We Will Rock You (often abbreviated as WWRY) is a jukebox musical based on the songs of British rock band Queen with a book by Ben Elton. The musical tells the story of a renegade group known as the Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought and culture in a vaguely Orwellian society.
Directed by Christopher Renshaw and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, the original West End production opened in 2002. Although the musical was at first panned by critics, it has become an audience favourite, becoming the longest-running musical at the Dominion Theatre, celebrating its tenth anniversary on 14 May 2012.[1]
The original production closed on 31 May 2014, at that time the eleventh longest-running musical in West End history.[2] Numerous international and touring productions have followed, and We Will Rock You has been seen in six of the world's continents. By December 2022 the musical had been seen by 20 million people across 28 countries.[3]
From 2 June to 27 August 2023, We Will Rock You returned to the West End for a 12-week run at the London Coliseum.[4]
Development
According to Brian May, Queen's manager Jim Beach had spoken with the band about creating a jukebox musical with Queen's songs since the mid-1990s. Initially, the intent was to create a biographical story of Freddie Mercury. About this time, Robert De Niro's production company Tribeca Productions expressed interest in a Queen musical, but it found the original idea difficult to work with.[5]
In 2000, Ben Elton was approached to start talks with May and Taylor on the project. He suggested taking the musical down a different path than initially imagined, creating an original story that would capture the spirit of much of their music. He worked closely with May and Taylor to incorporate Queen's songs into the story. Elton has also stated that he was in part inspired by the computer-controlled dystopia of the 1999 science-fiction film The Matrix. The script was eventually completed midway through 2001.[5]
Productions
West End and UK tours
We Will Rock You opened in the West End at the Dominion Theatre on 14 May 2002, following previews from 26 April. It was directed by Christopher Renshaw and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, with musical supervision and vocal arrangements by Mike Dixon. The production featured a nine piece live band.[6] The cast included Tony Vincent as Galileo, Hannah Jane Fox as Scaramouche, Sharon D. Clarke as Killer Queen, Nigel Planer as Pop, Nigel Clauzel as Brit and Kerry Ellis as Meat. For her performance, Clarke was nominated for "Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical or Entertainment" at the 2003 Olivier Awards. Notable cast replacements included Mig Ayesa and Alex Gaumond[7] as Galileo, Mazz Murray and Brenda Edwards as Killer Queen, and Rachel Tucker as Meat. In 2005 We Will Rock You became the longest running musical at the Dominion Theatre, surpassing the previous record-holder Grease.[8] The production closed on 31 May 2014, shortly after its 12th anniversary, and after 4,600 performances at the Dominion Theatre.[9]
A UK tour was launched in 2009 at the Palace Theatre, Manchester.[10][11] The cast included Gaumond as Galileo, Sarah French-Ellis as Scaramouche, Edwards as Killer Queen, Georgina Hagen as Meat, Jonathan Wilkes as Khashoggi and Kevin Kennedy as Pop. A second UK tour launched in December 2010, also at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.[12] The show embarked on a further UK and Ireland tour, beginning at the Bromley Churchill Theatre, on 16 September 2019. After a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour resumed performances on 7 February 2022 at the Kings Theatre in Portsmouth,[13] closing on 10 September 2022 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester.[14]
Following the UK tour, the show returned to the West End in 2023, opening at the London Coliseum on 2 June for a limited 12-week run directed by Ben Elton and choreographed by Jacob Fearey.[15] Ian McIntosh and Elena Skye resumed the roles of Galileo and Scaramouche respectively from the touring production, and Brenda Edwards continued on as Killer Queen. Also joining the cast were Lee Mead as Khashoggi, Christine Allado as Meat, and Adrian Hansel as Brit. Ben Elton made his stage debut as the Rebel Leader (previously known as Pop).[16]
An Australasian tour was launched at the end of 2007 in New Zealand; the cast included Ayesa as Galileo and Crummer as Killer Queen.[24] The tour performed in Auckland at The Civic, The Edge (26 October to 2 December 2007), in Seoul, South Korea, at the Seongnam Arts Centre (2 to 24 February 2008),[25][26] in Singapore at the Esplanade Theatre (28 March to 27 April 2008),[27] in Hong Kong at The Lyric Theatre of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (16 May to 22 June 2008)[28] and in Bangkok, Thailand, at the Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre (12 to 27 July 2008).[29]
A new tour of Australia commenced in Sydney on 30 April 2016, before touring to Brisbane and Melbourne.[30][31][32] Another production was scheduled for 2023-2024. It was supposed to have over 500 cast members including Courtney Act as Killer Queen and Peter Rowsthorn as Buddy.[33] In October 2022 it was announced that the tour was cancelled because of legal reasons.
