''We Will Rock You'' (often abbreviated as ''WWRY'') is a

jukebox musical A jukebox musical is a stage musical or musical film in which a majority of the songs are well-known, pre-existing popular music songs, rather than original music composed for the musical. Some jukebox musicals use a wide variety of songs, while ...

based on the songs of British rock band

Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...

with a book by

Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton is a British comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. One of the major figures in the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s, his early stand-up style was Left-wing politics, left-wing political satire ...

. The musical tells the story of a renegade group known as the Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought and culture in a vaguely

Orwellian ''Orwellian'' is an adjective which is used to describe a situation, an idea, or a societal condition that 20th-century author George Orwell identified as being destructive to the welfare of a free and open society. It denotes an attitude and ...

society. Directed by

Christopher Renshaw Christopher Renshaw (born 18 March 1952 in Reading) is a British opera and theatre director. He has directed in multiple countries, including musical theatre in London's West End. Biography In 2001, Renshaw directed ''Taboo'', a musical with th ...

and choreographed by

Arlene Phillips Dame Arlene Phillips (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, former television judge, presenter, and dancer. She reached mainstream fame on television as a judge on ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (2004-2008) a ...

, the original West End production opened in 2002. Although the musical was at first panned by critics, it has become an audience favourite, becoming the longest-running musical at the

Dominion Theatre The Dominion Theatre is a West End theatre and former cinema on Tottenham Court Road, close to St Giles Circus and Centre Point, in the London Borough of Camden. Planned as primarily a musical theatre, it opened in 1929, but the following ye ...

, celebrating its tenth anniversary on 14 May 2012. The original production closed on 31 May 2014, at that time the eleventh longest-running musical in West End history.A final song, "The show must go on", was performed to mark the occasion. This was the same song the cast performed in the 2014 Westend Eurovision
WE WILL ROCK YOU to Close at the Dominion, 31 May
Broadwayworld, Retrieved 11 March 2014 Numerous international and touring productions have followed, and ''We Will Rock You'' has been seen in six of the world's continents. By December 2022 the musical had been seen by 20 million people across 28 countries. From 2 June to 27 August 2023, ''We Will Rock You'' returned to the West End for a 12-week run at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, City of Westminster, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the Lond ...

Development

According to

Brian May Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...

's manager

Jim Beach Henry James Beach (born 9 March 1942) is a British lawyer and band manager, best known for being the long-time manager of the rock band Queen, its individual members and the comedy group Monty Python. He was nicknamed "Miami" by Freddie Mercur ...

had spoken with the band about creating a

with Queen's songs since the mid-1990s. Initially, the intent was to create a biographical story of

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...

. About this time,

Robert De Niro Robert Anthony De Niro ( , ; born August 17, 1943) is an American actor, director, and film producer. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influential actors of his generation. De Niro is the recipient of List of awards and ...

's production company

Tribeca Productions Tribeca Enterprises (former Tribeca Productions) is an American film and television production company co-founded in 1989 by actor Robert De Niro and producer Jane Rosenthal in the lower Manhattan neighborhood of Tribeca, which is where the com ...

expressed interest in a Queen musical, but it found the original idea difficult to work with. In 2000,

was approached to start talks with May and Taylor on the project. He suggested taking the musical down a different path than initially imagined, creating an original story that would capture the spirit of much of their music. He worked closely with May and Taylor to incorporate Queen's songs into the story. Elton has also stated that he was in part inspired by the computer-controlled

dystopia A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...

of the 1999 science-fiction film ''

The Matrix ''The Matrix'' is a 1999 science fiction film, science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the first installment in the The Matrix (franchise), ''Matrix'' film series, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Ca ...

''. The script was eventually completed midway through 2001.''We Will Rock You The Musical by Queen and Ben Elton: The Official Book''. pp. 10–27

Productions

West End and UK tours

''We Will Rock You'' opened in the West End at the

on 14 May 2002, following previews from 26 April. It was directed by

and choreographed by

, with musical supervision and vocal arrangements by Mike Dixon. The production featured a nine piece live band. The cast included

Tony Vincent Tony Vincent is an American actor, songwriter, and singer based in New York City and Nashville. Early career Vincent was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His professional career began while attending Belmont University in Nashville, Tennesse ...

as Galileo,

Hannah Jane Fox Hannah Jane Fox (born 13 January 1976) is an English theatre and television actress. She is best known for playing the leading female role of Scaramouche in the original West End production of the Queen jukebox musical ''We Will Rock You''. Edu ...

as Scaramouche, Sharon D. Clarke as Killer Queen,

Nigel Planer Nigel George Planer (born 22 February 1953) is a British actor, writer and musician. His television credits include playing Neil in the sitcom '' The Young Ones'' and Ralph Filthy in the sitcom '' Filthy Rich & Catflap'', as well as narrating th ...

as Pop, Nigel Clauzel as Brit and

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at La ...

as Meat. For her performance, Clarke was nominated for "Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical or Entertainment" at the 2003

Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in West End theatre, professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of We ...

. Notable cast replacements included

Mig Ayesa Miguel Alfonso Ramon Legarda "MiG" Ayesa (born 12 January 1970) is a Filipino-Australian singer and actor who was a finalist in the reality television show '' RockStar: INXS'' as well as appearing in stage productions of ''We Will Rock You'' ...

Alex Gaumond Alex Gaumond (born 9 April 1978) is a Canadian actor, singer, songwriter and filmmaker best known for his involvement in West End theatre. He plays series regular gendarme Caron, the chief of police in Sainte Victoire, in the Channel 5 televisio ...

, Ricardo Alfonso and Peter Murphy as Galileo, Mazz Murray and

Brenda Edwards Brenda Claudina Susan Edwards (' Artman; born 2 March 1969) is an English singer, actress, television personality and presenter. In 2005, she finished in fourth place on the second series of ''The X Factor''. Since 2019, she has been a weekly p ...

as Killer Queen, and

Rachel Tucker Rachel Kelly Tucker (born 29 May 1981) is a Northern Irish stage actress, best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in the musical '' Wicked''. She also starred in '' Come from Away'' on Broadway, having originated the role in the West End. Rachel ...

as Meat. In 2005 ''We Will Rock You'' became the longest running musical at the Dominion Theatre, surpassing the previous record-holder '' Grease''. The production closed on 31 May 2014, shortly after its 12th anniversary, and after 4,600 performances at the Dominion Theatre. A UK tour was launched in 2009 at the

Palace Theatre, Manchester The Palace Theatre is one of the main theatres in Manchester, England. It is situated on Oxford Street, on the north-east corner of the intersection with Whitworth Street. The Palace and its sister theatre the Opera House on Quay Street are ope ...

. The cast included Gaumond as Galileo, Sarah French-Ellis as Scaramouche, Edwards as Killer Queen,

Georgina Hagen Georgina Kimberley Hagen is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Rebecca Chalmers in the CBBC series '' The Story of Tracy Beaker'' (2005) and as Lauren Waters in the ITV musical series ''Britannia High'' (2008). S ...

as Meat,

Jonathan Wilkes Jonathan Wilkes (born 1 August 1978) is an English television presenter and singer. Early life and career Jonathan Wilkes was born in Baddeley Green, Stoke-on-Trent, to Eileen Wilkes and Graham Wilkes, and spent most of his childhood in Pa ...

as Khashoggi and Kevin Kennedy as Pop. A second UK tour launched in December 2010, also at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. The show embarked on a further UK and Ireland tour, beginning at the Bromley Churchill Theatre, on 16 September 2019. After a hiatus due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the tour resumed performances on 7 February 2022 at the Kings Theatre in

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

, closing on 10 September 2022 at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Following the UK tour, the show returned to the West End in 2023, opening at the

on 2 June for a limited 12-week run directed by Ben Elton and choreographed by Jacob Fearey. Ian McIntosh and Elena Skye resumed the roles of Galileo and Scaramouche respectively from the touring production, and

continued on as Killer Queen. Also joining the cast were

Lee Mead Lee Stephen Mead (born 14 July 1981) is an English musical theatre, television actor and occasional singer, best known for winning the title role in the 2007 West End revival of ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' through the BBC TV ...

as Khashoggi,

Christine Allado Christine Marie Allado (born July 15, 1995) is a Filipina-British actress and singer. She is best known for her performance in the role of Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the multi Tony Award, Tony and Olivier Award, Olivier award-winning W ...

as Meat, and Adrian Hansel as Brit. Ben Elton made his stage debut as the Rebel Leader (previously known as Pop).

