Taboo is a stage musical with a book by Mark Davies Markham (extensively rewritten for the Broadway production by Charles Busch), lyrics by Boy George, and music by George, John Themis, Richie Stevens, and Kevan Frost.
Set in an abandoned London warehouse, the show tells the story of a group of people (partly based on real people and partly fictional), some of whom had been connected to the New Romantic club scene some years earlier, culminating with the opening of the now-legendary Taboo (1985–87) of the title, which was the creation of Leigh Bowery, at the end of Act I. Boy George is featured as one of the club's regulars, as he was known to have been in the 1980s, and the show also focuses on George's life prior to and after achieving fame.
Contents
Productions
London, The Venue 2002
The cast featured Euan Morton as Boy George, whose vocal performance and physical resemblance to the Culture Club frontman earned widespread critical acclaim and a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical. Critics praised Morton as delivering "a mesmerising performance that elsewhere would literally be showstopping" and noted he was "the spitting image of George in his youth." The Guardian's Michael Billington described the musical as "impossible to dislike". The production also included Luke Evans as Billy James, Matt Lucas as Leigh Bowery, and Dianne Pilkington as Kim, with the show directed by Christopher Renshaw with choreography by Les Child and costume design by Mike Nicholls.
Broadway, 2003
Comedian/talk-show host Rosie O'Donnell was so enamoured with the show that she decided to finance a Broadway production. After 16 previews, a new revised version of Taboo opened on November 13, 2003, at the Plymouth Theatre, with a new book by Charles Busch. Hampered by mostly scathing reviews, the production closed after 100 performances. The cast, directed by Christopher Renshaw, included Boy George (credited under his real name, George O'Dowd), Euan Morton reprising his role as Boy George, Raúl Esparza and Jeffrey Carlson.
O'Donnell reportedly lost her entire $10 million investment in the project. She said in a 2007 interview about Leigh Bowery that she wanted to take Taboo back to Broadway in the future.
London, Brixton Club House 2012
A revival of the original London Taboo ran from September to March 2013 at the Brixton Club House in London. The show was directed by original director Renshaw and included original cast member Paul Baker as Philip Sallon, with The Voice contestant Sam Buttery as Leigh Bowery, newcomer Matthew Rowland as Boy George/George O'Dowd and Alistair Brammer as Billy.
Plot
2002 London production
The show starts with Philip Sallon introducing the audience to the New Romantics in London's Soho district ("Ode To Attention Seekers").
The focus moves to the James family home in Bromley, where Billy lives with his mum, Josie, and dad, Derek, who is unemployed thanks to the new laws brought by the Thatcher era. Billy's dad disapproves of him wanting to be a photographer and, after another fight, Billy snaps and decides to move to London ("Safe In the City").
Here, Billy runs into Sallon, who tells him he knows of a place where he can stay, squatting with a few other people ("Gimme A Freak"). Billy meets Kim, a punk girl who wants to be a fashion designer, and George, her housemate. Billy is fascinated by George, the two start talking and George shares that his father never approved of him, only his mother understood and loved him ("Stranger In This World"). George kisses Billy, taking him by surprise, Billy runs off scared.
The audience is introduced to Steve Strange, who is acting as bouncer at the local night club. Kim, Billy, Philip and George arrive at the club and Billy is fascinated by the club's patrons and begins to take pictures. Steve Strange premieres his new hit record ("Fade To Grey"), but the audience of the club don't appreciate hearing it again, so they pull the plug halfway through his performance. The audience is then introduced to another popular face on the New Romantic scene, Marilyn, dressed up like Marilyn Monroe ("Genocide Peroxide").
Leigh Bowery, a fashion designer and performance artist who travelled from Australia to be a part of the New Romantic scene, is in the men's bathroom of the club. Billy enters and is amazed by Leigh's outlandish look. Leigh is instantly attracted to the photographer ("I'll Have You All") and gives him his number ("I'll Have You - Reprise").
With time Kim and Billy become closer and start falling for each other ("Love Is a Question Mark"). Just when they are about to take the next step in their relationship, George comes home and makes a scene by flirting with Billy. George and Kim start to argue, which makes Billy runs off again, being sick of the fighting. Out on the street late at night, Petal is selling drugs ("Shelter"), Billy bumps into him and expresses his disgust at Petal and is almost attacked by him, but escapes.
2003 Broadway production
The Broadway production of the show switched its focus to George, from his roots to his rise to fame with Culture Club, and Leigh Bowery, from his start until his timely death because of AIDS, removing some of the key characters of the UK production in favor of new ones. Philip Sallon and Big Sue become narrators of the story and Billy become Marcus, a sexually confused photographer who falls for George. The new figure of Nicola was introduced, based on real-life friend and later wife of Bowery, Nicola Bateman.
In an interview Boy George said that the Broadway version of the show "brings out more of an "emotional aspect of the characters", going deeper in exploring the main characters of George and Leigh.
Characters
Original London production (2002), UK tour and Brixton Club House production (2012)
Billy – Aspiring photographer. Frustrated with suburban life in Bromley, he runs to London to make his fortune. There he is introduced to the New Romantics.
Kim – Aspiring fashion designer and George's squat-mate. Kim is fiery but insecure, rarely emerging from behind her makeup. She ran away from home at 15, and her mother was too drunk to come looking for her.
George (O'Dowd) – Artist, poet, singer/songwriter George is shown before and during his initial success. Thrives on attention and shocking others, never appears dressed conventionally.
Leigh Bowery – Flamboyant Australian designer and performance artist. He delights in antagonising Kim, and is constantly surrounded by a gaggle of admirers/slaves. Absorbs Billy into his flock. Played by Boy George on some productions.
Philip Sallon – Narrator figure of the show. Based on a real person.
Josie James – Billy's mother, who later becomes Kim's best friend and business partner. Supposedly a part written specially for the performer Lyn Paul to play.
Marilyn – One of the Blitz Kids, Marilyn is first George's rival, then his best friend.
Big Sue – Leigh's main assistant and confidante. Character based on Sue Tilley.
Steve Strange – Doorman at the 'Blitz' club, and singer with the group Visage who achieved success with 'Fade to Grey'. Good-natured rival of George.
Derek – Billy's father. Violent, drunk and homophobic.
Original Broadway production (2003)
Source:
George (O'Dowd) – Artist, poet, singer/songwriter George is shown before and during his initial success. Thrives on attention and shocking others, never appears dressed conventionally.
Leigh Bowery – Flamboyant Australian designer and performance artist. He is constantly surrounded by a gaggle of admirers/slaves.
Philip Sallon and Big Sue – Narrators of the show.
Nicola – Character who falls for and eventually marries Leigh Bowery. Based on a real person.
Marcus – Sexually confused photographer, who has an attraction for George (rewrite of the character of Billy from the UK productions).
Songs
Awards and nominations
Cast recordings
Two Taboo cast albums have been released: the original West End cast in 2002, and the original Broadway cast in 2004.
Original London Cast Recording
Additional performers and backing vocalists: Declan Bennett, Lucy Harris, Michele Hooper, Andy Morton, Joe Docherty, Zee Asha, Kim Whitehorn, Sharlene Hector.
Majority of instruments and arrangements by Kevan Frost.
Additional musicians: James McKeon, Justin Homewood, Chris Jago, Mark Kulke, Ben Castle, Chris Storr, Mike Innes, Pete Adams, Liz Chi, Sarah Chi, Ben Till, Matt Frost, Raul D'Olivera.