Unique sketches by Sir Paul McCartney to go on display for the first time
Unique sketches by Sir Paul McCartney are going on display for the first time ever.
The Liverpool singer created the designs for the backdrop of a show featuring the Four Tops being put on by Beatles Manager, Brian Epstein, at the Saville Theatre on 1996.
The theatre originally opened in 1931 and is currently a cinema complex.
Brian Epstein, who had been a drama student, leased the Theatre in 1965 and began to promote plays and rock concerts.
The Sunday night concerts became notorious notably when Chuck Berry appeared and the audience invaded the stage resulting in the police being called.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Procol Harum and the Bee Gees were among the many bands that Epstein, aided by Beatles film producer Tony Bramwell, booked to appear there.
The famous Beatles Hello Goodbye promo was filmed at the Theatre and Yoko Ono performed some of her most controversial material there.
In 1966 Paul McCartney was invited by Epstein to design the stage backdrop for the upcoming appearance by Tamla Motown artists the Four Tops.
This was to be their only UK appearance in 1966 following the success of their number one single “Reach Out I’ll Be There”.
Paul proceeded to draw 12 intriguing designs that would cater for a variety of entertainers.
Design number 8 was used by the Four Tops for their performance in November of 1966.
The designs were given by Epstein to Director of Productions for NEMS enterprises, John Lyndon, and were hung on his office wall.
Paul McCartney’s interest in the Theatre continues to this day with his work as founder of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.
These personally annotated designs by Paul McCartney will go on display to the world for the first time from Thursday 27 April between 9.00am and 10.00am before an invited audience at the Liverpool Beatles Museum in Mathew Street.
Thanks to an anonymous benefactor the designs will remain on display at the museum for the foreseeable future.