Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre is continuing the process of rebuilding with the appointment of key senior staff - and for the new manager, it's a case of working on the other side of the curtain.
Anthony Proctor will take over as theatre manager on July 1, alongside newly-appointed marketing officer Sara Macphail.
Proctor is well known across the city as an actor, and also for work in theatre admin for many of the region’s top arts organisations and festivals, including Liverpool’s Empire Theatre, Unity Theatre, Liverpool Pride, Brazilica, Homotopia, Physical Fest, DaDaFest, Liverpool Summer Pops and, most recently, Liverpool Theatre Festival and Little LTF.
The last two of these are projects of prolific Liverpool producer Bill Elms, who with Regal Entertainments Ltd (which runs the Theatre Royal in St Helens) formed Epstein Entertainments Ltd to manage the grade II listed building, which had been closed following legal problems.
Proctor has also held board positions at the LCR Pride Foundation and Culture Warrington, and was named creative professional of the year at the 2018 Liverpool Lifestyle Awards.
He said: "It's a huge privilege to have been appointed. When I was a child the Neptune theatre [as it was named before being renamed after Beatles manager Brian Epstein] was the first theatre I ever attended. I was hooked – that performance led to my life in the theatre.
"There are brilliant plans for the Epstein's future, and I look forward to taking them forward with a very passionate team.”