THE CAVERN CLUB STORY
THE CAVERN CLUB STORY is the sensational, sell-out live concert show celebrating the legendary Cavern Club — the Liverpool venue that changed music history forever.
With outstanding live musicians, extraordinary original images and a set list like no other, the show charts the rise of the Cavern Club from a Liverpool basement to the epicentre of a musical revolution.
Featuring the music of such artists as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Cilla Black, Petula Clark, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Adele, Travis, The Kinks, Status Quo, Rory Storm & The Hurricanes, and many more, you won't want to miss the story of the most famous music venue in the world - the club that shaped a generation from beneath the streets of Liverpool.
TICKETS
1̶7̶t̶h̶ ̶J̶a̶n̶u̶a̶r̶y̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
M̶a̶y̶f̶l̶o̶w̶e̶r̶ ̶M̶A̶S̶T̶,̶ ̶S̶o̶u̶t̶h̶a̶m̶p̶t̶o̶n̶
5̶t̶h̶ ̶F̶e̶b̶r̶u̶a̶r̶y̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
S̶w̶a̶n̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶a̶t̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶W̶o̶r̶c̶e̶s̶t̶e̶r̶
2̶0̶t̶h̶ ̶F̶e̶b̶r̶u̶a̶r̶y̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
E̶r̶i̶c̶ ̶M̶o̶r̶e̶c̶a̶m̶b̶e̶ ̶C̶e̶n̶t̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶H̶a̶r̶p̶e̶n̶d̶e̶n̶
9̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
T̶h̶e̶ ̶C̶a̶v̶e̶r̶n̶ ̶C̶l̶u̶b̶,̶ ̶L̶i̶v̶e̶r̶p̶o̶o̶l
1̶0̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6
T̶h̶e̶ ̶E̶p̶s̶t̶e̶i̶n̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶a̶t̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶L̶i̶v̶e̶r̶p̶o̶o̶l
1̶1̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
T̶h̶e̶ ̶E̶p̶s̶t̶e̶i̶n̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶a̶t̶r̶e̶,̶ ̶L̶i̶v̶e̶r̶p̶o̶o̶l
1̶2̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
T̶h̶e̶a̶t̶r̶e̶ ̶R̶o̶y̶a̶l̶,̶ ̶S̶t̶r̶a̶t̶f̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶E̶a̶s̶t
1̶3̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶r̶c̶h̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
T̶h̶e̶a̶t̶r̶e̶ ̶R̶o̶y̶a̶l̶,̶ ̶S̶t̶r̶a̶t̶f̶o̶r̶d̶ ̶E̶a̶s̶t̶
3̶r̶d̶ ̶A̶p̶r̶i̶l̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
T̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶H̶a̶l̶l̶,̶ ̶S̶u̶t̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶C̶o̶l̶d̶f̶i̶e̶l̶d̶
1̶6̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶y̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
O̶p̶e̶r̶a̶ ̶H̶o̶u̶s̶e̶,̶ ̶B̶u̶x̶t̶o̶n̶
2̶4̶t̶h̶ ̶M̶a̶y̶ ̶2̶0̶2̶6̶
C̶o̶w̶e̶s̶ ̶F̶r̶i̶n̶g̶e̶ ̶F̶e̶s̶t̶i̶v̶a̶l̶
12th July 2026
Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline
25th September 2026
Wyllott's Theatre, Potter's Bar
30th October 2026
Civic Centre, Barnsley
CAST
Joey has been a touring session guitar player and singer for over a decade, and is thrilled to be part of The Cavern Club Story.
Joey recently played Carl Perkins in 'Million Dollar Quartet', and spent the end of 2025 as guitarist on a 10 date European support tour, before playing the frontman ‘Johnny Whiskey ’ in the cabaret show ‘Humbug’ at the Waterloo Vaults theatre across a 6 week Christmas run.
Joey graduated in 2016 with a degree in music and has played hundreds of gigs across the UK, Europe and the US since.