Spain
A Spanish-language production ran from 1 October 2003 (opening officially on 3 November) to 30 May 2004 at Teatro Calderón, Madrid, with Momo Cortés and Miquel Fernández as Galileo.[34] The songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" retained their English lyrics. After closing at Teatro Calderón, the show toured around Spain. In 2007 the production returned to Teatro Calderón with previews from 23 January and an official opening on 12 February. Daniel Diges and Julián Fontalvo shared the role of Galileo. The production closed on 6 January 2008.[35]
A new production began previews on 9 October 2021 at the Gran Teatro Príncipe Pío in Madrid, and officially opened on 24 November.[36]
Las Vegas and North American tours
A resident production at the Paris Las Vegas hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, began previews on 4 August 2004, with an official opening on 8 September.[37] Tony Vincent, who originated the role of Galileo in London, reprised the role, which he alternated with Jason Wooten. Aspen Miller and Kacie Sheik shared the role of Scaramouche, Patti Russo was Killer Queen, and Ty Taylor was Brit.[38] The Las Vegas production "trimmed" down the book into a single act show.[39] The production closed on 27 November 2005.[40]
On 15 October 2013, a North American tour began at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland, directed by Elton.[41] The cast included Brian Justin Crum as Galileo, Ruby Lewis as Scaramouche, PJ Griffith as Khashoggi, Jacqueline Arnold as Killer Queen, Jared Zirilli as Britney, Ryan Knowles as Buddy and Erica Peck as Oz.[42] The tour covered nearly the whole of the US, and two stops in Ontario, Canada; in all, the tour included 298 performances in 29 cities.[43]
A second North American tour launched on 3 September 2019 at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and included a stop at the Madison Square Garden in New York City from 14 to 17 November 2019.[44][45]
Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria
A Russian production opened in the Estrada Theatre, Moscow on 17 October 2004. The production's dialogue and all songs but three were translated into Russian, by Evgeny Margulis of Mashina Vremeni.[46] This production closed only four months after its opening due to disagreements between the show's producers, despite fan protests to keep the show going.[46]
A German production opened in the Musical Dome, Cologne, on 12 December 2004. The spoken dialogue was in German, but the musical numbers consisted of a mix of German and English lyrics. According to Brian May, Ben Elton intended German to represent the show's "present day", and English represented the distant past.[47] The production closed in Cologne on 30 September 2008.[48] It next opened at the Apollo Theatre in Stuttgart on 13 November 2008 after previews from 7 November 2008.[49][50] The production opened in Berlin on 21 October 2010 and closed for good on 21 October 2011.[citation needed]
A German-language production opened in Zürich, Switzerland, on 3 December 2006 at Theatre Stadthof 11, Oerlikon using the book of the Cologne production.[51] The production starred Jessica Kessler as Scaramouche, Brigitte Oelke as Killer Queen and Rachel Fischer as Ozzy. This production closed at the end of 2007.[52] It reopened in Vienna, Austria, on 24 January 2008, at the Raimund Theatre where it ran until 13 July 2008.[53]
Another tour started in December 2012 in Basel, Switzerland, and closed in June 2013 in Essen, Germany.[citation needed] It restarted in September 2014 in Munich, followed by Frankfurt and Vienna.[citation needed]
From 17 July to 25 August 2024 a production ran at AVB Kultur & Freizei in Amstetten, Austria.[54]
South Africa
A South African production opened at the Civic Theatre in Johannesburg on 9 May 2006.[55] It starred Francois Schreuder as Galileo, Helen Burger as Scaramouche, Vicky Sampson as Killer Queen, and Helen Goldberg as Oz.[56] The production made tour stops at the Artscape in Cape Town (from 25 July) and the Playhouse Opera in Durban (29 September to 29 October 2006) before closing.[55][57]
Canada
A Canadian production began previews on 14 March and officially opened on 10 April 2007 at the Canon Theatre, Toronto.[58][59] Yvan Pednault played Galileo.[60] Erica Peck was Scaramouche, Alana Bridgewater was Killer Queen, Suzie McNeil was Oz and Evan Buliung was Khashoggi.[citation needed] The production closed at the Canon Theatre on 11 May 2008[61] and reopened at the Panasonic Theatre on 16 July 2008[62] after major rewrites to trim the show. Cuts included dialogue between "Ga-Ga" and "I Want to Break Free"; "One Vision" was cut; and the Act Two song sequence was changed.[citation needed] In October 2008, Camilla Scott took over the role of Khashoggi, a character that had previously been portrayed as a male.[63] The production closed on 28 June 2009.[64]
