Four Weeks Until An All-Star Cast Put Spotlight On Lennon's Missing Banjo

The four-week countdown is now on until audiences in Liverpool can experience a brand new stage comedy telling the fascinating story of John Lennon's missing childhood banjo.

An intriguing mix of fact and fiction, Lennon's Banjo is set in present day Liverpool and features an all-star cast.

It makes its world stage premiere at the city's Epstein Theatre on Tuesday 24 April, continuing through until Saturday 5 May. Tickets are already selling fast!

The Beatles original drummer Pete Best, will play himself in three special performances of the show's two-week run.

Pete joins an exciting all-start cast featuring a whole host of familiar faces - Eric Potts, Mark Moraghan, Jake Abraham, Lynn Francis, Danny O'Brien, Stephanie Dooley, Alan Stocks, and Roy Carruthers. Pete Best will appear as himself, with Alan Stocks portraying Pete Best in all other performances.

The quest is on to find the holy grail of pop memorabilia - the missing banjo on which John Lennon was first taught to play music by his mother Julia Lennon, who first introduced the youngster to rock and roll.

Mysteriously, the banjo went missing shortly after Julia's death. One thing is certain though, if it did resurface it is estimated to be worth in the region of five million pounds.

When Beatles tour guide Barry Seddon (Eric Potts) finds a letter written by John Lennon, he unearths a clue to solving the greatest mystery in pop history - the whereabouts of Lennon's first musical instrument which has been missing for 60 years. But Barry's loose tongue alerts Texan dealer Travis Lawson (Danny O'Brien) to the priceless relic.

In an attempt to get his hands on the letter and the clues, he persuades his wife Cheryl (Stephanie Dooley) to befriend the hapless tour guide and win his affections. The race to find Lennon's Banjo is on!

Co-producer Bill Elms said: "Rob Fennah has created a wonderful comedy play which has a big heart, some great characters and all based around this factual and fascinating storyline. It's so true to life that the audience will leave the theatre secretly wanting to solve the mystery for themselves. It's The Beatles meet the Da Vinci Code, an hilarious treasure hunt romp through Beatledom."

Julia Baird is John Lennon's half sister - and vividly remembers watching their mother teach John how to play. Julia fully supports the new play.

Julia takes up the story: "The banjo was my grandfather's and he brought it back from sea, possibly from America, and he could play it really well. He taught my mother how to play it, and then my mother taught John how to play it - she was extremely artistically talented. John inherited it, definitely. The banjo was the first stringed instrument John played."

Lennon's Banjo is based on the 2012 novel Julia's Banjo written by Rob Fennah and Helen A Jones. The play is produced by Rob Fennah and Pulse Records Ltd in association with Bill Elms and directed by Mark Heller.

The race to find the holy grail of pop memorabilia is on!

The Salvation Army's Strawberry Field project is the official charity partner of Lennon's Banjo.

Lennon's Banjo's are delighted to be working with its Fab Four Production Partners who are The Cavern Club Liverpool, The Beatles Story, Hard Days Night Hotel, and The Beatles Shop.

Watch the promo video here https://youtu.be/ddpVnRStAmo

For more info visit www.lennonsbanjo.com

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