If you head to the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham this week, you’ll find the usually civilised patrons dancing in the aisles and singing along as Let It Be brings their brand of Beatlemania to the stage.
The Story
Let It Be is essentially a Beatles concert through the ages. Beginning with their infamous 1963 Royal Variety performance, it spans their concert at the Shea Stadium in America, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club and beyond, with a second half that asks you to imagine a reunion that never happened, and what might have been…
The Cast
The cast more than manage to convince as the fab four with strong voices and musical talent in spades. For me, the standout is Emanuele Angeletti as Paul McCartney – more than anything he gets the physicality of the role just so and really becomes McCartney, complete with casual head nods, bare feet and knee jerks. Initially, I struggled a little with Michael Gagliano as John Lennon, but he’s incredibly convincing as an older Lennon, seemingly growing into both the role and the hair as the first half rolls along.
The Verdict
All four of the cast are extremely talented musicians, and it’s certainly a treat to hear these iconic songs performed live, but if you came expecting this to be a musical with a story line in the vein of Jersey Boys, then you probably left disappointed. Let it Be is essentially the closest you’ll come to seeing and hearing ‘The Beatles’ perform live today; but although the sets are interspersed with contextual videos of the era, it doesn’t recount the story behind the band or the significant moments that brought them to worldwide acclaim. What it is though, taken as a pure celebration of The Beatles music, is enormous fun. The crowds were up on their feet singing along almost from the beginning, clearly enjoying themselves. If you’re a Beatles fan, I promise you will love it.
Where can you see Let it Be?
Let it Be is on at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham until Saturday 1st September 2018. It then heads off to the Liverpool Empire from 3rd September.
What can I see next at the Everyman Theatre?
Looking for some hot stuff to see you through the cooler autumn evenings? The Full Monty shimmies into town from 6th September, with a cast including Gary Lucy (Hollyoaks).