Australasia and the Asian Pacific

The first international production premiered at the Regent Theatre in

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

, Australia, on 7 August 2003.We Will Rock You Australia
– Queen Press Release The cast included Michael Falzon as Galileo, Kate Hoolihan as Scaramouche,

Annie Crummer Anne Crummer (born 1966) is a New Zealand pop singer and songwriter of Cook Islands descent who has seen success in both a solo career and as part of various musical groups. Crummer represented New Zealand at the 1987 ABU Popular Song Contest ...

as Killer Queen, and

Amanda Harrison Amanda Harrison is an Australian actress and singer, known for her roles in ''Wicked'' (Elphaba), ''We Will Rock You'' ("Meat" understudy in the UK, and “Oz" understudy in Australia), and for originating the role of Paula Pokrifki in the worl ...

as Oz. The production closed on 4 March 2004 before touring to

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

and Sydney.Stage Credits, including We Will Rock You Australia tour
– Robert Grubb website It then made a stop at the

Shinjuku Koma Theater The was a major theatre in the Kabukichō, Tokyo, Kabukichō, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Tokyo. The theatre opened in 1956 and it had a capacity of 2,088 seats. It was demolished in 2009. The Toho Shinjuku Building currently stands on the theater ...

in Tokyo, Japan, where it ran from 27 May to 24 August 2005 with Peter Murphy as Galileo and

Pippa Grandison Pippa Jody Grandison (born 12 September 1970) is an Australian actress and singer. She currently lives in Sydney, with her husband Steve Le Marquand and child. Career Pippa Grandison was born in Perth, Western Australia. She made her debut in ...

as Scaramouche.We Will Rock You, by Dave Grunebaum
– Metropolis.co.jpWe Will Rock You Tokyo
– Arts Australia Japan A second tour launched in 2006, performing in Tokyo and

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

.We Will Rock You returns to Japan
– Arts Australia Japan
– Official Queen news website An Australasian tour was launched at the end of 2007 in New Zealand; the cast included Ayesa as Galileo and Crummer as Killer Queen.Ayesa will rock you, by Faridal Anwar Farinordin, dated 2 March 2008
– New Straits Times The tour performed in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

at The Civic, The Edge (26 October to 2 December 2007), in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea, at the Seongnam Arts Centre (2 to 24 February 2008),Concerts to Watch for in 2008, 31 December 2007
– The Korea Times
– The Korea Times in

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

at the

Esplanade Theatre An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

(28 March to 27 April 2008),We Will Rock You tour
– Lunchbox Productions in Hong Kong at The Lyric Theatre of The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (16 May to 22 June 2008)
– Official Queen News website and in Bangkok, Thailand, at the Muangthai Ratchadalai Theatre (12 to 27 July 2008).We Will Rock You tickets
– ThaiTicketMajor official website (Thailand) A new tour of Australia commenced in Sydney on 30 April 2016, before touring to Brisbane and Melbourne. Another production was scheduled for 2023-2024. It was supposed to have over 500 cast members including

Courtney Act Shane Gilberto Jenek (born 18 February 1982), better known under the stage name Courtney Act, is an Australian drag queen, singer and television personality. Courtney first came to prominence competing on the first season of ''Australian Idol' ...

as Killer Queen and

Peter Rowsthorn Peter Rowsthorn may refer to: *Peter Rowsthorn (actor) Peter Rowsthorn (born 9 February 1963) is an Australian stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, MC, host and theatre. Early life and education Rowsthorn attended Trinity Grammar Scho ...

as Buddy. In October 2022 it was announced that the tour was cancelled because of legal reasons.

Spain

A Spanish-language production ran from 1 October 2003 (opening officially on 3 November) to 30 May 2004 at Teatro Calderón, Madrid, with Momo Cortés and Miquel Fernández as Galileo.MADRID REVISITED ..., entry 18 February 2007
– Brian May's blog The songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" retained their English lyrics. After closing at Teatro Calderón, the show toured around Spain. In 2007 the production returned to Teatro Calderón with previews from 23 January and an official opening on 12 February.

Daniel Diges Daniel Diges García (; born 17 January 1981) is a Spanish singer, pianist, composer and actor. Although born in Madrid proper, he has spent all his youth in the neighbouring city of Alcalá de Henares. Life and career Diges began his acting care ...

and Julián Fontalvo shared the role of Galileo. The production closed on 6 January 2008. A new production began previews on 9 October 2021 at the Gran Teatro Príncipe Pío in Madrid, and officially opened on 24 November.

Las Vegas and North American tours

A resident production at the

Paris Las Vegas Paris Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment. Property features include a casino, 3,672 hotel rooms, a 1,400-seat performance theater, and various restaurants. ...

hotel and casino in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, Nevada, began previews on 4 August 2004, with an official opening on 8 September.Smash-Hit Musical 'We Will Rock You' Premieres at Paris Las Vegas on 8 September with Star-Studded Gala and Special Rock Walk Induction
– Business Wire Tony Vincent, who originated the role of Galileo in London, reprised the role, which he alternated with Jason Wooten.

Aspen Miller Aspen Vincent (née Miller, born June 5, 1979) is an American Broadway actress and singer. Early life and education A native of Pacific Beach, San Diego, she started doing theater at the age of nine, and would also perform with the Christian ...

and Kacie Sheik shared the role of Scaramouche,

Patti Russo Patricia Russo (May 20, 1964) is an American singer and songwriter. She acted as Meat Loaf's female lead vocalist, touring the world with his band Neverland Express between 1993 and 2013. Since then, she has embarked on a solo career. Work wit ...

was Killer Queen, and Ty Taylor was Brit.We Will Rock You Las Vegas cast
– Official Queen website The Las Vegas production "trimmed" down the book into a single act show. The production closed on 27 November 2005.We Will Rock You to Close on 27 November in Las Vegas
– Broadway.com On 15 October 2013, a North American tour began at the Hippodrome Theatre in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, directed by Elton. The cast included Brian Justin Crum as Galileo,

Ruby Lewis Ruby Lewis is an American actress and singer. Her work is largely based in musicals and television. She is known for such television shows as ''Desperate Housewives'', ''Masters of Sex'', ''Girl Meets World'', and '' Rules of Engagement''. Her ...

as Scaramouche, PJ Griffith as Khashoggi, Jacqueline Arnold as Killer Queen, Jared Zirilli as Britney,

Ryan Knowles Ryan Knowles (born December 12, 1978, in California) is an American actor, singer, comedian, writer, television host, speech coach and motivational speaker. Life Knowles was born and grew up in Orange County, California. He lives in New York ...

as Buddy and Erica Peck as Oz. The tour covered nearly the whole of the US, and two stops in Ontario, Canada; in all, the tour included 298 performances in 29 cities. A second North American tour launched on 3 September 2019 at the Centennial Concert Hall in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Manitoba, Canada, and included a stop at the

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...

in New York City from 14 to 17 November 2019.

Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria

A Russian production opened in the Estrada Theatre, Moscow on 17 October 2004. The production's dialogue and all songs but three were translated into Russian, by

Evgeny Margulis Evgeny Shulimovich Margulis (; (born 25 December 1955) is a Russian rock and blues musician. He was a member of the bands Mashina Vremeni (1975–1979, 1990–2012) and Voskreseniye (1979–1980, 1994–2003), but currently performs independentl ...

Mashina Vremeni Mashina Vremeni () is a Russian rock band founded in 1969. Mashina Vremeni was a pioneer of Soviet rock music and remains one of the oldest still-active rock bands in Russia. The band's music incorporates elements of classic rock, blues, and b ...

