Epstein show heads to the West End

The news has already broken elsewhere, but a huge well done and congratulations to friends o' MADEUP Bill Elms and Jen Hayes, who will be taking their show Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles to the West End. Even better, it will be with the original cast - Andrew Lancel and Will Finlason  - in their roles as Brian Epstein and 'This Boy'. The show premiered in November last as part of the city’s official Beatles 50th Anniversary celebrations at the Epstein Theatre, written by Andrew Sherlock and co-commissioned by Homotopia. Read the MADEUP review here. Bill said: “We are absolutely delighted to be taking Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles to London and to a wider audience. After the amazing feedback we received from audiences in Liverpool – including those who knew Brian – we felt that the next natural step was a West End run and we hope London loves the show as much as Liverpool. I can’t wait for the show to open in our capital, and the Leicester Square Theatre – in the heart of the theatreland, with Soho on the doorstep – it is the ideal venue.” This two-hander play imagines Epstein's drug-fuelled final days whilst looking back upon his meteoric career from his drama school days to managing the world’s biggest pop group. The show is described as "a previously unexplored story celebrating a true icon of 1960s popular culture – a man who shaped music and style across the world". It will enjoy an initial six week run at London’s Leicester Square Theatre from August 6 next year, with preview shows before that. It's brilliant news for Liverpool theatre, great to see Andrew Lancel deservedly back on stage again, and absolutely fantastic for all involved. Well done - what could possibly be next?