On Hanover Street in central Liverpool, the Epstein Theatre has been part of the city’s cultural life since it first opened in 1913. Originally built as Crane’s Music Hall, it sat above the Crane Brothers’ music store and quickly became a gathering point for amateur drama groups, which prompted its first renaming to the Crane Theatre in 1938. The building is now a Grade II listed structure, reflecting its architectural and historical significance to the city.
From Neptune to Epstein
In 1967, Liverpool Corporation took ownership of the building and spent £7,000 on a substantial refurbishment – rebuilding the stage, installing a front of house bar (now known as Brian’s Bar) and fitting the Hanover House Goods Lift on School Lane, which provides access to the stalls. The theatre reopened in 1968 under the name The Neptune, a deliberate nod to Liverpool’s deep connection with the sea and its docks, with Neptune being the Roman god of the seas. The Corporation’s stated intention was for the venue to be run by local people for local people. Part of the motivation to acquire the building from the Crane family was the arrival of competition from Brian Epstein’s North End Music Store (NEMS) on Whitechapel, which had significantly undercut the Cranes’ trade. In 1993, the threat of closure sparked a major public campaign, with figures including Dame Judi Dench speaking out in support of the theatre. A professional pantomime production of Snow White was staged to attract audiences, and it proved so popular that a professional panto has been held at the theatre every year since.
Renamed in Honour of Brian Epstein
After closing in 2005 due to health and safety concerns, the theatre underwent a £1.2 million refurbishment and reopened in 2011 with a new name – the Epstein Theatre, dedicated to Brian Epstein, the Liverpool-born manager of the Beatles. Epstein is said to have performed on the very same stage as a child. Local artist Tony Brown donated a portrait of Epstein on permanent loan, and it now hangs in Brian’s Bar. In June 2023, Liverpool City Council announced it would end its annual £100,000 subsidy towards the lease – an arrangement that had been in place since 1967 – and the theatre closed on 30 June 2023. The announcement drew widespread sadness from performers and theatregoers across the city. The theatre has since reopened, though its long-term future remains uncertain.