.Unhappy Ending, by Anna Malpas 4 March 2005
– The Moscow Times This production closed only four months after its opening due to disagreements between the show's producers, despite fan protests to keep the show going. A German production opened in the Musical Dome,

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, on 12 December 2004. The spoken dialogue was in German, but the musical numbers consisted of a mix of German and English lyrics. According to Brian May, Ben Elton intended German to represent the show's "present day", and English represented the distant past."First Anniversary WWRY Cologne!"
11 December 2005, Brian May's blog The production closed in Cologne on 30 September 2008.
, 8 March 2008], Official Queen news website It next opened at the Apollo Theatre in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

on 13 November 2008 after previews from 7 November 2008."WWRY Stuttgart Opening"
30 July 2008, Official Queen news website The production opened in Berlin on 21 October 2010 and closed for good on 21 October 2011. A German-language production opened in Zürich, Switzerland, on 3 December 2006 at Theatre Stadthof 11, Oerlikon using the book of the Cologne production."WWRY Zurich Press Launch"
Official Queen news website The production starred Jessica Kessler as Scaramouche, Brigitte Oelke as Killer Queen and Rachel Fischer as Ozzy. This production closed at the end of 2007.
23 November 2007, – Official Queen news website It reopened in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, Austria, on 24 January 2008, at the Raimund Theatre where it ran until 13 July 2008. Another tour started in December 2012 in

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

, Switzerland, and closed in June 2013 in

Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...

, Germany. It restarted in September 2014 in Munich, followed by

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

and Vienna. From 17 July to 25 August 2024 a production ran at AVB Kultur & Freizei in Amstetten, Austria.

South Africa

A South African production opened at the Civic Theatre in

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...

on 9 May 2006.We Will Rock You (announcement)
– ArtSmart It starred Francois Schreuder as Galileo, Helen Burger as Scaramouche, Vicky Sampson as Killer Queen, and Helen Goldberg as Oz.
Queen website The production made tour stops at the Artscape in

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

(from 25 July) and the Playhouse Opera in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

(29 September to 29 October 2006) before closing.WE WILL ROCK YOU review by Caroline Smart, 4 October 2006
– ArtSmart

Canada

A Canadian production began previews on 14 March and officially opened on 10 April 2007 at the

Canon Theatre The CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre is a historic performing arts theatre in Toronto, Ontario, located in the Garden District, near Sankofa Square. Owned and operated by Mirvish Productions, the theatre has approximately 2,300 seats across two levels. T ...

, Toronto.Queen-Size Musical We Will Rock You Begins Toronto Run, by Kenneth Jones, 14 March 2007
– Playbill.comCoverage of WWRY Toronto's Opening Night, 10 April 2007
– Digitalhit.com Yvan Pednault played Galileo.
– Edmonton Sun; reproduced b

– Official Queen website Erica Peck was Scaramouche, Alana Bridgewater was Killer Queen,

Suzie McNeil Susan Jane "Suzie" McNeil is a Canadian pop rock singer and songwriter. After garnering attention as a contestant on Rock Star: INXS in 2005, McNeil began pursuing a musical career and released her debut album, '' Broken & Beautiful'', on Apri ...

was Oz and

Evan Buliung Evan Buliung is a Canadian actor and singer, who is best known for his work in musical theatre. In 2006, Buliung originated the role of Aragorn in the world premiere production of '' Lord of the Rings'', which played at the Princess of Wales Th ...

was Khashoggi. The production closed at the Canon Theatre on 11 May 2008Toronto Hit We Will Rock You Will Close 11 May; Canadian Tour Planned, by Kenneth Jones, 12 March 2008
– Playbill.com and reopened at the

Panasonic Theatre The CAA Theatre, formerly the Panasonic Theatre, is a theatre located at 651 Yonge Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is operated by Mirvish Productions. On December 1, 2017, Mirvish Productions announced a marketing partnership with CAA Sout ...

on 16 July 2008 after major rewrites to trim the show. Cuts included dialogue between "Ga-Ga" and "I Want to Break Free"; "One Vision" was cut; and the Act Two song sequence was changed. In October 2008,

Camilla Scott Camilla Eves (born Camilla Scott, July 12, 1961) is a Canadian actress and television host. Career Scott's first starring role was the lead in '' Evita'' at the Limelight Dinner Theatre, a role she landed before she turned 25. Because her agent ...

took over the role of Khashoggi, a character that had previously been portrayed as a male. The production closed on 28 June 2009. WWRY Magnus

Another production opened at the Magnus Theatre in

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario. Its population i ...

, Ontario, on 8 September 2017. It played to sold-out audiences and was extended, closing on 30 September 2017. A French-language production opened on 1 May 2025 at

Théâtre Saint-Denis Théâtre Saint-Denis () is a theatre located on Saint Denis Street in Montreal, Quebec, in the city's Quartier Latin. A movie theatre built in 1915 by Anglin-Norcross Ltd., the Théâtre Saint-Denis' mission changed in the 1980s and has since ...

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Quebec. Pierre-Olivier Grondin is Galileo, Frédérique Cyr-Deschênes is Scaramouche,

Annie Villeneuve Annie Villeneuve (born May 5, 1983) is a French-Canadian pop singer-songwriter. She participated at the first season of Star Académie in 2003. She also sang the French and the bilingual official song of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, I Believe/J ...

is Killer Queen, Patrick Olafson is Khashoggi, Benoît Finley is Ozzy, Laurence Champagne is Axl (also known as Meat in previous productions) and Martin Rouette is Brit. The run in Montreal closed on 18 May 2025, but this production is scheduled to visit

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

’s Théâtre du Capitole from 20 June to 13 July 2025,

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, ; ) is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

’s Amphitéâtre Cogeco on 5 and 6 September 2025 and finally

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...

’s Théâtre du Casino du Lac-Leamy from 2 October to 19 October 2025.

Other productions

In April 2007 a non- equity production of ''We Will Rock You'' began at the Jedlicka Performing Art Centre in Chicago.We Will Rock You Gets Chicagoland Run 20 April – 5 May, by Kenneth Jones, 28 February 2007
– Playbill.com An Italian production opened on 4 December 2009 at the Allianz Teatro in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, Italy. All the dialogues are in Italian and almost all the songs are in English, except for "Radio Ga Ga" and "No One But You". The tour visited

Bologna Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...

Trieste Trieste ( , ; ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital and largest city of the Regions of Italy#Autonomous regions with special statute, autonomous region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, as well as of the Province of Trieste, ...

and Rome. From 12 September to 18 December 2010 a production was played in Stockholm, Sweden at the venue Cirkus. The production moved to Oslo, Norway on 23 January 2011 at Folketeateret. It closed on 16 April 2011. A production of the show opened on 23 April 2015 on board the new Royal Caribbean cruise ship, '' Anthem of the Seas''. An Icelandic production opened on 15 August 2019 at the Háskólabíó Theater in Reykjavík, Iceland. The spoken dialogue and most lyrics were translated into Icelandic by Jóhann Axel Andersen. Directed by Vignir Rafn Valþórsson, with Chantelle Carey as choreographer, the cast included

Kristinn Óli Haraldsson Kristen is a first name, also the Breton, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian form of Christian. As a result, Kristen is a male name in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, with the female equivalent spelt as Kristin, a Scandinavian form and a variation of Chri ...

as Galileo and

Þórhallur Sigurðsson Þórhallur Sigurðsson (born 20 January 1947), best known as Laddi, is an Icelandic comedian, actor, voice actor and entertainer known for comedy music and comedy acting. Laddi has dubbed many characters into Icelandic, in films and TV shows lik ...

as Pop. A French production opened on 28 September 2018 at the

Casino de Paris The Casino de Paris, located at 16, rue de Clichy, in the 9th arrondissement, is one of the well known music halls of Paris, with a history dating back to the 18th century. Contrary to what the name might suggest, it is a performance venue, not ...

in Paris, directed by Ned Grujic, with choreography by Raffaele Lucania. An international tour will start in the Philippines on 27 October 2022, with scheduled stops in South Korea, Singapore, and South Africa. A new Italian tour kicked off on 2 February 2023 at the Teatro Nazionale in Milan, starring Martha Rossi as Scaramouche, Damiano Borgi as Galileo, Natascia Fonzetti as Killer Queen, Salvo Bruno as Khashoggi, Mattia Braghero as Brit, Alessandra Ferrari as Oz and Massimiliano Colonna as Pop. A Polish non-replica version, directed by Wojciech Kępczyński and translated by Michał Wojnarowski, premiered on 15 April 2023 in Roma Musical Theater in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

, Poland. The last, 417th spectacle was performed on 26 January 2025. Since 2006, the show has been licensed for amateur and school productions in the UK, with proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

Critical reception

London's critics almost uniformly panned the show, criticising the concept and direction. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' wrote that the premise "really is as

sixth form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

as it sounds", called the production "ruthlessly packaged and manufactured" and opined that the "sometimes funny" libretto existed mainly to "devise more unlikely ways to wring out another Queen song." The ''

Daily Mirror The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...

