Writer Jonathan Harvey (Beautiful Thing, Babies) and Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who created the musical Closer to Heaven almost two decades ago, have again joined forces to create the now London-bound Musik, a solo show with a book by Harvey and six songs by Tennant and Lowe—four of which were written for this production.
Frances Barber, who starred in the first Pet Shop Boys musical, premiered the solo show Musik in August at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where she reprised her role as Billie Trix from 2001’s Closer to Heaven. The 60-minute show will run at London's Leicester Square Theatre February 5-March 1, 2020. Barber will again star.
Pet Shop Boys said in a statement, “When we wrote Closer to Heaven almost 20 years ago, we loved the compelling outrageousness of the character Bille Trix as written by Jonathan and performed by Frances Barber. We have all discussed for many years the idea of creating her own one-woman show which would give us the chance to write more songs for her as she looks back on her incredible career. We’re thrilled that this show is finally happening.”
Harvey added, “It has been such a treat reconnecting and working with Chris and Neil on this, 20 years after our first foray into musical theatre writing. In Musik, Billie, dried up, drug-addled icon and rock star, tells us about her life and sings her biggest hits with Frances Barber inhabiting her again as she did so hilariously and so touchingly all those years ago.”
See What Is Scheduled to Perform in London
Barber’s credits include the films Prick Up Your Ears, We Think the World of You, Dead Fish, and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. In the West End, she recently played Mrs. Cheveley in An Ideal Husband.
The production also has direction by Josh Seymour, set and costume design by Lee Newby, lighting design by David Plater, and sound design by Fergus O'Hare.
Musik is produced by Cahoots Theatre Company.