The cast at Magnus Theatre performs "Radio Gaga" (2017)
Another production opened at the Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, on 8 September 2017.[65][66] It played to sold-out audiences and was extended, closing on 30 September 2017.[citation needed]
Other productions
In April 2007 a non-equity production of We Will Rock You began at the Jedlicka Performing Art Centre in Chicago.[67]
An Italian production opened on 4 December 2009 at the Allianz Teatro in Milan, Italy. All the dialogues are in Italian and almost all the songs are in English, except for "Radio Ga Ga" and "No One But You". The tour visited Milan, Bologna, Trieste and Rome.[68]
From 12 September to 18 December 2010 a production was played in Stockholm, Sweden at the venue Cirkus.[69] The production moved to Oslo, Norway on 23 January 2011 at Folketeateret.[70] It closed on 16 April 2011.[citation needed]
An Icelandic production opened on 15 August 2019 at the Háskólabíó Theater in Reykjavík, Iceland. The spoken dialogue and most lyrics were translated into Icelandic by Jóhann Axel Andersen.[71] Directed by Vignir Rafn Valþórsson, with Chantelle Carey as choreographer,[72] the cast included Kristinn Óli Haraldsson as Galileo and Þórhallur Sigurðsson as Pop.[citation needed]
A French production opened on 28 September 2018 at the Casino de Paris in Paris, directed by Ned Grujic, with choreography by Raffaele Lucania.[73]
An international tour will start in the Philippines on 27 October 2022, with scheduled stops in South Korea, Singapore, and South Africa.[74]
A new Italian tour kicked off on 2 February 2023 at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan, starring Martha Rossi as Scaramouche, Damiano Borgi as Galileo, Natascia Fonzetti as Killer Queen, Salvo Bruno as Khashoggi, Mattia Braghero as Brit, Alessandra Ferrari as Oz and Massimiliano Colonna as Pop.[75]
Since 2006, the show has been licensed for amateur and school productions in the UK, with proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.[76]
Critical reception
London's critics almost uniformly panned the show, criticising the concept and direction. The Guardian wrote that the premise "really is as sixth form as it sounds", called the production "ruthlessly packaged and manufactured" and opined that the "sometimes funny" libretto existed mainly to "devise more unlikely ways to wring out another Queen song."[77] The Daily Mirror wrote that "Ben Elton should be shot for this risible story."[78]The Daily Telegraph described it as "guaranteed to bore you rigid" and "prolefeed at its worst."[79] However, some individual performances received praise.[78]
The story is set exactly 300 years in the future in a vaguely Orwellian world. Earth has been renamed as the "iPlanet" (sometimes called "Planet Mall" in older productions) and is controlled by the Globalsoft Corporation ("Innuendo"). On the iPlanet, mainstream commercial conformity reigns, in which Ga Ga Kids watch the same movies, listen to computer-generated music, wear the same clothes and hold the same thoughts and opinions. Musical instruments are forbidden, and rock music is unknown ("Radio Ga Ga").
In the newest graduating class is black sheep, Galileo, who has dreams and hears strange words in his head, most of which are lyrics of songs long since lost, though he does not understand their significance. Despite his teacher's advice, Galileo refuses to conform like the rest of his classmates ("I Want to Break Free"). He is captured by Khashoggi, commander of Globalsoft's police. The teacher also reveals a second anomaly, a young, goth woman named Scaramouche who is openly mocked and derided by her peers ("Somebody to Love"). She, too is arrested by Khashoggi.
Ruling Globalsoft Corporation is Killer Queen ("Killer Queen"). She has heard of a prophecy that instruments have been hidden somewhere on the iPlanet in the "place of living rock", and a "bright star" will show the way to them. She orders Khashoggi to get to the bottom of the matter and crush the rebel Bohemians who believe in the prophecy. Killer Queen then basks in her power over the iPlanet ("Play the Game").
Galileo and Scaramouche wake up in a hospital. They realise that they are kindred spirits, feared by the rest of their society. ("Under Pressure") They flee together from the hospital. Khashoggi has blown up all the rocks on the iPlanet, but cannot find any supposed hidden instruments. Killer Queen insists that they have won, and the prophecy will not come to pass ("A Kind of Magic").
On the streets, Bohemians Britney and Oz climb out of the sewers, where they have been gathering materials to make musical instruments. Britney is a believer in the Dreamer who will fulfil the prophecy, and insists to the cynical Oz that it's the key to bringing real music back into the world ("I Want It All"). Brit and Oz hear footsteps approaching, and hide.
