Theatre News

Epstein play takes shape

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25 May 2012

Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre, formerly the Neptune Theatre, officially opened in May and plans for a play about the man the venue is named after are well underway.

As announced in February this year, Epstein is about legendary Beatles manager Brian Epstein and will premiere this November.

The play charts Epstein’s adult life and illustrious career from his drama school days to managing the world’s biggest pop group and is now fully realised, having evolved from a one man show to a two-hander, where a second actor playing various characters will interact with the character of Brian Epstein, and also provide the musical element to the show.

Epstein is the latest offering from Bill Elms & Jen Heyes Productions (Tales from Haunted Liverpool, Tales From Charles Dickens), written by Andrew Sherlock (Wall Talks and The Shankly Show) and directed by Jen Heyes (Blood Wedding, I love Vinegar Vera and Wall Talks).

Sherlock said: “Wading through tons of information and interviews has been fascinating and slowly but surely, in the writing, researching and long creative chats with Jen, It feels like we have got to know the man and created a new show with a unique insight into what drove Brian to do the extraordinary things he did and what it felt like, through the good times and bad to be a man changing the way the world listens to music and coming to terms with himself.

“Working with our partners The Liverpool Echo, and the help of brilliant editor Ken Rogers, we have been given a unique opportunity to use and incorporate original archive of the 1960s Liverpool Echo News reports as the backbone of the production. . . In 1967 a young man from Liverpool with his fans’ scrap book tucked under his arm, meets his hero Brian Epstein one night in London and is granted an audience… For the rest you’ll have to come and see the show.”

As well as his association with The Beatles, Epstein also managed other artists such as Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer, The Foremost, The Dakotas and Cilla Black.

Bill Elms & Jen Heyes Productions is currently searching to find an actor to perform the role of Epstein and arranging auditions to discover the young actor/musician who will join him on stage.

The play runs from 15 November until 1 December this year at the theatre located in Hanover Street, Liverpool city centre.