Epstein Theatre have announced an exciting all-star line-up of Liverpool talent will entertain audiences at the theatre’s special Gala Opening event this September.
The sparkling gala evening at the historic Hanover Street landmark will take place on Friday, 19 September – Brian Epstein’s birthday.
National treasure Ricky Tomlinson will cut a ceremonial ribbon to officially open the theatre, marking the beginning of a new era for the beloved 110-year-old venue.
Acclaimed Liverpool group The Christians are set to headline the event which will also see appearances from Liverpool actors Andrew Lancel and Joe McGann, songstress Charlotte Gallagher, much-loved troubadour Asa Murphy and acoustic duo The Skylarks.
And students from the city’s creative media institution LMA, which has a special relationship with the Epstein Theatre, will open the show.
The Christians burst on to the music scene in the late 1980s with their self-titled debut which still remains Island Records’ highest-selling debut album – and contained seven amazing singles including Forgotten Town, Ideal World, Hooverville and Born Again. The band’s second album Colour was released in 1991 and proceeded to knock Phil Collins off the top of the charts.
Much-loved actor and comedian Ricky Tomlinson is best known for his roles as Bobby Grant in Brookside, DCI Charlie Wise in Cracker and Jim Royle in The Royle Family. He also played the title character in the film Mike Bassett: England Manager and is a very keen musician who plays both banjo and harmonica. Most recently, Liverpool audiences will have seen him on stage in the hit musical Irish Annie’s.
Award-winning stage and screen star Andrew Lancel is best known for his roles in The Bill and Coronation Street. On stage among his many credits he has appeared as Brian Epstein in Epstein: The Man Who Made the Beatles which was premiered at the theatre in 2012, and in Cilla the Musical.
Joe McGann is the eldest of the legendary Liverpool acting clan and has enjoyed a stellar career on stage and screen, starring in shows including The Upper Hand, The Hanging Gale, Madame Bovary, The Brylcream Boys, Hollyoaks and Kaos. His stage credits include Ghost the Musical, Guys and Dolls, Urinetown, Les Miserables, Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and Lost Monsters at the Liverpool Everyman. In 2007 he was one of the Three Magi in the Liverpool Nativity.
Talented singer and dancer Charlotte Gallagher will have you on the edge of your seat with her incredible vocals. The Liverpool performer is known for her celebration of some of the world’s most celebrated divas, from Whitney Houston to Alicia Keys, and has also performed on stage with stars like Strictly’s Giovanni Pernice as well as being in demand to sing at major events.
Meanwhile musician, broadcaster and playwright Asa Murphy has been a successful entertainer for two decades, during which he has performed all over the world singing Big Band swing music and his own self-penned songs. He has sold out Ronnie Scott’s, topped the bill at the Liverpool Empire and has enjoyed a long-running BBC Radio show.
The Opening Gala will also feature The Skylarks, a Liverpool-based mother and daughter acoustic duo who appeared on The Voice. They perform Irish, folk, country and pop and are known for their fiddle, guitar and vocal harmonies.
The Christians / Credit: Epstein Theatre
They will honour the musical legacy of the venue from its earliest days as the Crane Concert Hall to the present day.
The Epstein started life in November 1915 as a concert hall situated above the Crane brothers’ music emporium in Hanover Street.
The venue was renamed the Crane Theatre in 1938, and in 1967 the lease was taken over by the then Liverpool Corporation. Following refurbishment of the auditorium, including the stage, it reopened the following year as the Neptune Theatre.
A long-time favourite of local amateur drama groups along with visiting performers and comedians, the venue was closed in 2005 due to health and safety concerns. When it reopened its doors in 2011, following a £1.2 million upgrade, it gained its current name – the Epstein Theatre – in honour of the late Brian Epstein.
The Grade II listed landmark had been closed for almost two years when it was taken over by its current leaseholders and a new management team, and since it reopened its doors it has developed an opening season programme of entertainment which reflects the theatre’s century-long role as the home of local talent, national touring productions, music, comedy and pantomime.
Epstein Theatre General Manager Anthony Proctor said:
“I’m so excited to reveal the fantastic line-up we have for the Gala Opening which takes place on 19 September – Brian Epstein’s birthday. Although we reopened the Epstein’s doors in April, this is the official relaunch of the theatre, and I’m absolutely delighted Ricky Tomlinson will join us to cut the ribbon.
“With some of the brightest Liverpool stars of stage, screen and music set to appear, the evening should be a truly memorable and very special occasion – and it will definitely have a real party atmosphere.
“I’m very proud of the programme we have created for this opening season at Hanover Street – we’re committed to presenting top quality performers to Liverpool audiences, and the brilliant response of theatregoers to the shows we have staged so far has really bowled us over.”
For more details, visit the Epstein Theatre website.
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