'' wrote that "Ben Elton should be shot for this risible story." ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' described it as "guaranteed to bore you rigid" and "

prolefeed In the dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' (also published as ''1984''), by George Orwell, Newspeak is the fictional language of Oceania, a totalitarian superstate. To meet the ideological requirements of Ingsoc (English Socialism) in Oc ...

at its worst." However, some individual performances received praise.

Characters and casts

Notable replacements

West End

* Galileo:

MiG Ayesa Miguel Alfonso Ramon Legarda "MiG" Ayesa (born 12 January 1970) is a Filipino-Australian singer and actor who was a finalist in the reality television show '' RockStar: INXS'' as well as appearing in stage productions of ''We Will Rock You'' ...

, Peter Johansson, Ricardo Afonso,

Noel Sullivan Noel Sullivan (born 28 July 1980, as Noel John Hayes) is a British singer and actor from Cardiff, Wales. He was a member of the British pop group Hear'Say. Like the other members of the group, he won his part through the ITV talent show ''Pop ...

, David Leigh (u/s), Oliver Tompsett * Scaramouche:

Jenna Lee-James Jenna Lee-James (born in 1976) is a Scottish singer and performer who has played the part of Scaramouche in the West End version of the hit musical ''We Will Rock You''. She also appeared in ''West End at Home'' which played at a variety of theat ...

, Sabrina Aloueche,

Lauren Samuels Lauren Alvarado (born 26 March 1988) is an English singer and actress who performs under the stage name "Lauren Samuels". She became well known to the British public as a contestant on the 2010 BBC UK TV series '' Over the Rainbow''. Since appea ...

(u/s),

Tamara Wall Tamara Wall (born 23 July 1977) is an English actress, best known for portraying the role of Grace Black in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Hollyoaks'' (2013–present). Prior to her decade stint in ''Hollyoaks'', Wall portrayed the role of Martina ...

(u/s),

Emma Hatton Emma Hatton (born 6 April 1983) is a British actress and singer, who played the role of Elphaba in the West End production of '' Wicked''. She has also understudied the roles of Meat and Scaramouche in ''We Will Rock You'' and has a number of ...

(u/s) * Killer Queen: Mazz Murray * Khashoggi:

Clive Carter Clive Carter is a British actor and singer, best known for his role of "Claude Elliott and others" in the original London cast of '' Come From Away'', for which he received an Olivier Award nomination. He studied at London Academy of Music and ...

, Alex McNamara * Meat:

Rachael Wooding Rachael Emma Wooding (born 27 September 1978) is an Olivier Award winning English born musical theatre performer, best known for her performances in ''We Will Rock You'', playing Meat and Scaramouche. She began her career in musicals in Germany ...

Rachel John Rachel John (born 12 October 1980) is a British actress, best known for her work in musical theatre, notably for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in ''Hamilton'' in the West End. Personal life and education John was born in Hackney ...

(u/s),

Rebecca Trehearn Rebecca Trehearn is an actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. She trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 2004. Rebecca is also known for portraying the character of Cheryl Thomas on S4C Soap opera, Pobol y Cwm bet ...

(u/s) * Pop:

Jeff Shankley Jeffrey Richard Shankley (born 17 November 1947) is a British actor, singer and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company who has had a long career as a television and stage actor particularly in the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber for who ...

, Kevin Kennedy

UK Tour

* Galileo: Michael Falzon,

* Killer Queen: Ashley J Russell * Khashoggi:

Darren Day Darren Day (born 17 July 1968) is an English actor, singer and television presenter, known for his West End theatre starring roles. Early life Day undertook drama classes at evenings and weekends until he was 13, when he turned his attention t ...

Rhydian Roberts Rhydian James Roberts (born 14 February 1983), also known mononymously as Rhydian, is a Welsh baritone singer, television presenter and musical theatre actor. He rose to fame in series 4 of ''The X Factor'' (2007). Rhydian Roberts retired fr ...

Earl Carpenter Earl Carpenter (born 9 May 1970) is an English musical theatre actor and singer, recognised chiefly for his work in London’s West End. He is known for his performances as Inspector Javert in the stage musical ''Les Misérables'' and as th ...

* Brit:

Leon Lopez Leon Lopez (born 30 August 1979 in Liverpool) is a British actor, television and film director, singer-songwriter and occasional model, best known for playing the role of Jerome Johnson in the Channel 4 soap opera ''Brookside'' from 1998 to 2 ...

* Pop:

Ian Reddington Ian Reddington (born 25 September 1957) is an English actor with many stage and television credits since the early 1980s. He became widely known for television roles such as the Chief Clown in the ''Doctor Who'' serial '' The Greatest Show in t ...

Plot

Act One

The story is set exactly 300 years in the future in a vaguely

world. Earth has been renamed as the "iPlanet" (sometimes called "Planet Mall" in older productions) and is controlled by the Globalsoft Corporation ("

Innuendo An innuendo is a wikt:hint, hint, wikt:insinuation, insinuation or wikt:intimation, intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called in ...

"). On the iPlanet, mainstream commercial conformity reigns, in which Ga Ga Kids watch the same movies, listen to computer-generated music, wear the same clothes and hold the same thoughts and opinions. Musical instruments are forbidden, and rock music is unknown ("

Radio Ga Ga "Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with " I Go Crazy" by Brian May as the B-side. It was included as the opening track on the ...

"). In the newest graduating class is

black sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...

Galileo, who has dreams and hears strange words in his head, most of which are lyrics of songs long since lost, though he does not understand their significance. Despite his teacher's advice, Galileo refuses to conform like the rest of his classmates ("

I Want to Break Free "I Want to Break Free" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by their bassist John Deacon. It appears on the album '' The Works'' (1984), and was released in three versions: album, single and extended. The track became a staple of t ...

"). He is captured by Khashoggi, commander of Globalsoft's police. The teacher also reveals a second anomaly, a young,

goth Goth or Goths may refer to: * Goths, a Germanic people Arts and entertainment * Gothic rock or goth, a style of rock music * Goth subculture, developed by fans of gothic rock * ''Goth'' (2003 film), an American horror film * ''Goth'' (2008 f ...

woman named Scaramouche who is openly mocked and derided by her peers (" Somebody to Love"). She, too is arrested by Khashoggi. Ruling Globalsoft Corporation is Killer Queen ("

Killer Queen "Killer Queen" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury and recorded for their third album '' Sheer Heart Attack'' in 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and became their first U ...

"). She has heard of a prophecy that instruments have been hidden somewhere on the iPlanet in the "place of living rock", and a "bright star" will show the way to them. She orders Khashoggi to get to the bottom of the matter and crush the rebel Bohemians who believe in the prophecy. Killer Queen then basks in her power over the iPlanet (" Play the Game"). Galileo and Scaramouche wake up in a hospital. They realise that they are kindred spirits, feared by the rest of their society. ("

Under Pressure "Under Pressure" is a song by the British rock band Queen and singer David Bowie. Originally released as a single in October 1981, it was later included on Queen's tenth studio album ''Hot Space'' (1982). The song reached number one on the U ...

