John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert

• 1. Introduction

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  John, Paul, George, Ringo ... and Bert arrived on stage at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre in May 1974, just a few years after the band it depicted had fallen apart. Willy Russell wrote it - a Beatles musical at a time when the wounds of the break-up were still raw and the principals were very much alive. The show ran eight weeks in its home city before transferring to London's Lyric Theatre in August of that year. It would win the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and London Critics' awards for Best Musical of 1974, and it would also make two of the Beatles deeply unhappy. Who was Bert? Why did George Harrison walk out? And what did the show say about the break-up that Paul McCartney found so offensive he blocked an entire film version?

• 2. The Everyman to the Lyric

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  Liverpool's Everyman Theatre was the natural birthplace for a musical about the city's most famous sons. Director Alan Dossor led a creative team that included designer Graham Barkmerth, lighting by Mick Hughes, and sound by David Collison, with Rufus Collins serving as movement consultant. After its Liverpool run, the show crossed to the Lyric Theatre in London in August 1974 and settled in for a full year. That London run drew the attention of the Evening Standard Theatre Awards and the London Critics' awards, both of which named it Best Musical of 1974. The production then found its way to Ireland in 1977 and, more than a decade after its premiere, reached the United States in 1985.

• 3. Cast and the Fifth Beatle

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  The London cast placed Bernard Hill in the role of John Lennon and Trevor Eve as Paul McCartney. George Harrison was played by Phillip Joseph, Ringo Starr by Anthony Sher, and Robin Hooper took the part of Brian Epstein, identified in the programme as the first Beatles manager. The title's fifth name, Bert, was played by George Costigan - a narrator figure who frames the whole story from outside it. Supporting roles stretched to a porter who doubled as Hitler and a party guest, played by Nick Stringer, alongside three teddy boys and a character named Tiny Tina, played by Luan Peters. The three Titular roles were taken by Linda Beckett, Elizabeth Estensen, and Valerie Lilley, the last of whom also appeared as a TV reporter.

• 4. Barbara Dickson's Songs

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  Barbara Dickson performed the Beatles' music in the show as singer and pianist, and her presence shaped the production's sound more than any other single element. She delivered a set list that ranged from "I Should Have Known Better" and "Penny Lane" to "Here Comes the Sun" and "A Day in the Life". RSO Records released an original cast recording that captured her performances across two sides. Side one included "With a Little Help from My Friends", "Your Mother Should Know", and "Long and Winding Road". Side two closed with "A Day in the Life", framed by ensemble numbers and a solo called "I Will Be Your Love" credited to the character Leroy Lover, who was Bert. The album was produced by Ian Samwell. Musicians included Pete Zorn on Fender bass, Dave Mattacks on drums and percussion - credited courtesy of Island Records - and Kevin Peek on guitar. Additional vocals came from Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan, both credited courtesy of A&M Records.

• 5. Harrison Walks Out

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  George Harrison attended the London premiere and left before it was over. In an interview with Creem magazine, he said he saw the production with Derek Taylor and greatly disliked it. His displeasure had a direct practical consequence: he withdrew permission for his song "Here Comes the Sun" to appear in the show. The production replaced it with "Good Day Sunshine". It was a pointed rebuke from the song's author, and it meant the cast recording preserved a different track than the one Harrison had originally allowed.

• 6. McCartney's Objection

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  After excerpts from the show were broadcast on BBC television, Paul McCartney went public with his criticism. His central objection was that the musical portrayed him unfairly - biased in Lennon's favour, he argued, and particularly wrong on one specific point. The show's script suggested that McCartney, not Lennon, was responsible for breaking up the Beatles. McCartney disputed that account and saw the portrayal as a distortion aimed at him. His response was to block a proposed film version of the musical, ending what might have been a significantly wider audience for Russell's work.