Don Black Speaks On STEPHEN WARD, Lloyd Webber & More

Multi-award-winning stage and screen lyricist Don Black talks about his current collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Christopher Hampton on the new historically-based West End musical STEPHEN WARD and much more in a new interview.

Based on the 1960s political scandal known as the Profumo Affair, STEPHEN WARD offers the chance for the creators to explore the then-burgeoning world of the swingin' 60s in London at the time as well as illustrate the destruction of a respected celebrity osteopath as his life and career crumble before his very eyes.

In remarking upon the era itself, Black shares, "It's a wonderful story. This was the beginning of the swinging 60s - it's a wonderful period. You know, it was post-war stuffiness beforehand..."

Yet, the project is not without its challenges - particularly being a brand new musical on the market. "You never know what's going to make a new musical," Black asserts.

"[Andrew Lloyd Webber and I] did SUNSET BOULEVARD together - with Christopher Hampton; the three of us - that was twenty years ago! And, we'd been looking to work together again; the three of us," Black says.

"Andrew Called me one day and said, 'Christine Keeler, Profumo,' and I said, 'Is that a good idea?' And, then, he went to the piano and said, 'This is Christine's theme,' and it was just to die for! 'This is Profumo's melody;' the goosebumps come and you just say, 'Yes! Yes! Yes!'" Black vividly remembers of when he agreed to sign onto the potentially risky new venture.

Black also comments, "It's a wonderful story and there are so many famous people involved because Stephen Ward was the most popular man in London. He was osteopath to people like Ava Gardner, Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill - an incredible man-about-town."

Lastly, Black opines, "And, our story, basically, we could have called SCAPEGOAT because it was very unjust what happened to him."

STEPHEN WARD begins previews in the West End on December 3. Check out a previous article on STEPHEN WARD here.

Listen to the BBC Radio 2 interview with Don Black about STEPHEN WARD and more below.