Diana: The Musical is coming to London👑

Royalty is coming to the Eventim Apollo

Author: Emily BurrettPublished 14th Jun 2023
Last updated 14th Jun 2023

Lambert Jackson and Cuffe & Taylor have announced a new concert version of Diana: The musical, coming to the Eventim Apollo on 4th of December 2023.

Following its Netflix recording, this will be the first time the UK has seen this cult Broadway musical live on stage.

This new concert version of Diana: The Musical, hands the microphone to Diana as she reflects on her past.

In a theatrical twist, this is a tale in two parts, narrated by Diana princess of Wales (Kerry Ellis) as she looks back on herself as the 19-year-old Diana Spencer (Maiya Quansah-Breed) that captured the nation. Denise Welch guest-stars as The Queen.

Featuring brilliant, 80s-inspired mega-hit show-tunes, this show promises to be a fabulous night out. It is 1996. Diana has divorced the heir to the throne. She is free.

On this stage she is in control of her narrative and her story is brought to life with humour and satire and in turn reveals a woman who, having just signed her divorce papers, sees a future filled with opportunity.

Diana: The musical has music by Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan and book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro, the team behind the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Memphis’. DiPietro also wrote the book for the Tom Jones musical ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ and the book and lyrics for the long running off-Broadway musical ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’.

Director Owen Horsley is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Associate Director of Cheek By Jowl. His most recent productions include ‘Linck & Mulhahn’ at Hampstead Theatre and ‘Henry V1’ Parts 2 and 3 and ‘War of the Roses’ at the RSC.

The musical supervisor is Adam Hoskins (The Secret Garden, Once in Concert, Annie Get Your Gun).

To buy your tickets you can visit the Eventim Apollo website.

Have a look at more musicals based on historical events:

Treason The Musical

Treason the musical drama is based on the events of the 1605 Gunpowder plot. Following the events leading up to it and the ultimate failure of the plot. The musical boasts a folk and pop medley and explores themes of love, secrecy, and the revolution. With an online concert in 2021 and two sold out concerts and an album featuring Lucie Jones and Carrie Hope Fletcher the production is now embarking on its world premiere in later 2023.

Hamilton

This musical takes place in 1780's onward and tells us the story of one of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton as he helps shape the United States of America. It opened on Broadway August 6th 2015 and has been breaking records ever since, being nominated for 16 Tony's and winning 11 as well as a Pulitzer prize and 7 Olivier awards too! A filmed version of the production was released on Disney + in 2020.

Six

A pop hit; this musical follows the lives of Henry the VIII's six wives. They each take centre stage to show who they truly are after living under their infamous husband's shadow. This all-female cast and band was a hit, first premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017. Six is now a Tony-winning musical entertaining audiences in the West-End, on Broadway and beyond.

Allegiance

A true story based on George Takei's life. Taking place in America 1941-2001, Allegiance explores a family's journey during World War II and their experience in the Japanese internment camps. The family struggles with their opposing views of America when anti-Japanese sentiments sweep across the country after Pearl Harbour. The musical run on Broadway from October 2015 to February 2016 and came to London in January 2023.

Diana, The Musical

Based on the life of Princess Diana, at 19 she was engaged and introduced to the Royal Family and thrusted into the spotlight at a young age. Directed by Christopher Ashley and written by Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, the production opened on Broadway November 2021 but closed just over a month later, however it is still available to watch on Netflix.

Evita

The iconic and hard to believe story of Eva Perón was immortalised in the musical Evita. Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Evita follows the life of Argentine political figure Eva Perón the wife of Juan Perón. Showing early life in which, she was raised in a poor family to her rise to power and ultimately her death in 1952. The musical started as a concept album in 1976 before opening in the West End in 1978 wining an Olivier Award for best musical, subsequently opening on Broadway a year later in 1979.

Newsies

Starting as a film Newsies is based on the Newsboys strike of 1899 which took place in New York. The protagonist Jack Kelly and his group of work friends take on different publishers fighting for equality and justice. The film was released 1992 with the Broadway adaptation premiering in 2012 and its London debut in 2022.

Come From Away

Although the events in the musical are fictionalised Come From Away inspired by the events that took place during the attacks of 9/11 when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the town of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada and how the town rallied together to help the stranded travellers. The hit musical opened on Broadway in 2017 and then opened in the West End in 2019 where it picked up four Olivier Awards. The Broadway production was filmed and can be streamed on Apple TV+.

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