St Helens Theatre Royal promises exciting shows for all the family for October 2021

LAST month saw the Corporate Street venue revert back to full house audiences after a challenging 18 months, and theatregoers are steadily returning to enjoy live shows in the Town. St Helens Theatre Royal has been granted the use of the Society Of London Theatre and UK Theatre's 'See It Safely' mark. This certifies that the venue is complying with Government and industry Covid19 guidelines to ensure the safety of staff, performers, and audiences.

The programme for October features Rat Pack classics from Liverpool singer Ray Quinn and friends; shows celebrating the music of Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston, Abba, The Eagles, George Michael, and Queen; the captivating story of Judy Garland and daughter Liza Minnelli; and ˝ term panto Jack And The Beanstalk.

October got off to an All Singing All Swinging start when singer, actor, and dazzling ice skater Liverpool born entertainer Ray Quinn celebrates the incredible music of the Rat Pack. Enjoy an evening of iconic songs on Saturday 2 October, made famous by legends including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Then followed The UK's number 1 Ariana Grande tribute show, on Sunday, 3 October 2021... But lots more still to come...

Britain's Got Talent finalist Belinda Davids presents acclaimed stage show The Greatest Love of All on Wednesday, 6 October 2021, at 7.30pm, celebrating the late legendary Whitney Houston, in a theatrical extravaganza complete, along with backing vocalists, a live band, and dancers. The show features a timeless catalogue of incredible hit songs.

There's a chance to Thank Abba For The Music, on Friday, 8 October 2021, at 7.30pm in a 2 hour theatre spectacular that captures the essence of Sweden's superstars, featuring their greatest hit songs, and those satin flares. A timely show as the Eurovision favourites announce their own huge comeback.

4 fabulous fairytale princesses become singing stars in Pop Princesses, on Sunday, 10 October 2021, at 11am. Expect a soundtrack of top pop hits from stars including:- Little Mix, Taylor Swift and Jojo Siwa.

Hollywood icons, mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli take Centre stage, on Wednesday, 13 October 2021, at 7.30pm, for the Judy and Liza Musical 10th Anniversary Tour. West End stars Emma Dears and Helen Sheals deliver the duo's best-known songs with uncanny resemblance, the show shines a spotlight on this incredible pairing.

Illegal Eagles, the world's official number 1 tribute to the legendary rock band, land on Thursday, 14 October 2021, at 7.30pm. Celebrating the music of the legendary US West Coast country rock band, the show boasts musical prowess, acute attention to detail, and incredible showmanship to every performance.

Rob Lambertini presents A Celebration Of The Songs And Music Of George Michael on Friday, 15 October 2021, at 8pm. Rob started his career celebrating the man and the music when he emerged from the dry ice to appear as George Michael on smash hit television show:- 'Stars In Their Eyes.'

The Best Of Queen takes over the auditorium on Saturday, 16 October 2021, at 7.30pm with its Break Free Tour, packed with all those favourite Queen anthems and the showmanship you'd expect from a tribute to the UK's greatest rock band.

Panto producers Regal Entertainments returns to live audiences and presents Jack And The Beanstalk during the Autumn ˝ Term Break. The panto was a smash hit online earlier this year and now there's a chance to see Jack an friends on stage. The show runs between Tuesday, 21 October and Sunday, 31 October 2021.

Theatre Manager Chantelle Nolan commented:- "We are all excited for a busy and entertaining October at St Helens Theatre Royal. Audiences are steadily returning and it's amazing to see how happy our guests are when they take their seats in the auditorium. Join us for fantastic shows celebrating some of the most iconic musical stars past and present, before October is rounded off nicely with the long-awaited return to live pantomime in a welcoming and safe space."

St Helens Theatre Royal has a range of Covid secure measures in place. They include increased cleaning, hand sanitiser stations at points throughout the building, and a QR code phone app for audiences to order food and beverages to be delivered to them at their seats.

Customers are asked to continue to wear face coverings (unless exempt) as a courtesy to others, and are being encouraged to take a lateral flow test up to 48 hours before attending a show. People are asked not to visit the theatre if they have Covid symptoms. Meanwhile theatre staff are taking daily Covid tests.

