Ben Elton (Photo by Ingo Hoehn)

Ben Elton has been an established figure in the world of entertainment for over 30 years. From novels, to television, to stand-up, to theatre, his career has seen him succeed in an impressive number of different fields. Born in London in 1959, he did stand-up comedy for several years after studying drama at the University of Manchester before moving into television.

Early TV Success

Elton had his first big break at the age of 23, when he became a writer for The Young Ones, a sitcom about four students sharing a house. Next he wrote the series Happy Families starring Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French. He then became a writer for the international hit series Blackadder, starring Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, and Hugh Laurie. A sitcom charting four different periods in English history, it is still rerun in the UK and the US and regularly ranks high on lists of the greatest British sitcoms.

Back to Stand-Up

In an effort to promote his own writing, Elton returned to stand-up comedy. He wound up selling out appearances across the country, becoming one of the UK’s top live acts. His humour was topical and often political – he regularly lambasted Margaret Thatcher’s administration and endorsed Socialist ideals. This led him to become the host of Saturday Live (later renamed Friday Night Live), a television sketch show inspired by the long-running US series Saturday Night Live. He adapted his comedy acts into the TV series The Man from Auntie, which ran in 1990.

From the Page to the Stage

Elton next set his sites on writing books, and since 1989 he has published 13 novels, with four reaching the top of the UK’s bestsellers list and five more reaching the top 5. He adapted his novel, Popcorn, into a play, which premiered in 1996. A comedy crime caper, it follows two murderers who hold a filmmaker hostage so they can force him to declare publicly that the violence in movies led them to commit their crimes. It remains his most critically acclaimed play to date, winning the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. Earlier in the 90’s, he wrote Gasping, starring Hugh Laurie, and Silly Cow, which was written for and starred Dawn French, with both plays premiering at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 1998, he adapted his novel, Blast from the Past, for the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

An Unlikely Musical Man

Elton teamed up with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a new musical, The Beautiful Game, which told the story of a football team caught up in the violent Catholic and Protestant divide in Northern Ireland. At its premiere in 2000, it received mixed reviews, with Elton’s script generally derided as being too simplistic and predictable. It closed within a year. Around the same time, Elton was approached to work on a musical using Queen’s greatest hits be called We Will Rock You. He created a unique storyline set in a futuristic dystopian society, and upon its opening in 2003, it was critically savaged by the press, with Elton’s book in particular singled out as problematic. Still, audiences loved the show, and it has been playing to packed houses ever since. His next venture, a musical using the songs of Rod Stewart entitled Tonight’s the Night, was less successful and ran for just over a year.

A scene from Love Never Dies

After discussing a sequel to his smash-hit The Phantom of the Opera for many years with a number of writers, Lloyd Webber eventually settled on Elton, despite the lukewarm reception to their previous outing. The end result was Love Never Dies, which opened in 2010. The musical imagines the Phantom, now a recluse living in New York’s fairground, Coney Island. The reaction from critics was mixed to poor, and yet again Elton’s book was considered by many to be one of the production’s weakest links. It closed for a few days to incorporate radical rewrites before ending for good after less than 18 months, failing to recoup its initial investment. However, after going through another round of significant changes, it opened in Melbourne, and most critics praised this revamped version, giving it a chance to become Elton’s first play to reach Broadway.

Elton next set his sites on writing books, and since 1989 he has published 13 novels, with four reaching the top of the UK’s bestsellers list and five more reaching the top 5. He adapted his novel, Popcorn, into a play, which premiered in 1996. A comedy crime caper, it follows two murderers who hold a filmmaker hostage so they can force him to declare publicly that the violence in movies led them to commit their crimes. It remains his most critically acclaimed play to date, winning the Olivier Award for Best Comedy. Earlier in the 90’s, he wrote Gasping, starring Hugh Laurie, and Silly Cow, which was written for and starred Dawn French, with both plays premiering at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. In 1998, he adapted his novel, Blast from the Past, for the West Yorkshire Playhouse.
An Unlikely Musical Man

Elton teamed up with Andrew Lloyd Webber on a new musical, The Beautiful Game, which told the story of a football team caught up in the violent Catholic and Protestant divide in Northern Ireland. At its premiere in 2000, it received mixed reviews, with Elton’s script generally derided as being too simplistic and predictable. It closed within a year. Around the same time, Elton was approached to work on a musical using Queen’s greatest hits be called We Will Rock You. He created a unique storyline set in a futuristic dystopian society, and upon its opening in 2003, it was critically savaged by the press, with Elton’s book in particular singled out as problematic. Still, audiences loved the show, and it has been playing to packed houses ever since. His next venture, a musical using the songs of Rod Stewart entitled Tonight’s the Night, was less successful and ran for just over a year.

