PRESS RELEASE | BILL ELMS ASSOCIATES WEDNESDAY 9 MARCH 2016| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Annerin Productions and Flying Entertainment present
BIGGEST EVER ‘LET IT BE’ TOUR ENJOYING RAVE REVIEWS NEW UK TOUR TAKES TO THE ROAD FOR 7 MONTHS VISITING 27 VENUES ______Two months into its biggest ever UK tour, smash hit Beatles’ celebration show LET IT BE is enjoying rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
LET IT BE is currently Twisting and Shouting its way across the country, with new dates in Plymouth announced this week. The show comes to the Theatre Royal Plymouth from 25 to 30 July 2016.
The national UK tour started early January and, over the course of seven months through to the end of July, the show will play 27 theatres across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – entertaining theatregoers with a show spanning the iconic eras of the band’s illustrious career.
The mega tour is taking in Southend; Southampton; Bromley; Bath; Torquay; Truro; Sheffield; Manchester; Wimbledon; Dublin; Woking; Blackpool; York; Swansea; Edinburgh; Birmingham; Aylesbury; Darlington; Eastbourne; Canterbury; Bristol; Oxford; Dartford; Nottingham; Leeds; Brighton; and Plymouth.
LET IT BE has embarked on its biggest ever tour thanks to Annerin Productions and Flying Entertainment.
The Beatles are music history’s greatest ever worldwide phenomenon, which is celebrated in abundance by the LET IT BE. The show is packed with over 40 of The Beatles’ greatest hits including She Loves You, Yesterday, Hey Jude, Come Together, Help!, All You Need Is Love, Penny Lane and, of course, Let It Be. Travel back to the Swinging Sixties when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends!
LET IT BE audiences can look forward to a show lasting more than two hours bursting with timeless hits, showstopping sets, dazzling costumes and a brilliant performance which fans will never forget. The show also continues to attract theatregoers and fans of live music, alongside the most dedicated Beatles’ enthusiasts.
The show features the music of the world’s most successful rock ‘n’ roll band in a spectacular concert charting the band’s meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club; through the height of Beatlemania; to their later studio masterpieces. They were just four boys from Liverpool who went on to change the world.
The tour has already received rave reviews from the venues it has visited so far. Here’s what the critics have to say:
“THE FOUR ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS RECREATE AN UNMISTAKABLE SOUND” The Stage
“THE MUSIC SHOWED THE LIVERPOOL LADS AT THEIR FINEST. SHOWING BRITISH IS BEST” West End Wilma
“IT’S NOT THE REAL THING, BUT THEY ARE AS NEAR AS DAMN IT” Plymouth Herald
“IT’S THE CLOSEST YOU’LL GET TO SEEING THE BEATLES” Torquay Herald Express
“GREAT CELEBRATION OF SOME OF THE GREATEST MUSIC EVER WRITTEN” West Sussex County Times
A cast of talented musicians will take to stages across the country as the Fab Four, wowing audiences with their effortless and indistinguishable portrayal as John, Paul, George and Ringo. The performers have already toured the show to some of the biggest stages in the world including Broadway.
The cast are Paul Canning and Reuven Gershon (John Lennon); Emanuele Angeletti and Iain Hornal (Paul McCartney); John Brosnan and Paul Mannion (George Harrison); Luke Roberts and Stuart Wilkinson (Ringo Starr). The band will be joined on stage throughout the tour by Michael Bramwell on keyboards.
Producer Jeff Parry from Annerin Productions commented: “What a fantastic start to the biggest ever tour of LET IT BE, we’re delighted. The reviews have been absolutely glowing and we’re only eight weeks into a seven-month tour. We still have a long way to go and everyone involved in the show is extremely excited for what the coming months hold.