Galileo and Scaramouche arrive, with Galileo talking about his belief that he has a destiny. He says that he dreamt a name for the woman: "Scaramouche". Britney and Oz reveal themselves, and accuse Galileo and Scaramouche of being spies, because Galileo keeps spouting words of the "sacred text". Galileo insists that he only hears those words in his head. Britney tests him, singing the first few lines of "Bohemian Rhapsody". Galileo responds correctly with the subsequent lines, and Britney realises that he is the Dreamer of the prophecy. They bring Galileo and Scaramouche to the Heartbreak Hotel, which is located at the ruins of the Tottenham Court Road tube station, where the Bohemians have made their home ("Headlong").
The Bohemians explain to Galileo and Scaramouche that they take their names after singers long gone, and mourn the deaths of those who died young ("No One But You"). The group then celebrates the reason rock bands started playing music in the first place, which was for love ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love").
Khashoggi and his police suddenly arrive at the Heartbreak Hotel, where they round up the Bohemians for capture. Britney breaks free and battles the police in order to enable Galileo and Scaramouche to escape, but in the process is killed.
Act Two
The Ga Ga Kids of the iPlanet move on in their regular fashion ("One Vision").
Galileo and Scaramouche have escaped the Heartbreak Hotel, and realise that back at the hospital, tracking devices were installed in their heads. They remove them, and upon realising that they are all that's left of the rebels, they confess their love for each other ("Who Wants to Live Forever").
Galileo wakes up, and tells Scaramouche that he had a dream that the Bohemians were sent to the Seven Seas of Rhye. Scaramouche agrees they have to go there, but then Galileo insists that she stay because she's a "chick", to which Scaramouche takes offence. They argue, and decide that both of them will go to the Seven Seas of Rhye, but their relationship will be purely professional.
Back at Globalsoft headquarters ("Fat Bottomed Girls") Khashoggi reports that the Bohemians are no longer a problem. Killer Queen prematurely starts to celebrate ("Don't Stop Me Now"). Khashoggi interrupts her, explaining that Galileo and Scaramouche escaped. Killer Queen declares this is the last time Khashoggi has disappointed her, and has him brain-drained ("Another One Bites the Dust").
Galileo and Scaramouche are making their way to the Seven Seas of Rhye, arguing all the way ("Hammer to Fall"). At the Seven Seas of Rhye pub in Montreux, Pop the librarian is serving drinks to the lifeless Bohemians ("These Are the Days of Our Lives"). When Galileo and Scaramouche arrive, Pop explains the full nature of the prophecy to them as inscribed by the three remaining members of the band Queen just before they were sentenced to death (Brian May, his last request being a final guitar solo, apparently delayed his execution for three and a half days). Scaramouche figures out that the bright shining star of the prophecy is rock star Freddie Mercury's statue, and that it's pointing to Wembley Stadium, the "place of living rock". After initially preparing to travel by bicycle, (opening of "Bicycle Race") Scaramouche protests that the method "isn't very cool", and so they travel there by motorcycle. ("Headlong [reprise]")
Wembley Stadium is in ruins, with no instruments to be found. Reconciling and their love for each other rekindled ("Love of My Life"), Scaramouche inspires Galileo to perform the opening of "We Will Rock You", and an electric guitar is revealed. Galileo cannot play it, but Scaramouche can ("Brighton Rock solo"). Pop hacks into Globalsoft's network so their music can be heard by everyone on the iPlanet, and Killer Queen is defeated ("Tie Your Mother Down", "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions").
International productions of the musical feature changes in the story and song line-up in order to better reach target audiences. All the main characters retain their general personalities across productions, but the names vary depending on the production. (See characters section below.)
May often performed with the London production on special occasions such as anniversaries[80] and Freddie Mercury's birthday.[81] At the final performance of the original production in 2014, he and Roger Taylor both performed.[2]
Hannah Jane Fox, who originated Scaramouche, was the last original principal cast member to remain with the show. She gave her final performance on 28 January 2006, four years after the musical opened at the Dominion Theatre, and the event was celebrated with May appearing on stage to perform the guitar solo during the "Bohemian Rhapsody" encore.[82]
On 5 September 2006, the London show celebrated what would have been Freddie Mercury's 60th birthday. During the song "Don't Stop Me Now", ordinarily sung by Killer Queen, the band "McFly" (who were at No. 1 with the song on the singles charts the previous week) emerged onto the stage to sing it instead.[83] Brian May and Roger Taylor joined the encore, performing Taylor's "Say It's Not True" as a duo. Ben Elton also addressed the audience on this special occasion. The following week, tickets to the London show went on sale from £19.46, Mercury's birth year.
