{"id":131321,"date":"2023-01-11T16:40:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T16:40:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/?p=131321"},"modified":"2023-01-11T16:40:12","modified_gmt":"2023-01-11T16:40:12","slug":"head-over-heels-in-conversation-with-liam-gartland-of-gartland-productions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mancunion.com\/2023\/01\/11\/head-over-heels-in-conversation-with-liam-gartland-of-gartland-productions\/","title":{"rendered":"Head Over Heels: In conversation with Liam Gartland of Gartland Productions"},"content":{"rendered":"
Ahead of the European premiere of Head Over Heels<\/em>, the Broadway jukebox musical that uses the music of The Go-Go’s, we sat down with its producer for a candid conversation about his career and the musical.<\/p>\n Liam Gartland, a proud Mancunian, is an up-and-coming theatre producer who runs Gartland Productions. He had his West End producing debut back in 2021, a mere year after he began his career as a theatre producer. Whilst he’s now based in London, he’s thrilled to be staging the European premiere of Head Over Heel<\/em>s in his hometown – better yet, during LGBT+ History Month!<\/p>\n I started in theatre at a young age when I went to Oldham Theatre workshop, I then attended Pendleton College to study Musical Theatre before studying my BA (Hons) at Guildford School of Acting. Graduating in the year of the pandemic (2020) meant I went back to my family home in Rochdale, where quite frankly, I couldn\u2019t sit still. I had to be doing something.<\/p>\n I went on to co-found The Grad Fest, an award-winning company providing performance opportunities and support for recent theatre graduates. The Grad Fest were awarded a ‘ONEOFF Special Award’ for their dedicated work through the pandemic supporting theatre graduates and were nominated for the ‘Recognition Award’ by Industry Minds.<\/p>\n Following this, I started producing productions independently with productions including; LIFT<\/em> (Southwark Playhouse), Daddy Issues<\/em> (Seven Dials Playhouse), I Could Use A Drink<\/em> (Garrick Theatre), Tell Me Straight<\/em> (King’s Head Theatre) and A Song For Christmas<\/em> (Iris Theatre).<\/p>\n When I started producing independently, my first production was a streamed production (I Could Use A Drink<\/em>). Later that year, we were lucky enough to be part of the Rising Stars Festival<\/em> which was run by Nica Burns and NIMAX Theatres. To have this opportunity at such an early point of my career really threw me into the deep end but I was able to challenge myself and continue to reach bigger goals.<\/p>\n I have always been a fan of music that was never in my era. I think being exposed to so many wonderful musicals and musicians when I was young allowed me to explore and constantly find new artists and writers. That being said, The Go Go\u2019s music is much more than what\u2019s written on the page, it\u2019s the overall celebration of the group being the most successful female rock band of all time.<\/p>\n I think I\u2019m gaining so much joy producing a musical that includes some of the greatest songs written in the 80s such as ‘We Got the Beat,’ ‘Our Lips Are Sealed,’ ‘Vacation,’ Belinda Carlisle\u2019s ‘Heaven is a Place on Earth’ and ‘Mad About You’. Alongside a story that has many important messages to society in 2023.<\/p>\nTell us a bit about your background. What were you doing before you set up Gartland Productions? How did you get into producing?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
You had your West End producing debut in 2021. What was that like?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
I’m guessing you’re a fan of Belinda Carlisle and The Go-Go’s. How did you get into their music?<\/strong><\/h3>\n