Beatles' Love Heads Trio of Classic Pop Musicals

Not to be outdone by the ABBA-inspired musical, Mamma Mia!, which is breaking box office records at the Prince Edward theatre, the Queen's Theatre is gearing up for its own pop musical, inspired by perhaps the best-loved band ever, the Beatles.

All You Need Is Love opens at the Queen's on 29 May 2001, following previews from 21 May. It is the first in a trio of new pop-driven musicals expected in the West End over the coming months.

Closer to Heaven, a nightclub-set show written by the 1980s pop band, The Pet Shop Boys, is due to open at the Arts Theatre in May. This autumn, meanwhile, should see a West End transfer for Peggy Sue Got Married, a stage adaptation of the 1986 Hollywood film, starring Kathleen Turner, about a woman who faints and travels back in time at her high school reunion. It features music by Bob Gaudio, a former member of the 1960s soul group, The Four Seasons.

In All You Need Is Love, a man and a woman, one-time lovers, set off on a magical mystery tour of yesterday. The portrait of the couple's love affair is set against classic Beatles' hits, which bring back youthful hopes and forgotten passions. With a little help from their friends, the couple recapture their treasured moments of a time when all they needed was love and their troubles seemed so far away.

The Greek tragedy Medea, directed by Deborah Warner and starring Fiona Shaw, finishes its run at the Queen's Theatre on 14 April 2001.

- by Terri Paddock

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