18th June 2023 – Bloomsbury Theatre, London.

As I sat in my seat prior to the start of the show I looked at the sparse stage set with chairs for Mark Lewisohn and the afternoon guest Harry Hill. The stage also had a couple of small tables one with water and on the other sat a MacBook belonging to Lewisohn. My mind began to wander and speculate what could be discovered if I could spend some quality time with its contents. Surely, it would hold a mass of research material that would be presented as evidence in the continuing revelations for the second and third instalments of “All These Years” and maybe even the draft manuscript itself. I was considering a plan to relieve the table of this treasure trove when my thoughts were disturbed by Mark taking the stage …

As it transpired Mark would reveal some of the contents / treasures from his 1963 files and would be joined on the journey through the events of this year with entertaining contributions by Harry Hill. Hill a British comedian who has been a Beatles fan since being a young boy, and his wry observations and interjections certainly added a more humorous element than experienced during Evolver 62, but also diluted the amount of fact and story content. It is certainly a difficult balance to strike between providing an entertaining / fun presentation and a more dry but fact laden show that the audience would enjoy. On reflection my personal preference would be for the latter as it the stories and revelations that, for many, are the draw. I also appreciate, however, the time taken to prepare for Evolver 62 would be far longer to write and rehearse than Evolver 63. The shorter preparation time will hopefully result in Lewisohn having more time available for his main writing objective.

Other shows in the series have featured quite an eclectic mix of guests that I’m sure have brought their own dynamic to the telling of the Beatles 1963. They include Samira Ahmed, Johnny Marr, Kevin Eldon and Stuart Maconie [appearing at the Lowry in Salford].

Mark’s format for Evolver 63 was to delve into his archive and present items from his archive that would illuminate a specific Beatles related event. There were some fabulous examples of archive material and document based memorabilia that supported the 1963 narrative including the Ed Sullivan Show contract, some very special photographic montages, fan letters and film clips. This included the amazing story of Melanie Coe both the recipient of a prize from Paul McCartney for lip-synching in a Ready, Steady, Go! competition and also the subject of She’s Leaving Home. It is not surprising that these stories so often cemented the view that the Beatles collectively had a unique sense of natural affability and humour that separated them from their contemporaries. My particular favourite revelation was the demo version of “Misery” [originally written for Helen Shapiro] recorded at the cavern and supported by some great photographs.

While the Evolver shows are a means to an end financially for Lewisohn to fund the continuing epic that will be “All These Years”, it is proving to be a very special addition to the Beatle calendar. I look forward to Evolver 64.

By Gwyn Jenkins.