The Spice Girls reunited today to launch Viva Forever!, the musical based on their songs that will open at the Piccadilly Theatre on 11th December 2012 with previews beginning 27th November. The show replaces Ghost The Musical which will close 6th October 2012.
The launch for the musical took place at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London, where the band filmed their famous video for "Wannabe" in 1996. The launch was also attended by Jennifer Saunders who wrote the musical as well as Judy Craymer who is producing the show. She made her name with Abba musical Mamma Mia! Speaking at the launch she said “Jennifer Saunders is a comedy goddess and a brilliant collaborator. I feel incredibly fortunate that she agreed to write this story, her first West End musical. With her razor-sharp, witty insight she completely captures relationships, she gets the theatricality and comedy of the TV talent show and chaos that ensues for family and friends. She understands the anxieties in women, the fear of judgment and trepidation that one day they get to a certain age and become invisible. Her story embraces all generations.”
Viva Forever! centres on the fortunes of four TV talent show contestants, especially a young woman called Viva (of course) who lives on a houseboat with her mother. At the launch, Geri Halliwell said: "Sixteen years ago I couldn't imagine when we wrote the lyric 'zig-a-zig-ah' it would end up in a West End show. We're thrilled to be working with these amazing women - incredible."
Victoria Beckham - aka 'Posh Spice' - added: "I think we're going to introduce a whole new generation to girl power. What we do individually and collectively is empower women and we're hoping there's a load more people who are going to come on board."
Mel C said: "We've seen a lot of the workshops of the show and it's better than we ever could've hoped ... to have our songs being performed night after night in a theatre is an honour for us."
There was a humourous moment when Geri Halliwell praised her fellow bandmates only for Mel C to say, "she's only saying that cos she left" (referring to Halliwell's break from the band 1998).
This show could either go two ways - it could be brilliant or it could be awful. I am trying not to make up my mind until after I see the production. However as Viva Forever is replacing Ghost it will have to be good to justify such a brilliant show closing.
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