Liverpool theatre to reopen after £1m revamp

Epstein Theatre in Liverpool is to reopen this year with new leaseholders and a new management team, with £1m being ploughed into its refurbishment.

The Grade-II listed venue, named after The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, closed in June 2023 after Liverpool City Council, which owns the building’s freehold, removed its £100,000 annual subsidy.

In January last year, the Theatres Trust placed the 380-capacity venue on its Theatres at Risk register. The deterioration of the building’s fabric had left its auditorium unusable, and the trust said urgent action was required to repair the theatre’s roof to prevent the situation worsening.

Since then, the head lease of the building which contains the Epstein has transferred to JSM Company Group Ltd, which holds a “vast portfolio of properties in Liverpool”, an announcement from the theatre said.

In turn, JSM has leased the theatre to Theatrical Times Ltd, a new partnership between investors Joseph Roe and Anthony M Sheedy. The latter is a former operator of the Limerick Theatre Royal in Ireland. 

The new arrangements will see £1m invested in the venue for “extensive” refurbishments, including refitting the stage with new lighting and improving backstage areas. The theatre’s bar will also be “remodelled”.

Test events are due to be held over the spring and summer, followed by a full autumn programme of shows. This will include a gala night on 19 September – Brian Epstein’s birthday – featuring local acts and celebrities.

Anthony Proctor, who was theatre manager and programmer at the Epstein between 2022 and 2023, will return as general manager and theatre director.

‘Hugely exciting’

The Epstein first opened in 1913 as the Crane Music Hall. It was later renamed the Crane Theatre and following a refurbishment, in 1968 it became the Neptune Theatre. The venue was closed in 2005 due to health and safety concerns, and reopened under its current name in 2011 following a £1.2m upgrade.

For two years before its closure in 2023, the theatre was run by Epstein Entertainments Ltd.

Proctor said he was “absolutely thrilled, and really excited” to return to the venue and “looking forward to welcoming audiences back through the doors this summer.”

Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s cabinet member for health, wellbeing and culture, said the reopening was “hugely exciting news” for the city and its cultural sector.

“Anthony is the perfect person to breathe new life into this gem – his passion, ambition and vision signifies a new chapter for the theatre, and I look forward to seeing its renaissance and working with the team to help promote this cultural asset,” said Doyle.

And Joshua McTaggart, chief executive of Theatres Trust, said his organisation “warmly welcomes” the news of the reopening, saying the trust had worked since its closure “to help find a way forward for this unique and beloved venue”.

“We continue to work with Theatrical Times Ltd to ensure a bright and stable future for this glorious venue on its return to entertaining the people of Liverpool,” said McTaggart.