THEGAYUK

Tag: Andrew Lancel

All the latest breaking news on Andrew Lancel. Browse THEGAYUK’s complete collection of news, articles and commentary on Andrew Lancel.

  • One man comedy by Jonathan Harvey to tour England in Feb

    One man comedy by Jonathan Harvey to tour England in Feb

    The show, which stars Andrew Lancel, will open at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre for six performances over three nights, this will be the first live performances at the theatre since closing in March due to the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

    The show then moves on to The Atkinson Southport, Lighthouse Poole, Swan Theatre Worcester, Belgrade Coventry, Dukes Lancaster, City Varieties Leeds, and Capitol Horsham. All venue will present to socially distanced audiences and more dates are to be confirmed soon.

    Swan Song was first staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1997, before transferring to Hampstead Theatre with award-winning comedy actress Rebecca Front in the lead role. Jonathan Harvey adapted the 70-minute play especially for Liverpool Theatre Festival for Andrew Lancel to play the solo role of Dave Titswell. Due to critical acclaim, the play will now perform at venues across the UK next year, these new dates replaced the November 2020 dates which were cancelled due to lockdown, now a longer tour is planned for Spring 2021.

    The news also comes as Andrew Lancel is set to have an appearance in the Royal Variety Performance, which is televised on Tuesday 8 December. Andrew appears as Brian Epstein in Cilla The Musical, he also played Brian in Epstein The Man Who Made The Beatles in 2012, where Andrew Lancel first met Bill Elms who produced the play in Liverpool and London’s West End.

    “Funny, clever and inspiring production”

    Producer and the artistic director of Liverpool Theatre Festival, Bill Elms said: “Swan Song is a funny, clever and inspiring production which opened the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival. Andrew Lancel, Jonathan Harvey, and Noreen Kershaw are an incredible blend of creative talent, and the play went down a storm in Liverpool. It is such a lovely piece that I approached Andrew and the team with the idea to tour. People are excited for the return of live theatre – and we’re excited to give them that experience back after such a long time with a really special production.”

    Swan Song is a bittersweet comedy written by Jonathan Harvey. Set in Liverpool, it is Christmas 1997, the world is changing and in the staff room, Gay, forty-something, English teacher Dave Titswell finds that not all change is welcome. He has a crush, but life, love, and work are never straight forward for Dave. Will a school trip to The Lakes change things for the better, or make things decidedly worse? Swan Song will make audiences laugh, but equally pull at the heartstrings. Everyone knows someone like Dave – or could even be a Dave themselves.

    Andrew Lancel in Swan Song by Jonathan Harvey
    Ⓒ DAVID MUNN PR SUPPLIED

    Andrew Lancel is no stranger to audiences. Well established on the national theatre scene, Andrew is also widely known for his television roles as DI Neil Manson in The Bill and super-villain Frank Foster in Coronation Street. He has twice played Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein on stage to great critical acclaim, first in Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles (also produced by Bill Elms) which premiered in Liverpool and went on to play London’s West End, as well as playing Epstein in the national tour of Cilla The Musical, Bill Kenwright’s stage adaptation of the TV series written by Jeff Pope.

    Andrew Lancel commented: “The last play I saw before lockdown was Jonathan Harvey’s Our Lady of Blundellsands at The Everyman Liverpool, which I loved – so it’s very cool, and a little ironic, that my first play back is with Jonathan. We have known each other for years and worked together a lot but never on stage, so it’s humbling that he has adapted this play for me. It’s very funny, moving, and I think people will really relate to it today. His characters are literally gifts to play and to watch.

    “This play is about reuniting too. Reuniting theatre and audiences with live performance is extra special. To be back with Epstein producer Bill Elms is a buzz, and I’ve worked on some very serious storylines on Corrie with Noreen Kershaw. It feels like coming home for us all in so many ways.”

    Award-winning Jonathan Harvey’s credits include Gimme Gimme Gimme; Murder Most Horrid; Coronation Street; Call The Midwife; and Tracey Ullman’s Show. His plays include Beautiful Thing, Corrie, Canary, Hushabye Mountain, Babies, Boom Bang A Bang’ and Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club. He also wrote the 2001 stage musical Closer to Heaven with the Pet Shop Boys and its sequel Muzik. He has won the John Whiting Award, the George Devine Award, two Manchester Evening News Awards, an Evening Standard Award, two British Soap Awards and a Writers Guild of Great Britain Award.

