By Imogene Taveau Year 12, When I walked through the doors of the Théâtre du Léman the other night in my 60s gear I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I love the Beatles, and I must admit I was a little nervous at how four amateurs from Italy could tackle the heroes of the 60s who had made such a large impact on the music industry that they were still being
celebrated today. As soon as the first song began with a wonderful strum of the guitar, these doubts and concerns flew out the window as “All My Loving” was played on the stage in front of me. The Beatbox has studied The Beatles in such depth that every little mimic, every little wiggle of the foot and shake of the head, was exactly those of the member of The Beatles that they were portraying. It felt like The Beatles had been reincarnated, like my seemingly impossible wish of seeing them live had finally come true.
The first act was done in the style of the Beatlemania and touring years (1963-66), the clean-cut, sharp black suits blending in with the dark stage, rigid and yet somehow relaxed in their presentation as they whipped out classic after classic. A particularly memorable moment was during the number “Twist and Shout”, wherein people left their seats in scores to dance by the stage, on the stairs, at the back of the hall. This was a beautiful moment as all ages stood and danced in every crevice of the room, with no pressures or mockeries, just pure, good music.
There was a similar moment to this in the second half of the show which was done in the style of the studio years (1966-70), the emphasis being on the Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album as they decked out in bright pinks and blues and the addition of some impressive hippie facial hair, their posture more relaxed and free than before. As the lights darkened and “John Lennon” took his place at the piano, the whole room went completely silent in anticipation. His fingers skilfully sliding across the ivories he began to sing “Imagine”. Phone lights and cigarette lighters lit up all over the room, swaying in twinkling unison as all the different types of people in the room sang along to the powerful words of peace.
To top off an already magical night, the show ended with “Paul McCartney” on the piano for a final rendition of “Hey Jude”. Every single member of the audience got up out of their seats, singing along at the top of their lungs, grasping on to those last few minutes of musical magnificence.
