Previews: Theatre, attractions and music in Liverpool

MCM Comic Con

Exhibition Centre Liverpool, 12 – 13 March
Event

If you’re a fan of movies, comics, sci-fi, video games, anime, or cosplay this is the event for you.

Special guests from the worlds of TV and film, eSports competitions, a Comic Village and a Cosplay Masquerade will descend on the waterfront venue for this two-day convention.

With the likes of superhero blockbuster ‘Batman v Superman’ soon to be released, it’s a great chance to meet fellow fans and, of course, costumes are encouraged!

Reel Stories: Liverpool and the silver screen

Museum of Liverpool, 11 March – January 2017
Exhibition

Displaying around 40 original film posters from 1950 to date, this exhibition highlights Liverpool’s cinematic history as the most-filmed UK city outside London.

The city has been used to depict locations such as New York and Chicago with more than 6,000 productions shot since the Liverpool Film Office opened in 1989.

This year’s forthcoming big screen release, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to find Them’, is among the latest to use the city as a location.

Liverpool Acoustic Festival

Music Room & Unity Theatre, 18 – 19 March
Festival

Taking over the Unity and collaborating with the Philharmonic’s Music Room, the Liverpool Acoustic Festival returns for a slower-paced music festival compared to some of the city’s summer events. Running over two days with fringe events before and after the main festival, some of the biggest names in acoustic music will be appearing in Liverpool with both local and international artists.

 

 

Hail, Caesar!

In cinemas from 26 February
Film

Directed by the Coen brothers, ‘Hail, Caesar!’ is shaping up to be one of the films of the year and certainly looks like one of the funniest.

With an all-star cast including Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill and Ralph Fiennes, the plot follows ‘fixer’ Eddie Mannix (Brolin) as he helps the production of Hollywood blockbuster, Hail, Caesar and plots the return of its kidnapped star Baird Whitlock (Clooney).

Walk the Moon

O2 Academy, 20 – 21 February
Music

The Ohio band released one of 2015’s biggest-selling singles with ‘Shut Up and Dance’ and immediately shot to stardom around the UK and the globe before seeing out their breakthrough year with a New Year’s Eve show in New York.

Catch the band in an intimate setting as they play for two nights at the city’s O2 Academy, with plenty of opportunities to dance and sing along.

Dynamo

Echo Arena, 2 – 6 March
Live show

Steven Frayne, AKA Dynamo, brings a six-show run to Liverpool in what promises to be an event like no other from a man who has become the most recognisable magician in the world in little more than three years.

Ahead of his performance in the city he says: “I am hoping that like I did for magic on TV, I can reinvent the live magic show and produce something fans have never seen before.”

I Am Thomas

Playhouse Theatre, 19 – 27 February
Theatre

Collaborating with award-winning poet Simon Armitage, Told by an Idiot, National Theatre Scotland and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh present a production that combines wild black comedy with music.

Set in 17th Century Edinburgh, I Am Thomas follows the story of Thomas Aikenhead – a Scottish student who became the last person in Britain to be executed for blasphemy.