Growing up in the outskirts of Coventry, I was delighted to hear that the beautiful Belgrade Theatre will be creating a new musical about the city titled Godiva Rocks. In conjunction with the city’s bid for UK City Of Culture, this production will showcase the history and highlights of the town of Coventry through an emphasis on their vibrant musical history.
Written by Alan Pollock and directed by Hamish Glen, it will be their third collaboration following on from 2011’s Too Much Pressure and the acclaimed Coventry Blitz play, One Night in November. The production will amplify the Belgrade Theatre’s commitment to staging productions that reflect the stories of the city and region.
Alan Pollock explained: “On one level, this is a warm, funny, human story that keeps you guessing right to the end. But on another, it’s a story about an enormous pride: we, Coventry have produced this music. It came from somewhere inside us – from the people, the atmosphere and the soil of the place – and we sent it out into the world. Now it’s coming home and I hope people can celebrate that.”
Director Hamish Glen added, “It’s great to be teaming up with Alan once again, following the huge success of One Night in November. Godiva Rocks continues a Belgrade tradition of producing shows that bear witness to local history, local stories and local experiences. Although Alan has created a fictional story, it’s absolutely embedded in what happened to Coventry – its redevelopment, its regeneration, its loss of its venues, its decline and its re-emergence. As Artistic Director, this an essential strand of the Belgrade’s artistic vision.”
The music will be premiering on the Belgrade’s Main Stage in October, telling the love story between a boy and girl in 1964, with many twists and turns along the way. After an extraordinary evening in the Orchid Ballroom, the people of Coventry discover that Shady financier Leo Freeman’s decision to knock down the Orchid ballroom has far-reaching consequences – as daughter Nell meets the extraordinary Patrick Vernon – and the hunt for a missing tape reveals a history of musical passions and romantic jealousies stretching back to the dawn of musical time.
Opening on the 7th of October, tickets and info can be found here.
