The following article appeared in New Musical Express on November 8, 1963, page 10
The Beatles made royal history for me on Monday at the Prince Of Whales Theatre, London-writes Andy Gray. Teenagers' idols stopped the show for the first time on any of these gala occasions!
The storming applause following The Beatles act-done without a scream!-was punctuated with cries of "More!" from a bejewelled and evening-suited adult audience. Right from the start, Princess Margaret had led the applause, and soon the Queen Mother and Lord Snowdon were joining in!
It proved conclusively that they could have heard much more from the Liverpool lads, who were looking more immaculate in new black suits with high V-necks, and tiny lapels, and in white shirts and black ribbon ties. With hair brushed to a glossy sheen, The Beatles were powering their vocal-intrument way into "From Me To You" as the curtains opened...with NOT A SCREAM!
But this eerie phenomenon didn't put them off. The warm applause that greeted their appearance made up for it, and they increased their efforts to please. By the end, the acclaim staggered-and delighted-them. They pressed on with "She Loves You" and ended with even greater applause.
Then came the first burst of "Scouse" humour. Paul McCartney announced he'd sing a number from "The Music Man", which had been covered "by our favorite American group-Sophie Tucker". This got a big laugh, but the listeners soon stilled as Paul, probably for the first time in public, sang with complete audience silence "Till There Was You", and most appealingly, too.
John Lennon announced the last number with cheeky assurance as he asked the audience to join in "Twist and Shout" by demanding: "You in the cheaper seats clap hands and the rest of you just rattle your jewellery"-to get a big laugh.
The Beatles then tore into the excitement-provoking "Twist and Shout", and by the end of it the entire audience-Royal Party included-was asking for more!
In such a strictly timed show there could be no encores, but compere Dick Henderson had to quicken the applause before the show could go on, quite a time after The Beatles had made their deep bows to the Royal box and audience.
As I've said, it is the first teen-idol act to stop Royal Variety, but in fairness, The Beatles put on a longer act than most who came before had been allowed.
Indeed presenter Bernard Delfont gave everyone time to do well-and everyone did!
As the Queen Mother said later: "It is one of the best shows I've ever seen." And she added: "The Beatles are most intriguing."
Mind you, Max Bygraves did a great warming-up job early in the show, getting everyone singing "Hands" with him.
Susan Maughan, the personification of youthful gaiety in a jaunty, red knee-length evening gown, sprinkled with diamantes, delighted with vivaciously sung "It Might As Well Be Spring" and "Bobby's Girl" to prove what an assumed artist she had become is just a year of pop fame.
Gramaphone records were in evidence during the Pinky And Perky disc-miming puppet act-inluding "Tequila," "Tea for Two Cha Cha" and "Speedy Gonzales."
At 11.50 pm the show ended, and as I left the theatre hundreds of Beatles fans were still waiting to catch a glimpse of their heroes-who after such a great Royal Performance had recruited more fans to their already vast army!
It's screams, screams, screams all the way for Britian's Beatles on their new nation-wide trek which began last weekend-reports Chris Hutchins. Less than a year after breaking through from obscurity to fame on an unprecedented scale the group is currently headlining what is probably the most sensational package ever to tour here.
I travelled to Sheffield to see the show last Sunday.
The Beatles opened with "I Saw Her Standing There" and "From Me To You" before Paul McCartney asked "Ow are yer?"-only to be deafened by the response that assured him all were well!
They continued with "All My Loving", "You've Really Got a Hold on Me", and "Roll Over Beethoven" before Ringo Starr's solo, "Boys".
Though he was deafened by the sound of his own name, Paul gave an excellent interpretation of the one-time Peggy Lee hit "Till There Was You" before The Beatles stormed into their current hit "She Lovees You".
Then there was "Money" before their now established show stopper "Twist and Shout" brought the audience to its feet and the show to a close.