‘One of the best British films ever’ is becoming a West End musical

Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting has been turned into a musical for the first time ever (Pictures: PA/ Shutterstock)

One of ‘the greatest British films of all time’ is set to make its West End debut this summer.

Based on the 1993 novel by Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting hit screens three years later.

The black comedy drama, which was directed by Danny Boyle, starred Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald.

The film followed a group of heroin addicts in an economically depressed area of Edinburgh and was a critical and commercial success, with many reviews praising the ‘provocative’ story.

A sequel, T2 Trainspotting, was eventually released in 2017.

Now, 30 years since the original movie was released, Trainspotting has been turned into a musical.

The 1993 novel was Welsh’s debut (Picture: David Cheskin/ PA Wire) The author appeared in the 1996 film alongside Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller and Ewen Bremner (Picture: Noel Gay/ Channel 4/ Kobal/ Shutterstock)

In July, the production of the same name will premiere on London’s West End.

It will star Scottish actor Robbie Scott as Mark Renton, a heroin addict in Edinburgh navigating poverty, friendship and addiction alongside his dysfunctional peers.

The role was originally played by McGregor in the film.

Although Trainspotting has previously been adapted for the stage, this production will mark its world debut as a musical.

‘This musical has a bigger, loudly beating human heart than either the book or the film,’ Welsh said of the new show.

‘The various stage adaptations of Trainspotting have become acclaimed and moving theatrical experiences, and the soundtrack to the movie is obviously iconic.

‘So, it made sense to put the music and words together to create an explosive, provocative and entertaining show.’

He continued: ‘People need to think about the world we’re living in, and we offer that inspection, but they also really need to sing their hearts out and laugh their heads off – it’s what being human is all about – and they’ll be well served with this too.’

Robbie Scott will star as Mark Renton in the new show (Picture: Matt Crockett/ PA Wire)

Trainspotting: The Musical will feature music and lyrics written by Edinburgh-born Welsh and musician Stephen McGuinness.

The production, directed and developed by Caroline Jay Ranger, will also include popular tracks from the cult classic film.

It has been described as ‘the ultimate anti-musical’ which also a moment, a manifesto and ‘who we are’.

Last week Welsh also said that the musical would include both several original songs as well as tracks from the movie soundtrack – including Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life and Lou Reed’s Perfect Day.

‘In some ways it was a strange thing – I never ever thought this would be a musical, but it is actually really, really good. Of course I’m biased,’ he said during an appearance as part of the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Paper Trails initiative, as per The Edinburgh Reporter.

‘The thing about (the musical) is you can write tracks about the characters and the scenarios, so you can tell a lot of storytelling that way. Instead of the tired exposition, you get them bursting into song.

‘But we’ve got some songs from the film. We’ve got Lust for Life and Perfect Day, and hopefully Born Slippy, we’re trying to get that cleared so people have that sense of familiarity with that kind of world. But they’ll also hear some of the new songs we’ve done. I’m hoping they become as iconic as the songs from the film.’

Speaking about the latest adaptation of his debut novel, Welsh said he’s always been enthusiastic about others giving it their own spin.

‘I don’t see myself as a curator of that stuff. I think once you’ve done it as a book you’ve given it away,’ he said.

Welsh has said he encourages people adapting his work ‘to play hard and fast with it’ (Picture: Gay/ Channel 4/ Kobal/ Shutterstock)

“I’m always encouraging people adapting my stuff to go out there a bit and just kind of play hard and fast with it… You have to realise with adaptations; it has to work in that medium.”

Following its release, Trainspotting was nominated for two Baftas, while screenwriter John Hodge was nominated for an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay.

The film has an approval rating of 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the critical consensus reading: ‘A brutal, often times funny, other times terrifying portrayal of drug addiction in Edinburgh. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth viewing as a realistic and entertaining reminder of the horrors of drug use.’

In the years since it came out, Trainspotting has been named in the top 10 of the BFI’s Top 100 British films of all time, while Channel 4 previously named it as the greatest British film of all time.

Trainspotting The Musical will open at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on July 15, with tickets available at Trainspottingthemusical.co.uk

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