It's not very often you go to the theatre and see something that not only works your brain but is also a visual delight. It's not often that you smile, laugh, dance and bawl your eyes out during one performance. It's not very often that you come out of a play feeling like you've learned a little bit more about our history. It's certainly a one off, when you do all of the above in one viewing.
Backbeat tells the story of two young Liverpudlian men, Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon. They were best friends and members of a band with three others. It was in 1960, that they all settled for the name 'The Beatles'. But then Stuart falls in love with the beautiful Astrid Kirchherr - a German photographer with a face like an angel. And his whole perspective changes. It's an absorbing story that I'm sure a lot of us already knew. But its delivery on stage is phenomenal.
Nick Blood has the unbelievably hard task of playing Sutcliffe. A man with such passion and charm - the character will draw you in immediately. His complicated, troubled persona is portrayed with beauty. You don't feel frustrated with him, instead you feel his pain. You actively will him to come through his problems from your seat - despite knowing this would change history completely.
Of course, the focus of Backbeat lies in Sutcliffe's story - frankly, it's the most interesting tale from those early years. There's no doubt, his story is heart-wrenching. But as soon as you feel yourself wiping away a tear, Nick Blood, Andrew Knott (John Lennon), Dabiel Healy (Paul McCartney), Will Payne (George Harrison) and Oliver Bennett (Pete Best) take to the stage and sing Love Me Do - and you're smiling again before you know it.
I don't want to ruin the story for you if you aren't familiar with it, but if you want to enjoy a musical that isn't cheesy and throw-away, then this is most certainly for you. It's gritty, it's emotional, it's fun and it's full of real history. A beautiful show.
Special mentions have to go to Nick Blood (Sutcliffe) who left plenty of audience members in tears after many of his scenes and the stunning Ruta Gedmintas (Kirchherr) who will make you feel her every emotion. The fantastic Andrew Knott has perfected Lennon's attitude to a tee. And finally, Daniel Healy... watch him closely and you'll see how he's nailed every shake of the head down to just how McCartney does it. These four made the play for me.
