Alexander McQueen bio-play premieres at St James Theatre

A new play about the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen will premiere at the St James Theatre in May.

Directed by John Caird, McQueen is written by James Phillips and is billed as "more than a bio-play".

McQueen was a multi-award winning designer known for ground-breaking fashion that made him a global icon. He committed suicide at his London home in 2010.

According to press material the play "steps into the fairy story landscape of McQueen's mind, the landscape seen in his immortal shows, where with a dress an urchin can become an Amazon, where beauty might just help us survive the night."

The action centres on a girl who breaks into McQueen's Mayfair house to steal a dress, leading to a life-changing encounter with the designer.

Playwright James Phillips's previous works include The Little Fir Tree (Sheffield Crucible), The Rubinstein Kiss (Hampstead Theatre) and Hidden in the Sand (Trafalgar Studios).

John Caird's numerous directing credits include his landmark RSC co-productions with Trevor Nunn of Nicholas Nickleby, Peter Pan and Les Miserables. He directed the musical Daddy Long Legs at the St James in 2012.

McQueen will feature production design by David Farley, choreography by Christopher Marney, lighting by David Howe, sound by John Leonard, video and projection design by Tim Bird and casting by Jayne Collins and Kate Plantin.

It's produced by Robert Mackintosh, with Julian Stoneman as executive producer.