Bend It Like Beckham

Jess needs extra time. She is facing the most important decision of her life: live up to family expectations of university, career and marriage, or follow in the footsteps of her hero David Beckham. When the talented teenager is spotted playing football in Southall, a world of unexpected opportunities opens up before her. But as her sister’s traditional Indian wedding approaches, can she keep her family happy and still follow her dreams?

Bend It Like Beckham is a new British musical, based on 2002 British film of the same name. Featuring an original score with a Punjabi kick, it brings a unique cultural fusion of musical theatre to the stage for the first time. This reimagining of the much-loved hit film sees generations, cultures and communities brought together in an uplifting story about bending the rules and scoring that deciding goal.

Bend It Like Beckham is written by Paul Mayeda Berges and Gurinder Chadha (whose film credits include Bend It Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice). The original score is an East-West fusion of Bhangra and soaring melodies with music by Howard Goodall (Love Story, The Hired Man ) and lyrics by Charles Hart (The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Love Never Dies). Pioneer of British Bhangra sound, composer and performer Kuljit Bhamra has collaborated with Howard Goodall. Gurinder Chadha directs, with choreography and musical staging by Aletta Collins (Anna Nicole, ROH).

(Source: Show website.)