Backbeat - Beatles musical at Duke of York's from 24 Sep

Backbeat, a musical stage adaptation of Iain Softley's 1994 film, which charts the early rise of The Beatles, opens at the Duke of York's Theatre on 10 Oct 2011, following previews from 24 Sep 2011 - booking to 24 March 2012.

The stage adaptation is co-written by Iain Softley and Stephen Jeffreys, with direction by David Leveaux and musical direction by Paul Stacey. It will be produced on the West End by Karl Sydow.

Backbeat tells the early story of The Beatles, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe embarked on their journey from the famous docks of Liverpool to search for success in the seedy red light district of Hamburg.

The musical concentrates on the relationship between The Beatles original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, the striking German photographer Astrid Kirchherr with whom he fell in love, and his best friend John Lennon. The Beatle's songs- 'Twist & Shout', 'Rock & Roll Music', 'Long Tall Sally' 'Please Mr Postman' and 'Money,' will be performed live on stage.

Producer Karl Sydow said, "Backbeat at the Duke Of York Theatre will allow people the experience of being at the birth of the Beatles. It tells a story that many music fans may not know, set to a musical backdrop that absolutely defined the early 60s. Next year will mark 50 years since the Beatles released their first single, and I am proud to be bringing their early days to life in the West End."

The cast and creative team is still to be announced.

Backbeat had its world premiere at Glasgow's Citizen's Theatre in 2010.