The Spice Girls musical Viva Forever will premiere at the end of this year at the Piccadilly Theatre.
The musical (which has been in the works since 2010) will preview from November with an opening night in December. It is believed that all five ex-Spice Girls will be in attendance for the premiere.
Viva Forever isn't a biographical show about the mega-succesful pop quintet. Instead it uses their music to drive along the story of a mother-daughter relationship that plays out against the backdrop of a reality singing competition. The show's produced by Judy Craymer, the powerhouse behind long-running West End hit Mamma Mia!, and has been written by comedienne Jennifer Saunders (Absolutely Fabulous, French and Saunders and Spice World - The Movie, no less).
Viva Forever will feature 16 of the Girls’ songs, but with the Spice Girls having only released 13 singles, it remains to be seen whether the remaining songs will be album tracks or some of the members’ solo material. They’ll certainly have plenty to choose from; Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) and Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) both released 10 songs apiece as solo artists. But bandmate Mel C (Sporty Spice), soon to appear as Mary Magdalene in the all-star touring revival of Jesus Christ Superstar trumps them both, with no less than 22 singles under her belt.
With its pop soundtrack and high-profile behind-the-scenes team, it’s likely to go head-to-head with The Bodyguard, featuring the music of Whitney Houston and based on the famous film of the same name, which also previews from November at the Adelphi Theatre.
Meanwhile the fate of Ghost The Musical, currently playing at the Piccadilly Theatre and booking until April 2013, is unknown. But enigmatic tweeter @westendproducer, whose identity has never been verified, did have this to say on Twitter: “Apparently something very spicy is going to replace something very spooky, #dear”.
