''FROM A JACK TO A KING'' - A ROCK AND ROLL MUSICAL

Aspiring but wimpish Eric Glamis wants to be a rock star but lacks the drive and guts until three witches take him under their control and make him their choice for fame (sounds familiar?)

Eric proves to be a sensation on the drums and a knock-out on the guitar and is taken on by (dubious) rock impresario Duke Box who promptly renames Eric, Thane Cawdor!

However, it’s rock star Terry King – complete with Kawasaki motorbike and Elvis impersonations - who stands in Eric’s way to stardom. So, spanner in hand (“Is this a spanner that I see before me?”), Eric makes a few adjustments to the wheels of Terry’s motorbike and... “crash”.... he becomes the new King and marries the love of his life Queenie, who just happens to be Terry’s “ex”!

Terry, though, isn’t going to take all this lying down (in his grave) and returns to haunt Eric to the point where Joe Macduff, a cool American cop, arrests him after some thrilling musical duels.

“Leader of the Pack” – “Tell Laura I love Her” – “Jailhouse Rock” – “Downtown” - “Go Johnny Go”, “Leader Of The Pack” and “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore” are just some of the hot songs in the show.
 

In the Theatre world they are nicknamed “Musos”. The
theatrical definition of which is an actor or actress who, not only acts in plays but sings in
musicals as well and, most importantly, is talented enough to play three, four, even five
instruments to professional-band level.
All nine members of the cast of the British Theatre Playhouse’s latest production are true “Musos”
and show-off their exceptional talents in the British Theatre Playhouse’s production of the Rock
‘n Roll musical “From a Jack to a King” which opens at Raffles Hotel, Jubilee Hall Theatre on
Wednesday 5th May 2010 with a Charity Gala Dinner-Theatre in aid of KK Hospital Health
Endowment Fund to the benefit of needy women with cancer and chronic illnesses; the guests
of honour are the Minister of Education, Dr Ng Eng Heng and Mrs Ivy Ng. The production will
continue to run until Sunday 9th May 2010 before it tours to Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City
and Bangkok.
A musical combining the work of William Shakespeare (circa 1606) with the adaptation by Bob
Carlton (circa 1992) the plot bears a passing resemblance to Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and,
indeed, audiences will recognise familiar lines from many other of the Bard’s most famous plays.
Olivier Award winning British director and writer Bob Carlton (“Return to the Forbidden Planet”)
has not lost his power to surprise and does it again in “From a Jack to a King”. He has taken
“Macbeth” and transposed it to 1960’s Soho, London. “Macbeth” becomes aspiring Rock and
Roll star Eric Glamis, “Lady Macbeth” is now Queenie (a pretty good belter of songs herself) and
the King, “Duncan”, is the King of Rock and Roll, Terry King, who can still shake his hips with
the best of them ... until ... murder most foul and Eric’s ambition is to blame!
Fans of 1950’s/60s Rock n’ Roll will have a ball! The hits come thick and fast featuring some of
the biggest songs including “Blue Suede Shoes”; “Downtown”; “Go Johnny Go”; The Sun Ain’t
Gonna Shine Anymore”; “Leader of the Pack”; “Jailhouse Rock” and “Terry” and these are just
some of the 21 songs in the show.