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A CurtainUp 
London Review
London ReviewBackbeat
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Paul is the one who can play and George is the one who can change things
— John Lennon
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Ruta Gedmintas as Astrid photographing the group (Photo: Nobby Clark) |
Originally a film in 1994, this staged production started out at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre early in 2010 and is directed by David Leveaux. Not all the cast look exactly like their counterparts but they all can sing and play guitar (albeit right handed for lefthander Paul) or drums, so there is live music.
The early days in Hamburg see the seedy club they play in and a raw but authentically gritty sound, for "Johnny Be Good", rougher than the recorded music we are used to after the addition of George Martin’s unique orchestrations. They borrow tunes from Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and aspire to the American rock tradition.
The tragedy is a real life one as Stu reports worsening headaches having given up the band for the love of Astrid and fine art. We meet Brian Epstein the future manager, son of a music shop owner and rather well spoken compared to these Liverpudlian lads.
The Hamburg clubs are shown, the first one where they play for an audience of prostitutes, where George loses his cherry and they sleep behind a cinema screen. Later, the more upmarket Hamburg club is filled with stylish poseurs and gender benders but they also come back to Liverpool and play in The Cavern. They are deported from Germany when George is found to be under age.
The lighting is very good and Stuart’s scenes often have backdrops of his art, some of his paintings variations on Jackson Pollock. Christopher Oram’s designs are beautiful. I liked too the giant blow up backdrops of Astrid’s monochrome photographs of the band, close ups of Stuart and the steely grey ironwork set. After Stuart, the Beatles develop their individual style and Astrid’s haircut of a mophead style for Stu is later adopted by the rest of them along with her gift to them of the collarless, grey suit jackets of the Beatles’ early look.
Andrew Knott’s John Lennon has the Liverpudlian accent, quick witted humour and charisma we now associate with his unique musical impact. When Knott stands at the microphone he has exactly John Lennon’s wide bent kneed stance. We feel the triangle friendship tension between John Stuart and Astrid. Nick Blood is tremendously sympathetic as Stuart. Daniel Healy’s singing as Paul is excellent. Together they sound very good indeed and the finale is magnificent: the first Beatles records which soared into the hit parade, "Please Please Me", "Please Mr Postman" and "Love Me Do".
Backbeat is much more than a tribute show or a jukebox musical and much better. There is satisfying true life, biographical detail and David Leveaux has crafted a musical which while being true to the Beatles’ tradition and the memory of Stuart Suttcliffe has us dancing in the aisles to an authentic sound.
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| Backbeat
Based on the Universal Picures Film by Iain Softley and Stephen Jeffreys Directed by David Leveaux Starring: Nick Blood, Ruta Gedmintas, Andrew Knott, Daniel Healy, Will Payne, Oliver Bennett With: Rosy Benjamin, Edward Clarke, Josie Dunn, Sam Ford, Ben Fox, Mark Hammersley, Dominic Rouse, Louise Shuttleworth, Adam Sopp, Charles Swift, James Wallace, Jo Dockery Design: Christopher Oram and Andrew D Edwards Projection Design: Timothy Bird and Nina Dunn for Knifeedge Musical Director: James McKeon Dance and Vocal Arrangements: George Stiles Movement Director: Nikki Woollaston Musical Supervisor and OPriginal Incidental Music: Paul Stacey Sound: Ed Clarke and Paul Groothuis Lighting: Howard Harrison and David Holmes Fight Director: Renny Krupinski Running time: Two hours 30 minutes including one interval Box Office: 0844 871 7624 Booking to 24th March 2012 Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge based on 10th October 2011 performance at The Duke of York’s, St Martin’s Lane, London London WC2N 4BG (Tube: Leicester Square) |
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