Jenny trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. Theatre credits include: Alice in Wonderland (The Grange Theatre), A Matter of Life and Death (New Vic), Dear Santa (UK tour), The Gangs of New York, The Importance of Being Earnest (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre), The Wind in the Willows (Shakespeare North Playhouse), The Card (New Vic), Twopence to Cross the Mersey (UK tour), The Card (Claybody), Oliver Twist (Storyhouse), Pride & Prejudice, Merry Wives of Windsor, The Jungle Book (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre), Cilla - The Musical (UK tour), Julius Caesar (The Playground Theatre), The Little Match Girl (Mirth Marvel & Maud), The Decameron (Tara Theatre).
Josh trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts. He has spent the past decade working as both an actor and a musician. Theatre credits include ‘Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story’, ‘The Blonde Bombshells of 1943’, The Curse of Elizabeth Faulkner’, various Pantomimes and most recently ‘Humbug’ at the Waterloo Vaults. Josh is a company director of ‘Say It Again Sorry?’, the theatre company behind the comedy smash hit ‘…Earnest?’, in which he plays the role of the director ‘Simon Slough’. As a drummer, Josh is a founding member of the critically acclaimed rock n’ roll outfit ‘The Runaround Kids’ and has played for artists including guitar icon Albert Lee, and 70s pop legend Jay Osmond of The Osmonds, among others. Josh is thrilled to be part of the lineup bringing The Cavern Club Story to life on stage.
Laurent Judson is a London-based session musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Alongside writing and producing for artists and clients, he works full-time as a guitarist and vocalist, performing live and in the studio across a wide range of projects both in the UK and internationally. Classically trained before discovering the electric guitar through the music of Jimi Hendrix, Laurent received a full scholarship to study music in West London and has since established himself as a sought-after freelance performer. As an actor-musician, he has portrayed George Harrison in leading Beatles tribute bands and productions, including performances on NCL in a fully replicated Cavern Club experience, and continues to collaborate with artists across genres as a session guitarist and musical director.
Perry trained at Chichester Conservatoire. As an actor, Perry has appeared in many theatre shows including JUDY! in the West End and most recently playing Peter Quince and bass guitar in a production of A Midsummer Nights Dream at the Minack Theatre. He has also appeared as the drummer and ensemble in the film Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again. Perry is also a session musician. He plays bass for many artists, recording in the studio and gigging live for them.
CREATIVE
AJ
JENKS
A multi-instrumental actor and musician, AJ trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2017. In his career in theatre, AJ has played Buddy Holly in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, Elvis Presley in Million Dollar Quartet and Barry Gibb in Saturday Night Fever, as well as appearing in The Three Musketeers, Godiva Rocks and Count Arthur Strong. He has also worked extensively as a musician, including as a guitarist and bassist for The Mersey Boys, The Runaround Kids and The Bluejays and as a session singer and producer.
Producer
CHRIS WEEKS
Producer
Chris trained at the Oxford School Of Drama. As an actor, he originated the role of legendary Big Three bassist Johnny Gustafson in Cilla The Musical, before playing Buddy Holly in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and, most recently, Dean Martin in the 25th Anniversary Tour of The Rat Pack: Live From Las Vegas. As a recording artist, he recently featured on the soundtrack to the Academy Award Nominated Film La Memoria Infinita. Chris is currently the frontman for The Bluejays and their touring concert theatre show Rave On: The Rise Of Rock And Roll, and is also the Musical Director for Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.
JAMIE
KING-COX
Lighting Designer
Jamie's Lighting Design credits include: Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (2025/26 UK Tour), Legat A Moment in Time (Congress Theatre, Eastbourne 2025), Joseph and His Technicolour Dreamcoat (Eastbourne Devonshire Park Theatre 2024), The Ballad of Me and My Friends (Bath Fringe 2017), Bodysoc Main Show (Bath University 2017), Pippin (Bath University Student Musical Society 2017), Dick Whittington (Bath University Student Theatre 2016), Much Ado About Nothing (Bath University Student Theatre 2015). His professional touring credits include: Head of Lighting and Video for Bat Out Of Hell (2025 Tour), Deputy Head of Lighting and Video for Shrek: The Musical (2023/24 Tour) and Head of Lighting for Gangsta Granny (2021/22 Tour).
