What would a true love bring to you if he had the pick of Liverpool’s cultural scene this December? Laura Davis imagines an alternative 12 Days of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . . a flame-eyed jabberwocky.
Your suitor should seek this terrible beast in Tate Liverpool, where it appears in one of John Tenniel’s original illustrations for Alice Through the Looking Glass.
On the second day of Christmas . . . two performing veterans
Welsh singer Aled Jones and dancer Adam Cooper play the US Army buddies-turned-entertainers in the stage version of the 1954 film White Christmas, currently at the Liverpool Empire.
On the third day of Christmas . . . three new best friends
What would Dorothy do without her new pals to help her find her way home to Kansas in the Christmas TV favourite, The Wizard of Oz? The 1939 movie – starring Judy Garland, with Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow, Jack Haley as Tin Man and Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion – is being screened at the Philharmonic Hall on December 30. As the film plays, the musical score will be performed live by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by John Wilson.
On the fourth day of Christmas . . . four singing nuns.
Father O’Flaherty’s chorus of singing nuns are back by popular demand in this year’s instalment of Fred Lawless’s festive comedy, Little Scouse on the Prairie, which has a Western theme.
On the fifth day of Christmas . . . five water pistols.
Everyman panto regulars know to expect a drenching if they are sitting in the first few rows of seats. This year is no exception. Despite the show moving to the Playhouse while the Everyman is being rebuilt, the water pistols remain. This year’s Cinderella: Mop in the Name of Love has five of them, so get ready to duck.
On the sixth day of Christmas . . . six sailors adventuring.
Think you’ve got what it takes to tackle a Cyclops, beat an evil ship’s captain and escape the belly of a whale? Then join Sinbad and his five fellow sailors in The Unity’s family show.
