Graham Greene’s ever-popular The Third Man hit the London Stage this summer in the form of a musical.
A possibly unlikely candidate for a musical, The Third Man divided critics whose opinions ranged from good to average: see here for a digest of reviews.
Below, for interest, is the background to the musical drawn from the official press release:
Graham Greene’s brilliant story – which was made into a landmark film and published as a novella – now comes to the stage in a new musical with book & lyrics by Don Black (Aspects of Love) and Christopher Hampton (), music by George Fenton, and direction by Trevor Nunn (Cats, Les Miserables).
Post-war Vienna is the setting as Holly Martins arrives at the invitation of his friend and hero, Harry Lime, only to discover that Harry has been killed in a car accident. But nothing that he is told about that apparently happened makes any sense. The tension mounts as Holly enters the world of black marketeers and military bureaucracy, culminating in a chase through the Viennese sewers, as Holly tries to discover what happened to Harry…and who is the third man?
An extraordinary cast of West End performers come together to present the world premiere of this classic film noir.
The show is on at the Menier Chocolate Factory beside the Shard in London. A French enterprise, the Menier Chocolate Company expanded overseas and built a five-storey factory and warehouse of brick with stone dressings Southwark between 1865 and 1874. The building was converted into a theatre in 2004 and opened by Artistic Director David Babani. It has since become a popular venue for both plays and musicals. With a seating capacity of just 180, the Menier Chocolate Factory is known for its intimate and unique atmosphere and has won numerous awards for its productions.