Theatre News

Liverpool actress Cathy Tyson stars in Edinburgh Festival hit Monkey Bars

Former Emmerdale’‘ actress and Liverpool star Cathy Tyson will feature alongside Only Fools and Horses‘ actress Gwyneth Strong when a hilarious and truthful piece of verbatim theatre comes to town.

Monkey Bars has been written and directed by Chris Goode
Monkey Bars has been written and directed by Chris Goode

Monkey Bars premiered at Edinburgh Festival last year, earning itself a Fringe First Award and rave reviews for its revelatory insight into what children are trying to tell us about their lives, and ours, that we don’t always hear.

The production was scripted by writer and director Chris Goode after he heard more than 40 eight-to-ten-year-old children talking about their lives; about being scared and being brave; about their family, faith, and favourite sweets; and their perspective on the adult world that surrounds and awaits them.

The intriguing transcripts were then transplanted into
the world of grown-ups, with adults re-enacting the conversations in adult situations.

Goode said: “Monkey Bars has been a complete delight to work on: constantly hilarious but also, in what the children are saying, full of moments of poignancy and profundity.”

Monkey Bars” will run at the Liverpool Playhouse Studio from 1-5 October.

– Rebecca Cohen