Joining Abba’s Mamma Mia!, Queen’s We Will Rock You and Madness’ Our House, will soon be Tonight’s The Night, fashioned around the Rod’s greatest hits. The show will receive its world premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre on 6 November, following previews from 15 October.
Full details of the show are still unannounced though, like the other band-inspired musicals mentioned, it will not be based on the life of Stewart. The original book – apparently loosely based on the legend of Faust, who sold his soul to the devil – is scripted by the ever busy comedian-turned novelist-turned playwright-turned musical writer Ben Elton, who also wrote the book for We Will Rock You as well as for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2000 musical The Beautiful Game.
Currently at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Grease is scheduled to finish at the end of its current booking period on 6 September 2003. Following previous West End runs and a year-long, UK-wide tour, the nostalgic 1950s musical opened at the Victoria Palace in September 2002. It stars Ben Richards and Joanne Farrell as high school sweethearts Danny and Sandy, immortalised by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the 1979 film.