The Story of Skiffle

A dramatised presentation of the greatest teenage craze to sweep this country is to be presented in the city where it all started, the city of music: Liverpool.

For three nights starting on the 28th of July, The Story of Skiffle: How It All Began is to be presented in the magnificent St George's Hall.

Written by journalist and storyteller, David Charters, the show will feature professional musicians and actors from the award-winning LoveHistory team.

Five locations in the Catacombs have been chosen for the action, a promenade performance which reveals how a teenager was swept up by the music after hearing Lonnie Donegan's Rock Island Line. With fellow school-leavers he joins a skiffle group called The Grasshoppers.

But times are changing even faster than our boy is growing up. Rock and Roll grows and grows in popularity and overshadows skiffle. Will he stick with his part-time, acoustic skiffle group or go electric and join his pals in a full-time beat group? Or will he follow his dad into a career at the bank?

Along the way, there will be lots of stories and songs telling of the music that shook the soul of the nation.

"I have always loved skiffle," said David. "I still do. Lonnie Donegan will always be a hero to me - as he was to Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Without skiffle,the great musical revolution of the 1960s might never have happened. Beyond Liverpool, skiffle inspired the Kinks, the Stones and the Who. It was that important to our popular culture. Writing about it and working in such a grand setting with the wonderful people in LoveHistory is an honour for me."

David was a columnist on the old Liverpool Daily Post for 25 years. He now writes a weekly column for the Wirral edition of the Liverpool Echo.

Judy McLean Creative Director of LoveHistory said: “We are so excited to be collaborating with David Charters on this unique event. It’ll be great fun and a great show!”