If at first you don’t succeed, maybe don’t try again – at least, that would be the case for a US theatre company who recreated the tragic story of Princess Diana as an on-stage musical.
Yep, you read that right, and yep, you probably predicted correctly – the show, which debuted in the States in 2019 and will be on Netflix on October 1, went down in its preview performance like a cup of cold sick.
Diana: The Musical, which tells the story of the life of the late Princess of Wales, has been blasted by royal commentators.
(Image: Getty)The show, which depicts Diana’s life when she was married to Prince Charles, was attended by several theatre critics and royal commentators in February 2019, and they were quick to blast the performance.
“It is in such bad taste that it’s best ignored,” said editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine Ingrid Seward.
And when asked whether the royal family themselves would watch it, she said: “Oh goodness, no, none of them would have any interest in it.”
Meanwhile, The Sunday Telegraph‘s arts writer Luciana Bellini shared her own thoughts on the performance, saying it was “just so silly and tongue-in-cheek that it can’t be taken seriously”.
On considering if the show would go down well in the UK, she said: “It’s hard to say – some royal fans will certainly find the idea unappealing.”
“But perhaps in honour of our new American princess [Meghan Markle], we should take a punt on it.”
The preview performance of the show has garnered some mixed reviews.
(Image: Netflix)
British actress Jeanna de Waal plays Diana whilst Emily in Paris star Roe Hartrampf plays Prince Charles.
(Image: Netflix)And if you do decide to watch, enter at your own risk – according to the Telegraph, there is a scene in the play where Diana’s former lover James Hewitt is seen on-stage in nothing but his underwear.
He is then seen “caressing” Diana – a feat that will no doubt rile fans.
The play itself follows Diana from her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. From there, it depicts her relationship with Prince Charles, her relationship with the press, and even the Camilla Parker-Bowles’ affair.
The musical’s synopsis from theatre company La Jolla Playhouse reads: “Behind the fairytale, there was a troubled marriage and a young woman struggling to find her voice. Facing an entrenched monarchy and unprecedented media scrutiny, Princess Diana surprises everyone—including herself—as she grows into a global phenomenon and manages to change the world.”
WATCH: Diana: The Musical sneak preview. Story continues after video…
Playing the coveted role of Diana is British actress Jeanna de Waal, who has performed in a number of plays and musicals including Kinky Boots and Wicked.
Speaking about the gig when it was announced she’d be filling the shoes of leading lady, Jeanna said: “I feel very daunted by the prospect, but I hope people who didn’t know about her and weren’t aware of her journey leave the theatre with an idea of what she did for the world.”
“She made everyone feel special, from the highest person to the lowest-ranking person, and I think we want to celebrate her.”
And in an official video shared by the theatre company, Jeanna revealed that playing the role was a “huge privilege”.
The blonde Brit shared some of the production’s highlights on social media, including an image of the cast enjoying a break at In-N-Out together.
Meanwhile, other cast members also shared their own backstage snaps from the performance – and it’s clear there are a couple of villains involved in the show going by some stealthy side-eyes!
Jeanna shared a photo of the musical cast enjoying a fast-food break between rehearsals.
(Image: Instagram / @thebigdewaal)The musical was written by renowned playwrights Joe DiPietro and David Bryan, and directed by Tony Award-winner Christopher Ashley.
Speaking to Playbill, Bryan said the on-stage adaptation has 23 original songs, and the genre of each will vary between characters.
“Diana is pop-rock, royalty is string quartet, we have paparazzi as punk guitars and we try to make all those roles live on top of each other,” he said.
Diana: The Musical comes to Netflix on October 1.
Will you be watching?
(Image: Netflix)
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