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Queen's We Will Rock You Cancels Third Preview

The new Queen/Ben Elton musical We Will Rock You has cancelled a third preview performance. Following last week's cancellation of the show's first two previews, on 24 and 25 April 2002, due to technical difficulties, this Friday's late matinee (3 May at 5.00pm) has now been called off.

A spokesman for the production told Whatsonstage.com that tomorrow’s cancellation is less to do with technical problems than with changes to the script. He said that tweaks are being made daily and that the cancelled performance time will be used for extra rehearsals. The show is still on schedule to receive its world premiere on 14 May 2002, after more than six years in development.

At a cost of £7.5 million, We Will Rock You joins the just-opened Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as one of the most expensive stage productions in West End history. Designers Mark Fisher and Willie Williams - best known for their rock concert creations for the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and U2 - have, according to promoters, built a set that "pushes the boundaries of innovative design even further". It includes more than £1 million worth of LED screens, specially shipped in from Hong Kong.

We Will Rock You is set in the future, in a place that was once called Earth. Globalisation is complete and the evil Killer Queen has banned Rock 'n' Roll in favour of computer-produced cyber stars and Andro Bands. But Resistance is growing amongst the Bohemians who believe in a Golden Age when kids wrote their own songs. They need a hero to help recover the hairy guitar god. Is the one who calls himself Galileo that man?

More than 6,500 performers were auditioned for the 37-strong company that includes stage veterans Nigel Planer, Sharon D Clarke and Alexander Hanson as well as Kerry Ellis, American Tony Vincent, Andrew Derbyshire and newcomer Hannah Jane Fox. We Will Rock You features a book by Ben Elton and no fewer than 31 of Queen's greatest hits, including "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Under Pressure", "Radio Gaga" and, of course, "We Will Rock You".

The musical is directed by Christopher Renshaw and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, with costumes by Tim Goodchild, sound by Bobby Aitken and music supervision by Mike Dixon. It is presented by Tribeca Productions (owned by Hollywood superstar Robert DeNiro who flew in last month to view a rehearsal and officially launch We Will Rock You to the world's media) along with Queen and Phil McIntyre Promotions.

Theatregoers with tickets for tomorrow's 5.00pm matinee are advised to call the Dominion ticket line on 0870 169 0115 to arrange ticket exchanges or refunds.

- by Terri Paddock

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