Theatre News

But I'm A Cheerleader musical to premiere in London in 2022

The musical is based on the hit film

But I'm A Cheerleader
But I'm A Cheerleader

The musical version of But I'm a Cheerleader will have its UK premiere at the Turbine Theatre early next year.

Based on the hit film and with a book and lyrics by Bill Augustin and music by Andrew Abrams, the piece is directed by Tania Azevedo and choreographed by Alexzandra Sarmiento with lighting by Martha Godfrey.

The 1999 satirical teen comedy follows a young girl whose malicious parents send her to conversion therapy camp for her lesbianism. It has gathered a cult following, and this stage iteration was first seen as a workshop production as part of MTFestUK in 2019.

The new production will run from 18 February to 16 April at the Turbine Theatre in London, with casting to be announced.

Paul Taylor-Mills of the Turbine Theatre said: "The premiere of But, I'm a Cheerleader at the Turbine Theatre is special for many reasons. Firstly, it is the first fully produced musical that I will stage that started life at our first MTFestUK 3 years ago. This is our annual festival that shines the spotlight on the development and creation of musicals. Secondly, it will also be the first brand-new musical to premiere at The Turbine which was always our driving ambition at the theatre.

"The musical explores themes around conversion therapy and coming out and the complications some teenagers face trying to be their authentic selves. Conversion therapy is still legal in the UK and most of America and is very much still in play. This important work feels absolutely in line with the type of stories that we want to tell at The Turbine and I couldn't be prouder that we are able to present this as our first musical of 2022. I'm delighted to welcome Tania Azevedo and Alexzandra Sarmiento to the project to bring this important story to life."

Tania Azevedo (director) said: "I am thrilled to be working on the musical adaptation of this LGBTQ+ Cult Classic. I think it's crucial for our community to see ourselves in pieces of theatre that are comedic, that celebrate Queer joy and But I'm a Cheerleader is exactly that."

Adam Bialow (producer) added: "We're honoured that But I'm a Cheerleader: The Musical is the first fully commissioned musical to come out of MTFEST and are extremely thrilled to collaborate with Paul Taylor-Mills as the musical takes its next steps. In light of the subject matter – conversion therapy- being debated in both the United Kingdom and United States, I believe that this story is more necessary and sadly more relevant than ever. The writers have further developed the characters from the original motion picture, making them more accessible to a wider audience without detracting from their true essence in a way that is both entertaining and transformative in the process."