Musicals based on musicians are nothing new. Some performers are more obvious hosts than others, however. For example, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons make sense for a musical soundtrack (as seen during Jersey Boys). A less obvious group to base a production on is folk-punk rockers The Pogues, however writer David Simon is working on doing just that.
Simon has experience in writing for television, and writing for television about music, but this will be his first foray into writing musicals. Simon is best known for creating the hit HBO program The Wire, and for being co-creator of Treme, which is entering its final season on HBO. The latter focuses on musicians and culture in New Orleans.
The Herald reports that Simon will be writing the project to be performed by the Druid Theatre Company of Galway, Ireland. They report:
"Simon's script has been submitted to Druid's artistic director Garry Hynes, though few details have emerged other than that the story is based on songs by the Pogues." The paper also indicated that the production would take "years" to finish, largely thanks to Simon's involvement in other projects.
Simon had been working on the project with Phil Chevron, the guitarist for the band, prior to the instrumentalist's death earlier this year. The guitarist had been diagnosed with cancer during 2006 before another tumor emerged during August of this year. He was 56.
Simon has previously included The Pogues into his work with HBO. The band made frequent appearances on the soundtrack of The Wire, and drummer Spider Stacy stars as reoccurring character James "Slim Jim" Lynch.
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