LIVE AID story to become a musical

[Uvox]

WOW !!! --

Live Aid, one of the most famous concerts of all time, is to become a stage musical in London next year.
The original event, at Wembley Stadium on 13 July 1985, was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
The musical, called Just For One Day, will feature songs played that day by acts including Queen, U2, Sir Elton John, Sir Paul McCartney and Sting.
It will be on at London's Old Vic Theatre from 26 January to 30 March.
Sitting on the stage at the Old Vic, one thing that Geldof wants to make very clear is that there will not be anyone pretending to be the singers.
"This isn't a tribute thing. I wouldn't have anything to do with that. So, there isn't a person dressed up as Freddie wearing a crap moustache. The songs drive the drama along," he says.The plot of Just For One Day, named after a line in David Bowie's Heroes, will balance a behind-the-scenes look at how Band Aid and Live Aid came together, with a love story inspired by real events.
"The story is based on actual testimony from the day," explains Geldof. "It's real people telling their story throughout this. So it's complex theatre."
The musical is being made with the full permission of the Band Aid Charitable Trust, which will receive 10% of every ticket sale.
The show was originally conceived by John O'Farrell, who wrote the Mrs Doubtfire musical, and Luke Sheppard - who directed the musical & Juliet which features the songs of Swedish pop songwriter Max Martin.

Geldof says the duo were not overly confident when they approached him with the idea for the show.
"They came and said, 'we know you are going to say no, but we want to do it because our dads have never stopped talking about this day. And we think it's theatre'."
Geldof attended workshops for the musical with the other Band Aid Trustees, including Live Aid's promoter Harvey Goldsmith and Lord Grade - the man who agreed to the BBC broadcasting the original concert.
They wanted to make sure that they liked what they saw, before deciding to endorse the production.
"We were blown away. I have to say there was not a dry eye in the house," confirms Geldof.

He will be played by the English actor Craige Els, who has previously appeared on TV in Ripper Street and Dr Who. Watching someone portray him is something Geldof does not enjoy.
"Let me be completely blunt. It's bad enough being Bob Geldof. It's slightly worse seeing someone else pretending to be you. The one upside for me is that he's got an amazing voice, stage Bob, so that people will think I actually sing as good as that.

"And he got the language right," he laughs, acknowledging the swearing he became famous for during the Live Aid broadcast, when he forcefully asked the presenter David Hepworth to read out the phone numbers to push instant donations.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-66948358

[Last Film Star]

"a behind-the-scenes look at how Band Aid and Live Aid came together, with a love story inspired by real events"

I knew it. I could tell Midge had a sparkle in his eye whenever he looked at Bob.