Disco Inferno (musical)
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (June 2022) |
| Disco Inferno | |
|---|---|
| Music | Various |
| Lyrics | Various |
| Book | Jai Sepple |
| Premiere | 2004: Harlow Playhouse, Harlow |
| Productions |
|
Disco Inferno is a 1970s jukebox musical written by Jai Sepple. Set in the East End of London in 1976, the show features songs from the era and is loosely based on the story of Faust.
Original productions
The musical debuted at the Queens Theatre, Hornchurch in 1999 with revised revivals at the Towngate Theatre, Basildon in 2004 the Kenneth More Theatre, Ilford in 2006.
Character list
The characters in Disco Inferno were named after well-known characters from songs of the era, such as "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Wuthering Heights" and "Lady Marmalade".
- Jack - a young and impressionable wannabe 'superstar'
- Jane - Jack's devoted girlfriend / fiancée
- Tom - Jack's lifelong and slightly nerdish best friend
- Maggie - Tom's girlfriend and female equivalent
- Heathcliffe - an egotistical, malevolent singer in the 'Disco Inferno'
- Kathy - Heathcliffe's long-suffering girlfriend
- Terry - Smooth talking DJ and friend to Jack and Tom
- Duke - an aging rocker and owner of the nightclub
- Lady Marmalade - the femme fatale
- Nick Diablo - eccentric English fashion guru
- Lily - a flamboyant barman
The character of Nick Diablo was omitted from both the 2006 and 2012 productions and Lily were omitted from the 2012 UK tour. Some of the characters names' were changed in the 2012 UK tour: Lady Marmalade was renamed Lucretia MacEvil, Kathy was renamed Roxanne and Terry was renamed Billy.
Original casts
| Characters | London Premiere (2004) |
London Revival (2006) |
UK Tour (2012) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack | Jai Sepple | Sam Attwater | |
| Jane | Jude Stoughton | Caroline Koutsoudes | Dani Harmer |
| Tom | Richard Stoughton | Dan Peek | Johnathan Tweedie |
| Maggie | TBC | Robyn Gowers | Joanna O'Hare |
| Heathcliffe | Nick Lupton | Steve Taylor | Matthew Goodgame |
| Kathy / Roxanne | TBC | Sherona Knight | Jennifer Potts |
| Lady Marmalade | Harri Sepple | Javine Hylton | |
| Duke | Steve Taylor | Mark Brock | Joe Connors |
| Terry / Billy | Simon Prynn | Damien Lewis | Michael Watson |
| Lily | Dave Roberts | Jamie Riley | — |
| Nick Diablo | Dave Adams | — | — |
Plot synopsis
The show is set in London in 1976; the hottest summer on record. Disco Inferno tells the story of an ambitious and talented hopeful, Jack, and his "burning" desire to make it in the music industry. Working late in a London nightclub, Jack meets Lucretia McEvil – a femme fatale and incarnation of the Devil. Dreaming of becoming successful, he makes a Faustian pact with her, trading his soul to fulfill his wildest fantasies.
Jack soon becomes an international success, making appearances on radio and television shows, but success proves hollow. He has the fame and fortune he's always dreamed of but is losing something far more important – his devoted girlfriend, Jane. One disaster quickly follows another. If only he could turn back time... If only he could make one more deal, trading all he now has for something far more important... the love of his life.
Performances
Disco Inferno has been performed around the world since it initial debut, countries have included the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Jamaica, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, Pakistan and Norway.
Music
Generally due to copyright restrictions in different countries songs have varied from production to production. The 2012 UK Tour version of the script was considerably revised.
2004 London premiere
Act One
|
Act Two
|
2006 London revival
Act One
|
Act Two
|
2012 UK Tour
Act One
|
Act Two
|
Publishing and representation
Disco Inferno is published by various Musical Theatre publishers worldwide.
- UK - Musical Theatre International, MTI Europe
- US - Musical Theatre International, MTI
- Europe - Gallissas Verlag
- Australia / New Zealand - David Spicer Productions
Cancelled UK tour
A new version of Disco Inferno began a tour of the UK in the autumn of 2012. The cast included Sam Attwater as 'Jack', Dani Harmer as 'Jane' and Javine Hylton as 'Lucretia MacEvil'. The tour closed after the first week, with the producer citing 'financial problems'.[1]
External links
- The Official Disco Inferno Website
- Jai Sepple - Author's official homepage
- Disco Inferno on the Guide to Musical Theatre
References
- ^ Hemley, Matthew (2012-09-05). "Cast owed thousands as Disco Inferno folds". The Stage. Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-04-28.
