REVIEW: The Royal - Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre

Friday night was the launch of the 2017 Liverpool Comedy festival. Celebrating a successful 15 years, what better way than to end the evening with a performance of The Royal. The hilarious show based in the brand new Royal Liverpool University Hospital written by Lindzi Germain gave an insight into the lives of four of the characters of the show who were inadvertently trapped in the old site. With one patient waiting to move across to the new site, we are introduced to tea lady Teresa, nurse Flo and the eccentric mortuary assistant Maureen.

As the first wrecking ball is set to demolish the old building Ward 8X the motley crew are the last ones to evacuate. Things don't go as smoothly as they would like and what ensues is a roller coaster ride of emotions and realisations. 

There is something so reassuring and endearing about Lindzi Germain. Not only is she an incredible writer but also her rapport with the audience is effortless. She exudes a warm charm  and her witty exchanges with the audience pre-show psych them up for an impressive couple of hours. When she announced to the audience that she had one heck of a show for them, she was not kidding. We were enamoured with her from the get-go and as the story unravelled before us, we couldn't help but feel privileged to be flies on the proverbial wall.

The show is outstanding, the humour adult in nature throughout but never crass. If you are expecting to laugh until your sides split and ache, you'll do right by booking your ticket to this awesome show. Expect innuendo, slapstick comedy and a riotous mix of puns in this delightful offering. Kudos to the cast for their ability to keep a straight face and ability to deliver a high quality and memorable show. 

Written by Lindzi Germain and Angela Simms. Additional Material by Cal McCrystal.

Starring Lynn Francis, Lindzi Germain and Angela Simms.

Running time: Approx 2 Hours

The show runs until 23rd September and tickets can be purchased here

Age advisory 16+ strong language throughout. Some nudity.

Directed by Cal McCrystal. Designed by Mark Walters. Lighting Design by Ian Scott.

PR Rating: Hilarious *****