Gossip

Stephen Ward the musical to return?

Plans are afoot to bring Christopher Hampton, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s musical ”Stephen Ward” back to the stage

Daisy Bowie-Sell

| London | London's West End |

22 June 2016

Stephen Ward (Alexander Hanson) and Mandy Rice Davies (Charlotte Blackledge) — The original production of *Stephen Ward* starring Alexander Hanson as Stephen Ward and Charlotte Blackledge as Mandy Rice Davies
(© Nobby Clark)

WhatsOnStage has learned that the musical Stephen Ward may be making its way back to the stage.

Talking to WhatsOnStage, the writer Christopher Hampton said he had been working on the musical again, with a view to 'bringing it back in a year or so'.

"We were very pleased with it," he said, "but one of the things that didn't occur to anyone at the time was that [the show] wasn't done any favours by being put in a big theatre.

"We are thinking of bringing it back to a much smaller more intimate venue which will chime better with the subject matter."

Stephen Ward first opened in 2013 at the Aldwych Theatre. The musical has a book and lyrics by Don Black and Hampton and music from Andrew Lloyd Webber. It tells the story of the real events behind the 1963 Profumo Affair.

The musical received mixed reviews from critics and was widely considered a flop after its run ended after only four months.

Read our original review of the production here.