A brand-new musical adaptation of Artemis Fowl, based on Eoin Colfer’s best-selling book and the Disney film, is officially in development.
Producers Breda Cashe, Eoin Colfer and Julian Stoneman have announced that private workshop performances are currently underway.
The musical features a script by Colfer, with music composed by Liam Bates and lyrics by both Colfer and Bates. Scott Graham, known for his work with Frantic Assembly, is directing. The workshop’s casting is handled by Pearson Casting CDG, with general management by Julian Stoneman and Jack Maple for MPSI Ltd.
If you’re new to Artemis Fowl, here’s the gist: it follows a 12-year-old millionaire and criminal genius who not only believes in fairies but is smart enough to outmaneuver them for their gold. However, things take an unexpected turn when he meets an elf who refuses to be tricked.
For Colfer, bringing Artemis Fowl to the stage has been a long-time dream:
“Theatre is my first love. I learned to read running lines with my mother when I was four years old, and the first thing I ever wrote for public consumption was a play about the Norse gods for my fourth class Christmas show. So when my book Artemis Fowl became a worldwide hit some decades later, I immediately thought that this would be my chance to get a musical onto a stage. I am so excited to showcase Artemis and for the musical to be in development with such a brilliant team because when I wrote it as a book, I was seeing it in my head as a musical. This is a literal dream come true.”
Director Scott Graham is just as excited, calling the story “mythical, fantastical, hilarious and immensely touching.”
“On one level it is the story of a dynamic heist and on another it is about family connections and how our hearts ache with pride, love and longing. It feels rich, powerful and hugely entertaining.”
Since its debut, Artemis Fowl has sold over 25 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 40 languages.
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