Adult spin on musical; Hit musical The Producers is being staged on Tyneside next month. Entertainment Editor GORDON BARR has th

Byline: GORDON BARR

IT'S won awards galore and now Mel Brooks's The Producers will make its Newcastle debut at the Theatre Royal next month.

Following the highly acclaimed 2008 version of Thoroughly Modern Millie, which Newcastle Musical Theatre Company presented at the venue, the team returns for seven shows from September 22.

Anyone familiar with Brooks's films will rightly expect a very adult and anarchic but hilarious spin on the traditional musical - and that is what they get.

Max Bialystock is played by Keith Wigham, who has been seen previously on stage at the Theatre Royal playing Fagin for NMTC in Oliver! in 2000 and, more recently, as Darryl van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick for West End Operatic Society.

Max is a brash but failed Broadway producer who, together with his rather meek accountant, Leo Bloom, aims to stage a Broadway flop.

Leo is played by Baden Burns who is a newcomer to lead parts with the company but has been involved as a junior member since Oliver! in 2000.

Max has come to the conclusion that he can make more money with a Broadway flop than with a hit.

So he and Leo search for the worst script, actors and director they can possibly find. Their foolproof scheme gets complicated when their crass and totally tasteless production turns out to be a huge hit with the public.

Along the way they hire themselves a sexy Swedish secretary, Ulla, who is played by Eleanor Chagnis, who appeared as Millie last year.

Adapted from Mel Brooks's 1968 film by the man himself, this hilarious comedy musical opened on Broadway in 2001 and has since won 12 Tony Awards.

With a three-year run in the West End, it has proved itself to be a crowd pleaser.

All the new music was specially written by Brooks for the Broadway stage and, with songs including Springtime for Hitler and I Wanna be a Producer, he has created a tuneful, unusual, hilarious and rather adult musical comedy which is not to be missed.

Tickets are available now.

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