On 14 May 2007, the London show celebrated its fifth anniversary with a special show featuring both May and Taylor playing in the final section of the show. Writer Ben Elton also made an appearance to present a special plaque to the cast, May and Taylor. During the portion of the show based in Pop's bar, the line "But the Pub Landlord has a Bike" was followed by a cameo appearance of British comedian Al Murray, who came up through the stage on a motorcycle.[84]
The London show's sixth anniversary performance was held on 21 May 2008, a week after its actual anniversary due to the unavailability of Brian May. For the first time since the show opened, the Killer Queen character performed the entire song "Don't Stop Me Now", a musical number which is normally interrupted by the Khashoggi character. This unique performance is acknowledged by Killer Queen's dialogue: "No, you didn't let me finish, you never let me finish. For six long years, night after night, week after week, year after year. Well, tonight, I'm going to finish", to which Khashoggi replied: "It's not in the script!" Killer Queen proceeded to yell, "Screw the script!" before continuing the song. Additionally, May joined Killer Queen and the dancers on stage for the performance. After the encore, Elton made a thank you speech, after which the entire cast performed "The Show Must Go On", accompanied by May on guitar.
The seventh anniversary of the London show was celebrated on Monday 18 May 2009. The show contained a special appearance from Brian May and Ben Elton who emerged together in a cloud of smoke during the encore rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" with May playing guitar. As with the year before, Elton gave a thank you speech and the entire cast performed "The Show Must Go On", accompanied by May on guitar.
On Saturday 12 September 2009 at the early matinee performance Brian May again emerged in a cloud of smoke playing the guitar in "Bohemian Rhapsody". The reason for this appearance was not clear. He did the same again at the matinee on Saturday 14 November 2009.
On Sunday 31 January 2010 in The O2 Dublin, Brian May once again played "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the company during the finale of both the matinee and evening shows to celebrate the end of their year-long tour.
On Saturday 5 September 2010, May also appeared though a cloud of smoke, again to play "Bohemian Rhapsody". This was due to the annual cast change, as well as a celebration of what would have been Freddie Mercury's 64th birthday, and afterwards Brian gave a farewell speech to the cast who were leaving.
On Saturday 5 October 2013, May appeared through the cloud of smoke to play "Bohemian Rhapsody" once more. This was because it was cast change and some of the cast were leaving. May appeared to be very emotional when he was giving his speech.
The 20th anniversary UK tour, also directed by Ben Elton, was choreographed and staged by Jacob Fearey. This version opened at the King's Theatre with the full cast onstage for "Innuendo". The script is the same as the School Cast's version, but with fewer elements of the original. "Play the Game" is cut, and the chorus is backstage for most of the numbers. "Don't Stop Me Now" is left in its entirety, without Khashoggi interrupting Killer Queen. For the first time in the show's history, "The Show Must Go On" has been added to the production closing Act 1.[85]
In the new West End version, in Act 2, "Love of My Life" is only played as a brief instrumental. Some of the elements of the 20th anniversary tour production remain.
When Bohemian Rhapsody is performed with May and/or Taylor, May comes up from a trap in the stage with a lot of smoke. (Only at the Dominion Theatre. Elsewhere he walks from the Wembley gate in the back, to the front of stage.) He performs the solo immediately before the opera section. Then the opera section begins, and he walks off stage. During the rock section Taylor comes up on the Heartbreak Hotel platform and May runs back on stage. (Only at the Dominion Theatre. Elsewhere Taylor's drum kit is pushed by stage crew and May runs on stage.) They perform the rock section with the cast and the ending section. They end the song before the stage goes into blackout.
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "Tie Your Mother Down"
Madrid's 100th We Will Rock You performance.
31 January
London
Dominion Theatre
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "We Are the Champions" (Evening only)
Matinee and Evening performances.
5 April
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "We Are the Champions"
3 May
Madrid
Teatro Calderón
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Press launch for the cast album.
11 May
London
Dominion Theatre
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "We Are the Champions"
BBC Sport Relief Charity special.
30 May
Madrid
Teatro Calderón
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Final We Will Rock You performance.
11 December
Nuremberg
Television Studio
May & Taylor
(1) "We Will Rock You" (2) "We Are the Champions"
Wetten, dass..? Q+PR tour announcement.
18 December
Paris Hotel
Las Vegas
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "Brighton Rock" (3) "The Show Must Go On"
Matinee and Evening performances
2005
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2005
12 January
London
Dominion Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "Tie Your Mother Down" (3) "The Show Must Go On"
1,000th West End performance.
