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OUR STORY

Showcase Entertainment Group Limited’s Layton Lillas has promoted and worked with entertainment that has ranged from small New Zealand country pubs to London’s Royal Albert Hall. With a University degree in Business in hand in 1996, Layton went against the grain of many of his peers who entered the corporate world and hit the road playing Bass Guitar in a working ‘cover band’ learning the business from the bottom up. Whilst working as an agent and later a Promoter with his newly formed company Showcase 2000, he promoted a variety of tribute shows from 1997-2001 including The Australian Bee Gees now resident in Las Vegas and one of his favourite entertainers Morgan Kent with his Rod Stewart show. Following a spell in the U.A.E. Layton relocated to the UK and in 2005 got the opportunity to work as a Promoter in the UK for The Flying Music Company where he took a step up from club-land into theatres and concert halls. During his time there he promoted the likes of Country Legend Glen Campbell R.I.P., Blues Master John Mayall and The Bluesbreakers, 60’s stars Gerry and The Pacemakers R.I.P. and The Searchers, and three production shows which have enjoyed runs in London’s West End, ‘The Rat Pack Live from Las Vegas’, ‘Dancing in the Streets’ and ‘Thriller Live’. In his final week working for the company Layton fulfilled a personal dream of promoting a sold out event at London’s Royal Albert Hall which he did with ‘Abba The Show’ 

The business has grown to promote shows in over 100 Theatre and Concert Hall venues in both Australia and New Zealand. Artiste tours Showcase Entertainment Group has promoted include US group TOTO in 2008, Gerry & The Pacemakers for three sold out Concert Hall tours of New Zealand in 2009, 2011 and 2013 and one tour of Australia in 2013. Sold out theatres and arenas with Air Supply in 2013 and The Seekers in 2014, Dr Hook for Australian tours in 2014, 2015 and 2017 and New Zealand tours in 2015 and 2017, five sell out tours of Wineries, Concert Halls and Arena’s with the UK’s 60’s Supergroup The Hollies in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2019, extensive touring of New Zealand entertainment legend Sir John Rowles for five New Zealand tours, and two Australian concert tours, tours by Village PeopleThe SearchersHerman’s Hermits, The Manfreds, Bonnie Tyler and many more.

Showcase Entertainment Group opened a new ‘Family Entertainment’ arm to the company in 2018 with close business associate Brad Thomson when the rights to Dr Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat were secured for Australia and New Zealand. Following a 40 show tour of New Zealand in 2018, the production has become the worlds No. 1 performing five tours of Australia in 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024, along with the first post Pandemic tour worldwide in June 2020 and more recently 2023. The company has also acquired the rights to stage musical shows of Dreamworks’ Madagascar The Musical and Shrek The Musical. Shrek has completed over 100 shows in in 2022 and 2023 with tours of New Zealand and The Middle East.

Showcase Entertainment Groups head office is based in Hamilton, New Zealand.

CONTACT LAYTON

[email protected]

NZ +64 21 868 712