A scene from Love Never Dies

After discussing a sequel to his smash-hit The Phantom of the Opera for many years with a number of writers, Lloyd Webber eventually settled on Elton, despite the lukewarm reception to their previous outing. The end result was Love Never Dies, which opened in 2010. The musical imagines the Phantom, now a recluse living in New York’s fairground, Coney Island. The reaction from critics was mixed to poor, and yet again Elton’s book was considered by many to be one of the production’s weakest links. It closed for a few days to incorporate radical rewrites before ending for good after less than 18 months, failing to recoup its initial investment. However, after going through another round of significant changes, it opened in Melbourne, and most critics praised this revamped version, giving it a chance to become Elton’s first play to reach Broadway.

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The anthems

Perhaps more than any other band in history, Queen is a staple of sporting events around the world.  “We Will Rock You”, an a capella chant using only stomping and clapping apart from Brian May’s guitar solo at the end. It has become a fixture of pop culture, appearing in numerous films and TV shows as well as at football, wrestling, and boxing matches, and the Super Bowl.  Similarly, “We Are the Champions” has taken on a new life in the sports world; it is played whenever a team wins the Stanley Cup in the National Hockey League and was selected as the World Cup theme song in 1994. Politicians across the globe have even played it at rallies after winning elections.

“Radio Ga Ga” with its fist-pumping chorus and “Another One Bites the Dust” with its catchy baseline help solidify Queen’s legacy as the kings of rock anthems. These songs make an easy transition to the stage, as audiences are easily carried away by the triumphant messages and hard rock edges of these classic hits. The lyrics tell of overcoming obstacles, never giving up, and “Radio Ga Ga” in particular speaks to rebelling against the commercialism of the modern day, all themes that translated into We Will Rock You.

The ballads

Few rock bands have been able to produce as many moving hit ballads as Queen.  One of their earliest, “Somebody to Love” was unique in that its original recording used vocal layering techniques to create the impression of an entire gospel chorus from the voices of only the band’s four original members. “Who Wants to Live Forever” was written for the film Highlander, and is a dramatic realisation of our mortality. It is one of Queen’s most covered songs, with singers from Seal to Sarah Brightman performing it.

One of the few Queen hits that did not make it into the musical is “The Show Must Go On”, surely a frontrunner if the rumours of a We Will Rock You sequel ever come to fruition. It is a biographical account of Freddie Mercury’s attempts to continue performing despite being terminally ill with AIDS. His bandmates were concerned he would not be able to record the song at all, but he was able to perform it in one take in arguably his most moving performance ever. In 1991, he tragically lost his battle with AIDS just six weeks after it was released as a single. He was 45 years old. Though it is only rarely performed by the We Will Rock You cast as an encore, the high drama of many of Queen’s songs allow performers to turn in touching performances night after night.

And of course, Queen’s most theatrical number is the operatic “Bohemian Rhapsody”, here performed by the cast of We Will Rock You:

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Top 10 We Will Rock You Songs

10. Killer Queen

UK charts peak: #2

The song gives Killer Queen her name, and is fittingly her introduction in We Will Rock You. Written in 1974 by Freddie Mercury, the song was Queen’s breakthrough hit and has a lighter edge when compared to their hard rock numbers.

9. Another One Bites the Dust

UK charts peak: #7

Killer Queen sings “Another One Bites the Dust” as she brain-drains Khashoggi. Originally released in 1980, it was Queen’s best-selling single, reaching #1 across the globe, including the US. It has sold more than 7 million copies worldwide.

8. I Want to Break Free

UK charts peak: #3

Galileo sings “I Want to Break Free” to his classmates, rebelling against Killer Queen’s regime.  First released in 1984, it inspired one of Queen’s most iconic music videos featuring all four band members in drag.

