For most Liverpool natives, being asked to step into the shoes of a Beatle is like a dream come true.
Remarkably, it’s a privilege that’s now come Daniel Taylor’s way not once, but twice.
The 50-year-old actor and musician played John Lennon in the stage hit Through A Glass Onion a few years ago, and now he’s giving Fab Four fans a revealing and emotional insight into the life and music of George Harrison in his latest stage role.
Biopic tribute Something About George – The George Harrison Story starts a UK and Ireland tour in Merseyside this weekend and will be visiting 31 venues in all before the end of March.
The show proved an immediate hit when it debuted at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, with a host of sold-out performances elsewhere also being staged in 2023.
Looking ahead to visits to Arbroath, Inverness and Dundee next week, Daniel is understandably excited about the prospect of reprising the remarkable story of “the quiet Beatle” – while also getting the chance to sing some of George’s best-known songs.
“This is our biggest run to date,” the Scouser tells me.
George Harrison ‘lived quite a life’ after Beatles
“In a very short space of time this show seems to have snowballed. The producers have put something really special together and, most importantly, people want to hear about George Harrison.
“He’s never been forgotten as some people sometimes claim, but it’s true that most attention down the years has been focused on the two Beatles powerhouses in Lennon and McCartney.
“George was the so-called quiet one in the background, but he was always doing his thing, and he really did lead quite a life after leaving the band.
“There are so many different aspects, including being a part of the Travelling Wilburys in the 80s – they were like the first-ever official supergroup.
“Even the Concert For Bangladesh in 1971, which George did for his friend Ravi Shankar, who had asked him for some help. Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Leon Russell all turned up after George gave them a call.
“That was the blueprint for Live Aid and all these huge charity concerts that we see today. George was the first to put that kind of event in place.”
Daniel narrates George’s life story in the show, with musical backing from a band made up of “top-class session players” that previously earned acclaim soundtracking a theatre hit focused on Paul Simon.
He explores every phase of Harrison’s prolific career, which started in 1958 and ran with few gaps right up until his death from cancer in 2001 aged 58.
Harrison’s work has ‘uplifting aura’
“I played John Lennon years ago with Yoko Ono’s blessing and did a big world tour,” Daniel adds.
“That was fascinating, just trying to get into the complexities of Lennon’s mind, but this is a really lovely show. It’s where I get to talk about George as a songwriter myself.
“Preparing for this run I’ve never entered a rehearsal room where I’ve felt quite such an aura – I don’t know how to explain it. There’s just this feeling, this energy, that runs through George Harrison’s work and life, and it’s really quite uplifting.”
Too many ‘timeless’ songs to fit into show
Known for his previous starring roles in The Tommy Cooper Story and West End hit Blood Brothers, Daniel says the show has been boosted by more songs and stories that have been added to last year’s format.
Harrison’s biography also includes successful forays into the likes of publishing and film production, as well as his support for nuclear disarmament and environmental issues, and Something About George presents a rounded view of a sometimes misunderstood character.
Little wonder, then, that Daniel admits the wealth of timeless songs penned by the star makes it a difficult job knowing what to leave out.
“If you look at Something, for instance, it feels like it’s always been around and both Frank Sinatra and George Martin said it was one of the best love songs ever written,” he smiles.
“There’s so much music that we were not able to put in because we simply don’t have enough time to do it all. That’s probably a testament to George as a songwriter.”
Something About George is at Arbroath Webster Theatre on February 7 and Gardyne Theatre, Dundee, on February 9.
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