A brand new comedy at Liverpool’s Royal Court will open next month with rehearsals underway. The Derby-Days, written by Ian Salmon (Girls Don’t Play Guitars, The Comeback Special) has a new director and great cast.
The Derby-Days stars Dominic Carter (Boys From the Blackstuff), Sarah White (The Netherley Hillbillies), Elliott Kingsley (Boys From the Blackstuff) and Ellie Clayton (The Peaceful Hour).
The show will be directed by Nicole Behan. Nicole was Associate Director for Red or Dead and is a Director from Liverpool and Artistic Director of Paperwork Theatre, with a passion for creating theatre and experiences for the stage and beyond.
She directed Pass The Parcel at the Studio at the start of this year, My Beautiful Laundrette (Leicester Curve & National Theatre’s Theatre Nations tour), Stocking Fillers last Christmas in the Studio, Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons (Liverpool Everyman), Come Closer: Memories Of Partition (Royal Exchange), Qualified (Hope Mill), You, Me & The Goalpost (Octagon), Northern Flight (Liverpool Everyman)
Nicole says,
“This play puts a Scouse family centre stage and brings them to life with so much warmth, humour and wit that audiences will feel right at home with the ‘Derby-Days’. For people watching I want it to feel like you’re pulling up a chair at the table with them, as new members are welcomed to the family dynamic, stories are unravelled and family secrets spill out.”
“It’s such a privilege to be creating a show here alongside a team which showcases the amazing talent in our region and we can’t wait to welcome audiences along to see what we’ve been working on, and feel that buzz you only get on a derby day. No matter if you’re red, blue (or neither!) this one’s for you!”
Dave Derby and Debbie Day are happily married. Well, they’re not married really. And they’re not that happy on Derby day because Dave’s a die-hard red and Debbie’s a proper blue. Even their cat’s got two names. What sort of cat answers to Divock and Duncan?
Their daughter Chloe is back from London with a new fella in tow and he’s got a deep, dark secret. One that could cause more chaos in the Derby-Day family than Wayne Clarke and Gary McAllister combined. With her parents acting like kids, Chloe is fuming and this might be the final straw. Will they stop kicking off before the big game?
Ian Salmon (Girls Don’t Play Guitars, The Comeback Special) has written a brand new comedy about a subject close to his heart. If you are a red, or a blue or just someone who likes to watch families raging at each other, then come and join us for a great night out.
Catch The Derby-Days from 12 September to 18 October 2025. Get tickets at liverpoolsroyalcourt.com/main_stage/the-derby-days.
Categories: 2025 | News | Theatre & Performance
