There was a time when audiences were put off by new plays, disinclined to see something of which they knew little.
Over the years, however, Liverpool audiences have rather enjoyed such new work, particularly if it has a local setting.
Unprotected was a typically unexpected hit, a play about prostitution in Liverpool which had sell out audiences at the Everyman and was later staged at the Edinburgh Festival to much acclaim.
Local comics have also made their mark, so much so that the Royal Court Theatre is now totally devoted to comedy, much of it provided by our own home-grown funny people. But it still has time for successful local theatrical stage comedies like Brick Up the Mersey Tunnel. The Unity is also still home for some of our most experimental theatre, from dance and physical theatre to multimedia events.
The Unity is also home to some of the most interesting events like Brouhaha Festival featuring acts from around the world, the Liverpool Irish festival, the comedy festival and the Homotopia Festival, celebrating gay drama.
All these will be running again in 2008 and organisers expect all such events to be bigger and better, naturally.
The Brouhaha Festival in particular - which had its first events in 1989 shortly after the Iron Curtain came down - has brought world street theatre to the city.
In a change of pace, 2008 will be unveiling Liverpool's own exciting theatre to the world.
