This week saw the debut of the Shiny New Festival, a residency at the Lantern Theatre in Liverpool which brought together 7 different performance pieces spread across the week. Event organiser Peter Mitchelson has created a fringe festival that showcases the wide range of up and coming talent in a variety of performance styles. There were comedians, musical acts and plays showcased during the week and I got the opportunity to see all three performances on the Wednesday. This included short plays Weave and Saving Grace and comedy musicians Jollyboat all three of which showing a different side to the talent both in and outside of Liverpool.

The Lantern Theatre itself made for a nice intimate venue for a festival such as this with the actors and performers really connecting with the audience. The event organisers are looked to expand to other venues in the coming years, but as a starting point the welcoming atmosphere of the Lantern Theatre was the perfect choice.

Here are my reviews of the three performances I was able to see:

I’m looking forward to seeing Shiny New Festival expand next year, perhaps to some other venues or over a longer period of time. The eclectic performances were a great selection for this opening year and things are sure to get even better with time.