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In 1983, when Simon Parkes was just 23, he persuaded the brewery Watney's to sell him the then derelict Brixton Academy for £1. At the time it had been shut for two years and was in a state of near dereliction. Over the next decade or so, Simon turned the venue into one of the most sought after in London. Now, a play has been written that canonises that scarcely believable story. It's on at the Southwark Playhouse. ��ѿ��ý Radio London's Robert Elms has been hearing the story in Simon's own words, and from the play's author about bringing it to life on stage. (Getty Images)