First performance 1998 Orchestrator John Cameron | ||
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Playwrights Steve Brown, Justin Greene Lyricists Steve Brown, Justin Greene Similar Martin Guerre, Hot Mikado, I Can't Sing! The X Factor Mu, My One and Only, Blood Brothers | ||
Spend spend spend at the watermill theatre newbury
Spend Spend Spend is a musical with a book and lyrics by Steve Brown and Justin Greene and music by Brown.
Contents
In 1961, Yorkshire housewife Viv Nicholson won £152,319 in the football pools. When a reporter asked her what she planned to do with her new fortune, she replied, "I'm going to spend, spend, spend!," which is exactly what she did. Her rags-to-riches-to-rags-again story takes her through five husbands, expensive sports cars, fur coats, and jewelry, a battle with alcohol, and bankruptcy as, unable to cope with her new-found wealth and fame, she rapidly spirals downward.
Spend Spend Spend premiered in 1998 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and won the Barclays Theatre Award for Best Musical of the Year.The production starred Rosie Ashe and Nigel Richards. After a week of previews, the West End production, directed by Jeremy Sams and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, opened on October 12, 1999 at the Piccadilly Theatre, where it ran until August 5, 2000. The original cast included Barbara Dickson, Steven Houghton, and Rachel Leskovac. The original London production was arranged by the Musical Director, Dane Preece.
Shortly after closing in London the production, with most of the original cast, went on a UK Tour. The Musical Director for the tour was Steve Hill.
On July 8 2009, the Watermill Theatre presented a revival of the musical, which would follow with a 7-week tour across the country, beginning September 28 2010 to November 9 2010. It was awarded the 2010 TMA award for Best Musical and Kirsty Hoiles (young Viv) was awarded the TMA award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.