17 August
They were presented a couple of awards on stage (Longest Running Live Show in the Dominion Theatre and Most Successful Albums Act in UK Chart History).[86]
On 13 August We Will Rock You took over the no.1 position of the longest running show at the Dominion Theatre. Ben Elton also attended on the 17th to celebrate this event.[87]
2006
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2006
28 January
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Hannah Jane Fox's last show.
11 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
4th anniversary.
5 September
London
Dominion Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "Love of My Life" (3) "Say It's Not True" (4) "The Show Must Go On"
Marking Freddie Mercury's 60th birthday. McFly performed "Don't Stop Me Now".
7 October
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Matinee and Evening performances. Originally West End's final show. May announced an extension.
2007
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2007
10 March
London
The London Studios
May & Taylor
(1) "Tie Your Mother Down"
Al Murray's Happy Hour
14 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
5th anniversary.
1 August
Toronto
Canon Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
The Show Must Go On was performed with Canadian Idol Top 7 finalists.
29 September
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Matinee and Evening performances.
29 December
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Matinee and Evening performances.
2008
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2008
24 January
Vienna
Raimund Theater
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
We Will Rock You Austria
21 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Don't Stop Me Now" (2) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (3) "The Show Must Go On"
Technical faults stopped May performing onstage during "Bohemian Rhapsody".
2009
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2009
10 January
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Matinee and Evening performances.
25 March
Manchester
Palace Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
We Will Rock You UK Tour
18 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
7th anniversary.
11 June
Sunderland
Empire Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
2 July
Birmingham
The Hippodrome
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
May fell into Taylor's drum kit but recovered and finished the song.
12 September
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On" (Evening only)
Matinee and Evening performances. Taylor attended but did not perform.
10 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
8th anniversary.
3 September
Utrecht
Beatrix Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
4 September
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Matinee and Evening performances
12 September
Stockholm
Cirkus Arena Restaurang
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
21 October
Berlin
Theater des Westens
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
2011
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2011
20 January
Glasgow
King's Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Taylor attended the performance but did not play.
27 January
Oslo
Folketeatret
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Taylor attended the performance but did not play.
23 February
Copenhagen
Forum København (Copenhagen Forum)
Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
May attended the performance but could not play due to a hand injury. This is currently the only performance with Taylor only, without May performing alongside him.
22 March
Cardiff
Millennium Centre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Taylor attended the performance but did not play.
31 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
9th anniversary
8 June
Aberdeen
His Majesty's Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
7 July
Birmingham
The Hippodrome
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
20 August
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Mazz Murray's final performance.
13 September
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "We Will Rock You" (2) "We Are the Champions"
Children in Need: Pop Goes The Musical. With Mel C.
13 October
Bristol
The Hippodrome
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
1 December
Edinburgh
The Playhouse
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Gala performance in aid of the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
2012
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2012
15 April
London
Royal Opera House
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Olivier Awards
14 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
Technical fault prevented Taylor appearing onstage until the final minute of "The Show Must Go On".
2013
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2013
27 March
Nottingham
Capital FM Arena
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Taylor attended but did not perform.
5 October
London
Dominion Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Cast change with Rachel John and Wayne Robinson leaving
16 October
Baltimore
France-Merrick P.A.C.
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Taylor attended but did not perform.
2014
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2014
31 May
London
Dominion Theatre
May & Taylor
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody" (2) "The Show Must Go On"
Performed at both shows due to show closing at the Dominion Theatre
2022
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2022
8 February
Portsmouth
Kings Theatre
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Opening night gala for the 20th Anniversary UK Tour
2023
Date
City
Venue
Member(s)
Performance
Notes
2023
5 June
London
Coliseum
May
(1) "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Opening night gala for the 2023 London revival
27 August
London
Coliseum
May
(1) “Bohemian Rhapsody”
100th performance in the London Coliseum (Closing performance of 2023 London revival)
Characters
Galileo Figaro – the central character of the musical; a dreamer who hears strange words in his head. He is eventually revealed to be a reincarnation of Freddie Mercury. The character's name is a reference to the lyrics in the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Scaramouche – a sarcastic, cynical character and Galileo's love interest. In the finale she shows talent playing the electric guitar, and Galileo declares that she is a reincarnation of Brian May, only this time "he's a babe". The character's name is a reference to the lyrics in the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Killer Queen – the villain of the musical, she rules over iPlanet with an iron fist. The character's name is a reference to the Queen song "Killer Queen".
