What’s on at The Reader this Halloween

There is so much to do at the Storybarn this Halloween including a family theatre show and nine spooky films on the big screen.

This October half term The Reader is hosting its first ever season of Spooky Cinema in Liverpool’s biggest open-air cinema under a giant canopy, plus family theatre and Halloween fun.

The national Shared Reading charity based in the historic Grade II listed Mansion House in Calderstones Park, Allerton, will be running a wide range of events for all the family from Friday 24 October – Sat 1 November.

As primary schools break up for half term, families are encouraged to dig out their favourite PJs after hours for Bookshop Bedtime Stories on Friday 24 October, 5.30pm –7pm, in The Reader Bookshop. All children will receive a complimentary babycino. For an extra easy evening out, reserve an early-bird table and pre-order tea in the Bookshop Café for 4.30pm before the stories begin.

Halloween at the Storybarn, will run throughout half term (Monday 27 October – Friday 31 October), 10am and 1pm, where children can enjoy ghostly stories and games, and create a spooktacular craft to take home.  

Liverpool’s non-profit Altru Drama will be staging a re-telling of classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood on Thursday 30 October at 11am and 2.30pm. This lovely performance is presented by two actors and packed with live, original music and songs, storytelling, fun and audience interaction.

Spooky Cinema For Families: What’s On

After a summer of sell-out screenings at Liverpool’s newest outdoor cinema eight hand-picked Halloween favourites from award-winning animations for children and top family-friendly picks to an iconic Hitchcock mystery thriller and cult classics will be screened under a giant canopy during the October half term week. 

But the season starts with a 30-minute animation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved picture book, Room on the Broom, about a witch, a broomstick and a jealous cat, aimed at the youngest of cinema-lovers. This will be showing indoors in the cosy Mansion House Theatre Room on Tuesday 28 October and Wednesday 29 October, at 11.30am.

Four family-friendly films will each be screened outdoors under the cover of a huge canopy in the Mansion House Garden at 4pm. They include Hocus Pocus (PG) Disney’s beloved Halloween comedy starring Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker on Tuesday 28 October and Friday 31 October, and Hotel Transylvania (U), the first in the animated vampire series will be showing on Wednesday 29 October. 

Fans of Netflix’s Wednesday will also enjoy the dark humour of witty 1990s movie sequel, The Addams Family Values (PG), on Thursday 30 October, starring Anjelica Huston and Christina Ricci. As we say goodbye to Halloween and start to look ahead to the festive season, the family-friendly Spooky Cinema ends with The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) – Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion masterpiece – on Saturday 1 November.

Spooky Cinema For Grown Ups: What’s On

In the evenings five films will be showing for grown ups in the atmospheric open-air cinema under the giant canopy at 8pm. The week opens with Hocus Pocus (PG) on Tuesday 28 October, and continues with Practical Magic (12) on Wednesday 29 October, based on Alice Hoffman’s 1995 novel, this funny, mischievous film turned cult classic sees Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters from a line of witches bound by a family curse – with a killer soundtrack.  

See Hitchcock’s classic 1954 thriller Rear Window (PG), for the ultimate masterclass in tension and suspense starring James Stewart and Grace Kelly, on Thursday 30 October, followed by Tim Burton’s offbeat afterlife comedy Beetlejuice (15), with Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder, on Friday 31 October. 

Dig out your fishnets and get ready to time warp for the grand finale on Saturday 1 November, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (15), which this year celebrates its 50^th anniversary. 

Treats & Seats

Doors will open 30 minutes before Room on the Broom at 11am for a 11.30am screening in the Mansion House Theatre Room. For all other films gates to the Mansion House Garden will open an hour before screening, except for The Rocky Horror Picture Show when gates will open 90-minutes before the film. 

Arrive early and soak up the atmosphere with music, food and drinks. Pre-orders will be taken for Hot Dogs (VE available) £8, Nachos with cheese, salsa, and guacamole, sour cream and optional jalapenos, (VE available), £8, and Pizzas (Margherita or Pepperoni, VE available), £14.

Treat yourself to a bottle of fizz for £25 or a bucket of Peroni beers (six bottles) for £20. Book a deckchair for £5 or bring your own picnic blanket. 

Tickets cost £14.50 for adults and £9.50 for under 16s. Calderstones members will be able to save 10%.

The new outdoor cinema has been made possible thanks to a grant by social investor Livv Investment, part of Livv Housing Group, based in Prescot. All profits will support The Reader’s charitable work transforming lives through literature in Liverpool and beyond.

Book your tickets on The Reader website.

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