The Stage

The life and times of Bannatyne

Published Tuesday 7 September 2010 at 13:11

There have been plenty of very successful musicals which have sprung from unlikely source material - Les Miserables, Cats and Chess all spring to mind.

But none can have had such an odd concept as a show due to open in November at the Academy Theatre in Shepton Mallet.

Duncan Bannatyne: The Musical. Yes, the Dragons’ Den star is to have his life (his ‘rollercoaster’ life, if you’re to believe the press bumf) transformed into a two-hour show. Apparently, the show will “depict his affair, divorce and rise from ice cream seller to multi-millionaire entrepreneur”. It’s an un-authorised account based on Bannatyne’s autobiography - Anyone Can Do It.

The show’s creator Gordon McDougall explains: “I don’t know what Duncan will think of it as he’s quite unpredictable. I hope he thinks it’s a good idea. He’s been quite open about his life so I don’t see a need to hide anything. He’s a significant figure in the area, hopefully he’ll come to see it.”

Perhaps best not to go to him looking for investment, though.