Bad Girls: The Musical

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Bad Girls
The Musical
Bad Girls Original Poster
Music Kath Gotts
Lyrics Kath Gotts
Book Maureen Chadwick
Ann McManus
Based upon ITV1 television series
Bad Girls
Productions 2006 Leeds
2007 West End

Bad Girls: The Musical is a musical with a book by Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus and music and lyrics by Kath Gotts. It is based on the popular ITV1 prison drama series, Bad Girls, also by Chadwick and McManus.

The original production was developed and directed by Maggie Norris. It had a tryout at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds in June 2006. The London West End production began previews at the Garrick Theatre on 16 August 2007 and officially opened in September 2007; however, it closed less than two months later and some five months earlier than originally planned, with the final performance staged on November 17, 2007.

An OCR Soundtrack of the musical is now available to buy.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Like the television series, the musical is set in HMP Larkhall and starts at the beginning of the series' story. New Wing Governor, Helen Stewart, battles against officers Jim Fenner and Sylvia 'Bodybag' Hollamby, as well as her love for convicted murderer, Nikki Wade. The plot of the musical focuses on the death of inmate Rachel Hicks and guard Jim Fenner's efforts to deflect any suspicion that falls on him. The romance between lifer inmate Nikki Wade and Wing Governor Helen Stewart is a sub-plot.

[edit] Characters

The characters in the musical are the same as those in Series 1 of the television show, including Shell Dockley, Denny Blood, Crystal Gordon, the two Julies and Yvonne Atkins. The musical's characters also include Noreen Biggs, who did not appear in the TV series until Series 4 and Justin Mattison, who was created for the musical. Justin is effectively the musical's version of Dominic McAllister, who appeared in Series 1 and Series 2, having much in common with this character: he is a young prison officer who is shown to care about the women's welfare; he questions Jim Fenner's methods; the two Julies and Yvonne Atkins are attracted to him and flirt with him; he has a crush on Helen Stewart; and he indicates to Nikki Wade that Helen is interested in her.

[edit] Casts

Original Leeds Production (2006)
West End Production (2007)

Four former cast members of Bad Girls feature in the West End musical, with Helen Fraser as Sylvia "Bodybag" Hollamby and Maria Charles as Noreen Biggs reprising their original roles from the television series. Nicole Faraday, who plays Shell Dockley in the musical, played Snowball Merriman in Series 4 and 5 of Bad Girls and Laura Rogers, who plays the part of Wing Governor Helen Stewart played the role of drug addict inmate, Sheena Williams in Series 7.

[edit] Song List

1. I Shouldn't Be Here
2. Guardian Angel
3. Jailcraft
4. One Moment
5. Life of Grime
6. A List
7. The Key
8. That's the Way It Is
9. Freedom Road
10. The Future Is Bright
11. Sorry
12. Every Night
13. All Banged Up
14. The Baddest & the Best
15. First Lady
16. Baddest & the Best Reprise
17. This Is My Life

This is the final song list for the production at the Garrick Theatre which differs slightly to the try out at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. For example P-P-P-Please was cut from the West end Production.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Whilst the musical's website names the character as "Justin Micklewhite", according both to the show's programme and to various dialogue, (e.g. FENNER: Help me with this door, Mr Mattison) the character has the same name as in the original West Yorkshire Playhouse production.