Can Theatre Producer Win Dragons’ Backing???

A theatre producer is appearing on BBC show Dragons’ Den this evening (29 July) trying to entice the wealthy panel to back her new musical about sixties songstress Dusty Springfield.

Former TV presenter Josephine Buchan – granddaughter of The 39 Steps author John Buchan – is looking for a £250,000 investment in return for 25% equity in the project. She apparently has the backing of music producer Mike Moran and Springfield’s former backing singer Simon Bell, but in a teaser on the BBC website can be seen sweating over her profit predictions for Dusty: A Life in Music.

Buchan said of the bid: “The public have a voracious appetite for Dusty Springfield … A rock band has been on there (Dragons’ Den) but I don’t think anybody has ever pitched a musical.” When pressed to reveal the outcome, she would only say that she is “not disappointed”, adding “I come out of it thinking it was a really good experience”

On her company website, Buchan lists producing credits including Marguerite, Menopause the Musical, Robin and the Hoods and The Zoodiacs and says she is working on “a number of projects in London, New York and Texas”.