October 14–18, 2026 • Astor Theatre • Liverpool, Nova Scotia
The world is coming to Liverpool.
October 14–18, the Liverpool International Theatre Festival brings theatre from around the world to the Astor Theatre in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. In 2026, audiences can experience productions from Mexico, Wales, Poland, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Italy/London and Uganda, all on one stage in Liverpool. Different countries. Different stories. Different ways of seeing the world. Find a play that catches your interest. Check the schedule, get your tickets and see what happens.2026 Schedule & Lineup
Find your play.
Five days. Theatre from around the world. And plenty of choices.
Browse the 2026 lineup, find something that catches your interest, then check the schedule to plan your LITF experience.
Wednesday - October 14, 2026
OPENING NIGHT
Opening Night [6:30pm]
Start your LITF experience with a celebration.
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Opening night brings the world to Liverpool. Watch the Parade of Flags, meet the international theatre companies as they are introduced, and enjoy There's Something in the Water, musical-theatre entertainment featuring local performers. It's the perfect way to welcome LITF 2026 — and the artists who have travelled from around the world to be here.Thursday - October 15, 2026
MEXICO
MEXICO
Leyendas (Legends) [7:00pm]
By Oscar Agiss · En Movimiento Teatro — Mexico City, Mexico
Some stories are better left untold. But what happens when you hear them anyway?
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Step inside a shadowy Mexico City tavern where two men meet for a drink and one asks to hear some of the city's most infamous legends. As the night unfolds, the line between story and reality begins to disappear. Drawing on classic Mexican folklore, Leyendas brings haunting stories, ghosts and supernatural encounters to the stage, including the tragic tale of Don Juan Manuel and the chilling legend of La Llorona. And there may be one more story to tell, a legend about the tavern itself. Be careful what stories you listen to. You might just meet their characters.Performance Language: Spanish
WALES
A Kind of Vesuvius [8:30pm]
By Gillian Plowman · Players' Theatre — Wales
When everything seems to be going wrong, sometimes all you have left is each other.
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Three unemployed men struggle to keep their spirits, and each other, afloat as unemployment begins to affect their relationships, their confidence, and their sense of purpose. Honest, funny, and deeply human, A Kind of Vesuvius explores the loneliness and isolation that can come with unemployment, and how failure can change how we see ourselves and the people around us. As the characters grow increasingly separated from family and friends, suspicion and self-delusion creep in. Comedy, humanity, and hope emerge as three men struggle for connection and meaning in difficult circumstances.Performance Language: English
Friday - October 16, 2026
SWITZERLAND
BREAK the SILENCE [7:00pm]
By Maria Rakontonarivo · Theatre Beloe — Geneva, Switzerland
What happens when words disappear but we still need to connect?
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BREAK the SILENCE explores silence from many different perspectives: isolation, uncertainty, memory, connection and resistance. The performers become ancient statues, people surrounded by others yet completely alone, and characters in a future where sound has disappeared. In this world, silence is not simply emptiness. It becomes a space where people can listen in different ways, to heartbeats, memories, fears and dreams. Through movement and physical theatre, the performance explores what connects us when language is no longer enough, and what can happen when dialogue disappears. A visually striking invitation to listen, connect and remember what we share.Performance Language: Movement
THE NETHERLANDS
NEST [8:30pm]
By Hoosh Theatre · Hoosh Theater — Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sometimes you need to know when it's time to leave your nest. But the choice to take that first step has to be your own.
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NEST is a punk-like physical theatre performance about breaking away from the familiar and finding a new place to belong. One woman is stuck inside her nest. Six people arrive and try everything they can think of to get her moving. Dancing, singing, persuasion, anger, and even dismantling the nest itself. But there is one thing they cannot do for her. The decision to leave has to be hers. NEST explores what keeps us stuck, what we crave and what it takes to make that first move toward something new.Performance Language: Dutch
Saturday - October 17, 2026
POLAND
Hey You! [2:00pm]
By Marek Kościółek & Anna Giniewska · Krzyk Theatre — Maszewo, Poland
Growing up means figuring out who you are and where you belong.
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Hey You! is an intimate and physical exploration of relationships, intimacy, and our fundamental need for acceptance. Created collaboratively with two young actresses, the performance combines physical intensity, tenderness, emotional energy and self-reflection. It asks questions about growing up, stepping into adulthood and trying to understand ourselves while carrying the weight of family, relationships and dreams. What remains as the world moves forward? Often, just fragments, moments, memories and fleeting impressions. And perhaps, in the end, what matters most is having one another. An energetic, emotional and thought-provoking performance about connection and finding your place in the world.Performance Language: Polish
UGANDA
The Pursuit [3:30pm]
By Polycarp Mugisha · Ushindi Community Theatre — Uganda
PLEASE NOTE: This is a film presentation, not a live performance.
