Unity Theatre, Liverpool

Between Liverpool’s two cathedrals, on the quietly handsome Hope Place, Unity Theatre remains one of the city’s most cherished cultural spaces. Once a synagogue, the Grade II listed building became home to Unity in 1979 and opened with its first festival the following year. Its intimate scale and welcoming atmosphere have made it a hub for innovative, community-focused performance ever since.

Today, Unity is more than a theatre, it’s a creative home for artists and audiences alike. The organisation champions local voices, staging productions not only about Liverpool’s people but often by them, with a programme that blends professional work, new writing and boundary-pushing experimentation. Alongside the main stage, Unity runs development schemes, mentoring opportunities and regular scratch nights where artists can test out new ideas, helping emerging talent to grow and thrive.

In 2025, Unity began a major heritage and seating refurbishment project designed to improve comfort, accessibility and flexibility for audiences and performers. The work marks a new chapter for the theatre, which is also preparing to launch its first in-house production in more than a decade, planned for spring 2026.

The theatre’s forward-looking approach sits comfortably alongside its historic setting, just a short stroll from Hope Street’s cafés, restaurants and the Bombed Out Church. Whether it’s theatre, comedy, music, family shows or experimental performance, Unity Theatre remains a vital part of Liverpool’s creative life. It’s a place where audiences really do come closer to the work and the people who make it.