Benidorm writer plans musical theatre debut

Published Tuesday 29 April 2008 at 16:55 by Matthew Hemley

Benidorm creator Derren Litten has teamed up with composer David Arnold and lyricist Don Black to create a new stage musical.

Full details of the show, which is in its early stages, are being kept under wraps, but it is understood that it will be a musical comedy based on an existing story.

Litten, who was also one of the lead writers on The Catherine Tate Show, is penning the show’s book.

The collaboration with Arnold and Black marks his first foray into musical theatre.

However, Black has worked with Arnold before, most recently on the themes to the James Bond films Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough. Arnold’s composer credits also include scores to the Bond films Casino Royale and Die Another Day and the theme music to Little Britain.

Black said he was “excited” to be working with Arnold again and claimed the composer’s varied catalogue of works and knowledge of different music styles made him someone who could come up with an original production for the West End.

“You can talk to David about Cole Porter or the Kaiser Chiefs, Irving Berlin or the Scissor Sisters. It is nice to work with young people and I am enjoying very much working with David again,” he said.

The lyricist also revealed he was working with composer Frank Wildhorn on a new musical based on the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Black admitted he often found it hard to get support from producers for his shows, despite being an established name in the industry.

He revealed he was looking to bring back his seventies musical Billy, which he wrote with John Barry and which originally starred Michael Crawford and Elaine Paige, but said producers today would not consider it without a star name in the lead role.

Black said he had since been looking into who could play the show’s lead and admitted Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead was one of the actors who had been considered.