Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre announce the cast of the world premiere of Jonathan Larkin’s Cherry Jezebel and release a new trailer.
Behind the mascara, the wigs, and the six-inch stiletto heels, all that glitters isn’t gold. At least Cherry Brandy’s always got her best mate Heidi. But growing up queer in Liverpool is grim, and the queer family they’ve forged is about to slip through Cherry’s nicotine-stained fingers.
From the boudoirs to the bathrooms of Liverpool’s gloriously gobby drag scene, Cherry Jezebel is a riot of lipstick and split lips, of bitching and bruises. It’s a play that celebrates queerness while spilling the tea on the pain behind the polish.
After an open casting call with Pearson Casting, to ensure representation from non-binary, trans, and cis male actors, the cast includes Mickey Jones as legendary drag queen Cherry Brandy, Mariah Louca as her best friend Heidi Handjob, Stefan Race as the new non-binary queen on the scene Pearl Reckless and George Jones as lad about town Mo.
Jonathan Larkins’s association with the Liverpool Everyman Theatre started with the Henry Cotton Writers on Attachment Scheme, followed by his first play Paradise Bound, which opened to widespread critical and popular acclaim. His next play Forgive Them, was part of the Mersey Bite night at the Hampstead Theatre and at the Everyman’s Everyword Festival. He is a regular writer on the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks. Jonathan is returning to the theatre with a desire to put working-class queer voices centre stage.
Jonathan said, ‘I started writing Cherry Jezebel about four years ago and it has evolved from a celebration of older queer voices to a piece about trauma, family and the lengths outsiders will go to find a safe space in a violent straight white world. It started out as a collection of nostalgic stories rooted in the past but now has both its high heels planted in the Liverpool of today. I’m looking forward to posing tough questions about how queer people are treated in Liverpool and beyond – but also showing how resilient and fabulous we are.
Everyone is looking for family, for safety, and for acceptance no matter how they identify, so hopefully, people who might not necessarily be LGBTQ will see Cherry Jezebel and go ‘Oh yes I understand that I’ve been in her/his/their shoes.’
Thanks to support from The National Lottery the Liverpool Everyman are part of the ‘Love Your Local Theatre’ campaign offering 2 tickets for the price of one at selected performances of Cherry Jezebel.
During the month of March, patrons get another ticket free courtesy of the National Lottery when buying a full-price ticket to see Cherry Jezebel on Tuesday 8 to Saturday 12 March at 7.30 pm, Tuesday 15 March at 5.30 pm, and Wednesday 16, Tuesday 22, and Wednesday 23 March at 7.30 pm. The promotion is available to anyone who is a National Lottery player and possesses a ticket or other proof of purchase for a National Lottery game. Tickets purchased as part of the Promotion are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and subject to availability.
Cherry Jezebel runs at the Liverpool Everyman from 8 – 26 March 2022. It is directed by James Baker, set and costume design by Ellie Light, lighting design by Jai Morjaria, and composition and sound design by Daniel Mawson.
Cherry Jezebel is recommended for ages 16+
