Lloyd Webber/Rice The Likes of Us Presented July 12

For a special future broadcast on Radio Two, the BBC will be recording a concert performance of the very first musical that Andrew Lloyd Webber  wrote with Tim Rice--The Likes of Us--on Tuesday, 12th July at 7 PM.  The Likes of Us will also have its debut performance at the Sydmonton Festival this coming weekend at The Mermaid Theatre-Puddle Dock, Upper Thames Street, Blackfriars.

The Likes of US preceded Jesus Christ Superstar as the first collaboration between composer Lloyd Webber and lyricist Rice (Evita and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat being the others), and features a book by Leslie Thomas.  Thomas had been a client of Dr. Barnardo, the subject of the musical, which was intended for a West End production but only made it into demo stages (in a tape released by Southern Music).

The exclusive 40th anniversary performance will be introduced by Paul Gambaccini with Stephen Frye (Wilde) as narrator; Fry will fill the audience in on relevant plot points.  The Likes of Us, which will be directed by Chris Luscombe and feature Simon Lee's music direction, will be enhanced by one added song, but will otherwise remain as it was in 1965.

The concert will be broadcast on September 30th on the BBC's Radio 2.