A new production of Masquerade – a play telling a powerful and emotional tale set in an iconic Liverpool gay club in the 1980s – is coming to the city's Epstein Theatre this autumn.
Masquerade is said to be a poignant tale of love and loss among Liverpool's LGBTQIA+ community. Following a successful run at the Royal Court Studio in 2019, the acclaimed play written by Laura Lees is back in a "new electrifying and reimagined staging, with Liverpool's queer history at its heart."
The play tells a fictional story based around the now-demolished 'iconic' Cases Street venue, affectionately known as The Mazzie, which was frequented at the time by famous faces including Holly Johnson, Paul O'Grady, Paul Rutherford, and Margi Clarke. A synopsis of the play reads: "Mike loves Tony (but not like that). He's his best mate. To be confident, outgoing, and open is a big deal in a city like Liverpool in 1986, especially during the Aids crisis.
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"When they discover The Masquerade Club with trepidation, Mike gets a taste of the life he could and should be living. He is welcomed with open arms, soon becoming the resident DJ in a club that becomes the centre of his universe. But their paths go in separate directions. Outside of the club walls, he needs to find the courage to tell his parents that he is not the son they want him to be. Will he find the strength to stand up for himself especially when tragedy strikes?"
Masquerade will run at the Epstein Theatre in Liverpool from Tuesday, November 22 to Saturday, November 26, 2022, for just eight performances. Tickets are priced from £20 and are on sale now.
Writer Laura Lees said: "I was aware that my uncle Mark had been a DJ in the club when he was younger so I asked him about it, at which point he opened up and gave me an insight into The Masquerade. I instantly fell in love with its story and wanted to know everything there was to know about it. While doing the research, I found that most people were happy to reminisce because it was such a wonderful time in their lives. However, it was equally bittersweet as it was also a time of pain when Aids was hitting the gay community.
"I want to take audiences on a journey through an important period for the LGBT community – an uplifting story that would resonate with anyone who has ever experienced the excitement and terror of a first love. What it was like to be young and gay in a hostile society. Also, to honour the victims that paid the price for being alive, and to give hope to anyone who is afraid to be whomever they want to be. Everyone has a right to love and happiness, and you only get one chance to be true."
You can buy tickets for Masquerade here. The show is one of several new productions coming to the newly launched Epstein Theatre.
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