The Royal Court & Unity Theatre join forces for Omnibus

Omnibus, the winner of the inaugural Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize, is the first play back at Liverpool’s newly refurbished Unity Theatre.

The ten day run starts on Wednesday 7 June and tickets are selling fast!

The Hope Place venue has just finished a £845,000 development project and will be opening the doors to audiences for the first time since January.

Written by Katie Mulgrew and directed by Robert Farquhar, Omnibus is a fast moving farce that starts with three housemates lounging in front of the television on a Sunday afternoon. Their plans for a lazy day are put on hold when a surprise guest bursts in with a gun and a bag full of money.

Eithne Browne (Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels) and Danny Burns (Brick Up 2) are joined by Gemma Banks, Alice Bunker-Whitney, Eva McKenna and Joel Parry in this award winning comedy about life in a shared house.

The production of Omnibus by Liverpool’s Royal Court in association with Unity Theatre is an exciting collaboration between the two venues. Both want this to be the start of a fruitful partnership that will further the Liverpool theatre offer while entertaining and engaging audiences for many years to come.

Katie Mulgrew is looking forward to seeing her work on stage: “I’m so thrilled that my play, ‘Omnibus’ is going to be performed at the Unity Theatre. Since winning the Hope Playwriting Prize, I’ve worked with a fantastic team to develop the play and I’m made up that it will be the first co-production between the Liverpool’s Royal Court and Unity Theatre.”

 Kevin Fearon, Executive Producer at Liverpool’s Royal Court said: “This show is a chance for us to develop a new piece of work in a new space for us. Katie’s play is not just a great show but it has given us the opportunity to create partnerships with both Hope University and Unity Theatre”

Professor Gerald Pillay, Vice Chancellor & Rector of Liverpool Hope University said: “We are delighted that the first winning play from the Liverpool Hope Playwriting Prize is to be performed. The whole objective of the competition is to invest in the artists of the future, bring new and interesting voices to the stage and encourage new writing for the theatre. The fact that Omnibus has secured Arts Council England funding highlights those aims, the quality of work from Katie Mulgrew, the winning writer, and the Liverpool Royal Court team. I am looking forward to curtain up on opening night.”

The show has been supported by Arts Council England through their Grants For The Arts Programme.

For tickets check out the Unity’s Website.