Visitors to The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery & Museum are being invited to step into the limelight and recreate a rare Beatles image to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Fab Four’s visit to Dundee in 1964.
Winnie Forbes-Cochrane 1964 photographed The Beatles on a sofa backstage at the Caird Hall on October 20, 1964, in front of a captivating painting, Glenelg, by John MacLauchlan Milne.
Monifieth born Winnie Forbes-Cochrane, or ‘Flashbang Winnie’ as she became known, was one of the few photographers to stay for the performance and brave the pandemonium that ensued.
The painting and photograph are part of Dundee’s permanent collections and the team at The McManus has now put both on display with a sofa in front of it to encourage visitors to recreate the scene. Everyone can share their best shots on social media tagging @mcmanusdundee and using the hashtag #BeatlesAtMcManus.
First to get themselves snapped in front of the new display were stars from Perth Theatre’s new drama There’s A Place, which is inspired by the time The Beatles stayed in Perthshire and performed in Dundee just as the world was becoming gripped by Beatlemania
Written by Gabriel Quigley, directed by Sally Reid and designed by Kenny Miller, the show stars Tinashe Warikandwa, Leah Byrne, Rosie Graham, Yana Harris and Eléna Redmond.
Lili Bartholomew, Registrar at Leisure & Culture Dundee who manage The McManus said
“We are excited to mark the anniversary of this legendary gig and look forward to seeing our visitors taking a step into the spotlight and making this story their own. The objects in our care often have many lives, allowing us to tell many different stories. Maclauchlan Milne’s captivating oil painting is a beautiful example of his landscapes capturing the intense colour and light of the North-West. Yet, here it connects us to the iconic performers who passed through the Caird Hall, from the Fab Four to The Rolling Stones.”
Writer of There’s A Place, Gabriel Quigley said:
“There’s a Place is a tribute to the girls who loved The Beatles then, and now. Four determined, funny, intelligent and talented girls watch The Beatles staying on the shores of Loch Earn before their Dundee ’64 gig. They see the freedom and possibility The Beatles represent, and ask themselves the question - where’s the place for us? There’s a Place is a celebration of Perthshire and Dundee: friendship and fandom; and of course, The Fab Four.”
The McManus: Dundee’s Art Gallery is free to visit and open 7 days a week. Perth Theatre’s production of There’s A Place runs in Perth Theatre runs until Saturday 2 November. For tickets and info on There’s A Place visit perththeatreandconcerthall.com or call or visit the Perth Theatre Box Office (10:00 – 18:00 Tue – Sat, 01738 621031).