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In pictures: Everyman crackles back to life
Mark McNulty captures the procession of lanterns, puppets and performers as Hope St is reclaimed
SATURDAY night in Liverpool city centre is reclaimed by hundreds of wellwishers, many of them families, in a stunning parade to light up the new Everyman Theatre.
The picture below, captured by Mark McNulty, shows the procession as it snakes up Bold Street, bringing residents to their windows and businesses to a halt as customers and staff in bars and restaurants come out to cheer on the lantern bearers, drummers and a New Orleans style jazz band.
If they didn't know what was happening, there were plenty of people to tell them, making the long, slow trek from the downtown Liverpool Playhouse to uptown Hope Street, where around 2,000 gathered.
Bold Street Liverpool is thronged with people making their way up to the new Everyman on Saturday night. Pictures: Mark McNulty
There the neon sign on the brand new theatre crackled to life at around 8.15pm, with fireworks, choirs and a video messages of support flashing on a screen over the Medical Institute, a makeshift stage for the night.
Everyman alumni flashed up: Dave Morrissey, Mickey Starke, Stephen Graham, Roger Phillips, Leanne Best Pauline Daniels and writers Roger McGough, Lizzie Nunnery and Jeff Young.
Afterwards, a relieved-looking Everyman and Playhouse Artistic Director Gemma Bodinetz told Liverpool Confidential that right up until the fire crackers ignited on the roof of the new Everyman (in time to the Sense of Sound choir performing The Beatles' All You Need Is Love), she wasn't entirely sure if it would all come off.
But first night nerves were groundless, proving, indisputably "just how much general love and goodwill there remains in Liverpool for the Ev."
Indeed, another 4,000 trooped through the doors to have a look yesterday, its first open day.
As is so often in big city moments, photographer McNulty was darting about, recording the best of the action.
There's a whole set of superb portraits from this event and many more city occasions at his own blog, Rivercool, here.
So go and have a look. You might even find you. Go on.
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7 comments so far, continue the conversation, write a comment.
Marvellous, memorable night. Hip pip to many more!
At least all the wankers will be in one place now and the decent people of Liverpool will be free to enjoy themselves without fear of being accosted by some boring geography teacher type in tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows. If Samuel Becket designed a watering hole in would be the Everyman Bistro. And why is it called the Everyman? Shite sixties all inclusive name, it's for every man. What about women? Maybe they should call it the Everyone and not be so sexist. Why not be even more honest and call it the Everywanker?
I'm thinking you're not keen on that Billy Shakespeare chap then anon. Go on, sneak in and have a gander. You may be well impressed, and I bet you won't see a leather patch anywhere.
Fairly poor rant, too much mention of self abuse. Classic signals of poor potty training. 2/10
Poor potty training? I bet you teach geography because you didn't have the grades to get on a psychology course. Maybe you Mother didn't pay you enough Freudian attention. 0/10 for your cod psychology. Do you own a tweed jacket by any chance?
Reckon there's plenty of rib ticklers left in the tweed jacket quip yet, don't let me down now will ya?
Clearly, you are a case for freud.."self abuse", perhaps mother or father loved you a bit too much? I suspect you're not so much a member of tweed club more likely a part of the dirty brown mack brigade.