Ben Pryer is a singer-songwriter, musician, producer, videographer, photographer, voice artist and actor with a wide-ranging passion for the arts. His music career includes two Top 40 singles, BBC Introducing Track of the Week, and multiple UK tours performing original material as both a solo artist and session musician.
On stage, Ben has starred as Ritchie Valens in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, portrayed Phil Everly in The Everly Brothers Dream, and fronts the acclaimed 1950s trio The Lucky Dogs.
Alongside his performance career, Ben is an accomplished videographer and photographer, having created music videos and promotional campaigns for artists and businesses across the UK, including Reed, Uke Ellington and Denver Cuss.
PRESS
BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE
The Cavern Club Story sets out to chart the musical life of Liverpool’s most famous venue, tracing how a small basement club helped shape music that travelled far beyond the city. I came to it with a strong sense of familiarity. These are sounds rooted in my mum’s formative years, heard live in the club itself, and which I grew up with on long car journeys back to the North West to visit family. Skiffle, Merseybeat, close-harmony pop and early rhythm and blues were already part of the furniture long before I started thinking about them critically. A show built around the Cavern could very easily lean on that recognition.
What’s refreshing is that this one doesn’t. Rather than presenting the music as a string of crowd-pleasing numbers, the show gives itself a clear narrative shape. Songs are threaded together with spoken storytelling that places them in context, exploring how the Cavern emerged, how its sound developed and why it became such a crucial space for musicians finding their feet. The cast talk about skiffle giving way to early rhythm and blues, the rise of Merseybeat and the way bands learned their craft night after night in front of demanding, close-up audiences.
Names are introduced as part of that wider picture rather than as headline acts. Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, Gerry and the Pacemakers and, inevitably, The Beatles are all referenced, but always in relation to the ecosystem that produced them. That sense of identity is reinforced visually, with projected images of Liverpool and the Cavern’s famously signed brick walls behind the band, giving the evening a strong grounding without ever letting the backdrop do the heavy lifting. The performers subtly reconfigure onstage as the story moves through different periods, stepping forward or receding as styles and voices change, which helps the narrative flow without ever stopping the music. The spoken sections are delivered with a knowing, cheeky Scouse charm that keeps the tone warm and conversational while still trusting the audience to take in the detail. It’s more than a singalong. This is the Cavern telling its own story.
For a company this early in its life, the musicianship already feels confident and well drilled. The guitar work, in particular, stands out. Joey Bradick and Laurent Judson move comfortably between styles, from raw skiffle rhythms through early beat-group sounds and on into later material, keeping the playing clean, punchy and rhythmically alive. There’s a sense that this is music the performers understand, not simply reproduce.
Vocally, the show benefits from sharing the spotlight. Bradick, Judson, Jenny Murphy and Perry Meadowcroft all take turns on lead, which keeps things varied and avoids the trap of impersonation. It also reinforces the idea of a collective scene rather than a single star narrative. Behind them, Josh Haberfield provides a solid, dependable backbone on drums, sitting right where he needs to be and holding everything together with quiet assurance.
The Cilla Black numbers are among the evening’s most satisfying moments. Introduced with reference to her early days as a cloakroom attendant at the Cavern and her close friendship with the Beatles, they feel properly embedded in the club’s story rather than included purely for recognition. Murphy delivers these songs with warmth and clarity, capturing their directness and emotional pull without tipping into pastiche. The audience response suggests these moments land exactly as intended.
It’s a thoughtful piece of music theatre, rooted in memory, history and sound. For a show at this stage, there’s a reassuring sense of care in how everything is put together. The balance between storytelling and music feels considered, and the historical detail adds depth without ever becoming heavy-handed. This isn’t a nostalgic greatest-hits night. It asks for a bit of attention, offers something back in return, and leaves room for the music to speak for itself.
The tour continues next at the Eric Morecambe Centre in Harpenden on 20 February, before moving on to venues including Stratford East, Sutton Coldfield, Buxton, Greenwich, Barnsley and Camberley. March brings Liverpool dates at both the Cavern Club itself and the Epstein Theatre, which feels particularly apt for a production so closely tied to the city’s musical identity. With its easy humour, affection for its roots and clear understanding of its history, this is a show that seems well placed to connect with a home crowd.
