BILL ELMS ASSOCIATES | PRESS RELEASE
Mon 14 May 2012| For Immediate Release
AS THE CITY’S EPSTEIN THEATRE OPENS...
ITS FIRST MAJOR PRODUCTION IS TAKING SHAPE
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Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre officially opened to great fanfare last week - and plans for what is to be
the first major play staged at the venue are well underway. As announced in February this year,
EPSTEIN – a brand new play about legendary Beatles manager Brian Epstein - will premiere this
November at the theatre that bears his name, also making a fitting end to the year that celebrates
the 50 anniversary of the Beatles’ first single.
EPSTEIN the Play, which runs from 15 November until 1 December 2012, is already eagerly
anticipated and the show’s creators Andrew Sherlock (writer), Jen Heyes (Director) and co-producer
Bill Elms can today reveal some exciting new developments.
Designer Amanda Stoodley has been appointed to create the perfect look for the play. Amanda
studied at Liverpool’s LIPA and her designs for theatre and exhibition include Two and Making an
Exhibition of Ourselves (At Home) at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, Winterlong at Royal Exchange
Studio & Soho Theatre, I Know Where the Dead are Buried at Manchester’s 24:7 Theatre
Festival, Dark Side of the Building at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre, Innovasion at Liverpool Biennial with
Hope Street Ltd., Four Corners at Liverpool’s Bluecoat Arts Centre and Wish You Were Here at the
Liverpool Everyman. Amanda is currently designing Manchester Lines ( Library Theatre Co.), Truth
About Youth Festival and Black Roses (Royal Exchange) and collaborating with director Sam
Pritchard on Fireface, which won the JMK Trust Award this year, and will be staged at London’s
Young Vic Theatre this September.
A striking EPSTEIN logo and brand, an example of which is displayed above, has also been created.
The play - which charts Brian Epstein’s adult life and illustrious career from his drama school days to
managing the world’s biggest pop group - is now fully realised, having since its announcement
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.
Writer Andrew 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.”
Andrew Sherlock had worked extensively as a writer and director both on the West End and with
several Liverpool theatres and producers including the Everyman & Playhouse, Royal Court and Bill
Kenwright. He has also served as a regular Drama/Arts adviser to the city of Liverpool and its winning
European Capital of Culture team and won a Vivian Ellis Prize for his musical theatre writing. His
writing credits also include Sleepover Planet, a multi-media download musical for BBC Online,
Them’s the Breaks, a drama which received a North West Vision award, Capture The Moment, a
youth comedy drama which received a BBC new writing award and The Representative, a feature
drama commissioned by the NIFTC. His drama/documentaries Digging of the Tunnel and Best Of
Order for BBC Radio Merseyside were both nominated for Sony awards and his afternoon play
Jimmy’s Letters was broadcast on Radio 4. He created the multi-media Shankly Show, hit of
Liverpool 08 and his ITV1 feature TV drama The Girls Who Came To Stay won Alun Armstrong a Royal
Television Society Best Actor Award and followed winning a Granada New Writing Initiative for
feature drama On The Out, which also went on to win the Royal Television Society Award for Best
Programme in the North West.
Brian Epstein was best known as a music entrepreneur and legendary manager of The Beatles and
was the person responsible for their rise to mega-stardom all over the world. He also managed other
popular artists such as Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer, The Foremost, The Dakotas and
Cilla Black.
EPSTEIN is brought to you by Bill Elms & Jen Heyes Productions Ltd (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).
The search is now on to find the finest actor to perform the role of Brian Epstein as well as auditions
being held to discover the young actor/musician who will join him on stage.
EPSTEIN is sponsored by Gregory Abrams Davidson LLP Solicitors (Matthew Street and Penny Lane)
Supported by The Cavern and The Liverpool Echo.
More information can be found at www.epsteintheplay.com
LISTING INFORMATION
EPSTEIN the Play
The Epstein Theatre
Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DY
Thu 15 November – Sat 1 December 2012
Preview Performances: 15-17 November 2012
Thu and Sat Matinees: 2.30pm | Mon – Sat Evenings: 7.30pm
Ticket Prices: £10-£24 (Concessions Available)
How to Book:
Box Office: 0844 8000 410* Online at www.ticketquarter.com*
or in person at the TicketQuarter, Queens Square, Liverpool*
*Subject to booking fee.
