Betty Blue Eyes
From Theatre Breaks
Theatre Producer Cameron Mackintosh revealed that Betty Blue Eyes will be his next musical. The new show, which is written by Mackintosh protégés George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Mary Poppins, Just So), is based on Alan Bennett’s screenplay A Private Function.
Betty Blue Eyes will star Sarah Lancashire and Reece Shearsmith.
Previews start at the Novello Theatre on 19th March 2011 and the show opens on 14th April. It is currently booking until 22nd October 2011.
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About Betty Blue Eyes
The original 1984 film starred Michael Palin and Maggie Smith and is set in a small Northern town shortly after the war, when rations were still biting hard. A group of local businessmen plan to hold a patriotic party to celebrate the impending royal wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip, and decide to illegally raise a pig for the occasion. But hen-pecked chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers (Michael Palin) and his wife Joyce (Maggie Smith) have other plans…
The musical is slated to begin rehearsals early next year, trying out at the West Yorkshire Playhouse before coming to the West End at Easter. The Novello Theatre has been earmarked, but no dates set as yet.
The show is based on Alan Bennett's film "A Private Function" and features a book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, with music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The musical is set in a Yorkshire village after the Second World War, where the locals hope to celebrate the wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in style by slaughtering an illegally raised pig. Chaos ensues when the pig is stolen and a food inspector arrives, determined to stop activities circumventing the food rationing. Lancashire and Shearsmith will play Joyce and Gilbert Chilvers, a married couple at the center of the mayhem.
Betty Blue Eyes is due to open at the Novello Theatre on 14th April (previews from March 19th)
Betty Blue Eyes Casting
Full casting has been announced for Betty Blue Eyes, a new musical produced by Cameron Mackintosh, based on the film "A Private Function," that begins performances on March 19th 2011 prior to an official opening on April 13th 2011 at the Novello Theatre.
Joining the previously announced Sarah Lancashire and Reece Shearsmith in principal roles are Adrian Scarborough, David Bamber, Jack Edwards, Ann Emery and Mark Meadows. The company also includes Rachel Archer, James Barron, Dan Burton, Holly Dale-Spencer, Neil Ditt, Victoria Hay, Kirsty Hoiles, Chris Howell, Howard Jones, Robert Kershaw, Rebecca Louis, Andy Mace, Claire Machin, Laura Medforth, Annalisa Rossi, Hollie Taylor and Gemma Wardle.
Sarah Lancashire and Reece Shearsmith will be playing the Smith/Palin parts when the show opens at the Novello Theatre in 2011 - dates and booking still be be announced.
Richard Eyre will direct, with choreography by Stephen Mear.
The cast is led by Reece Shearsmith playing the hen-pecked chiropodist Gilbert Chilvers and Sarah Lancashire as his wife. Ann Emery who played Billy’s gran in the musical Billy Elliott is playing Mother Dear with David Bamber (Swaby), Jack Edwards (Allardyce), Mark Meadows (Lockwood) and Adrian Scarborough (Wormold).
They will be joined by cast members Ian Conningham, Claire Machin, Kirsty Hoiles, Annalisa Rossi, Rachael Archer, Laura Medforth, Andy Mace, Gemma Wardle, James Barron, Dan Burton, Neil Ditt, Chris Howell, Hollie Taylor, Howard Jones, Holly Dale Spencer, Veronica Hay and Rebecca Louis.
Producer Cameron Mackintosh is bringing Betty Blue Eyesto the West End's Novello Theatre, beginning performances on March 19th 2011. Written by Alan Bennett, adapted by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, with a score by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.
The company also includes David Bamber as Swaby, Jack Edwards as Allardyce, Ann Emery as Mother Dear, Mark Meadows as Lockwood and Adrian Scarborough as Wormold, directed by Richard Eyre.
Betty Blue Eyes mini trailer
Opening Night - The music
Interesting Facts about Betty Blue Eyes
- Betty Blue Eyes is based on the British film A Private Function starring Michael Palin as Gilbert Chilvers and Maggie Smith as his wife Joyce.
- The musical uses a life-like but animatronic pig on stage, where the film used three real pigs. They were a little unpredictable: in one kitchen scene Dame Maggie Smith got hemmed in and she had to jump over the pig to safety!
- The play is set in 1947: it was still a time of food-rationing despite WWII being over. Families were only allowed 2oz (57gr) Bacon and Ham per person per fortnight. British food rationing did not end until 1954.
- George Stiles and Anthony Drewe composed the music for Betty Blue Eyes , they previously wrote the music and lyrics for Honk! Peter Pan, the Three Musketeers and Mary Poppins.
- Northern actress Sarah Lancashire plays Joyce Chilvers in the musical, she was in drama school when A Private Function came out and was so impressed she bought the screenplay.
