Epstein to hold first test event
- Paul Genty
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre will hold its first test event this month ahead of officially reopening for a full autumn season.
Dancing in the Aisles, on Easter Sunday, April 20, will be the first production since the Hanover Street venue closed in June 2023.
The afternoon cabaret show will be a recurring slot at the Epstein, with the first show being hosted by popular Liverpool actor and comedian Lindzi Germain with a line-up including singer-songwriter, musician and playwright Asa Murphy, Scouse stage and screen star Crissy Rock, Liverbird Victoria Jones and talented vocal trio The Livertones. Tickets - which include a welcome drink - are now on sale, and mor events will follow over the next few months, including cult stage comedy Beating Berlusconi! on May 24.
The show will star Paul Duckworth and celebrates the 20th anniversary of Liverpool’s historic Champions League win in Istanbul. The show was inspired by a real-life encounter inside the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in May 2005.
The theatre will also stage comedy nights and regular Laughterhouse comedy nights each month.
The Epstein has also agreed a partnership with leading Liverpool performing arts and creative media institution LMA, which will take over the auditorium from May 6-23 and May 27-30 to present its degree shows in acting and musical theatre.
A full autumn schedule will be launched with a special gala night on September 19 - Brian Epstein’s birthday – which will feature local acts and celebrities.
The Grade II listed landmark has new leaseholders and management team, and is promising a busy programme of entertainment.
Ahead of its formal reopening, £1 million is being invested in the venue with extensive refurbishment, including new stage lighting, stage cloths and sound, as well as improving backstage areas. The theatre’s bar has also been remodelled.
A venue with a chequered history - like most city centre theatres of its age - the Epstein was a long-time amateur theatre venue until it closed in 2005 for health and safety concerns. It reopened in 2011 as the Epstein - in honour of the late Beatles manager, and ran until various lease and legal problems forced it to close. Reopening briefly, it closed again in 2023.
Epstein theatre general manager Anthony Proctor said: “We’ve had an overwhelming response since the news that the Epstein was reopening.
“I’m very pleased to announce our first test event, which is aimed at audiences aged 16 and up, and tickets are already selling fast.
“I’m also thrilled that Liverpool Media Academy has chosen to return to the theatre to present its end of term productions. The Epstein has a long history of nurturing talent and stars of the future.”
LMA co-founder Simon Wallace said: “LMA students and staff are excited to be hosting our end-of-year shows at the Epstein. It’s brilliant to see it open again; it’s exactly what the city needs.”
More info and tickets here