TOP 10 TUESDAY (FEBRARY 2025) - Musicals Based On Literary Works

This month's top 10 looks at those pieces of musical theatre that have taken inspiration from works of literature, whether these be drama, fantasy, memoirs or biographies, these ten shows all have written prose at their very heart. Whilst theatre has always taken its inspiration from a plethora of sources, there will never be a shortage of great books to adapt to the stage.

10. OLIVER!

"Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens

The company of "Oliver!" at the Chichester Festival Theatre

Arguably Lionel Bart's best known work, this 1960 stage musical was a roaring success, becoming the west end's longest running show of all time, playing 2,618 performances over a 6 year run in the west end, with subsequent success on broadway. With book, lyrics and music by Bart, "Oliver!" has become a musical theatre classic, being taken on regularly by schools and amateur groups, and recently having returned to the west end, though it hasn't been seen on broadway for over 40 years.

Its basis "Oliver Twist", is the second of Charles Dickens' written works, and arguably one of his most beloved, with its popularity arguably being boosted significantly following the premiere of Bart's stage show, and subsequent movie musical which saw original west end Fagin actor Ron Moody reprise his role.

9. MATILDA

Roald Dahl book of the same name

The west end company of "Matilda"

One of a number of Roald Dahl works to have been adapted to the stage, "Matilda" has become a west end mainstay, having opened at the Cambridge Theatre in 2011, where it continues to run to this day 14 years and over 4,600 performances later. Unlike the distinctly American 1996 movie adaptation, the musical returns to the novel's British roots, and is arguably a far better adaptation of the book, both through the use of UK accents, language and setting, and Tim Minchin's score and lyrics.

The novel was one of the last major works that Dahl published, and despite the divisive nature of the man himself, his writing captured the imagination of generations. Matilda gave hordes of young girls hope that they can be anything they want to be, and that they have more power than they think, which is why, even today, the story has such an enduring legacy.

8. YOUR LIE IN APRIL

Manga series by Naoshi Arakawa

Mia Kobayashi and Zheng Xi Yong in "Your Lie In April" in the west end

Stories from east Asia, especially from Japan and Korea, have always fascinated western audiences, and it is no surprise that manga and anime are such huge sellers in the UK. Naoshi Arakawa's famous, tragic love story "Your Lie In April" is a well known story for any manga readers, and Frank Wildhorn certainly wasn't a stranger to adapting Japanese stories to the stage, having previously adapted Death Note a few years prior.

Your Lie In April is about Kaori and Kosei, who are brought together by music, kept together by love and friendship, but tragically separated by Kaori's hidden illness. It's a beautiful, heart warming story that ends in tragedy, with Wildhorn's adaptation comprising a stunning score and some remarkable musical performances, and a finale that left everyone in the auditorium in floods.

7. THE OUTSIDERS

S. E. Hinton novel of the same name

The broadway cast of "The Outsiders"

The newest show on this list, the original novel by S. E. Hinton is hugely popular with young people across the USA, notable for its distinct relatability for teen and young adult readers, which is particularly potent given that Hinton was only 16 when she wrote "The Outsiders", publishing it a few months before her 19th birthday. It's no wonder, then, that the musical, written by Jonathan Clay, Zach Chance and Justin Levine, has become such a huge hit.

"The Outsiders" follows the life and times of teenager Ponyboy Curtis, best friend Johnny Cade, and his relationships with both his brothers and his "greaser" friends, as well as rivalry with rich kid "socs" across town. It has a distinct Grease meets West Side Story feel, the score is beautifully written, and there are some incredible visual elements and choreographed scenes, arguably fully deserved its best musical Tony in 2024.

6. THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

F. Scott Fitzgerald book of the same name

The west end company of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"

The latest new musical to hit the west end, this charming folk inspired story had humble beginnings, with two separate runs at Southwark Playhouse before opening at the Ambassador's Theatre in 2024. "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" was F. Scott Fitzgerald's fourth published short story, first released in 1922, and is widely accepted to be his best known shorter work.

The classic story of a strange individual who ages backwards from an old man to a baby is one that has captured the imaginations of generations, and continues to do so in the west end, with the current production of the Jethro Compton and Darren Clark musical having played to rave reviews from critics and fans alike.