Brit (alternatively Paris, Duff, Vic and J.B.) – Brit, short for Britney Spears, is the main male Bohemian rebel. In other productions, his name is either Paris (short for Paris Hilton), Duff (short for Hilary Duff), Vic (short for Victoria Beckham) or J.B. (short for Jeanette Biedermann).
Meat (alternatively Oz, Ozzy) – Meat, short for Meat Loaf, is the main female Bohemian. In some productions, the character is named Oz after Ozzy Osbourne.
Commander Khashoggi – Killer Queen's second-in-command, he is head of Globalsoft's police and carries out Killer Queen's dirty work. The character's name is a reference to the Queen song "Khashoggi's Ship" (which is about the real life Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi).
Pop (alternatively Polo, Bap, DJ, Buddy, Cliff or simply Rebel Leader) – an elderly librarian trying to figure out the "exact date the music died" (based on the 3 February 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper), who in some productions has a crush on Scaramouche, believed to be named after the creation of reality television talent shows (the example given varies depending on the production, but includes Popstars, Pop Idol, The X Factor, or the relevant regional variant). Probably named after Iggy Pop or simply a diminutive of "Grandfather". In the German production his full name is "Bap Niedecken". The name refers to the German band "Bap" (Cologne dialect for "Papa" = "Father") and the singer Wolfgang Niedecken. In the Brazilian production his name is "Toca Raul", a reference to Raul Seixas, and to a popular expression associated with him (Toca Raul = Play Raul) but that is also said during many rock concerts in Brazil, regardless of the singer.
Later in the London production, the "One Vision" sequence was changed to include Freddie Mercury's recorded vocals for the bridge. Previously, the bridge had been sung by the ensemble.
In the original London production, "Fat Bottomed Girls" was a short instrumental interlude prior to "Another One Bites the Dust". Subsequent international productions expanded the song into a full song and dance sequence. Due to the positive response, the change was transferred back to the London production.
For the Australasian tour, Canadian production and the 2013-14 North American tour, "Play the Game" is replaced by "Now I'm Here".
For the revamped Canadian production and the 2013-14 North American tour, "One Vision" is removed. "Flash" and "Seven Seas of Rhye" are repositioned to the start of Act Two.
For the 20th Anniversary UK tour, "Play the Game" is cut and replaced by "The Show Must Go On", which is positioned at the end of Act One. Additionally, "Don't Stop Me Now" is extended into the full length of the song for this production and is now a duet between Killer Queen and Scaramouche.
On special occasions, "The Show Must Go On" is added to the encore.[80][84]
For the 2023 West End production, "Play the Game" was also replaced by "The Show Must Go On" at the end of Act One. "Don't Stop Me Now" is played its entirety. "Radio Ga Ga" is not played as a reprise after "One Vision" in Act Two. "Love of My Life" is only played as a brief instrumental in Act Two.
Recordings
The cover of the original London cast album, featuring Tony Vincent.
A cast recording of the original London production was released in November 2002.[88] Not all songs in the show were included in the album, the omitted tracks have been marked* in the above list. In August 2003, the London cast recording was given an Australian edition re-release, containing a bonus track of the original Australian Killer Queen, Annie Crummer, singing a studio version of "Another One Bites the Dust".
In 2004, Kerry Ellis, who was the original Meat in the London production, worked with Brian May to record an instrumental studio version of "No One But You (Only the Good Die Young)". This version is available through the official Queen website and in Ellis' limited-release CD single titled Wicked in Rock.[89][90]
A Madrid cast recording was released in 2004. The recording includes a bonus second disc containing an extended Spanish-translated studio version of "No One But You" ("Solo Por Ti") sung by the original Meat, Eva María Cortés, and video clips of the original Madrid production.
A Cologne cast recording was released in 2005. It is the only We Will Rock You cast recording to contain "Fat Bottomed Girls".
In 2012, a 10th Anniversary Edition of the London Cast Recording was issued, comprising the original cast recording album, along with a CD containing bonus material.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera (1975). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, the song is a six-minute suite, notable for its lack of a refraining chorus and consisting of several sections: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part and a reflective coda. It is one of the few progressive rock songs of the 1970s to have proved accessible to a mainstream audience.
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970 by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor, later joined by John Deacon (bass). Their earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was a benefit concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992, at Wembley Stadium in London, England, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis, directed by David Mallet and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the world, with an audience of up to one billion. The concert was a tribute to Queen's lead vocalist, Freddie Mercury, who died of an AIDS-related illness on 24 November 1991.
A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 28 November 1975, by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, it was reportedly the most expensive album ever recorded at the time of its release.
