Ex-Brookside star to head Eric’s cast

by **In The Margins** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 3:58 pm

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liv ... -21403435/

Ex-Brookside star to head Eric’s cast
Jul 25 2008 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

THE cast list for the much-anticipated new production Eric’s the Musical, based on the legendary Liverpool night club of the same name, will be headed by Liverpool actor Mark Moraghan, who is currently in the final of TV’s Masterchef.

The former Brookside and Holby City star will play the part of Will Sergeant, guitarist with seminal Eric’s band Echo and the Bunnymen, who went on to become one of the world’s biggest groups in the 1980s, with numerous top 10 hits and best- selling albums such as Ocean Rain.

The 45-year-old Toxteth-born actor is no stranger to the music scene. In his 20s, he was a backing singer and percussionist in the Liverpool band Personal Column, and in 2006 Moraghan came second in the BBC competition Just the Two of Us, when his singing partner was Atomic Kitten singer Natasha Hamilton.

The musical, which will be staged in September at the Everyman Theatre, has been written by award-winning author Mark Davies Markham, who created the West End smash, Taboo, based on the life of Boy George, and who staged the acclaimed Nativity play broadcast live on TV from Liverpool last December.

The writer told the Daily Post: “I wanted to follow up Taboo with a musical that was focused on something closer to home – Eric's, a club that left its mark on me when I was a teenager.

“This is my story and I know people from the scene such as Pete Wylie from Wah Heat!, Julian Cope of the Teardrop Explodes, and Jayne Casey, of Big in Japan, who all know that this is a musical based on my experiences in life. This is musical drama, not a documentary, or indeed a docudrama – it’s pure unadulterated theatre.”

He added: “Eric’s was our generation's Cavern, without the merchandise to prove it. But this is not a nostalgia play about the club, it’s far more than that. It's about life and will appeal to people who went there but it goes way beyond that. It's uplifting and life-affirming, and will have people talking for a long time after they've seen it.”

Graham Bickley, who was formerly Joey Boswell in Bread, plays lead character Joe with another Liverpool actor, Stephen Fletcher, playing Joe’s younger self, Joey, as he draws on memories of his defiant youth of his past in Eric’s to fight for survival.

Davies Markham also consulted key people who were figures at the club, including the club’s DJ Norman Killon and Ken Testi, who co-founded the club with the late Roger Eagle and Pete Fulwell.

“All of the songs are from the club either at that time or came out of the club over the next couple of years so I spoke to Norman early on and he was one of the first to say that if I wrote Eric's I should find a really good story to hang on to – I like to believe that I have.

“Meanwhile, Ken was initially nervous when he came to a meeting representing himself and Pete. But when he heard what I had written he left the meeting with a warm smile on his face and wished me luck.”

Experienced stage actor Peter Caulfield will play Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch with fellow Crucial Three members Julian Cope and Pete Wylie played by Oliver Jackson and newcomer Sam Donovan respectively.

Musical theatre actor Stuart Ellis is Pete Burns, while Big In Japan’s Jayne Casey is played by young Liverpool actress Iris Roberts, winner of the 2008 Spotlight Prize.

Eric’s will be directed by LIPA graduate Jamie Lloyd, who has just been appointed the associate director at London’s renowned Donmar Warehouse.

ERIC’S is at the Everyman from September 19 to October 11.

by **guitarplayer on here too** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 4:14 pm

Gosh, I hope Mark Moraghan doesn't storm off in a huff then cos of his nerves (for anyone who saw Masterchef).

The Bunnymen line-up then:

Mac

Will Sergeant

And a few others

Julian Cope

"Joe"

by **Red** » Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:43 pm

guitarplayer on here too wrote:

Will Sergeant

okay, that guy needs to grow a lot of hair, and quickly! :eek:

by **tonywojo** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:18 am

Red wrote:okay, that guy needs to grow a lot of hair, and quickly!

true but he kind of speaks like him

i will try and get to see it and review

by **Dave Smith** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 6:57 am

What a jessie.He ruined his suace and stormed out!He would be better suited as Mac..

by **Red** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:54 am

Dave Smith wrote:What a jessie.He ruined his suace and stormed out!He would be better suited as Mac..

i'll be over while this is showing....but i dunno if i'll be going up <---(hahhaa) to liverpool to see it! too broke to buy any more train tickets/hotel rooms.

by **Dr Cheese** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 10:13 am

guitarplayer on here too wrote:

"Joe"

That's Peter Howitt not Graham Bickley. This is Graham Bickley:

He was shite in Bread btw!

by **moondance** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:51 am

guitarplayer on here too wrote:Gosh, I hope Mark Moraghan doesn't storm off in a huff then cos of his nerves (for anyone who saw Masterchef).

The Bunnymen line-up then:

Mac

Will Sergeant

How could that 'old guy' play Will at the time of Eric's? :eek:

by **Red** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 12:05 pm

moondance wrote:How could that 'old guy' play Will at the time of Eric's?

that's what i was wondering too! :rolleyes:

by **guitarplayer on here too** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:09 pm

Dr Cheese wrote:That's Peter Howitt not Graham Bickley. This is Graham Bickley:

He was shite in Bread btw!

Aah, he was the "replacement" Joey Boswell like the "replacement" Aveline one. Recasting new people as the main characters mid-series was a pretty new thing back then and bloody confusing.

I also recall that Mark Moraghan was in Brookside when that programme had turned shite as well. There seems to be a mass appearance of ex-Brookie stars on TV at the moment. Recently saw Billy Corkhill and Max appear in the TV show "Doctors", "Mick" was in Masterchef, Sinbad in Coronation Street, so what's Ron Dixon doing these days?

by **Grumpy_Jimbo** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 1:28 pm

Sweet .............................

Booked tickets today as it turns out it's the same weekend as the Merseyside Derby and myself and a friend had already booked to go to Liverpool for the match that day ....

So we'll add that to our weekend activities ......

:biggrin:

by **withahip** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 3:05 pm

Well, it seems you know fans of a band are over 50 when a musical is made.

by **tonywojo** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:50 pm

withahip wrote:Well, it seems you know fans of a band are over 50 when a musical is made.

all bloody no marks and auld fellas

where is the everyman thought it was in london

by **Red** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 7:48 pm

tonywojo wrote:where is the everyman thought it was in london

even i knew better than that! :wink:

it's in liverpool...marked off on my 3D map i have.

by **JackT** » Wed Jul 30, 2008 8:53 pm

Red wrote:even i knew better than that!
it's in liverpool...marked off on my 3D map i have.

The one you have in your secret lair?

Ex-Brookside star to head Eric’s cast

Ex-Brookside star to head Eric’s cast

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