Deborah Raddall and Jean Robinson are part of the team organizing this year’s Liverpool International Theatre Festival. (Rick Conrad)

It happens every two years, it’s less than two months away and the organizers of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival want you to be part of it.

The festival is looking for local residents to open their homes and help welcome the almost 90 people coming to Liverpool from 10 different countries for the four-day event.

The volunteer-driven festival is celebrating its 16th edition from Oct. 17 to 20 at the Astor Theatre.

This year, amateur theatre troupes from Morocco, Egypt, the country of Georgia, Mexico, Italy, Switzerland, Wales and the U.S. will be putting on one-act plays in an event that celebrates theatre and international friendship. Winds of Change from Liverpool will also be putting on a play at the festival.

“For those that haven’t been to the festival in the past,” says festival chairwoman Jean Robinson, “they are one-act plays and they have to be between 25 minutes long and 50 or 55 minutes long. And so, it’s a great introduction to theatre and different types of theatre.”

Deborah Raddall is in charge of LITF’s marketing and promotions. 

“LITF is a celebration of culture and theatre and community. And it’s a chance for us, meaning Liverpool, to experience the world.”

The festival relies on 40 to 60 volunteers from the community to make it happen.

Members of the theatre troupes are billeted at homes around Queens County. This year, organizers are putting an urgent call out for people to open their homes to the actors and crews coming to Liverpool.

LITF asks hosts to provide a bed and some breakfast for festival participants. The festival looks after everything else, including other meals and transportation. Hosts also get two free tickets to the play involving their guests.

Raddall and her husband Blair have hosted troupes in their home for many previous festivals.

“It’s a wonderful experience, my experience has been really great with that. We’ve been hosting almost every year and we’ve made wonderful friendships and connections. It’s quite unique for a theatre festival.”

“All you need to do is have a bed. It’s a bed and breakfast situation. What we ask of our hosts at a minimum is to provide a bed, provide a breakfast for them in the mornings and to pick them up when they arrive, if it’s a reasonable time. … At a minimum interaction, make them welcome in your home, give them something to eat in the mornings and our festival is designed to pick up all the rest of the stuff. … We’re really looking for a welcoming space and a little bit of breakfast.”

Robinson said hosts and guests have made lasting connections.

“Hosts can be as engaged in the festival as they want to be. We know that these have become lifelong friendships and also new experiences. People have gotten to go skating for the first time with their host, even being taken to the ocean to see a beach for the first time, going out on a lobster boat or things like that that have really cemented those relationships.”

Raddall says they’re still looking for space for about 40 troupe members. Troupes and potential hosts fill out questionnaires so that organizers can help make sure the experience is as positive as possible for everybody.

“It’s a process that’s not just we’re just going to chuck somebody on your doorstep without having a conversation about what works best for you and what works best for them.”

If you’re interested in becoming a host for the Liverpool International Theatre Festival, you can contact info@litf.ca , check out their website at litf.ca or message them at their Facebook page.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

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Lesli Chandler in Astor Aug 1 2023. Photo Ed Halverson

The new executive director at the Astor Theatre says transitioning from the stage to the office is a welcome challenge.

Lesli Chandler says since taking over as Executive Director on July 5 she’s been reacquainting herself with Liverpool and learning what people want from their local theatre.

Born in Liverpool, Chandler’s history with the Astor Theatre goes back to the 1970s and some of the original productions of local theatre company, “Winds of Change.

“Now I was only very young, but I would accompany my mother who was involved in the shows, to many of the rehearsals on all the shows, sometimes sitting in a rehearsals that probably weren’t appropriate for a young child,” said Chandler. “But anytime I could come to the Astor or be in this magical space I would find a way and waiting to be old enough to be on stage.”

After finding that opportunity to step into the limelight with a production of Oliver, Chandler moved to Halifax as a child but returned to Liverpool in her teen years for a year of high school where she reconnected with the Astor Theatre.

“I got involved with the Winds of Change again, working backstage, doing makeup, ushering, volunteering anyway I could,” said Chandler. “And that led me to the Astor, sort of shaped my passion and desire to work in the arts, to be an actor and to be a singer, performer, so I went off to study theatre in Montreal.”

When she completed her education, Chandler spent time as coordinator for the Liverpool International Theatre Festival before enjoying a theatre career in Halifax.

Becoming the Astor’s executive director is a sort of homecoming for Chandler.

She’s grateful for the help she’s received from her predecessor, Jean Robinson-Dexter during her first month’s transition into the role.

Chandler says as she’s been familiarizing herself with the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre, she’s enjoyed watching the students and instructors involved with the summer theatre program.

“I come from a background with working with a lot of youth so the work that Ashley [Rose Goodwyn] and Lincoln [Inglis] have done with the camps has been incredible. What these children, youth have done developing their own scripts, performing in five days, is really been quite impressive and I’m happy to see that,” said Chandler. “And I really am an advocate for youth experiencing the magic of this place because ultimately, we want them to be the ones that are going to have that same passion that I’ve grown up with.”

Chandler is settling in and is eager to showcase the productions, films and artists who will be on display this fall.

She looks forward to meeting the community face-to-face when the Town Hall Arts and Cultural Centre’s complete line up is announced at a launch party September 9.

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Performers at the 2022 Liverpool International Theatre Festival. Photo courtesy LITF. Credit Chris LaRocque

Organizers of the 2022 edition of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival are hailing the event as a great success.