") They flee together from the hospital. Khashoggi has blown up all the rocks on the iPlanet, but cannot find any supposed hidden instruments. Killer Queen insists that they have won, and the prophecy will not come to pass ("

A Kind of Magic ''A Kind of Magic'' is the twelfth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 2 June 1986 by EMI Records in the UK and by Capitol Records in the US. It is based on the soundtrack to the film '' Highlander'', directed by Russell M ...

"). On the streets, Bohemians Britney and Oz climb out of the sewers, where they have been gathering materials to make musical instruments. Britney is a believer in the Dreamer who will fulfil the prophecy, and insists to the cynical Oz that it's the key to bringing real music back into the world (" I Want It All"). Brit and Oz hear footsteps approaching, and hide. Galileo and Scaramouche arrive, with Galileo talking about his belief that he has a destiny. He says that he dreamt a name for the woman: "Scaramouche". Britney and Oz reveal themselves, and accuse Galileo and Scaramouche of being spies, because Galileo keeps spouting words of the "sacred text". Galileo insists that he only hears those words in his head. Britney tests him, singing the first few lines of "

Bohemian Rhapsody "Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock music, rock band Queen (band), Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''A Night at the Opera (Queen album), A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by Queen's lead si ...

". Galileo responds correctly with the subsequent lines, and Britney realises that he is the Dreamer of the prophecy. They bring Galileo and Scaramouche to the

Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being g ...

, which is located at the ruins of the

Tottenham Court Road tube station Tottenham Court Road is an interchange station in the St Giles area of the West End of London for London Underground and Elizabeth line services. The London Underground station is served by the Central and Northern lines. On the Central li ...

, where the Bohemians have made their home (" Headlong"). The Bohemians explain to Galileo and Scaramouche that they take their names after singers long gone, and mourn the deaths of those who died young ("

No One But You "No-One But You (Only the Good Die Young)" is the final single recorded by the British rock band Queen. Recorded and released in 1997, six years after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury, it is the only Queen recording to feature a three-pi ...

"). The group then celebrates the reason rock bands started playing music in the first place, which was for love ("

Crazy Little Thing Called Love "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track is included on their 1980 album '' The Game'', and also appears on the band's compilation album '' Greatest Hits'' in 198 ...

"). Khashoggi and his police suddenly arrive at the Heartbreak Hotel, where they round up the Bohemians for capture. Britney breaks free and battles the police in order to enable Galileo and Scaramouche to escape, but is killed in the process.

Act Two

The Ga Ga Kids of the iPlanet move on in their regular fashion ("

One Vision "One Vision" is a song written and recorded by the British rock band Queen, first released as a single in November 1985 and then included on their 1986 album ''A Kind of Magic''. It was conceived by the group's drummer Roger Taylor.Who Wants to Live Forever "Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the British rock band Queen. A power ballad, it is the sixth track on the album ''A Kind of Magic'', which was released in June 1986, and was written by lead guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to th ...

"). The surviving Bohemians have been rounded up by Khashoggi to be tortured ("

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * The Flash, several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Barry Allen ** Wally West, the first Kid Flash and third adult Flash ...

"). When he cannot get any information from them about the prophecy, he has them brain-drained ("

Seven Seas of Rhye "Seven Seas of Rhye" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury along with Brian May who contributed the second middle-eight. A rudimentary instrumental version appears as the final track on the group's self ...

"— interpolating " Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon"). Galileo wakes up, and tells Scaramouche that he had a dream that the Bohemians were sent to the Seven Seas of Rhye. Scaramouche agrees they have to go there, but then Galileo insists that she stay because she's a "chick", to which Scaramouche takes offence. They argue, and decide that both of them will go to the Seven Seas of Rhye, but their relationship will be purely professional. Back at Globalsoft headquarters ("

Fat Bottomed Girls "Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song appears on the band's seventh studio album ''Jazz'' (1978) and later on their compilation album '' Greatest Hits''. When released as a singl ...

") Khashoggi reports that the Bohemians are no longer a problem. Killer Queen prematurely starts to celebrate ("

Don't Stop Me Now "Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by the British rock band Queen, featured on their 1978 album ''Jazz'' and released as a single on 26 January 1979. Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August 1978 at Super Bear Studios in ...

"). Khashoggi interrupts her, explaining that Galileo and Scaramouche escaped. Killer Queen declares this is the last time Khashoggi has disappointed her, and has him brain-drained ("

Another One Bites the Dust "Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the British Rock music, rock band Queen (band), Queen. Written by bassist John Deacon, the song was featured on the group's eighth studio album ''The Game (Queen album), The Game'' (1980). It was a worl ...

"). Galileo and Scaramouche are making their way to the Seven Seas of Rhye, arguing all the way (" Hammer to Fall"). At the Seven Seas of Rhye pub in Montreux, Pop the librarian is serving drinks to the lifeless Bohemians ("

These Are the Days of Our Lives "These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Although credited to the whole band, it was largely written by their drummer Roger Taylor, and is the eighth track on the band's 1991 album ''Innuendo''. The song was ...

"). When Galileo and Scaramouche arrive, Pop explains the full nature of the prophecy to them as inscribed by the three remaining members of the band Queen just before they were sentenced to death (Brian May, his last request being a final guitar solo, apparently delayed his execution for three and a half days). Scaramouche figures out that the bright shining star of the prophecy is rock star Freddie Mercury's statue, and that it's pointing to

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

, the "place of living rock". After initially preparing to travel by bicycle, (opening of "

Bicycle Race "Bicycle Race" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was released on their 1978 album ''Jazz'' and written by Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury. It was released as a double A-side single together with the song " Fat Bottomed Girls", re ...

") Scaramouche protests that the method "isn't very cool", and so they travel there by motorcycle. (" Headlong eprise) Wembley Stadium is in ruins, with no instruments to be found. Reconciling and their love for each other rekindled (" Love of My Life"), Scaramouche inspires Galileo to perform the opening of "

We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song by the British rock band Queen from their 1977 album '' News of the World'', written by guitarist Brian May. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA it p ...

", and an

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

is revealed. Galileo cannot play it, but Scaramouche can (" Brighton Rock solo"). Pop hacks into Globalsoft's network so their music can be heard by everyone on the iPlanet, and Killer Queen is defeated ("

Tie Your Mother Down "Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album '' A Day at the Races''. On its original release as a single in 1977 the ...

", "

We Are the Champions "We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album ''News of the World'' (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems.

"). After the curtain calls (" We Will Rock You small>fast version/nowiki>"), the entire company performs "Bohemian Rhapsody" as an

encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford Universi ...

Variations

International productions of the musical feature changes in the story and song line-up in order to better reach target audiences. All the main characters retain their general personalities across productions, but the names vary depending on the production. (See

characters Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...

section below.) The dialogue contains many references to popular culture, with lyrics from numerous non-Queen songs and albums inserted into the text. These references are constantly changing and, according to writer Elton, this is to keep the show "fresh". Songs that have been referenced include

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' "

Help! ''Help!'' is the fifth studio album by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles and the soundtrack to their Help! (film), film of the same name. It was released on 6 August 1965 by Parlophone. Seven of the fourteen songs, including the sin ...

", "

Strawberry Fields Forever "Strawberry Fields Forever" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released on 13 February 1967 as a double A-side single with "Penny Lane". It represented ...

", "

Penny Lane "Penny Lane" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A-side single with "Strawberry Fields Forever" in February 1967. It was written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney songwr ...

", "

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 album ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''. It was written primarily by John Lennon with assistance from Paul McCartney, and credited to the Len ...

", "

I Am the Walrus "I Am the Walrus" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1967 television film ''Magical Mystery Tour (film), Magical Mystery Tour''. Written by John Lennon and credited to Lennon–McCartney, it was released as the B-side to ...

