December 2012 marked the tenth anniversary of the Queen musical we Will Rock You since its premiere in London at the Dominion Theatre.
Now in 2013 following the triumphant 2010 and 2011 UK theatre tours, the hit Queen musical We Will Rock You embarks on its first ever world arena tour.
With 24 of Queen’s greatest hits delivered in a show that boasts the scale and spectacle that marked the band’s legendary live performances, the world tour will see the show visit arenas in a whole host of countries in 2013. These include Ireland, Finland, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Turkey and Bulgaria, as well as the UK itself. Further dates in Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia are being scheduled.
The show will be heading to the Nottingham Capital FM Arena in March 2013 before rocking around Europe and returning to the UK in May and June for dates at the Sheffield Motor Point Arena, the Leeds Arena and the Newcastle Metro Arena.
The London production of the show is the longest running musical ever staged at the West End’s Dominion Theatre. The show has thrilled over seven million people in the UK, and close on 15 million people in 17 countries worldwide.
The production is directed by Ben Elton, with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors. Arlene Phillips oversees the musical staging and choreography.
Writer Ben Elton has fashioned a hilarious futuristic comedy. “This show is all about legend,” says Ben Elton. “We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the mighty corporations who want to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?”
Brian May adds: “The amazing bonus is that Ben’s script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey.”
When it first became news that one of Britain’s most phenomenally successful comedy writers Ben Elton was teaming up with legends of rock, Queen, for a musical there was much speculation on what such a unique collaboration would produce. Screen icon Robert De Niro came on board as American partners with his company Tribeca, so impressed was he after attending the original workshop.
De Niro continues to support the show, even making a special visit to London in May 2012 to help celebrate the 10th anniversary in style. The audience erupted with thunderous applause, as he joined the cast on stage after the landmark performance.
Watch out for We Will Rock You, coming to a city near you this year!
