''Cliff – The Musical'' was a musical based on the life of Sir

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

which was staged at

The Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

, London from 17 March 2003 to June 2003. The show was written by

Mike Read Michael David Kenneth Read (born 1 March 1947) is an English radio disc jockey, writer, journalist and television presenter. Read has been a broadcaster since 1976, best known for having been a DJ with BBC Radio 1, and television host for musi ...

and Trevor Payne, with Payne directing. Four performers played the part of Richard.

Reception

The show was not well received by the critics with Rhoda Koenig writing in

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

: "The high point is '

pants Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending across both legs as in robes, skirts, and dr ...

'" referring to the final number, in which each of the four Cliffs "tosses a pair of unworn white boxer shorts to the screaming crowd – a moment that not only ends but sums up Cliff The Musical." The BBC's critic

Mark Shenton Mark Shenton (born 12 September 1962 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is a London-based British arts journalist and theatre critic. Between April 2002 and December 2013 he was chief Theatre Critic for the ''Sunday Express''. He formerly wrote a dai ...

wrote: "I wish I was in it myself, Sir Cliff Richard is quoted saying on the posters. But he must have said that before he actually saw this truly terrible tribute show" and referred to it as "Witless, insulting, clumsily thrown together; the new Cliff Richard tribute show is a long night at the theatre".BBC London, ''Cliff the Musical'' Mark Shenton March 2003

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cliff - The Musical 2003 musicals Biographical musicals about musicians Cliff Richard West End musicals