Review: All Things Must Pass – A Play About The Beatles

Lane Cove Theatre Company for Lane Cove Festival @ Sydney Fringe

Pottery Lane Performance Space, Lane Cove

September 10-13th

Reviewed by Jammin’ Saturday

In the wake of John Lennon’s death, Ringo, George and Paul grapple with the loss of the man who changed their lives and the world.

‘He’s gone.’

George sits, silent in his disbelief. Ringo enters to offer consolation or kinship – but George is muted by grief. All Things Must Pass: A Play About The Beatles is a deep delve into the relationships between the Fab Four through love and loss across decades.

It unfolds in a series of vignettes. One minute the boys in the band are joking, teasing, reminiscing with each other like teenagers then lurch into the complexities of global fame, ambitious managers and divisive legal suits.

Written by David Potter, directed by Luke Derrick and performed in the intimate Pottery Lane Performance Space, the play set stays simple and effective with black and white graphic scene projections. Maintaining a Liverpudlian accent is trickier for some of the cast, who genuinely present the personality traits of their characters with warmth and likeableness. We come to understand George, (Matt Clayton) “the quiet Beatle” a little better and follow his search for meaning through mantra and family connections while Paul (Rachel Bendeich) is portrayed as too concerned with his own musical trajectory.

John (Clayton Moss) appears and disappears as almost a benevolent mentor when the play switches between time periods, confusing the media with his sharp witticisms and exchanging lighthearted banter with easy going Ringo (Blake Nicholas). The Fifth Beatle, Brian Epstein (Nat Jensen) injects comedic relief, rushing in dangerously entwined in telephone cord, to remind the band of their quest and drawn back to the sounds of screaming fans outside the hotel. Ensemble actors (Sara Vencalkova & Anastasia Vokmyakova) utilise vocal and physical performance skills in morphing from camera operator to obsessive fan to sharp interviewer.

‘Love is all you need.’

Director Luke Derrick’s program notes state, “how do you remember someone when the memories are tainted with the extreme highs and lows experienced by those few famous enough to have their names known worldwide?” All Things Must Pass certainly raises questions on the personal price of stardom and suggests the bonds of love and true friendship are never really broken, even through unimaginable grief. It moves along at pace with perhaps a few momentary lulls, interspersed with the unforgettable soundtrack of Beatles hits.

Lane Cove Festival @ Sydney Fringe is a month-long celebration of arts, culture, and community, marking the ongoing partnership between Lane Cove Council and Sydney Fringe. Running throughout September, the festival transforms Lane Cove into a buzzing hub of creativity with a jam-packed lineup of events and activities for all ages. It all kicks off at the crown jewel of the village, The Canopy Stage, with an evening of performances, local talent, and street activations.