We Will Rock You
A musical with songs by QUEEN, script by BEN ELTON
Presented by Phil McIntyre, Queen Theatrical Productions and Tribeca Theatrical Productions, in association with EMI, Paul Roberts, Michael Watt and Michael Coppel
Dominion Theatre, London - 14 May, 2002
Synopsis
Set in the year 2300, live music has been banned from the Planet Mall. Everyone wears the same clothes, thinks the same thoughts and goes about in a brain-dead gag-ga haze. A bunch of Bohemians are looking for the 'Rhapsody' in the rocky rubble of Tottenham Court Tube Station. With the help of Pop, an ancient hippie librarian, who is researching secret history through old copies of NME (New Musical Express), two soul rebels, Galileo and Scaramouche, find Rock's Holy Grail, Brian May's guitar buried in the remains of Embley Stadium.
The Story
Act One
Three hundred years from today. Globalsoft runs the world, and musical instruments are outlawed. Pop, a librarian, is discovered by the secret police reading the Secret Histories. He tells Khashoggi, the head of the police, about a prophecy he has read, "that salvation is to be found there, at the place of the champions, and that a bright, bright star will show the way". Khashoggi has him taken away. School is ending for the year.
Everyone is celebrating, except for one young man who calls himself Galileo Figaro. He hates the constraints placed on him by Globalsoft, and wants to make his own music. His teacher reports his subversive thoughts to Khashoggi, and also tells him of another graduate who is displaying too much individuality, Scaramouche, who at the moment is busy fighting with the GaGa girls. Both students are arrested.
The head of Globalsoft makes an impressive entrance. Khashoggi reports on his work to break the resistance, and the prophecy that Pop had mentioned. The Killer Queen instructs him to do whatever is necessary to find the instruments that may still be hidden. She also sets out to distract all citizens who may be attracted to the rebels.
Galileo is questioned by Khashoggi. He reveals that he hears strange phrases in his head, but doesn't know where they come from or what they mean. He and Scaramouche both wake to find themselves on gurneys. They start to talk and realise they have quite a bit in common. They take off together. The Killer Queen and Khashoggi blow up Stonehenge looking for the elusive instruments. They both look forward to a time when all resistance is ended. 
Elsewhere, members of the bohemian resistance are gathering materials to try to create their own instruments. They've gone underground, sacrificed everything, to try to rediscover the music that used to exist. Galileo and Scaramouche arrive, while the bohemians hide themselves. Galileo tells Scaramouche more about his dreams and the phrases he hears in his head. The bohemians recognise the words and think they must be spies, but Galileo manages to convince them that he's sincere. The bohemians take them back to their hide-out.
The group arrives at the "Heartbreak Hotel". There, Galileo and Scaramouche are introduced to the rest of the Bohemian resistance. They have been waiting for a "dreamer", someone to lead them, and they think Galileo may be the one. Galileo's not sure though - he doesn't even know what rock 'n' roll is. Neither do the Bohemians, though they try to demonstrate. Khashoggi arrives. He had implanted surveillance devices on Galileo and Scaramouche, and followed them to the hide-out. A huge fight follows, and most of the bohemians are arrested, but Galileo and Scaramouch are able to escape.
Act Two
The other citizens go mindlessly about their lives, unaware of the struggle taking place. Galileo and Scaramouche find the tracking devices on their bodies, and Scaramouche is able to reverse them. They realise that, despite their current freedom, they will almost certainly be captured and killed in the end, and this prompts them to declare their love for each other.
The Bohemians are interrogated by Khashoggi. He isn't able to get much useful information from them, but orders that their minds be erased. Galileo wakes up from a dream, where he envisioned what was happening to the Bohemians. Scaramouche already knows what's happened - she has been spying on Khashoggi with the reversed surveillance bugs. They both decide to try to save their friends by going to the Seven Seas of Rhye, but argue about how to do it, and end up barely speaking. Khashoggi takes this good news of the Bohemians' capture to the Killer Queen, who begins to celebrate, until he informs her that Galileo and Scaramouche are still on the loose. She threatens him with what will happen to him if they're not stopped.
Galileo and Scaramouche are making their way to the Bohemians, still fighting all the way. Meanwhile, Pop is playing bartender to the empty-headed Bohemians, as he reminisces that These Are the Days of Our Lives. Galileo and Scaramouche enter and are thrilled to see their friends, but no one recognises them. Pop's memory wasn't completely erased though, and he shares with them what he remembers of the Sacred Histories. He sets off with Galileo and Scaramouche in search of the place of champions. The trio arrive at Wembley Stadium, but there are no instruments in sight. Galileo decides to try it a capella, and before long, a guitar is found, and they begin to rock full-out. Pop broadcasts their song to the world, and the bohemians show up, as does the Killer Queen. But her reign is over.
The Bohemians finally have their Rhapsody.
Musical Numbers
- Innuendo - Radio Ga Ga Ga Ga Kids
- I Want To Break Free - Galileo, Scaramouche
- Somebody To Love - Scaramouche and Teen Queens
- Killer Queen - Killer Queen and Yuppies
- Play The Game - Killer Queen and Yuppies
- Under Pressure - Scaramouche and Galileo
- A Kind Of Magic - Killer Queen, Khashoggi and Yuppies
- I Want It All - Britney, Meat and Youth
- Headlong - Britney, Meat, Galileo, Scaramouche and Bohemians
- No-One But You - Meat and Bohemians
- Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Britney, Meat, Galileo, Scaramouche and Bohemians
- One Vision - Ga Ga Kids
- Who Wants To Live Forever - Scaramouche and Galileo
- Seven Seas Of Rhye - Khashoggi and Police
- Don't Stop Me Now - Killer Queen
- Another One Bites The Dust - Killer Queen
- These Are The Days Of Our Lives - Pop and Bar Patrons
- Headlong (reprise) - Galileo, Scaramouche and Pop
- We Will Rock You - Galileo and Bohemians
- We Are The Champions - Galileo and Bohemians
- Finale - Company
Director Christopher Renshaw
Decor Mark Fisher
Video Mark Fisher, Willie Williams
Costumes Tim Goodchild
Lighting Willie Williams
Sound Bobby Aitken
Choreography Arlene Phillips
Orchestrations Steve Sidwell
Musical Director Mike Dixon
Fights Gordon Alexander
Cast
Nigel Planer Pop
Alexander Hanson Khashoggi
Tony Vincent Galileo
Hannah Jane Fox Scaramouche
Sharon D Clarke Killer Queen
Nigel Clauzel Britney
Kerry Ellis Meat
Ensemble
Sam Archer, Giorgia Barberi, Luke Baxter, Mazz Murray, Nick Crossley, Alistair David, Andrew Derbyshire, Lucie Fentum, Amy Field, Taira Foo, Amanda Harrison, Dalh Haynes, Cameron Jack, Jenne Lee-James, Chris Lennon,
Giles New, Zak Nemorin, Laetita Ray, Richard Roe, Golda Rosheuvel, Nicola Stuart, Leon WebsterSwings
Bekki Carpenter, Anna Woodside, Mark Marson, Tanya Robb, Robert Ricks, Phong Truong
Discography:
Original London Cast - Live Performance - Parlophone 7243 5 84938 2 5
REVIEW SCORECARD |
|
rave |
3 |
favourable |
4 |
mixed |
4 |
unfavourable |
8 |
pan |
- |
Discography:
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