Page 708 - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Coverage Book 2023-24

Since the creators chose not to make revisions, it was left to stage director
Caroline Clegg to smooth over those dramatic shortcomings.

Unfortunately, she hasn’t managed that. As a result, this production of
“Liverpool Oratorio” is visually striking, but dramatically static. It just
needs more life on the stage.

Will that happen? Could McCartney be coaxed to return to this work more
than 30 years after composing it to revise and reshape it? Hard to say. I
wouldn’t bet on it. But this story has good dramatic bones. It would be
fascinating to see what an older and more mature McCartney would do to
turn it into a more effective theatrical experience.