ONE of the appealing assets to Merseyside's artistic cultural development is a platform for new writing.
This is where the Royal Court should take a bow.
Just as our football teams look to the future by nurturing new local talent, we need - in the arts - to find the vibrant voices of tomorrow.
The Court's Stage Write scheme is one just route and a welcome commission opened this week with Wendy Dickinson's Hey Bunny, Get Loose.
A confident piece from a Liverpool-based writer and a name to look out for.
Hey Bunny, Get Loose is a 90-minute production plus an interval.
It's a well-paced look at the crumbling life of Dingle resident Gemma - a woman at the crossroads of her life ... obsessed with rabbits.
Or is she?
Angela Simms as Gemma in 'Hey Bunny, Get Loose' at the Royal Court Studio. Picture: Royal Court Liverpool
Playing the deeply-flawed character is the verstaile actress Angela Simms, who makes quite a striking figure in her nightgown and bunny slippers.
She is never without a phone in her hand or laptop at the ready where she develops her Bunny Blog follwoing the collpase of her marriage to Joe (Shaun Mason).
It's a bitter-sweet play - with light and dark humour sitting well together presented by a talented cast of six including Julie Glover as a caring yet interfering mum, Lynne, with a secret past.
The next door neighbour Harissa (Debra Radcliffe) also has a less-than-sobering history.
Emma Bird directs providing some diffcult flashback sequences very well.
The rabbits (never seen ... fur enough) are houses in hutches on designer Christopher McCourt's slick set.
The bunnies are named after Liverpool FC players and there's plenty of local references throughout.
It is an accomplished piece and could have taken many formats - two-hander or monologue.
it is a wry look at relationships where people - not rabbits - are caught in the headlights.
There's a whole series of new prpoductions at The Court Studio. All worth supporting the promising bigger picture starting out in this cracking theatre space.
Globe verdict: Four stars - Hop Hop Hooray!
The production is on until May 28. Tickets from 0151 709 4321
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