New Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical Stephen Ward Eyes West End’s Aldwych Theatre

A British scandal, indeed! Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new musical Stephen Ward is looking to land at the Aldwych Theatre on the West End, according to the Daily Mail. Co-created by Lloyd Webber's former Sunset Boulevard collaborators Don Black and Christopher Hampton, the new musical about Britian’s Profumo scandal would need to knock out the theater’s current resident Top Hat, starring Gavin Lee. Word is if Top Hat stays on top at the Aldwych, there are two other theaters on Lord Lloyd Webber’s shortlist.

Stephen Ward focuses on John Profumo, Secretary of State for war under Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who had an affair with a call girl named Christine Keeler. The pair met through Stephen Ward, an osteopath who was then accused and tried for pimping out women in the scandal. Though the charges were ultimately dropped, he killed himself soon after the trial.

The musical had a reading earlier this year directed by five-time Olivier Award winner Richard Eyre. The reading starred Alexander Hanson (We Will Rock You, A Little Night Music) and Hal Fowler (Carousel, Macbeth) as Stephen Ward and Britain's former War Secretary John Profumo, respectively and featured Iris Roberts (The Heart of Robin Hood) as Christine Keeler and Carley Bawden (My Fair Lady) as Mandy Rice Davies, the ladies at the center of the scandal. No word yet on if these actors will take part in the West End production as well.