St Helens Theatre Royal's Autumn season brochure can be found online by visiting:- StHelensTheatreRoyal.Com.
 

Metro Mayor officially launches LCR Connect - delivering ultrafast digital infrastructure to the Liverpool City Region

THE Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram has officially launched LCR Connect, a 212km full fibre, ultrafast, gigabit capable network spanning the Liverpool City Region. LCR Connect will help make the Liverpool City Region the most digitally connected area in the UK and ultimately lead to a ₤1 billion boost to the local economy. Work has now begun on a 212km full fibre, gigabit capable network infrastructure, capable of delivering speeds of 1,000mbps and beyond, that will help position the City Region at the head of the next digital revolution. When complete, it will put City Region businesses in prime position to lead the way in a host of growing sectors, from health and life sciences to Artificial Intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

LCR Connect is a ₤30m joint venture, 50% owned by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, in partnership with North West based ITS Technology Group, who will lead the project, working alongside construction partner NGE, who are managing the build and roll out of the network. ITS who are a leading UK wholesale network provider, delivering and managing gigabit capable full fibre networks across the UK through its innovative Faster Britain programme. Daren Baythorpe, CEO of ITS Technology Group, said:- "LCR Connect is a true collaboration, demonstrating what can be achieved when public and private sectors are focused on the same outcomes, helping to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits. This programme will be transformational and we are excited to be playing a central role in its delivery, supporting growth in the digital economy of the Region, as well as supporting national targets for full fibre access by 2025."

Alongside existing local digital infrastructure, the new fibre optic network will help position the City Region as a world leader in digital technology. Experts estimate that with 100% full fibre coverage across the City Region, building on this network, the economic boost could be worth up to ₤1bn, creating thousands of local job and training opportunities.

Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, commented that:- "When I was 1st elected, I made it a priority to make our Region the most digitally connected anywhere in the country. Today we take a major step towards that, with the official launch of LCR Connect. Our Region was at the heart of the 1st industrial revolution, and this project can put us at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution, creating thousands of jobs and ultimately generating ₤1bn for the local economy. It will make us leaders in the industries of tomorrow and will help us attract talent and investment from around the world as others look to take advantage of our skills, infrastructure and expertise. Local people and businesses will feel the benefits too; in the form of significantly faster speeds as well as the jobs and training opportunities, although the Government still needs to tackle the problem of digital exclusion. And, best of all, it will all be 50% owned by us so we can continue to reap the benefits for years to come. As we have done so many times before, this is our Region seizing the initiative, leading the way and crafting what I hope will be a lucrative and successful new future that everybody in our Region can benefit from."

In its initial phase, the consortium is creating a resilient fibre:- 'backhaul network,' connecting three transatlantic cables and major economic clusters in each of the Liverpool City Region's 6 local Authority areas. Over the next 2 years, digital infrastructure is being installed underneath carriageways, footpaths and cycle ways across the City Region, using innovative deployment techniques to minimise the impact on road and public transport users wherever possible.

Antoine Metzger, Chairman of NGE, added:- "NGE is proud to be part of the joint venture appointed to support the transformation of Liverpool City Region. Our local subsidiary - NGE Contracting, has won a project that will shape the City. We bring to the JV our expertise in infrastructure financing (through NGE Concessions) and our capabilities in the implementation of a high quality digital network (through NGE Infranet). Using labour and resources from within the Liverpool City Region, this project is also a fantastic opportunity to deploy our infrastructure development and finance expertise in cities across the UK such as Liverpool."

Cllr Laura Robertson Collins, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Deputy Portfolio Holder for Digital Connectivity and Inclusion, responded to the announcement:- "Being digitally connected is more important than ever and LCR Connect is a hugely important, transformational project. Delivering gigabit capable connectivity will help businesses thrive, as we build back from the Pandemic, creating good quality jobs. It also creates huge potential for improving public services and educational opportunities. As we build this crucial network we will also continue to work with partners to drive digital inclusion and ensure no 1 is left behind."