As Let It Be, a musical tribute to The Beatles, hits the stage at Norwich Theatre Royal, Dawn heads on a toe-tapping journey through The Fab Four’s back catalogue
Unsurprisingly, Let It Be is a celebration of the music of The Beatles.
A quick summary would describe the show as a nostalgic look back at the band’s work by way of a concert-style performance. Featuring the famous hits of one of the most influential bands of all time, you’re bound to know all the words.
Opening night at Norwich Theatre Royal was proof that Beatlemania is still going strong in Norfolk. This feel-good show had the audience on its feet and singing along on a number of occasions. The show is packed with famous tunes including She Loves You, Help, Strawberry Fields Forever, Come Together, Band On The Run, Hey Jude and, of course, the title song Let It Be.
The production has returned to the stage for a UK tour in 2019, 50 years since The Beatles took those infamous steps over the pedestrian crossing outside Abbey Road Studios – as well as the 50th anniversary of the group’s last live performance together.
Let It Be: The Performance
The talented cast – Paul McCartney (Emanuele Angeletti), George Harrison (John Bronson), Ringo Starr (Ben Cullingworth) and John Lennon (Richard Jordan) – worked hard to portray the Fab Four throughout Let It Be. It was a faultless performance with the cast effortlessly switching between instruments while looking and sounding like The Beatles.
Act One opened with their appearance on The Royal Variety Performance before moving to an American gig at Shea Stadium. The second act is an imagined reunion for Lennon’s 40th birthday, which showcases the band members’ solo material such as Live and Let Die and Imagine.
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Due to the concert-style production, there was little in the way of scenery and detailed costumes, but lighting and projections added some context to the static scenes. Two screens also showed cheesy clips from back in the day. Some time-relevant adverts created a little humour, but these felt like a last-minute attempt to fill time while the cast changed costume and took a (well-earned) break.
Personally, I felt this show could have been so much more. The absence of narrative, combined with a lack of connection between and for the characters, made the show feel like a high-quality tribute act.
That said, if you’re a fan of The Beatles and fancy enjoying some live music you should definitely get yourself a ticket the Let It Be musical revue.
Call the Norwich Theatre Royal box office on 01603 630000 or click here to buy tickets.
Image credit: Paul Coltas