" and "

Hello, Goodbye "Hello, Goodbye" (sometimes titled "Hello Goodbye") is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. Backed by John Lennon's " I Am the Walrus", it was issued as a non-album single ...

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

's " Tutti Fruitti" and "

Long Tall Sally "Long Tall Sally", also known as "Long Tall Sally (The Thing)", is a rock and roll song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Little Richard and released on Richard's album '' Here's Little Richard''. Richard recorded it fo ...

", the theme from

The Wombles ''The Wombles'' are fictional pointy-nosed, furry creatures created by Elisabeth Beresford and originally appearing in a series of children's novels from 1968. They live in burrows, where they aim to help the environment by collecting and recycl ...

The Goodies The Goodies were a trio of British comedians: Tim Brooke-Taylor (17 July 1940 – 12 April 2020), Graeme Garden (b. 18 February 1943) and Bill Oddie (b. 7 July 1941). The trio created, wrote for and performed in their The Goodies (TV series), ...

' "

Funky Gibbon "The Funky Gibbon" is a novelty song by Bill Oddie and recorded by The Goodies. It was arranged by Tom Parker ("with interference from Bill Oddie") with the musical backing provided by members of the R&B band Gonzalez and released as a single in ...

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...

's "

Born to Run ''Born to Run'' is the third studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on August 25, 1975, by Columbia Records. Co- produced by Springsteen with his manager Mike Appel and the producer Jon Landau, its recordin ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

's "

Rebel Rebel "Rebel Rebel" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was released in the UK on 15 February 1974 by RCA Records as the lead single from the album ''Diamond Dogs''. Written and produced by Bowie, the song is based around a dis ...

" and "

Space Oddity "Space Oddity" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie. It was first released on 11 July 1969 by Philips and Mercury Records as a 7-inch single, then as the opening track of his second studio album, ''David Bowie''. Produce ...

", The Wild Ones' " Wild Thing",

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

' "

Honky Tonk Women "Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single in July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States (a country version called "Country Honk" was later includ ...

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

's " Mr. Tambourine Man",

ABBA ABBA ( ) were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. They are one of the most popular and successful musical groups of all time, and are one of the List ...

's "

Dancing Queen "Dancing Queen" is a song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Arrival'' (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus also produced the ...

" and "

Fernando Fernando is a Spanish and Portuguese given name and a surname common in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, Switzerland, and former Spanish or Portuguese colonies in Latin America, Africa and Asia (like the Philippines, India, and Sri Lanka). It is e ...

", Oasis' "

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? ''(What's the Story) Morning Glory?'' is the second studio album by the English Rock music, rock band Oasis (band), Oasis. Released on 2 October 1995 by Creation Records, it was produced by Owen Morris and the group's lead guitarist and chief ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all time, he is credited with popula ...

's "

The Real Slim Shady "The Real Slim Shady" is a song by American rapper Eminem from his third studio album ''The Marshall Mathers LP'' (2000). It was released as the lead single a month before the album's release. The song peaked at number four on the ''Billboard ...

Spice Girls The Spice Girls are an English girl group formed in 1994, consisting of Mel B ("Scary Spice"), Melanie C ("Sporty Spice"), Emma Bunton ("Baby Spice"), Geri Halliwell ("Ginger Spice"), and Victoria Beckham ("Posh Spice"). They have sold over 10 ...

' "

Wannabe "Wannabe" is the debut single by the British girl group the Spice Girls, released on 26 June 1996. It was written by the Spice Girls, Matt Rowe and Richard "Biff" Stannard and produced by Rowe and Stannard for the group's debut album, ''Spice ...

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...

's "

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ''Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'' is the seventh studio album by English singer, pianist, and composer Elton John. A double album, it was released on 5 October 1973, by DJM Records. Recorded at the Château d'Hérouville in France, the album became ...

", Black Lace's "

Agadoo "Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the British band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart,E ...

The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...

's "

Complete Control "Complete Control" is a song by the Clash, released as a 7" single and featured on the US release of their debut album. Background The song is often cited as one of punk's greatest singles and is a fiery polemic on record companies, managers ...

", ''

Teletubbies ''Teletubbies'' is a British children's television series created by Anne Wood and Andrew Davenport for the BBC. The programme focuses on four differently coloured characters known as the Teletubbies, named after the television screens on t ...

'' and songs by

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

and

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

. May often performed with the London production on special occasions such as anniversariesWWRY ANNIVERSARY, entry 13 May 2006
– Brian May's blog and Freddie Mercury's birthday.
– Brian May's blog At the final performance of the original production in 2014, he and Roger Taylor both performed.

, who originated Scaramouche, was the last original principal cast member to remain with the show. She gave her final performance on 28 January 2006, four years after the musical opened at the Dominion Theatre, and the event was celebrated with May appearing on stage to perform the guitar solo during the "Bohemian Rhapsody" encore.HANNAH JANE FOX'S LAST NIGHT, entry 29 January 2006
– Brian May's blog On 5 September 2006, the London show celebrated what would have been Freddie Mercury's 60th birthday. During the song "

", ordinarily sung by Killer Queen, the band "

McFly McFly are a British pop rock band formed in London in 2003. The band took their name from the ''Back to the Future (franchise), Back to the Future'' character Marty McFly. The band consists of Tom Fletcher (lead vocals, guitar, and piano), Da ...

" (who were at No. 1 with the song on the singles charts the previous week) emerged onto the stage to sing it instead. Brian May and Roger Taylor joined the encore, performing Taylor's " Say It's Not True" as a duo. Ben Elton also addressed the audience on this special occasion. The following week, tickets to the London show went on sale from £19.46, Mercury's birth year. On 14 May 2007, the London show celebrated its fifth anniversary with a special show featuring both May and Taylor playing in the final section of the show. Writer

also made an appearance to present a special plaque to the cast, May and Taylor. During the portion of the show based in Pop's bar, the line "But the Pub Landlord has a Bike" was followed by a cameo appearance of British comedian

Al Murray Alastair James Hay Murray (born 10 May 1968) is an English comedian. After graduating from the University of Oxford, Murray's comedy career began by working with Harry Hill for BBC Radio 4. He regularly performed at the Edinburgh Festival Frin ...

, who came up through the stage on a motorcycle.Queen's May & Taylor Rock Fifth Birthday, by Terri Paddock, 15 May 2007
– WhatsOnStage.com The London show's sixth anniversary performance was held on 21 May 2008, a week after its actual anniversary due to the unavailability of Brian May. For the first time since the show opened, the Killer Queen character performed the entire song "Don't Stop Me Now", a musical number which is normally interrupted by the Khashoggi character. This unique performance is acknowledged by Killer Queen's dialogue: "No, you didn't let me finish, you never let me finish. For six long years, night after night, week after week, year after year. Well, tonight, I'm going to finish", to which Khashoggi replied: "It's not in the script!" Killer Queen proceeded to yell, "Screw the script!" before continuing the song. Additionally, May joined Killer Queen and the dancers on stage for the performance. After the encore, Elton made a thank you speech, after which the entire cast performed "

The Show Must Go On "The show must go on" is a phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer p ...

", accompanied by May on guitar. The seventh anniversary of the London show was celebrated on Monday 18 May 2009. The show contained a special appearance from Brian May and Ben Elton who emerged together in a cloud of smoke during the encore rendition of "

" with May playing guitar. As with the year before, Elton gave a thank you speech and the entire cast performed "

", accompanied by May on guitar. On Saturday 12 September 2009 at the early matinee performance Brian May again emerged in a cloud of smoke playing the guitar in "Bohemian Rhapsody". The reason for this appearance was not clear. He did the same again at the matinee on Saturday 14 November 2009. On Sunday 31 January 2010 in The O2 Dublin, Brian May once again played "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the company during the finale of both the matinee and evening shows to celebrate the end of their year-long tour. On Saturday 5 September 2010, May also appeared though a cloud of smoke, again to play "Bohemian Rhapsody". This was due to the annual cast change, as well as a celebration of what would have been

's 64th birthday, and afterwards Brian gave a farewell speech to the cast who were leaving. On Saturday 5 October 2013, May appeared through the cloud of smoke to play "Bohemian Rhapsody" once more. This was because it was cast change and some of the cast were leaving. May appeared to be very emotional when he was giving his speech. The 20th anniversary UK tour, also directed by Ben Elton, was choreographed and staged by Jacob Fearey. This version opened at the King's Theatre with the full cast onstage for "Innuendo". The script is the same as the School Cast's version, but with fewer elements of the original. "Play the Game" is cut, and the chorus is backstage for most of the numbers. "Don't Stop Me Now" is left in its entirety, without Khashoggi interrupting Killer Queen. For the first time in the show's history, "The Show Must Go On" has been added to the production closing Act 1. In the new West End version, in Act 2, "Love of My Life" is only played as a brief instrumental. Some of the elements of the 20th anniversary tour production remain.