5. CABARET

"Goodbye to Berlin" by Christopher Isherwood

Eddie Redmayne and the west end company of "Cabaret"

"Cabaret" has become such a cultural phenomenon, it's often easy to forget that it was originally a 1930s novel about the fall of the Weimar Republic and rise of the third reich, as well as author Christopher Isherwood's concurrent relationships with teenage cabaret star Jean Ross, on whom the character Sally Bowles is based. The novel was originally adapted into a play called "I Am a Camera" by John van Druten, before John Kander and Fred Ebb re-adapted this into the musical "Cabaret".

The show has been restaged and reimagined countless times, from Jill Haworth and Joel Grey introducing Sally and the Emcee to the world, Sam Mendes taking the show in a bold new direction in 1993 with Jane Horrocks and Alan Cumming, and today's revival directed by Rebecca Frecknall that is dazzling audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. It will always be a beloved story, but sadly, as it seems, a relevant one as well.

4. WICKED

"Wicked" series of books by Gregory Maguire

The company of "Wicked"

The witches of Oz may have existed since the turn of the 20th century, but it wasn't until almost 100 years later that we got our first real deep dive into their younger lives, and gained a further, more complex look at their origin stories. Gregory Maguire took the beloved story and characters first created by L Frank Baum, and gave them a distinctly darker, more adult complexion and revisionist life.

Naturally it was only a matter of time until we saw this new, fresh take on the witches adapted to the stage, and it was only 3 years after Maguire's novel was released that Stephen Schwartz fought for (and won) the rights to develop the musical, along with producer Marc Platt. Fast forward 27 years, and the show is a worldwide sensation, having run for 22 years on broadway, 19 years on the west end, and currently halfway through the release of a two-part movie adaptation.

3. HAMILTON

"Alexander Hamilton" biography by Ron Chernow

The original broadway company of "Hamilton"

Although it recounts the life and times of the real life historical figure, the inspiration Lin-Manuel Miranda took for his magnum opus was actually from the biography of Alexander Hamilton penned by Ron Chernow published in 2004. The musical "Hamilton" took Miranda over six years to complete, and started life as the "Hamilton Mixtape", with its first outing being a performance by Miranda of what would become the opening song at the White House in front of Barack and Michelle Obama.

It has since become a global phenomenon, initially winning 11 Tony awards from a record 16 nominations, a subsequent west end transfer (itself winning 7 Oliviers from 13 nominations), a plethora of touring and international productions, and a filmed recording of the full broadway show.

2. NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812

"War & Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

For most of us, we wouldn't even know where to begin in trying to adapt Leo Tolstoy's mammoth epic novel "War & Peace", but for Dave Malloy, the obvious move was to take a short 70-page section from volume 2, introducing the characters and how they are linked in its prologue. And it's an idea that, at first glance, is beyond bonkers, however what we ended up with was one of the finest adaptations of literature on modern broadway history.

The musical follows young countess Natasha Rostova and her love life, whilst this is all happening, Pierre Bezhukov tries to find meaning in his loveless, lacklustre life, and the two title character's lives eventually become intertwined once again following these events. It first premiered off-off-broadway in 2012 as an immersive production directed by Rachel Chavkin, eventually playing on broadway in 2016, and finally making it to the UK in 2024 in a new production directed by Tim Sheader. It is generally revered for its score and story, however has often been overlooked in favour of other more popular shows.

1. LES MISERABLES

Victor Hugo novel of the same name

The Hollywood Pantages company of "Les Miserables"

The oldest novel to make this list, Victor Hugo's work has lent itself brilliantly to the stage over the years, however it is arguably his most revered and popular work "Les Misérables" that has had a bigger impact than any other. Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil originally adapted Hugo's text to the stage in 1980 in a French language production, before it opened in the west end in 1985, where it continues to run 40 years later.

The show has had multiple broadway productions, which have garnered a total of 8 Tony wins from 15 total nominations, as well as a whole host of international productions, a Hollywood movie in 2012, and enormous global critical acclaim and fan adoration spanning generations of fans. We celebrate the west end production's 40th birthday this year, so there is no other show more fitting to top this list.

Which is your favourite musical based on a piece of literature? Let me know below, or on my instagram page.