It seems the idea of adapting cult nineties movie Backbeat for the theatre is pretty much bullet-proof.

After all, here is a stage play that offers up the raw musical energy of the Beatles in 1960 when the teenagers discovered rock ’n’ roll, and a delicious biographical take on the lives of two members of the group.

In case you haven’t seen the film, it should be pointed out that this is not an opportunity to delve into the often fractious and less than harmonious relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Backbeat is the story of the fifth Beatle, Stuart Sutcliffe (the band’s original bassist), and the two most important people in his life: John Lennon and German photographer Astrid Kirchherr.

It’s a tale of how when the Beatles began to make their name known in the seedy clubs of Hamburg, and Lennon and McCartney were already intent on world domination, Stuart Sutcliffe had other dreams. He wanted to become an artist.

To complicate matters further he fell in love with stunning blonde Astrid.

Just to add to the frisson, Lennon also thought the German was a goddess.

And so the story – based on interviews conducted by the writer/director Iain Softley with Astrid Kirchherr and Klaus Voormann in the spring of 1988 – becomes about the pulls in Sutcliffe’s life.

“It’s about art versus rock ’n’ roll, love or friendship, Liverpool or Hamburg,” says Iain Softley.

“John wanted Stuart to stay with the band. He knew they were headed for great things. But Stuart had to follow his own dream.”

Turning the film into a stage play was a labour of love.

“I had the idea that it would make a great stage play back in the days of recording the film,” he recalls.

“We had musicians on set to play the Beatles music and I was blown away by the sheer energy.

“Now, the actors who play the Beatles on stage have all learned to play instruments. And I have to say the sound they get is fantastic.”

Of course, the play’s success is not dependent upon the power of the Beatles’ music.

“It’s a love story,” says the writer/director. “It’s a story about how young people find their way in life. It’s about relationships and choices.”

The play will attempt to capture the raw emotion of the film, with scenes set not only in the clubs, but also in Astrid’s studio, Hamburg train station and a lighthouse.

“We’ve got fantastic designers working on this,” says Softley. “It will look fantastic. But there’s another reason we believe the show will really work in a theatre. The dialogue has always been a strong point. The film worked because of the likes of the snappy conversations between John and Stuart, and John’s quick one-liners.”

Backbeat will have its world premiere at the Citz and is set to become one of the city’s theatre events of the year.

Whether or not you know the film, a play about one of the most iconic bands in history is bound to be a hot ticket.

• Backbeat, the Citizens’ Theatre, February 9 to March 6.