Shows with Queen

guitarist

and drummer Roger Taylor often perform at premieres and special events. Bassist

John Deacon John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951) is an English retired musician who was the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits " You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust" a ...

left the band in 1997 after frontman

death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

, and has not performed with May or Taylor since. When Bohemian Rhapsody is performed with May and/or Taylor, May comes up from a trap in the stage with a lot of smoke. (Only at the

. Elsewhere he walks from the Wembley gate in the back, to the front of stage.) He performs the solo immediately before the opera section. Then the opera section begins, and he walks off stage. During the rock section Taylor comes up on the Heartbreak Hotel platform and May runs back on stage. (Only at the Dominion Theatre. Elsewhere Taylor's drum kit is pushed by stage crew and May runs on stage.) They perform the rock section with the cast and the ending section. They end the song before the stage goes into blackout.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2022

2023

Characters

Galileo Figaro – the central character of the musical; a dreamer who hears strange words in his head. He is eventually revealed to be a reincarnation of Freddie Mercury. The character's name is a reference to the lyrics in the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody". Scaramouche – a sarcastic, cynical character and Galileo's love interest. In the finale she shows talent playing the electric guitar, and Galileo declares that she is a reincarnation of Brian May, only this time "he's a babe". The character's name is a reference to the lyrics in the Queen song "Bohemian Rhapsody". Killer Queen – the villain of the musical, she rules over iPlanet with an iron fist. The character's name is a reference to the Queen song "Killer Queen". Brit (alternatively Paris, Duff, Vic and J.B.) – Brit, short for

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

, is the main male Bohemian rebel. In other productions, his name is either Paris (short for

Paris Hilton Paris Whitney Hilton (born February 17, 1981) is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Hilton was born in New York City and raised there partially; shuttling between Los Angeles and New York City; she is a great-grandda ...

), Duff (short for

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Hilary Duff, various accolades, including a World Music Awards, World Mus ...

), Vic (short for

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...

) or J.B. (short for

Jeanette Biedermann Jeanette Biedermann (born Jean Biedermann, 22 February 1980) is a German singer, actress, and television personality. Born and raised in the greater Berlin area, Biedermann began performing as a member of a troupe of acrobats in a children's circ ...

). Meat (alternatively Oz, Ozzy) – Meat, short for

Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday (born Marvin Lee Aday; September 27, 1947 – January 20, 2022), known professionally by his stage name Meat Loaf, was an American singer and actor. He was known for his powerful, wide-ranging voice and theatrical live shows. ...

, is the main female Bohemian. In some productions, the character is named Oz after

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

. Commander Khashoggi – Killer Queen's second-in-command, he is head of Globalsoft's police and carries out Killer Queen's dirty work. The character's name is a reference to the Queen song "Khashoggi's Ship" (which is about the real life Saudi arms dealer

Adnan Khashoggi Adnan Khashoggi (; 25 July 1935 – 6 June 2017) was a Saudi businessman and arms dealer known for his business dealings, extensive geopolitical influence, and opulent lifestyle, which earned him the moniker "''The Jay Gatsby, Great Gatsby ...

). Pop (alternatively Polo, Bap, DJ, Buddy, Cliff or simply Rebel Leader) – an elderly librarian trying to figure out the "exact date the music died" (based on the 3 February 1959 plane crash that killed

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who was a central and pioneering figure of rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texa ...

Ritchie Valens Richard Steven Valenzuela (May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name Ritchie Valens, was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement, Valens died i ...

and

the Big Bopper Jiles Perry Richardson Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959), better known by his stage name The Big Bopper, was an American musician and disc jockey. His best-known compositions include " Chantilly Lace," " Running Bear", and " White Ligh ...

), who in some productions has a crush on Scaramouche, believed to be named after the creation of reality television talent shows (the example given varies depending on the production, but includes ''

Popstars ''Popstars'' is an international reality television franchise aimed to find new singing talent. Serving as a precursor to the ''Idol'' franchise, '' Popstars'' first began in New Zealand in 1999 when producer Jonathan Dowling formed the girl gr ...

'', ''

Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...

'', ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

'', or the relevant regional variant). Probably named after

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

or simply a diminutive of "Grandfather". In the German production his full name is "Bap Niedecken". The name refers to the German band "Bap" (Cologne dialect for "Papa" = "Father") and the singer Wolfgang Niedecken. In the Brazilian production his name is "Toca Raul", a reference to

Raul Seixas Raul Santos Seixas (; 28 June 1945 – 21 August 1989) was a Brazilian rock musician foundational to the genre.allmusic Biography/ref> ''Rolling Stone'' Brazil named Seixas among the greatest artists in Brazilian music. Throughout his career, S ...

, and to a popular expression associated with him (Toca Raul = Play Raul) but that is also said during many rock concerts in Brazil, regardless of the singer. Other Bohemians – the other Bohemians have constantly changing names following media trends. These are usually music-related, and have included

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...

Robbie Williams Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, launching a solo career in 1996. His debut studio album, ''Life thru a Lens'', was re ...

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

Bob the Builder ''Bob the Builder'' is a British animated children's television series created by Keith Chapman for HIT Entertainment which ran from to in the United Kingdom through the CBBC strand and later CBeebies. The series centres on the adventures ...

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ who rose to fame as the lead singer of the pop band Culture Club. He began his solo career in 1987. Boy George grew up in Eltham a ...

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...

Jackson Five The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Tito ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

Burton Cummings Burton Lorne Cummings (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician and songwriter. He is best known for leading the Guess Who during that band's most successful period from 1965 to 1975, and for a lengthy solo career. Cummings has been induc ...

John Farnham John Peter Farnham (born 1 July 1949) is a British-born Australian singer. Farnham was a teen pop idol from 1967 until the mid-1970s, billed as Johnny Farnham. He has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer.McFarlane (1999). Enc ...

Charlotte Church Charlotte Maria Church (born Charlotte Maria Reed, 21 February 1986) is a British singer-songwriter, actress, and television presenter from Cardiff, Wales. As a child, Church was a popular classical singer with a less-successful attempt to mov ...

Crazy Frog Crazy Frog (originally known as The Annoying Thing) is a Swedish CGI-animated character and Eurodance musician created in 2003 by actor and playwright Erik Wernquist. Marketed by the ringtone provider Jamba!, the character was originally creat ...

Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran ( ; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock", " Summertime Blues", " C'mon Everybody" and " Somethin' Else", captured teenage frustration and desire in ...

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is a key musician in popularizing pop-punk music, as she paved the way for female-driven, punk-influenced pop music in the early 2000s. List of awa ...

Shania Twain Eilleen Regina "Shania" Twain ( ; born August 28, 1965) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has sold over 100 million records, making her one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time and the best-sel ...

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Lily Allen, Her accolades include a Brit Award, alongside nominations for a Grammy Award and a Laurence Olivi ...

Kelly Osbourne Kelly Michelle Lee Osbourne (born on October 27 1984) is an English television personality, singer, actress, and fashion designer. She is a daughter of Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, and came to prominence while appearing on the reali ...

and

Clay Aiken Clayton Holmes Aiken (''né'' Grissom; born November 30, 1978) is an American singer, television personality, actor and political activist. Aiken finished second place on the second season of ''American Idol'' in 2003, and his debut album, '' Me ...