A young man runs from tradition. But can he really escape it?
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The Pursuit tells the traditional story of a Chief's son who is expected to undergo a traditional initiation ceremony. Reluctant to take part, he runs away and hides in another village. But a plot involving the village's most beautiful girl leads to his capture and his return to face the ceremony. Filled with colour, music and movement, this production brings a traditional Ugandan story to the screen and is performed in English. Ushindi Community Theatre had hoped to bring the production to Liverpool in person, but was unable to travel. We are pleased to share their work with LITF audiences as a special film presentation.
SPECIAL GUEST PERFORMANCEFamily-friendly
Bard To The Bone [7:00pm]
Contemporancient Theatre — Wales
Shakespeare. Two actors. One not-quite-so-sharp bloke. What could possibly go wrong?
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Think Shakespeare isn't for you? Maybe school put you off the Bard for life. Bard To The Bone is a hilarious and entertaining introduction to Shakespeare's life and work, performed by two professional actors and one wonderfully unsuitable guide. Whether you know your Shakespeare inside out or think you know absolutely nothing, this lively comedy offers a fresh look at one of the world's most famous playwrights. Educational without feeling like a lesson, funny without requiring Shakespeare homework, Bard To The Bone is family-friendly entertainment for children, families and adults. You may even leave with a new interest in Shakespeare.Performance Language: English
ITALY / LONDON
The Extraordinary Life of a Rat Racer [8:30pm]
By Chiara Fumanti · Stage Leftovers — Italy/Beckenham, UK
PLEASE NOTE: This production contains mature and challenging themes.
What happens when the thoughts inside your head become impossible to ignore?
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Eva is trying to keep her life together, pay the bills, get her son to football and make it through an important job interview. But on the way to that interview, her mind takes her somewhere much darker. Guided by Arthur, a grotesque and disturbing half-real figure, Eva is drawn into a world of intrusive thoughts, trauma and self-hatred. The Extraordinary Life of a Rat-Racer takes audiences on an uncomfortable but ultimately empowering journey toward self-acceptance. Fresh from success at the Edinburgh Festival, this exciting new work explores what can happen when the mind turns against us — and what it can take to find a way forward.Performance Language: English
Sunday - October 18, 2026
SPECIAL EVENT
Meeting Eslam Aswad [2:00pm]
Interactive conversation
An interactive conversation with an international theatre artist.
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Join multi-award-winning Egyptian actor and director Eslam Aswad for an interactive conversation about Egyptian and Arabic theatre, his life in the theatre and his journey from Alexandria, Egypt, to his present home in Montreal. Eslam has brought work to two previous LITFs, thrilling audiences with theatre that is energetic, visceral, deeply human, touching and often hilariously comic. Hear directly from Eslam about his work, his experiences and the theatre traditions that have shaped him and bring your own questions to the conversation.
CLOSING CEREMONIES
Closing Ceremonies [7:00pm]
Send off LITF 2026 with the Jesterfish Awards Presentation and Closing Ceremonies.
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Join us as five days of international theatre come to a close with the Jesterfish Awards Presentation, celebrating the artists and productions that made LITF 2026 unforgettable. It's the perfect way to send off the festival — and the artists who travelled from around the world to share their work with Liverpool.About LITF
What is the Liverpool International Theatre Festival?
LITF is a biennial international theatre festival held at the historic Astor Theatre in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. Every two years, theatre companies from around the world come together in Liverpool to perform, connect, share ideas and experience the community. The productions are professionally adjudicated, making LITF more than a series of performances. It is a celebration of theatre, a meeting place for artists and audiences, and an opportunity to experience stories and perspectives from around the world right here in Nova Scotia. The stage is the Astor Theatre. The world is coming to Liverpool.Tickets
Ready to see what happens?
Choose the productions that catch your interest and build your own LITF experience.Individual Tickets
Choose one play or several and make your own festival experience.Stage & Beyond
For those who want to experience more of LITF, Stage & Beyond offers a way to take in more of the festival. Check the schedule, choose your shows and get your tickets.Coffee Critiques
The conversation doesn't end when the curtain comes down. Each morning, audiences have the opportunity to join LITF adjudicator Jennifer Scott-Reid for Coffee Critiques. Look back at the previous night's productions and explore the choices, ideas and performances that brought them to the stage. Come listen, ask questions, talk theatre and see the festival from another perspective. Included with Stage and Beyond or tickets available. Coffee in hand. Theatre on your mind.Opening Night
Start your LITF experience with a celebration. Opening night brings the world to Liverpool. Watch the Parade of Flags, meet the international theatre companies as they are introduced, and enjoy There's Something in the Water, musical-theatre entertainment featuring local performers. It's the perfect way to welcome LITF 2026 — and the artists who have travelled from around the world to be here.Questions? Contact us at info@litf.ca