“The tour includes venues where The Beatles played at the absolute height of their fame – making it even more of a memorable show for those audience members who were lucky enough to have seen The Beatles play those theatres first time round. And of course, it will also be a special experience for the cast, who are following in the footsteps of four musical legends. “New audiences are thoroughly embracing the show and we’re seeing a lot of loyal LET IT BE fans return to enjoy this new version. They’re on their feet, singing and dancing along, and they love the fact that the cast encourage them to take photographs and record the moment. So we invite music and Beatles fans to come and join in the fun, buy your Ticket To Ride the ultimate Magical Mystery Tour and experience the concert that sadly never was.”
The show has already wowed London’s West End and New York’s Broadway audiences. It recently completed a five-week run in the birthplace of the biggest band in the world, Liverpool, where it enjoyed 5-star rave reviews and sell-out performances at Royal Court Theatre Liverpool. The Liverpool run coincided with what would have been John Lennon’s 75th Birthday, breaking box office records at Royal Court Theatre Liverpool as the venue’s fastest selling show.
Now seen by over 1 million people worldwide, LET IT BE continues to delight audiences across the globe, having recently performed to audiences in Germany, Japan, Moscow, and France.
LET IT BE has established itself as one of the West End’s most popular shows since originally opening at the Prince of Wales Theatre in September 2012, where it recouped its initial investment after just 18 weeks before transferring for a year-long run at the Savoy Theatre from January 2013 through to February 2014. Before moving to Royal Court Theatre Liverpool, the show completed an 8-month run at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End.
A report released last week has revealed that The Beatles’ legacy adds £81.9m to the Liverpool economy each year and creates 2,335 jobs. Collaboratively produced by Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Liverpool through the Institute of Cultural Capital, European Institute of Urban Affairs and the Institute of Popular Music, the report was commissioned by Liverpool City Council to evaluate the current and future economic impact of The Beatles.
Website: www.LetItBeLive.com Facebook: Let It Be UK Tour Twitter: @LetItBeUKTour
FULL TOUR LISTING
WIMBLEDON New Theatre 7 March – 12 March 2016 0844 871 7646 www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon
DUBLIN Board Gais Energy Theatre 14 March – 19 March 2016 00353 (1) 677 7999 www.boardgaisenergytheatre.ie WOKING New Victoria Theatre 21 March – 26 March 2016 0844 871 7645 www.atgtickets.com/woking
BLACKPOOL Grand Theatre 28 March – 2 April 2016 01253 290 190 www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk
YORK Grand Opera House 4 April – 9 April 2016 0844 871 3024 www.atgtickets.com/york
SWANSEA Grand Theatre 11 April – 16 April 2016 01792 475 715 www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseagrandtheatre
EDINBURGH Playhouse Theatre 18 April – 23 April 2016 0844 871 3014 www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh
BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome 25 April – 30 April 2016 0844 338 5000 www.birminghamhippodrome.com
AYLESBURY Waterside Theatre 2 May – 7 May 2016 0844 871 7607 www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury
DARLINGTON Civic Theatre 9 May – 14 May 2016 01325 486 555 www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk EASTBOURNE Congress Centre 1 June – 4 June 2016 01323 412 000 www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk
CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre 6 June – 11 June 2016 01227 787 787 www.marlowetheatre.com
BRISTOL Hippodrome 13 June – 18 June 2016 0844 871 3012 www.atgtickets.com/bristol
OXFORD New Theatre 20 June – 25 June 2016 0844 871 3020 www.atgtickets.com/oxford
DARTFORD Orchard Theatre 27 June – 2 July 2016 01322 220 000 www.orchardtheatre.com
NOTTINGHAM Royal Concert Hall 5 July – 9 July 2016 0115 989 5555 www.trch.co.uk
LEEDS Grand Theatre 11 July – 16 July 2016 0844 848 2700 www.leedsgrandtheatre.com
BRIGHTON Theatre Royal 18 July – 23 July 2016 0844 871 7650 www.atgtickets.com/brighton PLYMOUTH Theatre Royal 25 July – 30 July 2016 01752 267222 http://www.theatreroyal.com/
ENDS ______
For more information, images, interviews, review requests or competition tickets, please contact:
Bill Elms at Bill Elms Associates on 0151 245 0136 | [email protected] | www.billelms.com Erica Dillon at Bill Elms Associates on 0151 708 5158 | [email protected] | www.billelms.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
Producer Jeff Parry A syndicated interview is available with LET IT BE creator / producer Canadian Jeff Parry from Annerin Productions.
