Dame Emma Thompson's Nanny McPhee The Musical will make its world premiere in London next year, marking the first time the beloved franchise has been adapted for the stage.
The musical is based on the smash-hit 2005 film, which was written by Dame Emma, who also starred as the title character – a nanny with magical powers summoned to help a widower look after his unruly children.
A return to the stage
The franchise, based on Christianna Brand's bestselling Nurse Matilda books, shot to international success and spawned a 2010 sequel starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and Asa Butterfield.
Dame Emma, 67, has written the book for the upcoming production, which will debut on the West End next summer. She has also co-written original lyrics with singer-songwriter Gary Clark, who composed the music and previously wrote music for the stage and film adaptations of Sing Street.
Creative team revealed
The production will be directed by Katy Rudd, with choreography from Olivier Award-nominee Ellen Kane, whose credits include Paddington The Musical and Matilda The Musical. Olivier Award-winner Rob Howell, known for Matilda The Musical, is responsible for set and costume design.
News of the production was revealed in an Instagram post on Thursday, featuring Dame Emma faced with a giant virtual billboard announcing the project. An additional post to the Nanny McPhee The Musical page featured a comical video of Dame Emma brainstorming ideas with a mini statuette of the magical nanny.
What to expect
Dame Emma said: "I've lived with Nanny McPhee for so long that to see her finally tread the boards is supremely exciting. Theatre feels like her natural home – magic, music, mischief and a good dollop of danger can all happen right in front of you."
The musical will follow the plot of the film, which featured Colin Firth and Thomas Brodie-Sangster, both of whom starred alongside Dame Emma in Love Actually. It will follow Nanny McPhee as she arrives at the Brown family home, met with a household in chaos with anarchic children who have driven away every nanny before her.
The description adds: "Armed with her strange knobbly stick, exceedingly unorthodox methods and quite a lot of magic, Nanny McPhee begins to restore harmony. And as it turns out, the children aren't the only family members who have lessons to learn."
