A new musical titled God Is a DJ is now in development, promising to bring club culture into the theatre in an ambitious and immersive production.
The show is written by Olivier Award winner Jessica Swale, whose work includes Nell Gwynn and Paddington The Musical. It will be directed by fellow Olivier Award winner Vicky Featherstone, former Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre.
Musical supervision and orchestration come from BAFTA winner and Olivier Award nominee Matthew Brind, known for Starlight Express, Just For One Day and Paddington The Musical.
Described as an electrifying fusion of live DJ, live band and iconic dance hits, God Is a DJ reimagines the energy of electronic dance music for the stage.
The musical explores love, human connection and the highs and lows of superstardom, set against the contrasting worlds of classical music and club culture.
Beginning as an intimate play before building into a euphoric live DJ set, the production aims to break theatrical boundaries as the story spills into the auditorium.
The title song “God Is A DJ” has been written exclusively for the show by Grammy and Emmy Award‑winning composer David Arnold with acclaimed British songwriter Karen Poole and emerging dance talent Sam Harper.
Jessica Swale said:
“How could I resist the opportunity to join Vicky and Matthew, two such inspiring creative forces, in making a piece of work which truly challenges the boundaries of conventional playmaking. I’ve always loved collaborating with live musicians, but we’re exploding those boundaries to see what happens when you mix intimate storytelling with heart-stopping immersive sound. I can’t wait!”
Vicky Featherstone said:
“Having fallen deeply in love with clubbing and dance music at the Haçienda and the Paradise Factory in the Manchester of the 90’s, the opportunity to bring that experience to the stage in a musical which celebrates our eternal search to belong and to exist as one, even for a moment, feels very special. Nothing can ever replace the feeling as we all raise our arms in the air, forgetting the world outside and are taken to a different place by the skill of the DJ and the music.
Fusing that with theatre alongside such great collaborators, where we can also explore the dark heart which lurks within that world, is a real adventure.”
Matthew Brind said:
“Electronic Dance Music has been one of the leading musical genres of the 21st century. The challenge of bringing this amazing cultural musical language to a theatrical setting is thrilling. EDM is both heartfelt, euphoric and everything in-between, which is what I believe the best theatre is too. God Is A DJ promises to be a musical and emotional rollercoaster. It’s a huge challenge but a very exciting challenge”.
David Arnold said:
“Sometimes music is the only thing that can make sense of how we feel – it is its own church – and for some it’s the only place to go to be understood and fling our arms to the heavens to invite something, anything, to help us understand. It is a joy to be a part of this story. It is a show that’ll be unlike any other and will surprise those who think they know what a musical that holds hands with dance music will be.”
The concept was created by producer Irit Ten Hengel, whose upcoming work includes Obsessed, a musical based on the life and songs of Diane Warren. Donna Munday joins the team as Executive Producer.
Further details will be announced soon.
More information can be found here.
