Blew the final whistle, start the Mexican Wave, the hit 2002 British comedy Bend It Like Beckham is being adapted into a musical and will kick start its stage career at the Phoenix Theatre
Bend It Like Beckham is coming to the West End in May 2015
The musical will be directed by Gurinder Chadha. Like the film, the Bend It Like Beckham musical will trace the lives of two football-obsessed teenagers who, despite their families’ contempt, yearn to follow in the footsteps of their hero David Beckham.
In 2006 Gurinder Chadha was awarded with an OBE for her services to the British film industry. The highly acclaimed director spoke of how adapting Bend It Like Beckham for the stage has been one of the biggest highlights of her career so far.
“Developing Bend It Like Beckham for the stage has been the most enjoyable creative process of my career so far. It has always been my intention to build on the film and to present its themes and storylines to live audiences in an exciting new dynamic way.”
Whole-heartedly British
The director went on to talk of her lifelong love of musicals and how the Bend It Like Beckham musical is unreservedly British.
“I have been inspired by musicals ever since I was a little girl, now with Bend It Like Beckham, such a familiar story to so many, I believe we are presenting a totally new king of musical – part West End, part Punjabi, but whole heartedly British,” said Chadha.
The musical will comprise of original music by the Emmy, Brit and BAFTA award-winning British composer, Howard Goodall. Lyrics are by Charles Hart, who has received two Ivor Novello Awards.
The 2003 film was responsible for elevating actors Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra into household names. In the year of its release the film went on to receive Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
From 15 May 2015, with an opening night on 24 June 2015, the two talented, football-fanatic teenagers will embark on a joyous musical comedy at the Phoenix Theatre and, as always, will be refusing to watch from the sidelines. Watch them: click here.
