Ravenhill to pen Barbican panto and reality show for Sound of Music

Published Tuesday 29 November 2005 at 13:40 by Alistair Smith

Shopping and Fucking author Mark Ravenhill is the surprise choice to write the Barbican’s first ever pantomime, as the centre searches for the successful seasonal family show that has so far eluded it.

The move will mark an unexpected departure both for Ravenhill - better known for his controversial dramas, having also penned Mother Clap’s Molly House - and the Barbican. In its 25-year history, it has never hosted a pantomime.

Management at the City of London venue hope that, together with its current show Herge’s Adventures of Tintin, Ravenhill’s new version of Dick Whittington will help draw in the large holiday crowds it has so far failed to secure.

Speaking to The Stage in October, managing director John Tusa admitted that during his tenure the Barbican had failed to programme sufficiently popular seasonal shows. He said: “We have not been successful at putting on family shows in the summer and Christmas, which bring in tens of thousands of people. Whatever that particular knack has been, it hasn’t been a huge success so far.”

Dick Whittington will be staged as part of the BITE:06 programme and will open on December 5 and run until January 20, with previews from November 29. The production is being described as “in a traditional vein but with distinctly modern overtones”.

Ravenhill, who in 1998 won the Evening Standard Award for Most Promising Playwright, commented: “I fell in love with panto when I was four and I’ve always wanted to write one. I can’t wait!”

• Andrew Lloyd Webber is in talks with the BBC to set up a Pop Idol-style show to discover a leading lady for his upcoming West End revival of The Sound of Music.

If the project goes ahead, the composer and theatre owner will appear in the programme, which will give thousands of hopefuls the opportunity to try out for the part of Maria, famously played by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film version.

The West End production is scheduled to take place in autumn 2006 in partnership with producer David Ian. Reports that it will be staged at the London Palladium have, however, been denied by Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.

A spokeswoman for the impresario told The Stage: “I can confirm Andrew is in the early stages of development talks with the BBC for an exciting new project next year.”