-ENDS__________________________________________________________________________________
NOTES TO EDITOR
For further information, review tickets, images and interview requests please contact: Bill Elms
Associates Ltd - Bill Elms on 0151 245 0135 | bill@billelms.com
Press Performance: Monday 19 November @ 7.30pm
Photos: Brian Epstein – Credit Paul Fender - courtesy of the Liverpool Echo*
*Every effort has been made to contact the photographers and copyright owner of any photos used, we fully acknowledge and credit the
photographers in the first instance.
About Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein’s short life was crammed with success and controversy; he was an intelligent man whose
prescience, taste, vision and passion left a lifelong impact on the world. Born in Liverpool in 1934 to Jewish
descent, he spent his early adult years working for the family business NEMS (North End Music Stores) before
being drafted into the Royal Army Service Corps, after a brief stint in London joining RADA and living a more
openly gay life he returned to Liverpool to manage the new NEMS city centre music store making it one of the
biggest in the North. Not long after was the historic lunchtime visit to the famous Cavern Club to hear four
Liverpool lads perform and the rest was history. Brian had a passion for classical music and theatre and even
leased the Saville Theatre in London. Immense rapid success, busy schedules and constant touring took its toll
on Brian and depression and recreational drugs set-in. Brian Epstein died of a sleeping pill overdose in August
1967, he was aged just 32. His death was immediately felt, while the Beatles continued to make magnificent
music, their business affairs rapidly crumbled and by 1970 it was all over.
“The Beatles were disintegrating slowly after Brian Epstein died; it was a slow death
and it was happening.”
John Lennon
“If anyone was the fifth Beatle, it was Brian.”
Paul McCartney
CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Produced by Bill Elms & Jen Heyes Productions Limited
Written by Andrew Sherlock
Directed by Jen Heyes
Marketing and PR – Bill Elms Associates Ltd
Sponsored by Gregory Abrams Davidson LLP Solicitors
Supported by The Cavern
Website: www.epsteintheplay.com
ANDREW SHERLOCK
Andrew began his professional career as an Associate at the Liverpool Everyman theatre and has since worked
extensively as a Theatre Writer and Director nationally, internationally and in the West End. He has won a
Vivian Ellis Prize for his musical theatre writing and has numerous credits as a theatre writer and director.
His writing credits also include Sleepover Planet a multi-media download musical for BBC Online, Them’s The
Breaks, a drama which received a North West Vision award, Capture The Moment a youth comedy drama
which received a BBC new writing award, The Representative, a feature drama commissioned by the NIFTC.
His drama/documentaries Digging Of The Tunnel and Best Of Order for BBC Radio Merseyside were both
nominated for Sony awards and his afternoon play Jimmy’s Letters was broadcast on Radio 4. He has won new
media awards for his work on the Echoes Of Ireland and The World In One City interactive CD-ROMs both
commissioned by Liverpool City Council as heritage study aids for schools. He created the multi-media Shankly
Show, hit of Liverpool 08 and its transfers to The Royal Court Liverpool and The Liverpool Arena currently out
on DVD. His ITV 1 feature TV drama The Girls Who Came To Stay won Alun Armstrong a Royal Television
Society Best Actor Award and followed winning a Granada new writing initiative for a feature drama On The
Out, which also went on to win the Royal Television Society Award for Best Programme in the North West. He
is currently developing new plays for the theatre, including Epstein a bio-dram commissioned for autumn 2012
and Ballroom Boys, a new film feature, based on a true story, about a transvestite ballroom dancer who falls in
love with skinhead gang leader in 70’s Liverpool. Andrew has been a regular Drama/Arts adviser to the city of
Liverpool and its winning European Capital of Culture team. He is currently Consultant Dramatist, Professional
Partnership Specialist and Senior Lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University Drama and father to four
Liverpool FC supporters.
JEN HEYES
Jen is founder and artistic director of Cut to the Chase Productions www.cuttothechaseproductions.co.uk.