"Seven Seas of Rhye" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was primarily written by Freddie Mercury, with Brian May contributing the second middle-eight. The song is officially credited to Mercury only. A rudimentary instrumental version appears as the final track on the group's self-titled debut album (1973), with the final version on the follow-up Queen II (1974).
We Are the Champions: Final Live in Japan is a live concert video of English rock band Queen's performance at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo on 11 May 1985 as part of the Japanese leg of The Works Tour.
Hannah Jane Fox is an English stage actress, best known for playing Sharon in Millie Inbetween and "Scaramouche" in the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You. She is an alumna of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Sabrina Aloueche is an English musical theatre actress.
The We Will Rock You Original London Cast Recording is a live album released in promotion of the award-winning West End musical We Will Rock You (musical) in 2002. The album was recorded over two nights of the original West End production at the Dominion Theatre and was the first audio release of the musical. Both instrumental pieces are the original recordings made by Queen in 1973 and 1985 respectively. The recording misses several tracks that were present in the original production. These are: Bicycle Race, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Death On Two Legs , Fat Bottomed Girls and Headlong (Reprise).
We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical based on the songs of British rock band Queen with a book by Ben Elton. After We Will Rock You became a hit in London, various other productions were put on around the world. One of the earliest was in Australia with the cast from around Australia and New Zealand.
Alex McNamara is a British actor, vocalist, and drummer most noted for his performances as Khashoggi in the West End production of We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, and for being one of the lead vocalists with the hugely successful Australian Pink Floyd Show (2011–2015).
The Queen Extravaganza Tour was a concert tour by official Queen tribute band the Queen Extravaganza.
Queen – Live In Budapest was retitled later as Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest is a concert film of the British rock band Queen's performance at the Népstadion in Budapest on 27 July 1986. It was part of the band's final tour with original lead singer Freddie Mercury, The Magic Tour. Queen were one of the few bands from Western Europe to perform in the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. The film had a limited theatrical release in Eastern Bloc countries in 1987/1988 with the concert physically released on VHS and Laserdisc in the UK and Japan on 16 February 1987 under the original title Queen Live In Budapest, and on CD, DVD and Blu-ray for the first time on 5 November 2012 worldwide, except in the United States where it was released a day later.
The We Will Rock You: 10th Anniversary Tour is world tour started in February 2013, by the We Will Rock You Musical celebrating the musical's tenth anniversary. Although the tour will technically take place between the musical's eleventh and twelfth anniversaries. The tour will play to audiences around the world while the record-breaking run at London's Dominion Theatre will continue.
Michael Falzon was an Australian musical theatre/rock tenor actor, and producer, who ran his own production company, Good Egg Creative.
The Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2014–2015 was a worldwide concert tour by British rock band Queen and American singer Adam Lambert during 2014 and 2015. Following on their 2012 tour and their appearance at the 2013 iHeart Radio Music Festival, the band announced a 2014 tour of North America. Following the overwhelming success of their North American tour, it was expanded to Australia, New Zealand and Asia in the autumn, then Europe in early 2015. A tour of South America took place in September 2015.
The Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2012 was a European concert tour that was the first touring collaboration between British rock band Queen and American singer Adam Lambert.
The Queen + Adam Lambert 2016 Summer Festival Tour was a summer stadium/festival tour by British rock band Queen and American singer Adam Lambert. The tour began on 20 May 2016, in Lisbon, Portugal at the Bela Vista Park and continued throughout Europe before concluding on 25 June 2016, in Padua, Italy at the Villa Contarini. Afterwards, the band toured throughout Asia, starting in Tel Aviv, Israel at the Yarkon Park on 12 September 2016, and visited the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix on 17 September 2016 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit and concluded on 30 September 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand at the Impact Arena.
The Rhapsody Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Queen + Adam Lambert, the collaboration between British rock band Queen and American singer Adam Lambert. The tour was announced following the success of the biopic film Bohemian Rhapsody. The tour marks the group's third visits to North America and Oceania after performing there in 2014 as part of the Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2014–2015 and in 2017 and 2018 as part of the Queen + Adam Lambert Tour 2017–2018. The North American dates of the tour sold out in April 2019. The North American leg began on 10 July 2019, in Vancouver, Canada at the Rogers Arena and continued throughout the continent until its last show in Charlotte. The tour went through Europe, Oceania and a second North American leg which ended in Los Angeles before concluding in Tokyo Dome on 14 February 2024.
1 2 A final song, "The show must go on", was performed to mark the occasion. This was the same song the cast performed in the 2014 Westend Eurovision. WE WILL ROCK YOU to Close at the Dominion, 31 May, Broadwayworld, Retrieved 11 March 2014
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