The Beatles head to London's West End - plans 'under wraps for months'
Exclusive: The Beatles' songs will feature in a new stage version of the film hit Yesterday which is being turned into a musical
The Beatles ' songs are heading to the West End after film supremos Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis decided to turn box office hit Yesterday into a musical.
The duo held an event this week in front of major investors, including Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, as they seek a theatre for the new show.
An insider revealed: 'This has been kept under wraps for months but it is a huge opportunity, and the prospect of a Beatles musical is too big to miss.
'It's easy to imagine that it could play for years and years.
'There was a performance this week to show the basics of what the production will be, and all the big players in London's theatre world came along. It's a no-brainer that any theatre will want to host it so there is likely to be a bit of a bidding war to secure it. These are the most famous songs of all time, so it could run and run.'
The musical will be a repurposed version of the 2019 film, written by Curtis and directed by Boyle. It starred Himesh Patel as a struggling musician who recovers from being hit by a bus, only to find he is the sole person who has ever heard of The Fab Four.
It will mean The Beatles' extraordinary back catalogue will be performed on stage, with tracks including The Long And Winding Road, All You Need Is Love and Hey Jude all included, following in the footsteps of hugely successful theatre productions about similarly timeless megastars including Queen and Michael Jackson.The film also featured Lily James.
Speaking previously, Curtis said they would not have been able to make the film without the rights to the Beatles' music.
He said: "I don't think so. It's been wonderful watching these 50 years of progress, and the way that their music has still lasted, and the way that when you go see school plays – you know, at the end of it, if it's about the environment, everyone will sing 'Here Comes the Sun' or 'Octopus's Garden' or something.
"My kid was in a school play about the Battle of Hastings, and at the end, William the Conqueror held Harold the King of England's hand, and they both sang 'We Can Work It Out'.
"I think The Beatles are more embedded in culture than anybody else – even though, personally, I couldn't bear a world without Kate Bush. But I don't think it's the same film."
On whether it was tough getting the rights to the songs and if he'd spoken to Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr, Richard explained: "No. We dealt a lot with Sony and with Apple.
"I think if they'd have said no, it would have been impossible. If we were doing a film about a serial killer who loves The Beatles, they might have said no, but it clearly is quite a pro-Beatles thing."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
13 hours ago
- The National
Palestinian jazz singer to share rich musical heritage in Edinburgh
The Manchester-born Palestinian singer Reem Kelani is set to play The Queen's Hall in Edinburgh on June 21 as part of this year's Refugee Week and is aiming to showcase the rich heritage of Palestinian songs. Considered the unofficial musical cultural ambassador for Palestinians in the UK, Reem is a musician who studies the cultural musical heritage of Palestine to help safeguard it as she teaches it to children. 'For me, it's like a manifestation of my being, so it's not that I found this career or this career found me, I was just born with a voice,' she told The National. READ MORE: Europe's first museum of Palestinian art opens in Scotland Reem first started singing at just four years old, her first song was about Palestine. 'It was after what Israel calls the Six Day War, so there was an overwhelming sense of defeat,' she said. Reem said she was standing on a stage singing a song about Jerusalem, and at first everyone seemed very happy, but all of a sudden, they all 'broke into tears'. She added that her four-year-old self was worried that she had a terrible singing voice, but then everyone 'burst into laughter'. Since that day, she said the song has always been associated with Palestine's laughter and tears. Singing is a seminal part of Reem's life, who said she prefers teaching kids about music rather than being on the stage. Originally trained as a biologist, Reem worked for four years in the fields of marine biology, but switched from researching fish to researching traditional songs and teaching them to kids. (Image: Brian Homer) One of Reem's songs, Sprinting Gazelle, is even now taught in the national curriculum in England as she shares her joy of Arabic and Palestinian music with young people. Reem's life is denoted by moments infused with music, as she described another important memory of hers, when she learnt her own cultural identity when she attended a wedding in a small village in Palestine, aged just nine years old. It was the first time she had visited Palestine. Born in Manchester, Reem grew up in Kuwait and said she 'didn't know who she was' until then. 'I can even smell to this day, the food that was being cooked that night, the music, the songs, I was singing, there were all these people,' Reem said. 'In Kuwait, they always have their weddings in hotels, but there, it was in a proper Palestinian village, and everybody was invited. 'There wasn't a Western band with men with bellbottom trousers and beards and mustaches playing Abba and The Beatles,' Reem joked. She added: 'I am just in this village, and to see women the way they were proud of singing and dancing, and it's very much similar to the Scottish women when they're doing the walking songs, that sense of collective just captured me.' Reem has her own connection with Scotland, her father studied as a physician in Glasgow, and she also spent time in Millport while she underwent her own studies. She has since come back numerous times and performed in a variety of shows across Scotland, including at the ever-popular Celtic Connections, and has even taken her music to Stornoway. (Image: Simon Pizzey Photographer) Reem drew parallels with Arabic music and Scottish folk songs, explaining they are both built on modes and not scales, adding that with her performances, there is a 'call and response' type of relationship with her and the audience. 'I just love performing in Scotland and Ireland,' Reem said. 'It's just something about Celtic people. 'It's something about the appreciation of music, the understanding of these notes.' She explained there is a deep sense of connection between Scots and Palestinians when it comes to their culture due to their national instrument – the bagpipe. Reem added that the bagpipe, which is also played in the southwest of Spain, helps to 'unite' the culture between the three. 'It's a very gut feeling inside me that something connects these cultures that they all have the bagpipes in common,' she said. (Image: Supplied) Reem added: 'Before the British mandate, AKA the British occupation, Palestinians had their own indigenous bagpipes, but since then they use the Scottish Highland pipes instead. 'You're talking about kind of the affinity with the kind of the instruments, instead of tartan on the bagpipe, you have the fabric of the Palestinians, the black and white one, or the red and white one.' Reem said she hopes that those who attend her concert in Edinburgh will be transported back to the Palestinian village where she attended a wedding when she was just nine years old through her music. She joked that she is sad she can't provide the wonderful food that was on offer that evening to go alongside the show. 'The wedding speaks of the existence of cultural identity,' Reem said. 'We are here. We've always existed. We are indigenous to the land. 'These are our songs, our dances, our jokes, even our swear words, that are thousands and thousands of years old.'