About The Beatles The Beatles are George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. They released their first single, Love Me Do, on 5th October 1962. They are the best-selling band in history, with estimated sales of over one billion units. The group received 7 Grammy awards, 15 Ivor Novello Awards and an Oscar. They have more multi-platinum albums, more number one singles and more number one albums than any other group. They are the only act to have simultaneously held the top five positions on the US Billboard chart. They are the only group to appear five times in the top 100 best-selling singles in the UK – no other group appears more than twice. Their song Yesterday is the most covered song in history. Their song I Want To Hold Your Hand is the fastest selling single of all time. The Beatles 1 is the fastest selling CD of all time. The group officially split in December 1970.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LET IT BE CAST
Paul Canning (John Lennon) Paul has toured LET IT BE all over the world, including the European Tour 2014; Japan Tour (2014 and 2015), Monaco and the five-week run in Liverpool (Autumn 2015). Paul, 37, is married with two children. Born in Wolverhampton, brought up in Brentwood, Essex, and is now based in Banbury, Oxfordshire. Favourite Beatles song: In My Life
Reuven Gershon (John Lennon) John Lennon has been a big part of Reuven’s life, having played the Beatles’ front man in various shows, bands, programmes and films since 2009. He has been with LET IT BE since 2012 and has tours the show all over the world including Japan, America and Canada. He is originally from Birmingham. A highlight was playing Imagine to the Liverpool audience on John Lennon’s 75 th Birthday on 9 October 2015. Favourite Beatles song: Impossible to answer!
Emanuele Angeletti (Paul McCartney) Known as Manny, he was part of the original cast to open LET IT BE in London’s West End in 2012. The 40-year-old is from Italy and is still based there between work commitments. He has played Paul McCartney in various productions for 15 years. Favourite Beatles song: The Long And Winding Road
Iain Hornal (Paul McCartney) Iain has previously appeared in LET IT BE when it toured Japan in 2013. The 35-year-old is originally from Reading, and is now based in London. Favourite Beatles song: Penny Lane
John Brosnan (George Harrison) John is part of the original cast who opened LET IT BE in the West End (2012) and on New York’s Broadway (2013), which he classes as real highlights. The Irish/Australian is especially looking forward to performing in Ireland. Favourite Beatles song: Across The Universe
Paul Mannion (George Harrison) Paul has been part of the LET IT BE cast for three years and has played both West End runs, as well as shows round Europe including Amsterdam, Germany and Vienna. A highlight was playing George in his home town of Liverpool during the Autumn of 2015. Favourite Beatles song: Here Comes The Sun
Luke Roberts (Ringo Starr) Luke is part of the original West End and Broadway cast. He was also part of the LET IT BE line-up who played to 70,000 people at the BBC Proms In The Park at Hyde Park in 2012. Originally from Birmingham, Luke then moved to Leamington Spa. He is now based in London. Favourite Beatles song: Come Together
Stuart Wilkinson (Ringo Starr) Stuart is new to the show. Originally from Surrey and now living in Hertfordshire, Stuart was brought up on Beatles music. He has played with some of the biggest names in music, including Paul Weller and Bon Jovi. He is the drummer, guitarist and mandolin player on the soundtrack for the most recent Shaun The Sheep movie. He also plays lead guitar in Ricky Gervais’ band Forgone Conclusion. Favourite Beatles song: The B side of Abbey Road. Or, In My Life.
Michael Bramwell (keyboards) Michael studied piano at the London College of Music and has performed, recorded and toured internationally as a pianist and keyboard player. He was Associate Musical Director for We Will Rock You in Germany, and also regularly performed in the London production. He has been part of the Let It Be cast since the show opened in 2012. Favourite Beatles song: Something