A musical version of the 1994 film Backbeat is set to open at London‘s Duke Of York Theatre this October.
The Iain Softley-directed film tracked the birth of The Beatles from their early days in Liverpool to their formative gigs in Hamburg as well as detailing the romance between the band’s original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and German photographer Astrid Kirchherr.
The stage version received its world premiere at Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre last year and is co-written by Iain Softley and Stephen Jeffreys and produced by Karl Sydow. David Leveaux will direct the West End production, which opens on October 10.
Producer Sydow said: “Backbeat at the Duke Of York Theatre will allow people the experience of being at the birth of the Beatles. It tells a story that many music fans may not know, set to a musical backdrop that absolutely defined the early ’60s. Next year will mark 50 years since The Beatles released their first single, and I am proud to be bringing their early days to life in the West End.”
Songs such as ‘Twist & Shout’, ‘Rock & Roll Music’, ‘Long Tall Sally’, ‘Please Mr Postman’ and ‘Money’ will all appear in the musical.
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