Theatre Review Shake It Up Baby Epstein Theatre Liverpool

This musical stage production differs from other productions about the life of The Beatles in that it concentrates on their life prior to world-wide fame, chronicling the struggles and challenges they experienced as teenagers whilst trying to establish themselves as a band in Liverpool and on tour in Scotland and Hamburg. Infamous Liverpool nightclubs and venues are cited such as The Blue Angel, Mona Best’s Casbah Club and Litherland Town Hall evoking memories of times gone by when Liverpool bands were in their heyday.

The stage set remains constant throughout; it is bleak with black walls, a smoky atmosphere and shaded lighting in order to depict the dingy cellars which transitioned into nightclubs in the 1960’s. Musical instruments on stands used throughout by the cast plus tables and chairs along with large spotlights adorn the stage. The energetic all-girl dance ensemble dance their socks off in tight jeans and knee-high boots in almost every scene, making it feel as though the audience are in a club watching the band perform, who at this point in their career are known as The Silver Beatles. Set and costume design by Alfie Heywood conjured up just the right amount of nostalgia with the band in their black leather jackets, tight black jeans and sporting teddy boy hairstyles, whilst the sound system was spot-on with the performers using Vox AC30 amps which the band originally used, making listening to them sound just like listening to the original recordings. The sound has been stripped back to the guitar-heavy rock versions which would have echoed through dimly-lit cellars and neon-lit nightclubs at the time making hearts thud with anticipation.

Written by Liverpool playwright, Ian Salmon with musical direction by George Francis and directed by Stephen Fletcher, this production treats the audience to an energetic, all singing, all dancing night out equivalent to being at a nightclub in the Swinging 60’s.  It is a delightful theatrical experience which no doubt transported the audience back to their youth and the times they enjoyed listening to all the Liverpool groups in the 1960’s when their popularity was at their height. The musical talents of the cast are to be applauded; the music is loud and raucous and immediately resonates, enlivening memories and stirring emotions. This production portrayed the rough-around-the edges Beatles - the suited and booted Brian Epstein version who bowed to the audience after each song, was yet to come.

Andrew Schofield, long established Liverpool performer acts as narrator in the guise of Allan Williams, the Beatles first manager, whose dogged determination to help make the band famous and who drove the van to take the young band to Hamburg in 1960 is portrayed with humour and emotion.  Hamburg is where the boys gained the important show business experience that led to their arrival on the world’s stage and the scene is set perfectly displaying all the challenges the band experienced from the squalid living conditions over the cinema they shared to the death of their bandmate, Stuart Sutcliffe. Schofield takes on the task of portraying Williams with both emotion and wit and interacts perfectly with the audience at times. He is a veteran at using audience participation to perfection and does so masterfully, much to the audiences approval and appreciation.

Of course the band, portrayed by Michael Hawkins (John Lennon), Guy Freeman (Paul McCartney), James Jackson (George Harrison) and Nick Sheedy, (Pete Best and Ringo Starr), are central to the production and each actor helped portray their friendship along with the challenges the band experienced accurately and skilfully. Grace Galloway portrayed Astrid Kirchherr perfectly as did Kieran Andrew cast as Stuart Sutcliffe as well as Brian Epstein whose mannerisms he captured faultlessly.

The audience lapped up the performance and as it concluded shouted for more. The cast provided what they wanted and the show ended with a medley of Beatles earlier hits which had the audience on its feet and dancing out of the door. 

This show is a must-see and not just for Beatles fans, about the four lads from Liverpool who shook the world. The show shook the Epstein Theatre and will continue to do so until 11^th October 2025.  Grab a ticket if you can - https://purchase.epsteintheatre.com/Events.

Reviewer – Anne Horne

On – 4/10/2025