Desperately Seeking a Shaftesbury Avenue Home???

Preparations are revving up for the screen-to-stage adaptation of Desperately Seeking Susan (See The Goss, 8 Dec 2006). We hear that the new musical, which sets the 1985 film to the greatest hits of Blondie, is aiming to be on Shaftesbury Avenue well before the end of the year, with Emma Williams playing the title role created on screen by Madonna. Williams – along with other West End regulars including Kelly Price, Simon Lipkin, Clive Rowe and Neil McDermott – took part in a workshop of the new piece late last year. Now she’s back in the rehearsal room for another three weeks’ development. Set in 1979, Desperately Seeking Susan centres on bored New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass who spots a personal ad entitled “Desperately Seeking Susan” and heads off to Manhattan in search of the exciting Susan herself. Things get complicated when, after buying Susan’s jacket, Roberta is knocked unconscious. Awaking with amnesia, she assumes she is Susan, who is also being desperately sought by the mob. In addition to Madonna, the film starred Rosanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Amongst the Blondie hits included in the stage version are “Hanging on the Telephone”, “The Tide Is High”, “Heart of Glass”, “Call Me”, “Rapture” and “One Way or Another”.

Got some goss? Contact gossip@whatsonstage.com

Related Content