30th Anniversary Revival Of Olivier Award-Winning Comedy, 'The Memory of Water' Announced At Everyman

CITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL CITY REGION.

The Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Are Delighted To Announce A Brand-New Co-Production With The Octagon Theatre In Bolton — A Major 30th Anniversary Revival Of 'The Memory Of Water' By British Playwright, Shelagh Stephenson, In Spring 2026

(Credit: Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian with permission to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

A powerful and darkly funny family drama, is set to come to The Everyman Theatre in Liverpool City Centre's Georgian Quarter in February and March of 2026.

Set in the Winter of 1996 as The Spice Girls topped the charts, football had failed to come home, and Dolly the Sheep had just been cloned, The Memory of Water tells the story of Mary, Teresa and Catherine.

Three sisters who return to their Northern childhood home for the first time in years, for their mother’s funeral. As they sort through clothes, keepsakes and ghosts of the past, the whisky flows, resentments surface, and long-held silences crack open with unexpected laughter.

“This is a beautiful story about family — full of love, laughter, and the kind of chaos that feels instantly familiar.” - Nathan Powell, Creative Director of Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.

Starring Lotte Wakeham (Artistic Director at Octagon Theatre Bolton) directs a stellar cast including Vicky Binns (Coronation Street, Emmerdale), Victoria Brazier (The Book Thief, Octagon Theatre), Helen Flanagan (Coronation Street) and Polly Lister (Animal Farm, Around the World in 80 Days); with further casting to be announced.

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Hilarious yet deeply moving, The Memory of Water explores families, grief, and the unreliable stories we tell about our pasts. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Shelagh Stephenson’s modern classic remains as sharp, funny, and heartfelt today as it was when it premiered in 1996.

Following a collaboration on One Man, Two Guvnors in 2022 this exciting partnership once again brings together two of the North West’s leading producing theatres to celebrate one of the most beloved British plays of the past three decades.

Lotte Wakeham, Director and Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre Bolton, said:

“The Memory of Water is one of those rare plays that makes you laugh out loud and then catches you off guard with its emotional truth. I’m thrilled to be directing this special 30th anniversary revival, and to be collaborating once again with our wonderful friends at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.”

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Nathan Powell, Creative Director of Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, said: “This is a beautiful story about family — full of love, laughter, and the kind of chaos that feels instantly familiar.”

He added: “Stephenson captures how we all remember things differently, and how those memories shape who we are. It’s moving, funny, and deeply relatable — a perfect fit for the Everyman stage.”

(Credit: Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian with permission to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

The Memory of Water opens at the Octagon Theatre Bolton from Thursday the 29th of January through to Saturday the 21st of February 2026, before transferring to the Liverpool Everyman Theatre from Wednesday the 25th of February through to Saturday the 14th of March 2026. Tickets are on sale now through the Octagon Bolton's website and The Everyman's website.