Cameron Mackintosh Aims New Musical Comedy A Private Function Toward West End Bow

Producer Cameron Mackintosh, the man with everything from Cats to the current Mary Poppins on his resume, has a musical adaptation of the 1985 film A Private Function in the works, according to London's Daily Mail. The new tuner would feature music and lyrics by Tony Award nominated Mary Poppins team George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and a book by Queer as Folk's Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman. According to the report, A Private Function would aim for a try-out at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in anticipation of a West End opening around Easter 2011.

A reading of the new piece has already been staged in London, though no creative team has been revealed at this time.

The original film starred Michael Palin, Dame Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott, Liz Smith and Richard Griffiths in the story of a stolen pig. The comedy in rural England in 1947, while wartime meat rationing is going on. When Princess Elizabeth announces her plans to marry, a group of local businessmen decide to impres the government by throwing a party in her honor, featuring the slaughter of a pig raised specifically, and illegally, for the event. All goes to bits when someone steals the swine. The film won a 1986 London Critics Circle Film Award.