Following on from his performance at the Opening Week of Hope's new Capstone Building, acclaimed poet Roger McGough has praised the building's new Hope Theatre as a continuation of the city's rich cultural heritage.

"Before the Everyman Theatre became a national success in the seventies, Hope Hall, or 'The Hopey,' was the much loved venue for poets, actors and musicians. Now there is renewed hope, the Hope Theatre in The Capstone building on Shaw Street. Spacey but intimate, warm and yet cool."

Roger performed his one-man show 'That Awkward Age' in Hope Theatre on Sunday 21st March, as part of The Capstone's Grand Opening Week (read a review HERE). Events still to come this week include Milapfest Dances of India on 25th March and Professor Joanna MacGregor's piano recital on 26th March. Click HERE for futher details and tickets.

The Capstone's Grand Opening week continues on the evening of Tuesday 23rd March, with a performance by the University Concert band, playing works by composers including Holst, Stravinsky and Gershwin.

Liverpool Hope University Concert Band was formed by Anne James in 2008 with the aim of bringing together a range of performers from within the University and the wider community. From small beginnings the band now comprises 35 players ranging from undergraduate and postgraduate students to members of staff (and even several children of staff), local music teachers and members of the wider local Liverpool community.

The concert takes place at 7.30pm in the Hope Theatre. Get tickets HERE.

Professor Vish Unnithan from the Sport and Exercise Physiology Research Team at Liverpool Hope University organised a fitness testing day for the Rugby squad from Sandbach Boys School, Sandbach, Cheshire as part of their preparation for playing in the Daily Mail Vase at Twickenham at the end of March. 

Their coaches Mr Simon Robertson and Mr Joel Unsworth accompanied the boys to Liverpool Hope University for the testing.  Second and third year students from the Sport Studies Degree course conducted the fitness testing, which involved assessing body fat levels and measuring the sprint speed of the team.

The new volume is called “That Awkward Age” but there’s nothing awkward about Roger McGough’s poetry.

Effortless word-play has the audience constantly chuckling, occasionally sighing and always nodding, usually because he’s hitting nails on the head with his linguistic hammer.

There’s the hilarious tale of the man who supports both Liverpool and Everton and beats himself up on the way home from the game.

There’s an ode To Contact Lenses which draws giggles of recognition from the visually challenged.

But there’s also room for the story of old Aunt Marj, the spinster who never grew up and whose death is recorded with poignant beauty.

His is the first public performance at the new Hope Theatre and what an eloquent reminder that this space is not just for music. His shy, almost nervous opening soon becomes a performance of warmth and intimacy as the audience realise that it’s ok to clap after a good ‘un.

Part one is a barrage of verse – short poem, long poem then poem so short you didn’t realise it was a poem, all tumble out into the perfect acoustic space.

As he approaches the interval he tells the audience that part two will include a question and answer session: “And I’ve got some pretty tough questions lined up!”

The Q&A is punctuated with more verse, picked seemingly at random but always totally effective.

A journey inside the head of Mr Florence Nightingale provides some of the evening’s biggest laughs:

Suffering I’m here

And then he’s gone – McGough: the People’s Poet, the best Poet Laureate we never had (though surely there’s still time?), the Liverpudlian who wears his verse on his sleeve.

Other events lined up for The Capstone's first week include performances by Indian dance troupe Milapfest, the West Everton Children's Orchestra and Hope's own Joanna MacGregor, presenting an evening of piano music from across the centuries.