Six-part series will explore the band’s years in Hamburg, including the overlooked influence of Harold Phillips
In 1960, the Beatles arrived in the German port city of Hamburg. Inexperienced, keen and – in the case of George Harrison – underage, they were at the start of a two-year spell that would become a key part of Beatles lore, a time when the band honed their skills while entertaining rowdy sailors.
The Hamburg stint, during which the band played more than 250 gigs between 1960 and 1962, is the focus of a new BBC drama, Hamburg Days, which will tell the story of how the band were beaten into shape by performing near the notorious Reeperbahn.
Jamie Carragher, who wrote the script for the six-part series, told the Guardian it will include an often overlooked part of the story: the role of Lord Woodbine, the band’s early co-manager and mentor who will be played by the Sherwood actor Jorden Myrie.
“He’s represented as very much the friend and partner of Allan Williams,” says Carragher, referring to the first manager of the group. “Woodbine was older than the Beatles, but also played music himself. He knew about music.”
