Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool 10th to 23rd February 2023
by Sarah O'Hara, Showbiz Features Editor, The Daily Star
Bob Eaton and Mark McGann's Two Of Us explores the friendship and creative partnership between Paul McCartney and John Lennon in a new five star production
Liverpool's Royal Court have delivered two hours of non-stop musical magnificence in Two Of Us - a five star production that is without a doubt one of the year's must see shows.
Written by Bob Eaton and Mark McGann, Two Of Us is a stunning concert performance that explores the friendship and creative partnership between John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Featuring hits including Get Back, Please Please Me, Yesterday, Let It Be and many more, the show takes audiences on a journey from Lennon and McCartney's first meeting, to the heights of Beatlemania, working at Abbey Road and The Beatles' famous rooftop performance - all while exploring the stories behind some of their most famous songs and pivotal moments in both their friendship and careers.
The entire room did not stop singing throughout the night, with the finale leading to a standing ovation for the performers that was a truly incredible experience to be a part of, as the audience joined in with the anthemic Hey Jude.
Mark Newnham and Tom Connor both deliver jaw-dropping performances as Lennon and McCartney respectively, with each strum of the guitar, vocal note and glance to the audience perfected to the exact detail. The band - featuring Ben Gladwin, Greg Joy, Adam Keast and Mike Woodvine - were also outstanding, delivering energetic performances that together with Mark Newnham and Tom Connor, captivated you from start to finish.
Two Of Us also cleverly immersed the audience into each moment in time, with the sounds of screams in a stadium growing louder to emphasise the heights of Beatlemania that Lennon and McCartney, alongside George Harrison and Ringo Starr, experienced. The interruptions during some of the performances from voices over a tannoy were also interesting to watch, exploring how some of the songs we know and love from Lennon and McCartney sounded completely different at first to their final recorded versions - and how the songs eventually changed throughout the recording process to those we know today.
Christopher McCourt's set design and Jamie Jenkin's video design added superbly to the overall experience, with the action moving seemlessly from The Cavern to the recording studio and stadiums globally, to the rooftop and back to the studio.
Combined with stories about their friendship and musical partnership, Two Of Us is a must see for any fan of The Beatles - and one that I will still be talking about for many years to come.
FIVE STARS!
I hope it tours, maybe to London, Mark? Xxx
I would like to see this