Legendary figure in Liverpool’s art scene dies age 77

Tributes have been paid to a legendary figure in Liverpool’s art scene who has died age 77. A seasoned and well-respected member of Liverpool’s artistic community, Graeme Phillips trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London before working extensively throughout the country including Ipswich, Leeds, London, and at the Chester Gateway and Lancaster Duke’s Theatre.

In 1982, he joined The Merseyside Unity Theatre – which later became Unity Theatre – becoming artistic director in the early 1990s. Graeme was also instrumental in the development of Homotopia and the very early days of FACT, both of which were established at the Unity.

Today, September 1, Unity Theatre announced that Graeme had died following complications relating to Parkinson’s Disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2015, the year he retired from the Hope Place venue after 33 years and was awarded an MBE. He died in his sleep at Green Heys Care Home, where he had been living since the acceleration of Lewy Body dementia in 2021.

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Paying tribute, Elinor Randle, artistic director of Unity Theatre, said: “Graeme has been such an incredible inspiration to me, and to so many artists in the city and beyond. He poured his heart into making Unity a true home for brilliant, daring, and experimental new work, and gave countless people the chance to bring their creative dreams to life.

“His 30 years at Unity have left a lasting mark, and I feel so proud to be carrying his legacy forward, something I could never have done without his generosity, guidance, and friendship. He will be deeply missed, but his spirit will always live on in Unity and in those us of whose lives he touched.”

During his time at Unity Theatre, Graeme presided over two capital redevelopments which transformed a leaky-roofed old synagogue into a state-of-the-art small-scale theatre – which has established itself as a major asset to both the city and national theatre portfolio. Unity Theatre said that core to his leadership had been his unerring support of new theatre companies in Liverpool, as well as a plethora of writers, actors and directors.

In his career, he also brought to the city many of the best touring international and national theatre companies including Told By An Idiot, The Right Size, Frantic and Improbable. During a recent interview, as part of the Unity’s Heritage Lottery Fund project which is a celebration the theatre’s radical and political past, Graeme cited two of his highlights as being Tony Kushner’s epic Angels in America and the national and international tour of David Yip’s acclaimed Gold Mountain.

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Despite his condition, Unity Theatre said Graeme continued to inspire, and last year directed a revival of Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape.

A play he had loved since his youth, when he played the title role at the age of 17, he brought his own experience of dementia to the production

Since April, Graeme had been working on a new production of Jean Genet’s The Maids, which will be presented in October.

Produced by That Theatre Group, the directorial baton will be handed to Elinor Randle, who has been artistic director since last year.

A celebration of Graeme’s life will be announced on Unity’s website.

You can find their website here.