Exclusive Coverage: The Moondogs — Likeminded Productions

Magazine version

As promised, here’s the first exclusive feature from The Creative, our online magazine, showcasing The Moondogs, brilliantly covered by our talented writer, Grace Morrison. We’re thrilled for you to read this sneak peek ahead of the full issue, set to release on 20th September. So grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy this special preview by clicking the button above or below. We hope you enjoy the magazine’s format, and you can also find the full write-up below.

Be sure to follow our official Instagram, @thecreativemaguk, for all the latest updates.

The Moondogs are back, but is it just another Beatles play? Well I can say, with solid conviction, that this play about the Beatles before they were the Beatles, is most certainly not, but is, instead, a somewhat alternate reality of the famous collective, and exudes the biggest of what ifs.

It was in July 2022 that The Moondogs graced the stage of the Epstein Theatre in Liverpool for the first time, a monumental, yet accidental experience, I thought, to have used that particular theatre before it shut its doors for the last time in 2023, and must have been a somewhat strange feeling for this new band of creative people.

I was one of the fortunate audience members to have witnessed the first run of this play. I reviewed it with honesty and allowed myself to be totally immersed in a storyline that was completely unique, and different from your usual Beatles stories. Fast forward to July 2024, two years after the first run, and I met up with writer Ashley Ali and director Andrew Games to discuss all things Moondogs, (and some other interesting waffle that we may divulge at a later date).

Arriving at the Arts Bar, with my pink notebook in hand, I had a selection of questions I wanted to ask the pair, some for you, the reader, and some for myself. Naturally, for me, there were some curious questions about the play that I wanted to fish out. Both answered with ease as an interesting conversation began.

Playwright, Ashley Ali, came to the world of theatre after first becoming an author, writing his book, My Song, a five star rated compassionate look at grief and mental illness. He found it much more accessible, carving his own path into the industry. He reveals he was never a diehard fan of the Beatles, but grew up surrounded by their music as most Liverpudlians do. He was given a biography of the Beatles and said he saw a different side to the group, a fun loving, free-wheeling side that described their relationship as best mates, even brothers. He then developed an idea to write a play that avoided the norm, avoided the average, and embraced the questions that came to him about the four musicians.

Andrew Games is an award winning actor and filmmaker who has expertise in on-screen art, yet developed his roots in theatre. This will be his theatre debut as a director, but not his first rodeo with The Moondogs as he played Brian Epstein, the music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles until his death in 1967. He will continue in this role for the October 2024 run. Ashley saw the feature film Dandilicious (2024) which Andrew had written, directed, and even starred in and decided he’d like to work with him. The pair now have a solid relationship, both professionally and as friends.

A question that was just begging to be asked, especially by me, was why a revival?. Was there more to be done? There was a demand, and naturally, with demand, the creatives must supply. Ashley welcomed feedback after the first run in 2022 and wanted to develop the script based on this. Both writer and director came to unravel the feedback and refine the edges. The show was fun to watch and had left audience members singing, dancing and loving life, but left them wanting more of the ups and downs. They wanted a villain!

Feedback showed that the audience wanted a more developed Lucy Desmond (the biggest what if of the show). They wanted to understand and get to grips with her as she is the ultimate question mark in the play. They claim they have done so in this production and have spent time giving this character more depth. I will not give any spoilers into Lucy as this is one mystery you should solve yourself. Although the cast has somewhat remained the same, they have a few new characters and they have slotted into the storyline and improved the dynamics of the play well. They floored the audience last time but, as we know, audiences always want more, so the cast have been given more to play with.

Auditions were held for some roles and actors from Liverpool astounded the panel. I look forward to seeing this different delivery. Rehearsals will be intensive for two weeks and will allow for a polished run in October 2024. I wondered if it would be repetitive, diving back into a script that was already written, but with a rewrite, fresh additions and a more structured and longer time frame, this could not possibly be the case. Is it a musical? I really wanted to find this out. I suppose it’s up to interpretation as the actors do sing. However, the songs do not come as a form of heightened emotion or drive the plot along… more of a, ‘I’ve got a new idea for a song.’ This is more representative of the story being told.

West End, let’s go! To see this production progressing further would be an ideal for the creatives, and I don’t see why not. With the right staging to create an intimate atmosphere, reflective of the Beatles during this stage of their lives, this would soar. I think my hardest question for Ashley and Andrew was wanting to know their favourite Beatles song. A hard one as nobody wants to seem ‘generic’ or ‘basic’. Ashley revealed that Blackbird and In My Life are his top two. Andrew took a while longer, and after some coaxing, shared that he enjoys the upbeat era of the Beatles, and that Twist and Shout is a favourite.

Both Ashley and Andrew sang the praises of the Gladstone Theatre in Port Sunlight for their support and professionalism during the build-up to the show so I am keen to visit the theatre and see what it has to offer. I hope you will come along and give this play a watch too, as these wonderful, hardworking young people deserve our support. It will take place on the 4th and 5th October with matinee performances also. To wrap this up, The Moondogs is a play unlike any other. It is The Beatles, with a twist (and shout?).

Magazine Version

Tickets