AS PRESSURE mounts for Liverpool to stage a world-class event during its European Capital of Culture Year in 2008, sleeves are being rolled up, desks cleared and high-level telephone calls made.
Nowhere more so than in the world of theatre, dance and literature, with everyone determined that the city will stage the very best.
At the Liverpool Everyman/ Playhouse theatres, artistic director Gemma Bodinetz has had to put a halt on directing duties so she can concentrate on organising events at the two theatres.
When the team assessing candidates for the Capital of Culture Year reported back on Liverpool's success, they were nevertheless a little sniffy about the city's repertory theatreland at the time.
Since then, with the arrival of Ms Bodinetz and administrator Deborah Aydon, things have improved out of all recognition.
Not only have the theatres been smartened up, but the artistic programme has become one of the most innovative in Britain with numerous new dramas commissioned.
So we can expect theatre of the highest quality during the year, a quality which will bring the theatres' own home-grown productions to a new and wider audience.
Ms Bodinetz admitted there was some sadness about not directing "for the foreseeable future", but she works with a small staff and time taken in the rehearsal room cuts into production plans for 2008.
"On the creative side, there's only really me," she explains.
"We want to go into 2008 with all guns blazing, something I am not able to do in a rehearsal room. The good news is that, in the weeks since I stopped directing - after All My Sons - huge strides have been made in preparing for the year."
