Liverpool playwright Willy Russell _320
FOLLOWING a successful 2008 when more than 150,000 people came through the doors, Royal Court Liverpool has more comedy plays planned for the first half of 2009.
Beginning the year is the return of Slappers and Slapheads (February 6 to March 7).
Len Pentin and Fred Lawless’s comedy, set on Valentine’s Night at the notorious Palace Night Club, is back following sell out successes in 2003 at the Royal Court and 2004 at the Empire.
Gillian Hardie and Mike Neary from the original cast are joined by Helen Carter (Once Upon a Time at the Adelphi), Warren Donnelly (Shameless), Alan Stocks (Tartuffe) and Keddy Sutton (Stags and Hens), with Pete Price returning in his role as nightclub DJ with live appearances until February 18.
That is followed by Dirty Dusting (March 13 to April 11), a comedy by Newcastle writers Ed Waugh and Trevor Wood.
Packed with double, triple and quadruple entendres, it tells the tale of Gladys, Elsie and Olive are women of a certain age working as cleaners in an office for a little spending money.
Their ageist boss wants them out, and when a chance phone call gives the girls an idea of how to get filthy rich in their final weekend they set up an adult phone line.
A Liverpool classic returns as a part of the Liverpool Comedy Festival in the spring.
Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine (April 23 – May 9) sees Pauline Daniels returns once again as the star of the show with her tales of youthful excitement, middle age dread and holiday romance.
The season is wrapped up by Irish comedy The Flags (May 29 – June 27).
Greg Hersov, artistic director at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, comes to Liverpool to direct this dark comedy about two Irish lifeguards.
Described as “Father Ted meets Steptoe and Son”, it follows JJ and Howie, who are out to impress the Directorate of Leisure Services and win promotion from the second worst beach in Ireland to be lifeguards on the best stretch of sand in the country, by remaining eagle-eyed, vigilant and hiding all of the dead seagulls.
Royal Court Liverpool chief executive Kevin Fearon said: “We are bringing the best of local and national writing to Liverpool.
“It is a pleasure to have Willy Russell back in the building and it is a real coup to have Greg Hersov direct here”
