Comedy retells one of region's 'wildest chapters'

The "objectively hilarious" story of a short-lived ski slope built the wrong way around in one of the "wildest chapters in Merseyside's history" has inspired a new play.

Kirkby Ski Slope was a source of embarrassment for residents, after it was built for £140,000 in the 1970s but demolished within the decade over safety concerns.

Playwright Kieran Lynn has turned the story into a new stage production called Taking the Piste, which will premiere at Liverpool's Royal Court theatre in June 2026.

Executive producer Kevin Fearon said if they had "made this story up, people wouldn't believe us".

The ski slope was built without planning permission by Kirkby Council over a water main on land the local authority did not own.

Construction on the project began in 1973 after the scheme was devised by then-Kirkby Council leader Dave Tempest in a nearby pub, alongside borough architect Eric Stevenson and the council's main contractor, George Leatherbarrow.

A ski slope expert also found it had likely been built the wrong way round, noting how dangerously close the base of the slope was to the M57.

The orientation also meant the sun would shine directly into skiers' eyes as they descended.

"Honestly, the Royal Court writers make up a lot of the stuff on stage, but if we'd made this story up, people wouldn't believe us," Mr Fearon said.

"We have referenced it before in other shows, but giving the ski slope its own show felt [like] the next logical step."

Mr Fearon said the slope was put together using materials that were dumped on the site after Mr Leatherbarrow put an advert in local newspaper the Liverpool Echo for a "free tip in Kirkby".

That led to an independent surveyor describing the construction "as a haphazard collection of builder's rubble" and pointing out it was unstable and liable to collapse.

"It's a white elephant idea," the executive producer said.

"There's a lot of cronyism, it's badly planned and objectively hilarious when you put aside the total waste of public money.

"It's the role of venues like Liverpool's Royal Court to put the lives and stories of our audience on stage, but also to offer a bit of satire and bite to those in power who do, occasionally, do incredibly daft things."

He added that there had been huge interest in the comedy, which told the story of "one of the wildest chapters in Merseyside history".

"The enthusiasm for the show has been great, we've already had one of our busiest opening days since tickets went on sale," he said.

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