Marc Bolan – 20th Century Boy
Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre is to stage a new musical called 20th Century Boy, all about glam rocker Marc Bolan and his band T. Rex.
This full scale musical production will run on the Main Stage from 14 to 29 September, coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the iconic star’s death.
Rocker, poet, electric warrior, king of glam, godfather of punk, Marc Bolan tried many styles on for size in his search to become a superstar. Before his tragic death on 16 September 1977, a few days short of his 30th Birthday, Bolan lived life at breakneck speed, creating a series of iconic images, a string of number one hits and an army of obsessive fans.
This dynamic new musical looks behind the glitter and the sequins to tell the extraordinary story of Marc Bolan’s life from the early age of nine, partly from the perspective of his son Rolan as he seeks to find out more about his famous father who died when he was just two years old.
20th Century Boy will be packed with all of T. Rex’s ‘70s hits, including Ride a White Swan, Metal Guru, Get It On, I Love to Boogie, Children of the Revolution, and of course the title track 20th Century Boy.
Written by Peter Rowe, 20th Century Boy will be directed by award-winning director and choreographer Gary Lloyd, who recently directed the hit West End Michael Jackson musical Thriller Live. He has also worked with many established artists including Dame Shirley Bassey, Will Young, Emma Bunton and Girls Aloud and in 2005 he was stage director and choreographer for the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen.
Gary said, “20th Century Boy is a fast paced rock ‘n’ roll journey through Marc Bolan’s short yet eventful life. Told through the eyes of his son Rolan, we learn about the fame driven Glam star, his untimely death and the complex relationships he left behind. It’s a fascinating story re-written especially for the Belgrade with a ‘70s soundtrack that defies anyone to leave the theatre not humming along!”
George Maguire in rehearsal for 20th Century Boy – credit Jamil Jivanjee
20th Century Boy features a cast of sixteen actors and musicians, led by George Maguire, who will don the glitter and feather boa to play Marc Bolan. George’s previous stage credits include Fame at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Bank at the King’s Head, Rent on European tour, Quadrophenia at the Nuffield Theatre and Oliver! at the London Palladium. The cast also includes Donna Hines, who will play the role of Marc Bolan’s girlfriend Gloria and Craig Storrod, who will play his son Rolan Bolan.
Tickets for 20th Century Boy are available now from the Belgrade’s box office on 024 7655 3055 or via www.belgrade.co.uk priced from £17.75 to £30.25. Cheaper tickets can be purchased online.