Interior, theatre dress circle

The BOYS come up the stairs into the Dress Circle proper. GRANDFATHER and

SHAKE are sitting there having a picnic of beer and sandwiches.

GEORGE: Come on - drag that was, wasn't it? Couldn't even get a jam

buttie, could you?

JOHN: No, I didn't get anything.

PAUL: (ironically, to Grandfather and Shake) Anything to spare?

GRANDFATHER: We've just finished, Pauly. George, write us your John Henry

on this picture.

[GEORGE: Sure.]

PAUL: [Ah well.] Eh, look (at that. Is that our set)!

He points, and from PAUL's P.O.V. we see on stage, the setting up of the

show, scenery and lights, cameras and sound equipment are being put into

position by a small army of studio staff. DANCERS and SINGERS are milling

about as well.

[PAUL: Let's go and muck in.]

[JOHN: Aye, before anyone stops us.]

JOHN: Well, should we go down and have a go?

They exit to rows of the Dress Circle and go through the entrance down

the narrow stairs to the stalls and on to the stage that is built and

extended right into the stalls which are partly covered up.

(PAUL: (as they are hidden from view) Come on lads, trees and

everything.)

(RINGO: There's a - there's a lot of fellers for one set.)

(PAUL: I love trees.)

(GEORGE: Look at the birds.)

(PAUL: Just passing through.)

SHAKE: Where are ye?

Interior, stage

Everyone is so busy that they hardly notice the BOYS, who wander about

and examine the studio equipment. A load of three drum sets are being

brought on stage [and a voice shouts out:]

[PAUL: Here... here. (to TECHNICIAN) How do you do?]

[RINGO: Morning.]

[PAUL: Hey Norm, have you got my guitar? We'll have a tune up.]

[VOICE: Here, what about these electric guitars?]

[SHAKE: Where are they?]

[VOICE: [back here, mate.] On the stage, down here.]

[SHAKE: (going towards the voice) coming.]

RINGO is busy setting up his drums, and MEN are setting up the other

sets. He drops a stick and the FLOOR MANAGER retrieves it and is about to

tap the drum. The FLOOR MANAGER is a languid young man.

RINGO: Leave them drums alone.

FLOOR MANAGER: Oh, surely one can have a tiny touch.

RINGO: If you so much as breathe heavy on them, I'm out on strike.

FLOOR MANAGER: Aren't you being rather arbitrary?

RINGO: That's right retreat behind a smoke screen of bourgeois cliches. I

don't go round messing about with your earphones, do I?

FLOOR MANAGER: Spoil sport!

RINGO: Well!

RINGO fusses like a mother hen clucking over his drums. The FLOOR MANAGER

Is furious.

GEORGE: He's very touchy about those drums. They loom large in his

legend.

[RINGO gives his drums a defiant crash JOHN and PAUL stop whatever they

are up to and hurry over.]

PAUL: What's up?

GEORGE: (pointing) He's sulking again.

JOHN: I'll show him.

Song: "If I Fell"

[He picks up a set of drum sticks and bashes back at RINGO, who does a

more complicated drum roll. GEORGE now joins in and to PAUL's

encouragement a drum duel starts completely naturally and improvised.

During this encounter the work proceeds around them and the guitars are

brought on and SHAKE sets them to working order. PAUL first, then JOHN

and GEORGE take up their own instruments and out of the drum duel emerges

one of their numbers.]

(JOHN picks up his guitar and begins playing. The intro of the song "If I

Fell" has no percussion and RINGO sulkily continues to adjust his kit,

but by the time the song is over he is smiling and playing.)

(JOHN: Pardon, excuse.)

(RINGO: Yes?)

(JOHN: I'd like more drums, there.)

(PAUL: I think it's on the third bit... )

(GEORGE: Yes, yes.)

(JOHN: On the third bit - there - more drums.)