    Jonathan added: “Swan Song is a comedy about a teacher who’s trying to hold onto his dignity while the education system crumbles around him – and I’m thrilled Andrew is playing Dave. I’m delighted to also be working with Noreen again, she directed many of my Corrie scripts and my last episode of Call The Midwife. As the original Shirley Valentine, Noreen definitely knows a thing or two about one person shows.”

    Noreen Kershaw’s directing credits include Our Girl, Moving On, Scott & Bailey, Emmerdale, Shameless, Heartbeat and Coronation Street. She is also known for acting in Life On Mars, Brookside, and Watching. Noreen also originated the title role of Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre.

    Andrew Lancel in

    SWAN SONG

    by Jonathan Harvey

    UNITY THEATRE

    Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG

    Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 February 2021

    Performance times: 5pm / 7.45pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    ATKINSON THEATRE

    Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB

    Friday 12 – Saturday 13 February 2021

    Performance times: 7.30pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.theatkinson.co.uk ON SALE SOON

    THE LIGHTHOUSE

    Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG

    Saturday 20 February 2021

    Performance times: 3pm / 7pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.lighthousepoole.co.uk ON SALE 11 DEC

    THE SWAN THEATRE

    The Moors, Worcester, WR1 3ED

    Sunday 21 February 2021

    Performance times: 3pm / 7pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.worcesterlive.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    BELGRADE THEATRE

    Belgrade Square, Coventry, CV1 1GS

    Wednesday 24 February 2021

    Performance times: 2.30pm / 7pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.belgrade.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    DUKES LANCASTER

    Moor Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1QE

    Thursday 25 February 2021

    Performance times: 2.30pm / 7.30pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.dukeslancaster.org ON SALE NOW

    CITY VARIETIES MUSIC HALL

    Swan Street, Leeds, LS1 6LW

    Saturday 27 February 2021

    Performance times: 2pm / 7.30pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.cityvarieties.co.uk ON SALE NOW

    THE CAPITOL THEATRE

    North Street, Horsham, RH12 1RG

    Sunday 28 February 2021

    Performance times: 3pm / 6pm

    Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

    How to book: www.thecapitolhorsham.co.uk ON SALE NOW

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles

    ★★★★ | Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles

    Brian Epstein was, as the title suggests, the man who made the Beatles. After seeing them play a lunchtime gig at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in 1961, he persuaded them to let him act as their manager (in spite of no previous experience in this role) and helped find them the record deal that would shoot them to stardom.

    In spite of his pivotal role in changing the face of British music he was often overlooked and missed out on recognition and credit for his behind the scenes influence.

    Jewish, gay in a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence and experiencing an early death aged 32 from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills; what more do we know about Brian’s life? Andrew Sherlock’s well written two-hander delves into the psyche of Epstein by imagining a night just before his death where he brings back a young man (known only as This Boy) to his swanky Belgravia apartment. The writing is tight and witty and cranks up dramatic tension, let down only slightly by the overuse of puns relating to The Beatles and the odd cheesy line and too knowing comment about the sixties. There’s plenty of absurdity in Epstein’s preening and posturing and his fragile vanity but also pathos as he reveals himself as a man who has spent his life fighting his own corner in a bullying and disapproving world for a young Jewish gay man.

    Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street, The Bill) is excellent as Epstein, even managing to look spookily like the man himself. He portrays him with skill as a well-nuanced character with endearing vulnerabilities as well as touches of monstrosity and simpering pomposity. He inhabits the stage, a convincing and versatile sixties interior, with a real presence and is entirely believable. Lancel is clearly an experienced actor at the peak of his powers and is a sight well worth seeing. Newcomer Will Finlason, as This Boy, is also extremely talented and his character acts as part narrator and partly as an excellent foil that illuminates the character of Epstein.

    The set is perfect with stylish back projections and gorgeously stylish animations that work really well to enhance the piece and create period style. The beautifully restored underground gem of the Leicester Square Theatre is an ideal venue for the show as it was dubbed the Cavern in the Town back in the 1960s due to its hosting of music acts. It’s got air conditioning too if you need to escape an oppressively hot evening for a few hours too.
    This isn’t a perfect play but it’s a good play and well worth seeing for an entertaining couple of hours.
    The play runs until the 6th of September 2014
    Buy tickets here: http://epsteintheplay.com

  • INTERVIEW | Andrew Lancel on playing gay music manager, Epstein

    As Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles, opens in London’s Leicester Square Theatre, we catch up with ex-Corrie star Andrew Lancel, who plays the gay, legendary music manager to find out what made the man tick.

