Liverpool’s Royal Court Open Days and Exhibition

Liverpool’s Royal Court archive is the most recent addition to our Liverpool Theatre and Writing Collections. LJMU staff have worked with the Royal Court Liverpool Trust, supporting their HLF project through providing advice and support as well as attending their Open Day in June 2016, where we displayed a small selection of photographs and programmes from the archive. The event was a huge success, staff and visitors were thrilled to see original material from the collection, sharing anecdotes and memories. That day the theatre also received donations for the archive from members of the public.

Following a further deposit from Liverpool’s Royal Court and to celebrate the completion of the second phase of their renovation, we decided to plan an exhibition in the theatre. As Liverpool’s Royal Court is one of LJMU’s official cultural partners it made perfect sense to open the exhibition during Welcome Week. Students and their families will have an opportunity to see the refurbished theatre, including the new entrance, box office and cafe (cakes are delicious, by the way). LJMU students are entitled to free tickets for shows, details of this offer are available at https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/discover/your-student-experience/student-opportunities

The exhibition is located in the foyer of the theatre and runs from 19 September – 9 October 2016. Arranged chronologically, the earliest item is a programme from 1 May 1882, the exhibition charts the varied history of performances in the theatre right up to recent productions featuring local writers and actors. I think visitors will be surprised by how many big stars performed at this theatre early on in their career.

My favourite items from the collection date from when the theatre was used as a music venue. As a teenager I started going to gigs there, afterwards running up to Lime Street station to get the last train home! Now, years later, it is great to see tickets and backstage passes that have been saved by staff and collected by fans. Hopefully, seeing items in the exhibition will bring back fond memories for many people. Even while we were working on the installation we were approached by visitors who were keen to talk. When you visit our exhibition look out for our ‘Tales from the Archive’ postcards, featuring a story relating to the collection and giving you a chance to share your own personal connection with one of Liverpool’s oldest established theatres.