Beatles Songs to Feature in Stage Musical Adaptation of 'Yesterday'

Producer Emma Freud has confirmed that The Beatles have granted permission for their songs to be used in a stage musical adaptation of the 2019 film "Yesterday." This marks the first time the iconic band's music will be legally performed in a West End musical.

Freud, who is working on the production with her husband, screenwriter Richard Curtis, described the agreement as "a huge deal." She stated, "They've never done that with a West End musical before. So it's the first time that you can kind of legally see The Beatles' music on stage, which is amazing."

Freud made these remarks to BBC Radio Suffolk following her reception of an honorary doctorate for her contributions to film and broadcasting at the University of Suffolk. She also revealed that a theatre has been selected for the production, though she declined to name it, humorously stating she would be "killed" if she did.

The stage musical will be directed by Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, who also directed the film. Currently, the project is in its workshop stages, with the team having conducted two workshops and preparing for a third. Actors are being brought in to scrutinize the script, songs, and staging. Freud noted that the script is on its 11th draft, emphasizing that the process involves adapting the movie's narrative for the theatrical medium, making "every beat of it ... different, becomes theatrical rather than filmic."

"Yesterday," the film, tells the story of a struggling musician who finds himself in an alternate reality where The Beatles never existed. He achieves fame by performing the band's songs and claiming them as his own. The film starred Himesh Patel and Lily James, with a cameo by Ed Sheeran. It was filmed across Suffolk, Essex, and Norfolk, notably featuring a large crowd scene with 6,000 extras in Gorleston-on-Sea.

Freud, who received her honorary doctorate in Ipswich, expressed her deep connection to the county, calling the honor "so massive" as Suffolk is her home and where her family has resided for generations. Her family settled in the region in the 1930s as Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.

Beyond her film work, Freud has been involved in efforts to combat poverty and inequality, including her role as a creative director and executive producer at Comic Relief.