    Do you think that if Brian Epstein was around today that he would have been out and proud?
    I think Brian was as out as he could be then. It was a different time of course. He would never have done anything to compromise the boys (The Beatles) then or now but in short – yes I think he would be. One of the great things about this play is that Brian is very much ‘around today’ – he’s very now, his footprint is very clear in the business.

    Is it difficult playing a character like Brian Epstein who was so discreet and behind the scenes?
    He’s by far the most complex and fascinating character I’ve played. Many layered but a man full of wit and charm. He was very famous and successful so there is a lot out there to draw from. Plus speaking to people who knew him – extremely difficult but hugely rewarding. The Liverpool run went down very well and hopefully London will latch on this play too and get to know this amazing chap better. He deserves it. Everybody who knew him says the same thing. He was full of charm. He shone.

    What are your thoughts on Epstein’s untimely death? Do you think it was entirely accidental?
    Tragic. He was 32 and had a big hand in changing the world. This play is not a tribute to a tortured soul. If you look at the pictures of him most have him smiling. He had to have wit, energy and life to look after those 4! – so yes for me – entirely accidental and again watching the play people will be able to decide.

    Do you believe that Epstein struggled with his sexuality?
    Not really.

    Did he have to work harder because of it?
    He had to work harder because of many things – his sexuality, his religion, his background, his families success – but mainly because he couldn’t quite find where he should be. Until NEMS and the record store and then ultimately . The Beatles he was searching. I think he found himself in them.

    Which one of the Beatles do you think he fancied the most?
    I have theories and some inside knowledge but I’m declining my answer.. Ha ha.

    What do you think Epstein would think of X Factor and BGT if he were around today?
    Would The Beatles win X Factor? Would Cilla win Britain’s Got Talent? I think yes and anything that would boost his stable he would be behind. Brian did what he did without any of that, no text, twitter, Internet – it’s incomprehensible what The Beatles achieved in the time there were together and likewise what he did from a phone in an office.

    What’s the most interesting fact that you’ve discovered about Epstein since undertaking this role?
    Far and away that he was funny, charming and had a great sense of humour. It’s easy to assume because of what happened to him he was depressed and don’t get me wrong his life was a roller coaster and he had some dark corners (which we show). Will, Jen, Andrew and I work very hard on showing the life of this guy. It’s highs and lows.Another one would be that he held out for America until he felt it was right. That took some balls and clear genius.

    As a celebrity yourself, can you understand the pressures that Epstein has felt?
    Every job has pressure – celebrity or not. What The Beatles did was incomprehensible – their fame and their meteoric rise to it. Elvis never toured outside of the US. These guys were breaking the mould, the rules and the records daily. So I doubt anyone but Brian would really understand that kind of pressure. There’s no training for that. No guide book.

    Playing him I’ve got to understand him a fair bit – but he was under immense pressure – I think Andrew (Sherlock) has captured that brilliantly.

    Self medicating in Celeb Land seems to be such a common occurrence – and untimely deaths too, can you understand how someone can fall into the trap?
    It’s tragic. My generation seem to be saying Gone To Soon far too often. But looking back it’s always been like that hasn’t it. The highs are high… As Brian ultimately knew. He was gone at 32!

    LISTINGS INFO:
    Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles
    Leicester Square Theatre
    6 Leicester Place, London, Greater London WC2H 7BX
    30 July – 6 September 2014
    Preview Performances: 30 July – 2 August
    Mon – Sat Evenings: 7.30pm I Thurs mats 3.00pm I Sat early shows 4.00pm
    Ticket Prices: £30-£42.50

    HOW TO BOOK:
    Book online at www.leicestersquaretheatre.com |telephone 08448 733433 or in person at Leicester Square Theatre box office (Booking fees may apply)
    Writing co-commissioned by Homotopia.
    Supported by Arts Council England, Orange Amplification, Liverpool Vision and Liverpool Echo.
    Production partners: The Beatles Story (Liverpool), Hard Day’s Night Hotel (Liverpool), Hard Rock Cafe (London), The Beatles Coffee Shop/Beatles Walks (London), Gieves & Hawkes (London).
    The official hotel partner is Radisson Blu Edwardian, London.
    The official production charity partner is CALM – www.thecalmzone.net.

    Running Time 2hrs approx

    Suitable for age 14+