Over the weekend, audiences enjoyed performances by seven troupes from around the world.
Festival chairperson Jean Robinson-Dexter said from the outset the community rallied behind the event.

“Opening night and having the block party and sunset market on main street in front of the theatre, the town arts and culture centre. That was the work of our South Queens Chamber of Commerce and just gave a totally different kind of kick off to the festival but really engaged the community and folks are still talking about what a good time they had that evening,” said Robinson-Dexter.

Adjudicator Paul Fowler had a tough job to determine how to allocate the awards but, in the end, named The Italian Movie Factory performed by Avanzi di Scena Cultural Association as the Outstanding International Production.

Robinson-Dexter said it’s an unenviable task to be the one judging such unique talents.

“My gosh, what a difficult experience it must have been for him because the plays were so, so different.,” said Robinson-Dexter. “As he said, it’s subjective. Folks may not agree with the choices that he made but those were his choices on that day, and I would say, he got it pretty correct in terms of the choices and the awards that were presented on Sunday night.”

The festival didn’t go off without some adversity. Three of the scheduled 10 troupes booked to perform couldn’t get into Canada due to visa issues.

Robinson-Dexter said it is something they will need to keep in mind for the 2024 edition.

“I guess it’s the way of the world now in terms of folks getting visas to come to Canada. That’ll certainly be something that we’ll be looking at.”

Robinson-Dexter said the Liverpool International Theatre Festival team will take some time to review what went well, what could be improved upon and what changes they would like to see from this year as they begin to make plans for the next festival in 2024.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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Belgian troupe Lucky Leo performing their play, The Raise. Photo courtesy Liverpool International Theatre Festival

The play’s the thing once again in Liverpool.

After four years the Liverpool International Theatre Festival is returning to the Astor Theatre.

Nine acts from around the globe will walk the boards in what is considered one of the top ten amateur theatre festivals in the world.

Chairperson of LITF Jean Robinson-Dexter says given the international nature of the performers, one of the things the selection committee looks for are plays that can be understood whether acted in English or not.

“It can transcend the language barriers. We’ll often look for plays that are less verbal or not language heavy, so to speak, so that they can make that crossover so that folks can understand what’s happening,” said Robinson-Dexter.

The festival has been held every two years since it began in 1992.

The last edition of LITF was scheduled for 2020 but like so many other events, was cancelled due to COVID.

This year the festival will start Thursday October 13 with a parade of flags down Main Street leading to the opening ceremonies in the Astor Theatre.

LITF has partnered with the South Queens Chamber of Commerce to round out opening night with a block party featuring live music and events beginning at 8pm.

The weekend will be jammed with performances followed by social evenings at the Liverpool Curling Club.

The 2022 edition of Liverpool International Theatre Festival will also see the return of the ever popular “Coffee Critique” which is open to all performers and all-access pass holders.

Robinson-Dexter says the critique started as an opportunity for performers to discuss their work amongst themselves but has become one of the most unique and popular components of LITF.

“Our audience very quickly wanted to be involved in that. They wanted to hear it and they wanted to ask questions,” said Robinson-Dexter. “It’s usually a jam-packed room. People are just so engaged in learning about how theatre happens in other countries.”

Sales of the all-access passes ends Wednesday October 5, but Robinson-Dexter says there are still multi-performance packages and individual passes available through the Astor Theatre box office.

The Liverpool International Theatre Festival runs from October 13-17.

More information can be found on the festival website.

E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
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Liverpool International Theatre Festival Logo. Contributed by LITF

Theatre lovers can firm up their calendar as the Liverpool International Theatre Festival has announced they will be returning in 2022.

LITF is usually held at the Astor Theatre in autumn but will go ahead May 12-15 next year.

The 2020 edition of the event had been postponed until October of 2021 due to COVID-19.

Chairperson Jean Robinson-Dexter says they had hoped to host the event this year but given the state of the pandemic thought it would be prudent to hold out a few months longer.

“It’s disappointing in one sense that we can’t be together in October but we’re very hopeful that by next May most of the world will be vaccinated and we’ll have good travel protocols that we’ll be able to welcome these troupes here in Liverpool next May,” said Robinson-Dexter.

For four days every two years, the LITF welcomes up to a dozen theatre troupes to Liverpool from places as far away as Russia and Africa.

Robinson-Dexter says the influence of the festival extends deep into the community.

“We have social events and the troupes visit the schools and we have workshops and a fabulous opening ceremony then a closing ceremony where we present the awards,” said Robinson-Dexter.

The Astor Theatre is home to LITF. Photo Ed Halverson

Another highlight of the festival is what they call a coffee critique where experts adjudicate a troupe’s previous night’s performance in front of an audience.

“That’s usually a full house of folks that subscribe for the whole festival and attend that and there’s lots of lively discussion,” said Robinson-Dexter.

She says on March 13 organizers spoke with most of the troupes who were scheduled to perform this year to tell them of their plans to delay the event by six months.

She says they were understanding of the precautions and expects the majority will be involved with the May 2022 festival.

As to whether an audience will be waiting for the festival to return, Robinson-Dexter says from all she has seen and heard, people are craving engagement with the arts.

“My sense is that the community will happily fill theatre seats once we’re able to do that safely and we’re moving in that way,” said Robinson-Dexter.

The 2022 edition of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival will be significant not only for its return from the pandemic. It will also mark 30 years since the event was started back in 1992.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
E-mail: edhalversonnews@gmail.com
Twitter: @edwardhalverson

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