Performers Andrew Knott, Daniel Healy and William Payne are to star as Lennon, McCartney and Harrison in the forthcoming Beatles musical Backbeat.
The trio are joined by Nick Blood as the band’s original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, Oliver Bennett as original drummer Pete Best and Ruta Gedmintas as German photographer Astrid Kirchherr, whose presence stirs up the friendship between Lennon and Sutliffe.
The David Leveaux-directed production begins its run at the Duke of York’s theatre later this month.
Knott, Healy and Bennett are all returning to roles they previously played when the musical was first staged at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre. Written by Iain Softley, and based on Softley’s own film of the same name, the musical follows the young band as they leave Liverpool behind and head to the clubs of the Reeperbahn, playing rock ‘n’ roll covers night after night. The score features songs including Twist And Shout, Long Tall Sally and Mr Postman.
Knott is probably the best known of the stage’s fab five, having starred in the National Theatre, Broadway and film productions of The History Boys. Blood has also appeared at the NT in Women Beware Women, while Gedmintas can currently be seen in Sky Atlantic’s current historical hit The Borgias.
MA