7. Somebody to Love

UK charts peak: #2

Derided by her peers, lonely Scaramouche sings “Somebody to Love” in the first act of We Will Rock You. Mercury’s plaintive vocals on the track led it to become one of Queen’s most enduring songs, and it has been covered numerous times from vocalists as diverse as Anne Hathaway and the cast of Glee.

6. Don’t Stop Me Now

UK charts peak: #1 (McFly cover)

Revelling in her supposed victory over the rebels, Killer Queen belts out “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Queen took this upbeat track to #9 in the UK charts in 1979, and it has been in circulation ever since, appearing in films, advertisements, and even being covered by McFly for Sports Relief 2006.

5. Under Pressure

UK charts peak: #1

As they start to fall for each other, Galileo and Scaramouche sing “Under Pressure.” Released by Queen and David Bowie in 1981, it is perhaps the best rock duet of all time. Its iconic bassline famously caused controversy in 1991 when Vanilla Ice sampled it in his hit “Ice Ice Baby” without giving Queen credit or royalties, claiming he had never heard “Under Pressure” and any similarities were just a coincidence.

4. Who Wants to Live Forever

UK charts peak: #24

Galileo and Scaramouche team up again to sing “Who Wants to Live Forever” as a duet. Surprisingly not one of Queen’s greatest hits, it was written for the movie, Highlander, and released as a single in 1986. This heartbreaking ballad took on new meaning after Mercury’s tragic death from AIDS in 1991.

3. Radio Ga Ga

UK charts peak: #2

The Ga Ga Kids take on “Radio Ga Ga” in the introduction to We Will Rock You. The song that gave Lady Gaga her name,  this fist-pumping anthem confronts the effect television and film had on radio. It reached #1 in 19 countries in 1984.

2. We Will Rock You

UK charts peak: #1 (with Five)

As part of the finale, Galileo leads the cast in a rendition of the musical’s title song, “We Will Rock You”. One of Queen’s best known songs, and a staple at sporting events across the world, it was rereleased in the UK by the three remaining members of Queen alongside the pop group Five in 2000.

1. Bohemian Rhapsody

UK charts peak: #1

Although it does not appear in the plotline of We Will Rock You, the cast generally performs “Bohemian Rhapsody” as an encore that is well worth the wait. It was Queen’s biggest hit, staying at #1 in the UK charts for 9 weeks upon its release in 1975.  An astonishing mix of hard rock and opera, it is one of the most complex and longest songs ever to top the charts and remains a large part of Queen’s legacy.

What do you think of our list? Did we miss any great songs? What other Queen songs would you have liked to see in the musical?

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On May 15 the show celebrated 10 historic years in the West End with a star studded gala performance for fans of the show and celebrities. The current cast performed the musical, with members of Queen in attendance to help the proceedings along. Noel Sullivan and Brenda Edwards brought the house down with standards such as ‘Killer Queen’, ‘I Want to Break Free’ and ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, and the audience rose to its feet in appreciation.

Samantha Fox was among the guests at the event, dressed up in relevant glam rock attire and praised the show saying that Freddie would have been very proud. Actress Emma Thompson, comedian and songwriter (and soon to be Judas) Tim Minchin joined in on the fun, along with the cast of TOWIE and other reality TV celebrities. Over the past 10 years We Will Rock You has employed a number of reality TV performers, from Lauren Samuels from BBC’s ‘Over the Rainbow’ to Noel Sullivan of the original ‘Popstars’ fame. Original cast member Tony Vincent is one of the rare examples of someone going the other way, as he has just been a part of the second US season of The Voice, after playing Galileo for the opening run.

The biggest celebrity surprise of the night came in the shape of Robert De Nero who graced the red carpet as a special guest of May and Elton. May was over the moon to attend and host the event, and offered his deepest thanks to everyone who has helped the show over the past decade:  “My personal thanks to everyone who has helped us nurture it over the years … to all the wonderful cast members, our brilliant band and EVERYONE who has made this show one of the greatest events of the last decade”

Enjoy this video of Bohemian Rhapsody as performed at the 10th Anniversary We Will Rock You Gala: 

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Adam Lambert joins Queen in London 2012

Ever since the untimely death of Queen front man Freddie Mercury in 1991, the band have been looking for a suitable replacement in order to deliver the crowd pleasing tours that their fans had become accustomed to. Original band members Brian May, Rodger Taylor and John Deacon have performed together since in a number of capacities, although Deacon retired from the band in 1997 leaving May and Taylor to work together to keep the spirit of the band alive.

