Bad Girls to close early 17 Nov 2007

Bad Girls to close early 17 Nov 2007

Bad Girls The Musical, has posted early closing notices for 17 Nov 2007, after a run of only 3 months at the Garrick Theatre.

The a stage adaptation of ITV1's drama series, which was booking to 1 March 2008, opened at the Garrick Theatre 12 Sep 2007, following previews from 16 Aug 2007 to mainly good notices from the popular press: NICHOLAS DE JONGH for THE EVENING STANDARD says, "Offers authentic pleasure to those of us who enjoy serious issues camped up to melodrama level while plot-lines and characters scale the heights of absurdity." IAN SHUTTLEWORTH for THE FINANCIAL TIMES says, "The series may have, as an academic claims in the programme, astutely mixed entertainment with message; this stage musical neither achieves nor even attempts any such blend. " MICHAEL BILLINGTON for THE GUARDIAN says, "Though the piece is preposterous hokum, the show is put across with enormous zest." CHARLES SPENCER for THE DAILY TELEGRAPH says, "A hell of a lot of fun." BENEDICT NIGHTINGALE for THE TIMES says, "An enjoyable piece of sentimental melodrama and even has a little bite in its dramatic dentures."

Bad Girls The Musical has book by its creators Maureen Chadwick and Ann McManus, and music & lyrics by Kath Gotts.

Directed by Maggie Norris, the cast includes: David Burt (Jim Fenner ), Sally Dexter (Yvonne Atkins) , Caroline Head (Nikki Wade) , Nicole Faraday (Shell Dockley) , Laura Rogers (Helen Stewart ), Helen Fraser (Sylvia 'Bodybag' Hollamby) , Julie Jupp (Julie Saunders) , Rebecca Wheatley (Julie Johnson ), ?? (Crystal Gordon) , Amanda Posener (Denny Blood ), Chris Grierson (Justin Mickelwhite) , Michael Harbour (The Number One ), Maria Charles (Noreen Biggs).

It is designed by Colin Richmond , lighting by Tim Mitchell and choreography by Lynne Page .

Bad Girls - The Musical takes as its starting point the original core characters from the first three series of Bad Girls on TV. Set in the fictional HMP Larkhall, it's the story of new idealistic Wing Governor Helen Stewart and her battles with the entrenched old guard of Officer Jim Fenner and his sidekick Sylvia Hollamby. It also follows the love story that develops between Helen and charismatic inmate Nikki Wade. Other featured characters include Shell Dockley and her runner Denny Blood, old-timer Noreen Biggs, The Two Julies and the ultimate Top Dog, King-of-Gangland's missus, Yvonne Atkins.

A tragic death on the wing - in which Jim Fenner is implicated - leads to an angry protest from the women and forces Helen and Nikki to their opposite sides of the bars. But when it's clear that Helen stands to lose her job over Jim Fenner's misdeeds, the race is on for the women to nail Jim once and for all.