Melody Maker, January 21, 1967
Epstein’s new target - success for the Saville
By JACK HUTTON
Brian Epstein is the licensee of the Saville Theatre in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue, as the whole pop world must know. But what isn’t generally known is that he has governed the theatre’s policy himself only during the past three or four months.
And, significantly, since that time, pop enthusiasts have been treated to rave-ups featuring such world-class stars as the Four Tops, Little Richard, Georgie Fame, Geno Washington and Julie Felix.
Eric Burdon, for one, was so enthusiastic at the raving scenes inside the Saville that he offered to compere the Little Richard show for nothing. He also compared the atmosphere in London’s first pop theatre to the famous Apollo in Harlem.
Last week Brian Epstein discussed his plans for the Saville in a Soho restaurant between disposing of nine oysters and Lobster Normande and refusing to discuss Ringo’s garden and Paul’s vanishing house staff with an intruder from the National Press.
“It’s not the Apollo, or the Olympia,” he said firmly. “It’s the Saville and it’s going to grow as the Saville. I’m convinced of its success.
“I’m out to make it a theatre for young people. I’m going to introduce film shows, after a stage show, on a double ticket.
“There will be a break after the pop show and then you can return to your seat and see such films as the Beatles at the Shea Stadium, Cilla at the Savoy, the film of the Stones in Ireland, comedy films featuring Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin and so on and feature films as well.
“On stage there will be other attractions besides pop. We have a Tahitian ballet company coming for four weeks. They are superb and were a sellout in Paris. Then we have an African ballet for six weeks.
“I hope to feature jazz stars like Roland Kirk on the Sunday shows.
“I’d like to feature Tom Jones for two or three weeks but other interests might prevent this though I think he’d be better served at the Saville. Fats Domino is coming with his ten-piece band, as you know, and I’ve asked Georgie Fame to make a return visit.
“I’m glad I extended Georgie’s recent season from two weeks to three because the quality of the show got around by word of mouth and we had wonderful houses at the end. It built up. I wish you could have seen the Saturday evening shows. They were wonderful.”
Epstein is excited with the prospects of the Saville. In fact he says this is one of the most exciting periods of his career. He’s devoting much of his time to planning the theatre’s future.
He was involved deeply in Georgie Fame’s stage show apart from picking all the artists. He thinks there’s a huge public available for the kind of entertainment he can provide at the Saville.
He is adamant about picking only artists he likes, and has turned down several offers of big names because he didn’t think they were right for the theatre. “But I’d love to present the Mothers of Invention,” he adds.
Epstein asserts he’d devoting so much time to the Saville because it’s a personal dream and because “I love things that begin from something small.”
He disagrees with the current crop of pop knockers and thinks that the scene though changing still excites.
And to the 64 thousand dollar question - will he make another fortune out of the Saville, he replies forcibly: “I don’t know. I’m not thinking about it and I don’t care. But it will be a success.”