Theatre Review The Peaceful Hour 2 The Royal Court, Liverpool

Liverpool has a distinct character and culture that can almost make it seem apart from the rest of England. Certainly, the city has had its share of economic and social problems but what has made Liverpool stand out as much as anything is the humour and wit of Liverpudlians in the face of any situation. ‘The Peaceful Hour 2’ by Gerry Linford was essentially a celebration of all these factors.

The setting in a high-up tower block flat provided a canvas from which to display ordinary life through the eyes a close-knit group of Scousers, following in the tradition of the likes of ‘The Royle Family’ and ‘Only Fools and Horses’. The difference was that this was a Liverpool family and friends with the characters almost being stereotypical Merseysiders. They say the best Jewish jokes are told by Jews and this was Liverpool laughing at itself. 

The character list included happy-go-lucky Carl played by Lenny Wood, the street-wise criminal Frankie played by Nathan McMullen and the matriarchal Edna played by Julie Glover. The bride-to-be Ange played by Angela Simms and her friend Julie played by Ellie Clayton had echoes of female singletons Sandra and Beryl in the 70’s sit-com ‘The Liverbirds’ and with the hapless Tommy played by Michael Hawkins, there were was a fair cross-section of Liverpool from a self-deprecating comic angle. Writer Gerry Linford certainly knows the underlying character of Liverpool, with this play, the sequel to ‘The Peaceful Hour’ being just one of numerous works set in and around the city.

Two interesting devices set the play apart from what might have otherwise been an introspective observation. Firstly, the introduction of the character Tim played by George Turner gave an insightful twist on the scenario. Tim spoke with a relaxed South of England voice and had refined tastes which, by his own admission made him feel like a fish out water in ‘scouse land’. The differences in Tim to the other characters were further heightened when he was confronted with the flashy and threatening Frankie, whose world was simply about looking after number one. What emerged was not just the fact that Tim was attracted to Julie but that he had developed an endearing affection for the Liverpool people and culture. The other device was the set, which used the closed setting of the lounge/kitchen areas of the flat for most of the story but extended it to show the graffiti-covered concrete balcony walls of the tower block, complete with a spectacular view, enhancing the feeling that was a high-rise flat. The outer walls were quite literally used for high drama, to great comic effect (to say any more would be to give spoilers!).

This was a very pacy production with plenty of fast-spoken interactions giving a very natural feel to the  dialogue. The Peaceful Hour referred to a radio show of smooth classics, turned on at various times throughout the play, contrasting sharply with the various dramas unfolding in the flat. Several classic songs were used to great effect, with the cast singing and dancing to numbers but whenever you felt the play might be turning into a musical, the song would suddenly stop in mid-flow with a sharp line of dialogue bringing everyone back to reality. A device used sparingly was the large video backscreen, for the most part simply the view from the flat but with good animations at the start putting the play in the context of a 70’s style ‘Jackie’ magazine photo story.

‘The Peaceful Hour 2’ was a very funny non-stop rollercoaster of a play which continued to provide new plot twist right until the very end.

‘The Peaceful Hour 2’ is on until the 7th March 2026.

https://liverpoolsroyalcourt.com/main_stage/the-peaceful-hour-2/

Reviewer - John Waterhouse

On - 13th February 2026