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HOPE STREET THEATRE, THE KNOWLEDGE QUARTER, LIVERPOOL CITY CENTRE, CITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL CITY REGION, UK.
REVIEW: The Scouse Genie At Hope Street Theatre
City Theatre recently enjoyed a 5-night run of The Scouse Genie at Hope Street Theatre, with the Friday and Saturday shows selling out.
Inspiration for the panto was from a famous tale known around the world of a Genie that grants three wishes. City Theatre's well-adapted take on the story brings the tale of the Genie home to Liverpool with a range of whimsical Scouse personalities that are prepared to entertain and make you laugh with their larger-than-life characters and rambunctious antics.
This panto complements the previous performances that City Theatre has put on; running a tongue-in-cheek and mischievous production filled with adult comedy, some splashes of dark humour, and lots of local references for people to enjoy.
It was also a nice touch, on a personal level, to hear The Liverpudlian get a mention as one of the local newspapers in Liverpool as a line delivered by Libbie Cowburn as 'The Empress' Sapphire.
With such a large and varied memorable cast, it is difficult to mention everything that made it an entertaining evening. Though, there must be a particularly special mention for the character of Liver Bird by Graham Lyne who lit the stage up with every appearance. Johnny Sedgwick-Davies' melodramatic performance consistently brought a smile to my face, as has been the case for the previous productions he has appeared in. Shannon Griffiths was both the director and choreographer of the show, in addition to playing the role of Haribo whose exuberant presence was hilariously daft.
The character of Troy played by Scott Lewis had a consistently funny delivery of lines, with Sasha-Louise Williams as Aria and Abi Tyrer as Princess Cara playing equally strong lead roles in the story.
The mixture of energised characters combined with the whacky story made it a really entertaining evening which is something that many have become accustomed to with a City Theatre production.
The cast of The Scouse Genie in promotional shots on Liverpool Waterfront's The Albert Dock (Credit: Hannah Price/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).
The cast included Sasha-Louise Williams as Aria, Shannon Griffiths as Haribo, Abi Tyrer as Princess Cara, Jamie Gallagher as Prince Jay, Graham Lyne as Liver Bird, Johnny Sedgwick-Davies as Timothy, Ellie Dawes as Stacy, Libbie Cowburn as 'The Empress' Sapphire, Scott Lewis as Troy, Lexi King as The Scouse Genie, Chloe Gratton as Zola 'The Spirit of the Lamp', Matthew Hanlon as Scarlett Quinn, and Hannah Edwards as the Dancer.
The Scouse Genie has earned itself 4 out of 5 Liver Birds. An entertaining night out filled with raunchy, self-referential humour that will keep you chuckling all throughout the night.
The panto ran from the 28th of November through to the 2nd of December at the Hope Street Theatre in Liverpool City Centre.
To see what upcoming productions that City Theatre has planned for the future, you can follow their Instagram profile or check out their website.
Where Will The Show Take Place?
Hope Street Theatre,
22 Hope Street,
The Knowledge Quarter,
Liverpool City Centre,
City of Liverpool, L1 9BY,
Liverpool City Region, UK.