In 2009 the band reformed along with Paul Rodgers, embarking on a UK tour using many of the original tracks along with some new collaborations. For 2012 however, American rock singer Adam Lambert will join May and Taylor for Queen’s 2012 summer tour. The band will perform at the Sonisphere Festival in London, and although it will be the first official full concert for Lambert in his new role of lead singer, he is no stranger to performing many of the iconic songs. The former American Idol has sang with the band on numerous occasions, even using their songs to help him win nationwide appeal whilst staring on the eighth season of the hit US show American Idol.

Some fans have expressed their disappointment that Lambert will sing with the band, worried that he will try to overshadow the late Freddie Mercury. As a huge fan of the band and Freddie himself, Lambert is keen to pay respect to the performer by performing his songs in front of an appreciative audience. The London concert takes place on July 7th at Knebworth Park, which is coincidentally the venue where Queen played their last concert together with Freddie Mercury in 1986.

The Queen concert on May 14th 2012 in London offered fans an alternative way to keep the dream alive, as a hologram of Freddie Mercury was used throughout the performance to give the audience the effect of him singing live on stage. Although this technological advance is not necessarily a new technique (Broadway show ‘Come Fly With Me’ projected Frank Sinatra throughout most of their all singing, all dancing production back in 2009) it was a first for Queen fans, and allowed younger audience members the chance to experience what an original Queen concert may have felt like. Brian May was delighted at the new technology saying it was an ‘excellent’ way for fans to see the show.

After artists such as Paul Rodgers and Adam Lambert have joined the band, who else would you like to see take to the stage with the group? Lady Gaga has previously been rumoured to perform with the group, and her stage presence and overall feel is very close to Freddie himself. Her ability to whip a crowd into a frenzy and perform to such large audiences would suit the rock group, and who knows – she may appear with the band in the future!

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After months of hype, We Will Rock You opened on 14 May, 2002, with members from almost every national paper in the house to see how the Queen musical had shaped up. The next day, The Guardian’s Brian Logan wrote, ‘it is hard to take seriously a story that invokes spirit and individuality when it is packaged in a spectacle as ruthlessly manufactured as this…You will find nothing bohemian, and precious little that’s rhapsodic, here.’

Most of the criticism was aimed at Ben Elton’s script and futuristic plot. Fiona Sturges of The Independent wrote, ‘Surely they could have come up with something better than this. Ben Elton, the brains behind the book, claims to be a rock fan but he has done Queen a disservice with such a trite and tacky storyline.’ Kevin O’Sullivan at the Daily Mail was even more blunt, declaring, ‘Ben Elton should be shot for this risible story.’

At times, it seemed the critics were trying to outdo each other with the cruelest comments. Michael Coveney of The Daily Mail wrote, ‘Pantomime has arrived a little early in the West End, in the shape of this shallow, stupid and totally vacuous new musical,’ whilst the Daily Telegraph’s Charles Spencer agreed: ‘Far from being guaranteed to blow your mind, We Will Rock You is guaranteed to bore you rigid. The show is prolefeed at its worst.’  Robert Gore-Langton of the Daily Express perhaps summarised the critics’ reaction best: ‘The show is so awful it’s almost entertaining.’

Still, the production managed to earn Sharon D. Clarke an Olivier nomination for her performance as Killer Queen. At the 2003 What’sonstage Awards, chosen by the public, We Will Rock You swept the musical category, winning Best New Musical, Best Actor for Tony Vincent, Best Actress for Hannah Jane Fox, Best Supporting Actress for Clarke, and Best Director for Christopher Renshaw.

The public has remained firmly behind We Will Rock You ever since, and critics’ opinions seem to have made no impact on ticket sales. It is the 15th longest-running production in West End history, and the longest-running show the Dominion Theatre has ever hosted. A sequel is currently in development, with a new script by Ben Elton. We Will Rock You is currently booking through October 2012.

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