| Spend Spend Spend | |
|---|---|
 Original London production artwork | |
| Music | Steve Brown |
| Lyrics | Steve Brown Justin Greene |
| Book | Steve Brown Justin Greene |
| Basis | The life ofViv Nicholson |
| Premiere | 26 May 1998:West Yorkshire Playhouse,Leeds |
| Productions | 1998Leeds 1999West End 2009Newbury 2024Manchester |
Spend Spend Spend is amusical with book and lyrics bySteve Brown and Justin Greene and music by Brown. The musical is inspired by the life ofViv Nicholson.
Spend Spend Spend premiered on 26 May 1998, running until 27 June at theWest Yorkshire Playhouse,Leeds and won the Barclays Theatre Award for Best Musical of the Year. The production starredRosemary Ashe andNigel Richards.
After a week of previews, theWest End production, directed byJeremy Sams and choreographed byCraig Revel Horwood, opened on 12 October 1999 at thePiccadilly Theatre, where it ran until 5 August 2000. The original cast includedBarbara Dickson,Steven Houghton,Jeff Shankley andRachel Leskovac.[1] The original London production was arranged by the Musical Director, Dane Preece.
ABBC Two documentary,Trouble at the Top, followed the progress of the production, particularly focusing on producerAndre Ptaszynski, and was broadcast in March 2000.[2]
Shortly after closing in London, the production, with most of the original cast, went on a UK Tour. The Musical Director for the tour was Steve Hill and the role of Keith was played by Grant Anthony.
On 8 July 2009 theWatermill Theatre, Newbury, presented a revival of the musical, directed by Craig Revel Horwood, with Karen Mann as the older Viv, Kirsty Hoiles as young Viv and Greg Barnett as Keith.[3] The production next had a 7-week tour across the country, beginning 28 September 2010 to 9 November 2010. It was awarded the 2010 TMA award for Best Musical and Kirsty Hoiles (young Viv) was awarded the TMA award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.
A new production at theRoyal Exchange, Manchester ran from Saturday 23 November 2024 to Saturday 11 January 2025, directed by Josh Seymour, with Rachel Leskovac (nominated for an Olivier Award for her portrayal of the young Viv Nicholson in the original London production) in the leading role.[1]
In 1961,Yorkshire housewifeViv Nicholson wins £152,319 in thefootball pools. When a reporter asks her what she plans to do with her new fortune, she replies, "I'm going to spend, spend, spend!," which is exactly what she does. Her rags-to-riches-to-rags-again story takes her through five husbands, expensivesports cars,fur coats and jewelry, abattle with alcohol, andbankruptcy as, unable to cope with her new-found wealth and fame, she rapidly spirals downward.