Liverpool’s Unity Theatre has announced the first release of its 2026 programme – and it’s shaping up to be one of the venue’s most exciting and socially engaged seasons to date.
A new year brings a renewed sense of energy at the Hope Place theatre, long celebrated for championing radical, inclusive and underrepresented work. Building on the huge success of its December programme – including the much-loved Christmas Cabaret and festive family favourite Sleep Can Wait – Unity heads into 2026 with a packed schedule of theatre, comedy, documentary cinema and festivals that firmly places people and stories at its heart.
Unity reopens on Wednesday 21 January with Sober Scribbles: Scratch Night, a supportive, alcohol-free space for sober and sober-curious writers to share new work. Following a series of online courses, emerging playwrights will present extracts from developing scripts – offering audiences a rare chance to see bold new voices at the very start of their journey.
The theatre’s first full production of the year follows shortly after, with KITTEL: Doktor Faustus of the Third Reich, presented by Heirs of Banquo. This brave and uncompromising new play tells the true story of German theologian Professor Gerhard Kittel, exploring how reputation, faith and honour can be twisted in the service of radical evil.
From Wednesday 28 to Saturday 31 January, audiences can enjoy The Ghost of Graves End, a post-Christmas, not-quite-panto Victorian comedy. Blending classic ghost-story chills with high-energy silliness – think The Woman in Blackmeets The 39 Steps – it follows a penniless poet drawn into a haunted household where something is very much not right.
February brings The Marian Hotel, beginning its first UK run after a sold-out tour across Northern Ireland. Based on Caitriona Cunningham’s lived experience of the Marianvale Mother and Baby Home in Newry, the play is a deeply moving portrayal of a dark chapter in Irish history, underscored by a haunting 70s/80s soundtrack. It’s a powerful call for voices once silenced to finally be heard.
Unity is also partnering with Liverpool Doc Club in 2026 to present premiere screenings of new documentary cinema that aligns with the theatre’s ethos.
- Motherboard (Wednesday 11 February) – filmed over 20 years by BAFTA-winning director Victoria Mapplebeck, this intimate smartphone documentary explores the realities of single motherhood with warmth, honesty and humour.
- Folktales (Wednesday 11 March) – from Academy Award®-nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, this visually stunning film follows teenagers spending a gap year learning to survive in the Arctic wilderness, searching for meaning in a hyper-connected world.
March sees Unity shift into festival mode, beginning with the Unity Comedy Festival. Launching on 14 March with a sold-out performance from Edinburgh Comedy Award Best Newcomer Joe Kent-Walters, the festival continues with standout shows from Alex Stringer, Dru Cripps, Gavin Lilley, Rachel Barry and Nina Levy, plus a second chance to catch Joe Kent-Walters and the acclaimed working-class comedy showcase Best In Class.
The following weekend marks the return of Up Next Festival, Unity Theatre’s annual celebration of Merseyside creativity. Across three days, audiences can expect world-premiere plays, poetry, cabaret, drag, installations and live music from some of the region’s most exciting artists and companies – with more details to be announced soon.
With fearless programming, major festivals and space for new voices to thrive, Unity Theatre’s first release for 2026 sets the tone for a year that’s bold, inclusive and unmissable.
You can get tickets and more information via their website.
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