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The legendary Everyman Theatre in Liverpool has nurtured the careers of many actors – such as Julie Walters, Anthony Sher, Jonathan Pryce and Matthew Kelly.

Founded in 1964 by three young idealistic students, the theatre has fostered generations of heavyweight acting talent in the decades ever since.

Closed in 2012 for a £28 million pound refurbishment, the theatre opened its doors again in March 2014 – having been completely re-built from the bottom up.

Capturing the spirit of a theatre through the voices of some of the writers, actors and directors who worked there – this is the story of one of the most exciting theatre spaces in England.

Take a tour round the new building as they prepare for their first production. Hear how in the early days, actors had to manage coping with rats in their dressing rooms and getting changed in boiler rooms; how they had no money and had to make do and mend in order to get a play on – and how the spirit of the Everyman engendered a sense of family and belonging, in everyone who worked there.

Throughout the programme we also capture the spirit that is Liverpool – recalling the days of hardship and austerity in the 1970s; the Toxteth Riots of the 1980s and the Capital of Culture in 2008 – which went some way in helping to get the city back on its feet.

It's a story of originality and imagination, of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, crises and comebacks – but most of all, it's a story of extraordinary talent, of inspiration, of originality that all makes up one of the most exciting theatre spaces in England.

Producer: Angela Hind

A Pier production for ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4, first broadcast on in September 2014.

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