Live Aid at Wembley Stadium London on 13 July 1985. Picture: Pictorial Press Ltd Alamy Stock Photo
The game-changing music event Live Aid is the inspiration for a major new musical which will receive its world premiere at The Old Vic in early 2024.
Written by best-selling author John O’Farrell (Mrs Doubtfire, Something Rotten) and directed by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, The Little Big Things), Just For One Day will debut at the London venue from 26 January to 30 March 2024.
Backed by The Band Aid Charitable Trust, the stage musical version of the incredible day when 70 of the world’s biggest music artists performed for free in a trans-Atlantic super-concert, the cast will include Julie Atherton, Ashley Campbell, Jackie Clune, Craige Els, James Hameed, Naomi Katiyo, Hope Kenna, Freddie Love, Emily Ooi and Rhys Wilkinson. Further casting will be announced at a later date.
Unveiling details of the new musical, the artistic director of The Old Vic Matthew Warchus said: “I had the pleasure of working with Luke Sheppard on Matilda The Musical and I have always admired the witty brilliance of John O’Farrell’s writing – I am thrilled to have these two great forces uniting on The Old Vic stage alongside an excellently talented company.
“For those of us who were around in the ’80s, Saturday 13 July 1985 I’m sure will be one of those days that is forever etched in our memories. We all remember where we watched Live Aid, who we watched it with, and the pure amazement at the feat that was unfolding before our eyes. It’s these memories and individual stories that are the beating heart of Just For One Day, and I can’t wait for audiences to share in a moment that galvanised the globe once again.”
Band Aid’s Bob Geldof added: “From seeing Just For One Day throughout its development, if this musical encourages just one person to have a positive impact for the better, then it will be a job well done. I’m looking forward to seeing it at The Old Vic… it better not be shit!”
The production will feature musical supervision, arrangements and orchestration by Matthew Brind, choreography by Ebony Molina, set design by Soutra Gilmour, costume design by Fay Fullerton, with lighting by Howard Hudson, sound by Gareth Owen, video and animation by Andrzej Goulding and casting by Stuart Burt.
Featuring the songs of superstar artists including Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Who, U2, Queen, The Police, Elton John, Paul McCartney, The Pretenders, The Cars, Status Quo, Paul Weller, Sade, The Boomtown Rats, Bryan Adams, Diana Ross, Ultravox and many more the musical aims to re-create the day when an audience of 1.5 billion was treated to a ‘global jukebox’. Artists performed at Wembley Stadium in London and John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, raising $127 million for famine relief.
Since its formation in 1984,The Band Aid Charitable Trust has spent the past four decades working across Africa to support organisations dedicated to the prevention or relief of poverty and famine through charitable grants. Ten per cent from the sale of every ticket for Just For One Day will be donated to the Trust to support their ongoing global relief efforts.
Over the course of the production, The Old Vic will work with 79 school and community groups to offer free tickets and workshops through their award-winning education and community programmes – Schools Club, Take The Lead, Community Club and Matinee Idols.
Angela Thomas
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