CURTAIN CALL REVIEWS
At Theatre Royal Stratford East, The Cavern Club Story arrives with the promise of recreating the atmosphere and musical legacy of Liverpool’s most famous venue. The result is a lively and affectionate celebration of the club that helped launch generations of British music – most famously The Beatles and their Merseybeat compatriots.
For those unfamiliar with the history, the real The Cavern Club opened in 1957 and quickly became the epicentre of the UK music scene, hosting early performances from bands who would go on to dominate popular music. Over the decades it has welcomed everyone from Cilla Black to The Rolling Stones and even Adele!
This touring production traces that musical lineage through a series of songs and anecdotes that chart the club’s remarkable influence, and while the storytelling occasionally feels a little light, the quality of the songs and the strength of the performers make for a hugely enjoyable evening.
What immediately stands out is the calibre of the live music. Rather than relying on impersonations or tribute-style mimicry, the cast perform the songs with a freshness that respects the originals while still feeling vibrant and immediate. Guitar-led numbers capture the raw energy of early beat music, while the band shift effortlessly between skiffle, rhythm and blues and later pop styles. The musicianship is crisp and confident, with the guitars in particular delivering the jangling sound that defined the era. It’s clear that this is music the performers understand rather than simply reproduce.
The set list alone is enough to keep the audience smiling. From the exuberant charm of “I Want to Hold Your Hand” to the swagger of “You Really Got Me” and the soulful punch of “Satisfaction”, the evening moves at a pleasing pace through a catalogue of classics. These are songs that have seeped into the national bloodstream, and hearing them played live with such enthusiasm is genuinely uplifting. The show cleverly broadens its scope too, incorporating later hits such as “Someone Like You“, reminding us that the Cavern’s story extends far beyond the 1960s.
Vocally, the company share the spotlight generously, which keeps the show varied and avoids the trap of centring everything around a single performer. Each singer brings their own tone and personality to the material, and the ensemble spirit becomes one of the production’s greatest strengths. The numbers associated with Cilla Black are particularly effective, delivered with warmth and clarity that capture their emotional directness without sliding into parody. It’s a lovely reminder that the Cavern’s history wasn’t just about bands but about the wider musical community that grew around the venue.
Visually, the production uses projections and imagery of Liverpool to evoke the famous brick-lined basement without attempting a literal recreation. The approach works well: the focus remains firmly on the performers and the music rather than elaborate staging. If there is a slight drawback, it is that the narrative linking the songs can feel a touch episodic. The historical anecdotes are engaging but occasionally skim the surface of what is a rich and fascinating story.
Still, this is a show that knows exactly what audiences have come for. The crowd at Stratford East responded with obvious delight, clapping along and singing with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for a gig rather than a theatre performance.
Ultimately, The Cavern Club Story succeeds because it trusts the power of the music. With strong musicianship, charismatic performers and a soundtrack packed with iconic songs, it proves that sometimes a great band and a great catalogue are all you really need for a thoroughly entertaining night out.
PAUL BEESLEY, BBC MERSEYSIDE
70 years encapsulated with perfection. The Cavern is music and this was music at its best!
STORY
In 1957, a young man named Alan Sytner opened The Cavern Club - a humble, brick-arched cellar on Mathew Street, Liverpool.
Inspired by the Caveau de la Huchette in Paris and originally strictly a jazz and blues club, nobody could have known what it would become.
As jazz and blues gave way to skiffle, then as skiffle gave way to rock ’n’ roll, a new generation of musicians began to take the tiny stage — none more significant than a young band from Liverpool who would go on to become the most influential group in music history.
Between 1961 and 1963, The Beatles performed at the Cavern nearly 300 times. Alongside them were artists who would shape British pop: Cilla Black, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Liver Birds, Rory Storm, and many more. It was here that countless bands made their start. Here that they found their sound. And here that Liverpool became the beating heart of a cultural movement that would echo around the world for decades to come.
THE CAVERN CLUB STORY tells this extraordinary tale with warmth, humour, authenticity and outstanding musicianship, and brings the spirit of the legendary Cavern Club to a theatre near you.
