Musical Version of Desperately Seeking Susan, Featuring Songs of Blondie, Headed for West End

A musical version of the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan is heading to the West End. The musical, which will feature the hits of Blondie and a new song by Deborah Harry, is scheduled to open in autumn 2007, following an out-of-town tryout to be determined.

The story centers on Roberta Glass, a bored New Jersey housewife who seeks adventure through her obsession with personal ads and the mysterious Susan, a street-smart East Village drifter. When Roberta suffers a bad case of amnesia, she and Susan unexpectedly swap lives and are plunged into a world of jewel heists, magic shows and rock ‘n' roll. The collision of Roberta and Susan's identities takes them on a wild journey of mystery, self-awareness, and true love—with both women discovering that you never know where your life is going, until something magical happens. The film, written by Leora Barish and directed by Susan Seidelman, marked the big screen debut of Madonna, who played the role of Susan. Rosanna Arquette co-starred as Roberta.

The stage version was conceived and written by American writer, director and actor Peter Michael Marino. It will be directed by Angus Jackson, whose credits include Kwame Kwei-Armah's two plays at the National, Elmina's Kitchen which transferred to the West End's Garrick Theatre and toured the U.K. and Fix Up. Jackson has directed the musicals Promises, Promises at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre and Carousel at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2006. He also directed August Strindberg's The Father at Chichester's Minerva Theatre.

Desperately Seeking Susan is being produced by Susan Gallin, Ron Kastner, Mark Rubinstein and Old Vic Productions.