April 2024 marks 25 years since the death of legendary, British songwriter Lionel Bart. We are delighted to be able to commemorate the story of Bart in this anniversary year, by bringing It’s a Fine Life! to the Queens Theatre Hornchurch from the 29th April to 4th May.
Lionel Bart is one of the household names of 1960s Britain…but why? Plenty of other songwriters are able to come and go without anything but their melodies and lyrics remaining in peoples minds. Bart was different. As one of the early examples of socialite stardom, his parties were as notorious as his chart toppers, his failures as spoken about as his hits and his scandals as publicly entertaining as his musicals. His story is the story of anyone who has ever taken on the establishment and against all odds made great art. The creator of his own success and downfall, his eccentric tragedy demands to be told.
With West End star John Bar (Evita, Sweeney Todd, Batboy) in the role of Bart, delivering a performance that is both ‘deeply interesting’ and ‘thoroughly entertaining’. The play is accompanied by Lionel’s infectiously charming and incredibly moving music, both his musicals – Oliver!, Blitz, Maggie May, Fings Ain’t What they Used to Be – and his countless chart topping pop songs including, Living Doll, From Russia with Love and Little White Bull!
Written by Simon Hanning, the show is a culmination of the writer’s in-depth research and meetings with those closest to Bart, featuring both the famous and the unheard stories from the songwriters’ life. He has crafted the piece working very closely with the Bergliter Family (Lionels family), former friends such as Don Black, as well as his two PA’s that looked after him throughout his career, as they are very keen to keep his name in the spotlight and not let him become another forgotten name.
Simon Hanning writer and director of It’s a Fine Life!, I look forward to working once more alongside the brilliant John Barr as he lights up theatres across the UK in the role of Bart!
Appearing at The Queen’s Theatre between 29th April to 5th May 2024