is for sale for £430,000, excluding furniture with a range of further apartments available from £265,000. For more information and to arrange a viewing visit tobaccowarehouse.co.uk or call Logic Estates on 0151 920 2404.
