“Pre Fab!” is a documentary sharing the story of John Lennon rounding up his friends in 1950s Liverpool to create The Quarrymen, a band that would evolve a few years later into The Beatles.
Tickets to see the “Pre Fab!” preview screening at Tampa Theatre on Saturday, Aug. 26 are available now and start at $10.50.
The Quarrymen formed in 1956, and consisted mostly of Lennon’s school friends at the time, including Colin Hanton, drummer for the band, who serves as a narrator for the film.
Besides Hanton and Lennon, other members of the band were replaced with Paul McCartney and George Harrison, before a drunken argument between the band in 1959 caused Hanton to quit.
The Quarrymen became The Beatles in 1960 with Pete Best on the drums, before Ringo Starr replaced him two years later.
The film is based on a book of the same name written by Hanton, co-authored by Colin Hall—custodian of John Lennon’s childhood home.
The origin story documentary shares the rise of “Skiffle” music, an acoustic blend of folk, blues and jazz and its impact on post-World War II British youth. The film features interviews with surviving Quarrymen, family and friends, and Sir Paul McCartney himself.
“Having this opportunity to give Tampa a sneak peek of our film in a theater as beautiful as the Tampa Theatre is a great honor,” Orlando-based director Todd Thompson, who is also known for his award-winning Nichelle Nichols documentary ‘Woman in Motion’ on Paramount+, wrote in a press release. “This is the first time we are showing the actual finished film on the big screen, so it’s going to be a very special event for us.”
This article appears in Aug 3-9, 2023.