Unity Theatre announces packed Autumn and Winter programme

Unity Theatre has announced its new Autumn / Winter season for 2025, featuring a varied programme of high-quality theatre, arts, music and performance

Serving as a counterpoint the mainstream, Unity exist to champion diverse arts and platform underrepresented voices – and this season’s programme does just that. 

Unity has been behaving radically onstage since the 1930s, with its roots in The Unity Theatre movement – a national theatrical initiative that produced politically left-wing works by and for working class audiences. Throughout the 40s, 50s & 60s, Unity were audaciously radical and experimental, staging politically and socially conscious contemporary works that challenged conventional theatre and addressed themes of workers’ rights, fascism and wider issues of inequality. 

Today, Unity Theatre is the only surviving member of that movement, and the organisation continue its mission with the same sentiment dating back to the 30s – investing in local work, emerging artists and theatre companies – and producing high-quality radical and groundbreaking theatre.

Artistic Director of the Unity, Elinor Randle spoke about a few upcoming highlights of the season:

“I’m absolutely thrilled about the exciting autumn season ahead at Unity! We’re showcasing a fantastic mix of local and national talent, including the nationally acclaimed Graeae Theatre Company and last year’s Fringe sensation from Chalkline…”

Graeae Theatre will be bringing their compelling production ‘Bad Lads’ to the Unity this November. It’s a story of oppression and resilience that challenges audiences to think about justice at a time where the cry for accountability in our society is louder than ever. Meanwhile, Chalkline are staging ‘The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return’, following its sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe. The production tackles themes of knife crime and youth intervention, told by a tapestry of biting wit and lyrical intensity.

Elinor continues:

“As always, we’re committed to supporting artists, and it’s wonderful to see two of our Up Next Artists returning this season with developed pieces, Rooted and Stella, both of which began right here at Unity. I’m also proud to welcome bold new work from some of Liverpool’s vibrant and diverse festivals — Milap, Homotopia, Liverpool Irish Festival, and Luma Creations.”

Unity Theatre has developed into not only a fantastic city-centre performance space but a fully-fledged cultural hub for Merseyside-based creatives and the wider community. Unity’s activity now extends far beyond the world of traditional theatre and programming, with a vibrant exhibition space, music events, film screenings, creative workshops and a dedicated talent development programme for emerging performance artists.

The venue hosts monthly Scratch Nights and Work In Progress Nights giving developing artists opportunities to try out new work, culminating in the annual Up Next Festival where those emerging productions are featured in the festival’s programme. The Unity place great emphasis on its artist development pipeline in which local talent is consistently platformed; both ‘Stella’ by Chris Tomlinson & Robert Farquhar and ‘Rooted’ by Claire Beerjeraz were first developed at the festival and will now feature amongst the Unity’s wider Autumn / Winter 2025 season this year.

Unity Theatre also stage their own in-house productions, including people from the local community; this season, Elinor Randle directs a modern and spectacular interpretation of Jean Genet’s classic ‘The Maids’, inspired by Graeme Phillips who first directed the play in 1992. Exploring themes of oppression, isolation and incarceration, the show unites Liverpool theatre icons and engages refugees, asylum seekers, and care-home residents in a vibrant participatory programme.

Unity Theatre is also a home to many of Liverpool’s diverse arts and cultural festivals. This Autumn, the programme features Milap’s INDIKA Festival of Indian Arts and Culture, Luma Creations’ La Feria Festival of Latin American Arts and the Liverpool Irish Festival as well as Homotopia, which promotes local, national and international queer and trans creatives and artists. Through this work, Unity represent a broad spectrum of Liverpool’s community – particularly the underrepresented voices, stories and lives of the more marginalised groups within society. 

The season closes with the Unity’s ever-popular Christmas programme. Following the success from previous years, Unity are producing their very own family and neurodiverse friendly Christmas show in collaboration with Liverpool-based theatre company Tmesis Theatre. ‘Sleep can wait!’ explores myths, legends and imagination – and is set to enchant audiences this festive season.

Elinor said:

“Our new season kicks off September 10th! Come and join us for a fun night of chats, sneak peeks, and short performances, a little taste of what’s coming up, shared with our amazing local community.”

Find out more on the Unity Theatre website.

Find all more theatre shows across Liverpool here. 

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