Last Five Years & Sunshine Boys set for Epstein Theatre

Life in Theatre Productions will be bringing a slice of The Big Apple to Liverpool this Summer with a double bill of Broadway shows.

Firstly, the romantic comedy, The Last Five Years will be returning to the city, followed by Neil Simon’s critically acclaimed Broadway and West End Vaudeville comedy, The Sunshine Boys.

Both productions are heading to the Epstein Theatre and, as a Music Hall and Vaudeville stage which is currently in the midst of celebrating its centenary, the Epstein Theatre is the idyllic venue for Simon’s comedy.

The Sunshine Boys centres on fading stars Al Lewis and Willie Clark, known by their stage name “Lewis and Clark”, a one-time vaudevillian double-act, who, throughout their 40 year career, grew to hate and despise each other and hasn’t spoken since their partnership disbanded. It’s now 1972, in New York City, and CBS invite the comedy duo to be re-united for a nostalgic History of Comedy TV-special. Forced together once again, their old rivalry resurfaces and hilarious shenanigans occur as they prepare to take centre stage for one final time.

Merseyside actors, Andrew Schofield and Alan Stocks are The Sunshine Boys in this Life in Theatre production. Producer from Life in Theatre Productions Stephen Fletcher says: “We’re presenting a Broadway double bill with musical The Last Five Years and this play, really. Both are so funny, entertaining, tender, and moving. I want to give people an escape to somewhere as exciting as New York.”

A familiar face in playhouses across Liverpool, Andrew Schofield’s vast theatrical credits including Willy Russell’s original production of Blood Brothers at Liverpool Playhouse and Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels, Lost Soul and On the Ledge, all of which were ran at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre. 

The RADA-trained Alan Stocks has appeared in Life in Theatre Productions’ Mam! I’m ‘ere! at The Dome in Christmas 2012/13, also appearing in A Streetcar Named Desire, and Tartuffe at Liverpool Playhouse. 

The Last Five Years runs from 3 – 23 June & The Sunshine Boys from 15 August – 7 September.