COMMUNITY musical theatre group What We Did Next celebrates ten years of productions this year – and are bringing Stephen Sondheim’s dark, Tony award-winning Assassins to the Unity next week.

Assassins delves into the lives of nine people throughout history who have attempted to assassinate the most powerful man on Earth, some with greater degrees of success than others, but all sharing in the desire to pull the trigger.

First performed off-Broadway in 1990, it went on to win five Tonys after it debuted on Broadway in 2004.

The complex score from Stephen Sondheim (Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, Company) takes the audience on a dark journey of discovery, exploring the motivations behind wanting to kill the President of the United States. John Weidman’s non-linear book enables the assassins from different historical periods to meet and interact, examining why they were prepared to go so far in the name of the American Dream.

What We Did Next return to the Unity, a venue the company has performed in regularly since 2011, with their take on several modern and classical musicals such as Pippin, Bonnie & Clyde, Carousel, Urinetown, Spring Awakening and Bat Boy. The company has also presented Rent, Three Sides, The Last 5 Years and two other Sondheim productions – Company and Into the Woods.

So WWDN say it’s fitting to be returning to Sondheim in the year it celebrates its tenth birthday, having performed his Company as their inaugural production.

“We’ve contemplated tackling Assassins ever since the early days and it just feels like the right time to take it on with ten years’ experience under our belts,” says director Zoe Thirsk. “We’re reminded of our first challenge a decade ago by returning to Sondheim’s work, and the current political climate encourages audiences to consider this piece in a new light.”

What We Did Next was founded during Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture Year in 2008, created by a group of recent University of Liverpool graduates looking for an outlet for their creativity, while starting out in various careers in and around the city. A decade on, they are thriving as a company and very much a part and a product of Liverpool’s vibrant cultural scene.

The company defines itself as a team of ‘Professional Amateurs.’ Members include doctors, teachers and photographers who come together to produce professional- standard theatre that otherwise would not be seen in the city.

Assassins runs from June 6 to 9, with thickets available from the Unity Theatre box office and website.