Review: SOMETHING ABOUT GEORGE, Floral Pavilion Theatre

Following its critically acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023 and performance at Liverpool’s Philharmonic Hall, as part of celebrations for what would have been George Harrison’s 80th birthday, Something About George opened its UK and Ireland tour at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion theatre on Saturday 3 February.

Moving, poignant and with timeless classics that will have you singing throughout the night, if I could give more than 5 stars to Something About George, I would. It is a must see.

Focusing on George Harrison’s life, following the break-up of The Beatles, narrator and West End star Daniel Taylor shares stories about the beloved songwriter and musician - from the creation of All Things Must Pass to his friendship with Ravi Shankar, relationships with Pattie Boyd and Olivia Harrison to the birth of his son Dhani Harrison and formation of supergroup The Travelling Wilburys, in a well-crafted narrative that is beautifully interwoven with George’s timeless music. This enables the show to flow at a good pace, keeping you engaged from start to finish.

Taylor shares the stories with passion and enthusiasm - often recreating the voices of people in George’s life, including the songwriter himself - in many moments that leave the audience in awe at these amazing stories.

Aside from the narration, Taylor and a phenomenal band of musicians including Joe Smithson (MD, guitar and vocals), Callum Macmillan (Percussion/drums), Tom Kinton (Bass guitar and vocals) and James Breckon (Keyboard and vocals), perform many of George’s songs including "Got My Mind Set On You", "My Sweet Lord", "All Those Years Ago" and "Wah Wah".

Their harmonies on songs including "End of the Line" are flawless - so much so that if you closed your eyes, you would think you were listening to the actual records themselves. It is a delight to hear Taylor, Smithson and Kinton share the vocals on "End of the Line" and "Handle with Care" too, similar to how the vocals on The Travelling Wilburys records were shared. It is one of my favourite musical segments in the show, and one that equally impressed the audience too, leading to huge rounds of applause and cheers for more.

Looking around the auditorium tonight, you could hear audiences of all ages singing along to every word and sharing their love of George’s music with one another. Each song in the show is also accompanied by Jamie Jenkins’ brilliant multi-media video design - from archive footage of Liverpool during All Those Years Ago, to a montage of photographs of George during While My Guitar Gently Weeps, which bring to life the stories that Taylor shares.

One of the most powerful and poignant moments is when Taylor begins singing "Here Comes The Sun", accompanied by footage of a sunrise. Singing softly, before raising the volume of his voice and being accompanied by the band, it was a moment that left me in tears and will stay with me for a long time. It is one of the most beautiful performances of "Here Comes The Sun" that I have heard.

There are no words to sum up Something About George except, go see it. Whether you are a fan of George Harrison’s music or only know a few songs - it is something you will want to see again and again.

Something About George is touring throughout the UK and Ireland until Friday 29 March 2024.

Photo credit: David Munn Photography

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