A Really Useful bidder emerges

BRIAN Brolly, the impresario who gave Andrew Lloyd Webber his first break by encouraging him to write Jesus Christ Superstar, has emerged as a front-runner to buy the composer's chain of West End theatres.

Lloyd Webber recently put his portfolio of 13 West End theatres, estimated to be worth more than £150m, up for sale along with his company The Really Useful Group, which manages the production and publishing rights for his shows, among them Phantom Of The Opera and Bombay Dreams.

Brolly is believed to be backed by American investors. In recent years, he has been involved with the US leisure concept company Larc, which designs theme parks such as Alton Towers, and set up a theatrical production firm called Producers Four with fellow entertainment mogul Michael Jenkins. Last year, Producers Four launched the Broadway musical Brooklyn.

It is unclear whether Brolly's consortium is attempting to buy all or just some of Lloyd Webber's theatres. Though Lloyd Webber is keen to exit his business and hopes to dispose of his assets by the end of the year, sources say he is determined not to sell unless he can achieve the right price.

Brolly, who was unavailable for comment, met the young Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice when he was an executive at MCA Records. He urged them to develop an idea that became Jesus Christ Superstar.

He went on to become Managing Director of Lloyd Webber's the Really Useful Group. He quit in 1988 after RUG branched out into books, television and films.

Brolly took an £800,000 payoff and sold his stake in the business for £14 million to the late Robert Maxwell.

Brolly who has produced several musicals, went on to start Jazz FM and Classic FM, in which he is believed to retain substantial stakes.