EXCLUSIVE: The Emma Thompson-penned musical adaptation of fantasy film Nanny McPhee, a couple of witch who possesses magical powers wielded by way of her strolling stick, is being primed to hit London’s West Finish in 2026, Deadline can reveal.
Oscar-winner Thompson, songwriter Gary Clark and Working Title’s stage division have been growing the manufacturing, based mostly on the 2005 movie directed by Kirk Jones, which starred Thompson within the title function, on and off for over a decade.
Olivia Colman performed the snaggle-toothed nanny at an early workshop in London of the musical in 2018. This was confirmed to me on the time by Thompson, who praised Colman’s “great” efficiency. Lily James and Rory Kinnear additionally took half within the authentic workshop. Sophie Thompson participated in later test-runs.
Colman has not been concerned in subsequent run-throughs, however that doesn’t rule out her potential involvement within the West Finish.
My sources, who declined to be quoted on the document, pressured that there had been “no casting conversations of any type,” including, “There’s no level speaking to anybody till we have now booked a theater and confirmed dates.”
Nevertheless, there’s a lot exercise occurring behind the scenes now that director Katy Rudd has formally signed on to direct the present. The early work on the musical was overseen by Thompson, then Rudd was introduced in to direct a later collection of workshops.
Emma Thompson
Nick Haddow
Rudd’s productions as director embrace Ballet Footwear, at the moment working on the Nationwide Theatre, When Winston Went to Conflict with the Wi-fi on the Donmar Warehouse, Camp Siegfried on the Outdated Vic and The Ocean on the Finish of the Lane, which performed on the Nationwide and within the West Finish. She labored as affiliate director on Groundhog Day and The Curious Incident of the Canine within the Night time Time.
“She and Emma are working hand in glove,” on the Nanny McPhee musical, a supply inform us.
Deadline hears that 2026 is wanting likeliest for a debuts, because the supply famous “there are simply no huge theaters obtainable” in the intervening time.
Representatives from the most important theater house owners — Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LW Theatres, Cameron Waterproof coat’s Delfont Waterproof coat Theatres, Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer’s Nimax Theatres, the Ambassador Theatre Group and Nederlander Theatres — have been invited to a staged studying a number of months in the past and, judging from feedback, there’s a lot enthusiasm for the musical based mostly on the beloved film.
The movie additionally starred Colin Firth as a widower who requires a nanny to take care of his unruly offspring. The Suave Dodger star Thomas Brodie-Sangster performed one of many kids. Imelda Staunton performed the prepare dinner with Kelly Macdonald as a scullery maid. Angela Lansbury performed the formidable Girl Adelaide Sew, the household’s great-aunt.
Nanny McPhee, a strict disciplinarian, clad in black, arrives uninvited to rid the recalcitrant kids of their worst habits. The higher behaved the kids are, the nicer she is to them. Sounds about proper to me.
Thompson based mostly the musical and the 2 Nanny McPhee films on Christianna Model’s Nurse Matilda tales first revealed in 1964. Thompson has written the present’s e book and penned the lyrics with Clark who additionally composed the rating.
The strict-looking however soft-hearted nanny has a behavior of startling folks by dropping in unheralded, uttering: “I did knock.” A handful of illusions have been developed for the stage manufacturing, together with one which apparently entails the “I did knock” trick.
Nanny McPhee’s favorite remark is: “Whenever you want me, however don’t need me, then I’ll keep. However once you need me, however longer want me, then I’ll must go.”
