Chess moves in to the West End

ADVANTAGE Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus! Their musical, Chess, is returning to the West End.

Producer Michael Linnit has moved all the pieces into place so the show, inspired by the Boris Spassky vs Bobby Fischer matches in Iceland in the Seventies, can begin performances — backed by a 48-piece orchestra — at the London Coliseum (home of the English National Opera) on April 26, running until June 2.

Chess originated in the Eighties in concert form, followed by an album. But re-fashioning it as a theatre musical has been problematic. The best version was at the Prince Edward Theatre where, as Rice noted, ‘it was nearly all sung through’. ‘It’s operatic!’ he said.

Rice and Laurence Connor, who will direct the Coliseum shows, have been ‘making little tweaks here and there’. One number — Someone Else’s Story — which was used in the Broadway version will be introduced at the Coliseum. ‘It was the best thing that came out of Broadway,’ Rice said. ‘It’s on the Broadway album, but not on the original one.’

The songs in Chess, which include One Night In Bangkok and I Know Him So Well, have always been hugely popular.

Rice said Michael Mayer is directing a production at the Kennedy Centre in February; and there’s talk of a Broadway show; but he did not know whether it would be linked to the Coliseum production.

He added that it’s ‘never been done well’ on Broadway; and a version that does work would make everyone happy.