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Curtis Pritchard spotted Ekin-Su 'red flag' as split details unveiled
Curtis Pritchard and Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu have ended their romance just months after meeting on Love Island: All Stars - with the majority of the couples who reached the final no longer together The "real reason" Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Curtis Pritchard called time on their romance has been revealed. The Turkish actress announced her split from Curtis last week, just a short while after the duo sizzled on Love Island: All Stars. The rumour mill went into overdrive as the pair hadn't been seen together on social media, leading to Ekin-Su confirming the whispers that they were parting ways to focus on "focusing on navigating this transition". In a heartfelt statement, Ekin-Su expressed their mutual decision to "go [their] separate ways", describing it as a "tough decision" without disclosing the reasons behind their separation. Curtis confirmed the break-up with his own post shortly after Ekin-Su's announcement. It's now been revealed just why the former couple parted ways. "They weren't arguing all the time - it just fizzled out. They re not on bad terms and they respect each other, but the spark had gone," a source claims. "They know they can't give each other what they need right now - it's sad, but it's also very grown-up of them." However, the source adds to Heat! magazine that "Curtis would've tried to make it work" but Ekin-Su "checks out so easily". They claim the 2022 Love Island winner "mentally moved on weeks before the end" as Curtis was "trying to plan things together". The professional dancer apparently saw Ekin-Su distancing herself as "a red flag". The Mirror has approached both stars for comment. In a heartfelt statement announcing their split last week, Ekin-Su wrote: "I wanted to share that Curtis and I have decided to go our separate ways. It's been a really tough decision, but one made with a lot of love and respect for one another." She continued, "He's an incredible person and I'll always cherish the memories we made both in and out of the villa. Thank you all so much for the love and support over the past few months. We're both focusing on navigating this transition and would really appreciate privacy during this time. Love always, Ekin-Su xX." This revelation follows last week's buzz when Curtis was spotted flying solo at the star-studded Market Place St. Paul's VIP launch party, and Ekin-Su conspicuously omitted any mention of Curtis when probed about her romantic life in a recent interview. Speaking previously about her views on romance, she shared: "Love, for me, is a deep bond, trust and being able to be completely yourself with someone... Love enables both individual development and growth together. I find peaceful, safe and unexpected love valuable. This is exactly the definition of love for me." The news of Ekin-Su's break-up with Curtis follows hot on the heels of Love Island champions Casey O'Gorman and Gabby Allen calling time on their relationship. Releasing a joint statement, they announced: "After much thoughtful consideration, Gabby and Casey have decided to go their separate ways romantically. This decision was mutual, and they both remain on good terms as friends with a shared respect for each other." With the dust settling from the show, only two couples from the final, Grace Jackson and Luca Bish, along with Elma Pazar and Sammy Root, are still thought to be an item three months after the finale aired. Meanwhile, Omar Nyame and Catherine Agbaje have parted ways shortly after leaving the sun-soaked locale of the South African villa, with insiders suggesting that they never made it to becoming an official couple and that their love story had naturally come to an end.
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour setlist in full for UK tour
As part of her tour, the megastar will be heading to London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for six sold-out nights. The Cowboy Carter Tour has already been making its way around the USA, seeing social media flooded with videos and pictures of Beyoncé on tour. But many have been wondering what the exact setlist will be and which chart-topping anthems the former Destiny's Child singer will perform. So you can get ready to sing your heart out, we've got the setlist according to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour setlist AMERIICAN REQUIEM Blackbird (The Beatles cover) The Star-Spangled Banner (John Stafford Smith & Francis Scott Key cover) Freedom YA YA / Why Don't You Love Me OH LOUISIANA PROPAGANDA AMERICA HAS A PROBLEM SPAGHETTII Formation MY HOUSE Diva TRAILER ALLIIGATOR TEARS JUST FOR FUN PROTECTOR The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger song) FLAMENCO PEEP SHOW DESERT EAGLE RIIVERDANCE II HANDS II HEAVEN TYRANT THIQUE LEVII'S JEANS SWEET ★ HONEY ★ BUCKIIN' / PURE/HONEY / SUMMER RENAISSANCE OUTLAW (50FT COWBOY) TEXAS HOLD 'EM Crazy in Love Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) Love on Top Irreplaceable If I Were a Boy DOLLY P Jolene (Dolly Parton cover) Daddy Lessons BODYGUARD II MOST WANTED CUFF IT HEATED Before I Let Go (Maze featuring Frankie Beverly cover) HOLY DAUGHTER DAUGHTER OPERA I'M THAT GIRL COZY ALIEN SUPERSTAR COWBOY CARTER RODEO LEGACY 16 CARRIAGES AMEN Recommended Reading Who is the support act for Beyoncé on the Cowboy Carter Tour? During Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour, she will not have an official support act but instead has a DJ. Can you still get tickets to Beyoncé in London? Tickets for Beyoncé were in high demand when they first went on sale, and tickets for all six shows have now sold out.
