Stage and screen star Frances Barber is reuniting with Jonathan Harvey and The Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe for a new cabaret show which will receive its world premiere at this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe.
The multi award-winning actress will return to the role she previously played in the trio’s hit musical Closer to Heaven when it debuted in London nearly two decades ago.
Barber will take centre stage as retired rock queen Billie Trix in MUSIK, a 50-minute one-woman show which features a book by playwright Harvey and six songs written by Tennant and Lowe including four new tracks written for the show.
Commenting on the new project, the Pet Shop Boys said: “When we wrote Closer to Heaven almost 20 years ago, we loved the compelling outrageousness of the character Billie Trix as written by Jonathan and performed by Frances Barber.
“We have all discussed for many years the idea of creating her own one-woman show which would give us the chance to write more songs for her as she looks back on her incredible career. We’re thrilled that this show is finally happening.”
Harvey added: “It has been such a treat reconnecting and working with Chris and Neil on this, 20 years after our first foray into musical theatre writing. In MUSIK Billie, dried up, drug-addled icon and rock star, tells us about her life and sings her biggest hits. I can’t wait to see Frances Barber inhabit her again as she did so hilariously and so touchingly all those years ago.”
Produced by Cahoots Theatre Company, MUSIK will debut at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh from 5 to 24 August 2019.
Set in the heart of Soho’s vibrant club-scene, Closer to Heaven premiered at the Arts Theatre in 2001. The show was most recently seen in London at the Union Theatre in May 2015 followed by a second run in the autumn of 2015.
Angela Thomas
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