The world premiere of the new musical written and directed by Ben Elton will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory from the 18th September until the18th November.
The Menier Chocolate Factory has announced that Elena Skye will play Twiggy in its upcoming world premiere production of Close Up – The Twiggy Musical, heading to the theatre later this year. Skye’s previous theatre credits include: Lauren in Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre), Eponine in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre) and as Scaramouche in We Will Rock You (London Coliseum and UK tour). Further casting has yet to be announced.
The story of a skinny kid from Neasden who became the most famous teenager on the planet and the ‘face of the 1960s’ may seem like the stuff of fairy tales, but there is tragedy as well as triumph in this intimate portrayal of a true 20th century icon. It’s the story of a young working class woman who faced snobbery and sexism in a pre-Me Too world and yet achieved her dreams without ever compromising who she was. Author and director Ben Elton charts Twiggy’s journey through laughter and tears from the suburbs of London to the world’s fashion capitals to Hollywood and Broadway and ultimately to becoming a national treasure and Dame of the Realm. All accompanied by a fabulous score featuring the hits that have been the soundtrack to Twiggy’s life. Grab your miniskirt and re-live the swinging ‘60s and soulful ‘70s in this joyful, uplifting and empowering world première musical!
Talking about news of the production, Twiggy said: “It’s very unexpected, but truly an honour, to see my own life translated onto stage – and I can’t imagine a better, more generous, collaborator than Ben. I’ve been approached before about sharing my story, but never has the alchemy felt so right.”
Meanwhile, Ben Elton commented: “I’m thrilled to be bringing Twiggy’s incredible story to the stage, with an amazing creative team at the Menier – the perfect home to begin our journey. Very London, very authentic, and such wonderful intimacy in which to stage this musical. In Elena, we’ve found a glorious talent – not just a unique voice, but someone who’s funny, honest and utterly authentic, very much like Twiggy herself.”
As well as being written and directed by Ben Elton, the creative team behind this production includes: Choreography: Jacob Fearey; Set and Video Design: Tim Bird; Costume Design: Jonathan Lipman; Sound Design: Gregory Clarke and Musical Supervision, Direction and Orchestrations: Stuart Morley.
To book tickets visit: https://www.menierchocolatefactory.com/tickets/close-up-the-twiggy-musical/