Most recently Jen collaborated with Young Tate as artistic director of Curiouser and Curiouser performed at
Tate Liverpool (with creative input from Punchdrunk Enrichment) and co produced and directed I Love Vinegar
Vera at Joshua Brooks, Manchester. As an artistic director Jen has worked regionally, nationally (touring and
individual works) and internationally (Berlin, Porto, Lisbon, Luxembourg, and Hong Kong) working on small,
medium and large scale productions. She specialises is multi media site specific theatre and always strives to
use live music within her work. In the 2000 Liverpool Echo Arts and Entertainment awards her production of
Therese Raquin won the Best Liverpool Production award and she was a finalist in the Best New Talent
category as a director. She was the director in residence at the Unity Theatre in 2002. As a finalist in the 2006
Merseyside Women of the Year Awards she was highly commended for her work as a director. In 2007 she co created Wall Talks with Andrew Sherlock, which earned a five star review in METRO, a large site specific multi
media work commissioned by Liverpool Culture Company to mark the 800th birthday of the city and the
abolition of the slave trade. Her production of Blood Wedding in 2008 at The Liverpool Playhouse earned a
four star review in The Guardian, she commissioned world class Flamenco guitarist Juan Martin to write the
music and play live in the production. From Feb to July 2010 she was the artistic director/ creative producer for
the Four Corners of the City Exhibition at The Bluecoat Arts Centre - Four Corners is Culture Liverpool’s city
wide major participatory arts project .Also in 2010 she worked closely with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic
Orchestra in re- working their Spirit of Christmas Concerts with soprano/presenter Lesley Garrett, Dr Ian Tracey
conducting, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The RLPO choir and the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Choir as
well as a company of actors. In May 2011 her film These Streets won Best Overall Film Award in The
Clapperboard Awards @ The Lowry, Salford Quay. She regularly commissions other artists to create new work
for the company as well as bringing together production teams to work on theatre and film projects. As a
freelance director Jen regularly works with North West Playwrights on script development, workshop days
with up and coming writers. As a vocalist she has just appeared at the Tete a Tete Opera Festival, Riverside
Studios, Hammersmith in Closing Schools for The Future directed by Nick Owen MD & composer Gary
Carpenter (August 2011) . Jen is looking forward to a very successful and creative partnership as a joint
director and founder of Bill Elms and Jen Heyes Productions Ltd.
AMANDA STOODLEY
Amanda trained at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and graduated with a first class honours degree in
theatre and performance design, having previously studied and worked in illustration, graphic and interior
design. Designs for theatre and exhibition include: Two (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester); Winterlong
(Royal Exchange Studio & Soho Theatre); I Know Where The Dead Are Buried (24:7 Theatre Festival,
Manchester); Dark Side Of The Building (Unity Theatre, Liverpool); Innovasion - Liverpool Biennial (Hope Street
Ltd.); Four Corners (Bluecoat Arts Centre, Liverpool); Wish You Were Here (Liverpool Everyman); Making An
Exhibition Of Ourselves (At Home) (Royal Exchange Studio). Co-design and assistant design work includes:
Beautiful Thing, Doctor Faustus, 1984, Blithe Spirit, Pub and Three Sisters (Royal Exchange Theatre); Basket
Case (Royal & Derngate Theatre); Lucia Di Lammermoor (Grand Opera Houston); Canary (Liverpool Playhouse);
Faith Healer (The Sydney Festival); Top Of The World (Spike Theatre - on tour); Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (Novello
Theatre); Momo (Stadttheater Bern).
Amanda is currently designing Manchester Lines (Manchester Library Theatre), Truth About Youth Festival and
Black Roses (Royal Exchange Theatre), Fireface – winner of the JMK Award (Young Vic Theatre) and Epstein
(Epstein Theatre, Liverpool).
BILL ELMS
Director Bill Elms has worked in the theatre industry locally and nationally for 25 years and left a 10 year
position as ‘Head of Sales and Marketing’ at the Liverpool Empire Theatre in August 2008, to set up his own
Marketing and PR Company based in Liverpool City Centre. Bill Elms Associates Ltd has grown from strength to
strength into one of the region’s premier communications companies specialising in the Arts, that has been
involved with and successfully managed the marketing and PR contracts of many high-profile events including
theatre, music, comedy children’s shows and many festivals. They have also acquired Marketing and PR
contracts with a series of high profile venues such as The Lowry in Salford, Manchester Palace and Opera
House, Scarborough Open Air Theatre (Europe’s largest open air theatre), St Helens Theatre Royal,
Birmingham Alexandra Theatre and in Bill’s previous role of Head of Marketing at the Liverpool Empire
Theatre. Finally they work on National UK Tours and a wide range of theatrical productions in many theatres
across the Northwest including various Christmas pantomimes. Bill has also co-produced many productions
over the last few years including Ghost Stories – A Night Opera and Frankenstein with composer Neil Campbell
and Tales From Haunted Liverpool and Tales From Charles Dickens with director Jen Heyes. Bill is proud that
Epstein will be the first key production for new company Bill Elms & Jen Heyes Productions Limited. More
information on Bill can be found on www.billelms.com.