A Family Affair: New Play by Hired Hands Co-Founder Steve Barker Premieres in March

At Hired Hands Models, creativity has always been a family affair: and next month, that legacy takes centre stage.

We’re proud to share that Steve Barker, co-founder of Hired Hands Models, has written a new play, Arthur & Marilyn, which premieres at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town, running from 17–21 March 2026.

The production is not only written by Steve, but also supported by the next generation of the Barker family. Steve’s daughter Polly Barker - who some may remember as a former model with the agency at one point - joins the creative team as Production Assistant, reinforcing the long-standing crossover between Hired Hands and the wider creative industries.

Before co-founding Hired Hands Models in 1991, Steve built his career as a copywriter in advertising, working at leading agencies including TBWA - which is where he first came across hand modelling and realised the potential available in creating a decided hand modelling agency. 

Storytelling, structure and character have always been at the heart of Steve’s professional life, so it feels fitting that Arthur & Marilyn marks a return to long form narrative - this time on stage.

Behind every creative partnership, there’s usually another story — and in this case, it’s theatrical.

Steve co-founded Hired Hands alongside his wife Judi Barker, whose background is firmly rooted in theatre production and casting. Judi grew up immersed in fringe theatre, with her parents widely regarded as fringe theatre royalty, having founded both the New End Theatre and Offstage Theatre.

Judi’s mother, Buddy Dalton, was deeply involved in the London fringe scene and, fittingly, also worked with Hired Hands Models during the agency’s early years — further blurring the line between theatre, performance and representation.

That shared history of working with performers, managing talent and nurturing creative careers remains embedded in the agency’s DNA today.

Love match or mismatch?

Set in 1950s America, Arthur & Marilyn explores the turbulent relationship between Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller; at a moment when celebrity, politics and personal ambition collided.

Determined to be taken seriously as an actress, Marilyn moves to New York and enrols at the Actors Studio, where she begins an affair with playwright Arthur Miller. As Miller is summoned before the House of Un-American Activities Committee, Marilyn publicly supports him, jeopardising her own career in the process.

What follows is an intense portrait of love, insecurity, addiction and emotional withdrawal — from their early optimism to the breakdown of their marriage during the making of The Misfits.

A story of sex, drink and drugs before the age of rock ’n’ roll, Arthur & Marilyn offers a raw, human look at two icons under immense pressure.

Written by: Steve Barker

Directed by: Sarah Paterson

Cast: Daisy Snelson, Marcus Churchill

Assistant Director & Producer: Amy Cash

Production Assistant: Polly Barker

Running time: 90 minutes (no interval)

Content advisory: Adult themes, strong language, alcohol and drug use

Box Office & Venue

Tickets: £15 | Concessions £13

Venue: The Lion & Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town 

Address:  42-44 Gaisford St, London NW5 2ED

Tucked away behind Kentish Town High Street, the Lion & Unicorn is a much loved North London theatre / pub, known for its seasonal British food, award winning garden and vibrant fringe programme - the perfect setting for an intimate, character driven production.

For Hired Hands Models, Arthur & Marilyn is more than a theatre recommendation. It’s a reflection of who we are: a family run agency shaped by decades of creative work across advertising, theatre and performance.

We’re incredibly proud of Steve, Judi and Polly, and we warmly encourage our clients, models and friends of the agency to go along and support this special production.

🎭 Arthur & Marilyn runs from 17–21 March 2026 at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town.