Will A Tina Turner Bio-Musical Be Rolling Onto London's West End?

Baz Bamigboye of the Daily Mail has reported that a musical inspired by the life and songbook of Tina Turner was given an early workshop this week starring Shuffle Along's Adrienne Warren as the rock icon.

The show, called TINA, is currently in the beginning stages of development, but has the blessing of its subject as Tina Turner is helping to shepherd the piece to the stage.

At a workshop attended by Turner this week, a cast of 14 will worked from an early draft of a book penned by Olivier-playwright Katori Hall (The Mountaintop) and directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Rounding out the creative team were designer Mark Thompson, choreographer Anthony Van Laast and music director Nicholas Skilbeck.

According to the Daily Mail, to shape the story, the singer recounted the details of her life and career over a period of 18 months, to the book writer as well as Tali Pelman, the creative director of producers Stage Entertainment.

Pelman stressed that the singer's well-documented public struggle with her abusive partner, Ike 'isn't the whole story'.

She tells the Daily Mail, 'It is an extraordinary story - and Tina's an extraordinary person,' she said. 'Katori went to visit Nutbush and was staggered by the fact that there's one road. The number of hurdles Tina had to leap over is phenomenal.'

Turner also told the Daily Mail that 'one of the most surprising and wonderful discoveries for me in this process has been that my songs tell my story'.

Turner and Pelman would not reveal, however, which of the artist's songs would be used in TINA, because the show (on track for a 2018 opening) is currently too early in the development process.

Read the full story at the Daily Mail.