Acclaimed director & choreographer Jerry Mitchell looks set to add another triumph to his portfolio of hit shows when his latest offering receives its UK premiere at Birmingham Repertory Theatre next month. Adapted from Terry Ronald’s bestselling novel of the same name, Becoming Nancy is a coming-of-age musical, set in 1979, about family, first love and finding yourself. 
What’s On recently caught up with Jerry to find out more about his new show...

When award-winning director Jerry Mitchell picked up a book to while away a long-distance flight, he had no idea it would lead to him directing a new musical based on its story. And that musical, Becoming Nancy, will have its UK premiere at Birmingham Rep next month.

“I was in the West End working on Kinky Boots and flying back from London to New York,” Jerry recalls. “I had read all my books and wanted something to read for the plane, so I ran into the Waterstones right by the hotel and grabbed this book called Becoming Nancy. 

“I read it on the plane and I loved it so much that by the time I got off the plane I rang my lawyer and said ‘Get me the rights to this book, I’m going to turn it into a musical!’”

Written by Londoner Terry Ronald, Becoming Nancy tells the story of gay teenager David Starr, who, when offered the role of Nancy in school musical Oliver!, faces a terrible dilemma - does he take the part or not? While his friends and family all weigh in with their views, David is uncertain he’s ready to put his head above the parapet. 

Jerry, who’s directed West End and Broadway musicals including Legally Blonde, Hairspray and the new production of The Devil Wears Prada, felt the novel had all the ingredients for a hit show.

“I fell in love with the lead character of David immediately, and I felt myself in the book in the character of both David and his friend Maxie Boswell. There were so many similarities to my own life growing up, even though I grew up in Michigan in the United States. As a 17-year-old trying to find out who I was, I was one half Maxie and one half David.”

Set in 1979 London, the story’s action takes place against a backdrop of National Front marches and the Rock Against Racism movement - another element that Jerry felt made the show incredibly current, given the emergence in recent times of Black Lives Matter.

“With what’s going on at the moment, it feels so relevant. The third lead in the show is Frances Bassey, David’s best friend, who is a young black girl, and what was happening in London at that time is so similar to what has been going on in America. 

“And the other element is looking at what kids go through in school about being the ‘other’ person, and how these young people can find out who they are and also respect someone who isn’t like them. I thought it was such a beautiful story about that.”

The show premiered in Atlanta in 2019, with original songs by hit-writing duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, whose successful shows have included the Cameron Mackintosh/Disney Mary Poppins, The Wind In The Willows and the National Theatre’s Honk!. The book was adapted by Elliot Davis, whose previous shows include What I Go To School For - The Busted Musical and Loserville.

The book’s author, Terry Ronald, also formed part of the team. As well as being an author, Terry is a playwright, musician, songwriter, vocal arranger and coach, and during a distinguished career has worked with stars including Kylie Minogue, Kim Wilde, All Saints and Elaine Paige. 

“When we did the show in Atlanta,” Jerry continues, “I was shocked at how quickly the young people who saw it fell in love with David and Maxie and got on their side. I think many of them saw themselves in a story about young people who are struggling with their identity and their place, and they recognised the racial tensions and the importance of friendship.  

“And the flip side of that is that mothers and fathers were coming out crying because they were seeing themselves. One of the things I loved about it was that the mother and father are dealing with their son, who they don’t know how to help. And so they’re in the dark, and they have to manoeuvre their way through the story and make the decisions to become great parents.”

The show aims to capture the spirit of Britain at the end of the 1970s - a time when both politics and music were at the forefront of the lives of young people.

“Another thing that was fabulous about the story was that David has this admiration for pop music and uses the artists like characters. In our stage version we use Sting, Kate Bush and Debbie Harry. He talks to these artists as if they’re his friends because he can’t talk about what he’s going through with anyone else. It’s such a wonderful theatrical device.”

The Birmingham production has new songs, written by George Stiles, Elliot Davis and Terry Ronald, and includes a couple of Olivier Award winners in the cast.

“We have really great people playing great parts. We wanted fresh talent for the school kids, as fresh talent is what is going to infuse the story with truth. And then we have some sensational people playing the adults.

“The UK was where I always wanted to do Becoming Nancy. I’ve been coming to the UK since I was 26 years old, when I was an associate choreographer with Cameron Mackintosh on Follies, with Diana Rigg, Julia McKenzie and a host of incredible British stars.”

And Jerry is convinced British audiences will take Becoming Nancy to their hearts.

“I have a funny feeling that this show is going to be a huge success in the UK. I’ve seen other shows like it, such as my own show, Kinky Boots, or Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. These are other shows that have a similar sort of leading character, with issues that I think are very much what’s happening today. 

“I hope the audience will be the whole family. It’s empowering for them because young people leave the theatre thinking ‘It’s okay to be who I am,’ and the parents leave the theatre thinking ‘I want to help my kid feel confident and strong in who they are, so that they can succeed, as opposed to being afraid to be who they are.’”

Feature by Diane Parkes

Becoming Nancy shows at Birmingham Repertory Theatre from Wednesday 2 October to Saturday 2 November