The Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres confirm their commitment to young creatives and the development of talent from the Liverpool City Region by announcing the cast for the first production in their new season, the first by new Creative Director Suba Das. A Billion Times I Love You written by Patrick Maguire and directed by Jessica Meade, both graduates of the award-winning Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) programme, currently celebrating its 10th year, opens at the Everyman Theatre on Tuesday 27 September. The cast were announced last week as Mary Higgins and Melissa Lowe, with music by Liverpool band Crawlers.
This brilliant new play about finding new ways to say, ‘I love you’, when it feels like your soulmate’s stopped listening, is supported by Homotopia, the longest-running LGBTQIA arts festival in the UK (happening every November), who support and platform local, national, and international LGBTQIA artists. A Billion Times I Love You won the Homotopia Writers’ Award 2021, with the Everyman and Homotopia selecting director Jessica Meade, herself a YEP graduate and alumni of Homotopia’s own talent development programme Queercore, to bring the play to life in a scripted reading at the Everyman in May 2022.
The reaction to this new ‘queer love story’ was so powerful, it has been instantly propelled to the main stage, with Jessica Meade now directing her first main house show. Speaking about the show, director Jessica said:
“I feel really honoured to be opening the new season with this bold, brave and beautiful queer love story and incredibly grateful to be supported by Suba Das and the team at the Everyman & Playhouse in this exciting next step of my career. My relationship began with their young director development programme, YEP Directors, so this opportunity is particularly special to me. It all feels very full circle!”
Jesse and Taylor are two young women in love. At least they think they are. But do we ever really know what love feels like for the other person? Is it real love if they don’t always say it back? A Billion Times I Love You is a rollercoaster ride through the backchat and bust-ups, kisses, and cleaning products that underscore one couple’s hunt for queer romantic bliss.
“I’m so proud to open my first season in Liverpool with A Billion Times I Love You, and to re-state the Everyman and Playhouse’s commitment to incredible, unexpected stories of how we live and love created by the city’s most exciting talent. Patrick’s play is the most beautifully observed exploration of the hopes and fears bubbling under any love affair, and I’m so excited that Jessica Meade’s playful, tender production will also be giving our audiences a first listen to brand new music from Crawlers, a Liverpool band blowing up around the world and who can now call the Everyman a creative home too”
Suba Das
Tickets priced £11 to £26 can be booked now at www.everymanplayhouse.com