The Rise of The Beatles

The Rise of The Beatles comes to the Mitchell Arts Centre in Hanley on Monday 23 November, a night that looks at the early years of the band. It's billed as a brand-new, immersive celebration of the group, and it's one of those shows that sits somewhere between a concert and a theatrical narrative, rather than just a setlist run from start to finish.

What sets it apart is how it handles the material. The producers have gone out of their way to move away from the standard tribute band format — the kind of thing you've probably seen a dozen times, where a band dresses up and plays the hits. Instead, they're framing it as a fresh perspective on the early years, bridging the gap between the past and the present rather than just recreating a specific moment in time. It's as much about the story as it is about the songs, so it's less of a 'greatest hits' package and more of a look at how it all started.

If you've spent your life with the records, it's a chance to hear those early songs in a different context. The focus is on the early years, so the set draws from the period when they were first finding their feet, before the later, more experimental stuff took over. The immersive side of things means you're not just watching a band on a stage; there's a narrative thread running through the music, so the songs are woven into a larger story about the band's rise.

It's at the Mitchell Arts Centre in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 4HG, on Monday 23 November, starting at 19:30. If you're in the city, it's an easy one to get to, and it's a good shout if you're after something a bit more than a straightforward tribute.