Theatre Royal Bath Productions will stage the U.K. premiere of a new stage adaptation of the 1953 film Roman Holiday; it features the songs of Cole Porter. The musical will run June 10–July 1, 2023, with opening night set for June 20.
The work follows a young princess visiting Rome who escapes her chaperone to spend time with a writer, not knowing he's been assigned to write about her. The stage adaptation of the non-musical film is a Cole Porter jukebox musical, including such favorites as "Easy to Love," "You Do Something to Me," "In the Still of the Night," "Just One of Those Things," and "Night and Day."
Roman Holiday first came to the stage in 2001 at St. Louis' The Muny, later playing The Guthrie in 2012 and a Broadway-aimed production at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre in 2017. The Broadway transfer never materialized. Paul Blake (White Christmas), who wrote the book for those earlier runs, is newly joined for the musical's U.K. premiere by Kirsten Guenther (Benny and Joon). Jeremy Sams will direct, with further creative team to be announced.
Theatre Royal's production is being presented by arrangement with Paul Blake and BFI Productions, indicating a further commercial future may be in the cards.
Visit TheatreRoyal.org.uk for tickets.