What they don't want - Lennon in his hippie days

A spokeswoman for the project said auditions would be held in London and Liverpool in August and the successful candidate would not necessarily need any acting experience.

Humour

"We are looking for someone who can capture the essence of his humour and the essence of the man himself, but they don't have to be formally trained," she said.

"However, obviously if they don't already play the guitar they will have to be taught that."

The successful candidate will not be given much time to distinguish between his middle eights and his solos, though, with filming due to start on 11 September.

The movie, which will be shot in and around Liverpool, is being made by US production company NBC and will initially be shown on US television.

Carson said: "The film will be a dramatic portrait of an emerging artist as a young man, focusing on the human relationships and rock'n'roll influences that shaped his later life and music."

The London audition will be held from 1000 BST on Friday 4 August at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square. The Liverpool try-out takes place at the Elevator Music Studios in Cheapside on 9 August, starting at the same time.