First steps of a multi-million pound overhaul of the Grade II-listed Playhouse Theatre in Liverpool are taken with the submission of a planning application for the initial upgrades. Tony McDonough reports
Work on upgrading the Grade II-listed Playhouse Theatre in Liverpool is set to begin in 2027, the first step towards a major transformation project.
In April, Liverpool and Merseyside Theatres Trust (LMTT), the charity which runs both the Playhouse in Williamson Square and the Everyman Theatre in Hope Street secured a £1m Government grant to carry out work at both venues.
Now LMTT has submitted a planning application to Liverpool City Council to carry out works at the Playhouse which is the North West’s oldest working theatre since opening as The Star in 1866.
In 2022 it appointed a multi-disciplinary design team to prepare a feasibility study for a major overhaul of the theatre. These proposed works do not represent a full upgrade but are the first steps towards a project that would require further funding and may also include Williamson Square itself
Working with architects at MGMA, LMTT is proposing a number of improvements to upgrade the fabric of the building and enhance the experience of its tens of thousands of annual theatregoers.
These include refitting of the toilets, back-of-house dressing rooms, offices and other facilities, replacement of fire doors, installation of audio-visual equipment for hard-of-hearing audience members as well as external render repairs to the building.
In its submission to the council, LMTT said: “The works have been developed with consideration to the architectural and historic significance of the Grade II-listed building, with the retention and conservation of historic fabric forming the primary consideration in the development of the proposals.”
It plans to deliver the work in phases between early 2027 and early 2029 with the aim of causing minimum disruption to the day to day operations of the theatre and its productions.
When LMTT secured the £1m in April chief executive Mark Da Vanzo said: “These funds will help us to address critical issues in the short-term and help to kickstart the next chapter for the Playhouse – restoring its historic splendour.”
In December 2025 LBN revealed audiences had returned to both the Playhouse and Everyman in their droves following the COVID dip, with 146,000 coming through the doors – the highest number for more than 10 years.