2012 Cultural picks in Liverpool

By Catherine Jones on Jan 4, 12 02:19 PM

BACK to the proverbial grindstone? Fed up with the wild and windy weather? Wondering how to brighten up your 2012? You're not the only one.
Luckily, with panto coming to an end the theatres and venues in Liverpool and beyond are gearing up for their spring seasons.
For anyone who missed my tips for 2012 in the Echo over the festive season, here they are again, this time broken down into categories.....

Theatre
Mogadishu, A Streetcar Named Desire and Henry V at the Playhouse; South Pacific, Dirty Dancing, I Dreamed a Dream, Sister Act and Avenue Q at the Empire; Departure Lounge, The Games, Gold Mountain and Much Ado About Wenlock at the Unity, and Murder on the Nile at the Floral Pavilion

Dance
Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! at the Empire and Phoenix Dance at the Playhouse, plus Strictly Live at the ECHO arena

Comedy
Dara O'Briain, Sarah Millican and Ross Noble at the Empire, John Bishop and Michael McIntyre at the ECHO arena, Robin Ince and John Peel's Shed at the Unity and Joan Rivers at the Philharmonic Hall

Art
Turner, Monet, Twombly at the Tate, John Kirby and the John Moores Painting Prize at the Walker, Niet Normaal at the Bluecoat, and the International Liverpool Biennial pretty much everywhere

That's just a smattering of the 'cultural offer' (urgh, I hate that phrase) in the city and beyond during 2012