Cheeky Girls The Cheeky Girls are a Romanian singing duo consisting of identical twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irimia. After appearing as auditionees on '' Popstars: The Rivals'', they achieved success in the UK charts with four top 10 hits between 2002 ...

Kurt Cobain Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20, 1967 – ) was an American musician. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and a founding member of the grunge band Nirvana (band), Nirvana. Through his angsty songwriting and anti-establis ...

and recently

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

Gary Barlow Gary Barlow (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. He is the lead singer of the pop group Take That. Barlow is one of the United Kingdom's most successful songwriters, having writ ...

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. She is one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists in hist ...

, Jay Z and Frankie Valli.

Music

As a jukebox musical, the show's music consists entirely of Queen material. The musical numbers of the original London production are as follows. ; Act I #"

" –

and ensemble #"

" – Ga Ga Kids #"

" – Galileo #"I Want to Break Free" (reprise) – Scaramouche #" Somebody to Love" – Scaramouche and Teen Queens #"

" – Killer Queen and Yuppies #" Play the Game" – Killer Queen and Yuppies #"Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...), Death on Two Legs"* (instrumental) #"

" – Galileo and Scaramouche #"A Kind of Magic (song), A Kind of Magic" – Killer Queen, Khashoggi and Yuppies #" I Want It All" – Brit and Meat #" Headlong" – Brit, Meat, Galileo and Scaramouche #"No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)" – Meat and Bohemians #"

"* – Brit, Meat, Galileo, Scaramouche and Bohemians #"Queen II#"Ogre Battle", Ogre Battle" (instrumental) ; Act II #"

One Vision "One Vision" is a song written and recorded by the British rock band Queen, first released as a single in November 1985 and then included on their 1986 album ''A Kind of Magic''. It was conceived by the group's drummer Roger Taylor.Radio Ga Ga "Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with " I Go Crazy" by Brian May as the B-side. It was included as the opening track on the ...

" (reprise) – Ga Ga Kids #"

Who Wants to Live Forever "Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the British rock band Queen. A power ballad, it is the sixth track on the album ''A Kind of Magic'', which was released in June 1986, and was written by lead guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to th ...

" – Galileo and Scaramouche #"Flash (Queen song), Flash" – Bohemians #"

" – Khashoggi and Bohemians #"

"* –

, Killer Queen and Sex Yuppies #"

" – Killer Queen #"

" – Killer Queen #" Hammer to Fall" – Galileo and Scaramouche #"

" – Pop and Bohemians #"

"* – Bohemians #" Headlong" (reprise)* – Galileo, Scaramouche and Pop #" Love of My Life" – Bohemians #"Sheer Heart Attack#"Brighton Rock", Brighton Rock" solo* (instrumental) #"

"* (instrumental) #"

" – Galileo and Bohemians #"

" – Galileo and ensemble ;Encore #"We Will Rock You" (fast version) – Ensemble #"

" – Entire cast Later in the London production, the "One Vision" sequence was changed to include Freddie Mercury's recorded vocals for the bridge. Previously, the bridge had been sung by the ensemble. In the original London production, "

" was a short instrumental interlude prior to "

". Subsequent international productions expanded the song into a full song and dance sequence. Due to the positive response, the change was transferred back to the London production. On special occasions, "The Show Must Go On" is added to the encore. For the single-act Las Vegas production, "

" is replaced by "You're My Best Friend (Queen song), You're My Best Friend". In the 2013-14 North American tour, "You're My Best Friend" is added after " I Want It All." "Who Wants to Live Forever" is reinstated, after "Flash (Queen song), Flash" and "

." For the Australasian tour, Canadian production and the 2013-14 North American tour, " Play the Game" is replaced by "Now I'm Here". For the revamped Canadian production and the 2013-14 North American tour, "

One Vision "One Vision" is a song written and recorded by the British rock band Queen, first released as a single in November 1985 and then included on their 1986 album ''A Kind of Magic''. It was conceived by the group's drummer Roger Taylor.The Show Must Go On "The show must go on" is a phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer p ...

", which is positioned at the end of Act One. Additionally, "

" is extended into the full length of the song for this production and is now a duet between Killer Queen and Scaramouche. For the 2023 West End production, "The Show Must Go On" followed "Ogre Battle" at the end of Act One, with "Play the Game" still cut. "Don't Stop Me Now" was initially a duet between Killer Queen and Scaramouche, but later sung by Killer Queen on her own. "

" was not played as a reprise during "One Vision" in Act Two. "Hammer to Fall" was moved to after "Seven Seas of Rhye". "Bicycle Race" was extended, the lead vocal being performed by Pop.

Recordings

A cast recording of the original London production was released in November 2002.London's We Will Rock You Releases Cast Recording, 12 November 2002
– Playbill.com Not all songs in the show were included in the album, the omitted tracks have been marked* in the above list. In August 2003, the London cast recording was given an Australian edition re-release, containing a bonus track of the original Australian Killer Queen, Annie Crummer, singing a studio version of "Another One Bites the Dust". In 2004, Kerry Ellis, who was the original Meat in the London production, worked with Brian May to record an instrumental studio version of "No One But You (Only the Good Die Young)". This version is available through the official Queen website and in Ellis' limited-release CD single titled ''Wicked in Rock''.Kerry Ellis' "Wicked in Rock" single
– Dress Circle website, exclusive distributor A Madrid cast recording was released in 2004. The recording includes a bonus second disc containing an extended Spanish-translated studio version of "No One But You" ("Solo Por Ti") sung by the original Meat, Eva María Cortés, and video clips of the original Madrid production. A Cologne cast recording was released in 2005. It is the only ''We Will Rock You'' cast recording to contain "Fat Bottomed Girls". In 2012, a ''10th Anniversary Edition'' of the London Cast Recording was issued, comprising the original cast recording album, along with a CD containing bonus material.

Discography

* Alana Bridgewater-recorded version of Fat Bottomed Girls on her debut album "Horizon". * The 10th Anniversary album including the original 2002 album, along with a bonus CD with the following tracks: *# Another One Bites the Dust (2003 Remix) –

, Queen *# Sólo por Ti (No One But You) (In Spanish) (Short Version) – Eva Maria Cortes, Queen *# Sin Control (Headlong) (In Spanish) – The Spanish Cast *# Algo Loco Es el Amor (Crazy Little Thing Called Love) (In Spanish) – The Spanish Cast *# Killer Queen (In German) – The German Cast *# Play the Game (In German) – The German Cast *# Bohemian Rhapsody ('Party at the Palace' Live at Buckingham Palace, 2002) – The London Cast, Queen *# Radio Ga Ga ["Wetten, dass..?" German TV Live Performance, 2004] – The German Cast *# Somebody to Love ["Wetten, dass..?" German TV Live Performance, 2004] – The German Cast, Queen *# We Will Rock You ["Wetten, dass..?" German TV Live Performance, 2004] – The German Cast, Queen *# We Are the Champions ["Wetten, dass..?" German TV Live Performance, 2004] – The German Cast, Queen

Awards and nominations

Original London production

Australia

South Africa

Toronto

References

External links

*
Video: Brian May speaks about We Will Rock You
requires RealPlayer) {{Authority control 2002 musicals Jukebox musicals West End musicals Rock musicals Laurence Olivier Award–winning musicals Queen (band) Cultural depictions of Freddie Mercury Dystopian fiction Fiction about reincarnation Musicals by Ben Elton Science fiction musicals British musicals Dystopian music

Development

Productions

West End and UK tours

Australasia and the Asian Pacific

Spain

Las Vegas and North American tours

Russia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria

South Africa

Canada

Other productions

Critical reception

Characters and casts

Notable replacements

West End

UK Tour

Plot

Act One

Act Two

Variations

Shows with Queen

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2022

2023

Characters

Music

Recordings

Discography

Awards and nominations

Original London production

Australia

South Africa

Toronto

See also

References

External links